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Uncontrolled traumatic hemorrhage is a leading cause of preventable death. As two main forms of hemostatic materials, however, both sponges and hydrogel adhesives usually fail to control massive hemorrhage due to their respective shortcomings. Hemostatic sponge shows weak tissue adhesion, while the gelation process of hydrogel makes it difficult to seal high‐pressure bleeding wounds. There is an urgent need to develop next‐generation hemostats combining the advantages of sponges and hydrogel adhesives. Herein, a general methodology to prepare novel Fe3+‐laden porous material (Fe3+@GCS) for rapid hemostasis of the high‐pressure and ‌severe hemorrhages is proposed, which is fabricated by loading ferric chloride with ethanol into the catechol‐modified carboxylated gelatin sponge (GCS). Notably, porous Fe3+@GCS can undergo water‐triggered rapid transformation‌ to robust‐adhesive hydrogels. The sealing strength of Fe3+@GCS on wet tissues reaches an astonishing ≈600 mm Hg. Rapid water uptake of Fe3+@GCS around wound not only concentrates blood components but also excludes interfacial water, facilitating blood clotting and wound sealing with the in situ formed sticky hydrogel. Fe3+@GCS can efficiently stop the high‐pressure hemorrhaging from traumatic injuries of arteries and hearts in rats and pigs, respectively, via a simple and short‐time pressing. Furthermore, the wound sealing by Fe3+@GCS promotes wound repair and healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractLet G be an abelian group, and let F(G) be the free commutative monoid with basis G. For Ω⊂F(G), define the universal zero-sum invariant dΩ(G) to be the smallest integer l such that every sequence T over G of length l has a subsequence in Ω. The invariant dΩ(G) unifies many classical zero-sum invariants. Let B(G) be the submonoid of F(G) consisting of all zero-sum sequences over G, and let A(G) be the set consisting of all minimal zero-sum sequences over G. The empty sequence, which is the identity of B(G), is denoted by ε. The well-known Davenport constant D(G) of the group G can be also represented as dB(G)∖{ε}(G) or dA(G)(G) in terms of the universal zero-sum invariant. Notice that A(G) is the unique minimal generating set of the monoid B(G) from the point of view of Algebra. Hence, it would be interesting to determine whether A(G) is minimal to represent the Davenport constant or not for a general finite abelian group G. In this paper, we show that except for a few special classes of groups, there always exists a proper subset Ω of A(G) such that dΩ(G)=D(G). Furthermore, in the setting of finite cyclic groups, we discuss the distributions of all minimal sets by determining their intersections. By connecting the universal zero-sum invariant with weights, we make a study of zero-sum problems in the setting of infinite abelian groups. The universal zero-sum invariant dΩ;Ψ(G) with weights set Ψ of homomorphisms of groups is introduced for all abelian groups. The weighted Davenport constant DΨ(G) (being an special form of the universal invariant with weights) is also investigated for infinite abelian groups. Among other results, we obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions such that DΨ(G)<∞ in terms of the weights set Ψ when |Ψ| is finite. In doing this, by using the Neumann Theorem on Cover Theory for groups we establish a connection between the existence of a finite cover of an abelian group G by cosets of some given subgroups of G, and the finiteness of weighted Davenport constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The instability and failure processes of coal-rock combinations are accompanied by the release of acoustic emission (AE) and infrared radiation (IR) signals. To investigate the characteristics of AE and IR signals during the failure process in coal-rock combinations with different ratios, and to analyze the effectiveness and applicability of the monitoring methods for these two signals in various specimen ratios. In this paper, the uniaxial compression tests were conducted on seven coal-rock combinations with different ratios by using the rock mechanics loading system and the cooperative monitoring platform of infrared and acoustic emission. The results show that (1) the AE counts for failure precursors in coal-rock combinations are positively correlated with the coal-rock ratio, whereas the AE peak counts are negatively correlated. Moreover, as the coal-rock ratio decreases, the slope of the cumulative AE count curve during the peak failure stage approaches 1. (2) During the elastic and yield stages, the maximum infrared radiation temperature (MIRT) curve fluctuates, and just before peak failure, the curve displays a distinctive "V" shape. This "V" shape becomes more pronounced as the coal-rock ratio decreases. (3) In the monitoring of damage precursors of coal-rock combinations, when the ratio of coal to rock is 1:3 or less, IR monitoring is better than AE monitoring. Conversely, when the ratio of coal to rock is greater than 1:3, AE monitoring is more suitable. Consequently, the combined monitoring of AE and IR signals can increase the reliability and precision of early warning signals for coal-rock assemblage damage precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil and gas pipelines are subject to soil corrosion and medium pressure factors, resulting in stress concentration and pipe rupture and explosion. Non-destructive testing technology can identify the stress concentration and defect corrosion area of the pipeline to ensure the safety of pipeline transportation. In view of the problem that the traditional pipeline inspection cannot identify the stress signal at the defect, this paper proposes a detection method using strong and weak magnetic coupling technology. Based on the traditional J-A (Jiles–Atherton) model, the pinning coefficient is optimized and the stress demagnetization factor is added to establish the defect of the ferromagnetic material. The force-magnetic relationship optimization model is used to calculate the best detection magnetic field strength. The force-magnetic coupling simulation of Q235 steel material is carried out by ANSYS 2019 R1 software based on the improved J-A force-magnetic model. The results show that the effect of the stress on the pipe on the magnetic induction increases first and then decreases with the increase in the excitation magnetic field strength, and the magnetic signal has the maximum proportion of the stress signal during the excitation process; the magnetic induction at the pipe defect increases linearly with the increase in the stress trend. Through the strong and weak magnetic scanning detection of cracked pipeline materials, the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the validity of the engineering application of the strong and weak magnetic detection method are verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a retinal disease‐causing retinal neovascularization that can lead to blindness. Oxygen‐induced retinopathy (OIR) is a widely used ROP animal model. Icariin (ICA) has anti‐oxidative and anti‐inflammation properties; however, whether ICA has a regulatory effect on OIR remains unclear. In this study, ICA alleviated pathological neovascularization, microglial activation and blood–retina barrier (BRB) damage in vivo. Further results indicated that endothelial cell tube formation, migration and proliferation were restored by ICA treatment in vitro. Proteomic microarrays and molecular mimicry revealed that ICA can directly bind to hexokinase 2 (HK2) and decrease HK2 protein expression in vivo and in vitro. In addition, ICA inhibited the AKT/mTOR/HIF1α pathway activation. The effects of ICA on pathological neovascularization, microglial activation and BRB damage disappeared after HK2 overexpression in vivo. Similarly, the endothelial cell function was revised after HK2 overexpression. HK2 overexpression reversed ICA‐induced AKT/mTOR/HIF1α pathway inhibition in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, ICA prevented pathological angiogenesis in OIR in an HK2‐dependent manner, implicating ICA as a potential therapeutic agent for ROP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a purity of up to 98.36 wt. % GdB 6 with screw dislocation growth morphology were successfully fabricated using an in-situ reaction approach. The terraced-like structure of the GdB 6 enhanced the interfacial polarization and multiple interface scattering of the electromagnetic waves. As a result, the as-obtained high purity GdB 6 powder presented superior electromagnetic wave absorption performance. The minimum reflection loss value can be −49.24 dB at the frequency of 13.12 GHz with a thin matching thickness of 1.44 mm. In addition, the widest effective absorption bandwidth can be up to ∼4 GHz (14–18 GHz) with a thin matching thickness of 1.25 mm. The remarkable electromagnetic wave absorption performance of GdB 6 ceramics could be attributed to conductance loss and polarization loss enhanced by the screw dislocation growth defects, as well as synergistic effects with magnetic loss. The as-obtained GdB 6 with synergistic dielectric loss and magnetic loss is to be a novel single-phase with excellent electromagnetic wave absorbing material, which will pave the way on the investigation of rare earth hexaborides for the ultra-high temperature environment applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing number of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, growing attention has been paid to the quality of care. Strengthening care preparedness of family caregivers is essential to improving the nursing quality. The purpose of this study is to explore the care preparedness level of family caregivers of MHD patients and its influencing factors, so as to provide guidance for the development of targeted care interventions. A total of 237 family caregivers of MHD patients were recruited from the hemodialysis room of two tertiary hospitals in Wuhan using the Convenience sampling method. They were surveyed by the general data questionnaire, Care Preparedness Scale and Positive Aspects of Caregiving. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS software, version 21.0. The statistical tests conducted in this study were two-tailed, and a significance level of P < 0.05 was deemed as statistically significant. The care preparedness and positive aspects of caregiving scores of family caregivers of MHD patients were 19.05 ± 5.64 and 31.28 ± 7.28 points, respectively. The care preparedness level of family caregivers was significantly positively correlated with positive aspects of caregiving (P < 0.01). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the total nursing time and whether family caregivers had chronic diseases and positive aspects of caregiving were the main factors influencing their care preparedness (all P < 0.05). These three factors accounted for 49.6% of the variance. The care preparedness of family caregivers of MHD patients remains to be continuously improved. Medical staff should emphasize the important role of total nursing time, whether the caregiver has a chronic disease, and positive aspects of caregiving in improving care preparedness in this population. To achieve this end, medical staff can provide targeted support and guidance for caregivers according to the influencing factors, such as implementing group psychological education, strengthening the training, offering social support, remote intervention (including family caregivers’ education through the media), and so on. Meanwhile, caregivers should be evaluated dynamically, and information and emotional support should be provided for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Insulin resistance has been reported to increase the risk of breast, prostate and colorectal cancer. However, the role of insulin resistance and its interaction with genetic risk in the development of lung cancer remains controversial. Therefore, we aimed to explore the association between a novel metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) and lung cancer risk. Methods A total of 395 304 participants without previous cancer at baseline were included. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was performed to investigate the association between METS-IR and lung cancer risk. In addition, a Mendelian randomization analysis was also performed to explore the causal relationship. The joint effects and additive interactions between METS-IR and polygenetic risk score (PRS) of lung cancer were also investigated. Results During a median follow-up of 11.03 years (Inter-quartile range (IQR): 10.30–11.73), a total of 3161 incident lung cancer cases were diagnosed in 395 304 participants. There was a significant association between METS-IR and lung cancer risk, with an HR of 1.28 (95% CI: 1.17–1.41). Based on the Mendelian randomization analysis, however, no causal associations were observed. We observed a joint effect but no interaction between METS-IR and genetic risk. The lung cancer incidence was estimated to be 100.42 (95% CI: 91.45–109.38) per 100 000 person-year for participants with a high METS-IR and PRS, while only 42.76 (95% CI: 36.94–48.59) with low METS-IR and PRS. Conclusions High METS-IR was significantly associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Keeping a low level of METS-IR might help reduce the long-term incident risk of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine the extent of sleep quality among individuals undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and to scrutinize whether hope and family function serve as mediators in the association between anxiety and sleep quality in this cohort. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 227 patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis from two tertiary hospitals in Wuhan. Participants completed several self-report questionnaires, including the Sociodemographic questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Athens Insomnia Scale, Herth Hope Index, and Family APGAR Index. As per the findings of the chain mediation analysis, it was observed that the sleep quality scores were directly predicted by anxiety. Moreover, anxiety positively predicted sleep quality scores through hope and family function as mediators. The observed types of mediation were partial mediation. The total indirect effect value was 0.354, indicating the mediating effect of hope and family function, while the total effect value was 0.481, representing the overall effect of anxiety on sleep quality. The total effect size was 73.60% (0.354/0.481), indicating that the mediation accounted for a significant portion of the relationship. This study established the chain mediating effect of hope and family function between anxiety and sleep quality in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis. The findings highlight the importance of addressing anxiety and promoting hope and family function to improve sleep quality in this population. The findings suggest that healthcare professionals should be attentive to the anxiety levels of these patients and implement targeted interventions to help alleviate anxiety, enhance hope, and improve family functioning, with the ultimate goal of improving sleep quality in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the field of neuroimaging has undergone a paradigm shift, moving away from the traditional brain mapping approach towards the development of integrated, multivariate brain models that can predict categories of mental events. However, large interindividual differences in both brain anatomy and functional localization after standard anatomical alignment remain a major limitation in performing this type of analysis, as it leads to feature misalignment across subjects in subsequent predictive models. This article addresses this problem by developing and validating a new computational technique for reducing misalignment across individuals in functional brain systems by spatially transforming each subject's functional data to a common latent template map. Our proposed Bayesian functional group-wise registration approach allows us to assess differences in brain function across subjects and individual differences in activation topology. We achieve the probabilistic registration with inverse-consistency by utilizing the generalized Bayes framework with a loss function for the symmetric group-wise registration. It models the latent template with a Gaussian process, which helps capture spatial features in the template, producing a more precise estimation. We evaluate the method in simulation studies and apply it to data from an fMRI study of thermal pain, with the goal of using functional brain activity to predict physical pain. We find that the proposed approach allows for improved prediction of reported pain scores over conventional approaches. Received on 2 January 2017. Editorial decision on 8 June 2021 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a highly dense GdB 6 bulk ceramic material was fabricated using one-step in-situ reaction spark plasma sintering technology. The sample with a relative density of 96.7 % and a purity of 96.9 wt% was successfully obtained by sintering at 1800 °C for 30 min under a uniaxial pressure of 50 MPa. The Vickers hardness, elastic modulus and fracture toughness of the as-obtained GdB 6 bulk ceramics were 18.9 GPa, 209 GPa and 1.6 MPa·m1/2, respectively. The thermal conductivity of GdB 6 at room temperature was 28.68 W·m−1·K−1, 70 % of which was mainly attributed to phonon vibration, while the remaining 30 % to the electrical thermal conductivity. In addition, the as-obtained GdB 6 ceramics showed no phase transformation after heat treatment at a relatively high temperature of 2100 °C for 20 min in Ar atmosphere. The highly covalent octahedral boron framework played a critical role in maintaining the phase stability of the GdB 6 crystal lattice. This suggested that GdB 6 ceramics could be used as potential ultra-high temperature ceramics for aerospace applications and high-power vacuum electronic devices operated at high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of strain induces a transition in the ground-state magnetic configuration of Janus TiVC MXene from A-AFM to FM. A new system and method of solid-state disk information storage without electricity is developed based on the as-discovered reversible magnetic state transition in TiVC, which can achieve efficient storage of information in extremely harsh conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to explore differences in the competitive effects of wandering spiders under different cicada–spider ratios in tea plantations, and to provide a basis for the use of predatory wandering spiders for rational biological control. The population dynamics of Empoasca onukii and its natural enemies, the wandering spiders, were investigated in plantations of six tea cultivars, namely Anjibaicha, Huangshandayezhong, Longjing 43, Nongkangzao, Pingyangtezao and Wuniuzao, on the peak day of E. onukii emergence. Competition among wandering