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The primary dendrite spacing (PDS) and segregation of directionally solidified single crystal (SC) superalloy under the longitudinal magnetic field (LMF) were investigated based on the analysis of the whole cross-sectional microstructure at different solidification distances. The results show that the PDS under the LMF remains basically unchanged at different solidification distances, and it is greater than that under no LMF. With the increase of magnetic field intensity, the PDS increases and the macrosegregation decreases. The increasing PDS and reducing segregation under the LMF can be attributed to the increase of solute boundary layer, which expands the non-equilibrium freezing temperature range and brings the effective partition coefficient closer to 1. The increase of the solute enrichment layer thickness could be caused by the downward secondary circulation generated by the thermoelectric magnetic convection (TEMC) near the interface, which drives the migration of solutes towards the interdendritic region. This work not only clarifies the mechanism of LMF controlling PDS and reducing segregation by TEMC, but also provides theoretical guidance for producing high-quality SC superalloys using magnetic fields. • The longitudinal magnetic field makes the primary dendrite spacing more uniform at different solidification distances. • The longitudinal magnetic field reduces the macrosegregation. • The increasing primary dendrite spacing and reducing segregation are attributed to the increase of solute boundary layer. • The increased solute boundary layer could be caused by secondary circulation generated by TEMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastics play an indispensable role in our daily lives, but their persistent and robust nature presents challenges for their degradation in the natural environment, raising concerns about environmental pollution. In this study, a synergistic mechanism of uranyl photocatalysis was employed to efficiently depolymerize nine types of plastics into commercially available chemicals and monomers at room temperature. This approach demonstrates compatibility with water and oxygen, showcasing significant industrial potential for plastic degradation. Moreover, the research encompassed the conversion of five types of mixed plastics, based on polystyrene, into high-value products. This achievement greatly alleviates the burden of waste sorting and classification. The utilization of a self-developed continuous photo-flow device enabled the scale-up of chemical recycling of waste plastics to kilogram-level degradation. The breakthrough facilitated efficient conversion from plastic bottles to commercial chemicals, highlighting its considerable practical application value. [Display omitted] Plastics are playing an incrementally extensive and irreplaceable role in human life, but with alarming cyclic unsustainability. Numerous attempts have been undertaken to recycle plastics, among which chemical recycling from waste plastics back to chemicals and monomers has attracted great attention. Herein, the depolymerization of nine types of plastics to commercial chemicals and monomers was achieved under ambient conditions via synergetic integrated uranyl-photocatalysis, which contains a process for converting five kinds of mixed plastics into a value-added product. The degradation processes were depicted in terms of variation in scanning electron microscopy imaging, distinction in the X-ray diffraction pattern, alteration in water contact angle, and dynamic in molecular weight distribution. Single electron transfer, hydrogen atom transfer, and oxygen atom transfer were synergistically involved in uranyl-photocatalysis, which were substantiated by mechanistic studies. Relying on flow system design, the chemical recycling of plastics was feasible for kilogram-scale degradation of post-consumer-waste polyethylene terephthalate bottles to commercial chemicals, displaying a promising practical application potential in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modal-free optimization algorithms do not require specific mathematical models, and they, along with their other benefits, have great application potential in adaptive optics. In this study, two different algorithms, the single-dimensional perturbation descent algorithm (SDPD) and the second-order stochastic parallel gradient descent algorithm (2SPGD), are proposed for wavefront sensorless adaptive optics, and a theoretical analysis of the algorithms' convergence rates is presented. The results demonstrate that the single-dimensional perturbation descent algorithm outperforms the stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) and 2SPGD algorithms in terms of convergence speed. Then, a 32-unit deformable mirror is constructed as the wavefront corrector, and the SPGD, single-dimensional perturbation descent, and 2SPSA algorithms are used in an adaptive optics numerical simulation model of the wavefront controller. Similarly, a 39-unit deformable mirror is constructed as the wavefront controller, and the SPGD and single-dimensional perturbation descent algorithms are used in an adaptive optics experimental verification device of the wavefront controller. The outcomes demonstrate that the convergence speed of the algorithm developed in this paper is more than twice as fast as that of the SPGD and 2SPGD algorithms, and the convergence accuracy of the algorithm is 4% better than that of the SPGD algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ZGS II attenuated OVX-induced bone loss and restored bone microstructure. • ZGS II reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines and pain mediators in the serum of OVX mice. • ZGS II regulated the imbalance of gut microbiota in OVX mice. • ZGS II promoted the production of acetic acid and propanoic acid in OVX mice. Osteoporosis (OP) is a frequent clinical problem for the elderly. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has achieved beneficial results in the treatment of OP. Ziyuglycoside II (ZGS II) is a major active compound of Sanguisorba officinalis L. that has shown anti-inflammation and antioxidation properties, but little information concerning its anti-OP potential is available. Our research aims to investigate the mechanism of ZGS II in ameliorating bone loss by inflammatory responses and regulation of gut microbiota and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. We predicted the mode of ZGS II action on OP through network pharmacology and molecular docking, and an OVX mouse model was employed to validate its anti-OP efficacy. Then we analyzed its impact on bone microstructure, the levels of inflammatory cytokines and pain mediators in serum, inflammation in colon, intestinal barrier, gut microbiota composition and SCFAs in feces. Network pharmacology identified 55 intersecting targets of ZGS II related to OP. Of these, we predicted IGF1 may be the core target, which was successfully docked with ZGS II and showed excellent binding ability. Our in vivo results showed that ZGS II alleviated bone loss in OVX mice, attenuated systemic inflammation, enhanced intestinal barrier, reduced the pain threshold, modulated the abundance of gut microbiota involving norank_f__Muribaculaceae and Dubosiella , and increased the content of acetic acid and propanoic acid in SCFAs. Our data indicated that ZGS II attenuated bone loss in OVX mice by relieving inflammation and regulating gut microbiota and SCFAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-nitrogen bond activation, via uranyl photoredox catalysis with water, enabled the conversion of 40 protogenetic anilines, 8 N-substituted anilines and 9 aniline-containing natural products/pharmaceuticals to the corresponding phenols in an ambient environment. A single-electron transfer process between a protonated aniline and uranyl catalyst, which was disclosed by radical quenching experiments and Stern-Volmer analysis, facilitated the following oxygen atom transfer process between the radical cation of protonated anilines and uranyl peroxide originating from water-splitting. 18O labeling and 15N tracking unambiguously depicted that the oxygen came from water and amino group left as ammonium salt. The 100-fold efficiency of the flow operation demonstrated the great potential of the conversion process for industrial synthetic application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A straightforward strategy involving photocatalysis has been established for accessing trisulfide dioxides from readily achieved symmetrical tetrasulfides. Stern–Volmer analysis and radical quenching experiments demonstrated the occurrence of a single electron transfer between the photocatalyst and sulfinic acid. Bioactive molecules such as the antihypertensive drug captopril, allicin derivatives, amino acids and terpenes were efficiently and reversibly linked through sulfur–sulfur covalent bonds. Furthermore, flow-setup syntheses of trisulfide dioxides were successfully achieved on the gram scale, indicating the great potential of the developed protocol for practical industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of consumer grade unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is becoming more and more ubiquitous in photogrammetric applications. A large proportion of consumer grade UAVs are equipped with CMOS image sensor and rolling shutter. When imaging with a rolling shutter camera, the image sensor is exposed line by line, which can introduce additional distortions in image space since the UAV navigates at a relatively high speed during aerial acquisitions. In this paper, we propose (1) an approach to calibrate the readout time of rolling shutter camera, (2) a two-step method to correct the image distortion introduced by this effect. The two-step method makes assumption that during exposure, the change of camera orientation is negligible with respect to the change of camera position, which is often the case when camera is fixed on a stabilized mount. Firstly, the camera velocity is estimated from the results of an initial bundle block adjustment; then, one camera pose per scan-line of the image sensor is recovered and image observations are corrected. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, four datasets of block and corridor configurations are acquired with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and its original Hasselbald L1D-20c camera. The proposed method is implemented in MicMac , a free, open-source photogrammetric software; comparisons are carried out with other two mainstream software, AgiSoft MetaShape and Pix4D , which also have the functionality of rolling shutter effect correction. For block configuration datasets, the three software give comparable results. AgiSoft Metashape and Pix4D are sensitive to the flight configuration and encounter difficulties when processing datasets in corridor configurations. The proposed method shows good robustness both in block and corridor configurations, and is the only method that works in corridor configuration. After the application of the rolling shutter effect correction, the 3D accuracy is improved by 30–60% in block configuration and 15–25% in corridor configuration. A further improvement can be expected if a precise dating of image is available or if the camera positions can be directly extracted from GNSS data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel hybrid data reconstruct strategy is developed. • Comprehensive and rational subsystem determining and training strategies are applied. • A suitable interval forecasting framework was established successfully. • A scientific and pluralistic evaluation system is constructed. With the continuous increase in global photovoltaic installations, the importance of photovoltaic power generation to the power industry has gradually increased, which means that accurate forecasting and real-time management of photovoltaics have become indispensable. In recent years, although many photovoltaic prediction systems based on different mechanisms have been proposed, most of them are point prediction methods and do not fully consider the impact of various factors on photovoltaic power generation. Therefore, in order to will fill this gap, a novel hybrid interval prediction system that combines hybrid signal preprocessing technique, random forest algorithm, deep learning model, neural network model and swarm intelligence optimization strategy is designed in this paper. The system can make full use of the characteristics of independent variables, and effectively improve the stability and accuracy of photovoltaic prediction. According to the data obtained from Yulara Solar System, the prediction efficiency of the suggested system is verified. Specifically, when the interval width coefficient is 0.15, the prediction interval coverage probabilities obtained by the presented system are 73.373%, 92.899%, and 92.781%, respectively. Furthermore, this paper identifies the superior stability and application possibilities of the proposed interval forecasting system from multiple perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of both nuclear energy loss and electronic energy loss need to be taken into consideration in the ceramic-based waste forms under repository environment. However, the irradiation responses of ceramic-based waste forms to each type of energy loss are somewhat different. In this study, the microstructure evolutions of ultrafine nano and micro Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 -based waste forms were systematically studied under predominant electronic energy loss simulated by multi-energy He+ irradiation, and compared to those under predominant nuclear energy loss. The results reveal that the fewer He bubble chains, ribbon-like He bubbles and smaller microcracks were observed in the irradiated nano-grained sample. Additionally, nano-grained sample displayed a lower degree of amorphization and higher atomic order compared to micro-grained samples when subjected to predominant electronic energy loss. Moreover, the irradiation dominated by nuclear energy loss can easily induce the grain growth of nano-grained Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 -based waste form, but in the present study this phenomenon was not observed under multi-energy He+ irradiation. Consequently, under predominant electronic energy loss, the thermodynamic instability and driving force for grain growth due to excess surface energy in the ultrafine nano sample can be suppressed. As a result, the sample demonstrated enhanced irradiation resistance due to the more efficient absorption and elimination of defects at grain boundaries induced by electronic excitation. We elucidated that enhanced irradiation resistance of the waste forms by tailoring the grain size requires the consideration of the effects of electronic energy loss and nuclear energy loss, which can provide guidance for the design and optimization of highly irradiation-resistant nuclear waste forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of micro-USB (universal series bus) is highly expanded by the development of many terminal electronic products, such as smartphones, pads, and e-book readers. However, in recent years, it has been reported that the micro-USB connectors used for recharger or data transmission in mobile phones are frequently burned around voltage bus (VBUS) during service. In this paper, the thermal failure mechanism of the burned micro-USB in mobile phones was analyzed from both insulation leakage and contact degradation. First, the failed micro-USB samples were detected to show the failure characters, and the possible failure mechanism was proposed preliminarily. Then, the dielectric performance of insulation material in micro-USB was measured and assessed. The chemical reaction happened between two electrodes (VBUS and ground) in the micro-USB under moisture and contaminated condition was discussed by electrochemical theory and was verified by an accelerated test, involving in the moisture, electric stress, and contamination. After that the finite-element analysis was used to simulate and calculate the thermal failure condition of the micro-USB. The contribution of current leakage and electric contact resistance on the thermal failure was discussed quantitatively. Finally, based on the accelerated corrosion test, burning failure of the degraded micro-USB was repeated experimentally to verify the validity of thermal analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The solar sail spacecraft utilizing a hybrid approach of solar sail and solar electric propulsion in the heliocentric displaced orbit is affected by external disturbances, internal unmodeled dynamics, initial injection errors, and input saturation. To solve the station-keeping control problem under such complex conditions, an adaptive control strategy is proposed. First, the dynamical equations of the spacecraft utilizing hybrid low-thrust propulsion in the cylindrical coordinate system are derived. Second, the combined disturbance acceleration introduced by external disturbances and internal unmodeled dynamics is constructed, and a radial basis function neural network estimator is designed to estimate it online in real time. Third, an adaptive high-performance station-keeping controller based on an improved integral sliding surface and multivariate super-twisting sliding mode approaching law is designed. Then, stability analysis is conducted using Lyapunov theory, adaptive laws are designed, and the introduced virtual control accelerations are converted into actual control variables. Finally, simulations are conducted under different simulation conditions based on the disturbance sources. The results show that although the use of hybrid low-thrust propulsion breaks the symmetry of the solar sail in configuration, the proposed control strategy can effectively achieve the station-keeping and disturbance estimation of the spacecraft with only a small amount of propellant consumed and position tracking errors up to decimeters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium sulfate is in routine clinical use as a bone substitute, offering the benefits of biodegradability, biocompatibility and a long history of use in bone repair. The osteoconductive properties of calcium sulfate may be further improved by doping with strontium ions. Nevertheless, the high degradation rate of calcium sulfate may impede bone healing as substantial material degradation