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Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are responsible for the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs). Our knowledge about how black carbon particles influence BVOC emissions from terrestrial ecosystems is limited; terrestrial vegetation captures black carbon particles as a sink. In this research, the BVOC emissions from the leaves of four terrestrial plants were measured using an RAE PGM-7300 BVOC analyzer. Then, the leaves from four types of trees were exposed to submicron carbon black for 24 h and 48 h in an ambient environment, respectively. Comparisons between the BVOC emissions before and after exposure to submicron carbon black were performed. Our results indicated that the emissions of BVOC from the leaves of four types of trees varied from 90 to 270 μg g−1 h−1 and depended on the species. The exposure to submicron black carbon particles had negligible impacts on the BVOC emissions from the leaves of four types of trees.

Liquid Crystal Elastomers (LCEs) are renowned for their reversible deformation capabilities. Yet, enhancing their mechanical strength while retaining such flexibility has posed a considerable challenge. To overcome this, we utilized 4D printing to develop an innovative composite of LCE with carbon fiber fabric (LCEC). This approach has notably increased the tensile strength of LCE by eightfold, all the while maintaining its exceptional capacity for reversible deformation. By adjusting the alignment angle between carbon fiber and the LCE printing direction from 0° to 90°, the LCEC demonstrates an array of new deformation patterns, including bending, twisting, wrapping, and S-shaped transformations, which are distinct from pure LCE materials. Our study unveils that LCE composites exhibit deformation processes markedly different from their pure material counterparts, with the ability of pure LCE to sustain tensile strains exceeding 1900%. These findings, previously undocumented and unexplored, represent a substantial contribution to the field of smart materials. Employing finite element analysis, we explored the carbon fiber and LCE matrix dynamics, revealing bending mechanics in LCECs. This combined experimental and simulation approach yields crucial insights for crafting durable, high-strength LCECs with diverse deformational properties, advancing smart material technology.

Liver cancer is a major global health concern, ranking among the top causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite advances in medical research, the prognosis for liver cancer remains poor, largely due to the inherent limitations of current therapies. Traditional treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy often fail to provide long-term remission and are associated with significant side effects. Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising avenue for cancer treatment, leveraging the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. However, its application in liver cancer has been limited. One of the primary challenges is the liver’s unique immune microenvironment, which can inhibit the effectiveness of immunotherapeutic agents. This immune microenvironment creates a barrier, leading to drug resistance and reducing the overall efficacy of treatment. Recent studies have focused on understanding the immunological landscape of liver cancer to develop strategies that can overcome these obstacles. By identifying the specific factors within the liver that contribute to immune suppression and drug resistance, researchers aim to enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Prospective strategies include combining immunotherapy with other treatments, using targeted therapies to modulate the immune microenvironment, and developing new agents that can bypass or counteract the inhibitory mechanisms in the liver. These advancements hold promise for improving outcomes in liver cancer treatment.

Abstract Unwanted ice formations may cause severe functional degradations of facilities and also have a negative impact on their lifespans. Avoiding and removing ice accumulation is always a hot topic in the industrial and technological field. Bionic functional surfaces have been greatly studied for several decades and have proved to be excellent candidates for passive anti‐/deicing applications. However, the drawbacks limit their potential industrial uses under harsh conditions, like low temperatures and high humidity. Most researches on bionic surfaces are focused on a certain function of natural creatures and their underlined fundamental theories are revealed by taking the interface as the static. Actually, living organisms, either plants or animals, are often sensitive and responsive to their surroundings, avoiding risks and even self‐repairing upon damage. From this prospect, a novel view of the bionic icephobic materials has been proposed in the present review, which is expected to be studied and designed by taking the biological species as a system. As two representative icephobic materials, the anti‐/deicing theories of superhydrophobic and slippery surfaces are first discussed. Further, the recent progress of smart icephobic strategies is summarized from interfaces to substrates. We aim to provide new bionic insights on designing future icephobic strategies.

The recycling of the basic oxygen furnace slag (BOF) and the furnace bottom ash (FBA) as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) will contribute to achieving the sustainability requirements of the infrastructure sector. The BOF possesses inherent hydraulic properties due to its high content of glass network-modifying phases (e.g., CaO, MgO, Na2O, and K2O). However, its poor grindability, variability in quality, and purity are factors that may limit its reuse as a SCM. This paper aims to explore the impact of co-grinding BOF with FBA on the chemical, physical, and microscopic properties of the new combinations and their effect on the performance of their designed mortar. Combinations consisting of three ratios of BOF to FBA (3:1, 3:2, and 1:1) were synthesized, and the results of the co-grinding were compared with those equivalents in separate grinding. The findings indicate that co-grinding improved the fineness and synergies of the BOF-FBA particles without significantly altering the crystalline phases or developing new ones compared to the original materials. Combined grinding had a positive effect on the flowability of mortar mixtures and the development of compressive strength at all curing ages. Microstructural analyses revealed denser and more compact microstructures in mortar designed from the co-ground BOF-FBA combinations, along with lower Ca/Si and Si/Al ratios, indicating the positive influence of co-grinding on the growth of hydrates.

Abstract Background Southwest China is one of the largest karst regions in the world. Karst environment is relatively fragile and vulnerable to human activities. Due to the discharge of sewage and domestic garbage, the karst system may be polluted by pathogenic bacteria. The detection of bacterial distribution and identification of phage capable of infecting them is an important approach for environmental assessment and resource acquisition. Methods Bacteria and phages were isolated from karst water in southwest China using the plate scribing and double plate method, respectively. Isolated phage was defined by transmission electron microscopy, one-step growth curve and optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI). Genomic sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, comparative genomic and proteomic analysis were performed. Results A Klebsiella quasipneumoniae phage was isolated from 32 isolates and named KL01. KL01 is morphologically identified as Caudoviricetes with an optimal MOI of 0.1, an incubation period of 10 min, and a lysis period of 60 min. The genome length of KL01 is about 45 kb, the GC content is 42.5%, and it contains 59 open reading frames. The highest average nucleotide similarity between KL01 and a known Klebsiella phage 6939 was 83.04%. Conclusions KL01 is a novel phage, belonging to the Autophagoviridae, which has strong lytic ability. This study indicates that there were not only some potential potentially pathogenic bacteria in the karst environment, but also phage resources for exploration and application.

The increasing utilization of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) in many consumer products is of concern due to their eventual release into the natural environment and induction of potentially adverse impacts. The behaviour and environmental impacts of ZnO-NPs could be altered through their interactions with environmentally coexisting substances. This study investigated the changes in the behaviour of ZnO-NPs in the presence of coexisting organic pollutants (such as perfluorooctanoic acid [PFOA]), natural organic substances (i.e., humic acid [HA]), and electrolytes (i.e., NaCl and CaCl2) in simulated waters. The size, shape, purity, crystallinity, and surface charge of the ZnO-NPs in simulated water after different interaction intervals (such as 1 day, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks) at a controlled pH of 7 were examined using various characterization techniques. The results indicated alterations in the size (such as 162.4 nm, 1 day interaction to >10 µm, 3 weeks interaction) and zeta potential (such as −47.2 mV, 1 day interaction to −0.2 mV, 3 weeks interaction) of the ZnO-NPs alone and when PFOA, electrolytes, and HA were present in the suspension. Different influences on the size and surface charge of the nanoparticles were observed for fixed concentrations (5 mM) of the different electrolytes. The presence of HA-dispersed ZnO-NPs affected the zeta potential. Such dispersal effects were also observed in the presence of both PFOA and salts due to their large aliphatic carbon content and complex structure. Cation bridging effects, hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and van der Waals forces could be potential interaction forces responsible for the adsorption of PFOA. The presence of organic pollutants (PFOA) and natural organic substances (HA) can transform the surface characteristics and fate of ZnO-NPs in natural and sea waters.

