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The characteristics of iron minerals in cyanidation tailings with a low iron grade were determined via chemical composition analysis, iron phase analysis, and mineral liberation analysis (MLA). The results showed that the cyanidation tailings contained 15.68% iron, mainly occurring in the form of magnetite (19.66%) and limonite (79.91%), in which 16.52% magnetite and 65.90% limonite particles were fully liberated. Most ultra-fine magnetite grains were adjacent and wrapped with limonite to form complex intergrowths, which resulted in low-efficiency magnetite recovery in low-intensity magnetic separation (LIMS) and adversely affected the downstream high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) process. Thus, in this work, the optimization of the flow field was proposed to enhance the separation of ultra-fine magnetite from the cyanidation tailings using pilot-scale LIMS separation, and the controllable parameters (including feed flow, separation gap, drum rotating speed, and solid weight) affecting ultra-fine magnetite capture were investigated. Under optimized conditions, a high-grade magnetite concentrate assaying 63.31% Fe with 86.46% magnetite recovery was produced, which, respectively, increased by 0.76% and 15.22%, compared with those obtained from industrial production. In addition, from the flow dynamics simulation, it was found that the magnetite particles in the −6 µm ultra-fine fraction were lost much more easily than those of coarser fractions due to the relatively enhanced hydrodynamic drag force acting on the particles compared with the magnetic force. However, this loss would be effectively reduced with the regulation and control of the flow field. The iron recoveries in the −16~+6 µm and −6 µm fractions of magnetite concentrate increased by 3.66% and 4.42%, respectively, under optimized hydrodynamic conditions. This research outcome provides a valuable reference for the economic and effective utilization of iron resources from such solid wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMethodsResultsConclusionTo figure out the roles of tear inflammatory cytokines in Ocular graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD) symptoms by analyzing tear cytokine levels and related factors.This prospective study involved 27 post-HSCT patients and 19 controls with dry eye disease. Analyses included tear cytokine (IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α), ocular surface evaluation, and conjunctival impression cell examination. Tear cytokine levels were evaluated in three grades of corneal epithelial lesions. The study also analyzed the correlation between tear cytokine levels and ocular surface parameters. Tear cytokine levels were then used in a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve and linear regression model to predict oGVHD related factors.IL-6 has good diagnostic efficacy in oGVHD related dry eye. Elevated levels of tear IL-6 and TNF-α were observed in the group with severe corneal epithelial lesions. IL-6 levels were positively correlated with corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), eyelid margin hyperemia, conjunctival lesions, and meibum secretion. IL-6 showed excellent predictive ability with Area Under the Curve (AUC) values all greater than 0.70 (p < 0.05). IL-10 and TNF-α were negatively correlated with the meibomian gland proportion and conjunctival goblet cell (GC) density, while TNF-α was positively correlated with CFS and eyelid margin hyperemia.Dry eye symptoms related to ocular GVHD, can be partly diagnosed and assessed using various tear cytokine level detection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrorist attacks or contact explosions could trigger severe damage to structural components or even cause the local or global collapse of the structure in civil engineering and infrastructures. Single‐steel‐concrete (SSC) slabs consist of a concrete core and one steel faceplate combined with shear studs or tie bars that can be applied in resisting explosion or blast load. This paper experimentally and numerically studies the blast performance of the scale SSC specimens under a contact explosion. The damage modes, deflections, and acceleration response of the SSC specimens are obtained and compared by experimental and numerical methods. And then the influences of the explosive, the shear stud length, and the steel plate thickness on the damage modes, acceleration, and displacement response are studied parametrically. It is observed that both of the concrete layers in SSC slabs have crater failure at the impacted surface and steel plates occur local deformation or buckling. No penetrability failure generates in the slabs because of the existence of the steel plate, which can improve the blast resistance and decrease the maximum deflections of the specimens. Finally, an empirical equation is developed to estimate the midspan displacement of the slab using the multivariable regression method (MNRM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proliferation and development of social media platforms, social media data have become an important source for acquiring spatiotemporal information on various urban events. Providing accurate spatiotemporal information for events contributes to enhancing the capabilities of urban management and emergency responses. However, existing research regarding mining spatiotemporal information of events often solely focuses on textual content and neglects data from other modalities such as images and videos. Therefore, this study proposes an innovative spatiotemporal information extraction method, which extracts the spatiotemporal information of events from multimodal data on Weibo at coarse- and fine-grained hierarchical levels and serves as a beneficial supplement to existing urban event monitoring methods. This paper utilizes the "20 July 2021 Zhengzhou Heavy Rainfall" incident as an example to evaluate and analyze the effectiveness of the proposed method. Results indicate that in coarse-grained spatial information extraction using only textual data, our method achieved a spatial precision of 87.54% within a 60 m range and reached 100% spatial precision for ranges beyond 200 m. For fine-grained spatial information extraction, the introduction of other modal data, such as images and videos, resulted in a significant improvement in spatial error. These results demonstrate the ability of the MIST-SMMD (Method of Identifying Spatiotemporal Information of Social Media Multimodal Data) to extract spatiotemporal information from urban events at both coarse and fine levels and confirm the significant advantages of multimodal data in enhancing the precision of spatial information extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with hemorrhagic shock may develop emerging enterogenic sepsis due to damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier and translocation of intestinal bacteria and endotoxins caused by ischemic injury. Because of the dual effects of anesthesia state and hemorrhagic shock, perioperative emerging enterogenic sepsis is even more rare and insidious. Case presentation: We reported a case of 56-year-old man who underwent right hepatectomy for intrahepatic bile duct stones. Severe hemorrhage occurred during the procedure and the hemodynamics neither improved nor worsened after rehydration therapy and vasoactive drug administration. Based on the patient's history and clinical presentation, a possible enterogenic sepsis was considered. After anti-infective treatment and hormone supplementation, the patient's circulation improved significantly and he had an uneventful recovery. Conclusion: The possibility of emerging enterogenic sepsis in hemorrhagic shock must always be taken into consideration. Familiarity with the risk factors and pathophysiological alterations of enterogenic sepsis is a prerequisite for early recognition and sound clinical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental size variation in modern humans has been assessed from regional to worldwide scales, especially under microevolutionary and forensic contexts. Despite this, populations of mixed continental ancestry such as contemporary Latin Americans remain unexplored. In the present study we investigated a large Latin American sample from Colombia (N = 804) and obtained buccolingual and mesiodistal diameters and three indices for maxillary and mandibular teeth (except third molars). We evaluated the correlation between 28 dental measurements (and three indices) with age, sex and