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Various amounts of TiSi2 (30, 40, and 50 wt.%) were added to 3 mol% yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (3Y‐TZP) to fabricate 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites by vacuum sintering. The effects of the TiSi2 added amount, as well as the sintering temperature on the microstructure, mechanical, and electrical characteristics of the 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites were examined. The sintered samples consisted of three phases: tetragonal (t‐ZrO2), TiSi2, and reaction product Ti5Si3. The maximum bending strength and relative density of the composites, reaching 501.20 MPa and 98.59% respectively, were achieved at a TiSi2 content of 30 wt.% and sintering temperature of 1500°C. The resistivity of 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites showed a nonlinear decrease with increasing TiSi2 content. These results indicated that 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites had a typical percolation threshold phenomenon due to the different TiSi2 content and a conductivity model of 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites at room temperature was founded on the generalized effective medium equation. The resistivity of the composites could optionally adjust between 102 and 10−4Ω·cm with 30–50 wt.% TiSi2 under room temperature. Overall, the 3Y‐TZP/TiSi2 composites show great potential for applications in the heat‐not‐burn tobacco field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field-effect transistors based on semiconductor integration technology have come to a bottleneck, while electric field control of magnetism has great potential for applications in next-generation magnetic memory and calculators based on electron spins. Magnetic properties manipulation from a mechanism of ion migration driven by an electric field has the advantages of low energy consumption, nonvolatility, reproducibility, and durability. Here, we introduce a solid-state integratable hydrogen ion storage electrolyte silicon phosphate as the gate to achieve reversible control of magnetoresistance, magnetism, and magnetic interaction in the La1−xSrxMnO3/SrTiO3 ferromagnetic system. The controllable double-exchange interaction and spin scattering mechanism sketch the theoretical physical picture for these results. This work is expected to open up additional opportunities in the translation of electric control of magnetism into practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-reinforced SiO 2f /SiO 2 woven ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are widely applied in the aeronautics and astronautics field due to their many physical and chemical advantages. However, compressive impact loads affect many application scenarios; thus, the damage morphologies and failure modes of these composites under compressive impact should be studied, particularly in the through-thickness direction. In this study, a comparative analysis using the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) experiment and finite element analysis (FEA) model revealed the damage mechanisms. The compressive impact was simulated in Abaqus/Explicit, and the cohesive element was selected to simulate cohesion of the interface according to the Hashin criterion for multi-mode failure. The results show that 2.5-dimensional SiO 2f /SiO 2 woven CMCs do not have sufficient plasticity to restrain the propagation of micro-cracks under high strain rates after the elastic stage under compressive impact. Many micro-cracks propagated and formed large cracks in the adiabatic shear zone. The adiabatic shear zones were generated when a compressive impact load was applied to the SiO 2f /SiO 2 CMCs at a high strain rate, and these impacts deformed the SiO 2f /SiO 2 CMCs. The adiabatic shear zone occurred at a high strain rate at the weakest point inside the fields of the SiO 2f /SiO 2 CMCs. The micro-cracks propagated and accumulated in this zone. Plastic fracture is the major failure mode for the SiO 2f /SiO 2 CMC specimens; this failure was characterized by fiber yarn fracture and the formation of micro-voids and micro-cracks due to matrix fracture. The large cracks, new voids, and interfacial debonding lead to the failure of the SiO 2f /SiO 2 CMCs. Combined action due to micro-crack formation and its propagation in the adiabatic shear band leads to a softening mechanism of the strain rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) room-temperature ferromagnetism is highly sought after for its great application potential but is challenged by chemical or magnetic structural instability. If room-temperature ferromagnetism can be realized in structurally stable 2D graphene, it will have a broad application prospect and market in flexible spintronics and wearable artificial intelligence. Although symmetry breaking such as vacancies, edges can introduce localized magnetic moments in intrinsically antimagnetic graphene, their weak coupling can only hold long-range ordering at low temperatures. Here, a robust ferromagnetic order has been observed in large-area graphene (centimeter scale) through mechanical folding and successive preprocesses of rapid cooling and heating method, where the Curie temperature of ∼6-layer graphene is close to 100 K and that of ∼10-layer graphene is above room temperature. We propose that the observed ferromagnetism is possibly attributed to the surface sp 3-type bonds emergent in the structure phase transition caused by strain effects. Intrinsic graphene cannot hold ferromagnetic order, although that is highly desired. In this work, a transition from paramagnetism to ferromagnetism is observed in copper-based graphene after mechanical folding with successive rapid cooling and heating process. Stress engineering in the wrinkled graphene is possible to promote the formation of sp 3-type bonds, which support the robust ferromagnetic order. [Display omitted] • A breakthrough in ferromagnetic 2-dimensional material for future flexible spintronics and artificial intelligence. • Overcoming the diamagnetism limitation of graphene, one of the most promising van der Waals materials. • A simple and effective method to introduce robust ferromagnetism in large area graphene. • Unveiling the crucial role of sp 2 to sp 3 C–C phase transition in maintaining graphene's robust ferromagnetic order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TRPV6, a Ca2+-selective member of the transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) family, plays a key role in extracellular calcium transport, calcium ion reuptake, and maintenance of a local low calcium environment. An increasing number of studies have shown that TRPV6 is involved in the regulation of various diseases. Notably, overexpression of TRPV6 is closely related to the occurrence of various cancers. Research confirmed that knocking down TRPV6 could effectively reduce the proliferation and invasiveness of tumors by mainly mediating the calcium signaling pathway. Hence, TRPV6 has become a promising new drug target for numerous tumor treatments. However, the development of TRPV6 inhibitors is still in the early stage, and the existing TRPV6 inhibitors have poor selectivity and off-target effects. In this review, we focus on summarizing and describing the structure characters, and mechanisms of existing TRPV6 inhibitors to provide new ideas and directions for the development of novel TRPV6 inhibitors. [Display omitted] • We review TRPV6 inhibitors for tumors by targeted therapies. • We summarize the mechanisms, activities, merits and demerits of reported TRPV6 inhibitors. • We suggest that the synthetic small molecule inhibitor show better potential in the treatment of cancer. • We discuss the direction of synthesizing better TRPV6 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipeline spraying can be adopted for greatly improving spraying efficiency in hillside orchard spraying operations. However, residual phytosanitary product still remains in the pipeline after the completion of pipeline spraying operations. Currently, residual phytosanitary liquid is handled according to the following general method: pipeline flushing with fresh water. The method can easily lead to pesticide waste and environment pollution. On-line pesticide mixing technology can be adopted for reducing pesticide waste and environmental pollution. However, on-line pesticide mixing technology is not applied in pipeline spraying operations. Therefore, the mixing principle of jet-mixing apparatus is adopted as a reference in the paper for designing the basic structure of on-line pesticide mixing apparatus based on pipeline spraying. The structure is mainly composed of a constricted tube, suction chamber, Venturi, and diffusion tube. An analysis method based on the CFD orthogonal experiment is adopted for studying the influence of the changes of four key structure parameters on on-line pesticide mixing apparatus, pesticide dissolution performance, and pesticide mixing performance; the four parameters include constricted tube falloff angle, diffusion tube divergence angle, Venturi diameter, and Venturi length. Since there may be interaction among them, three experiment evaluation indexes of lifting height, turbulent kinetic energy, and pressure recovery distance are set for judgment. The change of three evaluation indexes with change of constricted tube falloff angle, diffusion tube divergence angle, Venturi diameter, and Venturi length, respectively, is revealed through single-index variance analysis; the three indexes include lifting height, turbulent kinetic energy, and pressure recovery distance. The primary and secondary sequences of respective influences of all structure parameters and their interaction on all evaluation indexes are obtained. Analysis results of all evaluation indexes are comprehensively considered in order to finally discover the comprehensive optimal pesticide mixing