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The simultaneous concentration of electromagnetic (EM) waves and heat fluxes in the same target region within an on‐chip system has substantial academic research importance and practical application value. However, the existing research is primarily aimed at the design and experimentation of concentrators for individual EM waves or temperature fields. In this study, a thermal‐EM concentrator capable of simultaneously concentrating EM waves and heat fluxes is designed using transformation optics and thermodynamics and fabricated using engineered thermal‐EM metamaterials. Both the numerically simulated and experimentally measured results demonstrate the concentrating capability of the proposed thermal‐EM concentrator, which can concentrate broadband transverse magnetic (TM)‐polarized EM waves ranging from 8 to 12 GHz and heat flux to the same target region within an on‐chip operating environment. The proposed thermal‐EM concentrator can be utilized for the efficient cooling of the specified component and for simultaneously enhancing the radiation and reception efficiency of the EM antenna within an on‐chip system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plants can retain atmospheric particulate matter (PM) through their unique foliar microstructures, which has a profound impact on the phyllosphere microbial communities. Yet, the underlying mechanisms linking atmospheric particulate matter (PM) retention by foliar microstructures to variations in the phyllosphere microbial communities remain a mystery. In this study, we conducted a field experiment with ten Ulmus lines. A series of analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and high-throughput amplicon sequencing, were applied to examine the relationship between foliar surface microstructures, PM retention, and phyllosphere microbial diversity of Ulmus L. Results: We characterized the leaf microstructures across the ten Ulmus lines. Chun exhibited a highly undulated abaxial surface and dense stomatal distribution. Langya and Xingshan possessed dense abaxial trichomes, while Lieye, Zuiweng, and Daguo had sparsely distributed, short abaxial trichomes. Duomai, Qingyun, and Lang were characterized by sparse stomata and flat abaxial surfaces, whereas Jinye had sparsely distributed but extensive stomata. The mean leaf retention values for total suspended particulate (TSP), PM2.5, PM2.5-10, PM10-100, and PM> 100 were 135.76, 6.60, 20.10, 90.98, and 13.08 µg·cm− 2, respectively. Trichomes substantially contributed to PM2.5 retention, while larger undulations enhanced PM2.5-10 retention, as evidenced by positive correlations between PM2.5 and abaxial trichome density and between PM2.5-10 and the adaxial raw microroughness values. Phyllosphere microbial diversity patterns varied among lines, with bacteria dominated by Sediminibacterium and fungi by Mycosphaerella, Alternaria, and Cladosporium. Redundancy analysis confirmed that dense leaf trichomes facilitated the capture of PM2.5-associated fungi, while bacteria were less impacted by PM and struggled to adhere to leaf microstructures. Long and dense trichomes provided ideal microhabitats for retaining PM-borne microbes, as evidenced by positive feedback loops between PM2.5, trichome characteristics, and the relative abundances of microorganisms like Trichoderma and Aspergillus. Conclusions: Based on our findings, a three-factor network profile was constructed, which provides a foundation for further exploration into how different plants retain PM through foliar microstructures, thereby impacting phyllosphere microbial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the chloroplast (cp) genomes of Hemiptelea davidii, Ulmus parvifolia, Ulmus lamellosa, Ulmus castaneifolia, and Ulmus pumila 'zhonghuajinye' were spliced, assembled and annotated using the Illumina HiSeq PE150 sequencing platform, and then compared to the cp genomes of other Ulmus and Ulmaceae species. The results indicated that the cp genomes of the five sequenced species showed a typical tetrad structure with full lengths ranging from 159,113 to 160,388 bp. The large single copy (LSC), inverted repeat (IR), and small single copy (SSC) lengths were in the range of 87,736–88,466 bp, 26,317–26,622 bp and 18,485–19,024 bp, respectively. A total of 130–131 genes were annotated, including 85–86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and eight rRNA genes. The GC contents of the five species were similar, ranging from 35.30 to 35.62%. Besides, the GC content was different in different region and the GC content in IR region was the highest. A total of 64-133 single sequence repeat (SSR) loci were identified among all 21 Ulmaceae species. The (A)n and (T)n types of mononucleotide were highest in number, and the lengths were primarily distributed in 10–12 bp, with a clear AT preference. A branch-site model and a Bayes Empirical Bayes analysis indicated that the rps15 and rbcL had the positive selection sites. Besides, the analysis of mVISTA and sliding windows got a lot of hotspots such as trnH/psbA, rps16/trnQ, trnS/trnG, trnG/trnR and rpl32/trnL, which could be utilized as potential markers for the species identification and phylogeny reconstruction within Ulmus in the further studies. Moreover, the evolutionary tree of Ulmaceae species based on common protein genes, whole cp genome sequences and common genes in IR region of the 23 Ulmaceae species were constructed using the ML method. The results showed that these Ulmaceae species were divided into two branches, one that included Ulmus, Zelkova and Hemiptelea, among which Hemiptelea was the first to differentiate and one that included Celtis, Trema, Pteroceltis, Gironniera and Aphananthe. Besides, these variations found in this study could be used for the classification, identification and phylogenetic study of Ulmus species. Our study provided important genetic information to support further investigations into the phylogenetic development and adaptive evolution of Ulmus and Ulmaceae species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) operate in the harsh marine environment with limited accessibility and maintainability. Not only failures are more likely to occur than in land-based turbines, but also corrective maintenance is more expensive. In the present study, a mixed model and signal-based Fault Diagnosis (FD) architecture is developed to detect and isolate critical faults in FOWTs. More specifically, a model-based scheme is developed to detect and isolate the faults associated with the turbine system. It is based on a fault detection and approximation estimator and fault isolation estimators, with time-varying adaptive thresholds to guarantee against false-alarms. In addition, a signal-based scheme is established, within the proposed architecture, for detecting and isolating two representative mooring lines faults. For the purpose of verification, a 10 MW FOWT benchmark is developed and its operating conditions, which contains predefined faults, are simulated by extending the high-fidelity simulator. Based on it, the effectiveness of the proposed architecture is illustrated. In addition, the advantages and limitations are discussed by comparing its fault detection to the results delivered by other approaches. Results show that the proposed architecture has the best performance in detecting and isolating the critical faults in FOWTs under diverse operating conditions. • A mixed fault diagnosis architecture is developed for FOWTs. • A FOWT benchmark is set up by extending the FAST code for verification. • A fault generator, within the benchmark, is developed to simulate the fault scenarios. • The fault diagnosis architecture has been verified via the benchmark. • Results show that the mixed fault diagnosis architecture is effective for FOWTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chlorophyll and carotenoids content changed with seasons in U. pumila leaves. • Flavonoids gradually accumulated with seasonal changes in U. pumila leaves. • UpCrtR-b could significantly increase carotenoid accumulation. Ulmus pumila 'Zhonghua Jinye' is an important landscape tree species because of its golden leaves. Leaf coloration is the main factor that determines the ornamental and economic value of U. pumila. Gene expression and metabolite accumulation patterns were studied by transcriptome and metabolome to explore the physiological and molecular mechanisms of leaf color changes in U. pumila. The results showed that the leaf color change of U. pumila was regulated by the metabolism of chlorophyll, flavonoids, and carotenoids. The content of total chlorophyll and chlorophyll a decreased gradually with seasonal changes, which was mainly caused by the obstruction of chlorophyll synthesis and the activation of the chlorophyll degradation pathway. Among them, the expression level of chlorophyll synthesis-related genes (GluTR, UROD, PPO , and POR) were down-regulated, while certain genes (CHLG, CAO, HCAR, PPH , and PAO) in the chlorophyll degradation pathway were significantly up-regulated. In addition, flavonoids gradually accumulated with seasonal changes. Among them, twenty-six key genes (PAL, 4CL, CHS, F3H, FLS, 3GT, DFR , and ANS) in flavonoid biosynthesis were involved in regulation of flavonol and anthocyanin biosynthesis. Furthermore, carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene) were also mainly accumulated in July and August. Finally, the candidate gene, UpCrtR-b , in carotenoid biosynthesis was identified in the present study and was found to be expressed in plastids by functional verification. In tobacco, overexpression of UpCrtR-b could increase carotenoid accumulation and make tobacco leaves yellowish. This study revealed the molecular mechanism of leaf color regulation in U. pumila , and provided a theoretical basis for better utilization of this species as a landscape tree, which also provides the possibility for further enriching the variation mechanism and cultivating colored leaf plants. