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As engineering systems become increasingly complex, reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) has been extensively studied in recent years and has made great progress. In order to achieve better optimization results, the mathematical model used needs to consider a large number of uncertain factors. Especially when considering mixed uncertainty factors, the contradiction between the large computational cost and the efficiency of the optimization algorithm becomes increasingly fierce. How to quickly find the optimal most probable point (MPP) will be an important research direction of RBDO. To solve this problem, this paper constructs a new RBDO method framework by combining an improved particle swarm algorithm (PSO) with excellent global optimization capabilities and a decoupling strategy using a simulated annealing algorithm (SA). This study improves the efficiency of the RBDO solution by quickly solving MPP points and decoupling optimization strategies. At the same time, the accuracy of RBDO results is ensured by enhancing global optimization capabilities. Finally, this article illustrates the superiority and feasibility of this method through three calculation examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its discovery in 2012, the novel technology of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) has greatly contributed to revolutionizing molecular biology. It has been demonstrated to be an effective approach for identifying gene function and improving some important traits. Anthocyanins are secondary metabolites responsible for a wide spectrum of aesthetic coloration in various plant organs and are beneficial for health. As such, increasing anthocyanin content in plants, especially the edible tissue and organs, is always a main goal for plant breeding. Recently, CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been highly desired to enhance the amount of anthocyanin in vegetables, fruits, cereals, and other attractive plants with more precision. Here we reviewed the recent knowledge concerning CRISPR/Cas9-mediated anthocyanin enhancement in plants. In addition, we addressed the future avenues of promising potential target genes that could be helpful for achieving the same goal using CRISPR/Cas9 in several plants. Thus, molecular biologists, genetic engineers, agricultural scientists, plant geneticists, and physiologists may benefit from CRISPR technology to boost the biosynthesis and accumulation of anthocyanins in fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, roots, and ornamental plants. • Anthocyanins are plants' secondary metabolites, providing a variety of attractive colors. • Anthocyanins protect plants against environmental stresses and promote health benefits for human bodies. • For many horticultural products, anthocyanins are mostly accumulated in the skin and less in the flesh. • Breeding and selection of crops with high amount of anthocyanin are major targets. • The novel technology CRISPR/Cas9 is highly desirable and has been used to achieve high anthocyanin with more precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The positive liquid crystals, 4′‐heptyl‐4‐biphenylcarbonitrile (7CB), are used to functionalize carbon nanotubes (LC‐CNT), which can be aligned in the liquid crystalline polyimide (LC‐PI) matrix under an alternating electric field to fabricate the thermally conductive LC‐CNT/LC‐PI composite films. The efficient establishment of thermal conduction pathways in thermally conductive LC‐CNT/LC‐PI composite films with a low amount of LC‐CNT is achieved through the oriented alignment of LC‐CNT within the LC‐PI matrix. When the mass fraction of LC‐CNT is 15 wt %, the in‐plane thermal conductivity coefficient (λ∥) and the through‐plane thermal conductivity coefficient (λ⊥) of the LC‐CNT/LC‐PI composite films reach 4.02 W/(m ⋅ K) and 0.55 W/(m⋅K), which are 90.5 % and 71.9 % higher than those of the intrinsically thermally conductive LC‐PI films respectively, also 28.8 % and 5.8 % higher than those of the CNT/LC‐PI composite films respectively. Meanwhile, the thermally conductive LC‐CNT/LC‐PI composite films also possess excellent mechanical and heat resistance properties. The Young's modulus and the heat resistance index are 2.3 GPa and 297.7 °C, respectively, which are higher than the intrinsically thermally conductive LC‐PI films and the thermally conductive CNT/LC‐PI composite films under the same amount of CNT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Use of graphene origami-enabled auxetic metamaterials in functionally graded phononic crystals can effectively manipulate the band structure of elastic waves. • Graphene origami weight fraction and hydrogen coverage in unit cells can be used to control bandgaps. • Both longitudinal and transverse waves are sensitive to graphene origami weight fraction. • Only longitudinal waves are sensitive to hydrogen coverage. This paper investigates the dispersion characteristics of elastic waves propagating along the thickness direction in functionally graded laminated phononic crystals (FGLPCs) containing novel auxetic metamaterials enabled by graphene origami that is created with the aid of hydrogenation. Both graphene weight fraction and hydrogen coverage which are the key parameters governing the auxetic property are nonuniformly distributed in unit cells of FGLPCs whose material properties are determined by genetic programming-assisted micromechanical models. The dispersion relations of elastic waves in the structure are obtained based on the state space approach and the method of reverberation-ray matrix. A comprehensive parametric study is conducted to discuss the effects of graphene origami weight fraction and hydrogen coverage on bulk waves in elastic solids made of the metamaterial and elastic waves in FGLPCs. It is found that introducing auxetic metamaterials into FGLPCs can effectively manipulate elastic waves. The graded distribution of weight fraction in FGLPCs can lead to bandgaps for both transverse and longitudinal waves, while a through-thickness graded pattern in hydrogen coverage can trigger broad bandgaps for longitudinal waves only with transverse waves nearly unchanged. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing nanomaterials with high electrical properties, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), into matrix material is an effective method to improve lightning strike suppression property of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite. However, the relationship of CNTs' content on the electrical conductivities as well as lightning damage areas and residual mechanical properties of CFRP composite are not thoroughly known. In this paper, lightning strike damage characteristics of [0] 10 , [0/90] 2s , [45/0/−45/90] s matrix dispersed CNTs-CFRP composite laminates subjected to prolonged high-intensity (90–100 kA, 1.8 ms, 6.78 × 106 A2 s) lightning strike was investigated. Results showed that damage suppression property of CFRP laminate was closely related to CNTs' loading and ply sequence. For [0/90] 2s and [45/0/−45/90] s laminates, significant reduction of surface and internal damages were observed as CNTs increased to 0.8 wt%, which showed 94.8 %/92.7 % and 90.7 %/91.6 % reduction of surface and internal damage areas, as well as 69.45 %/65.15 % and 63.93 %/66.52 % retention of residual flexural strength and modulus. However, this suppression property was not shown for [0] 10 laminate with even slight increase of damage. The mechanism responsible for such phenomenon was analyzed. The results from the present work provide valuable knowledge for the design of lightweight nanofiller reinforced CFRP composite with robust lightning strike protection functionality. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive Holocene landslide-damming in the Jishixia Gorges along the upper Yellow River was previously suggested to be related to China's Great Flood at 4.20–4.00 ka BP and the initiation of the first dynasty in China: the Xia Dynasty. Here, we present seven sedimentary profiles in the Xunhua Basin and Jishixia Gorges. The lithological, sedimentary and chronological results, including optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and AMS 14C ages, indicate that there were two separate landslide-dammed lakes rather than one during the Holocene in the Jishixia Gorges. The first lake relates to the Maerpo landslide that occurred at ca. 8.30 ka BP. This lake gradually shallowed and then disappeared by ca. 6.30 ka BP as the landslide dam was slowly incised by the Yellow River. The second Gelongbu landslide occurred at ca. 6.10 ka BP. The consequent lake also gradually shallowed and then disappeared at ca. 5.60 ka BP as the landslide dam was cut through by the Yellow River. Both landslides and their associated lakes preceded The Great Flood in the middle-lower Yellow River by at least 1400 years and preceded the beginning of Xia Dynasty by at least 1600 years. The geomorphic events and therefore unrelated to these historical events. • Two separate landslide-dammed lakes rather than one were identified in the Jishixia Gorges along the Yellow River. • The first lake caused by Maerpo Landslide occurred at ca. 8.30 ka BP and disappeared by ca. 6.30 ka BP. • The second lake caused by Gelongbu landslide formed at ca. 6.10 ka BP and disappeared by ca. 5.60 ka BP. • Formation and evolution of these two dammed lakes has no relation to China's Great Flood and the Xia Dynasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A porous electrode with surface-embedded high-entropy alloy nanoparticles (HEA/PCF) was developed. • The local current density on the anode surface is regulated by the HEA/PCF. • The HEA NPs is used as active sites to reduce the Li nucleation barrier. • The DRT curves of half-cell were proposed to study the Li kinetic characteristics. • The HEA/PCF@Li anode exhibits long cycling over 4500 h at 40 mA cm−2/40 mAh cm−2 in symmetric cells. One major challenge in lithium metal anodes is to the uncontrollable growth of lithium dendrites while occurring the volume expansion in the long-term cycle. In this work, the porous carbon fibers lithium metal anode loaded with five-component of high entropy alloy (HEA) nanoparticles are synthesized by facile fusion method. Importantly, the HEA nanoparticles provide the lithiophilic properties of electrode and favorable electrical conductivity, which efficiently facilitate the electrochemical reactions and decrease the local current density to inhibit the formation of dendritic, and the porous carbon fibers embedded with the HEA nanoparticles provide adequate space to accommodate the volume expansion during lithium deposition. As a result, the HEA/PCF@Li anode exhibits long cycling over 1200 h at 60 mA cm−2/1 mAh cm−2 in symmetric cells. Besides, the HEA/PCF@Li||NCM-811 full battery shows high CE of 99.5 % with after 200 cycles at 0.1C. The reported a novel idea for high-performance lithium metal battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reconstruction of prehistoric temperature and precipitation variations in the upper reaches of the Yellow River is essential for understanding the cultural evolution of the region, but related information is sparse due to the limitations of the available proxies. Recent studies have shown that microbial glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are promising tools for reconstructing mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) in terrestrial deposits. In this study, we reconstructed mid-late Holocene climatic changes using GDGT distributions in a loess-paleosol sequence in the Lajia Ruins of the Neolithic Qijia Culture, Guanting Basin, in the southwestern end of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Our GDGT records show that MAP decreased from ca. 600 mm to 430 mm, while MAT decreased from 11.9 °C to 8.0 °C, during the past ca. 7000 yr, and a drastic decline in MAP (70 mm), accompanied by a 0.8 °C decline in MAT, occurred at 3800–3400 yr BP. Our results provide direct evidence supporting a hypothesis that the flourishing (4200–4000 yr BP) and decline (4000–3600 yr BP) of the Qijia culture (mainly based on millets cultivation) and subsequent rise of the Xindian/Kayue culture (3600–2600 yr BP), based on mixed agriculture of sheep husbandry and millets cultivation were triggered by climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lajia Ruins is a large Neolithic settlement of the Qijia Culture that is dated to 4200-3950 bp within the Guanting Basin along the upper Yellow River. Archaeological excavations have exposed