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We report a case of a 9-year-old girl presenting with unilateral retinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) with symptomatic macular edema. Over 5 years of follow-up includes optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus photographs, and fluorescein angiography at baseline and at follow-up. Systemic and neurologic workup was completed and negative for intracranial AVM. Vision has correlated with macular edema, ranging from 20/20 to 20/80. The patient has received nine injections of intravitreal bevacizumab and has not required an injection for the last couple of years. Follow-up is ongoing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The omicron BA.1 bivalent booster is used globally. Previous open-label studies of the omicron BA.1 (Moderna mRNA-1273.214) booster showed superior neutralising antibody responses against omicron BA.1 and other variants compared with the original mRNA-1273 booster. We aimed to compare the safety and immunogenicity of omicron BA.1 monovalent and bivalent boosters with the original mRNA-1273 vaccine in a large, randomised controlled trial. In this large, randomised, observer-blind, active-controlled, phase 3 trial in the UK (28 hospital and vaccination clinic sites), individuals aged 16 years or older who had previously received two injections of any authorised or approved COVID-19 vaccine, with or without an mRNA vaccine booster (third dose), were randomly allocated (1:1) using interactive response technology to receive 50 μg omicron BA.1 monovalent or bivalent vaccines or 50 μg mRNA-1273 administered as boosters via deltoid intramuscular injection. The primary outcomes were safety and immunogenicity at day 29, including prespecified non-inferiority and superiority of booster immune responses, based on the neutralising antibody geometric mean concentration (GMC) ratios of the monovalent and bivalent boosters compared with mRNA-1273. Safety was assessed in all participants who received first or second boosters, and primary immunogenicity outcomes were assessed in all participants who received the planned booster dose, had pre-booster and day 29 antibody data, had no major protocol deviations, and who were SARS-CoV-2-negative. The study is registered with EudraCT (2022-000063-51) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05249829) and is ongoing. Between Feb 16 and March 24, 2022, 724 participants were randomly allocated to receive omicron BA.1 monovalent (n=366) or mRNA-1273 (n=357), and between April 2 and June 17, 2022, 2824 participants were randomly allocated to receive omicron BA.1 bivalent (n=1418) or mRNA-1273 (n=1395) vaccines as second boosters. Median durations (months) between the most recent COVID-19 vaccine and study boosters were similar for omicron BA.1 monovalent (4·0 months [IQR 3·6–4·7]) and mRNA-1273 (4·1 [3·5–4·7]), and for the omicron BA.1 bivalent (5·5 [4·8–6·2]) and mRNA-1273 (5·4 [4·8–6·2]) boosters. The omicron BA.1 monovalent and bivalent boosters elicited superior neutralising GMCs against the omicron BA.1 variant compared with mRNA-1273, with GMC ratios of 1·68 (99% CI 1·45−1·95) and 1·53 (1·41−1·67) at day 29 post-booster doses in participants without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Both boosters induced non-inferior ancestral SARS-CoV-2 (Asp614Gly) immune responses with GMCs that were similar for the bivalent (2987·2 [95% CI 2814·9–3169·9]) versus mRNA-1273 (2911·3 [2750·9–3081·0]) and lower for the monovalent (2699·7 [2431·3–2997·7] vs 3020·6 [2776·5–3286·2]) boosters, with respective GMC ratios of 1·05 (99% CI 0·96–1·15) and 0·82 (95% CI 0·74–0·91). Results were comparable regardless of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection status. Incidences of solicited adverse reactions with the omicron BA.1 monovalent (335 [91·3%] of 367 participants) and omicron BA.1 bivalent (1285 [90·4%] of 1421 participants) boosters were similar to those observed previously for mRNA-1273, with no new safety concerns identified and no occurrences of fatal adverse events. Omicron-containing booster vaccines generated superior immunogenicity against omicron BA.1 and comparable immunogenicity against the original strain with no new safety concerns. It remains important to continuously monitor the immune responses and real-world vaccine effectiveness as divergent SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge. Moderna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To report the incidence of postoperative epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation after primary pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for giant retinal tear associated retinal detachment (GRT-RD) repair as well as its clinical characteristics and visual outcomes at a level one trauma and tertiary referral academic center. Patients and Methods: Patients with primary RD repair for GRT-RD at West Virginia University from September 2010 to July 2021 were identified using the ICD-10 codes (H33.031, H33.032, H33.033 and H33.039). Imaging studies including optical coherence tomography (OCT) were manually reviewed pre- and post-operatively for ERM formation after PPV for GRT-RD repair in patients who underwent PPV or combined PPV and scleral buckle (SB). Univariate analysis was performed to analyze clinical factors for ERM formation. Results: The study included 17 eyes of 16 patients who underwent PPV for GRT-RD. Postoperative ERM was observed in 70.6% (13 of 17 eyes) of the patients. Anatomic success was achieved in all patients. The mean (range) preoperative and final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in logMAR units by macula status was 0.19 (0– 0.5) and 0.28 (0– 0.5) for macula-on and 1.7 (0.5– 2.3) and 0.7 (0.2– 1.9) for macular-off GRT-RDs. Clinical variables including use of medium-term tamponade with perfluorocarbon liquid (PFCL), cryopexy, endodiathermy, number of tears or total clock hours of tears did not correlate with an increased risk of ERM formation. Conclusion: Post-vitrectomized eyes for GRT-RD repair have a significantly higher incidence of ERM formation, nearing 70% in our study. Surgeons may consider prophylactic ILM peel at the time of removal of tamponade agents or weigh in ILM peel at the time of primary repair, a more challenging surgical technique in our opinion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement-based sensors include conductive fillers to achieve a sensing capability based on the piezoresistivity phenomenon, in which the electrical resistivity changes with strain. The microstructural characterisation of cement-based sensors can be obtained using a promising non-destructive technique, such as AC impedance spectroscopy (ACIS), which has been recently used by many researchers. This paper reviews the fundamental concepts of piezoresistivity and ACIS in addition to the comparison of equivalent circuit models of cement-based sensors found in the literature. These concepts include piezoresistivity theory, factors affecting piezoresistivity measurement, resistance measurement methodology, strain/damage sensing, causes of piezoresistivity, theories of conduction, AC impedance spectroscopy theory, and the equivalent circuit model. This review aims to provide a comprehensive guide for researchers and practitioners interested in exploring and applying different techniques to self-sensing concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses explores American agricultural exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and discuss why it is good candidate for expanding agricultural exports. Topics discussed include issues that can lead to devastating trading relationships trading partners where it discusses limited market diversification as one of the reasons, mentions that ASEAN has been one of the fastest growing economic blocs in the world and discussed America agricultural export to ASEAN.