Recycling fly ash (FA) and furnace bottom ash (FBA) help with reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving natural resources, and minimizing waste accumulation. However, research on recycling FBA is progressing more slowly compared to FA. This research aims to investigate the combined use of FBA as a replacement for both fine aggregate and cement and its influence on the performance of mortar. The findings indicated that incorporating 25% FBA as a fine aggregate replacement and 10% or 20% ground FBA (GFBA) as a cement replacement significantly enhanced compressive strength after 28 and 56 days. Flexural strength was comparable to control mortar at 28 days and superior at 56 days. However, increasing the FBA content beyond 25% as a fine aggregate replacement reduced workability and increased porosity, which negatively affected mechanical performance and water absorption. Microstructural analyses revealed denser and more compact structures in the mortar with combined FBA replacement for both fine aggregate and cement, specifically 25% as a fine aggregate replacement and 10% and 20% as cement replacements. Optimal performance was noted in mixtures with Ca/Si and Ca/Al ratios within the ranges of 1.8–1.5 and 0.24–0.19, respectively. Trace element leaching analysis has not shown significant differences between GFBA, FA, and OPC. Regarding environmental impact assessment, using FBA as a fine aggregate replacement did not show a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, but replacing cement with FBA reduced emissions remarkably. Generally, using FBA as a replacement for both fine aggregate and cement in mortar enhances compressive and flexural strengths at optimal levels, promotes sustainability by reducing landfill waste and CO2 emissions, and supports cleaner production practices despite some workability challenges.

Once China’s Tianwen-1 Mars probe arrived in a Mars orbit after a seven-month flight in the deep cold space environment, it would be urgently necessary to monitor its state and the surrounding environment. To address this issue, we developed a flexible deployable subsystem based on shape memory polymer composites (SMPC-FDS) with a large folding ratio, which incorporates a camera and two temperature telemetry points for monitoring the local state of the Mars orbiter and the deep space environment. Here, we report on the development, testing, and successful application of the SMPC-FDS. Before reaching its Mars remote-sensing orbit, the SMPC-FDS is designed to be in a folded state with high stiffness; after reaching orbit, it is in a deployed state with a large envelope. The transition from the folded state to the deployed state is achieved by electrically heating the shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs); during this process, the camera on the SMPC-FDS can capture the local state of the orbiter from multiple angles. Moreover, temperature telemetry points on the SMPC-FDS provide feedback on the environment temperature and the temperature change of the SMPCs during the energization process. By simulating a Mars on-orbit space environment, the engineering reliability of the SMPC-FDS was comprehensively verified in terms of the material properties, structural dynamic performance, and thermal vacuum deployment feasibility. Since the launch of Tianwen-1 on 23 July 2020, scientific data on the temperature environment around Tianwen-1 has been successfully acquired from the telemetry points on the SMPC-FDS, and the local state of the orbiter has been photographed in orbit, showing the national flag of China fixed on the orbiter.

Ventilation may lead to a deterioration in indoor air quality in urban environments located close to roads. Understanding the differences in the chemical compositions of size-resolved particulate matter (PM) in indoor air and outdoor air could aid in assessing the health impacts of air in these settings and establishing relevant regulation policies. In this study, indoor and outdoor size-resolved PM was collected from an office in Beijing in summer (between 5 and 25 July 2020) and winter (between 5 and 31 January 2021). Its chemical components, including sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, chlorine, organic matter (OM), elemental carbon (EC), crustal materials (CM), and heavy metals (HM), were analyzed. The mean levels of indoor and outdoor PM2.1 and PM9 were found to be much higher than those in the guidelines for PM2.5 and PM10 outlined by the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Moreover, the levels of PM2.1 and PM2.1–9 mass were higher outdoors than they were indoors. The size distributions of mass concentrations were shown to be bimodal, peaking at 0.43–0.65 μm and 4.7–5.8 μm, respectively. The most abundant chemicals were OM, nitrate, and sulfate for PM2.1 and OM, CM, and nitrate for PM2.1–9. We found higher percentages of sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, EC, and HM in smaller-size fractions of PM. Additionally, positive matrix factorization showed that biomass burning, secondary inorganic aerosol, coal combustion, dust, traffic, and industrial pollution were the main sources of PM during the study period. The greatest non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic hazards were found at 0.43–0.65 μm in summer and 2.1–3.3 μm in winter. Our results indicate that size-resolved PM of ambient origin may infiltrate buildings near roads to varying degrees, resulting in negative health effects.

Total oxidisable precursor (TOP) assay can oxidise some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and their precursors, most of which cannot be quantitatively detected so far, and convert them to detectable PFASs, such as perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs). However, the conversion is constrained by the complexity of the target samples, including co-existent organics, unknown PFAS precursors, and background. In this study, the TOP assay is modified to increase the oxidation and conversion efficiency by changing the initial concentration of target sample, increasing oxidising doses, time, temperature, etc. The modified TOP assay is applied to test several aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) and a PFAS-contaminated soil extract. The sum concentrations of the detectable PFASs are increased by up to ∼534× in the AFFF samples and ∼7× in the PFAS-contaminated soil extract. The detectable fluorotelomer sulfonate (FTS, such as 6:2/8:2 FTS) is accounted as an oxidation indicator to monitor the oxidation and conversion progress of the oxidisable PFASs precursors to the detectable PFASs. Overall, the modified TOP assay could be an appropriate method for identifying missing PFASs mass in complex matrices by detecting the PFASs precursors effectively.

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have raised global concerns regarding soil contamination and the subsequent adverse effects on soil organisms. PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS are among the commonly detected PFAS in the environment with much attention directed to PFOS and PFOA and minimal information available on the toxicity of PFHxS for ecotoxicological assessments. Therefore, this study focuses on the toxic potential of PFHxS to soil biota. The effects of PFHxS to microbial processes and earthworms were assessed in a wide range of concentration (0–1000 mg/kg) in soil to define the safe concentration. The soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenase activity and soil respiration rate) were significantly reduced after exposure to PFHxS at concentrations exceeding 100 mg/kg. The bacterial community suffered more than the fungal community upon PFHxS exposure. Bacterial diversity and richness were inhibited due to PFHxS exposure. However, at taxonomic level, growth of some bacterial phyla was stimulated (e.g., Actinobacteria) while others were inhibited (e.g., Acidobacteria). Earthworm survival was also significantly affected at concentrations exceeding 100 mg/kg. Our findings showed that exposure to PFHxS negatively affects the soil microbial processes and earthworm survival, potentially jeopardising their functions.

ABSTRACTResearch on microcapsules has been conducted in recent years given trends in miniaturization and novel functionalization. In this work, we designed and prepared a series of unique shape memory polyurethane (SMPU) microcapsules with stimuli-responsive functions. The microcapsule has a core-shell structure in which the surface morphology can be adjusted, and it has a certain load-bearing capacity. In addition, the SMPU microcapsule has a stimuli-responsive function for shape memory and solvent response. The temperature of its shape recovery is approximately body temperature, and it can swell to rupture under the stimulation of organic solvents. Thus, the SMPU microcapsule has potential applications in biomedical fields, such as drug release.

