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The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties are investigated systematically on Flash-butt welded IN718 alloy joint after annealing at 980 °C and subsequent aging. The yield strength (YS) is increased from 667 MPa to 1175 MPa and the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) is increased from unprocessed 980 MPa to 1412 MPa. A grain gradient distribution is achieved in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) with the grain size gradually increasing from the weld seam (WS) to the matrix after heat treatment, and the ductility of the welded sample is higher than that of the matrix without any loss of strength. The contribution mechanism of grain gradient to ductility is investigated by varying the fraction of the HAZ. The results demonstrate that the ductility of the welded sample higher than that of the matrix is because of the co-deformation between the HAZ and the matrix, which results in the effectively dynamic accumulation of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) from gradient transition zones into the matrix. Therefore, premature stress concentration is prevented and additional ductility is obtained for welded samples. Increasing the fraction of HAZ effectively enhances local strain within coordinated deformation zones, leading to improved ductility.

Herein, we report a convergent synthesis of 1-azahelicenes using easily available quinoline derivatives and cyclic diaryliodonium salts as starting materials. This reaction undergoes a palladium-catalyzed dual C–H activation/cyclization process to give facile access to a wide range of 1-aza[5]helicenes and 1-aza[6]helicenes with abundant functional groups (including F, Cl, Br, I, CF3, SeR, SR, and heteroaryl) in moderate to excellent yields, thereby providing new opportunities to fine-tune the properties of the helicene backbone. In addition, the obtained products could be further transformed into helicene-based Lewis base catalysts and redox switch materials easily. Notably, one selected 1-azahelicene shined bright yellow light by aggregation. These features enlarge the chemical space of 1-azahelicenes and inspire further utilization in other areas of research.

This communication presents a wideband dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) with a stable gain in-band. Four modes are excited in the DRA, including the fundamental mode TE111(y) and higher order modes TE113(y), TE122(z), and TE115(y), which are combined to provide a wide impedance bandwidth. However, this combination of modes introduces severe gain drops at specific frequencies, resulting in a fluctuating gain across the wide impedance bandwidth. To improve the gain bandwidth, the electric filed distributions at these specific frequencies are analyzed and reconstructed using the proposed approaches. For demonstration, a practical prototype of the proposed antenna is fabricated and measured. Reasonable agreement between the measured and simulated results is observed. The prototype exhibits a wide measured 10-dB impedance bandwidth of 64.6% (5.85–11.48 GHz) and a 1-dB gain bandwidth of 57.5% (6.35–11.48 GHz), with stable broadside radiation patterns in-band. Additionally, the maximum gain can reach 7.2 dBi.

A dual-mode radial uniform circular array (UCA) is proposed for orbital angular momentum (OAM) generation and in-band full-duplex (IBFD) systems. The presented configuration is composed of an eight-element sequentially rotated patch antenna array and a partially shared feeding network (SFN). Each antenna element has a single feeding port and is fed by the corresponding output port of the SFN. A novel feeding network scheme is designed to achieve dual-OAM-mode excitation and self-interference cancellation between the transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) ports. To validate the correctness of the proposed configuration, a prototype with 0 and −2 excitation modes is fabricated and measured. The measured results demonstrate that the proposed antenna operates from 5.68 to 6.1 GHz with an isolation of more than 40 dB over the whole band of interest.

Endocytosis and recycling control the uptake and retrieval of various materials, including membrane proteins and lipids, in all eukaryotic cells. These processes are crucial for cell growth, organization, function and environmental communication. However, the mechanisms underlying efficient, fast endocytic recycling remain poorly understood. Here, by utilizing a biosensor and imaging-based screening, we uncover a recycling mechanism that couples endocytosis and fast recycling, which we name the clathrin-associated fast endosomal recycling pathway (CARP). Clathrin-associated tubulovesicular carriers containing clathrin, AP1, Arf1, Rab1 and Rab11, while lacking the multimeric retrieval complexes, are generated at subdomains of early endosomes and then transported along actin to cell surfaces. Unexpectedly, the clathrin-associated recycling carriers undergo partial fusion with the plasma membrane. Subsequently, they are released from the membrane by dynamin and re-enter cells. Multiple receptors utilize and modulate CARP for fast recycling following endocytosis. Thus, CARP represents a previously unrecognized endocytic recycling mechanism with kiss-and-run membrane fusion.

Probiotics are used in cheese fermentation to endow the product with unique functional properties, such as enhanced flavor and aroma development through proteolysis and lipolysis. In this study, two probiotic Lactobacillusstrains, Lactobacillus plantarumA3 and Lactobacillus reuteriWQY-1, were selected to develop new probiotic cheeses in the form of single- and mixed-strain starters. The results demonstrated that the L. plantarumA3 single-strain group and the L. plantarumA3/L. reuteriWQY-1 mixed fermentation group exhibited superior product performance, particularly the release of functional hydrolysates during cheese ripening. Furthermore, Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis revealed 26 unique antioxidant peptides in the L. plantarumA3 single-strain group and 53 in the L. plantarumA3/L. reuteriWQY-1 mixed fermentation group. Among these, CMENSAEPEQSLACQCL (β-lactoglobulin), CMENSAEPEQSLVCQCL (β-lactoglobulin), and IQYVLSR (κ-casein) have been found to possess potential antioxidant properties both in vitroand in vivo. This confirmed that milk-derived protein peptides in cheese products exhibit potential antioxidant functions through the hydrolysis of probiotic strains.

2D layered metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are a potential material for fabricating self-powered photodetectors (PDs). Nevertheless, 2D MHPs produced via solution techniques frequently exhibit multiple quantum wells, leading to notable degradation in the device performance. Besides, the wide band gap in 2D perovskites limits their potential for broad-band photodetection. Integrating narrow-band gap materials with perovskite matrices is a viable strategy for broad-band PDs. In this study, the use of methylamine acetate (MAAc) as an additive in 2D perovskite precursors can effectively control the width of the quantum wells (QWs). The amount of MAAc greatly affects the phase purity. Subsequently, PbSe QDs were embedded into the 2D perovskite matrix with a broadened absorption spectrum and no negative effects on ferroelectric properties. PM6:Y6 was combined with the hybrid ferroelectric perovskite films to create a self-powered and broad-band PD with enhanced performance due to a ferro-pyro-phototronic effect, reaching a peak responsivity of 2.4 A W–1at 940 nm.