spiders under different cicada–spider ratios was analyzed using the gray correlation method and the competition coefficient method, and the results were then combined to derive a competition intensity index, which was then used to verify the accuracy of the results obtained. The results showed that the competition coefficients and competition intensity indices for low cicada–spider ratios were greater than those for high cicada–spider ratios on the peak day of E. onukii feeding, the differences between the two were significant at the t0.20 level, and the most competitive wandering spiders at low and high ratios were Clubiona japonicola and Clubiona reichlini, respectively, indicating that the cicada–spider ratio had some influence on the competitive effect of the wandering spiders. The results provide a scientific basis for the study of competition between species of wandering spiders and the utilization of competitive wandering spiders against E. onukii for the protection of tea crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the development of well types for low permeability reservoirs shifts from vertical to highly inclined/horizontal wells, targeted studies of oil and gas reservoir damage must be conducted for such well types to improve the science and effectiveness of acidification conversion. Taking into account the formation of mud cake and the dynamic damage factors caused by drilling fluid on the reservoir during horizontal well drilling, a refined dynamic description model for nonuniform damage in horizontal wells was established. The coupled simulation accounts for the dynamical destruction of the skin factor of the reservoir and the dynamical generation of the slurry. The coupled model consists of a radial mud cake dynamic formation model, a reservoir damage radius model, a permeability distribution model, and a horizontal well inhomogeneous skin factor model. It captures the dynamic evolution of reservoir damage due to drilling fluid contamination during horizontal well drilling and provides a real‐time representation of changes in the reservoir skin factor of horizontal wells, measuring the depth and extent of radial reservoir damage. Clarifying the extent of reservoir damage and its impact in horizontal well sections can help select appropriate acidification methods, improve acid distribution processes, and ultimately improve the effectiveness of mitigating reservoir damage and increasing oil and gas well productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vogt‒Koyanagi‒Harada (VKH) disease is a severe autoimmune disease. Herein, whole‐exome sequencing (WES) study are performed on 2,573 controls and 229 VKH patients with follow‐up next‐generation sequencing (NGS) in a collection of 2,380 controls and 2,278 VKH patients. A rare c.188T>C (p Val63Ala) variant in the olfactory receptor 11H1 (OR11H1) gene is found to be significantly associated with VKH disease (rs71235604, Pcombined = 7.83 × 10−30, odds ratio = 3.12). Functional study showes that OR11H1‐A63 significantly increased inflammatory factors production and exacerbated barrier function damage. Further studies using RNA‐sequencing find that OR11H1‐A63 markedly increased growth arrest and DNA‐damage‐inducible gamma (GADD45G) expression. Moreover, OR11H1‐A63 activates the MAPK and NF‐κB pathways, and accelerates inflammatory cascades. In addition, inhibiting GADD45G alleviates inflammatory factor secretion, likely due to the regulatory effect of GADD45G on the MAPK and NF‐κB pathways. Collectively, this study suggests that the OR11H1‐A63 missense mutation may increase susceptibility to VKH disease in a GADD45G‐dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of teach-back strategy on hemodialysis related knowledge level, self-efficacy and self-management among hemodialysis patients. The research is a quasi-randomized control trial. A total of 92 patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis were randomly divided into observation group (n = 46) and control group (n = 46) by random number table method. The control group received conventional health education, and the observation group received teach-back. The intervention lasted six months. The hemodialysis related knowledge level, self-efficacy and self-management of the two groups were evaluated before and after the intervention. There were no significant difference on hemodialysis related knowledge level, self-efficacy and self-management scores between the two groups before intervention (P > 0.05). After intervention, the scores of hemodialysis knowledge in the observation group was higher than that in the control group and before intervention. The total scores of self-efficacy and items "3,4,5" were higher than those of the control group. The total scores of self-efficacy and item "1~6" in the observation group were higher than before intervention. The total scores of self-management and the three subscales of "problem solving", "partnership" and "emotional processing" were higher than those of the control group and before intervention. All of the above differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Teach-back is helpful to improve the hemodialysis related knowledge level, self-efficacy and self-management level of patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis, and it is worth to be popularized clinically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous, planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of nitric oxide (NO) and hydroxyl radical (OH) is evidenced with a single dye laser and two intensified CCD (ICCD) cameras. The technique is demonstrated on three premixed turbulent hydrogen-air flames, at atmospheric conditions, with several laser excitation wavelengths within the A 2Σ+ − X 2Π (0,0) and A 2Σ+ − X 2Π (1,0) vibrational bands of NO and OH, respectively. Via adjustments of the grating angle of the dye laser, the output wavelengths can be optimized so that both LIF signals are obtained simultaneously, or it can be tuned to reach the most common excitation wavelengths for OH-PLIF (i.e., near 283 or 284 nm) or NO-PLIF (i.e., 225 and 226 nm) alternatively. The flame visualization results, obtained with the different excitation strategies, are consistent for the three flame conditions and enable to characterize both the reaction zones and the nitric oxide formation. With appropriate selection of the wavelength pair, the technique shows its great potential to enhance the ability of existing lasers to simultaneously visualize and quantify distributions of two key species in reacting flows with only a single laser. [Display omitted] • Combined single-shot imaging of NO and OH with one dye laser in H 2 flames. • Most common excitation wavelengths also achievable alternatively. • Recommendation of optimal excitation wavelengths for future studies. • Flame structure confirmed with different excitation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the general Marshall design method for asphalt mixtures, the difference of asphalt mixture density was determined according to the mechanical design method and volume design method. To improve the control accuracy of asphalt concrete pavement density, two design methods were established to determine the correlation of asphalt mixture density. In this study, samples were divided into original, core, and road core samples and selected as the research objects. First, the core samples of original asphalt concrete were formed and drilled by gyratory shear compacting press (PCG) compaction and core-drilling equipment in laboratory tests. Second, the density and volume indicators calculated by the quality of the original and core samples were measured according to the water gravimetric method. A correlation between the testing and the core samples could be established for the original samples. Finally, the corresponding data of the core samples obtained by Marshall test were compared with the data of mechanical design method. Test results show that the density and saturation of original samples increased by 1.4% and 9.8% compared with core samples, and inversely, the porosity and mineral gap ratio reduced by 24.8% and 7.6%. Data of the original and the core samples have a linear relationship and the correlation coefficients of density, porosity, saturation, and mineral gap ratio are 0.979, 0.975, 0.968, and 0.982, respectively. The optimum asphalt content of the Marshall test core samples is consistent with that of the gyratory testing machine (GTM) test; the density and volume index of the core samples are between the GTM and the Superpave test data. In conclusion, the degree of road compaction could be evaluated by the Marshall core samples more accurately than that of the original samples. For the units or areas without sufficient equipment for mechanical design of asphalt mixture, the density of Marshall core sample could be suggested to use for the detection and evaluation of asphalt pavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tandem conversion of biomass to value‐added fine chemicals is a significant challenge. For instance, the production of fine chemicals from fructose involves conversion to 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (5‐HMF), followed by another reaction and purification. Dual catalyst systems have been used in nearly every study on the tandem conversion of fructose to bio‐diketones. Therefore, a sole multifunctional heterogeneous catalyst was developed in this study for the tandem conversion of fructose to bio‐diketones, which has not been reported previously. Instrument