Liaoning Normal University

Abstract The simplest ΛCDM model provides a good fit to a large span of cosmological data but harbors large areas of phenomenology and ignorance. With the improvement of the number and the accuracy of observations, discrepancies among key cosmological parameters of the model have emerged. The most statistically significant tension is the 4 σ to 6 σ disagreement between predictions of the Hubble constant, H 0 , made by the early time probes in concert with the ‘vanilla’ ΛCDM cosmological model, and a number of late time, model-independent determinations of H 0 from local measurements of distances and redshifts. The high precision and consistency of the data at both ends present strong challenges to the possible solution space and demands a hypothesis with enough rigor to explain multiple observations—whether these invoke new physics, unexpected large-scale structures or multiple, unrelated errors. A thorough review of the problem including a discussion of recent Hubble constant estimates and a summary of the proposed theoretical solutions is presented here. We include more than 1000 references, indicating that the interest in this area has grown considerably just during the last few years. We classify the many proposals to resolve the tension in these categories: early dark energy, late dark energy, dark energy models with 6 degrees of freedom and their extensions, models with extra relativistic degrees of freedom, models with extra interactions, unified cosmologies, modified gravity, inflationary models, modified recombination history, physics of the critical phenomena, and alternative proposals. Some are formally successful, improving the fit to the data in light of their additional degrees of freedom, restoring agreement within 1–2 σ between Planck 2018, using the cosmic microwave background power spectra data, baryon acoustic oscillations, Pantheon SN data, and R20, the latest SH0ES Team Riess, et al (2021 Astrophys. J. 908 L6) measurement of the Hubble constant ( H 0 = 73.2 ± 1.3 km s −1 Mpc −1 at 68% confidence level). However, there are many more unsuccessful models which leave the discrepancy well above the 3 σ disagreement level. In many cases, reduced tension comes not simply from a change in the value of H 0 but also due to an increase in its uncertainty due to degeneracy with additional physics, complicating the picture and pointing to the need for additional probes. While no specific proposal makes a strong case for being highly likely or far better than all others, solutions involving early or dynamical dark energy, neutrino interactions, interacting cosmologies, primordial magnetic fields, and modified gravity provide the best options until a better alternative comes along.

Tea is the world's oldest and most popular caffeine-containing beverage with immense economic, medicinal, and cultural importance. Here, we present the first high-quality nucleotide sequence of the repeat-rich (80.9%), 3.02-Gb genome of the cultivated tea tree Camellia sinensis. We show that an extraordinarily large genome size of tea tree is resulted from the slow, steady, and long-term amplification of a few LTR retrotransposon families. In addition to a recent whole-genome duplication event, lineage-specific expansions of genes associated with flavonoid metabolic biosynthesis were discovered, which enhance catechin production, terpene enzyme activation, and stress tolerance, important features for tea flavor and adaptation. We demonstrate an independent and rapid evolution of the tea caffeine synthesis pathway relative to cacao and coffee. A comparative study among 25 Camellia species revealed that higher expression levels of most flavonoid- and caffeine- but not theanine-related genes contribute to the increased production of catechins and caffeine and thus enhance tea-processing suitability and tea quality. These novel findings pave the way for further metabolomic and functional genomic refinement of characteristic biosynthesis pathways and will help develop a more diversified set of tea flavors that would eventually satisfy and attract more tea drinkers worldwide.

