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Viscosity is one of the key factors of the mitochondrial microenvironment, and any abnormal change in the viscosity is not conducive to the normal functioning of the mitochondria. Therefore, it is extremely crucial to monitor the mitochondrial viscosity for disease diagnoses. In this study, a novel fluorescent probe YPE based on twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) was synthesized via simple synthetic steps. The probe has the characteristics of excellent targeting of mitochondria, good adaptation to a wide pH range, outstanding photostability, and good biocompatibility. Furthermore, we used the probe to investigate the changes in the mitochondrial viscosity under various drug stimulations and distinguish between normal and cancer cells via fluorescence imaging. It provides a powerful fluorescence tool for understanding the abnormal changes in the mitochondria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent educational inequity for immigrant and refugee students and their families calls for instructional practices centering on access, quality, and social justice. Drawing on two qualitative case studies, this article examines how three U.S. urban school teachers attended to the systemic inequalities and unique challenges confronting immigrant and refugee students both inside their classrooms and outside the school. Our analyses show that the teachers strategically enacted various critical instructional practices, including linguistically responsive pedagogy, translanguaging, and sociopolitically responsive pedagogy. The teachers' agentic practices have important implications for teacher education and professional development for immigrant and refugee learners in urban settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-objective optimisation of high-speed rail profile with small radius curve is studied in the paper. A multi-objective mathematical model for rail profile optimisation of high-speed railway is established. The CN60 rail profile is parameterised into a series of generalised functions of design variables. In order to guarantee the smoothness of the rail profile and meet the maximum grinding depth of rail in China, the constraints are employed. The wheel-rail vertical clearance and equivalent conicity of wheelset are taken as objective functions, and a rail wear prediction programme is compiled. Contact line method is employed to complete the detection algorithm of wheel-rail contact points. Finally, NSGA-II Algorithm is adopted to solve the Pareto-optimal front of the optimisation model. A set of solutions are retrieved from the Pareto optimal front solution as the optimised profile. The optimised rail profile and the original rail profile are matched with the LMA wheel profile (a certain worn type of wheel profiles for EMU in China) respectively. It is testified that the rail profile could effectively reduce the rail wear and improve curving performance. The new method proposed in this paper can provide some reference for the optimisation design of high-speed rail profile with small radius curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective aggregation of temporal information of consecutive frames is the core of achieving video super-resolution. Many scholars have utilized structures such as sliding windows and recurrences to gather the spatio-temporal information of frames. However, although the performances of constructed video super-resolution models are improving, the sizes of the models are also increasing, exacerbating the demand on the equipment. Thus, to reduce the stress on the device, we propose a novel lightweight recurrent grouping attention network. The parameters of this model are only 0.878 M, which is much lower than the current mainstream model for studying video super-resolution. We have designed a forward feature extraction module and a backward feature extraction module to collect temporal information between consecutive frames from two directions. Moreover, a new grouping mechanism is proposed to efficiently collect spatio-temporal information of the reference frame and its neighboring frames. The attention supplementation module is presented to further enhance the information gathering range of the model. The feature reconstruction module aims to aggregate information from different directions to reconstruct high-resolution features. Experiments demonstrate that our model achieves state-of-the-art performance on multiple datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-frequency excitation generated by the wheel polygon seriously affects the safety of the train. In order to explore the evolution mechanism of wheel polygonisation, a long-term prediction model of wheel circumferential wear on both sides of the wheelset is proposed. Based on a new updating strategy, the model is implemented by combining the coupled vehicle/track dynamic model and the wheel circumferential wear model. The wheel circumferential wear model is implemented by local tangential contact model FaStrip and USFD (a wear model proposed by The University of Sheffield). By analysing the measured data, five wheel circumferential states are summarised, which are employed as wheel non-circular excitations to analyse the evolution of the wheel polygons on both sides of the wheelset. The results show that the same order of the polygonal wheels on both sides of the wheelset is the main reason for the evolution of the order of polygonal wheels in integer multiples. When the circumferences of the wheels on both sides are in an asymmetric state, the wheels on both sides will interact with each other, and the final circumferences of the wheels will gradually evolve into mixed polygonal circumferences related to the initial orders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed-methods study was designed to examine how different home literacy environments shape gender differences in Chinese-Canadian first graders' (N = 76) bilingual lexical attainment and literacy engagement. Quantitative analyses indicated that girls outperform boys in both Chinese (L1) and English (L2) vocabulary. Gender differences were not associated with the quantity of language exposure at home in either language but rather with the quality of home language input. Home Language Quality was found to be differentially associated with gender, with boys receiving quality input in both languages at home. Results reveal that parents engaged in more quality home literacy practices with girls than boys. Parental expectations and beliefs in gender differences, particularly girls' superiority in language learning and self-regulation, shaped gendered home literacy engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How has the COVID‐19 pandemic changed the home literacy environment, parental engagement, and home‐school communications for children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds? Data on the experiences of 231 Chinese‐Canadian immigrant families with K‐2 children revealed that emergency remote learning affected the home literacy environment in complex ways. While some experienced a decrease in mainstream language