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In the context of China's new power system, various regions have implemented policies mandating the integration of new energy sources with energy storage, while also introducing subsidies to alleviate project cost pressures. Currently, there is a lack of subsidy analysis for photovoltaic energy storage integration projects. In order to systematically assess the economic viability of photovoltaic energy storage integration projects after considering energy storage subsidies, this paper reviews relevant policies in the Chinese photovoltaic energy storage market. It analyzes the cost and revenue composition of photovoltaic energy storage integration projects, and constructs a system dynamics model for the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of such projects. Taking a specific photovoltaic energy storage project as an example, this paper measures the levelized cost of electricity and the investment return rate under different energy storage scenarios. Combining energy storage allocation ratios and internal rate of return indicators, this paper analyzes the net present value of photovoltaic energy storage integration projects under different subsidy standards. The results indicate that, while the current energy storage subsidy policies positively stimulate photovoltaic energy storage integration projects, they exhibit a limited capacity to cover energy storage investment costs, thereby failing to incentivize capital market participation in the construction of such projects. Rational allocation of energy storage capacity and optimization of corresponding subsidy policies are crucial prerequisites for enhancing the economic viability and widespread adoption of photovoltaic energy storage integration projects. This study not only aids in investment decision making for photovoltaic power stations but also contributes to the formulation of energy storage subsidy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tamoxifen (TAM) resistance poses a significant clinical challenge in human breast cancer and exhibits high heterogeneity among different patients. Rg3, an original ginsenoside known to inhibit tumor growth, has shown potential for enhancing TAM sensitivity in breast cancer cells. However, the specific role and underlying mechanisms of Rg3 in this context remain unclear. Aerobic glycolysis, a metabolic process, has been implicated in chemotherapeutic resistance. In this study, we demonstrate that elevated glycolysis plays a central role in TAM resistance and can be effectively targeted and overcome by Rg3. Mechanistically, we observed upregulation of 6‐phosphofructo‐2‐kinase/fructose‐2,6‐bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), a key mediator of glycolysis, in TAM‐resistant MCF‐7/TamR and T‐47D/TamR cells. Crucially, PFKFB3 is indispensable for the synergistic effect of TAM and Rg3 combination therapy, which suppresses cell proliferation and glycolysis in MCF‐7/TamR and T‐47D/TamR cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, overexpression of PFKFB3 in MCF‐7 cells mimicked the TAM resistance phenotype. Importantly, combination treatment significantly reduced TAM‐resistant MCF‐7 cell proliferation in an in vivo model. In conclusion, this study highlights the contribution of Rg3 in enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of TAM in breast cancer, and suggests that targeting TAM‐resistant PFKFB3 overexpression may represent a promising strategy to improve the response to combination therapy in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands cover approximately one-fourth of the land in the world and play a crucial role in the carbon cycle. Therefore, quantifying the gross primary productivity (GPP) of grasslands is crucial to assess the sustainable development of terrestrial ecosystems. Drought is a widespread and damaging natural disaster worldwide, which introduces uncertainties in estimating GPP. Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) is considered as an effective indicator of vegetation photosynthesis and provides new opportunities for monitoring vegetation growth under drought conditions. In this study, using downscaled GOME-2 SIF satellite products and focusing on the drought event in the Xilingol grasslands in 2009, the ability of SIF to evaluate the variations in GPP due to drought was explored. The results showed that the anomalies of SIF in July–August exhibited spatiotemporal characteristics similar to drought indicators, indicating the capability of SIF in monitoring drought. Moreover, the determination coefficient (R2) between SIF and GPP reached 0.95, indicating that SIF is a good indicator for estimating GPP. Particularly under drought conditions, the relationship between SIF and GPP (R2 = 0.90) was significantly higher than NDVI and GPP (R2 = 0.62), demonstrating the superior capability of SIF in tracking changes in grassland photosynthesis caused by drought compared to NDVI. Drought reduces the ability of NDVI to monitor GPP but does not affect that of SIF to monitor GPP. Our study provides a new approach for accurately estimating changes in GPP under drought conditions and is of significant importance for assessing the carbon dynamics of ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino acid surfactants (AASs) based on environmentally friendly biomasses have the characteristics of renewable, easy biodegradation, antibacterial and low toxicity, and have been widely used in daily chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other fields. This study concerned the use of octanal and amino acids as raw materials. In addition, seven types of amino acid‐based surfactants, through Collins reagents, Wittig‐Hornor reaction, and aza‐Micheal addition reaction, and amino acid head groups were connected with the alkyl chain by the CN bond. The structures were confirmed by infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HNMR). Its surface activity and adsorption properties are evaluated. The physical properties of amino acid‐based surfactants were tested by surface tension and dynamic contact angle. The results demonstrated that histidine‐based amino acid surfactant (C8His) has the lowest critical micelle concentration (CMC) and surface tension at CMC (γCMC), 0.39 mmol L−1 and 28.79 mN L−1, respectively. Amino acid residues contribute to reducing the critical micelle concentration of surfactant. The interfacial adsorption of glycine‐based amino acid surfactant (C8Gly) significantly improved with the increase in temperature, so the surface tension decreased significantly. In addition, sodium chloride could effectively enhance the interfacial adsorption, and the gas–liquid interfacial tension and contact angle of AASs decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asphalt in damp-heat and saline-alkali areas is prone to damage, which resulting in fatigue failure of the mixture. However, the aging damage of asphalt in these areas has not been paid enough attention, and there is a lack of effective evaluation method for asphalt's fatigue performance. In this paper, the base asphalt and SBS-modified asphalt were immersed in several solutions (water, NaCl and Na2CO3) to simulate aging conditions and the frequency sweep test was employed to determine the viscoelasticity properties of the asphalt. And the fatigue properties of the asphalt were analysed by the simplified viscoelastic continuum damage model. The microstructural and chemical evolution of asphalt was investigated by SEM, FTIR, the pH value and total organic carbon tests. After being immersed, the anti-deformation properties of two asphalts were strengthened. The solution erosion led to an increased loss rate of the integrity factor C*, and resulting in weakened fatigue properties of asphalt. The oxygen-containing functional group gradually increased with the extension of immersion. There were chemical interactions in addition to physical interface disruption during the immersion process. Moreover, the influence of Na2CO3 solution on asphalt ranked first due to the highest molar concentration of Na+ and the OH− produced by hydrolysis of ${\rm CO}_3^{2-}$ C O 3 2 − . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with self-representation subspace learning. It is one of the most representative subspace techniques, which has attracted considerable attention for clustering due to its good performance. Among these methods, low-rank representation (LRR) has achieved impressive results for subspace clustering. However, it only considers the similarity between the data itself, while neglecting the differences with other samples. Besides, it cannot well deal with noise and portray cluster-to-cluster relationships well. To solve these problems, we propose a Contrastive Self-representation model for Clustering (CSC). CSC simultaneously takes into account the similarity/dissimilarity between positive/negative pairs when learning the self-representation coefficient matrix of data while the form of the loss function can reduce the effect of noise on the results. Moreover, We use the ℓ 1 , 2 -norm regularizer on the coefficient matrix to achieve its sparsity to better characterize the cluster structure. Thus, the learned self-representation coefficient matrix well encodes both the discriminative information and cluster structure. Extensive experiments on seven benchmark databases indicate the superiority of our proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been tremendous interest in developing graph-based subspace clustering in high-dimensional data, which does not require a priori knowledge of the number of dimensions and subspaces. The general steps of such algorithms are dictionary representation and spectral clustering. Traditional methods use the dataset itself as a dictionary when performing dictionary representation. There are some limitations that the redundant information present in the dictionary and features may make the constructed graph structure unclear and require post-processing to obtain labels. To address these problems, we propose a novel subspace clustering model that first introduces feature selection to process the input data, randomly selects some samples to construct a dictionary to remove redundant information and learns the optimal bipartite graph with K-connected components under the constraint of the (normalized) Laplacian rank. Finally, the labels are obtained