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In this work, a dynamic model considering time-varying mesh stiffness and backlash was proposed and a test rig was built to investigate the vibration behavior of the idle gear set in a gerotor pump. The effects of input shaft speed, torque fluctuation, and gear tooth backlash on the dynamic performance of gerotor pump were analyzed according to the numerical and experimental results. Results demonstrate that when the torque fluctuation is neglected, the dynamic transmission error of drive gear is dominated by the first three mesh harmonic components; however, the RMS values of vibration acceleration have high frequency characteristics. When the torque fluctuation is considered, the dynamic responses of gerotor pump are modulated by the torque fluctuation. The effect of tooth backlash on the dynamic performance of gerotor pump is limited and mostly depended on the torque fluctuation condition. The gerotor pump noise is dominated by the low frequency component around the mesh frequency. The vibration energy can be divided into two parts in the frequency domain. In the low frequency band, the vibration energy is caused by the mechanical vibration. However, in the high frequency band, the cavitation phenomena may cause the concentration of the vibration energy and resonant of pump structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ischemic stroke and disability caused by carotid artery stenosis have always been worldwide problems. At present, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and transfemoral carotid artery stenting (TFCAS) have been commonly used to treat carotid artery stenosis. Recently, transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) seems to be another option. Methods: We searched PubMed and Embase to find literatures comparing TCAR with TFCAS and CEA. The primary outcomes were stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), transient ischemic attack (TIA), death, cranial nerve injure (CNI), and operative time. Secondary outcomes were stroke, death, MI in the elderly; cost; radiation; and entry site complication. Results: Initial search of the literature included 165 articles, of which 12 studies were chosen in the end. These studies demonstrated high technical success rate of TCAR. Patients who received TCAR had lower risks of death, stroke/death and less radiation exposure compared to TFCAS. In meta analysis, the risk of stroke was significantly lower in TCAR group than TFCAS (OR 0.63; 95%CI 0.47–0.85). And there was no significant difference in TIA and MI. TCAR was associated with shorter operative time, lower risk of CNI and less blood loss compared to CEA. In older patients, the effect of TCAR was significantly better than that of TFCAS. Conclusion: TCAR is associated with a lower risk of perioperative stroke compared to TFCAS. TCAR is also associated with shorter operative time, lower risk of CNI and less blood loss compared to CEA. TCAR may be a promising treatment option besides TFCAS and CEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent droughts have severely threatened water security in many regions worldwide. Reservoirs, designed to combat droughts and secure water supply partially, are reported failing to fill up to the total capacity due to severe droughts. How bad is climate affecting reservoir filling up on a global scale? This issue has not been studied. We present a big picture of reservoirs in crisis using satellite altimetry. Thanks to the unique characteristics of CryoSat‐2, 525 reservoirs worldwide were investigated during 2010–2022. Results show that most reservoirs (93%) are found not fully filled up at least once. About 21% of reservoirs, which are mainly located in the Southern Hemisphere, show a significant decline in water levels. Moreover, about 20% of reservoirs with larger level fluctuations (>3 m) are located in less developed economies, indicating informed operation rules are needed. Further analyses indicate reservoirs are largely affected by extreme climate events, such as ENSO. Plain Language Summary: A reservoir is an artificial lake where water is collected and stored for various purposes, such as flood control, irrigation, hydropower generation, industrial use, etc. In a changing climate, drought events can cause a decline in the natural flow of streams and rivers to the reservoirs. Consequently, many of the functions provided by the reservoir might be halted if the drought continues, just like the cases of Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The past decade saw several record‐breaking global annual temperatures. How have global reservoirs been affected in terms of the filling up? Leveraging more than a decade of CryoSat‐2 altimetry observations, we provided a global picture of this issue. We found that 93% of studied reservoirs have not been fully filled up at least once during 2010–2022. Our analyses revealed that droughts are the most probable culprits. About 86% of the 398 reservoirs with accessible SPEI data exhibited significant susceptibility to drought, while 43% of the 525 reservoirs demonstrated notable sensitivity to ENSO events. These findings have important implications for future reservoir operations to cope with more intensive drought events. It also means the benefits and costs of both existing and planned reservoirs need to be re‐assessed to take adaptation strategies. Key Points: Water levels of reservoirs in the southern hemisphere show a declining trendAbout 93% of the 525 studied reservoirs have not been fully filled up at least once in the past 12 yearsLess developed economies need to develop informed reservoir operation rules to cope with climate change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the probability of a rollover accident is lower than that of other forms of collision, rollover is a serious accident that can break the symmetry of the vehicle and cause serious loss of life and property. There are many factors affecting rollovers, such as the environment, the vehicle, and the driving control. A coach comprises a complex dynamic system; as such, the accuracy and rationality of the used mathematical model are decisive in the study of coach rollover warning and control. By analogy with the modeling method of an automobile collision accident, the general process of a coach rollover accident is analyzed in this study in combination with the contact form and freedom of motion characteristic of the coach body and external environment. According to the principle of conservation of energy, the mathematical models of critical rollover impact force in a collision between vehicles and obstacles and in a collision between two vehicles are established, allowing for analysis of the relationships between the critical tripped rollover impact forces required for a 90° rollover and the continuous action time and collision point height. During the collision between the vehicle and the obstacle, the occurrence of a vehicle rollover is related not only to the impact force in the collision process but also to the collision duration time. Even if the impact force is relatively small, the collision lasts long enough that a second collision may occur until the vehicle rolls over. In the process of a two-vehicle collision, the critical rollover impact force is not only related to the vehicle mass but also to the vehicle wheelbase and the height of the collision point. Based on the law of conservation of momentum, the mathematic models of 90-degree rollover and 180-degree rollover are established, and the critical rollover velocities are calculated. The purpose of this study is to provide reference and guidance for the research methods of vehicle rollover stability and anti-rollover control in the intelligent vehicle era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbide (SiC) is widely used in various industrial fields for its excellent properties. Vat photopolymerization (VP) technology stands out in the fabrication of SiC ceramics due to its enhanced design flexibility and capability to produce intricate geometries. However, the excessive residual carbon content in VP technology directly affects the sintering performance of SiC ceramics, leading to cracking and deformation defects. To address this issue, we systematically studied the residual carbon content of SiC under different debinding atmospheres in forming by VP technology. We found that the debinding atmosphere can effectively control the residual carbon content in SiC ceramics. Residual carbon exists in samples with a lower degree of defect, promotes grain growth, reduces neck size, and results in flexural strength of 253.13 MPa after pressureless sintering. This research promotes the application of VP technology in SiC ceramics and opens up a new avenue for the development of high-performance SiC ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natronorubrum daqingense JX313T is an extremely halophilic archaea that can grow in a NaCl-saturated environment. The excellent salt tolerance of N. daqingense makes it a high-potential candidate for researching the salt stress mechanisms of halophilic microorganisms from Natronorubrum. In this study, transcriptome analysis revealed that three genes related to the biosynthesis of vitamin B12 were upregulated in response