genomic ancestry (estimated using genome-wide SNP data). In addition, we explored correlation patterns between dental measurements and the biological affinities, based on these measurements, between two Latin American samples (Colombians and Mexicans) and three putative parental populations: Central and South Native Americans, western Europeans and western Africans through PCA and DFA. Our results indicate that Latin Americans have high dental size diversity, overlapping the variation exhibited by the parental populations. Several dental dimensions and indices have significant correlations with sex and age. Western Europeans presented closer biological affinities with Colombians, and the European genomic ancestry exhibited the highest correlations with tooth size. Correlations between tooth measurements reveal distinct dental modules, as well as a higher integration of postcanine dentition. The effects on dental size of age, sex and genomic ancestry is of relevance for forensic, biohistorical and microevolutionary studies in Latin Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Steam hydration effectively improved the microstructures of spent CaO. • Hydrated calcium materials showed greatly enhanced energy storage density. • Decayed energy storage performance could be repeatedly improved via multi-hydration treatment. • Hydration treatment was also good at reactivating spent calcium pellets. Calcium looping process exhibited great prospects for thermochemical energy storage due to high working temperatures, high energy density, good thermal conductivity, cheapness and non-toxicity of raw materials. However, progressive performance decay of CaO/CaCO 3 density with cycles lay on the way to its practical application. This study proposed hydration treatment to reactivate spent calcium materials to regain the reactivity. It was found that steam hydration effectively enhanced the energy storage density of spent calcium powder. With the hydration degree of 150%, the reactivated CaO showed high density of 1920 kJ/kg, over twice as high as that of the deactivated materials. The enhancement was attributed to the mitigated sintering, increased surface area and enriched porosity. Although the reactivated calcium materials still showed performance decay trend, multi-hydration was demonstrated effective to repeatedly improve the performance of spent materials. In addition, for a more practical application, the effectiveness of steam hydration in reactivating spent calcium pellets was also investigated. It was indicated the reactivation effectiveness is as satisfying as that in the modification of spent powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality borehole is crucial to hydrogen underground storage (HUS) and oil & gas development, while compound drilling plays an important role in improving borehole quality. The modal model of compound drillstring in slim borehole is established by using finite element method to analyze the modal of longitudinal vibration, lateral vibration and torsional vibration. The results shows that as the number of order increases, the intrinsic frequency of the three vibrations increases. The amplitude of axial vibration is the largest, and the amplitude of lateral vibration is smallest. The natural frequency of drillstring in slim borehole decreases as drillstring length increasing. The longer drillstring is, the smaller the interval frequency between the intrinsic frequencies of orders will be, and it is easier to cause resonance. The axial vibration will cause minimal damage to the HUS quality. Lateral vibration has the greatest damage to wellbore quality, and is the most unfavorable for the establishment of HUS channels. The damage of torsional vibration to the HUS is less than the lateral vibration and larger than axial vibration. The higher the vibration frequency and amplitude, the harder it is to improve the HUS quality. In order to improve the quality of HUS, the weight on bit (WOB) and rotary per minutes (RPM) should be adjusted at the same time for lateral shock, and the WOB should be mainly reduced for controlling the axial and torsional vibration. The results are benefit for the drillstring design, improving the wellbore quality and HUS quality. • The modal model of compound drillstring in slim borehole was established by using finite element method. • The intrinsic frequencies and mode shapes of the compound drillstring in slim borehole were studied. • The relationship between drillstring modal and hydrogen underground storage quality was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harmonic response and acceleration characteristic of drillstring is established to improve borehole quality for the hydrogen underground storage (HUS). The harmonic response laws of drillstring is discussed. Harmonic response analysis includes non-failure case and failure case. Absorber control measure is simulated to lower vibration amplitude of drillstring. The drill string collides violently with the wellbore reduces the wellbore quality and increases the unreliability of the HUS. Lateral harmonic response has the greatest damage to well wall. Torsional harmonic response causes less damage than lateral vibration. High WOB (weight on bit) and high RPM (rotary per minute) are not conducive to the quality of HUS. In course of designing drilling parameter, it is required to avoid or reduce drillstring resonance under low-order inherent frequency as much as possible. The research result is of much significance to improve wellbore quality of hydrogen underground storage. • The dynamic response model of drill string in slim borehole was established. • The harmonic characteristic of drill string during compound drilling were studied. • The acceleration characteristics of drillstring in slim borehole were investigated. • The effects of harmonic and acceleration characteristics on the wellbore quality were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the risk factors for recurrence of arterial complications after pancreatectomy during the period of covered stent implantation and to provide some opinions on peri-stent implantation management. Methods: Data on patients implanted with covered stents due to arterial complications after pancreatectomy between January 2017 and December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Technical success, clinical success, recurrence, and survival were evaluated to elucidate the practicability of covered stents. Wilson score, Random Forest, logistic regression, and Pearson's chi-square test with bootstrap aggregation were performed for determining the perioperative risk factors for recurrence. Results: Among all fifty-five patients, success stent implantation (technical success) was achieved 100%. Patients who were hemodynamically stabilized without further treatment for artery complications in situ (clinical success) accounted for 89.1%. Based on statistical analysis, pre-stent implantation pancreatic fistula was identified as a robust recurrence-related risk factor for preoperative assessment (p = 0.02, OR = 4.5, 95% CI [1.2, 16.9]; pbootstrap = 0.02). Post-stent implantation pancreatic fistula (p = 0.01, OR 4.5, 95% CI [1.4, 14.6]; pbootstrap < 0.05) and SMA branches or GDA stumps (p = 0.02, OR 3.4, 95% CI [1.1, 10.3]) were relevant to recurrence. The survival rate during hospitalization was 87.3%. All survivors were free from recurrence during the subsequent follow-up. Vasospasm and stent occlusion were observed as short-term and long-term complications, respectively. Conclusion: A covered stent implantation is a feasible and effective treatment option for post-pancreatectomy arterial complications. Rigorous management of pancreatic fistula, timely detection of problems, sensible strategies during stent implantation, and reasonable anticoagulation therapy are necessary for a better prognosis. Key Points: • A covered stent is feasible for various artery-related complications after pancreatectomy and has an ideal therapeutic effect. • Pancreatic fistula during the perioperative period of the covered stent is an independent risk factor for recurrent arterial complications and SMA branches or GDA stumps are prone to be recurrent offending arteries. • Rigorous management of pancreatic fistula, timely detection of problems, sensible strategies during stent implantation, and reasonable anticoagulation therapy are necessary for a better prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rattus norvegicus and Rattus tanezumi are dominant species of Chinese house rats, but the colonization and demographic history of