ABSTRACTArtificial architected metamaterials equipped with unique mechanical and physical properties that are naturally inaccessible can be obtained by rational design. In this work, the innovative three-dimensional (3D) chiral and anti-chiral metamaterials are developed referring to the face-rotating polyhedral (FRP) structure present in the virus. Through assembling planar triangular units into the regular octahedron cells, several typical forms of chiral and anti-chiral metamaterials can be obtained by different assembly methods. By changing the topology parameters, the Poisson’s ratio can be adjusted between [0, 2.8]. The metamaterials are fabricated by 3D printing utilizing shape memory polymer, and the mechanical properties are analyzed via Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and experiments, including Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and tension-twist coupling behavior. In addition, target metamaterial with specific local deformation behavior is obtained by programmatic calculations and distributions to meet special requirements or achieve unique applications. The shape memory property endows the mechanical metamaterials with more potential applications.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in size-resolved particles emitted from diverse sources are required for quantification to reduce the emissions in order to protect public health. Twenty-four PAHs in size-segregated particles in the roadside environment of Beijing were observed from 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022. The size distributions of PAHs were bimodal, with peak concentrations ranging from size fractions of 0.43 to 0.65 μm and 4.7 to 5.8 μm in all four seasons, respectively. The highest concentration of PAHs in fine particles (PM2.1) was 35.3 ng m−3 in winter, followed by 16.0 ng m−3 in autumn, 15.3 ng m−3 in spring, and 6.5 ng m−3 in summer. Conversely, the concentration of PAHs in coarse particles (PM2.1–9) ranged from 6.8 ng m−3 (summer) to 20.5 ng m−3 (winter) from low to high. The size fractions of 0.43–2.1 μm PAHs increased most from clear to polluted days, which could be ascribed to the heterogeneous reactions. Source apportionment using positive matrix factorization showed that four sources, namely biomass combustion, coal combustion, diesel vehicles, and gasoline vehicles accounted for PAHs with the estimation of 17.4%, 22.1%, 26.4%, and 23.2% to PAHs in PM2.1; and 19.6%, 24.3%, 23.6%, and 20.1% in PM2.1–9, respectively. Furthermore, we used the human alveolar epithelial cell (BEAS-2B) to assess the toxicological effects of size-resolved atmospheric PAHs. The results showed that the cell survival rate caused by fine particles was lower than that of coarse particles with the same concentrations of PAHs, which is mainly related to the higher content of highly toxic PAHs in fine particles.

Abstract This study identified a prominent temporal seesaw haze intensity case that occurred between the late winter months of 2010 in the North China Plain (NCP), featuring considerably suppressed haze intensity in January and enhanced haze intensity in the adjacent month of February in 2011. We suggest that dramatic alternations of atmospheric and oceanic anomalies played fundamental roles in forming this seesaw haze intensity case, rather than changes in manmade emission anomalies. The suppressed haze intensity in January 2011 was tied to an equivalent barotropic cyclonic anomaly that dominated the NCP and its surroundings, which generated in situ haze‐suppressed meteorology characterized by strengthened lower‐level northerly anomalies with cold and dry conditions, as well as elevated boundary layer height and destabilized atmospheric stratification. In stark contrast, the enhanced haze intensity in February 2011 was connected to an equivalent barotropic anticyclonic anomaly, linking a haze‐favourable meteorology opposite to that in January 2011. The pronounced North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) tripole anomalies, with positive anomalies in the tropical and mid‐latitudinal North Atlantic and negative anomalies in the subtropical North Atlantic, made a significant contribution to the above‐mentioned seesaw haze intensity case. Diagnostic analyses suggested that the January North Atlantic SST tripole anomalies were linked to a significant negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)‐like pattern, which acted as the source of the Rossby wave train to generate concurrent haze‐suppressed meteorology over the NCP. In February, although the NAO‐like pattern was drastically dampened, the enhanced barotropic cyclonic anomaly centred southeast of the Yamal Peninsula played a critical role in relaying the impact of January tripole SST anomalies, thus inducing concurrent haze‐favourable meteorology. Consequently, January North Atlantic SST tripole anomalies could exert an effective modulation effect on the generation of seesaw haze intensity. The proposed mechanism was further verified using the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble Numerical Simulation (CESM‐LENS) datasets.

Abstract This study analyzes the change characteristics of compound extreme events (CEEs) of temperature and precipitation (including warm‐wet, warm‐dry, cold‐wet and cold‐dry) in China on interannual and interdecadal scales between 1901 and 2019. The results demonstrate a long‐term increasing trend and interdecadal oscillations in CEEs total frequency. However, the frequency of each type of CEEs changes in a different manner compared with total CEEs frequency. There are fewer CEEs but increasing warm‐dry during 1901–1950. The period 1951–1995 are characterized by frequent cold CEEs (cold‐wet and cold‐dry), cold‐wet are largely distributed in most areas except for northeast and coastal areas of China, while cold‐dry are distributed in most areas except for the northwest regions of China. There are frequent warm CEEs (warm‐wet and warm‐dry) and fewer cold CEEs during 1996–2019. Warm‐wet frequently occurs in the Tibetan Plateau and northwest China, and warm‐dry mainly concentrates in southwest and northern China during this period. The frequency of warm‐dry and cold‐wet were higher than that of warm‐wet and cold‐dry over the past 119 years, whereas warm‐wet increased fastest in the northwest region after 1996, consistent with the warming and wetting characteristics in the northwest region of China. Further study show that long‐term change and low frequency oscillations have the greatest impact on CEEs among different time scale factors. Furthermore, the temperature rise caused by climate change affects the interdecadal characteristics of CEEs in China through the changes of circulation fields such as East Asian trough and subtropical high and the configuration between them.

The widespread popularity of sunscreens contributes significantly to the release of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles into bodies of water, yet there is still lack of sufficient understanding on the realistic behaviour and long-term exposure. In this study, a simple and effective method was used to extract ZnO nanoparticles from ZnO-based sunscreen products (available in Australia) that end up in wastewaters. The extracted ZnO nanoparticles were negative charged at controlled pH 7. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed an irregular, spherical and rod-shaped nanoparticles extracted from sunscreens and wastewaters with size ≥100 nm. Various nanoparticles containingZnO, iron, silver, and titanium were detected in wastewater samples collected from treatment plants. Other contaminants were also found in the wastewater samples based on TEM elemental analysis. The results documented in this study are useful to understand the presence and characterizations of ZnO nanoparticles in sunscreens and wastewaters. With this knowledge, we can realistically investigate the fate, behaviours and adverse effects of ZnO nanoparticles.

Abstract Micro-expression is a kind of facial action that reflects the real emotional state of a person, and has high objectivity in emotion detection. Therefore, micro-expression recognition has become one of the research hotspots in the field of computer vision in recent years. Research with neural networks with convolutional structure is still one of the main methods of recognition. This method has the advantage of high operational efficiency and low computational complexity, but the disadvantage is its localization of feature extraction. In recent years, there are more and more plug-and-play self-attentive modules being used in convolutional neural networks to improve the ability of the model to extract global features of the samples. In this paper, we propose the ShuffleNet model combined with a miniature self-attentive module, which has only 1.53 million training parameters. First, the start frame and vertex frame of each sample will be taken out, and its TV-L1 optical flow features will be extracted. After that, the optical flow features are fed into the model for pre-training. Finally, the weights obtained from the pre-training are used as initialization weights for the model to train the complete micro-expression samples and classify them by the SVM classifier. To evaluate the effectiveness of the method, it was trained and tested on a composite dataset consisting of CASMEII, SMIC, and SAMM, and the model achieved competitive results compared to state-of-the-art methods through cross-validation of leave-one-out subjects.

ABSTRACTLiquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) have been utilized as an important class of smart actuator materials. However, the modest actuation mechanical and robustness performances remain a challenge. Inspired by the specific structures, well mechanical properties and physico-chemical characteristics of some natural plant fibers, a composite of thiol-acrylate main-chain LCE matrix incorporated with catkin fibers is designed and developed. The catkin fibers build a network as reinforcement phase, and demonstrate effective compatibility and integration property with the matrix, their high flexibility can be adapted to the large deformational performance of LCE matrix. The prepared LCE composite demonstrates strong mechanical actuation properties. The modulus and driving force triggered by the stimuli are obviously increased. The tensile strength and fatigue failure resistant property under high loadings and repeated cycles of thermal actuation or photothermal actuation are greatly enhanced. While the stimulus response deformation rate, phase transition temperature and liquid crystal phase structure of the LCE matrix, and so on, do not weaken or change. This work promotes the LCE materials’application potential and broadens the application value of natural plant fibers.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by an excessive inflammatory response. Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. is a traditional chinese medicine with good anti-inflammatory activity that is commonly used clinically for the treatment of lung diseases in China; however, its mechanism of against ALI is unclear. We clarified the therapeutic effects of ethanol extract of Atractylodis rhizoma (EEAR) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI by evaluation of hematoxylin-eosin (HE) stained sections, the lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio, and levels of inflammatory factors as indicators. We then characterized the chemical composition of EEAR by ultra-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and screened the components and targets by network pharmacology to clarify the signaling pathways involved in the therapeutic effects of EEAR on ALI, and the results were validated by molecular docking simulation and Western blot (WB) analysis. Finally, we examined the metabolites in rat lung tissues by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that EEAR significantly reduced the W/D ratio, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in the lungs of ALI model rats. Nineteen components of EEAR were identified and shown to act synergetically by regulating shared pathways such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathways. Ferulic acid, 4-methylumbelliferone, acetylatractylodinol, atractylenolide I, and atractylenolide III were predicted to bind well to PI3K, AKT and MAPK1, respectively, with binding energies < -5 kcal/mol, although only atractylenolide II bound with high affinity to MAPK1. EEAR significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, p38, and ERK1/2, thus reducing protein expression. EEAR significantly modulated the expression of metabolites such as D-Galactose, D-Glucose, serine and D-Mannose. These metabolites were mainly concentrated in the galactose and amino acid metabolism pathways. In conclusion, EEAR alleviates ALI by inhibiting activation of the PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathways and regulating galactose metabolism, providing a new direction for the development of drugs to treat ALI.

Aiming at the problem that the robot is difficult to locate in the oil-immersed transformer, a visual positioning of the robot is proposed for internal inspection. First, in order to solve the problem of blur, distortion, and low contrast of the image obtained by the camera in the deteriorated and discolored transformer oil, an image enhancement algorithm based on multiscale fusion is developed to provide a reliable data source for robot localization. Then, the FAST key points are extracted and the BRIEF descriptors are calculated from the enhanced images, and the pose transformation of the robot between image frames is calculated by using polar constraint and EPnP method. A pose optimization model of the robot is designed to improve the positioning accuracy. Finally, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods, function tests are carried out by using the real continuous image sequence acquired by the robot in Mitsubishi transformer. The experimental results show that the trajectory of the robot in the transformer can be accurately drawn, the position data of the robot can be efficiently obtained, and autonomous positioning of the robot in the transformer can be well achieved.

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) and their composites (SMPCs) are smart materials that can be stably deformed and then return to their original shape under external stimulation, thus having a memory of their shape. Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an advanced technology for fabricating products using a digital software tool. Four-dimensional (4D) printing is a new generation of additive manufacturing technology that combines shape memory materials and 3D printing technology. Currently, 4D-printed SMPs and SMPCs are gaining considerable research attention and are finding use in various fields, including biomedical science. This review introduces SMPs, SMPCs, and 4D printing technologies, highlighting several special 4D-printed structures. It summarizes the recent research progress of 4D-printed SMPs and SMPCs in various fields, with particular emphasis on biomedical applications. Additionally, it presents an overview of the challenges and development prospects of 4D-printed SMPs and SMPCs and provides a preliminary discussion and useful reference for the research and application of 4D-printed SMPs and SMPCs.

The use of shape memory polymer composites as novel materials for next generation space deployable structures requires the study of the effect of space environment upon their properties. The resistance of carbon fiber/epoxy shape memory polymer composite to vacuum thermal cycling, ultraviolet radiation and atomic oxygen has been evaluated separately by using ground-based simulation facilities. The thermal cycling condition has a temperature range of −100 °C to +100 °C with cycle times of 0, 15, 30, and 45. The irradiation times of ultraviolet with a wavelength range of 250 nm–400 nm are 0, 80, 160, and 240 h. The atomic oxygen radiation has a translational energy of about 5 eV and a flux of about 2 × 1015 atoms/cm2 at the sample position, and the irradiation times are 0, 33, 66, and 100 h. The shape memory polymer composite specimens are compared in terms of morphology, tensile modulus, breaking strength and elongation at break before and after irradiation. Results show that thermal cycling increases tensile modulus but decreases the breaking strength and the elongation at break of material after 45 cycles. The effect of ultraviolet radiation on mechanical properties of materials depends on the radiation dose received. Atomic oxygen can negatively but slightly affect the mechanical properties of the material.

Liver fibrosis is one of the leading causes of hepatic sclerosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. However, the complex pathophysiological mechanisms of liver fibrosis are unknown, and no specific drugs are available to treat liver fibrosis. Atractylenolide III (ATL III) is a natural compound isolated from the plant Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. that possesses antioxidant properties and the ability to inhibit inflammatory responses. In this study, cholestatic hepatic fibrosis was induced in mice using a bile duct ligation (BDL) model and treated with 10 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg of ATL III via gavage for 14 days. ATL III significantly reduced the liver index, lowered serum ALT and AST levels, and reduced liver injury in bile-duct-ligated mice. In addition, ATL III significantly attenuated histopathological changes and reduced collagen deposition. ATL III reduced the expression of fibrosis-related genes α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), Collagen I (col1a1), Collagen IV (col4a2), and fibrosis-related proteins α-SMA and col1a1 in liver tissue. Using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to screen molecular targets and pathways, ATL III was found to affect the PI3K/AKT singling pathway by inhibiting the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT, thereby ameliorating BDL-induced liver fibrosis. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to evaluate the effect of ATL III on liver metabolites in BDL mice. ATL III further affected glutamine metabolism by down-regulating the activity of glutamine (GLS1) and glutamine metabolism. ATL III further affected glutamine metabolism by down-regulating the activity of glutaminase (GLS1), as well as glutamine metabolism. Therefore, we conclude that ATL III attenuates liver fibrosis by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway and glutamine metabolism, suggesting that ATL III is a potential drug candidate for treating liver fibrosis.