A series of all-inorganic, abundant-metal-based, high-nuclearity cobalt-phosphate (Co-Pi) molecular catalysts [{Co4(OH)3(PO4)}4(SiW9O34)4](32-) (1), [{Co4(OH)3(PO4)}4(GeW9O34)4](32-) (2), [{Co4(OH)3(PO4)}4(PW9O34)4](28-) (3), and [{Co4(OH)3(PO4)}4(AsW9O34)4](28-) (4) were synthesized and shown to be highly effective at photocatalytic water oxidation. The {Co16(PO4)4} cluster contains a Co4O4 cubane which is structurally analogous to the [Mn3CaO4] core of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in photosystem II (PSII). Compounds 1-4 were shown to be the first POM-based Co-Pi-cluster molecular catalysts for visible light-driven water oxidation, thus serving as a functional model of the OEC in PSII. The systematic synthesis of four isostructural analogues allowed for investigating the influence of different heteroatoms in the POM ligands on the photocatalytic activities of these Co-Pi cluster WOCs. Further, the POM-based photocatalysts readily recrystallized from the photocatalytic reaction systems with the polyoxoanion structures unchanged, which together with the laser flash photolysis, dynamic light-scattering, (31)P NMR, UV-vis absorption, POM extraction, and ICP-MS analysis results collectively confirmed that compounds 1-4 maintain their structural integrity under the photocatalytic conditions. This study provides not only a valuable molecular model of the "Co-Pi" catalysts with a well-defined structure but also an unprecedented opportunity to fine-tune high-nuclearity POM clusters for visible light-driven water splitting.

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) is an essential approach to convert coal, biomass, and shale gas into fuels and chemicals, such as lower olefins, gasoline, diesel, and so on. In recent years, there has been increasing motivation to deploy FTS at commercial scales which has been boosting the discovery of high performance catalysts. In particular, the importance of support in modulating the activity of metals has been recognized and carbonaceous materials have attracted attention as supports for FTS. In this review, we summarised the substantial progress in the preparation of carbon-based catalysts for FTS by applying activated carbon (AC), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), carbon spheres (CSs), and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) derived carbonaceous materials as supports. A general assessment of carbon-based catalysts for FTS, concerning the support and metal properties, activity and products selectivity, and their interactions is systematically discussed. Finally, current challenges and future trends in the development of carbon-based catalysts for commercial utilization in FTS are proposed.

Attempts to create metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with zeolitic topologies, metal (zinc(II) and cobalt(II)) imidazolates have repeatedly been used as the metal-organic motifs of inorganic silicate analogues. By modulating the synthetic strategy based on the solvothermal and liquid diffusion method, seven further MOFs (including at least three zeolitic MOFs) of zinc(II) imidazolates, [Zn(im)2.x G] (G=guest molecule, x=0.2-1) 1 a-7 a, have been successfully synthesized. Of these, 1 a-3 a are isostructural with the previously reported cobalt analogues 1 b-3 b, respectively, while 4 a-7 a are new members of the metal imidazolate MOF family. Complex 4 a exhibits a structure related to silicate CaAl2Si2O8 of CrB4 topology, but with a higher network symmetry; complex 5 a has a structure with zeolitic DFT topology that was discovered in zeolite-related materials of DAF-2, UCSB-3, and UCSB-3GaGe; complex 6 a demonstrates an unprecedented zeolite-like topology with one dimensional channels with 10-rings; and 7 a displays a structure of natural zeolite GIS (gismondine) topology. All of these polymorphous MOFs were created only by using certain solvents as structure-directing agents (SDAs). Further extensive metal-organic frameworks with zeolitic topologies can be envisaged if other solvents were to be used.

We investigate the observational consequences of a novel class of stable interacting dark energy (IDE) models, featuring interactions between dark matter (DM) and dark energy (DE). In the first part of our work, we start by considering two IDE models which are known to present early-time linear perturbation instabilities. Applying a transformation depending on the dark energy equation of state (EoS) to the DM-DE coupling, we then obtain two novel stable IDE models. Subsequently, we derive robust and accurate constraints on the parameters of these models, assuming a constant EoS $w_x$ for the DE fluid, in light of some of the most recent publicly available cosmological data. These include Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropy measurements from the \textit{Planck} satellite, a selection of Baryon Acoustic Oscillation measurements, Supernovae Type-Ia luminosity distance measurements from the JLA sample, and measurements of the Hubble parameter up to redshift $2$ from cosmic chronometers. Our analysis displays a mild preference for the DE fluid residing in the phantom region ($w_x<-1$), with significance up to 95\% confidence level, while we obtain new upper limits on the coupling parameter between the dark components. The preference for a phantom DE suggests a coupling function $Q<0$, thus a scenario where energy flows from the DE to the DM. We also examine the possibility of addressing the $H_0$ and $\sigma_8$ tensions, finding that only the former can be partially alleviated. Finally, we perform a Bayesian model comparison analysis to quantify the possible preference for the two IDE models against the standard concordance $\Lambda$CDM model, finding that the latter is always preferred with the strength of the evidence ranging from positive to very strong.

