Search

In this study, the degradation behavior of flexible GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs (IMM3J) solar cells and their metamorphic subcells under 1 MeV electron irradiation was investigated. The remaining factors such as short-circuit current density (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), and maximum power (Pmax) were 95.62, 85.52, and 79.73%, respectively, at an irradiation fluence of 2 × 1015 e/cm2. The spectral responses of the InGaAs and GaAs subcells degraded significantly, and the InGaAs subcell experienced greater degradation than the GaAs subcell after irradiation. In addition, the current-limiting unit was switched from GaInP to InGaAs after irradiation. Defect analysis by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) revealed that with increasing irradiation fluence, the defects that had the greatest impact on the performance of GaAs subcells were EV + 0.36 and EV + 0.42 eV. For InGaAs subcells, the defects that had the greatest impact on the performance were EV + 0.29 and EV + 0.24 eV. The decrease in the minority carrier lifetime is the main reason for the decrease in the electrical performance of solar cells, and the variation in the effective minority carrier lifetime (τeff) in the subcells with the irradiation fluence was calculated based on the DLTS results. At a fluence of 2 × 1015 e/cm2, the τeff of the GaAs and InGaAs subcells decreased from 2.93 × 10−10 and 9.10 × 10−10 s to 1.56 × 10−11 and 1.60 × 10−12 s, respectively. These results provide a reference for predicting the degradation of short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage of flexible IMM3J. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe(Se/Te) family compounds are very important among iron-based superconductors. To explore the modification of their physical properties, Li-doped FeSe 0. 5 Te 0. 5 polycrystalline samples were prepared by using sintering method with metal Li as the dopant. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman scattering indicated that the lattice parameter c and Raman peaks change systematically with increasing Li content, suggesting Li atoms have entered the lattice. Magnetization and electrical transport measurements showed the type-II superconductor behavior. The upper critical field increased with increasing Li doping concentration, while the coherence length decreased with increasing dopant concentration. Li-doping generally improved the superconductivity, including the uniformity of superconducting contents. The thermally activated flux-flow (TAFF) activation energy also increased with increasing dopant concentration. The critical current densities were measured and the flux pinning mechanism and its change with doping were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust is a crucial factor for effective human–robot teaming. Existing literature on trust modeling predominantly focuses on dyadic human-autonomy teams where one human agent interacts with one robot. There is little, if not no, research on trust modeling in teams consisting of multiple human and robotic agents. To fill this important research gap, we present the Trust Inference and Propagation (TIP) model to model and estimate human trust in multi-human multi-robot teams. In a multi-human multi-robot team, we postulate that there exist two types of experiences that a human agent has with a robot: direct and indirect experiences. The TIP model presents a novel mathematical framework that explicitly accounts for both types of experiences. To evaluate the model, we conducted a human-subject experiment with 15 pairs of participants ( N = 30 ). Each pair performed a search and detection task with two drones. Results show that our TIP model successfully captured the underlying trust dynamics and significantly outperformed a baseline model. To the best of our knowledge, the TIP model is the first mathematical framework for computational trust modeling in multi-human multi-robot teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of maximum load and loading rate on the creep behavior of the single-phase hexagonal close-packed structured GdHoLaTbY alloy at room temperature were investigated by nanoindentation. The hardness, creep depth, creep rate, and stress exponent strongly dependent on the maximum load and loading rate. The creep behavior of the alloy at different maximum loads shows a significant indentation size effect. The creep behavior is dominated by free diffusion at the sample surface at low load retaining loads and by dislocation sliding at high load retaining loads. The creep behavior of the current alloy is greatly sensitive to the indentation loading rate at different loading rates. High loading rates give rise to stress fields with high dislocation density and high strain gradients, which results in a large stress index during the loading retention stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The High Energy Cosmic-Radiation Detection Facility (HERD) is dedicated to achieving several scientific objectives, including the search for dark matter, precise measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum, and gamma-ray sky survey observations. HERD's innovative design incorporates a three-dimensional imaging calorimeter with five sensitive faces, significantly enhancing geometric acceptance. However, this design introduces a new challenge for reconstructing particles incident from all directions. This article aims to integrate rapidly advancing deep learning techniques into the reconstruction task. Utilizing simulation data, Deep Neural Networks (DNN), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), and other deep learning networks are employed to reconstruct the energy of isotropic electrons. Model performance sees a significant boost through the application of end-layer visible energy correction and a "multi-class multi-prediction" approach, involving different models trained for distinct energy ranges. Moreover, recognizing differences between simulation and physical samples, the model is validated using the beam test data. The model predicts an energy resolution of better than 1% for simulation isotropic electrons ranging from 10 to 1000 GeV. In the case of beam data, the model achieves an energy resolution of 1.3% at 200 GeV, comparable to traditional methods. The results demonstrate the significant potential of deep learning in the reconstruction of three-dimensional calorimeters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhodiola carbon dots (R-CDs) were prepared by simple and economical one-pot hydrothermal method using Rhodiola as raw materials. The morphology and surface functional groups were analyzed by TEM, FT-IR, and XPS. It was discovered that R-CDs had COC, C=O and OH functional groups linked to the surface and had a common particle dimension of 2.56 nm. The prepared difunctional R-CDs showed high water-solubility and favorable photostability. Additionally, it was unexpectedly discovered that R-CDs confirmed great antibacterial motion in opposition to both E. coli and S. aureus, with a MIC of 0.7 mg/mL. Consequently, this study provides a new, green, economical carbon dot with the potential application as potent antibacterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many cytokine pathways are important for dendritic cell (DC) development, it is less clear what cytokine signals promote the function of mature dendritic cells. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) promotes protective immunity and autoimmunity downstream of proinflammatory cytokines including IL-12 and IL-23. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), Stat4-/-mice are resistant to the development of inflammation and paralysis. To define whether STAT4 is required for intrinsic signaling in mature DC function, we used conditional mutant mice in the EAE model. Deficiency of STAT4 in CD11c-expressing cells resulted in decreased T cell priming and inflammation in the central nervous system. EAE susceptibility was recovered following adoptive transfer of wild-type bone marrow-derived DCs to mice with STAT4-deficient DCs, but not adoptive transfer of STAT4-or IL-23R-deficient DCs. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) identified STAT4-dependent genes in DC subsets that paralleled a signature in MS patient DCs. Together, these data define an IL-23-STAT4 pathway in DCs that is key to DC function during inflammatory disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work explores compaction of fine ZrO2 powders doped with Y2O3 and MgO. ZrO2(MexOy) powders are obtained by plasma chemical synthesis and chemical precipitation from salt solutions. Powder compaction is studied during the nonisothermal sintering process. It is shown that the ZrO2(Y2O3) powder synthesized by chemical precipitation demonstrates the lowest degree of compaction during sintering. With the same synthesis method and similar size distribution of ZrO2(MexOy) powders, the difference in the compaction kinetics is determined by the different number of oxygen vacancies. The higher number of oxygen vacancies in the ZrO2(MgO) powder obtained by plasma chemical synthesis, provides the highest compaction rate compared to the ZrO2(Y2O3) powder. According to mercury porosimetry, ZrO2(Y2O3) powders of the same composition obtained by plasma chemical synthesis and chemical precipitation, have very different porosity. The highest compaction rate for all compacts is observed at the heating stage. After sintering, ZrO2(Y2O3) ceramic samples show similar values of compaction rate. Research findings may be useful to specialists involved in the development and synthesis of fine ceramic powders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Texture and sensory studies at various temperatures are important in evaluating and improving the functionality of butter. While literature is scarce, we evaluated and compared the effect of temperature (5–25°C) on the texture, rheological and sensory properties of commercial butter samples (salted, unsalted, cultured, and spreadable) from the New Zealand market. In addition, the instrumental analyses were compared with the sensory evaluation, to understand the possibility of using instrumental analysis to evaluate consumer liking for different butters. Butter type, temperature, and their type–temperature interaction exhibited significant differences for all instrumental textural parameters. As expected, higher temperature produced softer butter that was more spreadable, liquid‐like, less adhesive, less cohesive, had lower storage modulus (G′) and lower loss modulus (G″) with the melting of milk fat crystals; however, the rate of change varied for the different butter samples. We have established meltability as the parameter for evaluating butter selection for different applications. The spreadable butter sample exhibited the lowest hardness and G′, and highest spreadability (p <.05) at all temperatures, owing to its low solid fat content and the abundance of low‐melting triglycerides. The cultured butter sample had the highest melting point, owing to compositional differences. The instrumental and sensory texture analyses were highly correlated, indicating the comparative effectiveness of both approaches for studying the effects of different temperatures on butter textural properties. Overall, our findings provide detailed reference to the dairy industry for butter manufacture, considering variation in fatty acid composition, texture analysis, rheology, and sensory analysis, over the range of storage/usage temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workload management is a critical concern in shared control of unmanned ground vehicles. In response to this challenge, prior studies have developed methods to estimate human operators' workload by analyzing their physiological data. However, these studies have primarily adopted a single-model-single-feature or a single-model-multiple-feature approach. The present study proposes a Bayesian inference model to estimate workload, which leverages different machine learning models for different features. We conducted a human subject experiment with 24 participants, in which a human operator teleoperated a simulated High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) with the help from an autonomy while performing a surveillance task simultaneously. Participants' eye-related features, including gaze trajectory and pupil size change, were used as the physiological input to the proposed Bayesian inference model. Results show that the Bayesian inference model achieves a 0.823 F1 score, 0.824 precision, and 0.821 recall, outperforming the single models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composited p-type electrodes with high reflectivity have been investigated in AlGaN-based ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) to improve the light extraction efficiency, which are composed of a patterned ITO layer and an Al reflector. It is verified that the patterned ITO with a thickness of 