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The machining mechanics of the rotary ultrasonic drilling (RUD) is investigated based on the separation effect of ultrasonic vibration (SEUV), by quantifying the critical force at a certain ultrasonic vibration amplitude. Firstly, the SEUV principle is explored by establishing the kinematic trajectory of the tool. Then, the critical force of SEUV at certain ultrasonic vibration amplitude is modeled. The simulation shows that as the tool interference displacement caused by the axial force is larger than the ultrasonic vibration amplitude, the tool vibration is in a suppressed state and the SEUV effect cannot be achieved. Third, the principles of standard drilling and peck drilling are proposed. The essence of peck drilling in step motion shows advantage to assure SEUV of RUD. Last, the critical force of SEUV is measured in experiments and proves that the SEUV is suppressed as the force exceeds a certain value. The RUD verification experiment on SiC of standard drilling and peck drilling is conducted. It is found that when the cutting force exceeds the critical force in standard drilling, the SEUV is suppressed and there has no significant improvement on the drilling performance. In peck drilling, the cutting force is lower than the critical force periodically, where the SEUV is achieved and the ultrasonic vibration can make effective impacts on the material and improve drilling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizopus arrhizus is a saprotrophic, sometimes clinically- and industrially-relevant mold (Mucorales) and distributed worldwide, suggesting it can assimilate a broad spectrum of substrates. Here, 69 strains of R. arrhizus were investigated by using the Biolog FF MicroPlate for the profiles of utilizing 95 carbon and nitrogen substrates. The study showed that most R. arrhizus strains were similar in average well color development (AWCD) and substrate richness (SR). Nevertheless, 13 strains were unique in principal component analyses, heatmap, AWCD, and SR analyses, which may imply a niche differentiation within R. arrhizus. The species R. arrhizus was able to utilize all the 95 carbon and nitrogen substrates, consistent with the hypothesis of a great metabolic diversity. It possessed a substrate preference of alcohols, and seven substrates were most frequently utilized, with N-acetyl-d-galactosamine and l-phenylalanine ranking at the top of the list. Eight substrates, especially l-arabinose and xylitol, were capable of promoting sporulation and being applied for rejuvenating degenerated strains. By phenotyping R. arrhizus strains in carbon and nitrogen assimilation capacity, this study revealed the extent of intra-specific variability and laid a foundation for estimating optimum substrates that may be useful for industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism involved in the anti-tumor immune response, and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) have achieved impressive therapeutic outcomes in patients with certain cancer types. However, it is unclear how inhibition of DNA methylation bridges the innate and adaptive immune responses to inhibit tumor growth. Here, we report that DNMTi zebularine reconstructs tumor immunogenicity, in turn promote dendritic cell maturation, antigen-presenting cell activity, tumor cell phagocytosis by APCs, and efficient T cell priming. Further in vivo and in vitro analyses reveal that zebularine stimulates cGAS-STING-NF-κB/IFNβ signaling to enhance tumor cell immunogenicity and upregulate antigen processing and presentation machinery (AgPPM), which promotes effective CD4+ and CD8+ T cell-mediated killing of tumor cells. These findings support the use of combination regimens that include DNMTi and immunotherapy for cancer treatment. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors potentiate anti-tumor immunity by inducing tumor immunogenicity and improving antigen processing through the STING-dependent type I interferon response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach is presented in this paper for the dynamic modeling of the chemical and isotopic evolution of C1–3 during the hydrocarbon generation process. Based on systematic data obtained from published papers for the pyrolysis of various hydrocarbon sources (type I kerogen/source rock, type II kerogen/source rock, type III kerogen/source rock, crude oil, and asphalt, etc.), the empirical evolution framework of the chemical and isotopic composition of C1–3 during the hydrocarbon generation process was built. Although the empirical framework was built only by fitting a large amount of pyrolysis data, the chemical and isotopic composition of C1–3 derived from the pyrolysis experiments all follow evolution laws, convincing us that it is applicable to the thermal evolution process of various hydrocarbon sources. Based on the simplified formula of the isotopic composition of mixed natural gas at different maturities (δ13Cmixed), δ13Cmixed = X × n i A × δ 13 C i A + Y × n i B × δ 13 C i B X × n i A + Y × n i B , it can be derived that the cumulative isotopic composition of alkane generated in a certain maturity interval can be expressed by the integral of the product of the instantaneous isotopic composition and instantaneous yield at a certain maturity point, and then divided by the cumulative yield of alkane generated in the corresponding maturity interval. Thus, the cumulative isotopic composition (A(X)), cumulative yield (B(X)), instantaneous isotope (C(X)), and instantaneous yield (D(x)) in the dynamic model, comply with the following formula during the maturity interval of (X0~X). A(X) = ∫ X 0 X C X × D X d x B (X) , where A(X) and B(X) can be obtained by the fitting of pyrolysis data, and D(x) can also be obtained from the derivation of B(X). The dynamic model was applied on the pyrolysis data of Pingliang Shale to illustrate the quantitative evolution of the cumulative yield, instantaneous yield, cumulative isotope, and instantaneous isotope of C1–3 with increasing maturity. The dynamic model can quantify the yield of methane, ethane, and propane, as well as δ13C1, δ13C2, and δ13C3, respectively, during the hydrocarbon generation process. This model is of great significance for evaluating the natural gas resources of hydrocarbon source rock of different maturities and for identifying the origin and evolutionary process of hydrocarbons by chemical and isotopic data. Moreover, this model provides an approach to study the dynamic evolution of the isotope series of C1–3 (including reversed isotopic series), which is promising for revealing the mechanism responsible for isotopic reversal when combined with post-generation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There are only four sizes of implantable collamer lens (ICL) available for selection, which cannot completely fit all patients as a result of the discontinuity of ICL sizes. Sizing an optimal ICL and predicting postoperative vault are still unresolved problems. This study aimed to develop and validate innovative data-level data-balancing machine learning-based models for predicting ICL size and postoperative vault. Methods: The patients were randomly assigned to training and internal validation sets in a 4:1 ratio. Feature selection was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal–Wallis feature importance methods. Traditional linear regression model and machine learning-based models were used. The accuracy of models was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) and confusion matrix. Results: A total of 564 patients (1127 eyes) were eligible for this study, consisting of 808 eyes in the training set, 202 eyes in the internal validation set, and 117 eyes in the external validation set. Compared with the traditional linear regression method, the machine learning model bagging tree showed the best performance for ICL size selection, with an accuracy of 84.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 83.2–85.8%), and the AUC ranged from 0.88 to 0.99; the prediction accuracy of 12.1 mm and 13.7 mm ICL sizes was improved by 49% and 59%, respectively. The bagging tree model achieved the best accuracy [90.2%, (95% CI 88.9–91.5%)] for predicting the postoperative vault, and the AUC ranged from 0.90 to 0.94. The prediction accuracies of internal and external validation dataset for ICL sizing were 82.2% (95% CI 81.1–83.3%) and 82.1% (95% CI 81.1–83.1%), respectively. Conclusions: The innovative data-level data balancing-based machine learning model can be used to predict ICL size and postoperative vault more accurately, which can assist surgeons in choosing optimal ICL size, thus reducing risks of postoperative complications and secondary surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Gongronella is important in agriculture and industry by secreting various natural bioactive metabolites such as chitosanases and organic acids. During the most recent 8 years, a total of 14 new species have been described, remarkably enriching the diversity of this genus. In this study, we added three more new species to this valuable genus, based on a combination of morphological traits and phylogenetic information. Six strains of the genus Gongronella were isolated from soil collected in Hainan Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS and LSU rDNA sequences grouped these