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A curved metasurface radome is designed to extend the scanning angle of a phased‐array antenna. Unlike the previous method, using negative index materials or transformation media (inhomogeneous and anisotropic), herein, only ordinary natural materials, i.e., a single‐layer well‐arranged ceramic block, are used, to realize the functions of the angle extending effect. The designed radome has a smaller size, lighter weight, a large angle extending effect, and is easy for fabrication. Therefore, the proposed method is more likely to be used in practical applications. The performance of the radome is verified by both numerical simulations and experimental demonstrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique has been widely used in simulating dynamic responses of offshore floating wind turbines under excitations of prescribed wave and wind loads. In the simulation, the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method is generally employed to capture the free surface of the liquid, which illustratively shows the evolution of waves. The stresses at the free surface are not explicitly modeled in the VOF method, which challenge the establishment of the equilibrium marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) throughout the computational domain. Given the importance of the generation of the MABL in a CFD simulation of offshore wind turbines, methods for establishing sustainable wind profiles in a simulation based on the VOF method should be systematically investigated. In the present study, a virtual body force method is developed to maintain the horizontally homogeneous MABL in the VOF-based CFD simulation. The proposed method is quantitatively verified through a simulation of the equilibrium MABL with the sheared wind profile. Highlights • A virtual body force method is developed to maintain the horizontally homogeneous MABL in the VOF-based CFD simulation. • The proposed approach is quantitatively verified by several CFD simulations of the equilibrium MABL. • Power-law engineering models are proposed to specify the inlet boundary conditions for maintaining the equilibrium MABL. • Empirical parameters are suggested to define the power-law models according to U 10 and H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved dynamic downscaling method is introduced in the present study to discern the spatial variations in offshore wind resources over the China coastal waters. In the improved method, the authors develop a novel pre-processing technique to provide the lateral boundary and initial conditions for the main dynamic downscaling process. In detail, the multivariate orthogonal decomposition is employed, at first, to extract the time-independent componential wind fields from the 30-year regional ECMWF meteorology data, which are then used to run the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model to produce the offshore wind field with high spatial resolutions from dynamic downscaling. Given the contribution of each componential wind field estimated in the decomposition, the WRF simulation results are subsequently recomposed into the final wind field showing wind resources along the coast of China. It has been found that the offshore wind resources are abundant over the South and East China Sea, especially in the Taiwan Strait where the maximum annual wind power density ∼ 800 W / m 2 is observed at the 90 m height. Via the improved dynamic downscaling method, the small-scale features of the localized offshore wind fields are improved by ∼13% after comparing to the raw ERA-Interim data, which is used to facilitate the siting of offshore wind farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulmus pulima 'ZhonghuaJinye' (JY-elm) is a new variety of Ulmus genus with high landscape ecological benefits and golden leaves. However, the leaf color of JY-elm is significantly influenced by temperature, which changed from golden to white (albino) gradually under heat stress. Therefore, the present study explores the mechanism of JY-elm leaf color changes under high-temperature stress conditions. The photosynthetic pigment contents and related enzyme activities decreased significantly, leaf color changed from green to white, and the arrangement of palisade tissue was loose enough to disappear with abnormal thylakoid structures and fewer grana lamellae in JY-elm leaves under high-temperature stress. The photosynthetic parameters of JY-elm, Pn, Tr, and Cs decreased significantly with the increasing temperature, which caused plants to almost lose photosynthetic capacity. Further, the whole RNA-Seq profile was used to establish the ceRNA network, and the photosynthesis and chlorophyll metabolism pathways and related key regulated genes responses to heat stress were identified in this network. The results indicated that JY-elm leaf bleaching is irreversible damage at 37 °C, while plants are in a phase of resistance to high temperatures at 29 °C. This may be related to the damage to the chloroplast structure of elm under high temperature stress. This study revealed the mechanism of leaf color variation and response to heat stress in elm, and the established ceRNA network provided a basis for further research in the future. [Display omitted] • Changes in leaf color (loss green) of elm under heat stress. • Heat stress inhibited gene expression to decrease photosynthetic pigment synthesis. • Heat stress damaged the chloroplast structure of elm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report a simple, effective and universal approach to fabricate homojunction structural TiO 2 nanorod array photoelectrodes through doping of gradient distributed oxygen vacancies introduced by annealing in high vacuum with controlled time. The homogeneous junction structure promotes the separation and transport of photoexcited charge carriers, and the photocurrent density of TiO 2 nanorod arrays annealed in high vacuum for 2 h was 20 times higher than that of the pristine TiO 2 nanorod arrays. The results indicate that annealing in high vacuum with controlled time could form a homojunction structure, which is an effective approach for further enhancing the performance of UV–visible light driven photocatalytic materials for water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permeating hydrogen generated from the elemental sulfur corrosion of low carbon steel was investigated using a double cell system and its effect on the mechanical properties of steel was also discussed. Results show that elemental sulfur corrosion of low carbon steel is accompanied by significant hydrogen permeation, e. g., permeating hydrogen current reaches 12.3 μA/cm2 in CO 2 -containing environment at 80 °C. The hydrogen permeation process are greatly affected by the structure and composition of the corrosion product, the environmental temperature and gas composition. This permeating hydrogen enhances the brittleness of the low carbon steel and tends to cause hydrogen-induced cracking. • Elemental sulfur corrosion of steel is accompanied by hydrogen permeation. • The presence of CO 2 in the corrosive environment accelerates the hydrogen permeation. • The permeating hydrogen generated by corrosion enhances the brittleness of the steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Using higher transformations inside the ONM to make design. • Regardless of the shape of the concealed region, the material parameters of the designed cloak remain unchanged. • Can be realized by only natural materials, i.e., metallic channels filled with dielectrics, whose refractive indices take a range determined only by the size of the cloak. • Nearly perfect invisibility effect for any type of detecting wave incident from any angle. A full space omnidirectional cloak with an optic-null medium (ONM) shell and an isotropic homogeneous restoring core is designed by thrice coordinate transformations inside ONM. The designed cloak can be realized by subwavelength dielectric channels enclosed with metallic plates and a uniform dielectric restoring core in air, i.e., no metamaterials or waveguide structures