Search

This study examines patterns of foreign patents and their determinants in China from 1985 to 1999. It reveals that China’s patent system is not significantly different from those in most countries, though it is more oriented towards promoting technology diffusion rather than protecting inventors’ rights. Since China patent law came into force in 1985, foreign patents, as well as China’s domestic patents have been growing rapidly. The study confirms the substantial differences between foreign patents in China and China’s domestic patents revealed by previous studies. First, foreign patents primarily fall within the category of inventions, whereas the majority of Chinese domestic patents consist of utility models and industrial designs. Second, foreign patents in China are largely awarded to organizations, while individuals comprise the majority of Chinese domestic patentees. Third, foreign patents in China concentrate in a small number of advanced and newly industrialized economies (NIEs). In addition, this study finds that foreign patents in China are primarily driven by demand factors such as imports from the origin countries, while innovative capabilities of the origin countries or their distances from China are not very significant yet. Finally, this study reveals that innovative capabilities of foreign countries are starting to show significant impacts on their patents in China, particularly on inventions, indicating increasing competition in the Chinese market. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Based on a four-point evaluation system consisting of accuracy, consistency, power, and chance to commit type I errors, this study compares Tango's minimum p (MinP) and Stone's maximum relative risk (MaxRR) methods for detecting focused cluster size through simulations in GIS. It reveals that the MinP method is more effective than the MaxRR method. The MinP method exhibits higher levels of accuracy and consistency; and its power and chance to commit type I errors are similar to the MinP method. The MaxRR method has a tendency to underestimate the cluster size, while the MinP method tends to overestimate the cluster size, particularly when the clusters are relatively big and have high relative risk levels. In addition, the MinP method seems to be most effective in revealing the size of clusters when clusters are neither too strong nor too weak. The lowest detection rates for clustering occur when the clustering signal is relatively weak, which is easily understandable. In practice, it might be useful to use both the methods to estimate a range of possible cluster sizes, where the MaxRR method indicates the lower estimate, while the MinP method gives the higher estimate of the cluster size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the role of the state in understanding the structure, performance and evolution of China's national innovation system. Stages involved in the evolution of China's national innovation system during the pre-reform period; Approach taken on reforms to the national innovation system in the 1980s; Creation of an enterprise-centered innovation system in the 1990s; Change in the attitude towards research and development and innovation in the country.

Presents a study which investigated the innovative behavior of large and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in China. Data and methodologies; Characteristics of industrial innovation in China; Results and discussion.

The rain-wind-induced vibration (RWIV) of stay cables has become a concern in bridge engineering over the past decades. Attaching helical fillets on the surface of stay cables is often used to suppress RWIV. In the critical Reynolds number range, stay cables also experience large amplitude vibration without rainfall, which is known as dry galloping. To investigate the optimal helical fillet parameters that can suppress RWIV and dry galloping, a series of wind tunnel tests were carried out. The results showed that a helical fillet can weaken the Reynolds number effect of the cable in the critical region, and the maximum C L and the decline value of C D are decreased. This effect gradually decreases with the decrease of helical fillet pitch, resulting in the decrease of the maximum C L in the critical region and the increase of C D in the supercritical region. The helical fillet has a good suppression effect on the dry galloping equilibrium position, and the suppression effect of the helical fillet on the dry galloping amplitude depends on the helical fillet parameters. A proper helical fillet setting can effectively suppress both RWIV and dry galloping. Compared with the helical fillet diameter, the suppression effect is more effective when changing its pitch. Finally, the drag coefficients in various Reynolds number regions are summarized to provide a reference for engineering design. • Wind tunnel tests were carried out to reveal the aerodynamics and vibrations for stay cables with helical fillets. • Aerodynamic force coefficients and Strouhal numbers of stay cables with helical fillets were obtained and compared. • The effects of wind speed, rain intensity, inclination, and yaw on the RWIV were studied. • The effects of the helical fillet diameter and distance on RWIV and dry galloping were analyzed. • The drag coefficients of cables at different Reynolds numbers were fitted to facilitate engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disorders (ID), are highly debilitating childhood psychiatric conditions. Genetic factors are recognized as playing a major role in NDD, with a multitude of genes and genomic regions implicated. While the functional validation of NDD-associated genes has predominantly been carried out using mouse models, the significant differences in brain structure and gene function between mice and humans have limited the effectiveness of mouse models in exploring the underlying mechanisms of NDD. Therefore, it is important to establish alternative animal models that are more evolutionarily aligned with humans. Results: In this study, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 and somatic cell nuclear transplantation technologies to successfully generate a knockout miniature pig model of the MIR137 gene, which encodes the neuropsychiatric disorder-associated microRNA miR-137. The homozygous knockout of MIR137 (MIR137–/–) effectively suppressed the expression of mature miR-137 and led to the birth of stillborn or short-lived piglets. Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant changes in genes associated with neurodevelopment and synaptic signaling in the brains of MIR137–/– miniature pig, mirroring findings from human ASD transcriptomic data. In comparison to miR-137-deficient mouse and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neuron models, the miniature pig model exhibited more consistent changes in critical neuronal genes relevant to humans following the loss of miR-137. Furthermore, a comparative analysis identified differentially expressed genes associated with ASD and ID risk genes in both miniature pig and hiPSC-derived neurons. Notably, human-specific miR-137 targets, such as CAMK2A, known to be linked to cognitive impairments and NDD, exhibited dysregulation in MIR137–/– miniature pigs. These findings suggest that the loss of miR-137 in miniature pigs affects genes crucial for neurodevelopment, potentially contributing to the development of NDD. Conclusions: Our study highlights the impact of miR-137 loss on critical genes involved in neurodevelopment and related disorders in MIR137–/– miniature pigs. It establishes the miniature pig model as a valuable tool for investigating neurodevelopmental disorders, providing valuable insights for potential applications in human research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Impaired mitochondrial dynamics have been identified as a significant contributing factor to reduced neurogenesis under pathological conditions. However, the relationship among mitochondrial dynamics, neurogenesis, and spatial memory during normal development remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the role of mitophagy in spatial memory mediated by neurogenesis during development. Methods: Adolescent and adult male mice were used to assess spatial memory performance. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to evaluate levels of neurogenesis, and mitochondrial dynamics were assessed through western blotting and transmission electron microscopy. Pharmacological interventions further validated the causal relationship among mitophagy, neurogenesis, and behavioral performance during development. Results: The study revealed differences in spatial memory between adolescent and adult mice. Diminished neurogenesis, accompanied by reduced mitophagy, was observed in the hippocampus of adult mice compared to adolescent subjects. Pharmacological induction of mitophagy in adult mice with UMI‐77 resulted in enhanced neurogenesis and prolonged spatial memory retention. Conversely, inhibition of mitophagy with Mdivi‐1 in adolescent mice led to reduced hippocampal neurogenesis and impaired spatial memory. Conclusion: The observed decline in spatial memory in adult mice is associated with decreased mitophagy, which affects neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. This underscores the therapeutic potential of enhancing mitophagy to counteract age‐ or disease‐related cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breakage of particles has a great influence on the particle size distribution (PSD) and the associated mechanical behavior of ballast under train loads. A discrete element method (DEM) simulation of triaxial testing under monotonic loading was carried out using FRM (fragment replacement method) breakable particles as ballast and a flexible shell model as membrane. The coupled model was validated by comparing the load-deformation responses with those measured in previous experiments and was then used to analyze the contact orientations and the distribution of particle breakage from a micromechanical perspective. The simulation results show that higher confining pressure and larger axial strain may increase the grain breakage (Bg) and the fractal dimension (D) of ballast. It was observed that most breakage was first-generation breakage, and that the proportions of the second- to fifth-generation breakage decreased successively. Moreover, as the axial strain or confining pressure increased, the percentage of small particle fragments increased in correspondence with the PSD curves that remained concave upwards, as the fractal dimension D of PSD increased. In addition, the evolution of D exhibited a linear correlation with grain breakage Bg. Contrarily, a quadratic curve relation between D and volumetric strain was exhibited under different axial strain stages. Therefore, D has the potential to be a key indicator to evaluate the degree of ballast crushing and PSD degradation, which may contribute to better decision making concerning track bed maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle breakage was reported to have great influence on the mechanical property of granular materials. However, limited studies were conducted to quantify the detailed effects of relative density and initial grading on the particle breakage behaviour of granular materials under different confining pressures. In this study, a series of monotonic drained triaxial tests were performed on isotropically consolidated granular materials with four different initial gradings and relative densities. It is observed that particle breakage increases as the confining pressure or relative density increases, whereas it decreases with the increasing coefficient of uniformity. Due to particle breakage, the grading curves of granular materials after triaxial tests can be simulated by a power-law function with fractal dimension. As the confining pressure increases, the fractal dimension approaches the limit of granular materials, i.e., 2.6. A unique normalized relation between the particle breakage extent and confining pressure by considering relative density and grading index was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the statistical results of field investigations of stay cable shapes, the deformed cross-sections tend to be micro-elliptical. These deformations may significantly influence the aerodynamic forces and vibration characteristics of stay cables. Accordingly, the aerodynamic forces and wind-induced vibrations of stay cables with circular and various micro-elliptical sections are measured in wind tunnel tests. Furthermore, the influences of the Reynolds number, attack angle and major-minor axis ratio on wind-induced vibration are investigated. The aerodynamic damping is calculated based on the quasi-steady assumption to predict the observed vibrations. The results indicate that, compared with circular cables, cables with micro-elliptical sections generate larger-amplitude vibrations at certain Reynolds numbers and attack angles. Furthermore, large-amplitude vibrations occur mainly in the critical regime corresponding to Reynolds numbers of 2.5 ​× ​105–4.0 ​× ​105 and attack angles of α ​= ​10°–30° and α ​= ​60°–80°. However, the method based on the quasi-steady assumption is invalid for predicting wind-induced vibrations in the critical regime. • Wind tunnels tests were carried out to reveal the aerodynamics and vibrations for three micro-elliptical section cylinders. • Vibrations were observed of the micro-elliptical section cylinders in cribitcal and supercritical Reynolds number range. • Drag and lift coefficients were obtained from subcritical to super Reynolds number range. • The vibrations in critical and supercritical range are confirmed to be non-steady phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anisotropic clays are very common in practical engineering, where their constitutive relations were usually developed based on classical plasticity theory with associated flow rule. However, the softening responses of clays under compression following anisotropic consolidation can be non-associated and state-dependent. Fractional derivative is defined based on an integral form that can consider the material state and nonassociativity from the initial mathematical definition. In this study, a new anisotropic constitutive method for clay is developed by enriching the fractional plasticity with combined isotropic and rotational hardening. The developed model can consider the effect of evolving material anisotropy on the state-dependent non-associated behaviour of clay. To validate the approach, undrained and drained test results of different clays, are simulated and discussed, where a good agreement between the model simulations and test results is observed. It is also found that the material anisotropy keeps evolving with shearing, until reaching the final value at critical state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fractional plasticity was modified for soil-structure interface. • Fractional dilatancy equation was developed for normal-dilatancy of interface. • State-dependent non-associativity was captured without using plastic potential. Correct representation of the non-associated state-dependent behavior of the soil-structure interface is important for geotechnical applications. The original fractional plasticity is reformulated in this study, by exploring the stress-displacement relation of the soil-structure interface under plain strain condition. Without using additional plastic potentials, a state-dependent non-associated plastic flow vector is developed for the interface, where plastic flow direction is governed by the fractional gradient of yielding function. The developed interface model has eight constants, which can be all determined from laboratory tests. Further validation against a series of test results of different soil-structure interfaces shows that the developed model can well capture the constitutive behavior of the interface subjected to different boundary conditions. The typical normal-dilatancy and strain hardening/softening responses of the interface can be reasonably reproduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a large amount of stress-dilatancy data of Karlsruhe fine sand were examined at first, where it was found that the stress-dilatancy behaviour of Karlsruhe fine sand depended on its void ratio and pressure. To capture such state-dependent stress-dilatancy behaviour, the fractional-order dilatancy equation and Li and Dafalias [1]'s dilatancy equation, were adopted and compared. In addition, a kinematic loading surface characterising the loading/unloading directions was proposed, where the current loading surface moved kinematically within the maximum loading surface. Three hardening moduli were defined for virgin loading, unloading and reloading, respectively. Further validation against a series of monotonic and cyclic test results of Karlsruhe fine sand revealed that: models based on these two dilatancy equations can simulate the drained and undrained behaviour of Karlsruhe fine sand under monotonic and cyclic loads. The unloading-induced contractive response and reloading-induced dilative response during drained loading, as well as the butterfly-shaped liquefaction response under undrained loading can be reasonably reproduced. Li