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Objective: To compare the uniportal and multiportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in patients with nonsmall- cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Medical records of 128 patients with NSCLC who underwent surgical treatment in the First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University from August 2020 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 60 patients who underwent uniportal VATS (UVATS group) and 68 patients underwent multiportal VATS (MVATS group). The relevant indexes, complications, postoperative pain levels and quality of life, recurrence, metastases and survival between the two groups were compared. Results: UVATS was associated with longer operation time and higher intraoperative blood loss compared to MVATS (P<0.05). The postoperative drainage volume, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at 24 and 72 hours were lower in the UVATS group compared to the MVATS group, while the chest tube retention time and hospitalization time were shorter than those in the MVATS group (P<0.05). The quality of life at six months after surgery in the UVATS group was significantly higher than that in the MVATS group (P<0.05). Conclusions: UVATS and MVATS have similar outcomes in patients with NSCLC. Although UVATS surgery takes longer and is associated with more interoperative bleeding, it can reduce postoperative pain, shorten postoperative recovery time, and help further improve the quality of life of patients after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the recent trend toward larger floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT), the influence of blade deformation becomes more obvious. Modelling this fully coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) system, especially at extreme sea level with large-scale motion of the entire system, is an essential challenge. A hybrid numerical model integrating the potential-viscous flow model (qaleFOAM), the unstable actuator line method (UALM), the Legendre spectral finite element model (BeamDyn), and the Lumped Mass Mooring Model (MoorDyn) is employed in the current research. This model is capable of effortlessly and accurately reflecting the blade aeroelastic effect on the dynamics of a FOWT system under the circumstances of a focused wave and uniform wind. The result reveals that the aeroelastic impacts have been identified to not only increase the fatigue damage on the turbine blades but also affect the wake field distribution. Based on the temporal and spatial distribution of the velocity fields, it is found that the coupled effects of the large wave elevation and the FOWT highfrequency motions will disturb the velocity in the wake region. The slight variation of the wind speed in the wake region will be exacerbated by about 0.21% to 18.6%, and it transforms the shape of the wake region when the blade aeroelastic effect participates in the coupled effect. This phenomenon may further affect the downstream FOWT system features through the upstream FOWT wake field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective interpretation of the complex reliability theory will promote its application in engineering practice. Based on an algorithm for solving the geometric reliability index for cases involving two or three random variables in the original physical space, an advanced algorithm for multivariate random variables is further developed by using a hypersphere model and inverse Nataf transformation. The main components of the algorithm include the definition of limit state surface, the construction of a hypersphere model, the determination of probability density iso‐contour points, the identification of limit state of these points, and the definition of an actual reliability index. Several typical practical problems associated with two to five variables are analyzed, and the results are compared with those obtained using the first‐order reliability method (FORM) and the copula‐based sampling method (CBSM), thus validating the accuracy of the proposed algorithm. With the help of the powerful and open‐source R language platform, the visualization of a reliability index in low dimensions and the solvability in high dimensions are implemented, which makes the interpretation of reliability theory more intuitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A database was compiled to establish the site-specific measured load–displacement responses of piles from different sites across the globe, which contains 188 curves from 12 sites. A curve-fitting technique was applied to each measured curve by using a two-parametric power law regression modeling. For an entire construction site, the scatter in the load–displacement behavior of multiple curves was incorporated in the uncertainty of the regression pairs. Consequently, environmental contours for regression pairs were developed by using the Nataf transformation or a normal copula. Such a contour was generated to quantify the uncertainty in the regression pairs in which the target reliability index of piles is specified, as demonstrated in various cases with two, three, and four variables. Most importantly, the environmental contour bounded by the serviceability limit state of piles at each site was presented and the reliability index was solved through an evolution of the environmental contours. The computed reliability index of the bearing resistance for piles was compared with the values yielded by the geometric reliability analysis and the first-order reliability method (FORM). Since the reliability index was solved in the original physical variable space, it made the reliability theory easy to understand. Such a site-specific reliability assessment of piles could be helpful for a practical project to implement quality control during the construction of pile foundations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An application of geometric reliability techniques on various pile types based on 67 load–displacement curves obtained from pertinent literature is presented in this paper. These static loading tests were performed at local scale (even building-specific sites) under essentially identical geotechnical conditions. A power-law function with two parameters was used to fit the measured load–settlement curves. For each site, the means and coefficients of variation for the power-law parameters were obtained. Since the number of tests conducted at each site is usually small, it is extremely difficult to identify a certain distribution type for these regression parameters. Thus, for simplicity, a bivariate normal distribution was assumed to represent the set of regression pairs. This joint distribution was incorporated into a geometric reliability method, which offers an estimation of the bearing capacity of piles at the serviceability limit state. Examples are provided to illustrate the application of the proposed reliability method to interpret the visually determined reliability index of the bearing capacity of piles. These case studies showed that the proposed method is a useful and comprehensive tool for capturing the load–displacement response and for evaluating the bearing capacity of piles by considering uncertainties in their load–displacement behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the impact of the COVID‐19 epidemic, the demand for masked face recognition technology has increased. In the process of masked face recognition, some problems such as less feature information