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The organelle network is a key factor in the repair and regeneration of lesion. However, effectively intervening in the organelle network which has complex interaction mechanisms is challenging. In this study, on the basis of electromagnetic laws, we constructed a biomaterial-based physical/chemical restraint device. This device was designed to jointly constrain electrical and biological factors in a conductive screw-threaded microneedle (ST-needle) system, identifying dual positioning regulation of the organelle network. The unique physical properties of this system could accurately locate the lesion and restrict the current path to the lesion cells through electromagnetic laws, and dynamic Van der Waals forces were activated to release functionalized hydrogel microspheres. Subsequently, the mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) complex was synergistically targeted by increasing mitochondrial ATP supply to the ER via electrical stimulation and by blocking calcium current from the ER to the mitochondria using microspheres, and then the life activity of the lesion cells was effectively restored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal phosphides have been widely studied because of their low cost and good conductivity, attempting to replace precious metal-based materials as new electrochemical catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction. However, the existing high-performance phosphide catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction have bottlenecks such as difficulty to accurately determine the components and the catalytic mechanism. Therefore, in this study, we designed and synthesized FeP/CoP heterogeneous materials with a unique porous morphology as OER catalysts. The as-prepared heterogeneous materials have excellent OER catalytic activity and stability. The overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 is only 266 mV, and the Tafel slope is 60.86 mV dec−1. We believe that the good catalytic performance of the as-prepared material is mainly due to the unique morphology and redistribution of interfacial charges. The results of this study provide new ideas for designing efficient metal phosphide-based OER catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Praseodymium‐neodymium‐oxide powder was prepared using a simple citric acid‐assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. The rare‐earth oxide transformation process and temperature were clarified using the characterisation results. The results show that a sufficient mass ratio of citric acid can promote the decomposition of chlorine oxides produced during calcination. This favourable change is attributed to the unique composition and morphology of the precursors. Furthermore, the residual chlorine content and migration behaviour in the praseodymium‐neodymium‐oxide powder were studied and discussed. This study provides the necessary theoretical and experimental basis for the application of ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technology for rare‐earth oxide production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fact that most of the patients with preoperative DVTs after calcaneal fractures are asymptomatic brought challenges to the early intervention, and periodic imaging examinations aggravated the financial burden of the patients in preoperative detumescence period. This study aimed to use routine clinical data, obtained from the database of Surgical Site Infection in Orthopaedic Surgery (SSIOS), to construct and validate a nomogram for predicting preoperative DVT risk in patients with isolated calcaneal fracture. The nomogram was established base on 7 predictors independently related to preoperative DVT. The performance of the model was tested by concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA), and the results were furtherly verified internally and externally. 952 patients were enrolled in this study, of which 711 were used as the training set. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.870 in the training set and 0.905 in the validation set. After internal verification, the modified C-index was 0.846. Calibration curve and decision curve analysis both performed well in the training set and validation set. In short, we constructed a nomogram for predicting preoperative DVT risk in patients with isolated calcaneal fracture and verified its accuracy and clinical practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the significant challenges faced by distribution system operators (DSOs) in competitive electricity markets due to uncertainties arising from electricity markets, electric vehicles (EVs), and conventional loads. To tackle these challenges, this paper proposes a pseudo-local reserve market between the DSO and EVs, which enables the DSO to integrate EV flexibility into the overall market framework while compensating for deviations in the conventional load across the wholesale electricity market. Furthermore, a two-stage framework is developed to facilitate the participation of EVs in electricity markets. In the first stage, the reserve capacity of EVs is integrated into the decision-making process for day-ahead bidding, taking into account uncertainties of the load and electricity. In the second stage, the day-ahead results are coordinated to enable the efficient dispatch of EVs for real-time market participation. To assess the efficacy of the proposed framework, a case study is conducted within a 31-node distribution system situated on a university campus located in Guangdong, China. This paper investigates the economic impact of load deviation constraints on EV reserves, revealing a penalty reduction of 3100 CNY for a daily reservation of 1000 EVs and a net profit increase of 1300 CNY for DSOs utilizing reserves. It further introduces a method for quantifying reserve capacity, enhancing DSO decision-making accuracy. • A pseudo-local reserve market is established considering EV's reserve potential. • Optimal bidding strategy for DSO in China's electricity markets is constructed. • A framework for EV coordinated V2G operation is developed. • The proposed method can limit load deviation cost for more profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NiFe layered-double-hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) and the NiFe metal–organic framework (NiFe-MOF) demonstrate the best catalytic activity among NiFe-based materials for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is important for efficient hydrogen production. However, the preparation processes of these materials are usually cumbersome and have a low yield, which eliminates their most critical advantage of being low cost. We propose a method for rapidly and efficiently preparing porous (Ni0.5Fe0.5)C2O4 nanorods with an excellent OER catalytic performance. The overpotential of (Ni0.5Fe0.5)C2O4 is 266 mV at 20 mA cm−2 under alkaline conditions, and the Tafel slope is 54.39 mV dec−1. Furthermore, analysis of the changes in the surface properties of the material before and after catalysis determined that the real active material is (Ni0.5Fe0.5)(OH)x(C2O4)1−x. Using a simple scaled-up experiment, (Ni0.5Fe0.5)C2O4 is mass-produced (40 g) via direct synthesis in 5 min. The composition and performance of the mass-produced sample are analysed under