apparatus structure parameters, namely: constricted tube falloff angle is 22°, diffusion tube divergence angle is 9°, Venturi diameter is 2 mm, Venturi length is 6 mm, and pesticide mixing apparatus structure parameters are optimized. Theoretical reference is provided in the paper for on-line pesticide mixing apparatus prototype production on the basis of pipeline spraying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field-emission microtips array with a radius of curvature, height, and separation distance of 0.5, 5, and 4 μm, respectively, was processed on the single-crystal Gadolinium hexaboride ceramic (GdB 6) (100) plane using a femtosecond laser. The height and morphology of the microtips array were uniform, and the crystal structure and phase composition of GdB 6 did not change after the processing. According to the field-emission performance test of a GdB 6 microtips array, the turn-on electric field intensity was 1.9 V/μm, and the field-emission current density reached 0.49 A/cm2 when the applied electric field strength was 6.7 V/μm; meanwhile, it had outstanding field-emission stability. Subsequently, the transmission process of the field-emission current of the GdB 6 between the cathode and the anode was simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6 software. The transmission process of the electron beam from emitters to the anode surface was divided into three stages due to the interaction between emission electrons and a magnetic field generated by its motion, including divergence, pinch, and drift. The increase of electric field strength reduced the radial displacement of the electron beam while moving the beam waist further away from the anode surface. The simulation results provide theoretical guidance for regulating the shape of the field-emission electron beam, size, and energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A physical model experiment of flume block landslide was used to study the influence of landslide surge impact on underwater pipeline surface under different water depths. The influence of surge impact pressure on pipelines with different water depths and the impact pressure of surge at different angles of underwater pipelines wall were analyzed. And the relationship between the maximum impact pressure of underwater pipelines and the depth of water was obtained. The results indicated that with the decrease of the water depths, the maximum impact pressure at the wall of the underwater pipeline increases approximately linearly, and the slider is easier to form higher first wave height. The maximum impact pressure of the upper surface of the pipeline wall is greater than that of the lower surface of the pipeline wall under the same working conditions. It is also found that the smaller the depth of water, the larger the maximum pressure and average pressure at the measuring point would be and the greater the pressure fluctuation becomes when slider volume and landslide water inlet angle and speed remain the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinal vessel segmentation plays a vital role in the medical field, facilitating the identification of numerous chronic conditions based on retinal vessel images. These conditions include diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, glaucoma, and others. Although the U-Net model has shown promising results in retinal vessel segmentation, it tends to struggle with fine branching and dense vessel segmentation. To further enhance the precision of retinal vessel segmentation, we propose a novel approach called transformer dilated convolution attention U-Net (TDCAU-Net), which builds upon the U-Net architecture with improved Transformer-based dilated convolution attention mechanisms. The proposed model retains the three-layer architecture of the U-Net network. The Transformer component enables the learning of contextual information for each pixel in the image, while the dilated convolution attention prevents information loss. The algorithm efficiently addresses several challenges to optimize blood vessel detection. The process starts with five-step preprocessing of the images, followed by chunking them into segments. Subsequently, the retinal images are fed into the modified U-Net network introduced in this paper for segmentation. The study employs eye fundus images from the DRIVE and CHASEDB1 databases for both training and testing purposes. Evaluation metrics are utilized to compare the algorithm's results with state-of-the-art methods. The experimental analysis on both databases demonstrates that the algorithm achieves high values of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC. Specifically, for the first database, the achieved values are 0.8187, 0.9756, 0.9556, and 0.9795, respectively. For the second database, the corresponding values are 0.8243, 0.9836, 0.9738, and 0.9878, respectively. These results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms state-of-the-art methods, achieving higher performance on both datasets. The TDCAU-Net model presented in this study exhibits substantial capabilities in accurately segmenting fine branching and dense vessels. The segmentation performance of the network surpasses that of the U-Net algorithm and several mainstream methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A model, based on binocular camera data, for estimating canopy density was developed. • The effects of canopy density and spray volume on the spatial distribution of droplets within a citrus canopy were investigated. • The use of multidimensional input Gaussian process regression models for prediction of droplet deposition. To realize precision spraying, predicting the pesticide application dose based on the structural characteristics of the plant canopy is a crucial step. However, most of the current precision spraying techniques are based on canopy characteristics with no consideration given to the effect of canopy characteristics on droplet particle population. As a result, the droplet deposition value is far from being ideal. Herein, we explored the effects of canopy density and spraying volume on the distribution of droplet deposition in simulated citrus tree canopies and constructed a prediction model for droplet deposition. In this research, the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of fruit tree canopy was obtained using binocular camera and a new method was proposed to describe simulated citrus tree canopy density using three-dimensional point cloud. The optimal description of the interrelationship between 3D point cloud and fruit tree canopy density was determined by comparing the determination coefficients, Akaike information criterion and relative errors of the four fitting functions. Through our experiments, a droplet deposition prediction model based on Gaussian process regression was established by changing the duty cycle of the solenoid valve to adjust the spray volume, with simulated citrus trees as the target and water sensitive paper as the sampling method for collecting droplet deposition data. The experimental results show that the distribution of droplet deposition in the upper and lower layers of the canopy varies, but within the same layer droplets can produce relatively uniform deposition in similar canopy density areas with correlation coefficients greater than 0.6. When the canopy density reached 4.35 m2/m3, the amount of droplet deposition was anomalous. The prediction model, after training, has good ability of predicting droplet deposition with R2 higher than 0.79. At the same time, it was found in the research that differences occurred between the prediction accuracy of the droplet deposition prediction model in the upper canopy layer and that in the lower canopy layers, in which the R2 of the prediction model in the lower layer could reach 0.82, while in the upper layer it was 0.79. It is expected that our research on droplet deposition prediction can provide a new research perspective for precision spraying technology in plant protection operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac fibrosis is a common pathophysiological remodeling process that occurs in a variety of cardiovascular diseases and greatly influences heart structure and function, progressively leading to the development of heart failure. However, to date, few effective therapies for cardiac fibrosis exist. Abnormal proliferation, differentiation, and migration of cardiac fibroblasts are responsible for the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix in the myocardium. Acetylation, a widespread and reversible protein post-translational modification, plays an important role in the development of cardiac fibrosis by adding acetyl groups to lysine residues. Many acetyltransferases and deacetylases regulate the dynamic alterations of acetylation in cardiac fibrosis, regulating a range of pathogenic conditions including oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and energy metabolism disturbance. In this review, we demonstrate the critical roles that acetylation modifications caused by different types of pathological injury play in cardiac fibrosis. Furthermore, we propose therapeutic acetylation-targeting strategies for the prevention and treatment of patients with cardiac fibrosis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaN/Si nanoheterostructures were prepared at different growth temperatures by using chemical vapor deposition method with Si nanoporous pillar array (Si-NPA) as the substrate. We detailedly investigated the optical, structural, and electrical characteristics of the resulting GaN/Si-NPA nanoheterostructures. The photoluminescence spectra of the nanoheterostructures include three emission components, and their corresponding emission mechanisms were discussed. Further, a heterojunction device was fabricated, which showed an obvious rectifying behavior, compatible with the thermionic emission and space-charge-limited current models at