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This investigation focuses on the Goos–Hänchen (GH) and Imbert–Fedorov (IF) shifts on the surface of the uniaxial hyperbolic material hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) based on the biaxial hyperbolic material alpha-molybdenum (α-MoO3) trioxide structure, where the anisotropic axis of hBN is rotated by an angle with respect to the incident plane. The surface with the highest degree of anisotropy among the two crystals is selected in order to analyze and calculate the GH- and IF-shifts of the system, and obtain the complex beam-shift spectra. The addition of α-MoO3 substrate significantly amplified the GH shift on the system's surface, as compared to silica substrate. With the p-polarization light incident, the GH shift can reach 381.76λ0 at about 759.82 cm−1, with the s-polarization light incident, the GH shift can reach 288.84λ0 at about 906.88 cm−1, and with the c-polarization light incident, the IF shift can reach 3.76λ0 at about 751.94 cm−1. The adjustment of the IF shift, both positive and negative, as well as its asymmetric nature, can be achieved by manipulating the left and right circular polarization light and torsion angle. The aforementioned intriguing phenomena offer novel insights for the advancement of sensor technology and optical encoder design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter cover crops have been shown to promote the accumulation of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, enhance nutrient cycling, reduce erosion, improve ecosystem stability, etc. In the black soil area of Northeast China, Triticum aestivum L., Medicago sativa L., Vicia villosa Roth., Triticum aestivum L. and Medicago sativa L. mixed planting, Triticum aestivum L. and Vicia villosa Roth. mixed planting, and winter fallow fields (CK) were selected to investigate the effects of winter cover crops on soil total carbon and nitrogen and microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen. The results showed that (1) after seasonal freeze-thaw, the rate of change in SOC (−2.49~6.50%), TN (−1.54~5.44%), and C/N (−1.18~1.16%) was less than that in SMBC (−80.91~−58.33%), SMBN (−65.03~332.22%), and SMBC/SMBN (−45.52~−90.03%); (2) winter cover crops not only alleviated the negative effects of seasonal freeze-thaw, which reduces SMBC and qMBC, but also increased SMBN and qMBN; (3) there was an extremely significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation between SOC and TN, a significant (p < 0.05) negative correlation between SMBC and SMBN, and there was no significant correlation between SOC and SMBC or between TN and SMBN; (4) alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen had the greatest impact on SOC and TN, while the soil's saturation degree had the greatest impact on SMBC and SMBN; and (5) the Triticum aestivum L. monoculture was the most effective in conserving soil microbial carbon and nitrogen. In conclusion, winter cover crops can mitigate the reduction in soil microbial biomass carbon caused by seasonal freeze-thaw and also increase the soil microbial nitrogen content in the black soil region of Northeast China, of which Triticum aestivum L. monoculture showed the best performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately evaluating the flow characteristics in fracture intersections is important to advance the understanding of groundwater flow and solute transport in crossed rock fractures. However, mainly two-dimensional (2D) intersection models have been adopted in previous studies, and the influence of intersection angles and related three-dimensional (3D) effects (channel flow and transverse flow) on the fracture seepage and the solute transport is still neglected. In this study, the 3D crossed fracture models, coupled with various intersection angles, were established through the intersection of two rough-walled fractures. The characteristic parameters of the fluid flow and the solute transport under different inlet velocity conditions were calculated by the Navier–Stokes equation and the advective–diffusion equation, respectively. The results indicated that the intricate geometry of the intersection in 3D rough-walled models led to channeling flows, which subsequently impacted mixing behavior depending on velocity. Due to the presence of channeling flows, the velocity ratio at the outlet was different from that of a 2D fracture as the inlet hydraulic conditions evolved. The coefficient matrices describing nonlinear flow behavior in different fracture intersection angles were quantified simultaneously. The reallocation of fluid pathways induced by intersecting angles affects mixing behavior by influencing the geometrical structure of fracture intersections. Moreover, the breakthrough curves and solute mixing process were significantly dependent on the intersection angle and the inlet velocity. In the linear region, the mixing ratio is random due to the intersection of heterogeneous, while in the nonlinear region, the mixing ratio decreases with the increase in water flow. Above all, the correlation established in this study between hydraulic parameters and the intersection angle parameter can enhance their efficacy in predicting solute transport in fractured rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain management is a crucial concern in medicine, particularly in the case of children who may struggle to effectively communicate their pain. Despite the longstanding reliance on various assessment scales by medical professionals, these tools have shown limitations and subjectivity. In this paper, we present a pain assessment scheme based on skin potential signals, aiming to convert subjective pain into objective indicators for pain identification using machine learning methods. We have designed and implemented a portable non-invasive measurement device to measure skin potential signals and conducted experiments involving 623 subjects. From the experimental data, we selected 358 valid records, which were then divided into 218 silent samples and 262 pain samples. A total of 38 features were extracted from each sample, with seven features displaying superior performance in pain identification. Employing three classification algorithms, we found that the random forest algorithm achieved the highest accuracy, reaching 70.63%. While this identification rate shows promise for clinical applications, it is important to note that our results differ from state-of-the-art research, which achieved a recognition rate of 81.5%. This discrepancy arises from the fact that our pain stimuli were induced by clinical operations, making it challenging to precisely control the stimulus intensity when compared to electrical or thermal stimuli. Despite this limitation, our pain assessment scheme demonstrates significant potential in providing objective pain identification in clinical settings. Further research and refinement of the proposed approach may lead to even more accurate and reliable pain management techniques in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the area of regional port clusters, this paper establishes a multi-period mixed integer programming model to optimize the empty container repositioning between public hinterlands and ports, comprehensively considering the quantitative and periodic inventory control strategy. At the same time, this paper dynamically and heuristically determines the empty container inventory threshold (D, U) under quantitative strategy and S under periodical strategy at each port within the regional port clusters. On this basis, the empty container repositioning schemes between public hinterlands and ports are optimized by using Markov decision process combined