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Zn‐based catalysts hold great potential to replace the noble metal‐based ones for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Undercoordinated Zn (Znδ+) sites may serve as the active sites for enhanced CO production by optimizing the binding energy of *COOH intermediates. However, there is relatively less exploration into the dynamic evolution and stability of Znδ+ sites during CO2 reduction process. Herein, we present ZnO, Znδ+/ZnO and Zn as catalysts by varying the applied reduction potential. Theoretical studies reveal that Znδ+ sites could suppress HER and HCOOH production to induce CO generation. And Znδ+/ZnO presents the highest CO selectivity (FECO 70.9 % at −1.48 V vs. RHE) compared to Zn and ZnO. Furthermore, we propose a CeO2 nanotube with confinement effect and Ce3+/Ce4+ redox to stabilize Znδ+ species. The hollow core–shell structure of the Znδ+/ZnO/CeO2 catalyst enables to extremely expose electrochemically active area while maintaining the Znδ+ sites with long‐time stability. Certainly, the target catalyst affords a FECO of 76.9 % at −1.08 V vs. RHE and no significant decay of CO selectivity in excess of 18 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn‐based catalysts hold great potential to replace the noble metal‐based ones for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Undercoordinated Zn (Znδ+) sites may serve as the active sites for enhanced CO production by optimizing the binding energy of *COOH intermediates. However, there is relatively less exploration into the dynamic evolution and stability of Znδ+ sites during CO2 reduction process. Herein, we present ZnO, Znδ+/ZnO and Zn as catalysts by varying the applied reduction potential. Theoretical studies reveal that Znδ+ sites could suppress HER and HCOOH production to induce CO generation. And Znδ+/ZnO presents the highest CO selectivity (FECO 70.9 % at −1.48 V vs. RHE) compared to Zn and ZnO. Furthermore, we propose a CeO2 nanotube with confinement effect and Ce3+/Ce4+ redox to stabilize Znδ+ species. The hollow core–shell structure of the Znδ+/ZnO/CeO2 catalyst enables to extremely expose electrochemically active area while maintaining the Znδ+ sites with long‐time stability. Certainly, the target catalyst affords a FECO of 76.9 % at −1.08 V vs. RHE and no significant decay of CO selectivity in excess of 18 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Monitoring of AUC24 was updated recommendation in the guideline for the therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of vancomycin in Chinese pharmacological society published in 2020. Vancomycin pharmacokinetic profiles are diverse and unique in critically ill patients because of the drastic variability of the patients' physiological parameters, while the study for population pharmacokinetic (PPK) models in Chinese critically ill patients has been rarely reported. The objectives of this study were to construct a PPK model to describe the pharmacokinetic characteristics of vancomycin in critically ill patients and to individualize vancomycin dosing by model-informed Bayesian estimation for maintenance of AUC24 target at 400–650 mg h/L recommended by the 2020 guideline. Methods: Vancomycin with different dosing was administered intravenously over 1 h for critically ill patients, TDM was started at 48 h or 72 h since initiation of vancomycin therapy for patients. Blood samples were collected from patients for trough concentrations or Cmax. Vancomycin concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detection. PPK model was performed using the nonlinear mixed-effect model (NONMEM®). Individual PK parameters for critically ill patients treated with vancomycin were estimated using a post hoc empirical Bayesian method based on the final PPK model. AUC24 was calculated as the total daily dose divided by the clearance (L/h). Results: The PPK of vancomycin was determined by a one-compartment model with creatinine clearance as fixed effects. The PK estimates in the final model generally agreed with the median estimates and were contained within the 95% CI generated from the bootstrap results, indicating good precision and stability in the final model. The visual predictive check plots showed the adequate predictive performance of the final PK model and supported a good model fit. The model-informed Bayesian estimation was used to predict the AUC24 of critically ill patient by the acquired TDM results, and the dosing adjustment by maintenance of AUC24 at 400–650 mg h/L had made a great therapeutic effect for the case. Conclusion: This study established a PPK model of vancomycin in Chinese critically ill patients, and individualized dosing of vancomycin by model-informed Bayesian estimation to maintain an AUC24 target at 400–650 mg h/L has been successfully applied in clinic. This result supports the continued use of model-informed Bayesian estimation to vancomycin treatment in critically ill patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a refractive index (RI) sensor with superconducting photonic crystal in the terahertz regime is theoretically analyzed by the transfer matrix method. An asymmetric resonance cavity containing gradient thicknesses of the superconducting layer is employed to suppress the resonance absorption linewidth. We present the coupled wave theoretical model to give an optimization scheme for excellent sensing performance. The proposed sensing models can achieve an excellent single resonant peak when the temperature is over 80 K. When the incident angle varies between 50° and 70° in TE mode, the shift of a single resonant peak has a linear relationship with the incident angle. The simulation results report that the sensitivity and figure of merit in the optimal model can reach over 22.2 μm RIU−1 (RIU represents RI unit) and 265 at the ultralow temperature (85 K), respectively. Its performance indicators are dozens of times those of the traditional photonic crystal RI sensor. Our study provides theoretical guidance for the design of a low-temperature RI sensor with a high-performance indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing the modified transfer matrix method, under transverse electric polarization, asymmetric optical bistability is achieved by designing one-dimensional photonic crystals (PCs) with two Bragg reflector segments containing traditional dielectrics and asymmetric defect multilayers consisting of a magnetized ferrite and nonlinear Kerr dielectric. When the incident wave frequency equals the resonance frequency, owing to the breaking of symmetry in the defect layers and the Voigt magneto-optical effect generating in the magnetized ferrite layers together with the Kerr effect existing in the Kerr dielectric layers, the asymmetric optical modulations are presented as the bistable state in the forward propagation and the multistable state in the backward propagation. Also, the diverse energy localization distributions of the electric field in the proposed PCs from the two incident directions are graphically illustrated. Furthermore, the optical bistable switch-up and switch-down thresholds of the proposed resonator can be tailored flexibly by the external magnetic field, the incident angle, the thicknesses of different dielectrics, and the nonlinear coefficient of Kerr dielectric. This work provides a constructive proposal for the design of light modulators, such as the optical isolator, the optical triode, the all-optical diode, and the sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the vertical distribution of aerosol optical characteristics in Nanyang City, a ground-based dual-wavelength (532 nm and 355 nm) lidar system was developed for aerosol observation at the Nanyang Normal University Station (NYNU) from November 2021 to December 2022. Spatio-temporal dynamics information on vertical distributions of aerosol optical properties during polluted and non-polluted days was obtained. Aerosols were characterized by low altitudes (up to 2 km), thinner layers, and high-altitude (up to 4 km) thick layers during non-polluted and polluted days, with extinction coefficient values of ~0.03 km−1 and ~0.2 km−1, respectively. The mean values of the extinction coefficient at different altitudes (0~5 