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In this study, the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of a series of FeCrNiCuTix(x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1, in mole ratio) high entropy alloys (HEAs) were analyzed in detail to study the influence of Ti content on the HEAs. The microstructures of the alloys transformed from single-phase face-centered cubic (FCC) phase structure to FCC and body-centered cubic (BCC) diphase, finally to FCC, BCC and intermetallic compound (Fe2Ti) phase with the increase of Ti content. The addition of Ti element significantly refined the grain of the alloys. The hardness, strength and tribology tests of the alloys were also carried out. The results indicated that the Vickers hardness, yield strength, and fracture strength increased first and then decreased, the average friction coefficient variation law was just the opposite, and the plastic strain reduced monotonically, with the increase of x values for the alloys. At x = 0.4, the maximum yield strength and fracture strength of the alloy were 1646.89 MPa and 1947.09 MPa, respectively, and the average friction coefficient was a minimum of 0.47, with a hardness value of HV 489.68 and a plastic strain of 13.98%. The maximum hardness value of the alloy was HV 656.19 at x = 0.8. The fracture mechanism of the alloys was from ductile fracture to brittle fracture and the wear mechanism was form of abrasive wear. Accordingly, the FeCrNiCuTi0.4alloy obtained the optimal mechanical properties overall. This research is of great significance for the development of engineering and structural materials with excellent mechanical properties.

Gaze estimation based on electrooculograms (EOGs) has been widely explored. However, the inter-subject variability of EOGs still leaves a significant challenge for practical applications. It contributes to performance degradation when handling inter-subject issues. In this paper, an unsupervised transfer learning approach with an adaptive reweighting and resampling (ARR) strategy to fully consider individual variability is proposed for EOG-based gaze angle estimation. It allows quantifying domain shifts by leveraging the source-target similarities, reweighting and resampling the source data to retain relevant instances and disregard irrelevant instances during adaptation. Specifically, our proposed methodology first assesses the domain shifts via decomposing transformation matrices, which are estimated between the training subjects (denoted as multi-source domains) and the test subject (denoted as target domain). Then, the multi-domain shifts are assigned as weighted indicators to resample the multi-source domains for model training. Comparative experiments with several prevailing transfer learning methods including CORrelation ALignment (CORAL), Geodesic Flow Kernel (GFK), Joint Distribution Adaptation (JDA), Transfer component analysis (TCA), and Balanced distribution adaption (BDA) using two different normalization processes were conducted on a realistic scenario across 18 subjects. Experimental results demonstrate that the ARR strategy can significantly improve performance (mean absolute error (MAE) reduction: 7.0%, root mean square error (RMSE) reduction: 6.3%), outperforming the prevailing methods. Besides, the impacts of data diversity and data size on ARR strategy are further investigated. It exhibits that data size is more important than data diversity for EOG-based gaze angle estimation, and also presents the benefits of the ARR strategy for dealing with practical scenarios.

Polyoxometalates (POMs) are classified as solid superacids which can exhibit notable proton conductivity, making them a promising functional inorganic filler for enhancing the proton conductivity of proton exchange membranes (PEMs). In this study, a series of hybrid membranes were obtained by molecular-level hybridization of Weakley-type POM Na7H2LaW10O36(LaW10) clusters into sulfonated poly (aryl ether ketone sulfone) (SPAEKS). All hybrid membranes exhibited greater proton conductivity than the pristine membrane in the 30–80 °C temperature range. When the doping amount of LaW10reached 7 wt.%, the proton conductivity of M-LaW10-7 achieved 64 mS·cm−1at 80 °C. Lanthanide ions' high coordination number property and variable coordination environment can aid to attract more water molecules from the environment. LaW10and these bound water can construct denser hydrogen bonds with –SO3H of SPAEKS. These intensive hydrogen bonds will facilitate the constitution of more continuous proton transport channels, and improve the proton conductivity of the hybrid membrane. This work offers a fresh approach to using POMs containing rare-earth components in PEMs.

