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The equilibrium radiation diffusion equation has been widely used in astrophysics, inertial confinement fusion and others. Since the simulation domain consists of many complicated domains and the material properties in each domain are different, the diffusion coefficient usually has a strong discontinuity at the interface. Because the equilibrium radiation diffusion equation is often built on complicated domains as well as interfaces and has a strong nonlinearity, it is challenging to solve by means of finite difference method and so on. By treating T 4 with different linearization methods, three meshfree methods are utilized to approximate the two-dimensional equilibrium radiation diffusion equation with jump coefficient. Firstly, the time term is discretized by the fully implicit scheme. Then, three different linearization methods (direct linearization, Picard-Newton linearization and Richtmyer linearization) are utilized to linearize T 4. Finally, the linearized algebraic equations are solved numerically by a non-symmetric collocation method with a compactly supported radial basis function. Numerical experiments are performed on the three algorithms for different regular and irregular domains with highly curved interfaces. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms is verified by numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For CNN-based visual action recognition, the accuracy may be increased if local key action regions are focused on. The task of self-attention is to focus on key features and ignore irrelevant information. So, self-attention is useful for action recognition. However, current self-attention methods usually ignore correlations among local feature vectors at spatial positions in CNN feature maps. In this paper, we propose an effective interaction-aware self-attention model which can extract information about the interactions between feature vectors to learn attention maps. Since the different layers in a network capture feature maps at different scales, we introduce a spatial pyramid with the feature maps at different layers for attention modeling. The multi-scale information is utilized to obtain more accurate attention scores. These attention scores are used to weight the local feature vectors of the feature maps and then calculate attentional feature maps. Since the number of feature maps input to the spatial pyramid attention layer is unrestricted, we easily extend this attention layer to a spatio-temporal version. Our model can be embedded in any general CNN to form a video-level end-to-end attention network for action recognition. Several methods are investigated to combine the RGB and flow streams to obtain accurate predictions of human actions. Experimental results show that our method achieves state-of-the-art results on the datasets UCF101, HMDB51, Kinetics-400, and untrimmed Charades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrooxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has emerged as a promising way to generate high-value-added products. However, evoking high-valence state NiOOH species as active sites to realize high current density remains a challenge. Herein, we report an efficient electrocatalyst for HMF electrooxidation based on phosphate anion intercalated layered double hydroxides (NiCo-Pi-LDHs). Onset potential at 1.16 V vs. RHE and current density of 200 mA/cm2 at 1.41 V vs. RHE were realized. The intercalated phosphates act as proton transfer intermediates, facilitating the dehydrogenation of hydroxides to form oxyhydroxides while the protonated phosphate generated. The obtained oxyhydroxide oxidized HMF to 2,5-furandicarboxylic (FDCA) while cycling backward to hydroxide, accompanied by the cycle of protonated phosphate to phosphate. This novel strategy with dual-cycle of phosphate and nickel species can effectively evoke NiOOH species, thereby speeding up the reaction rate and having a great potential for biomass upgrading. [Display omitted] • Phosphate intercalated NiCo-Pi-LDHs efficiently catalyzed HMF electrooxidation. • The protonation cycle of intercalated phosphate promoted nickel species cycle. • The dual-cycle mechanism effectively induced high-valence state NiOOH species. • The NiCo-Pi-LDHs realized 200 mA/cm2 current density at 1.41 V RHE in HMF oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Pt-Y/Beta as efficient catalyst for ethanol-to-n-butanol with bifunctional activity. • Y tetrahedrally coordinated in zeolite framework and Pt on surface as nanoparticles. • Synergistic catalysis is achieved by coupling different catalytic roles and close proximity. • Pt is responsible for dehydro- and hydro-genation whereas Y for condensation. • Reaction mechanism over Pt-Y/Beta follows the Guerbet pathway. Conversion of ethanol to high-value alcohols is an attractive approach for developing renewable biofuels, the key is to develop stable and high-efficient catalysts. In this work, based on the preparation strategy of heteroatomic Beta zeolites, a bifunctional Pt-Y/Beta catalyst was prepared by solid-state ion exchange and impregnation. Through characterization techniques such as TEM, NMR and XAS, it was confirmed that the Y species were incorporated into the framework of Beta zeolite by interacting with the silanol groups located at the defect sites, while the Pt species were confirmed to be present on the surface of the zeolite in the form of dispersed nanoparticles. The unique structure form and the favorable spatial proximity of the two metallic active sites lead to a synergistic catalysis, which enable a one-step conversion of ethanol to n-butanol with exceptionally high selectivity of 68 %. In situ DRIFT characterization, ethanol-TPD and relay experiment results show that in the ethanol to n-butanol reaction, the Pt species in Pt-Y/Beta catalyst serves as the active center for the dehydrogenation of ethanol and the hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde and crotyl alcohol, while the Y species is responsible for catalyzing the condensation reaction of acetaldehyde. