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Summary: In this study, the effect of short‐term storage at different temperatures (0, 4 and −8 °C) on the quality of Antarctic krill was investigated using the main quality indicators as a reference, combined with electronic nose and untargeted metabolomics. Antarctic krill stored at lower temperatures (−8 °C) were of better quality and had a flavour similar to that of the original Antarctic krill. Metabolomics analyses showed that differential metabolites (DMS) were more abundant in Antarctic krill at higher temperatures (4 °C), with sixty‐five metabolites having reduced expression and forty‐five metabolites having increased expression; Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses showed that amino acid metabolism and nucleotide metabolism pathways were the Five DMS, including α‐ketoglutarate, glutamate, succinate, sucrose and glutarate, can be used as potential biomarkers to monitor quality changes during short‐term storage of Antarctic krill. In addition, the association between quality indicators and differential metabolites remains to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of ceramic aerogels is crucial in spacecraft thermal protection systems that necessitate exceptional high-temperature stability, mechanical robustness, and low thermal conductivity. The primary challenges hindering their implementation encompass inadequate mechanical robustness and high infrared radiation transparency. Herein, a biphasic nanorod encapsulation strategy is proposed to fabricate an Al 2 O 3 -TiO 2 nanorod aerogel (ATNA) with a hierarchical and anisotropic microstructure. The biphasic nanorod structure not only reduces the radiation heat transfer but also enhances the mechanical properties simultaneously. The primary compressive strain was borne by the intersecting Al 2 O 3 nanorods, while the interpenetrated TiO 2 nanorods served to reinforce and withstand partial stress at the joints. The ATNAs obtained exhibit an ultralow thermal conductivity (0.069 W·m−1·K−1 at 1100 °C), exceptional high stiffness (a specific compressive strength of 13.4 kN·m·kg−1), and remarkable thermal stability (1400 °C in air). The robust ATNAs can effectively meet the urgent demand for thermal insulation in high-temperature environments. • A biphasic nanorod encapsulation strategy is proposed to fabricate the Al2O3/ TiO2 ceramic aerogels. • Aerogels possessing the anisotropic and hierarchical structure. • The surface of Al2O3 nanorods is coated with TiO2 nanorods, which effectively absorb and reflect infrared heat radiation. • The derived aerogels exhibit high stiffness, low thermal conductivity and remarkable thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSoil arching is inevitably affected by external loading; however, the influence of surcharge width has been not fully understood. In this study, the arching effect under six surcharge widths and three different levels of surcharge in active and passive trapdoor models were comprehensively examined using discrete element simulation. The results showed that the majority of the active and passive arching effects were degraded due to the application of surcharge. For active arching, as the ratio between the width of loading plate (W) and the width of trapdoor (B) increased, the minimum soil arching ratio (ρmin) slightly increased and then decreased. Moreover, for W/B ≤ 1, ρmin increased with increasing magnitude of surcharge, whereas for W/B > 1, the influence of surcharge decreased. Furthermore, for passive arching, the maximum soil arching ratio initially decreased to a valley at W = 0.75B and then increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops an averaging approach on macroscopic scales to derive Smoluchowski–Kramers approximation for a Langevin equation with state dependent friction in d-dimensional space. In this approach we couple the microscopic dynamics to the macroscopic scales. The weak convergence rate is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of endovascular treatment for massive haemoptysis caused by pulmonary pseudoaneurysm (PAP). Methods: The clinical data, imaging data, and endovascular treatment protocol of 23 patients with massive haemoptysis caused by continuous PAP were retrospectively analysed. The success, complications, postoperative recurrence rate, and influence of the treatment on pulmonary artery pressure were also evaluated. Results: Nineteen patients with a bronchial artery-pulmonary artery (BA-PA) and/or nonbronchial systemic artery-pulmonary artery (NBSA-PA) fistula underwent bronchial artery embolization (BAE) and/or nonbronchial systemic artery embolization (NBSAE) + pulmonary artery embolization (PAE). The pulmonary artery (PA) pressures before and after embolization were 52.11 ± 2.12 (35–69 cmH2O) and 33.58 ± 1.63 (22–44 cmH2O), respectively (P = 0.001). Four patients did not have a BA-PA and/or NBSA-PA fistula. Embolization was performed in two patients with a distal PAP of the pulmonalis lobar arteria. Bare stent-assisted microcoils embolization was performed in the other two patients with a PAP of the main pulmonary lobar arteries. The PA pressures of the four patients before and after treatment were 24.50 ± 1.32 (22–28 cmH2O) and 24.75 ± 1.70 (22–29 cmH2O), respectively (P = 0.850). The technique had a 100% success rate with no serious complications and a postoperative recurrence rate of 30%. Conclusion: Endovascular treatment is safe and effective for massive haemoptysis caused by PAP. BAE and/or NBSAE can effectively reduce pulmonary hypertension in patients with a BA-PA and/or NBSA-PA fistula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was used fermentation bed technology to study the effect of fermentation bed on diarrhea rate, growth performance and blood physicochemical indexes of lambs in winter. Three batches of experiments were carried out in a row, and 30 hybrid ewes who had just given birth and gave birth to two lambs in each batch were randomly assigned to two closed houses with windows and the same building structure, one floor was transformed into a fermentation bed (experimental group), and the other was used as a control group. The lambs were fed in a single pen for 7 d and then transferred out. Each group was randomly divided into three pens, transferred to semi-open houses, and continued to be fed until weaning at 60 d. The results showed that on 1~7 d, the diarrhea rate of lambs in experimental group was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05). From birth to weaning, the diarrhea rate and mortality of lambs in experimental group were decreased by 2.49% and 2.95% compared with control group (P<0.05). On 7 d of experiment, the body height, body length and chest circumference of lambs in experimental group were increased by 1.71, 0.56, 0.66 cm compared with control group, respectively (P<0.05). On 8~30 d, the average daily gain of lambs in experimental group was increased by 22.59% compared with control group ( P<0.05). The average daily gain of experimental group was significantly higher than that of control group during the whole experiment period (1~60 d) (P<0.05). At 60 d of age, the body weight of lambs in experimental group was increased by 13.42% compared with control group ( P<0.05). The percentage of lymphocyte in whole blood of lambs in experimental group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05), and the content of GLU, TP and GLB in serum were increased by 8.45%, 3.34% and 10.49% compared with control group, respectively (P<0.05). The study indicates that using a fermentation bed feeding mode within 7 d of birth can reduce the rate of diarrhea