km) were all about ten-times higher on polluted days (0.04~0.19 km−1) than on non-polluted days (0.004~0.02 km−1). These results indicate that aerosol loadings and variations at different altitudes (0~5 km) were much higher and more prominent on polluted days than non-polluted days. The results show ten-times larger aerosol optical depth (AOD) values (0.4~0.6) on polluted days than on non-polluted days (0.05~0.08). At the same time, AOD values on both polluted and non-polluted days slightly decreased from 19:00 to 05:00, possibly due to dry depositions at nighttime. For the first time, this study established a ground-based lidar remote sensing system to investigate the vertical distribution of atmospheric aerosol optical characteristics in Henan Province. The experimental results can provide scientific dataset support for the local government to prevent and control air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report highly efficient carbon supported Ni−MoO2 heterostructured catalysts for the electrochemical hydrogenation (ECH) of phenol in 0.10 M aqueous sulfuric acid (pH 0.7) at 60 °C. Highest yields for cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone of 95 % and 86 % with faradaic efficiencies of ∼50 % are obtained with catalysts bearing high and low densities of oxygen vacancy (Ov) sites, respectively. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations reveal that the enhanced phenol adsorption strength is responsible for the superior catalytic efficiency. Furthermore, 1‐cyclohexene‐1‐ol is an important intermediate. Its hydrogenation route and hence the final product are affected by the Ov density. This work opens a promising avenue to the rational design of advanced electrocatalysts for the upgrading of phenolic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report highly efficient carbon supported Ni−MoO2 heterostructured catalysts for the electrochemical hydrogenation (ECH) of phenol in 0.10 M aqueous sulfuric acid (pH 0.7) at 60 °C. Highest yields for cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone of 95 % and 86 % with faradaic efficiencies of ∼50 % are obtained with catalysts bearing high and low densities of oxygen vacancy (Ov) sites, respectively. In situ diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations reveal that the enhanced phenol adsorption strength is responsible for the superior catalytic efficiency. Furthermore, 1‐cyclohexene‐1‐ol is an important intermediate. Its hydrogenation route and hence the final product are affected by the Ov density. This work opens a promising avenue to the rational design of advanced electrocatalysts for the upgrading of phenolic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a modified two-dimensional (2-D) shear-lag model considering unidirectional or bidirectional interfacial damage to analyze the stress transfer mechanism of rectangular patch-reinforced composites under tensile load. The semi-analytical solutions for bidirectional normal stresses and interfacial shear stresses are provided, accounting for interfacial orthotropic anisotropy and the stiffness variation in the damage stage. The study examines the influence of material parameters, including the difference in Poisson's ratios between the substrate and patch, thickness ratio, and aspect ratio, on interfacial damage in composite materials. The results show a good agreement between the stress distribution solutions predicted by the proposed 2-D model and finite element results. The model provides an effective solution to the 2-D stress problem in rectangular patch-reinforced composites with interface damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Element doping can improve the gas sensing performance of metal oxide semiconductor (MOSs). In this paper, the rambutan-like Ni-doped W 18 O 49 are synthesized by one-step solvothermal route. The prepared Ni 0.05 W 18 O 49 possesses larger specific surface area (130.5 m2g−1) and more plentiful oxygen vacancy than the pristine sample. Interestingly, compared with other sensors, the Ni 0.05 W 18 O 49 sensor has the highest response (182.4) for 50 ppm n-butanol at 160℃ with short response-recovery time (14 s / 241 s). Moreover, the selectivity test shows that the Ni 0.05 W 18 O 49 sensor has higher response for n-butanol than the other five volatile gases. The response value of the sensor to n-butanol is almost unchanged over five repeatability tests and the long-term stability tests. • The rambutan-like Ni 0.05 W 18 O 49 sample is prepared through Ni element doping. • The sample has large specific surface area, high oxygen vacancies. • The Ni 0.05 W 18 O 49 sensor had good sensing properties to n-butanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), characterized by self-renewal and therapeutic resistance, play important roles in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD). However, the molecular mechanism of STAD stem cells is still unclear. In this study, our purpose is to explore the expression of stem cell-related genes in STAD. Methods. The stemness index based on mRNA expression (mRNAsi) was used to analyze STAD cases in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Firstly, mRNAsi was used and analyzed by differential expression, survival analysis, clinical stage, and gender in STAD. Then, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to discover the fascinating modules and key genes. Enrichment analysis was carried out to annotate the functions and pathways of key genes. The gene expression comprehensive database (GEO) in STAD was used to verify the expression levels of key genes in all cancers. Protein-protein interaction networks is used to determine the relationships between key genes. Results. The mRNAsi was obviously upregulated in tumor cases. With the increase of tumor stage and T stage, the mRNAsi score decreased, and the overall survival rate of high score group patients was better. According to the degree of association with mRNAsi, different modules and key genes were screened out. A total of 6,740 differential genes were found, of which 1,147 genes were downregulated and 5,593 genes were upregulated. 19 key genes (BUB1, BUB1B, KIF14, NCAPH, RACGAP, KIF15, CENPF, TPX2, RAD54L, KIF18B, KIF4A, TTK, SGO2, PLK4, ARHGAP11A, XRCC2, Clorf112, NCAPG, and ORC6) were screened due to significant upregulation in STAD. And they had been proven that enriched from the cell cycle Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, relating to cell proliferation Gene Ontology (GO) terms, as well. Among them, 9 genes have been extensively associated to OS, and 3 genes had been associated to receive chemotherapy resistance. PPI protein network suggests that there is a sturdy correlation between these key genes. Conclusion. A total of 19 key genes were found to play an essential position in retaining the traits of STAD stem cells. These genes can be used to evaluate the prognosis of STAD patients or become specific therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a new diagnostic method based on average current Park vector (ACPV) for single and dual power switch open-circuit faults of six-phase fault-tolerant permanent magnet synchronous motor (FTPMSM) system, which can be applied for the system both in nonfault and fault tolerant operation conditions. The fault diagnosis structure is composed of two parts: the ACPV moduli-based fault detection and the ACPV polarity-based fault location. By analyzing the ACPV before and after the fault, the normalized ACPV moduli-based fault detection is proposed by using the ACPV components in three orthogonal subspaces, which has good robustness to the speed and load changes. The ACPV polarity-based fault location is then proposed to locate the faulted power switches of the FTPMSM system. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed fault diagnosis method is validated by a six-phase FTPMSM experimental platform. The fault diagnosis approach has the advantageous features of simple implementation, good robustness to various disturbances, no requirement of the extra sensors, and low computational burden, which can achieve single and dual power switch open-circuit fault diagnosis for the FTPMSM system both in normal and fault tolerant operation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clathrin-coated structures must assemble on cell membranes to internalize receptors, with the clathrin protein only linked to the membrane via adaptor proteins. These structures can grow surprisingly large, containing over 20 clathrin, yet they often fail to form productive vesicles, instead aborting and disassembling. We show that clathrin structures of this size can both form and disassemble spontaneously when adaptor protein availability is low, despite high abundance of clathrin. Here, we combine recent in vitro kinetic measurements with microscopic reaction-diffusion simulations and theory to differentiate mechanisms of stable vs unstable clathrin assembly on membranes. While in vitro conditions drive assembly of robust, stable lattices, we show that concentrations, geometry, and dimensional reduction in physiologic-like conditions do not support nucleation if only the key adaptor AP-2 is included, due to its insufficient abundance. Nucleation requires a stoichiometry of adaptor to clathrin that exceeds 1:1, meaning additional adaptor types are necessary to form lattices successfully and efficiently. We show that the critical nucleus contains ~25 clathrin, remarkably similar to sizes of the transient and abortive structures observed in vivo. Lastly, we quantify the cost of bending the membrane under our curved clathrin lattices using a continuum membrane model. We find that the cost of bending the membrane could be largely offset by the energetic benefit of forming curved rather than flat structures, with numbers comparable to experiments. Our model predicts how adaptor density can tune clathrin-coated structures from the transient to the stable, showing that active energy consumption is therefore not required for lattice disassembly or remodeling during growth, which is a critical advance towards predicting productive vesicle formation. Author summary: Stochastic self-assembly of clathrin-coated structures on the plasma membrane is essential for transport into cells. We show here that even with abundant clathrin available, robust nucleation and growth into stable structures on membranes is not possible without sufficient adaptor proteins. Our results thus provide quantitative justification for why structures observed to form in vivo can still spontaneously disassemble over many seconds. Although clathrin disassembly after productive vesicle formation requires the work of ATPases, our study shows that active energy input is not necessary to control remodeling during growth. With parameterization against in vitro kinetics of assembly on membranes, our reaction-diffusion model provides a powerful and extensible tool for establishing determinants of productive assembly in cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for high-energy Li-ion batteries (LIBs) continues to push the development of electrode materials, particularly cathode materials, towards their capacity limits. Despite the enormous success, the stability and reliability of LIBs are becoming a serious concern due to the much-aggravated side reactions between electrode materials and organic electrolytes. How to stabilize the cathode/electrolyte interface is therefore an imperative and urgent task drawing considerable attention from both academia and industry. An active treatment on the surface of cathode materials, usually by introducing an inert protection layer, to diminish their side reaction with electrolytes turns out to be a reasonable and effective strategy. This Feature Article firstly outlines our synthesis efforts for the construction of a uniform surface nanocoating on various cathode materials. Different wet chemical routes have been designed to facilitate the control of growth kinetics of targeted coating species so that a precise surface coating could be achieved with nanometer accuracy. Furthermore, we showed the possibility to transform the outer coating layer into a surface doping effect through surface solid reaction at high temperature. A detailed discussion on the structure–performance relationship of these surface-controlled cathode materials is introduced to probe the stabilization mechanism. Finally, perspectives on the development tendency of high-energy cathodes for stable LIBs are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an improved Quadrature Multi-carrier Differential Chaos Shift Keying (QMC-DCSK) based on Chaotic Shape-forming Filter (CSF) and Cross Correction (CC) is proposed. The chaotic signal generated by CSF is used as reference spreading sequence in QMC-DCSK. Quadrature multi-carriers are used to carry the reference and multiple information bearing signals simultaneously in order to improve the Bit Transmission Rate (BTR). By this way, the proposed system is able to transmit $2M-1$ bits Traditional Data Stream (TDS) during one traditional DCSK bit duration, where $M$ is the number of carrier frequencies. Meanwhile, the reference signal transmits Additional Data Stream (ADS) encoded by CSF together with $2M-1$ identical or inverse data stream carried by the rest $2M-1$ channels (information bearing signals). By this system configuration, the channel redundance can be used to improved bit error rate (BER) performance of ADS, after decoding TDS. In turn, the TDS reliability can also be improved by checking most ADS polarity of the corresponding carrier. This process is referred to as CC. The contribution of this work lies in the CC operation, by which the reliability of both TDS and ADS is improved significantly. It is the CSF and multi-carrier that make CC possible. The analytical BER is derived for the proposed method. The merits of the proposed system include, first, it improves the BTR as compared to that of QMC-DCSK, because ADS conveys more information bits; second, the ADS reliability is improved dramatically because the $\text{2}\,M$ duplication can be used to improve the signal to noise ratio; third, the TDS reliability is improved as well because the information bits conveyed by each carrier frequency is enhanced and corrected by the $\text{2}\,M$ repetitions. By this way, not only TDS and ADS are transmitted (i.e., the higher BTR is achieved), but also both reliability are improved (i.e. the lower BER is achieved). In order to testify the feasibility and superiority of the proposed method, simulation and wireless open-access research platform (WARP) experiment are conducted. The simulation and experiment results show that the proposed method is superior to other comparison methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Circular RNAs have the same sequences, but different structures from cognate linear RNAs. • NAI is used as the SHAPE reagent to probe circular RNA secondary structures in cells. • Experimental and unique computational pipelines are required for circular RNA secondary structural prediction. Circular RNAs are produced from back-splicing of exons of precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs). The sequences of exons in circular RNAs are identical to their linear cognate mRNAs, but the circular format may confer constraints on their folding and conformation, leading to potentially different functions from their linear RNA cognates. Here, we describe experimental and computational steps that optimize the selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension and mutational profiling (SHAPE-MaP) to probe circular RNA secondary structure at single-nucleotide resolution in living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional denoising methods based on fixed transforms are not suited for exploiting their complicated characteristics and attenuating noise due to their lack of adaptability. Recently, a novel method called morphological component analysis (MCA) was proposed to separate different geometrical components by amalgamating several irrelevance transforms. For studying the local singular and smooth linear components characteristics of seismic data, we propose a novel method that excels particularly in attenuating random and coherent noise while preserving effective signals. The proposed method, which combines MCA, dictionary learning (DL), and deep noise reduction consists of three steps: first, we separate the local singular and smooth linear components