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Deep learning-based crater detection algorithms have made remarkable progress in the fields of space science and engineering, establishing themselves as the leading solutions for Mars geology exploration. However, achieving outstanding performance with deep networks requires extensive annotated data, resulting in time-consuming and labor-intensive labeling processes. In response to this challenge, we propose a novel approach, the Cross-Attention-Induced Multilayer Domain Adaptation Network (CAMDA-Net), specifically designed for crater detection. CAMDA-Net leverages domain adaptation techniques to transfer valuable crater knowledge from the Moon to Mars, effectively bypassing the need for manual labeling. In our network, we integrate CenterNet*, an anchor-free detector, to expedite and enhance the accuracy of crater detection. Furthermore, we implement crater feature alignment through adversarial training at both the image and instance levels. The dual cross-attention mechanism at the image level directs the network's focus towards transferable crater features while suppressing noise effects. At the instance level, the foreground and background alignment model streamlines feature alignment and eliminates negative proposals. To assess the efficacy of our proposed method, we build the interplanetary domain-adaptive crater dataset (IDCD), which encompasses three subsets: the LRO WAC crater dataset, THEMIS crater dataset, and HiRIC crater dataset. This diverse dataset incorporates various shapes, lighting conditions, scales, and resolutions, making it an ideal resource for conducting transfer learning studies. We have made the IDCD publicly accessible on Github at https://github.com/PlanetaryScience3510. The experimental results on the IDCD subset from the LRO WAC to HiRIC demonstrate that our CAMDA-Net achieves precision and recall values of 0.77 and 0.79, respectively, slightly surpassing classic domain-adaptive detectors, DAF and SCDA. With encouraging performance, CAMDA-Net shows great promise for advancing crater detection and analysis on Mars, presenting exciting possibilities for future research and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased numbers and functional overactivity of osteoclasts are the pathological basis for bone loss diseases such as osteoporosis, which are characterized by cortical bone thinning, decreased trabecular bone quantity, and reduced bone mineral density. Effective inhibition of osteoclast formation and bone resorption are important means of treating such skeletal diseases. Anemoside B4 (AB4), the main active component of Pulsatilla chinensis, possesses a wide range of anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects. However, its effect and mechanism in osteoclast differentiation remain unclear. In this study, we found through tartrate-resistant acidic phosphatase (TRAcP) staining and immunofluorescence staining that AB4 inhibited the differentiation, fusion, and bone-resorption functions of osteoclasts induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) in vitro. Additionally, real time PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis showed AB4 downregulated the expression of osteoclast marker genes, including Nfatc1, Fos, and Ctsk, while upregulating Nrf2 expression. AB4 (5 mg/kg) alleviated bone loss in ovariectomized mice by inhibiting osteoclast formation. Furthermore, the knockout of Nrf2 weakened the inhibitory effects of AB4 on osteoclast formation and related gene expression. In summary, the results suggest AB4 can inhibit osteoclast differentiation and function by activating Nrf2 and indicate AB4 may be a candidate drug for osteoporosis. [Display omitted] • Anemoside B4 suppresses RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and function in vitro. • Anemoside B4 dampens bone loss in ovariectomized mouse models. • Anemoside B4 inhibits NFATc1 signaling to repress osteoclastogenesis via activating Nrf2 expression. • Anemoside B4 has the potential to be a novel agent for the treatment of osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main scientific objectives of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) is to perform accurate measurements of the energy spectra for different cosmic ray masses, from a few TeV to 100 PeV. As one of the main sub-arrays of LHAASO, the Wide Field-of-View Cherenkov Telescope Array (WFCTA), which consists of 18 telescopes, can help in achieving this goal. The pointing accuracy of each telescope is crucial for reconstructing energy and determining mass-sensitive parameters. In this study, a method for absolute pointing calibration using ultraviolet bright stars was established. The proposed method can achieve a pointing accuracy of approximately 0.02° by using more than five stars. When more stars are used in the telescope's field of view, the accuracy of the pointing calibration can be improved, e.g , a pointing accuracy of 0.01° can be achieved when using more than 15 stars. A high-precision inclinometer with a monitor resolution of 0.003° was installed on the camera to monitor the zenith direction of the telescope at every second. After calibration using bright stars, the absolute pointing accuracy of the inclinometer was 0.02°. • Method for absolute pointing calibration using ultraviolet bright stars established. • A pointing accuracy of ∼ 0.02°can be achieved using more than five stars. • A pointing accuracy of 0.01°can be achieved when using more than 15 stars • Accuracy of the pointing calibration increases with number of bright stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of metal catalyst and inorganic silica frameworks provides a greener approach to recyclable catalysis. In this study, three phosphine–gold chloride complexes have been successfully covalently grafted onto chiral silica nanohelices. The resulting 3D ensembles showed chiroptical properties that allowed the monitoring of the supported ligands. The heterogeneous gold chloride catalysts in cooperation with silver triflate exhibited high reactivity in various reactions, especially in the spirocyclization of aryl alkynoate esters, for which a catalytic loading of 0.05 mol % could be employed. The heterogeneous catalysts could be easily recovered and recycled seven or eight times without any loss of efficiency. By adding more silver triflate, 25 cycles with full conversion were achieved owing to a complex catalytic system based on silica and metallic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide registration ensures the safety of agricultural products; however, the backlog of field samples often requires lengthy storage periods. Thus, the stability of pesticide residues in stored samples is required information for pesticide registration. We monitored the degradation rates of fluroxypyr and halosulfuron-methyl in maize straw, mature maize grain, and fresh corn matrices to evaluate their storage stability. Analytes were extracted and cleaned up with a modified Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) method and then detected with liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry. We optimized the workflow by testing different clean-up sorbents, LC columns, and chromatographic methods. The linearity correlation coefficients of fluroxypyr and halosulfuron-methyl in the three matrices were ≥0.994. At three fortification levels, the mean recoveries of fluroxypyr and halosulfuron-methyl were 84.2–114.8% and 83.8–105.5% with relative standard deviations of 2.4–9.4% and 2.7–10.2%, respectively. Degradation of the two herbicides in the three matrices was less than 30% over the 70-day storage period, indicating fluroxypyr and halosulfuron-methyl are stable in the tested maize matrices when stored at −20 °C for at least 70 days. This study provides a reference method for pesticide residue analysis and can be used as a guide to develop accurate and reasonable pesticide registration procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a new wideband circularly polarized (CP) antenna is presented. The antenna is composed of a circular‐loop feeding structure which provides sequential phase (SP), four primary‐parasitic crown patches and four secondary‐parasitic crown patches. The circular‐loop SP structure is used to feed the two pairs of crown patches by a capacitively coupled way. The presented antenna features a wide 10‐dB impedance bandwidth (IBW) of 23% (6 GHz, 5.31‐6.69 GHz), and a wide 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidth (ARBW) of 11.1% (5.875 GHz, 5.55‐6.2 GHz). The proposed antenna features compact structure and broad 3 dB‐ARBW, which could include the WLAN (5.725‐5.85 GHz), ITS (5.8 GHz), and WIFI (5.85‐5.925 GHz) band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium ion batteries (KIBs) are attracting great attention as an alternative to lithium‐ion batteries due to lower cost and better global sustainability of potassium. However, designing electrolytes compatible with the graphite anode and addressing the safety issue of highly active potassium remains challenging. Herein, a new concept of using additives to engineer non‐flammable electrolytes for safer KIBs is introduced. It is discovered that the additives, such as the ethylene sulfate (i.e., DTD), can make the electrolyte of 1.0 m potassium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide in trimethyl phosphate compatible with graphite