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long-term stable single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) all polarization-maintaining (PM) compound-ring cavity fiber laser is reported. The results show that the PM fiber's strong ability to resist the environment disturbance allows finely designing the length of each secondary cavity in real time according to the main cavity under the laboratory environment, and then the effective longitudinal mode spacing can be sufficiently increased by accurately using the Vernier effect, so that the mode-hopping can be effectively suppressed. Furthermore, the temperature compensation is used for asynchronously fine-adjusting each cavity length to follow the Vernier effect requirement more strictly. The mode-hopping-free SLM operation time of the packaged laser reaches 11 h. As far as we know, this is the longest SLM free running time of ring cavity fiber laser to date. The optical signal to noise ratio of the laser reaches 77 dB and the linewidth is less than 850 Hz with up to 50 mW maximum output power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aims The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how curcumol affected the expression of miR-21 and whether its effects on miR-21 was associated with the activation of PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathways in CRC cells. Main methods MTT and xenograft assay were used to examine how curcumol inhibits colorectal cancer (CRC) cells' growth. Q-PCR and western blot analysis were employed to test the role of miR-21 in the inhibition of curcumol on proliferation and PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathways of CRC cells. Key findings We found that curcumol effectively inhibited CRC cells from proliferating via the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathways and reduced expression of miR-21 both in vitro and in vivo. miR-21 mimics were found to decrease the protein level of PTEN and increase the expression of PI3K, phospho-Akt (p-Akt) and NF-κB, while miR-21 sponge (miR-21-SP) enhanced the expression of PTEN and reduced the activity of PI3K, Akt and NF-κB. Furthermore, miR-21-SP strengthened the role of curcumol in up-regulating PTEN and inhibiting PI3K/Akt pathways, but miR-21 reversed the effect of curcumol on the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathways. Significance Our research demonstrated that curcumol reduced the proliferation of CRC cells through PTEN/PI3K/Akt by targeting miR-21 and miR-21 could be a target molecule of curcumol for CRC treatment. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new nitrogen-rich hierarchical porous polymer (PCPM) was synthesized via a self-catalyzed polycondensation from hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and melamine under the solvothermal condition, which presented a high adsorption capacity and a fast adsorption kinetics towards three typical water-soluble micropollutants. [Display omitted] • Novel nitrogen-rich hierarchical porous polyphosphazenes were facilely synthesized. • The adsorbent has rich mesopores and a high specific surface area of 321.1 m2/g. • The adsorbent exhibited a high adsorption capacity and a fast adsorption kinetics. • Q max was 187.5, 336.2, and 320.4 mg g−1 for Cr (VI), CR and DCF, respectively. • The adsorption is the result of synergistic action of multiple adsorption mechanisms. The rapid and highly-efficient uptake of waterbody contaminants by polymer-based adsorbent is still a challenge. Herein, a new nitrogen-rich hierarchical porous polymer (PCPM) was synthesized via a self-catalyzed polycondensation between hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and melamine. The PCPM possessed hierarchical pore architecture with specific surface area of 321.1 m2/g and pore size distribution from 1.3 to 63.0 nm. Owing to the remarkable porous texture and nitrogen-rich active sites with high electron density, PCPM exhibited a high adsorption capacity of 187.5, 336.2, and 320.4 mg g−1 for Cr (VI), Congo red (CR), and diclofenac sodium (DCF), respectively. Moreover, the adsorption rate of these contaminants onto PCPM was very fast, reaching 90 % of adsorption equilibrium capacity for Cr (VI), CR and DCF within the first 7 min, 45 min and 30 min, respectively. Adsorption data revealed that the adsorption process conformed to pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model. The removal process was spontaneous, exothermic for Cr (VI) and endothermic for CR and DCF. FT-IR and XPS analysis demonstrated that electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding contributed to the adsorption of CR and DCF onto PCPM, while the removal mechanism of Cr (VI) by PCPM included redox reaction and chelation besides the above two interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A mechanism of grain thinning and shearing induced recrystallization was proposed