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The construction and operation of large‐scale reservoirs alter the natural river flow regimes and destroy the original suitable reproduction and living conditions of aquatic organisms. Especially during the spawning season, the fluctuating water flow process is particularly important for fish reproduction. A bi‐objective optimization model considering both the environmental flow demand for fish spawning and the stability of hydropower output is established in this study and solved by one of the most widely used algorithms for multi‐objective problems, the Non‐Dominated Sorted Genetic Algorithm‐II. The derived Pareto Front can be used to guide reservoir operation during fish spawning seasons. The model proposed in this paper is applied to the Yangqu Reservoir, currently under construction on the upper Yellow River in China. The results show that the stability of hydropower output can still be improved by 4.80% to 10.56%, even if the environmental flow demand is taken into account. Even for the scheme preferring ecological recovery, the stability of hydropower output can be increased by more than 0.85%. Highlights: Fish spawning demand and hydropower stability are considered simultaneously.Derived Pareto Front can be used for reservoir operation in fish spawning seasons.Room still exists for improving hydropower stability meeting ecological demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins in Lycium ruthenicum Murray can be degraded into metabolites by intestinal microorganisms and have a wide range of biological functions. However, there are limited studies on the effect of anthocyanins on the intestinal flora structure in patients with cerebral infarction. To explore the new probiotic effects of ACN, the gut microbiota present in fecal samples obtained from healthy volunteers and patients with acute cerebral infarction underwent in vitro fermentation analysis. The in vitro fermentation product of ACN with L. ruthenicum Murray can significantly increase the diversity of the gut flora in patients with cerebral infarction. It can also promote beneficial bacteria (e.g., Bifidobacterium) in the guts of patients with acute cerebral infarction (e.g. Bifidobacterium, Allisonella, and Prevotell), reduce the growth of potentially harmful bacteria (Dialister, Megamonas, and Clostridium), and increase the levels of SCFAs. This investigation demonstrated the capability of ACN in vitro fermentation to improve the gut microbiota structure in patients with cerebral infarction. This, in turn, furnishes new theoretical underpinnings for its potential development as a functional food component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2‐in‐water (C/W) foams have attracted much attention given their eco‐friendliness in recent years. However, limited surfactants were able to effectively adsorb at the supercritical CO2–water (C–W) interface considering the weak solvent strength of CO2, especially at high temperatures. Herein, attempts have been made to design suitable CO2 foaming agents by evaluating the influence of proportions of anionic and cationic surfactants and the affinity between aminopropyl methyl siloxane (APSi) and CO2. Through systematical foamability and foam stability experiments, together with the measurements of C–W equilibrium and dynamic interfacial tensions, the adsorption and stabilization mechanisms of sodium alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS)‐APSi aqueous dispersions on the CO2 foam films are revealed. Excellent foam properties were observed at AOS/APSi mass ratio of 9:1, in which initial foam height (h0) and half‐life period (t1/2) first increased and then decreased with increasing pressure, whereas the interfacial tension decreased with increasing pressure. The results indicate that the interaction of anionic and cationic head‐groups contributes to accelerating the surfactant adsorption rate from bulk to the C–W interface, enhancing foamability and stabilizing foam. Besides, the AOS/APSi mass ratio of 8:2 shows a good affinity for CO2 at 15 MPa, of which h0 is 26% higher and t1/2 is 60% slower than AOS alone. Furthermore, the initial mean bubble area of both 9:1 and 8:2 AOS/APSi mixtures was around half that of AOS alone. This work broadens the design of novel surfactant methodologies including CO2 foam, providing a theoretical guidance for the application of CO2 on enhanced‐oil‐recovery technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of electronic skin with dual stealth functionality is crucial for enabling devices to operate effectively in dynamic electromagnetic environments, thereby facilitating intelligent electromagnetic protection for autonomous perception. However, achieving compatibility between terahertz (THz) and infrared (IR) stealth technologies remains largely unexplored due to their inherent contradictions. Herein, inspired by natural corals, a novel coral‐like multi‐scale composite foam (CMSF) was proposed that ingeniously reconciles these contradictions. The design capitalizes on the conductive network and heat insulation properties of the foam skeleton, the loss effects and low infrared emission of metal particles, and the infrared transparency of magneto‐optical materials. This approach leads to the realization of a THz‐IR bi‐stealth electronic skin concept. The CMSF exhibits a maximum reflection loss of 84.8 dB in the terahertz band, while its infrared stealth capability ensures environmental adaptability under varying temperatures. Furthermore, the electronic skin exhibits exceptional sensitivity and reliability as a wearable device for perceiving environmental changes. This advanced material, combining multispectral stealth with sensing capabilities, holds immense potential for applications ranging from camouflage technology to smart wearables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating directional heat pathways within polymer‐based elastomeric thermal interface materials (TIMs) using oriented thermally conductive fillers is an effective strategy for developing highly thermally conductive materials. In this work, we report the fabrication of oriented carbon fibers/alumina/silicone gel composites through a three‐dimensional printing method. Because of the high orientation degree of carbon fiber (CF) in the vertical direction, the resulting material demonstrates a through‐plane thermal conductivity of up to 27.77 Wm−1 K−1 with a composition of 21.75 wt% CF and 65.25 wt% spherical alumina, which is over 10 times higher than that of a parallel structure, surpassing the characters in most works of literature. In addition, the TIMs not only show outstanding flexibility (stress 62.27 psi at 30% strain) but also exhibit excellent resilience performance. These findings hold great potential for various scalable thermal and mechanical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the predictive capacity of emerging serological markers, serum HBV RNA and HBcrAg, for HBeAg seroconversion in children with HBeAg‐positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Treatment‐naïve HBeAg‐positive CHB children who admitted to the Liver Disease Center of Hunan Children's Hospital between April 2021 and September 2022 and received treatment with the combined entecavir and interferon‐alpha treatment were recruited. Serum HBV RNA and HBcrAg were measured at baseline and Weeks 12, 24, and 48 of treatment. Our study showed that serum HBV RNA (HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.56–0.91, p = 0.006), HBcrAg (HR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.43–0.84, p = 0.003), and HBsAg (HR = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.36–0.69, p < 0.001) at Week 12 were independent predictors of HBeAg seroconversion. ROC curve analysis presented that serum HBV RNA decline value (ΔHBV RNA) at Week 36 and HBcrAg decline value (ΔHBcrAg) at Week 12 (AUC = 0.871, p = 0.003 and AUC = 0.810, p = 0.003, respectively) could effectively predict HBeAg seroconversion. Furthermore, the optimal critical values were determined and the children with ΔHBV RNA > 3.759 log10 copies/mL at Week 36 or ΔHBcrAg >0.350 log10 U/mL at Week 12 more likely to achieve HBeAg seroconversion. The serum HBV RNA and HBcrAg provide new insights into the treatment of CHB in children. Early assessment of serum HBV RNA and HBcrAg during treatment can assist clinical decision‐making and optimize individualized therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by a critical organelle called rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), a wave‐energy attenuation nano‐carbon foam (WANF) with a unique hierarchical composite structure consisting of 3D‐lamelle, 2D‐perforations and 1D‐microspheres is constructed by incorporating graphene oxide (GO) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) into a carbon nanotubes (CNTs)‐based aerogel. Benefiting by unusual mechanisms like vortex shedding, secondary reflection and resonance, WANF displays excellent acoustic wave absorption, achieving a sound absorption coefficient of over 0.9 with a bandwidth of 4.75 kHz at a thickness of 20 mm. Significantly, it features obvious acoustic absorption intensity in medium‐low frequency range. Moreover, the nano‐carbon aerogel skeleton (NCAS) of WANF endows it with good electromagnetic wave absorption through dielectric loss, exhibiting a minimum reflection loss of −48.61 dB and an efficient electromagnetic absorption with a bandwidth of 5.35 GHz. The excellent wave‐energy attenuation performance of WANF indicates an attracting double‐stealth effect in sonic and electromagnetic area, which shows great potential in integrate protection of advanced military equipment and sensitive electronic infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epsilon‐and‐mu‐near‐zero (EMNZ) metamaterials have garnered significant attention in near‐zero‐parameter metamaterial research for their exceptional ability to attain concurrent near‐zero permittivity and permeability. Nowadays achieving EMNZ properties through the use of metacomposites remains a novel endeavor. Presented here is an innovative approach of near‐zero‐parameter metacomposites, illustrating excellent and tunable EMNZ properties in the radio frequency regime. The self‐organization approach is applied to construct the conductive 3D network and the circuits, serving as the underlying framework for achieving EMNZ properties. Near‐zero permeability is effectively maintained while permittivity reaches epsilon‐near‐zero frequency regime. Efficient manipulation of electromagnetic parameters is initially realized via adjusting component content in metacomposites. Significantly, an excellent EMNZ property is observed as carbon content reaches 15 wt.% at 915 MHz. Through both numerical simulations and experimental testing, the PGC metacomposites have exhibited tunneling effects and directional emission characteristics, confirming their EMNZ properties. Besides, the Lego‐like adjustment facilitates the achievement of EMNZ property and advances the EMNZ frequency point to 700 MHz, expanding the EMNZ range. Furthermore, thanks to the remarkable excitation effect of photo‐induced adjustment, the metacomposite with low‐carbon content also achieves extraordinary EMNZ properties. This research offers promising self‐organized EMNZ metacomposites and lays the foundation for future endeavors in precisely adjusting near‐zero parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atmospheric river (AR) is a long, narrow, and transient corridor of strong horizontal water vapor transport. Various AR detection methods have been proposed, which have introduced significant uncertainty to the identified AR characteristics. This study has designed a data fusion algorithm to merge 12 data sets of different global and regional AR identification algorithms published by the Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP) covering the period from 1980 to 2016. It aims to conduct frequency statistics to further research the global distribution, interannual variation, the trends in poleward shifting, and the impacted factors of AR occurrence. The quantitative results indicate an overall increasing trend in interannual variation, with a more pronounced growth trend observed in the oceanic region between 40 and 60ºS. Additionally, the study identifies a poleward shift in the peak latitude of AR occurrence frequency, with speeds of 0.589° and 0.769° per decade in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively. This shift may be associated with the tropical poleward expansion. Upon examining the relationship between AR frequency and sea surface temperature (SST) as well as zonal wind, the study finds that distinct dominant factors influence AR in different regions. AR events near the 30°N/S ocean are influenced more significantly by zonal wind than by SST. These findings shed light on the global characteristics of AR occurrences and provide insights into the factors governing their variability across different areas. Plain Language Summary: Researchers employ an array of tools to detect a weather phenomenon event known as the atmospheric river (AR), which is a long, narrow corridor in the atmosphere that transports water vapor originating from the tropics. Each tool employs a distinct methodology for identifying these atmospheric rivers, which can lead to varying results. This diversity makes it challenging for us to select a single methodology to study AR on a global scale and over long periods. To address this problem, we have developed an innovative algorithm. This algorithm merges the results from different tools to create a more consistent and comprehensive data set of atmospheric rivers. Utilizing this novel data set, we investigated how atmospheric rivers have evolved over time and across different locations. Our research indicates a poleward shift of AR positions throughout the research period. Moreover, we also examined the sea surface temperature and wind patterns, and their connections to the frequency of atmospheric rivers. These insights could provide insightful implications for how climate changes might influence these important weather phenomena in the future. Key Points: Proposed a data fusion algorithm merging 12 Atmospheric River Detection Tools data sets based on their identification results conflictsThe poleward shifts of the AR frequency peak and tropical expansion have a moderate correlation during the research periodAR events near the 30° N/S ocean are influenced more significantly by zonal wind than by sea surface temperature [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mode I fracture toughness, as a key index to reflect rocks' resistance to crack propagation and failure, which is significantly affected by temperature, plays an important role in accident prevention in underground engineering. In this work, a temperature‐damage‐dependent fracture surface energy model of rocks was developed first. Then, the theoretical characterization model of the temperature‐dependent mode I fracture toughness of rocks was proposed according to the relationship between the fracture surface energy and fracture toughness. All obtained experimental results are used for verification, and the predicted values are in good agreement with the experimental results. The temperature‐dependent mode I fracture toughness model of rocks established in this study not only provides a new method to predict the fracture toughness of rocks at different temperatures conveniently but also provides the theoretical basis to the research on stability analysis, monitoring, warning, and disaster control of underground rock engineering. Highlights: A new temperature‐dependent mode I fracture toughness model of rocks is proposed.The temperature‐dependent mode I fracture toughness model has no fitting parameters.The predicted results of this model are in good agreement with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Improving the analytical performance of linear ion traps (LITs) is crucial for the advancement of high‐performance LIT mass spectrometers. In this study, a double resonant excitation method was employed in an asymmetric LIT to achieve high ion unidirectional ejection efficiency and enhanced mass resolution. Methods: The asymmetric trapping field was generated by stretching one x electrode with a distance α. The double resonant excitation was achieved by applying an alternating voltage out of phase and a supplementary alternating voltage in phase to the x and y electrode pairs of the LIT, respectively. Numerical simulations of ion trajectories were performed to validate the effectiveness of this method. Results: The mass resolution of the asymmetric LIT with double resonant excitation could be improved to ~3800, which was over two times compared to that with only dipolar resonant excitation, while both