are required. Different from previous studies, the electromagnetic parameters of the designed cloak in this study are strict in accordance with transformation optics (no simplifications), which can achieve a nearly perfect omnidirectional cloaking effect at the design frequency by natural materials. Due to the transformation-invariant feature of the ONM, the shape, size and position of the concealed region can be adjusted freely, while the material parameters of the corresponding cloak remain unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • How the T9SS interacts with its cargo proteins is not well understood. • We present the structure/dynamics of a P. gingivalis secretion domain (RgpB-CTD). • We model the structure/dynamics of the P. gingivalis T9SS component PorV alone and in complex with RgpB-CTD. • This is the first structural insight into secretion domain recognition by the T9SS. Porphyromonas gingivalis is a gram-negative oral anaerobic pathogen and is one of the key causative agents of periodontitis. P. gingivalis utilises a range of virulence factors, including the cysteine protease RgpB, to drive pathogenesis and these are exported and attached to the cell surface via the type IX secretion system (T9SS). All cargo proteins possess a conserved C-terminal signal domain (CTD) which is recognised by the T9SS, and the outer membrane β-barrel protein PorV (PG0027/LptO) can interact with cargo proteins as they are exported to the bacterial surface. Using a combination of solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, biochemical analyses, machine-learning-based modelling and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we present a structural model of a PorV:RgpB-CTD complex from P. gingivalis. This is the first structural insight into CTD recognition by the T9SS and shows how the conserved motifs in the CTD are the primary sites that mediate binding. In PorV, interactions with extracellular surface loops are important for binding the CTD, and together these appear to cradle and lock RgpB-CTD in place. This work provides insight into cargo recognition by PorV but may also have important implications for understanding other aspects of type-IX dependent secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-submersible foundation, as one of the most feasible platform supporting the floating offshore wind turbine, is developing at a fast pace with the offshore wind turbines moving to deep waters (water depth range: 50–300 m). This paper presents a rather comprehensive review on the semi-submersible foundation. At first, this paper reviews the design of semi-submersible foundations, which includes both the conceptual design and the projects currently under operation. Afterwards, a number of simulation tools employed in previous researches to investigate the dynamics of semi-submersible foundations are summarized. In detail, wind-wave basin tests and numerical simulations concerning the dynamic responses of the semi-submersible foundation under the excitations of wind-wave loads are included. As for basin test, key techniques for simulating the realistic wind-wave fields and for accurately modeling different part of a floating wind turbine are reviewed. As for numerical studies, the free-vortex wake model is outlined, which was introduced to overcome the defects of the conventional blade element momentum theory used commonly in estimating the wind load on the wind turbine blades. Additionally, a novel technique coupling a three-dimensional flow solver EllipSys3D with FLEX5 is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulating a typhoon's wind field via mesoscale models is important in terms of providing not only the guidelines for urban planning and onshore/offshore constructions, but also the provision of insight into the dynamics and thermodynamics of tropical cyclone systems. Therefore, the errors that are contained in simulation results were investigated in the present study, in association with large-scale meteorological patterns and localized wind conditions in the typhoon boundary layer. In detail, the full-set three-dimensional simulations of three typhoon cases were carried out in order to provide the typhoon wind fields that were required to compare with the observations that were obtained through land weather stations and offshore buoys. Although the reliability of typhoon simulations has been thoroughly investigated, the previous works mostly concentrated on the configurations and dynamic core of the model. The present study reveals, however, the influences of the characteristics of the specific weather system on the simulation's results, which provides the foundation for the proposition of empirical corrections to improve the mesoscale simulation results of typhoon wind fields without updating the model's algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Fabrication of TiO2 films by ion implantation and annealing strongly depends on ion energy. [•] Best photocatalytic activity is achieved in the TiO2 nanofilm annealed at 1000°C. [•] Phase transformation of TiO2 appears under annealing temperature of 900°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the wide selectivity of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric (FE) components, electric-field (E-field) control of magnetism via strain mediation can be easily realized through composite multiferroic heterostructures. Here, an MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is chosen rationally as the ferromagnetic constitution and a high-activity (001)-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.7Ti0.3O3 (PMN-0.3PT) single crystal is selected as the FE component to create a multiferroic MTJ/FE hybrid structure. The shape of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) versus in situ E-fields imprints the butterfly loop of the piezo-strain of the FE without magnetic-field bias. The E-field-controlled change in the TMR ratio is up to â€"0.27% without magnetic-field bias. Moreover, when a typical magnetic field (∼ ±10 Oe) is applied along the minor axis of the MTJ, the butterfly loop is changed significantly by the E-fields relative to that without magnetic-field bias. This suggests that the E-field-controlled junction resistance is spin-dependent and correlated with magnetization switching in the free layer of the MTJ. In addition, based on such a multiferroic heterostructure, a strain-gauge factor up to approximately 40 is achieved, which decreases further with a sign change from positive to negative with increasing magnetic fields. This multiferroic hybrid structure is a promising avenue to control TMR through E-fields in low-power-consumption spintronic and straintronic devices at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Replacing the dielectric layers of conventional 1DPC with HMM layers achieves phase compensation to overcome the blue shift of resonant mode. • By mirror symmetry 1DPC containing HMMs and inserting defective layers to realize resonant mode with good band-edge cutoff. • The omnidirectional resonant mode position can be tuned flexibly and the proposed structure is easy to fabricate. The photonic band gap (PBG) of conventional all-dielectric one-dimension (1D) photonic crystal (PC) shifts towards the shorter wavelength (blueshift) as the incident angle increases, thus the defect mode in conventional defective all-dielectric 1DPC is also blueshifted. This leads to many limitations on the performance of the narrowband filtering. Recently, the emergence of the redshift PBG in 1DPC containing hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) for transverse magnetic (TM) polarization provides a possibility to achieve angle-insensitive defect mode in defective 1DPC containing HMMs. In this paper, we designed a mirror-symmetry 1DPC filter containing HMMs, and the HMM layers consist of subwavelength molybdenum disulfide/indium tin oxide (MoS 2 /ITO) multilayers, an omnidirectional defect mode at 1805.6 nm was achieved by phase compensation in mirror-symmetry 1DPC containing HMMs for the incident angle of 0˚-60˚, with a transmittance efficiency of 100 % at the vertical incidence. The position of the omnidirectional defect mode can be adjusted flexibly. This omnidirectional narrowband defect mode has important implications in the fields of sensors, detectors, and filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial infections have a serious impact on public health. It is urgent to develop antibacterial hydrogels with good biocompatibility to reduce the use of antibiotics. In this study, poly(lipoic acid-co-sodium lipoate)–phytic acid (P(LA-SL)-PA) hydrogels are prepared by a simple mixture of the natural small molecules lipoic acid (LA) and phytic acid (PA) in a mild and green reaction environment. The crosslinking network is constructed through the connection of covalent disulfide bonds as well as the hydrogen bonds, which endow the injectable and self-healing properties. The P(LA-SL)-PA hydrogels exhibit an adjustable compression modulus and adhesion. The in vitro agar plates assay indicates that