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The trans‐cleavage property of CRISPR‐Cas12a system makes it an excellent tool for disease diagnosis. Nevertheless, most methods based on CRISPR‐Cas system still require pre‐amplification of the target to achieve the desired detection sensitivity. Here we generate Framework‐Hotspot reporters (FHRs) with different local densities to investigate their effect on trans‐cleavage activity of Cas12a. We find that the cleavage efficiency increases and the cleavage rate accelerates with increasing reporter density. We further construct a modular sensing platform with CRISPR‐Cas12a‐based target recognition and FHR‐based signal transduction. Encouragingly, this modular platform enables sensitive (100 fM) and rapid (<15 min) detection of pathogen nucleic acids without pre‐amplification, as well as detection of tumor protein markers in clinical samples. The design provides a facile strategy for enhanced trans cleavage of Cas12a, which accelerates and broadens its applications in biosensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trans‐cleavage property of CRISPR‐Cas12a system makes it an excellent tool for disease diagnosis. Nevertheless, most methods based on CRISPR‐Cas system still require pre‐amplification of the target to achieve the desired detection sensitivity. Here we generate Framework‐Hotspot reporters (FHRs) with different local densities to investigate their effect on trans‐cleavage activity of Cas12a. We find that the cleavage efficiency increases and the cleavage rate accelerates with increasing reporter density. We further construct a modular sensing platform with CRISPR‐Cas12a‐based target recognition and FHR‐based signal transduction. Encouragingly, this modular platform enables sensitive (100 fM) and rapid (<15 min) detection of pathogen nucleic acids without pre‐amplification, as well as detection of tumor protein markers in clinical samples. The design provides a facile strategy for enhanced trans cleavage of Cas12a, which accelerates and broadens its applications in biosensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen spillover has attracted increasing interests in the field of electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in recent years because of their distinct reaction mechanism and beneficial terms for simultaneously weakening the strong hydrogen adsorption on metal and strengthening the weak hydrogen adsorption on support. By taking advantageous merits of efficient hydrogen transfer, hydrogen spillover‐based binary catalysts have been widely investigated, which paves a new way for boosting the development of hydrogen production by water electrolysis. In this paper, we summarize the recent progress of this interesting field by focusing on the advanced strategies for intensifying the hydrogen spillover towards HER. In addition, the challenging issues and some perspective insights in the future development of hydrogen spillover‐based electrocatalysts are also systematically discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pd‐based metallenes, atomically thin layers composed primarily of under‐coordinated Pd atoms, have emerged as the newest members in the family of two‐dimensional (2D) nanomaterials. Moreover, the unique physiochemical properties, high intrinsic activity associated with metallenes coupled with the ease of applying chemical modifications result in great potential in catalyst engineering for fuel cell reactions. Especially in recent years, interest in Pd‐based metallenes is growing, as evidenced by surge in available literatures. Herein, we have reviewed the recent findings achieved in Pd‐based metallenes in fuel cells by highlighting the technologies available for deriving metallenes and manifesting the modification strategies for designing them to better suit the application demand. Moreover, we also discuss the perspective insights of Pd‐based metallenes for fuel cells regarding the surfactant‐free synthesis method, strain engineering, constructing high‐entropy alloy, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deployment of robust catalysts for electrochemical reactions is a critical topic for energy conversion techniques. Te-based nanomaterials have attracted increasing attention for their application in electrochemical reactions due to their positive influence on the electrocatalytic performance induced by their distinctive electronic and physicochemical properties. Herein, we have summarized the recent progress on Te-based nanocatalysts for electrocatalytic reactions by primarily focusing on the positive influence of Te on electrocatalysts. Firstly, Te-based nanomaterials can serve as an ideal template for the construction of well-defined nanostructures. Secondly, Te doping can significantly modify the electronic structure of the host catalyst, thereby, leading to the optimization of binding strength with intermediates. Furthermore, the Te etching strategy can also create a high density of surface defects, thereby leading to substantial improvement in the electrocatalytic performance. Additionally, many representative Te-based nanocatalysts for electrocatalytic reactions are also summarized and systematically discussed. Finally, a conclusive and perspective discussion is also provided to provide guidance for the future development of more efficient electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coupling of multiphysics including electrodynamics, elastodynamics, magnetodynamics, and electromagnetic (EM) radiation is involved in the operating process of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) antenna. There is still no good way to design the structure and evaluate the performance of the antenna in theory. Therefore, the multiphysics dynamic coupling model of the antenna is constructed by uniting Newton’s equation for acoustic wave, Maxwell’s equation for EM wave, and Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert (LLG) equation for spin wave with constitutive relations of multiferroic materials to discuss the dispersion law of permeability and magnetomechanical coupling factor for the magnetostrictive layer. The importance of consistency between ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) frequency and BAW resonant frequency is demonstrated. The analysis shows that both increasing the anisotropic field or the saturation magnetization and decreasing the FMR linewidth are beneficial to improving the internal energy conversion efficiency and the average radiated power for BAW antenna. In addition, a micromagnetic module is introduced into finite element analysis (FEA) software to simulate the precession of unit magnetic moment at different frequencies. Thus, the analytical model is verified from the perspective of power absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil aviation freight transport (CAFT) in China plays an important role in social and economic development. However, research on the morphological structure of China's CAFT network and its influence factors remains rare. In this paper, we focus on this topic by using a new data set of China's domestic routes from 2015 to 2019. With the complex network theory, we make an empirical study on the morphological structure of China's domestic CAFT network, and try to explore the nexus between the attributes of the network and the influence factors. The results show that China's domestic CAFT network is in line with the small world network model, which has a low average path length and a high clustering coefficient. The centrality of the network presents a saddle distribution with dense in the east and west, while sparse in the central. The results also indicate that there are many localized networks dominated by a few core airports. A number of regional hub cities exist, which are mainly located in the west of China. The development of China's CAFT highly depends on the civil aviation passenger transport (CAPT) network, and is highly affected by GDP, the industrial structure and the geographical location of cities. Finally, we give several policy suggestions, including developing the freight dedicated airports, establishing independent freight transport network system, vigorously developing core and intermediate hub cities, as well as constructing the regional network. • We study China's domestic civil aviation freight transport network by using a new dataset. • We analyze the network attributes and their influence factors at the city level. • A number of regional hub cities exist, mainly located in the west of China. • Civil aviation passenger transport, GDP and geographical location are the critical influencing factors of the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conductive magnetic film will produce eddy current loss when it works in a high-frequency band, which will reduce the performance of bulk acoustic wave magnetoelectric (BAW ME) devices. If the eddy current loss is not taken into account in the devices modeling, the models will be seriously