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Recently, preserving privacy and reducing energy consumption become important concerns of sensor networks. However, existing privacy‐preserving estimation methods cause many needless data transmissions, which results in energy waste. Besides, these methods generates fusion estimates with heavy computational burdens, due to needing calculating cross‐covariance matrices of each pair of local estimation errors. Worse still, these cross‐covariances are often unavailable in actual sensor networks. In view of these problems, a novel framework of event‐triggered (ET) differential private distributed fusion estimation is proposed. Within this framework, an ET mechanism is designed to schedule transmissions of local estimates for reducing communication consumptions. Then, with using local perturbation mechanism, conditions for achieving differential privacy and dealing with eavesdroppers which can eavesdrop and fuse local estimates are provided. Based on covariance intersection fusion rule, an ET differential private fusion method is developed, which can guarantee fusion results uniformly stable in spite of completely unknown cross‐covariances. Finally, simulation results verify that the proposed method can preserve privacy and reduce communication consumptions without using cross‐covariances, at the cost of only slight decline of estimation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of surface defects is one of the primary focuses in exploring the mechanism behind microjetting phenomena. However, the influence of defect size on microjets remains understudied. This work investigated the correlation between shock-induced microjets and surface defect scales under continuous approximation with the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method. The physical properties of microjets from generation to fragmentation were analyzed in detail. A relationship between the mass of different parts of the microjet and the defect size was established. The results indicate that the length of microjets and the jetting head velocity increase with the increase in the defect sizes. The jetting head velocity increases significantly when the defect depth is less than 4 μm, and the increase slows down when the defect depth is greater than 4 μm. This is attributed to the pressure and energy variations in the defect surface layer. A transition in the mass distribution of the microjet occurs when the defect depth reaches 7 μm. The jetting factor exhibits a trend of decreasing first and then increasing with the enlargement of defect size. The time of microjet fragmentation shows a proportional relationship with the defect size. By statistically analyzing the distribution of microjet fragmentation aggregates, it is found that the dispersal degree of microjet fragmentation aggregate sizes increases with defect size. This research reveals the correlation between the microjet and defect size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute type A aortic dissection is a severe cardiovascular disease characterized by rapid onset and high mortality. Traditionally, urgent open aortic repair is performed after admission to prevent aortic rupture and death. However, when combined with malperfusion syndrome, the low perfusion of the superior mesenteric artery can further lead to intestinal necrosis, significantly impacting the surgery's prognosis and potentially resulting in adverse consequences, bringing. This presents great significant challenges in treatment. Based on recent domestic and international research literature, this paper reviews the mechanism, current treatment approaches, and selection of surgical methods for poor organ perfusion caused by acute type A aortic dissection. The literature review findings suggest that central aortic repair can be employed for the treatment of acute type A aortic dissection with inadequate perfusion of the superior mesenteric artery. The superior mesenteric artery can be windowed and (/or) stented, followed by delayed aortic repair. Priority should be given to revascularization of the superior mesenteric artery, followed by central aortic repair. During central aortic repair, direct blood perfusion should be performed on the distal true lumen of the superior mesenteric artery, leading to resulting in favorable therapeutic outcomes. The research results indicate that even after surgical aortic repair, intestinal ischemic necrosis may still occur. In such cases, prompt laparotomy and necessary necrotic bowel resection are crucial for saving the patient's life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute type A aortic dissection is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease characterized by rapid onset and high mortality. Emergency surgery is the preferred and reliable treatment option. However, postoperative complications significantly impact patient prognosis. Hypoxemia, a common complication, poses challenges in clinical treatment, negatively affecting patient outcomes and increasing the risk of mortality. Therefore, it is crucial to study and comprehend the risk factors and treatment strategies for hypoxemia following acute type A aortic dissection to facilitate early intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of aryl fluorosulfates with aryl formates for the facile synthesis of esters was developed. The cross-coupling reactions proceeded effectively in the presence of a palladium catalyst, phosphine ligand, and triethylamine in DMF to produce the corresponding esters in moderate to good yields. Of note, functionalities or substituents, such as nitro, cyano, methoxycarbonyl, trifluoromethyl, methylsulfonyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluoro, chloro, bromo, methyl, methoxy, N,N-dimethyl, and [1,3]dioxolyl, were well-tolerated in the reactions, which could be kept for late-stage modification. The reactions employing readily available and relatively robust aryl fluorosulfates as coupling electrophiles could potentially serve as an attractive alternative to traditional cross-couplings with the use of aryl halides and pseudohalides as substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As for Atrazine (C8H14ClN5) degradation in soil, iron (Fe)-manganese (Mn) bimetallic biochar composites were proved to be more efficient for persulfate (PS) activation than monometallic ones. The atrazine removal rates of Fe/Mn loaded biochar + PS systems were 2.17–2.89 times higher than Fe/Mn loaded biochar alone. Compared with monometallic biochar, the higher atrazine removal rates by bimetallic biochar (77.2–96.7%) were mainly attributed to the synergy degradation and adsorption due to the larger amounts of metal oxides on the biochar surface. Atrazine degradation in Fe-rich biochar systems was mainly attributed to free radicals (i.e., SO 4 · - and ·OH) through oxidative routes, whereas surface-bound radicals, 1O2, and free radicals were responsible for the degradation of atrazine in Mn-rich biochar systems. Furthermore, with a higher ratio of Fe(II) and Mn(III) formed in Fe-rich bimetallic biochar, the valence state exchange between Fe and Mn contributed significantly to the more effective activation of PS and the generation of more free radicals. The pathways of atrazine degradation in the Fe-rich bimetallic biochar systems involved alkyl hydroxylation, alkyl oxidation, dealkylation, and dechlorohydroxylation. The results indicated that bimetallic biochar composites with more Fe and less Mn are more effective for the PS-based degradation of atrazine, which guides the ration design of easily available carbon materials targeted for the efficient remediation of various organic-polluted soil. Highlights: Both Fe- and Mn-rich bimetallic biochar can effectively activate persulfate, but Fe-rich biochar is superior. Atrazine degradation in Fe-rich biochar systems was attributed to free radicals through oxidative routes. Atrazine degradation pathways involved alkyl hydroxylation, alkyl oxidation, dealkylation, and dechlorohydroxylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as the primary risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), owing to improved vaccination rates of