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Insufficient compaction of the subgrade can result in nonuniform deformation, leading to severe subgrade distress. To address this issue and find a new method for rapid detection and evaluation of subgrade compaction, we used the lightweight deflectometer (LWD) to analyze the dynamic deformation modulus (Evd) of subgrades filled with four types of soils—silt (ML), well-graded gravel (GW), lean clay (CL), and poorly graded sand (SP)—in different regions of Gansu province, China. Concurrently, we measured the degree of compaction (Doc) using the sand replacement method (SRM) to establish its correlation with dynamic deformation modulus (Evd). A strong correlation between the degree of compaction and dynamic deformation modulus was established for soils ML, GW, CL, and SP, and suitable formulas were selected based on curve variations. The developed formulas enabled back-calculation of the dynamic deformation modulus requirements corresponding to different degrees of compaction ranging from 90 to 100, facilitating direct queries and quick field checks. Results demonstrated that the LWD, as a reliable rapid detection method, effectively controlled subgrade compaction quality in field construction. Moreover, it extended the testing area and increased measurement frequency, thus providing a practical means for quickly evaluating the qualification rate and uniformity of subgrade compaction. When we build roads, most subgrade underneath the roads needs to be filled with soil. If we don't pack the soil properly in the filling process, the subgrade can crack and become uneven over time. It's hard to fix this problem once the road is open, so it's important to make sure the soil is packed tightly enough before the road is finished. There are two ways to check if the soil is packed properly: one is a traditional method called the sand replacement method, and the other is a machine called the lightweight deflectometer. These methods help identify insufficient compaction of the subgrade and prevent uneven deformation problems during the filling process. What's more, the lightweight deflectometer is a fast, convenient, and reliable tool that can assist or serve as an alternative to the traditional sand replacement method for controlling subgrade construction quality. This study is important because it helps us understand how to evaluate compaction of the filled subgrade in a different way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the development of remote sensing technology and the enhancement of the value of remote sensing images in military and civil fields, remote sensing image object segmentation has also received more and more attention. This paper mainly studies the application of instance segmentation based on deep convolutional neural network in the remote sensing image. This paper proposes an attention balanced feature pyramid module, which strengthens multi-level features and uses the attention module to suppress the interference features of noise in the complex background. In addiction, Soft-NMS is introduced to improve the performance of the network, and GIoU loss is introduced to improve the effect of object detection. The proposed network improves the average detection and segmentation accuracy (mAP) values from 4 1. 7 5 % and 3 5. 3 4 % to 4 3. 0 5 % and 3 6. 0 2 % , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play an important role in the formation of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA), and they have been key issues in current air pollution prevention and control in China. Considerable attention has been paid to industrial activities due to their large and relatively complex VOCs emissions. The present research aims to provide a comprehensive review on whole-process control of industrial VOCs, which mainly includes source reduction, collection enhancement and end-pipe treatments. Lower VOCs materials including water-borne ones are the keys to source substitution in industries related to coating and solvent usage, leak detection and repair (LDAR) should be regarded as an efficient means of source reduction in refining, petrochemical and other chemical industries. Several types of VOCs collection methods such as gas-collecting hoods, airtight partitions and others are discussed, and airtight collection at negative pressure yields the best collection efficiency. Current end-pipe treatments like UV oxidation, low-temperature plasma, activated carbon adsorption, combustion, biodegradation, and adsorption-combustion are discussed in detail. Finally, several recommendations are made for future advanced treatment and policy development in industrial VOCs emission control. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a complement of production-based accounting (PBA), consumption-based accounting (CBA) provides an alternative perspective to understand national emissions and responsibilities for global climate change. Existing studies assessed historical national emissions under CBA. However, how CBA might guide future mitigation under the Paris Agreement goals has not been well understood. By combining global multi-region input-output analysis and the equity principle of 'equal cumulative per capita emissions' (ECPCE), this study explores potential implications of CBA for future national emissions budgets to limit global warming to below 1.5°C. Historically, consumption-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were higher than production-based emissions in most developed countries while lower in many developing countries. When CBA is used instead of PBA to allocate emissions budgets by ECPCE, future GHG mitigation burdens would become more stringent in 70% of Annex I (mostly developed) countries but slightly smaller in 55% of non-Annex I (mostly developing) countries. In particular, more than half of Annex I countries might need to achieve negative GHG budgets under 1.5°C. Our analysis emphasizes that, as net emission importers, developed countries could strive to pay equal attention to achieving consumption-based and production-based emissions reductions, and strengthen technological and financial support to developing countries that undertake production outsourcing. As net emission exporters, with international support and domestic investment, developing countries could pragmatically promote energy structure optimization and technological innovation to accelerate the decarbonization of production. To support the Paris Agreement goals, mitigation contributions initiated from the perspective of CBA could also be welcomed. Key policy insights Developed countries shift emissions to developing countries through international trade. CBA increases historical responsibilities of developed countries for climate warming from the PBA assessments. Compared to PBA, CBA has clear implications on future national emissions budgets under responsibility-based allocations, but does not change the urgency of national mitigation required to achieve the Paris Agreement goals. Allocated by ECPCE, future GHG budgets for over 50% of the world's countries would be run out before 2040 under 1.5°C at the 2015 emissions rates, using either CBA or PBA. According to different roles in global supply chains, developed countries should step up support to help developing countries improve emissions and energy intensities, which is a key to reducing emissions embodied in trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known for their self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation potential, with these cells often being evaluated in the regulation and maintenance of specific cellular niches including those of the hair follicle. Most mesenchymal stem cells in the hair follicles are housed in the dermal papilla (DP) and dermal sheath (DS), with both niches characterized by a broad variety of cellular subsets. However, while most previous studies describing the hair follicle mesenchymal niche treated all DP and DS cells as Hair Follicle Mesenchymal Stem Cells (HF-MSCs), the high number of cellular subsets would suggest that these cells are actually too heterogenous for such a broad definition. Given this we designed this study to evaluate the differentiation processes in these cells and used this data to create a new set of classifications for DP and DS cells, dividing them into "hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells (HF-MSCs)", "hair follicle mesenchymal progenitor cells (HF-MPCs)", and "hair follicle mesenchymal functional cells (HF-MFCs)". In addition, those cells that possess self-renewal and differentiation were re-named hair follicle derived mesenchymal