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This study prepared modified alkali-activated slag repair materials by incorporating an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer emulsion (EVA). Sulfate attack tests, shrinkage tests, scanning electron microscopy, and mercury intrusion porosimetry tests were conducted to examine the durability and microstructural features of the alkali-activated slag repair materials. The experimental results demonstrated that adding EVA can enhance the shrinkage and strength of alkali-activated slag mortar, but that the materials exhibit poor resistance to sulfate attack. Optimizing the ratio design can yield alkali-activated cementitious materials with high strength, good durability, high bonding strength, and low shrinkage. This can reduce brittleness and increase the shrinkage rate of the material's defects, which has significant implications for subsequent fracture repair. The image of the microstructure showed that the section of alkali-activated slag paste is smooth and exhibits polymer emulsion filling gaps in the amorphous cementitious material. A connection between fibrous filaments on the cross section of the matrix crack enhances the strength of the material. The proportion of microcracks is increased and material strength is decreased after sulfate attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Piezoelectric catalysis, which converts mechanical energy into chemical activity, has important applications in environmental remediation. However, the piezo-catalytic activity of various piezoelectric materials is limited by the weak piezoelectricity as well as the mismatched band-gap, leading to inefficient electron-hole pair generation and difficult carrier migration. Here, a simple strategy combining phase boundary and energy band structure modulation was innovatively proposed to enhance the piezo-catalytic activity of BaTiO 3 ferroelectric by Ce ions selecting different doping sites. Thanks to the coexistence of tetragonal (P 4 mm) and orthorhombic (Amm 2) phases effectively flattened the Gibbs free-energy and thus enhanced the piezoelectric activity, as well as suitable energy bandwidth facilitating the carrier migration were realized in the B-sites doped Ba(Ti 0.95 Ce 0.05)O 3. The degradation rate constant k of tetracycline (TC) was high to 30.56 × 10-3 min−1, which was 2.03 times higher than that of pure BaTiO 3 and superior to most representative lead-free perovskite piezoelectric materials. Theoretical calculations validated that the charge density and high O 2 and OH– adsorption energy on the Ba(Ti 0.95 Ce 0.05)O 3 surface promoted more efficient •O 2 – and •OH radicals conversion and bettered response to piezo-catalytic reaction. This work is important to design high-performance piezo-catalysts by synergistic regulation of phase boundary and energy band structure in perovskite materials for long-term antibiotic tetracycline removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniaxial tension fatigue experiments are conducted on filled natural rubber (NR) specimens. According to the test data, typical probabilistic distributions under constant strain peak are investigated. Accordingly, a small sample probabilistic fatigue life curve fitting method is proposed, where a Weibull distribution is utilized for the tested rubber. A power‐Weibull statistical model with nonconstant scatter and the conventional group method for complete data are also employed to evaluate the proposed method. It turns out that the slope and intercept relative errors from the small sample fitting method are below 7.86% and 0.943%, respectively, of the complete data methods. It indicates that the proposed method can obtain high‐precision probabilistic fatigue life curves in the case of small samples, which has a certain significance for the efficient test and reliability of rubber fatigue in engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNAs have attracted much attention in forensic body fluid/tissue identification (BFID) due to their tissue-specific expression characteristics. Among RNAs, long RNAs (e.g., mRNA) have a higher probability of containing more polymorphic sites that can be used to assign the specific donor of the body fluid/tissue. However, few studies have characterized their overall profiles in forensic science. In this study, we sequenced the transcriptomes of 30 samples from venous blood, menstrual blood, semen, saliva, vaginal secretion, and skin tissue, obtaining a comprehensive picture of mRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA profiles. A total of 90,305 mRNAs, 102,906 lncRNAs (including 19,549 novel lncRNAs), and 40,204 circRNAs were detected. RNA type distribution, length distribution, and expression distribution were presented according to their annotation and expression level, and many novel body fluid/tissue-specific RNA markers were identified. Furthermore, the cognate relations among the three RNAs were analyzed according to gene annotations. Finally, SNPs and InDels from RNA transcripts were genotyped, and 21,611 multi-SNP and 4,471 multi-InDel transcriptomic microhaplotypes (tMHs) were identified. These results provide a comprehensive understanding of transcriptome profiles, which could provide new avenues for tracing the origin of the body fluid/tissue and identifying an individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic intestinal disorder characterized by abdominal discomfort, stool characteristics, and changes in bowel habits. Among them, diarrhea-type (diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, abbreviated as IBS-D) is the most common. Because its pathogenesis is not understood, symptomatic treatment is currently used in clinical practice, and its long-term effect is still unclear. Decoction of Angelica sinensis, Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, and Mutton (DAZM) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine recipe created by Zhang Zhongjing, a famous doctor in the Eastern Han Dynasty 2000 years ago, and is still in use today. Our research team has previously investigated the clinical study of DAZM in the treatment of IBS-D and conducted animal experiment research, indicating that DAZM has a significant effect on improving IBS-D. Yet, there are few reports on the specific mechanism of action of DAZM in improving the treatment of IBS and related types. Most studies discuss and verify its efficacy and protection from a clinical perspective. For this reason, this research will explore the constituent targets and mechanisms of DAZM to improve the treatment of IBS-D, provide relevant scientific evidence, and also provide reference evidence for the efficacy of food therapy decoction in improving the treatment of diseases and mechanism to open up new experimental research ideas. Methods: Identification of drug ingredients and collection of targets for DAZM using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with linear ion trap-electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry and the Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine database, active ingredients were selected based on their oral bioavailability and drug-like properties. Obtained IBS-D targets using the GeneCards database, took the intersection of IBS-D targets and DAZM targets and obtained potential targets of DAZM for the treatment of IBS-D. Using Cytoscape software to draw a network diagram of "Food therapy decoction-ingredient-target-disease" and selected the ingredients with larger parameter values by topological analysis. Correlation analysis of the selected active and parametric ingredients with prominent symptoms of IBS-D using SymMap database, and selection of potential core ingredients. The construction of protein interaction networks from the String database and the selection of potential core targets. Gene Ontology functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling pathway enrichment analyses using the Metascape database, establishing the bioinformatic processes and signaling pathways involved. Molecular docking of core ingredients and potential core targets was performed using AutoDock Vina, and the results were visualized using Python molecule (PyMOL) and LigPlus+. Finally, based on the results