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Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) represents a common pathological state brought about by diabetes mellitus (DM). Patchouli alcohol (PatA) is known for its diverse advantageous effects, notably its anti-inflammatory properties and protective role against metabolic disorders. Despite this, the influence of PatA on DCM remains relatively unexplored. To explore the effect of PatA on diabetes-induced cardiac injury and dysfunction in mice, streptozotocin (STZ) was used to mimic type 1 diabetes in mice. Serological markers and echocardiography show that PatA treatment protects the heart against cardiomyopathy by controlling myocardial fibrosis but not by reducing hyperglycemia in diabetic mice. Discovery Studio 2017 software was used to perform reverse target screening of PatA, and we found that JAK2 may be a potential target of PatA. RNA-seq analysis of heart tissues revealed that PatA activity in the myocardium was primarily associated with the inflammatory fibrosis through the Janus tyrosine kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of the transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway. In vitro, we also found that PatA alleviates high glucose (HG) + palmitic acid (PA)-induced fibrotic and inflammatory responses via inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in H9C2 cells. Our findings illustrate that PatA mitigates the effects of HG + PA- or STZ-induced cardiomyopathy by acting on the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. These insights indicate that PatA could potentially serve as a therapeutic agent for DCM treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Named entity recognition (NER) is a fundamental task for natural language processing, which aims to detect mentions of real-world entities from text and classifying them into predefined types. Recently, research on overlapped and discontinuous named entity recognition has received increasing attention. However, we note that few studies have considered both overlapped and discontinuous entities. In this paper, we proposed a novel sequence-to-sequence model that is capable of recognizing both overlapped and discontinuous entities based on machine reading comprehension. The model utilizes machine reading comprehension formulation to encode significant inferior information about the entity category. Then input sequence passes through a question-answering model to predict the mention relevance of the given source sentences to the query. Finally, we incorporate the mention relevance into the BART-based generation model. We conducted experiments on three type of NER datasets to show the generality of our model. The experimental results demonstrate that our model beats almost all the current top-performing baselines achieves a vast amount of performance boost over current SOTA models on overlapped and discontinuous NER datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C/Ti3C2/g-C3N4 hollow microspheres (HM) were prepared by the template method to construct Ti3C2/g-C3N4 Schottky junctions on the spherical surface. The C/Ti3C2/g-C3N4 HM Schottky junctions presented excellent photocatalytic properties for producing hydrogen and decomposing organic pollutants simultaneously from wastewater without the addition of a sacrifice agent. The research revealed that the built-in electric field between g-C3N4 and Ti3C2 MXene could decrease the charge transfer resistance, leading to efficient photo charge separation, and the organic pollutant tetracycline (TC) could act as a sacrifice agent for splitting water. The H2 evolution rate of the CN-TCM-3 sample in deionized water with a sacrifice agent reached 105.4 μmol g−1 h−1, and the TC removal rate reached 100% within 120 min. The hydrogen production efficiency of CN-TCM-3 in the natural water of Slender West Lake without or with TC as a sacrifice agent was 2.3 μmol g−1 h−1 and 3.2 μmol g−1 h−1, respectively. The addition of TC improved the hydrogen production efficiency by 39%. This research indicated that the C/Ti3C2/g-C3N4 HM Schottky junctions could be a potential photocatalyst for producing hydrogen and decomposing organic pollutants in sewage simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micron-scale grid-shaped, V-shaped and U-shaped corrugated sandwich structures are fabricated by 3D printing technology and present different mechanical properties from those made by traditional method. Their peak stresses and elastic moduli could be fitted to cubic functions. The compression performance of the multilayer grid-shaped sandwich can be determined by the relative mechanical strength of layers. Adding a layer on a grid-shaped sandwich has no significant influence on the peak stress, but can enhance the elastic modulus by about 60.9 MPa. The deformation modes of multilayer V-shaped and U-shaped sandwiches can be determined by the load carrying path and the relative mechanical properties between interlayers and cores. The elastic modulus of V-shaped sandwich is enhanced with the increase of layer number, while the elastic modulus of U-shaped sandwich decreases with the increase of layer number. The peak stress and the elastic modulus of a four-layer V-shaped sandwich can reach 9.85 MPa and 261.09 MPa, and those of a four-layer U-shaped sandwich can reach 4.79 MPa and 119.18 MPa. The result reveals the principles that the reduced structural size and suppressed debonding, the structures and the load carrying path, and materials, influence the failure mode and mechanical properties of the corrugated sandwiches. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent TiO2/polymer nanocomposites (PSEM) with excellent anti-UV light property and antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus were designed and prepared successfully by the copolymerization of styrene monomers with dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles, polyethylene glycol (600) dimethacrylate and ethoxylated trimethylolpropane. PSEM nanocomposites could shield ultraviolet light in the wavelength range of 200–368 nm, reducing the transmittance of blue and violet light in the range of 368–500 nm and having a light transmittance of about 91% in the visible light region of 600–800 nm. The results suggested that the interaction between PEG chains and TiO2 nanoparticles could promote the stable dispersion of TiO2 nanoparticles, which was a key for the outstanding transparent performance and highly efficient UV light absorbance. The maximum inhibition zone against Staphylococcus aureus was 28.0 mm. PEG chains in polyethylene glycol (600) dimethacrylate provided soft segments for PSEM nanocomposites, styrene monomers provided hard segments, while ethoxylated trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate enhanced the crosslinking density. The molecular structure design ensured PSEM nanocomposites had tailored mechanical properties and stable thermal properties. The maximum unnotched impact strength, tensile strength, bending stress and hardness reached 56.11 kJ/m2, 54 MPa, 88.02 MPa, and 74 HRR, respectively. This research provided a meaningful strategy for designing highly transparent and self-sterilizing composite materials used in medical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1971, Doyen and Vandensavel gave a special doubling construction that gives a direct construction of 2‐chromatic Steiner quadruple system of order v $v$ (SQS(v) $(v)$) for all v≡4 $v\equiv 4$ or 8(mod12) $8\,(\mathrm{mod}\,12)$. The first author presented a construction for 2‐chromatic SQSs based on 2‐chromatic candelabra quadruple systems and s $s$‐fan designs. In this paper, it is proved that a 2‐chromatic SQS(v) $(v)$ also exists if v≡10(mod12) $v\equiv 10\,(\mathrm{mod}\,12)$, or if v≡2(mod24) $v\equiv 2\,(\mathrm{mod}\,24)$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give a direct construction of a (Zp×G,{0}×G,4,1) relative difference family for G∈{Z6×Z6,Z2×Z18,Z6×Z18,Z2×Z54} and every prime p≡3(mod4) with p>3. These allow us to construct an optimal (Z6m×Z6n,4,1) difference packing and an optimal (Z2m×Z18n,4,1) difference packing for every pair of positive integers (m,n). The corresponding optimal optical orthogonal signature pattern codes are also obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The optimal temperature of 500 °C resulted in a mixture of rutile and anatase with a ratio of 32:68. • The TC degradation efficiency reached 93.4 ± 1.2 % within 180 min. • The optimal hydrogen evolution efficiency was up to 784 ± 6 μmol·g−1·h−1. • The interfacial electric field promoted the separation of charges between TiO 2 and Ti 3 C 2. • Rutile/anatase heterojunction promoted the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. A rutile/anatase Ohmic heterojunction of TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 was prepared through calcination. By adjusting the calcination temperature, the loading amount of TiO 2 on Ti 3 C 2 and the ratio of rutile/anatase phases could be controlled. The optimal temperature of 500 °C resulted in a mixture of rutile and anatase with a ratio of 32:68. Under visible light, the TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 -500 exhibited significantly superior performance in both TC degradation and hydrogen evolution compared to P25 TiO 2. The TC degradation efficiency reached 93.4 ± 1.2 % within 180 min. The optimal hydrogen evolution efficiency was up to 784 ± 6 μmol·g−1·h−1. The presence of oxygen vacancies (OV) on the TiO 2 surface provided more active sites, extended the light absorption range, and facilitated the generation of electron-hole pairs. The strong interfacial electric field effectively promoted the separation of space charges between Ti 3 C 2 and TiO 2. Additionally, the two-dimensional Ti 3 C 2 nanosheets, as an Ohmic-junction, provided more electron transfer pathways and a large number of active sites for photocatalysis. Furthermore, the formed rutile/anatase heterojunction facilitated strong electron transfer from anatase to rutile and spontaneous electron transfer from rutile to anatase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel reactant permeation template method was used for the first time to synthesize centimeter-scale aligned porous carbon microtubes, which showed highly efficient selective adsorption and seperation capacity for methylene blue from other dyes. [Display omitted] • Aligned porous carbon microtubes of macroscopic size were prepared for the first time. • A novel reactant permeation template method was used to prepare the carbon microtubes. • The carbon microtubes could adsorb and separate MB selectively from other dyes. • Both the adsorbed MB and the carbon microtubes could be