and poor robustness to the environment are obvious. The current masked face recognition model is not quantified enough for feature extraction, there are large errors for faces with high similarity, and the categories cannot be clustered during the detection process, resulting in poor classification of masks, which cannot be well adapted to changes in multiple environments. To solve current problems, this paper designs a new masked face recognition model, taking improved Single Shot Multibox Detector (SSD) model as a face detector, and replaces the input layer VGG16 of SSD with Deep Residual Network (ResNet) to increase the receptive field. In order to better adapt to the network, we adjust the convolution kernel size of ResNet. In addition, we fine‐tune the Xception network by designing a new fully connected layer, and reduce the training cycle. The weights of the three input samples including anchor, positive and negative are shared and clustered together with triplet network to improve recognition accuracy. Meanwhile, this paper adjusts alpha parameter in triplet loss. A higher value of alpha can improve the accuracy of model recognition. We further adopt a small trick to classify and predict face feature vectors using multi‐layer perceptron (MLP), and a total of 60 neural nodes are set in the three neural layers of MLP to get higher classification accuracy. Moreover, three datasets of MFDD, RMFRD and SMFRD are fused to obtain high‐quality images in different scenes, and we also add data augmentation and face alignment methods for processing, effectively reducing the interference of the external environment in the process of model recognition. According to the experimental results, the accuracy of masked face recognition reaches 98.3%, it achieves better results compared with other mainstream models. In addition, the hyper‐parameters tuning experiment is carried out to improve the utilization of computing resources, which shows better results than the indicators of different networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Four key off-odorants are identified in braised duck legs via HS-SPME-GC-O-MS. • Star anise is considered as a positive contributor to the aroma profile of braised duck legs. • 0.2% of star anise significantly improves the umami value of braised duck legs. • Characteristic flavor biomarkers for braised duck legs treated with star anise are explored. • 0.2% of star anise is recommended for the braised duck legs processing. To promote the rationalized and standardized application of star anise in braised poultry products, the effects of different concentrations of star anise (0 %, 0.1 %, 0.2 %, 0.3 %, and 0.4 %) on the aroma and taste compounds intensities of braised duck legs from the perspective of flavor were evaluated by using flavor omics approach combined with multivariate statistics. The volatile flavor results showed that there were 17 key aroma compounds with odor activity values (OAVs) > 1, including aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, furans, hydrocarbons, and ethers. Most of the aroma compounds related to lipid oxidation were significantly inhibited when the concentration of star anise reached 0.2 %, especially inhibited the concentrations of the unpleasant off-odorants containing hexanal, heptanal, 1-octen-3-ol, and 2-pentyl-furan by 30.27 %, 15.08 %, 30.30 %, and 41.63 %, respectively. And the flavor intensities of these compounds were negatively correlated with the concentration of star anise. Additionally, star anise gave braised duck legs characteristic aroma such as floral and herbal notes. The taste results revealed that the maximum umami value (4.36 g MSG/100 g) of braised duck legs was observed when the concentration of star anise reached 0.2 %. Six flavor markers were obtained via PLS-DA model, and the flavors of braised duck legs with different concentrations of star anise were distinguished. This study provided a vital theoretical basis for the rational application and flavor control of star anise in braised poultry products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to develop a new technique for deriving the reliability index in original physical space using C-vine copula models integrated with the environmental contour method. In the proposed approach, the minimum of the reliability index is considered an objective function, whereas the coordinates on the environmental contour satisfying the limit state equation are treated as the constraint. These components are formulated as a non-linear constrained optimisation problem. The validity of this method is illustrated through four examples of its application, and the computed reliability index is compared with the results yielded by the existing sampling method. The findings confirm the superiority of the proposed technique. Compared with sampling simulation techniques, it is easier to obtain the critical environmental contour and the design point. Due to a pair-copula construction technique being applied to obtain high-dimensional vine copula models, the multivariate environmental contours are determined, which overcomes the limitation of existing contour line methods that are only used for solving low-dimensional problems. Unlike the first-order reliability method constructed in standard normal space, this new algorithm solves in the original physical space of random variables, making the calculation principles more transparent and easier to understand. • Multivariate joint probability distribution is constructed using pair-copulas. • Environmental contours are generated for data-driven applications. • Alternative methods for estimating the reliability index are developed. • Critical contour is determined in original physical space of random variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forced cooling, as an efficient way of heat dissipation, significantly affects the spindle temperature. Although a full cooling passage was factored into the finite element analyses by some scholars, often only the model for the front/rear of a spindle is need for the purpose of the thermal evaluation simplification and data overhead reduction in engineering. For this, we devote to exploring how the coolant passage affects the heat dissipation of the front/rear halves of spindles by a constructed scaling factor, and accordingly create a simpler thermal evaluation model of spindles. Firstly, the experiments about a coolant unit effect on the thermal performance of spindles were first implemented, and thus, the temperature difference was noticed under various coolant parameter settings. Through the regressive analysis on the test data, the peak temperature area along axial direction was found and then the scaling factor was proposed to describe the effect of a cooling system on the temperature field of the front/rear half spindle. A similar structural coefficient, meanwhile, was also set up to state clearly the role of motor armature heating in the spindle temperature rise. Next, the thermal equivalent convection for a coolant passage was modeled based on the thermal resistance theory. Based on the abovementioned work, we planned a novel thermal network for only the front half of a motored spindle, in which the cooling mechanism was integrated, and the structural constraints were considered by the aid of the proposed scaling factors. Finally, the simplification and solution for this developed thermal grid were done, and the corresponding numerical results were compared with the test values. At the same time, the bearing heating