Search

The road passenger transportation enterprise is a complex system, requiring a clear understanding of their active safety situation (ASS), trends, and influencing factors. This facilitates transportation authorities to promptly receive signals and take effective measures. Through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, we delved into potential factors for evaluating ASS and extracted an ASS index. To predict obtaining a higher ASS information rate, we compared multiple time series models, including GRU (gated recurrent unit), LSTM (long short-term memory), ARIMA, Prophet, Conv_LSTM, and TCN (temporal convolutional network). This paper proposed the WDA-DBN (water drop algorithm-Deep Belief Network) model and employed DEEPSHAP to identify factors with higher ASS information content. TCN and GRU performed well in the prediction. Compared to the other models, WDA-DBN exhibited the best performance in terms of MSE and MAE. Overall, deep learning models outperform econometric models in terms of information processing. The total time spent processing alarms positively influences ASS, while variables such as fatigue driving occurrences, abnormal driving occurrences, and nighttime driving alarm occurrences have a negative impact on ASS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a typical difficult-to-machine material, the strong wear resistance and high hardness of carbon fiber in carbon fiber–reinforced plastics (CFRPs) lead to rapid tool wear during the cutting process, exacerbating surface damage of the hole and significantly increasing production costs. The investigation of tool wear has always been the pivotal focus in low-cost manufacturing. However, no similar work has been reported yet in tool wear of CFRP helical milling To fill this gap, this paper aims to conduct a theoretical analysis of the tool wear mechanism in helical milling of CFRPs and summarize the trends in tool wear under different cutting amounts as well as the impact of tool wear on cutting force and hole quality. Tool wear characteristics in terms of helical milling were studied carefully. Discussions on the tool wear morphology, cutting parameters, cutting force, and hole wall roughness were also provided. The findings in this paper might offer guidance on tool wear mechanisms for extending tool life and increasing hole-making quality in helical milling of CFRPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tumor‐size‐stratified analysis on the prognosis of uterine sarcoma is insufficient. This study aimed to establish the tumor‐size‐stratified nomograms to predict the 3‐ and 5‐year overall survival (OS) of patients with uterine sarcoma. Methods: The data analyzed in this study were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We collected data from patients with uterine sarcoma diagnosed between 2004 and 2015. According to the median tumor size of 7.8 cm, the enrolled patients were divided into two tumor size (TS) groups: TS <7.8 cm and TS ≥7.8 cm. Patients in each group were randomly divided into the training and validation cohorts with a ratio of 7:3. Chi‐square test was used to compare differences between categorical variables. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify significant predictors. We calculated the concordance index (C‐index) and the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) to validate the nomograms. Results: Compared with TS <7.8 cm group, TS ≥7.8 cm group had more patients of 45–64 years group, higher black race prevalence, higher proportion of myometrium tumor, higher stage, and higher grade; In the TS <7.8 cm training cohort, six variables (age, race, marital status, tumor primary site, stage, and grade) were identified as significantly associated with OS in multivariate analysis. However in the TS ≥7.8 cm training cohort, only four variables (surgery on primary site, tumor size, stage, and grade) were significantly identified; The C‐index of two nomograms were 0.80 and 0.73 in training cohorts, respectively, and the AUC values for 3‐ and 5‐year OS predictions in training cohorts were all above 0.80. Similar results were observed in validation cohorts. Conclusions: This study found that the significant prognostic factors were different between two tumor size groups of uterine sarcoma patients. The tumor‐size‐stratified nomograms, which we constructed and validated, might be useful to predict the probability of survival for patients with uterine sarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the author discusses the deformations of compact complex manifolds with ample canonical bundles. It is known that a complex manifold has unobstructed deformations when it has a trivial canonical bundle or an ample anti-canonical bundle. When the complex manifold has an ample canonical bundle, the author can prove that this manifold also has unobstructed deformations under an extra condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tool condition is highly relative to the productivity, quality, and safety of ultrasonic vibration-assisted drilling (UVAD) of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). Tool breakage can cause the degradation of drilling quality and maybe even lead to unexpected machine downtime. Therefore, tool breakage monitoring is the key technique of ensuring drilling quality and realizing fully automated drilling. However, existing tool breakage monitoring methods based on machine learning need training model previously, which is impractical for the actual drilling process. In this work, a novel tool breakage monitoring method based on a sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) in UVAD of CFRP is proposed. Three different damage levels are introduced to simulate the tool breakage in the drilling process. The vibration signals collected under different tool damage levels in the experiment are preprocessed by low-pass filtering to remove the disturbance frequency generated by the ultrasonic spindle system. To reduce data redundancy, the signals are downsampled according to the useful frequency band and the feature parameter extracted from test signals is finally fed into the SPRT model as a test sequence to recognize tool damage levels. Root mean square error (RMSE) between the same conditions and between different types of conditions was selected as the criteria to evaluate the reliability of the method. The test results and error analysis show that the method is effective and reliable to classify different tool breakage conditions during UVAD of CFRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotary Ultrasonic Machining (RUM) is a well-known non-traditional machining method for hole-making and surface grinding of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP). However, the complicated material removal behavior of CFRP is difficult to understand due to its heterogeneity and anisotropy resulting from components and the nature of laminated structures. In this concern, we conducted ultrasonic vibration-assisted scratching (UVAS) to understand the material removal mechanisms with the effect of ultrasonic vibration and fiber anisotropy. Based on scratching morphology, the removal behavior of unidirectional CFRP (UD-CFRP) varied in different scratching directions. Meanwhile, the addition of ultrasonic vibration could suppress machining damage generated by the scratching process. The motion trajectory analysis and experimental results show that the ultrasonic vibration-assisted scratching load is smaller under the same machining parameters. Discussions on the material removal mechanism of UD-CFRP during the effect of ultrasonic vibration and fiber anisotropy were also provided. This research will contribute towards an in-depth understanding of the material removal mechanism for fiber reinforced plastics composites in RUM, which will be useful in optimizing the application of ultrasonic vibration assisted processes for advanced composites machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are becoming increasingly prevalent