from the seismic signal using MCA. Second, we apply a DL method on these two components to suppress noise and obtain the denoised signal and noise. In the final step, we apply the DL method to the noise to obtain a little of the seismic signal. Afterwards, we integrate the two seismic signals to obtain the final denoised seismic signal. Numerical results indicate that the proposed method can effectively suppress the undesired noise, maximally preserve the information of geologic bodies and structures, and improve the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the data. We also demonstrate the superior performance of this approach by comparing with other novel dictionaries such as discrete cosine transforms (DCTs), undecimated discrete wavelet transforms (UDWTs), or curvelet transforms. This algorithm provides new ideas for data processing to advance quality and S/N of seismic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steroidal saponins named polyphyllin are the major active components of Paris polyphylla. Cycloartenol synthase (CAS) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the formation of the sterol scaffold. In this study, we cloned a putative CAS gene from Paris polyphylla. Heterologous expression in yeast indicated that PpCAS can convert 2,3-oxidosqualene into cycloartenol. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of PpCAS was highest in leaves and lowest in roots. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of the functional characterization of cycloartenol synthase from Paris polyphylla, which lays the foundation for further analysis of the biosynthesis pathway of polyphyllins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resina Draconis (RD) is the red resin of Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C. Chen and most used as a hemostatic drug in traditional Chinese medicine. Recent studies have reported that RD has a therapeutic effect on gastrointestinal diseases. Loureirin A, B, and C (LA, LB, and LC) are dihydrochalcone compounds isolated from RD. Dehydration is the primary cause of death in rotaviral diarrhea. Inhibition of Ca2+-activated Cl− channels (CaCCs)-mediated Cl− secretion significantly reduced fluid secretion in rotaviral diarrhea. RD was used to treat digestive diseases such as diarrhea and abdominal pain; however, the pharmacological mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of RD and loureirin on intestinal Cl− channels and their therapeutic effects on rotavirus-induced diarrhea, aiming to reveal RD's molecular basis, targets, and mechanisms for treating rotaviral diarrhea. Cell-based fluorescence quenching assays were used to examine the effect of RD and loureirin on Cl− channels activity. Electrophysiological properties were tested using short-circuit current experiments in epithelial cells or freshly isolated mouse intestinal tissue. Fecal water content, intestinal peristalsis rate, and smooth muscle contraction were measured in neonatal mice infected with SA-11 rotavirus before and after LC treatment or adult mice. RD, LA, LB, and LC inhibited CaCCs-mediated Cl− current in HT-29 cells and colonic epithelium. The inhibitory effect of LC on CaCCs was primarily on the apical side in epithelial cells, which may be partially produced by affecting cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels. LC significantly inhibited TMEM16A-mediated Cl− current. Characterization studies revealed that LC inhibited basolateral K+ channel activity without affecting Na+/K+-ATPase activity in the colonic epithelium. Although LC activated the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator in epithelial cells, its effect was not apparent in colonic epithelium. In vivo, LC significantly reduced the fecal water content, intestinal peristalsis rate, and smooth muscle contraction of mice infected with rotavirus. RD and its active compound LC inhibit intestinal CaCCs activity, which might mediate the anti-rotaviral diarrheal effect of RD. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a new power switch open-circuit fault diagnosis approach is proposed for the six-phase fault-tolerant permanent magnet synchronous motor (FTPMSM) system based on average current Park's vector (ACPV), which can detect the fault power switch for the FTPMSM system in both normal and phase open-circuit/short-circuit fault-tolerant operation conditions. To detect the power switch open-circuit fault, the fault detection approach based on the moduli of the ACPV in two orthogonal subspaces is first proposed for the six-phase FTPMSM system even in phase open-circuit and short-circuit fault-tolerant operation. Then, the ACPV-based fault location approach is proposed, which can identify the fault power switch according to the sign symbol of the ACPV. The resulting fault diagnosis approach has a simple structure and low computation burden, which can detect the power switch open-circuit fault online for the FTPMSM system in both normal and fault-tolerant operation conditions. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed fault diagnosis approach is demonstrated by a six-phase FTPMSM system experimental platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced data analysis tools such as mathematical optimisation, Bayesian inference and machine learning have the capability to revolutionise the field of quantitative voltammetry. Nowadays such approaches can be implemented routinely with widely available, user-friendly modern computing languages, algorithms and high speed computing to provide accurate and robust methods for quantitative comparison of experimental data with extensive simulated data sets derived from models proposed to describe complex electrochemical reactions. While the methodology is generic to all forms of dynamic electrochemistry, including the widely used direct current cyclic voltammetry, this review highlights advances achievable in the parameterisation of large amplitude alternating current voltammetry. One significant advantage this technique offers in terms of data analysis is that Fourier transformation provides access to the higher order harmonics that are almost devoid of background current. Perspectives on the technical advances needed to develop intelligent data analysis strategies and make them generally available to users of voltammetry are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new adaptive morphological filter is developed based on the mathematical morphology algorithm and characteristics of the subtle differences in the waveform morphology in seismic data. The algorithm improves the traditional morphological dilation and corrosion operations. In this study, we propose a multiscale adaptive operator based on the principle of morphological structural "probes" and present the corresponding mathematical proof. Simulation experiments and actual seismic data processing results show that compared with traditional morphological filters, the constructed OCCO-based multistructure adaptive morphological filter can suppress noise to the greatest extent. Moreover, it can effectively improve the SNR of the images, and offers great application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the gradual networking of high-speed railways in China, the existing railway transportation capacity has been released. In order to improve transportation capacity, railway freight transportation enterprises companies have gradually shifted the transportation of goods from dedicated freight lines to passenger-cargo lines. In terms of the organization form of collection and distribution, China has a complete research system for heavy-haul railway collection and distribution, but the research on the integration of collection and distribution of the ordinary-speed railway freight has not been completed. This paper combines the theories of the integration of collection and distribution theory, coordination theory, and coupling theory and incorporates the machine learning fuzzy mathematics to construct an "Entropy-TOPSIS Coupling Development Degree Model" for dynamic intelligent quantitative analysis of the synergy of railway freight collection and distribution systems. Finally, we take the Tongchuan Depot of "China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd." as