Search

The van der Waals heterostructures have evolved as novel materials for complementing the Si-based semiconductor technologies. Group-10 noble metal dichalcogenides (e.g., PtS2, PtSe2, PdS2, and PdSe2) have been listed into two-dimensional (2D) materials toolkit to assemble van der Waals heterostructures. Among them, PdSe2 demonstrates advantages of high stability in air, high mobility, and wide tunable bandgap. However, the regulation of p-type doping of PdSe2 remains unsolved problem prior to fabricating p–n junction as a fundamental platform of semiconductor physics. Besides, a quantitative method for the controllable doping of PdSe2 is yet to be reported. In this study, the doping level of PdSe2 was correlated with the concentration of Lewis acids, for example, SnCl4, used for soaking. Considering the transfer characteristics, the threshold voltage (the gate voltage corresponding to the minimum drain current) increased after SnCl4 soaking treatment. PdSe2 transistors were soaked in SnCl4 solutions with five different concentrations. The threshold voltages from the as-obtained transfer curves were extracted for linear fitting to the threshold voltage versus doping concentration correlation equation. This study provides in-depth insights into the controllable p-type doping of PdSe2. It may also push forward the research of the regulation of conductivity behaviors of 2D materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an adaptive finite impulse response filtering algorithm, the maximum total correntropy (MTC) algorithm plays an important role in parameter estimation of the errors-in-variables model where both input and output signals are contaminated with impulsive noises. However, the MTC algorithm is difficult to obtain a sufficiently high estimation accuracy under impulsive noises because the MTC cost function contains second-order moments of the error signal and its first-order gradient is susceptible to large outliers in the input noise. In this paper, a maximum total fractional-order correntropy (MTFOC) cost function is proposed and then a fractional-order gradient based MTFOC adaptive filtering algorithm is developed to improve the estimation accuracy of MTC. Moreover, the local stability and computational complexity of the proposed algorithm are analyzed. Simulation results indicate that the estimation accuracy and robustness of the MTFOC algorithm are superior to previous algorithms in both Gaussian mixture noise environments and α\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\alpha $$\end{document}-stable distribution noise environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to reveal the effect of knitted fabric parameters on fragrance retention performance. For this purpose, four knitted fabric parameters were explored, including yarn composition, yarn count, wales per centimeter, and courses per centimeter. The fragrance concentration of the knitted fabric was quantitatively measured by the electronic nose. Then the fragrance retention amount was put forward to characterize the fragrance retention performance of fabrics. Meanwhile, the factors affecting the fragrance retention performance were analyzed. By using single factor analysis of variance and regression analysis, the relationship between knitted fabric parameters and fragrance retention performance was revealed. The value of significance is lower than 0.05, which shows that knitted fabric parameters make a difference on fragrance retention performance. Furthermore, a regression equation was determined as a predicted model. The fragrance retention performance of the knitted fabric is directly proportional to the hydrophile fiber content and stitch density (i.e. course and wale) of the fabric. On the contrary, it is inversely proportional to the yarn count. The drying property and wicking property were proved to influence the fragrance retention performance. Drying property is the crucial factor on fragrance retention performance. The data and method presented in this paper provide a basis for optimizing the design of knitted fabrics with fragrance retention performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For reaching deterministic self-stabilising distributed synchronisation with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Ethernet, this paper explores the Wire-Adapted Linker-Decoupled EtherNet (WALDEN) architecture with the integration of several mass-produced COTS products. Upon this architecture, basic strategies of distributed synchronisation are discussed. Self-stabilising algorithms are presented and formally analysed. Besides, a prototype system is realised with COTS switches, PHY chips, and low-end ARM series under the WALDEN architecture with a minimum hardware modification. The experimental result shows that a sub-microsecond synchronisation precision can be achieved with this prototype implementation even in the presence of low-quality switch with non-queuing delay-jitters of several microseconds. Among existing solutions, this work features in considering the distributed synchronisation, backward-compatibility, and self-stabilisation problems as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, in order to analyze the materials and techniques used for the production of the inscribed plaques, multi-analytical scientific approach, including optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-ATR-FTIR), and micro-Raman spectroscopy (μ-Raman), were used to explore the materials and techniques utilized to create the "Chun Rong Xuan Mao" birthday inscribed plaque of the Qing Dynasty. The results showed that the plaque was made of cypress wood and decorative parts consisting of the surface lacquer layers, plaster lacquer layers and primer lacquer layers. Chinese lacquer was the principal material used in the surface lacquer layers; gypsum and Chinese lacquer were the materials used in the plaster lacquer layers; and the primer lacquer layers was composed of Chinese lacquer, calcite, and mixed pigments by cinnabar and minium. The surface lacquer layers of the inscribed plaque were lacquered black. Gypsum lacquer plaster has been commonly used in the ground layer of lacquerware in modern history. This study confirmed the existence of technology to make lacquerware using gypsum lacquer plaster in the Bashu area during the late Qing Dynasty. Moreover, this study not only provides new findings regarding the traditional production of inscribed plaques and offers technical support for the protection and restoration of such plaques but also has great significance to exploring the history of ancient techniques of lacquering and decorating lacquerware. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banana is a tropical fruit with good palatability and multiple health benefits. However, the fruit quality is readily deteriorated during postharvest storage. In this work, icariin was used to treat banana to maintain the fruit quality. NMR spectroscopy was applied to analyze the effect of icariin on the metabolite profiles of banana. It was found that the fruit quality of banana was well maintained after icariin treatment. The data of 1D and 2D NMR spectra revealed the composition of metabolites, whose contents greatly varied during storage. The first principal components included ethanol, acetic acid, saponin b, salsolinol, dopamine, glucose, and linoleic acid. After icariin treatment, the conversion of starch to α-d-glucose and β-d-glucose was delayed, and the production of γ-aminobutyrate, glutamine, and alanine increased. These results indicated that icariin could effectively maintain the fruit quality and delay the senescence of banana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several studies have reported the stress-induced ethylene burst occurring in fruit in response to pathogen attack, relatively little is known about the role of this hormone in the fungal metabolism of many postharvest pathogens. To gain further knowledge, we investigated the ethylene production capacity and which ethylene biosynthetic pathways (including the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), the 2-oxoglutarate (OXO) and the 2-keto-4-methylthiobutyric acid (KMBA) pathways) were used under different in vitro conditions by Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium expansum. Both pathogens were capable of producing ethylene in vitro using different pathways but were dependant on the growing conditions. For instance, both the KMBA and the OXO pathways seemed to be responsible for ethylene biosynthesis in P. digitatum when grown in more stressful conditions (limited surface and nutrient availability as in PDA tubes), while only the KMBA pathway seemed to be activated under other culture conditions (i.e. on PDA plates) or when the fungal mycelium was placed within aqueous solutions containing ethylene precursors. In contrast , the KMBA appeared to be the exclusive pathway responsible for ethylene production by P. expansum yet only when the fungal mycelium was in contact with aqueous solutions containing ethylene precursors. In both pathogens, ethylene production seemed to be synchronized with certain stages of fungal growth rather than conidiation, suggesting a putative role of this hormone in fungal metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing incidence of pulmonary inflammation and lung cancer, as well as exacerbation of pre-existing chronic lung diseases by exposure to airborne pollutants, e.g., particulate matter and cigarette smoke, is becoming a major public health concern in the world. However, the exact mechanisms of pulmonary injury from exposure to these airborne insults have not been fully elucidated. Nevertheless, accumulating evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) may play a unique role in the regulation of airborne agent-induced lung inflammation and carcinogenesis. Since epigenetic modifications are heritable and reversible, this may provide a new insight into the relationship of miRNAs and environmental pollution-related lung disorders. The aim of this review was to update our existing knowledge regarding the mechanisms by which airborne pollutants altering miRNA profiles in the lung, specifically for cigarette smoke and airborne particulate matter, and the potential biological roles of miRNAs in the initiation of pulmonary inflammation and lung cancer, as well as the regulation of underlying genetic susceptibility to these environmental stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A coordination control strategy is developed for 3-bearing swivel duct (3BSD) nozzles. A 3BSD nozzle's deflection angle and direction are changed through rotations of three revolute pairs. There is a nonlinear relationship between the deflection angle/ direction and the rotation angles. The rotation speed of a revolute pair is limited by the power of the actuator. The moment of inertia and the aerodynamic load for each revolute pair are different and time-varying. A high-precision control system of 3BSD nozzles is required for applications on vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircrafts. Difficulties of coordination control of 3BSD nozzles are distinct travel ranges, speed constraints, time-varying dynamic models, and disturbances. The proposed control strategy is a combination of the characteristic model and the dynamic control allocation method. A dynamic control allocation module is used as the coordination supervisor, which is aware of the kinematic model, the constraints, and the dynamic models of the revolute pairs. Second-order characteristic models are used to represent the dynamic behavior of the revolute pairs. The gradient projection algorithm is modified for parameter estimation. A modified all-coefficient adaptive controller is developed to reject the disturbances. Experimental results of a scaled 3BSD nozzle indicate that the coordination control strategy is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is an increasing problem in agricultural soils on a worldwide scale. To assess the effects of salinity on the fate of herbicide lactofen in soil, laboratory degradation experiments were performed using soil with and without additional salinity. Lactofen and two major metabolites desethyl lactofen and acifluorfen were analyzed using HPLC-MS/MS. The degradation of lactofen and metabolites followed first-order kinetics with rate constants ranged from 0.30 to 0.35 day−1 (estimated half-lives from 1.99 to 2.30 days) when additional salinity was not present. Lactofen concentration was greater in the salinized soil than in the control soil. The maximum concentrations of metabolites desethyl lactofen and acifluorfen were increased by 6.9 and 53% in salinized soil compared to control soil, respectively. The degradation of lactofen and metabolites was restrained by the application of salts and residues remained for a longer time in the salinized soil. Inappropriate management of soil and water resources may lead to the increase of salinity, which has the potential to enhance pesticides residues risk in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We developed a computational model integrating clinical data and imaging features extracted from contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) images, to predict lymph node (LN) metastasis in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)., Methods: This retrospective study included 159 patients with PDAC (118 in the primary cohort and 41 in the validation cohort) who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography examination between 2012 and 2015. All patients underwent surgery and lymph node status was determined. A total of 2041 radiomics features were extracted from venous phase images in the primary cohort, and optimal features were extracted to construct a radiomics signature. A combined prediction model was built by incorporating the radiomics signature and clinical characteristics selected by using multivariable logistic regression. Clinical prediction models were generated and used to evaluate both cohorts., Results: Fifteen features were selected for constructing the radiomics signature based on the primary cohort. The combined prediction model for identifying preoperative lymph node metastasis reached a better discrimination power than the clinical prediction model, with an area under the curve of 0.944 vs. 0.666 in the primary cohort, and 0.912 vs. 0.713 in the validation cohort., Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated that a noninvasive radiomics signature extracted from contrast-enhanced computed tomography imaging can be conveniently used for preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis in patients with PDAC.