30 nm can not only well form Ohmic contact with p-GaN capping layer, but also be nearly 90% transparent to ultraviolet light, and thus presenting a reflectivity of 73% at 280 nm when combined with an Al reflector. Further experimental efforts confirm that the performance of the UV-LEDs is dramatically improved with such p-type electrodes. The maximum light output power and wall plug efficiency in the current range of 0–100 mA are severally increased by 49.8% and 54.2% compared to the device with traditional Ni/Au electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chiral light field has attracted great attention owing to its interaction with chiral matter. The generation of chiral light fields with rich structures has become crucial as it can expand application scenarios. Herein, we introduce a chiral optical vortex lattice. As a whole, the optical vortex lattice has a chiral intensity distribution, with each spiral arm having sub-vortices (chiral phase). By using an expansion factor to adjust the involute of a circular lattice, this helical optical vortex lattice can be continuously varied from a circular lattice. The chirality of intensity and phase can be controlled independently. Furthermore, the optical tweezers using the lattice demonstrate the capability of sub-vortices to manipulate particle movement, with the chiral intensity determining the trajectory of particle motion. As the lattice possesses both intensity and phase chirality, it may also find potential applications in tasks such as chiral structure microfabrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the improvement effect of the addition of exogenous calcium ions on the nitrogen removal efficiency of activated sludge in laboratory scale bioreactors fed various Ca concentrations. The long-term nitrogen removal performance was significantly greater in bioreactors supplemented with 150 mg/L extra Ca than in the no-addition control. The characteristics of the bacterial communities and the abundances of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria and genes related to nitrogen cycling were different between bioreactors with 150 mg/L Ca and those with other Ca concentrations (0, 30, 50 and 200 mg/L). Ca addition caused variations in the microbial abundance and distribution of nitrifiers and denitrifiers and in the synergistic effects of nitrogen functional genes in the activated sludge system, which ultimately affected the removal of nitrogen in the bioreactors. Obviously, adding an appropriate amount of Ca to activated sludge systems modifies the microbial community, which creates a beneficial environment for enhancing the removal of nitrogen from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was attempted to investigate the microstructure degradation and low cycle fatigue (LCF) performance of a serviced K465 Ni‐based superalloy turbine blade. LCF tests were carried out with small‐scale plate specimens sampled from the blades. Relationship between residual LCF life and microstructure state was estimated. The results indicate that the coarsening of γ/γ′ phases was the most significant microstructure degradation mode for the serviced blades. Both the γ matrix width and the γ′ precipitate diameter increased with the increase of service duration, while the γ′ precipitate volume fraction slightly decreased. The most severe microstructure degradation occurred at the leading edge along the chord direction, particularly at 50–70 % airfoil spans. The residual LCF life exhibited an accelerated decrease characteristic as increases of microstructure degradation degree. The coarsened microstructure diminished shear resistance of the superalloy, which resulted in additional accumulated inelastic deformation and a corresponding reduction in LCF life. Highlights: Service induced microstructure evolution and LCF life decay of a blade were investigated.Coarsening was identified as the main degradation form of γ/γ' phases in serviced blade.Accelerated decrease of residual LCF life was identified as increases of coarsening.Reduced plastic deformation resistance owing to coarsening is crucial to decay LCF life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wide band gap semiconductor Ga2O3 has become an excellent UV detection material due to its suitable band gap, high crystalline quality and thermal stability. In this paper, the microstructure of Ga2O3 with different thicknesses is characterized and the solar-blind detection performance of Ga2O3/p-Si heterojunctions are further investigated. XRD and UV–VIS demonstrate that Ga2O3 sputtered for 20 min is amorphous with a band gap of 4.98 eV, as the sputtering time increases, Ga2O3 grows along the (002) crystal plane and the band gap increases. XPS reveals that the lattice oxygen content in the Ga2O3 increases with the sputtering time, however, the Ga3+ content reaches a peak in Ga2O3 sputtered for 1.5 h. And the increasing of the binding energy between Ga-O in Ga2O3/p-Si heterojunctions accelerates response speed. Electrical experiments show that the heterojunction consisting of sputtered 1.5 h Ga2O3 and p-Si reaches a higher PDCR, with a value of 6684 at 5.7 V. Meanwhile, the rise and decay time of the heterojunction are 0.13 s and 0.14 s at 0 V, and the decay time gradually increases from 0.1 to 0.7 s with increasing the applied voltage. However, insertion of 20 nm Si-doped Ga2O3 as a hole-blocking layer at the interface of p-Si and Ga2O3 remarkably declines the decay time under various applied biases and causes no obvious damage to the photo current of the heterojunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the escalating integration of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) in contemporary vehicles, the intricacy of vehicle networks is incessantly advancing. Diagnostic communication, as a pivotal facet within these networks, grapples with protracted development cycles and heightened intricacies. In a bid to augment software reusability and portability, this study meticulously scrutinized pertinent research and proffered an electric vehicle fault diagnosis system predicated on the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, leveraging the diagnostic communication architecture advocated by the AUTOSAR standard. The integration of AUTOSAR seeks to pioneer an innovative software development paradigm for automotive fault diagnosis systems, thereby remedying extant limitations. The communication and diagnostic module of this study were instantiated using AUTOSAR, thereby obviating the