multipotent cells (HF-MMCs). This new classification may help to further our understanding of the heterogeneity of hair follicle dermal cells and provide new insights into their evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells (HF-MSCs) have great potential for cell therapy. Traditional method to isolate whisker HF-MSC is time-consuming and few in cell numbers. How to quickly and conveniently obtain a large number of HF-MSC for experimental research is a problem worth exploring. Methods: Two-step Ficoll Density Gradient Sedimentation (FDGS) was performed to isolate pelage HF-MSC from adult mice. The characteristic of the isolated cells was identified and compared with whisker HF-MSC by immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry, three-lineage differentiation and hair follicle reconstruction. Pelage HF-MSC and exosomes were injected into the dorsal skin of mice as well as hair follicle organ culture to explore its role in promoting hair growth. The cells and exosomes distribution were located by immunofluorescence staining. Results: Isolated pelage HF-MSC expressed similar markers (ALP, Versican, NCAM, Nestin), showed similar growth pattern, possessed similar mesenchymal stem cells function and hair follicle induction ability as whisker HF-MSC. A large number of cells can be obtained with fewer mice compared to traditional method. Injected pelage HF-MSC promoted hair growth by secreting exosomes. Conclusion: A large number of Pelage HF-MSC can be isolated by FDGS, which can promote hair growth by secreting exosomes which may target the dermal papilla and hair matrix region of host hair follicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, tensor Singular Value Decomposition (t-SVD)-based low-rank tensor completion (LRTC) has achieved unprecedented success in addressing various pattern analysis issues. However, existing studies mostly focus on third-order tensors while order- $d$ ($d\geq 4$) tensors are commonly encountered in real-world applications, like fourth-order color videos, fourth-order hyper-spectral videos, fifth-order light-field images, and sixth-order bidirectional texture functions. Aiming at addressing this critical issue, this paper establishes an order- $d$ tensor recovery framework including the model, algorithm and theories by innovatively developing a novel algebraic foundation for order- $d$ t-SVD, thereby achieving exact completion for any order- $d$ low t-SVD rank tensors with missing values with an overwhelming probability. Emperical studies on synthetic data and real-world visual data illustrate that compared with other state-of-the-art recovery frameworks, the proposed one achieves highly competitive performance in terms of both qualitative and quantitative metrics. In particular, as the observed data density becomes low, i.e., about 10%, the proposed recovery framework is still significantly better than its peers. The code of our algorithm is released at https://github.com/Qinwenjinswu/TIP-Code [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar ultraviolet (UV)‐induced DNA lesions are associated with skin carcinogenesis. The detection of these DNA lesions is important to understand their genotoxicity and health effects. However, sunlight exposure‐relevant DNA damage measurement is still a challenge. Here, we summarize our recent progresses on the related analytical techniques, including synthesis of dimeric lesions, the optimization of procedures for ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography–coupled mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐MS/MS), and the maturation of anti‐T(6‐4)T photoproduct antibodies and their potential applications for immunoassay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We clarify the issues to be addressed when inorganic materials are employed in the electrodes of low temperature fuel cells, which conventionally operate around 80 °C. The employed inorganic proton conductor is zirconium sulfophenyl phosphonate (ZrSPP), which is incorporated as an ionomer in the electrode catalyst layers by coating the Pt-supported carbon nanotubes with a ZrSPP layer (ZrSPP–Pt/CNTs). Compared with an MEA with an electrode comprising Nafion and Pt/CNT without a ZrSPP coating, a membrane–electrode assembly (MEA) with an electrode comprising ZrSPP–Pt/CNT exhibits an improved performance at elevated temperatures of 90 °C and 100 °C, illustrating an advantage of the inorganic proton conductors. However, a ZrSPP coating on the Pt/CNTs decreases the cell performance at 80 °C. A detailed in situ analysis using limiting-current measurements reveals that the oxygen transport resistance through the solid ionomers increases by approximately six times with the incorporation of the ZrSPP layer. These results indicate that the mass transport through the inorganic materials should be addressed when they are employed in electrodes. [Display omitted] • Issues of using inorganic proton conductors in the electrodes of PEFCs are clarified. • An inorganic proton conductor, ZrSPP, is coated on the surface of Pt/CNTs. • An MEA with ZrSPP-coated Pt/CNTs shows improved performance at 90 °C and 100 °C. • In situ analysis of mass transport properties in the cathode of MEAs is performed. • Oxygen transport resistance through the solid ionomers increases by ZrSPP coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge is a formal way of understanding the world, providing human-level cognition and intelligence for the next-generation artificial intelligence (AI). An effective way to automatically acquire this important knowledge, called Relation Extraction (RE), plays a vital role in Natural Language Processing (NLP). To date, there are amount of studies for RE in previous works, among which these technologies based on deep neural networks (DNNs) have become the mainstream direction of this research. In particular, the supervised and distant supervision methods based on DNNs are the most popular and reliable solutions for RE, whose various evolutions on structure and settings have affected this task. Understanding the model structure and related settings will give the researchers a deep insight into RE. However, little research has been done on them. Hence, this paper starts from these two points and carries out analysis around the mainstream research routes, supervised and distant supervision. Meanwhile, we classify all related works according to the evolution of model structure to facilitate the analysis. Finally, we discuss some challenges of RE and give out our conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new source of hydrogel with potential industrial application was found in Goji berry (GB) soup. The effect of preparation conditions and different salt ions (Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+) at different concentrations (3, 6, 9, and 12 mM) on the rheological properties of Goji berry gel (G‐GB) was investigated. Increases in the boiling extraction time, solid–liquid ratio, temperature, and redissolve ratio of G‐GB to ultrapure water of G‐GB increased the elastic (Gʹ) and viscous (Gʺ) modulus. Ca2+ and Mg2+ could promote the apparent viscosity, Gʹ, and Gʺ. However, Na+ minimally affected the apparent viscosity, but it decreased the Gʹ and Gʺ. Na+ and Mg2+ increased the thixotropy with increasing concentration, whereas Ca2+ first increased and then decreased thixotropy. These results indicate that G‐GB from the boiling water extract exhibited different rheological properties under different conditions and can be used as a novel processing product of GB in the food industries. Novelty impact statement: As a new approach to exploitation of popular healthy food of Goji berry (GB), a tasty edible gel (G‐GB) with different rheological properties could be prepared from the boiling water extract, indicating a possibility of developing a novel processed product of GB for the food industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel slag has been investigated as a potential aggregate for pavement-wearing courses in road engineering. The volume stability, resistance to high and low temperatures, and water stability for asphalt mixtures containing steel slag have been widely studied. As for the skid resistance, previous studies have primarily focused on the initial performance. The relationship between the steel slag's appearance morphology and skid resistance during the wearing process remains to be further explored. It is essential to undertake a comparative study on the long-term skid resistance of steel slag and conventional aggregates to address the differences. This research picked two steel slags and two types of conventional aggregates (granite and limestone) as research samples. The chosen aggregate samples underwent various degrees of wear treatment with the Los Angeles abrasion machine, and their angularity was examined utilizing an aggregate image measurement system (AIMS). Based on the polishing pre-treatment, the micro-texture of the aggregates was observed with the assistance of a laser confocal microscope, and its correlation with skid resistance was determined. British pendulum number (BPN) tests were also conducted and analyzed at various polishing durations. The results show that steel slag has a low abrasion rate and higher initial angularity and abrasion resistance compared to natural stones. The micro-texture analysis demonstrates that steel slags have a coarser roughness, more contact points, and more durable abrasion resistance. Additionally, the fluctuations in BPN further prove that steel slag has superior initial and sustained skid resistance. Overall, steel slag can be a promising alternative for pavement-wearing course aggregate due to its superior long-term skid resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing robust and efficient nonprecious metal-based electrocatalysts toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a big challenge for green and sustainable energy since insufficient catalytic activity and poor stability of current catalysts cannot meet the application requirements. This work reports a freestanding HER electrode FeNiCuAlMo prepared by arc-melting and chemical dealloying methods. The HER performance firstly improves and then declines with the increase of dealloying time. When the dealloying time is 3 h, the electrode shows optimal catalytic performance. The fabricated electrode is composed of AlMo 3 and Al 5 CuMo 2 , where micro-sized AlMo 3 particles are embedded in cellular dendritic Al 5 CuMo 2. Impressively, it displays excellent HER performance, including a small overpotential of 173 mV at a current density of 500 mA/cm2 and outstanding long-term stability for 100 h of continuous hydrogen evolution at 1000 mA/cm2 in an alkaline electrolyte without obvious attenuation. The intrinsic activity of the electrodes combined intermetallic compounds with hierarchical porous structure provides several effects, including enhanced massive active sites, electrolyte access, electron transport, and fast gas release that contribute jointly to enhancing HER activities. The micro-sized AlMo 3 particles provide robust framework for the dendritic Al 5 CuMo 2 active sites center, allowing the exposure of enough active sites and simultaneously maintaining good stability. The highly stable and active electrocatalytic HER property makes it as a promising candidate for practical hydrogen production. [Display omitted] • Multicomponent intermetallic composed of AlMo 3 and Al 5 CuMo 2 was prepared. • The interfaces between AlMo 3 and Al 5 CuMo 2 increase transport route and active sites. • The catalyst exhibits a small overpotential of 173 mV at 500 mA/cm2 for HER. • The catalyst shows a remarkable durability at high current density of 1000 mA/cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gelatin-polysaccharide interactions have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their profound effects on the properties (rheology and structure) of various food products. This study investigates the interaction between Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) and gelatin, focusing on the impact of different concentrations LBP (0–2.0%, w/v) on gelation behavior, water mobility, and gelatin structure. The results show that the addition of LBP initially increases and then decreases the gel strength and hardness of the gelatin. Incorporating LBP into gelatin leads to decreased brightness, gelling temperature (T g), gelation rate (k gel), immobile water content, and residue, while increasing the redness, yellowness, bound and free water content, and thermal stability. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffractometer (XRD), cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses provide evidence for the existence of hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, and ionic bond interactions between LBP and gelatin, in addition to covalent bonds formed through the Maillard reaction. Moreover, LBP induces changes in the structure of gelatin, including alterations in secondary structure, crystalline structure, and microstructure. AFM observations further indicate that LBP promotes the formation of gelatin aggregates. These findings present promising avenues for the application of LBP-gelatin composite gels as novel materials in the food industries. [Display omitted] • Gelation behaviors and structural changes reveal LBP-gelatin interaction. • LBP-induced changes in gelatin's water mobility. • Incorporation of LBP enhances thermal stability of gelatin. • Modification of gelatin structure by LBP confirmed by FTIR, XRD, Cryo-SEM, and AFM. • LBP-gelatin interaction: Hydrogen bonds, electrostatic and ionic interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) is a severe complication, which involves pathological damage to the brain and cognitive function. However, its exact mechanism of action still remains unclear. In this study, we explored the role of microglia in the cognitive dysfunction of NPSLE mice. We also analyzed and compared the metabolites in the hippocampal tissues of the lupus model and control mice.Methods: MRL/MpJ-Faslpr (MRL/lpr) female mice were used as the NPSLE mouse model. Metabolomics was used to assess hippocampal glycolysis levels. Glucose, lactic acid, IL-6, and IL-1β of the hippocampus were detected by ELISA. Based on the glycolysis pathway, we found that pyruvate kinase isoform M2 (PKM2) in the hippocampus was significantly increased. Thus, the expression of PKM2 was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, and the localization of PKM2 in microglia (IBA-1+) or neurons (NeuN+) was assessed by immunofluorescence staining. Flow cytometry was used to detect the number and phenotype of microglia; the changes in microglial phagocytosis and the β-catenin signaling pathway were detected in BV2 cells overexpressing PKM2. For in vivo experiments, MRL/lpr mice were treated with AAV9-shPKM2. After 2 months, Morris water maze and conditional fear tests were applied to investigate the cognitive ability of mice; H&E and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate brain damage; flow cytometry was used to detect the phenotype and function of microglia; neuronal synapse damage was monitored by qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining.Results: Glycolysis was elevated in the hippocampus of MRL/lpr lupus mice, accompanied by increased glucose consumption and lactate production. Furthermore, the activation of PKM2 in hippocampal microglia was observed in lupus mice. Cell experiments showed that PKM2 facilitated microglial activation and over-activated microglial phagocytosis via the β-catenin signaling pathway. In vivo, AAV9-shPKM2-treated mice showed decreased microglial activation and reduced neuronal synapses loss by blocking the β-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, the cognitive impairment and brain damage of MRL/lpr mice were significantly relieved after microglial PKM2 inhibition.Conclusion: These data indicate that microglial PKM2 have potential to become a novel therapeutic target for treating lupus encephalopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature distribution in the furnace of power plant boilers is an important parameter to indicate the pulverized coal combustion state. The real-time and precise monitoring of the temperature field in the furnace is essential to ensuring the safe operation of the power plant and improving production efficiency. Acoustic thermometry is a typical noncontact temperature measurement and one of its cores is to derive the temperature distribution of the original temperature field by reconstruction algorithms. The existing temperature field reconstruction algorithms do not perform satisfactorily, and there are some problems such as incomplete reconstruction results, low reconstruction precision, and poor anti-interference ability. In order to further improve the reconstruction performance, an acoustic thermometry reconstruction algorithm based on logarithmic-quadratic (LQ) radial basis function (RBF) and singular value decomposition (LQ-SVD) is proposed in this article. This algorithm first uses the linear combination of the LQ RBFs to fit the reciprocal distribution of the acoustic velocity, and then uses the SVD method to solve the inversion model. The simulation results show that, compared with