reached ~90% in ion unidirectional ejection efficiency. Conclusions: By employing the double resonant excitation method, the mass resolution could be improved significantly in the asymmetric LIT, while maintaining a considerably high ion unidirectional ejection efficiency. This method might provide a general solution for enhancing ion detection efficiency and mass resolution of LIT mass spectrometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissipation of heat efficiently from a hot object via radiation while minimizing the inward heat conduction is the key requirement of radiation thermal protection. In this study, a Ca‐Cr co‐doped Y3NbO7 coating with lamellar porous structure is fabricated, which shows an ultra‐low thermal conductivity (<0.7 W m−1 K−1) and near‐unity emissivity (>0.9) across a broad wavelength range of ≈1–24 µm. This record high emissivity to thermal conductivity ratio (≈1.3) is experimentally and theoretically revealed from a multi‐scale perspective. The diffusoin‐mediated thermal conduction feature of niobates combined with lamellar porous structure of the coating reduces its thermal conductivity to an impressive 0.5 W m−1 K−1 at 25 °C, surpassing the theoretical amorphous limitation of 0.72 W m−1 K−1. Experiments and FDTD calculation results demonstrate that the intrinsic emissivity dips at shallow extinction wavelengths (1 and 8 µm) and strong phonon‐polariton resonances wavelengths (>13 µm) can be effectively compensated by the multiple scattering/absorption and gradual modulation of conical shape/effective refractive index induced by surface micro‐protrusion structures, respectively. Furthermore, the coating exhibits robust mechanical and thermal stability with a high bonding strength (18.3 MPa) and thermal expansion coefficient (≈11 × 10−6 K−1 at 1200 °C) comparable to YSZ, showing great potential in the radiation thermal protection field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, is among the most important pests of citrus. It is the main vector of the Huanglongbing (HLB) pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), which causes severe losses in citrus crops. Control of D. citri is therefore of paramount importance to reduce the spread of HLB. In this regard, using RNA interference (RNAi) to silence target genes is a useful strategy to control psyllids. In this study, using RNAi, we examined the biological functions of the V‐ATPase subunit E (V‐ATP‐E) gene of D. citri, including its effect on acquisition of CLas. The amino acid sequence of V‐ATP‐E from D. citri had high homology with proteins from other insects. V‐ATP‐E was expressed at all D. citri life stages analyzed, and the expression level in mature adults was higher than that of teneral adults. Silencing of V‐ATP‐E resulted in a significant increase in mortality, reduced body weight, and induced cell apoptosis of the D. citri midgut. The reduced expression of V‐ATP‐E was indicated to inhibit CLas passing through the midgut and into the hemolymph, leading to a majority of CLas being confined to the midgut. In addition, double‐stranded RNA of D. citri V‐ATP‐E was safe to non‐target parasitic wasps. These results suggest that V‐ATP‐E is an effective RNAi target that can be used in D. citri control to block CLas infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a nonspecific inflammatory indicator and is widely used in clinical diagnosis. Westergren is the gold standard method recommended by the International Committee for Standardization of Hematology (ICSH), but it is time‐consuming and inconvenient and has biosafety risks. A new alternate method for ESR (Easy‐W ESR) measurement was designed and integrated into the Mindray BC‐720 series automated hematology analyzer to meet the clinical needs of hematology laboratories for efficiency, safety, and automation. In this study, the performance of the new ESR method was evaluated based on the ICSH recommendations on modified and alternate ESR methods. Methods: Methodological comparisons using the BC‐720 analyzer, TEST 1, and the Westergren method were performed to assess repeatability, carryover, sample stability, reference range validation, factors influencing the ESR, and clinical applicability in rheumatology and orthopedics. Results: The correlation between the BC‐720 analyzer and the Westergren method was good (Y = 2.082 + 0.9869X, r = 0.9657, P > 0.0001, n = 342), carryover was <1%, the repeatability standard deviation was ≤1 mm/h, and the coefficient of variation (CV) was ≤5%. The reference range meets the manufacturer's claim. For rheumatology patients, the BC‐720 analyzer showed a good correlation with the Westergren method (Y = 1.021X–1.941, r = 0.9467, n = 149). For orthopedic patients, the BC‐720 analyzer also showed a good correlation with the Westergren method (Y = 1.037X + 0.981, r = 0.978, n = 97). Conclusion: This study verified the clinical and analytical performance of the new ESR method, indicating that the results are very similar to those obtained using the Westergren method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) plays a crucial role in regulating the climate and hydrology over Asia, and studies indicate that the QTP tends to be warm and humid as a whole. Although precipitation variability on the QTP has a great impact on floods, soil erosion, and droughts, it is poorly understood owing to sparse meteorological observations. This study has investigated the temporal variability of precipitation on the QTP and its surrounding areas on different time scales over the past 40 years using the standardized variability index (SVI) based on entropy as well as its changing trends. The results show that the variability of precipitation has different spatial patterns on different time scales. In general, the variability of both the precipitation days and amounts are low in the southeast and northwest corners of the plateau and high in the southwest and north. It was found that the number of light precipitation days in the high vegetation coverage area in the southeastern plateau decreased significantly, but increased greatly in the bare land and sparse vegetation coverage areas in the northern part of the plateau. Such changes are believed to be conducive for ecological restoration. Most importantly, in the southern foothills of the Himalayas, many light precipitation days have turned into moderate and heavy precipitation days, and a significant increase in annual precipitation has also been noted, which are likely to cause natural disasters considering the local topographical conditions, such as landslides and mudslides. Highlights: In QTP, SVIME in May is closer to summer mode, indicating monsoon beginning have advanced to May.Extreme precipitation significantly influences precipitation variability.Daily SVIAE decreases in grassland/barren/sparsely vegetated land, good for ecology.Light rain days increased in bare land/sparse vegetation areas, benefiting vegetation restoration.In southern Himalayas, light rain changed to moderate/heavy rain, leading to natural disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega‐3 PUFAs) are essential for improving the health and performance of athletes. The present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status of omega‐3 PUFAs in Chinese elite athletes by both dietary intake analysis and serum biomarker detection. A cross‐sectional analysis of data from 54 elite athletes (24 men and 30 women) from Shanghai professional sports teams was conducted. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was employed to analyze dietary intake, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) was conducted to measure serum biomarkers of PUFAs. Correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationships of PUFA biomarkers with diet, inflammation and oxidative stress. The results showed that the median intake of EPA + DHA among athletes was 132 mg/d, which is lower than the minimum value recommended by dietary guidelines (250 mg/d). The average serum EPA + DHA was 4.0 ± 1.1%, and the ratio of omega‐6/omega‐3 was 7.7 ± 1.7. Most (96.3%) of the athletes were below the targeted value of serum EPA + DHA, which is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular risk. Correlation analysis showed that the serum EPA + DHA was positively correlated with the long‐term dietary intake of EPA + DHA and negatively correlated with inflammatory markers. In conclusion, the serum circulating EPA + DHA and omega‐6/omega‐3 ratio are effective biomarkers reflecting the nutritional status of PUFAs in athletes. Omega‐3 PUFAs have a potential effect on inhibiting inflammatory markers. Hence, it is necessary for Chinese athletes to improve their suboptimal nutritional status of PUFAs through dietary intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the synergetic regulatory effect of miR‐22 on HIF‐1α and NLRP3, subsequently regulating the production of the NLRP3/CASP1 inflammasome pathway‐mediated proinflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and IL‐18 in human dental pulp fibroblasts (HDPFs) during the progression of pulpitis. Methodology: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunofluorescence (IF) were performed to determine the localization of miR‐22‐3p, NLRP3 and HIF‐1α in human dental pulp tissues (HDPTs). The miR‐22 mimics and inhibitor or plasmid of NLRP3 or HIF‐1α were used to upregulate or downregulate miR‐22 or NLRP3 or HIF‐1α in HDPFs, respectively. Computational prediction via TargetScan 5.1 and a luciferase reporter assay were conducted to confirm target association. The mRNA and protein expression of HIF‐1α, NLRP3, caspase‐1, IL‐1β and IL‐18 were determined by qRT‐PCR and western blotting, respectively. The release of IL‐1β and IL‐18 was analysed by ELISA. The significance of the differences between the experimental and control groups was determined by one‐way analysis of variance, p <.05 indicated statistical significance. Results: A decrease in miR‐22 and an increase in HIF‐1α and NLRP3 in HDPTs occurred during the transformation of reversible pulpitis into irreversible pulpitis compared with that in the healthy pulp tissues (p <.05). In the normal HDPTs, miR‐22‐3p was extensively expressed in dental pulp cells. HIF‐1α and NLRP3 were mainly expressed in the odontoblasts and vascular endothelial cells. Whereas in the inflamed HDPTs, the odontoblast layers were disrupted. HDPFs were positive for miR‐22‐3p, HIF‐1α and NLRP3. Computational prediction via TargetScan 5.1 and luciferase reporter assays confirmed that both NLRP3 and HIF‐1α were direct targets of miR‐22 in HDPFs. The miR‐22 inhibitor further promoted the activation of NLRP3/CASP1 inflammasome pathway induced by ATP plus LPS and hypoxia (p <.05). In contrast, the miR‐22 mimic significantly inhibited the NLRP3/CASP1 inflammasome pathway activation induced by ATP plus LPS and hypoxia (p <.05). Conclusion: MiR‐22, as a synergetic negative regulator, is involved in controlling the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines mediated by the NLRP3/CASP1 inflammasome pathway by targeting NLRP3 and HIF‐1α. These results provide a novel function and mechanism of miR‐22‐HIF‐1α‐NLRP3 signalling in the control of proinflammatory cytokine secretion, thus indicating a potential therapeutic strategy for future endodontic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studied the adsorption characteristics and mechanism of four kinds of ionic liquids (ILs) with different carbon chain lengths in montmorillonite (Mt). The results of isothermal adsorption at 25 °C show that the adsorption of four kinds of IL in Mt conforms to the Modified‐Langmuir model, and the adsorbance of IL in Mt is positively correlated with the dosage and the carbon chain length of IL. The dynamics research results show that the adsorption of IL in Mt fits well with the quasi‐second‐order dynamics equation. The reaction constant k is negatively correlated with the dosage of IL but positively correlated with the carbon chain length. The thermodynamics results show that the adsorption of IL in Mt is exothermic. The carbon chain length and the dosage of IL have a cross effect on the adsorption capacity of Mt for IL and the structure of the adsorption products. The adsorption capacity of Mt increases first and then decreases with the increase of dosage, and it increases with the increase of carbon chain length. The dosage of IL has little effect on the d(001) of IL/Mt with the short carbon chain, but the d(001) of IL/Mt with the long carbon chain increases with the increase of the dosage of IL. The carbon chain length has little effect on the d(001) of IL/Mt with a low dosage of IL, however, when the dosage of IL is high, the d(001) of IL/Mt increases with the increase of carbon chain length. The specific surface area, pore volume and the most probable radius of IL/Mt decrease with the increase of the dosage and carbon chain length, but excessive amounts of IL will still increase the most probable radius. Molecular dynamics simulation results show that when the dosage of IL is 0.3CEC, four ILs with different carbon chain lengths are arranged in a monolayer between Mt layers, N (N in IL) coordinates with Ot (O on the tetrahedral surface) at a distance of 3.0 Å, and the coordination strength increases with the increase of the carbon chain length of IL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergistic effect of layer charge density of Na‐montmorillonite (Na‐MT), the carbon chain length and the dosage of alkyl ammonium on the micro‐structure and gel properties of single chain alkyl ammonium intercalated Na‐MT was systematically studied by using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), molecular dynamics simulation and small‐scale experiment. The results of Z‐axis density distribution and radial distribution function (RDF) shows that with the increase of the dosage of alkyl ammonium, the distribution pattern is gradually changed from layered to inclined winding and stacking distribution. The results of the self‐diffusion coefficient show that the higher the layer charge density of Na‐MT, the shorter the length of alkyl ammonium carbon chain, the lower the diffusivity of each component in the inter‐layer. With the increase of the dosage of alkyl ammonium, the diffusivity of alkyl ammonium in the inter‐layer increases firstly and then decreases. The results of gel properties show that with the increase of the dosage of alkyl ammonium, the colloidal ratio of the alkyl ammonium/Na‐MT in xylene gradually increases, while the apparent viscosity in xylene‐ethanol increases firstly and then decreases. Furthermore, the longer the carbon chain of alkyl ammonium, the lower the layer charge density of MT, the better the gel properties of the prepared alkyl ammonium/Na‐MT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metacomposites have attracted widespread attention due to their unique negative electromagnetic properties and stupendous applications. Although there are systems that realize metamaterial properties in low radio frequency bands, the research on the construction of polymer matrix metacomposites with negative performance in the pivotal GHz band is still undiscovered. Herein, carbon nanofiber/conductive polymer metacomposites with 3D overlapping network structures are innovatively constructed to achieve negative permittivity characteristics in the radarwave frequency range, and convenient methods for further adjusting the electromagnetic parameters is also proposed. The results show that the negative permittivity of CNFs/PANI metacomposites can be conveniently altered via adjusting PANI content. Furthermore, electromagnetic shielding has also been fully discussed as one of the most valuable applications of the metacomposites. The SET of CNFs/PANI‐70 has an average value of 70 dB at 4–18 GHz and can reach a maximum of 80 dB at 4 GHz, which far exceeds the current commercial electromagnetic shielding standards. This work greatly broadens the promising application of metacomposites for perfect electromagnetic shielding, novel capacitance, and frequency selective surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of a magnetorheological fluid (MRF) usually includes magnetic particles, a carrier fluid, and additives. Among them, the magnetic particles and carrier fluid are the main sources of the mechanical properties of the MRF. The changes of the related properties of the two will affect the mechanical properties of the MRF directly or indirectly. Herein, first, the temperature–magnetic field characteristics are analyzed during the MRF working process. Then, the influence mechanism of temperature and magnetic field changes on the properties of the magnetic particles and carrier liquid are analyzed. On this basis, the traditional Bingham model is improved and optimized, in which the temperature variable is introduced to represent the effect