corrosion and the separation or purification of 5‐HMF were avoided using the multifunctional heterogeneous catalyst, which contained integrated active sites of acid, metal, and anions. The multifunctional CF3SO3H‐functionalized porous‐organic‐polymers(POPs)‐supported Pd catalyst (Pd‐POPs‐CF3SO3H) was prepared using a series of modifications. A bio‐diketone yield of 51.0 % was achieved using Pd‐POPs‐CF3SO3H in the tandem conversion of fructose with an excellent TOF of 88.3 h−1 which is much more efficient than catalyst reported in literatures. Pd‐POPs‐CF3SO3H could be reused at least three times with stable performance. Control experiments and characterization results proved that the high specific surface area, hierarchical pore structure, abundance of CF3SO3−1 anions, and proximity of Pd moieties and acid sites ("The closer the better" principle) led to the decent performance for bio‐diketone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-span spatial lattice structures generally have characteristics such as incomplete modal information, high modal density, and high degrees of freedom. To address the problem of misjudgment in the damage detection of large-span spatial structures caused by these characteristics, this paper proposed a damage identification method based on time series models. Firstly, the order of the autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model was selected based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC). Then, the long autoregressive method was used to estimate the parameters of the ARMA model and extract the residual sequence of the autocorrelation part of the model. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) was introduced to reduce the dimensionality of the model while retaining the characteristic values. Finally, the Mahalanobis distance (MD) was used to construct the damage sensitive feature (DSF). The dome of Taiyuan Botanical Garden in China is one of the largest non-triangular timber lattice shells worldwide. Relying on the structural health monitoring (SHM) project of this structure, this paper verified the effectiveness of the damage identification model through numerical simulation and determined the damage degree of the dome structure through SHM measurement data. The results demonstrated that the proposed damage identification method can effectively identify the damage of large-span timber lattice structures, locate the damage position, and estimate the degree of damage. The constructed DSF had relatively strong robustness to small damage and environmental noise and has practical application value for SHM in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the immunotherapeutic roles and functions of C-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 8 (CCR8) molecule in gastric cancer (GC). Materials and Methods: Clinicopathological features of 95 GC cases were collected by a follow-up survey. The expression level of CCR8 was measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining and analyzed with the cancer genome atlas database. The relationship between CCR8 expression and Clinicopathological features of GC cases was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. Flow cytometry was used to determine the expression of cytokines and the proliferation of CD4+ regulator T cells (Tregs) and CD8+ T cells. Results: An upregulated expression of CCR8 in GC tissues was associated with tumor grade, nodal metastasis, and overall survival (OS). Tumor-infiltrated Tregs with higher expression of CCR8 produced more IL10 molecules in vitro. In addition, anti-CCR8 blocking downregulated IL10 expression produced by CD4+ Tregs, and reversed the suppression by Tregs on the secretion and proliferation of CD8+ T cells. Conclusion: CCR8 molecule could be a prognostic biomarker for GC cases and a therapeutic target for immune treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With electron-conducting information technology, ion-conducting energy and environmental technology are promising for wide applications in a carbon-neutral world, but it has been challenging to achieve directional ion conduction in fast ion conductors, especially at the microscopic or even atomic scale. Here, the authors report a new atomic-level directional ion conductor of defect-engineered hexagonal boron nitride (h -BN) nanosheets for bioinspired nanofluidic iontronic devices, and propose a vacancy-defect-controlled strategy to achieve atomic-level directional hydrogen ion conduction in h -BN nanosheets. The adsorption and migration behaviors of hydrogen ions in h -BN nanosheets with both B and N vacancy defects were systematically investigated through the first-principle method. The best hydrogen adsorption sites are directly above N and B atoms in the B-vacancy and N-vacancy h -BN, respectively. It is found that the migration barriers of hydrogen ion in B-vacancy and N-vacancy h -BN are as high as 1.83–2.47 eV and 1.71–2.30 eV, respectively, which are much higher than the 0.72 eV of intrinsic h -BN nanosheets. This means that hydrogen ions can conduct in defect-free h -BN, while they cannot conduct in B/N-vacancy defects. Accordingly, hydrogen ion conduction in h -BN nanosheets can be directionally controlled by controlling the position of vacancy defects, which can be artificially constructed by femtosecond laser plasma lithography. This work provides a new technology of vacancy-defect-controlled atomic-level directional ions conduction in 2D materials for ion-conductor integrated circuit, and opens the door for constructing bioinspired nanofluidic iontronic devices in future neuronal-computer interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-glucan, one of the homopolysaccharides composed of D-glucose, exists widely in cereals and microorganisms and possesses various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor properties. More recently, there has been mounting proof that β-glucan functions as a physiologically active "biological response modulator (BRM)", promoting dendritic cell maturation, cytokine secretion, and regulating adaptive immune responses—all of which are directly connected with β-glucan-regulated glucan receptors. This review focuses on the sources, structures, immune regulation, and receptor recognition mechanisms of β-glucan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the issue of abnormal band data processing in photometric surveys is imperative. Restoring of abnormal band data not only salvages a significant amount of existing astronomical observation data, but also has profound implications on the data processing of new optical telescopes in the future. This paper firstly designs Band Data MogaNet(BDMogaNet) classification model for normal or abnormal band data, which can automatically identify abnormal data. Then, for the restoration of abnormal band data, Global–Local Recursive Generalization(GLRG) restoration network is designed. The experiment used the SDSS image library, and the results proved that the classification accuracy of normal band data and abnormal band data using BDMogaNet reached 99.2% in the training set and 98.0% in the validation set, which had a better classification comparing to some newest methods. Moreover, PSNR of restoring abnormal band data using GLRG reached 33.96 dB, SSIM reached 0.73, and CM reached 6.09, which are all better compared to some newest methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High degradation rate is an inevitable and thorny problem when magnesium alloys are used in the intestinal environment, while the corrosion and health risks caused by intestinal sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are also of concern. In this paper, two chitosan (CS) derivatives including CS-stabilized Ag nanoparticles (CS/Ag NPs) and CS-stearic acid (CS-SA) copolymer were synthesized, combining with porous micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating, a dual strengthened CS-SA-Ag NPs/MAO coating is fabricated on AZ91 magnesium alloy surface. This composite coating inhibits the adhesion and growth of SRB and improves the corrosion resistance of AZ91 magnesium alloy during immersion in simulated intestinal fluids (SIF). • CS-SA loaded with CS/Ag NPs is coated on MAO layer and a bilayer coating is prepared on AZ91 alloy. • CS-SA is fairly hydrophobic and CS/Ag NPs are polydispersed, antioxidant and efficient in killing intestinal SRB. • CS-SA-Ag NPs/MAO coating improves corrosion resistance and antibacterial performance of AZ91 alloy. • A dual strengthened coating preparation method for the magnesium intestinal implants is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) have made remarkable breakthroughs in cancer treatment, but the efficacy is still limited for solid tumors due to tumor antigen heterogeneity and the tumor immune microenvironment. The restrained treatment efficacy prompted us to seek new potential therapeutic methods. Methods: In this study, we conducted a small molecule compound library screen in a human BC cell line to identify whether certain drugs contribute to CAR T cell killing. Signaling pathways of tumor cells and T cells affected by the screened drugs were predicted via RNA sequencing. Among them, the antitumor activities of JK184 in combination with CAR T cells or ICBs were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results: We selected three small molecule drugs from a compound library, among which JK184 directly induces tumor cell apoptosis by inhibiting the Hedgehog signaling pathway, modulates B7-H3 CAR T cells to an effector memory phenotype, and