the same conditions, and (Ni0.5Fe0.5)C2O4 still has a good catalytic performance and its composition has not changed. The efficient synthesis of (Ni0.5Fe0.5)C2O4 nanorods with a porous structure provides a new option for the development of commercial catalysts using non-precious metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permeable cell models have contributed much to the progress in mitochondrial research. Optimization of permeabilization is required to make the cell's plasma membrane permeable to small molecules while keeping the intracellular organelles and their membranes intact and fully functional. Here we report our assessment and optimization of commonly used permeabilizing agents including different saponin preparations, digitonin, and recombinant perfringolysin O employing a new electron flow based mitochondrial assay technology that utilizes a colorimetric redox dye. The results of this study provide guidance in optimizing the conditions for mitochondrial function assays with permeabilized cells using the novel redox dye-based format. [Display omitted] • Optimization of permeabilizing agents for permeable cells. • New electron flow and redox dye-based mitochondrial function assay. • Mitochondrial energy metabolism and specific inhibition probing. • Multi-substrate format, simultaneously, automatically, and kinetically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests play a key role in regulating the global carbon cycle, a substantial portion of which is stored in aboveground biomass (AGB). It is well understood that biodiversity can increase the biomass through complementarity and mass‐ratio effects, and the contribution of environmental factors and stand structure attributes to AGB was also observed. However, the relative influence of these factors in determining the AGB of Quercus forests remains poorly understood. Using a large dataset retrieved from 523 permanent forest inventory plots across Northeast China, we examined the effects of integrated multiple tree species diversity components (i.e., species richness, functional, and phylogenetic diversity), functional traits composition, environmental factors (climate and soil), stand age, and structure attributes (stand density, tree size diversity) on AGB based on structural equation models. We found that species richness and phylogenetic diversity both were not correlated with AGB. However, functional diversity positively affected AGB via an indirect effect in line with the complementarity effect. Moreover, the community‐weighted mean of specific leaf area and height increased AGB directly and indirectly, respectively; demonstrating the mass‐ratio effect. Furthermore, stand age, density, and tree size diversity were more important modulators of AGB than biodiversity. Our study highlights that biodiversity–AGB interaction is dependent on the regulation of stand structure that can be even more important for maintaining high biomass than biodiversity in temperate Quercus forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pagiophyllum compressum (Deng and Lu) was described based on the leaf morphological and cuticular features from the Lower Cretaceous (late Aptian—early Albian) Zhonggou Formation of Jiuquan Basin, Gansu Province, North‐west China. P. compressum has helically and tightly arranged leaves appressed on the ultimate shoots, which are imbricated shapes. The epidermal cells are square or rectangular, without papillae on the periclinal walls. The stomatal apparatus is elliptic and composed of 4–7 subsidiary cells arranged in two or three longitudinal rows on the middle part of the leaves. The present specimens may be related to Araucariaceae based on the cluster analysis of morphological features. By summarizing the global distribution of the Pagiophyllum in the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous, it has been found that Pagiophyllum can live in both tropical‐equatorial hot arid belt and humid climate zone of middle and high latitudes, confirming that Pagiophyllum has an extensive habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infection of Helcococcus kunzii(H. kunzii) from diabetic foot wound is rarely reported. This case report describes the infection of H.kunzii and highlights the therapeutic effect on H.kunzii from a diabetic foot wound.Case Presentation: In this study, one H. kunzii strain was isolated from a patient with diabetic foot, which was confirmed by 16S rRNA gene analysis and MALDI-TOF-MS. It is the first Chinese case of H. kunzii in a patient with diabetic foot. As a result of the lack of antibiotic sensitivity data and multiple comorbidities, antibiotics were used cautiously, and those administered during the first 3 months were ineffective. Then, vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) was applied during hospitalization; no antibiotics were used and the wound healed well.Conclusions: VSD alone may be more effective in treating diabetic feet infected with H. kunzii, which may provide reference for clinical treatment of H. kunzii infection from diabetic foot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal oxides with spinel structures prepared using the traditional method have defects, including a small specific surface area, large particle size and poor conductivity. These defects considerably limit their catalytic activity in oxygen evolution reactions (OERs). This study involves the preparation of manganese iron oxide modified using flaky cobalt phosphide. The obtained product exhibits good OER catalytic performance in a 1 M alkaline solution, which shows a low overpotential of 320 mV for the OER at 50 mA cm−2. Furthermore, modified manganese iron oxide exhibits a low Tafel slope of 65.58 mVdec−1. After the introduction of flaky cobalt phosphide, the increase of the active area and conductivity of manganese iron oxide significantly improves the OER performance of the sample. The OER performance of transition metal oxides with spinel structures can be further improved using the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel management scheme, namely, the distribution system operator (DSO) as a key player participating in China's electricity markets owing to its high value-added capability, high customer loyalty and robust risk resistance. In light of this, this paper discusses the maximal marginal revenue for DSO in uncertain electricity markets with vehicle-to-grid operation incorporated. Initially, considering different benefit expectations of electric vehicles (EVs) owners, DSO could provide preferential contracts, including the discount price contract (DPC) and revenue-sharing contract (RSC), in exchange for the management rights of EVs. Then, the stochastic optimization model considering the spatiotemporal uncertainties of EVs and electricity markets is built up, and the optimal bidding and coordinating strategy are proposed to maximize the marginal revenue of DSO. Comprehensive case studies are conducted in a 31-node distribution system of a university campus under the electricity markets in Guangdong, China. Results reveal that different distribution of EVs parking lots has a significant impact on the profit of DSO, and the revenue for DSO is 13,477 yuan more than that for EVA by scheduling 1400 EVs' charging/discharging behavior properly. Additionally, the DSO with RSCs is exposed to 25% less