to salt stress. For the wild-type (WT) strain JX313T, the low-salt adaptive mutant LND5, and the vitamin B12 synthesis-deficient strain ΔcobC, the exogenous addition of 10 mg/L of vitamin B12 could maximize their cell survival and biomass in both optimal and salt stress environments. Knockout of cobC resulted in changes in the growth boundary of the strain, as well as a significant decrease in cell survival and biomass, and the inability to synthesize vitamin B12. According to the HPLC analysis, when the external NaCl concentration (w/v) increased from 17.5% (optimal) to 22.5% (5% salt stress), the intracellular accumulation of vitamin B12 in WT increased significantly from (11.54 ± 0.44) mg/L to (15.23 ± 0.20) mg/L. In summary, N. daqingense is capable of absorbing or synthesizing vitamin B12 in response to salt stress, suggesting that vitamin B12 serves as a specific compatible solute effector for N. daqingense during salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ga2O3 photodetectors with demonstrated high sensitivity provide a potential subversive scheme for solar‐blind photodetection. However, the planar structure and the relatively slow response speed of the device have restricted the integration and application of Ga2O3 photodetectors. Herein, a narrow SiO2 barrier layer is introduced on the commercial SiC substrate, and a vertical photodetector is realized based on β‐Ga2O3/SiO2/SiC heterostructure with controllable tunneling effect by tailoring the band structure at the interface. The developed device exhibits unconventional rectification characteristics and photoresponse performance in different biasing modes owing to the controllable tunneling effect at the interface. In particular, the photodetector achieves a high responsivity (186.8 A W−1) under solar‐blind illumination at reverse bias, while exhibiting obvious advantages in dark current (3 pA), photo‐to‐dark current ratio (8.8 × 106), linear dynamic range (138.8 dB), and specific detectivity (1.4 × 1015 Jones) at forward bias. The photodetector also demonstrates excellent photoresponse stability after 6 months in air without encapsulation. In addition, an alternating biasing strategy, inspired by its bidirectional operability, is proposed to suppress the persistent photoconductivity effect and increase the decay speed by 1.23 × 105 times. This work provides a referable strategy for the further development of high‐performance Ga2O3‐based photoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a promising route for sustainable hydrogen production. However, its efficiency is limited by kinetic barriers. Herein, we employ density functional theory (DFT) calculations to demonstrate a new strategy of embedding tetrametallic transition metal clusters (3TM 1 -TM 2) into the pores of graphdiyne (GDY) to effectively optimize its HER performance. By screening 900 configurations, 10 prototypes displayed near-ideal hydrogen adsorption free energies. Among them, 3W–Hg@GDY with a ΔG H of −0.00035 eV was identified as the optimal candidate. Analysis of the electronic structure reveals hybridization between the metal d orbitals and GDY p orbitals near the Fermi level, creating partially filled impurity states to promote hydrogen adsorption. Additionally, coordination between the three TM 1 atoms and active TM 2 atom in the cluster enables precise tuning of TM 2 's electron density to achieve a moderate interaction with the adsorbed H, facilitating superior HER catalysis. Our findings showcase a new paradigm of cluster engineering for modulating GDY's reactivity that holds great promise as a universal approach for the design of high-performance GDY-based electrocatalysts beyond HER. Through screening 900 configurations of tetrametallic transition metal clusters embedded in graphdiyne via DFT calculations, we identified 10 prototypes displayed near-ideal hydrogen adsorption free energies. [Display omitted] • Screened 900 GDY-cluster configs; 10 show near-ideal HER adsorption energies. • 3 W–Hg@GDY: ΔG H -0.00035 eV, closest to ideal among prototypes. • Metal d-orbitals, GDY p-orbitals hybridization aids H adsorption. • Precisely tuned electron density on active site via coordination with three atoms enables optimal binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study established a novel vehicle–track coupled dynamics model (VTCDM) considering the disc brake system of a high-speed train (HST). The structure parameters of each friction block are applied to compute the non-linear friction forces and torques. This more elaborate model enables detailed investigations on the coupled mechanical system excited by the brake sliding friction, wheel-rail rolling friction and track irregularity. Further, it is validated by comparing with the experimental results from the aspects of time domain, frequency domain, Poincaré map and phase plane. Results indicate that the brake system substantially influences the vehicle–track system (VTS) and causes strong non-linear characteristics. Furthermore, this model can be used for tribological and dynamics-related assessment, like braking squeal and friction-induced vibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen production from electrolytic water is a promising technology for achieving zero carbon emissions in industrial applications. The two-dimensional layered structure of molybdenum disulfide has demonstrated significant catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reactions in acidic media. However, while 1T−MoS 2 has demonstrated catalytic activity on both edge sites and the basal plane of S, the development of additional active sites is necessary. In this study, we synthesized monolithic catalysts of X−1T−MoS 2 /Mo doped with transition metals. The experimental results demonstrated that this design yielded more active sites, with overpotentials required to reach 10 mA cm−2 lower than those of the basal. Notably, the X−1T−MoS 2 /Mo monolithic catalyst can withstand strong and continuous bombardment by hydrogen on the electrode surface at high current densities. This catalyst was continuously operated for 200 h at a current density ranging from 300 to 400 mA cm−2, and no degradation in performance was observed. [Display omitted] • Non-precious metal monolithic catalysts with metal interfaces. • The monolithic catalysts can withstand strong and continuous hydrogen bombardment. • It can operate for 200 h at a large current density of 300–400 mA cm−2. • The monolithic catalysts can realize industrial-grade water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAn emergency marine protected area (EMPA) refers to a type of area-based management tool (ABMT) designated on an interim basis with immediate effect, pending the establishment of formal marine protected areas (MPAs). The marine environment is currently under an increasing threat of abrupt extreme events. However, formal MPAs are not an ideal tool to render an emergency response owing to their time-consuming procedures for adoption and hindrance from competing interests. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international agreements cannot provide a comprehensive solution to combat various unforeseeable extreme events. Facing this situation, the development of an EMPA is proposed. The BBNJ Agreement includes an article providing for emergency measures in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). It concludes that establishing EMPAs could be an effective solution to marine environmental emergencies. The new Agreement offers hope for implementing EMPAs in ABNJ. In addition, EMPAs are expected to play an important role in ecosystem recovery after climatic extreme events in a timely and flexible manner in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn various practical situations, matrix factorization methods suffer from poor data quality, such as high data sparsity and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Here, we consider a matrix factorization problem by using auxiliary information, which is massively available in real-world applications, to overcome the challenges caused by poor data quality. Unlike existing methods that mainly rely on simple linear models to combine auxiliary information with the main data matrix, we propose to integrate gradient boosted trees in the probabilistic matrix factorization framework to effectively leverage auxiliary information (MFAI). Thus, MFAI naturally inherits several salient features of gradient boosted trees, such as the capability of flexibly modeling nonlinear relationships and robustness to irrelevant features and missing values in auxiliary information. The parameters in MFAI can be automatically determined under the empirical Bayes framework, making it adaptive to the utilization of auxiliary information and immune to overfitting. Moreover, MFAI is computationally efficient and scalable to large datasets by exploiting variational inference. We demonstrate the advantages of MFAI through comprehensive numerical results from simulation studies and real data analyses. Our approach is implemented in the R package mfair available at https://github.com/YangLabHKUST/mfair. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing efficient nanostructured electrocatalysts for N2 reduction to NH3 under mild conditions remains a major challenge. The Fe−Mo cofactor serves as the archetypal active site in nitrogenase. Inspired by nitrogenase, we designed a series of heteronuclear dual‐atom catalysts (DACs) labeled as FeMoN6−aXa (a=1, 2, 3; X=B, C, O, S) anchored on the pore of g‐C3N4 to probe the impact of coordination on FeMo‐catalyzed nitrogen fixation. The stability, reaction paths, activity, and selectivity of 12 different FeMoN6−aXa DACs have been systematically studied using density functional theory. Of these, four DACs (FeMoN5B1, FeMoN5O1, FeMoN4O2, and FeMoN3C3) displayed promising nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) performance. Notably, FeMoN5O1 stands out with an ultralow limiting potential of −0.11 V and high selectivity. Analysis of the density of states and charge/spin changes shows FeMoN5O1′s high activity arises from optimal N2 binding on Fe initially and synergy of the FeMo dimer enabling protonation in NRR. This work contributes to the advancement of rational design for efficient NRR catalysts by regulating atomic coordination environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the concerns associated with the difficulties of the very limited light curing depth in the pure silicon carbide (SiC) printing slurry, a bimodal particle size distribution was investigated systematically. Powder mixtures of 1 µm SiC particles and 10.5 µm SiC particles with specific ratios were prepared for making the printing slurries of 55 vol% solid load. A comprehensive investigation was conducted on the rheological stability and photopolymerization properties of coarse and fine powders at different proportions, along with an exploration of the impact of powder proportion on the quality of sintering. It was observed that at a 40% proportion of fine powder in the mixed powder, the viscosity of the slurry reached its minimum value (4.7 Pa.s) at a shear rate of 10 s–1. Meanwhile, the settlement ratio V 1 /V 0 reached the lowest value of 1.2%. The printed sample size closely matched the design size and the quality of ceramic samples obtained after sintering was excellent (134.78 MPa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeOOH quantum dots (QDs) were successfully anchored on 2D BiOBr nanosheets as composite photo‐Fenton catalysts by a simple precipitation and impregnation method. Using Rhodamine B (RhB) as an organic dye model, the photo‐Fenton catalytic activity of the composite catalyst was significantly higher than that of BiOBr and FeOOH. Among them, 1.8 % FeOOH/BiOBr has the highest photo‐Fenton catalytic activity. The main reason is that the interface effect between FeOOH and BiOBr can enable photogenerated electrons to rapidly transfer from the surface of BiOBr to FeOOH to participate in the Fe3+/Fe2+ cycle. Meanwhile, the quantum size of FeOOH increases the density of active sites on the surface of the composite catalyst. The influence of external factors on the catalytic activity of the catalyst was also verified. Finally, the electron transfer direction and main active species (h+, ⋅O2−) of the composite catalyst were discussed by electrochemical analysis and radical trapping experiments, and a reasonable catalytic degradation mechanism was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We designed two experiments to investigate the interference mechanism of the spatial–numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect in randomly presented mixed contexts of numbers and letters, after manipulating the binding pattern of numbers and letters with left or right response position in situations where the ratio of numbers to letters was 1:3. The results from Experiment 1 showed that the SNARC effect occurred both for numbers and letters when binding small numbers with letters A–C, or large numbers and letters E–G. In Experiment 2 the SNARC effect was absent in classification of both numbers and letters when binding the digits 1–3 with letters E-G and binding 4–7 with A–C. This suggests that interference between the spatial representation of letters and numbers in working memory can lead to the disappearance of the SNARC effect in mixed contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of renewable energy has also had an impact on the flexibility of multi energy systems such as electricity, heat, and gas. To analyze the flexible characteristics of multi energy systems at multiple time scales, a multi-scale flexibility evaluation method based on morphological decomposition is proposed. The net load curve is decomposed using mathematical morphology methods, and a multi-scale energy storage configuration method based on the flexibility of electric heating systems is proposed. The analysis data shows that the probability of insufficient upward flexibility, margin expectation, and insufficient expectation of the scale weighted flexibility index are 1.12%, 3.98%, and 1.16%, respectively, while the probability of insufficient downward flexibility, margin expectation, and insufficient expectation are 0.73%, 4.54%, and 0.56%, respectively. The introduction of energy storage and controllable load simultaneously results in an overall downward flexibility index of 0.92% for the system. The results indicate that controllable load can improve the economy of system peak shaving, providing more options for energy storage and configuration in multi energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current research on autophagy is mainly focused on intervertebral disc tissues and cells, while there is few on human peripheral blood sample. therefore, this study constructed a diagnostic model to identify autophagy-related markers of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Methods: GSE150408 and GSE124272 datasets were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and differential expression analysis was performed. The IVDD-autophagy genes were obtained using Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis, and a diagnostic model was constructed and validated, followed by Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Meanwhile, miRNA–gene and transcription factor–gene interaction networks were constructed. In addition, drug-gene interactions and target genes of methylprednisolone and glucosamine were analyzed. Results: A total of 1,776 differentially expressed genes were identified between IVDD and control samples, and the composition of the four immune cell types was significantly different between the IVDD and control samples. The Meturquoise and Mebrown modules were significantly related to immune cells, with significant differences between the control and IVDD samples. A diagnostic model was constructed using five key IVDD-autophagy genes. The area under the curve values of the model in the training and validation datasets were 0.907 and 0.984, respectively. The enrichment scores of the two pathways were significantly different between the IVDD and healthy groups. Eight pathways in the IVDD and healthy groups had significant differences. A total of 16 miRNAs and 3 transcription factors were predicted to be of great value. In total, 84 significantly related drugs were screened for five key IVDD-autophagy genes in the diagnostic model, and three common autophagy-related target genes of methylprednisolone and glucosamine were predicted. Conclusion: This study constructs a reliable autophagy-related diagnostic model that is strongly related to the immune microenvironment of IVD. Autophagy-related genes, including PHF23, RAB24, STAT3, TOMM5, and DNAJB9, may participate in IVDD pathogenesis. In addition, methylprednisolone and glucosamine may exert therapeutic effects on IVDD by targeting CTSD, VEGFA, and BAX genes through apoptosis, as well as the sphingolipid and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways in diabetic complications. Highlights: The autophagy-related diagnostic model closely associated with immunity was constructed based on five key autophagy-related genes in IVDD patients' peripheral blood sample, which could diagnose of IVDD. Methylprednisolone and glucosamine, empirical used clinical therapeutic drugs for IVDD, might exert therapeutic effect by targeting CTSD, VEGFA, and BAX through apoptosis, sphingolipid signaling pathway, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications. This study provides new insights for the diagnosis and therapy of IVDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the detectability of noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) with conventional sequencing depth to detect fetal copy number variants. Methods: We performed a retrospective study in a total of 19 144 pregnant women. Their cell‐free plasma DNA were assessed for trisomy 21, trisomy 18, trisomy 13, sex chromosome aneuploidies, and genome‐wide copy number variants by NIPS at conventional sequencing depth. Results: Three hundred seventy‐four cases (2.0%, 374/19 144) with abnormal results were detected, which including 84 cases (0.4%, 84/19 144) with high risk of trisomy 21, 18, and 13, 90 cases (0.5%, 90/19 144) with high risk of sex chromosome abnormalities (SCA), and 44 cases (0.2%, 44/19 144) with high risk of other chromosome aneuploidies. One hundred fifty‐six cases (0.8%, 156/19 144) with high risk of copy number variations (CNVs) were also detected. In following prenatal diagnosis, composite positive predictive value (PPV) of trisomy 21, 