may occur before the healing process is complete. The purpose of this study is to develop a novel composite bone substitute composed of chitosan and strontium-doped α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate in the form of microcapsules, which can promote osteogenesis while matching the natural rate of bone healing. The developed microcapsules exhibited controlled degradation that facilitated the sustained release of strontium ions. In vitro testing showed that the microcapsules had minimal cytotoxicity and ability to inhibit bacterial growth. In vivo testing in a mouse model showed the absence of genetic toxicity and low inflammatory potential of the microcapsules. The novel microcapsules developed in this study demonstrated suitable degradation characteristics for bone repair as well as favourable in vitro and in vivo behaviour, and hold promise for use as an alternative bone substitute in orthopaedic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A suitable PV forecasting framework is successfully established. • Based on deep learning mechanism, the features of time series can be better used. • A pluralistic and scientific evaluation system is constructed. • It is proved theoretically that proposed model can achieve pareto optimal solution. Owing to the continuous increase in the proportion of solar generation accounting for the total global generation, real-time management of solar power has become indispensable. Moreover, accurate prediction of photovoltaic power is emerging as an important link to support grid operations and reflect real-life scenarios. Various studies have led to the design of several forecasting models. Nevertheless, most predictors do not focus on the effects of the factors of photovoltaic modules on the forecast results. To fill this gap, in this paper, a novel multivariable hybrid prediction system combining signal decomposition, artificial intelligence models, deep learning models, and a swarm intelligence optimization strategy is proposed. This system fully utilizes independent variable features (including the module temperature) to efficiently enhance the precision and efficiency of photovoltaic forecasting. In particular, it is proved that a Pareto-optimal solution can be obtained using the designed system. Using three datasets obtained from Safi-Morocco, the presented system is verified by comparative experiments, and its remarkable advantages in terms of forecasting are demonstrated. Specifically, using the three datasets, the symmetric mean absolute percentage errors obtained by the presented forecast system are 2.129%, 2.335%, and 3.654%, respectively, which are significantly lower than those achieved with other comparison models. Furthermore, a comprehensive and rational evaluation methodology is employed to assess the predictive capability of the developed system. The evaluation results show that the system is effective in improving the forecasting efficiency and outperforms other benchmark models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In the light of the decomposition and ensemble mechanism, the designed system decomposes the original PV power series, reduces the high-frequency noise, so as to reconstructs the sequences. • A novel combination of denoising parameter intelligent optimization, and weights determined strategy. • On the basis of four ANNs, the features of the PV power sequences can be better gained and used. • To further explore the efficiency of the designed system, we have theoretically proved that the hybrid predictive system can obtained the pareto optimal solution. As the penetration rate of solar energy in the grid continues to enhance, solar power photovoltaic generation forecasts have become an indispensable aspect of mechanism mobilization and maintenance of the stability of the power system. In this regard, many researchers have done a lot of study, and put forward some predictive models. However, many individual prediction systems only consider the prediction accuracy rate without further considering the prediction utility and stability. To fill this gap, a comprehensive system is designed in this paper, which is on the basis of automatic optimization of variational mode decomposition mechanism, and the weight of system is determined by multi objective intelligent optimization algorithm. In particular, it can be proved theoretically that the developed predictive system can achieve the pareto optimal solution. And the designed system is shown to be very effective in forecasting the 2021 photovoltaic power data obtained from Belgium. The empirical study reports that the combination of variational mode decomposition strategy based on genetic algorithm and multi objective grasshopper optimization algorithm is found to be the satisfactory strategy to optimize the predictive system compared with other common mechanism. And the results of several numerical studies show that the designed predictive system achieves the superior performance as compared to the control systems, and in multi-step forecasting, the designed system has better stability than the comparison systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious environmental pollution degraded the reliability of gold-plated connectors in many-handed terminals. It was found that gold-plated contacts disassembled from failed mobile phones were tarnished and worn out. The main compositions of the contaminants on the failed contacts were dust particles, organic compounds, and worn contact materials with their oxide. The micromotion between contacts abrasively wore the contacts with the dust particles and organic compounds. Contact resistance on the tarnished contacts increased with the thickness of contaminants on the contacts. The combined effects of dust particles, organic compounds, and micromotion on the electrical behaviors of the gold-plated contacts were simulated and studied by adapting a fretting simulation system. The hard particles caused seriously abrasive wear of gold plating and quickly formed fretting corrosion to shorten the contact life. Tiny content of organic compounds supplied certain adhesion function of dust particles, which made it easy for the dust particles to insert the contact interfaces. The contaminants and wear debris with their oxide formed complexly tarnished morphology under micromotion conditions, which finally caused contact failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recent studies demonstrated that sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR 1) regulated nonselective cation channel, the NCCa-ATP channel, is involved in brain injury in rodent models of stroke. Block of SUR 1 with sulfonylurea such as glibenclamide has been shown to be highly effective in reducing cerebral edema, infarct volume and mortality in adult rat models of ischemic stroke. In this study, we tested glibenclamide in both severe and moderate models of neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI) in postnatal day 10 Sprague–Dawley rat pups. A total of 150 pups were used in the present study. Pups were subjected to unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by 2.5 or 2 h of hypoxia in the severe and moderate HI models, respectively. In the severe HI model, glibenclamide, administered immediately after HI and on postoperative Day 1, was not effective in attenuating short-term effects (brain edema and infarct volume) or long-term effects (brain weight and neurological function) of neonatal HI. In the moderate HI model, when injected immediately after HI and on postoperative Day 1, glibenclamide at 0.01 mg/kg improved several neurological parameters at 3 weeks after HI. We conclude that glibenclamide provided some long-term neuroprotective effect after neonatal HI. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A novel Iaah system is proposed in this paper. • A combined forecasting model (BWCE) is constructed in the Iaah system. • The Iaah system relaxes the assumptions of traditional Black-Litterman models. • The Iaah system expands the objective function of industry asset allocation. The B-L (Black-Litterman) model combines the subjective views of investors with the market's historical equilibrium return through the Bayesian theorem. This approach somewhat compensates for the limitations of the Mean-Variance model, making the asset allocation model attract significant attention. However, due to many investors lacking ample investment experience, they might struggle to provide appropriate subjective views. To address this issue, an Iaah (Industry Asset Allocation Hybrid) system based on the B-L model is proposed. First, a combined model is constructed, which simulates view return vectors and solves the problem of inaccurate view quantification. Then, the Iaah system introduces a dynamic condition correlation algorithm to optimize inherent parameters and explores asset allocation results in the time-varying effects. Next, it expands the types of objective functions and improves the deficiency of only considering the return and variance while ignoring the downside risk. Finally, based on a variety of performance metrics, the Iaah system is evaluated from multiple perspectives to test its practical value. The experiment results with the daily data of 10 SSE (Shanghai Stock Exchange) industry indexes show that the proposed system not only realizes the diversified allocation of industry assets and enhances the investment performance, but also exhibits strong robustness against changes in subjective parameters. It is conducive to managing personal wealth and achieving preservation and appreciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Resveratrol alleviates oxidative damage in mammary glands caused by S. uberis. • Resveratrol activates Nrf2 signaling pathway to relieve oxidative stress. • Resveratrol mediates p62 to regulate the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Due to its antioxidant properties, resveratrol may relieve the cellular oxidative injury induced by Streptococcus uberis (S. uberis) infection. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Herein, we used S. uberis to challenge C57BL/6 mice or a mouse mammary epithelial cell line (EpH 4 -Ev), and the regulatory molecular mechanism of resveratrol on hosts' oxidative injury were investigated. The results showed that gavage of resveratrol alleviate the inflammatory responses and oxidative injury of mammary gland tissues induced by S. uberis infection via activating Nrf2 signaling pathways. To further understand the molecular mechanism, inhibitor of Nrf2 (ML385) and siRNA targeting p62 were used in mammary epithelial cells. The findings indicated that resveratrol mediates Keap1 degradation by activating p62, induces the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant signaling pathways, and ameliorates oxidative damage during S. uberis infection. Collectively, these outcomes suggested that resveratrol can function as an activator of the p62–Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway to improve oxidative injury caused by S. uberis in mammary glands as well as in EpH 4 -Ev cells. Therefore, resveratrol may be useful to prevent and control S. uberis -induced bovine mastitis by relieving oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomically precise palladium nanoclusters show great potential applications in the field of catalysis owing to its ultrasmall size and precise structure. This work, we report the mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) supported [Pd3Cl(PPh3)3(PPh2)2]Cl catalysts (denoted as Pd3Cl/MSNs) for the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol and Heck coupling reactions of iodobenzene and styrenes. High uniform MSNs, with average diameter ≈110 nm, were prepared by sol–gel method, followed by Pd nanoclusters immobilization into the pore of MSNs. The MSNs supported Pd nanoclusters were well characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), and diffuse reflectance optical spectrum. The results indicated that Pd3Cl nanoclusters after immobilized into the pores of MSNs are intact and possess good dispersibility. The catalytic performance of as‐prepared nanocomposites was evaluated by the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol and Heck reactions. The 4‐nitrophenol could be completely conversion to 4‐aminophenol within 6 min. Meanwhile, the as‐prepared Pd3Cl/MSNs exhibit excellent catalytic performance in the Heck reactions between iodobenzenes and styrenes. The high catalytic activity of Pd3Cl/MSNs could be attributed to the large surface area and unique geometric structure of as‐prepared Pd nanoclusters. More importantly, the catalysts could be easily recycled by centrifugation and shows excellent reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are increasingly used for topographic mapping. The camera calibration for UAV image blocks can be performed a priori or during the bundle block adjustment (self-calibration). For an area of interest with flat scene and corridor configuration, the focal length of camera is highly correlated with the height of the camera. Furthermore, systematic errors of camera calibration accumulate on the longer dimension and cause deformation. Therefore, special precautions must be taken when estimating camera calibration parameters. In order to better investigate the impact of camera calibration errors, a synthetic, error-free aerial image block is generated to simulate several issues of interest. Firstly, the erroneous focal length in the case of camera pre-calibration is studied. Nadir images are not able to prevent camera poses from drifting to compensate for the erroneous focal length, whereas the inclusion of oblique images brings significant improvement. Secondly, the case where the focal length varies gradually (e.g., when the camera subject to temperature changes) is investigated. The neglect of this phenomenon can substantially degrade the 3D measurement accuracy. Different flight configurations and flight orders are analyzed, the combination of oblique and nadir images shows better performance. At last, the rolling shutter effect is investigated. The influence of camera rotational motion on the final accuracy is negligible compared to that of the translational motion. The acquisition configurations investigated are not able to mitigate the degradation introduced by the rolling shutter effect. Other solutions such as correcting image measurements or including camera motion parameters in the bundle block adjustment should be exploited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Rye (Secale cereale), a valuable relative of wheat, contains abundant powdery mildew resistance (Pm) genes. Using physical mapping, transcriptome sequencing, barley stripe mosaic virus‐induced gene silencing, ethyl methane sulfonate mutagenesis, and stable transformation, we isolated and validated two coiled‐coil, nucleotide‐binding site and leucine‐rich repeat (CC‐NBS‐LRR) alleles, PmTR1 and PmTR3, located on rye chromosome 6RS from different triticale lines. PmTR1 confers age‐related resistance starting from the three‐leaf stage, whereas its allele, PmTR3, confers typical all‐stage resistance, which may be associated with their differential gene expression patterns. Overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana showed that the CC, CC‐NBS, and CC‐LRR fragments of PMTR1 induce cell death, whereas in PMTR3 the CC and full‐length fragments perform this function. Luciferase complementation imaging and pull‐down assays revealed distinct interaction activities between the CC and NBS fragments. Our study elucidates two novel rye‐derived Pm genes and their derivative germplasm resources and provides novel insights into the mechanism of age‐related resistance, which can aid the improvement of resistance against wheat powdery mildew. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the trend of high density and miniaturization, the current that the connector transmits per unit volume is getting higher and higher, which makes the reliability design of the connector more challenging. Under the pressure of high performance and low cost requirements, the design has to be more accurate and more efficient. Thus, in the design process, a systematic approach for reliability evaluation is required. However, there is no valid enough approach that is integrated, well-organized, and quantitative. In this article, a systematic approach for the reliability evaluation of connector was proposed, and by applying it on a typical object named a blade-spring connector, the validity of this approach was verified. After the framework of this approach has been established, the methods and models needed were provided, including the method to build up material selection criterion and the assessment models of stress relaxation, thermal diffusion, and sliding wear, respectively. Then, the feasibility of a newly developed copper alloy on the connector and the reliability behaviors of this connector were determined through this approach. The unsatisfactory aspects of reliability were pointed out and some possible redesign choices were provided. Results and discussion revealed that the proposed approach is a helpful tool for designing electric connectors, especially on the reliability design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address issues with saturated work roll bending force (WRB), maximum contact pressure between the work roll and intermediate roll (QWI), and challenging flatness lifting in a four‐stand, six‐high tandem cold mill with a 1340 mm width, the density‐based spatial clustering of applications with noise algorithm and the non‐dominated sorting genetic algorithm II are used for optimal design and online application research of a five‐segment work roll profile. When compared to a flat roll and a parabolic roll profile with a maximum crown of 15 μm, the optimized roll profile decreases the secondary crown of the roll gap (CW2) by 5.99 and 1.055 μm, respectively, and the fourth crown of the roll gap (CW4) by 0.21 and 0.39 μm, respectively. Additionally, QWI in the field of roll gap crown adjustment decreases by 1.04 and 0.445 kN mm−1. Industrial testing shows that the average integrated value of flatness in rolling the four extreme specifications of 1340 mm tandem cold‐rolling mills lowers by 2.65 IU following the application of the new roll profile, and the average reduction of WRB in the last stand is 2.215 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The crown spring connector failure was caused by insufficient