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Federated Learning coordinates many mobile devices to train an artificial intelligence model while preserving data privacy collaboratively. Mobile devices are usually equipped with totally different hardware configurations, leading to various training capabilities. At the same time, the distribution of the local training data is highly heterogeneous across different clients. Randomly selecting the clients to participate in the training process results in poor model performance and low system efficiency. In this paper, we propose GraphCS, a graph-based client selection framework for heterogeneity in Federated Learning. GraphCS first measures the distribution coupling across the clients via the model gradients. After that, it divides the clients into different groups according to the diversity of the local datasets. At the same time, it well estimates the runtime training capability of each client by jointly considering the hardware configuration and resource contention caused by the concurrently running apps. With the distribution coupling information and runtime training capability, GraphCS selects the best clients in order to well balance the model accuracy and overall training progress. We evaluate the performance of GraphCS with mobile devices with different hardware configurations on various datasets. The experiment results show that our approach improves model accuracy up to 45.69%. Meanwhile, it reduces communication and computation overhead 87.35% and 89.48% at best, respectively. Furthermore, GraphCS accelerates the overall training process up to 35×. • We observe that the distribution of the training data can be reflected by the gradient of a machine learning model. • We observe that the training capability is jointly affected by the hardware configuration and resource contention. • we design a framework selects the best clients with diverse local datasets and highest runtime training capability. • We prototype GraphCS on a Federated system consisting of mobile devices with heterogeneous hardware configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Federated Learning is designed for multiple mobile devices to collaboratively train an artificial intelligence model while preserving data privacy. Instead of collecting the raw training data from mobile devices to the cloud, Federated Learning coordinates a group of devices to train a shared model in a distributed manner with the training data located on the devices. However, unbalanced data distribution and heterogeneous hardware configurations across different devices badly hurts the performance of collaborative model and severely impacts the overall training progress. Thus, a framework that can well balance the model accuracy and the training progress is urgently required. In this paper, we propose PAGroup, a privacy-aware grouping framework for high-performance Federated Learning. PAGroup intelligently divides the participating clients into different groups through carefully analyzing the privacy requirement of the training data and the solid social relationship of the participating clients. After that, PAGroup conducts data shaping and capability-ware training in order to improve the model performance while accelerating the overall training process. We evaluate the performance of PAGroup with both simulation and hardware testbed. The evaluation results show that PAGroup improves model accuracy up to 21%. Meanwhile, it decreases 81% communication overhead, 29% computation cost and 84% wall-clock time at best comparing with the baselines. • Specific private data that required by a learned model can be exchanged daily in certain social community. • PAGroup can share private date within task-specific groups organized according to strongly connected social community. • Training devices in a group can be viewed as a "super" client to compatibility to existing optimization algorithms. • The impact of local data scale, diversity, and label distribution to the model performance has been theoretically proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a special ultrasonic microforming method, Micro Ultrasonic thin Sheetmetal Forming using molten plastic as a flexible punch (short as Micro-USF), was used to conduct micro-punching experiments on stainless steel sheet with thickness of 10 μm and 20 μm. The influence of ultrasonic vibration on forming force and forming quality were investigated. The experimental results showed that the forming force required for punching thin sheet metal decreased gradually as the ultrasonic time or ultrasonic power increased. By applying the ultrasonic vibration effect, the forming force could be decreased dramatically and the maximum value of forming force drop could reach 86%. Moreover, with the application of ultrasonic vibration, the size accuracy and shape accuracy of micro-holes could be increased by 36.92% and 22.65%, but the cross-section quality of micro-holes were not significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To scientifically evaluate and utilize high-oleic acid rape germplasm resources and cultivate new varieties suitable for planting in the Hunan Province, 30 local high-oleic acid rape germplasms from Hunan were used as materials. The 12 personality indices of quality, yield, and resistance were comprehensively evaluated by variability, correlation, principal component, and cluster analyses. The results of variability showed that except for oleic acid, the lowest coefficient of variation was oil content, which was 0.06. Correlation analysis showed that oil content was positively correlated with main traits such as yield per plant and oleic acid, which could be used in the early screening of high-oleic rape germplasm. The results of principal component analysis showed that the 12 personality indicators were integrated into four principal components, and the cumulative contribution rate was 62.487%. The value of comprehensive coefficient 'F' was positively correlated with the first, second, and fourth principal components and negatively correlated with the third principal component. Cluster analysis showed that 30 high-oleic rape germplasms could be divided into four categories consisting of 9 (30%), 6 (20%), 7 (23%), and 8 (27%) high-oleic rape germplasms, each with the characteristics of "high disease resistance", "high yield", "high protein", and "more stability". This study not only provides a reference basis for high-oleic rape breeding but also provides a theoretical basis for their early screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-parasitic nematodes infect a diversity of crops, resulting in severe economic losses in agriculture. Microbial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are potential agents to control plant-parasitic nematodes and other pests. In this study, VOCs emitted by a dozen bacterial strains were analyzed using solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Fumigant toxicity of selected VOCs, including dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), 2-butanone, 2-pentanone, 2-nonanone, 2-undecanone, anisole, 2,5-dimethylfuran, glyoxylic acid, and S-methyl thioacetate (MTA) was then tested against Caenorhabditis elegans. DMDS and MTA exhibited much stronger fumigant toxicity than the others. Probit analysis suggested that the values of LC50 were 8.57 and 1.43 μg/cm3 air for DMDS and MTA, respectively. MTA also showed stronger fumigant toxicity than DMDS against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita, suggesting the application potential of MTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an automatic and quick evaluating method for the micro-hole size and form accuracy with a computer-aided technique was proposed. A special ultrasonic microforming method, that is, micro-ultrasonic thin-sheet-metal forming using molten plastic as flexible punch (short as Micro-USF), was used to punch out micro-holes with diameters of 500, 600, and 700 μm on a copper sheet with a thickness of 30 μm. Using the evaluation method proposed in this paper, the forming accuracy of micro-holes was discussed. The experimental results