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Segmented vertical cracks in high-strain-tolerance thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems provide fast diffusion pathways for oxygen, leading to the accelerated growth of thermally grown oxide (TGO) interfaces. This results in a competition between enhanced strain tolerance and accelerated oxidation. Here, the effects of crack width on oxygen diffusion and TGO growth in TBCs with segmented vertical cracks and underlying mechanism were investigated experimentally and numerically. The findings reveal a critical crack width of approximately 4 μm, underscoring the importance of selecting an appropriate segmented vertical crack width to design TBCs with superior strain tolerance and sufficient oxidation resistance. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants adjust their growth and development in response to changing light caused by canopy shade. The molecular mechanisms underlying shade avoidance responses have been widely studied in Arabidopsis and annual crop species, yet the shade avoidance signalling in woody perennial trees remains poorly understood. Here, we first showed that PtophyB1/2 photoreceptors serve conserved roles in attenuating the shade avoidance syndrome (SAS) in poplars. Next, we conducted a systematic identification and characterization of eight PtoPIF genes in Populus tomentosa. Knocking out different PtoPIFs led to attenuated shade responses to varying extents, whereas overexpression of PtoPIFs, particularly PtoPIF3.1 and PtoPIF3.2, led to constitutive SAS phenotypes under normal light and enhanced SAS responses under simulated shade. Notably, our results revealed that distinct from Arabidopsis PIF4 and PIF5, which are major regulators of SAS, the Populus homologues PtoPIF4.1 and PtoPIF4.2 seem to play a minor role in controlling shade responses. Moreover, we showed that PtoPIF3.1/3.2 could directly activate the expression of the auxin biosynthetic gene PtoYUC8 in response to shade, suggesting a conserved PIF‐YUC‐auxin pathway in modulating SAS in tree. Overall, our study provides insights into shared and divergent functions of PtoPIF members in regulating various aspects of the SAS in Populus. Summary statement: We systematically characterized the functions of eight PtoPIF genes in Populus tomentosa in controlling shade avoidance syndromes (SAS). Our results indicate a conserved PtophyB‐PtoPIF‐YUC‐auxin pathway in modulating SAS, providing insights into shared and divergent functions of different PtoPIFs in Populus trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modfied polyisobutylene succinimide T154) asphaltene dispersant was prepared by modifying PIBSA with hexyl hexanol, and was applied to the preparation of FCC slurry scale inhibitor. The effects of modification temperature, modification time and material mass ratio on asphaltene dispersion and scale inhibitor on FCC slurry were investigated. The results showed that when the modification temperature was 240 °C, the modification time was 4 h,and the mass ratio of polyisobutylene succinimide m) to hexyl hexanol m) was 1u 1,the dispersion performance was better than polyisobutylene succinimide. The product had exceHent thermal stability; when the dosage of scale inhibitor was 150 g/g, the scale inhibition rate was 91.3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sand‐filled nodular pile (SFNP) foundation is newly proposed to improve the bearing capacity and accelerate consolidation settlement of foundations installed in soft clay soil. By filling sand while driving the nodular pile into the soft clay soil, the SFNP foundation provides an extra drainage path with the aid of the nodular segment, while maintaining the high modulus reinforcement body at the core of the composite foundation. The performance of the SFNP foundation is greatly influenced by its consolidation behaviour. This study develops a generalized model for the SFNP foundation, and a closed‐form solution is then established considering the smear and well resistance effects. The developed model and the associated analytical solution are employed to investigate the consolidation rate and load distribution of the SFNP foundation. Finally, the analytical solution is utilized to evaluate the performance of SFNP foundation for an expressway project located in Zhejiang, China. The predicted dissipation of the excess pore water pressure employing the developed analytical solution agreed well with measured response from the field test, which further confirmed the advantages of the SFNP foundation and the reliability of the developed solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technique for target detection based on a convolutional neural network has been widely implemented in the industry. However, the detection accuracy of X-ray images in security screening scenarios still requires improvement. This paper proposes a coupled multi-scale feature extraction and multi-scale attention architecture. We integrate this architecture into the Single Shot MultiBox Detector (SSD) algorithm and find that it can significantly improve the effectiveness of target detection. Firstly, ResNet is used as the backbone network to replace the original VGG network to improve the feature extraction capability of the convolutional neural network for images. Secondly, a multi-scale feature extraction (MSE) structure is designed to enrich the information contained in the multi-stage prediction feature layer. Finally, the multi-scale attention architecture (MSA) is fused onto the prediction feature layer to eliminate the redundant features' interference and extract effective contextual information. In addition, a combination of Adaptive-NMS and Soft-NMS is used to output the final prediction anchor boxes when performing non-maximum suppression. The results of the experiments show that the improved method improves the mean average precision (mAP) value by 7.4% compared to the original approach. New modules make detection much more accurate while keeping the detection speed the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of logotherapy on meaning in life, depression, hopelessness, and suicide ideation in patients with depression. Design and Methods: A quasi‐experimental approach was used and 86 participants were recruited from a psychiatric department in Taiwan. The experimental group received logotherapy for 12 weeks. The control group received depression education as usual. Findings: The results revealed significant differences between and within the groups for meaning in life, depression, hopelessness, and suicide ideation. Practice Implications: Logotherapy was an effective method for increasing meaning in life, reducing the degree of depression, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation for patients with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video summarization for educational scenarios aims to extract and locate the most meaningful frames from the original video based on the main contents of the lecture video. Aiming at the defect of existing computer vision-based lecture video summarization methods that tend to target specific scenes, a summarization method based on content detection and tracking is proposed. Firstly, DBNet is introduced to detect the contents such as text and mathematical formulas in the static frames of these videos, which is combined with the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) to improve the detection precision. Then, frame-by-frame data association of content instances is performed using Kalman filtering, the Hungarian algorithm, and appearance feature vectors to build a tracker. Finally, video segmentation and key frame location extraction are performed according to the content instance lifelines and content deletion events constructed by the tracker, and the extracted key frame groups are used as the final video summary result. Experimenting on a variety of scenarios of lecture video, the average precision of content detection is 89.1%; the average recall of summary results is 92.