recycled by desorption. • The selective adsorption mechanism of the carbon microtubes was fully researched. Selective adsorption was beneficial to the separation and recovery of valuable dyes and highly efficient resource utilization. Modified aligned porous carbon microtubes (MAPCTs) in centimeter scale were prepared by a novel reactant permeation template method without addition of pore former. In a solution of pH 8, MAPCTs showed excellent adsorption capacity for cationic dye methylene blue (MB), which reached 1875.4 mg/g when the initial concentration of MB increased to 200 mg/L. The adsorption process was fitted by isotherm model and kinetic model. In addition, MAPCTs could selectively separate MB from cationic dye rhodamine B (RhB) or anionic dye methyl orange (MO) mixture solutions, because the reactant permeation template method well controlled the characteristics of the pores. The separation efficiency for MB/RhB and MB/MO solutions was 99.7 %. The adsorbed MB could be efficiently regenerated from the recycled MAPCTs and the adsorption–desorption could be repeated for at least 5 times, keeping the regeneration efficiency 98 %. The selective adsorption and separation process could follow a diffusion limitation and size exclusion mechanism and an electrostatic repulsion mechanism. Since the reactant permeation template method can be easily used for industrial mass production of MAPCTs, this method and MAPCTs have great potential for recycling MB from industrial wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a pathophysiological condition triggered by diabetes mellitus and can lead to heart failure. Doublecortin-like kinase protein 1 (DCLK1) is a multifunctional protein kinase involved in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, and migration. Current studies on DCLK1 mainly focus on cancer development; however, its role in non-tumor diseases such as DCM is yet to be deciphered. Our analysis revealed that DCLK1 was upregulated in cardiomyocytes of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic mouse, suggesting a correlation between DCLK1 and DCM progression. It was further demonstrated that either cardiomyocyte-specific DCLK1 knockout or pharmacological DCLK1 inhibitor DCLK1-IN-1 significantly alleviated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in STZ-induced diabetic mice. RNA-seq analysis of heart tissues revealed that DCLK1 regulated the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)-mediated inflammatory response in DCM. In vitro , DCLK1 activated NF-κB and the inflammatory response by inducing the IKKβ phosphorylation in high-concentration glucose (HG)-challenged cardiomyocytes. DCLK1-IN-1 also prevented HG-induced IKKβ/NF-κB activation and inflammatory injuries in cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, this study highlights the novel role of cardiomyocyte DCLK1 in regulating IKKβ/NF-κB, which aggravates inflammation to promote the pathogenesis of DCM. DCLK1 may serve as a new target for DCM treatment. [Display omitted] • DCLK1 is upregulated in the heart tissues of STZ-induced diabetic mice. • Either DCLK1 deletion in cardiomyocytes or pharmacological inhibition of DCLK1 attenuated DCM in diabetic mice. • DCLK1 regulates NF-κB pathway to aggravate inflammation in cardiomyocytes. • DCLK1 could be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A family of k -dimensional subspaces of F q n with pairwise trivial intersection is called L -almost affinely disjoint (AAD) if each affine coset of a member of this family intersects with only at most L subspaces from the family. Liu et al. introduced the notion of AAD family, and investigated the lower and upper bounds of maximal such sets and conjectured that for any k , n and a large enough L = L (n , k) , there exists an [ n , k , L ] q -AAD family with size q n − 2 k in [Finite Fields Appl. 75 (2021), 101879]. Etzion and Zhang introduced covering Grassmannian codes (CGCs) for generalized combination networks [IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, 65 (2019), 4131–4142.]. An α - (n , k , δ) q c covering Grassmannian code C is a set of k -dimensional subspaces of F q n , such that every set of α codewords of C spans a subspace of dimension at least k + δ. In this paper, we give a construction of AAD families and CGCs based on maximum rank metric codes and caps in projective geometries, and a recursive construction based on maximum rank metric codes. As a consequence, we prove that Liu et al.'s conjecture is still true for k ≥ 3 and n = 4 k , and improve lower bounds on maximum sizes of AAD families and lower bounds on maximum sizes of 3- (n , k , 2 k) q c covering Grassmannian codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A heterostructure of Ti 3 C 2 /ZnTCPP/CTFs was constructed by the freeze-drying method and steam-assisted method. In visible light, the hydrogen evolution rate of Ti 3 C 2 /ZnTCPP/CTFs-3 was 6.2 times that of ZnTCPP, 4.4 times that of CTFs, 5.6 times that of Ti 3 C 2 /ZnTCPP and 1.7 times that of Ti 3 C 2 /CTFs. The hydrogen evolution rate of the optimized ternary composite reached 462.6 μmol·g−1·h−1, and the quantum efficiency at 420 nm was 3.34 %. At the same time, the ternary photocatalyst showed high stability. The strong S-type interfacial electric field promoted the separation of space charges between ZnTCPP and CTFs effectively. The