necessity for developers to immerse themselves in hardware intricacies and communication implementations. This allows developers to focalize their efforts on crafting software features for fault diagnosis. Empirical results illustrate that the single-core CPU utilization rate of the proposed method in this article stands at 40.68%, with a fault detection time of 0.0217. The success rate of fault detection is 98.70%, indicating an increase of 12.97% and 8.98% when compared to the CAN bus and structural analysis methods, respectively. Testing indicators are significantly mitigated, yielding more precise fault detection outcomes. The exploration of this avant-garde software development methodology in automotive electronic products markedly amplifies the efficiency of automotive troubleshooting system software, underscoring its potential for academic contribution and application in real-world scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under water compressibility, resonant triads can occur within the family of acoustic-gravity waves. This work investigates steady-state triad resonance between a surface gravity wave and two hydroacoustic waves. The water-wave equations are solved as a nonlinear boundary value problem using the homotopy analysis method (HAM). Within the HAM framework, a potential singularity resulting from exact triad resonance is avoided by appropriately choosing the auxiliary linear operator. The resonant hydroacoustic wave component, along with the two primary waves (one hydroacoustic wave and one gravity wave), is considered to determine an initial guess for the velocity potential. Additionally, by selecting an optimal "convergence-control parameter," the steady-state resonance between a surface gravity wave and two hydroacoustic waves is successfully obtained. It is found that steady-state resonant acoustic-gravity waves are ubiquitous under certain circumstances. The two primary wave components and the resonant hydroacoustic wave component take up most of the energy in the steady-state resonant acoustic-gravity wave system. The amplitude of the resonant hydroacoustic wave component is mainly determined by the primary hydroacoustic wave component, and the amplitudes of both hydroacoustic waves are approximately equal in all cases considered. In addition, when the overall amplitude of the wave system increases, both dimensionless angular frequencies decrease, indicating that the nonlinearity of the entire wave system becomes stronger with an increase in the wave system amplitude. The amplitude of the primary hydroacoustic wave has a relatively large effect on the system's nonlinearity. This work will enrich and deepen our understanding of acoustic-gravity waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the escalating integration of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) in contemporary vehicles, the intricacy of vehicle networks is incessantly advancing. Diagnostic communication, as a pivotal facet within these networks, grapples with protracted development cycles and heightened intricacies. In a bid to augment software reusability and portability, this study meticulously scrutinized pertinent research and proffered an electric vehicle fault diagnosis system predicated on the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, leveraging the diagnostic communication architecture advocated by the AUTOSAR standard. The integration of AUTOSAR seeks to pioneer an innovative software development paradigm for automotive fault diagnosis systems, thereby remedying extant limitations. The communication and diagnostic module of this study were instantiated using AUTOSAR, thereby obviating the necessity for developers to immerse themselves in hardware intricacies and communication implementations. This allows developers to focalize their efforts on crafting software features for fault diagnosis. Empirical results illustrate that the single-core CPU utilization rate of the proposed method in this article stands at 40.68%, with a fault detection time of 0.0217. The success rate of fault detection is 98.70%, indicating an increase of 12.97% and 8.98% when compared to the CAN bus and structural analysis methods, respectively. Testing indicators are significantly mitigated, yielding more precise fault detection outcomes. The exploration of this avant-garde software development methodology in automotive electronic products markedly amplifies the efficiency of automotive troubleshooting system software, underscoring its potential for academic contribution and application in real-world scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: lo investigate the role of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 ^PCK1) in the proliferation and migration of mouse vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: The proliferation and migration of mouse VSMCs were induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB. The cells were divided into a vehicle group and a PDGF-BB group. The expression of PCK1 was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. The mouse Pckl siRNA (siPckl) were transfected into mouse VSMCs to silence PCK1. The cells were divided into the vehicle, siPckl+vehicle, PDGF-BB and siPckl+PDGF-BB groups. The protein level of PCK1 was detected by Western blot. The proliferation was explored by Ki-67 immunofluorescence staining and the viability was detected by CCK-8 assay. The migration was determined by a scratch test. Mitochondrial dynamics were observed via transmission electron microscopy. A lentivirus carrying dynamin-related protein 1 (Drpl) gene (lenti-Drpl) was transfected into VSMCs to induce them to overexpress DRP1. The cells were divided into the PDGF-BB, siPckl +PDGF-BB, lenti-Drpl + PDGF-BB and lenti-Drpl+siPck1+PDGF-BB groups. Proliferation, migration and mitochondrial dynamics were measured as described above. RESULTS: PDGF-BB increased the protein expression of PCK1 and DRP1, cell viability, the percentage of Ki-67-positive cells, the wound healing rate and mitochondrial division in VSMCs. These effects were suppressed when PCK1 protein expression was silenced. After DRP1 was overexpressed, the inhibitory effects of PCK1 silencing on cell viability, the percentage of Ki-67-positive cells, the wound healing rate and mitochondrial division were significantly reversed. CONCLUSION: PCK1 promotes the mitochondrial division, proliferation and migration of VSMCs in mice by upregulating the expression of DRP1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing data from the Solar Magnetism andActivity Telescope (SMAT), analytical solutions of polarized radiative transfer equations, and in-orbit test data for the Full-disk Magnetograph (FMG) onboard the Advanced Space based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), this study reveals the magnetic-sensitivity spectral positions for the Fe i λ 5234.19 Å working line used by FMG. From the experimental data of SMAT, it is found that the most sensitive position is located at the line center for linear polarization (Stokes Q/U), while it is about −0.07 Å away from the line center for circular polarization (Stokes V). Moreover, both the theoretical analysis and the in-orbit test data analysis of FMG confirm the above results. Additionally, the theoretical analysis suggests the presence of distinct spectral pockets (centered at 0.08 – 0.15 Å) from the line, harboring intense magnetic sensitivity across all three Stokes parameters. Striking a balance between high sensitivity for both linear and circular polarization, while capturing additional valuable information, a spectral position of −0.08 Å emerges as the champion for routine FMG magnetic field observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the recent surge in scholarly attention to anti‐Asian racism, what is largely missing in this growing body of literature is a bridge connecting studies on this subject to the broader field of race and ethnicity studies. In this special issue, we propose to use the concept of transculturality, which is defined as the process of cultural interaction, interpenetration, and hybridization that transcends the traditional borders of individual cultures, to establish this connection. In this introductory article, we first critically review the concepts of culture, interculturality, and multiculturality in the studies of race and ethnicity. Upon this review, we explain how transculturality advances the knowledge of racial and ethnic identity, ideas, and practices. This introduction concludes with an overview of each contribution, setting the stage for a comprehensive exploration of this complex and multifaceted issue. Collectively, this special issue aims to not only provide theoretical and empirical insights into the transculturality of anti‐Asian racism but also build a bridge between the studies of the Asian diaspora and the general research on race and ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the woody plant community in the Sygera Mountains to reveal the diversity changes and phylogenetic structure of woody plants in different vertical zones. Three plots of 400 m2 and two plots of 900 m2 are set up in each zone. The line transect method is used to supplement the woody plant species list. Meteorological data are adopted to analyze the composition of woody plant flora, the characteristics of the phylogenetic structure, and their relationship with annual average temperature. Results showed that (1) temperate woody plants account for a large proportion (65.6%) in the woody plant community of the Sygera Mountains, and widespread woody genera account for a small proportion (12.6%). The composition of families and genera is rich in the mountainous warm temperate zone, and the species composition is rich in the mountainous temperate zone. (2) The Gleason index and phylogenetic diversity of the woody plant communities in the five vertical zones are significantly positively correlated with the annual average temperature (P < 0.01), whereas the net relatedness and nearest taxon indices are not correlated with the annual average temperature. (3) The woody plant communities in the alpine frigid and alpine desert zones of the Sygera Mountains exhibit phylogenetic clustering, which suggests that habitat filtering plays an important role in the construction of woody plant communities in these vertical zones. However, the other vertical zones show either phylogenetic clustering or phylogenetic overdispersion, indicating that the results might be the combined effects of habitat filtering and competitive exclusion. This study provides new insights into the diversity composition and construction mechanisms of woody plant communities in the Sygera Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules have long been suggested to be present in the interstellar medium (ISM). Nevertheless, despite their expected ubiquity and sustained searching efforts, identifying specific interstellar PAH molecules from their infrared (IR) spectroscopy has so far been unsuccessful. However, due to its unprecedented sensitivity, the advent of the JWST may change this. Meanwhile, recent years have witnessed breakthroughs in detecting specific PAH molecules (e.g. indene, cyanoindene, and cyanonaphthalene) through their rotational lines in the radio frequencies. As JWST holds great promise for identifying specific PAH molecules in the ISM based on their vibrational spectra in the IR, in this work, we model the vibrational excitation of indene, a molecule composed of a six-membered benzene ring fused with a five-membered cyclopentene ring, and calculate its IR emission spectra for a number of representative astrophysical regions. This will facilitate JWST to search for and identify indene in space through its vibrational bands and to quantitatively determine or place an upper limit on its abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of oral and transdermal estradiol in alleviating menopausal symptoms. A total of 257 recently menopausal women were randomized into two groups. The t-E2 group received transdermal estradiol (2.5 g per day) (n = 128) and the o-E2V group received oral estradiol valerate (2 mg per day) (n = 129) for 24 weeks; both groups received micronized progesterone (200 mg per day). The primary outcome measure is the change in the modified Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI) after 24 weeks of treatment. Menopausal symptoms were recorded at screening and at 4, 12 and 24 weeks using both the KMI and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS). Significant amelioration was observed by KMI and MRS scores for both groups after treatment (p < 0.001). The mean KMI scores showed no difference between the two groups. The mean MRS scores were similar between the two groups at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment. The results showed statistical differences after 12 weeks and 24 weeks of treatment (p = 0.005 and p = 0.011). Both the after-treatment scores minus the baseline scores of KMI and MRS and the incidence