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The key to intelligent fault diagnosis for transformer is to find relevant dissolved gas characteristics with the capability of representing different types of faults. However, the existing problem is that using a single traditional ratio method as the inputs of classification module cannot obtain high classification performance. Therefore, a fault diagnosis method for transformer based on neighborhood component analysis (NCA) and capuchin algorithm (CapSA)-regularized extreme learning machine (RELM) is proposed. Firstly, 21-dimensional features of the oil-immersed transformer are extracted based on the traditional ratio methods such as IEC three-ratio and Roger's ratio. Secondly, The NCA is used to select the feature to obtain an effective 6-dimensional feature. Then, these features are utilized as the input of the RELM model for training, and the parameters of model are optimized by CapSA. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the proposed method are verified by actual data sets collected from previous publications. The experimental results show that the proposed method has higher diagnostic precision and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of unsatisfactory diagnosis performance of conventional fault diagnosis methods for transformer, a novel method based on maximally collapsing metric learning algorithm (MCML) and parameter optimization kernel extreme learning machine (KELM) is proposed in this study. First, a new set of dissolved gas analysis (DGA) features combination, which can reflect the transformer fault information, is used to form the input feature space. Then, the MCML is employed to reduce the feature space dimension to extract a set of optimal DGA features combination. Finally, the salp swarm algorithm (SSA) is utilized to optimize the parameters in KELM to establish an SSA‐KELM model, which is adopted to diagnose and identify transformer faults. The proposed method is applied to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) TC 10 database, and the results show that the feature extraction effect of MCML is superior than that of linear discriminant analysis, neighborhood preserving embedding, and Laplacian eigenmaps. The optimal DGA feature set is more advantageous than the frequent‐used DGA data, IEC ratios, Rogers ratios, and Doernenburg Ratios. The diagnosis accuracy of SSA‐KELM is better than that of KELM, particle swarm optimization‐KELM, genetic algorithm‐KELM, and loin swarm optimization‐KELM. Furthermore, the generalization and robustness ability of the MCML and SSA‐KELM is confirmed by the China DGA samples, the obtained results verify the reliability and validity of the proposed method again. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent condition identification is the development trend of transformer condition recognition, However, the existing intelligent condition recognition has the disadvantage of single model and low recognition accuracy. In order to overcome the disadvantage, a transformer condition recognition method based on dissolved gas analysis features selection and multiple models fusion is proposed. At first, artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is employed to select a set of optimal dissolved gas analysis (DGA) features. Then, according to the selected feature set, support vector classifier (SVC) model, naive bayes classifier (NBC) model, and back-propagation neural network (BPNN) model are respectively established. Finally, the Dempster–Shafer​ (D-S) evidence theory is used to combine the output results of the three recognition models. The identification performances of the optimal DGA features set and the multiple models fusion are evaluated. The results reveal that the proposed method has the highest accuracy and consistency of 89.39% and 90.49% respectively. With the input vector of proposed optimal DGA features set, the overall performance of multiple model fusion method is superior than the SVC, NBC, BPNN, extreme learning machine (ELM) and K- Nearest-Neighbor (KNN). The accuracy and consistency are increased by 4.54%, 4.52%, and 10.42%, 14.68%, and 3.03%, 3.67%, and 10.6%, 13.45%, and 24.24%, 27.57% respectively. Also, the overall performance of multiple model fusion method with optimal DGA features set is increased significantly compared to multiple model fusion method with IEC Ratio, Rogers Ratio, Doernenburg Ratio, optimal DGA features set selected by particle swarm optimization (PSO) and harris hawks optimization (HHO). The accuracy and consistency are increased by 4.54%, 7.43%, and 6.06%, 7.33%, and 10.6%, 13.58%, and 1.51%, 1.39%, and 9.09%,10% respectively. This proves the effectiveness and the feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TUG1 has been shown to be involved in diverse human diseases by regulating gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels via interaction with miRNA or proteins. However, the role of TUG1 in liver fibrosis remains unclear. Here, we found that Tug1 is dysregulated in liver fibrosis according to the microarray analysis. Moreover, we investigated the expression files of Tug1 by using CCl 4 -and BDL-induced liver fibrosis model mice as well as in the primary cells isolated from the mice. We demonstrated that Tug1 is over-expressed in the fibrotic livers and activated HSCs, but not injured hepatocytes. In addition, we assessed the function of Tug1 in HSCs and found that Tug1 promotes the expression of α-SMA, Col1α1, Mmp2/9/10 and Timp1. Mechanically, Tug1 promotes the expression of these pro-fibrogenic genes by down-regulating miR-29b, thus accelerating the progression of liver fibrosis. Further study revealed that TUG1was up-regulated in liver tissues of patients with cirrhosis. All together, our data indicate that TUG1 might be a potential therapy target of liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel fractional gradient descent method with adaptive momentum is presented for training BP neural networks. • The convergence of the proposed algorithm is proved. • The proposed fractional algorithm can effectively improve the training performance and expand the selection range of learning rate. A novel fractional gradient descent method with adaptive momentum is presented in this paper to improve the convergence speed and stability for BP neural network training. The fractional Grünwald-Letnikov derivative is used for the fractional gradient. The coefficient of the momentum term is set as an adaptive variable, depending on the fractional gradient of the current step and the weight change of the previous step. We give a detailed convergence proof of the proposed method. Experiments on MNIST data sets and XOR problem demonstrate that the fractional gradient descent method with adaptive momentum term can effectively improve convergence speed, maintain stability of BP neural network training, help escape from local minimum points, and enlarge the selection range of the learning rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to diagnose the electric shock fault types of new-generation adaptive residual current operated protective devices (RCDs), a combination method based on local mean decomposition (LMD) amount of energy and support vector machine (SVM) is proposed in this study. First, LMD is applied to decompose the original electric shock signals into a finite number of product functions (PFs); then the former PFs containing the main features are selected to calculate the total energy. Second, SVM is used to solve the multi-class classification problem. The amount of energy of the PF component is considered as the input vector of the SVM, and particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used to optimize the model parameters. Experimental results show that the proposed method is effective in diagnosing animal or plant electric shock fault type, which provides a reliable theoretical basis for developing a new generation of adaptive RCDs. © 2017 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a novel protection scheme for residual current devices (RCDs) based on the theory of skewness and the least squares‐support vector machine (LS‐SVM). The skewness of the residual current is applied to detect the electric shock fault time, and the LS‐SVM regression technique is used to perform touch current identification. The experimental test results indicate that the protection scheme can not only detect the electric shock fault time correctly and rapidly but also effectively recognise the circulation through the animal's current. Moreover, the proposed protection technique can provide valuable information for developing new generations of RCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-dimensional (1-D) selenidostannate, [AEPPH 