Search

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematologic malignancy that is highly aggressive with a poor prognosis. There is no standard treatment for BPDCN. Although conventional chemotherapies are usually sensitive in the initial therapy, relapse and drug resistance are inevitable within a short duration. Targeted therapies have enlightened new prospects for the treatment of BPDCN, especially for those in a frail state and intolerable to standard chemotherapies or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Here, we report an 82-year-old man diagnosed with cutaneous-limited BPDCN. Considering the old age and limited involvement of the tumor, we reduced the dosage of venetoclax. His skin lesions subsided significantly after 1 cycle of azacytidine (100 mg d1-7) combined with reduced doses of venetoclax (200 mg d1-14). The reduction in the dose of venetoclax avoided severe myelosuppression while achieving satisfactory outcomes. The patient received 2 cycles of therapy with no skin lesions re-occurred for 7 months before relapsing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essential industrial application is the examination of surface flaws in hot-rolled steel strips. While automatic visual inspection tools must meet strict real-time performance criteria for inspecting hot-rolled steel strips, their capabilities are constrained by the accuracy and processing speed of the algorithm used to identify defects. To solve the problems of poor detection accuracy, low detection efficiency, and unsuitability of low computing power platforms of the hot-rolled strip surface defect detection algorithm The Swin-Transformer-YOLOv5 model based on the improved one-stage detector is proposed. By employing GhostNet, the model's lightweight design, and guaranteed detection accuracy are both achieved. The C3 module introduces Swin-Transformer to address the issues of cluttered backdrops of defect photos and easily confused defect categories. With the addition of the CoordAttention module, the model's capacity to extract defective features is improved, and its performance keeps getting better. The issue of huge differences in different scales and poor detection of small flaws is resolved by employing BiFPN for feature fusion, and the detector's capacity to adapt to targets of different scales is improved. The experimental results demonstrate that the improved Swin-Transformer-Yolov5 model significantly outperforms the industry-standard target detection algorithms, and the model's mAP value still improves by 8.39% over the original model while reducing the number of parameters, GFLOPs, and weight by 36.6%, 40.0%, and 34.7%, respectively. The model is better suited for use on low-arithmetic platforms as a result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of distilled water and nano emulsion on the physical and mechanical properties of hot dry rocks at high temperatures are investigated. • The temperature increase promotes the formation of massive thermal damage fractures in the hot dry rock samples, and the fluid weakens the mechanical strength of hot dry rocks. • The distilled water has a more pronounced effect on weakening the mechanical strength of the samples than the nano emulsion. Hydraulic fracturing is a crucial technology for efficient heat extraction from hot dry rock (HDR). The fracturing process involves the injection of large volumes of cold fluids, which can significantly affect the petrophysical properties of the rock, particularly when temperature differences and fluid-rock interactions are taken into account. However, there is a lack of research on the evolution of HDR petrophysical properties under the influence of different fluids at high temperatures. In this paper, we utilized a high-temperature high-pressure tri-axial loading system, rock spontaneous imbibition instrument, porosity-permeability tester, and thermal conductivity meter, along with comprehensive analysis techniques such as ultrasonic wave velocity monitoring, CT scanning, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), to systematically investigate the effects of distilled water and nano emulsion on the physical and mechanical properties of the HDR at high temperatures. Through comparison with the experimental results of dry samples, comprehensive characteristics of physical parameters for the HDR under the influence of distilled water and nano emulsion are obtained, such as spontaneous imbibition mass and permeability, thermal physical properties, and rock mechanical parameters. The experimental results show that temperature increase promotes the formation of massive thermal damage fractures in the HDR samples, and the fluid weakens the mechanical strength of the HDR. When the effects of temperature and saturated fluids are combined, the hydraulic fracture network in the HDR samples exhibits increased complexity, contrasting with the fracture patterns observed in the heat-treated dry samples. The distilled water has a more pronounced effect on weakening the mechanical strength of the samples than the nano emulsion. Moreover, the analyses of permeability, thermal conductivity, ultrasonic wave velocity, and NMR results are consistent with the results of mechanical experiments. As the temperature rises, the wave velocity of saturated distilled water samples exceeds that of both saturated nano emulsion samples and dry samples, the velocity of the saturated fluid front in the samples increases, and the range of the fluid in the pores expands. Overall, these findings provide valuable experimental evidence and theoretical guidance for better understanding the hydro-thermal-mechanical behaviors of the HDR, which are crucial for the efficient development and utilization of geothermal energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Antifouling coatings play a crucial role in preventing the adhesion of marine organisms, bacteria, and blood, making them a primary strategy for combating biofouling in the marine industry. However, conventional antifouling coatings suffer from drawbacks such as high toxicity, limited abrasion resistance, and unstable polymer degradation rates, which can have adverse effects on the environment, economy, and human health. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of sustainable and nontoxic antifouling coatings. This review first presents four major antifouling strategies: traditional coatings based on wettability, traditional coatings with protective structures, nontoxic coatings based on main chain degradable polymers, and nontoxic coatings combining main chain degradation with branch chain hydrolysis polymers. Second, the review provides a comprehensive overview of antifouling coatings with diverse functionalities, including antibacterial, anti-protein, anti-blood, anti-incrusting, adhesive, self-healing, and corrosion-resistant properties. Then, the application of antifouling coatings in marine environments and the medical field is thoroughly explored. Additionally, the review addresses the current challenges encountered by antifouling coatings. Finally, a forward-looking perspective is presented, envisioning future advancements in this field. By addressing these aspects, this review aims to stimulate further development and innovation in the realm of antifouling coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometric complexity of 3D-printed parts increases the difficulty of surface finishing with the conventional grinding technique. In this study, a rotary ultrasonic-assisted abrasive flow finishing (RUA-AFF) method is proposed towards improving the performance of the AFF process by providing rotary motion and ultrasonic vibration to the equipment. Finishing experiments are carried out involving Al6061 to investigate the capabilities of the proposed RUA-AFF. The obtained results show that (1) the higher ultrasonic vibration amplitude results in the greatest improvement in the work surface quality and a higher increase in material