exposure, others also witnessed a decline in home language use and literacy engagement due to the closure of heritage language schools and absence of grandparents. Parents also differed in their ability, resources, and confidence level in supporting multiliteracies development at home during the pandemic. Moreover, there existed persistent barriers to effective home‐school communications despite the affordances of remote learning. The findings have important implications for both immigrant families and mainstream teachers in working collaboratively to support the children's needs in multiliteracies development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have demonstrated that films of sequence‐controlled amphiphilic copolymers display contact angles that depend on microblock size. This suggests that microblock length may provide a means of tuning surface and interfacial properties. In this work, the interfacial rheology of a series of sequence‐controlled copolymers, prepared through the addition of bicyclo[4.2.0]oct‐1(8)‐ene‐8‐carboxamide (monomer A) and cyclohexene (monomer B) to generate sequences up to 24 monomeric units composed of (AmBn)i microblocks, where m, n, and i range from 1 to 6. Interfacial rheometry is used to measure the mechanical properties of an air–water interface with these copolymers. As the microblock size increases, the interfacial storage modulus, G′, increases, which may be due to an increase in the size of interfacial hydrophobic domains. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering shows that the copolymers have a similar conformation in solution, suggesting that any variations in the mechanics of the interface are due to assembly at the interface, and not on solution association or bulk rheological properties. This is the first study demonstrating that microblock size can be used to control interfacial rheology of amphiphilic copolymers. Thus, the results provide a new strategy for controlling the dynamics of fluid interfaces through precision sequence‐controlled polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on video recordings of five pre-k to grade 4 Chinese dual-language bilingual education (DLBE) teachers' classroom instruction, this article examines the Chinese DLBE teachers' target and first language use and pedagogical moves during their processes of learning to teach in immersion schools in the US. Conversational analyses of classroom interactions show that the teachers' subscribed to target language (TL) only instruction with minimum translanguaging and that teacher-fronted talk in the TL dominated their teaching with low student language output. Although their attention to curriculum-related content varied depending on lesson focus and student TL proficiency, a significant amount of teacher languaging practices was for classroom management. The findings have important implications for Chinese DLBE teachers' preparation and professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While other languages can be used in English-medium instruction (EMI) classrooms, little research has been conducted on the alignment of the use of these languages with the objectives of EMI policy and how bi/multilingual practices such as translanguaging respond to the sociopolitics of EMI classrooms. This case study examined both teachers' and students' language use in EMI classrooms in a multilingual public school in Nepal with minority students whose mother tongues were not Nepali. A critical discourse analysis of two content-area-subject classrooms showed that only Nepali and English translanguaging among students and teachers was identified and mother tongues were consistently excluded. While translanguaging in the two dominant languages could potentially create a flexible space for teaching/learning content knowledge, further interviews with teachers and administrators and a focus-group discussion with students revealed that stakeholders' socially constructed linguistic hierarchy had led to the exclusion of the legitimate place of students' mother tongues in their seemingly 'ordinary' translingual practices. The study also notes content-area teachers' pedagogic under-preparedness to use translanguaging effectively and justly in EMI classrooms, suggesting the need to reconsider the uncritical recommendation of translanguaging without reflecting on local realities and systemic barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an investigation on the free vibration of the beam with material properties and cross section varying arbitrarily along the axis direction is studied based on the so-called Spectro-Geometric Method. The cross-section area and second moment of area of the beam are both expanded into Fourier cosine series, which are mathematically capable of representing any variable cross section. The Young's modulus, the mass density and the shear modulus varying along the lengthwise direction of the beam, are also expanded into Fourier cosine series. The translational displacement and rotation of cross section are expressed into the Fourier series by adding some polynomial functions which are used to handle the elastic boundary conditions with more accuracy and high convergence rate. According to Hamilton's principle, the eigenvalues and the coefficients of the Fourier series can be obtained. Some examples are presented to validate the accuracy of this method and study the influence of the parameters on the vibration of the beam. The results show that the first four natural frequencies gradually decrease as the coefficient of the radius β increases, and decreases as the gradient parameter n increases under clamped–clamped end supports. The stiffness of the functionally Timoshenko beam with arbitrary cross sections is variable compared with the uniform beam, which makes the vibration amplitude of the beam have different changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nationally, there is an overwhelming body of research that has revealed a systemwide underpreparedness of both pre- and in-service teachers who are predominantly White and monolingual for teaching English language learners (ELLs) throughout the United States. Despite various responses to address preservice teachers' underpreparedness to teach ELLs, there has been a lack of transformative change in White mainstream preservice teachers' preparation to teach ELLs, due to teacher education programs' indiscriminate, pan-diversity approach to diversity as inclusive of all forms of difference, without explicitly attending to any form of difference such as those confronted by ELLs. This pan-diversity approach endorses generic fairness as sameness practices that may lead to equity traps that shape preservice teachers' patterns of thinking and behavior that hinder the possibilities for creating equitable schools for children of color, including ELLs. Purpose: The widespread underpreparedness of teachers for ELLs suggests an urgent need to reexamine how teacher education programs are providing opportunities for learning about ELL-related knowledge and practice. The goal of this study is to understand 433 preservice teachers' experiences of learning to teach ELLs in a predominantly White teacher education program under a pan-diversity framework. Research Design: A mixed-methods design that includes surveys and interviews was used to address two central research questions: What are preservice teachers' perceptions of learning to teach ELLs in a predominantly White teacher education program that utilizes a pan-diversity framework? How do their opportunities to learn ELL-related content differ across subprogram groups? Quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were used to analyze the data generated from the survey and interviews. Findings: Triangulation of our quantitative and qualitative data revealed systemic neglect of ELLs in both coursework and field practice in the teacher education curriculum, resulting in underpreparedness among the preservice teachers across the subprograms. The results indicate that the current pan-diversity integration approach has served as an "equity trap" that will preclude the preservice teachers from becoming successful with their future ELLs. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the critical need to eliminate the pan-diversity equity trap to systemically incorporate ELL issues within teacher education to not only transform preservice teachers' deficit thinking about ELLs but also fill their knowledge and skill gaps for working with ELLs. The study has significant implications for teacher education programs to transform ELLs' status from invisibility to rightful prominence in the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shoot branching is an important factor that influences the architecture of apple trees and cytokinin is known to promote axillary bud outgrowth. The cultivar 'Fuji', which is grown on ~75% of the apple-producing area in China, exhibits poor natural branching. The TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PCF (TCP) family genes BRANCHED1/2 (BRC1/2) are involved in integrating diverse factors that function locally to inhibit shoot branching; however, the molecular mechanism underlying the cytokinin-mediated promotion of branching that involves the repression of BRC1/2 remains unclear. In this study, we found that apple WUSCHEL2 (MdWUS2), which interacts with the co-repressor TOPLESS-RELATED9 (MdTPR9), is activated by cytokinin and regulates branching by inhibiting the activity of MdTCP12 (a BRC2 homolog). Overexpressing MdWUS2 in Arabidopsis or Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in enhanced branching. Overexpression of MdTCP12 inhibited axillary bud outgrowth in Arabidopsis , indicating that it contributes to the regulation of branching. In addition, we found that MdWUS2 interacted with MdTCP12 in vivo and in vitro and suppressed the ability of MdTCP12 to activate the transcription of its target gene, HOMEOBOX PROTEIN 53b (MdHB53b). Our results therefore suggest that MdWUS2 is involved in the cytokinin-mediated inhibition of MdTCP12 that controls bud outgrowth, and hence provide new insights into the regulation of shoot branching by cytokinin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurons communicate primarily through synapses. A neuron is usually affected by multiple synapses, which could be chemical/electrical or excitatory/inhibitory ones at the same time. Here, we make the realistic assumption that a excitatory and inhibitory balanced modular small-world network is established and focuses on the effects of hybrid chemical and electrical synapses, noise and time delay on coherence resonance of the constructed network. It is found that when the ratio f of chemical synapses to electrical synapses approaches odd ratios, coherence resonance is better than those f close to even ratios for appropriate noise intensities. Furthermore, with f increasing, it is observed that effects of chemical and electrical synapses on coherence resonance are nearly opposite. It indicates that electrical synapses are more efficient than chemical ones. Meanwhile, multiple coherence resonances are observed when time delay is introduced into the network, and it is independent of f. Finally, we demonstrate that coherence resonance decreases as the number of subnetworks increases, and when the number of subnetworks is larger, the resonance behaviour weakens or vanishes with increasing f. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigrant adolescents' masculinity negotiation is underexamined in language education research. Drawing on intersectionality and critical race theory, this article examines three immigrant boys' negotiation of racialized masculinities and its impact on their language learning in one U.S. English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. Through analyzing data from an ethnographic case study, we illustrate that their masculinity was connected to negotiation of hyphenated selves in transnational and transcultural spaces where gender identities were intersectionally shaped by racism, linguicism, and heteronormativity. While racism and racialization were the central forces impacting their masculinity negotiation, they each experienced different configurations of systems of oppression. Their masculinity negotiation was based on an indivisible combination of intersecting identity inscriptions which constituted a new marginal social location. This study contributes to language education research by shedding light on the complexity and intersectionality of immigrant youth's masculinity negotiation. It underscores the importance of addressing racism, homophobia and linguicism in their precarious lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the inclusion of multimedia technology enables diverse learning activities in English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction, its influence on classroom interaction is under-examined. To address this gap, this comparative study examines the impact of technology use on teacher-student interaction patterns (i.e., initiation-response-feedback or IRF patterns) in technology-enhanced primary EFL classrooms in a rural school district in China. Six class videos were selected, three from teachers with high and three with low technology use respectively. Conversation analyses of these class videos revealed that technology use played a negative role in facilitating communicative classroom discourses, with high technology use teachers using more display questions and directives and facilitating less spontaneous or authentic output from students in the target language. In addition, teachers in both types of classroom provided little but almost identical amounts of corrective feedback, suggesting a minimal impact of technology on teacher feedback patterns. The findings reveal extensive teacher-centered technology use in EFL classrooms and warrant an urgent need to discuss the importance of and potential approaches to enhancing EFL teachers' pedagogical awareness and competence in technology-assisted language instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses resource disparity in language arts instruction among Asian immigrant and refugee students in the U.S. Topics include impact of disparities in the availability of material and cultural resources affecting language and literacy learning of Asian subgroups, language policies in countries like the U.S. and Canada stressing newcomers to learn destination language, and tips for language arts teachers to ensure school curriculum affirms students’ diverse literary practices.