Hepatitis B and the increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome related to obesity. Although the importance of innate and adaptive immune cells has been emphasized, the malignant transformation of hepatocytes and their intricate cellular network with the immune system remain unclear. The study incorporated four single‐cell transcriptomic datasets of liver tissues covering healthy and NAFLD‐related disease status. To identify the subsets and functions of hepatocytes and macrophages, we employed differential composition analysis, functional enrichment analysis, pseudotime analysis, and scenic analysis. Furthermore, an experimental mouse model for the transformation of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis into hepatocellular carcinoma was established for validation purposes. We defined CYP7A1+ hepatocytes enriched in precancerous lesions as 'Transitional Cells' in the progression from NAFLD to HCC. CYP7A1+ hepatocytes upregulated genes associated with stress response, inflammation and cancer‐associated pathways and downregulated the normal hepatocyte signature. We observed that hypoxia activation accompanied the entire process of inflammation‐cancer transformation. Hepatocyte‐derived HIF1A was gradually activated during the progression of NAFLD disease to adapt to the hypoxic microenvironment and hepatocytes under hypoxic environment led to changes in the metabolism, proliferation and angiogenesis, promoting the occurrence of tumours. Meanwhile, hypoxia induced the polarization of RACK1+ macrophages that enriched in the liver tissues of NASH towards immunosuppressed TREM2+ macrophages. Moreover, immunosuppressive TREM2+ macrophages were recruited by tumour cells through the CCL15‐CCR1 axis to enhance immunosuppressive microenvironment and promote NAFLD‐related HCC progression. The study provides a deep understanding of the development mechanism of NAFLD‐related HCC and offers theoretical support and experimental basis for biological targets, drug research, and clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of seismic ruptures is crucial for understanding major earthquake events. Historically, research on large earthquake rupture processes has required a long time to be published. However, recent advancements in earthquake early warning (EEW) systems have allowed for more rapid analyses of earthquake rupture inversions. The widespread and dense distribution of EEW stations provides in China an opportunity to study and invert rupture processes in near-real time. Two notable earthquakes were studied using this technology: the 2017 Jiuzhaigou MW 6.5 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, and the 2022 Menyuan MW 6.7 earthquake in Qinghai Province, China. In both instances, numerous strong-motion sensors captured the seismic events and transmitted waveform data to data analysis centers in real time. Following automated site selection and preparation procedures, the rupture processes of these earthquakes were analyzed and released within 30 min of the event origin. This rapid response time demonstrates that the seismic rupture process determined through inversion using existing EEW systems can serve as a guide for emergency rescue work after earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PDL1 blockade therapy holds great promise in cancer immunotherapy. Ultrasound imaging of PDL1 expression in the tumor is of great importance in predicting the therapeutic efficacy. As a proof‐of‐concept study, a novel ultrasound contrast agent has been innovated here to image and block PDL1 in the tumor tissue. Briefly, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are engineered to display truncated PD1 (tPD1) on the surface to bind PDL1 with high affinity by fusion to EV‐abundant transmembrane protein PTGFRN. The engineered EVs are then encapsulated with Ca(HCO3)2 via electroporation and designated as Gp‐EVtPD1, which would recognize PDL1 highly expressed cells and produce gas in the endosomes and lysosomes. On the one hand, the echogenic signal intensity correlates well with the PDL1 expression and immune response inhibition in the tumor. On the other hand, during the trajectory of Gp‐EVtPD1 in the recipient cells, tPD1 on the EV binds PDL1 and triggers the PDL1 endocytosis and degradation in endosomes/lysosomes in a sequential manner, and thus boosts the anti‐tumor immunity of cytotoxic T cells. In summary, Gp‐EVtPD1 serves as a novel ultrasound contrast agent and blocker of PDL1, which might be of great advantage in imaging PDL1 expression and conquering immune checkpoint blocker resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyroptosis is an effective anti‐tumor strategy. However, monometallic pyroptosis biotuners have not been explored until now. Here, we discover for the first time that biodegradable monometallic Al can act as a pyroptosis biotuner for tumor therapy. pH‐sensitive Al nanoparticles (Al@P) are obtained by equipping polyethylene glycol‐b‐(poly(methyl methacrylate)‐co‐poly(4‐vinylpyridine), which can exert their effect at the tumor site without affecting normal cells. The H2 and Al3+ release by Al@P in the acidic environment of tumors disrupts the redox balance and ionic homeostasis in tumor cells, thus generating large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to caspase‐1 activation, gasdermin D cleavage, and IL‐1β/LDH release, which induces canonical pyroptotic death. Meanwhile, the prodrug Doxorubicin (Pro‐DOX) is successfully loaded onto Al@P (Al@P‐P) and can be activated by ROS to release DOX in the tumor cells, thus further improving the tumor‐killing efficiency. Ultimately, Al@P‐P is degradable and exhibits efficient tumor inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyroptosis is an effective anti‐tumor strategy. However, monometallic pyroptosis biotuners have not been explored until now. Here, we discover for the first time that biodegradable monometallic Al can act as a pyroptosis biotuner for tumor therapy. pH‐sensitive Al nanoparticles (Al@P) are obtained by equipping polyethylene glycol‐b‐(poly(methyl methacrylate)‐co‐poly(4‐vinylpyridine), which can exert their effect at the tumor site without affecting normal cells. The H2 and Al3+ release by Al@P in the acidic environment of tumors disrupts the redox balance and ionic homeostasis in tumor cells, thus generating large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to caspase‐1 activation, gasdermin D cleavage, and IL‐1β/LDH release, which induces canonical pyroptotic death. Meanwhile, the prodrug Doxorubicin (Pro‐DOX) is successfully loaded onto Al@P (Al@P‐P) and can be activated by ROS to release DOX in the tumor cells, thus further improving the tumor‐killing efficiency. Ultimately, Al@P‐P is degradable and exhibits efficient tumor inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many traditional fermented foods and beverages industries around the world request the addition of multi‐species starter cultures. However, the microbial community in starter cultures is subject to fluctuations due to their exposure to an open environment during fermentation. A rapid detection approach to identify the microbial composition of starter culture is essential to ensure the quality of the final products. Here, we applied single‐cell Raman spectroscopy (SCRS) combined with machine learning to monitor Oceanobacillus species in Daqu starter, which plays crucial roles in the process of Chinese baijiu. First, a total of six Oceanobacillus species (O. caeni, O. kimchii, O. iheyensis, O. sojae, O. oncorhynchi subsp. Oncorhynchi and O. profundus) were detected in 44 Daqu samples by amplicon sequencing and isolated by pure culture. Then, we created a reference database of these Oceanobacillus strains which correlated their taxonomic data and single‐cell Raman spectra (SCRS). Based on the SCRS dataset, five machine‐learning algorithms were used to classify Oceanobacillus strains, among which support vector machine (SVM) showed the highest rate of accuracy. For validation of SVM‐based model, we employed a synthetic microbial community composed of varying proportions of Oceanobacillus species and demonstrated a remarkable accuracy, with a mean error was less than 