removal rate (MRR); (2) with the higher ultrasonic frequency and rotational speed, the surface roughness and MRR are decreased marginally; (3) there are two material remove modes in the RUA-AFF process: abrasive impingement and micro-cutting. These indicate that the high efficiency and high-quality finishing of Al6061 can be performed with the proposed RUA-AFF technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a family of $[{q}^{2}-1, 4, {q}^{2}-{q}-2]$ cyclic codes over ${\mathbb F}_{{q}}$ meeting the Griesmer bound is presented. Their duals are $[{q}^{2}-1,{q}^{2}-5,4]$ almost MDS codes and are optimal with respect to the sphere-packing bound. The ${q}_{0}$ -ary subfield codes of this family of cyclic codes are also investigated, where ${q}_{0}$ is any prime power such that q is power of ${q}_{0}$. Some of the subfield codes are optimal and some have the best known parameters. It is shown that the subfield codes are equivalent to a family of primitive BCH codes and thus the parameters of the BCH codes are solved. The duals of the subfield codes are also optimal with respect to the sphere-packing bound. A family of $[{q}^{2}, 4, {q}^{2}-{q}-1]$ linear codes over ${\mathbb F}_{{q}}$ meeting the Griesmer bound is presented. Their duals are $[{q}^{2},{q}^{2}-4,4]$ almost MDS codes and are optimal with respect to the sphere-packing bound. The ${q}_{0}$ -ary subfield codes of this family of linear codes are also investigated, where ${q}_{0}$ is any prime power such that q is power of ${q}_{0}$. Five infinite families of 2-designs are also constructed with three families of linear codes of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimate of tree biomass is essential for forest management. In recent years, several climate-sensitive allometric biomass models with diameter at breast height (D) as a predictor have been proposed for various tree species and climate zones to estimate tree aboveground biomass (AGB). But the allometric models only account for the potential effects of climate on tree biomass and do not simultaneously explain the influence of climate on D growth. In this study, based on the AGB data from 256 destructively sampled trees of three larch species randomly distributed across the five secondary climate zones in northeastern and northern China, we first developed a climate-sensitive AGB base model and a climate-sensitive D growth base model using a nonlinear least square regression separately. A compatible simultaneous model system was then developed with the climate-sensitive AGB and D growth models using a nonlinear seemingly unrelated regression. The potential effects of several temperature and precipitation variables on AGB and D growth were evaluated. The fitting results of climatic sensitive base models were compared against those of their compatible simultaneous model system. It was found that a decreased isothermality ([mean of monthly (maximum temperature-minimum temperature)]/(Maximum temperature of the warmest month-Minimum temperature of the coldest month)) and total growing season precipitation, and increased annual precipitation significantly increased the values of AGB; an increase of temperature seasonality (a standard deviation of the mean monthly temperature) and precipitation seasonality (a standard deviation of the mean monthly precipitation) could lead to the increase of D. The differences of the model fitting results between the compatible simultaneous system with the consideration of climate effects on both AGB and D growth and its corresponding climate-sensitive AGB and D growth base models were very small and insignificant (p > 0. 0 5). Compared to the base models, the inherent correlation of AGB with D was taken into account effectively by the proposed compatible model system developed with the climate-sensitive AGB and D growth models. In addition, the compatible properties of the estimated AGB and D were also addressed substantially in the proposed model system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xiao Ke Yin Shui (XKYS) formula is a traditional Chinese medicine formula treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). XKYS formula consists of four herbs, i.e., Coptidis rhizoma, Liriopes radix, bitter melon, and Cassiae semen. Herein, the chemical profiles of four herb extracts were investigated, and further analysis of the underlying mechanism of XKYS formula treating T2DM was performed using network pharmacology. The main components were selected for our network-based research. Targets of XKYS formula were mainly collected from two databases, SwissTargetPrediction and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and the text-mining method was also implemented. T2DM relating genes and therapeutic targets were collected from five databases. Subsequently, STRING and Cytoscape were employed for the analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Functional annotation and pathway analysis were conducted to investigate the functions and relating pathways of target genes. The content of 12 compounds in the herb extracts was determined. With the analysis of PPI networks, a total of 76 genes were found to be important nodes and could be defined as the main target genes regulated by XKYS formula in the treatment of T2DM and its complications. Components in XKYS formula mainly regulate proteins including protein kinase B (Akt), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), insulin receptor substrate (IRS), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). XKYS formula exerts therapeutic effects in a synergetic manner and exhibits antidiabetic effect mainly via reducing insulin resistance. These findings could be guidelines in the further investigation of this formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plugging and diverting fracturing is a promising technology that aims to enhance the heat extraction efficiency in hot dry rock. The key to the success of this technique is the formation of effective plugging zones in existing fractures. However, given the high temperature and high stress of hot dry rock, the migration and sealing mechanisms of temporary plugging agents in such reservoirs are quite different from those in conventional tight reservoirs. Using the computational fluid dynamics/discrete element method coupled method, this paper numerically investigates the migration mechanism of temporary plugging agents in rough fractures of hot dry rock. First, we construct a model of a rough fracture surface in hot dry rock by performing computerized tomography scanning. Second, we adopt the well-established theory of the joint roughness coefficient to describe the fracture surface roughness. Then a discrete phase model that considers the effect of temperature is constructed to characterize the interparticle interaction of temporary plugging agents. A bidirectional coupling algorithm between the fluid flow in the fracture and the migration of temporary plugging agent particles is adopted. Finally, the effects of key factors such as fracture wall temperature, fracture roughness, injection angle, and injection location on the migration mechanism of granular temporary plugging agents in rough fractures are analyzed in detail. The results show that fracture roughness and temperature have a significant impact on the migration process in hydraulic fractures. When the fracture surface roughness increases by 10.44 as measured by the joint roughness coefficient, the particle force and particle temperature increase by 12.0% and 37.8%, respectively. When the fracture surface temperature increases by 200 K, the particle force and particle temperature increase by 88.2% and 14.4%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of oil droplet dispersal, oil-water interaction, and transport in the South China Sea (SCS) is needed to enhance the response to potential spill risks from subsea oil and gas development in the region. Herein, an offline oil spill prediction system was employed