and Dafalias [1]'s dilatancy equation had a relatively better match of the stress-dilatancy data. • State-dependent stress-dilatancy and peak strength of Karlsruhe fine sand was revealed. • Two different stress-dilatancy equations were adopted and compared. • Dependence of the fractional-derivative order on material state was revealed. • Constitutive model for Karlsruhe fine sand under monotonic and cyclic loads was developed and validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study investigates the shear capacity of PC hollow slabs of existing bridges. • The effect of adding a 15-cm-thick concrete layer on shear capacity is explored. • Slabs of various span lengths were tested under incremental loading until failure. • The load-displacement curves and failure mechanisms are reported. • Modified formulae for calculating the shear capacities of the slabs are proposed. Prestressed concrete (PC) hollow slab is widely used in the construction of short and medium span highway bridges in China. With the increase in the highway load, the shear capacity of hollow slab bridges constructed before the 1990s can no longer meet the requirements of new safety regulations. Further research on the shear capacity of PC hollow slabs is necessary to ensure their safety, as these bridges continue to be operational. In this study, twelve hollow slabs with spans of 20 m, 16 m, and 10 m were tested to determine the shear performance of existing PC hollow slabs. Some hollow slabs were reinforced with a 15-cm thick concrete layer on the top surface to determine its effect on the shear capacity. The load-displacement curve, web strain, cracking and ultimate loads, and cracking and failure mode of the hollow slab were experimentally determined. The finite element method was used to simulate the shear process. The results show that the 10-m hollow slabs exhibited bending-shear failure, the 16-m hollow slabs exhibited shear compression failure, and the 20-m hollow slabs exhibited diagonal compression failure. Abdominal shear oblique cracks occurred on the webs of the hollow slabs with spans of 16 m and 20 m, whereas bending shear oblique cracks were formed in the 10-m hollow slabs. With post-casting of the 15-cm thick concrete layer, the cracking loads of the hollow slabs with spans of 10 m, 16 m, and 20 m increased by 47%, 32%, and 8%, whereas the ultimate loads increased by 41%, 22%, and 18%, respectively. A comparison of the results calculated based on design specifications and the test results shows that the design provisions for specifications related to the shear capacity are highly conservative. Finally, the conventional formula for the shear capacity was modified, and new formulas were proposed based on the test results and numerical simulation results to predict the shear capacities of the 10-m and 16-m/20-m PC hollow slabs. For these hollow slabs, the mean ratios of the calculated value to the experimental/simulated value obtained using the proposed formulas are 0.993 and 0.956, and the variances are 0.005 and 0.013, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hydroxychloroquine has been widely administered to patients with Covid-19 without robust evidence supporting its use.Methods: We examined the association between hydroxychloroquine use and intubation or death at a large medical center in New York City. Data were obtained regarding consecutive patients hospitalized with Covid-19, excluding those who were intubated, died, or discharged within 24 hours after presentation to the emergency department (study baseline). The primary end point was a composite of intubation or death in a time-to-event analysis. We compared outcomes in patients who received hydroxychloroquine with those in patients who did not, using a multivariable Cox model with inverse probability weighting according to the propensity score.Results: Of 1446 consecutive patients, 70 patients were intubated, died, or discharged within 24 hours after presentation and were excluded from the analysis. Of the remaining 1376 patients, during a median follow-up of 22.5 days, 811 (58.9%) received hydroxychloroquine (600 mg twice on day 1, then 400 mg daily for a median of 5 days); 45.8% of the patients were treated within 24 hours after presentation to the emergency department, and 85.9% within 48 hours. Hydroxychloroquine-treated patients were more severely ill at baseline than those who did not receive hydroxychloroquine (median ratio of partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen, 223 vs. 360). Overall, 346 patients (25.1%) had a primary end-point event (180 patients were intubated, of whom 66 subsequently died, and 166 died without intubation). In the main analysis, there was no significant association between hydroxychloroquine use and intubation or death (hazard ratio, 1.04, 95% confidence interval, 0.82 to 1.32). Results were similar in multiple sensitivity analyses.Conclusions: In this observational study involving patients with Covid-19 who had been admitted to the hospital, hydroxychloroquine administration was not associated with either a greatly lowered or an increased risk of the composite end point of intubation or death. Randomized, controlled trials of hydroxychloroquine in patients with Covid-19 are needed. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the distinct integral definitions of the fractional derivatives for compression and extension, a generalised state-dependent fractional plasticity model suitable for both loading cases is derived analytically to simulate the drained and undrained behaviour of granular soils. A series of triaxial tests on different granular soils are then used to validate the model. It is found that material responses, such as hardening and softening, contraction and dilation, liquefaction and steady state flow, etc., under compressive and extensive loads is well described by the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine metabolic disorders characterized by hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovaries and ovulatory dysfunction. Several studies have reported that the aberrant expression of miRNAs contributes a lot to disordered folliculogenesis in PCOS, though the role and underlying mechanism of microRNA-200b (miR-200b) and microRNA-200c (miR-200c) in the development of PCOS remain unclear. Methods: The expression of miR-200b in granulosa cells (GCs) derived from 90 PCOS patients and 70 controls was analyzed by using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Granulosa-like tumor cell line (KGN) was cultured for cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays after over-expression of miR-200b, miR-200c or knockdown phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). TargetScan was used to identify the potential targets of miR-200b and miR-200c, which was further verified by qRT-PCR, western blot and luciferase assays. Results: Significantly increased expression of miR-200b was observed in PCOS patients compared with the controls. Moreover, over-expression of miR-200b and miR-200c inhibited the proliferation of KGN cells. In addition, our results verified that miR-200b and miR-200c directly targeted PTEN, knockdown of which suppressed KGN cells proliferation. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that miR-200b and miR-200c suppress the proliferation of KGN cells by targeting PTEN, and this might provide new evidence for abnormal proliferation of GCs in PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single‐atom catalysts (SACs), with their well‐defined structure, serve as an efficient catalyst model for studying the structure‐performance relation in the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Current CO2RR research primarily focus on the coordination interactions between metal single atoms and coordinated ligands, while the impact of the metal SAC′s microenvironment remains largely unexplored. Herein, we generate three microenvironments for a CoN4 ensemble by using different nitrogen sources to prepare Co SACs, i. e. pyridine‐type Co−N4 (Co−N4 SACPhen), the pyrrole‐type Co−N4 (Co−N4 SACDp) and the mixed‐type Co−N4(Co−N4 SACMm). It reveals that the Co−N4 SACPhen contributes to CO generation with 99.5 % selectivity at −0.76 vs RHE, whereas the Co−N4 SACDp accelerates a severe hydrogen evolution reaction. Experimental studies confirmed that the Co−N4 SACPhen possesses distinctive electrochemical properties and electronic structure, with the pyridine‐N being more conducive to electron accumulation and exhibited a higher electron delocalization, thereby promoting the generation of CO. This study deepens our understanding of the cobalt SAC′s microenvironment‘s influence