Search

This paper is focused on investigating the influences of enhanced granulation with hydrated lime on the propagation of flame front and strength properties of the produced sinter in iron ore sintering. Pilot‐scale sinter pot experiments were performed at three hydrated lime levels, and the porous structures of sinter were reconstructed by high resolution X‐ray tomography. When hydrated lime increased from 0% to 2%, more permeable green bed with enlarged granule mean size and narrowed granule size distribution could be obtained, and sinter productivity increased from 37.3 to 40.7 t/m2/d while tumbler index of sinter decreased from 62.7% to 55.0%. Both the bed temperature and pressure profiles verified that hydrated lime addition fasten sintering by reduction of heat accumulation and acceleration of flame front speed in sintering bed. The three‐dimensional stress analysis based on the actual microstructures showed that more irregular sinter particles with higher porosity are obtained with higher hydrated lime due to the insufficient melt formation and coalescence during sintering. Sinter with 2% hydrated lime was much more compliant under the fixed compression, exhibiting larger potential to be deformed in locations including bridges with the small cross sections and notches with the small fillet radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice grain oil is a valuable nutrient source. However, the genetic basis of oil biosynthesis in rice grains remains unclear. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study on oil composition and oil concentration in a diverse panel of 533 cultivated rice accessions. High variation for 11 oil-related traits was observed, and the oil composition of rice grains showed differentiation among the subpopulations. We identified 46 loci that are significantly associated with grain oil concentration or composition, 16 of which were detected in three recombinant inbred line populations. Twenty-six candidate genes encoding enzymes involved in oil metabolism were identified from these 46 loci, four of which (PAL6 , LIN6 , MYR2 , and ARA6) were found to contribute to natural variation in oil composition and to show differentiation among the subpopulations. Interestingly, population genetic analyses revealed that specific haplotypes of PAL6 and LIN6 have been selected in japonica rice. Based on these results, we propose a possible oil biosynthetic pathway in rice grains. Collectively, our results provide new insights into the genetic basis of oil biosynthesis in rice grains and can facilitate marker-based breeding of rice varieties with enhanced oil and grain quality. Grain oil in rice is a valuable nutrient source, but the genetic basis of its biosynthesis is not clear. We identified 99 QTL for 11 oil-related traits, cloned four genes that contribute to the natural variation in oil composition, and proposed a possible oil biosynthetic pathway in rice grains. These findings will facilitate marker- based breeding of rice varieties with enhanced oil and grain quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of the central receiver is directly related to the efficiency and power generation capacity of the solar tower power plant. In this paper, by combining the analytical approximation method and the finite volume method, the coupled optical and thermal performance of a 50 MWe external cylindrical receiver was numerically evaluated. The thermal performance of the receiver under design parameters was first simulated, and the model was verified by the comparison with the method in Zhou et al. [Renewable Energy 164, 331–345 (2021)]. The effects of key parameter and uniformity of incident flux distribution on the thermal performance were then extensively investigated. Finally, the thermal performance changes in one day were explored. The results showed that direct normal radiation (DNI), salt inlet mass flow, salt inlet temperature, and coating absorption rate strongly affected the receiver's thermal performance. Compared with the non-uniform incident flux distribution, the accurate salt outlet temperature could also be obtained under the uniform incident flux distribution, but the thermal efficiency was underestimated by 0.5%, and the wall temperature on the front side of the tube was generally underestimated, reaching 5.6% at the location of the maximum wall temperature. Evolution trend of the salt outlet temperature and maximum wall temperature on vernal equinox was similar to that of the DNI distribution. From 14:00 to 18:00, they decreased by 18.3% and 12.3%, respectively. The maximum wall temperature from 13:00 to 16:00 exceeded the design value of 700 °C, which was detrimental to the safe operation of the receiver and might cause decomposition of molten salt in the tube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a lab-scale external receiver with a xenon lamp set was designed to study optical and thermodynamic properties, and its benchmark was also introduced. Eighteen stainless-steel tubes were placed on the receiver to absorb radiant energy from the xenon lamps and achieve light-to-heat conversion. The indirect method was used to obtain the optical efficiency of the xenon lamp setup, and the heat-flux distribution on the surface of the receiver had an average heat flux of 99.4 kW/m2. Furthermore, the experimental method was used to study the temperature change of the receiver during the startup, stabilization, and shutdown of the receiver. A numerical simulation was conducted using commercially available software with the realizable k-ε model and the discrete ordinates model as the radiative transfer equation to valid the experimental result. The temperatures of the back and front of the receiver were obtained by thermocouples and an infrared thermal imager, respectively. The temperature of the back of the receiver rose rapidly after the lamps were turned on, and the temperature of the heat receiver remained unchanged when it was stable. The velocity of the molten salt was also studied, and the maximum speed was 1.9 m/s. The temperature increases of the experiment and simulation were approximately 4°C and 4.2°C, respectively, and the temperature of the tube wall was 40°C higher than that of the molten salt. The comparison of the experiment results indicate that the deviation between the receiver's back temperatures in the simulation and experiment was basically within 5%, indicating consistency, and the thermal efficiency of the receiver was approximately 85%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal stress plays an important role to assess the security of the solar receiver and is mainly affected by the temperature gradient. To study the thermal stress of the receiver, a MATLAB program was developed to study the distribution of temperature and thermal stress numerically, and the program was verified on the lab-scale receiver and it was found that the error between the calculated result and the experimental result did not exceed 10%. Then the in-house code was applied to a 600 MWth receiver to study its thermal performance and thermal stress numerically. The three-dimensional temperature and thermal stress distribution of the 600 MWth receiver were present in this work, and the maximum temperature of the tube and the maximum stress appeared in the last and first panel respectively. It was also found that the outlet temperature of the receiver obtained by the code was 574 °C, very close to the designed temperature 565 °C. The component stresses in tangential, radial and axial direction were analyzed, and the thermal stress in the tangential direction and the axial direction both had a transition from compressive stress to tensile stress along the radial direction, and thermal stress in the radial direction can be almost negligible. Besides, the thermal stress of the receiver in one day was studied, and the average thermal stress and the thermal stress ratio R were respectively 145 MPa and 1.843, and the maximum