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Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common degenerative diseases characterised by joint pain, swelling and decreased mobility, with its main pathological features being articular synovitis, cartilage degeneration and osteophyte formation. Inflammatory cytokines and chemokines secreted by activated immunocytes can trigger various inflammatory and immune responses in articular cartilage and synovium, contributing to the genesis and development of OA. A series of monocyte/macrophage chemokines, including monocyte chemotaxis protein (MCP)‐1/CCL2, MCP2/CCL8, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)‐1α/CCL3, MIP‐1β/CCL4, MIP‐3α/CCL20, regulated upon activation, normal T‐cell expressed and secreted /CCL5, CCL17 and macrophage‐derived chemokine/CCL22, was proven to transmit cell signals by binding to G protein–coupled receptors on recipient cell surface, mediating and promoting inflammation in OA joints. However, the underlying mechanism of these chemokines in the pathogenesis of OA remains still elusive. Here, published literature was reviewed, and the function and mechanisms of monocyte/macrophage chemokines in OA pathogenesis were summarised. The symptoms and disease progression of OA were found to be effectively alleviated when the expression of these chemokines is inhibited. Elucidating these mechanisms could contribute to further understand how OA develops and provide potential targets for the early diagnosis of arthritis and drug treatment to delay or even halt OA progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the strengths of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the UAV–human collaboration route planning (UHCRP) for intelligent infrastructure inspection is a problem worthy of discussion to help reduce human costs and minimize the risk of noninspected infrastructures under limited resources. To facilitate UHCRP, this paper proposes a novel deep reinforcement learning (DRL)‐based approach to well handle multi‐source uncertain features and constraints at a fast speed. To begin with, UHCRP is mathematically described and reformulated as a dual interdependent deep reinforcement learning (diDRL) framework to reflect real‐world scenarios. Afterward, a novel policy network named the attention‐based deep neural network (A‐DNN) is introduced to learn the route planning decisions for the combinatorial optimization problem. In particular, A‐DNN is made up of an encoder and a dual decoder for UAV and human inspection, where the multi‐head attention mechanism is incorporated to generate richer representations for model performance improvement. Performance of the proposed dual multi‐head attention model (DAM) has been tested in simulations and a real‐world case study regarding wind farm inspection. Results indicate that DAM under the sampling decoding strategy can deliver a high‐quality path plan and show better generalizability for larger scale problem sizes compared to single‐head attention model (SAM), multi‐head attention model (AM), and two baseline models, namely OR‐Tools and genetic algorithm. Moreover, DAM trained by randomly generated data can be directly employed to solve the practical problem with standardization of inputs. Overall, DRL integrates decision‐making for inspection method selection and inspected infrastructure selection, providing adaptive and intelligent inspection path planning for UAV and human in complex and dynamic engineering environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High waves and surges associated with storms pose threats to the coastal communities around the Great Lakes. Numerical wave models, such as WAVEWATCHIII, are commonly used to predict the wave height and direction for the Great Lakes. These predictions help determine risks and threats associated with storm events. To verify the reliability and accuracy of the wave model outputs, it is essential to compare them with observed wave conditions (e.g., significant wave height), many of which come from buoys. However, in the Great Lakes, most of the buoys are retrieved before those lakes are frozen; therefore, winter wave measurements remain a gap in the Great Lakes' data. To fill the data gap, we utilize data from the Inland Water Surface Height product of the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) as complements. In this study, the data quality of ICESat-2 is evaluated by comparing with wave conditions from buoy observations in the Great Lakes. Then, we evaluate the model quality of NOAA's Great Lakes Waves-Unstructured Forecast System version 2.0 (GLWUv2) by comparing its retrospective forecast simulations for significant wave height with the significant wave height data from ICESat-2, as well as data from a drifting Spotter buoy that was experimentally deployed in the Great Lakes. The study indicates that the wave measurements obtained from ICESat-2 align closely with the in situ buoy observations, displaying a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.191 m, a scatter index (SI) of 0.46, and a correlation coefficient of 0.890. Further evaluation suggests that the GLWUv2 tends to overestimate the wave conditions in high wave events during winter. The statistics show that the RMSE in 0–0.8 m waves is 0.257 m, while the RMSE in waves higher than 1.5 m is 0.899 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobium nobile is a traditional Chinese herb with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. However, its antiaging effects are unclear. Herein, we studied the aging-related functions and the mechanism of action of the alcohol extract of Dendrobium nobile (DnAE) in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. The results indicated that 1 mg/mL DnAE slowed lipofuscin accumulation, decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species, elevated superoxide dismutase activity, enhanced oxidative and heat stress resistance, extended the lifespan of nematodes, protected their dopamine neurons from 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurodegeneration, and reduced Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. DnAE upregulated the mRNA expression of the transcription factors DAF-16 and HSF-1, promoted the nuclear localization of DAF-16, and enhanced the fluorescence intensity of HSP-16.2. However, it had no effect on the lifespan of DAF-16 mutants. Thus, DnAE can significantly extend lifespan, enhance heat stress tolerance, and delay age-related diseases through a DAF-16-dependent pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plasma cell neoplasms are a group of hematologic neoplasms that often develop in the elderly population. The relationship between cholesterol levels and hematologic malignancy has been identified in population studies. However, it is still unclear if there is a relationship between cholesterol levels and plasma cell neoplasm in European ancestry. Methods: Prospective cohorts included 502,507 individuals from the UK Biobank who were followed up to 2019 and assessed total cholesterol(TC) levels, low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, apolipoprotein A (ApoA) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) as risk factors for plasma cell neoplasms with Cox proportional hazard regression and restricted cubic spline model. We also used two‐sample Mendelian randomization to determine if the cholesterol level has a causal effect on developing plasma cell neoplasms. Results: We observed 1819 plasma cell neoplasm cases during 14.2 years of follow‐up in the UK Biobank. We found higher blood serum cholesterol levels at baseline were associated with a lower risk of plasma cell neoplasm in our study. All lipid profiles we analyzed in this study were inversely associated with plasma cell neoplasm risk (all ptrend <0.005) but triglycerides did not have such association. However, there was no suggestive association of genetically predicted serum LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol levels with multiple myeloma. Conclusion: Low serum total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, ApoA, and ApoB levels were all associated with increasing the risk of plasma cell neoplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to analyze the changes in allergen composition ratio during the early stages of the COVID‐19 outbreak in China and analyze the underlying factors contributing to these alterations. Methods: A multicenter study approach was employed. A total of 618 male and female patients (0–89 years old) were recruited from the dermatology, pediatrics, and allergy departments of 17 hospitals across 15 Chinese cities between January 2020 and June 2021. Serum samples were collected and subjected to allergen‐specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) detection using the reversed enzyme allegro‐sorbent test. The allergens included Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (D. pteronyssinus), Dermatophagoides farina (D. farina), Ambrosia artemisiifolia (A. artemisiifolia), Salix babylonica (S. babylonica), dog dander, alternaria, cockroach, Artemisia argyi (A. argyi), cat dander, house dust, milk, hen's egg, mutton, cod, peanut, beef, soybean, shrimp, crab, and wheat. Each participant was required to exhibit at least one positive sIgE detection result (≥0.35 IU/mL). The chi‐square test was used to analyze the differences between groups. Results: The positive sIgE proportion of inhalation allergens were significantly lower than that of ingestion allergens. As restrictions on outdoor activities and seafood imports persisted, the positive sIgE proportion of wheat and shrimp exhibited a significant decrease in the spring of 2021 compared to the corresponding period in 2020. Conversely, there