The leaves of plants can be recommended as a cheap and sustainable environmental protection tool to mitigate PAHs with high toxicity in the ambient environment because they can serve as a reactor to remove ambient PAHs. Although previous studies have demonstrated that PAHs exhibit toxicological features, our knowledge about how ambient PAHs influence the leaves of plants is limited regarding the leaves of plants reducing ambient PAHs as a reactor. In this study, 1-year-old Rosa chinensis Jacq. with good growth potential was selected as a model plant. The leaves of Rosa chinensis Jacq. were exposed to 16 types of PAHs in the environmental concentration exposure group (0.1 μg L−1) and high-concentration exposure group (5 μg L−1) for seven days. In comparison, the leaves of Rosa chinensis Jacq. were exposed to de-ionized water and were chosen as the control group. During the exposure periods, the physiological parameters of leaves including, chlorophyll value, water content, temperature and nitrogen, were monitored using a chlorophyll meter. After 7 days of exposure, the leaves in the control and exposure groups were collected and used for whole-transcriptome analysis. Our results demonstrate that significant differentially expressed genes were observed in the leaves of Rosa chinensis Jacq. exposed to individual PAHs at 5 μg L−1 compared to the control group. These differentially expressed genes were involved in seven main pathways using bioinformatic analyses. In contrast, the levels of PAHs at environmentally relevant concentrations had negligible impacts on the physiological parameters and the gene transcription levels of the leaves of Rosa chinensis Jacq. Our results may provide direct evidence to remove ambient PAHs using terrestrial trees without considering the risk of PAHs at environmentally relevant concentrations on the leaves of terrestrial plants.

Northwest China is a typical arid and semi-arid region that is part of Central Asia. However, during the past 60 years, the climate in Northwest China has shown a warm and humid trend, with both average and extreme precipitation continuing to increase. Humidification in Northwest China is mainly caused by anomalous westward water vapor transport. Change in the water vapor transport path is directly related to the Mongolian anticyclone anomaly and weakening of the Asian summer monsoon. Our research shows that interdecadal changes in sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and Indian oceans, play an important role in interdecadal adjustment of atmospheric circulation and the wetting climate over Northwest China. Since the 1980s, the Indian Ocean has been warming continuously, and the land–sea thermal gradient has weakened, resulting in a significant reduction in water vapor transport of the Asian summer monsoon. In contrast, anomalous northerly water vapor transport from the polar region increased. Concurrently, SST over the North Atlantic is also warming, and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) changes from the negative to positive phase, triggering anomalous anticyclones over Mongolia, which also leads to weakening of the Asian summer monsoon. Therefore, eastern China is affected by abnormal northeast winds. These northeast winds can continuously transport water vapor to the western region of China, leading to the prevalence of easterly winds in Northwest China. Moreover, Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) changed from the positive to negative phase after the 1990s, which promoted the East Asian westerly jet to move to the Arctic and produce easterly anomalies in East Asia and Northwest China. Interdecadal changes in SST over the Indian, North Atlantic, and North Pacific Oceans all have reduced summer water vapor from the Indian Ocean. However, water vapor from the North Pacific and high latitudes (including the polar region) can be transported to Northwest China through easterly anomalies, resulting in increased precipitation and climate humidification.

Background: Liver fibrosis is a pathological outcome of a variety of liver diseases, and it can also progress into liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Specific liver antifibrotic drugs have not been clinically approved yet. Studies have demonstrated the protective effects of Ganfule capsule (GFL) on the liver and its therapeutic potential in hepatic cancer. However, the mechanism of GFL is not clear in the treatment of liver fibrosis.Objective: This article aims to study the protective effect of GFL on liver fibrosis and its possible mechanism.Methods: The cholestatic liver fibrosis model was prepared by subjecting C57BL/6 mice to bile duct ligation (BDL). The GFL groups were treated with different concentrations of GFL for 14 days. Pathological analysis, serum biochemical index detection, metabonomic analysis, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and real-time PCR were carried out.Results: GFL could alleviate liver injury and liver fibrosis caused by BDL in mice. Metabonomic analysis of mice serum showed postoperative metabolic disorder, which could be alleviated by GFL through glutamine metabolism; valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis; aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis; and other metabolic pathways. GFL affected glutamine metabolism by inhibiting the activity of glutaminase 1 (GLS1). The activation of GLS1 is regulated by the NF-κB pathway, and experiments showed that GFL could inhibit IκB-α and NF-κB p65 phosphorylation.Conclusion: This study confirms the protective effect of GFL on liver injury and shows that GFL inhibits glutamine metabolism, which was correlated with the NF-κB pathway, and eventually alleviates liver fibrosis. These results are conducive to the development of new therapeutic drugs for liver fibrosis.

Abstract Dozens of hyperelastic models have been formulated and have been extremely handy in understanding the complex mechanical behavior of materials that exhibit hyperelastic behavior (characterized by large nonlinear elastic deformations that are completely recoverable) such as elastomers, polymers, and even biological tissues. These models are indispensable in the design of complex engineering components such as engine mounts and structural bearings in the automotive and aerospace industries and vibration isolators and shock absorbers in mechanical systems. Particularly, the problem of vibration control in mechanical system dynamics is extremely important and, therefore, knowledge of accurate hyperelastic models facilitates optimum designs and the development of three‐dimensional finite element system dynamics for studying the large and nonlinear deformation behavior. This review work intends to enhance the knowledge of 15 of the most commonly used hyperelastic models and consequently help design engineers and scientists make informed decisions on the right ones to use. For each of the models, expressions for the strain‐energy function and the Cauchy stress for both arbitrary loading assuming compressibility and each of the three loading modes (uniaxial tension, equibiaxial tension, and pure shear) assuming incompressibility are provided. Furthermore, the stress–strain or stress–stretch plots of the model's predictions in each of the loading modes are compared with that of the classical experimental data of Treloar and the coefficient of determination is utilized as a measure of the model's predictive ability. Lastly, a ranking scheme is proposed based on the model's ability to predict each of the loading modes with minimum deviations and the overall coefficient of determination.

This work analyzes and discusses the influence of human activities on the meteorological conditions related to winter haze events in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei (i.e., the Jing–Jin–Ji region) during 1961–2016, using the results of two numerical simulation experiments based on the Community Atmosphere Model version 5.1.1 (http://www.cesm.ucar.edu/models/cesm1.0/cam/docs/ug5_1_1/book1.html) used in the international Climate Variability and Predictability Programme (CLIVAR) Climate of the 20th Century. Detection and Attribution Project (C20C+ D&A). The results show that, under the influence of human activities, the changes in dynamical and thermal meteorological conditions related to winter haze events in the Jing–Jin–Ji region are conducive to the formation and accumulation of haze, and prevent the diffusion of pollutants. The dynamical conditions mainly include the obvious weakening of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) and the enhancement of the near-surface anomalous southerly wind. The thermal conditions include the obvious increase in surface temperature, and the enhancement of water vapor transport and near-surface inversion. The relative contribution of dynamical and thermal conditions to the variation of haze days in the Jing–Jin–Ji region is analyzed using statistical methods. The results show that the contribution of human activities to the increase of haze days in the Jing–Jin–Ji region is greater than that of natural forcing for the study period. To be specific, the dynamical meteorological factors contribute more to the haze days than the thermal meteorological factors. The contribution of thermal meteorological factors is basically the same in both scenarios.