1% between the predicted result and the expected value. The relative abundance of six different Oceanobacillus species during Daqu fermentation was predicted within 60 min using this method, and the reliability of the method was proved by correlating the Raman spectrum with the amplicon sequencing profiles by partial least squares regression. Our study provides a rapid, non‐destructive and label‐free approach for rapid identification of Oceanobacillus species in Daqu starter culture, contributing to real‐time monitoring of fermentation process and ensuring high‐quality products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A discrete variable topology optimization method of internally finned ducts in heat exchangers for efficient thermal performance is proposed. Fully developed convective heat transfer (FDCHT) model, which has been extensively employed and well checked in practical thermal engineering applications, is considered here. Under the uniform wall temperature boundary condition, the energy equation of the FDCHT model can be mathematically formulated as a generalized eigenvalue equation, and the total thermal resistance reflecting the thermal performance can be related to the eigenvalue. The well-known eigenvalue optimization formulation and sensitivity analysis is applied to this optimization problem. Significantly, the physical reality, such as precise Nusselt number, is maintained by using the discrete variable method, i.e., Sequential Approximate Integer Programming. Here, only the 0–1 densities denoted to solid and fluid are involved so that blurry intermediate zones and interpolation schemes are avoided. The practical engineering conditions of fixed pumping power and fixed fluid volume flow rate are discussed under the unified framework, respectively. Several designs of internally finned ducts without any blurry zone are obtained. The optimized design conforms to the three-dimensional precise Conjugate Heat Transfer calculation. Numerical results show that contrary to the design method by predefined heat transfer coefficient, the proposed method can automatically obtain the optimal shape and spacing of fins since the spatially varying effect of convective heat transfer has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information retrieval from databases is challenging for a non-SQL-domain expert. Some previous studies have provided solutions for translating the natural language to SQL instruction, aiming to access the information in the database directly. However, most solutions are in English Natural Language. In addition, the accuracies of the existing works still need to be improved. This work presents a mechanism called SV2-SQL, based on the pre-trained BERT. The proposed SV2-SQL mainly consists of multiple deep-learning models, including select-where slot filling model (SWSF-model), value extraction model (VE-model), and verification (V-model). The SWSF-model handles the classification tasks for those fields that appear in the “Select” and “Where” clauses, and the VE-model extracts the values for the “Where” clause from the input. The V-model sorts out the unwanted candidates from two previous models and leaves only the ones with the highest possibility. The proposed SV2-SQL also includes an algorithm for the inference process and allows the three models to be cooperative. Experimental results show that the proposed SV2-SQL outperforms the existing studies in terms of precision, accuracy, and recall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional villages are China's cultural heritage resources; they carry rich historical and cultural information and have important historical significance and cultural value. Studying their spatial forms can suggest new ideas for the protection of traditional villages. The spatial configuration of traditional villages is shaped by a complex interplay of natural geography, socio-economic factors, transportation infrastructure, and essential facilities. Various developmental scenarios lead to diverse spatial development patterns, each demonstrating unique dynamic characteristics throughout its evolution. This article focuses on the exploration of the spatial morphology of Jiuguan Village, located along the Jingxing Ancient Post Road. By using kernel density analysis, space syntax, spatial form index, and so on, the spatial form of Jiuguan Village was studied from three aspects: public facilities clustering degree, road system, and spatial form index. Through a hierarchical approach involving points, lines, and planes, our study unveils the multifaceted influence of transportation factors on the village's historical development and its dynamic adaptive attributes within the context of traditional village spatial morphology. The results indicated that the location advantage of traffic is the driving force behind land expansion. Secondly, the areas with high traffic accessibility tend to be public spaces in villages. Third, the change in the transportation market will lead to a change in village land use functions. Finally, the renewal of transportation modes will change the spatial scale of the village. This research offers a deeper comprehension of the historical context surrounding traditional villages and provides a scientifically guided framework for heritage preservation and sustainable village development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution control is an important link in the construction of ecological civilization, and government vertical regulatory reform is a key factor affecting air pollution control. This article takes China’s city-county merger as a typical policy for government vertical regulatory reform, and uses the staggered DID to estimate the impact of government vertical regulatory reform on air pollution. we find that China’s city-county merger could reduce air pollution, but this effect is mainly effective in the border areas of administrative regions and western regions. Further analysis shows that the reduced air pollution originating from the reformed areas can be attributed to reduced financial expenditure pressure and reduce the productive expenditure. The results in this study provide a reference for the government to adjust the power allocation at the city and county levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The research and development on solid‐state source generators have been making progress on chip, aiming to generate low noise, high output power, and high DC‐to‐RF energy efficiency in the millimeter‐wave (mmW) and terahertz (THz) domains. In particular, their full integration in silicon technologies, such as advanced complementary‐metal‐oxide‐semiconductor processes, has motivated the design of low cost, high performance, and miniature integrated circuits (ICs). This manuscript focuses on providing a general overview of recent progress on solid‐state signal source operating beyond 60 GHz till the THz region, from the perspective of operating principle, design metrics, state‐of‐the‐art performance, testing results, and their applications in emerging mmW/THz systems. Finally, with the use of fully integrated source generators, several design arts are highlighted to showcase the recent advances of ICs toward millimeter‐wave and THz radiation, imaging, coupled oscillator network (CON), and communication. Potential future research directions enabled by mmW/THz signal sources will be envisioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Programmable assembly of gold nanoparticle superstructures with precise spatial arrangement has drawn much attention for their unique characteristics in plasmonics and biomedicine. Bio‐inspired methods have already provided programmable, molecular approaches to direct AuNP assemblies using biopolymers. The existing methods, however, predominantly use DNA as scaffolds to directly guide the AuNP interactions to produce intended superstructures. New paradigms for regulating AuNP assembly will greatly enrich the toolbox for DNA‐directed AuNP manipulation and fabrication. Here, we developed a strategy of using a spatially programmable enzymatic nanorobot arm to modulate anisotropic DNA surface modifications and assembly of AuNPs. Through spatial controls