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The aim of this article is to propose a novel method for estimating trans-ancestry genetic correlations in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using genetically predicted observations. These correlations describe how genetic architecture of complex traits varies among populations. Our new estimator corrects for biases arising from prediction errors in high-dimensional weak GWAS signals, while addressing the ethnic diversity inherent in GWAS data, such as linkage disequilibrium (LD) differences. A distinguishing feature of our approach is its flexibility regarding sample sizes: it necessitates a large GWAS sample only from one population, while the secondary population may have a much smaller cohort, even in the hundreds. This design directly addresses the existing imbalance in GWAS data resources, where datasets for European populations typically outnumber those of non-European ancestries. Through extensive simulations and real data analysis from the UK Biobank study encompassing 26 complex traits, we validate the reliability of our method. Our results illuminate the broader implications of transferring genetic findings across diverse populations. for this article are available online, including a standardized description of the materials available for reproducing the work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of mechanically soft solid‐state materials with fast Mg‐ion conduction is crucial for the development of solid‐state magnesium batteries. In this paper, novel magnesium gallium halide compounds are reported that achieve high ionic conductivity of 0.47 mS cm−1 at room temperature. These Mg‐ion conductors obtained by ball milling Mg and Ga salts exhibit clay‐like mechanical properties, enabling intimate contact at the electrode–electrolyte interface during battery cycling. With a combination of experimental and computational analysis, this study identifies that the soft‐clay formation is induced by partial anion exchange during milling. This partial anion exchange creates undercoordinated magnesium ions in a chlorine‐rich environment, yielding fast Mg‐ion conduction. This work demonstrates the potential of clay‐like halide electrolytes for all‐solid‐state magnesium batteries, with possible further extension to other multivalent battery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alterations in glycosylation are associated with breast tumor formation and progression. Nevertheless, the specific functions and mechanisms of the human major UDP‐galactose transporter‐encoding gene solute carrier family 35 member A2 (SLC35A2) in breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA) have not been fully determined. Here, we report that SLC35A2 promotes BRCA progression by activating extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK). SLC35A2 expression and prognosis‐predictive significance in pan‐cancer were evaluated using public databases. The upstream non‐coding RNAs (ncRNAs) of SLC35A2 were analyzed, and their expression and regulations were validated in breast tissues and cell lines by a quantitative PCR and dual‐luciferase assays. We used bioinformatic tools to assess the link between SLC35A2 expression and immune infiltration and performed immunohistochemistry for validation. Cell Counting Kit‐8, 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine, transwell, flow cytometer and western blotting were used to assess the proliferation, motility, cell cycle and apoptosis of BRCA cells in vitro. The xenograft models were constructed to assess the effect of SLC35A2 on BRCA tumor growth in vivo. The results indicated that SLC35A2 expression was upregulated and linked to an unfavorable prognosis in BRCA. The most likely upstream ncRNA‐associated pathway of SLC35A2 in BRCA was the AC074117.1/hsa‐let‐7b‐5p axis. SLC35A2 expression had positive correlations with the presence of Th2 cells, regulatory T cells and immune checkpoints. Knockdown of SLC35A2 could reduce BRCA cell proliferation, motility, and cause G2/M arrest and cell apoptosis via ERK signaling. Moreover, ERK activation can rescue the inhibitory effects of knockdown SLC35A2 in BRCA. In conclusion, AC074117.1/hsa‐let‐7b‐5p axis‐mediated high expression of SLC35A2 acts as a tumor promoter in BRCA via ERK signaling, which provides a potential target for BRCA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetically replacing an essential residue with the corresponding photocaged analogues via genetic code expansion (GCE) constitutes a useful and unique strategy to directly and effectively generate photoactivatable proteins. However, the application of this strategy is severely hampered by the limited number of encoded photocaged proteinogenic amino acids. Herein, we report the genetic incorporation of photocaged glutamic acid analogues in E. coli and mammalian cells and demonstrate their use in constructing photoactivatable variants of various fluorescent proteins and SpyCatcher. We believe genetically encoded photocaged Glu would significantly promote the design and application of photoactivatable proteins in many areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the numerical positivity, boundedness, convergence, and dynamical behaviors for stochastic susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model. To guarantee the biological significance of the split-step backward Euler method applied to the stochastic SIS model, the numerical positivity and boundedness are investigated by the truncated Wiener process. Motivated by the almost sure boundedness of exact and numerical solutions, the convergence is discussed by the fundamental convergence theorem with a local Lipschitz condition. Moreover, the numerical extinction and persistence are initially obtained by an exponential presentation of the stochastic stability function and strong law of the large number for martingales, which reproduces the existing theoretical results. Finally, numerical examples are given to validate our numerical results for the stochastic SIS model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetically replacing an essential residue with the corresponding photocaged analogues via genetic code expansion (GCE) constitutes a useful and unique strategy to directly and effectively generate photoactivatable proteins. However, the application of this strategy is severely hampered by the limited number of encoded photocaged proteinogenic amino acids. Herein, we report the genetic incorporation of photocaged glutamic acid analogues in E. coli and mammalian cells and demonstrate their use in constructing photoactivatable variants of various fluorescent proteins and SpyCatcher. We believe genetically encoded photocaged Glu would significantly promote the design and application of photoactivatable proteins in many areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the numerical positivity, convergence and dynamical behaviors (including extinction and persistence) for stochastic SIS model. Compared with the existing numerical methods, a linearly backward Euler method with truncated Wiener process is introduced with a less computational cost and a better dynamic behavior. We discuss the numerical positivity by the truncated Wiener process, which is the basis for the investigation of convergence and dynamic behavior. The numerical dynamical behaviors (extinction and persistence) are obtained by an exponential representation for the nonlinear stochastic stability function and the large number theorem for martingale, which reproduces the existing theoretical results of exact solution. Finally, numerical examples are given to validate our numerical results for stochastic SIS model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of management of sialocele formation and to evaluate the quality of life of patients under elective management post‐parotidectomy. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was performed including patients who underwent postoperative management with either compression therapy or observation. The self‐filled questionnaire method was used to assess the quality of life of participants who changed from compression therapy to observation. Demographic and operative data, variables regarding wound complications and scores for quality of life were documented and analysed. Results: A total of 86 patients met the eligibility criteria. The respective rates of sialocele formation within 1 month were 5.3% in the compression therapy group (2/38) and 16.0% in the observation group (4/25), but no significant difference was observed (p = 0.204). Meanwhile, both groups displayed comparable times of needle aspiration and time for sialocele resolution (p > 0.05). Based on 23 valid paired questionnaires, scores for physical and social‐emotional function before changing from compression therapy to observation were significantly lower than scores after the change (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The application of observation after partial superficial parotidectomy appears to have acceptable clinical outcomes and considerable improvements in quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the numerical positivity and almost surely exponential stability of the stochastic heat equation are discussed. The finite difference method and the split-step backward Euler are considered for spatial and temporal, respectively. Motivated from physical applications such as temperature, finance and so on, positivity has real significance, which is volatilized by some common numerical treatments. To this end the numerical positivity is obtained by the properties of M -matrix and the truncated random variables, which overcomes the unboundedness of the random variables. For the investigation of the almost surely exponential stability, a stochastic stability matrix is introduced, and then the stability analysis reduces to the estimation of the eigenvalues and martingales thorough a family of matrices and perturbation theorems. The stabilization ability of the multiplicative noise is verified again from a generalization of the stochastic heat equation. Finally, some numerical experiments are given to validate our numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter proposes an approximate analytical formulation for the shielding problem of a perfectly electric conducting disk against the low-frequency magnetic field produced by a circular current loop placed coaxially with the disk. First, this problem is related to a complementarity problem: The leakage of the magnetic field through a circular hole on a perfectly magnetic conducting plane of infinite extension. Then, for the complementarity problem, we develop the accurate analytical solution if only the distribution of the normal component of the unshielded magnetic field along the surface of the hole can be expressed as a polynomial function of radial distance. The analytical formulation is verified with finite element simulations and measured results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore whether early treatment with integrated Chinese and western medicine can prolong the survival time of patients with advanced digestive tract malignant tumors using a new statistical analysis method and real-world data. Methods Based on the left truncated data, the Copula model was used to construct a joint model of the time from stage IV diagnosis to treatment and the time to overall survival. The estimated value and significance of the Copula dependence parameter, η, were obtained to evaluate the dependence strength between the two event times of interest. Results The numerical simulation showed that this method performed well when the left truncation rate was 20%. The estimated Copula dependence parameter η), in the real data analysis was 0.279 (P<0.05), indicating that there was a significant correlation between times to treatment and overall survival. Gender, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, targeted treatment, and metastatic site 1 were significant factors associated with overall survival. Conclusion The new statistical method provided valuable insights and analytical tools for the effectiveness of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine in treating patients with advanced digestive tract malignant tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the asymptotical mean-square stability of the linear θ-methods under variable stepsize and transformation approach for stochastic pantograph differential equations. A limiting equation for the analysis of numerical stability is introduced by Kronecker products. Under the condition which guarantee the stability of exact solutions, the optimal stability region of the linear θ-methods under variable stepsize is given by using the limiting equation, i.e. θ ∈ (1 2 , 1 ] , which is the same to the deterministic problems. Moreover, the linear θ-methods under the transformation approach are also considered and the result of the stability is improved for θ = 1 2 . Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate the asymptotical mean-square stability under variable stepsize and transformation approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • PEI and APTES modified MfMCNs are prepared by pre-assembly experiment. • MfMCNs contains hydroxyl and amino groups to enhance the adsorption of CO 2. • The pore size of MfMCNs decreased to 0.53–0.55 nm, which enhanced screening of CO 2. • By adding MfMCNs, the phase interface defect is improved and the separation performance of MMMs is enhanced. Traditional two-dimensional (2D) membrane fillers are prone to interfacial defects such as agglomeration and phase separation in the membrane, limiting the separation performance of membrane. In this paper, microporous carbon nanoplates (MCNs) with controllable microporous structures were functionalized with two different amine carriers of low molecular weight polyethyleneimine (PEI) and 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) to prepare multi-functionalized microporous carbon nanoplates (MfMCNs). It is worth noting that with the success of composite functionalization, the filling content of mixed matrix membranes is also high to a certain extent. To a certain extent, it has been demonstrated that interfacial compatibility between the polymer and the fillers has been improved. It was confirmed by characterization technology that the morphology of the fillers had not been changed, but the pore size of MfMCNs was declined to 0.53–0.55 nm because part of the amino carrier was immersed in the pore structure of MfMCNs. The gas permeability tests under dry gas and wet gas conditions show that the improvement of phase interface by MfMCNs is significant. Under the condition of a dry gas test, the CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of MfMCNs/Pebax-1.0 wt% MMMs is 76.3, which is 27 % higher than that of MCNs/Pebax-1.0 wt% MMMs. Under the moisture condition, the permeability and selectivity of MfMCNs/Pebax-1.0 wt% MMMs CO 2 are 287.72 Barrer and 79.1 separately. Compared with Pebax membrane, the permeability of CO 2 (176.6 Barrer) was rose by 62.9 %, and the selectivity of CO 2 (59.1) was rose by 33.84 %. Significantly, the best MMMs separation performance exceeds upper limit of Robeson. This provides a powerful strategy to strengthen the compatibility between inorganic materials and polymers and strengthen the performance of MMMs in CO 2 gas capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and its control rates remain low worldwide. The most effective strategy is that patients with hypertension should be diagnosed and treated early. Preliminary studies showed that the Bushen Jiangya granule (BSJY) could suppress ventricular hypertrophy and inflammatory responses, lower blood pressure, and protect the target organs of hypertension. We designed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of BSJY in patients with low-to-medium risk hypertension.Methods and Analysis: This trial is a one-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. A total of 260 participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to an experimental group (BSJY plus amlodipine) and a control group (placebo plus amlodipine). The trial cycle will last 8 weeks. The primary outcome is the change in 24-h average systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The secondary outcomes include heart rate variability, pharmacogenomic evaluation, improvement in TCM syndrome, and serum pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory cytokines between the two groups. The safety of medication will also be evaluated. All the data will be recorded in electronic case report forms and analyzed by SPSS V.22.0.Ethics and Dissemination: This study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing, China (No. 2019-186-KY-01). The participants are volunteers, understand the process of this trial, and sign an informed consent. The results of this study will be disseminated to the public through peer-reviewed journals and academic conferences.Discussion: We hypothesize that patients with low-to-medium-risk hypertension will benefit from BSJY. If successful, this study will provide evidence-based recommendations for clinicians.