As an interesting and important trait of some drought-tolerant species, heteromorphic leaves are distributed differentially along plant vertical heights. However, the underpinning mechanism for the formation of heteromorphic leaves remains unclear. We hypothesize that heteromorphic leaves are caused by the hydraulic constraints possibly due to the compensation of the changes in functional traits in response to water transport capacity or the reduction of ineffective water loss. In this study, differences in water transport capacity, morphological traits, anatomical structures, and cellular water relations among three typical types of heteromorphic leaves (i.e., lanceolate, ovate, and broad-ovate) of Populus euphratica Oliv. (a dominant species of desert riparian forest in Central and West Asia) and their relationships were analyzed in order to explore the forming mechanism of heteromorphic leaves. The results showed that the lanceolate, ovate, and broad-ovate leaves were growing in the lower, intermediate, and higher positions from the ground, respectively. Morphological traits, anatomical structures, cellular water relations, and water transport capacity significantly varied among the three types of heteromorphic leaves (P< 0.01). Drought stress in broad-ovate leaves was significantly higher than that in ovate and lanceolate leaves (P< 0.01). Water transport capacity has significant correlations with morphological traits, anatomical structures, and cellular water relations (R2 ≥ 0.30; P< 0.01). Our results indicated that heteromorphic leaves were used as an important adaptive strategy for P. euphratica to alleviate the increase of hydraulic constraints along vertical heights.

In this study, the interdecadal variability of Eurasian spring snowmelt and its relationship with Eastern China summer precipitation (ECSP) are investigated based on observations and reanalysis data. Results show that the second mode of the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of the spring snowmelt, featured as a west-east dipole pattern, displays two interdecadal changes near the late-1970s and in the mid-2000s. The increased spring snowmelt over the Western Siberia (WSI) and the opposite situation over the Eastern Europe (EEU) are significantly linked to a meridional quadrupole summertime rainfall pattern on interdecadal time scales, with excessive rainfall over the regions of southern China (SC) and the Huang-Huai River (HHR) and deficient rainfall over the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River Valley (YRV) and Inner Mongolia-northeastern China (IMNC). Besides, the possible mechanisms are discussed from the perspective of the hydrological effect related to snowmelt-induced soil moisture. Increased spring snowmelt can produce more water inflowing into the soil, leading to anomalous soil moisture, which can persist into summer. Excessive (deficient) snowmelt-related soil moisture anomalies over the WSI (EEU) in summer will change local land thermal conditions and thus generate cyclonic (anticyclonic) circulations with a quasi-barotropic structure. Therefore, the eastward-propagating wave-activity flux (WAF) could be strengthened over the WSI and EEU in the mid- and upper-troposphere and further propagate downstream. Combining the local response of atmospheric circulations to summer surface heating induced by local snowmelt-related SM anomalies over Mongolia, an anomalous anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulation near the Lake Baikal (SC) and the related strong descending (ascending) motion over the IMNC (SC) are founded. Besides, strong positive (negative) upper-level divergence appears over the YRV (HHR), which is the right (left) side of the exit region of upper-level jet. The upper-level divergence could be attributed to the convergence (divergence) of meridional winds on the right side of the anticyclonic circulation, thus the uniform descending (ascending) motion also appears over the YRV (HHR) through the collocation of upper-level convergence (divergence) and the compensatory lower-level circulations. Consequently, a quadrupole pattern of secondary circulation over Eastern China is founded, thereby causing the anomalously distributed ECSP under favorable water vapor conditions.

Camellia gigantocarpa Hu et T. C. Huang, belonging to the Theaceae family, is an excellent landscape tree species with high ornamental value. It is also an important woody oil-bearing plant with high economic value. This study reports the first complete chloroplast genome sequence of C. gigantocarpa (GenBank accession number: MZ054232). Its whole chloroplast genome is 156,953 bp long with an overall GC content of 37.31%, which is composed of a large single copy region (86,631 bp), a small single copy region (18,402 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (25,960 bp each). A total of 135 genes were predicted in this genome, namely eight ribosomal RNA genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and 90 protein-coding genes. Based on maximum likelihood analysis results, we found that the Camellia species are clustered into a distinct branch, and the phylogenetic relationships among C. gigantocarpa, C. crapnelliana, and C. kissii were the closest.

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) with intelligent deformability have shown great potential in the field of aerospace, and the research on their adaptability to space environments has far-reaching significance. Chemically cross-linked cyanate-based SMPs (SMCR) with excellent resistance to vacuum thermal cycling were obtained by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) with linear polymer chains to the cyanate cross-linked network. The low reactivity of PEG overcame the shortcomings of high brittleness and poor deformability while endowing cyanate resin with excellent shape memory properties. The SMCR with a glass transition temperature of 205.8 °C exhibited good stability after vacuum thermal cycling. The SMCR maintained a stable morphology and chemical composition after repeated high–low temperature cycle treatments. The SMCR matrix was purified by vacuum thermal cycling, which resulted in an increase in its initial thermal decomposition temperature by 10–17 °C. The continuous vacuum high and low temperature relaxation of the vacuum thermal cycling increased the cross-linking degree of the SMCR, which improved the mechanical properties and thermodynamic properties of SMCR: the tensile strength of SMCR was increased by about 14.5%, the average elastic modulus was greater than 1.83 GPa, and the glass transition temperature increased by 5–10 °C. Furthermore, the shape memory properties of SMCR after vacuum thermal cycling treatment were well maintained due to the stable triazine ring formed by the cross-linking of cyanate resin. This revealed that our developed SMCR had good resistance to vacuum thermal cycling and thus may be a good candidate for aerospace engineering.

As opposed to macro-expressions, micro-expressions are subtle and not easily detectable emotional expressions, often containing rich information about mental activities. The practical recognition of micro-expressions is essential in interrogation and healthcare. Neural networks are currently one of the most common approaches to micro-expression recognition. Still, neural networks often increase their complexity when improving accuracy, and overly large neural networks require extremely high hardware requirements for running equipment. In recent years, vision transformers based on self-attentive mechanisms have achieved accuracy in image recognition and classification that is no less than that of neural networks. Still, the drawback is that without the image-specific biases inherent to neural networks, the cost of improving accuracy is an exponential increase in the number of parameters. This approach describes training a facial expression feature extractor by transfer learning and then fine-tuning and optimizing the MobileViT model to perform the micro-expression recognition task. First, the CASME II, SAMM, and SMIC datasets are combined into a compound dataset, and macro-expression samples are extracted from the three macro-expression datasets. Each macro-expression sample and micro-expression sample are pre-processed identically to make them similar. Second, the macro-expression samples were used to train the MobileNetV2 block in MobileViT as a facial expression feature extractor and to save the weights when the accuracy was highest. Finally, some of the hyperparameters of the MobileViT model are determined by grid search and then fed into the micro-expression samples for training. The samples are classified using an SVM classifier. In the experiments, the proposed method obtained an accuracy of 84.27%, and the time to process individual samples was only 35.4 ms. Comparative experiments show that the proposed method is comparable to state-of-the-art methods in terms of accuracy while improving recognition efficiency.

This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of Bletilla striata oligosaccharides (BO) in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). A UC mouse model was induced by 3% Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), and BO (200 mg/kg/d) were administered for intervention. The results show that BO effectively inhibited the release of intestinal inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β. Also, BO profoundly elevated the secretion of mucins and the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins to attenuate dysfunction of the intestinal barrier. The 16S rDNA sequencing and liquid chromatography/gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (LC/GC-MS) analysis of mouse feces revealed that BO regulated the disturbance of gut microbiota and intestinal metabolites. By using the in vitro fermentation broth of BO and gut microbiota-depleted mice treated with antibiotics, we confirmed the protection of BO against UC. In conclusion, BO played a role in improving UC by modulating gut microbial composition and intestinal metabolites, which provided new therapeutic strategies for UC treatment.