with no or only 50% of a coolant unit, for the sake of better contrast and validation, was also simulated. The comparison results are indicative of a better agreement with real values when the proposed scaling factors are employed to considering the cooling unit impact on the high-speed motorized spindle temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The densities, dynamic viscosities, and electrical conductivities of the ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ([C2mim][SCN]) and its mixtures with propylene carbonate(PC) were measured as functions of temperature over the whole composition range at atmospheric pressure. The excess molar volumes (VE) and dynamic viscosity deviations (Δη) of the mixtures were calculated and the change of VE and Δη were fitted by the Redlich–Kister (R–K) polynomial equation. The temperature dependences of dynamic viscosity and electrical conductivity of the mixture were graphically described by the Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann (VFT) equation. The Casteel–Amis four-parameter (C–A) equation was used to described the electrical conductivities dependences of IL mole fraction. To describe the intermolecular interactions of the mixtures, the optimized structures and energetics of each component of the mixture are calculated by DFT method. The hydrogen bonding between 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation([C2mim]+) and PC are enhanced, and the addition of PC can weaken the interaction between the [C2mim]+ and [SCN]−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the performance of wood adhesive is important for the development of the veneer industry. This work investigated the effects of various durations of enzymatic hydrolysis to improve and enhance the properties of starch-based wood adhesive (SWA). The results showed that moderate enzymatic hydrolysis for 2 h of starch molecule could improve the properties of SWA. The bonding strength of SWA was increased from 2.72 MPa (0 h) to 6.87 MPa (2 h) in the dry state and from 0.87 MPa (0 h) to 2.69 MPa (2 h) in the wet state. A significant decrease in the viscosity of SWA was also observed after 2 h hydrolysis of starch molecules, which allowed smooth spreading and penetration of adhesive through the wood surface. Meanwhile, the dynamic mechanical analysis and scanning electron microscopy showed that SWA with 2 h enzymatic hydrolysis exhibited better elastic deformation and smooth surfaces compared with SWA with un-hydrolysis starch. This study provides important information regarding the possible applications of SWA in the wood industry and presents a potential alternative to less environmentally friendly formaldehyde-based wood adhesives. [Display omitted] • 2 H of enzymolysis improved the grafting and surface properties of adhesive. • Thermo-mechanical properties were enhanced by proper duration of enzymolysis. • Film and microstructure of the adhesive were improved by 2 h enzymolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the impacts of temperature shocks on the generation of soluble microbial products (SMPs) in an aerobic activated sludge system, focusing on biopolymers and low molecular weight (LMW) substances that significantly impact the effluent quality. The results indicated that raising the temperature increased SMP production. At 25 and 35 °C, all size fractions of SMPs increased linearly with the aeration time, and biopolymers comprised a large proportion of SMPs. At 5 and 15 °C, in contrast, only biopolymers increased linearly with the aeration time, and LMW substances were the predominant fraction of SMPs. The reduced bio-utilization of SMPs with an increase in temperature was associated with the decreased relative abundance of LMW substances, which is supported by the assimilable organic carbon bioassay measurements. The mass of the biopolymers for the SMPs and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) was balanced at all temperatures, wherein a negative correlation was observed, indicating that increased SMPs in the water phase led to a decrease in EPS. The results of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and toxicity assays confirmed that the immune defense reaction of the bacteria (induced by ROS) was the key factor for variations in LMW substances in the SMPs and EPS under temperature stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, the properties of sub-stochastic matrices and super-stochastic matrices are applied to solve the bipartite tracking issues of multi-agent systems (MASs) over signed networks, in which the edges with positive weight and negative weight are used to describe cooperation and competition among the agents, respectively. With the help of nonnegative matrix theory together with some key results related to the compositions of directed edge sets, we establish a systematic algebraic-graphical method of dealing with the product convergence of infinite sub-stochastic matrices and infinite super-stochastic matrices. By using this method, the stability of MASs over signed networks under different actual scenarios is analyzed, including asynchronous interactions, lossy links, random networks, matrix disturbance, external noise disturbance, and a leader of unmeasurable velocity and acceleration. Finally, the efficiency of the proposed method is verified by computer simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of nanocrystal self‐assembly into superlattices or superstructures is of great significance in nanoscience. Carbon nitride quantum dots (CNQDs), being a promising new group of nanomaterials, however, have hardly been explored in their self‐organizing behavior. Here we report of a unique irradiation‐triggered self‐assembly and recrystallization phenomenon of crystalline CNQDs (c‐CNQDs) terminated by abundant oxygen‐containing groups. Unlike the conventional self‐assembly of nanocrystals into ordered superstructures, the photoinduced self‐assembly of c‐CNQDs resembles a "click reaction" process of macromolecules, in which the activated ‐OH and ‐NH2 functional groups along the perimeters initiate cross‐linking of adjacent QDs through a photocatalytic effect. Our findings unveil fundamental physiochemical features of CNQDs and open up new possibilities of manipulating carbon nitride nanomaterials via controlled assembly. Prospects for potential applications are discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of nanocrystal self‐assembly into superlattices or superstructures is of great significance in nanoscience. Carbon nitride quantum dots (CNQDs), being a promising new group of nanomaterials, however, have hardly been explored in their self‐organizing behavior. Here we report of a unique irradiation‐triggered self‐assembly and recrystallization phenomenon of crystalline CNQDs (c‐CNQDs) terminated by abundant oxygen‐containing groups. Unlike the conventional self‐assembly of nanocrystals into ordered superstructures, the photoinduced self‐assembly of c‐CNQDs resembles a "click reaction" process of macromolecules, in which the activated ‐OH and ‐NH2 functional groups along the perimeters initiate cross‐linking of adjacent QDs through a photocatalytic effect. Our findings unveil fundamental physiochemical features of CNQDs and open up new possibilities of manipulating carbon nitride nanomaterials via controlled assembly. Prospects for potential applications are discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractTwo novel Olefin-copper(I) coordination polymers, whose are named [Cu3(DADMP)Cl4]n (1) and [Cu2(DADMP)Br2]n (2) (DADMP = 1,4-Diallyl-2,5-Dimethyl-piperazine), were synthesized through the solvothermal reactions of CuCl, CuBr and 2,5-dimethyl-piperazine and further characterized by powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction, as well as elemental analysis and TGA. The title polymers crystallized in the monoclinic P21/C space, both featuring two-dimensional network structure. Their fluorescent properties were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi 2 O 4 (4 0 0)/BiVO 4 (0 4 0) heterojunction has been designed through a novel oxidation conversion progress with facilitated interfacial charge transfer. The optimized Bi 2 O 4 /Mo-BiVO 4 /CQDs/Ni-FeOOH photoanode reached a remarkable photocurrent of 6.7 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE under AM 1.5G without using any hole scavenger. • Bi 2 O 4 (4 0 0)/BiVO 4 (0 4 0) heterojunction was prepared via oxidation conversion process. • Bi 2 O 4 O 1s XPS signal at 532 eV assigned to the non-uniform surface sits. • KPFM proved the boosted electron build-up at the surface of 5 min-Bi 2 O 4 /Mo-BiVO 4. • Bi 2 O 4 /Mo-BiVO 4 /CQDs/Ni-FeOOH reaches photocurrent of 6.7 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE. Despite being considered as one of the most promising semiconductor photocatalysts, BiVO 4 still suffers the problems of inefficient light harvesting, multiple charge recombination channels and back reactions, restricting its application for solar energy conversion. Here, we demonstrate a unique Bi 2 O 4 (4 0 0)/BiVO 4 (0 4 0) heterojunction prepared via an oxidation conversion process, which dramatically accelerated the interfacial charge transfer compared to pure BiVO 4. Furthermore, with Mo doping, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) loading and Ni-FeOOH co-catalyst deposition, the resulting Bi 2 O 4 /Mo-BiVO 4 /CQDs/Ni-FeOOH photoanode reaches a remarkable photocurrent density of 6.7 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE under AM 1.5G irradiation in the absence of hole scavengers. Our findings demonstrate that proper material interface engineering together with composition tuning provides a viable route to achieve highly efficient solar water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geotechnical shear strength variables generally include the cohesion and angle of internal friction based upon the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. In this study, the non-normality of a univariate probability density function (PDF) and the bivariate probability density contour (PDC) of observed shear strength pairs is examined for 33 geomaterial types, comprising of soils (24 types), rocks (7 types), and geosynthetic clay liners (2 types), with sample sizes ranging from 14 to 97. After a detailed analysis on the graphic features of probability density and box-whisker plots of shear strength parameters, normality testing is further quantified by skewness, kurtosis, and energy statistic tests. In most cases (23/31), distributions of cohesion are positively skewed, as are distributions of friction angle (17/29), while the distribution of these parameters is mostly platykurtic (characterised by negative excess kurtosis). Bivariate energy statistic analyses of shear strength pairs indicate that, in ten cases, p-values are below.05, demonstrating that the joint distribution differs from the bivariate normal distribution, and these results are largely consistent with those achieved by the Shapiro-Wilk test. Moreover, a slope stability analysis with different joint distributions is used to assess the impact of marginal PDFs on the failure probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this research was to monitor variety in the content of Bacillus subtilis 10160 during solid‐state fermentation (SSF) of rapeseed meal by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and chemometrics. Observations showed the coefficient of determination (R2) value was 0.9401 and root‐mean‐square deviation was 0.639 log (CFU/g) for viable cell content by synergies between four intervals 5,203.003–5,600.267, 5,604.124–6,001.388, 6,807.487–7,204.751 and 8,411.972–8,809.235 cm−1. The determination coefficient of prediction (Rp2) and root‐mean‐square deviation of prediction in an external validation set could reach 0.9532 and 0.628 log (CFU/g) by the viable B. subtilis model. These findings suggest that rapid detection of B. subtilis in SSF is achieved by the combination of synergy interval partial least squares and NIR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study examines customer co-creation value in Chinese short-video platform industry. • This research reveals the relationship between customer co-creation value and electronic word-of-mouth. • Customer-based brand equity are mediator in relationship between customer co-creation value and electronic word-of-mouth. • Psychological ownership mediates the relationship between customer co-creation value and electronic word-of-mouth. The short-video platform industry is a relatively new global industry with a considerable number of users attracted by electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). User-generated content, which is a form of customer co-creation value (CCCV), is considered as the essence of short-video platforms. This study investigated the effects of CCCV on psychological ownership, customer-based brand equity, and eWOM in relation to short-video platforms. Examination of 337 users on Chinese short-video platforms revealed the underlying mechanism of the shift from CCCV to eWOM in the short-video platform industry by identifying the direct, indirect, and total effects of four research constructs. This study demonstrated that a well-designed co-creation value strategy is a potent reflection of a platform's customers that enhances CCCV for short-video platforms and transforms customers into intangible assets for eWOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Li is recycled from real spent LIBs leachate by electrodialysis with 99% purity. • Chelating agent improves the Li recovery rate from ca. 34.0% to ca. 63.0% • The feed flow type affects the Li recovery rate and purity. • A higher dosage of chelating agents achieves a higher Li recovery rate. • A leachate with a higher nickel ratio obtains a higher Li recovery rate. Recovering lithium from industrial spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) leachate with an electrodialysis approach is still a challenge due to the complexity of the leachate, though some studies have been done on simplified synthetic LIBs solutions. This study successfully separates lithium ions from industrial spent LIBs leachate using an electrodialyzer equipped with a bipolar membrane module. Common chelating agents, including ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), L-glutamic acid (GLDA), and hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA) are used to facilitate the recovery of lithium by forming complexes with other metal ions in the leachate. The effect of different chelating agents, their dosages, and varied fluid dynamics on lithium recovery rates are investigated. This approach has been proven to be suitable for lithium recovery from different LIBs industrial leachates including lithium cobalt (LCO), nickel rich (Ni-rich), and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) spent LIBs black mass in this work. The highest purity and recovery rate of lithium under optimum conditions could achieve up to 99.43 % and 63.91 % respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel multielectrode array and portable system for capsaicinoid detection has been developed. • Multidimensional electrochemical data were effectively decoded though deep learning. • The efficacy of deep learning for the quantitative analysis of capsaicinoids in mixtures was successfully verified with an RMSE of 5.407. • Rapid detection and visualization of capsaicinoids during the brine stewing process was achived. Electrochemical methods have been extensively applied for the detection of chemical information from food or other analytes. However, existing electrochemical methods are limited to focusing solely on the absorption peaks and disregard much of the hidden chemical fingerprint information. Consequently, electrochemical sensors are constrained by their ability to detect samples containing multiple source-material mixtures with overlapping constituents. We hypothesized that the target substances can be effectively identified and detected using differential sensor data combined with artificial intelligence (AI). In this study, we developed a novel signal array composed of five metal electrodes and used a convolutional neural network (CNN) model for feature extraction to detect capsaicinoids in stews. Our results indicate that the proposed method achieved satisfactory predictions with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.407 in independent brine samples. This provides a promising strategy and practical approach for the nondestructive analysis of multidimensional electrochemical data of mixed analytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We deal with uncontrollable markets and unreliable factors in the liner shipping industry. • We develop overbooking (OB) and delivery-delay-allowed (DDA) strategies from a revenue management (RM) perspective. • We propose a surrogate subgradient algorithm to solve the problem. Abstract Due to uncontrollable markets and unreliable factors in liner container shipping industry, the deviation between the actual and estimated shipment demand of containers always exists, resulting in a waste of shipping capacity or unfulfilled shipping requirements. To tackle such a slot allocation problem, this paper proposes overbooking (OB) and delivery-postponed (DP) strategies to maximize profits. Then, two corresponding multi-period models are developed and solution algorithms are presented. Finally, several numerical experiments are carried on to show the applicability of the proposed models and solution algorithms. The results indicate that the OB and DP strategies can promote the profit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Chronic lung diseases (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) are associated with oxidative stress and common treatments include various types of inhalation therapies. In this work Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide (GLP), a naturally occurring antioxidant is loaded into porous Poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) particles using a single step tri-needle coaxial electrospray process (Tri-needle CES); with a view to develop therapies to combat oxidative stress. Based on the core-shell structure of porous yolk shell particles (YSPs), GLP-loaded YSPs displayed a bi-phasic release pattern. In vitro cell studies indicate GLP-loaded porous YSPs display good biocompatibility and positive attributes towards H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress in MRC-5 cells and dramatically attenuate intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels as well as significantly increase cell viability. In vivo inhalation studies indicate that GLP-loaded porous YSPs can be delivered to deep lung tissue and remain deposited for over 48 h and are subsequently removed by natural clearance mechanisms. Based on current findings GLP-loaded porous YSPs are suitable for pulmonary delivery and display good inhalation therapy potential to treat chronic lung diseases. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Recent bionic nose applications for food detection are reviewed. • Broad-spectrum electrical conductivity sensors face challenges at room temperature. • Colourimetric bionic nose features both disposability and portability. • Mass Transducers bionic nose provides nondestructive but lacks portability. • Challenges and prospects coexist for bionic nose. Bionic nose, a technology that mimics the human olfactory system, has been widely used to assess food quality due to their high sensitivity, low cost, portability and simplicity. This review briefly describes that bionic noses with multiple transduction mechanisms are developed based on gas molecules' physical properties: electrical conductivity, visible optical absorption, and mass sensing. To enhance their superior sensing performance and meet the growing demand for applications, a range of strategies have been developed, such as peripheral substitutions, molecular backbones, and ligand metals that can finely tune the properties of sensitive materials. In addition, challenges and prospects coexist are covered. Cross-selective receptors of bionic nose will help and guide the selection of the best array for a particular application scenario. It provides an odour-based monitoring tool for rapid, reliable and online assessment of food safety and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C24H30N2Cu2Cl4, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 7.204(4) Å, b = 8.593(5) Å, c = 21.112(12) Å, α = 89.153(7)°, β = 85.294(7)°, γ = 84.604(6)°, V = 1296.7(12) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0535, wRref(F2) = 0.1471, T = 296(2) K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ag-TiO2 nanocomposites are green-synthesized by photodeposition based on ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) for the first time. Ag+ is photoreduced into Ag nanoparticles under visible light irradiation and precipitated on the surface of TiO2 (P25) nanoparticles. The physicochemical properties of as-synthesized nanocomposites are characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet (UV)-visible diffuse reflection spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of Ag-TiO2 is evaluated by the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) under UV light irradiation. 5.0 wt% Ag-P25 nanocomposite exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, mainly owing to the lowest recombination rate of photogenerated charge carriers. Addition of different scavengers proved that photogenerated electrons and •O- 2 contributed to the photocatalytic decolorization of MO. The as-prepared Ag-P25 nanocomposites had better photocatalytic ability than that of bare P25. Thus, the LMCT-sensitization-induced visible light reduction method is helpful for the green synthesis of photocatalytic nanomaterials and potentially applicable to pollutant remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new olefin-Cu(I) coordination polymers, i.e. [Cu6(DMBVBP)Cl8]n (1) and [Cu6(DMBVBP)Br8]n (2) (DMBVBP = 2,5-dimethyl-1,4-bis(4-vinylbenzyl) piperazine), were synthesized through the solvothermal reactions of CuCl, CuBr and 2,5-dimethyl piperazine and further characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, as well as powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The title complexes crystallized in the monoclinic P-1 space group, both featuring a one-dimensional chain. Their fluorescent properties were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intermolecular addition of