directly from the graphs. The experimental results on motion segmentation and face recognition datasets demonstrate the superior effectiveness and stability of our algorithm. • We propose a new method based on dictionary representation for subspace clustering. • We utilize the bipartite graph and feature selection based on the ℓ 12 -norm. • We propose an efficient optimization method based on ALM method. • We conduct valid experiments to verify the effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In extreme and nanoconfinement conditions, the tetrahedral arrangement of water molecules is challenged, resulting in a rich and new phase behavior unseen in bulk phases. The unique phase behavior of water confined in hydrophobic nanoslits has been previously observed, such as the formation of a variety of two-dimensional (2D) ices below the freezing temperature. The primary identified 2D ice phase, termed square tube ice (STI), represents a unique arrangement of water molecules in 2D ice, which can be viewed as an array of 1D ice nanotubes stacked in the direction parallel to the confinement plane. In this study, we report the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations evidence of a novel 2D ice phase, namely, helical square tube ice (H-STI). H-STI is characterized by the stacking of helical ice nanotubes in the direction parallel to the confinement plane. Its structural specificity is evident in the presence of helical square ice nanotubes, a configuration unseen in both STI and single-walled ice nanotubes. A detailed analysis of the hydrogen bonding strength showed that H-STI is a 2D ice phase diverging from the Bernal–Fowler–Pauling ice rules by forming only two strong hydrogen bonds between adjacent molecules along its helical ice chain. This arrangement of strong hydrogen bonds along ice nanotube and weak bonds between the ice nanotube shows a similarity to quasi-one-dimensional van der Waals materials. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations (over a 30 ps) were employed to further verify H-STI's stability at 1 GPa and temperature up to 200 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is one of the most promising energy conversion devices with high efficiency and zero emission. However, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode is still the dominant limiting factor for the practical development of PEMFC due to its sluggish kinetics and the vulnerability of ORR catalysts under harsh operating conditions. Thus, the development of high‐performance ORR catalysts is essential and requires a better understanding of the underlying ORR mechanism and the failure mechanisms of ORR catalysts with in situ characterization techniques. This review starts with the introduction of in situ techniques that have been used in the research of the ORR processes, including the principle of the techniques, the design of the in situ cells, and the application of the techniques. Then the in situ studies of the ORR mechanism as well as the failure mechanisms of ORR catalysts in terms of Pt nanoparticle degradation, Pt oxidation, and poisoning by air contaminants are elaborated. Furthermore, the development of high‐performance ORR catalysts with high activity, anti‐oxidation ability, and toxic‐resistance guided by the aforementioned mechanisms and other in situ studies are outlined. Finally, the prospects and challenges for in situ studies of ORR in the future are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Migraine is a disabling neurological disorder with the pathophysiology yet to be understood. The microstructural alteration in brain white matter (WM) has been suggested to be related to migraine in recent studies, but these evidence are observational essentially and cannot infer a causal relationship. The present study aims to reveal the causal relationship between migraine and microstructural WM using genetic data and Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods: We collected the Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics of migraine (48,975 cases / 550,381 controls) and 360 WM imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) (31,356 samples) that were used to measure microstructural WM. Based on instrumental variables (IVs) selected from the GWAS summary statistics, we conducted bidirectional two-sample MR analyses to infer bidirectional causal associations between migraine and microstructural WM. In forward MR analysis, we inferred the causal effect of microstructural WM on migraine by reporting the odds ratio (OR) that quantified the risk change of migraine for per 1 standard deviation (SD) increase of IDPs. In reverse MR analysis, we inferred the causal effect of migraine on microstructural WM by reporting the β value that represented SDs of changes in IDPs were caused by migraine. Results: Three WM IDPs showed significant causal associations (p < 3.29 × 10− 4, Bonferroni correction) with migraine and were proved to be reliable via sensitivity analysis. The mode of anisotropy (MO) of left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (OR = 1.76, p = 6.46 × 10− 5) and orientation dispersion index (OD) of right posterior thalamic radiation (OR = 0.78, p = 1.86 × 10− 4) exerted significant causal effects on migraine. Migraine exerted a significant causal effect on the OD of left superior cerebellar peduncle (β = − 0.09, p = 2.78 × 10− 4). Conclusions: Our findings provided genetic evidence for the causal relationships between migraine and microstructural WM, bringing new insights into brain structure for the development and experience of migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate quantification of net primary productivity (NPP) is key to estimating vegetation productivity and studying the global carbon cycle. However, C3 and C4 plants vary in their living environments and potential productivity due to their different photosynthetic pathways. This study thus explored the potential of the near-infrared radiance of vegetation (NIRv,Rad) to track hourly and daily changes in C3 and C4 plants and investigate whether their photosynthetic pathways affect the relationship between NPP and NIRv,Rad. Statistics including long-term spectral data, the growth environment, and physiological indicators were collected using an automatic spectral monitoring system. The vegetation index NIRv,Rad was extracted from the collected spectral data and NPP was calculated using the collected net photosynthetic rate and leaf area index. The results showed that NIRv,Rad can effectively respond to NPP changes in C3 and C4 plants on hourly and daily scales. The NPP–NIRv,Rad relationship on the hourly scale was superior, with R2 values for winter wheat and summer maize of 0.81 and 0.70, respectively. Furthermore, when the accumulation of NPP was equal, the NIRv,Rad of summer maize showed larger changes, indicating that it was more sensitive to NPP change for this species than for winter wheat. Overall, the study demonstrated that NIRv,Rad can serve as an effective proxy indicator of NPP. In addition, this study provides a theoretical basis and scientific guidance for the construction of new simple models and realizing efficient agriculture, as well as a new method for rapid and accurate quantification of the NPP of C3 and C4 plants at geospatial scales in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the most devastating disasters and a serious constraint on agricultural development. The reflectance-based vegetation indices (VIs), such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), have been widely used for drought monitoring, but there is a lag in the response of VIs to the changes of photosynthesis induced by drought. Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) is closely related to photosynthesis of vegetation and can capture changes induced by drought timely. This study investigated the capability of SIF for drought monitoring. An intelligent irrigation control system (IICS) utilizing the Internet of Things was designed and constructed. The soil moisture of the experiment plots was controlled at 60–80% (well-watered, T1), 50–60% (mild water stress, T2), 40–50% (moderate water stress, T3) and 30–40% (severe water stress, T4) of the field water capacity using the IICS based on data collected by soil moisture sensors. Meanwhile, SIF, NDVI, Normalized Difference Red Edge (NDRE) and Optimized Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (OSAVI) were collected for a long time series using an automated spectral monitoring system. The differences in the responses of SIF, NDVI, NDRE and OSAVI to different drought intensities were fully analyzed. This study illustrates that the IICS can realize precise irrigation management strategies and the construction of regulated deficit irrigation treatments. SIF significantly decreased under mild stress, while NDVI, NDRE and OSAVI only significantly decreased under moderate and severe stress, indicating that SIF is more sensitive to drought. This study demonstrates the excellent ability of SIF for drought monitoring and lays the foundation for the future application of SIF in agricultural drought monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A characterization of cloud properties associated with precipitation in the region around the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is constructed using decade‐long (2007–2017) satellite observations from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) combined with CloudSat. The spatial and vertical distributions of low‐level cloud properties over the region are also investigated and discussed. In general, different cloud types are observed over different regions and vary by season: high clouds are dominant over the low latitudes in summer, altocumulus are mainly observed over northeast Queensland and low‐level clouds are dominant over the ocean and coast during the winter months at higher latitudes under a trade wind regime. A strong latitudinal dependence of total precipitation across the Greater GBR region is identified with a significant orographic enhancement near Cairns in the wet tropics. MODIS and CloudSat‐CALIPSO cloud observations show good agreement on significant differences in low‐level cloud microphysical properties between the land and the ocean. The largest land–ocean differences in warm cloud microphysical properties are found over the mid‐latitudes near 18°S, which is strongly associated with