two-dimensional Ti 3 C 2 nanosheets, as an Ohmic-junction H 2 -evolution co-catalyst, provided more electron transfer pathways and a large number of active sites for photocatalysis. This work provides some new ideas and enlightenment for the rational design of efficient Ohmic/S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts. [Display omitted] • A Ti 3 C 2 /ZnTCPP/CTFs Ohmic/S-scheme heterojunction was reported for the first time. • The interfacial electric field between ZnTCPP and CTFs promoted charge separation. • Ti 3 C 2 promoted the separation and transfer of photogenerated electrons. • The S-scheme photocatalytic mechanism of the heterojunction was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PAN–COOH fibers were prepared with PAN fibers and used as templates, carbon source and nitrogen source for the first time to prepare carbon- and nitrogen-doped TiO2/carbon (C, N–TiO2) composite fibers. The C, N–TiO2 composite fibers were characterized by TEM, SEM, XPS, XRD, IR, Raman and UV–Vis spectrum. The composite fibers exhibited strong photocatalytic activity in photodegradation of Rh B solution under UV–Vis light. Doping C and N into TiO2 materials could reduce the band gap width of TiO2 and expand the light absorption range. The carbon fiber inside the composite fiber promoted the transfer of photoelectrons and inhibited the combination of photogenerated electrons and holes. The large specific surface area of C, N–TiO2 composite fibers was also conducive to the photocatalytic activity. The macroscale C, N–TiO2 composite fibers were easy for recycling. Therefore, the C, N–TiO2 composite fibers had the potential for dealing with organic pollutants in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constant dimension codes (CDCs), as special subspace codes, have received a lot of attention due to its application in random network coding. Multilevel construction and its generalizations play a key role in the constructions of CDCs. In this paper, we show a new generalization of multilevel construction based on matchings of complete hypergraphs. Some lower bounds of A q (n , 2 δ , k) , especially k < 2 δ , can be improved by applying this construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A concept of good overlarge set of disjoint packing triple systems (OLPTS) is introduced in order to characterize a ternary constant-composition code with weight four, distance three and the composition [ 3 , 1 ]. A recursive construction for good OLPTSs via fan designs is also given. 4-cycle free one-factorizations of the complete graphs are also used to construct optimal ternary constant-composition codes with weight four distance three and the composition [ 2 , 2 ]. Consequently, a few infinite classes of optimal ternary constant-composition codes with weight four and distance three are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pair of orthogonal one-factorizations F and G of the complete graph Kn is C4-free if for any two factors F∈F and G∈G the union F∪G does not include a cycle of length four. Such a concept was introduced by Blokhuis et al. (J Combin Theory B 82: 1-18, 2001), who used it to improve the upper bound for two-round rainbow colorings of Kn. In this paper, we focus on constructions for a pair of orthogonal C4-free one-factorizations of the complete graph Kn. Some infinite classes of such orthogonal decompositions are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An H(m,g,k,3) design is a triple (X,T,B), where X is a set of mg points, T a partition of X into m disjoint sets of size g, and B a set of k‐element transverses of T, such that each 3‐element transverse of T is contained in exactly one of them. In 1990, Mills determined the existence of an H(m,g,4,3) design with m≠5. In this paper, an efficient construction shows that an H(5,g,4,3) exists for any integer g≡2,10(mod12) with g≥10. Consequently, the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an H(m,g,4,3) design are m≥4, mg≡0(mod2), and g(m−1)(m−2)(mod3), with a definite exception (m,g)=(5,2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Augmented orthogonal arrays (AOAs) were introduced by Stinson, who showed the equivalence between ideal ramp schemes and AOAs (Discrete Math. 341 (2018), 299–307). In this paper, we show that there is an AOA ( s , t , k , v ) if and only if there is an OA ( t , k , v ) which can be partitioned into v t − s subarrays, each being an OA ( s , k , v ), and that there is a linear AOA ( s , t , k , q ) if and only if there is a linear maximum distance separable (MDS) code of length k and dimension t over F q, which contains a linear MDS subcode of length k and dimension s over F q. Some constructions for AOAs and some new infinite classes of AOAs are also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical orthogonal signature pattern codes (OOSPCs) have played an important role in a novel type of optical code-division multiple-access network for 2-D image transmission. In this paper, we give four direct constructions for OOSPCs based on polynomials and rational functions over finite fields. We also use $r$ -simple matrices to present a recursive construction for OOSPCs. These constructions yield new families of asymptotically optimal OOSPCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we use character-theoretic techniques to give new nonexistence results for ( n , m , k , λ ) -strong external difference families (SEDFs). We also use cyclotomic classes to give two new classes of SEDFs with m = 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) has been widely investigated as a photocatalytic material. However, the photocatalytic activity of TiO 2 is suppressed by the large band gap and the recombination rate of the electron-hole pairs. Here, we propose an in situ synthetic strategy for the construct of carbon doped TiO 2 (carbon-TiO 2 ) nanotubes using surface-sulfonated layer of polystyrene fibers/titania composites as the precursors of TiO 2 and carbon source via a facile route of calcination. This technique involves the preparation of morphology well controlled polystyrene fibers, sulfonation of PS fibers, sol-gel synthetic process of TiO 2 and the pyrolysis of SSPS fibers in a N 2 atmosphere at 450 °C. The morphology and structure of as-prepared carbon-TiO 2 nanotubes are mainly characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, XPS and UV–vis spectroscopy. All results confirm the carbon doping in the as-prepared carbon-TiO 2 nanotubes. As a result of the unique microstructure, this composite exhibits remarkable photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine under visible light irradiation, indicating great potential for dealing with waste water containing organic pollutant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical properties and anti-infection are two of the most concerned issues for artificial bone grafting materials. Bone regeneration porous scaffolds with sustained drug release were developed by freeze-drying the mixture of nanosized drug-loaded halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and gelatin. The scaffolds showed porous structure and excellent biocompatibility. The mechanical properties of the obtained composite scaffolds were enhanced significantly by HNTs to > 300%, comparing to those of gelatin scaffold, and match to those of natural cancellous bones. The ibuprofen-loaded HNTs incorporated in the scaffolds allowed extended drug release over 100 h, comparing to 8 h when directly mixed the drug into the gelatin scaffold. The biological properties of the composite scaffolds were investigated by culturing MG63 cells on them. The HNTs/gelatin scaffolds with excellent mechanical properties and sustained drug release could be a promising artificial bone grating material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanosized 58S bioactive glass (BG) particles were synthesized by using a three-dimensional ordered macroporous carbon template (OMC) with a pore size of 400 nm. The obtained 58S BG particles possessed a diameter of 300 nm, narrow size distribution and uniform spherical morphology. 58S/gelatin composites were prepared and showed much better mechanical properties than pure gelatin. The narrow size distribution of the 58S particles replicated from OMC was confirmed crucial to the mechanical properties of the 58S/gelatin composite, comparing to the contrast sample prepared with polydispersed particles. The outstanding bioactivity of the 58S BG particles was confirmed by inducing the formation of carbonated hydroxyapatite on the 58S/gelatin composite surface. This work showed a successful example that OMC template could be used to synthesize particles requiring a robust reaction condition, and a particle synthesis method that could well control particle size distribution was important for preparing materials with outstanding mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large sets of disjoint group-divisible designs with block size three and type 2 n 4 1 (denoted by L S ( 2 n 4 1 ) ) were first studied by Schellenberg and Stinson and motivated by their connection with perfect threshold schemes. It has been shown that the necessary condition n ≡ 0 ( m o d 3 ) for the existence of an L S ( 2 n 4 1 ) is sufficient with five possible exceptions n ∈ { 12 , 30 , 36 , 48 , 144 } . These five undetermined L S ( 2 n 4 1 ) s are shown to exist in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dihedral SQS is an SQS admitting a point-regular dihedral automorphism group. Some constructions of dihedral SQSs are established in this paper. We also prove that for v ≡ 2 , 4 ( m o d 6 ) , there is a dihedral SQS ( v ) if there is a dihedral H ( p , 2 , 4 , 3 ) design or an S -cyclic SQS ( 2 p ) for each odd prime divisor p of v . As a corollary, we enlarge the set of known values of v for which there exists a dihedral SQS ( v ) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three dimensional ordered macroporous carbon (OMC) was confirmed a proper microreactor for engineering silica based colloids by synthesizing magnetic mesoporous bioactive glass microspheres, Fe 2 O 3 /SiO 2 hollow microspheres and SiO 2 /Ag spherical crowns. The OMC was much more chemically inert and heat resistant than the ordered macroporous polymer (OMP), thus multistep synthesis processes were carried out inside the OMC to engineer the composition, shape and structure of the silica based colloids. This work suggested that the OMC had more advantages in synthesizing colloids than the OMP, and the mechanism of engineering colloidal structures based on material wetting to the OMP was extended to designing multistep chemical reactions, limiting reaction in a closed room and material wetting to the OMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency hopping sequences (FHSs) are employed to mitigate the interferences caused by the hits of frequencies in frequency hopping spread spectrum systems. In this paper, we present combinatorial constructions for FHS sets, including direct constructions by using cyclotomic classes, recursive constructions based on cyclic difference matrices, merging blocks, and discrete logarithm. By these constructions, a number of series of new FHS sets are then produced. These FHS sets are optimal with respect to the Peng–Fan bounds. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