a research object to construct a target system and use the intelligent information acquisition system to collect basic data. The analysis results show that through the coordinated control of the freight collection and distribution system, the coordination between the subsystems of the integrated freight collection and distribution system is increased by 5.94%, which verifies the feasibility of the model in the quantitative improvement of the integration of collection and distribution system. It provides a new method for the research of integrated development of railway freight collection and distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the gradual networking of high-speed railways in China, the existing railway transportation capacity has been released. In order to improve transportation capacity, railway freight transportation enterprises companies have gradually shifted the transportation of goods from dedicated freight lines to passenger-cargo lines. In terms of the organization form of collection and distribution, China has a complete research system for heavy-haul railway collection and distribution, but the research on the integration of collection and distribution of the ordinary-speed railway freight has not been completed. This paper combines the theories of the integration of collection and distribution theory, coordination theory, and coupling theory and incorporates the machine learning fuzzy mathematics to construct an "Entropy-TOPSIS Coupling Development Degree Model" for dynamic intelligent quantitative analysis of the synergy of railway freight collection and distribution systems. Finally, we take the Tongchuan Depot of "China Railway Xi'an Group Co., Ltd." as a research object to construct a target system and use the intelligent information acquisition system to collect basic data. The analysis results show that through the coordinated control of the freight collection and distribution system, the coordination between the subsystems of the integrated freight collection and distribution system is increased by 5.94%, which verifies the feasibility of the model in the quantitative improvement of the integration of collection and distribution system. It provides a new method for the research of integrated development of railway freight collection and distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The incidence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is increasing, and traditional diagnostic methods are unsatisfactory. Therefore, identifying novel prognostic markers is very important. ciRS-7 has been found to play an important role in many cancers, but its role in PTC has not been reported. This study was performed to evaluate the biological role and mechanism of ciRS-7 in PTC. Material and Methods. The expression of ciRS-7 in PTC tissues and the matched adjacent tissues was determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The PTC cell lines (TPC-1 and BCPAP) were used to evaluate the role of ciRS-7. ciRS-7-siRNA and overexpression plasmid were constructed and transfected into PTC cells. A CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay were performed to explore the effects of ciRS-7 on cell proliferation. Annexin V/PI staining and FACS detection were used to detect cell apoptosis. Wound healing assay was performed to detect cell migration. A transwell assay was conducted to explore the effects of ciRS-7 on invasion and migration. Western blotting was performed to evaluate protein expression. The luciferase reporter system was used to determine the underlying mechanism of miR-7. Result. ciRS-7 was highly expressed in PTC tissues and cell lines compared with the corresponding controls. In vitro study showed that ciRS-7 silencing suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion of TPC-1 and BCPAP. Mechanistically, the effects of ciRS-7 on invasion and migration may be related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). ciRS-7 silencing could attenuate effects on PTC cells induced by miR-7 knockdown. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which was demonstrated to be a target of miR-7, decreased significantly in ciRS-7-siRNA PTC cells. Overexpression of EGFR also attenuated effects of PTC cells induced by silencing ciRS-7. Conclusion. ciRS-7 was significantly upregulated in PTC tissues, and it promoted the progression of PTC by regulating the miR-7/EGFR axis. ciRS-7 is a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic-inorganic hybrid nano-material has a significant potential for enhancing the charge separation efficiency of photocatalyst. However, it remains an important issue to controllable synthesis new hybrid system with unique structure and earth-abundant materials for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen revolution. We report a facile one-step hydrothermal strategy to fabricate a novel Titania/β-cyclodextrin (TiO 2 /β-CD) organic-inorganic hybrid nano-material with an alveolate structure. In this hybrid system, β-CD not only played a critical role in alveolate structure formation, but also served as a bridge connecting target molecular and active sites on the TiO 2 surface to facilitate the separation and transfer of the photoexcited electrons with prolonged lifetime. As a result, this alveolate TiO 2 /β-CD composite exhibited outstanding photocatalytic activity and a H 2 evolution rate of 725 μmol/g·h was achieved over TiO 2 /β-CD which was 14 times of bare TiO 2 under simulated sunlight. This work paves a way for controllable synthesis of novel organic-inorganic hybrid nano-material with distinct structure for efficient photocatalysis. Image 1 • A novel alveolate organic-inorganic hybrid has been successfully prepared. • The hybrid composite exhibited outstanding photocatalytic activity. • The H 2 evolution rate of TiO 2 /β-CD has a good durability. • This work paves a way for controllable synthesis of organic-inorganic TiO 2. • Limited reports on the photocatalytic water splitting of the TiO 2 /β-CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular dementia (VaD) is caused by chronic decreases in brain blood flow and accounts for 15-20% of dementia cases worldwide. In contrast to Alzheimer's disease (AD), no effective drug treatments are currently available for VaD. Previous studies have suggested that oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in the brain play important roles in the pathogenesis of VaD. Honokiol (HKL) is a well-known bioactive and nutraceutical compound that can act as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecule. HKL can protect against memory impairments in AD mouse models. In this study, we explored whether the application of HKL was also protective against the insult of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) in rats. We found that HKL supplementation prevented the memory impairments in the inhibitory avoidance step-down and Morris water maze tasks in CCH rats. HKL also suppressed the levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in CCH rats. Moreover, HKL prevented dendritic spines abnormalities in CCH rats. We also found that HKL inhibited the activity of GSK-3β, which may be critical for the neuroprotective activity of HKL. Thus, our study demonstrated the protective role of HKL in VaD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel hybrid structured TiO 2 /Epoxy resin has been prepared by a simple in-situ synthetic method, which was used to enhance alkali-activated slag/fly ash (AASF) geopolymer paste for the first time. The study examined the durability performance of the paste by exposing specimens to two aggressive conditions, including wetting-drying cycles and continuous immersions in phosphoric acid solutions for 90 days. Visual appearances, physical, mechanical properties and microstructures of samples were analysed. Besides, degradation kinetics were monitored by measuring degradation depths. The results indicate that TiO 2 /Epoxy resin composite is able to improve the microstructures and limit the propagation of cracks. It is assumed that the hydroxyl groups of the epoxy resin and the bonded water in the aluminosilicate gel may form hydrogen bonds which make the binder matrix dense and homogeneous. The matrix thus intrinsically has a better