anode for the first time, without the need of concentrated electrolyte strategies. A new coordination mechanism of additives in the electrolyte is presented. It is shown that the additive can change the K+ solvation structure and then determine the interfacial behaviors of K+‐solvent on electrode interface, which are critical to affect the graphite performance (i.e., K+‐solvent co‐insertion, or K+ (de‐)intercalation). Then, an extremely high potassium storage capability is obtained in graphite electrode for potassium (ion) batteries, particularly the presented high‐performance graphite|K0.69CrO2 full battery fully demonstrates the practical application of this newly designed electrolyte. This additive‐based strategy can offer more opportunities to tune the electrolyte properties and then serve for the more mobile ion battery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a novel slot-array defected ground structure (DGS) for decoupling microstrip antenna array is proposed. The slot-array DGS is etched surrounding each antenna element on the ground plane and parallel to the radiating edges of each antenna element. The decoupling mechanism is elucidated via an equivalent circuit model and the coupled current field analysis, which reveals slot-array DGS has the spatial band-stop characteristic and changes the direction of the partially coupled current, respectively. Both characteristics of the slot-array DGS contribute to mutual coupling reduction. Three practical design examples of applying slot-array DGS to single-linearly polarized (LP), dual-LP, and compact circularly polarized (CP) antenna array are given to illustrate the design process and considerations. The simulated and measured results show that about 50 dB isolation enhancement is obtained by using the slot-array DGS when the edge-to-edge spacing between CP antenna elements is 0.057 wavelength. Additionally, a wheel-shaped absorber based on the electromagnetic loss material is designed and fabricated to reduce the backward radiation caused by slot-array DGS. The absorber has an absorptivity of more than 95% in the frequency range of 1.2–1.35 GHz and suppresses the backward radiation over 12.5 dB in the plane phi = 0° and 16.1 dB in the plane phi = 90° without deteriorating other antenna performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the effects of asymmetrical magnetization and an optoelectronic tunable band structure on the transmission of particles in a MoS2 tunnel junction. Based on the results, we propose a model for a multifunctional coupler as a single system incorporating giant magnetoresistance, a spin–valley filter, and a spin–valley valve. The device is made up of ferromagnetic/ferromagnetic/normal junctions, with an off-resonant light and an electric gate potential functioning as the spin–valley filter and spin–valley valve, respectively. Increasing the asymmetrical magnetization is found to substantially enhance the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) of the system, leading to giant TMR. The spin–valley filtering is based on the spin imbalance modulation that arises from asymmetrical magnetization and the valley degeneracy breaking of off-resonant light, and the spin–valley valve is produced by altering the effective density of states of spin/valley polarized bands via the gate potential that controls the flow of spin/valley polarized particles. By fixing the magnetization configurations, one specific spin–valley filter and spin–valley valve can be acquired by tuning an external parameter to the corresponding spin/valley polarized energy windows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P‐I diagrams are widely used for structures subjected to blast loads. In the same manner, structures subjected to vehicle impact load, such as bridge columns, could potentially take advantages of the P‐I diagram if the dynamic characteristics of vehicle impact load and bridge columns are well considered. In the paper, the performance of bridge columns and hence the use of P‐I diagram is evaluated under vehicle impact load. The main tasks of the paper are (1) to determine the dynamic characteristics of vehicle impact load through finite element method, and three simplified load shapes are obtained including isosceles triangle, right triangle, and rectangular shapes; (2) to investigate structural failure modes under various shear‐bending ratios and impact loads; (3) to establish the damage index based on the residual axial capacity of bridge columns and to obtain P‐I diagrams at different damage levels of bridge columns under vehicle impact load; (4) to parametrically analyze the effects on the impulse asymptotic and the peak load asymptotic of P‐I diagrams, including column diameter, stirrup reinforcement ratio, longitudinal reinforcement ratio, and strength of the concrete. Finally, a simplified calculation method of P‐I diagrams is proposed to evaluate the performance of bridge columns under vehicle impact load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water leakages can affect the safety and durability of shield tunnels, so rapid and accurate identification and diagnosis are urgently needed. However, current leakage detection methods are mostly based on mobile LiDAR data, making it challenging to detect leakage damage in both mobile and terrestrial LiDAR data simultaneously, and the detection results are not intuitive. Therefore, an integrated cylindrical voxel and Mask R-CNN method for water leakage inspection is presented in this paper. This method includes the following three steps: (1) a 3D cylindrical-voxel data organization structure is constructed to transform the tunnel point cloud from disordered to ordered and achieve the projection of a 3D point cloud to a 2D image; (2) automated leakage segmentation and localization is carried out via Mask R-CNN; (3) the segmentation results of water leakage are mapped back to the 3D point cloud based on a cylindrical-voxel structure of shield tunnel point cloud, achieving the expression of water leakage disease in 3D space. The proposed approach can efficiently detect water leakage and leakage not only in mobile laser point cloud data but also in ground laser point cloud data, especially in processing its curved parts. Additionally, it achieves the visualization of water leakage in shield tunnels in 3D space, making the water leakage results more intuitive. Experimental validation is conducted based on the MLS and TLS point cloud data collected in Nanjing and Suzhou, respectively. Compared with the current commonly used detection method, which combines cylindrical projection and Mask R-CNN, the proposed method can achieve water leakage detection and 3D visualization in different tunnel scenarios, and the accuracy of water leakage detection of the method in this paper has improved by nearly 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated the combustion instability of spanwise positions in a hydrogen fueled scramjet combustor with a cavity flame holder. High-speed OH-PLIF technique was performed on a direct-connect supersonic combustion facility, and dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) as postprocessing. Combustion instability was investigated by characterizing the dominant frequencies and growth factors. By changing the equivalence ratio of hydrogen, the peak frequencies of scramjet mode and ramjet mode were obtained. Scramjet mode tended to have small oscillation at 150–200 Hz reflected by negative growth factors due to the stable flame structure. At ram-to-scram transition, oscillations at 80–120 Hz were remarkably enhanced due to the positive growth factors. In ramjet mode, the large differences of frequency characteristics in spanwise positions were observed. The dominant DMD modes near the cavity wall appeared to have negative growth factors leading to a stable flame with small oscillations. Besides, the characteristics of frequency-shift were affected by the positions of injector. • High-speed OH-PLIF measurements and DMD analysis are performed. • Combustion instability is investigated by characterizing the dominant frequencies and growth factors. • The frequency characteristics of spanwise positions are significantly different. • The cavity wall appears to have good combustion stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is a regulator of osteoclastogenesis and a promoter of osteoclast differentiation, but its role in periodontitis remains unclear. OBJ ECTlVE: To investigate whether miR-21 is involved in bone destruction in periodontitis. METHODS: Real-time PCR was used to detect and analyze the differential expression of miR-21 in periodontitis samples. Using liposome transfection method, miR-21 mimics (up-regulating miR-21) or miR-21 inhibitor (down-regulating miR-21) was used to transfect osteoclasis. Expressions of miR-21 and bone destruction markers TRAP and CTSK were detected by real-time PCR. Cell counting kit-8 was used to detect the miR-21 effect on osteoclast proliferation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) MiR-21 expression increased in periodontitis samples. (2) When miR-21 mimics was transfected into osteoclasis, miR-21, TRAP and CTSK mRNA expression increased; when miR-21 inhibitor was transfected into osteoclasis, miR-21, TRAP and CTSK mRNA expression decreased. (3) Transfection with miR-21 mimics promoted the proliferation of osteoclasis, while transfection with miR-21 inhibitor