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A hybrid planar micro-lattice made of functionally graded materials is proposed where the active and passive constituents are constructed by functionally graded beams with and without partially distributed piezoelectric attachments respectively. The analytical model for predicting complex band structure is presented via the spectral element method in combination with the modified couple stress theory and power law, whose accuracy is validated by the finite element method. By adjusting size dependence, feedback control gain, material gradient and arrangement of piezo-patches, controllable wave propagation and attenuation is achieved, which further advances the implementation of optimizations to obtain ultra-wide low frequency stop bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crack detection methods of high-rise building walls based on traditional computer vision (CV) heavily rely on manual selection and extraction of design features. Convolutional neural network (CNN)-based CV can actively learn the features of cracks and adapt to complex backgrounds, solving the limitations of traditional crack detection methods. This paper explores faster region-CNN, single shot multibox detector (SSD), You Only Look Once for crack detection, and Mask R-CNN for crack segmentation and proposes a novel automatic crack geometric quantification method by combining CNN-based object detection and segmentation. The contents include (1) crack detection and bounding box extraction, exploring a variety of models, selecting the best model to detect the image taken by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and extracting the crack region; (2) crack segmentation, using the detection results of the first part as input for more accurate detection and segmentation of cracks; and (3) a novel pixel-level geometric quantization method of crack based on Hough straight-line detection, mainly including crack length and width. Then, the pixel level is transformed into the actual geometric quantization to simply determine the crack severity. The three models generated in these three parts can be used for managing exterior wall cracks in high-rise buildings for different inspection purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) was detected on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) plants showing wrinkled and/or narrow leaves, curling, shrinking and chlorosis of leaves, dwarfing of plants, and mottled pods in Inner Mongolia and named BCMV-22Huhe. Its genome has a size of 10,062 bp and was deposited in GenBank under the accession number OR778613. It is closely related to BCMV-Az (GenBank accession no. KP903372, in China) in the lineage of AzBMV. A recombination event was detected for BCMV-22Huhe among the 99 BCMV isolates published in the NCBI GenBank database, showing that BCMV-CJ25 (MK069986, found in Mexico) was a potential major parent, and the minor parent is unknown. This work is the first description of the occurrence of BCMV in Inner Mongolia, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phononic crystals of the smaller scale show a promising future in the field of vibration and sound reduction owing to their capability of accurate manipulation of elastic waves arising from size-dependent band gaps. However, manipulating band gaps is still a major challenge for existing design approaches. In order to obtain the microcomposites with desired band gaps, a data drive approach is proposed in this study. A tandem neural network is trained to establish the mapping relation between the flexural wave band gaps and the microphononic beams. The dynamic characteristics of wave motion are described using the modified coupled stress theory, and the transfer matrix method is employed to obtain the band gaps within the size effects. The results show that the proposed network enables feasible generated micro phononic beams and works better than the neural network that outputs design parameters without the help of the forward path. Moreover, even size effects are diminished with increasing unit cell length, the trained model can still generate phononic beams with anticipated band gaps. The present work can definitely pave the way to pursue new breakthroughs in micro phononic crystals and metamaterials research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the risk factors of suicidal ideation (SI) in a large sample of Chinese adults in the labour force. A total of 4136 eligible participants in the labour force were recruited from the routine health check-up cohort. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify the factors associated with 12-month and lifetime SI. 175 (4.2%) subjects reported SI in the past twelve months, and 223 (5.4%) reported SI during their lifetime. The results showed that being divorced or widowed, religious belief, personal history of chronic disease and mental illness, family history of mental illness and suicide, and self-assessed childhood happiness were associated with both 12-month and lifetime SI. Additional associations were found between 12-month SI and the following factors: working overtime frequently, low monthly income, and having bachelor's degree. Moreover, being single is a risk factor of lifetime SI while not significant for 12-month SI. The present study identified several risk factors of 12-month and lifetime SI, which could potentially help develop targeted interventions for high-risk suicidal Chinese adults in the labour force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of death for women diagnosed with gynecological cancer. Studies have shown that dysregulated miRNA expression is related to various cancers, including OC. Here, we aimed to explore the biological function and mechanism of miR-585-3p in the occurrence and development of OC. The expression level of miR-585-3p was found to be low in OC tissues and cells. We analyzed the biological function of miR-585-3p in OC through in vitro cell experiments. The results indicated that overexpression of miR-585-3p inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of SW626 cells, while low expression of miR-585-3p had the opposite effect in SKOV3 cells. We then screened the target genes of miR-585-3p through miRDB database and detected the expression of target genes in OC cells. FSCN1 was found to be most significantly upregulated in OC cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assays revealed FSCN1 as a potential target of miR-585-3p. Western blot analysis showed that miR-585-3p targeted FSCN1 to inhibit protein phosphorylation of ERK. In vivo animal experiments also confirmed that miR-585-3p targets FSCN1 to inhibit tumor growth and block the MAPK signaling pathway. In summary, miR-585-3p inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OC cells by targeting FSCN1, and its mechanism of action may be achieved by inhibiting the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. miR-585-3p may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the size effects on the dispersion relation of the transverse waves propagating through micro-beam metamaterial covered by piezoelectric patches that are connected with external shunted circuits. Based on the modified couple stress theory and Hamilton's principle, the transfer matrix model is established for determining the complex band structure which incorporates the length scaling effect and the electromechanical resonance. Numerical results show the size-dependent behavior of the complex band structure in terms of the location, the range, and the decaying level. The differences are indicated between the results obtained by the non-classical model and the classical elasticity-based model and the effects of Poisson's ratio. The connection modes of the piezoelectric layers on the characteristics of transverse wave propagation and attenuation are also examined. Further, the tunable nature is demonstrated via investigating the influences of the unit cell length, the circuit parameters, and the distribution of piezoelectric materials on the attenuation diagram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Nurses are considered a major source of professional support for patients. However, little is known about what cancer patients need from nurses regarding professional support and the provision of services in China. The purpose of this study is to investigate professional nursing supportive care needs, perceived supply, and the possible gaps between the two for patients with cancer in mainland China. Methods: A total of 390 inpatients with different types of cancer were recruited. The professional nursing supportive care scale was used to assess the needs for and perceived supply of various types of support. Results: The information aspect was one of the most critical needs for supportive care, and the technical aspect was the one with the highest perceived level of supply. Significant mismatches between actual needs and perceived supply were identified. Conclusions: Significant gaps existed between actual needs and perceived supply. Nurses