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[Display omitted] • L. monocytogenes grown in milk had lower heat resistance than in lab media. • Background microbiota in milk increased the heat resistance of L. monocytogenes. • A one-step dynamic analysis method based on the log-shoulder model was developed. Thermal processing is a widely used method to ensure the microbiological safety of milk. Predictive microbiology plays a crucial role in quantifying microbial growth and decline, providing valuable guidance on the design and optimization of food processing operations. This study aimed to investigate the thermal inactivation kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes in milk under both isothermal and dynamic conditions. The thermal inactivation of L. monocytogenes was conducted under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions in sterilized and pasteurized milk, with and without background microbiota, respectively. Furthermore, a secondary model was developed between the shoulder effect and temperature, which was then integrated into the dynamic model. The results showed that L. monocytogenes grown in Tryptic Soy Yeast Extract Broth (TSBYE) prior to thermal inactivation exhibited higher heat resistance compared to cells grown in sterilized milk at isothermal temperatures of 60.0, 62.5, and 65℃. Moreover, the presence of background microbiota in milk significantly enhanced the heat resistance of L. monocytogenes , as evidenced by the increased D -values from 1.13 min to 2.34 min, from 0.46 min to 0.53 min, and from 0.25 min to 0.34 min at 60.0, 62.5, and 65 °C, respectively, regardless of whether the background microbiota was inactivated after co-growth or co-inactivated with L. monocytogenes. For non-isothermal inactivation, the one-step dynamic model based on the log-linear with shoulder model effectively described the microbial inactivation curve and exhibited satisfactory model performance. The model developed contributes to improved risk assessment, enabling dairy processors to optimize thermal treatment and ensure microbiological safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a widely used hepatotoxin for the studies of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and taurine has function to abate liver fibrosis induced by CCl4. But the interacting mechanisms between taurine and CCl4 in liver are still largely unknown. These made us to hypothesize that CCl4 may induce liver fibrosis by affecting the expressions of taurine biosynthetic enzymes and taurine synthesis. We thus assayed the expressions of hepatic cysteine dioxygenase (CDO), cysteine sulfonate acid decarboxylase (CSAD) and taurine transporter (TauT) in the progression of mouse liver fibrosis induced by CCl4. The results demonstrated that CCl4 treatment markedly decreased hepatic CSAD, CDO expressions, and taurine levels in hepatic tissue, although TauT expression did not exhibit significant decline. It was contrasting that hepatic α-SMA, serum AST, ALT, ALP kept increasing, which were accompanied by the pathological characters of liver, whereas taurine supplement attenuated the progression of liver fibrosis induced by CCl4. These results demonstrate that CCl4 may induce liver fibrosis by inhibiting hepatic CSAD and CDO expressions and taurine synthesis, which are crucial for our understanding the mechanisms of liver fibrosis induced by CCl4, and also potential for establishing therapeutic strategies of liver fibrosis and related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is one of the most widely abused hallucinogens, which can alter consciousness, produce mental disorder, and cause harmful behavior. 1-Propionyl-LSD (1 P-LSD), a novel derivative of LSD, has the similar hallucinogenic effect. It is a control substance in several countries. 1 P-LSD can act as a prodrug for LSD and is rapidly hydrolyzed to LSD in humans. Therefore, LSD use should be confirmed by the absence of 1 P-LSD and in the detection of LSD. Here, we describe a LC–MS/MS method for the simultaneous extraction of LSD, iso-LSD, 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD, and 1 P-LSD from hair. Hair samples (25 mg) were pulverized by cryogenic grinding in methanol. The limits of detection were 0.2–1 pg/mg and the limits of quantification were 0.5–2 pg/mg. This method was validated and applied to hair samples from 18 suspects who may have used LSD. Segmental hair analysis revealed a decrease in the LSD concentrations from the proximal to the distill end, while 1 P-LSD was not detected in any hair segments. The interpretation of hair analysis results of LSD still remains difficult. Nevertheless, concentrations of LSD and iso-LSD in human hair from 18 LSD users were reported. LSD concentrations were from

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) were fabricated using mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) as a negative electrode and a mixture of activated carbon (AC) and LiFePO as a positive electrode (abbreviated as LAC). The phase structure and morphology of LAC samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The electrochemical performance of the LICs was studied using cyclic voltammetry, charge-discharge rate measurements, and cycle performance testing. A LIC with 30 wt% LiFePO was found to have the best electrochemical performance with a specific energy density of 69.02 W h kg remaining at 4 C rate after 100 cycles. Compared with an AC-only positive electrode system, the ratio of practical capacity to theoretical calculated capacity of the LICs was enhanced from 42.22% to 56.59%. It was proved that adding LiFePO to AC electrodes not only increased the capacity of the positive electrode, but also improved the electrochemical performances of the whole LICs via Li pre-doping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of sonochemical treatment of a NaK eutectic mixture as catalyst on the side-chain alkenylation of o-xylene with 1,3-butadiene were studied. The parameters studied include ultrasound frequency, insonation time, sonication power as well as the reaction temperature. In addition, the effect of N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) on the reaction was also studied. The results showed that sonochemical treatment of this NaK eutectic mixture catalyst resulted in excellent conversion (up to 83.16%) under mild conditions. The introduction of TMEDA further increased the conversion to 89.4%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the rapid development of the Internet and the intensified competition in the media, media professionals or self-media editors often attract attentions and clicks by clickbait news to enlarge the revenue. Clickbait news usually have two essential connotations: luring headline and low similarity between headline and target content. Due to the huge amount and dynamics of online news, automated clickbait detection methods are indispensable. Traditional machine learning-based-methods suffered from heavy feature engineering and poor performance. Some deep learning-based approaches considered only part of the news content or directly fuse all the information. In this paper, by considering the human recognition behavior for clickbait, i.e. the final decision of whether the news is