• A special heterostructure with an alternating distribution of coarse and fine α lamella is achieved in bimodal Ti6242 alloy. • Such heterostructure can significantly inhibit strain localization and generate an extra HDI hardening. • High-density 〈 c + a 〉 dislocations are activated in the heterostructure to accommodate strain. • HDI strengthening and Hall-Petch strengthening are the dominant strengthening mechanisms for the heterostructure. In this work, a heterogeneous structure (HS) with an alternating distribution of coarse and fine α lamella is fabricated in bimodal Ti6242 alloy via insufficient diffusion of alloying elements induced by fast heating treatment. Instead of a distinct interface between the primary α phase (α p) and β transformation microstructure (β t) in the equiaxed microstructure (EM), all α p /β t interfaces are eliminated in the HS, and the large α p phases are replaced by coarse α lamella. Compared to the EM alloy, the heterostructured alloy exhibits a superior strength-ductility combination. The enhanced strength is predominantly attributed to the increased interfaces of α/β plates and hetero-deformation induced (HDI) strengthening caused by back stress. Meanwhile, good ductility is ascribed to its uniform distribution of coarse and fine α lamella, which effectively inhibits strain localization and generates an extra HDI hardening. This can be evidenced by the accumulated geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) induced by strain partitioning of the heterostructure. Significantly, the HDI causes extra 〈 c + a 〉 dislocations piling up in the coarse α lamella, which generates an extra strain hardening to further improve the ductility. Such hetero-interface coordinated deformation mechanism sheds light on a new perspective for tailoring bimodal titanium alloys with excellent mechanical properties. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable uncertainty remains regarding the associations of multiple factors with brain health. We aimed to conduct an exposome-wide association study on neurodegenerative disease and neuropsychiatry disorders using data of participants from the UK Biobank. Multivariable Cox regression models with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator technique as well as principal component analyses were used to evaluate the exposures in relation to common disorders of central nervous system (CNS). Restricted cubic splines were conducted to explore potential nonlinear correlations. Then, weighted standardized scores were generated based on the coefficients to calculate the joint effects of risk factors. We also estimated the potential impact of eliminating the unfavorable profiles of risk domains on CNS disorders using population attributable fraction (PAF). Finally, sensitivity analyses were performed to reduce the risk of reverse causality. The current study discovered the significantly associated exposures fell into six primary exposome categories. The joint effects of identified risk factors demonstrated higher risks for common disorders of CNS (HR = 1.278 ~ 3.743, p< 2e-16). The PAF varied by exposome categories, with lifestyle and medical history contributing to majority of disease cases. In total, we estimated that up to 3.7 ~ 64.1% of disease cases could be prevented.

According to the green development requirements of carbon neutrality and carbon peaking, the effective separation of lanthanides and actinides is one of the key factors for nuclear energy to become a sustainable energy source. In recent years, o-phenanthroline-based ligands have been proven to be effective in the separation of lanthanides and actinides. In this work, based on 5,9b-dihydro-4aH-cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b′]dipyridines, we designed six N-heterocyclic ring ligands and theoretically studied their extraction capacity and separation selectivity for the Am(III) and Eu(III) ions. Various theoretical methods were used to analyze the properties of the ligands and study the bonding nature of the ligands with the metal ions. Thermodynamic parameters were calculated to measure the extraction ability of the ligands to the metal ions and to explore the separation capacity of the ligand for the Am(III) and Eu(III) ions. The calculated results show that the five- and six-membered N-heterocyclic ring side chains of the ligands and the distribution of the N atoms on the side chain rings have obvious effects on the bonding of the ligands to metal ions and on the extraction and separation properties of the ligands for the metal ions. It was found that the extractants with six-membered ring side chains possess an extraction ability slightly better than that of the ligands with five-membered ring side chains and that the ligands with a pair of adjacent N atoms on the side chains have a stronger separation selectivity for the Am(III)/Eu(III) ions. The theoretical research in this work will help to understand the details of binding and extraction properties of similar ligands and provide insights for the future design of five- and six-membered heterocyclic ligands.

Twelve previously undescribed ophiobolin-type sesterterpenoids, undobolins A–L (1–12), were isolated from Aspergillus undulatus, and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, ECD calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. Compound 1was the second example of 20-nor-ophiobolin reported, while compounds 2–6were notable for oxygenation of C-2, and compound 6showed significant inhibitory activity against ConA-induced T lymphocyte proliferation with an IC50value of 2.3 μM, which suggests a promising new direction in the quest for immunosuppressive agents.

This paper describes a first attempt to build and operate a multi-chip prototype lander control and sensor signal digitization electronics circuit board comprised of ten NASA Glenn IC Generation 11 SiC JFET-R IC chips in 460 °C, 9.4 MPa harsh Venus surface conditions. The lander circuit ceased electrical operation prematurely at 107 °C as the Venus chamber heated up. Microscopic post-test inspections indicate that only one of the ten SiC chips on the board failed. Most of circuit-damaging cracks observed on the failed chip corresponded to micron-scale irregularly-shaped dielectric film hillock defects. The study of these defects suggests minor processing changes to eliminate this suspected root failure cause.

A series of novel five-membered sulfur-containing heterocyclic nucleoside derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activities in vitro and in vivo. The structure–activity relationship studies revealed that some of them showed obvious antitumor activities in several cancer cell lines. Among them, compound 22oexhibited remarkable antiproliferative activity against HeLa cells and was more potent than cisplatin (IC50= 2.80 vs 7.99 μM). Furthermore, mechanism studies indicated that 22oinhibited cell metastasis, induced cell apoptosis, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and activated autophagy through the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway. Moreover, drug affinity responsive target stability and the cellular thermal shift assay revealed that 22otargeted RPS6 and inhibited its phosphorylation. Importantly, 22oinhibited the growth of the HeLa xenograft mouse model with a low systemic toxicity. These results indicated that 22omay serve as potent anticancer agents that merit further attention in future anticancer drug discovery.

