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The rapid growth in the number of electric vehicles (EVs), driven by the 'double‐carbon' target, and the impact of uncontrolled charging and discharging behaviour and discharged battery losses severely limit electric vehicles' low carbon characteristics. Existing research on systemic low‐carbon emissions and electric vehicle charging and discharging issues is usually determined by considering only carbon trading markets or charging and discharging management on the source side. In this regard, a coordinated and optimized operation model that considers the participation of electric vehicle clusters in deep peaking and the source network load and storage adjustable resources is proposed. The upper layer establishes a real‐time price‐based demand response mechanism for the load side with the minimum net load fluctuation as the objective function; the middle layer establishes a comprehensive operation mechanism for the source and storage side that includes an orderly charging and discharging peaking compensation mechanism for electric vehicles, and a deep peaking mechanism that takes into account clean emission, and constructs an optimal operation model with the minimum comprehensive operating cost as the objective function; the lower layer establishes a distribution network loss minimization model for the network side that takes into account the orderly charging and discharging of electric vehicle as the objective function. The optimal load model with the objective function of minimizing the distribution network loss is established at the lower level. Finally, the original problem is transformed into a mixed integer linear programming problem, and the model's effectiveness is verified by setting different scenarios. The model reduces the total cost by 22.22%, improves the wind power consumption rate by 19.55%, reduces the actual carbon emission by 16.66%, and reduces the distribution network loss by 13.91% compared to the basic model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar has attracted much attention in the field of geo-environmental engineering as a carbon-neutral alternative for soil amendment. In this study, the effects of biochar dosage, type, and particle size on the permeability and physical properties of compacted silty clay were investigated. And the prediction model of permeability coefficient of biochar-amended soil (BAS) was established. Based on the microscopy test results, the influence mechanism of biochar on the permeability of compacted soil was analyzed. Results revealed that adding different biochar types affected the consistency limits, specific gravity, and compaction curves of soil obviously. As the biochar content increased, the permeability coefficient of compacted BAS initially decreased before increasing. The permeability coefficient of compacted BAS with peanut-shell biochar was much higher than with other biochar types. Additionally, reducing the particle size of biochar can effectively decrease the permeability coefficient of BAS due to the pore-filling effect. Microscopy test results show that the permeability coefficient of BAS is affected by both the most probable pore size and the main-peak area of the pore-size distribution curve. Results suggest that controlling the biochar content at 5% and reducing the particle size of biochar are more beneficial to improve the impermeability of compacted BAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-precision segmentation of skin lesions is essential for early diagnosis of skin cancer and improved patient survival. However, this task becomes challenging due to the irregularity of skin lesion regions, significant differences in color shades, ambiguity of boundaries, and other complex interfering factors. In this study, a transformer-based multi-attention hybrid network, TMAHU-Net, is proposed to cope with the complexity of skin lesion regions. The model introduces an innovative hybrid module that fully combines the advantages of CNNs and transformers to capture both global and local feature information. We also employ a deeply separable convolutional attention module to dynamically assign attention weights, which enhances the channel and spatial dimensions of feature information. To improve contextual relevance, we introduce an extended gated external attention module. Finally, a multi-scale aggregation module is used to fuse feature information at different scales to compensate for the differences in processing images with different resolutions. The model performs well in dealing with irregular, color shades, fuzzy boundaries, and complex interference lesion regions, which provides strong support for doctors to accurately determine complex lesion regions. Critically evaluated on three publicly available datasets, ISIC2016, ISIC2017, and PH2, TMAHU-Net achieved significant improvements over state-of-the-art methods, with F1 scores and IoU scores increasing by 1.01% and 1.01%, 1.22% and 1.40%, and 0.92% and 1.50%, respectively. • Transformer-based multi-attention hybrid network for skin lesion segmentation. • Focus on segmentation of complex lesion areas. • The LCT module integrates CNN and Transformer strengths. • Multiple attention mechanisms enable the model to focus on the target region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, denoising diffusion models have achieved remarkable success in generating pixel-level representations with semantic values for image generation modeling. In this study, we propose a novel end-to-end framework, called TGEDiff, focusing on medical image segmentation. TGEDiff fuses a textual attention mechanism with the diffusion model by introducing an additional auxiliary categorization task to guide the diffusion model with textual information to generate excellent pixel-level representations. To overcome the limitation of limited perceptual fields for independent feature encoders within the diffusion model, we introduce a multi-kernel excitation module to extend the model's perceptual capability. Meanwhile, a guided feature enhancement module is introduced in Denoising-UNet to focus the model's attention on important regions and attenuate the influence of noise and irrelevant background in medical images. We critically evaluated TGEDiff on three datasets (Kvasir-SEG, Kvasir-Sessile, and GLaS), and TGEDiff achieved significant improvements over the state-of-the-art approach on all three datasets, with F1 scores and mIoU improving by 0.88% and 1.09%, 3.21% and 3.43%, respectively, 1.29% and 2.34%. These data validate that TGEDiff has excellent performance in medical image segmentation. TGEDiff is expected to facilitate accurate diagnosis and treatment of medical diseases through more precise deconvolutional structural segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Permselective interlayer was designed and fabricated for Li-S battery. • The networked porous structure amplifies the LiPSs adsorption and conversion performance of Co 4 S 3. • Co 4 S 3 and pyridinic N sites can synergistically facilitate the transmission of Li+. • The Li-S battery performance is remarkably improved by enhancing the permselective capability of the interlayer. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have garnered significant research interest owing to their exceptional energy density, positioning them as a compelling candidate for next-generation energy storage technology. Nonetheless, their broad application faces challenges, primarily attributed to issues such as the shuttle effect induced by the lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) migration. The integration of a functional interlayer between cathode and separator has emerged as a straightforward, cost-effective, and efficient strategy, but its structure and composition need to be designed more elaborately. Herein, inspired by the semipermeable cell membrane in biology, we focused on improving the permselectivity of the interlayer by fabricating a Co 4 S 3 nanoparticles incorporated carbon-based permselective interlayer via phase inversion method combining in-situ sulfurization and carbonization. The networked porous structure makes the adsorptive and catalytic active Co 4 S 3 accessible to more LiPSs and realizes the blockage of LiPSs diffusion, and the Li+ diffusion is simultaneously facilitated attributed to the synergy of Co 4 S 3 and lithiophilic N sites. The Li-S battery, integrated with the proposed permselective interlayer, exhibits notable enhancements in both specific capacity and cycling stability. Remarkably, it maintains a specific capacity of 635.6 mAh/g after 500 cycles at 2.0 C, and a capacity of 563.5 mAh/g after 400 cycles at 4.0 C, demonstrating a comparable decay rate of only ∼ 0.09 %. This result demonstrates the effectiveness and necessity of augmenting the permselective capability of the interlayer to significantly enhance the overall performance of Li-S batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A tight focusing filamentation for optimizing the stability of supercontinuum white light and improving the sensitivity of femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectrum detection is proposed. • The tight focusing element improves the controllability of femtosecond filamentation by reducing optical Kerr effect and plasma defocusing effect. • The scheme based on optimized probe pulse energy fluctuation can improve the stability of the transient absorption system and meanwhile reduce the complexity