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In this work, we study the invasion dynamics of a stage-structured population located in a one-dimensional periodic lattice. With a biologically relevant hypothesis that the population diffuses in its immature stage, we derive a novel spatially heterogeneous population model with coupled local and nonlocal effects. Assuming a KPP-type structure, we obtain the existence and variational characterization of spreading speed by appealing to monotone dynamical system theories. Further, we study the dependence of the spreading speed on the dispersal rate of immature population; it turns out that there exists an optimal dispersal strategy to maximize the speed. Numerical simulations further suggest that such an optimal strategy is unique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study bistable pulsating waves for a population model in discrete periodic habitat. After obtaining the existence, uniqueness and global exponential stability of the waves, we give a characterization on the sign of the wave speed; in particular, we find parameter regions for propagation failure and success, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a user-friendly molecular generative pipeline called Pocket Crafter, specifically designed to facilitate hit finding activity in the drug discovery process. This workflow utilized a three-dimensional (3D) generative modeling method Pocket2Mol, for the de novo design of molecules in spatial perspective for the targeted protein structures, followed by filters for chemical-physical properties and drug-likeness, structure–activity relationship analysis, and clustering to generate top virtual hit scaffolds. In our WDR5 case study, we acquired a focused set of 2029 compounds after a targeted searching within Novartis archived library based on the virtual scaffolds. Subsequently, we experimentally profiled these compounds, resulting in a novel chemical scaffold series that demonstrated activity in biochemical and biophysical assays. Pocket Crafter successfully prototyped an effective end-to-end 3D generative chemistry-based workflow for the exploration of new chemical scaffolds, which represents a promising approach in early drug discovery for hit identification. Scientific contribution: Hit identification is a time-consuming and costly step in drug discovery process. Here we developed a molecule generative pipeline called Pocket Crafter that can speed up this process greatly. This workflow utilized 3D generative modeling method Pocket2Mol for the de novo design of molecules in spatial perspective for the target and applies filters for chemical-physical properties and drug-likeness to generate top virtual hits with further structure–activity relationship analysis and clustering to output a focused set of hit compounds, which led to the success of hit finding as it showed in our demo case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We combined the metabolic features of 18F-FDG-PET/CT and hematological inflammatory indicators to establish a predictive model of the outcomes of patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Results: A predictive nomogram was developed based on sex, CEA, systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), mean SUV (SUVmean), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). The nomogram presents nice discrimination that yielded an AUC of 0.76 (95% confidence interval: 0.66–0.86) to predict 1-year PFS, with a sensitivity of 63.6%, a specificity of 83.3%, a positive predictive value of 83.7%, and a negative predictive value of 62.9% in the training set. The calibration curves and DCA suggested that the nomogram had good calibration and fit, as well as promising clinical effectiveness in the training set. In addition, survival analysis indicated that patients in the low-risk group had a significantly longer mPFS than those in the high-risk group (16.8 months versus 8.4 months, P < 0.001). Those results were supported by the results in the internal and external test sets. Conclusions: The newly constructed predictive nomogram model presented promising discrimination, calibration, and clinical applicability and can be used as an individualized prognostic tool to facilitate precision treatment in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is attracting increasing attention, but how to improve students' STEM learning achievement is still a big challenge. In the process of learning, students actively set learning goals, organize learning content, set learning standards, and independently adapt learning strategies and monitoring measures in order to achieve their own learning goals and to help them learn STEM knowledge and skills. Concept mapping is considered to be an effective visualized knowledge organizing tool that helps students to manage and organize their knowledge systematically and visually. This study proposes a concept mapping-based self-regulated learning approach. A quasi-experiment was conducted using a concept mapping-based self-regulated learning system in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach. The experimental results show that the proposed approach significantly improved students' STEM skills, but not their STEM knowledge compared to the conventional self-regulated learning approach. The proposed learning approach helped to improve students' self-regulation compared to the conventional self-regulation learning approach. In short, the concept mapping-based self-regulation learning approach enhances students' self-efficacy and self-regulation, which in turn helps students to learn STEM skills effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a deep learning network model, ResNet50 can effectively recognize facial expressions to a certain extent, but there are still problems such as insufficient extraction of local effective feature information and a large number of parameters. In this paper, we take ResNet50 as the basic framework to optimize and improve this network. Firstly, by analyzing the influence mechanism of the attention mechanism module on the network feature information circulation, the optimal embedding position of CBAM (Convolutional Block Attention Module) and SE modules in the ResNet50 network is thus determined to effectively extract local key information, and then the number of model parameters is effectively reduced by embedding the depth separable module. To validate the performance of the improved ResNet50 model, the recognition accuracy reached 71.72% and 95.72% by ablation experiments using Fer2013 and CK+ datasets, respectively. We then used the trained model to classify the homemade dataset, and the recognition accuracy reached 92.86%. In addition, compared with the current more advanced methods, the improved ResNet50 network model proposed in this paper can maintain a balance between model complexity and recognition ability and can provide a technical reference for facial expression recognition research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of facial expression recognition is to capture facial expression features from static pictures or videos and to provide the most intuitive information about human emotion changes for artificial intelligence devices to use effectively for human-computer interaction. Among the factors, the excessive loss of locally valid information and the irreversible degradation trend of the information at different expression semantic scales with increasing network depth are the main challenges faced currently. To address such problems, an enhanced pyramidal network model combining with triple attention mechanisms is designed in this