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• Most LUE models incorporating diffuse radiation impacts perform better than MOD17. • LUE models considering diffuse radiation explain 46.7–63.6% of the variation in daily GPP. • The LUE models perform poorly in EBF and CRO but well in DBF. • Two-leaf models with higher LAI sensitivity have greater potential to capture DRF. • Reliable LAI data is crucial to further improving two-leaf model performance. Estimating dynamic changes in gross primary productivity (GPP) of terrestrial ecosystems has always been challenging. Indeed, light use efficiency (LUE) models are extensively employed to capture GPP dynamics. Improved big-leaf LUE models by introducing a cloudiness scalar and two-leaf LUE models by dividing the canopy into shaded and sunlit leaves are two improved families for addressing the widely-recognized effects of diffuse radiation on terrestrial ecosystem GPP. However, the global performance in simulating GPP dynamics between such models has not been evaluated comprehensively. Here, we assess and compare the global performance of the ten LUE models considering diffuse radiation impacts (CFLUX, DIFFUSE, CI-LUE, CCW, Wang's Model, CI-EF, TL-LUE, TL-LUEn, DTEC, and RTL-LUE) at 102 flux sites in a standardized framework. Results indicate that LUE models considering diffuse radiation impacts can explain 46.7–63.6% of daily GPP variability obtained by the eddy covariance technique. Seven of the ten models show a better performance across all ecosystems than MOD17, despite the relatively poor performance of three (i.e., DIFFUSE, Wang's Model, and DTEC). The seven improved models exhibiting a similar explanation of GPP EC perform poorly in evergreen broadleaf forests and croplands but well in deciduous broadleaf forests. Although two-leaf models with higher leaf area index (LAI) sensitivity and better model structure have greater potential to describe diffuse radiation fertilization (DRF), their performance in capturing GPP dynamics is limited by the uncertainties of remote sensing data. This study indicates the importance of accurate LAI for two-leaf models and emphasizes the necessity of incorporating diffuse radiation impacts into the global GPP estimates in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathepsin H and Cathepsin B are two lysosomal cysteine proteases participating in various physiological processes including immune responses. In fish, the functional roles of Cathepsin H and Cathepsin B during bacterial infection are less understood. In a previous work, we characterized a Cathepsin B homologue (CsCatB) of half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), an economically valuable fish species in China. In this report, we identified a Cathepsin H homologue (CsCatH) from C. semilaevis. In healthy tongue sole, the transcriptional expression of CsCatH was detected in nine different tissues. Laser scanning confocal microscopic analysis showed that ectopically expressed CsCatH and CsCatB were co-localized with the lysosome. Upon infection by Edwardsiella tarda , a significant fish pathogen which caused a severe fish disease termed edwardsiellosis, the expressions of CsCatH and CsCatB were remarkedly upregulated. The knockdown of CsCatH and CsCatB significantly increased the replication of E. tarda and mitigated E. tarda -induced apoptosis in tongue sole tissues. These findings revealed the importance of CsCatH and CsCatB in anti-bacterial immunity of tongue sole. • A cathepsin H homologue, CsCatH, was identified from Cynoglossus semilaevis. • The mRNA of CsCatH was detected in nine tissues of C. semilaevis. • The expressions of CsCatH and CsCatB were induced by Edwardsiella tarda infection. • RNAi of CsCatH or CsCatB led to enhanced bacterial dissemination. • RNAi of CsCatH or CsCatB led to reduced apoptosis upon E. tarda infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membrane having excellent permeability and desired rejection is needed for water reuse and desalination. However, it remains a tremendous challenge to boost permeability while sustaining the rejection of the membrane. Herein, a novel TFC NF membrane possessing a thin and crumpled polyamide (PA) selective layer was fabricated using heterostructural MXene-TiO 2 as interlayer through a conventional interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction. The heterostructural MXene-TiO 2 was obtained by the in situ MXene oxidation with peroxymonosulfate (PMS), which effectively regulated the nanostructure of the interlayer and avoided the over-stacking of the nanosheets, promoting the rapid transport of water molecules. Moreover, the large specific area and numerous edges of MXene-TiO 2 boosted the adsorption and release of amine monomers on the substrates, facilitating the crumpled structure formation. In this way, the obtained membrane with 30.25 nm in thickness achieved a 98.29 % rejection for MgSO 4 and an enhanced water permeance of 11.10 L m−2 h−1 bar−1, about 2.5 times that of TFC 0 NF membrane. Our work presents a novel approach of feasibility to engineer a TFC NF membrane with outstanding performance for water treatment. [Display omitted] • TiO 2 nanoparticles expanded the nanochannels of MXene layers. • The heterostructural MXene-TiO 2 was introduced as an interlayer. • MXene-TiO 2 interlayer facilitated the formation of ultrathin and denser PA layer. • The crumpled membrane exhibited a good permeability and rejection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A cobalt-containing polyvinylimidazole ionic liquid catalyst was syntherized. • The cobalt ionic liquids chemical bonded C C aggregative chain. • The poly-ionic liquid catalyst was coupled with persulfate for desulfurization. • The catalyst exhibited an excellent desulfurization activity at mild conditions. • The dosage of poly-ionic liquid catalyst was at a very low level. Poly-ionic liquid catalyst has both the advantages of ionic liquid and polymer, and overcomes the poor fluidity of ionic liquid, so it has become one of the hot spots in catalytic oxidative desulfurization. A polyvinyl-3-butylimidazolium cobalt chloride salt (poly-[BVIM][CoCl 3 ]) ionic liquid catalyst was prepared and characterized. When coupled with potassium monopersulfate (PMS), the catalyst formed a catalytic oxidative desulfurization system. The results showed that the prepared poly-[BVIM][CoCl 3 ] system had a microsphere morphology with a diameter of 28 μm, and the interior structure was a mesoporous structure formed via the self-assembly of two-dimensional thin-layered nanowires with a carbon skeleton width of 20 nm. The specific surface area was 10.54 m2·g−1, the pore volume was 0.029 cc·g−1, and the average pore diameter was 3.5 nm. The optimum experimental conditions were: a catalyst dosage of 20 mg, 0.4 g of PMS (20 %) as oxidant, a reaction temperature of 20 °C, 2 g of acetonitrile as extractant, simulated sulfur-containing oil with dibenzothiophene (DBT) concentration of 500 ppm, and an initial sulfur content of 6 g. After 20 min, the sulfur removal reached more than 99 % and remained over 90 % even after the catalyst was recycled five times. The desulfurization sequence for different organosulfur compounds was DBT greater than 4,6-dimethyl dibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) > benzothiophene (BT). The main desulfurization product was determined to be DBTO 2 by GC–MS analysis, and the speculated desulfurization mechanism was that Co(II) catalyzed PMS to form ·SO 4 −, which then oxidized the target molecules. The extraction-catalytic-oxidative desulfurization kinetic was established and verified that the desulfurization process accorded with zero-order reaction kinetics. The reaction rate constant (k p) for the production of ·SO 4 − was estimated to be 4.24 × 10−9 ppm−1·min−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A cobalt-containing polyvinylimidazole ionic liquid catalyst was syntherized. • The cobalt ionic liquids chemical bonded C C aggregative chain. • The poly-ionic liquid catalyst was coupled with persulfate for desulfurization. • The catalyst exhibited an excellent desulfurization