for the refinement of centimeter-grade coarse grains of Ti 2 AlNb alloy. • Reduction per compression in multi-directional isothermal forging is more vital than total strain for the refinement of this alloy. • Recrystallization relies on the shear bands and truncation of the thinned grains prepared by prior compressions. • Thinned grains were sheared and truncated due to the bending and bowing of the neighbor grains. Centimeter-grade coarse grains commonly exist in heavy ingots of Ti 2 AlNb-based alloy and severely deteriorate their workability. To investigate the refinement of coarse grains, multi-directional isothermal forging (MDIF) was carried out on samples cut from an ingot weighing about three tons. The results showed that the alloy can be refined by MDIF after 4 passes with 40% reduction per compression at 1200℃, while it cannot be refined even after 10 passes with 30% reduction per compression at 1200℃ or with 40% reduction per compression at 1050℃. The investigation showed that, as an intermetallics with low strain hardening rate, the material is very difficult to be refined by recrystallization if only increasing the total strain. The special refinement mechanism, i.e. , grain thinning and shearing (GTS) induced recrystallization, is proposed. The reduction per compression is crucial to refine the coarse grains of this alloy. Coarse grains should be firstly squashed and thinned by large reduction, and then bent and bowed to form shear bands in the following perpendicular compressions. Coarse grains are truncated by repeated shearing, and the truncation increases interfaces within the coarse grains and contributes to the local misorientation accumulation, which in turn promotes the completion of recrystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous organic polymers (POPs) have great potential in air and water pollutant treatments. However, the cost-effective syntheis of novel POPs remains a challenge. In this work, we fabricated a new porous organic polymer with P-N linkage (PCPD) via a low-cost catalyst-free polycondensation between 3,3′-diaminobenzidine and hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene under solvothermal conditions. The chemical composition, microstructure and thermal property were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, TEM NMR, DSC, TGA and N 2 sorption. The adsorption performance of PCPD was also studied. The results revealed that PCPD owns good microporosity, N-rich skeleton as well as abundant amino/imine groups. Tested for CO 2 adsorption at 273 K/1 bar and 298 K/1 bar, PCPD exhibited superior CO 2 uptakes of 127.6 mg g−1 and 83.6 mg g−1, respectively. Moreover, the isosteric heats of adsorption at low adsorption values was up to 33.3 kJ mol−1. PCPD also delivered a superior removal performance towards toxic Cr (VI) from aqueous solution with equilibrium adsorption capacity of 205 mg g−1 and instantaneous adsorption capacity of 148 mg g−1 within 5 min at pH= 2. The Cr (VI) adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic and well obeys intraparticle diffusion model, pseudo-second order kinetics, and Langmuir isotherm model. The plausible removal mechanism included electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding interaction, pore filling and the concurrent Cr (VI) reduction followed by in situ chelation on polymer adsorbent. PCPD would open a new field for efficient treatment of air and water pollutants due to its fascinating structure feature and excellent adsorption performance. [Display omitted] • A novel porous organic polymer adsorbent with P-N linkage was designed facilely. • The adsorbent has a specific surface area of up to 366.8 m2 g−1. • High CO 2 capture capacities at atmospheric pressure: 127.6 mg g−1 at 273 K. • Remarkably adsorption capacity towards toxic Cr (VI): 205 mg g−1 at 298 K. • Removal mechanism: electrostatic, H-bond interaction, and reduction-chelation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] An algorithm that parses 3D-cloud representing the human body into torso and arms. [•] A technique to locate the held object, and incorporate size into a recognizer. [•] A temporal smoothing scheme to improve object and activity recognition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A new trilateral filter incorporating distance, color, and boundary information. [•] A new Graph Cuts based on color, depth, and boundary information. [•] A method to rectify the misaligned depth and RGB data of fast moving objects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Most automatic event detection methods for video surveillance detect target events based on features extracted in the pixel domain. However, in practice, surveillance videos are often compressed. It is desirable to perform automatic event detection in the compressed domain directly so that the video does not need to be decoded for analysis purpose. In this paper, we investigate the use of motion trajectories for video activity detection in the compressed domain. We show it is possible to extract reliable motion trajectories directly from compressed H.264 video streams. To overcome the problems caused by unreliable motion vectors, we propose to include the information from the compressed domain prediction residuals to make the tracking more robust. We use a real world application of detecting vacant or occupied parking spaces to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach. We also demonstrate the robustness of our approach to different encoder settings, and