and mortality before weaning, and improve the apparent digestibility and blood physicochemical indicators of lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, we present Pollard's exact solution for nonhydrostatic geophysical internal waves with underlying currents in f-plane approximation. We construct the exact solution of nonhydrostatic geophysical internal waves in the presence of underlying currents, extending Pollard's solution to admit underlying horizontal, meridional, and vertical currents at mid-latitudes. Furthermore, we show the underlying meridional and vertical currents are constant. At the equator, the vertical current term vanishes and the meridional current term may vary both zonally and vertically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first present a Pollard's exact solution for geophysical internal waves in equatorial β-plane approximation. Then, we apply the short-wavelength perturbations method to show an instability threshold for geophysical internal waves propagating eastward in the equatorial β-plane approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper establishes the exponential behavior and stability of the stochastic three-dimensional primitive equations driven by Lévy noise via Burkholder–Davis–Gundy inequality and Itô formula. In particular, we prove that under some conditions on the forcing terms, the weak solution converges exponentially in the mean square and almost surely exponentially to the stationary solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time bubble behavior characterization is critical in the chemical industry, especially for leakage in sodium–water reactions. In this study, the injection of gas into sodium flows was conducted to evaluate bubble characterization methods. Simulation research was performed to dynamically characterize bubble generation, growth and bursting in flowing sodium, and experimental research was conducted to explore the time-frequency and time domain statistical characteristics of bubble signals. After gas injection, significant low-amplitude signals were observed in the time domain, the power spectral density fluctuated in the 0–20 kHz band; its spectral components were more abundant above 8 kHz, and the short-time Fourier transform of the energy spectrum exhibited a nonlinear intermittent distribution in the 8–20 kHz band. Based on these differences, the bubble signal was effectively detected when the gas injection rate was 0.11 m3/h with a signal-to-noise ratio less than 0.5 dB. Thus, this study complemented the present techniques and knowledge in the field of chemical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper derives an approximation for a generalized Langevin equation driven by a force with random oscillation in time and periodic oscillation in space. By a diffusion approximation and the weak convergence of periodic oscillation function, the solution of the generalized Langevin equation is shown to converge in distribution to the solution of a stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) driven by time white noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pile response is of great importance to the effectiveness of a row of piles used as a landslide mitigation method. However, the current classifications of the pile responses and failure modes do not consider the effects of soil displacement and the relative pile rigidity. An attempt is made in this paper to improve this using a non-dimensional model based on simplified ground consisted of two layers of cohesive soils. A hyperbolic p–y model is adopted to consider non-linear soil reactions. The calculations of three case histories show that the proposed model predicts the pile responses well. The dependencies for obtaining a pile response with maximum pile resistance have been identified and the influencing factors have been examined. The efficacy of the proposed approach has been demonstrated by the satisfactory result that it achieves in reproducing the more complex three-dimensional finite-element analyses. The application of the non-dimensional solutions indicates that it can increase the efficiency of the preliminary pile design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the monodisperse and polydisperse packings with intentionally designed angularity index (AI) and roughness (RG) distributions were constructed via DEM simulations. The corresponding packing properties, such as packing density, coordination number, connectivity number and anisotropy of branch vectors were comprehensively examined. The isolated effects of AI and RG on packing properties were investigated based on simulation results of monodisperse packings. The study also explored how the polydispersity of AI and RG influences packing properties, with insights drawn from the simulation results of polydisperse packings. By analyzing variations in pore volume, the study proposed predictive models that account for the contributions of AI and RG for packing density of monodisperse packings. These models were further used as the foundation for constructing predictive models for packing density of polydisperse packings. [Display omitted] • Monodisperse and polydisperse packings are constructed. • Effects of particle-angularity polydispersity are investigated. • Effects of particle-roughness polydispersity are investigated. • Predictive models for packing density are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to numerically investigate the dependence of shear behaviors of granular materials on particle multi-level morphology, encompassing form (mean of elongation and flatness), angularity, and roughness. To this end, four series of particles—ellipsoidal particles with varying elongation indices (EI) and flatness indices (FI), and equiaxed concave particles with varying angularity indices (AI) and roughness (RG)—are adopted to isolate the effects of particle morphology at each level. Through discrete element method (DEM) simulations, granular assemblies with varying values of EI , FI , AI , and RG are consolidated to achieve the maximum packing density under the same confining pressure. Subsequently, they are subjected to triaxial drained compression tests until reaching a critical state. Based on numerical results, the independent effects of EI , FI , AI , and RG on the macro- and micro-mechanical response of granular materials are examined and compared in detail. Furthermore, using the 'Stress-force-fabric' (SFF) relationship, the anisotropic origins of the peak- and critical-state shear strengths induced by EI , FI , AI , and RG are also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability of a rectangular tunnel face (RTF) has received less attention than that of circular tunnels; in particular, the stability of RTFs with different height–width (H / W) ratios has not yet been investigated comprehensively. In this study, extensive numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the limit support pressure (P a) of the active failure of an RTF with different H / W ratios and to determine the appropriate failure mechanism without assuming the failure shape in advance. The result shows that, as the H / W ratio increases, P a decreases gradually for specified heights and overburden depths of the RTF. The failure shape of the soil in front of the RTF is determined by analyzing the contours at plastic points of the soil. Subsequently, three types of failure modes, namely, partial semicircular, semicircular, and supersized semicircular modes, are identified based on the progression of plastic points in the soil. Corresponding failure models are established using the limit equilibrium