the commonly used algorithms, the proposed algorithm can obtain complete reconstruction results with significantly improved reconstruction precision, stronger robustness, and better anti-interference ability. In addition, the proposed algorithm also has good performance in the actual experiment, which verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the algorithm in the engineering application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydraulic conductivity is a key parameter in geotechnical engineering. It is closely associated to soil microstructure. In practice, consolidation stress, dry density, and natural structure of soil can affect pore diameter and distribution of soil. Thus, to investigate soil hydraulic conductivity, their effects on microstructure and the corresponding hydraulic conductivity were analyzed. The undisturbed soil and the remolded soil with different dry densities were studied by the oedometer tests, hydraulic conductivity tests, and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) tests. The results indicate that the natural structure inside the undisturbed soil is the intrinsic reason that affects hydraulic conductivity. The increase of consolidation stress mainly reduces the number and size of interaggregate pores in terms of provoking aggregation of soil particles. The increase in dry density will fill the interaggregate pores and weaken their connectivity. The area percentage of macropores can be used to reflect the change of soil microstructure. The consolidation stress is the main factor dominating the area percentage of macropores under a high-stress level. A stable intrinsic structure will be developed to inhibit the soil deformation when dry density is 1.4 g/cm3 or above, which helps to restrain the reduction of area percentage and slow down the decrease of hydraulic conductivity. Finally, a brief statistical regression analysis indicates that the area percentage of pores whose diameter larger than 0.4 μm is significantly related to the hydraulic conductivity, which are responsible for seepage in soft clay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the drivers of CO2 emissions changes is useful in supporting future mitigation. This study applies a log-mean divisia index decomposition to assess four drivers of CO2 emissions changes – population, income, energy intensity and carbon intensity – in 138 countries worldwide over the period 2000–2017. At the global level, income and population are the main drivers of increased emissions over time, with contributions of 116% and 60% to global CO2 emissions changes, respectively. Energy intensity is the key mitigation driver, with a contribution of −80%. Although carbon intensity increased CO2 emissions overall over the period 2000–2017 with a contribution of 4%, it has started to reduce emissions in recent years. China, the United States of America, the European Union, India and Russia are the five regions responsible for most changes in global emissions. The five regions together contribute −73% of the energy intensity effect, and China's income contribution is 83% in relation to the total of 116%. At the national level, in 2017, CO2 emissions returned to below 2000 levels in 62% of Annex I (developed) countries but increased in 88% of non-Annex I (mostly developing) countries. Among the 35 countries realizing CO2 emissions reductions, 24 were driven primarily by energy intensity, six by carbon intensity, three by economic recession, and one by population decrease. Among the 103 countries with increasing CO2 emissions, 63 were driven primarily by income, 26 by population, nine by carbon intensity increase, and five by energy intensity increase. Our analysis emphasizes the necessity of considering differences in national development stages when formulating climate change mitigation policies. Key policy insights Over the period 2000–2017, at the global and national levels, CO2 emissions increases were driven mainly by economic development and population growth, and mitigation was driven mainly by energy intensity improvement. Improving energy intensity and carbon intensity is the key to mitigating CO2 emissions. Carbon intensity is expected to play an increasing role in the future. In over one-third of Annex I countries, CO2 emissions increased from 2000 to 2017. To meet the Paris Agreement goals, Annex I countries will need to enhance mitigation ambition by further tapping the mitigation potentials of energy and carbon intensity. In accordance with national circumstances, development needs and international support, non-Annex I countries should achieve low-carbon economic and energy transitions and peak CO2 emissions as early as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most significant problems of wide expressway in permafrost regions is how to protect the thermal stability of permafrost under an embankment. The composite embankment consisting of perforated pipe and blocky stone has been used in the construction of common roadways. However, its effectiveness for highway is poorly concerned. Based on the cooling effect shown by the field test results of embankment with the common width, the composite embankment was investigated as a potential reasonable cooling system for embankments of wide expressways. The three-dimensional numerical model was established based on local thermal non-equilibrium theory. The temperature field characteristics were analyzed, and three main influencing factors affecting the cooling effect (different pipe diameters, blocky stone layer thicknesses and the pipe spacing) were also examined. The results show that the composite embankment works a considerable protective effect on the permafrost. Meanwhile, the increases of pipe diameter and blocky stone thickness provide an increase in cooling effect, as opposed to the increase of pipe spacing. The validity of the application of a composite embankment for wide expressways is verified and useful parameters optimized from analysis are recommended. The results may be useful in the design of embankments in permafrost regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Spectroscopic and computational investigation elucidates HCQ-collagen interaction. • Collagen structure modified by HCQ binding, confirmed by XRD, FTIR, CD, and SEM. • Decreased water relaxation time observed upon HCQ-collagen interaction. • HCQ-collagen binding involves hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. • Insights into HCQ's pharmacological mechanisms for connective tissue diseases. Hydroxychloroquine sulfate (HCQ) can be used to treat various connective tissue diseases. Collagen, which is not only an important drug delivery carrier but also the main component in the connective tissue, is the focus of this study. Here, the interaction mechanism of HCQ with collagen was investigated through various spectroscopic and computational methods. It is found that HCQ binds to collagen spontaneously, primarily via hydrophobic interactions and some hydrogen bonds. The findings of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) verified that formation of HCQ-collagen complex and the amorphous structure, secondary structures, and microstructure of collagen were changed after HCQ binding. A decrease in the relaxation time of free water was observed in the collagen system when HCQ was added. Molecular docking demonstrated that HCQ was almost buried in the cavity of collagen via some hydrophobic interactions with one hydrogen bond, which conforms to the findings of the fluorescence and FTIR analyses. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations further revealed the structural change information in the docking process. Hopefully, the information generated in this study can provide some useful insights for the research on the pharmacological mechanisms of HCQ in the treatment of the connective tissue diseases and the application of collagen as a drug carrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, deep learning methods have made a remarkable improvement in compressed sensing image recovery stage. In the compressed measurement stage, the existing methods measured by block by block owing to a huge measurement dictionary for the whole images and the high computational complexity. In this work, a novel deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) named Convolutional Measurement Compressed Sensing network (CMCS‐net) is proposed for image compressed sensing considering both convolutional measurement (CM) and sparse prior. Different from existing works, the convolution operation is adopted both in the measurement phase and reconstruction phase, which retains the structure information of images much better. Simultaneously, the size of the measurement matrix is no longer limited by data dimensions. Particularly, by unfolding the CM process to analyse a Toeplitz‐type matrix, the theoretical support of the convolutional compressed measurement is proposed. In addition, in the recovery phase, the authors consider the sparse prior in nature images by embedding the truncated hierarchical projection algorithm into their architecture to solve the problem of multilayered convolutional sparse coding. Furthermore, extensive experiments demonstrate that their proposed CMCS‐net can marvellously reconstruct the images and fully remove the block artefact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin-mechanics studies interactions between spin systems and mechanical vibrations in a nanomechanical resonator and explores their potential applications in quantum information processing. In this review, we summarize various types of spin-mechanical resonators and discuss both the cavity-QED-like and the trapped-ion-like spin-mechanical coupling processes. The implementation of these processes using negatively charged nitrogen vacancy and silicon vacancy centers in diamond is reviewed. Prospects for reaching the full quantum regime of spin-mechanics, in which quantum control can occur at the level of both a single spin and a single phonon, are discussed with an emphasis on the crucial role of strain coupling to the orbital degrees of freedom of the defect centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, deep learning methods have made a remarkable improvement in compressed sensing image recovery stage. In the compressed measurement stage, the existing methods measured by block by block owing to a huge measurement dictionary for the whole images and the high computational complexity. In this work, a novel deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) named Convolutional Measurement Compressed Sensing network (CMCS-net) is proposed for image compressed sensing considering both convolutional measurement (CM) and sparse prior. Different from existing works, the convolution operation is adopted both in the measurement phase and reconstruction phase, which retains the structure information of images much better. Simultaneously, the size of the measurement matrix is no longer limited by data dimensions. Particularly, by unfolding the CM process to analyse a Toeplitz-type matrix, the theoretical support of the convolutional compressed measurement is proposed. In addition, in the recovery phase, the authors consider the sparse prior in nature images by embedding the truncated hierarchical projection algorithm into their architecture to solve the problem of multilayered convolutional sparse coding. Furthermore, extensive experiments demonstrate that their proposed CMCS-net can marvellously reconstruct the images and fully remove the block artefact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the full implementation of negotiation and collaboration under the Paris Agreement faces new, key problems and severe challenges. Among these problems and challenges are: how to honor the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities' to facilitate comprehensive, balanced, and effective implementation of the key elements of the Paris Agreement such as adaptation, mitigation, finance, technology, capacity building, and transparency; how to uphold and maintain the status of China and other emerging countries as developing countries in light of the requirements of the UNFCCC and the historical responsibilities of these countries; how to assess the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 °C and what makes an equitable carbon mitigation pathway for diiferent types of countries; developed countries and developing countries have drastically diverging views on the carbon border adjustment measures for trading with developing countries proposed by many developed countries such as the European Union. The developed countries have demonstrated obvious intentions and actions to weaken and neglect the principle of 'common but diiferentiated responsibilities', to impose mitigation pressure on developing countries, to shift the responsibilities for emissions onto others, and to pass on the costs of mitigation. The game among diiferent types of countries and interest groups has become increasingly intense. In response, China should maintain its strategic focus, adhere to the goals and principles established by the Paris Agreement, stick to its strategic positioning as a developing country, solidify the strategic support from the developing world, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries. China has played a conducive role in facilitating the Paris Agreement and become an active participant, contributor and leader in global climate governance. China should continue to follow Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization and concept of building a community of shared future for mankind and actively lead the cooperation process in the construction of a global climate governance system characterized by equity, justice, ad win-win collaboration, ad promote compliance with the Paris Agreement. At the same time, China should accelerate the green, low-carbon, circular transformation of its economy, accelerate the coordinated governance of economy, environment, and climate change, and formulate and implement a long-term low-carbon development strategy. By the middle of the 21st century, while achieving the goal of building a great modern socialist country, China wiil achieve a deep decarbonization development path that is in line with the goal of limiting global temperature rise well below 2 °C and making an effort to keep it below 1.5 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double perovskite structure (A2BB′O6) oxides exhibit a breadth of multifunctional properties with a huge potential range of applications in fields as diverse as spintronics, magneto‐optic devices, or catalysis, and most of these applications require the use of thin films and heterostructures. Chemical solution deposition techniques are appearing as a very promising methodology to achieve epitaxial oxide thin films combining high performance with high throughput and low cost. In addition, the physical properties of these materials are strongly dependent on the ordered arrangement of cations in the double perovskite structure. Thus, promoting spontaneous cationic ordering has become a relevant issue. In this work, our recent achievements by using polymer‐assisted deposition (PAD) of environmentally friendly, water‐based solutions for the growth of epitaxial ferromagnetic insulating double perovskite La2CoMnO6 and La2NiMnO6 thin films on SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 single‐crystal substrates are presented. It is shown that the particular crystallization and growth process conditions of PAD (very slow rate, close to thermodynamic equilibrium conditions) promote high crystallinity and quality of the films, as well as favors spontaneous B‐site cationic ordering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that can be obtained, enriched and proliferated in vitro. They owned enormous potential in fields like regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and immunomodulation. However, though isolated from the same origin, MSCs are still essentially heterogeneous cell populations with different phenotypes and functions. This heterogeneity of MSCs significantly affects their therapeutic efficacy and brings obstacles to scientific research. Thus, reliable sorting technology which can isolate or purify MSC subpopulations with various potential and differentiation pathways is urgently needed. This review summarized principles, application status and clinical implications for these sorting methods, aiming at improving the understanding of MSC heterogeneity as well as providing fresh perspectives for subsequent clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Rice false smut caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is a devastating rice (Oryza sativa) disease worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying U. virens–rice interactions are largely unknown. In this study, we identified a secreted protein, Uv1809, as a key virulence factor. Heterologous expression of Uv1809 in rice enhanced susceptibility to rice false smut and bacterial blight. Host‐induced gene silencing of Uv1809 in rice enhanced resistance to U. virens, suggesting that Uv1809 inhibits rice immunity and promotes infection by U. virens. Uv1809 suppresses rice immunity by targeting and enhancing rice histone