Various MOFs with tailored nanoporosities have recently been developed as potential storage media for CO2 and H2. The composites based on Cu-BTC and graphene layers were prepared with different percentages of graphene oxide (GO). Through the characterization analyses and gas adsorption experiments, we found that the nanosized and well-dispersed Cu-BTC induced by the incorporation of GO greatly improved the carbon dioxide capture and hydrogen storage performance of the composites. The materials obtained exhibited about a 30% increase in CO2 and H2 storage capacity (from 6.39 mmol g−1 of Cu-BTC to 8.26 mmol g−1 of CG-9 at 273 K and 1 atm for CO2; from 2.81 wt% of Cu-BTC to 3.58 wt% of CG-9 at 77 K and 42 atm for H2). Finally, the CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 selectivities were calculated according to single-component gas sorption experiment data.

Various morphologies of magnesium carbonate hydrates have been synthesized by carefully adjusting the reaction temperature and pH value of the initial reaction solution in the precipitation process. At lower temperatures (from room temperature to 328 K) and lower pH values (variation with the reaction temperature), magnesium carbonate hydrates are prone to display needlelike morphology, and the axis diameter of the particles decreases with the increase of reaction temperature and pH value. With the further increase of the reaction temperature (333-368 K) and pH value, the sheetlike crystallites become the preferred morphology, and at higher temperatures and pH values, these crystallites tend to assemble into layerlike structures with diverse morphologies, such as spherical-like particles with rosette-like structure and cakelike particles built from sheetlike structure. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra show that these various morphologies are closely related to their compositions. The needlelike magnesium carbonate hydrate has a formula of MgCO3.xH2O, in which the value x is greatly affected by the experimental conditions, whereas with the morphological transformation from needlelike to sheetlike structure, their corresponding compositions also change from MgCO3.xH2O to Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2.4H2O in the interval of 328-333 K.

Synchronization attack is one of the key issues of digital audio watermarking. In this correspondence, a blind digital audio watermarking scheme against synchronization attack using adaptive quantization is proposed. The features of the proposed scheme are as follows: 1) a kind of more steady synchronization code and a new embedded strategy are adopted to resist the synchronization attack more effectively; 2) he multiresolution characteristics of discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and the energy-compression characteristics of discrete cosine transform (DCT) are combined to improve the transparency of digital watermark; 3) the watermark is embedded into the low frequency components by adaptive quantization according to human auditory masking; and 4) the scheme can extract the watermark without the help of the original digital audio signal. Experiment results shows that the proposed watermarking scheme is inaudible and robust against various signal processing such as noise adding, resampling, requantization, random cropping, and MPEG-1 Layer III (MP3) compression

Fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) variation of green upconversion emissions at 523 and 545nm in the Er3+–Yb3+ codoped Al2O3 has been studied as a function of temperature using a 978nm semiconductor laser diode as an excitation source. In the temperature range of 295–973K, the maximum sensitivity and the temperature revolution derived from the FIR technique are approximately 0.0051K−1 and 0.3K, respectively. The Er3+–Yb3+ codoped Al2O3 material with the highest operating temperature up to 973K, the higher temperature revolution, and the fluorescence efficiency indicated that it is promising for applications in optical high temperature sensor.