inhibited the proliferation of osteoclasis. To conclude, miR-21 can be used as an important target for the treatment of periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited potassium‐ion intercalation capacity of graphite hampers development of potassium‐ion batteries (PIB). Edge‐nitrogen doping is an effective approach to enhance K‐ion storage in carbonaceous materials. One shortcoming is the lack of precise control over producing the edge‐nitrogen configuration. Here, a molecular‐scale copolymer pyrolysis strategy is used to precisely control edge‐nitrogen doping in carbonaceous materials. This process results in defect‐rich, edge‐nitrogen doped carbons (ENDC) with a high nitrogen‐doping level (up to 10.5 at %) and a high edge‐nitrogen ratio (87.6 %). The optimized ENDC exhibits a high reversible capacity of 423 mAh g−1, a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 65 %, superior rate capability, and long cycle life (93.8 % retention after three months). This strategy can be extended to design other edge‐heteroatom‐rich carbons through pyrolysis of copolymers for efficient storage of various mobile ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited potassium‐ion intercalation capacity of graphite hampers development of potassium‐ion batteries (PIB). Edge‐nitrogen doping is an effective approach to enhance K‐ion storage in carbonaceous materials. One shortcoming is the lack of precise control over producing the edge‐nitrogen configuration. Here, a molecular‐scale copolymer pyrolysis strategy is used to precisely control edge‐nitrogen doping in carbonaceous materials. This process results in defect‐rich, edge‐nitrogen doped carbons (ENDC) with a high nitrogen‐doping level (up to 10.5 at %) and a high edge‐nitrogen ratio (87.6 %). The optimized ENDC exhibits a high reversible capacity of 423 mAh g−1, a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 65 %, superior rate capability, and long cycle life (93.8 % retention after three months). This strategy can be extended to design other edge‐heteroatom‐rich carbons through pyrolysis of copolymers for efficient storage of various mobile ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-strand break (DSB) repair foci are important therapeutic targets. Here we describe platforms for delivery of macromolecules, nanomaterials and nanomedicines to repair foci. The strategy is based on the high affinity of the human 53BP1 protein for modified chromatin present at sites of DNA damage. As proof of concept, we created, expressed, and purified an engineered fragment of 53BP1 and coupled it to fluorescent streptavidin, a model cargo with no intrinsic affinity for repair foci. This binary complex was in turn coupled to the iron carrier protein, transferrin, which engages a high-affinity cell surface receptor. In a different version of the complex, transferrin was omitted and a protein transduction domain was incorporated directly into the primary structure of the 53BP1. These complexes were efficiently taken up into human osteosarcoma cells and synchronously released from endocytic vesicles by brief exposure to far-red light in the presence of the photosensitizer, disulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine. Upon release, the streptavidin cargo entered the nucleus and was recruited to repair foci. 53BP1-based platforms provide a method for targeted, temporally controlled delivery of macromolecular agents to sites of double-strand break repair. With the delivery platforms, we are capable to visualize, modify and redirect DSB repair pathways by coupling various nanomaterials to study machinery or manipulate for therapy purpose in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: MiR-34b is a tumour suppressor in different kinds of carcinomas. This study investigated the role of miR-34b in proliferation and apoptosis of cervical cancer. Materials and methods: The expression of miR-34b in 60 cervical cancer patients were quantified by RT-PCR and correlated with their clinicopathological parameters. Besides, there is a significant reverse relationship between miR-43b and TGF-β1 expression in tumour tissues. Cell proliferation and apoptosis was detected by CCK-8 assays and flow cytometry in cell lines transfected with miR-34b mimics. Western blotting, quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and luciferase assays were conducted to analyze the regulation of TGF-β1 by miR-34b in cell lines. Results: Here, we found expression of miR-34b to be downregulated in cervical cancer in comparison with the adjacent normal tissues. Expression levels of miR-34b were associated with enhanced malignant potential, such as tumour stage and stromal invasion. The overexpression of miR-34b potently suppressed cell proliferation and induced the apoptosis of cell lines. Conclusions: MiR-34b and TGF-β1 contribute to cervical cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis and are potential targets for cervical cancer therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel TiO 2 photocatalyst (Au-TiO 2 composite film) with enhanced photocatalytic activity has been synthesized, characterized and its performance in the removal of phycocyanin (PC) was investigated. The results show that the Au-TiO 2 composite film has a lower electron-hole recombination rate, wider optical response range and high electron transfer rate. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared Au-TiO 2 composite photocatalyst was observed to be enhanced with the removal efficiency of PC and dissolved organic nitrogen found to be 96.7% and 59%, respectively using the UV/Au-TiO 2 process. In addition, the combination of photocatalytic pretreatment and coagulation can achieve an enhanced removal efficiency. The Au-TiO 2 photocatalyst was found to decrease the dichloroacetonitrile formation potential (105.9 to 79.3 μg/L), however, it exacerbated the production of trichloromethane and dichloroacetamide beyond their initial levels (116.7 to 224.9 μg/L and 2.27 to 2.31 μg/L, respectively). The divergent trends of these disinfection by-products are due to the fundamental differences in the precursor material. Unlabelled Image • The structure of PC was destroyed by UV/Au-TiO 2 photocatalytic degradation and some of the organic nitrogen converted to inorganic nitrogen with the formation of N 2. • The Au-TiO 2 photocatalyst decreased the DCAN formation potential, and promoted the formation potential of TCM and DCAcAm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flexible two‐fold interpenetrated indium metal‐organic framework InOF‐23, featuring one‐dimensional micro‐sized channels decorated by exposed N groups, was successfully synthesized. Interestingly, InOF‐23 displays unique dynamic responses to different gases (N2, Ar, and CO2) at low and room temperatures, which indicates that it can be a good candidate for gas adsorption and separation. Furthermore, the high efficiency detection for p‐nitroaniline (pNA) makes InOF‐23 a potential chemosensor for nitroaromatic explosives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An experimental study of NOVEC-649 pool boiling on microporous surfaces. • 600% enhancement in heat transfer coefficient. • 55% enhancement in critical heat flux. • A heat transfer correlation was fitted. • A mechanistic model for critical heat flux was developed based on force analysis. Pool boiling performance of NOVEC-649 was experimentally studied on microporous surfaces prepared by an electrochemical deposition method. Microporous structures contribute to large surface roughness values and provide large quantities of cavities ranging from several hundreds of nanometers to several microns for bubble nucleation. The results show that a maximum enhancement of 600% in heat transfer coefficient and a maximum enhancement of 55% in critical heat flux are achieved on the deposited surfaces, compared with a smooth copper surface. Experimental heat transfer coefficients were compared with literature correlations, considering the effects of roughness and surface-liquid combination. Then a fitted Rohsenow correlation was discussed and developed to predict the present results. Experimental critical heat fluxes were compared with classical models. It was found that the critical heat flux on the smooth surface could be predicted by the lift-off model and the Kandlikar model, but these models cannot predict the critical heat fluxes on the deposited surfaces well. Following, the Kandlikar model was modified by further considering a wicking force and a roughness-factor-dependent surface tension force. The present modified CHF model was validated by comparing with present experimental data and the literature, with a deviation around ±30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Modified porous surfaces enhance pool boiling performance of well-wetting liquids. • A dynamic force balance could predict bubble departure diameter. • A mechanistic heat transfer model was proposed for modified porous surfaces. • The heat flux contribution from micro-convection is significant. • Critical heat flux is linearly proportional to its capillary wickability. Boiling heat transfer intensification is of big relevance to energy conversion and conservation, materials and resources saving, and electronics cooling. This work aims to enhance saturated pool boiling of well-wetting liquids, i.e., acetone and HFE-7200 on nanoparticles-deposited surfaces by