market volatility risk than that with DPCs. • Comparing EV aggregator(EVA) and distribution system operator(DSO) characteristics. • Discount price contracts and revenue-sharing contracts are compared. • The advantages of DSO over EVA in market participation are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mazus lanceifolius (Mazaceae) is a perennial herb with opposite leaves and endemic to central China that has not been collected for 130 years. Rediscovery of this enigmatic species in the wild allows for determination of its phylogenetic position within Mazaceae. Phylogenetic reconstruction of Mazaceae based on DNA sequences from four plastid markers (matK, rbcL, rps16 and trnL-trnF) and nuclear ribosome ITS consistently showed that Mazus was not monophyletic. Mazus lanceifolius is in the most basal clade within Mazaceae, as sister to the remaining species of three recognized genera Dodartia, Lancea and Mazus. These results support the separation of M. lanceifolius from Mazus as a new genus, which was established here as Puchiumazus Bo Li, D.G. Zhang & C.L. Xiang. Meanwhile, a collection from Shennongjia Forestry District of Hubei Province, China, misidentified as "M. lanceifolius" in previous molecular study, is here revealed to represent an undescribed species of Mazus, i.e., M. fruticosus Bo Li, D.G. Zhang & C.L. Xiang, sp. nov. Morphologically, Puchiumazus is clearly distinct from the other three genera by having quadrangular to somewhat ribbed stems, and obviously opposite leaves. In addition, we provide a taxonomic key to the four genera of Mazaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the marginal effect of Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme in the greenhouse cultivation, by using the cherry tomato Huangfei inbred line as the material, the main agronomic traits such as the plant height, leaf size, stem diameter, internode length and fruit size were investigated and analyzed. The results showed that the plants planted in the east and middle of the greenhouse were generally higher, and the plant height in the south was higher than that in the north. The plant leaves planted in the east and middle of the greenhouse were generally larger, while the stem diameter of plants planted in the east was larger than that in the west, and similar in the north and south. The plant internodes planted in the west of the greenhouse was longer than those in the east, and the plant internodes in the north and south of the greenhouse were shorter than those in the middle. The fruit was slightly longer overall, but rounder in the middle than at the edges. The results showed that the tomato plants grew better in the east, south and middle areas of the greenhouse, and the marginal effect of cherry tomato in the north and south of the greenhouse was significantly greater than that in the east and west, while the internode length of the plants growing in the west and middle areas was greater than that in the east. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An easy-to-implement hybrid microgrid reconstruction scheme is proposed for old residential communities. • The existing transformers and power lines could be reused in the proposed hybrid microgrid architecture. • A significant maximum 297% of EV penetration could be obtained with the proposed architecture and operation strategy. • Real-time voltage regulation, desirable operation efficiency, and improved load ratio are to be implemented. The widespread popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) imposes great challenges for distribution grids, such as feeder congestion, voltage deviation, and so forth. Although building new electrical facilities is feasible to release more capacity for EV integration, this is not a wise scheme to be applied in old residential communities owing to huge costs and limited spaces. In light of this, the paper proposes an easy-to-implement and cost-effective hybrid AC/DC microgrid reconstruction scheme for low-voltage distribution grids of old residential communities. The advanced power electronic device called smart interlinking unit (SIU) is incorporated in prior power distribution rooms of residential communities, featuring integrated structure, dedicated interfaces, and flexible control capability. The SIU-based architecture reuses existing redundant transformers and power lines to form AC/DC subgrids. An outstanding transfer capacity improvement and power loss reduction via the DC renovation are quantified. Considering the varied efficiency characteristics of multiple power converters and transformers, a hierarchical coordinated operation strategy is proposed for this architecture to realize the overall energy-saving operation. The optimal operation point tracking and AC/DC voltage regulation are included in the strategy design. Regarding the target scenario in the case study, the adopted reconstruction scheme would achieve a significant 297% of the maximum EV penetration. The real-time voltage regulation for AC and DC feeders is also realized to avoid possible voltage violations. Additionally, the proposed architecture and operation strategy could obtain about 10% of load ratio improvement and 1.5% of average efficiency promotion compared to the traditional AC architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) surges, EVs are expected to supply auxiliary services for power grid through the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) operation. Specifically, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), as a beneficial supplement of V2G, has received increasing attention owing to the capability for flexible EVs deployment and profitable individual interaction. In this paper, a genuine V2V market mechanism aiming for maximum revenue of each EV owner is proposed to construct a distributed electricity market. It reveals the dominance of EV owners from the perspective of market and allows the trade among EV owners in local distribution grid with charging points such as charging stations and auto parks. To this end, the implementation of V2V market mechanism is analyzed in detail, including the electricity price, the process and the integration with the internet of smart charging points (ISCP), a cyber-physical architecture. Then, EVs' energy dispatching is formulated via the non-cooperative game model, in which each EV owner anticipates maximizing individual revenue by choosing feasible strategies. The existence and uniqueness of Nash Equilibrium (NE) in a non-cooperative game is proved by means of variation inequality (VI) theory. Finally, the ISCP-based optimal algorithm is developed to solve the NE efficiently, thereby maximizing reward of each EV owner. Comprehensive case studies show that the proposed V2V market mechanism can implement distributed dealing among EV owners with reducing individual charging cost and regional load variance effectively. Specially, the costs of EV1, EV8 and EV9 decrease by 31%, 36% and 34%, respectively. And V2V charging demonstrates much lower variance (10.5209) than regular charging (14.1124). Additionally, the convergence of the algorithm is also demonstrated, reaching the NE in less than 30 iterations for each EV. • A genuine V2V market mechanism considering the dominance of EV owners is proposed. • The integration of V2V market mechanism and cyber-physical architecture is executed. • A