clickbait depends on both the luring degree of headlines and the similarity between the headlines and the target descriptions, we propose a novel integrative and adaptive method based on Lure and Similarity for Adaptive Clickbait Detection (LSACD). In the LSACD 1 1 A Deep Model based on Lure and Similarity for Adaptive Clickbait Detection. architecture, a deep model by combining lure and similarity is designed, and an adaptive prediction mechanism is utilized to make reasonable prediction with the help of different contributions of both modules. We construct a novel and real Chinese clickbait dataset which contains nearly 5000 news with high click rate. Experiments on open Twitter news dataset and the Chinese clickbait dataset show the superiority, effectiveness and reliability of our proposed LSACD model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd), a heavy metal produced by various industries, contaminates the environment and seriously damages the skeletal system of humans and animals. Recent studies have reported that Cd can affect the viability of cells, including osteoblasts, both in vivo and in vitro. However, the mechanism of Cd-induced apoptosis remains unclear. In the present study, primary rat osteoblasts were used to investigate the Cd-induced apoptotic mechanism. We found that treatment with 2 and 5 μM Cd for 12 h decreased osteoblast viability and increased apoptosis. Furthermore, Cd increased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and, thus, DNA damage measured via p-H2AX. The level of the nuclear transcription factor p53 was significantly increased, which upregulated the expression of PUMA, Noxa, Bax, and mitochondrial cytochrome c , downregulated the expression of Bcl-2, and increased the level of cleaved caspase-3. However, pretreatment with the ROS scavenger N -acetyl- l -cysteine (NAC) or the p53 transcription specific inhibitor PFT-α suppressed Cd-induced apoptosis. Our results indicate that Cd can induce apoptosis in osteoblasts by increasing the generation of ROS and activating the mitochondrial p53 signaling pathway, and this mechanism requires the transcriptional activation of p53. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a variety of piezoelectric motors with remarkable performance have appeared. However, due to the hysteresis effect of piezoelectrics and stress return errors within the mechanical structures, the existing piezoelectric motors still face some challenges, such as inconsistent step size, high working voltage, and considerable speed variances during upward vs downward movements even under identical driving voltage signals. Here, we introduce a novel low-voltage piezoelectric motor with a dual-channel force loop based on piezoelectric stacks, in which each slider has two force loops connected with other sliders and the internal elastic preload element is installed, which can effectively address these issues. This new type of piezoelectric motor has low working voltage (starting voltage is only 0.8 V, significantly lower than that of conventional piezoelectric motors), large driving force, uniform step size, and excellent linearity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroweak loop corrections to the matrix elements for the spin-independent scattering of cold dark matter particles on nuclei are generally small, typically below the uncertainty in the local density of cold dark matter. However, as shown in this paper, there are instances in which the electroweak loop corrections are relatively large, and change significantly the spin-independent dark matter scattering rate. An important example occurs when the dark matter particle is a wino, e.g., in anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking (AMSB) and pure gravity mediation (PGM) models. We find that the one-loop electroweak corrections to the spin-independent wino LSP scattering cross section generally interfere constructively with the tree-level contribution for AMSB models with negative Higgsino mixing, μ < 0 , and in PGM-like models for both signs of μ , lifting the cross section out of the neutrino fog and into a range that is potentially detectable in the next generation of direct searches for cold dark matter scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected 222 countries and territories around the globe. Notably, the speed of COVID-19 spread varies significantly across countries. This cross-cultural research proposes and empirically examines how national culture influences the speed of COVID-19 spread in three studies. Study 1 examines the effects of Hofstede's national cultural dimensions on the speed of COVID-19 spread in 60 countries. Drawing on the GLOBE study (House et al., 2004), Study 2 investigates how GLOBE cultural dimensions relate to the speed of the pandemic's spread in 55 countries. Study 3 examines the effect of cultural tightness in 31 countries. We find that five national cultural dimensions – power distance, uncertainty avoidance, humane orientation, in-group collectivism, and cultural tightness – are significantly related to the speed of COVID-19 spread in the initial stages, but not in the later stages, of the pandemic. Study 1 shows that the coronavirus spreads faster in countries with small power distance and strong uncertainty avoidance. Study 2 supports these findings and further reveals that countries with low humane orientation and high in-group collectivism report a faster spread of the disease. Lastly, Study 3 shows that COVID-19 spreads slower in countries with high cultural tightness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable increases in food production in semi-arid regions require efficient use of land and water resources. Agroforestry is the practice of combining tree and crop cultivation on a land parcel and may increase both land productivity and water use efficiency. We conducted two years of field experiments in the semi-arid Khorchin region in Liaoning, China, to determine to which extent land and water use efficiencies were affected by mixing apricot ( Prunus armeniaca ) trees with annual crops: peanut ( Arachis hypogaea ), millet ( Pennisetum italica ) or sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas ). Apricot yields were not significantly affected in the agroforestry, compared to the sole stand, but yields of the annual crops were lower when grown under trees than as sole crops, with relative crop yields of 0.46 for millet and 0.35 for both peanut and sweet potato in the agroforestry. Crop rows near tree rows had lower yields than crop rows further away from trees. Land equivalent ratios (LER) were 1.34, 1.44 and 1.33 in mixed systems with peanut, millet and sweet potato, respectively. Mixing crops and trees did not increase water extraction from the top 100 (2012) or 200 cm (2013) soil profile comparing to sole tree. Thus, with increased crop output and similar apricot yield, the water use efficiency was improved in the mixed system. Water use efficiency of the mixed system was characterized with the water equivalent ratio (WER). This index, analogous to LER, expresses the relative yield total per unit of water in the mixed system compared to the sole crops. WERs were 1.39, 1.51, and 1.34 in agroforestry systems with peanut, millet and sweet