electrophoretic deposition and on microporous foam surfaces by electrochemical deposition. The electrophoretic-deposited surfaces enhance the heat transfer coefficient of acetone and HFE-7200 by up to 70% and 190%, respectively. However, the critical heat flux is not improved on electrophoretic-deposited surfaces. The electrochemical-deposited surfaces increase the boiling heat transfer coefficient by up to 370% and the critical heat flux by more than 30%. Bubble dynamics were visualized simultaneously. The bubble departure diameter from experiments can be predicted by a dynamic force balance model within a ±20% error band. A mechanistic heat transfer model was proposed for modified porous surfaces, including not only the heat fluxes from microlayer evaporation and transient conduction but also the heat flux from micro-convection due to liquid agitation and entrainment by growing and departing bubbles. The mechanistic heat transfer model can predict experimental pool boiling curves of acetone and HFE-7200 on electrophoretic-deposited and electrochemical-deposited surfaces relatively well, especially for the isolated bubble regime where most bubbles are isolated and bubble coalescence is not intensive. Besides, the critical heat flux of a modified surface can be estimated if the initial (maximum) wicked volume flux on the structured surface relative to the smooth surface is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on an integrated nanorod array as a novel sieving matrix for high-resolution separation of biomolecules. A wide size range of DNA (100 bp–166 kbp) and proteins (11.4 kDa–205 kDa) are resolved into sharp peaks within several minutes using devices with various pore apertures, either in a reptation mode or Ogston mechanism. The device delivers notable performance with the minimum resolvable size difference 10 bp for 100 bp and 150 bp DNA fragments, 15.9 kbp for 48 kbp and 166 kbp DNA chains, and 7.9 kDa for 11.4 and 68 kDa proteins, where the separation efficiency is higher than or comparable to other micro/nanofabricated artificial sieving structures. The process utilizes localized oblique angle deposition (LOAD) to simply integrate densely packed nanorods onto steep sidewalls of microfluidic channels, which eliminates the requirement of advanced lithography tools routinely used in conventional artificial sieving structures. We further demonstrate the modulation of pore aperture that employs the sculptured sidewalls by a custom deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) recipe. Given the easy fabrication, excellent engineering control and outstanding sieving capability, this nanorod sieve device has great potentials to provide a simple and effective separation technique for biomolecule analysis. • A unique sieving matrix consisting of nanorod arrays was demonstrated for gel-free fractionation of DNA and proteins. • A wide size range of DNA (100 bp–166 kbp) and proteins (11.4 kDa–205 kDa) were resolved within several minutes. • A simple physical vapor deposition was utilized to easily integrate three dimensional oxide nanorods into separation device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Area thresholds, at which the form of the species–area relationship (SAR) changes abruptly, have played an important role in the theoretical framework of conservation biogeography and biodiversity research. The application of piecewise regressions has been advocated as a rigorous statistical technique to identify such thresholds within SARs, but a large variety of piecewise models remains untested. We explore the prevalence and number of thresholds in SARs and examine whether the currently widely used method for detecting the small island effect (SIE) is robust. Location: Global. Taxon: We consider all multicellular taxa based on the criteria of datasets selection. Methods: We apply 15 regression models, including linear regression and piecewise regressions with two and three segments to 68 global island datasets that are sourced from the literature. Results: The number of area thresholds in SARs varied among groups and correlated positively with area range of a studied system. Under the AIC or AICc criterion, three‐segment piecewise models were more prevalent, whereas under the BIC criterion, two‐segment piecewise models were more prevalent. From the results of Aegean Sea isopods, West Indies herpetofauna, and Australian Islands mammals, we found evidence that the traditional criteria for detection of SIEs are not robust. Main conclusions: Our study demonstrates that (a) to detect an SIE, the comparison should use as many models as possible, including not only variants with and without a left‐horizontal part, but also those with two and more segments; (b) naive use of the traditional two‐segment piecewise regressions may cause poor estimations of both slope and breakpoint values; (c) the number of thresholds increases with the area range of a studied system; (d) conservation biologists and applied ecologists should determine the number of area thresholds when estimating the precise species–area patterns and making management strategies in fragmented landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Real-time detection of scattering intensity and the time-resolved imaging technique were combined to reveal the development sequence of laser damage. The real-time detection of scattering intensity can reveal when the damage occurs and grows rapidly, indicated by the increase of scattering intensity during the entire irradiation with picosecond time resolution. Furthermore, the time-resolved imaging technique was applied to observe detailed modifications of the specific moments when the scattering intensity exhibits a sudden increase. Three characteristic moments during a damage event induced by a nanosecond pulse at 355 nm in thick fused silica were captured by the real-time detection of scattering intensity. These three moments were located at the rising edge of the pulse, near the peak of the pulse, and near the end of the pulse. Combined with time-resolved images captured near these three moments, the results indicate that damage of the filamentary tail appeared at the rising edge of the pulse. Further, the head region of the filamentary damage developed near the peak of the pulse. The whole damaged area grew rapidly near the end of the pulse. The underlying physical mechanisms around the three characteristic moments are discussed to interpret the development sequence of laser damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) frequently metastasizes to the liver, which involves the participation of multiple cytokines. Tumor microenvironment (TME) composed of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor cells acts as an essential factor in cancer metastasis. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) is a vital cytokine involved in migration and invasion of cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role and molecular mechanisms of TGFβ1 in TME. Methods: The conditioned medium prepared from colorectal cancer HCT116 and HT29 cells was used to culture mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The differentiation of MSCs to CAFs was detected by flow cytometry. The role of TGFβ1 in colorectal cancer cells metastasis was examined by wound-healing assay and transwell assay. And the activation of the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3) signaling pathway was measured by Western blot assay. Results: TGFβ1 induced the differentiation of MSCs to CAFs and improved HCT116 and HT29 cells migration and invasion. Meanwhile, TGFβ1 also upregulated the phosphorylation of STAT3 and enhanced the nuclear localization of p-STAT3, which activated JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. Conclusion: TGFβ1 induced the differentiation of MSCs into CAFs and promoted the migration and invasion of HCT116 and HT29 cells, which depended on the activation of JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread toxic heavy metal pollutant in agricultural soil, and Cd accumulation in rice grains is a major intake source of Cd for Asian populations that adversely affect human health. However, the molecular mechanism underlying Cd uptake, translocation and accumulation has not been fully understood in rice plants. Results: In this study, a mutant displaying extremely low Cd accumulation (lcd1) in rice plant and grain was generated by EMS mutagenesis from indica rice cultivar 9311 seeds. The candidate SNPs associated with low Cd accumulation phenotype in the lcd1 mutant were identified by MutMap and the transcriptome changes between lcd1 and WT under Cd exposure were analyzed by RNA-seq. The lcd1 mutant had lower Cd uptake and accumulation in rice root and shoot, as well as less growth inhibition compared with WT in the presence of 5 μM Cd. Genetic analysis showed that lcd1 was a single locus recessive mutation. The SNP responsible for low Cd accumulation in the lcd1 mutant located at position 8,887,787 on chromosome 7, corresponding to the seventh exon of OsNRAMP5. This SNP led to a Pro236Leu amino acid substitution in the highly conserved region of OsNRAMP5 in the lcd1 mutant. A total of 1208 genes were differentially expressed between lcd1 and WT roots under Cd exposure, and DEGs were enriched in transmembrane transport process GO term. Increased OsHMA3 expression probably adds to the effect of OsNRAMP5 mutation to account for