paper. Firstly, three attention mechanism modules, i.e. CBAM, SK, and SE, are embedded into the backbone network model in stages, and the key features are sensed by using spatial or channel information mining, which effectively reduces the effective information loss caused by the network depth. Then, the pyramid network is used as an extension of the backbone network to obtain the semantic information of expression features across scales. The recognition accuracy reaches 96.25% and 73.61% in the CK+ and Fer2013 expression change datasets, respectively. Furthermore, by comparing with other current advanced methods, it is shown that the proposed network architecture combining with the triple attention mechanism and multi-scale cross-information fusion can simultaneously maintain and improve the information mining ability and recognition accuracy of the facial expression recognition model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemistry of hot electrons in fully aqueous solutions at tetrahedral amorphous carbon thin film electrodes is discussed. The generation of these highly reducing chemical species was confirmed by normal pulse voltammetry and several electrochemiluminescent systems. Electron transfer into pre‐existing solvent cavities was observed at approximately −2.65 V vs. Ag/AgCl (sat.). Electrogenerated hot electrons were utilized as chemiluminescent mediators in heterogeneous sandwich immunoassay of Serum Amyloid A. The calibration curve was linear over four orders of magnitude and the detection limit was 85 ng L−1 that demonstrates the efficiency of hot electron generation at this electrode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Mach 1.5 non-reactive flow in a cavity-stabilized combustor of a model scramjet is studied via a direct-numerical simulation approach, and the analysis is focused on the interaction among boundary layer, free shear-layer above the cavity and shock wave. It is found that the impingement of the free shear-layer on the aft wall of the cavity leads to strong turbulence kinetic energy, high local pressure, and a fan of compression waves. The compression waves evolve into an oblique shock, which reflects between the upper and lower walls and interacts with the boundary layers attached to the two walls. The analysis of the turbulence production reveals that the amplification of turbulence in the core of the shear-layer and around the reattachment point is mainly due to the shear production, but the deceleration production mechanism presents a significant impact in the regions above the aft wall of the cavity and around the shock interaction points. The very low frequency commonly observed in shock wave/boundary layer interactions is not observed in the present research, which might be due to the low Reynolds number of the studied case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global Phase III IMpower132 study evaluating atezolizumab plus pemetrexed and carboplatin or cisplatin (APP) versus pemetrexed plus carboplatin or cisplatin (PP) for first‐line treatment of non‐squamous advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) met its co‐primary progression‐free survival (PFS) endpoint at the primary analysis in the intention‐to‐treat (ITT) population. Although the co‐primary overall survival (OS) endpoint was not met, numerical OS improvement favoring APP over PP was observed at the final analysis. We report primary results for Chinese patients in IMpower132. Methods: Treatment‐naive Chinese patients with non‐squamous stage IV EGFR/ALK mutation‐negative NSCLC were randomized 1:1 to receive 4 or 6 cycles of APP or PP, followed by maintenance atezolizumab plus pemetrexed or pemetrexed. Co‐primary endpoints were investigator‐assessed PFS and OS. Results: The ITT population included 163 Chinese patients (82 in the APP arm and 81 in the PP arm). At data cutoff (median follow‐up, 11.7 months), the median PFS in the APP and PP arms was 8.3 and 5.8 months, respectively; the unstratified hazard ratio (HR) was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.50, 1.08). At the interim OS analysis, median OS was not estimable in either arm; the unstratified HR was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.40, 1.24). No new safety signals were observed. Conclusion: Among Chinese patients in IMpower132, PFS benefit was seen with APP versus PP. Though interim OS data were immature, there was a trend toward OS benefit favoring APP versus PP. The safety profile of the APP was consistent with the known risks of the individual treatment components. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02657434. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the existence of bistable traveling wave solutions for time periodic reaction-diffusion equations in straight strips subject to the Dirichlet boundary condition. We first employ a monotone dynamical system framework to establish the existence of such a wave by assuming a bistability structure in terms of multiplicity and stability of periodic solutions in the section of the strip, which is then realized under a set of sufficient explicit conditions; in particular, the bistability structure appears if the reaction term is a time periodic smooth perturbation of the nonlinearity λ u (1 − u) (u − a) when a ∈ (0 , 1 / 2) and λ > λ ⁎ for some λ ⁎ > 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effect of the secondary flow induced by convergent–divergent riblets in supersonic turbulent boundary layers over a 24° compression ramp at Mach number 2.9 is studied via direct numerical simulation. Two riblet cases with the wavelength Λ being 1.1δ and 1.65δ (δ is the boundary layer thickness) are conducted to examine their impact on the secondary rolling motion, momentum transfer, turbulent fluctuations, flow separation, and unsteady shock motion. As the flow develops over the riblet section, both the size and intensity of the secondary rolling motion tend to increase. For the riblet case with Λ / δ = 1.1 , a single rolling mode is observed within a half wavelength, while a pair of co-rotating vortical structures is obtained for Λ / δ = 1.65. Both rolling patterns lead to an apparent spanwise variation of the flow field. The results reveal that the secondary flow contributes to the increase of both the mean momentum flux and turbulent fluctuations. By using the spanwise averaging, the mean momentum flux contributed from the dispersive stress and compressible effect caused by the secondary flow is identified. Both components appear to enhance the near-wall momentum mixing, and a larger enhancement is observed for Λ / δ = 1.1 , where the intensity of the secondary flow is stronger. Compared to the baseline case, the area of the separation zone at Λ / δ = 1.1 and Λ / δ = 1.65 is decreased by 56% and 38%, respectively. For all the cases, the low-frequency motion near the foot of the shock is observed. In comparison, the frequency of the low-frequency motion for the riblet case is two times higher than that in the baseline case, owing to the reduction of the separation area and length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power equipment detection and localization is the key component of automatic inspection tasks in substations. To solve the challenges such as complex environment and lack of training data, utilization of context information is considered here. For substation scenes, object relation modelling (RM) is proven to be useful, but an end‐to‐end efficient framework which is suitable for non‐Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) is still missing. Therefore, an extended Transformer network with an elaborately designed RM module is proposed. As