2 ] 2 [Sn 5 Se 12 ] (AEPP = N -aminoethylpiperazine) ( 1 ), has been prepared under solvothermal condition and characterized. Single crystal X-ray analysis reveals that compound 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P -1, a = 10.6351(7) Å, b = 10.6850(7) Å, c = 10.7771(7) Å, α = 61.3440(10)°, β = 62.4420(10)°, γ = 67.4680(10). With distinct linkage modes between SnSe 4 tetrahedrons and SnSe 6 octahedrons, a secondary building unit (SBU) [Sn 5 Se 14 ] is formed. Compound 1 contains infinite bead-like chains built up by the [Sn 5 Se 14 ] SBUs, and the protonated [AEPPH 2 ] 2 + cations are located between the chain spaces. A pseudo 3-D network is formed through C–H···Se and N–H···Se hydrogen bonds between adjacent chains. Its optical property and theoretical band structure and density of state (DOS) calculations have also been studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supertetrahedral clusters are the most common building blocks in constructing Group 13/14/16 microporous metal chalcogenide materials while other types of clusters are yet scarcely explored. Herein, a new crown-like building unit [In3Ge3S16] has been obtained. The units assemble into a 3D framework [C6H14NO]4[In6Ge3S17]·1.5H2O (1) via a dual-connection mode and a SrSi2 (srs)-type topology could be achieved by treating each unit as a tri-connected node. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 6005A aluminum alloy extrusion profiles are widely used in China Railway High-speed trains and mainly welded by metal-inert gas welding. The coarse-grain layer covering the profiles leads to the formation of liquation cracks and deteriorates the mechanical properties of the welded joints. In addition, the weld reinforcement has negative effects on the fatigue life. To improve the mechanical properties of the welded joints, a novel hybrid milling-friction stir processing (HMFSP) tool is developed. The surficial coarse grains and intergranular eutectic could be eliminated by the tool, which suppressed the formation of liquation cracks. Meanwhile, the weld reinforcement was removed simultaneously and the stress concentration near the weld toe was eliminated. The average grain size of the affected zone was refined to 5.7 μm and the tensile strength of the welded joints increased by 10% after HMFSP. Moreover, a 62.1% prolongation of the fatigue life was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-level 3D selenide framework in an In3+–Ge4+ system was synthesized. The interconnection between super-supertetrahedral T2,2 and supertetrahedral T3 clusters via their terminal Se2− leads to a previously unknown hybrid T2,2–T3 linkage mode. The synthetic realization of this material represents another new level of complexity and demonstrates the versatility in the construction and property-engineering of cluster-based semiconducting materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aimed at understanding the overall energy efficiency level of rural low-voltage distribution network, and on the basis of analyzing current research on energy saving indexes of distribution network, the energy efficiency evaluation index system and evaluation model of rural low-voltage distribution network were established in this article. Firstly, according to relevant standards and rules, a set of comprehensive index system for evaluating energy efficiency of rural low-voltage distribution network was established. The index system consisted of seven second grade indexes, such as the electric network structure, network equipment, power quality, network loss, economic operation of power network, reactive power compensation and distributed generation. Particularly, electric network structure index included 4 third grade indexes: the proportion of distribution transformer located at the load center and 380V line power radius beyond the standard, the percentage of small section for 380 V line and connecting line; the network equipment index contained 3 third grade indexes: the ratio of efficient type distribution transformer, non-standardized distribution transformer capacity and energy-efficient low-voltage line; the power quality index consisted of 4 third grade indexes: the qualified rate of 380 V three-phase load unbalance degree, 380/220 V voltage monitoring point, 380V voltage and current total harmonic distortion; the network loss index included 4 third grade indexes: the comprehensive loss rate of distribution transformer and low voltage, the number of serious exceed the standard rate of loss rate for single distribution transformer and low voltage; the economic operation of power network index consisted of one third grade index that distribution transformer load rate of interval number in the economic; the reactive power compensation index included 4 third grade indexes: reactive power compensation device installation and operation rate, distribution transformer monthly average power factor qualification rate, reactive power compensation capacity accounted for distribution transformer capacity ratio; the distributed generation index include the capacity and generating capacity ratio of distributed generation accessed to the low voltage district; all together 22 third grade indexes. Then, the calculation method for 22 third grade indexes was determined, the 22 single efficiency indexes were obtained and the comprehensive evaluation model which was proposed based on principal component analysis and analytic hierarchy process was used to calculate energy efficiency of rural low-voltage distribution network. The concrete methods were: according to the principal component analysis, the index matrix for each second grade indexes was determined, and by means of 0-9 scaling method of analytic hierarchy process, the comprehensive weight of the second grade index was determined, thus the method overcame the shortcomings of single weighting method and realized the combination of the quantitative result from energy efficiency index and the qualitative result from the judge of relevant experts ,which made the evaluation results more reasonably. Finally, Taking low-voltage distribution network of three districts in rural as example, the evaluation result of three districts obtained by the method proposed in the paper were completely in conformity with the result of actual distribution network efficiency, which indicated that the proposed method in this paper was the effective and practicable. It provides a reference for implementing electric-saving reconstruction and energy-saving assessment of rural low-voltage distribution network in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust estimation methods can effectively eliminate the influence of gross errors on parameter estimation. However, the extent of gross errors eliminated (EGEE) by robust estimation methods is far-reaching. This article presents a new approach to determine EGEE by robust estimation method. Taking multiple linear regressions (2–5) as examples, simulation experiments were conducted to compare the EGEE of 14 frequently used robust estimation methods. This article confirms several additional efficient robust estimation methods for dealing with multiple linear regressions, as well as the minimum number of observations needed to eliminate gross errors in certain ranges completely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Implants immediately loaded full-arch prosthesis in maxilla is always a challenge, especially when the zone 2 is extremely defected. To achieve a satisfying result, different therapeutic alternatives have been proposed, such as zygomatic implant, pterygoid implant; however, precise surgical skills limited its application. Case presentation: This study reported a case that an edentulous patient was treated with a new technique, two axial implants and four tilted implants supporting an immediate fixed denture, extruding the cortical bone of the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus to establish the primary stability. Conclusions: Two-year follow-up proves that it is a viable choice. Meanwhile, a reliable method for its saving time and money and low level of discomfort for patients is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf phenological traits vary greatly with plant species, are thought to relate to leaf functional traits, and play an important role in plant growth. In this study, we investigated leaf phenological and functional traits of 52 woody species (324 individuals) from a natural forest in the Loess Plateau in China. Shrubs obtain a longer leaf life span (LLS) through early leaf emergence and later leaf senescence. Shrubs have a longer LLS compared with trees because they have a greater leaf thickness than trees (to prevent early spring frost), leaf phosphorus content ([P] leaf , related to cell division), and C:N ratio and stem density (to prevent mechanical damage). Among all woody species, species with a small SLA and leaf area and species with thick leaves have a longer leaf emergence duration and LLS, which may be related to material energy reserves. In addition, shrubs had a greater [P] leaf and C:N ratio and a longer leaf emergence duration. Our results reveal differences in leaf phenological traits among life forms and indicate that plant functional traits can provide insight into the mechanisms underlying such differences. In addition, the results of this study provide insight into species coexistence and community assembly in temperate deciduous forests. • Leaf phenology traits varied between trees and shrubs in a temperate forest. • Shrubs generally leafed out earlier and shed later than trees. • Leaf morphology traits contributed to explain differences in phenology traits. • Leaf phenology traits were closely related to the stoichiometry traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method based on micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with electrochemical detection was developed for the determination of cytosine, 5-methylcytosine (5-MC), thymine, adenine, and guanine in the hydrolysates of DNA. The working electrode was fabricated in a novel self-positioning carbon disc electrode system that can align the capillary outlet with the working electrode without a three-dimensional micromanipulator. The five analytes could be well separated within 10 min in a 40 cm length capillary at a separation voltage of 9 kV in a 40 mmol/l borate buffer (pH 10.0) containing 100 mmol/l sodium dodecyl sulfate. Good linearity was observed between peak current and concentration of bases over three orders of magnitude with the detection limits (S/N=3) ranging from 1.28·10−6 to 5.02·10−6 mol/l. This proposed method demonstrated long-term stability and reproducibility with relative standard deviations of less than 5% for both migration time and peak current (n=7). It has been successfully applied to determine bases including 5-MC in the hydrolysates of fish sperm DNA, calf thymus DNA, and DNA isolated from spleen cells of female mice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Effects of porosity distributions on the tensile and fatigue properties were studied. • Porosities appeared near the fusion line in the arc zone with high arc current. • Low welding speed or arc current was benefit for reducing the porosity rate. • Fracture locations of the tensile specimens were mainly related with the porosity rate. • Fracture diverted from ductile to ductile and brittle mixed mode as porosity increased. 6082-T6 aluminum alloy with thickness of 6 mm were welded by laser-MIG hybrid welding. The effects of welding parameters on the porosity distribution, the correlations between the porosity distribution and mechanical properties were comprehensively investigated. The porosities mainly appeared near the fusion line of the arc zone when the arc current larger than 140 A, and which mainly existed in the center of the laser zone with other unsuitable parameters. Adopting low welding speed and setting heat source distance as around 3 mm were beneficial for the reduction of the porosity rate. The laser power, defocus distance, fit-up gap and gas flow rate had less effects on the porosity distribution. The average tensile strength of the joints without porosities was 260 MPa, which decreased to 224 MPa and 202 MPa as the porosity rate increased to 5.1% and 8.9%. The tensile specimens fractured at the heat affected zone or in the weld center when the porosity rates less or greater than 3%, and the fracture feature was diverted from ductile fracture to ductile and brittle mixed mode as the porosity rate increasing. The fatigue strength reduced from 113 MPa to 56 MPa when the porosity rate increased from 0% to 8.9%, while the porosity position had little effect on it. The fracture initiated in the weld surface when the joints without porosity, and which initiated near the porosity when the porosities existed in the joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explanation: A systematic research on chronology, mineral compositions, geochemistry, particularly the rare earth elements of the SSZK1 well suggests that the YX-2300 coral bone formed at 114 ka have obvious positive Eu anomalies (A), and the model calculations suggest that at least 0.1% of hydrothermal fluids were added to the surrounding seawater during its growth (B and C). [Display omitted] • The environment of most coral samples in this study can be well judged as the marine environment with oxidation conditions. • The similarity in the distribution patterns of REE+Y in P1 and P2 suggests that diagenetic alteration has little influence. • Obvious positive Eu anomalies and the REE + Y distribution model indicate the involvement of hydrothermal fluids. Coral reefs play an important role in the high-resolution paleoclimate and paleoenvironment records. In particular, the contents, distribution patterns and elemental anomalies of the rare earth elements can reflect the paleoceanic conditions and sedimentary environments. In this study, we focus on the SSZK1 core in the Coral Reef of Yongxing Island, South China Sea (SCS). The sediments of this core can be divided into two stages: P1 (18.00–24.95 m) and P2 (24.95–55.92 m), based on the dating results. The results show that the coral reefs of P1 and P2 stages have slightly different REE contents, but similar REE + Y patterns. In general, the REE + Y patterns of both P1 and P2 stages are similar to those of normal marine carbonates (rocks), showing LREE depletion, negative Ce anomaly and high Y/Ho ratios. This indicates that the REEs of coral preserved their pristine geochemical features although they have experienced the diagenetic alteration to some degree. However, the samples, such as the YX-2300 coral bone formed at 114 ka, have obvious positive Eu anomalies except the similar REE + Y characteristics as the normal marine carbonates (rocks). The positive Eu anomalies indicate that some hydrothermal fluids may be input into the surrounding water at the time of coral bone formation. Based on the model calculations, at least 0.1% of hydrothermal fluids were added to the surrounding seawater during the growth of YX-2300 coral bone. By comparing the data and ages, it is suggested that these hydrothermal fluids could be associated with volcanic activities on Gaojishi Island or Hainan Island. This evidence is important to trace the occurrence of modern worldwide volcanism or deep faults activity in the deep-sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of metal-polymer structures has been restricted by challenges in achieving effective bonding between the two materials. To address this, nano-TiO 2 coatings were introduced to improve the interfacial bonding between the treated 6061 Al alloy and carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite (CFRTP) during the laser joining process. The results highlighted that the joints created with nano-TiO 2 coatings achieved significantly higher tensile shear force and strength, reaching 1.43 and 1.37 times the values of those without particles, respectively. This improvement can be attributed to the following factors: firstly, the incorporation of coatings led to an increase in the absorption of hydroxy groups, thereby improving the wettability of the Al alloy, which in turn promoted the formation of hydrogen bonds at the interface. Secondly, the increased surface roughness favored the chemical interaction between the Al alloy and CFRTP, ascribed to the enlarged contact area. Moreover, this change influenced the thermal contact conductance (TCC), thereby changing the temperature at the interface and joining areas of the two materials. Finally, a notable transformation in the failure mode was observed, transitioning from adhesive failure to cohesive failure when compared to joints without nano-TiO 2 coatings. This underscored the reinforcing role played by nano-TiO 2 particles, providing an innovative solution for enhancing the interface bonding between dissimilar materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of metal-polymer structures has been restricted by challenges in achieving effective bonding between the two materials. To address this, nano-TiO 2 coatings were introduced to improve the interfacial bonding between the treated 6061 Al alloy and carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite (CFRTP) during the laser joining process. The results highlighted that the joints created with nano-TiO 2 coatings achieved significantly higher tensile shear force and strength, reaching 1.43 and 1.37 times the values of those without particles, respectively. This