This article proposes a methodology for designing co-polarized in-band full-duplex (IBFD) antenna arrays with high isolation. An equivalent circuit model of IBFD antenna arrays is established, and transmission zeros are introduced by configuring controllable coupling paths between the arrays. Based on the proposed equivalent circuit model, the high-isolation co-polarized IBFD antenna arrays are designed by utilizing a wavefront phase compensation technique and a controllable coupling structure. Two co-polarized IBFD cavity slot antenna arrays based on the TM510 mode cavity are designed for validation, where a transmission zero is obtained in the passband to improve the isolation between the transmitter (Tx) and the receiver (Rx) ports. Compared with the reference antenna array, the isolation of the designed IBFD antenna array is improved by about 22 dB. The theoretical analysis and design process of the IBFD antenna array is given in detail. A second-order co-polarized IBFD antenna array is fabricated and measured, and the measured results are in good agreement with the simulated results.

Lanzhou Ion Therapy Company Ltd. (Lanith), is developing a new compact heavy ion therapy. The device consists of a superconducting gantry and a 35-meter superconducting synchrotron. A combined function curved Discrete Cosine Theta (DCT) superconducting magnet is the key to miniature heavy ion therapy device. The combined function magnet on the gantry consists of three sets of superconducting magnets with a bending radius of 2 m. The central magnetic field is 3.312 T, and the good field region is not less than 60 mm. In order to reduce the magnet size, DCT coils are used for both the dipole and quadrupole magnets. The quadrupole magnet adopts the closed winding at the end turns, which makes the magnet more compact. This article presents a detailed description of the electromagnetic design and optimization process of the gantry magnet system. In order to achieve the design goal of integral field uniformity, the article applies various new methods, and optimizes the integral field homogeneity for both cases with and without yoke. The first set of magnets is being manufactured and will be completed by the end of the year.

High energy FRagment Separator (HFRS), a full superconducting beam line, consists of 11 dipoles and 13 multiplets with the magnetic rigidity of 25 Tm and the large acceptance of ±165 mm. The multiplet contains three magnets nested with octupole, sextupole, quadrupole or steering dipoles, which are arranged together in a common cryostat. A Coil-dominated multipole magnets based on Discrete-Cosine-Theta (DCT) geometry is presented, which is expected to reduce the cold mass and shorten the length of beam line. A total of 200 G10 mandrels with a diameter greater than 400 mm are required and machined with grooves to hold the 6-around-1 cable securely. In order to minimize the costs and periods of magnets manufacture, injection molding is proposed and capable of mass-producing the formers. The first full-size prototype named L800 (effective length = 800 mm) has been successfully tested. Since the measured integral harmonics of the L800 exceed 10 units (only b3n component for 2n-pole field), the optimization of magnetic design is carried out to minimize the undesired harmonics. This paper will present the latest of the design and development process of the HFRS multipole magnets.

In order to improve the efficiency of cancer treatment, Lanzhou Ion Therapy Company, Ltd. (LANITH) proposed a miniaturized medical heavy-ion therapy facility. The gantry of the therapy facility is composed of six 45 degree combined function magnets, which are used to generate a dipole field (3.312 T) and a quadrupole field (11.5 T/m) with a good field region of no less than 60mm. The quadrupole coil is distributed on both sides of the dipole coil, and the maximum ramping rate of the magnetic field is 0.6 T/s. The magnet adopts the Discrete Cosine Theta (DCT) geometry, which is wound with six-around-one superconducting cable. Since the gantry is continuously rotating during the treatment process, the design of conduction cooling is required. Temperature rising inside the coil caused by high ramping speed will lead to quench, the design of cooling structure must be taken into consideration to avoid the risk. This article first illustrates beam optics and the electromagnetic design of the magnet, then the theoretical calculation of AC loss (including coil AC loss, Eddy current loss in mechanical structure) and quench protection design. By optimizing the coil cooling structure, reducing the influence of the loss on the magnet, and using quench-back quench protection design, the superconducting magnet will work safely and stably during continuous treatment.

Deep convolutional neural network (NN)-based object detectors are not appropriate for straightforward inference on high-resolution videos at edge devices, as maintaining high accuracy often brings about prohibitively long latency. Although existing solutions have attempted to reduce on-device inference latency by selecting a cheaper configuration (e.g., choosing a more lightweight NN or scaling a frame to a smaller size before inference) or eliminating a background containing no object, they often ignore various high-resolution features and fail to optimize for those videos. We thus present AdaPyramid, a framework to reduce as much on-device inference latency as possible, especially for high-resolution videos, while achieving the accuracy demand approximately. We observe that the cheapest configuration to achieve the accuracy demand varies significantly across both different frames and different regions in a frame. The underlying reason is that object features (e.g., the location, size and category of objects) are more uneven in high-resolution videos, both temporally and spatially. Moreover, we observe that the object size presents a prominent hierarchical distribution in high-resolution frames. AdaPyramid thus partitions each frame hierarchically just like a pyramid and chooses a content-aware configuration for each region, which is adapted online based on the feedback. We evaluate the performance of AdaPyramid on a public dataset and our collected real-world videos. The obtained results show that under comparable accuracy to the state-of-the-art solutions, AdaPyramid can decrease inference latency by 40% on average, with up to 2.5× speed-up.

A superconducting fast cycling dipole prototype with a central field of 6 T and ramp rate of 1 T/s for ion synchrotron is currently under development at Institute of Modern Physics (IMP). The magnet utilizes a modified cos θ coil design, employing multi-strand round cable in formed grooves. The ribs of straight section of the coil formers have been removed to improve the excitation efficiency. Low loss round cables, made from NbTi/CuMn superconducting wires with a filament of 4.1 um, and the G10 formers are used to reduce AC losses during the ramping operation. The copper cold conduction strips are arranged between layers to improve the cooling efficiency. Bladder and key technology is adopted to prestress the coils. 2D layout of the coil is obtained through a linear programming code. This paper presents the round cable design, 2D cross section optimization, coil end and mechanical design, thermal analysis of the magnet, as well as the development of a technical prototype.