promotes B7-H3 CAR T cells cytokine secretion in vitro. In addition, our data suggested that JK184 exerts antitumor activities and strongly synergizes with B7-H3 CAR T cells or ICBs in vivo. Mechanistically, JK184 enhances B7-H3 CAR T cells infiltrating in xenograft mouse models. Moreover, JK184 combined with ICB markedly reshaped the tumor immune microenvironment by increasing effector T cells infiltration and inflammation cytokine secretion, inhibiting the recruitment of MDSCs and the transition of M2-type macrophages in an immunocompetent mouse model. Conclusion: These data show that JK184 may be a potential adjutant in combination with CAR T cells or ICB therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain involves both sensory and affective dimensions. The amygdala is a key player in linking nociceptive stimuli to negative emotional behaviors or affective states. Relief of pain is rewarding and activates brain reward circuits. Whether the reward circuit from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the central amygdala (CeA) is involved in pain relief remains unexplored. Using a model of experimental postsurgical pain, we found that pain relief elicited conditioned place preference (CPP), activated CeA-projecting dopaminergic cells in the VTA, and decreased dopaminergic D2 receptor expression in the CeA. Activation of the VTA–CeA neural pathway using optogenetic approaches relieved incisional pain. Administration of a D2 receptor agonist reversed the pain relief elicited by light-induced activation of the VTA-CeA pathway. These findings indicate that the VTA-CeA circuit is involved in pain relief in mice via dopamine receptor D2 in the CeA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TUBA1C is correlated with an unfavourable prognosis and the infiltration of immune cells in several cancers. However, its function as a significant biomarker for the prognosis of immunotherapy in pan-cancer remains unclear. This study aims at assessing the role of TUBA1C in pan-cancer at multiple levels, including mutations, gene expression, methylation, m6A methylation, and immune cell infiltration levels. Data retrieved from major public databases, such as TCGA, GEO, GTEx, GSCA, CancerSEA, HPA, and RNAactDrugs, revealed that TUBA1C expression was high in 33 cancer types. Survival analysis revealed that TUBA1C was a poor prognostic factor for 12 tumour types, and mutations, CNVs, and methylation affected the prognosis of some cancer types. Furthermore, TUBA1C was found to be related to immune-related genes, immune cell infiltration, and the immune microenvironment. In addition, the sensitivity of 10 anticancer drugs was associated with high TUBA1C expression. Therefore, TUBA1C may serve as a viable prognostic biomarker for immunotherapy of pan-cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of flowback time and flowback difference on flowback behavior of shale fracturing fluid, we carried out the permeability test experiment of Longmaxi Formation shale under different flowback pressure gradients and analyzed the retention characteristics of water phase in shale pores and fractures after flowback by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) instrument. The results indicate that after flowback under the pressure gradient ranges of 0.06~0.18 MPa/cm, the content of retained water phase in shale samples ranges from 9.68% to 16.97% and the retention of fracturing fluid in shale does not decrease with the increase of flowback pressure difference. Additionally, increasing the flowback pressure difference will reduce the shale permeability damage rate, but the permeability damage rate is still above 80%. After the flowback, the water phase mainly stays in the pore space with D < 100 nm, especially in the pore space with 2~10 nm and 10~50 nm. It is extremely difficult for the water phase in the pores with D < 100 nm to flow back out. The experimental results show that the critical flowback pressure gradient for particle migration of rock powder in shale fracture surface is 0.09 MPa/cm. The research results have important guiding significance for shale gas well flowback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the anatomical efficacy and functional improvement of the conventional inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM), flap covering technique, and ILM flap filling technique for patients with idiopathic macular hole (MH). Methods. Literature from Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science were comprehensively retrieved. The primary outcomes included the MH closure rate and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). The secondary outcomes were the proportion of external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) defect recovery. Pooled odds ratios (ORs), weighted mean differences (WMDs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using STATA 17.0 software. Results. 7 studies that contained 139 eyes in the inverted ILM flap covering group and 121 eyes in the ILM flap filling group were selected. Pooled data suggested that the surgical treatment resulted in an overall MH closure rate of up to 97.12% (135/139 eyes) in the inverted ILM flap covering group and 99.17% (120/121 eyes) in the filling group, with no significant difference between the 2 groups (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 0.55 to 7.09, and P = 0.29). Similarly, the 2 techniques demonstrated equal effectiveness on the anatomical closure in MH with the average diameter smaller than 650 μm (OR = 2.17, 95% CI: 0.48 to 9.77, and P = 0.31) and larger than 650 μm (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 0.14 to 17.37, and P = 0.71). However, compared with the filling technique, the inverted ILM flap covering technique was superior in postoperative BCVA (WMD = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.18, and P = 0.0017) and presented a significantly higher proportion of reconstitution of ELM (OR = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.00 to 0.08, and P < 0.0001) and EZ (OR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.32, and P = 0.0001). Conclusion. The inverted ILM flap covering technique was associated with the superior reconstitution of outer layers of the retina, including ELM and EZ, and more improvement in postoperative BCVA than the ILM flap filling technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. IQGAP3 has important function in cancer progression and has become a potential therapeutic target as a transmembrane protein. But its role in tumor immunity and pan-cancer was not systematically investigated. This study evaluated the potential role of IQGAP3 and clinical significance in pan-cancer through combined multiomics analysis. Methods. From Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, transcriptomic datasets were first obtained, and from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), expression profiling microarray data were acquired and integrated to systematically assess the expression differences and prognostic relevance of IQGAP3 in pancreatic cancer. Immunohistochemical data were obtained from Human Protein Atlas (HPA) to assess IQGAP3 protein expression differences, and exome data from TCGA were used to analyze IQGAP3 expression in relation to tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and mutation. Additionally, we also analyzed the relationship between IQGAP3 expression and immune checkpoints, mismatch repair (MMR), and IQGAP3 relationship with methylation and copy number variation based on expression profiles. Results. Microsatellite instability (MSI), immune checkpoints, mismatch repair (MMR), and tumor mutational burden (TMB) all closely interacted with IQGAP3 mRNA. In addition, detailed relationships between the immune microenvironment and IQGAP3 mRNA as well as immune cell CD4+ Th2 and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) were determined. Mechanistically, IQGAP3 was involved in cytoskeleton formation, T cell receptor signaling pathways, DNA damage, cell cycle, P53 pathway, Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis, and apoptosis. Conclusion. IQGAP3 could serve as an effective prognostic biomarker for pan-cancer immune-related therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reversible Solid Oxide Cells (RSOCs) are a transformative technology at the Hydrogen-Electricity Nexus, offering promising solutions for energy conversion and storage in renewable systems. However, challenges such as achieving stable and efficient reversible operations limit their widespread adoption. This work critically analyzes recent advancements in RSOC technology, focusing on reversible mode switching and its integration with renewable energy sources. Key topics include transient dynamics, such as current density overshoot and thermal management, along with advanced control strategies to optimize RSOC performance and extend lifespan. We also explore material innovations, particularly in electrode design, to enhance durability during reversible operations. Additionally, we discusse scale-up demonstrations and engineering applications, bridging the gap between research and real-world implementation. This work serves as a valuable resource for advancing RSOC technology, providing insights and guidance for future research and development efforts. [Display omitted] ● Explores core RSOC principles and intricacies of reversible mode switching for efficient operation. ● Analyzes transient dynamics and their impact on RSOC performance, stability, and longevity. ● Presents