18, and 13 was 69.6% (48/69). The PPV of SCAs was 37.3% (19/51). And the PPVs for CNVs was detected as 51.0% (<5 Mb), 71.4% (5 Mb ≤ CNV ≤10 Mb), 56.5% (>10 Mb). Finally, a follow‐up about the pregnancy outcomes were conducted for all available cases. Conclusions: NIPS yielded high PPVs for trisomy 21, 18, and 13 aneuploidies and moderate PPVs for SCAs and CNVs. The screening effectiveness was closely related to the size of CNV fragments. Larger CNVs, especially larger than 5 Mb, could be detected more accurately by NIPS in our analytic technique. Meanwhile, diagnostic confirmation by microarray analysis was highly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More serious oxidations of in-situ NbC in Cu-matrix composites are induced not only by the reinforcement refinement due to the increase in its specific surface energy, but also by the depth increase from the surface to interior due to the existence of oxygen concentration cell. As NbC grains decrease from ∼5.14 to ∼1.64 μm, the content of oxidation products (NbO 2 , Nb 2 O 5) is increased by 1320%. It benefits the anti-corrosion properties of composites because of the protection effects of oxides on matrix phase, though NbC oxidation does not change the materials corrosion mechanism. Such novel findings may provide a potential strategy for improving the corrosion resistance of metal matrix composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this investigation, we systematically explored the intricate relationship between the structural attributes of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membranes and their multifaceted properties relevant to fuel cell applications, encompassing diverse crosslinking conditions. Employing the solution casting technique, we fabricated crosslinked PVA membranes by utilizing phosphoric acid (PA) as the crosslinking agent, modulating the crosslinking temperature across a range of values. This comprehensive approach aimed to optimize the selection of crosslinking parameters for the advancement of crosslinked polymer materials tailored for fuel cell contexts. A series of meticulously tailored crosslinked PVA membranes were synthesized, each varying in PBTCA content (5–30 wt.%) to establish a systematic framework for elucidating chemical interactions, morphological transformations, and physicochemical attributes pertinent to fuel cell utilization. The manipulation of crosslinking agent concentration and crosslinking temperature engendered a discernible impact on the crosslinking degree, leading to a concomitant reduction in crystallinity. Time-resolved attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was harnessed to evaluate the dynamics of liquid water adsorption and ionomer swelling kinetics within the array of fabricated PVA films. Notably, the diffusion of water within the PVA membranes adhered faithfully to Fick's law, with discernible sensitivity to the crosslinking conditions being implemented. Within the evaluated membranes, proton conductivities exhibited a span of between 10−3 and 10−2 S/cm, while methanol permeabilities ranged from 10−8 to 10−7 cm2/s. A remarkable revelation surfaced during the course of this study, as it became evident that the structural attributes and properties of the PVA films, under the influence of distinct crosslinking conditions, underwent coherent modifications. These changes were intrinsically linked to alterations in crosslinking degree and crystallinity, reinforcing the interdependence of these parameters in shaping the characteristics of PVA films intended for diverse fuel cell applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-pyrolysis technology is an important realizable pathway for efficient resource utilization of different kinds of organic solid wastes. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), and pyrolyze coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) were used to examine the thermal decomposition behavior, pyrolysis performance, and products distribution from different kinds of solid wastes. Results are presented using agricultural and forestry residues (poplar biomass and rape straw), waste plastics (polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene) and their mixtures in 1:1 mass ratio. The TGA results showed a low comprehensive pyrolysis index (CPI) for the examined agricultural and forestry residues as compared to their mixtures with waste plastics that showed improved pyrolysis performance during their co-pyrolysis. The FTIR data of forestry and agricultural residues and waste plastics showed that they have a similar functional group (-CH 3 , -CH 2 , -CH and -C-). The possible occurrence of the products in the pyrolysis was further predicted by these functional groups. The results of Py-GC/MS analysis showed that the yield of aromatic hydrocarbons in co-pyrolysis of agricultural and forestry residues and waste plastics improved compared to solo pyrolysis of agricultural and forestry residues. The study provides efficient synergistic conversion of biomass and plastics for their treatment with favorable products distribution and yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1 ​wt% Ru/5 ​wt% Nb 2 O 5 /CeO 2 (RuNbCe) catalyst was synthesized via the incipient wetness impregnation method, and measured for the catalytic oxidation of dichloromethane (DCM). The physicochemical properties of catalysts were determined used various characterization techniques. Compared with 1 ​wt% Ru/CeO 2 , 5 ​wt% Nb 2 O 5 /CeO 2 , CeO 2 , 1 ​wt% Ru/ x Nb 2 O 5 /CeO 2 (x ​= ​1 ​wt%, 2 ​wt%, and 3 ​wt%) and 1 ​wt% Ru/ yM O n /CeO 2 (M ​= ​Co, Cr, Fe, Mg, Cu; y ​= ​5 ​wt%), the addition of 5 ​wt% Nb 2 O 5 obviously improved the catalytic performance of 1 ​wt% Ru/CeO 2 , with the T 90% and apparent activation energy (E a) being 287 oC and 43.5 ​kJ/mol, respectively, and less formation of polychlorinated byproducts at space velocity (SV) ​= ​15,000 ​mL ​g‒1 ​h‒1. The RuNbCe catalyst showed good thermal and hydrothermal stability, as well as HCl-resistance performance. We deduced that the higher oxidation performance of the RuNbCe catalyst may be attributed to the suitable acidic sites, good redox capacity, high surface adsorbed oxygen species concentration, and the strong interaction among Ru, Nb 2 O 5 and CeO 2. The RuNbCe catalyst has the potential to be applied for the elimination of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs). [Display omitted] • Ru/Nb 2 O 5 /CeO 2 catalyst is prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation method. • Ru/Nb 2 O 5 /CeO 2 exhibits high catalytic activity for dichloromethane removal. • Ru/Nb 2 O 5 /CeO 2 shows high (hydro-)thermal stability and HCl-resistance. • High performance relates to acidity, redox capacity, O ads , and strong interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recovery of precious metals from secondary resources is significant economically and environmentally. However, their separation is still challenging because they often occur in complex metal ion mixtures. The poor selectivity of adsorbents for gold in complicated solutions prevents further application of adsorption technology. In this study, a Zr-based MOF adsorbent, MIL-161, was synthesized using s-tetrazine dicarboxylic acid (H2STz) as an organic ligand. MIL-161 demonstrated a high adsorption capacity of up to 446.49 mg/g and outstanding selectivity for gold(III) in a simulated electronic waste solution as a result of the presence of sulfur- and nitrogen-containing groups. In addition, the MIL-161 adsorbents were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), Brunner–Emment–Teller (BET), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Additionally, the adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics of the MOF adsorbents were also thoroughly examined. More importantly, the experimental results and DFT calculations indicate that chelation and electrostatic interactions are the main adsorption mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The straw incorporation in lime concretion black soil compromises the emergence and quality of winter wheat seedlings in Huaibei Plain, China, lowering the potential of wheat productivity. To overcome the disadvantage, a two-year field experiment was conducted in 2017–18 and 2018–19 to investigate the effects of different tillage modes on seedling emergence and subsequent seedling growth, and final grain yield (GY) in winter wheat. The modes are rotary tillage with compaction after sowing (RCT), rotary tillage after deep ploughing (PT) and rotary tillage after deep ploughing with compaction after sowing (PCT), with the traditional rotary tillage (RT) method as the control. Compared to RT, greater soil moisture content (SMC) at the seedling stage was observed in deep ploughing or compaction treatment, and the highest SMC was achieved in PCT; the time of reaching the maximum number of seedlings was 1 d sooner in RCT or PT, and 3 d in PCT; the seedling number in RCT, PT and PCT was significantly increased by 32.6%, 34.5% and 61.5% respectively. The population size, shoot and root growth of winter wheat in ploughing mode was significantly enhanced than that of rotary treatment at the over-wintering stage; compared to no compaction after sowing, plant growth in compaction treatments was significantly promoted with