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The whole train design of an Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) involves multiple domains and scenarios, thus requiring comprehensive consideration of various factors during the design process. Traditional design methods often utilize text-based approaches to model systems; however, such documentation-based designs often suffer from semantic heterogeneity, inconsistent data sources, and also struggle to provide a more intuitive overview of the overall design process. To address these issues, this paper proposes a method based on ontology–knowledge collaborative drive to achieve integration of the overall EMU design. Firstly, we employ the System Modeling Language (SysML) to construct the Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) model of the EMU, establishing functional and physical architecture element models, with the EMU MBSE model serving as input. Subsequently, in the requirement model, architecture model, and traceability model, we utilize top-level ontology to construct the EMU ontology framework in a top-down manner. Lastly, leveraging the Neo4j database, we employ a knowledge graph (KG) approach to fill domain knowledge into each model in a bottom-up manner, thereby realizing the ontology–knowledge collaborative drive for the overall EMU design construction. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated using the EMU Passenger Information System (PIS) and Traction transformer System (TS) as examples.

Ustilaginoidins are a class of bis-naphtho-γ-pyrone mycotoxins to threaten humans, animals and environment. Ustilaginoidins are produced by Villosiclava virens, the rice false smut pathogen. To prepare antibodies for quantitatively analyzing ustilaginoidins in rice samples, hemiustilaginoidins D and F from the laccase gene deficiency mutant of V. virens respectively reacted with diazonium 4-aminobenzoic acid to obtain haptens with a carboxyl group, which further reacted with bovine serum albumin or ovalbumin to get their complete antigens. Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) designated as 4A12C6 and 5F4F6 were developed by immunization. The relationships between mAb sensitivity and 20 ustilaginoidins were described. 4A12C6 was chosen for further analysis as it could recognize main ustilaginoidins and was more sensitive than 5F4F6. The achieved indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) based on 4A12C6 had a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.76 ng/mL and working range of 0.2–2.8 ng/mL to ustilaginoidin A. The results of ustilaginoidins-contaminated rice samples by icELISA detection were consistent with those determined by HPLC‒DAD detection. Therefore, we developed a new strategy to get haptens from the biosynthetic precursors with half structures of ustilaginoidins. The achieved icELISA was demonstrated as a convenient method to monitor ustilaginoidin content in rice samples, and showed that the contents of total ustilaginoidins from the rice cultivars with low resistance to rice false smut were more than those of high resistance cultivars.

Perpendicular exchange bias (PEB) is highly desirable for the development of advanced nanoscale spintronics devices. The attainment of conventional PEB typically involves a field-cooling process through the Néel temperature of antiferromagnetic materials. In this study, we demonstrated the realization of spontaneous PEB (SPEB) in IrMn/[Co/Pt] _3 multilayers utilizing isothermal crystallization of IrMn at room temperature (RT). And the SPEB generated isothermally at IrMn/Co interface does not destroy the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the multilayers. The magnetic domains of the multilayers captured by Kerr microscopy after different magnetization time also indicate the generation of SPEB. The magnitude of SPEB can be controllable by varying the isothermal magnetization time and the annealing temperature of IrMn. The relationship between magnetization waiting time and SPEB reveals that even slight isothermal crystallization can generate substantial SPEB. Our results provide an alternative approach to isothermally generate PEB in IrMn/[Co/Pt] _3 multilayers at RT.

Spontaneous combustion coal gangue (SCCG) is considered to be an aluminosilicate-based solid waste containing various toxic ions. The alkali-activation method for this material can not only fully use its potential hydration activity but also solidify the hazardous components to some extent. Through introducing additional Pb2+, the solidification behavior of heavy metal Pb2+ for an SCCG-based geopolymer was studied in the present paper. The solidification efficiencies were evaluated by Pb2+ leaching rates under neutral and acidic conditions, while its mechanism was explained by the methods of XRD, TG, FT-IR, SEM, and MIP. The results show that the Pb2+ solidification efficiency increases along with the curing age, and acidic rather than neutral conditions lead to a more intensive solidification capacity. Judging by the permissive maximum value of 5 mg/L, the Pb2+ original concentrations under neutral and acidic circumstances should be lower at 2.0 wt.% and 3.0 wt.%, respectively. The Pb2+ absorption is dominated by the physical process, due to the formation of no new hydration products. However, the Pb2+ addition would interrupt the reconstruction of the Si-Al network structure, slowing the accumulation of N-A-S-H gel and the densifying of the matrix. When the Pb2+ concentration grows, the sizes of hydration productions shrink continuously, more defects appear in the microstructure of the geopolymer, and the pore structure deteriorates rapidly, all of which accelerate the diffusion of toxic ions to the external condition.

Electrical manipulation of antiferromagnetic order is crucial for future memory devices, but existing switching schemes require a large current density. Here, the authors achieve record low current density switching in FeRh by taking advantage of its antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition.