method. Compared with relevant theoretical models, the proposed model predicted results that are more consistent with the numerical simulation results. Furthermore, a parametric study is performed to investigate the stability of the RTF. Finally, the predicted results are compared and analyzed with the pressure monitored inside the chamber, thus providing a theoretical reference for the jacking construction of the Shasan project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on incredibly increasing applications in modern optoelectronic devices, the demand for securing a superior conductive transparent electrode (TCE) candidate becomes significant and urgent. However, boosting both transmittance and conductance simultaneously is an intrinsic limitation. In this work, we present silver nanoscale plasmonic wires (Ag NPWs) to function as TCEs in the visible light region by lowering their corresponding plasma frequencies. By carefully designing geometric dimensions of the Ag NPWs, we also optimize the performance for red, green, and blue colors, respectively. The demonstrated figure of merits for RGB colors appeared respectively 443.29, 459.46, and 133.78 in simulation and 302.75, 344.11, and 348.02 in experiments. Evidently, our Ag NPWs offer much greater FoMs beyond conventional TCEs that are most frequently comprised of indium tin oxide and show further advantages of flexibility and less Moire effect for the applications of flexible and high-resolution optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A design strategy for a mechanical metamaterial with large negative hygroscopic expansion (NHE) was proposed in this paper. Different from the reported structures, the present metamaterial is designed by constructing repeated lattice microstructure consisting of curved ligaments incorporating hydrogel active layers and polymer support layers and straight polymer bars. When immersed in the solution environment, the swelling of hydrogel layer of such composite structure induces the reversed bending of the ligament, leading to the overall ultra-large shrink (negative expansion) deformation of the metamaterial. Through the new structural design, large NHE effects can be achieved. The theoretical investigation and finite element analysis (FEA) were conducted to demonstrate the large negative expansion effects of such metamaterial. The results showed that the effective NHE ratio of the metamaterial is dependent of the curvature of the curved ligament and the size of both the ligament and the connecting rod. The ultra-large NHE ratios about −80% for the 2D structure and −90% for the 3D version can be obtained by adopting the structural parameters. The newly designed metamaterials have potential applications in medical and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excipient selection is crucial to address the oxidation and solubility challenges of bioactive substances, impacting their safety and efficacy. AKPL, a novel ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) esterified phospholipid derived from Antarctic krill, demonstrates unique antioxidant capabilities and synergistic effects. It exhibits pronounced surface activity and electronegativity at physiological pH, as evidenced by a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 0.15 g/L and ζ-potential of −49.9 mV. In aqueous environments, AKPL self-assembles into liposomal structures, offering high biocompatibility and promoting cell proliferation. Its polyunsaturated bond-rich structure provides additional oxidation sites, imparting antioxidant properties superior to other phospholipids like DSPC and DOPC. Additionally, AKPL augments the efficacy of lipophilic antioxidants, such as alpha-tocopherol and curcumin, in aqueous media through both intermolecular and intramolecular interactions. In sum, AKPL emerges as an innovative unsaturated phospholipid, offering new strategies for encapsulating and delivering oxygen-sensitive agents. [Display omitted] • Natural ω-3 PUFAs-esterified phospholipids • Significant surface activity and colloidal stability • Self-assembly and cell proliferation-promoting capabilities • Antioxidative protection, high DPPH/ABTS+ scavenging activity • Synergistic interaction, encapsulation and expression of active compounds [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granular materials, such as sand, exhibit a wide range of particle sizes and shapes, known as polydispersity. This study aims to investigate the effects of particle-form (first-level approximation of particle shape) polydispersity on a fabric of granular packing using DEM simulations of ellipsoidal particle assemblies. A framework for DEM simulations is proposed to investigate the particle-form polydispersity, and an overall polydispersity index (OPI) is introduced to quantify its magnitude. Various parameters are employed to quantify the fabric, including packing density, coordination number, contact force, and fabric anisotropy. The results highlight that the particle-form polydispersity notably affects the packing density and mean coordination number of the granular packings. Furthermore, a prediction model for the packing density and mean coordination number of polydisperse packings is proposed based on the correlations fitted from the monodisperse packing data. [Display omitted] • Monodisperse and polydisperse packings are constructed. • An overall polydispersity index (OPI) is introduced. • Effects of particle-form polydispersity are investigated. • A prediction model for the polydisperse packings is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the excavation of a shallow tunnel in soft soil, the controllable range of the support pressure is narrow due to the small area of overburdened earth pressure, and passive failure of the tunnel face can be easily induced; therefore, the soft soil must be reinforced to increase the stability of the tunnel face. In this work, numerical simulation and theoretical analysis were adopted to explore the passive failure mechanism of a tunnel face in soft ground reinforced with a soil–cement wall. First, finite element analyses were conducted to investigate the passive failure mechanism. The impact of L1 (the distance between the tunnel face and soil–cement wall) on the passive failure mode was disclosed. Three types of failure modes—the full-penetration, partial-penetration, and non-penetration modes—were identified based on the shear failure zone and variation in Pp (the limit support pressure of passive failure) with L1. Then, analytical models based on the limit equilibrium method for the three passive failure modes were established, and formulas for predicting Pp were derived. The predictions by the formulas were validated by the numerical results, and their differences were within 10%. Both indicate that Pp achieved a maximum value when L1 = 0.2D (D is the diameter of tunnel); therefore, it is reasonable to choose a distance of 0.2D between cement walls in this engineering project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides insight into the effect of eccentric loading on soil arching. A numerical trapdoor model was developed using the discrete element method to investigate the evolution mechanism by considering the magnitude of the surcharge and the deviation distance. The parameters were validated using laboratory results. The numerical results showed that the Ground reaction curve (GRC) on the trapdoor could be divided into two categories. GRC type I included stages of initial soil arching, maximum soil arching, load recovery, and an ultimate stage. For GRC type II, the ultimate stage was replaced by a declining stage. The