The curse of dimensionality and noise corruption are two tough problems that need to be solved in hyperspectral image (HSI) classification. However, the current feature dimensionality reduction methods, including both feature extraction (FE) and feature selection ones, cannot simultaneously solve the above two problems well. To address this issue, this article proposes a novel method called $L_{2, p}$ -norm-based robust embedding regression ( $L_{2, p}$ -RER) for robust feature dimensionality reduction of HSI, which can effectively suppress the impact of noises and reduce the feature dimensions. Specifically, $L_{2, p}$ -RER first integrates projection learning with robust principle component analysis (RPCA) to remove noise in a low-dimensional space. Second, an embedding regression (ER) regularization is proposed to improve the discriminability of the extracted low-dimensional features. Third, an $L_{2, 1}$ -norm constraint ( $L_{2, 1}$ -NC) is imposed to improve the interpretability of the learned projection matrix, which can jointly extract the key features from all bands with their physical meanings certainly preserved. Last but most important, the $L_{2, p}$ -norm that can adaptively balance the sparsity and the convexity is employed to model the noise and regression residual in the embedded low-dimensional space, which can further enhance the robustness and generalization of the proposed method. In addition, extensive experiments conducted on three benchmark HSI datasets validated the effectiveness of the proposed method.

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There is widespread interest and concern about the evidence and hypothesis that the auditory system is involved in ultrasound neuromodulation. We have addressed this problem by performing acoustic shear wave simulations in mouse skull and behavioral experiments in deaf mice. The simulation results showed that shear waves propagating along the skull did not reach sufficient acoustic pressure in the auditory cortex to modulate neurons. Behavioral experiments were subsequently performed to awaken anesthetized mice with ultrasound targeting the motor cortex or ventral tegmental area (VTA). The experimental results showed that ultrasound stimulation (US) of the target areas significantly increased arousal scores even in deaf mice, whereas the loss of ultrasound gel abolished the effect. Immunofluorescence staining also showed that ultrasound can modulate neurons in the target area, whereas neurons in the auditory cortex required the involvement of the normal auditory system for activation. In summary, the shear waves propagating along the skull cannot reach the auditory cortex and induce neuronal activation. Ultrasound neuromodulation-induced arousal behavior needs direct action on functionally relevant stimulation targets in the absence of auditory system participation.

Ultrasound stimulation is an emerging noninvasive option in treating neuropsychiatric disorders. The present study investigates the behavioral alterations resulting from ultrasound stimulation on the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in freely moving mice. Our results show that an acute ultrasound stimulation on the NAc, rather than the visual cortex or auditory cortex, led to a pronounced avoidance behavior, while repeated NAc ultrasound stimulation resulted in an obvious conditioned place aversion with changes in synaptic protein (GluA1/2 subunit) expression. Notably, NAc ultrasound stimulation suppressed the morphine-induced conditioned place preference. The results provide evidence that NAc ultrasound stimulation can be applied as a potential noninvasive therapeutic option in treating psychiatric disorders.

ABSTRACTTo realize the efficient reduction and recycling of phosphorus resources in P-bearing steelmaking slag, it is necessary to study slag composition and phase changes during carbothermal reduction under different conditions (slag basicity and reduction time). The thermodynamic and kinetic behaviours of carbothermal reduction dephosphorization of P-bearing steelmaking slag are systematically discussed as well. The results show that the reduction rate of FeO and P2O5show an upward trend with the increase of reduction time at 1823 K.However, the reduction rate of FeO does not change much within 50 minutes. In the range of slag basicity from 0.5 to 2.5, the formation of Ca3(PO4)2increases with the increase of slag basicity. However, the increase of slag basicity is not good for the occurrence of carbothermic reduction gasification dephosphorization reaction. Taking into account the higher formation of Ca3(PO4)2and the better dephosphorization effect of carbothermic reduction gasification, the appropriate slag basicity for carbothermic reduction gasification dephosphorization is 1.0–1.5. Carbothermal reduction gasification dephosphorization reaction of P-bearing steelmaking slag is a second-order reaction, and the mass transfer of P2O5in the slag is the rate-limiting step of the whole process. The kinetic equations that describe the variation of P2O5content in slag with time are yielded through regression. At 1823 K, by controlling the appropriate slag basicity (1.0–1.5) and reduction time (at least 20 minutes), the gasification dephosphorization rate of the carbothermal reduction can reach more than 80%, which can realize efficient recovery of phosphorus resources in P-bearing steelmaking slag.

