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The facile in situ synthesis of graphene-coated metal-oxide nanoparticles and their potential applications in optoelectronic devices are highly anticipated. In this study, we prepared three-dimensional graphene flakes decorated with ZnO nanoparticles (LIG/ZnO) using femtosecond laser-induced zinc salt-containing cork. The LIG/ZnO heterojunction was formed by carbonizing the cork and decomposing the zinc salt in situ to coat LIG during laser irradiation. The correlation between the zinc salt concentration and the morphology, structure, and field-emission characteristics of LIG/ZnO was systematically investigated. The optimized LIG/ZnO-5 emitters demonstrate a decreased threshold electric field (E th) of 1.07 V/μm, an enhanced field enhancement factor (β) value of 20,559, and a maximum current density of 18.07 mA/cm2 at 1.96 V/μm, representing the most superior performance reported to date. The enhanced field-emission performance of LIG/ZnO can be attributed to the larger number of effective emission sites from ZnO nanoparticles and LIG edges, as well as to the energy band variation induced by the heterostructures. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show the migration of electrons from the LIG to the ZnO after the formation of the heterojunction, which elevates the Fermi level of emitters. In addition, the accumulation of electrons on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles in the presence of a strong electric field results in a downward shift of the energy band, thereby enhancing the likelihood of electron-vacuum tunneling. • LIG/ZnO heterojunctions were prepared by ultrafast laser direct writing. • The morphology of LIG/ZnO synthesized by laser irradiation and the density of coated ZnO nanoparticles are controllable. • The relationship between the concentration of zinc salt, and field emission characteristics of LIG/ZnO was systematically studied. • The optimized LIG/ZnO-5 emitters have a low E th ∼1.07 V/μm and stable electron emission properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the effects of boost invariance breaking on the isotropization of pressure in the glasma, using a 3+1D glasma simulation. The breaking is attributed to spatial fluctuations in the classical color charge density along the collision axis. We present numerical results for pressure and energy density at mid-rapidity and across a wider rapidity region. It is found that, despite varying longitudinal correlation lengths, the behaviors of the pressure isotropizations are qualitatively similar. The numerical results suggest that, in the initial stage, longitudinal color electromagnetic fields develop, similar to those in the boost invariant glasma. Subsequently, these fields evolve into a dilute glasma, expanding longitudinally in a manner akin to a dilute gas. We also show that the energy density at mid-rapidity exhibits a 1 / τ decay in the dilute glasma stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We revisit the condensation scenario of charged pions in external magnetic field and rotation, which was first considered by Y. Liu and I. Zahed. Based on the Ginzburg-Landau analysis of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, we find that the charged-pion condensation takes place only when both a strong coupling constant and negatively large baryon chemical potential are applied. Besides, our numerical calculation shows that the chiral restoration induced by the interplay between magnetic field and rotation (i.e., the rotational magnetic inhibition) interrupts the formation of the charged-pion condensate. This suggests that the analysis of such condensation requires a careful treatment of the inner structure of pions, which was not taken into account before. We also discuss the underlying physical mechanism of our finding and the indication of charged-rho condensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the next-to-next-to-leading-order (NNLO) QCD corrections for the process e+e− → J/ψ + J/ψ at the B factories. By including the NNLO corrections, the cross section turns negative due to the poor convergence of perturbative expansion. Consequently, to obtain a reasonable estimation for the cross section, the square of the amplitude up to NNLO is used. In addition, the contributions from the bottom quark and the light-by-light part, which are usually neglected, are also included. The final cross section is obtained as 1.76 − 1.66 + 2.42 fb at a center-of-mass energy of s = 10.58 GeV. Our result for total cross section and differential cross section could be compared with precise experimental measurement in future at the B factories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, significant research has been conducted to explore the use of 3D triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures for their exceptional vibrational damping properties and their ability to provide a continuous, smooth surface. The emergence of 3D printing has enabled the application of TPMS structures in fields such as medicine and aviation. In civil engineering, the compressive capacity of structures is a fundamental parameter in structural design. To evaluate the potential of porous TPMS structures in civil engineering, we have designed and manufactured four types of Skeletal-TPMS units using Stereolithography (SLA) technology. Axially loaded tests and nonlinear finite element method (NFEM) simulations have been performed to investigate the compressive strength and stiffness of the units. Our findings indicate that compared to solid blocks, the compressive strength of Skeletal-TPMS units decreases by 71.3% to 82.6%, and the stiffness decreases by 64.9% to 79.2%. The Skeletal-SP units show better compressive resistance than Skeletal-IWP units. This study provides new valuable insights for structural design and applications using TPMS structures in civil engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an imbalance in the development of artificial intelligence between industries. Compared to non-AI enterprise, AI- enterprise will save labor, enhance innovation capabilities, and improve production efficiency. By constructing a two-industry model of AI and non-AI enterprise, this paper finds that with the development of artificial intelligence in the same industry, the AI enterprise will occupy a dominant position, attracting labor and capital from the non-AI enterprise into the AI enterprise. In different industries, the development of artificial intelligence improves the production efficiency of the enterprise. However, due to the price effect, non-AI enterprise benefits more. Labor and capital flow from AI enterprise to non-AI enterprise. In order to promote the improvement of production efficiency in the whole society, the government can tax non-AI enterprise and subsidize them to AI enterprise. Taxation promotes the degree of automation and the improvement of production efficiency, but it has only a short-term effect on the development of AI. At the same time, taxation inhibits the development of non-AI enterprise, and there is a high risk of unemployment. When both industries use artificial intelligence for production, the labor share and the capital share of the two industries will tend to the same value. The convergence of technology measures is conducive to increasing labor income share and reducing income inequality, but it is not conducive to innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare earth oxides have been proven for their ability to refine grains and have high melting points. In this paper, different contents of rare earth oxide La2O3 were added into the Ni60/WC-Ni composite coating, in order to study its effect on the coating properties. SEM observation confirmed that the grain was refined significantly after the addition of La2O3. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) was applied to investigate the composition and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) was used to measure the residual stress in the coating samples. In addition, the microhardness and wear resistance of the samples were tested. The results showed that the dilution ratio of coatings with different additions of La2O3 was in the range of 2.4 to 9.8%, and the sample with 1.0% addition of La2O3 exhibited the highest hardness of 66.1 HRC and best wear resistance with a wear volume of 9.87 × 106 μm3, and the residual stress increased from 159.4 MPa to 291.0 MPa. This implies that the performance of the coating has been obviously improved after the addition of La2O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Studies have shown that fasting blood glucose (FBG) is closely associated with poor prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but its association with in-stent restenosis (ISR) is still unclear. Therefore, this study was to explore the association between FBG with ISR in patients with CHD after PCI. Design. In this cohort study, we included 531 patients with CHD who underwent PCI. Logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), subgroup analysis and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used to assess the association between FBG with ISR. Results. A total of 124 (23.4%) patients had ISR. Patients with higher levels