of this research combined with previous literature reports, the discussion section of this paper summarizes in detail the key core ingredients, targets, and signaling pathways of DAZM in improving IBS-D. Results: DAZM may act on eight potential core targets (threonine kinase 1, insulin, tumour necrosis factor, tumour protein p53, interleukin 6, epidermal growth factor receptor, connexin β1, and interleukin 1β) through eight core ingredients (Zingiberone, Shyobunone, Palmitic acid, Sebiferic acid, β-Bisabolene, β-Sitosterol, Stigmasterol, and Oleic acid). inhibit pro-inflammatory factors through Advanced Glycation End Products-Receptor (AGE-RAGE) signaling pathway, Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, Calmodulin (CaM) signaling pathway, and other pathways. It can alleviate the inflammatory response, enhance the intestinal mucosal barrier and regulate intestinal motility, and play a role in the treatment and improvement of IBS-D. Conclusions: This research mainly found the mechanism of DAZM on IBS-D, which may involve multiple ingredients, multiple targets, and multiple pathways. DAZM with medicinal and edible functions can effectively improve the treatment of IBS-D. This kind of dietary therapy is suitable for long-term treatment and is worthy of promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different from the construction process of the traditional finite difference method, we derive a large class of high-accuracy methods for approximating derivatives. Since Taylor expansion is avoided, the requirement for function smoothness in the new methods is greatly reduced. We analyze the approximation errors of the proposed methods and compare their approximation effects. As a typical application, we use the proposed methods to solve Elliptic, Hyperbolic and Parabolic problems numerically. For time-dependent problems, a class of new fully implicit difference schemes and the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method are both used for discretization. When using fully implicit difference schemes, unconditional stability and convergence are proved for hyperbolic and parabolic problems with the periodic boundary conditions. A large number of numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition characteristics of a modified RAE5243 airfoil were investigated using a wind tunnel test and numerical simulations. Transition detection is of great significance for the assessment of drag reduction. In wind tunnel tests, transition location can be detected by infrared thermography. However, in subsonic and transonic wind tunnel tests, the temperature difference between the laminar flow region and turbulent flow region is small. Moreover, the test models are usually made of metals, which make the transition location hard to identify. Combined with infrared thermography, a carbon nanotube heating coating powered by electricity was used to detect the transition location of a modified RAE5243 airfoil wing. The effects of heating power, angle of attack (AOA), and Mach number were studied. The results show that heating power has no impact on transition location. As the AOA increases, the transition location moves forward. With an increase in Mach number, the transition location moves forward first and then backward, and it reaches its most forward point at Ma = 0.75. The results of our numerical simulations indicate that, at Ma ≥ 0.75, a shock wave appears on the wing, and the transition is closely related to the shock wave rather than the adverse pressure gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spider silk protein, renowned for its excellent mechanical properties, biodegradability, chemical stability, and low immune and inflammatory response activation, consists of a core domain with a repeat sequence and non-repeating sequences at the N-terminal and C-terminal. In this review, we focus on the relationship between the silk structure and its mechanical properties, exploring the potential applications of spider silk materials in the detection of energetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylammonium chloride (MACl) additive is almost irreplaceable in high‐performance formamidine perovskite photovoltaics. Nevertheless, Some of the problems that can arise from adding MACl are rarely mentioned. Herein, it is proposed for the first time that the addition of MACl would cause the non‐stoichiometric ratio in the perovskite film, resulting in the halogen vacancy. It is demonstrated that the non‐synchronous volatilization of methylamine cations and chloride ions leads to the formation of halogen vacancy defects. To solve this problem, the NH4HCOO is introduced into the perovskite precursor solution to passivate the halogen vacancy. The HCOO− ions have a strong force with lead ions and can fill the halogen vacancy defects. Consequently, the champion devices' power conversion efficiency (PCE) can be improved from 21.23% to 23.72% with negligible hysteresis. And the unencapsulated device can still retain >90% of the initial PCE even operating in N2 atmosphere for over 1200 h. This work illustrates another halogen defect source in the MACl‐assisted formamidine perovskite photovoltaics and provides a new route to obtain high‐performance perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrological system of a watershed is intricately influenced by both underlying characteristics and climate conditions. Understanding the variability in water yield is essential for effective water resources management and water security in the context of changing environments. In this study, we adopted the Budyko framework and leveraged simulations from the CMIP6 model to investigate the compensation effects of climate and underlying characteristics on watershed water yield. Based on Taylor expansion and Budyko framework, we estimated the sensitivity of watershed water yield to climate and underlying characteristics (the first-and second-order partial derivatives). By combining external watershed characteristics (e.g., water yield ratios and underlying characteristics) with internal sensitivity coefficients, this study further used vine copula and principal component analysis to quantify the stability of watershed water yield. Our findings show: (1) Water-yield changes related to underlying characteristics could be offset by climate-related water-yield changes across all climate zones, maintaining the water yield ratio steady (i.e., the compensation effects). (2) However, global watersheds will turn more sensitive to underlying characteristics and less sensitive to climate variation in the future. Both climate- and underlying-related sensitivities increase in watersheds with arid climates. (3) The stability of watershed water yield will gradually diminish in the future. From 1901~~1950 to 2051~~2100, the global stability of 280 watersheds drops from 0.054 to 0.021 (i.e., stability index identified by the joint probability). Particularly, the largest change in stability of water yield reaches −0.347±0.18 in arid regions. In semi-arid, semi-humid, and humid regions, the changes are −0.039±0.010, −0.028±0.005, and −0.005±0.002, respectively. The findings provide a reference for the future sustainable water resources development under climate change, highlighting the vulnerability of the water resources in arid and semi-arid watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing the deviatoric and spherical stresses could affect the accumulative deformation behaviour of soils under cyclic loading. Drained cyclic triaxial loading tests were performed on saturated sand to study the dependence of cyclic loading-induced axial and volumetric strain accumulations on changing the deviatoric and spherical stresses in between loading cycles. The change in the stresses was simulated by changing cell pressure and axial load along different stress paths. The variation of axial and volumetric strain accumulations before and after changing the stresses is compared and discussed. It is found that changing the stresses could have different impacts on the axial and volumetric strain accumulations, as the accumulations are affected by different mechanisms. The axial strain accumulation after changing the stresses is affected by the average stress ratio