showed that the ratios of the maximum size error and the maximum roundness error of micro-holes to the corresponding punching die diameter were 1.40 and 1.47%, respectively. The ratios of the maximum size error range and the maximum roundness error range of micro-holes to the corresponding punching die diameter were 0.70 and 0.72%, respectively. This indicated that the accuracy and precision in the Micro-USF method were high for punching micro-holes. Moreover, it was found that there is no significant direct correlation between micro-holes sample errors and these forming parameters when the forming parameters such as ultrasonic power, ultrasonic time, and cylinder pressure were varied, which indicated that the sample errors were random to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between pulsatility index (PI) or optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and the ability of ONSD and ICP to predict intracranial hypertension. Methods: A total of 68 patients with TBI were included in this retrospective study. After receiving surgery treatment, they underwent transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). The statistical correlation between PI or ONSD and ICP 1 week after surgery was analyzed. Furthermore, the areas under the curve (AUCs) of ONSD or PI or a combination of them were calculated to predict intracranial hypertension. Results: There was a correlation between ONSD and ICP. This correlation still remained at ONSD ≥ 5 mm. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between PI and ICP. There was a moderate correlation between ICP and PI on days 3, 4, and 5 after surgery (r = 0.508, p <.001), and a strong correlation on days 6 and 7 after surgery (r = 0.645, p <.001). Moreover, for predicting intracranial hypertension with PI ≥ 1.2 mm or ONSD ≥ 5 mm or a combination of them, the AUC was 0.729, 0.900, and 0.943, respectively (p <.001). Conclusions: The correlation between ONSD or PI and invasive ICP was different with different levels of ICP in different periods in patients with TBI after surgery. When ONSD ≥ 5 mm and PI ≥ 1.2, it could predict elevated ICP more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

purpose of this study was to explore the effect of coagulopathy in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) during the early postoperative period. Methods: The baseline characteristics, intraoperative management, and follow-up data of 462 patients with TBI between January 2015 and June 2019 were collected and retrospectively analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Coagulopathy was defined as activated partial thromboplastin time > 40 s, international normalized ratio > 1.4, or platelet counts < 100× 109/L. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) on admission, Injury Severity Score (ISS) on admission, pupil mydriasis, duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, and intraoperative crystalloid resuscitation were independent risk factors for patients who developed coagulopathy after surgery. There were statistical differences in mortality (p = 0.049), the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GCS-E; p = 0.024), and the modified Rankin Scale (p = 0.043) between the patients with and without coagulopathy 1 week after surgery. Coagulopathy within 72 h after surgery revealed the higher mortality at 1 week (66.7%), 3 months (71.4%), and 6 months (76.2%). Coagulopathy within 72 h after surgery in patients with a TBI predicted worse disease progression and unfavorable neurologic outcomes. Conclusion: Taking practical and reasonable measures to manage these risk factors may protect patients with TBI from postoperative coagulopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-specific WRKY transcription factors play important roles in regulating the expression of defense-responsive genes against pathogen attack. A multiple stress-responsive WRKY gene, ZmWRKY65, was identified in maize by screening salicylic acid (SA)-induced de novo transcriptomic sequences. The ZmWRKY65 protein was localized in the nucleus of mesophyll protoplasts. The analysis of the ZmWRKY65 promoter sequence indicated that it contains several stress-related transcriptional regulatory elements. Many environmental factors affecting the transcription of ZmWRKY65 gene, such as drought, salinity, high temperature and low temperature stress. Moreover, the transcription of ZmWRKY65 gene was also affected by the induction of defense related plant hormones such as SA and exogenous ABA. The results of seed germination and stomatal aperture assays indicated that transgenic Arabidopsis plants exhibit enhanced sensitivity to ABA and high concentrations of SA. Overexpression of ZmWRKY65 improved tolerance to both pathogen attack and abiotic stress in transgenic Arabidopsis plants and activated several stress-related genes such as RD29A, ERD10, and STZ as well as pathogenesis-related (PR) genes such as PR1, PR2 and PR5; these genes are involved in resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses in Arabidopsis. Together, this evidence implies that the ZmWRKY65 gene is involved in multiple stress signal transduction pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency and a financial transaction network implemented using blockchain technology. Users in the Bitcoin network use pseudonymous Bitcoin addresses and conduct transactions with others without revealing their real identities. In order to further enhance their privacy and convenience, users often use a large number of different addresses. In this paper, we analyze different patterns of transactions occurring in the Bitcoin network in order to cluster addresses that share the same ownership. In order to evaluate the proposed clustering approach, Bitcoin addresses belonging to known entities are tagged and these are used in conjunction with the Gini impurity index to test the accuracy of the recovered identity-based clusters. The results show that our heuristic was able to detect relationships between Bitcoin addresses that were missed by the existing heuristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The human lipidomic profile reflects lipid metabolism, including the early phase of pathophysiological changes associated with diseases. An investigation of the association between the plasma lipidomic profile and adolescent obesity might provide new insights into the biological mechanisms of obesity. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association of the plasma lipidome with obesity in Chinese adolescents using lipidomics. Methods. Using a combination of liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, we quantified 328 lipid species from 24 lipid classes and subclasses in 100 male adolescents aged 14-16 years who were categorized into four groups: (1) normal weight with traditional normal clinical plasma lipid levels (NN); (2) normal weight with traditional abnormal clinical plasma lipid levels (NA); (3) obese with traditional normal clinical plasma lipid levels (ON); and (4) obese with traditional abnormal clinical plasma lipid levels (OA). The concentrations of all the lipid species were compared between obese and normal-weight adolescents at different traditional clinical plasma lipid levels using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Mann-Whitney U test. A partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was applied to select lipids with a significant abilityto discriminate adolescent obesity. Results. The lipidomic profile distinguished obese adolescents from normal-weight subjects. Regardless of whether traditional clinical plasma lipid levels were normal or abnormal, we observed a significant reduction in the levels of five lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC) species (LPC18:2, LPC18:1, LPC20:2, LPC20:1, and LPC20:0) in the obese group compared with the normal-weight group (difference = -31.29% to -13.19%; P = 9.91 x 10 -5 to 2.28 x 10-2). The ability of these five LPC species to discriminate adolescent obesity was confirmed in the PLS- DA model. Conclusions. The findings provided evidence for the association of some LPC species with adolescent