thermal stress of the receiver decreased 45.74% from 12:00 to 18:00 on the vernal equinox. • The thermal performance of the solar receivers is studied using simplified model method. • The thermal stress of the solar receivers is studied using a MATLAB code. • The 3D thermal stress map of the receiver was given. • The thermal stress change on the vernal equinox was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• P/N-H ligand facilitates Ru to exhibit efficient hydrogenation under CO. • The NH effect of ligands promote the hydrogenation process. • Co/Ru- L1 system smoothly achieves alcohol production under hydroformylation conditions. Efficient hydrogenation of aldehydes is highly desirable in hydroformylation process to obtain alcohol products. This work developed carbazole-derived phosphine ligands for efficient Ru-catalyzed hydrogenation of aldehydes in the presence of carbon monoxide. Up to 99 % yields of alcohols were obtained in the presence of high-pressure CO at 130 ℃. The results of different ligands revealed the crucial role of N H moiety on carbazole in promoting the catalytic hydrogenation. It was applied to the Co/Ru-catalyzed hydroformylation process, resulting in the production of long-chain alcohols with excellent yields. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High-quality pit mud could be prepared by Caproicibacterium lactatifermentans inoculation. • Fortified pit mud had a high level of Caproicibacterium lactatifermentans (29.16%). • Caproicibacterium and Clostridium dominated the production of acids and esters. • Caproate-producing bacterium in fortified pit mud decreased after long-term usage. Caproicibacterium lactatifermentans is a major caproate-producing bacterium in high-quality pit mud and has an impact on the synthesis of fatty acids during Baijiu fermentation. To develop an effective method for cultivating high-quality pit mud, we explored the role of Caproicibacterium lactatifermentans inoculation. The inoculation resulted in a high level of Caproicibacterium lactatifermentans (29.16%) and fortified pit mud produced abundant fatty acids and ethyl esters in short-term usage. Rare microbes, such as Hazenella coriacea , promoted the production of fatty acids. After long-term usage, changes in physicochemical properties led to a decrease in caproate-producing bacterium, namely Clostridium and Caproicibacterium , and an increase in microbes with limited fatty acid biosynthesis capability, including Proteiniphilum , Fastidiosipila , and Caldicoprobacter. These alterations ultimately led to a decrease in fatty acids and ethyl esters. In summary, Caproicibacterium lactatifermentans inoculation exhibited positive outcomes in obtaining high-quality pit mud. However, the maintenance of functional microbes necessitates further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

End-anchors have been widely used to prevent/postpone debonding failures in FRP-strengthened RC structures. The bond behavior between FRP and concrete with end-anchors can be investigated through FRP-concrete bonded joint with such anchors. Existing studies have found that deformation of FRP and the anchor, as well as slip of FRP-concrete interface at the anchored end can happen when the FRP is under external loading; therefore, the simple assumption that end-anchors provide a rigid end to FRP may result in significant overestimations of the bonding stiffness and strength. Against this background, this paper presents an analytical study on the closed-form solution to the full-range bond behavior of CFRP-concrete bonded joint with a non-rigid anchor. The obtained analytical solution was first verified through finite element analyses and test results, and then was adopted in a comprehensive parametric study to investigate the effect of mechanical properties of end-anchors on the overall bond behavior of the joint. This paper provides a better understanding of the bond behavior between FRP and concrete with a non-rigid anchor and shows that the design of such end-anchors should be based on CFRP-concrete interfacial characteristics for a desired bond behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ph-lignin-based vitrimer exhibits good photothermal conversion capacity. • Ph-lignin-based vitrimer exhibits good reusability and performance stability. • Ph-lignin-based vitrimer adhesive has ultrastrong bonding strength for wood. • Ph-lignin-based vitrimer adhesive has wide temperature adaptability. Lignin, a natural adhesive in plants, has received extensive attention from both academia and industry. However, limited by the reactivity and heterogeneity of industrial lignin raw materials, lignin-based adhesives are not competitive in terms of adhesive performance and reusability. Here, a green and facile method is reported for a polyphenol lignin (Phenol-lignin)-based, ultrastrong, reusable, wide temperature adaptability, and solvent-resistant vitrimer adhesive with molecular designs of lignin extending beyond those in nature. The fabricated Phenol-lignin-based vitrimer exhibits the world's highest wood lap shear strength of 12.87 MPa among the vitrimer adhesives. Even in extreme environments, such as boiling water (100 °C), liquid nitrogen (-196 °C), and organic solvents, the Phenol-lignin-based vitrimer-bonded wood sheets can still maintain a high level of strength. In addition, due to the good light-to-heat conversion performance of lignin, Phenol-lignin-based vitrimer can be repaired by infrared laser irradiation. The recycled adhesive retained 93.1 % of its strength. This new lignin material will be incorporated into not only industrial adhesives but also various green material systems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Combustion and flame quenching affected by passive pre-chamber are investigated. • The pre-chamber gas jets can speed up combustion in the main chamber. • Gas-jet momentum directly correlates with the main-chamber combustion phasing. • Heat-insulated pre-chamber and mixing enhancement help mitigate misfire. Engine combustion characteristics and misfire phenomena in a turbocharged direct-injection gasoline engine with a pre-chamber are studied through multi-dimensional modeling of the engine and jet combustion in a pre-chamber vessel. The results show that the high-speed jets generated by the pre-chamber after spark ignition result in multiple ignition spots and enhanced flow turbulence in the main combustion chamber, accelerating the subsequent turbulent flame propagation. It is also found that the momentum of the gas jets directly correlates with the main chamber combustion phasing and duration, which means that varying the design parameters of the pre-chamber to generate higher jet momentum can produce faster flame propagation and better combustion phasing, improving the engine's thermal efficiency. On the other hand, flame quenching phenomena at the engine low-load conditions were captured in the simulation with the reaction-mechanism combustion model, whose predictivity of jet flame quenching was verified by the pre-chamber vessel experiments. It was found that, in addition to the unfavorable lower in-cylinder pressure and temperature, leaner fuel–air mixture, weaker turbulence, and wall heat losses would lead to slower flame development in the pre-chamber and the jet flame to quench in the main chamber, resulting in engine misfire or ignition instability. The simulation further verified that flame quenching could be mitigated by using a heat-insulated pre-chamber, improving air–fuel mixing in the main chamber and pre-chamber with advanced fuel injection timing, and igniting the mixture at a higher gas temperature and pressure with advanced spark timing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Shock impingement location and cavity pressure variation can induce the aeroelastic system to transition between subcritical bifurcation and supercritical bifurcation • The phenomena implies two additional potential approaches for controlling