should pay more attention to the higher actual needs and lower perceived levels of supply regarding supportive care for cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In scenarios like privacy protection or large-scale data transmission, data-free knowledge distillation (DFKD) methods are proposed to learn Knowledge Distillation (KD) when data is not accessible. They generate pseudo samples by extracting the knowledge from teacher model, and utilize above pseudo samples for KD. The challenge in previous DFKD methods lies in the static nature of their target distributions and they focus on learning the instance-level distributions, causing its reliance on the pretrained teacher model. To address above concerns, our study introduces a novel DFKD approach known as AdaDFKD, designed to establish and utilize relationships among pseudo samples, which is adaptive to the student model, and finally effectively mitigates the aforementioned risk. We achieve this by generating from "easy-to-discriminate" samples to "hard-to-discriminate" samples as human does. We design a relationship refinement module (R 2 M) to optimize the generation process, wherein we learn a progressive conditional distribution of negative samples and maximize the log-likelihood of inter-sample similarity of pseudosamples. Theoretically, we discover that such design of AdaDFKD both minimize the divergence and maximize the mutual information between the distribution of teacher and student models. Above results demonstrate the superiority of our approach over state-of-the-art (SOTA) DFKD methods across various benchmarks, teacher–student pairs, and evaluation metrics, as well as robustness and fast convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research on the inverse design of phononic crystals, which aim to retrieve optimal structures according to given band gaps, is limited to controlling elastic waves at the macro-scale. This work extends the concept to nano-scale and implements this concept with phononic nanobeam made up of functionally graded materials by applying the nonlocal strain gradient theory and the probabilistic tandem network (PTN), which is responsible for detecting size effects and unveiling implicit relationships between band gaps and nanostructures. An analytical model that has not been published before is proposed based on the plane wave expansion method to predict band structures within size, thickness and porosity effects, enabling quick preparation for composing a dataset to train the network. Acting as an auto-encoder-like framework, the component of PTN in the reverse path allows to effectively encode required band gaps into a latent space, while the network in the forward path serves as a surrogate model to map the candidates from the latent space to band gaps. Numerical results not only show the influences of size effects on band gaps but also verify the accuracy, diversity, and generalization ability to meet different requirements of the inverse design. The proposed PTN can fulfill the on-demand design by generating multiple phononic nanobeams possessing same man-made band gaps. Undoubtedly, the framework proposed in the present work makes it a promising approach to provide flexible and diversified solutions, paving the way to discovering innovative phononic crystals at nano-scale. • A nonclassic model is developed to predict band gaps with size and thickness effects. • The inverse design is realized for FGM PnCs at the nanoscale by DL-based framework. • Diversified feasible designs regarding same requirement of band gaps are obtained. • Accurate FGM nano-PnCs are produced corresponding to band gaps tailored on-demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To gain a complete view on the unique spatial attenuation phenomenon arising from the periodicity and the material viscoelasticity of the two-dimensional phononic crystals with finite out-of-plane extension, this paper presents a theoretical study of the viscoelastic phononic crystal slabs to investigate the wave transmission characteristics in terms of the dispersion relations for the propagating, evanescent, and complex modes. A numerical approach based on the theory of three-dimensional elasticity is proposed to eliminate the restrictions of plane analysis and to obtain the complex band diagrams using the wave expansion functions combined with the finite discretization technique. This formulation allows one to perform the simulations associated with the nonlinear frequency-dependent viscoelastic property which is accurately described by a generalized Maxwell model in this work. Numerical results are presented to show the validity of the established model and to reveal the dissipation mechanisms inside and outside the band gaps as well as to investigate the effects induced by the material viscoelasticity on the attenuation diagrams. Furthermore, the influences of the out-of-plane extension, the geometrical size and the shape of the etcfhed holes are detailed discussed to obtain thorough understandings of such a finite solid viscoelastic periodic lattice which is indispensable to practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Proper taste-masking formulation design is a critical issue for instant-dissolving tablets (IDTs). The purpose of this study is to use the electronic tongue to design the additives of the 3D printed IDTs to improve palatability. Methods: A binder jet 3D printer was used to prepare IDTs of levetiracetam. A texture analyzer and dissolution apparatus were used to predict the oral dispersion time and in vitro drug release of IDTs, respectively. The palatability of different formulations was investigated using the ASTREE electronic tongue in combination with the design of experiment and a model for masking bitter taste. Human gustatory sensation tests were conducted to further evaluate the credibility of the results. Results: The 3D printed tablets exhibited rapid dispersion (<30 s) and drug release (2.5 min > 90%). The electronic tongue had an excellent ability of taste discrimination, and levetiracetam had a good linear sensing performance based on a partial least square regression analysis. The principal component analysis was used to analyze the signal intensities of different formulations and showed that 2% sucralose and 0.5% spearmint flavoring masked the bitterness well and resembled the taste of corresponding placebo. The results of human gustatory sensation test were consistent with the trend of the electronic tongue evaluation. Conclusions: Owing to its objectivity and reproducibility, this technique is suitable for the design and evaluation of palatability in 3D printed IDT development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defibrillation is accomplished by the passage of sufficient current through the heart to terminate ventricular fibrillation (VF). Although current-based defibrillation has been shown to be superior to energy-based defibrillation with monophasic waveforms, defibrillators with biphasic waveforms still use energy as a therapeutic dosage. In the present study, we propose a novel framework of current-based, biphasic defibrillation grounded in transthoracic impedance (TTI) measurements: adjusting the charging voltage to deliver the desired current based on the energy setting and measured pre-shock TTI; and adjusting the pulse duration to deliver the desired energy based on the output current and intra-shock TTI. The defibrillation efficacy of current-based defibrillation was compared with that of energy-based defibrillation in a simulated high impedance rabbit model of VF. Cardiac arrest was induced by pacing the right ventricle for 60 s in 24 New Zealand rabbits (10 males). A defibrillatory shock was applied with one of the two defibrillators after 90 s of VF. The defibrillation thresholds (DFTs) at different pathway impedances were determined utilizing a 5-step up-and-down protocol. The procedure was repeated after an interval of 5 min. A total of 30 fibrillation events and defibrillation attempts were investigated for each animal. The pulse duration was significantly shorter, and the waveform tilt was much lower for the current-based defibrillator. Compared with energy-based defibrillation, the energy, peak voltage, and peak current DFT were markedly lower when the pathway impedance was > 120 Ω, but there were no differences in DFT values when the pathway impedance was between 80 and 120 Ω for current-based defibrillation. Additionally, peak voltage and the peak current DFT were significantly lower for current-based defibrillation when the pathway impedance was < 80 Ω. In sum, a framework of adjusting the charging voltage and shock duration to deliver constant energy for low impedance and constant current for high impedance via pre-shock and intra-shock impedance measurements, greatly improved the defibrillation efficacy of high impedance by lowering the energy DFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Key policies to promote the CDW recycling are quantitatively explored. • The stepwise regression was employed to