improvement can be attributed to the following factors: firstly, the incorporation of coatings led to an increase in the absorption of hydroxy groups, thereby improving the wettability of the Al alloy, which in turn promoted the formation of hydrogen bonds at the interface. Secondly, the increased surface roughness favored the chemical interaction between the Al alloy and CFRTP, ascribed to the enlarged contact area. Moreover, this change influenced the thermal contact conductance (TCC), thereby changing the temperature at the interface and joining areas of the two materials. Finally, a notable transformation in the failure mode was observed, transitioning from adhesive failure to cohesive failure when compared to joints without nano-TiO 2 coatings. This underscored the reinforcing role played by nano-TiO 2 particles, providing an innovative solution for enhancing the interface bonding between dissimilar materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Leaf mass fraction (LMF) is mainly related to draught tolerance. • Leaf area ratio (LAR) is mainly related to light capture. • LMF and LAR play different roles in the acclimation of plants. Abstract Understanding how plants allocate biomass to different organs is of high importance since biomass allocation among organs determines many growth processes. Biomass allocation among plant organs is driven by environmental conditions, while functional traits can also be potential covariates to understand the allocation of biomass. However, the relationships between functional traits and biomass allocation remain poorly known and studied. We investigated the relationships of two biomass allocation indicators, including leaf mass fraction (LMF) and leaf area ratio (LAR), with six economic traits and five hydraulic traits across 30 woody species. We found that LMF and LAR showed different relationships with economics traits. In addition, a significantly negative correlation was observed between LMF and leaf water potential at turgor loss point (TLP), but no significant relationship was found between LAR and TLP. Principal component analyses showed that LMF-related traits and LAR-related traits could be divided into two groups. Taken together, LMF is mainly related to draught tolerance while LAR mainly related to light capture. Although LMF and LAR are two significantly correlated biomass allocation indicators, they play different roles in the acclimation of plants. Researchers should focus on the different functions of these two indicators and the different relationships with other functional traits in the further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Protein folding or unfolding in solution bring about terahertz spectrum changes. • Terahertz spectrum can indicate protein denaturation induced by pH or temperature. • Terahertz spectroscopy is a potential label-free protein drugs' quality control tool. Polypeptides and protein drugs have received enormous attention from pharmaceutical industry, medical sector and consumer groups because of a favourable combination of their bioactivity, specificity and overall success rate for the treatment of a variety of diseases. The efficacy and safety of drugs may be degraded due to fluctuating environmental factors, accompanied by changes of the natural conformation of protein. Thus, it is necessary and meaningful to evaluate drug status before use. To that end, the evolving new and pre-existing protein activity/conformation technologies have proven to ensure the safety of drug use consistently. Recently, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has demonstrated suitability for label-free and non-destructive detection of polypeptide and protein conformational changes. In this paper, THz optical parameters of pepsin solutions under different temperatures and with varying pH are measured to demonstrate the feasibility and the considerable potential of THz spectroscopic method in detecting protein drugs. In cases where temperature or pH change is apparent, the THz absorption coefficient, the refractive index, and the dielectric loss tangent change noticeably, independently verified by enzyme activity testing. These findings strongly support the conclusion that THz spectroscopy of pepsin solutions can be used for qualitative analysis to identify the folding or unfolding of protein drugs caused by changes of environmental factors, laying the foundation of a new label-free method for quality control of protein drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound is solvothermally synthesized from a solution of Sn, Se, and CuCl in a 1:1 mixture of N-aminoethylpiperazine and EtOH (autoclave, 200 °C, 6 d, 38% yield). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of soldering based on metallurgical bonding, as opposed to conventional rubber sealing, is capable of achieving the firm sealing of stainless-steel subway car bodies, though the corrosion resistance of such joints has rarely been investigated. In this study, two typical solders were selected and applied to the soldering of stainless steel, and their properties were investigated. As indicated by the experimental results, the two types of solder exhibited favorable wetting and spreading properties on stainless-steel plates, and successfully achieved sealing connections between the stainless-steel sheets. In comparison with the Sn-Zn9 solder, the Sn-Sb8-Cu4 solder exhibited lower solidus–liquidus, such that it can be more suitably applied to low-temperature sealing brazing. The sealing strength of the two solders reached over 35 MPa, notably higher than that of the sealant currently used (the sealing strength is lower than 10 MPa). In comparison with the Sn-Sb8-Cu4 solder, the Sn-Zn9 solder exhibited a higher corrosion tendency and a higher degree of corrosion during the corrosion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum profile structures are extensively used in the transportation industry and pose a considerable challenge to single-sided spot joining technologies. The widely used Huck BOM® riveting process requires prefabricated holes and thus significantly increases cost and reduces efficiency. In this study, a novel single-sided friction riveting (SSFR) process with an internal-threaded semi-tubular rivet is proposed to realize a screwed-solid state hybrid joining of aluminum sheet to profile structure without prefabricated holes. The results show that the upper trapped metal is welded with the lower profile structure under the thermal-mechanical coupled action generated by rivet stirring. The internal thread could facilitate material filling into the rivet cavity and form a mechanical interlock, so as to realize the single-sided joining between the sheet and the profile without prefabricated holes. The one-stage SSFR process could form shear texture and promote continuous dynamic recrystallization, but lead to excessive material softening and internal cracking. A two-stage process including friction softening and screw tightening could better coordinate the effects of heat and force, thereby avoiding cracking and refining grains in the stirring zone. Finally, the tensile-shear and cross-tension peak loads were respectively improved by 9.0 % and 29.3 %, compared to the joints with one-stage process and non-structural rivet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yongle atoll in the Xisha (Paracel) Archipelago is an isolated carbonate platform developed on Precambrian metamorphic and Mesozoic volcanic rocks since the early Miocene. To identify the 3D stratigraphic architecture and evolution of this platform, 13 high‐resolution seismic profiles and shallow‐to‐deep water multi‐beam data were processed and analyzed to reveal seismic facies, sequence boundary reflectors, seismic units, and platform architecture. Nine types of seismic facies were recognized based on their geometry, which included seismic amplitude, continuity, and termination patterns; additionally, six reflections, i.e., Tg, T60, T50, T40, T30, and T20, were identified in the Cenozoic strata. Five seismic units, SQ1 (lower Miocene), SQ2 (middle Miocene), SQ3 (upper Miocene), SQ4 (Pliocene), and SQ5 (Quaternary), were identified from bottom to top across the platform. The platform grew rapidly in the middle Miocene and backstepped in the late Miocene–Pliocene. Here, we discuss the developmental characteristics and evolution of the Yongle Atoll, in combination with drilling wells, which can be divided into four stages: the initiation stage in the early Miocene, the flourishing stage in the middle Miocene, the partial‐drowning stage in the late Miocene–Pliocene, and modern atoll in the Quaternary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as important regulators in a variety of human diseases. The dysregulation of liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC) phenotype is a critical early event in the fibrotic process. However, the biological function of lncRNAs in LSEC still remains unclear.Methods: The expression level of lncRNA Airn was evaluated in both human fibrotic livers and serums, as well as mouse fibrotic livers. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were performed to detect the effect of Airn on LSEC differentiation and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in liver fibrosis. Furthermore, RIP, RNA pull-down-immunoblotting, and ChIP experiments were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms of Airn.Results: We have identified Airn was significantly upregulated in liver tissues and LSEC of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis mouse model. Moreover, the expression of AIRN in fibrotic human liver tissues and serums was remarkably increased compared with healthy controls. In vivo studies showed that Airn deficiency aggravated CCl4- and bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver fibrosis, while Airn over-expression by AAV8 alleviated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. Furthermore, we revealed that Airn maintained LSEC differentiation in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, Airn inhibited HSC activation indirectly by regulating LSEC differentiation and promoted hepatocyte (HC) proliferation by increasing paracrine secretion of Wnt2a and HGF from LSEC. Mechanistically, Airn interacted with EZH2 to maintain LSEC differentiation through KLF2-eNOS-sGC pathway, thereby maintaining HSC quiescence and promoting HC proliferation.Conclusions: Our work identified that Airn is beneficial to liver fibrosis by maintaining LSEC differentiation and might be a serum biomarker for liver fibrogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A slow reaction between Nd3+ and piperazine-1,4-dicarbodithiolate disodium (Na2(pipzdtc)) affords a three dimensional (3D) anionic [Nd(pipzdtc)2]nn− framework with a dia net. The encapsulated disordered guest molecules could be partially exchanged by Ni2+ accompanied by the quenching of the typical NIR luminescence of Nd3+ ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Achievement of high strength Al/CFRP hybrid joint via laser texturing pretreatment. • High friction stir joining speed which reached 3000 mm/min. • Establishing evaluation criteria of laser-textured joint: anchorage value. • Analysis including the semi-crystalline property of PA66 and temperature simulation. This paper presents the achievement of a high-strength Al/CFRP hybrid joint through a high-speed friction stir lap joining process, combined with variations in laser surface texturing pretreatment parameters. The study examined the impact of laser surface texturing parameters by varying the depth, interval distance and width of the laser texture. By adjusting laser texturing parameters, the softened PA66 was fully infused into the textured grooves on the aluminum surface, leading to a significant reduction in interfacial voids and cracks in Al/CFRP. The preliminary tensile shear test showed that the hybrid joint broke at the CFRP base material, indicating that the laser texturing exhibited excellent Al/CFRP interface strengthening ability. Further compression shear tests were applied to reveal the actual interfacial load-carrying performance for comparison. The maximum shear strength of 25. 5 − 1.34 + 0.7 MPa was achieved at a joining speed of 3000 mm/min. Additionally, a mathematical model was proposed to assess the strengthening impact of laser texturing parameters, considering micro-texture geometry and interfacial defects. The tearing of PA66, detachment of carbon fibers, and the breakage of carbon fibers were the three primary types of fracture modes identified at the Al/CFRP interface. The joining mechanism revealed that both mechanical interlocking and the chemical bonding of Al-O-C contributed to the increase in joint shear strength. This study presents a credible method for producing high-strength Al/CFRP lightweight structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• By tailoring the arrangement of the unit cells in a 2D array, the incident circular polarization can split into two orthogonal linear polarizations and focus on different positions of the focal plane. • The amplitude of the focal lines can be tailored in a gradient distribution by tuning the rotation angle of the C-shaped antenna. • The focusing efficiency of the cylindrical metalens reaches up to 64.7% with a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.75 for high efficient one-dimensional collection of the terahertz waves. • A standard UV lithography with lift off is used for the fabrication which is compatible with the mass production in a chip factory. Metalens, consisting of planar micro/nanostructure arrays, has shown great potentials in beam steering, subwavelength focusing and high-resolution imaging. Taking the advantages of ultrathin thickness and compact design, it can be integrated with a photonic chip to improve the collection efficiency of optoelectronic systems. However, it remains challenging to realize the multidimensional control of terahertz (THz) waves by using a metalens, although the convergence properties have been widely studied. Here, we design and experimentally demonstrate a multifunctional cylindrical metalens by using a tri-layer metallic metasurface. By modulating the amplitude, phase and polarization states of terahertz waves independently, the cylindrical metalens can generate two focal lines at different positions for transmitted x - and y - polarized terahertz waves with varying amplitude distribution. Importantly, up to 64.7% focusing efficiency has been obtained at the frequency of 0.34 THz with a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.75. Our study offers a novel method for implementing multifunctional cylindrical metalens which lays the foundation of advanced integration with arrayed terahertz detection chips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent type of OA, and Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) may lead to the pathogenesis of OA. Recently, X-linked TLR7 polymorphism has been confirmed to be associated with arthritis. However, there is a lack of studies on TLR7 gene polymorphism associated with knee OA susceptibility. The current study aimed to determine whether TLR7 gene polymorphism is associated with the risk of knee OA. Genotyping of two polymorphic sites (rs3853839 and rs179010) in the TLR7 gene was performed in 252 OA patients, and 265 healthy controls using the SNaPshot sequencing technique. Data were analyzed statistically by Chi-square tests and logistic regression. Rs3853839-C allele showed frequencies of 28% and 27% in the healthy control and female knee OA groups, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The rs3853839-CG genotype frequency was significantly lower in the female knee OA group as compared to the healthy control group (OR 0.60; 95%CI 0.36–0.99; P = 0.044). In the male hemizygote population, the rs3853839-CC showed significantly lower frequencies in the male knee OA group as compared to the healthy control group (OR 0.35; 95%CI 0.17–0.71; P = 0.0025). Regarding rs179010, there were no differences in the genotype distribution and allele frequencies between OA patients and healthy subjects under any models (P > 0.05). Stratified analysis showed that the frequency of the rs3853839-CG genotypes was lower in high Kellgren-Lawrence grades (KLG) (OR 0.48; 95%CI 0.21–1.08; P = 0.066), and significantly lower in OA patients with effusion synovitis (OR 0.38; 95%CI 0.17–0.88; P = 0.013). TLR7 rs3853839 polymorphism may play a role in the susceptibility of knee OA in the Chinese Han Population and may be associated with OA severity and the risk of effusion synovitis in Knee OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calotropis gigantea is often found in mining areas with heavy metal pollution. However, little is known about the physiological and molecular response mechanism of C. gigantea to Cd stress. In the present study, Cd tolerance characteristic of C. gigantea and the potential mechanisms were explored. Seed germination test results showed that C. gigantea had a certain Cd tolerance capacity. Biochemical and transcriptomic analysis indicated that the roots and leaves of C. gigantea had different responses to early Cd stress. A total of 176 and 1618 DEGs were identified in the roots and leaves of C. gigantea treated with Cd compared to the control samples, respectively. Results indicated that oxidative stress was mainly initiated in the roots of C. gigantea, whereas the leaves activated several Cd detoxification processes to cope with Cd, including