and precedent stress history. The volumetric strain accumulation is hardly affected by changing the stresses unless an increase in the average stress ratio is caused. Both axial and volumetric strain accumulations show independence on the stress path of the disturbance. For the samples with decreasing average stress ratio, the strain accumulation direction after changing the stresses cannot be fully described using Modified Cam Clay flow rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteosarcoma is a rare bone malignancy that frequently affects adolescents and poses formidable obstacles in its advanced stages. Studies revealed that PSMD14 may be a viable osteosarcoma treatment target. However, PSMD14's function and mechanism in osteosarcoma remain unknown. This study aimed to examine the function and mechanism of PSMD14 in the biological behavior of osteosarcoma and its role in anlotinib resistance. Methods: Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) studies were used to examine PSMD14 levels. The role of PSMD14 in the malignant phenotype of osteosarcoma and its molecular pathway was explored by a series of studies, including Western blotting, cell amplification assay, transwell assay, and tumor growth. Furthermore, a series of in vitro investigations were done to determine the effect of PSMD14 on anlotinib-resistant osteosarcoma cell lines. Results: PSMD14 expression was elevated in osteosarcoma tissues compared to normal tissues. Overexpression of PSMD14 was associated with osteosarcoma patients' pathological grade and clinical stage, and PSMD14 was an independent poor prognostic factor. PSMD14 knockdown inhibits in vitro cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and in vivo tumor growth. PSMD14 knockdown has the potential to downregulate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, which was regarded as one of the key mechanisms promoting tumor growth. PSMD14 was likewise overexpressed in anlotinib-resistant OS cell lines, and its knockdown not only reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of subline cells and triggered cell apoptosis. Importantly, combination therapy with anlotinib enhanced these effects. Conclusions: PSMD14 is substantially expressed in osteosarcoma and may be an independent risk factor associated with poor prognosis. It can promote tumor progression and anlotinib resistance in osteosarcoma and may promote osteosarcoma progression by modulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group of steroidogenic enzymes, hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases are involved in steroid metabolism which is very important in the cell: signaling, growth, reproduction, and energy homeostasis. The enzymes show an inherent function in the interconversion of ketosteroids and hydroxysteroids in a position- and stereospecific manner on the steroid nucleus and side-chains. However, the biocatalysis of steroids reaction is a vital and demanding, yet challenging, task to produce the desired enantiopure products with non-natural substrates or non-natural cofactors, and/or in non-physiological conditions. This has driven the use of protein design strategies to improve their inherent biosynthetic efficiency or activate their silent catalytic ability. In this review, the innate features and catalytic characteristics of enzymes based on sequence-structure-function relationships of steroidogenic enzymes are reviewed. Combining structure information and catalytic mechanisms, progress in protein redesign to stimulate potential function, for example, substrate specificity, cofactor dependence, and catalytic stability are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The breast milk bank is a professional organization that collects donor human milk (DHM) for special medical needs by recruiting qualified breast milk donors. Such organizations are also responsible for the disinfection, processing, testing, storage, distribution, and use of breast milk. As DHM is a biological product, it may get contaminated. Microbiological testing is the final step to determine microbial contamination of DHM. However, a universal method for the microbiological analysis of DHM in breast milk banks globally is lacking.DHM without strict screening may become a potential carrier of pathogens and seriously threaten the health of infants. Clostridium perfringens, a gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, is capable of causing wound infections, including gas gangrene, enteritis/enterocolitis, and enterotoxemia. Here, the first case of C. perfringens detected in DHM has been reported to facilitate the identification of such contamination in breast milk banks. Case presentation: A breastfeeding mother donated 3000 mL of milk to the breast milk bank of the First Affiliated Hospital of the Army Medical University(over 2900 beds and patient receiving capacity of over 132,000), Chongqing, China. The milk sample was subjected to microbiological screening using liquid enrichment, followed by anaerobic and aerobic culturing. The results revealed the growth of C. perfringens in the anaerobic culture medium, but no bacteria or yeast-like fungi were observed in the aerobic culture medium. The donor did not exhibit any clinical symptoms, and her routine blood results and body temperature were normal. However, the infant fed with her milk had recurrent bloody stools. Breast milk bank infection control emergency handling as well as environmental sampling and investigation revealed that the cause was contamination of the donor's home-use breast pump with C. perfringens. The infant no longer experienced bloody stool once the donor changed the breast pump. Conclusions: C. perfringens can enter breast milk from contaminated pumping environments or devices, thus causing illness in infants. The microbiological testing of DHM in breast milk banks can be accomplished using liquid enrichment, along with anaerobic and aerobic culture, which is of immense significance in improving the standards for microbiological screening, DHM safety, and infant health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic adhesives play a crucial role in holding together solid materials through interfacial interactions. Thermoplastic and thermosetting adhesives are important types of synthetic adhesives, with thermoplastic adhesives being reassemblable and thermosetting adhesives exhibiting high adhesive strength and creep resistance. However, there is a need to combine the advantages of both types and develop high bonding strength, reassemblable adhesives. Here, epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) was used to prepare adhesive networks and Diels–Alder bonds were incorporated to enhance reassembly ability. The ESO was functionalized with furyl groups and cross-linked via the reaction between furyl and imide groups to involve the Diels–Alder bonds. The resulting adhesive exhibited good solvent resistance and mechanical properties, which could be regulated by adjusting the quantity of cross-linker. The prepared adhesives also demonstrated self-healing capabilities, as the scratch on the surface gradually diminished with heating. Additionally, the adhesives showed the ability to undergo recycling without significant changes in properties. The prepared adhesives exhibited hydrophilicity and the flow characteristics during reassembly were characterized by a decrease in torque. This study provides a promising approach for the development of synthetic adhesives with reassembly ability, which has important implications for the field of bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Thermosetting adhesives are commonly utilized in various applications. However, covalent cross-linked networks prevent thermosetting adhesives from being re-assembled, which necessitates higher machining precision. Additionally, the primary raw materials used in adhesive preparation are derived from non-renewable petroleum resources, which further constrain adhesive development. In this study, a recyclable adhesive was developed by incorporating dynamic boronic esters into epoxy resin derived from soybean oil. The successful synthesis of epoxidized soybean oil and boronic esters was confirmed through the analysis of proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and differential scanning calorimetry results. Swelling tests and tensile curves demonstrated the presence of covalently cross-linked networks. Self-healing and reprocessing experiments indicated that the cross-linked network topology could be re-assembled under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to give a comprehensive analysis of customers' acceptance and use of AI gadgets and its relevant ethical issues in the tourism and hospitality business in the era of the Internet of Things. Adopting a PRISMA methodology for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, the present research reviews how tourism and hospitality scholars have conducted research on AI technology in the field of tourism and the hospitality industry. Most of the journal articles related to AI issues published in Web of Science, ScienceDirect.com and the journal websites were considered in this review. The results of this research offer a better understanding of AI implementation with roboethics to investigate AI-related issues in the tourism and hospitality industry. In addition, it provides decision-makers in the hotel industry with practical references on service innovation, participation in the design of AI devices and AI device applications, meeting customer needs, and optimising customer experience. The theoretical implications and practical interpretations are further identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hair is one of the most common pieces of biological evidence found at a crime scene and plays an essential role in forensic investigation. Hairs, especially non-follicular hairs, are usually found at various crime scenes, either by natural shedding or by forcible shedding. However, the genetic material in hairs is usually highly degraded, which makes forensic analysis difficult. As a result, the value of hair has not been fully exploited in forensic investigations and trials. In recent years, with advances in molecular biology, forensic analysis of hair has achieved remarkable strides and provided crucial clues in numerous cases. This article reviews recent developments in DNA and protein analysis of hair and attempts to provide a comprehensive solution to improve forensic hair analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase; spike length; TaAIRP2-1B EN RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase spike length TaAIRP2-1B 4889 4891 3 09/15/23 20230913 NES 230913 Spike architecture involves many key yield-related agronomic traits in crops. The ubiquitin-proteasome system regulates the stability of substrate proteins and consists of three enzymes: ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2, and ubiquitin ligase E3. RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase gene TaAIRP2-1B controls spike length in wheat. [Extracted from the article]

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence mechanism of challenging and threatening work stress on employees' innovative behavior, and to examine the mediating role of psychological distance and the moderating role of employment relationships. A web-based survey of 498 employees was conducted. The main findings were as follows: (a) Challenging stress had a significant and positive impact on innovative employee behavior, whereas threatening stress negatively affected innovative employee behavior, (b) psychological distance mediated the relationship between both challenging and threatening stress and employees' innovative behavior, and (c) the employment relationship positively moderated the relationship between challenging stress and employees' innovative behavior and negatively moderated the relationship between threatening stress and employees' innovative behavior. Implications are pointed out and suggestions provided for management personnel who are searching for ways to encourage employees' innovative behavior in firms where there is work stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel for an integrated fault and states estimator was proposed for the generalized linear discrete-time system with disturbances. The proposed scheme was based on a Self-Organizing fuzzy Luenberger system to estimate the states and approximate the fault information simultaneously for the generalized linear discrete-time system. For this purpose, a generalized linear discrete-time system with disturbances was transformed into an equivalent standard state-space system with disturbances and faults. Then, the faults and disturbances of generalized linear discrete-time system can be separated with the coordinate transform, meanwhile the Self-Organizing fuzzy Luenberger estimator was designed to obtain the accurate fault information. Based on the obtained fault information, the fault detection experiments were performed, and the fault feature parameters required for fault isolation were determined. Finally, the proposed strategy was applied for a direct current motor to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers and adds empirical nuances to the recent conceptualization of pro-poor water management. Using the concept of pro-poor hydraulic governmentality along the Vietnam-Cambodia border of Thường Phước commune, we argue that water management is linked to local rural livelihoods in a complex and dynamic pro-poor mechanism. While certain policies organize local populations according to cost-effectiveness ignoring local customs, the practicalities of dealing with such constraints are much more ambivalent. This article demonstrates the structural pro-poor complexity among sand excavation, riverbank landslides, water management, local livelihoods, and populace resettlement. The government's resettlement plans and the perceptions of residents of these plans are intertwined with a wider political, economic, social, and cultural significance in the context of strong institutional power in Vietnam. Limitations and future research agenda are also indicated in the discussion and conclusion section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both high strain and low driving electric‐field are important characteristics of the piezoelectric actuators for industrial applications, but they are difficult to achieve together in a single material system. In this work, the layered and inlay‐onlay structures of relaxor/ferroelectric composites were prepared by selecting relaxor phase (0.94Bi0.5(Na0.82K0.18)0.5TiO3‐0.06NaNbO3, BNKT‐6NN) and ferroelectric phase (0.9Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3‐0.1Bi0.2Sr0.7TiO3, BNT‐10BST) with the volume ratio of 1:1. By comparing the field‐induced strains under same electric‐field, the S33 of the BNKT‐6NN/BNT‐10BST layered composites (0.17%) was greater than that of the inlay‐onlay composites (0.08%) and exhibited excellent temperature stability. The superiority in field‐induced strain for the layered composite ceramic was originated from the inhomogeneous distribution of internal electric‐field between relaxor and ferroelectric phase and thereby could modulate the polar nanoregions to ferroelectric phase transition. In addition, the restricted phase boundary between relaxor and ferroelectric phase enhanced the potential barrier energy (Ea = 1.47 eV) and hindered the jump of defective ions (mainly oxygen vacancies) of the BNKT‐6NN/BNT‐10BST layered composites. The outstanding electrical properties of layered composite ceramics provide a new idea for further improving field‐induced strain performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parametric zones are obtained where the cross-flow instability can be identified as a mode in the three-dimensional boundary layers with the Mach number ranging from 0 to 10. Although the term cross-flow mode is widely used in the investigations on boundary-layer instability, the previous work [Z. Liu, Phys. Fluids 34, 094110 (2022)] has demonstrated that a cross-flow mode cannot be designated in certain circumstances. The identification of the cross-flow mode is significant not only in the justifiable use of the term but also in judging whether a disturbance is more inclined to a cross-flow type or not. In this work, a criterion is built to identify the cross-flow mode based on the growth-rate peak and disturbance shape. By means of