deacetylase OsSRT2‐mediated histone deacetylation, thereby reducing H4K5ac and H4K8ac levels and interfering with the transcriptional activation of defence genes. CRISPR‐Cas9 edited ossrt2 mutants showed no adverse effects in terms of growth and yield but displayed broad‐spectrum resistance to rice pathogens, revealing a potentially valuable genetic resource for breeding disease resistance. Our study provides insight into defence mechanisms against plant pathogens that inactivate plant immunity at the epigenetic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation plays an important role in achieving deep decarbonization. This paper examines how the sector might be decarbonized in China in light of three national decarbonization scenarios toward the Paris Agreement goals, using Global Change Assessment Model 4.0 (the Tsinghua University version), which includes a detailed representation of China's transportation. Results indicate that while barely affected by meeting the Nationally Determined Contribution, China's transportation sector might need significant changes beyond 2030 to decouple associated CO 2 emissions from GDP growths. Supporting national mitigation has more pronounced implications on freight than passenger transport services, and arouses a radical shift of transport fuels away from fossil-based liquids to clean alternatives. Decarbonizing China's transportation toward 1.5 °C is in many aspects similar to toward 2 °C, but lowers final energy use and ramps up clean fuels at an observably higher pace. In our 1.5 °C scenario, oil-refined liquids tend to phase out in the second half of the century, whereas clean fuels provide 62% (18–36% in 2 °C scenarios) and 98% (68–91% in 2 °C scenarios) of China's transport energy by 2050 and 2100, respectively. Fuel carbon intensity improvements are responsible for the majority of China's transport mitigation in our decarbonization scenarios, followed by energy intensity improvements and transport service reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tolerance to corrosion of cathode catalyst supports comprising carbon nanofibers with differing alignments of graphene layers was evaluated, and its correlation with structural parameters obtained from Raman spectra was discussed. The carbon nanofibers employed in this study were platelet-type carbon nanofibers (PCNF) and tubular carbon nanofibers (TCNF). The tolerance to carbon corrosion was evaluated in a membrane electrode assembly using a start-stop durability testing protocol. While the ratio of the D band peak intensity to that of the G band ( I D / I G ) does not show any correlation with tolerance to carbon corrosion, full width at half maximum of the G band (FWHM(G)) correlates well with tolerance to carbon corrosion. The results suggest that carbon materials with low FWHM(G) values are promising as cathode catalyst supports in PEFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of moisture exposure on scratch behavior of four model cast polyurethane (CPU) elastomers with different soft segments is investigated. Two model CPU systems contain less polar ether groups and the other two contain more polar ester groups in the soft segment polyols. The ASTM D7027 /ISO 19252 standard scratch test was chosen to determine the scratch behavior of the model CPU systems in dry and water-saturated conditions. It is found that the absorbed moisture alters the surface characteristics, mechanical properties and the corresponding scratch behaviors of PU elastomers in different fashions, depending on the PU chemical constituents. The homogeneously absorbed water molecules in the less polar polyether-based PU elastomers serve as plasticizer to degrade the mechanical properties and increase the coefficient of friction (COF), thus leading to deterioration in scratch resistance. However, for the more polar polyester-based PU elastomers, because of the interaction between water molecules and the polar bonding sites, clustering of water occurs on the surface and acts as lubricant to decrease the COF, which improves the scratch resistance. A 3-D finite element method (FEM) modeling was conducted to further understand the observed scratch-induced deformation in the model systems. The present study provides guidelines for preparing scratch-resistant PU elastomers that are exposed to humid environment during service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a multifunctional serine protease, human neutrophil elastase (HNE) plays critical roles in a variety of physiopathological processes, such as acute lung injury, emphysema, atherosclerosis, and arthritis. The quantification of HNE is important in many applications. In this paper, we report an aptamer affinity capillary electrophoresis coupled with laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) assay for detection of HNE using a tetramethylrhodamine (TMR)-labeled DNA aptamer probe. The affinity complex of HNE and DNA aptamer probe was well separated from the unbound aptamer probe in CE separation based on the difference of electrophoretic mobility. Broad complex peaks appeared due to possible multiple binding. The 45-mer aptamer having TMR labeling on the 40th T base was used as affinity probe, as larger complex peaks were obtained. We investigated the effects of various metal cations (Na, K, and Mg) in sample buffer on the binding of HNE and the aptamer in CE-LIF analysis. The presence of Na, K, or Mg in sample buffer caused a decrease of complex peaks, and Mg showed a larger effect. Under optimized conditions, this aptamer CE-LIF assay enabled the detection of HNE at 0.5 nM. This assay showed good specificity and allowed for detection of HNE spiked in diluted human serum sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) based on mathematical processing of sequentially acquired structural OCT images has been applied widely in both retinal and choroidal research and may have advantages over traditional angiography. Images obtained by OCTA are rendered under the assumption that the only moving entity in the retina is blood flow. Optical phenomena and image processing algorithms may create imaging artefacts. Therefore, OCTA images require careful interpretation. This review discusses the dark signals seen in the choroidal vasculature on OCTA using multiple factor analysis. For accurate and comprehensive interpretation of the choroidal vasculature, we recommend simultaneous consideration of the laser light penetration depth and masking effect of retinal pigment epithelium, the orientation of vessels in relation to the scanning lasers and blood flow, the range of regional detectable velocity of blood flow, atrophic tissues in the periphery, and absorption of superior vessels on the scanning laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High transmittance Ga-doped ZnO thin films were deposited on glass substrates using sol-gel spin coating technique. Crystallinity levels, microstructures, optical and electrical properties of the thin films were systematically investigated by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, UV–visible spectrophotometer, PL spectrometer and four-point probe method, respectively. All GZO thin films exhibited polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and slight (0 0 2) preferred orientation growth, which show excellent transmittance (> 95%) in the 380–780 nm wavelength range. The PL spectra of the GZO films revealed a strong ultraviolet emission peaks at around 393 nm and a weak blue emission peak at around 468 nm. When the Ga doping level was 4 at.