LR-designs, introduced by Lei (2002) [10] , play an important role in the recursive constructions of large sets of Kirkman triple systems. In this paper, we mainly present some new infinite families of LR-designs and overlarge sets of Kirkman triple systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency hopping sequences (FHSs) with favorable partial Hamming correlation properties have important applications in many synchronization and multiple-access systems. In this paper, we investigate constructions of FHSs and FHS sets with optimal partial Hamming correlation. We first establish a correspondence between FHS sets with optimal partial Hamming correlation and multiple partition-type balanced nested cyclic difference packings with a special property. By virtue of this correspondence, some FHSs and FHS sets with optimal partial Hamming correlation are constructed from various combinatorial structures, such as cyclic difference packings and cyclic relative difference families. As a consequence, our constructions yield new FHSs and FHS sets with optimal partial Hamming correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candelabra quadruple systems (CQS) were first introduced by Hanani who used them to determine the existence of Steiner quadruple systems. In this paper, a new method has been developed by constructing partial candelabra quadruple systems with odd group size, which is a generalization of the even cases, to complete a design. New results of candelabra quadruple systems have been obtained, i.e. we show that for any [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two cyclic relative difference families ( n , g , w , 1 ) -CRDFs A and B are called 2-compatible if | ( A + x ) ∩ ( B + y ) | ≤ 2 for any A ∈ A , B ∈ B and x , y ∈ Z n . In an investigation of multilength optical orthogonal codes (MLOOCs) of weight four, pairwise 2-compatible CRDFs with block size four play an important role. In this paper, we obtain some infinite classes of k pairwise 2-compatible CRDFs with block size four by using cyclotomic classes and disjoint skew starters. Consequently, some infinite classes of optimal MLOOCs of weight four are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two g -regular cyclic difference packings of parameters ( v , 3 , 1 ) (also termed as cyclically relative difference families ( v , g , 3 , 1 ) -CRDFs) A and B are called orbit-disjoint if { A + x : A ∈ A , x ∈ Z v } ∩ { B + x : B ∈ B , x ∈ Z v } = ∅ . In an investigation of multilength optical orthogonal codes (MLOOCs) with weight three, pairwise orbit-disjoint g -regular cyclic difference packings with block size three play an important role. In this paper, we use cyclotomic classes to obtain some pairwise orbit-disjoint ( v , g , 3 , 1 ) -CRDFs. Consequently, some infinite classes of optimal MLOOCs with weight three are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method to monitor endocrine-disrupting chemical contamination phthalate esters (PAEs) by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has been investigated. The molecular structure and assignment of the vibrations of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), forming short chains in PAEs, has been studied by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The structure of DMP with the dihedral angles of 1C-6C-11C-13O and 4C-5C-18C-20O being 133.78° and −24.00°, respectively, has the lowest energy. Theoretical vibrational frequencies using B3LYP/6-31 + G(d) (after scaling) show excellent agreement with the experimental normal Raman spectrum. In the region 200–1800 cm −1 , SERS spectra of DMP were measured using ordered gold nanosubstrates. All except the weak signals in the normal Raman spectrum of DMP were successfully enhanced. These results demonstrate that SERS technology could be developed as a rapid method for screening of DMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general strategy for the preparation of aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (AMWCNT)/inorganic composites and aligned nanostructures was realized by synthesizing materials within an AMWCNT/hydrogel composite template. Chemical reactions that could damage the AMWCNT structure are not necessary in this strategy. AMWCNT composites of many materials were synthesized. Three typical and popularly used materials were present to show the versatility of the strategy: hydroxyapatite, alumina, and silver. The morphologies of the materials formed on the nanotube surface include continuous layers, nanoparticles, and microspheres. The structures formed after the removal of AMWCNTs include aligned nanofibers, aligned nanotubes, and particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles of bioactive glass (NBG) with a diameter of 50–90 nm were synthesized using the Stöber method. NBG/PCL composites with different NBG contents (0 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 20 wt.