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Ni‐rich cathode material possesses a considerable theoretical capacity, yet achieving their full capacity potential remains challenging. Elevating its operation voltage is an effective approach, while the stability of Ni‐rich cathode material is relatively poor, which is limited by Li+/Ni2+ mixing. Herein, a strategy of cation/anion co‐doping is proposed for single‐crystal ultrahigh‐nickel cathode LiNi0.92Co0.04Mn0.04O2 operated at 4.5 V. The enhancement mechanism is explicitly revealed by in situ/ex situ tests and theory calculations. Specifically, Mo6+ and F− are introduced to construct an appropriate Li+/Ni2+ antisite defects structure at the particle surface, which can maintain the low‐defect Li+ layered channel inside the bulk simultaneously, inducing a stable access portal for Li+ transport from the cathode/electrolyte interface. More importantly, the Li+/Ni2+ antisite passivation layer on the surface can uphold the stability of Li‐layer and optimize the reactive behavior of Ni2+, thus boosting the interfacial stability and reducing the lattice mismatch. As a result, it can achieve high capacity (204 mAh g−1 at 1 C) and stable retention during long‐term high‐voltage measurements both in half‐cell (87.1% after 200 cycles) and full‐cell (91.9% after 400 cycles). This facile strategy provides a feasible technical reference for further exploiting the ultrahigh‐capacity of Ni‐rich cathode for commercial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ocular mucosa (OM) is an important and unique part of the vertebrate mucosal immune system. The OM plays an important role in maintaining visual function and defending against foreign antigens or microorganisms, while maintaining a balance between the two through complex regulatory mechanisms. However, the function of ocular mucosal defense against foreign pathogens and mucosal immune response in bony fish are still less studied. To acquire deeper understanding into the mucosal immunity of the OM in teleost fish, we established a study of the immune response of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) infected with the infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). Our findings revealed that IHNV could successfully infiltrate the trout's OM, indicating that the OM could be an important portal for the IHNV. Furthermore, qPCR and RNA-Seq analysis results showed that a large number of immune-related genes were significantly upregulated in the OM of trout with IHNV infection. Critically, the results of our RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that viral infection triggered a robust immune response, as evidenced by the substantial induction of antiviral, innate, and adaptive immune-related genes in the OM of infected fish, which underscored the essential role of the OM in viral infection. Overall, our findings revealed a previously unknown function of teleost OM in antiviral defense, and provided a theoretical basis for the study of the mucosal immunity of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Leaf day respiration (Rd) strongly influences carbon‐use efficiencies of whole plants and the global terrestrial biosphere. It has long been thought that Rd is slower than respiration in the dark at a given temperature, but measuring Rd by gas exchange remains a challenge because leaves in the light are also photosynthesizing. The Kok method and the Laisk method are widely used to estimate Rd. We highlight theoretical limitations of these popular methods, and recent progress toward their improvement by using additional information from chlorophyll fluorescence and by accounting for the photosynthetic reassimilation of respired CO2. The latest evidence for daytime CO2 and energy release from the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in chloroplasts appears to be important to understanding Rd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a series of Al2O3–Ce:YAG phosphor powders were synthesized by regulating the excess Al3+ of (Y,Ce)3Al5O12 via coprecipitation method for the first time, where Al3+, Ce3+, and Y3+ elements were uniformly distributed. With the increase of Al3+ content, the morphology of the powders changed from wormlike shapes to flaky shapes, and Y3Al5O12 phases had a tendency to convert to YAlO3 phases. The x wt.% Al2O3–(Y0.999Ce0.001)3Al5O12 (x = 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70) composite phosphor ceramics (CPCs) were obtained by vacuum sintering (1775°C × 10 h), where Al2O3 and Ce:YAG phases were also well‐distributed. When the Al2O3 content was 30–40 wt.%, the average grain size of Al2O3 was close to that of Ce:YAG. A solid‐state laser lighting device was constructed by a 450 nm laser source and CPCs in a reflection mode. By adjusting the laser power, the correlated color temperature (CCT) values of white laser diodes (LDs) were achieved close to the standard white light of 6500 K. Impressively, the white LDs equipped with the 40 wt.% Al2O3‐containing CPCs showed the optimum CCT of 6498 K (color coordinates: 0.31 and 0.38), as well as a high luminous flux of 1169 lm and efficiency of 166 lm/W at the LD power of 7.05 W. This work has provided a potential idea to optimize the composition uniformity of Al2O3–Ce:YAG CPCs as also to explore their excellent performance in the application of white laser lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the UV degradation of black Chinese lacquer by incorporating carbon black and ferrous hydroxide as additives. The purpose of this research is to understand the effects of these additives on the degradation behavior of the lacquer film. Different concentrations of carbon black powder (1%, 3%, and 5%) and Fe(OH)2 (10%, 20%, and 30%) were added to the lacquer following traditional techniques. The main methods employed for analysis were gloss loss measurement, color change assessment, SEM imaging, FTIR spectroscopy, and XPS analysis. The results demonstrate a significant decrease in gloss levels and an increase in lightness values with increasing ultraviolet exposure time. SEM images reveal the formation of cracks in the lacquer film. FTIR analysis indicates oxidation of the urushiol side chain and an increase in oxidation products. The infrared difference spectrum highlights the differences between the additives, with Fe(OH)2 showing a lower impact on the spectra compared to carbon black. XPS analysis confirms the oxidation of the C-H functional group and the presence of C-O-C and C-OH groups. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the influence of carbon black and ferrous hydroxide additives on the UV degradation of black Chinese lacquer and suggests the protective effect of Fe(OH)2 against UV aging. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the degradation mechanisms and provide insights for improving the UV resistance of Chinese lacquer coatings. Further research can explore alternative additives and optimization strategies to mitigate UV-induced degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloroplasts movement within mesophyll cells in C4 plants is hypothesized to enhance the CO2 concentrating mechanism, but this is difficult to verify experimentally. A three-dimensional (3D) leaf model can help analyse how chloroplast movement influences the operation of the CO2 concentrating mechanism. The first volumetric reaction–diffusion model of C4 photosynthesis that incorporates detailed 3D leaf anatomy, light propagation, ATP and NADPH production, and CO2, O2 and bicarbonate concentration driven by diffusional and assimilation/emission processes was developed. It was implemented for maize leaves to simulate various chloroplast movement scenarios within mesophyll cells: the movement of all mesophyll chloroplasts towards bundle sheath cells (aggregative movement) and movement of only those of interveinal mesophyll cells towards bundle sheath cells (avoidance movement). Light absorbed by bundle sheath chloroplasts relative to mesophyll chloroplasts increased in both cases. Avoidance movement decreased light absorption by mesophyll chloroplasts considerably. Consequently, total ATP and NADPH production and net photosynthetic rate increased for aggregative movement and decreased for avoidance movement compared with the default case of no chloroplast movement at high light intensities. Leakiness increased in both chloroplast movement scenarios due to the imbalance in energy production and demand in mesophyll and bundle sheath cells. These results suggest the need to design strategies for coordinated increases in electron transport and Rubisco activities for an efficient CO2 concentrating mechanism at very high light intensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: QTLs for growth habit are identified on Arahy.15 and Arahy.06 in peanut, and diagnostic markers are developed and validated for further use in marker-assisted breeding. Peanut is a unique legume crop because its pods develop and mature underground. The pegs derive from flowers following pollination, then reach the ground and develop into pods in the soil. Pod number per plant is influenced by peanut growth habit (GH) that has been categorized into four types, including erect, bunch, spreading and prostrate. Restricting pod development at the plant base, as would be the case for peanut plants with upright lateral branches, would decrease pod yield. On the other hand, GH characterized by spreading lateral branches on the ground would facilitate pod formation on the nodes, thereby increasing yield potential. We describe herein an investigation into the GH traits of 521 peanut recombinant inbred lines grown in three distinct environments. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for GH were identified on linkage group (LG) 15 between 203.1 and 204.2 cM and on LG 16 from 139.1 to 139.3 cM. Analysis of resequencing data in the identified QTL regions revealed that single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) or insertion and/or deletion (INDEL) at Arahy15.156854742, Arahy15.156931574, Arahy15.156976352 and Arahy06.111973258 may affect the functions of their respective candidate genes, Arahy.QV02Z8, Arahy.509QUQ, Arahy.ATH5WE and Arahy.SC7TJM. These SNPs and INDELs in relation to peanut GH were further developed for KASP genotyping and tested on a panel of 77 peanut accessions with distinct GH features. This study validates four diagnostic markers that may be used to distinguish erect/bunch peanuts from spreading/prostrate peanuts, thereby facilitating marker-assisted selection for GH traits in peanut breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luoyang No.1 is a Qing Dynasty (1644–1902) inland river ancient wooden shipwreck discovered in September 2013. It adds significantly to the study of Grand Canal transport history and Luoyang's economic history. The wood characteristics of Luoyang No.1 were investigated in this study using chemical compositions, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nano-indentation (NI), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the holocellulose content was only 32.84–37.69%, indicating that the cellulose and hemicellulose had been seriously degraded. Based on the XRD pattern, the degree of crystallinity of cellulose in wood ranged from 19.82 to 22.83%. The nano-indentation demonstrated that compared with the undegraded contemporary wood, the elastic modulus and hardness of the ancient ship wood decreased by 45.5% and 32.1%, respectively. Furthermore, the FTIR spectra revealed that the biological deterioration of ancient wood was indicated by a decrease in the peaks related to cellulose and hemicellulose, but the change in lignin was insignificant. The results could provide knowledge for appropriate dewatering, strengthening, restoration strategies and regulation of the museum environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huaguangjiao I refers to the ancient Chinese wooden shipwreck of the South Song Dynasty (1127–1279 AD) discovered in the South China Sea in 1996. From 2008 to 2017, the archaeological waterlogged wood was desalted using deionized water combined with ultrasonic treatment, and desalted using EDTA-2Na, EDTAHO, and NaH2PO4·2H2O solutions. In this paper, the degree of degradation of the modified waterlogged archaeological wood and the moisture and content of the main components were determined. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nanoindentation (NI), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to investigate the state of wood degradation after desalination and desulfurization. The results showed that the water content of the wood was as high as 532~1149%, while the basic density was only 0.14~0.18 g/cm3, indicating that the wood had been seriously degraded. The holocellulose content was only 36–40%. Based on the XRD patterns, the degree of cellulose crystallinity in the modified wood was 14.08%. The elastic modulus and hardness of the ancient shipwreck wood after desalination and desulfurization were 1.28–4.31 and 0.10–0.28 GPa, respectively, according to nanoindentation. In addition, the FTIR spectra revealed that the biological deterioration of the modified wood caused cellulose and hemicellulose degradation, but no apparent lignin alteration occurred. The results could provide knowledge for appropriate dewatering, strengthening, and restoration strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, wood samples extracted from the Taicang ancient ship, dating back to the Yuan Dynasty, were investigated to study the characteristics of waterlogged archaeological wood. The macroscopic characteristics and microscopic structures were used to identify the wood species. To assess the degree of degradation of the waterlogged archaeological wood, X-ray diffraction (XRD), nanoindentation (NI), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to compare the new and ancient wood samples from the same species. The microscopic structures of the samples were identified as Pinus massoniana. The XRD and nanoindentation results revealed that the crystallinity index of the cellulose decreased from 41.07% to 33.85%, the elastic modulus was reduced by 20.90%, and hardness was reduced by 55.6% compared with the new wood. The FTIR spectra revealed that biological deterioration occurred in the cellulose and hemicellulose, but there was no noticeable change in the lignin content. These results provide helpful information for the conservation and restoration of ancient ships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis is an effective way to use abandoned furniture materials. This work dealt with solid wood, particle board, and medium density board obtained from dismantling discarded furniture as experimental materials. Slow pyrolysis was performed at a heating rate of 150 °C/h and pyrolysis temperatures of 400, 500, and 600 °C, and the products were analyzed. With the increase of pyrolysis temperature, the yield of solid products gradually decreased, while the yield of liquid products and non-condensing gases gradually increased. The carbon content in solid products reached 63.6 to 94.4%. The pyrolysis solution was acidic to weakly alkaline due to the different types and contents of adhesives in the three pyrolysis materials. Understanding the yield and characteristics of the pyrolysis products of waste furniture can provide more research directions for the recycling and utilization of these materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the GECROS model, we simulated the effect of improvements in photosynthesis a range of growth parameters, including yield, and on the εc (the conversion efficiency of absorbed solar energy to the chemical energy of biomass) and εi (the efficiency of solar energy interception or absorption by the canopy) parameters of the Monteith crop growth equation, for wheat and potato (which use C3 photosynthesis) and maize (which uses C4 photosynthesis). In the case of the C3 crops, the improvements in photosynthesis were via 20% increases in the parameters Vcmax (carboxylation capacity of Rubisco), Jmax (electron transport capacity), Sc/o (Rubisco specificity), κ2LL (efficiency of converting incident light into electron transport) and gm (mesophyll conductance), while for the C4 crop, it was via 20% increase in Vcmax, Jmax and Sc/o and a 20% decrease in gbs (the conductance that controls the leak of CO2 from the bundle sheath cells in C4 leaves). The changes were applied individually and in combination. The responses were modelled using climate data collected over a 10‐year period from 66 sites around Europe. Improvements in photosynthesis did result in increases in yield but with considerable variation between the parameters that were adjusted. The greatest increases were obtained for increases in Jmax and κ2LL (up to an average 11% increase for total plant biomass), and these increases were found across all Europe. Increases in both these parameters have a predominant effect on the light‐use efficiency for subsaturating irradiances. Improvements in the other parameters produced smaller increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing fresh water scarcity is a major constraint for rice (Oryza sativa) productivity under future climatic conditions. It is important to understand why rice cannot perform like other dryland cereals, when grown under drier soil conditions. The responses of plant growth, plant water status, leaf and stem anatomical attributes to soil water deficit were examined at two developmental stages of three rice and two wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars grown under three water regimes in a pot experiment. Yield and yield components were determined at plant maturity. The stress sensitivity of plant growth was slightly more prominent at vegetative than at flowering stages. Water deficit limited root growth but had little impact on above‐ground growth in rice plants. The xylem system of the leaves was more developed in rice than in wheat, but the opposite was true for the root xylem system. Compared with stem xylem attributes, leaf xylem attributes played a larger role in modulating leaf water potential under water deficit. In addition, the variation in yield response to water deficit between various types of rice, and between rice and wheat was closely associated with the response of leaf water potential to water deficit. To grow rice in drier conditions, its xylem system should be balanced by increasing root growth and modifying leaf anatomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of vibrational excitation of reactants in driving reactions involving polyatomic species has been often studied by means of classical or quasi-classical trajectory simulations. We propose a different approach based on investigation of vibrational features of the Cl−⋯CH3Cl pre-reaction complex for the Cl− + CH3Cl SN2 reaction. We present vibrational power spectra and frequency estimates for the title pre-reaction