evaluate the effect of the nine policies. • Green product label is the top policy followed by Charge and Tax and Technical Standard. • 84.6% of the sample cities employed the Charge and Tax. • The ratios were only 11.5% for Technical Standard and 7.7% for Green Product Label. There is a growing need to recycle construction and demolition waste (CDW) in order to treat the huge amount of CDW in many metropolises of China. However, the CDW recycling industry is still in its initial stage and developed unevenly across various areas of China. In spite of some qualitative discussions, the quantitative analysis of crucial policies to the development of CDW recycling industry was overlooked. Through literature review, nine influential policy instruments were identified in term of three categories, i.e. control and command policy, market-based policy and information-based policy. The stepwise regression analysis was employed to explore the relationships between the influential policies and the development level of CDW recycling industry in 52 sample Chinese cities. The results demonstrated that Green Product Label, Charge and Tax and Technical Standards had statistically significant association with the development of CDW recycling industry in sample cities. In the surveyed cities, Charge or Tax was the most common policy tool (84.6%), but Green Product Label (7.7%) and Technological standards (11.5%) were rather less frequently employed. According to the results, Green Product Label and Technical Standards should be given higher priority. In addition, landfill charge should be introduced as a fundamental impetus. These results provide directions for other cities to facilitate the development of their CDW recycling industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Electroencephalography (EEG) is commonly used to assess the neurological prognosis of comatose patients after cardiac arrest (CA). However, the early prognostic accuracy of EEG may be affected by postresuscitation interventions. Recent animal studies found that hydrogen inhalation after CA greatly improved neurological outcomes by selectively neutralizing highly reactive oxidants, but the effect of hydrogen inhalation on EEG recovery and its prognostication value are still unclear. The present study investigated the effects of hydrogen inhalation on early postresuscitation EEG characteristics in an asphyxial CA rat model. Methods. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated after 5 min of untreated CA in 40 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were randomized for ventilation with 98% oxygen plus 2% hydrogen (H2) or 98% oxygen plus 2% nitrogen (Ctrl) under normothermia for 1 h. EEG characteristics were continuously recorded for 4 h, and the relationships between quantitative EEG characteristics and 96 h neurological outcomes were investigated. Results. No differences in baseline and resuscitation data were observed between groups, but the survival rate was significantly higher in the H2 group than in the Ctrl group (90% vs. 40%, P<0.01). Compared to the Ctrl group, the H2 group showed a shorter burst onset time (21.85 [20.00–23.38] vs. 25.70 [22.48–30.05], P<0.01) and time to normal trace (169.83 [161.63–208.55] vs. 208.39 [186.29–248.80], P<0.01). Additionally, the burst suppression ratio (0.66 ± 0.09 vs. 0.52 ± 0.17, P<0.01) and weighted‐permutation entropy (0.47 ± 0.16 vs. 0.34 ± 0.13, P<0.01) were markedly higher in the H2 group. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the 4 EEG characteristics in predicting survival were 0.82, 0.84, 0.88, and 0.83, respectively. Conclusions. In this asphyxial CA rat model, the improved postresuscitation EEG characteristics for animals treated with hydrogen are correlated with the better 96 h neurological outcome and predicted survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed framework. [Display omitted] • Images from social media can be timely collected. • The deep learning-based detection model can automatically detect human body parts. • Computer vision technology can automatically calculate water depth. • The water depth of urban flood can be spatially visualized. Urban flooding disasters are the most frequent natural disasters in cities, which broadly affects people's livelihood. Prompt emergency response is the key to alleviating such impact, however, that would rely on the timely mapping of flooding according to waterlogging severity. Compared with traditional approaches, crowdsourcing images from social media has emerged as a more efficient way to obtain this type of information. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the approach based on computer vision technology to automatically extract water depth from social media images, which can be utilized to construct flooding maps during urban flooding. Firstly, the images related to urban flooding were retrieved from social media and then filtered, leaving only images containing people. Secondly, a specific objective detection model based on YOLO was trained to detect the human body parts which are divided into crus, thigh, shoulder, and head from bottom to top. The experiment shows that the mAP of the trained human body parts detection model in the test dataset is 0.967. Afterward, an algorithm for extracting water depth was proposed based on the ratio of bounding boxes of detected body parts in images to the actual length of human body parts. Next, these models were verified by comparing them with manually estimated depth range and manually measured depth. The experiment shows that the accuracy of water depth range is 0.959 and the mean absolute error of the actual depth detection of water is 10.22 cm in the measurement dataset. Finally, the proposed models were applied to map the 2016 flooding that occurred in Wuhan as an illustrative case. This approach is helpful to broaden the source of flooding severity information and improve the efficiency of flood mapping in urban flood emergency management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Searching for an efficient non‑platinum electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of great significance for some energy conversion devices. In this work, Pd‒Ni‒P hybrid nanocatalysts loaded on nitrogen-doped carbon supports (defined as Pd‒Ni‒P@NC) are prepared by simply reacting Pd(II)/Ni(II)-dimethylglyoxime with NaH 2 PO 2 at 500 °C. Compared with Pd‒P@NC and Ni‒P@NC counterparts, the Pd‒Ni‒P@NC exhibits a more positive onset potential and higher specific/mass activity towards ORR due to the interfacial coupling interaction between Pd 3 P 0.8 and Ni 2 P. Moreover, it has a higher catalytic durability and better methanol tolerance than commercial Pt/C catalyst. The surface valence state analysis and electrochemistry characterization reveals that the enhanced electrocatalytic performance of Pd‒Ni‒P@NC is attributed to the modified Pd 3d electronic structure and improved charge transfer character, originating from the incorporation of Ni 2 P component. Our study provides an alternative non‑platinum electrocatalyst for ORR in fuel cell and metal-air battery. Graphical abstract Pd‒Ni‒P@NC hybrid nanocatalysts are prepared by reacting Pd(II)/Ni(II)-dimethylglyoxime with NaH 2 PO 2. The Ni 2 P component in Pd‒Ni‒P@NC not only tunes Pd 3d electronic structure but also improves the charge transfer character, which endows Pd‒Ni‒P@NC a high electrocatalytic performance towards ORR. Unlabelled Image Highlights • Pd‒Ni‒P@NC hybrid nanocatalysts are prepared by reacting Pd(II)/Ni(II)-dimethylglyoxime with NaH 2 PO 2. • Surface Pd 3d electronic structure can be modified by interfacial coupling interaction. • The Ni 2 P component can improves the charge transfer character. • Pd‒Ni‒P@NC shows a high electrocatalytic performance towards ORR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • WTP for disposal of construction waste in landfill was investigated using CVM. • The diversity in stakeholder groups and regional socioeconomic conditions were considered. • The impact of the perception towards landfill charge on WTP was also examined. • There were significant differences of WTP between cities and stakeholder groups. • Landfill charge policy should be customized to local socioeconomic conditions. Abstract High landfill charge presents an effective approach to divert construction waste from landfill. The stakeholders' willingness to pay (WTP) for the disposal of construction waste in landfill provide the useful information to set a reasonable charge level. Considering the diversity in stakeholder groups and regional socioeconomic conditions, contingent valuation method (CVM) was employed in this study to investigate the WTP of two major stakeholder groups in two typical Chinese cities. In addition, the perception of stakeholders towards landfill charge policy was measured and the impact of various factors on WTP was explored. The results indicated that there were statistically significant disparities of WTP between cities and stakeholder groups. Stakeholders from Shenzhen were willing to pay more than their