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In this paper, the energy absorption performances of the aluminum foam filled connectors under drop-weight impact loading were first evaluated via using experimental method. The dynamic crushing behaviors of the connectors were examined and three deformation processes were identified from the experiments. The effects of loading rate, filled aluminum foam, pleated plate thickness and angle θ o (the angle between flat plate and pleated plate) on the energy absorption performances of the connectors were experimentally investigated, which showed that the energy absorption capacity was improved by filling the connector with aluminum foam as well as increasing loading rate, pleated plate thickness and angle θ o . Moreover, the numerical and analytical models were also developed to predict the force–displacement responses of the connectors, which showed good agreement with the test results. The developed analytical model could be used as a convenient tool to quickly evaluate the energy absorption performances of such connectors under impact loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two twisted donor–acceptor cruciform luminophores ( DHCS-TPE and DMCS-TPE ) that were composed of two π-conjugated segments connected via a central benzene core have been prepared. Such cruciforms showed unique intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) emission, obvious aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties (α AIE  = 19 and 20, respectively) and high solid state efficiency (0.913 and 0.424, respectively). Especially, the two compounds exhibited substituent-dependent mechanofluorochromic (MFC) behavior. The as-prepared powders of the more twisted DMCS-TPE could emit strong blue-green light centered at 474 nm, and the fluorescence color changed into yellowish green (531 nm) after grinding, a red shift of 57 nm was observed. Such mechanochromism was reversible upon the treatment of grinding and fuming with DCM. The high contrast MFC behavior of DMCS-TPE originated from the planarization of the molecular conformation and subsequent planar intramolecular charge transfer (PICT) under external force. By sharp contrast, the less twisted DHCS-TPE exhibited no MFC behavior. The reason is that the less twisted molecular conformation of DHCS-TPE generates strong intermolecular forces and close packing. Thus compared to DMCS-TPE , the crystalline solid powders of DHCS-TPE possess higher lattice energy and better structural stability. The grinding of the crystalline solid powders of DHCS-TPE cannot lead to amorphization and mechanochromic luminescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1), has been demonstrated to be dysregulated and serves a role in the progression of several cancer types. However, the exact effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of UCA1 in anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the detailed function and the mechanism of UCA1 in the regulation of ATC cell progression. The present study identified that the expression levels of UCA1, in ATC cell lines and tissues, were significantly upregulated compared with normal human thyroid cell line and adjacent non-cancerous tissues, respectively. UCA1 knockdown significantly inhibited ATC cell viability, proliferation, migration and invasion and the expression level of c-myc proto-oncogene (c-myc) in vitro, and suppressed ATC tumor growth in vivo. In addition, using luciferase assays, it was confirmed that miR-135a directly bound to UCA1 and the 3′ untranslated region of c-myc, and UCA1 competed with c-myc for miR-135a binding. miR-135a inhibition may upregulate c-myc expression, however, the upregulation of c-myc may be partially reduced by short hairpin UCA1. The present results illustrated that UCA1 promoted ATC cell proliferation through acting as a competing endogenous RNA by binding miR-135a. In conclusion, in the present study, UCA1 served as an oncogenic long non-coding RNA promoting ATC cell proliferation and may be a potential target for human ATC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the impact responses of a steel–concrete–steel sandwich composite panel with novel interlocked angle connectors (SCSP-IACs). Impact tests on nine SCSP-IACs were performed via a hemispherical hammer. The failure modes of all specimens were determined as the local punching failure of the concrete core. Moreover, the impact force–time and displacement–time histories and the permanent deformation were discussed. The experiment results showed that increasing the steel faceplate thickness and concrete core height enhanced the impact performance of the SCSP-IACs. By contrast, increasing the IAC spacing weakened the impact performance. Moreover, the interlocking bolts slightly affected the impact responses of the SCSP-IACs. A finite element (FE) model was established and verified with test data. The model was used to analyze the internal forces and energy absorption of the SCSP-IACs under impact loads. The internal force diagrams of the panels at different impact stages were provided, and a significant hogging moment was observed from the bending moment distributions. The FE results also showed that the zones close to the center of the panel absorbed most of the impact energy. • A novel SCS panel with interlocked angle connectors (SCSP-IACs) was proposed. • The effects of variant parameters on impact responses of SCSP-IACs were studied. • Distributions of internal forces of SCSP-IACs under impact loads were revealed. • The variations of energy absorption in different zones of SCSP-IACs were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs), which were first identified in the pleura and later at multiple anatomical locations, are rare mesenchymal neoplasms. The characteristics of SFTs include well-circumscribed margins, intense vascularity and a relatively indolent clinical course. SFTs originating from the breast are rare. To the best of our knowledge, only 33 cases of breast SFTs, including five malignant tumors, have been reported to date. In the present study, a rare case of complete resection of a giant malignant SFT is reported. A 48-year-old female patient who visited Weifang People's Hospital (Weifang, China) had a 2-year history of a right palpable breast lesion. The patient reported no other symptoms, such as skin changes or nipple discharge. An ultrasound examination revealed a giant, well-circumscribed, heterogeneous and hypoechoic lesion with central and peripheral blood flow. Owing to the large size of the lesion, mammography and magnetic resonance imaging were not feasible. Core needle biology showed that the lesion was a malignant spindle cell tumor. Following this, mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy were performed. The sentinel lymph nodes exhibited metastasis. A definitive diagnosis of malignant SFT was made by microscopic examination with immunohistochemistry. The treatment strategy for benign breast SFTs should be complete surgical excision, whereas for malignant SFTs, it should include radical resection along with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Owing to the indolent nature and late recurrence and metastasis of malignant breast SFTs, regular patient follow-up for a longer duration is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The small signal modeling, design, fabrication, and measurement about monolithic millimeter‐wave integrated circuit (MMIC) using gallium nitride (GaN) power amplifier (PA) on silicon carbide (SiC) working at the E band are proposed in this paper. The two stage PA used customized 4 × 75 μm transistor with 100 nm T gate technology. The extraction and optimization of small signal model are based on single GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT)'s measurement. Balanced structure and new method are used by low impedance matching, which can simplify circuits prominently and benefit for die size reduction. Radial stub and LC stub are made the whole circuit in absolute stable status; the in‐series DC block metal–insulator–metal capacitor from the matching circuit ensure the process is within small tolerances. From the 61–66 GHz bandwidth, a peak 10.7 dB small signal gain is obtained from the designed MMIC GaN PA, and also, the maximum output power can reach 29.7 to 30.4 dBm from 61 to 66 GHz, with an associated the peak drain efficiency of 18.8%. The final die size without dicing slot is 3.0 × 1.74 mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using mean earlywood density data from Pinus koraiensis cores, we reconstructed the April–June mean minimum temperature from 1797 to 2015 for the Changbai Mountains. The reconstruction explained 52.6% of the actual mean minimum temperature variance during 1901–2015. After smoothing with an 11‐year moving average, we identified three major cold periods (1797–1875, 1881–1899, and 1903–1946) and three major warm periods (1876–1880, 1900–1902, and 1947–2015) in the reconstructed series. Spatial