on CO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sanguinoderma infundibulare is a newly discovered species of Ganodermataceae known to have high medicinal and ecological values. In this study, the whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomic analyses were conducted to further understand Ganodermataceae's genomic structural and functional characteristics. Using the Illumina NovaSeq and PacBio Sequel platforms, 88 scaffolds were assembled to obtain a 48.99-Mb high-quality genome of S. infundibulare. A total of 14,146 protein-coding genes were annotated in the whole genome, with 98.6% of complete benchmarking universal single-copy orthologs (BUSCO) scores. Comparative genomic analyses were conducted among S. infundibulare , Sanguinoderma rugosum , Ganoderma lucidum , and Ganoderma sinense to determine their intergeneric differences. The 4 species were found to share 4,011 orthogroups, and 24 specific gene families were detected in the genus Sanguinoderma. The gene families associated with carbohydrate esterase in S. infundibulare were significantly abundant, which was reported to be involved in hemicellulose degradation. One specific gene family in Sanguinoderma was annotated with siroheme synthase, which may be related to the typical characteristics of fresh pore surface changing to blood red when bruised. This study enriched the available genome data for the genus Sanguinoderma , elucidated the differences between Ganoderma and Sanguinoderma , and provided insights into the characteristics of the genome structure and function of S. infundibulare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve cost competitiveness and the further application of metal-supported cells, it is important to explore cathodes suitable for low-temperature sintering. However, decreasing cathode sintering temperature while maintaining robust interface of cathode/electrolyte and decent electrochemical performances is challenging for solid oxide fuel cells. Herein, by combining the Pechini method with one-pot method, La 0.6 Sr 0.4 CoO 3-δ @ Gd 0.1 Ce 0.9 O 2-δ (LSC@GDC) composite cathodes are prepared and investigated, compared with mechanically mixed LSC-GDC cathodes. At the cathode sintering temperature of 800 °C, the LSC@GDC cathode single cells perform better performances, with deceased resistances, improved power density outputs and better feasibility to wide oxygen partial pressures from 0.21 atm down to 0.03 atm. The optimum composition of 70:30 wt% for LSC@GDC is proposed. The anode supported single cell with LSC@GDC30 cathode exhibits a maximum power density of 0.789 W/cm2 and 0.545 W/cm2 at 750 °C, under cathode oxygen partial pressure of 0.21 atm and 0.03 atm, respectively. Moreover, the low temperature sintered LSC@GDC50 cathode performs decent durability during repeatedly controlled thermal cycling over 10 times. • LSC@GDC cathode is successfully prepared by novel two-step one-pot method. • The cathode sintering activity improves as well as interface contact. • The cell performance in harsh condition is dramatically enhanced. • The cell exhibit decent long-term durability and thermal cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen-rich gas production from reforming of naphthalene as a typical tar model compound was investigated under catalytic, plasma and plasma-catalytic systems. The effect of Gd promoter and solvent on naphthalene decomposition and gaseous products within the reforming reaction was studied. The catalysts were prepared by the thermal fusion method and characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM, BET, TEM, TG and H 2 -TPR. Compared to catalytic systems and plasma systems, the plasma-catalytic system shows the highest naphthalene conversion, as well as highest yield of hydrogen-rich gas on account of the synergetic effect of plasma and catalyst. Ni–Gd/SiO 2 @Al 2 O 3 catalyst exhibits superior catalytic activity than that on Ni/SiO 2 @Al 2 O 3 , due to higher dispersity of nickel species and reducibility of catalysts, as well as more Ni0 species and more surface oxygen species. No sintering and no coke formed on the fusion used catalyst owing to low content and high dispersion of nickel species. Maximum both naphthalene conversion and H 2 yield were observed on Ni-10Gd catalyst, about 89 % and 0.17 mol/mol-naphthalene, respectively. Furthermore, the presence of OH· radicals originating from methanol and the subsequent methanol reforming reaction play a pivotal role in augmenting naphthalene conversion and facilitating the formation of H 2 , CO, and CH 4. [Display omitted] • Ni-10Gd catalyst showed the highest conversion in plasma reforming of naphthalene owing to synergetic effect. • Gd enhances the dispersity and reducibility of catalyst, Ni0 species and surface oxygen species, as well as the naphthalene disintegrates. • Fusion catalysts exhibited high resistance to carbon deposition and sintering. • More OH· radicals in methanol contribute to the activity in plasma-catalytic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly active and durable air electrodes are crucial for the commercialization of reversible proton ceramic electrochemical cells (R‐PCECs) for large‐scale energy conversion and storage that may be developed by introducing oxygen ion, electron, and proton triple conducting species into the electrode materials. Here, a new triple conducting nanocomposite is reported as a promising air electrode of R‐PCECs, which consists of a dominated cubic perovskite Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.72Fe0.18Er0.09O3‐δ and a minor Er2O3 phase, developed by Er doping induced phase separation of Ba0.5Sr0.5(Co0.8Fe0.2)0.9Er0.1O3‐δ precursor. The Er doping stimulates the primary perovskite phase to possess excellent hydration capability and oxygen activation ability, while the Er2O3 minor phase, as a high‐speed proton transport channel, further cooperates with the perovskite main phase to boost the kinetic rate of the electrode for both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR/OER). As a result, the corresponding R‐PCEC achieves extraordinary electrochemical performance in fuel cell (1.327 W cm−2 at 650 °C) and electrolysis modes (−2.227 A cm−2 at 1.3 V and 650 °C), which exceed the similar cell with a typical Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3‐δ single‐phase perovskite air electrode by 82.3% and 122.7%, respectively. This Er‐doping induced phase separation provides a new way for new bifunctional electrodes development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subgrade soils are exposed to simultaneous cyclic deviatoric stress and variable confining pressure (VCP) caused by traffic loading. However, the effect of VCP on cyclic behaviour is still debated and no attempt was made to investigate its effect on calcareous sand. In this study, high-cyclic triaxial tests with a wide range of mean effective stress, cyclic stress ratio (ζ), and VCP amplitude were conducted to understand the effect VCP on the long-term cyclic behaviour of calcareous sand. The results demonstrate that VCP has a considerable effect on the accumulated axial strain ( ε q acc ) and shakedown behaviour of calcareous sand, both of which depend greatly on the stress levels. At a low ζ, the effect of VCP on the ε q acc and plastic shakedown behaviour is insignificant, where the application of VCP tends to slightly promote the ε q acc . However, at a high ζ, ε q acc decreases significantly with an increase in the VCP amplitude. For different ζ, the damping ratio increases and resilient modulus decreases significantly as VCP amplitude increases. Moreover, microscopic observations of pore size distribution were obtained through nuclear magnetic resonance tests, and were analysed to discover the microstructural mechanism highlighting how VCP affects cyclic behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that the Maskin monotonicity⁎ condition (proposed by Bergemann et al. (2011)) fully characterizes exact rationalizable implementation in an environment with lotteries and transfers. Different from previous papers, our approach possesses many appealing features simultaneously, e.g., finite mechanisms with no integer game or modulo game are used; no transfers are made in any rationalizable profile; the message space is small; the implementation is robust to information perturbations in the sense of Oury and Tercieux (2012). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was found that the constitutive behaviour of granular soil was dependent on its density and pressure (i.e. material state). To capture such state dependence, a variety of state variables were empirically proposed and introduced into the existing plastic potential functions, which inevitably resulted in the complexity and meaninglessness of some model parameters. The purpose of this study is to theoretically investigate the state-dependent non-associated behaviour of granular soils without using predefined plastic potential and state variable. A novel state-dependent non-associated model for granular soils is mathematically developed by incorporating the stress-fractional operator into the bounding surface plasticity. Unlike previous studies using empirical state variables, the soil state and non-associativity in this study are considered via analytical solution, where a state-dependent plastic flow rule and the corresponding hardening modulus without using additional plastic potentials are obtained. Possible mathematical connection with a well-known empirical state variable is also discussed. The non-associativity between plastic flow and loading directions as well as material hardening is found to be controlled by the fractional-derivative order. To validate the proposed approach, a series of drained and undrained triaxial test results of different granular soils are simulated and compared, where a good agreement between the model predictions and the corresponding test results is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lumnitzera littorea (Jack) Voigt is one of the most endangered mangrove species in China. Previous studies have showed the impact of chilling stress on L. littorea and the repsonses at physiological and biochemical levels, but few attentions have been paid at molecular level. In this study, we conducted genome-wide investigation of transcriptional and post-transcriptional dynamics in L. littorea in response to chilling stress (8 °C day/5 °C night). In the seedlings of L. littorea , chilling sensing and signal transducing, photosystem II regeneration and peroxidase-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging were substantially enhanced to combat the adverse impact induced by chilling exposure. We further revealed that alternative polyadenylation (APA) events participated in chilling stress-responsive processes, including energy metabolism and steroid biosynthesis. Furthermore, APA-mediated miRNA regulations downregulated the expression of the genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and elongation, and protein phosphorylation, reflecting the important role of post-transcriptional regulation in modulating chilling tolerance in L. littorea. Our findings present a molecular view to the adaptive characteristics of L. littorea and shed light on the conservation genomic approaches of endangered mangrove species. • Chilling stress caused damage to cell membrane and photosynthesis of L. littorea. • L. littorea coped with cold stress at transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. • Photosystem II regeneration and ROS scavenging were enhanced against oxidative damage. • APA acts a fine-tuning role in regulating stress-responsive gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractParticle breakage usually takes place within sand when subjected to external loading, which changes the critical state line (CSL) and stress-strain behavior of sand. To consider such effect, different expressions for the CSL with consideration of particle breakage have been proposed, which can be sorted in two categories: (i) CSL through explicit incorporation of particle breakage ratio into the e – ln p′ relation, (ii) CSL through implicitly empirical correlation, e.g., e – p′0.7 and e – exp(p′ζ) relations. However, limited studies were made on comparing the performances of these expressions. This study inspects the efficiency of three representative CSLs from categories i and ii, for SANISAND modelling of sand. It was found that all the CSLs can capture the constitutive responses of sands under axisymmetric drained and undrained loads, to some extent. However, e – p′0.7 and e – exp(p′ζ) relations are comparatively simple and share an equivalently accurate performance at low to medium high pressures, whereas e – exp(p′ζ) relation works the best among others at high pressures. To more highlight the physical role of particle breakage, the CSL in category i can be suggested. Otherwise, the CSLs in category ii are recommended in modelling practices, because of the comparatively succinct expressions and less model parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we address the problem of estimating transport surplus (a.k.a. matching affinity) in high-dimensional optimal transport problems. Classical optimal transport theory specifies the matching affinity and determines the optimal joint distribution. In contrast, we study the inverse problem of estimating matching affinity based on the observation of the joint distribution, using an entropic regularization of the problem. To accommodate high dimensionality of the data, we propose a novel method that incorporates a nuclear norm regularization that effectively enforces a rank constraint on the affinity matrix. The low-rank matrix estimated in this way reveals the main factors that are relevant for matching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe a novel iterative procedure called SISTA to learn the underlying cost in optimal transport problems. SISTA is a hybrid between two classical methods, coordinate descent ("S"‐inkhorn) and proximal gradient descent ("ISTA"). It alternates between a phase of exact minimization over the transport potentials and a phase of proximal gradient descent over the parameters of the transport cost. We prove that this method converges linearly, and we illustrate on simulated examples that it is significantly faster than both coordinate descent and ISTA. We apply it to estimating a model of migration, which predicts the flow of migrants using country‐specific characteristics and pairwise measures of dissimilarity between countries. This application demonstrates the effectiveness of machine learning in quantitative social sciences. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Emerging variants and sublineages of SARS‐CoV‐2 have differing disease severity, transmissibility, and immune evasion. The neurological conditions associated with the original strain of SARS‐CoV‐2 are well established. Our study assessed the neurological presentations specific to hospitalized patients during the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant surge in New York City. Methods: A total of 178 cases with positive RT‐PCR result within 6 weeks before admission, and subsequent development of select neurological conditions during the SARS‐CoV‐2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) surge between December 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022, were included from 12,800 SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive hospital admissions. Clinical data from acute hospitalizations were compared to findings of inpatient neurological cases with COVID‐19 infections from the initial surge in NYC in the same hospital system. Results: Compared to SARS‐CoV‐2 infections of the original strain, COVID‐19 cases hospitalized during the Omicron surge (B.1.1.529) were associated with incidental and/or asymptomatic COVID‐19 cases (96, 53.9%) and an increased incidence of pre‐existing neurological and immunocompromising conditions. Encephalopathy, seizures, and stroke remained the most prevalent neurological conditions identified in hospitalized COVID‐19 cases during the study period, reflecting a similar distribution of neurological presentations associated with the original strain. Interpretation: In our cohort of 178 admitted SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive patients with select neurological conditions during the Omicron B.1.1.529 surge, 54% of COVID‐19 cases were considered incidental and/or asymptomatic, and the identified neurological conditions resembled those associated with the original SARS‐CoV‐2 strain. Further studies characterizing neurological presentation in Omicron sublineages and other variants are warranted in an ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion processes are widespread in biological and chemical systems, where they play a fundamental role in the exchange of substances at the cellular level and in determining the rate of chemical reactions. Recently, the classical picture that portrays diffusion as random uncorrelated motion of molecules has been revised, when it was shown that giant non-equilibrium fluctuations develop during diffusion processes. Under microgravity conditions and at steady-state, non-equilibrium fluctuations exhibit scale invariance and their size is only limited