the upregulation of genes involved in Cd transport (i.e., absorption, efflux, or compartmentalization), cell wall remodeling, antioxidant system, and chelation. This study provides preliminary information to understand how C. gigantea respond to Cd stress, which is useful for evaluating the potential of C. gigantea in the remediation of Cd-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The much lower processing temperature makes cold spray have many merits to deposit metallic coatings, repair failed metallic parts and additively manufacture metallic parts as compared with the high-energy beam based metal depositing processes. Although adhesion is critical for coating and repairing applications for cold sprayed deposits, it is still challenging to get high bonding strength especially for depositing materials with low density and elastic modulus. Here we introduced an in-situ micro-forging (MF) effect to cold spray by mixing 200–300 µm big-sized 410 stainless steel shot peening particles into the depositing Al powder. Due to the in-situ forging by the shot peening particles with 100 time higher kinetic energy than the depositing Al particle, vortex-like material intermixing between the Al deposit and the AZ31BMg substrate is periodically formed along the deposit/substrate interface. Meanwhile, the greatly improved interfacial plastic deformation at the deposit/substrate interface remarkably promotes the breaking and segmentation of the native oxide scale on both the spraying particle surface and substrate surface which promotes metallurgical bonding formation across the deposit/substrate interface. Both the vortex-like material intermixing induced enhanced mechanical interlocking and the improved metallurgical bonding contribute to a higher adhesion. As a consequence, the adhesion of Al deposit increases from 47.9 MPa to 107.2 MPa. [Display omitted] • An in-situ micro-forging is introduced into cold spray to improve the adhesion. • Vortex-like material intermixing is periodically formed along the interface. • More dispersed interfacial oxide scale leads to improved metallurgical bonding fraction. • Adhesion of cold sprayed Al deposit is improved from 47.9 MPa to 107.2 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To assess the myopic corneal diameter with Orbscan II Topography System (Bausch & Lomb, Orbtek Inc., Salt Lake City, UT, USA). Methods: Four hundred sixty-two eyes of 231 myopic patients and 129 emmetropic eyes were measured with the Orbscan II system. Eyes were divided into four groups according to the spherical equivalent(SE) as follows: group 1 [emmetropic group, spherical equivalents between −0.50 D and +0.50 D (−0.50

The nucleation, propagation, and rehabilitation of pitting corrosion of Al–Mg–Si Aluminium alloy (AA6063) are studied in 3%NaCl solution by using electrochemical noise measurement. It shows that the composite film composed of sequent precipitation of ceria and 1-tetradecylphosphonic acid (DPA) presents the best pitting corrosion resistance compared with the independent ceria conversion film or self-assembling DPA film. XPS and microscopic Raman spectra confirmed that Ceria film is an excellent interlayer for the self-assembling of alkyl phosphate on the intermetallic particles in Al alloy. The anti-corrosion performance of Cerium oxides and DPA composite film is totally dependent on the deposition sequence. Prior deposition of ceria and then DPA film can increase the hydrophilicity of Al matrix and AlFeSi intermetallic particles, further promoting the self-assembling of upper DPA molecules, thus dramatically improving the overall and pitting corrosion resistance of AA6063. This could be attributed to the synergistic effects between the upper DPA film and underlying Ce conversion film. On the contrary, Prior assembly of DPA and then deposition of ceria, may significantly degrade their inhibition efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental fluorosis is a global issue. Although there are multiple causes of dental fluorosis, the precise mechanism remains controversial. Previous studies have demonstrated that extracellular fluoride may promote an accumulation of fluoride ions in ameloblasts, which may induce oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stresses, leading to dental fluorosis. However, the exact process by which fluoride ions enter cells has not been determined. In the present study, intracellular fluoride concentration was determined using a newly developed specific fluorescent probe called probe 1. Under high extracellular fluoride concentrations, the fluorescence intensity of the ameloblasts increased, however, exogenous transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was able to inhibit the increase. Furthermore, changes in the expression of the voltage-gated chloride channels 5 and 7 (ClC5 and ClC-7), which are responsible for the transport of fluoride were investigated. The results indicated that fluoride reduced the expression of endogenous TGF-β1 and increased the expression of ClC-5 and ClC-7. Additionally, exogenous TGF-β1 reduced the expression of ClC-5 and ClC-7. The results of the present study indicate that exogenous TGF-β1 may prevent accumulation of fluoride in ameloblasts through the regulation of ClC-5 and ClC-7 under high extracellular fluoride concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to investigate the effect of 650-nm low-level laser irradiation (LLLI) as an adjunctive treatment of experimental periodontitis. To investigate possible LLLI-mediated anti-inflammatory effects, we utilized an experimental periodontitis (EP) rat model and analyzed c-Jun, c-Fos, ICAM-1, and CCL2 gene expressions on PB leukocytes and in the gingival tissue. Total RNA was isolated from the gingivae and peripheral blood (PB) leukocytes of normal, EP, scaling, and root planing (SRP)-treated EP and LLLI + SRP-treated EP rats, and gene expressions were analyzed by real-time PCR. The productions of c-Jun, c-Fos, ICAM-1, and CCL2 in gingivae were analyzed immunohistochemically. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was used to determine osteoclast activity in alveolar bone. The c-Jun and ICAM-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were significantly decreased in the EP rat gingival tissue treated by SRP + LLLI than by SRP, the c-Jun, ICAM-1, and c-Fos mRNA levels on PB leukocytes reduced after LLLI treatment but did not show any significant differences in both groups. There was no significant difference in CCL2 mRNA levels on PB leukocytes and in gingivae between the SRP + LLLI and the SRP groups. The c-Fos mRNA levels in gingivae did not show significant difference in both groups. Immunohistochemistry showed that the CCL2, ICAM-1, c-Jun, and c-Fos productions were significantly reduced in rats of the SRP + LLLI group compared with the only SRP group. LLLI significantly decreased the number of osteoclasts as demonstrated by TRAP staining. The 650-nm LLLI might be a useful treatment modality for periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides frequently block rivers, forming a barrier lake, resulting in a dam break event in the terrestrial environment. However, reports about the submarine landslides are scarce. Herein, the periplatform submarine landslides changing transport pathways of deepwater gravity flows within the southeastern region out of Xuande Atoll on the Xisha Islands, South China Sea, are described. Submarine landslides, including SL I and SL II, with a total area of 170.9 km2, were identified using up-to-date geophysical data, including multi-beam bathymetric and seismic data and sediment gravity cores. SL I directly connects the Sansha Canyon forming a large-scale negative relief with an area of 151.8 km2, developing the terraces, and transporting blocks and remnant blocks. SL II covers an area of 19.1 km2 and was mainly deposited on the deepwater plain with a toe part that is higher than the initial seafloor. The negative relief created by SL I on the seafloor forms the dominant pathways for the gravity flows, creating the new active channel system directly flowing into the canyon. The turbidity currents flowing along the steep lateral margin of SL II formed the cyclic steps. The remnant submarine landslide deposits on the western canyon margin indicate that SL I previously blocked the canyon and formed a submarine barrier lake, which was then eroded by the gravity flows flowing along with the channel system within SL I and the upstream canyon. Finally, the canyon was formed again, whose axis was "pushed" eastward by SL I. These observations update the evolution model of submarine landslide on a carbonate platform slope and the transport system from the slope to the submarine canyon or the deep basin and clarify the stability of