of the system. • The optimized system has the ability to detect weakly photosensitive materials. Femtosecond time resolution transient absorption spectroscopy (FTRTAS) is a powerful tool to obtain ultrafast photoexcitation dynamics of matter. The rapid development of photosensitive materials such as bioprotein and advanced photoelectric nanocrystal put forward higher stability requirements for the technique of FTRTAS. In this paper, we propose a strategy to establish a tight-focusing stable femtosecond laser filamentation system to optimize the stability of probe pulses, and finally achieve highly sensitive detection of weak signals. It is found that intense geometric focusing with short-focus lens can effectively reduce the self-focusing effect and plasma defocusing effect in the process of filamentation, avoid multiple filamentation, and promote a stable and tight femtosecond laser filamentation in the crystal. The results indicate that the supercontinuum white light (WL) pulse generated from 50 mm lens tight-focusing filamentation displays a comprehensive high detection ability with an enhanced stability and appropriate power and width, which improves the performance of the FTRTAS system and increases the detection sensitivity from conventional mode of 0.75 mOD to 0.3 mOD. The optimized FTRTAS system shows a great performance in detecting weak signals and tracking carrier evolution of perovskite and carotenoid after photoexcitation. These results demonstrate that the optimization of the femtosecond laser filamentation system can effectively improve the signal-to-noise ratio, and provide a valuable strategy for optimizing the FTRTAS system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(D) Protein expression of Runx2, ALP and Osterix in H-PDLSCs, P-PDLSCs and P-PDLSCs with 10-7 Mol/L Osthole as assayed by Western blot. (E) qRT-PCR showed gene expression of fifteen histone acetylases in P-PDLSCs and P-PDLSCs with 10-7 Mol/L Osthole measured by qRT-PCR. (C) Gene expression of Runx2, ALP and Osterix in H-PDLSCs, P-PDLSCs and P-PDLSCs with 10-7 Mol/L Osthole as assayed by qRT-PCR. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: To clarify the possible role and mechanism of Cathepsin K (CTSK) in alveolar bone regeneration mediated by jaw bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (JBMMSC). Materials and Methods: Tooth extraction models of Ctsk knockout mice (Ctsk‐/‐) and their wildtype (WT) littermates were used to investigate the effect of CTSK on alveolar bone regeneration. The influences of deletion or inhibition of CTSK by odanacatib (ODN) on proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of JBMMSC were assessed by CCK‐8, Western blot and alizarin red staining. To explore the differently expressed genes, RNA from WT and Ctsk‐/‐ JBMMSC was sent to RNA‐seq. ECAR, glucose consumption and lactate production were measured to identify the effect of Ctsk deficiency or inhibition on glycolysis. At last, we explored whether Ctsk deficiency or inhibition promoted JBMMSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation through glycolysis. Results: We found out that Ctsk knockout could promote alveolar bone regeneration in vivo. In vitro, we confirmed that both Ctsk knockout and inhibition by ODN could promote proliferation of JBMMSC, up‐regulate expression of Runx2 and ALP, and enhance matrix mineralization. RNA‐seq results showed that coding genes of key enzymes in glycolysis were significantly up‐regulated in Ctsk‐/‐ JBMMSC, and Ctsk deficiency or inhibition could promote glycolysis in JBMMSC. After blocking glycolysis by 3PO, the effect of Ctsk deficiency or inhibition on JBMMSC's regeneration was blocked subsequently. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that Ctsk knockout or inhibition could promote alveolar bone regeneration by enhancing JBMMSC regeneration via glycolysis. These results shed new lights on the regulatory mechanism of CTSK on bone regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rational structure and composition design of interlayer was fabricated with modified phase inversion method. • This interlayer can physically block the shuttle of LiPSs with dense surface layer. • This interlayer can chemically capture and convert LiPSs with abundant Co nanoparticles in the honeycomb-like pores. • This interlayer can facilitate Li+ migration with abundant pyridinic N sites. • The Li-S battery assembled with this interlayer exhibits excellent performance under high current density. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery has been considered to be the most promising next-generation secondary battery system, but the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and sluggish redox kinetics of LiPSs conversion processes still hinder its commercial application. Herein, a honeycomb-like structured and dense layer coated interlayer with Co nanoparticles uniformly dispersed was fabricated via a modified phase inversion method followed by carbonization. This interlayer can suppress the LiPSs shuttling by physically blocking the diffusion of LiPSs and chemically capturing and accelerating the conversion of LiPSs due to the high catalytic activity of Co nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the abundant lithiophilic pyridinic N sites can also facilitate Li+ migration, which further promotes the reaction kinetics of LiPSs conversion. Consequently, the Li-S battery assembled with this interlayer can exhibit an excellent specific capacity of 586.6 mAh/g after 400 cycles at 4.0 C with a low decay rate of 0.10 %. Even when the sulfur loading is elevated to 5.1 mg cm−2, this battery can still maintain the specific capacity of 646.0 mAh/g after 100 cycles at 0.2 C. This work demonstrates the importance and potential of the rational design of interlayer structure and composition in improving the overall Li-S battery performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally recognized that the stick-slip motion of a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit is responsible for the low rate of penetration (ROP) and premature failure of the PDC bit when drilling in hard rock formations. To solve this problem, a torsional vibration damping tool was developed. A working principle model of the tool and a calculation model of the optimal spiral angle of the tool was established. The stability of the tool was analyzed, and the parameter range of spiral guideline thread stability was determined. The analysis revealed that the tool can automatically adjust the weight on the bit (WOB) and the rotary speed of the PDC bit through the spiral guide and the disc spring, which could suppress the torsional vibration of the PDC bit and convert part of the vibration load into cutting torque for rock breaking and thus to improve the rate of penetration (ROP). The optimal spiral angle of the tool is proportional to the axial stiffiless, bit diameter, and rock hardness of the drill string system and inversely proportional to the torsional stiffness of the drill string system and the reclining angle of the PDC bit. The stability of the tool is related to the spiral angle, length, and friction angle of the spiral guide. The tools were applied in test wells, and the results indicate that the torque fluctuations are significantly decreased and effectively extend the service life of the PDC bit. During the test process, the tool exhibits steady performance, the feasibility of the tool calculation model was verified. It is anticipated that the presented results will make such drilling a more feasible method for well services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation (MSCT) promotes cutaneous wound healing. Numerous studies have shown that the therapeutic effects of MSCT appear to be mediated by paracrine signaling. However, the cell-cell interaction during MSCT between MSCs and macrophages in the region of cutaneous wound healing is still unknown. In this study, early depletion of macrophages delayed the wound repair with MSC injection, which suggested that MSC-mediated wound healing required macrophages. Moreover, we demonstrated that systemically infused bone marrow MSCs (BMMSCs) and jaw bone marrow MSCs (JMMSCs) could translocate to the wound site, promote macrophages toward M2 polarization, and enhance wound healing. In vitro coculture of MSCs with macrophages enhanced their M2 polarization. Mechanistically, we found that exosomes derived from MSCs induced macrophage polarization and depletion of exosomes of MSCs reduced the M2 phenotype of macrophages. Infusing MSCs without exosomes led to lower number of M2 macrophages at the wound site along with delayed wound repair. We further showed that the miR-223, derived from exosomes of MSCs, regulated macrophage polarization by targeting pknox1. These findings provided the evidence that MSCT elicits M2 polarization of macrophages and may accelerate wound healing by transferring exosome-derived microRNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broadband two-photon fluorescence (TPF) imaging system based on femtosecond oscillator is built. Broadband TPF signal generated from Rhodamine B molecule is detected at different detection windows. Both TPF signals detected at short wavelength detection window of 545–615 nm and long wavelength detection window of 642–708 nm are used for TPF imaging. Through switching detection window from short wavelength to long wavelength, deepened imaging depth is achieved. The TPF imaging results, with single 