complex calculated at the level of classical, semiclassical, and second-order vibrational perturbation theory on a pre-existing analytical potential energy surface. The main goals of the paper are the study of anharmonic effects and understanding of vibrational couplings that permit energy transfer between the collisional kinetic energy and the internal vibrations of the reactants. We provide both classical and quantum pictures of intermode couplings and show that the SN2 mechanism is favored by the coupling of a C–Cl bend involving the Cl− projectile with the CH3 rocking motion of the target molecule. We also illustrate how the routines needed for semiclassical vibrational spectroscopy simulations can be interfaced in a user-friendly way to pre-existing molecular dynamics software. In particular, we present an implementation of semiclassical spectroscopy into the VENUS suite of codes, thus providing a useful computational tool for users who are not experts of semiclassical dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced protein 8-like 2 (TIPE2) possesses potent anti-inflammatory effect. However, if TIPE2 ameliorates sciatic nerve injury (SNI)-induced inflammation and pain remains undiscussed, and the underlying role TAK1 in it were unknown. To verify our imagine, we performed SNI surgery, and analyzed expression and colocalization of TIPE2 and TAK1 in spinal cord and dorsal root neurons (DRG) by immunofluorescence staining and western blot. And the biological analysis, inflammatory factors, and pathological improvement were determined, and the regulation of TIPE2 in TAK1, phosphor-NF-κB, phospho-JNK was also tested by immunofluorescence staining and western blot. Experimental results showed the parabola-like change of TIPE2 and rising expression of TAK1 in spinal cord and DRG. And intrathecal TIPE2 injection could significantly improve the status of SNI rats, inhibit level of IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α, raise the thermal withdrawal relax latency and mechanical withdrawal thresholds. Meanwhile, we also detected how TIPE2 regulated TAK1, and the downstream pathway NF-κB and JNK. The result indicated that TIPE2 could reduce TAK1 expression, and make NF-κB and JNK inactivated. To deeply discuss the potential mechanism, we injected TAK1 oligodeoxynucleotide into rats, and found that TIPE2 exerted the protective role against SNI through TAK1. In brief, TIPE2 reduced expression of TAK1, thereby inhibiting activation of NF-kB and JNK, further improving the neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain. TIPE2 played a protective role in sciatic nerve injury rats through regulating TAK1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum materials exhibit intriguing properties with important scientific values and huge technological potential. Electrical transport measurements under hydrostatic pressure have been influential in unraveling the underlying physics of many quantum materials in bulk form. However, such measurements have not been applied widely to samples in the form of thin flakes, in which new phenomena can emerge, due to the difficulty in attaching fine wires to a thin sample suitable for high-pressure devices. Here, we utilize a home-built direct laser writing system to functionalize a diamond anvil to directly integrate the capability of conducting electrical transport measurements of thin flakes with a pressure cell. With our methodology, the culet of a diamond anvil is equipped with a set of custom-designed conducting tracks. We demonstrate the superiority of these tracks as electrodes for the studies of thin flakes by presenting the measurement of pressure-enhanced superconductivity and quantum oscillations in a flake of MoTe2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Nasal filter obtained the actual inhaled PM 10 for urban individual women. • Air filter-based sampling underestimated the inhaled dose and health risk of PM 10. • Women closer to traffic emissions inhaled the most PM 10 and heavy metals. • Women exposed outdoors faced greater non-cancer and cancer risks. • Women who work outdoors are more likely to develop asthma during haze event. Urban populations, especially women, are vunerable to exposure to airborne pollution, particularly inhalable particulates (PM 10). Thus, more accurate measurement of PM 10 levels and evaluating their health effects is critical for guiding policy to improve human health. Previous studies obtained personal PM 10 with time-weighted average by air filter-based sampling (AFS), which ignores individual differences and behavioral patterns. Here, we used nasal filters instead of AFS to obtain actual inhaled PM 10 under short-term exposure for urban dwelling women during a severe haze event in Beijing in 2016. The levels of six heavy metals such as As, Cd, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Co in PM 10 were investigated, and carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks evaluated based on an adjusted US EPA health risk assessment model. The health endpoints for urban dwelling women were further assessed through an exposure-reponse model. We found that the hourly inhaled dose of PM 10 obtained through the nasal filter was about 2.5–17.6 times that obtained by AFS, which also resulted in 4.41–11.30 times more morbidity than estimated by AFS (p < 0.05). Proximity to traffic emissions resulted in greater exposure to particulate matter (>18.8 μg/kg·h) and heavy metals (>2.2 ng/kg·h), and these populations are therefore at greatest risk of developing non-cancer (HI = 4.16) and cancer (R t = 7.8 × 10−3) related morbities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trajectory of the battery state of charge (SOC) optimized by using dynamic programming (DP) is the global optimization solution to enhance the economy performance of the fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles under various driving cycles, however, this method requires prior knowledge of the future driving cycles. To utilize the solutions of DP, a SOC-trajectory online learning generation algorithm based approximate global optimization energy management control strategy is proposed. Initially, the global optimality of DP is used to extract the optimal SOC gradients for diverse driving scenarios. Real-time generation of optimal gradient factors for SOC trajectories is facilitated through the training of a backpropagation neural network with DP solutions. Subsequently, the deterministic rules are designed to plan SOC under actual driving conditions, with a dynamically updated threshold by the trained agents. Finally, based on the above, the optimal calculation of energy allocation is performed by combining sequence quadratic programming. Numerical verification, inclusive of hardware-in-the-loop experiments, show the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. The results demonstrate that the proposed strategy improves fuel economy by 7.39% compared to ECMS. Additionally, it reduces the cost of fuel cell life loss by 32.09% and achieves over 90% optimization of global driving cost. • BPNN agent online learning-based approach to estimate optimal gradient factor in real-time for SOC trajectories by using DP solutions. • The constructed SOC threshold value deterministic rule enables the planning of SOC trajectory for diverse driving modes. • Combining the sequence quadratic programming algorithm enables real-time optimal solving, allowing the design of an approximate global optimal strategy. • Comparative analysis proves that the proposed strategy is effective in achieving global cost optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study mainly analyzes the diagnostic value of two-dimensional ultrasonography (2D-US) combined with four-dimensional ultrasonography (4D-US) in prenatal ultrasound screening of fetal congenital malformations (CMs) and explores the high-risk factors affecting fetal malformations. Methods. The clinical and imaging data of 2247 pregnant women who underwent prenatal fetal malformation screening in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University between February 2020 and October 2021 were collected and analyzed, retrospectively. All pregnant women underwent 2D-US, and those with suspected fetal malformations were further inspected by 4D-US. The accuracy of ultrasound examination results relative to actual pregnancy outcomes was analyzed, taking the neonatal malformation after induced labor or actual delivery as the gold standard, and the risk factors influencing the occurrence of fetal malformations were discussed. Results. A total of 87 cases (3.87%) of fetal malformations were detected out of the 2247 parturients examined. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 2D-US diagnosis were 81.40%, 43.68%, and 82.92%, respectively, while the data were 83.67%, 51.72%, and 84.95% for 4D-US, respectively, and 93.59%, 90.80%, and 93.70%, respectively, for 2D-US +4D-US. The combined diagnosis of 2D-US +4D-US achieved statistically higher accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity than either of them alone. One-way analysis of variance and multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that the independent risk factors affecting fetal malformation were age ≥ 35 , history of adverse pregnancy and childbirth, medication during pregnancy, toxic exposure during pregnancy, and history of seropositive for TORCH-IgM. Folic acid supplementation was a protective factor. Conclusions. Prenatal US is an effective approach for screening fetal malformations. 