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiMCTR1900002876. Registered in November 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an approximate analytical model for magnetic field penetration through a circular aperture on a perfectly conducting plate. The magnetic field source is a circular loop current placed parallel to the plate and coaxial with the aperture. It is shown that the aperture is equivalent to a magnetic quadrupole normal to the plate when the field point is far from the aperture. The model is validated using numerical simulations and a minor disagreement with experimental data is explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YIV-906 (PHY906) is a standardized botanical cancer drug candidate developed with a systems biology approach—inspired by a traditional Chinese herbal formulation, historically used to treat gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. In combination with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, preclinical and clinical results suggest that YIV-906 has the potential to prolong survival and improve quality of life for cancer patients. Here, we demonstrated that YIV-906 plus anti-PD1 could eradicate all Hepa 1–6 tumors in all tumor bearing mice. YIV-906 was found to have multiple mechanisms of action to enhance adaptive and innate immunity. In combination, YIV-906 reduced PD1 or counteracted PD-L1 induction caused by anti-PD1 which led to higher T-cell activation gene expression of the tumor. In addition, YIV-906 could reduce immune tolerance by modulating IDO activity and reducing monocytic MDSC of the tumor. The combination of anti-PD1 and YIV-906 generated acute inflammation in the tumor microenvironment with more M1-like macrophages. YIV-906 could potentiate the action of interferon gamma (IFNg) to increase M1-like macrophage polarization while inhibiting IL4 action to decrease M2 macrophage polarization. Flavonoids from YIV-906 were responsible for modulating IDO activity and potentiating IFNg action in M1-like macrophage polarization. In conclusion, YIV-906 could act as an immunomodulator and enhance the innate and adaptive immune response and potentiate anti-tumor activity for immunotherapies to treat cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface flexibility and structure stability are two design considerations and opposing sides for biologically‐inspired dry adhesives in real world. Here a ladybug inspired adhesive with double‐layered structure is presented to solve this problem. The bottom layer is made of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) and the top layer is made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with controllable Young's modulus and thickness. To investigate the adaptability of the double‐layered adhesives to surface roughness, silicon wafers are polished to achieve various surface roughness. The adhesion performance of composite structure is characterized by using a mechanical testing machine with the target Si surfaces. The experiment results indicate double‐layered adhesive shows good surface adaptation and robustness to different surface roughness with approximately 3 N/cm2 adhesion stress. This work shows the adhesion performance of double‐layered dry adhesive considering the real world surface and illustrates that the mechanical properties of the biomimetic adhesives have a significant impact on their adhesion performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic varied elastic modulus and damping coefficient of underground goaf are most important factors which describes the goaf absorption ability on seismic wave energy. This numerical simulation study have focused on the effect of goaf area on earthquake-wave propagation and seismic response on the ground surface in a coal mine area. The laboratory measurements were carried out by 135 porous samples cases consisting rocks and coal particles 0.12–0.25 mm in size to estimate the dynamic elastic modulus and damping coefficient of the fragmented rock masses. In this simulation, a new model on damping coefficient of longitudinal and transverse waves has been presented in considering rock size (D), effective stress (σe), porosity (φ) and compaction time (t). The empirical correlation between the damping coefficient and effective stress (depth) as well as the compaction time of the goaf area has been derived and used for each goaf and strata grid blocks in the simulation. The results showed that the peak ground acceleration (PGA) above the goaf area exhibits 9–20% reduction compared to that of unexcavated condition (original coal seam), and around 10–35% seismic energy is trapped in the goaf area as goaf varied from 100 to 700 m. In the meantime, the peak ground displacement (PGD) is amplified up to seven times for the goaf depth ranging from 100 to 700 m compared to that of the unexcavated condition. Both PGA and PGD above goaf area are smaller than those above the undisturbed coal seam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical behavior of vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) arrays can largely impact their adhesion performance. In this paper, we fabricated various VACNT arrays to investigate the relationship between adhesion force and their mechanical behavior. High-volume fraction (3.4%) CNT arrays did not exhibit the applicable adhesion effect due to their intrinsic elastic property. Adhesion measurements on several low-density (less than 0.5%) VACNT arrays demonstrated that the adhesion performance is strongly related to the plastic deformation of the carbon nanotubes at the contact surface. Due to the nature of the growth of CNT arrays, the top region of the as-grown CNT arrays is denser and stiffer than the bottom region of the arrays. Therefore, compared with as-grown CNT arrays, the flipped CNT arrays reached higher adhesion efficiency (the ratio of adhesion force to preload) with lower preload due to the higher compliance at the top surface of the arrays. With cyclic loading under micro mechanical tests, stiffening of the surface and declining of adhesion force were also observed. These results illustrated that the mechanical compliance at the region near the contact interface is the dominant factor for the adhesion performance of VACNT arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic subdural hematoma evacuation can be achieved in select patients through bedside placement of the Subdural Evacuation Port System (SEPS; Medtronic, Inc., Dublin, Ireland). This procedure involves drilling a burr hole at the thickest part of the hematoma. Identifying this location is often difficult, given the variable tilt of available imaging and distant anatomic landmarks. This paper evaluates the feasibility and accuracy of a bedside navigation system that relies on visible light-based 3-dimensional (3D) scanning and image registration to a pre-procedure computed tomography scan. The information provided by this system may increase accuracy of the burr hole location. In Part 1, the accuracy of this system was evaluated using a rigid 3D printed phantom head with implanted fiducials. In Part 2, the navigation system was tested on 3 patients who underwent SEPS placement. The error in registration of this system was less than 2.5 mm when tested on a rigid 3D printed phantom head. Fiducials located in the posterior aspect of the head were difficult to reliably capture. For the 3 patients who underwent 5 SEPS placements, the distance between anticipated SEPS burr hole location based on registration and actual burr hole location was less than 1cm. A bedside cranial navigation system based on 3D scanning and image registration has been introduced. Such a system may increase the success rate of bedside procedures, such as SEPS placement. However, technical challenges such as the ability to scan hair and practical challenges such as minimization of patient movement during scans must be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The trans‐Golgi network (TGN) is a major site for sorting of cargo to either the vacuole or apoplast. The TGN‐localized coiled‐coil protein TNO1 is a putative tethering factor that interacts with the TGN t‐SNARE SYP41 and is required for correct localization of the SYP61 t‐SNARE. An Arabidopsis thaliana tno1 mutant is hypersensitive to salt stress and partially mislocalizes vacuolar proteins to the apoplast, indicating a role in vacuolar trafficking. Here, we show that overexpression of SYP41 or SYP61 significantly increases SYP41–SYP61 complex formation in a tno1 mutant, and rescues the salt sensitivity and defective vacuolar trafficking of the tno1 mutant. The TGN is disrupted and vesicle budding from Golgi cisternae is reduced in the tno1 mutant, and these defects are also rescued by overexpression of SYP41 or SYP61. Our results suggest that the trafficking and Golgi morphology defects caused by loss of TNO1 can be rescued by increasing SYP41–SYP61 t‐SNARE complex formation, implicating TNO1 as a tethering factor mediating efficient vesicle fusion at the TGN. Significance Statement: Tethering factors are vital for efficient vesicle fusion, but little is known about their identity and function in plants. We demonstrate that the