In this paper, a curved dipole magnet with Discrete-Cosine-Theta (DCT) coils which have compact ends and higher excitation efficiency, used for carbon ion therapy treatment facility is discussed. The dipole magnet has a bending angle of 90 degrees and a bending radius of 0.8 m. The magnet is ramped from 0 T to 2.9 T with a maximum rate of 1 T/s. However, the ramping magnetic field induces eddy current loss in metallic structure and ac loss in superconductor, resulting in temperature rise, and even quenching of the magnet. Therefore, a deep understanding of these effects is crucial for the design process. To mitigate the overall coil loss, reasonable structural design and conductor specifications are implemented. Furthermore, through finite-element analysis, the temperature distribution of the magnet under different cooling methods, such as LHe (Liquid Helium) bath and thermal conduction, are calculated in detail. Multiple reasonable cooling structures are also designed to ensure the safety of the magnet.

N-Alkoxyphthalimides, one kind of phthalimide derivative, have great importance in synthesis, mainly used as free radical precursors. While the phthalimide unit, for a long time, was treated as part of the waste stream. Construction of C–N bonds has always been a hot spot, especially in reductive cross-coupling. Herein, a nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling reaction of N-methoxyphthalimides with alkyl halides is described, where N-methoxyphthalimides serve as nitrogen electrophiles. This tactic provides a new approach to construct C–N bonds under mild neutral conditions. Alkyl chlorides, bromides, iodides, and sulfonates are all fit to this transformation. Moreover, the reaction could tolerate a broad substrate scope, especially base-sensitive functional groups (boron or silicon groups), as well as competitive nucleophilic groups (phenols and amides), which are incompatible with traditional Gabriel synthesis under basic conditions, demonstrating a complementary role of this work to Gabriel synthesis.

Lithium–air batteries (LABs) have aroused worldwide interest due to their high energy density as a promising next-generation battery technology. From a practical standpoint, one of the most pressing issues currently in LABs is their poor rate performance. Accelerating the mass transfer rate within LABs is a crucial aspect for enhancing their rate capability. In this Perspective, we have meticulously analyzed the ion and oxygen transport processes to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the mass transfer within LABs. Following this, we have discussed potential misconceptions in the existing literature and propose our recommendations for improving the rate performance of LABs. This Perspective provides a deep insight into the mass transfer process in LABs and offers promising strategies for developing other high-rate metal–O2batteries.

IMPORTANCE: Effects of genetic variants on primary angle-closure disease remained uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the associations of common single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and rare coding variants with primary angle-closure disease, its subtypes (including primary angle-closure glaucoma, primary angle-closure suspect, and primary angle-closure) and progression. DATA SOURCES: Eligible studies from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were retrieved up to April 3, 2023. SNV information was extracted from eligible reports and 2 genome-wide association studies summary statistics, UK BioBank and FinnGen. STUDY SELECTION: Studies providing analyzable genotype or allele data in a case-control design for primary angle-closure disease association and longitudinal case-only design for primary angle-closure disease progression. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: PRISMA guidelines were used for literature screening and the Newcastle Ottawa Scale for data quality assessment. Pooled effect size with 95% CIs of SNV associations were calculated using fixed- or random-effect models according to I2 statistics. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: SNVs reported in 2 or more studies were meta-analyzed to generate pooled odds ratios and P values. Common and rare coding variants from single reports were summarized. RESULTS: Sixty-nine citations were eligible for meta-analysis on overall primary angle-closure disease, involving 206 SNVs in 64 genes or loci. Seventeen SNVs in 15 genes or loci showed associations with primary angle-closure disease, and 15 SNVs in 13 genes or loci showed associations with primary angle-closure glaucoma. Two SNVs, ABCA1 rs2422493 and ZNRF3 rs3178915, were associated only with primary angle-closure disease. Two SNVs, PCMTD1-ST18 rs1015213 and COL11A1 rs3753841, were associated with primary angle-closure suspect, and 1 SNV, MMP9 rs3918249, was associated with primary angle-closure. This systematic review and meta-analysis newly confirmed 7 genes or loci associated with primary angle-closure glaucoma: ATOH7, CALCRL, FBN1, IL6, LOXL1, MMP19, and VAV3. Common and rare coding variants in 16 genes or loci that have been associated with primary angle-closure disease were cataloged. Stratification analysis revealed different primary angle-closure disease–associated genes in different ethnic populations. Only 1 study regarding the genetic association of primary angle-closure glaucoma progression was identified. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study revealed the genetic complexity of primary angle-closure disease, involving common SNVs and rare coding variants in more than 30 genes or loci, with ethnic and phenotypic diversities. Further replication, genotype-phenotype correlation, and pathway analyses are warranted.

In this work, the nucleation and growth kinetics of pearlitic transformation are quantitatively investigated to unveil the distinctive microstructural evolution behavior under a high undercooling degree. Both intra-granular and inter-granular nucleation increasingly occur with 1-2 orders of magnitude increase in nucleation rate N˙. However, a moderate increase in the growth rate GV, namely a larger N˙/GVratio, leads to a 30%–40% size reduction in pearlitic colonies. The avalanche-type increase in nucleation events induces a more random distribution of ferrite orientation among colonies that possess a slight increase in relative misorientation but a pronounced increase in accumulative misorientation, and an arbitrary alignment of Fe3C lamellas in colony interior. Such improved microstructural homogeneity ensures more uniform and localized deformability, which allows compatible deformation between colonies or within colonies and prevents the expansion of newly-formed cracks. These results provide guidance for industrial manufacture of high-carbon pearlitic products with high safety and reliability, resulting from the improvement in localized deformability, and for low-cost wires via reducing the drawing passes, stemming from the significant increase in uniform deformability.