Abstract This study investigated contamination status of eight trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn and Ni) in farmland soils and crops at 535 sites across the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China. Land use types of the sampling sites included vegetable patch, grain field and orchard. Our experimental results indicated all farmland soils were considered as trace element contamination based on the Nemerow comprehensive pollution index (NCPI > 1). However, 91.97% of the crop samples were uncontaminated according to the Chinese Risk Control Standard. Soils from the vegetable patch showed higher pollution level comparison with that from grain field and orchard. Health risks for both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were calculated through crop ingestion exposure pathway. Grain samples showed highest health risks, followed by melon and fruit, and vegetables. The health risks of crops were mainly driven by Cr and Cd. Crop consumption may pose risks for children but not adults. The source of trace element contamination in the different farmland soils varied and may be attributed to the different agricultural activities. Plant type had a greater influence on the trace element accumulation in crops compared with soil trace element contents and physicochemical properties.

Wave-mean flow interaction is usually regarded as accounting for the origin of the Arctic Oscillation/Northern Hemisphere Annular Mode (AO/NAM). It is inferred that the combination of the local wave-mean flow interactions at the AO/NAM’s three regional centers of action on three important time scales contributes to the main behavior of the AO/NAM index. To discuss the variations of the AO/NAM indices on the three prominent time scales, we take the 2007/08 and 2009/10 winters as two comparative examples to analyze the local wave-mean flow interactions at the AO/NAM’s three centers. The following three facets are identified: (1) Synoptic-scale wave breakings in the North Atlantic can explain the variances of the AO/NAM index on a time scale of 10–20 days. In the 2007/08 winter, there were both cyclonic and anticyclonic synoptic wave breakings, while in the 2009/10 winter, cyclonic synoptic wave breaking was dominant, and the flow characteristics were strikingly similar to the blocking. (2) In the 2007/08 and 2009/10 winters, the signals of the AO/NAM indices on the time scale of 30–60 days are mainly from the interactions between the upward propagating quasi-stationary waves and the polar vortex in the stratosphere. (3) This work also demonstrates that the AO/NAM is linked to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) by the Pacific–North American pattern (PNA) on the winter mean time scale. In the 2007/08 (2009/10) winter, La Niña (El Niño) forced the Pacific jet to shift poleward (equatorward), in favor of weakening (enhancing) the polar waveguide; thus, the polar vortex became stronger (weaker), corresponding to the positive (negative) winter mean AO/NAM index.

The camellia flower is a famous woody plant with a long-cultivated history and high ornamental value. It is extensively planted and utilized around the world and owns a massive germplasm resource. Camellia ‘Xiari Qixin’ belongs to one of the typical cultivars in the four seasons camellia hybrids series. Due to its long flowering period, this kind of cultivar is identified as a precious resource of camellia flowers. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome sequence of C. ‘Xiari Qixin’ was first reported. Its whole chloroplast genome is 157,039 bp in length with an overall GC content of 37.30%, composed of a large single copy region (LSC, 86,674 bp), a small single copy region (SSC, 18,281 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs, 26,042 bp each). A total of 134 genes were predicted in this genome, including 8 ribosomal RNA genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and 89 protein-coding genes. In addition, 50 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 36 long repeat sequences were detected. By comparing C. ‘Xiari Qixin’ and seven Camellia species on the chloroplast genome, seven mutation hotspot regions were identified, including psbK, trnS (GCU)-trnG(GCC), trnG(GCC), petN-psbM, trnF(GAA)-ndhJ, trnP(UGG)-psaJ, and ycf1. Phylogenetic analysis of 30 chloroplast genomes showed that the genetic relationship between C. ‘Xiari Qixin’ and Camellia azalea is quite close in evolution. These results could not only provide a valuable database for determining the maternal origin of Camellia cultivars, but also contribute to the exploration of the phylogenetic relationship and utilization of germplasm resources for Camellia.

The North China mid-summer (July) precipitation (NCJP) contributes the largest proportion of total annual precipitation in North China, with significant interdecadal and interannual variability. The interannual variability of the NCJP was further investigated on the basis of a study of its interdecadal variability and found that a sea surface temperature (SST) pattern in July located in the northwest Pacific, defined here as the northwest Pacific SST tripole (NWPT), can significantly influence the interannual variability of the NCJP, and that this relationship is regulated by the decadal northern North Atlantic SST (NNASST). Diagnostic analysis and the linear baroclinic model experiment indicate that the positive (negative) NWPT in July can excite an anomalous anticyclone (cyclone) in the region centered on the Korean peninsula and an anomalous cyclone (anticyclone) in the northwest Pacific off southeast Japan, thereby strengthening (weakening) the NCJP. When the decadal NNASST is in a significantly positive phase, the positive geopotential height anomalies it excites in the northwestern region off North China are not favorable for the connection between the NWPT and the NCJP. When the decadal NNASST is in a negative or insignificantly positive phase, the July NWPT and the NCJP have a significant positive correlation on interannual timescale.

Aimed at resolving the trajectory tracking control problem of aerial manipulation, this paper presents an aerial manipulation system that consists of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a two-degree-of-freedom manipulator. The system adopted an integrated control strategy; that is, the rotor UAV and the manipulator were considered as a whole, the coupling effect was treated as an internal factor, and the whole was taken as the research object to establish a dynamic model. Then, by combining the nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode controller with the adaptive controller, an adaptive nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode controller was designed. A composite control rate based on the nonlinear disturbance observer and the adaptive nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode was determined in order to compensate for the external disturbance and the internal modeling error of the system as well as to ensure its rapid convergence. Finally, the different control methods were simulated by setting the operational tasks. The simulation results show that the proposed control method is effective.

Abstract A recent study reported a notable westerly‐monsoon interplay (WMI) to the northeast of the Tibetan Plateau in boreal summer. However, this study introduces another striking and unique WMI over the southeastern TP (SETP) in late spring (May), emphasizing the critical roles of the upstream mid‐latitude westerly and the downstream Bay of Bengal (BOB) summer monsoon (BOBSM) in linking interannual variations of precipitation over SETP. In this study, the research SETP domain (22.5°–27.5°N, 87.5°–97.5°E) as well as a westerly index (WI) over the pivotal upstream westerly domain (22.5°–30°N, 65°–80°E) and a monsoon index (MI) over the pivotal downstream BOBSM domain (12.5°–22.5°N, 87.5°–100°E) are defined to investigate connections between the westerly and BOBSM and their combined effects on precipitation over SETP. The results indicate that the mid‐latitude westerly and BOBSM show opposite effects on precipitation over SETP. The weaker westerly and the stronger BOBSM correspond to enhanced SETP precipitation, and vice versa. The enhanced BOBSM acts as a predominant role on the strengthening of precipitation, while the decelerated westerly plays a secondary dynamical amplification role. To quantify their synergistic roles in linking SETP precipitation, a WMI index is defined. Statistical analysis suggests that this newly defined WMI index has a higher positive correlation with the precipitation over SETP. The correlation has a prominent increase compared to individual correlations between WI/MI and SETP precipitation, and dynamic conditions in high WMI index years are more favorable for the formation of SETP precipitation. The possible mechanism is that the BOBSM southerly strengthens and the southern branch of the upstream mid‐latitude westerly weakens in high WMI index years, resulting in an anomalous cyclone over the northwestern BOB and an anomalous anticyclone over the western TP. The anomalous cyclone resembles a Rossby wave response to the increased precipitation over SETP, and the precipitation in turn contributes to maintaining the BOB cyclonic anomaly and the above anticyclonic anomaly via the latent heating release. This positive feedback effect is conducive to enhanced SETP precipitation.