the foundation, transformer network is better than CNN in terms of context dependency construction. On top of that, an RM module is plugged to adjust the decoded feature embeddings based on their appearance, position and class information. The module is based on a graph attention neural network which uses similarity as weights of nodes. The experiments show that the proposed method has a 16.2% improvement in accuracy compared to pipeline, and even 6.4% higher than the most recent models, largely promoting the construction of intelligent substations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used knee MR imaging features to quantify the severity of knee injury in patients and analyzed the predictive value of knee MR imaging features in their risk of knee replacement. A total of 120 patients with knee arthritis were included from a public knee arthritis database FNIH OAI. First, univariate logistic regression was used to screen clinical features to obtain the clinical risk factors. Then the minimum redundancy maximum correlation (mRMR) method was used to reduce the image features, and the LASSO method was used to further screen the retained image features to construct a Rad model. Next, the multivariate logistic regression method was used to combine the Rad model and the screened clinical risk factors to construct a combined model and its corresponding nomogram. Finally, ROC curve and its related metrics, Hosmer–Lemeshow test and Delong test were used to evaluate and compare the accuracy and consistency of the model performance. Age and body mass index (BMI) were found as significant clinical risk factors for knee replacement. After using mRMR and LASSO methods, 147 image features were reduced to 30 and 7 features, respectively, then these 7 features were linearly combined to construct the Rad model. Age, BMI, and the Rad model were combined to establish the combined model and its corresponding nomogram. The resulted two models showed high accuracy (AUC ∼ 0. 8) and consistency (H-L test: p > 0. 0 5) on both the training set and test set. Finally, the comparison results showed that the prediction performance of the combined model was better than that of the Rad model, but their difference was not significant (Delong test: p > 0. 0 5). This paper studied the predictive performance of MR imaging features on the risk of knee replacement and built a model that can be used to predict the potential risk of knee replacement in patients with knee arthritis. The resulting models showed good predictive accuracy and consistency. The drawn nomogram could be used as a useful tool to personalize the prognosis of patients with knee arthritis and guide clinical decisions on knee replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To investigate the relationship between serum cotinine and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) among 7905 participants aged 30 years and over. Method. A total of 3945 men and 3960 women from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2018 were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Independent variable was serum cotinine, which is a biomarker of cigarette exposure. The outcome variable was lumbar BMD. We investigated the associations of serum cotinine levels and lumbar BMD using multivariable linear regression models. Results. Serum cotinine concentration was negatively associated with lumbar BMD after adjustment of relevant covariables (β = −0.039, 95% CI: −0.078 to −0.014, P = 0.005). However, in the subgroup analysis stratified by gender, this negative association remained only in women (β = −0.072, 95% CI: −0.132 to −0.012, P = 0.019). Conclusion. Our study suggested that elevated serum cotinine level correlated with decreased lumbar BMD, especially in women. This finding indicated that reducing cigarette exposure and maintaining serum cotinine at a low level may be beneficial to bone health for adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a section of convergent–divergent (C–D) riblets is applied upstream of a compression ramp in a supersonic turbulent boundary layer in a Mach 2.9 flow with a Reynolds number of R e θ = 2240. Direct numerical simulations are undertaken to examine the impact of C–D riblets on the shock wave/boundary layer interaction and the feasibility of using them to mitigate flow separation. Over the riblet section, a large-scale secondary roll mode is produced by C–D riblets with the downwelling motion occurring around the diverging region and upwelling motion near the converging region. This consequently leads to a spanwise heterogeneity in mean quantities and turbulent structures over the riblet section and also in the interaction zone. Compared with the baseline case, the area of the separation zone for the riblet case experiences a dramatic local reduction of 92% in the diverging region, owing to the downwelling motion that injects the high-momentum fluid toward the wall and the near-wall spanwise velocity that transports the low-momentum fluid away. The enhanced upwelling motion around the converging region induced by C–D riblets, on the one hand, contributes to the decrease of the near-wall momentum and subsequently the increase of the local separation area. On the other hand, the upwelling motion effectively reduces the incoming Mach number upstream of the compression corner. This appears to reduce the strength of the separation shock, leading to a more gradual compression of the incoming flow that helps ease the enlargement of the separation area nearby. Overall, the area of the mean flow separation is reduced by 56%, indicating an effective flow separation control by the C–D riblets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of mantle viscosity structures on numerical simulations of geoid anomalies in the Ross Sea is investigated. Four relatively new S-wave seismic tomography models, SEMUCB_WM1, TX2019slab, S40RTS, and SEISGLOB2, are applied to convert seismic wave velocity anomalies into density anomalies. These density anomalies constitute the buoyancy-driven terms in mantle convection equations used to numerically simulate geoid anomalies corresponding to structures with different upper-to-lower mantle viscosity ratios. When the simulated geoid anomalies fit the observations best globally, the correlation coefficients between the geoid anomalies in the Ross Sea and the observed values are 0.56, 0.57, 0.57, and 0.46, respectively, for the four tomographic models. The best fits between the simulated geoid anomalies and observations in the Ross Sea area were obtained for upper-to-lower mantle viscosity ratios of 1:35, 1:45, 1:30, and 1:30 using the SEMUCB_WM1, TX2019slab, S40RTS, and SEISGLOB2, respectively. Within the range of the mantle viscosity structures selected for the simulation experiment, as the viscosity of the lower mantle gradually increases from the value at which the numerical results best fit the observations to the maximum value, the correlation coefficient between the simulated geoid anomalies and observations decreases faster for the Ross Sea area than on the global scale. We speculate that the lower mantle below the Ross Sea area may contain materials with lower viscosity than those in other mantle regions at the same depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Technology-Based Learning Model, the present study reviewed open online language learning research published in the Scopus database from 2009 to 2018, with a focus on research design, sample size, learning devices, target languages, language skills, the learners' education level, the learners' language proficiency level, learning methods, and the foci of investigation. In terms