obesity. The discriminatory effects of five LPC species were identified between normal-weight and obese adolescents, independent of traditional clinical plasma lipid levels. These results will provide a basis for validation in subsequent studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of solid-state fermentation was studied for sea buckthorn seed residues (SBSR). Effects of different fermentation parameters were evaluated regarding the levels of biomass and compounds in aqueous and non-aqueous extracts. In the latent and logarithmic phases of fermentation, the total phenols and flavonoids were increased. The microbes' decomposition on fibrous matter allowed the active components to be fully extracted. The changes of total sugar levels had a contrary trend with the changes of total phenol and flavonoid contents. The monosaccharide and polypeptide contents decreased dramatically and then kept steady along with the fermentation. Unsuitable environments led to weak growth of the fungi, limited enzyme contents, low enzyme activity, and a poor degradation of the substrates. The active compounds considered in the study were protected, and the contents reached a maximum under conditions that were usually not suitable for the fungal growth. The chemical structure was another important factor influencing the content and stability of the compounds. The content of procyanidins decreased dramatically because of its sensitivity to heat and alkaline environments. Antioxidant abilities of SBSR extracts, both aqueous and non-aqueous, increased after fermentation. These results reflected a possibility to recycle SBSR for further use in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a new finding and related mechanism: the forcing effect of the tropical Atlantic (TA) sea surface temperature (SST) on the atmosphere-ocean coupling in the western North Pacific (WNP) and northern Indian Ocean (NIO). Since the early 1980s, the TA SST has increased and, notably, exhibited an enhanced interannual statistical relationship with the WNP subtropical high and NIO SST in boreal summer. Empirical diagnostics reveal the following spatial pattern linking the TA SST and the atmosphere-ocean coupling in the Pacific and Indian Ocean: 1) a cyclonic (anticyclonic) circulation pair straddling the equator over the eastern Pacific, 2) an anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulation pair straddling the equator in the WNP and Indian Ocean, 3) overturning circulation with ascending (descending) and descending (ascending) anomalies over the TA and tropical western Pacific, respectively, and 4) positive (negative) SST anomaly in the TA and NIO. The characteristics of this pattern are consistent with those of a WNP-NIO coupling pattern identified in a previous study. Empirical diagnostics and numerical simulations indicate that the TA SST serves as a forcing to induce low-level divergence and streamfunction anomalies in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific. The latter in turn induces anomalous heat storage in the NIO and enhances the WNP-NIO coupling system, which is an intrinsic pattern engendered by the atmosphere-ocean interaction in the region. Without the remote influence of the TA SST forcing, the WNP-NIO coupling pattern and its impacts on the summer monsoon and TC variability in South Asia, East Asia, and the WNP would be considerably less significant than observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the limitations of current treatment regimes, gene therapy is a promising strategy being explored to correct blood glucose concentrations in diabetic patients. In the current study, we used a retroviral vector to deliver either the human insulin gene alone, the rat NeuroD1 gene alone, or the human insulin gene and rat NeuroD1 genes together, to the rat liver cell line, H4IIE, to determine if storage of insulin and pancreatic transdifferentiation occurred. Stable clones were selected and expanded into cell lines: H4IIEins (insulin gene alone), H4IIE/ND (NeuroD1 gene alone), and H4IIEins/ND (insulin and NeuroD1 genes). The H4IIEins cells did not store insulin; however, H4IIE/ND and H4IIEins/ND cells stored 65.5 ± 5.6 and 1475.4 &#177l 171.8 pmol/insulin/ 5 × 106 cells, respectively. Additionally, several β cell transcription factors and pancreatic hormones were expressed in both H4IIE/ND and H4IIEins/ND cells. Electron microscopy revealed insulin storage vesicles in the H4IIE/ND and H4IIEins/ND cell lines. Regulated secretion of insulin to glucose (0-20 mmol/L) was seen in the H4IIEins/ND cell line. The H4IIEins/ND cells were transplanted into diabetic immunoincompetent mice, resulting in normalization of blood glucose. This data shows that the expression of NeuroD1 and insulin in liver cells may be a useful strategy for inducing islet neogenesis and reversing diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccinia virus envelope protein A27 has multiple functions and is conserved in the Orthopoxvirus genus of the poxvirus family. A27 protein binds to cell surface heparan sulfate, provides an anchor for A26 protein packaging into mature virions, and is essential for egress of mature virus (MV) from infected cells. Here, we crystallized and determined the structure of a truncated form of A27 containing amino acids 21–84, C71/72A (tA27) at 2.2 Å resolution. tA27 protein uses the N-terminal region interface (NTR) to form an unexpected trimeric assembly as the basic unit, which contains two parallel α-helices and one unusual antiparallel α-helix; in a serpentine way, two trimers stack with each other to form a hexamer using the C-terminal region interface (CTR). Recombinant tA27 protein forms oligomers in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro in gel filtration. Analytical ultracentrifugation and multi-angle light scattering revealed that tA27 dimerized in solution and that Leu47, Leu51, and Leu54 at the NTR and Ile68, Asn75, and Leu82 at the CTR are responsible for tA27 self-assembly in vitro. Finally, we constructed recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing full length mutant A27 protein defective in either NTR, CTR, or both interactions; the results demonstrated that wild type A27 dimer/trimer formation was impaired in NTR and CTR mutant viruses, resulting in small plaques that are defective in MV egress. Furthermore, the ability of A27 protein to form disulfide-linked protein complexes with A26 protein was partially or completely interrupted by NTR and CTR mutations, resulting in mature virion progeny with increased plasma membrane fusion activity upon cell entry. Together, these results demonstrate that A27 protein trimer structure is critical for MV egress and membrane fusion modulation. Because A27 is a neutralizing target, structural information will aid the development of inhibitors to block A27 self-assembly or complex formation against vaccinia virus infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A coordination polymeric crystal 1 was successfully synthesized from H 4 L (5,5′-(1,4-phenylenebis (methoxy))diisophthalic acid), bidpe (4,4′-bis(lmidazolyl)diphenyl ether), and Zn(NO 3) 2 ·6H 2 O under solvothermal conditions, and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Then, two new crystals 1 Fe and 1 Cu were obtained with metal ion exchange when 1 was dipped into the DMF solution for FeCl 2 and CuCl 2 , respectively. The exchange process demonstrated that the high valence metal ion with strong acidity could be destroyed the structure of the crystals. Therefore, it should be exchanged with lower valence ion and then oxidized to the high valence state, which could be a feasible way to obtain the crystals with high valence metal ions. Further, the magnetic property and the synergistic CO 2 conversion with epoxide for 1 Fe and 1 Cu were also investigated, and the results shown that 1 Fe could be regarded as a potential catalyst for this conversion. Three two dimensional two-fold interpenetrated MOFs 1 , 1 Fe and 1 Cu were successfully synthesized via solvothermal or post-synthetic modification. 