Stent placement is an effective palliation therapy for malignant colorectal obstruction. However, recurrent obstruction is a common severe complication caused by tumor ingrowth into the stent lumen. Conventional covered stents play a part in preventing the tumor from growing inward but at the expense of significantly increasing the risk of stent migration. Therefore, there is an urgent demand to develop stents with sustained antitumor and antimigration abilities. Herein, we propose a facile method for fabricating multifunctional bioinspired colorectal stents using 3D printing technology. Inspired by high-adhesion biological structures (gecko feet, tree frog toe pads, and octopus suckers) in nature, different types of bioinspired colorectal stents are designed to reduce migration. After functionalization with graphene oxide (GO), bioinspired colorectal stents show excellent and controllable photothermal performance, which is validated by effective ablation of colon cancer cells in vitro and tumors in vivo. Besides, the bioinspired colorectal stents demonstrate the feasibility of transanal placement and opening of the obstructed colon. More importantly, the facile manufacturing process of multifunctional bioinspired colorectal stents is appealing for mass production. Hence, the developed multifunctional bioinspired colorectal stents exhibit a highly promising potential in clinical applications.

Aiming at the difficulty in locating and identifying the faults of oil-immersed transformers, a new spherical submersible transformer inspection robot is designed. The robot has a spherical structure with a zero turn radius, which ensures its flexible motion. It is a difficult problem for the underactuated spherical robot to realize the hovering control for identifying transformer fault points. To address the problem, the dynamic model and kinematics equations of the robot are derived by the hydrodynamic theory at first. Then, an adaptive sliding mode backstepping control (ASMBC) is used to design the cascade control system. The cascade control system consists of the depth control and the yaw control. The performance of the controller is verified by both simulation and real experiments. The simulation experimental results demonstrate that ASMBC controller is superior to the single neuron PID. The tank trials results show that the movement of the robot is flexible, and the hover control can satisfy the requirement of fault observation tasks.

Atmospheric rivers (ARs), as long and narrow bands of strong water vapour transport in the lower troposphere, have drawn increasing scientific attention in recent years. Results from a collaborative project between the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and China Meteorological Administration have shown some unique AR characteristics embedded within the Australia–Asian monsoon based on observational analyses. As part of the project, this study focused on assessing the skill of global climate models for simulating ARs in the region under current climate and their projected changes due to global warming. Daily data from 17 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models in their historical and Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 simulations were analysed for the periods of 1981–2005 and 2081–2100 respectively. Compared with results derived from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ERA-interim reanalysis data, these model ensemble results showed significant seasonal variations of horizontal water vapour transport as observed, but their magnitudes measured by vertically integrated water vapour transport (IVT) were weaker, particularly for the East Asian summer monsoon. Using an objective AR detection algorithm based on 85th percentile IVT magnitude and its geometry, we showed that multi-model-ensemble (MME) averaged AR occurrence agreed well with the results derived from the reanalysis for their spatial distributions and seasonal variations. Under the RCP8.5 global warming scenario, the model ensembles, overall, showed an enhanced water vapour transport, primarily due to increased atmospheric humidity associated with a warmed atmosphere. Consequently, they simulated increased AR frequency and bigger AR size in most of the region, particularly over north and northeast China and southern Australia. However, the MME results showed a reduced AR frequency and size in July/August in southern and eastern part of China and its adjacent waters. We attributed these results to the response of the Western North Pacific Subtropical High (WNPSH) to global warming. Our analysis showed that westward expansion of WNPSH lead to the shift of ARs more inland in East Asia. In this case, eastern China was directly under the control of WNPSH, which did not favour AR development and penetration into the region. Our analyses of ARs in the A–A monsoon system offers new insight in understanding potential climate changes in the monsoon region under warmed climate.

The compatibility of polylactic acid (PLA)/polybutylene succinate (PBS) blends was studied by molecular dynamics and mesoscopic dynamics, which is a controversial issue in experiments. Six simulation models of PLA/PBS with different composition ratios (100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, 0/100) were constructed. The radial distribution function, hydrogen bond, free energy density, order parameter and iso-density surface morphology of the PLA/PBS systems were simulated and analyzed. Due to the formation of hydrogen bonds and van der Waals bonds between different elements of PLA chains and PBS chains, the PLA/PBS blends exhibit good compatibility at all composition ratios.

Due to the inherent rigidity of hard materials, the adaptability and flexibility of traditional robots are limited. Recently, soft robots became one of the most attractive areas. The intrinsic compliance and adaptability of soft materials enable soft robots to achieve unexpected functions. Dielectric elastomers (DE) can exhibit large deformation, fast response, and high energy density under the action of external electrical stimuli, becoming one of the most promising materials in soft robots. Herein, the key points of DE actuators (DEAs) are first introduced, including the working principle, DE materials, compliant electrodes, and typical configurations. Then, the soft robots driven by DEAs are reviewed. Some recent highlights are described and discussed in detail. Finally, the main challenges are summarized for the real‐world application of soft robots based on DEAs.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a syndrome caused by an excessive inflammatory response characterized by intractable hypoxemia both inside and outside the lung, for which effective therapeutic drugs are lacking. Atractylodis rhizoma, a traditional Chinese medicine, has excellent anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties in addition to protecting the integrity of the cellular barrier. However, few studies of Atractylodis rhizoma for the treatment of ALI have been published, and its mechanism of action remains unclear. In the present study, the chemical composition of the ethanolic extract of Atractylodis rhizoma (EEAR) was initially clarified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), after which it was studied in vivo using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI rat model. Treatment with EEAR significantly reduced the lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio, neutrophil infiltration, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) formation, and enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) depletion in rats with ALI, thereby improving lung barrier function and effectively reducing lung injury. In addition, EEAR significantly reduced histopathological changes, decreased the expression of inflammatory factors (such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), inducible nitric oxide synthase (INOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)), and inhibited the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, thus reducing inflammation. In addition, EEAR was found to also reduce oxidative stress in ALI by upregulating the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream proteins heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NADPH quinone acceptor oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1). EEAR also reduced LPS-induced inflammatory factor expression in THP-1 cells in vitro by inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway, and reduced damage from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced oxidative stress in THP-1 cells by promoting the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream targets HO-1 and NQO-1, the molecular mechanism of which was consistent with in vivo observations. Therefore, we conclude that EEAR attenuates oxidative stress and inflammatory responses via TLR4/NF-κB and Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathways to alleviate LPS-induced ALI, suggesting that Atractylodis rhizoma is a potential drug candidate for the treatment of ALI.

The method for the determination of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in plant leaves has been studied extensively, yet the quantitativemethod for measuring non-priority PAHs in plant leaves is limited. A method for the simultaneous determination of 31 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in plant leaves was established using an ultrasonic extraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–internal standard method. The samples of plant leaves were extracted with ultrasonic extraction and purified with solid-phase extraction columns. The PAHs were separated by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry equipped with a DB-EUPAH capillary column (20 m × 0.18 mm × 0.14 μm) with a selective ion monitoring (SIM) detection mode, and quantified with an internal standard. The method had good linearity in the range of 0.005~1.0 μg/mL with correlation coefficients greater than 0.99, and the method detection limit and maximum quantitative detection limit were in the ranges of 0.2~0.7 μg/kg and 0.8~2.8 μg/kg, respectively. The method was verified with spiked recovery experiments. The average spiked recovery ranged from 71.0% to 97.6% and relative standard deviations (n = 6) were less than 14%. Herein, we established a quantitativemethod for the simultaneous determination of priority and non-priority PAHs in plant leaves using GC–MS. The method is highly sensitive and qualitatively accurate, and it is suitable for the determination of PAHs in plant leaves.