greater plant population size and height of seedlings. At harvest, GY in RCT, PT and PCT was significantly improved by 5.87%, 10.8% and 16.4%, respectively, compared to RT and the highest GY was achieved in PCT by up to 8, 350.1 kg ha-1 due to the increased spike number. In conclusion, the seedling quality in the straw incorporation practice was improved through rotary after deep ploughing and compaction after sowing for lime concretion black soil in Huaibei Plain, China or a similar soil type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with collocation methods for one class of impulsive delay differential equations (IDDEs). Some results for the convergence, global superconvergence and local superconvergence of collocation methods are given. We choose a suitable piecewise continuous collocation space to obtain high-order numerical methods. Some illustrative examples are given to verify the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust subgroup multisignature allows any subgroup of signers from a global set to sign a given message on behalf of the whole group, and the individual signatures should be verified before the combination process, which resists poison signature attacks. An emerging application of robust subgroup multisignatures in blockchain is that a qualified subgroup of a global set of users has reached agreement. In the integrated blockchain and edge computing system, the edge server can naturally act as a combiner in multisignatures and help other end devices produce the final aggregate signature. In this paper, we propose a robust subgroup multisignature with one-time public keys in order that has two advantages for solving the signers ordering problem and one-time public key problem simultaneously. Our scheme is a nontrivial extension of Galindo et al.’s robust subgroup multisignature scheme and can be proven unforgeable, robust and chronological in random oracles. Our scheme can also be suitable for the consortium blockchain by adding a noninteractive zero-knowledge (NIZK) proof system for certifying the one-time public keys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface micro-discharge (SMD) has received growing interest for its great prospect in various emerging applications spanning the fields of biomedicine, manufacturing, and agriculture. Discharge properties and the nature of the chemical species are heavily dependent on the electrode configuration. However, insight into the effect of electrode configuration on SMD remains scarce. This paper reports on the effect of the geometry of the powered planar electrode on the dynamic evolution of plasma in a helium SMD array at atmospheric pressure. The observed symmetric and asymmetric luminous patterns correspond to odd and even numbered current pulses in negative half-cycle, respectively. When the powered electrode is not covering the full area of the mesh unit of the grounded electrode, the luminous pattern dominated by the negative pattern consists of three parts: the distinct luminous channel, the flabelliform luminous area, and the discontinuous cambered channels under the incomplete powered electrode condition. The distinct luminous channel is ascribed to the propagation of the bullet-like plasma volume originated at the middle part of the mesh side before merging with other plasmas. The merging plasma forms a cambered front and continuous to propagate, leading to the formation of a flabelliform area. The discontinuous cambered channels result from the propagation of bullets ignited at the mesh corners, especially the slide of luminous area with maximum emission intensity along the streamer. Moreover, the mesh element without a powered electrode can also initiate breakdown due to the sufficiently high voltage and the propagation of surface charges, suggesting that the grounded mesh electrode should be extended to avoid redundant discharges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is advantageous in the fast prototyping of complex structures, but its utilization in functional material fabrication is still limited due to a lack of activation capability. To fabricate and activate the functional material of electrets, a synchronized 3D printing and corona charging method is presented to prototype and polarize polylactic acid electrets in one step. By upgrading the 3D printer nozzle and incorporating a needle electrode to apply high voltage, parameters such as needle tip distance and applied voltage level were compared and optimized. Under different experimental conditions, the average surface distribution in the center of the samples was −1498.87 V, −1115.73 V, and −814.51 V. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that the electric field contributes to keeping the printed fiber structure straight. The polylactic acid electrets exhibited relatively uniform surface potential distribution on a sufficiently large sample surface. In addition, the average surface potential retention rate was improved by 12.021-fold compared to ordinary corona-charged samples. The above advantages are unique to the 3D-printed and polarized polylactic acid electrets, proving that the proposed method is suitable for quickly prototyping and effectively polarizing the polylactic acid electrets simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) initiated by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a complicated process. MiR‐155 can alter the immune microenvironment to affect the host's anti‐infective ability. This study investigated the mechanism by which miR‐155 affects tumour‐associated macrophage (TAM) polarization at a molecular level, thus affecting the malignant progression of HBV+HCC. MiR‐155 and TAM‐related cytokine expression were analysed by qRT‐PCR. The distribution of TAMs was detected by immunohistochemistry. The effect of the aberrant miR‐155 expression on macrophage polarization was examined by flow cytometry. The targeted relationship was verified by dual‐luciferase assay, and the protein level of src homology 2 domain‐containing inositol polyphosphate 5‐phosphatase 1 (SHIP1) was detected by western blot. The proliferation of HCC cells was examined by CCK‐8 and colony formation assays. Invasion and migration of HCC cells were detected by transwell assay. In HBV+HCC tissues, miR‐155 was significantly highly expressed and the number of CD206‐positive TAM (CD206+ TAM) and CD68‐positive TAM (CD68+ TAM) were higher than those in HBV−HCC tissues. In addition, miR‐155 overexpression significantly promoted M2‐type macrophage polarization, whilst miR‐155 silencing expression significantly promoted M1‐type macrophage polarization. Besides, the miR‐155/SHIP1 axis accelerated HCC cell invasion, proliferation and migration by inducing M2‐type macrophage polarization. MiR‐155 accelerates HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting SHIP1 expression and inducing macrophage M2 polarization. This finding provides new insights into the development of novel therapeutic strategies for combatting HBV+HCC and a new reference for exploring anti‐tumour immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ice disasters, such as ice storms, can cause serious damage to power systems. To understand ice disasters' influences on power systems, this paper introduces a resilience evaluation frame for transmission and distribution systems during ice disasters. First, we built a vulnerability model for transmission and distribution systems under ice disaster weather. Then, we established an optimal load power shedding model for transmission and distribution systems. After this, according to the vulnerability model and the optimal power load power shedding model, we generated the fault scenario set of a system in the influence of an ice disaster. According to the curve of system resilience, we propose two resilience evaluation indices of transmission and distribution systems under ice disaster weather. Finally, we verified the efficacy and rationalization of the established resilience evaluation framework with an example in which a transmission and distribution system is coupled with a six-bus transmission system and two distribution systems. This study highlights the necessity of resilience assessment of transmission and distribution systems during ice disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intermediate state of a correlated triplet pair [1(TT)] is pivotal for understanding the mechanism of the singlet fission process in molecule systems. Recently, a spatially separated state of a triplet pair [1(T⋯T)] has been proposed to drive the dissociation of exchange-coupled 1(TT) into free triplets. Here, we study the correlated triplet pairs by monitoring quantum beats in delayed fluorescence from tetracene crystals upon applying magnetic fields of different amplitudes and alignments. We argue that the triplet pairs probed by the quantum beat spectrum are weakly coupled, i.e., the spatially separated 1(T⋯T) state. The experimental data suggest the existence of a direct channel of S1 → 1(T⋯T) in addition to the widely accepted channel of S1 → 1(TT) → 1(T⋯T) for singlet fission. Our work suggests that the quantum beat spectrum is a useful tool to directly probe the 1(T⋯T) state which is valuable for elucidating the intrinsic mechanism of singlet fission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how