A quasi-experimental field study was undertaken to examine whether the source credibility of point-of-decision (POD) prompts would affect their effectiveness in increasing stair use. POD prompts attributed either to a more credible source, a less credible source, or nothing were randomly installed in three student halls of residence at a public university in Hong Kong (plus a control). The stair and elevator use of residents were recorded by view-from-top surveillance cameras and counted using motion-detection software, resulting in 14,189 observations. The findings show that all the POD prompts can yield, as hypothesized, a significant positive effect on stair use. The relative increase in stair use was 2.49% on average. However, contrary to our second hypothesis, the POD prompt attributed to the more credible source was not the most effective intervention. The implications of these findings are discussed in conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CO adsorption induces agglomeration of isolated Pd atoms. • The rate of H 2 permeation across PdCu decreases with increasing CO concentration. • CO inhibits H 2 transport by adsorbing only on Pd sites and blocking H 2 dissociation. • PdCu is more resistant to CO poisoning than Pd. Pd and PdCu alloy membranes are promising candidates for separating hydrogen from mixed gas streams due in part to their infinite selectivity to hydrogen separation. However, other gases such as CO can inhibit hydrogen transport across Pd-based membranes. In this work, the mechanism by which CO inhibits hydrogen transport across a 25 μm-thick Pd 47 Cu 53 (mol%) membrane is investigated by operando infrared-reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) in the 373–533 K temperature range. In the absence of hydrogen, CO adsorbs on three different sites on the PdCu surface: (1) bridging between contiguous Pd atoms, (2) on top of isolated Pd atoms surrounded by Cu atoms, and (3) on top of oxidized Cu atoms. CO induces agglomeration of isolated Pd atoms on the PdCu surface, which is driven by the higher stability of CO adsorbed on bridging sites between Pd atoms than on isolated Pd atoms surrounded by Cu atoms. The rate of hydrogen permeation across the PdCu alloy membrane decreases with increasing CO concentration in the feed gas, and the poisoning effect of CO is more severe at lower temperatures. CO inhibits hydrogen transport across the membrane by adsorbing only on Pd sites on the PdCu surface and blocking H 2 dissociation on these sites. Due to the weaker interaction of CO with PdCu alloy surfaces than with Pd, the PdCu alloy is more resistant to CO poisoning than pure Pd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate prognostic factors and survival of patients with sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid through a population-based analysis. Methods: A total of 940 patients with primary sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid were derived from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database in the United States from 1973 to 2013. Kaplan–Meier univariate analysis and Cox Regression multivariate analysis were performed to examine prognostic factors in overall survival (OS). 5- and 10-year survival rates, median survival, and prognostic variables with statistical significance were measured. Results: Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that OS is 66% and 44% at 5 years and 10 years respectively. Median OS is 9.4 years. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that independent prognostic factors for OS are age at diagnosis (HR = 4.61 [95% CI 1.93–11.0], P = 0.001), surgical treatment (HR = 0.196 [95% CI 0.07–0.55], P = 0.002), combined surgical and radiation treatment (HR = 0.227 [95% CI 0.06–0.81], P = 0.023), and greater tumor size at diagnosis (HR = 3.381, [95% CI 1.77–6.45], P < 0.001). Conclusion: We report the largest population study to date to evaluate prognostic factors of patients with sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid. Multivariate analysis shows that older age, and greater tumor size correlate with decreased overall survival, whereas surgical treatment or combined surgical and radiation treatment correlate with increased overall survival. Interestingly, tumor grade, lymph node involvement, and distant extent of tumor have not demonstrated to be independent prognostic factors for overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 72-year-old male with history of monocular vision with complete vision loss in his right eye from previous retinal detachment presented with 20/200 vision in the left eye with a corneal ulcer. Culture was obtained, and the patient was started on fortified tobramycin, fortified vancomycin, and amphotericin. Despite the antibiotics, the patient did not significantly improve, after which another culture was obtained before the patient was taken to the surgery for cryotherapy and a partial conjunctival flap. The culture identified Chryseobacterium indologenes. There have been fewer than a handful of cases reported in the last three decades with different antibiotic susceptibility profiles. Our patient was successfully treated with ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime with the final vision of 20/40. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1843 and 1873, British Hong Kong extradited hundreds of Chinese fugitives under treaty for crimes ranging from piracy to slave trading. The story of this regime has never been told, even though it produced the only extradition case to reach the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council during the nineteenth century. Although the case in question, Attorney General of Hong Kong v Kwok-A-Sing (1873), has received scholarly attention, it has been read mostly as proof of prevailing British contempt for Chinese sovereignty. An examination of legal practice over a longer period reveals a more ambivalent reality. Complex circumstances, including local resource constraints and the perceived difficulties of meting out English justice to Chinese subjects, encouraged British officials to strategically disclaim jurisdiction over them. Extradition was used instead to maintain colonial order in Hong Kong, and to further British interests in China, at minimal economic and political cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the expected increase in warmer conditions caused by climate change, heat-related illnesses are becoming a more pressing issue. One way that humans can protect themselves from this is to seek shade. The design of urban spaces can provide individuals with a variety of ways to obtain this shade. The objective of this study was to perform a detailed evaluation and comparison of three shading strategies that could be used in an urban environment: shade from a building, from a tree, and from an umbrella. This was done through using field measurements to calculate the impact of each strategy on a thermal comfort index (Comfort Formula (COMFA)) in two urban settings during sunny days of the summer of 2013 and 2014 in London, Canada. Building shade was found to be the most effective cooling strategy, followed by the tree strategy and the umbrella strategy. As expected, the main determinant of this ranking was a strategy's ability to block incoming shortwave radiation. Further analysis indicated that changes in the convective loss of energy and in longwave radiation absorption had a smaller impact that caused variations in the strategy effectiveness between settings. This suggests that under non-sunny days, these rankings could change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmembrane hydrogen flux of a novel 1 μm palladium membrane, supported by a nickel microstructured support grid, is characterized when exposed to carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and water vapor over a range of temperature from 235° to 320 °C. At all temperatures, the palladium membrane is found to be primarily hydrogen transport rate limited due to surface reactions, not atomic hydrogen solution-diffusion though the bulk palladium membrane. Hydrogen flux decreases rapidly as contaminate gas concentration increases, before reaching a temperature dependent steady state, due to nearly complete surface coverage of the palladium by adsorbed contaminate. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide have the largest impact, while water vapor has a lesser impact. The likely source of deactivation is the blocking of surface active sites by adsorbed contaminate molecules. Independent of contaminate gas effects, this study reveals a permanent hydrogen flux decrease due to diffusion of nickel from the microstructured support grid into the palladium membrane at temperatures above 360 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food allergy is a significant medical problem that affects up to 8% of children in developed countries. At present, there are no curative therapies available in routine practice and management of food allergy involves strict allergen avoidance, education, and prompt treatment upon accidental exposure. Oral immunotherapy ( OIT) is an efficacious experimental approach to food allergy and has been shown to provide a substantial benefit in terms of allergen desensitization. However, OIT is associated with high rates of allergic reactions, and the period of protection offered by OIT appears to be limited and highly variable. Recurrence of allergen sensitivity after a period of treatment discontinuation is commonly observed. With the aim of overcoming these limitations of OIT, several trials have studied omalizumab (anti-IgE monoclonal antibody) as an adjuvant treatment for patients undergoing OIT. Results from these trials have shown that the addition of omalizumab to OIT leads to a significant decrease in the frequency and severity of reactions, which allows for an increase in the threshold of tolerance to food allergens. This review provides a summary of the current literature and addresses some of the key questions that remain regarding the use of omalizumab in conjunction with OIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate prognostic factors of patients with chordoma through a population-based analysis. Methods Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was queried for patients with chordoma from 1973 to 2013. Kaplan-Meier univariate analysis and Cox regression multivariate analysis were performed to examine prognostic factors in overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). Results One thousand five hundred ninety-eight patients with chordoma are identified. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that OS and DSS were 61% and 71% at 5 years and 41% and 57% at 10 years. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that independent predictors of OS and DSS are age at diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR]= 2.80 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 2.12–3.70], P < 0.001; HR = 1.60 [95% CI, 1.18–2.16], P = 0.002), surgical treatment (HR = 0.62 [95% CI, 0.52–0.73], P < 0.001; HR = 0.64 [95% CI, 0.52–0.79], P < 0.001), radiation therapy (HR = 1.23 [95% CI, 1.07–1.42], P = 0.004; HR = 1.29 [95% CI, 1.09–1.54], P = 0.004), tumor size (HR = 1.53 [95% CI, 1.32–1.78], P < 0.001; HR = 1.62 [95% CI, 1.35–1.94], P < 0.001) and distant metastasis (HR = 3.40 [95% CI, 2.45–4.71], P < 0.001; HR = 3.77 [95% CI, 2.61–5.45], P < 0.001). Conclusion We report the largest study to date to evaluate prognostic factors of patients with chordoma. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that older age, greater tumor size, and distant metastasis were correlated with decreased survival, whereas surgical resection was correlated with increased survival. Patients receiving radiation therapy also showed decreased survival, likely an indication of the patients' advanced stage of disease, making them poor surgical candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of oxygenated carbonaceous (oxy-carbon) species on the surface of Pt/Al 2 O 3 during total oxidation of propane is analyzed in detail—including their composition, their location on the catalyst surface, their reactivity, and their role in the propane oxidation mechanism—by in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Platinum nanoparticles catalyze the transformation of propane into many different oxy-carbon surface species, including acetate, enolate, aliphatic ester, and acetone, which spillover and grow on the Al 2 O 3 support. There is no correlation between the concentration of oxy-carbon surface species and the rate of CO 2 production in the gas-phase, which indicates that these species are inert spectators in the propane oxidation mechanism. Temperature-programmed oxidation of the oxy-carbon surface species reveals that enolate, aliphatic ester, and acetone species are removed from the surface by combustion at similar temperatures with an activation barrier of 112 kJ/mol, whereas acetate species are removed at higher temperatures with an activation barrier of 147 kJ/mol. Both the formation and combustion of oxy-carbon surface species occur in pathways that are parallel to, and orders-of-magnitude slower than, the main pathway to CO 2 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When data mining techniques are applied to discover useful knowledge behind a large data collection, they are often required to preserve some confidential information, such as sensitive frequent itemsets, rules and so on. A feasible way to ensure the confidentiality is to sanitize the database and conceal sensitive information. However, the sanitization process often produces side effects, thus minimizing these side effects is an important task. An important but ignored fact is that a tradeoff exists within different side effects. When attempting to improve the performance on one dimension, the performance on other dimensions often will be degraded. In this paper, we focus on privacy preserving in association rule mining. Since there is a tradeoff within different side effects, we tried to minimize them from the view of multi-objective optimization. A rule hiding approach based on evolutionary multi-objective optimization (EMO) is proposed. It hides sensitive rules through removing identified items. The side effects on missing non-sensitive rules, ghost rules and data loss are formulated as optimization objectives. EMO is utilized to find a suitable subset of transactions for modification so that side effects can be minimized. Experimental results on real datasets illustrate that the proposed approach can achieve satisfactory results with fewer side effects. In addition, the EMO-based approach can produce multiple hiding solutions in a single run. It provides the opportunity for a user to choose freely the preferred one by preference or experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a review of progress in catalytic conversion of JP-8 fuel and its surrogates made over the last decade. The effect of different types of catalyst and support materials, as well as different preparation methods, is discussed in detail. The derivation of kinetic models for computational studies is also examined. Particular attention is given to the development of sulfur tolerant catalysts and the mechanisms by which catalyst poisoning occurs, as this is an important obstacle to overcome for systems using sulfur-laden fuel. Suggestions for further research are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidation behavior of dodecane and two mixtures of dodecane and m-xylene (90/10 wt.% and 80/20 wt.%) over an Rh catalyst in a meso-scale heat recirculating combustor was examined to isolate the effect of aromatic content on performance. The fuel conversion, product selectivities, and reaction kinetics were calculated, and the global combustion behavior observed. The results showed that increasing the amount of m-xylene in the fuel increased the fuel conversion from 85% (pure dodecane) to 92% (90/10) and further to 98% (80/20). The presence of xylene also significantly increased CO 2 /H 2 O selectivity and decreased CO/H 2 selectivity. Global activation energy increased linearly with increase in xylene content, supporting that addition of aromatic species to fuel lowers the overall reactivity. The non-catalytic reaction was also simulated using Chemkin software to determine the effect of the Rh catalyst on the combustor performance and to analyze the difference in chemical mechanisms. The results revealed that the catalyst promotes total oxidation over partial oxidation, and lowers the global activation energy by up to 70%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Circadian behavior in mammals is orchestrated by neurons within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), yet the neuronal population necessary for the generation of timekeeping remains unknown. We show that a subset of SCN neurons expressing the neuropeptide neuromedin S (NMS) plays an essential role in the generation of daily rhythms in behavior. We demonstrate that lengthening period within Nms neurons is sufficient to lengthen period of the SCN and behavioral circadian rhythms. Conversely, mice without a functional molecular clock within Nms neurons lack synchronous molecular oscillations and coherent behavioral daily rhythms. Interestingly, we found that mice lacking Nms and its closely related paralog, Nmu , do not lose in vivo circadian rhythms. However, blocking vesicular transmission