counterparts in Qingdao. Contractors were willing to pay less than owners. Respondents who evaluate the policy as effective in reducing construction waste landfill were willing to pay more. However, firm size, ownership, position of respondent and perceived equity factors did not show statistically significant effect on WTP. These findings highlight the necessity to customize landfill charge policy according to local socioeconomic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student well‐being is under renewed scrutiny due to escalating academic stress and mental health concerns among young adults. However, in addition to the measures taken by lecturers, universities, and local governments (top‐down approaches), we still know little about how students themselves can take the proactive strategy to manage their well‐being (bottom‐up approaches). The current study addressed this gap by proposing and examining the beneficial role of proactive vitality management (PVM)—a proactive action aimed at managing physical and mental energy based on personal unique needs and conditions—on student psychological well‐being. We collected data from 97 college students (36% male, age mean = 21) over four consecutive weeks (308 data observations) and tested a multilevel moderated mediation model. Results showed that weekly PVM was positively related to student weekly goal attainment, which, in turn, enhanced the current week's well‐being and the next week's well‐being as well. Further, this positive indirect (carryover) effect of PVM through goal attainment on well‐being was stronger for those who had a high learning orientation. Our results indicated that PVM can be an effective self‐customized strategy to manage college students' weekly well‐being. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anechoic coatings, attached to the surface of underwater vehicles, are an effective way to absorb the incident sound from active sonars. It is well known that a homogeneous viscoelastic material layer with limited thickness does not provide significant sound absorption performance, thus, anechoic coatings embedded with air cavities are being used for underwater applications. Previous optimization works on this type of anechoic coating mainly focused on the geometrical parameters, position and shape of the internal cavity, while ignoring the influence of the material distribution configuration. In this research, we propose a topology optimization formulation that can directly determine the optimal material layout. A method combining the Bloch theory and finite element method (FEM) is adopted to analyze the sound characteristics of a unit cell model, which is able to represent the whole periodic structure. The proposed optimization formulation employs a reflection coefficient to form the objective function under zero transmission backing conditions. Sensitivity analysis is explicitly presented for the utilization of the typical gradient based optimization method. Finally, numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the validity and significant enhancement in the absorptive performance of anechoic coatings achieved by the proposed methodology. The influence of material distribution on macro level and further research emphases on low frequency reduction are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-frequency transverse wave propagation plays a significant role in the out-of-plane vibration control. To efficiently attenuate the propagation of transverse waves at low-frequency range, this letter proposed a new type phononic beam by attaching inertial amplification mechanisms on it. The wave propagation of the beam with enhanced effective inertia is analyzed using the transfer matrix method. It is demonstrated that the low-frequency gap within inertial amplification effects can possess much wider bandwidth than using the local resonance method, thus is more suitable for designing applications to suppress transverse wave propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large scale of construction waste has significant impacts on the environment which has attracted a growing public concern in China. Despite the introduction of measures on construction waste reduction, outcomes are not always satisfactory. This paper aims to explore critical factors that influence the construction waste reduction (CWR) behavior of contractor employees. A hypothetical model was developed in the first instance by incorporating additional variables (knowledge and personal norm) into the classic theory of planned behavior (TPB) model. The extended TPB model was consequently tested via the structural equation modeling (SEM) using data collected from the Shenzhen city, which is the first national pilot city for construction waste management and comprehensive utilization in China. This study revealed that the extended TPB model has significantly improved the explanation power of CWR behavior than the classic TPB model. Results showed that contractor employees' behavior-related knowledge was the most influential factor on their CWR behavior, notably greater than subjective norm, attitude, personal norm and perceived behavioral control. These findings provide useful inputs for designing effective approaches to motivate CWR behavior of contractor employees and policy making to reduce construction waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel derivatives of geraniol grafted chitosan oligosaccharide were synthesized via substitution and deprotection reaction, respectively. The products were identified by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. It is revealed that the derivatives exhibited a good solubility, thermal stability and antibacterial properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrite growth and the deterioration of anode/electrolyte interface impede the development of all-solid-state Li metal batteries. Tremendous designs of anode have been proposed to tackle these challenges. Herein, considering the issues of solid/solid contact and Li depositing nature, we realize a domain-limited laminar Li deposition by designing a three-dimensional (3D) skeleton supporting hybrid anode with embedded lithiophilic seeds. Specifically, LiC 6 particles connect into a skeleton to limit the volume of anode for its sufficient contact with Li 6 PS 5 Cl electrolyte. Assisted by extensively dispersed Li 22 Sn 5 inside the hybrid anode, the electrochemical reaction area is expanded to the whole bulk, giving full play to the 3D design of anode. Besides, density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that Li 22 Sn 5 functions as lithiophilic seeds to regulate the laminar Li deposition. Ultimately, the hybrid anode exhibits outstanding compatibility towards Li 6 PS 5 Cl electrolyte as confirmed by the long lifespan of symmetric cell for 400 h at 0.5 mA cm‒2. And a capacity retention of 93.6% is achieved in the full cell with Li 2 ZrF 6 coated LiNi 0.9 Co 0.05 Mn 0.05 O 2 cathodes after 50 cycles at 0.1 C. This work paves the way for designing composite metal anode with dynamically stable interface and suppressed Li dendrites for all-solid-state batteries. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the simultaneous oxidation of As(III) and reduction of the Cr(VI) strain Ensifer adhaerens M8 screened from soils around abandoned gold tailings contaminated with highly complex metals (loids). Physiological, biochemical, and genomic techniques were used to explore the mechanism. The strain M8 could simultaneously oxidize 1 mM As(III) and reduce 45.3 % 0.1 mM Cr(VI) in 16 h, and the Cr(VI) reduction rate was increased by 5.8 % compared with the addition of Cr(VI) alone. Cellular debris was the main site of M8 arsenic oxidation. Chromium reduction was dominated by the reduction of extracellular hexavalent chromium (23.80–35.67 %). The genome of M8 included one chromosome and four plasmids, and a comparison of the genomes showed that M8 had two more plasmids than strains of the same genus, which may be related to strong environmental adaptations. M8 had 10 heavy metal resistance genes (HMRs), and plasmid D had a complete cluster of arsenic resistance-oxidation-transport genes (arsOHBCCR-aioSR-aioBA-cytCmoeA-phoBBU-PstBACS-phnCDEE). The genes involved in Cr(VI) detoxification include DNA repair (RecG, ruvABC, and UvrD), Cr(VI) transport (chrA, TonB, and CysAPTW) and Cr(VI) reduction. In summary, this study provides a molecular basis for As (III) and Cr (VI) remediation. [Display omitted] • Ensifer adhaerens M8 could simultaneously As(III) oxidation and Cr(VI) reduction. • Cellular debris was the main site of M8 As(III) oxidation. • The extracellular fraction was the main site of M8 Cr(VI) reduction. • M8 had 10 types of metal (loids) resistance genes. • M8 had an arsenic oxidation gene cluster and chromium resistance genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photonic crystals are widely used in sensors, photocatalysts, remote communication, and optical computing on account of their unique photonic band gap and photonic localization. In the past