extensive calculations and identifications, parametric zones are presented for the unstable cross-flow mode. It is found that the cross-flow mode cannot be identified at large local sweep or at Mach numbers larger than 1.6. In parametric zones, the cross-flow mode can be distinguished from the Tollmien–Schlichting mode, or identified as the solely dominant mode. Based on the identifications, the maximum growth rates of the cross-flow mode, the Tollmien–Schlichting mode, and the Mack modes in the three-dimensional boundary layers are provided. The dominant mode can be determined at different Mach numbers. The cross-flow mode is revealed to dominate the boundary-layer instability at low Mach numbers. Under large cross-flow strengths, the second mode could not be the dominant mode in the hypersonic boundary layers, which contrasts sharply with the two-dimensional case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The KNN6L-PDMS porous composites have been successfully achieved with both the excellent piezoelectric properties and mechanical flexibility. • The piezo-catalytic activity exhibited a high efficiency and superior repeatability for degrading organic pollutants. • COMSOL simulations determined that piezo-catalysis was originated from the generated potential of piezoelectric composites. Piezoelectricity as a physical property has received great attention due to its excellently functional applications, especially in piezoelectric catalysis and mechanical energy harvesting. To take full advantage of the functions of piezoelectric materials, (K 0.5 Na 0.5) 0.94 Li 0.06 NbO 3 (KNN6L) piezoelectric powders were compounded with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in this work. The developed KNN6L-PDMS porous piezoelectric composites with flexible and recyclable characteristics could achieve ∼ 91% degradation rate of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye wastewater under mechanical vibration, and the outstanding piezocatalytic activity was still maintained after repeated decomposition multiple times. Besides, the relationship between piezoelectric potential and piezocatalysis was validated by COMSOL simulations. The content of piezoelectric powders played a positive effect on the magnitude of piezoelectric potential generated by the KNN6L-PDMS porous composites. Moreover, the catalytic mechanism was found to be originated by generation of various reactive oxygen species (mainly •O 2 – and •OH) in water environment as a result of strong piezoelectric effect by the porous composites. The porous piezoelectric composites with flexible and recyclable characteristics exhibited excellent performance in piezoelectric catalysis which has promising applications in the field of environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil behind wharfs or around pile foundations for wind turbines may be subjected to lateral cyclic loading. A series of cyclic triaxial tests were performed on a kaolin clay to study the response of the soil to lateral cyclic loading. Cyclic cell pressure was applied under a constant total vertical stress condition. The deformation behaviour of the clay under undrained condition is presented and discussed under different cyclic stress amplitudes, initial static deviatoric stresses and effective consolidation stresses. The results indicate that, the samples prepared under isotropic consolidation condition experienced axial extension, while those prepared under anisotropic consolidation condition exhibited axial compression under cyclic loading. There exists a static deviatoric stress ratio (between zero and 0.15) at which pure excess pore water pressure accumulates without axial strain development. Under anisotropic consolidation condition, with the increase of static deviatoric stress ratio, the deviatoric component of direction of strain accumulation increases in comparison to volumetric (excess pore water pressure) portion. The flow rule of Modified Cam Clay model (MCC) is revised to describe the direction of strain accumulation with the consideration of anisotropy of the clay. The predicted direction of strain accumulation is comparable with the observed values. The deformation behaviour of a kaolin clay under lateral cyclic loading is analysed. Zero axial strain accumulated at the static deviatoric stress ratio of about 0.1 (rigorously between 0 and 0.15). The flow rule of MCC is modified to describe the direction of strain accumulation considering the anisotropy of the clay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation highlights the significant influences of alkaline earth ion substitution for Gd on the structure, vacancy defects, magnetic and dielectric properties in GdMnO 3 (GMO) ceramics synthesized using the solid-state reaction method. The structure measurements indicate that all of the Gd 0.90 A 0.10 MnO 3 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) samples show a single phase structure, and the introduction of A 2+ ion induces structure distortion. A 2+ ions substitution increases the Mn4+ ion concentration in GMOs, but has no significant effect on the oxygen vacancy concentration. All samples with irregular grain shapes have dense microstructures, and A 2+ ion substitution inhibits grain growth. Positron annihilation experimental results indicate that A 2+ ion substitution can increase the vacancy size and concentration, while the vacancy concentration increases first and then decreases with increasing A 2+ ion radius. The evolution of the temperature- and magnetic field-dependent magnetization curves shows that A 2+ ion substitution could obviously affect the magnetic state of GMOs, and improve the magnetic transition temperature and magnetization of Gd 0.90 A 0.10 MnO 3. The dielectric measurements reveal that the A 2+ ion substituted samples exhibit giant dielectric constant characteristics over a broad frequency range. It is found that the enhanced magnetization of Gd 0.90 A 0.10 MnO 3 has a close relationship with the vacancy concentration, and the giant dielectric constant behaviors in Gd 0.90 A 0.10 MnO 3 ceramics can be associated with the mixed-valent structure of Mn3+/Mn4+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fire prevention is very important for the protection of the ecological environment, which requires effective prevention and timely suppression. The opening of the firebreaks barrier contributes significantly to forest fire prevention. The development of an artificial intelligence algorithm makes it possible for an intelligent belt opener to create the opening of the firebreak barrier. This paper introduces an innovative vision system of an intelligent belt opener to monitor the environment during the creation of the opening of the firebreak barrier. It can provide precise geometric and location information on trees through the combination of LIDAR data and deep learning methods. Four deep learning networks including PointRCNN, PointPillars, SECOND, and PV-RCNN were investigated in this paper, and we train each of the four networks using our stand tree detection dataset which is built on the KITTI point cloud dataset. Among them, the PointRCNN showed the highest detection accuracy followed by PV-RCNN and PV-RCNN. SECOND showed less detection accuracy but can detect the most targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear instability of compressible boundary layers over a flat plate in the presence of parameterized crossflow has been investigated by means of linear stability theory. A family of boundary layer with crossflow is obtained as the base flow from the compressible Falkner–Skan–Cooke (FSC) flow model. Two factors, that is, the local swept angle and the pressure-gradient parameter, are designed to create the crossflow with different directions and magnitudes, which further results in the variation of the cross-flow instability. Modal properties related to the cross-flow instability are emphasized. The association between the cross-flow mode and the Mack's mode is clarified by extending the base flow from two dimension to three dimension. The cross-flow instability is discovered to be integrated with the slow-mode instability, that is, the instability related to the Tollmien–Schlichting (T–S) mode or the first mode, and it