To better meet the requirements in loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA) and conventional operating conditions in nuclear applications, this work prepared Cr, FeCrAl, and Cr/FeCrAl composite coatings on Zr alloys using plasma spraying technology. The microstructures, hardness, and high-temperature oxidation resistance of coatings are examined. The high-temperature oxidation of coatings was conducted at 1200 °C in air for 20, 40, and 60 min. All coatings exhibited characteristic lamellar microstructures accompanied by small pores. The inner layers of the coatings, benefiting from the “compacting effect” of subsequently deposited particles, displayed lower porosity and higher hardness. The order of high-temperature oxidation resistance among the coatings was determined as follows: Cr/FeCrAl coating > Cr coating > FeCrAl coating. Notably, the Cr/FeCrAl composite coating demonstrated exceptional durability even after a 60-min exposure, with no ZrO2formation and negligible Fe and Cr diffusion. However, oxygen could still reach the Zr substrate due to inherent pores and the lamellar structure in the as-sprayed coatings. Therefore, post-treatments are suggested to mitigate or eliminate these pores, thereby improving high-temperature oxidation resistance.

The dissolution mechanism of the η-Ni3(Al0.5Nb0.5) phase during hot compression in Ni-based ATI718Plus superalloy has been investigated. The results indicate that with increasing deformation, the amount of dynamic recrystallization grains in the γ matrix increases, and the dissolution of the η phase tends to be accelerated. At the precipitation temperature of the η phase of 950 °C, the η phase area fraction decreased from 9.8% to 3.0% after deformation. The deformation promotes dislocation accumulation at the boundaries of the η phase, developing into subgrains and then evolving into DRX grains due to subgrain rotation. With increased strain, the subgrain rotations and DRX grain growths result in extrusion and subsequent fracture of the η phase. Due to strain incompatibility between the η phase and γ matrix, dislocation sustains are accumulated at their interfaces, which disrupts the η/γ semi-coherent interface, leading to localized amorphization and the decomposition of the η phase. Furthermore, dislocation surrounding the η phase can act as diffusion channels for solute elements, promoting the dissolution of the η phase and resulting in the element concentration gradient distribution from the η phase to the γ matrix.

In this study, ultrasonic rolling process (USRP) were performed on the rolled copper samples (with an initial grain size of 11.4 μm) to obtain the gradient structure (GS), which comprises nanocrystalline layer (NL), deformed layer (DL), and center layer (CL). The different GS layer (NL and DL) volume fractions of samples were obtained by performing different passes of USRP after rolling, and the effect of the GS layer volume fractions on the mechanical properties was further studied. The morphology and structure of (unrolled, rolled and rolled + USRP) samples were characterized by electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). In-situ tensile testing was used to investigate the tensile deformation behavior of the GS sample. The results show that the rolled + USRP (12 passes) sample with the thickest GS layer (volume fraction of 42%) has the greatest strength (yield strength (YS) 262 MPa and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) 325 MPa). The fine grains, dislocations and textures jointly strengthen the GS sample by increasing the force required for dislocation slip, and their contribution to YS is 51.3%, 44.4% and 4.3%, respectively. In addition, the nanocrystalline grains of GS layer make microcracks evenly distributed and hard to gather, to efficiently hinder cracks propagation and result in good ductility of GS samples. This study provides an effective method to obtain GS materials with good comprehensive properties and a deeper understanding of their deformation behavior and strengthening mechanism.

This paper investigates the distribution pattern of welding porosity defects in annular weld seams of superalloy during laser welding. The results reveal that the initial portion of the annular weld seam exhibits a higher density and larger size of porosity defects compared to the ending portion. At a laser power of P = 360 W, the numerical simulation combination showed that the A1 region's average cooling rate is 8.767 × 103 °C/s and the A2 region is 8.151 × 103 °C/s that the thermal conduction effect at the initial welding position leads to an elevation in the base metal temperature in the subsequent unwelded region, thereby reducing the solidification rate of the molten pool in the latter half of the weld seam and effectively decreasing the porosity rate at the weld seam. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that elevating the base metal temperature can effectively modify the cooling rate of the molten pool, thereby influencing the formation of porosity defects. At a laser power of P = 360 W, increasing the base metal temperature to 600 °C reduces the cooling rate of the molten pool from 8.767 × 103 °C/s at a base metal temperature of T = 20 °C to 7.451 × 103 °C/s, leading to a decrease in the porosity rate from 3.357% to 0.022%. At a laser power of P = 672 W, increasing the base metal temperature to 600 °C reduces the cooling rate of the molten pool from 6.781 × 103 °C/s at a base metal temperature of T = 20 °C to 5.056 × 103 °C/s, leading to a decrease in the porosity rate from 8.214% to 0.002%. The increase in laser power brings more heat input, so the solidification rate of the molten pool decreases, but the porosity increases significantly. However, increasing the base temperature can effectively suppress the porosity defects under different laser powers. The research further reveals the relationship between welding porosity rate and cooling conditions, providing a control strategy for achieving low porosity rate welds.

There is considerable research evidence that α-dicarbonyl compounds, including glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO), are closely related to many chronic diseases. In this work, after comparison of the capture capacity, reaction pathway, and reaction rate of synephrine (SYN) and neohesperidin (NEO) on GO/MGO in vitro, experimental mice were administrated with SYN and NEO alone and in combination. Quantitative data from UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS revealed that SYN/NEO/HES (hesperetin, the metabolite of NEO) could form the GO/MGO-adducts in mice (except SYN-MGO), and the levels of GO/MGO-adducts in mouse urine and fecal samples were dose-dependent. Moreover, SYN and NEO had a synergistic scavenging effect on GO in vivoby promoting each other to form more GO adducts, while SYN could promote NEO to form more MGO-adducts, although it could not form MGO-adducts. Additionally, human experiments showed that the GO/MGO-adducts of SYN/NEO/HES found in mice were also detected in human urine and fecal samples after drinking flowers of Citrus aurantiumL. var. amaraEngl. (FCAVA) tea using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. These findings provide a novel strategy to reduce endogenous GO/MGO via the consumption of dietary FCAVA rich in SYN and NEO.