non-cooperative game model and corresponding algorithm are adopted to solve the NE. • Revenue and load variance in EVs and convergence of the algorithm are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three different transition metal elements doped Fe3N were prepared by a simple path. Their structure, morphology, and magnetic properties were carefully investigated by X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy as well as vibrating sample magnetometer. Moreover, we detailedly compared and analyzed the impact of different transition metal elements on the properties of Fe3N. Combining with the results of analysis and comparison, it indicates that this simple method can be used to explore the impact on the transition metal nitride incorporated with different transition metal elements in the carbon‐rich system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White light-emitting diodes (WLEDs), which have high luminous brightness, longevity, low energy consumption and friendliness of environment, could be employed in diverse fields. Nevertheless, commercial phosphors are short of red light component. New phosphors which can emit red light are required. Mn 2+ doped aluminum nitride (marked as AlN) red phosphors were prepared by a simple solid-state reaction. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as photoluminescence (PL) spectra are utilized to characterize the prepared samples. The preparing process of AlN phosphors, phase formation and crystal structure, morphology, and photoluminescence are detailedly investigated. For Mn 2+ doped AlN phosphor(marked as AlN:Mn 2+ ), it exhibits an intense red emission caused by the 4 T 1 ( 4 G)- 6 A 1 ( 6 S) transition of Mn 2+ . The unusual red emission of Mn 2+ is ascribed to the strong nephelauxetic and crystal field between Mn 2+ and the tetrahedrally coordinated N 3− . The oxygen-related defects in AlN have a great influence on the photoluminescence properties of the Mn 2+ doped AlN. The AlN:Mn 2+ phosphors exhibits a high brightness, high color purity, and lower saturation, which make it a great candidate of red phosphors for white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the construction of MoS 2 -Co 3 S 4 hybrid with hollow nanostructure that delivers highly reactive and durable energy storage functionalities as lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors via facile solvothermal synthesis. As a lithium-ion battery anode, it is proven to achieve high reversible capacity (880 mA h g −1 at 0.1 A g −1 after 200 cycles) with excellent cycle performance. It exhibits a superior specific capacitance (1369 F g −1 at 1 A g −1 ) of and 83% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles when evaluated as an electrode for supercapacitors. The enhanced performance of energy storage is attributed to the improved conductivity and increased active sites due to the hollow structure and synergistic effect. First principles calculations are employed with the nudged elastic band method to investigate the inner mechanisms of enhanced battery property. This work paves the way for the preparation of promising energy storage material on the base of MoS 2 composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The (Fe 1- x Dy x ) 3 C@C composites were produced by a simple sol-gel route. The structure, composition, morphology and magnetism of the composites are studied by many characterization methods, for example, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) as well as vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Analysis of the above results indicates that the (Fe 1- x Dy x ) 3 C is embedded in carbon nanotubes and carbon matrix and displays ferromagnetic properties. Moreover, this indicates that saturation magnetization ( M S ) values of the composites tend to increase with the increase in Dy doping. More importantly, we investigates the electrochemical hydrogen production capacity of the (Fe 1- x Dy x ) 3 C@C composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to develop an easy-to-use and highly efficient microwave absorbing material (MAM) that can reduce the burden of electromagnetic wave (EW) pollution on people's lives, we used a simple co-precipitation method to prepare a highly efficient MAM with porous carbon loaded hollow FeNi alloy particles. And the resulting FeNi/C composites achieve multiple scattering by exploiting the structural properties of porosity and hollowness, while benefiting from good magnetic and dielectric loss properties, and exhibit multi-band absorption performance and excellent EW attenuation capability. The sample HS FNC11 has the minimum reflection loss (RL min) value of − 49.90 dB at 14.48 GHz and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 7.23 GHz at a thickness of 1.5 mm, which provides a new strategy for investigating efficient MAM. • Porous carbon facilitates the loss of multiple reflections of electromagnetic waves. • Samples exhibit a unique triple reflection loss peak. • The material has the synergistic effect of multi-loss mechanism. • The sample HS FNC11 has a combined effective absorption bandwidth of 7.23 GHz at a thickness of 1.5 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi2WO6 nano-sheets doped with various amounts of nickel (Ni) were prepared by hydrothermal method, and their microstructure and photocatalytic performance for degrading rhodamine B (RhB) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) under simulated solar light irradiation were investigated. The effective incorporation of Ni atoms in Bi2WO6 was confirmed by energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Ni-doping decreased the crystallite size of Bi2WO6 and improved its specific surface area and surface electrical property. Furthermore, Ni atoms acting as electron traps facilitated the separation of photo electron–hole pairs. Accordingly, both adsorptive and photocatalytic performances of the Ni–Bi2WO6 were improved compared to undoping Bi2WO6. The 0.15-Ni–Bi2-WO6 (Ni/W, molar ratio) displayed the best adsorptive and photocatalytic activities among the Bi2WO6 samples doped with various elements. The photogenerated holes were the predominant reactive species responsible for the photodegradation of RhB by 0.15-Ni–Bi2WO6. Solution pH could influence the adsorptive and photocatalytic performances of 0.15-Ni–Bi2WO6 with the best performances under acidic condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central challenge in large scale sustainable hydrogen production by electrolyzing water is to develop efficient and economical electocatalysts with nanostructural materials. This work herein reports the facile solvothermal synthesis of MoS 2 /Co 3 S 4 hollow nanostructural co-catalyst with high activity and stability for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by compositing cheap and HER-active MoS 2 on Co 3 S 4 HER catalyst. By morphology and structure modulations, this high-quality nanostructure, which is confirmed by several characterizing techniques, can be considered as excellent catalyst to split water into H 2 in a wide pH range via the electric drive. Corresponding electrochemical measurement results of 55.6 mV dec −1 and 115.3 mV dec −1 Tafel slope in acid (pH = 0.3) and alkaline (pH = 14) media demonstrates our predictions. We believe that such performance improvement is mainly due to the much