correlation showed that the reconstruction contained climatic signals for a large area including most of northeast China, especially the Bohai Rim region and the eastern side of the Mongolian Plateau. A comparison between the newly reconstructed temperature series for the surrounding areas reveals similar variations, particularly in the warming trend during the second half of the 20th century. The driving factors of the mean minimum temperature were influenced mainly by the interaction of solar activity and large‐scale atmospheric‐oceanic variability. The reconstructed series provides a basis for understanding past climate change in the Changbai Mountains and for predicting future climate change trends in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies proposed a convergence in the temperature sensitivity (Q 10 ) of soil respiration (R s ) after eliminating confounding effects using novel approaches such as Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) or the mixed-effects model (MEM) method. However, SSA has only been applied to eddy covariance data for estimating the Q 10 with air temperature, which may result in underestimations in responses of below-ground carbon cycling processes to climate warming in coupled climate-carbon models; MEM remains untested for its suitability in single-site studies. To examine the unconfounded Q 10 of R s , these two novel methods were combined with directly measured R s for 6 years in two Tibetan alpine ecosystems. The results showed that, 1) confounded Q 10 of R s estimated from seasonal R s -temperature relationship positively correlated with the seasonality of R s , and 2) estimates of unconfounded Q 10 of R s using SSA (mean = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1–2.7) and MEM (mean = 3.2, 95% CI: 2.3–4.2) were consistent with the theoretical subcellular-level Q 10 (≈2.4). These results support the convergence in the Q 10 of R s and imply a conserved R s -temperature relationship. These findings indicate that the seasonality of R s has to be eliminated from estimating the Q 10 of R s , otherwise the estimates should be questionable. They also indicate that seasonal Q 10 and its responses to warming should not be directly used in carbon-climate models as they contain confounding effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the experimental and numerical studies on the thermal responses of precast concrete sandwich (PCS) walls with a novel hybrid connector. The hybrid connector is wrapped with nylon, which is shown to reduce the thermal bridge and improve the thermal performance of PCS wall. In the first part of this work, four PCS walls were fabricated for the experimental studies and the effects of hybrid connector, insulation layer thickness and insulation material on the thermal performances of PCS walls were experimentally evaluated. Then, the finite element (FE) method was adopted to conduct the heat transfer analyses on PCS walls. The accuracies of the FE models were verified via comparing the temperature and thermal transmittance versus time of PCS walls obtained from experiments and FE analyses. The FE models were subsequently used to investigate the effects of wrapped nylon, thermal conductivity, connector spacing, central rebar diameter and insulation layer thickness on the thermal performance of PCS walls. It was found that the thermal performance of PCS wall could be improved via wrapping the connector with nylon, reducing the materials’ thermal conductivities, increasing connector spacing and insulation layer thickness as well as reducing central rebar diameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How graphene oxide (GO) derivatives might affect the cell cycle has been rarely studied. Herein, a GO derivative was fabricated by functionalization of GO with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyethylenimine (PEI), and its cytotoxic mechanism was investigated in-depth. It was found that our obtained GO-PEG-PEI nanosheets, not the cytotoxic coating polymer PEI, could induce defect in S phase of the mammalian cell cycle, resulting in decreased DNA synthesis, S phase arrest, and abnormal cytoskeleton structure. Further analysis demonstrated that this damaging effect on S phase could be detected in all five tested mammalian cell lines. Even at seemingly safe concentration (∼90% cells viable), GO-PEG-PEI could still induce S phase defect. Detailed investigations revealed that GO-PEG-PEI could cause genomic DNA damage, activating the intra-S-phase checkpoint control via both the ATM and the ATR signaling pathways. Our work unveils the signaling pathways involved in the interaction of GO-PEG-PEI with mammalian cells, and highlights the necessity and importance of comprehensive investigations of the effects of nanomaterials on cellular pathways, such as the cell cycle in this case, even for those with seemingly little/low cytotoxicity during preliminary evaluations. Our work also highlights the critical roles of surface chemistry in biological effects of nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the roles of bottom-up mask-triggered inhibition and top-down inhibition in semantic categorization using the single negative priming (NP) paradigm. The masking (bottom-up) and ignore instructions (top-down, i.e., instructing participants to ignore the primes) were manipulated in Experiments 1–3 and Experiment 4, respectively. No priming was observed when only the masking was manipulated (Experiments 2 and 3), but NP was observed when a possible top-down ignore strategy (Experiment 1) or an ignore instruction (Experiment 4) was added. The results indicate that bottom-up mask-triggered inhibition cannot elicit semantic single NP by itself. However, top-down inhibition from an ignore instruction or ignore strategy is critical for triggering reliable semantic single NP. The findings suggest that semantic single NP originates from a push-pull mechanism by facilitating responses to unrelated trials and inhibiting responses to related trials. The experimental evidence also suggests that unconscious processes can be modulated by top-down control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A SCS panel with energy absorption connectors (SCS-EC) was proposed for impact resisting. • Drop-weight impact tests and Finite Element simulations were conducted on the SCS-EC. • Failure modes and impact responses of the SCS-EC were obtained. • The effect of variant parameters on impact response of the SCS-EC was analyzed. This paper developed a new steel-concrete-steel sandwich panel with energy absorption connectors (SCS-EC) for resisting impact load, and the impact responses of the SCS-EC were studied by conducting impact tests and Finite Element (FE) simulations. The failure modes of the SCS-EC under impact loading could be categorized into two types based on the crushing magnitude of the energy absorption connector (EC). The EC was found to effectively dissipate impact energy via the plastic deformation of pleated steel plates and the compression of aluminum foam fillers. The steel-concrete-steel (SCS) panel showed the combination of global and local deformation under impact loading. Moreover, the influences of pleated plate thickness (t p) and angle (θ p), aluminum foam filler and initial momentum on the impact performances of the SCS-EC were studied quantitatively. The results showed that the SCS-EC exhibited enhanced impact resistance via increasing initial momentum of the impactor as well as filling aluminum foam in the EC and assuring the maximum crushing displacement of the EC being equal to its densification displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel multi-cell steel–concrete–steel (MCSCS) sandwich panel was proposed for enhancing impact resistance of the traditional steel–concrete–steel​ (SCS) sandwich panel. The MCSCS sandwich panel employed stiffeners and headed studs to improve the bonding behavior between faceplates and concrete core as well as enhance its composite action and impact resistance. Impact tests were conducted on seven MCSCS panels via employing a drop weight loading system, and the influences of impact direction, spacing of headed stud and steel plate thickness on responses of MCSCS panels were investigated. Furthermore, the Finite Element (FE) model of the MCSCS panel was established, and the FE predictions were shown to be reasonable as compared to test results. Two types of failure modes of MCSCS panels under impact load were obtained via analyzing the test and FE results. In addition, based on the verified FE model, the influences of stiffeners, impact location and curvature of hammer head on impact responses of MCSCS panels were revealed via parametric studies. The results of FE simulations indicated that the impact location and curvature of hammer head had evident effect on the energy absorption and impact response of the MCSCS panel. Moreover, owing to the employment of stiffeners, the impact resistance of the MCSCS panel was evidently