of FBG had higher incidence of ISR compared to those with lower levels of FBG (p = 0.002). In multivariable logistic regression analyses, higher levels of FBG remained strongly associated with higher risk of ISR (as a categorical variable, OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.21–2.94, p = 0.005; as a continuous variable, OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03–1.23, p = 0.011). ROC analysis also showed that FBG might be associated with the occurrence of ISR (AUC = 0.577, 95% CI: 0.52–0.64, p = 0.013). Subgroup analyses showed the association of FBG with ISR was also stable in several subgroups (< 60 years or ≥ 60 years, male, with or without smoking, without diabetes and without hypertension). And RCS analysis showed that FBG was linearly and positively associated with the risk of ISR. Conclusions. Higher levels of FBG were closely associated with higher risk of ISR in patients with CHD after PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the influence of postoperative body mass index (BMI) change on postoperative quality of life (QOL) in patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) plus modified single stoma cutaneous ureterostomy (MSSCU) or ileal conduit (IC). Methods: Patients were divided into two groups according to different BMI change patterns: patients experiencing an elevated postoperative BMI level, along with a clinically significant increase in their BMI (an increase of more than 10%) were categorized as Group 1, while patients experiencing a decrease postoperative BMI level, along with a clinically significant reduction in their BMI (a decrease of more than 5%) were categorized as Group 2. Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlations between quality‐of‐life scores and postoperative clinical parameters. Results: Spearman correlation analysis showed that postoperative BMI, late complications and catheter‐free state were significantly associated with postoperative global QoL and symptom scale in MSSCU and postoperative global QoL and physical scale in IC patients. Additionally, postoperative BMI, catheter‐free state and the use of adjuvant therapy were associated with bad performance in many scales of QoL like body image, future perspective, social scale, future perspective (MSSCU), and abdominal bloating (IC) (Table 2, p<0.05). Patients in Group 2 with significant weight loss had a better Global QoL, a lower rate of stomal stricture and a higher catheter‐free state compared with those in Group 1 in both IC and MSSCU patients. MSSCU patients in Group 2 could achieve a comparable Global QoL as to IC patients in Group 1. Conclusion: Controlling the substantial increase in body weight after surgery contributes to improving QoL, reducing the occurrence of stomal stricture, and ensuring a postoperative catheter‐free state in BCa patients undergoing MSSCU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal process parameters of ultrasonic-assisted processing were studied to further improve the molding quality and mechanical properties of Ni60/WC-TiO2+La2O3 composite coating. A single-factor experiment was used to explore the influences of ultrasonic vibration frequencies on Ni60/WC-TiO2+La2O3 composite coating. The microstructure, elemental composition, phase composition, hardness, and wear resistance of the coating were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), an energy spectrometer, a microhardness meter, a friction and wear tester, and other equipment. Ultrasonic vibrations significantly improved the problems of pores in the coating, and the porosity was reduced from 0.13 to 0.014%. When the vibration frequency was 32 kHz in the experiment, the aspect ratio of the coating was optimized from 2.06 to 2.48, the dilution rate increased from 5.60 to 5.79%, the hardness increased from 960.25 to 988.45 HZ1.0, and the friction coefficient was reduced from 0.34 to 0.27. The coating performance was significantly improved, and the research results provide a reference for preparing excellent Ni60/WC-TiC+La2O3 composite coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neo-tetraploid rice lines exhibit high fertility and strong heterosis and harbor novel specific alleles, which are useful germplasm for polyploid rice breeding. However, the mechanism of the fertility associated with miRNAs remains unknown. In this study, a neo-tetraploid rice line, termed Huaduo21 (H21), was used. Cytological observation and RNA-sequencing were employed to identify the fertility-related miRNAs in neo-tetraploid rice. Results: H21 showed high pollen fertility (88.08%), a lower percentage of the pollen mother cell (PMC) abnormalities, and lower abnormalities during double fertilization and embryogenesis compared with autotetraploid rice. A total of 166 non-additive miRNAs and 3108 non-additive genes were detected between H21 and its parents. GO and KEGG analysis of non-additive genes revealed significant enrichments in the DNA replication, Chromosome and associated proteins, and Replication and repair pathways. Comprehensive multi-omics analysis identified 32 pairs of miRNA/target that were associated with the fertility in H21. Of these, osa-miR408-3p and osa-miR528-5p displayed high expression patterns, targeted the phytocyanin genes, and were associated with high pollen fertility. Suppression of osa-miR528-5p in Huaduo1 resulted in a low seed set and a decrease in the number of grains. Moreover, transgenic analysis implied that osa-MIR397b-p3, osa-miR5492, and osa-MIR5495-p5 might participate in the fertility of H21. Conclusion: Taken together, the regulation network of fertility-related miRNAs-targets pairs might contribute to the high seed setting in neo-tetraploid rice. These findings enhance our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of pollen fertility associated with miRNAs in neo-tetraploid rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty brought about by the high proportion of distributed generations poses great challenges to the operational safety of novel distribution systems. Therefore, this paper proposes an online reactive power and voltage control method that integrates source–load uncertainty and a mechanism–data hybrid drive (MDHD) model. Based on the concept of a mechanism and data hybrid drive, the mechanism-driven deterministic reactive power optimization strategy and the stochastic reactive power optimization strategy are used as training data. By training the data-driven CNN–GRU network model offline, the influence of source–load uncertainty on reactive power optimization can be effectively assessed. On this basis, according to the online source and load predicted data, the proposed hybrid-driven model can be applied to quickly obtain the reactive power optimization strategy to enable fast control of voltage. As observed in the case studies, compared with the traditional deterministic and stochastic reactive power optimization models, the hybrid-driven model not only satisfies the real-time requirement of online voltage control, but also has stronger adaptability to source–load uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Device-free indoor identification of people with high accuracy is the key to providing personalized services. Visual methods are the solution but they require a clear view and good lighting conditions. Additionally, the intrusive nature leads to privacy concerns. A robust identification and classification system using the mmWave radar and an improved density-based clustering algorithm along with LSTM are proposed in this paper. The system leverages mmWave radar technology to overcome challenges posed by varying environmental conditions on object detection and recognition. The point cloud data are processed using a refined density-based clustering algorithm to extract ground truth in a 3D space accurately. A bi-directional LSTM network is employed for individual user identification and intruder detection. The system achieved an overall identification accuracy of 93.9% and an intruder detection rate of 82.87% for groups of 10 individuals, demonstrating its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female college students are more likely to have a strong stress response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which seriously affects their health and merits greater attention. The present study is a randomized controlled trial carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to explore whether a yoga intervention could have a positive impact on balance and flexibility and be the primary form of home exercise for female college students in China. Forty female college students were randomly selected for the study. After 16 weeks of yoga intervention, the ability of the yoga group to balance on one leg improved by 5.35 seconds (using the single-limb stance test) and 5.7 seconds (using the Romberg test). The flexibility of the lower back and legs increased by 3.5 cm (using the sit and reach test), and the flexibility of the groin and hip increased by 6 cm (using the Splits test). The balance ability and flexibility of the control group before and after the experiment were not significantly different (p>0.05). These results suggest that during the COVID-19 outbreak when access to public facilities was limited, a yoga