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With the vigorous development of the Internet of Things, 5G technology, and artificial intelligence, flexible wearable sensors have received great attention. As a simple and low-cost power supply in wearable sensors, the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has a wide range of applications in the field of flexible electronics. However, most polymers are thermally poor conductors (less than 0.1 W/(m·K)), resulting in insufficient heat dissipation performance and limiting the development of TENG. In this study, a high-performance non-woven fabric TENG with strong thermal conductivity (0.26 W/m·K) was achieved by introducing ZrB2 into the polyurethane (PU) matrix. The excellent output performance with an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 347.6 V, a short circuit current (Isc) of 3.61 μA, and an accumulated charge of 142.4 nC endows it with good sensitivity. The electrospun PU/ZrB2 composites exhibit excellent sensing performance to detect body movements in situ, such as pressing, clapping, running, and walking. Moreover, the generated power can light up 224 LED bulbs as a demonstration of self-powering ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study successfully synthesized a Yb 2 O 3 @C composite catalyst using an enhanced chemical blow molding carbonization method. The characterization results showed that the catalyst was highly dispersed in the porous carbon matrix by Yb 2 O 3 nanoparticles. And the catalyst has developed pore structure, high specific surface area and high defect density. Yb 2 O 3 @C was mixed with the Mg 96 La 3 Ni alloy through ball milling, and the impact of varying amounts of Yb 2 O 3 @C on the hydrogen storage performance of Mg 96 La 3 Ni was comprehensively investigated. The research findings indicate that the addition of Yb 2 O 3 @C notably refines the Mg-based alloy, leading to an increase in both specific surface area and the count of active sites. Furthermore, Yb 2 O 3 @C markedly enhances the hydrogen sorption kinetics of Mg 96 La 3 Ni, with the most substantial impact noted at a Yb 2 O 3 @C content of 3 wt %. Additionally, the incorporation of Yb 2 O 3 @C substantially decreases the dehydrogenation activation energy of the alloy, while leaving its thermodynamic properties unaffected. Yb 2 O 3 nanoparticles and the carbon matrix work synergistically to promote both nucleation reactions and hydrogen diffusion. This study presents a novel strategy for enhancing the performance of hydrogen storage materials based on magnesium. • Yb 2 O 3 @C composite catalyst was successfully synthesized. • Yb 2 O 3 @C catalyst provides abundant active sites and fast hydrogen migration channels. • Yb 2 O 3 @C addition refines alloy grains, increases surface area and active sites. • Yb 2 O 3 @C greatly improved hydrogen absorption and dehydrogenation kinetics of Mg 96 La 3 Ni. • Yb 2 O 3 @C lowered dehydrogenation activation energy via enhanced hydrogen nucleation and diffusion, unchanged thermodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with the rapid development of science and technology, the new demand for flexible strain sensors have been put forward in the field of aerospace and other sophisticated exploration areas. Meanwhile, the high temperature generated during the launch of the aerospace aircraft presents new challenges. The existing high temperature resistant sensors are limited in further development by their inherent defects (stability, high processing costs, etc.). A flexible strain sensor with high‐temperature sensing capability is urgently needed. Therefore, the composite polyimide aerogel flexible strain sensor is prepared by ultrasonic‐assisted freeze‐drying method and thermal imidization. Characterizing the structure and sensing performance of the polyimide/carboxylated MWCNTs (PI/CNTs) composite aerogel, the tunneling effect is innovatively introduced to theoretically calculate the parameters in the sensing path. The prepared composite sensor has a high sensitivity (5.34), a fast response time (187 ms), and long‐term cycling stability (1000 cycles). The composite aerogel sensor, which has undergone high temperature aging, still has good sensing performance. It can be used for sensing under extreme conditions, for example, the peripheral electronic devices of aerial probes are used to sense and detect external deformation or withstand pressure conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typically, perylene diimide radical anions have broad and strong absorption in the near-infrared light region and exhibit excellent photothermal conversion performance, so they are considered as new potential organic photothermal materials. However, the stability of perylene diimide radical anions in air has always been a thorny issue. We found an effective way to improve the stability of perylene diimide radical anions through formation of low barrier hydrogen bonds between perylene diimide radicals and alkyl primary amines. In this paper, we report the synthesis of a stable perylene diimide radical anion/α-phenylethylamine hydrogen bonded complex (α-PEA⋯PDI˙−), and preparation of a kind of α-PEA⋯PDI˙−/GO (graphene oxide) film using a simple impregnation method. Compared to GO films and α-PEA⋯PDI˙− powder, the film exhibited a good photothermal response with the highest photothermal conversion temperature of 82.4 °C under light, a temperature increase rate of up to 35 °C, and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 24.07%. The film is optically stable and reusable, and also exhibits superior performance compared to pure graphene oxide for solar water evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation mechanism of α″-Fe16N2 phase was investigated in the form of nanoparticles. Both α-Fe and γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were used to prepare α″-Fe16N2 by using a low-temperature nitriding process (≤180 °C). The synthesized α″-Fe16N2 nanoparticles have a high α″-Fe16N2 volume ratio up to 93%, with a specific saturation magnetization of 178 emu/g (room temperature) and coercivity of 2.0 kOe. The formation of α″-Fe16N2 phase includes three stages: (1) the heterogenous nucleation of α″-Fe16N2 with simultaneous chemical reaction, (2) the growth of α″-Fe16N2 with a local electric field in the Fe16N2 layer, and (3) the termination of Fe16N2 growth due to the nucleation of other Fe–N phases (ε-Fe3N or γ′-Fe4N). In low-temperature nitriding, NH3 was used as the nitrogen source. The adsorbed NH3 molecules on the Fe surface decompose into N and H atoms, and then N atoms react with Fe and nucleation of α″-Fe16N2 simultaneously occurs at the high-energy surface sites of reduced Fe nanoparticles. The growth of α″-Fe16N2 phase can be explained by the electric field modified diffusion theory, where the electric field is established by the migration of Fe and N ions and electrons. Finally, the nucleation of Fe–N stable phases (ε-Fe3N or γ′-Fe4N) ceases the further growth of α′′-Fe16N2 layer. Then, there is critical thickness for the α″-Fe16N2 layer, which is estimated to be 10–15 nm from the surface. Therefore, single-phase α″-Fe16N2 nanoparticles are expected in fine particles with less than 30 nm in diameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is a key enzyme for the process of ABA synthesis that plays key roles in a variety of biological processes. In the current investigation, genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of the NCED gene family in 'Kuerle Xiangli' (Pyrus sinkiangensis Yu) were conducted using the pear genomic sequence. In total, nineteen members of PbNCED genes were identified from the whole genome of pear, which are not evenly distributed over the scaffolds, and most of which were focussed in the chloroplasts. Sequence analysis of promoters showed many cis-regulatory elements, which presumably responded to phytohormones such as abscisic acid, auxin, etc. Synteny block indicated that the PbNCED genes have experienced strong purifying selection. Multiple sequence alignment demonstrated that these members are highly similar and conserved. In addition, we found that PbNCED genes were differentially expressed in various tissues, and three PbNCED genes (PbNCED1, PbNCED2, and PbNCED13) were differentially expressed in response to exogenous Gibberellin (GA3) and Paclobutrazol (PP333). PbNCED1 and PbNCED13 positively promote ABA synthesis in sepals after GA3 and PP333 