low/high forward biases. More importantly, a strong yellow emission at ~ 560 nm was achieved under forward bias, which can be assigned to the defect-related transition emission in GaN. The results obtained may provide important guidelines for understanding the basic physics of GaN/Si-NPA nanoheterostructures, facilitating their potential applications in light-emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A standardized attention mechanism was introduced into EfficientNetV2. • Detection speed decreases with an increase of network scale gradually. • 3. The improved network takes an average of 0.103 s to detect an image on GPU device. An appropriate image segmentation algorithm is required for discriminating between full grains and grain impurities. In this study, a lightweight fully convolutional segmentation algorithm based on NAM EfficientNetV2 was proposed to solve the problem of slow processing speed in mobile terminal equipment owing to limited computing resources and a large number of model parameters and improve the detection accuracy. First, a standardized NAM attention mechanism was introduced to replace the SE attention mechanism used in EfficientNetV2 and the improved NAM-EfficientNetV2 network was used as a feature extraction structure. Then, in the up-sampling process, the multi-scale features output by the shallow network are fused to effectively use low-level semantics to encode spatial details and fully convolutional pixel segmentation technology is used to achieve rice grain and impurity segmentation. Finally, compared with the baseline model, the detection accuracy of the model was further improved on a self-made dataset. The comprehensive evaluation index F1 of rice grain and its impurities were 95.26% and 93.27%, respectively, and the model parameter amount was 20.6 M. Combined with post-processing, detecting an image on the GPU device took an average of 0.103 s and 0.301 s on the CPU device. The experimental results showed that the improved algorithm is more lightweight, which provides a reference for the model to be deployed in mobile terminal equipment to realize the function of real-time detection of grain impurity in the combine harvester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) was effective in improving overall survival (OS) of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. However, its application in resectable pancreatic cancer remains controversial. This study aimed to determine whether NAT has a greater advantage over conventional upfront surgery (US) in terms of resection rate, R0 resection rate, positive lymph node rate, and OS. We identified articles before October 7, 2022, by searching four electronic databases. The studies included in the meta-analysis all met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Newcastle–Ottawa scale was used to evaluate the quality of the articles. OS, DFS, resection rate, R0 resection rate and positive lymph nodes rate were extracted. Odds ratio (OR), hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated, and sensitivity analysis and publication bias were used to assess the sources of heterogeneity. In total, 24 studies, involving 1384 (35.66%) patients assigned to NAT and 2497 (64.43%) patients assigned to US, were included in the analysis. NAT could effectively prolong OS (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.65–0.82, P < 0.001) and DFS (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.62–0.84, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis results of 6 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) also showed that RPC patients could benefit from NAT in the long term (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.58–0.90, P = 0.003). NAT decreased resection rate (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.33–0.55, P < 0.001), but was associated with increased R0 resection rate (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.47–2.88, P < 0.001) and decreased positive lymph node rate (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.27–0.52, P < 0.001). Although the application of NAT increases the risk of patients not being able to undergo surgical resection, it can prolong the OS and delay tumor progression in RPC. Therefore, we still expect larger and higher-quality RCTs to confirm the effectiveness of NAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pykrete is a special building material suitable for cold regions. It has attracted extensive attention in recent years owing to its high strength and toughness. However, for structures constructed using Pykrete, appropriate damage detection and evaluation methods have rarely been investigated. As with most materials, the destruction of the Pykrete structure releases energy as stress waves and produces acoustic emission (AE) signals, which help understand the damage process and evaluate the degree of damage to the Pykrete. In this study, the AE technique was employed to monitor and evaluate the damage to different types of Pykretes and matrix subjected to uniaxial compression. Combined with the load-time curve, the conventional parameters of AE signals obtained from Pykretes and matrix were analyzed first. Furthermore, the failure modes of Pykretes and the matrix were investigated via the relationship between the ratio of the rise time to the waveform amplitude and the average frequency. The b -value was also calculated using the least-squares method to evaluate the failure process of Pykretes and matrix. The results show that the AE technique can qualitatively assess the damage process of Pykretes and has the potential to detect damage to actual Pykrete structures in situ. • The acoustic emission characteristics of various Pykrete were evaluated first in the process of uniaxial compression failure. • The differences of acoustic emission characteristics between Pykretes and matrix were compared. • The mechanism for the different acoustic emission features between Pykretes and matrix were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyamine oxidases (PAOs) are flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent enzymes that catalyze oxidation of polyamines (PAs), and play an important roles in growth and development and stress tolerance of plant. In this study, we identified four PAO genes (CsPAO1 - CsPAO4) in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L), and classified them into three clades (Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ). CsPAO1 and CsPAO3 were located in cell membrane or nucleus while CsPAO2 and CsPAO4 were likely localized in peroxisome. CsPAO1 - 2 and CsPAO4 consisted of ten exons and nine introns, but no intron was observed in CsPAO3. The CsPAOs showed higher expression level in root, with the exception of CsPAO1, which was mainly expressed in flower, and they had various responses to hormone and stress treatments. Stress treatments induced more obvious change of gene expression, and CsPAO2–4 responded to NaCl stress earlier both in root and leaf. Overexpression of CsPAO3 in Arabidopsis improved seed germination and root growth on medium containing NaCl. Furthermore, under salt stress, electrolyte leakage (EL), malonaldehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) content were decreased, but peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities were increased in transgenic Arabidopsis lines as compared with wild type (WT), contributing to alleviating the salt stress-induced growth suppression. The OE15 line, on the other hand, had the highest expression level of CsPAO3 , exhibited identical phenotype to WT, suggesting that excess H 2 O 2 produced by polyamine oxidation might be harmful to plants. Taken together, our results indicated that CsPAO family members are involved in plant development and stress responses, and a proper level of CsPAO3 overexpression enhances salt tolerance of plants. • There are four PAO family members in cucumber genome. • CsPAO3 was a candidate gene enhancing plants' tolerance to salt. • Higher overexpression level of CsPAO3 couldn't lead to stronger salt resistance of plants, and excess H 2 O 2 produced by polyamine oxidation may be harmful to plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyamine oxidases (PAOs) are key enzymes in polyamine metabolism and are related to the tolerance of plants to abiotic stresses. In this study, overexpression of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) PAO2 (CsPAO2) in Arabidopsis resulted in increased activity of the antioxidant enzyme and accelerated conversion from Put to Spd and Spm, while malondialdehyde content (MDA) and electrolyte leakage (EL) was decreased when compared with wild type, leading to enhanced plant growth under salt stress. Photosystem Ⅰ assembly 3 in cucumber (CsPSA3) was revealed as an interacting protein of CsPAO2 by screening yeast two-hybrid library combined with in vitro and in vivo methods. Then, CsPAO2 and CsPSA3 were silenced in cucumber via virus-mediated gene silencing (VIGS) with pV190 as the empty vector. Under salt stress, net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr) of CsPAO2-silencing plants were lower than pV190-silencing plants, and EL in root was higher than pV190-silencing plants, indicating that CsPAO2-silencing plants suffered more serious salt stress damage. However, photosynthetic parameters of CsPSA3-silencing plants were all higher than those of CsPAO2 and pV190-silencing plants, thereby enhancing the photosynthesis process. Moreover, CsPSA3 silencing reduced the EL in both leaves and roots when compared with CsPAO2-silencing plants, but the EL only in leaves was significantly lower than the other two gene-silencing plants, and conversion from Put to Spd and Spm in leaf was also promoted, suggesting that CsPSA3 interacts with CsPAO2 in leaves to participate in the regulation of salt tolerance through photosynthesis and polyamine conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The abilities of three ionic surfactants—sodium methylnaphthalene sulfonate (SMNS), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)—to alter the wettability of bitumen-treated glass surfaces was examined. Surface wettability was characterized by contact angles, and all measurements were carried out under alkaline conditions by having sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) dissolved in the aqueous phase. It was found that Na2CO3 alone could slightly increase the hydrophilcity of bitumen-treated glass surfaces. With surfactants added to the system, it was demonstrated that SMNS and SDS (both anionic surfactants) were much more effective in enhancing the water wettability of bitumen-treated glass in comparison to CTAB (a cationic surfactant). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses were also conducted to determine the functional groups and relative mass concentrations of various elements on the glass substrates. Based on these results, we speculate that most or all of the adsorbed hydrocarbon material could be removed from a glass substrate through synergistic effects between sodium carbonate, which provides the alkaline condition, and anionic surfactants, which likely interacted with adsorbed cationic materials. This resulted in dramatic alteration in the wettability of bitumen-treated glass surfaces—from oil-wet to water-wet. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aggregation of micron-sized silica particles in non-aqueous (i.e. hydrocarbon) media was examined on both the macroscopic and microscopic scales. The silica surfaces were either “clean” or “treated” (i.e. with irreversibly adsorbed materials from Athabasca bitumen); the hydrocarbons were mixtures of toluene and heptane at various ratios (to allow for different degrees of “aromaticity” in the solvent). On the macroscopic scale, gravity settling of the silica beads in non-aqueous media was monitored, and particle–particle interactions were characterized semi-empirically by the initial rates of sedimentation. On the microscopic scale, adhesive forces between individual glass spheres were directly measured using the microcantilever technique (again, in non-aqueous liquids). It was found that, for clean silica spheres, the settling rates of the suspensions were relatively insensitive to the interparticle adhesive forces. This is in contrast to the case for treated silica beads, where strong correlation was observed between the settling rate and particle–particle adhesion. These findings may have important relevance to the commercial “paraffinic froth treatment” process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Bond behavior of HSSS wire ropes in ECC was studied experimentally. • Influence laws of various parameters on bond behavior were revealed. • A bond-slip model was developed for HSSS wire ropes embedded in ECC. Engineered cementitious composites (ECC) feature high post-cracking resistance and ductility. The stainless steel wire rope meshes have been successfully used to restore or increase capacity of existing structures. By combining the advantages of these two materials, an innovate jacketing of ECC reinforced with high-strength stainless steel (HSSS) wire rope meshes are expected to significantly improve structural performance while used for repair or strengthening of existing structures. To understand the bond behavior of HSSS wire ropes embedded in ECC, experimental studies were conducted by using direct pull-out specimens. Test variables consisted of nominal diameter of HSSS wire rope, embedded length and strength of ECC. The failure mechanism and bond-slip characteristics of HSSS wire ropes in ECC were investigated. Based on analyses of test results, the effects of the test variables on the bond properties of HSSS wire ropes embedded in ECC were revealed. A bond-slip model and the expressions of the model parameters were developed for charactering the bond-slip relationship between HSSS wire ropes and ECC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen/natural gas blends fuel is considered one of the ideal alternative fuels for improving the thermal efficiency and reducing carbon emissions of rotary engine. In order to further enhance the combustion and power performance of rotary engine, a new method of the setting of bluff bodies in the cylinder was proposed. The influence of bluff-body settings in the cylinder on the combustion, power performance, and NO generation was numerically studied under different ignition timings. The results indicated that in-cylinder bluff-body settings could influence flame propagation by affecting the turbulent kinetic energy and mixture distribution during the process from the late compression stroke to the combustion stroke. Further, for any fixed bluff-body shape in the cylinder, there is a trade-off relationship between the non-blockage ratio and squish velocity at the cylinder block center section as the ignition timing is progressively advanced or delayed. Consequently, considering the above trade-off relationship, the triangular slotted bluff-body in combination with an ignition timing of 30° CA (BTDC) could be used to achieve the maximum improvement in the combustion and power performance of rotary engine. The peak pressure exhibited a growth of 4.83%, and the indicated mean effective pressure increased by 1.46%. • Using hydrogen/natural gas blend fuel to reduce carbon emissions from the rotary engine. • A novel in-cylinder bluff-body structure in the rotary engine is proposed. • Systematic study of in-cylinder bluff-body effects on the combustion process. • A trade-off relationship influenced by the bluff body is identified. • The optimal structure of the bluff-body is provided for improving performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of electric vehicles has drawn extensive attention to using rotary engines as small-scale power generation devices. However, their wide application has been limited by drawbacks such as low combustion efficiency and high emissions. Therefore, to obtain rotary engines with high combustion efficiency and low emissions, this study explored the strengthening effect of natural gas/hydrogen hybrid fuel (NHHF) and Triangular Rotor Piston (TRP) structure on the combustion in the turbulent jet ignition rotary engine (TJI-RE) at different ignition advance angles (IAAs). Additionally, an experimental platform and a three-dimensional computational model for TJI-RE fueled by natural gas/hydrogen hybrid fuel (NHHF) were established in this study. The research results indicated that the TRP structure altered the combustion process by affecting the ignition area in the ignition stage and the turbulence kinetic energy during the combustion stroke. Furthermore, the SC-shaped cylinder exhibited the highest peak pressure for any fixed IAA. When the IAA was fixed at 30°CA (BTDC), the TJI-RE with the SC-shaped cylinder experienced a 12.12% increase in peak pressure and a 4.1% increase in indicated work compared to the FP-shaped cylinder. Additionally, the CO emission was reduced by 13.79%, while the NO emission showed a significant increase. • NHHF was used to reduce the carbon emissions of the RE. • A three-dimensional computational model of the TJI-RE was established. • The effect of piston structure on combustion in TJI-RE was systematically studied. • The optimal combination of piston structure and IAA for the TJI-RE was given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the structure-property relationship as well as the intramolecular charge transfer properties of typical ladder-conjugated molecules, three ladder-conjugated molecules named LT2 , LT3 and BPTF-2 were systematically investigated by UV–vis absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra, the open-aperture Z-scan technique, two-photon excited fluorescence and femtosecond pump-probe experiments. These ladder-conjugated molecules employ the same fluorene group as the π -bridge and the central core, with substituent changes at the terminal position. These molecules exhibit a large two-photon absorption response and two molecules emit intense two-photon fluorescence at a wavelength of 800 nm, which is a commonly used wavelength in two-photon absorption/two-photon fluorescence applications. Our results indicate that the π -bridge and the terminal group play an important role in determining the two-photon absorption response. The dynamic results obtained from degenerated pump-probe experiments revealed that the evolution times of the intramolecular charge transfer state were >1000 ps, >1000 ps, and 40 ps for LT2 , LT3 and BDTF-2 , respectively. The results match those of the two-photon absorption responses and the fluorescence emission properties of these ladder-conjugated molecules. Our results also indicate that ladder-conjugated molecules have potential applications in two-photon absorption/two-photon fluorescence fields. • Terminal groups play important role in determining the nonlinear optical response. • The ultrafast dynamics and DFT calculations approved the terminal groups effect. • Ladder-conjugated molecules have potential applications in TPA/TPF fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermally assisted stable and repeatable current-induced magnetization switching of DyIG and TbIG have been achieved. • The magnitude of current density is 10−3 A/cm2, which is competitive in similar works. • The calculation results of thermal assisted effect are quantitative agreement with experiments. Current-induced magnetization switching is mainly realized by spin-transfer torque or spin-orbital torque, which usually requires an extremely large current density (more than 105 A/cm2). Here we report a low-energy consumption, stable and reliable, thermal assisted current-induced magnetization switching in devices based on ferrimagnetic RIG (Rare earth garnet ferrite, where R represents rare earth element Dy or Tb). The remanent magnetization of DyIG (Dy 3 Fe 5 O 12) and TbIG (Tb 3 Fe 5 O 12) could be switched by applying an external voltage of several volts (corresponding current is tiny and on the order of only 10−3 A/cm2). The remanent magnetization switching of RIG is attributed to the temperature variation (ΔT) induced by the thermal effect of current. The temperature variation ΔT could reach 4.8 K for DyIG at 2 mA/cm2, and could reach 6.54 K for TbIG at 2.4 mA/cm2. The remanent magnetization could be switched from −0.037 to 0.013 emu/g for DyIG, and could be switched from −0.07 to 0.17 emu/g for TbIG. This work might provide a novel way for thermally assisted magnetization switching in ferrimagnetic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two X-shaped multi-branched oligomers based on anthracene unit were studied by open-aperture Z-scan and ultrafast pump-probe methods to elucidate the nonlinear optical absorption properties as well as intramolecular charge transfer properties of typical X-shaped oligomers. Significant enhancement on the nonlinear optical absorption property was observed for the oligomer with triphenylamine groups as terminal end of each branch. Obvious optical limiting property was observed for these X-shaped oligomers and the mechanism was attributed to the two-photon absorption process. The ultrafast dynamic of these X-shaped oligomers exhibited a fast process about several ps to build an intramolecular charge transfer state, followed by a slow process longer than 100 ps which reflecting the evolution of the intramolecular charge transfer state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The magnetic properties of α-Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 cannot be control by electric field. • The α-Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 composite structure is obtained by vacuum annealing of the α-Fe 2 O 3. • The magnetic properties of α-Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 can be reversibly and non-volatilely modulated. • The electric control of magnetism is due to the mechanism of phase transition. The raw nano α-Fe 2 O 3 powders consisting of nanorods with 50–100 nm in length and 8–14 nm in width exhibit superparamagnetism. The vacuum annealing of the raw nano α-Fe 2 O 3 at 400 °C for 3 h leads to ferromagnetic-like behaviors at room temperature (RT), due to the appearance of ferrimagnetic Fe 3 O 4. The α-Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 composite structure has an antiferromagnetic α-Fe 2 O 3 layer and a ferrimagnetic Fe 3 O 4 layer contains a certain amount of Fe2+ and oxygen vacancies. In addition, nano α-Fe 2 O 3 annealed in H 2 at 300 °C for 3 h completely become Fe 3 O 4. Some magnetic properties of the α-Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 , such as magnetization, magnetic remanence (Mr), coercivity (Hc) and exchange bias (EB), can be modulated almost reversibly and non-volatilely by applied external RT electric field without loop current. However, for both the raw nano α-Fe 2 O 3 and the Fe 3 O 4 , these magnetic properties cannot be modulated by applied external RT electric field. The electric field control of magnetic properties for the α-Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4 should be due to the mechanism of phase transition induced by migration and redistribution of oxygen vacancies within the interface of α-Fe 2 O 3 /Fe 3 O 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Femtosecond laser processing technology has been used to achieve controlled processing of microtips array on the surface of polycrystalline LaB6 blocks. Under the condition of ensuring the integrity of the geometric morphology of the tips array, the tips with a height of 10 μm and a radius of curvature of 1 μm can be processed. The distribution of tips in the array is uniform, the morphology is complete, the crystal structure and physical phase of LaB6 have not changed after processing, which breaks through the technical problems of difficult processing and poor geometry consistency about polycrystalline rare-earth hexaboride tips emitter, and the processing area is no longer limited by the small size of single crystals. The field emission performance test indicated that the turn-on electric field is 2.8 V/μm, and the current density is 467.9 mA/cm2 when the applied electric field reached 9.4 V/μm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite significant limitations of growth medium reuse, a large amount of organic substrate is reused in soilless cultivation of horticultural crops in China. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can promote nutrient absorption and improve plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the mechanisms governing the effects of AMF on crop growth in organic continuous cropping substrates have not been elucidated. Results: In this study, we showed that the inoculation of AMF in continuous cropping substrates promoted growth and root development, and increased the root and NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) activity of tomato seedlings. Root transcriptome analysis demonstrated that the plant hormone signal transduction pathway was highly enriched, and 109 genes that positively correlated with the AMF-inoculated plant phenotype were obtained by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), which identified 9 genes related to indole acetic acid (IAA). Importantly, the levels of endogenous IAA in tomato seedlings significantly increased after AMF inoculation. Furthermore, the application of AMF significantly increased the expression levels of NADP-ME1 and NADP-ME2, as well as the activity of NADP-ME, and enhanced the root activity of tomato seedlings in comparison to that observed without inoculation of AMF. However, these effects were blocked in plants treated with 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA), a polar transport inhibitor of IAA. Conclusions: These results suggest that IAA mediates the AMF-promoted tomato growth and expression of NADP-MEs in continuous cropping substrates. The study provides convincing evidence for the reuse of continuous cropping substrates by adding AMF as an amendment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have demonstrated that spermidine (Spd) plays a critical role in salt tolerance in plants, but the associated mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of gibberellin (GA) in Spd-induced salt tolerance and the expression of GT-3b transcription factor in cucumber. The results showed that exogenous Spd significantly increased the salt tolerance of cucumber plants, while its effects were compromised in the presence of methylglyoxal bis-guanylhydrazone (MGBG), an inhibitor of Spd biosynthesis. Interestingly, the expression of GT-3b was significantly induced by Spd under salt stress, and the promoter sequence of GT-3b was predicted to contain cis-acting regulatory elements that could respond to phytohormones, such as GA, salicylic acid (SA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). The application of GA 3 , SA and MeJA as foliar spray could induce the expression of GT-3b. In addition, exogenous Spd dramatically increased the expression of genes related to GA biosynthesis, the activity of gibberellin oxidase, and the accumulation of GA 3 , whereas these effects were attenuated in the MGBG-treated plants. Furthermore, the application of GA 3 increased GT-3b expression and salt tolerance, whereas these effects were blocked when the plants were treated with paclobutrazol (PAZ), a GA biosynthesis inhibitor. Similarly, the Spd-induced salt tolerance was compromised in the PAZ-treated plants. Our results suggest that GA mediates Spd-induced salt tolerance and the expression of GT-3b in cucumber. These results provide a new perspective for understanding the molecular mechanism of Spd-regulated salt tolerance in plants. • Exogenous spermidine (Spd) increases the tolerance to salt stress in cucumber. • Exogenous Spd induces the accumulation of gibberellin (GA), which mediates Spd-induced salt tolerance. • Spd-induced the expression of transcription factor GT-3b is dependent on GA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The LaFeO 3 sensor has a low optimum operating temperature of 110 °C. • Multi-wavelength light illumination improved the sensor's response. • The sensor's response to 30 ppm ethanol was 154.5 under 370 nm light illumination. • The sensor's response to 30 ppm methanol was 109.3 under 370 nm light illumination. The LaFeO 3 (500–900 °C) powders were prepared using the sol–gel method. Multi-wavelength light illumination improved the LaFeO 3 (700 °C) sensor's response. Under the 370 nm light illumination, the LaFeO 3 (700 °C) sensor's responses to 30 ppm ethanol and methanol were 154.5 and 109.3 at 110 °C, and the response/recovery times were 70/127 s and 82/136 s. The LaFeO 3 planar electrode sensor had a high response value to ethanol and methanol. Its high response value and low working temperature have great potential for gas detection in an unknown environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gas sensor was prepared using 1.5 × 1 mm plane electrodes. • The sensor's response was 128.1 to 30 ppm acetone under 370 nm light illumination. • Multi-wavelength light illumination improved the sensor's response to acetone. • The optimal working temperature of the YFeO 3 (700 °C) sensor was 110 °C. In this study, perovskite yttrium ferrite (YFeO 3) nanomaterials were fabricated using the sol–gel method and used to prepare acetone sensors with planar electrode. These samples were characterized by various characterization equipment. The YFeO 3 planar electrode sensor's response was investigated in the dark and under multi-wavelength light illumination. The planar electrode sensors exhibited typical p-type semiconductor gas sensing behavior, and the optimal operating temperature was 110 °C. The sensor had a high response of 128.1 for 30 ppm acetone under 370 nm light illumination, which was 65 % higher than that in the dark. In addition to their high response value and low working temperature, the sensors also had low power consumption and good stability, which improves the benchmark for further expanding the application of acetone sensors in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gas sensor was prepared using 1.5 × 1 mm plane electrodes. • Light illumination improved the sensor's response to gases. • The response of the SmFeO 3 sensor under light to 30 ppm acetone was 29.228. • The SmFeO 3 sensor has a low working temperature of 120 °C. In this study, we prepared SmFeO 3 nanopowders by the sol–gel method. The planar electrode sensor (1.5 × 1 mm) based on SmFeO 3 nanopowder is responsive to methanol, ethanol, acetone, and other gases. Different wavelengths (470 nm, 420 nm, and 370 nm) of light illumination affect the sensor's response to gas. The response under light illumination (370 nm, 98 mW) at 120 °C to 30 ppm methanol, ethanol, and acetone were 26.41, 23.804, and 29.228, which were 2.0, 1.4, and 1.4 times higher than those in the dark, respectively. The planar electrode sensor can reduce optimum working temperature and reduce energy consumption, so it has great potential for application in real life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Ca24Al28O64]4+(4e−) (C12A7:e−) has excellent potential in electric propulsion owing to various advantages, including low work function, low working temperature, and stable chemical properties. However, increasing electron concentration enhances the thermionic emission property of C12A7:e−. This study used a chemical method—spark plasma sintering to synthesize Zr‐doped C12A7:e− (C12(A1 −xZx)7:e−, where x = 0 to 0.14). The study results show that C12(Al0.86Zr0.14)7:e− maximum injected electron concentration (n), conductivity (σ), electron mobility (μn), and zero‐field emission current density (Jo) improved to 2.4 × 1021 /cm3, 1507 S/cm, 5.2 cm2/V·s, and 2.4 A/cm2, respectively. The emission current density of the C12(Al0.86Zr0.14)7:e− could be maintained at about 2.9 A/cm2 under 1100°C, 4000 V, and 600 min. Theoretical calculation results prove that Zr doping broadens the cage conduction band (CCB) of C12A7:e− and reduces the bandgap between the CCB and the frame conduction band. In addition, Zr doping increases the electronic density of states near the Fermi level, and the density of states presents a continuous state. This helps to increase the injected electron concentration and enhance the electrical transport and thermionic emission characteristics of the sample. The calculation results provide theoretical support for the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is still a relatively serious disease burden of infectious diseases and the warning time for different infectious diseases before implementation of interventions is important. The logistic differential equation models can be used for predicting early warning of infectious diseases. The aim of this study is to compare the disease fitting effects of the logistic differential equation (LDE) model and the generalized logistic differential equation (GLDE) model for the first time using data on multiple infectious diseases in Jilin Province and to calculate the early warning signals for different types of infectious diseases using these two models in Jilin Province to solve the disease early warning schedule for Jilin Province throughout the year. Methods: Collecting the incidence of 22 infectious diseases in Jilin Province, China. The LDE and GLDE models were used to calculate the recommended warning week (RWW), the epidemic acceleration week (EAW) and warning removed week (WRW) for acute infectious diseases with seasonality, respectively. Results: Five diseases were selected for analysis based on screening principles: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), shigellosis, mumps, Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), and scarlet fever. The GLDE model fitted the above diseases better (0.80 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.94, P < 0. 005) than the LDE model. The estimated warning durations (per year) of the LDE model for the above diseases were: weeks 12–23 and 40–50; weeks 20–36; weeks 15–24 and 43–52; weeks 26–34; and weeks 16–25 and 41–50. While the durations of early warning (per year) estimated by the GLDE model were: weeks 7–24 and 36–51; weeks 13–37; weeks 11–26 and 39–54; weeks 23–35; and weeks 12–26 and 40–50. Conclusions: Compared to the LDE model, the GLDE model provides a better fit to the actual disease incidence data. The RWW appeared to be earlier when estimated with the GLDE model than the LDE model. In addition, the WRW estimated with the GLDE model were more lagged and had a longer warning time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is still a relatively serious disease burden of infectious diseases and the warning time for different infectious diseases before implementation of interventions is important. The logistic differential equation models can be used for predicting early warning of infectious diseases. The aim of this study is to compare the disease fitting effects of the logistic differential equation (LDE) model and the generalized logistic differential equation (GLDE) model for the first time using data on multiple infectious diseases in Jilin Province and to calculate the early warning signals for different types of infectious diseases using these two models in Jilin Province to solve the disease early warning schedule for Jilin Province throughout the year.Methods: Collecting the incidence of 22 infectious diseases in Jilin Province, China. The LDE and GLDE models were used to calculate the recommended warning week (RWW), the epidemic acceleration week (EAW) and warning removed week (WRW) for acute infectious diseases with seasonality, respectively.Results: Five diseases were selected for analysis based on screening principles: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), shigellosis, mumps, Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), and scarlet fever. The GLDE model fitted the above diseases better (0.80 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.94, P <  0. 005) than the LDE model. The estimated warning durations (per year) of the LDE model for the above diseases were: weeks 12-23 and 40-50; weeks 20-36; weeks 15-24 and 43-52; weeks 26-34; and weeks 16-25 and 41-50. While the durations of early warning (per year) estimated by the GLDE model were: weeks 7-24 and 36-51; weeks 13-37; weeks 11-26 and 39-54; weeks 23-35; and weeks 12-26 and 40-50.Conclusions: Compared to the LDE model, the GLDE model provides a better fit to the actual disease incidence data. The RWW appeared to be earlier when estimated with the GLDE model than the LDE model. In addition, the WRW estimated with the GLDE model were more lagged and had a longer warning time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-electric control of magnetism is essential for the future ultralow-power memory and logic spintronic applications. Here, we report a highly efficient way to realize field-free current-induced switching of magnetization in ferrimagnetic CoGd, which is deposited with composite target. The critical switching current density is as low as ∼1 × 107 A/cm2. Without any gradient designs, our CoGd film intrinsically exhibits extraordinary titled magnetic anisotropy and bias-fields. The field-free switching of magnetizations can be achieved by applying current pulses in x or y directions. We further establish a coupled ferrimagnetic macrospin model subjected to the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert–Slonczewski equation, and the theoretical results agree with experiments well. All these results suggest that deposition with composite target is the optimal route to fabricate a high performance spin–orbit torque device, which provides multiple routes to achieve field-free, deterministic, and low-consumption magnetization switching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to explore whether the transmission routes of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) will be affected by tick density and meteorological factors, and to explore the factors that affect the transmission of SFTS. We used the transmission dynamics model to calculate the transmission rate coefficients of different transmission routes of SFTS, and used the generalized additive model to uncover how meteorological factors and tick density affect the spread of SFTS. Methods: In this study, the time-varying infection rate coefficients of different transmission routes of SFTS in Jiangsu Province from 2017 to 2020 were calculated based on the previous multi-population multi-route dynamic model (MMDM) of SFTS. The changes in transmission routes were summarized by collecting questionnaires from 537 SFTS cases in 2018–2020 in Jiangsu Province. The incidence rate of SFTS and the infection rate coefficients of different transmission routes were dependent variables, and month, meteorological factors and tick density were independent variables to establish a generalized additive model (GAM). The optimal GAM was selected using the generalized cross-validation score (GCV), and the model was validated by the 2016 data of Zhejiang Province and 2020 data of Jiangsu Province. The validated GAMs were used to predict the incidence and infection rate coefficients of SFTS in Jiangsu province in 2021, and also to predict the effect of extreme weather on SFTS. Results: The number and proportion of infections by different transmission routes for each year and found that tick-to-human and human-to-human infections decreased yearly, but infections through animal and environmental transmission were gradually increasing. MMDM fitted well with the three-year SFTS incidence data (P<0.05). The best intervention to reduce the incidence of SFTS is to reduce the effective exposure of the population to the surroundings. Based on