strains into three independent clades. According to their unique morphological characteristics, they were classified as G. multiramosa sp. nov., G. qichaensis sp. nov. and G. oleae sp. nov. The G. multiramosa was characterized by multiple branched sporangiophores and was closely related to G. pedratalhadensis. The G. qichaensis was characterized by obscure collars and closely related to G. butleri, G. hydei and G. banzhaoae. The G. oleae was characterized by the presence of oil droplets in the sporangiospores and was closely related to G. chlamydospora and G. multispora. Their descriptions and illustrations were provided, and their differences from morphological allies and phylogenetic-related species are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perovskite structure oxide, CaMnO 3 , has been extensively investigated and applied as a potential microwave absorption material due to its versatile dielectric and spontaneous polarization. However, the low conductivity of pure CaMnO 3 material limits its further application. Herein, to increase dielectric loss and achieve better microwave absorption properties, lanthanum (La)-doped CaMnO 3 (Ca 1-x La x MnO 3) ceramics were fabricated by a high temperature solid state reaction. The results of XRD and XPS show that the La atom was efficiently doped at the Ca site in CaMnO 3 , which carries excess positive charges and affects the valence state of Mn ions and the concentration of oxygen vacancies. Therefore, the conductivity and imaginary permittivity of Ca 1-x La x MnO 3 ceramics increased dramatically with La-doped content. Benefiting from the tunable dielectric and impedance properties, Ca 1-x La x MnO 3 ceramics can be utilized in a highly efficient way to absorb microwave radiation with a thin thickness. The sample with x = 0.04 shows the best microwave absorption property, with an RL min value of -52.63 dB (d = 1.41 mm) and effective absorption bandwidth coves full X band in the thickness range from 1.315 mm to 1.395 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NiO-TiO 2 may be deemed as the preeminent resilient and cost-effective photocatalyst for the co-generated generation of hydrogen and value-added commodities via glycerol photoreforming. This assertion is founded on the fact that this composite catalyst possesses photochemical qualities, which enable it to effectively convert water & glycerol solution into hydrogen and other high-value added chemicals, which can be reliable option for industrial-scale glycerol photoreforming applications. [Display omitted] Selective photocatalysis to simultaneously produce sustainable hydrogen and value-added chemicals from biomass or biomass derivates is attracting extensive investigations. However, the lack of bifunctional photocatalyst greatly limits the possibility to realize the "one stone kills two birds" scenario. Herein, anatase titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanosheets are rationally designed as the n-type semiconductor, combining with nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles, the p-type semiconductor, resulting in the formation of a p-n heterojunction structure. The shorten charge transfer path and the spontaneous formation of p-n heterojunction endow the photocatalyst with efficient spatial separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. As a result, TiO 2 accumulates electrons for efficient hydrogen generation while NiO collects holes to selectively oxidize glycerol into value-added chemicals. The results showed that by loading 5% nickel into the heterojunction caused a remarkable rise in the generation of hydrogen (H 2). The combination of NiO-TiO 2 created 4000 µmolh−1g−1 of H 2 , which is 50% greater than the H 2 production from pure nanosheet TiO 2 and 63 times more than the H 2 production from commercial nanopowder TiO 2. Then, by changing loading amount of Ni, it is found that when 7.5 % of Ni is loaded the highest amount of hydrogen production achieved, 8000 µmolh−1g−1. By employing best sample (S3), 20 % of glycerol converted to value added products, glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone. The feasibility study revealed that glyceraldehyde generates the largest portion of yearly earnings at 89%, while dihydroxyacetone and H 2 account for 11% and 0.03% of the annual revenue, respectively. This work provides a good example to simultaneously produce green hydrogen and valuable chemicals with the rational design of dually functional photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the numerous treatments for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), chemotherapy is still one of the most effective methods. However, the impact of chemotherapy on immune cells is not yet clear. Therefore, this study aims to explore the different roles of immune cells and their relationship with treatment outcomes in the tumor and blood before and after paclitaxel therapy. We analyzed the single-cell sequencing data of immune cells in tumors and blood before and after paclitaxel treatment. We confirmed a high correlation between T cells, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), and therapeutic efficacy. The differences in T cells were analyzed related to therapeutic outcomes before and after paclitaxel treatment. In the effective treatment group, post-treatment tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells were associated with elevated inflammation, cytokines, and Toll-like-receptor-related gene expression, which were expected to enhance anti-tumor capabilities in tumor immune cells. Moreover, we found that the expression of immune-checkpoint-related genes is also correlated with treatment outcomes. In addition, an ILC subgroup, b_ILC1-XCL1, in which the corresponding marker gene XCL1 was highly expressed, was mainly present in the effective treatment group and was also associated with higher patient survival rates. Overall, we found differences in gene expression in T cells across different groups and a correlation between the expression of immune checkpoint genes in T cells, the b_ILC1-XCL1 subgroup, and patient prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To elucidate the genomic traits of ecological diversification in the Hymenochaetales, we sequenced 15 new genomes, with attention to ectomycorrhizal (EcM) Coltricia species. Together with published data, 32 genomes, including 31 Hymenochaetales and one outgroup, were comparatively analyzed in total. Compared with those of parasitic and saprophytic members, EcM species have significantly reduced number of plant cell wall degrading enzyme genes, and expanded transposable elements, genome sizes, small secreted proteins, and secreted proteases. EcM species still retain some of secreted carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and have lost the key secreted CAZymes to degrade lignin and cellulose, while possess a strong capacity to degrade a microbial cell wall containing chitin and peptidoglycan. There were no significant differences in secreted CAZymes between fungi growing on gymnosperms and angiosperms, suggesting that the secreted CAZymes in the Hymenochaetales evolved before differentiation of host trees into gymnosperms and angiosperms. Nevertheless, parasitic and saprophytic species of the Hymenochaetales are very similar in many genome features, which reflect their close phylogenetic relationships both being white rot fungi. Phylogenomic and molecular clock analyses showed that the EcM genus Coltricia formed a clade located at the base of the Hymenochaetaceae and divergence time later than saprophytic species. And Coltricia remains one to two genes of AA2 family. These indicate that the ancestors of Coltricia appear to have originated from saprophytic ancestor with the ability to cause a white rot. This study provides new genomic data for EcM species and insights into the ecological diversification within the Hymenochaetales based on comparative genomics and phylogenomics analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of a dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) virtual non-calcium (VNCa) technique in the detection of edema-like marrow signal intensity (ELMSI) in patients with knee joint osteoarthritis (OA) compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: The study received local ethics board approval, and written informed consent was obtained. DECT and MRI were used to examine 28 knees in 24 patients with OA. VNCa images were generated by dual-energy subtraction of calcium. The knee joint was divided into 15 regions for ELMSI grading, performed independently by two musculoskeletal radiologists, with MRI as the reference standard. We also analyzed CT numbers through receiver operating characteristics and calculated cut-off values. Results: For the qualitative analysis, we obtained CT sensitivity (Readers 1, 2 = 83.7%, 89.8%), specificity (Readers 1, 2 = 99.5%, 99.5%), positive predictive value (Readers 1, 2 = 95.3%, 95.7%), and negative predictive value (Readers 1, 2 = 97.9%, 98.7%) for ELMSI. The interobserver agreement was excellent (κ = 0.92). The area under the curve for Reader 1 and Reader 2 was 0.961 (95% CI 0.93, 0.99) and 0.992 (95% CI 0.98, 1.00), respectively. CT numbers obtained from the VNCa images were significantly different between regions with and without ELMSI (p <.001). Conclusions: VNCa images have good diagnostic