potato, respectively. We conclude that apricot-based agroforestry improves the productivity and water use efficiency of rain-fed agriculture in this semi-arid area, especially when a drought adapted crop such as millet is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A simple, rapid method for drugs in wastewater was developed firstly. • 30µL wastewater was injected to UPLC-MS/MS directly. • LLOQs of 11 illicit drugs and metabolites ranged from 1 ng/L to 5 ng/L. • Small-volume direct injection is effective in wastewater analysis. The measurement of illicit drugs in wastewater is increasingly being adopted as a method for objective monitoring of population-level illicit drug use. This work describes the first small-volume direct-injection ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of 11 illicit drugs and metabolites in wastewater. The method required an injection volume of only 30 µL of wastewater sample, the limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.4 ng/L to 2 ng/L and the lower limits of quantitation (LLOQ) ranged from 1 ng/L to 5 ng/L. Application of the method to real wastewater samples collected from wastewater treatment plants revealed morphine in all samples, together with other illicit drugs (methamphetamine, codeine, ketamine, and nor-ketamine) in some samples. Small-volume direct injection showed great potential as an efficient method for the high-throughput determination of illicit drugs in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of combining subsoil and incorporation of corn stover on soil profile, soil physicochemical properties, and corn yield. A five-year field trial was conducted that consisted of two treatments arranged in a completely random design and replicated three times. Two soil management operations were tested: subsoil + corn stover incorporation (plow construction [PC] treatment) and conventional rotary tillage (control check [CK] treatment). Compared with rotary tillage, it was found that combining subsoil and corn stover incorporation significantly affected corn grain yield in all seasons. Further, combining subsoil and corn stover incorporation significantly increased the thickness of the plow layer, quantity of plow layer soil, thickness of the plow pan and soil bulk density, as well as soil organic matter, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium. Evidence indicates that reconstructing the soil plow layer through combination of subsoil and corn stover incorporation improved soil structure, nutrient content, and corn yield. It is of interest that farmers are now applying subsoil and returning crop straw instead of solely relying on rotary tillage. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Plough layer construction is regarded as one of important methods for solving rainfed farmland problems. In order to explore the effect of plough layer construction on crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of spring maize, four tillage methods, including up loose and down compaction plough layer (ULDC, CK), all loose plough layer (AL), furrow loose and ridge compaction plough layer (FLRC) and all compaction plough layer (AC), were carried out in a long-term experimental station of Fuxin. The result showed that the yield of spring maize was significantly influenced by different plough layer constructions. For the years of 2011 and 2012, the maize yield under FLRC was the highest, followed by those under AL and CK; the yield under AC was the lowest. The average maize yield of the two years under FLRC was 16.39% higher than that under CK, and the yield under AL was 5.30% higher than that under CK, which were contributed by the increase in hundred kernel weight; the yield under AC was 5.73% lower than that under CK. The above-ground biomass (AGB) of maize and the harvest index were also examined. The result showed a significant impact of different plough layer constructions on AGB and harvest index of the maize. The FLRC treatment in 2011 was significant different from the others (P<0.05), while the difference between the treatments of AL and CK was not significant (P>0.05). The yield under FLRC was 7.18%, 7.19% and 12.87% higher than those under AL, CK and AC, respectively. The yield under FLRC in 2011 was generally consistent with that in 2012, without significant difference (P>0.05). The harvest indices for the four treatments ranged from 0.38 to 0.44. The findings also showed that soil moisture contents under of FLRC and AL were higher than those under AC and CK. The soil water storage (0-100 cm) under the four treatments (FLRC, AL, CK and AC) were 247.36, 248.97, 242.84 and 239.48 mm, respectively, indicating that FLRC and AL could efficiently loose soil, increase water penetration and soil water storage, and improve soil moisture contents significantly. For both normal year (2011) and wet year (2012), the soil under FLRC could utilize precipitation of growing season effectively, and promote precipitation use efficiency of maize. An 11.95% increase of rainfall use efficiency was observed under FLRC than that under CK in 2011; FLRC and AL showed the increases of 21.23% and 12.43% of rainfall use efficiency comparing to CK in 2012, respectively. WUE of the crops differed in different years and plough layer constructions. In 2011, a 15.68% increase in WUE was observed under FLRC comparing to that under CK, the similar trend was also appeared in 2012, a 23.13% increase for CK in WUE. Averaging the result of two year, an 18.43% increase in WUE was observed comparing to that of CK. Consequently, furrow loose and ridge compaction plough layer was an efficient construction for improving production and WUE of cropland in semi-arid zone of northeastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the effective ways to control hypertension is long-term self-management, which is difficult to maintain. Therefore, understanding how people engage in the process of self-management behaviour change is necessary. In this study, we aimed to examine the dynamic relationship between self-perceived disease control and self-management behaviours in Chinese middle-aged and older hypertensive patients, namely, medication use, self-monitoring, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol avoidance, and to explore the mediating role of subjective life expectancy (SLE) on this relationship.Methods: Data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 508 middle-aged and older hypertensive patients (aged 45+) from the 2013, 2015, and 2018 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. A cross-lagged panel model combined with mediation analysis was used to determine the dynamic relationship between self-perceived disease control and self-management behaviours and to clarify the mediating effect of SLE on this ascertained relationship.Results: Good self-perceived disease control subsequently predicted good medication use, self-monitoring and physical activity, and vice versa. Subjective life expectancy (SLE) partially mediated the prospective reciprocal relationships between self-perceived disease control and these self-management behaviours, which accounted for 37.11, 25.88, and 19.39% of the total effect of self-perceived disease control on medication use, self-monitoring and physical