treatment, whereas PbNCED2 positively regulated ABA synthesis in ovaries after GA3 treatment, and PbNCED13 positively regulated ABA synthesis in the ovaries after PP333 treatment. This study was the first genome-wide report of the pear NCED gene family, which could improve our understanding of pear NCED proteins and provide a solid foundation for future cloning and functional analyses of this gene family. Meanwhile, our results also give a better understanding of the important genes and regulation pathways related to calyx abscission in 'Kuerle Xiangli'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work analyzes the Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG)welded joint of AZ31 magnesium alloy and the pitting corrosion stress field at different depths under tensile load via the ANSYS finite element method. The strengths of the stress and strain fields inside the corrosion pit were substantially higher than the average strength level of the matrix. Therefore, under the influence of the applied load, the corrosion pit will fail first. Based on the study of pitting corrosion, a model was developed to explain how pitting corrosion cracks propagate in magnesium alloy welded joints. Finally, the variation of residual strength was revealed to study the corrosion dynamic mechanism of the joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of a low-orbit mega constellation network, we consider the large-scale inter-satellite routing problem with time windows and capacity constraints (ISRPTWC) with the goal of minimizing the total consumption cost, including transmission, resource consumption, and other environmentally impacted costs. Initially, we develop an integer linear programming model for ISRPTWC. However, a difficult issue when solving ISRPTWC is how to deal with complex time window constraints and how to reduce congestion and meet transmission capacity. Along this line, we construct a three-dimensional time-space state network aiming to comprehensively enumerate the satellite network state at any moment in time and a task transmission route at any given time and further propose a time-discretized multi-commodity network flow model for the ISRPTWC. Then, we adopt a dynamic programming algorithm to solve the single-task ISRPTWC. By utilizing a Lagrangian relaxation algorithm, the primal multi-task routing problem is decomposed into a sequence of single-task routing subproblems, with Lagrangian multipliers for individual task route nodes and links being updated by a subgradient method. Notably, we devise a novel idea for constructing the upper bound of the ISRPTWC. Finally, a case study using illustrative and real-world mega constellation networks is performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GdO@C composite catalyst synthesis was achieved through a novel chemical blowing carbonization method. Nano-sized GdO uniformly distributed throughout a high-surface-area, defect-laden carbon matrix translates to catalytic performance. To elucidate the influence of GdO@C doping on hydrogen storage, Mg 96 La 3 Ni-GdO@C alloys were prepared by ball milling, and the hydrogen storage performance was evaluated. Adding GdO@C can refine the alloy particles, which boosts the surface area and the number of active sites available for the hydrogenation reaction. GdO@C greatly enhanced the de/hydriding kinetics of the alloys, with 1 wt% GdO@C exhibiting the optimal effect. At 360 °C, this material could quickly absorb a large amount of hydrogen (84.4 wt% of its maximum capacity) in just 2 min, but it only took 1.6 min to release a small amount (3 wt%). Doping the alloys with GdO@C reduced the activation energy barrier for dehydrogenation (to 106.3 kJ/mol) and shifted the endothermic peak to a lower temperature (334 °C). Nevertheless, there was no improvement observed in the thermodynamic properties of the composites, as the enthalpy change remained constant at 77.1 kJ/mol. • GdO@C composite catalyst was successfully synthesized by an improved chemical blowing method • The GdO@C has a mesoporous structure, large specific surface area, and high defect density. • GdO@C addition refines particle size, increases surface area and active sites. • GdO@C greatly improved hydrogen de/hydriding kinetics of Mg 96 La 3 Ni. • Adding 1 wt% GdO@C lowered the alloy's dehydrogenation activation energy to 106.3 kJ/mol. • The addition of GdO@C catalyst does not effectively improve the thermodynamic properties of the alloy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesocrystal Cu 2-x Se nanoplates have been firstly designed and fabricated and the formation mechanism are investigated. Meanwhile, the mesocrystal Cu 2-x Se nanoplates deliver high and stable reversible capacity and excellent rate performance. [Display omitted] High conductive transition metal chalcogenides with larger theoretical capacities are considered as promising candidates in electrochemical energy storage filed. Unfortunately, the sluggish kinetics of Li-ion transport and severe volume change still hinder their practical application. Here, mesocrystal Cu 2-x Se nanoplates are designed and synthesized through a facile solvothermal method with the assistance of sodium tartrate. The formation mechanism of the mesocrystal Cu 2-x Se is put forward based on the structure-evolution investigations. The Cu 2-x Se nanoplates with mesoporous structure can accommodate the volume change, increase the contact area between the electrode and electrolyte, promote the kinetics of Li-ion transport and improve the infiltration of the electrode. Benefit from these advantages, the mesocrystal Cu 2-x Se nanoplates display better electrochemical performance. As anode for lithium ion batteries, the mesocrystal Cu 2-x Se nanoplates exhibit the specific capacity of 427 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at current density of 100 mA g−1. At high current density of 1000 mA g−1, a specific capacity as high as 164 mAh g−1 can be achieved after 400 cycles. When evaluated for electrochemical supercapacitors, it displays a pseudocapacitance of 495.6 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1 and long-term cycle life of ≈81.3 % capacity retention after 2000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hysteresis of rubber materials due to deformation and viscoelasticity is the main reason for the heat build-up (HBU) and rolling resistance (RR) of the rolling tire. It is important to realize the high precision prediction of HBU and RR of tire for the optimal design of high-performance fuel-saving tire. In this work, a thermo-mechanical coupling method based on Endurica and Abaqus co-simulation was used to predict the steady-state temperature distribution and RR of three finite element models (Lagrangian–Eulerian model, Lagrangian model, and Plane Strain model) of the solid tires under different loads and rotating speeds. The simulation results were compared with the experimental results. The Kraus self-heating model was utilized in the thermo-mechanical coupling method, which realized the quantitative relationship between the dynamic loss modulus of rubber and the loading conditions (temperature, strain, and strain rate). Special attention was paid to the determination of the material parameters in the Kraus self-heating model. The comparison between simulation results and experimental results shows that the Lagrangian model had the highest prediction accuracy, and the average prediction errors of the steady-state surface temperature and RR under three loading conditions were 3.4% and 7.9%, respectively. The Lagrangian–Eulerian model came in the second with average errors of 9.7% and 11.1%, respectively. The Plane Strain model had the worst prediction accuracy, with the average errors of 21.4% and 44.6%, respectively. In terms of the simulation time, the Plane Strain model had the lowest cost, and the average calculation time was 1143 s. The Lagrangian–Eulerian model took the second place, with an average calculation time of 2621 s. The Lagrangian model had the highest computation cost, with an average time of 5597 s. The comparison between the simulation results and the experimental results verified the effectiveness of the thermo-mechanical coupling analysis method. The methods of three finite element models of the solid tires in this work can provide some reference for the optimization design of elastomeric components (Lagrangian model), pneumatic tires (Lagrangian–Eulerian model), and non-pneumatic tires (Plane Strain model). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel type of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin was prepared by utilizing the liquefaction products liquefied by phenol under acidic conditions and then reacted with formaldehyde under alkaline conditions. The relationship between the liquefaction behavior of cassava starch and the properties of modified PF resin wood adhesive was studied. The effects of the liquid–solid ratio of phenol to cassava starch, sulfuric acid usage, and liquefaction time on the liquefaction residue rate and relative crystallinity of cassava starch were determined. The results showed that the bonding strength of modified PF resin decreased gradually with the decrease of the liquid–solid ratio. It was a great surprise that bonding strength still met the requirement of the national standard of 0.7 MPa when the liquid–solid ratio was 1.0. The detailed contents were analyzed through FT-IR, SEM, and XRD. In terms of the utilization of bio-materials for liquefaction to synthesize wood adhesive, cassava starch may be superior to the others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the CO2 corrosion of tubing in CO2 injection for production wells, the corrosion process is divided into four stages. Then the corrosive components, liquid production, water cut, wellhead temperature and production pressure difference at each stage are obtained. Based on these and in consideration of the changes in parameters, the prediction method for corrosion rate of tubing in CO2 flooding well is studied. Finally, the corrosion rate of the tubing in the example well at different stages is predicted and compared with the measured results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, microaeration combined with ferric chloride pretreatment was used to improve the methanogenic performance for thermophilic dry anaerobic digestion. Parameter optimization and mechanism analysis were explored for combined pretreatment in anaerobic digestion by response surface methodology and microbial diversity and community. The results showed that both microaeration and ferric chloride had significant effects on the cumulative methane production, and the effect of microaeration was greater than that of ferric chloride. The optimal pretreatment parameters were predicted at oxygen loading rate of 0.76 mL/g VS and ferric chloride addition rate of 4.04 mg/g VS. The methane production of anaerobic digestion was 114.05 mL/g VS with the optimal pretreatment parameters, which was 17.78% higher than that without pretreatment. In addition, microbial community analysis showed that combined pretreatment enhanced methanogenesis by enhancing the hydrogenotrophic pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A Nd3+-doped fiber preform was fabricated by UV-curable nanocomposite technology combined with the solution doping method. • The fiber preform had a great homogeneity with a relatively high doping concentration. • Lasing at 916 nm with a slope efficiency of 13.6 was achieved from a 4 cm long fabricated Nd3+-doped silica fiber. • Only 2 cm-short created fiber alone was enabled for 916 nm lasing generation. In this work, a novel Nd3+-doped silica fiber preform was fabricated by the UV-curable nanocomposite technology combined with the solution doping method. The preform sample had a great homogeneity with a doping concentration of 1.14 wt% Nd3+ ions and 2.51 wt% Al3+ ions. The obtained Nd3+-doped core glass provided a relatively large emission cross section (∼0.84 pm2) and a long lifetime (373 μs) of 916 emission. On this basis, by using an 808 nm laser diode as the pump source, lasing at 916 nm was achieved from a 4 cm long fabricated Nd3+-doped silica fiber, with the corresponding slope efficiency of ∼13.6 %. Notably, only 2 cm-short created fiber alone was enabled for 916 nm lasing generation. Our results indicated that the created Nd3+ doped fiber by the novel approach has unique advantages and potential for compact short-cavity 0.9 μm laser applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition-metal sulfides have been considered as promising candidates for electrochemical supercapacitor and lithium ion batteries. Unfortunately, the shortcomings including large volume change, low conductivity as well as severe structural exfoliation from conductive substrate or current collector inhibit their practical application. Herein, the hydrothermal and solvothermal approach are developed for the controllable synthesis of core-shell NiCo 2 S 4 @C with three dimensional carbon frameworks. As an asymmetric supercapacitor, the NiCo 2 S 4 @C/YP-50 F displays a high energy density of 46.7 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 0.8 kW kg−1 and the good cycling stability (∼110 % of the initial capacitance retention at 16 kW kg−1 over 2000 cycles). Furthermore, the NiCo 2 S 4 @C exhibits the specific capacity of 414 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at 2000 mA g−1 when evaluated as anode for lithium ion batteries. The excellent performance can be ascribed to the core-shell structure and the three dimensional carbon frameworks. The synthetic approach can be extended to fabricate other high performance metal sulfides for energy storage. [Display omitted] • Core-shell NiCo 2 S 4 @C with three dimensional carbon framework is synthesized. • The 3D carbon framework maintains the structure integrity and improves the electrical conductivity. • The chemical bonds of Co-C/Ni-C inhibits the structural exfoliation from carbon. • The core-shell NiCo 2 S 4 @C exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study successfully synthesized Eu 2 O 3 @C composite catalyst by an improved chemical blowing method. The Eu 2 O 3 nanoparticles in this catalyst are highly dispersed within a porous carbon matrix, exhibiting a well-developed mesoporous structure, a large specific surface area, and a high density of defects. Eu 2 O 3 @C was mixed with the Mg 96 La 3 Ni alloy through ball milling, and the impact of varying amounts of Eu 2 O 3 @C on the hydrogen storage performance of Mg 96 La 3 Ni was comprehensively investigated. The results showed that Eu 2 O 3 @C markedly enhances the de/hydrogenation kinetics of Mg 96 La 3 Ni, with the most substantial impact noted at a Eu 2 O 3 @C content of 2 wt %. At 360 °C, 77.3 % of the maximum hydrogen capacity could be absorbed within 2 min, while only 1.4 min was required to release 3 % of hydrogen. Additionally, Eu 2 O 3 @C markedly decreased the dehydrogenation activation energy of the alloys to 106.3 kJ/mol and reduced the endothermic peak temperature to 347 °C, while leaving thermodynamic properties unaffected. The Mg 96 La 3 Ni–Eu 2 O 3 @C composite exhibits remarkable cyclic stability, retaining its hydrogen storage capacity throughout the cycling process. This study pioneers a novel strategy to elevate the performance of magnesium-based hydrogen storage materials. • Eu 2 O 3 @C composite catalyst was successfully synthesized by an improved chemical blowing method. • The Eu 2 O 3 @C has a mesoporous structure, large specific surface area, and high defect density. • Eu 2 O 3 @C addition refines alloy grains, increases surface area and active sites. • Eu2O3@C significantly enhances Mg–La–Ni de/hydrogenation kinetics, especially at specific Eu2O3@C 2 wt%. • Adding 2 wt% Eu 2 O 3 @C lowered the alloy's dehydrogenation activation energy to 103.6 kJ/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel–concrete (SC) composite widely used in military defensive project is due to its impressive mechanical properties, long-lived service, and low cost. However, the growing use of hypervelocity kinetic weapons in the present war puts forward higher requirements for the anti-explosion and penetration performance of military protection engineering. Here, inspired by the special 'brick-and-mortar' (BM) structural feature of natural nacre, we successfully construct a nacre-inspired steel–concrete (NISC) engineering composite with 2510 kg/m3, possessing nacre-like lamellar architecture via a bottom-up assembling technique. The NISC engineering composite exhibits nacreous BM structural similarity, high compressive strength of 68.5 MPa, compress modulus of 42.0 GPa, Mohs hardness of 5.5, Young's modulus of 41.5 GPa, and shear modulus of 18.4 GPa, higher than pure concrete. More interestingly, the hypervelocity impact tests reveal the penetration capability of our NISC target