To realize the efficient reduction and recycling of phosphorus resources in P-bearing steelmaking slag, it is necessary to study slag composition and phase changes during carbothermal reduction under different conditions (slag basicity and reduction time). The thermodynamic and kinetic behaviours of carbothermal reduction dephosphorization of P-bearing steelmaking slag are systematically discussed as well. The results show that the reduction rate of FeO and P2O5show an upward trend with the increase of reduction time at 1823 K.However, the reduction rate of FeO does not change much within 50 minutes. In the range of slag basicity from 0.5 to 2.5, the formation of Ca3(PO4)2increases with the increase of slag basicity. However, the increase of slag basicity is not good for the occurrence of carbothermic reduction gasification dephosphorization reaction. Taking into account the higher formation of Ca3(PO4)2and the better dephosphorization effect of carbothermic reduction gasification, the appropriate slag basicity for carbothermic reduction gasification dephosphorization is 1.0–1.5. Carbothermal reduction gasification dephosphorization reaction of P-bearing steelmaking slag is a second-order reaction, and the mass transfer of P2O5in the slag is the rate-limiting step of the whole process. The kinetic equations that describe the variation of P2O5content in slag with time are yielded through regression. At 1823 K, by controlling the appropriate slag basicity (1.0–1.5) and reduction time (at least 20 minutes), the gasification dephosphorization rate of the carbothermal reduction can reach more than 80%, which can realize efficient recovery of phosphorus resources in P-bearing steelmaking slag.

Hydrogen energy is a promising source of renewable and clean energy for various industries, such as chemical, automobile, and energy industries. Electrolysis of water is one of the basic methods for the production of hydrogen energy. However, the high overpotential of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water electrolysis has hindered the effective production of hydrogen using this method. Thus, the development of high-efficiency non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts for OER is extremely significant. In this study, we adopted a one-step hydrothermal method to fabricate Ni-based catalysts with N/S-dual doped graphene oxide/carbon nanotube (GO/CNT) supports using thiourea (CH4N2S) and urea as the S source and the N source. It was observed that the amount of thiourea utilized in the synthesis of the catalyst affected the morphology, composition, and the electrochemical properties of the catalyst. For a GO/CNT-to-thiourea mass ratio of 1:10, the catalyst exhibited the highest activity, where the OER overpotential was 320 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm2. This was attributed to the high specific surface area, high conductivity, and fast electron transport channels of the N/S-dual doped GO/CNT composite. Furthermore, sulfurization of the Ni particles to form nickel sulfide played a significant role in enhancing the catalytic performance.

Purpose: Grounded in the job demands–resources (JD-R) theory, this study investigates how the difficulty in social distancing at work, resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, may lead to intention to quit and career regret and how and when these effects may be attenuated. Design/methodology/approach: Three-wave survey data were collected from 223 frontline service workers in a large restaurant company during the COVID-19 crisis. Findings: The results show that difficulty in social distancing reduced employees' work engagement, and consequently, increased their turnover intention and career regret. These relationships were moderated by external employability, such that the influence of difficulty in social distancing weakened as external employability increased. Originality/value: Social distancing measures have been applied across the globe to minimize transmission of COVID-19. However, such measures create a new job demand for service workers who find it difficult to practice social distancing due to the high contact intensity of service delivery. This study identified personal resources that help service workers cope with the demand triggered by COVID-19.

Biomass‐derived carbon dots were synthesized by a hydrothermal method using the flavonoid luteolin, 3′,4′,5,7‐tetrahydroxyflavone, as a carbon source. The reaction conditions were optimized with regard to reaction temperature, reaction time, and amount of luteolin. N‐doped luteolin‐based carbon dots (N‐CDs) were obtained through the addition of ethylenediamine and used as MALDI‐TOF matrix for the analysis of amino acids and other low molecular‐weight molecules. Compared with N‐free CDs, the matrix application of N‐CDs displayed less background interferences, high sensitivity, superior efficiency, and good repeatability. Pyridinic N atoms were identified as the major component of the nitrogen dopants in N‐CDs. The lone electron pair of this N species, which is located in an sp2‐orbital perpendicular to the aromatic system, and the π‐conjugated structure contributed to an enhanced desorption/ionization efficiency. Furthermore, the qualitative detection of amino acids in serum samples was accomplished by MALDI‐TOF MS using the N‐CD matrix. This new type of MALDI‐TOF matrix demonstrated its potential in the analysis of small molecules present in chemical, environmental, or biological samples. Carbon dots were synthesized by a hydrothermal method using the flavonoid luteolin as carbon source. N‐doped luteolin‐based carbon dots (N‐CDs) were obtained through addition of ethylenediamine and used as MALDI‐TOF matrix for the analysis of amino acids and other low molecular‐weight molecules. The matrix application of N‐CDs displayed less background interferences, high sensitivity, superior efficiency, and good repeatability.