distorted. Therefore, combining the Maxwell’s equations with constitutive relations of ME material, we define the eddy current loss angle as a figure of merit to evaluate the eddy current loss. Then the models of eddy current loss rate of the potential energy and average radiated power are constructed, respectively. The finite element analysis is used to further validate the analytic model. In addition, the effect of isolation layers on eddy current suppression is studied by using the analytical model. The results show that the analytical solutions match with the numerical simulation results perfectly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-component linear model (CCLM) prediction has been repeatedly proven to be effective in reducing the inter-channel redundancies in video compression. Essentially speaking, the linear model is identically trained by employing accessible luma and chroma reference samples at both encoder and decoder, elevating the level of operational complexity due to the least square regression or max-min based model parameter derivation. In this paper, we investigate the capability of the linear model in the context of sub-sampled based cross-component correlation mining, as a means of significantly releasing the operation burden and facilitating the hardware and software design for both encoder and decoder. In particular, the sub-sampling ratios and positions are elaborately designed by exploiting the spatial correlation and the inter-channel correlation. Extensive experiments verify that the proposed method is characterized by its simplicity in operation and robustness in terms of rate-distortion performance, leading to the adoption by Versatile Video Coding (VVC) standard and the third generation of Audio Video Coding Standard (AVS3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to accurately estimate the period of X-ray pulsars to improve navigation performance, this paper proposes a pulsar period estimation method based on photon energy using reverse Hilbert coding and double Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) discrimination. This method uses photon energy information to perform epoch folding. It converts one-dimensional contour information into two-dimensional image signals through reverse Hilbert curve and recognizes contour image features through CNN models to determine the optimal period. According to the simulation results, the period estimation accuracy of this method is 0.5350 ns, which is 65.71% higher than the χ 2 epoch folding method. The contour phase accuracy is 0.0004767, which is 41.93% higher than the χ 2 epoch folding method. At the same time, the observation time and noise interference that may affect the accuracy of period estimation are also quantitatively analyzed. In addition, in order to simulate real navigation scenarios, this paper also conducts dynamic period estimation experiments on PSR B0531+21 pulsar in a specific period of time. The method proposed in this paper has the advantages of high precision, fast calculation speed, strong anti-interference ability and accurate dynamic period estimation, which can significantly improve the navigation performance of X-ray pulsars. • The proposed period estimation method uses photon energy information for contour weighted folding. • The proposed method uses reverse Hilbert curve to convert one-dimensional contour information into two-dimensional image information. • Convolutional Neural Network models are used to optimize pulsar period estimation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a consensus regarding the intra prediction technique in video coding that the spatial redundancy can be efficiently removed by the locally accessible reference samples with certain projections and interpolations. In this paper, we revisit the short and long range correlations of the image content in the context of video coding, and it is interesting to find that the natural scene videos exhibit substantially different characteristics from screen content videos. This motivates us to redesign the intra mode coding method based on both short and long range correlations, as the existing approaches based on local content correlations cannot always effectively capture the most probable mode. One key feature of the proposed method is that it achieves unified content adaptive coding and is applicable across different video content. Experimental results on the versatile video coding (VVC) platform VTM-3.0 show the effectiveness of the proposed approach, leading to 3.73% bit rate savings for screen content videos and 0.10% bit rate savings for natural scene videos under all intra configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flexible partitioning structure such as quad-tree plus binary-tree (QTBT) plays important roles in the next generation video coding standard. This paper investigates new coding unit (CU) partitioning methods to further improve the compression efficiency. In particular, we propose the extended quad-tree partitioning and asymmetric ternary-tree partitioning to further develop the principle behind the existing partitioning structure. First, a central extended quad-tree (CENTRAL-EQT) partitioning is introduced, which extends the traditional QT partitioning with central pattern and generates four elaborately designed sub-CUs with different sizes. Second, we propose a parallel extended quad-tree (PARALLEL-EQT) partitioning that allows the CU to split along a single direction, leading to four identical size sub-blocks. Third, we present an asymmetric ternary-tree (ATT) method, which splits the CU asymmetrically into three sub-blocks. The proposed new partitioning methods allow the interleaving with binary-tree partitioning for enhanced adaptability, and they can be jointly enabled to capture different characteristics of the local content. Simulation results on the JEM7-QTBT-Only platform show that averagely 4.92%, 4.81% and 5.08% BD-Rate savings are achieved for the luma component by the proposed methods under random access (RA), low-delay P (LDP) and low-delay B (LDB) configurations, respectively, with around 725% encoding time increase and negligible decoding time increase. Furthermore, experimental results also reveal that the proposed partitioning schemes are effective when cooperating with the upcoming Versatile Video Coding standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • MBDF modified by cellulase with hydroxypropylation had excellent emulsion capacity. • All dual modifications enhanced MBDF's soluble fibre content and hydration property. • MBDF-EC showed the highest cation-exchange capacity and NO 2 – adsorption capacity. • MBDF modified by cellulase with phosphate-crosslink had high Cu2+ adsorbing ability. • Three dual modifications enhanced Fe2+ chelating ability and reducing power of MBDF. The effects of cellulase hydrolysis separately combined with hydroxypropylation, carboxymethylation and phosphate crosslinking on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of millet bran dietary fibre (MBDF) were investigated. Compared to cellulase hydrolysis alone, these dual modifications more effectively improved the soluble fibre content, water-swelling ability, viscosity, emulsifying capacity and cation-exchange capacity of MBDF but reduced the emulsion stability, brightness and polyphenol content of MBDF (P < 0.05). MBDF modified by cellulase hydrolysis combined with hydroxypropylation showed the highest emulsifying capacity (60.03 m2/g) and oil-adsorption capacity (3.32 g/g) but the lowest nitrite ion-adsorbing ability (NIAA). MBDF modified by cellulase hydrolysis with carboxymethylation showed the highest surface hydrophobicity, cation-exchange capacity (0.352 mmol/g) and NIAA (152.89 μg/g). MBDF modified by cellulase hydrolysis combined with phosphate crosslinking exhibited excellent copper ion-adsorbing ability (19.97 mg/g) and viscosity (19.33 cp). Moreover, these dual modifications all enhanced the Fe2+ chelating ability and reducing power of MBDF (P < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An method of multi-source data-driven unsaturated seepage parameter inversion. • NSGA-II is used to generate the pareto-optimal solutions of parameters. • Parameter decision based on a comprehensive index composed of multi-source data. • Inversion results are more in line with engineering practice and have higher accuracy. The inverse parameter's estimation of unsaturated seepage models is important to ensure the safety of earth dams, while most existing studies determine the hydraulic characteristics only based on seepage pressure monitoring data, which may lead to inversion results deviating from the intrinsic properties of dam materials. This study proposed an advanced methodology for unsaturated seepage parameter inversion of earth dams driven by multi-source data. The transient unsaturated seepage behavior of earth dams is simulated using the Van Genuchten (VG) model, and the extreme learning machine (ELM) is adopted as the surrogate model to estimate the