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Mountain gravity wave characteristics are important for analyzing the nighttime heavy rainfall events occurring in Sichuan. Based on the GPM satellite precipitation data, FY-4A satellite cloud data, and ERA5 reanalysis data, we analyze the mesoscale characteristics of a nighttime rainstorm with a gravity wave that occurred on 10-11 July 2018 in the northeastern Sichuan Basin mountains. The results are as follows. (1) The oscillatory feature of cloud water content and the wavelike variation of the potential temperature field reflect, to some extent, the influence of the fluctuations on the mesoscale system. (2) The fluctuation trends of wind vertical shear index, thermal helicity, and moisture helicity appear during the development of waves, indicating the characteristics of gravity waves. (3) The areas with large values of wind vertical shear index, the extreme center of thermal helicity, and moisture helicity are consistent well with the heavy precipitation regions. (4) The gravity wave may be formed by the interaction of topographic disturbances, shear instability, and non-geostrophic equilibrium, which enhance the rainstorm. The regions with a small value of the Richardson number and a nonzero value of the nonlinear equilibrium equation can indicate the location and movement direction of the rainbands. Diagnosis of Richardson number shows that the vertical shear instability is formed before the mesoscale wave is excited, but it decreases with increasing fluctuations, which indicates that part of the energy of the waves comes from the unstable flow.

Amidst growing environmental challenges linked to coal dependence, fostering green innovation in new energy enterprises is vital for sustainable development in China. Although there have been studies on green innovation of new energy enterprises in recent years, few studies have been conducted from the perspective of ESG, whether informal environmental regulation represented by ESG can stimulate the green innovation of new energy enterprises is of great significance to China’s construction of a low-carbon and secure energy system. In this paper, from the perspective of informal environmental regulation, based on the ESG ratings of SynTao Green Finance’s first public new energy listed companies as an exogenous shock, and taking A-share new energy listed companies as a sample from 2010 to 2021, we empirically verified the effect and mechanism of ESG ratings on the green innovation of new energy companies in terms of the quantity and quality of green innovations by utilizing the Staggered Difference-in-difference (DID) model. The findings demonstrate that new energy enterprises’ green patent numbers and quality are greatly enhanced by ESG grading. However, there is clear heterogeneity in this green innovation effect, which is particularly visible in new energy firms with state-owned enterprise and greater enterprise scales and a higher level of digitization. The Mechanistic findings suggest that ESG ratings drive green innovation by alleviating financial constraints, reducing agency risk, and boosting R&D, thus providing empirical evidence for the development of a green innovation ecosystem in the new energy industry.

With the discovery of the pivotal role of macrophages in tissue regeneration through shaping the tissue immune microenvironment, various immunomodulatory strategies have been proposed to modify traditional biomaterials. Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) has been extensively used in the clinical treatment of tissue injury due to its favorable biocompatibility and similarity to the native tissue environment. However, most reported decellularization protocols may cause damage to the native structure of dECM, which undermines its inherent advantages and potential clinical applications. Here, we introduce a mechanically tunable dECM prepared by optimizing the freeze-thaw cycles. We demonstrated that the alteration in micromechanical properties of dECM resulting from the cyclic freeze-thaw process contributes to distinct macrophage-mediated host immune responses to the materials, which are recently recognized to play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of tissue regeneration. Our sequencing data further revealed that the immunomodulatory effect of dECM was induced via the mechnotrasduction pathways in macrophages. Next, we tested the dECM in a rat skin injury model and found an enhanced micromechanical property of dECM achieved with three freeze-thaw cycles significantly promoted the M2 polarization of macrophages, leading to superior wound healing. These findings suggest that the immunomodulatory property of dECM can be efficiently manipulated by tailoring its inherent micromechanical properties during the decellularization process. Therefore, our mechanics-immunomodulation-based strategy provides new insights into the development of advanced biomaterials for wound healing.

The jet stream is a primary factor contributing to turbulence, especially for upper-level aircraft. This study utilized pilot reports and ERA5 data from 2023 to investigate the relationship between upper-level turbulence and the East Asian westerly jet (EAJ). The results indicate that approximately 45.9% of upper-level aircraft turbulence occurs within the jet stream, with the lowest proportion in August and the highest in January. Additionally, the strongest vertical wind shear (VMS) is found concentrated in the lower part of the jet stream core, particularly in the South–Down part of the jet stream, where upper-level aircraft turbulence occurs most frequently (27.1%). The most turbulent area is located between 30–40° N and 110–120° E, with the main air routes experiencing turbulence being the Henan sections of G212 and B208. From a seasonal perspective, there is less frequent occurrence of upper-level aircraft turbulence in summer and autumn but more in winter and spring. The EAJ volume increases with the strengthening of the jet core wind speed, with the jet core regions being most distinct at altitudes of 200~300 hPa. Meanwhile, the jet stream intensity index peaks at 70.6 m/s in January and reaches its lowest value of 7.1 m/s in August. The jet stream axis shifts southward in winter and northward in summer, reaching the southernmost position in December at 32.2° N and the northernmost position in August at 43.5° N. Furthermore, the VMS at turbulence points within the jet stream is higher than that at the turbulence points outside the jet stream, and the Richardson number (RI) is lower. Moreover, the temporal distribution of upper-level aircraft turbulence is primarily determined by the location and intensity of the jet stream, of which the jet stream intensity index provides guidance and thus serves as a reliable indicator.