with dynamic programming method. In addition, Liaoning coastal regional port cluster and its northeast hinterland are selected as the objects to solve this model and the results show that the total cost of shipping company can be saved by 14.16% and 11.92%, respectively, by the quantitative and periodical inventory control strategy. Selecting the quantity of public hinterland terminals, the empty container demand of public hinterland terminals and ports, the inventory threshold of empty containers and other factors, this paper carries on the sensitivity analysis. This paper validates inventory control strategy can weaken the shipping company in the influence of the external environment changes. And the quantitative inventory control strategy can reduce the total cost value to a greater extent and more effective in cost control than periodical strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore whether creatine promotes the repair of peripheral nerve injury and its possible mechanism. In vitro : RAW264.7 cells were used to investigate the role of proteins related to the JAK2/STAT1 pathway in the polarization of macrophages treated with creatine. In vivo: A sciatic nerve crush model was used. After the injury, IL-4 or creatine was injected. The recovery of motor function was assessed by the rotarod test and sciatic function index at 2, 6, 10, and 16 days after injury. At 16 days after injury, the ultrastructure of the nerve tissue was observed under a transmission electron microscope. Immunostaining were performed at 4 and 16 days to investigate the expression levels of macrophage-related markers as well as the distribution of macrophages after injury. Compared with the IFN-γ group, the group pretreated with creatine showed a significant decrease in p-JAK2 and p-STAT1 in vitro. The motor function of mice in the creatine group (CR 1) and creatine 4 days group (CR 2) was significantly improved compared to the control group (CON). The improvement in the CR 2 group was more significant. Immunostaining showed that infiltrating macrophages mainly comprised M1 macrophages in the CON group and M2 macrophages in the CR group. Our study shows that creatine promotes the repair of peripheral nerve injury by affecting macrophage polarization, possibly through decreasing M1 polarization by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT1 pathway. • Creatine promotes the repair of peripheral nerve injury by affecting the polarization of macrophages. • The repair effect is better when the creatine is administered 4 days after injury rather than administered immediately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-targeted analysis (NTA) has great potential to screen emerging contaminants in the environment, and some studies have conducted in-depth investigation on environmental samples. Here, we used a NTA workflow to identify emerging contaminants in used tire particle (TP) leachates, followed by quantitative prediction and toxicity assessment based on hazard scores. Tire particles were obtained from four different types of automobiles, representing the most common tires during daily transportation. With the instrumental analysis of TP leachates, a total of 244 positive and 104 negative molecular features were extracted from the mass data. After filtering by a specialized emerging contaminants list and matching by spectral databases, a total of 51 molecular features were tentatively identified as contaminants, including benzothiazole, hexaethylene glycol, 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, etc. Given that these contaminants have different mass spectral responses in the mass spectrometry, models for predicting the response of contaminants were constructed based on machine learning algorithms, in this case random forest and artificial neural networks. After five-fold cross-validation, the random forest algorithm model had better prediction performance (MAE CV = 0.12, Q2 = 0.90), and thus it was chosen to predict the contaminant concentrations. The prediction results showed that the contaminant at the highest concentration was benzothiazole, with 4,875 μg/L in the winter tire sample. In addition, the joint toxicity assessment of four types of tires was conducted in this study. According to different hazard levels, hazard scores increasing by a factor 10 were developed, and hazard scores of all the contaminants identified in each TP leachate were summed to obtain the total hazard score. All four tires were calculated to have relatively high risks, with winter tires having the highest total hazard score of 40,751. This study extended the application of NTA research and led to the direction of subsequent targeting studies on highly concentrated and toxic contaminants. • Non-targeted analysis with extended applications were conducted for tire leachates. • Comprehensive information on emerging contaminants in the leachate of used tires was provided. • Random Forest model demonstrated better potential for predicting contaminant concentrations. • Used winter tires might release more hazardous contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planar functions are of great importance in the constructions of DES-like iterated ciphers, error-correcting codes, signal sets and mathematics. They are defined over finite fields of odd characteristic originally and generalized by Y. Zhou [28] in even characteristic. In 2016, L. Qu [23] proposed a new approach to constructing quadratic planar functions over F 2 n . Very recently, D. Bartoli and M. Timpanella [4] characterized the condition on coefficients a , b such that the function f a , b (x) = a x 2 2 m + 1 + b x 2 m + 1 ∈ F 2 3 m [ x ] is a planar function over F 2 3 m by the Hasse-Weil bound. In this paper, using the Lang-Weil bound, a generalization of the Hasse-Weil bound, and the new approach introduced in [23] , we completely characterize the necessary and sufficient conditions on coefficients of four classes of planar functions over F q k , where q = 2 m with m sufficiently large (see Theorem 1.1). The first and last classes of them are over F q 2 and F q 4 respectively, while the other two classes are over F q 3 . One class over F q 3 is an extension of f a , b (x) investigated in [4] , while our proofs seem to be much simpler. In addition, although the planar binomial over F q 2 of our results is finally a known planar monomial, we also answer the necessity at the same time and solve partially an open problem for the binomial case proposed in [23]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Z-complementary code sets (ZCCSs), extended from complete complementary codes (CCCs), have ideal correlations within a zone around the in-phase position named zero correlation zone (ZCZ). In this article, two classes of aperiodic ZCCSs with good cross-correlation subsets are investigated. They are multiple CCCs with inter-set zero cross-correlation zone (ZCCZ) property and multiple aperiodic ZCCSs with ideal inter-set aperiodic cross-correlation property respectively, the latter is referred to as an aperiodic inter-group complementary (IGC) code set and each ZCCS is called a group. First of all, based on polyphase paraunitary (PU) matrices and special permutation matrices, a construction of multiple polyphase CCCs with an inter-set ZCCZ is proposed. The obtained multiple CCCs have potential applications in interference-free multi-cell environments to support a large number of users. In addition, a construction of aperiodic polyphase IGC code sets is presented from polyphase PU matrices. We remark that different groups of the derived IGC code sets yield different constituent sequence lengths, thus they could provide a variety of quality of service (QoS) in quasi-synchronous