culture-specific items in Chinese-English food menus were translated. The Chinese menu corpus was examined using a descriptive case study method for qualitative analysis and a corpus-based method for relevant data extraction and quantitative analysis. The study aimed to identify the categories of culture-specific items (CSIs) in the corpus and also examine whether, and if so, how CSI categories condition the choice of translation procedures and its influence exerted at the macro macro-level on the image of China, projected as a tourist destination. The results indicated that CSIs categories existent in the corpus include the linguistics, historical, and social categories. These categories were also a conditioning factor modulating the selection and use of a particular translation procedure. The linguistic CSI category influenced the employment of description procedures; retention was largely used for the social category, whereas retention and description procedures were utilized for the historical category. Employing Lawrence Venuti's domestication and foreignization strategies and the neutralization strategy of some scholars (e.g. Josep Marco) as a conceptual framework, the results also revealed a strong preference for the use of neutralization strategy in translating CSIs where the strangeness of the source text is demystified, their connotative meanings explicitly rendered, thereby projecting China as a friendly, welcoming, and accommodating destination for tourists. The quantitative methodology employed to analyze the translation of CSIs in the menu text is a crucial contribution that counterbalances the predominant qualitative methods employed in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solvent stimuli-responsive off-on fluorescence induced by synergistic effect of doping and phase transformation for Te4+ doped indium halide perovskite provides a new strategy for advance information encryption and decryption. [Display omitted] Since traditional fluorescent materials are too easily observed by the eyes just under the UV light, off-on fluorescent materials are explored as the new generation of fluorescent labels. In the "off" state, such off-on fluorescent labels cannot be observed by naked eyes under either natural light or UV light. Only after a specific decryption treatment to make the fluorescent materials turning into the "on" state, the fluorescent labels can be observed under the UV light. Up to now, it is still a challenge to prepare fluorescent inks with aforementioned ideal properties by using halide perovskite materials. Herein, we reported the first example of Te4+ doped indium halide perovskite inks with both off-on fluorescence under solvent stimuli and invisible ink color by the naked eyes. The synergistic effect of doping/undoping of Te4+ together with the reversible phase transformation between Cs 2 InCl 5 (H 2 O) and Cs 3 InCl 6 under solvent stimuli is key for the off-on fluorescence of crystals. Under acid solvent, the substitutional doping of Te4+ during the process of phase transformation from Cs 3 InCl 6 to Cs 2 InCl 5 (H 2 O):Te4+ gives rise to "turning-on" orange emission from Te-induced self-trap emission (STE). Under the stimuli of methanol, the dissolution of Te4+ from the crystals destroys the structure of Te4+ in ligand-field and results in "turning-off" Te-induced emission during the process of phase transformation from Cs 2 InCl 5 (H 2 O):Te4+ to Cs 3 InCl 6. On the basis of the Te4+ doped indium halide perovskite, printable and colorless ink can be prepared for the confidential information encryption and decryption. Since the mixture of Cs 3 InCl 6 crystals and TeCl 4 have no absorption in visible light scope, the printed encrypted information by such off-state fluorescent ink is colorless and invisible by the naked eyes under either ambient light or UV light. After decryption by acid solvent stimuli, the resulted Cs 2 InCl 5 (H 2 O):Te4+ doping crystals have a large Stokes shift with absorption below 450 nm from the excitation of Te4+ in ligand-field and emission around 570 nm from Te-induced STE. It makes the decryption information still colorless and invisible by the naked eyes under the ambient light but visible and readable under the UV light. In comparison to traditional undoped CsPbBr 3 /CsPb 2 Br 5 perovskites with small Stokes shift and eye-visible ink color, the current colorless Te4+doped indium halide perovskites are no doubt providing better security level for both encrypted and decrypted information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Compared to other healthcare workers, nurses are more vulnerable to the potentially devastating effects of pandemic-related stressors. Studies have not yet investigated the deeper characteristics of the relationship between team resilience and team performance among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of team resilience and performance networks among nurses during the pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 118 nursing teams comprising 1627 practice nurses from four tertiary-A and secondary-A hospitals in Shandong Province, China, was conducted. Analyzing and Developing Adaptability and Performance in Teams to Enhance Resilience Scale and the Team Effectiveness Scale were used to measure team resilience and performance, respectively. The estimation of the network model and calculation of related metrics, network stability and accuracy, and network comparison tests were performed using R 4.0.2. Results: Node monitoring had the highest centralities in the team resilience and performance network model, followed by node anticipation, cooperation satisfaction, and cooperation with other departments. Moreover, node cooperation satisfaction and learning had the highest levels of bridge centrality in the entire network. Conclusion: Monitoring, anticipation, cooperation satisfaction, cooperation with other departments, and learning constituted core variables maintaining the team resilience-performance network structure of nurses during the pandemic. Clinical interventions targeting core variables may be effective in maintaining or promoting both team resilience and performance in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing nanomaterials with high H2O2‐decomposition capacity to replace traditional biological enzymes is of great importance in environmental, semiconductor, and medical fields. However, a lack of understanding of the reaction mechanism leads to aimless catalyst design and limits further improvement of catalytic activity. Here, the regulatory mechanism based on the electron filling and orbital energies of the metal active centers is demonstrated and a rational catalyst design strategy is provided to achieve ultrahigh H2O2‐decomposition activity. Among the five platinum‐group‐metal active centers investigated in this study, the Ir–N4 with partially occupied dx2−y2 and dxz orbitals and the highest d‐band center most strongly interacts with H2O2, and show the lowest energy barrier for H2O2 decomposition. As expected, the single‐atom Ir catalyst (Ir‐NC) shows an ultrahigh H2O2‐decomposition capacity, which is 1614‐times higher than that of natural catalase. Surface‐adsorbed atomic oxygen is observed and verified to be the key intermediate for O2 generation. Biocompatible Ir‐NC is effective in scavenging intracellular reactive oxygen species and holds great potential for clinical therapeutics associated with oxidative stress. This study advances the mechanistic understanding of H2O2 decomposition and provides useful guidance for rational design of high‐performance artificial nanozymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of sintering pressure on the mechanical properties of bulk titanium carbide (TiC) fabricated through work hardening at high pressure and high temperature is investigated systematically. A series of pure polycrystalline TiC samples are prepared by sintering micrometer-sized TiC powders at a pressure of 9.0–14.0 GPa and a temperature of 1500 °C. These samples are then characterized by various techniques for determining their residual stress, grain size, density, microstructural defects, hardness, and fracture toughness. The results demonstrate that the Vickers hardness HV and the fracture toughness KIC depend strongly on the sintering pressure. It is found that the mechanical properties of the sintered samples improve with increasing sintering pressure. The relative density increases with increasing sintering pressure, reaching near full density at 14.0 GPa. The hardness and fracture toughness of the sample sintered at 1500 °C at 14.0 GPa pressure are 31.2 GPa and 4.2 MPa m1/2, respectively. The high-pressure and high-temperature environment causes severe plastic deformation of the grains, as well as a high density of dislocations, resulting in a dislocation pileup. The latter, together with the production of defects such as sub-boundaries and stacking faults, provides strengthening and stabilizing effects and improves the material hardness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Registration of brain MRI images requires to solve a deformation field, which is extremely difficult in aligning intricate brain tissues, e.g., subcortical nuclei, etc. Existing efforts resort to decomposing the target deformation field