putative trans‐Golgi network tethering factor TNO1 is critical for maintaining Golgi structure and that its loss can be compensated for by increasing the amount of SNARE complex present at the trans‐Golgi network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose a new hyperspectral subpixel target detection method called MSDH. • Extend the classical MSD to allow for unequal noise intensities over different bands. • Demonstrate the superiority of MSDH on real hyperspectral data. The matched subspace detector (MSD) is a classical subspace-based method for hyperspectral subpixel target detection. However, the model assumes that noise has the same variance over different bands, which is usually unrealistic in practice. In this letter, we relax the equal variance assumption and propose a matched subspace detector with heterogeneous noise (MSDH). In essence, the noise variances are different for different bands and they can be estimated by using iteratively reweighted least squares methods. Experiments on two benchmark real hyperspectral datasets demonstrate the superiority of MSDH over MSD for subpixel target detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Chinese herbal medicine has been increasingly used for patients with postmenopausal hypertension in China. A comprehensive literature search was performed in 7 electronic databases from their inception up to December 17, 2017 to examine the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine for postmenopausal hypertension. Thirty-nine randomized controlled trials involving 3, 823 participants were included. Meta-analyses favored Chinese herbal medicine plus antihypertensive drugs on blood pressure, blood pressure variability, postmenopausal symptoms, quality of life, and hormone levels compared with antihypertensive drugs. No severe adverse effects were identified. Er-xian decoction was the most frequently prescribed herbal formula, while Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. was the most commonly used single herb. Chinese herbal medicine as complementary therapy maybe beneficial for postmenopausal hypertension. However, the effectiveness and safety of the decoction are still uncertain due to methodological shortcomings. Well-conducted trials are warranted to resolve the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A new elastic buckling shape control method for thin-walled cylinder is presented. • The failure mode is pre-determined as a stabilised high-order elastica surface. • The deformed surface is measured and shown to have a near-exact correspondence. Graphical abstract Abstract Decades of research has led to a comprehensive understanding of the buckling behaviour of thin-walled tubes. Many of these studies have attempted to control the buckling-behaviour of thin-walled tubes by utilising their imperfection sensitive characteristics to guide the deformation process to a predictable buckling mode. However, a key limitation of such techniques is an inability to predict the exact deformed shape of post-buckled tubes. This study presents a new method to control the shape of an elastically buckled medium length thin-walled cylinder by using pre-embedded curved-crease origami patterns. The failure mode is pre-determined as a stabilized high-order elastica surface, which manifests via a diamond buckling mode. A set of prototypes are tested and show that the buckling process can be guided to a range of designed failure modes. The deformed surface is measured and shown to have a near-exact correspondence to the analytical description, where the average absolute surface error is less than half of the 0.3mm sheet thickness. This study then closely explores the driving mechanics of the buckling process and shows that the controllable buckling process exhibits a bistable transition from a higher strain energy tubular state to a lower strain energy curved-crease state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, forty-five crushed rock samples were formed from rock and coal particles of different sizes to simulate the crushed and fragmented condition of a goaf area in an underground coal mine. The porosity (φ) range of the crushed samples was based on field observations in actual goafs. The permeability (k) was measured by reducing the size of the fragments of the actual goaf to lab-scale particles. Ultrasonic wave velocity (V PG) and attenuation (β) were measured for different porosities, particle sizes and frequencies. The ratio of the seismic wavelength and particle size was adjusted to match that of the parameters in the goaf. The results showed that the measured permeability conformed to the Kozney-Carman (K C) equation with a percolation threshold porosity of 0.06. The permeability of the crushed rock was dependent on φ 4. The variations of the seismic velocity (η) and attenuation (ξ) were defined based on the ratio of the seismic parameters of the crushed rock and intact rock. η showed a linear relationship with the square root of the tortuosity (τ) for τ = 5–10. ξ showed an approximately linear relationship with the porosity part of the K C equation. An empirical equation is proposed based on the K C equation, involving the seismic velocity, attenuation and particle size. The estimated permeability based on the modified K C equation showed good agreement with the measured data. The permeability of the actual goaf was estimated as 1.0 × 104–6.5 × 105 d based on the rock properties in the goaf. Highlights • Tortuosity factor and effect of porosity on gas permeability were related to seismic velocity and attenuation, respectively. • A new empirical equation to estimate the permeability of the crushed rock has been presented. • The permeability estimated by the empirical equation showed good agreements with the measured values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature district heating (DH) system gives easier access to the renewable energy as heat sources and improves the heat distribution efficiency. From the exergy point of view, low DH supply temperature also better matches the exergy demand of space heating and domestic hot water. It is more beneficial to operate district heating system under lower temperature level for the heat-sparse area where the distribution losses accounts for a large proportion in the total heat supply. In this study, the actual performance of a case ultra-low temperature district heating (ULTDH) system in Denmark was investigated based on long-term measurements. The system combines the central heat pump and local boosters, while the impact of such configuration on the overall system performance was analysed. The energy, exergy and economy performances of the case system were compared to medium temperature district heating system (MTDH) and low-temperature district heating system (LTDH). The results show that the LTDH system without supplementary heating has the highest energy and exergy efficiency. While the ULTDH system has better performance compared to the MTDH system in energy, exergy and economy due to substantial savings from the distribution heat loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is an important post-transcriptional regulation in eukaryotic cells. It plays considerable roles in many biological processes and diseases, such as cell differentiation, proliferation and cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, which is among the top five in incidence and mortality of all cancers in China. Although there have been some studies on the APA of CRC, the normal and carcinoma samples used for genome-wide profiling were not matched. The purpose of this study was to obtain genes with switched 3'-untranslated region (UTR) that may be associated with intracellular regulation of CRC by analyzing APA patterns of strict control groups from clinical patients. Materials and methods: CRC and matched normal tissues were acquired from surgical specimens from three CRC patients. Their libraries of 3'-terminal fragments of mRNA with poly(A) tails were constructed by 3T-seq technology and sequenced by Illumina Hiseq X Ten. APA patterns of cancer and matched normal tissues were analyzed by bioinformatics analysis, and a representative gene, GPI, was verified by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Results: Overall, we identified 35,076 poly(A) sites in total. Compared to the matched normal tissues, we detected 350, 405 and 375 genes with significantly APA-mediated 3'-UTR alteration in cancer tissues of three patients, respectively. Forty-seven genes with switched 3'-UTR were shared in all three patients. In addition, most of these genes have shortened 3'-UTRs, some of which were associated with cancers, such as GPI. Conclusion: Our studies found several genes with switched 3'-UTR in CRC patients, which may provide some important clues for more in-depth