the antibacterial rate of hydrogels against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus is close to 95%. In the rat-infected wound model, the P(LA-SL)-PA hydrogels adhere closely to the tissue and promote epithelialization and collagen deposition with a significant effect on wound healing. These results prove that the P(LA-SL)-PA hydrogels could act as effective wound dressings for promoting the healing of infected wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: With the increase of the voltage as well as the capacity of the voltage source converter–based high voltage direct current (VSC‐HVDC) transmission system, it is difficult for the traditional modular multilevel converter (MMC) modeling method, which is based on the modeling of switching devices, to meet the demand for the simulation speed of the multiterminal transmission system. This paper proposed a computationally efficient modeling method of MMC by which the simulation speed is entirely unrelated to the number of the cascaded submodules. The paper is constructed as follows: The method for converting all the cascaded submodules in an arm into a single time‐variant capacitor was proposed first. Based on trapezoidal integration, the transient companion model of the equivalent time‐variant capacitor was studied. Then the efficient model of MMC is established based on arm equivalent time‐variant capacitor. Finally, the simulation accuracy and speed of the efficient model are verified in PSCAD/EMTDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The voltage source converter based high voltage direct current transmission system with the true bipolar wiring mode features higher flexibility and reliability, yet it cannot be without a proper and effective coordinated control strategy, which is the key to the safe and reliable operation of the system as well as the effective and full utilization of renewable energy on a large scale. A step further from the conventional droop control strategy, the coordinated control strategy based on operating point optimization is proposed in this paper. This paper first illustrates and examines the coordinated control method at the system level in view of special wiring and control modes; it then looks into the method of operating point optimization seeking to achieve both safe and cost-effective operation; and the paper finally demonstrates the effectiveness of the coordinated control strategy verified by MATLAB and PSCAD simulations from the perspective of system operating point deviation, security, and cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Janus functional thermal device (JFTD) can produce different thermal modulation effects on the heat flow incident from different directions. To solve the problems of material anisotropy and non-interaction with the external environment in the thermal target region of the previous JFTD, an open JFTD is proposed by using a moving thermal conductive medium in four rectangular modules on the background thermal conductive plate. The thermal target region within the proposed open JFTD is an isotropic thermal conductive medium (e.g., the same as the background medium), which can be connected to the external region. The simulated results show that the proposed open JFTD performs as a thermal concentrator for the heat flows with incident angles between 0° and the critical angle and a thermal cloak for the heat flows with incident angles between the critical angle and 90°, which can be applied to the separate processing of multiple heat flows from different directions in various integrated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy oxide (HEO) nanoparticles have been regarded as a promising catalytic material system for oxygen evolution reaction in recent years. However, their traditional physical and chemical synthesis remains challenges due to the limitation of fabricating controllable small size HEO nanoparticles. Herein, a general and novel method of low-energy-recoil ion implantation and subsequent annealing is successfully developed to synthesize high-entropy oxide nanoparticles catalysts. By controlling the fluence of irradiation Ar+ ions, the size and the load of HEO nanoparticles can be accurately controlled. The obtained (FeCoNiCrAl)O HEO nanoparticles exhibit an overpotential of 295 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope of 39 mV dec−1 and good stability in 1 M KOH, which is much better than the properties of binary and medium entropy oxide counterparts prepared by the same method, showing the good application prospect of low-energy-recoil ion implantation in the preparation of complicated multi-element-metal oxide nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing highly efficient, low cost, and stable electrocatalysts that work at a large current density is crucial for upgrading the current industrial electrochemical water splitting to produce H2. Molybdenum selenide (MoSe2) is a promising 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), however, its reported output is inadequate due to its inert basal plane. Herein, the catalytic activity of MoSe2 nanosheet arrays is activated by a novel and controllable method of He+ ion irradiation to introduce multiple vacancies simultaneously into their inert basal planes. The vacancies activated MoSe2 have improved electrocatalytic performance and stability with a minimum overpotential of 90 mV at 10 mA cm−2, a Tafel slope of 49 mV dec−1 and high stability of 650 h at the industry‐level large current density of 1000 mA cm−2 compared to several hours for the pristine sample. The DFT results reveal that single Se and single Mo vacancies on the MoSe2 basal plane can efficiently increase the electrical conductivity and reduce energy barriers for water dissociation and subsequent proton adsorption, thus improving the electrocatalytic capability. This finding proves the application of ion beam in defect engineering for effective hydrogen evolution in TMDs‐based catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the next decade, further digitalisation of the entire wind energy project lifecycle is expected to be a major driver for reducing project costs and risks. In this paper, a literature review on the challenges related to implementation of digitalisation in the wind energy industry is first carried out, showing that there is a strong need for new solutions that enable co-innovation within and between organisations. Therefore, a new collaboration method based on a digital ecosystem is developed and demonstrated. The method is centred around specific "challenges", which are defined by "challenge providers" within a topical "space" and made available to participants via a digital platform. The data required in order to solve a particular "challenge" are provided by the "challenge providers" under the confidentiality conditions they specify. The method is demonstrated via a case study, the EDP Wind Turbine Fault Detection Challenge. Six submitted solutions using diverse approaches are evaluated. Two of the solutions perform significantly better than EDP's existing solution in terms of Total Prediction Costs (saving up to €120,000). The digital ecosystem is found to be a promising solution for enabling co-innovation in wind energy in general, providing a number of tangible benefits for both challenge and solution providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The radiance and burning properties of KBF 4 was studied. • A qualitative combustion model of KBF 4 with B and KNO 3 was established. • The infrared radiation peak of B F bonds around 9 μm is of great value for spectrum regulation of spectrum-matched decoys. • The infrared absorption peak or ranges of common boron-containing substances in 1–14 μm was summarized. Increasing the selective radiation of boron-based spectral matched pyrolant in the far infrared band (8–14 μm) can make the radiation spectrum of the infrared decoy agent close to the real target. In this study, by designing B F bonds to be generated the spectral efficiency in 8–14 μm of boron-based spectrum-matched infrared decoy was improved. Potassium tetrafluoroborate (KBF 4) was used as a fluorine oxidizer in this experiment. The results show that different proportions of KBF 4 /B/KNO 3 produce characteristic radiation peaks at 5 μm and 9 μm, which are provided by boron-containing compositions. And the near, middle and far infrared color ratio of the pyrotechnic composition is about 1.4/1/0.4. By comparing with the radiation spectrum of boron-based pyrotechnics containing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), it is confirmed that B F bonds can be provided from KBF 4 and emit characteristic radiation at 9 μm. Combined with TG-DTA, SEM-EDS analysis and REAL theoretical calculation results, a qualitative combustion model of KBF 4 /B/KNO 3 system, which provides infrared radiation characteristics substances (FBO, BF 3 , etc.), was established. This paper explores the potential of KBF 4 to introduce pyrotechnics as a key component of spectrum-matched infrared