Based on a two-wave survey of 242 frontline employees from a restaurant company, this study examines, in the COVID-19 setting, how career growth opportunities affect employee career-related outcomes and how these effects may be moderated. It was found that career growth opportunities improved career commitment and reduced career regret via its boosting effect on employee thriving at work. The survey results also showed that the impact of career growth opportunities on thriving (directly), and on career commitment and career regret (indirectly), is heightened by employee anxiety triggered by COVID-19. This indicates that career growth opportunities are most needed and most beneficial for shaping employees’ career outcomes when they experience high levels of COVID-19 anxiety.

A rapid nanoconfined liquid phase filtration system (NLPF) based on solvent-confined carbon nanofibers/carbon fiber materials (CNFs/CFs) was proposed to effectively remove chlorinated pesticides from ginsenosides-containing ginseng extracts. A series of major parameters that may affect the separation performance of the CNFs-NLPF method were extensively investigated, including the water solubility of nanoconfined solvents, filtration rate, ethanol content of the ginseng extracts, and reusability of the material for repeated adsorption. The developed method showed a high removal efficiency of pesticides (85.5–97.5%), high retainment rate of ginsenosides (95.4–98.9%), and consistent reproducibility (RSD < 11.8%). Furthermore, the feasibility of the CNFs-NLPF technique to be scaled-up for industrial application was systematically explored by analyzing large-volume ginseng extract (1 L), which also verified its excellent modifiable characteristic. This filtration method exhibits promising potential as a practical tool for removing pesticide residues and other organic pollutants in food samples to assure food quality and safeguard human health.

Nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs), derived from the biomass (anthocyanin), are the novel additive to the nanocarbon materials, which is expected to bring a wide spectrum of novel applications. Moreover, metallic oxides are emerging for their unique potential for electrocatalysis. Herein, we report the synthesis of N-CDs for the selective detection of Fe3+with a limit of detection of 2.57 μM in the range of 5–60 μM using ethylenediamine and H2O2by a hydrothermal method. The obtained N-CDs displayed a spherical morphology with a particle size range of 2–7 nm and emitted blue luminescence at 394 nm under excitation at 319 nm. Meanwhile, we have demonstrated the fabrication of cost-efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an alkaline medium, employing N-CDs. Owing to the successful incorporation of N-CDs into NiO nanospheres, the resulting N-CDs/NiO with large surface areas, fast charge transfer, and increased conductivity vastly improved the catalytic activity. Remarkably, the optimal of N-CDs/NiO composite requires the overpotential of only 380 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2and a relatively low Tafel slope of 57.96 mV dec−1compared with pure NiO. These results open up a facile route for the application of N-CDs and offer prospects for CD-metal hybrids as high OER catalysts in electrochemical energy devices.

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Highly luminescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are developed as fluorescent probes for selective detection of the heavy-ion Fe3+, where the CQDs exhibit excellent nontoxicity, functionalizability, sensitivity, and selectivity. Biomass-based CQDs and nitrogen-doped CQDs (N-CQDs) are synthesized for the selective detection of Fe3+by using H2O2as an oxidant and polyetherimide (PEI) as a nitrogen precursor by a green hydrothermal synthesis method. The prepared CQDs and N-CQDs exhibit an elliptical morphology and with an average particle size of 7 and 4 nm, respectively, and emit blue photoluminescence at 445 and 468 nm under excitation at 367 and 343 nm, respectively. The CQDs and N-CQDs exhibit good water solubility because of the abundant hydroxyl and carboxyl/carbonyl groups and graphic/pyrrolic/pyridinic nitrogen on the surfaces, giving rise to a quantum yield of about 24.2% and 30.7%, respectively. Notably, the Matrimony vine-PEI-based CQDs exhibit excellent Fe3+selectivity and sensitivity relative to the Matrimony vine-based CQDs due to complexation of the numerous phenolic hydroxyl groups and nitrogen-containing groups with Fe3+, leading to increased fluorescence quenching, which greatly improves the sensitivity of detection. The minimum detection limit was 2.22 µmol L−1with a complexation constant of 44.7.