of temperature–magnetic field coupling on the shear stress of the MRF. Finally, parameter fitting and simulation are carried out for the optimized model, and the self‐made shear stress of the MRF measuring device with temperature‐control function is used to experimentally verify the accuracy of the optimized model. The comparison and verification of the results show that the optimized model can better represent the variation of shear stress of an MRF with temperature and magnetic field than the traditional Bingham model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiobjective optimization has been widely applied to reservoir operations in order to provide balanced operational schemes considering their multiple functions, including flood control, power generation, and ecological objectives. The Pareto front derived from multiobjective optimization is a set of optimal solutions that cannot quickly provide direct guidance for decision‐makers. In this study, a shrinking method is proposed to reduce the selection range of the optimal solutions on the Pareto front. Based on two proposed indices, that is, competitiveness and the competition efficiency between each pair of dual objectives, the optimal solutions are shrunk twice to accurately focus on the optimal solution region and reduce the difficulty of decision‐making. The proposed methodology is applied to a large‐scale reservoir on the upper reach of the Yellow River, China, simultaneously considering power generation, hydropower output stability, and ecological objectives. The results show that the proposed method could reduce the Pareto front to the solutions performing well in objectives and can be generalized for other multiobjective optimization models. Key Points: A method of evaluating competitiveness among multiobjectives is proposedCompetition efficiency indices between dual objectives determine the decision directionsThe bilevel Pareto front shrinking approach narrows down the Pareto solutions by nearly 1 order [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSCs) have attracted considerable attention owing to the bivalent nature, high abundance, and stability in the water‐based system of zinc. High energy density and superb power output can be achieved simultaneously by integrating a battery‐type electrode and a capacitive‐type electrode. However, there are still many issues that remain, including but not only hydrogen evolution reaction, dendrite growth, and dramatic capacity loss at low temperatures. Herein, a new type of hybrid "water‐in‐salt" hydrogel electrolyte based on 1 m Zn(CH3COO)2 and 20 m CH3COOK to expand the voltage window of ZHSCs to 0–2.1 V by suppressing the decomposition of water molecules is developed. The aqueous ZHSC delivers maximum energy of 100.2 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 487.5 W kg−1 based on the active materials and displays excellent cycling stability with 99.5% capacitance retention after 4000 cycles. Meanwhile, it is found that the assembled flexible quasi‐solid‐state ZHSC using the potassium polyacrylate/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel electrolyte (containing 1 m Zn(CH3COO)2 and 20 m CH3COOK) also shows high‐performance (energy density of 106.5 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 383.3 W kg−1) with temperature adaptability at low temperature and wearable application potential with excellent energy storage performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, structural color films on ceramic substrate were prepared through vertical deposition self‐assembly. The morphology, optical property and hydrophobicity of the films were characterized by field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), optical photos and contact angle meter. The results show that the SiO2 colloidal crystals with ordered arrangement are successfully immersed into the ceramic glaze after sintered, and the structural color films prepared on the ceramic glaze layer show a periodically ordered structure. Compared with the structural color films on alumina substrate, further researches on the structural color films on ceramic substrate were carried out, and the hydrophobic property and stability of the structural color films on ceramic substrate are better, which is attributed to the combination of SiO2 photonic crystal and ceramic glaze. Moreover, the structural color films on the ceramic glaze layer show excellent hydrophobic performance when the sintering temperature was 600 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important species in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, the roles played by plateau pikas in grassland degradation and protection are controversial. The behavior characteristics and population density of this species are important in answering this question, but these traits have not been fully elucidated to date. Camera‐capture methods have been used widely in recent years to characterize or calculate population density with the advantage of simple operation and nonintrusive investigation. However, establishing the relationship between actual population density and monitoring data with the condition that individual identification is not possible is a major challenge for this method. In this study, a model composed of a behavioral module and a burrow system module is proposed and applied to simulate the moving path of each individual pika. Based on Monte Carlo method, the model is used to develop the relationship between population density and recorded capture number, which is compared with the results derived from the random encounter model (REM) based on field observations. The simulated results mixed with the calculated density based on observation data could reach R2 = 0.98 using linear fitting, with proper parameter settings. A novel index named activity intensity of pikas per population density is also proposed, providing information on both the ecological physical characteristics and monitoring space. The influence of different parameters on this index, mainly the pika number per burrow system, pika activity time outside the burrow, and activity intensity, is discussed. The proposed methodology can be applied to different scenarios in further studies when behavioral characteristics of pikas change for such reasons as climate change and vegetation degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamaterials have opened up an approach for high‐performance terahertz wave absorption. Herein, Mie‐resonance‐based metamaterials are fabricated from Al2O3 microspheres with different sizes. A facile method is designed to prepare the arrays of spheres efficiently and precisely. The Al2O3‐microsphere‐array metamaterial constructed with 77 μm spheres achieves perfect absorption. The maximum absorption arrives at 99.98% and the bandwidth for absorption higher than 99% is 0.11 THz (from 1.57 to 1.68 THz). Mie resonance is verified to be the reason for the strong absorption with its size‐dependent property demonstrated experimentally and theoretically. An efficient and economical route is offered to construct metamaterial perfect absorbers in the terahertz band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Known as "China's Water Tower," the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) becomes warm and humid in the short term but faces drought in the long term because of global climate change. Atmospheric water resources seem to be the only choice in the QTP region to alleviate drought conditions. Analysis of water vapour distribution and evaluation of exploitation modes of atmospheric water resources are carried out in this study. Different exploitation modes of atmospheric water resources including routine, selective, and emergency‐oriented exploitation are distinguished using water vapour budget and its distribution entropy. Zoning of the QTP indicates that routine exploitation, that is, long‐term, continuous, and fixed‐point exploitation, can only be carried out in its eastern part, while the middle and western parts are suitable for selective exploitation. Such entropy‐based assessment and zoning can be used as a reference for the exploitation of atmospheric water in the QTP in the future. Furthermore, the proposed zoning criteria can be used to estimate the exploitability of atmospheric water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradable hydrogel electrolytes are particularly attractive in the fabrication