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Purpose: Precise identification of lymph node metastases is vital for the management of cervical cancer. However, the existing diagnostic methods for lymph node metastases have certain drawbacks. In this study, we aim to explore the expression of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor-to-stroma CD8+ T cells ratio (CD8+ T cells T:S ratio) and its association with lymph node metastases of cervical cancer. Methods: Hundred and ten cervical cancer tissues and 39 biopsy tissues from patients were investigated immunocytochemically for the expression of CAFs and CD8+ T cells. The statistical correlation analysis was carried out using the SPSS system. Results: A strong and statistically significant negative correlation (r= − 0.690; P < 0.001) was observed between CAF density and CD8+ T cells T:S ratio. Not only were CAFs density and CD8+ T cells T:S ratio correlated with lymph node metastases respectively (P < 0.001), but the combination of them also significantly correlated with lymph node metastases (P < 0.001). Then, we constructed the combined diagnosis model (Logit (P) = − 4.446 + 0.300 × CAFs + 0.752 × CD8+ T cells T:S Ratio) of cervical cancer lymph node metastases. ROC curves analysis showed that the ROC curves areas for CAFs, CD8+ T cells T:S ratio, and a combination of both are 0.879, 0.747, and 0.951. Then, the prediction model was verified by biopsy specimens and consistent results were obtained. Conclusions: The combination of CAF density and CD8+ T cells T:S ratio has a significant predictive value for lymph node metastases in patients with cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a leading cause of drug‐induced liver injury and acute liver failure, while the detection, prognosis prediction, and therapy for APAP‐induced liver injury (AILI) remain improved. Here, it is determined that the temporal pattern of circulating cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) is strongly associated with damage and inflammation parameters in AILI. CfDNA is comparable to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in predicting mortality and outperformed ALT when combined with ALT in AILI. The depletion of cfDNA or neutrophils alleviates liver damage, while the addition of cfDNA or adoptive transfer of neutrophils exacerbates the damage. The combination of DNase I and N‐acetylcysteine attenuates AILI significantly. This study establishes that cfDNA is a mechanistic biomarker to predict mortality in AILI mice. The combination of scavenging cfDNA and reducing oxidative damage provides a promising treatment for AILI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth mechanism of layered double hydroxide (LDH) films grown in situ on steel via hydrothermal treatment is still unclear. In this study, the mechanism of Co-Al-CO3-LDH film grown in situ on a steel substrate was investigated in detail. During the hydrothermal reaction, the in situ growth process of Co-Al LDH on steel involved three steps: (1) hydrolysis of Al3+ and etching of the steel surface, (2) hydrolysis of urea and promotion of LDH nuclei, and (3) crystallization of LDH. More importantly, the generation of Al(OH)3 determined the integrity of the LDH film grown on the steel surface, and a suitable heating rate was also the key factor that affected the growth of the ordered and regular LDH nanoflakes. Therefore, this work provides a comprehensive understanding of the in situ LDH growth mechanism on steel and may facilitate optimal LDH film preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice grains breakage during hulling in a rubber roll huller influences the desired final rice quality and thus its economic value. Clarifying the grains breakage mechanism in the hulling process is the key to reducing the breakage ratio and improving quality. The breakage mechanism was clarified by quasi-static compression, three-point bending, compression-shear and hulling tests. The results show that rigid compression and three-point bending breakage cannot be used to characterise grains breakage mechanism in the hulling process, and flexible compression cannot break grains. The breakage mechanism involved is flexible compression; the application of shear load rotates grains resulting in the action of bending and shear and this finally produces bending tension and shear failure. Shear force and pressure increase with the increase of shear direction, resulting in increasing breakage ratio. • Rice grain breakage is not caused by excessive pressure in the hulling process. • Shearing force is closely related to the grain breakage in the hulling process. • Grain breakage is caused by bending tension and shear breakage. • Limiting the rotation of grains can reduce breakage ratio in the hulling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape changes of Ag and Au nanoparticles supported on single crystal reconstructed SrTiO3(001) and (111) substrates were investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy. Both metals nucleate as multiply twinned particles (MTPs) and transform into face-centered-cubic single crystals (SCs) beyond a critical volume. On SrTiO3(001)-c(4 × 2) the critical volumes are measured as 141 ± 51 nm3 for Ag and 107 ± 23 nm3 for Au, whereas on SrTiO3(111)–(4 × 4)+(6 × 6) the critical volumes are 53 ± 26 nm3 for Ag and 26 ± 40 nm3 for Au. A much larger transition volume was observed on SrTiO3(001)–(2 × 1), where Ag remains as MTPs up to 3400 nm3, while Au nucleates as atomic monolayers instead of MTPs. This work demonstrates the significant impact of small variations of the surface structure of the substrate on the MTP–SC transition volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na 3 V 2 (PO 4) 2 F 3 (denoted as NVPF) is an attractive cathode for sodium ion batteries (NIB) owning to its high theoretical capacity (128 mAh g−1) and high working potential (3.9 V vs Na/Na+). However, NVPF often suffers from low electronic conductivity and unstable cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI), seriously hindering its practical application. Here, a uniform NVPF microsphere assembled by carbon-coated NVPF nanosheets (HM-NVPF@CN) is prepared and subsequently an inorganic-rich B, F species CEI layer on its surface in dual-anion ether electrolyte is constructed to address above drawbacks. The carbon-coated NVPF nanosheets can shorten the diffusion pathway for both Na+ and e−, and provide large electrochemical reaction area. In addition, the robust CEI layer can enhance the Na+ transport and suppress the parasitic reactions. The optimized electrode exhibits a good cycling stability (70 mAh g−1 after 2000 cycles) and outstanding low temperature performance (99 mAh g−1 at −25 °C). The full cell fabricated with a hard carbon (HC) anode achieves a high capacity retention (88% after 930 cycles) and superior high temperature performance (60 °C, 72 mAh g−1 at 5C). This work provides a novel idea to regulate interfacial chemistry of cathodes for the high-voltage NIB. • The nanosheets-assembled NVPF microspheres were designed and prepared. • The dual-anions promotes the formation of stable B/F inorganic-contained CEI. • The CEI layer is found to be thin and robust, which can enhance the Na+ transport. • The optimized electrode exhibits outstanding low temperature performance (−25 °C). • Full cell achieves good cyclability under wide temperatures (−10, 25 and 60 °C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerodynamic separation of rice husks from brown rice grains after paddy husking is one of the important processes in rice processing. So far, the realisation of complete separation of rice husks from brown rice is still a challenging task. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) were used to simulate the process, and the simulation results were verified by experiment. Based on this, the process of the separation of rice husks from the mixture was clarified. The mechanisms of brown rice loss and the rice husk retention were explored by analysing the collision process of the husks and rice in the separation duct. The interaction between mixture particles and airflow was explored. The results show that feeding of the mixture particles led to the decrease in the airflow velocity; however, it did not disturb the airflow stability or produce obvious turbulence. Adjustment of airflow velocity significantly influences the separation; nonetheless, incomplete separation of rice husks and brown rice still remains. The mechanism of brown rice loss and rice husk retention in the separation process occurred simultaneously to some extent in the separation region. As a result, brown rice and rice husk entered the opposite regions and collided with each other in their opposite region, respectively. • The separation process of mixture particles was studied by DEM-CFD simulation method. • Feeding mixture doesn't disturb the airflow stability and produce turbulence. • Adjusting the airflow can not solve the problem of incomplete separation. • Brown rice losing is caused by rice husk collision. • The rice husk remaining is caused by brown rice coercion and collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective capacity early estimation is one of the critical tasks for electric autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) to guide energy allocation and ensure equipment reliability. An effective capacity estimation method for Li/SOCl 2 is proposed here. Firstly, we generate a comprehensive dataset consisting of 138 Li/SOCl 2 cells, where the test-matrix is designed based on the AUV's working modes. Then, an effective capacity estimation architecture is established. In this architecture, a calendar aging model (CAM) based on the storage mode is obtained; a polynomial regression model (PRM), trained by features exacted from the early discharge data, is coupled to CAM based on the unscented Kalman filter (UKF), where one-step fusion is adopted to ensure lightweight. The verification results show that the architecture significantly improves prediction accuracy compared to traditional methods only considering the single working mode and performs well with generalization ability in the new database. Moreover, the early prediction and lightweight characteristics make it the most promising candidate for AUV power estimation in engineering. • A database consisting of 138 LiSOCl 2 cells is established. • Effective capacity indicators (ECIs) are extracted from early discharge data. • A lightweight model-fusion-based capacity estimation architecture is developed. • The proposed method has been evaluated rigorously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pandemics have been recognized as a serious global threat to humanity. To effectively prevent the spread and outbreak of the epidemic disease, theoretical models intended to depict the disease dynamics have served as the main tools to understand its underlying mechanisms and thus interrupt its transmission. Two commonly-used models are mean-field compartmental models and agent-based models (ABM). The former ones are analytically tractable for describing the dynamics of subpopulations by cannot explicitly consider the details of individual movements. The latter one is mainly used to the spread of epidemics at a microscopic level but have limited simulation scale for the randomness of the results. To overcome current limitations, a hierarchical hybrid modeling and simulation method, combining mean-field compartmental model and ABM, is proposed in this paper. Based on this method, we build a hybrid model, which takes both individual heterogeneity and the dynamics of sub-populations into account. The proposed model also investigates the impact of combined interventions (i. e. vaccination and pre-deployment training) for healthcare workers (HCWs) on the spread of disease. Taking the case of 2014-2015 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Sierra Leone as an example, we examine its spreading mechanism and evaluate the effect of prevention by our parameterized and validated hybrid model. According to our simulation results, an optimal combination of pre-job training and vaccination deployment strategy has been identified. To conclude, our hybrid model helps informing the synergistic disease control strategies and the corresponding hierarchical hybrid modeling and simulation method can further be used to understand the individual dynamics during epidemic spreading in large scale population and help inform disease control strategies for different infectious disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying an optimal set of nodes that can maximize the spread of influence in a network is a crucial challenge in network science. It has numerous applications such as epidemic control and rumor containment. However, most existing techniques are limited by their high computational costs, making them impractical for graphs with millions of nodes. Moreover, the previous approaches have primarily focused on the structural characteristics of the network while the characteristics of information diffusion are ignored. This paper proposes a deep reinforcement learning framework, DeepELE, to bridge these gaps. DeepELE incorporates a graph embedding technique to represent the graph states and applies a deep reinforcement learning method to learn the policy automatically. Note that we assess the contribution of links to spreading processes and further account for the diffusion-related contribution along with the graph structure information into convolutional neural and the Q network. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world networks validate the efficiency and efficacy of DeepELE. The results demonstrate that DeepELE significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art methods, especially for large-scale networks with millions of nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orientation of paddy grains during hulling is one of the main factors that determines the one-time hulling ratio and breakage ratio during processing with rubber rollers. Understanding the adjustment mechanism of paddy grain orientation angle in feeding process is the key to controlling the orientation angle, but the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. The feeding process using an inclined plate feeder was simulated using the discrete element method (DEM). The effect of the inclination angle of the long feeding plate was analysed and the requirements for an adjustment mechanism were clarified. The results showed that the uniformity of inclination angle of paddy grains decreased with the increasing inclination angle for the long feeding plate. The results showed that the regular movements of paddy grains were controlled by shear action of paddy grain flow. The depth of the grain layer determines the distribution of paddy grain orientation angle. This study could provide guidance for the design and optimisation of feeding systems and help understand the adjustment mechanism requirements for orientating non-spherical grains in grain flow • Adjustment mechanisms of orientation angle of paddy grain examined numerically. • Paddy grains rotate around one of their vertices. • Regular rotational motion is caused by the shear action of the grain flow. • Number of flow layer determines the change of orientation angle. • Regular rotational movements can align orientation angle to flow direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pd crystals grown in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) on nanostructured SrTiO3(001) and anatase TiO2(001) thin film substrates were studied using scanning tunneling microscopy. The crystals have the equilibrium shape of a truncated octahedron with a {111} top facet, {111} and {001} side facets, and a {111} interface. A consistent crystal shape is reached only after annealing the samples in UHV at 450 °C or above. By measuring the top facet dimensions of the equilibrium crystals, we determine the ratio of the surface energies for Pd to be γ 111 / γ 001 = 0.77 ± 0.02. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a direct source of power, the water vapor with high temperature and high pressure affects the thermal efficiency of an underwater vehicle power system. In this study, the subcooled flow boiling heat transfer performances in straight and helical tubes are studied at underwater vehicles conditions. A numerical model for the subcooled flow boiling in the tubes is established and verified by the existing experiment data. The local heat transfer capability, and content and distribution of the vapor are analyzed under various thermal conditions and helical angles. The results show that inlet mass flux, heat flux and inlet subcooling have obvious effects on the local heat transfer capacity, vapor content as well as wall temperature. It is found that the maximum local heat transfer coefficient in a helical tube increases by 20.75% compared with that in the straight one. The analyses of vapor volume fraction and secondary flow show that the vapor mainly distributes in the inside and top of tubes, and the secondary flow intensity increases along the axial direction, but it is little influenced by helical angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The learning‐based multi‐view stereo (MVS) methods have made remarkable progress in recent years. However, these methods exhibit limited robustness when faced with occlusion, weak or repetitive texture regions in the image. These factors often lead to holes in the final point cloud