1 Fe and 1 Cu shown excellent abilities for catalyzed cycloaddition of CO 2 to epoxides. [Display omitted] 1. Three novel dimensional MOFs 1 , 1 Fe and 1 Cu , have been synthesized via solvent-thermal treatment and post-synthetic exchange approach. 2. Zn(II) ions were exchange with Fe(III) ions in 1 Fe. But, due to the strong acidity of Fe(III) ions could destroy the crystal framework, the exchange only could be happen when 1 was dipped into the freshly FeCl 2 -DMF solution. 3. Variable-temperature magnetic studies indicate that 1 Fe contains the weak ferromagnetic chain while 1 Cu contains the weak antiferromagnetic (AF) interactions. 4. The catalytic properties of 1 , 1 Fe and 1 Cu for epoxides' cycloaddition reactions with CO 2 , and the results shown that 1 Fe and 1 Cu could be good catalysts for this reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 3 decades, a diverse collection of small protein domains have been used as scaffolds to generate general purpose protein-binding reagents using a variety of protein display and enrichment technologies. To expand the repertoire of scaffolds and protein surfaces that might serve this purpose, we have explored the utility of (i) a pair of anti-parallel alpha-helices in a small highly disulfide-bonded 4-helix bundle, the CC4 domain from reversion-inducing Cysteine-rich Protein with Kazal Motifs and (ii) a concave beta-sheet surface and two adjacent loops in the human FN3 domain, the scaffold for the widely used monobody platform. Using M13 phage display and next generation sequencing, we observe that, in both systems, libraries of ∼30 million variants contain binding proteins with affinities in the low μM range for baits corresponding to the extracellular domains of multiple mammalian proteins. CC4- and FN3-based binding proteins were fused to the N- and/or C-termini of Fc domains and used for immunostaining of transfected cells. Additionally, FN3-based binding proteins were inserted into VP1 of AAV to direct AAV infection to cells expressing a defined surface receptor. Finally, FN3-based binding proteins were inserted into the Pvc13 tail fiber protein of an extracellular contractile injection system particle to direct protein cargo delivery to cells expressing a defined surface receptor. These experiments support the utility of CC4 helices B and C and of FN3 beta-strands C, D, and F together with adjacent loops CD and FG as surfaces for engineering general purpose protein-binding reagents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terpenes (isoprenoids), derived from isoprenyl pyrophosphates, are versatile natural compounds that act as metabolism mediators, plant volatiles, and ecological communicators. Divergent evolution of homomeric prenyltransferases (PTSs) has allowed PTSs to optimize their active-site pockets to achieve catalytic fidelity and diversity. Little is known about heteromeric PTSs, particularly the mechanisms regulating formation of specific products. Here, we report the crystal structure of the (LSU · SSU)2-type (LSU/SSU = large/small subunit) heterotetrameric geranyl pyrophosphate synthase (GPPS) from mint (Mentha piperita). The LSU and SSU of mint GPPS are responsible for catalysis and regulation, respectively, and this SSU lacks the essential catalytic amino acid residues found in LSU and other PTSs. Whereas no activity was detected for individually expressed LSU or SSU, the intact (LSU · SSU)2 tetramer produced not only C10-GPP at the beginning of the reaction but also C20-GGPP (geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate) at longer reaction times. The activity for synthesizing C10-GPP and C20-GGPP, but not C15-farnesyl pyrophosphate, reflects a conserved active-site structure of the LSU and the closely related mustard (Sinapis alba) homodimeric GGPPS. Furthermore, using a genetic complementation system, we showed that no C20-GGPP is produced by the mint GPPS in vivo. Presumably through protein–protein interactions, the SSU remodels the active-site cavity of LSU for synthesizing C10-GPP, the precursor of volatile C10-monoterpenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The morphology and phase transformation of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed at the Sn–9Zn–3.5Ag/Cu interface in a solid-state reaction have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The monoclinic η′-Cu6Sn5 transforms to the hexagonal η-Cu6Sn5 and the orthorhombic Cu5Zn8 transforms to the body-centered cubic (bcc) γ-Cu5Zn8 as aged at 180°C. The scallop-shaped Cu6Sn5 layer is retained after aging at 180°C for 1000h. In the solid-state reaction, Ag is repelled from η′-Cu6Sn5 and reacts with Sn to form Ag3Sn, and the Cu5Zn8 layer decomposes. Kirkendall voids are not observed at the Sn–9Zn–3.5Ag/Cu interface even after aging at 180°C for 1000h. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The coupling reaction of CO2 and epoxides can be carried out in the absence of solvent under mild conditions by using novel and recycled catalysts of SalenRu(II)(PPh3)2/PTAT or SalenRu(III)X(PPh3)/PTAT (X=Cl−, OAc−, , ). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Novel and efficient organic catalysts of quaternary onium tribromide and the related metal-containing catalysts of SalenCoX/PTAT were developed to catalyze the coupling reaction of carbon dioxide and epoxides generating relevant cyclic carbonates including chiral propylene carbonate under extremely mild condition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The thermal properties, microstructure corrosion and oxidation resistance of the Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag–1In lead-free solder have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, potentiostat and thermogravimetry. The Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag–1In solder alloy has a near-eutectic composition, it melts at 187.6°C and the heat of fusion is determined as 71.3J/g. The Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag–1In solder alloy with a corrosion potential of −1.09VSCE and a current density of 9.90×10−2 A/cm2, shows a better corrosion resistance than that of the Sn–9Zn solder alloy. From the thermogravimetry analysis, the weight gain ratio of the Sn–9Zn solder alloy appears a parabolic relationship at 150°C. The initial oxidation behavior of the Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag and Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag–1In solder alloys also shows a parabolic relationship but the weight gain ratio of them appears a negative linear one after aging at 150°C for 2.5 and 5h, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The growth and morphology of the intermetallic compounds formed at the solder joint between the Sn–9Zn–2.5Ag lead-free solder and the Cu substrate have been investigated in this study. The planar Cu6Sn5 formed after soldering transforms to a scalloped Cu5Zn8 after aging at 180°C for 250h. However, the Cu5Zn8 decomposes and the scalloped Cu6Sn5 reforms at the interface close to the solder alloy after aging for 400h. The η′-Cu6Sn5 transforms to the η-Cu6Sn5 as aged at 180°C. The interdiffusion coefficient of Cu and Sn in the Cu6Sn5 is determined as 2.58×10−13 cm2 s−1, and that of Cu and Zn in the Cu5Zn8 layers is determined as 3.36×10−14 cm2 s−1 at 180°C, from the estimated thickness of the intermetallic compound (IMC). On the other hand, they are determined as 3.43×10−13 and 2.36×10−14 cm2 s−1, respectively, from the microbeam EDS analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The enhancement of the wettability and solder joint reliability at the Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag solder alloy–Cu interface by Ag precoating has been investigated. The wettability of the Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag solder alloy–Cu interface has been improved by Ag precoating. The adhesion strength of the solder alloy–Ag precoated Cu interface increases from 4.11±0.56 to 6.92±0.85 MPa as dipped at 250 °C for 10 s. When the dipping time is prolonged from 10 to 30 s, the interfacial adhesion strength increases from 6.92±0.85 to 13.62±0.73 MPa. The interfacial adhesion strength is enhanced by the rod-like Cu–Zn intermetallic compound (IMC) formed close to the interface. The diffusion coefficients of Sn and Zn in the IMC layer are determined as 5.76×10−10 and 9.50×10−11 cm2/s at the Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag–Cu and Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag–Ag precoated Cu interfaces, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The intermetallic compounds formation and interfacial adhesion strength of the Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag lead-free solder alloy hot-dipped on Cu substrate have been investigated by pull-off test, X-ray diffractometry, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry. The intermetallic compounds of Ag3Sn, Cu6Sn5 and Cu5Zn8 were identified for Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag solder alloy–Cu, in which the thickness of Cu6Sn5 increased from 0.69±0.18 to 1.59±0.46 μm when the dipping time increased from 10 to 30 s. The interfacial adhesion strength increased from 3.21±0.73 to 4.11±0.56 MPa when the Ag content increased from 0 to 0.5 wt.