Developing high-performance overall water-splitting electrocatalysts working under alkaline condition is highly desirable but many challenges remain. Herein, the in- situ surface-derivation of Ni-Mo bimetal sulfides nanosheets on Co 3 O 4 nanoarrays, which supported on carbon fibers (Ni-Mo-S@Co 3 O 4 /CF) was designed and constructed. The as-prepared hybrid catalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance for both OER and HER under alkaline conditions, with only a small overpotential of 275 mV and 85 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, the hybrid catalysts assembled full electrolyzer achieved a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at 1.57 V in an alkaline condition, without decay even after a durability test of 50 h. These results demonstrate that in-situ surface-derivation is a promising strategy for the design of efficient overall water splitting catalysts. Image 1 • The synergist effect of Ni/Mo with S can lower the overpotential of water splitting. • The bionic nanostructure provide ample electrochemical active surface. • Hybrid demonstrates a long as 50 h of overall water-splitting in alkaline media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although gibberellin (GA) has been reported to control branching, little is known about how GA mediates signals regulating the outgrowth of axillary buds (ABs). In the current study, the effect of the exogenous application of 5.0 mM GA3 on ABs outgrowth on 1-year-old ‘Nagafu No. 2’/T337/M. robusta Rehd. apple trees was investigated and compared to the bud-activating treatments, 5 mM BA or decapitation. Additionally, the expression of genes related to bud-regulating signals and sucrose levels in ABs was examined. Results indicated that GA3 did not promote ABs’ outgrowth, nor down-regulate the expression of branching repressors [MdTCP40, MdTCP33, and MdTCP16 (homologs of BRANCHED1 and BRC2)], which were significantly inhibited by the BA and decapitation treatments. MdSBP12 and MdSBP18, the putative transcriptional activators of these genes, which are expressed at lower levels in BA-treated and decapitated buds, were up-regulated in the GA3 treatment in comparison to the BA treatment. Additionally, GA3 did not up-regulate the expression of CK response- and auxin transport-related genes, which were immediately induced by the BA treatment. In addition, GA3 also up-regulated the expression of several Tre6P biosynthesis genes and reduced sucrose levels in ABs. Sucrose levels, however, were still higher than what was observed in BA-treated buds, indicating that sucrose may not be limiting in GA3-controlled AB outgrowth. Although GA3 promoted cell division, it was not sufficient to induce AB outgrowth. Conclusively, some branching-inhibiting genes and bud-regulating hormones are associated with the inability of GA3 to activate AB outgrowth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article documents five refugee families and their children's efforts to reestablish themselves in an urban school context in the US. A thematic analysis of the families' negotiation with the urban school system, the language programmes and their home engagement practices suggests that they were subjected to symbolic violence brought upon by the precarious context of reception, the monolingual ideologies and the hegemonic practices of the urban schools and resettlement policies and agencies. Such symbolic violence systematically fractured their language learning, educational success, and upward social mobility. Therefore, despite their divergent paths of immigration and resettlement, the children shared similar stories of system blockage, inertia, and fragmentation. These shared trajectories suggest the need for multi‐layered changes to remove blockages in the education and immigration system, transform the dispositions and practices of the key players, including policy makers, school administrators and teachers, and raise critical consciousness among the refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple dynamic model of a vibro-impact system subjected to harmonic excitation with two asymmetric clearances is considered. The Semi-Analytical Method for getting periodic solutions of the vibro-impact system is proposed. Diversity and evolution of the fundamental periodic impact motions are analyzed. The formation mechanism of the complete chatting-impact periodic motion with sticking motion by the influence of gazing bifurcation is analyzed. The transitional law of periodic motions in the periodical inclusions area is presented. The coexistence of periodic motions and the extreme sensitivity of the initial value within the high frequency region are studied. The global distribution of the periodic and chaos motions of the system is obtained by the state-parameter space co-simulation method which very few have considered before. The distribution of the attractor and the corresponding attracting domain corresponding to different periodic motions are also studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokinins (CKs) play a crucial role in promoting axillary bud outgrowth and targeting the control of CK metabolism can be used to enhance branching in plants. CK levels are maintained mainly by CK biosynthesis (isopentenyl transferase, IPT) and degradation (dehydrogenase, CKX) genes in plants. A systematic study of the IPT and CKX gene families in apple, however, has not been conducted. In the present study, 12 MdIPTs and 12 MdCKXs were identified in the apple genome. Systematic phylogenetic, structural, and synteny analyses were performed. Expression analysis of these genes in different tissues was also assessed. MdIPT and MdCKX genes exhibit distinct expression patterns in different tissues. The response of MdIPT , MdCKX , and MdPIN1 genes to various treatments (6-BA, decapitation and Lovastatin, an inhibitor of CKs synthesis) that impact branching were also investigated. Results indicated that most of the MdIPT and MdCKX , and MdPIN1 genes were upregulated by 6-BA and decapitation treatment, but inhibited by Lovastatin, a compound that effectively suppresses axillary bud outgrowth induced by decapitation. These findings suggest that cytokinin biosynthesis is required for the activation of bud break and the export of auxin from buds in apple tree with intact primary shoot apex or decapitated apple tree. MdCKX8 and MdCKX10 , however, exhibited little response to decapitation, but were significantly up-regulated by 6-BA and Lovastatin, a finding that warrants further investigation in order to understand their function in bud-outgrowth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immigrant youths' frequent and skillful use of new media technologies outside of school has generated discussion on the need to integrate their expertise in formal literacy instruction in school. This commentary argues that braiding old and new literacies for English learners in empowering ways needs to be guided by a connection to the future (new literacies for social and academic purposes) and a link to the old (traditional print literacy skills). Such a dual focus is necessary to develop an integrated pedagogical design that engages learners in using the new tools for acquiring both new and old literacy skills. Active facilitation of transmediation between social and academic purposes of new literacies and between old and new literacies relies on both explicit instruction of higher level thinking skills and literacy strategies for online and offline engagement and teacher expert scaffolding of applications of these skills in meaningful learning tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The first two-photon NIR fluorescence probe was developed to detect ·OH. • We first found markedly elevated levels of ·OH in asthma via fluorescence imaging. • The "hydroxyl radical standard" was first introduced in asthma by using DCM-BOH. • This "standard" was used to evaluate the efficacy of co-administration in asthma. Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways and a condition closely associated with oxidative stress. However, the lack of effective biomarkers and non-invasive real-time monitoring tools remains a great challenge for the early diagnosis and therapy of asthma. Hydroxyl radicals represent a key reactive oxygen species in biological systems, and therefore the change of hydroxyl radical level may be observed to be elevated in asthmatic mice. To verify this conjecture, in this paper, we designed the first two-photon (TP) near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe to be used with high selectivity for monitoring the fluctuating changes of hydroxyl radicals. More importantly, using this new probe, we have successfully observed the changes of hydroxyl radicals during asthma by visualization means for the first time. Immediately following the imaging experiments on mice, we also found that the therapeutic effect of using the combination of budesonide and terbutaline administration in asthmatic mice was effective than what was achieved by the administration of budesonide or terbutaline alone. These findings suggest that this probe has the potential to be a powerful tool for future asthma diagnosis and assessment of the therapeutic effect of asthma co-administration. Notably, it is expected to establish a "hydroxyl radicals standard" for evaluating the efficacy of anti-asthma drug therapy by using fluorescence imaging techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results provide a new strategy for controlling the dynamics of fluid interfaces using precision polymers. Controlling Rheology of Fluid Interfaces through Microblock Length of Sequence-Controlled Amphiphilic Copolymers Article 2200110 by Surita R. Bhatia and co-workers explores the rheology of fluid interfaces with sequence-specific amphiphilic copolymers. [Extracted from the article]

• A regular network model is designed to describe the inner structure of nanoporous membrane. • The membrane-solution interface resistance is reduced by regulating the inner porous structure. • Matching nanopores to EDL structures benefits the SGP conversion at high salinity gradients. Nanofluidic salinity gradient power (SGP) harvesting has attracted more attention due to its abundant source and easy-to-implement nature, but its applicability is hampered by the high resistance and undesirable ion selectivity of the commercial ion-exchange membranes. The rational design and optimization of advanced membrane architectures are therefore urgently needed, which require a deep understanding of the relationship between ion transport and porous structure. Herein, a regular network model is defined to mimic the nanoporous membrane, allowing us to study the influence of porous structure on the SGP conversion using the Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations. We find that the slight change of inner porous structure can substantially affect the concentration polarization at the membrane-solution interface, which is dominated by the nanopores along the direct transport direction. The SGP conversion can be effectively improved by matching the local pore structure to electric double layer (EDL) structure. The SGP generation is more sensitive to the surface charge density at high salinity gradients. Our results highlight the significance of the precision regulation of porous structure in the SGP conversion, providing theoretical guidance to the design of nanoporous membranes for highly effective SGP harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• More-branching phenotype coexist with the weak growth viability in the increased-branching mutant apple. • Scion characteristics of antioxidant activities influence the rootstock resistance. • The antioxidant reactions vary in different organs of grafted apples, and the leaves and roots may be more sensitive than the stems. In grafted plants, rootstock growth and stress resistance are influenced by scion traits, but the underlying mechanism is unclear in apple. In this study, we analyzed seedlings comprising wild-type (WT) or increased-branching mutant (MB) scions on Malus robusta rootstock on the basis of RNA-seq data, physiological and biochemical indices, and gene expression. Gene functional analysis of RNA-seq data revealed plant–pathogen interaction was the most significantly enriched biological pathway in the axillary buds and roots compared MB with WT. Most genes related to stress responses had up-regulated expression in the MB roots. The leaf water potential, chlorophyll content, and photochemical efficiency were lower in the MB leaves, whereas the water loss rate was higher. The sucrose, glucose, fructose, and sorbitol contents increased significantly in the MB leaves, but decreased in the stems. In the MB roots, there was no change in sucrose and glucose contents, but the fructose and sorbitol contents increased and decreased, respectively. The nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents were higher in the MB roots, while lower nitrogen and phosphorus and higher potassium contents in MB leaves. The abscisic acid, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide levels increased significantly in the MB seedlings, whereas the antioxidant enzyme activities decreased, especially in the roots and leaves, which was in accordance with the down-regulated expression of the genes related to antioxidant enzyme synthesis. These changes in the MB roots were apparently due to MB scion traits, suggesting that rootstock vitality in grafted apple trees may be affected by the nutrient distribution, hormone level, and antioxidative stress tolerance of the scion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the impact of climate change and human activities, the stationarity of hydrometeorological extreme value series has been losing in many regions, which makes occurrence rules of hydrometeorological extreme events more complicated. In this study, the efficiencies of trend test methods such as Spearman rank correlation test and Mann-Kendall test, as well as the efficiencies of change-point test methods such as moving T test, moving rank sum