decades, efficient visual detection of molecules and ions has been deeply studied through the combination of photonic crystals and different recognition technologies. Generally, the fabrication of molecular or ion recognition sensors involves the design of binding units for specific targets and signal units for different responses. Among many signal units, optical signal units are one of the most widely used in material recognition, ideally a visual readout. In this paper, recent advances of polymeric photonic crystals in the field of molecular recognition based on molecular imprinting, pH response, enzyme catalysis, and host-guest interaction are summarized and emphasized, and their future perspectives are also highlighted. [Display omitted] • Previous and current status of the combination of photonic crystals and different recognition technologies were presented. • Only focuses on the application of polymeric photonic crystals. • Present challenges and perspectives of polymeric photonic crystals in molecular recognition were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocomposites Ag-TiO 2−x have been fabricated simply by Ag+ ion exchange of H 2 Ti 3 O 7 nanowires. Ag NPs, appearing on the catalyst surface, exhibit strong visible-light absorption and generate hot electrons due to their localized surface plasmon resonance. Moreover, Ag introduction leads to the generation of anatase-rutile biphase heterojunction with Ti3+ defect energy level, narrowing the bandgap to 2.85 eV and inhibiting the recombination of electron-hole pairs, thus facilitating photocatalytic reduction of Cr (VI) under visible light. A possible photocatalytic reduction mechanism, i. e., the synergistic effect of the Ti3+ defect energy level, anatase-rutile heterojunction and SPR effect of Ag nanoparticles, has also been proposed. [Display omitted] • Ag decorated anatase rutile heterojunction Ag-TiO 2-x nanowires were prepared by a simple ion-exchange strategy. • Intensive interfacial contact between Ag NPs, anatase and rutile phase promotes the separation of electron-hole pairs. • Synergistic effect of Ag SPR and defect sites of Ti3+ in TiO 2 biphase increases the utilization of visible light. • Ag-TiO2-x shows good photocatalytic reduction efficiency for Cr (VI) under visible light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Sorafenib, a potent inhibitor that targets several kinases associated with tumourigenesis and cell survival, has been approved for clinical treatment as a single agent. However, combining sorafenib with other agents improves its anti-tumour efficacy in various preclinical tumour models. ABT-263, a second-generation BH3 mimic, binds to the anti-apoptotic family members Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Bcl-w, and has been demonstrated to enhance TNFSF10 (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis in human hepatocarcinoma cells. Hence, we investigated the effects of ABT-263 treatment combined with sorafenib.Experimental Approach: The effects of ABT-263 combined with sorafenib were investigated in vitro, on cell viability, clone formation and apoptosis, and the mechanism examined using western blot and flow cytometry. This combination was also evaluated in vivo, in a mouse xenograft model; tumour growth, volume and weights were measured and a TUNEL assay performed.Key Results: ABT-263 enhanced sorafenib-induced apoptosis while sparing non-tumourigenic cells. Although ABT-263 plus sorafenib significantly stimulated intracellular reactive oxygen species production and subsequent mitochondrial depolarization, this was not sufficient to trigger cell apoptosis. ABT-263 plus sorafenib significantly decreased Akt activity, which was, at least partly, involved in its effect on apoptosis. Bax and p21 (CIP1/WAF1) were shown to play a critical role in ABT-263 plus sorafenib-induced apoptosis. Combining sorafenib with ABT-263 dramatically increased its efficacy in vivo.Conclusion and Implications: The anti-tumour activity of ABT-263 plus sorafenib may involve the induction of intrinsic cell apoptosis via inhibition of Akt, and reduced Bax and p21 expression. Our findings offer a novel effective therapeutic strategy for tumour treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose Sorafenib, a potent inhibitor that targets several kinases associated with tumourigenesis and cell survival, has been approved for clinical treatment as a single agent. However, combining sorafenib with other agents improves its anti-tumour efficacy in various preclinical tumour models. ABT-263, a second-generation BH3 mimic, binds to the anti-apoptotic family members Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Bcl-w, and has been demonstrated to enhance TNFSF10 (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis in human hepatocarcinoma cells. Hence, we investigated the effects of ABT-263 treatment combined with sorafenib. Experimental Approach The effects of ABT-263 combined with sorafenib were investigated in vitro, on cell viability, clone formation and apoptosis, and the mechanism examined using western blot and flow cytometry. This combination was also evaluated in vivo, in a mouse xenograft model; tumour growth, volume and weights were measured and a TUNEL assay performed. Key Results ABT-263 enhanced sorafenib-induced apoptosis while sparing non-tumourigenic cells. Although ABT-263 plus sorafenib significantly stimulated intracellular reactive oxygen species production and subsequent mitochondrial depolarization, this was not sufficient to trigger cell apoptosis. ABT-263 plus sorafenib significantly decreased Akt activity, which was, at least partly, involved in its effect on apoptosis. Bax and p21 ( CIP1/WAF1) were shown to play a critical role in ABT-263 plus sorafenib-induced apoptosis. Combining sorafenib with ABT-263 dramatically increased its efficacy in vivo. Conclusion and Implications The anti-tumour activity of ABT-263 plus sorafenib may involve the induction of intrinsic cell apoptosis via inhibition of Akt, and reduced Bax and p21 expression. Our findings offer a novel effective therapeutic strategy for tumour treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A gel electrolyte interlayer with LiPO 2 F 2 additive is coated on Li anode. • The seamless contact between anode and Li 10 GeP 2 S 12 electrolyte is achieved. • LiPO 2 F 2 additive promotes a deformable dual-layer interphase on Li metal. • Enhanced interfacial stability facilitates the impressive cycling performance. Sulfide-based solid-state Li metal batteries show tremendous potential to deliver high energy density. However, the extremely unstable Li/sulfide interface involving dendrites and electrolyte decomposition is always a tough nut to crack. Herein, a gel polymer interlayer which originates from the polymerization of 1,3-dioxolan initiated by lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate is coated on anode to solve the challenge in Li 10 GeP 2 S 12 -based batteries. Benefitting from the proper lithium difluorophosphate (LiPO 2 F 2) in the interlayer, more polymeric but fewer inorganic components are generated on Li to prompt a deformable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) with a dual-layer structure that the upper layer is rich in polymer to endow the SEI with elasticity and the bottom layer is full of inorganic species to restrain Li dendrites. Moreover, the seamless contact at the Li/Li 10 GeP 2 S 12 interface is achieved to homogenize the Li-ion flux and the continuous decomposition of Li 10 GeP 2 S 12 is restrained. Impressively, the symmetric cell with the coated Li demonstrates an ultra-stable cycling for 500 h at 0.5 mA cm−2/0.5 mAh cm−2, and the modified Li-S battery also exhibits an outstanding cycling stability. This work provides a rational design for the next-generation solid-state batteries with a stable anode-sulfide electrolyte interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A dual S-scheme WO 3 @ZnIn 2 S 4 /Bi 2 S 3 ternary photocatalyst was rationally constructed. • Formed internal electric field and band edge bending can boost charges separation. • The optimal heterojunction possessed the enhanced redox ability for Cr (VI) and TC. • The dual S-scheme photocatalytic mechanism is well discussed. Herein, a new type of hierarchical dual S-scheme heterojunction, W@ZIS/Bi 2 S 3 , was well-designed for the photocatalytic elimination of Cr (VI). In order to prevent the fast recombination of photoinduced electron-hole pairs, ZnIn 2 S 4 , as a "bridge" has a strong interaction with both WO 3 and Bi 2 S 3 , facilitating charge migration and spatial separation for accuracy regulation of redox centers, simultaneously promoting the catalytic oxidation and the reduction capability. The optimized W@ZIS/Bi 2 S 3 composite, with the hierarchical structure, larger surface area and numerous nanoscale active sites, exhibited excellent adsorption and photocatalytic capacity. High efficiency (100%) of Cr (VI) (10 mg/L) reduction could be obtained within 30 min, with its photocatalytic rate ratio about 8.09 times higher than pure ZnIn 