decoy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial-infected wound repair has become a significant public health concern. This study developed a novel 3D-printed piezocatalytic SF-MA/PEGDA/Ag@BT (SPAB) hydrogels were fabricated by using digital light processing. These hydrogels exhibited high consistency, mechanical properties and good biocompatibility. Besides, the SPAB hydrogels exhibited excellent piezocatalytic performance and thus could induce piezoelectric polarization under ultrasound to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). The SPAB hydrogels possessed an antibacterial rate of 99.23% and 99.96% for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , respectively, under 5 min of ultrasonic stimulation (US) in vitro. The US-triggered piezocatalytic performance could increase antibacterial activity and improve the healing process of the infected wound. Therefore, the 3D printed piezocatalytic SPAB hydrogels could be unutilized as wound dressing in the field of bacterial-infected wound repair. • Fabricated a novel 3D-printed SPAB hydrogels using digital light processing. • Demonstrated high consistency, mechanical strength, and good biocompatibility of the 3D-printed piezocatalytic SPAB hydrogels. • The SPAB hydrogels exhibited a good antimicrobial effect under ultrasonic stimulation conditions. • Achieved high antibacterial rates, with 99.23% for Escherichia coli and 99.96% for Staphylococcus aureus under 5 minutes of ultrasonic stimulation in vitro. • The ultrasound-triggered piezocatalytic activity of the SPAB hydrogels could significantly enhance the antibacterial effect and facilitate the healing of infected wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing global concern regarding the pervasive issue of plastic pollution. We investigated the response of Populus × euramericana cv. '74/76' to nanoplastic toxicity via phenotypic, microanatomical, physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic approaches. Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) were distributed throughout the test plants after the application of PS-NPs. Nanoplastics principally accumulated in the roots; minimal fractions were translocated to the leaves. In leaves, however, PS-NPs easily penetrated membranes and became concentrated in chloroplasts, causing thylakoid disintegration and chlorophyll degradation. Finally, oxidant damage from the influx of PS-NPs led to diminished photosynthesis, stunted growth, and etiolation and/or wilting. By integrating dual-omics data, we found that plants could counteract mild PS-NP-induced oxidative stress through the antioxidant enzyme system without initiating secondary metabolic defense mechanisms. In contrast, severe PS-NP treatments promoted a shift in metabolic pattern from primary metabolism to secondary metabolic defense mechanisms, an effect that was particularly pronounced during the upregulation of flavonoid biosynthesis. Our findings provide a useful framework from which to further clarify the roles of key biochemical pathways in plant responses to nanoplastic toxicity. Our work also supports the development of effective strategies to mitigate the environmental risks of nanoplastics by biologically immobilizing them in contaminated lands. [Display omitted] • Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) are toxic to the woody model plant Poplar. • PS-NPs accumulated mainly in roots, with minimal amounts reaching leaves. • PS-NPs easily penetrated membranes systems, causing thylakoid disintegration. • PS-NPs caused shifts in metabolic patterns in a dose-dependent manner. • Flavonoids are crucial for defending poplar against a severe PS-NPs toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a T-junction microdroplet generator, as monodisperse droplets are formed for the droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a mathematical model which can describe the nonlinear relation of droplet generation under pressure-driven microfluidic flows is established. For various viscosity of the fluids, the relation between the droplet length and the driving-pressure ratio is measured at a low capillary number (Ca < 0.01) of droplet generation. It can be observed that the droplet length varies nonlinearly with the driving-pressure ratio for a specific geometry of the T-junction. In particular, the relation between the droplet length and the driving-pressure ratio is tested experimentally for different geometries of the T-junctions. At low capillary numbers, the nonlinear relation between the droplet length and the driving-pressure ratio is basically determined by the geometrical parameters of the T-junction. Most importantly, a closed-loop control droplet microfluidic system is demonstrated, and the size of the droplets can be controlled more accurately by pressure-driven flows. The control precision of the droplet size is quantitatively studied for a wide range of typical conditions of droplet generation. In particular, the relative standard deviation of the droplet size for various flow conditions is less than 2%, which is of great importance for improving the detection accuracy of nucleic acid based on the droplet digital PCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered to be an important factor for bone degeneration disorders such as bone defect nonunion, which is characterized by physical disability and tremendous economy cost to families and society. Exosomal miRNAs of BMSCs have been reported to participate in osteoblastogenesis and modulating bone formation. However, their impacts on the development of bone degeneration in DM are not yet known. The role of miRNAs in BMSCs exosomes on regulating hyperglycemia bone degeneration was investigated in the present study. Results: The osteogenic potential in bone defect repair of exosomes derived from diabetes mellitus BMSCs derived exosomes (DM-Exos) were revealed to be lower than that in normal BMSCs derived exosomes (N-Exos) in vitro and in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that miR-140-3p level was significantly altered in exosomes derived from BMSCs, ADSCs and serum from DM rats. In in vitro experiments, upregulated miR-140-3p exosomes promoted DM BMSCs differentiation into osteoblasts. The effects were exerted by miR-140-3p targeting plxnb1, plexin B1 is the receptor of semaphoring 4D(Sema4D) that inhibited osteocytes differentiation, thereby promoting bone formation. In DM rats with bone defect, miR-140-3p upregulated exosomes were transplanted into injured bone and accelerated bone regeneration. Besides, miR-140-3p in the exosomes was transferred into BMSCs and osteoblasts and promoted bone regeneration by targeting the plexin B1/RohA/ROCK signaling pathway. Conclusions: Normal-Exos and miR-140-3p overexpressed-Exos accelerated diabetic wound healing by promoting the osteoblastogenesis function of BMSCs through inhibition plexin B1 expression which is the receptor of Sema4D and the plexin B1/RhoA/ROCK pathway compared with diabetes mellitus-Exos. This offers a new insight and a new therapy for treating diabetic bone unhealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel conductive piezoelectric hydrogel system was successfully established. • The hydrogel can generate wireless electrical stimulation. • The hydrogel exhibits anti-glutamate excitotoxicity and anti-oxidative capabilities. • The hydrogel enhanced the motor function recovery of spinal cord injury rats. • The hydrogel promoted the regeneration of spinal cord. After experiencing spinal cord injury (SCI), the interruption of electrical signal transmission impedes both nerve regeneration and functional recovery. Despite its potential as a treatment for spinal cord injury, intrathecal electrical stimulation (ES) is hindered by the risk of infection and the need for a subsequent operation to remove the tethered electrical interface, thereby severely limiting its effectiveness and clinical applicability. Herein, we constructed a conductive piezoelectric hydrogel (SFBP/PER) with ultrasound-triggered wireless ES capability and satisfied conductivity for SCI regeneration. The fabrication process involved the integration of perampanel and polypyrrole-modified BaTiO 3 nanoparticles into silk fibroin, followed by enzymatic crosslinking at physiological temperature. We demonstrate that the SFBP/PER hydrogel exhibits anti-glutamate excitotoxicity and antioxidative capabilities in vitro. In vivo , experiments revealed that the SFBP/PER hydrogel significantly enhanced recovery of SCI rats by mitigating oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation, reducing lesion cavities, enhancing remyelination, and promoting the regeneration of functional neurons. This study presents a novel approach utilizing a conductive piezoelectric hydrogel system for in vivo ES in tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of diabetic wounds is a major clinical issue. Diabetic wound dressings have higher requirements for anti-oxidant, antibacterial and wound monitoring properties compared to conventional wound dressings. In this study, a novel tannic acid (TA)/quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan (QCMCS)/oxidized sodium alginate (OSA)@carbon quantum dots (CQD) (TA/QCMCS/OSA@CQD) hydrogels for promoting diabetic wound healing and real-time monitoring have been developed. The TA/QCMCS/OSA@CQD hydrogels exhibited excellent self-healing, antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Besides, these hydrogels possessed good biocompatibility and effective hemostasis in a mouse liver injury model and significantly facilitated the healing process in a diabetic wound model. In addition, these hydrogels can reliable and timely measure the diabetic wound pH information by collecting image signals of hydrogels to monitor the healing status. Therefore, the pH responsive TA/QCMCS/OSA@CQD hydrogels could be utilized as wound dressing for promoting diabetic wound healing and real-time monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A unique ion irradiation method was used to fabricate the OER catalyst. • The ir-S-NiO catalyst exhibits improved performance and long-term life for OER. • The sulfate modification accelerated the surface reconstruction. • Oxygen vacancies and sulfate regulated the electronic structure of catalyst. NiO has attracted wide attention in the past decade as a cost-effective electrochemical catalyst for OER. However, its relatively poor performance and conductivity limit its commercial applications. Here, we highlight a unique ion irradiation method to enhance the catalytic activity of NiO. Benefiting from sulfate anchoring and the introduction of oxygen vacancies by He+ ion irradiation, the optimal catalyst (ir-S-NiO) exhibits an outstanding OER performance with a low overpotential of 269 mV at 10 mA cm−2. Moreover, the fabricated Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE) constructed by the ir-S-NiO is demonstrated to need a cell voltage of 1.72 V to reach a current density of 0.1 A cm−2 and shows remarkably long-term stability for 200 h without obvious attenuation at the current density of 0.5 A cm−2. This work provides a new method for the development of high-performance and stable OER electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses a serious threat to women's life and health due to its high malignancy, strong invasiveness, and propensity for early recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a highly effective and low-toxic TNBC treatment scheme to enhance the anti-cancer efficacy and prolong the survival of patients. In this work, we designed and synthesized a chemodynamic therapy (CDT) agent (HA-Fc-Mal). The chemo/chemodynamic (CT/CDT) nanoparticle (HCM@DOX) based on hyaluronic acid induces ferroptosis and apoptotic for TNBC therapy was constructed via self-assembled of HA-Fc-Mal and doxorubicin (DOX). HCM@DOX orderly realized the TNBC targeting, controlled DOX release, GSH depletion and induce ROS erupt. In vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed that HCM@DOX inhibited the growth of 4 T1 tumors through ferroptosis and apoptosis, and the tumor inhibition rate was as high as 81.87 %. In addition, HCM@DOX significantly inhibited lung metastasis and exhibited excellent biosafety. Overall, our findings offer a new strategy for TNBC therapy using a CT/CDT nanoparticle that induces ferroptosis and apoptosis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The R2R3-MYB gene family play an important role in plant growth, development and stress responses. In this study, a total of 122 PcoR2R3-MYB genes were identified and grouped into 26 clades in pear. And these PcoMYBs were unevenly distributed among 17 chromosomes. The sequence characteristics, conversed motifs, exon/intron structures, classification, duplication events and cis-acting elements were also investigated. The gene duplication events showed that segmental duplication may play key roles in expansion of the PcoMYB gene family. Pyrus hopeiensis , which is a valuable wild resource, has strong cold resistance. An integrative analyses of miRNA and mRNA showed that PhMYB62 was involved in regulating low-temperature stress in P. hopeiensis flower organs. Subcellular localization analysis showed that PhMYB62 protein was specifically localized to the nucleus. The result of DAP-seq showed that PhMYB62 responded to low-temperature stress in P. hopeiensis by regulating TFs, which were associated with plant stress resistance, and POD , GAUT12 , AUX28 and CHS genes. Subsequently, yeast one-hybrid verified that PhMYB62 could bind and activate the promoter of POD gene. The current study would provide a comprehensive information for further functional research on the stress-responsive R2R3-MYB gene candidates in pear, and may help to identify the genes associated with cold resistance for the cultivation of cold-resistant pear varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite HER2-targeted cancer treatments have provided considerable clinical benefits, resistance to HER2-targeted agents will inevitably develop. Targeting non-oncogene vulnerabilities including endoplasmic reticulum (EnR) stress has emerged as an attractive alternative approach to improve the efficacy of existing targeted cancer therapies. In the current study, we find that Melatonin sensitizes HER2-positive breast cancer cells to the dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor Lapatinib in vitro. Mechanistically, Melatonin enhances the cytotoxic effects of Lapatinib through promoting excessive EnR stress-induced unfolded protein response (UPR) and ROS overaccumulation. Consistently, the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine remarkably reverses the effects of the drug combination on ROS production, DNA damage and cytotoxicity. Furthermore, Melatonin significantly enhances the anti-tumor effect of Lapatinib in an HCC1954 xenograft model. Meanwhile, Lapatinib resistant HER2-positive breast cancer cells (LapR) display lower basal expression levels of UPR genes and enhanced tolerance to EnR stress with attenuated response to Brefeldin A and Tunicamycin. Importantly, Melatonin also increases the sensitivity of HCC1954 LapR cells to Lapatinib. Together, our findings highlight the potential utility of Melatonin as an adjuvant in the treatment of primary or therapy resistant HER2-positive breast cancer via EnR stress-mediated mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The force experiment of flat roof Trough Concentrator model was carried out in the wind tunnel. • The wind load coefficient of the flat roof Trough Concentrator varies with the vertical and horizontal wind azimuth angle. • The resistance coefficient of flat roof is 67.39% smaller than that of ground. • The most unfavorable conditions appear in the tilt angle of 10°, the horizontal wind azimuth angle of 45° and 315°. • The conical vortex at the edge of the roof makes the wind coefficient between the roof and the ground different. In this paper, the flat roof Trough Condenser (FRTC) model is studied using a wind tunnel high frequency dynamic force measurement experiment. The Trough Condenser's (TC) wind (torque) coefficients were obtained in six azimuths. The regularity and features of the wind coefficient when changing within a horizontal wind azimuth angle of 0°~360° and tilt angle of 0°~90° were analyzed. In addition, the TC on the flat roof and the TC installed on the ground were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the FRTC's resistance coefficient, lift coefficient and fundament tilting torque coefficient are all much greater than the side force coefficient, side torque coefficient and azimuth torque coefficient. When designing the TC's structure, the main consideration is the influence of resistance, fundament tilting torque and lift force. The maximal value of the resistance coefficient is 0.938, the maximal fundament tilting torque coefficient is 0.869, and the maximal value of the lift coefficient is −0.620. In addition, compared with the TC on the ground, the roof's resistance coefficient is 67.39% lower, the lift coefficient is 130.65% lower and the fundament tilting torque coefficient is 68.01% lower. Furthermore, as the wind field on the roof is different from that on the ground, while the height of the condenser is lower, and the parapet shields the condenser to a certain extent, the maximum wind (torque) coefficient is also different when under different working conditions. Finally, the effect of the cone vortex on the roof's edge also impacts these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper focuses on the steady‐state power distribution region of the modular multilevel converter (MMC) and the matching among its multiple constraints. First, an equivalent model of the steady‐state MMC is established, and its basic power distribution region is solved based on analysis. Second, the influence of the AC current constraint, the AC outlet voltage constraint, the modulation index constraint, the DC current constraint, and the DC voltage constraint on the power distribution region are studied through the phasor analysis method. The power distribution region under the multiple constraints is