increased active sites for catalysis because of composition process and hollow structure. These findings open up an effective and propagable strategy for nanostructural HER catalysts synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A purposeful modulation of physical properties of material via change external conditions has long captured people's interest and can provide many opportunities to improve the specific performance of electronic devices. In this work, a comprehensive first-principles survey was performed to elucidate that the bandgap and electronic properties of WSe 2 MoS 2 heterostructure exhibited unusual response to exterior strain and electric field in comparison with pristine structures. It demonstrates that the WSe 2 MoS 2 is a typical type-II heterostructure, and thus the electron−hole pairs can be effectively spatially separated. The external effects can trigger the electronic phase transition from semiconducting to metallic state, which originates from the internal electric evolution induced energy-level shift. Interestingly, the applied strain shows no direction-depended character for the modulation of bandgap of WSe 2 MoS 2 heterostructure, while it exists in the electric field tuning processes and strongly depends on the direction of the electric field. Our findings elucidate the tunable electronic property of bilayer WSe 2 MoS 2 heterostructure, and would provide a valuable reference to design the electronic nanodevices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new and simple method to fabricate magnetic Fe4N/Fe3C samples is reported. Meanwhile, pure phase iron carbides (θ-Fe3C and χ-Fe5C2) were obtained by controlling experimental conditions. The structures, magnetic properties, and morphology of the samples were investigated according to the generalized analysis of X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, as well as transmission electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry. The magnetic properties measurement revealed the remarkable magnetic properties of the samples at 2 and 300 K. The application of the prepared samples as catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction was also investigated in alkaline solution. This simple and convenient route provides a new path to fabricate other metal nitrides and carbides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetostrictive actuators invariably exhibit bias-rate-dependent hysteresis, which could cause vibration and error in the micro-positioning control. We present a methodology for linearization control for the hysteresis of a magnetostrictive actuator with a wide range of input rates and biases. The hysteresis compensation is attained through application of a dynamic Bouc-Wen model and experimental measured hysteresis properties of the magnetostrictive actuator under inputs with different frequencies and biases. The effectiveness of the compensator for hysteresis is demonstrated through experimental results of the magnetostrictive actuator under inputs at different frequencies and bias levels. Based on the proposed compensator, a displacement PID controller is applied to force the output displacement of the magnetostrictive actuator to track the desired displacement accurately thereafter. The maximum absolute tracking errors is 0.052 μm. Compared to the control results without the compensator, the compensator can reduce the control error by about 85%. The results indicate that this study provides an effective method which can compensate the hysteresis of the magnetostrictive actuator under different frequencies and biases of inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Adipose tissue is no longer considered as an inert storage organ for lipid, but instead is thought to play an active role in regulating insulin effects via secretion adipokines. However, conflicting reports have emerged regarding the effects of adipokines. In this study, we investigated the role of adipokines in glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in obese Bama mini-pigs. Methods: An obesity model was established in Bama mini-pigs, by feeding with high-fat and high-sucrose diet for 30 weeks. Plasma glucose and blood biochemistry levels were measured, and intravenous glucose tolerance test was performed. Adipokines, including adiponectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), resistin and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and glucose-induced insulin secretion were also examined by radioimmunoassay. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation in skeletal muscle, which is a useful insulin resistance marker, was examined by immunoblotting. Additionally, associations of AMPK phosphorylation with plasma adipokines and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index were assessed by Pearce's correlation analysis. Results: Obese pigs showed hyperglycemia, high triglycerides, and insulin resistance. Adiponectin levels were significantly decreased (p<0.05) and IL-6 amounts dramatically increased (p<0.05) in obese pigs both in serum and adipose tissue, corroborating data from obese mice and humans. However, circulating resistin and TNF-α showed no difference, while the values of TNF-α in adipose tissue were significantly higher in obese pigs, also in agreement with data from obese humans but not rodent models. Moreover, strong associations of skeletal muscle AMPK phosphorylation with plasma adiponectin and HOMA-IR index were obtained. Conclusion: AMPK impairment induced by adiponectin decrease mediates insulin resistance in high-fat and high-sucrose diet induction. In addition, Bama mini-pig has the possibility of a conformable model for human metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal management is a key issue for high-power light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In this study, a novel packaging structure was proposed to reduce the die-bonding interface thermal resistance and provided a new idea for LED heat-dissipation. The LED chip was embedded into a square groove at the lead-frame substrate. The gap between the edges of the LED chip and square groove was filled with boron nitride/silicone composite. So the heat generated from the chip could be dissipated from the side surfaces to the substrate. The experimental results show that the heat-dissipation ability of LEDs has been significantly improved by the new embedding packaging structure. The die-bonding interface thermal resistance can be reduced by more than 20%. The junction temperature rise can be reduced by 14%. Due to the fully embedding of LED chip in the square groove, the light intensity distribution is slightly shrunk and the light output power is slightly reduced by about 8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ce 3+ and Tb 3+ ion co-doped aluminum nitride (AlN) phosphors were prepared by a simple solid-state reaction. X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as photoluminescence (PL) spectra were employed to analyze the samples. The crystal structure, morphology, photoluminescence properties and the energy transfer process of Ce 3+ and Tb 3+ ion co-doped AlN phosphors were carefully investigated. An enhanced light emission and red-shifted excitation wavelength can be observed in AlN:Tb phosphors after co-doped with Ce 3+ ion. The results indicate that the Ce 3+ and Tb 3+ ion