from Nms neurons with intact cell-autonomous clocks disrupts the timing mechanisms of the SCN, revealing that Nms neurons define a subpopulation of pacemakers that control SCN network synchrony and in vivo circadian rhythms through intercellular synaptic transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results obtained from the combustion behavior of propane over platinum and rhodium catalysts in a meso-scale heat recirculating combustor are presented. The extinction limits, conversion, product selectivity/yield, and activation energy using the two catalysts were compared in an effort to predict their performance using a liquid fuel. The extinction limits were also compared to those of non-catalytic combustion in the same combustor. The results showed that the use of a catalyst greatly expanded the range of stable operating conditions, in terms of both extinction limits and flow rates supported. The Rh catalyst was found to exhibit a higher propane conversion rate, reaching a maximum of 90.4% at stoichiometric conditions (as compared to only 61.4% offered by the Pt catalyst under lean conditions), but the Pt catalyst had superior CO 2 selectivity for most of the examined conditions, indicating more of the heat released being used for product formation as opposed to being lost to the environment. However, despite having a higher rate of heat loss, the combustion with the Rh catalyst produced an overall higher amount of enthalpy than the Pt due to its superior fuel conversion. The Pt catalyst also had a significantly smaller activation energy (13.8 kJ/mol) than the Rh catalyst (74.7 kJ/mol), except at equivalence ratios richer than Φ = 1.75 (corresponding to catalyst temperatures below 500 °C), where it abruptly changed to 211.4 kJ/mol, signifying a transition from diffusion-limited reactions to kinetically limited reactions at this point. The results reveal that Rh would be a more suitable catalyst for use in liquid-fueled meso-scale combustors, as fuel conversion has been found to be a limiting factor for combustion stability in these systems, and as its higher output energy allows for greater flexibility of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Performance of alternative fuels examined in meso-scale heat recirculating combustor. [•] Performance of the alternative fuels compared with conventional petroleum-based fuel. [•] Global combustion behavior as well as thermal efficiency was analyzed. [•] Instabilities observed for combustion of petroleum fuel but not in alternative fuels. [•] Fuel component impact flame stability and thermal performance in meso-scale combustor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of distributor and channel positions on flowuniformityin a high-throughput reactor is studied using a COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS,CFD package. The best design is subsequently fabricated and evaluatedfor propane total oxidation reaction at low conversions. Comparisonof our design with a literature design is also presented. The resultsindicate that the conical distributor performs significantly betterin terms of flow uniformity as compared to the commonly used discshaped distributor. The flow uniformity is improved when the centralchannel is removed from the design, indicating that the channel arrangementalso affects the flow uniformity. The experimental results on flowuniformity are in good agreement with simulation. The deviation inconversion of propane from channel to channel is within experimentalerror, indicating that the reactor can reliably screen catalysts anddeliver kinetics. A half a dozen catalysts were tested for completepropane oxidation using the developed technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the present work, a comparison study of the NiMo hydrodesulfurization catalysts supported on different types of silica supports (nanostructured supports of MCM-41 and SBA-15-types and commercial amorphous silica) and the same ones modified by TiO2 grafting was undertaken. The aim of this study was to inquire on the effect of the characteristics of the primary silica supports on the activity and selectivity of the NiMo catalysts modified with titania in deep HDS. Supports and catalysts were characterized by nitrogen physisorption, small-angle and powder XRD, TPR, UV–vis DRS, and HRTEM, and tested in the simultaneous HDS of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT). It was found that titania grafting on all silica supports resulted in a slight decrease of BET surface area and total pore volume. However, the characteristic p6mm hexagonal pore arrangement of the used nanostructured silica materials was not affected. Powder X-ray diffraction pointed out a good dispersion of Mo and Ni oxide species in all prepared catalysts. TPR characterization of the NiMo catalysts revealed some increase in the metal-support interaction after titania grafting on the silica surface. Further DRS characterization indicated that the best dispersion of Mo oxide species was obtained on the TiSBA-15 support. Titania addition to the silica supports also produced an increase in the dispersion of the sulfided NiMo phase, which was more marked for SBA-15 and commercial silica supports than for the MCM-41 (HRTEM). In line with the characterization results, titania addition to all silica supports resulted in an increase in the HDS activity of NiMo catalysts. However, this increase was smaller for the MCM-41 support than for the SBA-15 and amorphous silica supports used. The most active NiMo/Ti-SBA-15 catalyst resulted to be significantly more active (∼40%) than the reference NiMo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst in HDS of 4,6-DMDBT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Catalytic partial oxidation of isobutanol was investigated at various contact times and equivalence ratios for the purpose of H2 production. This reaction was studied using a γ-Al2O3 coated foam as a catalyst, as well as a similar foam with rhodium (Rh) added. The results show that little H2 is produced when the Rh is absent, whereas selectivities as high as 62.92% were achieved (80% is the theoretical maximum) with the noble metal present. The alumina catalyst also displays no complete combustion regime for fuel lean combustion; instead, olefins, carbon dioxide (CO2), and water are the dominant products at all equivalence ratios. Additional results from catalytic partial oxidation of isobutene suggest that isobutene could be an intermediate during catalytic partial oxidation of isobutanol. With approximately 8.25 W of isobutanol, 3.61 W of H2 can be attained with the Rh catalyst for use in small power devices, such as a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The corresponding fuel-to-electricity efficiency was about 20.8%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purpose of this research is to explore logistics innovation at third-party logistics (3PL) firms in China. Case studies of 3PL firms in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China (Greater China region) have been conducted. Based on interviews, observation and documentation, a qualitative case-study approach has been followed. Drawing on case-study findings, the driving forces, barriers, and effects of logistics innovation on 3PL firms in China are discussed. Customer requirements, environmental factors, efficiency and effectiveness enhancement, and provision of wider service portfolios and differentiation are strong rationales for 3PL firms to innovate in China. In comparison, cost, time, and employee ability are crucial barriers hindering 3PL firms from innovating in China. Logistics innovation can lead to positive operational performance by increasing efficiency, effectiveness, and service portfolios. Logistics innovation is also positively related to the enhanced relationship with clients, growing sales, reputation and financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth of China's, foreign trade, the cargo consolidation and distribution through ports has created increasing demands on road container transportation. Road container transportation, however, has not played a big role in supporting the inland economy as expected, and some large companies have even exited the market. This study develops a roundtrip cost model to investigate the cost impact on road container transportation. Study results showed that freight rates have remained low, while fuel prices, which are one of the most important cost