lighting conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Examined the feasibility of CO 2 heat pump combined with rotor drying of banana slices. • Drying kinetics characteristics and drying quality of banana slices were investigated. • Low-humidity drying can shorten the drying time of low-temperature drying. • Low-temperature and low-humidity drying improves drying quality of banana slices. A CO 2 closed heat pump drying system combined with rotary dehumidification (HPRD) was investigated using both experimental and theoretical approaches. The advantages of HPRD over traditional CO 2 closed heat pump drying systems (THPSs) for drying banana slices were analyzed. After drying, the drying kinetics and quality of banana slices were investigated. The results demonstrated that HPRD reduced the banana slice drying time during low-temperature processing while retaining more color and vitamin C content than THPS. In particular, HPRD increased the drying rate of banana slices dried at low temperatures by up to 41 % compared to the rate obtained by THPS. In addition, it increased the vitamin C content by an average of 12 % and reduced the total color difference by an average of 16 %. And the specific moisture extraction rate of HPRD increases by 26 % compared to THPS. The highest-quality banana slices, which were 3 mm thick and dried by HPRD at 43 °C, maintained a high drying rate and high drying quality. The optimal model of Henderson & Pabis predicted the drying behavior within the experimental range. The results indicated that the drying rate and quality of banana slices dried at low temperatures using HPRD were superior to those dried using THPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For fixed bed grain drying techniques, the biggest problem is the lack of drying uniformity. Deep-bed drying can be achieved in fixed bed after solving the problem of the drying uniformity, thereby reflecting the compact structure, simple operation and low running cost of the deep-bed drying equipment. A new fixed deep-bed drying method that features swing temperature and alternating airflow (STAA), coupled heating and tempering processes in time and space, and vibration induced grain circulation was investigated. The optimal tempering time is 0.67 times of the corresponding positive flow tempering time plus counter flow tempering time. The key to the vibration parameters is to make the wheat particles enter the global circulation roll mode under the joint excitation of airflow and vibration. The addition of vibration increased the average uniformity of positive and counter flow drying by 8.02%, and the average moisture content decreased by 1.28%. The introduction of vibration further enhances the drying uniformity and provides a new solution for continuing to increase the layer thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of pig weight holds significant importance for producers as it plays a crucial role in managing pig growth, health, and marketing, thereby facilitating informed decisions regarding scientific feeding practices. On one hand, the conventional manual weighing approach is characterized by inefficiency and time consumption. On the other hand, it has the potential to induce heightened stress levels in pigs. This research introduces a hybrid 3D point cloud denoising approach for precise pig weight estimation. By integrating statistical filtering and DBSCAN clustering techniques, we mitigate weight estimation bias and overcome limitations in feature extraction. The convex hull technique refines the dataset to the pig's back, while voxel down-sampling enhances real-time efficiency. Our model integrates pig back parameters with a convolutional neural network (CNN) for accurate weight estimation. Experimental analysis indicates that the mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percent error (MAPE), and root mean square error (RMSE) of the weight estimation model proposed in this research are 12.45 kg, 5.36%, and 12.91 kg, respectively. In contrast to the currently available weight estimation methods based on 2D and 3D techniques, the suggested approach offers the advantages of simplified equipment configuration and reduced data processing complexity. These benefits are achieved without compromising the accuracy of weight estimation. Consequently, the proposed method presents an effective monitoring solution for precise pig feeding management, leading to reduced human resource losses and improved welfare in pig breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amino-rich hollow polyphosphazene microcapsule with rigid-flexible coupling cationic skeleton (HTCM) was facilely prepared by a one-step precipitation polycondensation of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and tetraethylenepentamine at room temperature, which exhibited a highly efficient, rapid and selective adsorption behavior towards anionic dyes. [Display omitted] • HTCM was facilely synthesized by one-step polymerizaiton at room temperature. • HTCM owned hollow structure and rigid-flexible coupling cationic skeleton. • The average adsorption capacity of HTCM for MO reached 1009.66 mg g−1 at 25 °C. • The α values of MO for MB, CV and RhB reached 124.22, 124.87 and 136.35 respectively. • The adsorption mechanism of HTCM involved electrostatic interaction and H-bonding. An amino-rich hollow polyphosphazene microcapsule with rigid-flexible coupling cationic skeleton (HTCM) was facilely prepared by one-step polycondensation from hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and tetraethylenepentamine. The systematic adsorption studies for six single dye systems and three binary mixed dye systems showed that HTCM possessed a highly-efficient and selective adsorption behavior towards anionic dyes from water. Especially, the adsorption capacity of HTCM towards methyl orange (MO) at equilibrium reached 1009.66 mg g−1 at 25 °C, and the relative separation factors of anionic dye MO for three cationic dyes (methylene blue, Crystal violet and Rhodamine B) was up to 124.22, 124.87 and 136.35, respectively. The adsorption rate of MO onto HTCM was very rapid, attaining 68.6 % of adsorption equilibrium capacity for MO within the first 30 min. The adsorption kinetics, isotherm and thermodynamic analysis revealed that the uptake behavior of HTCM towards MO obeyed pseudo-second-order kinetic model, intraparticle diffusion model and Langmuir model, and the uptake process was spontaneous and endothermic. As verified from FT-IR and XPS analysis for HTCM before and after MO adsorption, the adsorption mechanism of HTCM for MO involved electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. The present study promises the potential of HTCM for highly selective separation of anionic dyes from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed a feasible strategy to prepare a rigid-flexible coupled polyphosphazene supported polyurethane foam (PUF-PCP) adsorbent by in situ polycondensation between hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and polyethyleneimine on the surface of polyurethane foam (PUF) at room temperature. Owing to combination of the open cell porous structure of PUF support and the superior adsorption capacity of PCP coatings, the PUF-PCP composite adsorbent exhibited good adsorption behavior towards anionic dyes. Especially, the experimental adsorption capacity of PUF-PCP for methyl orange (MO) dye was up to 978.56 mg g−1 at 25 ºC. The relative separation factors of MO for methylene blue, crystal violet and rhodamine B were 224.1, 78.1 and 161.8 respectively, exhibiting an excellent adsorption selectivity of PUF-PCP towards MO. Moreover, the used PUF-PCP adsorbent can be easily collected and regenerated. The adsorption test data were best explained by Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption process of MO onto PUF-PCP was spontaneous and endothermic. XPS and FT-IR analysis confirmed that electrostatic adsorption and hydrogen bonding were the plausible uptake mechanism of PUF-PCP for MO molecules. The present work demonstrated that PUF-PCP has promising potential in removing environmental anionic pollutants from waterbody. [Display omitted] • PUF-PCP was facilely fabricated by in situ polycondensation at room temperature. • The maximum adsorption capacity of PUF-PCP for MO was up to 978.56 mg g−1. • PUF-PCP can selectively adsorb anionic dyes from binary mixed dye system. • The relative separation factor of anionic MO for cationic MB was as high as 224.1. • PUF-PCP absorbent exhibited good reusability for MO removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a cost-effective solution for transporting corrosive hydrocarbons, mechanically lined pipe has been used in many offshore and onshore projects. The bonding between the carbon steel carrier and the non-corrosive liner is commonly achieved by mechanical expansion. As typical pipeline damage, the local dent brings deformation to the bimetallic composite, which is expected to undermine the structural integrity. This work investigates the influence of a local dent on the plastic responses and stability of a lined pipe system during bending. Part I presents the results of the experiments and numerical analysis involving a set of small-scale lined tubes. The lined tubes, made of carbon steel Grade GB45 (AISI 1045) and copper Grade T2, are manufactured using a custom hydraulic expansion facility. The products have finished diameters of 50 mm and an overall D / t of 16.5, with 1.0 mm thickness for the liner. A minor transverse dent is introduced to the specimen using a cylindrical indenter. The dented tube is subsequently bent to collapse in a four-point bending facility. It is found that the local dent tends to induce early collapse of both the outer tube and the liner, resulting in a noteworthy reduction of the bending capacity of the composite. Initially, the local dent grows stably instead of collapsing right away. With increasing bending, the liner develops a major buckle and several satellite dimples around it. Subsequently, the manufacture, indentation, and the succeeding bending to collapse are simulated using a custom numerical framework, and the experimental results are reproduced reasonably well. Part II will use the validated numerical model to conduct an extensive parametric study of the important variables of the problem for full-scale lined pipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A recyclable PCNs@PCP-La was firstly fabricated for phosphate removal. • The phosphate uptake capacity was up to 121.2 mg P g−1. • PCNs@PCP-La showed rapid adsorption, high capacity, attractive selectivity and high pH adaptability. • PCNs@PCP-La presented a superior reusability for phosphate removal. • Multiple techniques were used to demonstrate the adsorption mechanisms. Phosphate removal has been the top priority in eutrophic wastewater treatment. Herein we reported a fast, efficient and selective adsorbent, PCNs@PCP-La, for phosphate removal from an aqueous medium. The adsorbent was