Degradation of shoots, characterized by stunted growth and signs of water deficit, is common in bamboo stands. However, the specific mechanisms underlying water utilization in degrading shoots remain unclear. This study sought to address this gap by harvesting bamboo shoots and culms of Phyllostachys edulis ‘Pachyloen’, employing cytological and physiological techniques to compare water utilization mechanisms between healthy and degrading shoots, and investigating the water supply to bamboo shoots by the parent bamboo. The water pressure in the degrading shoots was markedly lower compared to that of the healthy shoots, and it declined as the degradation progressed, resulting in reduced water content and the cessation of guttation in the degrading shoots. In conditions of water deficit, the percentage of free water in bamboo shoots decreased while the percentages of bound and semi-bound water increased, with the proportion of semi-bound water reaching as high as 88.13% in the late stages of degradation. The water potential of parent bamboo culms of different ages varied at different times of the day and during different growth stages of bamboo shoots, showing a strong association with the development of bamboo shoots. Conversely, the correlation between changes in the water potential of bamboo shoots and their degradation patterns was found to be comparatively minimal. The weakening of the connection between the bamboo shoots and the parent bamboo culms may play a significant role in the degradation of the bamboo shoots. This is evidenced by a decrease in the fluorescence intensity of the nucleus in bamboo shoots and the degradation of genetic material. This study lays the foundation for future research into the mechanisms of bamboo shoot degradation.

Cellular oxidative stress mediated by intrinsic and/or extrinsic reactive oxygen species (ROS) is associated with disease pathogenesis. Oxidative DNA damage can naturally be substituted by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), leading to base lesion/strand break formation, copy number changes, and mutations. In this study, we devised a single test for the sensitive quantification of acute mtDNA damage, repair, and copy number changes using supercoiling-sensitive quantitative PCR (ss-qPCR) and examined how oxidative stress-related mtDNA damage responses occur in oral cancer cells. We observed that exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced dynamic mtDNA damage responses, as reflected by early structural DNA damage, followed by DNA repair if damage did not exceed a particular threshold. However, high oxidative stress levels induced persistent mtDNA damage and caused a 5-30-fold depletion in mtDNA copy numbers over late responses. This dramatic depletion was associated with significant growth arrest and apoptosis, suggesting persistent functional consequences. Moreover, oral cancer cells responded differentially to oxidative injury when compared with normal cells, and different ROS species triggered different biological consequences under stress conditions. In conclusion, we developed a new method for the sensitive detection of mtDNA damage and copy number changes, with exogenous H2O2 inducing dynamic mtDNA damage responses associated with functional changes in stressed cancer cells. Finally, our method can help characterize oxidative DNA damage in cancer and other human diseases.

Abstract Background Transepithelial medical devices are increasing utilized in clinical practices. However, the damage of continuous natural epithelial barrier has become a major risk factor for the failure of epithelium-penetrating implants. How to increase the “epithelial barrier structures” (focal adhesions, hemidesmosomes, etc.) becomes one key research aim in overcoming this difficulty. Directly targeting the in situ “epithelial barrier structures” related proteins (such as fibronectin) absorption and functionalization can be a promising way to enhance interface-epithelial integration. Methods Herein, we fabricated three plasma polymerized bio-interfaces possessing controllable surface chemistry. Their capacity to adsorb and functionalize fibronectin (FN) from serum protein was compared by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry. The underlying mechanisms were revealed by molecular dynamics simulation. The response of gingival epithelial cells regarding the formation of epithelial barrier structures was tested. Results Plasma polymerized surfaces successfully directed distinguished protein adsorption profiles from serum protein pool, in which plasma polymerized allylamine (ppAA) surface favored adsorbing adhesion related proteins and could promote FN absorption and functionalization via electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds, thus subsequently activating the ITG β1-FAK-mTOR signaling and promoting gingival epithelial cells adhesion. Conclusion This study offers an effective perspective to overcome the current dilemma of the inferior interface-epithelial integration by in situ protein absorption and functionalization, which may advance the development of functional transepithelial biointerfaces. Graphical Abstract Tuning the surface chemistry by plasma polymerization can control the adsorption of fibronectin and functionalize it by exposing functional protein domains. The functionalized fibronectin can bind to human gingival epithelial cell membrane integrins to activate epithelial barrier structure related signaling pathway, which eventually enhances the formation of epithelial barrier structure.

On 6 June 2017, four severe clear-air turbulence (CAT) events were observed over northern China within 3 h. These events mainly occurred at altitudes between 8.1 and 9.5 km. The characteristics and possible mechanisms of the CAT events in the different regions are investigated here using the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model. The simulated wind and temperature fields in a 27 km coarse domain were found to be in good agreement with those of the ERA5 (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis v5) and the observed soundings of operational radiosondes over northern China. In terms of synoptic features, the region where the turbulence occurred is characterized by a southwest–northeast upper-level jet stream. The upper-level jet stream observed at an altitude of 10.4 km consistently moved eastwards, with a maximum wind speed of 61.7 m/s. Simultaneously, the upper-level front–jet system on the cyclonic shear side of the upper-level jet stream also exhibited an eastward motion. The developed upper-level front–jet system induced significant vertical wind shear (VWS) and tropopause folding in the vicinity of these CAT events. Despite the high stability resulting from tropopause folding, the presence of strong VWS (1.90 × 10−2 s−1–2.55 × 10−2 s−1) led to a low Richardson number (Ri) (0.24–0.88) and caused Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI), which ultimately induced CAT. Although a standard numerical weather forecast resolution of tens of kilometers is adequate to capture turbulence for most CAT events, it is still necessary to use high-resolution numerical simulations (such as 3 km) to calculate more accurate CAT indices (such as Ri) for CAT prediction in some specific cases.