in the industries including automobile, aerospace, and military due to their light quality, high specific strength, high corrosion resistance, excellent thermodynamics performance, etc. However, these excellent properties easily result in intensive tool wear, short tool life, and reduced machining accuracy. Although ultrasonic vibration–assisted drilling (UVAD) was considered an effective drilling method to reduce tool wear, most reported studies focused on machining kinematics or mechanics, and very few studies systematically explored the tool wear behaviors in UVAD of CFRP. To fill this gap, this paper aims to investigate tool wear of high-speed steel (HSS) twist drill in UVAD of CFRP and compares these wear behaviors with those in conventional drilling based on the experimental observation of the worn drill morphologies. The effects of cutting parameters on tool wear were discussed with the special focus on the differences in tool wear between conventional drilling (CD) and UVAD. The observed wear behaviors can include abrasion, adhesion, oxidization, or the combination of them. The introduction of UVAD can effectively reduce the average width of tool flank wear with a maximum reduction of 13.0% when compared with CD. Both increased feed rate and decreased spindle speed can lead to decreased tool wear. The findings in this paper might offer guidance on the selection of cutting parameters for extending tool life in UVAD of CFRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection continues to be a major public health concern in China. There is little information available in the literature about age- and sex-specific HCV incidence trends. The goal of this study was to examine recent trends in HCV incidence rates in Hunan, China, according to age and gender. A descriptive study was implemented with a joinpoint analysis. Based on the annual reported incidence data of hepatitis C in Hunan, China, from 2004 to 2017, we performed a joinpoint regression analysis to examine trends in the annual percentage change (APC) and the average annual percentage change (AAPC) in the incidence of HCV infection throughout the study period; we stratified the analysis by gender and age. The software calculates the APC, AAPC and the 95% confidence intervals for each trend segment and tests whether the slope for each segment has a significant difference from the prior segment using a Z test. From 2004 to 2017, the overall incidence rate of HCV infection rose from 0.93 per 100,000 to 20.88 per 100,000 (AAPC, 25.2%). In particular, women aged ≥65 years had the fastest increasing rate (AAPC, 29.9%). The incidence of different demographic groups showed no significant difference in increasing trends before 2013. However, new patterns emerged after 2013: the incidence of people aged 0–14 years was no longer significantly elevated; a significant yearly decline occurred in the incidence of HCV in people aged 15–29 years; the incidence of HCV in people aged ≥30 years continued to increase, with significantly slower increasing rates than before; and women aged ≥65 years showed a significantly higher yearly increase in incidence than that in men in the same age group (APC, 11.1% in women versus 5.3% in men). The overall increasing rate of HCV infection significantly slowed after 2007 and 2013. The differences in incidence trends among demographic groups have obviously increased in the last 5 years, and the reasons underlying these different trends urgently require further study. People in older age groups, especially women aged ≥65 years, still experienced increases in incidence rates in the last 5 years. This finding indicates that programmes for the prevention and control of HCV infection in older people require continued strengthening. • This study describes the age- and sex-specific incidence trends of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Hunan, China. • Joinpoint model illustrated the annual percentage change of HCV infection incidence trend. • Time trends of HCV infection incidence rates show significant changes over time. • The differences in incidence trends among demographic groups have obviously increased in the last 5 years. • People in high-age groups have still experienced increases in incidence rates in the last 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The new method detected petroleum compositions and contents on the site. • The new method measured heterogeneous soil and groundwater TPH contents in-situ. • The in-situ remediation dynamics was monitored at the soil-groundwater interface. • Micro-area in-situ dynamics studies revealed different ISCO remediation mechanisms. The mechanistic study of soil and groundwater remediation in petroleum contaminated lands significantly demands rapid qualitative and quantitative identification of petroleum substances. However, most traditional detection methods cannot provide the on-site or in-situ information of petroleum compositions and contents simultaneously even with multi-spot sampling and complex sample preparation. In this work, we developed a strategy for the on-site detection of petroleum compositions and in-situ monitoring of petroleum contents in soil and groundwater using dual-excitation Raman spectroscopy and microscopy. The detection time was 0.5 h for the Extraction-Raman spectroscopy method and one minute for the Fiber-Raman spectroscopy method. The limit of detection was 94 ppm for the soil samples and 0.46 ppm for the groundwater samples. Meanwhile, the petroleum changes at the soil-groundwater interface were successfully observed by Raman microscopy during the in-situ chemical oxidation remediation processes. The results revealed that hydrogen peroxide oxidation released petroleum from the interior to the surface of soil particles and then to groundwater during the remediation process, while persulfate oxidation only degraded petroleum on the soil surface and in groundwater. This Raman spectroscopic and microscopic method can shed light on the petroleum degradation mechanism in contaminated lands, and facilitate the selection of suitable soil and groundwater remediation plans. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRPs) are widely used in aerospace, automotive and other transportation industries because of their excellent material and mechanical properties. Nevertheless, up to now, drilling is still regarded as the most important process in the machining of CFRPs, and the delamination is one of the most challenging damage in drilling process. In this concern, we propose and implement a bi-directional drilling method for CFRPs hole-making. In this paper, the exit delamination formation mechanism was firstly analyzed to clarify the effect of bi-directional drilling on delamination suppression. The critical thrust force was calculated by considering both conventional and bi-directional drilling conditions. Based on the model, it can find that bi-directional drilling process itself can provide support without employing any extra facility. Finally, experimental validation indicates that the calculated critical thrust force showed a reasonable agreement with the experimental results based on conventional and bi-directional drilling. The hole exit delamination damage under the bi-directional drilling reaches the desired suppression effect with a reduction of 11.3%–27.9% compared to conventional drilling based on experiment results. Through an in-depth understanding of critical thrust force, the findings of this paper not only provide a new processing technology for drilling CFRPs, but also open a new avenue to improve the quality of drilling CFRPs by reducing delamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) are employed in many industrial applications because of their attractive mechanical and structural properties. However, to date, drilling is still considered as the most pivotal process in manufacturing/assembly of CFRPs components, and the delamination damage can be regarded as the most severe machining-induced issue in the drilling