2D-US +4D-US can effectively improve the diagnostic rate of fetal malformations. For pregnant women with high-risk factors, prevention should be given priority, and prenatal screening and prenatal diagnosis should be standardized to reduce the occurrence of fetal malformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed how the temperature response of leaf day respiration (Rd) in wheat responded to contrasting water regimes and growth temperatures. In Experiment 1, well‐watered and drought‐stressed conditions were imposed on two genotypes; in Experiment 2, the two water regimes combined with high (HT), medium (MT) and low (LT) growth temperatures were imposed on one of the genotypes. Rd was estimated from simultaneous gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements at six leaf temperatures (Tleaf) for each treatment, using the Yin method for nonphotorespiratory conditions and the nonrectangular hyperbolic fitting method for photorespiratory conditions. The two genotypes responded similarly to growth and measurement conditions. Estimates of Rd for nonphotorespiratory conditions were generally higher than those for photorespiratory conditions, but their responses to Tleaf were similar. Under well‐watered conditions, Rd and its sensitivity to Tleaf slightly acclimated to LT, but did not acclimate to HT. Temperature sensitivities of Rd were considerably suppressed by drought, and the suppression varied among growth temperatures. Thus, it is necessary to quantify interactions between drought and growth temperature for reliably modelling Rd under climate change. Our study also demonstrated that the Kok method, one of the currently popular methods for estimating Rd, underestimated Rd significantly. Summary Statement: Leaf day respiration (Rd) plays an essential role in maintaining the primary metabolic and physiological functions of plants. Here, we estimated Rd under various water and growth temperature regimes to explore how Rd acclimates to environmental variables and evaluated if a simple method can estimate Rd for photorespiratory conditions by using gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dual-motor coupling-propulsion electric vehicle (DMCP-EV) has the merit of favorable energy efficiency due to its multiple operation modes. In the driving process, the performance of the DMCP-EV depends greatly on the power distribution to meet various driving requests. A power distribution coefficient is optimized by using the genetic-Pareto algorithm (GA-Pareto) algorithm. In addition to this effort, a power distribution strategy based on tradeoff optimization with comprehensive consideration of energy efficiency and ride comfort is proposed. Then, the sensitive analysis of optimized performance is conducted to obtain the three appropriate GA-Pareto algorithm parameters. The benchmark strategies are conducted to validate the proposed tradeoff power distribution strategy and the comparisons of three preference strategies with the hardware-in-loop (HIL) validation are performed. Results of the simulation and HIL experiments demonstrate that the proposed control strategies can address the tradeoff between energy-efficient and ride comfort for DMCP-EV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of the O vacancy defects with different charge states on the electronic structure and absorption spectra of bulk BiOCl are investigated using hybrid functional calculations. The previous calculations have shown that the O vacancy defects in BiOCl only could present the neutral (VO0) and +2 charge (VO2+) states. In the present study, it is first found and affirmed that the VO2+ defect in BiOCl acts as an electron capture centre, and the direct recombination of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs can be effectively inhibited by the VO2+ defect. While the VO0 defect acts as a recombination centre of the photogenerated carriers, it also induces a strong absorption peak around 500 nm in BiOCl. Moreover, the absorption strengthens with increasing O vacancy concentration. Therefore, it is suggested that BiOCl could present more significant photocatalytic activity via controlling and optimizing the concentration ratio of oxygen vacancies in 0 and +2 charge states. With an optimized concentration ratio, the photocatalytic activity of BiOCl should increase with increasing total O vacancy concentration in a larger concentration range. Our study thus provides a guideline or a reference for the design of highly efficient BiOCl or BiOCl-based photocatalyst with oxygen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding for improved leaf photosynthesis is considered as a viable approach to increase crop yield. Whether it should be improved in combination with other traits has not been assessed critically. Based on the quantitative crop model GECROS that interconnects various traits to crop productivity, we review natural variation in relevant traits, from biochemical aspects of leaf photosynthesis to morpho-physiological crop characteristics. While large phenotypic variations (sometimes >2-fold) for leaf photosynthesis and its underlying biochemical parameters were reported, few quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified, accounting for a small percentage of phenotypic variation. More QTL were reported for sink size (that feeds back on photosynthesis) or morpho-physiological traits (that affect canopy productivity and duration), together explaining a much greater percentage of their phenotypic variation. Traits for both photosynthetic rate and sustaining it during grain filling were strongly related to nitrogen-related traits. Much of the molecular basis of known photosynthesis QTL thus resides in genes controlling photosynthesis indirectly. Simulation using GECROS demonstrated the overwhelming importance of electron transport parameters, compared with the maximum Rubisco activity that largely determines the commonly studied light-saturated photosynthetic rate. Exploiting photosynthetic natural variation might significantly improve crop yield if nitrogen uptake, sink capacity, and other morpho-physiological traits are co-selected synergistically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li‐ion batteries nowadays are widely used as energy storage systems owing to their high power and energy densities. However, the safety of Li‐ion batteries has increasingly become a grave concern, and how to effectively mitigate or avoid the thermal runaway of Li‐ion batteries, particularly during fast charging/discharging, is a critical issue. It has been pointed out that among various factors governing the safety of Li‐ion batteries, the thermal stability of separators plays an important role. In this review, a critical discussion is reported on recent research and development of thermally stable separators, including surface modified polyolefin separators, novel polymer separators, inorganic structured separators, and functional smart separators, for improving the safety of Li‐ion batteries, summarizing different techniques, processes, and materials being researched and developed for these separators for lithium‐ion batteries. Finally, suggestions are provided on future directions to develop thermally stable separators with respect to the safety of next‐generation Li‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Born-Oppenheimer direct dynamics simulations were performed to study atomistic details of the F + CH3CN→HF + CH2CN H-atom abstraction reaction. The simulation trajectories were calculated with a combined M06-2X/MP2 algorithm utilizing the 6-311++G** basis set. The experiments were performed at 300 K, and assuming the accuracy of transition state theory (TST), the trajectories were initiated at the F… HCH2CN abstraction TS with a 300 K Boltzmann distribution of energy and directed towards products. Recrossing of the TS was negligible, confirming the accuracy of TST. HF formation was rapid, occurring within 0.014 ps of the trajectory initiation. The intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) for reaction involves rotation of HF about CH2CN and then trapping in the CH2CN… HF post-reaction potential energy well of ~10 kcal/mol with respect to the HF + CH2CN products. In contrast to this IRC, five different trajectory types were observed: the majority proceeded by direct H-atom transfer and only 11% approximately following the IRC. The HF vibrational and rotational quantum numbers, n and J, were calculated when HF was initially formed and they increase as potential energy is released in forming the HF +CH2CNproducts. The population of the HF product vibrational states is only in qualitative agreement with experiment, with the simulations showing depressed and enhanced populations of the n = 1 and 2 states as compared to experiment. Simulations with an anharmonic zero-point energy constraint gave product distributions for relative translation, HF rotation, HF vibration, CH2CN rotation, and CH2CN vibration as 5%, 11%, 60%, 7%, and 16%, respectively. In contrast, the experimental energy partitioning percentages to HF rotation and vibration are6%and 41%. Comparisons are made between the current simulation and those for other F + H-atom abstraction reactions. The simulation product energy partitioning and HF vibrational population for F +CH3CN→HF+CH2CNresemble those for other reactions. A detailed discussion is given of possible origins of the difference