One of the most destructive diseases, Gibberella stalk rot (GSR), caused by Fusarium graminearum, reduces maize yields significantly. An induced resistance response is a potent and cost-effective plant defense against pathogen attack. The functional counterpart of JAs, coronatine (COR), has attracted a lot of interest recently due to its ability to control plant growth and stimulate secondary metabolism. Although several studies have focused on COR as a plant immune elicitor to improve plant resistance to pathogens, the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of the suppressive ability against COR to F. graminearum in maize have been limited. We investigated the potential physiological and molecular mechanisms of COR in modulating maize resistance to F. graminearum. COR treatment strongly enhanced disease resistance and promoted stomatal closure with H2O2 accumulation, and 10 μg/mL was confirmed as the best concentration. COR treatment increased defense-related enzyme activity and decreased the malondialdehyde content with enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity. To identify candidate resistance genes and gain insight into the molecular mechanism of GSR resistance associated with COR, we integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic data to systemically explore the defense mechanisms of COR, and multiple hub genes were pinpointed using weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA). We discovered 6 significant modules containing 10 candidate genes: WRKY transcription factor (LOC100279570), calcium-binding protein (LOC100382070), NBR1-like protein (LOC100275089), amino acid permease (LOC100382244), glutathione S-transferase (LOC541830), HXXXD-type acyl-transferase (LOC100191608), prolin-rich extensin-like receptor protein kinase (LOC100501564), AP2-like ethylene-responsive transcription factor (LOC100384380), basic leucine zipper (LOC100275351), and glycosyltransferase (LOC606486), which are highly correlated with the jasmonic acid–ethylene signaling pathway and antioxidants. In addition, a core set of metabolites, including alpha-linolenic acid metabolism and flavonoids biosynthesis linked to the hub genes, were identified. Taken together, our research revealed differentially expressed key genes and metabolites, as well as co-expression networks, associated with COR treatment of maize stems after F. graminearum infection. In addition, COR-treated maize had higher JA (JA-Ile and Me-JA) levels. We postulated that COR plays a positive role in maize resistance to F. graminearum by regulating antioxidant levels and the JA signaling pathway, and the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway is also involved in the resistance response against GSR.

From a social psychology perspective, this study explored the personal and social psychological motivation of Retaliatory Justice. This study constructed a four-dimensional model of the psychological motivation of Retaliatory Justice from the two dimensions of “Self vs. Society” and “Identity vs. Resource.” They were Identity-Based Self-Oriented Motivation (Pacifying Outrage), Resource-Based Self-Oriented Motivation (Occupying Resource), Identity-Based Society-Oriented Motivation (Value Confirmation), and Resource-Based Society-Oriented Motivation (Deterrence and Control). In this study, 497 sets of valid data were extracted from 6 universities in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, using 3 sets of situational experiments and the “Questionnaire Star” online survey platform as a vehicle to explore the personal motivations and psychosocial motivations of Retaliatory Justice. The empirical results showed that the situational experiment significantly verified the existence of Pacifying Outrage and Value Confirmation, and partially verified the existence of Deterrence and Control and Occupying Resource. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that only the effect of Pacifying Outrage on Retaliatory Justice showed a main effect, and the interaction between Pacifying Outrage and Deterrence and Control was not significant. Pacifying Outrage significantly affects Retaliatory Justice, while Occupying Resource significantly affects Retaliatory Justice, but the interaction between the two was not significant. Value Confirmation significantly affects Retaliatory Justice. Value Confirmation and Deterrence and Control synergistically affect Retaliatory Justice, but Deterrence and Control had no significant effect on Retaliatory Justice. Taking emotions as clues, this paper discussed the realistic value of the rheological paths of the psychological motivation of Retaliatory Justice, which brought enlightenment to the improvement of social morality, the cultivation of judicial trust, and the construction of psychological service system.

Deeper and longer roots allow crops to survive and flourish, but our understanding of the plant growth regulators promoting root system establishment is limited. Here, we report that, a novel auxin receptor agonist, named K-10, had a remarkable promotive effect on root growth in both Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa through the enhancement of root-related signaling responses. Using computer-aided drug discovery approaches, we developed potent lead compound by screening artificial chemicals on the basis of the auxin receptor TIR1 (Transport Inhibitor Response 1), and a series of N-(benzo[d] [1,3] dioxol-5-yl)-2-(one-benzylthio) acetamides, K-1 to K-22, were designed and synthesized. The results of bioassay showed that K-10 exhibited an excellent root growth-promoting activity far exceeding that of NAA (1-naphthylacetic acid). A further morphological investigation of the auxin related mutants (yucQ, tir1) revealed that K-10 had auxin-like physiological functions and was recognized by TIR1, and K-10 significantly enhanced auxin response reporter’s (DR5:GUS) transcriptional activity. Consistently, transcriptome analysis showed that K-10 induced a common transcriptional response with auxin and down-regulated the expression of root growth-inhibiting genes. Further molecular docking analysis revealed that K-10 had a stronger binding ability with TIR1 than NAA. These results indicated that this class of derivatives could be a promising scaffold for the discovery and development of novel auxin receptor agonists, and the employment of K-10 may be effective for enhancing root growth and crop production.

A gust front is generated when the cold downdraft from a thunderstorm reaches the surface, causing the warm air mass at the surface to lift. This is always accompanied by gusts and strong winds, and results in severe destruction of property and loss of life, especially in city areas. Despite the potentially adverse effects associated with this weather phenomenon, the microphysical structure of gust fronts remains unclear, owing to a lack of high temporal–spatial resolution observations, and because research on the thermodynamic structure of gust fronts is insufficient. This study mainly analysed the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) structure before, during, and after the passage of two selected gust fronts, using meteorological data obtained from a 356-m tall meteorology tower located in the eastern Pearl River Estuary area. The thermodynamic structure of the ABL was of particular interest. The results show that meteorological factors fluctuated significantly and simultaneously at the 13 observation altitudes from the bottom to the top of the meteorology tower, and significant changes in the vertical distribution of the analysed parameters were observed during the passage of the gust fronts. The ABL structure transformed from an unstable state before the passage of the gust fronts to a stable state after they had passed, and a ground temperature inversion was evident. Moreover, the temperature inversion lasted for several hours after the dissipation of the gust fronts, and occurred intermittently, with the inversion centre shifting up or down and showing multiple intensity centres. The turbulence also showed a strengthening trend during gust front passage. Furthermore, we determined that the thermal and mechanical turbulence affected the maintenance of the temperature inversion. The results of this study will contribute to our knowledge on the microphysics of the ABL of gust fronts, and will further benefit the correction of numerical modelling of severe weather.