extraordinary pictures of prehistoric catastrophes that ruined this settlement and caused great loss of human life. The causation of the prehistoric catastrophes is an arguable topic in the field of environmental archaeology in China and over the world. Our fieldwork investigations indicated that the palaeo-ground of the Qijia Culture at the Lajia Ruins was broken by several groups of earthquake fissures. A layer of conglomerated red clay buried the Qijia Culture at the Lajia Ruins and filled in these earthquake fissures. Determining the macro- and microscale morphological features of the conglomerated red clay provides an alternative reference for understanding the cause of the prehistoric catastrophes at the Lajia Ruins. The macrofeatures of the conglomerated red clay has a rolling surface and wavy structure, with human bodies of the Qijia Culture, stones, loess soil clods, pottery shards, burnt earth, charcoal and ash from the palaeo-ground entrapped inside. And the micromorphological features of the conglomerated red clay is characterized by rolling and wavy structure along with no directional alignment of grains within horizons and a large numbers of pores with complicated shapes, including large regular pores that can be characterized as sub-round, elliptical and cloud-like pores, as well as small irregular pores. Thus, the conglomerated red clay is classified as dense mudflow deposits. And then, we can conclude that the large Neolithic settlement of the Qijia Culture at the Lajia Ruins was buried and devastated by immense mudflows that accompanied a major earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of oil sorbents with high thermal stability, adsorption capacity, reusability and recoverability is of great significance for hot oil leakage protection, especially for oil spillage of oil refinery, petrochemical industry and cars. In our work, highly efficient hot oil adsorption of polyimide (PI) fibers with excellent thermal stability was successfully prepared by a facile electrospinning method followed by post-treatment. The corresponding morphologies, structures and oil adsorption properties of as-prepared PI fibers at different temperatures were analyzed and characterized. Results showed that PI fibers presented a stable morphology and pore structure at 200 °C. The oil adsorption capacity of porous PI fibers for hot motor oil (200 °C) was about 57.4 g g −1 , higher than that of PI fibers (32.7 g g −1 ) with non-porous structure for the motor oil at room temperature. Even after ten adsorption cycles, porous PI fibers still maintained a comparable oil sorption capacity (oil retention of 4.2%). The obtained porous PI fibers exhibited excellent hot oil adsorption capacity, reusability and recoverability, which would broaden the application of electrospun fibers in oil spill cleanup and further provide a versatile platform for exploring the technologies of nanofibers in hot oil adsorption field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lajia Ruins in the Guanting Basin, NW China, are a product of the prehistoric Qijia Culture. Like Pompeii, they are a rare example of an archaeological site preserved by a natural disaster and are therefore important in archaeology, anthropology and geology. However, the nature of the disaster(s) responsible for the destruction of the site remains controversial. Most studies have focused on an earthquake and a red clay layer directly overlying the site and a detailed stratigraphic study of the mid-Holocene sedimentary strata combined with other intervals of red clay deposition (hence possible disasters) is lacking. We identified a mid-Holocene paleosol sequence (the Shanglajia section) at the site which contains two layers of red clay, dated to 3950 a BP and 3500 a BP, intercalated within the mid-Holocene paleosol (S 0 ). Subsequent multi-proxy analysis indicated that the characteristics of the two red clay layers resemble those of typical Tertiary red clay deposits and the modern gully deposit at the foot of the Great Red Hills, but are distinctly different from those of the slackwater deposits of the Yellow River and the mid-Holocene paleosol. Our results suggest that, at 3950 a BP and 3500 a BP, two large-scale rainstorm-induced mudflow events, originating from the gullies to the north, flooded the Lajia area on the second terrace of the Yellow River, devastating and burying the human settlements. We infer that the intensified erosion and mass wasting were caused by human activity; in addition, natural factors such as rainstorms and earthquakes, may also have played an important role in triggering catastrophic mudflow events in the Tertiary Red Clay deposits. Overall, our results provide further insights into prehistoric man-land relationships in this environmentally sensitive region which may have implications for modern land use in this region of China and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palaeo–hydrological and sedimentary investigations were carried out in the Longmenxia Gorge of the middle Yihe River. Five bedsets of flood slackwater deposits (SWD) were found interbedded into Holocene aeolian loess–soil profiles in the river bank at the Longmenxia site. They were identified as the deposits of the suspended sediment load during the extreme flood events of the Holocene. The minimum flood peak discharges were estimated to be 12, 300–15, 300 m 3 /s using the slope–area method. These are about twice the largest gauged record (7180 m 3 /s) that has occurred since 1937. These flood events occurred at 3100–3000 a B.P., 1800–1700 a B.P., 700–550 a B.P. and 350–250 a B.P., as dated by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) in combination with stratigraphic correlation, to which may be added the recorded events of the 223 and 1761 CE floods. These were associated with Holocene monsoonal shifts and abrupt climatic events. This research not only provides palaeoflood discharge estimates on the middle Yihe River, but also provides important data for understanding interactions between regional hydro–climatic systems and global climate change in humid and semi–humid monsoonal regions, such as China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the method of precipitation followed by high temperature calcination, hetero-structured fillers boron nitride nanosheets@alumina (BNNS@Al 2 O 3) were in-situ fabricated. Thereafter, thermally conductive & insulating BNNS@Al 2 O 3 /silicone rubber (SR) composite films were then prepared. The "point-surface" hetero-structured fillers BNNS@Al 2 O 3 had more significant thermal conductivity coefficient (λ) improvement than single Al 2 O 3 , BNNS and directly blending BNNS/Al 2 O 3 fillers. With the mass fraction of BNNS@Al 2 O 3 to be 30 wt% (BNNS/Al 2 O 3 , 1:1, wt:wt), the in-plane λ (λ ∥) and through-plane λ (λ ⊥) of the BNNS@Al 2 O 3 /SR composite films attained 2.78 W/mK and 0.84 W/mK, 1.75 times higher than λ ∥ (1.01 W/mK) and 3.0 times higher than λ ⊥ (0.21 W/mK) of pure SR, also more excellent than BNNS/SR (λ ∥ = 2.46 W/mK, λ ⊥ = 0.76 W/mK), Al 2 O 3 /SR (λ ∥ = 1.58 W/mK, λ ⊥ = 0.50 W/mK) and directly blending (BNNS/Al 2 O 3)/SR (λ ∥ = 2.04 W/mK, λ ⊥ = 0.62 W/mK) composite films under the same mass fraction of fillers. Also, BNNS@Al 2 O 3 /SR composite films presented wonderful mechanical, insulation as well as thermal properties. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbide nanowires (SiCnws) were in-situ grown on boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) to construct a novel kind of nest-like hetero-structured BNNS@SiCnws thermally conductive fillers from natural bamboo leaves and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) by means of ultrasonic impregnation, sol-gel followed by carbothermic reduction. Then, the thermally conductive & electrically insulating BNNS@SiCnws/epoxy composites were prepared via blending-casting method. When the amount of BNNS@SiCnws-II (65/35, wt/wt) was 20 wt%, BNNS@SiCnws/epoxy composites presented the optimal overall performances. Thermal conductivity coefficient (λ) of BNNS@SiCnws-II (20 wt%)/epoxy composites increased from 0.22 W/mK of pure epoxy matrix to 1.17 W/mK, higher than that of SiCnws/epoxy (0.72 W/mK), BNNS/epoxy (0.82 W/mK) and (BNNS/SiCnws)/epoxy composites (direct mixing BNNS/SiCnws, 65/35, wt/wt, 0.76 W/mK) with the same filler concentration of 20 wt%. Meanwhile, BNNS@SiCnws/epoxy composites presented excellent heat transfer/heat dissipation efficiency, due to synergistic effect of the "line-to-surface" hetero-structure of SiCnws and BNNS, which could significantly improve the formation probability of the thermally conductive paths. Furthermore, the BNNS@SiCnws/epoxy composites possessed favorable electrical insulation, thermostability and ideal mechanical properties. Furthermore, the related surface & volume resistivities, the electric breakdown strength, the glass-transition temperature, the heat resistant index, the flexural strength as well as the impact strength of BNNS@SiCnws-II (20 wt%)/epoxy composites reached to be 3.7 × 1015 Ω, 5.17 × 1015 Ω·cm, 22.1 kV/mm, 126.7 °C, 185.5 °C, 75.7 MPa and 8.2 kJ/m2, respectively. -The epoxy composites with 20 wt% nest-like hetero-structured BNNS@SiCnws fillers present outstanding thermal conductivity of 1.17 W/mK, higher than that of pure epoxy (0.22 W/mK) and that of BNNS/SiCnws (mixing 65/35, wt/wt)/epoxy composites (0.76 W/mK). -BNNS@SiCnws/epoxy composites present outstanding heat transfer/heat dissipation efficiency, due to synergistic thermal conductive effect of the"line-to-surface" hetero-structure of BNNS@SiCnws. -BNNS@SiCnws/epoxy composites possessed favorable electrical insulation, thermostability and ideal mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and human activity have exerted significant influences on the sediment load and channel morphology of the Changjiang River system, China. However, our knowledge of their influence on flood regime on the centennial to millennial timescales remains limited, and this is mainly because of the difficulty in directly determining the long-term hydrological variability of the Changjiang River over the period before hydrological gauges were established. Based on multiproxy analysis that combines chronological, sedimentological, and geochemical analysis of a 4.8-m-long sediment core retrieved from the subaqueous delta of the Changjiang River, this study establishes a flood history for the Changjiang River during the late Holocene. Our palaeoflood reconstruction revealed 14 multi-decadal periods of extreme floods (19–66 BCE, 25–80, 255–350, 415–475, 550–710, 740–835, 970–990, 1080–1130, 1170–1235, 1275–1390, 1440–1500, 1560–1730, 1810–1830, and 1950–2011 CE). These flood units match well with the observed large floods, documentary records of floods, and sedimentary flood deposits, confirming that the coarse units in the sequence are flood-derived and are regionally representative. Comparing with regional and global palaeoclimate records indicates that major flood events of the Changjiang are strongly modulated by the Asian summer monsoon and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), but that anthropogenic impacts (e.g. artificial channelization and land clearance) have also greatly amplified the flooding frequency over the past 600 yr. • We report a history of extreme flood events on the Chanjiang River over the past 2000 yr. • Periods of increased extreme flood activity in the Changjiang River typically coincide with El Niño periods and weak EASM phases. • Human modifications have greatly amplified flood activities in the Changjiang River over the past 600 yr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global change induced regional environmental variation and related catastrophic surface processes have greatly affected human life and social development during the last decades. These occurrences have also been highlighted by pre-historical catastrophes exposed by archaeological excavation in the Lajia Ruins at the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau, which has attracted considerable focus from both geologists and the world media. The cause of the disasters responsible for the destruction of the Lajia Settlement (14C age 4.15–3.85 ka BP) of the Qijia Culture remains controversial due to insufficient investigation of the Holocene sedimentary succession needed to establish a complete pedo-stratigraphic sequence and chronology, and thus to precisely constrain environment variation and related surface processes at that time. During our field investigations, a complete and continuous Holocene soil and sediment profile was identified in the