process. To solve this problem, a delamination prediction model for CFRPs using Ultrasonic Vibration Assisted Drilling (UVAD) with the abrasive diamond hole saw or core drill is proposed to calculate delamination factor and thickness. The approach of the modeling development starts from simplified for tool and CFRPs workpiece, calculating the total cutting force and the critical thrust force, respectively, and adopting maximum nominal stress criterion to predict delamination. Experimental validation has indicated that the calculated results showed a reasonable agreement with the experimental results on the basis of both delamination factor and thickness, proving the feasibility and the accuracy of the model. This work provides an important reference for selecting and optimizing the drilling parameters to enable delamination-free holes on CFRPs composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a temperature measurement system with NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistors was designed. An MCU (Micro Control Unit) primarily operates by converting the voltage value collected by an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter) into the resistance value. The temperature value is then calculated, and a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) outputs a current of 4 to 20 mA that is linearly related to the temperature value. The nonlinear characteristics of NTC thermistors pose a challenging problem. The nonlinear characteristics of NTC thermistors were to a great extent solved by using a resistance ratio model. The high precision of the NTC thermistor is obtained by fitting it with the Hoge equation. The results of actual measurements suggest that each module works properly, and the temperature measurement accuracy of 0.067 °C in the range from −40 °C to 120 °C has been achieved. The uncertainty of the output current is analyzed and calculated with the uncertainty of 0.0014 mA. This type of system has broad potential applications in industry fields such as the petrochemical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing small-sized functional features such as anti-drag and anti-icing micro structures on Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRPs) is challenging but a still unmet demand. Existing contact CFRP machining solutions may bring unavoidable tool wear and surface defects. Non-contact approaches may introduce significant thermal damage (laser), inconsistent features (waterjet), and limited achievable micro structure shapes and sizes (die sinking Electrical Discharge Machining). Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM) has the potential to overcome the mentioned limitations. Both theoretical thermal calculation and experimental demonstration in our work, however, showed that conventional WEDM was not working well. Here we propose and implement a Preheating Assisted Wire EDM (PAWEDM) to cut CFRPs. Machining anisotropy in terms of kerf geometry and morphology at the cut entries, ends, and edges was studied carefully. Discussions on the anisotropy principle, the influence of carbon fibre and epoxy resin, and the minimum achievable feature were also provided. PAWEDM is an entirely new CFRP cutting method and effective to enhance CFRP performances by creating micro functional and structural features on CFRP products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We collected solonchaks samples of 5 subtypes and 13 genera from Gansu Province in China and analyzed the diversity of fungal communities with the methods of ITS sequencing. We found that ACE, Chao 1, Simpson and Shannon indices of the fungal community varied significantly in soil samples and were generally inversely correlated with pH. The dominant fungal groups were Ascomycota and Basidiomycota among the different solonchaks. Redundancy analysis revealed that soil organic matters was the most important driving force for fungal composition (29.9%), and the second most influencing factor was sulfate ion (9.1%). Our results suggest that Ascomycota was the main indicator phylum reflecting changes of the microbial groups and soil organic matter as a key factor drove the composition of fungal community in 5 subtypes and 13 genera of solonchaks in Gansu Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The saline-alkali soil area accounts for over 1/4-1/5 of the land area in Gansu Province of China, which are mainly distributed in the north of Hexi corridor and Jingtai basin. The unique ecological environment contains unique and diverse microbial resources. The investigation of microbial diversity in saline environment is vital to comprehend the biological mechanisms of saline adaption, develop and utilize microbial resources. Results: The Illumina MiSeq sequencing method was practiced to investigate the bacterial diversity and composition in the 5 subtypes and 13 genera of saline-alkali soil in Gansu Province, China. The results from this study show that Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Gemmatimonadetes were the dominant bacterial groups in 13 saline soil. Proteobacteria had the greatest abundance in sulfate-type meadow solonchaks and orthic solonchaks, chloride-type orthic solonchaks and bog solonchaks, sulfate-chloride-type, chloride-sulfate-type, and sulfate-type dry solonchaks. Halobacteria was the dominant bacterial class in soil samples except for sulfate-type meadow solonchaks and orthic solonchaks, chloride-type orthic solonchaks and bog solonchaks. The richness estimators of Ace and Chao 1 and the diversity indices of Shannon and Simpson revealed the least diversity in bacterial community in sulfate-chloride-type orthic solonchaks. Conclusions: The sulfate anion was the most important driving force for bacterial composition (17.7%), and the second most influencing factor was pH value (11.7%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the dual-phase structure Mn–Co–Fe–Zn–Ni–O high-entropy negative temperature coefficient (NTC) ceramics were synthesized by a solid-phase reaction method. The ceramics are mainly composed of the cubic spinel phase and the rock salt phase. Electron microscopic images revealed the typical morphology and the homogeneous distribution of all elements. The results confirmed that the microstructure and electrical properties of the high-entropy ceramics are closely related to the sintering temperature. As the sintering temperature increased, the content of the rock salt phase gradually improved, meanwhile, the higher resistivity of samples was achieved. Notably, it was found that an appropriate proportion of the rock salt phase could significantly enhance the aging stability of ceramics. The aging drift of the samples sintered at 1175 °C was only 0.632 %. In addition, the ratio of the two phases was adjusted by adding NiO. The ρ 25 and B 25/50 of the materials can be tuned in the range of 22.25 kΩ cm∼24.19 kΩ cm and 4047 K–4145 K, respectively. Regulating the phase ratio of dual-phase materials is a novel strategy for designing NTC ceramic materials with excellent characteristics. This work provides an idea for future research on high-entropy NTC thermistor ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, a novel type of high-entropy (Co 0.2 Mn 0.2 Fe 0.2 Zn 0.2 Al 0.2) 3 O 4 solid-solution ceramics with spinel phase structure was designed and successfully fabricated based on an entropy engineering approach. Additionally, the impact of sintering temperature, a critical factor in entropy stabilization, on structural and electrical behavior was systematically examined at a range of 1110∼1150 °C. The results indicate that each synthesized sample exhibits a single spinel structure in the F d ‾ 3 m (227) space group, and all five metal elements were uniformly distributed, demonstrating entropy stabilization. Meanwhile, the fabricated high-entropy ceramics manifest exceptional negative temperature coefficient (NTC) characteristics in the temperature range of 25 °C–350 °C. The aging stability is excellent as well. After aging at 150 °C for 