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Unraveling uranium complexes has become a popular study topic in recent years to address the problem of spent fuel treatment. An important and promising investigation is the enantiomer separation of chiral organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) via uranyl‐containing receptors. Among them, malaoxon (MLX), as a chiral OP with high toxicity and good selectivity, is controversial because of the different toxicity differences caused by the R and S configurations to target and non‐target organisms. Therefore, it is crucial to explore effective methods for separating its enantiomers. In this work, a novel 2‐(9‐[1H‐pyrazole‐1‐carbonyl]‐1,10‐phenanthrolin‐2‐yl)‐1H‐inden‐1‐one (HPIDO) ligand, which combines with uranyl to form the chiral‐at‐uranium complex (Uranyl‐HPIDO receptor), was designed for the enantioseparation of R/S‐malaoxons (R/S‐MLXs). Based on density functional theory (DFT), we explored the potential coordination modes between the Uranyl‐HPIDO receptor and R/S‐MLXs at various sites. The analyses of bonding properties, orbital interactions, and weak interactions of intramolecular groups of the complexes, along with the study of thermodynamic properties, revealed that the Uranyl‐HPIDO receptor preferred to bind to the phosphoryl oxygen (O5) of R/S‐MLXs to form stable complexes. Good enantioseparations of the two enantiomers were achieved in various solvents (water, n‐Butanol, n‐Octanol, dichloromethane, propanoic acid, toluene, and cyclohexane); the separation factors (SFR/S) ranged 21–853, and the enantioselectivity coefficients (ESCR/S) were more than 95%. The findings could theoretically offer useful information and guidance for the separation of R/S‐MLXs, in addition to providing fresh concepts for the creation of novel uranyl receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asphalt binder is exposed to unfavorable coupling aging of UV radiation, high temperature, and moisture, which accelerates the deterioration of the binder's rheological properties. To investigate the effect of this coupled aging on the rheological properties of asphalt binder, an accelerated environmental aging oven considering ultraviolet (UV) radiation, temperature, and moisture was used in this paper to carry out multifactor coupling aging tests for the binder. The coupling aging test parameters are determined by the central composite design-response surface methodology (CCD-RSM). The rheological properties of asphalt binder before and after aging were examined by dynamic shear rheometer, and the effects of the coupling aging on the viscoelastic, high-temperature, fatigue, and low-temperature properties of the binders were evaluated by employing the complex shear modulus (G*); the aging index (GI), which was established with G* ; the rutting factor (G*/sinδ); the Glover–Rowe (G-R) parameter; and the ratio of asphalt binder creep rate to stiffness modulus (m/S), respectively. Further, the effect of the coupling aging on the chemical properties of the asphalt binder was evaluated with carbonyl index obtained from the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The results showed that the optimal values (temperature: 68.3°C; irradiation intensity: 2,221 W/m2 ; spraying interval: 250 min) of the coupled aging parameters were determined by the CCD-RSM, and the relationship between the coupled aging time and the carbonyl index was established by the Verhulst model with an R2 value larger than 0.98. As the coupling aging degree increases, the G* , GI , and G*/sinδ show an increasing trend, whereas the G-R parameter, m/S , shows a decreasing trend, indicating that the aging increases the stiffness and high-temperature resistance of the binder and decreases its fatigue properties and low-temperature properties. Based on the correlation analysis, the G-R parameter showed good correlation with the GI , G*/sinδ (45°C, 55°C, and 65°C), m/S (−6°C , −12°C , and −18°C), respectively, and the average R2 value is larger than 0.98. Therefore, the G-R parameter can be used as a comprehensive index for evaluating the rheological properties of binders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a fluorescent probe, TPABF-HS, was developed for detecting hydrogen sulfide (H2S) using a human serum albumin (HSA)-binding-based approach for amplifying the fluorescence signal and extending the linear correlation range. Compared to the most recent probes for H2S, the most interesting feature of the detection system developed herein was the especially wide linear range (0–1000 μM (0–100 eq.)), which covered the physiological and pathological levels of H2S. TPABF-HS could be used in applications high sensitivity and selectivity with an LOD value of 0.42 μM. Further, site-competition experiments and molecular docking simulation experiments indicated that signal amplification was realized by the binding of the TPABF fluorophore to the naproxen-binding site of HSA. Moreover, the extension of the measurement span could allow for applications in living cells and Caenorhabditis elegans for imaging both exogenous and endogenous H2S. This work brings new information to the strategy of signal processing by exploiting fluorescent probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of gaseous CO in Pd-catalyzed carbonylative quinolone synthesis presents challenges related to safety and precise pressure control. In response, a streamlined non-gaseous synthesis of 4-quinolone compounds has been developed. This study introduces a tunable CO-releasing system utilizing Fe(CO)5 activated by a dual-base system of piperazine and triethylamine. This alternative liquid CO resource facilitates the palladium-catalyzed carbonylative C-C coupling and subsequent intramolecular cyclization. By tuning the tandem kinetics of carbonylation and cyclization, this non-gaseous method achieves the successful synthesis of 22 distinct 4-quinolones with excellent yields. This is achieved through the three-component condensation of sub-stoichiometric amounts of Fe(CO)5 with 2-iodoaniline and terminal alkynes. Operando mechanistic studies have revealed a novel CO transfer mechanism that facilitates homogeneous carbonylative cyclization, distinguishing this method from traditional techniques. In addition to addressing safety concerns, this approach also provides precise control over selectivity, with significant implications for pharmaceutical research and the efficient synthesis of pharmaceutical and bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a groundbreaking automated methodology for measuring ear–voice span (EVS) in simultaneous interpreting (SI). Traditionally, assessing EVS – a critical temporal metric in SI – has been hampered by labour-intensive and time-consuming manual methods that are prone to inconsistency. To overcome these challenges, our research harnesses state-of-the-art natural language processing (NLP) technologies, including automatic speech recognition (ASR), sentence boundary detection (SBD) and cross-lingual alignment, to automate EVS measurement. We deployed a comprehensive array of NLP models and evaluated the automated pipelines on a 20-hour English-to-Portuguese SI corpus which featured 57 varied audio pairings. The findings are encouraging: the most effective model combination achieved a median EVS error of less than 0.1 seconds across the corpus. Moreover, the automated pipelines exhibited a high level of accuracy, strong correlation and substantial agreement with manual measurements when assessing median EVS for individual audio pairs. Despite these satisfactory results, certain challenges persist with some NLP models, indicating clear avenues for future research. This study not only introduces a groundbreaking approach to large-scale EVS measurement but also propels the automation of process analysis in Interpreting Studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of mandibular advancement device (MAD) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and explore the effect of different positions on MAD for OSA. The Embase, PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant studies evaluating the effect of MAD on the treatment of OSA from database inception to November 2022. The Bayesian random-effects mode was used to calculate the pooled outcome. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were applied to investigate the heterogeneity. A total of 6 studies enrolling 643 patients were eligible for further analysis. MAD treatment led to improvements in total apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) for both positional OSA(POSA) and Non-POSA groups, but there was no significant difference in the effect of MAD on Non-POSA and POSA (MD = −1.46,95%CI [-4.89,1.97], P = 0.40). In the supine position, AHI improvement after MAD treatment in POSA group was more than that in Non-POSA group by 15 events/hour in average (MD = 14.82, 95%CI [11.43,18.22], P＜0.00001), while in the non-supine position, the change of AHI in Non-POSA group was significantly better than that in POSA group by approximately 8 events/hour (MD = −7.55,95%CI[-10.73,-4.38],p < 0.00001). MAD is more suitable for POSA compared to Non-POSA in patients with habitual sleep in the supine or supine predominant position. While for patients with habitual sleep in the non-supine position, MAD is an effective treatment option for Non-POSA. • MAD treatment led to improvements in total AHI for both POSA and Non-POSA patients. • MAD is more suitable for POSA in patients with habitual sleep in the supine or supine predominant position. • For patients with habitual sleep in the non-supine position, MAD is an effective treatment option for Non-POSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging of asphalt binder is a complex natural phenomenon with significant differences under the effect of different environmental factors. The accelerated aging method commonly used in the laboratory is difficult to reproduce the field aging of asphalt binder. The purpose of this study is to reveal the effect of environmental factors on the aging gradient of asphalt binder. For this reason, a layered dissolution-peeling method was developed to recycle asphalt binder films. The gradient behaviour of field-aged asphalt binder was analysed based on rheological parameters and chemical functional groups. The results showed that the layered dissolution-peeling method achieved separation of asphalt binder at 0.1 mm level. Ultraviolet light severely contributed to the distinct aging gradient of field-aged asphalt binder. The carbonyl index of field-aged asphalt binder at 0–0.32 mm was approximately 1.73 times higher than that at 0.32–0.64 mm, 1.90 times higher than that at 0.64–0.96 mm and 2.24 times higher than that at 0.96–1.28 mm. To significantly characterise the aging behaviour of asphalt binder, the film thickness in the accelerated aging simulation test should not be more than 1 mm. The findings of the study serve as a valuable reference for accurate prediction and targeted prevention for asphalt pavements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the effect of different environmental conditions on the aging properties of virgin asphalt binder and evaluate the magnitude of aging on asphalt binder under different environmental conditions. The effect of thermal, oxidative and ultraviolet aging on the rutting resistance, fatigue resistance and cracking resistance of virgin asphalt binder was characterised based on rheological parameters. The contribution rate of different environmental factors to the aging of asphalt binder was quantitatively analysed. Results showed that high temperature repaired cracks in the asphalt binder caused by ultraviolet aging. The single aging factor of heat, oxygen and light had little effect on the rheological properties of asphalt binder. High temperature and oxygen would accelerate the aging effect of the asphalt binder aging process. Thermal–oxidative–UV-coupled aging had a more pronounced effect on the aging of asphalt binder than thermal–oxidative aging. The fatigue resistance of asphalt binder is more sensitive to the response of aging. The contribution rates of thermal–UV aging, UV–oxidative aging and thermal–oxidative aging were all greater than the sum of the contribution rates of the two corresponding single factors. The aging of asphalt binder was mainly due to thermal–oxidative aging when the aging temperature exceeded 80°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the anti-ageing performance of bitumen plays a vital role in prolonging the service life of bituminous pavement. A bituminous additive for resisting all-weather ageing (BARAA), with excellent anti-ageing performance and fewer side effects, was developed in this study. The service life of bitumen can be doubled by using BARAA. The results show that the anti-ageing index and influence index can quantitatively evaluate the anti-ageing performance of anti-ageing additives. The BARAA was composed of amine antioxidant (1.89% by weight of base bitumen), Ni-containing antioxidant (3%) and hindered amine light stabilisers (0.7%). BARAA effectively delayed the deterioration of bitumen performance during ageing. The Jnr reduction of BARAA-modified bitumen caused by ageing was 17.7% of the base bitumen. At −12°C and −18°C, the S increase of BARAA-modified bitumen caused by ageing was about 35% of the base bitumen. The oxidation during ageing was inhibited. The growth of sulphoxide groups can be curbed by BARAA. After long-term ageng, the aromatic ring increase of BARAA-modified bitumen was 41.1% of the base bitumen. In addition, the increase of average molecular weight and functional group index of BARAA-modified bitumen caused by long-term ageing was 57% and 19.1% of the base bitumen, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viscous oils, which are media commonly used for fluid power transmission, are characterized by high velocities, temperatures, and pressures when working in fluid components and mechanics. The transient nature of viscous oil makes it susceptible to complex operating conditions, which result in cavitation phenomena and can threaten the normal operation and safety of machinery and components. In this study, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model that accounts for cavitation was developed to study the cavitation characteristics, formation conditions, and development of cavitating flow in viscous oil around a hydrofoil under various flow conditions. Moreover, a visual experimental system in which viscous oil flowed around the hydrofoil was proposed and developed to investigate the cavitation properties with regard to various flow conditions. Both numerical results and experimental data indicated that cavitation occurred on the suction surface of the hydrofoil head, and the cavitation characteristics in viscous oil are significantly influenced by the flow conditions. The maximum vapor volume change rate for the degree of effects on cavitation in viscous oil by flow conditions was calculated to be 1.78 cm3/(m/s), −130.66 cm3/MPa, 0.16 cm3/°C, and 4.52 cm3/°, respectively. Low velocities, high pressures, low temperatures, and small impact angles were proved to be able to suppress cavitation. This study provides a research method, an experimental mean, and data support for cavitation flow of viscous fluids, especially oil. It has significant engineering application significance for the development of fluid machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to effectively evaluate the regeneration effects of different rejuvenators on aged asphalt binder, this study carried out a series of tests and evaluations on the macroperformance of virgin asphalt binder at various aging-regeneration stages. A commercial rejuvenator, aromatic oil, and warm mix agent were selected as rejuvenators. Fifteen asphalt binder samples involved various aging methods, including water-ultraviolet aging, water-free ultraviolet aging, rolling thin film oven test (RTFOT), and accelerated aging by pressurized aging vessel (PAV). High-temperature properties of asphalt binders were evaluated by softening point, and low-temperature properties of asphalt binders were evaluated by stiffness modulus and m-value. The viscoelastic properties were evaluated by complex modulus G*. Test results show that the regeneration effects of different rejuvenators were reflected in the reduction of softening point, stiffness modulus, and complex modulus. Based on performance changes of asphalt binder before and after aging, the reversibility indexes Rsp , RG* , RS , and Rm for quantitative evaluation of macroperformance of rejuvenated asphalt binders were proposed. Through linear fitting, it was found that R2 between the reversibility index Rsp and the reversibility index RG* reached 0.7574, and R2 between RS and Rm reached 0.8683. This provided the possibility of mutual transformation between those reversibility indexes. Last, the macroreversibility index of virgin asphalt binder (ARIV) was proposed. The softening point and stiffness modulus were taken as representative indexes to comprehensively evaluate the recovery of high-temperature, low-temperature, and viscoelastic properties of aged asphalt binder by different rejuvenators. This study provided a unified indicator to quantitatively evaluate the regeneration effect of rejuvenator on virgin asphalt binder. It is helpful for better understanding the aging-regeneration process of virgin asphalt binder and determining the optimum regeneration time and rejuvenator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging of asphalt binder is a complex natural phenomenon with significant differences under the effect of different environmental factors. The accelerated aging method commonly used in the laboratory is difficult to reproduce the field aging of asphalt binder. The purpose of this study is to reveal the effect of environmental factors on the aging gradient of asphalt binder. For this reason, a layered dissolution-peeling method was developed to recycle asphalt binder films. The gradient behaviour of field-aged asphalt binder was analysed based on rheological parameters and chemical functional groups. The results showed that the layered dissolution-peeling method achieved separation of asphalt binder at 0.1 mm level. Ultraviolet light severely contributed to the distinct aging gradient of field-aged asphalt binder. The carbonyl index of field-aged asphalt binder at 0–0.32 mm was approximately 1.73 times higher than that at 0.32–0.64 mm, 1.90 times higher than that at 0.64–0.96 mm and 2.24 times higher than that at 0.96–1.28 mm. To significantly characterise the aging behaviour of asphalt binder, the film thickness in the accelerated aging simulation test should not be more than 1 mm. The findings of the study serve as a valuable reference for accurate prediction and targeted prevention for asphalt pavements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the effect of different environmental conditions on the aging properties of virgin asphalt binder and evaluate the magnitude of aging on asphalt binder under different environmental conditions. The effect of thermal, oxidative and ultraviolet aging on the rutting resistance, fatigue resistance and cracking resistance of virgin asphalt binder