considering the physical processes of hydrocarbon from the leakage source to the sea surface. The components of this system included the droplet size distribution, plume dynamics, hydrodynamics, and Lagrangian particle. The system was applied to simulate a hypothetical spill occurring in a deepwater condensate field. The results predicted a stratification-dominated plume captured by neutral buoyancy at 282 m above the source. Submerged oil droplets were transported in the 60° and 240° directions and the diffusion range gradually expanded. The first oil droplet reached the surface 22 h after the release began. More than 99% of the oil droplets floated up into the upper water column after 50 h. Particularly, droplets larger than 4 mm mainly contributed to the oil slick. After 72 h, the distribution area of the oil slick on the sea surface was ∼18 km2. The simulation results would be valuable for contingency planning regarding the emergency response to an underwater oil spill. • An offline oil spill prediction system is developed for the South China Sea. • The system is applied to a hypothetical spill in a deepwater condensate field. • The spatial and temporal distribution of short-term deepwater oil is predicted. • A stratification-dominated plume is captured at 282 m above the source. • The distribution area of the oil slick is ∼18 km2 after 72 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, linear codes with few weights have been widely studied, since they have applications in data storage systems, communication systems and consumer electronics. In this paper, we present a class of three-weight and five-weight linear codes over F p , where p is an odd prime and F p denotes a finite field with p elements. The weight distributions of the linear codes constructed in this paper are also settled. Moreover, the linear codes illustrated in the paper may have applications in secret sharing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wear behaviors of grinding wheel have significant influence on the work-surface topography. However, a comprehensive and quantitative method is lacking for evaluating the wear conditions of grinding wheel. In this paper, a fractal analysis method is used to investigate the wear behavior of resin-bonded diamond wheel in Elliptical Ultrasonic Assisted Grinding (EUAG) of monocrystal sapphire, and a series of experiments on EUAG and conventional grinding (CG) are performed. The results show that the fractal dimension of grinding wheel topography is highly correlated to the wear behavior, i.e., grain fracture, grain pullout, and wheel loading. An increase in cutting edge density on the wheel surface results in an increase of the fractal dimension, but an increase in the grain pullout and wheel loading results in a decrease in the fractal dimension. The wheel topography in EUAG has a higher fractal dimension than that in CG before 60 passes due to better self-sharpening behavior, and then has a smaller fractal dimension because of more serious wheel loadings after 60 passes. By angle-dependent distribution analysis of profile fractal dimensions, the wheel surface topography is transformed from isotropic to anisotropic. These indicated that the fractal analysis method could be further used in monitoring of a grinding wheel performance in EUAG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a function f : F q → F q on a finite field F q , new measures—ambiguity A ( f ) and deficiency D ( f ) of f were raised by Panario et al. (2010, 2011) to judge non-injectivity and non-surjectivity of the difference functions Δ a f : F q → F q ( a ∈ F q ∗ ) . In this paper, we determine the values of A ( f ) and D ( f ) for three differentially 4-uniform monomial permutations, i.e., inverse function, Gold function and Dobbertin function on F 2 n ( 2 ∣ n ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, linear codes with a few weights have been constructed and extensively studied. In this paper, for an odd prime p , we determine the complete weight enumerator of two classes of p -ary linear codes constructed from defining set. Our results show that the codes have at most seven weights and may have applications in secret sharing schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the total effects due to anthropogenic aerosols from global, East Asian, and non-East Asian sources on East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) system is studied using an aerosol-climate online model BCC_AGCM2.0.1_CUACE/Aero. The results show that the summer mean net all-sky shortwave fluxes averaged over East Asian monsoon region (EAMR) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and surface reduce by 4.8 and 5.0 W m − 2 , respectively, due to the increases of global aerosol emissions in 2000 relative to 1850. Changes in radiations and their resulting changes in heat and water transport and cloud fraction contribute together to the surface cooling over EAMR in summer. The increases in global anthropogenic aerosols lead to a decrease of 2.1 K in summer mean surface temperature and an increase of 0.4 hPa in summer mean surface pressure averaged over EAMR, respectively. It is shown that the changes in surface temperature and pressure are significantly larger over land than ocean, thus decreasing the contrast of land-sea surface temperature and pressure. This results in the marked anomalies of north and northeast winds over eastern and southern China and the surrounding oceans in summer, thereby weakening the EASM. The summer mean precipitation averaged over the EAMR reduces by 12%. The changes in non-East Asian aerosol emissions play a more important role in inducing the changes of local temperature and pressure, and thus significantly exacerbate the weakness of the EASM circulation due to local aerosol changes. The weakening of circulation due to both is comparable, and even the effect of non-local aerosols is larger in individual regions. The changes of local and non-local aerosols contribute comparably to the reductions in precipitation over oceans, whereas cause opposite changes over eastern China. Our results highlight the importance of aerosol changes outside East Asia in the impact of the changes of anthropogenic aerosols on EASM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elliptical ultrasonic assisted grinding (EUAG) method has been proved to be promising in machining of hard and brittle materials, e.g., sapphire and silicon. However, its potential has not been sufficiently developed because the processing mechanism has not been clearly explained. This paper focuses on the surface formation mechanism in EUAG of monocrystal sapphire by investigating the fractal behavior of ground surface. The EUAG experiments on monocrystal sapphire were performed on the constructed apparatus by installing an elliptical ultrasonic vibrator on a CNC surface grinder. For comparison, the conventional grinding (CG) experiments were also carried out on the same experimental apparatus without ultrasonic vibration. The ground surfaces obtained were analyzed by fractal method, and results show that: (1) the great improvement of the surface quality with lower surface roughness is achieved in EUAG compared with those in CG. Moreover, the fractal dimension of ground surface in EUAG is larger than that in CG. It is also found that the fractal dimension is more sensitive to surface defect compared with the surface roughness. (2) The fractal dimension changes differently comparing CG with EUAG as the depth of cut increases from 0.4 to 3.2 μm. From the variations of the fractal dimension with different depth of cut, it is found that there are two variation regions, i.e., steady region and deteriorated region both in EUAG and CG, but the depth of cut in steady-deteriorated transition point of EUAG is larger than that in CG, meaning that the EUAG can achieve a deeper ductile depth of cut. (3) In EUAG, elliptic motion trajectories of adjacent abrasive grains interact with each other, causing