study of the cellular regulation in CRC from the perspective of post-transcriptional regulation. It may also help in the search for new biomarkers of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A detailed review of latest deep metric learning methods for few-shot image classification. • More than 60 methods published from 2018 to 2022 are surveyed. • Methods are divided according to three stages of deep metric learning. • Challenges and future directions of few-shot image classification are discussed. Few-shot image classification is a challenging problem that aims to achieve the human level of recognition based only on a small number of training images. One main solution to few-shot image classification is deep metric learning. These methods, by classifying unseen samples according to their distances to few seen samples in an embedding space learned by powerful deep neural networks, can avoid overfitting to few training images in few-shot image classification and have achieved the state-of-the-art performance. In this paper, we provide an up-to-date review of deep metric learning methods for few-shot image classification from 2018 to 2022 and categorize them into three groups according to three stages of metric learning, namely learning feature embeddings, learning class representations, and learning distance measures. Under this taxonomy, we identify the trends of transitioning from learning task-agnostic features to task-specific features, from simple computation of prototypes to computing task-dependent prototypes or learning prototypes, from using analytical distance or similarity measures to learning similarities through convolutional or graph neural networks. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future directions of few-shot deep metric learning from the perspectives of effectiveness, optimization and applicability, and summarize their applications to real-world computer vision tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower-shaped microarchitectures of V 2 O 5 :Fe 3+ were synthesized via an oxalic acid-assisted precipitation in a high-gravity rotating packed bed along with post hydrothermal and calcination process. The rotating packed bed (RPB) was used to create a high-gravity environment for V 2 O 5 :Fe 3+ nanoparticles precipitation. Three dimensional (3D) micro-flowers were then formed due to the growth of V 2 O 5 :Fe 3+ nanoplates and self-assembly during the hydrothermal and calcination process. As a result of the process intensification by high gravity technology, the V 2 O 5 :Fe 3+ microarchitectures obtained by RPB were more uniform than those obtained in stirred tank, exhibiting excellent performance at high current density as cathode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). This work put forward a novel method to control the crystal form of cathode materials for LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small proteins of 50 amino acids or less have been understudied due to difficulties that impede their annotation and detection. In order to obtain information on small open reading frames (sORFs) in Pseudomonas putida, bioinformatic and proteomic approaches were used to identify putative sORFs in the well-characterized strain KT2440. A plasmid-based system was established for sORF validation, enabling expression of C-terminal sequential peptide affinity tagged variants and their detection via protein immunoblotting. Out of 22 tested putative sORFs, the expression of 14 sORFs was confirmed, where all except one are novel. All of the validated sORFs except one are located adjacent to annotated genes on the same strand and three are in close proximity to genes with known functions. These include an ABC transporter operon and the two transcriptional regulators Fis and CysB involved in biofilm formation and cysteine biosynthesis respectively. The work sheds light on the P. putida small proteome and small protein identification, a necessary first step towards gaining insights into their functions and possible evolutionary implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve energy efficiency and give more access to renewable energy sources, low-temperature district heating (LTDH) is a promising concept to be realized in the future. However, concern about Legionella proliferation restricts applying low-temperature district heating in conventional systems with domestic hot water (DHW) circulation. In this study, a system with decentralized substations was analysed as a solution to this problem. Furthermore, a modification for the decentralized substation system were proposed in order to reduce the average return temperature. Models of conventional system with medium-temperature district heating, decentralized substation system with LTDH, and innovative decentralized substation system with LTDH were built based on the information of a case building. The annual distribution heat loss and the operating costs of the three scenarios were calculated and compared. From the results, realizing LTDH by the decentralized substation unit, 30% of the annual distribution heat loss inside the building can be saved compared to a conventional system with medium-temperature district heating. Replacing the bypass pipe with an in-line supply pipe and a heat pump, the innovative decentralized substation system can reduce distribution heat loss by 39% compared to the conventional system and by 12% compared to the normal decentralized substation system with bypass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

District heating in Denmark is going through the transition from 3rd generation (80/40 °C) to 4th generation (50–55 °C/25 °C) systems in preparation for district heating based completely on renewable fuels by 2035. However, concern about Legionella growth and reduced comfort with low-temperature domestic hot water supply may be discouraging the implementation of low-temperature district heating. Aimed at providing possible solutions, this study modelled various proposals for district heating systems with supply temperatures of 65 °C, 50 °C and 35 °C and for two different building topologies. Evaluation models were built to investigate the energy, economy and exergy performances of the proposed domestic hot water systems in various configurations. The configurations of the devised domestic hot water substations were optimised to fit well with both low and ultra-low-temperature district heating and to reduce the return temperature to district heating. The benefits of lower return temperatures were also analysed compared with the current district heating situation. The evaluation results show that the decentralized substation system with instantaneous heat exchanger unit performed better under the 65 °C and 50 °C district heating scenarios, while the individual micro tank solution consumed less energy and cost less in the 35 °C district heating scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the performances of five different substation configurations in single-family houses supplied with ULTDH (ultra-low-temperature district heating). The temperature at the heat plant is 46 °C and around 40 °C at the substations. To avoid the proliferation of Legionella in the DHW (domestic hot water) and assure the comfortable temperature, all substations were installed with supplementary heating devices. Detailed measurements were taken in the substations, including the electricity demand of the supplementary heating devices. To compare the energy and economic performance of the substations, separate models were built based on standard assumptions. The relative heat and electricity delivered for preparing DHW were calculated. The results showed that substations with storage tanks and heat pumps have high relative electricity demand, which leads to higher integrated costs considering both heat and electricity for DHW preparation. The substations with in-line electric heaters have low relative electricity usage because very little heat is lost due to the instantaneous DHW preparation. Accordingly, the substations with in-line electric heaters would have the lowest energy cost for DHW preparation. To achieve optimal design and operation for the ULTDH substation, the electricity peak loads of the in-line electric heaters were analysed according to different DHW-heating strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Detailed measurements and Modelica models are performed to evaluate the building heat flexibility. • Integrated heat flexibility of the low-energy building was analyzed numerically. • Heating control was optimized considering the energy and economy objectives. • The load shifting performance and the heat rebound effect were analyzed. • Actual occupancy and dynamic heat price were applied to analyze the flexibility. Along with the increasing