advanced control strategies for optimizing temperature, current, and gas flow in RSOCs. ● Emphasizes material innovations, focusing on durability and performance in reversible operations. ● Discusses RSOC potential and challenges in large-scale renewable energy and hydrogen systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore starch straws with low water absorption rate (WAR) and not prone to brittleness during long term storage. Glycerol and erythritol were used as composite plasticizers to explore their effects on the structure of starch straws. The results showed that G:E (60:40) had the lowest bending force (Fb = 12.58 N) and relative crystallinity (RC = 10.05 %). G:E (40:60) had the lowest water absorption rate. With the increase of erythritol contents, the proportion of starch straws short chains (A + B1) increased. Starch straws are easier to be broken during long term storage as the percentages of erythritol increased from 80 to100. However, G:E (40:60) and G:E (60:40) not only had higher flexibility (Eb = 6.12 N/cm and 7.47 N/cm) but greater hardness (Fb = 39.37 N and 45.42 N). Therefore, the addition of glycerol can inhibit the precipitation of erythritol and has an ideal plasticizing effect than single plasticizer. • Glycerol and erythritol were as composite plasticizers to prepare starch straws. • The composite plasticizers have more significantly plasticizing effect than glycerol or erythritol alone. • Glycerol: erythritol (60:40) had the smallest bending force and lowest relative crystallinity. • Glycerol: erythritol (40:60 and 60:40) had larger flexibility and higher strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Crystallization of photosensitive glass-ceramics via new AgSbO 3 nucleating agents. • Analyzed thermodynamics and kinetics using first-principles molecular dynamics. • Found crystalline distribution in Li 2 SiO 3 with AgSbO 3 nucleating agents. • Li ion diffusion coefficient in AgSbO 3 –Li 2 SiO 3 is significantly reduced. • Provides atomic-scale insights into nucleating effects in glass-ceramics. Photosensitive glass-ceramics serves as a crucial support for advancement of integrated circuits in post Moore era. Nevertheless, current research lacks an in-depth discussion of crystallization and nucleation mechanisms induced by nucleating agents. Here, we select new AgSbO 3 nucleating agents and conduct a detailed thermodynamic and kinetic investigation of its promoting effects in Li 2 SiO 3 using first-principles molecular dynamics. Statistical results from pair distribution functions indicate that in the presence of AgSbO 3 nucleating agents in Li 2 SiO 3 , the structure tends to exhibit a more crystalline distribution. The diffusion coefficient of Li ions in AgSbO 3 –Li 2 SiO 3 is 0.47 × 10–6 cm2/s, which is one-tenth of the value of Li ions in amorphous Li 2 SiO 3. Additionally, a molecular dynamics approach was employed to screen and analyze motion trajectories of 16 lithium ions. All of these data suggest that AgSbO 3 nucleating agents can accelerate crystallization of Li 2 SiO 3. This work provides an atomic-scale discussion of nucleating agents' effects in photosensitive glass-ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracking NH 3 into a mixture of NH 3 /H 2 /N 2 effectively addresses its low reactivity when used as a fuel. In this study, large eddy simulation (LES) and experiments are conducted for non-premixed NH 3 /H 2 /N 2 -air jet flames with simulated cracking ratios of 14 % and 28 % at an elevated pressure of 5 bar. Detailed experimental data on the flow field are provided for assessing turbulence models. A recently proposed species-weighted flamelet/progress variable (SWF) model considering differential diffusion is adapted for simulating cracked NH 3 flames. The effects of differential diffusion on scalar structures are further analyzed. The SWF model, incorporating differential diffusion, achieves good agreement with experiments in predicting velocity, mean temperature, major species mass fractions, differential diffusion parameters, and NO formation. The model also qualitatively captures variations in localized extinction along the flame height. In contrast, the unity Lewis number flamelet/progress variable (ULF) model predicts the occurrence of localized extinction too upstream, significantly overestimating its occurrence in the near field where differential diffusion is significant. Moreover, NO formation in the cracked NH 3 flame is well predicted by the SWF model using flamelet tables, and slightly overpredicted by the ULF model without differential diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let Qn be the n‐dimensional hypercube, and let cr(Qn) be the crossing number of Qn. Erdős and Guy in 1973 conjectured the following equality: cr(Qn)=5324n−n2+122n−2. In this paper, we construct a drawing of Qn with less crossings when n>6, which implies that for n>6 we have a strict inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Special environmental condition with strong wind and large diurnal temperature range is not conducive for the control of crack development during the curing of mass concrete in the cold environment of Northwest China. In this study, the temperature at four measured points along the vertical profile of a mass concrete was measured over 14 days. Then, a thermal-mechanical model with the optimized initial condition, thermal parameters, boundary conditions, and the effects of rebar on temperature stress of concrete was built. Based on the observations and numerical model, the effects of environmental factor on the peak temperature, temperature fluctuation amplitude, and maximum temperature stress of the mass concrete are analyzed. The result showed that increasing wind speed can reduce the temperature of the concrete, but an opposite result is observed with increase in diurnal temperature range. Moreover, the more obvious diurnal variation of concrete temperature with the increase in wind speed and diurnal temperature range is not conducive to the thermal stability of the structure, especially for horizontal and side surfaces. Accordingly, increasing wind speed and diurnal temperature range will increase the peak temperature stress of the concrete and the overall stress level. Strong wind and large diurnal temperature range significantly increase the temperature stress and its duration for the side surface. The high temperature stress and intensive daily variation of temperature stress at the horizontal surface affect the durability of the concrete material. Therefore, the temperature stresses of the horizontal surface under wind speed levels 3, 4, 5, and 1.25 times large diurnal temperature range easily exceed the tensile strength; then, the temperature crack will appear. Combined with the research results, the temperature control and crack prevention measures are proposed under the condition of ensuring concrete strength. The study will further guide the improvement and optimization of mass concrete construction in an extreme environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High-carrier-mobility black phosphorus/MoSe 2 thin-film solar cell is proposed. • A new-type BP/MoSe 2 thin-film solar cell with high efficiency is reported. • Compared with BP/MoS 2 , BP/MoSe 2 shows enhanced optical properties. • Compared with BP/MoS 2 , BP/MoSe 2 has a much higher PCE of 23.04%. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) with self-passivated surfaces, suitable bandgaps and high optical-absorption coefficients are very promising for thin film solar cells, but seriously hindered by low carrier mobility. Herein, we propose interface-engineered two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructure composed of high-carrier-mobility black phosphorus (BP) layer and MoSe 2 layer, and demonstrate a new-type BP/MoSe 2 heterostructure thin film solar cell with high efficiency. The electronic structure and optical properties of both BP/MoSe 2 and BP/MoS 2 heterostructures are systematically investigated. Compared with BP/MoS 2 heterostructure, BP/MoSe 2 heterostructure shows enhanced photoelectric characteristics. Additionally, BP/MoSe 2 heterostructure has greater light absorption intensity as well as a wider absorption range, achieving a much higher power conversion efficiency of up to 23.04%. It is found that the built-in electric field at the interface of BP/MoSe 2 heterostructure accelerates the separation of electron-hole pairs. This work provides a feasible strategy for using the BP/MoSe 2 heterostructure for next-generation high-specific-power thin film solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The aim of the present prospective study was to evaluate the effect of titanium mesh and concentrated growth factor (CGF) membranes in reconstructing severe labial bone defects during immediate implantation of anterior maxillary tooth. Methods. Patients with severe defects presenting on the anterior labial bone plate of maxillary were enrolled in this study. During immediate implantation, the titanium mesh was used to maintain the space of bone graft, collagen membrane, and xenograft bone that were used to guide bone regeneration (GBR). Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was used to measure the height and the labial bone thickness around the implant at the time of the second stage surgery, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after restoration. The pink esthetic score (PES) was used to evaluate the esthetic outcomes after restoration. Results. 