two species in China have not been thoroughly explored. Phylogenetic analyses with mitochondrial DNA including 486 individuals from 31 localities revealed that R. norvegicus is widely distributed in China, R. tanezumi is mainly distributed in southern China with currently invading northward; northeast China was the natal region of R. norvegicus, while the spread of R. tanezumi in China most likely started from the southeast coast. A total of 123 individuals from 18 localities were subjected to 2b‐RAD analyses. In neighbor‐joining tree, individuals of R. tanezumi grouped into geographic‐specific branches, and populations from southeast coast were ancestral groups, which confirmed the colonization route from southeast coast to central and western China. However, individuals of R. norvegicus were generally grouped into two clusters instead of geographic‐specific branches. One cluster comprised inland populations, and another cluster included both southeast coast and inland populations, which indicated that spread history of R. norvegicus in China was complex; in addition to on‐land colonization, shipping transportation also have played great roles. ADMIXTURE and principal component analyses provided further supports for the colonization history. Demographic analyses revealed that climate changes at ~40,000 to 18,000 years ago and ~4000 years ago had led to population declines of both species; the R. norvegicus declined rapidly while the population of R. tanezumi continuously expanded since ~1500 years ago, indicating the importance of interspecies' competition in their population size changes. Our study provided a valuable framework for further investigation on phylogeography of two species in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic wastewaters contaminated with N -nitrosamines pose a significant threat to river ecosystems worldwide, particularly in urban areas with riparian cities. Despite widespread concern, the precise impact of these contaminants on receiving river waters remains uncertain. This study investigated eight N -nitrosamines in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their adjacent receiving river, the Lijiang River in Guilin City, Southwest China. By analyzing thirty wastewater samples from five full-scale WWTPs and twenty-three river water samples from Guilin, we quantified the mass loads of N -nitrosamines discharged into the surrounding watershed via domestic effluents. The results revealed that N -nitrosodimethylamine (10–60 ng/L), N -nitrosodiethylamine (3.4–22 ng/L), and N -nitrosopyrrolidine (not detected–4.5 ng/g) were predominant in influents, effluents, and sludge, respectively, with the overall removal efficiencies ranging from 17.7 to 65.6% during wastewater treatment. Cyclic activated sludge system and ultraviolet disinfection were effective in removing N -nitrosamines (rates of 59.6% and 24.3%), while chlorine dioxide disinfection promoted their formation. A total of 30.4 g/day of N -nitrosamine mass loads were observed in the Lijiang River water, with domestic effluents contributing about 31.3% (19.4 g/day), followed by livestock breeding wastewater (34.5%, 12.0 g/day), and unknown sources (24.7%, 7.5 g/day). These findings highlight the critical role of WWTPs in transporting N -nitrosamines to watersheds and emphasize the urgent need for further investigation into other potential sources of N -nitrosamine pollution within watersheds. [Display omitted] • The overall removal rates of ∑NAs in WWTPs ranged from 17.7 to 65.6%. • Approximately 11.5% of ∑NAs entered the sludge in WWTPs. • The removal rates for biotreatment were ranked as CASS > A/A/O > A/O. • WWTP effluents contributed 31.3% of N -nitrosamines to the watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the towing dynamic of a semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) towed by a tugboat. Initially, the towing resistance of the FOWT towing system in still water is analyzed through a combination of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method and empirical formulas. Subsequently, the preliminary towing scheme is determined. After that, the numerical model of the towing system, encompassing the FOWT, towing cables and the tugboat is established in ANSYS-AQWA. Furthermore, the dynamic responses of the towing system in varied working conditions are evaluated. Conclusively, the feasibility of the towing scheme is assessed based on the numerical simulation results. The designed model considers the effects of the towing speed and environment loads during wet towing which may be potentially helpful in offering a reference to the practical engineering. • The intact model of the FOWT towing system is established to analyze the hydrodynamic responses. • The corrected resistance of the FOWT is derived from STAR-CCM + through combination of the CFD method and empirical formulas. • The motion RAOs of the model and the cable force through the frequency-domain analysis in AQWA. • Hydrodynamic responses of the FOWT at the best towing speed in still water through the time-domain analysis. • The optimal rectification scheme when the FOWT deviates from the original route is confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium plating is an important causation leading to capacity loss and thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries. A detection method and alarm strategy of abnormal lithium plating can mitigate the risk form lithium plating. This paper presents a comprehensive and stable detection method for abnormal lithium plating based on variance entropy. An overvoltage-induced lithium plating experiment has been conduction on a 19-series lithium-ion battery pack, and the abnormal lithium plating was detected by the electrochemical characteristics and variance entropy. The variance entropy can analyze the subtle voltage inconsistencies of cells and first detect abnormal cells in Cycle 13. By comparing the electrochemical characteristics and variance entropy values, the effective application conditions of variance entropy were summarized. Moreover, the variance entropy and voltage platform were combined to extend the application condition and improve the stability. This research can provide the basis for the stable and robust detection method of abnormal lithium plating. • A pack-level detection method of abnormal lithium plating for LIBs is proposed. • Overvoltage cycling experiment for 19 series pack and analyze characteristics. • Variance entropy first time detecting abnormal lithium plating in Cycle 13. • Discover the effective conditions of the entropy detection for lithium plating. • Combining the variance entropy and the voltage platform to complementarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A reverse emulsion is utilized to form iron-polypyrrole (Fe-PPy) precursor. • Melt-salt-mediated pyrolysis of Fe-PPy constructs onion-like Co/CoO@FeNC. • Co/CoO@FeNC consists of Co/CoO nanoparticles embedded in graphitic carbon shells. • Co/CoO@FeNC proves reversable oxygen catalytic performance with a Δ E of 0.695 V. • Co/CoO@FeNC catalyst improves the durability and power density of Zinc-air battery. A melt-salt-assisted method is utilized to construct an onion-like hybrid with Co/CoO nanoparticles embedded in graphitic Fe-N-doped carbon shells (Co/CoO@FeNC) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst. The iron-polypyrrole (Fe-PPy) is firstly prepared with a reverse emulsion. Direct pyrolysis of Fe-PPy yields turbostratic Fe-N-doped carbon (FeNC) with excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysis, while the melt salt (CoCl 2) mediated pyrolysis of Fe-PPy obtains onion-like Co/CoO@FeNC with a reversible overvoltage value of 0.695 V, largely superior to Pt/C and IrO 2 (0.771 V) and other Co-based catalysts reported so far. The ORR activity is mainly due to the graphitic FeNC and further enhanced by Co N x bonds, whereas the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity is principally due to the Co/CoO composite. Concurrently, Co/CoO@FeNC as cathode catalyst enables Zn-air battery with a high open circuit voltage of 1.42 V, a peak power density of 132.8 mW cm−2, a specific capacity of 813 mAh g Zn −1, and long-term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the through-flow capability of the turbine facilitates the potential to decrease the external dimension of the engine, leading to a reduction in weight and an increase in the thrust-to-weight ratio. The optimization of blade profile in terms of aerodynamic design is an essential strategy to improve the overall performance of the