fracture behavior with the existence of organic-based TiO 2 /Epoxy resin compared to the inorganic-based aluminosilicate crosslinked networks. The study also revealed that compared to the AASF without the composite addition, TiO 2 /Epoxy resin composited AASF exhibited a lower degradation kinetic regardless of exposure conditions. Therefore, a new direction is developed and recommended to use TiO 2 /Epoxy resin to improve the durability of AASF geopolymer regarding aggressive exposure environments. In addition, the manufacturing of TiO 2 /Epoxy resin composited AASF binder is relatively simple, cost-effective and eco-friendly with low carbon footprint. Image 102280341 • A novel nano-TiO 2 /Epoxy resin composite was prepared and added into a geopolymer paste to enhance its durability. • The TiO 2 /Epoxy resin enhanced geopolymer paste obtained a higher durability than the control paste. • The TiO 2 /Epoxy resin composited geopolymer paste is compact and able to limit the propagations of cracks. • The wetting-drying condition is more aggressive than the continuous exposure condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, research on hesitant fuzzy operations and measures is based on equal length processing, and an equal length processing method will inevitably destroy the original data structure and change the data information. This is an urgent problem to be solved in the development of hesitant fuzzy sets. Aiming at solving this problem, this paper firstly defines a hesitant fuzzy entropy function as the measure of the degree of uncertainty of hesitant fuzzy information and then proposes the concept of hesitant fuzzy information feature vector. The hesitant fuzzy distance measure and similarity measure are studied based on the information feature vector. Finally, the hesitant fuzzy network clustering method based on similarity measure is given, and the effectiveness of our algorithm through a numerical example is illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional kinesin (kinesin-1) can walk on microtubule filaments in an asymmetric hand-over-hand manner, exhibiting a marked alternation in the mean dwell time in successive steps. Here, we study computationally the asymmetric stepping dynamics of the kinesin-1 homodimer, revealing its origin and providing quantitative explanations of the available experimental data. The alternation in the mean dwell time in successive steps arises from the alternation in the mechanochemical coupling ratio, which is in turn caused by the alternation in the slight variation of the stretched neck linker length. Both the vertical and backward longitudinal forces can enhance the asymmetric ratio. Additionally, other aspects of the stepping dynamics of the dimer such as the velocity versus longitudinal force, extended neck linker, etc., are also studied. In particular, the conflicting experimental data, with some showing that the velocity does not change with the forward longitudinal load while others showing that the velocity increases largely with the forward longitudinal load, are explained quantitatively and consistently. The intriguing experimental data showing that cysteine-light Drosophila and human kinesin-1 mutants have different load-dependent velocity from the wild-type cases as well as that kinesin-2 dimers have different load-dependent velocity from the kinesin-1 are also explained consistently and quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dimeric kinesin can move processively on microtubule filaments by hydrolyzing ATP. Diverse aspects of its movement dynamics have been studied extensively by using various experimental methods. However, the detailed molecular mechanism of the processive movement is still undetermined and a model that can provide a consistent and quantitative explanation of the diverse experimental data is still lacking. Here, we present such a model, with which we study the movement dynamics of the dimer under variations of solution viscosity, external load, ATP concentration, neck linker length, effect of neck linker docking, effect of a large-size particle attached to one kinesin head, etc., providing consistent and quantitative explanations of the available diverse experimental data. Moreover, predicted results are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Cu 2 O-based material is one of the most promising catalysts, the deactivation of surface severely limits its selectivity and stablity. Here, we present a chlorine (Cl)-modified Cu 2 O/ZnO heterostructure (CCZO) as photocathode with remarkable CH 4 faradaic efficiency (88.6 %) and durability (over 5 h). The Cl ions in CCZO serve as a passivator to stabilize Cu 2 O against photo-corrosion. Stabilized Cu+ active sites promote the hydrogenation of *CO intermediate, which provides a strong driving force for CO 2 reduction to CH 4. Calculation results indicate that for CCZO the hydrogenation of *CO trends to form *CHO (energy barrier of 0.220 eV) rather than CO (0.344 eV), further confirming the high selectivity of CCZO to CH 4. This work sheds insight on the catalytic mechanism of CCZO to modulate the energy barrier of intermediate *CO combined with H+, providing a new idea to develop high selectivity and stable catalysts for CO 2 reduction. [Display omitted] • The Cl-modified Cu 2 O/ZnO exhibits outperformance of CO 2 reduction to CH 4 with FE of 88.6 %. • Cl ions contribution lies in stabilizing Cu+ active site in Cu 2 O. • CCZO boosts the *CO hydrogenation to form *CHO rather than CO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsmooth pulse is one of the most important pulses in TCM diagnostics. We constructed the wave intensity (WI) images of unsmooth pulse based on the pressure wave (P), flow velocity wave (U), and WI [(dP/dt)(dU/dt)] by ALOKA Prosound α 10 Color Doppler. The characteristic of Cunkou normal pulse could be summarized as follows: compared to Renying pulse, its W1 amplitude is smaller and NA wave is more obvious, while the W2 wave is indistinct or even invisible, and the R-1st is longer than that of Renying pulse. The principal U wave of Renying pulse looks like “Λ” shape, while it looks like an arched blunt “∩” shape in Cunkou pulse, and the amplitude of U wave in Cunkou pulse is smaller. The direction of the principal U wave in Cunkou unsmooth pulse is up, which shows hoof boots “h” shape with high amplitude and a significant notch on declined branch; the amplitude of predicrotic wave in unsmooth pulse P wave is significantly higher, which could be even higher than that of h1, resulting in early appearance of h3 or integrating with h1, which forms a wide and blunt peak. Unsmooth pulse shows poorer vascular elasticity and greater vascular stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and effective polymer fluorescent thermosensitive system was successfully developed based on the synergistic effect of excimer/monomer interconversion of pyrene derivatives and electrostatic interaction between polyelectrolyte and charged fluorophore. As for the system, the excimer-monomer conversion, thermosensitive behavior and thermo-responsive reversibility were investigated experimentally. Temperature variation and temperature-distribution induced fluorescence changes can be observed directly by naked eyes. Thus, this polymer system holds promise for serving as a fluorescent thermometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, large amplitude Fourier transformed alternating current (FTAC) voltammetry has been used to determine the heterogeneous electron - transfer kinetics ( k ° and α values) associated with the vanadium [SVW 11 O 40 ] 3−/4− (V V/IV , E ° = 0.050 V vs. Fc/Fc + , where Fc = ferrocene) and tungsten [SVW 11 O 40 ] 4−/5− (W VI/V , E ° = −1.530 V vs. Fc/Fc + ) processes in dimethylformamide containing tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate as the supporting electrolyte. At glassy carbon (GC), platinum (Pt), gold (Au) and boron-doped diamond (BDD), the V V/IV process is kinetically more facile than the W VI/V one. Excellent simulation-experiment fits were achieved for the V V/IV process at all electrode materials, and at a supporting electrolyte concentration of 0.1 M, the k ° value associated with this process increases in the order BDD < Pt ≈ Au < GC. By contrast, at all electrode materials except GC, generally poor simulation-experiment fits were achieved for the W VI/V process, preventing the data from being analysed quantitatively by FTAC voltammetry. Changing the concentration of supporting electrolyte from 0.1 to 0.5 M has a significant influence on the kinetics, with the k ° value increasing at GC and decreasing at Pt, Au and BDD. Overall, the findings indicate that differences in density of states do not fully explain the electrode material dependence of the k ° values and that other factors such as surface functional groups (on GC) and the double layer effect need to be taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and straightforward solution growth routine is developed to prepare microporous 3D nano/micro ZnO microsphere with a large BET surface area of 288 m 2 g −1 at room temperature. The formation mechanism of the hierarchical 3D nano/micro ZnO microsphere and its corresponding hydrogen evolution performance has been deeply discussed. In particular, this novel hierarchical 3D ZnO microspheres performs undiminished hydrogen evolution for at least 24 h under simulated solar light illumination, even under the condition of no precious metal as cocatalyst. Since the complex production process of photocatalysts and high cost of precious metal cocatalyst remains a major constraint that hinders the application of solar water splitting, this 3D nano/micro ZnO microspheres could be expected to be applicable in the precious-metal-free solar water splitting system due to its merits of low cost, simple procedure and high catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental investigation was performed to evaluate convective condensation and evaporation of R22, R32 and R410A inside a smooth tube (inner diameter 11.43 mm), a herringbone tube (fin root diameter 11.43 mm) and a newly developed enhanced surface EHT tube (inner diameter 11.5 mm) at low mass fluxes. The inner surface of the EHT tube is enhanced by dimple/protrusion and secondary petal arrays. For condensation, the heat transfer coefficient of the herringbone tube is 2.0–3.0 times larger than a smooth tube and the EHT tube is 1.3–1.95 times that of the smooth tube. The heat transfer enhancement ratios of the herringbone tube and the EHT tube are larger than their respective inner surface area ratios. Mass flux has a non-monotonic relation with the condensation heat transfer coefficient in the herringbone microfin tubes; this was especially evident for R32 and R410A. For evaporation, the EHT tube provides the best evaporation heat transfer performance for all the three refrigerants; this is mainly due to the heat transfer enhancement produced from the larger number of nucleation sites, increased interfacial turbulence, boundary layer disruption, flow separation and secondary flow generation caused by the dimple and petal arrays. The evaporation heat transfer coefficient of the herringbone tube is only slightly higher than that of the smooth tube. Overall, the EHT tube provides increased heat transfer enhancement for both condensation and evaporation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel nano/micro hierarchical structured titanium phosphate with unique 3D flower-like morphology has been prepared by a simple hydrothermal method without adding any surfactants. The shape of the titanium phosphate could be controlled by simply adjusting the concentration of phosphoric acid. The 3D flower-like titanium phosphate with diameter of 2–3 μm is characterized by the assembly of numerous porous and connected lamella structures. Interestingly, this novel hierarchical mesoporous 3D flower-like titanium exhibits enhanced hydrogen evolution from water splitting under xenon lamp irradiation in the presence of methanol as the sacrificial reagent, which is also the first example of 3D flower-like titanium phosphate with high photocatalytic activity for water splitting. Since the use of titanium phosphate as a photocatalyst has been mostly neglected up to now, this low-cost, simple procedure and large-scale yield of 3D nano/micro structure titanium phosphate could be expected to be applicable in the synthesis of controlled, reproducible and robust photocatalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For multiple linear regression model which coefficients are fuzzy numbers, this paper uses least- squares approach based on fuzzy structured element theory to study analytical expression of the model. First, a new distance formula of fuzzy numbers is defined using structured element method, and also proved equivalent with one given by the paper [1] under certain conditions. But it can avoid the inconvenience of the latter caused by interval arithmetic. Fuzzy parameters are expressed by the structured element and analytical expression of fuzzy linear regression model is provided. Then we give a parameter estimation method for the model whose fuzzy parameters are LR-type fuzzy numbers. At last, an application example is presented in order to illustrate the simplification of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, AlGaN/GaN Fin-HEMTs with different nanochannel geometric parameters were fabricated and comprehensively characterized. In the arcuate Fin-HEMTs, where the sidewalls arcuate from the source to the drain side, enhancements in the drain current density and transconductance were observed. By extracting and analyzing parameters obtained from small-signal measurements and conducting an analysis of gate capacitance, it was demonstrated that the enhancement can be attributed to the modulation of gate capacitance. This enhances the control capability of the gate over channel carriers, resulting in increased transconductance of the device. Due to the enhanced transconductance, the fT and fmax of the arcuate Fin-HEMTs are both enhanced. Notably, the arcuate Fin-HEMTs achieved a power-added efficiency of 71.4% at a frequency of 3.6 GHz and a drain voltage of 20 V. Meanwhile, the linearity of the arcuate Fin-HEMTs is improved compared with the conventional Fin-HEMTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C16H14O5, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 9.0005(11) Å, b = 16.0386(15) Å, c = 9.8434(11) Å, β = 114.861(14)°, V = 1289.3(3) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0458, wRref(F2) = 0.1245, T = 150(1) K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this paper is to solve fuzzy linear differential systems with fuzzy initial valued problem by fuzzy structured element method. Firstly, we introduce the basic principle of fuzzy structured element, define the fuzzy linear differential systems which are linear formed by fuzzy structured element method. Secondly, we investigate the fuzzy linear differential systems by fuzzy-valued function and the derivative of fuzzy-valued function which are linear formed by fuzzy structured element method, and give the necessary and sufficient condition of a solution of the fuzzy linear differential systems. Finally, we put forward an example to illustrate effectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It was reported that the nuclear receptor coactivator amplified in breast cancer1 (AIB1) could regulate cancer cell invasion and migration in a nuclear receptor signaling-independent manner. Meanwhile, the process of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for tumor invasion and metastasis. The present study aimed to determine the role of AIB1 and EMT markers in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: AIB1, ZO-1, E-cadherin, vimentin, and N-cadherin protein expression in 76 pancreatic adenocarcinomas were assessed using immunohistochemistry and analyzed for clinicopathological significance. Results: The frequency of AIB1 overexpression in pancreatic adenocarcinomas with lymph node metastasis is 68 % (19/28), which is significantly higher than in pancreatic adenocarcinomas without lymph node metastasis (42 %; 20/48). In addition, the frequency of low expression of E-cadherin in pancreatic carcinomas with lymph node metastasis (68 %; 19/28) was significantly higher than in tumors without lymph node metastasis (44 %; 21/48). Correlation analysis demonstrated that the overexpression of AIB1 was inversely correlated with