of all‐solid‐state supercapacitors due to environmental benignity and avoiding of leakage. The introduction of "water‐in‐salt" (WIS) electrolytes into hydrogels will further broaden the electrochemical stability window of aqueous supercapacitors significantly. Meanwhile, the addition of an organic co‐solvent can effectively overcome the inevitable salt precipitation and extend the temperature adaptability. Herein, an in situ cross‐linking approach was demonstrated without any extra binder to obtain a "dimethyl sulfoxide/water‐in‐salt"‐based (DWIS) chitosan hydrogel electrolyte. Interestingly, the addition of 4–7 mol L−1 of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salts not only conforms to the criterion of WIS, but also promoted the successful gelation through the supramolecular complexation between Li+‐solvated complexes and chitosan chains. A hydrogel‐based all‐solid‐state supercapacitor was fabricated using the DWIS chitosan hydrogel as the electrolyte and separator while nitrogen‐doped graphene hydrogel (NG) was used as the electrode. The optimized supercapacitor with a wide operating voltage of 2.1 V showed a high specific capacitance of 107.6 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, remarkable capacitance retention of 80.1 % after 5000 cycles, a superior energy density of 62.9 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1025.5 W kg−1, and excellent temperature stability in the range of −20 to 70 °C. These findings suggest that the as‐prepared hydrogel electrolyte holds great potential in the practical application of high‐performance solid‐state energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this project was to find a bronchodilatory compound from herbs and clarify the mechanism. We found that the ethanol extract of Folium Sennae (EEFS) can relax airway smooth muscle (ASM). EEFS inhibited ASM contraction, induced by acetylcholine, in mouse tracheal rings and lung slices. High‐performance liquid chromatography assay showed that EEFS contained emodin. Emodin had a similar reversal action. Acetylcholine‐evoked contraction was also partially reduced by nifedipine (a selective inhibitor of L‐type voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channels, LVDCCs), YM‐58483 (a selective inhibitor of store‐operated Ca2+ entry, SOCE), as well as Y‐27632 (an inhibitor of Rho‐associated protein kinase). In addition, LVDCC‐ and SOCE‐mediated currents and cytosolic Ca2+ elevations were inhibited by emodin. Emodin reversed acetylcholine‐caused increases in phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1. Furthermore, emodin, in vivo, inhibited acetylcholine‐induced respiratory system resistance in mice. These results indicate that EEFS‐induced relaxation results from emodin inhibiting LVDCC, SOCE, and Ca2+ sensitization. These findings suggest that Folium Sennae and emodin may be new sources of bronchodilators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this manuscript, ultrastable Y (USY) zeolites are modified employing a liquid‐phase ion exchange method to furnish H‐USY with different properties. Modified with ammonium nitrate, H‐USY could largely improve the conversion in the alkylation reaction of benzene with cyclohexene due to the increase in Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) specific surface area, Barrett‐Joyner‐Halenda (BJH) pore volume, BJH pore size, and acidity of H‐USY. Catalyzed by the molecular sieve modified twice with ammonium nitrate, this alkylation reaction demonstrated a 95.3 % conversion of cyclohexene with 97.4 % selectivity of cyclohexylbenzene. And we found that urea‐modified USY has the similar effect, a 96.1 % conversion of cyclohexene with slightly 94.9 % selectivity of cyclohexylbenzene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peritoneal metastasis is a critical feature and clinical challenge in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). We previously identified a novel long noncoding RNA (lncRNA, TC0101441) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) using microarrays. However, the impact of TC0101441 on EOC metastasis and prognosis remains unclear. TC0101441 expression in EOC tissues and its correlation with clinicopathological factors and prognosis were examined. A series of in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to elucidate the roles and mechanism of TC0101441 in EOC metastasis. We found that TC0101441 levels were elevated in EOC tissues compared with those in normal controls and significantly correlated with an advanced clinical stage and lymph node metastasis. TC0101441 was determined to be an independent prognostic predictor of overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS). Furthermore, loss‐of‐function assays showed that TC0101441 promoted the invasive and metastatic capacities of EOC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the prometastatic effects of TC0101441 were linked to the induction of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Importantly, KiSS1 was identified as a downstream target gene of TC0101441 and was downregulated by TC0101441 in EOC cells. After TC0101441 was silenced, the corresponding phenotypes of EOC cell invasion and EMT were reversed by the overexpression of KiSS1. Taken together, our data suggest that TC0101441 functions as a potential promigratory/invasive oncogene by promoting EMT and metastasis in EOC through downregulation of KiSS1, which may represent a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target in EOC. What's new? Early widespread metastasis remains a major obstacle in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Metastatic events in EOC likely are facilitated by epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is suspected of regulating a small number of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in cancer metastasis. Here, levels of lncRNA‐TC0101441, an lncRNA previously associated with EOC migration, were found to be elevated in EOC tissues and were significantly correlated with advanced clinical stage. Moreover, molecular analyses show that lncRNA‐TC0101441 downregulates KiSS1, thereby inducing EMT in EOC metastasis. LncRNA‐TC0101441 was further determined to be a predictor of both overall and disease‐free EOC survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the competitive adsorption of Cu(II) and Ni(II) adsorption onto bentonite were investigated. The effects of initial adsorbate concentration, pH, contact time, temperature on adsorption and the kinetics, thermodynamic, quantification of adsorption competition and competitive mechanisms have been studied. The results indicated that Cu(II) has a higher affinity than Ni(II) for adsorption on bentonite. But the inhibition effect was not noticeable under alkaline conditions. The Langmuir and pseudo‐second‐order kinetics models can be applied to simulate the isothermal adsorption and adsorption dynamic, respectively. Under a single system/binary system, the maximum adsorption capacity of bentonite for Cu(II) and Ni(II) is 12.76/10.57 and 11.12/9.11 mg/g, respectively. The equilibrium adsorption capacity reduction rate is suitable for quantitative characterization of adsorption competition under any concentration conditions; adsorption competition coefficient is more suitable for low concentration adsorption; although the distribution coefficient is not suitable for quantitative adsorption competition at high concentrations, it can be used to characterize the variation of adsorption competitiveness of Cu(II) at different concentrations. The higher electronegativity, lower first hydrolysis constant and Misono softness, and a better "guest‐host" consistency between Cu(II)O6 and the vacancies in the montmorillonite octahedral sheet make the higher affinity of Cu(II) to bentonite and result in the possible ion exchange between Cu(II) in solution and adsorbed Ni(II). In addition, at high concentrations, Cu(II) and Ni(II) precipitates formed on the surface of montmorillonite may cause remained Cu(II) ions in the solution unable to enter the internal space of the montmorillonite octahedron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial heterodyne Raman spectroscopy has become a useful spectroscopic detection technique that is particularly suitable for Raman measurements. This method uses the Fourier transform of the interferogram imaged on the detector by stationary diffraction gratings. Spatial heterodyne Raman