α-Dicarbonyl compounds, such as glyoxal (GO) and methylglyoxal (MGO), are a series of chemical hazards that exist in vivo and in vitro, posing a threat to human health. We aimed to explore the scavenging effects on GO/MGO by synephrine (SYN) alone or in combination with neohesperidin (NEO). First, through LC–MS/MS, we confirmed that both SYN and NEO could effectively remove GO and form GO adducts, while NEO could also clear MGO by forming MGO adducts, and its ability to clear MGO was stronger than that of GO. Second, a synergistic inhibitory effect on GO was found when SYN and NEO were used in combination by using the Chou–Talalay method; on the other hand, SYN could promote NEO to clear more MGO, although SYN could not capture MGO. Third, after synthesizing four GO/MGO-adducts (SYN-GO-1, SYN-GO-3, NEO-GO-7, and NEO-MGO-2) and identifying their structure through NMR, strict correlations between the GO/MGO-adducts and the GO/MGO-clearance rate were found when using SYN and NEO alone or in combination. Furthermore, it was inferred that the synergistic effect between SYN and NEO stems from their mutual promotion in capturing more GO by the quantitative analysis of the adducts in the combined model. Finally, a study was conducted on flowers of Citrus aurantiumL. var. amara Engl. (FCAVA, an edible tea) rich in SYN and NEO, which could serve as an effective GO and MGO scavenger in the presence of both GO and MGO. Therefore, our study provided well-defined evidence that SYN and NEO, alone or in combination, could efficiently scavenge GO/MGO at high temperatures, whether in the pure form or located in FCAVA.

Objective: Accidental pharyngeal fishbone ingestion is a common complaint in ear, nose, and throat clinics. Approximately two-thirds of the accidentally ingested fishbones can be removed using tongue depressors and indirect laryngoscopy. However, the remaining third is challenging to identify and remove using these methods. These difficult fishbones require identification and removal via more advanced approaches. Video-guided laryngoscope is used to deal with difficult fishbones in our center. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for difficult fishbones.Methods: A prospective study was performed at a teaching hospital on 2080 patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors.Results: The common fishbone locations were the tonsils (39.8%; defined as STEP-I), tongue base (37.1%), vallecula (13.3%; STEP-II), and hypopharynx (9.8%; STEP-III). With increasing STEP level, the ratio of difficult fishbones correspondingly increased (Z = 13.919, P< .001), and the proportions were 21.1%, 41.9%, and 70% in STEP-I, II, and III, respectively. In particular, fishbones in STEP-III (vs STEP-I) had a higher risk of difficult fishbones (odds ratio [OR]: 11.573, 95% CI: 7.987-16.769). Complaints of neck pain (yes vs no), foreign body sensation (yes vs no), and shorter length of fishbones always had a lower risk of difficult fishbones (OR: 0.455, 95% CI: 0.367-0.564; OR: 0.284, 95% CI: 0.191-0.422; OR: 0.727, 95% CI: 0.622-0.85). Missing teeth (yes vs no), swallowing behavior after fishbone ingestion (yes vs no), and male patients (vs female) had a higher risk of difficult fishbones (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.47-2.456; OR: 1.631, 95% CI: 1.293-2.059; OR: 1.278, 95% CI: 1.047-1.56).Conclusions: Neck pain, foreign body sensation, fishbone length, patient age and sex, tooth status, and swallowing behavior after fishbone ingestion are independent risk factors for difficult fishbones.

Bipoladiens A–E (1–5), five new ophiobolin-derived sesterterpenoids, and a known compound 6(bipolaricin R) were isolated from the cultures of the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris maydis. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated based on comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, HRESIMS, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Notably, compound 1has an undescribed tetracyclic 5/8/5/7 fused carbon skeleton, and compound 2possesses a rare multicyclic caged ring system. The biosynthetic pathway of 1was proposed starting from 6via a series of oxidation and cyclization reactions. Compound 6showed excellent antiproliferation and apoptosis induction effects against A549 cell line. Additionally, compounds 5and 6exhibited noticeable antimicrobial ability against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus,and Staphylococcus epidermidis. These findings not only developed the chemical and bioactivities diversities of ophiobolin-sesterterpenoid but also provided an idea to boost the application of natural products in the control of food pathogens.

The development of new composite materials is of great significance to improve the photocatalytic degradation efficiency. In this article, the TiO2/ZIF‐8 composite materials (TZCM) have been designed via the combination of hydrothermal‐assisted liquid phase deposition and the simple coprecipitation method. The experimental results indicate that the TiO2and ZIF‐8 nanoparticles can be tightly bonded together by chemical bonds. Moreover, the TZCM also exhibit a significantly increased specific surface area and a reduced band gap width, which would provide more active sites and realize the visible‐light response during the photocatalytic process. The photodegradation rate and the corresponding first‐order reaction rate of methylene blue within 24 min by TiO2/ZIF‐8 composite material (e.g., sample TZCM‐3) is 93.36% and 0.1376 min−1, which is 31 times and 17 times that of pristine TiO2and ZIF‐8, respectively. According to the photoelectrochemical experiments, the separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes in TZCM sample during the photocatalytic process could be significantly enhanced. The TiO2/ZIF‐8 heterojunction has been designed via the combination of hydrothermal‐assisted liquid phase deposition and the simple coprecipitation method. The improved photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2/ZIF‐8 is attributed to the increased specific surface area and a reduced bandgap width, which would provide more active sites and realize the visible‐light response during the photocatalytic process.

Supercritical airfoils are critical components in the design of commercial wide-body aircraft wings due to their ability to enhance aerodynamic performance in transonic flow regimes. However, traditional design methods for supercritical airfoils can be time-consuming and require significant manual effort, not to mention the high cost associated with computational fluid dynamics analysis. To address these challenges, this paper introduces a highly automated approach for supercritical airfoil design, called Evolutionary Generative Design (EvoGD). The EvoGD approach is based on the framework of Evolutionary Computation and employs a series of sophisticated data-driven generative models incorporated with physical information to iteratively refine initial airfoil shapes, resulting in improved aerodynamic performances and reduced constraint violations. Moreover, to speed up the evaluation of the generated airfoils, a series of accurate and efficient data-driven predictors are utilized. The efficacy of the EvoGD approach was demonstrated through experiments on a dataset of 501 supercritical airfoils, including one baseline design and 500 randomly perturbed airfoils. On average, the generated airfoils showed improved performance in terms of buffet lift coefficient, cruise lift-to-drag ratio, and thickness by 5%, 4%, and 1%, respectively. The best generated airfoil outperformed the baseline design in terms of critical buffet lift coefficient and cruise lift-to-drag ratio by 7.1% and 6.4%, respectively. The entire design process was completed in less than an hour on a personal computer, highlighting the high efficiency and scalability of the EvoGD approach.