of research design, quantitative empirical studies accounted for the most, followed by mixed method studies. As for the target languages, English was investigated the most, with few studies focused on other languages. In terms of language skills, the number of studies related to vocabulary and speaking was less than those concerning reading and writing. With regard to learning methods, self-directed learning, blended learning, and peer review were the most commonly adopted. There was little research on collaborative learning, flipped classrooms, adaptive learning, or thematic-oriented learning. As for the foci of investigation, motivation, interest, and satisfaction were the focus of the majority of the studies. On the other hand, little research was found to examine self-efficacy or confidence. A discussion based on the analytic results is presented along with proposed suggestions for future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We first give a q -analogue of a supercongruence of Sun, which is a generalization of Van Hamme's (H.2) supercongruence for any prime p ≡ 3 (mod 4). We also give a further generalization of this q -supercongruence, which may also be considered as a generalization of a q -supercongruence recently conjectured by the second author and Zudilin. Then, by combining these two q -supercongruences, we obtain q -analogues of the following two results: for any integer d > 1 and prime p with p ≡ − 1 (mod 2 d) ∑ k = 0 (p 2 − 1) / d 1 d k 3 k ! 3 ≡ p 2 (mod p 4) , ∑ k = 0 p 2 − 1 1 d k 3 k ! 3 ≡ p 2 (mod p 4) , which are generalizations of Swisher's (H.3) conjecture modulo p 4 for r = 2. The key ingredients in our proof are the 'creative microscoping' method, the q -Dixon sum, Watson's terminating 8 ϕ 7 transformation, and properties of the p -adic Gamma function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal development strategies and land-sea coordination has made a close connection between the sea and the land, and the coastal zone has become a whole entity. In this study, we established the ecological security integration pattern (ESIP) of the coastal zone in Nantong based on the land-sea coordination and connectivity. We selected the main coastal zone ecosystem service (ES) evaluation indices, calculated the ecological risk to validate the ES evaluation results, and explored the mechanisms driving ESs using multiscale geographically weighted regression. Ecological sources relies on rivers, tidal flats, and areas with high ES to construct an ecological corridor from land to sea. Ecological risk had a significant negative correlation with ES. The six driving factors selected had a positive and negative influence on the ecological sources equal to ES; An ESIP of two belts, two channels, and one river network was constructed across the land and sea boundaries, and the effect of driving factors on ES was integrated to provide suggestions for the future ESIP. This study of an ESIP evaluation system in Nantong reflects the new practice of land-sea coordination, which not only enriches the ecological security evaluation system, but also provides novel ideas for realizing ecological protection and restoration in coastal zones. • Selecting ecosystem services that reflect land-sea integration and heterogeneity • Identifying key ecological sources, corridors, and pinch points in Nantong's coastal area • Validating the relevance of ecological risk assessment results to Nantong coastal ESs using correlation analysis • Establishing an ESIP based on ES driving mechanism study, ecological sources, and corridors • Broke through land-sea ecological boundaries for ecological integrated management [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition governs the crystallization ability, the type and content of crystal phases of glass-ceramics. Glass-ceramic joining materials have generated more research interest in recent years. Here, we prepared a novel Li 2 O–MgO–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 glass-ceramic for the application of joining Si 3 N 4 ceramics. We investigated the influence of the MgO/Al 2 O 3 composition ratio on microstructure and crystallization behaviour. The crystallization kinetics demonstrated that the glasses had excellent crystallization ability and high crystallinity. β-LiAlSi 2 O 6 and Mg 2 SiO 4 were precipitated from the glass-ceramics, and the increase of MgO concentration was conducive to the precipitation of Mg 2 SiO 4. Among the glass-ceramic samples, the thermal expansion coefficient of LMAS2 glass-ceramic was 3.1 × 10−6/°C, which was very close to that of Si 3 N 4 ceramics. The wetting test showed that the final contact angle of the glass droplet on the Si 3 N 4 ceramic surface was 32° and the interface was well bonded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although there are different treatments for benign prostate hyperplasia, their efficacy and safety differ. We are currently exploring a new minimally invasive interventional therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Purpose: To determine the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of ultrasound-guided transperineal laser ablation (US-TPLA) for the treatment of BPH. Material and Methods: Twenty patients with BPH (mean age = 73.9 ± 9.2 years) who underwent US-TPLA from June 2018 to January 2020 with a subsequent six-month follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. After local anesthesia, a 21-G trocar was inserted into the prostate tissue under ultrasound monitoring, followed by 1064 nm diode laser irradiation. Changes in international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual (PVR), prostate volume, and complications were evaluated six months after surgery. Results: All patients underwent the operation successfully without serious complications. After six months, the average IPSS improved from 22.7 ± 5.3 to 9.1 ± 3.2 (P < 0.001), the QoL improved from 4.9 ± 1.7 to 2.3 ± 1.3 (P < 0.001), the Qmax improved from 8.5 ± 3.0 to 15.2 ± 4.8 mL/s (P < 0.001), the PVR increased from 78.7 ± 58.8 to 30.3 ± 34.2 (P < 0.05), and the mean prostate volume ranged from 70.8 ± 23.8 to 54.7 ± 20.9 mL (P < 0.05). Conclusion: US-TPLA is safe and feasible for the treatment of BPH. An evaluation at the six-month follow-up is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-organic framework (MOF) can be used as sacrificial templates for preparing metal oxides with unique hollow structures. The heterojunction formed between two metal oxides is conducive to improvement of gas sensor performance. Herein, MOF compounds containing In with hexagonal prism morphology were synthesized first, and then annealed to obtain uniform hexagonal In 2 O 3 hollow microtubes. Subsequently, the surface of In 2 O 3 hollow microtubes was decorated by the Pr-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) in solution under stirring, and the Pr-SnO 2 /In 2 O 3 composite was obtained. Various characterization techniques confirmed the successful preparation of the Pr-SnO 2 NPs/In 2 O 3 composite. The specific surface area of the composite reached 72.07 m2/g. The sensing performance of the SnO 2 , Pr-SnO 2 , In 2 O 3 , SnO 2 /In 2 O 3 , and Pr-SnO 2 /In 2 O 3 sensors to ethanol gas were systematically investigated. Among these sensors, at the optimal working temperature, the Pr-SnO 2 /In 2 O 3 sensor displayed the best sensing performance with a response value of 75 towards 50 ppm ethanol, and further exhibited good linearity coefficient, selectivity, reproducibility, and long-term stability. • Pr-SnO 2 /In 2 O 3 composite with hollow microtube was prepared via step-by-step method. • The composite combined rare earth