the lower side walls of grooves and more exquisite microstructures. Thus the higher surface fractal dimension in EUAG is obtained and a better surface quality is achieved. Therefore, the surface formation characteristics in EUAG of monocrystal sapphire can be investigated by fractal analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The validated therapeutic effects of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) in solid tumors have encouraged us to explore its potential in treating T-cell lymphoma. We found that Jurkat cells (a T-cell lyphoma cell line) were sensitive to DHA treatment with a IC50 of dihydroartemisinin. The cytotoxic effect of DHA in Jurkat cells showed a dose- and time- dependent manner. Interestingly, the cytotoxic effect of DHA was further enhanced by holotransferrin (HTF) due to the high expression of transferrin receptors in T-cell lymphoma. Mechanistically, DHA significantly increased the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species, which led to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The DHA treatment also inhibited the expression of protumorgenic factors including VEGF and telomerase catalytic subunit. Our results have proved the therapeutic effect of DHA in T-cell lymphoma. Especially in combination with HTF, DHA may provide a novel efficient approach in combating the deadly disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodic sequences over finite fields have been used as key streams in private-key cryptosystems since the 1950s. Such periodic sequences should have a series of cryptographic properties in order to resist many attack methods. The binary generalized cyclotomic periodic sequences, constructed by the cyclotomic classes over finite fields, have good pseudo-random properties and correlation properties. In this paper, the linear complexity and minimal polynomials of some generalized cyclotomic sequences over GF( q ) have been determined where q = p m and p is an odd prime. Results show that these sequences have high linear complexity over GF( q ) for a large part of odd prime power q , which means they can resist the linear attack method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrile hydratase (NHase) is an important industrial enzyme that biosynthesizes high-value amides. However, most of NHases expressed in Escherichia coli easily aggregate to inactive inclusion bodies unless the induction temperature is reduced to approximately 20 °C. The NHase from Aurantimonas manganoxydans has been functionally expressed in E. coli , and exhibits considerable potential for the production of nicotinamide in industrial application. In this study, the effects of chaperones including GroEL/ES, Dnak/J-GrpE and trigger factor on the expression of the recombinant Co-type NHase were investigated. The results indicate that three chaperones can significantly promote the active expression of the recombinant NHase at 30 °C. The total NHase activities reached to 263 and 155 U/ml in shake flasks when the NHase was co-expressed with GroEL/ES and DnaK/J-GrpE, which were 52- and 31-fold higher than the observed activities without chaperones, respectively. This increase is possibly due to the soluble expression of the recombinant NHase assisted by molecular chaperones. Furthermore, GroEL/ES and DnaK/J-GrpE were determined to promote the maturation of the Co-type NHase in E. coli under the absence of the parental activator gene. These knowledge regarding the chaperones effect on the NHase expression are useful for understanding the biosynthesis of Co-type NHase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-Glucosidase (XcG) from Xanthomonas campestris is an interesting enzyme due to its ability to catalyze transglycosylation reactions using maltose, rather than expensive nucleotide-activated sugars. In this study, two chimerical enzymes, XcG-A and XcG-B, were created by substituting the corresponding region of the XcG gene with gene fragments retrieved from metagenomic DNA samples. The enzymatic characterization results revealed that XcG-A exhibited a significant greater transglycosylation capacity for α-arbutin production and a significantly improved ability to produce α-arbutin-α-glycosides than XcG and XcG-B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface characterization of ground monocrystal sapphire is investigated by fractal analysis method. A serial of ground sapphire surfaces in ductile removal and brittle removal mode are obtained by grinding experiments, and their three dimensional (3D) and two dimensional (2D) fractal dimensions are calculated and analyzed by box-counting methods. The 3D surface fractal dimension D s shows a negative correlation with the surface roughness parameter Ra and is sensitive to the ground surface defects. For the ground surface with larger fractal dimension D s , its micro-topography is more exquisite with minor defects. Once the fractal dimension D s become smaller, deep cracks and pronounced defects are exhibited in ground surface. Moreover, the material removal mode can be implied from the distribution of 2D cross-sectional profile fractal dimension D L . The workpiece surface generated in ductile removal mode has high surface quality with high 2D and 3D fractal dimensions. This study indicates that the box-counting fractal analysis is an effective method to evaluate ground sapphire surface comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel aldo-keto reductase (LEK) from Lodderomyces elongisporus NRRL YB-4239 (ATCC 11503) was discovered by genome database mining for carbonyl reduction. LEK was overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), purified to homogeneity and the catalytic properties were studied. Among the substrates, ethyl 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate was converted to ethyl ( R)-4-chloro-3- hydroxybutanoate ( (R)-CHBE), an important pharmaceutical intermediate, with an excellent enantiomeric excess (e.e.) (>99 %). The mutants W28A and S209G obtained by site-directed mutation were identified with much higher molar conversion yields and lower Km values. Further, the constructed coenzyme regeneration system with glucose as co-substrate resulted in a yield of 100 %, an enantioselectivity of >99 %, and the calculated production rate of 56.51 mmol/L/H. These results indicated the potential of LEK for the industrial production of (R)-CHBE and other valuable chiral alcohols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud changes and their attribution under global warming still remains a challenge in climatic change studies, especially in decomposing the fast and slow cloud responses to anthropogenic forcing. In this study, the responses of global cloud cover to the quadrupled CO2 forcing are investigated quantitatively by decomposing the total response into fast and slow ones using the multi-model data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). During the quasi-equilibrium period after the quadrupling of CO2 forcing, the global mean changes of simulated total cloud cover (TCC) in the total, fast, and slow responses are −2.42%, −0.64%, and −1.78%, respectively. Overall, the slow response dominates the total response in most regions over the globe with similar spatial patterns. TCC decreases at middle and low latitudes but increases at high latitudes in the total and slow responses. Whereas, it mainly decreases in the middle and low latitudes of the southern hemisphere as well as in the middle and high latitudes of the northern hemisphere in the fast response. A change in vertical motion is the major contributor to the cloud cover change at middle and low latitudes, while the decrease in upper atmospheric temperature leads to an increase in high cloud cover at high latitudes. In addition, the anomaly in water vapor convergence/diffusion also contributes to the cloud cover increase/decrease at low latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimates short-term climate feedbacks by