An innovative and versatile microextraction technique based on nanoconfined solvent on carbon nanofibers has been conceived, realized, optimized, and presented here. The extraction capabilities of this technique toward polar, medium polar, and/or nonpolar substances can be easily modulated based on the nanoconfined solvent used. The so-called nanoconfined liquid phase nanoextraction showed excellent characteristics in terms of extraction recoveries, extraction time (≤1 min), reliability, and versatility. A needle-tip device has been realized on the base of this extraction process to allow direct extraction procedures and minimally invasive testing: this device guarantees a safe insertion in aqueous or soft samples, and it allows a fast and minimally invasive analyte extraction. Due to its versatility, chemical stability, and mechanical flexibility, nanoconfined liquid phase nanoextraction can be considered a powerful candidate for high-throughput analyses of biological samples.

Timestamping services are used to prove that a data item existed at a given point in time. This proof is represented by a timestamp token that is created by a timestamping authority. ISO/ IEC 18014 specifies timestamping services and requires them to hold the following two properties: (1) The data being timestamped is not disclosed to the timestamping authority; hash values of the data are provided to the authority instead. (2) A timestamp token can be renewed; as a result, the validity duration of a timestamp token is not restricted by the lifetimes of underlying algorithms or policies. In this article, we review this standard and discover several issues: Due to inconsistent writing or information missing, a timestamping service following the standard specification may not be able to achieve these designed properties. We provide a solution to each issue.

ABSTRACTEstradiol regulates thyroid function, and chloride channels are involved in the regulation of thyroid function. However, little is known about the role of chloride channels in the regulation of thyroid functions by estrogen. In this study, the effects of estrogen on chloride channel activities in human thyroid Nthy-ori3-1 cells were therefore investigated using the whole cell patch-clamp technique. The results showed that the extracellular application of 17β-estradiol (E2) activated Cl−currents, which reversed at a potential close to Cl−equilibrium potential and showed remarkable outward rectification and an anion permeability of I−> Br−> Cl−> gluconate. The Cl−currents were inhibited by the chloride channel blockers, NPPB and tamoxifen. Quantitative Real-time PCR results demonstrated that ClC-3 expression was highest in ClC family member in Nthy-ori3-1 cells. The down-regulation of ClC-3 expression by ClC-3 siRNA inhibited E2-induced Cl−current. The Cl−current was blocked by the estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI 182780 (fulvestrant). Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and not estrogen receptor beta was the protein expressed in Nthy-ori3-1 cells, and the knockdown of ERα expression with ERα siRNA abolished E2-induced Cl−currents. Estradiol can promote the accumulation of ClC-3 in cell membrane. ERα and ClC-3 proteins were partially co-localized in the cell membrane of Nthy-ori3-1 cells after estrogen exposure. The results suggest that estrogen activates chloride channels via ERα in normal human thyroid cells, and ClC-3 proteins play a pivotal role in the activation of E2-induced Cl−current.

Earthquakes play a fundamental role in the evolution of Earth’s topography through co-seismic uplift and subsidence, as well as erosion through widespread landslides induced by ground motion. Earthquake-induced landslides can result in exceptional increases in the transfer of mass from landscapes, supplying sediment to rivers where impacts can last for decades or longer. Landslides can also erode vegetation and soils, in addition to exposing freshly ground rock mass, which can both result in regionally significant carbon transfers. Recent work has sought to quantify the fluxes, rates, and temporal patterns of the impacts on earth surface processes generated by these tectonic events. In this review, we focus on the impacts of earthquake-induced landslides on erosion and sediment flux, river water chemistry, and carbon export through the lens of the well-studied 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. We then discuss these themes in the context of works from the 1999 Taiwan Chi-Chi earthquake, 2015 Nepalese Gorkha earthquake, and New Zealand historical earthquakes, altogether highlighting an important role of earthquake-induced landslides in erosion and weathering along tectonically active mountain ranges. We suggest that more monitoring, geochemical tracing, paleo-records, and/or modelling studies are needed to compare the processes and fluxes of catchment erosion and weathering before and after earthquake events, which will help to deepen our understanding not only of the impacts of earthquake-induced landslides on earth surface processes, but also the linkage among high magnitude events, continental erosion and weathering, and the long-term global carbon cycle.