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a one-class anomaly detection method that uses time series sensor data to detect anomalies or faults in semiconductor fabrication processes. Critically, this method is trained using only small amounts of known successful run data, making it possible to implement for many processes and recipes without needing example faults. The proposed method uses kernel density estimation (KDE) to create probability distributions for sensor values during nominal processing. When classifying unseen sensor data, we determine the likelihood that it arose from this (often non-Gaussian) nominal distribution, allowing us to classify new signals as nominal, or faulty. We present model extensions that enable adaptation to changes in the underlying process, i.e., concept drift, as well as transfer learning techniques that enable training of anomaly detectors for new process recipes with less data. The proposed methods are tested on historical data from plasma etch and ion implantation processes, outperforming benchmark methods including traditional statistical process control (SPC), one-class support vector machine (OC-SVM), and variational auto-encoder (VAE) based detectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual Metrology (VM) is a method for monitoring semiconductor fabrication processes that estimates key device properties using sensor information recorded during processing. While useful, two common problems hinder virtual metrology performance. First, changes in the modeled system over time, i.e., concept drifts, decay model performance such that a static model no longer matches the underlying system once it has drifted. Second, limited sensor information, i.e., observability errors, further limit model performance, as an inability to infer the full state of the tool prevents optimal modeling. With these two sources of error in mind, we propose a system framework to better understand these systems. This framework relates recipe, chamber, sensor and wafer values, and incorporates both concept drift and observability errors. This framework synthesizes example system data that can then be used to develop more robust modeling techniques. Additionally, we use this synthetic system to propose a linear modeling technique using Bayesian methods that adapts to concept drift, and is less prone to overfitting. We test this proposed model on synthesized as well as manufacturing virtual metrology data, and demonstrate its superiority over traditional linear methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a high-efficiency insecticide in combination with fungicides that have different mechanisms of action is a conventional method in the current management of brown planthopper (BPH) resistance. In this study, we investigate the separate and combined effects of the low-toxicity fungicide validamycin and the non-cross-resistant insecticide imidacloprid on the fitness and symbiosis of BPH. These research results indicate that when the proportion of active ingredients in validamycin is combined with imidacloprid at a ratio of 1:30, the toxicity ratio and co-toxicity coefficient are 1.34 and 691.73, respectively, suggesting that the combination has a synergistic effect on the control of BPH. The number of yeast-like symbiotic (YLS) and dominant symbiotic (Noda) in the imidacloprid + validamycin groups were significantly lower than the other three treatment groups (validamycin, imidacloprid, and water). The results of the study on population fitness show that the lifespan of the BPH population in validamycin, imidacloprid, and imidacloprid + validamycin was shortened. Notably, the BPH populations in the imidacloprid + validamycin groups were significantly lower than other groups in terms of average generation cycle, intrinsic growth rate, net reproduction rate, finite rate of increase, and fitness. The Real-time quantitative PCR showed that validamycin and imidacloprid + validamycin can significantly inhibit the expression of the farnesyl diphosphate farnesyl transferase gene (EC2.5.1.21) and uricase gene (EC1.7.3.3), with imidacloprid + validamycin demonstrating the most pronounced inhibitory effect. Our research results can provide insights and approaches for delaying resistance and integrated management of BPH. [Display omitted] • Using fungicides as an additive to imidacloprid for controlling BPH is a novel way. • The combination of imidacloprid with validamycin exhibits a synergistic effect. • The combination treatments) significantly impacts the fitness of BPH populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The memristive neuromorphic computing system (MNCS) can complete related calculations with lower power consumption and higher speed, which has attracted widespread attention. However, due to the limitations of memristor and circuit, the realization of MNCS faces many challenges. In this paper, we propose a heterogeneous deployment strategy for the MNCS and construct a lightweight heterogeneous memristive gas classification neural network (LHM-GSNN) based on the electronic nose (e-nose) application. In addition, the model parameters are quantified by clustering strategy to adapt to the nonideal characteristics of memristor. The experimental results show that the complex structure in the model is visibly simplified, and the number of parameters is correspondingly reduced using the heterogeneous deployment strategy. Furthermore, we also analyze the power consumption of the LHM-GSNN model deployed to the MNCS. This work may provide new solutions for constructing and implementing the MNCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There are significant satisfaction differences in bus traveling before and after COVID-19. • COVID-19 has severely affected satisfaction with bus traveling of low-income individuals. • Low-income individuals' satisfaction with bus traveling is determined by socioeconomic attributes rather than traveling attributes after COVID-19. • Risk concern has a significant positive impact on risk perception, but risk concern and risk perception have only a minor impact on satisfaction before and after COVID-19. • There is a significant relationship between satisfaction levels and modes of traveling alone and traveling with companions by bus. Although all cities in China have promulgated public transportation control measures to choke off the spread of COVID-19, it also has brought severe changes to low-income individuals' bus traveling. However, the study focusing on satisfaction differences in bus traveling before and after COVID-19 is far under-researched, this paper therefore explored satisfaction differences among low-income individuals under socioeconomic attributes, traveling attributes, and psychological attributes by using the data consist of interviews addressed to 930 individuals in Taiyuan, China. Furthermore, the relationship between satisfaction levels and modes of traveling alone and traveling with companions by bus has also been deeply analyzed to reduce single-person driving problem. As a result, many exciting phenomena were discovered: the significant factors affecting low-income individuals' satisfaction occur "shift" on a large scale after COVID-19; risk concern has a significant positive impact on risk perception, but risk concern and risk perception have only a minor impact on satisfaction before and after COVID-19; it was found that there is a significant relationship between satisfaction levels and modes of traveling alone and traveling with companions by bus. Understanding them can be a reference for improving the travel environment between low-income individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible Summary: What is known on the subject: The meaning in life consists of an individual's values, experiences, goals and beliefs. It has been shown to be negatively associated with depression, hopelessness and suicidal ideation.Depression and hopelessness are related to increased suicidal ideation. Meaning in life has been shown to be a protective factor against depression, hopelessness and suicidal ideation. What the paper adds to existing knowledge: A path model was developed to clarify the associations among meaning in life, depression, hopelessness and suicidal ideation. For clarity, the outcomes were depression and suicidal ideation, the independent variable was hopelessness, and the mediator was meaning in life. Hopelessness had a direct association