by the boundaries of the system. In this work, we investigate the onset of non-equilibrium concentration fluctuations induced by thermophoretic diffusion in microgravity, a regime not accessible to analytical calculations but of great relevance for the understanding of several natural and technological processes. A combination of state of the art simulations and experiments allows us to attain a fully quantitative description of the development of fluctuations during transient diffusion in microgravity. Both experiments and simulations show that during the onset the fluctuations exhibit scale invariance at large wave vectors. In a broader range of wave vectors simulations predict a spinodal-like growth of fluctuations, where the amplitude and length-scale of the dominant mode are determined by the thickness of the diffuse layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) is an efficient green hydrogen production technology, which is a reverse of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). In this paper, an anode-supported SOEC produced via multi-layer organic co-tape casting with co-sintering process is investigated for high temperature steam electrolysis, carbon dioxide electrolysis, and co-electrolysis. SOEC cathode must maintain its electrocatalytic activity in a high temperature and humidity condition. La 0.75 Sr 0.25 Cr 0.5 Mn 0.5 O 3-δ (LSCM) is one of the most promising cathode materials because of its superior electrocatalytic ability and redox stability. The anode-supported structure of electrolysis cell reduces ohmic resistance obviously and LSCM cathode exhibits good catalytic performance. To evaluate the performance of co-electrolysis, a continuous voltage of 1 V is applied for 256 h with 60% H 2 O and 40% CO 2 at 750 °C. The anode-supported SOEC with LSM((La 0.8 Sr 0.2) 0.95 Mn 0.5 O 3-δ)/LSM-YSZ(Zr 0.92 Y 0.08 O 2-δ)/YSZ/LSCM structure has good electrochemical performance and durability under co-electrolysis conditions combined with the distribution relaxation of time analysis of impedance spectra. • An anode-supported SOEC was fabricated by multi-layer organic co-tape casting. • The cell's structure was LSM/LSM-YSZ/YSZ/LSCM. • The anode-supported SOEC with LSCM cathode was used for co-electrolysis. • LSCM cathode showed good catalytic performance and stability of the structure. • The current density is about 2 A cm−2 after constant electrolysis 200 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Oxygen etching was used at 250 °C to produce MOF-derived nickel/carbon SAC (Ni 1 @C-250A) without nanoparticles. • Ni 1 @C-250A exhibits faradaic efficiency of ∼ 100% for producing syngas with the high stability. • The CO/H 2 ratio of syngas can be adjusted in a wide range from 1.5:1 to 4.3:1. Metal single-atom catalysts (SACs) supported on carbon mainly produce syngas in electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR), in comparison with the dominant H 2 production on nanoparticles. However, it is a major challenge to prepare the carbon-supported SACs without the presence of nanoparticles using conventional pyrolysis. Here, we report the approach involving oxygen etching at 250 °C to produce MOF-derived nickel/carbon SAC (Ni 1 @C-250A). The combination of oxygen etching with acid treatment completely removes the Ni nanoparticles, only showing the existence of single-atom Ni species. In CO 2 RR, the Ni 1 @C-250A exhibits excellent faradaic efficiency (FE) of ∼ 100% for syngas production with the excellent stability for 360 min time-on-stream. In addition, the CO/H 2 ratio can be adjusted in a wide range from 1.5:1 to 4.3:1. This approach involving oxygen etching offers a promising strategy to dominantly produce SACs used for CO 2 RR to generate syngas, which is an important platform feedstock for the utilization of carbon-based energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of globalization and informatisation, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) imposes a huge impact on everyone's life [1], as what the COVID-19 has demonstrated at the moment. The COVID-19 epidemic could approach the zero growth in the number of newly confirmed cases during the period of February 19 to 29 in the whole of China except Hubei. [Extracted from the article]

Salts reduction/substitution have gained a lot interest from food industry since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a draft guidance for salt reduction. However how changes of salts in food formulation could influence lipid oxidation is still not fully understood. Using oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by a natural emulsifier – lecithin at pH 7.0 as a model system, this study evaluated how salts affect the physical parameters of the emulsion, the chelating activity of lecithin and thus the lipid oxidation of these emulsions. Results showed that salts increased the particle size, the negative charge of the oil droplets, and the amount of iron chelated by lecithin. Lipid oxidation lag phases were shortened by addition of salts, by 1 day and 2 days for lipid hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances measurements respectively. These results provide some new insights on the mechanisms of how salts could affect the lipid oxidation of food emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Depressurization followed CO 2 -N 2 injection for CH 4 recovery and CO 2 sequestration. • Effect of MH dissociation ratio on subsequently mixed hydrate formation. • CH 4 hydrate re-formation and dissociation occurred depending on CH 4 hydrate left. • CO 2 hydrate formation depended on the CH 4 left in both gas phase and hydrate phase. • Increasing CH 4 production decreased the CO 2 sequestration and hydrate restoration. Natural gas hydrates (NGHs) buried below the seafloor are globally abundant, energy-dense, and essential to the world's future energy mix. The combination of depressurization and CO 2 -N 2 injection processes for NGHs recovery has been identified as an environmental method to harvest energy, CO 2 sequestration, and to maintain the mechanical stability of sediment. In this regime, partial CH 4 was produced by depressurization followed by CO 2 -N 2 injection to form CH 4 -CO 2 -N 2 mixed hydrate (Mix-H). In this study, a series experiments were designed to examine the key factors in the depressurization process (i.e. bottom hole pressure BHP and CH 4 production ratio) on the subsequent processes of Mix-H formation, CO 2 sequestration and hydrate restoration. It was observed that Mix-H formation occurred in all cases, but the final amount of Mix-H were all lower than the initial amount of MH before depressurization. Particularly, the formation of CO 2 /N 2 hydrate in Mix-H is positively correlated with the amount of remaining CH 4 in the combined phases of gas and hydrate after depressurization. The formation of CH 4 hydrate in Mix-H during the reformation process occurred in five cases when MH dissociation ratio (D MH) reaches above 45.1 % during depressurization. MH was only observed to dissociate continuously after CO 2 /N 2 injection when D MH is low at 30.8 %, which indicates possible "CH 4 -CO 2 replacement reaction". Overall, increasing CH 4 production at the same BHP decreases the CO 2 sequestration and hydrate restoration. We first verified the feasibility of the combination method for synergistic CH 4 recovery and CO 2 sequestration in marine conditions. The experimental results provide possible guidance on the optimal design of the coupled processes and shed light on the relationship between CH 4 recovery and CO 2 sequestration that need to be wholistically balanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To assess the clinical value of dual tracers Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) 18F-fluoroestradiol (18F-FES) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) in predicting neoadjuvant chemotherapy response (NAC) of breast cancer. Methods:Eighteen consecutive patients with newly diagnosed, non-inflammatory, stage II and III breast cancer undergoing NAC were included. Before chemotherapy, they underwent both 18F-FES and 18F-FDG PET/CT scans. Surgery was performed after three to six cycles of chemotherapy. Tumor response was graded and divided into two groups: the responders and non-responders. We used the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) to qualify each primary lesion. Results:Pathologic analysis revealed 10 patients were responders while the other 8 patients were non-responders. There was no statistical difference of SUVmax-FDG and tumor size between these two groups (P>0.05). On the contrary, SUVmax-FES was lower in responders (1.75±0.66 versus 