test, Pettitt test, and sequential Mann-Kendall test were analyzed quantitatively through Monte Carlo simulation. Five representative level stations in the Yangtze River estuary were selected, and the methods listed above were used in the trend and change-point detection of the annual maximum tidal level records in the period of 1950–2008. It was found that obvious rising tendency existed in the annual maximum tidal level series for all these 5 stations, and year 1980 (for 3 stations) and year 1979 (for 2 stations) were statistically significant change-points. Two subseries were divided with the change-point as the dividing point for all these actual series in the stations. Frequency analyses were carried out, respectively, for all of the subseries, and the impact of nonstationary changes in annual maximum tidal levels on probability distribution was evaluated quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A unique fluorescent probe, MCB, for HClO/ClO- was rationally constructed by integrating methylene blue, 7-hydroxycoumarin, and two HClO-specific reacting moieties into a single molecular structure. Distinct from other published cases, MCB displayed remarkable dual-channel fluorescence enhancement, peaked at 464 and 700 nm respectively, which simultaneously provided two crosstalk-free fluorescence channels, blue and NIR channels, for mutual corroboration, and hence improving the reliability of the detection results. More importantly, MCB exhibited excellent sensing properties for HClO/ClO-, such as fast response (within 90 s), high sensitivity (LOD as low as 3.9 nM based on blue fluorescence channel), and sufficient selectivity. Significantly, MCB was successfully utilized for dual-channel imaging of HClO/ClO-in living cells and zebrafish, thereby holding the potential for research that focused on elucidating the biological roles of HClO/ClO-. [Display omitted] • The first dual-channel fluorescence-enhanced probe, MCB, for HClO was developed. • MCB displayed remarkable dual-channel fluorescence enhancement, rapid response time and excellent selectivity toward HClO. • Multicolor fluorescence imaging of both exogenous and endogenous HClO in cells and zebrafish were successfully achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• More-branching phenotype was associated with cytokinin content and signaling. • ABA and GA contents were not correlated with axillary bud outgrowth based on the patterns of gene expression. • Expression changes of auxin signaling genes might be complex in apple branching. Branch number is an important trait in grafted apple breeding and cultivation. To provide new information on molecular mechanisms of apple branching, whole reduced-representation genomes and transcriptome of a wild-type (WT) apple (Malus spectabilis) and its more-branching (MB) mutant at the branching stage were examined in this study. Comparison of WT and MB genomes against the Malus domestica reference genome identified 14,908,939 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 173,315 insertions and deletions (InDels) in WT and 1,483,221 SNPs and 1,725,977 InDels in MB. Analysis of the genetic variation between MB and WT revealed 1,048,575 SNPs and 37,327 InDels. Among them, 24,303 SNPs and 891 InDels mapped to coding regions of 5,072 and 596 genes, respectively. GO and KEGG functional annotation of 3,846 and 944 genes, respectively, identified 32 variant genes related to plant hormone signal transduction that were involved in auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, ethylene, and brassinosteroid pathways. The transcriptome pathways of plant hormone signal transduction and zeatin biosynthesis were also significantly enriched during MB branching. Furthermore, transcriptome data suggested the regulatory roles of auxin signaling, increase of cytokinin and genes of cytokinin synthesis and signaling, and the suppressed abscisic acid signaling. Our findings suggest that branching development in apple is regulated by plant hormone signal transduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel hydroxide/hydroxyapatite (designated as Ni(OH) 2 /HAP) nanorods have been designed and synthesized by hydrothermal method. The size and morphology of Ni(OH) 2 /HAP sample depend strongly on the reaction condition, and introduction of small amount of Ni 2+ ions would be propitious to get the smaller size nanorods. By taking advantage of the high affinity of Ni 2+ ions toward histidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins, the Ni(OH) 2 /HAP nanorods can be used to enrich and separate His-tagged proteins directly from a mixture of lysed cells, and their universality was evaluated by separating three kinds of His-tagged proteins. The Ni(OH) 2 /HAP nanorods present negligible nonspecific protein adsorption and high protein binding ability, and their specificity and affinity toward His-tagged proteins can be remained after 4 times recycling. The Ni(OH) 2 /HAP nanorods may provide many potential applications for the detection or separation of different biomolecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on six Chinese language teachers' experiences and perceptions of their classroom management in the United States of America. The analysis revealed that the teachers experienced cultural mismatches between their Chinese cultural expectations and American students' actual classroom behavior and struggled with challenges of understanding the demands of American classroom management, lack of effective strategies for managing American classroom, and language barriers. However, the teachers were able to adopt strategies commonly used by American teachers to manage their American students while retaining some of their Chinese practices. The findings suggest that cultural differences in classroom management play a significant role in affecting Chinese language teachers' classroom instruction and must be addressed in Chinese language teachers' preparation programs as well as their continued professional development in the U.S. and similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese immigrant children in North America often experience rapid growth in their English lexicon, while their heritage language (HL) vocabulary development is characterized by early stabilization and decline. This study was designed to explore whether and how factors such as SES, gender, L1, immigration status, home language use, mainstream and HL school attendance have influenced Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking first graders' (N = 76) early HL vocabulary development in Canada. Students' HL receptive vocabulary was measured by the Chinese Peabody Vocabulary Test (C-PPVT-R) and home and school information was collected through the Alberta Language Environment Questionnaire (ALEQ). Statistical analyses revealed significant differences in the effects of L1 and gender between Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking first graders. Mandarin-speaking girls outperformed Mandarin-speaking boys and their Cantonese-speaking peers. Family SES was found to be a significant factor affecting early HL vocabulary development. While Mandarin-speaking students' performance was