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The plant-specific transcription factor gene family, YABBY, plays an important role in plant development and stress response. Although YABBY genes have been identified in numerous species, a comprehensive characterization of YABBYs in tea tree and oil tea has been lacking. In this study, ten and three YABBY genes were identified in Camellia sinensis and C. oleifera, respectively. YABBY proteins could be divided into five subfamilies. Most YABBY genes in the same clade had similar structures and conserved motifs. Protein evolutionary analysis revealed that FIL/YAB3 displayed high conservation in all positions, followed by INO, YAB2, YAB5, and CRC. Specific site analysis suggested that the YABBY family was polyphyletic during the evolution. Compared to C. oleifera, two segmentally duplicated gene pairs were formed in C. sinensis during recent WGD events generated 30.69 and 45.08 Mya, respectively. Cis-acting element indicated that most YABBY genes contain box4, ARE, and MYB elements. A total of 120 SSR loci were found within CsYABBYs, consisting of six types, while 48 SSR loci were identified within CoYABBY, consisting of three types. Transcriptome results revealed that CRC and INO clades were specifically expressed in floral organs. The expression of CsYABBY10 and CsYABBY5 was significantly up-regulated under drought and salt treatments, respectively, as confirmed by qRT-PCR. CoYABBY genes were more susceptible to salt stress, as CoYABBY3 increased by about 15-fold. Furthermore, functional differentiation may have occurred in duplicated genes. These discoveries provide important information for further research on YABBYs in tea tree and oil tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric ceramic capacitors, as one kind of important electrical energy-storage device, have been widely used because of their high-power density and low cost. It is a key challenge and of great significance to develop dielectric ceramic capacitors with high energy-storage density within a wide operate temperature range. In this work, the effect of the Bi(Mg0.5Zr0.5)O3 addition on the dielectric and energy-storage properties of lead-free Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 ceramics was systematically studied. It can be found that with increasing Bi(Mg0.5Zr0.5)O3 content, an increase in dielectric temperature stability as a result of the addition of Bi(Mg0.5Zr0.5)O3 can accompany the formation of the long-range ordered ferroelectric domain into polar nanoregions and also conform to a decrease in remanent polarization and an increase in energy-storage properties. As a result, for the composition 0.92Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3-0.08Bi(Mg0.5Zr0.5)O3, a stable dielectric constant in a temperature range of −100–151 °C was achieved. Furthermore, a large recoverable energy-storage density value (3.44 J/cm3) and a high-power density value (541 MW/cm3) were obtained simultaneously in the above ceramic composition. All these features suggest that the 0.92Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3-0.08Bi(Mg0.5Zr0.5)O3 ceramics might be ideal materials for potential applications of high energy-storage capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trilobite Liostracina has been recognized as important in taxonomic and stratigraphic studies for more than a century. Until now, the genus Liostracina and family Liostracinidae have been known from only incomplete holaspid material, a degree 2 meraspis, and protaspides. A new locality in the Longha Formation (Cambrian: Guzhangian) of southeastern Yunnan, China, yields a rich collection of articulated holaspid exoskeletons and disarticulated sclerites of a new species, Liostracina fuluensis n. sp. These specimens reveal thoracic and ventral morphology that was previously unknown for Liostracina; they demonstrate that it has a rostral plate plus rostral and connective sutures, rather than a ventral median suture on the cephalic doublure. This confirms a natant hypostomal condition for the genus. Holaspid exoskeletal features, combined with evidence of a non-asaphoid-type protaspis, indicate that Liostracina is neither a primitive trinucleoid nor a primitive asaphoid. The family Liostracinidae is excluded from the superfamily Trinucleoidea and the order Trinucleida and reassigned to the order Ptychopariida. UUID: http://zoobank.org/48dcbe31-e25d-4657-8441-732d5ea2b49d [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-assisted thermotherapy is an efficient method for subcutaneous tumors. However, an accurate prediction of the real-time temperature distribution and thermal damage during this thermotherapy process is still unachievable through non-invasive monitor. The present study proposed a theoretical method to predict the temperature distribution and burned area during the nano-assisted non-invasive thermotherapy process for the subcutaneous tumor. Governing equations are established for a laminated dual-phase-lag bio-thermal transfer model and are solved by Laplace transform method. The influences of heat flux phase lags and temperature gradient phase lags during the thermotherapy process are revealed, which indicate that the former delays the thermal equilibrium, while the later promotes the thermal balance progress. It is demonstrated that the gold nanoparticles can enhance the temperature in the tumor while reduce the temperature in healthy tissues, and the surface cooling method can decrease the temperature of skin effectively. This study illustrates that the subcutaneous tumor is efficiently eliminated while skin and healthy tissues are well protected from empyrosis by the combination of these two kinds of assistance. The results presented in this work can be employed to guide the bio-thermotherapy for the subcutaneous tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the foreseeable future, the coexistence of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) and Human-Driven Vehicles (HVs) will continue to be a feature of the traffic landscape for an extended period. The accurate estimation of mixed traffic conditions becomes essential for effectively managing traffic flow and ensuring road safety. In this research, we introduce a discrete, macroscopic, and second-order traffic flow model designed to capture the complexities of the mixed traffic environment. Our approach builds upon a microscopic traffic model and considers the interactions between CAVs and HVs, as well as the distinctive driving behaviors exhibited by each vehicle type. In particular, acknowledging that CAVs behave differently from HVs, we conduct a thorough analysis of the car-following and lane-changing behaviors of HVs in the presence of CAVs. To evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed model, we carried out extensive numerical simulations on a freeway segment with variable speed controls. The simulation results highlight two key findings: First, the proposed model achieves accurate estimations of mixed traffic states, including both flow and speed parameters. Second, there is a marked improvement in performance with increasing differences in speed control between CAVs and HVs. Our research contributes to the advancement of traffic management strategies and facilitates improved traffic flow in mixed traffic conditions. Additionally, the proposed model has significant potential to aid in the design and implementation of future transportation systems that incorporate connected automated vehicles while seamlessly accommodating human-driven vehicles. • CAVs & HVs coexist, requiring accurate traffic flow & safety management. • New model captures mixed traffic complexities between CAVs & HVs. • Analyzes HVs' behaviors around CAVs, focusing on car-following & lane-changing. • Simulations show model accurately estimates traffic flow & speed. • Model aids future traffic systems, blending CAVs with HVs effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the pursuit of lightweight structures with excellent mechanical performance, sandwich structures with lightweight cores and strengthened face sheets have become popular in the advanced engineering fields in recent years. In this paper, the nonlinear static and dynamic responses of the sandwich plate constructed with the aluminum pyramidal lattice core and functionally graded graphene platelets reinforced composite (FG-GPLRC) face layers are analyzed. The partial differential equations of the pyramidal lattice sandwich plate considering the