intervention could have a positive impact on health and be the main form of home exercise for female college students. Schools and government departments could design online yoga classes to encourage individuals to actively participate in yoga to stay healthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust storm is an important meteorological phenomenon on Mars. By modifying the structure of the Martian atmosphere and ionosphere, it plays an indispensable role in the Martian photochemistry and atmospheric loss. This study is devoted to evaluating the effects of the 2018 global dust storm (GDS) on the photochemical escape of atomic C, N, and O on Mars based on multi-instrument measurements made by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft. The data set is divided into the non-dusty and dusty stages, for which the hot atom production rates from a variety of channels are calculated. A one-dimensional Monte Carlo model is then constructed to obtain the escape probability profile for each channel. By combining the above results, we derive the photochemical escape rates, both prior to and during the GDS. Our calculations suggest that the GDS-induced C, N, and O escape is generally reduced by ∼30– |$40{{\%}}$| relative to the quiet, pre-GDS state, in direct contrast to the well-known result of GDS-induced strong enhancement of atomic H escape. We further propose that the GDS-induced variation of photochemical escape essentially reflects the competition between two effects: the modification of hot atom production (enhancement for photodissociation or reduction for dissociative recombination) driven by the variation of the background atmosphere and the reduction of escape probability due to atmospheric expansion. During the GDS, the latter is usually more effective and responsible for the overall reduction of photochemical escape on Mars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we calculate the next-to-next-to-leading-order (NNLO) QCD corrections to e+e− → J/ψ + ηc at the B factories. After including the NNLO corrections, the cross section of e+e−→ J/ψ +ηc is enhanced by about 17%, and the perturbative series of the prediction shows the convergent behavior. It is also found that the contributions from bottom quark starts at the α s 3 -order, which is about 2.4% of the total prediction. The renormalization scale μR dependence of the cross section is reduced at the NNLO level, but the prediction is sensitive to the charm quark mass mc. By considering the uncertainties caused by renormalization scale μR, charm quark mass mc and the NRQCD factorization scale μΛ, our prediction shows agreement with the BABAR and BELLE measurements within errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perforated cold-formed steel (PCFS) beams are regarded as an economical option for steel construction industry owing to its various advantages. They can provide access for the facilities like electric wires and pipelines to penetrate the web so that extra building space could be saved. However, the web openings might change the web stress distribution as well as reduce the cross-sectional properties, which make the PCFS beams more susceptible to buckling and may have effect on their load-bearing capacity. In this paper, a simplified spring model was proposed based on the use of energy method, to predict the critical moment of lateral-torsional buckling of PCFS channel beams with circular holes in web subject to pure bending. The effect of hole sizes and lateral restraint at the tension flange was examined by using the derived analytical solution. In addition, eigenvalue buckling analysis was conducted by using finite-element package ANSYS to validate the accuracy of the proposed analytical model. The results demonstrated that the proposed analytical solution was reliable and the critical moment predicted can be used for the extension of DSM formulae for the design of PCFS beams when considering the failure caused by lateral-torsional buckling of the beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Patients with low HBV DNA levels (< 2000 IU/mL), HBV DNA negative, and HBsAg-negative hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection can still progress to decompensated cirrhosis; however, clinical research data in such patients, especially treatment-naïve patients, are currently insufficient. This study assessed the natural history of aforementioned patients.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 250 patients with HBV-associated decompensated cirrhosis(HBV DNA < 2000 IU/mL) who had not been treated with antiviral medication.Results: The mean age of the 250 patients was 53.90 ± 11.73 years and 183 patients (73.2%) were male. HBV DNA, HBsAg, and HBeAg positivity was detected in 77 (30.8%), 200 (80%), and 137 (54.8%) patients, respectively. HBsAg (odds ratio [OR], 3.303; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.338-8.152; P = 0.010) and HBeAg (OR, 0.200; 95% CI, 0.107-0.376; P < 0.001) positivity were independent factors for low HBV DNA levels. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (P < 0.001) and portal vein thrombosis (P = 0.001) was higher in the low HBV DNA levels group. Multivariate analysis showed that HBV DNA positivity (OR, 3.548; 95% CI, 1.463-8.604; P = 0.005), HBeAg positivity (OR, 0.080; 95% CI, 0.022-0.289; P < 0.001), and glutamyltransferase (GGT) (OR, 1.003; 95% CI, 1.000-1.006; P = 0.040) were independent factors for HCC. Age was not related to the occurrence of cirrhosis complications.Conclusion: Patients with decompensated cirrhosis with HBV DNA < 2000 IU/mL still had severe liver damage and could develop severe cirrhosis complications. HCC risk was higher in low HBV DNA levels patients. HBsAg positivity and HBeAg negativity may be associated to the occurrence of low HBV DNA levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature matching between high-resolution satellite stereos plays an important role in satellite image orientation. However, images of changed regions, weak-textured regions and occluded regions may generate low-quality matches or even mismatches. Furthermore, matching throughout the entire satellite images often has extremely high time cost. To compute good matching results at low time cost, this paper proposes an image block selection method for high-resolution satellite stereos, which processes feature matching in several optimal blocks instead of the entire images. The core of the method is to formulate the block selection into the optimization of an energy function, and a greedy strategy is designed to compute an approximate solution. The experimental comparisons on various satellite stereos show that the proposed method could achieve similar matching accuracy and much lower time cost when compared with some state-of-the-art satellite image matching methods. Thus, the proposed method is a good compromise between matching accuracy and matching time, which has great potential in large-scale satellite applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apache Spark is a popular open-source distributed data processing framework that can efficiently process massive amounts of data. It provides more than 180 configuration parameters for users to manually select the appropriate parameter values according to their own experience. However, due to the large number of parameters and the inherent correlation between them, manual tuning is very tedious. To solve the problem of tuning through personal experience, we designed and implemented a reinforcement-learning-based Spark configuration parameter optimizer. First, we trained a Spark application performance prediction model with deep neural networks, and verified the accuracy and effectiveness of the model from multiple perspectives. Second, in order to improve the search efficiency of better configuration parameters, we improved the Q-learning algorithm, and automatically set start and end states in each iteration of training, which effectively improves the agent's poor performance in exploring better configuration parameters. Lastly, comparing our proposed configuration with the default configuration as the baseline, experimental results show that the optimized configuration gained an average performance improvement of 47%, 43%, 31%, and 45% for four different types of Spark applications, which indicates that our Spark configuration parameter optimizer could efficiently find the better configuration parameters and improve the performance of various Spark applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial-based self-healing concrete (BSHC) is a well-known healing technology which has been investigated for a few decades for its excellent crack healing capacity. Nevertheless, considered as costly and time-consuming, the healing performance (HP) of concrete with various types of bacteria can be designed and evaluated only in laboratory environments. Employing machine learning (ML) models for predicting the HP of BSHC is inspired by practical applications using concrete mechanical properties. The HP of BSHC can be predicted to save the time and cost of laboratory tests, bacteria selection and healing mechanisms adoption. In this paper, three types of BSHC, including ureolytic bacterial healing concrete (UBHC), aerobic