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In order to improve the flame retardancy and smoke suppression of silicone rubber foam (SRF), the CoFe‐LDH was fabricated by coprecipitation method and used as flame‐retardant ingredient in SRF. The influence of CoFe‐LDH on the flame retardancy, combustion behavior, and thermal stability of SRF was investigated. The results demonstrate that SRF containing only 1.0 phr CoFe‐LDH can pass V‐0 rating in the vertical combustion test, with a limiting oxygen index of 28.6%. The total heat release and total smoke production are 22.2% and 61.1% lower than that of SRF, respectively. Moreover, CoFe‐LDH can improve the thermal stability of SRF in the high temperature range, and the char residue at 900°C of SRF/LDH composite is obviously higher than that of pure SRF. In addition, to further understand the flame‐retardant mechanism of CoFe‐LDH, the micromorphology of the char residue and the gaseous products during heating for SRF and SRF/LDH composite were analyzed. The results indicate that CoFe‐LDH exhibits excellent flame‐retardant effects in both condensed and gaseous phases for its functions of catalysis, carbonization, and nonflammable gas release. This study provides a more efficient and convenient strategy for the flame retardant and smoke suppression research of SRF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the foreseeable future, the development of petroleum-based polymeric materials may be limited, owing to the gradual consumption of disposable resources and the increasing emphasis on environmental protection policies. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on introducing environmentally friendly renewable biobased materials as a substitute for petroleum-based feed stocks in the preparation of different types of industrially important polymers. Plant polyphenols, a kind of natural aromatic biomolecule, exist widely in some plant species. Benefiting from their special macromolecular structure, high reactivity, and broad abundance, plant polyphenols are potent candidates to replace the dwindling aromatic monomers derived from petroleum-based resources in synthesizing high-quality polymeric materials. In this review, the most related and innovative methods for elaborating novel polymeric materials from plant polyphenols are addressed. After a brief historical overview, the classification, structural characteristics, and reactivity of plant polyphenols are summarized in detail. In addition, some interesting and innovative works concerning the chemical modifications and polymerization techniques of plant polyphenols are also discussed. Importantly, the main chemical pathways to create plant polyphenol-based organic/organic–inorganic polymeric materials as well as their properties and possible applications are systematically described. We believe that this review could offer helpful references for designing multifunctional polyphenolic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, hybrid noble metal nanostructures have garnered significant interest due to their exceptional properties and diverse applications in fields such as catalysis, energy conversion, plasmonic sensing, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In this work, we report the highly site-specific growth of a single Ag island on both the concave face and the sharp tip of concave Au nanocube (c-AuNC) seeds, resulting in different c-AuNC-Ag Janus heterostructures. This site specificity was achieved by combining the surface curvature effect of the c-AuNCs with strong ligand-mediated interfacial energy control. Further integration of interfacial energy and growth kinetic control led to the formation of c-AuNC-(Ag)n core–satellite structures with varying numbers of Ag satellites. Benefiting from the continuous tunability of the interfacial energy and growth kinetics, the structural evolution of the c-AuNC-Ag hybrid structures continuously occurred, enabling precise control of the Au–Ag bimetallic structures. Notably, the resulting c-AuNC-Ag structures showed tunable intense localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorptions within the 400–1000 nm wavelength along with strong SERS signals. The broad spectral absorption and strong SERS made the c-AuNC-Ag structures promising candidates for SERS and LSPR-based applications, including sensing, imaging, light energy harvesting, and conversion. Moreover, the effective synthetic control demonstrated in this work could facilitate the development of advanced hybrid metal nanomaterials with valuable properties, further broadening their application potential across various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcribing quantum effects from lower to higher dimensions is a complex yet intriguing area of research. Coulomb blockade (CB), a fundamental quantum phenomenon, is commonly observed in low-dimensional materials like quantum dots (QDs) at extremely low temperatures. This behavior shows promise for the development of high-performance memory and thermoelectric devices. However, when transitioning to larger dimensions, such as arrays at room temperature, the CB effect is hindered by thermal fluctuations and structural inconsistencies. This study presents a thorough examination of electron transport through PbS QDs using a blend of experimental and theoretical methods. By creating a sizable parallel array of QDs immobilized on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and employing single-layer graphene (SLG) as the top electrode, we were able to maintain the CB effect at room temperature on a device scale. Additionally, a device with a top gate structure was designed to precisely regulate the energetic position of quantum states in relation to the Fermi level of the electrode. By utilizing ultra-small QDs (typically 2 nm in size), we successfully sustained the CB effect at room temperature. To investigate the impact of structural uncertainties, we combined density-functional theory and quantum transport theory to comprehensively analyze the quantum transport properties of QDs bound with SAMs across various facets. This enabled us to establish a correlation between these structural variations and the experimental data distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulinastatin, a broad-spectrum inflammatory inhibitor widely employed in the management of severe pancreatitis and sepsis, has not been extensively investigated for its therapeutic potential in bacterial meningitis. This study aims to assess the neuroprotective effects of ulinastatin on bacterial meningitis and elucidate its underlying mechanism. The rat model of bacterial meningitis was established by intracerebral injection of Escherichia coli. 3-week-old SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups with 8 rats in each group, including control group, E.coli group, E.coli + UTI group (ulinastatin 50000IU/kg), E.coli + UTI + PMA group (ulinastatin 50000IU/kg + PMA 200 ug/kg), and E.coli + PMA group(PMA 200 ug/kg). Behavioral changes were assessed by Loeffler neurobehavioral score. Histomorphologic changes and apoptosis were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, Nissl staining and TUNEL staining. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence and western blotting were used to detect the expression levels of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and phosphorylation protein kinase C (PKCα).It was found that ulinastatin treatment in Escherichia coli meningitis rats improved neurological function, alleviated meningeal inflammatory infiltration, reduced neuronal death, promoted the integrity of the blood–brain barrier structure. Moreover, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, a protein kinase C activator), blocked the effective action of ulinastatin. These findings suggest that ulinastatin had neuroprotective effects on bacterial meningitis by inhibiting PKCα phosphorylation and reducing ZO-1 degradation, demonstrating that ulinastatin may be a promising strategy in the treatment of bacterial meningitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high spatial resolution and wide applicability of multi-spectral remote sensing make it significant for estimating shallow water depth. In areas with mixed substrates, determining the contribution of substrate reflection to the sensor's received signal can effectively enhance the precision of multi-spectral remote sensing bathymetry. Therefore, this paper proposes a Two Factors constrained Quasi-Analytical Algorithm (TF-QAA). Firstly, the algorithm considers the spectral variation of the mixed substrates. Secondly, a robust correlation between inherent optical parameters and water depth is established in this study, which is used to enforce a linear relationship constraint on the initially estimated water depth. Sentinel-2 image data was used to verify the algorithm in the Antelope Reef area of the South China Sea. The best result from images taken at different times indicates that the TF-QAA method has the average absolute error (MAE) of 0.92 m, the root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.20 m, the average relative error (MRE) of 10.6%, and the correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.97. The results suggest that the algorithm is effective for Case 1 water, providing a novel approach for extensive bathymetric mapping in shallow water areas of islands, with or without LiDAR-measured depth data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the impact of integrated neuromuscular training (INT) on athletes' jumping performance and lower limb injury prevention. A thorough search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library, identified a sample of 19,805 athletes aged between 8.5 and 27.7 years. Results showed that INT led to a significant improvement in jumping ability (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI 0.30–0.60, P = 0.000) and a reduction in lower limb injuries (SMD = 0.68, 95% CI 0.62–0.74, P = 0.000). The most effective interventions lasted at least 25 minutes, conducted 2-5 times per week, for a minimum of 9 weeks. This approach was particularly beneficial for children and adolescents, as it enhanced their countermovement jump (CMJ) ability and helped in the prevention of injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trade-off of stiffness and ductility of metals has long plagued materials scientists. To address this issue, atomic structure designs of short-range ordering (SRO) to sub-nanometer and nanometer scales have received much interest in tailoring the atomic environment and electronic interaction between solute and solvent atoms. Taking an example of Al–Li alloy with high specific stiffness and reverse correlation of Young's modulus and melting point, in this work, we investigate the SRO-dependent stiffness and intrinsic ductile–brittle properties by performing a full-configuration strategy containing various structural ordering features. It suggests that the short-range ordered arrangement of Li atoms can effectively enhance the stiffness while keeping ductility, playing a hydrostatic pressure-like role. Our findings present fundamental knowledge to enable high stiffness and ductility for solvent phases with low modulus through designing local short-range ordered cluster structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four typical theories on the formation of thermal tears: strength, liquid film, intergranular bridging, and solidification shrinkage compensation theories. From these theories, a number of criteria have been derived for predicting the formation of thermal cracks, such as the stress-based Niyama, Clyne, and RDG (Rapaz-Dreiser-Grimaud) criteria. In this paper, a mathematical model of horizontal centrifugal casting was established, and numerical simulation analysis was conducted for the centrifugal casting process of cylindrical Al-Cu alloy castings to investigate the effect of the centrifugal casting process conditions on the microstructure and hot tearing sensitivity of alloy castings by using the modified RDG hot tearing criterion. Results show that increasing the centrifugal rotation and pouring speeds can refine the microstructure of the alloy but increasing the pouring and mold preheating temperatures can lead to an increase in grain size. The grain size gradually transitions from fine grain on the outer layer to coarse grain on the inner layer. Meanwhile, combined with the modified RDG hot tearing criterion, the overall distribution of the castings' hot tearing sensitivity was analyzed. The analysis results indicate that the porosity in the middle region of the casting was large, and hot tearing defects were prone to occur. The hot tearing tendency on the inner side of the casting was greater than that on the outer side. The effects of centrifugal rotation speed, pouring temperature, and preheating temperature on the thermal sensitivity of Al-Cu alloy castings are summarized in this paper. This study revealed that the tendency of alloy hot cracking decreases with the increase of the centrifugal speed, and the maximum porosity of castings decreases first and then increases with the pouring temperature. As the preheating temperature increases, the overall maximum porosity of castings shows a decreasing trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sr has been widely used to convert the faceted needle-like eutectic Si to fibrous Si particles for producing automotive engines, pistons, and wheels made of Al–Si–Cu alloys. However, its application to recycled Al–Si–Cu alloys has not been investigated in details, especially how needle-like Fe-rich intermetallics can transformed into less harmful phases. In this study, the influence of minor additions at 0.015 and 0.03 wt% Sr has been quantified by using X-ray computed tomography (XCT) at a micrometer resolution. It has been found that half of the needle-like β-Fe intermetallics have transformed into a compact α-Fe phase as a result of 0.015 wt% Sr addition. Further increasing the Sr level to 0.03 wt% resulted in the majority of the needle-like phases transforming into less harmful crystal structures including fibrous Si and blocky α-Fe, leading to an increase in elongation by 90.47%. In addition, the first-principles calculations have shown that Sr has a strong affinity to vacancy and interfaces, prohibiting the nucleation of eutectic Si and porosity. Therefore, the porosity number density decreased from 274.72 to 91.26 mm−3, and the eutectic Si number density increased from 13,061.27 to 42,449.13 mm−2. First-principles calculations and quantification of blocky Fe-rich intermetallics replacing needle-like morphology as a function of Sr addition uncover that Sr–Al–Si co-segregation to the low interfacial energy α-Al/Fe-rich intermetallics interface cut the diffusion path of Fe along faceted planes at elevated temperature, promoting twinning by alternating stacking sequences along the high Miller index planes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-situ observations of the evolution of hydrogen microporosity nucleation and growth during solidification of Al–Cu–Li alloys were conducted by using synchrotron X-ray radiography. The kinetic behavior of hydrogen microporosity and the mechanisms of nucleation and growth were investigated and verified by comparison with a multiscale model. Hydrogen microporosity was found to nucleate at temperatures between 610 °C and 622 °C during solidification and exhibited rapid growth between 565 °C and 610 °C, with growth rates around 3.2 μm/s. The evolution of hydrogen microporosity growth was best described by the Boltzmann function and displayed merging and ripening behavior. The average equivalent diameter ( D ¯ e ) of hydrogen microporosity and hydrogen supersaturation (SSH) followed the relationship D ¯ e =23.96SSH−0.27. The evolution of 3D hydrogen microporosity during the solidification of Al–Cu–Li alloy was predicted by using a multiscale model. Simulation results agreed well with in-situ experiments, offering a predictive tool for optimizing the manufacturing process of Al–Cu–Li alloy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports transient dynamics of strong near‐field coupling behavior of plasmons in a multilayer metal nanostructure that enables ultrahigh‐efficient optical switching. Particle plasmon on the top array units couples with localized/delocalized plasmons on the bottom Au film to produce dipolar and high‐order hybrid modes with nearly suppressed reflection. The mode coupling can be tuned from near‐field to far‐field regime readily mediated by the spacer thickness. The dipolar mode