northern part of the Lajia Ruins uniquely. Soil and sediment samples were taken systematically for physical and chemical analysis and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating after detailed field observations and descriptions. The results demonstrate that the pedo-stratigraphic sequence includes Malan loess (L 1-1 , >11.50 ka BP) and transitional loess (L t , 11.50–8.50 ka BP) in the bottom, a composite palaeosol (S 0 , 8.50–3.10 ka BP) in the middle, and recent loess (L 0 , 3.10–1.50 ka BP) and modern soil (MS, 1.50–0 ka BP) in the top. This pedo-stratigraphic sequence is comparable to those identified in the central part of the Loess Plateau. However, the mid-Holocene palaeosol (S 0) is inserted by three layers of red clay (RC 1 , RC 2 , and RC 3) and flashflood deposit (FFD), and thus subdivided into four sub-layers (S 0-upper , S 0-upper middle , S 0-lower middle , and S 0-lower). The red clays and the flashflood deposit are inferred to represent abrupt events of flashflood and mudflow that were dated to 3.96–3.65 ka by OSL and to 3.85–3.60 ka BP by AMS 14C methods. Indeed, the entire settlement, dwellings, pottery artifacts, and human skeletons in the Lajia Ruins are directly packed by these deposits. The Lajia Ruins is thus considered to be destroyed by enormous flashfloods and mudflows coming from the Ganggou and Lüjiagou gullies, which submerged the settlement at 14C 3.85 ka BP or OSL 3.96 ka. These disastrous events are related to climatic deterioration since 4.20 ka BP that has resulted in severe convective weather and strong rainstorms affecting the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau. With consideration of the badly deformed ground and dwelling floors in the Lajia Ruins by crisscrossing earthquake fissures, that are also infilled and packed by flashflood and mudflow deposits, it is concluded that great earthquakes occurred as the first hitting to the settlement at Lajia. The enormous flashfloods and mudflows may have been induced by multiple earthquakes and rainstorms simultaneously. These results bear important implications for a better understanding of pre-historic environmental change and human-land relationship evolution at the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau. • Establishing a complete stratigraphic sequence and chronological framework in Lajia Ruins. • Delineating the position of prehistorical settlement in the pedo-stratigraphy. • Identifying the causations that ruined the Lajia settlement of the Qijia Culture. • Revealing prehistoric environmental change and human impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid crystal epoxy resin presents high intrinsic thermal conductivity coefficient (λ). However, the complex molecular structure design and tedious synthesis process severely limit its rapid development and further industrial application. In this work, a kind of liquid crystal epoxy (LCE) based on biphenyl mesomorphic unit is synthesized from 4,4′-biphenol, triethylene glycol, and epichlorohydrin. Curing agent of 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl methane (DDM) and boron nitride (BN) fillers are both performed to prepare the intrinsic highly thermally conductive liquid crystal epoxy resin (LCER) and BN/LCER thermally conductive composites via casting method. LCE has been successfully synthesized with expected structure, presenting nematic liquid crystal with range of 135–165 °C. LCER shows liquid crystal property with intrinsic λ up to 0.51 W/mK, about 3 times higher than that of general bisphenol A epoxy resin (E−51, 0.19 W/mK). Simultaneously, LCER has good thermal stability with heat resistance index (T HRI) being 183.9 °C. In addition, the λ values of the BN/LCER thermally conductive composites increase with the increasing loading of BN fillers. When the content of BN fillers is 30 wt%, the λ value of BN/LCER thermally conductive composites is 1.02 W/mK, twice as much as that of pure LCER, also much higher than that of 30 wt% BN/E−51 composites (0.52 W/mK). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel hetero-structured silicon carbide-boron nitride nanosheets (SiC-BNNS) by sol-gel and in-situ growth method were performed as thermally conductive & insulating fillers, and the SiC-BNNS/epoxy thermally conductive nanocomposites were then prepared by blending-casting approach. Synthesized hetero-structured SiC-BNNS fillers have synergistic improvement effects on the thermal conductivities of the SiC-BNNS/epoxy nanocomposites. When the amount of hetero-structured SiC-BNNS fillers is 20 wt% (SiC-BNNS, 1/1, w/w), the thermal conductivity coefficient (λ) value of the SiC-BNNS/epoxy nanocomposites (0.89 W/mK) is 4.1 times that of pure epoxy resin (0.22 W/mK), and 2.1, 1.4, and 1.7 times of SiC/epoxy (0.43 W/mK), BNNS/epoxy (0.62 W/mK), and (SiC/BNNS)/epoxy thermally conductive nanocomposites (0.52 W/mK) with the same amount of fillers (20 wt% single BNNS, SiC, or SiC/BNNS hybrid fillers), respectively. Meantime, the obtained (SiC-BNNS)/epoxy thermally conductive nanocomposites also demonstrate favorable electrical insulating properties, and the breakdown strength, volume resistivity as well as surface resistivity is 22.1 kV/mm, 2.32 × 1015 Ω cm, and 1.26 × 1015 Ω cm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advancement of thin, lightweight, and high-power electronic devices has increasingly exacerbated issues related to electromagnetic interference and heat accumulation. To address these challenges, a spray-drying-sintering process is employed to assemble chain-like CoNi and flake boron nitride (BN) into hydrangea-like CoNi@BN heterostructure fillers. These fillers are then composited with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to develop CoNi@BN/PDMS composites, which integrate low-frequency microwave absorption and thermal conductivity. When the volume fraction of CoNi@BN is 44 vol% and the mass ratio of CoNi to BN is 3:1, the CoNi@BN/PDMS composites exhibit optimal performance in both low-frequency microwave absorption and thermal conductivity. These composites achieve a minimum reflection loss of -49.9 dB and a low-frequency effective absorption bandwidth of 2.40 GHz (3.92-6.32 GHz) at a thickness of 4.4 mm, fully covering the n79 band (4.4-5.0 GHz) for 5G communications. Meanwhile, the in-plane thermal conductivity (λ ∥ ) of the CoNi@BN/PDMS composites is 7.31 W m -1 K -1 , which is ≈11.4 times of the λ ∥ (0.64 W m -1 K -1 ) for pure PDMS, and 32% higher than that of the (CoNi/BN)/PDMS composites (5.52 W m -1 K -1 ) with the same volume fraction of CoNi and BN obtained through direct mixing., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are still limited by some issues such as polysulfides shuttle and lithium dendrites. Recently, the concept "high-entropy" has been considered as the research hotspot and international frontier. Herein, a high entropy MXene (TiVCrMoC 3 T x , HE-MXene) doped graphene is designed as the modified coating on commercial separators for LSBs. The HE-MXene affords multiple metal active sites, fast Li + diffusion rate, and efficient adsorption toward polysulfide intermediates. Furthermore, strong lithophilic property is favorable for uniform Li + deposition. The combination of in situ characterizations confirms TiVCrMoC 3 T x effectively promotes the Li 2 S nucleation/dissolution kinetics, reduces the Li + diffusion barrier, and exhibits favorable lithium uniform deposition behavior. This TiVCrMoC 3 T x /G@PP provides a high-capacity retention rate after 1000 cycles at 1 C and 2 C, with a capacity decay rate of merely 0.021% and 0.022% per cycle. Surprisingly, the cell operates at a low potential of 48 mV while maintaining at 5 mA cm -2 /5 mAh cm -2 for 4000 h. Furthermore, it still maintains a high-capacity retention rate under a high sulfur loading of 4.8/6.4 mg cm -2 and a low E/S ratio of 8.6/7.5 µg mL -1 . This work reveals a technical roadmap for simultaneously addressing the cathode and anode challenge, thus achieving potential commercially viable LSBs., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

We report our experience with correction of radially deviated Wassel type III thumb polydactyly. After comprehensive assessments from preoperative radiographs, physical examinations and intraoperative reports, we corrected the metacarpophalangeal joint in 34 cases of radially deviated Wassel type III thumb polydactyly. Opening-wedge osteotomies combining bone graft and soft tissue reconstruction were used in 28 cases and soft tissue reconstruction only in six cases. Absorbable sutures were used instead of traditional Kirschner (K)-wires to fix the bone grafts. Patients were followed up for 12-78 months (mean 47 months). According to the Tada scoring system, 25 patients achieved good results, seven fair results and two poor results. Our modified technique for correcting radially deviated Wassel type III thumb polydactyly yielded satisfactory results. Continued follow-up and further studies will contribute to a better understanding of the long-term efficacy and potential refinements of this technique. Level of evidence: IV., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Flexible and highly thermally conductive materials with consistent thermal conductivity (λ) during large deformation are urgently required to address the heat accumulation in flexible electronics. In this study, spring-like thermal conduction pathways of silver nanowire (S-AgNW) fabricated by 3D printing are compounded with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to prepare S-AgNW/PDMS composites with excellent and consistent λ during deformation. The S-AgNW/PDMS composites exhibit a λ of 7.63 W m -1 K -1 at an AgNW amount of 20 vol%, which is ≈42 times that of PDMS (0.18 W m -1 K -1 ) and higher than that of AgNW/PDMS composites with the same amount and random dispersion of AgNW (R-AgNW/PDMS) (5.37 W m -1 K -1 ). Variations in the λ of 20 vol% S-AgNW/PDMS composites are less than 2% under a deformation of 200% elongation, 50% compression, or 180° bending, which benefits from the large deformation characteristics of S-AgNW. The heat-transfer coefficient (0.29 W cm -2 K -1 ) of 20 vol% S-AgNW/PDMS composites is ≈1.3 times that of the 20 vol% R-AgNW/PDMS composites, which reduces the temperature of a full-stressed central processing unit by 6.8 °C compared to that using the 20 vol% R-AgNW/PDMS composites as a thermally conductive material in the central processing unit., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Anthocyanins are a flavonoid compound known as one of the most important chromogenic substances. They play several functions, including health promotion and sustaining plants during adverse conditions. They are synthesized at the endoplasmic reticulum and sequestered in the vacuole. In this work, we generated knock-out lines of OsGSTU34, a glutathione transporter's tau gene family, with no transgene line and off-target through CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis and highlighted the loss of pigmentation in rice flowers, leaves, stems, shoots, and caryopsis. The anthocyanin quantification in the wild-type BLWT and mutant line BLG34-8 caryopsis showed that cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) and peonidin-3-O-glucoside (P3G) were almost undetectable in the mutant line. A tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling proteomic analysis was conducted to elucidate the proteomic changes in the BLWT and BLG34-8. The result revealed that 1175 proteins were altered, including 408 that were down-regulated and 767 that were upregulated. The accumulation of the OsGSTU34-related protein (Q8L576), along with several anthocyanin-related proteins, was down-regulated. The enrichment analysis showed that the down-regulated proteins were enriched in different pathways, among which the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, flavonoid biosynthesis metabolites, and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Protein interaction network prediction revealed that glutathione-S-transferase (Q8L576) was connected to the proteins involved in the flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways, such as flavanone 3-dioxygenase 1 (Q7XM21), leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase 1 (Q93VC3), 4-coumarate-CoA ligase 2 (Q42982), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (P14717), chalcone synthase 1 (Q2R3A1), and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase 5 (Q6ZAC1). However, the expression of the most important anthocyanin biosynthesis gene was not altered, suggesting that only the transport mechanism was affected. Our findings