orographic forcing, with these enhancements extending further east to the coral reef area. However, the frequency of warm cloud is not enhanced upwind of the mountains in the wet tropics. In addition, no significant differences in warm cloud properties between the actual GBR and the open ocean are identified. These results suggest that low‐level clouds over the GBR do not show any significant response to the reef‐related microphysical perturbations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of a novel interpenetrating network hydrogel inspired by the microscopic architecture of natural cartilage based on a supramolecular sodium alginate (SA) nanofibril network is reported in this paper. The mechanical strength and toughness of the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel were significantly improved after being incorporated with the alginate nanofibril network. The multiple hydrogen bonds between PVA chains and alginate fibers provided an efficient energy dissipation, thus leading to a significant increase in the mechanical strength of the PVA/SA/NaCl hydrogel. The PVA/SA/NaCl hydrogel demonstrated superior water-lubrication and load-bearing performance due to noncovalent interactions compared with pure PVA hydrogels. Moreover, the bioactivity of the PVA/SA/NaCl hydrogel was proved by the MC3T3 cell proliferation and viability assays over 7 days. Therefore, alginate fiber-enhanced hydrogels with high strength and low friction properties are expected to be used as novel biomimetic lubrication materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• It demonstrates water can be spontaneously drawn into the multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) capillaries and can be transformed into ice nanotubes (INTs) through first-order liquid–solid phase transition based on molecular dynamics simulations. • The INT structures formed in the gaps of MWCNT can be controlled by tuning the inter-wall spacings of the MWCNT, Flat-square-walled INTs and puckered-rhombic-walled INTs will separately be formed with the inter-wall spacings of 6.66 and 8.61 Å, respectively. • The freezing zones of water confined in MWCNTs are tunable, e.g. water confined in MWCNTs with the inter-wall spacings of 6.66 Å, the freezing will occur zone by zone and can be controlled by the temperature. One-dimensional nanoconfined water exhibits rich structure phases. The freezing behavior of water confined in single-walled carbon nanotubes has been studied by both experimental measurements and theoretical simulations, however, it lacks of studying the freezing behavior of water confined in multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Herein, we investigated the freezing behavior of water confined in MWCNTs using molecular dynamics simulations. Flat-square-walled ice nanotubes (FSW-INTs) were formed in the gaps with the inter-wall spacing of 6.66 Å, while, puckered-rhombic-walled ice nanotubes (PRW-INTs) were observed in the gaps with the inter-wall spacing of 8.61 Å. Then, the INT structures formed among the inter-wall gaps of MWCNTs can be controlled by tuning the inter-wall spacings of MWCNTs. Specifically, various groups of FSW-INTs and/or PRW-INTs were designed to form by using MWCNTs with the inter-wall spacing of 6.66 and/or 8.61 Å. In addition, it was found that water could be frozen in a simultaneous way or be frozen in a zone-by-zone form by tuning the inter-wall spacings of the MWCNTs due to the freezing temperatures of INTs are related with their diameters. The study will provide deep insights into the freezing behavior of water in MWCNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three double-chain imidazolium ionic liquids surfactants were synthesized via the one-step Debus-Radziszewski reaction and characterized for their chemical structure by FT-IR, 1H NMR, TGA and LC-MS. • The physicochemical properties of double-chain imidazolium ionic liquids surfactants are better than that of single-chain imidazolium surfactants. • [C14mimC14][OAc] had lowest surface tension and critical micelle concentration, which were 29.07 mN/m and 1.64 × 10-2 mmol/L, respectively. • Double-chain imidazolium ionic liquids surfactants have good interfacial activity and wettability. Three double-chain imidazolium ionic liquid surfactants (ILS) with varying alkyl lengths, namely [C10mimC10][OAc], [C12mimC12][OAc], and [C14mimC14][OAc], were synthesized via the one-step Debus-Radziszewskireaction. The chemical structures of these three ILS were confirmed through FT-IR, 1H NMR and ESI-MS analyses. Their surface/interface activity, wetting ability, thermal stability, and aggregation properties were investigated. The results indicated that the presence of double-chain hydrophobic groups in ILS exerted a significant influence on their surface/interface activity. Surface activity and micellization properties were assessed using surface tension measurements, revealing that the micellization process of double-chain ILS was more favorable compared to single-chain ILS. Among the three ILS examined, [C14mimC14][OAc] exhibited the lowest surface tension and critical micelle concentration (CMC) values, measuring 29.07 mN/m and 1.64 × 10-2 mmol/L, respectively. Solutions containing approximately 50 ppm of these ILS could reduce interfacial tension to below 1 mN/m. Additionally, the contact angle decreased to less than 90° within 90 s. The formation of aggregates in aqueous solutions was found to be influenced by the number of CH 2 units present in the different ILS molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the countries with the most rapid development of new energy, China has been committed to exploring countermeasures to the challenges of new energy consumption. After more than ten years of consideration and consultation, the "renewable portfolio standard"(RPS) for "renewable energy power consumption responsibility weighting" has landed in China. However, in the official affirmation issued by the National Energy Administration, theoretical support for the basis of the initial quota allocation is still lacking. In this study, we examine the efficiency of the weight allocation scheme for renewable energy power consumption responsibilities, which was announced by the National Energy Administration in 2018 and which is based on the BCC-DEA efficiency model. The results indicate that most provinces have low allocation efficiency under this allocation scheme. Therefore, we propose an optimal allocation scheme for a renewable energy consumption quota, based on the ZSG-DEA model. With the achievement of its target, this study's allocation scheme would ensure 100% efficiency in all provinces, improve provincial economic efficiency, and simultaneously bring economic growth. After analyzing the fairness before and after adjustment of the RPS, our findings suggest that the adjusted RPS allocation scheme can promote equity in per capita renewable electricity consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major gaseous pollutant, ozone (O3) adversely affects human health and ecosystems. In recent years, ozone pollution in China has gradually become a prominent issue, especially in the North China Plain (NCP). To study the long-term spatio-temporal variation patterns of O3 in the NCP, this study selected 230 monitoring stations in the NCP from 2016 to 2020 as research objects, used the Kriging interpolation method and global Moran's index to discuss the spatial-temporal distribution of O3, combining meteorological and social statistical data to analyze the causes underlying regional differences. The temporal analysis demonstrated that the O3-8h average concentrations increased annually from 2016 to 2018 and decreased from 2019 to 2020. The O3 concentrations were higher in spring and summer (117.89–154.20 μg/m3) and lower in autumn and winter (53.81–92.95 μg/m3). The spatial analysis revealed that O3 concentrations were low in the north and south of the NCP but high in the central area. The spatial distribution of O3 exhibited considerable cross-seasonal variability. Both meteorological conditions of high temperature and low pressure increased O3 concentrations. The spatial distribution of O3 varied depending on the period. However, the central and western regions of the Shandong Province were constantly characterized by high O3 concentrations. This pattern has been likely formed by heavy industry in the Shandong Province, as large-scale industrial production and frequent traffic flows produce a large amount of precursors, thereby exacerbating regional O3 pollution. These characteristics were attributed to emission reduction policies, meteorological conditions, the emission intensity of anthropogenic sources, and regional transport in the NCP. Overall, for cities with heavy industrial facilities in the central NCP, a timely adjustment of the energy and industrial structure, effectively controlling the emission of precursors, promoting new clean energy, and strengthening regional joint prevention and control are effective ways to alleviate O3 pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cast-in-situ foamed concrete is inherently susceptible to cracks due to its brittleness under external loads. In order to improve its mechanical properties, this paper investigated the effect of fibers on the mechanical properties and mechanism of cast-in-situ foamed concrete with designed dry densities in the range of 300–800 kg/m3. First, the influence of density on the mechanical properties of foamed concrete was studied, and the applicability of the splitting test, bending test, and direct tensile test was analyzed. Secondly, alkali-resistant glass fiber (high elastic modulus) and polypropylene fiber (low elastic modulus) were selected to determine the optimal fiber length and content. Finally, failure mode analysis was carried out to explore the influence mechanism of fibers on the mechanical properties of foamed concrete. The results showed that the compression curve model of cast-in-situ foamed concrete was mainly divided into three stages: the elastic stage, the brittle stage, and the yield stage. There were still some problems in the application of direct tensile tests and splitting tests for foamed concrete materials, and only the bending test could be used to test the tensile strength of foamed concrete materials. For the foamed concrete with a designed dry density of 300–800 kg/m3, the compressive strength, elastic modulus, and tensile strength of foamed concrete increased upon increasing the casting density. The compressive strength, elastic modulus, and flexural strength of foamed concrete first increased and then decreased upon increasing the fiber content. The optimal fiber length was 6 mm, the optimal glass fiber content range was 0.2–0.6%, and the optimal polypropylene fiber content range was 0.4–0.8%. The fibers formed a bridge structure between the hardened products, which increased the adsorption force between the hardened products of foamed concrete, thus increasing its compressive strength and flexural strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies in men. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that dysregulation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is closely related to carcinogenesis and cancer progression. lncRNA NEAT1 has recently been identified as a carcinogenic regulator of multiple cancers; however, the role of NEAT1 on PCa is still poorly understood. Methods. Kaplan–Meier was conducted to determine the overall survival rate in PCa patients with aberrant NEAT1 levels. qRT-PCR analysis was performed to detect expressions of NEAT1 and miR-766-5p in tissues and cells. In addition, CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry analysis, wound healing, and transwell assay were conducted to determine cell proliferation, cell arrest, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. The western blot assay was utilized to determine E2F3 and cell growth-related proteins. The relationship between NEAT1 and miR-766-5p or miR-766-5p and E2F3 was verified by correlation analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results. Here, we find that NEAT1 is overexpressed in PCa tissues and cell lines. Besides, silencing of NEAT1 inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and migration and promotes cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Further mechanistic studies find that NEAT1 sponges miR-766-5p, and miRNA-766-5p is negatively correlated with the expression of NEAT1. In addition, the functional experiment shows that upregulation of miRNA-766-5p inhibits PCa proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) is testified to be the downstream target gene of miRNA-766-5p. Finally, the rescue experiment revealed that miRNA-766-5p inhibition largely restores NEAT1 downregulation-mediated function on PCa progression, while E2F3 knockdown partly removes the effects of miRNA-766-5p inhibitor. Conclusions. In conclusion, NEAT1 facilitates PCa progression by targeting the miRNA-766-5p/E2F3 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leucine-rich repeat kinase2 (LRRK2) influences the host immune responses and correlates with the pathogenesis of inflammation, cancer as well as Parkinson' Disease. Herein, we explored the oncogenic role of LRRK2 at pan-cancer level and validated the analysis by single cell RNA-sequencing and in-vitro experiments. As a result, LRRK2 significantly correlated with the survival events. Specifically, LRRK2 increased the risk of Low-Grade Glioma whereas improved the survival probability of patients with Skin Cutaneous Melanoma. Gene set enrichment analysis demonstrated the involvement of LRRK2 in the host immune responses. Within the tumor microenvironment, LRRK2 was positively associated with the recruitment of macrophages. Furthermore, scRNA-seq and co-culture experiments demonstrated that LRRK2 deficiency impaired macrophage functions, and influenced the neoplastic progression in a cancer type-specific manner. Therefore, the present study provided a therapeutic strategy for LGG based on the interference with LRRK2 expression and activity to prevent macrophage recruitment and promote tumor eradication. • LRRK2 correlated with the recruitment of tumor-associated macrophages. • LRRK2 influenced the cross-talking within the tumor microenvironment in a cancer type-dependent manner. • LRRK2 deficiency facilitated M2 transition of macrophages and promoted the neoplastic virtues of cancer cells at the early stage of tumor progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LC–MS serves as a workhorse for chemical profile characterization of Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs) attributing to the ability of measuring fruitful MS/MS spectral information. However, it is laborious to extract the information belonging to the compounds-of-interest from the massive data matrixes even employing those well-defined post-acquisition data processing strategies. Here, efforts were devoted to propose an integrated strategy allowing rapid chemical homologs-focused data filtering through integrating the fit-for-purpose existing strategies, such as molecular weight imprinting (MWI), diagnostic fragment ion filtering (DFIF), neutral loss filtering (NLF), and isotope pattern filtering (IPF). Homologs-focused chemical characterization of a precious CMM namely Toad gall-bladder (Chinese name: Chandan) that is rich of diverse effective steroid sulfates, particularly bufogenin sulfates, bile acid sulfates and bilichol sulfates, was employed as a proof-of-concept. Recombinant human SULT2A1-catalyzed in vitro metabolism was undertaken to generate eight bufogenin sulfates to facilitate summarizing MS/MS spectral behaviors. After in-house data library construction and MS1 and MS2 spectral acquisition, data filtering was conducted as follows: 1) MWI and IPF was utilized in combination to capture deprotonated molecular ions and the 34S isotopic ions for the sulfates of those reported steroids; 2) m / z 79.9568 (SO 3 −·) and 96.9596 (HSO 4 −) were applied to DFIF; and 3) SO 3 (79.9568 Da) served as the feature to achieve NLF. Those captured MS/MS information subsequently participated in tentatively structural annotation through applying those empirical mass fragmentation rules. As a result, 71 compounds including 7 bufogenin sulfates, 17 bile acid sulfates, 13 bilichol sulfates and a C-23 steroid sulfate were detected from Toad gall-bladder and thereof, 39 ones received plausible identities assignment. Above all, the steroid sulfates in Toad gall-bladder were profiled in depth, and more importantly, the proposed strategy should be a meaningful option for, but not limited to, submetabolome characterization in CMMs. [Display omitted] • Integrated data mining strategy incorporating MWI, IPF, DFIF and NLF. • A convenient and visual tool for steroid sulfates-focused characterization. • Eight bufadienolide sulfates help to summarize MS/MS spectral behaviors. • 71 compounds were captured, and 39 ones were identified from Toad gall-bladder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) organic–inorganic perovskite hybrid materials with enhanced stability have attracted wide attention in optoelectronic field in recent years. Efforts of exploring new 2D perovskites with various organic or inorganic components have been devoted to further improve their solar cell efficiencies. In this work, three structurally similar spacer cations of phenylethylammonium (PEA), 4-bromophenylethylammonium (BPEA) and 4-chlorophenylethylammonium (CPEA) are selected to prepare multilayered 2D perovskites. It is found that the introduction of halogen atoms in the organic cations positively influences the film quality, light absorption, charge transport, device performance and moisture stability of the resulting perovskites. The (BPEA)2(MA)4Pb5I16 and (CPEA)2(MA)4Pb5I16 perovskites exhibit efficiencies of 7.38% and 10.88%, respectively, which are much higher than that of (PEA)2(MA)4Pb5I16 (3.98%). Owning to the larger size and bigger electronegativity of halogen atom in spacer cations, the PCE of unsealed BPEA- and CPEA-based 2D perovskite devices maintains 73% and 63% of their original efficiency after 720 h exposure to 60% humid air, while the PEA-based 2D device decreases to 52% of its initial PCE. Our work demonstrates new insight to modify the quality and stability of 2D perovskite hybrids, highlighting the validity of molecule design of organic cations in improving the efficiency and stability of 2D perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal coral bleaching events (CBEs) over the Pacific, including those over the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), have commonly been linked to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), with bleaching reported to be a direct result of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies driven by El Niño. However, such a relationship cannot explain CBEs that occurred during La Niña or the neutral phase of the ENSO. Here, we show that the GBR is characterized by a significant negative correlation between total cloud cover anomaly (TCCA) and lagged SST anomaly (SSTA) whose magnitude and spatial extent are greater than the SSTA‐ENSO correlation. This significant negative TCCA‐SSTA (lagged) correlation prevails over two‐thirds of the study domain even after the ENSO signal is removed, which suggests that local‐scale reduced cloud cover is a key component of the regional warm shallow water formation over the GBR and the occurrence of thermal CBEs. Plain Language Summary: Thermal coral bleaching events (CBEs) over the Pacific, including those over the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), have commonly been linked to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), with bleaching reported to be a direct result of warmer sea surface temperatures (SSTs) driven by El Niño (positive phase of ENSO). However, CBEs have also been reported over the GBR during La Niña and the neutral phase of the ENSO, when large‐scale SSTs may be cooler than normal. Here, we show that the SST anomaly over the GBR is more highly correlated with local cloud cover than with ENSO. This significant relationship between local cloud cover and SST can be found over two‐thirds of the study domain even when the ENSO impact is ignored. Accordingly, we conclude that local‐scale reduced cloud cover plays an important role in regional warming of the shallow water over the GBR, regardless of the large‐scale ENSO impact. Key Points: Lagged regional sea surface temperature (SST) is correlated with total cloud cover across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and direct shortwave cloud radiative forcingSST over the GBR is more highly correlated with the overhead cloud cover than the large‐scale El Niño–Southern Oscillation signalLocal‐scale reduced cloud cover plays a crucial role in the shallow water warming over the GBR and the occurrence of thermal coral bleaching events [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer (LC) is a malignant tumor that poses the greatest threat to human health and life. Most studies suggested that the occurrence of LC is associated with environmental and genetic factors. We aimed to explore the association between COL6A4P2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and CHD risk in the Chinese Southern Han population. Based on the 'case-control' experimental design (510 cases and 495 controls), we conducted an association study between five candidate COL6A4P2 SNPs and the corresponding LC risk. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by logistic regression to analyze the LC susceptibility under different genetic models. The results showed that COL6A4P2 rs34445363 was significantly associated with LC risk under alleles model (OR = 1.26, 95%CI: 1.01–1.58, p = 0.038). In addition, rs34445363 was also significantly associated with LC risk under the log-additive model (OR = 1.26, 95%CI: 1.01–1.58, p = 0.041). The results of subgroup analysis showed that rs34445363 (OR = 1.42, 95%CI: 1.03–1.95, p = 0.033) and rs61733464 (OR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.52–0.99, p = 0.048) were both significantly associated with LC risk in the log-additive model among participants who were ≤ 61 years old. We also found that the variation of rs34445363 (GA vs. GG, OR = 1.73, 95%CI: 1.04–2.86, p = 0.034) and rs77941834 (TA vs. TT, OR = 1.88, 95%CI: 1.06–3.34, p = 0.032) were associated with LC risk in the codominant model among female participants. Our study is the first to find that COL6A4P2 gene polymorphism is associated with LC risk in the Chinese Han population. Our study provides a basic reference for individualized LC prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: Acute chest pain can be the first manifestation of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1(MEN1)‐associated thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN). Comprehensive treatment may be an effective strategy for MEN1‐associated NEN. Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1(MEN1)‐associated thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) is caused by the mutation of tumor suppressor MEN1 gene. Patients with MEN1‐associated NEN initially presenting with acute chest pain are very rare. In the manuscript, we reported a case of a 45‐year‐old man who developed MEN1‐associated NEN with acute chest pain as initial symptom. Thoracoscopic thymotomy was performed and thymic NEN was successfully removed. Genetic test showed a germline mutation of MEN1 gene in this patient. Immunohistochemical staining exhibited Syn(+), CgA(+), INSM1(+), CD56(+) and Ki67‐positive cells (2%) in MEN1‐associated NEN. Further evaluation unveiled MEN1‐associated benign tumors including digestive NEN and pituitary gland adenoma. The 99mTc‐HYNIC‐TOC scintigraphy showed that focally increased radioactivity in the mid‐upper abdomen. This patient was administered with 50Gy/25F of radiation dose to treat the postoperative lesions. Subsequently, sandostatin LAR (30 mg per week) was used as systemic therapy. He had no recurrence or metastasis for 6‐month follow‐up. Thus, acute chest pain can be the first manifestation of MEN1‐associated NEN, and comprehensive treatment including surgery, radiation and systemic treatment may be an effective strategy for MEN1‐associated NEN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric aerosol in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and its surroundings has attracted significant scientific interest in recent decades due to its notable impacts on regional climatic and cryospheric changes, ecological and environmental security, and the hydrological cycle. However, our understanding of the atmospheric aerosol in this remote region is highly limited by the scarcity of available datasets owing to the extremely harsh natural conditions. This challenge has been mitigated in recent decades by establishing field observatories at typical sites within the TP and its surroundings. A continuous project initiated in 2015 aims to explore the properties and sources of atmospheric aerosols, as well as their regional differences, through multiple short-term intensive observations obtained across this vast region utilizing a suite of high-time-resolution online instruments. This paper presents a systematic and hourly scale dataset of aerosol physicochemical and optical properties at eight sites across the TP and its surroundings that is derived from the project. It includes size-resolved chemical compositions of submicron aerosols, high-resolution mass spectra and sources of organic aerosols, size distributions of particle number concentrations, particle light-scattering and light-absorption coefficients, particle light absorptions attributed to different carbonaceous substances including black carbon and brown carbon, and number concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei. In brief, atmospheric aerosols in these remote sites were all well mixed and highly aged, reflecting their dominant regional transport sources. However, the southern TP region exhibited high contributions of carbonaceous organic aerosols, neutralized bulk submicron aerosols, and a relatively high light-absorption capacity, whereas in the northern TP region, secondary inorganic species were the main contributors to the overall acidic submicron aerosols. Beyond providing insights into the regional differences in aerosol sources and properties across the TP and its surroundings, the datasets will also benefit simulations of aerosol radiative forcing and evaluations of interactions among different Earth system components in numerical models for this region. The datasets are accessible through the National Cryosphere Desert Data Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences (10.12072/ncdc.NIEER.db2200.2022; Xu, 2022). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two kinds of phosphate amphoteric surfactants based on silicone were synthesized. • Phosphate Gemini surfactants ((C12P2)2Si2) with disiloxane as bridging group and trisiloxane surfactants (C12P2Si3) were prepared by hydrolysis reaction, Kabachnik-Fields reaction, and quaternization reaction in turn. • The physicochemical properties of trisiloxane surfactants are better than those of Gemini surfactants. • The results showed that the CMC value of (C12P2)2Si2 was 0.53 mmol/L, and the corresponding surface tension was 28.35 mN/m. The CMC value of C12P2Si3 is 0.78 mmol/L, and the corresponding surface tension is 27.42 mN/m. Two phosphate amphoteric surfactants based on silicone were synthesized. Phosphate Gemini surfactant ((C12P2)2Si2) with disiloxane as bridging group and double-chain surfactant (C12P2Si3) with hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain and trisiloxane were prepared by hydrolysis reaction, Kabachnik-Fields reaction, and quaternization reaction. FT-IR, 1H NMR and TGA confirmed the chemical structure and thermal stability of the synthesised (C12P2)2Si2 and C12P2Si3. The physicochemical behavior at the air–liquid interface was investigated. The results showed that the critical micelle concentration (CMC) values of (C12P2)2Si2 and C12P2Si3 are 0.53 and 0.78 mmol/L, respectively. The two new surfactants had surface tension at CMC equal to approximately 28 mN/m and their surface tension varied with temperature and electrolyte (NaCl, CaCl 2 , and MgCl 2) concentration. At high temperatures and with high concentration electrolytes, they exhibited good air–liquid interfacial activity. In addition, the size of the aggregates of the surfactants in aqueous solutions above CMC was determined by the dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Quantitative determination for SBS content of aged modified asphalt by FTIR and potentiometric titration tests. • The rheological properties were investigated after TFOT and long-term aging of modified asphalt. • The actual SBS content versus the rheological indexes of aged modified asphalt can be well-fitted. The content of styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) modifier has a significant influence on the physical and chemical characteristics of asphalt. However, determining the SBS content in SBS modified asphalt (SBS MA) after aging remains a challenge. To facilitate the understanding of the relationship between physical properties and SBS content, the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and potentiometric titration test were utilized to detect SBS content of aged binders. In this paper, radial and linear SBS were incorporated into asphalt binders at three levels, and their rheological properties were investigated after thin film oven aging (TFOT) and long-term aging. Furthermore, the actual SBS content versus the rheological index at different aging stages was investigated. The results showed that both I C=C and Na 2 S 2 O 3 titration volume highly correlated with SBS content (R2 > 0.99), and there was only a slight difference between the actual content of SBS determined by the two methods. The fatigue resistance, high-temperature elastic, and low-temperature cracking characteristics of asphalt were weakened after aging, due to SBS degradation, especially in the early stage. In addition, the resistance to deformation, elastic recovery, anti-fatigue properties of radial SBS MA were superior to that of linear SBS MA at the same SBS content, while the low-temperature cracking performance demonstrated an opposite trend. The actual SBS content versus the rheological indexes after aging can be well-fitted by a nonlinear equation. Therefore, FTIR and potentiometric titration tests can effectively predict SBS content and analyze the aging degree of SBS MA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To expand the application range of modified asphalt and mixtures and effectively reduce the aggregation of nanomaterials in asphalt, nanocarbon/styrene butadiene styrene (SBS)/rubber powder composite-modified asphalt is proposed. This paper presents a laboratory study on the performance of nanocarbon/copolymer SBS/rubber powder composite-modified asphalt, and nanocarbon particles modified by titanate coupling agents as modifiers are selected. The nanocarbon/copolymer SBS/rubber powder composite-modified asphalt was prepared