9 0 0 × 9 0 0 pixels frame taking time of 4–8 s, demonstrate high performance and the good reliability of the imaging system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The acetate production rate with fluidized GAC was 2.8 times that of control. • Fluidized GAC provide a high electrode surface and a favorable mass transport. • Fluidized GAC likely promoted the enrichment of electrochemically active bacteria. • Fluidized GAC electrode is a promising strategy to improve MES efficiency. Abstract The electricity-driven bioreduction of carbon dioxide to multi-carbon organic compounds, particularly acetate, has been achieved in microbial electrosynthesis (MES). MES performance can be limited by the amount of cathode surface area available for biofilm formation and slow substrate mass transfer. Here, a fluidized three-dimensional electrode, containing granular activated carbon (GAC) particles, was constructed via MES. The volumetric acetate production rate increased by 2.8 times through MES with 16 g L−1 GAC (0.14 g L−1 d-1) compared with that of the control (no GAC), and the final acetate concentration reached 3.92 g L−1 within 24 days. Electrochemical, scanning electron microscopy, and microbial community analyses suggested that GAC might improve the performance of MES by accelerating direct and indirect (via H 2) electron transfer because GAC could provide a high electrode surface and a favorable mass transport. This study attempted to improve the efficiency of MES and presented promising opportunities for MES scale-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory microenvironment causes the change of epigenetic modification in periodontal ligament stem cells derived from periodontitis tissues (P-PDLSCs), which results in defective osteogenic differentiation compared to cells from healthy tissues. It’s urgent to explore therapeutic strategies aimed at epigenetic targets associated with the regenerative ability of PDLSCs. Osthole, a small-molecule compound extracted from Chinese herbs, has been documented to promote osteogenesis and cell sheets formation of healthy PDLSCs. However, whether osthole shows same effect on P-PDLSCs and the mechanism of promotive effect is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Osthole could restore defective osteogenic differentiation of P-PDLSCs via epigenetic modification. We demonstrated that 10−7 Mol/L of Osthole was the best concentration for osteogenic differentiation and proliferation of P-PDLSCs. Mechanistically, we also found that Osthole upregulated MOZ and MORF, histone acetylases that specifically catalyze acetylation of Histone3 lisine9 (H3K9) and Histone3 lisine14 (H3K14), which are key regulators in osteogenic differentiation of P-PDLSCs. Furthermore, Osthole treatment improved cell sheet formation and enhanced the bone formation of PDLSC sheets in animal models of periodontitis. Our study suggests that Osthole is a promising drug to cure periodontitis via regulating epigenetic modification in cell sheets engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thermal injury is the main cause of pulmonary disease in stroke after burn and can be life threatening. Heat-induced inflammation is an important factor that triggers a series ofinduces pathological changes. However, this mechanism underlying heat-induced inflammation in thermal inhalation injury remains unclear. Studies have revealed that astragaloside-IV (AS-IV), a natural compound extracted from Astragalus membranaceus, has protective effects in inflammatory diseases. Here, we investigated whether the protective effects of AS-IV occur because of the suppression of heat- induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and excessive autophagy. Methods: AS-IV was administered to Wistar rats after thermal inhalation injury and 16HBE140-cells were treated with AS-IV. TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 levels were determined by ELISA and real-time PCR. ER stress and autophagy were determined by western blot. Autophagic flux was measured by recording the fluorescence emission of the fusion protein mRFP-GFP-LC3 by dynamic live-cell imaging. Results: AS-IV had protective effects against heat-induced reactive oxygen species production and attenuated ER stress. AS-IV alleviated heat- induced excessive autophagy in vitro and in vivo. Excessive autophagy was attenuated by the PERK inhibitor GSK2656157 and eIF2α siRNA, suggesting that heat stress-induced autophagy can activate the PERK-eIF2α pathway. Beclin 1 and Atg5 siRNAs inhibited the upregulation of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 after heat exposure. Conclusions: Thus, AS-IV may attenuate inflammatory responses by disrupting the crosstalk between autophagy and the PERK-eIF2α pathway and may be an ideal agent for treating inflammatory pulmonary diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Skin transplantation aims to cover skin defects but often fails due to immune rejection of the transplantated tissue. Immature dendritic cells (imDCs) induce immune tolerance but have a low migration rate. After stimulation, imDCs transform into mature DCs, which activate immune rejection. Thus, inducing imDC to obtain a high migration counteracts development of immune tolerance. Methods & Results: We transfected imDCs with a recombinant adenovirus carrying the CCR7 gene (Ad-CCR7) and a small interfering RNA targeting RelB (RelB-siRNA) to concurrently overexpress CCR7 and downregulate RelB expression. Functionally, such cells showed a significantly enhanced migration rate in the chemotactic assay and decreased T-cell proliferation after lipopolysaccharide stimulation in mixed lymphocyte reactions. Cotransfected cells showed an increased ability to induce immune tolerance by upregulating T regulatory (Treg) cells and shifting the Th1/Th2 ratio. Cotransfection of Ad-CCR7 and RelB-siRNA endowed imDCs with resistance to apoptosis and cell death. CCR7 overexpression and RelB knockdown (KD) in imDCs improve skin-graft survival in a murine skin-transplantation model. Conclusion: Transfection with Ad-CCR7 and RelB KD in imDCs may be an effective approach inducing immune tolerance, thus being potentially valuable for inhibiting allograft rejection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heat causes airway damage during inhalation injury because of bronchial epithelial cell damage. Accumulating evidence shows that mitochondrial uniporter (MCU) is involved in cell damage. We investigated the MCU activity after heat treatment and assessed whether Astragaloside-IV (AS-IV) suppresses heat-induced apoptosis in bronchial epithelial cells by inhibiting the activation of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU), mitochondrial depolarisation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Methods: The bronchial epithelial cell line 16HBE14o- was heat treated, and cell apoptosis was induced in vitro and in vivo. AS-IV was inorganically administered to Wistar rats twice a day after thermal inhalation injury, and 16HBE140- cells were treated with AS-IV after incubation at 47∘C for 5 min. Protein expression was determined using Western blotting and commercial kits, apoptosis with TUNEL staining, mitochondrial channel activity by patch clamp, reactive oxygen species by MitoSOXTM fluorescence, ATP levels and enzyme activities by commercial kits as well as mitochondrial respiration and calcium by fluorescence. Results: AS-IV markedly inhibited heat-induced apoptosis, as indicated by the increased expression of the pro-apoptotic genes Bak, Bik and Bmf and increased expression of the apoptosis markers Bax, cleaved parp, cleaved caspase3 and cytochrome C. We found that MCU activation promoted mitochondrial Ca2+ overload, ATP depletion, mitochondrial ROS production and cytochrome c release and rapidly induced apoptosis. However, AS-IV treatment reduced excessive MCU activation and led to resistance against mitochondrial Ca2+ overload and excessive cytochrome C release; these effects were blocked by the MCU activator spermine. AS-IV treatment elevated ATP production and decreased ROS activity. Conclusions: MCU plays crucial roles in heat-induced mitochondrial apoptosis in 16HBE140- cells, suggesting a potential target for AS-IV treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the efficiency and obtain high output power with pure mode, 3-D particle-in-cell simulations are made on a novel coaxial triode vircator. Simulation results show that due to the appearance of the additional cylindrical cathode rod along the centerline, pure TM01 mode can be obtained in the output region. Simulation results also show that high-efficiency and pure TM01 mode output maintains even for output waveguide radius (equals anode radius) somewhat larger than the cutoff radius of the TM02 mode ( Rc,\mathrm {TM02} ). When the cathode and anode gap keeps unchanged, most optimal structure values can be scaled for models with different anode radius. By careful optimizations, the efficiency can reach 15% at an output power of 1.7 and 2.2 GW, respectively, for anode radii equal 5.6 and 6.6 cm ( < Rc,\mathrm {TM02} ); For anode radii equal 7.6 and 8.6 cm ( > Rc,\mathrm {TM02} ), the efficiency is about 13% at an output power of 2.5 and 2.9 GW, respectively. The operating frequencies all are about 3.6 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