2 S 4 and 2.04 times higher than W@ZIS-1.4, respectively. The optimized W@ZIS/Bi 2 S 3 composite exhibited perfect stability and recyclability. Meanwhile, the promoted activity of TC oxidation has also been obtained. Dual S-scheme heterojunction and hierarchical structure provided a promising general method for catalyst design, giving new insights into the working mechanism of ternary heterojunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The statistical uncertainties of wave loads have large proportions in the structural fatigue strength analysis of offshore platforms. To investigate the uncertainties of wave loads during predicting fatigue loads, the assessing methods and formulas are proposed involving the wave spectrum, sea wave height, wave loading transfer function, zero-crossing period, possibility of sea state occurrence and wave direction; meanwhile, the model test of the wave loads is carried out in a see-keeping basin for studying the uncertainty of the wave loading transfer function. The corrected formulas of the significant wave height and mean zero-crossing period are statistically regressed by calculating the sea states in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea. Furthermore, the influence factors of the sea states of difference seasons are analysed, and the distribution law of the wave direction of the wave loads and fatigue life of a semi-submersible platform are investigated. Finally, the fatigue reliability index of typical structures for a semi-submersible platform is assessed on the basis of uncertainties of wave loads and the other uncertainties of structural factors. • The uncertainties of wave load are investigated during predicting fatigue loads, such as wave spectrum, sea wave height. • A model test of wave load is carried out in a basin to study the uncertainties of wave loading transfer functions. • The fatigue reliability index of typical structures for a semi-submersible platform is assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, an explicit lower bound for the blow-up time is obtained to a parabolic–parabolic Keller–Segel system, the blow-up conditions of which were established with an upper bound of blow-up time by Cieślak and Stinner [T. Cieślak, C. Stinner, Finite-time blowup and global-in-time unbounded solutions to a parabolic–parabolic quasilinear Keller–Segel system in higher dimensions, J. Differential Equations 252 (2012) 5832–5851]. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Over 250 species of bacteria have been detected in the vagina using genomic sequencing. Lactobacillus iners and L crispatus dominate in most women who have a clinically healthy status. Unfortunately, the abundance profiles can change dramatically with significant increases in pathogens associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV) and aerobic vaginitis (AV). The BV microbiota have at least 4 different abundance profiles, indicating this is a complex condition, yet one that is treated with essentially 2 antimicrobial agents which were never designed for eradicting these organisms in dense biofilms. Future studies will uncover which abundance profiles are particularly associated with a risk of preterm labor, and hopefully identify the mechanisms involved in the switch from healthy to a BV or AV state. The use of probiotic lactobacilli vaginally and orally has shown great promise in helping to restore and maintain a healthy vagina, and studies have shown that certain strains have the capacity to interfere with the inflammatory pathway leading to preterm delivery. There is enormous need for new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, especially to save the lives of millions of babies in resource-disadvantaged countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary: Polymyxins are cationic lipopeptide antibiotics active against many species of Gram-negative bacteria. We sequenced the gene cluster for polymyxin biosynthesis from Paenibacillus polymyxa PKB1. The 40.8 kb gene cluster comprises three nonribosomal peptide synthetase-encoding genes and two ABC transporter-like genes. Disruption of a peptide synthetase gene abolished all antibiotic production, whereas deletion of one or both transporter genes only reduced antibiotic production. Computational analysis of the peptide synthetase modules suggested that the enzyme system produces variant forms of polymyxin B (1 and 2), with D-2,4-diaminobutyrate instead of L-2,4-diaminobutyrate in amino acid position 3. Two antibacterial metabolites were resolved by HPLC and identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry and MS/MS sequencing as the expected variants 3 and 4 of polymyxin B1 (1) and B2 (2). Stereochemical analysis confirmed the presence of both D-2,4-diaminobutyrate and L-2,4-diaminobutyrate residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the purpose of obtaining complete stop bands which allow one isolate both longitudinal and transverse vibrations in functionally graded beams, this paper adopts the inertial amplification mechanisms via attaching them on the base beam whose material properties are described by the power-law function to study the nature of propagation and attenuation characteristics. The dynamic model of the inertial amplification mechanism is developed to capture inertial forces when the coupled axial-bending deformation is present in the base structure. By employing the principle of the virtual work and the Bloch theory, a discrete formulation is presented to exploit the complex band diagram. Numerical analyses show that multiple stop bands whose attenuation performances are comparable to that of resonance gaps can be obtained, demonstrating the efficiency on suppressing wave propagation over a wide frequency band, which is helpful to expand the range of engineering applications with functionally graded materials for vibration and sound reduction. Furthermore, the effects of the geometrical characteristics of attached substructure, power-law index and material damping are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It remains a great challenge for targeted therapy of heart diseases. To achieve desirable heart targeting, we developed a polyphenol-assisted nanoprecipitation/self-assembly approach for facile engineering of functional nanoparticles. Three different materials were employed as representative carriers, while gallic acid, catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, and tannic acid (TA) served as typical polyphenols with varied numbers of phenolic hydroxyl groups. By optimizing different parameters, such as polyphenol types and the weight ratio of carrier materials and polyphenols, well-defined nanoparticles with excellent physicochemical properties can be easily prepared. Regardless of various carrier materials, TA-derived nanoparticles showed potent reactive oxygen species-scavenging activity, especially nanoparticles produced from a cyclodextrin-derived bioactive material (TPCD). By internalization into cardiomyocytes, TPCD/TA nanoparticles (defined as TPTN) effectively protected cells from hypoxic-ischemic injury. After intravenous injection, TPTN considerably accumulated in the injured heart in two murine models of ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest in rats and myocardial hypertrophy in mice. Correspondingly, intravenously delivered TPTN afforded excellent therapeutic effects in both heart diseases. Preliminary experiments also revealed good safety of TPTN. These results substantiated that TPTN is a promising nanotherapy for targeted treatment of heart diseases, while polyphenol-assisted self-assembly is a facile but robust strategy to develop heart-targeting delivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Paenibacillus polymyxa PKB1 produces fusaricidins, a family of lipopeptide antibiotics that strongly inhibits the growth of many plant pathogenic fungi. The fusaricidin biosynthetic gene cluster was cloned and sequenced, and it spans 32.4 kb, including an open reading frame (fusA) encoding a six-module nonribosomal peptide synthetase. The second, fourth, and fifth modules of fusaricidin synthetase each contain an epimerization domain, consistent with the structure of fusaricidins. However, no epimerization domain is found in the sixth module, corresponding to d-Ala. This sixth adenylation domain was produced at a high level in Escherichia coli and is shown to activate d-Ala specifically, providing evidence for direct activation of a d-amino acid by a prokaryotic peptide synthetase. The fusaricidin gene cluster also includes genes involved in the biosynthesis of the lipid moiety, but no genes for resistance, regulation, or transport functions were encountered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SUMMARY: Water stress can severely impact plant growth, productivity and yield. Consequently, plants have evolved various strategies through which they can respond and adapt to their environment. XERICO (XER) is a stress‐responsive RING E3 ubiquitin ligase that modulates abscisic acid (ABA) levels and promotes drought