cable capacity and the degraded contacts. • The cable capacity is 11.6% insufficient. The wear and the oxidation of the contacts increases the contact resistance 23%. • The heat power causes decomposition of the insulation material and further increases the temperature. • A solution to increase the cable size from 50 mm2 to 70 mm2 is proposed to reduce the maximum temperature rise by 18.4%. With the fast development of the rail transit system and the continuous speed increase of rail vehicles in China, the rated current of the power supply system in the trains rises accordingly, so the thermal reliability of the electrical connection system used in the power supply system has become one of the crucial factors whether the train can run normally for a long time. In this paper, aiming at an ablative failure of a special-shaped crown spring connector during the operation of a subway, both the failure mechanism and the solution method are studied. Firstly, the main influencing factors of the failure, both the cable size and the contact resistance degradation of the connector, were screened by fault tree establishment. Then the capacity of the selected cable was evaluated to be insufficient by current carrying test, with 11.6% lower than the safe margin. Further, the contact resistance degradation of the connector caused by vibration and corrosion was about 23%, studied by the experiments and thermal theory. By combining the theoretical model of temperature rise in the contact interface and the finite element simulation, the heat production of the connection system under actual working conditions was estimated to make the insulating materials near the contacts attain to the decomposition temperature, which was verified by the analysis of the failed samples with various service stages. The thermal analysis results was demonstrated to be consistent (less than 5% error) among the finite element simulation, the experiments and an existed thermal design method. Finally, a solution to increase the cable specification from 50 mm2 to 70 mm2 under complicated service conditions is proposed to reduce bulk resistance of the cables and increase the heat dissipation by cable heat conduction, the maximum temperature rise can reduce 18.4% so that the ablation failure of the connectors can be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Novel wheat-rye 6RS small fragment translocation lines with powdery mildew resistance were developed, and the resistance gene PmW6RS was physically mapped onto 6RS-0.58–0.66-bin corresponding to 18.38 Mb in Weining rye. Rye (Secale cereale L., RR) contains valuable genes for wheat improvement. However, most of the rye resistance genes have not been successfully used in wheat cultivars. Identification of new rye resistance genes and transfer of these genes to wheat by developing small fragment translocation lines will make these genes more usable for wheat breeding. In this study, a broad-spectrum powdery mildew resistance gene PmW6RS was localized on rye chromosome arm 6RS using a new set of wheat-rye disomic and telosomic addition lines. To further study and use PmW6RS, 164 wheat-rye 6RS translocation lines were developed by 60Coγ-ray irradiation. Seedling and adult stage powdery mildew resistance analysis showed that 106 of the translocation lines were resistant. A physical map of 6RS was constructed using the 6RS translocation and deletion lines, and PmW6RS was localized in the 6RS-0.58–0.66-bin, flanked by markers X6RS-3 and X6RS-10 corresponding to the physical interval of 50.23–68.61 Mb in Weining rye genome. A total of 23 resistance-related genes were annotated. Nine markers co-segregate with the 6RS-0.58–0.66-bin, which can be used to rapidly trace the 6RS fragment carrying PmW6RS. Small fragment translocation lines with powdery mildew resistance were backcrossed with wheat cultivars, and 39 agronomically acceptable homozygous 6RS small fragment translocation lines were obtained. In conclusion, this study not only provides novel gene source and germplasms for wheat resistance breeding, but also laid a solid foundation for cloning of PmW6RS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive neuroinflammation aggravates neurological damage after spinal cord injury (SCI). Controlling neuroinflammation might favor neuroregeneration and tissue repair. Dexmedetomidine is reported to inhibit post-SCI neuroinflammation in previous research. In the current study, to determine the mechanisms by which dexmedetomidine inhibits neuroinflammation, we tested the effect of dexmedetomidine hydrochloride on microglia in vitro and in a rat SCI model. We found that dexmedetomidine hydrochloride up-regulated programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), an immunoregulatory molecule, in activated microglia but not in resting microglia. In the presence of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), this enhanced PD-1 expression downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and upregulated anti-inflammatory cytokine expression in activated microglia. PD-L1/PD-1 engagement also induced microglia polarization toward the immunoregulatory M2 type. Moreover, dexmedetomidine hydrochloride promoted 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling in activated microglia. AMPK signaling was responsible for the above-mentioned changes of cytokine expression and M2 microglia polarization. Consistently, intraperitoneal injection of dexmedetomidine hydrochloride had a similar effect on microglia in the rat SCI model. Taken together, our study disclosed a novel mechanism underlying the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of dexmedetomidine: dexmedetomidine promotes AMPK signaling in activated microglia via upregulation of microglial PD-1 expression, and subsequently drives microglia polarization toward M2 type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method for modelling the passive intermodulation (PIM) in radio frequency (RF) devices, which works as a complex non‐linear system, was proposed. Both behaviour modelling and experimental validation were introduced to clarify the generation of PIM in a parallel and series non‐linear system. Taking the coaxial connector as an example, two types of N‐type connectors with 4 and 6 contact petals were selected and put into research. The measurements both agree well with the predicted results, validating the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: GDP‐L‐galactose phosphorylase (VTC2) catalyses the conversion of GDP‐L‐galactose to L‐galactose‐1‐P, a vital step of ascorbic acid (AsA) biosynthesis in plants. AsA is well known for its function in the amelioration of oxidative stress caused by most pathogen infection, but its function against viral infection remains unclear. Here, we have identified a VTC2 gene in wheat named as TaVTC2 and investigated its function in association with the wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV) infection. Our results showed that overexpression of TaVTC2 significantly increased viral accumulation, whereas knocking down TaVTC2 inhibited the viral infection in wheat, suggesting a positive regulation on viral infection by TaVTC2. Moreover, less AsA was produced in TaVTC2 knocking down plants (TaVTC2‐RNAi) which due to the reduction in TaVTC2 expression and subsequently in TaVTC2 activity, resulting in a reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst in leaves. Furthermore, the enhanced WYMV resistance in TaVTC2‐RNAi plants was diminished by exogenously applied AsA. We further demonstrated that WYMV NIb directly bound to TaVTC2 and inhibited TaVTC2 enzymatic activity in vitro. The effect of TaVTC2 on ROS scavenge was suppressed by NIb in a dosage‐dependent manner, indicating the ROS scavenging was highly regulated by the interaction of TaVTC2 with NIb. Furthermore, TaVTC2 RNAi plants conferred broad‐spectrum disease resistance. Therefore, the data indicate that TaVTC2 recruits WYMV NIb to down‐regulate its own enzymatic activity, reducing AsA accumulation to elicit a burst of ROS which confers the resistance to WYMV infection. Thus, a new mechanism of the formation of plant innate immunity was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether long noncoding RNAs participate in the formation of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) through the regulation of SMC phenotypic switching is unknown. lincRNA-p21 induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is likely functionally associated with SMC phenotypic switching. We thus investigated the role of lincRNA-p21 in SMC phenotypic switching-associated AAA formation and its underlying mechanisms. An analysis of human and mouse abdominal aortic samples revealed that the lincRNA-p21 levels were significantly higher in AAA tissue. Stimulation with hydrogen peroxide upregulated the expression of lincRNA-p21 in a dose-dependent manner and converted SMCs from a contractile phenotype to a synthetic, proteolytic, and proinflammatory phenotype in vitro. Moreover, lincRNA-p21 promoted fracture of elastic fibres, reconstruction of the vascular wall, and AAA formation in vivo by modulating SMC phenotypic switching in two mouse models of AAA induced by angiotensin II or porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) perfusion. Using