geometric nonlinearity are achieved based on the Reddy's third order shear deformation theory (TSDT), which are solved by the combination of finite element model, Raphson's method and Newmark numerical integration method. Four different types of the impact loads including the step loading, triangular loading, half-sine loading and exponential loading with the same peak value and duration time are investigated. The influences of the thickness-to-truss radium ratio and the angle of the truss core, as well as the weight fraction and distribution patterns of graphene platelets (GPLs) over the face sheets under different impact loads and different boundary conditions are analyzed. According to the numerical results, it is concluded that the sandwich plate with higher weight fraction of GPLs, lower thickness-to-truss radium ratio, and higher angle of the truss core can exhibit better performance in both static and dynamic loading conditions. The FG-X distribution of GPLs presents the best dynamic performance as compared to the other GPL distributions. The combination of lightweight truss core with the advanced GPLRC face sheets is instructive for potential applications and further research. • A pyramidal lattice sandwich plate subjected to blast loadings is described theoretically. • Static and dynamic behaviors of the sandwich plate are both investigated. • Sandwich plate with functionally graded graphene platelets reinforced faces is considered. • Four different impact loadings with the same peak value and duration time are discussed. • Effects of distribution parameters of lattice core and GPLs in face sheets are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced electrostatic energy-storage science and technology based on dielectric ceramics capacitors are widely applied in pulsed power systems. Recently, entropy increasing design engineering has been considered as an available method to promote electrical characteristics in dielectric energy-storage ceramics. In this study, medium-entropy (Na 0.25 Bi 0.25 Ca 0.25 Sr 0.25)TiO 3 (NBCSTO) ceramics with good energy-storage properties were obtained by a conventional solid-state reaction method. The microstructure and element analysis results show that a perovskite structure was identified for the NBCSTO sample, and no secondary phases were detected. Furthermore, a dense microstructure and small grain size lead to a high breakdown electric field strength (E B) of 430 kV/cm of the NBCSTO ceramic, which also displays the features of relaxor ferroelectrics. Importantly, a high W rec ⁓5.84 J/cm3 along with a medium η ⁓80 % were simultaneously achieved in the NBCSTO ceramic, as well as good energy-storage stability. Moreover, the NBCSTO ceramic exhibits both a high P D and a fast discharging speed. All the above results indicate that the NBCSTO ceramic may be potential eco-friendly material for capacitor used in the pulsed power systems. [Display omitted] • Novel medium-entropy ceramics with superior energy-storage properties were prepared. • We analyzed the relationship between microstructure and energy-storage properties. • The NBCSTO ceramic possesses excellent energy-storage stabilities. • This work offers a viable way to design high energy-storage performances ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing appropriate modeling and simulation tools with the capability of analyzing traffic patterns, travel demand, and traveling/driving behavior responses at the regional level is important for the evaluation of active traffic management (ATM) and real-time transportation systems management and operations (TSM&O). In this paper, an integrated travel behavior and dynamic traffic assignment modeling tool, AgBM-DTALite, has been developed and adapted for real-time and dynamic analysis of ATM and TSM&O. The ATM algorithms are tightly integrated into the system, revising the control rates on a minute-by-minute basis. This tool also successfully incorporates travel demand and behavioral sensitivity into the traffic control and operations. The model is applied in a large-scale network to evaluate several ATM strategies, including variable speed limit (VSL) and ramp metering in the Washington, DC area. Significant departure time behavioral changes are found in response to ATM and the subsequent changes in traffic conditions. The impact on traffic dynamics is also quantified using various performance metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dense alumina ceramics were additively manufactured efficiently through a 3D gel printing process. Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) was applied to ensure the printability and rigid of the gel made from boehmite. A multi-step liquid desiccant drying method was implemented to improve the drying efficiency. The results showed that the solid loading and HEC addition were two useful parameters for adjusting the rheology properties of the gel to make it suitable for 3D printing. With polyethylene glycol(PEG) added as liquid desiccants, the printed bodies with section size of 10 mm could be dried within 26 h during which the deformation and crack formation was avoided despite a high linear shrinkage of 45 % was encountered. The successful preparation of dense monolithic alumna ceramics parts with an average grain size of 1 μm, 99 % of the theoretical density and a flexural strength of 380 ± 45 MPa indicated the potential of this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SMAX1/SMXL (SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1/SMAX1-LIKE) proteins function as transcriptional repressors in karrikin and strigolactone (SL) signaling pathways and regulate plant architecture. MAX2 is a common factor in the two signaling pathways and a component of the SCF complex that modulates the proteasome-mediated degradation of SMAX1/SMXLs. SMXL6, 7, and 8 proteins promote shoot branching and inhibit petiole elongation. Our study found that the accumulation of SMAX1 suppresses rosette shoot branching and increases cauline branches on the primary inflorescence stem, plant height, petiole length, and leaf length/width ratio. The SMAX1 accumulation enhances the expression of BRC1, HB53, HB40, and HB2 1 that modulate shoot branching. SMAX1 also regulates the expression of the genes involved in auxin transport, cytokinin signaling pathway, and SL biosynthesis. The expression analyses of these genes suggest that excessive SMAX1 should accelerate the transport of auxin and the biosynthesis of SL in plants. High SL concentration suppresses the bud development in smax1D mutant that accumulates SMAX1 protein in plant. However, the effects of cytokinin and auxin on shoot branching remain elusive in the mutant with excessive SMAX1. SMAX1 regulates leaf shape and petiole length via modulating TCP1 expression. Our findings reveal a novel function of SMAX1 and new mechanism of shoot branching. ● SMAX1 is localized to the nucleus and accumulated in max2 mutant plant ● SMAX1 is downstream of MAX2 and have a new function in regulating plant branching and leaf morphology ● The accumulation of SMAX1 increased the expression of BRC1 , and disrupted the balance of hormones that regulate plant branching [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal ablation is an efficient method of medical treatment, such as cancer therapy, wound closure, laser cutting, freckle removal and other treatments. In order to guarantee the curative effect and the safety of the patients, the thermal response of the tissue which is subjected to the heat source need to be carefully monitored. However, it is too difficult to achieve real-time monitoring on the full-field temperature. In the present study, efforts were made to build up a theoretical model for the prediction of the thermal response in the human skin. The Dual-Phase-Lag (DPL) bio-heat transfer model and the Henrique's burn assessment model were employed to describe the interaction of multi-pulse heat source and the skin. The repeated multi-pulse laser is a common heat source in the thermal treatment and the thermal responses of the skin would be complicated under the common effects of the non-Fourier effects and the multi-pulse source. The Green's function approach was used to solve the governing equations analytically. The closed-form solution for the temperature distribution of the skin was obtained and the thermal damage was estimated based on the temperature results. The influences of the biological parameters (the phase lags of the heat flux and the temperature gradient) and the