fabricated via two steps: (1) synthesis of PCNs@PCP composite through in situ polymerization of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene and polyethyleneimine on the porous carbon nanosheets; and (2) lanthanum ion (La3+) modification of PCNs@PCP via an impregnation process to create PCNs@PCP-La hybrid. Multiple characterizations showed that the atomically dispersed La3+ ions could be facilely chelated with nitrogen-rich cyclomatrix polyphosphazene framework, significantly improving the application efficiency of La3+ ions as active adsorption sites. Comparative tests confirmed that PCNs@PCP-La had a high phosphate uptake capacity of up to 121.2 mg P g−1 (pH = 4.0) at 298 K and performed well even in a wide pH range (3.0–9.0). Also, PCNs@PCP-La showed a particularly short saturated adsorption time (5 min), indicating a fast adsorption kinetic process. Meanwhile, PCNs@PCP-La presented a superior adsorption selectivity for phosphate under interference with coexisting anions/cation and humic acid, and owned an attractive reusability (after 5th cycles, 85% capacity retention). The plausible adsorption mechanism can be ascribed to electrostatic attraction, inner-sphere complexation, and the formation of LaPO 4 ·0.5H 2 O precipitates between adsorbent and adsorbate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lateral hypothalamic nucleus (LHy) is located in the dorsolateral hypothalamus of birds, and it is essential to many life processes. However, limited information is available about the role of LHy in mediating locomotive behaviors. In this work, we investigated the structure and function of LHy in pigeons (Columba livia) by Nissl staining, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, insituhybridization (ISH) staining and constant current stimulation methods. The results showed that LHy appears crescent in shape, and three-dimensional coordinate value range of LHy is: A: 5.0–8.0 mm, L: 0.7–1.2 mm, D: 9.5–10.3 mm. The dopaminergic neurons in LHy were distributed in small amount and concentrated manner, while the glutamatergic neurons were distributed in a large number and uniform manner. The distribution of the above two neurons at each coronal level showed a significant positive correlation (R2 = 0.7516, P < 0.001). Our work demonstrated that LHy mainly mediates forward movement (P < 0.01) and ipsilateral lateral movement (P < 0.001), and these movements were significantly effected by electrical stimulation intensity. Our results showed that LHy can mediate the generation of directional behavior and this will provide technical support for the study of locomotor behavior regulation in birds. [Display omitted] • The 3D of LHy was identified. • Dopamine and glutamate appeared simultaneously in LHy. • LHy can mediate behavioral expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, highly doped ceria with lanthanum, La0.5Ce0.5O2−δ (LDC), are developed as hydrogen separation membrane material. LDC presents a mixed electronic and protonic conductivity in reducing atmosphere and good stability in moist CO2 environment. LDC separation membranes with asymmetrical structure are fabricated by a cost-saving co-pressing method, using NiO + LDC + corn starch mixture as substrate and LDC as top membrane layer. Hydrogen permeation properties are systemically studied, including the influence of operating temperature, hydrogen partial pressure in feed stream and water vapor in both sides of the membrane on hydrogen permeating fluxes. Hydrogen permeability increases as the increasing of temperature and hydrogen partial pressure in feed gas. Using 20% H2/N2 (with 3% of H2O) as feed gas and dry high purity argon as sweep gas, an acceptable flux of 2.6 × 10−8 mol cm−2 s−1 is achieved at 900 °C. The existing of water in both sides of membrane has significant effect on hydrogen permeation and the corresponding reasons are analyzed and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Tags, such as GPS tags and satellite tags, are widely used in wildlife research as a useful tool for observing behavioral ecology. Here, we investigated the impact of tag position and mass on the motor behavior of pigeons (Columba livia domestica). We used sandbags sized 4 × 4 cm2 to simulate load and assess load capacity. The results showed that the tag had the least impact on the pigeons when attached to the middle of the synsacrum: the change rate of height (CRH) was − 4.48%, the change rate of tail angle (TA) was 14.61%, the change rate of tarsometatarsal angle (TMA) was 17.90%, and the change rate of activity level (AL) was 85.96%. The tag mass ≤ 30 g (6.0% of body mass) had relatively little impact on pigeons: CRH was ≤ 7.0%, TA was ≤ 22.51%, TMA was ≤ 5.28%, and AL was ≥ 82.95%. We then tested the impact of the tag mass at its optimum location on the motor behavior of the birds. With increase in the tag mass, the step length became longer and the time of passing through the labyrinth decreased. With the tag mass of 30 g, the pigeons could easily fly out of the arena during initial flight. In conclusion, the optimal position of the tag was in the middle of the synsacrum, and the tag mass of ≤ 6.0% of the body mass had the least impact on pigeons. Thus, tag mass should be much less than 6.0% of the body mass in application for pigeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ellipsoidal particles are anisotropic in shape. Production practice often involves the distribution and convection of ellipsoidal particles under external excitation. However, few