a bioinformatics prediction method and luciferase reporter gene assays, we further proved that lincRNA-p21 sponged miR-204-5p to release the transcriptional activity of Mekk3 and promoted the NF-κB pathway and thereby played a role in the SMC phenotypic switch and AAA formation. The ROS levels were positively correlated with the lincRNA-p21 levels in human and mouse AAA tissues. The knockdown of lincRNA-p21 in a PPE-induced mouse AAA model increased the miR-204-5p levels and reduced the expression of Mekk3, whereas lincRNA-p21 overexpression had the opposite effect. Collectively, the results indicated that ROS-induced lincRNA-p21 sponges miR-204-5p to accelerate synthetic and proinflammatory SMC phenotypes through the Mekk3/NF-κB pathway in AAA formation. Thus, lincRNA-p21 may have therapeutic potential for AAA formation. [Display omitted] • This study firstly identified the regulatory role of long noncoding RNAs in SMC phenotypic switching during abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation. • Under hypertensive conditions or other types of stress, lincRNA-p21 is rapidly induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vascular SMCs, and then competitively binds miR-204-5p, releases Mekk3 mRNA, and activates the NF-κB pathway, thereby promoting SMC phenotypic switching and AAA development. • Inhibiting ROS from its downstream gene of lincRNA-p21 may avoid suppressing life-dependent ROS signalling while preventing ROS-associated AAA development and progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the influence of plant density and powdery mildew infection of winter wheat and to predict grain yield, hyperspectral canopy reflectance of winter wheat was measured for two plant densities at Feekes growth stage (GS) 10.5.3, 10.5.4, and 11.1 in the 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 seasons. Reflectance in near infrared (NIR) regions was significantly correlated with disease index at GS 10.5.3, 10.5.4, and 11.1 at two plant densities in both seasons. For the two plant densities, the area of the red edge peak (Σdr680–760 nm), difference vegetation index (DVI), and triangular vegetation index (TVI) were significantly correlated negatively with disease index at three GSs in two seasons. Compared with other parameters Σdr680–760 nm was the most sensitive parameter for detecting powdery mildew. Linear regression models relating mildew severity to Σdr680–760 nm were constructed at three GSs in two seasons for the two plant densities, demonstrating no significant difference in the slope estimates between the two plant densities at three GSs. Σdr680–760 nm was correlated with grain yield at three GSs in two seasons. The accuracies of partial least square regression (PLSR) models were consistently higher than those of models based on Σdr680760 nm for disease index and grain yield. PLSR can, therefore, provide more accurate estimation of disease index of wheat powdery mildew and grain yield using canopy reflectance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annotation of brain lesion images is a key step in clinical diagnosis and treatment of a wide spectrum of brain diseases. In recent years, segmentation methods based on deep learning have gained unprecedented popularity, leveraging a large amount of data with high-quality voxel-level annotations. However, due to the limited time clinicians can provide for the cumbersome task of manual image segmentation, semi-supervised medical image segmentation methods present an alternative solution as they require only a few labeled samples for training. In this paper, we propose a novel semi-supervised segmentation framework that combines improved mean teacher and adversarial network. Specifically, our framework consists of (i) a student model and a teacher model for segmenting the target and generating the signed distance maps of object surfaces, and (ii) a discriminator network for extracting hierarchical features and distinguishing the signed distance maps of labeled and unlabeled data. Besides, based on two different adversarial learning processes, a multi-scale feature consistency loss derived from the student and teacher models is proposed, and a shape-aware embedding scheme is integrated into our framework. We evaluated the proposed method on the public brain lesion datasets from ISBI 2015, ISLES 2015, and BRATS 2018 for the multiple sclerosis lesion, ischemic stroke lesion, and brain tumor segmentation respectively. Experiments demonstrate that our method can effectively leverage unlabeled data while outperforming the supervised baseline and other state-of-the-art semi-supervised methods trained with the same labeled data. The proposed framework is suitable for joint training of limited labeled data and additional unlabeled data, which is expected to reduce the effort of obtaining annotated images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mortality and morbidity rates remain high among patients with herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE). Chemokine-mediated recruitment and activation of leukocytes to focal areas of viral CNS infection are crucial steps in antiviral response and clearance. However, the inflammatory reaction and cellular antiviral response may enhance collateral damage to neurons and account for chronic progressive brain damage. We identified a specific mRNA expression of the interferon-gamma-inducible chemokines (CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11), and RANTES (CCL5) in the acute course and long-term of experimental HSVE. This pattern was substantially altered by anti-viral and anti-inflammatory treatment. Our findings indicate a pivotal role of these chemokines in the immunopathogenesis of HSVE. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Research on the effects of climate warming on ecological communities has focused on how temperature affects resource quantity. However, resource quality is also affected by warming, and changes in resource quality can have meaningful effects on the productivity of higher trophic levels.Aquatic communities in particular experience temperature‐mediated shifts in resource quality because the nutritional value of algae is highly sensitive to temperature. For example, the production of healthful omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFA) by algae often decreases with warming.Decreased levels of some algal PUFAs with warming have led to the hypothesis that global warming should lead to an overall decrease in productivity in aquatic communities. However, this hypothesis: (a) potentially oversimplifies the relationship between algal PUFAs and temperature, and (b) assumes that the nutritional requirements of consumers are not affected by temperature. Here, we test these assumptions using a freshwater community (Scenedesmus algae, Daphnia zooplankton, Chaoborus insects).Warming temperatures increased total algal PUFAs, but decreased algal cell size, resulting in no net effect of temperature on PUFA per algal cell. In contrast, quantities of algal neutral lipids decreased with warming. At the consumer level, Daphnia fed 12°C‐reared algae maintained higher population sizes than those fed 20°C or 28°C‐reared algae. However, the effect of algal food type diminished as Daphnia rearing temperature increased. The indirect effects of cold‐reared algae on the growth rate of Chaoborus predators were minor.These data highlight the importance of investigating the effects of temperature on both resource quality and on the nutritional needs of consumers. Our results suggest that at warmer temperatures, consumer nutritional requirements may be reduced. We caution against broad claims that the negative relationship between some algal PUFAs and temperature should result in overall declines in aquatic productivity with ongoing climate warming. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hole machining is a common operation during manufacturing of CFRP products. However, delamination, matrix chipping, and fiber pull-out easily take place in the machining of CFRP materials. Compared to straight through holes, tapered countersink holes are more difficult to be machined. In this paper, an ultrasonic vibration device was developed. The vibration performance of it was tested, and hole drilling experiments with the developed device are implemented, and the quality of holes is analyzed. The developed device produces 24.84 KHz vibrations on drill bit, and the vibration amplitudes at the drill edge and step edge are 2.62 um and 1.34 um, respectively. With the ultrasonic vibration drilling method, the average thrust drilling forces are reduced 8–21.5%, and the hole quality is improved significantly. This study provides a potential device and technique for countersinking of CFRP composite laminates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), which is a widely used phthalate (PAE), has recently received public attention owing to it causing health problems. The aim of this study was to elucidate the aggravating effects of DEHP on psoriasis and skin toxicity. Human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells were treated with gradient concentrations of DEHP, and mice with imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasiform dermatitis