obtained, and the parameters matching principle among these constraints are studied. Finally, in PSCAD/EMTDC, the simulation results validate the correctness of the obtained power distribution region and the effectiveness of the parameters matching principle among the multiple constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After an osteosarcoma excision, recurrence and bone defects are significant challenges for clinicians. In this study, the curcumin (Cur) loaded chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (CCNP) encapsulated silk fibroin (SF)/hyaluronic acid esterified by methacrylate (HAMA) (CCNPs-SF/HAMA) hydrogel for the osteosarcoma therapy and bone regeneration was developed by photocuring and ethanol treatment. The micro or nanofibers networks were observed in the CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel. The FTIR results demonstrated that alcohol vapor treatment caused an increase in β-sheets of SF, resulting in the high compression stress and Young's modulus of CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel. According to the water uptake analysis, SF caused a slight decrease in water uptake of CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel while CCNPs could enhance the water uptake of it. The swelling kinetic results showed that both the CCNPs and the SF increased the swelling ratio of CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel. The accumulative release profile of CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel showed that the release of Cur from CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel was accelerated when pH value was decreased from 7.4 to 5.5. Besides, compared with CCNPs, the CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel had a more sustainable drug release, which was beneficial for the long-term treatment of osteosarcoma. In vitro assay results indicated that CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel with equivalent Cur concentration of 150 μg/mL possessed both the effect of anti-cancer and promoting the proliferation of osteoblasts. These results suggest that CCNPs-SF/HAMA hydrogel with superior physical properties and the bifunctional osteosarcoma therapy and bone repair may be an excellent candidate for local cancer therapy and bone regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This method aims at the power flow calculation for the grids with the metal-return line. • This method is suitable for power flow calculation with the asymmetric operation. • Power flow can be calculated with high accuracy with different control strategies. Compared with the pseudo bipolar Voltage Source Converter (VSC) based High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) (VSC-HVDC) grid, the true bipolar VSC-HVDC grid with series voltage source converters is more flexible and reliable. Based on the analysis of structure and power distribution in the true bipolar VSC-HVDC grid, the node admittance matrices and a representation method of the converter station losses are first derived. Then, with various station-level control strategies of VSC taken into account, a layer-based power flow calculation method suitable for true bipolar VSC-HVDC grids in both symmetric and asymmetric operation is proposed. Finally, the applicability and accuracy of the proposed power flow calculation method are verified by a true bipolar VSC-HVDC grid model built in PSCAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulmus pumila 'Jinye', the colorful leaf mutant of Ulmuspumila L., is widely used in landscaping. In common with most leaf color mutants, U. pumila 'Jinye' exhibits growth inhibition. In this study, U.pumila L. and U. pumila 'Jinye' were used to elucidate the reasons for growth inhibition at the physiological, cellular microstructural, and transcriptional levels. The results showed that the pigment (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids) content of U.pumila L. was higher than that of U. pumila 'Jinye', whereas U. pumila 'Jinye' had a higher proportion of carotenoids, which may be the cause of the yellow leaves. Examination of the cell microstructure and RNA sequencing analysis showed that the leaf color and growth inhibition were mainly due to the following reasons: first, there were differences in the structure of the thylakoid grana layer. U.pumila L. has a normal chloroplast structure and clear thylakoid grana slice layer structure, with ordered and compact thylakoids. However, U.pumila 'Jinye' exhibited the grana lamella stacking failures and fewer thylakoid grana slice layers. As the pigment carrier and the key location for photosynthesis, the close stacking of thylakoid grana could combine more chlorophyll and promote efficient electron transfer promoting the photosynthesis reaction. In addition, U.pumila 'Jinye' had a lower capacity for light energy absorption, transformation, and transportation, carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, auxin synthesis, and protein transport. The genes related to respiration and starch consumption were higher than those of U.pumila L., which indicated less energy accumulation caused the growth inhibition of U. pumila 'Jinye'. Finally, compared with U. pumila 'Jinye', the transcription of genes related to stress resistance all showed an upward trend in U.pumila L. That is to say, U.pumila L. had a greater ability to resist adversity, which could maintain the stability of the intracellular environment and maintain normal progress of physiological metabolism. However, U. pumila 'Jinye' was more susceptible to changes in the external environment, which affected normal physiological metabolism. This study provides evidence for the main cause of growth inhibition in U. pumila 'Jinye', information for future cultivation, and information on the mutation mechanism for the breeding of colored leaf trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematite is a prospective semiconductor in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation field due to its suitable bandgap for the solar spectrum absorption. Nevertheless, the low transfer and separation efficiency of the charge carriers are restricted by its diffusion length of hole which is 2–4 nm and further reduce the PEC performance. Here, we report an innovative method, by introducing nanocavities into the α-Fe 2 O 3 nanorod arrays photoanodes through helium ions implantation, to improve the charge carriers' transfer and separation efficiency and further to enhance water oxidation performance. The result indicates that, the photocurrent density of nanocavities embedded α-Fe 2 O 3 photoanode (S2-A sample) reaches 1.270 mA/cm2 at 1.6 V vs. RHE which is 1-fold higher than that of the pristine α-Fe 2 O 3 (0.688 mA/cm2) and the photocurrent density of S2-A sample reaches 0.652 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE. In this work, the ion implantation combined with post annealing method is found to be a valid method to improve the photoelectrochemical performance, and it also can be further used to modify the other semiconductor photoelectrodes materials. • The photoelectrochemical performance of α-Fe 2 O 3 photoanode was enhanced through controlled He+ ion implantation. • The size and density of nanocavities in the α-Fe 2 O 3 nanorods can be tailored by controlling the ion fluences. • Nanocavities can increase the separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main contributions of the proposed MFPCA method are as follows: • It takes the unique advantage of DiPCA, PCA and KPCA methods in modeling different features and then develops a monitoring index through combining these features for real-time process monitoring. • The dynamic, linear and nonlinear features contained in the process data are considered simultaneously and the abnormal variations of these features can be reflected in the corresponding subspaces. • Finally, the proposed MFPCA method can provide a better monitoring performance for nonlinear dynamic processes and it is easier to interpret the fault detection result. Principal component analysis (PCA) and its modified methods have been widely applied in industrial process monitoring. In practice, industrial processes are with disparate characteristics, the process monitoring system should consider as many process characteristics as possible, such as dynamic and nonlinear characteristics. In this paper, a multi-feature extraction technique based on PCA is proposed for nonlinear dynamic process monitoring. The proposed method integrates dynamic inner PCA (DiPCA), PCA and kernel PCA (KPCA) methods through a serial structure to extract the dynamic, linear and nonlinear features among the process data. Along with the proposed method, the original data space is decomposed into several orthogonal subspaces, in which abnormal variations of different features can be monitored. For real-time process monitoring, a combined Hotelling's T 2 statistic based on the extracted multi-feature and a squared prediction error (SPE or Q) statistic are established. Case studies on a numerical example and