4.42±1.14; U=5, P=0.002); and SUVmax-FES/FDG also showed great value in predicting outcome (0.16±0.06 versus 0.54±0.22; U=5, P=0.002). Conclusions:Our study showed 18F-FES PET/CT might be feasible to predict response of NAC. However, whether the use of dual tracers 18F-FES and 18F-FDG has complementary value should be further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BRD4 is a well‐recognized transcriptional activator, but how it regulates gene transcriptional repression in a cell type‐specific manner has remained elusive. In this study, we report that BRD4 works with Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to repress transcriptional expression of the T‐helper 2 (Th2)‐negative regulators Foxp3 and E3‐ubiqutin ligase Fbxw7 during lineage‐specific differentiation of Th2 cells from mouse primary naïve CD4+ T cells. Brd4 binds to the lysine‐acetylated‐EED subunit of the PRC2 complex via its second bromodomain (BD2) to facilitate histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) at target gene loci and thereby transcriptional repression. We found that Foxp3 represses transcription of Th2‐specific transcription factor Gata3, while Fbxw7 promotes its ubiquitination‐directed protein degradation. BRD4‐mediated repression of Foxp3 and Fbxw7 in turn promotes BRD4‐ and Gata3‐mediated transcriptional activation of Th2 cytokines including Il4, Il5, and Il13. Chemical inhibition of the BRD4 BD2 induces transcriptional de‐repression of Foxp3 and Fbxw7, and thus transcriptional downregulation of Il4, Il5, and Il13, resulting in inhibition of Th2 cell lineage differentiation. Our study presents a previously unappreciated mechanism of BRD4's role in orchestrating a Th2‐specific transcriptional program that coordinates gene repression and activation, and safeguards cell lineage differentiation. Synopsis: Brd4 interacts with Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to repress transcriptional expression of T‐helper 2 (Th2)‐negative regulators Foxp3 and E3‐ubiqutin ligase Fbxw7 during lineage‐specific differentiation of Th2 cells from mouse primary naïve CD4+ T cells. Brd4 promotes Th2 cell differentiation and murine airway inflammation.Brd4 represses a key gene transcriptional program during Th2 cell differentiation.Brd4 recruits PRC2 subunits to repress Th2 negative regulators via H3K27me3.Brd4‐BD2 interacts with the lysine‐acetylated‐EED subunit of PRC2 to promote transcriptional repression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of an anisotropic stress state on the monotonic behavior of calcareous sand has been rarely investigated, although calcareous sands in the field mainly experience anisotropic consolidation rather than isotropic consolidation. This study provides a laboratory study of the undrained and drained behaviors of dense calcareous sand consolidated anisotropically under various initial mean effective stresses (p0′) and anisotropic stress ratios (Kc), where significant effects of p0′ and Kc on the strength-deformation-degradation characteristics of calcareous sand can be observed. For undrained tests, higher deviatoric stress can be reached under a lower p0′. This could be due to the buildup of negative excess pore-water pressure (u) induced by sample dilatancy. As Kc increased, the negative u accumulated more distinctly, whereas the maximum and minimum u decreased. For drained tests, the maximum deviatoric stress decreased as Kc increased, even though more dilatancy occurred. Undrained loading generally resulted in a higher extent of particle breakage due to the buildup of negative u that increased the mean effective stress. A unique critical-state line was observed in both isotropic and anisotropic samples regardless of the loading condition. However, unlike quartz sand, a pseudosteady state that defined the transition from a dilatancy-dominant nonflow response to breakage-dominant stress degradation was observed in calcareous sand before reaching the critical state. Results also reveal the negligible effect of Kc on the peak-state stress ratio at undrained conditions. However, Kc had significant effect on stress ratio at peak or phase-transformation state in experiments under drained conditions, which can be well represented by using the concept of state dependence. Moreover, Kc had an adverse effect on the initial secant modulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gradient direction and fractional derivative direction of one function can be coaxial or non-coaxial, and this depends on the order value of fractional derivative. A fractional plasticity model was developed by using Caputo fractional derivative and a dilatancy equation pondering particle breakage for rockfill material in this study. In this fractional plasticity model, the gradient direction and fractional derivative direction of the plastic potential function derived from a dilatancy equation were deduced and further used as the plastic flow direction and loading direction respectively, and the order controls the non-associated feature between the plastic flow direction and loading direction. For validation, drained triaxial test results under different stress paths of five rockfill materials are simulated by the proposed fractional plasticity model. It can be found from comparisons between the drained triaxial compression test results of rockfill materials and corresponding model predictions that the proposed model can well capture the stress-strain characteristics of rockfill material, including strain hardening and volume change behaviors etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maximum shear modulus (Gmax) is a key material characteristic that is incorporated in advanced soil constitutive models. Numerous experimental studies have been conducted to describe the effects of particle sizes and packing characteristics on Gmax. However, most of these studies were conducted on quartz-based sands. A review of the literature revealed that few studies have described the effects of grain size distribution (GSD) on Gmax in calcareous sands. Therefore, bender element (BE) tests were performed on calcareous sands with different mean grain sizes (d50), uniformity coefficients (Cu), and void ratios to obtain Gmax. The BE results revealed that the Gmax of calcareous sand increases slightly with increasing d50 but decreases significantly with increasing Cu. A modified model of Gmax incorporating the effects Cu and d50 was therefore developed for calcareous sand. Moreover, microscopic observations of pore size distributions (PSD) obtained from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tests were presented to demonstrate the effect of GSD on PSD and its correlation with Gmax. The NMR results revealed that the interaggregate pore structure proportion and uniformity of the PSD decreased significantly with increasing Cu but increased slightly with increasing d50. The underlying mechanism for the effect of GSD on Gmax was related to its substantial impact on microstructure. The significant decrease in Gmax with increasing Cu can be attributed to the remarkable reduction in the ratio of the interaggregate void ratio to the intraaggregate void ratio. Additionally, Gmax was enhanced as the heterogeneity of the microporosity structure distribution decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation infrastructures filled with calcareous sand are subjected to a high-cyclic loading. Existing studies indicated that a key challenge in predicting the cumulative deformation of calcareous sand was a lack of thorough knowledge about the effects of various important field factors. This paper presents an experimental study on the drained monotonic and high-cyclic triaxial behavior of calcareous sand. The dependencies of cumulative deformation and particle breakage behavior on practical variables, such as mean effective stress (p '), cyclic stress ratio (ζ), void ratio (e), and stress-induced anisotropy, etc., were summarized for calcareous sand. It was found that a larger e and consolidation anisotropy led to a significant increase in the accumulated axial strain, transforming the stable shakedown behavior to transitional or unstable shakedown behaviors. The increase in anisotropy can cause a remarkable increase in dilatancy, as well as a severe failure. A phase transition state line (PTSL) was observed to exist in e -(p / p a)0.7 plane under high-cyclic loading, where the PTSL was found dependent on initial void ratios. As the p ', ζ , e , and anisotropy increase, a larger particle breakage index (B r) of calcareous sand was observed, where the total input energy (W in) played a substantial role. The relationship between B r and W in was found to be