multi-cell multi-rate communication systems. To the best of our knowledge, the aforementioned constructions of ZCCSs with good cross-correlation subsets based on PU matrices have not been reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in the preloading technologies and detection technologies used to measure different soil properties (e.g., settlement, drainage, shear strength, elastic wave velocity, and degree of consolidation) have provided a new opportunity to refine and improve soil treatment methods. In this study, a series of tests were conducted using a remolded dredged slurry sample containing different lime contents (0%, 2%, 4%, and 8%) and a modified vacuum preloading device with a porometer, bending element, and tactile pressure sensor. The consolidation behavior of samples with and without lime was determined. The effects of different lime contents on the consolidation properties were studied for the whole samples and at different depths. The optimum lime content of the dredged slurry sample under vacuum preloading conditions was determined by comparing the consolidation efficiencies (CEs). In addition, a one-dimensional surcharge preloading experiment was conducted on dredged slurry samples under incremental preloading (0–100 kPa, 100–200 kPa, and 200–400 kPa). Even though numerous soil consolidation properties differed according to preloading conditions, the optimum lime content based on the consolidation efficiency (CE) was consistently found to be 4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The service environment of grouting materials in sleeves and building fire were simulated, the deterioration of hydration products and microstructures were revealed. • The thickness of concrete cover was considered, increasing the thickness of concrete cover could slightly relieve the decomposition of post-fire grouting materials. • The prediction formulas of bonding strength and bearing capacity of post-fire GSCs were recommended in condition of two kinds of concrete cover. The performances of grouting sleeves for connections (GSCs) were critical for safety of prefabricated concrete structures especially after building fire. The consideration of concrete cover around sleeves was insufficient in previous studies which was essential for predicting the properties of GSCs in actual engineering. This study simulated the building fire, and the properties of post-fire GSCs with different concrete covers were explored. The influences of peak temperature (200 °C-800 °C) and the thickness of concrete cover (15 mm, 25 mm) on the strength of grouting materials and the anchorage performance of GSCs were analyzed. TG, MIP and SEM were used to reveal the deterioration of hydration products and microstructures of post-fire grouting materials. The failure mode, load–displacement relation and internal damage phenomenon of post-fire GSCs were tested, the prediction formula of bonding strength and peak temperatures was established. Furthermore, the prediction formula of bearing capacity of post-fire GSCs were recommended in condition of two kinds of concrete cover. The results showed that the peak temperature of 600 °C was upper limit of acceptability for GSCs under the protection of concrete cover. Increasing the thickness of concrete cover could slightly relieve the decomposition of hydration products and deterioration of microstructures of grouting materials, and then improve the bearing capacities of GSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cruciferous sprout is a new form of vegetable product that is gaining attention due to its high content of bioactive compounds such as glucosinolates. As a diverse class of phytochemicals, glucosinolates and glucosinolate-derived products such as isothiocyanates are popular targets for scientific research because of their health associated benefits. The present review highlights the unique properties of beneficial glucosinolates and bioactive derivatives, the biosynthetic and metabolic regulatory networks of glucosinolates, and their role in cruciferous sprouts for producing health-promoting glucosinolates biofortification benefits along the entire agro-food chain. Glucosinolates and their bioactive derivatives have been extensively studied for their beneficial effects on human health. Among various plant products, cruciferous sprouts are more suitable as a functional food due to their high content of health-promoting glucosinolates and bioactive derivatives. This review describes the unique properties of glucosinolates and their bioactive derivatives contained in cruciferous sprouts with potential health benefits. We discussed the glucosinolate metabolic pathway as well as their regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, we proposed to apply the integrative and sustainable treatment approaches in cruciferous sprout industry including breeding for glucosinolates-biofortified cultivars, pre-harvest treatment to improve glucosinolates accumulation, followed by postharvest handlings and processing methods for benefit glucosinolates retention along the whole agro-food chain to fight health-promoting glucosinolates deficiency in human daily diet. This review presents a comprehensive overview of effective health-promoting glucosinolates biofortification in cruciferous sprouts along the entire agro-food chain, which is potential in the sustainable cruciferous sprouts industry as well as significance in human nutrition. • Glucosinolates are a diverse group of phychemicals with great health associated benefits. • Cruciferous sprout is a new form of vegetable product with high content of bioactive compounds such as glucosinolates. • Glucosinolate metabolism is associated with nutrition and flavor quality of cruciferous sprout products. • Regulation of glucosinolate metabolism along agro-food chain is potential in the sustainable cruciferous sprouts industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Polylactic add has good bio-toughness and biocompatibility, but bio-inertity limits the interaction of polylactic acid resin implants with surrounding tissues after implantation in vivo. Therefore, research on improving the biological activity of polylactic acid resin and improving bone binding properties has gradually become a hotspot of biological materials. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of polylactic add resin combined with different bioactive coatings on the adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts, and to analyze their antibacterial ability. METHODS: The three-dimensional printed polylactic acid biomimetic tibia specimens were made, and chitosan-a-p-GP thermosensitive hydrogel coating and chitosan nanoparticle coating were prepared on the surface. MC3T3-E1 cells were inoculated separately into three-dimensional printed polylactic acid biomimetic tibia (blank group), chitosan-a-p-GP thermosensitive hydrogel coated three-dimensional printed polylactic add biomimetic tibia (hydrogel group) and shell-containing coating three-dimensional printed polylactic acid biomimetic tibia (nanoparticle group) surface. The cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation were observed. The cell adhesion plaque and osteoprotegenn gene and protein expression levels, and the expression levels of p65 and p-p65 were detected. The interleukin-6 secretion was detected. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were inoculated on the surface of the three samples, respectively, and the bacterial adhesion was observed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) After 8 hours of inoculation, the number of adherent cells in the nanoparticle group was higher than that in the hydrogel and blank groups (P < 0.05), and the number of adherent cells hydrogel group was higher than that in the blank group (P < 0.05). (2) Cell viability in the nanoparticle and gel groups was higher than that in the blank group at 2, 4, 6 and 8 days (P < 0.05). (3) After 6 days of culture, the cell adhesion spots and the expression levels of osteoprotegerin protein and mPNA in the particle and hydrogel groups were higher than those in the blank group (P < 0.05), and they were higher in the nanoparticle group than those in the hydrogel group (P < 0.05). (4) After 8 days of culture, the alkaline phosphatase activity and the secretion content of interleukin-6 in the nanoparticle and hydrogel groups were higher than those in the blank group (P < 0.05), and they were higher in the nanoparticle group than those in the hydrogel group [P < 0.05). The level of p-p65 in the nanoparticle group was higher than that in the hydrogel group (P < 0.05), and it was higher in the hydrogel group than that In the blank group (P < 0.05). (5) The antibacterial abilities to Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were as follows: nanoparticle group > hydrogel group > blank group (P < 0.05). (6) In summary, three-dimensional printed polylactic add humerus combined with a-p-GP thermosensitive hydrogel and chitosan nanoparticles can effectively promote cell adhesion and proliferation and increase alkaline phosphatase activity, the secretion of antibacterial factors, and improve antibacterial ability, which is related to activation of NF-KB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complete complementary codes (CCCs) have found a number of practical applications in wireless communications owing to their perfect aperiodic auto-correlation and cross-correlation properties. In particular, an important application of CCCs is in interference-free multi-carrier code-division multiple-access (MC-CDMA) systems. The available number of complementary codes determines the system capacity. To enlarge the system capacity, this paper focuses on constructing multiple CCCs with inter-set zero cross-correlation zone (ZCCZ) property based on generalized Boolean functions (GBFs). To the best of our knowledge, such multiple CCCs have not been reported in the literature. The obtained multiple CCCs can provide advantages in applications to MC-CDMA systems with multiple cells. As a byproduct, optimal aperiodic Z-complementary code sets (ZCCSs) with low peak-to-mean envelope power ratio (PMEPR) can be derived by combining these CCCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is performed to elucidate the role of long non-coding RNA myocardial infarction associated transcript (lncRNA MIAT) in vulnerable plaque formation in rats with atherosclerosis (AS) through the regulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The mice model of AS was established, and the successful modeled AS mice were treated with overexpressed MIAT and silenced MIAT. The levels of blood lipids, atherosclerotic plaques (AP) formation, the lipid content, collagen content, apoptosis of aortic cells, angiogenesis as well as the expression of inflammatory factors, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined through a series of experiments. MIAT was found to be upregulated in AS. Additionally, MIAT up-regulated the levels of blood lipids, promoted AP formation, increased the lipid content and decreased the collagen content of AP, promoted the apoptosis of aortic cells in AS mice by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Meanwhile, MIAT was determined to promote angiogenesis as well as the expression of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in AS mice through the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Furthermore, MIAT activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to participate in AS progression. Our study suggests that upregulation of MIAT can aggravate AS injury in AS mice via the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, which could provide a novel target for the treatment of AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutually orthogonal complementary codes have found many practical applications in wireless communications owing to their perfect correlation properties. However, the set size of a mutually orthogonal complementary code set (MOCCS) is upper bounded by the number of constituent sequences in each complementary code. As a result, the number of users in the communication system is limited. To overcome this limitation, quasi-complementary sequence sets (QCSSs) were proposed, which include low correlation zone complementary sequence sets (LCZ-CSSs) and low correlation complementary sequence sets (LC-CSSs). In this paper, aperiodic quasi-complementary sequences are our main interest. Constructions of aperiodic LC-CSSs and aperiodic LCZ-CSSs over the complex roots of unity are proposed. With these constructions, asymptotically optimal aperiodic QCSSs can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An $(\boldsymbol {M},\boldsymbol {K},\boldsymbol {N},\delta _{\max })$ -quasi-complementary sequence set (QCSS) is referred to as a set of $\boldsymbol {M}$ 2-D matrices of order $\boldsymbol {K}\times \boldsymbol {N}$ with periodic tolerance $\delta _{\max }$. In a multicarrier code-division multiple-access (MC-CDMA) communication system, the set size $\boldsymbol {M}$ of a QCSS is equal to the maximum number of users it can support, and the periodic tolerance $\delta _{\max }$ determines the interference performance. For the application of a QCSS, it is desirable that the set size should be as large as possible, and the periodic tolerance should be as small as possible. In this paper, a framework of a periodic QCSS is proposed from additive and multiplicative characters associated with a specific integer set. It is then discovered that the parameters of the obtained QCSS are determined by the employed integer set. From this discovery, new classes of periodic QCSSs with large set sizes and low periodic tolerances are constructed and associated with some known integer sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longest common subsequence (LCS) problem is a classic computer science problem. For the essential problem of computing LCS between two arbitrary sequences s1 and s2, this paper proposes an algorithm taking O(n+r) space and O(r+n2) time, where r is the total number of elements in the set (i,j)|s1[i]=s2[j]. The algorithm can be more efficient than relevant classical algorithms in specific ranges of r. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of ultrafine ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) in concrete becomes widely used for high performance and environmental sustainability. The form of ultrafine slag (UFS) used in concrete is powder for convenience of transport and store. Drying-grinding-drying processes are needed before the application for wet emission. This paper aims at exploring the performances of concrete blended with GGBFS in form of slurry. The ultrafine slag slurry (UFSS) was obtained by the process of grinding the original slag in a wet ball mill, which was mixed in concrete directly. The durations of grinding were 20 min, 40 min, and 60 min which were used to replace Portland cement with different percentages, namely, 20, 35, and 50, and were designed to compare cement with original slag concrete. The workability was investigated in terms of fluidity. Microstructure and pore structure were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The fluidity of concrete mixed with UFSS is deteriorated slightly. The microstructure and early strength were obviously improved with the grind duration extended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The mass accumulation of