Abstract Background Undergraduate dental basic research education (UDBRE) is broadly regarded as an important approach for cultivating scientific research talent. This scoping review aims to summarize the current status of UDBRE in terms of educational goals, teaching program and content, assessment system, training outcomes, barriers, and reflections. Methods The authors performed a systematic literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) to identify peer-reviewed articles written in English from their inception to January 29, 2021. Articles were reviewed and screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Related data from the included publications were then collected and summarized. Results The authors searched 646 publications and selected 16 articles to include in the study. The education goals included cultivating five major dental basic research capabilities (n=10, 62.5%) and developing interest in basic research (n=2, 12.5%). As for the teaching program, the mentor-guided student research project was the most popular (n=11, 68.8%), followed by didactic courses (n=5, 31.3%), experimental skills training (n=1, 6.3%), and the combination of the above forms (n=3, 18.8%). However, the assessment system and training outcome diverged. Existing evidence showed that UDBRE reached satisfying education outcomes. Barriers included excessive curriculum burden (n=2, 12.5%), tutor shortage (n=3, 18.8%), lack of financial support (n=5, 31.3%), and inadequate research skills and knowledge (n=5, 31.3%). Conclusions Although efforts were made, the variation between studies revealed the immature status of UDBRE. A practical UDBRE education system paradigm was put forward. Meanwhile, more research is required to optimize a robust UDBRE system with clear education goals, well-designed teaching forms, and convincing assessment systems.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are generally less functionally characterized or less annotated, evolve more rapidly than mRNAs and substantially possess fewer sequence conservation patterns than protein-coding genes across divergent species. People assume that the functional inference could be conducted on the evolutionarily conserved long non-coding RNAs as they are most likely to be functional. In the past decades, substantial progress has been made in discussions on the evolutionary conservation of non-coding genomic regions from multiple perspectives. However, understanding their conservation and the functions associated with sequence conservation in relation to further corresponding phenotypic variability or disorders still remains incomplete.Results: Accordingly, we determined a highly conserved region (HCR) to verify the sequence conservation among long non-coding RNAs and systematically profiled homologous long non-coding RNA clusters in humans and mice based on the detection of highly conserved regions. Moreover, according to homolog clustering, we explored the potential function inference via highly conserved regions on representative long non-coding RNAs. On lncRNA XACT, we investigated the potential functional competence between XACT and lncRNA XIST by recruiting miRNA-29a, regulating the downstream target genes. In addition, on lncRNA LINC00461, we examined the interaction relationship between LINC00461 and SND1. This interaction or association may be perturbed during the progression of glioma. In addition, we have constructed a website with user-friendly web interfaces for searching, analyzing, and downloading to present the homologous clusters of humans and mice.Conclusion: Collectively, homolog clustering via the highly conserved region definition and detection on long non-coding RNAs, as well as the functional explorations on representative sequences in our research, would provide new evidence for the potential function of long non-coding RNAs. Our results on the remarkable roles of long non-coding RNAs would presumably provide a new theoretical basis and candidate diagnostic indicators for tumors.

A severe convection process occurred in southern Xinjiang during June 15–17, 2021. Here, the convection initiation mechanism is revealed by analyzing the impacts of three-dimensional divergence (∇⋅V) on the changes in pressure and the vertical pressure gradient force (VPGF). The pressure tendency equation and vertical pressure gradient force equation are derived based on three-dimensional divergence. It is shown that three-dimensional divergence has a better correlation with precipitation. The local change in pressure is affected mainly by the three-dimensional divergence forcing term. The air mass accumulates in the lower layers because of the three-dimensional convergence in the windward slope, strengthening the positive pressure change tendency. Three-dimensional convergence in the lower layers converts to divergence with height, leading to air mass loss in the upper layers. The air mass redistributes vertically owing to the positive vertical gradient of three-dimensional divergence, which motivates the upward VPGF. The local change in VPGF is highly correlated with the vertical velocity. The vertical velocity increases as the upward VPGF strengthens, resulting in convection initiation in southern Xinjiang.

Abstract Background To assess the root angle characteristics of maxillary incisors, and to analyze the relationship between the root angle and other implant-related anatomical indices to use the sagittal root angle as an index for immediate implant evaluation and design. Methods A random sample consisting of 400 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images and 65 maxillary plaster models were selected for the present study. CBCT and stereolithography (STL) scan images were imported as DICOM files into coDiagnostiX software for matching the hard and soft tissue. The angle between the long axis of the anterior tooth and the corresponding alveolar bone and implant-related hard and soft tissue indices were measured in the sagittal section. Descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, multi-level comparisons, and correlation analyses were performed. Results The average sagittal root angles were 15° at the central incisor and 19° at the lateral incisor. The root angle in males was significantly larger than that in females, and increased with age. The largest angle, 22.35°, was found in the lateral incisors of the oldest (> 50 years old) male group. The root angle was found to correlate with coronal buccal bone thickness, coronal palatal bone thickness, apical buccal bone thickness, palatal bone thickness, and the below apex bone thickness. Conclusions The sagittal root angle could reflect the distribution of other implant-related anatomical indices, which may provide additional reference for the evaluation of immediate implant placement.

The interdecadal change of the summer (July–August) rainfall over North China (SRNC) is of great concern to the climate research community. Based on the sliding correlation and interdecadal difference analysis, the interdecadal change of SRNC was studied. Results show a significantly wetter period of SRNC since the mid-2000s, which was associated with strengthening negative relationship between SRNC and PDO. PDO affected the SRNC through the jet stream in the upper-level and the East Asia–Pacific (EAP) teleconnection pattern. In the negative phase of the PDO since the mid-2000s, the contractive upper-level jet stream in the west of North China resulted in the abnormal updraft over the southern region of North China. Meanwhile, the positive phase of the EAP teleconnection pattern brought warm and wet southeast flow entering North China from its eastern boundary, both bringing more rainfall in North China. The abnormal water vapor transport from the western Pacific was very different from that accompanying the East Asian summer monsoon.