was a substantial increase in the positive proportion of crab. The fluctuation in the ratio of D. pteronyssinus and D. farina appeared to be influenced more by seasonal factors rather than the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, no noteworthy disparities were observed in the proportions of other allergens. Conclusion: The alterations in allergen composition during the initial phase of the epidemic may be attributed to several factors, such as decreased travel, increased mask usage, reduced carbohydrate consumption, and changes in seafood consumption. However, factors such as season, cultural practices, and customs may also influence the composition of allergens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an adaptive and robust Kalman filter algorithm based on the maximum correntropy criterion (MCC) is proposed to solve the problem of integrated navigation accuracy reduction, which is caused by the non-Gaussian noise and time-varying noise of GPS measurement in complex environment. Firstly, the Grubbs criterion was used to remove outliers, which are contained in the GPS measurement. Then, a fixed-length sliding window was used to estimate the decay factor adaptively. Based on the fixed-length sliding window method, the time-varying noises, which are considered in integrated navigation system, are addressed. Moreover, a MCC method is used to suppress the non-Gaussian noises, which are generated with external corruption. Finally, the method, which is proposed in this paper, is verified by the designed simulation and field tests. The results show that the influence of the non-Gaussian noise and time-varying noise of the GPS measurement is detected and isolated by the proposed algorithm, effectively. The navigation accuracy and stability are improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the low Mach number limit problem of the Euler equations for isentropic fluids in the analytic spaces. We prove that, given general analytic initial data, the solution is uniformly bounded on a time interval independent of the small parameter and the incompressible limit holding in the analytic norm. The same results extend more generally to Gevrey initial data with convergence holds in a Gevrey norm. The results extend the isentropic fluids in Jang et al. (J Differ Equ 299:284–332, 2021) to more general pressure laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuproptosis is a newly form of cell death. Cuproptosis related lncRNA in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has also not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to construct a prognostic signature based on cuproptosis-related lncRNA in LUAD and investigate its association with immunotherapy response. The RNA-sequencing data, clinical information and simple nucleotide variation of LUAD patients were obtained from TCGA database. The LASSO Cox regression was used to construct a prognostic signature. The CIBERSORT, ESTIMATE and ssGSEA algorithms were applied to assess the association between risk score and TME. TIDE score was applied to reflect the efficiency of immunotherapy response. The influence of overexpression of lncRNA TMPO-AS1 on A549 cell was also assessed by in vitro experiments. The lncRNA prognostic signature included AL606834.1, AL138778.1, AP000302.1, AC007384.1, AL161431.1, TMPO-AS1 and KIAA1671-AS1. Low-risk group exhibited much higher immune score, stromal score and ESTIMATE score, but lower tumor purity compared with high-risk groups. Also, low-risk group was associated with a much higher score of immune cells and immune related function sets, indicating an immune activation state. Low-risk patients had relative higher TIDE score and lower TMB. External validation using IMvigor210 immunotherapy cohort demonstrated that low-risk group had a better prognosis and might more easily benefit from immunotherapy. Overexpression of lncRNA TMPO-AS1 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 cell line. The novel cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature could predict the prognosis of LUAD patients, and helped clinicians stratify patients appropriate for immunotherapy and determine individual therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonic elliptical vibration cutting (UEVC) is a promising technique to realize the crack-free machining of ceramic materials. However, the underlying crack suppression mechanism and its impact on the ductile-brittle transition (DBT) behavior of ceramics still remain poorly understood. In the current work, the material removal characteristics of 3Y-TZP ceramics under UEVC, including the crack propagation process, stress distribution condition, and critical transition depth, were rigorously studied by using both the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation and the experimental method. It was found that the material removal behavior and critical transition depth were highly related to the ultrasonic speed ratio (R s) that defines the ratio of the nominal cutting speed to the maximum ultrasonic velocity along the cutting direction. A critical (R s) value of 0.128 was determined by the analytical method, beyond which the crack suppression mechanism of UEVC is mainly due to the time-varying cutting speed and angle. When the R s is lower than the critical value, the reduction of the effective cutting thickness caused by the overlapping trajectory becomes a dominant factor in enlarging the ductile regime and in improving the machining quality of 3Y-TZP ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Anodic urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is an intriguing half reaction that can replace oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and work together with hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) toward simultaneous hydrogen fuel generation and urea-rich wastewater purification; however, it remains a challenge to achieve overall urea electrolysis with high efficiency. Herein, we report a multifunctional electrocatalyst termed as Rh/NiV-LDH, through integration of nickel-vanadium layered double hydroxide (LDH) with rhodium single-atom catalyst (SAC), to achieve this goal. The electrocatalyst delivers high HER mass activity of 0.262 A mg−1 and exceptionally high turnover frequency (TOF) of 2.125 s−1 at an overpotential of 100 mV. Moreover, exceptional activity toward urea oxidation is addressed, which requires a potential of 1.33 V to yield 10 mA cm−2, endorsing the potential to surmount the sluggish OER. The splendid catalytic activity is enabled by the synergy of the NiV-LDH support and the atomically dispersed Rh sites (located on the Ni-V hollow sites) as evidenced both experimentally and theoretically. The self-supported Rh/NiV-LDH catalyst serving as the anode and cathode for overall urea electrolysis (1 mol L−1 KOH with 0.33 mol L−1 urea as electrolyte) only requires a small voltage of 1.47 V to deliver 100 mA cm−2 with excellent stability. This work provides important insights into multifunctional SAC design from the perspective of support sites toward overall electrolysis applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme climatic events are likely to intensify under climate change and can have different effects on ecosystems depending on their timing and magnitude. Understanding how productivity responds to extreme precipitation patterns requires assessing stability and vulnerability during critical growing periods at the plant community level. In this study, we experimentally imposed two contrasting types of extreme precipitation patterns, including extreme drought (excluding all rainfall for 30 consecutive days) during early-, mid-, and late-stages of the growing season, and heavy rainfall (adding 14.1 mm of rainfall every day for 20 consecutive days) during mid- and late-stages of the growing season over four years (2013–2016) in a steppe community in Inner Mongolia, China. We found that extreme drought and heavy rainfall had no effect on community aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), species richness, and dominance at any stage of the growing season. Community stability in response to extreme drought was mainly driven by compensation among species and the stability of dominant species, while the compensatory effect among species and functional groups, and the stability of dominant species contributed to the community stability in response to heavy rainfall. Overall, our findings indicate that the responses of the ecosystem to intra-seasonal contrasting extreme precipitation patterns can be driven by similar stability mechanisms and suggest that semiarid temperate steppe communities may have strong initial resistance to more frequent extreme climatic events in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of the thermal conductivity of thermal energy storage materials has become a primary challenge to expand the range of utilization for different application scenarios. In this study, organic-shell microcapsule (paraffin@melamine formaldehyde) was initially prepared by in situ polymerization, followed by the deposition of anatase TiO 2 on the organic-shell microcapsule using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to form organic-inorganic double-shell microcapsule. The effect of the thickness of the TiO 2 shell on the equivalent thermal conductivity of the microcapsules was investigated by utilizing ALD's precise and controllable characteristics for the coating thickness. The obtained double-shell microcapsules indicated a drop in thermal storage capacity, but a substantial boost in thermal stability. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of microcapsules can be tuned in the range between 0.1837 and 0.7529 W m−1 K−1 within 1500 ALD cycle treatment. Furthermore, the parameters of ALD, such as reaction temperature and exposure time, were varied to obtain an amorphous TiO 2 shell, and the impacts of different crystal form of TiO 2 on the heat transfer properties of microcapsules were concluded by comparison. Double-shell microcapsules exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to single-shell structure. The findings can stimulate significant research interest in broadening the applications of thermal storage microcapsules. • An organic-inorganic double-shell microcapsule structure was established. • Crystalline form of TiO 2 outer shell can be modulated by atomic layer deposition. • Thickness of TiO 2 inorganic shell affected thermal conductivity of microcapsules. • Effect of crystal TiO 2 on the thermal conductivity of microcapsules was revealed. • The mechanical properties of microcapsules were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Train-induced response of tunnel linings is examined structurally. • Stiffness degradation factors are introduced into tunnel linings equation. • A stiffness degradation distribution susceptible to train loads is proposed. • Tunnel lining stiffness directivity is crucial in bearing train loads. Structural defects are common in railway tunnel linings, particularly in tunnels that have been in service for several years. Previous studies have investigated the impact of structural defects on the train-induced vibration of tunnel linings. However, modeling of these defects has always been restricted to the micro- or mesoscale, such as discrete cracks and material damage, which also limits relevance to engineering practices. To address this limitation, this study expands the analysis scale to the macro level by introducing the concept of stiffness degradation to investigate the impact of defects on the train-induced vibration of tunnel linings. A railway tunnel model is developed using the Gauss-Legendre-Lobatto (GLL)-based time-domain spectral finite element method (TD-SFEM), and eight types of stiffness degradation factors (SDFs) are incorporated into the governing equations of tunnel linings. By correlating each stiffness degradation with effective stress resultants, the vibration of stiffness-degraded tunnel linings induced by trains with different axle weights and running speeds is analyzed. The results show that the train type plays a primary role, while the structural defect plays a secondary role in determining the dynamic responses of the stiffness-degraded tunnel linings. The directivity of tunnel lining stiffness plays a crucial role in bearing train loads. Stiffness degradation mainly affects the average stress resultants in the circumferential direction, while the amplification of stress resultants is more pronounced in the longitudinal direction. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact of running trains on tunnel linings from a structural perspective, providing an intuitive and practical insight into the maintenance of railway tunnels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a planar ultrawideband (UWB) dual-polarized tightly coupled bowtie antenna array for ground-based polar ice-sounding radar. The array operates over 180–620 MHz with a bandwidth ratio of 3.4:1. The broadband performance is benefitted from the tightly coupled antenna elements. By carefully integrating the impedance matching network into one arm of the bowtie antenna and using a ferrite core for common-mode suppression, this coplanar side-fed array avoids the use of vertical balun and external antenna matching network. The size of the full array is 2.8 m $\times2.8$ m with a weight of only 90 kg, including 24 power distribution boards and 288 feed cables. The thickness of the array is 12.7 cm, which is only about $0.08\lambda $ at the lowest operating frequency. This antenna array was deployed to Greenland in summer 2019 as a part of a surface-based UWB ice-sounding radar to measure and characterize the Greenland ice sheet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The close association of soil organic carbon (SOC) with Fe oxides is an important stabilization mechanism for soil organic matter (SOM) against biodegradation. Soil conditioners are of great importance in improving soil quality and soil health. Yet it remains unclear how different conditioners would affect the fractionation of SOC , particularly the Fe-bound organic carbon (Fe-OC). Field-based experiments were conducted in farmland to explore the fractionation of organic carbon (OC) and Fe oxides under the effects of three different soil conditioners (mineral, organic, and microbial conditioners). The results showed that all soil conditioners increased the total OC and Fe-OC contents, with the contribution of Fe-OC to total OC increasing from 1.57% to 2.99%. The low OC/Fe molar ratio indicated that surface adsorption played a crucial role in soil Fe-OC accumulation. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) results suggested that soil conditioner altered the composition of SOM, accelerating O-alkyl C degradation and increasing recalcitrant alkyl C and aromatic C sequestration. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis indicated that all conditioners promoted the association of OC and Fe oxides. Furthermore, comprehensive analysis of 13C isotope and synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) spectroscopy showed that the mineral conditioner enhanced the association of microbial-derived OC and Fe oxides, whereas the organic conditioner increased the association of plant-derived OC with Fe oxides. These findings provide important insights into the potential mechanisms through which soil conditioners regulate the stability of OC and guide agricultural management. [Display omitted] • The association between OC and Fe oxides is a crucial stabilization mechanism of SOM. • Soil conditioners increased the formation of Fe-OC and recalcitrance of OC. • Organic conditioner sequestered more Fe-OC than mineral conditioner. • Multiple combinations of technologies provide in situ molecular interaction of Fe-OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the effect of government supervision on the development of FFBS by analyzing massive travel information data. Our identification strategy exploits a natural experiment focusing on Mobike in Chengdu. We find that supervision does not necessarily suppress the development of FFBS. It also allows FFBS to increase its focus on alleviating the pressure of public transport and reducing the consumption of public resources. Moreover, we identify that the impact of government supervision on weekends is considerably more significant than on weekdays given that government supervision has a significant suppression effect on the FFBS travel behavior of scattered parking, leisure, and long distance. In contrast, the effect of government supervision on the FFBS travel behavior of commuting and schooling is not significant. We finally present implications for government and operators of FFBS, especially in developing countries, on the sustainable development of FFBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a rotational speed sensor based on the magnetoelectric coupling effect. The sensor is composed of a permanent magnet array and a magnetoelectric composite FeSiB/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3. The permanent magnet array rotates with the gear to provide a stable sinusoidal alternating magnetic field in its surrounding space, which is simulated and analyzed by using the finite element simulation software. Based on the magnetoelectric coupling effect, the composite FeSiB/Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 senses the magnetic field information and transforms it into electrical information so as to realize the rotating speed measurement. The experiments of sensing distance and linearity are carried out. The proposed sensor is compared and verified by a coil sensor. The results show that the proposed speed sensor has good linearity in the speed measured range, and the sensing distance can reach 15 mm. At the same time, it can be used for low-speed measurement. This kind of speed sensor has broad application prospects in the field of rotational speed measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droughts and heat waves are increasing in magnitude and frequency, altering the carbon cycle. However, understanding of the underlying response mechanisms remains poor, especially for the combination (hot drought). We conducted a 4‐year field experiment to examine both individual and interactive effects of drought and heat wave on carbon cycling of a semiarid grassland across individual, functional group, community and ecosystem levels. Drought did not change below‐ground biomass (BGB) or above‐ground biomass (AGB) due to compensation effects between grass and non‐grass functional groups. However, consistently decreased BGB under heat waves limited such compensation effects, resulting in reduced AGB. Ecosystem CO2 fluxes were suppressed by droughts, attributed to stomatal closure‐induced reductions in leaf photosynthesis and decreased AGB of grasses, while CO2 fluxes were little affected by heat waves. Overall the hot drought produced the lowest leaf photosynthesis, AGB and ecosystem CO2 fluxes although the interactions between heat wave and drought were usually not significant. Our results highlight that the functional group compensatory effects that maintain community‐level AGB rely on feedback of root system responses, and that plant adjustments at the individual level, together with shifts in composition at the functional group level, co‐regulate ecosystem carbon sink strength under climate extremes. • It is indispensable to explore the mechanisms and impacts of climate extremes on the carbon cycle given they are increasing in magnitude and frequency.