minimum soil arching ratio increased with the increasing surcharge, but decreased with the increasing deviation distance within 0.75 B (B is the trapdoor width). The vertical displacement field inclined as the load deviated from the centered position, transforming from a trapezoid to a quadrilateral. The soil arching effect was degraded by the surcharge. [Display omitted] • Evolution mechanism of active soil arching under eccentric loading was investigated. • Ground reaction curves (GRC) can be classified into two categories. • ρ min increased with increasing surcharge, but decreased with increasing d / B. • Vertical displacement field inclined gradually with increasing d / B. • With increasing surcharge magnitude, the soil arching effect became insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suitable thickness for investigating three-dimensional granular column collapse has not yet been determined. In this study, granular columns with different column thicknesses and varying aspect ratios (AR s) (initial height/initial length) were examined by discrete element method simulations, after the numerical model was calibrated based on a previously reported study. The results showed that the normalized final height is significantly affected by the column thickness when AR ≥ 1. As W/d (column thickness/particle diameter) increases, the normalized run-out distance first increases gradually (W/d < 40) and subsequently becomes almost constant. The coordination number decreases as the distance from the side wall increases, which results in the longest run-out distance of particles at the center. W/d should be not less than 11, 24, and 28 when AR ≤ 0.5, 1 ≤ AR ≤ 4, and AR ≥ 5, respectively, to eliminate the boundary effect in a three-dimensional granular column collapse. [Display omitted] • Impact of column thickness on granular column collapse is investigated extensively. • Impact of column thickness increases with increasing AR s with respect to L f and H f. • Column thickness does not affect collapse mode, but affects energy loss rate. • CN at the center is the smallest, resulting in the longest L f. • Suitable thickness (W / d) has been determined for columns with different AR s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, we first present an exact solution for geophysical internal waves with centripetal forces and geophysical edge waves without centripetal forces in modified equatorial β -plane approximation. Then we apply the short-wavelength perturbation method to show an instability threshold for geophysical internal waves propagating eastward with centripetal forces and geophysical edge waves without centripetal forces in the modified equatorial β -plane approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the profound changes of "promoting the modernization of the national governance system and capacity," the reform of state institutions has become an important measure and step. In the field of planning management, the establishment of the Ministry of Natural Resources plays a crucial role in the institutional reform over the years. This paper discusses the reform of planning management from the perspective of the public management and urban planning discipline, and tries to explore the internal logic between "institutional reform" and "governance modernization." It demonstrates the interweaving and transforming process between the adjustment of planning agencies and national governance, discussing whether the establishment of the Ministry of Natural Resources has responded to the path selection of governance modernization. The paper makes a diachronic analysis on the 13 state institutional reforms since the founding of People's Republic of China, especially on the adjustment process of planning management agencies. It builds an "institution-governance" analysis framework with the three elements including institution, function, and management as its core and with the institutional strength and governance effectiveness as the entry and exit, and analyzes the parallel transitions of planning management agencies and spatial governance logic as well as the necessary undertaking mechanisms, with the aim to provide reference for the establishment of a new pattern of spatial governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle shape in granular materials exhibits both polydisperse and multi-level characteristics, which are intrinsically linked to the mechanical behaviours of granular materials. This study develops a particle generation framework to achieve independent control of polydisperse distributions of roundness (second level of particle shape) and roughness (third level) while preserving form (first level) distributions. In this framework, a spherical harmonic amplitude-stretching (SH amplitude-stretching) technique is proposed to precisely control the form distributions. Two decisive factors for particle roundness and roughness are introduced, and two control coefficients are designed to determine their distributions. The applicability of the proposed framework is verified by employing the generated granular assemblies with varying distributions of particle roundness and roughness into DEM simulations for granular packing and repose angle tests. The simulation results demonstrate the independent effects of polydisperse distributions of particle roundness and roughness on packing density and repose angle, providing evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of existing tunnels on the evolution of soil arching require further investigation. In this study, trapdoor models with different distances between the trapdoor and tunnel are examined via discrete element method simulations after a numerical model is established based on experiments. The results show that as the distance between the tunnel and trapdoor (L) increases, the minimum soil arching ratio, ultimate soil arching ratio, and load recovery decrease, thus indicating that the shadowing effect of the tunnel becomes less distinctive. The essential distance affected by the tunnel is between 150 and 200 mm. The stress ratio in region L1 first decreases significantly and then gradually as the trapdoor displacement increases, reaching an ultimate value at L = 50 and 100 mm. The reverse trend is observed when L exceeds 150 mm, which is similarly observed in regions L2 and L3. The height of the equal-displacement region decreases steadily as L increases. Two distinct types of soil-arching structures are identified for interaction and independent arches. The displacement of the trapdoor increases the anisotropy of contact forces within the soil mass. The reorientation and destruction of the contact force fabric provide further insights into the formation of soil arching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the soil arching formed in a deep trapdoor model was investigated using the discrete element method, considering the magnitude, frequency, and direction in seismic shaking conditions. The parameters were validated using prior trapdoor test results. The results showed that the ultimate soil- arching ratio increased after shaking, indicating that the soil arching effect had degraded. The fluctuation range of the soil arching ratio increased with increasing shaking frequency. The ultimate average coordination number of the region above the trapdoor steadily increased as the shaking magnitude increased. Soil arching was more significantly influenced by shaking in the vertical (z-axis) direction than in the horizontal direction. The force chain in the arched region above the trapdoor progressively increased as the shaking magnitude increased, and clearly degenerated