The amine-decorated microporous metal–organic framework CAU-1 was readily synthesized and activated using a home-made efficient protocol. It exhibited a high heat of adsorption for CO2, high CO2 uptake capacity, and an impressive selectivity for CO2 over N2. At 273 K and up to 1 atm, CO2 uptake capacity can reach as much as 7.2 mmol g−1. Comparatively, the CH4 and N2 uptakes at 273 K and 1 atm were only 1.34 mmol g−1 and 0.37 mmol g−1, respectively. The CO2/N2 selectivity was 101 : 1 at 273 K. The isosteric heat of adsorption (Qst) for CO2 was ∼48 kJ mol−1 at the onset of adsorption, and it decreases to ∼28 kJ mol−1 at higher CO2 pressures. Furthermore, CAU-1 can adsorb 2.0 wt% and 4.0 wt% hydrogen at 77 K under 1 atm and 30 atm, respectively. The adsorption characteristics of CAU-1 for methanol investigated in situ with a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), indicated that this particular MOF structure can be used as a highly sensitive sensor for methanol detection such as direct methanol fuel cells.

Abstract Co‐fermentation of lignocellulose‐based carbohydrates is a potential solution to improve the economics of microbial lipid production. In the present paper, experiments were performed to optimize the media composition for lipid production by the oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi AS 2.1560 through co‐fermentation of glucose and xylose (2 : 1 wt/wt). Statistical screening of nine media variables was performed by a Plackett–Burman design. Three factors, namely mixed sugar, yeast extract and FeSO 4 , were found as significant components influencing cellular lipid accumulation. Further optimization was carried out using a Box–Behnken factorial design to study the effects of these three variables on lipid production. A mathematical model with the R 2 value at 96.66% was developed to show the effect of each medium composition and their interactions on the lipid production. The model estimated that a maximal lipid content of 61.0 wt‐% could be obtained when the concentrations of mixed sugar, yeast extract and FeSO 4 were at 73.3 g/L (glucose 48.9 g/L, xylose 24.4 g/L), 7.9 g/L and 4.0 mg/L, respectively. The predicted value was in good accordance with the experimental data of 61.5%. Compared with the initial media, the optimized media gave 1.59‐fold and 2.03‐fold increases for lipid content and lipid productivity, respectively.

This work focuses on exploring metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for degradation of gaseous pollutants.

The structure of cationic lipids is a major factor for their transfection activity. A cationic lipid generally contains four functional domains: a hydrophilic headgroup, a linker, a backbone domain, and a hydrophobic domain. The structure of the hydrophobic domain determines the phase transition temperature and the fluidity of the bilayer and influences the stability of liposomes, the DNA protection from nucleases, the endosomal escape, the DNA release from complex, and the nuclear penetration. Also, toxicity of the lipids is influenced by the hydrophobic domain. The compounds used for gene delivery are classified according to the structure of the hydrophobic domain as follows: aliphatic chains, steroid domain, and fluorinated domain. In this review, we summarized recent research results concerning the structures of the hydrophobic domain, in order to find the effect of the hydrophobic domain on transfection efficiency. Understanding these would be very important for scientists to prepare novel cationic lipids and design novel formulations with high transfection efficiency.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), which are constructed from the assembly of organic ligands with metal ions or metal clusters, have high potential applications in the fields of gas storage, separations and catalysis. MOFs involving mesopores are considered to have specific performance in such fields. In this mini review, we are mainly focussing on the recent developments in mesoporous MOFs including the design strategies and their most important applications.