application of the renewable energy in the energy systems, the future energy system will be more stochastic and fluctuated. Therefore, it is of great importance to effectively coordinate the energy supply and demand side considering their different dynamic characteristics. This study analyzes the impact of the integrated energy flexibility from the building mass and the storage tank on the heating system operation for a low-energy building connected to district heating (DH). According to the actual room occupancy and dynamic heat price, the strategy to unlock the energy flexibility is developed and optimized. The detailed thermal performance of the system is simulated by Modelica models. Compared to the reference case, the integrated energy flexibility is helpful to make better use of the low-price heat. Moreover, a variety of quantification indices were developed to evaluate the flexibility and rebound effect. The results show that the fully charged thermal mass of the low-energy building can help maintain the comfort indoor temperature for up to 43 h. Combined with the storage tank, the heat flexibility potential of the case building reaches 78 kWh and saves 1.1 DKK of the daily heat cost with the optimized heating strategy compared to the reference scenario. Moreover, the flexibility factor is improved by shifting the peak heat load to the low-price period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The optimal radiant floor configuration is investigated with different DH scenarios. • The control strategy was developed to optimized the comfort, energy and economy. • The heat flexibility potential of the radiant floor was analyzed numerically. • All cases reach flexibility factor of 1 for NZEB with acceptable thermal comfort. The radiant heating is cost effective way of space heating while providing favourable thermal comfort. Due to the large thermal flexibility, it is possible to utilize the pipe embedded radiant heating for low-temperature heating and demand management, thereby giving more access to the low-grade heat sources such as the renewable energy or the industrial waste heat. In this study, we investigate the optimal configuration of the radiant floor heating system considering different district heating (DH) scenarios. We propose the scheduled control strategy considering the comfort requirements, the occupancy and the dynamic energy price. Parametric simulations regarding the pipe spacing, the thickness of the concrete core, and the DH supply temperatures are performed by Modelica models. The critical levels of the radiant floor configurations of applying medium-temperature DH (MTDH), low-temperature DH (LTDH) and ultra-low temperature DH (ULTDH) are investigated. The indoor comfort, the thermal performances, the economy performances and the energy flexibility as the crucial factors of different cases are analysed and compared. The results show that the pipe spacing of 300 mm achieves better comfort and shorter charging time for all DH scenarios of the case nearly zero energy building (NZEB). The larger thickness of the concrete core can stabilize the indoor temperature variation and buffer the impact from the environmental disturbance more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endoplasmic reticulum stress is defined as the accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum, and is caused by conditions such as heat or agents that cause endoplasmic reticulum stress, including tunicamycin and dithiothreitol. Autophagy, a major pathway for degradation of macromolecules in the vacuole, is activated by these stress agents in a manner dependent on inositol-requiring enzyme 1b (IRE1b), and delivers endoplasmic reticulum fragments to the vacuole for degradation. In this study, we examined the mechanism for activation of autophagy during endoplasmic reticulum stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. The chemical chaperones sodium 4-phenylbutyrate and tauroursodeoxycholic acid were found to reduce tunicamycin- or dithiothreitol-induced autophagy, but not autophagy caused by unrelated stresses. Similarly, over-expression of BINDING IMMUNOGLOBULIN PROTEIN (BIP), encoding a heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) molecular chaperone, reduced autophagy. Autophagy activated by heat stress was also found to be partially dependent on IRE1b and to be inhibited by sodium 4-phenylbutyrate, suggesting that heat-induced autophagy is due to accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. Expression in Arabidopsis of the misfolded protein mimics zeolin or a mutated form of carboxypeptidase Y (CPY*) also induced autophagy in an IRE1b-dependent manner. Moreover, zeolin and CPY* partially co-localized with the autophagic body marker GFP-ATG8e, indicating delivery to the vacuole by autophagy. We conclude that accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum is a trigger for autophagy under conditions that cause endoplasmic reticulum stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic etiology of hereditary breast cancer has not been fully elucidated. Although germline mutations of high-penetrance genes such as BRCA1/2 are implicated in development of hereditary breast cancers, at least half of all breast cancer families are not linked to these genes. To identify a comprehensive spectrum of genetic factors for hereditary breast cancer in a Chinese population, we performed an analysis of germline mutations in 2,165 coding exons of 152 genes associated with hereditary cancer using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in 99 breast cancer patients from families of cancer patients regardless of cancer types. Forty-two deleterious germline mutations were identified in 21 genes of 34 patients, including 18 (18.2%) BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, 3 (3%) TP53 mutations, 5 (5.1%) DNA mismatch repair gene mutations, 1 (1%) CDH1 mutation, 6 (6.1%) Fanconi anemia pathway gene mutations, and 9 (9.1%) mutations in other genes. Of seven patients who carried mutations in more than one gene, 4 were BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, and their average onset age was much younger than patients with only BRCA1/2 mutations. Almost all identified high-penetrance gene mutations in those families fulfill the typical phenotypes of hereditary cancer syndromes listed in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, except two TP53 and three mismatch repair gene mutations. Furthermore, functional studies of MSH3 germline mutations confirmed the association between MSH3 mutation and tumorigenesis, and segregation analysis suggested antagonism between BRCA1 and MSH3. We also identified a lot of low-penetrance gene mutations. Although the clinical significance of those newly identified low-penetrance gene mutations has not been fully appreciated yet, these new findings do provide valuable epidemiological information for the future studies. Together, these findings highlight the importance of genetic testing based on NCCN guidelines and a multi-gene analysis using NGS may be a supplement to traditional genetic counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A water-fluid mud coupling model is developed based on the unstructured grid finite volume coastal ocean model (FVCOM) to investigate the fluid mud motion. The hydrodynamics and sediment transport of the overlying water column are solved using the original three-dimensional ocean model. A horizontal two-dimensional fluid mud model is integrated into the FVCOM model to simulate the underlying fluid mud flow. The fluid mud interacts with the water column through the sediment flux, current, and shear stress. The friction factor between the fluid mud and the bed, which is traditionally determined empirically, is derived with the assumption that the vertical distribution of shear stress below the yield surface of fluid mud is identical to that of uniform laminar flow of Newtonian fluid in the open channel. The model is validated by experimental data and reasonable agreement is found. Compared with numerical cases with fixed friction factors, the results simulated with the derived friction factor exhibit the best agreement with the experiment, which demonstrates the necessity of the derivation of the friction factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction of cohesive sediment transport in storm process is important for both navigation safety and environment of the coastal zone. The difficulties to simulate cohesive sediment transport for a small-scale area such as around a harbor during storm events mainly include the low spatial resolution of the present reanalysis atmosphere forcing, the complex hydrodynamic and sediment transport processes, and their interactions. In this paper, an integrated atmosphere-wave-3D hydrodynamic and cohesive