above the stationary region. As the shaking amplitude increased, the ultimate soil arching ratio increased; however, the ultimate coordination number decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halide solid electrolytes, known for their high ionic conductivity at room temperature and good oxidative stability, face notable challenges in all–solid–state Li–ion batteries (ASSBs), especially with unstable cathode/solid electrolyte (SE) interface and increasing interfacial resistance during cycling. In this work, we have developed an Al3+–doped, cation–disordered epitaxial nanolayer on the LiCoO2 surface by reacting it with an artificially constructed AlPO4 nanoshell; this lithium–deficient layer featuring a rock–salt–like phase effectively suppresses oxidative decomposition of Li3InCl6 electrolyte and stabilizes the cathode/SE interface at 4.5 V. The ASSBs with the halide electrolyte Li3InCl6 and a high–loading LiCoO2 cathode demonstrated high discharge capacity and long cycling life from 3 to 4.5 V. Our findings emphasize the importance of specialized cathode surface modification in preventing SE degradation and achieving stable cycling of halide–based ASSBs at high voltages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halide solid electrolytes, known for their high ionic conductivity at room temperature and good oxidative stability, face notable challenges in all–solid–state Li–ion batteries (ASSBs), especially with unstable cathode/solid electrolyte (SE) interface and increasing interfacial resistance during cycling. In this work, we have developed an Al3+–doped, cation–disordered epitaxial nanolayer on the LiCoO2 surface by reacting it with an artificially constructed AlPO4 nanoshell; this lithium–deficient layer featuring a rock–salt–like phase effectively suppresses oxidative decomposition of Li3InCl6 electrolyte and stabilizes the cathode/SE interface at 4.5 V. The ASSBs with the halide electrolyte Li3InCl6 and a high–loading LiCoO2 cathode demonstrated high discharge capacity and long cycling life from 3 to 4.5 V. Our findings emphasize the importance of specialized cathode surface modification in preventing SE degradation and achieving stable cycling of halide–based ASSBs at high voltages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) stands as an invaluable instrument for the real‐time examination of the structural changes in materials. It features ultrahigh spatial resolution and powerful analytical capability, making it significantly versatile across diverse fields. Particularly in the realm of Lithium‐Ion Batteries (LIBs), in situ TEM is extensively utilized for real‐time analysis of phase transitions, degradation mechanisms, and the lithiation process during charging and discharging. This review aims to provide an overview of the latest advancements in in situ TEM applications for LIBs. Additionally, it compares the suitability and effectiveness of two techniques: the open cell technique and the liquid cell technique. The technical aspects of both the open cell and liquid cell techniques are introduced, followed by a comparison of their applications in cathodes, anodes, solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, and lithium dendrite growth in LIBs. Lastly, the review concludes by stimulating discussions on possible future research trajectories that hold potential to expedite the progression of battery technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An in-depth comparative study is conducted on four three-dimensional (3D) angularity indices, namely, the radius-based angularity index (AI r), gradient-based angularity index (AI g), deviation angle-based angularity index (AI d), and Gaussian curvature-based angularity index (AI G). An innovative modification is carried out to ensure that all the indices equal zero for spheres and ellipsoids. Each AI is evaluated on particle surfaces reconstructed through spherical harmonic analyses with regular polyhedral meshes of different sizes. This comprehensive comparative study revealed that AI g and AI G better reflect the local morphological characteristics of the particles than AI r and AI d. To obtain a convergent value of the overall AI of the particles, a relatively coarse mesh is sufficient for estimating AI r and AI d , whereas a fine mesh is required to estimate AI G and AI g. Among the four indices, only AI G and AI g are well correlated, and their relationship can be described by a power function. Image 1 • An extensive comparative study is conducted on four 3D angularity indices. • The indices are modified to ensure zero values for spheres and ellipsoids. • Predetermined topological relationships improved computational efficiency. • AI G and AI g better reflect morphological features than AI r and AI d. • AI G and AI g are well correlated, and can be described by a power function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface roughness plays an important role in macro and micro-scale granular behaviors; however, there is currently lack of a unified approach to quantify the roughness of closed outlines and surfaces, which can consider the overall morphological characteristics of particles. This paper proposes approaches that are suitable for roughness evaluation of 2D general-shape closed outlines and 3D general-shape closed surfaces. For 2D closed outlines, the roughness is evaluated by comparing the real outline with the benchmark outline reconstructed based on the Fourier analyses. For 3D closed surfaces, the roughness is calculated by comparing the real surface against the benchmark surface reconstructed by the spherical harmonic analyses. The local deviation as well as the overall roughness of 2D closed outlines, and 3D closed surfaces, can be evaluated via the approach. After analyzing the roughness of two types of particles with different morphological characteristics by the proposed approaches, it is found that the 2D arithmetic average roughness and the 2D root mean square roughness are well correlated, and so are their 3D counterparts. Nevertheless, values of the 2D and 3D indices are not well correlated for each type of particles, and the particles with different texture can be more clearly distinguished from each other based on the 3D roughness parameters than on the 2D counterparts. Unlabelled Image • Roughness evaluation of closed profiles of general-shape particles is proposed. • 2D and 3D benchmarks are constructed by Fourier series and spherical harmonics. • Local deviation and overall roughness can be evaluated via presented approaches. • 3D roughness performs better to distinguish particle texture than 2D roughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The p-multiplier concept has been widely used to analyse the response of laterally loaded pile groups. Conventionally, the p-multiplier fm is evaluated iteratively by trial and error comparisons of p–y curves and field measurements. However, these approaches could face numerical difficulties and often require subjective adjustment and therefore could result in non-unique solutions. This paper derives a power relationship between fm and the force ratio at the pile head ηhead, defined by the ratio of the lateral force acting at the head of a group pile to that of a single pile, where ηhead equals fm to the power of n. In the case of long piles, it was found that (a) n = 3/4 when the initial modulus of subgrade reaction kini and the ultimate soil resistance pult are constant with depth; and (b) n = 3/5 when both kini and pult increase linearly with depth. This analytical relationship can then be utilised to determine fm from the test results of group piles and single piles, and quickly estimate the lateral bearing capacity of pile groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs a new Kriging‐based orthotropic closure (KRI) and several current closures to solve the second‐order orientation tensor equation of motion, and the differences between closures and orientation distribution function calculation (DFC) are firstly compared by a new developed error metric. The mechanical properties of an injection molded short fiber reinforced composite directly depend on the orientation of fibers, the Halpin–Tsai and Tandon–Weng mechanical models are considered to evaluate the accuracy of the closures on stiffness predictions, quantitative comparisons between the numerical simulations and the experimental result are carried out for 30% weight fractions of short carbon fiber/poly ether ether ketone (PEEK) matrix composite. It is observed that the result of sequential KRI closure is in good agreement with the experimental data. The KRI closure is shown to be far more accurate than Hybrid closure and also performs better than orthotropic and natural closures. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:3844–3856, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1) regulates the tissue-specific expression of genes. However, the molecular regulation of TTF1 in thyroid normal and carcinoma cells has not been revealed. Here we identify 2 distinct ubiquitin E3 ligases that are responsible for TTF1 degradation in normal thyroid cells and carcinoma cells, respectively. Phorbol myristate acetate induced TTF1 protein degradation in the ubiquitin-proteasome system in both HTori3 thyroid follicular epithelial cells and follicular thyroid carcinoma 133 (FTC133) cells. Lysine 151 residue was identified as a ubiquitin acceptor site within TTF1 in both cell types. Overexpression of E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 containing HECT, C2, and WW domain (HECW1) induced TTF1 degradation and ubiquitination in Htori3 cells but not in FTC133 cells. Overexpression of ubiquitin E3 ligase subunit FBXL19 increased TTF1 ubiquitination and degradation in FTC133 cells, but it had no effect on TTF1 levels in Htori3 cells. Overexpression of TTF1 increased thyroglobulin and sodium/iodide symporter mRNA levels, cell migration, and proliferation in HTori3 cells, whereas the effects were reversed by the overexpression of HECW1. This study reveals an undiscovered molecular mechanism by which TTF1 ubiquitination and degradation is regulated by different E3 ligases in thyroid normal and tumor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work discusses the response of Na to both high-energy electrons and femtosecond-laser (fs-laser) pulses in the soda-lime glass. The evidence for different responses of Na to high-energy electron irradiation between glasses with and without fs-laser irradiation suggests that the chemical and/or physical states of Na in the fs-laser irradiated glass are different from those in the original glass. Fs-laser pulses in the glass may be able to neutralize Na, which may form clusters. These results suggest that close attention should be paid to the defects associated with Na when optical or physical data are interpreted in fs-laser irradiated Na glasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dehydration process in Mg(OH)2 induced by high-energy electron irradiation is studied by in situ electron energy loss spectroscopy. During dehydration, both the low energy-loss spectra and the Mg L23 edge show the existence of partially oxidized Mg- or O-deficient MgO in the dehydrated products, which is not seen in the thermally dehydrated MgO. This indicates that the dehydration mechanism under the electron beam may be different from the mechanism involved in a thermal process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epitaxial SrTiO3 thin films were deposited on (001) LaAlO3 single crystals by pulsed laser deposition. The postannealing effect was studied by annealing the deposited films at 1100 °C in O2 atmosphere for 4 h. It was found that the postannealing treatment enhances the in-plane permittivity of the film. An analysis of the film lattice parameters from selected area electron diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy shows a relaxation of the compressive strain by annealing. In addition, the density of threading dislocations is significantly reduced, and stacking faults with translation vector R=1/2a<110> resulting from the dissociation of threading dislocations are formed. Both structural and dielectric characterizations indicate that the enhancement of permittivity is mainly due to the relaxation of the misfit strain between the film and substrate. The reduction of the threading dislocation density by annealing may be beneficial to the reduction of the extrinsic dielectric loss in the film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time bubble behavior characterization and localization are critical in the chemical industry, especially for leakage of sodium-water reactions. This research investigates the properties of bubble signals under different gas injection rates and sodium-water reactions by employing a vibration-based approach. Specifically, the time-frequency and energy characteristics of bubble signals were studied by vibration response. The bubble signals excited by the two kinds of experiments have the same characteristic frequency band of 200–400 Hz, and the maximum energy is obtained at 250 Hz. The bubble signal from the sodium-water reaction can be effectively recognized by identifying the differences in the characteristics of multiple parameters when the gas injection rate is 0.07 m3/h with a signal-to-noise ratio of 11.8–17.1 dB. On the basis of energy analysis of the bubble signal, a bubble signal source location method based on time domain statistics was proposed, and the trajectory curve of the bubble signal excited by the sodium water reaction in the initial 600 ms was successfully obtained with a position error rate less than 5%. Comparative analysis indicates that kurtosis was more sensitive for bubble signal recognition, while the Root Mean Square (RMS) and Standard Deviation (SD) values were more suitable for bubble positioning. Thus, this study complemented the present techniques and knowledge for bubble identification and localization in multiphase flow engineering. • A novel characterization method for the bubble from sodium water reaction was proposed. • The vibration response of bubble growth and burst in water is revealed. • A method of SWR identification based on multiparameter characteristics was established. • A bubble signal source location method based on time domain statistics was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Pectin was extracted from orange peel using surfactant and microwave assisted method. • Pectin yield, GA content, and DE were considered during Box–Behnken design. • Chemical properties of pectin extracted by different methods were compared. • S-MAE showed the best effect on the yield and characteristics of extracted pectin. Abstract Surfactant and microwave assisted extraction (S-MAE) was used for pectin extraction from orange peel. First, we optimized the conditions of microwave assisted extraction (MAE), e.g., irradiation time, liquid-to-solid ratio (LSR), and pH on pectin yield (PY), galacturonic acid (GA) content, and degree of esterification (DE) using a Box-Behnken design. Under optimal conditions (pH 1.2, 7.0 min, and 21.5 v/w LSR), we obtained a PY of 28.0 ± 0.5%, which was close to the predicted value (31.1%). Second, we analyzed the effect of surfactant on microwave extraction of pectin. Among the