with meaning in life, and meaning in life had a direct association with depression, supporting the mediating effect of meaning in life from hopelessness to depression.Meaning in life had the strongest association with depression, and depression had the strongest association with suicidal ideation. Meaning in life did not have a significant direct association with suicidal ideation; it did have an indirect association with suicidal ideation through depression. This study estimated that one‐point increase in meaning in life score was associated with 0.47‐point decrease in depression score and 0.13‐point decrease in suicidal ideation score, respectively. What are the implications for practice: Logotherapy is a meaning‐centred therapy to find meaning in life. This study reveals that increased levels of meaning in life are associated with decreasing degrees of depression. Mental health nurses could help patients to find meaning in life by logotherapy and thus associated with reductions in depression.Mental health nurses could help patients to find hope by exploring meaning in life and promoting positive attitudes towards life from meaningless life to meaningful life, there is a reduction in depression, which in turn reduces suicidal ideation indirectly. Introduction: Meaning in life can be good protective factor against depression, hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Aim: To analyse the mediating effect of meaning in life on the associations among hopelessness, depression and suicidal ideation. Method: A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 90 patients diagnosed with depression. A structural equation modelling approach was applied for this path analysis to examine the mediating effect of meaning in life on the association among hopelessness, depression and suicidal ideation. Results: The results showed that meaning in life mediated the association between hopelessness and depression. Hopelessness had a direct positive association with depression (β = 0.23, p <.03), and meaning in life had a direct negative association with depression (β = −0.51, p <.01) and indirect association with suicidal ideation through depression; this indirect association was −0.21 (p <.01). Discussion: Meaning in life revealed strong mediating association with the relationship between hopelessness and depression. By reducing the level of depression, meaning in life demonstrated its mediator association with suicidal ideation. Implications for Practice: Logotherapy is a meaning‐centred therapy to find meaning in life. Mental health nurses could help patients to manage their depression through logotherapy, thus leading to reductions in suicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) is mainly associated with monolignol biosynthesis, a central precursor to producing guaiacyl and syringyl lignins in plants. However, the explicit regulatory mechanism of HCT-mediated monolignol biosynthesis in plants still remained unclear. Here, the genome-wide analysis of the HCT gene family in Carthamus tinctorius as a target for understanding growth, development, and stress-responsive mechanisms was investigated. A total of 82 CtHCT genes were identified and characterized. Most of the CtHCTs proteins demonstrated the presence of two common conserved domains, including HXXXD and DFGWG. In addition, the conserved structure of protein motifs, PPI network, cis-regulatory units, and gene structure analysis demonstrated several genetic determinants reflecting the wide range of functional diversity of CtHCT-encoding genes. The observed expression analysis of CtHCT genes in different flowering stages under normal conditions partially highlighted their putative roles in plant growth and development pathways. Moreover, CtHCT genes appeared to be associated with abiotic stress responses as validated by the expression profiling in various flowering phases under light irradiation and MeJA treatment. Altogether, these findings provide new insights into identifying crucial molecular targets associated with plant growth and development and present practical information for understanding abiotic stress-responsive mechanisms in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The coupling of photoelectric and photothermal effect of full-spectrum solar energy over carbon nitrides was demonstrated. • A high hydrogen generation rate was achieved via thermo-photo catalysis under full-spectrum irradiation. • Non-metal carbon nitride catalysts were synthesized using different precursors via a hard-template method. • The explanation for enhanced performance via thermo-photo catalytic pathway is proposed through microscopic experiments. Thermo-photo catalytic water splitting for hydrogen generation is a promising method for cascade utilization of full-spectrum solar energy. Herein, two g-C3N4 catalysts were synthesized using a hard-template method with different precursors (melamine for M-CN and cyanamide for C-CN) to investigate the synergistic effect between photo and thermal energies in thermo-photo catalysis. The hydrogen production rates via different pathways, including thermo-photo catalysis (TPC), thermal catalysis (TC), and photocatalysis (PC), were investigated. Results showed that the hydrogen generation rates of M-CN and C-CN catalysts via the TPC pathway at 60 °C under full-spectrum irradiation were 808.4 μmol g−1 h−1 and 1932.9 μmol g−1 h−1, respectively, which were both higher than the sum of the hydrogen production rates via TC and PC pathways, indicating the coupling effect between the photoelectric and photothermal effects of light. The thermo-photo synergy with thermal energy converted from photothermal effect is stronger than that with thermal energy from an external heat source. The mechanism of the synergistic effect was characterized by photoelectrochemical experiments, revealing that higher temperatures promote the separation and migration of charge carriers, providing a microscopic explanation for the improved hydrogen production rate of thermo-photo catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Snowfall is an important component of the High Mountain Asia (HMA) cryosphere; its changes affect the regional energy and water balance. Snowfall data from numerous gridded products provide the basis for conducting climate-change studies; however, the applicability of these datasets in HMA has not been assessed comprehensively in terms of precipitation. This study comprehensively evaluates the applicability of the following widely used gridded datasets in HMA for the period 1991–2014: fifth generation of European ReAnalysis (ERA5), Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), High Asia Refined analysis (HAR), Multi-Source Weather (MSWX), National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), and China Meteorological Forcing Dataset (CMFD). The accuracy features of each dataset were evaluated based on observations from 148 gauges at various temporal scales (i.e., annual, monthly, and daily), elevations, sub-regions, and snowfall intensities. The results show that CMFD performs better at multiple temporal scales (i.e., annual, cool season, monthly, and daily) than other snowfall data. In addition, the CMFD accuracy has good stability, even at different elevations. CMFD is advantageous regarding interpreting the frequency and amount of different levels of (even extreme) snowfall events. The slightly inferior MSWX also performs well at different timescales, spatial scales, and elevations, and constitutes an attractive alternative to CMFD. HAR captures better light and moderate snowfall, and is the most accurate of the three sets of gridded products that contain direct snowfall data. This study constitutes an important reference for selecting suitable snowfall datasets for future scientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the thermal conductivity and Young's modulus of the thermal barrier coating (TBC) system with various pore morphologies are numerically investigated. A multi-parameter random grown method, based on the quartet structure generation set algorithm, is adopted to generate the TBC model with simulation realistic pore microstructure. The morphological parameters of the pores include total porosity, pore size, pore aspect