sediment transport model with unstructured grid, which is comprised of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model, and Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM), was developed to solve the abovementioned problems. For cohesive sediment, the flocculation and hindered settling were included, and a self-weight consolidation processes was introduced to the existing FVCOM. Interactions between components were considered by providing data fields to each other in an offline manner. The integrated model was applied to simulate cohesive sediment transport around Lianyungang Harbor, China, during Typhoon Wipha in 2007. Results identify that the atmosphere model WRF performed better in the simulation of wind field during typhoon process compared with QuikSCAT/National Centers for Environmental Prediction (QSCAT/NCEP) data. Simulation of wave model was directly affected by wind results as wave vector field driven by WRF wind field showed anticlockwise vortex while waves driven by QSCAT/NCEP wind field did not. The influence of water elevation and flow field on waves was great at the nearshore area. However, the effect of wave on current was not apparent, while the wind field played a more important role, especially on the current velocity. The cohesive sediment transport was greatly affected by wave due to the combined wave-current-induced shear stress. In general, simulation results of wind, wave, current, and sediment showed reasonable agreement with measured data. It is demonstrated that the integrated model developed in the paper is capable of providing high-resolution atmosphere data for other components, reproducing the complex hydrodynamics and cohesive sediment transport processes and taking account of the interaction between components. The integrated model is necessary for simulating the cohesive sediment transport in a small-scale area during storm events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Study objectives: To validate the feasibility of the Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) based cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) technique in respiratory events detection and estimation of the severity of apnea/hypopnea. Methods: The HHT-CPC sleep spectrogram technique was applied to a total of 69 single-lead ECG signals downloaded from the Physionet Sleep Apnea Database. Sleep spectrograms generated by both the original and the improved CPC method were compared on the structure distribution and time–frequency resolution. The performance of respiratory events detection by using the power of low frequency coupling (pLFC) in the new method was estimated by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Furthermore, correlation between HHT-CPC index (temporal Variability of Dominant Frequency, TVDF) and conventional OSAHS scoring was computed. Results: The HHT-CPC spectrum provides much finer temporal resolution and frequency resolution (8s and 0.001Hz) compared with the original CPC (8.5min and 0.004Hz). The area under the ROC curve of pLFC was 0.79 in distinguishing respiratory events from normal breathing. Significant differences were found in TVDF among groups with different severities of OSAHS (normal, mild, moderate, and severe, p <0.001). TVDF has a strong negative correlation with the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI, correlation coefficient −0.71). Conclusions: The HHT-CPC spectrum could exhibit more detailed temporal-frequency information about cardiopulmonary coupling during sleep. As two spectrographic markers, pLFC and TVDF can be used to identify respiratory events and represent the disruption extent of sleep architecture in patients with sleep apnea/hypopnea, respectively. The proposed technique might serve as a complementary approach to enhance diagnostic efforts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A statically balanced compliant mechanism using a bellow and balancer is designed. • Theoretical models to predict the strain energy of both components are derived. • The effects of geometric parameters are unveiled to facilitate the design. Statically balanced compliant mechanisms (SBCMs) have found applications in various engineering fields owning to their monolithic design and zero actuation force. Here in this paper we proposed a new SBCM system composed of a thin-walled bellow coaxially placed with a balancer inspired by the bendy straw. Theoretical models for both components were developed to predict the evolution of deformation and strain energy, which were then verified through numerical simulation and experiment. Furthermore, the effect of geometric parameters on the behavior of the balancer was studied, from which the key parameters that respectively determined the curve shape and magnitude of the strain energy were obtained. A case study indicated that by optimizing the geometry of the balancer, the compliant system achieved a nearly zero actuation force that was only 3.62% of the maximum force of the stand-alone bellow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared the pre-, intra-, and postoperative characteristics among three groups of patients who underwent posterior vertebral column resection (PVCR) to clarify age-related characteristics and to guide patient management, surgical planning, and complication avoiding. We compared and analyzed the etiology, surgical events, outcomes, and complications among pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients who underwent PVCR in a single-center database retrospectively. Patients were categorized into pediatric (0–12 yr), adolescent (13–19 yr), and adult (>20 yr) cohorts. Demographics, surgical events, clinical and radiographic results, and major complications were compared between groups. A total of 87 patients with a mean follow-up 42 (24–96) months were identified. Pediatric group (14) had a high frequency of congenital vertebral and cardiac abnormal, adolescents (47) presented more intracanal malformations, and idiopathic was common in the adult group (26). Although pediatric patients had shorter fusion levels than adolescent and adult, their mean resected vertebrae (1.91), percentage of blood loss (estimated blood loss per total blood volume) (201.9%), and operative time were much higher. The coronal/sagittal correction rate was significantly higher in the pediatric group (73.6%/72.3%). Overall, surgical complications were more frequent in adults, particularly neuromonitoring alert and implant failure. However, more severe complications were noted in younger patients. For pediatric patients with PVCR, poor physiological conditions and frequent comorbidities indicated cautious patient selection and sufficient preoperative preparation. The higher correction rate may be due to the excellent compliance of the spinal cord. For adult patients, preoperative traction and adjusting the tension of the spinal cord during surgery could contribute to neurological safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As the population in general is living longer, less invasive adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS) surgery that balances risks and benefits requires long‐term clinical outcomes to determine its strengths and weaknesses. We design a retrospective study to compare the postoperative mid‐ and long‐term outcomes in terms of efficacy, surgical complications, and reoperation rate of patients with ADS treated with two different surgical approaches (long‐segment complete reconstruction or short‐segment limited intervention). Methods: In this retrospective study, 78 patients with ADS (Lenke–Silva levels III or higher), who accepted surgical treatment at our hospital between June 2012 and June 2019 were included. These patients were assigned to the long‐segment radical group (complete decompression with deformity correction involves ≥3 segments) and the short‐segment limited group (symptomatic segment decompression involves <3 segments). In addition, general information such as age, gender, fixed segment number, efficacy, radiographic parameters, and reoperation rate of patients in the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to gender, follow‐up time, long‐term surgical complications and reoperation rate (P > 0.05). The mean age of patients in the long‐segment strategy group was 57.1 ± 7.9 years, with a mean number of fixed segments of 7.9 ± 2.4. The mean age of patients in the short‐segment strategy group was 60.8 ± 8.4 years, with a mean number of fixed segments of 1.4 ± 0.5. At the final follow‐up visit, the long‐segment radical group showed better results than the short‐segment limited group with regard to coronal Cobb angle, lumbar lordosis angle and sagittal balance (P < 0.05). The long‐segment strategy group had a higher implant‐related complication rate (P = 0.010); the adjacent