bacterial healing concrete (ABHC) and nitrifying bacterial healing concrete (NBHC), and ML models with five kinds of algorithms consisting of the support vector regression (SVR), decision tree regression (DTR), deep neural network (DNN), gradient boosting regression (GBR) and random forest (RF) are established. Most importantly, 22 influencing factors are first employed as variables in the ML models to predict the HP of BSHC. A total of 797 sets of BSHC tests available in the open literature between 2000 and 2021 are collected to verify the ML models. The grid search algorithm (GSA) is also utilised for tuning parameters of the algorithms. Moreover, the coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) are applied to evaluate the prediction ability, including the prediction performance and accuracy of the ML models. The results exhibit that the GBR model has better prediction ability (R2GBR = 0.956, RMSEGBR = 6.756%) than other ML models. Finally, the influence of the variables on the HP is investigated by employing the sensitivity analysis in the GBR model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is taken up by plant roots and translocated via phosphate transporters. Previously, we showed that phosphate transporter OsPHT1;4 in the PHT1 family participates in phosphate acquisition and mobilization; it facilitates the embryo development of Japonica rice Nipponbare. This study investigated the potential of manipulating the expression of OsPHT1;4 to increase Pi acquisition efficiency and crop productivity in rice cv. Wuyunjing 7 (WYJ 7), a cultivar widely grown in Yangtze River Delta of China. The OsPHT1;4 overexpression lines and wild-type WYJ 7 were treated under different Pi conditions in hydroponic and field experiments. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis and the transgenic plants expressing GUS reporter gene indicate strong expression of OsPHT1;4 in roots and leaf collars of cv. WYJ 7. The total P contents in shoots of the OsPHT1;4-overexpressing plants were significantly higher under Pi-deficient hydroponic conditions than the wild type under Pi sufficiency and deficiency. 33Pi uptake and translocation assays confirmed the results. In the field condition, OsPHT1;4 overexpression lines had a higher P concentration in tissues than the wild type control, and the panicle performance of the overexpression lines including the grain yield was improved as well. Taken together, our results show that OsPHT1;4 plays an important role in the acquisition and mobilization of Pi in WYJ 7, especially under Pi deficiency. The study highlights the importance of OsPHT1;4 in improving the agronomic traits of the widely grown rice cultivar in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent aluminum oxynitride (AlON) ceramic was successfully fabricated without doping sintering additive by the pressureless sintering method. Γ‐Al2O3 nano‐powder that can be assimilated by the AlON matrix was used for promoting the densification of AlON during the sintering. The sintering behavior of AlON and the effects of γ‐Al2O3 nano‐powder on the phase, hardness, and transmittance of AlON have been investigated in detail. The mechanisms of γ‐Al2O3 nano‐powder on the AlON green body modifying and the sintering promoting are revealed. The transmittance of the AlON ceramic is dramatically enhanced by doping γ‐Al2O3 nano‐powder and the 2 mm thick sample doped with 2.5 wt% γ‐Al2O3 nano‐powder shows an inline transmittance above 81% at 1500 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latent reservoir persistence remains a major obstacle for curing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Thus, strategies for the elimination of latent HIV-1 are urgently needed. As a bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) inhibitor, BMS-986158 has been used in clinical trials for advanced solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Here, we found that BMS-986158 reactivated latent HIV-1 in three types of HIV-1 latency cells in vitro, and in combination antiretroviral therapy (cART)-treated patient-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cells ex vivo, without influencing global immune cell activation. BMS-986158 reactivated latent HIV-1 by increasing phosphorylation of CDK9 at Thr186 and promoting recruitment of CDK9 and RNA polymerase II to the HIV-1 long terminal repeat in J-Lat cells. Furthermore, BMS-986158 exerted strong synergism in reactivating latent HIV-1 when combined with prostratin and vorinostat and enhanced the antiviral activity of anti-HIV-1 drugs. Finally, BMS-986158 showed antiviral activity in an HIV-1 acute infection model, possibly by arresting the cell cycle in infected cells. Thus, these results suggest that BMS-986158 is a potential candidate for AIDS/HIV-1 therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Microfibrous-structured Cu-ZSM-5/Al-fiber catalysts with different Si/Al molar ratios were synthesized for SCR reaction. • Adsorbed bridged nitrates species is in accordance with the enhanced NO degradation activity. • Microstructured Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts are more active at high-throughout conditions due to the enhanced mass transfer. Selective catalytic reduction of NO x with NH 3 (NH 3 -SCR) is one of the most efficient technologies to remove NO x emissions. The copper ion-exchanged zeolites with broad temperature windows and high N 2 selectivity are very promising for this process. In this work, we synthesized a series of microfibrous-structured Cu-ZSM-5/Al-fiber catalysts for SCR reaction by changing the Si/Al molar ratios. The in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) of NH 3 adsorption results show that the Cu-ZSM-5/Al-fiber catalysts with higher Si/Al molar ratios have higher NH 3 adsorption capacity. The subsequent NO adsorption results show that the amount of adsorbed bridged nitrates species is in accordance with the enhanced NO x degradation activity. At moderate temperature, Cu-ZSM-5/Al-fiber catalyst shows better NH 3 -SCR performance under higher gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), indicating microstructured Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts are more active at high-throughout conditions due to the enhanced mass transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nucleus pulposus (NP) cell pyroptosis plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD). MIR155 host gene (MIR155HG) is a long non-coding RNA with pro-inflammatory activity. However, very little is known about its role in NP cell pyroptosis. This study aimed to observe the impact of MIR155HG on cell pyroptosis and to explore the underlying mechanism in human degenerative NP cells. Our results demonstrated that MIR155HG expression was significantly increased in human degenerative NP tissue samples and showed a positive correlation with Pfirrmann score. Overexpression of MIR155HG through a lentiviral vector decreased miR-223-3p levels, up-regulated NLRP3 expression and induced cell pyroptosis in human degenerative NP cells. A ceRNA action mode was identified among MIR155HG, miR-223-3p, and NLRP3. The stimulatory effect of MIR155HG on human degenerative NP cell pyroptosis was significantly reversed by pretreatment with miR-223-3p mimic or NLRP3 siRNA. In summary, these data suggest that MIR155HG sponges miR-223-3p to promote NLRP3 expression, leading to induction of cell pyroptosis in human degenerative NP cells. Targeting MIR155HG could be a novel and promising strategy to slow down the progression of IDD. MIR155HG is highly expressed in human degenerative NP tissue. MIR155HG promotes human degenerative NP cell pyroptosis through the miR-223-3p/NLRP3 pathway. MIR155HG may be a potential therapeutic target for IDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joining of Al 2 O 3 ceramic to Cu has been conducted with Ag-26.7Cu-4.5Ti braze and refractory metal (W or Ta) foil. The interfacial microstructure in the joint with W foil is similar to that with Ta foil. The joining region in the joint consists of a reaction zone, braze zone I, refractory metal layer and braze zone II. The reaction zone of Cu 3 Ti 3 O with a thickness of about 5 μm develops close to Al 2 O 3 side due to the reactions of Ti and Cu in the braze with Al 2 O 3 substrate. The braze zones I and II are mainly composed of Ag- and Cu-based solid solutions. For the joint with W foil, the adsorption of Ti at the braze/W interfaces followed by the Ti diffusion into W foil occurs, whilst slight dissolution and diffusion of Ta into the brazes take place in the joint with Ta foil. The average shear strengths of joints with W and Ta foils are much higher than those without refractory metal foil, indicating the contribution of the refractory metal foil to the improvement of joint mechanical strength. Introduction of refractory metal foil in Al 2 O 3 /Cu joining is beneficial for the shift of joint residual stress distribution and the decrease of stress concentration in the joint since the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of refractory metal layer approximately approaches that of Al 2 O 3. Furthermore, a slight thickness increase of the Cu 3 Ti 3 O reaction zone in the joint with refractory metal foil may also give rise to the joint strength promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Microfibrous-structured Cu-ZSM-5/Al-fiber catalysts with different Si/Al molar ratios were synthesized for SCR reaction. • Adsorbed bridged nitrates species is in accordance with the enhanced NO degradation activity. • Microstructured Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts are more active at high-throughout conditions due to the enhanced mass transfer. Selective catalytic reduction of NO x with NH 3 (NH 3 -SCR) is one of the most efficient technologies to remove NO x emissions. The copper ion-exchanged zeolites with broad temperature windows and high N 2 selectivity are very promising for this process. In this work, we synthesized a series of microfibrous-structured Cu-ZSM-5/Al-fiber catalysts for SCR reaction by changing the Si/Al molar ratios. The in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) of NH 3 adsorption results show that the Cu-ZSM-5/Al-fiber catalysts with higher Si/Al molar ratios have higher NH 3 adsorption capacity. The subsequent NO adsorption results show that the amount of adsorbed bridged nitrates species is in accordance with the enhanced NO x degradation activity. At moderate temperature, Cu-ZSM-5/Al-fiber catalyst shows better NH 3 -SCR performance under higher gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), indicating microstructured Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts are more active at high-throughout conditions due to the enhanced mass transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) among patients without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continues to increase. Here, we identified potential risk factors for in‐hospital mortality among HIV‐negative patients with PCP admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 154 non‐HIV‐infected PCP patients admitted to the ICU at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and China‐Japan Friendship Hospital (CJFH) from October 2012 to July 2020. Clinical characteristics were examined, and factors related to in‐hospital mortality were analyzed. Results: A total of 154 patients were enrolled in our study. Overall, the in‐hospital mortality rate was 65.6%. The univariate analysis indicated that nonsurvivors were older (58 vs. 52 years, P = 0.021), were more likely to use high‐dose steroids (≥1 mg/kg/day prednisone equivalent, 39.62% vs. 55.34%, P = 0.047), receive caspofungin during hospitalization (44.6% vs. 28.3%, P = 0.049), require invasive ventilation (83.2% vs. 47.2%, P < 0.001), develop shock during hospitalization (61.4% vs. 20.8%, P < 0.001), and develop pneumomediastinum (21.8% vs. 47.2%, P = 0.001) and had higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores on ICU admission (20.32 vs. 17.39, P = 0.003), lower lymphocyte counts (430 vs. 570 cells/μl, P = 0.014), and lower PaO2/FiO2 values (mmHg) on admission (108 vs. 147, P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.06; P = 0.024), use of high‐dose steroids (≥1 mg/kg/day prednisone equivalent) during hospitalization (OR 2.29; 95% CI 1.07–4.90; P = 0.034), and a low oxygenation index on admission (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.99–1.00; P = 0.014) were associated with in‐hospital mortality. Conclusions: The mortality rate of non‐HIV‐infected patients with PCP was high, and predictive factors of a poor prognosis were advanced age, use of high‐dose steroids (≥1 mg/kg/day prednisone equivalent) during hospitalization, and a low oxygenation index on admission. The use of caspofungin during hospitalization might have no contribution to the prognosis of non‐HIV‐infected patients with PCP in the ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We aimed to investigate the clinical features of Takayasu arteritis with cerebral infarction, and the risk factors for cerebral infarction. Methods The study analysed 122 consecutive patients with Takayasu arteritis retrospectively. The clinical characteristics of Takayasu arteritis patients with and without cerebral infarction were compared. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risk factors for cerebral infarction in Takayasu arteritis patients. Results Cerebral infarction was present in 42 (34.4%) of 122 patients with Takayasu arteritis. There were 33 patients with ischaemic stroke and 11 with asymptomatic lacunar infarction, including two patients with both types of infarction. The cerebral infarction group had a significantly higher proportion of males, higher prevalence of blurred vision, and higher Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score (ITAS) 2010 than the non–cerebral infarction group. Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that hyperlipidaemia [odds ratio (OR) 5.549, P =0.021], ITAS 2010 (OR 1.123, P = 0.023), number of involved arteries (OR 1.307, P =0.018), and middle cerebral artery (MCA) involvement (OR 4.013, P =0.029) were significantly associated with cerebral infarction in patients with Takayasu arteritis. Receiver operating characteristic curves indicated fair performance of the ITAS 2010 (>6) and number of involved arteries (> 7) for distinguishing Takayasu arteritis patients at risk of cerebral infarction from those without such risk. Conclusion Hyperlipidaemia, higher ITAS 2010, larger number of involved arteries, and MCA involvement are independent risk factors for cerebral infarction in Takayasu arteritis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mine ventilation system plays a role in purifying the air and providing a good working environment in coal mine production. Aiming at the unclear concept and inconsistency in solving problems in the process of intelligent construction of mine ventilation system, this paper conducts exploratory research on the connotation of mine ventilation intelligence, theoretical structure model, construction logic and scientific problems to be solved by means of literature review, on-site investigation and qualitative analysis. The research results show that the mine ventilation intelligent system needs to use real-time and full monitoring data, and by integrating brain science principles, machine learning and analysis and other technologies, it can immediately correct the air volume distribution defects, realize automatic power adjustment, remote facility management and control and accurate disaster identification. The theoretical model from the inside to the outside is the concept layer, the key scientific issues and technology layer, the model layer, the application layer and the theoretical support layer. The intelligent process of mine ventilation needs to comprehensively consider the relationship between the conscious human body, the cyber body and the ventilation physical entity in the processes of knowledge accumulation, knowledge modeling, knowledge movement, innovation and optimization, learning progress and feedback evolution. The intelligent ventilation system consists of perception layer, transmission layer and application layer. The research provides a theoretical basis for the intelligent construction of mine ventilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the second law of local thermodynamics and the first-order Palatini formalism, we formulate relativistic spin hydrodynamics for quantum field theories with Dirac fermions, such as QED and QCD, in a torsionful curved background. We work in a regime where spin density, which is assumed to relax much slower than other non-hydrodynamic modes, is treated as an independent degree of freedom in an extended hydrodynamic description. Spin hydrodynamics in our approach contains only three non-hydrodynamic modes corresponding to a spin vector, whose relaxation time is controlled by a new transport coefficient: the rotational viscosity. We study linear response theory and observe an interesting mode mixing phenomenon between the transverse shear and the spin density modes. We propose several field-theoretical ways to compute the spin relaxation time and the rotational viscosity, via the Green-Kubo formula based on retarded correlation functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Low-magnitude high-frequency vibration (LMHFV) has been reported to be capable of promoting osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. Reduced osteoblast activity and impaired bone formation were related to diabetic bone loss. We investigated the potential protective effects of LMHFV on high-glucose (HG)-induced osteoblasts in this study. In addition, the assessment of LMHFV treatment for bone loss attributed to diabetes was also performed in vivo. Method: MC3T3-E1 cells induced by HG only or treated with LMHFV were treated in vitro. The experiments performed in this study included the detection of cell proliferation, migration and differentiation, as well as protein expression. Diabetic bone loss induced by streptozotocin (STZ) in rats was established. Combined with bone morphometric, microstructure, biomechanical properties and matrix composition tests, the potential of LMHFV in treating diabetes bone loss was explored. Results: After the application of LMHFV, the inhibiting effects of HG on the proliferation, migration and differentiation of osteoblasts were alleviated. The GSK3β/β-catenin pathway was involved in the protective effect of LMHFV. Impaired microstructure and biomechanical properties attributed to diabetes were ameliorated by LMHFV treatment. The improvement of femur biomechanical properties might be associated with the alteration of the matrix composition by the LMHFV. Conclusion: LMHFV exhibited a protective effect on osteoblasts against HG by regulating the proliferation, migration and differentiation of osteoblasts. The function of promoting bone formation and reinforcing bone strength made it possible for LMHFV to alleviate diabetic bone loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Recent studies have shown that global metabolic reprogramming is a common event in plant innate immunity; however, the relevant molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we identified a pathogen‐induced glycosyltransferase, UGT73C7, that plays a critical role in Arabidopsis disease resistance through mediating redirection of the phenylpropanoid pathway. Loss of UGT73C7 function resulted in significantly decreased resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, whereas constitutive overexpression of UGT73C7 led to an enhanced defense response. UGT73C7‐activated immunity was demonstrated to be dependent on the upregulated expression of SNC1, a Toll/interleukin 1 receptor‐type NLR gene. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo assays indicated that UGT73C7 could glycosylate p‐coumaric acid and ferulic acid, the upstream metabolites in the phenylpropanoid pathway. Mutations that lead to the loss of UGT73C7 enzyme activities resulted in the failure to induce SNC1 expression. Moreover, glycosylation activity of UGT73C7 resulted in the redirection of phenylpropanoid metabolic flux to biosynthesis of hydroxycinnamic acids and coumarins. The disruption of the phenylpropanoid pathway suppressed UGT73C7‐promoted SNC1 expression and the immune response. This study not only identified UGT73C7 as an important regulator that adjusts phenylpropanoid metabolism upon pathogen challenge, but also provided a link between phenylpropanoid metabolism and an NLR gene. Significance Statement: Global metabolic reprogramming is a common event in plant innate immunity; however, the relevant molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we identified that the pathogen‐induced glycosyltransferase UGT73C7 is an important regulator that adjusts phenylpropanoid metabolism upon pathogen challenge and promotes SNC1‐dependent Arabidopsis immunity, thus providing a link between phenylpropanoid metabolism and an NLR gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor developed in China, chidamide has been applied for the treatment of refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) and multiple solid tumors, including lung cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well elucidated. In our present study, we found that chidamide and radiation acted synergistically to suppress cell and xenograft growth of lung squamous cell carcinoma cells by inducing cell apoptosis. Moreover, chidamide alone or a combination of chidamide and radiation treatment inhibited cancer cell stemness. miRNA microarray analysis demonstrated that miR-375 was the highest upregulated microRNA (miRNA) in NCI-2170 and NCI-H226 cells treated with chidamide alone or treated with chidamide plus radiation, compared with normal control. Inhibition of miR-375 attenuated the promoting effect of chidamide alone and chidamide plus radiation-induced NCI-2170 and NCI-H226 cell apoptosis and reverted the suppression of cancer stemness caused by chidamide alone or chidamide plus radiation treatment. Moreover, EIF4G3, a scaffold protein in the translation initiation complex, was found to be a direct target of miR-375 based on the luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis. Interestingly, both chidamide alone and chidamide plus radiation treatments suppressed the mRNA and protein expression of EIF4G3. Silence of EIF4G3 also induced cell apoptosis and suppressed tumor growth in NCI-2170 and NCI-H226 cells. These data suggest that chidamide shows a synergistic effect with radiation therapy on lung squamous cell carcinomas by modulating the miR-375-EIF4G3 axis, which may afford an effective strategy to overcome the drug resistance of chidamide in clinical cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Limited information exists about the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the outcome of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Objective: To evaluate the hospital mortality of patients with ARDS in relation to BMI. Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study including patients with ARDS. ARDS was defined according to the Berlin criteria. Body weight and height were obtained to calculate BMI. The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, invasive positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) free days within 28 days and length of stays in the ICU and hospital. Results: Among 523 patients, 28 (5%) were underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2), 299 (57%) were normal weight (BMI 18.5‐24.9 kg/m2), 159 (30%) were overweight (BMI 25‐29.9 kg/m2) and 37 (7%) were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). Increasing BMI was associated with younger age (P = 0.017), hypertension (P = 0.003) and diabetes (P = 0.02). Compared with normal weight, being overweight and obese resulted in lower mortality regardless of whether in the hospital (P = 0.019) or ICU (P = 0.044). However, after risk adjustment, only obesity was associated with lower hospital mortality (OR 0.393, 95% CI 0.169‐0.914, P = 0.030). With the increase of BMI, the in‐hospital mortality and ICU mortality of ARDS dropped gradually (from 57.1% to 24.3%, P = 0.021, and from 53.6% to 24.3%, P = 0.035). Conclusions: Obesity is associated with lower mortality in patients with ARDS. With the increase of BMI, the mortality of ARDS drops gradually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that defect detection in weld X-ray images is a critical aspect of pressure vessel manufacturing and inspection, accurate differentiation of the type, distribution, number, and area of defects in the images serves as the foundation for judging weld quality, and the segmentation method of defects in digital X-ray images is the core technology for differentiating defects. Based on the publicly available weld seam dataset GDX-ray, this paper proposes a complete technique for fault segmentation in X-ray pictures of pressure vessel welds. The key works are as follows: (1) To address the problem of a lack of defect samples and imbalanced distribution inside GDX-ray, a DA-DCGAN based on a two-channel attention mechanism is devised to increase sample data. (2) A convolutional block attention mechanism is incorporated into the coding layer to boost the accuracy of small-scale defect identification. The proposed MAU-Net defect semantic segmentation network uses multi-scale even convolution to enhance large-scale features. The proposed method can mask electrostatic interference and non-defect-class parts in the actual weld X-ray images, achieve an average segmentation accuracy of 84.75% for the GDX-ray dataset, segment and accurately rate the valid defects with a correct rating rate of 95%, and thus realize practical value in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, we study the properties of the Z-boson hadronic decay width by using the O (α s 4) -order quantum chromodynamics (QCD) corrections with the help of the principle of maximum conformality (PMC). By using the PMC single-scale approach, we obtain an accurate renormalization scale-and-scheme independent perturbative QCD (pQCD) correction for the Z-boson hadronic decay width, which is independent to any choice of renormalization scale. After applying the PMC, a more convergent pQCD series has been obtained; and the contributions from the unknown O (α s 5) -order terms are highly suppressed, e.g. conservatively, we have Δ Γ Z had | PMC O (α s 5) ≃ ± 0.004 MeV. In combination with the known electro-weak (EW) corrections, QED corrections, EW–QCD mixed corrections, and QED–QCD mixed corrections, our final prediction of the hadronic Z decay width is Γ Z had = 1744. 