carbon radicals enabled by a cascade radical coupling strategy is developed. It includes an intermolecular alkyl radical addition to a carbonyl group followed by an intramolecular alkoxy radical addition to haloarenes and produces substituted benzofurans in high yields. The radical nature of this reaction is explored by radical trapping experiments and EPR analysis. The mechanism is investigated by KIE experiments and control experiments. This method could provide rapid and practical access to the key intermediate of TAM-16, a safe and potent antibacterial agent for treating tuberculosis, and, therefore, is of great importance for organic synthesis and the pharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the problem of sensor power control for the scenario of remote state estimation. Most existing works mainly focus on designing sensor power scheduling schemes to minimize average estimation errors or terminal estimation errors when the sensor’s transmission capability is restrained by the energy budget. By contrast with these objectives, we aim to balance the cost of sensor power and the quality of remote estimation in this work. Specifically, we are interested in the problem that minimizes the expected weighted average sum of the remote state estimation errors and the sensor’s transmission power costs in an infinite time horizon. A Markov decision process framework is adopted to present the structure of the optimal power control strategy. However, it is not possible to find an analytical expression of the optimal solution. Thus, we further present an approximation solution and then derive a suboptimal sensor power control strategy. Finally, a simulation example is provided to show the effectiveness of our designed sensor control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bromotrifluoromethane (CF3Br) is a simple, inexpensive and abundant industrial material employed as a trifluoromethylating reagent. However, only limited strategies using CF3Br as a fluorine source are reported. Herein, we describe a visible-light-induced hydrotrifluoromethylation of alkenes and alkynes with CF3Br. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions with good functional group tolerance, providing a new route for the application of BrCF3 in organic synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyse and compare the clinical effects and safety of capecitabine and tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (S-1) in the treatment of advanced breast carcinoma. Methods: Eighty-four metastatic breast cancer elderly patients for whom first or second-line treatment had failed, were selected from among those admitted to the oncology ward of Binjiang People's Hospital, China between January 2014 and June 2015. They were randomly divided into S-1 group (n = 41) and capecitabine group (n = 41) and received varying doses of those drugs according to body surface area. Clinical effects, progression-free survival, and incidence of adverse reactions were compared for the two groups following treatment. Results: Disease control rate (CR) in S-1 group was 55.6 %, much higher than 35.1 % observed for capecitabine group (p < 0.05). The disease control rate for the S-1 group was 93.7 %, also much higher than the 70.6 % found in capecitabine group. Survival analysis showed that the median survival times of the two groups did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). Furthermore, some adverse reactions such as myelosuppression and lack of strength, did not differ significantly between the two groups (p > 0.05), whereas others, including leukopenia, nausea and vomiting and hand-foot syndrome were more serious and frequent in capecitabine group than in S-1 group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Monotherapy with S-1 is more effective than that with capecitabine. Adverse reactions are minimal for both drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A flexible strategy is exploited to insert Zn nanoparticles into the pores of highly stable 3D network of carbon ultrathin films (P‐Zn/C) that can effectively localize the postformed Zn nanoparticles, thereby solving the problem of structural degradation, and thus achieve improved anode performance. A maximum capacity of 657.3 mA h g−1 at a current density of 200 mA g−1 after 50 cycles is achieved for P‐Zn/C. Even at a high current density of 2 A g−1, a capacity of 653 mA h g−1 is maintained after 1000 cycles, indicating that it could be a promising anode for lithium ion batteries. By comparing the capacitive and diffusion contribution qualitatively and quantitatively, the result reveals that the enhanced electrochemical performance mainly originates from the pseudocapacitance storage mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transition-metal- and catalyst-free hydrogenation of aryl halides, promoted by bases with either aldehydes or alcohols, is described. One equivalent of benzaldehyde affords an equal yield as that of 0.5 equiv of benzyl alcohol. The kinetic study reveals that the initial rate of PhCHO is much faster than that of BnOH, in the ratio of nearly 4:1. The radical trapping experiments indicate the radical nature of this reaction. Based on the kinetic study, trapping and KIE experiments, and control experiments, a tentative mechanism is proposed. As a consequence, a wide range of (hetero)aryl iodides and bromides were efficiently reduced to their corresponding (hetero)arenes. Thus, for the first time, aldehydes are directly used as hydrogen source instead of other well-established alcohol--hydrogen sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant metal tolerance proteins (MTPs) play important roles in heavy metal homeostasis; however, related information in citrus plants is limited. Citrus genome sequencing and assembly have enabled us to perform a systematic analysis of the MTP gene family. We identified 12 MTP genes in sweet orange, which we have named as CitMTP1 and CitMTP3 to CitMTP12 based on their sequence similarity to Arabidopsis thaliana MTPs . The CitMTPs were predicted to encode proteins of 864 to 2556 amino acids in length that included 4 to 6 putative transmembrane domains (TMDs). Furthermore, all the CitMTPs contained a highly conserved signature sequence encompassing the TMD-II and the start of the TMD-III. Phylogenetic analysis further classified the CitMTPs into Fe/Zn-MTP, Mn-MTP, and Zn-MTP subgroups, which coincided with the MTPs of A . thaliana and rice. The closely clustered CitMTPs shared a similar gene structure. Expression analysis indicated that most CitMTP transcripts were upregulated to various extents under heavy metal stress. Among these, CitMTP5 in the roots and CitMTP11 in the leaves during Zn stress, CitMTP8 in the roots and CitMTP8 . 