was characterised based on rheological parameters. The contribution rate of different environmental factors to the aging of asphalt binder was quantitatively analysed. Results showed that high temperature repaired cracks in the asphalt binder caused by ultraviolet aging. The single aging factor of heat, oxygen and light had little effect on the rheological properties of asphalt binder. High temperature and oxygen would accelerate the aging effect of the asphalt binder aging process. Thermal–oxidative–UV-coupled aging had a more pronounced effect on the aging of asphalt binder than thermal–oxidative aging. The fatigue resistance of asphalt binder is more sensitive to the response of aging. The contribution rates of thermal–UV aging, UV–oxidative aging and thermal–oxidative aging were all greater than the sum of the contribution rates of the two corresponding single factors. The aging of asphalt binder was mainly due to thermal–oxidative aging when the aging temperature exceeded 80°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the anti-ageing performance of bitumen plays a vital role in prolonging the service life of bituminous pavement. A bituminous additive for resisting all-weather ageing (BARAA), with excellent anti-ageing performance and fewer side effects, was developed in this study. The service life of bitumen can be doubled by using BARAA. The results show that the anti-ageing index and influence index can quantitatively evaluate the anti-ageing performance of anti-ageing additives. The BARAA was composed of amine antioxidant (1.89% by weight of base bitumen), Ni-containing antioxidant (3%) and hindered amine light stabilisers (0.7%). BARAA effectively delayed the deterioration of bitumen performance during ageing. The Jnr reduction of BARAA-modified bitumen caused by ageing was 17.7% of the base bitumen. At −12°C and −18°C, the S increase of BARAA-modified bitumen caused by ageing was about 35% of the base bitumen. The oxidation during ageing was inhibited. The growth of sulphoxide groups can be curbed by BARAA. After long-term ageng, the aromatic ring increase of BARAA-modified bitumen was 41.1% of the base bitumen. In addition, the increase of average molecular weight and functional group index of BARAA-modified bitumen caused by long-term ageing was 57% and 19.1% of the base bitumen, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying genuine entanglement is a key task in quantum information theory. We study the quantification of genuine multipartite entanglement for four-qubit systems. Based on the concurrence of nine different classes of four-qubit states, with each class being closed under stochastic local operation and classical communication, we construct a concurrence tetrahedron. Proper genuine four-qubit entanglement measure is presented by using the volume of the concurrence tetrahedron. For non genuine entangled pure states, the four-qubit entanglement measure classifies the bi-separable entanglement. We show that the concurrence tetrahedron based measure of genuine four-qubit entanglement is not equivalent to the genuine four-partite entanglement concurrence. We illustrate the advantages of the concurrence tetrahedron by detailed examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An aerobic coupling of benzhydryl phosphonium salts with simple alkenes for accessing trisubstituted olefins is developed under metal‐free, catalyst‐free, and additive‐free conditions. New C(sp3)−C(sp2) bond is constructed via the C−P and C−H bond functionalization by synergistically using O2 as a "green" oxidant and DMSO as a promoter. The method also distinguishes itself by its broad substrate scope and synthetic potential. Particularly, the use of 1,3,5‐trimethoxybenzene fragment in the resulting products as a carbon‐based leaving group for further transformations is proved to be feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the association between fluoride exposure and childhood blood pressure (BP), we used data involving 3260 subjects participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2013 to 2016. Both plasma and water fluoride concentrations were measured using the ion-specific electrode. Outcome variables were systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). For a 1-mg/L increase in water fluoride concentration, the participantsʻ SBP decreased by 0.473 mm Hg (95% CI: −0.860, −0.087). Specifically, inverse associations were found between water fluoride and SBP in girls (β= −0.423, 95% CI: −0.886, −0.021), adolescents (β= −0.623, 95% CI: −0.975, −0.272), and non-Hispanic whites (β= −0.694, 95% CI: −1.237, −0.151). Also, every 1-μmol/L increase in plasma fluoride concentration was associated with a 1.183 mm Hg decrease in SBP among other races (95% CI: −2.258, −0.108). This study suggested that fluoride exposure may affect childhood blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Chromoendoscopy with Lugol's staining is used to screen for early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Its efficacy is greatly limited by unstandardized defoaming preparation. This study aimed to confirm whether pre-procedure oral administration of pronase could improve the diagnostic performance of Lugol chromoendoscopy in high-risk patients being screened for early ESCC. Methods: A total of 955 patients at-risk were prospectively recruited for screening for ESCC. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to groups with or without (control group) pronase administration. Endoscopic diagnosis of early ESCC was based on the presence of pink-color sign in Lugol's unstained area, and a biopsy was routinely conducted if the Lugol's unstained lesion was larger than 0.5 cm. The early cancer detection rate was used as the primary endpoint. Results: Pre-procedure oral administration of pronase improved mucosal visibility during Lugol chromoendoscopy (P = 0.008). There were no differences in the number of Lugol's unstained lesions between the 2 groups (23.27% [111/477] vs. 25.11% [120/478], P = 0.508). Meaningfully, the detection rate of ESCC (confirmed by histopathology) was significantly higher in the pronase group than in the control group (27.03% [30/111] vs. 17.50% [21/120], P = 0.041), as well as the detection rate of lesions with pink-color sign during chromoendoscopy (35.14% [39/111] vs. 13.33% [16/120], P < 0.001). The diagnostic performance of Lugol chromoendoscopy had improved with the use of pronase (area under the curve = 0.85 vs. 0.69, P = 0.019), accompanied by an increased sensitivity (86.67% vs. 47.62%, P = 0.004). There was no difference in the adverse events between the 2 groups (P = 0.793). Conclusions: Pre-procedure oral administration of pronase significantly increased the detection rate of early ESCC and optimized the diagnostic performance of Lugol chromoendoscopy, which should be recommended during routine endoscopic screening for early ESCC in high-risk patients. Trial registration: Pronase improves efficacy of Lugol chromoendoscopy screening on esophageal cancerous lesions (NCT02030769). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical drugs for ulcerative colitis mainly affect the inflammatory symposiums with limited outcomes and various side effects. Repairing the damaged intestinal mucosa is a promising and alternative strategy to treat ulcerative colitis. Trefoil factor family 2 (TFF2) could repair the intestinal mucosa, however, it has a short half-life in vivo. To improve the stability of TFF2, we have prepared a new fusion protein TFF2-Fc with much stability, investigated the therapeutic effect of TFF2-Fc on ulcerative colitis, and further illustrated the related mechanisms. We found that intrarectally administered TFF2-Fc alleviated the weight loss, the colon shortening, the disease activity index, the intestinal tissue injury, and the lymphocyte infiltration in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice. In vitro, TFF2-Fc inhibited Caco2 cells injury and apoptosis, promoted cellular migration, and increased the expression of Occludin and ZO-1 by activating P-ERK in the presence of H2O2 or inflammatory conditioned medium (LPS-RAW264.7/CM). Moreover, TFF2-Fc could reduce lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of inflammation cytokines and reactive oxygen species in RAW264.7 cells, and also inhibits the polarization of RAW264.7 cells to M1 phenotype by reducing glucose consumption and lactate production. Taken together, in this work, we have prepared a novel fusion protein TFF2-Fc, which could alleviate ulcerative colitis in vivo via promoting intestinal epithelial cells repair and inhibiting macrophage inflammation, and TFF2-Fc might serve as a promising ulcerative colitis therapeutic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of the digital economy has created new forms of inequality of opportunity. This paper studies whether the development of the digital economy expands the income gap between urban and rural areas from theoretical and empirical. The research based on the panel data of 202 cities from 2011 to 2019 in China shows that: (1) Although the digital economy can promote the improvement of both urban and rural absolute income levels, it has a greater positive impact on urban residents' income levels than on rural residents', resulting in a widening of the urban-rural income gap. (2) The analysis of the action mechanism reveals that employment in the information service industry and the depth of digital finance use are two crucial mechanisms for the digital economy to widen the income gap between urban and rural areas. (3) The spatial Durbin model(SDM) and the spatial error model(SEM) based on three spatial weight matrices show that the impact of the digital economy on the urban-rural income gap is also characterized by spatial spillover, and the development of the digital economy will also have a negative impact on the urban-rural income gap in neighboring regions as well. (4) The main conclusions still hold after the robustness of quasi-natural experiments based on the strategy of "Broadband China" and the selection of historical data as instrumental variables. This research is helpful to understand the effects, mechanisms and spatial characteristics of digital economy on urban-rural income gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lacunar stroke accounts for a quarter of all strokes, but little is known about the underlying pathological mechanisms. Analysis of serum metabolites may allow better understanding of the underlying biological processes. Mendelian randomization (MR) can provide information on the causality of associations. Aims: To identify causal relationships between serum metabolites and lacunar stroke. Methods: We applied a two-sample MR analysis to evaluate relationships between 486 serum metabolites and lacunar stroke. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used to estimate the causal relationship of the exposure on the outcome, while sensitivity analyses were performed using MR-Egger, weighted median, and MR-PRESSO to eliminate the pleiotropy. We also performed a metabolic pathway analysis to identify potential metabolic pathways. Results: We identified 15 known (8 risk and 7 protective) and 14 unknown serum metabolites associated with lacunar stroke. Among the known risk metabolites, two were lipids (1-linoleoylglycerophosphoethanolamine and dihomo-linolenate (20:3n3 or n6)), five amino acids (kynurenine, isobutyrylcarnitine, aspartate, trans-4-hydroxyproline, and 3-methyl-2-oxovalerate), and one peptide (ADSGEGDFXAEGGGVR). The known protective metabolites included four lipids (4-androsten-3beta,17beta-diol disulfate 1, 1-palmitoleoylglycerophosphocholine, adrenate (22:4n6), and glycodeoxycholate), one amino acid (methionine), and two exogenous metabolites (homostachydrine and 2-methoxyacetaminophen sulfate). Metabolic pathway analysis identified several pathways that might be involved in the disease. Conclusion: We identified eight risk and seven protective human serum metabolites associated with lacunar stroke. Isobutyrylcarnitine was positively associated with an increased risk of lacunar stroke. In addition, 3-methyl-2-oxovalerate and aspartate may be involved in the disease pathogenesis through metabolic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cicadae Periostracum (CP) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb derived from the slough that is molted from the nymph of the insect Cryptotympana pustulata Fabricius. Washing with water to remove residual silt is a primary processing method of CP that is recommended by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, but how washing methods affect the quality and bioactivity of CP is unknown. In this study, the quality and bioactivity of non-washed CP (CP-NW), post-molting-washed CP (CP-WAT), and pre-molting-washed CP (CP-WBT) were comparatively investigated. The quality of these CP samples was evaluated in terms of the UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based chemical profiling and semi-quantification of 39 N-acetyldopamine oligomers (belonging to six chemical types), the HPLC-UV-based quantification of 17 amino acids, the ICP-MS-based quantification of four heavy metals, and the contents of ash; the bioactivities of the samples were compared regarding their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. It was found that, compared with CP-NW, both CP-WBT and CP-WAT had significantly lower contents of ash and heavy metals. Moreover, compared with CP-WAT, CP-WBT contained lower levels of total ash, acid-insoluble ash, and heavy metals and higher contents of N-acetyldopamine oligomers and amino acids. It also had enhanced anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. A Spearman's correlation analysis found that the contents of N-acetyldopamine oligomers and free amino acids were positively correlated with the anti-oxidant/-inflammatory activities of CP. All these results suggest that pre-molting washing can not only remove the residual silt but can also avoid the loss of the bioactive components and assure higher bioactivities. It is concluded that pre-molting washing could enhance the quality and bioactivity of CP and should be a superior alternative method for the primary processing of qualified CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In China, with the improvement of living standards, consumer demand for coho salmon is growing rapidly. As the only source of flavin nucleotides, exogenous riboflavin is an indispensable nutrient to promote the growth of fish and regulate physiological functions. Therefore, it is particularly relevant to full understanding of the dietary riboflavin requirements of coho salmon. The physiological function of riboflavin is mainly as coenzyme FMN and FAD and covalently bound flavin precursor, involved in the body's macromolecular metabolism and redox reaction. However, there is incognizance of riboflavin requirements in this fish species. In this study, seven isoenergetic experimental diets containing different riboflavin levels were formulated to study the changes in growth performance, body composition and antioxidant capacity of coho salmon. The results showed that different dietary riboflavin levels affected the growth performance, body composition and antioxidant capacity of coho salmon post-smolts. The optimum riboflavin requirement was determined according to the specific growth rate (SGR). The present study investigated the effects of dietary riboflavin on growth performance, body composition and anti-oxidative capacity of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) post-smolts. Seven experimental diets were formulated with graded riboflavin levels of 0.00, 3.96, 8.07, 16.11, 31.81, 63.67 and 126.69 mg/kg, respectively. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of 10 fish with an individually initial mean body weight of 186.22 ± 0.41 g in 21 cages (water volume, 1000-L/cage) and fed three times daily (7:30, 12:30 and 17:30) to apparent satiation for 12 weeks. Fish fed a diet with 31.81 mg/kg riboflavin had the highest specific growth rate (SGR), which was significantly higher than fish-fed diets with 0.00, 3.96, 8.07 and 126.69 mg/kg riboflavin (p < 0.05). Feed conversion ratio showed an inverse trend with SGR. No significant differences were observed in condition factor, hepatosomatic index, viscerosomatic index, muscle moisture, crude protein and ash contents among dietary groups. Muscle lipid had the highest content in the 31.81 mg/kg group and was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those in the 0.00, 3.96 and 8.07 mg/kg groups. The alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and malondialdehyde contents in the liver and serum of fish were significantly decreased with the increase in dietary riboflavin level up to 31.81 mg/kg, and then increased as dietary riboflavin level further increased. An inverse trend was observed for total superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. Serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly decreased with the dietary of riboflavin levels up to 31.81 and 63.67 mg/kg, respectively. The cubic curve regression analysis based on SGR indicated that the optimum dietary riboflavin level was estimated to be 35.26 mg/kg for coho salmon post-smolts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is believed to contribute significantly towards overall energy conservation and environmental protection efforts. However, the recycling of aged binder from RAP requires a fundamental understanding of the interaction mechanism between such rejuvenators with recycled and unmodified binders. This study quantitatively investigated the impact of such agents in combination with the aging-rejuvenation process and other binder modifiers (SBS, crumb rubber, and a high viscosity modifier) on the fractional composition, rheology, and colloidal structural stability of asphalt binders. Based on these results, a rejuvenation index (RI) was proposed to quantitatively evaluate the rejuvenation of aged asphalt binder. Aging increased the proportion of resins and asphaltenes of asphalt binders which resulted in the decrease of its rheological properties. After the addition of the rejuvenators, the complex modulus of all aged binders were reduced. Certain rejuvenators transformed up to 5 percentage points of asphaltenes into other fractions. The aromatic oil-based rejuvenator showed the best rejuvenation of unmodified asphalt binder, but theRI was only 0.33. Overall, the results implied that rejuvenation of asphalt binders is a complex topic and further studies should be conducted to correlate the rheological behaviour with rejuvenation mechanisms beyond chemical fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single-index models (SIMs) provide an efficient way of coping with high-dimensional nonparametric estimation problems and avoid the "curse of dimensionality." Many existing estimation procedures for SIMs were built on least square loss, which is popular for its mathematical beauty but is non-robust to non-normal errors and outliers. This article addressed the question of both robustness and efficiency of estimation methods based on a new data-driven weighted linear combination of convex loss functions instead of only quadratic loss for SIMs. The optimal weights