associated with the richness of their home language environments, Cantonese-speaking students' performance was not. Group performance was not significantly associated with home language use. Findings suggest the need to move beyond a usage-based theory to understand better home interactions across L1 and SES subgroups that shape differential performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a cultural approach to professional learning to empower pre- and in-service teachers to successfully address increasingly diverse student populations and become culturally responsive to students' diverse backgrounds. This cultural approach treats culture as a vital source for reshaping the politics of identity and difference. It emphasizes building teachers' ability to recognize their own cultural practices and relate to those of their students, as well as enhancing their performance and action in empowering their students to work against cultural hegemony. The article explicates the 3 stages of the approach, namely, the cultural reconciliation, the cultural translation, and the cultural transformation stage, and discusses how they can be applied in professional learning for teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the issue's theme of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students and content including articles on teacher education regarding CLD students, content area teaching of CLD students, and cultural diversity as a part of professional learning.

How do second-language learners become successful readers and writers? This article examines the importance of social networks to English language learners' reading and writing development. It describes different family, peer, and virtual social networks that ELLs can utilize to engage in online and offline reading and writing (especially related to youth popular culture, such as fan fiction) outside school. The article highlights the importance of fostering a participatory culture in classrooms and schools to help ELLs form communities of learners and supporters and facilitate their second-language literacy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Thirteen pure strains that possessed high methyl red (MR)-decolorizing ability were isolated from dye-contaminated water. Each isolate was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing. The results reveal that all of the isolated strains were facultative anaerobic bacteria. Two novel bacterial consortia (AE and AN), which could decolorize MR under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively, were developed. Azo dye decolorization rate was significantly higher with the use of consortia compared to that with the use of individual strains. Both of the consortia can decolorize different azo dyes effectively in a short time, and tolerate MR with high concentrations. To provide further insight into the microbial diversity of the bacteria consortia under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analyses were performed. PCR-DGGE profiles revealed that the microbial community had changed significantly with varying initial concentrations of MR. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that microbial populations in the aerobic compartment belong to Klebsiella, Buttiauxella and Bacillus, whereas Klebsiella, Escherichia, Bacillus and Clostridium were present in the anaerobic compartment. Klebsiella, which was the majority genus in both of the consortia, may play an important role in azo dye removal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An oxygen-insensitive intracellular enzyme that is responsible for the decolorization of azo dyes was purified from Escherichia coli CD-2. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated as 27,000±500Da. Protein identification indicated that the enzyme had high sequence homology with E. coli K12 quinone reductase, and the enzyme was proved to have both azoreductase and quinone reductase activity. With methyl red as substrate, the optimal pH value and temperature were 6.5 and 37°C, respectively. The enzyme was stable under different physiochemical conditions. The azoreductase activity was restrained by SDS and was almost completely inhibited by Co2+ and Hg2+. K m and V max values were 0.18mM and 8.12Umg−1 of protein for NADH and 0.05mM and 6.46Umg−1 of protein for methyl red, respectively. The purified enzyme could efficiently decolorize methyl red with both NADH and NADPH as electron donors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A classical fluorescent metal–chelate complex bis(2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-pyridine)beryllium (Bepp2) has been used as an efficient electron-transporting host material to construct highly efficient phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PHOLEDs) with an orange-emitting phosphorescent guest bis(7,8-benzoquinolinato) iridium (III) (N,N′-diisopropyl-benzamidine) ((bzq)2Ir(dipba)). Due to the well-matched energy levels of Bepp2 with the corresponding hole-/electron- transporting (HT/ET) materials and the high-efficiency and complete energy transfer of this host–guest system, the Bepp2-based PHOLEDs exhibit rather low driving voltage (2.8V) and high peak EL efficiencies of over 70cdA−1 for luminous efficiency, 55lmW−1 for power efficiency, and 23% for external quantum efficiency, a performance significantly better than that using CBP as the host. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports series of highly efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with high-quality blue emission that employs an aromatic enyne derivative (E)-CPEY doped in the CBP (4, 4′-N, N′-dicarbazolylbiphenyl) host with the easily controlled doping concentrations as the emitters. The peak EL efficiencies (>8.5cdA−1, >5.5lmW−1 and ⩾6.0%) of these blue OLEDs with the stable CIE (0.15, 0.10±0.01) are the highest values ever reported for the saturated deep-blue OLEDs up to now. Moreover, although the doping concentration of them changes such large span as 10–20wt%, the deviation for both the EL efficiency and the brightness always keep within a very small range during almost the whole driving process, which should lead to the easy and reproducible fabrication process of high performance blue OLEDs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The complex permittivity, permeability and microwave-absorbing properties of rubber composites filled with carbonyl iron are measured at frequencies from 2-18 GHz. The results indicate that the reflection loss peak shifts towards low frequency region with increasing layer thickness or increasing weight concentration. The minimum reflection loss value of −23.06 dB was obtained at 3.3 GHz for the composites with 80% wt. These results show that the composites possess good microwave absorbing ability in both low- and highfrequency bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Framed within Coleman's theory of family capital, this article examines how different home variables such as family physical, human and social capital affect immigrant children's second-language acquisition in the homes of four Chinese immigrant families in Canada. Specifically, the study analyzes the