A palladium‐catalyzed cascade reaction involving domino Heck/intramolecular C−H arylation to construct 2,3,9,9a‐tetrahydro‐1H‐fluorene derivatives was developed. Products are obtained in moderate to excellent yields. The transient σ‐alkylpalladium(II) complex is the key intermediate, which mediates the C(sp2)‐H bond activation via a six‐metallacycle. According to a transient σ‐alkylpalladium(II) complex, the control experiment demonstrates that β‐H elimination is faster than C−H activation. The methodology shows high chemoselectivity and good functional group tolerance. C−H arylationto construct skeletal moieties is an important strategy. Pd‐catalyzed (Z)‐1‐iodo‐1‐aryl‐1,6‐dienes derivatives form a transient σ‐alkylpalladium(II) complex, which mediates the C(sp2)‐H bond activation via a six‐membered metallacycle. Finally, the intermediate underwent reductive elimination to produce the multihydro‐1H‐fluorene skeletal.

Waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) are the most crucial components of electronic waste，containing high-value metals that are attractive secondary sources and main recycling targets. This study proposed a combined method of supergravity technology and liquation technology to separate metals from WPCBs. Fe-rich, Cu–Zn and Cu–Sn phases were gradually precipitated and separated in supergravity fields. Two key parameters of separation temperature and gravity coefficient were investigated under different conditions. The optimum temperature was 1100 °C for separating Fe-rich alloy, and 800 °C for separating Cu–Zn and Cu–Sn alloy. Moreover, controlling the gravity coefficient at 600 in this study was deemed the most appropriate and energy-efficient. Under the optimum conditions, the mass fractions of Fe, (Cu + Zn), and (Cu + Sn) in Fe-rich, Cu–Zn, and Cu–Sn alloy reached 81.8 wt%, 95.0 wt%, and 89.9 wt%, respectively. A potential industrial apparatus for the novel method was also proposed. The results demonstrate that the proposed supergravity-assisted liquation method is a promising and optimized approach for selectively separating metals from WPCBs.

The role of EPS produced during biodegradation diesel-contaminated seawater, as well as the effect of EPS on natural microbiota and culturable microorganisms, remains unknown. Here, natural microbiota (pre and post enrichment with diesel) from 5 islands’ seawater in Jiaozhou Bay were explored through metagenomic and culture-dependent approaches. EPS response degradation was mainly characterized by the following aspects: 1) The post-enrichment samples contained significantly fewer dominant bacterial genera than the pre-enrichment samples, and EPS or PS (polysaccharides) promoted degradation of C16-C24 hydrocarbon fractions; 2) EPS caused higher increases in aromatic compound degradation functional genes copies; 3) EPS enhanced the enzymatic activity of alkane hydroxylase and ethanol dehydrogenase; 4) Diesel degradation by mono and mixed cultures of culturable bacteria (B1 and B2) with extracted EPS showed a higher biomass, biosurfactant production, expression of PAH-RHDα GN and cytochrome P450 genes, degradability and emulsification capacity. The above innovations provided new perspectives for oil-spill bioremediation.

This study addresses the prediction inaccuracy and poor adaptability of conventional temperature prediction models for ladle furnace refining. The historical production data of a steel plant were used to establish a hybrid prediction model based on mathematical mechanisms and a backpropagation neural network optimized using a genetic algorithm. The coefficient of determination (R2) of the hybrid model was 0.98, and the hit ratio of temperature prediction within ±5°C was 99.3%. The ladle's thermal status affected the model prediction accuracy. A steel plant with a compact production rhythm and good baking state was less affected by the ladle's thermal status. The model input variables exhibited varying degrees of influence on the end temperature of molten steel in two steel plants with the starting temperature of the molten steel entering the station having the greatest influence. For accurate temperature control and prediction in actual production, high-influence variables must be given focus to ensure their stable control and process interference must be mitigated.