tolerance when overexpressed. To better understand the biological role of XER in stress responses, we characterized a xer‐1 hypomorphic mutant and a CRISPR/Cas9‐induced xer‐2 null mutant in Arabidopsis. Both xer mutant alleles exhibited increased drought sensitivity, supporting the results from overexpression studies. Furthermore, we discovered that both xer mutants have greater stomatal indices and that XER is expressed in epidermal cells, indicating that XER functions in the epidermis to repress stomatal development. To explore XER spatiotemporal and stress‐dependent regulation, we conducted a yeast one‐hybrid screen and found that CBF4/DREB1D associates with the XER 5′ untranslated region (5′‐UTR). We generated three cbf4 null mutants with CRISPR/Cas9 and showed that CBF4 negatively regulates ABA responses, promotes stomatal development and reduces drought tolerance, in contrast to the roles shown for XER. CBF4 is induced by ABA and osmotic stress, and localizes to the nucleus where it downregulates XER expression via the DRE element in its 5′‐UTR. Lastly, genetic interaction studies confirmed that xer is epistatic to cbf4 in stomatal development and in ABA, osmotic and drought stress responses. We propose that the repression of XER by CBF4 functions to attenuate ABA signaling and stress responses to maintain a balance between plant growth and survival under adverse environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both developed and developing economies are under enormous environmental pressure due to a significant amount of construction and demolition waste (CDW). This presents urgent need for the recycling CDW. Mobile recycling of CDW has gained growing popularity in recent years, particularly in metropolis with high-dense population. This study aims to assess the environmental impact and benefit associated with the mobile recycling of demolition waste (DW), which was overlooked in previous studies on this topic. Using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a total of 15 mobile recycling projects in Shenzhen were investigated. GIS was employed to measure the real distance to improve the precision of evaluation while social WTP was utilized to transform different impact indicators into a unified monetary value. The total environmental impact and benefit of mobile recycling was 0.42 RMB/ton (about US$0.06/ton) and 2.6454 RMB/ton (about US$0.38/ton) on average respectively. The average value of environmental impact at DW transportation, pretreatment, crushing and screening, residue disposal and recycled aggregate delivery stages was 0.11 (about US$0.02/ton), 0.04 (about US$0.01/ton), 0.16 (about US$0.02/ton), 0.10 (about US$0.02/ton) and 0.13 RMB/ton (about US$0.02/ton) respectively. Global warming potential (GWP) and land occupation (LO) were the top contributors to the total environmental impact. Environmental benefit primarily derived from the avoidance of land occupation. These results draw a comprehensive picture to better understand the mobile CDW recycling that provides a future direction to improve the CDW management. • Mobile recycling of construction and demolition waste is evaluated using LCA and GIS. • Multiple cases were assessed to decrease the dependence on specific project situation. • The mobile recycling of DW in all cases revealed good environmental performance. • GWP and LO were the top contributors to the total environmental impact. • Environmental benefit primarily resulted from avoidance of land occupation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The irregular frequencies affect the analysis of hydroelastic responses and wave loading of the floating structures, such as springing and whipping. In numerical prediction, the responses are likely to be overestimated. The theoretical basis of three-dimensional hydroelasticity for removing irregular frequencies in infinite and finite water depths is formed by a boundary integral method and adding a rigid lid to free surface of the inner fluid zone. One barge and one bulk carrier are taken as research objects for validating the feasibility of method for hydroelasticity and investigating the influence of the irregular frequency on hydrodynamic coefficients, diffraction forces and hydroelastic responses. The effectiveness of the method and mesh of the rigid lid are assessed. The method adopted in the paper could efficiently eliminate the irregular frequency for infinite and finite water depths. The irregular frequencies should be eliminated in a hydroelastic response assessment, especially for the large floating structures. • The method of removing irregular frequencies in hydroelasticity is adding a rigid lid. • The feasibility of the adopted method in hydroelasticity is validated. • The effectiveness of the method and mesh of the rigid lid are assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to acquire multiple and wider stop bands in periodic sandwich lattice, this work applies the inertial amplification mechanisms to the composite sandwich beam with pyramidal truss cores and presents a theoretical study on the wave propagation characteristics of the proposed sandwich lattice. An analytical model based on the plane wave expansion method and the Galerkin method is developed to investigate the dispersion relation of transverse waves propagating through the sandwich beam, whose validity is verified by the numerical simulations of spatial decaying performance predicted by the finite element method. Numerical results of complex band structures show that the proposed sandwich beam can obtain multiple stop bands and possess much wider bandwidth. Employing the developed model, the effects of varying attached substructure, the layout of truss members and the material damping on the attenuation performance are discussed to show the flexibility and to obtain thorough understanding of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the boundary element method and the superposition principle of structural elastic modes, the three-dimensional time-domain Green's function in finite water depth is applied to hydroelasticity, and the theoretical basis of three-dimensional time-domain hydroelasticity is established. To address the difficulty and divergence of the three-dimensional time-domain Green's function in finite water depth, a numerical solution method that has high accuracy and good stability is developed using series expansion, asymptotic methods and fourth-order differential equations. Taking a large bulk carrier as an example, the corresponding predictions of resonance frequency, motion, wave load and hydroelastic response with speed in finite water depth are carried out. The numerical results are compared with the results of the three-dimensional frequency domain method and the time-domain method of inner and outer region matching and are verified by the towing model test. The three-dimensional time-domain hydroelastic theory and numerical method established in this paper are of great significance for fluid coupling analysis, structural dynamic response research and wave load prediction of complex floating bodies with speed. The three-dimensional hydroelastic method has been more and more widely used. At the same time, more and more complex problems need to be solved by time-domain method. Based on the boundary element method and the superposition principle of structural elastic modes, the three-dimensional time-domain Green's function in finite water depth is applied to hydroelasticity, and the theoretical basis of three-dimensional time-domain hydroelasticity is established. Aiming at the difficulty and divergence of three-dimensional time-domain Green's function, a numerical solution method of three-dimensional time-domain Green's function in finite water depth with high accuracy and good stability is proposed by using series expansion, asymptotic method and fourth-order differential equation. Taking a large bulk carrier as an example, the numerical results are compared with the results of three-dimensional frequency domain method and time domain method of inner and outer region matching method, and are verified by towing model test. Some important conclusions are as follows. (1) The numerical analysis shows that the time interval of the fourth-order differential equation is 0.001, and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method could obtain stable and high-precision numerical results. (2) F − F ∞ and its derivatives with X are more intense and oscillatory attenuation, while F − F ∞ and its derivatives with V are more gentle. The larger the horizontal scale of the floating body, the longer the time axis of Green's function needs to be calculated, and the more time elapses. But the time axis of Green's function and the calculation time-consuming have little change when the vertical scale of the floating body increases. (3) The convergence rate of the integral of Green's function, incident potential and diffraction boundary condition in finite water depth could be accelerated by adding and subtracting an appropriate asymptotical function. (4) The