between the simulation and experimental energy partitioning dynamics for F +CH3CN→HF +CH2CN. The F +CH3CNreaction also forms the CH3C(F)N intermediate, in which the F-atom adds to the C#8801;N bond. However, this intermediate and F… CH3CN and CH3CN… F van der Waals complexes are not expected to affect the F + CH3CN→HF + CH2CN product energy partitioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The battery degradation and equivalent hydrogen consumption are of great significance in vehicle performance improvement for fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle. However, few energy management strategies proposed by previous researchers can optimize the objectives at the same time. To overcome this drawback, a battery degradation-aware energy management strategy with a driving pattern severity factor feedback correction algorithm is developed to achieve the optimal trade-off between power battery degradation and vehicle economy improvement. The proposed strategy adjusts the equivalent factor according trip distance and correct the battery power to directly address the battery degradation and vehicle economy problem. First, a cost function using weighting factor to trade off the battery degradation and vehicle economy is formulated. The severity factor based on the battery aging model with effective ampere-hour throughput is used to measure the degree of battery degradation. Then, the genetic algorithm back propagation neural network for driving pattern recognition is developed. The trip distance adaptive equivalent consumption minimization strategy is introduced to correct the equivalent factor according to the driving pattern information and the battery degradation feedback correction strategy of the severity factor integrated with driving patterns recognition is constructed. Finally, a comparison analysis study and hardware-in-the-loop experiment are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. Experimental results under Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule and Extra Urban Driving Cycle combined with the equivalent consumption minimum strategy indicate that the battery degradation feedback correction algorithm can significantly reduce the battery degradation degree while sacrificing hydrogen consumption optimization to a small extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the existing research on developed countries insists that urban sprawl contributes to increasing energy consumption due to the expanding private-car-oriented transportation requirements of urban residents. However, in the context of China, we discover that public transportation has thrived and become one of the major travel modes for the residents, accompanied by government-led urban sprawl. Consequently, the impact of urban sprawl on transportation energy consumption in China may be highly distinct from that in Western developed countries. Therefore, we empirically investigate the impact of urban sprawl on household transportation energy consumption in China based on the Chinese Household Energy Consumption Survey and attempt to provide an appropriate explanation for this relationship. We find that urban sprawl does not lead to an increase in household transportation energy consumption in China, which is mainly due to the rapid development of a high-quality public transportation system. Specifically, urban sprawl alleviates household transportation energy consumption in China by promoting the use of public transportation among residents. Our findings contrast with previous studies on European and American cities and provide distinctive evidence of the causal relationship between urban sprawl and energy consumption. This study highlights a pathway through which developing countries can achieve sustainable urban development goals through the construction of a high-quality public transportation system. • Features of urban sprawl and public transit differ between China and developed countries. • We examine the impact of urban sprawl on household transportation energy consumption in China. • Urban sprawl does not lead to an increase in household transportation energy consumption in China. • Public transportation system development and public service accessibility reduce household transportation energy consumption. • Urban sprawl promotes usage of public transportation in China and then reduces household transportation energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to reveal the molecular mechanisms involved in right- and left-sided colorectal cancer (CRC) development, CRC gene expression data and a microorganism atlas were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and The Cancer Microbiome Atlas, respectively. The R package was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between right- and left-sided CRC samples and identify those related to prognosis, a correlation analysis was performed between DEGs and prognosis-related microbiota, and an interaction network was created using Cytoscape. Finally, a taxon set enrichment analysis of the microbiota was performed and a gene-genus-pathway network was constructed after GO and KEGG analyses. In total, nine out of 1557 identified DEGs had a significant correlation with prognosis, whereas three out of 211 bacterial genera (Fusobacterium , Bacteroides and Parabacteroides) showed a significant correlation with prognosis. DEGs were mainly enriched in the PPAR pathway and vitamin metabolic and transport processes. According to a taxon set enrichment analysis, the microbes in the integrated network were significantly abundant in 28 host-intrinsic, two host-extrinsic and one environment taxon sets. This study provides new insights for understanding the molecular mechanisms of left- and right-CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the publication of the landmark model by Farquhar, von Caemmerer & Berry on steady‐state C3 photosynthesis (known as the "FvCB model"), we review three major further developments of the model. These include: (1) limitation by triose phosphate utilization, (2) alternative electron transport pathways, and (3) photorespiration‐associated nitrogen and C1 metabolisms. We discussed the relation of the third extension with the two other extensions, and some equivalent extensions to model C4 photosynthesis. In addition, the FvCB model has been coupled with CO2‐diffusion models. We review how these extensions and integration have broadened the use of the FvCB model in understanding photosynthesis, especially with regard to bioenergetic stoichiometries associated with photosynthetic quantum yields. Based on the new insights, we present caveats in applying the FvCB model. Further research needs are highlighted. The year 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of the landmark model by Farquhar, von Caemmerer & Berry on photosynthesis. Here, we take a historical view on the original model, go into details of how this model has been extended since then, and review how these extensions have broadened the use of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pasty rocket engines have broad application prospects in the aerospace field. To study the internal ballistic characteristics of the pasty propellant rocket engine, the burning surface change model of pasty propellant was built. The calculation program was developed to calculate the pressure evolution in the combustion chamber, and the experiment was carried out based on a pasty propellant rocket test system. The data calculated by the program are in good agreement with the experiment, the error of the initial pressure peak is only 4.02%, and the internal ballistic characteristics of the rocket engine at each stage were analyzed detailly. The effects of ignition delay time, transport pipeline structure, free volume of the combustion chamber, mass flow rate, and flow velocity of the pasty propellant on internal ballistic characteristics of the pasty propellant rocket engine are investigated. The results indicate that when the ignition delay time increases, the pressure rises faster and the initial pressure peak increases obviously. The transport pipe diameter changes from 11.3 mm to 7.4 mm, and the initial combustion time and residual propellant combustion time decreased by 41.3% and 36.0%. The reduction of the free volume of the combustion chamber can reduce the initial pressure peak and the time to reach the equilibrium pressure. The initial pressure spike and equilibrium pressure rise with the increase of the pasty propellant flow velocity. While the ignition transient decreased with the increase of the pasty propellant flow velocity. The internal ballistic properties can be improved by reducing the ignition delay time, the diameter of the transport pipeline, and the free volume of the combustion chamber, or by increasing the mass flow rate of the pasty propellant rocket engine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viremia is a common complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impacts of early-onset EBV viremia in acute leukemia (AL) patients who underwent allo-HSCT with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG)-containing myeloablative conditioning (MAC) regimen. Two hundred and ninety-six patients were included between January 2013 and December 2015. In 126 patients (42.6%) who developed early-onset EBV viremia, with a median time of 48 (range 18~99) days after allo-HSCT. The cumulative incidence of EBV viremia at 30 and 90 days after allo-HSCT were 