[Display omitted] • Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) significantly promote CO 2 biomethanation with H 2. • MOFs promote direct interspecific electron transfer between microorganisms. • Hydrogenotrophic methanogens were enriched in the anaerobic reactors with MOFs. • MOFs alleviated the hydrogen competition of bacteria. • MOFs increase the abundance of functional gene for CO 2 biomethanation with H 2. In this work, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were prepared to evaluate its impact on carbon dioxide (CO 2) biomethanization during anaerobic degradation (AD). The results showed that MOFs significantly improved the CO 2 biomethanation efficiency, especially in the AD reactors using a concentration of 1.0 g/L MOFs. Furthermore, MOFs promoted direct interspecific electron transfer and alleviated the hydrogen competition of bacteria. Meanwhile, hydrogenotrophic methanogens were enriched in the AD reactors with MOFs. After the addition of MOFs, there was 3.28 times and 3.41 times increase in the abundance of metabolic functions related to methanogenesis by CO 2 reduction with hydrogen and dark hydrogen oxidation, respectively. There was an increased abundance of all genes that encode the key enzymes used in methane metabolism. However, functional genes involved in nitrate reduction had their expressions inhibited. The work may offer a contribution to helping the industry achieve the carbon capture and utilization policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized from corn straw extract promote methane production. • Iron NPs encourages the emergence of new liquid products. • Iron NPs promote nutrient exchange between bacteria. • Copper NPs inhibits the activity of acid-producing and CO 2 /H 2 -producing bacteria. • Iron NPs increase the abundance of functional gene for producing more methane. To investigate the influence of nanoparticles (NPs) as additives on methane production from coal, bituminous coal was selected for the biogas production experiment, and iron and copper NPs were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment of corn straw. Biomethane production, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, microbial community structure, and functional gene expression were analyzed to determine the effect of NPs on coal conversion to biomethane. The optimal amount of iron NPs (Fe 3 O 4), composite NPs (Fe 3 O 4 /CuO), and copper NPs (CuO) for the biogas production experiment were 1.5 g/L, 1.0 g/L, and 1.5 g/L, respectively, and the corresponding methane production increased by 701.22%, 337.81%, and 12.20% compared to the biogas production experiment without NPs. After the addition of iron NPs, a new product (butylated hydroxytoluene) was produced, promoting fatty acid biosynthesis and decreasing the CO 2 accumulation. The abundance of liquid products in the biogas production with composite NPs was not significantly different from the experimental group without NPs. The microbial community structure analysis results showed that adding NPs eliminated Lysinibacillus in the bacterial community, while Pseudomonas prevailed as the dominant bacteria. Copper NPs inhibited acid-producing and CO 2 /H 2 -producing bacteria (Sphaerochaeta). The abundance of functional genes involved in glycolysis and methane metabolism in the biogas production experiment with iron NPs was the largest, promoting biomethane production. Gene abundance related to nitrate reduction was the highest in experiments with copper NPs, while the gene abundance related to sulfate reduction was the same between copper and iron NPs groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) microscopy system under broadband excitation of femtosecond pulses is built in this study. The TPEF spectrum of an eosin stain is recorded, and the TPEF microscopy system is equipped with a suitable detection window matching the TPEF spectrum of the eosin stain. TPEF microscopy is demonstrated using a solid eosin sample and eosin-stained mouse brain sections through detecting the TPEF signal from eosin staining. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the mouse brain section across its thickness is realized with several TPEF imaging frames acquired via z-axis scanning with a step size of 1 μm. Two-dimensional TPEF imaging frames and 3D reconstruction of the brain section demonstrated high performance of TPEF microscopy in the observation of eosin-stained biological sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-beam coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy setup is built. Measurements of CARS spectra generated from polystyrene (PS) sheet under excitation of femtosecond (fs) pulses and chirped pulses are demonstrated. The pump-Stokes time delay is adjusted at fixed step of 6 fs and transient CARS spectra is measured at every pump-Stokes time delay. Two-dimensional plots depicting intensity of fs CARS, chirped Stokes CARS, chirped pump/probe CARS and spectral focusing CARS as a function of the wavenumber and the pump-Stokes time delay are realized. Excitation situation of Raman resonances in fingerprint region of polystyrene molecule is discussed in conditions of un-chirped and chirped CARS spectra. Capacity of chirped Stokes CARS, chirped pump/probe CARS and spectral focusing CARS in improving spectral resolution over fs CARS is systematically analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A semitransparent cathode is proposed for an efficient operation of the relativistic magnetron (RM) with axial extraction. The semitransparent cathode is a kind of shaped cathode. It is achieved using a cylindrical cathode with longitudinal strips removed. The cross section of each removed strip is fan-shaped and all the emit strips are connected in the central area of the cathode. Results of the 3-D particle-in-cell simulations show that the using a semitransparent cathode yields similar performance benefits compared with that using the transparent cathode proposed by the University of New Mexico. Simulation results also show that output characteristics of the RM using the semitransparent cathode are insensitive to the depth and width of each cathode slot. Thus, the semitransparent cathode might be more robust for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A simple two-step process was developed to render steel with lower friction and longer durability. The textured steel substrate was first fabricated by immersed in a piranha solution at room temperature for 10 min. Stearic acid film was then deposited to acquire high hydrophobicity. Scanning electron microscopy and water contact-angle measurements were used to analyze the morphological features and hydrophobicity of prepared samples, respectively. Moreover, the friction-reducing behavior of the organic-inorganic composite film sliding against a steel ball was evaluated in a ball-on-plate configuration. It was found that the stearic acid film on the textured steel led to decreased friction with significantly extended life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myocardial infarction is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, but its pathogenesis has not been fully understood. In the study, we attempted to explore the effects of E3 ligase tripartite motif 16 (TRIM16) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury in vivo and in vitro , and the underlying mechanisms. We identified that TRIM16 was indeed a potent regulator during MI/R progression in murine models and surprisingly showed a negative correlation with the concentrations of cardiac pro-inflammatory cytokines. Adenoviral vectors encoding GFP or TRIM16 (Ad-TRIM16) were subjected to mice through direct injection into the left ventricular (LV). We found that Ad-TRIM16 significantly reduced the infarct size, and improved the cardiac function and structure compared with the Ad-GFP mice after MI/R operation. More studies indicated that TRIM16 over-expression strongly meliorated nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and associated inflammatory response in hearts of MI/R-induced mice, which were validated in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-exposed primary cardiomyocytes in vitro. In particular, MI/R operation led to cardiac pyroptosis by increasing the cleavage of Caspase-1 and Gasdermin D (GSDMD), while being considerably abrogated upon TRIM16 over-expression. Mechanistically, TRIM16 interacted with NLRP3 and promoted the K48-linked polyubiquitination of NLRP3, ultimately promoted its degradation. Together, we identified TRIM16 as a novel E3 ubiquitin ligase for NLRP3, which played an essential role in modulating its expression, and subsequently influenced inflammatory response and pyroptosis in MI/R murine model, confirming that TRIM16 may be a potential therapeutic target for myocardial infarction. [Display omitted] • TRIM16 expression is restrained during MI/R process. • TRIM16 ameliorates 24 h MI/R-induced heart injury. • TRIM16 mitigates inflammation and pyroptosis in MI/R mice. • TRIM16 interacts with NLRP3, and TRIM16 induces K48-linked NLRP3 degradation in cardiomyocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel coaxial relativistic backward-wave oscillator (C-RBWO) for millimeter wave generation is proposed and studied by simulation. In the proposed C-RBWO, a coaxial structure is used in the beam-wave interaction region. According to the dispersion relations in the slow-wave structure region, a new simple and effective reflector is designed for effective cutoff the backward-wave at the electron-injector end. Nonuniform corrugation depth is used to increase the efficiency. For an electron beam with 263-kV voltage and 610-MW power, about 80-MW output power is obtained by simulation at 96.2 GHz. The C-RBWO operates at a low magnetic field (3.7 T) below the cyclotron resonance value (about 10.2 T). The output efficiency is beyond 13%. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Ag nanoparticles embedded in soda-lime silicate glasses were fabricated by the ion-exchange technique. Effects of thermal treatment on the optical nonlinearity and ultrafast dynamics of Ag nanoparticles were investigated by applying time-resolved optical Kerr effect and pump-probe techniques. The results indicate that thermal treatment is an efficient method to improve the nonlinear optical performance of this kind of material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reports a simulation study on a focused microwave (frequency 9.4 GHz, pulse width 2.5 µs, and peak electric field 1.2kV/cm) discharge in 200 Pa nitrogen. A one-dimensional (1D) fluid model is based on the wave equation for the microwave field propagating through the gas breakdown plasma, the continuity equations for electron, ion and neutral particle densities, and the energy balance equations for mean electron temperature, and nitrogen vibrational and translational temperatures. These equations are numerically solved in a self-consistent manner with a simplified plasma chemistry set, in which the reaction rates involving electrons are calculated from the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) using a two-term expansion method. The spatial and temporal characteristics of the focused microwave breakdown in nitrogen are demonstrated, which include the amplitude of the microwave electric field, and the densities and temperatures of the plasma components. The temporal evolution of the plasma electron density agrees reasonably well with that measured with a microwave interferometer. The spatial-temporal distributions of metastable states are discussed on the plasma chemistry and the character of mean electron temperature. The spatially integrated N2(C³) density shows similar trends with the measured temporal intensity of optical emission spectroscopy, except for a time delay of 100-300 ns. The quantitative discrepancies are explained in light of limitations of the 1D model with a two-term expansion of EEDF. The theoretical model is found to describe the gas breakdown plasma generated by focused microwave beams at least qualitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-photon fluorescence (TPF) imaging system with dual-axis galvo mirror as scanning unit is built. Based on the optical path of imaging system built, mechanism of how intensity distortion generating in dual-axis galvo mirror scanning TPF imaging system is theoretically analyzed. In experiment, TPF imaging is realized with Rhodamine B sample through detecting TPF signal generated from Rhodamine B molecule at excitation of broadband femtosecond pulses. The imaging result verifies the existence of intensity distortion with distribution agreeing well with the theoretical analyzation. To eliminate the intensity distortion in TPF imaging result, a mathematical method is proposed in which a calibration matrix is calculated, As the calibration matrix is applied to the distorted imaging result of Rhodamine B sample, intensity distortion is relieved effectively and precise imaging result is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Using the genome skimming method, we sequenced and assembled mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) and nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeat unit of 23 species (Lampyridae: 14 genera in five subfamilies; Rhagophthalmidae: one genus), together with 145 published Elateroidea species, to recover firefly phylogenies with the least tree conflict. We then clarified the phylogenetic position of 10 Asian genera and inferred the adult bioluminescence state of the Lampyridae ancestor. Graphical Figure. Pipeline of firefly phylogeny reconstruction using Next-generation sequencing data and their adult bioluminescent inference. A. We extracted total DNA from fireflies with data less than three Gb in size (i.e., genome skimming method). We then captured small proportional reads mapped to a reference gene available in GenBank. The captured reads allowed effective assembly of longer contigs with only 3–20 iterations (i.e., the by-capture method). Combined with public data, we selected different taxa and coding regions to reconstruct the phylogeny using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. We then adopted tree certainty (TC) and internode certainty (IC) methods to evaluate ML tree conflict to guide re-selection of other combinations of taxa and gene sets. Finally, we inferred the origin of bioluminescence using basic ancestral state reconstruction (ASR). We used ML to calculate the loss and gain rates of bioluminescence, which were verified using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. B. Ancestor bioluminescent state of adult was inferred from the 144-species phylogeny using the all-rates-different model. Results showed the common ancestor of Lampyridae had the adult bioluminescent trait, with nine subsequent loss events. • We reported 22 mitogenomes and 22 nuclear rDNA repeat unit for the first time. • Our firefly phylogeny clarified position of 10 Asian firefly genera. • Our phylogenies recovered the monophyly of each of the three luminous families. • The common ancestor of Lampyridae possessed adult bioluminescence. Fireflies are one of the best-known examples of luminescent organisms. The limited geographic distribution and rarity of some firefly genera have hindered molecular phylogenetic analysis, resulting in uncertainty in regard to firefly phylogeny. Here, using genome skimming next-generation sequencing, we sequenced 23 Asian firefly species from 15 genera (Lampyridae: 14; Rhagophthalmidae: one) and assembled their mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) and nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeat unit. The mitogenomes (including 15 mitochondrial genes: COX1 - 3 , ATP6 & 8 , ND1 - 6 & 4L , CYTB , 12S , and 16S) were recovered for almost all 23 species; furthermore, three regions of the nuclear rDNA repeat unit (18S, 28S, and 5.8S) were recovered for 22 out of the 23 species. The mitogenomes of 11 genera and 22 species as well as the complete rDNA from 22 species are reported here for the first time. Combined with previously published sequences of mitochondrial and rDNA coding regions, 166 species (170 populations with four overlapping in Lampyridae) were included in the current analyses. We selected different species groups and coding regions to infer phylogenies, and then employed tree certainty (TC) and internode certainty (IC) to quantify any phylogenetic incongruence. Phylogenetic analysis of 18 coding regions (15 mitochondrial genes and three regions of the nuclear rDNA repeat unit) from different species groups showed that the 144-species selection group (excluding 22 species outside Lampyridae) had relatively high TC (101.39). Further phylogenetic analysis of the 144 species using different coding regions indicated that the phylogeny of the 13 coding regions (10 mitochondrial genes: COX1 -2, ATP6 & 8 , ND1 , ND4 - 5 , CYTB , 12S and 16S ; three rDNA regions: 18S, 5.8S, and 28S) demonstrated higher TC (103.02) than the phylogenies based on the 18 coding regions (TC = 101.39), conserved-regions (c-regions, i.e., 12S , 16S , COX1 , 18S, and 28S) (TC = 95.11), or conserved-sites (c-sites, TC = 92.31) for the mitochondrial genes. In contrast, the c-sites strengthened the deeper nodes of the 144-species phylogeny compared to the c-regions. All of the 144-species phylogenies using different coding regions (except the c-regions) consistently recovered the monophyly of each of the three luminous families and their combination (Lampyridae, Rhagophthalmidae, and Phengodidae) with high IC support. Our phylogenetic analyses clarified the position of firefly genera Lamprigera , Vesta , Stenocladius , Pyrocoelia , Diaphanes , Abscondita , Pygoluciola , Emeia , Pristolycus , and Menghuoius. We also inferred the evolutionary pattern of adult bioluminescence in Lampyridae based on the phylogenies of 166 and 144 species. Our data suggest that the common ancestor of Lampyridae possessed adult bioluminescence, with a higher loss rate than gain rate of bioluminescence during its lineage evolution. Our results provide insight into Asian firefly phylogeny, and also enrich mitogenome and rDNA data resources for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioluminescence system of luminescent beetles has extensive applications in biological imaging, protein labeling and drug screening. To explore wild luciferases with excellent catalytic activity and thermal stability, we cloned the luciferase of Pygoluciola qingyu, one species living in areas of high temperature and with strong bioluminescence, by combining transcriptomic sequencing and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The total length of luciferase gene is 1638 bp and the luciferase consists 544 amino acids. The recombinant P. qingyu luciferase was produced in vitro and its characteristics were compared with those of eight luciferases from China firefly species and two commercial luciferases. Compared with these luciferases, the P. qingyu luciferase shows the highest luminescence activity at room temperature (about 25–28 ℃) with similar KM value for