1000 h, the ΔR/R 0 of thick-film samples sintered at 1150 °C is less than 1 %. The successful synthesis of this novel class of spinel-type high-entropy ceramics introduces an emerging design approach for the development of NTC thermistors, particularly for applications in medium-temperature environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal and spatial variations (desert, desert-oasis, and oasis) in some enzyme activities (urease, alkaline phosphatase, nitrate reductase, dehydrogenase, and catalase) in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm soil layers were evaluated along a typical desert-oasis transition zone in the Shule River basin in China. The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation of soil urease, alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase, and catalase activities with vegetation coverage and available phosphorus while they had a negative correlation with soil pH and EC. Nitrate reductase activity was positively correlated with soil pH and EC but was negatively correlated with elevation and vegetation coverage. According to the redundancy analysis, environmental factors (elevation, vegetation coverage, soil moisture contents, pH, EC, OM, AP and AK) in this study explained 89.8% of the soil enzymatic activity variations when combined (p < 0.01). The Monte Carlo simulation showed that the order of importance of environmental factors on soil enzyme activities was as follows: vegetation coverage (42.5%) > elevation (38.0%) > EC (30.7%) > AP (18.1%) > pH (15.4%). Accordingly, catalase activity exhibited sensitivity to changes in land use intensity and no seasonal variation, suggesting that it is the soil biological activity indicator best suited for measuring existing conditions and potential changes in the desert-oasis transition zone soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transcription factor methylated c‐Myc heterodimerizes with MAX to modulate gene expression, and plays an important role in energy metabolism in kidney injury but the exact mechanism remains unclear. Mitochondrial solute transporter Slc25a24 imports ATP into mitochondria and is central to energy metabolism. Gene Expression Omnibus data analysis reveals Slc25a24 and c‐Myc are consistently upregulated in all the acute kidney injury (AKI) cells. Pearson correlation analysis also shows that Slc25a24 and c‐Myc are strongly correlated (⍴ > 0.9). Mutant arginine methylated c‐Myc (R299A and R346A) reduced its combination with MAX when compared with the wild type of c‐Myc. On the other hand, the Slc25a24 levels were also correspondingly reduced, which induced the downregulation of ATP production. The results promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and mitophagy generation. The study revealed that the c‐Myc overexpression manifested the most pronounced mitochondrial DNA depletion. Additionally, the varied levels of mitochondrial proteins like TIM23, TOM20, and PINK1 in each group, particularly the elevated levels of PINK1 in AKI model groups and lower levels of TIM23 and TOM20 in the c‐Myc overexpression group, suggest potential disruptions in mitochondrial dynamics and homeostasis, indicating enhanced mitophagy or mitochondrial loss. Therefore, arginine‐methylated c‐Myc affects mouse kidney injury by regulating mitochondrial ATP and ROS, and mitophagy via Slc25a24. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiOCl photocatalysis shows great promise for molecular oxygen activation and NO oxidation, but its selective transformation of NO to immobilized nitrate without toxic NO2 emission is still a great challenge, because of uncontrollable reaction intermediates and pathways. In this study, we demonstrate that the introduction of triangle Cl−Ag1−Cl sites on a Cl‐terminated, (001) facet‐exposed BiOCl can selectively promote one‐electron activation of reactant molecular oxygen to intermediate superoxide radicals (⋅O2−), and also shift the adsorption configuration of product NO3− from the weak monodentate binding mode to a strong bidentate mode to avoid unfavorable photolysis. By simultaneously tuning intermediates and products, the Cl−Ag1−Cl‐landen BiOCl achieved >90 % NO conversion to favorable NO3− of high selectivity (>97 %) in 10 min under visible light, with the undesired NO2 concentration below 20 ppb. Both the activity and the selectivity of Cl−Ag1−Cl sites surpass those of BiOCl surface sites (38 % NO conversion, 67 % NO3− selectivity) or control O−Ag1−O sites on a benchmark photocatalyst P25 (67 % NO conversion and 87 % NO3− selectivity). This study develops new single‐atom sites for the performance enhancement of semiconductor photocatalysts, and also provides a facile pathway to manipulate the reactive oxygen species production for efficient pollutant removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiOCl photocatalysis shows great promise for molecular oxygen activation and NO oxidation, but its selective transformation of NO to immobilized nitrate without toxic NO2 emission is still a great challenge, because of uncontrollable reaction intermediates and pathways. In this study, we demonstrate that the introduction of triangle Cl−Ag1−Cl sites on a Cl‐terminated, (001) facet‐exposed BiOCl can selectively promote one‐electron activation of reactant molecular oxygen to intermediate superoxide radicals (⋅O2−), and also shift the adsorption configuration of product NO3− from the weak monodentate binding mode to a strong bidentate mode to avoid unfavorable photolysis. By simultaneously tuning intermediates and products, the Cl−Ag1−Cl‐landen BiOCl achieved >90 % NO conversion to favorable NO3− of high selectivity (>97 %) in 10 min under visible light, with the undesired NO2 concentration below 20 ppb. Both the activity and the selectivity of Cl−Ag1−Cl sites surpass those of BiOCl surface sites (38 % NO conversion, 67 % NO3− selectivity) or control O−Ag1−O sites on a benchmark photocatalyst P25 (67 % NO conversion and 87 % NO3− selectivity). This study develops new single‐atom sites for the performance enhancement of semiconductor photocatalysts, and also provides a facile pathway to manipulate the reactive oxygen species production for efficient pollutant removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-throughput sequencing was used to investigate the archaeal community structure and diversity, and associated influencing factors in the 5 subtypes and 13 genera of saline-alkali soil in Gansu Province, China. The results indicated the analysis of chemical parameters demonstrated statistically significant differences in these soils. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs), Chao 1, ACE, Simpson, and Shannon indexes of the archaeal community varied significantly in the 5 subtypes and 12 genera of soil except for chloride-type orthic solonchaks. The abundance was highest for sulfate-chloride-type meadow solonchaks and lowest for chloride-sulfate-type dry solonchaks. The diversity was highest for chloride-sulfate-type orthic solonchaks and lowest for sulfate-type orthic solonchaks. The archaeal community was dominated by the Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota. Except chloride-type orthic solonchaks; Halomicrobium in chloride-type meadow solonchaks (12.7%); Halobacterium in sulfate-chloride-type and chloride-sulfate-type dry solonchaks (11.1% and 9.2%, respectively); Candidatus Nitrososphaera in sulfate-chloride-type, chloride-sulfate-type, and sulphate-type meadow solonchaks; sulfate-type orthic solonchaks; and chloride bog solonchaks (9.0%, 21.6%, 27.0%, 45.3%, and 30.0%, respectively); Halorhabdus in sulfate-chloride-type orthic solonchaks, magnesium alkalized solonchaks, chloride-type dry solonchaks (15.7%, 11.5%, and 5.9%, respectively); and Haloarcula in chloride-sulfate-type orthic solonchaks (8.1%) were the most dominant archaea. Redundancy analysis showed that archaeal diversity was influenced by soil organic matter, total salt, sulfate anion, and zinc contents and pH. These results will lead to more comprehensive understanding of how 5 subtypes and 13 soil genera of saline-alkali soil affects microbial distribution. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drilling-induced burr and delamination are the main defects in carbon fiber–reinforced polymers (CFRPs). Although substantial CFRP defect measurement methods have been suggested, it is still challenging to recognize and measure the defects due to the drilling-induced chips, non-drilling-induced material reflections, and textured surface of CFRPs. To this end, the main purpose of the present paper is to develop a method able to recognize and measure the drilling-induced burr and delamination in CFRPs based on two techniques of bimodal threshold segmentation method and K-means clustering. To implement these techniques, images are captured by the image capturing setup with specific illumination. And the proposed defect measurement method is validated through full factorial drilling experiments in CFRP workpieces and compared with manual measurement supported by conventional image processing method. The results of the comparative measurement on the proposed method and manual method show that there is a reasonable agreement between them. Moreover, the proposed method can separate burr and delamination from regions of chips and textured surface of CFRPs. Considering the efficient, automated, and repeatable nature of the proposed method, it is anticipated to provide a meaningful reference for recognizing and measuring drilling-induced defects in the presence of strong interfering targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Positive nodule detection is an important means of detecting lung cancer. • LDCT screening is effective in reducing lung cancer mortality. • The developed nomogram provides a simple, objective, and relatively accurate tool. To improve the early stage diagnosis and reduce the lung cancer (LC) mortality for positive nodule (PN) population, data on effectiveness of PN detection using one-off low-dose spiral computed tomography (LDCT) screening are needed to improve the PN management protocol. We evaluate the effectiveness of PN detection and developed a nomogram to predict LC risk for PNs. A prospective, community-based cohort study was conducted. We recruited 292,531 eligible candidates during 2012–2018. Individuals at high risk of LC based on risk assessment underwent LDCT screening and were divided into PN and non-PN groups. The effectiveness of PN detection was evaluated in LC incidence, mortality, and all-cause mortality. We performed subgroup analysis of characteristic variables for the association between PN and LC risk. A competing risk model was used to develop the nomogram. Participants (n = 14901) underwent LDCT screening; PNs were detected in 1193 cases (8·0%). After a median follow-up of 6·1 years, 193 were diagnosed with LC (1·3%). Of these, 94 were in the PN group (8·0%). LC incidence, mortality, and all-cause mortality were significantly higher in the PN group (adjusted hazard ratios: 10.60 (7.91–14.20), 7.97 (5.20–12.20), and 1.94 (1.51–2.50), respectively). Additionally, various PN characteristics were associated with an increased probability of developing LC. The C-index value of the nomogram for predicting LC risk of PN individuals was 0·847. The protocol of PNs management for improvement could focus on specific characteristic population and high-risk PN individuals by nomogram assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driver distraction is one of the significant causes of traffic accidents. To improve the accuracy of accident occurrence prediction under driver distraction and to provide graded warnings, it is necessary to classify the level of driver distraction. Based on naturalistic driving study data, distraction risk levels are classified using the driver's gaze and secondary driving tasks in this paper. The classification results are then combined with road environment factors for accident occurrence prediction. Two ways are suggested to classify driver distraction risk levels in this study: one is to divide it into three levels based on the driver's gaze and the AttenD algorithm, and the other is to divide it into six levels based on secondary driving tasks and odds ratio. Random Forest, AdaBoost, and XGBoost are used to predict accident occurrence by combining the classification results, driver characteristics, and road environment factors. The results show that the classification of distraction risk levels helps improve the model prediction accuracy. The classification based on the driver's gaze is better than that based on secondary driving tasks. The classification method can be applied to accident risk prediction and further driving risk warning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Found that TiN can be used as a functional addition for Li/NiCl 2 thermal batteries. • TiN can increase the discharge voltage and reduce internal resistance. • Composite additions (MgO/TiN) have composite function of bonding and conductive. • Improved discharge performance without changing active material content. In order to solve the leakage problem of NiCl 2 in thermal batteries, TiN is introduced as an addition into thermal battery for the first time. Compared with the traditional MgO addition, the addition of TiN can increase the discharge voltage and reduce the battery's internal resistance to 0.33 Ω. Specific capacity can reach 387.3 mAh/g (cut-off voltage 1.5 V). Composite additions (MgO/TiN) possesses synergistic effect of bonding and electrical conductivity, which significantly improves the discharge performance of the battery with a specific capacity of 320 mAh/g, specific energy of 741.62 Wh/kg, and a maximum specific power of 3.70 kw/kg (0.1 A/cm2, cut-off voltage: 0.3 V). In addition, the active material content of the cathode did not change, which ensures the specific energy of the battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microscale zero‐valent iron is one of the most important multifunctional environmental remediation materials, yet its passivated iron oxide shell hampers the transportation of inherent electrons. Herein, the authors exert tensile strain onto mZVI by interstitial boron doping that destabilizes lattice FeFe interactions, thereby liberating the electrons trapped in the iron reservoir. Tensile strain also upshifts the equilibrated Fermi level at the iron/iron oxide Ohmic heterojunction, thus populating the oxide shell with abundant electrons for robust heavy metal sequestration. Strained‐mZVI exhibits a 62 times faster Cr(VI) removal rate than its unstrained counterpart and can successfully treat industrial wastewater such as landfill leachate, electroplating, and chromium effluents. The excellent property and exceedingly low cost ($2000 ton−1) of strained‐mZVI results in its great potential to remediate heavy metal‐contaminated water and soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is known and Objective: Compared with other molecular subtypes, hormone receptor‐positive breast cancer often shows worse neoadjuvant chemotherapy efficacy. This study aims to explore the relationship between the oestrogen receptor (ER)‐related genes carbonic anhydrase 12 (CA12) and trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) and their predictive value of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Methods: We investigated the relationships between CA12, TFF3 and ER status and their predictive value of anthracycline‐taxane neoadjuvant chemotherapy in 115 female breast cancer patients via real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and 4 GEO datasets: GSE41998, GSE25065, GSE20194 and GSE20271. Then, the effects of CA12 and TFF3 on the chemotherapy drugs doxorubicin and docetaxel were verified in vitro in the breast cancer cell lines MCF‐7 and BT474. Results and Discussion: The GEO datasets and RT‐PCR results showed that the relative expression of both CA12 and TFF3 was higher in oestrogen receptor‐positive samples compared with the other samples (p < 