4.1 and 39.9%, respectively. Prognostic analysis showed that the adjusted overall survival in early-EBVpos group was significantly lower than early-EBVneg group within the first 26.7 months after allo-HSCT [hazard ratio (HR), 1.63, P = 0.012], but significantly higher than those afterward (after 26.7 months: HR 0.11, P = 0.035); for the adjusted event-free survival, early-EBVpos group was significantly inferior in early-EBVpos group within the first 10.8 months after transplantation (HR: 1.55, P = 0.042), and this adverse effect was not detected any more after 10.8 months (HR: 0.58, P = 0.107). Compared with early-EBVneg group after adjusting by aGVHD and CMV viremia, HR for death from transplant-related mortality was 2.78-fold higher in patients with early-EBV viremia in piecewise constant Cox analysis (P = 0.006), and this adverse effect was not detected any more after the cut-point time (HR: 0.67, P = 0.361). No differences in terms of relapse and relapse mortality were observed between early-EBVpos and early-EBVneg group (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the impacts on transplant outcomes of early-EBV viremia were time-dependent, which may help to optimize management strategies for early-EBV viremia after allo-HSCT, especially in AL patients with ATG-containing MAC regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, an online recursive power management strategy based on the reinforcement learning technique is proposed to achieve an optimal power distribution and excellent economic performance of a plug-in fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle. First, the optimal control algorithm of the power management strategy is formulated. Then, an online recursive algorithm using cosine similarity and a forgetting factor to achieve the adaptability of the proposed strategy to various driving conditions is formulated. The parameters updating framework is triggered once the change rate of cosine similarity exceeds the threshold value of the corresponding driving cycle. Some of the important parameters such as the learning rate, discount factor, forgetting factor, and the change rate of cosine similarity are analyzed to optimize the online updating capability of the strategy. Finally, an experimental study is conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. Both a rule-based strategy and an equivalent consumption minimization strategy are implemented to establish the benchmark framework used to analyze the performance of the proposed strategy. The simulation and experimental results corroborate the effectiveness and economic performance of the proposed strategy. A comparison with the existing standard benchmark strategy indicates the superior performance of the developed strategy reaching a remarkable reduction in energy consumption at a long driving distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy management of a plug-in FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) strictly depends on the control of SOC (State of Charge) over a given trip distance. The SOC may be varied with the trip distance by updating an EF (Equivalent Factor), which is derived from ECMS (Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy). However, the EF is too complicated to estimate accurately in real-time with traditional method. A real-time optimization strategy by using SQP (Sequence Quadratic Programming) with MNLR (Multivariate Nonlinear Regression) is proposed for a plug-in FCEV. First, the real-time hydrogen consumption optimization problem for SOC trip distance adaptive is formulated by using ECMS. The EF is adjusted according to the trip distances and predefined SOC. Then, in order to improve the accuracy of EF, SQP method is utilized to optimize the fuel cell and battery efficiency. Thus, the MNLR is applied to construct the fuel cell and battery efficiency response surface models for real-time optimization application. Finally, numerical verification and hardware in loop experiments are conducted to validate the proposed strategy. The results indicate that the combination of SQP with MNLR made it possible to develop the proposed strategy capable of significantly improving the hydrogen economic performance of this FCEV. • The optimization problem of adaptive SOC trip distance strategy is formulated. • The Sequence Quadratic Programming is utilized to optimize real-time strategy. • Efficiency response surface model is set up via Multivariate Nonlinear Regression. • The efficiency models are applied to the calculation of cost function. • The proposed strategy can achieve the excellent fuel economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: C4 crops of agricultural importance all belong to the NADP‐malic enzyme (ME) subtype, and this subtype has been the template for C4 introductions into C3 crops, like rice, to improve their productivity. However, the ATP cost for the C4 cycle in both NADP‐ME and NAD‐ME subtypes accounts for > 40% of the total ATP requirement for CO2 assimilation. These high ATP costs, and the associated need for intense cyclic electron transport and low intrinsic quantum yield ΦCO2, are major constraints in realizing strong improvements of canopy photosynthesis and crop productivity. Based on mathematical modelling, we propose a C4 ideotype that utilizes low chloroplastic ATP requirements present in the nondomesticated phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEP‐CK) subtype. The ideotype is a mixed form of NAD(P)‐ME and PEP‐CK types, requires no cyclic electron transport under low irradiances, and its theoretical ΦCO2 is c. 25% higher than that of a C4 crop type. Its cell‐type‐specific ATP and NADPH requirements can be fulfilled by local energy production. The ideotype is projected to have c. 10% yield advantage over NADP‐ME‐type crops and > 50% advantage over C3 counterparts. The ideotype provides a unique (theoretical) case where ΦCO2 could be improved, thereby paving a new avenue for improving photosynthesis in both C3 and C4 crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The stochastic driving cycles pose a challenge to the actual implementation of the control strategy for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Considering the problem, this research proposes a predictive control strategy based on velocity prediction. Firstly, a novel velocity prediction method is developed, which considers the prediction error of back propagation neural network (BPNN)‐based method. Then, it is incorporated into the predictive control strategy for a plug‐in FCEV. Finally, simulation studies are conducted to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed predictive control strategy. Simulation results show that the proposed velocity prediction method can adaptive to different driving cycles with high accuracy. In another case, with the velocity prediction used in the predictive control strategy, hydrogen consumption reduces by 17.07% when compared with the traditional rule‐based strategy. All the results indicate that the designed velocity prediction approach made it possible to forecast vehicle velocity with relatively high precision and promising to promote the energy management strategy (EMS) to reduce the hydrogen consumption of the plug‐in FCEV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing Al 2 O 3 as a secondary phase into Ce:LuAG phosphor ceramics has been realized by solid-state reaction method, but there is much room for improvement on the ingredient uniformity and performance of Al 2 O 3 -Ce:LuAG composite phosphor ceramics (CPCs). In this work, the excess of Al3+ in (Ce,Lu) 3 Al 5 O 12 was regulated to synthesize a series of Al 2 O 3 -Ce:LuAG multiphase powders by the co-precipitation method, and homogeneous Al 2 O 3 -Ce:LuAG CPCs (the uniform volume fraction between Al 2 O 3 and Ce:LuAG phases) were obtained by vacuum sintering (1775 °C × 10 h). With an increase in the Al3+ content, the morphology of the multiphase powders changes from small irregular shapes to porous flocs and flakes interwoven, and Lu 3 Al 5 O 12 phases tend to convert to LuAlO 3 phases. When the Al 2 O 3 content is 78–89 mol% in the CPCs, the average grain sizes of Al 2 O 3 are close to those of Ce:LuAG. Among all CPCs with an Al 2 O 3 content of 68–95 mol%, the 85 mol% Al 2 O 3 -Ce:LuAG CPCs initially perform the best in terms of both excitation and emission intensity at room temperature, and their photoluminescence intensities only decrease 4.3% from 25 to 225 °C. A solid-state laser lighting device was constructed by using a 450 nm laser source and Al 2 O 3 -Ce:LuAG CPCs in a reflection mode. The CPCs with 85 mol% Al 2 O 3 content based on 0.9 W laser diodes (LDs) show the optimum luminous flux (LF) and luminous efficiency (LE) of 244 lm and 266 lm∙W−1, respectively. Additionally, the LF of all CPCs based on LDs continues to increase without showing luminescence saturation when the power density increases from 1 to 20 W mm−2. When the 85 mol% Al 2 O 3 -containing CPCs are excited by a 20 W mm−2 LD, the maximum LF reaches 3624 lm, and the LE decreases only by 12.4% (compared to the data under 1 W mm−2 excitation). Al 2 O 3 -Ce:LuAG CPCs have excellent luminescence properties and improved thermal stability, which are promising for the application in solid-state laser lighting. • Excess of Al3+ in (Ce,Lu) 3 Al 5 O 12 was regulated to synthesize multiphase powders by the co-precipitation method. • Al 2 O 3 -Ce:LuAG ceramics with homogeneous biphasic microstructures were sintered by using multiphase powders. • PL intensity of ceramics with 40 wt% Al 2 O 3 content from 25 to 225 °C only decreased by 4.3%. • Excited by the 1–20 W mm−2 LD, ceramics' maximum LF reach 3624 lm, and the LE decreased only by 12.