the bifurcation type of shock induced panel flutter. • Multiple stable limit cycle oscillations due to coupling of higher-order modes are observed in shock induced panel flutter. For an aeroelastic system of a two-dimensional elastic panel subjected to an impinging inviscid oblique shockwave, the nonlinear flutter characteristics are affected by many factors such as shock impingement location, cavity pressure and initial perturbation. The effects of the above factors on the variation of system bifurcation type and dynamic behaviors are investigated numerically. A low-fidelity computational method coupled with local piston theory and van Karman plate model, and a high-fidelity computational method coupled with Euler equations and finite element model are used for fluid-structure interaction simulations. Two sets of new findings are unveiled. First, either the variation of shock impingement location or cavity pressure can induce the aeroelastic system to transition between a subcritical bifurcation and a supercritical bifurcation. For some cases, the system bifurcation characteristics exhibit strong sensitivity to these two factors. Second, it is found that in addition to the limit cycle oscillation in the form of a combination of the second and third structural modes, multiple stable limit cycle oscillations due to the coupling of higher-order modes can be triggered by suitable initial perturbations. These limit cycle oscillations have high frequencies and amplitudes, which suggest a higher risk of structural fatigue failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used by Bulang people in Yunnan, China" that was published in a 2023 issue of the journal is presented.

[Display omitted] • A novel green technology for non-contact bioleaching of ion-adsorption type rare earth ore was investigated. • The culture conditions of the strain and the leaching conditions of REEs were optimized. • Changes in microbial metabolites before and after leaching were explored using untargeted metabolomics. • The main metabolic pathways during leaching process were discussed. With the continuous improvement in technology, the potential of rare earth elements (REEs) is constantly being tapped. Some of these REEs are valuable additives in the high-tech field. Bioleaching is an effective and clean method for extracting REEs from ion-adsorption type rare earth ore. In this study, the effect of non-contact bioleaching of REEs by Aspergillus niger strain was investigated, and the optimal culture conditions of strain and the optimal leaching conditions of rare earth ore were investigated. In addition, untargeted metabolomics was used to explore the differential metabolites produced by the strain before and after leaching and to verify the metabolites affected during leaching. The results showed that the REEs leaching efficiency was indeed improved by changing the temperature, pH, shaking speed and liquid–solid ratio. Metabolomic experiments showed that organic acids and their derivatives played important roles, and most of them were down-regulated after leaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the impact of covid-19 and geopolitical instability, the price of energy and medical-related chemicals are increased. Acetone is used as the main material for the synthesis of important disinfectant isopropanol, which the price is influenced by covid-19 impact. The research on acetone purification, especially on the acetone refining section in the cumene hydroperoxide process is of great importance, which is high in energy cost but the most popular method for acetone production. This paper provided novel energy-saving acetone purification processes with heat integration, heat recovery, and molecular sieve adsorption, and made comprehensive research of different schemes applications with optimization. A modified TAC calculation model for adsorption units is first proposed in this paper, which includes the calculation of adsorption unit cost, molecular sieve loss, and molecular sieve regeneration cost. CO 2 emission and thermodynamic efficiency of all the processes are compared. A semi-quantitative analysis is used to compare the relative industrial versatility and process controllability. The results show that the combination of adsorption and heat integration achieves a decrease of 27.75% in energy consumption, 15.30% in TAC, 7.09% in CO 2 emission, and a 22.62% relative increase in thermodynamic efficiency. [Display omitted] • Comprehensive energy-saving research for novel acetone purification processes. • Cost estimation model proposed for adsorption units. • The multiple-scale analysis applied with quantitative/semi-quantitative comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is challenging and desirable to develop an effective molecular design strategy to tune mechanofluorochromic (MFC) activity in organic molecules. Herein, three triphenylamine (TPA) derivatives were synthesized to investigate the MFC properties. The inclusion of iminodibenzyl, diphenylamine and carbazolyl units into the molecules causes some changes in the molecular conformation and packing pattern, which can lead to the variation of MFC activities. Among three TPA derivatives, T 1 exhibits excellent MFC performance upon grinding. In addition, the color change induced by grinding is revisable upon heating. In consideration of the good repeatability and sensitivity of MFC process, T 1 is chosen to prepare the rewritable papers and can be achieved in inkless writing technology. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The first study using deep learning based radiomics to predict the risk categorization of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). • Inclusion of deep learning features enhanced performance of radiomics model. • Deep learning features offered the highest predictive value in radiomics model construction. • A deep learning-based radiomic nomogram has potential to become a valuable tool for precise and personalized care for TETs. The study was aimed to develop and evaluate a deep learning-based radiomics to predict the histological risk categorization of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), which can be highly informative for patient treatment planning and prognostic assessment. A total of 681 patients with TETs from three independent hospitals were included and separated into derivation cohort and external test cohort. Handcrafted and deep learning features were extracted from preoperative contrast-enhanced CT images and selected to build three radiomics signatures (radiomics signature [Rad_Sig], deep learning signature [DL_Sig] and deep learning radiomics signature [DLR_Sig]) to predict risk categorization of TETs. A deep learning-based radiomic nomogram (DLRN) was then depicted to visualize the classification evaluation. The performance of predictive models was compared using the receiver operating characteristic and decision curve analysis (DCA). Among three radiomics signatures, DLR_Sig demonstrated optimum performance with an AUC of 0.883 for the derivation cohort and 0.749 for the external test cohort. Combining DLR_Sig with age and gender, DLRN was depict and exhibited optimum performance among all radiomics models with an AUC of 0.965, accuracy of 0.911, sensitivity of 0.921 and specificity of 0.902 in the derivation cohort, and an AUC of 0.786, accuracy of 0.774, sensitivity of 0.778 and specificity of 0.771 in the external test cohort. The DCA showed that DLRN had greater clinical benefit than other radiomics signatures. Our study developed and validated a DLRN to accurately predict the risk categorization of TETs, which has potential to facilitate individualized treatment and improve patient prognosis evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Licorice is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine and natural sweetening agent, rich in numerous bioactive compounds. Moreover, it is one of the oldest and most frequently employed folk medicines