Polarization angle manipulation has been a vital technic in radar applications. This paper proposes and demonstrates a digital polarization programmable metasurface for continuous polarization angle rotation and radar applications. By coding “0” and “1” elements with the two orthogonally polarized waves having 180° phase difference, the polarization angle of electromagnetic (EM) waves can be continually and arbitrarily manipulated. The designed metasurface adopts a patch-transmission and line-patch structure and integrates two polarization channels to carry out 1-bit coding. By rotating the azimuth angle of the designed metasurface mechanically, a continuous rotation of the polarization angle of the transmitted wave can be achieved. Moreover, the transmission around 9.4 GHz can reach higher than 95%. The metasurface sample with optimized structure parameters has been fabricated and tested, where the measurement agrees well with the simulation results. In addition, a radar detection experiment was implemented with an anisotropic target, demonstrating the practical use of the proposed metasurface for polarimetric radar.

Abstract We solve the quasi-bound state-energy spectra and wavefunctions of an NPN-type graphene quantum dot under a perpendicular magnetic field. The evolution of the quasi-bound state spectra under the magnetic field is investigated using a Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin approximation. In numerical calculations, we also show that the twofold energy degeneracy of the opposite angular momenta breaks under a weak magnetic field. As the magnetic field strengthens, this phenomenon produces an observable splitting of the energy spectrum. Our results demonstrate the relation between the quasi-bound state-energy spectrum in graphene quantum dots and magnetic field strength, which is relevant to recent measurements in scanning tunneling microscopy.

Abstract Electron in gapless bilayer graphene can form quasi-bound states when a circular symmetric potential is created in bilayer graphene. These quasi-bound states can be adjusted by tuning the radius and strength of the potential barrier. We investigate the evolution of quasi-bound states spectra in the circular n–p junction of bilayer graphene under the magnetic field numerically. The energy levels of opposite angular momentum split and the splitting increases with the magnetic field. Moreover, weak magnetic fields can slightly shift the energy levels of quasi-bound states. While strong magnetic fields induce additional resonances in the local density states, which originates from Landau levels. We demonstrate that these numerical results are consistent with the semiclassical analysis based on Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin approximation. Our results can be verified experimentally via scanning tunneling microscopy measurements.

For Super Typhoon Maria (2018), the multi-intensity change stages are identified and reproduced by numerical simulation. It is rather difficult to perform a perfect simulation for such a repeatedly reinforced typhoon during its long life-cycle and remote path. In this study, the rapid intensification (RI) episode is focused on to investigate the convective burst (CB) characteristics and the relationship between the CBs and the RI of Maria. For Typhoon Maria, 1) the spatial pattern of the inner-core CBs in distinct shear-relative quadrants, instead of the overall inner-core CBs frequently used in previous studies, presents cyclonic rotation from downshear to upshear quadrants during RI, producing a higher efficiency for tropical cyclone (TC) spinup, which accelerates the RI process. 2) Dual meanings/relationships exist between CBs and RI for Maria, in contrast to the previous argument that CBs might be an indicator or a precursor to RI. The sudden growth of CBs prior to RI provides a precursor for the upcoming RI. Additionally, the appearance of the CB peak soon after RI indicates RI could lead to more intensive deep convections. The overlap of CBs with high inertial stability inside the radius of maximum wind plays a significant role in the RI of TCs. 3) The synoptic attributions to CBs are also explored for the entire troposphere, fitting in the bottom-up thinking of convection growth. The CBs might be associated with high convective available potential energy in the boundary layer, a strengthening of the deep-layer secondary circulation, and an enhanced upper-level eddy momentum flux convergence.

In this paper, a novel substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) filtenna with two controllable radiation nulls is proposed, which has the advantage of good radiation characteristics. Radiation nulls are generated by electric and magnetic mixed coupling structure and fundamental mode, respectively. And a quasi-elliptic characteristic can be obtained at the boresight gain direction. By changing the length of perturbation slot and the strength of electric coupling and magnetic coupling, the position of radiation nulls can be controlled independetly. Compared to conventional filtenna, the proposed SIW filtenna has no extra filtering circuit to increase the dimension and complexity. Two resonant modes in the passband can be excited through loading electric and magnetic mixed coupling structure in one SIW cavity. The measured results are in good agreement with simulated results. The good frequency selectivity and out-of-band rejection are achieved. The proposed antenna exhibits a maximum realized gain of 5.8 dBi at the operating bandwidth. The measured impedance bandwidth is from 9.44 GHz to 9.68 GHz and the cross-polarization levels are lower than -20 dB in both planes.

The southwest vortex (SWV), a low-pressure system bringing severe rainfall in southwest China, is one of the most important synoptic systems in China. Using both the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Final (NCEP-FNL) operational global analysis dataset and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulation, a sophisticated SWV with dual-core structure (DCSWV) over the Sichuan Basin in 2010 was studied. The DCSWV system consisted of two cores, one near Leshan City (named “C1”) and another near Langzhong City (named “C2”). The high-resolution WRF model reproduced the life cycle of the DCSWV well. The diagnostic analysis of the vorticity budget indicated that the stretching and tilting terms played important roles in the development stage of “C1”, while the stretching and vertical advection of vorticity were the major contributors to the formation and development stage of “C2”, which implied the importance of moisture convergence and ascending motion. Sensitivity experiments showed that the DCSWV was closely associated with the release in latent heat as well as the effect of topography. The great release in latent heat provided significantly positive feedback to the DCSWV system, which was decisive to the formation and development stages of “C2”. The topography of the Tibetan Plateau and the Yun-Gui Plateau affected the location and duration of the DCSWV.