using a new set of radiative kernels applied to observations and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) simulations. The new kernels are generated based on multiyear satellite observations, and they can well reproduce the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiation budget. The choice of radiative kernels influences the feedback estimation, especially the surface albedo feedback and cloud feedback in the Arctic and the Southern Ocean. Observational estimates show that tropospheric water vapor feedback makes the largest contribution to global warming, while lapse rate feedback is the largest contributor to local warming over East Asia. Compared to the observations, biases occur but differ when simulating global and East Asian local climate feedbacks. CMIP6 models overestimate global mean Planck, lapse rate, stratospheric temperature and water vapor, and cloud feedbacks, but underestimate global mean tropospheric water vapor and surface albedo feedbacks. Over East Asia, local Planck and lapse rate feedbacks are underestimated, while tropospheric water vapor, stratospheric temperature, and cloud feedbacks are overestimated. The simulation biases in local longwave (LW) and shortwave (SW) cloud feedbacks over East Asia are considerable, probably due to the failure in simulating cloud fraction response of marine cirrostratus, deep convective cloud, and stratus. The intermodel spread of cloud feedback is the largest for both global and East Asian local feedback processes. Our results suggest that contemporary climate models are still difficult to accurately simulate global and local climate feedback processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Online detection and prognosis are very important for the safe operation of flue gas turbines. Compared with univariate monitoring of the process, multivariate process monitoring is more effective and can capture abnormal situation in the early stage. This paper proposes a new multivariate fault prognosis framework for the flue gas turbine with a hidden fault process based on independent component analysis (ICA). ICA is a statistical method for identifying underlying independent factors or components in multivariate data. First of all, the non-Gaussian measurements are modeled by the ICA model, and three indices are used for fault detection. Once several faulty samples are collected, fault directions can be extracted for the reconstruction. Then, a reconstruction-based method is proposed to estimate the fault magnitude with the most sensitive index. At last, the fault magnitude is predicted by the support vector machine model. Test results for K-103 catalytic flue gas turbine clearly showed that the proposed fault prognosis method is more efficient than traditional methods. The results also demonstrate support vector machine method has advantages over auto regression approach. © 2013 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports the thermo-mechanical response of rectangular carbon fiber/epoxy resin three-dimensional (3D) braided composites under high strain-rate punch shear loading. 3D braided composites with thickness of 3 mm, 5 mm and 8 mm were investigated under high strain-rate of 1500 s−1 and 2000 s−1. A thermo-mechanical coupling full-scale finite element model was established to acquire the distribution of transient heat and stress on different paths. The failure modes of composites were sensitive to thickness and strain-rate. The results showed that transient heat was mainly generated in resin during adiabatic shearing, and the accumulation of heat accelerated the destruction of the shear band. By analyzing the distribution of transient heat and stress, the damage morphology and complex failure mechanism of 3D braided composites under high strain-rate punch shear loading were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A hybrid Ag/rGO-ZnO photocatalyst settles limitations of poor photoresponse range and high charge recombination of ZnO. • The rationality of Ag/rGO-ZnO nanostructure is confirmed by PEC characterization and FDTD simulation. • Ag/rGO-ZnO shows enhanced CO 2 reduction activity and stability. [Display omitted] In this work, a plasmonic hybrid coupling-enhanced photocatalyst of Ag/rGO (reduced graphene oxide)-ZnO, integrating superior activity, lasting stability, and low cost all-in-one, is proposed to settle limitations related to narrow photoresponse range and high charge recombination on ZnO. Graphene oxide nanoflakes were successfully composited with ZnO nanorods using the self-assembly method, then modified with Ag nanoparticles. UV–vis absorption spectra, photoelectrochemical characterizations and the finite difference time domain simulations show that this nanocomposite has enhanced catalytic activity for reducing CO 2 to CO and CH 4 compared to pure ZnO (P-ZnO). By tuning the content of graphene and Ag, the maximum photocatalytic efficiency of Ag/rGO-ZnO (62.7 μmol g−1 h−1) far exceeds that of P-ZnO by at least 28 times, with high stability for more than 24 h in the absence of hole scavengers and photosensitizers. Meanwhile, with the addition of Ag and graphene, Ag/rGO-ZnO exhibits a selective tendency toward the cleaner fuel-CH 4 , which is 7 times higher than P-ZnO. Our study highlights the potential of broadening the light response range, suppressing e−/h+ recombination, and improving the stability of catalysts based on a nanocomposite structure. It also provides a more valuable reference for promoting low-cost commercial applications of ZnO photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CT is often used in the diagnosis and management of small-bowel obstruction in children. Objective: To determine sensitivity of CT in delineating presence, site and cause of small-bowel obstruction in children. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the CT scans of 47 children with surgically proven small-bowel obstruction. We noted any findings of obstruction and the site and cause of obstruction. Presence, absence or equivocal findings of bowel obstruction on abdominal radiographs performed prior to CT were also noted. We reviewed patient charts for clinical details and surgical findings, including bowel resection. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher exact test to determine which CT findings might predict bowel resection. Results: CT correctly diagnosed small-bowel obstruction in 43/47 (91.5%) cases. CT correctly indicated site of obstruction in 37/47 (78.7%) cases and cause of obstruction in 32/47 (68.1%) cases. Small-bowel feces sign was significantly associated with bowel resection at surgery ( P = 0.0091). No other CT finding was predictive of bowel resection. Out of 41 children who had abdominal radiographs before CT, 29 (70.7%) showed unequivocal obstruction, six (14.6%) showed equivocal findings and six (14.6%) were unremarkable. Conclusion: CT is highly sensitive in diagnosing small-bowel obstruction in children and is helpful in determining the presence of small-bowel obstruction in many clinically suspected cases with equivocal or normal plain radiographs. CT also helps to determine the site and cause of the obstruction with good sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The gene encoding a putative protein from Candida parapsilosis CDC317 (CPE) was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The protein was amenable to overexpression in E. coli and constituted 35% of the total cell protein content. The optimal activity was determined at pH 5.5 and 40°C with the substrate 4-chloro-3-oxobutanoate ethyl ester (COBE). The optical purity of the product was over 99% enantiomeric excess for the (S)-isomer, and the molar conversion yield of the product was 91.1%. The apparent k m value for COBE was 0.19±0.01mM, which is an order of magnitude lower than that of other enzymes in the literature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study is the first to isolate and purify the primary polysaccharide