18 patients were enrolled in this study. The survival rate of implants was 100%, and no complication was observed, except for 1 case of titanium mesh exposure which did not affect osteogenesis. In the second stage of surgery, the labial bone was completely reconstructed, and the top of the implant was covered with a small amount of new bone. The thickness of the labial bone was 3.01 mm (±0.23), 2.96 mm (±0.21), 2.93 mm (±0.19), and 2.92 mm (±0.16) at the time of the second stage surgery, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after restoration, respectively. The height of the marginal bone around implants was above the top of implant at the time of the second stage surgery and then reduced 0.72 mm (±0.07), 0.91 mm (±0.08), and 0.90 mm (±0.07) at the time point of 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after restoration, respectively. The changes of bone thickness and height were statistically significant within one year, but stable after one year. The PES values showed the same tendency. Conclusions. With the limitation of the present prospective study, the combination of titanium mesh and CGF membrane could provide space maintenance for bone augmentation of alveolar bone defects and improve the bone regeneration in patients with severe labial bone defect when immediate implant of anterior maxillary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Janus MoSSe monolayer with built-in electric dipole, as another emerging two-dimensional (2D) material after MoS 2 , is predicted to be an ideal photocatalyst for overall water splitting. However, in spite of the excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity of Se-surface, the extremely poor oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity of S-surface hinders the achievement of photocatalytic overall water splitting. Herein, we construct a new 2D van der Waals heterostructure consisting of high-OER-active black phosphorus (BP) and Janus MoSSe monolayer, and demonstrate a new strategy of Janus BP/SMoSe heterostructure to achieve wide-spectral-responsive photocatalytic overall water splitting. The electronic structures and optical properties of two different heterostructures, BP/SMoSe and BP/SeMoS, are systematically investigated via first principles density, exhibiting a type-II band arrangement. Unlike BP/SeMoS, the BP/SMoSe heterostructure shows excellent optical properties, such as a large dielectric constant of 8.14 and a small optical absorption boundary of 0.10 eV. Furthermore, BP/SMoSe heterostructure possesses greater light absorption intensity and a broader light absorption range. It is found that the BP/SMoSe heterostructure exhibits proper band alignment and enhanced intrinsic dipole, which is favorable to obtain high electron-hole separation efficiency. This work provides a feasible strategy of 2D Janus BP/SMoSe heterostructure for approaching almost perfect overall water-splitting photocatalysis. [Display omitted] • A new 2D Janus BP/SMoSe heterostructure is constructed for overall H 2 O splitting. • BP/SMoSe shows excellent photocatalytic properties unlike BP/SeMoS. • BP/SMoSe exhibits proper band alignment and enhanced intrinsic dipole. • BP/SMoSe has higher-intensity and wider-range optical absorption. • The extremely poor OER activity problem of Janus MoSSe photocatalyst is solved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With very fast polymerization in mild reaction conditions and unique characteristic of double bonds in its synthesized polymer skeleton for further modification and functionalization, ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) becomes one typical processing method to obtain anion exchange membrane (AEM) for fuel cells. In this paper, AEMs prepared by ROMP are reviewed. Polycyclooctene and polynorbornene AEMs with both good stability and high conductivity are achieved with different ion exchange groups such as quaternary ammonium, phosphorus and metal cations (such as bis(terpyridine)-ruthenium(II) and cobaltocenium). Polymer structure and ion channels are mainly constructed in the polymer skeleton to form the "ion channel" microphase-separated structure to improve its chemical stability and ionic conductivity. On the basis of selected ion exchange groups and optimized polymer skeleton, performances obtained in these ion exchange membranes (IEMs) and their corresponding fuel cell performances are summarized. These polycyclooctene and polynorbornene AEMs have excellent properties and promising performances in fuel cells. We believe that further exploration of this class of AEM may lead to practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban microclimate modeling helps to quantitatively understand the fine level urban heat exposure distribution, which would provide an important reference for urban heat management. Fine level continuous sky view factor (SVF) maps are usually needed for modeling how the solar radiation fluxes reach the urban surface and impact the urban microclimate dynamics. However, the estimation of continuous SVF maps is very time-consuming, which limits the urban microclimate modeling to small geographical areas. In this study, we proposed to use graphics processing unit (GPU) parallel computing to accelerate the computing of SVF. The high-resolution digital surface models were used as the input to generate the continuous SVF maps of Philadelphia, PA, USA. Results show that the GPU-accelerated algorithms can reduce the time consumption of SVF computing by more than 99% using one NVIDIA GPU. Based on the computed SVF maps, this study further calculated and examined the spatial distribution of mean radiation temperature (Tmrt) as an indicator of outdoor heat exposure using the SOlar and LongWave Environmental Irradiance Geometry (SOLWEIG) model. There is an uneven distribution of the outdoor heat exposure in Philadelphia, and the eastern and southern parts have a higher heat exposure level. Increasing the tree canopy cover is an effective measure to reduce the heat exposure by providing more shade, especially for the eastern and southern parts of Philadelphia where shade is needed most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Detailed analysis of flame structures in cracked ammonia jet flames. • Insights into N 2 O formation in ammonia flames through NH and NO multiplication. • Impact of cracking ratio on chemical reactivity, flame stability, and NO emissions. • PLIF-derived statistics contribute to validating turbulence-chemistry interactions. The combustion of cracked ammonia is crucial for enhancing flame stability and reducing pollutant emissions in ammonia-based combustion systems. This study investigated the flame structure and pollutant formation in cracked ammonia jet flames (CAJFs) to improve our understanding of the turbulence-chemistry interactions in ammonia combustion. A simultaneous NH and NO planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) technique was employed to analyze the flame structure of turbulent non-premixed CAJFs, emulated using ammonia-hydrogen–nitrogen mixtures. Experimental measurements were conducted across a range of pressures (1–5 bar) and cracking ratios (7 %-28 %). The results revealed the significant influence of the cracking ratio on the chemical reactivity and NH-layer characteristics of ammonia-hydrogen flames. NH effectively marked the heat release layer of CAJFs. Reducing the cracking ratio from 28 % to 7 % resulted in increased local extinction-induced NH-layer fragmentation and reduced reaction area. The reaction layer thickness exhibited low sensitivity to the cracking ratio and pressure, while the broadening of the NH layer displayed a slowdown pattern with increasing height, differing from premixed flames. The pollutant NO rapidly formed within the reaction zone, persisting in the outer hot products until reduced by turbulent mixing. The fragmented flame structure promoted decreased NO formation and potentially lower NO concentration. A novel approach of multiplying NH and NO was proposed to reflect the formation characteristics of another important pollutant N 2 O. The effect of turbulent disturbances on N 2 O formation needs to be considered in turbulent CAJFs because N 2 O formation is strongly suppressed when turbulent transport reduces local NO concentration. This research enhances understanding of turbulence-chemistry interactions in cracked ammonia combustion, benefiting ammonia flame stability and pollutant emission control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with Stillinger-Weber (SW) and Embedded Atom Method (EAM) potentials to investigate the tribological behavior of WS 2 coatings on a copper substrate against spherical alumina indenter. Various loads, rotational speeds, and temperatures are explored to analyze their effects on tribological properties. The investigation reveals compelling insights: load-dependent frictional behavior, elucidation of non-linear stress patterns with rotational speeds, and the discernment of temperature-induced alterations in friction coefficient. Furthermore, through detailed analysis utilizing Radial Distribution Function (RDF) methodology, molecular rearrangement dynamics are unveiled, enriching our understanding of the WS 2 -copper interplay. This research contributes to understanding the intricate dynamics of WS 2 coatings and copper interactions, crucial for optimizing tribological performance in practical applications. • MD simulations elucidated tribological behavior of WS 2 coatings on copper substrates under varied loads, speeds, and temperatures. • Increasing applied loads lead to higher frictional forces and