performance for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of knee osteoarthritis-related ELMSI. Key points: DECT-VNCa images had important clinical significance in diagnosing ELMSI. DECT-VNCa images can improve the diagnosis of ELMSI by cut-off value. The research of DECT-related post-processing technology in the diagnosis of OA-related pain needs further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroformylation has been applied in the chemical industry for decades to produce n-aldehydes from 1-olefins and syngas (a mixture of CO and H 2). However, the difficulty of catalyst separation and harsh operating conditions of conventional homogeneous hydroformylation reactions have prompted researchers to explore heterogeneous catalytic strategies. In this work, a novel core-shell structured catalyst comprised of Rhodium nanoparticles (Rh NPs) homogeneously encapsulated in a silicalite-1 zeolite (Rh@S-1) is designed to realize a high activity in 1-hexene hydroformylation. The conversion of 1-hexene over the Rh@S-1 catalyst exhibits as high as 85.8%, and the ratio of n-heptanal to iso-heptanal reaches up to 2.5 at 90 °C. Multiple studies demonstrate that the outstanding catalytic activity over this core-shell structured catalyst can be explained by the highly active homogeneously dispersed Rh NPs and the distinguishable mass transfer effect of the unique and orderly micropores structure of silicalite-1 zeolite. Furthermore, by changing templating agent concentrations during the hydrothermal method, the size of the zeolite crystals can be easily controlled and is proven to be an essential factor affecting the hydroformylation performance. [Display omitted] • Design of core-shell structured Rh@S-1 catalyst by solvent-free hydrothermal method. • High reaction performance in hydroformylation of 1-hexene realized by Rh@S-1. • Synergistic effect of active Rh NPs and the shape selectivity of zeolite micropores. • Zeolite crystals size of Rh@S-1 affected the hydroformylation reaction activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thoracoscopic segmentectomy is a common surgical procedure in thoracic surgery today. However, identifying the intersegmental plane is difficult in the surgical process. Therefore, we evaluated the feasibility of the arterial ligation method for determining the intersegmental plane and compared the demarcation status with the intravenous indocyanine green (ICG).Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 35 patients with peripheral small lung nodules who underwent thoracoscopic segmentectomy between May and December 2020. First, the preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction was performed to distinguish the location of lung nodules and the anatomical structures of targeted segmental arteries, veins, and bronchi. Second, the targeted segmental arteries were ligated, and the intersegmental plane was determined by the inflation-deflation technique. The waiting time for the appearance of the inflation-deflation line was recorded. Thirdly, the intersegmental plane was identified again using the ICG fluorescence method. Finally, the consistency of the two intersegmental planes was evaluated.Results: The intersegmental planes were successfully observed in all patients using the arterial ligation method. Thirty-four patients underwent segmentectomy as planned, and one patient finally underwent lobectomy due to insufficient surgical margin. The waiting time for the appearance of the intersegmental plane by arterial ligation method was 13.7 ± 3.2 min (6-19 min). The intersegmental planes determined by the arterial ligation method and the ICG fluorescence method were comparable, with a maximum distance of no more than 5 mm between the two planes. The mean operative duration was 119.1 ± 34.9 min, and the mean blood loss was 76.9 ± 70.3 ml. No evident air leakage was found during the operation. Only one patient experienced a prolonged air leak (≥ 5 days) during the postoperative recovery. No atelectasis occurred in all cases. The chest tube duration was 3.1 ± 0.9 days.Conclusion: The arterial ligation method can efficiently and accurately identify the intersegmental plane, comparable to the ICG fluorescence method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of the canopy span, canopy opening width and waiting hall building height on the loads and equivalent static wind loads (ESWL) of the waiting hall building. The results show both the mean and standard deviation wind pressure coefficients at the roof of waiting hall buildings are affected by the interference effects caused by the upstream canopies. The wind-induced response of the waiting hall building roof is usually dominated by the first vibration mode, 0∘, 90∘ and 180∘ are the three adverse wind directions. Based on the wind tunnel tests, parameters of the fitted spectrum of the first modal generalized wind pressure for waiting hall buildings are obtained at the adverse wind directions. The semi-analytical expressions of equivalent static wind loads (ESWL) on waiting hall building roofs are derived using the first modal inertial force as a function of the structural reduced frequency. The good accuracy of the proposed ESWL is verified by comparing the nodal displacements and member stresses calculated by the proposed method to the actual dynamic peak results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal species in the family Mortierellaceae are important for their remarkable capability to synthesize large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially arachidonic acid (ARA). Although many genomes have been published, the quality of these data is not satisfactory, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the lipid pathway in Mortierellaceae. We provide herein two novel and high-quality genomes with 55.32% of syntenic gene pairs for Mortierella alpina CGMCC 20262 and M. schmuckeri CGMCC 20261, spanning 28 scaffolds of 40.22 Mb and 25 scaffolds of 49.24 Mb, respectively. The relative smaller genome for the former is due to fewer protein-coding gene models (11,761 vs. 13,051). The former yields 45.57% of ARA in total fatty acids, while the latter 6.95%. The accumulation of ARA is speculated to be associated with delta-5 desaturase (Delta5) and elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 3 (ELOVL3). A further genomic comparison of 19 strains in 10 species in three genera in the Mortierellaceae reveals three types of fatty acid synthase (FAS), two of which are new to science. The most common type I exists in 16 strains of eight species of three genera, and was discovered previously and consists of a single unit with eight active sites. The newly revealed type II exists only in M. antarctica KOD 1030 where the unit is separated into two subunits α and β comprised of three and five active sites, respectively. Another newly revealed type III exists in M. alpina AD071 and Dissophora globulifera REB-010B, similar to type II but different in having one more acyl carrier protein domain in the α subunit. This study provides novel insights into the enzymes related to the lipid metabolism, especially the ARA-related Delta5, ELOVL3, and FAS, laying a foundation for genetic engineering of Mortierellaceae to modulate yield in polyunsaturated fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A common carbon nitride delivers great 2eORR activity for H 2 O 2 production in presence of lactic acid as sacrificial agent. • Pyruvic acid is simultaneously produced from selective dehydrogenation of lactic acid. • Other hydroxycarboxylic acids are selectively dehydrogenated into corresponding aldehydic or keto acids. • In-depth experimental and theoretical investigations reveal the detailed reaction mechanism. Photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production is emerging as an alternative technology to contribute H 2 O 2 -based advanced oxidation applications. However, the present reaction systems rarely consider the selective oxidation of sacrificial agent along with oxygen reduction reaction. Herein, we design a reaction system by using hydroxycarboxylic acids as additives to boost photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production. More importantly, hydroxycarboxylic acids could simultaneously be dehydrogenated into aldehydic/keto acids with high selectivity. Lactic acid as one of the typical hydroxycarboxylic acids reveals the feasibility of this hypothesis, delivering 6.56 mM/h of H 2 O 2 generation along with > 70 % pyruvic acid selectivity. The universality of this reaction system is demonstrated by using other hydroxycarboxylic acids. This works sheds new light on coupling H 2 O 2 generation with value-added chemicals production by mild photocatalytic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we demonstrate the selective cellobiose (building block of cellulose) photoreforming for gluconic acid and syngas co-production in acidic conditions by rationally designing a bifunctional polymeric carbon nitride (CN) with potassium/sulfur co-dopant. This heteroatomic doped CN photocatalyst possesses enhanced visible light absorption, higher charge separation efficiency than pristine CN. Under acidic conditions, cellobiose is not only more efficiently hydrolyzed into glucose but also promotes the syngas and gluconic acid production. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal the favorable generation of •O 2 − during the photocatalytic reaction, which is essential for gluconic acid production. Consequently, the fine-designed photocatalyst presents excellent cellobiose conversion (>80%) and gluconic acid selectivity (>70%) together with the co-production of syngas (∼56 μmol g−1 h−1) under light illumination. The current work demonstrates the feasibility of biomass photoreforming with value-added chemicals and syngas co-production under mild condition. [Display omitted] • Bifunctional CN with K, S co-doping is synthesized via a facile calcination process. • Acidic cellobiose photoreforming to simultaneously obtain gluconic acid and syngas. • Cellobiose conversion (>80%) and gluconic acid selectivity (>70%) can be achieved. • Favorable generation of •O 2 − proved by DFT is essential for gluconic acid production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three phosphate ester-based MOFs (UiO-66-(OPO 3) X) containing different amounts and spatial positions were prepared. • UiO-66-(OPO 3) X can efficiently remove Pb2+ from aqueous solution. • Even at pH = 2 and pH = 3, UiO-66-(OPO 3) X maintains a high removal efficiency of Pb2+. • UiO-66-(OPO 3) X has excellent selectivity and anti-interference ability for Pb2+. • The adsorption mechanism was investigated in detail by experiment combined with DFT. Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials have emerged as promising candidates for treating heavy metal wastewater because of their controllable pore size, high specific surface area, and abundant active sites. Nevertheless, the currently reported MOFs usually require near-neutral environments (pH = 5–6) to achieve efficient removal of Pb2+ and cannot be applied to acidic environments (pH = 2–3). In this work, the structurally stabilized zirconium-based MOF UiO-66 was chosen as the object of study. Three phosphate ester-based MOFs (UiO-66-(OPO 3) X) containing different amounts and spatial positions were designed and prepared by simple chemical modification and used to remove Pb2+. Adsorption experiments showed that they could reach adsorption equilibrium in 30 min with excellent adsorption rate. Owing to the unique ionization ability of the phosphate ester group, UiO-66-(OPO3) X maintains a high removal efficiency of Pb2+ even at pH = 2 and pH = 3. In addition, selectivity and competition experiments demonstrated that UiO-66-(OPO 3) X possessed excellent selectivity and anticompetitive ability towards Pb2+.The excellent regeneration performance demonstrates their value for practical application. Moreover, the adsorption mechanism was investigated in detail by experiment combined with density functional theory (DFT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic response is a critical aspect of structural engineering, as it directly influences the design and safety evaluation of such systems. Structural seismic response becomes more complicated when unavoidable uncertainties in the structure are considered. Therefore, solving and analyzing the stochastic dynamic response of structures efficiently and accurately is of great significance. Various uncertainty quantification methods such as the stochastic finite element method, Monte Carlo method, and polynomial chaos expansion method have made significant progress in this field. However, these methods do not provide a comprehensive study of the seismic response of stochastic structures and efficiency problems rapidly emerge as the number of random variables increases. This paper delivers a comprehensive study of the seismic dynamic response of space truss and reticulated shell structure considering uncertainties in material properties, geometry, and loading. To this end, the finite element model of the structure was first modeled and the deterministic solutions were obtained. Then, polynomial surrogates are modeled for the natural frequency, mode participation factor, mode superposition response, and transient response of the structure under stochastic uncertainties. The sparse grid technique is used to select sparse quadrature points, which overcomes the curse of dimensionality caused by full grid integration. The results demonstrate that the sparse grid-based polynomial chaos expansion is more efficient. Uncertainty quantification reveals the uncertainty of modal analysis, response spectrum analysis, and transient response analysis of space truss and reticulated shell under seismic excitation. In summary, this study provides valuable insights and an efficient and accurate uncertainty quantification tool for the seismic dynamic analysis of stochastic structures, ultimately contributing to safer and more robust structural designs. • Analyzing the seismic dynamic response of stochastic structures comprehensively. • Sparse grid-based PCE for quantifying uncertainty in stochastic dynamics. • Addressing the dimensional catastrophe of traditional non-intrusive PCE. • Sparse grid-based PCE metamodel for post-processing is more efficient and accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although species of Absidia are known to be ubiquitous in soil, animal dung, and insect and plant debris, the species diversity of the genus and their ecological habitats have not been sufficiently investigated. In this study, we describe five new species of Absidia from forest and grassland soils in southwestern China, with support provided by phylogenetic, morphological, and physiological evidence. The species diversity and ecological habitat of Absidia are summarized. Currently, 22 species are recorded in China, which mainly occur in soil, especially in tropical and subtropical forests and mountains. An updated key to the species of Absidia in China is also provided herein. This is the first overview of the Absidia ecological habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the issue of low accuracy resulting from approximation errors in conventional interval finite element methods, this study presents an ɛ -accelerated bivariate dimension-reduction interval finite element method. The proposed method aims to accurately and efficiently predict the static response of structures with high dimensionality and large uncertainty parameters. We first approximate the structural interval equilibrium equation using a bivariate dimension-reduction method. An explicit expression for the sequence of displacements is derived by approximating the inverse of the structural interval stiffness matrix using the Neumann series. Adjoint-based sensitivity analysis can effectively avoid the response interval expansion caused by parameter coupling. For improving the convergence speed and computational accuracy, the displacement response sequence is accelerated by a vector ɛ acceleration algorithm and an adaptive strategy. Finally, three engineering structures with uncertain-but-bounded parameters are analyzed with the proposed method. Compared with conventional interval analysis methods, the proposed method effectively balances computational accuracy and efficiency, making it more suitable for non-linear and large uncertainty problems with multiple interval parameters. The study shows that ɛ -accelerated bivariate dimension-reduction interval finite element method has a promising application. • An interval finite element method based on bivariate dimension-reduction is proposed. • Explicit sequences and errors for the bounds of displacements were derived. • Dependencies between parameters are addressed by adjoint-based sensitivity analysis. • Convergence speed and accuracy are improved by the adaptive ɛ algorithm. • Structural response intervals are efficiently and accurately predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mobilization of side resistance of rock-socketed pile strongly depends on the shear behavior of the pile-rock interface. In this study, an asperity-based model was developed to investigate essential responses of interface shear, where asperities develop from sliding with interface dilation to residual shear under the condition of constant normal stiffness (CNS). The emphasis was on quantifying the magnitude of interface dilation in terms of limit analysis solutions. Followed by the proposed upper bound (UB) and lower bound (LB) solutions for asperity collapse loads, the mean value was chosen for approaching the potential exact solution. Laboratory experiments of direct shear tests under CNS conditions were also carried out by the authors, and observations were regarded as evidence that the proposed modeling provided a rational explanation of shear behavior for a pile-rock interface. Parametric studies indicated that two key factors, roughness and material properties, significantly impact the mobilization of ultimate side resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3DOM TiO 2 -Au-CdS inverse opal photonic crystal structure is designed for visible-light hydrogen production, exhibiting extremely enhanced photocatalytic activity via coupling bifunctional SPR effect and electron transfer of Au NPs with slow photon effect. [Display omitted] • The ternary TiO 2 -Au-CdS (TAC) photocatalysts have been designed to couple the bifunctional Au NPs with slow photon effect. • A two electron transfer paths model is proposed in the ternary TAC photocatalysts. • Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations are used to reveal the size effect of Au NPs. • The ternary TAC-10 photocatalyst with ~ 10 nm Au NPs demonstrates the highest hydrogen evolution rate under visible-light. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) effect and excellent internal electron transfer ability have widely been combined with semiconductors for photocatalysis. However, the in-depth effects of Au NPs in multicomponent photocatalysts have not been completely understood. Herein, ternary titanium oxide-gold-cadmium sulfide (TiO 2 -Au-CdS, TAC) photocatalysts, based on hierarchical TiO 2 inverse opal photonic crystal structure with different Au NPs sizes have been designed to reveal the SPR effect and internal electron transfer of Au NPs in the presence of slow photon effect. It appears that the SPR effect and internal electron transfer ability of Au NPs, depending on their sizes, play a synergistic effect on the photocatalytic enhancement. The ternary TAC-10 photocatalyst with ~ 10 nm Au NPs demonstrates an unprecedented hydrogen evolution rate of 47.6 mmolh-1g−1 under visible-light, demonstrating ~ 48% enhancement comparing to the sample without slow photon effect. In particular, a 9.83% apparent quantum yield under 450 nm monochromatic light is achieved for TAC-10. A model is proposed and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations reveal the size influence of Au NPs in ternary TAC photocatalysts. This work suggests that the rational design of bifunctional Au NPs coupling with slow photon effect could largely promote hydrogen production from visible-light driven water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The repair of large bone defects is a great challenge for orthopedics. Although the development of three-dimensional (3D) printed titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) implants with optimized the pore structure have effectively promoted the osseointegration. However, due to the biological inertia of Ti6Al4Vsurface and the neglect of angiogenesis, some patients still suffer from postoperative complications such as dislocation or loosening of the prosthesis.Methods: The purpose of this study was to construct 3D printed porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds filled with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) loaded hydrogel and evaluate the efficacy of this composite implants on osteogenesis and angiogenesis, thus promoting osseointegration.Results: The porosity and pore size of prepared 3D printed porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds were 69.2 ± 0.9 % and 593.4 ± 16.9 μm, respectively, which parameters were beneficial to bone ingrowth and blood vessel formation. The BMSC and EPC filled into the pores of the scaffolds after being encapsulated by hydrogels can maintain high viability. As a cell containing composite implant, BMSC and EPC loaded hydrogel incorporated into 3D printed porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds enhancing osteogenesis and angiogenesis to repair bone defects efficiently. At the transcriptional level, the composite implant up-regulated the expression levels of the osteogenesis-related genes alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCN), and angiogenesis-related genes hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).Conclusions: Overall, the strategy of loading porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds to incorporate cells is a promising treatment for improving osseointegration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infliximab (IFX) and calcineurin inhibitors (cyclosporine [CYS] and tacrolimus [TAC]) were considered as rescue therapy in steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). The objective of our study was to perform a meta-analysis evaluating the short-term and long-term efficacy and safety of IFX and calcineurin inhibitors in steroid-refractory UC. Methods: We systematically searched the databases from inception to September 2020 that evaluated IFX, CYS, and TAC in steroid-refractory UC. The primary outcome was the response rates, remission rates, mucosal healing rates, and colectomy rates after therapy initiation. The secondary outcomes were the rates of adverse events (AE), serious adverse events (SAE), and mortality. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results: Nineteen studies comprising 1323 Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) patients were included in the meta-analysis. Among the non-randomized studies, a significantly higher therapeutic response rate was seen with IFX treatment, with a pooled OR of 3.15 (95% CI 2.26–4.40). Among non-randomized studies, IFX was associated with a significantly lower first-year OR (0.46 [95% CI 0.27–0.79]), second-year (OR 0.53 [95% CI 0.28–0.97]), third-year (OR 0.43 [95% CI 0.24–0.75]) colectomy rate. But the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) did not suggest any difference between IFX and CYS as rescue therapies for steroid-refractory UC. There were no significant differences among IFX, CYS, and TAC in the rates of AE, SAE, or mortality. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggested a better treatment response rate and lower risk of colectomy in the first, second and third year, with IFX, compared with CYS in steroid-refractory UC patients. There was no significant difference among IFX and calcineurin inhibitors in AE, SAE, and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, two new Conidiobolus s.s. species were described relying on the morphological studies and phylogenetic analysis utilizing nuclear large subunit of rDNA (nucLSU), mitochondrial small subunit of rDNA (mtSSU), and elongation-factor-like gene (EFL) sequences. Conidiobolus jiangxiensis sp. nov. is distinguished by its short primary conidiophores, a feature not commonly observed in other Conidiobolus s.s. species. Conversely, Conidiobolus marcoconidius sp. nov. is characterized by larger primary conidia and the emergence of 2–5 secondary conidia from each branched secondary conidiophores. Additionally, the taxonomic reassessment of C. polyspermus confirms its distinct status within the genus Conidiobolus s.s. Moreover, molecular analyses, incorporating the nucLSU , mtSSU , and EFL sequences, provide robust support for the phylogenetic placement of the two newly described species and the taxonomic identity of C. polyspermus. This investigation contributes valuable insights into the species diversity of Conidiobolaceae in China, enhancing our understanding of the taxonomy within this fungal family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species within the family Cunninghamellaceae are widely distributed and produce important metabolites. Morphological studies along with a molecular phylogeny based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) of ribosomal DNA revealed two new species in this family from soils in China, that is, Absidia ovalispora sp. nov. and Cunninghamella globospora sp. nov. The former is phylogenetically closely related to Absidia koreana, but morphologically differs in sporangiospores, sporangia, sporangiophores, columellae, collars, and rhizoids. The latter is phylogenetically closely related to Cunninghamella intermedia, but morphologically differs in sporangiola and colonies. They were described and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• n -p heterojunction of TiO 2 -NiO ultrafine core-shell nanoparticles are prepared. • Strong interfacial interaction significantly improve charge separation efficiency. • As-fabricated photocatalyst exhibits excellent H 2 production from water splitting. • H 2 , CH 4 and fatty acids are cogenerated from biomass lignin photoreforming. Hydrogen evolution from biomass photoreforming has been widely recognized as a promising strategy for relieving the pressure from energy crisis and environmental pollution, as it could generate sustainable H 2 and value-added bioproducts simultaneously. Combining p-type semiconductors with n -type semiconductors to form n -p heterojunction is an effective strategy to improve the photocatalytic quantum efficiency by enhancing the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes, which could greatly facilitate the realization of such biomass photorefinery concept. However, the incompact contact between the n -type and p-type semiconductors often induces the aggregation of photogenerated electrons and holes. In this work, we design and synthesize an ultrafine n -p heterojunction TiO 2 -NiO core-shell structure to overcome the incompact contact in the n -p interface. When the n -p heterojunction photocatalysts are evaluated for photocatalytic water splitting and biomass lignin photoreforming respectively, the as-fabricated TiO 2 -NiO nanocomposite with 3.25% NiO demonstrates the highest hydrogen generation of 23.5 mmol h−1 g−1 from water splitting and H 2 (0.45 mmol h−1 g−1) and CH 4 (0.03 mmol h−1 g−1) cogeneration with reasonable amount of fatty acids (palmitic acid and stearic acid) production from lignin photoreforming. The excellent photocatalytic activity is ascribed to the synergistic effects of high crystallinity of TiO 2 ultrafine nanoparticles, core-shell structure and n -p heterojunction with NiO nanoclusters. This present work demonstrates a simple and efficient method to fabricate ultrafine n -p heterojunction core-shell structure for noble-metal free catalyst for both water splitting and biomass