phosphogypsum has caused serious environmental pollution, which has become a worldwide problem. Gypsum is a kind of green building material, which is lighter, has better heat and sound insulation performance, and is easier to recycle compared to cement. The application of cast-in-situ phosphogypsum wall could consume a large amount of pollutant, and improve the efficiency of building construction. Methods: The preparation and thermal insulation performance of cast-in-situ phosphogypsum wall were investigated. The property of phosphogypsum–fly ash–lime (PFL) triad cementing materials, the adaptability of retarders and superplasticizers, and the influences of vitrified microsphere as aggregates were explored. Thus, the optimum mix was proposed. Thermal insulation performance tests and ANSYS simulation of this material was carried out. Results: Optimal structures based on heat channels and the method of calculation determining related parameters were proposed, which achieved a 12.3% reduction in the heat transfer coefficient of the wall. Conclusion: With good performance, phosphogypsum could be used in cast-in-situ walls. This paper provides the theoretical basis for the preparation and energy-saving application of phosphogypsum in the walls of buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fluorescent chemsensor TBS-protected salicylaldehyde azine (TSAA) for fluoride ion was developed based on aggregation-induced emission (AIE). The probe TSAA was prepared by the reaction of salicylaldehyde azine (SAA) with tert -butyldimethylsilyl chloride (TBS-Cl) via an unusual synthetic methodology and shows only non-emission. Upon treatment with fluoride in aqueous MeCN solution, the TBS protective group of probe TSAA was removed readily and the fluorescence of the probe was switched on, which resulted in a new fluorescence peak around 543 nm. The fluorescent intensity at 543 nm increases linearly with fluoride ion concentration in the range 1–50 μmol L −1 . This proposed probe shows excellent selectivity toward fluoride ion over other common anions and cations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invar36 alloy is suitable to produce mold of composite materials structure because it has similar thermal expansion coefficient with composite materials. In the present paper, the MIG welding and laser-MIG hybrid welding methods are compared to get the more appropriate method to overcome the poor weldability of invar36 alloy. According to the analysis of the experimental and simulated results, it has been proved that the Gauss and cone combined heat source model can characterize the laser-MIG hybrid welding heat source well. The total welding time of MIG welding is 8 times that of hybrid laser-MIG welding. The welding material consumption of MIG welding is about 4 times that of hybrid laser-MIG welding. The stress and deformation simulation indicate that the peak value of deformation during MIG welding is 3 times larger than that of hybrid laser-MIG welding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for separation of 11 n -alkanes: octane, o -nonane, n -decane, n -undecane, n -dodecane, n -tridecane, n -tetradecane, n -pentdecne, n -hexadecath, heptadecane, n -octadecane in soil samples was developed. Kuderna-Danish (K.D.) concentrator enrichment prior to ultrasonic extraction and the silicone chromatography column purification and with gas chromatography flame ionization detection (GC-FID) could be used for n -alkanes determination. The micro channels of open tubular column were fabricated onto a silicon wafer to replace the quartz capillary chromatographic column. The column structure and analysis parameters that affected the column separation were investigated and optimized. Under optimal conditions, the extract reagent was centrifuged and collected. A silicone chromatography column and a K.D. concentrator were used for further clean-up and enrichment. Using this method, the limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) were obtained in the range of 0.03–0.15 and 0.1–0.5 mg kg −1 in soil samples, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was under 12%. The optimized procedure that presented good analytical performance (with recoveries ranging from 56.5% to 89.2%), was successfully applied to determine n -alkane content in farmland soil samples adjacent to a highway. The results showed that the MWCNTs-functionalized column is capable of separating the alkane contaminations with high resolution in about 3 min, which is much shorter than that of GC-MS and other conventional analytical methods, demonstrating its great potential for rapid analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional biochemical and histopathological tests have been used to evaluate the safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compatibility for a long time. But these methods lack high sensitivity and specificity. In the previous study, we have found ten biomarkers related to cardiotoxicity and established a support vector machine (SVM) prediction model. Results showed a good sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, in this study, we used SVM model combined with metabonomics UPLC/Q-TOF-MS technology to build a rapid and sensitivity and specificity method to predict the cardiotoxicity of TCM compatibility. This study firstly applied SVM model to the prediction of cardiotoxicity in TCM compatibility containing Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata and further identified whether the cardiotoxicity increased after Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata combined with other TCM. This study provides a new idea for studying the evaluation of the cardiotoxicity caused by compatibility of TCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stationary phases functionalized with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphene, respectively, for the columns in micro gas chromatography are presented in this paper. To exploit the merits of MWCNTs and graphene in terms of their high specific surface area, low surface energy and chemical inertness, experimental conditions for separation (heating rate and final temperature of temperature programming, flow rate of carrier gas and the volume of samples injection) are investigated, and separations of both polar and nonpolar compound mixtures under these conditions are performed. Compared with PDMS-only coated stationary phases, the functionalization of the phases with carbon nano-materials improves the performance of columns in separation, repeatability, stability and revolution significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Wet grinding could be used to improve the hydration activity of GGBFS-SS binary precursor activated by sodium sulfate. • SS used as partial-substitution precursor of GGBFS decreased the setting time and improve the early strength. • Excessive SS induced micro-cracks and strength decrease in later age. • The optimum content of WSS-GS paste was 15%SS-85%GGBFS activated by sodium sulfate. Weak base Alkali-activated materials (AAM) is a potential approach to further reduce energy consumption and eco-friendly. Long setting time and low early strength limit the application in engineering. In this study, steel slag (SS) was used as a partial-substitution precursor of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), and wet-grinded SS-GGBFS (WSS-GS) binary binders activated by sodium sulfate were designed. The results showed that the alkalinity of WSS-GS slurry was improved by the addition of SS, and the early hydration reaction and strength were promoted greatly. However, excessive SS was harmful to strength development at later age for quantity reduction of hydration products and microstructure deterioration. 