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The Kok effect refers to the abrupt decrease around the light compensation point in the slope of net photosynthetic rate vs irradiance. Arguably, this switch arises from light inhibition of respiration, allowing the Kok method to estimate day respiration (Rd). Recent analysis suggests that increasing proportions of photorespiration (quantified as Γ*/Cc, the ratio of CO2 compensation point Γ* to chloroplast CO2 concentration, Cc) with irradiance explain much of the Kok effect. Also, the Kok method has been modified to account for the decrease in PSII photochemical efficiency (Φ2) with irradiance.Using a model that illustrates how varying Rd, Γ*/Cc, Φ2 and proportions of alternative electron transport could engender the Kok effect, we quantified the contribution of these parameters to the Kok effect measured in sunflower across various O2 and CO2 concentrations and various temperatures.Overall, the decreasing Φ2 with irradiance explained c. 12%, and the varying Γ*/Cc explained c. 25%, of the Kok effect. Maximum real light inhibition of Rd was much lower than the inhibition derived from the Kok method, but still increased with photorespiration.Photorespiration had a dual contribution to the Kok effect, one via the varying Γ*/Cc and the other via its participation in light inhibition of Rd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term trend and seasonal variability of sea surface temperature (SST) over tropical Indo-Pacific region under the global warming projection simulated by FIO-ESM model are analyzed. At seasonal time scale, significant warming trend over Indo-Pacific area is well captured by FIO-ESM model over the warm pool region under RCP8.5 scenario. The La Niña-like warming pattern is dominant in the tropical Pacific and the negative Indian Ocean Dipole warming pattern takes place in the Indian Ocean in global warming projection separately. The strength of SST warming trend is found to be seasonal dependent over Indo-Pacific region. The spatial distribution of calendar month where fastest/slowest SST warming trend take place in tropical Indo-Pacific has been assessed in FIO-ESM simulation, which is corresponded with the distribution of SST climatology closely in Pacific but not in Indian Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To face the challenge of decreasing freshwater availability for agriculture, it is important to explore avenues for developing rice genotypes that can be grown like dryland cereals. Roots play a key role in plant adaptation to dry environments. Methods: We examined anatomical and histochemical root traits that affect water acquisition in rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). These traits and root growth were measured at two developmental stages for three rice and two wheat cultivars that were grown in pots under three water regimes. Results: Wheat roots had larger xylem sizes than rice roots, which potentially led to a higher axial conductance, especially under water-deficit conditions. Suberization, lignification and thickening of the endodermis in rice roots increased with increasing water deficit, resulting in stronger radial barriers for water flow in rice than in wheat, especially near the root apex. In addition, water deficit strongly impeded root growth and lateral root proliferation in rice, but only slightly in wheat, and cultivars within a species differed little in these responses. The stress sensitivity of rice attributes was slightly more prominent at vegetative than at flowering stages. Conclusions: Rice root characteristics, which are essential for growth under inundated conditions, are not conducive to growth under water deficit. Although rice roots show considerable plasticity under different watering regimes, improving root xylem size and reducing the radial barriers would be required if rice is to grow like dryland cereals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activating mutations play crucial roles in the tumorigenesis of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The mechanism regarding how EGFR signaling regulates myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (Mcl-1) protein stability and ubiquitination remains undefined. Methods: MTS assay was used for natural product library screening. The effect of formononetin (Formo) on NSCLC cells was determined by MTS assay and soft agar assay. Molecular modeling was performed to analyze the potential different binding modes between Formo and EGFR WT or mutants. Mcl-1 protein level and the inhibitory effect of Formo on EGFR signaling were examined by immunoblot, in vitro kinase assay, in vitro pulldown and ATP competition assays, co-immunoprecipitation assay, ubiquitination analysis, in vivo xenograft model, and immunohistochemical staining. Results: Formo was identified as an EGFR inhibitor by a 98 commercially available natural product screening. Formo suppresses WT and mutant EGFR kinases activity in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. Molecular modeling indicates that Formo docks into the ATP-binding pocket of both WT and mutant EGFR. Formo inhibits EGFR-Akt signaling, which in turn activates GSK3β and promotes Mcl-1 phosphorylation in NSCLC cells. Treatment with Formo enhances the interaction between Mcl-1 and SCFFbw7, which eventually promotes Mcl-1 ubiquitination and degradation. Depletion of either GSK3β or SCFFbw7 compromised Formo-induced Mcl-1 downregulation. Finally, Formo inhibits the in vivo tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of promoting ubiquitination-dependent Mcl-1 turnover might be an alternative strategy to enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of EGFR-TKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Adaptive equivalent factor-based charge depleting range strategy is proposed. • Power feedback control for fuel-cell degradation is developed. • Realization process of proposed strategy with power feedback control is described. A charge depleting range dynamic strategy considering the fuel-cell degradation is proposed for the plug-in fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles in this paper, to seek the excellent economy performance with various driving ranges. The proposed strategy is developed by means of incorporating an adaptive equivalent factor into equivalent consumption minimization strategy with power feedback control. Firstly, the mathematical modeling of the proposed strategy is formulated to adjust the equivalent factor corresponding to the battery state of charge, which may vary with the forthcoming trip distance to dominate the expected energy consumption. The fuel cell voltage decay rate is applied to the feedback control of the restricted fuel-cell power, which is designed as the degradation model of fuel cell and integrated with the strategy. Secondly, the realization process of the charge depleting range dynamic strategy with restricted power feedback control model is a new attempt to design the real-time control method. Finally, the proposed strategy is validated by a numerical model developed by using the MATLAB/Simulink software and its effectiveness was evaluated by comparing it with the equivalent consumption minimization strategy. A sensitivity analysis is also conducted to study the effects of different trip distances. The effectiveness of power feedback control in fuel cell durability is validated through a hardware-in-the-loop experiment. The verified results demonstrate the influence of the equivalent factor on the control process, which makes the proposed strategy possible to provide significant improvement in the economy performance and fuel-cell durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to understand the physiological basis of rice photosynthetic response to C source–sink imbalances, focusing on the dynamics of the photosynthetic parameter triose phosphate utilization (TPU). Here, rice (Oriza sativa L.) indica cultivar IR64 were grown in controlled environment chambers under current ambient CO2 concentration until heading, and thereafter two CO2 treatments (400 and 800 μmol mol−1) were compared in the presence and absence of a panicle-pruning treatment modifying the C sink. At 2 weeks after heading, photosynthetic parameters derived from CO2 response curves, and non-structural carbohydrate content of flag leaf and internodes were measured three to four times of day. Spikelet number per panicle and flag leaf area on the main culm were recorded. Net C assimilation and TPU decreased progressively after midday in panicle-pruned plants, especially under 800 μmol mol−1 CO2. This TPU reduction was explained by sucrose accumulation in the flag leaf resulting from the sink limitation. Taking together, our findings suggest that TPU is involved in the regulation of photosynthesis in rice under elevated CO2 conditions, and that sink limitation effects should be considered in crop models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An appropriate control strategy can play an important role in further improving the fuel economy performance of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). This research developed a novel adaptive control strategy to achieve optimal power distribution for a series-parallel