enhanced as compared to the traditional SCS panel. • A novel multi-cell steel–concrete–steel (MCSCS) sandwich panel was proposed. • The influences of critical parameters on impact responses of MCSCS sandwich panels were analyzed. • The energy dissipation mechanism of the MCSCS sandwich panel was revealed. • Combined with the inertial force, a clear definition of the inertial stage in the impact process was given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new steel–concrete–steel sandwich panel with interlocked angle connectors (SCSP-IACs), and its punching performances were experimentally and analytically studied. Nine SCSP-IACs were fabricated and tested under the out-of-plane patch loads. Test results showed that SCSP-IACs exhibited two types of load–deflection (P – δ) responses with the variation of spacing of IACs (S), and increasing S also showed significantly negative influences on their punching behaviors. Two peak resistances were observed from the P – δ curves of all SCSP-IACs, and the first and second peak resistances (P u1 and P u2) corresponded to the punching shear failure of the concrete core and top steel faceplate, respectively. The punching shear resistance of SCSP-IACs was found to be evidently improved with the increase of steel faceplate thickness (t s) and concrete core thickness (d), while increasing S led to the decrease of punching shear resistance of SCSP-IACs. Moreover, the interlocking bolt in IACs exhibited little influence on the punching behaviors of SCSP-IACs. Finally, analytical models were proposed for calculating the punching shear resistance of SCSP-IACs, and their accuracies were also verified with test data. • A novel steel–concrete–steel sandwich panel with interlocked angle connectors (SCSP-IACs) was proposed. • The influences of variant parameters on punching behaviors of SCSP-IACs were studied. • The punching shear failure criterion of the SCSSP-IACs under out-of-plane patch loads was revealed. • Analytical models were developed to predict the punching shear resistance of SCSP-IACs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of 1,3,5-triphenylpyrazolines were designed and synthesized as photoinitiators (PIs) for photopolymerization processes. The P-N1-COPh molecule meets the characteristics of type II PI, and pyrazoline and benzophenone groups play important roles in photopolymerization. [Display omitted] • Four 1,3,5-triphenylpyrazolines were designed and synthesized as photoinitiators in photoinitiating systems. • The newly synthesized photoinitiators are highly sensitive to UV–vis LEDs (LED@365–425) • The pyrazoline-based photoinitiators with Iod or MDEA can initiate cationic polymerization as well as free radical photopolymerization. • New photoinitiators have good performances in application prospects of the photopolymerization. By introducing different substituents at the N1 position, a series of 1,3,5-triphenylpyrazolines were designed and synthesized as photoinitiators (PIs) for cationic and free radical photopolymerization processes. As evaluated through ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, theoretical calculations, electrochemistry, and electron spin resonance–spin trapping tests, all PIs show good photoinitiating properties under light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation at 365–425 nm. Their light absorption within the UV–vis range (λmax = 352–390 nm; ε max = 26 000–40 700 M−1 cm−1) is strongly influenced by the substituents on the N1 phenyl ring. Remarkably, the introduction of the carbonyl group redshifts the maximum absorption spectra from 375 nm to 390 nm, which could well match the emission of LEDs in the range of 365–425 nm. The pyrazolines, together with iodonium salt and N -methyldiethanolamine, can generate acid and free radicals under LED irradiation and conduct high-performance LED-induced cationic and free radical photopolymerization processes under 365–425 nm irradiation. Cationic polymerization is enhanced by the introduction of an electron-pushing group, and free radical polymerization is promoted by the introduction of a carbonyl group at the N1 position. These pyrazoline-based photoinitiating systems have promising applications in LED-induced photopolymerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New steel-concrete-steel sandwich beams with interlocked angle connectors (SCSSB-IACs) were first proposed, and their static behaviours were studied via conducting two-point loading tests. The failure mode, load–displacement response, resistance, and stiffness of the SCSSB-IACs were obtained. Moreover, the influences of thickness of steel faceplate, spacing of IACs, thickness of concrete core, shear-span ratio and interlocking bolts on static performances of the SCSSB-IACs were discussed. Two failure modes of the SCSSB-IACs were observed from the static tests, including flexural and shear failure. Moreover, test results indicated that the resistance and stiffness of the SCSSB-IACs were significantly affected by the thickness of steel faceplate, spacing of IACs and thickness of concrete core. In addition, the load–strain curves and deformation shapes of the SCSSB-IACs were obtained and discussed. Finally, analytical models were developed for predicting elastic stiffness and resistance of the SCSSB-IACs. The analytical models were also validated against the test data. • A steel-concrete-steel (SCS) sandwich beam with novel interlocked angle connectors (IACs) was proposed. • Two-point loading tests were conducted on the SCS sandwich beams with IACs (SCSSB-IACs). • The failure mode, load–displacement response, resistance, and stiffness of SCSSB-IACs were studied. • Analytical models were proposed to predict elastic stiffness and resistance of the SCSSB-IACs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoxaflutole and atrazine are representative pesticides for weed control in corn fields. Formulations containing these two pesticides have been registered in China, and their residues may threaten food safety and human health. In this study, a method for simultaneous determination of isoxaflutole, atrazine, and their metabolites in fresh corn, corn kernels, and corn straw was established based on modified QuEChERS pre-treatment and high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). The linearity of seven compounds was good (R2 ≥ 0.9912), and the matrix effect was 48.5–77.1%. At four spiked levels of 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.5 mg kg−1, all compounds' average recovery was 76% to 116%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 18.9%. Field experiments were conducted in Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Beijing, and Yunnan provinces to study the terminal residues. The terminal residues of all compounds were below the LOQ (0.01 mg kg−1) in fresh corn and corn kernels, and atrazine residues in corn straw ranged from <0.05 mg kg−1 to 0.17 mg kg−1. Finally, a dietary risk assessment was conducted based on residues from field trials, food consumption, and acceptable daily intake (ADI). For all populations, the chronic dietary risk probability (RQc) of atrazine was between 0.0185% and 0.0739%, while that of isoxaflutole was 0.0074–0.0296%, much lower than 100%. The results may provide scientific guidance for using isoxaflutole and atrazine in corn field ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet potato leaves (SPLs) containing abundant functional components are consumed primarily as fresh vegetables worldwide. This study investigated the physical properties of superfine grinding SPLs powder, and their effects on cooking, texture, and sensory properties, micro‐ and molecular structures of starch noodles were also explored. The results showed that the bulk and tapped density (from 0.34 to 0.28 g/mL3 and from 0.69 to 0.61 g/mL3), repose and slid angle (from 42.15 to 30.96° and from 48.67 to 22.00°), water‐holding capacity and swelling capacity (from 8.66 to 4.94 g/g and from 10.03 to 7.77 mL/g) of SPLs powders were decreased with milling time increased. The cooking loss, swelling index, texture, and sensory properties of SPLs sweet potato starch noodles (SPLSNs) were improved as the particle size of SPLs decreased. XRD and FT‐IR showed that SPLSNs contained less complete crystallites (from 28.85% to 14.19%) and lower proportion of crystalline region (R1047/1017 from 0.96 to 0.81, R1017/994 from 0.41 to 0.43). SEM revealed that SPLSNs exhibited fewer ordered arrays and smooth cross sections. Our findings provide a foundation for utilizing SPLs and developing functional starch noodles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two type novel aluminum foam filled energy absorption connectors were proposed to be inserted between the blast resistant façade and building to absorb blast energy and reduce blast load transferred to the building. In this paper, the nonlinear finite element (FE) method was adopted to study the energy absorption performances of the two type connectors. The FE models of