into intermediate sub-fields with either tiny motions, i.e., progressive registration stage by stage, or lower resolutions, i.e., coarse-to-fine estimation of the full-size deformation field. In this paper, we argue that those efforts are not mutually exclusive, and propose a unified framework for robust brain MRI registration in both progressive and coarse-to-fine manners simultaneously. Specifically, building on a dual-encoder U-Net, the fixed-moving MRI pair is encoded and decoded into multi-scale sub-fields from coarse to fine. Each decoding block contains two proposed novel modules: i) in Deformation Field Integration (DFI), a single integrated deformation sub-field is calculated, warping by which is equivalent to warping progressively by sub-fields from all previous decoding blocks, and ii) in Non-rigid Feature Fusion (NFF), features of the fixed-moving pair are aligned by DFI-integrated deformation field, and then fused to predict a finer sub-field. Leveraging both DFI and NFF, the target deformation field is factorized into multi-scale sub-fields, where the coarser fields alleviate the estimate of a finer one and the finer field learns to make up those misalignments insolvable by previous coarser ones. The extensive and comprehensive experimental results on both private and two public datasets demonstrate a superior registration performance of brain MRI images over progressive registration only and coarse-to-fine estimation only, with an increase by at most 8% in the average Dice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated buck-boost-LLC (IBBL) dcconverter is a good solution for high efficiency and high power density applications. However, the bridge leg integration causes asymmetrical zero-voltage-switching process and asymmetrical secondary current. The method of high quality factor or symmetric phase shift modulation proposed in the existing research can improve the asymmetrical current issue under heavy load, but is ineffective for light load conditions. This article proposes a novel Interleaved IBBL converter to improve the asymmetry issue for whole load range. Interleaving makes the secondary current be symmetric naturally. In addition, a comprehensive optimal design method for phase-shift angle and choke inductor is proposed to minimize the total power loss of all primary elements. A 600 W/1 MHz prototype verifies that the proposed IIBBL converter achieves symmetric secondary current in whole load range, and it achieves 95.7% efficiency and 180 W/in3 under the proposed comprehensive optimal design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the passive natural circulation systems (PNCSs) in offshore floating nuclear plants, the ocean environment is usually regarded as the final heat sink. Condensation-induced water hammer (CIWH) may occur as the saturated steam released into the ocean by natural circulation. This study aims to develop a CFD model to analysis the CIWH phenomenon induced by direct contact condensation (DCC) in the PNCSs. In the model framework, the two-phase interface is tracked explicitly by the volume of fluid method; the interface heat transfer is acquired by the hybrid Heat Transfer Coefficient model based on the Surface Renewal Theory; the condensation heat and mass transfer rate are obtained by user-defined functions (UDF). The condensation model is firstly validated with the PMK-2 experimental data, showing consistency with the measured temperature evolutions. Then, the model is applied to investigate the CIWH events in the horizontal pipe geometry of the passive natural circulation systems. The simulation results indicate that the reverse flow of subcooled water triggers the formation of the CIWH events, by increasing the condensation rate and forming the entrapped bubble. The reverse flow periodically occurs afterwards, inducing multiple CIWHs. The increase of inlet stream velocity lengthens the reverse flow period and the distance, thus strengthening the interfacial condensation and the pressure impulse of CIWH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the northern North China Craton has been a hot research topic. We firstly identified a 1.85 Ga hornblendite from the Gaositai mafic–ultramafic complex, in northern Hebei. Systematic studies of petrology, zircon U-Pb geochronology, and in situ mineral major and trace elements of hornblendite are the key to revealing the petrogenesis of the Paleoproterozoic ultramafic rock and the tectonic evolution of northern North China Craton. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating suggests the Gaositai hornblendite formed at 1851 ± 44 Ma. The late Paleoproterozoic ultramafic rocks, together with coeval post-collisional granites, formed a bimodal igneous assemblage. Both hornblende and its equilibrium melt compositions show strongly fractionated HREE patterns, relative enrichments in LREEs and LILEs, and depletions in HREEs and HFSEs. The phlogopite-bearing hornblendite magma could have originated from a hydrous garnet-facies mantle source metasomatized by slab-derived silicate melt. Furthermore, the variations of major and trace elements in hornblende from core to rim also reveal the mineral fractional crystallization and magma recharge. Zircon trace elements, melt composition equilibrium with hornblendes, and the bimodal igneous assemblage suggest that the generation of the Gaositai Paleoproterozoic hornblendite was likely the product of post-collisional extension related to the collision between eastern and western North China blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gear transmission is an essential element in the motor cars of high-speed trains, as it directly effects the reliability and safety of the vehicle. Based on the classical vehicle–track coupled dynamics theory, and gear and bearing dynamics theory, this investigation develops a novel vehicle–track coupled dynamics model with an enhanced gear transmission subsystem comprising gear pair and bearing. In the model, the enhanced gear transmission and vehicle–track system are coupled through suspension system, gear mesh interface, nonlinear bearing interaction and wheel–rail relationship, which enables detailed analysis of the gear transmission in the whole coupled system. Following the validation of the proposed model, the dynamic interactions between the gear pair and bearing are comprehensively investigated. Besides, the effects of the traction torque and track irregularities on the gear-bearing system are investigated. Results show that the gear meshing has significant influences on the bearings. The vehicle–track coupled environment has non-negligible effects on the dynamic interactions and vibrations of the gear transmission. Moreover, the proposed model is applicable to the further dynamic analysis of gears and bearings of the motor car under gear cracking, bearing failures, wheel defects and other destabilising conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parameter Identification plays an important role in electric power transmission systems. Existing approaches for parameter identification tasks typically have two limitations: (1) They generally ignored development trend of historical data, and did not mine characteristics of corresponding power grid branches. (2) They did not consider the constraints of power grid topology, and treated different branches independently. Therefore, they could not characterize correlations between the center node and its neighborhoods. To overcome these limitations, this work proposes a multi-task graph convolutional neural network (MT-GCN) which utilizes the graph convolutional network (GCN) and the fully convolutional network (FCN) as building blocks for parameter identification. Specially, GCN can extract the structure information to enhance local feature extraction. FCN is a decoding module following GCN module, and it is used to identify the parameters of each branch according to its characteristics. Compared with previous methods, the proposed method is significantly improved in accuracy. Besides, this method is robust to measurement noise and errors, and can cope with multiple conditions in real power transmission systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise bone resection is mandatory for kinematically aligned total knee arthroplasty (KA-TKA). This study is to investigate whether surgeon-dominated design can alter the accuracy of patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) in KA-TKA compared with the engineer design. A total of 24 patients (24 knees) who underwent KA-TKA in our institution were assigned to an engineer design group (10 knees) and surgeon design group (14 knees) chronologically. A novel portable medical-engineer interactive application can greatly enhance the surgeon's participation in PSI design. The bone resection discrepancies were used to evaluate the accuracy of PSI in bone resection. The overall discrepancy of bone resection was reduced by surgeon-designed PSI compared to engineer-designed PSI by 0.33 mm. Surgeon-designed PSI seems to reduce the outliers in terms of relative discrepancies in bone resection as well, but it does not reach statistical significance. Moreover, surgeon-designed PSI could significantly improve the accuracy of PSI in the restoration of the joint line in terms of medial proximal tibial angle and mechanical lateral distal femoral angle. This study indicates that the dominance of surgeons in both PSI design and subsequent surgical operation should be emphasized in efforts to improve the accuracy of PSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yunnan area is rich in geothermal fluids, and thus seismicity in this region is considered to be sensitive to stress turbulence by earth tides and distant strong earthquakes. We have identified 13 distant strong earthquakes out of 110 that have dynamically triggered seismicity with a statistical significance of β value >2 and β e. The triggered seismic clusters show the following features. 