the significant decreases in Cd accumulation in rice plant and grain of the lcd1 mutant. Conclusions: An extremely low Cd mutant lcd1 was isolated and identified using MutMap and RNA-seq. A Pro236Leu amino acid substitution in the highly conserved region of OsNRAMP5 is likely responsible for low Cd accumulation in the lcd1 mutant. This work provides more insight into the mechanism of Cd uptake and accumulation in rice, and will be helpful for developing low Cd accumulation rice by marker-assisted breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation With the accumulation of DNA sequencing data, convolution neural network (CNN) based methods such as DeepBind and DeepSEA have achieved great success for predicting the function of primary DNA sequences. Previous studies confirm the importance of utilizing the reverse complement and flanking DNA sequences, which has a natural connection with data augmentation. However, it is not fully understood how these DNA sequences work during model training and testing. Results In this study, we proposed several CNN tricks to improve the DNA sequence related prediction tasks and took the DNA–protein binding prediction as an illustrative task for demonstration. Different from the DeepBind, we treated the reverse complement DNA sequence as another sample, which enables the CNN model to automatically learn the complex relationships between the double strand DNA sequences. This trick promotes the using of deeper CNN models, improving the prediction performance. Next, we augmented the training sets by extending the DNA sequences and cropping each one to three shorter sequences. This approach greatly improves the prediction due to more environmental information from extending step and strong regularization effect of the cropping step. Moreover, this practice fits well with wider CNN models, which also increases the prediction accuracy. On the basis of DNA sequence augmentation, we integrated the results of different effective CNN models to mine the prediction potential of primary DNA sequences. On 156 datasets of predicting DNA–protein binding, our final prediction significantly outperformed the state-of-the-art results with an average AUC increase of 0.057 (P -value = 6 × 10−62). Availability and implementation Source codes are available at https://github.com/zhanglabtools/DNADataAugmentation. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel superjunction (SJ) lateral double-diffused MOSFET (LDMOS) with a deep High-K (HK) dielectric trench (HK SJ-LDMOS) is proposed and its mechanism is investigated by Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulations. The HK dielectric trench is embedded under the n+ drain, which is connected with the drain electrode. In the OFF-state, the reshaping effect of HK trench enhances the bulk electric field strength and weakens the peak electric field around the edge of the drain diffusion, which increases the breakdown voltage (BV). Moreover, because of the assistant depletion effect by the HK trench, a lower resistivity substrate is allowed for HK SJ-LDMOS, which also increases the doping concentration of the n-type buffer layer under the SJ layer of HK SJ-LDMOS, correspondingly. Thus, a lower specific ON-resistance (${R}_{ \mathrm{ ON},\text {sp}}$) is also obtained. Simulation results show that the BV increases by 35.2% in comparison with the conventional buffered SJ-LDMOS with the same drift length. Moreover, HK SJ-LDMOS presents an excellent figure of merit, which is two times higher than that of the conventional buffered SJ-LDMOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Nanostructured surfaces. • Pool boiling experiments and heat transfer analysis. • Nucelate boiling and critical heat flux. • Enhanced heat transfer. • Analysis of mechanisms. Abstract In the present study, an electrophoretic deposition method was employed to modify copper surfaces with Cu-Zn (∼100 nm) nanoparticles. Pool boiling heat transfer of HFE-7200 on the modified surfaces was experimentally studied. The results showed that the heat transfer coefficient on the modified surfaces was significantly enhanced compared with that on a smooth surface, e.g., a maximum 100% enhancement, while the maximum superheat on the modified surfaces was around 20 K lower than that on the smooth surface. However, the critical heat flux (CHF) was not improved considerably, and supplementary tests indicated that the wickability of HFE-7200 was almost the same on the modified surfaces and the smooth surface. The departure diameters of bubbles were recorded by a high speed camera, which were compared with several models in literature. Active nucleation site sizes were evaluated by the Hsu nucleation theory and active nucleation site densities were estimated by appropriate correlations. In addition, a heat transfer model, considering natural convection, re-formation of thermal boundary layer and microlayer evaporation, was formulated to predict the heat transfer on the modified surfaces and the smooth surface. A relatively good prediction was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear failure is a common mode for bridge column collapse during a vehicle-column collision. In current design codes, an equivalent static load value is usually employed to specify the shear capacity of bridge columns subject to vehicle collisions. But how to consider the dynamic effect on bridge columns induced by impact load needs further research. The dynamic amplification factor (DAF) is generally used in the analysis and design to include the dynamic effect, which is usually determined using the equivalent single degree of freedom (SDOF) method. However, SDOF method neglects the effect of the higher-order modes, leading to big difference between the calculated results and the real induced forces. Therefore, a novel method to obtain dynamic response under concentrated impact load including the effect of higher-order modes is proposed in the paper, which is based on the modified Timoshenko beam theory (MTB) and the classical Timoshenko beam theory (CTB). Finite element models are conducted to validate the proposed method. The result comparisons show that the results from the proposed method have more accuracy compared with the results from the CTB theory. Additionally, the proposed method is employed to calculate the maximum DAF of shear forces for bridge columns under impact load. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effect on the DAF of shear forces including slenderness ratio, boundary condition, and shape and position of impact load. Finally, a simplified formula for calculating the maximum DAF of shear force is proposed for bridge column design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • A novel and simple approach is presented to uniformly distribute S-nZVI on biochar. • Phosphorus etching of biochar complexes Fe2+ before its reduction and sulfidation. • Greater reactive surface area of supported S-nZVI increases reactivity with FF. • Sulfur release from the particles was limited during the reaction. Abstract Aggregation of nZVI and sulfur-modified nZVI (S-nZVI) can lower its reactivity with contaminants in water. To overcome this limitation, we synthesized biochar-supported nZVI and S-nZVI using a phosphate pretreatment of the biochar (pBC) to uniformly distribute the nZVI and S-nZVI onto the biochar support. The participation of phosphorus groups in the synthesis, and the good distribution of S-nZVI on the pBC were confirmed by FTIR, SEM, XRD, and XPS. Pretreatment of the biochar led to smaller well-dispersed S-nZVI compared to S-nZVI supported on untreated biochar. This increased the surface area of the S-nZVI and the reaction rate with the antibiotic florfenicol (FF). The removal rate of FF by pBC-S-nZVI was 4.3 times higher than that by unsupported S-nZVI. Even though FF strongly adsorbed to the pBC support, FF was fully degraded based on the mass balance results. Surface area normalized reaction rate constants (k SA) for FF removal by S-nZVI, BC-S-nZVI, and pBC-S-nZVI were similar, suggesting that the enhanced reactivity is due to the greater dispersion of S-nZVI on the treated biochar. These results provide a simple pretreatment method for dispersing nZVI or S-nZVI onto biochar supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Flow regimes were visualized at two locations for square microchannels. • Dimensionless numbers were used to map flow patterns. • Flow pattern evolutions were revealed along the microchannel. • A scaling relation was proposed based on flow rate ratio and capillary number. • Slug velocity was correlated with a new capillary number. Abstract Liquid-liquid flow regimes in three square microchannels were visualized simultaneously both at the cross-shaped junction and in the microchannel "far" from the junction in order to reveal flow regime evolutions along the microchannel. At the inlet junction, three major flow regimes including tubing/threading, dripping and jetting were mapped using the aqueous capillary number versus the organic Weber number. Correspondingly, in the main microchannel, annular, slug and droplet flow patterns were mapped using two dimensionless numbers (Weber number times Ohnesorge number) of both phases. Both dripping and jetting regimes at the inlet junction can evolve into either slug or droplet flows in the main microchannel. Besides, it was realized that as the organic flow rate increases, the