the connectors under quasi-static compression loading were first established and the accuracies of the FE models were verified by comparing the force–displacement curves obtained from tests and FE analyses. Then, the FE models were used to investigate the effects of filled aluminum foam, plate thickness and geometry as well as aluminum foam width on the energy absorption performances of the two type connectors. It was found that the two type connectors showed comparable energy absorption performances and the specific energy absorption could be significantly improved by filling the connector with aluminum foam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serine has two enantiomers, D and L, which exhibit identical physical and chemical properties but have dramatically different physiological effects. For the pharmaceutical industry, it is very important to be able to separate both enantiomers. Here we study the enantioselectivity of the (531) surfaces of Cu, Ag, Au, and Pd using density functional theory with an accurate treatment of the van der Waals interactions. Among these surfaces, it is found that Cu(531) is the most efficient for energetically separating serine enantiomers. This greater efficiency is ultimately related to a conformational strain imposed in serine and most of all in the supporting substrate. Motivated by this, we decorated the step sites of Cu(531) with Ni atoms and showed that serine enantioselectivity increases by 36% as compared to that of pristine Cu(531). These results suggest that efficient enantiomeric separation of small chiral molecules could be achieved with bimetallic stepped surfaces for which strain, both in the surface and the molecule, increases significantly upon deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the role of the automatization of stimulus and response (S-R) associations and response readiness in triggering the motor activation for masked primes in two experiments. The automatization of associations was manipulated by employing different types of stimuli, and response readiness was manipulated by varying the relative frequency of Go trials in a modified Go/No-Go task. Compatibility (compatible and incompatible), stimulus type (arrows and parallel lines), and test session (Sessions 1, 2, and 3) were manipulated in a high response-readiness condition (Experiment 1) and in a low response-readiness condition (Experiment 2). Negative compatibility effects (NCEs) occurred regardless of session and experiment in the arrow stimuli condition. However, in the parallel-line stimuli condition, no significant compatibility effect (CE) appeared regardless of the experiment in Sessions 1 and 2, whereas a significant NCE appeared in Experiment 1 but not in Experiment 2 in Session 3. These results are consistent with the claim that motor activation can only occur if the association between specific stimuli and specific responses has been automatized by previous practice, and response readiness can modulate the development of automaticity, but this modulation will have a minimal effect once the association is automatized. The findings also provide experimental evidence for the assumption that the formation of association-based automaticity could be modulated by top-down control (e.g., response readiness). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel energy absorption connector with pleated plate and aluminum foam as energy absorber was proposed to be inserted between the blast resistant façade and building to absorb blast energy and reduce blast load transferred to the building. The energy absorption performance of the connector under quasi-static compression loading was first studied by using experimental method. The deformation mechanisms were observed from the experiment and three different deformation processes were also identified. The effects of aluminum foam, pleated plate thickness and angle θ o (the angle between flat plate and pleated plate) as well as pleat number on the energy absorption performance of the connector were experimentally investigated, which showed that the energy absorption capacity could be improved by filling the connector with aluminum foam and increasing the pleated plate thickness, angle θ o and pleat number. Moreover, an analytical model for determining the load–displacement curve of the energy absorption connector was also developed and the predictions by the analytical model were proven to be reasonable by comparing with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel multilayer façade system, which consisted of a water steel tank integrated with a layer of energy absorbing aluminum foam panel and a stiffened steel panel, was developed to resist blast loading. The blast resistance and response behavior of the proposed façade system were investigated using nonlinear finite element method. The accuracy of the numerical model was verified by comparing the predicted results with the test results. The analyses showed that the energy absorbing aluminum foam layer was capable of reducing the blast load acting on the façade panel and building. The blast resistance of the multilayer façade system could be further enhanced by increasing the aluminum foam layer thickness. An analytical model considering Dynamic Increase Factor (DIF) and coupled deflection mode shapes was developed to predict the displacement response of the façade system subjected to blast loading. The accuracy of the analytical model was validated by comparing the predicted results with the numerical results. It was found that the analytical model with varying DIF could provide better prediction of the displacement response of the multilayer water façade system as compared to the method using a constant DIF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blast response behaviors of curved Steel-Concrete-Steel (SCS) sandwich shells were investigated using nonlinear finite element method. The accuracy of the numerical model was verified against the available field blast test results. The numerical results showed that shear connectors played a vital role in bonding the face plates and concrete core and therefore improving the blast resistant capacity of curved SCS sandwich shell. In addition, different failure modes for the curved SCS sandwich shell under close- and far-field blast loading were observed, i.e., separation of rear plate from concrete core and buckling of face plates for the shell under close- and far-field blast loading, respectively. The effects of rise height (or rise to span ratio) and rear to front plate thickness ratio on the blast responses of curved SCS sandwich shells were also studied. Numerical results showed that the damage of curved SCS sandwich shell could be reduced by increasing rise height and rear to front plate thickness ratio. Moreover, the energy absorption efficiency of concrete core also showed increase with increasing rear to front plate thickness ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ectopic expression of lineage-specific transcription factors facilitates the conversion of mammalian somatic cells into dopaminergic (DA) neurons, which is a promising strategy for cell therapy of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, this approach still has some drawbacks limiting its clinical application due to the potential risks of integrating vectors into the host genome. Therefore, it is critical to seek a more desired approach to generate DA neurons derived from mammalian somatic cells. Here, we report that mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) can be efficiently converted into DA neurons by using small molecules along with specific growth factors. These neuron-like cells generate DA neuronal morphology, and acquire immunocytochemical and calcium imaging special for neuronal electrophysiological profile. More importantly, these converted cells can secrete dopamine, indicating that they are functionally similar to DA neurons. Taken together, our study might provide a promising cell source for treating PD by using chemical approach without introduction of exogenous transcription factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel multi-functional water façade system with the combined function of energy saving and blast resisting is presented in this paper. The façade system utilizes water confined in a thin tank to harness the solar thermal energy and to shield the building from solar radiation. It is particularly suitable for hot climate regions near the Equator due to the constant high dense solar radiation throughout the year. The energy saving performance of the water façade in terms of harnessing the solar thermal energy and reducing space cooling load was evaluated by conducting temperature monitoring tests. As for its potential as a protective layer against blast loading, the water façade was tested under simulated blast loading through dropping projectile on an inflated high pressure airbag. The addition of water was shown to reduce the displacement of