% at the dipping temperature of 250 °C for 10 s. The interfacial adhesion strength of Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag alloy–Cu substrate also increased to 4.46±0.48 and 5.49±0.67 MPa when the dipping time increased to 20 and 30 s, respectively. The fracture path was observed at the Sn–9Zn–Cu5Zn8 interface, and within the Sn–9Zn–0.5Ag solder alloy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Discusses the teaching of design for manufacturing of plastics using computer-aided engineering in the United States. Performance of the plastic manufacturing sector; Steps in the design process; Injection molding and product development.

The rapid loss of global biodiversity can greatly affect the normal functioning of ecosystems. However, how biodiversity losses affect plant community structure and soil nutrients is unclear. We conducted a field experiment to examine the short‐ and long‐term effects of removing plant functional groups (Gramineae, Cyperaceae, legumes, and forbs) on the interrelationships among the species diversity, productivity, community structure, and soil nutrients in an alpine meadow ecosystem at Menyuan County, Qinghai Province. The variations in the species richness, above‐ and belowground biomass of the community gradually decreased over time. Species richness and productivity were positively correlated, and this correlation tended to be increasingly significant over time. Removal of the Cyperaceae, legumes, and other forbs resulted in fewer Gramineae species in the community. Soil total nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, and moisture contents increased significantly in the legume removal treatment. The removal of other forbs led to the lowest negative cohesion values, suggesting that this community may have difficulty recovering its previous equilibrium state within a short time. The effects of species removal on the ecosystem were likely influenced by the species structure and composition within the community. Changes in the number of Gramineae species indicated that they were more sensitive and less resistant to plant functional group removal. Legume removal may also indirectly cause distinct community responses through starvation and compensation effects. In summary, species loss at the community level led to extensive species niche shifts, which caused community resource redistribution and significant changes in community structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the exponential growth of the human population and the rising food demand, identifying sustainable antimicrobials for higher agricultural productivity becomes essential. In this study, hydrothermal precipitation for synthesizing versatile nanostructured zinc oxide particles (nZnOs), including nanorods (1D), nanoplatelets (2D), and multibranched flower-like particles (3D), was achieved by controlling pH values of source precursors and growth time. Hydrothermal synthesis is an eco-friendly process without the requirement of hazardous organic solvents. The antimicrobial properties of these nZnO particles were evaluated on different soil-borne plant pathogens. These pathogens are serious limiting factors in agriculture. Results indicate that multibranched flower-like ZnO (3D nZnO) showed more remarkable, reliable, and stable antifungal activity compared with other nZnOs. The scanning electron microscopy results also demonstrated significant mechanical damage to pathogens that caused by the branches of flower-like particles from 3D nZnO. Moreover, results of photodegradation and environmental resistance of the synthesized nZnOs revealed their potentials to reduce hazardous chemical pesticides and the eco-friendliness. This work is the first to compare the antimicrobial (i.e., antifungal) properties of various nZnOs and their applications in agriculture. Our results suggest that multibranched flower-like ZnO can be served as promising candidates of green antimicrobials with multiple modes of action in sustainable agriculture. Image 1 • Versatile nanostructured nZnO were synthesized through hydrothermal synthesis by controlling pH values. • The improvement of hydrothermal synthesis is an eco-friendly process. • Multibranched flower-like ZnO showed significant inhibition to soil-borne fungal pathogens Fusarium oxysporum. • Versatile nZnOs also showed a notable feature for reducing hazardous chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laryngeal cancer accounts for 20% of all head and neck malignancies. Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the most common type of laryngeal cancer and is characterized by squamous differentiation, a high mortality rate, and poor prognosis. Accumulating studies have indicated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are critical regulators in many cancers. CircPTK2 exerts an important regulatory role in several cancers. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the function of circPTK2 (hsa_circ_0003221) in LSCC. Through a series of investigations, we discovered that circPTK2 was significantly upregulated in LSCC tissues cells. Functionally, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry analyses revealed that knockdown of circPTK2 suppressed LSCC cell viability and the cell cycle while promoting cell apoptosis. Notably, silencing circPTK2 inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, circPTK2 functioned as a molecular sponge of miR-1278 to upregulate YAP1 expression in LSCC cells. Moreover, YAP1 knockdown inhibited malignant phenotypes of LSCC cells. The rescue experiments showed that YAP1 overexpression reversed the effects of circPTK2 on LSCC cells. Therefore, we concluded that circPTK2 facilitates LSCC progression through the miR-1278/YAP1 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and timely precipitation forecasts are critical in modern society, influencing both economic activity and daily life. While deep learning methods leveraging remotely sensed radar data have become prevalent for precipitation nowcasting, longer-term forecasting remains challenging. This is due to accumulated errors in deep learning models and insufficient information about precipitation systems over longer time horizons. To address these challenges, we introduce the Short-Term Precipitation Forecast Network (STPF-Net), a recurrent neural network designed for longer-term precipitation prediction. STPF-Net uses a multi-tier structure with varying temporal resolutions to mitigate the accumulated errors during longer forecasts. Additionally, its transformer-based module incorporates larger spatial contexts, providing more complete information about precipitation systems. We evaluated STPF-Net on radar data from southeastern China, training separate models for 6 and 12 h forecasts. Quantitative results demonstrate STPF-Net achieved superior accuracy and lower errors compared to benchmark deep learning and numerical weather prediction models. Visualized case studies indicate reasonably coherent 6 h predictions from STPF-Net versus other methods. For 12 h forecasts, while STPF-Net outperformed other models, it still struggled with storm initiation over longer forecasting