of the proximity of the reactants, the locations of the modifications were precisely regulated. We demonstrated the control of the modifications on a single 15 nm AuNP, as well as on a rectangular DNA origami platform, to direct unique anisotropic AuNP assemblies. This method adds an alternative enzymatic manipulation to DNA‐directed AuNP superstructure assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Programmable assembly of gold nanoparticle superstructures with precise spatial arrangement has drawn much attention for their unique characteristics in plasmonics and biomedicine. Bio‐inspired methods have already provided programmable, molecular approaches to direct AuNP assemblies using biopolymers. The existing methods, however, predominantly use DNA as scaffolds to directly guide the AuNP interactions to produce intended superstructures. New paradigms for regulating AuNP assembly will greatly enrich the toolbox for DNA‐directed AuNP manipulation and fabrication. Here, we developed a strategy of using a spatially programmable enzymatic nanorobot arm to modulate anisotropic DNA surface modifications and assembly of AuNPs. Through spatial controls of the proximity of the reactants, the locations of the modifications were precisely regulated. We demonstrated the control of the modifications on a single 15 nm AuNP, as well as on a rectangular DNA origami platform, to direct unique anisotropic AuNP assemblies. This method adds an alternative enzymatic manipulation to DNA‐directed AuNP superstructure assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ag/Ag 2 S–TiO 2 composite films were synthesized through vulcanizing sputtering Ag/Ag 2 O dural-phase template capping layer on the TiO 2 film. After hydrothermal vulcanization using thiourea as a sulfur precursor, the initially decorated Ag 2 O layer transformed into the Ag 2 S. The surface morphology of the continuous block structure of the Ag/Ag 2 S composite layer gradually shrinks to form irregular island grains dispersed on the surface of the composite film, with vulcanization reaction duration increased from one to 3 h. The light absorption ability of the Ag/Ag 2 S–TiO 2 composite film was enhanced substantially compared to the TiO 2 film because of the surface plasmon resonance effect from the Ag particles and the narrow energy band of the Ag 2 S. Among various surface morphologies of the Ag/Ag 2 S–TiO 2 composite films, the irregular island Ag/Ag 2 S grains-decorated TiO 2 composite film presents superior photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic degradation performances than the composite films consisting of continuous block and spider-web structure of the Ag/Ag 2 S decorated layers. The synergistic effects of surface plasmon resonance, Ag pathway between the semiconductors, and Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism explain the high-efficiency photocatalytic activity of the Ag/Ag 2 S–TiO 2 composite films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021 and 2022, clade 2.3.4.4b H5Nx high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses were detected in one harbor seal and in one adult and three fox cubs in Denmark. The viruses were closely related to contemporary viruses found in Europe, and some had obtained amino acid substitutions related to mammalian adaptation. Notably, the virus distribution appeared to have been different in the infected fox cubs, as one exclusively tested positive for the presence of HPAIV in the brain and the other two only in the lung. Collectively, these findings stress the need for increased disease surveillance of wild and farmed mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuning the crystal structure of Bi2O3 crystals from a single β-phase, dual β/γ-phase, and γ-phase can be realized through time-dependent phase evolution through a one-pot hydrothermal method. The β/γ-Bi2O3 heterophase hybrids were formed by adequately controlling the crystal growth conditions. The morphology of the dual-phased Bi2O3 hybrids presents γ-Bi2O3 micro tetrahedra scattered on massive two-dimensional β-Bi2O3 triangular nanosheets. In comparison with single β-phase or γ-phase Bi2O3 crystals, the β/γ-Bi2O3 heterophase hybrids enhance the visible-light absorption capacity, promote the separation of photoinduced carriers, and display minor interfacial resistance. A possible Z-scheme mechanism facilitates photoinduced carrier separation efficiently through the built-in field at the interface. It yields adequate reactive species to stimulate photocatalytic capability towards Rhodamine B degradation. The result herein sheds light on the characteristics of dual-phase Bi2O3 crystals and provides an innovative option for the design of self-evolving and highly efficient heterophase photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-year simulation of tropical cyclones (TCs) over the Western North Pacific (WNP) in the variable resolution (VR) CAM-MPAS model is studied. Experiments with the global quasi-uniform low resolution of 120 km (MPAS-UR) and the variable resolution mesh of 30–120 km refined over East Asia (MPAS-VR) are integrated from 1980 to 2005 following the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project protocol. By utilizing an objective detection method, TCs in ERA5 reanalysis and model simulations are tracked and compared against observations. MPAS-VR shows significant advantages over MPAS-UR as indicated by more realistic TC counts, intensities, lifetime distribution, and seasonal variation. The large-scale circulation and precipitation patterns associated with TCs are also improved in MPAS-VR relative to MPAS-UR. Based on the theory of Dynamic Genesis Potential Index, the multi-year TC records are further used to quantify the dependence of TC genesis on various dynamical environmental factors from the perspective of seasonal variation. We find that in ERA5, the relative contribution of the 500 hPa vertical pressure velocity term to TC genesis exceeds that of the 200–850 hPa vertical wind shear term, which is responsible for the August peak and strong seasonal variation of TC genesis. MPAS-UR fails to capture such relationship while MPAS-VR performs much better in this regard, suggesting that the higher skills in simulating the relative contributions from different dynamical environmental factors to the simulated seasonal cycle of TC genesis may explain the improvements from MPAS-UR to MPAS-VR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For most cancers, drugs in combination with chemotherapy is a promising way. Dasatinib in combination with paclitaxel can potentially be used to overcome triple‐negative breast cancer. In this work, we established an liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination of dasatinib and paclitaxel. Tert‐Butyl methyl ether was used to extract paclitaxel, dasatinib, and docetaxel (Internal standard). The study used multiple reaction monitoring mode with electrospray ionization. Monitoring ion pairs for paclitaxel and dasatinib was m/z 876.2→308.2 and m/z 488.3→401.1, respectively. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Hedera ODS‐2 column (150 × 2.1 mm, 5 μm; Hanbon Science and Technology, China) maintained at 40°C. The mobile phase was acetonitrile containing 0.3% formic acid (B) and water (A). The gradient elution procedure was used: 0–1 min, 70% B; 1.1–4 min, 90% B; 4.1–7 min, 70% B. The results satisfied the requirements of biological sample determination. The liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of rats. The rats were simultaneously injected with dasatinib and paclitaxel by tail vein. What is more, this presented method could provide technical support for the clinical combination of these two drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb) is a corrosion-resistant, heavy, non-ferrous metal. Several metal chelators have been used for the treatment of Pb poisoning. However, the efficacy of sodium para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS-Na) in enhancing Pb excretion has yet to be fully characterized. Healthy male mice (90) were divided into six groups, the normal control group was intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with saline and the remaining group of mice i.p. 120 mg/kg Pb acetate. Four hour later, mice were subcutaneously (back) injected (s.c.) with (80, 160, 240 mg/kg) PAS-Na or 240 mg/kg edetate calcium disodium (CaNa2EDTA) or an equivalent amount of saline, once per day for 6 days. After 24-h urine sample collections, the animals were anesthetized with 5% chloral hydrate and sacrificed in batches on the 2nd, 4th, or 6th day. Levels of Pb [including manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu)] in the urine, whole blood, and brain tissues were analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The results showed that Pb exposure increased its levels in urine and blood, and PAS-Na treatment may afford antagonistic effect on Pb poisoning, suggesting that PAS-Na is a potentially effective treatment to promote excretion of Pb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rupture process of large earthquakes is generally complex and contains multiple sub-faults planes with different focal mechanisms. The focal mechanisms inversion of these sub-faults by applying the Multi-Point-Source Faulting Representations (MPSFR) are essential for seismic stress analysis and earthquake disaster assessment. The MPSFR method is time-consuming and often with unstable results. In this study, we develop an Image Segmentation and Iterative Inversion (ISII) approach to calculate the MPSFR for large earthquakes by inverting near-field strong motion data. This new approach analyzes the rupture image of the earthquake and divides the entire rupture surface into several sub-rupture segments as a point source in the MPSFR. We approach the ISII model to the 2010 El-Mayor Cucapah (EMC) earthquake and the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake, respectively. In the EMC earthquake, the overall misfit was reduced from 0.58 (earthquake rupture model with the same focal mechanism) to 0.47 (IISI model with four different focal mechanisms). In the Kaikoura earthquake, the overall misfit was reduced from 0.67 to 0.55. The rupture process inverted by the ISII model is consistent with the joint multi-method inversion and the operation process is high efficiency. The test results indicate the ISII model can accurately and quickly invert the complex earthquakes rupture process and provide valuable information for earthquake disaster assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ag2S decorated S-doped WO3 nanorods were synthesized through two-stage vapor vulcanization processes with vaporous S used as a vulcanization precursor. The initially sputtered Ag particles on the S-doped WO3 nanorods fully transformed into Ag2S particles after vapor vulcanization at 350 °C. The microstructures of Ag2S/S-doped WO3 composite nanorods and the content of initially sputtered decorated Ag particles on the nanorods affect the spectral absorption and photogenerated charge separation ability of Ag2S/S-doped WO3 composite nanorods. The composite nanorods obtained by modification of the surface with an Ag content of 0.79 at% show the highest photocurrent density, the lowest interface resistance, and the highest photodegradation ability toward methyl orange dyes. The scavenger experiment and the possible Z-type carrier movement mechanism show that superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals are the main active substances for the photodegradation of methyl orange dyes by Ag2S/S-doped WO3 composite nanorods. The results show that the photosensitivity can be effectively adjusted on the surface of the S-doped WO3 nanorod template with appropriate decoration content of Ag2S particles, which is expected to be promising in photocatalyst applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new efficient reliability-based topology optimization (RBTO) method is proposed for structures, in which the double-loop optimization is equivalently decoupled into a sequential process based on a performance shift strategy. First, a volume minimization RBTO formulation is built for structures considering displacement or compliance reliability constraints. Second, an efficient decoupling scheme is proposed to turn the double-loop RBTO into a series of deterministic topology optimization and reliability analysis. For the reliability analysis, the reliability probability is calculated based on the probability distribution function of the performance function, and the probability distribution function can be solved by the maximum entropy method based on the raw moments calculated by the multiplicative dimension reduction method. A performance shift strategy is then applied to build an equivalence between probabilistic constraint and deterministic constraint to formulate the deterministic topology optimization. Thirdly, the adjoint variable method is applied to obtain the sensitivity information for topological design variables, and a gradient-based optimization algorithm is used to update the design variables. Finally, four typical numerical examples are used to verify the advantage of the proposed method. Compared with the traditional sequential optimization and reliability assessment (SORA) method, the proposed RBTO method results in a design with a 5.4% smaller volume value to reach the same reliability index requirement for the cantilever beam, and the function calls are 354 times less than that of the SORA method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accumulating number of studies have highlighted the importance of interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) between interlocutors in successful verbal communications. The opportunities for communication across different language contexts are rapidly expanding, thanks to the frequent interactions among people all over the world. However, whether the INS changes in different language contexts and how language choice affects the INS remain scarcely explored. The study recruited twenty pairs of participants to communicate in the first language (L1), second language (L2) and interlingual contexts. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we examined the neural activities of interlocutors and analyzed their wavelet transform coherence to assess the INS of dyads. Results showed that as compared to the resting state, stronger INS was observed at the left inferior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus in L1; at the left middle temporal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus in L2; at the left inferior temporal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus in interlingual context. Additionally, INS at the left inferior frontal gyrus was significantly stronger in L2 than in L1. These findings reveal the differences of the INS in different language contexts and confirm the importance of language choice for the INS changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Combined with the actual site groundwater characteristics. • Discussed the design of MFCs, including configuration and size, electrode, membranes and separators, contaminants. • Reviewed the progress of research on groundwater removal with MFCs in the last decade. • Considerd the efficiency and practicability of MFCs. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have become more prevalent in groundwater remediation due to their capacity for power generation, removal of pollution, ease of assembly, and low secondary contamination. It is currently being evaluated for practical application in an effort to eliminate groundwater pollution. However, a considerable majority of research was conducted in laboratories. But the operational circumstances including anaerobic characteristics, pH, and temperature vary at different sites. In addition, the complexity of contaminants and the positioning of MFCs significantly affect remediation performance. Taking the aforementioned factors into consideration, this review summarizes a bibliography on the application of MFCs for the remediation of groundwater contamination during the last ten decades and assesses the impact of environmental conditions on the treatment performance. The design of the reactor, including configuration, dimensions, electrodes, membranes, separators, and target contaminants are discussed. This review aims to provide practical guidance for the future application of MFCs in groundwater remediation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-layer structured composite films consisting of a rutile titanium dioxide (TiO2) film, a cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanofilm, and silver (Ag) particles were successfully prepared through sputtering and annealing procedures. The variations in microstructures and photoactive properties of the composite films were investigated by varying the sputtering duration of Cu2O and Ag. The photoelectrode made of the Ag particle/Cu2O/TiO2 composite films exhibited superior photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties in comparison with those of the Cu2O/TiO2 bilayer films and pristine TiO2 film. The surface plasmon resonance of Ag particles promotes the photon absorption capacity of the Ag particle/Cu2O/TiO2 composite films. Moreover, the Ag particles on the Cu2O nanolayer act as effective electron traps, thus preventing recombination of photoinduced carriers under irradiation and prolonging the carrier lifetime, thereby increasing the carrier transfer rate. The Ag particle/Cu2O/TiO2 composite film with a surface Ag/(Ag + Cu) atomic ratio of 70.81% exhibits superior photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties in comparison with the other Ag particle/Cu2O/TiO2 composite films prepared with different Ag sputtering durations. The suitable Ag particle content is an important factor affecting the photoactive performance of the Ag particle/Cu2O/TiO2 composite film. The scavenger test results demonstrate that the photodegradation mechanism of the Ag particle/Cu2O/TiO2 composite film towards methyl orange solution under irradiation follows a Z-scheme mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a modified Picard-like method to solve absolute value equations by equivalently expressing the implicit fixed-point equation form of the absolute value equations as a two-by-two block nonlinear equation. This unifies some existing matrix splitting algorithms and improves the efficiency of the algorithm by introducing the parameter ω. For the choice of ω in the new method, we give a way to determine the quasi-optimal values. Numerical examples are given to show the feasibility of the proposed method. It is also shown that the new method is better than those proposed by Ke and Ma in 2017 and Dehghan and Shirilord in 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban material stock (UMS) represents elegant thinking by perceiving cities as a repository of construction materials that can be reused in the future, rather than a burdensome generator of construction and demolition waste. Many studies have attempted to quantify UMS but they often fall short in accuracy, primarily owing to the lack of proper quantification methods or good data available at a micro level. This research aims to develop a simple but satisfactory model for UMS quantification by focusing on individual buildings. Generally, it is a "bottom-up" approach that uses building features to proximate the material stocks of individual buildings. The research benefits from a set of valuable, "post-mortem" ground truth data related to 71 buildings that have been demolished in Hong Kong. By comparing a series of machine learning-based models, a multiple linear regression model with six building features, namely building type, building year, height, perimeter, total floor area, and total floor number, is found to yield a satisfactory estimate of buildingmaterial stockswith a mean absolute percentage error of 9.1%, root-mean-square error of 474.13, and R-square of 0.93. The major contribution of this research is to predict a building's material stock based on several easy-to-obtain building features. Themethodology of machine learning regression is novel. The model provides a useful reference for quantifying UMS in other regions. Future explorations are recommended to calibrate the modelwhen data in these regions is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theranostics, the combination of diagnostics and therapies, has been considered as a promising strategy for clinical cancer treatment. Nonetheless, building a smart theranostic system with multifunction for different on‐demand applications still remains elusive. Herein, an easy and user‐friendly microemulsion based method is developed to modularly assemble upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles together, forming multifunctional UCNPs/Fe3O4 superparticles with highly integrated functionalities including the 808 nm excitation for real‐time NIR‐II imaging, magnetic targeting, and the upconversion luminescence upon 980 nm excitation for on‐demand photodynamic therapy (PDT). With a magnet placed nearby the tumor, in vivo NIR‐II imaging uncovers that superparticles tend to migrate toward the tumor and exhibit intense tumor accumulation, ≈6 folds higher than that without magnetic targeting 2 h after intravenous injection. NIR laser irradiation is then used to trigger PDT, obtaining an outstanding tumor elimination under magnetic tumor targeting, which shows a high potential to be applied in targeted cancer theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal nutrition plays a critical role in energy metabolism of offspring. We aim to elucidate the effect of long-term intermittent fasting (IF) before pregnancy on health outcomes of offspring. Here we show long-term IF before pregnancy disrupts intestinal homeostasis of offspring with subsequent disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism. This occurs through the reduction in beneficial microbiota such as Lactobacillus_intestinalis. Our observations further support the concept that intestinal microbiota in offspring is vulnerable to maternal nutrition, and its homeostasis is critical for the integrity of intestinal barrier and metabolic homeostasis. Long-term intermediate fasting before pregnancy in mice disrupts intestinal homeostasis of offspring with subsequent glucose and lipid metabolism disorder, mediated by a reduction in beneficial microbiota such as Lactobacillus intestinalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing and deep learning are being widely combined in tasks such as urban planning and disaster prevention. However, due to interference occasioned by density, overlap, and coverage, the tiny object detection in remote sensing images has always been a difficult problem. Therefore, we propose a novel TO–YOLOX(Tiny Object–You Only Look Once) model. TO–YOLOX possesses a MiSo(Multiple-in-Single-out) feature fusion structure, which exhibits a spatial-shift structure, and the model balances positive and negative samples and enhances the information interaction pertaining to the local patch of remote sensing images. TO–YOLOX utilizes an adaptive IOU-T (Intersection Over Uni-Tiny) loss to enhance the localization accuracy of tiny objects, and it applies attention mechanism Group-CBAM (group-convolutional block attention module) to enhance the perception of tiny objects in remote sensing images. To verify the effectiveness and efficiency of TO–YOLOX, we utilized three aerial-photography tiny object detection datasets, namely VisDrone2021, Tiny Person, and DOTA–HBB, and the following mean average precision (mAP) values were recorded, respectively: 45.31% (+10.03%), 28.9% (+9.36%), and 63.02% (+9.62%). With respect to recognizing tiny objects, TO–YOLOX exhibits a stronger ability compared with Faster R-CNN, RetinaNet, YOLOv5, YOLOv6, YOLOv7, and YOLOX, and the proposed model exhibits fast computation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Tubular Ti-MWW zeolite membranes are firstly prepared with dual organic template and K 2 CO 3. • The upper "standing" and network-like Ti-MWW zeolite layer is etched and remove after ion exchange with 0.5 M(NH 4) 2 SO 4 at 60 °C for 24 h. • Extra-framework titanium of the zeolites is transformed into the tetrahedrally coordinated titanium after ion-exchange. • Catalytic performance of the Ti-MWW zeolite membrane is significantly improved by ion-exchange. • Total flux and phenol conversion of the post-treated membrane are 14.89 kg·m−2·h−1 and 36.49 % for phenol hydroxylation. In the absence of boric acid, the tubular Ti-MWW zeolite membranes are prepared with dual organic template agents and potassium carbonate by secondary hydrothermal synthesis. 