surfactants investigated, Tween-80 (8 g/L, w/v) increased PY by 17.0%. Compared with conventional solvent extraction, S-MAE is a novel and efficient method for pectin extraction, which generated a higher (p < 0.05) PY (32.8%), GA content (78.1%), DE (69.8%), and M w (286.3 kDa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Ag NPs were prepared by the reaction of silver nitrate with alkali hydrolyzed pectin at microwave irradiation. • Small size spherical Ag NPs were produced with average sizes of 2.9 nm and 11.9 nm depending on microwave time. • Obtained Ag NPs colloidal solution were well stable with Zeta potential of near −40 mV. • MICs of Ag NPs against both E. coli and S. aureus were equally at 80–160 µg/ml. Abstract In this work, monodispersed silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were prepared by the reaction of silver nitrate with alkali hydrolyzed pectin at microwave irradiation. Two types of Ag NPs were obtained under the following conditions: 400 W of microwave power, 1 g/l NaOH, 2 g/l pectin, 10 mmol/l AgNO 3 , and irradiation time for 1 and 2 min, respectively. The zeta potential values of Ag NPs colloidal solutions were −39.6 and −38.7 mV, indicating that these nanoparticles were stable. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed these spherical Ag NPs with an average size 2.90 and 11.94 nm, respectively. Ag NPs exhibited potent antibacterial and antifungal activities to against Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , and Aspergillus japonicus , and the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MIC) to against E. coli and S. aureus were equally at 80–160 µg/ml. In a word, this is a green, efficient, and cost-effective method for Ag NPs synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opioids are widely used for relieving clinical acute or chronic pain. The biological effects of opioids are through activating δ-opioid receptor 1 (MOR1). Most studies have focused on the consequences of agonist-induced MOR1 phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and internalization. Agonist-mediated MOR1 degradation, which is crucial for receptor stability and responsiveness, has not been well studied. E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase SMURF2 (Smurf2), a homolog to E6AP carboxy terminus (HECT) ubiquitin E3 ligase, has been shown to regulate MOR1 ubiquitination and internalization; however, its role in MOR1 degradation has not been studied. Here, we demonstrate that Smurf2 mediates [D-Ala2,NMePhe4, Gly5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO, an agonist of MOR1)-induced MOR1 ubiquitination and degradation. DAMGO decreased MOR1 levels in the ubiquitin-proteasome system. MOR1 was modified by a Lys48-linked polyubiquitin chain. Overexpression of Smurf2 induced MOR1 ubiquitination and accelerated DAMGO-induced MOR1 degradation, whereas downregulation of Smurf2 attenuated MOR1 degradation. Furthermore, DAMGO increased lung epithelial cell migration and proliferation, and the effect was attenuated by overexpressing Smurf2. Collectively, these data unveil that Smurf2 negatively regulates MOR1 activity by reducing its stability. We also demonstrate an unrevealed biological function of MOR1 in lung epithelial cells. DAMGO-MOR1 promote cell migration and proliferation in lung epithelial cells, suggesting a potential effect of DAMGO in lung repair and remodeling after lung injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Methyl modified silica aerogels were prepared through a two-step sol-gel reaction. • Me-SiO 2 exhibits tailored dual modal pore structure. • Me-SiO 2 shows excellent hydrophobicity with high contact angle of 148°. • The adsorbing capability (Q) of Me-SiO 2 is up to 23 g/g. Abstract Methyl modified silica (Me-SiO 2) aerogels are prepared using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) as co-precursor through a two-step sol-gel reaction followed by solvent exchange and supercritical drying. They possess tailored dual modal pore structure consisting of mesopores (10–18 nm) from the stacking of TEOS-derived clusters and small mesopores (2–6 nm) from filling and stacking of small MTES-derived clusters. Moreover, the replacing Si-OH groups by Si-CH 3 groups on the aerogel's surface makes them excellent hydrophobicity with contact angle up to 148°. The dual modal pore structure and hydrophobicity endow the Me-SiO 2 aerogels outstanding adsorbing capability of quality factor Q up to 23 g/g for ethanol and selective adsorption of oil from water, which makes them tremendous potential for applications of oil adsorbing and oil-water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Visual field testing via standard automated perimetry (SAP) is a commonly used glaucoma diagnosis method. Applying machine learning techniques to the visual field test results, a valid clinical diagnosis of glaucoma solely based on the SAP data is provided. In order to reflect structural-functional patterns of glaucoma on the automated diagnostic models, we propose composite variables derived from anatomically grouped visual field clusters to improve the prediction performance. A set of machine learning-based diagnostic models are designed that implement different input data manipulation, dimensionality reduction, and classification methods.Methods: Visual field testing data of 375 healthy and 257 glaucomatous eyes were used to build the diagnostic models. Three kinds of composite variables derived from the Garway-Heath map and the glaucoma hemifield test (GHT) sector map were included in the input variables in addition to the 52 SAP visual filed locations. Dimensionality reduction was conducted to select important variables so as to alleviate high-dimensionality problems. To validate the proposed methods, we applied four classifiers-linear discriminant analysis, naïve Bayes classifier, support vector machines, and artificial neural networks-and four dimensionality reduction methods-Pearson correlation coefficient-based variable selection, Markov blanket variable selection, the minimum redundancy maximum relevance algorithm, and principal component analysis- and compared their classification performances.Results: For all tested combinations, the classification performance improved when the proposed composite variables and dimensionality reduction techniques were implemented. The combination of total deviation values, the GHT sector map, support vector machines, and Markov blanket variable selection obtains the best performance: an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.912.Conclusion: A glaucoma diagnosis model giving an AUC of 0.912 was constructed by applying machine learning techniques to SAP data. The results show that dimensionality reduction not only reduces dimensions of the input space but also enhances the classification performance. The variable selection results show that the proposed composite variables from visual field clustering play a key role in the diagnosis model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper investigates the relationship between the 3D size and shape characteristics of ellipsoids and their 2D counterparts obtained from projected images. We found that the average radius of ellipsoids can be satisfactorily estimated from the statistical mean or median of the average radius of the corresponding 2D projected images. However, the shape characteristics evaluated from the images may not always yield reliable quantitative prediction of the corresponding 3D descriptors. The results suggest that quantifying particle shape characteristics from projected 2D images may only work well for particles similar in shape to