can hardly be distinguished as an individual mode in most cases. The effects of Mach number, pressure gradient, local sweep, and wall temperature are studied. The behaviors of the cross-flow instability under such effects resemble those of the slow-mode instability in the two-dimensional boundary layers. It is found that the unstable modes in the three-dimensional boundary layers are mainly affected by the streamwise pressure gradient and the crossflow per se. Specifically, the first mode is much more sensitive to the crossflow than the second mode. As a result, more marked variations are commonly observed for the first mode in the boundary layers with crossflow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Etest method is useful for in vitro testing of combination antifungal therapy. • A combination of caspofungin and triazoles was effective for Candida infections. • Caspofungin and triazole combination was effective for Candida. glabrata with FKS mutation. Increased resistance of Candida species, especially Candida. glabrata is problematic. Combination antifungal therapies were studied to solve the problem. In this study, combinations of caspofungin with fluconazole and voriconazole were evaluated in 28 Candida species (including 15 C. glabrata and 12 with FKS mutation) at 24 and 48 hours using two Etest methods (direct cover method and MIC/MIC method). For Candida isolates, direct cover method showed synergy of caspofungin-fluconazole and caspofungin-voriconazole against 12/28 (43%) isolates at 24 hours, and against 16/28 (57%) isolates at 48 hours. The MIC/MIC method showed synergy of caspofungin-fluconazole and caspofungin-voriconazole against 11/28 (39%) and 12/28 (43%) isolates at 24 hours, and against 16/28 (57%) and 17/28 (61%) isolates at 48 hours, respectively. For C. glabrata , direct cover method showed synergy of caspofungin-fluconazole and caspofungin-voriconazole against 11/15 (73%) and 10/15 (67%) isolates at 24 hours, and 11/15 (73%) and 13/15 (87%) isolates at 48 hours, respectively. The MIC/MIC method showed synergy of caspofungin-fluconazole and caspofungin-voriconazole against both 11/15 (73%) isolates at 24 hours, and 10/15 (67%) and 14/15 (93%) isolates at 48 hours, respectively. A combination of caspofungin and fluconazole or voriconazole might be effective against infections caused by Candida species, especially C. glabrata with FKS mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body fluids/tissue identification (BFID) is an essential procedure in forensic practice, and RNA profiling has become one of the most important methods. Small non-coding RNAs, being expressed in high copy numbers and resistant to degradation, have great potential in BFID but have not been comprehensively characterized in common forensic stains. In this study, the miRNA, piRNA, snoRNA, and snRNA were sequenced in 30 forensic relevant samples (menstrual blood, saliva, semen, skin, venous blood, and vaginal secretion) using the BGI platform. Based on small RNA profiles, relative specific markers (RSM) and absolute specific markers (ASM) were defined, which can be used to identify a specific body fluid/tissue out of two or six, respectively. A total of 5204 small RNAs were discovered including 1394 miRNAs (including 236 novel miRNA), 3157 piRNAs, 636 snoRNAs, and 17 snRNAs. RSMs for 15 pairwise body fluid/tissue groups were discovered by differential RNA analysis. In addition, 90 ASMs that were specifically expressed in a certain type of body fluid/tissue were screened, among them, snoRNAs were reported first in forensic genetics. In brief, our study deepened the understanding of small RNA profiles in forensic stains and offered potential BFID markers that can be applied in different forensic scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arts and crafts, with their very different styles due to many factors such as times, regions, technologies, and cultures and nationalities, have undergone an extremely long process, and it is only through continuous superimposition, development, and innovation that they have gradually formed the posture of today's arts and crafts. Public mental health education is the main way to promote the psychological health development of the public in colleges and universities at present. And among them, sound personality and good self-awareness is one of the important standards of psychological health of the large public and one of the important tasks of mental health education. As an effective psychological test and treatment method, arts and crafts analysis are an important part of mental health education. It has a certain role in improving the level of self-awareness and promoting the integration of personality. Art and craft analysis has advantages in mental health and educational group counseling that cannot be replaced by other words and activities, so it can be used in mental health education courses. It can be used in teaching self-awareness. In order to combine the development of arts and crafts with the development concept and promotion ideas of public mental health education, this article proposes an analysis of the role of arts and crafts in public mental health education based on artificial intelligence computing to enhance the development of arts and crafts from a new perspective and seek the inheritance and innovation of arts and crafts and public mental health education in the new historical period, and proves the proposed method in the relevant dataset. The validity of the proposed method is demonstrated in the relevant dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce the new concepts of strictly positive definite functional and reproducing kernel functional space. We establish a connection between the strictly positive definite functional and the Ritz–Galerkin approximation. We prove a posteriori error estimate of the finite element method based on the reproducing kernel viewpoints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Sustainable covalent adaptable networks are prepared by biomass-based resources. • Acyl azides react with acetoacetates to form dynamic amide bonds. • Covalent cross-linked elastomers exhibit thermal healability and recyclability. • The robust elastomers with adjustable properties are fully biodegraded in soil within 24 weeks. Developing sustainable, recyclable, and biodegradable elastomers with the mechanical properties comparable to commercial polymers presents a formidable challenge. To this end, we synthesize a kind of mechanically robust elastomers cross-linked by acetoacetyl formed amides (AFAs) through reacting biomass-based derivatives castor oil acetoacetates (ACO) and terephthaloyl diazides (TPD). Inspired by the transformation of acyl azides into isocyanates via Curtius rearrangement upon thermal treatment, we show for the first time that the reaction of acetoacetates and acyl azides could afford AFAs as well. The AFAs, which have been demonstrated dynamic in our previous works, impart excellent thermal recyclability and healability to the obtained elastomers. Upon controlling the content of AFAs, the mechanical properties and dielectric properties of the elastomers could be flexibly adjusted. Moreover, the elastomers exhibit notable biodegradability, degrading in soil within 24 weeks. We anticipate that this recyclable and biodegradable elastomer represents a promising alternative to its conventional, nonrecyclable polymer counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Non-graphitic carbon prepared from lignite-based huminite concentrate. • Optimized carbon phase distribution with increased pseudo-graphitic carbon content. • An increment of 367 S m−1 in electrical conductivity value. • Higher plateau and lower sloping capacities with better rate and cycling properties. • Remarkably improved energy density of full cell with NaFe 1/3 Ni 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 cathode. Herein, huminite concentrate is obtained from lignite with high yield of 68.9 % by density gradient separation, subsequently converted to non-graphitic carbon (HM-H) by carbonization at 1400 °C for 2 h. Huminite concentrate possesses relatively high oxygen content and considerable amount of aromatic component, with modest yield of volatile matter during