fraction (PPRR) from Rhizopogon rubescens (Tul.) Tul using ultrasonic-assisted hot water extraction. PPRR is a heteropolysaccharide composed of glucose, galactose, fucose, rhamnose, mannose, and xylose. After preliminary structural characterization, the main chain of PPRR is →3)- β - D -Glc p -(1→6)- β - D -Glc p -(1→. In vivo experiments showed that PPRR has significant therapeutic effects on the immune damage caused by cyclophosphamide (CPA). In a concentration range of 1–6 mg/mL, PPRR could augment the macrophage phagocytosis function and regulate the abnormal secretion of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)− 2 and interferon (IFN)- γ. Moreover, PPRR could reduce the inhibition of CPA on hematopoiesis of bone marrow and alleviate the damage caused by CPA to the thymus and spleen. These findings suggest that PPRR has the potential to be used as an immunomodulator in the future. [Display omitted] • Acidic polysaccharide component (named PPRR) was first isolated from Rhizopogon rubescens (Tul.) Tul. • The physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of PPRR were preliminarily characterized. • PPRR components exhibited good immunomodulatory activity in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: CeO2–ZrO2 (CZ) doped with different transition metals was prepared through a co-precipitation and supercritical drying method and the corresponding Pd-only TWCs were characterized. Pd/CZFe and Pd/CZCo exhibit the best catalytic activity and the widest operation window, in accordance with the decrease of the light-off and full-conversion temperature. However, Pd/CZCr restrains the catalytic property. It may be due to the different effect of transition metals on the property of CZ. The introduction of Fe and Co promotes the surface atom ratios of Ce/Zr, makes part of Ce4+ transferred into Ce3+ in order to maintain the electrical neutrality and seems to facilitate the reduction of Ce4+ →Ce3+ or the formation of oxygen vacancies of CZ. The increasing concentration of oxygen vacancies for CZFe leads to the enhancement of DOSC. Moreover, the introduction of Fe favors the transfer of oxygen in different atmospheres. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: CZ doped by nickel oxide with different loadings was prepared through a co-precipitation and supercritical dried method and the corresponding Pd-only TWCs were prepared and characterized. The results demonstrate that Pd/CZNi(3%) catalyst exhibits the best catalytic activity and the widest operation window before and after aging, compared with that of other catalysts. Moreover, the introduction of nickel oxide with 3% loading increases the average pore diameter and broadens the range of pore size distribution of sample, which is propitious to the formation of accumulative pore favoring the adsorption/desorption of reaction species. The introduction of nickel oxide with suitable loading (3%) promotes the thermal stability of CZ corresponding to the better surface composition and more concentration of Ce3+ or oxygen vacancy. Furthermore, the introduction of nickel oxide with 3% loading exhibits the best DOSC compared with other content doping, possibly due to the better structure and better surface composition and better thermal stability of CZNi(3%). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Different contents of praseodymia were introduced to modify Ce0.2Zr0.8O2 (CZ) and the supported Pd-only three-way catalysts before and after aging were also prepared. The influence of praseodymia doping on the structural/textural properties of CZ and the effect on the three-way catalytic activity were investigated. Structural and textural characterizations reveal that the addition of praseodymia results in the formation of Ce–Zr–Pr ternary solid solution (CZP) with higher specific surface area, better thermal stability and larger oxygen storage capacity (OSC) than that of CZ. It is more credible that Zr is replaced by Pr during the formation of CZP. The modified Pd-only three-way catalysts present relatively higher catalytic activity to the main target pollutants in gasoline engine exhaust and exhibit wider air/fuel operation window due to the improved properties of CZP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) employs membrane-bound ubiquitin ligases and the translocation-driving ATPase p97 to retrotranslocate misfolded proteins for proteasomal degradation. How retrotranslocated polypeptides bearing exposed hydrophobic motifs or transmembrane domains (TMDs) avoid aggregation before reaching the proteasome is unclear. Here we identify a ubiquitin ligase-associated multiprotein complex comprising Bag6, Ubl4A, and Trc35, which chaperones retrotranslocated polypeptides en route to the proteasome to improve ERAD efficiency. In vitro, Bag6, the central component of the complex, contains a chaperone-like activity capable of maintaining an aggregation-prone substrate in an unfolded yet soluble state. The physiological importance of this holdase activity is underscored by observations that ERAD substrates accumulate in detergent-insoluble aggregates in cells depleted of Bag6, or of Trc35, a cofactor that keeps Bag6 outside the nucleus for engagement in ERAD. Our results reveal a ubiquitin ligase-associated holdase that maintains polypeptide solubility to enhance protein quality control in mammalian cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, five types of ceria–zirconia modified alumina (CZA) were prepared by co-precipitation with supercritical drying (CPS), co-precipitation with common drying (CPC), sol–gel (SG), micro-emulsion (ME) and impregnation (IM) methods, respectively. The corresponding supported Pd-only three-way catalysts (TWC) were also prepared and evaluated in the simulative gasoline engine exhaust. The influence of different preparation methods on the physicochemical properties of CZA mixed oxide and its supported TWC was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption/desorption and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The redox behavior was investigated with H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR) experiments. The results reveal that the CZA mixed oxides derived from CPS and ME methods exhibit the relatively higher textural and structural properties as well as better redox behavior, which lead to the better catalytic activity and wider air-to-fuel operation window of the corresponding Pd-only three-way catalysts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: CeO2-ZrO2 doped by nickel oxide (CZN) with different method and Pd-only three-way catalysts (Pd/CZN) were prepared and characterized. The catalyst prepared by co-precipitation and supercritical drying process (Pd/CZN-s) exhibits the best catalytic activity and the widest operation working window before and after aging. Compared with other samples, CZN-s shows the formation of more homogeneous ternary solid solution with the smallest lattice parameter and crystallite size. Moreover, CZN-s maintains the high thermal and structural stability with higher surface area and larger pore volume after aging. Pd/CZN-s exhibits higher relative concentration of Ce3+ associated with the formation of more oxygen vacancies before and after aging, confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman results. The more concentration of Ce3+ or oxygen vacancies leads to the enhancement of oxygen storage complete capacity of CZN-s. Moreover, the higher the oxygen storage capacity, the wider the working ranges of air/fuel variations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of ceria–zirconia–neodymia mixed oxides with different contents of neodymia and the supported Pd-only three-way catalysts before and after aging have been prepared and characterized. The influence of Nd doping on the structural/textural properties of ceria–zirconia (CZ) and the effect on the three-way catalytic performance are also investigated. The results demonstrate that the addition of neodymia results in the formation of ceria–zirconia–neodymia ternary solid solution (CZN) with better textural and structural properties as well as improved reducibility and redox behavior, leading to the promoted three-way catalytic activity and enlarged air/fuel operation window. The modified solid solution with 5wt.