water façade and improve the blast resistant capacity through comparing the maximum displacements of the water façades with and without infilled water. An analytical model incorporating varying dynamic increase factor and coupled deflection mode shapes was developed to predict the displacement response of water façade under blast loading and the analytical predictions on maximum displacement were conservative as compared to those from finite element analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the role of attention in inhibitory processes (the inhibitory processes described in the current study refer only to those associated with masked or flanked priming) using a mixed paradigm involving the negative compatibility effect (NCE) and object-based attention. Accumulating evidence suggests that attention can be spread more easily within the same object, which increases the availability of attentional resources, than across different objects. Accordingly, we manipulated distractor location (with primes presented in the same object versus presented in different objects) together with prime/target compatibility (compatible versus incompatible) and prime-distractor stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA, 23 ms vs 70 ms). The aim was to investigate whether inhibitory processes related to weakly activated priming, which have been previously assumed to be automatic, depend on the availability of attentional resources. The results of Experiment 1 showed a significant NCE for the 70-ms SOA when the prime and distractor were presented in the same object (greater attentional resource availability); however, reversed NCEs were obtained for all other conditions. Experiment 2 was designed to disentangle whether the results of Experiment 1 were affected by the prime position, and the results indicated that the prime position did not modulate the NCE in Experiment 1. Together, these results are consistent with the claim that the availability of attentional resources modulates the inhibitory strength related to weakly activated priming. Specifically, if attentional resources are assigned to the distractor when it is presented in the same object as the prime, the strength of the inhibition elicited by the distractor may increase and reverse the activation elicited by the prime, which could lead to a significant NCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic responses of steel–concrete–steel (SCS) sandwich beams with novel interlocked angle connectors (IACs) under low-velocity impact were studied and presented in this paper. The impact tests on the SCS sandwich beams were first implemented using a drop-weight impact test machine, and the failure modes, displacement, and impact responses were obtained from the tests. The varying parameters considered in the tests included the thicknesses of the concrete and steel faceplates, as well as the spacing and type of IACs. The test results indicated that nine specimens experienced flexural failure, and one specimen exhibited shear failure. Moreover, local buckling of the top steel faceplate occurred in four specimens with a relatively larger spacing of IACs. A two-degree-of-freedom (TDOF) analytical model considering the strain rate effect was proposed for the SCS sandwich beam to obtain their impact forces and mid-span displacements. The analytically-predicted responses of the SCS sandwich beam with IACs agreed well with the test data. • A novel interlocked angle connector (IAC) was developed for the steel–concrete–steel (SCS) sandwich beam. • Drop-weight impact tests on the SCS sandwich beams with IACs were performed. • Flexural and shear failure modes were observed for the SCS sandwich beams under impact load. • An analytical model was developed for obtaining dynamic responses of the SCS sandwich beam under impact load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The manuscript has five highlights as following below: • A novel PGS was fabricated by a cutting-reorganizing method. • The IP reaction of AGQDs and TMC could only grow in the 2D interface. • PGS showed a willow-leaf-like shape with a typical 2D porous structure. • The membrane were prepared by in-situ sealing technology with PA for the first time. • The PGS/PA composite membrane successfully overcame the "trade-off" effect. In this study, we proposed a novel interfacial polymerization (IP) method for porous graphene-based sheets (PGS) with 2D structure by recombining of amino graphene quantum dots (AGQDs) at the two phases interface, and then a large-area ultrathin composite films with excellent permeability and high selectivity were prepared by in-situ sealing technology with polyamide (PA) for the first time. Adjusting the pH of AGQDs solution could promote and regulate the formation of PGS with a lamella diameter of 2 μm, an ultrathin thickness of 3.2 nm and pore size of 2.71 nm, which showed a willow-leaf-like shape with a typical 2D porous structure. Then, the PGS at the interface was sealed in-situ by PA layer generated by injecting piperazine (PIP) in the IP process to form PGS/PA composite membrane. When the PGS synthesis time and PIP concentration were reached to 60 s and 0.02 w/v% respectively, the prepared PGS/PA composite membrane exhibited the best comprehensive properties, with an ultrathin thickness of 18.6 nm, super hydrophilic surface, excellent stability and strong alkali resistance. At this condition, the permeation flux of PGS/PA composite membrane could reach 28.4 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1, which was over 300% of the original PA composite membrane (9.1 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1), while the rejection of Congo red was maintained more than 99.4%, which successfully overcame the "trade-off" effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response behavior of steel–concrete–steel (SCS) sandwich panels without shear connectors was experimentally studied under lateral pressure loading in this paper. The loading was applied by a hydraulic actuator on an inflated airbag to assert lateral pressure on the SCS panels. The failure modes and maximum resistance of the SCS panels were obtained from the test and compared with the numerical analysis results. It was found from the experimental and numerical studies that the end plates could function as shear connectors to achieve the composite action between face plates and concrete core. Based on the experimental and numerical observations, the formulae to predict the bending resistance and transverse shear resistance of SCS panel without shear connectors were developed and the accuracy of the proposed formulae was verified by comparing with the experimental and numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lleras and Enns (2004) argued that the negative compatibility effect (NCE) may partly originate from object updating (OU) between a prime and mask. This process could occur not only at the feature level, which facilitates target identification via feature updating (the updated feature is identical to the target in the feature), but also at the response level, which benefits target response via response link updating (an updated response link has an identical reaction to the target). This study aims to present experimental evidence for the latter hypothesis that response link updating is one process that triggers an NCE. The design used a 4 (stimuli) to 2 (responses) paradigm in which the left-hand response was assigned to “1” and “2” and the right-hand response was assigned to “3” and “4” (counterbalanced across the participants). Additionally, we manipulated the strength of OU (strong, “1” and “3” as primes versus weak OU condition, “2” and “4” as primes), response set of prime and target (e.g., same, “1” and “3” as both primes and targets versus different response set, “1” and “3” as primes or targets but “2” and “4” as targets or primes), and compatibility (compatible versus incompatible). The results showed a significant NCE in the strong OU (effective object updating) and different response set (separating response link updating from OU process) condition. Combined with the response time quartiles, which showed a special developmental course for this condition, the results suggest that response link updating is one process that triggers an NCE when the prime and target come from different response sets, and the processing of response link updating does not share identical developmental courses as the motor inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress induces bone loss and osteoporosis, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) may be used to combat these diseases due to its antioxidative property. Herein, oxidative stress in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) was induced by H2O2, resulting in an adverse effect on their osteogenic differentiation. However, this H2O2-induced adverse effect was nullified when the cells were treated with EGCG. In addition, treatment of BM-MSCs with EGCG