12MR cage and 10 MR of the MWW zeolite topology structure is stabilized by TMAdaOH and HMI organic template agents, K+ cations is a critical mineralization agent for preparing Ti-MWW zeolite membrane with bi-layer Ti-MWW zeolites layer in this work. Besides, ion-exchange could greatly improve the catalytic performance of the Ti-MWW zeolite membrane for phenol hydroxylation with H 2 O 2 , influences of ammonium salt, ion-exchange time and temperature on the micro-structure and catalytic performance are investigated. The upper network-like Ti-MWW zeolite layer could be dissolved and removed by ion-exchange with 0.5 M (NH 4) 2 SO 4 solution at 60 °C for 24 h, and the "lying" Ti-MWW zeolites layer is kept on the mullite support. On the other hand, ion-exchange could promote the transformation of hexacoordinated extra-framework titanium species to tetracoordinated state in the framework, part of K+ cations of Ti-MWW zeolites are replaced with NH 4 + cations. Total flux and phenol conversion of the ion-exchanged Ti-MWW zeolite membrane are 14.89 kg·m−2·h−1 and 36.49 % for phenol hydroxylation by H 2 O 2 at 50 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast with the well-developed C–C and C–N axial chirality, research focusing on the catalytically asymmetric synthesis of N–N axially chiral compounds is still limited. As a privileged subunit of many antibiotics, the synthesis of N–N axially chiral 3,3′-bisquinazolinones has not been updated with atroposelective construction. Herein, we firstly report a chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed dual-ring formation strategy leading to the aforementioned compounds with good chemical yields and enantioselectivities. Notably, metal-free reaction conditions are another advantage of this procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnO2–ZnO composite thin films were grown by radio‐frequency and direct‐current cosputtering of ceramic ZnO and metallic Sn targets, respectively. During the cosputtering film growth, the SnO2 matrix sputtering power was fixed at 20 W, while the additive ZnO sputtering power was varied in the range of 40–80 W. Structural and compositional analysis results showed that the ZnO sputtering power increased the relative ZnO phase content in the composite film and its surface grain size. Compared to the single‐constituent compounds, the as‐synthesized SnO2–ZnO composite films exhibited enhanced photoelectrocatalytic performances for the degradation of methyl orange dyes under irradiation. The SnO2–ZnO composite film obtained at a ZnO sputtering power of 60 W (SZ60; Zn/Sn = 11.2%) exhibited the highest photoelectrocatalytic activity among the various samples. In addition, SZ60 exhibited superior ethanol gas‐sensing performances among the various thin‐film sensors. Owing to the formation of a suitable number of SnO2/ZnO heterojunctions, SZ60 exhibited a highly efficient photo‐induced charge separation and appropriate potential barrier height to improve the gas‐sensing ability. The experimental results demonstrate a promising approach to design oxide composite films with desirable photoelectrocatalytic and gas‐sensing functions by controlling the relative content of ZnO and SnO2 in the composite film through a cosputtering process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ag2S crystallites–decorated ZnS composite sheets were synthesized by combinational methodology. Two types of ZnS sheet templates were obtained through the vulcanization of ZnO sheets with sulfur precursors of thiourea and Na2S, and then ZnS–Ag2S heterogeneous sheets were obtained with sputtering Ag crystallites and post‐annealing procedures. The ZnS sheets have rugged and smooth surfaces formed with sulfur precursors of thiourea and Na2S, respectively. Both the initial microstructures of ZnS sheet templates and Ag2S decoration content affect the photoactivity of the ZnS–Ag2S composite sheets. Compared with the pristine ZnS, the ZnS–Ag2S composite sheets with a suitable Ag2S loading content (Ag at% = 3.6–3.8) are beneficial to improve the photoactivity, which could be explained by the combination of narrow bandgap; Ag2S crystallites would enhance photon absorption and separation efficiency of photoinduced charge carriers. The scavenger tests and photodegradation mechanism show that hydroxyl radicals and holes were the main active species for the ZnS–Ag2S composite sheets to photodegrade methyl orange solution. The experimental results herein provide a novel synthesis approach to decorate Ag2S crystallites onto ZnS with tunable contents and present important design guidelines for the resultant ZnS–Ag2S composite sheets to demonstrate marked improvement in photoactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High pathogenicity avian influenza viruses clade 2.3.4.4 H5 have spread among wild birds worldwide during recent years causing annual die-offs among wild birds and outbreaks in poultry in multiple European countries. The outbreaks significantly impact the poultry and game bird sectors. Infected game birds may act as a bridging species potentially enabling spread of virus into commercial and backyard premises. In this study, the pathogenesis and transmission of a HPAIV clade 2.3.4.4b H5N6 virus was investigated in pheasants and chickens. Efficient virus transmission was detected between pheasants over multiple rounds of naïve pheasant introductions and onwards to chickens. Mortality of up to 100% was observed for both infected pheasants and chickens. Intra-species transmission from chicken to chicken was less efficient. The study confirmed that clade 2.3.4.4b H5N6 HPAIV is highly virulent in pheasants and emphasises the role of pheasants as a bridging host for the infection of commercial poultry. • Pheasants inoculated with clade 2.3.4.4b H5N6 HPAIV were susceptible to infection. • Transmission of the HPAIV was successful among pheasants and onwards to chickens. • Intra-species transmission from chicken to chicken was less efficient. • Differences in pathogenesis were observed among infected pheasants and chickens. • Pheasants infected with HPAIV could potentially play a role in the spread of the virus to poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to explore efficient materials to alleviate the negative effect of atrazine in soils or water. In this paper, four Fe/Mn-modified biochars were prepared to enhance atrazine removal. The batch adsorption experiment was conducted to explore the adsorption ability of biochar(DBC) and modified biochars (F3M1DBC, F1M3DBC, MnDBC, and FeDBC) on atrazine, and the adsorption mechanism was conducted by XRD, XPS, and FTIR. The modified biochar showed larger specific surface areas and zero-point charge than those of the original biochar. The increased oxygen functional groups (OH, C=C, and C=O) and the formation of Fe3O4, Mn3O4, and FeMnO3 on modified biochar improved atrazine removal. The maximum atrazine adsorption by F3M1DBC was 4.3 times higher than that of DBC. The atrazine adsorption by modified biochar was not pH-dependent, and their removal of atrazine was dominated by adsorption rather than degradation. The desorption rate was 8.61% for F3M1DBC, 15.95% for F1M3DBC, 26.19% for MnDBC, and 29.83% for FeDBC, which were 29.1–79.5% lower than that of DBC, accordingly decreased the environmental risk. XPS and FTIR analysis proved that the adsorption mechanisms of Fe/Mn-modified biochars were mainly attributed to their strong π–π interactions between atrazine and oxygen functional groups, graphitic carbon, and Fe/Mn-oxides on the surface of biochar. In addition, the larger surface area and pore structure of modified biochar contributed to the adsorption and pore filling of atrazine on biochar. In general, the Fe/Mn-modified biochars can be used as effective adsorbents to remove atrazine from soils and waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review, motivated by the recent interest in high-temperature materials, we review our recent progress in theories of lattice dynamics in and out of