factors, have soared in recent years. The average cost per ton-kilometer (ton-km) under normal transportation conditions is almost equal to or even higher than the average freight rate. The fundamental issues of Chinese road container transportation are twofold. First, the fixed (regulated) freight rates prohibit road container transportation companies from raising revenue. Second, the continual rising cost factors have squeezed the profit margin of container trucking operators to zero or even negative levels. To increase their revenues, the road container transportation companies should develop more value-added services for customers or engage in industry alliances, rather than focusing on cutting their operational costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asia's trade has soared over the past two decades. An integrated and global direct distribution business model has already been developed to ship products directly from Asia to Western and other markets along the global supply chain. In spite of their rich resources, Asian countries have not been able to utilize their vast potential due to the lack of regional connectivity and to the existence of "choke points" in Asian supply chains. An Asia-wide transport and logistics network is essential for Asian countries to get their goods to markets more effectively, but its overall progress has so far been limited. An innovative approach is needed to address the physical infrastructure as well as the nonphysical, soft infrastructure issues. This article concludes with solutions identified by Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The focus of this article is on selected areas within. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates strategies for prolonging the system lifetime for wireless video sensor networks, by adopting a mobile sink and solar-powered video sensors. Issues of tracking moving objects in wireless video sensor networks are studied, and the effectiveness of adopting a mobile sink is evaluated. This paper applies a power-rate-distortion analysis framework, which provides a theoretical fundamental to quantify various properties of wireless video sensor networks. The performance of wireless video sensor networks is evaluated with a mobile sink versus a static sink, under different cluster sizes and number of sensors. Comparisons of network lifetime, tracking error, video distortion, are also covered in this paper. In addition, this paper also evaluates the performance of solar-powered video sensors under an unequal layered clustering topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The combustion of energy dense liquid fuels in a catalytic micro-combustor, whose temperatures can be used in energy conversion devices, is an attractive alternative to cumbersome batteries. To miniaturize the reactor, an evaporation model was developed to calculate the minimum distance required for complete droplet vaporization. By increasing the ambient temperature from 298 to 350K, the distance required for complete evaporation of a 6.5μm droplet decreases from 3.5 to 0.15cm. A platinum mesh acted as a preliminary measurement and demonstrated 75% conversion of ethanol. We then selected a more active rhodium-coated alumina foam with a larger surface area and attained 100% conversion of ethanol and 95% conversion of 1-butanol under fuel lean conditions. Effluent post-combustion gas analysis showed that varying the equivalence ratio results in three possible modes of operation. A regime of high carbon selectivity for CO2 occurs at low equivalence ratios and corresponds to complete combustion with a typical temperature of 775K that is ideal for PbTe thermoelectric energy conversion devices. Conversely for equivalence ratios greater than 1, carbon selectivity for CO2 decreases as hydrogen, olefin and paraffin production increases. By tuning the equivalence ratio, we have shown that a single device can combust completely for thermoelectric applications, operate as a fuel reformer to produce hydrogen gas for fuel cells or perform as a bio-refinery for paraffin and olefin synthesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recently there has been a compelling need to support real-time video multicast from a single source to multiple receivers in wireless ad hoc networks. The existing work uses tree-based schemes to perform video multicast. The optimization of those schemes typically requires a centralized computation, which is not suitable for wireless ad hoc networks. In this paper, we propose an optimized video multicast scheme over wireless ad hoc networks. First, we apply a prioritized coding scheme to enable the heterogeneous receivers to reconstruct the video at different quality levels. Then we formulate the video multicasting problem using the network model, the packet loss model, and the video distortion model. To solve the optimization problem, we propose a distributed algorithm to jointly optimize the source rate, the routing scheme, and the power allocation using hierarchical dual decompositions. The distributed nature of the proposed algorithm makes it very appropriate for wireless ad hoc networks. Through extensive simulations, we demonstrate that the proposed video multicast scheme can achieve much higher video quality compared to the uniform-power scheme or the tree-based routing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Autothermal reformation of military jet fuel (1096ppmw sulfur) was investigated with rhodium supported on thermally stabilized Y zeolite catalysts. The zeolite catalysts were thermally stabilized by ion exchanging with nitrate solutions of rare-earth metals (La, Ce, Sm, Gd, Dy and Er). Surface area analyses indicated that the exchanged zeolite could maintain its porous structure as high as 950°C instead of 800°C for a commercial NaY zeolite. The structure of the exchanged zeolite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Rh-SmNaY zeolite reforming catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness and organometallic synthesis. The JP8 reforming experiments were performed in a short contact time adiabatic reactor with a monolithic catalyst with the addition of air and steam at a temperature below 920°C. The effects of steam and fuel-to-air ratio (C/O ratio) were studied. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide were produced as the main products. Durability tests were performed with Rh/SmNaY-zeolite catalysts. This work shows that zeolite based catalysts can convert transportation fuels such as high sulfur jet fuel (over 1000ppmw S) to syngas for solid oxide fuel cell applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The ability of the sigma1 receptor to interact with a huge range of drug structural classes coupled with its wide distribution in the body has contributed to it being implicated as a possible therapeutic target for a broad array of disorders ranging from substance abuse to depression to Alzheimer''s disease. Surprisingly, the reported affinity values for some sigma1 receptor ligands vary more than 50-fold. The potential of the sigma1 receptor as a pharmacotherapeutic target prompted us to develop an unambiguous assay system for measuring the affinity of ligands to the cloned human sigma1 receptor. In the course of characterizing this system and determining the true affinity values for almost three dozen compounds, it was discovered that some dopamine D4 receptor selective compounds bind sigma1 receptors with high affinity. A systematic analysis of haloperidol-like compounds revealed a clear structure–affinity relationship amongst clinically relevant butyrophenones. The antidepressant fluvoxamine, the drug of abuse methamphetamine, and the neurosteroid progesterone were amongst the many ligands whose interactions with the sigma1 receptor were confirmed with our screening assay. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report on direct solvent-free derivatization of pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with aliphatic dithiols (1,4-butanedithiol, 1,6-hexanedithiol and 1,8-octanedithiol), by means of heating at 130–150 °C under reduced pressure. This method requires no additional chemical activation and about 2 h only for completion. Studies by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that dithiol-derivatized MWNTs have a high affinity to ZnCl2 in solution, which covers the nanotubes with a dense amorphous layer. According to PM3 semi-empirical calculations, employing a closed-cap zigzag (10,0) single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) model incorporating a Stone-Wales defect, site-specificity of the addition depends on the mutual position of pentagons. If the nanotube contains pyracylene units or Stone-Wales defect, the addition takes place on their 6,6 or 7,7 bonds, respectively, whereas for isolated pentagons, preferential reaction sites are their C–C bonds. Ideal graphene sheet sidewalls with cylindrical curvature are relatively inert (although one cannot discard the possibility to activate the reaction by heating). Dithiol groups introduced in the way proposed can be used as chemical linkers for anchoring metal complexes and nanoparticles to carbon nanotubes, attaching SWNTs to gold tips for atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopy, and potentially for adsorption and concentration of trace metal ions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The convergence property of reinforcement learning has been extensively investigated in the field of machine learning, however, its applications to real-world problems are still constrained due to its computational complexity. A novel algorithm to improve the applicability and efficacy of reinforcement learning algorithms via adaptive state space partitioning is presented. The proposed temporal difference learning with adaptive vector quantization (TD-AVQ) is an online algorithm and does not assume any a priori knowledge with respect to the learning task and environment. It utilizes the information generated from the reinforcement learning algorithms. Therefore, no additional computations on the decisions of how to partition a particular state space are required. A series of simulations are provided to demonstrate the practical values and performance of the proposed algorithms in solving robot motion planning problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A frequency‐based image deblurring method is proposed. Unlike the traditional ways of replicating target images, a periodic point spread function (PSF) is constructed. By investigating the periodic PSF under the Fourier domain, it has been found that noises at different frequencies produce significantly varying impacts on the reconstruction quality. Therefore, the Fourier slice theorem is utilised to select partial Fourier samples and to avoid the noises that can severely damage performance. A sparse‐inducing method is then developed to recover a clear image from the selected Fourier samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group activity recognition is a central theme in many domains, such as sports video analysis, CCTV surveillance, sports tactics, and social scenario understanding. However, there are still challenges in embedding actors' relations in a multi-person scenario due to occlusion, movement, and light. Current studies mainly focus on collective and individual local features from the spatial and temporal perspectives, which results in inefficiency, low robustness, and low portability. To this end, a Spatio-Temporal Attention-Based Graph Convolution Network (STAB-GCN) model is proposed to effectively embed deep complex relations between actors. Specifically, we leverage the attention mechanism to attentively explore spatio-temporal latent relations between actors. This approach captures spatio-temporal contextual information and improves individual and group embedding. Then, we feed actor relation graphs built from group activity videos into our proposed STAB-GCN for further inference, which selectively attends to the relevant features while ignoring those irrelevant to the relation extraction task. We perform experiments on three available group activity datasets, acquiring better performance than state-of-the-art methods. The results verify the validity of our proposed model and highlight the obstructive impacts of spatio-temporal attention-based graph embedding on group activity recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observational studies have identified the potential prognostic value for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) viral load and anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). However, viral load in nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs produced inconsistent results in prognostic analyses, and the prognostic value of viral load or antibodies has not been confirmed in large clinical trials. COVACTA and REMDACTA were double‐blind, randomized, controlled trials with a combined enrollment of 1078 patients hospitalized with COVID‐19 treated with tocilizumab or placebo in COVACTA or tocilizumab plus remdesivir or placebo plus remdesivir in REMDACTA. We assessed the potential prognostic value of NP and serum SARS‐CoV‐2 viral load and serum anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies at baseline as biomarkers for clinical outcomes in patients enrolled in these trials. In adjusted Cox proportional hazard models, serum viral load was a more reliable predictor of clinical outcomes than NP viral load; high serum viral load was associated with higher risk for death and mechanical ventilation/death and lower likelihood of hospital discharge (high vs. negative viral load hazard ratios [95% confidence interval {CI}] were 2.87 [1.57–5.25], 3.86 [2.23–6.68], and 0.23 [0.14–0.36], respectively, in COVACTA and 8.11 [2.95–22.26], 10.29 [4.5–23.55], and 0.21 [0.15–0.29], respectively, in REMDACTA) and high serum viral load correlated with levels of inflammatory cytokines and lung damage biomarkers. High anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein antibody (ACOV2S) levels were associated with higher likelihood of hospital discharge (high vs. below the limit of quantification hazard ratios [95% CI] were 2.55 [1.59–4.08] for COVACTA and 1.54 [1.13–2.09] for REMDACTA). These results support the role of baseline SARS‐CoV‐2 serum viral load and ACOV2S antibody titers in predicting clinical outcomes for patients hospitalized with COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anomaly analytics is a popular and vital task in various research contexts that has been studied for several decades. At the same time, deep learning has shown its capacity in solving many graph-based tasks, like node classification, link prediction, and graph classification. Recently, many studies are extending graph learning models for solving anomaly analytics problems, resulting in beneficial advances in graph-based anomaly analytics techniques. In this survey, we provide a comprehensive overview of graph learning methods for anomaly analytics tasks. We classify them into four categories based on their model architectures, namely graph convolutional network, graph attention network, graph autoencoder, and other graph learning models. The differences between these methods are also compared in a systematic manner. Furthermore, we outline several graph-based anomaly analytics applications across various domains in the real world. Finally, we discuss five potential future research directions in this rapidly growing field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we describe a spectroscopic membrane permeation cell that we have designed and fabricated to enable—for the first time—the surface of metal membranes to be analyzed by infrared-reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) while simultaneously measuring the rate of hydrogen permeation across the membrane under realistic permeation conditions. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate that the permeation cell can (1) accurately measure the rate of H 2 permeation across a 25 µm-thick Pd foil membrane, (2) detect sub-monolayer coverages of CO on the membrane surface in the 333–533 K temperature range, and (3) measure the rate of H 2 permeation across the membrane while simultaneously detecting surface-adsorbed CO during exposure to H 2 /CO gas mixtures at 533 K. IRAS spectra recorded during exposure to H 2 /CO gas mixtures at 533 K indicate that CO dissociates on the membrane surface, and C–H bonds are formed, which modify the surface adsorption properties of the membrane and result in irreversible losses in the H 2 flux across the membrane. With this spectroscopic membrane permeation cell, it is possible to correlate microscopic surface processes to macroscopic rates of permeation across the membrane, which will enable the rational design of new membrane materials that are resistant to deactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the impact of a scholarly article is of great significance and has attracted great attentions. Although citation-based evaluation approaches have been widely used, these approaches face limitations e.g. in identifying anomalous citations patterns. This negligence would inevitably cause unfairness and inaccuracy to the article impact evaluation. In this study, in order to discover the anomalous citations and ensure the fairness and accuracy of research outcome evaluation, we investigate the citation relationships between articles using the following factors: collaboration times, the time span of collaboration, citing times and the time span of citing to weaken the relationship of Conflict of Interest (COI) in the citation network. Meanwhile, we study a special kind of COI, namely suspected COI relationship. Based on the COI relationship, we further bring forward the COIRank algorithm, an innovative scheme for accurately assessing the impact of an article. Our method distinguishes the citation strength, and utilizes PageRank and HITS algorithms to rank scholarly articles comprehensively. The experiments are conducted on the American Physical Society (APS) dataset. We find that about 80.88% articles contain contributed citations by co-authors in 26,366 articles and 75.55% articles among these articles are cited by the authors belonging to the same affiliation, indicating COI and suspected COI should not be ignored for evaluating impact of scientific papers objectively. Moreover, our experimental results demonstrate COIRank algorithm significantly outperforms the state-of-art solutions. The validity of our approach is verified by using the probability of Recommendation Intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of information and communication technologies, people are increasingly referring to web information to assist in their travel planning and decision making. Research shows that people conduct collaborative information searches while planning their travel activities online. However, little is known in depth about tourists' online collaborative search. This study examines tourists' collaborative information search behavior in detail, including their search stages, online search strategies, and information flow breakdowns. The data for analysis included pre- and postsearch questionnaires, web search and chat logs, and postsearch interviews. A model of tourist collaborative information retrieval was developed. The model identified collaborative planning, collaborative information searching, sharing of information, and collaborative decision making as four stages of tourists' collaborative search. The results show that tourists collaborated by planning their search strategies, dividing search tasks into subtasks and allocating workload, using search queries and URL links recommended by teammates, and discussing search results together. Related personal knowledge and experiences appeared important in trip planning and collaborative information search. During the collaborative search, tourists also encountered various information flow breakdowns in different search stages. These were classified and their effects on collaborative information search were reported. Implications for system design in support of collaborative information retrieval in travel contexts are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a boundary layer fluid dynamics model is used to numerically investigate the heterogeneous/homogeneous combustion of n -dodecane in a platinum coated channel. An elementary lumped surface chemistry model is used to describe the oxidation of n -dodecane and its intermediates on Pt. A parallel plate microcombustor with Pt-coated walls was designed based on findings from the model. Experimental analysis of the n -dodecane/air fueled parallel plate microcombustor with Pt-coated walls shows that the combustor is capable of complete oxidation while operating at high temperatures (>1100 K) relevant to next generation thermal-to-electric power conversion. Chemiluminescence imaging in the combustor suggests that a weak flame exists, which is capable of driving oxidation to completion while avoiding extreme temperatures. This reactor shows promise as a heat source for high temperature compact thermal-to-electric power conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some individuals show severe cognitive impairment when sleep deprived, whereas others are able to maintain a high level of performance. Such differences are stable and trait-like, but it is not clear whether these findings generalize to physiologic responses to sleep loss. Here, we analyzed individual differences in behavioral and physiologic measures in healthy ethnic-Chinese male volunteers ( n = 12; aged 22-30 years) who were kept awake for at least 26 h in a controlled laboratory environment on two separate occasions. Every 2 h, sustained attention performance was assessed using a 10-min psychomotor vigilance task ( PVT), and sleepiness was estimated objectively by determining percentage eyelid closure over the pupil over time ( PERCLOS) and blink rate. Between-subject differences in heart rate and its variability, and electroencephalogram ( EEG) spectral power were also analyzed during each PVT. To assess stability of individual differences, intraclass correlation coefficients ( ICC) were determined using variance components analysis. Consistent with previous work, individual differences in PVT performance were reproducible across study visits, as were baseline sleep measures prior to sleep deprivation. In addition, stable individual differences were observed during sleep deprivation for PERCLOS, blink rate, heart rate and its variability, and EEG spectral power in the alpha frequency band, even after adjusting for baseline differences in these measures (range, ICC = 0.67-0.91). These findings establish that changes in ocular, ECG, and EEG signals are highly reproducible across a night of sleep deprivation, hence raising the possibility that, similar to behavioral measures, physiologic responses to sleep loss are trait-like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since many buildings in Canada were built prior to the advent of national and provincial energy codes and standards, quantifying building envelope thermal performance is an important step in identifying retrofit opportunities in existing buildings. This study aimed to use external quantitative infrared thermography (IRT) to estimate effective U-value of opaque building envelopes (considering the effect of thermal bridging sources) of a conditioned at-scale structure comprised of four wood-framed wall assemblies commonly used in Canada. Furthermore, the effect of vignetting artefacts on effective U-value measurements was assessed, followed by a practical approach to correcting for it to improve accuracy of U-value estimation and calibration of energy models. Additionally, a comprehensive uncertainty analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of input variables on the accuracy and uncertainty of results. Finally, apart from qualitative and quantitative thermal assessment of the building envelope, a novel relative quantitative infrared index (IRI) methodology was proposed as a means to facilitate rapid evaluation and subsequent ranking of building envelope thermal performance. The results indicated that vignetting effect has an adverse impact on the accuracy of results, in particular for well-insulated walls where deviations of −42.31% to −83.33% were observed. However, when the proposed practical approach was implemented, substantial improvements in accuracy of walls' U-value were obtained, ranging from −2.33% to −12.50% after correction versus −13.95% to −58.33% without correction. Moreover, the results indicated that the energy model was substantially more accurate when the effect of thermal bridges were accounted for, and the adverse effect of vignetting was addressed in the estimation of U-value. In this case, ASHRAE Guideline 14 criteria were satisfied: Normalized Mean Bias Error (NMBE) < 5%, and Coefficient of Variation of the Root Mean Square Error (CVRMSE) < 15%. The findings of the uncertainty budget demonstrated that the influence of parameters on U-value depends on the type of wall assembly. Ultimately, wall thermal performance rankings based on IRI were consistent with their U-value rankings, implying that IRI can be a reliable metric for relative quantitative comparison of building envelope thermal performance, regardless of boundary conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytictotal oxidation is important in several applications.However, associated models are rather empirical. In this study, amicrokinetic model is developed for ethane total oxidation, underfuel-lean conditions on a Pt catalyst using input from density functionaltheory and Brønsted–Evans–Polanyi linear free energyrelations. Reaction orders and the apparent activation energy estimatedfrom the model are in good agreement with experimental values. Theinclusion of oxygen coverage effects on the activation of ethane changesthe rate-determining step from thermal dehydrogenation to oxidativedehydrogenation of ethane. A significant portion (30%) of the reactionflux proceeds via oxygen insertion reactions to C2hydrocarbons(CH2C*). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite significant research efforts, designing bimetallic catalysts rationally remains a challenging task. Herein, we combine the strengths of high-throughput experiments and DFT calculations synergistically to design new core-shell bimetallic catalysts. The total oxidation of propane is used as a probe, proof-of-concept reaction. The methodology is successful in designing three bimetallic catalysts. Of these catalysts, AgPd is cheaper, more active than the existing most active single-metal catalyst (Pt), and stable under the reaction conditions. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure characterization confirms the formation of a bimetallic alloy. This study provides a path forward for designing bimetallic catalysts rationally for vapor phase metal-catalyzed reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circadian system regulates daily rhythms in lipid metabolism and adipose tissue function. Although disruption of circadian clock function is associated with negative cardiometabolic end points, very little is known about interindividual variation in circadian-regulated metabolic pathways. Here, we used targeted lipidomics-based approaches to profile the time course of 263 lipids in blood plasma in 20 healthy individuals. Over a span of 28 h, blood was collected every 4 h and plasma lipids were analyzed by HPLC/MS. Across subjects, about 13% of lipid metabolites showed circadian variation. Rhythmicity spanned all metabolite classes examined, suggesting widespread circadian control of lipid-mediated energy storage, transport, and signaling. Intersubject agreement for lipids identified as rhythmic was only about 20%, however, and the timing of lipid rhythms ranged up to 12 h apart between individuals. Healthy subjects therefore showed substantial variation in the timing and strength of rhythms across different lipid species. Strong interindividual differences were also observed for rhythms of blood glucose and insulin, but not cortisol. Using consensus clustering with iterative feature selection, subjects clustered into different groups based on strength of rhythmicity for a subset of triglycerides and phosphatidylcholines, suggesting that there are different circadian metabolic phenotypes in the general population. These results have potential implications for lipid metabolism disorders linked to circadian clock disruption.The circadian system regulates daily rhythms in lipid metabolism and adipose tissue function. Although disruption of circadian clock function is associated with negative cardiometabolic end points, very little is known about interindividual variation in circadian-regulated metabolic pathways. Here, we used targeted lipidomics-based approaches to profile the time course of 263 lipids in blood plasma in 20 healthy individuals. Over a span of 28 h, blood was collected every 4 h and plasma lipids were analyzed by HPLC/MS. Across subjects, about 13% of lipid metabolites showed circadian variation. Rhythmicity spanned all metabolite classes examined, suggesting widespread circadian control of lipid-mediated energy storage, transport, and signaling. Intersubject agreement for lipids identified as rhythmic was only about 20%, however, and the timing of lipid rhythms ranged up to 12 h apart between individuals. Healthy subjects therefore showed substantial variation in the timing and strength of rhythms across different lipid species. Strong interindividual differences were also observed for rhythms of blood glucose and insulin, but not cortisol. Using consensus clustering with iterative feature selection, subjects clustered into different groups based on strength of rhythmicity for a subset of triglycerides and phosphatidylcholines, suggesting that there are different circadian metabolic phenotypes in the general population. These results have potential implications for lipid metabolism disorders linked to circadian clock disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many challenges persist with traditional self-sensing cementitious composites, such as selecting conductive fillers, determining optimal aspect ratios, controlling dosage, achieving filler dispersion, designing practical electrodes, and overcoming fabrication difficulties. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel self-sensing technique for cementitious composites by incorporating a 2-dimensional (2-D) carbon-fibre textile network to address these challenges. Additionally, instead of using the entire composite volume as the sensor, an alternative approach is explored, which involves utilising the interlaminar interface by incorporating the 2-D carbon-fibre textile network. This approach provides an integrated self-sensing system, including electrical leads and conductive pathways, which can be tailored based on the design requirements. The paper introduces fundamental concepts and measurement circuit design, followed by a comprehensive study covering measurement techniques, electromechanical properties, and microstructural analysis. Furthermore, it discusses the impact of ambient conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity, on the measurements. Experimental results demonstrate a remarkable maximum fractional change in contact resistivity, reaching up to 70%. The reversibility during cyclic compression is excellent, with a maximum negative gauge factor of − 2500. These findings represent a significant step toward achieving a practical and simplified method for manufacturing self-sensing cementitious composites and open avenues for self-sensing, sustainable textile-reinforced concrete structures (TRC). [Display omitted] • A novel self-sensing system for cementitious composites has been introduced. • The system can be considered as an integrated solution, encompassing the essential components required for self-sensing. • A simplified equivalent circuit model and an equation to calculate the overall contact resistivity have been proposed. • A remarkable maximum fractional change in the overall contact resistivity, reaching up to 70%, has been achieved. • The reversibility during cyclic compression has been excellent, with a maximum negative gauge factor of − 2500. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion (SNWD-ER) project in China is a highly complex interbasin water-diversion system, which is constructed to pump, store, and supply water to support the rational water redistribution in China. This article presents the optimization modeling approach for the pricing and coordinating schemes of SNWDER project, and discusses the analysis results and their policy implications on the pricing and coordinating mechanisms in the SNWD-ER water-resource supply chain. For the government, formulating reasonable retail price upper bound is important to control the water resource wholesale price and retail price. Besides, various water-saving mechanisms can increase the price elasticity of water demand and affect the wholesale and retail prices. For the corporations, increasing the water resource production capacity and its supply will decrease the wholesale and retail prices. Furthermore, keeping enough initial water resource inventory by enhancing the rainfall using rate, and using 'free supply sources'-rainfall, or even some flooding sources can effectively decrease the wholesale and retail prices. Finally, for the end-users, enhancing the rainfall using rate can effectively decrease the wholesale and retail prices and reduce the energy consumption, which is good for the sustainable development and a low-carbon economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]