The Yellow River Plain (YRP), being regarded as the cradle of Chinese civilization, is traditionally thought to be the locale of the Great Flood, a hazardous flood (or floods) tamed by Yu who started China’s first “dynasty”, Xia, in ~ 2000 BC. However, by integrating published archaeological data, we propose that the Great Flood in fact impacted the Jianghan Plain (JHP) along the middle course of the Yangtze River. The arguments include: (1) around the era of the Great Flood, the most civilized and populated society in East Asia, named the Jianghan society, was located around the JHP (at that time, the habitation on the YRP remained limited); (2) the Jianghan society lived on river resources (shipping and rice growing) and was thus subject to flood risks (but not for the people inhabiting the YRP); (3) the people in the Jianghan society were experienced in dredging moats/ditches for shipping and irrigation; (4) unlike the floods on the YRP that were characterized by dynamic sedimentation and channel avulsion, those on the JHP typically occurred with slow-moving water manageable to ancient people; (5) the JHP has been associated with lake/wetland systems serving as detention basins during floods. Here, the recorded method for controlling the Great Flood, dredging channels to divert flood water to a “sea”, was feasible. Known speleothem paleo-rainfall data from multiple sites show that the climate of the JHP had been wet since the middle Holocene (earlier than the era of the Great Flood) and significantly turned dry after ~ 1850 BC (~ 150 years later than the Great Flood). Thus, the uniqueness of the Great Flood was likely to reflect an increase in land use on the JHP with the expansion of the Jianghan society, and the success in taming this flood was mainly due to the efforts of the society, not by luck.

A Pd‐catalyzed cycloisomerization of (Z)‐1‐iodo‐1,6‐dienes was developed to construct 3‐aza‐bicyclo[4.1.0]hept‐2‐enes bearing substitutions at C1/C5. A wide array of (Z)‐1‐iodo‐1,6‐dienes could be converted to the desired compounds efficiently. On the basis of mechanistic studies, two pathways were proposed, in which compound alkyl iodide derivatives formed by reductive elimination of Csp3−Pd−I was proved to be a possible intermediate. 1,6‐dienesare very attractive and unique platform for the synthesis of various types of cyclic compounds. Herein, a Pd‐catalyzed cycloisomerization of (Z)‐1‐iodo‐1,6‐dienes has been developed to construct 3‐aza‐bicyclo[4.1.0]hept‐2‐enes bearing substitutions at C1/C5.

In order to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of 6-MW wind turbine, experimental study on the aerodynamic characteristics of the model rotor system and on characterization of a wind generation system is carried out. In the test, a thrust-matched rotor system and a geometry-matched rotor system, which utilize redesigned thrust-matched and original geometry-matched blades, respectively, are applied. The 6-MW wind turbine system is introduced briefly. The proper scaling laws for model tests are established in the paper, which are then implemented in the construction of a model wind turbine with optimally designed blades. And the parameters of the model are provided. The aerodynamic characteristics of the proposed 6-MW wind rotor system are explored by testing a 1:65.3 scale model at the State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Before carrying out the wind rotor system test, the turbulence intensity and spatial uniformity of the wind generation system are tested and results demonstrate that the characterization of the wind generation system is satisfied and the average turbulence intensity of less than 10% within the wind rotor plane is proved in the test. And then, the aerodynamic characteristics of 6-MW wind rotor system are investigated. The response characteristic differences between the thrust-matched rotor system and the geometry-matched rotor system are presented. Results indicate that the aerodynamic characteristics of 6-MW wind rotor with the thrust-matched rotor system are satisfied. The conclusion is that the thrust-matched rotor system can better reflect the characteristics of the prototype wind turbine. A set of model test method is proposed in the work and preparations for further model basin test of the 6-MW SPAR-type floating offshore wind turbine system are made.