in both eastern and western countries. It is prescribed for the treatment of asthma, fever, and cough. However, with the increasing demand of licorice, its quality and safety become the important issue. The content in licorice varies significantly in materials from different geographical origins. In this study, a reasonable and feasible evaluation method for the quality assessment of licorice was developed based on the analysis of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint, combined with the quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS) method. Glycyrrhizic acid was selected as the internal reference substance, and ten components were simultaneously determined based on relative correction factors. The contents of eleven components in 21 batches of licorice were determined by the QAMS and the ESM (external standard method); there was no significant difference by comparison of the quantitative results between the QAMS and the ESM method; the cosine value (Cir > 0.9999) confirmed the consistency of the two methods. According to the outcomes of 21 batches of licorice samples, the contents of the eleven components were used for further chemometric analysis. All of the samples of licorice from various geographical origins were divided into five categories based on hierarchical cluster analysis, which indicated the crucial influence of geographical origins on licorice. This study showed that QAMS combined with HPLC fingerprint and chemometrics methods could effectively control the quality of licorice. Hence, QAMS is a feasible and promising method for promoting the quality control standardization process of herbal medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To quantitatively assess choriocapillaris (CC) flow deficits in eyes with diabetic retinopathy (DR) using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA). Methods: Diabetic subjects with different stages of DR and age-matched healthy subjects were recruited and imaged with SS-OCTA. The en face CC blood flow images were generated using previously published and validated algorithms. The percentage of CC flow deficits (FD%) and the mean CC flow deficit size were calculated in a 5-mm-diameter circle centered on the fovea from the 6×6-mm scans. Results: Forty-five diabetic subjects and 27 control subjects were included in the study. The CC FD% in diabetic eyes was on average 1.4-fold greater than in control eyes (12.34±4.14% vs 8.82±2.61%, P < 0.001). The mean CC FD size in diabetic eyes was on average 1.4-fold larger than in control eyes (2151.3± 650.8μm2 vs 1574.4±255.0 μm2, P < 0.001). No significant difference in CC FD% or mean CC FD size was observed between eyes with nonproliferative DR and eyes with proliferative DR (P = 1.000 and P = 1.000, respectively). Conclusions: CC perfusion in DR can be objectively and quantitatively assessed with FD% and FD size. In the macular region, both CC FD% and CC FD size are increased in eyes with DR. SS-OCTA provides new insights for the investigations of CC perfusion status in diabetes in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient matrix solid‐phase dispersion via high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector was developed to analyze the following flavonoids of Rhus verniciflua Stokes: fisetin, fustin, butein, sulfuretin, garbanzol, and quercetin. The optimum conditions for the procedure was the use of Zeolite Socony Mobil‐twenty‐two molecular sieves as the adsorbent, sample:adsorbent ratio of 2:5, grinding for 3 min, and use of 8 mL of 70% methanol:water as the elution solvent. The method was validated for linearity, precision, reproducibility, limit of detection, and limit of quantification. The method exhibited excellent linearity for all six flavonoids. The intra‐ and interday precisions over a range of concentrations were below 3.0% and limits of quantification for the six flavonoids were 0.16 and 0.50 μg/mL. Compared with other published methods, the proposed method was more effective, rapid, and required less reagents. Therefore, the combination of matrix solid‐phase dispersion and high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector showed excellent reproducibility and simplicity and could be suitable for the extraction and quantification of multiple flavonoids in R. verniciflua Stokes samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide with limited therapeutic options. Interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase 4 (IRAK4), the master kinase of Toll-like receptor (TLR)/IL-1R-mediated signalling activation, is considered a novel therapeutic target in inflammatory diseases, but has not been investigated in the context of ALD. IRAK4 phosphorylation and IRAK1 protein were analysed in liver from alcohol-related hepatitis patients and healthy controls. IRAK4 kinase activity-inactive knock-in (Irak4 KI) mice and bone marrow chimeric mice were exposed to chronic ethanol-induced liver injury. IL-1β-induced IRAK4-mediated signalling and acute phase response were investigated in cultured hepatocytes. IRAK1/4 inhibitor was used to test the therapeutic potential for ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. Increased IRAK4 phosphorylation and reduced IRAK1 protein were found in livers of patients with alcoholic hepatitis. In the chronic ethanol-induced liver injury mouse model, hepatic inflammation and hepatocellular damage were attenuated in Irak4 KI mice. IRAK4 kinase activity promotes expression of acute phase proteins in response to ethanol exposure, including C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A1 (SAA1). SAA1 and IL-1β synergistically exacerbate ethanol-induced cell death ex vivo. Pharmacological blockage of IRAK4 kinase abrogated ethanol-induced liver injury, inflammation, steatosis, as well as acute phase gene expression and protein production in mice. Our data elucidate the critical role of IRAK4 kinase activity in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced liver injury in mice and provide preclinical validation for use of an IRAK1/4 inhibitor as a new potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ALD. Herein, we have identified the role of IRAK4 kinase activity in the development of alcohol-induced liver injury in mice. Hepatocyte-specific IRAK4 is associated with an acute phase response and release of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines, which synergistically exacerbate alcohol-induced hepatocyte cell death ex vivo. Pharmacological inhibition of IRAK4 kinase activity effectively attenuates alcohol-induced liver injury in mice and could have therapeutic implications. • IRAK4 kinase activity is required for ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. • Hepatocyte-specific IRAK4 is associated with acute-phase protein release in response to interleukin-1β. • Acute phase response and proinflammatory cytokine/chemokines synergistically exacerbate ethanol-induced cell death ex vivo. • Pharmacological inhibition of IRAK4 kinase activity attenuates ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. • Targeting IRAK4 kinase activity might be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of alcohol-associated liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of combustion instability on flame macrostructures and NOx emissions were conducted experimentally in a model gas turbine combustor. Two variables of the CH4 flame were investigated—the flow rate and the equivalence ratio. Results indicate that flame macrostructure changes when the equivalence ratio increases from 0.50 to 1.00, the average total length of flame front firstly decreases from 105 to 75 mm, and then increases to 110 mm. While the average length of flame root decreases from 25 to 5 mm. The appearance of the flame front evolves from a "M" shape to a reversed "V" shape, but the appearance of the flame root changes from elongated V shape to a flatted V shape. The envelop diagram of different combustion instability signifies that there are