ratio and pore angle. The thermal conductivity and Young's modulus of coatings with different pore morphologies are discussed by the finite element method. The results show that the total porosity, pore aspect ratio, and pore angle have significant effects on the thermal conductivity and Young's modulus of TBC. Coating with pores arranged in the direction of 0° has the lowest thermal conductivity and the largest Young's modulus. With the change of pore angle, the thermodynamic properties show a different positive or negative correlation with the range of the pore aspect ratio. Besides, coating with small pore size has superior thermal insulation performance and thermal mismatch mechanical properties. The structural construction method and analysis method can also be applied to the field of materials with porous structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaf beetle Ambrostoma quadriimpressum (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is monophagous on elm trees, Ulmus pumila (Ulmaceae). As this species lives on elm during most of its life but pupates and overwinters as an adult in the soil, the flightless beetle seeks a host plant after emergence from the soil. Previous field experiments showed that the beetle locates host plants via orientation to standing black targets and does not recognize host plant prior to contact it. In order to establish the relationship between preferential vision fixation and host locating behavior, we investigated the visual orientation by placing individuals in the center of an arena and recording their responses to different targets at the perimeter. Responses were compared for a control object - a vertically positioned 10 × 30 cm black rectangle - versus a treatment object that differed from the control in terms of width, height, orientation, edge features, or color. Higher, wider, vertical, and solid black objects were more attractive to the beetle than objects that are shorter, thinner, inclined or have stripes, whereas two altering features (wavy or serrated) of the target's vertical edge had no effect. The red and black targets were equally attractive, whereas blue, green or yellow objects were less attractive than black ones, and adding a green disk at the top of a black target did no enhance attraction. These visual preferences corroborate that the beetle is attracted to objects that resemble a tree trunk during the field search for a host. The implicated mechanism of vision fixation and host locating pattern of this beetle are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the excitation wavelength and aspect ratio AR are key parameters controlling the refractive index sensitivity performances of plasmonic sensors of individual Au nanoplate dimmers. In this work, the refractive index sensitivity factor S and figure of merit FOM of individual Au dimmeric nanoplate sensors with different plate cross-sections were investigated numerically as functions of AR and their resonant wavelength of dipolar localized surface plasmons. Their optimal FOM and corresponding optimal AR and excitation spectral region for plasmonic sensing are predicted simultaneously. The effects of the plate cross-section shape and near-filed coupling between components within each dimmer on S and FOM are also discussed. The present work holds great promise for choosing component AR and excitation wavelength for Au dimmeric nanoplate applications in optical sensing and detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chlorogenic acid (CGA) has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, but the study on its role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) models remains rare. Here, the effects of CGA on β-amyloid protein (Aβ)-induced cell models were investigated, aiming to provide a direction for Aβ-induced AD. Material and methods: Hippocampal neurons were separated from newborn Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and identified by immumofluorescence method. Hippocampal neurons were processed with Aβ25-35 after pre-treatment CGA. MTT assay was used for detecting viability of treated cells. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of treated hippocampal neurons were determined by corresponding kits. Flow cytometry analysis assessed the apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in hippocampal neurons after treatment. The expressions of proteins related to apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) were measured by western blot (WB) analysis. Results: Immumofluorescence method showed that the Aβ25-35 induction models were successfully constructed. CGA increased the viability and decreased the apoptosis rate of Aβ25-35-induced hippocampal neurons. Decreasing activities of LDH and MDA, and raised contents of SOD and GSH-Px were appeared in Aβ25-35-induced cells that pre-treated with CGA. Moreover, CGA also enhanced MMP intensity of hippocampal neurons induced by Aβ25-35. In WB analysis, CGA reversed the promoting effect of Aβ25-35 on the expressions of proteins related to pro-ERS and pro-apoptosis. Conclusion: CGA restrained the apoptosis of Aβ25-35-induced hippocampal neurons via improving the anti-oxidant capacity, mitochondrial injury and ERS state of cells, which may provide a direction for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the spectrum of CT and MRI findings of dysgerminoma of the ovary. Methods: CT and MRI imaging of 12 patients with 13 histologically proven dysgerminomas of the ovary were retrospectively reviewed. Patients, ages ranged from 6 ~ 27 years (mean, 17.2 years). Two observers evaluated the following CT and MRI features of the tumor by consensus: (i) location, shape, and size; (ii) attenuation, T2 signal intensity, and ADC value; (iii) patterns of contrast enhancement; (iv) presence of fibrovascular septa; (v) presence of necrosis, hemorrhage, and calcification; (vi) presence of "ovarian vascular pedicle" sign. We also noted the extent or stage of the tumors. Results: 75% lesions arised in the right ovary. Bilateral ovaries were involved in one case. Tumors displayed as a purely or predominantly solid mass (mean size, 17.0 ± 7.8 cm). Ten tumors were shaped multilobulated. The mean ADC value of lesions was 0.830 ± 0.154 × 10− 3 mm2/s. Characteristic fibrovascular septa were observed in all lesions. Among them, classic septa were present in 69% lesions. They were thin, hypointense on T2WI with a linear intense enhancement indicating the blood vessels in septa. Due to the stromal edema, fibrovascular septa may become thick even amorphous in shape, hyperintense on T2WI and even low attenuation on CT with a slight enhancement except for a bright blood vessel on the edge. Massive necrosis was observed only in one lesion. Calcification was present in 3 of the 5 tumors on CT. "Ovarian vascular pedicle" sign was present in 12 lesions. Lymphadenopathy, retroperitoneal spread, and distant metastases combined with an implantation in Douglas' cul-de-sac were present in one patient respectively. Conclusion: On CT and MR images, ovarian dysgerminoma often appears as a large solid mass. The edematous condition of characteristic fibrovascular septa can be well displayed by imaging which then can guide the radiologists to make an accurate diagnosis. Calcifications often occur in the tumor. Nonspecific low ADC value and "ovarian vascular pedicle" sign may narrow the differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To explore the lived experiences of family caregivers of epidermolysis bullosa (EB) patients. Background: Patients with EB need long‐term care. Their family experiences physical and mental stress while proving that care. However, very little research has explored the family caregivers' actual lived experiences when caring for EB patients. Design: This is a qualitative research using the phenomenological approach. Methods: Data were collected with the assistance of the Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders (TFRD). Interviews were conducted between 2015 and 2017 with primary family caregivers (n = 10) who had cared for EB patients for at least five years. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's (1978) seven‐step phenomenological method. COREQ reporting guidelines were utilised. Results: Four themes and eleven subthemes emerged after data analysis: (a) transformation and helplessness: changing expectations and helplessness associated with the rare, unknown disease; (b) mother's responsibility: mothers loving and protecting their children, surviving through adversity and challenges and self‐experiencing a child's pain; (c) physical and mental fatigue experienced by the whole family: physical and mental exhaustion, and unbalanced lives; and (d) adjustment and social support: providing mutual assistance to mitigate adversity, hopeful search for treatments, the importance of patient associations and rare disease foundations, and social assistance requirements. Conclusion: Family caregivers experience many challenges when caring for EB patients and experience substantial stress and overwhelming burdens. Consequently, they would benefit greatly from various support systems to reduce the burden of caring for EB patients. Relevance to clinical practice: Healthcare professionals can use the findings from this study to understand the circumstances faced by family caregivers and tailor care and education specifically to support each family's financial, social and household needs, thereby helping them reduce the stress of caring for EB patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Kachanov damage theory and elastic wave theory, considering the long-term creep damage from time dimension and instantaneous disturbance damage from space dimension, we presented a 3D damage creep model and converted it to difference expressions in order to write into the finite difference software FLAC3D. Then, according to the results of creep tests, we conducted parameter inversion of our damage creep model with the help of the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method. Finally, the damage creep model was applied in a railway tunnel project in Yunnan to simulate the tunnel deformation. Compared with the Burgers model and the model considering only creep damage, our model which considers both creep damage and disturbance damage yielded more reasonable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: RNA polymerase I subunit D (POLR1D) is involved in the synthesis of ribosomal RNA precursors and small RNAs, but its mechanism in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains ambiguous. Thus, this research aimed to investigate POLR1D's expression and significance in human CRC patients and evaluate its association with clinicopathological characteristics. Methods: Matched fresh-frozen cancerous and non-cancerous tissues were collected from 100 patients diagnosed with CRC. Immunohistochemical, Western blot, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses were adopted to validate the correlation between POLR1D expression and clinicopathological parameters in CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues (ANTs). Results: POLR1D expression in CRC tissues was significantly higher than in the ANTs. χ2 test and Spearman's correlative analysis showed that a high POLR1D expression is significantly associated with clinical stage, Dukes stage, tumor differentiation, depth of invasion, and metastasis (p < 0.05). It is not correlated with gender, age, and tumor location and size (p > 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curves show that the overall survival (OS) time for the low expression group is remarkably longer than for the high expression group (p < 0.0015). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicate that a high POLR1D expression is an independent prognostic factor for poor OS (p = 0.000). Conclusion: The findings of this study strongly indicate that POLR1D plays a pivotal role in the occurrence and progression of CRC. It might be an independent adverse prognostic factor for CRC patients and could serve as a potential therapeutic target for clinical diagnosis in CRC and anticancer drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: This study was designed to explore the psychological processes experienced by nursing students caring for suicidal patients during their first psychiatric clinical practicum. Background: Nursing students expressed fear when caring for patients who presented with suicidal behaviours. Yet, there is a lack of research exploring nursing students' feelings and thoughts when caring for suicidal patients. Design: A grounded theory study. Methods: A theoretical sample of 22 undergraduate nursing students who had cared for suicidal patients for at least 5 days during their psychiatric clinical practicum. Data were collected from 2016–2017, in three universities in Taiwan, using a semi‐structured interview and constant comparative analysis. COREQ reporting guidelines were utilised. Results: Four categories emerged depicting the psychological processes and revealing that the student nurses navigated four phases when caring for patients exhibiting suicidal behaviours. The phases were as follows: (a) apprehension and fear: involving students being frightened about patients attempting suicide; (b) frustration and powerlessness: concerning students finding it challenging to focus on changing patients' suicidal ideations; (c) support and catharsis: covering the students having to ask for psychological support from other people and explore their painful emotions; (d) confidence and empathy: meaning that the students incorporated enhanced confidence and cultivated advanced empathy, leading to the integration of competent care competencies towards suicidal patients. Conclusions: Findings could help nursing teachers to understand students' psychological processes when caring for suicidal patients. Teachers could provide appropriate support to help reduce students' negative thoughts and feelings and increase their care competencies when nursing suicidal patients during their psychiatric clinical practicum. Relevance to clinical practice: Clinical nurse teachers could support and facilitate students to develop their competencies and confidence as they negotiate the four phases and, actually, complete their internship goals on their clinical practicums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saturated soft clay subgrade in Wenzhou was reinforced by a combination of vacuum preloading and surcharge preloading using different loading materials. Using the principle of similarity, embankments were erected on samples of the soft clay subgrade in a large model box using three different materials (slag, coarse aggregate and sand). A vibration transmission test was conducted on the samples. The test results were used to analyse three factors that majorly affect the transmission of dynamic loads. The relationship between the vibration velocity and the distance from the vibration source was also investigated and used to derive a modified vibration attenuation equation. An increase in subgrade compressive stiffness was found to be helpful to decrease the vibration amplitude. In addition, the attenuation of the vertical vibration velocity was observed to accelerate with increasing embankment height and width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The serum biomarker copeptin, an innovative and stable substitute biomarker of vasopressin, is associated with stroke. Therefore, establishing a highly sensitive time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay for copeptin (copeptin-TRFIA) is helpful to measure stroke and evaluate its value in clinical applications. Double antibody sandwich was used to establish copeptin-TRFIA. The established method was then assessed. Two coated and Eu3+-labeled copeptin monoclonal specific antibodies targeting different antigen epitopes were employed. The serum fluorescence counts of patients with stroke and healthy volunteers were detected by using the well-established copeptin-TRFIA. Serum copeptin levels were measured and analyzed statistically. The actual measurement linearity range of the proposed method was 0.13–44.66 ng/mL. Copeptin-TRFIA had the inter-assay coefficient of variation (CV) of 6.49%–9.08% and the intra-assay CV of 4.75%–7.77%. Patients with cerebral infarction (CI) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) had significantly higher serum copeptin levels than healthy subjects. Copeptin concentrations in the