pyrolysis, resulting in optimized carbon phase distribution and enhanced electrical conductivity of HM-H. Compared with HM prepared by direct carbonization of lignite, HM-H has slightly higher contents of pseudo-graphitic and graphite-like carbons, and lower content of highly disordered one. Notably, HM-H exhibits remarkably improved electrical conductivity (1773 S m−1) than HM (1406 S m−1). Compared with HM anode for SIBs, HM-H one delivers higher plateau capacity (170.1 mAh g−1) meanwhile lower sloping capacity (91.8 mAh g−1), with significantly improved rate and cycling performances. Full cell assorted with NaFe 1/3 Ni 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 cathode and HM-H anode demonstrates higher energy density of 210.5 Wh kg−1 than its counterpart (193.8 Wh kg−1) at 20 mA g−1, with superior rate performance (208.6 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1) and a capacity retention ratio of 89.7 % after 100 cycles. This work provides a facile and effective strategy for preparing non-graphitic carbon as high-performance anode materials for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perovskite photovoltaic field has developed rapidly within a decade. In particular, formamidinium (FA)‐rich perovskite allows a broad absorption spectrum, and is considered to be one of the most promising perovskite materials. Great progress has been achieved, and most recorded high‐efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs) used the FA‐rich perovskite light absorption layer. However, the black α‐phase formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) perovskite easily transforms into an undesirable δ‐phase at a low temperature. Thus, researchers have put a lot of effort into deeply understanding the phase transformation and stabilization mechanism of FA‐rich perovskite. Herein, the fundamental physical properties of FAPbI3 materials, including crystal structure, phase‐transition temperature, charge‐carrier dynamics, etc. are summarized, and establish a complete phase evolution with temperature by reviewing previous reports. The intrinsic and external factors are subsequently discussed for influencing the stability of FAPbI3 perovskite and the remarkable breakthroughs of FA‐rich PSCs in recent years are reviewed. Moreover, a series of strategies to stabilize FA‐rich perovskite is summarized, including but not limited to compositional engineering, passivating engineering, processing engineering, and strain engineering. Finally, several new viewpoints are provided for improving the efficiency and stability of PSCs. This review may be regarded as a reference project for preparing high‐efficient and stable perovskite photovoltaic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stimuli-responsive polymer materials have a promising potential application in many areas. However, integrating multi-stimuli into one elastomer is still a challenge. Here, we utilized boronic esters and anthracene to prepare a cross-linked poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene) (SBS) which was endowed with responsiveness to three stimuli (light, heat, and alcohols). SBS was first functionalized with a certain amount of dihydroxyl groups via a thiol-ene "click" reaction between unsaturated double bonds in PB block and thioglycerol. Then, 9-anthraceneboronic acid was applied to form a cross-linked SBS network upon heat and ultraviolet radiation (λ = 365 nm). The prepared elastomer was demonstrated to be stimuli-responsive based on the dynamic nature of boronic esters and the reversible dimerization of anthracene. In addition, the mechanical properties of the elastomer could be regulated continuously owing to the stimulus responsiveness to ultraviolet or heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shared mobility is a promising travel mode in the era of autonomous driving. Travelers may no longer own a vehicle, but use shared autonomous vehicle (SAV) services. This study investigates the effects and feasibility of SAV-based shared mobility, which includes ride-sharing and car-sharing strategies, by using a data-driven modeling approach. Ride-sharing indicates that two trips with similar origin–destination information can be combined into a new one, whereas car-sharing indicates that trips can be fulfilled by a single vehicle consecutively. On the basis of license plate recognition data of Langfang, China, this study extracts the urban-scale vehicle travel demand information. Models for ride-sharing and car-sharing are formulated to generate SAV assignment strategies for fulfilling travel demands. This study reveals the prospects and potential problems of SAV-supported shared mobility at different development stages by setting a variety of scenarios with different participation levels of ride-sharing and car-sharing. The minimum fleet size to fulfil the vehicle travel demand in the road network and the total vehicle stock in the urban area are compared under different scenarios, and the effects of shared mobility on vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) and parking demand are evaluated. This study also reveals the impacts of SAVs in a practical scenario, which is constructed based on an online survey. Results show that ride-sharing and car-sharing with high participation will lead to considerable benefits, i.e., reductions in fleet size, vehicle stock, and parking demand. Under the shared mobility scenario with 100% ride-sharing and car-sharing participation levels, one SAV can potentially replace 3.80 private conventional vehicles in the road network. However, ride-sharing and car-sharing exhibit opposite effects on VKT. Car-sharing alone increases VKT whereas car-sharing and ride-sharing together have the potential to decrease VKT. This study provides insights for understanding the development of shared mobility and facilitating the efficient utilization of SAVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) have emerged as promising additives to regulate cement hydration via their intrinsic water absorption/desorption characteristics. This paper aims to investigate the influence of SAPs with different functional groups on the development of cement hydration and growth of calcium hydroxide (CH). The current experiment firstly uncovered the active control mechanism of CH in cement paste by SAPs, especially for the nucleation site and crystallization orientation. Specifically, the pores left behind SAPs after water release usually processed higher w/c ratio, Ca2+ concentration and smaller crystallization pressure, which jointly triggered the in-situ nucleation and crystallization of CH along (0 0 1). However, the hydration degree of cement paste was reduced by 0.1∼4.4% with addition of SAPs, especially in the early stage, which was attributed to that less free water can be used for cement hydration due to the strong water absorption property of SAPs. These insights provide a valuable foundation for deploying SAPs in an active control strategy for CH growth position and crystal form in cement-based materials. • The nucleation site and crystallization orientation of CH can be controlled by SAPs. • Higher w/c ratio, Ca2+ concentration triggers the formation of CH around SAPs. • The addition of SAPs reduced the hydration degree of cement paste by 0.1 ∼ 4.4%. • The addition of SAPs primarily affects hydration during the early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effect of a stress state change at an intermediate stage during cyclic loading on the drained cyclic deformation of soil using Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations. Drained cyclic triaxial simulations were conducted on an assembly of irregularly shaped particles, with the stress state shifting along different stress paths at an intermediate stage of cyclic loading. The analysis of the macro- and microscopic responses reveals a link between the cyclic stress–dilatancy behaviour and the anisotropy of the granular assembly. In the simulations without the stress state change or with a stress ratio increase, the strain accumulation direction aligns with the prediction of the Modified Cam Clay (MCC) flow rule; and the strain accumulation is faster at higher stress ratios when the contact distribution is more