alone also resulted in the enhancement of osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs. After EGCG treatment, expressions of β-catenin and cyclin D1 were upregulated, suggesting that the Wnt pathway was involved in the effects of EGCG on the osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs. This was also confirmed by the fact that the Wnt pathway inhibitor, Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), can nullify the EGCG-induced enhancement effect on BM-MSC’s osteogenic differentiation. Hence, our results suggested that EGCG can reduce the effects of oxidative stress on Wnt pathway in osteogenic cells, which supported a potentially promising therapy of bone disorders induced by oxidative stress. Considering its positive effects on BM-MSCs, EGCG may also be beneficial for stem cell-based bone repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress induces bone loss and osteoporosis, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) may be used to combat these diseases due to its antioxidative property. Herein, oxidative stress in human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) was induced by H2O2, resulting in an adverse effect on their osteogenic differentiation. However, this H2O2-induced adverse effect was nullified when the cells were treated with EGCG. In addition, treatment of BM-MSCs with EGCG alone also resulted in the enhancement of osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs. After EGCG treatment, expressions of β-catenin and cyclin D1 were upregulated, suggesting that the Wnt pathway was involved in the effects of EGCG on the osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs. This was also confirmed by the fact that the Wnt pathway inhibitor, Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), can nullify the EGCG-induced enhancement effect on BM-MSC’s osteogenic differentiation. Hence, our results suggested that EGCG can reduce the effects of oxidative stress on Wnt pathway in osteogenic cells, which supported a potentially promising therapy of bone disorders induced by oxidative stress. Considering its positive effects on BM-MSCs, EGCG may also be beneficial for stem cell-based bone repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water storage tank was proposed as a multi-functional facade system characterizing energy saving and blast resisting. The energy saving performance, not presented in this paper, has been evaluated by experimental and numerical methods. The aim of this study is to propose simplified methods to reasonably predict the response of water storage tank under blast loading. Based on the equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) method, the shock spectrum and dimensionless pressure–impulse (P–I) diagram were established, which can be used to evaluate the damage levels of water storage tanks subject to blast loading. The equivalent SDOF method cannot capture the varying deflection shape of structure during motion, herein the Lagrange equation method that allows for multiple deflection shape functions was proposed to predict the structural response. It was shown that the Lagrange equation method was better than the SDOF method since it could provide conservative predictions in all response regimes. Furthermore, the varying dynamic increase factor (DIF) with strain rate was incorporated into the Lagrange equation method to capture the strain rate effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blast performance of water tank with an innovative energy absorbing support was studied to reduce the support reaction force and mitigate the damage on the water tank. The aluminum foam was adopted as the energy absorbing material, since it has high energy absorbing potential during crush plateau and safety backup zone after the compaction strain. Finite element model considering fluid and structural interaction in which the water is modeled using the Eulerian formulation and the steel tank by Lagrangian formulation is proposed. The proposed numerical model of water tank was verified by comparing the predicted results with the test results obtained from dynamic pressure tests on steel tanks filled with water. The numerical results showed that the support reaction force depends on the density and yield strength of the aluminum foams and the reaction force could be reduced significantly if softer aluminum foam was chosen. The total displacement of the water tank was increased by up to 38% due to the increase in deformation of the energy absorbing foam. The aluminum foam was proposed to absorb the blast energy and reduce the damage on the water tank. However, more damage on the water tank was observed when a very low density aluminum foam support was used. This was attributed to the increased external work done by blast loading which was higher than the energy absorbed by the aluminum foam support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flat nanocomposite plate was fabricated by using the surface-modified Fe nanoparticles (NPs) as the microwave absorbent, carbon fibers (CFs) as the reinforced phase and epoxy resin (ER) as the matrix. Fe NPs were synthesised by an arc discharge plasma method and subsequently modified by silane coupling agent (KH-550) to improve its dispersion in the organic matrix of ER. To measure the realistic microwave absorption properties of such a flat nanocomposite plate, a series of square plates (20 × 20 cm 2 ) was made from recombining the modified Fe NPs (20 wt.%, 30 wt.% and 40 wt.%) into the ER matrix with/without orientated CFs inside. It was observed that the orientation of CFs plays an important role in the microwave absorption, in particular through a strong reflection of microwave inwardly as the CFs’ array is vertical to the direction of incident microwave. The inner strong reflection of microwave by CFs can bring great probabilities to further consume it by Fe NPs absorbent and result in improved microwave absorption performance of the nanocomposite plate. It is indicated that the plate containing 30 wt.% of Fe NPs with a perpendicular manner between the directions of CFs array and incident microwave exhibits higher reflection loss (RL) of −16.2 dB at 6.1 GHz frequency, and this plate has 77.78 MPa flexural strength at 3.74% deformation. Excellent RL property is ascribed to an optimum structure of nanocomposite plate with favorable multi-reflection of microwave inside, structural resonance, appropriate conductivity, impedance match, interface polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural performance of water tank under static and dynamic pressure loading was experimentally investigated in this paper. The loading was applied using hydraulic actuator/dropped projectile on an inflated high pressure airbag to assert static/dynamic pressure on the specimens. The failure modes and maximum resistance of the specimens were obtained from the test and compared to the numerical results. It was found from the static pressure test that the water tank filled with water exhibited up to 31% increase in flexural resistance under static loading as compared to the empty water tank with the same material and geometry. The improvement was attributed to the effects of water in maintaining the section modulus and delaying the local buckling of the tank. Water was also found to be useful in reducing the deformation of the tank under dynamic pressure loading. Nonlinear finite element analysis was conducted to investigate the behavior of water tank subject to static and dynamic pressure loading and the accuracy of the numerical models was verified by comparing the predicted displacement responses with those observed from the tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was found in previous studies that two types of objects (rectangles formed according to the Gestalt principle and Chinese words formed in a top-down fashion) can both induce an object-based effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate how the strength of an object representation affects the result of the competition between these two types of objects based on research carried out by Liu, Wang and Zhou [() Acta Psychologica, 138(3), 397-404]. In Experiment 1, the rectangles were filled with two different colors to increase the strength of Gestalt object representation, and we found that the object effect changed significantly for the different stimulus types. Experiment 2 used Chinese words with various familiarities to manipulate the strength of the top-down object representation. As a result, the object-based effect induced by rectangles was observed only when the Chinese word familiarity was low. These results suggest that the strength of object representation determines the result of competition between different types of objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of non-composite Steel–Concrete–Steel (SCS) sandwich panels under impact-induced impulsive loading was experimentally and numerically studied in this paper. Two SCS sandwich