model due to excessive pixel‐matching errors. To address these challenges, we propose a novel MVS network assisted by monocular prediction for 3D reconstruction. Our approach combines the strengths of both monocular and multi‐view branches, leveraging the internal semantic information extracted from a single image through monocular prediction, along with the strict geometric relationships between multiple images. Moreover, we adopt a coarse‐to‐fine strategy to gradually reduce the number of assumed depth planes and minimise the interval between them as the resolution of the input images increases during the network iteration. This strategy can achieve a balance between the computational resource consumption and the effectiveness of the model. Experiments on the DTU, Tanks and Temples, and BlendedMVS datasets demonstrate that our method achieves outstanding results, particularly in textureless regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently, a significant number of students enrolled in colleges and universities encounter mental health challenges, including academic stress and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. These factors contribute to a decline in mental well-being and necessitate prompt intervention and assistance. The automation of mental health identification in students greatly benefits from the implementation of intelligent emotion recognition systems. Through the analysis of students' emotional states, educational institutions can gain a deeper understanding of students' mental well-being, enabling them to promptly identify and address any issues and offer more complete care and support to students. This paper proposes a method for automated emotion recognition that is driven by data. The method is developed based on the provided background information. The proposed approach incorporates a feature fusion mechanism and an attention mechanism into the ResNet-34 model. This integration enhances the model's capability to analyze intricate details and subsequently improves its classification performance when applied to electroencephalography (EEG) signals. This paper introduces several key innovations. First, an optimization technique is applied to the input component of the model, enabling multifeature fusion. Second, an attention mechanism is incorporated after the residual network module, enabling the model to prioritize parts that contribute to classification and enhance feature extraction. Finally, the network parameters are optimized using both softmax loss and center loss functions. The findings from the analysis of the sentiment EEG public data SJTU Emotion EEG Dataset (SEED) indicate that the proposed sentiment recognition approach not only enhances the classification performance of the model on the sentiment EEG data but also improves the stability of the results. This paper presents a novel approach that enables automatic and efficient recognition of students' emotions on commonly used platforms. The findings of this study hold significant implications for mental health assessment and detection in real-life production settings, offering substantial reference value in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass derived carbon-based materials are considered as prospective anode candidates for potassium ion batteries (PIBs) because of their abundant resources, low cost, high specific surface area and abundant active sites. However, the practical application of carbon-based electrodes for PIBs is intrinsically hindered by the unsatisfactory reversible capacity caused by the huge volume expansion during the embedding of potassium ions. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) probiotics-derived porous N doped carbon nanosheets aggregate with the highly branched carbon nanotube (denoted as 3D-PNC@CNTs) is designed as advanced anode for PIBs. The as-prepared 3D-PNC@CNTs possesses the 3D interconnected conductive framework composed of ultrathin carbon nanosheets, rich hierarchical pores, and high edge defects. These features facilitate the rapid electrons/ions transfer, provide enough space to accommodate the huge volume change, ensure easy electrolyte infiltration and provide many active sites for K+ storage. By virtue of these features, 3D-PNC@CNTs displays a high reversible capacity of 458 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 and excellent cycling stability (143 mAh g−1 at 1000 mA g−1 after 500 cycles). This work provides important insights into biomass materials as promising anode materials for rechargeable PIBs. [Display omitted] • A 3D porous carbon nanosheets aggregate with the branched CNTs is prepared. • Abundant edge defect sites in 3D-PNC@CNTs can enhance potassium storage. • 3D-PNC@CNTs exhibits high specific capacity and cyclic stability. • The storage mechanism of K+ in 3D-PNC@CNTs was analyzed by ex situ Raman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low ratio of one-time hulling is one of the main factors restricting the development of rice processing. Understanding the hulling mechanism and the effect of feeding direction of paddy grain on the hulling performance is the key to increasing the one-time hulling ratio of rubber roll hullers, but the mechanism remains poorly understood. In this work, the effects of the feeding direction on rotation movements were explored using the discrete element method (DEM), observing the microstructure of paddy grain, and conducting the static shearing experiments. The effect of feeding direction on the hulling ratio and hulling pattern were investigated. The results showed that rotation angle increases as feeding direction increases and the axis of rotation of the grain changes from the short to long axis. This difference in rotation leads to differences in the shearing effect of the rubber rolls on the apexes of the grain. From the microstructure of the grain it can be seen that the grain core is wrapped by the lemma and palea under a process of bonding and interlocking. The experimental results show that the process of hulling destroys bonding and interlocking by a shearing action. Therefore, hulling ratio changes with changes in feeding direction. The results were confirmed by hulling experiments using a rubber roll huller and it was verified that feeding direction has a significant effect on the breakage ratio. • The mechanism of hulling is to release the bond and the interlocking between lemma. • Different feeding direction affects stresses and rotation of paddy in hulling process. • Hulling performance is related to the feeding direction of paddy grain. • The vertical feeding of paddy can effectively increase hulling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a 30-GHz impulse radiator chip for high-resolution 3-D radar imaging. In this paper, an asymmetrical topology in the cross-coupled pulsed VCO is introduced to minimize timing jitter of radiated impulses to 178 fs, which enables highly efficient spatial combining. The coherent combining over the air has been performed with two widely spaced impulse radiators. The shortest full-width-at-half-maximum pulsewidth of 60 ps is recorded. 3-D images of various metallic objects and dielectric objects are produced using a custom-designed synthetic array imaging system. A depth resolution of 9 mm and a lateral resolution of 8 mm at a range of 10 cm have been achieved. The impulse radiator was implemented in a 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS process technology with an area of 2.85 mm2 and an average power consumption of 106 mW. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Two structurally distinct phases of MnO x ultrathin films were grown on Au(111). • They were imaged at atomic resolution by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). • The fishbone phase nucleates epitaxially, exhibiting two parallelogram unit cells. • The thicker square phase is thought to be a (001) termination of hausmannite Mn 3 O 4. Two structurally distinct phases of manganese oxide ultrathin films were grown on Au(111) substrates and imaged at atomic resolution by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The so-called MnO x fishbone phase is only a few monolayers thick and nucleates epitaxially on the bare Au(111) substrate. The surface of this phase exhibits two parallelogram unit cells with sizes and included angles of (14.6 ± 0.2) × (5.6 ± 0.2) Å2, 88 ± 1° and (13.6 ± 0.1) × (5.6 ± 0.2) Å2, 80 ± 1°. The other thicker phase is called the square phase. It is only observed growing on top of the fishbone phase and has a surface unit cell of edge dimension 5.8 ± 0.1 Å. The square phase is thought to be a (001) termination of hausmannite Mn 3 O 4. In addition, less common intermediary surface structures are also observed. This study demonstrates the transition of the crystal structure of an oxide film from a unique ultrathin film structure that is epitaxially constrained by the interaction with the Au(111) substrate to that of a thicker film with the structure of a bulk crystal. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a nonlinear Q-switching impedance (NLQSI) technique for picosecond pulse radiation in silicon. A prototype chip is designed with four NLQSI-based impulse generation channels, which can produce picosecond pulses with a reconfigurable amplitude. An on-chip impulse-coupling scheme combines the outputs from four channels and delivers the combined signal to an on-chip antenna. In addition, an asynchronous optical-sampling measurement system is used to characterize the radiated picosecond pulses in the time domain. The prototype chip can radiate 4-ps pulses with an SNR > 1 bandwidth of 161 GHz. Furthermore, pulse amplitude modulation is experimentally demonstrated. The prototype chip is fabricated in a 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS process technology with a die area of 1 mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The green mirid bug Apolygus lucorum is a regional pest of multiple crops in northern China, and the survival and development of diapausing eggs during winter plays an important role in the population dynamics of this species. The effect of water on the survival and development of A. lucorum eggs was investigated using laboratory-induced diapause. Diapausing eggs were exposed to various humidity regimes under three conditions: (1) termination of diapause with exposure to warm long-day (WLD) conditions (i.e., 26 ± 1°C and 75 ± 5% relative humidity (RH) under a photoperiod of 16 hours light and 8 hours dark), (2) termination of diapause by chilling at 4°C, or (3) during the post-diapause stage, i.e., from transfer to WLD conditions after chilling, until the hatching of nymphs. The results indicate that water availability is crucial for the post-diapause resumption of development of A. lucorum. However, exposure to excessive moisture was detrimental, as indicated by a decrease in diapause termination rate and a prolonged pre-hatching period of diapausing eggs, compared to limited moisture conditions. This implies that both too dry and too humid environmental conditions would suppress survival and postpone hatching of overwintered A. lucorum eggs, and might explain why this pest has not caused severe damage in either southern or western China where the respective climates are very humid or dry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A metamaterial grating waveguide (MGW) is presented for tunable modulator application. • By elevating G1, G2, and G3 individually, the transmission intensity could be attenuated. • For the elevation of G3, the transmission intensity can be switched between 0 and 0.8. • MGW shows a linear blue-shifting relationship of resonances and incident angles. • The sensitivity of MGW is 41 nm/RIU for chemical sensing application. We present a metamaterial grating waveguide (MGW) for tunable optical attenuator and modulator applications in the infrared (IR) wavelength range, which is composed of sixty periodically one-dimensional gold (Au) nanograting structures on silicon (Si) nanograting waveguide. The first thirty Au nanograting structures along the opposite propagation direction of the guided wave are divided equally into three groups. By elevating the first group (G1) of Au nanograting structures from the Si waveguide surface, the transmission intensity of MGW decreases from 1.0 to 0.3 at the wavelength of 1.278 μm. While elevating the second (G2) and third (G3) groups of Au nanograting structures from the Si waveguide surface, the transmission intensities can be attenuated from 1.0 to 0.3 and 1.0 to 0.4, respectively. For the elevation of G3, the transmission intensity at a specific wavelength can be switched between 0 and 0.8. Furthermore, MGW shows a linear blue-shifting relationship of resonant wavelengths and incident angles between 8° and 20° with a correction coefficient of 0.9991. The resonances of MGW also exhibit blue-shifting characteristics by increasing the environmental refraction index. This proposed design of MGW provides a useful approach for variable optical attenuating, optical switching, wavelength tuning, and sensing applications in the IR spectrum range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of paddy hulling, the separation of rice husks and brown rice mixture is an indispensable stage. Usually, the mixture is transported along inclined chute driven by gravity from hulling system to pneumatic separation system to complete separation. To promote segregation of mixture is the key for improving separation effect. However, the segregation law and mechanism of two-property difference mixtures with small difference of particle size in inclined chute flow are still unknown. Hence, the transporting process of particles in inclined chute was explored by discrete element method (DEM) simulations and experiments. The results show that kinetic sieving mechanism still plays an important role in inclined chute flow of the mixture with small difference in the particle size. In the case of a certain flow distance and a small chute angle, providing more flow space along the depth direction for the particle flow can further improve the degree of segregation (DOS). [Display omitted] • Binary mixtures with small particle size difference in inclined chute flow are studied. • Kinetic sieving mechanism still plays an important role in inclined chute flow of the mixture. • Kinetic sieving here is caused by the difference in surface roughness and density. • The degree of segregation decreases with the increase of inclined chute angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium (Pd) crystal islands, with 100–200 nm wide (111) top facets, were grown in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) on an anatase (001) film supported on a SrTiO 3 (001) substrate. Annealing the crystals at > 600 °C causes encapsulation by a TiO x monolayer due to the strong metal–support interaction (SMSI). Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) reveals that the TiO x monolayer on the Pd(111) facets consists of two periodicities: one is a hexagonal (4 × 4) R 1.5° structure, and the other is a larger-scale periodicity consisting of a two-fold symmetric pattern of dark regions that can be described by a (4√39 × 4√61) R 42.4° superstructure. This double-periodicity structure requires a formation area of at least 100s of nm2. An atomic model is developed that encompasses all features of the moiré superstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an electrothermally controllable electric split-ring resonator (eSRR) consisting of a fractal microheater with SRR structure and metallic lines on silicon substrate. All eSRR units are connected to generate Joule heat by input electric current. In this work, two designs of eSRR configurations are proposed. They are the symmetric (eSRR-1) and asymmetric (eSRR-2) designs. By applying a direct current (DC) bias voltage from 0 to 2.53 V, the ambient refractive index (RI) can be changed from 1.0 to 2.6. The electromagnetic response of eSRR-1 exhibits dual-resonance with tuning ranges of 96–116 GHz, while that of eSRR-2 exhibits triple-resonance with tuning ranges of 96 GHz, 93 GHz, and 107 GHz, respectively. For RI sensing application, the maximum quality-factor (Q-factor) of eSRR-1 can be tuned from 25.4 to 41.4, and the figure of merit value can be also tuned from 25.2 to 40.0 by increasing the driving voltage. For eSRR-2, the maximum Q-factors can be changed from 45.8 to 174.3, and FOM values can be tuned from 36.9 to 133.5, respectively. The maximum sensitivity (S) values are 81.1 GHz/RIU and 76.6 GHz/RIU for eSRR-1and eSRR-2, respectively. In addition, an extra resonance could be stimulated by lifting the metallic bar of eSRR. In the process of lifting the metallic bar, the generated extra resonance is firstly red-shifted 10 GHz due to the decoupling effect with the substrate and then blue-shifted 68 GHz originating from the increment of lifting height. These characteristics of eSRR designs provide the great potential possibility for actively tunable devices and RI sensors in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Omeprazole suppressed FASN and ACLY expression, leading to attenuate lipid content. • Neither clarithromycin nor amoxicillin has no effect on FASN and ACLY expression. • FASN and ACLY expression were increased in H. pylori infectious gastric tissue. De novo lipogenesis (DNL) has been reported to involve in a serial types of disease. A standard triple therapy, including a PPI, omeprazole, and antibiotics (clarithromycin and amoxicillin), is widely used