prolate spheroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring the pore structures of ceramic membranes is the essential challenge in its application for wastewater treatment. In this paper, silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramic membranes with tunable pore structures are fabricated by coating polysiloxanes (PSO) onto YSZ hollow fiber membranes followed with subsequent pyrolysis. The SiOC ceramics, with a pore size in the range of 50 nm-2 µm and porosity of 35–40%, have been obtained by varying the pore forming agents. Moreover, the SiOC layers endow the fiber membranes with high corrosion resistance regarding merely 0.07 wt% weight loss in 20 wt% H 2 SO 4 solution, since that the unique silicon oxycarbide microlattice structures can provide remarkable chemical durability. Together with considerable mechanical strength and pure water permeate flux, such SiOC ceramic membranes should find applications in industrial wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ubiquitin E3 ligases mediate ubiquitination and degradation of intracellular proteins. We have shown that a relatively new Skp, Cullin, F-box (SCF) protein E3 ligase, SCF FBXL19, has an anti-inflammatory effect and controls actin cytoskeleton dynamics via targeting cell membrane receptor and small GTPases for their ubiquitination and degradation, but the molecular regulation of its subunit FBXL19 stability remains unclear. Here we show that FBXL19 degradation is controlled by the balance between its ubiquitination and acetylation. FBXL19 is an unstable protein with a half-life of ~3 h. FBXL19 can be polyubiquitinated, and the proteasome inhibitor MG-132 prolongs FBXL19 half-life, suggesting that FBXL19 degradation is mediated in the ubiquitin-proteasome system. FBXL19 can also be acetylated, and enhancing acetylation of FBXL19 by a deacetylase inhibitor reduces FBXL19 ubiquitination levels. Acetylation-mimic FBXL19 mutant exhibits a longer half-life than wild type. An acetyltransferase CBP catalyzes acetylation of FBXL19. Inhibition or down-regulation of CBP reduces FBXL19 stability, whereas it is increased in CBP-overexpressing cells. Taken together, the data indicate that CBP-mediated acetylation reduces ubiquitination and stabilizes FBXL19. Further, we demonstrate that FBXL19 targets small GTPase Cdc42 for its ubiquitination and degradation, whereas this effect is reversed by inhibition of CBP, suggesting that CBP increases the effect of SCF FBXL19 E3 ligase through acetylation and stabilization of FBXL19. Our study reveals a new molecular model for regulation of SCF E3 ligase function by acetylation and stabilization of its subunit F-box protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A SiOC@carbon ceramic spring with the laminar spring-like structure was fabricated. • The ceramic spring exhibits excellent superelasticity and oxidation resistance. • The derived sensor can function at a wide temperature range from −196 °C to 500 °C. • The sensor has superior physiological signal and human movement capture capability. With the flourishing development in space exploration and human motion detection, the wide-temperature flexible pressure sensors are urgently required in various complex application situations. One massive challenge of current available sensors is to enhance the oxidation resistance property, which is crucial for their applications in high-temperature environments. Herein, we fabricated a superelastic silicon oxycarbide @carbon (SiOC@C) ceramic spring, possessing a porous lamellar and spring-like structure. The spring-like structure tends to deform and absorb the energy under the external loads, and then the anisotropic lamellar structure can effectively and uniformly release the stress. The as-prepared SiOC@C spring exhibits excellent superelasticity, high compressibility (60%), and robustness (∼99.0% maximum stress retention after 1000 cycles at 50% compression). Meanwhile, the SiOC@C spring-derived sensor possesses a high sensitivity under low pressure (282.46 kPa−1 at < 1.3 kPa), a low detection limit (< 0.098 Pa) and a short response/recovery time (∼12 ms/4 ms). Moreover, benefiting from the high/low-temperature resistance of SiOC nanolayer coated on the carbon framework, the SiOC@C spring-based sensor can function properly at a wide temperature range from − 196 °C to 500 °C, showing the potential application in various fields of biomedical monitoring, space exploration, and automotive industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Phospholipids and glycerides were simultaneously isolated from Antarctic krill. • Water/Ethanol/ n -hexane separation system. • EPA/DHA-enriched phospholipids. • Astaxanthin-concentrated triglycerides. The main components of Antarctic krill oil are glycerides and phospholipids, and the sn -1 and sn -2 positions of the phospholipids are occupied by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which improves their bioavailability and water solubility. This study aimed to efficiently separate and concentrate glycerides and phospholipids rich in ω-3 unsaturated fatty acids from Antarctic krill with the help of ethanol, water, and n -hexane, utilizing the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) differences between products and the phase equilibria between solvents. The extraction ratio, species and contents of phospholipids, glycerides, cholesterol, astaxanthin, fatty acid composition, and smell characteristics changes of the two products were characterized, and the influence of temperature on the experiment was discussed. The optimal solvent ratio was x H 2 O : x C 2 H 5 O H : x C 6 H 14 = 2: 5: 3 and the ideal hydration temperature was 40 °C. Under these conditions, two products were obtained, N-H and E-W, the extraction yield of N-H was 19.6 %, and glycerides was its main component (89.8 %) with rich astaxanthin (292.3 mg/kg); the extraction yield of E-W was 13.2 %, mainly composed of phospholipids (92.4 %), which was also rich in EPA and DHA (37.9 % and 11.9 %, respectively). This study provides a theoretical basis and technical guidance for the development of new products of Antarctic krill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we introduced a new method to address the limitations of the traditional spherical harmonic (SH) analysis when reconstructing the morphology of elongated/flattened particles. The proposed method combines SH analysis with a stretching algorithm (SH-stretching) to enable the reconstruction of irregular particles with arbitrary values of elongation index (EI) and flatness index (FI). Based on reconstruction of real cobble particles, the SH-stretching algorithm demonstrates superior performance in reconstructing elongated/flattened particles, and can ensure convergence. The SH-stretching algorithm is further integrated with principal component analysis (PCA) and coefficient standardization to develop a particle generation technique. This technique can strictly control the EI and FI distributions of the generated particles and is verified to be efficient in generating virtual cobble particles with realistic shape characteristics. Furthermore, the proposed technique allows the generation of particle aggregates with specified wide range distributions of EI and FI, while preserving their polydisperse characteristics. [Display omitted] • A new method to reconstruct elongated/flattened particles is proposed. • A new particle generation framework is developed. • Virtual cobble particles with realistic shape characteristics are generated. • Particle aggregates with customizable form distributions are generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]