activity, respectively. These self-management behaviours had a significant and positive feedback effect on self-perceived disease control. However, neither the direct and indirect effects (via SLE) of self-perceived disease control on tobacco and alcohol avoidance were revealed.Conclusions: Positive feedback loops of present self-perceived disease control, future SLE and self-management behaviours (medication use, self-monitoring, and physical activity) help middle-aged and older hypertensive patients adhere to these behaviours but are useless for the avoidance of addictive behaviours. Interventions aimed at enhancing the effect perception of general self-management behaviours (e.g., medication use, self-monitoring and physical activity) on the present disease control perspective, and future lifespan perspective would be beneficial for the consistent self-management behaviours of middle-aged and older hypertensive patients. The utility of present disease control perception to these self-management behaviours was much higher than the utility of future expectations. Alternative stress relief strategies may be conducive to long-term changes in addictive behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many supersymmetric models such as the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (CMSSM) feature a strip in parameter space where the lightest neutralino $$\chi $$ is identified as the lightest supersymmetric particle, the lighter stop squark $${\tilde{t}_1}$$ is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP), and the relic $$\chi $$ cold dark matter density is brought into the range allowed by astrophysics and cosmology by coannihilation with the lighter stop squark $${\tilde{t}_1}$$ NLSP. We calculate the stop coannihilation strip in the CMSSM, incorporating Sommerfeld enhancement effects, and we explore the relevant phenomenological constraints and phenomenological signatures. In particular, we show that the $${\tilde{t}_1}$$ may weigh several TeV, and its lifetime may be in the nanosecond range, features that are more general than the specific CMSSM scenarios that we study in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gold catalysts on inert support γ-AlOOH and γ-Al2O3 were used as catalysts for selective aerobic oxidation of α,ω-diols to the corresponding lactones. The support crystal phase and basicity can be adjusted by calcination. Support calcined at below 573K is in the γ-AlOOH phase and when calcined at above 773K it is in the form of γ-Al2O3. There are only weak or medium basic sites on γ-Al2O3, while γ-AlOOH has strong or medium basic sites. Both support surface acidic–basic properties and gold particle size have influence on the activity and selectivity of the catalysts. Highly active catalysts can be obtained on both of the support, and from the characterization results it was found that the strong basic sites of γ-AlOOH were beneficial for the reaction, while selectivity would be sacrificed due to the hydrolysis of the product or further oxidation to acids under basic conditions. By loading gold onto γ-Al2O3, average gold particle size small as 3.8nm can be obtained and it gives higher activity and selectivity than Au/γ-AlOOH. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights • Film cover during autumn and winter reduces evaporation and saves water. • Autumn and winter film cover increases yield and water use efficiency. • Increased soil water content promotes establishment and kernel filling. • Increased soil temperature due to film cover accelerates early growth. • Film cover increases yield stability and mitigates drought risks. Abstract Plastic film mulch increases crop yields in rain-fed agriculture in cool semi-arid climates by warming the soil and reducing evaporative water losses. The semi-arid Khorchin area in Northeast China is an important production area for rain-fed maize. Drought stress occurs frequently, even if plastic film mulch is applied at sowing. We hypothesized that the yield and water capture of maize could be increased by reducing evaporative loss of water by use of plastic film cover during the autumn and winter preceding sowing. In this study, we compared maize growth, water uptake and yield in three film cover treatments: (1) film cover from the autumn before maize sowing until maize harvest (autumn mulching: AM), (2) film cover from maize sowing till harvest (conventional practice) (spring mulching: SM), (3) no film cover (no mulch: NM). Field experiments were conducted in Fuxin city, Khorchin region, Liaoning province, China in 2013/2014 and 2014/2015. Autumn mulching increased grain yield on average by 18% when compared to spring mulching and by 36% when compared to no mulching. The 1000-kernel weight in AM was 7% higher than in SM, and 12% higher than in NM. Soil water content in the root zone before sowing was 35 mm greater in AM than in SM and NM. Water uptake during the growing season was 34 mm greater in AM than in SM and NM. Water use efficiency for grain yield (yield per unit water uptake) in AM was on average 2.5% higher than in conventional mulching (SM) and 27% higher than in NM. Autumn mulching advanced development, with an advance of 5 days in tasseling time as compared to SM and 10 days when compared to NM. These results show that film cover during the fallow period before maize sowing can increase crop yield and water use efficiency, and reduce climate risks in rain-fed agriculture under semi-arid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We explored short-circuit current interruption characteristics of a double-break FVCB within the minimum arcing time. • The minimum arcing time and the critical arc extinguishing contact gap of the double-break FVCB decreased with the increase of the opening velocity. • The uneven voltage distribution in minimum arcing time short-circuit current interruption was mainly caused by stray capacitance. • For failure interruptions, the two breaks were all asynchronous breakdowns. After the breakdown of the upper break, even if the insulation was recovered, it still could not withstand the voltage before the breakdown. • Capacitive current and field-induced emission current jointly determined the voltage development of the two breaks after the breakdown of the upper break. It is significant for circuit breakers to expel a short-circuit fault in a short time for the new power grid with high proportional photovoltaic or wind power plants to achieve high transient operating stability. Compared with a traditional circuit breaker, a fast vacuum circuit breaker (FVCB), operated by an electromagnetic repulsion actuator, has an extremely shorter opening time and lower deviation in their opening times. This potentially contributes the FVCBs to interrupting a short-circuit fault current in the first half-wave when introducing a controlled switching technology. Meanwhile, it is beneficial to improve the short-circuit current breaking capacity of the FVCBs by adopting series-connected double-break circuit breaker technologies. This paper aims to explore short-circuit current interruption characteristics of a double-break FVCB within the minimum arcing time. We performed a series of short-circuit current interruption tests in a Weil synthetic test circuit. Two