1 in the leaves during Mn stress, CitMTP12 in the roots and CitMTP1 in the leaves during Cu stress, and CitMTP11 in the roots and CitMTP1 in the leaves during Cd stress showed the highest extent of upregulation. These findings are suggestive of their individual roles in heavy metal detoxification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of nano-TiO 2 particle size on the properties of starch-based wood adhesives was studied in this work. Our findings indicate that a smaller size of nano-TiO 2 particles corresponds with a larger specific surface area and more hydroxyl sites on the particle surface that interact with latex molecules, forming a more compact network structure. Therefore, the bonding performance and water resistance of the adhesive were enhanced. In addition, rheology results showed that the adhesive behaves as a pseudoplastic fluid. Small-angle X-ray scattering and energy dispersive spectroscopy confirmed the good compatibility and dispersion of nano-TiO 2 in the adhesive films. Diffusing wave spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that smaller TiO 2 particles were more favorable for the formation of smoother and denser films. These results are of great significance for improving the structure and properties of starch-based wood adhesives and preparing high-performance environmentally friendly biobased adhesives. Synthesis of a starch-based wood adhesive and the influence of nano-TiO 2 particle size. [Display omitted] • Starch-based wood adhesives with different particle size nano-TiO2 were prepared. • The addition of 5 nm TiO2 can effectively enhance the bonding strength of adhesive. • The adhesive added with 5 nm TiO2 has shorter film forming time and denser surface. • Smaller size TiO2 has more binding sites to enhance structure of the adhesive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were an emerging stem cell therapy candidate. • The extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from EPCs have pro-angiogenesis power. • TFEB engineering can improve the anti-ischemia activity of EPC-EVs. • Thermal-/pH-responsive hydrogel is suitable for critical limb ischemia therapy. Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the terminal stage of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), always leading to a high risk of amputations and deaths. While the majority of strategies only focus on recanalization of patients, these methods are unsatisfactory due to limited therapeutic effect and surgical damage. Herein, a multifunctional engineered-extracellular vesicles (EVs)/hydrogel system is designed for facilitating angiogenesis and protecting the ischemic muscle tissue via a non-surgical delivery strategy. The EVs released from endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), an emerging stem cell therapy candidate, were used to play the pro-angiogenesis role. Transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of autophagy, was utilized to genetically modify the EVs for building TFEB-engineered EVs (TFEB-EVs) to reduce the impairment of muscle. Moreover, a thermal-/pH-responsive hydrogel (FPD), prepared by F127, polyethylenimine (PEI), and oxidized dextran, served as a sensitive controlled-release carrier and improved the stability of TFEB-EVs in vivo , simultaneously. Our results exhibited that TFEB-EVs/FPD significantly strengthened neovascularization, alleviated muscle damage, and protected the limb function of CLI mice. Overall, TFEB-EVs/FPD offered a convenient, safe, and non-surgical approach for rescuing CLI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gel-polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are of great interest to build high-performing rechargeable electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) owing to the combination of good electrochemical properties and improved safety. Herein, we report a quasi-solid-state GPE for EDLCs from a mixture of the poly (vinylidene fluoride- co -hexafluoro propylene) (PVDF-HFP) and ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazole tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM][BF 4 ]), which avoids the leakage of liquid electrolyte and the low conductivity of common solid electrolyte. The intermolecular forces of GPE was characterized by in-situ infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and the interactions between ionic liquid and polymer were also analyzed. The prepared GPE was observed to be easily procurable, excellent transparency, high thermal safety (thermal stability up to 320 °C) and outstanding electrochemical properties at room temperature (wide electrochemical stability window of 3.91 V versus SS (SS being stainless steel foils) and high ionic conductivity of 6.9 × 10−3 S cm−1). The specific capacitance, the maximum specific energy, and the maximum specific power of the fabricated symmetrical supercapacitor had been determined to be 161.8 F g−1, 89.89 Wh kg−1, and 8 kW kg−1, respectively. Moreover, the EDLC shows extraordinary electrochemical behaviors and cyclic stability over up to 10 000 cycles at 25 °C with 86% capacitance retention under a current load of 2 A g−1. The experimental results indicate the excellent potential of the [EMIM][BF 4 ] ionic-liquid-based gel polymer electrolyte for EDLCs. [Display omitted] • The GPE has outstanding ionic conductivity and high thermal safety (up to 320 °C). • IL promotes the formation of molecular forces in the GPE by in-situ FT-IR and DFT. • The EDLC offers higher specific capacitance, specific energy and specific power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core-shell ZnO/oxygen-doped g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposite was prepared via hydrothermal method with the addition of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and its visible light photocatalytic performance was investigated. In the process of hydrothermal reaction, g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets were oxidized by hydrogen peroxide and then dehydration reaction occurred between C-OH groups to form the C-O-C groups, resulting in a relatively stable oxygen doped g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets wrapped on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. The photocatalytic performance of ZnO/oxygen-doped g-C 3 N 4 sample showed significant photocatalytic activity, higher than ZnO, g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets and ZnO/g-C 3 N 4 samples. The PL spectra indicated that the stable core-shell heterojunction of ZnO/oxygen-doped g-C 3 N 4 composite could block the recombination rate of electron−hole pairs effectively and remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A (4,6)-connected three-dimensional network complex [Cd(hpip)Br 2 ] n ( 1 ) [hpip = homopiperazine] was prepared from CdBr 2 ·4H 2 O and hpip by hydrothermal reaction in water. The structure was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and elemental analysis. The asymmetric unit contains one hpip ligand, one Cd(II) cation and two Br − anions. Each Cd(II) cation is coordinated by two N atoms from the ligand and four Br − anions, showing a distorted octahedral geometry. Its dielectric constant was measured at different frequencies with temperature variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loading and unloading processes at quay and yard cranes are often studied separately, despite that integrated scheduling of the two processes could benefit in improving productivity and increasing profit. We consider an automated container terminal, in which the discharging and loading tasks at quay and yard cranes are fulfilled by a homogeneous fleet of automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and the traveling speed of AGVs can be adjusted. We formulate the problem into a mixed integer programming model that minimizes the total makespan of cranes and energy consumption of AGVs simultaneously. To address the problem, we develop a three-phase approach, where the problem is firstly reformulated as a digraph, and then a adjusting heuristic and a branch-and-bound procedure are used to optimize the assignment of tasks to AGVs and yard cranes. After the aforementioned two steps, the speed optimization process is executed to obtain the final schedule. Numerical results demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approach