studies have focused on convection in ellipsoidal particles. Herein, we experimentally investigated the convection behavior of ellipsoidal particles in a two-dimensional bed under vertical vibration. Several patterns were observed at the dimensionless vibration acceleration (Г) values of 1–6 within the frequency (ƒ) range of 12–70 Hz. The displacement vectors of single roll, asymmetrical double rolls and symmetrical double rolls were drawn. At fixed Г , the system changed from global convection to local convection with increased ƒ. To describe convection intensity, the expansion of bed and the volume fraction of convection region were proposed. Results showed that higher Г or lower ƒ led to stronger convection intensity. The relationship between the pattern and input energy distribution was further discussed. The arrangement of the ellipsoidal-particle long axis along the streamline or at an angle was observed under weak vibration. Two necessary conditions for this phenomenon were observed, namely, nonspherical particles and low input energy. Unlabelled Image • The phase diagram of ellipsoidal particle convection is divided into seven regions. • Bed expansion and volume fraction are used to characterize convection intensity. • The relationship between pattern and input energy distribution is presented. • Non-spherical particles and low input energy are necessary for ordered structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of the specific protein target(s) of a drug is a critical step in unraveling its mechanisms of action (MOA) in many natural products. Curcumol, isolated from well known Chinese medicinal plant Curcuma zedoary , has been shown to possess multiple biological activities. It can inhibit nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) proliferation and induce apoptosis, but its target protein(s) in NPC cells remains unclear. In this study, we employed a mass spectrometry-based chemical proteomics approach reveal the possible protein targets of curcumol in NPC cells. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), molecular docking and cell-based assay was used to validate the binding interactions. Chemical proteomics capturing uncovered that NCL is a target of curcumol in NPC cells, Molecular docking showed that curcumol bound to NCL with an −7.8 kcal/mol binding free energy. Cell function analysis found that curcumol's treatment leads to a degradation of NCL in NPC cells, and it showed slight effects on NP69 cells. In conclusion, our results providing evidences that NCL is a target protein of curcumol. We revealed that the anti-cancer effects of curcumol in NPC cells are mediated, at least in part, by NCL inhibition. Significance Many natural products showed high bioactivity, while their mechanisms of action (MOA) are very poor or completely missed. Understanding the MOA of natural drugs can thoroughly exploit their therapeutic potential and minimize their adverse side effects. Identification of the specific protein target(s) of a drug is a critical step in unraveling its MOA. Compound-centric chemical proteomics is a classic chemical proteomics approach which integrates chemical synthesis with cell biology and mass spectrometry (MS) to identify protein targets of natural products determine the drug mechanism of action, describe its toxicity, and figure out the possible cause of off-target. It is an affinity-based chemical proteomics method to identify small molecule-protein interactions through affinity chromatography approach coupled with mass spectrometry, has been conventionally used to identify target proteins and has yielded good results. Curcumol, has shown effective inhibition on Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) Cells, interacted with NCL and then initiated the anti-tumor biological effect. This research demonstrated the effectiveness of chemical proteomics approaches in natural drugs molecular target identification, revealing and understanding of the novel mechanism of actions of curcumol is crucial for cancer prevention and treatment in nasopharynx cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An in-depth understanding on the preferential cleavage of the matrix B2 phase, with an ordered body-centered cubic (BCC) structure, is pivotal to improve the processability of Ti 2 AlNb-based alloys. This research employed in-situ micro tensile tests, multiscale microstructure characterizations, and crystal plasticity simulations to study the grain-size dependent cleavage of the alloy with a full B2 phase. The material was intentionally prepared with two grain sizes differing by order of magnitude, i.e., the millimeter-level coarse grain (CG) and the micron-level fine grain (FG). The experimental results showed that the cleavage of CGs always occurred on the { 100 } planes, even when the loading direction was much less favorable for the cleavage of these planes, whereas the cleavage of FGs took place on both { 100 } and { 110 } planes. The investigation demonstrated that the plastic deformation takes a critical role in selecting cleavage planes. Full-field crystal plasticity simulations demonstrated that, for the CGs, the plastic deformation associated with cleavage on { 100 } planes is less than that associated with cleavage on { 110 } planes, indicating a less plastic deformation-induced blunting effect with cleavage on { 100 } planes. For the FG material, however, the existence of plentiful grain boundaries (GBs) leads to significantly heterogeneous plastic deformation, local