submarine engineering and island-and-reef systems. • Our results help understand the initiation and emplacement processes of submarine landslides around the atoll. • Submarine landslides are the major conduits for shallow-water sediment transport into deep-water environments. • Submarine canyonning process can evacuate the distal part of a submarine landslide on the carbonate platform slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten inert gas-metal inert gas (TIG-MIG) hybrid welding combines the advantages of tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding and metal inert gas (MIG) welding. Due to the benefits of the two welding techniques, it is an effective strategy to enhance welding quality and productivity. To investigate the mechanism of arcs interaction in TIG-MIG hybrid welding, a three-dimensional transient model for arc-droplet-weld pool behavior was established. The temperature field, metal vapor content, flow fluid, current density and electromagnetic force in the arc space and weld pool were simulated and analyzed. The calculation results showed that the introduction of the TIG arc decreased the content of metal vapor and increased the arc temperature. Compared with single MIG welding, the amplitudes of maximum arc temperature and plasma velocity in TIG-MIG hybrid welding were lower. Experimental results demonstrated that the droplet deflection angle, droplet transfer frequency, weld bead cross-section, and arc temperature distribution all agreed well with calculated values. • The distribution of current density near tungsten tip was derived based on CCD camera. • The influence of the metal vapor on the arc and molten metal behavior were evaluated. • The maximum electromagnetic force near the MIG droplet was almost three times of TIG-MIG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by the demands for contactless stress detection, technologies are being used for shape control when producing cold-rolled strips. This paper presents a novel contactless stress detection technology based on a magnetoresistance sensor and the magnetoelastic effect, enabling the detection of internal stress in manufactured cold-rolled strips. An experimental device was designed and produced. Characteristics of this detection technology were investigated through experiments assisted by theoretical analysis. Theoretically, a linear correlation exists between the internal stress of strip steel and the voltage output of a magneto-resistive sensor. Therefore, for this stress detection system, the sensitivity of the stress detection was adjusted by adjusting the supply voltage of the magnetoresistance sensor, detection distance, and other relevant parameters. The stress detection experimental results showed that this detection system has good repeatability and linearity. The detection error was controlled within 1.5%. Moreover, the intrinsic factors of the detected strip steel, including thickness, carbon percentage, and crystal orientation, also affected the sensitivity of the detection system. The detection technology proposed in this research enables online contactless detection and meets the requirements for cold-rolled steel strips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulation of amyloid β protein (Aβ)-containing neuritic plaques in the brain is a neuropathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The β-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is essential for Aβ generation and dysregulation of BACE1 expression may lead to AD pathogenesis. Bcl-2-associated athanogen 1M (BAG-1M), initially identified as an anti-apoptotic protein, has also been found to be highly expressed in the same neurons that contain intracellular amyloid in the hippocampus of AD patient. In this report, we found that over-expression of BAG-1M enhances BACE1-mediated cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Aβ production by up-regulating BACE1 gene transcription. The regulation of BACE1 transcription by BAG-1M was dependent on NF-κB, as BAG-1M complexes NF-κB at the promoter of BACE1 gene and co-activates NF-κB-facilitated BACE1 transcription. Moreover, expression of BAG-1M by lentiviral vector in the hippocampus of AD transgenic model mice promotes Aβ generation and formation of neuritic plaque, and subsequently accelerates memory deficits of the mice. These results provide evidence for an emerging role of BAG-1M in the regulation of BACE1 expression and AD pathogenesis and that targeting the BAG-1M-NF-κB complex may provide a mechanism for inhibiting Aβ production and plaque formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel approach for enhancing bonding reliability of metal and CFRTP was proposed. • Synergetic mechanism of interfacial physical–chemical dual scales was elucidated. • The multiple modification approach enhanced the bonding reliability by 166%. • Oxide structures were confirmed as the condition of interfacial chemical bonding. • Hydrogen bonds were successfully induced and captured at the bonding interface. A novel multiple modification approach including laser texturing, micro-arc oxidation process and silane coupling agent treatment was proposed to optimize the bonding interface. Firstly, laser texturing was fabricated to promote the mechanical interlocking. Secondly, the micro-arc oxidation porous structure was designed to modify its physical structure and chemical states. This promoted the interfacial mechanical interlocking in dual scales including texturing and porous structures. Moreover, the new chemical bonds such as Ti-C and Ti-O were generated at the interface. The bonding strength of TC4/CFRTP was enhanced from 10.23 MPa to 23.41 MPa. Besides, more hydroxyl groups (–OH) were adsorbed inside the optimized structure, and the hydrogen bonds were successfully induced by silane coupling film via the final step. This further enhanced the bonding strength to the maximum of 27.22 MPa. Therefore, the multiple modification approach realized the comprehensive enhancement of mechanical interlocking, chemical bonding and functional groups interaction, which enhanced the bonding reliability by 166% than pretreated case. These results benefit future research in the process optimization to improve the reliability of metal-CFRTP bonding structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the cutoff voltage is efficient to increase the energy density of LiCoO 2 -based lithium-ion batteries to meet consumers' demand for electronic devices. However, higher cut-off voltage may lead to continuous decomposition of electrolyte and shorten the battery's cycle life. Herein, 1,3-propanediolcyclic sulfate (PCS) is designed as a film-forming additive to improve the electrochemical performance of high-voltage graphite/LiCoO 2 cells. The combined density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental results indicate that PCS participates in the film formation on both LiCoO 2 cathode and graphite anode side to regulate the interfacial reaction and inhibit the corresponding gas production. Thus, the capacity retention of 4.45 V graphite/LiCoO 2 pouch cells cycled at 45 °C after 300 cycles is elevated from 59.5% to 80.1% by incorporating 1.0 wt% PCS additive into the base electrolyte. It is found that PCS follows the C-O bond breaking mechanism on the positive electrode and S-O bond breaking mechanism on the negative electrode, respectively. In addition, PCS may undergo H-transfer reaction at the cathode in the first cycle because the -O-SO 2 - group appears as oxidation product in ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results. This finding provides new insights for understanding the mechanism of PCS acting as a high-voltage additive. • PCS can participate in film formation on both electrodes. • PCS follows the C-O bond breaking mechanism to produce -O-SO 3 - species on LiCoO 2. • -O-SO 2 - is produced by PCS following the S-O bond breaking mechanism on graphite. • PCS can improve the high voltage performance of graphite/LiCoO 2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aberrant accumulation of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) in the brain is a key feature of Alzheimer's disease ( AD), and enhanced cleavage of β-amyloid precursor protein ( APP) by β-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 ( BACE1) has a major causative role in AD. Despite their prominence in AD pathogenesis, the regulation of BACE1 and APP is incompletely understood. In this study, we report that the circular RNA circular RNA sponge for miR-7 (ciRS-7) has an important role in regulating BACE1 and APP protein levels. Previous studies have shown that ci RS-7, which is highly expressed in the human brain, is down-regulated in the brain of people with AD but the relevance of this finding was not