photoreforming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work synthesizes Ni 2 P/ZCS composites to achieve spatial separation of photogenerated carriers, while systematically investigating the bifunctional properties and mechanisms of cellulose photoreforming. [Display omitted] • Preparation of Ni 2 P/ZCS to achieve space charge separation of photogenerated carriers. • Schottky junction in interface effectively improves catalyst photogenerated carrier separation and photostability. • Demonstrates excellent bifunctional catalytic performance for Ni 2 P/ZCS. • Ni 2 P/ZCS composites photoreforming cellulose mechanism is proposed for the first time. The Biomass photoreforming is emerging as an alternative and promising technology to simultaneously produce value-added chemicals and solar fuels. However, photoreforming of the biomass macromolecular remains a great challenge due to the lack of bifunctional photocatalyst and insight of detailed mechanism. Herein, we design the Ni 2 P onto the two-dimension Zn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S (Ni 2 P/ZCS) as the electron migration layer to realize the spatial separation of photogenerated carrier, which facilitates the depth investigation on the redox reaction. As a result, the Ni 2 P/ZCS exhibited dually catalytic performance (9.16 mmol g−1h−1 of H 2 generation along with 1.48 mmol g−1h−1 of lactic acid production) from cellulose photoreforming. Systematic experiments and density functional theory (DFT) were performed to reveal the bifunctionality and detailed mechanism. This work demonstrates a well concept on biomass photoreforming with the rational design of bifunctional photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minutiae set defined by the ISO/IEC 19794‐2 is one of the prevalent feature used in fingerprint recognition systems. Unfortunately, such characteristic of unordered and variable‐sized minutiae information causes a restriction on the operation in some advanced template protection methods (e.g. fuzzy commitment), which usually require an ordered and fixed‐length binary feature representation as the system input. In this study, in order to simultaneously extend the application of fingerprint recognition and provide satisfactory system performance, the authors propose a novel fixed‐length bit‐string conversion framework based on spectral clustering and the proposed newly designed discriminative fingerprint representation called minutia vicinity combined feature (MVCF). The proposed method consists of three stages: (i) the extraction of MVCF, (ii) bit conversion via the spectral clustering algorithm, and (iii) matching. Benefiting from feature invariance, fixed‐length and bit‐oriented coding, merits such as fast matching and decent accuracy are well guaranteed. The performance evaluation is conducted on six publicly available benchmark data sets: FVC2002 DB1, DB2, DB3 and FVC2004 DB1, DB2, DB3 confirms the superiority of the proposed method and suggests the promise of migrating to some other domains (e.g., template protection). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The minutiae set defined by the ISO/IEC 19794-2 is one of the prevalent feature used in fingerprint recognition systems. Unfortunately, such characteristic of unordered and variable-sized minutiae information causes a restriction on the operation in some advanced template protection methods (e.g. fuzzy commitment), which usually require an ordered and fixed-length binary feature representation as the system input. In this study, in order to simultaneously extend the application of fingerprint recognition and provide satisfactory system performance, the authors propose a novel fixed-length bit-string conversion framework based on spectral clustering and the proposed newly designed discriminative fingerprint representation called minutia vicinity combined feature (MVCF). The proposed method consists of three stages: (i) the extraction of MVCF, (ii) bit conversion via the spectral clustering algorithm, and (iii) matching. Benefiting from feature invariance, fixed-length and bit-oriented coding, merits such as fast matching and decent accuracy are well guaranteed. The performance evaluation is conducted on six publicly available benchmark data sets: FVC2002 DB1, DB2, DB3 and FVC2004 DB1, DB2, DB3 confirms the superiority of the proposed method and suggests the promise of migrating to some other domains (e.g., template protection). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Bacillus subtilis, the extracytoplasmic function σ factor σM regulates cell wall synthesis and is critical for intrinsic resistance to cell wall targeting antibiotics. The anti-σ factors YhdL and YhdK form a complex that restricts the basal activity of σM, and the absence of YhdL leads to runaway expression of the σM regulon and cell death. Here, we report that this lethality can be suppressed by gain-of-function mutations in yidC1 (spoIIIJ), which encodes the major YidC membrane protein insertase in B. subtilis. B. subtilis PY79 YidC1 (SpoIIIJ) contains a single amino acid substitution in a functionally important hydrophilic groove (Q140K), and this allele suppresses the lethality of high σM. Analysis of a library of YidC1 variants reveals that increased charge (+2 or +3) in the hydrophilic groove can compensate for high expression of the σM regulon. Derepression of the σM regulon induces secretion stress, oxidative stress and DNA damage responses, all of which can be alleviated by the YidC1Q140K substitution. We further show that the fitness defect caused by high σM activity is exacerbated in the absence of the SecDF protein translocase or σM-dependent induction of the Spx oxidative stress regulon. Conversely, cell growth is improved by mutation of specific σM-dependent promoters controlling operons encoding integral membrane proteins. Collectively, these results reveal how the σM regulon has evolved to up-regulate membrane-localized complexes involved in cell wall synthesis, and to simultaneously counter the resulting stresses imposed by regulon induction. Bacteria frequently produce antibiotics that inhibit the growth of competitors, and many naturally occurring antibiotics target cell wall synthesis. In Bacillus subtilis, the alternative σ factor σM is induced by cell wall antibiotics, and upregulates genes for peptidoglycan and cell envelope synthesis. However, dysregulation of the σM regulon, resulting from loss of the YhdL anti-σM protein, is lethal. We here identify charge variants of the YidC1 (SpoIIIJ) membrane protein insertase that suppress the lethal effects of high σM activity. Further analyses reveal that induction of the σM regulon leads to high level expression of membrane proteins that trigger envelope stress, and this stress is countered by specific genes in the σM regulon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wheelset bearing is a crucial energy transmission element in high-speed trains. Any parts of the wheelset bearing that have faults may endanger the safety of the railway service. Therefore, it is important to monitor the running condition of a wheelset bearing. The multifault on a wheelset bearing is very common, and these impulsive components generated by different types of faults may interact with each other, which increases the difficulty of entirely identifying those faults. To solve the multifault problem, this paper proposed a hierarchical shift-invariant K-means singular value decomposition (H-SI-K-SVD) to hierarchically separate those multifault impulsive components based on their fault power levels. Each of the separated impulse signals contains only one fault impulse, and the fault information could be highlighted both in time domain and frequency domain. In addition, the sparsity of envelope spectrum (SES) is introduced as an indicator to adaptively tune a key parameter in this method. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by both simulation and experimental signals. Compared with ensemble empirical model decomposition (EEMD), the proposed method exhibits better performance in separating the multifault impulsive components and detecting the faults of a wheelset bearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For drilled piles in rock stratum, predictions of axial load-deformation response offer guidance for the preliminary design. In this development, the profiles of socket wall would be idealized as similar triangular asperities, and the expansion of the shaft is laterally confined across the socket wall under constant normal stiffness conditions (CNS). The side shear resistance contributes from the overriding (dilation) and degradation (shearing) of asperities, and the degradation of asperities develops asynchronously. In particular, a correlation is derived between asperity geometry properties and the global strength by including a simplified degradation criterion of the asperity. The proposed model can be considered as a generalization of Patton's model, extending the case of regular triangular asperities to the similar ones. On this basis, the predicted shear mobilization relative to displacement can then be employed to update the load transfer function. Semi-analytical solutions to this problem have been conducted by a finite-difference scheme. Based on the validation of a case study, the proposed prediction exhibits general accuracy with reference to the field observations. To