Realizing strong laser–matter interaction in a heterostructure consisting of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and an optical nanocavity is a potential strategy for novel photonic devices. In this paper, two core-Ω shell nanostructures, Si@WS2 core-Ω shell nanostructure on glass/Si substrates, are briefly introduced. A strong laser–matter interaction occurred in the Si@WS2 core-Ω shell nanostructure when it was excited by femtosecond (fs) laser in the near-infrared-1 region (NIR-1, 650 nm–950 nm), resulting in a resonance coupling between the electric dipole resonance (EDR) of the Si nanosphere (NS) and the exciton resonance of the WS2 nanomembrane (NMB). The generation of resonance coupling regulates the resonant mode of the nanostructure to realize the multi-dimensional nonlinear optical response, which can be utilized in the fields of biological imaging and nanoscale light source.

Metasurfaces have shown their great capability to manipulate electromagnetic waves. As a new concept, reconfigurable metasurfaces attract researchers’ attention. There are many kinds of reconfigurable components, devices and materials that can be loaded on metasurfaces. When cooperating with reconfigurable structures, dynamic control of the responses of metasurfaces are realized under external excitations, offering new opportunities to manipulate electromagnetic waves dynamically. This review introduces some common methods to design reconfigurable metasurfaces classified by the techniques they use, such as special materials, semiconductor components and mechanical devices. Specifically, this review provides a comparison among all the methods mentioned and discusses their pros and cons. Finally, based on the unsolved problems in the designs and applications, the challenges and possible developments in the future are discussed.

With global warming, extreme high temperatures become more frequent and are an important factor affecting aircrafts’ takeoff performance. Using Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1) and Boeing Performance Software (BPS), the influence of increasing temperature on aircrafts’ maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) and takeoff distance is evaluated quantitatively in this study. The results show that the distribution of summer daily maximum temperature shifts obviously to higher temperature at all the chosen airports and the variation in temperature is larger at four airports (Jinan, Shanghai, Lhasa, and Urumqi) during 2071−2080 under the RCP8.5 scenario than that in the historical run (1991−2000). The warming air leads to the MTOW reducing and takeoff distance increasing. Taking the Boeing 737–800 aircraft as an illustration, the number of weight-restriction days increases significantly across the airports, which can influence airlines’ economic benefit and flight operations in the future. It is also found that the takeoff distance does not change linearly with temperature, but shows a stronger increase with higher temperature. The takeoff distance increases about 6.2% on average during 2071−2080 compared to 1991−2000 for the low-altitude airports, calling for an additional 113−222 m takeoff distance in future summers.

An observational study illustrates that three distinct modes of winter Siberian high variability exist in observations at the inter-annual time scale. In this paper, we compare the connection between these diverse Siberian high variation modes with pre-autumn and simultaneous Eurasian snow cover in an observation and BCC-CSM2-MR coupled climate model run under pre-industrial conditions from the CMIP6 project. Our analyses indicate that the inter-annual variation of observed Siberian high modes do have a connection with pre-autumn and simultaneous Eurasian snow cover anomalies, but the BCC-CSM2-MR coupled climate model does not capture the observed diverse Eurasian snow–Siberian high relationships well. The BCC-CSM2-MR coupled climate model can partly reproduce the observed Siberian high variation modes, but fail to capture the spatial distribution and statistics of boreal fall and winter Eurasian snowpack, which is a key facet of simulated diverse Siberian high variability irrespective of the influence of Eurasian snow cover.

Fractional quantum Hall states in 2D electron gases arise due to strong electron-electron interactions, which makes a general theoretical understanding difficult. Fu et al. present data showing the ν = 5/3 quantum Hall state has a 3/2 plateau in the diagonal resistance that has not been captured by existing models.

Evidence of quantum phase transitions is normally difficult to be detected. Here, Liu and Wang et al. report divergent critical exponent in ultrathin Pb films with superconducting fluctuations and spin-orbit interaction, indicating an anomalous quantum Griffiths singularity of superconductor-metal transition.

A complex coupling matrix has been extensively used in lossy filters and negative group delay devices. For the realization, conventional technique decomposes the complex coupling matrix into lossy resonators and complex inverters. Since the complex inverter does not follow the passivity in some cases, the resultant realization may be globally passive but locally active. This paper proposes a new decomposition technique to ensure the passivity everywhere. It decomposes the complex coupling matrix into a resistive connection matrix and a conventional real coupling matrix, which are both passively realizable. This technique provides a passive realization of the complex coupling matrix. Furthermore, a loss equalization technique is also proposed, to further achieve a uniform quality factor (Q) distribution among all the lossy resonators. Several illustrative examples and an experimental validation are finally provided.

In this paper, a novel wideband differential bandpass filter (BPF) with slotline surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is proposed. It consists of a pair of differential microstrip-to-slotline transition, a slotline-to-SPP transition with subwavelength gradient grooves, and a slotline SPP waveguide, which supports the TEM, TE, and SPP modes, respectively. The dispersion and transmission characteristics of the proposed hybrid SPP structure are analyzed under differential-mode (DM) and common-mode (CM) operations and applied to design wideband differential filter. To validate the design concept, a filter sample has been designed, fabricated, and measured. Both simulated and measured results prove its good performance including a wide 3-dB fractional bandwidth of 147.6% centered at 4.2 GHz (f0), a wide DM upper stopband to 4.8 f0 (S21dd

In this paper, a tri-band high-temperature superconducting (HTS) bandpass filter (BPF) is proposed with a pair of asymmetric shunted-line stepped impedance resonators (SLSIRs). Compared with the conventional SIRs, the proposed asymmetric SLSIR has more degrees of freedom in controlling multi-mode operating characteristics. Moreover, design graphs for the relationship of electric characteristic parameters and the resonant frequency ratio are built and applied to multiband device design. For demonstration, a two-order tri-band HTS BPF is well designed with center frequencies of 1.575/2.4/3.5 GHz. The external quality factor and the coupling coefficient have also been analyzed to satisfy the bandwidth of the BPF. The designed filter is fabricated on the YBCO superconducting material and measured under superconducting conditions (at the temperature of 77 K). The measurement results are in good agreement with the simulation results, indicating that the insertion loss of the three passbands is about 0.1 dB, showing the advantage of in-band insertion loss.