high through-flow design turbine. This study aims to develop an automated optimization technique, utilizing the response surface method (RSM), to enable reliable prediction and rapid optimization of aerodynamic performance. A parametric modeling method is devised to generate blade profiles with continuous curvature throughout the automated optimization process. The Box–Behnken experimental design, in combination with Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes numerical calculation, is employed to construct a second-order polynomial RSM approximation model. The optimization process comprises two levels: improving the through-flow capability and reducing blade profile loss. The optimized profile, Opt1, achieves a substantial 13.19% improvement in through-flow capability at the cost of a 12.27% increase in blade profile loss. Thus, further optimization is performed to minimize blade profile loss based on the Opt1 scheme. Geometric constraints are applied to the most influential parameters affecting through-flow capability to mitigate their impacts. Compared to the Opt1, the final optimized profile, Opt2, achieves a substantial 31.83% decrease in blade profile loss with a negligible sacrifice of 0.23% in through-flow capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N -nitrosamines are a new class of disinfection byproducts with significant toxicity and carcinogenicity that have attracted extensive attention worldwide in recent years. N -nitrosamines in natural and drinking water would have adverse effects on people. The occurrence of N -nitrosamines in surface water, groundwater, and tap water of the Liujiang River Basin was investigated to disclose the source, fate, and cancer risk of N -nitrosamines in a typical karstic river. The origins of N -nitrosamines contamination were investigated using principal component analysis and multiple linear regression (PCA-MLRA). The results indicated that the concentrations of nine N -nitrosamines species were NDMA (1.7–342 ng/L), NMEA (ND, ND represents not detected), NPYR (2.5–53 ng/L), NDBA (ND-87 ng/L), NDEA (0.2–5.7 ng/L), NDPA (ND-34 ng/L), NPIP (ND-32 ng/L), NMOR (0.1–5.2 ng/L), and NDPhA (ND-0.3 ng/L). 71% of N -nitrosamines in the surface water samples of the Liujiang River's mainstream could be attributed to industrial and aquaculture effluents. Furthermore, 29% of N -nitrosamines could originate from domestic sewage and agricultural operations. In addition, we estimated the cancer risks associated with N -nitrosamines in groundwater and drinking water. For lifetime exposure (from birth to age 70), the average estimated carcinogenic risks of groundwater and tap water from oral intake were 7.4 × 10−5 (7.4 extra cancer cases per 100,000 persons exposed) and 9.7 × 10−5, respectively, which were greater than the US EPA standard (1 × 10−5). N -nitrosamines posed the highest cancer risk to children aged one to six. The experimental results would serve as a data foundation for environmental governance in typical karst regions. • NDMA and NPYR were originated from industrial wastewater. • Jila Subterranean discharged 16% of N -nitrosamines to Liujiang river. • High concentrations of NDMA and NPYR were found in tap water. • Karst groundwater and tap water posed high risk to local residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The content of bismuth and nitrogen can strongly affect the physical properties of III–V semiconductors and have a decisive impact on their performance in applications. Using first-principles calculations, we systematically study the geometry, electronic and optical properties of InP 1 − x − y N x Bi y aligned in special quasirandom structures (SQS). The incorporation of a small amount of N and Bi can effectively tune the band gap of pristine InP. For the same number of P atoms being substituted, co-doping mode reduced the bond length disparity and the corresponding formation energy was also smaller than that of only nitrogen doped. Since the bismuth doped increases spin-orbit splitting energy (Δ SO ) , the Auger recombination and intervalence band absorption (IVBA) processes are found to be suppressed for quaternary InP 0. 8 8 9 N 0. 0 3 7 Bi 0. 0 7 4 (4.40  μ m), InP 0. 8 1 5 N 0. 0 7 4 Bi 0. 0 7 4 (12.04  μ m) and InP 0. 8 1 5 N 0. 1 1 1 Bi 0. 0 3 7 (9.12 μ m) alloys, which provides new feasibility in the future mid-wavelength infrared and long-wavelength infrared (MWIR/LWIR) device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drilling mud characteristics affect the stress distribution around the borehole, while anisotropic tensile strength determines the fracture behavior of the formation, but the combined effect of these factors is rarely considered in the prediction of fracture pressure. In this work, tensile strength anisotropy of shale rock was analyzed based on the Brazilian disc test (BDT), and the corresponding anisotropic tensile criteria were reviewed and contrasted with experimental results. The N-Z (Nova – Zaninetti) criterion is adopted to describe tensile strength anisotropy of shale rock. Based on the stress distribution model and the N-Z criterion, a model of shale rock fracture under the combined action of thermal and chemical factors was constructed. The solution of the model shows that chemical and thermal factors have a different effect on pore pressure distribution around the borehole. The effect of sedimentary layers, tensile strength anisotropy, in-situ stress and pore pressure on equivalent density of fracture pressure (EDFP) was also investigated. It is shown that the EDFP decreases with increasing dip angle at a given strike of the bedding plane and reaches a minimum value when the strike of the bedding plane is along the direction of the minimum horizontal stress. The decrease in EDFP caused by tensile strength anisotropy reaches or exceeds 10% of the value calculated for isotropic conditions. The more pronounced the anisotropy of strength, the smaller the possible value of EDFP. The higher the ratio of horizontal stresses and pore pressure, the more significant the effect of anisotropy on EDFP. It is also notable that increasing the temperature of the wellbore can improve EDFP parameters and enlarge the SMDW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining metal-organic frameworks with electrospinning technology, this work employs coaxial electrospun fibers decorated with ZIF-67 as precursors. The Fe3+/Co2+/Ni2+ ions in the electrospun fibers are converted into FeCoNi alloy nanoparticles which catalyze the pyrolysis of ZIF-67 on the fiber surface to generate reticulated carbon microfibers. This produces an efficacious bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst. This new N-doped carbon hierarchical network (NCHNs) catalyst with a distinct secondary reticulated carbon structure possesses larger surface area and pore volume. Besides, the decoration of FeCoNi nanoparticles on the NCHNs provides effective active sites. With rapid mass and electron transfer between the hollow fibers, the synergistic effect between the FeCoNi nanoparticles and the layered carbon network can contribute to the high activity and kinetics of oxygen electrochemistry. At 10 mA cm−2, the FeCoNi/NCHNs exhibit an ORR half-wave potential of 0.885 V and an OER potential of 1.610 V, which exceeds that of the existing Pt/C and RuO 2 catalysts. Furthermore, the FeCoNi/NCHNs-based rechargeable Zn-Air battery has an excellent power density (160.5 mV cm−2), high open-circuit voltage (1.48 V), large specific capacity (792 mAh g−1) and excellent cycling stability (>200 h). This work provides a convenient method for designing high performance and low cost catalysts. [Display omitted] • Pyrolysis of electrospun fibers yields FeCoNi embedded in N-doped carbon fiber. • FeCoNi catalyzes the generation of carbon nanotubes in the pyrolysis of ZIF-67. • Carbon nanotubes/microfibers create N-doped carbon hierarchical networks (NCHNs). • FeCoNi/NCHNs shows excellent bifunctional oxygen catalytic activity and durability. • Zinc-air batteries based on FeCoNi/NCHNs exhibit high power density and capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Data integration framework is applied to two continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing pilot plants. • Complex data streams and simulation models are integrated on cloud. • Approaches to integrate legacy equipment and to incorporate data with modeling software are demonstrated. • Cyber-physical security framework is established to mitigate risks of cyberattacks. • Critical challenges and opportunities for practical implementation