relationships between family physical capital and family investment in second language learning, between parental human capital and levels of parental involvement, and between family social capital and access to familial and community resources. The analysis demonstrates that parental educational backgrounds, their occupational choices and chances, and their adaptation and integration into Canadian society had a significant impact on the families' accumulation and activation of family capital to support their children's second-language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its powerful ability to model geometric transformations, the deformable convolutional network brings great improvements for single image super-resolution (SISR). Nevertheless, its location-variant sampling method leads to an escalation in spatial variance as the deformable convolutional layers are stacked, consequently resulting in limited performance. Hence, we propose a novel and effective approach called dual contrastive attention-guided deformable convolutional network (DCADCN) for SISR modeling. Specifically, we propose an attention-guided deformable convolutional module with joint inner and external attention mechanisms to fully exploit the correspondences between input and deformation features and preserve spatial characteristics to the extent possible. Additionally, we propose a dual mixed feature extractor consisting of two parallel sub-paths. This design allows for the learning of diverse and complementary spatial features. Furthermore, contrastive learning is applied to further amplify the role of key features and mitigate the interference of noisy features. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that DCADCN is capable of effectively handling classic SISR, SISR with blind noise, and real-world SISR tasks. Moreover, our method achieves comparable or even better performance with lower computational cost compared to state-of-the-art methods. • Present an attention-guided deformable convolution to adaptively weight features. • Exploit a dual structure for diverse and complementary spatial characteristics. • Contrastive loss is embedded for accurate feature representation and utilization. • Improves network generalization to counter several super-resolution tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The global distribution offers detailed insight into motions of the molding machine. • The polymorphic coexistence by grazing and saddle-node bifurcations is revealed. • The results enables the consideration of the design of the molding machine. Global behavior of a simplified non-smooth dynamic model for a micro-vibration molding machine in parameter-state space is explored. Solutions for the periodic motions of the impact oscillator are obtained by the semi-analytical method. Conditions for the grazing motions and sticking motions of the model are deduced. The motions distribution and transition in the fundamental periodic motion regions and the periodic inclusions areas are studied. Transition of the motions due to the singularity of the grazing bifurcation is analyzed. Polymorphic coexistence under the effect of the grazing bifurcation and the saddle-node bifurcation are revealed. Through the global analysis method in parameter-state space, the global distribution map in high frequency region can be acquired, which is rarely considered before. Under the guidance of the global motions distribution, the evolution of the polymorphic coexistence areas can be further discussed. The results can provide some references and ideas for the dynamic design and motion control of the micro-vibration molding machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By taking advantage of phenothiazine moiety as an electron-donating group, a novel donor-acceptor (D-A) type coumarin dye, PTZ-Et, was developed. The introduction of phenothiazine moiety not only caused emission red-shifting and Stokes shift enlarging, but also endowed PTZ-Et with significant aggregation-enhanced emission (AEE) features, thereby enabled PTZ-Et as a robust ratiometric fluorescent probe for HClO detection. Upon oxidation of the sulfur atom on phenothiazine into sulfoxide, PTZ-Et displayed remarkable ratiometric fluorescence response (over 150 folds variations of F 534 /F 626) toward HClO with rapid response time (<30 s) and ultra-sensitivity (LOD = 15 nM). Additionally, the corresponding sensing mechanism of PTZ-Et for HClO was fully elucidated through the successful purification and well characterization (1H NMR, 13C NMR, HRMS, and single crystal data) of the corresponding reaction product between PTZ-Et and HClO. Significantly, PTZ-Et was capable of monitoring both exogenous and endogenous HClO in living RAW 264.7 cells by ratiometric fluorescence imaging. A novel fast responsive ratiometric fluorescent probe for HClO based on phenothiazine coumarin scaffold was developed. Image 1 • A novel AEE active phenothiazine coumarin, PTZ-Et, was developed as a robust ratiometric fluorescent probe for HClO. • PTZ-Et exhibited well ratiometric fluorescence variations with rapid response time and sensitivity in response to HClO • The sensing mechanism of PTZ-Et for HClO was investigated, and the single crystal of the reaction product was obtained. • The application of PTZ-Et to visualize both exogenous and endogenous HClO in RAW 264.7 cells was successfully achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reflect the dynamic response of the rubber vibration isolation system more accurately in medium and low frequency ranges, the nonlinear Zener model is used to characterize the mechanical properties of viscoelastic materials like rubber. The approximate analytical solution of the system response is obtained by harmonic balance method, and its correctness is verified through numerical method and Universal Mechanism (UM) software simulation. The quantitative relationship between mass displacement and node displacement is calculated, and a new method to obtain hysteresis characteristics of rubber vibration isolation system based on approximate analytical solution of the model is presented. Under the influence of symmetry and hysteresis, the system possesses bifurcation, chaos, polymorphic coexistence and other complex nonlinear dynamical behaviors. Then, with the help of global bifurcation diagram, phase diagram, Poincaré map and cell mapping, the formation mechanism of polymorphic coexisting motion induced by pitchfork bifurcation, saddle-node bifurcation, period-doubling bifurcation and boundary crisis is comprehensively analyzed. Based on this, the formation mechanism of bursting oscillation is revealed. Finally, the influence of nonlinear stiffness on the transition law of the system periodic motion is analyzed, and the distribution law of the coexisting attractors and the variation of the attracting domain in various of polymorphic coexisting motions are presented. The research results of the complex dynamic behavior of the nonlinear Zener vibration isolation system in this paper can provide some theoretical guidance for the optimal design of the viscoelastic vibration isolation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]