the Tennessee Eastman process are carried out to demonstrate the superior process monitoring performance of the proposed method compared with other relevant methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic metamaterials have become a novel and effective way to control sound waves and design acoustic devices. In this study, we design a 3D acoustic metamaterial lens (AML) to achieve point-to-point acoustic communication in air: any acoustic source (a speaker) in air enclosed by such an AML can produce an acoustic image where the acoustic wave is focused (the field intensity is at a maximum, and the listener can receive the information), while the acoustic field at other spatial positions is low enough that listeners can hear almost nothing. Unlike a conventional elliptical reflective mirror, the acoustic source can be moved around inside our proposed AML. Numerical simulations are given to verify the performance of the proposed AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the modern world, the ability to manipulate and control electromagnetic waves has greatly changed people's lives. Novel optical and electromagnetic phenomena and devices will lead to new scientific trends and techniques in the future. The exploration of new theories of optical design and new materials for optical engineering has attracted great attention in recent years. Transformation optics (TO) provides a new way to design optical devices with extraordinary predesigned functions such as invisibility cloaks and electromagnetic wormholes. As the development of artificial electromagnetic media (e.g. metamaterials and metasurfaces) progresses, many of these novel optical devices designed by TO have been experimentally demonstrated and used in specific applications. Starting from the basic theory of transformation optics, we review its applications, extensions, new branches and recent developments in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone regeneration is a highly synchronized process that requires multiple biochemical, bioelectrical, mechanical, and other physiological cues. The restoration and delivery of electrical cues locally through piezoelectric materials have been demonstrated to facilitate osteogenesis in vitro and bone repair in vivo. However, the underlying mechanism by which piezoelectric stimulation promotes osteogenesis and bone repair remains unclear yet, limiting the design and clinical application of piezoelectric materials for bone repair. Herein, a piezoelectric BaTiO3/Ti6Al4V (BT/Ti) scaffold was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis of a uniform BaTiO3 layer on three dimensionally printed Ti6Al4V scaffold. The BT/Ti scaffolds exhibited piezoelectricity and favorable biocompatibility with RAW264.7 macrophages after polarization. In vitro results demonstrated that the piezoelectric effects of the poled BT/Ti scaffolds promoted M2 polarization of macrophages and immunoregulatory osteogenesis of MC-3T3 osteoblasts. In a subcutaneous implantation model, a higher proportion of CD68+ CD206+ M2 macrophages was observed in the tissues around the poled BT/Ti scaffolds under low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) stimulation. Improvements in macrophage M2 polarization and bone regeneration were further identified in a sheep cervical corpectomy model. RNA sequencing and mechanistic investigation revealed that the piezoelectric BT/Ti (poled) scaffolds inhibited the inflammatory MAPK/JNK signaling cascade and activated oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and ATP synthesis in macrophages. Collectively, our study provides a promising method for regulating the immune microenvironment and enhancing bone regeneration using polarized piezoelectric BT/Ti scaffolds. (A) Fabrication of porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds coated with piezoelectric barium titanate and scaffolds implantation in a sheep cervical en-bloc spondylectomy model. (B) Piezoelectric BT/Ti (poled) artificial vertebrae bodies promoted M2 polarization of macrophages and bone repair process. (C) Piezoelectric stimulation inhibited MAPK/JNK signaling and activated OXPHOS of macrophages. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ferulic acid is a bioactive phytochemical present in rice bran and other plants. • Ferulic acid inhibited the proliferation of hepatoma cells. • Ferulic acid promoted autophagy and apoptosis of hepatoma cells. • Ferulic acid upregulated apoptosis and autophagy biomarkers in hepatoma cells. Ferulic acid is an active substance that can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, and it also shows antioxidant activity. Previous studies examined the effect of ferulic acid as a nutritional supplement for inhibiting the proliferation and inducing the apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. However, the effect of ferulic acid on the induction of autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma cells is unknown. We examined the effect of ferulic acid on the proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. The results showed that treatment of cells with 100 μg/mL ferulic acid for 48 h led to altered morphology, disruption of nucleoli, and decreased cell proliferation. Ferulic acid increased the percentage of cells in S phase (19.99 % to 34.31 %), increased the percentage of apoptotic cells (3.2 % to 34.7 %), and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Western blotting indicated that ferulic acid also increased the levels of biomarkers of apoptosis and autophagy (caspase-3, cleaved-caspase-3, beclin-1, LC3-I/LC3-II, PINK-1, and Parkin). Thus, ferulic acid inhibited the proliferation and increased the apoptosis and autophagy of HepG2 cells. These results provide a theoretical basis for subsequent research on the use of ferulic acid to inhibit the growth of hepatoma cells and the development of functional foods using rice bran, which contains abundant ferulic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal camouflage devices, which can transfer the temperature field produced by the heat target on the object plane to pre-designed illusory temperature field on the image plane, are designed by a block building approach. The building blocks are four basic thermal components, which are designed based on the 3D thermal-null medium and can individually achieve the effects of thermal shifting, splitting, compression, and deforming. 3D thermal-null medium, which performs as a good 'thermal fiber' and can achieve directional heat conduction along its main axis, is designed and fabricated by placing specifically oriented copper-air arrays in polyurethane plates. The proposed method provides a simple way to design thermal camouflage devices, which can simultaneously camouflage the position, quantity, size and shape of the heat target by choosing/combining different basic thermal components. All designed thermal camouflage devices of different functions can be realized by different oriented copper-air arrays in polyurethane plates. Both numerical simulations and experimental measurements verify the performance of the designed thermal camouflage devices, which may have applications on thermal image processing and thermal illusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wind load is the main control load of the parabolic solar condenser (PSC) due to the special structure thereof. To ensure normal operation of the flat roof parabolic solar condenser (FRPSC), the probability characteristics of the FRPSC's upright post base shear force coefficient were explored in the present study, and the extreme values were analyzed. Multi-order moments were used to conduct Gaussian discrimination of the base shear force coefficient of the FRPSC's upright post. Subsequently, three methods were adopted to calculate the extremum of the base shear force coefficient. By analyzing the FRPSC's upright post base shear force coefficient extreme value, the data obtained by the Sadek-Simiu (SAD) extreme value calculation method were found to be the most accurate. Through the analysis of the base shear force coefficient under 250 working conditions, the change rule of the extreme value was obtained, and then compared with the mean base shear force coefficient. The identification standard of whether the base shear force coefficient of the FRPSC's upright post met the Gaussian distributive was determined, and the Gaussian distribution and non-Gaussian distribution areas were divided. • The Gaussian criterion for the base shear force coefficient of the FRPSC's upright post is given. • The reason why the base shear force is not Gaussian is that the correlation of mirror wind loads is enhanced. • The SAD method is more accurate for the base shear force coefficient of the FRPSC's upright post. • The most unfavorable working condition of base shear force coefficient is 45° horizontal wind azimuth angle and 0° tilt angle. • The extreme value of the base shear force coefficient is the smallest when the horizontal wind azimuth angle is 90°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]