unique under high-cyclic loading, regardless of the stress conditions and initial void ratios. Moreover, the relationship between B r and W in under high-cyclic loading was discovered to differ dramatically from that under monotonic loading. An appropriate equation was thus developed to describe the correlation between B r and W in for high-cyclic loading. • Dependencies of cumulative deformation and particle breakage on field parameters are highlighted for calcareous sand. • A phase transition state line dependent on void ratio is observed under high-cyclic loading. • The energy consumption for particle breakage under high-cyclic loading is compared with that under monotonic loading. • The correlation between paticle breakage and energy under high-cyclic loading is unique regardless of stress and void ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious threat to human health, and new antimicrobial agents are desperately needed. Plant flavonoids are increasingly being paid attention to for their antibacterial activities, for the enhancing of the antibacterial activity of antimicrobials, and for the reversing of AMR. To obtain more scientific and reliable equations, another two regression equations, between the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (y) and the lipophilicity parameter ACD/LogP or LogD7.40 (x), were established once again, based on the reported data. Using statistical methods, the best one of the four regression equations, including the two previously reported, with regard to the antimicrobial quantitative relationship of plant flavonoids to Gram-positive bacteria, is y = −0.1285 x6 + 0.7944 x5 + 51.785 x4 − 947.64 x3 + 6638.7 x2 − 21,273 x + 26,087; here, x is the LogP value. From this equation, the MICs of most plant flavonoids to Gram-positive bacteria can be calculated, and the minimum MIC was predicted as approximately 0.9644 μM and was probably from 0.24 to 0.96 μM. This more reliable equation further proved that the lipophilicity is a key factor of plant flavonoids against Gram-positive bacteria; this was further confirmed by the more intuitive evidence subsequently provided. Based on the antibacterial mechanism proposed in our previous work, these also confirmed the antibacterial mechanism: the cell membrane is the major site of plant flavonoids acting on the Gram-positive bacteria, and this involves the damage of the phospholipid bilayers. The above will greatly accelerate the discovery and application of plant flavonoids with remarkable antibacterial activity and the thorough research on their antimicrobial mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power conversion efficiency (PCE) and long‐term stability are two vital issues for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, there is still a lack of suitable hole transport layers (HTLs) to endow PSCs with both high efficiency and stability. Here, NiOx nanoparticles are promoted as an efficient and 85 °C/85%‐stable inorganic HTL for high‐performance n‐i‐p PSCs, with the introduction of perovskite quantum dots (QDs) between perovskite and NiOx as systematic interfacial engineering. The QD intercalation enhances film morphology and assembly regulation of NiOx HTLs. Due to structure–function correlations, hole mobility within NiOx HTL is improved. And the hole extraction from perovskite to NiOx is also facilitated, resulting from reduced trap states and optimized energy level alignments. Hence, the promoted NiOx‐based n‐i‐p PSCs exhibit high PCE (21.59%) and excellent stability (sustaining 85 °C aging in air without encapsulation). Furthermore, encapsulated solar modules with QDs‐promoted NiOx HTLs show impressive stability during 85 °C/85% aging test for 1000 hours. With high transparency, QDs‐promoted NiOx is also demonstrated to be an advanced HTL for semitransparent PSCs. This work develops promising NiOx inorganic HTL in n‐i‐p PSCs for manufacturing next‐generation photovoltaic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers operating below 600 °C, ideally below 400 °C, are essential components in the clean energy transition. Yttrium‐doped barium zirconate BaZr0.8Y0.2O3‐d (BZY) has attracted a lot of attention as a proton‐conducting solid oxide for electrochemical devices due to its high chemical stability and proton conductivity in the desired temperature range. Grain interfaces and topological defects modulate bulk proton conductivity and hydration, especially at low temperatures. Therefore, understanding the nanoscale crystal structure dynamics in situ is crucial to achieving high proton transport, material stability, and extending the operating range of proton‐conducting solid oxides. Here, Bragg coherent X‐ray diffractive imaging is applied to investigate in situ and in 3D nanoscale dynamics in BZY during hydration over 40 h at 200 °C, in the low‐temperature range. An unexpected activity of topological defects and subsequent cracking is found on a nanoscale covered by the macroscale stability. The rearrangements in structure correlate with emergent regions of different lattice constants, suggesting heterogeneous hydration. The results highlight the extent and impact of nanoscale processes in proton‐conducting solid oxides, informing future development of low‐temperature protonic ceramic electrochemical cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an efficient synthesis of 3-hydroxy chromones was accomplished through oxidative cyclization mediated by lipase. This enzymatic process has salient features of environmental friendliness, mild reaction condition, satisfactory yield, green reusable biocatalyst, and short reaction time. The proposed method expands the application of lipase in organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Herpes simplex virus–1 is the most common cause of sporadic encephalitis worldwide and requires prompt antiviral treatment. Traditionally, herpes simplex virus–1 (HSV-1) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing is conducted using standalone polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The BioFire CSF FilmArray Meningitis/Encephalitis Panel (BioFire ME Panel) was introduced in 2015 at our institution, providing an alternative method of HSV-1 CSF testing. This study assesses the impact of the BioFire ME Panel on duration of intravenous acyclovir treatment. Methods A retrospective review of electronic medical records between 2010 and 2019 was performed. Information on intravenous acyclovir treatment and HSV-1 CSF testing was collected and analyzed. Our descriptive analysis included Mann-Whitney tests, 2 proportion Z-tests, and logistic regression. Results Our CSF HSV-1-negative cohort included 524 BioFire patients (125 pediatric, 399 adult) and 287 standalone PCR patients (115 pediatric, 172 adult). Across both pediatric and adult groups, patients who were tested for HSV-1 with the BioFire ME Panel had shorter average (SD) durations of intravenous acyclovir treatment (pediatric: 2.00 [5.71] days; adult: 3.26 [6.59] days) compared with patients tested with standalone PCR (pediatric: 4.83 [8.62] days; adult: 4.93 [8.46] days; P  < .001). Time from lumbar puncture collection to HSV-1 results was additionally faster on average for the BioFire ME Panel than the standalone PCR (P  < .001). Conclusions The implementation of the BioFire ME Panel shortened CSF HSV-1 PCR result time and intravenous acyclovir duration. The shortened treatment and testing times from the BioFire ME Panel implementation may reduce hospital treatment costs and unnecessary use of antiviral treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the intermediate principal stress ratio (i.e., the b -value) on the stress–dilatancy relation of coarse granular soils was investigated by a series of true triaxial compression tests conducted under the constant- p ′ and constant- b loading conditions. It was observed that the peak and critical state friction angles increased with decreasing confining pressure or increasing b -value. An increase in the confining pressure or b -value resulted in a decrease in the maximum dilatancy angle. In addition, the relationship between the excess friction angle (i.e., the difference between the peak and critical state angles) and maximum dilatancy angle was greatly influenced by the b -value. A linear equation incorporating the effect of the b -value was proposed for this stress–dilatancy relationship. The perditions of the proposed equation could be in good agreement with the test data of coarse granular soils. The proposed b -dependent stress–dilatancy equation could be useful in the foundation of a constitutive model for granular soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]