approximate simulation results. Then the multi-objective function for parameter inversion is constructed by combining the observed transient pressure data and ELM models, and the Pareto-optimal solutions are generated using the elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). Multi-source information, including parameter design values, in-situ testing results, and monitoring data, are fused to construct a comprehensive index to drive the parameter decision. The proposed method is applied to the PB core rockfill dam, which has a well-established seepage pressure monitoring system. In addition, the design values and in-situ testing results of the hydraulic conductivity of the dam material are also available. The results showed that the inversion parameters of the proposed method are closer to the physical characteristics of materials and have advantages in prediction accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hot ductility of martensitic heat-resistant steels was studied by tensile tests in temperature range from 600 °C to 1150 °C. A significant hot embrittlement was observed at 700–900 °C. The tensile specimens fracture in dimple mode at low and high temperature, while intergranular fracture appears at the hot embrittlement temperature. The microvoids mainly form interior grains at low temperature, while mainly form at grain boundaries at high temperature. The intergranular cracks forming at high temperature, which leads to the hot embrittlement, is attributed to the grain boundaries sliding. Furthermore, fining grains can markedly improve ductility at high temperature, while has little effect at low temperature. Fining grains improves ductility by controlling the propagation of intergranular cracks and improving dynamic recrystallization at high temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the low-temperature toughness of and the microstructures found in a martensitic heat-resistant steel 10Cr12Ni3Mo2VN was studied using heat treatment and microscopic microstructure analysis. This study discusses the effect of large-size M 23 C 6 type carbides on the low-temperature toughness. Recent results show that the large-size M 23 C 6 -type carbides that remain undissolved during austenitizing have a notably adverse effect on the low-temperature toughness after quenching and tempering. The large-size M 23 C 6 -type carbides form during normalization and can be eliminated by austenitizing at temperatures of 1050 °C and above. Refinement of prior austenite grains can markedly improve the low-temperature toughness. To meet the requirement of FATT 50 ≤−35 °C in 10Cr12Ni3Mo2VN steel, the average size of prior austenite grains should be less than 65 μm. No large-size M 23 C 6 type carbides should be present after quenching, and the tempering temperature should be 690 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Kinematic modeling and FEA simulation for BAW-actuated mechanical antenna. • Optimum thickness ratio of magnetoelectric composites. • Reduction of magnetic damping loss for improving the antenna performance. The bulk acoustic wave (BAW) antenna suffers from eddy current loss as well as magnetic damping loss, which are important factors affecting the performance of the antenna. The Lorentz force generated from piezomagnetic layer during the radiation process of BAW antenna is solved based on the eddy current loss model constructed previously. Then a kinematic model of BAW antenna considering magnetic damping is constructed by introducing the acoustic resonance model. A finite element analysis (FEA) model for magnetic damping behavior of BAW antenna is developed to verify the analytical model. The results from the numerical simulation and the theoretical calculation are in good agreement, which verifies both the analytical model and FEA modeling method. Finally, the resonant displacement of BAW antenna with different thickness ratios of piezoelectric and piezomagnetic layers is studied by the verified kinematic model. It is found that the antenna has the maximum resonant displacement when the thickness ratio is 1:1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very important to estimate the mechanical parameters based on monitoring data for investigating the operation behavior of concrete dams. In this paper, an advanced Bayesian parameter estimation method for concrete dams is proposed. The Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) is adopted to extract the aging component of the observed deformation sequence, and the hydrostatic component is separated from the remaining periodic term through the statistical regression model (SRM). A hybrid response surface method (HRSM) is proposed as a surrogate model for finite element method (FEM) simulation. The likelihood function, which reflects the error between the observed and simulated deformation, is constructed, then the Bayesian formula for parameter estimation is established. The transitional Markov chain Monte Carlo (TMCMC) algorithm is used to obtain the parameter posterior distribution. The proposed method is applied to estimate the elastic modulus of the GD concrete dam, the parameter posterior distribution is obtained through the fusion of monitoring information and parameter prior information. This method can also avoid the issues of multiple solutions and unreasonable parameter combinations, which may exist in traditional deterministic inversion methods. The case study shows that the proposed method has good applicability in the parameter estimation of concrete dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health monitoring and operation behavior assessment of earth dams are research focuses in geotechnical engineering. Due to the limited monitoring data and the uncertainty of material properties, existing monitoring data-based interpolation methods and mechanism-based finite element method (FEM) can not accurately estimate the dam deformation field. Therefore, studying an accurate estimation method of the deformation field is important to guarantee the serviceability of earth dams. In this paper, a FEM-Bayesian kriging (FBK) method is proposed, in which the FEM is introduced into the Bayesian kriging framework as the source of soft data, taking the FEM results as a trend surface of the deformation field, the spatial distribution of the random residual is determined by the exact monitoring data, thereby the FEM results are corrected. In this method, data-rich but low-precision FEM results and limited but high-precision monitoring data are coupled to approach the real deformation field. A numerical experiment is designed to verify the accuracy of the proposed method, and the estimation error of the FBK is reduced by about 80% compared with traditional methods. The case study of an actual earth dam also shows that the proposed method can effectively characterize the deformation behavior of earth dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-temperature temper embrittlement of martensitic heat-resistant 10Cr12Ni steel was studied. The results demonstrate that there is some irreversible temper embrittlement when the steel is tempered at 625 °C. The irreversible temper embrittlement can be overcome by re-tempering at higher temperature. The tempered martensite embrittlement at 625 °C is attributed to the precipitation of M 23 C 6 -type carbides along the martensite lath and prior austenite grain boundaries. The tempering process can be divided into three stages: In the first stage, the martensite laths recover and M 7 C 3 -type carbides precipitate inside the martensite laths, leading to the improvement of the toughness. In the second stage, M 7 C 3 -type carbides dissolve, and M 23 C 6 -type carbides precipitate along the martensite laths and prior austenite grain boundaries. The M 23 C 6 -type carbides play a nucleating role in the development of cracks, leading to tempered martensite embrittlement. In the third stage, the toughness gradually recovers with the further recovery of the martensite laths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ru‐based materials hold great promise for substituting Pt as potential electrocatalysts toward water electrolysis. Significant progress is made in the fabrication of advanced Ru‐based electrocatalysts, but an in‐depth understanding of the engineering methods and induced effects is still in their early stage. Herein, we organize a review that focusing on the engineering strategies toward the substantial improvement in electrocatalytic OER and HER performance of Ru‐based catalysts, including geometric structure, interface, phase, electronic structure, size, and multicomponent engineering. Subsequently, the induced enhancement in catalytic performance by these engineering strategies are also elucidated. Furthermore, some representative Ru‐based electrocatalysts for the electrocatalytic HER and OER applications are also well presented. Finally, the challenges and prospects are also elaborated for the future synthesis of more effective Ru‐based