The desymmetrization of N-pyrazolyl maleimides was realized through an asymmetric Michael addition by using pyrazolones under mild conditions, leading to the formation of a tri-N-heterocyclic pyrazole–succinimide–pyrazolone assembly in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% yield, up to 99% ee). The use of a quinine-derived thiourea catalyst was essential for achieving stereocontrol of the vicinal quaternary–tertiary stereocenters together with the C–N chiral axis. Salient features of this protocol included a broad substrate scope, atom economy, mild conditions and simple operation. Moreover, a gram-scale experiment and derivatization of the product further illustrated the practicability and potential application value of this methodology.

The concurrent construction of 1,3-stereocenters remains a challenge. Herein, we report the development of stereoselective union of a point chiral center with allenyl axial chirality in 1,3-position by Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allenylic alkylation between racemic allenyl carbonates and indanone-derived β-ketoesters. Various target products bearing a broad range of functional groups were afforded in high yield (up to 99%) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee) and good diastereoselectivities (up to 13:1 dr).

Abstract Background Although thyroid function has been demonstrated to be associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in different population, the prevalence and features of NAFLD in hyperthyroidism have not been reported. The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of NAFLD and association of thyroid function and NAFLD in hyperthyroidism patients. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China. A total 117 patients with hyperthyroidism were consecutively recruited from 2014 to 2015. Thyroid function and other clinical features were measured, liver fat content was measured by color Doppler ultrasonically, NAFLD was defined in patients with liver fat content more than 9.15%. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software package version 13.0. Results The prevalence of NAFLD was 11.97% in hyperthyroidism. Patient with NAFLD had lower free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels than patients without NAFLD (P

Magnetic anisotropy (MA) is an important property of magnetic materials, which not only determines the orientation of the magnetic moment in the magnetic material but also influences the working frequency of magnetoelectric devices. Unrevealing the origin of MA has become an important topic and attracts lasting interest. Here, we report a quite significant magnetic field-induced uniaxial MA in amorphous CoFeB thin films containing double ferromagnetic atoms. The thickness independence of MA was obtained by observing a series of hysteresis loops and magnetic domains. The MA is proved subtly to be related to the variation of orbital magnetic moment acquired by ferromagnetic resonance. Furthermore, we found that atoms combine into clusters and incline to an order in amorphous CoFeB thin films with field-induced MA. Based on these experimental results, we proposed a direction-like order model to interpret the origin of magnetic field-induced MA in amorphous CoFeB thin films well.

Abstract Insecticidal proteins encoded by the truncated genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in transgenic crops are released into soil mainly through root exudate and crop residues. In the present study, Bt Cry1Ac protein was hydrolyzed by pronase that was secreted by the soil bacterium Streptomyces griseus. Six peptides were identified as the products of enzymatic hydrolysis by nano liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). One of the six peptides was labeled with radioactive isotope iodine-125 and then purified. The 125I-peptide solution was irrigated to the rhizosphere soil of watermelon seedlings (Citrullus lanatus L.) and wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.), which the two crops usually intercrop with cotton in China. Detection of radioactivity in both plant tissues within one hour proved adsorption, uptake and translocation of the peptide into watermelon and wheat seedlings. Three of the identified peptides were sprayed onto the seedling leaves of watermelon, wheat and maize (Zea mays L.) in the field or the growth chamber. No significant effects on plant growth were observed. These peptides also did not affect growth of organic phosphate-dissolving, nitrogen-fixing, and potassium-dissolving bacteria in the culture. This study provides a new view of GMO risk assessment methodology.

It is long-cherished to develop rapid approaches for the identification and quantification of pesticide and its metabolites. Carbofuran (CBF) and its metabolite 3-hydroxy-carbofuran (3-OH-CBF) are highly toxic to humans and non-target organisms, which makes it mandatory for the detection of their residues in foods and the environment in many countries. Herein, a colloidal gold-strip assay based on a broad-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) for simultaneous determination of CBF and 3-OH-CBF was developed. The colloidal gold-strips have a runtime within 5 min without complex sample pretreatment and perform a cut-off limit of detection (LOD) of 7–10 ng/mL for both carbofuran and 3-OH-CBF. The developed portable strip assay is a versatile and robust tool for the rapid and simultaneous detection of CBF and 3-OH-CBF in water samples as well as for the determination of illegal addition of CBF in other pesticide preparations.

Objective. Hypertension and type 2 diabetes are common complications. Patients with hypertension often show insulin resistance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between different blood pressure levels and different degrees of insulin resistance, as well as their interactions, with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus. Methods. We conducted a retrospective study on 1251 adult medical examiners who were examined in the Physical Examination Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (Shanghai, China) during 2015. All human subjects had no history of diabetes. General clinical data, including blood pressure, fasting glucose and 2-h post-load glucose levels, and lipid profiles, were collected. HOMA-IR was separately calculated. Statistical analyses were carried out by using SPSS software (version 13.0). Results. In 1251 physical examination subjects, a total of 166 cases of newly diagnosed diabetes were detected, with a total detection rate of 13.3%. The rates of newly diagnosed diabetes in the normal blood pressure group, high-normal blood pressure group, and hypertension group were 4.9%, 10.6%, and 19.0%, respectively. Compared with the normal blood pressure group, the proportion of newly diagnosed diabetes in the hypertension group was significantly increased [OR: 2.956, 95% CI 1.736-5.032, P

Leaks from pipes and valves are a reputational issue in industry. Maintenance of pipeline integrity is becoming a growing challenge due to the serious socioeconomic consequences. This paper presents a secondary phase transform (PHAT) cross-correlation method to improve the performance of the acoustic methods based on cross-correlation for pipeline leakage detection. Acoustic emission signals generated by pipe leakage are first captured by the sensors at different locations, and are subsequently analyzed using the cross-correlation curve to determine whether leakage is occurring. When leakage occurs, time delay estimation (TDE) is further carried out by peak search in the cross-correlation curve between the two sensor signals. In the analysis, the proposed method calculates the secondary cross-correlation function before the PHAT operation. A sinc interpolation method is then introduced for automatic searching the peak value of the cross-correlation curve. Numerical simulations and experimental results confirm the improved performance of the proposed method for noise suppression and accurate TDE compared to the basic cross-correlation method, which may be beneficial in engineering applications.