%, the minimum resistivity of 1.12 × 10 − 2 Ω·cm with the highest transmittance was reached. The optical band gaps ( E g ) of the films were increased from 3.311 eV to 3.329 eV with the increase of Ga dopant concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HCQ statically quenching the fluorescence of CAS and WP. • Hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds are the forces for complexes formation. • The four major proteins in milk exhibited different binding sites with HCQ. • The complex of HCQ-CAS was more stable compared to HCQ-WP. This study investigated the interaction between hydroxychloroquine sulfate (HCQ) and caseins (CAS) or whey proteins (WP) by the means of various spectroscopic, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. The fluorescence spectrum revealed that CAS and WP interaction with HCQ resulted in static quenching due to the formation of HCQ-CAS and HCQ-WP complexes. The formation of complexes was also validated by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The FTIR and CD data revealed that HCQ binding altered the secondary structure of CAS and WP. Moreover, molecular docking and MD simulation were performed to analyze the formation of complexes, which compacted the CAS structure. Moreover, they also demonstrated that HCQ interaction with CAS and WP mainly involved hydrophobic interactions, with some hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction forces. This was consistent with the zeta potential, thermodynamic and FTIR analyses. In conclusion, the present study guides the construction of the CAS and WP as a drug delivery system for HCQ and helps us understand how HCQ interacts with food components such as milk proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate analysis of electrode material parameters is of great significance for advancing Lithium-ion battery research. This paper presents the first application of the laboratory X-ray computed tomography (CT) technique for the material parameter analysis of rectangular lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. Firstly, performing a disassembly experiment of rectangular LFP battery, the geometric size of positive and negative electrodes and the heterogeneity of materials are analyzed. Secondly, a sine function model is proposed to identify the 2D tomographic images representing the positive and negative electrodes from the reconstructed 3D dataset. Then, the histograms of the 2D tomographic images are fitted with a Gaussian function to identify and quantify the content of electrode materials. Finally, the distributions of positive and negative materials are quantified by meshing and contour plots. The positive and negative materials are unevenly distributed on current collectors, and their distribution properties are closely related to the distance between the electrodes and the thickness center of the wound prismatic cell. The locations of the low aggregation regions of the positive and negative materials are not consistent. It can be expected that this paper will provide a new insight into the analysis of 3D imaging of electrode materials before/after battery operation. • A sine function model is constructed to identify the 2D tomographic images of electrodes. • Using a Gaussian function identify and quantify the content of electrode materials. • Using meshing and contour plots quantify the distribution of electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirteen ichnogenera and seventeen ichnospecies were recognised in carbonate rocks from the Lower Permian Taiyuan Formation in North China Basin. Based on the composition, occurrence and diversity of ichnofossils, intensity of bioturbation, lithologic characteristics, especially on the variation of individual size and the filling colour diversities of theZoophycosburrows, four types of ichnofabrics were recognised, that is (1) epigenic tiering ichnofabric – mainly appeared on or near the bedding plane and formed in restricted bay or lagoon sedimentary environments; (2) shallow tiering ichnofabric – developed less than 15 cm under the bedding plane and occurred in the upper shallow-marine environment; (3) medium tiering ichnofabric – mainly distributed from 15 to 20 cm under the bedding plane and generated in the mid-upper shallow sea (restricted–open platform); (4) deep tiering ichnofabric – distributed from 25 to 30 cm under the bedding plane and occurred in lower shallow sea (open platform) far from shore. Based on ichnological and sedimentological analyses above four types of ichnofabrics, the sedimentary environment model of the ichnofabrics in carbonate rocks from the Taiyuan Formation in North China Basin is proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidatively generated DNA damage is considered to be a significant contributing factor to cancer, aging, and age-related human diseases. It is important to detect oxidatively generated DNA damage to understand and clinically diagnosis diseases caused by oxidative damage. In this study, using selective enzymatic cleavage and quantum dot (QD) labeling, we developed a novel capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence method for the sensitive detection of oxidized DNA bases. First, oxidized DNA bases are recognized and removed by one DNA base excision repair glycosylase, leaving apurinic and apyrimidinic sites (AP sites) at the oxidized positions. The AP sites are further excised by the AP nicking activity of the chosen glycosylase, generating a nucleotide gap with 5′- and 3′- phosphate groups. After dephosphorylation with one alkaline phosphatase, a biotinylated ddNTP is introduced into the nucleotide space within the DNA strand by DNA polymerase I. The biotin-tagged DNA is further labeled with a QD-streptavidin conjugate via non-covalent interactions. The DNA-bound QD is well-separated from excess DNA-unbound QD by highly efficient capillary electrophoresis and is sensitively detected by online coupled laser-induced fluorescence analysis. Using this method, we can assess the trace levels of oxidized DNA bases induced by the Fenton reaction and UV irradiation. Interestingly, the use of the formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (FPG) protein and endonuclease VIII enables the detection of oxidized purine and pyrimidine bases, respectively. Using the synthesized standard DNA, the approach has low limits of detection of 1.1 × 10 −19 mol in mass and 2.9 pM in concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidatively generated DNA damage is considered to be a significant contributing factor to cancer, aging, and age-related human diseases. It is important to detect oxidatively generated DNA damage to understand and clinically diagnosis diseases caused by oxidative damage. In this study, using selective enzymatic cleavage and quantum dot (QD) labeling, we developed a novel capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence method for the sensitive detection of oxidized DNA bases. First, oxidized DNA bases are recognized and removed by one DNA base excision repair glycosylase, leaving apurinic and apyrimidinic sites (AP sites) at the oxidized positions. The AP sites are further excised by the AP nicking activity of the chosen glycosylase, generating a nucleotide gap with 5′- and 3′- phosphate groups. After dephosphorylation with one alkaline phosphatase, a biotinylated ddNTP is introduced into the nucleotide space within the DNA strand by DNA polymerase I. The biotin-tagged DNA is further labeled with a QD-streptavidin conjugate via non-covalent interactions. The DNA-bound QD is well-separated from excess DNA-unbound QD by highly efficient capillary electrophoresis and is sensitively detected by online coupled laser-induced fluorescence analysis. Using this method, we can assess the trace levels of oxidized DNA bases induced by the Fenton reaction and UV irradiation. Interestingly, the use of the formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (FPG) protein and endonuclease VIII enables the detection of oxidized purine and pyrimidine bases, respectively. Using the synthesized standard DNA, the approach has low limits of detection of 1.1 × 10 −19 mol in mass and 2.9 pM in concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of polymethylacrylic acid (PMAA) standard samples were prepared from fractionated PMMA samples followed by a two-step hydrolysis. The six PMMA standard samples with narrow molecular weight distributions were produced by free radical polymerization and fractionated with toluene-petroleum ether. Their average molecular weights ranged from 3.1 × 103to 4.3 × 104, dispersion coefficients were less than 1.5, and their gel permeation chromatography (GPC) peak shapes were symmetrical. The PMMA standard samples were dissolved in dioxane, and then hydrolyzed in a saturated NaOH-methanol solution for 24 h, the methanol then evaporated, and after that the PMMA samples were hydrolyzed in a 2 mol ·L−1NaOH aqueous solution for 24 h. The1H-NMR results showed that the two-step hydrolysis degree was higher than 98.70%. The PMAA standard samples were obtained after acidifying the hydrolysates, namely polymethacrylic acid sodium salt, and their molecular weights were constant during the separation process. The acid–base titration results showed the purities of the PMAA samples were greater than 98.6%, and their molecular weight distributions were symmetrical and narrow. The molecular weights of the PMAA were determined by the stoichiometric relationship of the hydrolysis reaction. Compared with viscosimetry, the results of both methods were basically the same, and their errors were less than 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The restacking of graphene or reduced graphite oxide (r-GO) is commonly regarded as a severe