doping, heterojunction and special structure. • The composite exhibited superior sensing properties to ethanol with response of 75 to 50 ppm. • The mechanism is explained by comparing the sensing performance of each component unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part in the power systems, the status of the distribution network affects the safety, reliability, and economy of the whole power supply. When a fault occurs in the distribution network, it is of great significance to accurately and quickly locate the fault. At present, a cost‐effective synchronous phase measurement unit (PMU) device has been developed for the monitoring of the distribution network, which has opened up a new path for fault location in the distribution network. In this paper, the fuzzy clustering algorithm is used to judge the fault section, and the multiple fault information is extracted for fusion, so that the fault characteristic index can highlight the fault information. Then a new method based on multi‐terminal PMU data to realize the fault location of the distribution network is proposed. This method realizes fault location through the relationship between multiple fault indexes, and the simulation verification of PSCAD/EMTDC shows the accuracy and effectiveness of the method. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct numerical simulations of a turbulent channel flow developing over convergent–divergent (C–D) riblets are performed at a Reynolds number of Reb = 2800, based on the half channel height δ and the bulk velocity. To gain an in-depth understanding of the origin of the drag generated by C–D riblets, a drag decomposition method is derived from kinetic energy principle for a turbulent channel flow with wall roughness. C–D riblets with a wavelength, Λ, ranging from 0.25 δ to 1.5 δ , are examined to understand the influence of secondary flow motions on the drag. It is found that as Λ increases, the intensity of the secondary flow motion increases first and then decreases, peaking at Λ / δ = 1. At Λ / δ ≥ 1 , some heterogeneity appears in the spanwise direction for the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and vortical structures, with the strongest enhancement occurring around regions of upwelling. All the riblet cases examined here exhibit an increased drag compared to the smooth wall case. From the energy dissipation/production point of view, such a drag increase is dominated by the TKE production and the viscous dissipation wake component. While the drag contribution from the TKE production shear component decreases as Λ increases, the drag contribution from the wake component of both the TKE production and viscous dissipation follows the same trend as the intensity of the secondary flow motion. From the work point of view, the drag increase in the riblet case at Λ / δ = 0.25 comes mainly from the work of the Reynolds shear stresses, whereas at Λ / δ ≥ 1 , the drag augmentation is dominated by the work of the dispersive stresses. At Λ / δ = 0.5 , both components play an important role in the increase in the drag, which also exhibits a peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust detection of acoustically quiet, slow-moving, small unmanned aerial vehicles is challenging. A biologically inspired vision approach applied to the acoustic detection of unmanned aerial vehicles is proposed and demonstrated. The early vision system of insects significantly enhances signal-to-noise ratios in complex, cluttered, and low-light (noisy) scenes. Traditional time-frequency analysis allows acoustic signals to be visualized as images using spectrograms and correlograms. The signals of interest in these representations of acoustic signals, such as linearly related harmonics or broadband correlation peaks, essentially offer equivalence to meaningful image patterns immersed in noise. By applying a model of the photoreceptor stage of the hoverfly vision system, it is shown that the acoustic patterns can be enhanced and noise greatly suppressed. Compared with traditional narrowband and broadband techniques, the bio-inspired processing can extend the maximum detectable distance of the small and medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicles by between 30% and 50%, while simultaneously increasing the accuracy of flight parameter and trajectory estimations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In summer, heat stress is one of the primary reasons for the compromised health and low milk productivity of dairy cows. Hyperthermia affects milk synthesis and secretion in the mammary glands of dairy cows. As molecules for intercellular communication, milk-derived exosomes carry genetic material, proteins, and lipids, playing a crucial role in mammary tissue growth and milk synthesis in dairy cows. The aim of this study was to explore the milk exosomal miRNA profile of heat-stressed and normal Holstein cows. We isolated and identified milk exosomes to screening for differentially expressed miRNAs using small RNA sequencing. Then, TargetScan and miRanda algorithms were used to predict the putative targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs, whereas GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed for the differentially expressed miRNA-target genes. Our results showed that 215 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in heat-stressed milk exosomes, of which one was upregulated and 214 were significantly downregulated. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that differentially expressed miRNAs might play a role in apoptosis, autophagy, and the p38 MAPK pathway. qRT-PCR assay verified that the expression of miRNAs was consistent with the sequencing results, warranting further verification of their specific targets of action. In conclusion, changes in the miRNA expression profile of milk exosomes indicated the role of exosomal miRNAs in regulating heat stress resistance and apoptosis in dairy cows. Our results suggested that milk-derived exosomal miRNAs could increase mammary gland resistance to heat stress, thereby enhancing milk synthesis in dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the standard treatment for advanced lung cancer, but immune‐related adverse events (irAEs) remain poorly understood, especially in a real‐world setting. Methods: A multicenter observational study was conducted. Medical records of lung cancer patients treated with ICIs at 26 hospitals from January 1, 2015, to February 28, 2021, were retrieved. Types of ICIs included antiprogrammed cell death 1 or antiprogrammed cell death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) monotherapy, anticytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen‐4 monotherapy, or combination therapy. Results: In total, 1905 patients with advanced lung cancer were evaluated. The median age was 63 (range 28–87) years, and the male/female ratio was 3.1:1 (1442/463). The primary histological subtype was adenocarcinoma (915). A total of 26.9% (512/1905) of the patients developed 671 irAEs, and 5.8% (110/1905) developed 120 grade 3–5 irAEs. Median duration from ICI initiation to irAEs onset was 56 (range 0–1160) days. The most common irAEs were thyroid dysfunction (7.2%, 138/1905), pneumonitis (6.5%, 124/1905), and dermatological toxicities (6.0%, 115/1905). A total of 162 irAEs were treated with steroids and 11 irAEs led to death. Patients with positive PD‐L1 expression (≥1%) and who received first‐line ICI treatment developed more irAEs. Patients who developed irAEs had a better disease control rate (DCR, 71.3% [365/512] vs. 56.0% [780/1145]; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The incidence rate of irAEs was 26.9% in a real‐world setting. IrAEs might be related to a better DCR, but clinicians should be more aware of irAE recognition and management in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatosplenic T cell lymphoma (HS TCL), first reported in 1990,4 is derived mostly from a subset of T-cell lymphocytes.5 It is characterized by hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and pancytopenia, and more rarely lymphadenopathy. T cells are divided into T cells and T cells according to their receptor types.3 TCR of T cells, representing 1%-5% of all peripheral blood lymphocytes, are composed of and polypeptide chains with variable and constant regions. G, A flow cytometry analysis of the bone marrow aspirates identified an increased level of T-cells, confirming bone marrow involvement of the hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma gl T-cell antigen receptor is a heterodimer molecule composed of either or chains. Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a rare subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), accounts for 3.0% of all T-cell lymphomas in the North America but only 0.2% in Asia.1 It is characterized by an aggressive behavior and a poor patient prognosis. [Extracted from the article]

• A novel glass-ceramic interlayer was developed to join porous Si 3 N 4 to dense Si 3 N 4 ceramics. • The β-LiAlSi 2 O 6 /Mg 2 SiO 4 glass-ceramic interlayer and the dense infiltration layer were formed in the joint. • The shear strength of the joint reached 78 MPa, and it could still maintain 74 MPa up to 850 °C. In this work, we developed a new β-LiAlSi 2 O 6 /Mg 2 SiO 4 glass-ceramic interlayer to join dense Si 3 N 4 and porous Si 3 N 4 ceramics for high-temperature applications. The microstructure and phases of the joint were investigated using systematic analysis methods and the mechanism for the interfacial bonding was proposed. The double crystalline phases of β-LiAlSi 2 O 6 and Mg 2 SiO 4 precipitated in the joint seam during the joining process, forming a novel glass-ceramic interlayer with high crystallinity. Due to the good wettability of liquid glass on porous Si 3 N 4 , a gradient and dense infiltration layer was formed in porous Si 3 N 4 and reinforced it, which improved the mechanical strength of the whole joint. In this case, the shear strength of the joint reached 78 MPa, and it could still maintain 74 MPa up to 850 °C, which fully demonstrated the high-temperature resistance of the joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our aim is to evaluate initial efficacy, safety, and durable response of eltrombopag in the treatment of Chinese children with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (cITP). This was a retrospective, single-center cohort study including 30 pediatric patients with cITP administered eltrombopag between 1 July 2017 and 1 January 2019. Patients with at least 12 weeks of eltrombopag treatment and available follow-up data were included. Initial response rate, durable response rate, bleeding events, and adverse events were assessed during the follow-up period. The median duration of eltrombopag administration was 6 months (range 3–8 months). The initial response rate was 73.3%. Patients with megakaryocyte count ≥100/slide or Treg <4.5% were more likely to achieve initial response. The median follow-up period was 10 months (range 6–20 months). A total of 53.2% of pediatric patients had a durable response of up to 20 months. Patients with megakaryocyte count ≥100/slide and Treg<4.5% had more than 60% durable response rates compared with individuals with megakaryocyte count<100/slide and Treg≥4.5%, respectively. No serious bleeding events or serious adverse events occurred during the study period. Eltrombopag not only shows excellent initial response but also has continued efficacy and safety. Patients with megakaryocyte count ≥100/slide and Treg<4.5% achieve increased initial response and more frequent durable response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jinsha River, which has carved a 2–4 km deep gorge, is one of the largest SE Asian rivers. Two successive landslide-lake outburst floods (LLFs) occurred after the 2018 Baige landslides along the river. Using Sentinel-2 images, we examined the LLF impacts on downstream river channels and adjacent hillslopes over a 100 km distance. The floods increased the width of the active river channel by 54 %. Subsequently, major landslides persisted for 15 months in at least nine locations for displacements >2 m. Among them, three moving hillslopes ∼80 km downstream from the Baige landslides slumped more than 10 m 1 year after the floods. Extensive undercuts by floods probably removed hillslope buttresses and triggered a deformation response, suggesting strong and dynamic channel–hillslope coupling. Our findings indicate that infrequent catastrophic outburst flooding plays an important role in landscape evolution. Persistent post-flood hillslope movement should be considered in disaster mitigation in high-relief mountainous regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchronous tumor is relatively uncommon, while MALT lymphoma with adenocarcinoma being very rare, accounting for 0.098% of excised specimens of gastric adenocarcinoma.[1] Composite lymphoma is defined as two or more morphologically and immunophenotypically distinct lymphomas occurring simultaneously in the same anatomical site,[2] accounting for 1%-4.7% of all lymphomas. MALT lymphoma accounts for approximately 52% of all gastric lymphomas and is the most common type of lymphoma in the stomach.[10] It is pathologically characterized by lymphoepithelial lesions and follicular implantation.[10] Our case had prominent lymphoepithelial lesions and a pushing tumor margin. Synchronous composite lymphoma and carcinoma in one organ is rare, and its pathogenesis is still elusive. Here we presented a case of synchronous composite tumor with I in situ i follicular neoplasia (ISFN), mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and intramucosal adenocarcinoma in the stomach. [Extracted from the article]

Cardio‐cerebrovascular diseases encompass pathological changes in the heart, brain and vascular system, which pose a great threat to health and well‐being worldwide. Moreover, metabolic diseases contribute to and exacerbate the impact of vascular diseases. Inflammation is a complex process that protects against noxious stimuli but is also dysregulated in numerous so‐called inflammatory diseases, one of which is atherosclerosis. Inflammation involves multiple organ systems and a complex cascade of molecular and cellular events. Numerous studies have shown that inflammation plays a vital role in cardio‐cerebrovascular diseases and metabolic diseases. The absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome detects and is subsequently activated by double‐stranded DNA in damaged cells and pathogens. With the assistance of the mature effector molecule caspase‐1, the AIM2 inflammasome performs crucial biological functions that underpin its involvement in cardio‐cerebrovascular diseases and related metabolic diseases: The production of interleukin‐1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin‐18 (IL-18) and N‐terminal pore‐forming Gasdermin D fragment (GSDMD‐N) mediates a series of inflammatory responses and programmed cell death (pyroptosis and PANoptosis). Currently, several agents have been reported to inhibit the activity of the AIM2 inflammasome and have the potential to be evaluated for use in clinical settings. In this review, we systemically elucidate the assembly, biological functions, regulation and mechanisms of the AIM2 inflammasome in cardio‐cerebrovascular diseases and related metabolic diseases and outline the inhibitory agents of the AIM2 inflammasome as potential therapeutic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two oxygenated ergostane-type steroids including one new compound, 3β-hydroxy-5α,6β-methoxyergosta-7,22-dien-15-one (1) along with a known analogue ergosta-6,22-dien-3β,5α,8α-triol (2) were isolated from the crude extracts of the marine sponge-derived fungus Aspergillus sp. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of combined NMR and MS spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 was a marine ergostane-type steroid with two methoxy groups at C-5 and C-6, respectively. These oxygenated ergostane-type steroids were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against human or aquatic pathogens. Among them, compound 1 exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes. Celastrol plays a certain role in the improvement of various diabetes complications. Therefore, this study aimed to explore whether celastrol inhibited the proliferation and angiogenesis of high glucose (HG)-induced human retinal endothelial cells (hRECs) by down-regulating the HIF1/VEGF signaling pathway.Methods: The viability and proliferation of hRECs treated with glucose, celastrol or dimethyloxallyl glycine (DMOG) were analyzed by MTT assay. The invasion and tube formation ability of hRECs treated with glucose, celastrol or DMOG were in turn detected by transwell assay and tube formation assay. The expression of HIF1α and VEGF in hRECs after indicated treatment was analyzed by Western blot analysis and RT-qPCR analysis and ICAM-1 expression in hRECs after indicated treatment was detected by immunofluorescence assay RESULTS: HG induction promoted the proliferation, invasion and tube formation ability and increased the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF of hRECs, which were gradually suppressed by celastrol changing from 0.5 to 2.0 μM. DMOG was regarded as a HIF1α agonist, which attenuated the effect of celastrol on HG-induced hRECs.Conclusion: Celastrol inhibited the proliferation and angiogenesis of HG-induced hRECs by down-regulating the HIF1α/VEGF signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the breeding season f 2018, we found a much larger egg in one nest of Cinereous Tit (Parus cinereus) in Zuojia Nature Reserve, Jilin Province, China. The tit pair abandoned their nest soon after the alien egg hatched, which resulted in the death of the foreign chick. Based on DNA identification, this foreign chick was confirmed as a Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), suggesting that the woodpecker laid or carried one of her own eggs into the tit nest. Limited cavity availability as the woodpecker lost its own nest might have contributed to this occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competences of making good use of digital information and technology as well as making critical judgments and communicating with others have been considered as important educational objectives, in particular, for teacher education. Peer assessment is a frequently adopted learning strategy to assist students in rating and offering instant feedback to peers from the perspective of instructors, which has good potential for fostering students' critical thinking. However, the conventional peer-assessment approach mainly focuses on communications between reviewers and reviewees, while peer communications for collaboratively providing comments or suggestions are generally ignored. As a result, the present study proposed a Collaborative Feedback-based Peer-Assessment (CFPA) learning approach; moreover, a learning system was developed for evaluating the effectiveness of the different collaborative peer-assessment approaches by conducting a quasi-experiment in a pre-service teacher training program. Two classes of students participated in the experiment. One class including 48 students was the experimental group learning with the CFPA approach, while the other class with 49 students was the control group learning with the Non-Collaborative Peer Assessment (NCPA) approach. The findings indicated that the pre-service teachers who learned with the proposed approach showed significantly better instructional video development quality and commenting quality as well as higher self-efficacy and critical thinking tendency than those learning with the Non-Collaborative Peer Assessment approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods have the potential to resuspend polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) laden sediments and potentially impact drinking water intakes. This work identifies optimal operating conditions for the PAH removal from water using a combined permanganate (Mn(VII))/bisulfite advanced oxidation process (AOP). PAHs in aqueous solutions containing humic acid (HA) were treated using a combination of permanganate and bisulfite at different molar ratios. Results showed that the Mn(VII)/bisulfite AOP was an effective method to remove priority PAHs, but the dosage needs to be carefully controlled to avoid excessive by-products and reduce treatment costs. The optimal reaction conditions [ C[16PAHs]∶C[KMnO4]∶C[NaHSO3]=1∶30∶60 (m[16PAHs]∶m[KMnO4]∶m[NaHSO3]=1∶22∶29) and 10 min<=reaction time<30 min ] were identified within a wide pH range (5.0–8.0). High removal efficiencies (85%–100%) were achieved for typically refractory high molecular weight PAHs, including pyrene (PYR), chrysene (CHRY), benzo[a]anthracene (B[a]A), benzo[b]fluoranthene (B[b]F), benzo[k]fluoranthene (B[k]F), benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (D[ah]A). The concentration of B[a]P was reduced to below 0.2 μg/L from an initial concentration of 0.8 μg/L in less than 30 min, and a 2 mg-OC/L concentration of HA had minimal effect on the effectiveness of AOP. The maximum concentration level of B[a]P is specified as 0.2 μg/L , according to National Primary Drinking Water Regulations issued by the EPA. Overall, the Mn(VII)/bisulfite AOP represents a promising technology for PAH removal to below minimum EPA drinking water standards in emergency scenarios, although the control of the dosages of permanganate and bisulfite is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns the nonautonomous reaction-diffusion equation u t = u x x + u g (t , x − c t , u) , t > 0 , x ∈ R , where c ∈ R is the shifting speed, and the time periodic nonlinearity u g (t , ξ , u) is asymptotically of KPP type as ξ → − ∞ and is negative as ξ → + ∞. Under a subhomogeneity condition, we show that there is c ⁎ > 0 such that a unique forced time periodic wave exists if and only if | c | < c ⁎ and it attracts other solutions in a certain sense according to the tail behavior of initial values. In the case where | c | ≥ c ⁎ , the propagation dynamics resembles that of the limiting system as ξ → ± ∞ , depending on the shifting direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various glass-ceramics were prepared based on the CaO-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 system with the addition of Li 2 O in an attempt to develop a suitable sealant for SiC ceramic. The effects of Li 2 O content on crystallization behavior and thermal expansion properties were systematically investigated. The results revealed that the addition of Li 2 O significantly reduced the crystallization activation energy of glass. Besides, as the Li 2 O content increased, the precipitation of spodumene and wollastonite was promoted while the precipitation of anorthite was suppressed. By controlling the Li 2 O content and crystallization treatment, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of glass-ceramic could be adjusted in a certain range, from 8.5 × 10−6/°C to 2.8 × 10−6/°C. When the content of Li 2 O was 3 wt.