A novel design method of microstrip diplexer without extra matching circuit is proposed in this paper. Because of the synthesizable circuit parameters and controllable transmission zeros (TZs) in composite resonator (CR) cell, diplexer A based on CR cell is proposed. By allocating TZs at center frequency of the opposite channel, as well as the using of impedance transformations of J inverters, high isolation and good passband selectivity are realized in diplexer A without extra matching circuit. In order to improve the stopband performance, diplexer B based on coupled CR cells is proposed. Furthermore, diplexer B using the proposed design method is implemented by directly combining two bandpass filters (BPFs), which simplifies significantly the design process of diplexers. Diplexer A operated at 1/1.2 GHz and diplexer B operated at 1/1.5 GHz are designed and fabricated. The measured isolation characteristics in diplexer A and diplexer B are all higher than 40 dB. Good agreements between simulated and measured results are achieved, which successfully verifies the proposed design method of diplexers.

Disorder effects inevitably exist in realistic samples, manifesting in various physical properties. In this paper, we review the recent progress in understanding the disorder effects on quantum transport and quantum phase transition properties in low-dimensional superconducting and topological systems. As a consequence of the pronounced quantum fluctuation in low-dimensional systems, rare events drastically change the physical characteristics and underlying microscopic transport process in these systems, which are beyond the traditional paradigms. Associating with recent experimental observations, we emphasize the microscopic mechanism for disordered Ising superconductivity, the quantum Griffiths singularity of superconductor metal transition and the discrete scale invariance in topological materials.

Achieving full-polarization (σ) invisibility on an arbitrary three-dimensional (3D) platform is a long-held knotty issue yet extremely promising in real-world stealth applications. However, state-of-the-art invisibility cloaks typically work under a specific polarization because the anisotropy and orientation-selective resonant nature of artificial materials made the σ-immune operation elusive and terribly challenging. Here, we report a deterministic approach to engineer a metasurface skin cloak working under an arbitrary polarization state by theoretically synergizing two cloaking phase patterns required, respectively, at spin-up (σ+) and spin-down (σ−) states. Therein, the wavefront of any light impinging on the cloak can be well preserved since it is a superposition of σ+ and σ− wave. To demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability, several proof-of-concept metasurface cloaks are designed to wrap over a 3D triangle platform at microwave frequency. Results show that our cloaks are essentially capable of restoring the amplitude and phase of reflected beams as if light was incident on a flat mirror or an arbitrarily predesigned shape under full polarization states with a desirable bandwidth of ~17.9%, conceiving or deceiving an arbitrary object placed inside. Our approach, deterministic and robust in terms of accurate theoretical design, reconciles the milestone dilemma in stealth discipline and opens up an avenue for the extreme capability of ultrathin 3D cloaking of an arbitrary shape, paving up the road for real-world applications.

Previous studies indicate that the summer (July-August) rainfall over North China has decreased since the mid-1970s due to the weakening of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). However, this study firstly discovers the new evidences that the summer rainfall over North China had a significant increasing tendency during 1979–1996; since 1997, this increasing tendency has halted while more summer droughts occurred over North China. One important cause for the halted increasing tendency over North China is the interdecadal decrease of the westerly water vapor transport during 1997–2016 in addition to the weakened EASM. The decrease of the westerly water vapor transport during 1997–2016 was due to the interdecadal warming over Lake Baikal. The interdecadal warming in the upper troposphere at 200 hPa forced the weakening of the upper-level zonal winds since 1997, which resulted in the anomalous descending flow over the north side of North China and the halted precipitation trend in North China.

The impact on the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio from Arctic sea ice loss is investigated using the Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) model for their important roles during climate change. Results show that the Gulf Stream (Kuroshio) weakens (strengthens) in response to Arctic sea ice loss via ocean (atmosphere) adjustments. More precisely, the Kuroshio acceleration is mainly due to the anomalous wind stress over the North Pacific, while the ocean gyre adjustments in the Atlantic are responsible for the weakened Gulf Stream. As positive buoyancy fluxes induced by Arctic sea ice loss trigger a slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the Gulf Stream decelerates evidently and the current speed decreases by about 5–8 cm/s in the upper ocean. Resulting from less advection and horizontal diffusion in the temperature budget, less poleward warm water leads to narrow sea surface cooling sandwiched between strong warming in the subpolar and subtropical Atlantic. Furthermore, colder surface decreases the upward heat flux (mainly latent heat flux) along the Gulf Stream Extension (GE) path, which leads to a warming hole in the atmosphere.

In this paper, a systematic synthesis approach is proposed for achieving negative group delay responses using lossy coupling matrix. It is mathematically proved that, for a passive and reciprocal network, loss is the necessary condition to realize a negative group delay. Also, the optimum strategy is to place zeros and poles of the transfer function on the left complex plane. A closed-form relation between the group delay and magnitude is then derived based on this strategy, and followed by a complete synthesis approach using coupling matrix. Two numerical and one experimental examples are finally given to illustrate the proposed synthesis method.