Abstract Background Mepiquat chloride (MC), a plant growth regulator, enhances root growth by promoting lateral root formation in cotton. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon is still unknown. Methods In this study, we used 10 cotton (Gossypium hirsutum Linn.) cultivars to perform a seed treatment with MC to investigate lateral root formation, and selected a MC sensitive cotton cultivar for dynamic monitor of root growth and transcriptome analysis during lateral root development upon MC seed treatment. Results The results showed that MC treated seeds promotes the lateral root formation in a dosage-depended manner and the effective promotion region is within 5 cm from the base of primary root. MC treated seeds induce endogenous auxin level by altering gene expression of both gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis and signaling and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Meanwhile, MC treated seeds differentially express genes involved in indole acetic acid (IAA) synthesis and transport. Furthermore, MC-induced IAA regulates the expression of genes related to cell cycle and division for lateral root development. Conclusions Our data suggest that MC orchestrates GA and ABA metabolism and signaling, which further regulates auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling to promote the cell division responsible for lateral root formation.

Ustilaginoidins are a class of bis-naphtho-γ-pyrone mycotoxins produced by the pathogen Villosiclava virens of rice false smut, which has recently become one of the most devastating diseases in rice-growing regions worldwide. In this research, the nanobody phage display library was established after an alpaca was immunized with the hemiustilaginoidin F-hapten coupled with bovine serum albumin (BSA). Heterologous antigen selection and combing trypsin with competition alternant elution methods were performed for nanobody screening. Two nanobodies, namely, Nb-B15 and Nb–C21, were selected for the establishment of indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ic-ELISAs). For Nb–B15 and Nb-C21, their IC50 values were 11.86 μg/mL and 11.22 μg/mL, and the detection ranges were at 3.41–19.98 μg/mL and 1.17–32.13 μg/mL, respectively. Two nanobodies had a broad spectrum to quantify the contents of total ustilaginoidins in rice samples according to cross-reactivity. The recognition mechanisms of Nb-B15 and Nb-C21 against ustilaginoidin A were elucidated by molecular modeling and docking. The key amino acid sites for the binding of Nb–B15 or Nb–C21 to ustilaginoidin A were mainly located in the FR1 and CDR1 regions. As Nb-B15 was superior to Nb–C21 in the aspects of protein expression, ELISA titer, and tolerance to organic solvents, it was selected for application in the detection of actual contaminated rice samples. The total ustilaginoidin contents of rice samples were analyzed by Nb–B15-based ic–ELISA and HPLC-DAD, between which the results were found to be consistent. The developed immunoassay based on the nanobody from the alpaca can be employed as a rapid and effective method for detection of total utilaginoidins in contaminated rice samples.

Abstract Background Mepiquat chloride (MC) is a plant growth regulator widely used in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production to suppress excessive vegetative growth, increase root growth and avoid yield losses. To increase root growth, cotton seeds were treated with MC to increase the number of lateral root (LRs) and improve drought resistance. An increased indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) pool appeared to correlate with LR growth, and the principal source of IAA in germinating seeds is IAA conjugates. Here, the role of IAA homeostasis and signaling was investigated in cotton seedlings treated with MC. Results In the present research, MC significantly increased endogenous IAA levels in the roots, which promoted lateral root initiation (LRI) by upregulating GhARF7/19 and GhLBD18s and subsequently increasing LR quantity and elongation. The levels of IAA-amide conjugates significantly decreased in MC-treated seedlings compared with untreated control seedlings. Sixteen members of the cotton IAA amidohydrolase (IAH) gene family were identified, of which GhIAR3a, GhIAR3b, GhILR1, GhILL3 and GhILL6 were expressed during cotton seed germination. Compared with those in untreated control seedlings, the expression levels of GhIAR3a, GhIAR3b, GhILR1 and GhILL6 in the MC-treated seedlings were markedly elevated. The GhIAR3a/b and GhILR1 genes were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli; these recombinant proteins exhibited hydrolytic activity that could cleave IAA-phenyalanine (Phe), IAA-methionine (Met), IAA-glycine (Gly) and IAA-leucine (Leu) in vitro, while only GhIAR3a hydrolyzed IAA-alanine (Ala) efficiently. The content of GhIAR3a, as detected via an established sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), increased in the MC-treated seedlings compared with the untreated control seedlings. In addition, the Arabidopsis iar3 mutant was less responsive to MC-induced LR growth than was wild type. Conclusions These findings suggested that MC application could mediate IAA homeostasis via increased IAA levels from IAA-amide conjugate hydrolysis by accelerating IAH gene expression, which might promote LRI and increase the LR quantity and elongation.