transitional aqueous flow rate at the slug-droplet transition firstly increases, then decreases and then increases again. The droplet formation mechanism has transited from dripping to jetting, which causes the slug-droplet transition to occur at a much lower aqueous flow rate. Moreover, a scaling relation for the slug size in dripping was developed, which can predict the slug length for five different liquid-liquid systems. It applies for liquid-liquid microfluidic devices with a cross-shaped inlet junction in the dripping regime, for slug sizes longer than 1.5 times the channel depth. The slug velocity has been correlated as functions of the capillary number Ca j (µ c j / γ) by using the continuous phase viscosity and the bulk velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoclasts derived from the monocyte/macrophage hematopoietic lineage regulate bone resorption, a process balanced by bone formation in the continual renewal of the skeletal system. As dysfunctions of these cells result in bone metabolic diseases such as osteoporosis and osteopetrosis, the exploration of the mechanisms regulating their differentiation is a priority. A potential mechanism may involve long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are known to regulate various cell biology activities, including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The expression of the lncRNA AK077216 (Lnc‐AK077216) is significantly upregulated during osteoclastogenesis identified by microarray and verified by qPCR. Up‐ and downregulation of Lnc‐AK077216, respectively promotes and inhibits osteoclast differentiation, bone resorption, and the expression of related genes on the basis of tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase staining, qPCR, and western blot results. In addition, Lnc‐AK077216 suppresses NIP45 expression and promotes the expression of NFATc1, an essential transcription factor during osteoclastogenesis. Besides, it was found that the expression of Lnc‐AK077216 and Nfatc1 is upregulated, whereas Nip45 expression is downregulated in bone marrow and spleen tissues of ovariectomized mice. The results suggest that Lnc‐AK077216 regulates NFATc1 expression and promotes osteoclast formation and function, providing a novel mechanism of osteoclastogenesis and a potential biomarker or a new drug target for osteoporosis. Lnc‐AK077216 promotes the expression of NFATc1 via suppressing NIP45 expression, thereby promoting RANKL‐induced osteoclast differentiation and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoclasts are responsible for bone resorption during the process of bone remodeling. Increased osteoclast numbers and bone resorption activity are the main factors contributing to bone loss–related diseases such as osteoporosis. Therefore, modulating the formation and function of osteoclasts is critical for the effective treatment of osteolysis and osteoporosis. Kavain is the active ingredient extracted from the root of the kava plant, which possesses known anti‐inflammatory properties. However, the effects of kavain on osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption remain unclear. In this study, we found that kavain inhibits receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κB ligand (RANKL)–induced osteoclast differentiation and fusion using tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase staining and immunofluorescence. Furthermore, kavain inhibited bone resorption performed by osteoclasts. Using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, we found that kavain downregulates the expression of osteoclast marker genes, such as nuclear factor of activated T cells, cytoplasmic 1 (Nfatc1), v‐atpase d2 (Atp6v0d2), dendrocyte expressed seven transmembrane protein (Dcstamp), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (Mmp9), cathepsin K (Ctsk), and Acp5. Additionally, kavain repressed RANKL‐induced calcium oscillations, nuclear factor of activated T cells activation, and mitogen‐activated protein kinase phosphorylation, while leaving NF‐κB unaffected. We found no effects of kavain on either osteoblast proliferation or differentiation. Besides, kavain inhibited bone loss in ovariectomized mice by suppressing osteoclastogenesis. Collectively, these data suggest a potential use for kavain as a candidate drug for the treatment of osteolytic diseases. Kavain suppresses NFATc1 expression and phosphorylation of P38 and JNK, while leaving ERK and NF‐κB unaffected. Besides, kavain attenuates NFATc1 activation via modulating intracellular calcium oscillations, hence inhibits osteoclastogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract For centuries, fermented soy foods have been dietary staples in Asia and, now, in response to consumer demand, they are available throughout the world. Fermentation bestows unique flavors, boosts nutritional values and increases or adds new functional properties. In this review, we describe the functional properties and underlying action mechanisms of soy-based fermented foods such as Natto, fermented soy milk, Tempeh and soy sauce. When possible, the contribution of specific bioactive components is highlighted. While numerous studies with in vitro and animal models have hinted at the functionality of fermented soy foods, ascribing health benefits requires well-designed, often complex human studies with analysis of diet, lifestyle, family and medical history combined with long-term follow-ups for each subject. In addition, the contribution of the microbiome to the bioactivities of fermented soy foods, possibly mediated through direct action or bioactive metabolites, needs to be studied. Potential synergy or other interactions among the microorganisms carrying out the fermentation and the host's microbial community may also contribute to food functionality, but the details still require elucidation. Finally, safety evaluation of fermented soy foods has been limited, but is essential in order to provide guidelines for consumption and confirm lack of toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The positive relationship between locomotion performance and survival under predation has long been suggested yet seldom demonstrated with direct evidence. We investigate the effects of predator exposure on locomotion capacity (both fast-start escape and critical swimming performance), survival under predation and the relationships between these factors in juvenile Chinese bream (Parabramis pekinensis). This study aims to test whether there is a positive relationship between the above factors and whether such relationships are context dependent (i.e., with or without 20 d of predator exposure). We found that predator-exposed Chinese bream showed higher rates of survival under predation and improved fast-start swimming performance compared with individuals not exposed to predation. At individual level, no relationship was found between survival and any locomotion performance component in the no-predator group, but mean fast-start swimming speed, maneuverability and responsiveness were all positively related to survival in the predator group after 20 d of exposure. This finding indicates that the recognition of and vigilance for predators achieved through predation experience can be crucial preconditions for prey to employ the fast-start escape response, especially to escape ambush predators. Furthermore, a tradeoff was observed between the critical and fast-start swimming performances in the predator group, but not in the no-predator group, which may have been due to the intensified competition throughout the entire locomotion-support system (e.g., energy, proportions of slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers) between critical and fast-start swimming because the increased demand for fast-start escape capacity constrains (or compromises) critical swimming performance under the threat of predation. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Predation experience underlies the relationship between fast-start escape capability and survival in a cyprinid fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complexes formed between AuCl3 and thioether ligands underwent a photoinduced reductive elimination under homogeneous conditions in dichloromethane and toluene solutions to afford the corresponding AuI complexes. All the gold(III) complexes were rapidly reduced to the gold(I) chloride complexes under 365 nm irradiation or ambient light while being thermally stable below 55 °C. The mechanism of photoreduction through Cl2 elimination is discussed based on a kinetic study and the chemical trapping of chlorine species: Cl2, radical Cl. and possibly Cl+. The catalytic activities of the gold(III) chloride complexes and the corresponding gold(I) complexes obtained by in situ reduction were evaluated in the cyclization of N‐propargylic amides to oxazoles. The merits of such photoreducible complexes in homogeneous gold catalysis are illustrated by a cascade reaction catalyzed by thioether gold complexes that affords a 4H‐quinolizin‐4‐one in high yields. Photoreducing gold: Four homogeneous dialkyl thioether gold(III) complexes undergo a rapid halogen photoreductive elimination process to the corresponding gold(I) complexes. The catalytic properties of these gold chlorides in different oxidation states were evaluated in the cyclization of propargylamines and in a one‐pot cascade reaction towards a fused heteropolycyclic compound (see scheme). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease characterized by osteopenia and bone microstructural deterioration. Osteoclasts are the primary effector cells that degrade bone matrix and their abnormal function leads to the development of osteoporosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation during cellular metabolism promotes osteoclast proliferation and differentiation, therefore, playing an important role in osteoporosis. Cistanche deserticola polysaccharide (CDP) possesses antitumor, anti‐inflammatory, and antioxidant activity. However, the impact of CDP on osteoclasts is unclear. In this study, tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase staining, immunofluorescence, reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis were utilized to demonstrate that CDP inhibited osteoclastogenesis and hydroxyapatite resorption. In addition, CDP also inhibited the expression of osteoclast maker genes including Ctsk, Mmp9, and Acp5 and had no effect on receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK) expression. Mechanistic analyses revealed that CDP increases the expression of antioxidant enzymes to attenuate RANKL‐mediated ROS production in osteoclasts and inhibits nuclear factor of activated T cells and mitogen‐activated protein kinase activation. These results suggest that CDP may represent a candidate drug for the treatment of osteoporosis caused by excessive osteoclast activity. CDP suppresses RANKL‐induced ROS production, as well as NFATc1 and MAPK activation, hence inhibits osteoclastogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, a novel vertical U -MOSFET using Semi-Insulating Poly-crystalline Silicon pillars (SIPOS) is presented. The proposed SIPOS UMOS combines two benefits of majority carrier accumulation and electric field modulation to improve the trade-off between the breakdown voltage (BV) and the specific-on-resistance (R on,sp) of the device. In the off-state, the reshaping effect of the SIPOS pillars enhances the vertical electric field strength and weakens the peak electric field at the bottom of the gate trench, thereby increasing the BV. In addition, a highly doped N -drift is allowed for SIPOS UMOS because of the enhanced depletion by the SIPOS pillars, leading to a low R on,sp. In the on-state, the R on,sp is further reduced by the majority carrier accumulation layer that formed in the drift region. The results carried by TCAD simulation show that the BV of SIPOS UMOS is increased by 12.5% and 36.2% compared with the conventional superjunction UMOS and the UMOS without the SIPOS pillars in the same drift length, respectively. Moreover, the R on,sp of SIPOS UMOS is reduced by 31.3% and 85.8%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic balance between bone resorption and bone formation is crucial to maintain bone mass. Osteoclasts are key cells that perform bone resorption while osteoblasts and osteocytes function in bone formation. Osteoporosis, a bone metabolism disease characterized by bone loss and degradation of bone microstructure, occurs when osteoclastic bone resorption outstrips osteoblastic bone synthesis. The interaction between receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) and RANK on the surface of bone marrow macrophages promotes osteoclast differentiation and activation. In this study, we found that lumichrome, a photodegradation product of riboflavin, inhibits RANKL‐induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption as determined by tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase staining, immunofluorescence, reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction, and western blot. Our results showed that lumichrome represses the expression of osteoclast marker genes, including cathepsin K (Ctsk) and Nfatc1. In addition, lumichrome suppressed RANKL‐induced calcium oscillations, NFATc1, NF‐κB, and MAPK signaling activation. Moreover, lumichrome promoted osteoblast differentiation at an early stage, as demonstrated by upregulated expression of osteoblast marker genes Alp, Runx2, and Col1a1. We also found that lumichrome reduces bone loss in ovariectomized mice by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis. In summary, our data suggest the potential of lumichrome as a therapeutic drug for osteolytic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, two types of micro-pin–fin configurations were fabricated on silicon surfaces by a dry etching method, i.e., staggered pin fins (#1) and aligned pin fins with empty areas (#2). The micro-pin–fin surfaces were then further modified by depositing FeMn oxide nanoparticles (∼35 nm) electrostatically for 8 h and 16 h, respectively, namely #1-8h, #1-16h, #2-8h and #2-16h. Subcooled pool boiling heat transfer was experimentally studied on these surfaces at atmospheric pressure, using FC-72 as the working fluid. The results showed that in comparison to the smooth surface, pool boiling heat transfer was significantly enhanced by the micro-pin-fin surfaces and the maximum superheat was considerably decreased. Additionally, critical heat fluxes were also greatly improved, e.g., the critical heat flux on #1 was almost twice of that on the smooth surface. Generally, the nanoparticle deposition could further enhance pool boiling heat transfer, including the heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux (CHF). High speed visualizations were taken to explore the mechanisms behind the heat transfer performance. The bubble behavior on the micro-pin–fin surfaces with and without nanoparticles was compared at low, moderate and high heat fluxes, respectively. The wickability of FC-72 on the test surfaces was measured, based on which, a modified CHF model was proposed to predict the experimental CHFs. Accordingly, a possible mechanism of CHF enhancement was described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toyocamycin is a member of the nucleoside antibiotic family and has been recognized as a promising fungicide for the control of plant diseases. However, low productivity of toyocamycin remains an important bottleneck in its industrial production. Therefore, dramatic improvements of strains for overproduction of toyocamycin are of great interest in applied microbiology research. In this study, we sequentially selected for mutations for multiple drug resistance to promote the overproduction of toyocamycin by Streptomyces diastatochromogenes 1628. The triple mutant strain, SD3145 (str str par), was obtained through sequential screenings. This strain showed an enhanced capacity to produce toyocamycin (1500 mg/L), 24-fold higher than the wild type in GYM liquid medium. This dramatic overproduction was attributed at least partially to the acquisition of an rsmG mutation and increased gene expression of toyA, which encodes a LuxR-family transcriptional regulator for toyocamycin biosynthesis. The expression of toyF and toyG, probably directly involved in toyocamycin biosynthesis, was also enhanced, contributing to toyocamycin overproduction. By addition of a small amount of scandium (ScCl3·6H2O), the mutant strain, SD3145, produced more toyocamycin (2664 mg/L) in TPM medium, which was the highest toyocamycin level produced in shake-flask fermentation by a streptomycete so far. We demonstrated that introduction of combined drug resistance mutations into S. diastatochromogenes 1628 resulted in an obvious increase in the toyocamycin production. The triple mutant strain, SD3145, generated in our study could be useful for improvement of industrial production of toyocamycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of flexible and freestanding electrode is attracting great attention in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, but the severe capacity fading caused by the lithium polysulfides (PSs) shuttle effect remains challenging. Herein, a completely new polymeric binder of polyethersulfone is introduced. Not only it enables massive production of flexible/current-free electrode by a novel concept of "phase-inversion" approach but also the resultant polymeric networks can effectively trap the soluble polysulfides within the electrode, owing to the higher hydrophilicity and stronger affinity properties than the routine polyvinylidene fluoride. Coupling with polysulfide-based electrolyte, the Li-S cell shows a higher capacity of 1141 mAh g-1, a lower polarization of 192 mV, and a more stable capacity retention with 100% Coulombic efficiency over 100 cycles at 0.25C. The advantages of favored binder and electrolyte are further demonstrated in lithium-ion sulfur full battery with lithiated graphite anode, which demonstrates much improved performance than those previously reported. This work not only introduces a novel strategy for flexible freestanding electrodes but also enlightens the importance of coupling electrodes and electrolytes to higher performances for Li-S battery [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Direct hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-PDO is a cost-effective solution to both production of 1,3-PDO with an increasing industrial demand and valorization of the biomass-derived glycerol, and the oxophilic tungsten oxide was found beneficial to the selective formation of 1,3-PDO from glycerol combined with platinum group metals. However, role of tungsten oxide on the structure, properties and catalytic performances has remained