mode shifting of flame‐acoustic interactions in the combustion chamber. Under instability conditions, the temperature and velocity distribution of the flame front or flame root affects the NOx emissions. Along the radial direction, the peak temperature in the inner recirculation region and the outer recirculation region drops. This article explored the dynamic characteristics of lean‐premixed flames under combustion instability, which could be instructive to the designing of stable and clean combustors in industrial gas turbines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perforated plates have been widely used in combustors to attenuate harmful sounds. In this study, the acoustic absorption capability of plates with heterogeneously distributed holes under bias flow was evaluated in an impedance tube, and the sound attenuation effect of each plate located in the liquid fuel combustor inlet section was experimentally studied. The perforated plate with heterogeneously distributed large holes showed the best control effect under the designed experimental conditions. After control, the peak dynamic pressure in the chamber and plenum decreased by 90 % and 75 %, respectively, and the reduction in the heat release fluctuation was 60 %. When the primary air flow rate deviated from the optimal value, the plate with large holes still reduced the pressure amplitude in the chamber by approximately 70 %. It was also found that installing the perforated plate with a back cavity had the dual effect of gaining and damping combustion instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A generalized lumped element modeling for electrically and magnetically dual-tunable coupled microstrip filters is established through the introduction of the coupling factor which stands for coupling between magnetoelectric layered structure and the input/output microstrip. Then, the lumped element modeling for an existing filter is established and used to predict the electric and magnetic tunability of the filter that manifests as a shift in pass-band. The results have a good consistency with the experimental data and the electromagnetic simulation results in quality and quantity. Then the effects of applied electric field, microstrip's size, substrate's size, and the ferrite-piezoelectric layered structure's size on the filter performance are analyzed by the lumped element modeling. The predicted results show that the performance of the filter can be effectively improved through the increase of microstrip's length and the structure's thickness in a certain range, or the decrease of structure's width and length and the distance between the microstrip and the structure appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the microwave transmission principle and the mechanism of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), a generalized lumped element modeling for magnetoelectric tunable resonators based on the inverse magnetoelectric effect is established taking the impact of equivalent factors of piezoelectric layer into consideration. The lumped element modeling is used to analyze the electrically and magnetically dual-tunable FMR frequency drift of the magnetoelectric tunable resonator; the prediction results have a good agreement with the experimental results and the electromagnetic simulation results in quality and quantity. On this basis, this lumped element modeling is used to predict the effect of the applied electric field, the microstrip's width, the substrate's thickness, and the size of ferrite-piezoelectric layered structure on the ferromagnetic resonance. The results show that with the increase of applied electric field, the values of equivalent resistance R, inductor L, and turns ratio n increase slightly, while the value of C decreases slightly, the FMR frequency fr positively shifts; with the increase of the microstrip's width and substrate's thickness, the values of equivalent resistance R, inductor L, and turns ratio n decrease, while the value of C increases, the FMR bandwidth becomes narrower, and the ferromagnetic resonance attenuation becomes stronger at the same time. When the applied electric field is determined, with the increase of the length or thickness of layered structure, the FMR frequency shifts forward, the FMR peak point decreases first and then increases; with the width of layered structure increases, the FMR frequency of the resonator shifts backward, the FMR peak point decreases first and then increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comorbidities between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and various neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders have been widely reported. However, the genetic correlations, causal relationships, and underlying mechanisms linking GERD to these disorders remain largely unknown. Here, we conducted a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to determine the causality between GERD and 6 neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Sensitivity analyses and multivariable MR were performed to test the robustness of our findings. Linkage disequilibrium score regression was used to assess the genetic correlation between these diseases as affected by heredity. Multiple bioinformatics tools combining two machine learning algorithms were applied to further investigate the potential mechanisms underlying these diseases. We found that genetically predicted GERD significantly increased the risk of Alzheimer's disease, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders. There might be a bidirectional relationship between GERD and insomnia. GERD has varying degrees of genetic correlations with AD, ALS, anxiety disorders, insomnia, and depressive disorder. Bioinformatics analyses revealed the hub shared genes and the common pathways between GERD and 6 neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Our findings demonstrated the complex nature of the genetic architecture across these diseases and clarified their causality, highlighting that treatments for the cure or remission of GERD may serve as potential strategies for preventing and managing neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence proves that RBP7 plays a significant role in breast cancer (BC). The present study was aimed to investigate the mechanism of RBP7. Methods: Western Blotting and qRT-PCR were performed for evaluating the expression levels. CCK8, colony forming, xenograft mouse model, wound healing and transwell assays were conducted to examine cell ability of proliferation, invasion and migration. Nile red staining and Oil red O staining were used for testing the lipid. Results: RBP7 was related to overall survival (OS) in patients with HR + BC. RBP7 protein was significantly decreased in HR + BC tissues and cells. RBP7 suppressed HR + BC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and inhibited migration and invasion. RBP7 reduced fatty acid in HR + BC cells by inhibiting the AKT/SREBP1 pathway. Conclusions: RBP7 may function as a tumor suppressor in HR + BC by inhibiting the AKT/SREBP1 pathway and reducing fatty acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between social support and mortality, especially cardio-cerebrovascular mortality, still has some limitations in the assessment of social support, sample selection bias, and short follow-up time. We used the data from 2005 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine this relationship. The study analyzed a total of 6776 participants, divided into Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 according to the social support score (0–1; 2–3; 4–5). Multivariable adjusted COX regression analyses of our study showed that Group 3 and Group 2 had a reduced risk of all-cause and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality (Group 3 vs 1, HR: 0.55, P < 0.001; HR: 0.4, P < 0.001; Group 2 vs 1, HR: 0.77, P = 0.017; HR: 0.58, P = 0.014) compared with Group 1. The same results were observed after