of adverse effects showed no difference between the two groups. This study shows that both transdermal and oral estradiol are effective in relieving menopausal symptoms, with little difference in treatment efficacy and safety. ChiCTR2300073146 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar radio bursts are intense radio radiation sources that occur during the energy-release process and represent a hot topic in solar-physics and space-weather research. In this paper, we present a multimode prediction model for daily solar radio bursts. The model uses deep learning and machine learning to obtain data information from different dimensions and to establish the relationship between the characteristics of the solar active region on the solar surface and solar radio bursts. For this model, we use data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) total solar magnetic map, the Royal Observatory of Belgium World Data Centre in Brussels, and NOAA sunspot parameters (including number, area, and type of sunspots) as inputs. The output results are then compared with the list of solar radio bursts recorded by the Radio Solar Telescope Network (RSTN) to determine whether solar radio bursts are present and to determine the key parameters for determining radio bursts. Based on 5449 days of observational data, we find that the prediction accuracy of the model is 0.898 ± 0.011, and that the number of sunspots is a key parameter in determining the occurrence of solar radio bursts. Specifically, when the number of sunspots is greater than 15, the probability of occurrence of solar radio bursts is greater than 90%. We have identified the key parameters and thresholds for determining solar radio bursts and highlighted the key parameters for space-weather prediction. In addition, the prediction model can also be used for predicting in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-Benzenesulfonyl amino acid esters have drawn much attention due to their pharmacological and biological activity. Herein, a facile and effective one-pot approach to N-benzenesulfonyl amino acid esters has been developed, and 16 compounds have been obtained in excellent yields (90–95%) in a short time (9–14 min) using 4-bromobenzenethiol and amino acid esters as starting materials. Significantly, methyl 2-(4-bromoben-zene-sulfon-amido)acetate (3a) could enhance the proline content of soybean in response to excess cadmium in a way similar to the plant hormone abscisic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocrystalline Cu2Cu1−xFexSnS4 (CCFTS) was prepared by a simple liquid-phase method. Physiochemical properties of the CCFTS powder as well as the CEs fabricated thereby were investigated using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, UV–Vis absorption, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), etc. Conduction band shifts as well as the bandgap increases in the as-prepared CCFTS as a function of the Fe content were observed. For the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with CCFTS counter electrodes (CEs), charge transfer impedance (Rct1) and short-circuit current (Jsc) were reduced by 64.54% and improved by 14.64%, respectively, compared with that with Fe-free Cu3SnS4 (CTS) CE. The enhancement of electron transfer through the CE/electrolyte interfaces stems from the optimal energy level alignment and the surface morphology tuned by the Fe alloying and hence improve the electrocatalytic activity of the CEs for the reduction from I3− to I−. As a consequence, photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.95% was obtained which is 1.25 times that of the cell with Fe-free CTS CE. This work confirmed that element alloying into nanocrystalline transition metal compounds is effective for catalytic activity improvement. Material preparation reported herein is feasible, has high efficiency and low cost, and believed beneficial to high DSSCs development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise classification recognition of dangerous driving behaviors can effectively reduce traffic accidents and improve road safety. To address the challenges of complex and dynamic traffic environments where driving behaviors can vary significantly, an innovative method for classification recognizing for dangerous driving behaviors has been developed, utilizing an enhanced k-means clustering algorithm. Wavelet decomposition is applied to denoise the image data of driving behaviors. The refined data is then effectively categorized using the improved k-means clustering technique to discern distinct driving actions. Convolutional neural networks are employed to extract and classify critical action areas, enabling precise identification of hazardous driving behaviors. Test results demonstrate that this designed method achieves a maximum classification recognition rate of 98% for dangerous driving behaviors, with shorter recognition processing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence indicates that the Warburg effect (aerobic glycolysis) is a marker of malignancy in pancreatic cancer (PC). Receptor expression–enhancing protein 3 (REEP3) is dysregulated in various cancers; however, no studies have addressed whether REEP3 is involved in regulating PC malignancy, particularly with respect to the Warburg effect. Herein, we identified a new diagnostic marker of PC, which may be useful for developing drugs to treat PC and providing insight into the molecular pathology of PC. The microarray dataset GSE183795 was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and the differentially expressed genes were analyzed. REEP3 expression was examined in PC cell lines and normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cells. Following REEP3 knockdown or overexpression in PC cells, cell invasion, migration, glucose uptake, lactate production, ATP levels, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) pathway protein expression were assessed via scratch, Transwell, glucose, and lactate assays and western blot analysis. A database analysis revealed that REEP3 was highly expressed in PC tumor tissues from 179 patients. In addition, patients with high REEP3 tumor expression exhibited poor overall and disease-free survival. Our results suggest that REEP3 is upregulated in multiple PC cell lines. Moreover, cell viability indicators, such as proliferation, invasion, migration, glycolytic activity, and EGFR/ERK pathway protein expression were conspicuously restrained on REEP3 disruption in PC cells. Overall, these