highlight new insight into the anthocyanin pigmentation in black rice and provide new perspectives for future research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Anthocyanins are plants' secondary metabolites belonging to the flavonoid class with potential health-promoting properties. They are greatly employed in the food industry as natural alternative food colorants for dairy and ready-to-eat desserts and pH indicators. These tremendous advantages make them economically important with increasing market trends. Black rice is a rich source of anthocyanin that can be used to ensure food and nutritional security around the world. However, research on anthocyanin accumulation and gene expression during rice caryopsis development is lacking., Methods: In this study, we combined high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and transcriptome analysis to profile the changes in anthocyanin content and gene expression dynamics at three developmental stages (milky, doughy, and mature)., Results: Our results showed that anthocyanin accumulation started to be visible seven days after flowering (DAF), increased rapidly from milky (11 DAF) to dough stage, then started decreasing after the peak was attained at 18 DAF. RNA-seq showed that 519 out of 14889, 477 out of 17914, and 1614 out of 18810 genes were uniquely expressed in the milky, doughy, and mature stages, respectively. We performed three pairwise comparisons: milky vs. dough, milky vs. mature, and dough vs. mature, and identified 6753, 9540, and 2531 DEGs, respectively. The DEGs' abundance was higher in milky vs. mature, with 5527 up-regulated genes and 4013 down-regulated genes, while it was smaller in dough vs. mature, with 1419 up-regulated genes and 1112 down-regulated DEGs. This result was consistent with the changes in anthocyanin profiling, and the expression of structural, regulatory, and transporter genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis showed their highest expression at the dough stage. Through the gene expression profile and protein interaction network, we deciphered six main contributors of the anthocyanin peak observed at dough stage, including Os ANS, OsDFR, OsGSTU34, OsMYB3, OsbHLH015 , and Os WD40-50 ., Discussion: This study is the first to report the investigation of anthocyanin and gene expression at three developmental stages of black rice caryopsis. The findings of this study could aid in predicting the best harvesting time to achieve maximum anthocyanin content and the best time to collect samples for various gene expression analysis, laying the groundwork for future research into the molecular mechanisms underlying rice caryopsis coloration., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Mackon, Jeazet Dongho Epse Mackon, Yao, Guo, Ma, Dai, Jandan and Liu.)

Polymer composites have essential applications in electronics due to their versatility, stable performance, and processability. However, with the increasing miniaturization and high power of electronics in the 5G era, there are significant challenges related to heat accumulation and electromagnetic wave (EMW) radiation in narrow spaces. Traditional solutions involve using either thermally conductive or EMW absorbing polymer composites, but these fail to meet the demand for multi-functional integrated materials in electronics. Therefore, designing thermal conduction and EMW absorption integrated polymer composites has become essential to solve the problems of heat accumulation and electromagnetic pollution in electronics and adapt to its development trend. Researchers have developed different approaches to fabricate thermal conduction and EMW absorption integrated polymer composites, including integrating functional fillers with both thermal conduction and EMW absorption functions and innovating processing methods. This review summarizes the latest research progress, factors that affect performance, and the mechanisms of thermal conduction and EMW absorption integrated polymer composites. The review also discusses problems that limit the development of these composites and potential solutions and development directions. The aim of this review is to provide references for the development of thermal conduction and EMW absorption integrated polymer composites., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Science China Press. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Up to now, there has not yet been guidance or consensus from Chinese experts in the field of personalized prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. In view of the above, the endocrinology diabetes Professional Committee of Chinese Non-government Medical Institutions Association, the integrated endocrinology diabetes Professional Committee of the integrated medicine branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and the diabetes education and microvascular complications group of the diabetes branch of the Chinese Medical Association organized relevant experts to discuss and reach the "Chinese expert consensus on strengthening personalized prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes" for reference in clinical practice., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None of the authors has any commercial interest nor do they have conflict of interest, (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Aqueous rechargeable Ni/Fe batteries are appropriate energy storage devices for portable and wearable electronics due to their outstanding safety and cost-effectiveness. However, their energy storage properties are limited by the sluggish kinetics of iron-based anodes. Herein, we design and construct a high-performance iron-based material with a hierarchical structure developed by electrodepositing iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) nanosheets on titanium carbide (Ti 3 C 2 T x ) MXene nanoplates modified carbon fiber (3D-MXene/Fe 2 O 3 ). Taking advantage of the interaction between Fe 2 O 3 and the terminal functional groups on Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene, such a hierarchical structure offers improved conductivity, enhanced ion-diffusion paths, and high electrochemical stability. The fabricated 3D-MXene/Fe 2 O 3 anode delivers a high volumetric specific capacity of 38.2 mAh cm -3 , and improved capacity retention. After