inherits the high dispersive property of the delocalized plasmon, but the higher‐order one shows limited dispersion. Transient spectroscopy illustrates both hybrid modes have a picosecond timescale redshift under on‐ and off‐resonance excitation. However, the higher‐order mode exhibits a longer decay lifetime than the dipolar one because of resonance characteristics and cavity properties. An ultrafast optical switching effect with a response time of τ = 3.2 ps and an ultrahigh efficiency of 5100 mOD mJ−1 cm2 is achieved under an extremely low pump fluence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The performance of swing movement during spikes and serves plays a crucial role in determining the outcomes of volleyball matches. This study aims to explore the effects of the participation of the trunk and lower limbs’ involvement on the velocity and power of the swing movement of adolescent male volleyball players, as well as the differences in power and velocity performance of the swing movement among different ages and specific positions. Methods: The study involved 22 adolescent male volleyball players, with 11 high school students and 11 middle school students. The Kineo Globus equipment was used to assess the swing movement performance involving different segments, including arm swing movement only involving arm limb participation; upper swing movement involving trunk and arm limb participation; and whole body swing movement involving lower limb, trunk, and arm limb participation. The measured parameters included power and velocity performance levels. Before the test, each subject practiced three movement patterns twice. Results: The study found that swing movement involving both the trunk and arm limbs had significantly higher average (F = 17.70, p < 0.001) and peak power performance (F = 31.47, p < 0.001), as well as in average (F = 9.14, p = 0.03) and peak velocity performance (F = 23.17, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in average (F = 17.70; p = 0.46) and peak power (F = 31.47, p = 0.94), as well as in average (F = 9.14, p = 0.99) and peak velocity performance (F = 23.17, p = 0.90) between movements involving the whole body and those involving the trunk and upper limbs. Among different age groups, the swing movement performance of middle school athletes showed significant enhancements in both average (F = 9.20, p < 0.001) and peak power (F = 19.93, p < 0.001), as well as in average (F = 10.75, p < 0.001) and peak velocity (F = 34.35, p < 0.001) when arm swing with trunk involvement was compared to arm swing movement. High school athletes also showed significant improvements in peak velocity (F = 34.35, p < 0.001), peak power (F = 17.31, p < 0.001), and average power (F = 9.41, p < 0.001) during upper swing movements, except for average velocity performance (F = 1.56, p = 0.21), when compared to arm swing movement. The increase rate in average velocity performance of swing movements involving trunk participation was significantly higher in middle school athletes than in high school athletes (p < 0.001). Among athletes in specific positions, Middle Blocker (MB) players exhibited significantly better average power performance in swing movements involving trunk and arm limb participation compared to Outside Hitter (OH) players (p = 0.04). Furthermore, the rate of average (p = 0.01) and peak (p = 0.03) power change during upper swing movements involving lower limb participation was significantly higher among OH players than MB players. Conclusions: The involvement of the trunk segment has been observed to significantly improve power and velocity in swing movements during spike and serves among adolescent male volleyball players. This underscores the importance of coordination between the trunk and arm in influencing swing movement performance during spikes and serves. High school athletes demonstrate superior power and velocity in arm swing movements compared to middle school athletes. MB exhibits greater power in upper limb swing movements than OH, although OH players show better coordination between the arm, trunk, and lower limb segments in the swing movement. To enhance swing movement performance in adolescent male volleyball players, particularly focusing on the trunk segment was crucial. Specialized physical training programs should target improving both arm strength and rotational power of the trunk simultaneously. This approach would help in consistently enhancing coordination between the trunk and arms, ultimately leading to optimized force generation during swing movements such as spikes and serves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of three equine therapy approaches on gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy. The studies were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library, in accordance with the style commonly found in scientific journal publications:(1) peer-reviewed articles written in English; (2) experimental or quasi-experimental; (3) three Equine Therapy Interventions as experiment's independent variable; (4) children with cerebral palsy; and (5) measurement of outcomes related to Gross Motor Function. The study examined 596 patients with cerebral palsy, whose average age was 8.03 years. The three types of horse therapy interventions had a significant impact on gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy (SMD = 0.19, 95% CI 0.02–0.36, p = 0.031). Additionally, the interventions positively affected dimensions C (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI 0.00–0.62, p = 0.05), D (SMD = 0.30, 95% CI 0.06–0.56, p = 0.017), and B (SMD = 0.72, 95% CI 0.10–1.34, p = 0.023). The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) consists of 88 or 66 items, which are divided into five functional dimensions: GMFM-A (lying down and rolling), GMFM-B (sitting), GMFM-C (crawling and kneeling), GMFM-D (standing), and GMFM-E (walking, running, and jumping). Each subsection of the GMFM can be used separately to evaluate motor changes in a specific dimension of interest. Subgroup analysis revealed that different horse-assisted therapy approaches, types of cerebral palsy, exercise duration, frequency, and intervention periods are important factors influencing treatment outcomes. The intervention period ranged from 8 to 12 weeks, with session durations of 30 to 45 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week. Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) demonstrated significant improvements in the overall gross motor function score, Dimension B, Dimension C, and Dimension D among children with cerebral palsy. The most effective treatment is provided by Equine-Assisted Therapy, followed by Horseback Riding Simulator (HRS). Due to its economic practicality, HRS plays an irreplaceable role. Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) demonstrates the most effective treatment outcomes, suggesting that hospitals and healthcare professionals can form specialized teams to provide rehabilitation guidance. 2. Within equine-assisted therapy, Horseback Riding Simulator (HRS) exhibits treatment efficacy second only to Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT), making it a cost-effective and practical option worthy of promotion and utilization among healthcare institutions and professionals. 3. In equine-assisted therapy, Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR) holds certain value in rehabilitation due to its engaging and practical nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton fabrics are susceptible to contamination in daily use. Herein, this study developed a scalable and benign strategy to impart superhydrophobic and photocatalytic properties to cotton fabrics by impregnating SiO2–TiO2 Janus particles (SiO2–TiO2 JPs) and silicone elastomer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). SiO2–TiO2 Janus particles were synthesized by Pickering template method. The obtained cotton fabrics exhibited good superhydrophobic properties with a water contact angle (WCA) of 155° as well as mechanical and chemical stability. The modified fabrics maintained their superhydrophobic properties against 30 cycles of mechanical abrasion, 15 cycles of tape peeling, and 24 h of UV aging. They also had good resistance to n-hexane, acetone, acid/alkali liquids. The degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B (RhB) was up to 63% after 6 h of UV irradiation and still 48% after 5 cycles of degradation. The facile approach in favor of large-scale preparation showed promising potential for wide application of flexible, superhydrophobic cotton fabrics with self-cleaning performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This was a single-arm, multicenter phase 2 clinical trial (ChiCTR1900021726) involving advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer (sq-NSCLC) patients undergoing 2 cycles of nab-paclitaxel/carboplatin and sintilimab (anti-PD-1), followed by sintilimab maintenance therapy. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11.4 months (95% CI: 6.7-18.1), which met the pre-specified primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints included objective response rate reaching 70.5% and a disease control rate of 93.2%, with a median duration of response of 13.6 months [95% CI: 7.0–not evaluable (NE)]. The median overall survival was 27.2 months (95% CI: 20.2–NE) with treatment-related adverse events grades ≥3 occurring in 10.9% of patients. Predefined exploratory endpoints comprised relationships between biomarkers and treatment efficacy, and the association between circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) dynamics and PFS. Biomarker analysis revealed that the breast cancer gene 2, BMP/Retinoic Acid Inducible Neural Specific 3, F-box/WD repeat-containing protein 7, tyrosine-protein kinase KIT and retinoblastoma 1 abnormalities led to shorter PFS, while ctDNA negative at baseline or clearance at 2 cycles of treatment was associated with longer PFS (18.1 vs. 4.3 months). Taken together, sintilimab in combination with 2 cycles of nab-paclitaxel/carboplatin treatment produced encouraging PFS and better tolerability as first-line treatment for advanced sq-NSCLC. Combining standard 4-6 cycles of chemotherapy with immune checkpoints inhibitors has shown to improve survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however increased toxicities have also been reported. Here the authors report the results of a phase 2 trial of sintilimab (anti-PD1) with two cycles of chemotherapy for treatment of previously untreated advanced squamous NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of rotating machinery fault diagnosis (RMFD), the lack of feature conditions leads to the problem of low accuracy of traditional rule-based reasoning methods FD. This paper proposed a knowledge graph (KG)-driven device FD method and applied it to RMFD. First, we proposed a multi-level KG construction method to get multi-source data based on each level and analyzed the levels that affected the system state. A single-level KG was constructed through data features, and a multilevel KG with a stereostructure was built using a multi-source data fusion model as data support for FD. Second, we proposed an approach based on multilevel KG and Bayes theory to detect the system state and located the source of faults by combining the KG reasoning based on relational paths, then used the relationships between the structures of rotating mechanical equipment for fault cause reasoning and used the KG as a knowledge base for a reason using machine learning. Finally, the proposed method was validated using a steelworks motor as an example and compared with other ways, such as rule-based FD. The results show that under the condition of missing input features, the accuracy of the proposed method reaches 91.1%, which is significantly higher than other methods and effectively solves the problem of low diagnostic accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stress distribution in prestressed filament wound components plays a crucial role in determining the quality of these components during their operational lifespan. This article proposes a physical model to analyze the stress and deformation of prestressed wound composite components with arch-shaped sections. Drawing upon the principles of beam theory, we delve into the analysis of prestressed wound components with metal liners featuring arch-shaped sections. Our investigation revealed a noteworthy phenomenon termed the "additional bending moment effect" within prestressed wound components with arch-shaped sections. Furthermore, this study establishes a relationship between this additional bending moment and the external pressure. In addition, a 3D finite element (FE) model for prestressed wound components with arch-shaped sections incorporating metal liners was developed. The model's accuracy was validated through a comparison with prestressed wound experiments, showcasing an error margin of less than 2%. In comparison with prestressed wound components with circular cross-sections under identical load and dimensional parameters, it was observed that prestressed wound components with arch-shaped sections exhibit stress distributions in the arc segments akin to their circular counterparts, with differences not exceeding 5%. Notably, when the ratio of the straight segment length to the inner diameter of the arc segment inner is less than 4, the deformation on the symmetric plane of the arc segment in an arch-shaped component can be effectively considered as the summation of deformations in equivalent-sized arc and straight segments under identical loading conditions. This yields an equivalent physical model and a streamlined analysis and design methodology for describing the deformation characteristics of prestressed wound components with arch-shaped sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the plate-like Al13Fe4 intermetallics are detrimental to the mechanical properties of recycled Al alloys which have higher Fe levels than primary Al. In wrought Al alloys, it is difficult to avoid the formation of primary plate-like Al13Fe4 intermetallics due to its equilibrium nature during solidification and its adaptions of many impurities such as Si, Mn, and Cr to form complex substitutional (Al, Si)13(Fe, Mn)4 crystals during subsequent homogenization and hot deformation. In this study, the influences of hot processing with different Mn and Cr additions and subsequent homogenization and hot transformation have been investigated. When 0.3Mn is added to Al–0.9Fe–0.1Si alloy, the percentage of Al13(Fe, Mn)4 decreases from 0.75 to 0.45% after homogenization of 10 h. When both 0.3Mn and 0.3Cr are added, it will decrease from 1.57 to 0.65%. After 30% hot deformation, it further decreases to 0.40% and 0.35% in 0.3Mn and 0.3Mn + Cr alloy, respectively, resulting in an improvement in elongation by 11.15% and 49.35%. Combined with cold deformation by 20%, Al13(Fe, Mn)4 eventually decreases to 0.30% and 0.24% in 0.3Mn and 0.3Mn + Cr alloys, achieving complete conversion from Al13(Fe, Mn)4 to α-Al15(Fe, Mn)3Si2, and the tensile strength is increased by 23.52% and 19.90%, respectively. To reveal the transformation mechanisms of Fe-rich intermetallics, first-principle calculations are adopted to compare the interfacial energy of Al13Fe4 and α-Al15(Fe, Mn)3Si2 with the Al matrix. It is found that the Al13Fe4 shows a much more faceted nature than the α-Al15(Fe, Mn)3Si2 due to its higher Jackson's α-factor and greater interfacial energy but can be transformed into α-Al15(Fe, Mn)3Si2 at certain thermodynamic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment of Zinner syndrome. Methods Three patients with Zinner's syndrome admitted in our hospital in recent years were reviewed. According to the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment process of these patients, combined with the relevant literatures, the clinical characteristics and follow-up results after treatment of this disease were summarized and analyzed. Results Among the 3 patients, 2 patients had right side lesions and 1 patient had left side lesions. All the patients had no ejaculatory disorder. Two adult patients had given birth. After clinical diagnosis, one patient with dysuria underwent laparoscopic seminal vesicle cyst decapitation and ureterectomy, and one asymptomatic patient combined with seminal vesicle stones received seminal vesicle lithotomy, and the other asymptomatic patient was only followed up. The operations were all successfully completed and no complications occurred. The postoperative reexamination showed that their