and also justify the value of taking account of the AGVs speed optimization. • Studying an integrated scheduling problem with variable vehicle speed at ports. • Reformulating the AGV dispatching problem as the format of directed graphs. • Proposing a modified bottleneck and branch&bound approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C20H24Cu4Cl6N8O, orthorhombic, P212121 (no. 19), a = 12.159(7) Å, b = 14.299(8) Å, c = 19.186(11) Å, V = 3336(3) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0382, wRref(F2) = 0.0615, T = 296(2) K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐performance membranes are critical to membrane separation technology. In recent years, 2D covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) have attracted extensive attention in the field of membrane separation due to their high porosity, ordered channels, and fine‐tuned pore sizes, which are considered as excellent candidate to solve the trade‐off between membrane selectivity and permeability. Herein, two kinds of ionic 2D COFs with different charge properties (termed as iCOFs) are integrated into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) substrates to form two composite membranes (PAN@iCOFs) with excellent selective perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) separation performance with high solvent permeability and good mechanical properties. The as‐prepared PAN@iCOFs composite membranes can selectively reject more than 99.0% of positively and negatively charged PFASs in wastewater while maintaining good stability and recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of nanocomposites containing titania and gold were prepared via the coupling between exfoliated Ti 0.91 O 2 nanosheets and surfactant-capped Au nanoparticles, followed by flocculation and calcination. After hybridization with Ti 0.91 O 2 nanosheets, octahedral Au nanoparticles were embedded intimately into the matrix of titania, leading to a broad absorption peak assigned to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect in the visible region. The obtained nanocomposite exhibited remarkably improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance compared to naked titania and conventional titania with photodeposited Au co-catalyst, due to the special SPR effect of the relatively large octahedral Au nanoparticles. Through control experiments, we demonstrated that the octahedral Au nanoparticles mainly functioned as local light intensifier and photon scattering agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultrathin film of monolayered tungstate nanodots was successfully fabricated via a layer-by-layer self-assembly method, which shows a “memory” photocatalytic activity. Photoinduced electrons are quickly stored in the ultrathin film upon irradiation due to the reduction of W6+ to W5+, and discharged to produce superoxides, enabling post-irradiation antibacterial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanohybrid photocatalyst composed of CdTe@CdS nanocrystals and single-layered exfoliated titania nanosheets was synthesized through a well-defined restacking approach. The nanohybrid possessed an expanded layered structure, with ultrathin titania nanosheets randomly restacked upon each other and CdTe@CdS nanocrystals sandwiched between the nanosheets. The introduction of CdTe@CdS nanocrystals not only extended the light absorption of the photocatalyst to the visible range, but also formed p–n nanojunctions in the nanohybrid. The resultant materials containing same amount of CdTe@CdS nanocrystals exhibited over 43 times higher activity than pure CdTe@CdS nanocrystals for hydrogen production under visible light irradiation ( λ > 420 nm) while titania nanosheets alone were not capable of producing any hydrogen under the same conditions. The superior photocatalytic efficiency of the nanohybrid can be attributed to the effective charge separation, which is achieved by the synergetic effect of proper energy bands alignment and p–n nanojunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the effects of various zinc (Zn) foliar fertilizers on correcting citrus Zn deficiency and to explore an effective correcting method, three common Zn fertilizers, Zn sulfate heptahydrate (ZnSO4.7H2O), Zn chloride (ZnCl2), and Zn nitrate hexahydrate [Zn(NO3)2.6H2O], were selected to spray the Zn-deficient citrus leaves, tested at different concentrations, with or without organosilicone surfactant. Zn content, chlorophyll levels, and photosynthesis characteristics of leaves were analyzed. Leaf Zn content was significantly increased with increase of the sprayed Zn concentration of the three Zn fertilizers. However, when the sprayed Zn concentration of ZnSO4.7H2O exceeded 200 mg·L-1, and Zn concentration of ZnCl2 or Zn(NO3)2.6H2O exceeded 100 mg·L-1, obvious necrotic spots formed on leaves. This necrosis disappeared when 0.025% organosilicone was added to the three Zn fertilizer solutions, even at a Zn concentration of 250 mg·L-1. Meanwhile, the Zn contents of leaves increased one to four times for these treatments. Furthermore, foliar application of the three Zn fertilizers significantly improved chlorophyll levels and photosynthetic capacity of Zn-deficient leaves. The data of chlorophyll and photosynthesis characteristics indicate that the correcting effect of ZnCl2 and Zn(NO3)2.6H2O is better than that of ZnSO4.7H2O, and could be further improved via supplement of organosilicone. In conclusion, ZnCl2 or Zn(NO3)2.6H2O containing 250 mg·L-1 of Zn and supplemented with 0.025% organosilicone is a safe and effective formulation of Zn foliar fertilizer for correcting citrus Zn deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporation of a minor dose of 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) into an end segment of polystyrene (PS) chain by emulsion copolymerization yields a copolymer molecule P(4-VP/S) with weak surface-activity. The spin cast thin films of P(4-VP/S) display enhanced solar light reflectance of R = 80–90% compared with its PS homopolymer counterpart. It is imperative to use dimethylformamide (DMF) as casting solvent because the hydrophilic nature of DMF induces core-to-grain assembling while dried in humid air, leading to a nodular film matrix. A rise of 4-VP dose in P(4-VP/S) causes a breath-figure patterned matrix instead and consequently an obvious reduction of reflectance in the near-infrared region. Mechanistically, P(4-VP/S) chains that bear a short end-segment with rich 4-VP units constitute tiny hydrophilic cores because of entrapment of moisture during drying, surrounding which the long PS tails thus undergo chain coiling to form nanoparticles. They then aggregate to form submicron grains in rosette and the partial coalescence of adjacent grains results in micron lumps. Such hierarchical evolution finally constructs a matrix exhibiting an enhanced solar reflectance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pharmaceutical-oriented, transitionmetal- free, cyanide-free one-step direct transformation of methylarenes to aryl nitriles is described. For the dimethylarenes, the selectivity can be well-controlled to form mononitriles or dinitriles. Enantioenriched nitriles can also be synthesized by this method. As a pharmaceutically practical method, the antidepressant drug citalopram was synthesized from cheap and commercially abundant m-xylene on a gram scale in high yield, avoiding transitionmetal residues and toxic cyanides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]