excluding those who died in a relatively short time. Additionally, having more close friends, being married or living as married, and enough attending religious services were significantly related to a lower risk of mortality after adjustment. In brief, adequate social support is beneficial in reducing the risk of all-cause mortality and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality in middle-aged and older adults, especially in terms of attending religious services frequency, the number of close friends, and marital status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current models for inorganic ion transport in porous media describe the adsorption–desorption processes mostly based on empirical adsorption isotherms or simple thermodynamic mechanisms, often overlooking the adsorption kinetics. This study introduces a novel unified reactive solute transport model framework that incorporates well-established surface complexation models to describe the adsorption–desorption of ions in the transport process and takes into full consideration the non-equilibrium adsorption, enabling the use of the same set of thermodynamic-kinetic parameters to accurately describe ion transport under different chemical conditions. To evaluate the constructed model, Cr(VI), P(V), and As(V) column transport experiments were carried out using goethite-coated sand as the porous medium. Kinetic constants derived from single-ion transport experiments accurately predicted the cotransport behaviors of Cr(VI), P(V), and As(V) under various flow chemistry conditions, especially the overshooting phenomena of Cr(VI) under P(V) and As(V) competition. The model framework can be easily incorporated into solute transport models with various surface complexation reactions to predict the fate and transport of ions under complexed chemical conditions without extensive parameterization, and thus is a useful complement to the current reactive transport model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Glucosylceramidase (GBA) variants and onset age significantly affect clinical phenotype and progression in Parkinson's disease (PD). The current study compared clinical characteristics at baseline and cognitive and motor progression over time among patients having GBA‐related PD (GBA‐PD), early‐onset idiopathic PD (early‐iPD), and late‐onset idiopathic PD (late‐iPD). Methods: We recruited 88 GBA‐PD, 167 early‐iPD, and 488 late‐iPD patients in this study. A subset of 50 GBA‐PD, 81 early‐iPD, and 223 late‐iPD patients was followed up at least once, with a 3.0‐year mean follow‐up time. Linear mixed‐effects models helped evaluate the rate of change in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores. Results: At baseline, the GBA‐PD group showed more severe motor deficits and non‐motor symptoms (NMSs) than the early‐iPD group and more NMSs than the late‐iPD group. Moreover, the GBA‐PD group had more significant cognitive and motor progression, particularly bradykinesia and axial impairment, than the early‐iPD and late‐iPD groups at follow‐up. However, the early‐onset GBA‐PD (early‐GBA‐PD) group was similar to the late‐onset GBA‐PD (late‐GBA‐PD) group in baseline clinical features and cognitive and motor progression. Conclusion: GBA‐PD patients exhibited faster cognitive and motor deterioration than early‐iPD and late‐iPD patients. Thus, subtype classification based on genetic characteristics rather than age at onset could enhance the prediction of PD disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thiourea-catalyzed asymmetric domino Michael/annulation process was devised employing bifunctional oxindole-chromones as C4 synthons and β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters as C2 synthons. This reaction enables the highly diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of a range of biologically relevant spirocyclic hexahydroxanthones with one quaternary and four tertiary stereogenic centers, also featuring an intriguing combination of two privileged motifs, including hexahydroxanthone and oxindole substructures, in good yields (up to 76%) and excellent stereoselectivities (up to >99% ee and >20:1 dr). Moreover, using β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters as the C2 building blocks, which are different from enone substrates such as chalcone and benzalacetone, with the reversible Michael reaction further expanded the scope of the method. In addition, scale-up also demonstrated the applicability of this protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two-tank thermal energy storage system with a mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate is one of the most common ways in concentrated solar power plants. However, the unreasonable thermal performance of tank foundations such as excessive heat loss and overheating of concrete slab could result in local molten salt solidification and foundation settlement. This work proposes a novel foundation configuration with road base, light expanded clay aggregate, thermal clay blocks and fire bricks as insulation materials. The temperature distribution and heat loss of the tank foundations are studied at different scales through experimental and numerical methods. A laboratory foundation is set up to prove the feasibility of foundation materials, which is used in the thermal energy storage system of the 1 MWth pilot plant. According to the results, the pilot foundation has a reasonable temperature distribution. Moreover, the foundation configuration and materials are applied to an industrial molten salt tank foundation. The maximum temperature of external surface of the foundation drops from 162.6 °C to 37.3 °C, the maximum temperature of concrete slab decreases from 96.1 °C to 43.2 °C, and the heat loss of foundation reduces by 39.8%. The results indicate that the foundation with the proposed configuration and materials could enhance the thermal performance of the tank foundation and decrease the heat loss through the tank foundation. The proposed foundation is of great significance for guiding the construction of the thermal storage system of commercial concentrated solar power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two epidemiological models were applied to simulate whether animals with latent infections were contagious and calculate the outcomes of people that contracting brucellosis by all possible transmission routes under control measures implemented by the Chinese government. The health and economic burden of brucellosis overall presented an increasing trend from 2004 to 2017. Scenarios from epidemiological models showed that a larger scale of vaccine coverage would contribute to fewer infections in livestock and humans. S2 vaccine, the disinfection of the environment and the protection of the susceptible animals and humans could effectively reverse the trend of increasing brucellosis and reduce the incidence rates of brucellosis in humans to curb the epidemic of brucellosis in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perforated plates are widely used in many practical burners to attenuate noise emissions. In this study, the acoustic absorption capability of dual perforated plates (DPPs) with different porosities and aperture diameters was evaluated and tested in an impedance tube, and the damping performance of the DPPs located in a liquid fuel combustor inlet section was experimentally studied. The DPPs have an adjustable first cavity and can mitigate the thermoacoustic oscillations within a wide sound absorption bandwidth. The DPPs can absorb 95% of the specified incident sound energy. The combustion results indicated that the installation of DPPs at the inlet section has two effects: sound attenuation and the frequency shift of the combustor. The maximum reduction in dynamic pressure and CH* chemiluminescence intensity inside the chamber were 14 and 19 dB, respectively. When the primary air flow rate deviates from the optimal value, the DPPs can reduce the pressure