% neodymia shows the preferable textural/structural properties considering that the capacity of foreign cation is limited in the crystal lattice of ceria–zirconia solid solution, and Pd/CZN5 shows the optimum three-way catalytic performance and wider air/fuel operation window, especially for the corresponding aged one. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The influence of rare earth elements (La, Nd, Pr, Sm and Y) addition to Ce0.2Zr0.8O2 and its supported Pd-only three-way catalysts has been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption/desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and H2 temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR) techniques, and that the dynamic oxygen storage capacity (DOSC) has also been evaluated under transient conditions. Special attention was given to the information of structural modification and the effect of doping on the three-way catalytic performance. The phase for all the ceria–zirconia-rare earth ternary solid solution is single tetragonal, irrespective of the treatment temperature applied. The presence of La, Nd and Pr results in enhanced thermal stability, improved reducibility and increased strong metal–support interaction, leading to the relatively higher three-way catalytic activity for all the target pollutants over the corresponding catalysts. The air/fuel operation window is also enlarged due to the increased dynamic oxygen storage capacity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ce0.67Zr0.33O2 doped with iron oxide was prepared and the corresponding Pd-only three-way catalysts were examined and characterized. Pd/CZFe(1%) catalyst exhibits the best catalytic performance for CO, HC, NO and NO2 elimination and the widest operation window. The doping of iron oxide with 1% loading suggests the formation of more homogeneous Ce–Zr–Fe–O ternary solid solution, which seems to facilitate the reduction of Ce4+ →Ce3+ or the formation of oxygen vacancy and to promote the interaction between Ce–Zr and Fe. Moreover, the Ce redox behaviour for surface reduction suggests depending not only on the formation of homogeneous Ce–Zr–Fe–O but also on the surface property of the sample. The increase in the concentration of oxygen vacancies under all atmospheres for CZFe(1%) sample also results in the enhancement of oxygen storage complete capacity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The behavior of Pd-only three-way catalysts supported on Ce0.67Zr0.33O2 mixed oxides (CZ) doped by transition metals (M=Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) (Pd/CZM) have been examined under stoichiometric CO+HC+NO x +O2 reaction conditions and characterized. Different characterization techniques reveal that transition metal ions have entered into the ceria lattice and atomically more homogeneous mixed oxides have formed on the order of CZFe≈CZCo>CZNi≈CZ>CZMn>CZCr. It is confirmed that the homogeneity of ternary solid solution clearly modifies the properties of the samples and the catalytic behavior of the corresponding catalysts. The introduction of transition metals especially doped Fe and Co improves the oxygen mobility and strongly enhances the oxygen storage capacity of CZ and the corresponding catalysts. Moreover, the addition of Fe and Co into CZ forms more homogeneous Ce–Zr–M–O ternary solid solution and simultaneously promotes the reduction of CZ and Pd noble metal, respectively. It is worthwhile to note that it has a strong interaction between transition metals and Pd noble metal. Furthermore, the presence of Fe and Co obviously decreases the light-off temperature and significantly enhances the catalytic activity of the catalysts. Simultaneously, the windows of activity over Pd/CZFe and Pd/CZCo catalysts become wider compared to that of Pd/CZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The role of La doping with different content in the structure of Ce0.2Zr0.8O2 solid solution (CZ) and the effect of modification on the catalytic activity of supported Pd-only three-way catalysts (TWCs) are clarified. The characterization results reveal that the introduction of La into the lattice of CZ is facile. Zr is replaced by the doped La firstly at low doping content and then Ce is substituted further with increasing La content. The substitution occurs in the bulk preferentially, and then in the surface. The addition of La results in preferable thermal stability, higher BET surface area and enhanced oxygen storage capacity (OSC) compared with CZ, due to the structure modification. La doped fresh samples are beneficial to the conversion of NO and the corresponding aged samples exhibit higher activity for the conversion of all the target pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ce0.67Zr0.33O2 (CZ) mixed oxide was prepared by coprecipitation and effect of the synthesis conditions on CZ properties were investigated in this work, as well as the catalytic performance of Pd-only three-way catalyst (TWC) supported on the prepared CZ. With the increase of aging temperature during precipitation, the crystallite size of CZ increases significantly, while the oxygen storage capacity complete (OSCC) drops and no notable effect on porosity of CZ is observed. The porosity is mainly determined by drying temperature and pH value during precipitation. Prepared under optimized conditions (precipitation at the pH of 9.5, aging at 25°C and then drying under supercritical condition in alcohol), the CZ samples exhibit good properties. This preparation procedure leads to CZ with proper pore size distribution, larger average pore size (20.42nm), higher pore volume (0.69cm3/g) and enhanced OSCC value (383.0μmol/g). Furthermore, the Pd-only TWC supported on the CZ synthesized under the optimized conditions exhibits satisfactory catalytic activity and very low reduction temperature (53°C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, supercritical drying technology is investigated as a new method contrast with the conventional drying techniques to obtain La modified ceria–zirconia solid solution (CZL) with advanced textural/structural properties, and its supported Pd-only three-way catalysts (TWCs) were also prepared and studied. The results demonstrate that the CZL sample prepared by supercritical drying method shows relatively larger specific surface area, better thermal stability and higher redox properties, as well as the prominent oxygen storage capacity compared with samples prepared by conventional drying method. Moreover, it also exhibits remarkable porosity and wide pore size distribution due to the elimination of vapor–liquid interface in the process of supercritical drying, which is beneficial to the adsorption/desorption of pollutant in TWCs. The excellent structural/textural properties of the forenamed CZL support lead to the outstanding catalytic activity, wide air-to-fuel operation window of the corresponding three-way catalyst, indicating its tremendous potential possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The promotional effect of cobalt oxide on the catalytic performance and the physicochemical properties of Pd only three-way catalysts and Ce0.67Zr0.33O2 mixed oxides (CZ) prepared by co-precipitation and impregnation methods have been investigated. It is worthwhile to note that the role of Co significantly depends on the method of Co doping in the CZ. The introduction of cobalt oxide by co-precipitation exhibits significant influence on the catalytic activity of Pd only three-way catalyst with enhancing textural and structural properties, compared to the introduction of cobalt oxide by impregnation method. Furthermore, CZ doped with cobalt oxide by co-precipitation results