activity at mild conditions. • The dosage of poly-ionic liquid catalyst was at a very low level. Poly-ionic liquid catalyst has both the advantages of ionic liquid and polymer, and overcomes the poor fluidity of ionic liquid, so it has become one of the hot spots in catalytic oxidative desulfurization. A polyvinyl-3-butylimidazolium cobalt chloride salt (poly-[BVIM][CoCl 3 ]) ionic liquid catalyst was prepared and characterized. When coupled with potassium monopersulfate (PMS), the catalyst formed a catalytic oxidative desulfurization system. The results showed that the prepared poly-[BVIM][CoCl 3 ] system had a microsphere morphology with a diameter of 28 μm, and the interior structure was a mesoporous structure formed via the self-assembly of two-dimensional thin-layered nanowires with a carbon skeleton width of 20 nm. The specific surface area was 10.54 m2·g−1, the pore volume was 0.029 cc·g−1, and the average pore diameter was 3.5 nm. The optimum experimental conditions were: a catalyst dosage of 20 mg, 0.4 g of PMS (20 %) as oxidant, a reaction temperature of 20 °C, 2 g of acetonitrile as extractant, simulated sulfur-containing oil with dibenzothiophene (DBT) concentration of 500 ppm, and an initial sulfur content of 6 g. After 20 min, the sulfur removal reached more than 99 % and remained over 90 % even after the catalyst was recycled five times. The desulfurization sequence for different organosulfur compounds was DBT greater than 4,6-dimethyl dibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) > benzothiophene (BT). The main desulfurization product was determined to be DBTO 2 by GC–MS analysis, and the speculated desulfurization mechanism was that Co(II) catalyzed PMS to form ·SO 4 −, which then oxidized the target molecules. The extraction-catalytic-oxidative desulfurization kinetic was established and verified that the desulfurization process accorded with zero-order reaction kinetics. The reaction rate constant (k p) for the production of ·SO 4 − was estimated to be 4.24 × 10−9 ppm−1·min−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel copper sulfide nanoparticles formation pathway via cysteine mineralization was found. • sseA gene played a dominant role in production of sulfide from cysteine. • The cysteine mineralizing microbes were abundant and taxonomically diverse. • Proteobacteria , Firmicutes , and Thaumarchaeota were the major cysteine utilizers. Sulfur cycling is known to control the speciation and bioavailability of copper in the environment via inorganic sulfur oxidation and reduction. However, it remains unclear how the mineralization of organic sulfur and associated microbial processes affect Cu transformations. This study discovered a neglected mechanism that mediates Cu mobility and speciation via cysteine mineralization in a paddy soil. We provide evidence for a pathway of sulfide production from cysteine via indigenous soil microorganisms. The produced sulfide promotes the formation of copper sulfide nanoparticles, constituting an alternative copper sulfide formation mechanism that bypasses sulfate reduction. A bacterium isolated from the soil, named Bacillus sp. TR1, played a role in forming cell-associated copper sulfide nanoparticles. A metagenomics approach was applied to detect genes related to cysteine mineralization (dcyD , CTH , CBS , and sseA) and the associated microbes in the soil. The sseA gene was most abundant, and the microorganisms involved in cysteine mineralization were taxonomically diverse, including members of phyla Proteobacteria , Firmicutes , and Thaumarchaeota. Geobacter , Sulfuriferula , Nitrososphaera , Noviherbaspirillum , and Clostridium were the dominant genera with potential to metabolize cysteine to form copper sulfide nanoparticles. Our study not only provides initial molecular-level insights into the abundance, diversity, and metabolism of cysteine-mineralizing microorganisms but also highlights their important ecological functions in metal and sulfur biogeochemical cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Membrane distillation was integrated with heated persulfate activation to alleviate membrane fouling. • GC × GC−TOF−MS was used to characterize the molecular fate of DOM. • Molecular variation and mineralization of DOM occurred synchronously during pretreatment. • Aliphatic substances were mainly responsible for the membrane fouling. Sulfate radical (SO 4 ●−) based advanced oxidation is considered as a promising pretreatment strategy to degrade organic pollutants and thereby mitigate the membrane fouling in the membrane process. In this study, heat-activated persulfate (PS) activation was integrated with the membrane distillation (MD) process for the alleviation of membrane fouling in treatment of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) secondary effluent and surface water. In-depth understanding of the molecular fate during membrane fouling control process was performed by using a non-targeted screening method of two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC−TOF−MS) coupling with multiple characterizations. It was found that the heat-activated PS activation pretreatment could effectively degrade the dissolved organic matter (DOM) and change its molecular conformation, wherein the relative abundance of oxygen-containing substances was remarkably increased through oxygenation reactions. Moreover, the refractory organics with higher molecular weight (MW) and unsaturation degree were more inclined to be destroyed, following by partial mineralization during pretreatment process. It was also identified that oxygen-deficient compounds and the molecular formulas featuring higher double bond equivalent (DBE) values and lower MW tended to be deposited on the membrane surface to cause the membrane fouling. In particular, the aliphatic substances were the predominant components irrespective of membrane foulant samples from secondary effluent or surface water. Meanwhile, the complexation between organic compounds and high valence cations as well as the precipitation of inorganics were restrained owing to the reduction of DOM concentration and the transformation of molecular structure, consequently leading to reduced membrane fouling. This study is believed to further provide new insight into the membrane fouling control mechanism at molecular level. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bran-new equivalent orthotropic-plate method is developed for analysis of double-bottom hull structure constituted by double panels orthogonally assembled with girders and webs, while the bending properties with non-uniformity of sandwiched height are characterized and approximated by equivalent variable-stiffness. Two mechanical models of mutual interaction considering the continuity of membrane stress or strain are investigated respectively with uniformly distributed membrane stress along the thickness direction or strain equalization at the interface of panels and sandwiched grillage frame. Geometrically nonlinear bending analysis of the structure has been studied based on the large-deflection orthotropic plate theory, while the solutions obtained by a wavelet-based homotopy approach have been verified in satisfactory accuracy with published benchmark. Applicability of the equivalent orthotropic-plate model has been assessed by predicting the global bending in good accordance with FEM results, which validates its superiority in demonstrating the features of nonlinear deformed characteristics. The influence of structural orthotropy on bending properties of double bottom has been investigated, which is of great significance on overall deflection and orthogonal discrepancy of resultant bending moments, as both greatly affected in large orthotropic ratios at linear and nonlinear bending stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obstruction flatness of a strongly pseudoconvex hypersurface Σ in a complex manifold refers to the property that any (local) Kähler-Einstein metric on the pseudoconvex side of Σ, complete up to Σ, has a potential − log ⁡ u such that u is C ∞ -smooth up to Σ. In general, u has only a finite degree of smoothness