amplitude in the combustion chamber by almost 80%. In general, this study may promote the application of DPPs under bias flow for the stabilization of spray combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are responsible for establishing and maintaining DNA methylation through the RNA‐directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway in plants. Although siRNA biogenesis is well known, it is relatively unclear about how the process is regulated. By a forward genetic screen in Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified a mutant defective in NOT1 and demonstrated that NOT1 is required for transcriptional silencing at RdDM target genomic loci. We demonstrated that NOT1 is required for Pol IV‐dependent siRNA accumulation and DNA methylation at a subset of RdDM target genomic loci. Furthermore, we revealed that NOT1 is a constituent of a multi‐subunit CCR4‐NOT deadenylase complex by immunoprecipitation combined with mass spectrometry and demonstrated that the CCR4‐NOT components can function as a whole to mediate chromatin silencing. Therefore, our work establishes that the CCR4‐NOT complex regulates the biogenesis of Pol IV‐dependent siRNAs, and hence facilitates DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing in Arabidopsis. Significance Statement: The study identifies a mutant defective in NOT1 by a forward genetic screen and demonstrates that NOT1 is required for Pol IV‐dependent siRNA accumulation and DNA methylation and thereby facilitate chromatin silencing at a subset of RdDM target genomic loci. Because NOT1 is the largest subunit of the CCR4‐NOT complex responsible for mRNA deadenylation, the study reveals a potential role for RNA deadenylation in siRNA production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of stochastic processes is essentially a branch of probability theory, treating probabilistic models that evolve in time. It is best viewed as a branch of mathematics, starting with the axioms of probability and containing a rich and fascinating set of results following from those axioms. In probability theory, a convex function applied to the expected value of a random variable is always bounded above by the expected value of the convex function of the random variable. In this paper, the concept of generalized h -convex stochastic processes is introduced, and some basic properties concerning generalized h -convex stochastic processes are developed. Furthermore, we establish Jensen and Hermite–Hadamard and Fejér-type inequalities for this generalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Granulation and packing tests of iron ore blend containing concentrates are conducted. • The drying technique can improve bed permeability significantly. • Adding hydrated lime can effectively suppress granules' degradation caused by drying. • The typical sintering process is optimized to meet the energy needs of drying. • The optimization facilitates grade recovery and cascade utilization of waste heat. The permeability of the sinter green beds will remarkably deteriorate when magnetite concentrate powder is introduced into the raw blend. To address this problem, a technique of drying after high-moisture granulation is proposed. Using this technique, the permeability can be raised from 40.45 JPU to 46.05 JPU at 7.7 wt% granulation moisture. At the same time, the results show that drying may cause the degradation of granules when the granulation moisture is excessive. Therefore, the final permeability of the stacked bed depends on the combined effect of increasing the bed stiffness and decreasing the average particle size. Fortunately, the addition of hydrated lime (HL) can significantly inhibit granule degradation and improve granulation efficiency, which can further improve the bed permeability to 61.41 JPU with a 2% HL addition level (at 7.7 wt% granulation moisture). Finally, an optimized process is proposed that uses low-grade waste heat during sinter cooling to dry the wet granules. This optimization not only meets the energy needs of drying but also facilitates the grade recovery and cascade utilization of waste heat during the sintering process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harmless treatment of waste selective catalytic reduction catalyst has become a thorny problem. In this investigation, a new method of harmless disposal of waste catalyst by utilizing iron ore sintering process is proposed, and the effect of granulating characteristics is studied. Results show that better bed permeability, shorter sintering time, and faster flame front speed could be characterized by applying higher granulating moisture. Sinter mineral and microstructure research found that wider distribution of skeleton‐crystal hematite while less calcium ferrite could be observed at higher granulating moisture. The porosity of sinter increases from 30.82% for granulating moisture 6.0% to 36.54% for granulating moisture 7.5% while the circle factor of pores decreases. Sinter index research results indicate that both tumbler index and yield have a descended trend whereas flame front speed increases with higher granulating moisture added. Productivity first increases then drops with increasing granulating moisture. Finally, a comprehensive index is used to evaluate the influence of granulating characteristics on sintering process, which first increases from 100 to 121 as granulating moisture increases from 6% to 6.5% then drops to 70.8 when granulating moisture further increases to 7.5%. The granulating moisture of 6.5% is recommended in present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar power tower system with an external receiver is one of the most promising technologies for electricity generation and has a high concentration ratio and a high operating temperature range. In this paper, a lab-scale external receiver with xenon lamps, using molten salt as a heat transfer fluid, was established, and its optical and thermodynamic properties were evaluated. Experimental and numerical methods were used to analyze the performance of the receiver. For the base case (100% light power, no wind, 2.3 kg/s mass flow, and 400 °C inlet temperature), the deviation in the maximum temperature of the wall determined through numerical simulation and thermal imager measurement was 1.8%; the deviation in the back temperature of the receiver identified through simulation and thermocouple measurement was 0.22%. The performance of the receiver under different working conditions was also explored. Experimental and simulation results had good agreement at different mass flow rates, light power, and wind speed, and the deviation under each condition was less than 5%. The experimental results showed that the temperature rise of molten salt increased from 4.3 °C to 7.4 °C when the inlet temperature increased from 375 °C to 500 °C; the temperature rise of molten salt increased from 1.8 °C to 5.3 °C when the power of the xenon lamps increased from 20% to 100%; the temperature rise of molten salt decreased from 8.3 °C to 5.3 °C when the mass flow rate increased from 1.4 kg/s to 2.3 kg/s; and the temperature rise of molten salt decreased from 5.3 °C to 3.6 °C when the wind velocity increased from 0 to 10 m/s. The practical and simulation results present useful reference sources for fellow researchers and practitioners in the sector of the solar power tower system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this contribution is to investigate the expected improvement of temporal gravity field determination via a couple of high-low satellite-to-satellite tracking (HLSST) missions. The simulation system is firstly validated by determining monthly gravity field models with in situ GRACE GPS tracking data. The general consistency between the retrieved solutions and those developed by other official agencies indicates the good performance of our software. A 5-yr full-scale simulation is then performed using the full error sources including all error