investigate the effect of asperity inclination on the ultimate and residual strengths, a parametric study has also been conducted afterwards. Comparing with an existing method, the prediction from the proposed model captures a ductile response and depicts a notable nonlinear behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Bacteria use alternative sigma factors to adapt to different growth and stress conditions. The Bacillus subtilis extracytoplasmic function sigma factor SigM regulates genes for cell wall synthesis and is crucial for maintaining cell wall homeostasis under stress conditions. The activity of SigM is regulated by its anti‐sigma factor, YhdL, and the accessory protein YhdK. Here, we show that dysregulation of SigM caused by the absence of either component of the anti‐sigma factor complex leads to toxic levels of SigM and severe growth defects. High SigM activity results from a dysregulated positive feedback loop, and can be suppressed by overexpression of the housekeeping sigma, SigA. Using a sigM merodiploid strain, we selected for suppressor mutations that allow survival of yhdL depletion strain. The recovered suppressor mutations map to the beta and beta‐prime subunits of RNA polymerase core enzyme and selectively reduce SigM activity, and in some cases increase the activity of other alternative sigma factors. This work highlights the ability of mutations in RNA polymerase that remodel the sigma‐core interface to differentially affect sigma factor activity, and thereby alter the transcriptional landscape of the cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Photorefining of biomass is increasingly recognized as a pivotal technology for the simultaneous production of hydrogen and value-added chemicals. The intrinsic recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass puts high demands on the rational design of bifunctional photocatalyst. Herein, Ni 2 P/CdS with a strong interfacial effect in this work was designed to overcome lignocellulosic biomass photorefining. The strong interfacial effect between Ni 2 P and CdS not only improved the light absorbance, but also optimized the spatial redistribution of photogenerated electrons and holes. Therefore, Ni 2 P/CdS exhibited an unprecedented H 2 evolution activity (ca. 199.7 mmol·h−1·g−1) in the presence of lactic acid as the traditional sacrificial agent. Considerable H 2 generation was also achieved in the presence of lignin (ca. 322.8 μmol·h−1·g−1), cellulose (ca. 534.3 μmol·h−1·g−1) and hemicellulose (ca. 382.2 μmol·h−1·g−1) as the electron donor respectively. Theoretical calculation results indicated that establishing the interfacial effect between Ni 2 P and CdS optimized their work functions. This optimization fosters improved the redistribution between electrons and holes, as a result, photocatalytic hydrogen production from biomass solution was greatly enhanced. Significantly, Ni 2 P/CdS showed dual functionalities to produce H 2 and value-added compounds from raw biomass directly. This present work demonstrates the potential of raw biomass photorefining through astutely designing photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small‐sized fingerprint sensors, due to the convenience of integration, are widely used in many applications, especially on smart phones. However, the friction ridge information decreases with the reduction of the collected fingerprint area, resulting in degraded recognition performance. Mosaicking fingerprint impressions has been proved to be effective in boosting the recognition accuracy. Nonetheless, the minutiae‐based mosaicking methods do not work well when there is no sufficient number of minutiae in the overlapping area while existing minutia‐free mosaicking methods are not robust to distortion and result in low mosaicking accuracy. In this study, a novel minutia‐free mosaicking algorithm used the coarse‐to‐fine approach is proposed to obtain a larger fingerprint impression from a couple of small‐sized fingerprint impressions. It consists of three stages: an orientation field‐based coarse alignment, a ridge matching‐based fine alignment, and a nonlinear deformation correction with block‐correspondence Thin Plate Spline model. Experimental results on the XDfinger database demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the other six mosaicking methods in terms of reject‐to‐fuse rate, registration accuracy, and verification performance. Specifically, in the verification scenario, the equal error rate is reduced from 1.98% of a single impression to 0.41% of two impressions mosaicked by the authors' method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Novel ternary ZnO/BiVO 4 /3DOM TiO 2 nanocomposites are synthesized. • Ternary ZnO/BiVO 4 /3DOM TiO 2 nanocomposites exhibit enhanced catalytic activity. • The cascade electronic band structure in ternary nanocomposites leads to the enhanced photocatalytic performance. • Coupling semiconductors with suitable energy levels is favorable to improve the efficiency of induced light. Abstract Ternary zinc oxide/bismuth vanadate/three-dimensional ordered macroporous titanium dioxide (ZnO/BiVO 4 /3DOM TiO 2) heterojuncted nanocomposites with cascade electronic band structures were successfully designed and synthesized for visible light photodegradation of two different molecules: Rhodamine B (RhB) and Tartrazine. The photocatalytic active species have been investigated by using electron scavenger (AgNO 3) and hole scavenger (Triethanolamine: TEOA). The band edge positions of each component in tenary nanocomposites have been measured by using photoelectrochemical Mott-Schottky method and valence band XPS (VB-XPS) spectroscopy. Within the heterojunction, charges are favorably and spatially separated through the gradient potential at the interfaces. This largely suppresses the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Furthermore, 3DOM inverse opal structure is beneficial for high diffusion efficiency and highly accessible surface area of reactants and light and multiple scattering for light harvesting. Consequently, these heterojuncted nanocomposites exhibit highly enhanced photocatalytic performance compared with pure BiVO 4 nanostructure, and binary BiVO 4 /3DOM TiO 2 , ZnO/BiVO 4 nanocomposites. A detailed mechanism of charge transfer is proposed for these ternary ZnO/BiVO 4 /3DOM TiO 2 nanocomposites on the basis of a large series of spectroscopic and photocatalytic results. Our work demonstrates clearly that coupling multicomponent semiconductors with different energy levels of conduction and valence bands can significantly increase the photogenerated charge carriers through the efficient charge separation across their multiple interfaces. This work gives some new ideas on developing new visible light responsive nanocomposites for highly efficient solar energy utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Peptidoglycan synthesis is an important target for antibiotics and relies on intermediates derived from central metabolism. As a result, alterations of metabolism may affect antibiotic sensitivity. An aspB mutant is auxotrophic for aspartate (Asp) and asparagine (Asn) and lyses when grown in Difco sporulation medium (DSM), but not in LB medium. Genetic and physiological studies, supported by amino acid analysis, reveal that cell lysis in DSM results from Asp limitation due to a relatively low Asp and high glutamate (Glu) concentrations, with Glu functioning as a competitive inhibitor of Asp uptake by the major Glu/Asp transporter GltT. Lysis can be specifically suppressed by supplementation with 2,6‐diaminopimelate (DAP), which is imported by two different cystine uptake systems. These studies suggest that aspartate limitation depletes the peptidoglycan precursor meso‐2,6‐diaminopimelate (mDAP), inhibits peptidoglycan synthesis, upregulates the cell envelope stress response mediated by σM and eventually leads to cell lysis. Aspartate limitation sensitizes cells to antibiotics targeting late steps of PG synthesis, but not steps prior to the addition of mDAP into the pentapeptide sidechain. This work highlights the ability of perturbations of central metabolism to sensitize cells to peptidoglycan synthesis inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead is a toxic heavy metal that is highly harmful to humans. Developing fast, efficient, and separable materials to treat lead-contaminated wastewater is challenging. In this paper, Cu-based MOF composite (SCC-CuMOF) was prepared by in-situ growth method and used for the removal of Pb2+ from aqueous solutions. The obtained materials were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). The effects of pH, coexisting ions, contact time, initial ion concentration, and temperature on the removal of Pb2+ were investigated. SCC-CuMOF exhibited excellent adsorption performance on Pb2+. Adsorption of Pb2+ on SCC-CuMOF were in accordance with the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model. The adsorption thermodynamic study suggested that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The results revealed that Pb2+ might be adsorbed onto SCC-CuMOF via ion exchange and coordination interaction. In general, SCC-CuMOF has the potential to remove Pb2+ from wastewater rapidly and efficiently. The study prepared SCC-CuMOF composites by in situ growth of Cu-based MOF on the hydrogel SCC-Cu surface for