catalysts and boost their future application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Unburned carbon (UBC) present in fly ash has been shown to adsorb mercury. In this work mercury adsorption onto the surface of UBC particles was investigated by using both computational and experimental methods. The UBC surfaces were assumed to be similar to that of graphene (single-layer graphite). The theoretical predictions using the Hartree–Fock method found that the zigzag edge of the carbonaceous cluster (C25H9) used provides stronger forces to attract mercury compared to the armchair edge (C24H8), probably resulting in greater mercury removal from flue gases. The adsorption of mercury on the simulated UBC surface (C25H9) was found to be a chemical process, with the predicated adsorption energy of 288.632kJ/mol at room temperature. Furthermore, as temperature increases the adsorption energy slightly raises. The experimental studies showed that decreasing the particle size of UBC particles resulted in higher mercury uptake. Increasing the bed length resulted in higher mercury uptakes. Particle size can affect the sorbent capacity, and in this study UBC particles with size ranging between 125 and 250μm seem to be more effective for mercury adsorption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A nitrogen-doped carbon shell loaded with a gold and silver alloy (Au/Ag@NCS) was constructed for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of NO. The Au/Ag@NCS material was prepared by use of SiO 2 particles as a template to polymerize imidazolium-based ionic liquids loaded with gold and silver salts, and subsequent carbonization treatment and template removal. The hollow structure of the carbon material acted as a carrier for electrochemical sensing, offering high specific surface area, large pore capacity, robust electron conductivity, and excellent mechanical stability. The inclusion of gold in the composite enhanced its catalytic and sensing capabilities, while silver oxidation was employed as a reference signal for accurate detection. By utilization of the Au/Ag@NCS-modified electrode, a wide detection range from 0.5 nM to 1.05 μM with a low detection limit of 0.32 nM was achieved for NO detection. The electrochemical sensor also exhibited high selectivity and excellent stability. The fabricated sensor was further utilized to explore the release of NO from breast cancer cells, revealing that the electrochemical platform could be regarded as an important method to study the daily tests of NO in clinical application. A nitrogen-doped carbon shell loaded with a gold and silver alloy (Au/Ag@NCS) was constructed for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of NO. [Display omitted] • Au/Ag@NCS was prepared by in-situ polymerization of ILs and subsequent treatment. • NCS structure and dispersed Au/Ag alloy provided high electrocatalytic activity. • High sensitivity and selectivity for NO detection were obtained. • Ag oxidation as an internal reference endowed accurate detection of NO from cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify group variations in adolescent impulsivity and explore the connections between latent categories of impulsivity and psychological symptoms, social anxiety, and internet addiction. The research involved 2,378 participants from three middle schools in Guangdong Province, China. We assessed the impact of impulsivity levels (measured by BBIS) on depression (measured by KADS-11), anxiety (measured by SCARED), social anxiety (measured by SASC), and internet addiction (measured by YDQ). Latent profile analysis was employed to examine the diversity in adolescent impulsivity, establish latent classifications, and investigate the variances in psychological symptoms, social anxiety, and internet addiction. The middle school students were categorized into five latent groups based on their BBIS scores. Statistical analysis revealed five impulsivity categories, strongly linked to psychological symptoms and social anxiety but less strongly associated with internet addiction. The high impulsivity group (C5) exhibited higher scores in psychological symptoms and social anxiety compared to other groups, whereas the poor self-regulation group (C3) displayed greater psychological symptoms, social anxiety scores, and internet addiction than the impulsive behavior group (C4). Future investigations should investigate the underlying factors contributing to the observed differences among these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inverse analysis of the deformation moduli of high arch dams based on displacement monitoring data is essential for structural safety assessment. In traditional inverse analysis methods, the deformation moduli are identified based on the single‐objective optimization and the hydrostatic component derived from the statistical model. This type of method has two main shortcomings: First, it treats the essential multi‐objective optimization problem as a single‐objective problem; second, the extracted hydrostatic component may be biased due to the multicollinearity of variables in the statistical model. This paper presents a methodology for the inverse analysis of the deformation moduli of high arch dams under a multi‐objective optimization strategy. The methodology employs empirical mode decomposition to extract the aging component from displacement monitoring data. Then, thermomechanical analysis is used to reconstruct the remaining hydrostatic and temperature components, thereby avoiding the biases encountered in solving the statistical model. The adaptive polynomial chaos expansion method is embedded in the NSGA‐III algorithm to establish and solve multi‐objective functions in the inverse analysis. Additionally, a composite decision index considering errors and test information is proposed to determine acceptable deformation moduli from the Pareto solution set. A high arch dam is selected to illustrate this methodology with static and dynamic monitoring data. The results show that the identified deformation moduli have errors of 3.8% and 7.2% in displacement and acceleration, respectively. The proposed methodology can yield deformation modulus values that are more consistent with the physical implications than those of the single‐objective optimization method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How the brain stores a sequence in memory remains largely unknown. We investigated the neural code underlying sequence working memory using two-photon calcium imaging to record thousands of neurons in the prefrontal cortex of macaque monkeys memorizing and then reproducing a sequence of locations after a delay. We discovered a regular geometrical organization: The high-dimensional neural state space during the delay could be decomposed into a sum of low-dimensional subspaces, each storing the spatial location at a given ordinal rank, which could be generalized to novel sequences and explain monkey behavior. The rank subspaces were distributed across large overlapping neural groups, and the integration of ordinal and spatial information occurred at the collective level rather than within single neurons. Thus, a simple representational geometry underlies sequence working memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

9–12%Cr martensitic heat-resistant steels (MHRS) are the key materials for making ultra supercritical (USC) unites turbine blades. In this study, the anisotropy of mechanical properties in Cr-Co-W-type MHRS 1Cr11Co3W3NiMoVNbNB is discussed. The samples were prepared for impact and tensile tests. By utilizing characterization techniques, such as OM, FESEM, TEM, and EDS, steel sample fracture surfaces and the microvoids as well as the microstructure-anisotropy mechanical properties relationship were thoroughly investigated. It was pointed out that a strong anisotropy of mechanical properties was observed as much lower impact toughness and tensile plasticity in transverse direction in the steel sample after a heat treatment process. The anisotropy was mainly due to the large-size directionally distributed M23C6-type and M6C-type carbides. Large-size directionally distributed carbides lead to anisotropy of mechanical properties mainly by promoting the formation of microcracks and the propagation of cracks in transverse specimens. For transverse impact specimens, the propagation of microvoids is promoted to banded brittle cracks by large-size directionally distributed carbides. These banded brittle cracks become the pre-cracks of matrix and markedly decrease the toughness. For transverse tensile specimens, the propagation of microvoids is promoted to shallow chain-distributed dimples by large-size directionally distributed carbides, which markedly decrease the plasticity. • Large-size carbides cause serious anisotropy of toughness and plasticity. • Big carbides promote the formation and propagation of microcracks. • Big carbides cause long brittle cracks in transverse impact specimens. • Big carbides cause shallow