as the first-line regimen for helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-infectious treatment. The objective of this study is to explore the function of a standard triple therapy on DNL. We collected the clinical sample from the patients diagnosed with or without H. pylori infection. Oil red staining, real-time PCR, western blotting (WB) and adipored experiment were performed to detect the effect of a standard triple therapy on DNL. The expression of relative key enzymes was assessed in gastric mucosa of clinical sample by IHC. Both 54 cases with H. pylori -negative and 37 cases with H. pylori -positive were enrolled in this study, and IHC assay showed that both fatty acid synthase (FASN) and ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY) expression, the critical enzymes involved in DNL, were increased in gastric mucosa of patients with H. pylori -positive compared with that with H. pylori -negative. Real-time PCR and WB analysis showed that neither clarithromycin nor amoxicillin inhibited FASN and ACLY expression, while treatment of BGC823 cells with omeprazole with 200 μM or 300 μM significantly abolished FASN and ACLY expression, leading to reduce lipid content. These findings suggested that omeprazole suppressed DNL in gastric cells, implying that targeting DNL is an alternative strategy in improving the treatment of patients with H. pylori infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The entire world has suffered a lot since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2019, so simulation models of COVID-19 dynamics are urgently needed to understand and control the pandemic better. Meanwhile, emotional contagion, the spread of vigilance or panic, serves as a negative feedback to the epidemic, but few existing models take it into consideration. In this study, we proposed an innovative multi-layer hybrid modelling and simulation approach to simulate disease transmission and emotional contagion together. In each layer, we used a hybrid simulation method combining agent-based modelling (ABM) with system dynamics modelling (SDM), keeping spatial heterogeneity while reducing computation costs. We designed a new emotion dynamics model IWAN (indifferent, worried, afraid and numb) to simulate emotional contagion inside a community during an epidemic. Our model was well fit to the data of China, the UK and the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. If there weren't emotional contagion, our experiments showed that the confirmed cases would increase rapidly, for instance, the total confirmed cases during simulation in Guangzhou, China would grow from 334 to 2096, which increased by 528%. We compared the calibrated emotional contagion parameters of different countries and found that the suppression effect of emotional contagion in China is relatively more visible than that in the US and the UK. Due to the experiment results, the proposed multi-layer network model with hybrid simulation is valid and can be applied to the quantitative analysis of the epidemic trends and the suppression effect of emotional contagion in different countries. Our model can be modified for further research to study other social factors and intervention policies in the COVID-19 pandemic or future epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yes‐associated protein 1 (YAP1) transcriptional coactivator has recently been identified to regulate skeletal lineage cell differentiation and bone development. However, the role and molecular mechanisms of YAP1 in the regulation of osteoblastic differentiation remains to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that YAP1 expression was increased during osteogenic differentiation of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells and MC3T3‐E1. YAP1 overexpression MC3T3‐E1 showed increased expression of osteogenesis markers, such as runt‐related transcription factor 2, osteocalcin, and osteopontin, as well as alkaline phosphatase and alizarin red staining. Conversely, YAP1 knockdown significantly suppressed MC3T3‐E1 osteoblastic differentiation. Mechanistically, we found that YAP1 overexpression upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of the inhibitor of differentiation/DNA binding 1 (ID1), which was contrary to the results of YAP1‐knockdown group. Moreover, the early osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3‐E1 cells was enhanced by ID1 overexpression. Furthermore, transient transfection with exogenous ID1 overexpression plasmid completely recaptured the decreased effects of YAP1 knockdown on MC3T3‐E1 cell differentiation. In addition, β‐catenin and AMP‐activated protein kinase signaling pathways participated in YAP1 regulation processes. Taken together, our study suggests that YAP1 is a crucial modulator of osteoblast differentiation in vitro, and provides insight into the mechanism by which YAP1 regulates osteoblast differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Improvement of critical components for rice mill is one of the issues constraining the development of rice milling industry. Unfortunately, the effect of configuration of rotating shaft on the flow behaviors, collision characteristics and even milling mechanisms of rice particles in a rice mill still remains poorly understood. In this work, motion of spherical particles in a lab-scale horizontal rice mill with different heights of convex ribs fixed on rotating shaft was simulated using the platform based on the discrete element method (DEM). Validity of the numerical model was confirmed by comparing individual resident time and power draw obtained from experiments with those from simulations. Effects of height of convex ribs on flow properties including the dispersion in the axial direction and the velocity gradient along the radial direction, and further on collision characteristics which are closely related to the rice milling mechanisms, were investigated from the quantitative and qualitative points of view. The results showed that the migration index characterizing dispersion degree and the mean effective collision number, increases to a maximum and then decreases with the increase in the height, while the difference index representing velocity gradient and the mean collision energy increases at first and then decreases with the increase in the height. This implies that the mean effective collision number describing uniformity of milling mainly depends on the degree of dispersion, whereas the mean collision energy representing intensity of milling primarily relies on the velocity gradient. Furthermore, an increase in the height within the accepted range leads to the larger total collision energy, which accelerates wear of rice grains. The results are useful for providing the theoretic guidelines to select appropriate parameters of rotating shaft for the design of stirrer mills. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Milling of spherical particle was simulated using discrete element method. • Effect of height of convex rib on dynamic behaviors in axial and radial are studied. • Dispersion degree in axial direction largely decides mean effective collision number. • Velocity gradient along radial direction mainly affects mean collision energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"First in, first out" is of great importance for silo design during discharge. Double-orifice silos can effectively improve "first in, first out". In this work, the effect of eccentricity on the flow characteristics of particles in a double symmetrical orifice silo is investigated. Experimental and simulation methods were used to conduct the study. The results show that with the increases of eccentricity, the flow of particles in the silo first shows similar as the discharge feature of a single-orifice silo, and then a transitional stage of particle flow separation, the final two orifices discharging independently of each other. Significantly, clear transition points exist for the different flow features. Subsequently, the mathematical model for flow rate prediction is developed and determined the location of the demarcation eccentricity. The results help to refine the design, scale-up and optimization of the multi-orifice silos and similar structural devices. [Display omitted] • Variation of particle flow characteristics with different eccentricity was analyzed. • Three stages of discharging characteristics were found with changing eccentricity. • The prediction model of stage demarcation eccentricity was developed. • The Beverloo equation was modified to obtain the discharge rate model for each stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moderate removal of the bran layer plays an important role in reducing broken rice and nutrient loss during rice milling. However, the moderate