d-luciferin and ATP to the Photinus pyralis luciferase. The P. qingyu luciferase activity was highest at 35 ℃ and can keep high activity at 30–40 ℃, which suggests the potential of P. qingyu luciferase for in vivo and cell application. Our results provide new insights into P. qingyu luciferase and give a new resource for the application of luciferases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: The lack of systematic classification and standard treatment principles for knee ankylosis prevents optimal treatments. This study explored treatments for type I (mild) knee joint ankylosis. Method: This retrospective study analysed patients with knee joint ankylosis admitted from March 2013 to January 2018 who underwent sequential arthroscopic release. Result: The 62 patients had 12–36 (average, 18) months of follow‐up. Thirty‐eight patients were released; of these, 18 were assisted by limited incision with partial quadriceps femoris expansion myotomy and released according to arthroscopy. Six patients underwent lengthening and release of the quadriceps femoris. All surgeries combined with full‐course rehabilitation resulted in improved joint mobility. The range of motion (ROM) of the knee joint recovered to a range of 0° to 85°‐140° (mean: 118.32 ± 9.42°) from the preoperative range of 30°–70° (mean: 45° ± 15.50°). The clinical effect was evaluated according to the Judet criteria at the final follow‐up. The outcomes at the last follow‐up (at least for 1 year) were excellent in 55 cases, good in six cases, and fair in one case. Conclusion: Sequential arthroscopic release, minimal selective invasion of limited incision of partial quadriceps femoris expansion myotomy, assisted by pie‐crusting technique to release, or quadriceps femoris lengthening, and release surgery for type I knee joint ankylosis, accompanied by early rehabilitation training provided satisfactory results without significant complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous work demonstrated that the anisodamine (ANI) and neostigmine (NEO) combination produced an antiseptic shock effect and rescued acute lethal crush syndrome by activating the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). This study documents the therapeutic effect and underlying mechanisms of the ANI/NEO combination in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Treating mice with ANI and NEO at a ratio of 500:1 alleviated the DSS-induced colitis symptoms, reduced body weight loss, improved the disease activity index, enhanced colon length, and alleviated colon inflammation. The combination treatment also enhanced autophagy in the colon of mice with DSS-induced colitis and lipopolysaccharide/DSS-stimulated Caco-2 cells. Besides, the ANI/NEO treatment significantly reduced INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-22 expression in colon tissues and decreased TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 mRNA levels in Caco-2 cells. Meanwhile, the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine and ATG5 siRNA attenuated these effects. Furthermore, 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and the α7nAChR antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA) weakened the ANI/NEO-induced protection on DSS-induced colitis in mice. Overall, these results indicate that the ANI/NEO combination exerts therapeutic effects through autophagy and α7nAChR in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong atmospheric absorption attenuation limits the propagation distance of terahertz waves but could also be an advantage in secure communication. In this paper, the transmission characteristics of terahertz waves in clear atmosphere, sand dust, cumulus, and cirrus environment are studied, and the absorption loss and total path loss are calculated. The high path loss exhibited on the atmosphere-limited line-of-sight link indicates that communication security can be improved by limiting the propagation distance. Then, the terahertz transmission channel model of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm is given. Combined with the signal transmit power, antenna gain, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), noise power, and the corresponding path loss threshold, the usable bandwidth of UAV swarm for terahertz secure communication at different flight heights (2–10 km) and propagation distances under complex meteorological conditions is analyzed. The results show that, compared with the clear atmosphere, the communication quality of a UAV swarm decreases most significantly in a cumulus environment, with the usable bandwidth reduced by almost half, while the influence of sand dust and cirrus on the bandwidth is less. With the increase of flight height, the usable bandwidth first increases and then decreases, and the maximum usable bandwidths under different propagation distances all exceed 1 THz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acceleration of aging and the increase in life expectancy have resulted in an increasing number of older adults developing physical and mental comorbidities. We examined the association between depression and quality of life (QoL) using cognitive impairment (COI) as a mediator and sleep quality (SQ) as a moderator among older adults with type 2 diabetes. A total of 2646 participants from Weifang, Shandong, China completed the survey. Their depression, cognitive function, SQ, and QoL were assessed. PROCESS was used to investigate mediating and moderating effects. COI mediated the association between depression and QoL (indirect effect = −0.1058, bootstrapped 95 % CI [−0.1417, −0.0725]). Moderated mediation analyses indicated that SQ moderated the first half of the pathway of depression's impact on QoL through COI (moderating effect = −0.1128, bootstrapped 95 % CI [−0.1981, −0.0348]). Depression negatively impacted cognitive function in participants with poor (vs. better) SQ. First, multiple assessment tools should be considered to increase objective assessment. Second, the cross-sectional design limited our ability to make causal inferences. Third, additional diabetes-related variables should be included to explore this relationship. Finally, the pathways of influence and mechanisms of action of COI in older adults should be explored further. Depression could impair the QoL of older adults by aggravating their COI. Fortunately, improving patients' SQ may undermine this negative effect. These findings may play an integral role in promoting the psychiatric health of older adults with type 2 diabetes. • QoL of older adults with T2DM can be negatively predicted by depression. • COI partially mediates the relationship between depression and QoL. • Depression has a greater negative impact on COI in people with poor SQ. • High levels of SQ may attenuate the negative effects of depression on QoL via COI. • SQ moderates depression's impact, mitigates its negative effect on QoL via COI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish a process for cleaning and efficiently utilizing solid residues and residual liquid after co-fermentation of coal and corn straw, three coal samples combined with corn straw were used. Combustion tests were carried out using the solid residue to compare the changes in calorific value, slagging characteristics and air pollutant emission before and after fermentation. Biogas production experiments were performed using acclimated residual liquid to establish the biomethane production characteristics. Results show that the total calorific value of solid residue after co-fermentation of bituminous coal D, bituminous coal C and corn straw increased by 8.16% and 8.08%, respectively, compared to original samples. The slagging index also decreased during the combustion of solid residues. The diversity of bacterial community structure was the main causes for the significant reduction in air pollutant emissions from the combustion of solid residues. Acclimation experiments improved the removal rate of hemicelluloses from corn straw and increased biomethane production by 45.86%, 10.66% and 60.47%, respectively. This work can improve the clean conversion efficiency of coal and straw, not only reducing environmental pollution, but also transforming waste into clean energy, which has a positive impact on the environment and allows the sustainable use of resources. • Co-fermentation of coal and corn straw achieved higher methane production. • Calorific value of solid residues increased. • Atmospheric pollutant emissions and slagging index of solid residues decreased. • Methane production increased by acclimation of the residual liquid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Ca 2+ dynamics and oxidative signaling are fundamental mechanisms for mitochondrial bioenergetics and cell function. The MCU complex is the major pathway by which these signals are integrated in mitochondria. Whether and how these coactive elements interact with MCU have not been established. As an approach toward understanding the regulation of MCU channel by oxidative milieu, we adapted inflammatory and hypoxia models. We identified the conserved cysteine 97 (Cys-97) to be the only reactive thiol in human MCU that undergoes S-glutathionylation. Furthermore, biochemical, structural, and superresolution imaging analysis revealed that MCU oxidation promotes MCU higher order oligomer formation. Both oxidation and mutation of MCU Cys-97 exhibited persistent MCU channel activity with higher [Ca 2+ ] m uptake rate, elevated mROS, and