impulse response function approaches zero when the non-dimensional time is larger than 3.0 for the bulk carrier with forward speed 14.8 kn. The time-domain method provides the results with good agreement to experiment data. At the ratio of wave length to ship length is about 1.0, the predictions of TDGF and IORM and the experimental results for the vertical bending moment all drop down, while the prediction of the frequency domain method does not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research introduces an integrated ocean thermal energy conversion water and power cogeneration system (OTEC-WPCS), combining a Zeotropic Rankine Cycle (ZRC) with Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD) for efficient power and water production. The hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), chosen for their zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) and extremely low global warming potential (GWP), are used as working fluid components in the ZRC. Additionally, DCMD is implemented for freshwater generation. A mathematical model is established, incorporating both thermodynamic and CFD simulations. The goal is to identify optimal operating conditions that maximize the output of the system. By coupling DCMD and ZRC in series, the system's efficiency reaches 8.92 %, an improvement of 5.71 % compared to a standalone ZRC system. This configuration allows for more efficient use of surface seawater heat compared to an ammonia-based Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)-DCMD system. The enhancements include an increase in power and water production per unit mass flow of surface seawater by 0.55 kW/(kg·s) and 30 %, respectively. Over 60 % of the system's exergy destruction occurs in the DCMD modules and evaporator, while nearly 80 % of the capital cost is associated with the evaporator, condenser, and DCMD heat exchanger. Enhancing the DCMD module structure and heat exchanger can improve both energy and exergy efficiency, and economic feasibility. [Display omitted] • DCMD is proved feasible for OTEC desalination, with no CO 2 emission and small volume. • Proper coupling sequence of DCMD and ZRC can utilize OTE more sufficiently. • System efficiency of proposed OTEC-WPCS can achieve 8.92 %, two times higher than the OTEC-ZRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Bubbling and Vacuum-enhanced direct contact membrane distillation (BVDCMD) is proposed to improve the water production rate of the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD-)based seawater desalination process. Its heat and mass transfer mechanism are theoretically analyzed, and a CFD model is established, which is verified by the published data. Four types of the noncondensable gas, "O2," "air," "N2," and "H2," are adopted as the bubbling gas, and their process enhancements under different pressure of permeate side, temperature, and NaCl concentration of feed side and flow velocities are investigated. The results show that the permeate flux increased remarkably with the decrease in the viscosity of the bubbling gas, and hence, "H2" is the best option for the bubbling gas, with the permeate flux being enhanced by 144.11% and the effective heat consumption being increased by 20.81% on average. The effective water production rate of BVDCMD is predicted to be 42.38% more than that of DCMD, proving its feasibility in the seawater desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iatrogenic nerve injury is an important cause of surgical complications. We focused on improving intraoperative visualization of nerves through highly fluorescent polymer dots (Pdots) and in vivo optical imaging instrumentation. The prepared Pdots have good biocompatibility, fluorescence stability, and simple preparation. Peripheral nerves can be imaged quickly with Pdots through a simple direct administration method and process, low non‐specific absorption in the surrounding tissues. Moreover, the Pdots does not invade nerve cells but binds stably in the neural membrane structure. This study verifies that fluorescent Pdots have excellent neuroimaging capabilities and can be used for intraoperative visualization of peripheral nerves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power metering system is an important part of the smart grid for data acquisition and analysis. The fault state of the main station directly affects the stable and safe operation of the power metering system. Hinged on the real-world data supplied by the monitoring platform of the Metrology Center of Guangdong Power Grid Co., Ltd., we present a novel malfunction diagnosis method for the main station of the power metering system. The proposed method utilizes the synthetic mi-nority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) and designs a combined model of long short-term memory (LSTM) network and ResNet. SMOTE solves the sample imbalance problem. Furthermore, the combined LSTM-ResNet model employs LSTM to extract the time-dependent signal feature and exploits ResNet to optimize data flow. Consequently, the proposed LSTM-ResNet model improves training efficiency and malfunction diagnosis accuracy. The proposed diagnosis mthod is verifird on the real-world data, which proves the proposed method's surpass traditional methods. A specific analysis of results and the practical application of the proposed method is also elaborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel NN-based hybrid method for solving quadratic-BLPPs is presented. • Proposed algorithm combines GA (handles upper-level problem) and DRNN (for lower-level decision problem). • GA solves the upper-level decision problem by choosing candidate solutions and passing them to the lower-level. • Parameterized dual-NN is used in the lower-level problem to determine the optimal solutions. • This combination offers many benefits like parallel computing, faster convergence to global optimum, etc. The current paper presents a neural network-based hybrid strategy that combines a Genetic Algorithm (GA) and a Dual Recurrent Neural Network (DRNN) for efficiently and accurately solving the quadratic -Bi-level Programming Problem (BLPP). In this model, the GA is used to handle the upper-level decision problem by choosing desirable solution candidates and passing them to the lower-level problem. Subsequently, in the lower-level, the parameterized-DRNN is used to determine possible optimal solutions. This combination offers several benefits such as being a parallel computing structure, the RNN offers faster convergence to the optimum for the lower-level decision problem and it also helps to quickly and accurately determining the global optimal. Moreover, the GA can quickly reach the global optima and can search without becoming stuck to the local optimal. Additionally, by choosing desirable initialization of parameters, the proposed algorithm reaches the optimum with higher accuracy. Apart from that, there are still a few utilizations of hybrid NN-based methods for solving BLPPs. Hence, we believe the proposed algorithm will contribute to solving quadratic -BLPPs involved in various engineering, management, and finance applications. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method have been found better than the existing and widely used approaches, while doing experimental verification using four well-known examples used in prior works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, atomic layer deposition (ALD)-Al 2 O 3 films were applied as a medium to modulate the electronic states of the supported Pt. Based on the sacrificial template of ZIF-67, the ternary Co 3 O 4 /Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalyst exhibited better performance in catalytic CO oxidation than the binary Co 3 O 4 /Pt catalyst. Both experimental and calculation results indicate the existence of charge transport between the Pt and the ALD-Al 2 O 3 films, leading to electron-rich Pt, enhanced O 2 affinity, and reduced activation energy. Interestingly, the oxidation resistance of Pt nanoparticles was visualized when annealing Co 3 O 4 /Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalyst at high temperatures. Mechanism studies indicate the typical LH mechanism occurred in CO oxidation, showing that the co-adsorbed CO and O 2 could be converted to carbonate-type *OCOO intermediates via low energy barriers. At low temperatures, CO 2 was mainly produced by the lattice oxygen-mediated M-vK mechanism based on isotope labeling experiments. Our findings provide an alternative way to regulate the electronic states of noble metals by the ALD technique. [Display omitted] • A series of ternary Co 3 O 4 /Al 2 O 3 /Pt catalysts were prepared using MOF as precursor. • The ALD-Al 2 O 3 film was used to modulate the electronic state of Pt. • Pt modified with Al 2 O 3 had a stronger affinity for O 2 , leading to high performance. • Sandwiched Co 3 O 4 /Pt/Al 2 O 3 showed the best performance in catalytic CO oxidation. • DFT and isotope labeling experiments were used to explore the reaction mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]