panels with different core depths were tested and the impulsive loading was applied in the laboratory by utilizing an inflated high pressure airbag to transfer the impact load from dropped projectile onto the panels. The deformation modes, applied pressures, displacement and strain responses of the panels were determined in the test. A combination of bending and shear deformation mode was observed in the SCS panel with thinner core while there was minimal visible deformation in the thicker panel. The maximum and permanent deformations of the panel with thicker panel were significantly reduced due to the increase in resistance and mass. Debonding between grout core and bottom plate was also noted in both panels during impact from the strain–time histories. Following the test, Finite Element (FE) models were constructed and verified against the test data to simulate the tests. It was shown in the FE analysis that the steel plates absorbed more energy due to its higher strength and ductility as compared to the grout core under the impact-induced impulsive pressure loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel series of N -(4-aryl-5-aryloxy-thiazol-2-yl)-amides as RORγt inverse agonists was discovered. Binding mode analysis of a RORγt partial agonist ( 2c ) revealed by co-crystal structure in RORγt LBD suggests that the inverse agonists do not directly interfere with the interaction between H12 and the RORγt LBD. Detailed SAR exploration led to identification of potent RORγt inverse agonists such as 3m with a pIC 50 of 8.0. Selected compounds in the series showed reasonable activity in Th17 cell differentiation assay as well as low intrinsic clearance in mouse liver microsomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel interlocked angle connector (IAC) was proposed for steel-concrete-steel sandwich structures. • The tensile performances of IACs were experimentally investigated. • Analytical models were developed to predict tensile resistances of IACs. • The geometric superiority of IACs was demonstrated. The mechanical performances of steel-concrete-steel (SCS) sandwich structures were generally governed by the interfacial bonding between steel and concrete provided by shear connectors. This paper aims to propose a new interlocked angle connector (IAC) for sandwich structures to enhance the steel-concrete interfacial bonding performances, and its tensile behaviors were also experimentally and analytically studied in detail. There were 14 specimens with different parameters being designed and tested, and the different confinement effects of concrete around IACs were also considered in this study. The experiments revealed three failure modes of IACs embedded in concrete, i.e., concrete breakout failure, tensile fracture failure of the steel angle and concrete direct shear failure. The evident influences of confinement effect of concrete on the failure modes and tensile resistances of IACs were also observed. In addition, the tensile resistance of IACs was found to be significantly improved with the increasing of embedded depth of IACs and thicknesses of steel sheet. Analytical models were proposed for predicting the tensile resistances of IACs, and the predicted values showed a good match with the test results. Moreover, the tensile resistances of IACs were compared with those of existing semi-direct-link connectors, and the proposed IACs provided 55.9% higher tensile resistances than the existing semi-direct-link connectors. Thus, the steel-concrete interfacial bonding performances of SCS structures with IACs would be significantly enhanced. In subsequent studies, the mechanical performances of IACs under the combined actions of tension and shear should be concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water soluble curcumin nanoparticles (Cur-Ps) were prepared by the simple anti-solvent nanoprecipitation method, using soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) and zein hydrolysate (ZH) as carriers, and the synergistic effect of SSPS and ZH in prepration of Cur-Ps was studied. We expect to provide a new carrier for preparation of Cur-Ps with excellent colloid and oxidation stability. Attributed to poor water solubility of curcumin, the solution of curcumin monomers in deionized water was very turbid. However, the existence of ZH or ZH-SSPS solubilized the curcumin tremendously. The solutions of ZH and ZH-SSPS containing curcumin were yellow and highly transparent. The solubilization results shown that the water solubility of curcumin in ZH solution could reach up to 135, üg/mL when the concentration of ZH was above 2.5 mg/mL, and the addition of SSPS had no effect on the water solubility of curcumin at this concentration. But, when the concentration of ZH was below 2.5 mg/mL, the water solubility of curcumin was enhanced slightly with the addition of SSPS. In pure SSPS solution with a concentration of 3 mg/mL, the solubility of curcumin was only 90, üg/mL, obviously lower than that in ZH solution with the same concentration. These results suggested that ZH plays a leading role in curcumin solubilization in the ZH-SSPS mixture system and this solubiliazation should attributed to the non-covalent interactions between ZH and curcumin, which leading to the formation of ZH-curcumin nanocomplex. Colloidal stability results indicated that at low ionic strength (< 50 mmol/L) or under neutral condition (pH value 7.0), the existence of SSPS had no influence on the particle size distribution of Cur-Ps. However, since SSPS can increase the stability of the protein under acidic and salt-containing solutions, compared with Cur-Ps prepared by ZH only, Cur-Ps fabricated by ZH-SSPS had better colloid stability in solutions with low pH value (4.5 or 2.0) or high ionic strength (>200 mmol/L). Hence, due to the synergistic effect of ZH and SSPS, the curcumin-loaded nanoparticles with small size (< 100 nm) and good colloidal stability can be fabricated. The vitro release study in ethanol-water two-phase system indicated that both Cur-Ps prepared by ZH only and ZH-SSPS solutions had controlled-release effect on curcumin. However, Cur-Ps prepared by ZH-SSPS had better controlled-release effect, and its cumulative release ratio was below 80% in 6 h. The counterpart prepared by ZH only was above 85%. The study on the 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical oxidation stability of curcumin nanoparticles indicated that the stability of the curcumin was significantly (P<0.05) improved after the nano-capsulation by ZH or ZH-SSPS. This result is mainly due to the shielding effect for curcumin nano-canpsulation as well as the strong antioxidant effect of ZH. The lyophilized Cur-Ps powder prepared by ZH-SSPS had a multihole spongy structure in field emission images by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which resulted in its redispersibility as high as 90%, showing a significant (P<0.05) improvement compared with the Cur-Ps fabricated by ZH only. Besides, using ZH-SSPS to prepare Cur-Ps powder had a more curcumin content compared with the counterpart. In conclusion, owing to the synergistic effect between ZH and SSPS, ZH-SSPS is expected to be a new material for the preparation of water soluble Cur-Ps. Due to the transparent appearance of the Cur-Ps solution, it has a good prospect in preparation of curcumin-enriched functional drinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The numerical method was adopted in this paper to study the performance of water tank under blast loading. The established numerical model was verified by comparing with the test results and then utilized to study the effects of water on the response of water tank under blast loading. The numerical results showed that water can significantly reduce the response of water tank under blast loading through reducing the external work. As for the boundary reaction force, although the maximum boundary reaction force was increased by filling in water, the increase in maximum boundary reaction force was less significant as compared to the decrease in response. Besides, the positive duration of boundary reaction force was reduced by filling in water. The simply supported and axially restrained boundary conditions were compared to study their effects on the response of water tank. It was found that the blast resistant performance of axially restrained water tank could be significantly improved as compared to the simply supported water tank. This can be attributed to the increased internal energy and reduced external work by adopting the axially restrained boundary condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wang, Y.; Zhang, L., and Haimiti, Y., 2015. Study on spatial variability of soil nutrients in Ebinur lake wetlands in China. Three typical regions were selected in Ebinur Lake wetlands of Xinjiang in China, and the nutrient content of their soil was determined with analytical chemistry approaches. Based on the chemical information, the Geostatistics method was employed