up to Σ. In this paper, we study obstruction flatness of hypersurfaces Σ that arise as unit circle bundles S (L) of negative Hermitian line bundles (L , h) over Kähler manifolds (M , g). We prove that if (M , g) has constant Ricci eigenvalues, then S (L) is obstruction flat. If, in addition, all these eigenvalues are strictly less than one and (M , g) is complete, then we show that the corresponding disk bundle admits a complete Kähler-Einstein metric. Finally, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for obstruction flatness of S (L) when (M , g) is a Kähler surface (dim ⁡ M = 2) with constant scalar curvature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of magnetic composites in wastewater treatment has become widespread due to their high flocculating characteristics and ferromagnetism. This review provides an analysis and summary of the preparation and application of magnetic composites through controllable assembly for use in wastewater treatment. The applications of magnetic composites include the treatment of dye wastewater, heavy metal wastewater, microalgae suspensions, and oily wastewater. Additionally, the recycling and regeneration of magnetic composites have been investigated. In the future, further research could be focused on improving the assembly and regeneration stability of magnetic composites, such as utilizing polymers with a multibranched structure. Additionally, it would be beneficial to explore the recycling and regeneration properties of these composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viscosity and conductivity data of BMIMZnAcxCly(x=0,1,2,3;  y=3,2,1,0) ionic liquids were detected at temperature ranging from 323.15 to 353.15 K with an interval of 5 K. The conductivities of different ionic liquids at the same temperature followed the trend [BMIM][ZnAcCl2] > [BMIM][ZnAc2Cl] > [BMIM][ZnCl3] > [BMIM][ZnAc3]. The viscosities of different ionic liquid abided by the order [BMIM][ZnCl3] > [BMIM][ZnAcCl2] > [BMIM][ZnAc2Cl] > [BMIM][ZnAc3]. Acetate ion could reduce the viscosity of ionic liquids. The relationship between viscosity/conductivity and temperature obeyed the Arrhenius equation and Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) equation very well with above 0.99 correlation coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypropylene (PP) blended with polyolefin elastomer (POE) has been considered as a potential choice to replace XLPE as HVDC cable insulating material, which shows excellent performance in electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. The space charge accumulation, formed under dc stress in PP/POE blend, would distort the local electric field, and furtherly lead to partial discharge or premature breakdown. During the processes of fabrication, installation and operation, the cable insulating material may be exposed to mechanical stress. In order to study the influence of mechanical stretching on space charge behaviors, PP/POE blends were prepared and stretched to different ratios of 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4, and the space charge behaviors in polarization and depolarization processes were measured and analyzed. The results indicate that a larger number of space charges accumulate in stretched specimens after polarization for the same time, and they decay faster than those in original specimens during depolarization process. Besides, the trap depth decreases with the increasing elongation ratio and then increases at a higher elongation ratio. The microstructure changes of PP/POE blend after mechanical stretching is considered to be responsible for the observed phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The elevated vacuum suspension system (EVSS) has demonstrated unique health benefits for amputees, but the effect of vacuum pressure values on knee contact force (KCF) is still unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of vacuum levels on KCF for unilateral transtibial amputees (UTA) using the EVSS. Three-dimensional gait was modeled for 9 UTA with five vacuum levels (0–20 inHg [67.73 kPa], 5 inHg [16.93 kPa] increments) and 9 non-amputees based on kinematic and ground reaction force data. The results showed that the vacuum level effects were significant for peak axial KCF, which had a relatively large value at 0 and 20 inHg (67.73 kPa). The intact limb exhibited a comparable peak axial KCF to the non-amputees at 15 inHg (50.79 kPa). At moderate vacuum levels (5 inHg [16.93 kPa] to 15 inHg [50.79 kPa]), co-contraction of quadriceps and hamstrings at peak axial KCF was similar for the intact limb, but was smaller for the residual limb comparing with the non-amputees. The intact limb showed a similar magnitude of quadriceps and hamstrings force at 15 inHg (50.79 kPa) to the non-amputees, but the muscle coordination patterns varied between the residual and intact limbs. These findings indicate that a proper vacuum level may partially compensate for the lack of ankle plantarflexor and reduce the knee loading. Of the tested vacuum levels, 15 inHg (50.79 kPa) appears most favorable, although additional analyses with more amputees are suggested to confirm these results prior to establishing clinical guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-doped graphene oxide (NRG), one of the graphene oxide derivatives, has been widely incorporated with TiO 2 nanoparticles because they increase interfacial contact between graphene and TiO 2 nanoparticles. However, introduction of NRG/TiO 2 (NRGT) nanocomposites into the membrane matrix to improve the hydrophilicity, permeability, and antifouling properties of ultrafiltration membranes has not been studied. In this work, NRGT nanocomposite was synthesized by sol–gel reaction using NRG nanosheet suspension and tetrabutyl titanate. The synthesized NRGT nanocomposites were used as fillers at different ratios to fabricate novel hybrid ultrafiltration membranes through non-solvent-induced phase-separation method. SEM, FTIR, AFM, TGA, contact-angle experiments, and filtration experiments using water and BSA were performed to characterize the surface morphology, thermal stability, hydrophilicity, structure, pore size distribution, water permeability, and antifouling performance of the membranes. The membranes were found to have an asymmetric structure with high dispersibility of NRGT nanocomposites. They showed high hydrophilicity, permeability, and resistance to fouling with BSA solution, depending on the amount of NRGT nanocomposites blended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud cover regulates the gross primary productivity (GPP) of forest ecosystems by changing the radiation component and other environmental factors. In this study, we used an open-path eddy covariance system and microclimate sensors installed over a poplar plantation in northern China to measure the carbon exchange and climate variables during the mid-growing seasons (June to August) in 2014 and 2015. The results indicated that the GPP of the plantation peaked when the clearness index (CI) was between 0.45 and 0.65, at which point diffuse photosynthetically active radiation (PARdif) had reached its maximum. Cloudy skies increased the maximum ecosystem photosynthetic capacity ( Pmax) by 28% compared with clear skies. PARdif and soil moisture were the most and the least crucial drivers for photosynthetic productivity of the plantation under cloudy skies, respectively. The ecosystem photosynthetic potential was higher under lower vapor pressure deficit (VPD < 1.5 kPa), lower air temperature ( Ta < 30 °C), and nonstressed conditions (REW > 0.4) for cloudy skies due to effects of Ta and VPD on stoma. Overall, our research highlighted the importance of cloud-induced radiation component change and environmental variation in quantifying the GPP of forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vacuum electrokinetic apparatus was operated at a municipal water supply plant in Wuxi, China to study the removal of aluminum from the plant's drinking water treatment sludge, high in trivalent aluminum content. The effect of several experimental variables (initial