anisotropic. However, when the particle assembly experiences a stress ratio decrease during cyclic loading, the subsequent strain accumulation direction deviates from the MCC flow rule, and strains accumulate more rapidly at lower stress ratios when the contact distribution is nearly isotropic. A tentative explanation is proposed to explain the altered strain accumulation direction after the stress ratio decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an algorithm, referred to as the pulsar phase and standard deviation (PPSD), to mitigate transient radio frequency interference (RFI) in pulsar observations. PPSD uses the model for pulsar time of arrival to identify pulsar phase and extract the pulse profile to protect the original pulsar profile. PPSD sets a threshold based on the statistics empirical rule to label the transient RFI in the off-pulse data until all unlabelled off-pulse data obeys the white Gaussian noise (WGN) distribution. The transient RFI data is then substituted with WGN. Finally, we use PPSD to process the pulsar observation data obtained from the NanShan 25 m Radio Telescope. Our results show that PPSD can effectively mitigate the transient RFI and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the pulsar observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incompressible Falkner–Skan–Cooke (FSC) boundary layer is extended to the compressible regime on a flat plate, aiming at establishing a generalized model to facilitate the crossflow-related investigations. The compressible FSC flow is also compatible with the two-dimensional compressible Blasius boundary layer characterized by a self-similarity solution. A family of boundary layer with local self-similarity is obtained from an ordinary differential equation system. Pressure-gradient parameter and local swept angle are introduced to parameterize the crossflow, which can vary in both direction and magnitude. The results reveal that the crossflow is oriented toward the curvature center of the inviscid streamline, regardless of the direction of pressure gradient. The existence of crossflow results in moderate directional deviation of skin friction, while tiny difference is observed for the magnitude. In comparison, much less effect is observed on the thermal properties of boundary layer. Crossflow also leads to the distortion of vorticity inside boundary layer, accompanied by the production of helicity. In addition, it is revealed that cross-flow strength varies monotonously with the pressure-gradient parameter, while it varies non-monotonously with the local swept angle. The effects of Mach number and wall temperature on crossflow are investigated as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy oxides with complex compositions can be designed as new ferroelectric materials with interesting physical consequences. Here, a series of high-entropy perovskite ceramics (Bi 0.2 Na 0.2 Ba 0.2 Sr 0.2 Ca 0.2 TiO 3 , Bi 0.2 Li 0.2 Ba 0.2 Sr 0.2 Pb 0.2 TiO 3 , Bi 0.2 Na 0.2 Ba 0.2 Sr 0.2 Pb 0.2 TiO 3 , Bi 0.2 K 0.2 Ba 0.2 Sr 0.2 Pb 0.2 TiO 3 , and Bi 0.2 Ag 0.2 Ba 0.2 Sr 0.2 Pb 0.2 TiO 3) was proposed, which selected various elements to diminish the formational enthalpy and thus to achieve a single-phase structure. Detailed crystal structure and microstructure characterizations indicated that the high-entropy perovskites exhibited a single tetragonal phase with excellent chemical homogeneity. The equiatomic ratios of the A-site cations in perovskites could be used to maximize the entropy stabilization effect and effectively disordered the symmetry of the crystal structure. A robust ferroelectric polarization reaching 20 μC/cm2 under 50 kV/cm was achieved in Bi 0.2 Na 0.2 Ba 0.2 Sr 0.2 Pb 0.2 TiO 3 high-entropy ferroelectrics. This work provides an effortless approach to discover new high-entropy ferroelectrics in materials with unexplored compositional complexity and gives additional opportunities to design and tailor the functional properties in entropy-stabilized ferroelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excavation of a pit or tunnel induces stress disturbances in soils under different stress paths. The cyclic deformation behaviour of soft clay would be affected by the induced stress disturbances. A series of undrained cyclic triaxial tests were performed on a normally consolidated kaolin clay. The stress disturbance was simulated by changing the radial and axial stresses between loading cycles under different stress paths. The effects of stress disturbance schemes on the axial strain and excess pore water pressure accumulation in the clay were presented and discussed. The results indicate that for the samples experiencing stress disturbance with no change in static deviatoric stress, during the subsequent bundle of loading cycles, the axial strain and excess pore water pressure accumulate slightly in the early few cycles and then roughly follow the accumulation tendency similar to that of the sample under continuous cyclic loading. If the static deviatoric stress reduces, after including stress disturbance, axial strain and excess pore water pressure accumulate slightly in the early few cycles and keep almost constant afterwards, regardless of stress disturbance schemes. The accumulation rates of axial strain and excess pore water pressure during the subsequent loading cycles increase if positive static deviatoric stress is induced, and the greater the induced additional static deviatoric stress, the greater the strain accumulation. The axial strain accumulation is governed by static deviatoric stress ratio (q/p′), and independent to stress disturbance schemes. Based on the variation of axial strain accumulation under different stress disturbance schemes, two examples are presented to explain the impact of nearby excavations to the long-term deformation of existing tunnels under cyclic loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to investigate the sorptivity and capillary coefficient in unsaturated concrete using the capillary water absorption experiment. The effects of water-binder ratio, fly ash content, and aggregate content on the water absorption performance in concrete are compared. The decrease of water-binder ratio, aggregate content, and the increase of the initial degree of water saturation can lead to a decrease in the water absorption ability. With the increase of fly ash content, the water absorption ability first decreases and then increases; the 40% fly ash content had the worst water absorption ability. To forecast the water transport process, an unsaturated flow theory was used to predict the water content distribution in concrete during transport, this theory can well reveal the water distribution in concrete during water transport and the law of water content distribution is consistent with that of the water absorption experimental. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NC 70 BA plays a dominant role in the photocurrent generating and charge transport. • The separation of exciton of NCBDT-4Cl mainly occurs on the NCBDT-4Cl/NC 70 BA interface. • The OSCs based on NC 70 BA exhibit a significant increase of 10% in PCE. • The shallower energy levels and better compatibility for double side chain fullerene derivative NC 70 BA than single side chain fullerene PC 71 BM. In this study, ternary organic solar cells (OSCs) are fabricated with the PBDB-T-2F as a polymer donor and NCBDT-4Cl as a fullerene-free acceptor, double side chain fullerene derivative NC 70 BA as a third component material and single side chain fullerene PC 71 BM as reference third component materials. The NC 70 BA-based ternary OSCs exhibit the highest PCE of 13.82%, which is 10% higher than that of PBDB-T-2F:NCBDT-4Cl binary OSCs and slightly higher than PC 71 BM-based ternary OSCs (13.24%). Detailed studies suggest that the shallow LUMO levels and double side chain for NC 70 BA is beneficial to broaden energy bandgap and improve compatibility, which is enhancing J SC and FF value. This work suggests that double side chain fullerene derivative NC 70 BA as third component materials is a promising way to finely tune the detailed photovoltaic parameters and further improve the photovoltaic performance of OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]