Abstract The Large Hadron–Electron Collider (LHeC) is designed to move the field of deep inelastic scattering (DIS) to the energy and intensity frontier of particle physics. Exploiting energy-recovery technology, it collides a novel, intense electron beam with a proton or ion beam from the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). The accelerator and interaction region are designed for concurrent electron–proton and proton–proton operations. This report represents an update to the LHeC’s conceptual design report (CDR), published in 2012. It comprises new results on the parton structure of the proton and heavier nuclei, QCD dynamics, and electroweak and top-quark physics. It is shown how the LHeC will open a new chapter of nuclear particle physics by extending the accessible kinematic range of lepton–nucleus scattering by several orders of magnitude. Due to its enhanced luminosity and large energy and the cleanliness of the final hadronic states, the LHeC has a strong Higgs physics programme and its own discovery potential for new physics. Building on the 2012 CDR, this report contains a detailed updated design for the energy-recovery electron linac (ERL), including a new lattice, magnet and superconducting radio-frequency technology, and further components. Challenges of energy recovery are described, and the lower-energy, high-current, three-turn ERL facility, PERLE at Orsay, is presented, which uses the LHeC characteristics serving as a development facility for the design and operation of the LHeC. An updated detector design is presented corresponding to the acceptance, resolution, and calibration goals that arise from the Higgs and parton-density-function physics programmes. This paper also presents novel results for the Future Circular Collider in electron–hadron (FCC-eh) mode, which utilises the same ERL technology to further extend the reach of DIS to even higher centre-of-mass energies.

Reference electrode standardization technique (REST) has been increasingly acknowledged and applied as a re-reference technique to transform an actual multi-channels recordings to approximately zero reference ones in electroencephalography/event-related potentials (EEG/ERPs) community around the world in recent years. However, a more easy-to-use toolbox for re-referencing scalp EEG data to zero reference is still lacking. Here, we have therefore developed two open-source MATLAB toolboxes for REST of scalp EEG. One version of REST is closely integrated into EEGLAB, which is a popular MATLAB toolbox for processing the EEG data; and another is a batch version to make it more convenient and efficient for experienced users. Both of them are designed to provide an easy-to-use for novice researchers and flexibility for experienced researchers. All versions of the REST toolboxes can be freely downloaded at http://www.neuro.uestc.edu.cn/rest/Down.html, and the detailed information including publications, comments and documents on REST can also be found from this website. An example of usage is given with comparative results of REST and average reference. We hope these user-friendly REST toolboxes could make the relatively novel technique of REST easier to study, especially for applications in various EEG studies.

Poor executive function (EF) has been associated with a host of short- and long-term problems across the lifespan, including elevated rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, drug abuse, and antisocial behavior. Mindfulness-based interventions that focus on increasing awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, and actions have been shown to improve specific aspects of EF, including attention, cognitive control, and emotion regulation. In this article, we apply a developmental neuroscience perspective to review research relevant to one specific mindfulness-based intervention, Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT). Randomized controlled trials of IBMT indicate improvements in specific EF components, and uniquely highlight the role of neural circuitry specific to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) as two brain-based mechanisms that underlie IBMT-related improvements. The relevance of improving specific dimensions of EF through short-term IBMT to prevent a cascade of risk behaviors for children and adolescents is described and future research directions are proposed.

Over the past 10 years, Oosterhof and Todorov’s valence–dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgements of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov’s methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov’s original analysis strategy, the valence–dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions, we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence–dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods and correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution. The stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on 5 November 2018. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7611443.v1 . Jones et al. examine the generalizability of the valence–dominance model of social judgements of faces in 41 countries across 11 world regions. They find evidence of both generalizability and variation, depending on the analytical method.

We investigate interacting scenarios that belong to a wider class, since they include a dynamical dark energy component whose equation of state follows various one-parameter parametrizations. We confront them with the latest observational data from the cosmic microwave background, the joint light-curve sample from type Ia supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations, Hubble parameter measurements from cosmic chronometers (CC), and a Gaussian prior on the Hubble parameter ${H}_{0}$. In all examined scenarios we find a nonzero interaction; nevertheless, the noninteracting case is allowed within $2\ensuremath{\sigma}$. Concerning the current value of the dark energy equation of state for all combinations of data sets, it always lies in the phantom regime at more than 2--3 standard deviations. Finally, for all interacting models, independently of the combination of data sets considered, the estimated values of the present Hubble parameter ${H}_{0}$ are greater compared to the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$-based Planck estimate and close to the local measurements, thus alleviating the ${H}_{0}$ tension.