chain-distributed dimples in transverse specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hot ductility of as-cast 11Cr–3Co–3W martensitic heat resistant steel was studied by tensile tests in the temperature range from 900 °C to 1200 °C. A serious hot embrittlement was observed at 1150–1200 °C, appearing as a whole intergranular fracture. And the ductility fully recovered with deformation temperature decreasing to 1100 °C and below, appearing as a dimple fracture. The fracture appearance, microstructure and precipitates were analyzed to investigate the hot embrittlement mechanism. The phase transformation of precipitates and their effect on hot embrittlement were mainly discussed. Results show that the hot embrittlement is caused by the precipitation of (Cr, Fe, W)-rich sigma phase, which precipitates and forms flaky structure at grain boundaries of austenite and delta ferrite at 1150 °C and above in the experimental steel. The flaky structure composed by brittle sigma phase seriously destroys the bonding of grain boundaries and causes intergranular cracks. The recovery of ductility with deformation temperature decreasing to 1100 °C is attributed to the phase transformation of precipitates from sigma phase to M6C-type carbides. Flaky-distributed sigma phase is unstable at 1100 °C and below and tends to transform to isolated-distributed M6C-type carbides, which have less harmful effect on ductility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRISPR/Cas9 system is promising for the reversal of tumor immunosuppression in immunotherapy, but the controlled delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 remains challenging. Herein, the study reported a smart DNA nanoassembly containing multivalent aptamers, realizing the controlled delivery of Cas9/sgRNA ribonucleoprotein (RNP) for enhanced cancer immunotherapy. A single‐stranded DNA complementary to sgRNA in the Cas9/sgRNA RNP can initiate a cascade‐clamped hybridization chain reaction (C‐HCR) to wrap the Cas9/sgRNA RNP up in the DNA nanoassembly. After selective internalization of DNA nanoassembly by cancer cells, Cas9/sgRNA RNP is released to cytoplasm in response to endogenous RNase H and enters the nuclei to knock out β‐catenin. The expression of the programmed death‐ligand one gene is effectively suppressed, and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment is reprogrammed. Meanwhile, the migration of cancer cells is inhibited, and the apoptosis of cancer cells is promoted. In a breast cancer mouse model, the administration of DNA nanoassembly effectively increased the infiltration of CD8+ T cells, eventually achieving high therapeutic efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of superhydrophobicity has been widely used after years of theoretical and experimental exploration. Researchers have obtained materials with excellent surface superhydrophobicity for numerous areas (e.g. textiles, paints, and coatings industries), through different design and synthesis methods using low surface energy components (LSECs) and micro/nanohierarchy composite structures. However, the durability of superhydrophobic material surfaces has gradually become a prominent obstacle to restricting applications. In this paper, advances in improving the durability of superhydrophobic surfaces in the past decade are reviewed, covering different schemes for recovering fractal surfaces based on the LSECs and micro/nanocomposite structures. It also presents a balanced review on wet chemical methods, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), layer-by-layer (LbL), microarc oxidation (MAO), and self-healing of the fractal surfaces, with the aim at developing sustainable superhydrophobicity. In addition, it innovatively summarized the research on the synthesis of self-healing superhydrophobic materials by machine learning methods. By the end it discusses perspectives on future development in this emerging research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rockfill dams are generally constructed on thick overburden layers in mountainous and valley areas due to their high adaptability to complex geological and geographical conditions. The safety of rockfill dams is a research focus worldwide, especially with the increase of dam heights. Significant differential settlement may be induced by different embankment materials in a dam body and various stratum properties in thick overburden layers. The accurate prediction of settlement is particularly important to guarantee the serviceability and safety operation of rockfill dams. Therefore, a novel settlement forecasting model is proposed in this study. This model can achieve a successful prediction of dam settlement during the construction and operation periods. Compared with the traditional model, the settlement influential factors in the proposed model are determined based on the existing theory of coarse-grained soil deformation calculation, causing the selection of factors to have clearer physical meanings. Additionally, the geometric characteristics of the dam, the different material properties in various zones of the dam and the foundation, and the complicated external loading conditions are all considered. Then, the improved regression model for forecasting the settlement of dams is proposed. The proposed settlement forecasting model is further employed to estimate the deformation of a high rockfill dam in China. The results prove that this novel method shows high accuracy and agrees well with the monitoring consequences, and this method is superior to the traditional statistical regression model in predicting dam settlement during the construction period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forthcoming Versatile Video Coding (VVC) standard adopts the trellis-coded quantization, which leverages the delicate trellis graph to map the quantization candidates within one block into the optimal path. Despite the high compression efficiency, the complex trellis search with soft-decision quantization may hinder the applications due to high complexity and low throughput capacity. To reduce the complexity, in this paper, we propose a low complexity trellis-coded quantization scheme in a scientifically sound way with theoretical modeling of the rate and distortion. As such, the trellis departure point can be adaptively adjusted, and unnecessarily visited branches are accordingly pruned, leading to the shrink of total trellis stages and simplification of transition branches. Extensive experimental results on the VVC test model show that the proposed scheme is effective in reducing the encoding complexity by 11% and 5% with all intra and random access configurations, respectively, at the cost of only 0.11% and 0.05% BD-Rate increase. Meanwhile, on average 24% and 27% quantization time savings can be achieved under all intra and random access configurations. Due to the excellent performance, the VVC test model has adopted one implementation of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mannan binding lectin (MBL), initially known to activate the complement lectin pathway and defend against infection, was recently shown to be potentially involved in the development of several types of cancer; however, its exact role in cancers, especially its effect on tumor microenvironment remain largely unknown. Here, using a murine hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model, we showed that MBL was a component of liver microenvironment and MBL-deficient (MBL-/-) mice exhibited an enhanced tumor growth compared with wild-type (WT) mice. This phenomenon was associated with elevation of myeloid derived suppressed cells (MDSCs) in tumor tissue of MBL-/- mice. MBL deficiency also resulted in an increase of activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which showed enhanced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production. Pharmacological inhibition of COX-2 in vivo partially abrogated the MBL deficiency-promoted tumor growth and MDSC accumulation. Mechanistic studies revealed that MBL could interact directly with HSCs and inhibit HCC-induced HSCs activation via downregulating the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathway. Furthermore, MBL-mediated suppression of HCC is validated by administration of MBL-expressing, liver-specific adeno-associated virus (AAV), which significantly inhibited HCC progression in MBL-/- mice. Taken together, these data reveal that MBL may impact on tumor development by shaping the tumor microenvironment via its interaction with the local stromal cells, and also suggests its potential therapeutic use for the treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procambarus clarkii is a commercially significant species both domestically and internationally, and has become the most extensively farmed fishery species in China. However, accurately assessing stocks is often challenging, especially for data-poor fisheries, which undermines effective fishery management. This study aims to identify gaps in the