material is obviously stronger than that of pure concrete, enhanced up to about 46.8% at the striking velocity of 1 km/s and approximately 30.9% at the striking velocity of 2 km/s, respectively, by examining the damages of targets, the trajectories, penetration depths, and residual projectiles. This mechanically integrated enhancement can be attributed to the nacre-like BM structural architecture derived from assembling the special steel-bar array frame-reinforced concrete platelets. This study highlights a key role of nacre-like structure design in promoting the enhanced hypervelocity impact resistance of steel–concrete composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionTo investigate the clinical utility of small airway function indices for early identification of GOLD stage 0 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).This retrospective study enrolled 137 participants at our institution between January 2017 and December 2018, comprising 40 healthy controls, 46 individuals with GOLD stage 0 COPD, and 51 patients with established COPD. Pulmonary function was assessed using the PowerCube spirometry system (GANSHORN, Germany). Parameters evaluated included forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, and small airway function indicators.The COPD cohort exhibited significantly lower values across all lung function measures compared to the other two groups, particularly for dynamic lung volume parameters such as FEV1%predicted and FEV1/FVC%. Small airway function indices, including FEV3%predicted, FEF75%predicted, FEF50%predicted, FEF25%predicted, and MMEF%predicted, were markedly decreased in the COPD group (all p-values <0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that MMEF/FVC% and FEV3/FVC% had high diagnostic accuracy for COPD, with MMEF/FVC% exhibiting the optimal sensitivity and specificity.Small airway function indices, especially MMEF/FVC%, can serve as effective tools for early identification of GOLD stage 0 COPD. Incorporation of these findings into clinical practice may facilitate early diagnosis and intervention, thereby improving treatment outcomes and patient quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melamine formaldehyde resin (MF) has a long history of about 90 years since its birth. Its industrial application, however, has been limited by the high cost of raw materials, high content of free formaldehyde and easy cracking of adhesive layer after curing. These problems can be solved by making use of biomass resources to modify MF in theory. Sucrose, melamine and formaldehyde were noted as the main raw materials for synthesizing sucrose-melamine-formaldehyde copolymer resin (SMF) under alkaline conditions. The effect of sucrose content and curing agent on the curing properties have been carried out through Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The findings show that the SMF curing behavior was an exothermic process, which was achieved by the dehydration synthesis between hydroxymethyl groups. The sucrose content had a large effect on the thermal stability and the curing behavior of SMF, and the addition of curing agent promoted the resin curing. Not only was the thermal stability decreased, but also the curing reaction was more difficult to occur with the sucrose addition. The sucrose molecules participated in the curing process through chemical bonding, and then formed a stable network structure for the resin system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rapid determination of rice protein content was completed using NIR spectroscopy. • BiPLS-GSA and BiPLS-SABPSO was proposed to select feature wavelengths of protein. • BiPLS-SABPSO was superior to BiPLS-GSA in feature wavelengths selection. • Detection accuracy of regression model was efficiently improved using BiPLS-SABPSO. Protein content is a key indicator for rice nutritional value, and its accurate determination has become a necessary tool for rice quality evaluation and breeding. To solve the shortcomings of slow and costly testing by traditional methods, a rapid detection model of rice protein content was constructed based on near-infrared spectroscopy coupled with feature wavelength selection. The backward interval partial least squares (BiPLS) was combined with the genetic simulated annealing algorithm (GSA) and the simulated annealing binary particle swarm optimization algorithm (SABPSO), respectively, to construct BiPLS-GSA and BiPLS-SABPSO for selecting protein feature wavelengths, thereby establishing a corresponding partial least squares quantitative calibration model. Among them, the regression model established using feature wavelengths selected by BiPLS-SABPSO had the best performance. The determination coefficient of the model for the validation set and the independent test set were 0.949 and 0.956, the root mean square error were 0.174% and 0.214%, the relative root mean square error were 2.621% and 3.118%, and the residual predictive deviation being 4.235 and 4.500, respectively, which could meet the requirement for rapid and accurate determination of rice protein content. The combination of BiPLS-SABPSO and near-infrared spectroscopy has developed into a new method to achieve fast and reliable determination of rice protein content, providing an alternative strategy for rapid qualitative detection of related agricultural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unintentional electromagnetic (EM) emission of computer monitors may cause the leakage of image information displayed on the monitor. Detection of EM information leakage risk is significant for the information security of the monitor. The traditional detection method is to verify EM information leakage by reconstructing an image from EM emission. The detection method based on image reconstruction has limitations: adequate signal sampling rate, accurate synchronization signal, and dependence on operational experience. In this paper, we analyze the principle of image information leakage and propose an innovative detection method based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). This method can identify the image information in EM emission to verify the EM information leakage risk of the monitor. It overcomes the limitations of the traditional method with machine learning. This is a new attempt in the field of EM information leakage detection. Experimental results show that it is more adaptable and reliable in complex detection environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, high-moment magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) such as FeCo are attracting intense interest for biomedical applications. The synthesized FeCo MNPs have the specific saturation magnetization up to 226 emu/g that is more than three times higher than that of iron oxide MNPs (~ 70–80 emu/g). Core-shell MNPs are also synthesized to enhance the functionality of high-moment MNPs. Shells like SiO2, Au, and Ag are used for these high-moment MNPs to improve biocompatibility. The sputtering-based gas-phase condensation approach to synthesize high-moment MNPs and core-shell nanostructures are reviewed. The applications of these high-moment MNPs such as magnetic hyperthermia, drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and biosensing are summarized. The heating efficiency of magnetic hyperthermia and drug delivery could be significantly enhanced by using high-moment MNPs. MNPs with different crystallinity and shapes (such as cubic, spherical, triangular, and octahedral shapes) are also summarized due to their potential applications in MRI. High-moment MNPs could also provide more magnetic signals for giant magnetoresistance (GMR)-based biosensors, which are also reviewed. We believe that the high-moment MNPs are promising candidates for many bio-applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnets with a low-temperature coefficient of coercivity (TCC) have various applications in a varying temperature environment. Rare-earth magnets like NdFeB are widely used, but they usually have a large negative TCC. Here, it is first experimentally demonstrated that α″-Fe 16 N 2 foils, as a candidate for rare-earth-free magnets, have an ultralow positive TCC (0.4 Oe/K) from 300 K to 425 K. It is two orders of magnitude smaller than that of the commercial NdFeB magnets in this temperature range. The α″-Fe 16 N 2 foils are made from as-rolled iron foils (25 µm) by a low-temperature nitridation process (< 473 K). The microstructure of these iron foils is tuned before the nitridation by a combined oxidation and reduction process to induce pores and defects that could significantly enhance the diffusivity of nitrogen atoms in the foils. The fabricated α″-Fe 16 N 2 foils exhibit the specific saturation magnetization up to 222 emu/g at 300 K (reduced iron foils ~ 205 emu/g) and the coercivity 1.1 kOe. The synthesized α″-Fe 16 N 2 foils have an ultralow TCC and a high saturation magnetization besides its usages of low-cost and environment-friendly raw materials. These combined unique features make α″-Fe 16 N 2 a promising rare-earth-free alternative for many applications required less temperature dependence of magnetic properties. Iron foils (25 µm thick) are used the first time to prepared α″-Fe 16 N 2 , a promising candidate of rare-earth-free magnets at low temperature (<200 °C). A porous structure is obtained for the iron foils after a proper oxidation and reduction treatment, which is essential to synthesize foils with high phase ratio α″-Fe 16 N 2 at such low temperature. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that liver fibrosis is potentially reversible. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a key role in the development of hepatic fibrosis. Previous clinical applications and researches showed that Siniruangan recipe (SNRG) reversed liver fibrosis and even liver cirrhosis. This experimental study aimed to elucidate the effects of SNRG on the proliferation, apoptosis and activation of HSCs. Methods: The human HSCs line LX-2 was cultured with normal culture medium and multi-dose SNRG water decoction for 48 h. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to detect the proliferation and cytotoxicity of LX-2 cells. Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining was performed to identify apoptotic cells. Immunofluorescence staining was used to determine the relative content of cleaved caspase-3, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in LX-2 cells. Western blot was used to detect the relative content of Bcl-2, Bax, α-smooth muscle actin, β-catenin and TIMP-1 protein expression in LX-2 cells. Results: The SNRG inhibited the proliferation of LX-2 and induced cell apoptosis through caspase-dependent and mitochondrial-dependent pathways. SNRG may inhibit the activation of LX-2 through the β-catenin pathway. The decrease in TIMP-1 and TGF-β1 protein induced by SNRG promoted the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Conclusions: SNRG induced LX-2 cell apoptosis, inhibited cell proliferation, decreased LX-2 cell activity and promoted the degradation of ECM in vitro, which may be important mechanisms for reversing liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CAlculation of PHAse Diagram (CALPHAD) technique is used in the critical remodeling of the Cd–Gd system. On the basis of a new experiment in literature, the excess Gibbs energies of the solution phase expression (liquid, bcc, and hcp_A3) are described using the Redlich–Kister equation. Intermetallic compounds (α-Cd2Gd, β-Cd2Gd, and Cd45Gd11), which exhibit a homogeneity range, are treated as a two-sublattice model. Four compounds (Cd3Gd, Cd58Gd13, Cd6Gd, and Cd8Gd) are treated as stoichiometric compounds. Two Calphad-type thermodynamic descriptions are developed for the CdGd and bcc. Model I is to model the compound CdGd and bcc-Gd separately. Model II is to use the formula (Cd,Gd)0.5(Cd,Gd)0.5(Va)3 to describe the compound CdGd with a CsCl-type structure (B2) and cope with the disorder–order transition from bcc-A2 to bcc-B2. The present work displays that two eutectic reactions, five peritectic reactions, one peritectoid reaction, one eutectoid reaction, one polymorphic transformation, and one congruent reaction are observed in the Cd–Gd system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We investigate variation of stochastic resonance in bistable system, and classify them by the state of resonance and chaos. • We propose a state observer based on appropriate indicators and rules. Therefore, bistable system becomes an observable nonlinear system. • Our investigations contribute to nonlinear system optimization, and can be applied to other noise-induced phenomena. Abstract We investigate numerically stochastic resonance variation in bistable system. Putting signals with different intensities into a bistable system, or adjusting system structural parameters for an input, will produce different motion trajectories. These trajectories contain both chaos and non-chaos parts. We classify these states according to the state of resonance and chaos, and propose a state observer. In this way, bistable system becomes an observable nonlinear system. State observer can provide us with a new perspective that is not available through conventional observation methods. These investigations contribute to nonlinear system optimization, and can also be applied to other interesting noise-induced phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The thermodynamic properties and phase stability of the Ba-Bi system are investigated computationally and experimentally in the present work. The enthalpies of formation and the finite temperature thermodynamic properties of seven compounds are predicted by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT), indicating five compounds (BaBi 3 , Ba 11 Bi 10 , Ba 4 Bi 3 , Ba 5 Bi 3 , and Ba 2 Bi) to be stable. Phase relations at 773 K and 858 K with composition x Ba = 0.90 are established by isothermal annealing and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) to clarify the previously observed phase transition at 796 K. The extremely low chemical activity of Ba in liquid for a wide range of temperatures and compositions indicates very strong short-range ordering in the liquid phase which is modeled in the present work by introducing the Ba 4 Bi 3 and BaBi 3 associates in the liquid phase. Both thermodynamic and phase equilibrium data are then used to evaluate the model parameters in Gibbs energy functions of the five stable compounds and three solution phases of liquid, bcc, and rhombohedral phases by the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram) technique. The present work shows that the Ba-Bi system consists of three eutectic reactions, two peritectic reactions, one peritectoid reaction, and two congruent reactions, as well as that the concentrations of associates are very high in the liquid phase with very low concentration of atomic Ba, which provides the fundamental understanding as to why Bi can be used to remove Ba ions from molten salt solutions. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A thermodynamic model of the Ba-Bi system with applications in nuclear industry. • Powder XRD is used to clarify the previously observed phase transition. • Explain ability of Bi to remove Ba from electrorefining processes of nuclear waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Stochastic resonance is a phenomenon that a weak signal can be amplified and optimized by the assistance of noise in bistable system. There is still not enough research on the mutual interplay among system, noise and signal. In this paper, we study the role of every parameter in nonlinear transfer and discover chaos phenomenon in stochastic resonance. To measure the influence of chaos, a trajectory decision function was proposed. Based on this function, we found two forms of stochastic resonance, clockwise resonance and counterclockwise resonance. Highlights • In this paper, we study the role of every parameter in stochastic resonance and discover chaos phenomenon in it. • A trajectory decision function was proposed to measure the influence of chaos. • Based on this function, we found two forms of stochastic resonance, clockwise resonance and counterclockwise resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes an architecture optimized indium-tin-oxide (ITO)/vanadium dioxide (VO 2) hybrid metamaterial with optically transparent and tunable broadband terahertz properties. By changing the architecture of subunits, a broadband (∼ 1 THz) absorption with average absorptivity of 80.0 % has been achieved in an optimized ITO metamaterial at first. With adding strong correlated electron oxide VO 2 film, the tunability is introduced in the ITO/VO 2 hybrid structures. The most striking finding here is that the position of the VO 2 layers in the hybrid structure can efficiently affect both the THz properties and