correlation tests, tick density was positively correlated with air temperature, wind speed, and sunshine duration. The best GAM was a model with tick transmissibility to humans as the dependent variable, without considering lagged effects (GCV = 5.9247E-22, R2 = 96%). Reported incidence increased when sunshine duration was higher than 11 h per day and decreased when temperatures were too high (>28°C). Sunshine duration and temperature had the greatest effect on transmission from host animals to humans. The effect of extreme weather conditions on SFTS was short-term, but there was no effect on SFTS after high temperature and sunshine hours. Conclusions: Different factors affect the infection rate coefficients of different transmission routes. Sunshine duration, relative humidity, temperature and tick density are important factors affecting the occurrence of SFTS. Hurricanes reduce the incidence of SFTS in the short term, but have little effect in the long term. The most effective intervention to reduce the incidence of SFTS is to reduce population exposure to high-risk environments. Author summary: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging vector-borne disease caused by SFTS virus. After the first case was detected in China in 2009, SFTS endemic areas have gradually increased, with more than 23 provinces and cities reporting SFTS cases. In order to explore the transmission mechanism of SFTS and explain the impact of meteorological factors and tick density on the transmission routes of SFTS, this study collected SFTS cases data, meteorological data and tick surveillance data in Jiangsu Province from 2017 to 2019 to investigate the study question. The multi-population and multi-route dynamic model established in the previous study was used to calculate the infection rate coefficients of various transmission routes of SFTS in Jiangsu Province, and the generalized additive model was established to further elaborate the influence of SFTS transmission mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease that is regionally distributed in Asia, with high fatality. Constructing the transmission model of SFTS could help provide clues for disease control and fill the gap in research on SFTS models. Methods: We built an SFTS transmission dynamics model based on the susceptible–exposed–infectious–asymptomatic–recovered (SEIAR) model and the epidemiological characteristics of SFTS in Jiangsu Province. This model was used to evaluate the effect by cutting off different transmission routes and taking different interventions into account, to offer clues for disease prevention and control. Results: The transmission model fits the reported data well with a minimum R2 value of 0.29 and a maximum value of 0.80, P < 0.05. Meanwhile, cutting off the environmental transmission route had the greatest effect on the prevention and control of SFTS, while isolation and shortening the course of the disease did not have much effect. Conclusions: The model we have built can be used to simulate the transmission of SFTS to help inform disease control. It is noteworthy that cutting off the environment-to-humans transmission route in the model had the greatest effect on SFTS prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative fistula risk score (a-FRS) is useful to predict clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). Clinical data from 239 patients undergoing PD were collected. The CT value of the pancreatic parenchyma was measured in the nonenhanced (N), arterial (A), portal venous (P), and late (L) phases. The A/N, A/P, P/L and A/L ratios were calculated and their correlation with CR-POPF were analyzed. By replacing pancreatic texture with the best CT attenuation ratio, a modified a-FRS was developed. Forty-seven patients developed CR-POPF. The A/P ratio (P < 0.001), P/L ratio (P = 0.002) and A/L ratio (P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the CR-POPF group. The A/L ratio performed best in predicting CR-POPF (AUC: 0.803) and the cut-off value is 1.36. A/L ratio >1.36 (P < 0.001), body mass index (P = 0.005) and duct diameter (P = 0.037) were independently associated with CR-POPF. By replacing soft texture with an A/L ratio >1.36, a modified a-FRS was developed and performed better than the a-FRS (AUC: 0.823 vs 0.748, P = 0.006) in predicting CR-POPF. The modified a-FRS is an objective and preoperative model for predicting the occurrence of CR-POPF after PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The electric-field or voltage can experimentally regulate the magnetism. • The changes of magnetic properties are non-volatile and nearly reversible. • Solid-state thin film is beneficial to achieve device miniaturization. • The migration of lithium ions played a considerable role in film magnetization change. Ion migration driven by electric-field may cause multiple changes in stoichiometry, defect, and structure, thus provide approach for modulating properties. α-Fe 2 O 3 have attracted tremendous attention as anode materials for lithium ion batteries. The magnetic properties of weakly-ferromagnetic α-Fe 2 O 3 /LiTaO 3 films can be manipulated non-volatilely at room temperature by the applied room temperature electric-field. The regulation of magnetic properties induced by the room temperature electric-field may relate to the migration effects of lithium ions. A theoretical investigation on the microstructure and magnetic properties before and after the insertion of lithium ion into α-Fe 2 O 3 shows that the insertion of lithium ion induces local structural distortion, charge redistribution and the magnetic moment increase. This study makes a step forward for electric control of magnetism in solid-state ferrite film and provides opportunities for the development of multifunctional structures [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the period of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, strong intervention measures, such as lockdown, travel restriction, and suspension of work and production, may have curbed the spread of other infectious diseases, including natural focal diseases. In this study, we aimed to study the impact of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on the reported incidence of natural focal diseases (brucellosis, malaria, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome [HFRS], dengue, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome [SFTS], rabies, tsutsugamushi and Japanese encephalitis [JE]). Methods: The data on daily COVID-19 confirmed cases and natural focal disease cases were collected from Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Jiangsu Provincial CDC). We described and compared the difference between the incidence in 2020 and the incidence in 2015–2019 in four aspects: trend in reported incidence, age, sex, and urban and rural distribution. An autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) (p, d, q) × (P, D, Q)s model was adopted for natural focal diseases, malaria and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), and an ARIMA (p, d, q) model was adopted for dengue. Nonparametric tests were used to compare the reported and the predicted incidence in 2020, the incidence in 2020 and the previous 4 years, and the difference between the duration from illness onset date to diagnosed date (DID) in 2020 and in the previous 4 years. The determination coefficient (R2) was used to evaluate the goodness of fit of the model simulation. Results: Natural focal diseases in Jiangsu Province showed a long-term seasonal trend. The reported incidence of natural focal diseases, malaria and dengue in 2020 was lower than the predicted incidence, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The reported incidence of brucellosis in July, August, October and November 2020, and SFTS in May to November 2020 was higher than that in the same period in the previous 4 years (P < 0.05). The reported incidence of malaria in April to December 2020, HFRS in March, May and December 2020, and dengue in July to November 2020 was lower than that in the same period in the previous 4 years (P < 0.05). In males, the reported incidence of malaria in 2020 was lower than that in the previous 4 years, and the reported incidence of dengue in 2020 was lower than that in 2017–2019. The reported incidence of malaria in the 20–60-year age group was lower than that in the previous 4 years; the reported incidence of dengue in the 40–60-year age group was lower than that in 2016–2018. The reported cases of malaria in both urban and rural areas were lower than in the previous 4 years. The DID of brucellosis and SFTS in 2020 was shorter than that in 2015–2018; the DID of tsutsugamushi in 2020 was shorter than that in the previous 4 years. Conclusions: Interventions for COVID-19 may help control the epidemics of natural focal diseases in Jiangsu Province. The reported incidence of natural focal diseases, especially malaria and dengue, decreased during the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. COVID-19 prevention and control measures had the greatest impact on the reported incidence of natural focal diseases in males and people in the 20–60-year age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease that is regionally distributed in Asia, with high fatality. Constructing the transmission model of SFTS could help provide clues for disease control and fill the gap in research on SFTS models. Methods: We built an SFTS transmission dynamics model based on the susceptible–exposed–infectious–asymptomatic–recovered (SEIAR) model and the epidemiological characteristics of SFTS in Jiangsu Province. This model was used to evaluate the effect by cutting off different transmission routes and taking different interventions into account, to offer clues for disease prevention and control. Results: The transmission model fits the reported data well with a minimum R2 value of 0.29 and a maximum value of 0.80, P < 0.05. Meanwhile, cutting off the