to analyze the space variability of the soil nutrients for each region. The results were that the comprehensive nutrients level of Region C (Aqikesu River) was higher than those of Region B (Jinghe and Bortala River) and Region A (Alashankou). There is a strong spatial autocorrelation for the soil nutrients studied. Soil organic matter, nitrogen, available phosphorus in every region showed moderate variability, and the variability of potassium depended on the region. The spatial variability of soil nutrients is assumedly caused by climate, topography, soil type, etc. The study is of great significance in understanding the forming process of soil, as well as in providing scientific reference for restoring of soil degradation and dust resistance of the regions studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study focused on contributions to the negative compatibility effect (NCE) from object-updating at the perceptual level and self-inhibition (i.e., automatic motor inhibition) at the response (motor) level. We hypothesized that contributions to the NCE from these two levels were moderated by the strength of stimulus and reaction (S–R) link: object-updating should have greater impact on the NCE with weak S–R links, but both object-updating and self-inhibition should impact on the NCE when the S–R links became strong. To test this hypothesis, in two experiments we used a novel type of stimuli and manipulated mask relevance (relevant versus irrelevant mask) and prime/target compatibility. Participants performed two tasks over three successive days. Results showed that under equivalent masking effectiveness between the two conditions of mask, a significant NCE was observed only in the relevant mask condition when the S–R links were weak, but both close to equal NCE sizes were observed in the two mask conditions when the S–R links were acquired through practice. The results indicated that perceptual and motor contributions to the NCE were moderated by the strength of S–R links, if the strength of the links was too weak to trigger the following inhibition, the NCE primarily originated from object-updating at the perceptual level; if the strength of the links was reinforced by practice, which exceeded the inhibitory threshold, the NCE originated from both object-updating and self-inhibition, but the latter was primarily responsible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of interstimulus intervals (ISIs) on priming effects was investigated using a single-prime negative priming (NP) paradigm. In all experiments, a brief (16 ms), centrally displayed prime (a Chinese character, to be ignored) appeared, followed by a pattern mask and then a centrally displayed target (another semantically related or unrelated Chinese character); the task required semantic categorization (animate/inanimate) of the target. An ISI could occur either between prime and mask (Experiments 1 and 5) or between mask and target (Experiments 2–4). The results revealed NP when a 470 ms ISI occurred between prime and mask (Experiments 1 and 5) and when a 700 ms ISI occurred between mask and target (Experiments 3 and 4). In contrast, when a long prime-target SOA was maintained but the mask-target ISI was shortened, NP disappeared (Experiment 4). The results indicated that a persisting mask/distractor (without ISI) located in the same position as the following target interfered with the buildup of inhibition, but an ISI between prime and mask or mask and target eliminated this interference, and that inhibition processes induced by an ignore instruction were implemented faster with an ISI placed between prime and mask than with an ISI placed between mask and target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The donkey hindgut is a microbial-rich ecosystem in which caecum and colon fungi play an important role in dietary fiber degradation. In addition, the fibrolytic enzymes produced by hindgut microorganisms are key to the ability of equines to hydrolysis plant fiber. In the present study, the fibrolytic enzyme activities within donkey caecum and colon were firstly measured by spectrophotometry. The dorsal colon presented a higher fibrolytic enzyme activity in comparison with caecum. The fungal community composition along donkey caecum and colon was determined by sequencing an internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) using Illumina MiSeq. The predominant fungi at phylum level were Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Neocallimastigomycota. The Aspergillus, Wallemia, Phanerochaete, Fusarium, and Penicillium were detected as the dominant genera, but their metabolic and functional significance in donkey cecum-colon ecosystem need further investigation. In terms of the anaerobic fungi Neocallimastigomycota, its abundance was greater in donkey colon than in caecum. The relative abundance of enzymes related to plant cell wall breakdown were also predicted by PICRUSt, and they were also greater in donkey colon than in caecum. The present study provided new information about fibrolytic enzyme profiles and fungal communities in donkey hindgut. The findings could therefore contribute to the further understanding of the fungal taxa and their dietary fiber degradation mechanisms in donkey hindgut ecosystem. The fibrolytic enzymes and the hindgut fungi in donkey cecum-colon ecosystem play an important role in dietary fiber digestion. A better understanding of the fibrolytic enzyme profiles and the fungal community along donkey caecum and colon is key for optimizing hindgut function. In the present study, the fibrolytic enzyme activities within donkey caecum and colon were firstly measured by spectrophotometry. Activities of carboxymethyl cellulase, avicelase, xylanase, and acetyl esterase were greater in donkey dorsal colon than in caecum, indicating that the colon microorganisms may be more efficient in producing fibrolytic enzymes compared to caecum microbes. The fungal community composition along donkey hindgut was determined by sequencing ITS region using Illumina MiSeq. Three fungal phyla were identified by sequence comparison: Ascomycota (66.8%–74.4%), Basidiomycota (21.6%–30.9%), and Neocallimastigomycota (0.9%–3.3%). The Aspergillus, Wallemia, Phanerochaete, Fusarium, and Penicillium were detected as the dominant genera, but their metabolic and functional significance in donkey cecum-colon ecosystem need further investigation. In terms of the anaerobic fungi Neocallimastigomycota, its abundance was greater in donkey colon than in caecum (p < 0.05), indicating that the donkey hindgut region was associated with differences in fungal community composition. Moreover, the relative abundance of enzymes related to plant cell wall degradation were predicted by PICRUSt, and they were also lower in caecum than in colon. The present study provided new information about fibrolytic enzyme profiles and fungal composition in donkey hindgut ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motion parameters measurement is essential for understanding animal behavior, exploring the laws of object motion, and studying control methods. Nowadays, advanced computer vision based on machine learning technology supports markerless object tracking in 2D videos. However, due to the fact that all objects move in three-dimensional space, this paper introduces a method of measuring motion parameters using 3D pose estimation. First, an enhanced iterative bundle adjustment algorithm is proposed for multi-camera calibration in a multi-camera vision system by adding two control parameters, which dramatically reduces the reprojection error of multi-camera calibration and lays the foundation for high-precision triangulation. Then, a new spatiotemporal loss function is proposed, which considers the relationship between key points that do not constitute limbs, thereby improving triangulation accuracy. The new multi-camera calibration algorithm is evaluated on ChArUco and 3D pose estimation for metronome, planet pendulum, human hand, Koi, and cheetah. The experimental results show that: (1) the two hyper-parameters in the enhanced iterative bundle adjustment algorithm effectively suppress the influence of noise and play a good role in reducing the reprojection error of multi-camera calibration; (2) the spatiotemporal loss function has a strong constraining ability, the time loss can stabilize high frame rate video triangulation to maintain accuracy, while the space loss can improve the accuracy of triangulation for more complex structures; (3) multi-view data fusion is also conducive to improving the accuracy of triangulation. Moreover, the method was successfully applied to some actual measurement scenes: (1) the accurate measurement of the frequency of a metronome; and (2) the success measurement of the movement of a Koi, which conforms to the basic model of fish swimming. Some dynamic measurement results are displayed at https://github.com/wux024/AdamPose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]