can be chosen to provide maximum efficiency and these optimal weights can be estimated from data. As a specific example, we introduce a robust method of composite least square and least absolute deviation methods. Moreover, we extend the proposed method to the analysis of massive datasets via a divide-and-conquer strategy. The proposed approach significantly reduces the required primary memory and the resulting estimate is as efficient as if the entire dataset was analyzed simultaneously. The asymptotic normality of the proposed estimators is established. The simulation studies and real data applications are conducted to illustrate the finite sample performance of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Three new isoreticular Co(II)-NDI MOFs (FJU-109 , 110 and 111) are obtained with different interpenetrations by introducing auxiliary ligands with different lengths. • Compared to the FJU-109 with non-interpenetrating structure, The FJU-111 with two interpenetration structure exhibits higher robustness. • We observed the first case of NDI MOFs that can separate C 2 H 2 /CO 2 through actual column breakthrough experiment, and the selectivity factor of FJU-111 for C 2 H 2 /CO 2 mixtures is 2.2 at ambient conditions. Selective separation of C 2 H 2 from CO 2 mixtures promises a critical industrial process to produce high-purity C 2 H 2 but challenging due to their similar physical properties and molecular sizes/shapes. Naphthalenediimide (NDI) ligand-based metal − organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit potential in selective adsorption of C 2 H 2 due to NDI's high affinity to C 2 H 2 molecules. Here, three iso -reticular NDI based MOFs (denoted as FJU-109 , 110 and 111) are obtained by tuning interpenetration using auxiliary ligands of different lengths. Based on the actual column breakthrough experiments, FJU-111 can achieve separation C 2 H 2 /CO 2 mixture, with a separation selective of 2.2. Calculation of the binding energy shows that C-H...O interactions between guest and O atom from NDI ligand play a dominant role in elective recognition of acetylene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane-based technology has garnered significant interest in the separation and purification of molecules due to its inherent advantages, such as high efficiency, low energy consumption, and ease of operation. In this study, rigid-flexible coupled organosilica membranes were fabricated through co-polymerization using 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)acetylene (BTESA) containing rigid acetylene bridges and 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)propane (BTESP) containing flexible propane bridges. The incorporation of flexible propane bridges into BTESA networks allowed for precise adjustment of the network structures, resulting in composite BTESA-P membranes with improved molecular sieving properties. BTESA-P membrane demonstrated significant promise for applications in both CO 2 capture and pervaporation (PV) dehydration due to its high potential. BTESA-P30 membrane, fabricated using the rigid-flexible coupled strategy, demonstrated a CO 2 permeance of 3807 GPU and a CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of approximately 40. These results surpassed those of numerous previously reported membranes, indicating significant potential for CO 2 capture applications. BTESA-P30 membrane exhibited significant competitiveness in the decarbonization process of natural gas. More significantly, analogous occurrences are evident in gas permeation and PV separation process, where the permeation mechanism of gas and PV separation is primarily governed by molecular sieving. The utilization of diverse organosilica precursors in the rigid-flexible coupled strategy proposed in this study offers increased potential for membrane structure design and energy-efficient separation of molecules. [Display omitted] • Rigid-flexible coupled organosilica membranes were fabricated. • BTESA-P membranes were endowed with enhanced sieving properties. • Rigid-flexible coupled strategy exhibited great potential for high-performance membranes design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Metabolic mechanisms of microbial interaction on the biocathode were unveiled. • The biocathode efficiently degraded volatile fatty acids (VFAs). • EPS increased, enhancing electron transfer and redox capacity. • Acid-degrading bacteria and methanogens formed symbiotic mechanism for metabolic. Microbial electrolysis cells (MEC) have the potential for enhancing the efficiency of anaerobic digestion (AD). In this study, microbiological and metabolic pathways in the biocathode of anaerobic digestion coupled with microbial electrolysis cells system (AD-MEC) were revealed to separate bioanode. The biocathode efficiently degraded 90 % propionate within 48 h, leading to a methane production rate of 3222 mL·m-2·d-1. The protein and heme-rich cathodic biofilm enhanced redox capacity and facilitated interspecies electron transfer. Key acid-degrading bacteria, including Dechloromonas agitata , Ignavibacteriales bacterium UTCHB2, and Syntrophobacter fumaroxidans , along with functional proteins such as cytochrome c and e-pili, established mutualistic relationships with Methanothrix soehngenii. This synergy facilitated a multi-pathway metabolic process that converted acetate and CO 2 into methane. The study sheds light on the intricate microbial dynamics within the biocathode, suggesting promising prospects for the scalable integration of AD-MEC and its potential in sustainable energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic molecule adsorption is an effective method for regulating the electronic performance of two-dimensional materials. This article investigates the construction and electronic properties of organic molecules (Tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ, C 12 H 4 N 4), Tetracyanoethylene (TCNE, C 6 N 4), and Tetrathiafulvalene (TTF, C 6 H 4 S 4)) adsorbed on GeC monolayer based on density functional theory (DFT). Research has shown that after organic molecules adsorbed by monolayer GeC, the band structure of the GeC host basically remains. Besides, TCNQ and TCNE molecules, as electron acceptors, induce shallow acceptor states in GeC, and the doping gap of the adsorption system is very small, exhibiting effective p -type doping behavior. TTF molecule, as an electron donor, induces deep receptor states on monolayer GeC and exhibits n -type doping behavior. The partial charge density and the density of states indicate that the impurity energy levels present in the band structure are mainly provided by organic molecules. The current-voltage (I–V) curves reveal that after organic molecules adsorbed by monolayer GeC, the transport characteristic response of the n -type adsorption behavior system is relatively effective compared to that of the p -type adsorption behavior system. Additionally, organic molecules can provide GeC with extra carriers or electrons, which allows the work function to be adjusted within the range of 3.99 eV–5.30 eV. Therefore, our work provides a theoretical foundation for studying p -type doping nano semiconductors and prospective applications for GeC-based nanoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction of non‐fluorinated silyl enol ether with alkyne is useful for the synthesis of β,γ‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds. However, most of the existing methods for realizing such organic transformation usually employ stoichiometric amounts of relatively expensive Lewis acids/metallic salts. Herein, an iron(III)‐catalyzed difluoroalkylation of aryl alkynes with difluoroenol silyl ether was developed. The reactions proceeded smoothly in the presence of a catalytic amount of iron(III) chloride, stoichiometric amounts of trimethylsilyl chloride, and 4 Å molecular sieves in dichloroethane (DCE) to afford the corresponding α‐alkenyl‐α,α‐difluoroketones in modest to good yields. Remarkably, among the various metallic salts screened, cheap and less‐toxic iron(III) salt was found to be the most efficient Lewis acid catalyst for the present reaction. In addition, in the absence of iron(III) chloride or trimethylsilyl chloride, either no reaction occurred or considerably reduced reaction performance was observed. Moreover, the use of Brønsted acid to replace iron(III) chloride as reaction catalyst failed to promote the reaction. The reaction could be scaled up and the obtained difluoroalkylated carbonyl compound serves as a versatile building block which could be subjected to late‐stage diversification to be converted into useful organic molecules containing CF2H and CF2CF2 moieties. Deuterated experiments showed that the proton in the generated alkene product should originate from trace amounts of water present in the reaction system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study is designed to investigate the impact of coronary angiography-derived index of microcirculatory resistance (caIMR) on left ventricular performance recovery.Background: IMR has been established as a gold standard for coronary microvascular assessment and a predictor of left ventricular recovery after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). CaIMR is a novel and accurate alternative of IMR.Methods: The present study retrospectively included 80 patients with STEMI who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We offline performed the post-PCI caIMR analysis of the culprit vessel. Echocardiography was performed within the first 24 hours and at 3 months after the index procedure. Left ventricular recovery was defined as the change