pH, potential gradient, and zone in the sludge tank) and the trivalent aluminum removal mechanism were analyzed. The speciation of trivalent aluminum mainly depends on the initial pH of drinking water treatment sludge, and more fractions of trivalent aluminum were migrated at pH 4 than at higher or lower pH. The application of high voltage can enhance the removal efficiency of aluminum. A three-dimensional electric field analysis explained the difference in the removal efficiency at different zones in the sludge tank. In view of energy consumption, when the initial pH was 4 and a potential gradient of 2 V cm −1 was applied, achieving a final aluminum concentration of 30 g kg −1 after 120 h. The specific energy consumption was 11.7 kWh kg −1 of Al removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents isogeometric topology optimization (ITO) for periodic lattice materials, where non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) basis functions of CAD models are directly used in the finite element analysis to improve computational accuracy and efficiency. Two TO schemes that use asymptotic homogenization (AH) for the calculation of the mechanical properties are proposed for lattice materials with uniform and graded relative density respectively. To accelerate ITO for graded lattice materials, the mechanical properties are expressed as a function of the relative density of the unit cell, a step that avoids their iterative calculations during ITO. Three benchmark examples are presented to validate the proposed scheme with results that show tangible advantages, such as reduced computational time and faster convergence, of ITO over conventional TO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, ports have been an important location factor for cities, enabling international trade and investment and facilitating urbanization processes. However, the traditionally strong relationship between ports and port cities has gradually weakened due to the emerging negative externalities of ports. Therefore, port-city municipalities need to better understand the relationship between port activities, urban competitiveness, and the attraction of investment. This paper uses the Quadratic Assignment Procedure (QAP) and related regression models to test this relationship as well as identify the determinants of urban competitiveness. The results show that despite the positive relationship between port and urban networks, port cities currently exhibit no significant advantages over non-port cities in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); in addition, port-city competitiveness depends more on urban characteristics than on port factors. Based on these results, we propose various strategies for port-city developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time-dependent mixed bioconvection flow of an electrically conducting fluid between two infinite parallel plates in the presence of a magnetic field and a first-order chemical reaction is investigated. The fully coupled nonlinear systems describing the total mass, momentum, thermal energy, mass diffusion, and microorganisms equations are reduced to a set of ordinary differential equations via a set of new similarity transformations. The detailed analysis illustrating the influences of various physical parameters such as the magnetic, squeezing, and chemical reaction parameters and the Schmidt and Prandtl numbers on the distributions of temperature and microorganisms as well as the skin friction and the Nusselt number is presented. The conclusion is drawn that the flow field, temperature, and chemical reaction profiles are significantly influenced by magnetic parameter, heat generation/absorption parameter, and chemical parameter. Some examples of potential applications of such bioconvection could be found in pharmaceutical industry, microfluidic devices, microbial enhanced oil recovery, modeling oil, and gas-bearing sedimentary basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel graphene-like boron nitride (g-BN)-doped bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) materials were fabricated by a facile microwave-assisted method. Spectroscopic and photoelectrochemical analysis confirmed that g-BN-coupled BiOCl microspheres possess a crystalline lattice with a flower-like microsphere structure. They are characterized by a high chemical stability, improved visible-light absorption, and large specific surface area and give a high yield of photoexcited electron–hole pairs. g-BN/BiOCl composites were evaluated by Cr(VI) photoreduction upon visible-light irradiation. The resulting BN/BiOCl material with a small fraction of 1% g-BN exhibited more efficient visible-light photoactivity than any other of the synthesized composites. To understand the enhanced photocatalytic activity of BN/BiOCl photocatalysts, the effect of different photogenerated electron and hole scavengers on Cr(VI) photoreduction has been studied. The results show that the presence of g-BN plays a vital role in the enhanced transportation of photogenerated electrons from the surface of the BN/BiOCl composites to Cr(VI) via an interfacial charge transfer effect. Moreover, the influence of several parameters on the photocatalytic reaction has been investigated for optimization of the photocatalysis. Based on the above merits of the BN/BiOCl composites, a possible mechanism for their enhanced photocatalytic activity is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to determine knee joint forces resulting from kneeling work with and without kneepads to quantify how different kneepads redistribute force. Eleven healthy males simulated a tile setting task to different locations during six kneepad states (five different kneepad types and without kneepad). Peak and average forces on the anatomical landmarks of both knees were obtained by custom force sensors. The results revealed that kneepad design can significantly modify the forces on the knee joint through redistribution. The Professional Gel design was preferred among the five tested kneepads which was confirmed with both force measurements and participants' responses. The extreme reaching locations induced significantly higher joint forces on left knee or right knee depending on task. The conclusion of this study is that a properly selected kneepad for specific tasks and a more neutral working posture can modify the force distribution on the knees and likely decrease the risk of knee disorders from kneeling work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel γFe 2 O 3 @Ti 3 C 2 T x nanocomposite was successfully prepared and characterized. • γFe 2 O 3 @Ti 3 C 2 T x nanocomposite showed high catalytic performance for the ibuprofen degradation. • SO 4 ●- radical was mainly responsible for the ibuprofen removal in the γFe 2 O 3 @Ti 3 C 2 T x /PMS system. • A binary synergistic degradation was investigated based on Fe and Ti species. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are efficient means for the water recovery by removing the organic pollutants in wastewater. In this study, γFe 2 O 3 @Ti 3 C 2 T x nanocomposite was synthesized and utilized for the removal of micropollutants (i.e. ibuprofen, IBP) through peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The characterization results suggest that γFe 2 O 3 nanoparticles were uniformly decorated on the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene nanosheets surface. γFe 2 O 3 @Ti 3 C 2 T x nanocomposite exhibited excellent catalytic ability and stability for PMS activation to generate reactive species for the elimination of IBP. The influence of reaction parameters, including catalyst, IBP and PMS concentration as well as initial pH value, were systematacially studied. The synergistic effect of the binary active sites (Fe and Ti) facilitated the cleavage of O O bond in PMS, thus contributing to the production of abundant sulfate radicals (SO 4 ●-) and hydroxyl radicals (●OH) for the degradation of IBP. This study may shed light on the applications of heterogeneous catalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants through PMS activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study included 28 studies comprising of 13,110 patients with solid tumors; • This was the first meta -analysis exploring the prognostic role of HALP in cancer; • A low HALP score was correlated with poor OS, CSS, and PFS/DFS/RFS in cancer. We sought to explore the prognostic role of the hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score on survival outcomes in patients with solid tumors by performing a systematic review and meta -analysis. PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched for relevant articles through 02 Nov 2022. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were extracted and pooled to assess the association of the HALP score with survival outcomes in solid tumors using Stata 15.0. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), and the secondary outcomes were cancer-specific survival (CSS) and progression/disease/recurrence-free survival (PFS/DFS/RFS). A total of 28 studies (31 cohorts) comprising 13,038 patients were enrolled. A low HALP score was associated with decreased OS (HR, 1.61; 95 % CI, 1.44–1.81; P < 0.001), CSS (HR, 1.80; 95 % CI: 1.54–2.09; P < 0.001) and PFS/DFS/RFS (HR, 1.61; 95 % CI: 1.45–1.80; P < 0.001). The prognostic value of HALP on OS was observed across various tumor types and tumor stages. meta-regression found that tumor stage was the major source of the heterogeneity for OS. A low pretreatment HALP score is a reliable and negative prognostic biomarker for survival outcomes in patients with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanide-based metal–organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs), as notable materials, are constructed by Ln3+ ions and organic ligands, or Ln3+ ions functionalizing non-Ln-MOFs, and exhibit promising applications in various fields. Over the past decades, quite a lot of investigations of Ln-MOFs have been carried out, and many good results have been obtained. Among these results, Ln-MOFs as luminescent probes for unique detection are gradually becoming a hot topic due to their fast and effective luminescent response for the targeted substance. In this perspective article, we discuss the construction of luminescent Ln-MOFs, their applications in possible detection mechanisms, and summarize some examples of Ln-MOFs as luminescent probes for sensing cations, anions and small molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypropylene (PP) has been paid much attention due to its high melting point, excellent electrical insulting performance and thermoplastic property, which is potential to replace the XLPE as HVDC cable insulating material. Blending PP with polyolefin elastomer (POE) is an effective way to modify its stiffness and brittleness at room temperature. However, space charge behavior of PP/POE blend, as a great concern under dc stress, is not clear and needs further investigation. To research the space charge behaviors, pure PP, PP/POE blend and its nanocomposites with different contents were prepared. Then, mechanical properties, permittivity constant, breakdown strength, volume resistivity, space charge behaviors and trap level distribution were investigated. The results indicate the addition of POE enhances the mechanical flexibility of PP greatly, and nano-sized ZnO doping has little effect on the mechanical flexibility of PP/POE blend. The nanocomposites show lower permittivity constant, higher breakdown strength and higher volume resistivity than the PP/POE blend. Compared to pure PP, the space charge accumulation and electric field distortion get severe in PP/POE blend. However, by nanoparticles doping, space charges are remarkably suppressed, which is related to the increased trap level density in nanocomposites. It indicates the PP/POE/ZnO nanocomposites have much potential for HVDC cable application, which show high mechanical flexibility as well as excellent electrical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to evaluate the dewatering of drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS) by vacuum electro-osmosis dewatering (VEOD) technology. DWTS has a high moisture content, with the water existing as free water, pore water, surface adhesion water and internal combined water. Vacuum filtration of 0.05 MPa can quickly dewater sludge and has low energy consumption, but can only remove free water and some pore water. The moisture content of the DWTS was reduced to below 79% by vacuum filtration technique alone. At this moisture content, all free water had been expelled by vacuum filtration. Electro-osmosis optimized for the experimental conditions (0.05 MPa, 2.5 V/cm) began after vacuum filtration ceased, and drew pore water and surface adhesion water to the cathode, where it was expelled through vacuum filtration. The VEOD process removed all free water. In addition, pore water and surface adhesion water were reduced by 60.2% and 15.9%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a novel six-mode loop antenna covering 660–1100, 1710–3020, 3370–3900, and 5150–5850 MHz has been proposed for the application of long-term evolution (LTE) including the coming LTE in unlicensed spectrum and LTE-Licensed Assisted Access. Loop antennas offer better user experience than conventional planar inverted-F antennas (PIFAs), inverted-F antennas (IFAs), and monopole antennas because of their unique balanced modes ( $1\lambda $ , $2\lambda , \ldots $ ). However, the bandwidth of loop antennas is usually narrower than that of PIFA/IFA and monopole antennas due to these balanced modes. To overcome this problem, a novel monopole/dipole parasitic element, which operates at an unbalanced monopole-like $0.25\lambda $ mode and a balanced dipole-like $0.5\lambda $ mode, is first proposed for loop antennas to cover more frequency bands. Benefiting from the balanced mode, the proposed parasitic element is promising to provide better user experience than conventional parasitic elements. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the balanced mode for a parasitic element is reported for the first time. The proposed antenna is able to provide excellent user experience while solving the problem of limited bandwidth in loop antennas. To validate the concept, one prototype antenna with a size of $75 \times 10\times 5$ mm3 is designed, fabricated, and measured. Both simulations and experimental results are presented and discussed. Good performance is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report the design, synthesis and evaluation of a novel series of diselenide and selenide derivatives as potent antifungal agents by exploiting the hydrophobic cleft of CYP51. Among all synthesized compounds, the most potent compound B01 with low cytotoxic and hemolysis effect exhibited excellent activity against C.alb. , C.gla., C.par. and C.kru., as well as selected fluconazole-resistant strains. Moreover, compound B01 could reduce the biofilm formation of the FCZ-resistant C.alb. Subsequently, metabolic stability assays using liver microsomes demonstrated that compound B01 showed good profiles of metabolic stability. With superior pharmacological profile, compound B01 was advanced into in vivo bioactivity evaluation. In a murine model of systemic C.alb. infection, compound B01 significantly reduced fungal load of kidneys. Furthermore, compound B01 revealed relatively low acute toxicity and subacute toxicity in mice. In addition, docking study performed into C.alb. CYP51, showed the binding mode between C.alb. CYP51 and compound B01. Collectively, diselenides compound B01 can be further developed for the potential treatment of invasive fungal infections. [Display omitted] • Representative compound A03 and B01 had an inhibitory effect on C.alb. CYP51. • Partial target compounds produced fungicidal activity that traditional CYP51 inhibitors did not possess. • With superior pharmacological profile, compound B01 was advanced into in vivo bioactivity evaluation. In a murine model of systemic C.alb. infection, compound B01 significantly reduced fungal load of kidneys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bi-LSTM with attention (BLA) model is proposed to