439 - 1.433 + 1.390 MeV, which agrees with the PDG global fit of experimental measurements, 1744.4 ± 2.0 MeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a partially model-free dual heuristic dynamic programming (DHP) control approach to address the online discrete-time attitude tracking problem. The DHP method learns the control policy by solving the translated optimal regulation problem of the augmented system, which is constructed with the tracking error dynamics and the desired trajectory. In the context of the augmented system, a corresponding recursive least squares (RLS) identification strategy has been devised, and the DHP update rules have been derived. The identified augmented system model not only provides dynamic information and predicted states for the actor and critic updates but also incorporates an uncertainty compensation part to reduce the learning complexity and enhance robustness of the controller. It is noteworthy that concurrent learning (CL) is employed to improve the critic convergence by utilizing an identified model-based data generation method. This approach eliminates the need for an offline learning stage and enables flexible controller design based on the available system knowledge. Based on the proposed approach, different attitude control frameworks have been designed for a morphing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). In addition to numerical simulations, flight tests have been conducted to further demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed approach, highlighting its effectiveness and advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low earth orbit (LEO) space environment is glutted with unknown and uncertain disturbance, which impede the regular operation and dynamic stability of spacecraft. In recent decades, Basis Function Network (BFN) has attracted much attention benefiting from its potential adaptability for unknown dynamic disturbance. However, it also suffers from the shortcomings of parameter drift, under fitting and long time consuming, which restricts its applications in practical space missions. This paper proposes a new online network reconstruction algorithm, which enables BFN a better excitation effect and more rapid response with less time consumption. The algorithm selects less but more relevant basis functions than routine neural network to approximate the disturbance, which consequently helps to achieve a better characterization effect. Two BFN selection strategies based on iterative learning and batch learning are proposed to further increase the efficiency of online network reconstruction. Detailed theoretical derivation proves the feasibility of the new algorithm. Numerical simulation of a real space station shows that the algorithm has strong adaptability and time efficiency under the interference of structural uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile method to prepare the ultra-dispersed low-crystalline FeO x (2–5 nm) particles anchored on the carboxylic carbon nanotubes (CCNTs) was reported in this paper. The low-crystalline FeO x /CCNTs (LC-FeO x /CCNTs) system features excellent Fenton-like performance which is 24.3 times larger than that of conventional crystalline Fe 2 O 3 /CCNTs (C–Fe 2 O 3 /CCNTs). It also exhibits outstanding stability and versatility in the catalytic degradation of different types of (cationic and anionic) compounds. Through comprehensive mechanistic investigations, it's confirmed that crystallinity of iron oxide played a vital role in catalytic performance. Specifically, singlet oxygen (1O 2) was detected as the main reactive intermediate by introducing surface oxygen vacancy (SOV) and Fe2+ as "Fenton-catalytic" dual reaction center to promote H 2 O 2 decomposition, which was distinct from the common Fenton-like reaction path with HO• as the main reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, the carboxylic groups on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) complexed with metastable FeO x can accelerate the transformation of Fe(III)/Fe(II) so as to adjust the utilization of H 2 O 2 via donor-acceptor coupling. This work addresses an imaginative leap forward the understanding of the role of crystallinity and matrix coupling in the design of Fenton-like catalyst. [Display omitted] • A delicate Fenton-like catalyst at low-crystalline state with exceptional activity was designed. • Oxygen vacancy and Fe2+ were introduced as the "Fenton-catalytic" dual center influenced by crystallinity of Fe 2 O 3. • The carboxylic groups on the surface of CNT can form CNT–COOH–Fe bonds with iron oxide. • 1O 2 was detected as the main reactive intermediate in low-crystalline FeOx/H 2 O 2 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermally conductive materials are crucial for stable operation of integrated circuits, and there is high interest in improving the thermal conductivity of MXene. This study develops a facile method to enhance the chelating and reducing abilities of MXene towards metal ions by coating a thin layer of polydopamine onto the MXene surface, followed by decoration of silver nanoparticles on the nanosheet surface through in-situ reduction. Naturally abundant nanocellulose fibers were used as the matrix, and continuous thermal pathways were constructed between the fibers by vacuum filtration of the prepared nanofillers. The essential role of AgNPs in providing efficient thermal conductive networks was analyzed using the finite element analysis software. The prepared composite films exhibited an in-plane thermal conductivity up to 7.31 W/m K and demonstrated superior temperature control in heat dissipation tests. At a filler mass fraction of 30 wt%, the average electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of the film with a thickness of 0.17 mm was measured to be 25.8 dB in the X-band, which exceeds the target value for commercial applications. The outstanding performance of the composite paper has demonstrated the great potential of silver-decorated MXene for widespread application in fields such as electronic devices, aerospace, and aviation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fe 3 O 4 modified with saturated long-chain fatty acid was successful for MPs removal. • Ingredients in beverages can affect the removal efficiency of MPs. • The developed adsorption kinetic equation can predict the value of adsorption of MPs. • Electrostatic interaction, and van der Waals force were main forces. Microplastics (MPs) stemming from plastic products have attracted wide attention around the world due to their stealth, persistence and potential threat to humans. It is essential to remove MPs by using eco-friendly and effective methods. In this study, to remove MPs, we proposed to prepare Fe 3 O 4 superhydrophobic magnetic adsorbents (Fe 3 O 4 @C n , n = 12, 14, 16, 18) modified by different saturated fatty acids (C 12 , C 14 , C 16 , C 18) by liquid phase deposition method. Transmission electron microscope, atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry and nitrogen adsorption measurements were applied to characterize the morphology, functional groups, crystalline structures of Fe 3 O 4 @C n as well as its magnetic properties and pore size distribution. It was shown that Fe 3 O 4 @C n exhibited the characteristics of magnetic materials with superhydrophobic properties and thus possessed the ability to separate oil and water. During the removal of MPs in five liquid food systems, Fe 3 O 4 @C 12 exhibited 92.89 % adsorption efficiency, which was ascribed to the electrostatic and chemical bonding interactions between MPs and Fe 3 O 4 @C n , as suggested by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In addition, the presence of organic matter in water can decrease the removal efficiency of Fe 3 O 4 @C n due to the competitive adsorption effect. Simulation by Langmuir isotherm model suggested that Fe 3 O 4 @C 12 displayed the greatest adsorption efficiency for Polystyrene (PS) (809.29 mg/g), which is higher than that of Fe 3 O 4 @C 14 , Fe 3 O 4 @C 16 , and Fe 3 O 4 @C 18. In addition, Langmuir adsorption isotherm and Gaussian calculations suggested that PS was removed by Fe 3 O 4 @C 12 through an exothermic reaction controlled by chemisorption. Overall, these results indicated that superhydrophobic magnetic materials prepared in this study show high potential for removing MPs in aqueous systems due to their low costs, good environmental friendliness, and high removal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • MNPs in food derive from the environment, processing, and strenuous conditions. • The combined toxicity mechanisms of MNPs and co-pollutants are complex. • The novel removal methods of MNPs were proposed to help remove MNPs in beverages. • The technology of non-destructive MNPs removal from food is promising in the future. Micro or nano- plastics (MNPs) are considered as emerging pollutants gradually shifting from oceanosphere to terrestrial ecosystems. MNPs can enter the human body through the food chain, leading to serious health concerns. In recent years, increasing efforts have been devoted to preventing and removing MNPs from the environment and the food chains. In this review article, we have summarized the formation and composition of MNPs, as well as their effects on food production, processing, and consumption. Moreover, the detection and identification methods of MNPs in foods are highlighted. In addition to the health risks MNPs caused to organisms, the compound toxicity of MNPs and environmental contaminants are also important, which can be classified into four categories, including additive effect, synergistic effect, antagonistic effect, and potentiating effect. With this information at hand, we considered that the combined toxicity of MNPs and other pollutants are not a simple "1 + 1 = 2" effect. In the final section, we summarized the available technologies for removing MNPs, which will be useful to remove MNPs from food products thereby reducing the potential risks to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gyroid, IWP and Primitive TPMS structures are fabricated using stereolithography technology. • 3D printed TPMS structures are robustly tested under axial vibrations. • It is the first time that natural frequencies of complex porous composite structures structures has been benchmarked. • Damping properties of complex porous composite structures have been identified for the first time. • Nonlinear dynamic phenomena of TPMS based composite structures have been found. • New insights into nonlinear dynamics of composite structures are the precursor to engineering applications. Natural frequency, damping ratio and dynamic stiffness are fundamental to the performance of structures subjected to dynamic loads. Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) composite structures, celebrated for their superior energy absorption capacity and specific strength, represent some of the most promising meta -structures. However, their dynamic properties are yet to be fully understood, thereby hindering their practical applications within civil engineering domains. Damping properties, crucial to vibration reduction, remain particularly elusive; previous studies have not successfully established a connection between these properties and the force excitation amplitude in TPMS structures. This study aims to compare the damping properties of different TPMS structures and to investigate their potential for adoption within civil engineering fields. Three types of TPMSs, including Schoen I-graph-wrapped package surface (IWP), Schwarz primitive (Primitive) and Schoen Gyroid (Gyroid), have been adopted to design solid and sheetal TPMS composite structures with identical relative density (50%) to compare their damping properties under varying excitation amplitudes. These TPMS structures are manufactured from photosensitive resin (UV resin) using stereolithography 3D printing technology. Owing to the lack of previous research into the damping properties and dynamic stiffness of TPMS structures as support structures, we have conducted single-freedom modal tests to determine the modal parameters, including natural frequency and damping ratios. Our novel results indicate that the natural frequency and damping ratio of the TPMS structures vary with the excitation amplitude. Additionally, the dynamic stiffness of TPMS structures reveals a similar decreasing trend to frequency when load amplitude escalates. As the excitation amplitude increases, the TPMS structures demonstrate softening and are capable of offering a higher vibration damping coefficient. Notably, the SS-Gyroid structure exhibits higher stiffness and damping ratio compared to other TPMS structures. These fresh insights pave the way for the integration of 3D printed smart TPMS structures within civil engineering, particularly for vibration reduction and efficient material usage. A judicious TPMS structure design can provide relatively high stiffness and damping ratio without excessive material use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To observe the effect of protease activated receptor 2 (PAR2) on colonic motility in chronic stress-treated mice, and investigate its mechanism. Methods·The mice were treated with chronic heterogenous stress for 14 days to establish the chronic stress model. Western blotting was used to determine the expressions of PAR2, platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) and small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel 3 (SK3 channel), while the effects of PAR2 agonist and SK3 channel antagonist on colonic motility were observed by isometric tension experiment. T-test was used for statistical analysis. Statistical significance was accepted at the value of P<0.05. Results: Twenty-four hours after being treated by stress stimulation, the mice demonstrated a decrease of colonic transmission because the number of fecal pellets decreased significantly; simultaneously, the expression of PAR2 increased in the colon smooth muscle tissue of chronic stress-treated mice. The inhibition of colonic smooth muscle contractions by PAR2 agonist was more significant in the chronic stress-treated mice than that in the control ones. The expression of PDGFRα in colonic smooth muscle tissue of chronic stress-treated mice increased, but the expression of SK3 had no obvious change, compared with the control mice. The inhibition of colonic smooth muscle contractions by SK3 channel antagonist was not significantly different between chronic stress-treated mice and the control mice. Conclusion: In the colons of chronic stress-treated mice, PAR2 activity and expression both increase, which may be responsible for the decrease of colonic motility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes analytical solutions to optimal underactuated spacecraft formation reconfiguration in elliptic orbits, without either the radial or in-track thrust. For either underactuated case, the dynamical model of underactuated formation reconfiguration was developed, based on which the system controllability and reconfiguration feasibility then were analyzed. By using the indirect optimization method, a detailed optimization procedure was designed, and the optimal trajectory of formation reconfiguration was derived analytically for the underactuated cases. A fully actuated optimal reconfiguration scheme was introduced to make comparisons. Numerical simulations indicated that the proposed optimal underactuated reconfiguration schemes can manage formation reconfiguration with a control cost similar to that of the fully actuated scheme, even in the absence of radial or in-track thrust. Numerical comparisons with existing nonoptimal reconfiguration schemes further verified that the proposed optimal schemes can perform underactuated formation reconfiguration in an energy-optimal way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotating photon gas exhibits a chirality separation along the angular velocity which is manifested through a generation of helicity and zilch currents. In this paper we study this system using the corresponding Wigner function and construct elements of the covariant chiral kinetic theory for photons from first principles. The Wigner function is solved order-by-order in ħ and the unconstrained terms are fixed by matching with quantum field theory results. We further consider the zilch and helicity currents and show that both manifestations of the chirality transport originate in the Berry phase of photons similarly to other chiral effects. Constructing the kinetic description from the Wigner function we find that the frame vector needed to fix the definition of spin of a massless particle is, in fact, the vector of the residual gauge freedom for the free Maxwell theory. We also briefly comment on the possible relation between vortical responses in rotating systems of massless particles and the anomalies of underlying quantum field theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flameless combustion, also called MILD combustion (Moderate or Intense Low Oxygen Dilution), is a technology that reduces NO x emissions and improves combustion efficiency. Appropriate turbulence-chemistry interaction models are needed to address this combustion regime via computational modelling. Following a similar analysis to that used in the Extended EDC model (E-EDC), the purpose of the present work is to develop and test a Novel Extended Eddy Dissipation Concept model (NE-EDC) to be better able to predict flameless combustion. In the E-EDC and NE-EDC models, in order to consider the influence of the dilution on the reaction rate and temperature, the coefficients are considered to be space dependent as a function of the local Reynolds and Damköhler numbers. A comparative study of four models is carried out: the E-EDC and NE-EDC models, the EDC model with specific, fixed values of the model coefficients optimized for the current application, and the Flamelet Generated Manifold (FGM) model with pure fuel and air as boundary conditions for flamelet generation. The models are validated using experimental data of the Delft Lab Scale furnace (9 kW) burning Natural Gas (T = 446 K) and preheated air (T = 886 K) injected via separate jets, at an overall equivalence ratio of 0.8. among the considered models, the NE-EDC results show the best agreement with experimental data, with a slight improvement over the E-EDC model and a significant improvement over the EDC model with tuned constant coefficients and the FGM model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partitioned methods have been widely used in multiphysics and large‐scale structure‐media problems since they allow decomposition of a complex system into smaller subsystems. Although they have been considered to be superior to monolithic methods in terms of software reuse, difficulties still exist in the implementation process. This paper addresses these difficulties and proposes a new method to ease the coupling of the dynamic subsystems analyzed with different finite element codes. This is enabled by the development of a new staggered approach such that each involved program acts as a black box that is accessible only through model input and output, that is, displacements and forces, at the interface boundary. The accuracy and stability of the proposed method are numerically evaluated. A practical method to determine the maximum time step for stable solutions is also proposed. Two application examples are presented to verify the algorithm and demonstrate potential of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]