series-connected FVCBs and independent single-break FVCBs were used. Three different kinds of opening velocities were adopted for each of the FVCBs. Results showed that the increase in opening velocity resulted in both a decrease in the minimum arcing time and the critical arc extinguishing contact gap, whether for the single-break or the double-break interruption tests. The ratio of the shared voltage on each of the series-connected FVCBs was about 54 (for the break on the high-voltage side) and 9 (for the break on the low-voltage side). Taking the break with a shorter opening time as a break in the high-voltage side could reduce the minimum arcing time and the critical arc extinguishing contact gap. At the same opening velocity, the sum of the critical arc extinguishing contact gap of the two breaks in double-break interruption tests was significantly higher than twice the critical arc extinguishing contact gap in the single-break interruption tests. This could be caused by the fact that in double-break interruption tests, after the breakdown of one break, even if the break restored insulation, could not share the transient recovery voltage (TRV) before the break broke down. In addition, the sudden drop of TRV without breakdown occurred for the break on the high-voltage side might correlate with the micro-discharge of the vacuum gap. The interaction of the charged particles with the electrode surface would be responsible for the formation and evolution of the micro-discharge in some successful interruption cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry systems, which combine annual crops with trees, are used widely in semi-arid regions to reduce wind erosion and improve resource (e.g. water) use efficiency. Limited knowledge is available on optimizing such systems by the choice of crop species with specific physiological traits (i.e. C3 vs C4, N-fixing vs non-N-fixing). In this study we quantified the light interception and utilization efficiency of trees and crops in agroforestry systems comprising apricot trees and a C3 species (sweet potato), a C4 species (millet) or an N-fixing legume species (peanut), and used measurements in the sole stands as a reference. A significant delay in leaf growth was found in millet. Maximum LAI of millet was 17% higher in agroforestry then expected from sole crop LAI, taking into account the relative density of 2/3, while a 25% decrease in maximum LAI compared to expected was observed in peanut and sweet potato. The total light interception in agroforestry was 54% higher than in sole tree stands and 23% higher than in sole crops. The millet intercepted more light and produced more biomass in agroforestry than peanut and sweet potato. The LUE values of the crops in the mixed systems were higher than those of the sole crops, as was the photosynthetic efficiency of individual leaves, especially in plants in the border rows of the crop strips. High light capture in agroforestry made a greater contribution to productivity of understory crops than the increases in light use efficiency. We conclude that agroforestry systems with apricot trees and annual crops, especially millet, can improve light utilization in semi-arid climates and contribute to regional sustainability and adaptation to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future electron-positron colliders will play a leading role in the precision measurement of Higgs boson couplings which is one of the central interests in particle physics. Aiming at maximizing the performance to measure the Higgs couplings to the bottom, charm and strange quarks, we develop machine learning methods to improve the selection of events with a Higgs decaying to dijets. Our methods are based on the Boosted Decision Tree (BDT), Fully-Connected Neural Network (FCNN) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). We find that the BDT and FCNN algorithms outperform the conventional cut-based method. With our improved selection of Higgs decaying to dijet events using the FCNN, the charm quark signal strength is measured with a 16% error, which is roughly a factor of two better than the 34% precision obtained by the cut-based analysis. Also, the strange quark signal strength is constrained as μ s s ≲ 35 at the 95% C.L. with the FCNN, which is to be compared with μ s s ≲ 70 obtained by the cut-based method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model simulated crop growth and productivity has been a widely accepted and powerful tool for assessing agricultural production in response to weather, soil, water and nutrients management. A water-driven AquaCrop model recommended by FAO can evaluate the various crops growing across climate, soil, water deficit and irrigation management conditions apart from surface soil mulching process. In this study, AquaCrop model for simulating maize (Zea mays L.) canopy growth, soil water utilization and grain yield formation of mulching maize with plastic film was developed in the northwest semi-arid region of Liaoning province, China (121.70°E, 42.11°N). Based upon invariance of growing degree days (GDD) principle, we modified mean daily air temperature calculation method of AquaCrop model for maize with plastic film mulch according to compensatory effect of cumulative soil temperature to cumulative air temperature, and calibrated this developed model using measured experimental data of growing days, water consumption and grain yield in 2011; the two-year experimental data from 2012 and 2013 were used to validate the developed model for simulating canopy cover (CC), soil water content (SWC); three-year filed experimental data from 2011 to 2013 were used to validate the developed the model for grain yield and water use efficiency under maize rainfed conditions. The modified calculation of air temperature showed that, depending on the linear regression relationship between mean daily air temperature and soil temperature (at 5cm depth) under plastic film mulching and non-mulching (R2>0.8), the raised soil temperature in the mulched maize field was remarkable before tasseling stage. The compensatory coefficient (Cmaize) of mulching plastic film maize and air increment of cumulative soil temperature to cumulative air temperature can be generated continuously by transparent algorithms, which Cmaize was 1.356 from sowing to emergence, 0.635 from emergence to tasseling stage, and 0 after flowing. Furthermore, mean daily air temperature with the addition of air increment formed a new file (*.tmp) and input to AquaCrop's climate module which can modify by function could be applied to mulching plastic film maize growing. Model coefficient of efficiency (CE), coefficient of determination (R2), the relative root mean square error (RRMSE), prediction error (Pe) and coefficient of residual mass (CRM) were used to test the model performance. The developed AquaCrop model was calibrated for simulating maize growing days, water consumption and grain yield for mulched and no-mulched maize with the prediction error statistics -4%0.88, 0.090.87. Upon validation, the Pe in simulation of water consumption and grain yield under mulched and no-mulched maize was among ±6%. In addition, R2, RRMSE, CE of grain and water use efficiency during 2011 to 2013 were 0.96 and 0.93, 