findings suggest that REEP3 assists PC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration by facilitating the Warburg effect through the activation of the EGFR/ERK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The repeat-expanded HTT encodes a mutated HTT (mHTT), which is known to induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), activation of the cGAS--STING pathway, and apoptosis in HD. However, the mechanism by which mHTT triggers these events is unknown. Here, we show that HTT interacts with both exonuclease 1 (Exol) and MutLα (MLH1-PMS2), a negative regulator of Exol. While the HTT-Exol interaction suppresses the Exol-catalyzed DNA end resection during DSB repair, the HTT-MutLα interaction functions to stabilize MLH1. However, mHTT displays a significantly reduced interaction with Exol or MutLα, thereby losing the ability to regulate Exol. Thus, cells expressing mHTT exhibit rapid MLHl degradation and hyperactive DNA excision, which causes severe DNA damage and cytosolic DNA accumulation. This activates the cGAS--STING pathway to mediate apoptosis. Therefore, we have identified unique functions for both HTT and mHTT in modulating DNA repair and the cGAS--STING pathway-mediated apoptosis by inter-acting with MLHl. Our work elucidates the mechanism by which mHTT causes HD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve dihydroartemisinin-chloro/bromoisatin hybrids were synthesized by combining dihydroartemisinin with chloro/bromoisatin and their in vitro anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7/ADR, and MDA-MB-231/ADR breast cancer cell lines was evaluated. A significant part of the synthesized hybrids exhibited significant anti-breast cancer activity against the tested cell lines and showed potential in overcoming drug resistance. 2-{4-Bromo-2-oxo-1-[4-({(3R,5aS,6R,8aS,9R,12R,12aR)-3,6,9-trimethyldecahydro-12H-3,12-epoxy[1,2]dioxepino[4,3-i]isochromen-10-yl}oxy)butyl]indolin-3-ylidene}hydrazine-1-carbothioamide was found to be the most potent among all the synthesized hybrids, with IC50 values of 28.6–39.4 µM against the four breast cancer cell lines, and the activity was more than 2.53 times greater than that of adriamycin (IC50 >100 µM) against multidrug-resistant MCF-7/ADR and MDA-MB-231/ADR cancer cell lines. A preliminary structure-activity relationships (SARs) analysis indicated that chloro/bromo substitution at the C6 position of the isatin moiety was more favorable than at the C4 position; the substituents at the C3 position of the isatin moiety and the carbon spacers between DHA and isatin moieties appeared to play a more significant role. The enriched SARs obtained from this study may provide useful information for the rational design of dihydroartemisinin-isatin hybrids with improved anti-breast cancer activity and drug resistance overcoming capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report picosecond bunch length measurements using an interferometric method for a 3 MeV electron beam having bunch charge ranging from 1 to 14 pC. The method senses the single-cycle sub-terahertz (THz) pulse emitted by each electron bunch as coherent transition radiation which, in turn, is analyzed using a Michelson-type interferometer, forming an interferogram that is then processed to yield the nominal electron bunch length. This sub-THz coherent radiation intensity was measured using a quasi-optical detector (QOD) operated at room temperature. This experiment was quite challenging since the divergence angle of the sub-THz pulse emitted by the low-energy electron bunch exceeds ±10°, and its pulse energy at the entrance to the detector was as low as 100 pJ. When compared to a conventional helium-cooled silicon composite bolometer designed for frequencies above 0.5 THz, the QOD provided much better signal-to-noise ratio in the ∼80 GHz frequency range, which was critical for the successful measurement of the bunch length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new model was first proposed to estimate the ultimate bearing capacity of strip foundations under transient flows on the basis of the kinematic approach of limit analysis. To describe the collapse process, a symmetrical collapse mechanism was generated by discretization technique following the associated flow rule. A layer-wise summation method was developed to calculate the internal dissipation rate. The theoretical results of this paper are given in terms of some assumptions: (1) both soils and fluids considered in this study were regarded to be noncompressible; (2) the hydraulic conductivity in an unsaturated state was equal to that in a saturated state; and (3) the slope of the soil–water characteristic curve was assumed to be constant through the whole transient infiltration process. A series of comparisons with the theoretical results and experimental data were established to verify the reliability of the new approach proposed by this paper. Based on the numerical results and discussions, the key conclusion can be drawn as follows: the ultimate bearing capacities saw a relatively large decrease under transient flows, especially for strip foundations embedded in silt soil, however, the bearing loads for foundations in sandy soil tended to be steady throughout the whole infiltration process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unique wool-ball shaped nanocrystalline CoS was synthesized using solvothermal method in which dopamine (DA) was added as carbon source to combine with the CoS. The DA in situ polymerized and coated on the CoS particle surfaces during the solvothermal process. N, S co-doped carbon-encapsulated CoS(Co9S8) were achieved after a post carbonization. In the composites, CoS(Co9S8) nanocrystals and carbon are tightly bound and embedded into the amorphous carbon layer to form a spherical core–shell structure. Hybrid counter electrodes (CEs) fabricated with the product have good conductivity, dispersion and stability due to the synergetic effect between carbon and nanocrystalline CoS(Co9S8). Charge transfer through the CE/electrolyte interfaces is improved by dopamine-carbon combination. In the optimal case, PCE of 8.82% of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with the hybrid CEs was achieved, which is close to that of the cell with Pt (8.86%) CE, and is a 41.12% increase compared with that of CoS CE cell with the structure of photoanode/N719/electrolyte (I−/I3−)/CE. Moreover, stability of the cells with the composite CEs was greatly improved. The results demonstrate that the