equilibrium. To investigate thermodynamic properties of anharmonic crystals, the self-consistent phonon theory was developed, mainly in the 1960s, for rare gas atoms and quantum crystals. We have extended this theory to investigate the properties of the equilibrium state of a crystal, including its unit cell shape and size, atomic positions and lattice dynamical properties. Using the equation-of-motion method combined with the fluctuation–dissipation theorem and the Donsker–Furutsu–Novikov (DFN) theorem, this approach was also extended to investigate the non-equilibrium case where there is heat flow across a junction or an interface. The formalism is a classical one and therefore valid at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, TiO2-Bi2S3 composites with various morphologies were synthesized through hydrothermal vulcanization with sputtering deposited Bi2O3 sacrificial layer method on the TiO2 nanorod templates. The morphologies of decorated Bi2S3 nanostructures on the TiO2 nanorod templates are controlled by the duration of hydrothermal vulcanization treatment. The Bi2S3 crystals in lumpy filament, nanowire, and nanorod feature were decorated on the TiO2 nanorod template after 1, 3, and 5 h hydrothermal vulcanization, respectively. Comparatively, TiO2-Bi2S3 composites with Bi2S3 nanowires exhibit the best photocurrent density, the lowest interfacial resistance value and the highest photodegradation efficiency towards Rhodamine B solution. The possible Z-scheme photoinduced charge separation mechanism and suitable morphology of Bi2S3 nanowires might account for the high photoactivity of TiO2 nanorod-Bi2S3 nanowire composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discovery of new morphological and structural materials is significant but remains challenging. In this work, rare earth-doped CeF3 two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets were successfully synthesized using a facile and effective solvothermal method. By changing the amount of water in the solvent and the doping amount of rare earth ions, the morphology of CeF3 is significantly affected, but the hexagonal phase structure is always maintained. Under excitation at 254 nm, CeF3:20% Gd, 30% Tb 2D nanosheets emit bright green light, but the luminescence color changes to red when some of the Tb3+ ions are replaced by Eu3+ ions due to the efficient energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+ ions. Moreover, the temperature-dependent luminescence properties of CeF3:20% Gd, 25% Tb, 5% Eu prove that it can be used as a ratiometric luminescent thermometer with an absolute sensitivity of 1.54% K−1 and a maximum relative sensitivity of 4.56% K−1 at 373 K. This study enriches the treasure trove of new materials and paves the way for future applications of CeF3-based luminescent materials in the field of temperature sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A TiO2 nanorod template was successfully decorated with a copper oxide layer with various crystallographic phases using sputtering and postannealing procedures. The crystallographic phase of the layer attached to the TiO2 was adjusted from a single Cu2O phase or dual Cu2O–CuO phase to a single CuO phase by changing the postannealing temperature from 200 °C to 400 °C. The decoration of the TiO2 (TC) with a copper oxide layer improved the light absorption and photoinduced charge separation abilities. These factors resulted in the composite nanorods demonstrating enhanced photoactivity compared to that of the pristine TiO2. The ternary phase composition of TC350 allowed it to achieve superior photoactive performance compared to the other composite nanorods. The possible Z-scheme carrier movement mechanism and the larger granular size of the attached layer of TC350 under irradiation accounted for the superior photocatalytic activity in the degradation of RhB dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies sensitivity analysis for discrete variable topology optimization. Minimum compliance of plane stress structures is considered. The element thickness is the design variable and is named as element density, whose value is 0 or 1. According to the concerned element density and its surrounding density distribution, all the design elements are classified into three types: white interface elements, black elements, and white isolated elements. Their sensitivities are studied by shape sensitivity analysis, topological and configuration derivative, respectively. The white interface element sensitivity obtained by shape sensitivity justifies the sensitivity filter. Based on theoretical deduction and inspired by the analytical, topological derivative formula, the black element sensitivity for inserting the square hole that is consistent with the background finite element mesh is a linear combination of three quadratic forms of stress components. The combination coefficients are dependent on material constants and irrelevant to the stress and strain state, which can be determined by parameter fitting through special load conditions. The white isolated element sensitivity can also be determined by parameter fitting inspired by the configuration derivative. The obtained formula resolves the paradox of the white isolated element sensitivity. The present can further solidify the theoretical foundation for the discrete variable topology optimization methods via Sequential Approximate Integer Programming (SAIP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crowdsourcing refers to the practice of outsourcing tasks previously performed by internal employees of an enterprise or organization to the general public through the internet in a free and voluntary manner, resulting in a mutually beneficial outcome. The incentive mechanism is a critical aspect of crowdsourcing computing. However, existing research mainly focuses on the incentive mechanism of crowdsourcing tasks on a single platform, while crowdsourcing tasks have complex and cross-domain attributes. In actual task requests, multiple crowdsourcing platforms participate in task execution due to geographic, capability, and task attribute constraints, each with its own unique characteristics and attributes. To address the collaboration problem between different platforms in crowdsourcing task allocation, we propose a Multi-Unit and Multi-Platform (MUMP) incentive mechanism based on task interactions, where we first model the problem, design an optimization goal of maximizing the weighted average for cross-platform crowdsourcing tasks, and then propose a feasible budget algorithm with platform weight based on greedy ordering, which achieves an approximation rate. Finally, experimental results demonstrate that the proposed incentive mechanism algorithm outperforms the latest algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, employees are not being replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), but they are facing increasing pressure to adapt and master new AI-related skills—regardless of their attitude to AI collaboration. Drawing on the job demands–resources model (JD-R) and Probst’s (2002) framework, we explain how and when job insecurity related to human–AI collaboration (HAI-C) influences employees’ tech-learning anxiety and subsequent work–life-related outcomes. Additionally, we examine whether workplace mindfulness can mitigate the negative effect of HAI-C job insecurity. We conducted an online experiment (study 1: N = 226) and a three-wave lagged survey (study 2: N = 350) with Chinese employees who daily work with AI. Our results show that HAI-C job insecurity positively relates to HAI-C tech-learning anxiety and subsequently affects employees’ creative performance, informal field-based learning, well-being, and psychological health. Workplace mindfulness played a crucial role in mitigating the negative effect of HAI-C job insecurity on tech-learning anxiety. Specifically, for employees with higher workplace mindfulness, the indirect effects of HAI-C job insecurity on work–life outcomes through tech-learning anxiety were weaker. Our findings have significant implications for both theory and practice concerning HAI-C systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]