being coupled with NiCoO cathode, the fibrous Ni/Fe battery shows a maximum volumetric specific capacity of 35.1 mAh cm -3 and an extraordinary energy density of 56.2 mWh cm -3 . Meanwhile, the as-prepared Ni/Fe battery confirms good cycling durability (92.9% for 12,500 cycles), and mechanical flexibility also verifies the potential practical application of our device. Thus, this study can provide a powerful route toward high-performance anodes for next-generation wearable energy storage devices., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: Distracted driving such as reading phone messages during driving is risky, as it increases the probability of severe crashes. This study proposes an XGBoost model for visual distraction detection based on vehicle dynamics data from a driving simulation study., Methods: A simulated driving experiment involving thirty-six drivers was launched. We obtained the vehicle dynamics parameters required for the model using the time window and fast Fourier transform methods, totaling 26 items. Meanwhile, the effects of varied time window sizes (1-7 s) and amount of input indications on model performance were studied., Results: By conducting a comparative analysis, it has been determined that the ideal time window size is 5 s. Additionally, the optimal number of input indicators was found to be 23. The XGBoost model for distinguishing distractions achieved an accuracy rate of 85.68%, a precision rate of 85.83%, a recall rate of 83.85%, an F1 score of 84.82%, and an AUC value of 0.9319, which were higher than SVM and RF. The gain-based feature rank demonstrated that the standard deviation of vehicle sideslip rate and the mean amplitude of the 0-1 Hz spectrum component of the steering wheel angle were more crucial than other features., Conclusions: The research results indicate that the steering wheel angle and vehicle sideslip angle may be more conducive to identifying distractions. This XGBoost model could potentially be applied in advanced driving assistant systems (ADAS) to warn driver and reduce cellphone involved distracted driving.

Objective: To present the dynamical evaluation of mandible and upper airway size among Chinese infant patients following mandibular distraction osteogenesis in a short-term follow-up and compare predistraction measurements with a normal age- and sex-matched control., Methods: All the patients have undergone the computed tomography (CT) scan before mandibular distraction osteogenesis (T0), at the end of the distraction phase (T1), and 3 months after the end of the distraction phase before the distractor removal (T2). A CT analyzing computer software MIMICS was utilized to analyze the anatomic variables of upper airway size and mandible size. All analysis was based on a significance level of 0.05., Results: Eight patients with Pierre Robin sequence differed mainly in the mandibular body length and the minimum anteroposterior dimension of the retroglossal airway from the control. After mandibular distraction osteogenesis, the mandibular body length and the ramus height both increased significantly, the ramus height also increased after 3 months of consolidation. Only small increase in the airway dimension of the retroglossal area at T2 was observed compared with T1., Conclusion: Mandibular distraction osteogenesis is an effective modality in treating Pierre Robin sequence. Compared with normal control, the main difference may be the length of mandibular body and the area of the retroglossal airway. There may not be an increase in the diameter of airway and the length of mandibular body after 3 months of growth and development in Pierre Robin sequence. Individual surgical plan should be made to gain a better prognosis.

Spinal edema is a very important pathophysiological basis for secondary spinal cord injury, which affects the repair and prognosis of spinal cord injury. Aquaporin-4 is widely distributed in various organs of the body, and is highly expressed in the brain and spinal cord. Inward rectifying potassium channel 4.1 is a protein found in astrocytes of central nervous system. It interacts with aquaporins in function. Aquaporin-4 and inward rectifying potassium channel 4.1 play an important role in the formation and elimination of spinal cord edema, inhibition of glial scar formation and promotion of excitotoxic agents exclusion. The distribution and function of aquaporin-4 and inward rectifying potassium channel 4.1 in the central nervous system and their expression after spinal cord injury have multiple effects on spinal edema. Studies of aquaporin-4 and inward rectifying potassium channel 4.1 in the spinal cord may provide new ideas for the elimination and treatment of spinal edema.

Objective: To investigate the anatomic features of the perforating branch flap of the medial vastus muscle, so as to provide a new perforating branch flap for repairing the soft tissue defect., Methods: Six fresh donated lower limb specimens underwent an intra-arterial injection of a lead oxide and lactoprene preparation. The integument of the thigh was dissected to observe the origin, course, size, and location of the perforating branch of the medial vastus muscle by angiography and photography. Based on the anatomic study, the free perforating branch flaps of the medial vastus muscle (14 cm x 6 cm to 20 cm x 5 cm) were used to repair skin and soft tissue defects (8 cm x 6 cm to 12 cm x 8 cm) of the feet in 4 patients between June 2009 and August 2011., Results: The artery of the medial vastus was sent out constantly from the femoral artery, and then descended in the vastus muscle to lateral patella where it anastomosed with the terminal branches of lateral femoral circumflex artery to form prepatellar vascular network. The artery of the medial vastus sent out 3-5 musculocutaneous perforating branches into the deep fascia and then extended superficially to the overlying skin. Four flaps survived after surgery; wounds at the donor site and recipient site healed by first intention. After follow-up of 6-12 months, the flaps had good appearance and texture. All ankles had normal movement range of plantarflexion and dorsiflexion., Conclusion: The free perforating branch flaps of the medial vastus muscle can be harvested easily, and have the advantage of good texture and abundant donor site.