removal of bran layer remains a challenge due to limited understanding of the mechanisms of rice bran removal. The mechanism of bran layer removal was studied by analysing the motion characteristics of rice grains on a rice sieve and the tissue structure and mechanical properties of the bran layer from different parts of rice grain. The results showed that the removal order of bran layer is firstly, lateral, followed by ventral and finally dorsal. In the milling chamber the grains on the sieve are almost always in contact with the rice sieve by the lateral, resulting in the lateral bran being removed the first during milling. The dorsal bran layer has a thicker tissue structure and stronger mechanical properties, which leads to the dorsal bran layer being removed after the ventral bran layer. The mechanism of bran layer removal reduces the efficiency and quality of milling. These findings should helpful for the process optimisation of moderate milling and for the design of rice mills. • The bran layers are removed in a certain order in friction rice mill. • The removal efficiency of bran layer decreases with the increase of milling time. • The primary damage occurs almost only on the lateral of the rice grain. • Rice mills and rice properties together determine the bran layer removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterojunctions, quantum wells, and superlattices with precise doping profiles are behind today's electronic and photonic devices based on III-V compound semiconductors such as GaAs. Currently, there is considerable interest in constructing similar artificial 3D architectures with tailored electrical and optical properties by using van der Waals junctions of low-dimensional materials. In this study, the authors have fabricated a novel structure consisting of multiple thin (≈20 nm) layers of aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes with dopants inserted between the layers. This 'modulation-doped' multiple-quantum-well structure acts as a terahertz polarizer with an ultra-broadband working frequency range (from ≈0.2 to ≈200 THz), a high extinction ratio (20 dB from ≈0.2 to 1 THz), and a low insertion loss (<2.5 dB from ≈0.2 to 200 THz). The individual carbon nanotube films-highly aligned, densely packed, and large (2 in. in diameter)-were produced using vacuum filtration and then stacked together in the presence of dopants. This simple, robust, and cost-effective method is applicable to the fabrication of a variety of devices relying on macroscopically 1D properties of aligned carbon nanotube assemblies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous feeding rice into a rice mill is one of the main factors affecting milling quality. Understanding the conveying mechanism of rice in the connected chamber is the key to control the feeding, however the internal mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. In this work, the discrete element method was used to simulate rice movement in a rice mill and the validity of the simulation verified by experiments. The influence of rotational speed ratio i on rice conveying effect in connected chamber was analysed. A mathematical model involving the relationship between mill parameters and conveying uniformity was established. The simulations showed that particle groups will enter continuous limited state when particles enter the entrance of milling chamber. In particular, when i was 0.5 and 0.75, the flux near the shaft is even <0. With the increase of i , the rice conveying efficiency increased, but the milling time decreased. When i was <1.25, the amount fed into the milling chamber gradually increased but then suddenly decreased when i was >1.25. The ability of the particle group breaking through the restriction of convex rib increased with i. Thus, the phenomenon of uneven conveying can occur in the conveying process and the mechanism involved is convection. The degree of axial mixing is closely related to the sweep volume difference between screw conveyor and convex rib. This study helped clarify the rice conveying mechanism and provided guidance for the design of rice mills and similar equipment. [Display omitted] • Rice will enter a continuous limited state when they enter milling chamber entrance. • Conveying efficiency increases but milling time decreases with the increase of i. • The axial movement of rice particles is mainly inhibited by convex ribs. • Rice axial mixing is decided by swept volume difference between screw and rib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of neutrophils is significantly reduced in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), but the molecular basis remains unclear. We recently found that miR-34a was significantly increased in MDS neutrophils. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the effects of aberrant miR-34a expression on neutrophil counts. miR-34a mimics/inhibitor transfection were performed in neutrophil-like differentiated HL60 (dHL60) cells, and a FACSCalibur flow cytometer was used to measure ROS production and apoptosis. In addition, the Cdc42-WASP-Arp2/3 pathway inhibitor (ML141) and activator (CN02) treated the dHL60 cells, and then ROS production, apoptosis and related proteins expression were detected. And, luciferase reporter assay to verify the relationship of miR-34a and the Cdc42-WASP-Arp2/3 pathway. overexpression of miR-34a could induce ROS production and apoptosis, decrease the expression levels of DOCK8, p-WASP, WASP, Arp2, Arp3, and increase F-actin's expression. Meanwhile, knockdown of miR-34a could decrease ROS production and apoptosis, increase the expression of DOCK8, p-WASP, WASP, Arp2, Arp3, and decrease F-actin's expression. Immunofluorescence staining showed aberrant miR-34a and Cdc42-WASP-Arp2/3 pathway could induce F-actin membrane transfer. Luciferase reporter assay indicated that DOCK8 was a direct target gene of miR-34a. These data indicates miR-34a may induce neutrophil apoptosis by regulating Cdc42-WASP-Arp2/3 pathway-mediated F-actin remodeling and ROS production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice hulling is the process of separating rice husks from the grain. Impact hulling is the norm for paddy grain processing because it produces higher quality hulled brown rice. However, high breakage fractions and low one-time hulling percentages can directly affect the quality of subsequent rice processing and restrict the development of paddy grain processing. Understanding the mechanism of paddy grain impact hulling is key to improving the performance of centrifugal rice hullers. In this paper, a single-seed impact test and the discrete element method (DEM) were used to simulate the paddy grain impact hulling. The effects of impact speed and angle on hulling percentage, breakage percentage and hulling pattern were investigated. The results showed that the effectiveness of paddy grain hulling after impact was due to the relative motion between rice husk and its kernel. The combined effect of impact and friction produces a relative motion between the husk and the kernel and increasing the relative motion improves hulling. Optimal impact parameters were obtained using a weighting method. The results of the study could improve the hulling performance of centrifugal rice hulling providing the basis improving the design. • Impact hulling relies on the relative motion between rice husk and brown rice. • The effect of impact velocity and angle on hulling performance was investigated. • The combined effect of impact and friction is key to the relative motion. • The combined weighted scoring method was used to evaluate the hulling performance. • Impact velocity of 35–40 m s−1, impact angle of 60°, are the optimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal rate and durability are the two most important parameters of an ideal air purification filter to remove inhalable particles and toxic gases. Here, based on the interaction of a local electric field and an external electric field, a novel coaxial core–shell CuO@NH2-MIL-53(Al) nanowire array was synthesized on a rigid copper net, which was used to remove PM2.5 and SO2 simultaneously. The removal rates of PM2.5 by the filter with and without an external electric field can reach 98.72% and 44.41%, respectively, and the adsorption capacity of SO2 can reach 4.87 mol/m2. After repeated filtration and cleaning for 10 cycles, the air pollution removal efficiency can be kept almost stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A power control scheme is proposed for distributed DFIG based on cooperation of HESS and GSC, which can effectively control the overall output power of the distributed system. And it can reduce the voltage fluctuation in the DN. • The SOC state of HESS is considered to adjust the pitch