• Aboveground biomass responses to climate extremes rely on the functional group compensatory effects and feedbacks of root system responses.• Plant physiological adjustments and shifts in community composition co‐regulate ecosystem CO2 fluxes under climate extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local electron density manipulation can optimize the adsorption and desorption nature of catalysts leading to enhanced catalytic activity for water oxidation. Construction a Mott–Schottky barrier allows the electron transition in catalysts because of their different Fermi levels. Herein, a Pt@NiFc‐MOF Mott–Schottky heterojunction is constructed, in which electrons are transferred from NiFc‐MOF to Pt as triggered by the formed built‐in electric field at the interface. The as‐prepared Pt@NiFc‐MOF reveals exceptional performance toward the hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and overall hydrazine splitting (OHzS) at ampere‐level current densities. The advanced nature of the configured Mott–Schottky heterojunction can also be further evidenced from a concept direct liquid N2H4/H2O2 fuel cell (Pt@NiFc‐MOF//Pt Net), yielding a maximum power density of 415.2 mW cm‒2 at 80°C and can work stably for 190 h at 500 mA cm‒2 (at 25°C). One more function of Pt@NiFc‐MOF is clarified as well, that is it can purify hydrazine‐rich wastewater from 718 to 6 ppb (less than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of 10 ppb) in 120 min at 500 mA cm‒2. This work represents a breakthrough in interface engineering of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) toward industry‐level hydrogen generation and its beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Precipitation was repackaged to simulate 4-level of precipitation variability. • Extra-extreme precipitation variability scenario potentially reduced N 2 O emissions. • Effects of precipitation variability on N 2 O fluxes had high interannual variations. • Soil, microbes, functional genes, and plants explained 61% variation in N 2 O fluxes. High temporal precipitation variability, characterized by less frequent but larger-magnitude precipitation events, is increasing. However, how precipitation variability affects N 2 O emissions and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, especially at multiple-year scales. We conducted a 3-year manipulative experiment in which the same long-term mean growing season precipitation total was repackaged into events of inversely varying magnitude and frequency to simulate four levels of precipitation variability (extra-extreme, extreme, medium, and normal) in a semiarid grassland. Cumulative N 2 O emissions was the smallest under the extra-extreme precipitation variability scenario (6 very large rainfall events), 26% less than emission under the other three treatments (10, 16, and 24 rainfall events) over the three growing seasons. However, this difference was almost entirely due to three sampling events in the third year. Plant community (biomass and biodiversity), soil abiotic properties (water, dissolved organic carbon and pH), soil microbial biomass (carbon, nitrogen and the ratio), and soil functional genes (archaeal and bacterial amoA, nirS, nirK, narG , and nosZ) explained 61% of the variation in N 2 O emissions in response to the precipitation variability. Structural equation modelling indicated that the precipitation variability had direct positive effects, and indirect negative effects via soil abiotic properties, on soil functional genes that ultimately had positive effects on N 2 O emissions. The reduction in N 2 O emission in the extra-extreme precipitation variability scenario in the third year was due to low levels of soil water content, soil pH, aboveground biomass, and microbial biomass carbon simultaneously. Our results suggest that at the multi-year timescale, semiarid grasslands may have negative feedbacks to future precipitation regimes with higher variability. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point cloud registration is a classic and fundamental problem. Existing point cloud registration methods obtain correspondence point pairs by calculating the correlation between point features. However, the instability of point features makes the outlier rate of corresponding point pairs high, resulting in poor matching results, especially when facing low overlap point clouds. An obvious fact is that patch matching has higher reliability than point matching. To this end, we propose a patch-guided point cloud registration network. Specifically, we perform fusion on patches and points at both the feature and result levels to achieve the guidance of patch to point matching and improve the accuracy of predicted point pairs. At the feature level, we propose a Matching Pyramid Network (MPN) for multi-level patch/point matching. The core of the MPN is an attention-based cross-layer context aggregation (CCA) module, which is used for the fusion of matching features between upper and lower layers. At the result level, we design a matching consistency judgment module to ensure that the point pairs are consistent in the matching of each layer, which greatly reduces the outlier ratio. Based on the above design, the corresponding point pairs predicted by our network have a high inlier ratio, which makes our method perform well in the face of low overlapping point clouds. Extensive experimental results show that our method outperforms other existing methods for indoor and outdoor datasets. • A patch-guided point matching framework is proposed to predict correspondence. • A Matching Pyramid Network (MPN) is proposed for multilevel patch/point matching. • A CCA module is proposed to implicitly guide the matching of point feature. • A match consistency judgment module is proposed to explicitly guide point matching. • The proposed method outperforms other methods on both indoor and outdoor benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stiffness degradation is incorporated into the analysis of cylindrical shell vibration. • Eight types of SDFs are defined based on the Sanders shell theory. • Forced vibration of a cylindrical shell with infinite-length is investigated. • The effects of defects on the vibration responses are analyzed. Structural defects are commonly encountered in engineering applications. They can significantly affect not only the structural integrity but also the natural frequencies and vibration responses of cylindrical shells subject to external loading. This study proposes a novel concept of stiffness degradation to analyze the effect of defects on the vibration of shell structures. Specifically, stiffness degradation factors (SDFs) are introduced into the model of a cylindrical shell based on Sanders shell theory, and their influences on the dynamic response of an infinite-length cylindrical shell are evaluated by analyzing vibrations at multiple locations. The results show that vertical vibrations at receiver points located away from the driving point are more susceptible to the stiffness degradation, particularly at higher frequencies. The degradation of flexural stiffness has a greater effect on the vibration of cylindrical shells than the degradation of membrane stiffness, particularly in terms of the resonant frequency decrease. Furthermore, stiffness degradation in the circumferential direction has a greater effect on shell vibration than in the longitudinal direction. By examining the effects of eight SDFs separately, it is revealed that the vibration response of a cylindrical shell is affected by the directions and types of stiffness degradation, the frequency range, and the observation point. Overall, this study provides a general analytical framework for analyzing the vibration response of cylindrical shells including the effect of anisotropic stiffness degradation, which could be applied to composite shell structures with directional fiber orientations and shell structures with various defect modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compared with the conventional fixed post-trigger delay in bolus tracking technique, head and neck CTA with individualized post-trigger delay can obtain the optimal scanning time, optimize contrast opacification, and improve vessel attenuation, while also can be seamlessly implemented into clinical workflow and significantly augment image quality. • Head and neck vessel attenuation was significantly higher with individualized post-trigger delay than with fixed post-trigger delay (all p < 0.05), regardless of the branch and location of the measurements. • Both readers rated better image quality with individualized post-trigger delay technique (both p < 0.05), the improved image quality produced by the individualized PTD was confirmed from the subjective assessment. To compare the contrast media opacification of head and neck CT angiography (CTA) between conventional fixed trigger delay and individualized post-trigger delay (PTD). In this prospective study (April–October 2022), 196 consecutive participants were randomly divided into two groups to perform head and neck CTA in bolus tracking with either an individualized PTD (Group A) or a fixed 4-second PTD (Group B). All CT and contrast media protocol parameters were consistent between the two groups. One reader evaluated objective image quality, while two readers rated subjective image quality. Objective image quality was compared between groups via two-sample t -test, while the subjective ratings were compared with chi-square analysis. Participants' clinical information including sex, age, weight, body weight index (BMI), and heart rate were not statistically different between