by a high-speed shearing method. The physical properties and rheological performance were assessed using ductility tests, softening point tests, penetration tests, dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests, and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests. Furthermore, the mixture properties, including the high-temperature stability, low-temperature cracking resistance, moisture stability, and freeze-thaw splitting, were evaluated in the laboratory. The micromorphology of the base asphalt and composite-modified asphalt was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the reactions between the modifiers and AH-70 base asphalt were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results reveal that the surface-modified nanocarbon and rubber powder additives substantially increased the softening point and penetration index of the base asphalt, with little obvious influence on the low-temperature performance. In addition, when nanocarbon/copolymer SBS/rubber powder composite-modified asphalt was used, the high-temperature stability and low-temperature cracking resistance of the nanocarbon/copolymer SBS/rubber powder composite-modified asphalt mixture were approximately 1.3 times those of the nanocarbon/rubber powder asphalt mixture. In terms of the micromorphology and reaction, the addition of the nanocarbon can increase the compatibility between the base asphalt and rubber powder, and then the addition of copolymer SBS can improve the structure of nanocarbon (after surface modification)/rubber powder-modified asphalt to form a stable network. Moreover, the physical reaction plays the dominant role in the modification process for the rubber powder and base asphalt, and chemical reactions occur in the modification process for the surface-modified nanocarbon and base asphalt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the relationship between the heat of hydration and the strength development of cast-in-situ foamed concrete. First, indoor model tests are conducted to determine the effects of the casting density and the fly ash content on the hydration heat of foamed concrete in semiadiabatic conditions. Second, compression tests are carried out to evaluate the development of the compressive strength with the curing time under standard curing conditions and temperature matched curing conditions. Third, the hydration heat development of the foamed concrete is tested in four projects. The results showed that the peak temperature, the maximum temperature change rate, and the maximum temperature difference increased with the increase in the casting density at different positions in the foamed concrete. For the same casting density of the foamed concrete, the peak temperature, the maximum temperature change rate, and the maximum temperature difference decreased with the increase in the fly ash content. For the foamed concrete without the admixture, the early strength was significantly higher under temperature matched curing conditions than under standard curing conditions, but the temperature matched curing conditions had a clear inhibitory effect on the strength of the foamed concrete. The strengths during the early stage and the later stage were both improved under temperature matched curing conditions after adding the fly ash, and the greater the fly ash content, the larger the effect. The maximum temperature increments were higher in the indoor model test than in the field tests for the same casting density. Reasonable cooling measures and the addition of fly ash decreased the maximum temperature increments and increased the corresponding casting times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work is to identify the pectoral muscle region in mediolateral oblique (MLO) view mammograms even when the boundary is blurred or obscured. The problem is decoupled into two subproblems in our study: identifying parts of boundaries with high confidence and predicting the overall shape of the pectoral muscle. Due to the similarity in intensity and texture between pectoral muscle and gland tissue, we trained a deep neural network to distinguish them in the first subproblem. The boundary with high confidence can be obtained according to the consistency of predictions from multiple converged models. For the shape prediction problem, a generative adversarial network (GAN) is used to learn mapping from a given identified region and the breast shape to the overall pectoral muscle shape. Our method is evaluated on a mammogram dataset including 633 MLO view mammograms collected from three different datacenters. We take U-Net as our baseline model and the dataset is divided into three groups according to the performance of U-Net for evaluation. In all three groups, U-Net achieves 80.1%, 92.9%, and 98.3% in the Dice similarity coefficient, respectively, and our method achieves 85.2%, 94.8%, and 98.1% in the Dice similarity coefficient, respectively. The experiment shows that our method effectively estimates the pectoral muscle boundary, even parts of boundaries that are difficult to detect, and greatly improves the performance of segmentation in this case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new organic cation ClC 6 H 4 C 2 H 4 NH 3 + was introduced into perovskite solar cells. • The grain size, crystallization and morphology of the thin films are discussed. • The 2D perovskite thin films are obtained by hot-casting method. • The PSC based on (CPEA) 2 (MA) n−1 Pb n I 3n+1 show a maximum efficiency of 11.86%. • The moisture-resistant of 2D PSCs and 3D PSCs are studied. Two-dimensional layered organic-inorganic perovskite hybrids have attracted increasing attention due to their outstanding moisture resistance and promising optoelectronic properties. However, the photovoltaic performance in solar cells is still a huge challenge for two-dimensional perovskite films. With the aim to improve the efficiency of 2D perovskite solar cells, the new (ClC 6 H 4 C 2 H 4 NH 3) 2 MA n−1 Pb n I 3n+1 perovskite family (abbreviated as (CPEA) 2 MA n−1 Pb n I 3n+1) are synthesized by a simple one-step hot-casting method in this study. It is found that the variation of n value (n = 3–6) has great influence on the microstructure, grain size, charge mobility, trap density and photovoltaic performance of the 2D (CPEA) 2 (MA) n−1 Pb n I 3n+1. Due to the best film quality and prolonged carrier lifetime, the (CPEA) 2 MA 4 Pb 5 I 16 (n = 5) perovskite solar cell exhibits a highest efficiency of 11.86%, with a V oc of 0.989 V, a J sc of 19.92 mA/cm2 and FF of 60%, respectively. It is anticipated that our approach to explore new organic spacer cations in 2D perovskites may pave the way for their application with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the new normal, the global economy is entering a deep adjustment period, and the driving forces of development are also constantly changing. As a result, China's economy has also entered a "new normal" phase in which it is growing in a manageable and relatively balanced manner. In addition, the new normal characteristics of the power industry's development in China are also very significant, and they affect the adaptability of traditional power forecasting methods. By analyzing the new characteristics of China's economic development and the changing electricity demand in recent years, this paper quantitatively studied the effect of the national economy on the consumption of electricity. Meanwhile, a modified logistic model based on the change of the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is constructed to make a reasonable prediction of the future power consumption in China. Subsequently, by calculating the elasticity of electricity consumption in the future, it is found that the coefficient decreases each year, which indicates that electricity consumption in China is following a new trend. Based on the research results, this paper proposes rational suggestions for China's power development, and they are expected to provide references for the power planning and power industry layout in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, series of Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 semiconductors were respectively synthesized by precipitation, solvothermal and calcination methods to explore the influence of preparation methods on the photocatalytic performances of photocatalysts. The refractory antibiotics (CIP and TC) and low concentration of continuous flowing NO gas were used as photocatalytic targets with the irradiation of visible or NIR lights. Interestingly, Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 fabricated by a simple room-temperature precipitation method (BOB-R) exhibited the best photocatalytic activity compared to the other two samples with high cost preparation. The characterizations and trapping experiments verified that the smaller nanoparticles, oxygen vacancy concentration, band structure and charge combination probability were contributed to the superior photocatalytic performance of Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 prepared by precipitation method. Besides, due to the generation of oxygen vacancies, BOB-R sample not only showed excellent removal efficiency of NO by UV and short-wavelength visible light, but also had considerable photocatalytic activity induced by long-wavelength visible light (λ > 510 nm). To further broaden the range of light response to near-infrared light, the up-conversion phosphors were used to couple with BOB-R sample at room temperature. The up-conversion phosphors/BOB-R composites exhibited good UV light, short-wavelength and long-wavelength visible lights caused photocatalytic removal of NO, meanwhile valuable NIR light driven performance was found. Unlabelled Image • Series of Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 was prepared by various methods for photocatalytic comparison. • Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 fabricated by precipitation exhibited the best photocatalytic activity. • Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 showed long visible light induced NO removal activity. • Up-conversion phosphors were coupled with Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 to fulfill NIR light response. • UV, visible and NIR lights induced NO removal activity were achieved by composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reasonable selection of black-start schemes is