angle control and power dispatching command. This can avoid overcharging and over-discharging of the HESS to maintain long-term operation for managing output power. • The SMES with high power density is used to deal with high-frequency power by controlling the DC-link voltage of DFIG. It enhances the stability of DC-link voltage and extend the battery's service lifetime. • Finally, the model of distributed DFIG and HESS is built in RTDS platform, and the simulation results are analyzed for verifying the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed scheme. Due to the uncertainty of wind energy, the wind power is difficult to be dispatched and may cause the voltage fluctuations for distributed network. Therefore, a novel power control scheme is proposed to manage the output power of the distributed doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) by cooperating the hybrid energy storage system (HESS). In the proposed scheme, the grid-side converter of DFIG is controlled to manage overall output power of the DFIG/HESS hybrid system in accordance to the power dispatching command. The HESS is utilized to deal with the power difference between DFIG generation power and the power dispatching command. The HESS is embedded in the DC-link bus of DFIG and is composed of superconducting magnetic energy storage and batteries. Additionally, in order to avoid HESS from overcharging and over-discharging, the pitch angle control and power dispatching command are adjusted by considering the state of charge (SOC) of HESS. Finally, the simulation model of distributed DFIG and HESS is built on the real-time digital simulation (RTDS) platform, and the simulation results validate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed power control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broken rice can gather in the core of a cylinder during rice grain separation because it is wrapped by whole rice and cannot contact the indents causing low separation efficiency. To improve contact with the indented cylinder by broken rice the actions of a baffle were simulated using the discrete element method. By analysing rice movement in the mixing area under the action of baffle, the mechanism of reducing the segregation of grains, and therefore lack of contact with the indents, was clarified. The simulations showed that effects of blade length on separation characteristics were more obvious, compared with that of the rotational speed of the baffle. Shorter blade lengths and lower rotational speeds were more favourable for separation. Optimal parameters of the baffle were obtained after a comprehensive evaluation of the separation efficiency and loss rate was determined by the intercriteria correlation (CRITIC) method. This study provides a foundation for the design of the baffle and improving separation efficiency of the indented cylinder rice separators. • Separation of indented cylinder with baffle was simulated by discrete element method. • The motion behaviors of rice with or without a baffle were investigated. • Effect of blade length and rotation speed on separation characteristics was analyzed. • The CRITIC method was used to evaluate separation ability comprehensively. • Blade length of 0.54 h and rotational speed of 0.5 v are the optimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclei detection is a key step in computer assisted pathology. Due to the variability of the size, shape, appearance, and texture of breast cancer nuclei in histopathological images, automated nuclei detection has always been a difficult aspect of computer‐aided pathology research. In this article, Mask RCNN is presented for the automatic detection of nuclei on high‐resolution histopathological images of breast cancer. Mask RCNN uses the ResNet network and effectively combines modules such as feature pyramid networks (FPN), ROIAlign, and fully convolutional networks (FCN). FPN can efficiently extract features of various dimensions in images. ROIAlign can improve the accuracy of the detection model in the detection task. FCN renders the prediction results more detailed. The experiment results show that the application of this algorithm is superior to other algorithms in terms of its intuitive vision, as well as in performance indicators such as accuracy, recall, and F‐Measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impact breakage is one of the main cause of rice injury during harvest and processing. In this work, the effect of impact velocity on breakage probability and modes of rice is studied by experiments. Furthermore, the impact process of rice is simulated by finite element method. The results indicate that the breakage of rice is closely related to the impact velocity. The initiation and propagation of the single meridian crack is one of the important mechanisms leading to rice breaking. A conical region is formed below the contact region when the rice is hit at high velocity. The multiple oblique meridian cracks with irregular propagation are produced under the effect of high tensile stress at the edge of region. Meanwhile, a mathematical model can describe the relationship between impact velocity and breakage probability well. These findings provide a basis for reducing the loss of agricultural products in harvest and processing. [Display omitted] • Single impact experiments with rice under different impact velocities are implemented • Effects of impact velocity on breakage behavior are addressed • Breakage behavior of rice is revealed using finite element method • The method allows more testing of breakage of agricultural materials [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uniformity of rice milling is of vital significance in the rice processing industry. Unfortunately, the reasons for non-uniform milling of grains in friction rice mills still remain poorly understood. In this paper, the motion of rice in the mill is numerically simulated based on the discrete element method. The removal mechanism for the bran layer in the friction mill is discussed and verified by experiment. A method of quantifying milling uniformity was introduced. The results showed that for successful milling, the intact bran layer must experience abrasion caused by sieve-rice contact then be completely removed by rice–rice friction. Non-uniform milling occurs due to the existence of "milling blind zones", where the bran layer cannot be removed. Milling uniformity is closely related to the ability of rice to move from blind zones to the outer ring of the mill. The use of alternating rate to quantify this ability is proposed. The higher alternating rate the better milling uniformity. Alternation rate is affected by the tumbling movement of rice in the milling cavity. The research helps clarify the milling process of rice and provides guidance for the design of rice friction mills. [Display omitted] • Removal of bran layer mainly depends on the abrasion effect by sieve. • Non-uniform milling is due to existence of milling blind zones. • Higher alternating rate between zones is beneficial for milling uniformity. • Stronger tumbling ability of rice grains can lead to higher alternating rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the rice movement and the forces acting on rice grains during abrasion in a mill is unclear limiting the development of rice milling machines. The aim of this work is to provide a numerical methodology for predicting the abrasion rate of rice to provide the basis for the design and use of rice mills and improving milling quality and efficiency. Here, the milling process was investigated experimentally in a laboratory using a vertical mill to identify the dominant abrasion mechanism and to the analyse of particle size distributions. In order to evaluate the abrasion rate, the effect of rotational speed of the roller shaft on the normal force and the sliding distance between particles and particle-geometry was examined using the discrete element method. Abrasion rate calculated according to the Archard abrasion equation from the simulation results and this agreed well with the experiment results thereby validating the feasibility of numerical-experimental approach. The relationship between rotational speed and abrasion rate was established based on polynomial fitting. • Abrasion is the dominate mechanism in the vertical mill under the tested condition. • Effect of rotational speed on rice movement and force acting on rice was discussed. • Abrasion rate of rice was predicted based on the numerical-analytical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense granular systems flowing through bottleneck is prone to spontaneously form clogging. Clogging is common in various industries, which makes the process requirements of continuous production might not be