Herein, a hydrophobized zwitterionic-based copolymer poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate-co-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate-co-isobornyl acrylate) (P(SBMA-co-DMA-co-ISA), PSDI) containing a chiral structure has been successfully synthesized by free radical polymerization and subsequent sulfonation reactions. Together with tannic acid (TA), PSDI colloidal particles (CPs) were anchored onto the Ti alloy surface by the electrophoretic deposition method. The composition, morphology, and surface properties of the CP-TA composite coatings were characterized by  fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), optical contact angle (OCA), and other methods. The results show that the introduction of TA improves the stability of coatings by participating in the noncovalent interactions including ionic pairing and hydrogen bonding. According to the in vitro bacterial adhesion test, the modified titanium surface containing SBMA and chiral ISA functional units can effectively inhibit Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus)adhesion. Furthermore, the excellent cytocompatibility and favorable cell adhesion and growth behavior of zwitterionic-based coatings were realized as a result of the appropriate hydrophobicity provided by the ISA moiety. This work provides a new strategy for preparing zwitterionic-based multifunctional coating. The coating with excellent bacterial and cell selective adhesion properties has great potential in the applications of metal implant materials, such as cardiovascular stents and human hard tissue repair and replacement materials.

A mild and efficient type of Pd/Cu‐catalyzed allenamide allyl acetate reaction with terminal alkynes affording polyfunctionalized 2,3‐dihydropyrrole derivatives is reported. Allenamide substrates went through two π‐allyl palladium complex processes, and then it was trapped by terminal alkynes on the distal position via a Sonogashira reaction. Two new Csp3−Csp2and Csp3−Cspbonds were efficiently constructed in one pot. Working together: A mild and efficient type of Pd/Cu‐catalyzed allenamide allyl acetate reaction with terminal alkynes affording polyfunctionalized 2,3‐dihydropyrrole derivatives is reported. Two new Csp3−Csp2and Csp3−Cspbonds were efficiently constructed in one pot.

Metal/graphene electrocatalysts have attracted growing attention in recent years due to their high catalyst loadings, good activity, and high stabilities. In this review, we summarize various approaches towards improving the efficiencies of metal/graphene electrocatalysts in terms of both cost and performance, based on optimization of the graphene support and the metal catalyst particles themselves. Thus, four different approaches are examined: (1) increasing the catalyst/support binding energy, (2) inducing additional anchoring and active sites, (3) enlarging the effective catalyst surface areas, and (4) enhancing the intrinsic catalytic activity through modification of the electronic structure. Finally, remarks on necessary future work in this area will be given in the context of producing metal/graphene electrocatalysts better suited to fuel cell applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Externally controlling the excitation of a neuronal subset through ion channels activation can modulate the firing pattern of an entire neural circuit in vivo. As nanovalves in the cell membrane, ion channels can be opened by light (optogenetics) or ultrasonic (sonogenetics) means. A thoroughly analyzed force sensor is the Escherichia colimechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL). Here we expressed MscL in rat hippocampal neurons in a primary culture and showed that it could be activated by low-pressure ultrasound pulses. The gain-of-function mutation, I92L, sensitized MscL’s sonic response, triggering action potentials at a peak negative pressure as low as 0.25 MPa. Further, the I92L MscL reliably elicited individual spikes by timed brief pulses, making excitation programmable. Because MscL opens to tension in the lipid bilayer, requiring no other proteins or ligands, it could be developed into a general noninvasive sonogenetic tool to manipulate the activities of neurons or other cells and potential nanodevices.

ObjectiveMedication reconciliation (MedRec) is recognised as a multiprofessional process for the prevention of medication discrepancies. The goal of this study is to evaluate the available electronic medication reconciliation (eMedRec) tools and their effect on unintended discrepancies that occur in hospital institutions.MethodPubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, the ClinicalTrials.gov website and four other Chinese databases were searched for relevant studies starting from their inception through October 2017. Methodological quality was assessed using the nine standard criteria of Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Review Group (EPOC) and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.3 software.ResultsA total of 13 studies (three randomised controlled trials and 10 non-randomised controlled trials) were identified. Meta-analysis results demonstrated a reduced number of medications with unintended discrepancies (relative risk (RR)=1.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.55 to 2.21), while no statistically significant differences were observed in the number of patients with unintended medication discrepancies (RR=2.74, 95% CI 0.59 to 12.73). Common discrepancies included medication omission, dose discrepancy, and frequency discrepancy. We found that the clinical impact of medication discrepancy was mild. A total of 12 electronic tools were reported and were mostly integrated into the hospital’s information system. However, the usability, user adherence, and user satisfaction were found to lack sufficient evidence.ConclusioneMedRec was shown to reduce the incidence of medication with unintended discrepancies and improve medication safety. However, the electronic tools are diversified and the effects on other outcomes still require a comprehensive evaluation.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42017067528.