serum of patients with stroke were significantly correlated with the scores of the National Institute for Healthy Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS). A highly sensitive copeptin-TRFIA was successfully established. Serum copeptin has a certain value in the clinical diagnosis and prognosis of stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The binary Fe chalcogenides FeSe and FeS are two superconductors which were discovered in recent years and have attracted a lot of attention in physical, chemical and materials research fields. In this work, we have synthesized FeS1−xSex solid solution crystals with the whole x range (0 ≤x≤ 1), where the S-rich part (0.1 ≤x ＜ 0.5) is reported for the first time so far. A hydrothermal route was carried out by de-intercalating K from the K0.8Fe1.6(S1−xSex)2 precursor and FeS1−xSex crystal sheets were thus obtained. Powder X-ray diffraction shows that the tetragonal lattice is maintained from x = 0 to 1 in this solid solution, and the selected area electron diffraction indicates the S/Se mixed occupation without any superstructure. As the Se content x increases, the lattice parameters expand due to the larger radius of the Se anion. Magnetic susceptibility demonstrates that with x≤ 0.3, FeS1−xSex crystals superconduct with the critical temperature basically unchanged (∼4 K). On the other hand, the Se-rich part of FeS1−xSex crystals (x≥ 0.6) exhibits an antiferromagnetic transition below 50 K, which could be attributed to the oxygen incorporation during the synthesis. Resistance measurement shows that the nematic order transition which was reported for FeSe in previous studies is absent in FeS1−xSex (x≤ 0.3) superconductors. This suggests that the superconducting mechanism in FeS-based chalcogenides may differ from that of FeSe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight new compounds named as dictamalkosides A (1), B (2), C (3), dictamphenosides A (4), B (5), C (6), D (7) and E (8), as well as 23 known ones were obtained from the 70% EtOH extract of Cortex Dictamni. Their structures were ascertained based on the spectroscopic evidences. Among the known compounds, 14 , 17 – 23 , 25 – 28 , and 31 were isolated from Dictamnus genus for the first time; 16 and 24 were firstly isolated from this plant. And the 13C NMR data of 14 was reported here for the first time. Moreover, compounds 1 – 8 , 12 , 18 – 21 , 27 and 31 were found to exhibit potential inhibitory effect on LPS-induced NO production at 40 μM for RAW 264.7 macrophages, which suggested alkaloids and phenolic acids might be anti-inflammation therapeutic substance in Cortex Dictamni. Eight new compounds, dictamalkosides A-C (1 – 3) and dictamphenosides A-E (4 – 8) with potential anti-inflammatory activity were obtained from Cortex Dictamni. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract All-optical multi-channel regeneration of advanced modulation signals is necessary for high-speed larger-capacity optical communication networks in the future from the cost point of view. As for the Mach–Zehnder-interferometer (MZI)-based pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM) regenerator, we put forward the delay-complementary transmission scheme to avoid the crosstalk of cross-phase modulation (XPM) between two channels. The proposed scheme can ensure the optical power transfer performance required for multi-channel regeneration of time-interleaved PAM signals, regardless of differential group delay of available high nonlinear fibers. All-optical two-channel 2R regenerator for dual-wavelength RZ PAM-4 signals is established by simulation and the noise reduction ratios are up to 9.05 dB and 9.17 dB, respectively. Highlights • The corresponding input-to-output power transfer function is theoretically deduced. • The power transfer function curves deteriorated can be explained by the variation of phase difference between two MZI arms. • We present the delay-complementary transmission scheme without the cross-phase modulation crosstalk. • The noise reduction ratios of dual-wavelength RZ PAM-4 signals can be up to 9.05 dB and 9.17 dB respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the recovery ability of individuals who have attempted suicide is crucial for psychiatric health nurses. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a psychometric Suicidal Recovery Ability Scale (SRAS). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated that three subscales with 15 items best fit the data. The global SRAS score showed significant negative correlation with the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) score. The Cronbach's α and test-retest reliability scores for the global SRAS and the subscales all exceeded 0.70. Nurses can use the SRAS to assess the recovery ability of individuals who have attempted suicide and provide proper care to help them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been widely applied for image recognition, face detection, and video analysis because of their ability to achieve accuracy close to or even better than human level perception. However, different features of convolution layers and fully connected layers have brought many challenges to the implementation of CNN on FPGA platforms, because different accelerator units must be designed to process the whole networks. In order to overcome this problem, this work proposes a pipelined accelerator towards uniformed computing for convolutional neural networks. For the convolution layer, the accelerator first repositions the input features into matrix on-the-fly when they are stored to FPGA on-chip buffers, thus the computation of convolution layer can be completed through matrix multiplication. For the fully connected layer, the batch-based method is used to reduce the required memory bandwidth, which also can be completed through matrix multiplication. Then a pipelined computation method for matrix multiplication is proposed to increase the throughput and also reduce the buffer requirement. The experiment results show that the proposed accelerator surpasses CPUs and GPUs platform in terms of energy efficiency. The proposed accelerator can achieve the throughput of 49.31 GFLOPS, which is done using only 198 DSP modules. Compared to the state-of-the-art implementatuion, our accelerator has better hardware utilization efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyclic shear study of the Ti-15Mo (wt.%) alloy, with twinning induced plasticity deformation mechanism, shows that whereas conventional {332}<113> twinning is obtained during forward loading, room temperature backward loading in Bauschinger tests are able to cause twins reversion, suggesting that detwinning can act as a proper deformation mechanism. After reversion, the mechanical twins leave behind residual bands with low misorientation (∼2°) in the matrix, and secondary twins. When the backward deformation is continued, new twins of different {332}<113> systems favorable to backward stress are then produced in the microstructure. The formation of the various deformation products is rationalized by trace analysis and calculation of the resolved shear stress on the considered twinning systems. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Producing higher grain yield with less environmental impact is a challenge for the future of agriculture. Breeding green super rice (GSR) varieties is one of the promising ways to meet this challenge. Green super rice is supposed to have better performance than super hybrid rice (SHR) under reduced input condition. In the present study, seven elite candidate GSR varieties and five representative SHR varieties were planted under the farmers’ practice (FP) and the simplified and reduced input practice (SRIP) in 2015 and 2016. The objectives were to compare the grain yield and NUE of the candidate GSR and SHR under FP and SRIP, and investigate the agronomic and physiological traits of GSR. Averaged across all varieties, the reduction in grain yield at SRIP compared to FP was 1.04 t ha −1 in 2015 (10.37%) and 0.50 t ha −1 in 2016 (5.55%). The average grain yield of GSR varieties was similar to that of SHR in 2015, but SHR had significantly greater (7.42%) average grain yield than GSR in 2016. In comparison to FP, yield reduction at SRIP for the candidate GSR and SHR varieties was 9.27% and 11.48% respectively in 2015, and 4.74% and 5.85% respectively in 2016. Grain yield of FP was significantly correlated with that of SRIP (R 2  = 0.73). Averaged across varieties, total aboveground nitrogen uptake and nitrogen use efficiency for grain production between GSR and SHR were comparable. Among the GSR varieties, 9Y6H exhibited relative high yield stability and NUEg across treatments and planting years; however, SHR varieties showed consistently better yield stability than most of the GSR varieties. Overall, candidate GSR varieties had similar response to SRIP with the SHR varieties. In addition to breeding GSR varieties, future studies should also focus on the green traits of the SHR varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To develop the Health of Body, Mind and Spirit Scale (HBMSS), which was designed to assess drug abusers' health condition. Background: Helping drug abusers to become healthy is important to healthcare professionals. However, no instrument exists to assess drug abusers' state of health. Design: A cross‐sectional questionnaire survey was implemented to examine the validity of the HBMSS. Methods: Data were collected from 2015–2016 at one drug abuse prevention centre in Taiwan. Participants (N = 320) who had abused drugs were invited to complete a preliminary 64‐item version of the HBMSS. An item analysis, criterion‐related validity analysis (using the Relapse Prediction Scale [RPS] score), split‐half reliability testing and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the HBMSS. Results: The final version of the HBMSS contained 15 items that were divided into three subscales: the health of the body, mind and spirit. Cronbach's α and split‐half reliability coefficients were all above .85. The factor loading of each item was between .74–.95. The HBMSS had satisfactory criterion‐related validity with the RPS score (r = −.50, p < .001). A second‐order CFA was conducted on the HBMSS. The fit indexes were good, χ2 = 184.060, df = 94, χ2/df = 1.958 (p = .000). Conclusions: The entire HBMSS and the subscales had satisfactory reliability and validity. Relevance to clinical practice: Healthcare professionals could use the HBMSS to evaluate the condition of the health of individuals with a drug abuse history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of ordinary hybrid rice and super hybrid rice significantly increased the grain yield under non-limited nitrogen (N) fertilizer condition, however, the information on direct comparison of grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) among the high-yielding super hybrid, ordinary hybrid, and inbred rice under low and moderate N rates is limited. Therefore, field experiments with two representative cultivars of each these types were conducted under N0 (0 kg N ha −1 ) and N90 (90 kg N ha −1 ) treatments in 2014 and 2015 in Wuxue County, Hubei Province, China. Grain yield of the super hybrid rice was higher than that of the inbred rice by 3.33-7.41% at N0 and 5.94-10.87% at N90. Similarly, the ordinary hybrid rice outyielded the inbred rice by 4.53-6.17% and 4.35-4.69% at N0 and N90, respectively. The yield advantage of the ordinary hybrid rice over the inbred rice was mainly due to higher aboveground total dry weight (TDW), while for the super hybrid rice, higher grain yield was mainly attributed to higher harvest index (HI) at N0, and both high HI and TDW at N90. Larger leaf area index (LAI) at heading stage and higher crop growth rate (CGR) contributed to higher TDW of the ordinary hybrid rice. Total N uptake at maturity was consistently higher in the ordinary hybrid rice, while the super hybrid rice had significantly higher nitrogen use efficiency for grain production (NUEg) than the inbred rice, which was associated with higher N harvest index (NHI) and lower leaf N concentration of the super hybrid rice. In conclusion, it was found that the super and ordinary hybrid rice exhibited higher yield over the inbred rice at low and moderate N rates, but the physiological mechanisms underlying the yield advantage were different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives The aim of this study was to explore the factors predicting suicide recovery and to provide guidance for healthcare professionals when caring for individuals who have attempted suicide. Background The high rate of suicide is a global health problem. Suicide prevention has become an important issue in contemporary mental health. Most suicide research has focused on suicidal prevention and care. There is a lack of research on the factors predicting suicidal recovery. Design A cross-sectional design was adopted. Methods A correlational study with a purposive sample of 160 individuals from a suicide prevention centre in southern Taiwan was conducted. The questionnaires included the Brief Symptom Rating Scale-5, Suicidal Recovery Assessment Scale and Beck Hopelessness Scale. Descriptive statistics and linear regressions were used for the analysis. Results The mean age of the participants was 40.2 years. Many participants were striving to make changes to create a more stable and fulfilling life, had an improved recovery from suicide and had a good ability to adapt or solve problems. The linear regression showed that the Beck Hopelessness Scale scores (ß = −.551, p < .001) and Brief Symptom Rating Scale-5 (ß = −.218, p = .003) and past suicidal behaviour (ß = −.145, p = .008) were significant predictors of individuals' recovery from suicide. They accounted for 57.1% of the variance. Conclusions Suicidal individuals who have a lower level of hopelessness, a better ability to cope with their mental condition and fewer past suicidal behaviours may better recover from suicide attempts. Relevance to clinical practice The nurses could use the results of this study to predict recovery from suicide in patients with attempted suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate cognitive dysfunction in the hippocampus induced by sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) via acetylation of cyclophilin D (CypD) and opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore. It also explored whether activating sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) can mediate deacetylation of CypD and prevent the development of SAE. Male mice were randomly assigned to six groups: sham group, cecal ligation puncture group, CypD siRNA transfection (CypD-si) group, CypD control siRNA transfection (CypD-c) group, SIRT3 overexpression vector pcDNA3.1 (SIRT3-p) group, and SIRT3 empty vector pcDNA3.1 (SIRT3-v) group ( n = 18). The CypD-si and CypD-c groups were transfected with CypD siRNA and CypD control siRNA, respectively. The SIRT3-p and SIRT3-v groups were injected with SIRT3 pcDNA3.1 and vector pcDNA3.1, respectively. The learning and memory function was assessed using the learning version of the Morris water maze test. Then, cell apoptosis and the levels of CypD, acetylated CypD, SIRT-3, interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and caspase-3 in the hippocampus were determined. The levels of CypD and acetylation of CypD increased in the hippocampus induced by SAE. Increasing SIRT3 and decreasing CypD can attenuate cognitive impairment and neuroapoptosis, and protect the integrity of mitochondrial membrane from damage and restore the protein expressions of IL-6, TNF-α, and caspase-3. Activating SIRT3-mediated deacetylation of CypD attenuated learning and memory dysfunction induced by SAE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition metal phosphorus trichalcogenides are fascinating two dimensional (2D) materials with expansive potential in optoelectronic devices, catalysis and energy storage. The van der Waals gap in structure gives a permit for rich intercalation chemistry, which could induce novel properties. In this work, we report the chemical intercalation in CdPS 3 single crystals utilizing liquid ammonia method. It is demonstrated that the co-intercalation of alkali metal (Li or K) and NH 3 molecule occurs during the intercalation reaction, leading to significantly enlarged layer distances (9.347–9.438 Å). The oxidation state of Cd in intercalated phases is clearly deceased compared to