imaging results were all improved, and the symptoms of the patient with dysuria disappeared. Conclusion The possibility of Zinner syndrome should be considered in the patients with one kidney absence and ipsilateral pelvic cystic lesion. Individualized treatment should be selected according to the specific performance of patients. Laparoscopic surgery or transurethral surgery could be used for patients who have the surgical indications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L12-Al3X (X = Li, Sc, and Zr) precipitates are the main strengthened phases of high-strength aluminum alloys and are critical for aerospace structural materials. Point defects and substitutional ternary elements change the mechanical properties of Al3X. In this paper, the effect of point defects, including vacancy, antisite, and substitutional element addition defects on the elastic modulus of the off-stoichiometric Al3X (X = Li, Sc, and Zr) phase were investigated by using first-principle calculations. The formation enthalpies of the defective Al3X alloy and isolated point defects in Al3X were calculated, and the results showed that the defects have an effect on the structure and elasticity of the off-stoichiometric Al3X phases. The lattice distortion, elastic constants, and elastic moduli were further investigated. It was found that the point defects increased the Young's modulus for Al3Zr, and the doping of Er improved the Young's modulus for off-stoichiometric Al3Li and Al3Sc. Adjusting the position of vacancies can improve the elastic modulus. In addition, the doping of substitutional elements (especially Sc, Ti, Zr, Hf, Ta, Mn, Ir, and Cf) can greatly increase the Young's modulus of off-stoichiometric Al3Li. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a film-linked electrostatic self-assembly microfluidic chip for the first time, designed to be ready-to-use. Barrier films are used to isolate the gas/liquid path microchannels and the pre-stored reagents of the chip before use. Through the linkage design between the film materials, the motion of barrier films is linked to the structural changes inside the chip. Under the combined action of the rebound force of the elastic substrate, the electrostatic adsorption force between the substrates, and the reaction force of the elastic film, the elastic substrate and the liquid storage substrate are instantly bonded, and the self-assembly of the chip is completed within 1 s. By using six independently output programmable sequences to perform the sequential quantitative pumping of pre-stored reagents, the transfer and mixing of samples and pre-stored reagents are automatically driven in a confined space, which greatly reduces the contamination risk and loss rate of samples/reagents, and improves the accuracy and reproducibility of test results. In addition, the microfluidic multi-step reaction driven in parallel can avoid liquid reflux, accurately control the amount of reactant transfer, and realize the quantitative detection of samples. Multiple reactions can be performed synchronously without interference, saving the test time. Since each gas path is independently controllable, the chip can be extended to a variety of biochemical reactions and has the potential to detect a variety of substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All-inorganic lead halide perovskite has emerged as an attractive semiconducting material due to its unique optoelectronic properties. However, its poor environmental stability restricts its broad application. Here, a simple method for the fabrication of CsPb2Br5/TiO2 is investigated. The introduction of p-aminobenzoic acid, which has two functional groups, is critical for the capping of amorphous TiO2 on CsPb2Br5. After calcination at 300 °C, amorphous TiO2 crystallizes into the anatase phase. The CsPb2Br5/TiO2 NCs show high long-term stability in water and enhanced stability against ultraviolet radiation and heat treatment, owing to the chemical stability of TiO2. More importantly, photo-electrochemical characterizations indicate that the formation of TiO2 shells can increase the charge separation efficiency. Hence, CsPb2Br5/TiO2 exhibits improved photoelectric activity owing to the electrical conductivity of the TiO2 in water. This study provides a new route for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices and photocatalysts based on perovskite NCs in the aqueous phase. Furthermore, the present results demonstrate that CsPb2Br5/TiO2 NCs has considerable potential to be used as a photoelectric material in optical sensing and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textile-based wearable electronics have drawn increasing attention in recent years, but stable and durable conductive mechanism on textiles has been the challenge. In this study, we propose to fabricate a liquid metal circuit on textile substrates for flexible antennas and wearable sensors via screen printing method. The breakage of liquid metal circuit on cotton/lycra elastic fabrics can be repaired by pressing or heating, and the patterned liquid metal circuits can be removed using sodium hydroxide solution. Furthermore, the liquid metal circuit was designed as a pressure switch for thermal management system with the temperature precisely controllable by tuning the applied pressure. The liquid metal circuit was further designed as a flexible near field communication (NFC) antenna, providing identification capacity such as replacing campus card and protecting children. The maximum bending angle and effective distance of the NFC tag are determined to be 150 and 17.8 mm, respectively. In addition, the as-prepared liquid metal-based fabric sensors can accurately human motion detection in real time, exhibiting great potential in flexible wearable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a cutting-edge technique for highly sensitive analysis of chemicals and molecules. Traditional SERS-active nanostructures are constructed on rigid substrates where the nanogaps providing hot-spots of Raman signals are fixed, and sample loading is unsatisfactory due to the unconformable attachment of substrates on irregular sample surfaces. A flexible SERS substrate enables conformable sample loading and, thus, highly sensitive Raman detection but still with limited detection capabilities. Stretchable SERS substrates with flexible sample loading structures and controllable hot-spot size provide a new strategy for improving the sample loading efficiency and SERS detection sensitivity. This review summarizes and discusses recent development and applications of the newly conceptual stretchable SERS substrates. A roadmap of the development of SERS substrates is reviewed, and fabrication techniques of stretchable SERS substrates are summarized, followed by an exhibition of the applications of these stretchable SERS substrates. Finally, challenges and perspectives of the stretchable SERS substrates are presented. This review provides an overview of the development of SERS substrates and sheds light on the design, fabrication, and application of stretchable SERS systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic thin films composed of highly ordered molecular arrays hold tremendous potential for thermoelectric energy harvesting. In comparison to metal–thiolate arrays formed through covalent bonding, molecular arrays bound to graphene substrates via non-covalent interactions exhibit superior thermoelectric behavior. Recent studies have explored the thermoelectric properties of non-conjugated junctions utilizing graphene as a substrate. However, for energy-harvesting purposes, conjugated oligo-aromatic molecules with narrower HOMO–LUMO gaps are more desirable. The step-wise assembly strategy, which involves using a zinc-centered porphyrin to form a footpad first and subsequently binding the molecular backbones to the regularly arranged zinc centers in the footpad, has been reported as an effective approach for growing conjugated molecular backbone arrays, with minimal intermolecular effects on various types of substrates. In this study, we employ this strategy to fabricate aromatic molecular arrays on graphene substrates. Initially, a zinc-centered porphyrin layer is immobilized onto the graphene substrate through π–π stacking interactions. Subsequently, a conjugated pyridine