15%SS-85%GGBFS activated by 3% Na 2 O-E sodium sulfate was verified with a desired performance, initial setting time was shortened by 60% and 1 d compressive strength was increased by 91% compared to GGBFS. These results provide guidance on designing of weak base-activated slag system and utilization of mass SS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and efficient route for the generation of pyrazolo[5,1- a ]isoquinolines via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 1,3-dipolar and ethyl acetoacetate is described. Meanwhile, the selective synthesis of either pyrazolo[5,1- a ]isoquinoline-1-carboxylate or 2-(pyrazolo[5,1- a ]isoquinolin-2-yl)acetate derivatives from the same reactants has been achieved by simply varying base and reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small library of benzoxazine-fused isoquinolines has been synthesized under microwave irradiation (MW) via CuI-catalyzed domino reactions ofo-alkynyl aldehydes and amines having embedded nucleophiles. This strategy offers a operationally simple, environmentally acceptable route to synthesize benzoxazine-fused isoquinolines in moderate to good yields. All new compounds were characterized by1H NMR,13C NMR, infrared, and high-resolution mass spectrometry techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ (PPAR-δ) and additional SNP-SNP interaction with essential hypertension (EH) in Chinese Han population. A total of 1248 subjects (625 males, 623 females), including 620 EH patients and 628 normotension subjects, were included in the study. The mean age was 51.2 ± 15.1 years old. Logistic regression model was used to examine the association between four SNP and EH; odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confident interval (95 %CI) were calculated. Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was employed to analyze SNP-SNP interaction. EH risk was significantly lower in carriers of C allele of the rs2016520 polymorphism than those with TT (TC + CC versus TT, adjusted OR (95 %CI) = 0.61 (0.49-0.78)). In addition, we also found a significant association between rs9794 and EH; EH risk was also significantly lower in carriers of G allele of the rs9794 polymorphism than those with CC (CG + GG versus CC, adjusted OR (95 %CI) = 0.65 (0.53-0.83)). We also found a potential SNP-SNP interaction between rs2016520 and rs9794; subjects with TC or CC of rs2016520 and CG or GG of rs9794 genotype have the lowest EH risk, compared to subjects with TT of rs2016520 and CC of rs9794 genotype; OR (95 %CI) was 0.32 (0.23-0.62) after covariate adjustment. Our results support an important association between rs2016520 and rs9794 minor allele of PPAR-δ and decreased risk of EH and additional interaction between rs2016520 and rs9794. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study combines solid phase extraction (SPE) using 96-well plates with column-switching technology to construct a rapid and high-throughput method for the simultaneous extraction and non-targeted analysis of small molecules metabolome and lipidome based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. This study first investigated the columns and analytical conditions for small molecules metabolome and lipidome, separated by an HSS T3 and BEH C18 columns, respectively. Next, the loading capacity and actuation duration of SPE were further optimized. Subsequently, SPE and column switching were used together to rapidly and comprehensively analyze the biological samples. The experimental results showed that the new analytical procedure had good precision and maintained sample stability (RSD < 15%). The method was then satisfactorily applied to more widely analyze the small molecules metabolome and lipidome to test the throughput. The resulting method represents a new analytical approach for biological samples, and a highly useful tool for researches in metabolomics and lipidomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For adaptation to ever‐changing environments, plants have evolved elaborate metabolic systems coupled to a regulatory network for optimal growth and defense. Regulation of plant secondary metabolic pathways such as glucosinolates (GSLs) by defense phytohormones in response to different stresses and nutrient deficiency has been intensively investigated, while how growth‐promoting hormone balances plant secondary and primary metabolism has been largely unexplored. Here, we found that growth‐promoting hormone brassinosteroid (BR) inhibits GSLs accumulation while enhancing biosynthesis of primary sulfur metabolites, including cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) both in Arabidopsis and Brassica crops, fine‐tuning secondary and primary sulfur metabolism to promote plant growth. Furthermore, we demonstrate that of BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT 1 (BZR1), the central component of BR signaling, exerts distinct transcriptional inhibition regulation on indolic and aliphatic GSL via direct MYB51 dependent repression of indolic GSL biosynthesis, while exerting partial MYB29 dependent repression of aliphatic GSL biosynthesis. Additionally, BZR1 directly activates the transcription of APR1 and APR2 which encodes rate‐limiting enzyme adenosine 5′‐phosphosulfate reductases in the primary sulfur metabolic pathway. In summary, our findings indicate that BR inhibits the biosynthesis of GSLs to prioritize sulfur usage for primary metabolites under normal growth conditions. These findings expand our understanding of BR promoting plant growth from a metabolism perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore whether LIF could promote the proliferation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) and to analyze the correlation between increased NPCs and FluoroGold (FG) labeled neurons in mice after spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Motor behavior was assessed using Rotarod and Platform Hang tests; neurons in the corticospinal and rubrospinal systems were labeled with FG, NPCs were immustained with nestin-FITC conjugate. The numbers of FG-labeled neurons and NPCs were estimated, and the correlation between FG-labeled neurons and NPCs was assessed. Results: Mice in the SCI group showed negligible recovery of locomotor behavior; in contrast, mice in the LIF group showed a statically significant improvement. Both FG-labeled neurons and NPCs were significantly increased in the LIF group compared to the SCI group, and this increase in FG-labeled neurons and NPCs showed a clear association above the lesion level. Conclusions: LIF could promote locomotive behaviors in mice post-SCI by encouraging the proliferation of NPCs; LIF may in fact be a potential cytokine for the induction of NPCs post-SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Sixteen plasma metabolites were identified as changed following acyclovir administration. [•] Four disturbed metabolic pathways due to acyclovir were identified by metabonomics. [•] Kidney injury model was built following intraperitoneal injection of two doses of acyclovir. [•] Metabonomics technology can provide information for toxic mechanism of acyclovir. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Wet grinding was used to improve the activity of BFFS for high volume BFFS cement mortar. • The 28 d compressive strength of specimens with 50% and 70% BFFS (D50 = 2.5 μm) reach 109% and 97% of that of control cement specimens respectively. • The pozzolanic behavior and filling effect of superfine BFFS particles improve the microstructure and strength greatly. Replacement of cement clinker by industrial wastes has been verified as an effective way to reduce carbon emissions. To realize the application of blast furnace ferronickel slag (BFFS) in high volume in cement mortar, wet grinding was used to improve the activity of BFFS. Three fineness (D50 = 13 μm, 5 μm and 2.5 μm) and three contents (30%, 50% and 70%) of BFFS were investigated comparatively. Isothermal calorimetry, X-ray diffractometer(XRD), Thermal analyzer (TG), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Mercury injection apparatus (MIP) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) were employed to examine the hydration process and microstructures. The results showed that the pozzolanic behavior and filling effect of BFFS could be improved remarkably by wet-grinding method. The compressive strength of specimens with 50mirc% and 70% BFFS (D50 = 2.5 μm) after curing 28 days could reach 109% and 97% of that of control cement specimens respectively. The results of XRD, TG and FTIR revealed that refined BFFS was involved in pozzolanic reaction at age of 3 days, the effect was more significant with the grinding duration extending. Furthermore, the pore size distribution and the porosity were optimized obviously. Results highlight that wet-grinding treatment of BFFS provided an effective way to improve the early and late age strength of high-volume BFFS cement mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Block RAMs on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are susceptible to radiation-induced single-event upsets (SEUs) and are usually protected by fault-tolerant techniques such as single error correction/double error correction (SEC/DED) codes and/or scrubbing. Scrubbing can be divided into two categories based on the mechanism that controls the scrubbing interval. With deterministic scrubbing, each memory location is scrubbed (repaired) on a regular basis and the interval is fixed. With probabilistic scrubbing, a word is checked and corrected any time it is accessed (read or written). In this case, the scrubbing interval is exponentially distributed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Block RAMs on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are susceptible to radiation-induced single-event upsets (SEUs) and are usually protected by fault-tolerant techniques such as single error correction/double error correction (SEC/DED) codes and/or scrubbing. Scrubbing can be divided into two categories based on the mechanism that controls the scrubbing interval. With deterministic scrubbing, each memory location is scrubbed (repaired) on a regular basis and the interval is fixed. With probabilistic scrubbing, a word is checked and corrected any time it is accessed (read or written). In this case, the scrubbing interval is exponentially distributed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Due to the complex chemical compositions and pharmacological effects of traditional Chinese medicines, we developed a strategy based on fishing and knockout of bioactive compounds using a combination of high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) and preparative HPLC for evaluating the holistic activity and interaction of the components of Herba Epimedii. First, osteoblast target cell extraction was used for preliminary screening of the potential bioactive compounds of Herba Epimedii. Second, the bioactive compounds identified (epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C and icariin) were fished and knocked out using high-speed counter-current chromatography and preparative HPLC. Third, the bioactivity of resulting fractions was assessed by determining their influence on cell proliferation and differentiation, thereby allowing for an evaluation of their interaction.The pharmacodynamic contribution ratio of each bioactive compound to the efficacy of the herbal medicine could then be comprehensively and intuitively determined based on the spectra-activity correlations (VIP values) of the tested compositions using partial least-squares regression (PLS-R), through which the reliability of the screening and isolation of bioactive compounds by the target cell extraction technique were verified. The proposed strategy is a useful approach with potential application in other traditional Chinese medicines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In opportunistic selection (OS)-based systems, outdated channel state information (CSI) is encountered due to channel variation between the instants of channel estimation and actual data transmission. This will result in unreliable CSIs employed in OS, which greatly degrades the system performance. To address this issue, a novel metric is proposed to evaluate the transmission quality of a channel suffering from Nakagami-m fading, taking both outdated CSI and fading statistics into consideration. Moreover, its suboptimized counterpart is also proposed to significantly reduce computational complexity. We then use this metric to select users (sources) in a multiuser scheduling model and evaluate its outage performance. Both analytical and simulation results show that our proposals outperform the existing alternatives in terms of outage probability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: A high-speed compact silicon digital optical switch (DOS) is proposed in this paper. The direct electro-optic effect is applied by filling electro-optic polymer in the void slot of the branches, which compensates the limitation of silicon itself. The crosstalk of about 35dB and the insertion loss of 0.7dB is obtained, the switching speed is less than 1ps, and the whole device length can be shortened to 616μm even using the basic mode-evolving principle and a simple Y-type structure. Analysis also shows that the device has good fabrication tolerance and wavelength independence over the C-band. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Triple modular redundancy (TMR) is a widely used mitigation technique to protect FPGA circuits against single event upsets (SEUs). TMR, however, does not adequately protect signals that cross asynchronous clock domains. Signals which cross clock domains in TMR circuits may suffer from the combined effects of two failure modes: asynchronous sampling effects and SEUs. This paper analyzes and quantifies these problems. In addition, various solutions are proposed for designing safe synchronizers with TMR. Finally, the improvements in reliability provided by the proposed synchronizers are demonstrated by both mathematical modeling and fault injection testing on an FPGA circuit. It is shown that the proposed mitigated synchronizer designs provide between 6 and 10 orders of magnitude improvement in reliability compared to unmitigated designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Heats of formation of cyano derivatives were calculated using atomization energies and isodesmic reactions. High-level ab initio methods such as Gaussian-n methods, complete basis sets, and MP2 and DFT methods were used in the calculations. The results based on atomization energies were found to be more accurate than those from isodesmic reactions. The G3 method was found to be the best method to calculate the enthalpies of cyano derivatives. Using the above mentioned methods we calculated the heat of formation of additional cyano-containing compounds for which no experimental measurements is available. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method has been developed for the determination of imperatorin in rat plasma and applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats after administration of Radix Angelicae dahuricae extract. After addition of fluocinonide as an internal standard (IS), plasma samples were extracted with diethyl ether. HPLC analysis of the extracts was performed on a Diamonsil C18 analytical column using methanol–water (70:30, v/v) as the mobile phase. The UV detector was set at 254nm. The standard curve was linear over the range 0.04–4.0μg/mL. The lower limit of quantification was 0.04μg/mL. The HPLC method developed could be easily applied to the determination and pharmacokinetic study of imperatorin in rat plasma after giving the animals Radix Angelicae dahuricae extract. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method has been developed for the determination of epimedin C in rat plasma and applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats after administration of Herba Epimedii extract. After addition of carbamazepine as an internal standard plasma samples were extracted with ethyl acetate. HPLC analysis of the extracts was performed on a Hypersil ODS2 analytical column using acetonitrile −0.4% acetic acid (25:75, v/v) as the mobile phase. The UV detector was set at 260nm. The standard curve was linear over the range 0.05–4.0μg/mL. The lower limit of quantification was 0.05μg/mL. The HPLC method developed could be easily applied to the determination and pharmacokinetic study of epimedin C in rat plasma after giving the animals Herba Epimedii extract. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background The Qianlie Shule capsule is a classical Chinese medicine compound preparation frequently used in therapeutic settings to alleviate astringent pain in the urethra, prostatic hypertrophy, and chronic prostatitis or urinary frequency. However, a comprehensive analysis of the chemical composition of Qianlie Shule capsules has not been reported. Objective To establish a quick and effective analytical method based on hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS) for the identification and characterization of chemical components in Qianlie Shule capsules. Method Using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry and data post-processing, the samples of Qianlie Shule capsules were examined. First, the whole extract of the Qianlie Shule capsules was separated using a UPLC machine, and the fragmentation data were collected in both positive and negative ion mode. The target molecule is then quickly identified by comparing the fragmentation information of the neutral loss (NLs) and characteristic fragments (CFs) reported in the literature. Results A total of 145 chemical components were identified. It includes flavonoids, triterpenoids, phenylpropanoids, organic acids, alkaloids, phenylethanoids, iridoids, and anthraquinones. Conclusions This study is a method for the rapid qualitative analysis of the chemical composition of Qianlie Shule capsules, which provides a method for the rapid, sensitive, and high-throughput identification of the prescription components of Chinese medicine. Highlights Systematic identification of the chemical composition of QLSL capsules provides a theoretical basis for studying the substance basis of QLSL capsules and the improvement of the quality control level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure of calcareous sand sampled from the South China Sea Islands was investigated using X-ray microtomography (μCT). μCT images directly evidenced the amount of inner pores in the calcareous sand. The image analysis presented a map of the inner pore distribution and volume ratio compared with the volume of solid particles, showing that the inner pore distribution was affected by the particle size. Furthermore, owing to the special structure of calcareous sand particles, crushed particles were observed during cyclic loading, inducing obvious strain and releasing air from the inner pore of the particle, which subsequently desaturated the specimen and increased the liquefaction resistance. This evidence of inner pores in calcareous sand provides another way to examine the undrained response by considering the crushability of the calcareous sand. • The inner pores were existed in calcareous sand. • The liquefaction resistance of calcareous sands were affected by inner pores. • The volume ratio of inner pores with different particle sizes were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional scheduling and due-date determination models assume that the production system is operating in a static and deterministic environment and that the system carries no workload at each scheduling epoch. In this research we consider a due-date determination model where the scheduler wishes to update the existing schedule when some new jobs have arrived into the system. In this model, jobs are categorized as either "old" or "new" jobs, where the due-dates of the old jobs are treated as given parameters and those of the new jobs are decision variables. The objective is to minimize the maximum weighted tardiness penalty and the due-date assignment cost. The computational complexity of this model is analyzed, and an efficient algorithm is developed for an important special case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Phase change energy pile can be used to utilize shallow geothermal energy efficiently. To reduce the thermal response and improve the heat storage capacity of energy piles, a phase change (PC) energy pile was proposed. This innovative PC pile is made of concrete containing macro-encapsulated PCM hollow steel balls (HSB) as coarse aggregates. A numerical model was developed to simulate the thermo-mechanical behaviors of the PC pile under thermal cycles and sustained loading. The computational model is a three-dimensional model that is symmetrical for the two horizontal directions in geometry. Heat transfer process follows conservation laws of energy. The numerical model was validated by the experiments conducted on the PC pile and the results show that the model can reproduce the major thermo-mechanical effects. Then, the model was used to compare the performance between the ordinary concrete pile and the PC pile in saturated sand under the same experimental conditions, where the piles were considered to be thermo-elastic in nature and the sand was considered as a Mohr–Coulomb elastic-plastic material. The thermo-mechanical response of the PC pile under different thermal loads was analyzed. The results show that at the end of heating, the temperature, strain, and displacement of the PC pile were lower than those of the ordinary pile. As the thermal loading increased, the range of temperature change in the soil around the PC pile increased, as well as the strain and displacement of the pile. The residual strain and plastic displacement after the temperature cycles also increased with the increase of thermal loading. Therefore, when designing phase change energy piles, full consideration should be given to the matching of thermal loads and PC temperature, so as to balance the heat transfer rate of the pile and the thermal response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A precise, accurate, and selective pre-column derivatization HPLC method with fluorescence detection was validated and used for the determination of amino acids (proline, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, and lysine) in mice embryonic stem (ES) cells. The cell sample was derivatized by dansyl chloride, and the analytes were separated on a C18 column. The method provided good reproducibility and sensitivity for the quantification of the eight analytes with average recovery factors of less than 107.43% and higher than 91.25%, respectively. Intra-day precision was between 2.0% and 4.9%, and inter-day precision was between 2.9% and 6.0%. The %RSD values for repeatability were below 8.8. This assay can be readily utilized as a precise, sensitive, and highly accurate quality-control method for amino acids in mice ES cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]