as-prepared composites are promising alternatives to Pt-CEs for high-performance DSSCs. The reported preparation method will guide further developments in highly efficient carbon-based catalysts for electrochemistry and energy related applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuchsin acid (FA) and other organic dye contaminants have a great harm to the environment and organisms. It is of importance to develop suitable materials with simple preparation process, low cost and excellent performance, for the purification of polluted water. Layered double hydroxides (LDH), as a kind of efficient anion adsorption materials, can be reused simply, but with poor solid–liquid separation efficiency. Herein, the magnetized modified CaAl-LDH (designated as M-CaAl-LDH) was successfully prepared by using cheap compounds such as CaO, AlCl3 and Fe2+/Fe3+ under the ultrasound-assisted co-precipitation condition. The crystal structure, surface morphology, and elemental compositions were characterized by XRD, FTIR-ATR, SEM–EDS, for the as-prepared LDH materials. The optimized results of removal effect for FA in the simulated sewage show that the removal rate was reached 92.15%, when 0.5 g M-CaAl-LDH was added to the simulated solution with initial pH = 7.5 after adsorption time of 60 min. As for CaAl-LDH before and after magnetic loadings, it is also found that the elimination capacity of M-CaAl-LDH is slightly lower than CaAl-LDH, which may be resulted from the loading of minor amounts of magnetic nano-Fe3O4 with poor removal ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brown–Preston–Singleton (BPS) stopping power model is added to our previously developed hybrid code to model ion beam–plasma interaction. Hybrid simulations show that both resistive field and ion scattering effects are important for proton beam transport in a solid target, in which they compete with each other. When the target is not completely ionized, the self-generated resistive field effect dominates over the ion scattering effect. However, when the target is completely ionized, this situation is reversed. Moreover, it is found that Ohmic heating is important for higher current densities and materials with high resistivity. The energy fraction deposited as Ohmic heating can be as high as 20%–30%. Typical ion divergences with half-angles of about 5°–10° will modify the proton energy deposition substantially and should be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed physiological and molecular characteristics associated with the resistance to aging or anti-senescence in Camellia oleifera Abel. Trees over 100 years old (ancient trees) were compared with those about 30 years old (mature trees). Total chlorophylls, chlorophyll a/b ratio, and hydrogen peroxide concentrations in ancient tree leaves were significantly higher than in their counterparts. Significantly higher activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase were detected in ancient tree leaves. Nine Chl a/b-binding protein genes, 15 antioxidant enzyme genes, 21 hormone-related genes, and 301 stress-related genes were upregulated, and 42 protein-degradation genes were downregulated in ancient tree leaves. By increasing chlorophyll content and antioxidant enzyme activities and regulating the ageing-related genes expression, ancient C. oleifera leaves maintained remarkable vitality. Although further research is needed, our study may shed some light on how ancient C. oleifera trees can resist ageing and sustain their healthy growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the complex geometric distribution of discontinuities, the determination of the shear strength of rock masses has become a difficult task limiting the stability analysis of surrounding rock masses in underground tunnels. This problem might be attributed not only to the size effect of fractured rock masses but also due to the difficult quantification of the geometric distribution of fracture systems. To find a solution to this problem, a series of direct shear tests were numerically simulated by utilizing the synthetic rock mass method (SRM) in the PFC3D software to estimate the shear strength of a rock mass in Qingdao Metro tunnels, located in Shandong province, China. The numerical simulation results show that the shear strength parameters vary significantly with the orientation of the fracture network contained in the rock mass. Meanwhile, it was found that the fracture tensor component in the direction z, Fzz, which is in the perpendicular direction to the shearing plane (x–y plane) of the rock mass displayed an inversely varying trend with the shear strength parameters. Accordingly, a shear strength model was established for the rock mass by introducing Fzz to reflect the effect of the geometric distribution of the complex fracture system. The developed shear strength model was verified by conducting direct shear tests in the field, and a good agreement has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To establish a normative database using a central 10-degree grid pattern for the online circular contrast perimetry (OCCP) application. Participants: Fifty participants with mean age 65 ± 13 years were selected for this study. One eye from each participant that met inclusion criteria was randomly included in the cohort. Methods: The web-application delivered online 52-loci perimetry in a central 10-degree pattern using circular flickering targets. These targets consist of concentric sinusoidal alternating contrast rings. Users were guided by the application to the correct viewing distance and head position using in-built blind spot localization and webcam monitoring. A spinning golden star was used as the fixation target and patients performed the test in a darkened room following standard automated perimetry (SAP). Results: The reliability rates and global indices for OCCP were similar to SAP. OCCP mean sensitivity reduced with age at a similar rate to SAP. Mean sensitivity per loci of 10-degree OCCP was greater than SAP by 1.24 log units (95% CI 1.23 to 1.26) and obeyed a physiological hill of vision. Small differences existed in mean sensitivities between OCCP and SAP which increased with increasing spot eccentricity. Mean deviation (MD) displayed good agreement between the two tests. Conclusion: Central 10-degree online circular contrast perimetry via a computer-based application has comparable perimetric results to standard automated perimetry in a normal cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]