In this paper, a compact substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity-backed slot antenna array with high gain, broadband, and dual-polarization performances is proposed for 60-GHz applications. An enhanced 17.1% impedance bandwidth was achieved by cutting semi-circle edges on the conventional slot radiator. A simplified SIW feed network is aperture-coupled vertically and constructed on a double-layered structure to implement the dual-polarization operation. By adopting innovative techniques on both radiating element and double-layered SIW feed networks, a high-gain, broadband, and dual-polarized 8 × 8 antenna array was designed on three-layered printed circuit board that allows for mass production. This configuration also resolves the trade-off between the bandwidth and gain of the existing 60-GHz dual-polarized antenna array. Its feasibility is proved by obtaining a measured gain in the range of 19.7-22.3 dB and an enhanced impedance bandwidth of 17.1% over 55.7-66.1 GHz for both horizontal and vertical polarizations. With advantages of high-gain, broadband, and dual-polarization performances in a low-cost low-profile structure, the proposed antenna array is a promising candidate for millimeter-wave wireless systems.

To obtain effective pedestrian detection results in surveillance video, there have been many methods proposed to handle the problems from severe occlusion, pose variation, clutter background, and so on. Besides detection accuracy, a robust surveillance video system should be stable to video quality degradation by network transmission, environment variation, and so on. In this paper, we conduct the research on the robustness of pedestrian detection algorithms to video quality degradation. The main contribution of this paper includes the following three aspects. First, a large-scale distorted surveillance video data set (DSurVD) is constructed from high-quality video sequences and their corresponding distorted versions. Second, we design a method to evaluate detection stability and a robustness measure called robustness quadrangle, which can be adopted to the visualize detection accuracy of pedestrian detection algorithms on high-quality video sequences and stability with video quality degradation. Third, the robustness of seven existing pedestrian detection algorithms is evaluated by the built DSurVD. Experimental results show that the robustness can be further improved for existing pedestrian detection algorithms. In addition, we provide much in-depth discussion on how different distortion types influence the performance of pedestrian detection algorithms, which is important to design effective pedestrian detection algorithms for surveillance.

In this paper, a new quadruple-mode stepped-impedance square ring loaded resonator (SI-SRLR) is proposed, and a high-performance dual-band differential bandpass filter (BPF) is developed. Resonant characteristics of the SI-SRLR are investigated by the even-/odd-mode method and simulation techniques. Two differential-modes (DMs) of the SI-SRLR are used to form the dual differential passbands. The admittance ratio K of the SI-SRLR is chosen appropriately to prevent the common-mode (CM) interference with DM operations. Moreover, an open-circuited stub is added to enhance the CM suppression, while a source-load coupling is introduced to produce multiple transmission zeros and improve significantly the frequency selectivity of DM passbands. Finally, a dual-band differential BPF is designed, fabricated, and measured. Good agreement between the simulated and measured results verifies well the proposed structure and design method.

Lossy filters have broad applications in satellite communication systems. This paper proposes an efficient tuning method, based on complex coupling matrix decomposition and extraction, for highly lossy filters. Interestingly, it shows that the proposed decomposition technique preserves the scattering parameters of the original coupling matrix. A simple and efficient tuning algorithm is provided and illustrated with a four-pole lossy Chebyshev filter example. The experimental demonstration is finally presented to validate the proposed tuning technique.

In this paper, a wideband, miniaturized, and high gain double-slot Vivaldi antenna is proposed. First, a corner cutting technique is adopted to broaden the frequency band. Second, a pair of defected ground slots is added to the edges of the antenna to extend the low-end frequency limitation from 2.27 to 1.15 GHz, which provides a great design freedom. Third, a novel unit cell of an index-near-zero metasurface is proposed in our design. The unit cell is a two-stub-loaded split-ring resonator, which has a compact size, a wide frequency band, and a good reflection coefficient. The gain of the double-slot Vivaldi antenna is improved over a wide frequency band by the inclusion of the index-near-zero metasurface in the aperture, without changing the overall dimensions or compromising the whole frequency band performance of the antenna. Finally, to verify the design method, an ultra-wideband double-slot Vivaldi antenna with defected ground slots and metasurface was fabricated and measured. The circuit has an overall size of 0.76 λg × 0.41 λg × 0.005 λg. The modified antenna exhibits a measured gain of 0.7-14 dBi over the frequency band of 1.13-12 GHz.

In this paper, a miniaturized gain-enhanced antipodal Vivaldi antenna (AVA) with gradual corrugated edges (GCEs) and triangular metal directors (MDs) is investigated. Its operating frequency band is extended and the gain is improved at lower frequencies due to the use of GCEs. In addition, the E-plane beam tilt has been removed and the improvements on side-lobe level are achieved. By applying triangular MDs on the two surfaces of the radiation aperture of the AVA, its gain at higher frequencies is improved. Therefore, the gain variation tends to be flat within the whole operating band. Furthermore, a compact 1×8 E-plane AVA array with a small size of 54.4 × 28.2 × 0.508 mm3 is also designed, fabricated, and measured. A measured gain is 12.3-12.9 dB in the operating frequency band of 24.75-27.5 GHz, which covers the candidate band for the fifth generation (5G) communication. Good directivity, symmetrical radiation patterns, and compact structure make the proposed AVA array suitable for integration in devices for 5G communication applications.

The electron dephasing mechanism in topological insulators remains unclear. Here, Liaoet al. report a sublinear power law for the temperature dependence of the electron dephasing rate in (Bi,Sb)2Te3thin films, representing a surprising deviation from conventional behaviours in two-dimensional electron systems.