heat source parameters (the pulse number and the duty ratio) on the temperature distribution, the burn degree and the irreversible burn depth of the irradiated region were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The market share of electric vehicles (EVs) is expected to grow, necessitating infrastructure development to support this expansion. However, scientific literature predominantly focuses on charging infrastructure design, overlooking the importance of pricing strategies that can optimize their utilization. To address this gap, this study presents an integrated incentive scheme aimed at maximizing system utilization by effectively distributing the charging demand across stations. Moreover, a novel concept of Flex Accessible Charging Points (FLEX-ACP) is introduced, specifically designed to enhance accessibility and reduce waiting time for users with disabilities and seniors (UDS). The proposed framework utilizes an optimal charging network configuration, considering the number and locations of charging facilities, and then determines appropriate incentives at each station to minimize total waiting time. The problem is formulated as a bi-level optimization model, which is subsequently transformed into a single-level mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP). To solve this program, a combination of heuristic and branch-and-cut algorithms is employed. The developed models are tested through a realistic case study, utilizing real-world data from Salt Lake County in Utah. • This study aims to distribute the EV charging demand across charging stations. • It develops an integrated incentive scheme to maximize system gain. • A novel concept of FLEX accessible charging point (FLEX-ACP) is introduced. • The problem is modeled as a bi-level optimization model. • The developed models are tested on a realistic case study in Salt Lake City, UT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the graphene platelets (GPLs) are extensively used as reinforcements to enhance the strength of porous materials. However, most studies are focused on the straight GPLs-reinforced structures under macro-scale. In this paper, the thermo-mechanical vibration of a curved functionally graded (FG) porous nanobeam reinforced with GPLs is studied via the curved refined shear deformation beam theory associated with nonlocal strain gradient size scale effect. Four different porosity distribution patterns are employed to account for the graded distribution of porosity, and the GPLs are assumed to be dispersed evenly over the porous nanobeam. The effective mechanical properties of the curved nanobeam with different FG porosity patterns are evaluated by virtue of the Halpin–Tsai micromechanical-based model. The effects of GPL weight fraction, temperature variation, opening angle, porosity distribution pattern and coefficient, as well as size-scale parameters on the vibrational performance of the GPLs-reinforced curved FG porous nanobeam with different boundary conditions are investigated. It is demonstrated that the fundamental frequency enhances with the increase of the GPL weight fraction, while increasing the porosity coefficient does not always decrease the vibrational frequency, which is related to the porosity distribution pattern and boundary condition. Moreover, the thermal environment and size-scale characteristics also have significant influences on the vibration of GPLs-reinforced porous nanobeam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal pyrolysis of Si@ZIF-67 yields Si@N-doped CNTs in situ, exhibiting a highly reversible electrochemical lithium storage capacity. Silicon is attracting considerable attention as an active anode material for advanced lithium-ion batteries due to its ultrahigh theoretical capacity. However, the reversible utilization of silicon-based anode materials is still hindered by the rapid capacity decay, as a consequence of the huge volume change of silicon during cycling. Herein, we use a Co-zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF-67) to prepare silicon-wrapped nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (Si@N-doped CNTs) by controllable thermal pyrolysis. The as-prepared nanocomposites can effectively prevent pulverization and accommodate volume fluctuations of silicon during cycling. It can deliver a highly reversible capacity of 1100 mAh g−1 even after 750 cycles at a current density of 1000 mA g−1. As confirmed by an in situ transmission electron microscopy experiment, the remarkable electrochemical performance of Si@N-doped CNTs is attributed to the high electronic conductivity and flexibility of cross-linked N-doped CNTs network as a cushion to mitigate the mechanical stress and volume expansion. Furthermore, a full cell consisting of Si@N-doped CNTs anode and LiFePO 4 cathode delivers a high reversible capacity of 1264 mAh g−1 and exhibits good cycling stability (>85% capacity retention) over 140 cycles at 1/4 C (1 C = 4000 mA g−1) rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcination was used for surface modification of ultrafine silicon nitride powders, which improved the flowability and dispersion stability of their slurries. Surface characteristics of the powder were investigated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which showed the generation of an oxide layer and partial elimination of amine groups on the particle surfaces. Ion analysis results suggested a drop in both ion conductivity and supernatant concentration after calcination. For the as‐received powder, poor flowability and dispersion stability was caused by high‐valence cations, which were detrimental to colloidal processing according to the Schulze–Hardy rule, and surface amine groups were also present; both of these were partly removed by calcination. The oxide layer formed on the particle surfaces hydrolyzes into silanol groups when the powder is dispersed in aqueous solutions, which was favorable for surface charging and formation of higher diffuse layer potential on the particles. These factors contributed to the improved flowability and dispersion stability of the slurries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuning the coordination structures of metal sites is intensively studied to improve the performances of single‐atom site catalysts (SASC). However, the pore structure of SASC, which is highly related to the accessibility of active sites, has received little attention. In this work, single‐atom ZnN4 sites embedded in P‐functionalized carbon with hollow‐wall and 3D ordered macroporous structure (denoted as H‐3DOM‐ZnN4/P‐C) are constructed. The creation of hollow walls in ordered macroporous structures can largely increase the external surface area to expose more active sites. The introduction of adjacent P atoms can optimize the electronic structure of ZnN4 sites through long‐rang regulation to enhance the intrinsic activity and selectivity. In the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction, H‐3DOM‐ZnN4/P‐C exhibits high CO Faradaic efficiency over 90% in a wide potential window (500 mV) and a large turnover frequency up to 7.8 × 104 h−1 at −1.0 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, much higher than its counterparts without the hierarchically ordered structure or P‐functionalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefiting from their improved accessibility of active sites and accelerated ion diffusion processes, ordered macro-mesoporous materials have received substantial attention in energy storage fields. However, preparing ordered hierarchical porous materials with single-crystal nature remains a huge challenge. Herein, we successfully prepare ordered macro-mesoporous single-crystalline Fe-based Prussian blue (denoted as OMMS-Fe-HCF) by chelating-agent-assisted in-situ crystallization strategy within a three-dimensional (3D) ordered polystyrene spheres (PS) template interstice. Subsequently, 3D ordered macroporous iron diselenide@carbon hybrid tetradecahedron (denoted as 3DOM-FeSe 2 @C) is favorably prepared by in-situ selenization of the OMMS-Fe-HCF template. The resulting composite can commendably inherit and reserve the macroporous architecture and cubo-octahedron morphology of the precursor. In particular, FeSe 2 nanoparticles are homogeneously encapsulated into the macroporous carbon matrix, significantly improving the mass transfer performance while maintaining the structural integrity. By virtue of hierarchical structure advantages and excellent conductivity, the 3DOM-FeSe 2 @C exhibits high-rate capability (361.6 mAh g−1 at 20 A g−1) and excellent cycling durability (306.4 mAh g−1 after 900 cycles at 2 A g−1) for sodium-ion batteries. Considering the rational design and accurate construction of OMMS-Fe-HCF, our work provides a new perspective on the preparation of such highly ordered macro-mesoporous composite for application in the energy storage fields. [Display omitted] • Hierarchically porous Fe-based Prussian Blue single-crystal was first synthesized. • These crystals exhibited a three-dimensional ordered macro-mesoporous structure. • The chelating-agent-assisted crystallization strategy based on PS was proposed. • 3DOM-FeSe 2 @C derived from OMMS-Fe-HCF delivered remarkable rate capability in SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate effectiveness of brace treatment in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with curve between 40° and 45° and to determine predictive factors associated with bracing outcome. Bracing was used to treat 90 patients with curve >40 degrees. Factors including Risser sign, age, sex, curve pattern, curve magnitude, and initial curve correction were compared between patients with curve improvement and patients with curve progression. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent predictors of curve progression. Curve was improved in 34 (37.8%) patients and stabilized in 12 (13.3%) patients. Remarkable curve progression >50 degrees was observed in 44 (48.9%) patients. Intergroup comparison showed significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of age (12.3 ± 1.4 years vs. 13.2 ± 1.6 years, P = 0.01), initial curve correction (2.2% ± 5.4% vs. 19.7% ± 12.2%, P < 0.001), and curve pattern (P = 0.03). Logistic regression analysis showed that initial curve correction of <10% (odds ratio = 12.82, P < 0.001) and Risser grade of 0 (odds ratio = 1.46, P = 0.04) were significant indicators of curve progression. Bracing may produce a favorable outcome in certain patients with curve between 40° and 45°. It should be cautiously used in this situation, as there was a higher probability of bracing failure. It is important to differentiate patients at high risk of curve progression at an early stage to avoid overtreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing of transit vehicles in urban networks, traditional active transit signal priority (TSP) control may fall short of efficiency and bring negative impacts to non-priority approaches due to overusing priority grants. To reduce the frequency of activating TSP under high bus volumes, this study presents a new model, named INTEBAND, to facilitate the platooning of both passenger-cars and buses along arterials. The model integrates the conventional signal progression model with bus progression model to balance the travel delay of car-users and bus-passengers. Taking Jingshi road in Jinan for example, this study employs VISSIM for model evaluations. Further sensitivity analysis reveals that INTEBAND could clearly outperform the two conventional models in reducing network person delay when the ratio of bus-passengers and car-users exceeds a threshold of 1.5. Moreover, a multi-classifier model based on simulation results is to conveniently answer when INTEBAND can yield more benefit than conventional progression models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A novel triangular tube reinforced corrugated honeycomb, which is professionally termed as ripplecomb, is proposed by integrating triangular tubes with sine-wave corrugated plates to construct a quasi-hexagon honeycomb structure. The mechanical performance of ripplecomb under quasi-static out-of-plane uniform compression is investigated based on three-dimensional finite element method. Combining the eccentricity factor, amplitude factor with the basic folding mechanism, an analytical approach based on rigid perfectly plastic model is applied to predict the mean impact force of the ripplecomb under quasi-static axial crushing loading theoretically. The mean crushing force obtained from analytical model is well consistent with those of the simulation. Besides, parametric investigations are carried out to explore the influence of the wave amplitude, wave number and cell-wall thickness on the out-of-plane crashworthiness performance of the ripplecomb structure. The numerical results demonstrate that the ripplecomb structure can improve the specific energy absorption as well as lowering the initial peak force compared with the traditional hexagonal honeycomb structure. This work indicates that the proposed hybrid ripplecomb structure exhibits superiority in energy absorption as crushing protection structures in comparison with conventional lightweight constructions with identical mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An airplane may run out of runway length because of high landing speed, late touchdown and loss of control in wheel alignment during takeoff or landing, leading to catastrophic damage and heavy losses of lives. To reduce the runway safety risk has remained a top priority for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in recent decades. In order to prevent the disasters, an innovative civil aircraft arresting system called Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) has been installed at the terminal of Runway Safety Areas (RSA) in the main international airports around the world. EMAS has already succeeded in keeping the airplanes on the runway and it has proved to be an effective technique to mitigate overruns that take place. This paper provides a systematic overview of the recent research efforts and advancements about the civil aircraft arresting system, with a focus on the concept introduction, structural construction, standard EMAS, installation and maintenance of EMAS. Furthermore, the major research approaches for the civil aircraft arresting system, such as the representative theoretical models, numerical simulations and full-scale aircraft arresting experiments, are highlighted and discussed to clarify the energy absorption mechanism of the aircraft arresting system. The current operational performance of the aircraft arresting systems and successful arresting cases for the airplanes that overshot the runway are described in this paper. The main shortcomings of the current aircraft arresting systems are pointed out based on the investigation of the current service condition for the EMAS, and then some novel arresting systems promising to replace the current core material for EMAS are listed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-static coating on the 3Y-TZP ceramics was prepared through adding ZnO and SnO 2 to the glaze. Wettability and surface resistivity of the coating was studied. Dissolving, crystallization and distribution of ZnO and SnO 2 in the coating were analyzed. Static dissipative mechanism of the coating was explored. The results showed that the interface bonding and wetting between the coating and 3Y-TZP were perfect. The surface resistivity of the coating could be reduced to 10 7 Ω/□. ZnO was helpful to improve the wettability of the coating and inhibit the crystallization of the SiO 2 . ZnO and SnO 2 dissolved in the glaze and the semi-conductive composition rich melt layer around SnO 2 was formed. The melt layer contacted each other and the static dissipative network was established, which attributed to the anti-static properties of the coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional Transit Signal Priority (TSP) controls often reach the limitation for arterials accommodating heavy bus flows since the priority function can significantly increase delay at minor streets. Under such conditions, a proper signal progression plan that accounts for the benefits of buses may offer the potential to improve the reliability of bus operations and increase the bus ridership. This study proposes a bus-based progression model to reduce the delay of buses on local arterials. Given the cycle length and green splits at each intersection, the bus-based progression model, grounded on the same notion as conventional signal progression methods, considers the operational characteristics of transit vehicles, such as the impact of bus dwell time and the capacity constraints at bus stops. Also, to deal with the stochastic nature of dwell time, this study introduces additional constraints to maximize the percentage of buses which can stay within the green band after leaving bus stops. Taking an arterial with five intersections and three two-way bus stops as an example, this study applies VISSIM as an unbiased tool for model evaluation. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model can significantly reduce bus passenger delays and the average person delays for the entire arterial, compared with the conventional progression models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, laser plays an important role in biomedical treatments and surgical techniques. To guarantee patients’ safety, a deeply understanding of thermal responses of biological tissues during laser-tissue interaction is required. The existing analytical researches usually explore the bio-thermal process based on a one-dimensional heat conduction model because of the complication of the governing equations in three-dimensional case. The present study developed an analytical solution for the laser-tissue thermal interaction with a moving heat source based on a three-dimensional DPL thermal transfer model. The effects of the capillary vessel system and metabolism were under consideration. The expression of temperature in the cuboid bio-tissue was derived analytically by utilizing the Green’s function approach and its accuracy was verified through agreement with a numerical simulation. The influences of the laser moving speed, the spot size of laser beam and the two parameters of relaxation times were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive MXene-based films are potential in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, multilayered MXene-based films are rarely reported, and the EMI shielding investigations are confined in only X band (8–12 GHz). Herein, sandwich-type multilayered GO@MXene films were constructed by an alternating vacuum-assisted filtration technique. Benefiting from interlayer scattering and high conductivity, the flexible multilayered GO@MXene films show excellent EMI shielding performance in 3.95–18.0 GHz at an ultrathin film thickness. The mechanical properties and EMI shielding performance are related to the layered structure, film thickness and content of MXene. Especially, the trilaminar GO@MXene film (only ∼8 µm) shows superior EMI shielding and mechanical properties. The average EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) values are 44.5, 46.6 and 45.0 dB at C, X and Ku bands, respectively, with the corresponding specific EMI SE values of 22,429.4, 23,487.9 and 22,681.5 dB cm2 g−1. The GO@MXene film exhibits remarkable stability in acid, alkaline and organic solvent. This work not only provides a flexible film with high EMI shielding performance at a wide gigahertz range, but also suggests that the mechanical properties and EMI shielding can be tuned by simply changing the layered structure. This is helpful to give guidance to the design of novel MXene-based EMI shielding films and expand their applications. • Multilayered GO@MXene films were prepared by alternating vacuum filtration method. • The three-layer GO@MXene film (GM-3) show excellent mechanical properties. • The 8-μm thick trilaminar GO@MXene film shows superior EMI SE of 46.6 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various natural and manmade disasters during last decades have highlighted the need of further improving on governmental preparedness to emergency events, and a relief supplies distribution problem named Inventory Slack Routing Problem (ISRP) has received increasing attentions. In an ISRP, inventory slack is defined as the duration between reliefs arriving time and estimated inventory stock-out time. Hence, a larger inventory slack could grant more responsive time in facing of various factors (e.g., traffic congestion) that may lead to delivery lateness. In this study, the relief distribution problem is formulated as an optimization model that maximize the minimum slack among all dispensing sites. To efficiently solve this problem, we propose a two-stage approach to tackle the vehicle routing and relief allocation sub-problems. By analyzing the inter-relations between these two sub-problems, a new objective function considering both delivery durations and dispensing rates of demand sites is applied in the first stage to design the vehicle routes. A hierarchical routing approach and a sweep approach are also proposed in this stage. Given the vehicle routing plan, the relief allocation could be easily solved in the second stage. Numerical experiment with a comparison of multi-vehicle Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) has demonstrated the need of ISRP and the capability of the proposed solution approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure moments of vibration-based fatigue tests are usually defined based on the natural frequency drops of specimens. But the selections of the critical values of the frequency drop have been very arbitrary in the previous tests, lacking of convincing reasons. The present paper aims to propose a failure criterion of titanium alloy irregular sheet specimens tested in a vibration-based bending fatigue experiment. A novel three-dimensional finite element model of the specimen is built, with a cohesive zone model employed to simulate the fatigue dangerous zone (FDZ) and the semi-elliptic crack propagation process of the specimen. A failure criterion to define the critical natural frequency drop is subsequently proposed based on the obtained computational results. Furthermore, a vibration-based bending fatigue test for the specimens is conducted to verify the computational model and the proposed failure criterion. After comparing the present testing results with the results of a similar bending fatigue test, the two types of the testing results are found very close. The vibration-based bending fatigue test with the proposed failure criterion provides an effective way for obtaining accurate fatigue life of irregular specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous composite structures with excellent integrative performance that can replicate the mechanical properties of biological materials have been created to fill gaps in material-property charts, and these bio-inspired structures have crucial implications in a wide range of engineering communities. In this paper, a series of novel bio-inspired aluminum honeycombs consisting of horseshoe mesostructure have been proposed on the basis of triangular honeycomb, square honeycomb, hexagonal honeycomb and kagome honeycomb to improve the energy absorption capacity. The three-dimensional finite element models of the bio-inspired horseshoe-shaped aluminum honeycombs are developed in order to explore the mechanical behaviors under the out-of-plane uniform compression. The simulation results are validated based on the compression experiments of regular hexagonal honeycombs. Besides, parametric investigations are carried out to understand the influences of the wave amplitude, wave number and cell-wall thickness on the out-of-plane crashworthiness. The numerical results demonstrate that adding the horseshoe mesostructure to the regular honeycombs can increase the plateau force greatly compared with the traditional honeycomb structure, leading to the higher specific energy absorption although increasing the initial peak force as well. Finally, a multi-objective optimization is carried out to seek for the optimal honeycombs with the maximum specific energy absorption together with the minimum initial peak force simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congestion at the downstream of an off-ramp often propagates the traffic queue to the freeway mainline, and thus reduces the freeway capacity at the interchange area. To prevent such potential queue spillover and improve traffic control efficiency over the entire corridor, this study develops an integrated control system which includes three primary functions: off-ramp queue estimation, arterial adaptive signal operations, and freeway off-ramp priority control. Using detected flow data, the system firstly estimates the queue length on the target off-ramp. If no potential queue spillover is predicted, the adaptive signal control function will then adjust the intersection signal timings and provide dynamic signal progression to critical path-flows. Otherwise, the off-ramp priority control function will be activated to clear the queuing vehicles at the off-ramp. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed system, this study has conducted numerical studies on a freeway interchange using a well-calibrated simulation platform. The experimental results reveal that the overall network performance can indeed be improved under the proposed control system, compared with other operational strategies. Further analyses of freeway time-dependent travel time distribution also evidence the effectiveness of the proposed system in preventing off-ramp queue spillover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of mimicking natural materials to design novel lightweight structures with high capacity of energy absorption is of great interest at present. Enormous natural structures exhibit fascinating mechanical performance after hundreds of millions of years of convergent evolution. Odontodactylus scyllarus , known as the peacock mantis shrimp, whose dactyl strike is recognized as one of the rapidest and powerful creatures found in nature, has an enormous potential to act as excellent biomimetic protective system. In this paper, a novel lightweight bio-inspired double-sine corrugated (DSC) sandwich structure has been proposed to enhance the impact resistance. The out-of-plane uniform compression of the bio-inspired bi-directionally sinusoidal corrugated core sandwich panel has been conducted under the quasi-static crushing load. Compared with the regular triangular and sinusoidal corrugated core sandwich panels, the bio-inspired DSC core sandwich panels significantly improve the structural crashworthiness as well as reducing the initial peak force greatly. Finally, the influences of the wave amplitude, wave number and corrugated core layer thickness on the mechanical performance of the bio-inspired DSC core sandwich panel are investigated to seek for the appropriate structural parameters to optimize the energy absorption behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Takeoff and landing overruns account for most of the accidents that occur on or in the immediate vicinity of the runway, and it would cause accidental aircraft damage and loss of life. The current Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) materials are weak in water resistance and durability, expensive in acquiring and installing, and have negative environmental impacts. So it is significantly required to find a new alternative material with good mechanical properties, higher arresting coefficient and excellent environmental performance. In this article, the arresting properties of metal honeycomb material are studied. A Tire-Honeycomb material Interaction Mechanical Model (THIMM) is proposed. Combining with the dynamic model of aircraft, the theoretical model is coded by MATLAB to finish arresting simulation on aircraft B737-900ER and B727-100. In addition, finite element model of the tire-honeycomb material interaction was built to verify the correctness of the theoretical model. The results obtained by finite element simulation are in a good agreement with the theoretical results. In comparison with the results for traditional materials, the calculated results show that the honeycomb material can stop the overrunning aircraft more efficiently in the condition that the forces induced by the stopping process are safe for the passengers and aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engineering material arresting system (EMAS) has been widely employed in airports around the world for purpose of stopping the overrun airplanes from damage. However, the foamed concrete, which is used as the EMAS core at present, has drawn increasing criticism from the public opinion for environmental issue and aging problem. In this paper, a new arresting system made of polyurethane foam with high energy absorption capacity was proposed to overcome the above problems. An analytical model based on the Avalle empirical model, which takes into account the coupling effect between the aircraft wheel and the foam material, was presented to estimate the horizontal resistances exerted on the aircraft wheel, including the crushing drag, the tearing drag, the adhesive drag and the friction drag. In addition, the stopping distance required to arrest the overrun aircraft was predicted. Furthermore, the accuracy of the theoretical results was validated through comparison with the results of FAA full-scale arresting tests. Besides, the influences of the arrestor height, material strength, aircraft weight and the radius of aircraft wheel on the arresting performance of polyurethane foam material were performed, indicating that a reasonable parametric selection is extremely crucial to obtain the optimal design for the aircraft arresting system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel vibration-based fatigue experimental system has been established to study the fatigue properties of titanium alloy annular discs in near resonance conditions. The excitation frequency-response curves are experimentally obtained in order to clarify the large amplitude nonlinear vibration characteristics of the discs. Then a vibration-based fatigue test of the discs and the corresponding 10° segment specimens are conducted respectively to obtain the S - N curves and the fatigue limit stresses. A multiaxial fatigue criterion is subsequently proposed to predict the fatigue properties of the discs, which is compared with the present experimental results finally. It is demonstrated that the high-cycle fatigue properties of the discs can be obtained by the present vibration-based fatigue test, which is an in-phase biaxial fatigue test. The fatigue limit stress of the discs can be predicted well by the proposed elliptic multiaxial fatigue criterion together with the fatigue testing results of the corresponding segment specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and innovative processing method for fabricating anti-static ceramics has been developed based on Fe-infiltration in sintered tetragonal polycrystalline zirconia doped with 3 mol% yttria (3Y-TZP). The 3Y-TZP samples infiltrated by Fe in a reducing atmosphere showed both excellent anti-static and mechanical properties. Effects of infiltration temperature and time on the surface resistivity and Vickers hardness of the prepared samples were investigated. The surface resistivity and hardness were found to decrease with increases in the infiltration time and temperature. For a typical sample infiltrated at 1000 °C for 4 h, the surface resistivity decreased to 10 7 Ω/□, and the Vickers hardness was 11.2 GPa. The microstructure, chemical composition, and anti-static mechanism were investigated by XRD, SEM and XPS. The results indicated that there was a phase transformation from t -ZrO 2 to m -ZrO 2 during the infiltration process. It was also found that Fe, Fe 3 O 4 and FeO were located in the infiltration layer, conferring an antistatic property to the ZrO 2 ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite extensive studies have been reported to address the operational issues of full Continuous Flow Intersection (CFI) in the literature, the asymmetric two-leg CFI, which is more applicable in practice, has not received adequate attentions yet. To satisfy such need, this study develops two signal optimization models for asymmetric CFI based on its unique geometric features. The first proposed model, following a two-step procedure, determines the cycle length, phase design and sequence, and green split in the first step and optimizes intersection offset in the second step. To benefit both intersections’ capacity maximization and signal progression design by optimizing phase plan and sequence, the second proposed model takes the Mixed-Integer-Linear-Programming (MILP) technique to concurrently optimize all signal control variables. With extensive case studies on a field site in Maryland, the simulation results prove that the proposed models can effectively provide signal progression to critical path-flows and prevent the potential queue spillover on the short turning bays/links. Further comparisons between the two proposed models reveal that the second model is more flexible in designing phase plan but the first model performs better in reducing link queue length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative processing method for regulating the surface resistivity of zirconia ceramic has been developed based on solution infiltration in porous preform body. In this study, effects of infiltration solution concentration on the surface resistivity and Vickers hardness were investigated. It was shown that the surface resistivity decreased with the increase of infiltration concentration, while the surface hardness was not significantly influenced. For a typical sample