coefficient. • Non-linear relationship was observed between rotational speeds and stress distribution. • Ambient temperatures impact friction performance via thermal effects. • The analysis of the microscopic information in the friction process provides a new insight into the mechanism of friction interaction under different conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogel-based flexible sensors hold significant potential for applications in skin-like electronics, human motion detection, and human-machine interfaces. The development of strain-sensitive hydrogel with high stretchability, self-healing, and high conductivity is highly sought after. A hydrogel sensor with a strain-sensitive semi-interpenetrating network consisting of polyacrylamide (PAM), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and sodium alginate (SA). With environmentally benign KCl as a conductive filler, SA/PVA/PAM/KCl hydrogel has a high toughness (4.8 MJ m−3), high stretchability (1250 %), high tensile strength (510 kPa), excellent recoverability, and excellent self-adhesiveness toward various substrates. The hydrogel sensors present high sensitivity with good linearity in the majority of the detection range with a gauge factor (GF) over 6.78, a response time of 268 ms, and excellent durability. The ionic conductive hydrogel has shown excellent energy harvesting capability as a triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG). Multifunctional organic hydrogels provide a protocol for the design and preparation of multifunctional hydrogel for wearable electronics. Ultra-stretchable, Self-adhesive, Skin-inspired Conductive Hydrogel for Wearable Strain Sensors and Friction Nanogenerators. [Display omitted] • Polyacrylamide/poly(vinyl alcohol)/alginate-based hydrogel has been developed. • The hydrogel is self-healing, mechanically robust, ionic conductive. • Alginate allows the formation of uniform hydrogel with PVA and PAM. • The hydrogel sensor has a high sensitivity for monitoring human motions. • The self-adhesive hydrogel has excellent mechanical energy harvesting capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Flexible and ultra-thin liquid metal/elastomer composite film is fabricated by facile scraping and mechanical sintering process. • The film exhibits outstanding specific SE value and strain-invariant EMI-shielding and Joule-heating behavior. • The film can be followed by structural design and achieves tunable EMI SE by locally activating the conductive pathways. With the development of flexible electronics towards sophistication and miniaturization, the demand for stretching-stable ultra-thin electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding films is increasing. Liquid metal (LM) with metallic conductivity and extreme fluidity is a satisfactory choice for preparing stretchable EMI shields. However, manufacturing high-efficiency flexible LM-based EMI shields with ultra-thin thickness and strain-stable shielding effectiveness (SE) through a facile strategy remains challenging. Herein, we proposed fabricating flexible and ultra-thin LM and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite films by facile scraping and mechanical sintering process. The resultant film with only ∼24 vol% LM and ∼150 μm thickness could show specific SE (SSE = SE T /thickness) of ∼298 dB/mm and exhibit strain-invariant EMI-shielding behavior and higher SSE up to ∼400.9 dB/mm at 75 % strain, which almost ranks at the top of SSE values compared to formerly reported LM-based polymer composites. Moreover, the PDMS/LM film can be followed by structural design, and the potential of the designed film for directionally tunable EMI shielding is demonstrated by locally activating the conductive pathways and rotation. Furthermore, the stable conductive network provided relatively stable Joule-heating performance during stretching. This work develops a simpler strategy to construct a flexible conductive film for strain-invariant EMI shielding and Joule heating, and it also shows great potential for application in designable EMI shields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fact that great progress has been made on single image deraining tasks, it is still challenging for existing models to produce satisfactory results directly, and it often requires a single or multiple refinement stages to gradually improve the quality. However, in this paper, we demonstrate that existing image-level refinement with a stage-independent learning design is problematic with the side effect of over/under-deraining. To resolve this issue, we for the first time propose the mechanism of learning to carry out refinement on the unsatisfactory features, and propose a novel attentive feature refinement (AFR) module. Specifically, AFR is designed as a two-branched network for simultaneous rain-distribution-aware attention map learning and attention guided hierarchy-preserving feature refinement. Guided by task-specific attention, coarse features are progressively refined to better model the diversified rainy effects. By using a separable convolution as the basic component, our AFR module introduces little computation overhead and can be readily integrated into most rainy-to-clean image translation networks for achieving better deraining results. By incorporating a series of AFR modules into a general encoder-decoder network, AFR-Net is constructed for deraining and it achieves new state-of-the-art results on both synthetic and real images. Furthermore, by using AFR-Net as a teacher model, we explore the use of knowledge distillation to successfully learn a student model that is also able to achieve state-of-the-art results but with a much faster inference speed (i.e., it only takes 0.08 second to process a $512\times 512$ rainy image). Code and pre-trained models are available at $\langle $ https://github.com/RobinCSIRO/AFR-Net $\rangle $. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we propose an analytical decomposition of the flame transfer function (FTF) in the complex space. The decomposition provides new insight into the relationship between the local heat release oscillator and the global flame response of a periodically oscillating system in the linear regime. The FTF of a premixed methane-air swirling flame is decomposed using two-region and pixel-by-pixel division of the chemiluminescence images. The two-region decomposition uses horizontal or vertical dividing lines to examine the effects of dividing positions and orientations. The complex curves of the two-region division are more sensitive to the dividing line's position than its orientation. The pixel-by-pixel decomposition provides detailed distributions of the weighting factor, weighted gain, and phase of all local oscillators. The weighted gain distribution highlights the inner fluctuating region (IFR) and outer fluctuating region (OFR), as well as the node region. These regions are mainly controlled by the radial velocity and its fluctuations induced by the vortices in the inner and outer shear layers. The unwrapped phase, which gradually increases as the downstream distance from the injector increases, highlights the convective characteristics of the oscillating heat release rate. Angular wavenumbers and phase velocities are deduced from the phase distribution. The phase velocities agree well with the mean velocities measured with particle image velocimetry. Sorting all the local oscillators in the ascending phase allows constructing complex curves that favorably represent the FTF. The algebraic sum of weighted gain and the efficiency of phase interference are calculated to examine the phase interference. Phase interference plays a large role in suppressing the global fluctuating amplitude of the heat release rate. The local extrema at low and intermediate frequencies are attributed to in- or out-of-phase interference, while the reduced local response also explains why small FTF gains are observed at high frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A plastic back door car panel was considered as the research object. In order to obtain optimal injection molding simulation parameters, Moldflow2018 is used to simulate injection molding process of plastic back door car panel. Orthogonal experiment is conducted to analyze the influence of injection process parameters on the evaluation index. Melt temperature, mold temperature, cooling time, packing pressure, and packing time are selected as process parameters. Warpage and volumetric shrinkage are taken as evaluation indicators. Test groups are designed to obtain data, and range analysis method is employed to analyze warpage and volumetric shrinkage. Warpage range analysis shows that optimal warpage is 9.3 mm for volumetric shrinkage rate of 14.3%. Range analysis of volumetric shrinkage rate indicates that the best warpage is 8.3 mm for the corresponding volumetric shrinkage rate of 15.05%. A comprehensive evaluation index is established using the gray relational analysis. This analysis shows that warpage is 8.3 mm and volumetric shrinkage rate is 14.2%. Taguchi method is employed to obtain signal-to-noise ratio, while range and variance methods are used for the analysis. Optimal warpage is obtained as 8.2 mm, while the volume shrinkage rate is 10.3%. For a single evaluation index warpage, least squares method and artificial fish swarm algorithm are used to find the optimal parameter combination. Moldflow2018 is employed for simulation verification, and minimum warpage is obtained as 6.405 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]