enhanced [Ca 2+ ] m overload-induced cell death. In contrast, these effects were largely independent of MCU interaction with its regulators. These findings reveal a distinct functional role for Cys-97 in ROS sensing and regulation of MCU activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, atmospheric laser filament initiation is simulated under an external field 5.7 kV/cm, which is far below the conventional breakdown threshold (25–30 kV/cm). The time-dependent model is based on a self-consistent solution to a coupled electron energy distribution function, vibrational kinetics, gas thermal balance, as well as detailed air chemistry. The model is validated with the experiment results on plasma density decay both with and without an external field. The slow decay of plasma density is ascribed to the decreased electron recombination and increased detachment rate under an external field. The initiation process is facilitated by the increase in the electron temperature, gas heating, and efficient vibrational excitation under the external field. We have varied the detachment rate between oxygen negative ions and nitrogen vibrational states to study its role on the initiation process, and found that larger detachment rates lead to shorter breakdown delay times. If the detachment rate is taken to be 3 × 10−11 cm3 s−1 as an upper limit, the breakdown threshold and delay time are consistent with the previous experiment study at least semiquantitatively. This work is beneficial for studying the initiation of a preformed laser filament under an external field as well as potential applications in lightning initiation and guiding below the conventional gas breakdown threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of multicharged ions in the cathode spot of pulsed copper vacuum arc is studied by the 2D3V electrostatic Particle-In-Cell Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method. This method tracks the position and velocity of electrons, neutrals, and copper ions charged from +1 to +4 simultaneously, which couples with external circuit physics as well as heat conduction at the cathode. The general thermofield electron emission developed in recent years is used in the vacuum arc simulation. The simulation starts from complete vacuum until the arc current reaches the steady state at about 3 A limited by the external circuit, and the arc voltage is between 20 and 30 V. During the discharge, the cathode temperature increases from room temperature to around 8000 K. The breakdown process is visualized by the distribution of ion density at different stages of arc discharge: from a small volume of cathode spot to a conductive current path between electrode gaps. The vacuum arc plasma is found to be highly ionized, with an average charge state slightly above two and electron density on the order of 1020 cm−3. The positively charged ions move in the direction from the cathode to anode, which is opposite to the direction of the applied external field. Ion energies at the steady state increase from 20 to 200 eV when charge states increase from +1 to +4. This indicates that the electrostatic acceleration of ions is caused by a dynamic space-charge field in the breakdown process of pulsed vacuum arc discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fracture toughness of each micro-region in 30Cr2Ni4MoV steam turbine rotor welded joint was studied, including the central zone of the SAW bead (SAW-C), the overlapping zone of the SAW bead (SAW-Z), and the central zone of the TIG weld metal (TIG), coarse-grained heating affected zone (CGHAZ), fine-grained HAZ (FGHAZ) and base metal (BM). The microstructure, fracture morphologies and cracking paths were observed by OM and SEM microscope, and the influence of microstructure on fracture toughness was analyzed. The research results show that the fracture toughness of the weld metal is lower than that of BM and HAZ, and the fracture toughness of the weld metal is non-uniform. TIG and SAW-C are composed of columnar tempered bainite, intergranular tempered lath martensite and carbides, and the fracture toughness is the worst. SAW-Z is zigzag columnar tempered bainite and equiaxed granular tempered bainite between weld passes, which has good fracture toughness. CGHAZ and FGHAZ are equiaxed tempered martensite with the best fracture toughness. By observing the fracture morphology and cracking path, SAW-C and TIG are dominated by brittle cleavage fracture mode, and SAW-Z, FGHAZ, CGHAZ and BM are in the ductile fracture mode. The straight columnar grains of SAW-C and TIG are prone to crack propagation, but the tempered bainite acts as a bridge. SAW-Z has a zigzag tempered bainite grains, and the crack propagation path is tortuous. For FGHAZ, CGHAZ and BM with equiaxed grains, the fracture toughness is related to the grain size and the dimple size around the crack tip. The crack propagation process is that the dimples are first formed in a certain range around the crack tip, but only the dimples in the lower strength micro-regions grow and merge preferentially, and rapidly form new cracks. • The microstructure at the crack tip determines the fracture toughness and fracture mode of the welded joint. • The fracture toughness is related to the grain size and the size of the dimples distribution at the crack tip. • The dimples around the crack tip are formed and grown in a certain range during the crack propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a ground target extraction system for a novel LiDAR, airborne streak tube imaging LiDAR (ASTIL), is proposed. This system depends on only a single echo and a single data source, and can achieve fast ground target extraction. This system consists of two modules: Autofocus SSD (Single Shot MultiBox Detector) and post-processing. The Autofocus SSD proposed in this paper is used for object detection in the ASTIL echo signal, and its prediction speed exceeds that of the original SSD by a factor of three. In the post-processing module, we describe in detail how the echoes are processed into point clouds. The system was tested on a test set, and it can be seen from a visual perspective that satisfactory results were obtained for the extraction of buildings and trees. The system mAPIoU=0.5 is 0.812, and the FPS is greater than 34. The results prove that this ASTIL processing system can achieve fast ground target extraction based on a single echo and a single data source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single event upset effect is an important factor that causes performance degradation and functional failure of aerospace equipment components in space radiation environment. When high-energy particles incident on semiconductor devices in working state, they will induce functional errors of devices and even cause permanent damage. Based on the finite element method, the three-dimensional simulation of Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) is carried out. The single event upset effect of MOSFET under heavy ion irradiation and the influence of heavy ion irradiation on transient drain current are investigated. The results show that the transient drain current of MOSFET devices will increase rapidly when heavy ions are incident, and then the logic state of the devices will change. With the increase in linear energy transfer density, the peak value of the transient drain current pulse increases and the pulse width decreases. With the increase in the incident angle, the peak value of the pulse first increases and then decreases. The maximum value is obtained when the incident angle is vertical, the pulse width first decreases and then increases, and the minimum value is obtained when the incident angle is vertical. With the increase in MOSFET size, the difference of transient drain current formed by symmetrical heavy ion incidence is becoming smaller and smaller. When the incident track is completely in the drain region, the simulation results are the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a common but poorly understood complication during sepsis. Currently, there are no preventive or therapeutic agents available for this neurological disorder. The present study was designed to determine the potential protective effects of β-patchoulene (β-PAE) in a mouse model of SAE and explore the putative mechanisms underpinning the beneficial effects. Materials and methods: SAE was induced in C57BL/6 mice by cecal ligation and puncture(CLP). Mice were administrated with β-PAE or saline by intra-cerebral ventricle(i.c.v) injection immediately after CLP surgery. The inhibitory avoidance tests and open field tests were performed at 24h, 48h and 7days after procedures. Cytokines expression, oxidative parameters, microglia polarization and apoptosis in the brain tissue were assessed. Sirt1, Nrf2, HO-1and cleaved-caspase3 expression in hippocampus was determined by western-blotting. Further, serum cytokines expression and spleen lymphocytes apoptosis were evaluated, and survival study was performed. Results: Septic mice suffered severe cognitive decline following CLP as evidenced by decreased memory latency time and lower frequency of line crossing in the behavioral tests. A high dose of β-PAE(1mg/kg) improved the cognitive impairment in SAE mice, which was accompanied by reduced cytokines expression and oxidative stress. Immunofluorescence assay showed that β-PAE inhibited the expression of Iba-1 and iNOS in microglia. The mechanistic study indicated that β-PAE could promote the