are discussed. The pharmaceutical industry continuously looks for ways to improve its development and manufacturing efficiency. In recent years, such efforts have been driven by the transition from batch to continuous manufacturing and digitalization in process development. To facilitate this transition, integrated data management and informatics tools need to be developed and implemented within the framework of Industry 4.0 technology. In this regard, the work aims to guide the data integration development of continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing processes under the Industry 4.0 framework, improving digital maturity and enabling the development of digital twins. This paper demonstrates two instances where a data integration framework has been successfully employed in academic continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing pilot plants. Details of the integration structure and information flows are comprehensively showcased. Approaches to mitigate concerns in incorporating complex data streams, including integrating multiple process analytical technology tools and legacy equipment, connecting cloud data and simulation models, and safeguarding cyber-physical security, are discussed. Critical challenges and opportunities for practical considerations are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tip leakage flow directly affects the aerodynamic performance in the turbine stages. In this research, wind tunnel experiments and numerical calculations are performed for the Original Cavity Tip (OCT), the modified Stepped Cavity Tip (SCT) and Cavity Winglet Tip (CWT) with different pressure squealers under seven incidence angles in a range of ±15°. The shape control effects on the aerodynamic performance are obtained by comparing the loss structure of the exit flow field, the pressure distribution of the casing wall and the surface load of the blades. Experimental results show that SCT structure reduces the total pressure loss by 6.8% and the CWT by 4.1% relative to OCT at 0° incidence angle with an outlet Mach Number 0.92. The variation of the incoming flow angles significantly affects the scale and loss values of the passage vortex, which further affects the leakage flow. Numerical calculations are performed as supplementary detail analysis, specify the interrelationship between leakage and passage vortices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of visual cueing on attention guidance, deep-thinking promotion, and performance optimization in arithmetic word problem solving for students with mathematical learning difficulties (MLD). The participants included eight students with MLD and twenty students without MLD who attempted to solve mathematical word problems with and without visual cueing. Eye movements were recorded during the tasks. A repeated-measure design and nonparametric tests were applied to enhance the statistical power of the study. The data analysis results indicated that visual cueing effectively guided and sustained the attention of students with MLD, reducing their off-task duration. However, it showed limited influence in facilitating deep thinking and performance improvement for these students. There were no significant attention-guidance or performance-improvement effects observed in the problem-solving processes of students without MLD, who initially demonstrated better concentration levels and performance. The potential explanations for these findings are further discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) was performed on 6061 aluminum alloy in organosilicon electrolyte using a stepwise constant potential control method for 23 min. The resulting coating was a sponge-like structured amorphous silica ceramic with a thickness of about 130 μm. Its exceptional wear resistance was attributed to the high hardness of the silica ceramic and the low elastic modulus of the sponge-like structure. The corrosion resistance was enhanced by a dense layer of approximately 2 μm between the coating and the substrate. Impressively, the indentation depth of the PEO coating during nano-indentation tests was only 50–60% of that of 6061 aluminium alloy under varying loads, while the recovery depth of the PEO coating after unloading was 2.5–3.1 times greater than that of 6061 aluminium alloy. Due to its special composition and structure, the PEO coating caused serious wear to the high hardness Si 3 N 4 friction balls during the friction and wear test. In the electrochemical tests, the coating reduced the corrosion current density from 1.056 × 10−5A·cm−2 to 1.239 × 10−7A·cm−2, while extending the passivation region from 0.322 V to 1.032 V. [Display omitted] • The TEOS solution used as the PEO electrolyte. • A sponge-like structured amorphous silica ceramic coating with high hardness and low elastic modulus. • High energy field activates O and Si to diffuse into the matrix to form a dense layer. • Stepwise increasing potentiostatic method achieves continuous and rapid thickening of coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the variational method of the Pekar type is used to theoretically study the temperature effects on the bound polaron in the triangular quantum dot (QD) qubit subjected to an electromagnetic field. We analyze and discuss in detail the numerical results and show that the relationships of the ground and first excited state energies, the electron probability density and the electron oscillation period in the superposition state of the ground state and the first-excited state with the temperature, the cyclotron frequency, the electron-phonon coupling constant, the electric field strength, the confinement strength and the Coulomb impurity potential, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of two In-Vehicle Information Systems (IVISs) on both usability and driving safety. We simulated vehicle checkerboard and hierarchical IVIS interface layouts and examined their usability based on task completion time, error rate, NASA-TLX, and System Usability Scale (SUS). Our driving safety measures included mean glance time, mean number of glances, blink frequency, and heart rate while real driving. The driving performances of 24 participants were recorded and assessed in real driving tasks of four driving speeds (0, 30, 60, and 80 km/h). Our results show that task completion time, SUS, and mean number of glances were significantly different with the two layouts. Moreover, we observed that the two layouts varied in their impacts on usability and driving safety at the different speeds. The hierarchical layout was more efficient at the lower speeds of 0 and 30 km/h, while the checkerboard layout outperformed at the higher speeds of 60 and 80 km/h. This study offers empirical evidence for IVIS interface design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Group III- nitride vdW heterostructures were formed using XN (X = Al, Ga, In) monolayers. • The photocatalytic properties of these heterostructures can be modified through different stacking configurations. • The Gibbs free energy for the hydrogen evolution reaction of GaN/InN (stacking-V) heterostructure could be as low as −0.355 eV, and it can be further optimized to −0.163 eV under a −2 % compressive strain. • The overpotential for the oxygen evolution reaction process of GaN/InN (stacking-V) heterostructure is as low as 0.853 V. Photocatalytic water splitting is an effective way to solve the energy crisis and environmental problems. Here, we propose a series of heterostructures constructed by two-dimensional (2D) group III nitrides (AlN, GaN, InN) to filter out high-performance and environment-friendly materials that can work as promising photocatalysts. Using first-principles calculations, we mainly focus on the type-II van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures with high charge transfer and optical absorption properties. Through step-by-step screening, the stacking-V GaN/InN with a direct type-II band gap is found to be the best candidate. The overall water splitting reaction is then investigated for this selected heterostructure. The Gibbs free energy for the hydrogen evolution reaction process is found to be as low as −0.355 eV, which can be further optimized to −0.163 eV under a −2 % compressive strain. Besides, the overpotential for the oxygen evolution reaction process is as low as 0.853 V. All these properties confirm the stacking-V GaN/InN to be a highly efficient visible-light photocatalyst for the water-splitting reaction. This work could provide guidelines on solar energy applications of the group III