segment‐related complication in the two groups showed no significant difference (P = 0.068). Conclusion: Considering the risk, rehabilitation pathway and costs of long‐segment radical surgery, short‐segment limited intervention is a better strategy for patients who cannot tolerate the long‐segment surgery, improving symptoms and maintaining efficacy in the mid‐ and long‐term, and not increasing the reoperation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional two-dimensional (2D) fillers in membranes have undesirable gas transport resistance owing to their interfacial barriers. In this work, 2D microporous carbon nanoplates (MCNs) were proposed to construct low-resistance and high-selectivity gas transport channels in mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) to enhance the CO 2 separation performance. MCNs were synthesized using a phase-transition material as a removable template and incorporated with Pebax-1657 to prepare MMMs. Micropores measuring 0.58 nm in the MCNs provided low-resistance CO 2 diffusion channels that significantly improved CO 2 permeability, as confirmed by the diffusion coefficient calculated through molecular simulation. Meanwhile, the random and effective stacking of the MCNs in the MMMs created highly selective gas transport channels that dramatically enhanced CO 2 /N 2 selectivity. The MMMs with 0.5 wt% MCNs showed the best separation performance. In the mixed-gas test, the CO 2 permeability reached 160.69 Barrer, and the CO 2 /N 2 selectivity reached 61.2. In the pure-gas test, the CO 2 permeability and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity were 123 Barrer and 76, exhibiting distinct increases of 53.0% and 28.8% compared to those of the pristine Pebax membrane. Notably, the best CO 2 separation performance of the prepared MMMs exceeded Robeson's upper bound. The proposed template-removal 2D MCNs with low-resistance and high-selectivity transport multi-channels facilitate a new process for molecularly selective and energy-efficient CO 2 separation. Image 1 • Low-resistance and high-selectivity multi-channels were constructed by introducing MCNs in MMMs. • The structural and transport properties of MCNs/Pebax MMMs were simulated. • CO 2 /N 2 separation performance has exceeded Robeson's upper bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose two new approaches (DAMSD and DAMSDI) to HSI subpixel target detection. • Address scarcity of target spectra and improve subpixel target subspace estimation. • Provide and prove two ways of synthesising target-background mixed spectra. The performance of subspace-based methods such as matched subspace detector (MSD) and MSD with interaction effects (MSDinter) heavily depends on the background subspace and the target subspace. Nonetheless, constructing a representative target subspace is challenging due to the limited availability of target spectra in a collected hyperspectral image. In this paper, we propose two new hyperspectral target detection methods termed data-augmented MSD (DAMSD) and data-augmented MSDinter (DAMSDI) that can effectively solve the scarcity problem of target spectra and from which a representative target-background mixed subspace can be learned. We first synthesise target-background mixed spectra based on classical hyperspectral mixing models and then learn a target-background mixed subspace via principal component analysis. Compared with MSD and MSDinter, the learned mixed subspace is more representative as spectral variability of target spectra is explained to the largest extent and it leads to an improvement in computational speed and numerical stability. We demonstrate the efficacy of DAMSD and DAMSDI for subpixel target detection on two public hyperspectral image datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Innovative charging method according to dynamic DHW load profile. • Characterization of the DHW load pattern based on smart metering system. • Investigation on the system with micro heat pump. • The proposed method can reduce the DH return temperature and shave the peak. In the district heating (DH) systems, the thermal storage tank is widely used for domestic hot water (DHW) preparation to shave the peak load. Compared to the space heating, the domestic hot water demand exists for all seasons, and the variation of which is more dramatic within short time span. Therefore, the well-controlled storage tank is of great help to stabilize the district heating operation and to improve the overall performance. This study develops an innovative control strategy of the local DHW tank with the heat delivered by DH. According to the dynamic DHW load profile, the controller can switch to the corresponding charging mode to obtain the optimal performance without violating any requirements. A smart-metered multi-storey building in Denmark is selected as the reference case for DHW loop renovation. The proposed control strategy is applied in two new system layouts with the external heat exchanger and the micro heat pump by numerical models. The stratifications of the storage tank, the stability of the DH operation, and the DH return temperatures of the three scenarios are investigated as the key performances. The results show that, to cover the same DHW demand, the total energy consumption of the three scenarios show little difference. However, the proposed charging method of the DHW tank can limit the peak load for DH. Moreover, the resulting DH return temperature can be lowered by 4.9–16.4 °C and the DH water flow can be saved by 8%–28% compared to the reference case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a specific device for light production, undulators have been researched and developed since the third generation of synchrotron photon sources. Nowadays, superconducting undulators become a research hotspot. However, the cryostat, which is used to create a liquid helium temperature environment, often causes the failure of the superconducting undulator. In this paper, a cryostat for a superconducting undulator is designed and investigated. First, a new refrigeration distribution is proposed that can provide more excess cooling capacity at 4.2 K temperature. For the cooling of the superconducting magnet, a liquid helium circulation loop based on the thermosiphon effect is designed, which has no pump or any other moving parts. Next, based on high-temperature superconducting technology, six binary current leads are used to decrease the heat load. The beam chamber is cooled below 20 K to reduce possible effect on the magnet. In addition, for the tubes that connect the 4.2 K helium tank to the room temperature component, the thermoacoustic oscillation is studied. In the experiment, the superconducting magnet could be cooled and maintained at 4.2 K depending on the thermosiphon loop. No helium was discharged when the magnet went through a quench which generated large heat in a short time. There was no liquid helium consumption and the excess cooling capacity reached 2.2 W. The maximum magnet current is as high as 470 A. This study can provide a valuable reference for the development of superconducting undulator cryostats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hot water tank is widely used for domestic hot water (DHW) preparation. When supplied by district heating (DH), the operation of DHW tanks directly influences the DH return temperature, thereby affecting the DH system efficiency, supply capacity and the realization of the low temperature district heating. However, the conventional charging method often results in high DH return temperature. This study develops a new charging method aiming at reducing the DH return temperature without violating the comfort or hygiene requirements. The concept uses the multi-mode charging method considering the periodical characteristics of the load pattern. Multi scenarios are simulated by dynamic models using the practical DHW load profiles from a case study. Moreover, the impacts of the tank configuration, the location of the temperature sensor, and the distribution heat loss are investigated. The results show that the new control method can reduce the primary return temperature by 5–8 °C compared to the conventional control method. The distribution heat loss imposes great impact on the DH return temperature. In addition, the tank with the external heat exchanger performs better than the tank with the internal heating coil if the circulation heat loss is less than 50% of the DHW demand. • An innovative charging method for the DHW tanks with DH supply is proposed. • Different DHW systems are simulated by Modelica models dynamically. • The role of the circulation heat loss on DH return temperature is investigated. • The new charging method improves the system performance effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]