Objective. Insulin resistance (IR) is closely associated with metabolic profiles, including obesity and dyslipidemia. The aim of the present study was to examine how lipid profiles were associated with IR in nonobese middle-aged and elderly Chinese population. Methods. This cross-sectional study included 1608 subjects. IR was defined by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) of at least 2.5. Results. In nonobese subjects (body mass index (BMI)

Background. Glucose metabolism is frequently impaired in patients with Cushing’s syndrome (CS) due to chronic exposure to excess glucocorticoids. Inflammation plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus (DM). The present study aimed to investigate the potential associations of inflammatory blood cell parameters, including white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count, neutrophilic granulocyte percentage (NEUT%), lymphocyte count (LYM), and lymphocyte proportion (LYM%), with diabetes mellitus in Cushing's syndrome patients. Materials and Methods. The cross-sectional study was conducted in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, China. A total of 150 patients with Cushing’s syndrome were retrospectively screened from 2017 to 2019. The demographic data, clinical data, and blood samples (lipids, adrenal, glucose, and inflammatory blood cell parameters) were recorded. Statistical analyses were carried out by using the SPSS software package, version 13.0. Results. In this study, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 38.7% in patients with Cushing’s syndrome. Patients with DM had higher WBC, neutrophil, NEUT% levels than patients without DM (p

Quadrant analysis has been widely used to investigate the turbulent characteristics in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Although quadrant analysis can identify turbulent structures that contribute significantly to turbulent fluxes, the approach to the hyperbolic hole and its parameter, referred to as hole size, remains uncertain and varies among different studies. This study discusses an improved quadrant analysis with an objective definition of the hole size for the isolation of large coherent structures from small-scale background fluctuations. Eddy covariance data collected 50 m above the grass canopy were used to analyze and evaluate the proposed method. This improved quadrant analysis ensures that the detected large coherent eddies play a dominant role in transporting fluxes, occupying 10% of the total time, with mean flux contributions ranging from 62% to 95% for momentum and 35–104% for scalars. The separated background small-scale eddies are isotropically characterized by a comparable time duration and flux contributions in each quadrant. It is observed that under an unstable atmosphere, large-scale ejections are more active than sweeps, while under stable conditions, they are equally important. Furthermore, mechanical-driven transport under near-neutral conditions only enhances ejection and sweep motions of momentum. In contrast, the buoyancy-driven scenarios under unstable conditions enhance the large-scale activities of sensible heat alone.

The lidar ratio (LR) is a key parameter for the retrieval of atmospheric optical parameters from lidar equations. In this study, we simulated the optical parameters to investigate the impact factors of the LR using a three-component optical aerosol assumption based on the Mie model. The simulated LR was generally related to the overall particle size of the aerosols, the proportion of elemental carbon (EC), as well as aerosol mixing states and hygroscopicity. The LR was positively correlated with the particle size and volume fraction of elemental carbon (fEC). The LR increased more than three-fold with the increase in fEC from 0% to 40%. The LR of the core-shell (CS) mixing state and homogeneously internal (INT) mixing state was greater than that of the external (EXT) mixing state. The LR of all mixing states increased monotonically with hygroscopicity when the fEC was below 10%, while the LR of the core-shell mixing state (homogeneously internal mixing state) initially decreased (increased) and then increased (decreased) with increasing hygroscopicity when the fEC was more than 20%. These results will help in selecting a reasonable LR for practical applications.

Magnetic thin films are indispensable in flexible devices, which necessitate methods to fabricate flexible magnetic thin films. In this work, we present a method to fabricate wrinkled FeRh flexible films via a coating and transfer process. The obtained FeRh/PDMS films have random patterns of wrinkles with a mean periodicity of 10 μm. From the curvature dependent magnetic measurements, it can be determined that the magnetic properties of the obtained wrinkled FeRh flexible films are insensitive to flexing up to a radius of curvature of 1.5 mm, making it promising for applications in flexible devices.

Abstract Boiling is a key heat transfer process for a variety of power generation and thermal management technologies. We show that nanopillar arrays fabricated on a substrate enhance both the critical heat flux (CHF) and the critical temperature at CHF of the substrate and thus, effectively increase the limit of boiling before the boiling crisis is triggered. We reveal that the enhancement in both the CHF and the critical temperature results from an intensified rewetting process which increases with the height of nanopillars. We develop a predictive model based on experimental measurements of rewetting velocity to predict the enhancement in CHF and critical temperature of the nanopillar substrates. This model is critical for understanding how to control boiling enhancement and designing various nanostructured surfaces into specific applications.

Abstract We investigated the magnetic anisotropy and the high-frequency property of flexible Fe60Co26Ta14 (FeCoTa) thin films obtained by oblique sputtering onto a wrinkled surface. The sinuously wrinkled topography is produced by growing Ta layer on a pre-strained polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane. Due to the enhanced effect of shadowing, the oblique deposition of FeCoTa layer gives rise to a shift of wrinkle peak towards the incident atomic flux. With increasing the PDMS pre-strain or increasing the oblique sputtering angle, both the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and the ferromagnetic resonance frequency of FeCoTa films are enhanced, but the initial permeability decreases. The magnetization reversal mechanism of wrinkled FeCoTa films can be interpreted by a two-phase model composed of both coherent rotation and domain wall nucleation. With the enhancement of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, the domain wall nucleation becomes pronounced in FeCoTa films.

Materials with spatially modulated nonlinear optical properties are used for quasi-phase matching. Here, Yanet al. exploit the nonlinearity of intermolecular charge transfer states together with oblique-angle deposition to achieve nanoscale modulation of the second-order susceptibility.