time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WRKY transcription factors constitute one of the largest transcription factor families in plants, and play crucial roles in plant growth and development, defense regulation and stress responses. However, knowledge about this family in maize is limited. In the present study, we identified a drought-induced WRKY gene, ZmWRKY106, based on the maize drought de novo transcriptome sequencing data. ZmWRKY106 was identified as part of the WRKYII group, and a phylogenetic tree analysis showed that ZmWRKY106 was closer to OsWRKY13. The subcellular localization of ZmWRKY106 was only observed in the nucleus. The promoter region of ZmWRKY106 included the C-repeat/dehydration responsive element (DRE), low-temperature responsive element (LTR), MBS, and TCA-elements, which possibly participate in drought, cold, and salicylic acid (SA) stress responses. The expression of ZmWRKY106 was induced significantly by drought, high temperature, and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA), but was weakly induced by salt. Overexpression of ZmWRKY106 improved the tolerance to drought and heat in transgenic Arabidopsis by regulating stress-related genes through the ABA-signaling pathway, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in transgenic lines was reduced by enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxide dismutase (POD), and catalase (CAT) under drought stress. This suggested that ZmWRKY106 was involved in multiple abiotic stress response pathways and acted as a positive factor under drought and heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abiotic stresses restrict the growth and yield of crops. Plants have developed a number of regulatory mechanisms to respond to these stresses. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are plant-specific transcription factors that play essential roles in multiple plant processes, including abiotic stress response. At present, little information regarding drought-related WRKY genes in maize is available. In this study, we identified a WRKY transcription factor gene from maize, named ZmWRKY40. ZmWRKY40 is a member of WRKY group II, localized in the nucleus of mesophyll protoplasts. Several stress-related transcriptional regulatory elements existed in the promoter region of ZmWRKY40. ZmWRKY40 was induced by drought, high salinity, high temperature, and abscisic acid (ABA). ZmWRKY40 could rapidly respond to drought with peak levels (more than 10-fold) at 1 h after treatment. Overexpression of ZmWRKY40 improved drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis by regulating stress-related genes, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in transgenic lines was reduced by enhancing the activities of peroxide dismutase (POD) and catalase (CAT) under drought stress. According to the results, the present study may provide a candidate gene involved in the drought stress response and a theoretical basis to understand the mechanisms of ZmWRKY40 in response to abiotic stresses in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, many password guessing algorithms have been proposed, seriously threatening cyber security. In this paper, we systematically review over thirty methods for password guessing published between 2016 and 2023. First, we introduce a taxonomy for classifying the existing methods into trawling guessing and targeted guessing. Second, we present an extensive benchmark dataset that can assist researchers and practitioners in successive works. Third, we conduct a bibliometric analysis to present trends in this field and cross-citation between reviewed papers. Further, we discuss the open challenges of password guessing in terms of diverse application scenarios, guessing efficiency, and the combination of traditional and deep learning methods. Finally, this review presents future research directions to guide successive research and development of password guessing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) stress greatly limits the growth of rapeseed, and selenium is a micronutrient that is essential for rapeseed growth, but whether and how selenium application alleviates Cd-induced inhibition remains poorly understood. The present study investigated the alleviating effects of exogenous selenium on rapeseed growth under cadmium (Cd) stress based on the aspects of agronomic traits and soil bacterial community structure and diversity. The results show that low-selenium treatment increased the rapeseed yield by 20.92% by increasing the number of pods per plant under Cd stress, but such effects were not prominent when the selenium application rate was high. Meanwhile, selenium application significantly reduced the cadmium content by 4.74–26.89% in different organs of rapeseed. Further analysis suggested that the benefits of selenium in alleviating Cd stress might be induced by changes in soil bacterial community structure and diversity. In addition, in the functional metabolism spectrum of rapeseed microorganisms treated with selenium, there were 5 primary metabolic pathways with significant differences, and there were 32 and 169 pathways for secondary and tertiary metabolic pathways, respectively. Therefore, selenium treatment in rapeseed soil can alter the composition and metabolic function spectrum of soil microbial communities, ultimately affecting plant growth and Cd tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing progresses in recent years, cross-scenario person re-identification remains challenging, mainly due to the pedestrians commonly surrounded by highly-complex environment contexts. In reality, the human perception mechanism could adaptively find proper contextualized spatial-temporal clues towards pedestrian recognition. However, conventional methods fall short in adaptively leveraging the long-term spatial-temporal information due to ever-increasing computational cost. Moreover, CNN-based deep learning methods are hard to conduct optimization due to the non-differentiable property of the built-in context search operation. To ameliorate, this paper proposes a novel Context-Interactive CNN (CI-CNN) to dynamically find both spatial and temporal contexts by embedding multi-task Reinforcement Learning (MTRL). The CI-CNN streamlines the multi-task reinforcement learning by using an actor-critic agent to capture the temporal-spatial context simultaneously, which comprises a context-policy network and a context-critic network. The former network learns policies to determine the optimal spatial context region and temporal sequence range. Based on the inferred temporal-spatial cues, the latter one focuses on the identification task and provides feedback for the policy network. Thus, CI-CNN can simultaneously zoom in/out the perception field in spatial and temporal domain for the context interaction with the environment. By fostering the collaborative interaction between the person and context, our method could achieve outstanding performance on various public benchmarks, which confirms the rationality of our hypothesis, and verifies the effectiveness of our CI-CNN framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The color of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) petal is usually yellow but can be milky-white to orange or pink. Thus, the petal color is a popular target in rapeseed breeding programs. In his study, metabolites and RNA were extracted from the yellow (Y), yellow/purple (YP), light purple (LP), and purple (P) rapeseed petals. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), RNA-Seq, and quantitative real-time (qRT-PCR) analyses were performed to analyze the expression correlation of differential metabolites and differential genes. A total of 223 metabolites were identified in the petals of the three purple and yellow rapeseed varieties by UPLC-MS/MS. A total of 20511 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between P, LP, YP, versus Y plant petals were detected. This study focused on the co-regulation of 4898 differential genes in the three comparison groups. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional annotation and quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of BnaA10g23330D (BnF3'H) affects the synthesis of downstream peonidin and delphinidin and is a key gene regulating the purple color of petals in B. napus. L. The gene may play a key role in regulating rapeseed flower color; however, further studies are needed to verify this. These results deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying petal color and provide the theoretical and practical basis for flower breeding targeting petal color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high oleic acid content is considered an essential characteristic in the breeding of high-quality rapeseed in China. Long-chain non-coding RNA (lncRNA) molecules play an important role in the plant's growth and its response to stress. To better understand the role of lncRNAs in regulating plant reproductive development, we analyzed whole-transcriptome and physiological data to characterize the dynamic changes in lncRNA expression during the four representative times of seed development of high- and low-oleic-acid rapeseed in three regions. We identified 21 and 14 lncRNA and mRNA modules, respectively. These modules were divided into three types related to region, development stages, and material. Next, we analyzed the key modules related to the oil content and the oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid contents with physiological data and constructed the key functional network analysis on this basis. Genes related to lipid metabolism, such as 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase 16 (KCS16) and acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), were present in the co-expression network, suggesting that the effect of these genes on lipid metabolism might be embodied by the expression of these lncRNAs. Our results provide a fresh insight into region-, development-stage-, and material-biased changes in lncRNA expression in the seeds of Brassica napus. Some of these lncRNAs may participate in the regulatory network of lipid accumulation and metabolism, together with regulated genes. These results may help elucidate the regulatory system of lncRNAs in the lipid metabolism of high-oleic-acid rapeseed seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La2O3/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites were simply synthesized from commercially available LaCl3·7H2O and multilayer GO (5–10 layers) in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) under reflux condition without extra stabilizer. The characterization results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) spectroscopies showed that the crystalline La2O3 nanoparticles were successfully attached on the surface of GO. Moreover, the as-prepared nanocomposites greatly enhanced the degradation efficiency of organic dyes after 15 min under ultrasound irradiation in pure water. The degradation efficiency of the nanocomposites for methylene blue could be over 99%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 50% of Chinese mangroves were lost between 1950 and 2000 to habitat destruction, prompting an urge for conservation. To assess the importance of the protected Maowei Gulf mangrove estuary for fish population assemblage in the Beibu Gulf (China), we studied species composition and abundance of juvenile fish (including larvae) from July 2012 to June 2013. A total of 11 691 specimens were collected, which belonged to 24 species and 15 families. Six perciform species constituted 93% of the total sample. Pseudogobius javanicus (53.29%) was the dominant species from August to November, Omobranchus elegans (28.49%) from April to July, non-identified species in December and January, and Liza carinata in February and March. A number of commercially important fish species were also identified. Abundance was the highest in summer/early autumn (max 162.4 in Sep), and lowest in winter/early spring (Mar = 4.5). Diversity (H’) and richness (Dma) indices (both max. in May: 1.67 and 1.95 respectively) were generally positively correlated with tide and temperature, and negatively with salinity. Seasonal variations play a more important role in the fish assemblage structure than tidal rhythm, with differences particularly pronounced between colder and warmer months. Despite the prominent seasonal differences in abiotic factors, this study indicates that Maowei mangroves provide habitat and food for juvenile fish throughout the year and thus are indispensable for the fish diversity in the Beibu Gulf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: More and more findings have demonstrated that right-sided colon cancers (RCC) and left-sided colon cancers (LCC) are distinct clinical and biological entities and suggest that they should be treated as different diseases. However, the reasons why RCC and LCC harbor different clinical and biological features remain unclear. Materials and methods: To identify the genomic expression differences between RCC and LCC and uncover the mechanisms underlying these differences, we chose the gene expression profiles of GSE14333 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database as an object of study. Then, a systematic and integrative bioinformatics analysis was performed to research the possible mechanism of the differentially expressed (DE) genes from the Gene Expression Omnibus dataset including gene ontology (GO) analysis, pathway enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, and module analysis. Totally, we extracted 3,793 DE genes from samples of colon cancer including 1,961 genes upregulated in RCC and 1,832 genes upregulated in LCC from the selected dataset. Results: The results of GO and pathway enrichment analysis indicated that RCC and LCC could predispose to different pathways regulated by different genes. Based on the PPI network, PCNA, TP53, HSP90AA1, CSNK2A1, UBB, LRRK2, ABL1, PRKACA, CAV1, and JUN were identified as the key hub genes. Also, significant modules were screened from the PPI network. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study indicated that the identified genes and pathways may promote new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to the difference between RCC and LCC and might be used as specific therapeutic targets and prognostic markers for the personalized treatment of RCC and LCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mesoporous polymer ionic liquids for the immobilization of lipase demonstrated mesoporous properties. • Resultant systems were used as recyclable biocatalysts for ester production. • Lipase immobilization led to higher stability than that of the free enzyme. • The process can generate high-purity esters using lipase-immobilized mesoporous polymer ionic liquid. Herein, fatty acid esters were synthesized cost-effectively from various fatty acids using reusable lipase (L) immobilized with novel porous ionic polymer (PIP) (l –PIP). The functionalized mesoporous PIP was synthesized through Friedel–Crafts alkylation reaction of 1, 4-bis(bromomethyl) benzene in the presence of ferric chloride as catalyst, and lipase was completely immobilized with PIP at varied time, forming l –PIP–6 H , l –PIP–12 H , l –PIP–18 H , l –PIP–24 H , l –PIP–30 H , and l –PIP–36 H , which were applied in ester production. l –PIP–30 H was characterized using FT–IR, SEM, XPS, solid–state 13C NMR, and N 2 adsorption–desorption isotherms. The conversion of oleic acid reached 88.21 % under optimized conditions (12:1 ethanol/oleic acid molar ratio after 5 h at 45 °C with 250 wt% catalyst at 300 rpm). The stability and reusability of l –PIP–30 H were demonstrated by the sustained catalytic efficiency for at least six reaction cycles. Good catalytic activity during the esterification of various free fatty acids with ethanol was observed. This cost–efficient and effective lipase–immobilized PIP catalyst may have positive economic and environmental repercussions to inspire further academic and industrial research on biodiesel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The SP-COPs exhibited high catalytic efficiency of CO 2 conversion and excellent I 2 adsorption capacity. • The synergistic mechanism of CO 2 conversion was proved by experimental