predict wave height in the hurricane area of the Atlantic Ocean. Four data features (wave height, wind speed, wind direction, and wave direction) collected at five buoy stations are selected as model inputs, while future wave height is specified as model output. Predictions are obtained for 1-h, 3-h, 6-h, and 12-h lead times. Two evaluation metrics are introduced to evaluate the accuracy and stability of the model. Influencing factors such as input–output ratio and input feature combination are studied. For the input–output ratio, it is found that the shorter lead time requires a larger ratio, with a ratio of 9:1 required for 1-h lead time prediction, with 3:1 for 3-h prediction, 2:1 for 6-h prediction, and 1:1 for 12-h prediction. For the input feature combination, the combination of the wave height, the wind speed, and the coupling of the wind direction and wave direction via the cosine function holds the best prediction performance in 1-h and 3-h lead time prediction. And for 6-h and 12-h forecasts, a combination of wave height and wind speed is best. By comparing overall evaluation metrics and extreme wave height prediction results of the BLA model with those of the Bi-LSTM, LSTM, and LSTM with attention models, we notice that the BLA model has the best and most stable prediction performance. • The attention mechanism, combined with the bi-directional mechanism are investigated. • The accurate and stable model BLA is proposed for various lead times at different locations. • The optimal input–output ratio is discussed for different lead times. • The best input parameter combination is obtained for different lead times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does the implementation of agricultural water conservation policy necessarily bring about a reduction in agricultural water extraction? Taking China's National Agricultural Water Conservation Outline proposed in 2012 as an example, this paper uses the data of 31 provinces from 2000 to 2019, and employs an empirical strategy of Difference-in-Differences (DID) to estimate the impact of the agricultural water conservation policy on agricultural water extraction. The results show that the agricultural water conservation policy does not achieve the decline of agricultural water extraction, but increases agricultural water extraction. When addressing contemporaneous water-related policies or estimating in subsample, these results are robust. The possible reason for this phenomenon is that the agricultural water conservation policy promotes agricultural production, especially by increasing the sown area and irrigated area, and the expansion of irrigated area is the main reason for the increase in agricultural water extraction. Moreover, land potentiality for crop production may affect the water-saving effect of the agricultural water conservation policy, in which provinces with higher land potentiality will have less increase in agricultural water extraction caused by the agricultural water conservation policy. Therefore, with the empirical evidence from China, agricultural water conservation policy may not necessarily reduce agricultural water extraction, and this phenomenon is always regarded as rebound effects. In order to avoid the adverse impacts of the rebound effect, agricultural water-saving technologies can be strengthened in areas with high land potentiality for agricultural production, and market-oriented policies, such as water rights reform, can be employed to avoid excessive use of water resources in areas with severe over-extraction. • Water-saving effect of agricultural water conservation policy is estimated. • Agricultural water conservation policy increases water extraction. • Possible reason for increase in agricultural water extraction is clarified. • Increase in agricultural water extraction is interpreted as rebound effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Janus-enhanced membrane with anti-wetting ability and high flux was prepared. • Double-side modification synergistically promoted membrane performance. • The crosslinked Polydimethylsiloxanes endowed the membrane anti-wetting property. • The crosslinked MXene sprayed on the permeate side can improve the permeate flux. Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising membrane process with nearly 100% salt rejection, which can can realize freshwater recovery and reuse. However, wetting and low permeate flux are major concern for the hydrophobic microporous membrane during MD operation. To address this concern, a simple and effective method to fabricate anti-wetting and high permeate flux Janus-enhanced membranes with double-sided spraying was developed. The spraying materials on both sides of the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane were prepared by crosslinking reactions. Sulfosuccinic acid (SSA) crosslinked MXene was used in the permeate side to construct hydrophilic nanochannels, consequently improving the permeate flux. Methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) crosslinked polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) was used in the feed side to reduce surface energy and enhance the anti-wetting ability of the membrane. The optimal water contact angles for the feed and permeate side were 135° and 71.8°, respectively. During direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) experiments of seawater desalination, Janus-enhanced membrane proved to be stable after 60 h with an average permeate flux as high as 33.5 kg/(m2·h). Therefore, this study provided a novel insight on preparing a MD membrane with simultaneous enhanced permeability and wetting resistance for freshwater recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Selenium-containing azoles were designed based on the dual mechanism of fungal CYP51 inhibition and fungal ROS generation. • B-series compounds (B01–B14) displayed significant antifungal activities against tested strains. • Representative compounds exhibited dose-dependent inhibitory activity on Candida albicans CYP51. • Representative compounds showed stronger fungal ROS promoting activities in a dose-dependent manner. • The potential compounds showed low cytotoxicity and in vitro stability in mouse liver microsomal and rat plasma. Herein, we modified our previously published miconazole analogue containing selenium A03 of fungal CYP51 (belongs to the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP) superfamily) inhibitors to obtain novel analogues with inhibitory effects on multiple fungal pathogens, but also with a novel mechanism of action such as inducing fungal ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation. Firstly, three novel series of selenium-containing azole derivatives were prepared to determine their antifungal activity against common test fungal strains and fluconazole-resistant strains. Among all the novel derivatives, compounds B06, B11 and B14 with excellent antifungal activity (0.03-4 µg/mL) can inhibit the fluconazole-resistant Candida Strain 17#, CaR, 632, 901 and 904 in the range of MIC (minimal inhibitory concentrations) values (0.25–16 µg/mL). Antifungal mechanism studies revealed representative compounds not only had dose-dependent inhibitory activity of CYP51 but also down-regulated the expression of resistance-associated genes. Interestingly, representative compound B11 could also promote the generation of ROS. Therefore, the MIC values of Candida albicans (SC5314) inhibited by B11 and C06 in the presence of different concentrations of antioxidant NAC (N -acetyl- L -cysteine) were measured to further verify the synergistic antifungal effect between the mechanism promoting fungal ROS production and CYP51 inhibitory activity. Meanwhile, the results of cytotoxic evaluation showed that representative compounds were at the same level as that of miconazole with IC 50 of 8.61∼29.91 µM, suggesting that the toxicity of the target compounds did not increase after the introduction of selenium atoms. Moreover, the in vitro stability assays also indicated our developed compounds possessed better liver microsomal metabolic stabilities (T 1/2 =14.9–20.1 min) compared with miconazole (T 1/2 =8.3 min). And representative compound B11 also displayed stability in rat plasma (T 1/2 >360 min). In addition, the docking results showed that the binding modes of target compounds B06, B11 and C06 to Candida albicans CYP51 were almost the same as those of miconazole. Overall, the selenium-containing small molecule compounds with dual mechanism can be further developed for the potential treatment of invasive fungal infections. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously, the homogenous models were predominant in hybrid nanofluid's studies. However, there is a serious deficiency in these models, that is, the heat transfer coefficients obtained by these models are inconsistent with the experimental results. To overcome this issue, we develop a novel hybrid nanofluid model based on the major slip mechanisms of nanofluids caused by Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis. The problem of flow and heat transfer of a hybrid nanofluid in a lid driven square cavity filled with porous medium is studied as an example to show the correctness and validity of this new model. Numerical results are given by means of the novel Coiflet wavelet homotopy analysis method in the terms of the Brownian motion and thermophoresis. The physical behaviors of hybrid nanofluids flow are discussed in terms of various quantities such as the stream-function, the isotherms, and the Nusselt and Sherwood numbers. The average Nusselt number evaluated with the help of the quadratic multiple regression analysis justifies that the thermophoretic effect is more dominant than the Brownian motion on Nusselt numbers at both walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetoresistance (MR) is highly exploitable to future spintronics devices, such as random-access memory, magnetic sensors, and spin-based neuromorphic electronics. Conventionally the enhanced MR in manganite always companies a sacrifice of Curie temperature, which limits its widespread application potential. Here we report a high-temperature survived MR in a La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO) film grown on a piezoelectric substrate. The lattice mismatch between the film and substrate creates a self-assembled nano-matrix with two types of nanoscale matrices, namely [001]- and [101]-orientated LSMO magnetic domains. In this structure, the MR can reach -67% at even 350 K. Furthermore, the resistance of LSMO is electric-field-tunable to multiple resistance states by electrically modulating the biaxial strain imposed by the underlying piezoelectric substrate, an additional ∼14.2% electroresistance (ER) can be obtained. The achievements of high-temperature substantial MR and its electrical tunability in the nano-matrix manganite are of use to future multi-state memory devices in both spintronics and straintronics. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes research that evaluated the influence of vacuum pressure, pH, and potential gradient on the vacuum electro-osmosis dewatering (VEOD) of drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS). In the first phase of the VEOD process, a vacuum pressure of −0.05 MPa was applied alone to DWTS for 30 min, removing almost all free water and part of pore water. In phase two, electro-osmosis was applied in combination with intermittent vacuum filtration, further reducing pore water and surface adhesion water in DWTS. However, statistical analysis indicated that the optimum dewatering parameter values were vacuum pressure at −0.06 MPa, pH at 6.2, and potential gradient at 2.5 V/cm, which resulted in a relevant energy consumption of 0.35 kW.h/kg removed water. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the present study, the benefits of a Fenton-like treatment process in enhancing the dewaterability of drinking water treatment sludge have been investigated. It is found that using a vacuum electro-osmosis dewatering reactor often results in a low dewatering efficiency, while it can be improved significantly (by about 63% under the optimal condition) by adding the Fenton-like process in combination with acidification. The results based on the three-dimensional (3D) excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy indicated that the sludge treated by the Fenton-like process could make fulvic acid-like substances disappear such that the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) is broken and the dewaterability efficiency is improved. Furthermore, the scanning electronic microscopy analysis and particle size distribution analysis showed that the Fenton-like process and acidification destroyed the stable sludge flocs such that the water trapped in the flocs could be released easily and the dewaterability efficiency was enhanced. The 3D response surface of the water removal efficiency evidenced that the optimal operating parameters were Fe 3+ dosage of 54 mg g −1 sludge, H 2 O 2 dosage of 87 mg g −1 sludge and pH of 6.3. The results obtained in this study are expected to provide guidance and support for using the Fenton-like treatment process together with acidification to dewater drinking water treatment sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Directed at the problem that the collaborative filtering algorithm tends to be subject to data sparsity and cold boot, a collaborative filtering recommendation algorithm based on improvement nearest neighbor is proposed. Firstly, the current user's k nearest neighbor and reverse k nearest neighbor are obtained on the basis of the similarity algorithm, which are used to compute positive and negative credibility values respectively based on their predicted ratings and the current user ratings. Then modifications of constraint are made for the users who are both the k nearest neighbor and the reverse k nearest neighbor and the hot resources. Finally, the collaborative filtering recommendation algorithm based on weight fusion is derived and a comparative experiment of simulation is conducted on MovieLens. The result shows that the algorithm in the Thesis decreases the mean absolute error value while improving the accuracy of recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional biomechanical analyses have focused primarily on the human gait across hard, flat surfaces and provide little information about human locomotion as a function of work environment or terrain. The purpose of this study was evaluation of a force plate system for measure of center of pressure (COP) in railroad ballast by comparing its accuracy across three surface conditions (hard surface, mainline ballast and walking ballast) with two configurations (level and 7° cross-slope). Custom walkways and an isolation fixture were developed to rigidly attach a force plate beneath ballast surfaces to collect the COP. The difference in COP location (ΔCOPx, y, z) between the force plate system and a calibration system (motion capture derived) were compared using repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results indicate that the effects of surface condition and configuration were not significant for ΔCOPx, y, z and no differences were found among the three surface conditions during pairwise comparison, though ΔCOPx, y, z were different between the center and corners of the force plate in ballasts for both level and cross-slope configurations. The system presented in this study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring the COP by using an isolation-fixture force plate to expand the scope of biomechanical studies on ballast surfaces that are level or cross-slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the three-dimensional nanofluid bio-convection near a stagnation attachment is studied. With a set of similarity variables, the governing equations embodying the conservation of total mass, momentum, thermal energy, nanoparticles and microorganisms are reduced to a set of fully coupled nonlinear differential equations. The homotopy analysis method (HAM)-finite difference method (FDM) technique is used to obtain exact solutions. The effect of various physical parameters on distribution of the motile microorganisms and