components. Analysis of each error component indicates that orbit error is the main contributor to the overall HLSST-derived gravity field model error. The noise level of monthly solution is therefore expected to reduce 90 per cent in terms of RMSE over ocean when the orbit accuracy improves for a magnitude of one order. As for the current HLSST mission consisting of a current GNSS receiver and an accelerometer (10−10 and 10−9 m s–2 noise for sensitive and non-sensitive axes), it is expected to observe monthly (or weekly) gravity solution at the spatial resolution of about 1300 km (or 2000 km). As for satellite constellations, a significant improvement is expected by adding the second satellite with the inclination of 70° and the third satellite with the inclination of 50°. The noise reduction in terms of cumulative geoid height error is approximately 51 per cent (or 62 per cent) when the observations of two (or three) HLSST missions are used. Moreover, the accuracy of weekly solution is expected to improve 40–70 per cent (or 27–59 per cent) for three (or two) HLSST missions when compared to one HLSST mission. Due to the low financial costs, it is worthy to build a satellite constellation of HLSST missions to fill the possible gaps between the dedicated temporal gravity field detecting missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contact fatigue is a key feature limiting the service lives and reliabilities of gears. The gear contact fatigue failure mechanism has not been understood fundamentally due to the complexities of structural factors, material properties, and operating conditions. In this work, an integrated finite element model of a megawatt level wind turbine gear is established considering the real gear geometry, material microstructure heterogeneity, existence of nonmetallic inclusion, and the tooth surface roughness. The gear steel material properties are defined based on the crystal elasticity anisotropy framework. The modified Dang Van multiaxial criterion is utilized to estimate the material fatigue failure probability during gear engagement. With the developed model, the roles of microstructure, inclusion, and surface roughness on the gear contact fatigue behaviour are comparatively investigated. Additionally, the influences of different inclusion size and surface roughness profile on gear failure risk are investigated and discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tight binding enabled by tailor‐made macrocycles can be manipulated for tuning the catalysis process. In parallel to well‐developed crown ether‐based cation‐binding catalysis, a macrocycle‐enabled counteranion trapping strategy is presented for boosting highly efficient and enantioselective catalysis. A set of bis‐diarylthiourea macrocycles containing two BINOL moieties were designed and synthesized. They possess a well‐confined chiral cavity and strong binding affinities towards disulfonate anions. Caused by the tight binding, just 1 mol % macrocycle in combination with 1 mol % ethanedisulfonic acid can promote excellent conversion and up to 99 % ee in the Friedel–Crafts reaction of indoles with imines. The acid or the macrocycle alone do not afford any reactivity. The high catalytic efficiency and excellent stereocontrol was ascribed to large, complexation‐induced acidity enhancement and tight ion‐pairing facilitated by cave‐like macrocyclic cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tight binding enabled by tailor‐made macrocycles can be manipulated for tuning the catalysis process. In parallel to well‐developed crown ether‐based cation‐binding catalysis, a macrocycle‐enabled counteranion trapping strategy is presented for boosting highly efficient and enantioselective catalysis. A set of bis‐diarylthiourea macrocycles containing two BINOL moieties were designed and synthesized. They possess a well‐confined chiral cavity and strong binding affinities towards disulfonate anions. Caused by the tight binding, just 1 mol % macrocycle in combination with 1 mol % ethanedisulfonic acid can promote excellent conversion and up to 99 % ee in the Friedel–Crafts reaction of indoles with imines. The acid or the macrocycle alone do not afford any reactivity. The high catalytic efficiency and excellent stereocontrol was ascribed to large, complexation‐induced acidity enhancement and tight ion‐pairing facilitated by cave‐like macrocyclic cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, which alters nucleosome positions by either evicting histones or sliding nucleosomes on DNA, is highly conserved from yeast to humans, and 20% of all human cancers have mutations in various subunits of the SWI/SNF complex. Here, we reported the crystal structure of the yeast Snf5-Swi3 subcomplex at a resolution of 2.65 Å. Our results showed that the Snf5-Swi3 subcomplex assembles into a heterotrimer with one Snf5 molecule bound to two distinct Swi3 molecules. In addition, we demonstrated that Snf5-Swi3 subcomplex formation is required for SWI/SNF function in yeast. These findings shed light on the important role of the Snf5-Swi3 subcomplex in the assembly and functional integrity of the SWI/SNF complex. • The Snf5-Swi3 subcomplex forms a heterotrimer at a stoichiometry of 1:2. • Crystal structure of the Snf5-Swi3 heterotrimer was determined. • The integral Rpt1-Rpt2 tandem domain in Snf5 is essential for the heterotrimer formation. • The structural and biochemical results show that the Snf5-Swi3 subcomplex formation is required for yeast viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafast third order nonlinearity in silicon photonics is promising for all-optical signal processing beyond 100 Gbit/s. However, the coexistence of slower dynamical responses, such as mesoscopic Drude free-carrier plasma or thermal nonlinearities, degrades high-speed signal integrity. Here, we introduce atomic-layer graphene onto the silicon nanophotonic platform to leverage its unique nondegenerate two-photon absorption and ultrafast carrier dynamics, demonstrating broadband and fast bitrate transmission through cross-absorption modulation. Multichannel error-free optical transmission across telecommunication C- and L-bands is demonstrated with 10−12 bit-error rates at a data transmission rate of 1 Gbps. The bandwidth of the hybrid silicon–graphene structure is demonstrated at least up to 25 GHz. The broadband cross-absorption modulation over 640 nm in graphene–silicon optoelectronics provides a promising scalable material platform for high-speed all-optical signal processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Employee creativity is a key factor that helps organizations to gain competitive advantages. The aim of this study is to add to the knowledge of the antecedents of employee creativity. Based on the derivative view of self-determination theory, we analyzed how personal sense of power affects employee creativity, and the mediating role of affective commitment and creative self-efficacy. Participants and Methods: The participants in this study were 227 on-the-job MBA students (120 males and 107 females, mean age was 32.256 years, age range was between 24 and 52 years) at a university in southwestern China. To collect data, a three-wave survey was conducted. Participants were asked to report: personal sense of power, demographic variables, and zhongyong at Time 1; affective commitment and creative self-efficacy at Time 2; creativity at Time 3. PROCESS was employed to test the hypotheses. Results: Personal sense of power has a significant and positive impact on creativity (b = 0.333, SE = 0.052, p < 0.01). Both affective commitment (b = 0.058, 95% CI [0.024, 0.107]) and creative self-efficacy (b = 0.139, 95% CI [0.078, 0.224]) mediate the relationship between personal sense of power and creativity. Conclusion: Personal sense of power was positively correlated with employee creativity while affective commitment and creative self-efficacy mediated their relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]