nitrides heterostructures and contribute to developing the relevant photocatalysis systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Recent advances in dynamic vibrations and waves in soft dielectric elastomer (DE) structures subjected to mechanical and electric loads are highlighted. • The nonlinear continuum theory for a deformable body with electromechanical coupling is briefly presented. • Selected results are shown to illustrate the tunability of vibration and wave characteristics of soft DE structures by utilizing large deformation and electromechanical coupling. • The state-space formulations in different coordinates are mentioned to handle problems of inhomogeneous physical-field distributions induced by external loads. • Some interesting and significant issues that should be further addressed in future studies are outlined. Dielectric elastomers (DEs) are a type of multifunctional materials with salient features that are very attractive in developing soft, lightweight, and small-scale transducers and robotics. This paper reviews the mechanics of soft DE structures, focusing on their dynamic responses, including vibrations and waves in typical structures. The basic formulations of nonlinear electroelasticity are briefly summarized by following the descriptions of Dorfmann and Ogden. The recent advances in the study on linearized dynamic problems of DE plates and shells are then outlined according to the geometric configurations as well as the coordinates thereof adopted. Some interesting observations from the numerical results are highlighted, and the underlying physics is discussed. For completeness, an account of the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of DE structures is also given. For DE structures with a periodic arrangement, i.e., DE phononic crystals (PCs) or metamaterials, this paper reviews the designs, solutions, and results to illustrate the wide-range tunability of band structure that is realized by large reversible deformation and electromechanical coupling. The present literature survey could be a useful guide for future studies on the dynamic topics of DE structures. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Sensitivity analysis and optimization are applied for energy metrics and yield. • Case studies are developed for batch and continuous wet granulation processes. • A maximum energy saving of 83.3% is achieved while maintaining quality. • Experiments confirm quality and process performance at optimal conditions. During the development of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, detailed systems-based analysis and optimization are required to control and regulate critical quality attributes within specific ranges, to maintain product performance. As discussions on carbon footprint, sustainability, and energy efficiency are gaining prominence, the development and utilization of these concepts in pharmaceutical manufacturing are seldom reported, which limits the potential of pharmaceutical industry in maximizing key energy and performance metrics. Based on an integrated modeling and techno-economic analysis framework previously developed by the authors (Sampat et al., 2022), this study presents the development of a combined sensitivity analysis and optimization approach to minimize energy consumption while maintaining product quality and meeting operational constraints in a pharmaceutical process. The optimal input process conditions identified were validated against experiments and good agreement resulted between simulated and experimental data. The results also allowed for a comparison of the capital and operational costs for batch and continuous manufacturing schemes under nominal and optimized conditions. Using the nominal batch operations as a basis, the optimized batch operation results in a 71.7% reduction of energy consumption, whereas the optimized continuous case results in an energy saving of 83.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing smart devices with tunable shapes has important applications in industrial manufacture. In this paper, we investigate the nonlinear deformation and the morphological transitions between buckling, necking and snap-through instabilities of layered dielectric elastomer (DE) balloons in response to an applied radial voltage and an inner pressure. We propose a general mathematical theory of nonlinear electro-elasticity able to account for finite inhomogeneous strains provoked by the electro-mechanical coupling. We investigate the onsets of morphological transitions of the spherically symmetric balloons using the surface impedance matrix method. Moreover, we study the nonlinear evolution of the bifurcated branches through finite-element numerical simulations. Our analysis demonstrates the possibility to design tunable DE spheres, where the onset of buckling and necking can be controlled by geometrical and mechanical properties of the passive elastic layers. Relevant applications include soft robotics and mechanical actuators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The control and regulation of thermal fields is of great significance in solving various thermal management problems in human life. Benefitting from the emerging space transformation technique and thermal meta-material, thermal meta-structures with unique thermal control capabilities have been rapidly developed in recent years. However, the exploration of the functional diversity of thermal meta-materials and structures is still inadequate; most related works are still limited to the single-field control effect and lack sensitivity to external environment changes. For the designed functional structures, observation and analysis of energy fluctuations and irreversible heat loss during the regulation process of the diffusive thermal field are also scare. Therefore, in this current work, we design a thermal meta-regulator (based on the space transformation theory) that is capable of differently distributing thermal energy according to the heat input direction and switching field control pattern with the change of ambient temperature. In addition to the common indicator of temperature, we also introduce the local entropy production rate and the total entropy production in the thermo-dynamic category to carry out entropy analysis of the energy processes involved in the thermal meta-regulator, making a multi-angle evaluation of the structural performance. Furthermore, we use the statistical response surface method to explore the comprehensive/interaction effect of multiple influencing factors on the thermal meta-regulator; the derived regression equations can be used to accurately predict the structural effects under different design schemes and temperature conditions. Our work further enriches the diversity and flexibility of thermal field manipulation manners and the demonstrated functions are also expected to be realized in other physical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A photo-clickable microRNA whose fluorescence was able to be turned on by mild light irradiation was constructed and the in situ fluorescence turn-on of the photo-clickable microRNA-122 in living cells was demonstrated by light irradiation with spatial and temporal resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles with core–shell or hollow interiors have immense potential for catalysis. Herein, Ag@M x Fe 3− x O 4 (M = Co, Mn) core–shell nanoparticles were firstly synthesized through a seed-mediated method. These particles were then loaded onto carbon catalyst supports to form Ag@M x Fe 3− x O 4 /C. Then, hollow-M x Fe 3− x O 4 /C was prepared with the diffusion of Ag from Ag@M x Fe 3− x O 4 /C in saturated NaCl solution at room temperature. As a result, Ag@MnFe 2 O 4 /C demonstrates better oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity than Ag@CoFe 2 O 4 /C and other Ag@Mn x Fe 3− x O 4 /C with various Mn/Fe ratios. Moreover, Ag@MFe 2 O 4 /C shows superior ORR catalytic activities over hollow-MFe 2 O 4 /C, which can be due to electronic coupling between Ag core and MFe 2 O 4 shell. Furthermore, Ag@MnFe 2 O 4 /C catalysts demonstrate high durability for the ORR in alkaline media and insensitivity to methanol. These findings will provide helpful guidance for design and fabrication of carbon-supported core–shell catalysts for ORR in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operating frequency range of passive topological phononic crystals is generally fixed and narrow, limiting their practical applications. To overcome this difficulty, here we design and investigate a one-dimensional