The occurrence of ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling frequently hampers the sustainable advancement of UF technology. Reactive self-cleaning UF membranes can effectively alleviate the problem of membrane fouling. Nevertheless, the self-cleaning process may accelerate membrane aging. Addressing these concerns, we present an innovative design concept for composite self-healing materials based on self-cleaning UF membranes. To begin, TiO2nanoparticles were incorporated into the polymer molecular structure viamolecular design, resulting in the synthesis of TiO2/carboxyl-polyether sulfone (PES) hybrid materials. Subsequently, the nonsolvent-induced phase inversion technique was employed to prepare a novel of UF membrane. Lastly, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel coating was applied to the hybrid UF membrane surface to create PVA@TiO2/carboxyl-PES self-healing reactive UF membranes. By establishing a covalent bond, the TiO2nanoparticles were effectively and uniformly dispersed within the UF membrane, leading to exceptional self-cleaning properties. Furthermore, the water-absorbing and swelling properties of PVA hydrogel, along with its capacity to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, resulted in UF membranes with improved hydrophilicity and active self-healing abilities. The results demonstrated that the water contact angle of PVA@5%TiO2/carboxyl-PES UF membrane was 43.1°. Following a 1-h exposure to simulated solar exposure, the water flux recovery ratio increased from 48.16% to 81.03%. Moreover, even after undergoing five cycles of 12-h simulated sunlight exposure, the UF membranes exhibited a consistent retention rate of over 97%, thus fully demonstrating their exceptional self-cleaning, antifouling, and self-healing capabilities. We anticipate that the self-healing reactive UF membrane system will serve as a pioneering and comprehensive solution for the self-cleaning antifouling challenges encountered in UF membranes while also effectively mitigating the aging effects of reactive UF membranes.

The usage of live streaming services has led to a substantial increase in live video traffic. However, the perceived quality of experience of users is frequently limited by variations in the upstream bandwidth of streamers. To address this issue, several adaptive bitrate (ABR) algorithms have been developed to mitigate bandwidth variations. Nevertheless, the ability of users to enjoy high-quality live streams remains limited. While neural-enhanced approaches, such as super-resolution, offer significant quality improvements, frame-oriented super-resolution leads to excessive inference delay that violates the real-time feature of live streaming. In response, we propose ViChaser, which examines block-oriented super-resolution for live streaming. ViChaser performs neural super-resolution on potential blocks of interest in the media server, corresponding to the user’s viewpoint, and uses online learning to adapt to the dynamic content of the video. Additionally, ViChaser utilizes the Lyapunov framework to efficiently allocate uplink bandwidth for original low-quality live video and high-quality labels. The experimental results demonstrate that ViChaser achieves 1.2–1.5 dB higher video quality in Peak-Signal-to-Noise-Ratio than WebRTC and increases processing speed by 11–16 fps relative to LiveNAS.

The controllable and safe hydrogen storage technologies are widely recognized as the main bottleneck for the accomplishment of sustainable hydrogen energy. Ammonia borane (AB) has regarded as a competitive candidate for chemical hydrogen storage. However, developing efficient yet high-performance catalysts towards hydrogen evolution from AB hydrolysis remains an enormous challenge. Herein, cobalt phosphide nanosheets are synthesized by a facile salt-assisted along with low-temperature phosphidation strategy for simultaneously modulating its morphology and electronic structure, and function as hydrogen evolution photocatalysts. Impressively, the Co2P nanosheets display extraordinary performance with a record high turnover frequency of 44.9 min−1, outperforming most of the noble-metal-free catalysts reported to date. This remarkable performance is attributed to its desired nanosheets structure, featuring with high specific surface area, abundant exposed active sites, and short charge diffusion paths. Our findings provide a novel strategy for regulating metal phosphides with desired phase structure and morphology for energy-related applications and beyond.

Adaptor proteins play crucial roles in signal transduction across diverse signaling pathways. Src-homology 2 domain-containing E (SH2E) is the adaptor protein highly expressed in vascular endothelial cells and myocardium during zebrafish embryogenesis. In this study we investigated the function and mechanisms of SH2E in cardiogenesis. We first analyzed the spatiotemporal expression of SH2E and then constructed zebrafish lines with SH2E deficiency using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. We showed that homozygous mutants developed progressive pericardial edema (PCE), dilated atrium, abnormal atrioventricular looping and thickened atrioventricular wall from 3 days post fertilization (dpf) until death; inducible overexpression of SH2E was able to partially rescue the PCE phenotype. Using transcriptome sequencing analysis, we demonstrated that the MAPK/ERK and NF-κB signaling pathways might be involved in SH2E-deficiency-caused PCE. This study underscores the pivotal role of SH2E in cardiogenesis, and might help to identify innovative diagnostic techniques and therapeutic strategies for congenital heart disease.

Objective: This study presents a novel membrane-type acoustic metamaterial (MAM) with loaded masses of asymmetric dimensions and arrangements. The transmission losses (TL) of the proposed structures were investigated theoretically. The two types of loaded ornaments investigated were arc masses and platelets. The dependence of TL characteristics on mass positions was also investigated. Method: An analytical model based on the Galerkin method was established to predict the TL behavior. Finite element (FE) simulations were conducted to verify the analytical results. Results and Conclusions: In comparison with traditional MAMs of symmetric loaded mass, asymmetric masses are more effective in increasing the number of TL peaks as well as reducing the overall weight of the structure. The TL peak frequency coincides with the frequency of the unbound mass and steep phase change. A good agreement between theoretical and FE results was observed.