the parent CdPS 3 , which is ascribed to the charge transfer from the s orbitals of alkali metals to the 3 d orbitals of Cd during intercalation. The charge transfer also largely narrows the optical gap of CdPS 3 from 3.32 eV to 1.50 eV in K-intercalated phase, inducing visible-light response in this layered material. It is interesting to note that for the first time we report the successful chemical intercalation in transition metal phosphorus trichalcogenides with the single crystal form, instead of the polycrystalline sample. The intercalated products obtained by liquid ammonia method are still in single crystal form, which will facilitate the further mechanical or chemical exfoliation to synthesize new 2D materials. • Chemical intercalation is carried out in CdPS 3 single crystals. • Co-intercalation of alkali metal and NH 3 occurs by using liquid ammonia method. • The oxidation state of Cd in intercalates is deceased compared to CdPS 3. • The optical gap is narrowed due to the charge transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, CotA laccase was cloned from Bacillus licheniformis ZOM-1 and expressed in Escherichia coli. In addition to the oxidative degradation of zearalenone (ZEN) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), CotA laccase also has the ability to degrade the Alternaria toxin alternariol (AOH). This is the first report of an Alternaria toxin-degrading enzyme. The optimal reaction temperature for CotA laccase is 80 °C, and the optimal reaction pH is approximately 9.0. By high-resolution mass spectrometry, we identified the oxidative degradation products. Additionally, toxicological analysis indicated that the degradation products had a significantly reduced effect on cell viability relative to the original toxins. In addition, we found that B. licheniformis ZOM-1 has the ability to degrade three mycotoxins, ZEN, AOH and alternariol monomethyl ether (AME). These findings provide possible application prospects for CotA laccase and B. licheniformis ZOM-1 as mycotoxin degradation products in food or feed. • First report on the biodegradation of AOH and AME. • Simultaneous decomposition of ZEN, AOH, and AME by Bacillus licheniformis ZOM-1. • Simultaneous decomposition of ZEN, AFB1, and AOH by CotA laccase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the resonant nonlinear Schrödinger equation which describes the propagation of optical solitons in optical fibers. Through the trial equation method and the complete discrimination system for polynomial we obtain abundant optical wave propagation patterns for the model and divide them into three categories. Besides, we analyze the topological stability of these patterns. Ultimately, we give physical representations of optical wave patterns and draw some figures to show their temporal-space structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous study suggested that Se-site doping with Te or S in tetragonal FeSe adjusts the superconductivity only by expanding or compressing the lattice parameters. However, three chalcogens X ( X = S, Se, Te) show different electronegativity, which could directly change the interaction between Fe & X , and their electronic structures. In order to understand this underlying mechanism, the samples with different anion compositions but the same lattice parameters are required. In this work, two superconductors: FeSe 0.95 Te 0.03 S 0.02 and FeSe 0.9 Te 0.057 S 0.043 have been synthesized by solid state reaction. The thus-obtained samples have the same lattice parameters in tetragonal single phase as that of undoped FeSe. It is found that despite the unchanged lattice, S/Te co-doping on Se-site still increased the density of the electronic states (DOS) near the Fermi level, thereby enhanced the superconductivity. Our results suggest that the influence of Se-site doping with the same valence chalcogen in superconducting FeSe is not simply in the view of the lattice size, effects on electronic structures originated from different electronegativity during Se-site doping should also be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single crystal of a new layered telluride KFeCuTe2 has been successfully synthesized by the self-flux method, which is formed by intercalating K in the parent telluride Fe1+xCuTe2. This new compound crystallizes in the space group I4/mmm with the interstitial Fe in pristine Fe1+xCuTe2 completely removed after K intercalation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows that after intercalation, the valence of Fe switched from a mixture of +2 and +3 to the single trivalent one. The KFeCuTe2 is a Mott semiconductor (Eg = 1.06 eV) with a larger resistivity than that of Fe1+xCuTe2 due to the absence of electron doping from interstitial Fe atoms. Most importantly, the magnetic susceptibility shows the antiferromagnetic transition in KFeCuTe2 at 60 K, instead of the spin-glass behavior in Fe1+xCuTe2, indicating the crucial role of interstitial Fe in breaking the long-range magnetic ordering. Our work provides a new compound to study the effect of interstitial Fe on the crystal and magnetic structure in layered tellurides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The robustness of an anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process under individual and combined thiocyanate (SCN − ) and hydraulic shocks was investigated. The nitrogen removal performance and stability of a process subjected to transient SCN − (300, 600 and 900 mg L −1 ), hydraulic shock (2-fold increase in flow rate) and the combined effects of SCN − and hydraulic shock were evaluated. The sensitivity index (SI) was used to characterize the impact of the SCN − , and the SI exhibited a rising trend with increases in shock strength. The higher SI of effluent was reached after exposure to SCN − shocks (900 mg L −1 ) for 3 h, and the reactor performance was stable at a relatively lower SCN − concentration (300 mg L −1 ) after exposure to SCN − shocks for 1.5 and 3 h. The shock effect was mainly related to the SCN − concentration rather than the shock time. The similar phenomenon also was found in the test of combined SCN − and hydraulic shocks. The reactor performance in hydraulic shock tests was robust, and the relative low SAA loss ratios (9.2% and 4.0%) were observed. The specific anammox activity and heme c in the shock period were adversely affected, with maximum loss rates of 42.6% and 22.7%, respectively. However, the extracellular polymeric substance content during the shock period increased in varying degrees and antagonized exogenous disturbances. The results for these different shocks suggested that instabilities in the anammox process were dependent on both time and the concentration intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing penetration of renewable energy, the traditional energy storage operation based on individual framework —users own and operate independently mode may become impracticable due to conflicting interests, insufficient utilization, and poor interoperability. Riding on the wave of the proliferation of sharing economy, storage energy sharing expands the existing storage energy without requiring costly and time-consuming infrastructure investments. However, the development path of shared energy storage (SES) mode is not clear due to the asymmetric decision-making of the owners of energy storage systems under bounded rationality. In this paper, the diffusion of the business model of SES among multiple renewable energy stations (the owners, RES) and its key factors are analyzed based on the evolutionary game. The goal is to maximize social welfare and ensure the continuous growth of the sharing market. The numerical simulation is carried out based on the data from northwest China to interpret the development path. The result shows that, in renewable energy cluster the stations with intermittent output or with the higher prediction accuracy are more willing to participate in sharing. The energy storage sharing mode fails when the energy storage capacity ratio of RES is less than 10%. While the high-level ratio (more than 30%) is not conducive to the diffusion of the sharing model in RESs with low power generation prediction accuracy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]