0.05). CA12 was significantly correlated with TFF3 (p < 0.05). In MCF‐7 cells, inhibition of TFF3 induced downregulation of CA12 and ESR1 (p < 0.05) at both the mRNA and the protein levels, while inhibition of CA12 also downregulated TFF3 and ESR1 (p < 0.05). In BT474 cells, inhibition of TFF3 downregulated CA12 and ESR1 (p < 0.05) at both the mRNA and the protein levels, while inhibition of CA12 led to slight upregulation of TFF3 and ESR1 (p > 0.05). Moreover, GEO datasets and RT‐PCR results showed that CA12 and TFF3 were more highly expressed in nonpathological complete response (non‐pCR) samples than in pCR samples (p < 0.05). Cell viability assays of MCF‐7 and BT474 cells showed that inhibiting CA12 and TFF3 could enhance sensitivity to doxorubicin and docetaxel (p < 0.05). What is new and Conclusion: CA12 and TFF3 were correlated with each other, and their high expression might explain the worse efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in oestrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textured Abrasive Tool (TAT) offers an effective solution to alleviate thermal issues during machining processes, and laser machining has been identified as one of the most promising fabrication approaches. Laser ablation of TATs has unique process complexity thanks to not only the porous structure of abrasive tools but also the bond-abrasive multiple-material nature. Due to this complexity, most previous investigations on laser-based generation of TATs relied on the single-pass ablation strategy, and therefore most reported TATs had still 2D structures with the same ablation depth. Although the creation of depth-controlled 3D structures based on multiple-pass laser ablation strategy has been investigated in the laser machining community, few attempt applied this technique to TAT fabrication, and this paper aims to fill this gap. Special attentions were paid to the effect of both laser pass numbers and scanning speeds on the ablated structure shapes, depths, widths, and morphologies. The experimental results were well supported by the theoretical explanations, based on which the pragmatic laser parameter selection strategy was proposed. With the strategy, we successfully produced one TAT having 2D sinusoidal profiles and one with 3D staggered hemisphere micro-structures. Grinding trials were performed as well to prove the superior performances of the produced tool. This work might provide important reference for designing and manufacturing the next-generation advanced abrasive tools embedded with complex and functional 3D machining elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial myocarditis is a key cause leading to myocardial damage and cardiac dysfunction. Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) has been found to be an anti-inflammatory factor. This study is to explore the effect of MANF on LPS-induced myocardial inflammation and macrophage differentiation. The myocarditis mouse model was constructed by LPS treatment. Myocardial damage and serum inflammatory factors were evaluated by ELISA. RT-qPCR was used to detect mRNA of M1/M2 macrophage markers. Western blot, immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescent staining were used to examine myocardial M1/M2 macrophages and NF-κB activation. Mono-macrophage-derived MANF deficiency enhanced LPS-induced inflammatory response and increased M1 macrophages in myocardium tissues, further causing more severe myocardial injury and lower survival rate of mice. Also, LPS-induced myocardial NF-κB activation was strengthened after mono-macrophage-derived MANF knockout. Mono-macrophage-derived MANF inhibits bacterial myocarditis and myocardial M1 macrophage differentiation, which is potential to be used for bacterial myocarditis treatment clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials doped with S/Fe ions were obtained directly using electrolytic manganese anode mud wastes. • First principles are adopted to prove that the S/Fe ions doped Li 1.2 Ni 0.2 Mn 0.6 O 2 material prepared from anode mud has higher conductivity. • Surfactants are introduced in the preparation of precursor materials to obtain materials with fine particles and excellent performance. • This study provides a new idea for the value-added utilization of anode mud and the preparation of low-cost, high-performance LIBs. The booming electrolytic manganese industry has brought a huge amount of electrolytic manganese anode mud (EMAM). The management and value-added recovery of EMAM were very important for environmental improvement and economic benefits. In this study, EMAM is used as a cost-effective raw material. Firstly, the manganese-containing solution was obtained by reducing acid leaching with EMAM. Then, Li 1.2 Ni 0.2 Mn 0.6 O 2 (Z-LNMO) cathode materials were prepared from a manganese-containing solution by co-precipitation process. Finally, to enhance the performance of the Z-LNMO materials, surfactants (C 12 H 25 SO 4 Na, C 10 H 14 N 2 Na 2 O 8 , C 18 H 29 NaO 3 S, C 19 H 42 BrN) were introduced in the preparation of precursor materials to obtain the material with higher crystallinity. ICP results showed that S/Fe ions of EMAM were retained in Z-LNMO materials. Moreover, the Z-LNMO sample shows a stoichiometric similar element content to Li 1.2 Ni 0.18 Fe 0.02 Mn 0.6 O 1.96 S 0.04. EDS results show that S/Fe ions were uniformly distributed in Z-LNMO materials. The shift of XRD peak further indicates that the use of EMAM waste is expected to directly obtain S/Fe ions doped lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials. The first-principle calculation shows that the S/Fe ions as the doping source make the transfer of excited electrons from the valence band to the conduction band easier, thereby enhancing the conductivity of the materials. The CV curve and differential capacity (dQ/dV) curve show that the Z-LNMO material prepared by EMAM inhibits the excessive oxidation of Li 2 MnO 3 to a certain extent, thus providing excellent reversible capacity and stabilizing the material structure. Electrochemical evaluation reveals that the Z-LNMO materials prepared with the EMAM exhibit superior cycling stability (112% after 100 cycles at 0.1C). Moreover, the introduction of C 10 H 14 N 2 Na 2 O 8 (EDTA-2Na) and C 12 H 25 SO 4 Na (SDS) in the preparation of precursor materials can improve the first discharge-specific capacity and stability of materials by modifying the morphology of precursor materials (refine particles). Among them, the materials modified by EDTA-2Na show the best performance, and the particle size is about 200 nm. Compared with the original materials, the improved first discharge-specific capacity (218.6 mAh g−1 at 0.1C) and capacity retention (245.8 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles) of the materials modified with EDTA-2Na were improved. The EIS results also confirm that the introduction of EDTA-2Na effectively decreases the charge transfer resistance and facilitates the Li diffusion of the as-prepared cathode materials. This work confirmed the possibility of extracting manganese from EMAM to prepare lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials, and provided a new promising way for the efficient value-added utilization of EMAM. [Display omitted] The industrial waste of electrolytic manganese anode slime is recycled into MnSO 4 by a simple leaching process, and then the carbonate precursor is prepared by an industrial coprecipitation process (and the surfactants are introduced to modify the material morphology), and finally, the high-performance lithium-rich manganese-based cathode material is obtained by calcination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A method to extract weld feature points based on CenterNet without prior frames is proposed. • The key point detection used in this method does not require morphological processing. • This method has high accuracy and robustness on three typical weld image datasets. To realize strong robust, widely adaptable and highly precise weld seam feature