%, the CTE of the formed glass-ceramic was well-matched with that of SiC ceramic. Furthermore, it was confirmed that this glass-ceramic possessed an excellent wettability and weldability to SiC ceramic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current ripples produced in single-phase onboard charging systems of electric vehicles (EVs) impact the lifetime of their batteries. In this article, an isolated multifunctional charger topology is proposed. The charging system can be used to charge the auxiliary batteries or serve as an active filter (AF) for the power battery charger. By time-sharing multiplexing it, the high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF/second harmonic) current ripple can be suppressed in driving and parking charging modes, respectively. The proposed topology can also achieve zero voltage switching for all power switches under a full-load range in the driving charging mode. In addition, the integration and the power density of the charging system can be improved due to the reconstruction of the capacitive energy storage AF in the parking charging mode. Finally, a 400-W experimental prototype is developed and the experimental results are presented to validate the performance and feasibility of the proposed topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In distribution networks with arc suppression coil grounding, the fault line can be set as the energy leakage channel of the capacitive current of the entire system. During the period from fault occurrence to the whole action process of arc suppression coil, there is abundant fault information in the transient waves. However, the data of this period are usually ignored in previous methods. In this study, a novel fault section location method based on the leakage energy function is proposed. Only the fault phase voltage and fault phase current are used in the proposed method, to avoid the difficulty of the zero-sequence current measurement. Then, the action characteristics of two types of arc suppression devices are analysed. The influence of the capacitor current on the fault phase voltage and current during the entire process of arc suppression coil operation is deduced. The difference between the leakage energy on both sides of the fault section is used as the criterion for fault section location. Finally, the effectiveness of the method is verified by a case study. The simulation results indicate that the proposed method has high sensitivity and high impedance adaptability, that will have more advantages in the actual situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In distribution networks with arc suppression coil grounding, the fault line can be set as the energy leakage channel of the capacitive current of the entire system. During the period from fault occurrence to the whole action process of arc suppression coil, there is abundant fault information in the transient waves. However, the data of this period are usually ignored in previous methods. In this study, a novel fault section location method based on the leakage energy function is proposed. Only the fault phase voltage and fault phase current are used in the proposed method, to avoid the difficulty of the zero‐sequence current measurement. Then, the action characteristics of two types of arc suppression devices are analysed. The influence of the capacitor current on the fault phase voltage and current during the entire process of arc suppression coil operation is deduced. The difference between the leakage energy on both sides of the fault section is used as the criterion for fault section location. Finally, the effectiveness of the method is verified by a case study. The simulation results indicate that the proposed method has high sensitivity and high impedance adaptability, that will have more advantages in the actual situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the synchronization for discrete-time coupled neural networks (DTCNNs), in which stochastic perturbations and multiple delays are simultaneously involved. The multiple delays mean that both discrete time-varying delays and distributed delays are included. Time-triggered impulsive control (TTIC) is proposed to investigate the synchronization issue of the DTCNNs based on the recently proposed impulsive control scheme for continuous neural networks with single time delays. Furthermore, a novel event-triggered impulsive control (ETIC) is designed to further reduce the communication bandwidth. By using linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique and constructing appropriate Lyapunov functions, some sufficient criteria guaranteeing the synchronization of the DTCNNs are obtained. Finally, We propose a simulation example to illustrate the validity and feasibility of the theoretical results obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the portable power loading device and medical Marconi M8000 spiral CT scanner are used to conduct the uniaxial compression CT scanning test of the concrete. The concrete porosity, hardened cement rate, and aggregate rate are defined, and the variation law of the concrete is analyzed in the uniaxial compression CT test. The proposed method is considered to utilize the value of each CT number, to realize the quantitative partition of the various components of concrete, and to quantitatively evaluate the damage evolution law of the concrete and strain localization during stress. It is shown that damage at the middle section increased from inside to the outside in the uniaxial compression CT test of the concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from an age-structured diffusive population growth law for single species in a discrete and periodic habitat, we formulate a stage structured population model with spatially periodic dispersal, mortality and recruitment. With a KPP type setting, after establishing the fundamental solution of a discretized heat equation with spatially periodic dispersal, we apply some recently developed dynamical system theories to obtain the existence of the spreading speed and its coincidence with the minimal speed of pulsating waves, as well as the variational characterization of the speed, by which we further analyze how the habitat periodicity influences the speed. In particular, there is a unique optimal dispersal strategy to maximize the speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergies of glass-ceramic bonded SiC joint by He ion irradiation at 400 °C to the fluences of 2.5 × 1016, 1 × 1017 and 3 × 1017 ions/cm2 were investigated using a multiscale combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM), micro-Raman, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The relative swelling difference between SiC and glass-ceramic reached 5.3 ± 0.6% irradiated to the fluence of 3 × 1017 ions/cm2. The main reason of swelling difference was the difference in irradiation-induced defects and He bubbles. Si-Si and C-C bonds formed in SiC substrate after irradiation were confirmed. Up to 3 × 1017 ions/cm2, crystalline phases in glass-ceramic were highly irradiation tolerant as they remained crystalline, but the irradiation-induced defects were significantly increased. Additionally, the size of He bubbles was larger in glass-ceramic compared to SiC. TEM visible extended defect formation such as dislocation loops were only detected in the larger phase grains, suggesting a potential influence of grain size on defect accumulation in glass-ceramic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]