co-doped AlN phosphors can be effectively used in fingerprint identification. The phosphor-marked fingerprints on various substrates can be clearly manifested with good contrast and weak background inference, holding significant applications in the forensic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fe 3 C nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile synthesis method. The structures, morphology and magnetic properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. It was found that the prepared nanoparticles possess the admirable magnetic moment, approaching to the theoretical value. More importantly, we briefly propose the synthesis mechanism. This simple and general approach provides a novel way to synthesize metal carbide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low light extraction efficiency (LEE) is a key challenge of chip-on board (COB) packaging light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In this paper, a facile preparation of micro-lens array was proposed based on the ion wind patterning. The geometries and sizes of the micro-lens arrays were controlled through adjusting the voltage parameter of the ion wind generation. Consequently, the micro-lens array with the diameter of 180 µm and the gap distance of 15 µm has been fabricated. Benefitting from this micro-lens array, the LEE of COB packaging LEDs was enhanced by 9%. This facile fabrication of micro-lens array would be a promising method to improve the LEE of COB packaging LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To develop an acid trigger release of antitumour drug delivery carriers, pH-sensitive amphiphilic poly (ethyleneglycol)-imine-benzoic-dipalmitate ( PEG-I- dC16) polymers were designed and synthesized and the drug-loaded micelles were evaluated in vitro. Methods PEG-I- dC16 synthesized by Schiff base synthetic method and characterized by 1H- NMR. To determine the drug-loading capacity, doxorubicin ( DOX) was encapsulated in the micelles using membrane dialysis method. Zeta potential, particle size, drug-loading capacity, in vitro drug release in different pH conditions and cytotoxicity evaluation of micelles were carried out comparing with non-acid liable PEG-amide-benzoic-dipalmitate ( PEG-A- dC16) polymers micelles. The cellular uptake and intracellular distribution of DOX were detected by flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscope. Key findings Drug-loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency of micelle ( PEG molecular weight 2k) were 12.7 ± 1.1% and 49.8 ± 2.2%, respectively. The average particle size was 72.3 ± 2.5 nm. The DOX release rate of PEG-I- dC16 micelles is much higher at pH 6.5 than at pH 7.4. DOX cellular uptake and nuclear accumulation of PEG-I- dC16 micelles were more efficiency than that of PEG-A- dC16 micelles. Conclusion The pH-sensitive PEG-I- dC16 micelles could be a promising drug delivery system for anticancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum dot (QD)-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) always show low efficiency and unstable performance at high driving currents due to the saturation effect of QDs. In this paper, a novel remote packaging structure was proposed to reduce the saturation effect and enhance optical performances of QD-based LEDs. In the proposed packaging structure, a crater lens and an air gap between the QD-polymer film and the lens were introduced. The comparison experiments between the proposed structure and the current structures, a fully filling structure, and an air-gap structure with a spherical lens were conducted. The luminous flux increasing rates of current structures were far lower than that of the proposed packaging structure at high driving currents. Consequently, compared with the fully filling structure and the air-gap structure with the spherical lens, the proposed packaging structure has increased the luminous flux by 70.5% and 50.1% at the driving current of 800 mA. In terms of the correlated color temperature stability with the driving current, the proposed packaging structure shows the best performance. In addition, the angular color uniformity has been greatly improved by the proposed packaging structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The FeNi/C composites were prepared by room temperature precipitation and high temperature calcination. • The synthesized material has a unique three-dimensional network structure that can optimize impedance matching. • The material has the synergistic effect of multi-loss mechanism. • The optimal minimal reflection loss reaches − 52.99 dB at 3 mm. In this paper, the carbon coated iron nickel nanoparticles were obtained by calcining PVP crosslinked iron nickel oxalate. The morphology, structural composition and microwave-absorbing (MA) properties of the composites were analyzed by various characterization methods. The results show that FeNi/C composites have excellent impedance matching characteristics and MA performance in multiple frequency by virtue of their microscopic network structure. At the same time, through the analysis of loss mechanism, we found that the material has high dielectric loss and magnetic loss characteristics. Under the joint action of various loss mechanisms such as interface polarization and eddy current loss, the material has a high reflection loss (RL) value at different frequency. At a thickness of 3 mm, the sample FNC12 has a minimum RL of − 52.99 dB at 3.6 GHz. The effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) (RL ≤ −10 dB) is 1.81 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To summarize the characteristics and analysis of relevant factors and to give references for prevention and further study of liver damage associated with Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (HSW), we provide a systematic review of case reports and case series about liver damage associated with HSW. Methods. An extensive search of 6 medical databases was performed up to June 2014. Case reports and case series involving liver damage associated with HSW were included. Results. This review covers a total of 450 cases in 76 articles. HSW types included raw and processed HSW decoction pieces and many Chinese patent medicines that contain HSW. Symptoms of liver damage occur mostly a month or so after taking the medicine, mainly including jaundice, fatigue, anorexia, and yellow or tawny urine. Of the 450 patients, two cases who received liver transplantation and seven who died, the remaining 441 cases recovered or had liver function improvement after discontinuing HSW products and conservative care. Conclusion. HSW causes liver toxicity and may cause liver damage in different degrees and even lead to death; most of them are much related to long-term and overdose of drugs. Liver damage associated with HSW is reversible, and, after active treatment, the majority can be cured. People should be alert to liver damage when taking HSW preparations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four novel double-stranded RNA molecules, named dsRNA 1 (5124 bp), dsRNA 2(1711 bp), dsRNA 3 (1423 bp) and dsRNA 4 (855 bp), were detected in strain HNHS-1 of Ustilaginoidea virens, the causal agent of rice false smut disease. Sequence analysis showed that the dsRNA1 contains two overlapping open reading frames (ORF) potentially encoding proteins