the modulation functionality. In an optimized ITO/VO 2 hybrid structure, 84.5 % reflection modulation and 78.9 % absorption modulation within a broadband (0.2 ∼ 1.0 THz) range are obtained. These findings highlight the architecture optimization for the THz properties in hybrid metamaterials, which is expected to have a great technological impact on the design of optically transparent THz tunable absorbers. • In addition to composition, cellular architecture of metamaterial can efficiently affect the THz functionality. • Architecture optimization achieves broadband (∼ 1 THz) and strong (near 100 %) THz absorption in ITO metamaterial. • 84.5 % reflection and 78.9 % absorption modulation within a 0.2–1 THz range are obtained by ITO/VO 2 metamaterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral concrete materials, which refer to cement-based composites mixed with coral and seawater, have aroused interest worldwide since they were first used in reef engineering. This paper reviews the raw materials, mechanical properties, durability and microstructure of coral concrete, and describes the performances of fiber reinforced coral concrete. The microhardness of coral concrete in the interfacial transition zone is significantly higher than that of normal concrete, the compressive strength of normal concrete is greater than that of coral concrete, while the normal concrete is more durable than coral concrete. The flexural and splitting tensile strengths of coral concretes are improved remarkably by adding fibers to the mixture. The coral concrete performance is hindered by the poor cementation of the materials, as a result of the porous and brittle coral aggregates. Therefore, by modifying the coral aggregates and innovating the mixing methods in the preparation of high-performance coral concrete, further developments in marine structures and underwater engineering applications can be made using the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate methods to overcome the high autogenous shrinkage of reactive powder concrete (RPC), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in conjunction with internal curing (IC) by means of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) were employed in this research. The autogenous shrinkage deformation, mechanical properties, heat of hydration, and thermal analysis of various RPC mixes incorporating these materials were investigated and compared. The results indicated that autogenous shrinkage decreases with the increase in SCMs, and IC by means of SAP was proven to successfully mitigate autogenous shrinkage. While the mechanical strength was determined to somewhat deteriorate as a result of the addition of SCMs, the compressive strength still remained higher than 110 MPa at 28 days, even with a cement replacement level by SCMs of up to 50%. The hydration temperature peak occurred later with the addition of SCMs, and its peak value decreased with the increase in SCMs. The degree of hydration of the RPC increased with the increase in the water-to-binder ratio, and decreased with the increase in SCMs. The autogenous shrinkage of RPC was shown to be mitigated by the inclusion of SCMs and IC, the combination of which is can sufficiently mitigate serious autogenous shrinkage deformations and provide an environmental friendly and economical way to produce RPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate methods to overcome the high autogenous shrinkage of reactive powder concrete (RPC), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in conjunction with internal curing (IC) by means of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) were employed in this research. The autogenous shrinkage deformation, mechanical properties, heat of hydration, and thermal analysis of various RPC mixes incorporating these materials were investigated and compared. The results indicated that autogenous shrinkage decreases with the increase in SCMs, and IC by means of SAP was proven to successfully mitigate autogenous shrinkage. While the mechanical strength was determined to somewhat deteriorate as a result of the addition of SCMs, the compressive strength still remained higher than 110 MPa at 28 days, even with a cement replacement level by SCMs of up to 50%. The hydration temperature peak occurred later with the addition of SCMs, and its peak value decreased with the increase in SCMs. The degree of hydration of the RPC increased with the increase in the water-to-binder ratio, and decreased with the increase in SCMs. The autogenous shrinkage of RPC was shown to be mitigated by the inclusion of SCMs and IC, the combination of which is can sufficiently mitigate serious autogenous shrinkage deformations and provide an environmental friendly and economical way to produce RPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel pixel structure is proposed for improving transmittance of VA-LCD. • The transmittance of LCD panel designed with new pixel is increased by 35%. • The optical efficiency of proposed pixel can be modulated with different cell gaps. A high-transmittance vertical alignment liquid crystal display (VA-LCD) using a transparent shielding and storage electrode (TSS) design is proposed. The aperture ratio of the proposed four domain TSS pixel with size of 52 × 156 μm improves approximately by 40% over the conventional pixel due to the shielding and storage metal electrode can be replaced by TSS electrode. Experimental results shown that the transmittance of TSS designed panel with 3.2 μm cell gap is 35% higher than that with conventional pixel design, whereas it is only enhanced by 21% when the cell gap is 2.6 μm. The liquid crystal dynamics simulation results revealed that both the effective birefringence and the azimuthally controlled director profile of the liquid crystal layer decreases with TSS pixel design, and these adverse impacts are magnified as the cell gap decreases. This is due to that the introduction of TSS common electrode not only weakens the vertical electric field but also affects the horizontal electric field of liquid crystal layer, which leads to a greater loss of optical efficiency under lower cell gap, resulting in the worse transmittance promotion. The proposed method is expected to be advantageously employed in enhancing transmittance of VA-LCDs for power saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nucleophilic substitution reaction of 1,7-dibromo-perylene diimide derivatives can expend the chemical structure and photophysical properties of perylene diimide. Here, we reported firstly the synthesis and mechanism of 1-bromo-7-hydroxyl perylene diimide derivative by the 1,7-dibromo-perylene diimide derivative in electron donor solvents (such as, NMP, DMF and etc) and under visible light irradiation. The structure of 1-dibromo-7-hydroxyl perylene diimide was confirmed by HR-MS, UV–Vis absorption spectra and comparison of UV–Vis absorption spectra with product from the heating chemical reaction. Furthermore, the 1-bromo-7-hydroxyl-perylene diimide derivative showed a higher optical response to some metal ions, such as Fe3+, Cu2+ and etc. The perylene diimide anion radical that is obtained by photoinduced electron transfer from NMP to the1,7-dibromo-perylene diimide can occur the hydroxyl substitution reaction in bay area, and to form the 1-bromo-7-hydroxyl perylene diimide based on S RN 1 mechanism. Furthermore, the 1-bromo-7-hydroxyl perylene diimide showed the higher optical response to some metal ions, such as Fe3+, Cu2+ and etc. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rapid detection of protein content in rice was performed by Raman-NIR fusion data. • IBPSO was proposed to select spectral characteristic wavelengths of rice protein. • IBPSO was superiority to other four algorithms in Raman-NIR wavelengths selection. • Detection accuracy of Raman-NIR fusion data regression model was improved by IBPSO. Protein content is an essential index for evaluating rice quality. This work discussed the feasibility of rapid detection of protein content in rice using spectral data fusion technology. An improved binary particle swarm optimization algorithm (IBPSO) was proposed to select the characteristic wavelength of Raman and near-infrared spectroscopy fusion data, which improved the detection accuracy of the partial least squares correction model. The determination coefficient of prediction, root mean square error of prediction, and mean relative error of prediction of the protein content detection model established by IBPSO were 0.903, 0.235%, and 2.768%, respectively, which were better than the modeling performance of the other four algorithms. The research shows that IBPSO can efficiently acquire high correlation modeling wavelength variables through the guiding optimization of binary bits with a value of '1′. The combination of IBPSO and spectral data fusion strategy can realize the rapid detection of protein content in rice, which provides theoretical support for developing related online detection equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of saturated coral aggregate (SCA) as practical replacement of quartz sand has been shown to effectively mitigate the autogenous shrinkage in ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC). The autogenous deformation, the compressive strength, the flexural strength, and the hydration property development of paste with different shrinkage means were tested. Three different methods were evaluated to mitigate the autogenous shrinkage: SCA, shrinkage reducing admixture (SRA), and the mixture of SCA and SRA (SRA-SCA). It was found that SCA and SRA have all the effective ways to reduce the shrinkage deformation, and SRA-SCA was the most effective in mitigating the shrinkage. The autogenous shrinkage of UHPC was restrained, when the SCA dosage was 44%, the SRA dosage was 0.8%, the SCA content was 26%, the SRA dosage was 2.4%, the SCA content was 18%, the SRA content was 2.4%, or the SCA dosage was 26%. The mechanical properties were deteriorated by the addition of SCA, while the compressive strength was still higher than 90 MPa at 28 days even though the replacement ratio of SCA was up to 50%. Furthermore, internal curing by means of SCA was proved to be a successful way to mitigate autogenous shrinkage, after the tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, natural crab-shell particles (CSP) and deacetylated crab-shell particles (dCSP) were used as crosslinking agents at the present of glucolactone to obtain high strength mono-crosslinked and bi-crosslinked sodium alginate (NaAlg) hydrogel films, respectively. The results indicated that the CSP in the system could occur Ca2+ crosslinking, and the addition of dCSP could help to form both Ca2+ crosslinking and polyelectrolytes interactions with NaAlg. The remaining unreacted CaCO 3 could enhance the thermal stability of the films due to the high thermally stable CaCO 3. The surface hydrophobicity, gel properties, mechanical strength and thermal stabilities of those bi-crosslinked NaAlg hydrogel films were better than those of neat NaAlg film and mono-crosslinked NaAlg hydrogel films, which overcome the inferior thermo-mechanical properties for traditional hydrogel films. In addition, the releasing time of those prepared hydrogel films for diclofenac sodium was higher than 36 h, which illustrated sustained drug releasing activity. The CSP modified NaAlg hydrogel film with 0.5% GDL content exhibited the highest cumulative release amount. The proposed approach is a promising green crosslinking technique to develop high performance NaAlg hydrogel films that can realize active ingredients and drugs sustained release in food packaging and medical wound dressing areas. • Sodium alginate (NaAlg) hydrogel films were prepared by green crosslinking agents. • Crab-shell particles (CSP) and deacetylated-CSPs (dCSP) were crosslinking agents. • The dCSP crosslinked NaAlg hydrogel realized Ca2+ and polyelectrolytes crosslinking. • The prepared hydrogel films presented superior mechanical strength and swelling ratio. • NaAlg/CSP/GDL 0.5 hydrogel film exhibited the highest cumulative release amount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of carbon black from Mao bamboo (MBCB) as a reinforcing agent in melamine urea formaldehyde (MUF) resin wood adhesive is evaluated in this work. The incorporation of MBCB improved the adhesion strength and decreased the heat resistance of adhesive and the formaldehyde emission from plywood. Compared with MUF resin filled with flour, the wet bonding strength of that filled with MBCB was increased by 22.02% (from 1.68 to 2.05 MPa), and the formaldehyde emission was decreased by 21.24% (from 1.158 to 0.912 mg·L−1). Unfortunately, with the increase in the substitution ratio of MBCB to flour, the pre-pressing performance of wood adhesives was reduced. The enthalpy was increased from 24.25 to 25.27 J·g−1. It is suggested that MBCB participated in the curing process of MUF resin, which makes the curing reaction of MUF resin easier. Overall, these findings offer new insights into exploiting the utilization of carbon black in wood adhesives. [Display omitted] • Carbon black from Mao bamboo as a novel reinforcing agent in wood adhesives. • Wood adhesives filled with carbon black with high bonding strength. • Carbon black from Mao bamboo is a potential alternative to wheat flour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic wedge-shaped patterned surface (SSWPS) has promising application prospects in water transportation, fog harvesting, etc., and has therefore been widely prepared and studied. However, influences of micro-morphologies of the SSWPS on water transportation and fog harvesting, which may be of great significance, have rarely been reported. Here, we firstly investigated the influences of the micro-morphologies on the water transportation and fog harvesting processes. SSWPSs with different microgrooves were prepared by laser processing, and the influence mechanisms of the micro-morphologies on droplet motion behaviors were then investigated. The different micro-morphologies contributed to dissimilar capillary forces and fluid resistances during the transportation process, thus resulting in the different transport speeds and fog harvesting efficiencies. For regular microgrooves with 0° direction and larger depths, the capillary forces were relatively larger while the fluid resistances were smaller, which led to the faster water transport speeds of the SSWPS. Fog harvesting experiments on different surfaces demonstrated that the SSWPS with faster water transport speed exhibited much higher fog harvesting efficiency, and could achieve long-time continuous harvesting, which was expected to facilitate application of the SSWPS. [Display omitted] • Influences of micro-morphologies on water transport of SSWPS are firstly studied. • Different microgroove direction, spacing and depth are tailored by laser texturing. • Water transport speed is higher on SSWPS with 0°, deeper and regular microgrooves. • The SSWPS with faster water transport speed has higher fog harvesting efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is unknown. This study aimed to investigate BNP’s effect on CIN in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary angiography (CAG). The patients were randomized to BNP (0.005 μg/kg/min before contrast media (CM) exposure and saline hydration, n=106) or saline hydration alone (n=103). Cystatin C, serum creatinine (SCr) levels, and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) were assessed at several time points. The primary endpoint was CIN incidence; secondary endpoint included changes in cystatin C, SCr, and eGFR. CIN incidence was significantly lower in the BNP group compared to controls (6.6% versus 16.5%, P=0.025). In addition, a more significant deterioration of eGFR, cystatin C, and SCr from 48 h to 1 week (P<0.05) was observed in controls compared to the BNP group. Although eGFR gradually deteriorated in both groups, a faster recovery was achieved in the BNP group. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that using >100 mL of CM (odds ratio: 4.36, P=0.004) and BNP administration (odds ratio: 0.21, P=0.006) were independently associated with CIN. Combined with hydration, exogenous BNP administration before CM effectively decreases CIN incidence in CKD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two indium sulfides [(Me)4N]6[In10S18] (1) and [(Me)4N]13[Cu5In30S54] (2) have been hydrothermally synthesized. Compound 1 is a 3D open framework built from T3 clusters, which has large porosity. Compound 2 has a double-layered structure constructed by T5 clusters. Our results indicate that tetramethylammonium ion is an efficient structure-directing agent for both ternary and quaternary indium sulfides. The optical and thermal properties have also been investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