the important physical quantities of practical interests are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation is made for a three-dimensional unsteady mixed nano-bioconvection flow between two contracting or expanding rotating discs. The passively controlled nanofluid model in which Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis are considered as the two dominant factors for nanoparticle/base-fluid slip mechanisms is introduced for description of this flow problem. A novel similarity transformation is introduced so that the governing equations embodying the conservation of total mass, momentum, thermal energy, nanoparticle volume fraction, and microorganisms are reduced to a set of five fully coupled ordinary differential equations. Exact solutions are then obtained analytically for this complex nonlinear system. Besides, the influences of various physical parameters on distributions of velocity, temperature, nanoparticle volume fraction, and the density of motile microorganisms, along with the local Nusselt number and the local wall motile microorganisms flux, are presented and discussed. It is expected that this study can provide a theoretical base for understanding the transport mechanisms of unsteady bioconvection in nanofluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicone rubber (SiR) insulators are employed in high-speed railway as roof insulators, which have to continuously face the challenge of strong wind. Corona discharge can degrade the SiR surface and lead to hydrophobicity loss. In order to research the influence of wind on corona behavior of SiR, high-temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (HTV-SiR) specimens were exposed to corona environment under different wind conditions. The variations in corona discharge intensity, discharge current and hydrophobicity changes were measured and analyzed. The recurrent plot (RP) method was introduced to extract features from discharge current. In addition, the effects of wind on hydrophobicity recovery rate were also investigated. The experimental results reveal that the hydrophobicity loss during corona can be inhibited or accelerated depending on the wind direction, and the wind with higher speed has greater influence on the corona performance. Moreover, it is found that the wind can blow away the low molecular weight (LMW) and slow down the hydrophobicity recovery, while the wind pressure can accelerate the hydrophobicity recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, an investigation is made of the three-dimensional flow and heat transfer of a nanofluid in the boundary-layer region over a flat sheet stretched continuously in two lateral directions. With the help of a series of similarity transformations, this problem is reduced to a set of three coupled differential equations. The homotopy analysis method (HAM) is then applied to derive the explicit solutions for both the velocity and the temperature distributions. A mathematical analysis shows that these solutions decay exponentially at far field. Besides, the influences of the nanoparticle volume fraction ϕ on the velocity and temperature profiles, as well as the reduced local skin friction coefficients and the reduced local Nusselt numbers are studied. It is found that the heat transfer conductivity of the nanofluid is superior to that of the pure fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We experimentally demonstrate a cost-effective method to locate faults in wavelength-division-multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) utilizing a multiple-longitudinal-mode Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser directly modulated by chaotic wave from a Colpitts oscillator. Due to chaos modulation, every longitudinal mode of the laser has chaotic intensity waveform. Using a tunable optical filter selects a mode to detect the wavelength-matched branch of WDM-PON using chaos correlation technique. Experimental results show that the unterminated fiber end, mismatch connector and fiber breakpoint can be preciously located. A detection range of approximately 75 km and a range-independent spatial resolution of 14 cm are achieved. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:2502-2506, 2015 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-ZnO supported on bentonite was prepared to form composite photocatalyst by sol-gel method. The photocatalyst was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). C.I. Acid Red 35 was used as simulating contaminant to be treated by ultraviolet light synergistic with nano-ZnO/bentonite. The results show that 5.7 nm ZnO particle was acquired and uniformly dispersed on the surface of the bentonite at calcination temperature of 200°C. The removal of C.I. Acid Red 35 could reach 84.9% after 200 min under optimum ZnO/bentonite dosage of 0.6 g L−1. The 60% ZnO content in ZnO/bentonite composite exhibited a great photocatalytic activity to treat C.I. Acid Red 35. The photocatalytic process followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and the best apparent rate constant was 0.00927 min−1 with correlation coefficient (R2) of above 0.98. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally demonstrate radar remote imaging using a radio technique based on ultra-wideband chaotic signals over fiber links. The radar system includes three parts, i.e. a central station, some optical fiber links and a base station. At the central station, an ultra-wideband chaotic signal is generated from an improved Colpitts oscillator and then is up-converted as a probe signal. The probe signal is then converted to be in optical domain by the external modulation technique on laser diode for transmitting over a fiber link to a remote base station. At the base station, the probe signal is converted to be in electrical domain and then launched by a microwave antenna. After being received by another antenna, the echo signal from a target is converted to be in optical domain and then transmitted over a fiber link back to the central station. By optical-to-electrical conversion and down conversion, the echo chaotic signal is recovered. Utilizing the correlation method and back projection algorithm, an image of the target in the two-dimensional space can be realized at the central station. Our experiments successfully performed remote imaging for both planar and spherical reflectors with a distance over 10 km. The down-range resolution of 6-cm and 8-cm cross-range resolution were obtained, respectively. We will show that the power spectrum of the probe signal is adjustable in the spectral mask according to the Federal Communications Commission standards, therefore can avoid interference to the existing narrowband radio signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordinal classification with a monotonicity constraint is a kind of classification tasks, in which the objects with better attribute values should not be assigned to a worse decision class. Several learning algorithms have been proposed to handle this kind of tasks in recent years. The rank entropy-based monotonic decision tree is very representative thanks to its better robustness and generalization. Ensemble learning is an effective strategy to significantly improve the generalization ability of machine learning systems. The objective of this work is to develop a method of fusing monotonic decision trees. In order to achieve this goal, we take two factors into account: attribute reduction and fusing principle. Through introducing variable dominance rough sets, we firstly propose an attribute reduction approach with rank-preservation for learning base classifiers, which can effectively avoid overfitting and improve classification performance. Then, we establish a fusing principe based on maximal probability through combining the base classifiers, which is used to further improve generalization ability of the learning system. The experimental analysis shows that the proposed fusing method can significantly improve classification performance of the learning system constructed by monotonic decision trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]