with modest levels of sequence similarity to the coat protein (CP) and putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), respectively, of viruses of the family Totiviridae. The deduced gene product of the ORF encoded by dsRNA2 is homologous to putative RdRp of viruses in the family Partitiviridae; the ORF encoded by dsRNA3 shares some similarity to a hypothetical protein with unknown function. It is noteworthy that the dsRNA4 lacked integrated ORFs. Isomeric viral particles of about 40 nm in diameter were observed by transmission electron microscopy in a mycelium tissue preparation of strain HNHS-1-R1, a single-spore subculture of strain HNHS-1 containing only the dsRNA1 segment. Phylogenetic analysis and examination of the organization of the two putative RdRp sequences both indicated that there are at least two novel virus species present in strain HNHS-1. We named the two novel viruses Ustilaginoidea virens RNA virus 2 and Ustilaginoidea virens partitivirus 4, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeroengine fault detection is extremely significant to ensure flight safety. However, it still poses a vast challenge due to the complexity of aeroengine systems. In this paper, an unsupervised deep autoencoder (DAE) with dimension fusion function (DFF) method (DFF-DAE) was proposed to effectively detect aeroengine faults based on multivariate time-series data. The proposed method does not rely on mathematical models and expert experience to automatically extract the hierarchical representation features of raw data. The DFF-DAE has a three-layer autoencoder with its first encoding layer incorporating a DFF, which is developed for multivariate time-series fusion before encoding. A case study of aeroengine rolling bearing locking fault was conducted on the turbofan engine ground test data composed of vibration and rotational speed time-series data in variable working states. The results indicated that DFF-DAE succeeds in efficiently employing multivariate time-series data to perform accurate fault detection. Compared with other state-of-the-art methods, DFF-DAE yields superior predictive ability and detection accuracy. Furthermore, DFF-DAE provides application potential for online fault detection because it is effective in variable working states of the aeroengine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pressure drop for air-water two-phase flow in pipeline systems with S-shaped and vertical risers at various inclinations (−1°, −2°, −4°, −5° and −7° from horizontal) was predicted using an artificial neural network (ANN). In the designing of the ANN model, the superficial velocity of gas and liquid as well as the inclination of the downcomer were used as input variables, while pressure drop values of two-phase flows were determined as the output. An ANN network with a hidden layer containing 14 neurons was developed based on a trial-and-error method. A sigmoid function was chosen as the transfer function for the hidden layer, while a linear function was used in the output layer. The Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm was used for the training of the model. A total of 415 experimental data points reported in the literature were collected and used for the creation of the networks. The statistical results showed that the proposed network is capable of calculating the experimental pressure drop dataset with low average absolute percent error (AAPE) of 3.35% and high determination coefficient (R2) of 0.995. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Large vertical cylindrical steel tanks constructed on soft foundations may bring forth various types of settlement, which is well known as the uniform settlement, the planar tilt and the differential settlement. Measured settlements of steel tanks in several practical projects are first summarized according to the in-site surveying data, and two kinds of settlement patterns are clearly defined, which are referred to as the global differential settlement and the localized differential settlement. Two practical floating-roof steel tanks are taken as the illustrative examples of large steel tanks, which are marked TK-2020 with the height-to-radius ratio of 0.35 as the representatives of large volume tanks and TK-2090 with the height-to-radius ratio of 0.7 as representatives of smaller volume tanks in this paper. Buckling behaviors of the two illustrative tanks under the global and localized differential settlement are investigated using the general-purpose finite element computer package ABAQUS by means of the geometrical nonlinearity algorithm. It is shown that for tanks under global differential settlement, local buckling occurs first at the eave wind girder, followed by a stable post-buckling behavior, so that the local buckling of the wind girder can be taken as the serviceability limit state and the post-buckling strength can be utilized in structural design of tanks. Moreover, the behavior of tanks under localized differential settlement is related to the degree of localization. The buckling behavior in the case of a large circumferential central angle for localized settlement is similar to that under global differential settlement, while the effect of the localized settlement with a relatively small central angle is more obvious than that of the global differential settlement, and the snap-through buckling induced by localized settlement would govern the design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The indumentum of nutlets is shown to be of phylogenetic importance in previous molecular phylogenetic studies of Paraphlomis, a genus of Lamiaceae with approximately 30 species distributed mainly in southern China and Southeast Asia. Nearly half the species of Paraphlomis are known from limestone areas. In this study, we described and illustrated a new species, P. hsiwenii, from the karst mountain forests in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that P. hsiwenii is recovered in a clade consisting of species with hairy nutlets. The new species is morphologically most similar to P. pagantha from the same clade, but they differ in the morphology of lamina bases, length of pedicels and calyces, as well as the morphology of upper corolla lips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxin production is a central issue in the pathogenesis of Clostridium difficile and many other pathogenic microorganisms. Toxin synthesis is influenced by a variety of known and unknown factors of genetics, physiology, and environment. To facilitate the study of toxin production by C. difficile, we have developed a new, reliable, quantitative, and robust cell-based cytotoxicity assay. Then we combined this new assay with Phenotype MicroArrays (PM) technology which provides high throughput testing of culture conditions. This allowed us to quantitatively measure toxin production by C. difficile type strain ATCC 9689 under 768 culture conditions. The culture conditions include different carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur sources. Among these, 89 conditions produced strong toxin induction and 31 produced strong toxin repression. Strong toxin inducers included adenine, guanosine, arginine dipeptides, γ-D-Glu-Gly, methylamine, and others. Some leucine dipeptides and the triple-leucine tripeptide were among the strongest toxin repressors. While some results are consistent with previous observations, others are new observations that provide insights into toxin regulation and pathogenesis of C. difficile. Additionally, we have demonstrated that this combined assay technology can be applied broadly to a wide range of toxin producing microorganisms. This study is the first demonstration of simultaneous assessment of a large number of culture conditions influencing bacterial toxin production. The new functional cytotoxin quantitation method developed provides a valuable tool for studying toxigenic microorganisms and may also find applications in clinical and epidemiological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the morphology of a new species of Isodon from Vunnan Province, Southwest China. The study made used of micrometer under a microscopes to measure the new species. The result of the study shows that the new species differed pertaining to leaf size, plant stature, inflorescence, pollen, and indumentum.