From the geometric point of view, the roof shape of a typical building is a polyhedral structure, a representative example of which is shown in Figure 1 (derived from reference [17], titled "A generative statistical approach to automatic 3D building roof reconstruction from laser scanning data"). According to Figure 1 (derived from reference [17], titled "A generative statistical approach to automatic 3D building roof reconstruction from laser scanning data"), it can be found that typical building roof shapes are diverse and contain flat roofs, pitched roofs, double-slope roofs, four-slope roofs, and multiwave folding slab roofs. For this reason, it is necessary to construct a unified mathematical description of building roof characteristics to accommodate the different roof geometric structures of typical buildings. [Extracted from the article]

The active recognition of interesting targets has been a vital issue for remote sensing. In this paper, a novel multi-source fusion method for ship target detection and recognition is proposed. By introducing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor images, the proposed method solves the problem of precision degradation in optical remote sensing image target detection and recognition caused by the limit of illumination and weather conditions. The proposed method obtains port slice images containing ship targets by fusing optical data with SAR data. On this basis, spectral residual saliency and region growth method are used to detect ship targets in optical image, while SAR data are introduced to improve the accuracy of ship detection based on joint shape analysis and multi-feature classification. Finally, feature point matching, contour extraction and brightness saliency are used to detect the ship parts, and the ship target types are identified according to the voting results of part information. The proposed ship detection method obtained 91.43% recognition accuracy. The results showed that this paper provides an effective and efficient ship target detection and recognition method based on multi-source remote sensing images fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silane coupling agent (SCA), a kind of organic solvent, was introduced to improve the performance of coral coarse aggregates and enhance the interfacial adhesion between the inorganic coral aggregate and the cement paste of coral concrete. The crushing indicator and water absorption of the coral aggregates over various dipping times were measured, and the slump, interface microhardness, and compressive strength of coral concrete tested. The microscopic appearances of the coral concrete before and after modification were analyzed based on SEM images. The experimental results indicate that SCA can effectively reduce the crushing indicator and water absorption of coral coarse aggregates, and the modification performance becomes better over time. SCA facilitates the generation of chemical forces between the coral aggregates and cement mortars, improves adhesion between the aggregates and mortars, augments the microhardness of the interface, and increases the compressive strength. According to the microscopic appearance of the treated and untreated coral aggregate interfaces, the aggregates and the mortars are in closer combination after modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to adapt to the actual scene of a stereo satellite observing the same area sequentially and improve the accuracy of the target-oriented 3D reconstruction, this paper proposed a building DSM fusion update method based on adaptive splines and target characteristic guidance. This method analyzed the target characteristics of surface building targets to explore their intrinsic geometric structure information, established a nonlinear fusion method guided by the target characteristics to achieve the effective fusion of multiple DSMs on the basis of maintaining the target structural characteristics, and supported the online updating of DSM to ensure the needs of practical engineering applications. This paper presented a DSM fusion method for surface building targets and finally conducted DSM fusion experiments using typical urban area images of different scenes. The experimental results showed that the proposed method can effectively constrain and improve the DSM of buildings, and the integrity of the overall construction of the target 3D model structure was significantly improved, indicating that this paper provides an effective and efficient DSM constraint method for buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphatidyl ethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) has a conserved PEBP domain and plays an important role in regulating the flowering time and growth of angiosperms. To understand the evolution of PEBP family genes in walnut family and the mechanism of regulating flowering in photoperiod pathway, 53 genes with PEBP domain were identified from 5 Juglandaceae plants. The PEBP gene family of Juglandaceae can be divided into four subgroups, FT-like , TFL-like , MFT-like and PEBP-like subgroups. These genes all show very high homology for motifs and gene structure in Juglandaceae. In addition, the results of gene replication and collinearity analysis showed that the evolution of PEBP genes was mainly purified and selected, and segmental repetition was the main driving force for the evolution of PEBP gene family in walnut family. We found that PEBP gene family played an important role in female flower bud differentiation, and most JrPEBP genes were highly expressed in leaf bud and female flower bud by qRT-PCR. In Arabidopsis , AtCO can not only directly bind to CORE2, but also interact with NF-Y complex to positively regulate the expression of AtFT gene. In this study, we proved that Jr CO (the lineal homologue of At CO) could not directly regulate the expression of JrFT gene, but could enhance the binding of Jr NF-YB4/6 protein to the promoter of JrFT gene by forming a heteropolymer with NF-YB4/NF-YB6. We also confirmed that Jr NF-YC1/3/7, Jr NF-YB4/6 and Jr CO can form a trimer structure similar to At NF-YB-YC-CO of Arabidopsis , and then bind to the promoter of JrFT gene to promote the transcription of JrFT gene. In a word, through identification and analysis of PEBP gene family in Juglandaceae and study on the mechanism of photoperiod pathway regulating flowering in walnut, we have found that nuclear transcription factor NF-YB/YC plays a more important role in the trimer structure of NF-YB-YC-CO in walnut species. Our study has further perfected the flowering regulatory network of walnut species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The thermodynamic optimization of the Ag–Bi–Sb system was critically carried out by means of the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram) technique. The solution phases, liquid, fcc, rhomb and hcp_A3(ζ) were described by the substitutional solution model. The compound ɛ(Ag3Sb) was treated as the formula (Ag, Sb)3/4(Ag, Sb)1/4 using two sublattice model in the Ag–Bi–Sb ternary system, which is directly from the Ag–Sb binary system. A self-consistent thermodynamic description of the Ag–Bi–Sb system was developed. The vertical sections at 10at.% Bi, 10at.% Ag and 70at.% Ag, the isothermal section at 300K, the projection of the liquidus surfaces, and the complete reaction scheme for the Ag–Bi–Sb system in the literature were reproduced in the present work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: 2at.% Ga-doped Mg x Zn1−x O (x =0–8%) films have been prepared by sol–gel dip-coating method, and the effects of three different post annealing ambient: (a) vacuum annealing under air pressure of ∼10−2 Pa; (b) annealing in nitrogen atmosphere, and (c) annealing in argon-hydrogen (96%argon+4%hydrogen) atmosphere on the electrical and optical properties of the films are investigated. When treated by these three different post-annealing ambient, both the resisitivity and band gap of the films increase with Mg doping contents increasing from 0 to 8at.%. The vacuum annealed films show much lower resistivity than those treated in nitrogen or argon–hydrogen atmosphere, and the transmittance of the vacuum annealed films (∼70%) is also lower than those annealed by the other two methods (∼90%) in visible region. It shows that different post annealing ambient and ion doping could modify the optoelectronic properties of ZnO films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]