infiltrated in 3 mol/L Fe(NO 3 ) 3 ·9H 2 O solution for 2 h, the surface resistivity is reduced to 10 4 Ω/□, while the Vickers hardness was kept at 13 GPa. The content of element Fe decreased gradually from the surface to the core of the samples. The status of element Fe was verified as FeO and Fe 2 O 3 . About 49.4% of the element Fe was in the status of FeO, which was the conductive composition for anti-static purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crashworthiness of helicopter fuel tank is vital to the survivability of the passengers and structures. In order to understand and improve the crashworthiness of the soft fuel tank of helicopter during the crash, this paper investigated the dynamic behavior of the nylon woven fabric composite fuel tank striking on the ground. A fluid-structure interaction finite element model of the fuel tank based on the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian method was constructed to elucidate the dynamic failure behavior. The drop impact tests were conducted to validate the accuracy of the numerical simulation. Good agreement was achieved between the experimental and numerical results of the impact force with the ground. The influences of the impact velocity, the impact angle, the thickness of the fuel tank wall and the volume fraction of water on the dynamic responses of the dropped fuel tank were studied. The results indicated that the corner of the fuel tank is the most vulnerable location during the impact with ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodispersed hierarchically nanostructured yttrium-based materials including Y(OH)3, Y6O5F8, and H-NaYF4 were successfully synthesized from the same mesocrystal Y(OH) xF3- x precursor. It was found that there was a close crystallographic relationship between the precursor and the final products and all of the processes underwent an in situ topotactic transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PICALM and CLU are two major risk genes of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), and there is strong molecular evidence suggesting their interaction on amyloid-beta deposition, hence finding functional dependency between their risk genotypes may lead to better understanding of their roles in LOAD development and greater clinical utility. In this study, we mainly investigated interaction effects of risk loci PICALM rs3581179 and CLU rs11136000 on hippocampal degeneration in both young and elderly adults in order to understand their neural mechanism on aging process, which may help identify robust biomarkers for early diagnosis and intervention. Besides volume we also assessed hippocampal shape phenotypes derived from diffeomorphic metric mapping and nonlinear dimensionality reduction. In elderly individuals (75.6 ± 6.7 years) significant interaction effects existed on hippocampal volume ( P < 0.001), whereas in young healthy adults (19.4 ± 1.1 years) such effects existed on a shape phenotype ( P = 0.01) indicating significant variation at hippocampal head and tail that mirror most AD vulnerable regions. Voxel-wise analysis also pointed to the same regions but lacked statistical power. In both cohorts, PICALM protective genotype AA only exhibited protective effects on hippocampal degeneration and cognitive performance when combined with CLU protective T allele, but adverse effects with CLU risk CC. This study revealed novel PICALM and CLU interaction effects on hippocampal degeneration along aging, and validated effectiveness of diffeomorphometry in imaging genetics study. Hum Brain Mapp 37:2419-2430, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the flexural fatigue performance of novel carbon fiber reinforced bismaleimide resin matrix damping sandwich composite structure prepared by co-curing process, three-point flexural fatigue tests were carried out on composite structure embedded with damping films of different thickness. The flexural fatigue failure mode, fatigue life and damage evolution law of sandwich beam were obtained, and different damage mechanisms of sandwich beam under flexural fatigue load were analyzed. The S-N curves of undamped composite were fitted by three-point flexural fatigue test. The fatigue characteristics of the undamped composite and damping composite were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the fatigue life of damping composite decreased with the increase of damping layer thickness under the same cyclic load. A numerical simulation model of three-point flexural fatigue performance of damping composite was established. The fatigue life variation trend of damping composite under different damping layer parameters (number of damping layers, location of damping layers, distribution of damping layers) was further simulated, which provided theoretical basis for the fatigue design of damping composite. • The flexural fatigue failure mode, fatigue life and damage evolution law of sandwich beam were obtained. • Different damage mechanisms of sandwich beam under flexural fatigue load were analyzed • A three-point flexural fatigue test platform for co-curing damping composite structure was established, and the S-N curve of undamped composite was fitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tailored doping levels towards the band gap tunability are one of the challenges to push forward the potential application of one-dimensional (1D) ZnO nanostructures in the opto/electric nanodevices. In present work, we reported the exploration of Mg-doped ZnO nanofibers via electrospinning of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), Zn(CH 3 COO) 2 (ZnAc) and Mg(CH 3 COO) 2 (MgAc), followed by calcination in air. The resultant products were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The optical measurements (UV–vis) of the Mg-doped ZnO nanofibers suggested that the optical band gaps of the ZnO nanofibers could be tuned from 3.33 to 3.40 eV as a function of the Mg doing levels. This tunability of the band gap of ZnO nanofibers with an intentional impurity could eventually be useful for optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both cubic and hexagonal NaYF 4 were synthesized in different reaction systems via hydro/solvo-thermal route. The effects of reaction temperature, solvents, and additives on the synthesis of NaYF 4 have been studied in detail. It has been shown that phase transformation from cubic NaYF 4 to hexagonal NaYF 4 always occurred. The sequence of the ability for inducing the phase transformation was ethanol>H 2 O>acetic acid. It is found that ethanol can not only facilitate the formation of hexagonal NaYF 4 but also control the growth of the crystal. This is quite unusual for the growth of H-NaYF 4 . The up-conversion emission properties of Yb/Er co-doped NaYF 4 have also been investigated and the results demonstrated some general principles for improving up-conversion emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large deformation diffeomorphic metric mapping (LDDMM) has been shown as an effective computational paradigm to measure anatomical variability. However, its time-varying vector field parameterization of diffeomorphism flow leads to computationally expensive implementation, as well as some theoretical issues in metric based shape analysis, e.g. high order metric approximation via Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff (BCH) formula. To address these problems, we study the role of stationary vector field parameterization in context of LDDMM. Under this setting registration is formulated as finding the Lie group exponential path with minimal energy in Riemannian manifold of diffeomorphisms bringing two shapes together. Accurate derivation of Euler-Lagrange equation shows that optimal vector field for landmark matching is associated with singular momenta at landmark trajectories in whole time domain, and a new momentum optimization scheme is proposed to solve the variational problem. Length of group exponential path is also proposed as an alternative shape metric to geodesic distance, and pair-wise metrics among a population are computed through an approximation method via BCH formula which only needs registrations to a template. The proposed methods have been tested on both synthesized data and real database. Compared to non-stationary parameterization, this method can achieve comparable registration accuracy in significantly reduced time. Second order metric approximation by this method also improves significantly over first order, which can not be achieved