accomplished. Therefore, it is very important to clarify the dynamic characteristics and clogging mechanism for the optimal design of anti-clogging system. In this work, clogging mechanisms are examined experimentally and numerically. The results indicate that there is indeed a region with larger fluctuation of kinematic characteristics near the outlet, which we called "dynamic arch". But, the fluctuation characteristics are not always related to the formation of clogging which can help to distinguish two clogging mechanisms, including "collision clogging" and "jamming". Further, we also illustrated microscopic mechanisms of clogging and discussed fully the different clogging mechanisms. The definite clogging mechanisms lay foundations for a better designs of devices for preventing formation of the clogging. Unlabelled Image • Clogging mechanisms are examined experimentally and numerically. • There is a indeed region with larger fluctuation characteristics near the outlet. • The dynamic characteristics are not always related to the formation of clogging. • The different influencing factors and mechanisms of clogging are clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discharging process is ubiquitous in the production of food and pharmaceuticals. Usually, discharging devices have relatively simple structures. But unlike the outflow of liquids, due to the transitions in granular flow it is considered a discontinuous process and there is not yet a complete theoretical framework that describes granular outflow from an orifice. In this work, the transition of granular kinematic states near to the outlet is examined experimentally. The transition boundary of a kinematic discontinuity was not found in the study, but there was a transition boundary of velocity profile including velocity gradient transition and motion direction transition near to the outlet. Furthermore, two methods to determinate the transition boundary of velocity profile were developed. This work further clarifies the mechanism and position of flow transition near the outlet during the discharge of grains. This can not only help to solve problems in the discharging process, but also help to enhance our understanding of complex flow properties of granular solids confined by a bottleneck. Image 1 • General rule of kinematics during silo discharging examined experimentally. • New insights for the kinematics transition of grain outflow proposed. • Two methods developed to identify regions of flow transition. • Transition region presents the parabolic arch with height similar to the outlet radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, an increasing number of battery energy storage station (BESS) is constructed to support the power grid with high penetration of renewable energy sources. However, many accidents occurred in BESSs threaten the development of the BESS, so it is important to develop a protection method for the BESS. In this work, a novel fault diagnosis method based on differential current is proposed, which can identify the short circuit fault rapidly and effectively. Firstly, in order to simulate the short circuit fault characteristic of a BESS, a linear varying parameter battery equivalent circuit model (ECM) which can demonstrate the short circuit current are established based on the manta ray foraging optimization (MRFO) algorithm. Secondly, the fault diagnosis method based on differential current is proposed and analyzed through the calculation of short circuit current (SCC) in BESS. Finally, different working state data of battery are used to verify the fault diagnosis method. The results show that the proposed method can effectively diagnose the short circuit fault. In summary, the proposed fault diagnosis method based on differential current is efficient in protecting the BESS. • A short circuit fault battery modelling method is proposed. • A manta ray foraging optimization algorithm is used to identify model parameters. • The short circuit faults current in battery energy storage station are calculated and analyzed. • The proposed method is verified by a real topology of battery energy storage station. • The proposed method can effectively diagnose the faults in battery energy storage station. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel electrodeposition-hydrothermal method was proposed to grow LDH film on steel. • The in-situ growth of inhibitor anion-intercalated LDH film on steel was realized. • All LDH films were dense and uniform, exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance. The in-situ growth of layered double hydroxide (LDH) film on steel substrates holds huge potential for corrosion protection in reinforced concrete. However, because steel will passivate in alkaline environments, almost only CO 3 2−-LDH films can be grown in situ on carbon steel surfaces at present, limiting the ability of LDH to release inhibitory anions. In this study, we proposed a novel electrodeposition-hydrothermal method to grow Mg/Al-NO 3 −-LDH films in situ on Q235 steel substrates. Subsequently, CO 3 2−, PO 4 3−, and V 2 O 7 4− anion-intercalated LDH films were successfully prepared through anion exchange to enhance their functional applications. All LDH films were dense, uniform, and exhibited good adhesion to the substrate, with a thickness of approximately 20 μm. The electrochemical results demonstrated a significant improvement in the corrosion resistance of the steel containing LDH films. Specifically, the LDH films with intercalated inhibitory PO 4 3− and V 2 O 7 4− anions exhibited corrosion protection efficiencies exceeding 97.37 % in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution and 99.99 % in simulated concrete pore solution with chlorides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three novel water-soluble Cu(II) complexes featuring miscellaneous acylhydrazone tricationic porphyrin ligands (named as Cu-Por1, Cu-Por2 and Cu-Por3) were successfully prepared and isolated. Numerous physicochemical techniques demonstrated that all the complexes exhibited favourable binding properties with calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA), especially Cu-Por3, which had a stronger binding affinity compared with other analogues. In addition, the antiproliferative activity of the three complexes has been evaluated using MTT assay, suggesting excellent cytotoxicity for A549, H-1975, HepG2, and T47D tumor cell lines, and little toxicity for Hs 578Bst normal breast cancer cells due to the specific targeting of porphyrins. The extraction method was also used to determine the cell uptake capacity of the three complexes on the tested cancer cell lines. At the same time, fluorescence microscopy analysis demonstrated that Cu-Por1 and Cu-Por3 could promote the apoptosis of H-1975 or HepG2 cells with shrunken or fragmented nuclei cells. Moreover, flow cytometry experiments further confirmed the excellent anti-tumor activity of these types of porphyrin derivatives. Our findings disclosed that this type of porphyrin complex would represent a powerful platform for the development of novel and useful metal anticancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Flow pattern changes from mass flow to funnel flow during discharge. • Discharge flow characteristics were used to explore flow pattern transition. • Change of kinetic stress characterizes the height of flow pattern transition. • Change of shear rate characterizes the radial region of flow pattern transition. Gravity-driven discharge flow in conical silos is ubiquitous in manufacturing processes for numerous industries such as food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries, wherein flow pattern is the key topic to be studied. In this work, discrete element method was used to study discharge flow behaviors in a special conical silo. This work aims to understand the dynamic evolution of discharge flow pattern and establish methods for regional determination of flow pattern transition. The results indicated that both mass flow and funnel flow patterns coexist in the silo at the initial stage of discharge, and there is a definite transition process from mass flow to funnel flow. Furthermore, the flow pattern transition is revealed by the change in discharge flow characteristics. Specifically, the change in force acting on particles leads to the change of particle orientation and particle velocity field, macroscopically resulting in the flow pattern transition. Finally, based on the kinetic stress field and shear rate, the height and radial region of flow pattern transition were determined, respectively. Understanding of the flow pattern transition is useful to the design, scale-up and optimization of silos and similar structural devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]