spectroscopy has the same characteristic of conventional Fourier‐transform spectroscopy, which is that the field of view is limited. We propose a two‐dimensional spatial heterodyne Raman spectrometer (SHRS) that uses a field widening prism to effectively increase the throughput or sensitivity without sacrificing the spectral resolution for Raman measurements while broadening the bandpass. The signal‐to‐noise ratio is measured under different integrations or laser powers and shows that the system exhibits good stability and fair repeatability. Raman spectra obtained from the field‐widened SHRS and a commercialized Raman instrument are compared, and the field‐widened SHRS and the SHRS using the same instrumental parameters without field widening are also compared. A higher signal‐to‐noise ratio can be achieved using the field‐widened SHRS. In our measurements, the field‐widened SHRS can be operated under the slightly more complex conditions required for wide‐field measurements with short integration times and low laser power. Raman spectra of a pure inorganic target or a target contained in glass and a plastic bottle are observed. A sulfate is investigated in two states: solid salt and aqueous solution. Several mixture liquids, mixture solids, minerals, and anti‐Stokes Raman shifts are also investigated. The results show that the field‐widened SHRS exhibits a good performance to successfully perform wide‐field Raman measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high capacitance and cyclability are usually incompatible when Ni(OH)2 behaves as the electrode material in pseudocapacitors. Herein, Ni(OH)2/CuO nanocomposites electrode materials were fabricated by simple water‐boiling treatment, and the nanocomposite with an atomic ratio of 1 : 1 for Ni : Cu achieves extraordinary electrochemical performance (1248 F g−1 at 1 A g−1), excellent rate property, and remarkable cyclability (revealing capacitance retention of 86 % after cycling at 2 A g−1 for 6000 times). Particularly, the asymmetric supercapacitor with the positive electrode of Ni(OH)2/CuO and negative electrode of fulvic acid‐derived carbon demonstrates a capacitance of 125 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, an energy density of 19.5 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 781 W kg−1, together with capacitance retention of 98 % after 6000 cycles at 3.2 A g−1. The outstanding performance results from the high migration rate of both electron and ion associating with the component of CuO, the mutual dispersion of Ni(OH)2 and CuO for maintaining the high specific surface area of Ni(OH)2 nanowhiskers, as well as the lattice distortion induced by the mutual doping of Cu2+ in Ni(OH)2 and Ni2+ in CuO to provide more active sites for energy storage. The Ni(OH)2/CuO composite could be a practicable alternative as the electrode materials for advanced pseudocapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to evaluate the expression and role of miR‐323a in the progression of bladder cancer (BC), thereby providing a theoretical basis and potential therapy methods for BC patients. Our data showed that miR‐323a levels were significantly reduced in BC tissues compared with those of non‐cancerous tissues. Meanwhile, miR‐323a was significantly decreased in human BC cell lines (T24, J82, TCCSUP, RT‐112) than that in human normal bladder epithelial cell line SV‐HUC‐1. Furthermore, inhibition of miR‐323a markedly enhanced the migration and invasive capacity of T24 and TCCSUP cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR‐323a significantly prompted the apoptosis of BC cells. Dual luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis confirmed that c‐Met was a target gene of miR‐323a. More importantly, upregulation of c‐Met significantly prompted BC cell proliferation mainly as a result of the enhanced level of phosphorylation of AKT. This effect could be abolished when c‐Met was silenced in BC cells. In summary, reduced miR‐323a expression in BC contributed to enhanced BC cell proliferation and migration mainly by targeting c‐Met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Azithromycin (AZM) has been used for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, the effects and underlying mechanisms of AZM remain largely unknown. The effects of AZM on airway smooth muscles (ASMs) and the underlying mechanisms were studied using isometric muscle force measurements, the examination of lung slices, imaging, and patch‐clamp techniques. AZM completely inhibited acetylcholine (ACH)‐induced precontraction of ASMs in animals (mice, guinea pigs, and rabbits) and humans. Two other macrolide antibiotics, roxithromycin and Klaricid, displayed a decreased inhibitory activity, and the aminoglycoside antibiotics penicillin and streptomycin did not have an inhibitory effect. Precontractions were partially inhibited by nifedipine (selective inhibitor of L‐type voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channels (LVDCCs)), Pyr3 (selective inhibitor of TRPC3 and/or STIM/Orai channels, which are nonselective cation channels (NSCCs)), and Y‐27632 (selective inhibitor of Rho‐associated kinase (ROCK)). Moreover, LVDCC‐ and NSCC‐mediated currents were inhibited by AZM, and the latter were suppressed by the muscarinic (M) 2 receptor inhibitor methoctramine. AZM inhibited LVDCC Ca2+ permeant ion channels, M2 receptors, and TRPC3 and/or STIM/Orai, which decreased cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations and led to muscle relaxation. This relaxation was also enhanced by the inhibition of Ca2+ sensitization. Therefore, AZM has potential as a novel and potent bronchodilator. The findings of this study improve the understanding of the effects of AZM on asthma and COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial neural network (ANN) combined with signal decomposing methods is effective for long‐term streamflow time series forecasting. ANN is a kind of machine learning method utilized widely for streamflow time series, and which performs well in forecasting nonstationary time series without the need of physical analysis for complex and dynamic hydrological processes. Most studies take multiple factors determining the streamflow as inputs such as rainfall. In this study, a long‐term streamflow forecasting model depending only on the historical streamflow data is proposed. Various preprocessing techniques, including empirical mode decomposition (EMD), ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT), are first used to decompose the streamflow time series into simple components with different timescale characteristics, and the relation between these components and the original streamflow at the next time step is analyzed by ANN. Hybrid models EMD‐ANN, EEMD‐ANN and DWT‐ANN are developed in this study for long‐term daily streamflow forecasting, and performance measures root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) indicate that the proposed EEMD‐ANN method performs better than EMD‐ANN and DWT‐ANN models, especially in high flow forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydropower can be an ideal compensation for fluctuant photovoltaic (PV) power due to its flexibility. In this study, a multiobjective optimization model considering energy generation and consumption simultaneously for a hydro‐PV hybrid power system is proposed. With the daily mean radiation intensity and temperature, the PV power output is calculated. Taking reservoir release as the decision variable, the total energy generation of the hydro‐PV system is maximized. Meanwhile, the gap between the energy generation and the energy consumption is minimized to reduce the abandoned PV power or hydropower. The proposed multiobjective model is optimized by Non‐dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithms‐II (NSGA‐II). The Longyangxia Project, the largest hydro‐photovoltaic hybrid power system in the world is taken as the study case to estimate the optimal operational strategies for different objectives in wet year, normal year, and dry year, respectively. The optimal operation process of the reservoir is presented, which is instructive for the operation in the future. Both maximizing energy generation and minimizing the gap between energy generation and consumption are taken into account simultaneously. The proposed multiobjective optimization model is optimized by NSGA‐II, and applied to the largest hydro‐PV project in the