backbone is coordinated to the zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP). Due to the substantial footprint of ZnTPP, this sequential assembly method effectively separates the molecular backbones and prevents smearing of the density of states arising from intermolecular interactions. Consequently, a significant enhancement in thermopower is achieved. Our findings present a novel approach for designing high-efficiency thermoelectric materials, resulting in a Seebeck coefficient of approximately 51 μV K−1. This value surpasses the majority of reported Seebeck coefficients for organic molecular junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that a Cu/Li ratio over 4.0 leads to significant precipitation hardening in the third generation of Al–Li alloys, which have been widely used in aerospace and aeronautic industries. However, increasing Cu levels not only cancels some gains in weight reduction but also results in reductions in ductility when the traditional age-hardening process is adopted. In this study, we show that higher strength and ductility can be achieved simultaneously by replacing traditional artificial aging with new creep aging and tailoring the entire process from casting to age hardening without changing any nominal chemical compositions. Surprisingly, the precipitation kinetics of AA2060 alloy is significantly enhanced through the combination of hot extrusion, creep aging, and pre-strain compared to traditional artificial aging. For example, at 160°C, it follows the transformation path of supersaturated solid solution (SSSS)→GP zones + δ′+T1 precursors which will further transform into T1 +S'; at 200°C, SSS→ GP zones, and they transform into T1 + S' immediately. The precipitation of θ′ and δ′ phases is significantly inhibited at elevated temperatures due to the competing relationship with T1 and S' phases at a peak-aged state. Contrary to traditional knowledge in Al–Li alloys, we have found that the greater extrusion ratio at 33.0 and higher aging temperature at 200°C can give a much higher peak aging strength with average ultimate tensile strength 659 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin oxide (SnO2) is a traditional gas-sensitive semiconductor with excellent response to various gases. However, its sensor performances are attenuated by the utility factor during gas diffusion in the sensing body. Therefore, the rational design of microstructure of devices is attractive and necessary because it may provide a sensible and controllable microstructure, which facilitates gas diffusion and inhibits the utility factor. Herein, the mesoporous tin oxide (MPTD) quantum dot thin film for H2S gas sensors is prepared by a facile route, which creates a mesoporous microstructure for thin films by the thermal decomposition of NH4Cl. The pore size of the thin films is controlled to be 19.36–40.13 nm. The mesoporous microstructure exhibits enhanced gas-sensing properties amounting to a 30-fold increase in response and 1/3 reduction in recovery time in H2S detection at room temperature (25 °C), with a limit of detection of 0.4 ppm. To determine the importance of sensor parameters such as pore size, film thickness, and grain size, an eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm model was developed to examine the feature importance of each parameter on the gas-sensing performance of the MPTD sensors. The visual illustration of parameter importance is revealed to facilitate the optimization of technical preparation parameters as well as the rational design of semiconductor gas sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In recent years, percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) has been increasingly used in clinical settings. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to determine the analgesic effect of intravertebral lidocaine injections in PKP. METHODS: A total of 60 patients who were treated with PKP were enrolled in this study. Lidocaine hydrochloride was chosen as the medication for the experimental group. Patients were randomly assigned into three groups using a double-blind study design: In group A (20 cases), no drugs were injected into the vertebral body during surgery; group B (20 cases) received intravertebral injection of normal saline; and in group C (20 cases), lidocaine hydrochloride was administered into the vertebral body during surgery. The age of patients, operation time, balloon dilatation pressure, balloon dilatation volume, and amount of bone cement injected were compared across the three groups. A pain visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess pain suffered by the patients before, during, and 24 hours after the surgery. RESULTS: Age, operation time, balloon dilatation pressure, balloon dilatation volume, and amount of bone cement injected did not differ significantly among the three groups (P > 0.05). The differences in VAS scores 24 hours before and after surgery were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Group C had lower intraoperative VAS scores than groups A and B, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference between group A and group B (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Intravertebral injections of lidocaine during PKP can successfully reduce intraoperative pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rail expansion significantly impacts the launch precision of a railgun system. Higher precision can be achieved when the extent of expansion is low. This paper investigates three main factors that influence the extent of rail expansion using the finite element method, including pre-stress, electromagnetic load, and stiffness of the insulators. The mean squared error between experiment results and simulating results is less than 0.06, validating the finite element model. The simulated results reveal that the extent of rail expansion increases with a decrease in pre-stress and an increase in electromagnetic pressure and the stiffness of the insulator is the most significant influencing factor, as the use of a stiff insulator not only results in a small extent of rail expansion but also delays the separation between the rails and insulators. The mechanism of how pre-stress influences the railgun system has been proposed. It has been expressed that the pre-stress maintains the integrity of the railgun system by hindering the process of a decrease in the contact surface area between rails and insulators during launch. The study provides a platform to improve the design of the railgun system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To facilitate the application of carbon black filled glass fiber reinforced poly‐ether‐ether‐ketone (CB‐GF/PEEK) prepreg in laser assisted tape winding (LATW), a finite element method is used to analyze the optical‐thermal characteristics of the following three prepregs with distinct laser absorption properties: (i) 0.5%CB (incomplete absorption), (ii) 2.74%CB (complete, single‐layer absorption), (iii) 4%CB (complete, near‐surface absorption). Thus, the energy distribution, temperature distribution and thermal accumulation are revealed, and the heating strategy is customized according to the laser absorption characteristics of each prerpeg. Then the feasibility of CB filled GF/PEEK prepreg in LATW is verified by manufacturing and testing NOL rings. Finally, the nip‐point irradiation scheme is optimized. The simulation results reveal a significant difference between the optical‐thermal characteristics of the 0.5%CB and those of the other two prerpegs. Benefited from the energy leakage, the 0.5%CB facilitated twice melting by thermal accumulation, along with a higher nip‐point temperature. Meanwhile, the mechanical performance tests of the NOL rings indicate a similar tensile strength of ~1300 MPa for the 0.5%CB and 4%CB, while the interlaminar strength of the 0.5%CB is slightly higher than that of the 4%CB. The latter result may be due to the higher nip‐point temperature of the 0.5%CB, which promotes resin diffusion and enhances the bonding strength. Finally, an optimized heating strategy with short laser length, vertical irradiation of the nip‐point is proposed, and is shown to reduce the ineffective thermal accumulation and ensured the suitability of Tape and Laminate temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti–0.3Mo–0.8Ni (TA10) titanium alloy has attracted attention owing to its mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Titanium alloy ingots are mostly obtained by vacuum arc remelting (VAR); however, if electron beam cold hearth melting (EBCHM) technology is used, the cost of production can be reduced considerably. However, there have been few studies of TA10 alloy melted by EBCHM technology. The effect of annealing temperature on the microstructure evolution, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of TA10 alloy melted by EBCHM technology was investigated in this study. The results demonstrate that the equiaxed α phase grew up and tended to be equiaxed with the increase of annealing temperature. The lamellar α phase transformed into an equiaxed α phase with the average grain size of 5.78 μm when annealed at 780 °C. The plasticity and corrosion resistance of the alloy increased gradually, while the strength and Vickers hardness decreased with elevated annealing temperature. This is related to the globularization of the α phase and merging of grain boundaries during the annealing treatment. After annealed at 780 °C, the strength and ductility product (UTS × EL) of the alloy was the highest, and it also had a good corrosion resistance. Thus, the alloy annealed at 780 °C has the best comprehensive properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes. Gradual loss of podocytes is a sign of DN and pyroptosis mechanistically correlates with podocyte injury in DN; however, the mechanism(s) involved remain unknown. Here we reveal that TRIM29 is overexpressed in high glucose (HG)‐treated murine podocytes cells and that TRIM29 silencing significantly inhibits podocyte damage due to HG treatment, as evidenced by lower desmin expression and greater nephrin expression. Additionally, flow cytometry analysis showed that TRIM29 silencing significantly inhibited HG treatment‐induced pyroptosis, which was confirmed by immunoblotting for NLRP3, active Caspase‐1, GSDMD‐N, and phosphorylated NF‐κB‐p65. Conversely, overexpression of TRIM29 could trigger pyroptosis that was attenuated by NF‐κB inhibition, indicating that TRIM29 promotes pyroptosis through the NF‐κB pathway. Mechanistic studies revealed that TRIM29 interacts with IκBα to mediate its ubiquitination‐dependent degradation, which in turn leads to NF‐κB activation. Taken together, our data demonstrate that TRIM29 can promote podocyte pyroptosis by activating the NF‐κB/NLRP3 pathway. Thus, TRIM29 represents a potentially novel therapeutic target that may also be clinically relevant in the management of DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and degrade methylene blue (MB), cobalt and nitrogen‐doped porous carbon composite catalysts were prepared through pyrolysing zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF‐9 and dicyandiamide (DCDA) at 700–900 °C with various mass ratios. Powder X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller results showed that Co, porous carbon and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) co‐existed in the catalyst prepared at 800 °C with a ZIF‐9/DCDA ratio of 1 : 3. Thermogravimetric analysis suggested that CNT@ZIF‐800 had a higher ratio of graphitic to turbostratic carbon than CNT@ZIF‐700. It had degraded 94.8 % MB within 30 min, which was about 1.9 times faster than its counterpart C‐ZIF‐800. It also showed faster degradation rates towards Congo red (98.5 %, 5 min) and slower rates towards rhodamine B (90.7 %, 30 min) than MB. Furthermore, XPS revealed that it had 14.5 % more Co−Nx/pyridinic‐N active sites than C‐ZIF‐800. EPR suggested that 1O2 might be the primary catalytic species whereas the SO4−⋅ and ⋅OH the secondary ones. The formation mechanism of such active species might be originated from the synergistic activation of PMS by CNTs, Co−Nx/pyridinic‐N and abundant Co sites in the CNT@ZIF‐800. This work not only provided efficient Fenton‐like catalysts for MB degradation, but also clarified the catalytic mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Apatinib, a highly selective VEGFR2 inhibitor, significantly improved efficacy versus placebo as a third- and later-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer in phase 2 and 3 trials. This prospective, single-arm, multicenter phase IV AHEAD study was conducted to verify the safety and efficacy of apatinib in patients with advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma after at least two lines of systematic therapy in clinical practice settings. Methods: Patients with advanced gastric cancer who had previously failed at least two lines of chemotherapy received oral apatinib until disease progression, death or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was safety. The secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Adverse events were summarized by the incidence rate. Median OS and PFS were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. ORR, DCR, OS at 3 and 6 months, and PFS at 3 and 6 months were calculated, and their 95% CIs were estimated according to the Clopper-Pearson method. Results: Between May 2015 and November 2019, a total of 2004 patients were enrolled, and 1999 patients who received at least one dose of apatinib were assessed for safety. In the safety population, 87.9% of patients experienced treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), with the most common hypertension (45.2%), proteinuria (26.5%), and white blood cell count decreased (25.3%). Additionally, 51% of patients experienced grade ≥ 3 TRAEs. Fatal TRAEs occurred in 57 (2.9%) patients. No new safety concerns were reported. Among the 2004 patients included in the intention-to-treat population, the ORR was 4.4% (95% CI, 3.6–5.4%), and DCR was 35.8% (95% CI, 33.7–38.0%). The median PFS was 2.7 months (95% CI 2.2–2.8), and the median OS was 5.8 months (95% CI 5.4–6.1). Conclusions: The findings in the AHEAD study confirmed the acceptable and manageable safety profile and clinical benefit of apatinib in patients with advanced gastric cancer as a third- or later-line of treatment. Trial registration: This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02426034. Registration date was April 24, 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of obtaining a refining flux that is stable and provides effective refining of aluminum melt, a new strategy of designing the flux composition has been proposed. Ten fluxes were designed, by selecting ten molten salt compounds according to their thermophysical parameters, physical properties, and thermodynamic analysis. The melting points of the ten fluxes, and the phases transformation of the fluxes after melting, were studied by DSC and XRD, respectively. The contact angles between four groups of fluxes and alumina at refinement temperatures were studied, and the effect of refinement was characterized by a metallographic microscope. The process of the fluxes removing inclusions and degassing was analyzed thermodynamically. The research findings indicate that flux #10 (11.0 wt.%NaF, 29.5 wt.%NaCl, 46.5 wt.%Na2CO3, 3.0 wt.%CaF2, 10.0 wt.