the removal of Pb2+ from aqueous solutions. [Display omitted] • Cu-based MOF composite (SCC-CuMOF) was prepared by in-situ growth method. • SCC-CuMOF exhibited excellent adsorption performance on Pb2+. • The maximum adsorption capacity for Pb2+ was 531.38 ​mg/g at 308 ​K. • The mechanism of Pb2+ adsorption on composites is thoroughly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phenanthroline[9,10-d] imidazole-based fluorescent sensor was synthesized for Hg2+, accompanied by change of fluorescence from null to blue. [Display omitted] • A novel phenimidazole fluorescence sensor compound 1 was developed. • The sensor compound 1 exhibited fluorescent response to Hg2+. • Low cost, high sensitivity, superior selectivity, and low detection limit for Hg2+. • The sensor compound 1 had advantages in detecting Hg2+ in practical applications. Herein, a phenanthro[9,10-d] imidazole Schiff based "turn-on" fluorescence sensor (compound 1) was synthesized by 4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzaldehyde and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone. In DMF/PBS buffer solution (1:4, v/v, pH 7.4), compound 1 responsed to Hg2+ with high sensitivity (detection limit was 45.76 nM) and rapid response (completed within 5 s), accompanied by the fluorescence change from null to blue. The binding ratio of compound 1 to Hg2+ was 1:1, and the binding constant was 2.933 × 106 M−1. Through detailed analysis of 1H–1H COSY and 1H–13C HSQC spectra, we proposed the possible fluorescence emission mechanism of compound 1 and Hg2+, and verified the recognition mechanism of compound 1 through density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Compound 1 was successfully used to detect Hg2+ in actual water samples, the recovery was 91 %–106 %, and the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was less than 2.5 %, which provided possibility for compound 1 to be used as a sensor in environmental research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to identify electric shock in the human body is a crucial consideration in the design of touch/leakage protective devices. In this paper, the $\alpha$ -dispersion characteristics of electrical impedance in the human body are investigated based on the Cole–Cole model. An improved electric shock identification method is proposed accordingly. The effects of various factors (e.g., transition resistance and feeder reactance) on the accuracy and reliability are analyzed. Feasibility and effectiveness of the method are verified via numerical simulation. The results indicate that 1) $\alpha$-dispersion is an effective feature for distinguishing living or nonliving organisms; 2) the proposed method is robust and unaffected by transition resistance; and 3) the computational cost is low to satisfy standard leakage current protective device requirements. This paper provides a solution to the dead-zone problem as well as a set of workable guidelines for protective device design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and the predominant cause of cancer‐related death in the world. The low accuracy of early detection techniques and high risk of relapse greatly contribute to poor prognosis. An accurate clinical tool that can assist in diagnosis and surveillance is urgently needed. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is free DNA shed from tumor cells and isolated from peripheral blood. The genomic profiles of ctDNA have been shown to closely match those of the corresponding tumors. With the development of approaches with high sensitivity and specificity, ctDNA plays a vital role in the management of lung cancer as a result of its reproducible, non‐invasive, and easy‐to‐obtain characteristics. However, most previous studies have focused on advanced lung cancer. Few studies have investigated ctDNA in the early stages of the disease. In this review, we focus on ctDNA obtained from patients in the early stage of lung cancer, provide a summary of the related literature to date, and describe the main approaches to ctDNA and the clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial cell wall synthesis is the target for some of our most powerful antibiotics and has thus been the subject of intense research focus for more than 50 years. Surprisingly, we still lack a fundamental understanding of how bacteria build, maintain and expand their cell wall. Due to technical limitations, directly testing hypotheses about the coordination and biochemistry of cell wall synthesis enzymes or architecture has been challenging, and interpretation of data has therefore often relied on circumstantial evidence and implicit assumptions. A number of recent papers have exploited new technologies, like single molecule tracking and real-time, high resolution temporal mapping of cell wall synthesis processes, to address fundamental questions of bacterial cell wall biogenesis. The results have challenged established dogmas and it is therefore timely to integrate new data and old observations into a new model of cell wall biogenesis in rod-shaped bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal agents, which can convert near-infrared light into heat with a minimal attenuation of the energy and prevent undesirable thermal damage to healthy tissue, provided an opportunity for accurate heat delivery to desired sites. Herein, we designed cyclo(Arg-Gly-Asp-D-Tyr-Lys) peptide c(RGDyK)-conjugated TiO nanoparticles (TiO-RGD NPs) with an ideal biocompatibility and targeting property. TiO-RGD NPs exhibited intense absorbance in near-infrared region, a high stability in physiological conditions, and the photothermal conversion efficiency of ~38.5%. Due to the specific affinity between c(RGDyK) and αβ integrin, TiO-RGD NPs showed the high targeting property for U87-MG cells with overexpression of αβ integrin. After incubation with TiO-RGD NPs (100 µg/mL) and under 808 nm near-infrared laser irradiation (1 W/cm), the viability of MCF-7 cells by deficient expression of αβ integrin was ~71%, while the viability of U87-MG decreased to ~31%, which have been demonstrated as an effective targeting photothermal therapy agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the UHVDC transmission lines in the Northwest China are inevitably built across sandstorm-prone areas, whereas the influences of strong wind and dust particles have not been paid enough attention in the existing design guidelines and standards. Since the corona characteristics are greatly influenced by environmental factors, to study the effect of sandstorm environment on the corona characteristics, corona tests were carried out on five ?1100 kV fitting models under different experimental conditions of wind speed and dust particle size in artificial sandstorm environment. The results show that the corona inception voltage decreases under the influence of wind and dust particles. Moreover, the voltage increases along with the wind speed rising, whereas the particle size shows little effect on the corona characteristics. Then the test results were verified and analyzed by electric field simulation and flow field simulation using ANSYS and Fluent software. These results could promote future DC corona mechanism study and practical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capturing pseudonoise (PN) synchronous signals is an important issue in spreading spectrum underwater acoustic communication. In this letter, local waveform domain information is combined with multi‐strategy to enhance the Doppler tolerance of conventional Partial Matched Filtering‐Fast Fourier Transform (PMF‐FFT) acquisition algorithm under low signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR). First, an optimized algorithm based on partial reconstruction in waveform domain was proposed, such that the Doppler tolerance increased by 38.9% when the SNR = −15 dB. Second, a local baseband multi‐waveform compression algorithm was proposed to further enhance the Doppler parallel search ability multiply. At last, frequency offset estimation was completed after searching the multi‐waveform serially. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was verified through the experiment at sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The instantaneous vital sign rates, which are related to physiological dynamics, are important indicators of human health condition. This paper presents a noncontact way to measure the human instantaneous vital signs using digital-intermediate frequency (IF) Doppler radar. The synchrosqueezing transform-based algorithm has been proposed to get a concentrated time-frequency (TF) distribution, so that the high-resolution instantaneous heartbeat and respiratory rates and the time-domain signals can be acquired. Moreover, the developed radar with customized radio frequency module employs the direct IF sampling technique to achieve high sensitivity to capture the tiny vital sign variations. Experiments with different human subjects and physiological conditions have been carried out. Compared with the landmark-based method and traditional TF algorithms, the results show that instantaneous vital signs can be acquired more accurately within 3 m at a −13 dBm transmit power by the proposed method. Therefore, the radar can be used for evaluating the physiological dynamics and assessing health condition. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]