in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) more than zero.Results: The mean age of the patients was 58.0 years with 80.0% male. The average post-PCI caIMR was 43.2. Overall left ventricular recovery was seen in 41 patients. Post-PCI caIMR (OR: 0.948, 95% CI: 0.916-0.981, p = 0.002), left anterior descending as the culprit vessel (OR: 3.605, 95% CI: 1.23-10.567, p = 0.019), and male (OR: 0.254, 95% CI: 0.066-0.979, p = 0.047) were independent predictors of left ventricular recovery at 3 months follow-up. A predictive model was established with the best cutoff value for the prediction of left ventricular recovery 2.33 (sensitivity 0.610, specificity 0.897, and area under the curve 0.765). In patients with a predictive model score less than 2.33, the LVEF increased significantly at 3 months.Conclusions: The post-PCI caIMR can accurately predict left ventricular functional recovery at 3 months follow-up in patients with STEMI treated by primary PCI, supporting its use in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The controlled oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding ketones or aldehydes via selective cleavage of the β‐C−H bond of alcohols under mild conditions still remains a significant challenge. Although the metal/oxide interface is highly active and selective, the interfacial sites fall far behind the demand, due to the large and thick support. Herein, we successfully develop a unique Au−CuO Janus structure (average particle size=3.8 nm) with an ultrathin CuO layer (0.5 nm thickness) via a bimetal in situ activation and separation strategy. The resulting Au−CuO interfacial sites prominently enhance isopropanol adsorption and decrease the energy barrier of β‐C−H bond scission from 1.44 to 0.01 eV due to the strong affinity between the O atom of CuO and the H atom of isopropanol, compared with Au sites alone, thereby achieving ultrahigh acetone selectivity (99.3 %) over 1.1 wt % AuCu0.75/Al2O3 at 100 °C and atmospheric pressure with 97.5 % isopropanol conversion. Furthermore, Au−CuO Janus structures supported on SiO2, TiO2 or CeO2 exhibit remarkable catalytic performance, and great promotion in activity and acetone selectivity is achieved as well for other reducible oxides derived from Fe, Co, Ni and Mn. This study should help to develop strategies for maximized interfacial site construction and structure optimization for efficient β‐C−H bond activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The controlled oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding ketones or aldehydes via selective cleavage of the β‐C−H bond of alcohols under mild conditions still remains a significant challenge. Although the metal/oxide interface is highly active and selective, the interfacial sites fall far behind the demand, due to the large and thick support. Herein, we successfully develop a unique Au−CuO Janus structure (average particle size=3.8 nm) with an ultrathin CuO layer (0.5 nm thickness) via a bimetal in situ activation and separation strategy. The resulting Au−CuO interfacial sites prominently enhance isopropanol adsorption and decrease the energy barrier of β‐C−H bond scission from 1.44 to 0.01 eV due to the strong affinity between the O atom of CuO and the H atom of isopropanol, compared with Au sites alone, thereby achieving ultrahigh acetone selectivity (99.3 %) over 1.1 wt % AuCu0.75/Al2O3 at 100 °C and atmospheric pressure with 97.5 % isopropanol conversion. Furthermore, Au−CuO Janus structures supported on SiO2, TiO2 or CeO2 exhibit remarkable catalytic performance, and great promotion in activity and acetone selectivity is achieved as well for other reducible oxides derived from Fe, Co, Ni and Mn. This study should help to develop strategies for maximized interfacial site construction and structure optimization for efficient β‐C−H bond activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex manipulation tasks can contain various execution branches of primitive skills in sequence or in parallel under different scenarios. Manual specifications of such branching conditions and associated skill parameters are not only error-prone due to corner cases, but also quickly untraceable given a large number of objects and skills. On the other hand, learning from demonstration has increasingly shown to be an intuitive and effective way to program such skills for industrial robots. Parameterized skill representations allow generalization over new scenarios, which however makes the planning process much slower thus unsuitable for online applications. In this article, we propose a hierarchical and compositional planning framework that learns a geometric task network (GTN) from exhaustive planners, without any manual inputs. A GTN is a goal-dependent task graph that encapsulates both the transition relations among skill representations and the geometric constraints underlying these transitions. This framework has shown to improve dramatically the offline learning efficiency, the online performance, and the transparency of decision process, by leveraging the task-parameterized models. We demonstrate the approach on a 7-DoF robot arm both in simulation and on hardware solving various manipulation tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic torque converters are prone to cavitation due to their high impeller rotational speeds and their complex three-dimensional flow characteristics. Since the blades are the core components of torque converters, the shapes of the blades are important to the hydraulic performance and cavitation characteristics. Different cavitation computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models for a torque converter were developed to simulate the internal cavitation flow for different pump and turbine blade exit angles, and the influence of the blade angles on the cavitation characteristics and cavitation flow field in the torque converter was investigated. Experimental prototypes were produced and tested for verification. The results indicate that the pump and turbine blade exit angles had significant effects on the cavitation number of the torque converter. Increasing the pump and turbine blade exit angles promotes the generation and intensification of cavitation, resulting in severe changes in the shapes and locations of the cavitation bubbles due to changes in the fluid impact angles. Additionally, cavitation is quickly suppressed and the performance is improved when the blade exit angles are reduced within an appropriate range, in particular, that of the turbine blade. These research results can provide guidance for the design of a high-performance hydraulic torque converter cascade system and the suppression of cavitation for practical engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of torque converters, which use hydraulic oil as the working medium to transmit power, are severely affected by the operating temperature because various oil properties, such as viscosity, density and saturated pressure, vary drastically with temperature change. To study the thermal effect on the cavitation characteristics of viscous oil, we developed a full flow passage geometry and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with cavitation based on the finite volume method (FVM) to predict and analyze cavitation behavior and thermal effect in a torque converter. The results show that the critical cavitation number and critical cavitation temperature of the tested torque converter are 9.2 and 30 °C, respectively, and increasing the temperature reduces the cavitation number and induces the generation and intensification of cavitation. Besides, although higher temperature improves the transmission efficiency and capacity constant of the torque converter, it greatly magnifies the influence of cavitation on the hydrodynamic performance. In severe cases, it reduces the hydraulic performance by 9.3% and the flow velocity by 11.8% at 100 °C. Meanwhile, the cavitation flow field and the configuration of cavitation are also greatly affected by temperature. About 11.9% of the surface of the stator blade was covered by cavitation bubbles with the vapor volume fraction of 88.1% at 100 °C. Moreover, 30–60 °C is the optimum operating temperature range in terms of cavitations effect with no pronounced cavitation occurrence or that the cavitation degree is too weak to affect the performance in the mentioned temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cavitation is a transient phase transition between liquid and vapor, and it often occurs in fluid machinery, especially in a hydraulic torque converter that uses oil as the working medium to transmit speed and torque. The complex and strongly coupled fluid flow in the torque converter is prone to cavitation due to high rotating speed and high-temperature working conditions. Cavitation seriously affects the working performance, transmission smoothness, and service life of the torque converter. The flow pressure in the stator of a torque converter under various charging conditions and high rotating speeds was measured. The pressure data on the stator blade were analyzed in the time domain and frequency domain to identify and evaluate the cavitation characteristic. The transient cavitation flow inside the torque converter was also simulated with the computational fluid dynamics model. The results show that the shedding of cavitation seriously reduced the hydraulic performance, hindered the fluid flow, and destroyed the stability of the flow field. Moreover, cavitation aggravates the complexity and nonlinearity of the pressure frequency and hydraulic performance oscillation of the torque converter, and seriously