obstacle for potential applications. We propose the application of exfoliated carbon nanotube (e-CNT) as an effective carbon spacer for fabricating a sandwich-like three-dimensional (3D) carbon composite with GO. The 3D carbon combination of GO + e-CNT is successfully prepared via homogenously mixing of GO and e-CNT in an aqueous dispersion in which carbon spacers are homogenously intercalated with graphene layers. With the addition of a carbon spacer, the BET surface area of 3D carbon (51.6 m2 g− 1) is enhanced by a factor of three compared with r-GO (17.2 m2 g− 1) after thermal reduction. In addition, the 3D GO + e-CNT supported PtPd catalyst (PtPd-GO + e-CNT) shows homogenous distribution of PtPd nanoparticles of 3.9 ± 0.6 nm in size, with an enlarged electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) value of 164 m2 g−1 and a mass activity of 690 mA mg− 1 toward the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), which is the typical anode reaction for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Montmorillonite (MMT) modified with chitosan (CTS, molecular weight = 5 × 10 4 ) was applied to remove heavy metal cations by using Co 2 + as a model ion. An increase in MMT interlayer distance observed from X-ray diffraction indicates the intercalation of CTS into MMT. Together with the results of scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, it was concluded that the composite material of CTS and MMT (CTS–MMT) was prepared successfully. The mass ratio of CTS to MMT had a strong influence on the adsorption performance of CTS–MMT. The highest adsorption value of 150 mg/g was obtained over the composite material with CTS to MMT mass ratio of 0.25, which is much higher than those reported in other studies. The adsorption isotherms and kinetic results indicated that Co 2 + was adsorbed over CTS–MMT in a multilayer model, and the chemical sorption of Co 2 + was determined to be the rate-limiting step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine and compare systemic arterial stiffness responses in humans to acute continuous and interval low-intensity exercise. Methods: Fifteen healthy young men (21.2 ± 0.4 years) underwent non-exercise control (CON), continuous exercise (CE), and interval exercise trial (IE) in a randomized balanced self-control crossover design. Systemic arterial stiffness (Cardio-ankle vascular index, CAVI) was measured at baseline (BL), immediately after (0 min) and 40 min after exercise in CE and IE trials, and at corresponding time points in CON trial. Subjects cycled continuously for 30 min at 35 % heart rate reserve after BL measurement in CE trial, whereas in IE trial, subjects cycled two bouts of 15-min separated by a 20-min rest at the same intensity. Results: There were no significant CAVI changes with time in CON trial (6.7 ± 0.1, 6.7 ± 0.1, 6.6 ± 0.1 at BL, 0 and 40 min, respectively). In CE trial, CAVI decreased immediately after exercise (0 min) and returned to baseline after 40 min of recovery (6.5 ± 0.1, 5.5 ± 0.2, 6.4 ± 0.1 at BL, 0 and 40 min, respectively). IE elicited similar CAVI reduction from 6.7 ± 0.1 at baseline to 5.6 ± 0.2 at 0 min: however, CAVI at 40 min remained significantly low compared to that of CON trial at corresponding time point (6.0 ± 0.1 vs. 6.6 ± 0.1, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Both acute continuous and interval low-intensity exercise elicits transient improvement in systemic arterial stiffness in humans. Despite equivalent exercise intensity and duration, interval exercise resulted in improved arterial stiffness for longer duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the design and fabrication of diamond Lamb wave spin-mechanical resonators embedded in a two-dimensional (2D) phononic crystal square lattice. The rectangular resonator features gigahertz in-plane compression modes protected by the phononic bandgap of the square lattice. A membrane-in-bulk approach is developed for the fabrication of the suspended 2D structure. This approach overcomes the limitations of fabrication approaches, which are either incompatible with the necessary high-temperature thermal annealing or unsuitable for 2D structures with the required feature size. Graded soft oxygen etching, with the etching rate decreased gradually to below 1 nm/min, is used to remove defective surface layers damaged by reactive ion etching. Combining the graded etching with other established surface treatment techniques reduces the optical linewidth of nitrogen vacancy centers in resonators with a thickness below 1 μm to as narrow as 330 MHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxychloroquine sulfate (HCQ) is a well-established antimalarial drug that has received considerable attention during the COVID-19 associated pneumonia epidemic. Gelatin is a multifunctional biomacromolecule with pharmaceutical applications and can be used to deliver HCQ. The effect of HCQ on the gelation behaviors, water mobility, and structure of gelatin was investigated to understand the interaction between the drug and its delivery carrier. The gel strength, hardness, gelling (T g) and melting (T m) temperatures, gelation rate (k gel), and water mobility of gelatin decreased with increasing amounts of HCQ. The addition of HCQ led to hydrogen bonding that interfered with triple helix formation in gelatin. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis further confirmed that the interaction between HCQ and gelatin is primarily through hydrogen bonding. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that higher content of HCQ resulted in more and larger aggregates in gelatin. These results provide not only an important understanding of gelatin for drug delivery design but also a basis for the studying interactions between a drug and its delivery carrier. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxychloroquine sulfate (HCQ) is a well-established antimalarial drug that has received considerable attention during the COVID-19 associated pneumonia epidemic. Gelatin is a multifunctional biomacromolecule with pharmaceutical applications and can be used to deliver HCQ. The effect of HCQ on the gelation behaviors, water mobility, and structure of gelatin was investigated to understand the interaction between the drug and its delivery carrier. The gel strength, hardness, gelling (T g) and melting (T m) temperatures, gelation rate (k gel), and water mobility of gelatin decreased with increasing amounts of HCQ. The addition of HCQ led to hydrogen bonding that interfered with triple helix formation in gelatin. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis further confirmed that the interaction between HCQ and gelatin is primarily through hydrogen bonding. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that higher content of HCQ resulted in more and larger aggregates in gelatin. These results provide not only an important understanding of gelatin for drug delivery design but also a basis for the studying interactions between a drug and its delivery carrier. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to identify the chemical composition, monosaccharide composition, and molecular weight (Mw) of the polysaccharide (LBP) extract from Lycium barbarum L., and investigate the effects of Ca2+ on the zeta potential, rheological properties, infrared spectra (IR), and structure as well as the gelation mechanism of the LBP. The results showed that the LBP was an acidic glycoprotein mixture with an Mw of 4.05 × 105 Da. The addition of Ca2+ first decreased and then increased the absolute value of zeta potential. The elastic modulus (G'), complex viscosity (η*), and stress relaxation modulus (G(t)) of LBP increased with an increase of Ca2+ concentration, and reached the maximum value at the concentration of 12 mM. IR showed that the typical peak wavenumber of the LBP has changed in the presence of Ca2+. SEM and AFM analysis confirmed that Ca2+ could improve the formation of gel network structure in LBP. In addition, the electrostatic interaction and the calcium bridges produced by the addition of Ca2+ played a key role in the formation of the gel network structure. These findings will benefit the application of LBP in the food and pharmaceutical industries. [Display omitted] • Effect of Ca2+ on the rheological properties and structure of LBP was investigated. • Gelation mechanism of LBP was also elucidated. • Increasing concentration of Ca2+ improved rheological properties of the LBP gels. • Ca2+ increased the stability of LBP gel network structure. • Electrostatic interaction was crucial to LBP gel network structure formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]