This is one of a limited number of studies that investigates multimedia exposure to metal(loid)s and the related human health risks caused by atmospheric deposition in China and Asia. The aggregate multimedia human exposure included the accidental ingestion and dermal adsorption of soil and surface water, as well as the intake of grains, fruits, vegetables, meats and eggs, milk and dairy products, and freshwater fish. The values and variabilities of atmospheric deposition and exposure factors were identified as two major uncertainty sources. The annual variations in wet and bulk deposition were propagated from the variabilities of particulate matter (PM) × precipitation and the linear regressed coefficients of flux~PM × precipitation, and the annual variation in dry deposition was propagated by subtracting the wet deposition from the bulk deposition. The variabilities in the exposure factors were updated based on the latest published regional data. Long-term atmospheric deposition was identified as a vital source of Cd contamination in surface soil and freshwater bodies and As accumulation in freshwater fish. The noncarcinogenic (NC) risk probabilities caused by Cd were the highest, followed by As. The overall uncertainties related to the NC risk probabilities were much lower for both adults and 6- to 17-year-old children/adolescents, while those related to the carcinogenic risk (CR) probabilities were much lower for 2- to 5-year-old children and 6- to 17-year-old children/adolescents. Our results could help infer the cobenefits due to the current regional air pollution control policy. Keywords: Atmospheric deposition, Metal(loid)s, Environmental accumulation, Multimedia exposure, Health risk assessment

The wrinkling structures, which can greatly improve the stretchability of the metallic thin films, have been widely used in the preparation of stretchable devices. However, the artificial wrinkling structures are often accompanied by the generation of microcracks, which seriously affect the performance of the devices. In this work, by establishing the corresponding model, the transverse strain of the longitudinally prestrained continuous film and the strip film is mechanically analyzed, which is verified by experimental results; for the strain of blank substrate, the error of the model was about 3.7%. It is difficult to avoid the generation of microcracks with continuous films, but strip films can avoid the generation of microcracks to a certain extent. The experimental results illustrate the various factors affecting the generation of microcracks. The transverse strain of the film is proportional to the substrate’s Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, thickness, and prestrain and is basically inversely proportional to the strip film’s Young’s modulus, thickness, and strip interval. Our results provide deeper knowledge for choosing proper metallic materials to fabricate stretchable wrinkled devices.

Recently, the electric control of magnetism by means of ion migration has been proven to be effective with nonvolatility and low energy consumption. In this work, we investigated the control of the magnetic properties of FeRh films by means of Li+ migration in FeRh/MgO heterostructures. We found that the migration of Li+ could reduce the phase transition temperature by 2 K with an applied voltage of 1 V. Meanwhile, the voltage-dependent saturated magnetization exhibited a repetitive switching behavior from high to low magnetization values while the voltage was switched from 4 to −4 V, indicating that the migration of Li+ in the FeRh film can be reversible. This provides a means to control the magnetic properties of FeRh films.

A shipborne micro-pulse lidar (Sigma Space Mini-MPL) was used to measure aerosol extinction coefficient over the northern region of the South China Sea from 9 August to 7 September 2016, the first time a mini-MPL was used for aerosol observation over the cruise region. The goal of the experiment was to investigate if the compact and affordable mini-MPL was usable for aerosol observation over this region. The measurements were used to calculate vertical profiles of volume extinction coefficient, depolarization ratio, and atmospheric boundary layer height. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) was lower over the southwest side of the cruise region, compared to the northeast side. Most attenuation occurred below 3.5 km, and maximum extinction values over coastal areas were generally about double of values offshore. The extinction coefficients at 532 nm (aerosol and molecular combined) over coastal and offshore areas were on average 0.04 km−1 and 0.02 km−1, respectively. Maximum values reached 0.2 km−1 and 0.14 km−1, respectively. Vertical profiles and back-trajectory calculations indicated vertical and horizontal layering of aerosols from different terrestrial sources. The mean volume depolarization ratio of the aerosols along the cruise was 0.04. The mean atmospheric boundary layer height along the cruise was 653 m, with a diurnal cycle reaching its mean maximum of 1041 m at 12:00 local time, and its mean minimum of 450 m at 20:00 local time. Unfortunately, only 11% of the measurements were usable. This was due to ship instability in rough cruise conditions, lack of stabilization rig, water condensation attached to the eye lens, and high humidity attenuating the echo signal. We recommend against the use of the mini-MPL in this cruise region unless substantial improvements are made to the default setup, e.g., instrument stabilization, instrument protection cover, and more theoretical work taking into account atmospheric gas scattering or absorption.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a kind of water-soluble polymer, which has been widely used in different industries due to its excellent mechanical and chemical properties. In this paper, the effects of polyvinyl alcohol with different hydrolysis and polymerization degrees on the rheological properties of cement mortar are studied. The results show that the rheological properties of PVA-modified cement mortar can be described by the modified Bingham model. The yield stress of modified cement mortar is less than that of unmodified mortar when the degree of polymerization and the content of PVA are small. With the increase of polyvinyl alcohol content and polymerization degree, the yield stress and plastic viscosity of modified cement mortar increase sharply, which are larger than those of the unmodified cement mortar. However, the effect of hydrolysis degree of PVA on yield stress and plastic viscosity of modified cement mortar is not obvious.

We investigated electric control of magnetic properties in FeRh/PMN-PT heterostructures. An electric field of 1 kV/cm applied on the PMN-PT substrate could increase the coercivity of FeRh film from 60 to 161 Oe at 360 K where the FeRh antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition occurs. The electric field dependent coercive field reveals a butterfly shape, indicating a strain-mediated magnetoelectric coupling across the FeRh/PMN-PT interface. However, the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy of FeRh is almost unchanged with the applied electric field on the PMN-PT substrate, which suggests the change of coercivity in FeRh films is mainly due to the shift of the magnetic transition temperature under the electric field.

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash must be treated properly prior to being disposed in the security landfill due to its serious pollution toxicity. Nowadays, lots of studies have demonstrated that cement-based stabilization/solidification could reduce the toxicity pollution effectively by encapsulating the heavy metals into cement matrix, which leads to greater capacity and weight. This paper compares and discusses the MSWI fly ash treatment with the mostly used matrix materials such as Portland cement, phosphate cement, aluminate cement, and alkaline activated cement. Moreover, immobilization mechanism introduced by the interaction between the MSWI fly ash and hydrated cement matrix materials, such as the physical cementing effect, adsorption, isomorphous replacement, and complex precipitation, was explored in depth. The paper also pointed out some reasonable development directions for cement-based stabilization/solidification technology to improve the effectiveness and application of cement-based stabilization/solidification technology.