affected the shaft/blade interaction frequency between the pump and stator. Meanwhile, the occurrence and degree of cavitation in the torque converter can be evaluated by APS.shaft/APS.blade (the amplitude ratio of the shaft interaction frequency and blade interaction frequency between pump and stator) with spectrum analysis of the dynamic pressure, and the critical value was 1.6 for the test torque converter. The research revealed the influence of cavitation on the internal flow field of the torque converter and provided a novel practical cavitation evaluation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), when used as a proxy for plant photosynthesis, can provide an indication of the photosynthesis rate and has the potential to improve our understanding of carbon exchange mechanisms within an ecosystem. However, the relationships between SIF and vegetation indices (VIs) operating within different ecological contexts and the effect of other environmental factors on SIF remain unclear. This study focused on three ecosystems (cropland, forest, and grassland), with different ecological characteristics, located in Northeast China. These areas provide case studies where numerous relationships can be explored, including the correlations between the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) SIF and MODIS products, meteorological factors, and the differences in the relationships between the three different ecosystems. Some interesting results and conclusions were obtained. First, in different ecosystems, the relationships between SIF and MODIS products show different correlations, whereby the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) has a close relationship with SIF in all the three ecosystems of forest, cropland, and grassland. Second, forest-type ecosystems appear to be sensitive to changes in daily temperature, whereas cropland and grassland areas respond more closely to changes in previous 16-day daily minimum temperature. Compared with forest and cropland areas, grasslands were more sensitive to precipitation (although the R2 value was small). Third, different ecosystems have different mechanisms of photosynthesis. Hence, we suggest that it is better to use SIF in areas exhibiting different ecological characteristics, and different models should be employed while simulating SIF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to comprehensively analyze the dynamic response of full-depth asphalt pavement under moving load, a three-dimensional model of pavement structure and dynamic load moving zone are established based on ABAQUS finite element software. Based on the time history curves of different structures, the stress-strain states at the bottom of each structural layer in different structures under moving load are analyzed. The results show that the stress, strain, and shear stress of the middle layer of full-depth pavement are smaller than those of semirigid base pavement, and rutting is closely related to the deformation of this layer. The dynamic response results of the same structure at different speeds are similar, but the increase of the maximum speed will increase the shear stress at the bottom of the layer, and the road is more prone to longitudinal crack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Structure of organosilica membranes was tailored via controlling the unsaturated degree of bridges. • Membranes exhibited satisfied separation performance for the n-butanol/water mixtures. • Pervaporation performance can be predicted by the gas permeation properties. In the petroleum industry, the mixing of ethanol (EtOH), isopropanol (IPA), and n-butanol (n-BuOH) with water is a prevalent occurrence in both production and recovery phases. Obtaining the required degree of purity via dehydration poses a significant challenge that needs to be addressed. Pervaporation has emerged as a promising method for separating azeotropic mixtures due to its energy efficiency and independence from vapor-liquid equilibrium constraints. In this study, organosilica precursors, namely 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE), 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethylene (BTESEthy), and 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)acetylene (BTESA), were utilized for the fabrication of organosilica membranes using the sol–gel method. Subsequently, these membranes were employed for pervaporation dehydration of EtOH, IPA, and n-BuOH. This study investigates the effect of the degree of unsaturation of the bridged group, feed composition, and C atom count of alcohol on membrane dehydration performance. The membranes demonstrated superior separation performance for the n-butanol/water mixtures compared to other alcohol/water systems investigated. In this particular context, BTESE membrane exhibited a significant separation factor, although accompanied by a reduced permeation flux. Conversely, BTESA membrane demonstrated a decreased separation factor but an increased permeation flux. The comparison between gas permeation and pervaporation highlighted that the separation mechanism was primarily governed by molecular sieving through the organosilica membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-retaining semi-flexible pavement (WRSFP) can effectively mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect by reducing the pavement temperature through water evaporation. To reduce environmental impacts and enhance the water retaining capacity and mechanical properties of WRSFP, this paper investigated the effect of proportion of water-retaining grout (WRG) on workability of fresh WRG, compressive strength, flexural strength, and water absorption of hardened WRG based on alkali-activated slag (AAS) system. The optimal proportion of WRG was recommended. The microstructure of the hardened WRG was observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), which allowed for a better characterization and understanding of the degree of hydration and mechanical properties of WRG. The WRSFP specimens (WRSFP-20%, WRSFP-25% and WRSFP-30%) with different porosities of porous asphalt mixture (PAM) were tested for moisture susceptibility, rutting resistance and low-temperature cracking resistance. WRSFP-25% had the best moisture resistance and rutting resistance, and the worst low-temperature cracking resistance. The maximum difference of upper surface temperature between WRSFP and stone mastic asphalt (SMA), which is commonly used in pavement, was 13.3 °C. The time to reach 60 °C on the upper surface of WRSFP was 3.4 times longer than that of SMA, which showed an excellent cooling effect of WRSFP. • Water-retaining semi-flexible pavement (WRSFP) was developed. • Proportion of grout based on alkali-activated slag was recommended. • The properties of WRSFP made from matrices with three porosities were evaluated. • The surface temperature of the WRSFP was up to 13.3 °C lower than that of the SMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Self-supporting and binder-free electrode P-MoTe 2 /CC can improve energy density. • LiPSs adsorption and conversion kinetics are promoted by modulation of d-p band center gap. • Outstanding Li-S pouch cell energy density are obtained. • In-situ Raman demonstrates the promotion of LiPSs bidirectional conversion. The practical usage of lithium sulfur (Li–S) batteries has been hampered by the severely sluggish conversion kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and the overused of binders and electrolyte, resulting in energy density decreased dramatically. In this work, as a catalyst for LiPSs conversion of great potential, the poor catalytic performance of MoTe 2 is revealed to be the wide gap of d - p band center, which hinders the electron exchange of interfacial redox dynamics. Accordingly, the binder-free cathodes are fabricated by recrystallizing sulfur on phosphorus-doped MoTe 2 decorated carbon cloth (P-MoTe 2 /CC) to boost Li–S battery performance. The electron deficient P in MoTe 2 lifts the d -band center of P-MoTe 2 to Fermi level and narrows the gap of d - p band center when it interacts with LiPSs, which significantly increases the catalytic activity of MoTe 2 towards both LiPSs oxidation and reduction. With these features, the P-MoTe 2 /CC cathodes therefore offers a high initial discharge capacity of 1480.55 mAh g−1 and a low capacity decay of 0.42 % per cycle. Even at high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte of 4.3 (E/S ratio), the Li–S pouch cell can also perform an outstanding cycling stability and reach a high energy density of about 400 Wh kg−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A benzofuranone-based fluorescent probe, Fur-SH , was developed for monitoring sulfite. • Optimization of optical properties of fluorophores by different structural modifications. • Smaller full width at half maxima, rapid response (5 min) and wide pH window. • Reliable linear range, high sensitivity, high selectivity towards sulfite. • Applied into the biological imaging of sulfite in living MCF-7 cells and in zebrafish. In this work, we reported a fluorescent probe Fur-SH , a derivative of benzofuranone, which was used to detect H 2 S in living cells and zebrafish. Based on the three structural characteristics of the probe, the effects of different structural modifications on the optical properties of the fluorophore were compared. Then, the fluorophore Fur-OH was synthesized by modifying diethylamino group with benzofuranone as the main skeleton. With 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene as the recognition group and diethylamino as the electron donor, the push–pull electron effect