detection, an extraction method based on the improved target detection model CenterNet is proposed. In this target detection method, the weld feature points on the laser strip are taken as the center points of the bounding box. This eliminates the need for an initial positioning frame. When dealing with multiple welds, an independent classifier is used to predict the weld type, which can avoid false detection. In post-processing, this result is used to determine the number of feature points to filter out suspicious targets. The method was tested with the welding image dataset of three typical welds. The classification efficiency of the three welds can reach 99.359 %, with an average extraction error of 1.754 pixel and an average processing time of 32.186 ms. The proposed method exhibits high performance in dealing with common welding images with time-varying noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pharmaceutical sludge biochar (PSBC) was used to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS). • PSBC/PMS removed 4-CP effectively with high rate constants of 0.42–1.70 min−1. • Rising pyrolysis temperature shifted reactive species from FeIVO2+ to SO 4 ·−/·OH. • FeN x and Fe x N in PSBC were active sites of PMS to produce FeIVO2+ and SO 4 ·−/·OH. Pyrolysis of pharmaceutical sludge (PS) is a promising way of safe disposal and to recover energy and resources from waste. The resulting PS biochar (PSBC) is often used as adsorbent, but has seldom been explored as catalyst. Herein we demonstrate that PSBC (0.4 g/L) could efficiently activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to 100% degrade 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) with rate constants of 0.42–1.70 min−1, outperforming other reported catalysts. Interestingly, the PMS activation pathway highly depended on PSBC pyrolysis temperature, which produced dominantly high-valent iron species (e.g., FeIVO2+) at low temperature but more sulfate radical (SO 4 ·−) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) at higher temperature, e.g., 0.17, 0.23, 0.12 mmol/L of FeIVO2+ and 0.009, 0.038, 0.102 mmol/L of SO 4 ·−/·OH were produced within 10 min by PSBC-600/PMS, PSBC-800/PMS, and PSBC-1000/PMS, respectively. Characterization, density functional theory (DFT) simulation and Pearson correlation analysis revealed that along with the increase of pyrolysis temperatures, the active sites of PSBC gradually shifted from atomically dispersed N-coordinated Fe moieties (FeN x) to iron nitrides (Fe x N), which activated PMS to produce FeIVO2+ and SO 4 ·−/·OH, respectively. This study clarifies the structure-activity relationships of PSBC for PMS activation, and opens a new avenue for the treatment and utilization of PS as high value-added resources. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study constructs a novel strategy for the activation of molecular oxygen over naturally abundant tenorite (CuO) complexed with ascorbic acid (AA). According to the results of ATR-FTIR characterization and DFT calculation, AA forms inner-sphere complexes with copper on the CuO surface (Cu(II)) in a monodentate mononuclear configuration, reduces Cu(II) to Cu(I), and complexes the latter species to efficiently activate molecular oxygen for the in situ production of H 2 O 2 and subsequently generate reactive oxidants for the degradation of organic compounds. The multiple evidence of oxidant scavenging tests, EPR spectroscopy, molecular probe experiments, and XPS and XANES analyses collectively suggest that the dominant reactive oxidant is the surface-bound high-valent copper species (Cu(III)) rather than •OH. Compared with •OH, Cu(III) possesses the different oxidation behaviors for bisphenol A and benzoic acid and is less reactive toward alcohols and compounds with strongly electron-withdrawing groups and heterocyclic rings. The CuO/AA system exhibits stable performance that is only marginally affected by the water matrix and shows high durability in repetition tests. Thus, this work describes a promising strategy for the oxidation of organic contaminants via the activation of molecular oxygen and provides insights into the properties and identifications of the Cu(III) species. [Display omitted] • AA forms complexes with Cu(II) on the surface of CuO, reducing Cu(II) to Cu(I). • The complexation of Cu(I) by AA promotes the activation of O 2 into reactive oxidants. • Multiple evidences suggest that Cu(III) is the dominant reactive oxidant. • The CuO/AA system is durable and marginally affected by the water matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate tool wear prediction is the key to evaluating tool usability and ensuring drilling quality. Recently, fusion prediction methods have attracted great attentions. However, no similar work has been reported yet in ultrasonic vibration-assisted drilling (UVAD) of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). To fill this gap, a hybrid data-driven physics model-based framework for predicting tool wear is proposed. The physics model builds a mathematical description of the tool wear degradation process. The data-driven model predicts tool wear based on multilayer perceptron (MLP). The fusion method fuses the results of both models based on particle filter to obtain the final tool wear. Results indicate that the hybrid model performs better than any of individual models, with the lowest prediction errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-solid-state lithium‑sulfur batteries are becoming a breakthrough technology for energy storage systems due to its high energy density, high safety and low cost of sulfur. However, its application has been restricted by the isolating properties of sulfur (S), as well as S shuttle effect, S volume effect, and low electron conductivity. In this work, the amorphous sulfur-reduced graphene oxide (S/rGO) composite cathode material was prepared with a smaller particle size of about 2 nm S onto rGO to alleviate the volume effect of S (after 30 cycles, the charge transfer impedance changes about only 3 Ω); at the same time, highly conductive rGO maintain good ionic conduction during charge-discharge cycling. Along with the cathode material, we fabricated a composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) based on poly (ethylene oxide), lithium-ion conductor Li 6.4 Ga 0.2 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 -succinonitrile (PEO 18 - LiTFSI-LLZO-SN) possessing lithium conductivities of 1.16 × 10−4 and 7.26 × 10−4 S cm−1 at room temperature and 60 °C, respectively, which can mitigate the transport of polysulfide and be suitable for battery applications. The composite cathode material exhibits an initial discharge capacity of 783mAh g−1 at 45 °C, with a capacity retention rate of 81.2% at 0.2C after 60 cycles. At 60 °C, the battery shows excellent electrochemical cyclability 820mAh g−1 of reserved capacity after stable operation for 100 cycles at 0.2C. The synergy between the CPE and the amorphous S/rGO composite cathode demonstrated in this work may bring insights to improve the cycling performance of all-solid-state Li-S batteries • The volume effect is mitigated by an amorphous S/rGO electrode. • The shuttle effect was alleviated by PEO-LLZO-LiTFSI-SN CPE. • ASSLSBs constructed by amorphous S/rGO electrode demonstrate good cyclic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ZVI/H2O2 delivers a controllable reduction-oxidation coupling process for CNBs remediation. • ZVI pre-reduction significantly accelerates CNBs mineralization rate by ·OH. • The performance of ZVI/H2O2 based reduction-oxidation process is controlled by the addition time of H2O2. • The efficiency of this controllable reduction-oxidation process has been validated in remediating real site contaminated by CNBs. Chloronitrobenzenes (CNBs) are typical refractory aromatic pollutants. The reduction products of CNBs often possess higher toxicity, and the electron-withdrawing substituent groups are detrimental to the ring-opening during the oxidation