clear. We have found that ci RS-7 is not involved in the regulation of APP and BACE1 gene expression, but instead reduces the protein levels of APP and BACE1 by promoting their degradation via the proteasome and lysosome. Consequently, overexpression of ci RS-7 reduces the generation of Aβ, indicating a potential neuroprotective role of ci RS-7. Our data also suggest that ci RS-7 modulates APP and BACE1 levels in a nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-dependent manner: ci RS-7 expression inhibits translation of NF-κB and induces its cytoplasmic localization, thus derepressing expression of UCHL1, which promotes APP and BACE1 degradation. Additionally, we demonstrated that APP reduces the level of ci RS-7, revealing a mutual regulation of ci RS-7 and APP. Taken together, our data provide a molecular mechanism implicating reduced ci RS-7 expression in AD, suggesting that ci RS-7 may represent a useful target in the development of therapeutic strategies for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hybrid laser heat source was selected for repairing of hybrid laser welded A7N01 alloy. • Defects in original joints were effectively eliminated by hybrid laser heat source. • HCF property with a little increase can be obtained compared with original joints. As one of the key concerns in the health maintenance system for modern railway equipment, defect repair plays an important role in enhancing the running safety reliability and economic benefits. In this study, welding defects of A7N01 alloy commonly used in high-speed trains were repaired by hybrid laser welding. The surface integrity of the welded zone before and after repairing was evaluated by various characterization methods in terms of the microstructures, tensile and fatigue properties. The results show that the original incomplete penetration defects would be eliminated by welding repair, giving rise to some microstructural changes such as the grain refinement and the widening of fine grain zone in the original welded joints. The heat input during welding repairing induced significantly reduction of the hardness and tensile strength from 105 HV to 75 HV and from 358 MPa to 338 MPa, respectively. Nevertheless, the fatigue properties of hybrid welded A7N01 alloy with the hybrid welding repairing were improved by 33.8%, probably because of reduced defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel Y 3 NbO 7 nanowires were successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method using Y(NO 3 ) 3 ·6H 2 O and Nb 2 O 5 as raw materials. X-ray power diffraction (XRD), High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis-DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) techniques were employed to determine the structure, morphology, specific surface area and optical properties of the as-prepared samples. Photocatalytic examination of the samples was carried out using aqueous solution of omeprazole sodium under visible light irradiation. The effects of initial omeprazole sodium concentration and catalyst amount on the photocatalytic degradation were also investigated. Detailed characterization demonstrated that Y 3 NbO 7 nanowires have cubic fluorite crystal structure with a diameter of about 20 nm and a length up to several micrometers. Photocatalytic activity tests revealed that omeprazole sodium photocatalytic reactions followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and Y 3 NbO 7 nanowires exhibited greater photocatalytic activity than its bulk counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) are inducible factors and important cytokines in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the present study, three bispecific and neutralizing antibodies (BsAB-1, BsAB-2 and BsAB-3) against both hIL-1β and hIL-17A were constructed, their therapeutic efficacy was compared on collagen induced arthritis (CIA) model mice. In vitro assays demonstrated that the three antibodies could simultaneously bind to target both hIL-1β and hIL-17A. Mice with CIA were subcutaneously administered with one of three antibodies every two days for 29days, we noticed that, compared with the BsAB-2 and BsAB-3, BsAB-1 antibody therapy resulted in more significant effect on alleviating the severity of arthritis by preventing bone damage and cartilage destruction and substantially decreasing production of CII-specific antibodies. In addition, BsAB-1 antibody was more potent in the inhibition of mRNA expression of IL-2, IL-1β, IL-17A, TNF-α and MMP-3 in the spleen of CIA mice compared to the other two. In summary, BsAB-1 is superior over BsAB-2 and BsAB-3 for the treatment of RA model mice, and may be chosen as an ideal candidate for further development of therapeutic drugs for treatment of RA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Investigate effect of various widths of laser textured groove on the joint. • Identify a new chemical bonding MgCO 3 at the interface after joining. • A number of AZ31B matrix was observed on the CFRTP at the interface. • The joints broke at the CFRTP base material after laser texturing. Laser texturing was performed on the surface of AZ31B magnesium alloy to increase the bonding strength. Textured AZ31B and carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP) were then joined by the hot-pressing joining process. The effect of various groove widths of laser textured grid on the AZ31B/CFRTP joint was investigated. The research results showed that the wettability of the molten CFRTP on laser textured AZ31B was increased by about nine times, and the contact angle was reduced from 104.0° to 48.8° with a groove width of 0.3 mm. The macroscopic morphology and interface of joints had no defects, when the groove widths were 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm. The tensile-shear test was carried out, and the maximum tensile-shear force of the joint was 2698.8 N in the case of 0.3-mm groove width, which was 2.1 times as much as that of the untreated joint. The maximum tensile-shear force was 65.43% of the CFRTP itself. A diffusion layer of 9 μm– 24 μm thick formed at the AZ31B/CFRTP joint. MgCO 3 was identified at the joining interface. The mechanical interlocking and chemical bonding formed at the interface effectively improved the strength of the joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonate platforms form informative archives for paleoclimates and their internal structures can also hold crucial information about the tectonic history and carbonate evolution of the ocean basins. The Zhongsha atoll (Macclesfield Bank) forms the largest atoll system in the South China Sea with a surface area of 23500 km2. However, the internal structure and evolution of this atoll system is completely unknown. 2D multichannel seismic reflection data were acquired in 2017 over the Zhongsha atoll in the South China Sea to unravel the stratigraphy, geomorphology, depositional processes, and seismic facies of one of the world's largest atoll for the first time. This Neogene carbonate platform comprises more than 1 km thick carbonate sequence and overlies a metamorphic basement. The southeastern part of the atoll comprises a fault-controlled graben system, which was formed during the Cenozoic rifting stage of the South China Sea. Most of the faults trend NE-SW and E-W and terminate at or slightly above the top of Middle Miocene strata. Atolls and abundant organic reefs initiated on the positive relief and closely mimicked the underlying topography during the Early Miocene. Shallow-water carbonates continued growing through Middle Miocene to present times. Regional uplift led to subaerial exposure, termination of platform growth and karstification during the Miocene. We also reveal a number of fluid-flow features such as vertical sub-bottom venting features (chimneys and pipes), chaotic reflection zones, which provide the first evidence of active fluid venting in the area of Zhongsha atoll. The Neogene sedimentation history of Zhongsha atoll further provide an important paleoenvironmental context for future scientific drilling to better constrain the evolution of Asia Monsoon. • First documentation of seismic stratigraphy and deposition of Zhongsha atoll (Macclesfield Bank), South China Sea. • Reefs and lagoons developed during the post-rift phase, whose onset is marked by a turning point around the time of the formation of reflector T50. • Three drowning events are identified to tentatively imply three episodes of fast sea floor spreading in the study region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After publication of our article [1] we realized that we had not acknowledged that some of the text overlaps with a previous publication [2]. We apologize to readers for this error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]