occurred with nitro group, which led to fluorescence quenching, and an openable fluorescent probe Fur-SH was formed. The probe Fur-SH (λ ex = 510 nm; λ em = 570 nm) had the advantages of smaller full width at half maxima, rapid response (5 min) and wide pH window. The quantitative properties of the probe were excellent, reaching saturation at 50 equivalents of substrate. The probe Fur-SH showed high sensitivity to H 2 S, with LOD of 48.9 nM and LOQ of 50 nM. At present, the probe Fur-SH had been applied to fluorescence imaging of MCF-7 cells and zebrafish. By comparing the effects of different structures on the optical properties of fluorophores, this work was expected to be helpful to the development of fluorescent probes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Using IDL-DAPhen as a novel skeleton to design ligands, and study on Am(III)/Eu(III) separation with the ligands was carried out. • It was found that the coordination ability of carbonyl oxygen is stronger than that of pyridine nitrogen in the IDL-DAPhen ligands. • Discovering that IDL-DAPhen ligands modified with substituent groups lead to different coordination abilities and separation selectivity for Am (III)/Eu (III). • Reasonable use of a variety of novel qualitative and quantitative theoretical analysis methods (e.g.,IRI, IGMH and ETS-NOCV). There are the similar physical and chemical properties between the trivalent actinides (An(III)) and the lanthanides (Ln(III)), which makes the separation process very difficult for nuclear waste reprocessing. Designing efficient ligands with the strong ability to separate An(III)/Ln(III) is one of the ways to solve the problem, and various ligands with 1,10-Phenanthroline as the skeleton have become a hotspot in recent years. Herein we designed a series of novel ligands using (1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-diyl)bis(indolin-1-ylmethanones)(IDL-DAPhen) as a new skeleton. Using scalar relativistic density functional theory (DFT), we systematically unraveled the properties of four IDL-DAPhens modified with electron-donating groups (–CH 3 , –OCH 3) at different substitution sites, and explored the structures of the ligands L1, L2, L3 and L4, bonding properties and thermodynamic behaviors of their complexes coordinated with Am(III)/Eu(III). Molecular orbitals (MOs), IGMH, ETS-NOCV and other analyses showed that the selectivity of the four ligands to Am(III) was higher than that to Eu(III). The bond length, dihedral angle, WBI, QTAIM and thermodynamic results and other ones indicated that L3 and L4 with para -substituents have stronger coordination ability, while L1 and L3 with methyl-substituted exhibit better Am(III)/Eu(III) separation selectivity. The ΔΔ G values of L1 for Am(III)/Eu(III) reached −7.71, −7.77 and −11.57 kcal/mol in water, 1-octanol and aniline, respectively. This study provides theoretical guidance for the design of novel ligands for efficient separation of Am (III)/Eu (III), and could expand a new pathway for the design of ligands with better potential selectivity for An (III)/Ln (III) separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deep red emission peak of the prepared Ba 2 La 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 : Eu3+ phosphor is located at 703 nm, which overlaps with the absorption band of the photosensitive pigment P FR (700–740 nm), and is close to the optimal absorption peak of the photosensitive pigment P FR. The luminescence peaks generated by the 5D 0 -7F 2 jumps are in the same range as that of the photosensitive pigment PR, and the luminescence peak generated by the 5D 0 -7F 2 jumps overlap with the absorption band of the photosensitive pigment P R , suggesting that Ba 2 La 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 : x Eu3+ is a potential phosphor with red and red light, and it can be a potential phosphor with red light. The luminescence peaks overlap with the absorption band of the photosensitizing pigment P R , suggesting that Ba 2 La 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 : x Eu3+ is a potential phosphor for LED plant lighting with red and crimson luminescence. [Display omitted] In this study, the Ba 2 La 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 : x Eu3+ red phosphors were prepared by high temperature solid phase method. The phase structure, luminescence characteristics, thermal stability and color coordinates of the samples were analyzed. The results show that the Ba 2 La 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 : x Eu3+ red phosphors can be excited by ultraviolet or blue light, Under the excitation of 394 nm, the 5D 0 -7F J (J = 0,1,2,3,4) transition emission of Eu3+ was observed in the range of 500–750 nm, and the strongest emission peak was located at 703 nm (5D 0 -7F 4), the optimal doping concentration of Eu3+ is 12 %, and the mechanism of concentration quenching is attributed to the electric quadrupole–quadrupole interaction. The internal quantum efficiency (I QE) of phosphor is 23.82 %. The samples have a high activation energy (0.3193 eV) and good thermal stability in the temperature range of 300 K to 575 K, the color coordinates of all samples are located in the red luminous region. The deep red strong emission peak of Ba 2 La 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 : x Eu3+ is located at 703 nm, which is consistent with the absorption band of plant photochrome (P FR). The above results indicate that Eu3+-doped Ba 2 La 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 phosphor have potential applications in the field of white light LEDs and plant growth lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Controlled CO release enable non-gaseous Pd-catalyzed carbonylative annulation. • Only sub-stoichiometric Fe(CO) 5 is required for the synthesis of flavones. • Piperazine regulates the kinetics of CO release, enhancing safety and efficiency. • Operando studies reveal a homogenous CO-transfer-dominated mechanism. In this study, we developed a reliable and atomic efficient nongaseous carbonylation protocol to synthesize flavones under mild reaction conditions. By using a controlled CO release system with Fe(CO) 5 and piperazine, we adjusted the tandem reaction kinetics of the palladium-catalyzed carbonylative Sonogashira coupling and subsequent endo-cyclization. This precise control allowed for synthesis of 30 flavones with good to excellent yields via the three-component condensation of 2-iodophenols, terminal alkynes, and Fe(CO) 5. The mechanism investigation under operando condition unveiled a unique homogeneous CO transfer dominated the carbonylative annulation reactions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Sludge improve the methanogenic performance after AD-MEC domestication. • The extracellular electron transfer ability of sludge was enhanced in AD-MEC. • The different influent loads have a significant effect on community composition. • Acid-degrading synergistic methanogenesis communities set up in AD-MEC sludge. Anaerobic digestion combined with microbial electrolysis cell (AD-MEC) could maintain stable reactor operation and alleviating the anaerobic digestion (AD) propionate accumulation. In this study, the addition of sludge to AD-MEC was examined as a way to enhance system performance and explore the microbial interaction mechanism after electric field domestication. The results showed that under 1000 and 4000 mg/L propionate, the methane production of the sludge from AD-MEC increased by 34.29 % and 9.70 %, respectively, as compared to the AD sludge. Gompertz fitting analysis showed that sludge after electric field domestication enhancing its continuous methanogenic capacity. Further analysis showed that sludge extracellular electron transfer capacity was enhanced in AD-MEC and that its domesticated granular sludge formed a microbial community function with acid-degrading synergistic methanogenesis. The results of the study may provide theoretical support and optimization strategies for the application of AD-MEC system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adhesion between asphalt binder and aggregate is very important to the performance and durability of asphalt pavement. In order to explore the characterisation of modified asphalt binder in microstructure during aging and rejuvenation, the virgin asphalt binder and three kinds of modified asphalt binder (styrene‐butadiene‐styrene block copolymer (SBS), rubber powder and high viscosity and high elasticity [HVHE] modifier) in different aging and rejuvenation condition were prepared. The micromorphology and surface adhesion were measured by atomic force microscopy. The average roughness value was used as the index to evaluate the micromorphology of asphalt binder. The surface adhesion was used as the index to evaluate the adhesion properties of asphalt binder. Results show that the "bee" structure of SBS‐modified asphalt binder increased slightly after long‐term aging, and the recovery effect of aromatics oil was the closest to that of the unaged one. The rubber powder‐modified asphalt binder and HVHE‐modified asphalt binder showed the spot structure. And no matter for short‐term aging or long‐term aging, aromatics oil had the best recovery effect on micro morphology. The adhesion of the three modified asphalts would decrease gradually after aging. The effects of three kinds of rejuvenator on the adhesion of SBS‐modified asphalt binder and rubber powder‐modified asphalt binder were different. Rejuvenator, aromatic oil and warm mix asphalt mixture (WMA) additive could rejuvenate the loss of adhesion of HVHE‐modified asphalt binder to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]