This communication implements a series-fed microstrip patch antenna with slant polarization. A 45° inclined cross-shaped dual-polarized microstrip patch antenna array was investigated. The radiating elements are interconnected with conductive strips to minimize the influence of the out-of-phase phase currents on the radiation pattern, thus significantly improving the broadside directivity of the antenna. A novel structure miniaturization scheme is proposed. The conductive strips are meandered to reduce the size of the antenna and the proposed antenna is designed. A pair of differential power dividers is utilized to replace the complex feeding network of the normal antenna array, thus simplifying the structure of the antenna. A prototype is then fabricated and measured to verify our design. The results show that the proposed dual-polarized three-element array operates from 3.4 to 3.6 GHz with the advantages of high gain, simple feeding, and low loss, which is attractive in high-directivity and dual-polarization applications.

Dye molecules often change colors (so-called “chromism”) according to the environment variation. However, they are rarely induced by a catalytic amount of cavity. Through encapsulation in the cavity of a porous coordination cage (PCC-2), Rhodamine B (1) is transformed from red quinonoid form (1q) into colorless lactone form (1l) in aprotic polar solutions. The μ4-OH groups in the cavity of PCC-2are shown to stabilize the uncommon zwitterion intermediate (1z), followed by converting to 1l, thus accelerating the equilibrium. The chromism is catalyzed by 0.25 mol% of PCC-2, and the reaction rate is improved by 80,400 times. 1@PCC-2can be further fabricated to a sol-gel that exhibits ion recognition properties. The resulting encapsulation and stabilization of an unconventional intermediate by a catalytic amount of the coordination cage provides fundamental insights into molecular isomerization and has potential use in chemical sensing.

Objective: Periodic structures have been widely investigated in the past decade because of its potential for noise and vibration reduction. However, there is limited research applying the concept of periodic structures to composite sandwich structures. This paper proposes two lightweight types of periodic hollow-shaped cores in composite sandwich structures, which are simple geometries and able to generate wide flexural bandgap in mid-frequency range for broaden applications. Methodology: Floquet theory and wave finite element method are used to compute the bandgap behavior. The frequency response function (FRF) of the proposed structures is performed to demonstrate the performance of vibration attenuation by using the finite element simulation. Results and Conclusions: The FRF shows that the low vibration transmissibility is observed within a certain frequency range, which is consistent with the predicted flexural bandgap. The effect of face–core delamination on the FRF is also examined. Our findings indicate that the proposed structures have higher performance of vibration attenuation than the pristine conventional sandwich structures, even when the proposed structures exhibit face–core delamination. Last, our study demonstrates that despite the simplicity of the core design, it is capable of achieving comparable bandgap behavior to more complex geometries.

Orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS) is a novel modulation scheme to handle the high Doppler effect under time-varying channels. In this paper, in order to improve channel estimation accuracy and to reduce pilot overhead, two types of two-dimensional (2D) pilots and the corresponding matched filters are designed for multi-antenna OTFS systems. Our 2D pilots are formed using perfect arrays (such as Frank array, Chu array, etc) or perfect-sequence based Kronecker array (PKA). Different from the previous multi-antenna OTFS pilots, these 2D pilots are placed on the same area in the delay-Doppler domain, using code division multiplexing to deal with the interference between pilots of different antennas, known as pilot pollution. To improve the channel estimation performance, matched filters are also designed to better compensate the phase shift of the 2D pilot response in the delay-Doppler domain. Compared with the conventional multi-antenna OTFS schemes, the proposed scheme achieves significantly better NMSE performance, while having lower pilot overhead under multi-antenna scenarios.

Atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) increases with climate warming and may limit plant growth. However, gross primary production (GPP) responses to VPD remain a mystery, offering a significant source of uncertainty in the estimation of global terrestrial ecosystems carbon dynamics. In this study, in-situmeasurements, satellite-derived data, and Earth System Models (ESMs) simulations were analysed to show that the GPP of most ecosystems has a similar threshold in response to VPD: first increasing and then declining. When VPD exceeds these thresholds, atmospheric drought stress reduces soil moisture and stomatal conductance, thereby decreasing the productivity of terrestrial ecosystems. Current ESMs underscore CO2fertilization effects but predict significant GPP decline in low-latitude ecosystems when VPD exceeds the thresholds. These results emphasize the impacts of climate warming on VPD and propose limitations to future ecosystems productivity caused by increased atmospheric water demand. Incorporating VPD, soil moisture, and canopy conductance interactions into ESMs enhances the prediction of terrestrial ecosystem responses to climate change.

Camellia sinensisis a significant economic and medical plant. The plant is short and thrives in shaded environments, making it suitable for cultivation under forest canopies. However, the mechanisms governing the growth of C. sinensisin understory conditions need to be fully understood. The study aims to delve into the growth regulatory mechanisms of C. sinensisin understory mode and the impact of the environment on its growth efficiency and bioactive compound synthesis. Through physiological measurements, transcriptomics, metagenomics, and machine vision analysis, a systematic investigation of C. sinensischaracteristics in different environments was conducted. Transcriptome data comparisons unveiled key gene expression changes, and the role of these genes in biosynthetic pathways was validated using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). Concurrently, metagenomic analysis of soil microbial communities revealed the environmental effects on microbial diversity. C. sinensisin understory mode exhibited higher stomatal density and smaller pore sizes under low light and humidity conditions; phenolic and flavonoid compounds were identified as the main regulatory pathways, with enhanced expression of key genes such as Dihydroflavonol-4-Reductase(DFR), Anthocyanidin Reductase(ANR), and Leucoanthocyanidin Reductase(LAR), which promoted the synthesis of tea polyphenols and lignin, the abundance of Acidobacteria might be related to the growth of C. sinensisin understory mode. Furthermore, machine vision models indicated that C. sinensisdisplayed higher growth efficiency in the understory mode environment. This research discovered the characteristics of C. sinensisin understory mode and elucidated its growth efficiency in understory mode by modulating phenolic and flavonoid metabolism key genes and promoting the accumulation of secondary metabolites. Differences in soil microbial communities could also affect vegetation coverage and other aspects. These findings provide a scientific basis for optimizing understory mode cultivation and highlight the crucial importance of multidisciplinary approaches in understanding plant adaptability.