environmental transmission route had the greatest effect on the prevention and control of SFTS, while isolation and shortening the course of the disease did not have much effect. Conclusions: The model we have built can be used to simulate the transmission of SFTS to help inform disease control. It is noteworthy that cutting off the environment-to-humans transmission route in the model had the greatest effect on SFTS prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The In 2 O 3 /Si-NPA (silicon nanoporous pillar array) gas sensor featured by In 2 O 3 nanospheres coating on porous nanopillars were prepared. And the sensor exhibits an excellent ethanol sensing performance even under low gas concentrations. • A novel In 2 O 3 /Si-NPA gas sensor featured by microchannel network with large specific surface area was prepared. • The sensor shows high selectivity and response, long-term stability, short response time to low concentration of ethanol. • The high performance is attributed to the large specific surface area and massive surface active sites of In 2 O 3 /Si-NPA. At the interfaces between different materials, electronic systems with unusual electronic properties can be generated. Here, we report an In 2 O 3 /Si nanoheterostructures prepared by depositing indium grain film on silicon nanoporous pillar array (Si-NPA) by a vacuum thermal evaporation technique and a following thermal oxidation method. The composition and morphology of In 2 O 3 film on Si-NPA were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which disclosed that the In 2 O 3 film is composed of a layer of In 2 O 3 nanospheres with massive interfaces coating on Si-NPA. The sensor based on In 2 O 3 /Si-NPA showed high selectivity to ethanol, and demonstrated a high response of 3.38 at the extremely low ethanol gas concentration of 2 ppm. The response and recovery times to 100 ppm were 3 s and 39 s, respectively. The high performance was attributed to the specific nanostructure feature of In 2 O 3 /Si-NPA sensor, large specific surface area and massive surface active sites. Moreover, the impressive features of In 2 O 3 /Si-NPA heterostructures have been discussed in detail from its geometrical and band structure. These results observed here indicate that the In 2 O 3 /Si-NPA sensor may be a promising sensing candidate for detecting low-concentration ethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge encountered by the sensor in practical application is that the optimal working temperature is high, which will cause certain dangers in the work. Herein, we fabricated a p-p heterojunction composite LaFeO 3 /YFeO 3 planar electrode sensor for gas detection. The planar electrode sensor adopts the method of direct heating, which reduces the optimal working temperature of the sensor compared with the traditional side-heated alumina ceramic tube sensor. The optimal operating temperature of the LaFeO 3 /YFeO 3 (0.8:0.2) planar electrode sensor is 110 °C. In addition, we also performed multi-wavelength (470, 420, and 370 nm) light illumination experiments on the LaFeO 3 /YFeO 3 sensor to improve gas response. Under 370 nm light illumination, the response values of the LaFeO 3 /YFeO 3 (0.8:0.2) sensor to 30 ppm methanol, acetone, and ethanol were 166.82, 199.58, and 292.67, which were 1.19, 1.33, and 1.36 times than those in the dark. The lowest detection limits of the LaFeO 3 /YFeO 3 (0.8:0.2) sensor under 370 nm light illumination for methanol, acetone, and ethanol were 0.3, 0.8, and 0.2 ppm, respectively. Therefore, the LaFeO 3 /YFeO 3 (0.8:0.2) planar electrode sensor has the advantages of small size, low optimal operating temperature, low power consumption, high response value to volatile organic compounds gases, and high-cost performance for use in different gas environments. • The LaFeO 3 /YFeO 3 (a:b) materials were fabricated by the sol-gel method. • Gas sensor was prepared using 1.5 × 1 mm plane electrodes. • The sensors were tested under multi-wavelength light illumination. • The optimal operating temperature of LaFeO 3 /YFeO 3 (0.8:0.2) sensor was 110 °C. • Light illumination improved the sensor's response to VOCs gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The realization of strong magnetoelectric (ME) coupling for efficiently controlling of magnetism is urgently needed but still a significant challenge. Based on first-principle calculations and effective Hubbard models, we demonstrated that the polar charges and locality of edge states in hexagonal BN nanoribbons (BNNRs) play key roles in the behavior of edge magnetism M. By applying a transverse electric field, the magnetism in both zigzag and armchair edges can be regulated sufficiently. In particular, the magnetic on/off switches can be realized in armchair edges, it is robust against various edge decorations including hydrogenation, fluoridation and hydroxylation. Furthermore, uniaxial tensile strains can also produce significant magnetic modulation in Z -BNNRs, which stem from the piezoelectricity. All these suggest that h-BNNRs are ideal platforms for ME coupling researching and promising candidates for functional spintronics application. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The bulk polarization is revealed to play important role in the edge magnetism in BN nanoribbons. • On/off magnetic switches can be realized in armchair BN nanoribbons via applying electric field. • Curie temperature can also be tuned by electric field. • Edge chemical decorations by H-, F- and HO- cannot eliminate the magnetic switches. • Strain effects can also be attributed to magnetoelectric coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Pd:LaFe 0.9 Mg 0.1 O 3 is researched as a acetone sensor with high response. The response of sensor expose to 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 ppb is 1.15, 1.24, 1.45, 1.72, 1.98, 2.57 and 3.28 at 180 °C at normal atmospheric pressure, respectively. This sensor can detect extreme low limit of acetone gas as 10 ppb. The response of sensor under light is also measured, the result indicate that the optimum temperature is reduced and the response at this optimum temperature is promoted. The sensor show excellent selectivity to acetone gas among mixed composition. Experiments prove that since its extreme low detecting limit to acetone gas, the sensor can be used to preliminary judge that if person is diabetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Ag/copper oxide film/Nb:SrTiO 3 /Ag device exhibits the resistive switching accompanied with the electric field control of ferromagnetism. The ferromagnetism could also be modulated by ultraviolet and violet light with certain frequency at room temperature. The bipolar resistive switching in Ag/copper oxide film/Nb:SrTiO 3 /Ag device may depend on the change in a Schottky-like barrier height. In the same saturation current, we can change the sweeping voltage to get a different resistance change ratio. The changes of sweeping voltage will affect the Schottky-like barrier height, resulting in the resistance switching. The accompanying electric field control of ferromagnetism is mainly from the changes in the amount of oxygen vacancies in copper oxide film when the resistance state changes. The light-modulated ferromagnetism may be due to the enhancement of indirect double exchange. The capture of photo-generated holes by Cu+ may lead to changes in valence of some Cu ions, affecting the indirect double exchange. Through the resistive switching and ferromagnetism modulation in this report, it is possible to achieve the multi-state memory in future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planar electrode sensors of the La 1−x Y x FeO 3 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1) perovskite material were prepared for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) gas detection. The La 1−x Y x FeO 3 (x = 0.8) sensor has a higher gas response than La 1−x Y x FeO 3 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 1) due to a higher surface adsorbed-oxygen content of the material. Light illumination improves the gas response of the La 0.2 Y 0.8 FeO 3 sensor to VOCs gases. A higher gas response of the La 0.2 Y 0.8 FeO 3 sensor was attained as the light-source wavelength was shortened. The gas responses of the La 0.2 Y 0.8 FeO 3 sensor under 370 nm light illumination at 100 °C to 5 ppm ethanol, methanol, acetone, and formaldehyde were 36.369, 32.352, 36.357, and 12.545, respectively. Additionally, at 110 °C, the response to 5 ppm acetylacetone was 35.94. In conclusion, the La 0.2 Y 0.8 FeO 3 planar electrode sensor has greater gas responses and lower operating temperature to VOCs gases. Therefore, the planar electrode sensor can reduce power consumption and be used in various locations with known gases. • The La 1−x Y x FeO 3 gas sensors were prepared using 1.5 × 1 mm plane electrodes. • The La 0.2 Y 0.8 FeO 3 sensor has high responses to VOCs under light illumination. • The plane electrode sensor has a low optimum working temperature of 100 °C. • Multi-wavelength light illumination can improve the gas response of sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The reversible and non-volatile manipulation of magnetism. • The insertion and extraction of Li+ and H+ in MgFe 2 O 4 under electric field. • Changes of the Fe valence and layer spacing by the ions migration. • Organic lithium citrate has the advantages of convenience, safety, and low cost. Electric-field control of magnetism has attracted much attention in the field of information storage and spintronics. Based on Li+ and H+ ions migration under electric field, the manipulation of magnetic properties in MgFe 2 O 4 films has the advantage of non-volatility, reversibility and cyclicity. This work shows that the magnetism and coercivity are adjusted by the migration of alkali metal ions under electric field at 300 K, which shows great future potential for applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]