%, 30 wt.% and 40 wt.%) were prepared by a melt blending and thermal injection moulding technique, and characterized with XRD, FTIR, and SEM to study the effect of NBG on the mechanical properties and in vitro bioactivity of the NBG/PCL composites. In spite of the high addition up to 40 wt.%, the NBG could be dispersed homogeneously in the PCL matrix. The elastic modulus of the NBG/PCL composites was improved remarkably from 198 ± 13 MPa to 851 ± 43 MPa, meanwhile the tensile strength was retained in the range of 19–21.5 MPa. The hydrophilic property and degradation behavior of the NBG/PCL composites were also improved with the addition of the NBG. Moreover, the composites with high NBG content showed outstanding in vitro bioactivity after being immersed in simulated body fluid, which could be attributed to the excellent bioactivity of the synthesized NBG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symmetric orthogonal arrays and mixed orthogonal arrays are useful in the design of various experiments. They are also a fundamental tool in the construction of various combinatorial configurations. In this paper, we investigated the mixed orthogonal arrays with four and five factors of strength two, and proved that the necessary conditions of such mixed orthogonal arrays are also sufficient with several exceptions and one possible exception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A method combining orthogonal design and quantitive analysis of SAXS was proposed. [•] An efficient method to evaluate the impact of multifactor to mesoporous structure. [•] The optimum formula of a MBG with complex components was revealed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We study (symbol-pair) codes for symbol-pair read channels introduced recently by Cassuto and Blaum (2010). A Singleton-type bound on symbol-pair codes is established and infinite families of optimal symbol-pair codes are constructed. These codes are maximum distance separable (MDS) in the sense that they meet the Singleton-type bound. In contrast to classical codes, where all known q-ary MDS codes have length O(q), we show that q-ary MDS symbol-pair codes can have length \Omega (q^2). In addition, we completely determine the existence of MDS symbol-pair codes for certain parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Franek et al. recently described four constructions for large sets of -intersecting Steiner triple systems of order (STS ) [F. Franek, M.J. Grannell, T.S. Griggs, A. Rosa, On the large sets of -intersecting Steiner triple systems of order , Des. Codes Cryptogr. 26 (2002) 243–256]. In this study we focus on large sets of -intersecting STS . Some recursive constructions are presented that involve three-wise balanced designs. By applying these constructions we obtain some new infinite classes of such large sets, and the large sets of -intersecting KTS are used to produce some new large sets of Kirkman triple systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: While brain imaging and electrophysiology play a central role in neuroscience research and in the evaluation of neurological disorders, a single noninvasive modality that offers both high spatial and temporal resolution is currently not available. Here we show in an acute epilepsy rat model that photoacoustic tomography (PAT) can noninvasively track seizure brain dynamics with both high spatial and temporal resolution, and at a depth that is clinically relevant. The noninvasive yet whole surface and depth capabilities of the PAT system allowed us to actually see what is happening during ictogenesis in terms of seizure onset and spread. Both seizure onset and propagation were tomographically detected at a spatial resolution of 150μm and a temporal resolution of 300ms, respectively. The current study lends support to the theory that seizure onset and spread involves a rich interplay between multiple cortical and subcortical brain areas during the onset and spread of epileptic seizures. Dynamical changes of vasculature during epileptiform events were also detected with high spatiotemporal resolution. Together, these findings suggest that PAT represents a powerful tool for noninvasively mapping seizure onset and propagation patterns, and the ‘functional’ connectivity within epileptic brain networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A Steiner system is a pair , where is a -element set and is a set of -subsets of , called blocks, with the property that every -element subset of is contained in a unique block. The sub-design in a Steiner quadruple system is said to be a spanning block design. The order of a Steiner quadruple system with a spanning block design should satisfy the necessary condition . It is proved that the above necessary condition is also sufficient. As a consequence, it is also proved that a 3-BD exists for any . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Multimedia fingerprinting is an effective technique to trace the sources of pirate copies of copyrighted multimedia information. Separable codes can be used to construct fingerprints resistant to the averaging collusion attack on multimedia contents. In this paper, we investigate \overlinet-separable codes from a combinatorial point of view. We first derive several upper bounds on the sizes of \overlinet-separable codes, and then turn our attention to the constructions of optimal \overline2-separable codes with short length. Two infinite families of optimal \overline2-separable codes of length 2 are constructed from projective planes, and all optimal \overline2-separable codes of length 3 are explicitly constructed by means of difference matrices. These optimal \overline2-separable codes with short length can be used to construct good \overline2-separable codes with long length by a known composition construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The arboricity of a hypergraph is the minimum number of acyclic hypergraphs that partition . The determination of the arboricity of hypergraphs is a problem motivated by database theory. The exact arboricity of the complete -uniform hypergraph of order is previously known only for . The arboricity of the complete -uniform hypergraph of order is determined asymptotically when , positive, and determined exactly when . This proves a conjecture of Wang (2008)  in the asymptotic sense. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An augmented Steiner quadruple system of order is an ordered triple , where is an SQS and is the set of all 2-subsets of . An augmented Steiner quadruple system of order is resolvable if can be partitioned into parts such that each part is a partition of . Hartman and Phelps in [A. Hartman, K.T. Phelps, Steiner quadruple systems, in: J.H. Dinitz, D.R. Stinson (Eds.), Contemporary Design Theory, Wiley, New York, 1992, pp. 205–240] conjectured that there exists a resolvable augmented Steiner quadruple systems of order for any positive integer or 10 (mod 12). In this paper, we show that the Hartman and Phelps conjecture is true. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A covering array of size N, strength t, degree k, and order v, or a in short, is a array on v symbols. In every subarray, each t-tuple column vector occurs at least once. When ‘at least’ is replaced by ‘exactly’, this defines an orthogonal array, . A difference covering array, or a , over an abelian group G of order v is a array (, ) with entries from G, such that, for any two distinct rows l and h of D (), the difference list contains every element of G at least once. Covering arrays have important applications in statistics and computer science, as well as in drug screening. In this paper, we present two constructive methods to obtain orthogonal arrays and covering arrays of strength 3 by using DCAs. As a consequence, it is proved that there are an for any integer and (mod 4), and an for any positive integer v satisfying and . It is also proved that the size of a cannot exceed when and (mod 4), or , (mod 4) and . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A -wise balanced design is said to be resolvable if its block set can be partitioned into parts (called resolution classes) such that each part is itself a partition of the point set. It is uniform if all blocks in each resolution class have the same size. In this paper, it is shown that a uniformly resolvable three-wise balanced design of order with block sizes four and six exists if and only if is divisible by 4. These uniformly resolvable three-wise balanced designs are also used to construct the infinite classes of resolvable maximal packings (minimal coverings) of triples by quadruples of order for , augmented resolvable Steiner quadruple systems of order for and -resolvable Steiner quadruple systems of order for . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/C/polystyrene (PS) composite materials were prepared by in situ polymerization of monomer in preformed MWCNT/C foams. MWCNT/C foams were preformed using polyurethane foam as template. The preformed MWCNT/C foams had a more continuous conductive structure than the carbon nanotube networks formed by free assembly in composites. The structure of the MWCNT/C foam network was characterized with scanning electron microscopy. The MWCNT/C/PS composites have an electric conductivity higher than 0.01S/cm for a filler loading of 1wt.%. Enhancement of thermal conductivity and mechanical properties by the preformed MWCNT/C foam were also observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, a facile method was developed for the preparation of a new conducting polymer composite with core-shell structure. The surfaces of layered titanate (K2Ti4O9) particles were first modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and then a polyaniline/titanate (PANI/K2Ti4O9) composite was synthesized via chemical oxidative polymerization. The resulting composites were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR and TG measurements. The results indicated that the PANI deposited on the surface of K2Ti4O9 particles resulted in the formation of the composite with a core-shell structure. TG analysis showed that the composite containing 28.7 wt% PANI had better thermal stability than that of pure PANI. Further, the PANI/K2Ti4O9 composite particles were adopted as a dispersed phase in silicone oil for electrorheological (ER) investigation. Suspension of the composite particles exhibited typical ER behavior subjected to an external electric field under steady and dynamic oscillatory shear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]