low expression of E-cadherin in pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Conclusion: Overexpression of AIB1 might promote invasion and metastasis of cancer cells and is associated with down-regulation of E-cadherin in pancreatic adenocarcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme of fuzzy-valued function was not thoroughly researched until we resolved the analytical expression of fuzzy-valued functions, in this paper, based on that the fuzzy-valued function could be expressed by structured element, we present adjoint function of fuzzy-valued function by defining a type of structured sequence of fuzzy numbers, and also prove that the research of extreme of fuzzy-valued function can be transformed into general extreme of its adjoint function under structured sequence. Meanwhile, we not only present the generalized extreme of fuzzy-valued function, but also give the methods for solving the generalized extreme value and generalized extreme points which are formulated by structured element, the research results enrich the research content of fuzzy optimization theory and methods, as well as provide a reasonable and useful analysis tool for studying optimization problem of fuzzy operations research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A versatile one-step method is developed for the fabrication of shape-controlled mesoporous titanium phosphate with different crystal structures. The drastic morphological change of mesoporous titanium phosphate from fibrous shape to near hexagonal shape is obtained by simply adjusting the concentration of phosphoric acid. Unexpectedly, it is discovered for the first time that hexagonal titanium phosphate is capable of enhanced hydrogen evolution from solar water splitting. Based on our in-depth mechanistic analysis, the enhanced performance of this material is attributed to its abundant hydroxyl groups, 2-D layered structure, large specific surface area and amounts of exchangeable protons. This encouraging result discovers a new heterogeneous catalyst for hydrogen production from water splitting and could open up a new direction in 2-D nanostructured photocatalysts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Direct lightning poses a serious threat to the safety of power systems. In recent years, the lightning fractal model, which can reflect the fractal characteristics and randomness of lightning leaders, has been gradually applied to direct lightning protection for substations, transmission lines, etc. However, since few studies have linked simulations with experiments, the reliability of the lightning fractal model in terms of attachment probability prediction lacks experimental verification. In this paper, a series of attachment tests are carried out under a rod-rod gap. The equivalence between simulation tests and natural lightning is discussed, and the influencing factors of the attachment results are investigated. The attachment probability is simulated and compared to the test value under each test configuration. The test results show that the fractal dimension of discharge channel is consistent with the observation results of natural lightning. Under different configurations, the test value of attachment probability basically conforms to the simulation value. In general, the dispersion of the test results is slightly greater than the simulation results, but the average probability differences are all within 10%. The test results strongly indicate that the lightning fractal model is of good reliability in the prediction of strike probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exon back-splicing-generated circular RNAs, as a group, can suppress double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated protein kinase R (PKR) in cells. We have sought to synthesize immunogenicity-free, short dsRNA-containing RNA circles as PKR inhibitors. Here, we report that RNA circles synthesized by permuted self-splicing thymidylate synthase (td) introns from T4 bacteriophage or by Anabaena pre-tRNA group I intron could induce an immune response. Autocatalytic splicing introduces ∼74 nt td or ∼186 nt Anabaena extraneous fragments that can distort the folding status of original circular RNAs or form structures themselves to provoke innate immune responses. In contrast, synthesized RNA circles produced by T4 RNA ligase without extraneous fragments exhibit minimized immunogenicity. Importantly, directly ligated circular RNAs that form short dsRNA regions efficiently suppress PKR activation 103- to 106-fold higher than reported chemical compounds C16 and 2-AP, highlighting the future use of circular RNAs as potent inhibitors for diseases related to PKR overreaction. [Display omitted] • Synthesized RNA circles by T4 RNA ligase exhibit little immunogenicity • Extra fragments in RNA circles produced by group I introns provoke immune responses • RNA circles without extraneous sequences form short dsRNA regions as PKR inhibitors Liu et al. found that extraneous fragments in RNA circles introduced by group I introns provoke immune responses, whereas those produced by RNA ligase exhibit minimized immunogenicity and form short dsRNA regions to efficiently suppress PKR activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a class of new fuzzy linear programming problem with intuitionistie fuzzy elastic constraints is constructed and discussed based on the fuzzy structured element method. By introducing the basic principle of the weighted characteristic number (WCN), the authors define an order relation and expand the Verdegay's method of the fuzzy linear programming. Then, the authors transform the new fuzzy linear programming problem into two equivalent and clear linear programming models with parameter constrains. The compared optimal feasible solution of the two equivalent and clear linear programming models is given. Finally, the authors give a numerical example to illustrate the general method for solving the proposed fuzzy linear programming problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Four cobalt phosphonate coordination polymers Co[(CH3PO3)(H2O)] (1), Co[(C2H5PO3)(H2O)] (2), Co[(C4H9PO3)(H2O)] (3) and Co[(C6H5PO3)(H2O)] (4) have been synthesized using a hydrothermal method. Their crystal structures have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and all exhibit two-dimensional polymer structures. The water oxidation catalytic activities of these polymers have been studied for the first time using electrochemical methods in both aqueous solutions and water-saturated [BMIM][PF6] ionic liquid (BMIM=1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium). The results reveal that these polymers are able to catalyze water oxidation in aqueous media but are not fully stable in this environment. However, they are more stable and retain significant catalytic activity towards water oxidation in water-saturated [BMIM][PF6] and addition of a buffer is not required. The catalytic activity decreases in the sequence of 1 > 2 > 3 > 4. Consequently, water-saturated [BMIM][PF6] provides a good medium for catalytic water oxidation with this type of coordination polymer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), which is a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Emerging evidence indicates that both prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and adenosine play important roles in immune inflammation although the mechanism remains unclear. In the study, we examined individual and combined effect of PGE2 and adenosine during EAE development. The results showed that both PGE2 and adenosine could inhibit EAE progression and they in combination showed substantially higher inhibition than each modality used alone. On the other hand, using specific agonists or antagonists for PGE2 and adenosine receptors indicated that the suppression of EAE development was mainly mediated by EP4 and A2A receptors. Furthermore, combined PGE2 and adenosine treatment significantly suppressed the production of IFN-γ and IL-17 via EP4 and A2A receptors. Taken together, PGE2 and adenosine in combination could protect EAE mouse from serious EAE through limiting the over-reactive effects of T cells via EP4 and A2A receptors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]