world. The methodology can be generalized to any other hydro/PV hybrid systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A four‐layer absorbing composite on millimeter scale is designed containing an absorbent with multilayer‐like structure on the microscale. In this four‐layer absorbing composite, epoxy resin acts as transparent layer, the multilayer‐like structure absorbent serves as the main absorbing layer; graphene/Ni composite acts as an impedance matching layer; and Fe3O4 nanoparticles serve as a magnetic‐loss absorbing layer. The reflection loss of the composites is simulated with CST Microwave Studio, and the absorbency of the composites is discussed in detail when the thickness of each layer is changed. The results show that when the thicknesses of the transparent layer, main absorbing layer, impedance matching layer, and magnetic‐loss absorbing layer are 2.5, 2, 1.5, and 2 mm, respectively, the minimum reflection loss of the composite is −51.7 dB, the bandwidth below −10 dB reaches 11.82 GHz, and the density of the composite is nearly 1.9 g cm−3. Therefore, this new four‐layer absorbing composite possesses strong absorbency, broad absorbing bandwidth, thin thickness, and light weight. Thus, a new way to the development of multilayer absorbing composites is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are grown on the surface of activated carbon hollow porous fibers (ACHFs) by chemical vapor deposition. A multilayer‐like structure absorber ACHFs–CNTs–Fe3O4 is prepared when Fe3O4 nanoparticles/epoxy resin are injected into the hollow structure of ACHFs. Microwave reflection loss, permittivity, and permeability of ACHFs–CNTs–Fe3O4 in 2–18 GHz are measured. The results show that the minimum reflection loss of ACHFs–CNTs–Fe3O4 has reached to −46.828 dB at 14.4 GHz with the thickness of 2.5 mm, and the bandwidth below −10 dB can be as broad as 7.2 GHz. A wide effective absorbing bandwidth can be 13.54 GHz with the variation of the sample thickness from 1.5 to 5.0 mm. The low minimum reflection loss may result from electromagnetic coupling effect of ACHFs, CNTs, and Fe3O4 nanomagnetic particles. The broad absorbing bandwidth is ascribed to its special multilayer‐like structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicate‐bearing hectorites (laponite) were synthesized by hydrothermal method, and the laponite sample was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential, Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface area, and pore size analyses. The adsorption of Ni(II) from aqueous solution on laponite as a function of contact time, pH, ionic strength, laponite dosage, and temperature was studied via batch technique. The maximum removal of 99% (approx) could be achieved at the optimum adsorbent dosage of 2.5 g L−1 and near‐neutral pH. Adsorption of Ni(II) on laponite is strongly dependent on pH but independent on ionic strength. At low pH, the adsorption of Ni(II) was dominated by ion exchange with Li+ on laponite surfaces, whereas inner‐sphere surface complexation and surface precipitation were the main adsorption mechanisms at near‐neutral pH and alkaline environment, respectively. The adsorption kinetic data of Ni(II) on laponite were well described by the pseudo‐second‐order kinetics model. The intraparticle diffusion was involved in the adsorption process but was not the only rate‐controlling step. The adsorption isotherms of Ni(II) on laponite can be described well by the Langmuir model and the maximum Ni(II) adsorption capacity of laponite obtained from Langmuir model was 65.79 mg g−1. The thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption of Ni(II) on laponite was endothermic and spontaneous. The laponite exhibited excellent adsorption properties for Ni(II) uptake compared with various adsorbents, indicating that it is a suitable material as an adsorbent for preconcentration and immobilization of Ni(II) from aqueous solution. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 942–950, 2018 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) induced by host–guest complexation remains a challenge in supramolecular chemistry. Herein, a couple of CPL–silent enantiomeric guest binaphthylbis(4,4′‐bipyridinium) salts can emit obvious CPL in the presence of cucurbit[8]uril in aqueous media, due to the restriction of molecular rotation limitation effect. Such CPL can be reversibly adjusted by the addition of acid and base. Furthermore, the resultant supramolecular systems can interact with DNA, accompanied by the morphological conversion from branched supramolecular nanowires to exfoliated nanowires, which can enable to the exploration of such supramolecular systems as DNA markers by CPL signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Carbon nanofibers (CNFs)/polypyrrole (PPy) nano metacomposites are prepared by in situ polymerization in this article. The negative permittivity and negative permeability of CNFs/PPy nano metacomposites are achieved simultaneously. CNFs/PPy composites form different morphologies with the increase in CNFs content. Complex conductive networks formed by overlapped CNFs are present in CNFs/PPy composites with 30 and 50 wt % CNFs. The negative permittivity of the CNFs/PPy composites is attributed to the plasma oscillation of delocalized electrons, and the negative permeability results from a large number of conductive loops. The appearance of negative permeability is accompanied by the decrease in resistivity, which reflects that a large number of conductive loops are derived from complex conductive networks. Double negative property appears in the frequency range 845-1000 MHz in CNFs/PPy composites with 30 wt % CNFs content and 825-1000 MHz in CNFs/PPy composites with 50 wt % CNFs content. CNFs/PPy composites present double negative property in a wider frequency range compared with MWCNTs/PPy nanocomposites. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 1724-1729 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of hypertonic solution on airway smooth muscle ( ASM) contraction and the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. We found that hypertonic saline ( HS) inhibited acetylcholine ( ACh)-induced contraction of ASM from the mouse trachea and human bronchi. In single mouse ASM cells ( ASMCs), ACh induced an increase in intracellular Ca2+ that was further enhanced by 5% NaCl, indicating that the HS-induced inhibition of ASM contraction was not mediated by a decrease in cytosolic Ca2+. The Rho-associated kinase ( ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632 relaxed ACh-induced precontraction of mouse tracheal rings. However, such inhibition was not observed after the relaxation induced by 5% NaCl. Moreover, the incubation of mouse tracheal rings with 5% NaCl decreased ACh-induced phosphorylation of myosin light chain 20 and myosin phosphatase target subunit 1. These data indicate that HS inhibits the contraction of ASM by inhibiting Ca2+ sensitization, not by decreasing intracellular Ca2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enantioselective effects of the chiral pesticide metalaxyl on soil enzyme activity were investigated. Incubation experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of metalaxyl enantiomers at different concentrations on the activities of urease, invertase, and catalase as well as the type of activity change (activation vs. inhibition) at different times during incubation. The results indicated that the effects of metalaxyl on the activity of soil enzymes were not only related to the concentration of the enantiomers and soil incubation time, but also to the chiral configuration, suggesting the effects were enantioselective. A pattern of inhibition-recovery-slight stimulation was observed in urease activity of the soil samples treated with metalaxyl enantiomers, but the effects of (-) -R-metalaxyl were stronger than those of (+)-S-metalaxyl at the same concentration. Invertase activity in soil samples treated with metalaxyl enantiomers initially sharply decreased before finally returning to the normal level, and the effects of (+)-S-metalaxyl were stronger than those of (-) -R-metalaxyl at the same concentration. Metalaxyl enantiomers influenced catalase activity in a pattern of slight stimulation-inhibition-recovery, and the effects of (-) -R-metalaxyl were stronger than those of (+)-S-metalaxyl at the same concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]