nuclear expression of Sirt1/Nrf2 and enhance cytoplasmic HO-1 expression. Furthermore, i.c.v administration of β-PAE decreased the expression of serum cytokines and apoptosis in the spleen, thus leading to an improved 7-day survival of septic mice. Finally, blockade of Nrf2 activation with ML385 largely mitigated the protective effects of β-PAE on the cognitive function, neuroinflammation and survival in SAE mice. Conclusion: In this study, we found that β-PAE significantly altered sepsis induced neuroinflammation and microglia activation, thus reversed the cognitive decline and improved the peripheral immune function. The neuroprotective effects were possibly mediated by the activation of Sirt1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. β-PAE might serve as a promising therapeutic agent for SAE prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new remote sensing detection equipment, airborne streak tube imaging laser radar. • A building zone extraction method from airborne streak tube imaging laser radar data. • A building zone extraction method only using single data source, laser radar data. • Extracting suburban residential building zone. In this paper, we proposed a novel method for extracting suburban residential building zone (SRBZ) from airborne streak tube imaging LiDAR (STIL) data. This method is implemented using a single data source, which avoids the collections of multi-source data and shortens the production cycle of LiDAR data products. The framework of the method is mainly composed of a prediction module, and a correction module. In the correction module, two correction algorithms were proposed, that is, k -nearest neighbor majority voting correction algorithm (k- NNMV) and Gaussian weight based k -nearest neighbor voting correction algorithm (GW k- NNV). Experiment tests show that the framework based on the GW k -NNV has a better SRBZ extraction effect than that of the k -NNMV. The F 1 coefficient of the GW k -NNV-based framework reached 80.10%. That proves that the proposed method for extracting SRBZ from airborne STIL data is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clay structures are widely used as impermeable barriers to landfill pollution, although waste can degrade for more than 30 years, no studies concerning the long-term service performance of clay layers under leachate have been reported. In this paper, the in situ clay leaching in landfill for more than 20 years was studied by drilling and sampling. The results show that clay particle contents in soils decreased under long-term leachate effects, causing the liquid limit and plasticity index of the soil to reduce substantially, and the plastic limit to decrease to a lesser extent. The internal friction angle of clay increased, its cohesion decreased, and its compressibility increased, which caused the hydraulic conductivity of clay to increase by 2–4 times at constant porosity following leachate interaction. The long-term effects of leachate led to a reduction in the number of clay minerals, such as montmorillonite, in the soil, the coalescence of soil particles, an increase in the volume of large pores by 132%, a decrease in the volume of small pores by 14.4%, and increased pore connectivity. When landfill waste is undergoing middle and later stages of degradation, the leachate pollutant diffusion depth in the bottom clay layer is approximately 1 m. Since the groundwater is not polluted, our results confirm that the long-term safety aspect of landfill meets the bottom clay impermeability requirements specified in GB16889-2008 (hydraulic conductivity < 10−7 cm/s, thickness > 2 m). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using a self-programed circular cylindrical coordinates 2-D, three velocity component, particle-in-cell (2D3V-PIC) code, the temporal dynamic flow and expansion behaviors of deuterium–titanium plasmas from the ion source to expansion cup are numerically studied in this article. The simulation results demonstrate as follows. There is a notable plasma sheath near the wall of the ion source with the electric field intensity on the order of MV/m in the radial direction; this plasma sheath will accelerate ions and decelerate electrons. Compared with Ti2+ ion, the radial dispersion phenomenon of D+ ion is more obvious. The electric field intensity of plasma sheath is first increased and then decreased, which consistently influences the radial dispersion behavior of ions in the expansion cup. Due to the plasma sheath near the wall of the ion source, the ion radial-accelerating effect always exists. Due to the separation between ion and electron, there is also an ion axial-accelerating phenomenon. Moreover, the ion axial-accelerating effect will decrease and, finally, disappear due to the decrease in the separation effect between electron and ion. In the steady phase, the ion current on the extraction wall is higher than the loss of ion current on the wall of the ion source, and the ion extraction efficiency of Ti2+ is much higher than D+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Cigarette smoking is one of the high risk factors of adult chronic periodontitis and nicotine is the well established toxic substance in cigarette. However, the mechanism of nicotine induced periodontitis is still unknown. Here we studied whether nicotine impaired the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) through activating α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR). Methods: hPDLSCs with multi differentiation potential and surface makers for mesenchymal stem cells were harvested by limiting dilution technique. The level of mineralized nodule formation was assessed by alizarin red S staining. Expression level of ostegenic related genes and proteins were detected by real-time PCR and western blot analysis. The expression of α7 nAChR and its downstream signaling pathway were examined by western blot. The role of the receptor and related signaling pathway in nicotine impairing the osteogenic potential of hPDLSCs were also studied in different levels. Results: Nicotine deteriorated the ostegenic differentiation of hPDLSCs in a dose dependent manner. Activation of α7 nAChR by nicotine treatment activated wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, leading to osteogenic deficiency of hPDLSCs. Blockage of α7 nAChR and wnt pathway inhibitor treatment rescued nicotine induced osteogenic differentiation deficiency. Conclusions: These data suggested that nicotine activated α7 nAChR expressed on PDLSCs and further activated wnt signaling downstream, thus deteriorating the osteogenic potential of PDLSCs. The impairment of osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs by nicotine might lead to cigarette smoking related periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved compact and high-efficiency A6 relativistic magnetron (RM) with axial extraction is proposed and studied by numerical simulations. Compared with the conventional design, two pairs of diametrically opposite cavities (four cavities) of the anode block are tapered onto the horn antenna for TE11 mode radiation with high output efficiency. Due to the cutoff radius of the TE11 mode is the smallest in the circular waveguide, the diameter of the output waveguide could be reduced obviously. And the total axial length of the horn antenna could also be shortened accordingly. At the same time, a semitransparent cathode is used for quick startup and efficient beam-wave interaction. Results of the 3-D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations show that over 1.25 GW output power with TE11 mode is obtained at ${S}$ -band, when the electron beam voltage is 600 kV and the applied axial guiding magnetic field is 0.54 T. And the efficiency exceeds 66%. Simulation results also show that the output efficiency of the proposed RM keeps almost unchanged between 550 and 620 kV with fixed guiding magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The diazobenzene chromophore, C.I Direct Red 28 (Congo Red) was modified using isocyanatopropyl silane and subsequently incorporated into a silica matrix, which significantly increased the thermal stability of the dye. The third-order nonlinearity of the ensuing hybrid dye–silica film was investigated using Third Harmonic Generation and Z-scan measurements at 1064nm and 400nm. The observed high, nonlinear refractive index (up to 10−8 esu) of the film, as well as the large two-photon absorption cross-section at 1064nm, was attributed to the enlarged and strengthened conjugated electron system as well as the symmetrical molecular structure of the hybrid material; optical Kerr studies showed that the hybrid films had an ultrafast response time of 0.36ps at 400nm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ultrafast third-order nonlinear optical responses of the as-deposited and annealed Cu:Bi2O3 nanocomposite films were investigated by using femtosecond Z-scan and time-resolved optical Kerr effect (OKE) techniques at the wavelength of 800nm. The Z-scan measurement showed that both the real and imaginary parts of the third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility were enhanced after thermal annealing treatment. The OKE response of the as-deposited film was instantaneous, and the enhanced OKE signal of the annealed film presented additional slow decay processes which imply the important contribution from photoinduced hot electrons in Cu nanoparticles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]