in the formation of more homogeneous ternary solid solution, which promotes the metal–support interaction between CZ and cobalt metal and improves oxygen storage capacity (OSC) of samples. It also proves that the textural and structural properties of supports can affect the reducibility and oxygen storage capacity of samples at low temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Culture of human hepatocarcinoma cells in three-dimensional structure or spheroid represents a unique opportunity to recapitulate aspects of cell homeostasis and to better reflect the characteristics of native hepatic tumor. In this paper, human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells were encapsulated in alginate-poly-l-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsules and the behavior of the cells in the restricted three-dimensional culture system was investigated. The cells were polygonal-shaped, proliferating with high viability, and formed a single multicellular spheroid in microcapsule. During the assembly of the aggregate in microcapsule, cytoskeletal reorganization and repolorization was occurred, which was absent in cells cultured in monolayer. The in vivo-like cytoarchitecture was confirmed by the phalloidin–FITC labeling of F-actin filaments. The trabecular structure revealed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the bile canaliculus with multiple microvilli and tight junctions revealed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) was found in microencapsulated cells, which exhibited the ultrastructural characteristics of native hepatic tissue. It suggested that microcapsule culture provides an in vivo-like model which can be used for the study of the interactions of cell–cell and cell–microenvironment, and the mechanisms of invasion, metastasis and multicellular drug resistance of tumor cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A linear code with parameters of the form [ n , k , n − k + 1 ] is referred to as an MDS (maximum distance separable) code. A linear code with parameters of the form [ n , k , n − k ] is said to be almost MDS (i.e., almost maximum distance separable) or AMDS for short. A code is said to be near maximum distance separable (in short, near MDS or NMDS) if both the code and its dual are almost maximum distance separable. Near MDS codes correspond to interesting objects in finite geometry and have nice applications in combinatorics and cryptography. There are many unsolved problems about near MDS codes. It is hard to construct an infinite family of near MDS codes whose weight distributions can be settled. In this paper, seven infinite families of [ 2 m + 1 , 3 , 2 m − 2 ] near MDS codes over GF (2 m) and seven infinite families of [ 2 m + 2 , 3 , 2 m − 1 ] near MDS codes over GF (2 m) are constructed with special oval polynomials for odd m. In addition, nine infinite families of optimal [ 2 m + 3 , 3 , 2 m ] near MDS codes over GF (2 m) are constructed with oval polynomials in general. The weight distributions of these near MDS codes are settled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual mean surface solar radiation (SSR) trends under all-sky, clear-sky, all-sky-no-aerosol, and clear-sky-no-aerosol conditions as well as their possible causes are analyzed during 2005–2018 across China based on different satellite-retrieved datasets to determine the major drivers of the trends. The results confirm clouds and aerosols as the major contributors to such all-sky SSR trends over China but play differing roles over sub-regions. Aerosol variations during this period result in a widespread brightening, while cloud effects show opposite trends from south to north. Moreover, aerosols contribute more to the increasing all-sky SSR trends over northern China, while clouds dominate the SSR decline over southern China. A radiative transfer model is used to explore the relative contributions of cloud cover from different cloud types to the all-types-of-cloud-cover-induced (ACC-induced) SSR trends during this period in four typical sub-regions over China. The simulations point out that the decreases in low-cloud-cover (LCC) over the North China Plain are the largest positive contributor of all cloud types to the marked annual and seasonal ACC-induced SSR increases, and the positive contributions from both high-cloud-cover (HCC) and LCC declines in summer and winter greatly contribute to the ACC-induced SSR increases over East China. The contributions from medium-low-cloud-cover (mid-LCC) and LCC variations dominate the ACC-caused SSR trends over southwestern and South China all year round, except for the larger HCC contribution in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elliptical ultrasonic assisted grinding (EUAG) is considered a promising technique for difficult-to-machine material grinding. However, it has yet to be fully developed because the topography generation mechanism of a workpiece surface evolved using EUAG has not been elaborately addressed. Compared with other conventional grinding parameters, the ultrasonic vibration parameters (amplitude and frequency) during EUAG are the most critical factors in the generation of the surface topography. However, it is difficult to tune such parameters freely during an experiment, owing to the technical restrictions of current ultrasonic vibrators. Further, a pass-by-pass analysis of the surface material removal process is not possible to achieve during an experiment. Thus, a 3D ground surface topography generation method is developed in this study, and the surface generation process of four typical ground surfaces are analysed based on the calculated results. The four typical ground surfaces are then machined on the monocrystal silicon workpieces. The experimental results agree well with the surface topography predictions, which validates the effectiveness of the topography model. The material removal mechanism under different ultrasonic vibration parameters during EUAG is explained in this study according to the simulated abrasive cutting trajectory and ground surface. This method has shown its powerful ability to conduct a pass-by-pass analysis of the grinding process. Further, it can be used for a future investigation into the grinding vibration, cutting chips, and forces, and is not limited to EUAG, but is also applicable to other machining processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universal stress proteins are a class of proteins widely present in bacteria, archaea, plants, and invertebrates, playing essential roles in bacterial adaptation to various environmental stresses. The functions of bacterial universal stress proteins are versatile, including resistance to oxidative stress, maintenance of cell wall integrity, DNA damage repair, regulation of cell division and growth, among others. When facing stresses such as temperature changes, pH shifts, fluctuations in oxygen concentration, and exposure to toxins, these proteins can bind to specific DNA sequences and rapidly adjust bacterial metabolic pathways and gene expression patterns to adapt to the new environment. In summary, bacterial universal stress proteins play a crucial role in bacterial adaptability and survival. A comprehensive understanding of bacterial stress response mechanisms and the development of new antibacterial strategies are of great significance. This review summarizes the research progress on the structure, function, and regulatory factors of universal stress proteins in clinically relevant bacteria, aiming to facilitate deeper investigations by clinicians and researchers into universal stress proteins. • Universal stress proteins are crucial for bacterial adaptation to various environmental stresses. • These proteins have versatile functions, including oxidative stress resistance and DNA damage repair. • Understanding bacterial stress response mechanisms is significant for developing new antibacterial strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]