were hypodermically injected with 40 μg/kg/day of DEHP for seven consecutive days. The skin condition was assessed based on the psoriasis area and severity index score, which indicated the deterioration of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions after DEHP exposure. To further analyze the effect of DEHP on psoriasis, the proliferation, inflammation, and tight junction (TJ) damage were examined, which correlated with the development and severity of psoriasis. The results showed that DEHP promoted proliferation both in vivo and in vitro , which manifested as epidermal thickening; an increase in cell viability; upregulation of Ki67, CDK2, cyclinD1, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen; and downregulation of p21. An excessive inflammatory response is an important factor that exacerbates psoriasis, and our results showed that DEHP can trigger the release of inflammatory cytokines as well as the infiltration of T cells. TJ disorders were found in mice and cells after DEHP treatment. Additionally, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was strongly activated during this process, which may have contributed to skin toxicity caused by DEHP. In conclusion, DEHP treatment promotes proliferation, inflammation, TJ disruption, and p38 MAPK activation in HaCaT cells and psoriasis-like skin lesions. • DEHP aggravated IMQ-induced psoriasis in mice. • DEHP promoted proliferation, tight junction disruption and inflammation of skin cell. • The skin toxicity of DEHP may be meditated by p38 MAPK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blade is a crucial part of wind turbine for generating electricity and prone to damage due to harsh external environment. Accurate damage detection of wind turbine blade (WTB) is still a prominent challenge. This paper presents an acoustical detection method for damage identification of the WTB based on pattern recognition. In the proposed method, sound pulse extraction of the WTB is first investigated through physical method in combination with the filter and sliding window. Subsequently, the wavelet packet energy ratios of acoustic signal are introduced to characterize the discrepancy between intact and cracked sound pulses, and the support vector data description (SVDD) model is built for WTB damage detection. Besides, an improved incremental learning method is presented and employed to adaptively update the SVDD model, which aims at simplifying calculation procedure. Finally, the performance of proposed method is evaluated using experimental data collected from the WTBs with both intact and damaged conditions in commercial wind farms. It is demonstrated that proposed method has improvement in prediction accuracy compared to previous incremental SVDD models and performs the best on training time. • An acoustical damage detection method of the wind turbine blade is proposed. • Sound pulse extraction method is given with physical and signal processing techniques. • An incremental SVDD method is presented for damage detection of wind turbine blade. • Experiments validate the effectiveness of proposed method in detecting the blade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cantharidin (CTD), a natural Chinese medicine constituent extracted from mylabris, is a potent drug against hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the clinical application of CTD was limited because of its toxicity and low solubility. In this work, a novel CTD-loaded liposome modified with 3-succinyl-30-stearyl glycyrrhetinic acid (18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip) was prepared to enhance liver-targeting efficiency and antitumor activity. 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip and CTD-Lip were successfully prepared by film dispersion method and totally characterized. The antitumor effects in vitro were evaluated by cell proliferation inhibition assay, transwell assay, cell cycle analysis, and an apoptosis test. Pharmacokinetic and biodistribution were all investigated to precisely reveal liver-targeting efficiency of 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip in vivo. The IC 50 values of 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip in HepG2 (3.417 ± 0.165 nmol/L) and Huh-7 (4.478 ± 0.409 nmol/L) cells were much lower than that of CTD-Lip, indicating that antitumor effects of 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip were remarkable because of the modification of 18-GA-Suc. The maximum concentration in the liver of 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip (1.72 ± 0.14 μg/g) was more than twice CTD-Lip (0.75 ± 0.08 μg/g) at 30 min, illustrating that 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip possesses excellent liver-targeting efficiency. Conclusively, 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip could be a potential liver-targeting antitumor drug for hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat powdery mildew, caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is an important disease in China. In this study, airborne spore concentrations were monitored using spore samplers and real-time PCR during 2013– 2015 at three locations in Gangu, Gansu province of China. The effects of meteorological variables on spore concentration were analyzed and models were developed for forecasting dynamics of airborne conidia and disease progress. The temperature, solar radiation and rainfall were positively correlated to spore concentrations and disease development. Although there was a negative correlation between relative humidity and spore concentration, relative humidity was positively related with disease development. Stepwise regression models were obtained for predicting the dynamics of airborne conidia based on the positive degree days and accumulation of rainfall (R2 = 0.31, P < 0.01), the positive degree days (R2 = 0.16, P = 0.04) and mean temperatures (R2 = 0.24, P = 0.01) at three locations, respectively. Disease forecasting models were developed based on various meteorological variables and spore concentration, the most important variables being temperature and spore concentration. This knowledge can improve the disease forecasting of wheat powdery mildew in Gangu and help develop better disease control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DC microgrid, consisting of renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, and new types of loads like electric vehicles, has gained more and more attention nowadays. Energy storage systems in dc microgrid are required to regulate dc bus voltage as a backup power source at the islanding state while getting charged or discharged corresponding to energy management command at the grid-connected state. However, the dc bus voltage overshoot would occur with weak communication such as low-speed wireless communication and non-real-time network communication because of the large communication delay during the sudden state switching from grid-connected to islanding state. In this article, a novel coordinated control strategy for energy storage systems independent of real-time communication is proposed. With a novel sliding surface as the outer loop and an auto-tuning dead-beat current control as the inner loop, a smooth mode transition can be achieved even with a large communication delay, which means, real-time communication is unnecessary for the mode transitions. Therefore, the high reliance on the real-time communication is overcome with the system reliability enhanced as well. The proposed control strategy is verified by simulation and experimental results on a 450 V–3.5 kW prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A charge-counterbalance strategy was developed for electrocatalyst design. • The charge-counterbalance system was constructed by the combination of Sr, V and B. • The charge-counterbalance optimizes Ni 3d electronic configuration effectively. • A SrVB-NiO catalyst developed by this strategy shows super catalytic performance. • The charge-counterbalance effect was experimentally and theoretically investigated. Nickel oxides have been extensively explored as electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution in water splitting, of which the 3 d 8 electron and the partly occupied 3 d orbitals configuration are modulable, but the catalytic activity is still far from expected. Herein, we report a charge-counterbalance strategy to engineer the 3 d electronic structure by constructing unique chemical environmental, in which alkaline-earth metal (Sr, 4 p 6), electron-deficiency nonmetal (B, 2 p 1) and early-transition metal (V, 3 d 3) were synergistically combined. We confirm both experimentally and theoretically that the charge-counterbalance effect is critical, by which nickel shows optimized adsorption strength for the key reaction intermediates and promote the charge transfer in the electrochemical reactions. Consequently, the as-obtained SrVB-NiO catalyst demonstrates impressive HER and OER activities, along with remarkable long-term stability in alkaline solution. This work shed light on a new approach for the further design of electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A error analyzing toolbox for VIS is proposed, bining false prediction into 7 types. • TIVE weights error