hybrid electric bus (SPHEB) to adapt driving pattern instantaneously. First, a methodology of extracting mode transition control and power distribution strategy from dynamic programming (DP) solution is proposed for the development of the hierarchical energy management strategy. A SPHEB energy management problem under the Chinese typical bus driving schedule at urban district (CTBDS_UD) is investigated as a case study. Second, an approach of driving pattern recognition (DPR) module is developed. For adaptive learning, four typical driving patterns are selected as the database of driving condition and using the extraction method described above to acquire optimal control strategies for four driving patterns. Third, a framework of adaptive control strategy has been proposed based on the extracted hierarchical energy management strategy from DP and combined with DPR. Finally, the simulation results demonstrate the proposed adaptive strategy can make power distribution proper adjustments in real time and be capable of improving significantly the fuel efficiency of the SPHEB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, several correlation tracking algorithms have been proposed exploiting hierarchical features from deep convolutional neural networks. However, most of these methods focus on utilizing the hierarchical features for target translation and use a fixed-size searching window throughout a sequence. Because of neglecting the changes of target scale, these algorithms may import error to the model and lead to drifting. Moreover, numerous factors like fast motion and heavy occlusion can induce instability of translation model which may result in the tracking failure. In this paper, we propose a novel scale adaptive tracking algorithm based on hierarchical CNN features, which learns correlation filters to locate the target and constructs a target pyramid around the estimated target position for scale estimation. In case of tracking failure, we generate an online detector of random fern classifier and activate it to re-detect the target. To evaluate the tracking algorithm, extensive experiments are conducted on a benchmark with 100 video sequences. The tracking result demonstrate that the hierarchical CNN features are well fit to handle sequences with scale variation, motion blur and illumination variation. And the online re-detection is of great importance in tracking failures caused by fast motion and heavy occlusion. The evaluation results show that our tracker outperforms the state-of-the-art methods by a huge margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functioning as a nanomotor, ATP synthase plays a vital role in the cellular energy metabolism. Interactions at the rotor and stator interface are critical to the energy transmission in ATP synthase. From mutational studies, we found that the γC87K mutation impairs energy coupling between proton translocation and nucleotide synthesis/hydrolysis. An additional glutamine mutation at γR242 (γR242Q) can restore efficient energy coupling to the γC87K mutant. Arrhenius plots and molecular dynamics simulations suggest that an extra hydrogen bond could form between the side chains of γC87K and β TP E381 in the γC87K mutant, thus impeding the free rotation of the rotor complex. In the enzyme with γC87K/γR242Q double mutations, the polar moiety of γR242Q side chain can form a hydrogen bond with γC87K, so that the amine group in the side chain of γC87K will not hydrogen-bond with βE381. As a conclusion, the intra-subunit interaction between positions γC87 and γR242 modulates the energy transmission in ATP synthase. This study should provide more information of residue interactions at the rotor and stator interface in order to further elucidate the energetic mechanism of ATP synthase. • The γC87K mutation impairs energy transmission in E. coli ATP synthase. • Extra hydrogen bond forms between γC87K and the β TP DELSEED loop. • An additional γR242Q/S/C/A mutation can restore the energy transmission. • The γR242E/L mutation cannot restore the energy transmission. • The γR242Q is most effective to suppress the energy uncoupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of China's low-carbon city policy on employment using a quasi-natural experiment approach based on microdata from A-share listed companies (2007–2021). The findings indicate a statistically significant positive effect on employment levels, with an average increase of 7.27% in pilot compared to non-pilot cities. This boost in employment is primarily linked to green innovation, improved financing conditions, and increased sales activities. The policy disproportionately benefits high-skilled workers and positively affects employment in sales, research and development, and management while having a lesser impact on low-skilled and production workers. The employment gains are particularly significant in non-polluting sectors, regions with high marketization, and in the eastern areas of China. This study underscores the complex interplay between environmental policies and labor markets, emphasizing the need for skill differentiation in policy frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Methods using gas exchange measurements to estimate respiration in the light (day respiration Rd) make implicit assumptions about reassimilation of (photo)respired CO2; however, this reassimilation depends on the positions of mitochondria.We used a reaction‐diffusion model without making these assumptions to analyse datasets on gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and anatomy for tomato leaves. We investigated how Rd values obtained by the Kok and the Yin methods are affected by these assumptions and how those by the Laisk method are affected by the positions of mitochondria.The Kok method always underestimated Rd. Estimates of Rd by the Yin method and by the reaction‐diffusion model agreed only for nonphotorespiratory conditions. Both the Yin and Kok methods ignore reassimilation of (photo)respired CO2, and thus underestimated Rd for photorespiratory conditions, but this was less so in the Yin than in the Kok method. Estimates by the Laisk method were affected by assumed positions of mitochondria. It did not work if mitochondria were in the cytosol between the plasmamembrane and the chloroplast envelope. However, mitochondria were found to be most likely between the tonoplast and chloroplasts.Our reaction‐diffusion model effectively estimates Rd, enlightens the dependence of Rd estimates on reassimilation and clarifies (dis)advantages of existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yttrium (Y 2 O 3) nanopowders were synthesized via the precipitation method using ammonium hydrogen carbonate (AHC) as the precipitant. The influences of calcination temperature on the composition and morphology of the powders were investigated. Fine Y 2 O 3 powders with low-agglomeration were obtained by calcining the precursor at 1100 °C for 4 h. The primary crystallites were calculated to be ∼47 nm in size and weakly agglomerated to particles with size of ∼79 nm. Using the synthesized powders as the starting materials, Y 2 O 3 ceramics were fabricated by vacuum sintering at different temperatures combined with HIP post-treatment. The densification and micro-structure evolution of the Y 2 O 3 ceramics were systematically investigated. The ceramic sample vacuum sintered at 1500 °C for 2 h and post-HIPed at 1550 °C for 3 h exhibited a uniform and fine microstructure with the average grain of about 1.0 μm. The in-line transmittance of the ceramic sample reached 80.1% at 1100 nm. • Y 2 O 3 transparent ceramics were prepared by two-step sintering from the precipitated nano-powders. • Y 2 O 3 ceramics with the average grain size of 1.0 μm and in-line transmittance of 80.1% at 1100 nm were obtained. • The prepared Y 2 O 3 transparent ceramics are attractive for host materials without any sintering additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of leaf nitrogen among photosynthetic proteins (i.e. chlorophyll, the electron transport system, Rubisco, and other soluble proteins) responds to environmental changes. We hypothesize that this response may underlie the biochemical aspect of leaf acclimation to the growth environment, and describe an analytical method to solve optimum nitrogen partitioning for maximized photosynthesis in C3 leaves. The method predicts a high investment of nitrogen in Rubisco under conditions leading to excessive energy supply relative to metabolic demand (e.g. low temperature, high light, low nitrogen, or low CO2). Conversely, more nitrogen is invested in chlorophyll when the energy supply is limiting. Overall, our optimization results are qualitatively consistent with literature reports. Commonly reported changes in photosynthetic parameters with growth temperature were emergent properties of the optimum nitrogen partitioning. The method was used to simulate dynamic acclimation under varying environmental conditions, using first-order kinetics. Simulated diurnal patterns of leaf photosynthetic rates as a result of acclimation differed greatly from those without acclimation (A without). However, differences in predicted photosynthesis integrated over a day or over the growing season from A without depended on the value of the kinetic time constant (τ), suggesting that τ is a critical parameter determining the overall impact of nitrogen distribution on acclimated photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]