significant to the fast restoration of power system. Previous studies mostly focus on complete evaluation information. In this article, a comprehensive evaluation model based on symbolic data is proposed, which can address the issue of assessing black-start schemes under the condition of incomplete evaluation information. First, evaluation grade is established, and original evaluation matrix is transformed into symbolic data matrix. Then the symbolic data matrix is packaged, evaluation frequency matrix is gained, and weights of indexes are computed. Finally, weighted evaluation matrix is established based on the symbolic data matrix and weight vector, and negative ideal point approach is used to sort the black-start schemes. Experiments are carried out on the data of black-start path of Tianjin power grid, the results show that the proposed approach is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bile acids (BAs) currently occupy the research hotspot because of their unreplaceable physiological functions as well as their unique abilities to reflect the physiopathological status. It is always challenging to characterize BAs‐submetabolome using LC–MS/MS, primarily attributing to the high‐level structural diversity. The key obstructing confirmative identification is isomeric identification because of the inherent “isomer‐blind” disadvantage of MS/MS. The isomerism styles of BAs are broadly divided into: type‐I, 5α‐H and 5β‐H epimers; type‐II, α‐OH and β‐OH epimers; type‐III, C‐OH positional isomers; and type‐IV, hybrid isomers bearing two or more isomerism fashions. Herein, we aim to comprehensively pursue isomer‐selective clues for BAs through constructing three‐dimensional MS2 (3D‐MS2) spectrum that was accomplished by fortifying energy‐resolved MS (ER‐MS) program as the new dimension. The breakdown graphs of primary MS2 spectral signals composed of 3D‐MS2 spectrum namely full collision energy ramp (FCER)‐MS2 spectrum for each BA species after appropriate normalization, and seven isomeric BAs covering all isomerism styles were utilized as representative cases. After recording MS2 spectra with progressive CE levels, differences were observed for their FCER‐MS2 spectra. Diagnostic fragment ions (DFIs) occurred within type‐I, type‐II, type‐III or type‐IV isomers, and noteworthily, 2.02 Da neutral loss discriminated BAs containing cis‐6,7‐diol and trans‐6,7‐diol functional groups. Notably, the features such as the maximal relative ion intensity (RIImax) and optimal CE (OCE) enabled isomeric differentiation for all types, even type‐II and type‐III isomers. Above all, it is feasible to acquire in‐depth isomer‐selective MS/MS clues for BAs using FCER‐MS2 spectrum, regardless of the isomerism manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Few studies of policy mix concerning renewable portfolio standards (RPS) and emissions trading (ET) investigate a scenario in which the retailer is required to comply with quota obligations. This paper focuses on the impact of RPS, with an ET counterpart, on the electricity market when RPS are imposed on the state grid companies. The evolution game is employed to model transactions between multiple buyers and multiple sellers. The results show that ET enhances the price competitiveness of electricity from renewable energy source (RES-E) and reduces power generating companies' profit at the same time. On the other hand, when the RPS level goes up, the state grid companies gain a windfall created by the difference between the lower wholesale price of thermal power and the unchanging retail price. The windfall will be used to pay for the increasing cost of supporting RES-E. Thus, the thermal power generating companies are confronted with the double cost when introducing ET and RPS, but the state grid companies do not pay for the cost of supporting RES-E. This paper appeals to the Chinese government for the assessment of policy effects from a policy mix perspective. Highlights • The evolution game is employed to model transactions between multiple sellers and multiple buyers. • The quota obligation imposed on the state grid company is studied. • Emissions trading hurts the renewable power generating companies' profit and enhances the price competitiveness of RES-E. • The state grid companies do not pay for the cost of supporting RES-E. • The thermal power generating companies bear both the cost of emissions trading and the cost of supporting RES-E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modifying the electronic structure of photocatalysts is an important approach for increasing the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers and activating molecular oxygen into superoxide radical ( O 2 − ) for contaminants removal. Herein, based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we found that doping F − can not only narrow the bandgap of graphitic-phase carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ), but also decrease the electronic localization, extend the π conjugated system and increase the in-planar electron density, resulting in promoting the molecular oxygen activation of g-C 3 N 4 . The experiments indicated that the fluorinated ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 was favorable for activating molecular oxygen into O 2 − under visible light irradiation, which could be ascribed to the relatively higher conduction band position and more negative surface adsorption energy for O 2 as well as advantageous charge accumulation on adsorbed O 2 as compared to ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 . By virtue of the synergic effect of enhanced adsorption ability to O 2 , effective separation of photogenerated carriers and more reductive photoexcited electrons derived from the ultrathin structure and F − associates, the fluorinated ultrathin g-C 3 N 4 sheets revealed promoted solar driven photocatalytic activity for formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation. This study could provide new insights into the mechanistic comprehension of molecular oxygen activation reaction and design of low cost noble metal-free modified ultrathin layered photocatalysts with for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the effect of water on the properties of cast in situ foamed concrete with a dry density of 300–800 kg/m3 (100 kg/m3 is a gradient). Firstly, the shrinkage deformation with the curing time and the volumetric moisture content is studied by the drying shrinkage test and improved drying shrinkage test. Secondly, the influence of volumetric moisture content on mechanical properties is assessed. At last, the effects of immersion time and immersion type on the mechanical properties of foamed concrete are studied by considering the water-level conditions. The achieved results show that the shrinkage deformations increase with the curing time for the drying shrinkage test and the improved drying shrinkage test, while the variations are different. The shrinkage deformation increases with the decrease of volumetric moisture content for six dry densities of foamed concrete. Besides, it gradually changes in the early stage, while it changes fast in the later stage. The compressive strength and elastic modulus decrease with the increase of volumetric moisture content for each density. For the water-level unchanged condition, the compressive strength and elastic modulus initially decrease and then slowly increase with the increase of the immersion time. For the water-level changed condition, the compressive strength and elastic modulus of foamed concrete decrease with the increase of immersion time for each dry density, and the rate of early attenuation is high, whereas the rate of later attenuation is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on 55 years (from 1961 to 2015) of ground‐based hailstorm and atmospheric sounding observations, the climatological characteristics of hailstorms in China, along with potential influencing factors, were analysed. We found that hailstorms exhibit large spatial and temporal variability, with the peak occurring in spring in south China, and in summer in north China. The Tibetan Plateau (TTP) is a region with high hailstorm frequency. Overall, the frequency of hailstorms has decreased over the 55 years, although there was an increase from 1961 to 1985. In terms of diurnal variability, while hailstorm frequency peaks in the afternoon in most of China, it peaks during the night or early morning in southwest China. The magnitude of the peak increased during the 1960s and 1970s, and then decreased afterwards. Hailstorms are negatively correlated with daily mean temperature but are positively correlated with diurnal temperature range, convective available potential energy (CAPE) and totals–totals index. The increase of hailstorms during the period from 1961 to 1985 is mainly correlated with the increase in CAPE over the TTP region, while the decrease of hailstorms afterwards is correlated with all four convective parameters. The finding has significant implications for the potential impact of increasing greenhouse gases on climatological changes in hailstorm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban heat islands (UHIs) aggravate urban heat stress and, therefore, exacerbate heat-related morbidity and mortality as global warming continues. Numerous studies used surface urban heat island intensity (SUHII) to quantify the change in the UHI effect and its drivers for heat mitigation. However, whether the variations in SUHII among cities can demonstrate the physical difference and fluctuation of the urban thermal environment is poorly understood. Here, we present a comparison study on the temporal trends of SUHII and LST in urban and nonurban areas in 13 cities of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) megaregion in China and further identify different types of changes in SUHII based on the temporal trends of land surface temperature (LST) in urban and nonurban areas from 2000 to 2020. We also measured the effect of the changes in four socioecological factors (i.e., population density, vegetation greenness (EVI), GDP, and built-up area) on the trends of SUHII to understand the dynamic interaction between the UHI effect and socioecological development. We found the following. (1) Nine out of thirteen cities showed a significant increasing trend in SUHII, indicating that the SUHI effects have been intensified in most of the cities in the BTH