0.042 and 0.06, 0.91 and 0.89, respectively. The developed AquaCrop model predicted maize grain yield with higher accuracy and performed better yield than water use efficiency for mulching plastic film maize, which indicated this improved model were better mechanism and application for simulated maize mulching. The present research implicated that the developed AquaCrop model can be applied to the same to semi-arid region and simulated maize potential, or prescribing yield in response to water and temperature limiting factors under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Air at high temperature can be used to control atomic defects in graphene sheets. [•] The behaviors of defects under air at high temperature are the decrease of defects. [•] Mechanism for the behaviors of defects is interpreted with molecular simulation. [•] The prepared graphene sheets by this method can be easily transferred and obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mesoporous carbons were synthesized using thermoplastic phenolic resin (PF) as carbonaceous precursor and magnesium citrate as template precursor. Pore structure was determined as ink-bottle-like geometry through TEM, N2 adsorption analysis combined with TG curves. The porous carbons prepared were then applied as electrode material for electric double-layer capacitors. The capacitor performance was examined in 30 wt% KOH aqueous solution by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements. The carbon prepared with MgO/PF mass ratio of 8/2 had a BET surface area of 1920 m g and exhibited a capacitance of 220 F g at a current density of 50 mA g. Besides, the carbon with the ratio of 4/6 had the optimize proportion of mesopores, which ensures its good rate performance that up to 98.3%, expressed as the ratio of the capacitance measured at 1000 mA g against that at 50 mA g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The traditional techniques for preparing spinnable pitch from coal tar pitch are air blowing or thermal treatment. A new method to produce isotropic spinnable pitch has been developed. In this method, a commercial almost free of quinoline insoluble (almost QI-free) coal tar pitch was firstly air blown in the temperature range of 280 to 320°C. Air blowing increases the softening point of the pitch without destroying its spinnability. Next, a thermal treatment between 350 and 380°C was applied and this increased the softening point to 280°C. The effects of processing parameters such as treatment time and temperature for air blowing and thermal treatment on the characteristics of the spinnable pitch were studied. The spinnable pitch obtained by the two-step technique exhibited a high softening point (280°C), a high coking value (82%). The green fibers spun from the pitch, showed uniform diameters (19±1μm) with smooth and homogeneous surfaces. The green fibers were then stabilized at 320°C for 1h and further carbonized at 1000°C for 1h in nitrogen. The obtained carbon fibers also had smooth surfaces and homogeneous diameters (17±1μm). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Carbon coating of fine particles of Li4Ti5O12 synthesized under hydrothermal condition is carried out by amphiphilic carbonaceous material (ACM) in aqueous solution, followed by carbonization at 800°C for 2h. The particles prepared are comprised of highly-crystalline spinel-type Li4Ti5O12 with the size in the range of 100–400nm without any agglomeration, of which surface is uniformly covered by a thin carbon layer. Their electrochemical performance as an anode in lithium-ion batteries is evaluated. The initial discharge capacity of carbon-coated Li4Ti5O12 at 20C rate is 137mAhg−1 and remains as high as 125mAhg−1 after 100 cycles (91% retention), exhibiting good rate and cyclic performance. Carbon coating by using ACM as carbon precursor gives the Li4Ti5O12 particles an enhanced performance as an anode in lithium-ion batteries, owing to the improvement in electrical conductivity, polarization and ability of dispersion. This non-organic coating process may present a new economic, facile, and green pathway for the preparation of carbon-coated Li4Ti5O12 as a high power anode material in lithium-ion batteries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A three-dimensional nanostructure composed of birnessite MnO2 and carbon black (CB) was built via a quite simple co-precipitation method at room temperature. The natural porous construction of conductive CB granules provided enough sites for MnO2 deposition. The as-prepared composite showed that dispersive MnO2 nanowires were directly crystallized on the surface of CB matrix, which was believed to be beneficial to its electrochemical performance. The further investigation of cyclic voltammetry (CV) in 1M Na2SO4 confirmed the inference, which showed good symmetrical rectangular shape, and the specific capacitance was calculated about 186F/g at a scan rate of 2mV/s. After 1000cycles of CV at 10mV/s, the initial capacitance was maintained at about 91%, indicating that the designed structure had benefit to high electrochemical stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using green needle coke (GNC) based amphiphilic carbonaceous material (ACM) as the only raw material, carbon aerogels was successfully synthesized via a very simple method at room temperature, followed by drying at ambient pressure and carbonization in an inert atmosphere. The resulting product was piled up by highly connected nano-particles with diameters of 30–50nm, which constructed a 3-D architecture also providing certain mesopores and macropores. After being carbonized at 500°C, the diameter of nano-particles shrank to about 25nm and still maintain some connective ligament parts. Meanwhile, N2 sorption analysis showed that the S BET of CAs-500 is 292m2/g and had a wide pore size distribution from micropores to macropores. After further activation, such special dimensional structure guaranteed the carbon aerogel a potential electrode material for electrochemical capacitor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ceria-carbonate composite materials have been widely investigated as candidate electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells operated at 300–600 °C. However, fundamental studies on the composite electrolytes are still in the early stages and intensive research is demanded to advance their applications. In this study, the crystallite structure, microstructure, chemical activity, thermal expansion behavior and electrochemical properties of the samaria doped ceria-carbonate (SCC) composite have been investigated. Single cells using the SCC composite electrolyte and Ni-based electrodes were assembled and their electrochemical performances were studied. The SCC composite electrolyte exhibits good chemical compatibility and thermal-matching with Ni-based electrodes. Peak power density up to 916 mW cm−2 was achieved at 550 °C, which was attributed to high electrochemical activity of both electrolyte and electrode materials. A stable discharge plateau was obtained under a current density of 1.5 A cm−2 at 550 °C for 120 min. In addition, the ionic conducting property of the SCC composite electrolyte was investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. It was found that the hybrid-ionic conduction improves the total ionic conductivity and fuel cell performance. These results highlight potential low-temperature application of ceria-carbonate composite electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Carbon microspheres were synthesized through polymerization of urea/formaldehyde in the presence of formic acid as catalyst, followed by drying and carbonization in an inert atmosphere. The samples were characterized by SEM, XRD, HRTEM, elemental analysis and XPS. The obtained carbon microspheres were amorphous indicated by the results of XRD and HRTEM. The changes of nitrogen functionalities at 400–1000°C were determined by XPS. The fraction of pyridine nitrogen and pyrrole/pyridone nitrogen decreased with increasing temperature, whereas the amount of quaternary nitrogen increased. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Amphiphilic carbonaceous material (ACM), with nanoscale dispersion in alkaline aqueous solutions, is synthesized from green needle coke. As a special precursor with small particle size, plenty of functional groups and widened d 002 simultaneously, ACM guarantees subsequent ACM-based activated carbons (AACs) with high specific surface area over 3000m2 g−1 as well as well-developed mesoporous structure after KOH activation. Such pore properties enable AACs’ high performances as electrode materials for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). In particular, surface area up to 3347m2 g−1 together with notable mesopore proportion (26.9%) gives sample AAC814 outstanding EDLC behaviors during a series of electrochemical tests including galvanostatic charge/discharge, CV and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrode gets satisfactory gravimetric and volumetric specific capacitance at the current density of 50mAg−1, up to 348Fg−1 and 162Fcm−3, respectively. Furthermore, for the mesoporosity, there is only a slight capacitance reduction for AAC814 as the current density reaches 1000mAg−1, indicating its good rate performance. It is all the ACM''s unique characteristics that make AACs a sort of competitive EDLC electrode materials, both in terms of specific capacitance and rate capability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A composite of samarium doped ceria (SDC) and a binary carbonate eutectic (52mol% Li2CO3/48mol% Na2CO3) is investigated with respect to its morphology, conductivity and fuel cell performances. The morphology study shows the composition could prevent SDC particles from agglomeration. The conductivity is measured under air, argon and hydrogen, respectively. A sharp increase in conductivity occurs under all the atmospheres, which relates to the superionic phase transition in the interface phases between SDC and carbonates. Single cells with the composite electrolyte are fabricated by a uniaxial die-press method using NiO/electrolyte as anode and lithiated NiO/electrolyte as cathode. The cell shows a maximum power density of 590mWcm−2 at 600°C, using hydrogen as the fuel and air as the oxidant. Unlike that of cells based on pure oxygen ionic conductor or pure protonic conductor, the open circuit voltage of the SDC–carbonate based fuel cell decreases with an increase in water content of either anodic or cathodic inlet gas, indicating the electrolyte is a co-ionic (H+/O2−) conductor. The results also exhibit that oxygen ionic conductivity contributes to the major part of the whole conductivity under fuel cell circumstances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The average land equivalent ratio (LER) of maize/peanut intercropping was 1.31. • The high relative yield of maize contributed most to the high LER. • Maize/peanut intercropping attained on average a "win-no win" yield advantage. • PLER maize was increased when maize was sown earlier than peanut. • N input increased PLER maize and decreased PLER peanut while LER was not affected. Intercropping cereals and legumes can increase agricultural productivity and reduce inputs of nitrogen fertilizer but there is a need for further literature synthesis on the size of intercropping advantages and the factors affecting these advantages. Here we present a global meta-analysis of 36 studies, 66 experiments and 260 treatments addressing the land productivity of maize (Zea mays L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) intercropping. Data were extracted from the literature and analyzed with mixed effects models to assess the land equivalent ratio (LER) and the factors affecting LER. The worldwide average LER of maize/peanut intercropping was 1.31 ± 0.03. The LER did not vary with continent, intercrop planting pattern and temporal niche differentiation, but sowing maize earlier than peanut (relative sowing time: RSTm<0) increased the partial LER of maize without significantly decreasing the partial LER of peanut. Increased N rate increased the partial LER of maize and decreased the partial LER of peanut but did not affect the total LER. This meta-analysis shows that maize/peanut intercropping is more land use efficient than the sole crops, it attains on average a "win-no win" yield advantage and mainly due to the maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) with narrow size distribution, excellent sphericity and no obvious conglutination have been prepared with a coal tar pitch containing quinoline insolubles (QI) as the raw material. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to examine the structure of the MCMB. It has been found that SEM technique shows the structural information of MCMB clearly in the form of micrographs even when the structure of MCMB is complex, while the optical technique is useful for analysis of the regular structure of the mesophase spheres but cannot be effectively used to analyze either the complex structure of the green MCMB or the structures of the further heat-treated ones at different temperatures. According to the characteristics of the carbon layers, the structures of the as-prepared MCMB in the present experiment could be classified as (1) Parallel Layer type structure and (2) Bent Layer type structure with the carbon layers gathering at one or two points in the MCMB. In the experiments, SEM is also utilized to investigate the structures of MCMB that are heat-treated at different temperatures. It has been found that the MCMB without any further heat-treatment show no layered-carbons, while the ones heat-treated at temperature higher than 1000C exhibit obvious layered carbons across their sections. When increasing the heat-treatment temperature, the carbon layers become thinner and flatter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium is essential to various physiological and pathophysiological cellular processes. Calcium-sensing receptor (CasR), a seven-transmembrane-spanning protein that responds to changes in extracellular Ca2+, partly modulates calcium homeostasis, thereby influencing bone metabolism. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of CasR in Cd-induced calcium homeostasis disruption and OB apoptosis, and the underlying mechanisms. Cd treatment dramatically increased the protein expression of CasR and elevated the intracellular calcium concentration. Meanwhile, OBs apoptosis rate and caspase-dependent apoptosis protein levels, including cleaved caspase 3, cleaved caspase 9 and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 were increased. However, downregulation of CasR by CasR siRNA effectively suppressed the effects of Cd on theses phenomena. At the same time, we illustrated that CasR siRNA pretreatment blocked Cd-inhibited the phosphorylation of PKC and decreased Cd-induced the phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT. Our results suggested that CasR-mediated PKC and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways involve in calcium oscillation and apoptosis in OB caused by Cd maybe responsible for the bone homeostasis. • The activation of CasR mediates in Cd-induced toxicity in OBs. • Cadmium induces intracellular Ca2+ elevation and apoptosis in OBs. • CasR participates in the phosphorylation of PKC caused by Cadmium. • CasR-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway involves in Cd-induced apoptosis in OBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is one of worldwide environmental pollutants that causes bone homeostasis, which depends on the resorption of bones by osteoclasts and formation of bones by the osteoblasts (OB). However, the Cd toxicity on OB and its mechanism are unclear. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved degradation process in which domestic intracellular components are selectively digested for the recycling of nutrients and energy. This process is indispensable for cell homeostasis maintenance and stress responses. Dysregulation at the level of autophagic activity consequently disturbs the balance between bone formation and bone resorption and mediates the onset and progression of multiple bone diseases, including osteoporosis. TAK1 has been recently emerged as an activator of AMPK and hence an autophagy inducer. AMPK is a key molecule that induces autophagy and regulates cellular metabolism to maintain energy homeostasis. Conversely, autophagy is inhibited by mTORC1. In this study, we found that Cd treatment caused the formation of autophagosomes, LC3-II lipidation and p62 downregulation, and the increased autophagic flux, indicating that Cd treatment induced autophagy in OBs. Cd treatment induced TAK1 activation mediated AMPK phosphorylation, which promoted autophagy via phosphorylation of ULK1 at S317. Meanwhile, Cd treatment dramatically decreased mTORC1, S6K1, 4E-BP1, S6, ULK1S555 and ULK1S757 phosphorylation, suggesting that mTORC1 activity was inhibited and inactive mTORC1 prevents ULK1 activation by phosphorylating ULK1 at SerS555 and Ser757. Our data strongly suggest that TAK1 mediates AMPK activation, which activates ULK1 by phosphorylating ULK1S317 and suppressing mTORC1-mediated ULK1S555 and ULK1S757 phosphorylation. Our study has revealed a signaling mechanism for TAK1 in Cd-induced autophagy in OBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Artificial graphite powder was coated by amphiphilic carbonaceous material (ACM) in aqueous solutions. SEM and XRD results show that the surface defects and edge sites of original graphite are uniformly covered by the ACM coating layer after modification. The overall characteristics of graphite, however, are not severely changed. Electrochemical measurements were then carried out to evaluate the anode performances of samples in lithium-ion batteries. The modified graphite shows an initial efficiency up to 90.6% and discharge capacitance of 366.4mAhg−1. Meanwhile, its capacitance remains as high as 350mAhg−1 after 30cycles charge/discharge tests, evincing good cyclic performance. Compared with conventional methods, the abovementioned non-organic solvent coating presents an economic, facile, and green pathway for graphite mass utilisation as an alternative anode material in lithium-ion batteries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Osteoclast adhesion is important for bone resorption. Osteoprotegerin inhibits osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption via Ca2+ signaling. Purinergic receptor P2X7 (P2X7R) affects osteoclastogenesis by activating transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFATc1). However, the detailed mechanism of osteoprotegerin-mediated P2X7R modulation of osteoclast adhesion is unclear. This study aimed to determine the effect of P2X7R on osteoprotegerin-induced damage to osteoclast adhesion. Osteoprotegerin reduced the expression of P2X7R, and protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) and SRC phosphorylation, and reduced calcium concentration, significantly decreasing Ca2+-NFATc1 signaling. 1,2-Bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N'-tetraacetic acid tetrakis (acetoxymethyl ester) (BAPTA-AM)/ N -(6-Aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide hydrochloride (W-7) partly or absolutely recovered osteoprotegerin-induced osteoclasts adhesion structure damage, including increased the PYK2 and SRC phosphorylation, changed the distribution of PYK2/SRC and integrinαvβ3, and inhibited retraction of lamellipodia and filopodia and recovered osteoclast bone resorption activity. In addition, BAPTA-AM/W-7 also increased osteoprotegerin-induced activation of Ca2+-NFATc1 signaling, and restored normal P2X7R levels. P2X7R knockdown significantly inhibited osteoclast differentiation, and the formation of lamellipodia and filopodia, reduced the PYK2 and SRC phosphorylation, and inhibited Ca2+-related protein activation. However, P2X7R knockdown aggravated osteoprotegerin-induced osteoclast adhesion damage via Ca2+ signaling. In conclusion, the P2X7R–Ca2+ NFATc1 signaling pathway has a key functional role in osteoprotegerin-induced osteoclast adhesion structure damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stop coannihilation may bring the relic density of heavy supersymmetric dark matter particles into the range allowed by cosmology. The efficiency of this process is enhanced by stop-antistop annihilations into the longitudinal (Goldstone) modes of the W and Z bosons, as well as by Sommerfeld enhancement of stop annihilations and the effects of bound states. Since the couplings of the stops to the Goldstone modes are proportional to the trilinear soft supersymmetry-breaking A-terms, these annihilations are enhanced when the A-terms are large. However, the Higgs mass may be reduced below the measured value if the A-terms are too large. Unfortunately, the interpretation of this constraint on the stop coannihilation strip is clouded by differences between the available Higgs mass calculators. For our study, we use as our default calculator FeynHiggs 2.13.0, the most recent publicly available version of this code. Exploring the CMSSM parameter space, we find that along the stop coannihilation strip the masses of the stops are severely split by the large A-terms. This suppresses the Higgs mass drastically for μ and A0>0, whilst the extent of the stop coannihilation strip is limited for A0<0 and either sign of μ. However, in sub-GUT models, reduced renormalization-group running mitigates the effect of the large A-terms, allowing larger LSP masses to be consistent with the Higgs mass calculation. We give examples where the dark matter particle mass may reach ≳8 TeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]