soft dielectric phononic crystal (PC) plate system with actively tunable topological interface states via the mechanical and electric loads. We use nonlinear electroelasticity theory and linearized incremental theory to derive the governing equations. First we determine the nonlinear static response of the soft dielectric PC plate subjected to a combination of axial force and electric voltage. Then we study the motion of superimposed incremental bending waves. By adopting the Spectral Element Method, we obtain the dispersion relation for the infinite PC plate and the transmission coefficient for the finite PC plate waveguide. Numerical results show that the low-frequency topological interface state exists at the interface of the finite phononic plate waveguide with two topologically different elements. By simply adjusting the axial force or the electric voltage, an increase or decrease in the frequency of the topological interface state can be realized. Furthermore, applying the electric voltage separately on different elements of the PC plate waveguide is a flexible and smart method to tune the topological interface state in a wide range. These results provide guidance for designing soft smart wave devices with low-frequency tunable topological interface states. [Display omitted] • Electromechanically tunable low-frequency topological interface states (TISs). • Analytical acoustic characteristics for bending waves in soft dielectric PC plates. • A flexible and smart method to tune the TISs by applying electric voltages. • Design of tunable TISs in a wide frequency range by the topological phase diagram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are already utilized to synthesis precursors for transition metal and nitrogen co-doped carbon catalysts. However, there are few reports on deliberately tailoring catalyst structure except for the hierarchical pores formed from Zn evaporation during the pyrolysis. Herein, NaCl salt-assisted carbonization and unfolding of Fe, Co-codoped ZIF-8 polyhedron (FeCo/ZIF-8) result in ultrathin Fe, Co, N-codoped graphite flake (FeCo/NG), while FeCo/ZIF-8 pyrolysis without NaCl yields Fe, Co, N-codoped carbon spheres (FeCo/NC). Because of the high specific surface area, porosity, and degree of defects, the active site is further exposed. The synthesized FeCo/NG demonstrates excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) properties with half-wave potential (E 1/2) at 0.88 V and overpotential at 460 mV and good cycling stability, superior to those of FeCo/NC. In addition, the assembled Zn-air batteries with FeCo/NG catalysts deliver high peak power density at 109 mW cm−2, specific capacity at 783 mAh g−1 and an operating time for 100 h. The study will provide a feasible synthesis method to design high-performance electrocatalysts by deliberate tailoring structures with molten salt-assisted carbonization and unfolding of ZIFs. [Display omitted] • Molten salt-assisted pyrolysis tailors ZIF-8 polyhedron into ultrathin graphite flake. • Molten NaCl assists carbonization and unfolding of FeCo/ZIF-8 to form ultrathin FeCo/NG. • Evaporation of Zn in pyrolysis and removal of NaCl result in porous FeCo/NG. • FeCo/NG demonstrates excellent bifunctional oxygen electrocatalytic performances. • Zn-air battery with FeCo/NG delivers high peak power density and specific capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen the proliferation in versatile mobile devices and application services that demand different data rates and latencies. Fixed channelization configuration in today?s wireless devices fail to be efficient in the presence of such dynamic demands. In this regard, fine-grained spectrum management designs have been advocated by the research community to embrace the heterogeneity in devices and services. However, manufacturers hesitate to make hardware investments without comprehensive understanding of these designs. To break this stalemate, software-defined wireless networking (SDWN) has been pushed to market as a cost-effective paradigm. Motivated by recent innovations in SDWN, this article systematically investigates the spectrum management architecture design that reaps the benefits of SDWN while maintaining the features of fine-grained channelization. We shed light on design principles and key challenges in realizing the SDWN-enabled spectrum management architecture. With these principles and challenges in mind, we develop a general architecture with a new baseband virtualization design. We build a prototype that seamlessly integrates with the IEEE 802.11 protocol stack and commodity RF front-end. We demonstrate that the proposed architecture improves spectrum efficiency by emulating the upper layer behaviors using the traces captured in a campus WLAN. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Commercial-scale synthesis of ( S)- N-Boc-3-hydroxyadamantylglycine ( I), which is the key intermediate of saxagliptin, can be achieved from 2-(3-hydroxy-1-adamantyl)-2-oxoacetic acid ( 6) by reductive amination with phenylalanine dehydrogenase. The biological enzyme used in the original medicinal chemistry route is expensive and not easily obtained, making it unsuitable for further development. In this work, we developed a conventional chemical approach to give the corresponding oxime from oxoacetic acid followed by reduction of oxime and protected amino with (Boc)O to afford the racemic mixture of N-Boc-3-hydroxyadamantylglycine ( III). Utilizing this route, N-Boc-3-hydroxyadamantylglycine was prepared in six linear chemical steps with 38 % overall yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UiO-66-NH2 was functionalized with an ionic polymer poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) (PAMPS) through a post-synthetic modification (PSM) strategy. Due to the excellent dispersibility in water and the existence of abundant active binding sites, the obtained UiO-66-PAMPS shows significantly improved adsorption capability toward methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Group III-V vdW heterostructures were formed using MX (M = Ga, In, X = P, As, Sb) monolayers. • The stability and electronic properties of III-V vdW heterostructures can be changed through different stacking models. • Most III-V vdW heterostructures were found to be Type II band alignment heterostructures. • The PCE of GaSb/InSb and GaAs/InAs could be as high as 22.88% and 20.65%, respectively. Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures consist of six group III-V monolayers MX (M = Ga, In, X = P, As, Sb) have been systematically investigated via hybrid functional HSE06 based on DFT calculations in order to evaluate their utilities in potential solar cell materials. 24 different stacking configurations for the 15 heterostructures each, with a total of 360 different structure models, are designed and discussed. These vdW heterostructures are found to be energetically favorable with formation energies, calculated using DFT-D3 method, vary from −1.5 eV to 0.5 eV. The energetic and electronic properties of these heterostructures are examined. Our results show that the stacking model BB-3 for most heterostructures holds suitable type-II bandgaps around 1.1 eV, which guarantee the potential for solar cell applications. Furthermore, the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) for GaSb/InSb and GaAs/InAs are found to reach 22.88% and 20.65% respectively. The optimal bandgap size, efficient optical absorption with ultrahigh photoresponsivity enable these materials to be promising candidates in optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure-based prediction for the site of metabolism (SOM) of a compound metabolized by human cytochrome P450s (CYPs) is highly beneficial in drug discovery and development. However, the flexibility of the CYPs’ active site remains a huge challenge for accurate SOM prediction. Compared with other CYPs, the active site of CYP2A6 is relatively small and rigid. To address the impact of the flexibility of CYP2A6 active site residues on the SOM prediction for substrates, in this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular docking were used to predict the SOM of 96 CYP2A6 substrates. Substrates with known SOM were docked into the snapshot structures from MD simulations and the crystal structures of CYP2A6. Compared to the crystal structures, the protein structures obtained from MD simulations showed more accurate prediction for SOM. Our results indicated that the flexibility of the active site of CYP2A6 significantly affects the SOM prediction results. Further