stress distribution deviating from the imposed global stress, and hot spots of stress and strain concentration at GB triple junctions. These local plasticity heterogeneities enable the possibility for cleavage on both the { 100 } and { 110 } planes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A kind of novel polymorphic graphene-like carbon with N-doping/Ni magnetic nanohybrids were controllably prepared. • The fabricated NC@Ni nanohybrids own large specific surface area and abundant pore structure. • The NC@Ni-1 electrode exhibited an attractive specific capacitance of 590C g−1 at 1 A g−1, remarkable rate performance (74%, from 1 to 20 A g−1). • The NC@Ni-0.75 adsorbent displayed high capture capability towards MG dye and phosphate. Porous carbon with heteroatom-doping/metal nanohybrids are of specific interest for many promising applications such as supercapacitors and pollutants removal, while their controllable synthesis is still a considerable challenge. Herein, we report a kind of novel polymorphic porous carbon with N-doping/Ni magnetic nanohybrids (NC@Ni), which can be fabricated via a simple self-jet vapor-phase growth assisted strategy, and the microstructure of the NC@Ni nanohybrids can be facilely controlled through adjusting the stoichiometric ratio of the precursors nickel nitrate hexahydrate and lactose monohydrate. Characterization results show that the fabricated NC@Ni nanohybrids own large specific surface area, ultrahigh nitrogen and oxygen doping content, abundant pore structure and attractive saturation magnetization. When used as supercapacitor electrode material, the typical NC@Ni-1 electrode exhibited an attractive specific capacity of 590C g−1 at 1 A g−1, remarkable rate performance (74.5%, 1–20 A g−1), and excellent cycling stability. Meanwhile, the assembled asymmetric supercapacitor delivered an excellent energy density up to 75.1 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1055 W kg−1. As an adsorbent, the typical product NC@Ni-0.75 displayed high capture capability towards MG dye (889 mg g−1) and phosphate (26.2 mg P g−1) at 25 OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• N treatment approach and sampling time affected fine root biomass and morphology. • Canopy N addition increased fine root biomass. • Fine root biomass and morphology were mainly affected in the growing season. • Fine root biomass was most affected by NH 4 -N and NO 3 -N in growing season. Global nitrogen (N) deposition patterns have profoundly affected the production and morphological structure of fine roots, which in turn changed the distribution of carbon in forests. However, traditional experiments of N addition in forests have ignored the ecological processes in the canopy, such as nitrogen retention, and the effects of these on N deposition and fine root functional traits remain unclear. In this study, we quantified the effects of the canopy (CAN) and understory N addition (UAN) on the biomass and morphology of fine roots in a temperate deciduous forest. Based on the three-way ANOVA, we found that the N treatment approach (CAN vs. UAN; p < 0.05) and sampling time (July, October, and January; p < 0.001) significantly affected the fine root biomass, specific root length, specific root surface area, and root tissue density and diameter. Through the summation of fine root biomass, it was found that CAN treatment increased fine root biomass, while UAN treatment decreased fine root biomass, and canopy N addition at 50 kg ha-1yr−1 (CAN50) significantly increased fine root biomass compared with understory N addition at 50 kg ha-1yr−1 (UAN50) in July and October (p < 0.05). Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that fine root biomass was most affected by NH 4 -N and NO 3 -N in July. There was no consistent response of fine root morphology to the N application method and N addition rate; it was mainly affected by season (p < 0.001). Different results were obtained using different N treatment approaches. The effects of UAN on forest fine root biomass were likely overestimated compared to the effects of CAN. Our experimental results will provide a scientific basis for a more accurate prediction of the impacts of future global N deposition on fine roots in forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cobalt-free Sm0.6Sr0.4FeO3−δ–Ce0.8Sm0.2O2−δ (SSF–SDC) composite powders are prepared by a newly one-step synthesis method, co-synthesis method. Powders XRD analysis shows that the composite powders exhibit the consistent phase structure with powders derived from traditional method, which demonstrate that the SSF is compatible with SDC. Dry-mixing method, a traditional composite cathode preparation method, is used to obtain SSF–SDC composite cathode as a comparison. The two cathodic composites of microstructures, electrical conductivities and symmetric electrochemical cells are characterized under the same condition. As a result, powders from new method show superior microstructure, high electrical conductivity and good electrochemical properties. Finally, cathode preparing from new method is evaluated by an anode-supported SDC-electrolyte single cell testing. To further study SSF–SDC cathode, the thermal expansion coefficient and thermal cycling performance are measured. The all results imply that co-synthesis method is a facile and practical way to improve the cathode properties and SSF–SDC is a promising cathode for intermediate temperature SOFCs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]