%Na3AlF6) has a melting point (562.2 °C) below the refining temperature. At the refining temperature (760 °C), flux #10 has the lowest contact angle, of 12.78°. In addition, compared to that of flux STJ–A3, currently used in practice, flux #10 has a better refining effectiveness, with the pores and inclusions content of the sample being reduced to 1.11% from 2.96%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For aluminum alloys, grain refinement is one of the effective methods for improving both strength and ductility. However, the refining effect of Al-Ti-B master alloy refiners deteriorates due to the agglomeration and sinking of the second phase particles. In this paper, the effects of rare earth type, rare earth content, and holding time on the microstructure and properties of Al-5Ti-B + RE/6111 were investigated by orthogonal experiment. It was shown that the addition of rare earth promoted the transformation of the β-Al5FeSi phase to anα-Al15(Mn,Fe)3Si2 phase, while the segregation of rare earth made it difficult for TiB2 to aggregate and inhibited the growth of TiAl3, resulting in more particles becoming effective nucleation substrates. The Al-5Ti-B + Ce master alloy developed based on orthogonal experiment improved the refinement recession problem well and improved the comprehensive mechanical properties of 6111 aluminum alloy. It was found that the addition of Al-5Ti-B + 0.1Ce, which had an ultimate tensile strength of 240.4 ± 2.2 MPa, successfully reduced the grain size by 73.8% and improved elongation by 37.8% compared to the base alloy. There search is of great significance for the preparation and application of high-performance rare earth 6111 aluminum alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the use of glass fiber reinforced poly‐ether‐ether‐ketone (GF/PEEK) with low laser absorbance in laser assisted tape winding/placement (LATW/LATP), a method for dyeing GF/PEEK prepreg with nanoparticle fillers (NFs) is presented. First, the effects of carbon black (CB) and graphite (G) NFs on composites laser absorbance and reflection pattern were quantified, and the complex refractive index model was derived. Next, the effects of NFs on composites transverse thermal conductivity were tested, and the accuracy of four thermal conductivity prediction models were compared. Finally, the effects of NFs on composites interlayer performance were studied. The optical test results showed that NFs could improve laser absorbance while not changing reflection pattern, and the increase rate of absorbance for CB was higher than for G. As calculated by complex refractive index model, GF/PEEK with 1‐layer thickness could achieve complete laser absorption by addition of either 2.74%CB or 3.78%G. The thermal conductivity test results showed that NFs could improve composites transverse thermal conductivity. The increase rate of thermal conductivity for G was higher than for CB. Among the four prediction model, the Lewis‐Nielsen model had correct prediction regularity and was within 10% predict deviation. Based on this model, the transverse thermal conductivity of GF/PEEK/2.74%CB was 0.557 W/m K, and of GF/PEEK/3.78%G was 0.592 W/m K. The mechanical test results showed that the CB loading ≤4% had little effect on interlayer performance, while the G decreased interlayer performance. Consequently, adding CB at a low loading is a better way to realize GF/PEEK application in LATW/LATP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waveguide–plasmon polaritons sustained in metallic photonic crystal slabs show fascinating properties, such as narrow bandwidth and ultrafast dynamics crucial for biosensing, light emitting, and ultrafast switching. However, the patterning of metallic photonic crystals using electron beam lithography is challenging in terms of high efficiency, large area coverage, and cost control. This paper describes a controllable patterning technique for the fabrication of an Ag grating structure on an indium–tin oxide (ITO) slab that enables strong photon–plasmon interaction to obtain waveguide–plasmon polaritons. The Ag grating consisting of self-assembled silver nanoparticles (NPs) exhibits polarization-independent properties for the excitation of the hybrid waveguide–plasmon mode. The Ag NP grating can also be annealed at high temperature to form a continuous nanoline grating that supports the hybrid waveguide–plasmon mode only under transverse magnetic (TM) polarization. We tuned the morphology and the periodicity of the Ag grating through the concentration of silver salt and the photoresist template, respectively, to manipulate the strong coupling between the plasmon and the waveguide modes of different orders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetic mechanism of hydrogen absorption of the AA6111 alloy melt in different melting environments, and the in-situ real-time observation of the oxide film structure during the hydrogen absorption process were studied. The results show that the hydrogen absorption process of the aluminum alloy melt is related to the melting environment and the oxide film on the melt surface. The hydrogen content in the melt increases with the extension of time when the melting environment humidity and temperature are constant. The initial hydrogen content is also higher and the hydrogen absorption capacity of the melt is larger when the melting temperature is constant with an increasing melting environment humidity. The oxide film will fold over on itself and become porous, due to the change in the structure of the melt surface during heating. The surface of the melt is similar to the double-oxide-film defect hydrogen absorption carrier, which leads to the aggravation of hydrogen absorption. Hydrogen absorption kinetic equations for the aluminum alloy melt under different melting environments are obtained based on the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Al–Si–Cu–Mg cast aluminum alloys have important applications in automobile lightweight due to their advantages such as high strength-to-weight ratio, good heat resistance and excellent casting performance. With the increasing demand for strength and toughness of automotive parts, the development of high strength and toughness Al–Si–Cu–Mg cast aluminum alloys is one of the effective measures to promote the application of cast aluminum alloys in the automotive industry. In this paper, the research progress of improving the strength and toughness of Al–Si–Cu–Mg cast aluminum alloys was described from the aspects of multi-component alloying and heat treatment based on the strengthening mechanism of Al–Si–Cu–Mg cast aluminum alloys. Finally, the development prospects of automotive lightweight Al–Si–Cu–Mg cast aluminum alloys is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise trap and manipulation of individual cells is a prerequisite for single-cell analysis, which has a wide range of applications in biology, chemistry, medicine, and materials. Herein, a microfluidic trapping system with a 3D electrode based on AC dielectrophoresis (DEP) technology is proposed, which can achieve the precise trapping and release of specific microparticles. The 3D electrode consists of four rectangular stereoscopic electrodes with an acute angle near the trapping chamber. It is made of Ag–PDMS material, and is the same height as the channel, which ensures the uniform DEP force will be received in the whole channel space, ensuring a better trapping effect can be achieved. The numerical simulation was conducted in terms of electrode height, angle, and channel width. Based on the simulation results, an optimal chip structure was obtained. Then, the polystyrene particles with different diameters were used as the samples to verify the effectiveness of the designed trapping system. The findings of this research will contribute to the application of cell trapping and manipulation, as well as single-cell analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Microalgae is an important natural resource with extensive applications in various fields, such as health products, animal feed, biopharmaceuticals, and clean energy. However, before the research and utilization of microalgae resources, the microalgae cells of interest must be separated from hybrid strains and bacteria. The traditional method of microalgae separation requires manual labor under the microscope that is time‐consuming and labor‐intensive. RESULTS: Herein, a novel microalgae cell separation method based on the dielectrophoresis (DEP) technique was proposed. A unique DEP separation chip with a 3D electrode was designed. Chlorella and Closterium were used as the experimental samples to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method because they have similar volumes and very different electrical properties. Within a certain frequency range, Chlorella suffers from negative dielectrophoresis (nDEP) force and Closterium suffers from positive dielectrophoresis (pDEP) force, so their separation can be achieved. The separation efficiency exceeded 90%. In addition, the DEP response of the Chlorella and Closterium were studied, and the DEP spectra of the two microalgae cells were obtained. Moreover, the effects of DEP force on cell viability under different voltages and frequencies were experimentally analyzed. CONCLUSION: These findings will contribute to DEP technology, to the portable and harmless separation of microalgae, and to research on the dielectric properties of microalgae cells. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]