unsolved. Pt-WOx/SiO2 catalysts were prepared by a sequential impregnation method, and the resulting samples were systematically characterized and their catalytic performances were probed by selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-PDO in liquid phase. There was a strong interaction found between the tungsten oxide species and the metallic platinum on the synthesized Pt-WOx/SiO2. A non-stoichiometric ratio of WOx was detected and the polytungstate were predominating on the optimized Pt-10WOx/SiO2 catalyst, and a rather high ratio of W5+ species and the possible oxygen vacancies were suggested. WOx doping enhanced the surface acidity of Pt/SiO2 and promoted the dispersion degree of metallic platinum on it. The glycerol conversion and 1,3-PDO selectivity can be markedly improved by WOx doping into Pt/SiO2 catalysts, and the enhancement in the selectivity to 1,3-PDO was believed to proceed by restraining the transformation of 1,3-PDO to 1-propanol.Graphical Abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, one type of uniformly nanostructured surface (NPDS) was modified by electrophoretic deposition. Two kinds of micro/nanostructured surfaces (FLS1 and FLS2) were fabricated on copper surfaces by femtosecond laser processing. The micro/nanostructured surfaces were further modified by electrophoretic deposition. Afterwards, composite micro/nanostructured surfaces (CS1 and CS2) were developed. Saturated pool boiling heat transfer of the modified surfaces was investigated experimentally. An organic fluid, n-pentane was chosen as the working liquid. Heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux (CHF) of smooth and micro/nanostructured surfaces were studied. The results showed that the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of all structured surfaces increased obviously with a notable decrease of wall superheat at CHF compared to the smooth surface, which was attributed to increments in nucleation site density and heat transfer area. The CHF of femtosecond laser processed surfaces was also increased compared with the smooth surface due to a much higher liquid spreading ability, while a uniformly nanostructured surface has no augmentation in CHF. Composite micro/nanostructured surfaces show the best heat transfer performance among all tested surfaces, and the critical heat flux and heat transfer coefficient were increased by more than 60% and 300% over the smooth surface, respectively. The liquid spreading ability of n-pentane on the tested surfaces was measured. For the well wetting liquid, the liquid spreading ability of the heated surface, instead of the wettability, is the main factor for CHF enhancement. It is suggested that a surface with multiscale structures can be an efficient way for boiling heat transfer enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Succinate pretreatment attenuates the intestinal I/R injury and the distant organs damage. • Succinate pretreatment promotes Klf4 expression in IEC-6 H/R models and intestinal I/R models. • KLF4 inhibitor impairs the protective effect of succinate pretreatment on intestinal I/R injury. • Succinate pretreatment may be a novel approach for the prevention of intestinal I/R injury. Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common pathophysiological process in various diseases, and the disruption of the intestinal barrier composed of tight junction proteins is the initiating factor, which then leads to a large number of bacteria and endotoxins in the intestine into the bloodstream causing stress and distant organ damage. The release of inflammatory mediators and abnormal programmed death of intestinal epithelial cells are important factors of intestinal barrier damage. Succinate is an intermediate product of the tricarboxylic acid cycle with anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic activities, but its role in the maintenance of intestinal barrier homeostasis after I/R has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the effect of succinate on intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury and the possible mechanism of its role by flow cytometry, western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR and immunostaining. The results of pretreatment with succinate in the mouse intestinal I/R model and IEC-6 cells hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) model revealed a reduction in tissue damage, necroptosis and associated inflammation due to ischemia-reperfusion. Furthermore, it was found that the protective effect of succinate pretreatment may be associated with the transcriptional upregulation of the inflammatory protein KLF4 and the protective effect of intestinal barrier of succinate was diminished after inhibition of KLF4. Thus, our results suggest that succinate can exert a protective effect in intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury through upregulation of KLF4 and also demonstrate the potential therapeutic value of succinate pretreatment in acute I/R injury of the intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binder plays a pivotal role in the development of lithium‐ion batteries as it must be used to adhere electrode materials on current collectors tightly to guarantee stability. Then, many binder molecules have been designed to enhance the adhesion capability, and conductivity, and/or form a robust solid electrolyte interphase layer for better performance. However, the binder effect on the lithium‐ion (i.e., Li+) de‐solvation on the electrode surface has never been reported before. Herein, it is reported that the binder can influence the Li+ (de‐)solvation process significantly, where its functional group can serve as a probe to detect the dynamic Li+ (de‐)solvation process. It is discovered that different binder functional groups (e.g., *─COO− versus *─F) can affect the Li+‐solvent arrangement on the electrode surface, leading to different degrees of side‐reactions, rate capabilities, and/or the tolerance against Li+‐solvent co‐insertion for the graphite anode, such as in the propylene carbonate‐based electrolyte. A molecular interfacial model related to the electrolyte component's behaviors and binder functional group is proposed to interpret the varied electrode performance. This discovery opens a new avenue for studying the interactions between the binder and electrolyte solvation structure, in turn helping to understand electrode performances underlying the micro‐structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid-liquid flow patterns and slug hydrodynamics were experimentally studied in non-circular glass microchannels with water-butanol, water-toluene, water–oil and water-hexane systems, considering various hydraulic diameters (600 µm, 400 µm, 200 µm), inlet junctions (crossed, T) and aspect ratios (0.5, 1). The aqueous phase was the continuous phase due to the hydrophilic microchannel walls and the organic phase was the dispersed phase. Three main flow patterns were observed, i.e., annular flow, slug flow and droplet flow. The mechanism of flow pattern formation was explained by a force analysis, based on which, a dimensionless analysis regarding Weber number and Reynolds number was performed to develop general flow pattern transition criteria. Additionally, slug velocities and slug length were investigated. A new scaling law was proposed to predict the slug length and it showed a good agreement with the experimental results. A linear relationship between the slug velocity and the bulk velocity of the two phases was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this technical review, several superjunction (SJ) power MOSFETs based on the novel terminal technologies have been discussed. The electric field distributions of these SJ MOSFETs are optimized with superior performance. Thanks to the new terminal technologies, the trade-off between the breakdown voltage (BV) and the specific on-resistance (Ron,sp) of these devices are effectively improved. Physical mechanisms of the new terminal technologies are analysed, and the trade-offs of these SJ MOSFETs are compared in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) studies have been hot topics in the field of RNA biology. Recent studies have shown that their subcellular localizations carry important information for understanding their complex biological functions. Considering the costly and time-consuming experiments for identifying subcellular localization of lncRNAs, computational methods are urgently desired. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are no computational tools for predicting the lncRNA subcellular locations to date. Results: In this study, we report an ensemble classifier-based predictor, lncLocator, for predicting the lncRNA subcellular localizations. To fully exploit lncRNA sequence information, we adopt both k-mer features and high-level abstraction features generated by unsupervised deep models, and construct four classifiers by feeding these two types of features to support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF), respectively. Then we use a stacked ensemble strategy to combine the four classifiers and get the final prediction results. The current lncLocator can predict five subcellular localizations of lncRNAs, including cytoplasm, nucleus, cytosol, ribosome and exosome, and yield an overall accuracy of 0.59 on the constructed benchmark dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]