treatment, leading to ineffective removal of CNBs by either reduction or oxidation technology. Herein we demonstrate a controllable reduction-oxidation coupling (ROC) process composed of zero-valent iron (ZVI) and H 2 O 2 for the effective removal of CNBs from both water and soil. In water, ZVI first reduced p-CNB into 4-chloronitrosobenzene and 4-chloroaniline intermediates, which were then suffered from the subsequent oxidative ring-opening by ·OH generated from the reaction between Fe(II) and H 2 O 2. By controlling the addition time of H 2 O 2 , the final mineralization rate of p-CNB reached 6.6 × 10−1 h−1, about 74 times that of oxidation alone (9.0 × 10−3 h−1). More importantly, this controllable ROC process was also applicable for the site remediation of CNBs contaminated soil by either ex-situ treatment or in-situ injection, and, respectively decreased the concentrations of p-CNB, m-CNB, and o-CNB from 1105, 980, and 94 mg/kg to 3, 1, and < 1mg/kg, meeting the remediation goals (p-CNB: < 32.35 mg/kg, o-CNB and m-CNB: < 1.98 mg/kg). These laboratory and field trial results reveal that this controllable ROC strategy is very promising for the treatment of electron-withdrawing groups substituted aromatic contaminates. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of mobile communication systems is evolving rapidly toward being more intelligent, while also having the ability to interconnect with everything and be aware of the current wireless environment. For complex scenarios, the asymmetry features of channel state information (CSI) will seriously restrict the performance of the communication system. With its accurate positioning technology and high-speed communication rate, ultra-wideband (UWB) has a promising future as a solution to integrate communication and positioning functions. The traditional CSI channel estimation usually requires channel training, which will greatly increase the overhead of the system. This paper proposes a location information-assisted beamforming to replace the traditional channel training process. First, we use the user location parameter information to reconstruct the channel model and derive the CSI error distribution based on the location distribution. Second, considering the uncertainty of the user positioning error, we model the robust beamforming optimization problem that minimizes the total transmit power. To solve this non-convex problem effectively, we design a new beamforming algorithm by using semidefinite relaxation (SDR) and Bernstein-type inequalities. Finally, simulation results verify the robustness of the proposed robust beamforming compared to the worst-case robust beamforming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional liquid lithium-sulfur batteries have two key problems: poor safety and shuttle effect. These two challenges can be overcome by using solid-state electrolytes. But poor ionic and electronic conductivity due to solid/solid contact between the electrode and the electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs). Here, we have synthesized Li 6.4 Ga 0.2 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZO) conductive ceramics with high ionic conductivity. LLZO is used as the lithium-ion conductor and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNt) are used as the electronic conductor to form S/MWCNt/LLZO by the thermal diffusion method, resulting in an e−/S/Li+ conductive network. The prepared S/MWCNt/LLZO composite material, composite solid electrolyte, and lithium metal are assembled into ASSLSBs. After 50 cycles, the high capacity of 825 ​mAh·g−1 is maintained with 72.62% capacity retention at 0.2C and 45 ​°C. The higher capacity indicates the success of forming a conductive network that can improve the electrochemical performance of ASSLSBs. At 0.2C, the capacity of the S/MWCNt/LLZO composite cathode remains at 873 ​mAh·g−1 after 60 cycles when the operating temperature is increased to 60 ​°C, indicating good cycle performance. [Display omitted] • MWCNt was used as the electronic conductor and host for S cathode. • Cubic LLZO powder prepared by solid-phase method was used as the lithium-ion conductor for S cathode. • Superior cell performance for S/MWCNt/LLZO cathode in PEO -based Li–S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-LDH nanocages decorated with sub-1 nm Pt clusters were fabricated using a novel in-situ redox strategy and applied for OER. The as-prepared Pt/Co-LDH showed outstanding OER activity with a low overpotential of 265 mV at 10 mA cm−2, which was mainly attributed to the formation of particular Co–Pt−OH structure. • Unique Co-LDH nanocages decorated with metal clusters (Pt, Au, Pd) were synthesized. • The well-defined Co–Pt−OH was formed on Co-LDH and confirmed by EXAFS and DFT. • Pt/Co-LDH exhibited excellent OER activity compared with commercial Pt/C and IrO 2. • The structure of Co–Pt−OH can speed up the electron transport from Co to Pt. • EC-ATR-FTIRS was used to monitor the OER in situ and confirmed AEM mechanism. The acceleration of electron transfer through the regulation of coordination environment of active sites is an effective way to improve reaction performances. Herein, cobalt layered double hydroxide decorated with sub-1 nm platinum clusters (Pt/Co-LDH) were synthesized for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The integration of platinum unexpectedly induced unique nanocage structures assembled by ultra-thin LDH nanosheets via an in-situ redox process. The as-prepared Pt/Co-LDH nanocages exhibit high OER activity with a low overpotential of 265 mV at 10 mA cm−2. Experiments and density functional theory calculations indicate the high catalytic activity is mainly attributed to the strong interactions between Pt and Co-LDH, which can regulate the local coordination environment and electronic structures of cobalt. The well-defined Co–Pt−OH structures could help promote the adsorption energy of water molecules and reduce the energy barrier of rate-limiting step, benefiting from the enhanced electron transfer during the electrocatalytic process, playing the role of "electronic pump". Furthermore, the novel in-situ redox synthetic strategy also presents a facile universality to obtain metal-doped (Pt, Au, Pd) Co-LDH nanocage structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ZVI with FeC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O shell was synthesized by a ball-milling method. • FeC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O shell enhanced proton diffusion through the shell to the iron core. • Surface-bound Fe2+ was the major reactive species to reduce Cr(VI). • ZVI with FeC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O shell promoted Cr(VI) removal rate by 15–80 times. • FeC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O shell endowed ZVI with successive Cr(VI) removal ability. In this study, we coated a high proton conductive shell on the zero-valent iron (ZVI) surface by mechanically ball-milling ZVI with oxalic acid dihydrate (OX-ZVI), and demonstrated that the generated FeC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O shell dramatically improved the Cr(VI) removal rate of ZVI by about 15–80 times. Owing to a higher proton conductivity of FeC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O shell than that of Fe 2 O 3 shell, proton could easily transfer through FeC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O shell into iron core and be reduced to H, accompanying with fast surface-bound Fe2+ generation, resulting in high efficiency of Cr(VI) removal in a wide pH range. Meanwhile, the removed Cr(VI) was deposited on OX-ZVI surface in the formation of Fe x Cr 1-x (OH) 3 composites, accompanied by the appearance of typical hollow structure derived from iron core dissolution. This study clarifies the significance of proton transfer on the reactivity of zero-valent iron, and also provides a new strategy to prepare highly active zero-valent iron for Cr(VI) removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]