A series of C7-O- and C20-O-amidated 2,3-dehydrosilybin (DHS) derivatives ((±)-1a−fand (±)-2), as well as a set of alkenylated DHS analogues ((±)-4a−f), were designed and de novo synthesized. A diesteric derivative of DHS ((±)-3) and two C23 esterified DHS analogues ((±)-5aand (±)-5b) were also prepared for comparison. The cell viability of PC12 cells, Fe2+chelation, lipid peroxidation (LPO), free radical scavenging, and xanthine oxidase inhibition models were utilized to evaluate their antioxidative and neuron protective properties. The study revealed that the diether at C7−OH and C20−OH as well as the monoether at C7−OH, which possess aliphatic substituted acetamides, demonstrated more potent LPO inhibition and Fe2+chelation compared to DHS and quercetin. Conversely, the diallyl ether at C7−OH and C20−OH was more potent in protection of PC12 cells against H2O2-induced injury than DHS and quercetin. Overall, the more lipophilic alkenylated DHS analogues were better performing neuroprotective agents than the acetamidated derivatives. The results in this study would be beneficial for optimizing the therapeutic potential of lignoflavonoids, especially in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three series of sintenin derivatives (compounds 1-14) were designed and prepared and their antioxidative and neuroprotective effects were evaluated. The in vitro models of scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, chelating ferrous ions, inhibiting the rat brain homogenates lipid peroxidation, and protecting neurons damaged by hydrogen peroxide were employed for bioassays. It was found that sintenin derivatives 4 and 13 showed remarkable antioxidative and neuroprotective activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In present research, Barker-coded excitation is applied to improve the sensitivity of emboli detection in transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound systems. A 13-chip Barker code with a base pulse sequence that comprises two cycles at 2 MHz is used to compare with a 20-cycle pulse in both simulation studies and in vitro experiments. The results show that the system using coded excitation gains a 2.78-dB improvement in measured embolus-to-blood ratio (MEBR) while keeping a similar signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The simulation results also indicate that the MEBR of the emboli are related to their velocities—a fast embolus has lower MEBR compared with a slow one with the same backscatter amplitudes, which makes fast emboli more difficult to detect. TCD system using coded excitation is more sensitive for faster and smaller emboli, which is significant for early diagnosis of stroke. (E-mail: xianglei00@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn) [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Climate-sensitive additive stand biomass models were developed. • The difference in biomass estimations when using the new models at a large scale was quantified. • Forecast combination method reduced the uncertainty from the biomass models. • About $8.3 million carbon services were underestimated using traditional models. • Climate-sensitive stand biomass models were recommended for carbon service accounting. Accurate forest carbon service accounting is essential for climate change mitigation. At present, the knowledge about whether and how climate-sensitive stand biomass models could reduce the uncertainty of forest biomass/carbon estimation is lacking. Hence, the aim of this study is to develop climate-sensitive stand biomass models and quantify their differences. Data containing 539 sample plots of larch plantations in northern and northeastern China were utilized to develop two basic and the corresponding climate-sensitive stand biomass models. Owing to the uncertainty from predictors, the forecast combination method was used to combine the two basic models (FCMs) and the two climate-sensitive models (CS-FCMs) and to quantify the difference in biomass estimations at the plot and regional scales. Results showed that the adjusted R 2 values of the stand biomass models were greater than 0.85 and the relative root mean square errors ranged from 5.51% to 22.62%. The CS-FCMs produced more accurate biomass estimates than the FCMs. The difference in biomass estimations derived from biomass models with and without climatic variables was 411,549 tons or 0.27% at the regional scale, but the carbon value difference amounted to about $8.3 million. This study underlined the importance of accurate carbon accounting based on climate-modified stand biomass models for forest carbon management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Nonspecific orbital inflammation is a common ophthalmopathy with a high prevalence among adult females. Yet, its molecular mechanisms behind are poorly understood. Regulation of gene expression probably plays an important role in this disease. Thus, we utilized gene coexpression networks to identify key modules and hub genes involved in nonspecific orbital inflammation. Methods. Data of gene expression in nonspecific orbital inflammation samples (n = 61) and healthy samples (n = 28) were obtained from the public Gene Expression Omnibus database. Afterward, differentially expressed genes were performed. Then, weighted correlation network analysis was done to define the key modules. Next, functional enrichment analysis was conducted by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway in key modules. Finally, a protein-protein interaction network and Cytohubba plugin were used to screen hub genes. Results. Differential expression of 716 genes was identified, among which 169 genes were upregulated and 547 genes were downregulated in the nonspecific orbital inflammation group. In weighted correlation network analysis, we clarified 2 key modules (MEturquoise and MEblue) that are likely to play key roles in nonspecific orbital inflammation. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that these genes are predominately involved in immune response and matrix homeostasis. In addition, among 2 key modules, there are 20 hub genes identified. Conclusion. With this new approach, we identified several genes that could be critical to pathologies of nonspecific orbital inflammation. These findings may contribute to further therapeutic target development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]