and kinetics. • The iodine adsorption kinetic process was described. The fixing reactions of carbon dioxide with epoxides will not only help to ameliorate the problem of global warming, but also facilitate the synthesis of cyclic carbonates that have a multitude of applications. Herein, a new sequence of Salen cobalt complexes adjusted with different counterions and interconnected with pyrene group were synthesized through Friedel–Crafts alkylation, which were served as conjugated organic polymers (SP-COPs) for taking advantage of catalytic CO 2 fixation reactions and iodine adsorption. Further characterizations were carried out through FT-IR, UV, TGA, and SEM to comprehend the intact structure, thermal stability, morphology and other physical and chemical properties. All materials exhibited effective catalytic performance, and in particular, SP-COP-1 with co-catalyst of TBAI achieved 96.2% conversion under ultra-mild conditions. The E a was obtained to be 46.4 kJ·mol−1 by performing kinetic experiments at different temperatures by fitting the experimental data. The performance of iodine vapor adsorbed by these materials at ambient pressure of 75°C reached 2.8 g·g−1, 2.2 g·g−1 and 2.6 g·g−1 respectively, and the adsorption process is describable in terms of pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Ni3Sn4 interfacial reactions under the influence of a thermal gradient at 145°C. [•] The growth of Ni3Sn4 at higher temperature region was inhibited. [•] The growth of Ni3Sn4 at lower temperature region was accelerated. [•] The mechanism of abnormal Ni3Sn4 growth was proposed and discussed. [•] Molar heat of transport (Q *) of Ni in Sn was calculated to be +0.58kJ/mole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A practical method was developed to synthesize a series of new β-amino carbonyl compounds via a three-component Mannich reaction of aromatic amines with aromatic aldehydes and active methylene compounds catalyzed by SalenZn complex under mild reaction condition. The catalyst and solvent effects were investigated. The substituted group effects of aromatic amines and aldehydes were also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Novel and high efficient catalysts of metal porphyrin (M(TPP)X, M=Co, Fe, Ru, Mn; X=Cl−, Br−, OAc−, OTs−, Cl3CCO2 −)/phenyltrimethylammonium tribromide (PTAT) were developed to catalyze the coupling reaction of carbon dioxide and epoxides at room temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Formation and morphology of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed at the 91Sn–8.55Zn–0.45Al lead-free solder alloy/Cu interface has been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction (ED). The XRD analysis indicates that the γ-Cu5Zn8 IMC is found at the solder/Cu interface in the as-wetted sample. When heat treated at 423K for 100 or 400h, the IMC phases still remain as γ-Cu5Zn8 and Cu6Sn5. As the aging time increases from 400 to 1000h, besides γ-Cu5Zn8 and Cu6Sn5, γ′-Cu9Al4 also appears. Planar-shaped γ-Cu5Zn8 and Cu6Sn5 are found near the solder and the Cu substrate, respectively. However, scallop-shaped γ-Cu5Zn8 is found at the eutectic 91Sn–8.55Zn–0.45Al solder alloy/Cu interface when aged at 423K. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The kinetics of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formation at the 91Sn–8.55Zn–0.45Al lead-free solder alloy/Cu substrate interface during soldering and subsequent aging have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction (ED). From the XRD results, γ-Cu5Zn8 and Cu6Sn5 are found in the eutectic 91Sn–8.55Zn–0.45Al solder alloy/copper interface, but no γ′-Cu9Al4 is formed in the wetted samples aged at 423 K for 250 h. However, by TEM observation and ED analysis, γ′-Cu9Al4 is found at the interface of the solder alloy and the Cu substrate, and the IMC growth can be expressed as X = (Dt)1/2. The activation energy of the γ-Cu5Zn8 layer growth in 91Sn–8.55Zn–0.45Al solder alloy/Cu interface is determined as 53.77 kJ/mol. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Ag‒Ag direct bonding at 180–200 ℃ by thermo-compression under air atmosphere. • High bonding strength over 58 MPa and excellent reliability after TCT are achieved. • Bonding under air atmosphere are due to the dissociation of the Ag 2 O at ~175 ℃. • Fast surface diffusivity and oxide-less surface facilitates stress migration of Ag. ga1 In this study, sputtered Ag thin films were proposed as bonding materials and Ag‒Ag direct bonding processes were achieved by thermo-compression process at 180–200 ℃ under air atmosphere in short periods. Both results of Ag‒Ag bonding interface and shear strength exhibited excellent bonding quality, which was attributed to the dissociation behavior of Ag 2 O at elevated temperature under air atmosphere. The dissociation behavior of Ag 2 O was further investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the results demonstrated that the dissociation temperature is ~175 ℃. The fast surface diffusivity of Ag and the oxide-less surface facilitated the stress-induced migration of Ag atoms during thermo-compression bonding process. The corresponding bonding mechanism of the Ag‒Ag direct bonding processes under air atmosphere was also discussed in details. In addition, the resistance of kelvin structure in test vehicles of Ag‒Ag bonded bumps remained unchanged after temperature cycle test for 1000 cycles, demonstrating good reliability of Ag‒Ag direct bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Introduction: Metabolomic markers have the potential to improve the predicting accuracy of existing risk scores for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The present study aimed to test the associations between plasma tyrosine and type 2 diabetes mellitus with special attention to identifying possible cut‐off points for type 2 diabetes mellitus, and its interactive effects with low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) and/or high triglyceride for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: From 27 May 2015 to 3 August 2016, we retrieved the medical notes of 1,898 inpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus as the cases, and 1,522 individuals without diabetes as the controls who attended annual medical checkups from the same tertiary care center in Jinzhou, China. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Restricted cubic spline analysis nested in the logistic regression analysis was used to identify possible cut‐off points of tyrosine for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The additive interaction was used to estimate interactions between high tyrosine and low HDL‐C in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Results: The OR of tyrosine for type 2 diabetes mellitus did not increase until 46 μmol/L and after that point, the OR rapidly rose with increasing tyrosine in a nearly linear manner. If 46 μmol/L was used to define high tyrosine, high tyrosine was associated with an increased OR of type 2 diabetes mellitus (adjusted OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.44–2.45). The presence of low HDL‐C greatly enhanced the ORs of tyrosine for type 2 diabetes mellitus from 1.11 (95% CI 0.82–1.51) to 54.11 (95% CI 33.96–86.22) with significant additive interaction. Conclusions: In Chinese adults, tyrosine >46 μmol/L was associated with increased odds of type 2 diabetes mellitus, which was contingent on low HDL‐C. This study aimed to test associations between plasma tyrosine and T2DM with special attention to identifying possible cutoff points for T2DM; and its interactive effects with low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) or/and high triglyceride for T2DM. We found that 1) tyrosine was associated with type 2 diabetes in a V‐shaped manner; 2) high tyrosine> 46 ?mol/L was associated with increased OR of type 2 diabetes; 3) high tyrosine had an additive effect with low HDL‐C for the increased OR of type 2 diabetes. Our novel observation is likely to suggest that the association between tyrosine and the risk of type 2 diabetes is mediated via the AMPK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]