stock status of P. clarkii and provide guidance for effective aquaculture management to promote the sustainability in the P. clarkii aquaculture industry. A total of 2035 crayfish were collected to obtain length-frequency data from March 2016 to February 2017 in the Selection and Reproduction Center of Crayfish, Houhu management area, Qianjiang, China. The seasonally oscillating von Bertalenffy Growth Function (VBGF) was fitted using two optimized ELEFAN approaches (ELEFAN_SA, a simulated annealing algorithm; ELEFAN_GA, a genetic algorithm) to estimate the growth, mortality, and exploitation rates of P. clarkii population. ELEFAN_SA provided a better fit and was subsequently used to derive the following results: an asymptotic total length (L inf) of 130.86 mm, a growth coefficient (K) of 0.63 year−1, initial condition parameter (t 0) of −0.32 year−1, expected longecity (t max) of 4.44 year−1, a total mortality (Z) of 1.96 year−1, a natural mortality (M) of 0.58 year−1, a fishing mortality (F) of 1.38 year−1 and a exploitation rate (E) of 0.70. The Thompson and Bell model estimated the overall stock biomass at approximately 1.92 tons, with the biological reference levels of F 0.1 = 0.78 year−1, F 0.5 = 0.59 year−1, E 0.1 = 0.40, and E 0.5 = 0.30. The current F and E (1.38 year−1 and 0.70) exceeded the established thresholds, indicating a high risk of overexploitation of the P. clarkii population. Jones' length-based cohort analysis demonstrated P. clarkii individuals with a total length ranging from 86 mm to 102 mm were more vulnerable to fishing pressure, and that the current fishing selectivity primarily targeted at immature juvenile P. clarkii. The results of GTG-LBSPR model estimated the stock's spawning potential ratio (SPR) at 0.33, which was below the target SPR of 0.4, suggesting a possible ongoing recruitment overfishing. Based on the findings of this study, it strongly advocates for collaborative efforts among researchers, fishery managers, and fish farmers in finding practical and effective measures, such as implementing the size limit for the first capture, that ensure the long-term reproductive capacity and sustainability of P. clarkii populations. Furthermore, it highly encourages moderate fishing pressure on fast-growing and reproductive potential individuals to offset negative impacts of overfishing and promote high SPR and sustainability. • ELEFAN_SA yields a better fit in von Bertalenffy Growth Function using total length data of crayfish. • The fast-growing and reproductive potential individuals are exposed to high fishing pressure. • P. clarkii aquaculture faces a possible ongoing recruitment overfishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Few studies have evaluated the treatment of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) and mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN). The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic effects of oral glucocorticoids (GCS) combined with intravenous cyclophosphamide (CTX) and oral GCS alone in the treatment of the MPGN-IgAN patients with NS. Methods Biopsy-proven primary IgAN patients who were aged ≥14 years at diagnosis, had coexistent NS and MPGN and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥15 mL/min/1.73 m2, and were treated by oral GCS combined with intravenous CTX or oral GCS alone for 6–12 months were retrospectively included. The patients in the GCS + CTX (prednisone 0.6–0.8 mg/kg/day and intravenous CTX 0.6–1.0 g monthly) or GCS (prednisone 0.8–1 mg/kg/day) group were rather matched at a 1:1 ratio on key characteristics by propensity score matching. The primary outcome was defined as either complete remission or partial remission at Month 24. The secondary outcome was a composite renal endpoint defined as a 50% decline in eGFR, doubling of serum creatinine or progression to end-stage kidney disease. Results Among the 146 IgAN patients who met the inclusion criteria, 42 patients were enrolled in the GCS + CTX group, and 42 patients were enrolled in the GCS group after propensity score matching. The clinical and histological parameters were similar between the two groups. Remission occurred more frequently in the GCS + CTX group at Month 6 (88.1% vs 52.4%, P  < 0.001), Month 12 (88.1% vs 56.1%, P  = 0.001) and Month 24 (85.0% vs 47.5%, P  < 0.001) than in the GCS group. Moreover, subgroup analysis revealed that the higher response rate at Month 24 in the GCS + CTX group than in the GCS group was also present in different subgroups defined by sex, age, eGFR or Oxford MEST-C. Notably, we found that eGFR decreased at a lower rate in patients from the GCS + CTX group than in patients from the GCS group [eGFR slope: 0.05(–3.09, 3.67) vs –2.56 (–11.30, 0.86) mL/min/1.73 m2/year, P  = 0.03]. Based on multivariate Cox regression analysis, GCS + CTX treatment was found to be independently associated with a decrease in risk for the composite endpoint after adjusted by the International Risk Prediction Score with race (hazard ratio = 0.17, 95% confidence interval 0.04–0.83, P  = .03). There was no significant difference in adverse events (50.0% vs 42.9%, P  = 0.51) or serious adverse events (7.1% vs 11.9%, P  = .71) between the two groups. Conclusions Oral GCS combined with intravenous CTX is superior to GCS alone in treating MPGN-IgAN patients combined with NS. As the retrospective design and small sample size, our findings need to be validated by a prospective study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRISPR‐Cas9 has demonstrated potential in inhibiting tumor growth by downregulating target gene expression, and the efficiency is expected to be enhanced with other nucleic acid drugs. Herein, a dual‐enzyme–responsive DNA‐based nanoframework (NF) that enables controlled co‐delivery of Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASO) for synergistic gene therapy is reported. NF is synthesized with acrylamide DNA (acDNA) as a cross‐linker and loading site. A ternary complex containing sgRNA, ASO, and Cas9 that bound to acDNA is designed. The phase transition property of NF allows to reversibly swell and aggregate thermo‐responsively for the high‐capacity loading of ternary complex. RNA is cleaved from DNA–RNA complex by the overexpressed ribonuclease H for the controlled release of Cas9 RNP, and the bifurcated DNA is cleaved by the overexpressed flap structure‐specific endonuclease 1 for the controlled release of overhanging ASO. The combination of gene editing with Cas9 RNP and gene silencing with ASO allows simultaneous manipulation of target gene in nucleus and its mRNA in cytoplasm, and this synergistic gene therapy has shown remarkable therapeutic effect in a breast cancer mouse model, making it a promising therapeutic strategy for future cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose and demonstrate a new approach for realizing spin-orbit coupling with ultracold atoms. We use orbital levels in a double-well potential as pseudospin states. Two-photon Raman transitions between left and right wells induce spin-orbit coupling. This scheme does not require near resonant light, features adjustable interactions by shaping the double-well potential, and does not depend on special properties of the atoms. A pseudospinor Bose-Einstein condensate spontaneously acquires an antiferromagnetic pseudospin texture, which breaks the lattice symmetry similar to a supersolid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi3+-doped δ-MnO2 materials (BMX, X = 5, 10, 15) with long cycle life were obtained by an in situ electrochemical reaction using δ-MnO2 and Bi2O3 mixture as raw materials. According to the material characterization and electrochemical performance test, it indicates that the bismuth is evenly incorporated into δ-MnO2. Among these obtained materials, BM10 exhibits the best performance. The specific capacity of the BM10 cathode is maintained at 108 mAh g−1 after 5000 cycles at a current density of 3 A g−1 and remains at 70 mAh g−1 after 9000 cycles without attenuation at a high current density of 10 A g−1. The Bi3+ modification mechanism is also revealed by the electrochemical kinetic and chemical analyses, which can effectively stabilize the layered structure of δ-MnO2, increase the diffusion rate of Zn2+ and H+, and inhibit the dissolution of Mn2+ formed by the disproportionation reaction of Mn3+. The preparation process of manganese-based materials with excellent performance is easy to handle and has large-scale production and application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims The macrophage scavenger receptor 1 (Msr1, also called SRA) is a pattern recognition receptor primarily expressed on myeloid cells, which plays an important role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Since MSR1 expression was upregulated in the livers of patients with fulminant hepatitis (FH), we investigated the functional mechanism of Msr1 in FH pathogenesis. Methods Msr1 -deficient ( Msr1 −/− ) mice and their wild-type (WT) littermates were infected with mouse