1) Most clusters are distributed at special fault locations such as fault ends, fault bends, fault steps, and fault intersections. 2) Some clusters display clear fluid diffusion processes, with an increasing water temperature in nearby wells. 3) The ETAS models show a high proportion of forced seismicity and a weak dependence on magnitude for aftershock productivity. These results suggest that the triggered seismicity in the Yunnan area tends to concentrate in specific fault structures with enhanced fluid permeability, where the presence of overpressured fluids possibly makes the seismicity sensitive to dynamic stress triggering. • Seismicity in the Yunnan area is sensitive to dynamic stress caused by distant strong earthquakes. • The ETAS models reveal a high proportion of forced seismicity and a weak magnitude-dependent aftershock productivity. • Triggered clusters repeatedly manifested in specific fault structures with enhanced fluid permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic waste is a highly effective approach for the production of light aromatic hydrocarbons. In this study, catalytic co-pyrolysis experiments were conducted on poplar tree (PT) and polystyrene (PS) using pyrolyzer coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The experiments were carried out at a temperature of 550 °C and a mixing ratio of 1:1. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques were employed for the characterization of HZSM-5 and Fe/HZSM-5 catalysts. The findings indicated that the metallic Fe in the HZSM-5 catalyst led to an enhanced production of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAH) during the catalytic co-pyrolysis of PT and PS. The proportion of MAH in the products obtained from HZSM-5 and Fe/HZSM-5 catalyst was determined to be 85.84 % and 90.87 %, respectively. In the catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic waste, several crucial reactions took place, including deoxidation, olefins aromatization, and Diels-Alder reaction between furans and olefins. In the presence of Fe metal, the HZSM-5 catalyst exhibited enhanced selectivity towards valuable MAH while effectively suppressing the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, resulting in an increase in MAH production to 90.87 %. • Catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic was conducted using Py-GC/MS. • XRD, FTIR and SEM were employed for characterization of HZSM-5 and Fe/HZSM-5. • Fe/HZSM-5 catalyst exhibited enhanced selectivity towards valuable MAH. • Catalytic co-pyrolysis mechanism of biomass and plastic was analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-sinter annealing effects on the structure and coercivity have been investigated for the (Zr, Ti)-doped Nd-Ce-Fe-B sintered magnets. In them, an in-situ formed Zr-rich Zr-Ti phase with the strip shape is found to be beneficial for the coercivity H cj , because its distribution along grain boundaries (GBs) after annealing at 700℃ can block the magnetic domain within matrix phases passing through the adjacent RE 2 Fe 14 B grains. It, coupled with the optimized distribution of RE-rich phase, accounts for the 21.1 % increase of H cj before and after annealing at 700 ℃. This temperature much higher than the melting-point (465 ℃) of RE-rich phase is the optimum annealing temperature, at which the RE-rich liquid phase is good for the distribution of Zr-Ti phase along GBs rather than at triple junction regions, optimizing GB microstructure. Such new findings deepen the understanding on microstructure evolutions of the GB modified Nd-Fe-B magnet during annealing and further provide a theoretical basis for the H cj improvement. • In-situ formed Zr-Ti phase with strip shape can increase coercivity of (Zr,Ti)-doped Nd-Ce-Fe-B magnets. • Coercivity can be increased by 21.1 % before and after annealing at 700 ℃. • Magnet structure evolution during annealing and its effect mechanism on coercivity were clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, graph-based deep learning models have exhibited remarkable performance in generating solution expressions for the math word problem (MWP). However, most of these models have not taken into account the limitations and errors in constructing prior knowledge graphs, which may affect their accuracy and reliability in practical applications. In addition, during graph learning, they focus on extracting information from each given graph, while neglecting the adaptability and unification of graph representation learning. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-view graph learning-to-tree model with dual-strategy (MVG-DS-T), in which it performs adaptive and consistent multi-view representation learning through two benchmark graphs. Specifically, we construct benchmark graphs via semantic dependency parsing of MWP text, considering both semantic and quantitative aspects, i.e., semantic graph and quantitative graph. Then, the reconstruction strategy is employed to reconstruct the structure of the benchmark graphs to capture the adaptive representation information suitable for downstream tasks, while the alignment strategy is utilized to overcome the limitation of independent view representations by unifying the semantic and quantity embedding information through graph structure. Also, an adaptive length normalized loss balancing term for the tree-based decoder is introduced to control the model focus on label length during training, resulting in better equation generation. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach on the MWP task. The empirical results show that MVG-DS-T achieves performance comparable to that of the state-of-the-art graph-based models in the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The FO-MSTD process can simultaneously achieve thickening and digestion of WAS. • HRT affected the swift thickening or profound digestion of sludge in the FO-MSTD. • 1 M NaCl draw solution showcased enhanced thickening and digestion capabilities. • The FO-MSTD sequential experience fully aerobic and local anaerobic digestion. • DO change led to microbial community transformation and the two-stage digestion. This study delved into the efficacy of sludge digestion and the mechanisms involved in sludge destruction during the implementation of forward osmosis process for sludge thickening and digestion (FO-MSTD). Utilizing a lab-scale FO membrane reactor for the thickening and digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS), the investigation explored the effects of sludge thickening and digestion in FO-MSTD processes using draw solutions of varying concentrations. The findings underscored the significance of hydraulic retention time (HRT) as a pivotal parameter influencing the swift thickening or profound digestion of sludge. Consequently, tailoring the HRT to specific processing objectives emerged as a key strategy for achieving desired treatment outcomes. In the investigation, the use of a 1 M NaCl draw solution in the FO-MSTD process showcased enhanced thickening and digestion capabilities. This specific setup raised the concentration of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) to over 30 g/L and achieved a 42.7% digestion efficiency of mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) within an operational timeframe of 18 days. Furthermore, the research unveiled distinct stages in the sludge digestion process of the FO-MSTD system, characterized by fully aerobic digestion and aerobic-local anaerobic co-existing digestion. In the fully aerobic digestion stage, the sludge digestion rate exhibited a steady increase, leading to the breakdown of sludge floc structures and the release of a substantial amount of nutrients into the sludge supernatant. The predominant microorganisms during this stage were typical functional microorganisms found in wastewater treatment systems. Transitioning into the aerobic-local anaerobic co-existing digestion stage, both MLSS concentration and MLVSS digestion efficiency continued to rise, accompanied by a decreasing dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration. More organic matter was released into the supernatant, and sludge microbial flocs tended to reaggregate. The localized anaerobic environment within the FO-MSTD reactor fostered an increase in the relative abundance of bacteria with nitrogen and phosphorus removal functions, thereby positively impacting the mitigation of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the sludge supernatant. The results of this research enhance comprehension of the advanced FO-MSTD technology in the treatment of WAS. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]