by non-stationary parameterization. Correlation between the two shape metrics is also investigated, and their statistical power in clinical study compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Branched α-MnO2 nanorods are synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method without surfactants or templates. The formation of α-MnO2 with different morphologies, including branched nanorods and nanorods with controllable length, is achieved by controlling the starting concentration of reactants. The morphology and structure of the branched α-MnO2 nanorods are fully characterized and the growth mechanism is proposed based on the experimental observation. The novel structures presented here enrich the nanoscale community of α-MnO2 materials, thus enabling greater potential applications. The electrochemical properties of as-synthesized branched α-MnO2 nanorods are also studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurement. The branched α-MnO2 nanorod electrode shows a high specific capacitance of 182 F g−1 at a current density of 2 A g−1, with a good rate capability (72.5% at 64 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arabidopsis MORE AXILLARY GROWTH2 (MAX2) is a key component in the strigolactone (SL) and karrikin (KAR) signaling pathways and regulates the degradation of SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1/SMAX1‐like (SMAX1/SMXL) proteins, which are transcriptional co‐repressors that regulate plant architecture, as well as abiotic and biotic stress responses. The max2 mutation reduces resistance against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst). To uncover the mechanism of MAX2‐mediated resistance, we evaluated the resistance of various SL and KAR signaling pathway mutants. The resistance of SL‐deficient mutants and of dwarf 14 (d14) was similar to that of the wild‐type, whereas the resistance of the karrikin insensitive 2 (kai2) mutant was compromised, demonstrating that the KAR signaling pathway, not the SL signaling pathway, positively regulates the immune response. We measured the resistance of smax1 and smxl mutants, as well as the double, triple, and quadruple mutants with max2, which revealed that both the smax1 mutant and smxl6/7/8 triple mutant rescue the low resistance phenotype of max2 and that SMAX1 accumulation diminishes resistance. The susceptibility of smax1D, containing a degradation‐insensitive form of SMAX1, further confirmed the SMAX1 function in the resistance. The relationship between the accumulation of SMAX1/SMXLs and disease resistance suggested that the inhibitory activity of SMAX1 to resistance requires SMXL6/7/8. Moreover, the exogenous application of KAR2 enhanced resistance against Pst, but KAR‐induced resistance depended on salicylic acid (SA) signaling. Inhibition of karrikin signaling delayed SA‐mediated defense responses and inhibited pathogen‐induced protein biosynthesis. Together, we propose that the MAX2–KAI2–SMAX1 complex regulates resistance with the assistance of SMXL6/7/8 and SA signaling and that SMAX1/SMXLs possibly form a multimeric complex with their target transcription factors to fine tune immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To contend traffic congestion on urban networks, existing studies have made great efforts to develop traffic-responsive signal timing algorithms in the last decade. More recently, as an alternative to conventional model-based algorithms, machine learning-based methods have been tested on traffic light timing problems and show promising potentials. However, many researchers and practitioners still questioned the feasibility and applicability of adopting machine learning techniques in the ATSC domain. One of the reasons is that these methods assumed flawless detectors and heavily relied on simulators for training and evaluations. To address such a critical concern, this article customizes a Deep Q-learning Learning (DQL) method to optimize traffic signal timings at urban intersections, where the partial observations from identity-based detectors are inputs, and the green splits are outputs. A simulation-free data-driven prediction model is also developed to train the DQL with reduced computational time. Then the machine learning-based methods are evaluated on a real-world case with Automatic Number-Plate Recognition (ANPR) data. Experiments show the proposed data-driven model can predict the traffic state in limited computational time, and the DQL algorithm is 3.9% better than the field experiment performance from the adaptive control system, SCOOT, and 22% better than the time-of-day plan by SYNCHRO. The results indicate the DQL methods can only yield marginal improvement with restrictive input and output settings in congested traffic flow in comparison to the conventional adaptive method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To contend with congestion and spillback on commuting arterials, serving as connectors between freeway and surface-street flows, this paper presents three multi-path progression models to offer progression bands for multiple critical path-flows contributing to the high volume in each arterial link. The first proposed model is a direct extension of MAXBAND under a predetermined phasing plan, but using the path-flow data to yield the progression bands. The second model further takes the phase sequence at each intersection as a decision variable, and concurrently optimizes the signal plans with offsets for the entire arterial. Due to the competing nature of multi-path progression flows over the same green duration, the third model is proposed with a function to automatically select the optimal number of paths in their bandwidths maximization process. The results of extensive simulation studies have shown that the proposed models outperform conventional design methods, such as MAXBAND or TRANSYT, especially for those arterials with multiple heavy path-flows. The research results from this study have also reflected the need to collect more traffic pattern data such as major path-flow volumes, in addition to the typical intersection volume counts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents two models for proactive variable speed limit (VSL) control on a recurrently congested freeway segment. The proposed model uses embedded traffic flow relations to predict the evolution of congestion patterns over the projected time horizon, and then computes the time-varying optimal speed limit to smooth traffic flows. To contend with the uncertainties associated with drivers' responses to VSL control, this study has also proposed an advanced model that further adopts Kalman Filter to enhance the traffic state estimation. Both models have been investigated with two control objectives-travel time minimization and speed variance minimization. Our extensive simulation analysis with a VISSIM simulator, calibrated with field data from our previous VSL field demonstration, has revealed the benefits of the proposed VSL control models. Also, the experimental results indicated that the proposed advanced models with both control objectives can significantly reduce the travel time over the recurrent bottleneck locations. With respect to several selected measure of effectiveness (MOEs), such as average number of stops and average travel time, the research results confirm that the control models with the objective of minimizing speed variance can offer the promising properties for field implementation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trade-off between the intrinsic activity and electronic conductivity of carbon materials is a major barrier for electrocatalysis. We report a Janus-type carbon material combining electrically conductive nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) and catalytically active boron, nitrogen co-doped carbon (BNC). The integration of NC with BNC can not only ensure high electronic conductivity of the hybrid, but also achieve an enhancement in the intrinsic activity of the BNC side due to the electron redistribution on their coupling interfaces. In the electrocatalytic hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR), the Janus carbon electrocatalyst exhibits superior activity than their single counterparts and simple physical mixtures. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the NC/BNC interfaces simultaneously promote efficient electron transport and decrease the free energy of the rate-determining step in the HzOR process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]