We grew 80 nm FeRh films on different single crystals with various lattice constants. FeRh films on SrTiO3 (STO) and MgO substrates exhibit an epitaxial growth of 45° in-plane structure rotation. In contrast, FeRh on LaAlO3 (LAO) displays a mixed epitaxial growth of both 45° in-plane structure rotation and cube-on-cube relationships. Due to the different epitaxial growth strains and lattice mismatch values, the critical temperature for the magnetic phase transition of FeRh can be changed between 405 and 360 K. In addition, the external magnetic field can shift this critical temperature to low temperature in different rates for FeRh films grown on different substrates. The magnetoresistance appears a maximum value at different temperatures between 320 and 380 K for FeRh films grown on different substrates.

Exchange bias effect observed in the Ni1.68Co0.32Mn1.20Ga0.80 alloy confirms the coexistence of antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic phases in the martensite phase. A large inverse magnetocaloric effect has been observed within the martensitic transformation temperature range, which is originated from modified magnetic order through magnetic-field-induced phase transformation from partially antiferromagnetic martensite to ferromagnetic austenite. The magnetic entropy change is 16.2 J kg−1 K−1 at 232 K under ΔH = 60 kOe, with the net refrigerant capacity of 68 J kg−1. These properties indicate Co and Mn co-doped Ni2MnGa alloy is a multifunctional material potentially suitable for magnetic refrigeration and spintronics applications.

We have investigated the magnetic properties of amorphous Co40Fe40B20 (CoFeB) thin films grown on flexible polyimide (PI) substrates, which were fixed on convex molds with different curvatures during the magnetron sputtering deposition. When the flexible substrates were changed from convex to flat state after fabrication, a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy was induced in the CoFeB film due to magnetostrictive effect. Furthermore, the anisotropy also depends on the thicknesses of the film and substrate. Our results demonstrate a convenient method to tune the anisotropy of magnetic thin films grown on flexible substrates.

We have fabricated strain-sensitive spin valves on flexible substrates by utilizing the large magnetostrictive FeGa alloy to promote the strain sensitivity and the composite free layer of FeGa/FeCo to avoid the drastic reduction of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) ratio. This kind of spin valve (SV-FeGa/FeCo) displays a MR ratio about 5.9%, which is comparable to that of the conventional spin valve (SV-FeCo) with a single FeCo free layer. Different from the previously reported works on magnetostrictive spin valves, the SV-FeGa/FeCo displays an asymmetric strain dependent GMR behavior. Upon increasing the lateral strain, the MR ratio for the ascending branch decreases more quickly than that for the descending branch, which is ascribed to the formation of a spiraling spin structure around the FeGa/FeCo interface under the combined influences of both magnetic field and mechanical strain. A strain sensitivity of GF = 7.2 was achieved at a magnetic bias field of -30 Oe in flexible SV-FeGa/FeCo, which is significantly larger than that of SV-FeCo.

The distribution of metallic ions in plant tissues is associated with their toxicity and is important for understanding mechanisms of toxicity tolerance. A quantitative histochemical method can help advance knowledge of cellular and subcellular localization and distribution of heavy metals in plant tissues. An immunohistochemical (IHC) imaging method for cadmium ions (Cd2+) was developed for the first time for the wheat Triticum aestivum grown in Cd2+-fortified soils. Also, 1-(4-Isothiocyanobenzyl)-ethylenediamine-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid (ITCB-EDTA) was used to chelate the mobile Cd2+. The ITCB-EDTA/Cd2+ complex was fixed with proteins in situ via the isothiocyano group. A new Cd2+-EDTA specific monoclonal antibody, 4F3B6D9A1, was used to locate the Cd2+-EDTA protein complex. After staining, the fluorescence intensities of sections of Cd2+-positive roots were compared with those of Cd2+-negative roots under a laser confocal scanning microscope, and the location of colloidal gold particles was determined with a transmission electron microscope. The results enable quantification of the Cd2+ content in plant tissues and illustrate Cd2+ translocation and cellular and subcellular responses of T. aestivum to Cd2+ stress. Compared to the conventional metal-S coprecipitation histochemical method, this new IHC method is quantitative, more specific and has less background interference. The subcellular location of Cd2+ was also confirmed with energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis. The IHC method is suitable for locating and quantifying Cd2+ in plant tissues and can be extended to other heavy metallic ions.

Rice false smut is a worldwide devastating rice disease infected by the fungal pathogen Villosiclava virens. Ustiloxin A (UA) and ustiloxin B (UB), cyclopeptide mycotoxins, were the major ustiloxins isolated from the rice false smut balls (FSBs) that formed in the pathogen‐infected rice spikelets. Based on the specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) 2D3G5 and 1B5A10, respectively, against UA and UB, the lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) were developed, and the indicator ranges for UA and UB both were 50-100 ng/mL. The cross‐reactivities of UB for UA LFIA, and UA for UB LFIA were 5% and 20%, respectively, which were consistent with the icELISA results reported previously. Even at 50,000 ng/mL, none of other commonly existent metabolites in rice samples caused noticeable inhibition. The LFIAs were used for determination of UA and UB contents in rice FSBs and rice grains, and the results were agreeable with those by HPLC and icELISA. There was no change in the sensitivity of either dipstick stored at 4 °C) after at least three months. The developed LFIA has specificity and sensitivity for detecting UA and UB as well as simplicity to use. It will be a potential point‐of‐care device for rapid evaluation of the rice samples contaminated by UA and UB.