megaregion. (2) The spatial pattern of summer mean SUHII and LST in urban areas varied greatly. Among the 13 cities, Beijing had the highest mean SUHII, but Handan had the highest urban temperature, which suggests that a city with stronger SUHII does not necessarily have a higher urban temperature or hazardous urban thermal environment. (3) Four types of changes in SUHII were identified in the 13 cities, which resulted from different temporal trends of LST in urban areas and nonurban areas. In particular, one type of increasing trend of SUHII in seven cities resulted from a greater warming trend (increasing LST) in urban than nonurban areas (SUHII↑1), and another type of increasing trend of SUHII in Beijing and Chengde was attributed to the warming trends (increasing LST) in urban areas and the cooling trends (decreasing LST) in nonurban areas (SUHII↑2). Meanwhile, the third type of increasing trend of SUHII in Zhangjiakou was due to a greater cooling (decreasing LST) trend in nonurban areas than in urban areas (SUHII↑3). In contrast, three cities with a decreasing trend of SUHII were caused by the increase in LST in urban and nonurban areas, but the warming trend in nonurban areas was greater than in urban areas (SUHII↓1). (4) Among the relationship between the trend of SUHII (TrendSUHII) and the changes in socioecological factors (Trendpopulation density, TrendGDP per captica, TrendEVI, and Trendbuild-up area), a significantly positive correlation between TrendSUHII and TrendEVI indicated that the change in SUHII was significantly related to an increased rate of EVI. This is mainly because increased vegetation in nonurban areas would result in lower temperatures in nonurban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was undertaken to develop a prediction model of compressive strength for three types of high-porosity cast-in-situ foamed concrete (cement mix, cement-fly ash mix, and cement-sand mix) with dry densities of less than 700 kg/m3. The model is an extension of Balshin’s model and takes into account the hydration ratio of the raw materials, in which the water/cement ratio was a constant for the entire construction period for a certain casting density. The results show that the measured porosity is slightly lower than the theoretical porosity due to few inaccessible pores. The compressive strength increases exponentially with the increase in the ratio of the dry density to the solid density and increases with the curing time following the composite function A2ln⁡tB2 for all three types of foamed concrete. Based on the results that the compressive strength changes with the porosity and the curing time, a prediction model taking into account the mix constitution, curing time, and porosity is developed. A simple prediction model is put forward when no experimental data are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid hormone receptor-interacting protein 6 (TRIP6), a member of LIM family, acts as an adaptor protein and is overexpressed in several tumor types. However, the clinical significance and biological role of TRIP6 in HCC remains unknown. In our study, we found that TRIP6 was markedly overexpressed in HCC cells and clinical specimens compared with normal hepatocytes and adjacent non-tumor tissues. Immunohistochemical and statistical analysis showed that the expression of TRIP6 significantly correlated with HCC patients' clinical stage and poor survival. Moreover, we demonstrated that overexpressing TRIP6 significantly enhanced, whereas silencing endogenous TRIP6 inhibited, the proliferation and the anchorage-independent growth ability of HCC cells. In addition, overexpression of TRIP6 accelerated, while inhibition of TRIP6 retarded, G1-S phase transition in HCC cells. We further found that overexpression of TRIP6 increased the activation of AKT and suppressed the transactivity of FOXO3a. Meanwhile, overexpression of TRIP6 leaded to the decreased expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 Cip1 and p27 Kip1 and increased expression of the cell cycle regulator cyclin D1. While silencing TRIP6 triggered the opposite effect. Taken together, these findings showed that TRIP6 plays an important role in promoting HCC cells proliferation and may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemically oxidized porous carbon (m-a-NC) materials were prepared by oxidation and activation of N-doped carbon (NC) materials which were produced from the glucose-urea resin primary carbon. Simultaneously, the batch experiments were carried out to investigate the adsorption of U(VI) onto the m-a-NC materials. The m-a-NC materials exhibit the maximum adsorption capacity of 397 mg/g towards U(VI) at 298.15 K and pH = 4.5. The adsorption kinetics was well fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the adsorption isotherm was better described by the Langmuir model. The possible adsorption mechanism of the m-a-NC for U(VI) was ion-exchange and coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many female animals use different strategies to assess male quality to increase their own reproductive fitness. In moths, females usually use chemical signals (sex pheromones) to attract males from a distance. Once males approach a female, they release close range pheromones from hairpencils to facilitate female acceptance. However, detailed mechanisms involved in male sex pheromone biosynthesis and its action in promoting female acceptance have not yet been fully characterized. This study screened a series of candidate genes via a transcriptome analysis of the male hairpencil of Helicoverpa armigera . Using pharmacological inhibitor and RNAi-mediated knockdown assays, we demonstrated that Ca 2+ and cyclic-AMP were involved in pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN)-induced male sex pheromone biosynthesis. The functional analysis of candidate enzymes involved in the male sex pheromone biosynthesis pathway demonstrated that a decreased mRNA levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, Δ11-desaturase, and fatty-acyl reductase 2 by RNAi-mediated knockdown led to a significant decrease in the production of fatty acyl alcohols and the efficacy of female acceptance. Our results demonstrated the important role of the fatty acyl alcohol biosynthetic pathway in a PBAN-induced male sex pheromone biosynthesis and the importance of hairpencil compounds in female mating acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace amounts of sulphion can threaten the performance and lifespan of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The fuel mainly originates from refinery hydrogen, in which methyl mercaptan (MeSH), ethyl mercaptan (EtSH), dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and ethyl sulfide (EMS) inevitably exist. Herein, their negative effects are investigated on PEMFC and rotating disk electrode (RDE) levels, and the poisoning mechanisms are revealed by structural characterizations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The result indicates that MeSH and EtSH are 1.6 times more threatening than H 2 S, therefore, it is essential to limit the content of MeSH and EtSH. Nevertheless, the poisoning effect of DMS and EMS is weak enough to be tolerated. Moreover, the findings that the occupation of top site on Pt (111) weakly affects the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) would contribute to the design of new catalysts with stronger toxicity resistance. This work is significant for the durability improvement of PEMFCs. [Display omitted] • MeSH and EtSH are 1.6 times more threatening than H 2 S on PEMFC. • The effect of occupation of top site on Pt (111) on the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) is very weakly. • The adsorption mechanisms of MeSH, EtSH, DMS and EMS on Pt/C catalysts are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming Growth Factor β1 (TGF-β1), a well-known neuroprotective and neurotrophic factor in the central nervous system, is also involved in the repair process responses after ischemia-reperfusion injury. Herein, we found that TGF-β1 enhanced Cdk5 expression while decreased Tunel-positive cells compared with the ischemia group, and roscovitine(Cdk5 inhibitor) treatment could blunt these effects. In vitro study, TGF-β1 facilitated Cdk5/p35 complex, the proliferation, neurite growth and differentiation of PC12 cells, effects of which could be blunted by roscovitine and Cdk5 silencing. Moreover, ERK1/2 inhibitor SCH772984 abrogated the effects of TGF- β1 on Cdk5 and Bax levels. Taken together, we conclude that Cdk5 contributes to the neuroprotective function of TGF- β1 via ERK1/2 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-term load forecasting (STLF) of heterogeneous multi-agents plays a significant role in smart grid. Faced with special difficulties of multi-agent STLF due to the high heterogeneity, uncertainty and volatility, traditional local methods usually make predictions based on load aggregation or clustering, the complexity of which will rise greatly with the increase of agent types. It has become more and more difficult for traditional methods to meet the STLF demand of smart grid. Meanwhile, global time series forecasting method emerges gradually in many fields, which can make predictions for many agents only by one model with much lower complexity. However, there is few researches on the multi-agent global STLF. This study proposes a global deep-Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) STLF model based on a pretraining method. The model fully applies the information such as electricity consumption pattern, weather and calendar in a structural and orderly way. The empirical results show that our model can effectively predict the daily load of heterogeneous households, with prediction accuracies of 87.9–90.2% on the test set across various tasks. Compared with the base model, our model achieves an 8.7% higher accuracy with a much faster convergence speed. Furthermore, the fluctuations of accuracy on different tasks are within 2.3%, showing that our model is robust. The superiority of the global method is proved through the comparison with local method in the empirical results. This study is expected to make contribution to global STLF of heterogeneous households and providing experience for the global prediction of heterogeneous time series based on deep-LSTM and pretraining method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]