Tibetan Plateau (TP) mesoscale vortex (TPMV) was regarded as one of the most important rain bearing systems in China. Previous studies focused on the mechanisms of the TPMV in the viewpoint of deterministic forecast; however, few studies investigate the predictability of the TPMV using the Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) Interactive Grand Global Ensemble (TIGGE) from the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECWMF). This paper investigates the location and the intensity of the larger-scale synoptic systems that influenced the development of the TPMV and its associated heavy rainfall by correlation and composite analysis. The case study on 18 July 2013 shows that stronger Balkhash Lake ridge, weaker Baikal Lake trough, and weaker western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) are favorable to formation of TPMV over the Sichuan basin (SCB); otherwise, weaker Balkhash Lake ridge, stronger Baikal Lake trough, and stronger WPSH result in formation of TPMV to west of the SCB slightly. After the initial time, forecast for next 48 h of the geopotential height over the SCB can be viewed as a precursor of the subsequent time-averaged 90–108 h forecast of TPMV. TPMV had critical contributions to the heavy rainfall over the SCB on 18 July 2013.

A wide-band microstrip bandpass filter (BPF) based on the improved composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH-TL) structure is presented in this paper. Compared to the traditional CRLH-TL with via hole, the improved one is an all-planar structure, which owns the advantage of fabrication and loss. The equivalent lossless LC circuit model of the proposed structure is established. EM software Sonnet is adopted to design the wide-band filter with bandwidth of 1.4 GHz (from 1.9 GHz to 3.3 GHz). The circuit occupies only 20.6 × 12.8 mm2. Finally, the fabrication and measurement are implemented. A good agreement between simulation and measured results verifies the validity of the design methodology.

Two-dimensional (2D) superconducting systems are of great importance for exploring exotic quantum physics. The recent development of fabrication techniques has stimulated studies of high-quality single-crystalline 2D superconductors, where intrinsic properties give rise to unprecedented physical phenomena. Here, we report the observation of Zeeman-type spin-orbit interaction protected superconductivity (Zeeman-protected superconductivity) in 4-monolayer (ML) to 6-ML crystalline Pb films grown on striped incommensurate Pb layers on Si(111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. An anomalously large in-plane critical field far beyond the Pauli limit is detected, which can be attributed to the Zeeman-protected superconductivity due to the in-plane inversion symmetry breaking at the interface. Our work demonstrates that, in superconducting heterostructures, the interface can induce Zeeman-type spin-orbit interactions and modulate the superconductivity.

This paper presents a novel two-dimensional (2-D) defected ground array (DGA) for planar circuits, which has horizontal and vertical periodicities of defect structure. The defected unit cell of DGA is composed of a Sierpinski carpet structure to improve the effective inductance. Measurements show that the proposed DGA provides steeper cutoff characteristics, lower cutoff frequency, and higher slow-wave factors than the conventional periodic defected ground structure in the same occupied surface.

A new and simple parameter-extraction method for the equivalent circuit of defected ground structure (DGS) is presented. Using this method, circuit simulation, based on the DGS equivalent-circuit model, show excellent agreements with the electromagnetic (EM) simulation. Further, our method is applied effectively to design a low-pass filter (LPF) with DGS. Comparison between simulation and measurement confirm the validity of the LPF configuration and design procedure. Simple structure and high power handling capability are obtained from the proposed LPF.

In this paper, a novel defected ground structure (DGS) is proposed for suppressing harmonic and increasing the output power of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) in microwave circuits. The DGS is formed with connecting in parallel two periodic structures which have different center frequencies (in a ratio of 2:3) of the stopband and provides the bandgap characteristic in certain frequency bands. Simulated and experimental results show that the microstrip line with DGS has a wide low-pass band for the fundamental frequency and a stopband for the second harmonic with good performance. To evaluate the effects of DGS on microwave VCOs, two GaAs field-effect transistor (FET) VCOs have been designed and fabricated. One of them has a 50Ω microstrip line with DGS at the output section, while the other has only a 50Ω straight line. Measured results show that DGS suppresses the second harmonic more than −20 dBm at the output and yields improved output power by 3−5%.

Systemic infections by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) are economically devastating to poultry industries worldwide. E. coli strains belonging to serotypes O1, O2, O18 and O78 are preferentially associated with avian colibacillosis. The rfb gene cluster controlling O antigen synthesis is usually various among different E. coli serotypes. In present study, the rfb gene clusters of E. coli serotypes O1, O2, O18 and O78 were characterized and compared. Based on the serotype-specific genes in rfb gene cluster, an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed. This PCR assay was highly specific and reliable for sero-typing of APEC O1, O2, O18 and O78 strains. The sensitivity of the assay was determined as 10 pg DNA or 10 colony forming units (CFUs) bacteria for serotypes O2 and O18 strains, and 500 pg DNA or 1,000 CFUs bacteria for serotypes O1 and O78 strains. Using this PCR system, APEC isolates and the infected tissue samples were categorized successfully. Furthermore, it was able to differentiate the serotypes for the samples with multi-agglutination in the traditional serum agglutination assay. Therefore, the allele-specific PCR is more simple, rapid and accurate assay for APEC diagnosis, epidemiologic study and vaccine development.

A miniaturized bandpass filter (BPF) using defected ground structure (DGS) resonator with the characteristic of harmonic rejection is developed in this paper. The second and third harmonics of the proposed BPF are rejected by the characteristic of stepped-impedance DGS resonator. Moreover, open stubs are established so that two adjustable transmission zeros can independently be created to extend the stopband and improve the rejection level. Finally, a second-order BPF, centered at 1.62 GHz with a stopband extended up to 5.6 GHz and a rejection level better than 20 dB, is designed and implemented for GPS application. A good agreement between simulation and measurement verifies the validity of this design methodology.