type's damage to mAP and evaluates over different temporal length. • We investigate the spatial and temporal localization abilities of popular VIS models. In this paper, we introduce TIVE, a T oolbox for I dentifying V ideo instance segmentation E rrors. By directly operating output prediction files, TIVE defines isolated error types and weights each type's damage to mAP, for the purpose of distinguishing model characters. By decomposing localization quality in spatial–temporal dimensions, model's potential drawbacks on spatial segmentation and temporal association can be revealed. TIVE can also report mAP over instance temporal length for real applications. We conduct extensive experiments by the toolbox to further illustrate how spatial segmentation and temporal association affect each other. We expect the analysis of TIVE can give the researchers more insights, guiding the community to promote more meaningful explorations for video instance segmentation. The proposed toolbox is available at https://github.com/wenhe-jia/TIVE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A Mo, V modulated Ni oxide catalyst shows 76 mV at 10 mA/cm2 for hydrogen evolution. • A Fe-MoVNi catalyst needs 374 mV at 100 mA/cm2 for oxygen evolution. • The Fe-MoVNi catalyst shows no decay in 20 h for oxygen evolution at ƞ 100 =374 mV. • The catalysts were prepared by simple hydrothermal method. The highly efficient catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are of great significance for electrochemical water splitting. Direct transforming nickel foam (NF) into nickel-based catalysts attracts extensive attention because of its excellent stability and high conductivity. However, the catalytic performances of this kind of catalyst are still far from expected. Herein, we report a series of Ni oxides co-modulated by Mo, V and M (M =Mn, Fe, Co, Cu) as efficient catalysts for water splitting, which are directly prepared through a simple NF-transformation method. Especially, a MoVNi catalyst displays a low Tafel slope of 68 mV/dec and a small overpotential of 76 mV at 10 mA/cm2 for HER in 1.0 M KOH solution. The OER performances of MoVNi can be greatly enhanced by M introduction. For example, Fe-MoVNi only requires 374 mV to achieve 100 mA/cm2 and shows no declination in a-20 h stability test at 100 mA/cm2 in 1.0 M KOH media. Such performances outperform the recently reported best-performing Ni oxides catalysts in an alkaline environment. The excellent catalytic performances suggest great promise in practical applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation of lithium-ion battery often leads to electrical system failure. Battery remaining useful life (RUL) prediction can effectively prevent this failure. Battery capacity is usually utilized as health indicator (HI) for RUL prediction. However, battery capacity is often estimated on-line and it is difficult to be obtained by monitoring on-line parameters. Therefore, there is a great need to find a simple and on-line prediction method to solve this issue. In this paper, as a novel HI, permutation entropy (PE) is extracted from the discharge voltage curve for analyzing battery degradation. Then the similarity between PE and battery capacity are judged by Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses. Experiment results illustrate the effectiveness and excellent similar performance of the novel HI for battery fading indication. Furthermore, we propose a hybrid approach combining Variational mode decomposition (VMD) denoising technique, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), and GM(1,1) models for RUL prediction. Experiment results illustrate the accuracy of the proposed approach for lithium-ion battery on-line RUL prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of mobile platform, such as smart cellphone and pad, the E-Learning model has been rapidly developed. However, due to the low completion rate for E-Learning platform, it is very necessary to analyze the behavior characteristics of online learners to intelligently adjust online education strategy and enhance the quality of learning. In this paper, we analyzed the relation indicators of E-Learning to build the student profile and gave countermeasures. Adopting the similarity computation and Jaccard coefficient algorithm, we designed a system model to clean and dig into the educational data and also the students’ learning attitude and the duration of learning behavior to establish student profile. According to the E-Learning resources and learner behaviors, we also present the intelligent guide model to guide both E-Learning platform and learners to improve learning things. The study on student profile can help the E-Learning platform to meet and guide the students’ learning behavior deeply and also to provide personalized learning situation and promote the optimization of the E-Learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rye (Secale cereale L.) possesses many valuable genes that can be used for improving disease resistance, yield and environment adaptation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). However, the documented resistance stocks derived from rye is faced severe challenge due to the variation of virulent isolates in the pathogen populations. Therefore, it is necessary to develop desirable germplasm and search for novel resistance gene sources against constantly accumulated variation of the virulent isolates. In the present study, a new wheat-rye line designated as WR49-1 was produced through distant hybridization and chromosome engineering protocols between common wheat cultivar Xiaoyan 6 and rye cultivar German White. Using sequential GISH (genomic in situ hybridization), mc-FISH (multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization), mc-GISH (multicolor GISH) and EST (expressed sequence tag)-based marker analysis, WR49-1 was proved to be a new wheat-rye 6R disomic addition line. As expected, WR49-1 showed high levels of resistance to wheat powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, Bgt) pathogens prevalent in China at the adult growth stage and 19 of 23 Bgt isolates tested at the seedling stage. According to its reaction pattern to different Bgt isolates, WR49-1 may possess new resistance gene(s) for powdery mildew, which differed from the documented powdery mildew gene, including Pm20 on chromosome arm 6RL of rye. Additionally, WR49-1 was cytologically stable, had improved agronomic characteristics and therefore could serve as an important bridge for wheat breeding and chromosome engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: An allele of Pm2 for wheat powdery mildew resistance was identified in a putative Agropyron cristatum -derived line and used in wheat breeding programs. Abstract: Powdery mildew (caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, Bgt) is one of the most devastating wheat diseases worldwide. It is important to exploit varied sources of resistance from common wheat and its relatives in resistance breeding. KM2939, a Chinese breeding line, exhibits high resistance to powdery mildew at both the seedling and adult stages. It carries a single dominant powdery mildew resistance (Pm) allele of Pm2, designated Pm2b, the previous allelic designation Pm2 will be re-designated as Pm2a. Pm2b was mapped to chromosome arm 5DS and flanked by sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers SCAR112 and SCAR203 with genetic distances of 0.5 and 1.3 cM, respectively. Sequence tagged site (STS) marker Mag6176 and simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker Cfd81 co-segregated with SCAR203. Pm2b differs in specificity from donors of Pm2a, Pm46 and PmLX66 on chromosome arm 5DS. Allelism tests indicated that Pm2b, Pm2a and PmLX66 are allelic. Therefore, Pm2b appears to be a new allele at the Pm2 locus. The closely linked markers were used to accelerate transfer of Pm2b to wheat cultivars in current production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification and mapping new powdery mildew resistance ( Pm) genes is important for resistance breeding in wheat. Common wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) line X3986-2 was tested against 27 isolates of Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici. To identify the Pm gene(s) in X3986-2, an F population and its derived F lines were developed from a cross between X3986-2 and susceptible line Mingxian169. Segregation ratios indicated the presence of a single dominant Pm locus, tentatively designated PmX3986- 2. Bulked segregant analysis was applied to screen for molecular markers linked to PmX3986- 2. Two sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers SCAR112 and SCAR203, and five simple sequence repeat markers CFD40, CFD78, CFD81, GWM293 and WMC443 on chromosome 5D were linked to PmX3986- 2, with CFD81 and SCAR112 flanking PmX3986- 2 at 0.6 and 1.5 cM, respectively. This suggests that PmX3986- 2 may be a novel allele of loci Pm2, Pm46 and PmLX66 on chromosome arm 5DS. PmX3986- 2 with its tightly linked DNA markers should be useful for broadening the genetic basis of Pm and rapidly transferring the resistance gene to susceptible cultivars or for us in gene pyramiding for resistance breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]