hepatitis virus strain-A59 (MHV-A59) to induce FH, and the levels of tissue damage, serum alanine aminotransferase, inflammatory cytokines and complement component 5a (C5a) were measured and compared. Liver injury was studied after MHV infection with or without neutrophil depletion. Results Our results showed that Msr1 −/− mice were resistant to MHV-induced hepatitis. Treatment with the C5a receptor antagonist (C5aRa) diminished the differences in inflammatory responses and liver injury between MHV-infected wild-type and Msr1 −/− mice, suggesting that C5a-induced pro-inflammatory response plays a critical role in the Msr1-mediated regulation of FH pathogenesis. We demonstrated that Msr1 efficiently enhanced transforming growth factor-activated kinase-1 phosphorylation in neutrophils upon MHV-A59 stimulation, thereby promoting the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway and subsequent NETosis formation. Moreover, we provided evidence that blockage of Msr1 attenuated the liver damage caused by MHV-A59 infection. Conclusions Msr1 promotes the pathogenesis of virus-induced FH by enhancing induction of neutrophil NETosis and subsequent complement activation. Targeting Msr1 may be employed as a new immunotherapeutic strategy for FH. Lay summary Virus-induced fulminant hepatitis (FH) is a disease with a high mortality worldwide. Enhanced levels of macrophage scavenger receptor 1 (Msr1) in the liver of patients with FH and of murine experimental FH indicated Msr1 plays a role in the pathogenesis of FH. Herein, we demonstrate that mice deficient in Msr1 are resistant to FH induced by MHV-A59, and the Msr1 inhibitor fucoidan suppresses the progression of FH in mice. Our study suggests that use of drugs inhibiting MSR1 function could be beneficial to patients with FH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanofertilizers can be used as potential contenders to provide macro- and micronutrients to plants. Specifically, iron-oxide-based engineered nanoparticles are promising candidates for next-generation iron-deficiency fertilizers. Aiming to investigate the effect of Fe2O3 magnetic nanoparticles on plant germination and growth, alfalfa seeds were presoaked by a series of concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/L) of Fe2O3 NPs in this study. The germination rate, root length, chlorophyll content, and activity of the antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT)) were detected. Further, hydroponic alfalfa young seedlings were treated with 50 mg/L Fe2O3 NPs, with 50 mg/L Fe-EDTA as the control. The growth index, chlorophyll content, metal (Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn) content, and ferric-chelate reductase activity were detected. The results indicated that the presoaking of Fe2O3 NPs promoted alfalfa seed germination in all treatments. Short-time of Fe2O3 NPs presoaking has not affected chlorophyll and iron content while increasing antioxidase (SOD, POD, and CAT) activities at 50 and 200 mg/L concentrations. Fe2O3 NPs of 50 mg/L have the most beneficiary impact on alfalfa seed germination by presoaking. Fe2O3 NPs of 50 mg/L enhanced the seedlings' growth and increased chlorophyll content, Fe content, and Mn content of hydroponic alfalfa compared with the control. Moreover, ferric chelate reductase activity was significantly lower in alfalfa roots exposure to Fe2O3 NPs than in the control. The results showed that 50 mg/L Fe2O3 NPs could be used as an appropriate and effective treatment concentration for seed pretreatment and fertilizer application. The growth-promoting effect of Fe2O3 NPs on alfalfa is related to its nanostructured properties. More in-depth research is still needed to understand the growth-promoting mechanism of Fe2O3 NPs and the impact of Fe2O3 NPs on the field environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor adsorption stability of the current air-suction sunflower seed-metering devices under high-speed operation leads to unstable seed adsorption posture, as well as increases in the multiple and miss indices. In order to improve the stability of seed adsorption, an air-suction sunflower seed-metering device based on structure-assisted stable suction posture was designed, the movement mechanism of the seed absorption process and the seed-feeding process is analyzed, following which mathematical models of the processes are established, and the key factors affecting the seeding performance were determined. Furthermore, the shape parameter equation of sunflower seeds is fitted, depending on the dimensions and shape parameters, which provides the design basis for the key components of the seed-metering device. Moreover, in order to optimize the seed-metering devices structure, taking the depth, width, and length of the seed suction grooves as experimental factors, as well as the qualified, multiple, and miss indices as evaluation indices, an orthogonal regression experiment considering three factors and three levels is carried out using the Box–Behnken experimental design. Finally, multiple regression models are established and extreme value theory is used to optimize the parameters of the influencing factors and obtain optimal parameter combinations. The optimal parameter combination is as follows: width of the suction groove, 10.5 mm; depth, 3 mm; and length, 23 mm. Results from verification experiments revealed the corresponding experimental indicators, the qualified index is 91.63%, the multiple index is 5.63%, and the miss index is 2.74%, thus meeting the requirements of effective sunflower seed sowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Metabolomics were applied for reveals the antibacterial mechanisms of honey. • CH showed superior ability compared to seven monofloral honey and artificial honey. • The critical metabolites and targets for the antibacterial effects of CH were found. • CH enhanced the oxidative stress to GAS by inhibiting antioxidant enzymes. Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) is one of the most virulent and infectious bacteria, severely threatening health and lives of people worldwide. Honey has been proven to have effective capability against GAS, but the underlying metabolites and mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, the Castanopsis honey (CH) showed significant antibacterial ability compared to other seven kinds of honey and artificial honey. Furthermore, the antibacterial metabolites and their targets in CH were screened by combined method of metabolomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking. The results suggested that the activities of two antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase and tyrosyl tRNA synthetase identified as the primary targets, were significantly inhibited by CH, which significantly increased the level of oxidative stress in GAS. The results revealed a possibly novel mechanism regulating the oxidative stress and inhibits the growth in bacteria, providing strong experimental evidence to support the further development of CH as a novel antibacterial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the photocathodic protection performance of traditional TiO2 photoanodes for metals, constructing a Z-scheme heterojunction is one of the most promising and creative strategies. Herein, we fabricated a novel Z-scheme MgIn2S4 nanosheets/TiO2 nanotube nanocomposite through anodization and hydrothermal method. The optimized Z-scheme MgIn2S4/TiO2 nanocomposites exhibited stronger visible light absorption, higher separation efficiency of photoelectrons and photocathodic protection performances in comparison to pure TiO2. The theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the Z-scheme heterojunction and oxygen vacancies jointly improved the separation efficiency of photogenerated electronâ€"hole pairs and visible light absorption capacity, thereby improving the photoelectric conversion performance of the MgIn2S4/TiO2 nanocomposites. Furthermore, the influence of the precursor solution concentration on the photocathodic protection performances of the composites was investigated. As a result, when the concentration of magnesium source in the precursor solution was 0.06 mmol, the prepared MgIn2S4/TiO2-0.06 displayed the best photocathodic protection performance. In addition, the hydroxyl radicals (·OH) generated in the electron spin resonance (ESR) experiment verified the Z-scheme heterojunction mechanism of the MgIn2S4/TiO2 composite, and also demonstrated the excellent redox performance of the composite. This work provides valuable reference for the construction of high-performance Z-scheme heterojunctions for photocathode protection of metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a serious disease burden in the Asia–Pacific region, including China. This study calculated the transmissibility of HFMD at county levels in Jiangsu Province, China, analyzed the differences of transmissibility and explored the possible influencing factors of its transmissibility. We built a mathematical model