We investigate the control of magnetism with an electric field in Fe81Ga19(FeGa)/BaTiO3(BTO) heterostructure films. The as-prepared FeGa/BTO samples present a uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, which is ascribed to be induced by the spontaneous ferroelectric polarization of the BTO substrates. With the electric field applied on the BTO substrates increasing from 0 to 6 kV/cm, the coercivity of FeGa films measured along the BTO[110] direction increases from 28 to 41 Oe, while the squareness of the hysteresis loop decreases from 0.99 to 0.31, which indicates that the easy and hard axes of FeGa films are swapped. The ferroelectric domains of BTO substrates and the magnetic domains of FeGa films exhibit the same dependence on the applied electric fields, manifesting the strong magnetoelectric coupling between the ferroelectricity of BTO substrates and the magnetism of FeGa films.

Artemether is one of the artemisinin derivatives that are active ingredients in antimalarial drugs. Counterfeit and substandard antimalarial drugs have become a serious problem, which demands reliable analytical tools and implementation of strict regulation of drug quality. Structural similarity among artemisinin analogs is a challenge to develop immunoassays that are specific to artemisinin derivatives. To produce specific antibodies to artemether, we used microbial fermentation of artemether to obtain 9-hydroxyartemether, which was subsequently used to prepare a 9-O-succinylartemether hapten for conjugation with ovalbumin as the immunogen. A monoclonal antibody (mAb), designated as 2G12E1, was produced with high specificity to artemether. 2G12E1 showed low cross reactivities to dihydroartemisinin, artemisinin, artesunate and other major antimalarial drugs. An indirect competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) developed showed a concentration causing 50% of inhibition for artemether as 3.7 ng mL⁻¹ and a working range of 0.7-19 ng mL⁻¹. The icELISA was applied for determination of artemether content in different commercial drugs and the results were comparable to those determined by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. In comparison with reported broad cross activity of anti-artemisinin mAbs, the most notable advantage of the 2G12E1-based ELISA is its high specificity to artemether only.

In this work, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were dispersed uniformly in aqueous solution using methylcellulose (MC) as a dispersing agent via ultrasonic processing. Homogenous GNP suspensions were incorporated into the cement matrix to investigate the effect of GNPs on the mechanical behavior of cement paste. The optimum concentration ratio of GNPs to MC was confirmed as 1:7 by ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and the optical microscope and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images displayed remarkable dispersing performance. The GNP–cement composite exhibited better mechanical properties with the help of surface-modified GNPs. The flexural strength of cement paste increased up to 15%–24% with 0.05 wt % GNPs (by weight of cement). Meanwhile, the compressive strength of the GNP–cement composite increased up to 3%–8%. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal analysis (TG/DTG) demonstrated that the GNPs could accelerate the degree of hydration and increase the amount of hydration products, especially at an early age. Meanwhile, the lower porosity and finer pore size distribution of GNP–cement composite were detected by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). In addition, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed the introduction of GNPs could impede the development of cracks and preserve the completeness of the matrix through the plicate morphology and tortuous behavior of GNPs.

To date, no miRNAs have been identified in the important diploid cotton species although there are several reports on miRNAs in upland cotton. In this study, we identified 73 miRNAs, belonging to 49 families, from Asiatic cotton using a well-developed comparative genome-based homologue search. Several of the predicted miRNAs were validated using quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). The length of miRNAs varied from 18 to 22 nt with an average of 20 nt. The length of miRNA precursors also varied from 46 to 684 nt with an average of 138 ±120 nt. For a majority of Asiatic cotton miRNAs, there is only one member per family; however, multiple members were identified for miRNA 156, 414, 837, 838, 1044, 1533, 2902, 2868, 5021 and 5142 families. Nucleotides A and U were dominant, accounted for 62.95%, in the Asiatic cotton pre-miRNAs. The Asiatic cotton pre-miRNAs had high negative minimal folding free energy (MFE) and adjusted MFE (AMFE) and high MFE index (MFEI). Many miRNAs identified in Asiatic cotton suggest that miRNAs also play a similar regulatory mechanism in diploid cotton.

BiFeO3 thin films with a mixture of tunable R-like and c axis elongated low symmetry phase (T-like phase) are fabricated on STO (001) substrate through controlling of the substrate temperature. Almost pure T-like phase can be grown on STO substrate at 600°C. Comparing with the situations on LAO (001), it is found that, strains from the LAO substrate may be the only reason that induces the T-like phase at higher temperatures. At lower temperatures, the island growth induced strains alone can also generate T-like phase on STO substrate.

Defective glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and β-cell senescence are hallmarks in diabetes. The mitochondrial enzyme pyruvate carboxylase (PC) has been shown to promote GSIS and β-cell proliferation in the clonal β-cell lines, yet its physiological relevance remains unknown. Here, we provide animal and human data showing a role of PC in protecting β-cells against senescence and maintaining GSIS under different physiological and pathological conditions. β-cell-specific deletion of PC impaired GSIS and induced β-cell senescence in the mouse models under either a standard chow diet or prolonged high-fat diet feeding. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that p53-related senescence and cell cycle arrest are activated in PC-deficient islets. Overexpression of PC inhibited hyperglycemia-and aging-induced p53-related senescence in human and mouse islets as well as INS-1E β-cells, whereas knockdown of PC provoked senescence. Mechanistically, PC interacted with MDM2 to prevent its degradation via the MDM2 binding motif, which in turn restricts the p53-dependent senescent program in β-cells. On the contrary, the regulatory effects of PC on GSIS and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) anaplerotic flux are p53-independent. We illuminate a function of PC in controlling β-cell senescence through the MDM2-p53 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]