analysis for the 40 substrates with definite K m values showed that the prediction accuracy for the low K m substrates is comparable to that by ligand-based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A VLSI architecture for entropy decoder, inverse quantiser and predictor is proposed in this article. This architecture is used for decoding video streams of three standards on a single chip, i.e. H.264/AVC, AVS (China National Audio Video coding Standard) and MPEG2. The proposed scheme is called MPMP (Macro-block-Parallel based Multilevel Pipeline), which is intended to improve the decoding performance to satisfy the real-time requirements while maintaining a reasonable area and power consumption. Several techniques, such as slice level pipeline, MB (Macro-Block) level pipeline, MB level parallel, etc., are adopted. Input and output buffers for the inverse quantiser and predictor are shared by the decoding engines for H.264, AVS and MPEG2, therefore effectively reducing the implementation overhead. Simulation shows that decoding process consumes 512, 435 and 438 clock cycles per MB in H.264, AVS and MPEG2, respectively. Owing to the proposed techniques, the video decoder can support H.264 HP (High Profile) 1920 × 1088@30fps (frame per second) streams, AVS JP (Jizhun Profile) 1920 × 1088@41fps streams and MPEG2 MP (Main Profile) 1920 × 1088@39fps streams when exploiting a 200 MHz working frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The visible bremsstrahlung diagnostic provides a simple and effective tool for electron density estimation in steady state discharges. [•] This method can make up some disadvantages of present FIR and TS diagnostics in EAST tokamak. [•] Line averaged electron density has been deduced from central VB signal. The results can also be used for FIR n e correction. [•] Typical n e profiles have been obtained with T e and reconstructed bremsstrahlung profiles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] In this paper, we mainly introduced the bremsstrahlung measurement system for Z eff in EAST. [•] Some correction and new calibration method were applied in the measurement in order to improve the measurement accuracy. [•] Preliminary experimental results prove the system is valid and reliable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Due to slow kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during discharging and charging processes, it is essential to rationally design and synthesize non-precious metal bifunctional electrocatalysts with good performance for metal-air batteries. Herein, Ag-MnFe2O4 heterojunction nanoparticles supported on N, S, P-codoped graphene (NSPG) are developed with enhanced ORR and OER bifunctional electrocatalytic activities and stability. In contrast, S, P-doped graphene (SPG) and N, P-doped graphene (NPG) show less stabilization for the heterojunction particles. For example, under alkaline conditions, the ORR half-wave potential of Ag-MnFe2O4/NSPG can reach 0.831 V, and the over potential for OER is 0.56 V at the current density 10 mA·cm−2. Furthermore, Ag-MnFe2O4/NSPG shows better methanol resistance and durability than Pt/C catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Zinc-decorated silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles (ZnSiMNPs) were prepared by adsorbing zinc onto colloidal silica. These nanoparticles were used for the rapid purification of 6×His-tagged recombinant phycobiliprotein. The surface changes in the magnetic nanoparticles after zinc adsorption were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The adsorption of the 6×His-tagged phycobiliprotein onto ZnSiMNPs in 10mM PBS at 25°C was found to follow the Langmuir isotherm. ZnSiMNPs could be used to extract 6×His-tagged phycobiliprotein from lysate to single-band purity, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. No spectral variation was observed in the purified phycobiliprotein. Thus, ZnSiMNPs served as a useful tool for the magnetic separation and delivery of the 6×His-tagged phycobiliprotein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents information on a study which investigated whether sildenafil would augment the coronary resistance vessel dilation that occurs during the high-flow states of exercise or reactive hyperemia. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion on the study.

The presence of some types of N -nitrosamines in water bodies is of great concern worldwide due to their carcinogenic risks and harmful mutagenic effects on human health. In the present study, eight N -nitrosamines and their formation potentials (FPs) were primarily investigated in Yangtze River surface water to evaluate their spatial distribution, mass loads, and ecological risks. The results showed that of the eight N -nitrosamines investigated, NDMA (<1.5–17 ng/L), NDEA (<1.4–9.5 ng/L), NDPA (1.0 ng/L), NMOR (<1.0–1.3 ng/L), NPIP (<2.1–3.7 ng/L), and NDBA (<3.6–30 ng/L) were detected. The FPs of NDMA (<27–130 ng/L), NDEA (<0.9–2.3 ng/L), NDPA (<1.2–1.9 ng/L), NPYR (<1.4–2.9 ng/L), NMOR (<1.0 ng/L), and NDBA (<1.1–14 ng/L) were significantly identified. NDBA was predominantly observed in surface water, while NDMA was noticeably detected in chloraminated water samples. It was estimated that approximately 5.4 t/y of N -nitrosamines were carried by the Yangtze River to the East China Sea, whereas the input flux of N -nitrosamine precursors was estimated to be approximately 69.5 t/y. Spatial variations were observed due to the input of N -nitrosamines from the upstream dams and lakes. The origin of N -nitrosamine precursors was not associated with the presence of sediment in river water. NDEA could be introduced into river water by the discharge of wastewater. NDBA and its precursors could originate from industrial and aquaculture activities. NDMA and its precursors could result from both of the aforementioned sources. Moreover, the wastewater discharge from small cities, pH value, wastewater treatment ratio, and dilution could be the key factors that influence the occurrence of N -nitrosamines along the Yangtze River. More attention should be paid to the cancer risks posed by N -nitrosamines. The ecological risks posed by N -nitrosamines in the Yangtze River can be ignored. • Uneven spatial distribution of NDMA was observed in the Yangtze River. • A high correlation between NDMA and NDMA-FP was first identified. • The distributions of N -nitrosamines were affected by lakes and reservoirs. • The occurrences of N -nitrosamines were affected by pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grains are the primary source of food for most people worldwide and constitute a major source of carbohydrates. Many novel technologies are being employed to ensure the safety and reliability of grain supply and production. Gas chromatography‐ion mobility spectrometry (GC‐IMS) can effectively separate and sensitively detect volatile organic compounds. It possesses advantages such as speed, convenience, high sensitivity, no pretreatment, and wide applicability. In recent years, many studies have shown that the application of GC‐IMS technology for grain flavor analysis can play a crucial role in grains. This article elucidates the working principle of GC‐IMS technology, reviews the application of GC‐IMS in grains in the past 5 years. GC‐IMS technology is mainly applied in four aspects in grains. In grain classification, it distinguishes varieties, quality, origin, production year, and processing methods based on the trace differences in volatile organic compounds, thereby fulfilling various grain classification requirements such as origin tracing, geographical indication product recognition, variety identification, production year identification, and detection of counterfeit and inferior grain samples. In optimizing the processing technology of grains and their products, it can improve food flavor, reduce undesirable flavors, and identify better processing parameters. In grain storage, it can determine the storage time, detect spoilage phenomena such as mold and discoloration during storage, eliminate pests affecting storage, and predict the vitality of seeds after storage. In aroma evaluation of grains and their processed products, it can assess the impact of new raw materials, new technologies, fermentation processes, and even oral processing on the quality of grain products. This article also summarizes the characteristics of GC‐IMS technology, compiles typical grain flavor compounds, and provides prospects for the future application of GC‐IMS. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]