two groups (all p > 0.05). Individualized PTD ranging from 3.5 to 7.9 s (average 5.6 s), which is shorter than fixed delays (p < 0.05). Both readers rated better subjective image quality for the Group A (p < 0.05). The mean vessel enhancement was significantly higher in Group A in all vessels (all p < 0.05). Compared to the fixed post-trigger delay in bolus tracking technique, individualized post-trigger delay could achieve reliable scan timing, optimize vessel opacification and obtain better image quality for head and neck CT angiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• APUNet is proposed, capable of upsampling sparse and non-uniform point clouds. • APUNet is almost fully attention-based structure. • The distance prior is introduced in the attention mechanism, and DisTransformer is proposed. • A feature prediction unit is proposed to transform the feature expansion task into a feature prediction task. • APUNet outperforms other methods on both generic and low-quality datasets. Point cloud upsampling is a basic low-level task, that is important for improving the quality of a point cloud. However, existing point cloud upsampling methods perform poorly on sparse and non-uniform point clouds, due to that they fail to fully model the relationship between points. To address this issue, in this paper, we propose an attention-guided network called APUNet to exploit the correlation between points, which can perform unsampling for sparse and non-uniform point cloud. In particular, we first propose a feature extraction unit, DisTransformer, which can effectively model the relationship between points by introducing a distance prior to the attention mechanism. We also design a point cloud feature extraction network based on DisTransformer. By computing the correlation between patches and the correlation between points, we fuse the global and local features to better model the correlation of the whole object. Furthermore, we propose a feature prediction module based on attention mechanisms that avoids generating clustered points by transforming the point cloud expansion task into a point cloud prediction task. Qualitative and quantitative experiments reveal the superiority of our method compared to the current state-of-the-art methods. Compared with other point cloud upsampling methods, APUNet can much better upsample non-uniform and extremely sparse point clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly synthesized two-dimensional polyaniline (C 3 N) of graphene family attracted extensive research attention due to extraordinary electrical and electron-related properties, but its thermal properties have still been in its infancy although the thermal management is of critical importance for the performance and reliability of electron-related devices. Herein, we investigated the thermal transport properties of single-layer C 3 N with different system size by utilizing non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. Compared with the graphene, the analysis of lattice dynamics and electron density distribution revealed that the lower thermal conductivity of single-layer C 3 N stems from the disorders from mass difference and the polarization from asymmetric electrical difference density. Moreover, the temperature dependence of thermal conductivity of single-layer C 3 N approaches κ ∼ T−1 when the system size increases. Our studies provide more physical insights into the thermal transport of emerging two-dimensional polymeric carbon nitride materials. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil contribute to global warming and are in turn substantially affected by climate change. However, climate change impacts on N2O production across terrestrial ecosystems remain poorly understood. Here, we synthesized 46 published studies of N2O fluxes and relevant soil functional genes (SFGs, that is, archaeal amoA, bacterial amoA, nosZ, narG, nirK and nirS) to assess their responses to increased temperature, increased or decreased precipitation amounts, and prolonged drought (no change in total precipitation but increase in precipitation intervals) in terrestrial ecosystem (i.e. grasslands, forests, shrublands, tundra and croplands). Across the data set, temperature increased N2O emissions by 33%. However, the effects were highly variable across biomes, with strongest temperature responses in shrublands, variable responses in forests and negative responses in tundra. The warming methods employed also influenced the effects of temperature on N2O emissions (most effectively induced by open‐top chambers). Whole‐day or whole‐year warming treatment significantly enhanced N2O emissions, but daytime, nighttime or short‐season warming did not have significant effects. Regardless of biome, treatment method and season, increased precipitation promoted N2O emission by an average of 55%, while decreased precipitation suppressed N2O emission by 31%, predominantly driven by changes in soil moisture. The effect size of precipitation changes on nirS and nosZ showed a U‐shape relationship with soil moisture; further insight into biotic mechanisms underlying N2O emission response to climate change remain limited by data availability, underlying a need for studies that report SFG. Our findings indicate that climate change substantially affects N2O emission and highlights the urgent need to incorporate this strong feedback into most climate models for convincing projection of future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study certain exactly marginal gaugings involving arbitrary numbers of Argyres-Douglas (AD) theories and show that the resulting Schur indices are related to those of certain Lagrangian theories of class S via simple transformations. By writing these quantities in the language of 2D topological quantum field theory (TQFT), we easily read off the S-duality action on the flavor symmetries of the AD quivers and also find expressions for the Schur indices of various classes of exotic AD theories appearing in different decoupling limits. The TQFT expressions for these latter theories are related by simple transformations to the corresponding quantities for certain well-known isolated theories with regular punctures (e.g., the Minahan-Nemeschansky E6 theory and various generalizations). We then reinterpret the TQFT expressions for the indices of our AD theories in terms of the topology of the corresponding 3D mirror quivers, and we show that our isolated AD theories generically admit renormalization group (RG) flows to interacting superconformal field theories (SCFTs) with thirty-two (Poincaré plus special) supercharges. Motivated by these examples, we argue that, in a sense we make precise, the existence of RG flows to interacting SCFTs with thirty-two supercharges is generic in a far larger class of 4D N = 2 SCFTs arising from compactifications of the 6D (2, 0) theory on surfaces with irregular singularities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Detailed heat transfer in blistered plates' coolant channels is modeled using CFD. • Multiple blisters can cause flow maldistribution beyond design threshold. • Single blister leads to a rather high fuel meat maximum temperature. • Multiple blisters' influence on fuel temperature is independent. Due to the special structure, the plate-type fuel element possesses a unique failure mode, i.e. blistering. Blistering is a kind of plastic deformation, induced by thermal stress and pressure of gaseous fission products at the interface of fuel meat and cladding. A blistering cladding surface will alter the flow channel shape and thus affect the flow and heat transfer characteristics in a fuel assembly. The influence is significant because the parallel channels are closed and narrow. In this study, three plates and channels were modeled to represent parallel channels in a fuel assembly. Two kinds of blisters were considered, namely round blister and pillow-like blister. Six cases with various blistering distribution were simulated to investigate its influence on pressure drop, mass flow distribution, and fuel temperature. The turbulent model and mesh condition were carefully chosen and validated. Detailed flow structures were visualized and their relations with flow and heat transfer characteristics were analyzed. Results show that multiple blisters can induce the flow distribution factor to exceed the design threshold value. A single blister, due to the large thermal resistance of gaseous fission products, can cause a relatively high maximum temperature in the fuel plate and lead to additional structure rupture. Multiple blisters' influence on fuel temperature is independent and similar with that of a single blister. Larger blisters lead to higher maximum fuel meat temperature and therefore are more dangerous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The railway ballast particles are simulated by the rolling resistance model. • A full-scale ballasted track model is constructed using the DEM-FDM coupled model. • Force chains have a significant influence on the path of energy propagation. • The shear dynamic stress propagates more widely than that in the normal direction. To gain insight into how dynamic energy transmits within the ballasted assembly, a three-dimensional coupled model that accounts for both the discrete element method (DEM) and the finite difference method (FDM) was established in this paper. The ballast particles were simulated by the DEM, in which the rolling resistance model was considered, and interface elements were used to fulfil the coupling process between the DEM and the FDM. In addition, an in situ test was performed to verify the numerical model under the impact load. The results show that, during the static process, both the shape of the sleeper and the confinement of the subgrade surface had a significant effect on the force chains structure within the ballast assembly. Furthermore, when an impact load was applied, the force chains changed negligibly. Considering the deformation field within the assembly, near the subgrade surface, the root mean square (RMS) distribution of the ballast particles conformed to the force chains structure. Considering the stress field within the assembly, the vertical dynamic stress concentrated beneath the sleeper and the shear dynamic stress covered near the subgrade surface. They both transmitted through the force chains that were formed in the ballast assembly, through which the shear dynamic stress distributed more widely. Therefore, it can be concluded that the force chains within the ballast assembly are closely related to the shape of the sleeper, and this also has a significant influence on the path of the energy propagation within the ballast track. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Heavy rainfall events are expected to increase in frequency and severity in the future. However, their effects on natural ecosystems are largely unknown, in particular with different seasonal timing of the events and recurrence over multiple years.We conducted a 4 yr manipulative experiment to explore grassland response to heavy rainfall imposed in either the middle of, or late in, the growing season in Inner Mongolia, China. We measured hierarchical responses at individual, community and ecosystem levels.Surprisingly, above‐ground biomass remained stable in the face of heavy rainfall, regardless of seasonal timing, whereas heavy rainfall late in the growing season had consistent negative impacts on below‐ground and total biomass. However, such negative biomass effects were not significant for heavy rainfall in the middle of the growing season. By contrast, heavy rainfall in the middle of the growing season had greater positive effects on ecosystem CO2 exchanges, mainly reflected in the latter 2 yr of the 4 yr experiment. This two‐stage response of CO2 fluxes was regulated by increased community‐level leaf area and leaf‐level photosynthesis and interannual variability of natural precipitation.Overall, our study demonstrates that ecosystem impacts of heavy rainfall events crucially depend on the seasonal timing and multiannual recurrence. Plant physiological and morphological adjustment appeared to improve the capacity of the ecosystem to respond positively to heavy rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a tunnel passes through weak and fragmented surrounding rock, excavation disturbance can lead to significant deformation. To mitigate this, advanced support measures like the umbrella arch are necessary. This study investigates the effectiveness of the umbrella arch in controlling deformation of the surrounding rock, focusing on the super shallow-buried spillway section of the Shenzhen East Transit Expressway in China. Both numerical modeling and field monitoring were used to assess the support effect of the umbrella arch. The mechanism of the support was analyzed, revealing that the umbrella arch primarily prevents collapse of the surrounding rock by creating a small compression area. It is recommended that a starting segment with the same length as the tunnel diameter be reserved for the construction of long umbrella arches to maximize their supporting effect. The proposed numerical model was calibrated using field monitoring data, and the mechanical responses of an 80-m-long umbrella arch during construction were thoroughly analyzed. The research results presented in this paper can serve as a reference for the design of umbrella arches in similar projects in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Seasonal timing strongly regulates the response of N 2 O emissions to extreme droughts. • Early drought affected N 2 O emission with high interannual variability. • Middle drought consistently suppressed N 2 O emissions. • Late drought had little effect on N 2 O fluxes. Terrestrial ecosystems are important sources of nitrous oxide (N 2 O), a powerful greenhouse gas which can be strongly impacted by increasing droughts in association with climate change. However, detailed information on whether and how drought timing regulates N 2 O fluxes is still lacking. Here, we conducted a 3-year field experiment on a semiarid grassland in which extreme drought was imposed in either early-, mid-, or late-growing seasons repeatedly from 2014 to 2016. We found that early drought affected N 2 O emission with high interannual variability (increased, decreased and unchanged N 2 O emission in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively), coincident with changes in inorganic nitrogen (SIN), dissolve organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and soil functional genes (bacterial amoA , nirK , nirS , and nosZ). However, middle drought consistently suppressed N 2 O emissions due to simultaneous decreases in MBC, DOC and the abundances of archaeal amoA , nirK , and narG genes , causing the largest reduction in N 2 O emissions across the three years. In contrast, late drought had little effect on N 2 O fluxes, even though DOC and SIN decreased and the abundance of nirK , nirS , and nosZ increased. As a result, soil organic C and mineral N availability and functional gene abundances were not always robust factors for predicting N 2 O emissions under droughts across all treatments, except for abundance of AOA and nosZ. Our results highlight the vital role of seasonal timing in regulating the response of N 2 O emissions to extreme droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease, and microRNAs have been reported to regulate the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Up‐regulated miR‐744‐3p level was identified to associate with psoriasis while the precise functions of miR‐744‐3p in psoriasis were not well‐elucidated. We first confirmed the up‐regulation of miR‐744‐3p in psoriasis by measuring its expression level in psoriatic samples. We explored the roles of miR‐744‐3p on keratinocytes proliferation and differentiation. We searched the targets of miR‐744‐3p and evaluated the roles of one target, KLLN on keratinocytes proliferation and differentiation. We confirmed the up‐regulation of miR‐744‐3p in psoriatic samples. MiR‐744‐3p promoted keratinocytes proliferation while inhibited differentiation. MiR‐744‐3p targeted KLLN and overexpression of miR‐744‐3p resulted in decreased expression of KLLN. Overexpression of KLLN prevented the effects of miR‐744‐3p on keratinocytes proliferation and differentiation. MiR‐744‐3p regulated the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes through targeting KLLN in psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract 1,2,3-Triazolium salts draw much attentions in recent years. We developed a new synthetic method to heteroatom-functionalized triazoliums via nucleophilic substitution of 4-bromomethyltriazolium. This method afforded triazoliums with different S , N , and O heteroatom-substituents. Moreover, S N 2′ reaction was observed with alcohols or hydroxides. In addition, debromination and debromomethylation reaction occurred in some cases. Graphical abstract Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel CNC pincer ligand with secondary amine moiety flanked by 1,2,3‐triazolylidene was reported. Metalation of the ligand precursors with silver oxide afforded the bimetallic silver complexes, which were subsequently transmetalated with palladium to afford palladium(II) CNC Pincer complexes. The structure of these metal complexes was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction analyses. A novel CNC ligand with secondary amine moiety flanked by 1,2,3‐triazolylidene was reported. This ligand could be considered as analog of bisphosphinoamine, and formed pincer complexes with palladium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PTSD is associated with abnormal immune activation. • The expression of NR3C1 can alter the AS genes. • AS genes contain numerous factors and pathways related to inflammations. • Increased immunological response, stress reaction, and inflammatory response. NR3C1-encoding glucocorticoid receptors have dual roles as RNA-binding protein and transcription factor. Recent studies revealed that NR3C1 might play an important role in the pathogenesis of PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder). However, its molecular mechanism remained unclear. In the present study, a neuronal cell model was constructed by transfecting a NR3C1-overexpressing plasmid pIRES-hrGFP-1a-NR3C1 or empty vector into HT22 cells. The changes in global transcription levels and alternative splicing events in HT22 cells after NR3C1 overexpression were analyzed by RNA sequencing. Compared with the empty vector control, the expression of inflammatory factors were differentially regulated by NR3C1, including genes involved in chemokine signal pathway, PI3K-Akt signal pathway, cytokine receptor interaction, neural ligand-receptor interaction and so on. In addition, NR3C1 regulated the alternative splicing of many genes involved in immune response, axon formation, stress response and inflammation. This study was the first to perform a transcriptome analysis of differential gene expression and alternative splicing in a NR3C1-overexpressing HT22 cell model. Our results suggested that NR3C1 could manipulate the expression of inflammatory transcription factors and their alternative splicing patterns, subsequently affecting the expression of downstream targets, may be leading to the onset of PTSD. This study will provide new insights in the NR3C1-mediated gene regulation in relation to PTSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temozolomide (TMZ) is a conventional chemotherapeutic drug for glioma, however, its clinical application and efficacy is severely restricted by its drug resistance properties. O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a DNA repair enzyme, which can repair the DNA damage caused by TMZ. A large number of clinical data show that reducing the expression of MGMT can enhance the chemotherapeutic efficacy of TMZ. Therefore, in order to improve the resistance of glioma to TMZ, an angiopep-2 (A2) modified nanoprodrug of polytemozolomide (P(TMZ)n) that combines with MGMT siRNA (siMGMT) targeting MGMT was developed (A2/T/D/siMGMT). It not only increased the amount of TMZ within tumor lesion site, but also reduced MGMT expression in glioma. The in vitro experiments indicated that the A2/T/D/siMGMT effectively enhanced the cellular uptake of TMZ and siMGMT, and resulted in a significant cell apoptosis and cytotoxicity in the glioma cells. The in vivo experiments showed that glioma growth was inhibited and the survival time of animals were prolonged remarkably after A2/T/D/siMGMT was injected via tail vein. The results showed that the therapeutic effect of A2/T/D/siMGMT in the treatment of glioma was significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protozoan parasites infect and kill millions of people worldwide every year, particularly in developing countries where access to clean fresh water is limited. Among the most common are intestinal parasites, including Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica. These parasites wreak havoc on the epithelium lining the small intestines (G. lamblia) and colon (E. histolytica) causing giardiasis and amebiasis, respectively. In addition, there are less common but far more deadly pathogens such as Naegleria fowleri that thrive in warm waters and infect the central nervous systems of their victims via the nasal passages. Despite their prevalence and associated high mortality rates, there remains an unmet need to identify more effective therapeutics for people infected with these opportunistic parasites. To address this unmet need, we have surveyed plants and traditional herbal medicines known throughout the world to identify novel antiparasitic agents with activity against G. lamblia, E. histolytica, and N. fowleri. Herein, we report Larrea tridentata, known as creosote bush, as a novel source for secondary metabolites that display antiparasitic activity against all three pathogens. This report also characterizes the lignan compound classes, nordihydroguairetic acid and demethoxyisoguaiacin, as novel antiparasitic lead agents to further develop more effective drug therapy options for millions of people worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Catalyst preparation by coprecipitation-ammonia method was used. • A new stability evaluation method was applied. • A methanol conversion of 100% and a CO selectivity of 0.3% were achieved. CuZnZrAl catalysts were synthesized by the co-precipitation and coprecipitation-ammonia methods and modified with Y and Ce promoters for the methanol steam reforming hydrogen production process. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were analyzed by XRD, BET, H 2 -TPR, and XPS methods. The methanol conversion, as well as CO selectivity of MSR at different temperatures, were investigated, and its stability was probed using repeated start and stop test to simulate the onboard hydrogen production process. The results showed that the methanol conversion of CuZnZrAl catalyst prepared by coprecipitation-ammonia method was 96.9% at a temperature of 270°C, S/C molar ratio of 1.2, and WHSV of 2.6 h−1, which was higher than that of 94.6% by the co-precipitation method. In addition, the best catalytic performance was obtained for the catalyst with Ce promoter addition using coprecipitation-ammonia method. The conversion was 100% at 270°C with a CO selectivity of only 0.31%, and the conversion remained 98.7% after 20 reactions were repeated. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Amorphous-crystalline MoS x homojunction was constructed as alkaline HER cocatalyst. • Water-activation and H 2 -evolution sites were simultaneously produced in ac -MoS x. • Alkaline H 2 -evolution rate of TiO 2 photocatalyst can be greatly boosted by ac -MoS x. • An amorphous-crystalline synergetic mechanism of MoS x homojunction was proposed. Low-cost molybdenum sulfide (MoS 2) has been widely regarded as a potential H 2 -production cocatalyst for various photocatalysts. However, compared with neutral or acidic medium, MoS 2 cocatalyst generally exhibits a very limited H 2 -production activity in alkaline medium owing to the complex progress, including the H 2 O adsorption and activation, OH desorption and evolution of hydrogen. In this study, an amorphous-crystalline MoS x homojunction (ac -MoS x) is synthesized and anchored on TiO 2 surface to greatly enhance its photocatalytic hydrogen production efficiency in alkaline medium. Herein, the ratio of amorphous to crystalline MoS x phase in the ac -MoS x homojunction can be regulated by controlling the calcination temperature (100–700 °C). Photocatalytic results show that the resultant ac -MoS x /TiO 2 (300 °C) has the highest hydrogen-production activity (3.43 mmol h−1 g−1, AQE = 16.3 %) in alkaline medium, which is higher compared to that of a -MoS x /TiO 2 by 4 times. An amorphization-crystallization synergism of MoS x homojunction was proposed for the improved photocatalytic hydrogen-production activity of TiO 2 in alkaline medium, where the Mo atom of crystalline MoS 2 can act as the excellent water-activation site, while the unsaturated S atom of amorphous MoS x works as the outstanding H 2 -evolution active center. This work offers a new and innovative strategy to construct highly-active alkaline H 2 -production catalysts in photocatalysis and electrochemistry fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate extremes are expected to increase in frequency and intensity as a consequence of anthropogenic climate change attributed to the rise of atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs). However, studies on the impacts of climate extremes on terrestrial ecosystems are limited. Here, we experimentally imposed extreme drought and a heat wave (∼60-year recurrence) to investigate their effects on GHGs fluxes of a semiarid grassland in China. We estimated a 16% and 38% percent reduction in net ecosystem CO 2 uptake caused by the heat wave and drought respectively, but via different mechanisms. Drought reduced gross ecosystem productively (GEP) and to a lower extent ecosystem respiration (ER). By contrast, the simulated heat wave suppressed only GEP while ER remained stable. The climate extremes also created a legacy effect on GEP and NEE lasting until the end of the growing season, whereas ER recovered immediately. Although CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes were unaffected by the heat wave, drought promoted CH 4 uptake and suppressed N 2 O emission during the treatment period. The effect of drought on GHGs fluxes generally overwhelmed that of the heat wave treatment, and there were no interactive effects of these two types of climate extremes. Our results showed that responses of ecosystem GHGs exchange to climate extremes are strongly regulated by soil moisture status. In conclusion, future amplification of climate extremes could decrease the sink for GHGs, especially CO 2 , in this semiarid grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boiling two-phase flow simulation by two-fluid framework with interfacial interaction models has been successfully practiced in recent decades, and yet the model shows inability in simulating boiling two-phase flow in narrow rectangular channels, which are extensively existed in plate-type heat exchangers. This paper focused on the development of wall boiling model, which specifically considered the influence of bubble sliding in the description of wall boiling phenomena. The developed model describes the bubble behavior in nucleate boiling phase as the following sequences: nucleating, growing, detaching from nucleation site, sliding along the heated surface and then lifting off to the main flow. The sliding behavior was modeled according to the former experimental observation and measurement in the literatures. The departure and lift-off diameters were predicted by semi-mechanistic force-balance models. The developed model was implemented into CFD code and was applied to simulate several experimental subcooled boiling cases in a narrow rectangular channel. Results show that the developed model predicted wall temperature better against test data than the default RPI model, which proved the feasibility and suitability of present model in these cases. The evaporation heat flux calculated by developed model takes up less fraction, which accounts for the majority in RPI model. • The subcooled wall boiling model considering bubble sliding in narrow rectangular is developed. • The departure and lift-off diameters were predicted by semi-mechanistic force-balance models. • Results show that the developed model predicted wall temperature better against test data than the default RPI model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We proposed a location and corrosion detection method of tower grounding conductor based on electromagnetic measurement. • The experimental results show that the detection accuracy of grounding conductor position can reach ± 0.1 m. • The maximum deviation of depth detection is 0.0964 m for the square-type grounding conductor. • The corrosion degree of grounding conductor can also be evaluated by the value of fuzzy closeness. Tower grounding conductors are buried underground and serve