for seasonal characteristics of HFMD, estimated the effective reproduction number (Reff), and compared the incidence rate and transmissibility in different counties using non-parametric tests, rapid cluster analysis and rank-sum ratio in 97 counties in Jiangsu Province from 2015 to 2020. The average daily incidence rate was between 0 and 4 per 100,000 people in Jiangsu Province from 2015–2020. The Quartile of Reff in Jiangsu Province from 2015 to 2020 was 1.54 (0.49, 2.50). Rugao District and Jianhu District had the highest transmissibility according to the rank-sum ratio. Reff generally decreased in 2017 and increased in 2018 in most counties, and the median level of Reff was the lowest in 2017 (P < 0.05). The transmissibility was different in 97 counties in Jiangsu Province. The reasons for the differences may be related to the climate, demographic characteristics, virus subtypes, vaccination, hygiene and other infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Seepage failure probability of high core rockfill dams during RDD is investigated. • The randomness of the parameters is estimated by Bayesian inference. • Seepage failure is most likely to occur in the mid-term of RDD. Rapid drawdown (RDD) is an abnormal reservoir flood control operation that may cause seepage failure of high core rockfill dams. In this paper, a novel framework combining Bayesian inference and transient unsaturated seepage simulation is proposed to evaluate the seepage failure probability of the core during RDD. The dynamic hydraulic boundaries utilized in the simulation are first determined by the performance of water release structures. The extreme learning machine (ELM) is then employed as the surrogate model to establish the mapping relationship between material parameters with simulated seepage pressure and hydraulic gradient. The Bayesian inference method is applied to characterize the uncertainty of material parameters based on seepage monitoring data. Finally, the posterior distribution samples of random parameters are utilized to calculate the seepage failure probability of the core. The seepage safety of the core under different drawdown rates is studied with a real 186 m high core rockfill dam. The results reveal that a faster RDD rate can lead to an increased probability of seepage failure. The maximum failure probability is 35.56 % for the four release structures working together (about 0.316 m/h), higher than 23.16 % for the three release structures (about 0.165 m/h). It is also found that the peak of seepage failure probability often occurs in the middle stage of RDD. Therefore, to ensure the safety of the project, it is important to control the RDD rate and carefully monitor the seepage pressure. From the point of view of seepage failure, the proposed method for evaluating the safety of core rockfill dams under RDD is of high guiding significance to the risk assessment of similar projects under extreme conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new approach for computation of deposition stress in spraying splat is proposed. • The approach combines VOF and FEM to model the deposition stress evolution. • The evolution law of splat deposition stress in texture grooves is revealed. • The correction coefficient of the theoretical equation of splat stress is determined. This study focuses on understanding the crucial phenomenon of deposition stress during the splat formation of plasma-sprayed droplets, which is essential for comprehending coating stress in applications such as plasma spraying. A novel three-dimensional coupled fluid–solid and thermo-mechanical model was developed, which employed the volume of fluid method and finite element method. This model was applied to simulate the formation of deposition stress in molybdenum droplets during plasma spraying onto a stainless steel substrate with laser-textured groove patterns. It successfully replicated various stages of the splat formation process, including impacting, spreading, cooling, and solidification, which captured the evolution of temperature, strain, and stress in the splat and groove walls. The accuracy of the model was validated through X-ray diffraction measurements of splat deposition stress on the planar substrate surface. The simulation results revealed that deposition stress was induced during the simultaneous spreading and solidification of the droplet. This stress was attributed to quenching and solidification contraction, which resulted in tensile stress in the splat, with higher stress at the bonding interface edges. By contrast, the groove walls experienced compressive stress, which peaked in the central groove region. The mean isotropic stress and von Mises stress of the splat were quantified as 176 and 141 MPa, respectively. In-situ curvature tests demonstrated that stress relaxation, which was triggered by splat deposition stress, resulted in a 24.6 % reduction in cracking, yielding, and slipping stresses. In addition, a refined theoretical equation for splat deposition stress was proposed, with correction coefficients of 0.119 determined from simulations and experiments. The developed simulation model offers reliable insights into the state of splat deposition stress, which provides valuable information for optimizing plasma-spray processes and enhances our understanding of coating stress in such applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing heterojunction photocatalysts with matched band structure and good interface contact is an effective method to improve the photoelectrochemical activity. Herein, novel CaIn2S4/TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) heterojunction photoanodes were successfully prepared by electrochemical anodization and hydrothermal method. The microstructures, compositions, crystal structures, chemical valence states and light absorption performances of the composites were evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy transmission electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, x-ray diffractometer, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS), respectively. The photocathodic protection performances of CaIn2S4/TiO2 composites for 316 stainless steel (SS) and the influences of the CaIn2S4 content on the performances were studied. The microstructural examination revealed the uniform doping of CaIn2S4 nanofragments on the TiO2 NTAs, and the composite was made up cubic CaIn2S4 and anatase TiO2. The photogenerated electrons were transferred from the TiO2 to CaIn2S4 at the interface of the composite. Compared with pure TiO2 NTAs, CaIn2S4/TiO2 NTAs exhibited better photocathodic protection performance for 316 SS under visible light. Potential drop reached 0.78 V versus saturated calomel electrode for the 316 SS coupled with CaIn2S4/TiO2 NTAs. The photocurrent density of the 316 SS coupled with the composite photoanode (235.4 μA cm–2) was 17.4 times that of TiO2. The improved photocathodic protection property of CaIn2S4/TiO2 NTAs was ascribed to the enhanced separation efficiency of the photogenerated carriers and the strong visible light absorption of the material. The CaIn2S4/TiO2 NTAs exhibited continuous protection of the 316 SS for more than 12 h even in the dark. Therefore, the CaIn2S4/TiO2 NTAs heterojunction composite is an outstanding and efficient photoanode for the photocathodic protection of metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DBSCAN is a famous density-based clustering algorithm that can discover clusters with arbitrary shapes without the minimal requirements of domain knowledge to determine the input parameters. However, DBSCAN is not suitable for databases with different local-density clusters and is also a very time-consuming clustering algorithm. In this paper, we present a quantum mutual MinPts-nearest neighbor graph (MMNG)-based DBSCAN algorithm. The proposed algorithm performs better on databases with different local-density clusters. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm has a dramatic increase in speed compared to its classic counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AgInS2 nanoparticle and graphene nanosheet co-sensitized anatase TiO2 nanotube array films were fabricated by a combination of hydrothermal reaction and electrochemical anodization on titanium sheets. The results showed that the co-sensitization of AgInS2 nanoparticles and graphene nanosheets extended the photoresponse of TiO2 nanotubes into the visible-light region, and improved the photogenerated charge separation and transfer capability. The photocurrent density of the AgInS2/graphene/TiO2 composites (about 4.0 mA cm−2) was 20 times that of bare TiO2 (only 0.2 mA cm−2) under visible-light illumination. The potential negative shift value of AgInS2/graphene/TiO2 composites was up to 0.68 V versus saturated calomel electrode. The AgInS2/graphene/TiO2 composites can provide Q235 carbon steel with highly efficient photocathodic protection under visible-light illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]