as the grounded discharge channel for the fault or lightning current of a transmission power system. The performance of the grounding conductor is crucial for the safe and reliable operation of transmission power systems. This study proposes a steel corrosion detection and location method for tower grounding conductors using electromagnetic measurements. To measure the surface alternating current magnetic field from the tower grounding conductor, a three-axis magnetic sensor array was constructed using six anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) magnetic sensors with a small size (mm3). Through simulation analysis, the structural size of the magnetic sensor array was determined, and the feasibility of the detection principle was analyzed. The experimental results showed that the detection accuracy of the grounding conductor position can reach ± 0.1 m. The maximum deviation of the depth detection was 0.0964 m for the square-type grounding conductor. Furthermore, the simulation and experiment demonstrate that the value of fuzzy closeness decreases gradually with an increase in the degree of corrosion of the grounding conductor, proving that the degree of corrosion of the grounding conductor can be evaluated according to the value of fuzzy closeness. The proposed method has significant potential for engineering applications in the detection and maintenance of tower grounding conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D organotypic culture models such as organoids and multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) are becoming more widely used for drug discovery and toxicology screening. As a result, 3D culture technologies adapted for high-throughput screening formats are prevalent. While a multitude of assays have been reported and validated for high-throughput imaging (HTI) and high-content screening (HCS) for novel drug discovery and toxicology, limited HTI/HCS with large compound libraries have been reported. Nonetheless, 3D HTI instrumentation technology is advancing and this technology is now on the verge of allowing for 3D HCS of thousands of samples. This review focuses on the state-of-the-art high-throughput imaging systems, including hardware and software, and recent literature examples of 3D organotypic culture models employing this technology for drug discovery and toxicology screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue fever is a fast emerging epidemic-prone viral disease caused by dengue virus serotypes 1-4. NS2B-NS3 protease of dengue virus is a validated target to develop antiviral agents. A major limitation in developing dengue virus protease inhibitors has been the lack of or poor cellular activity. In this work, we extracted and refined a pharmacophore model based on X-ray crystal structure and predicted binding patterns, followed by a three-dimensional flexible database filtration. These output molecules were screened according to a docking-based protocol, leading to the discovery of a compound with novel scaffold and good cell-based bioactivity that has potential to be further optimized. The discovery of this novel scaffold by combination of in silico methods suggests that structure-guided drug discovery can lead to the development of potent dengue virus protease inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to investigate effects of zinc-bearing zeolite clinoptilolite ( ZnCP), as an alternative for zinc sulfate ( ZnSO4), on laying performance, tissue Zn accumulation and Zn transporter genes expression in laying hens. Hy- Line Brown laying hens were allocated to three treatments, each of which had six replicates with 15 hens per replicate, receiving basal diet supplemented with ZnSO4 (control, 80 mg Zn/kg diet), 0.23% ZnCP (40.25 mg Zn/kg diet) and 0.46% ZnCP (80.50 mg Zn/kg diet) for 8 weeks, respectively. Compared with control, hens fed diet containing 0.23% ZnCP had similar Zn content in measured tissues ( P > 0.05). A higher ZnCP inclusion (0.46%) enhanced Zn accumulation in liver ( P < 0.05) and pancreas ( P < 0.05). In addition, ZnCP inclusion increased blood iron ( Fe) content ( P < 0.05). ZnCP supplementation enhanced jejunal metallothionein-4 ( MT-4) messenger RNA ( mRNA) abundance ( P < 0.05). ZnCP inclusion at a higher level (0.46%) increased mRNA expression of MT-4 in pancreas ( P < 0.05) and zinc transporter-1 ( ZnT-1) in jejunum ( P < 0.05). The highest ZnT-2 mRNA abundance in jejunum was found in hens fed 0.23% ZnCP inclusion diet ( P < 0.05). The results indicated that ZnCP reached a higher bioavailability as compared with ZnSO4 as evidenced by enhanced tissue Zn accumulation and Zn transporter genes expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of high-performance pH-universal electrocatalysts is critical to practical large-scale hydrogen generation as a carbon-neutral fuel, yet challenging. Herein, we report an unique motif with crystalline nickel tellurium nanorods enclosed by amorphous rhodium hydroxide (a-Rh(OH) 3 /NiTe), formed through a hydrothermal synthesis and a subsequent chemical etching process, to address this challenge. The as-prepared a-Rh(OH) 3 /NiTe cathode enables a current density of 100 mA cm−2 with low overpotentials of 51, 109, and 64 mV for HER in alkaline, neutral and acidic media, respectively. As revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the electronic interactions between a-Rh(OH) 3 and NiTe enhance the performance of Rh active sites. More importantly, the motif possesses superhydrophilicity and aerophobicity features, which not only facilitates the access to electrolytes but also ensures the fast release of hydrogen bubbles, endowing the electrocatalyst with advanced pH-universal HER activity. This work provides insights for the design of highly efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution at both molecular and mesoscopic levels. A motif with crystalline nickel tellurium nanorods enclosed by amorphous rhodium hydroxide, offering superaerophobic feature and interfacial electronic interaction, delivers splendid electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance in alkaline, neutral and acidic media. [Display omitted] • An unique motif of amorphous/crystalline a-Rh(OH)3/NiTe catalyst is constructed. • Low overpotentials are required to deliver 10 mA cm−2 for HER in alkaline, neutral and acidic mediums. • DFT calculations clarify that Rh species in Rh(OH)3 are the main active sites for HER. • NiTe serves as the co-promoter for the charge transfer during the catalytic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Belowground biomass was positively sensitive to early and middle droughts. • Belowground biomass was negatively sensitive to late drought. • Aboveground biomass was insensitive to all droughts. • CO 2 fluxes had the largest sensitivity to early drought. • CO 2 fluxes had the lowest sensitivity to middle drought. Quantifying the sensitivity of ecosystems to droughts, particularly with different seasonal timing, could improve our predictions of ecosystem-climate feedbacks, but few experiments have explicitly addressed seasonal timing per se effects on ecosystem sensitivity to droughts. Here, we present a seasonal timing × drought manipulation experiment to examine sensitivity (relative change in response parameters to the relative change in precipitation) of key ecosystem processes (community biomass and ecosystem CO 2 fluxes) to pulse-drought with different seasonal timing (early, middle or late) on a temperate semiarid grassland. We found belowground and total biomass were positively sensitive (i.e. ecological processes promoted by droughts and vice versa) to early and middle droughts but negatively sensitive to late drought while aboveground biomass was insensitive to all droughts. Ecosystem CO 2 fluxes had the largest negative sensitivity to early drought and smallest negative sensitivity to middle drought, although gross ecosystem production showed larger negative response to droughts than ecosystem respiration, leading to reduction in net ecosystem production, regardless of seasonal timing. Our results highlight the crucial role of seasonal drought timing in regulating sensitivity of key carbon cycle processes to droughts and suggest that droughts at plant peak stage cause the least detrimental ecological consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanosized hierarchical pure Si-Beta zeolite was prepared by the solvent-free method. With the assistance of 1% seeds and low organic template content (TEAOH/SiO 2 ​= ​0.06), pure Si-Beta zeolite is well crystallized within 16 ​h, neither fluoride mineralizing agent nor mesoporogen agent. Here we comprehensively investigated the physicochemical properties of the resulting samples, including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, water adsorption, Fourier transform infrared and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). These characterization results suggest that the silicon sources would influence the crystal size, but all samples possessed high surface area (509–647 ​m2 ​g−1), pore volume (0.40–0.71 ​cm3 ​g−1), and superior hydrophobicity. Nanosized hierarchical pure Si-Beta zeolite was prepared by different silicon sources with a low organic template via the solvent-free method, neither fluoride mineralizing agent nor mesoporogen agent. [Display omitted] • Pure Si-Beta zeolite was prepared by the solvent-free method. • Hierarchical nanosized pure Si-Beta zeolite was obtained with the aid of 1% seeds and low template agent. • Crystallization period was extremely shortened to 16 ​h without fluoride. • Pure Si-Beta zeolite was prepared using fumed silica, silica, and silica gel as silicon sources via the solvent-free method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]