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Atomically thin 2D layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted widespread attention for their appealing electrical and optical properties and potential in constructing the next generation of highly integrated logic circuits. However, intrinsic 2D p-type semiconductor materials are still relatively scarce. Cu2Te, as a layered p-type material with a unique crystal structure, has rarely been reported for its electrical and photoelectric properties. Here, ultrathin single-crystalline Cu2Te nanosheets as thin as 2.6 nm on SiO2/Si and 1.6 nm on a 2D MoS2substrate are directly realized by a modified spatially confined chemical vapor deposition (CVD) strategy. The thickness of the 2D Cu2Te nanosheets on SiO2/Si can be effectively controlled by adjusting the reaction temperature during synthesis. Importantly, the field-effect transistors based on the as-synthesized Cu2Te nanosheets show p-type transport behavior and have a high hole mobility of up to 184 cm2·V–1·s–1. The vertical Cu2Te/MoS2heterojunction shows obvious current rectification behavior with a rectification ratio of about 600. Meanwhile, the Cu2Te photodetector exhibits an excellent photoresponsivity of 1.69 × 103A·W–1, an ultrahigh detectivity of 8.41 × 1015Jones, and an external quantum efficiency of 4040%, superior to the many reported 2D-material-based photodetectors. Our work further enriches the library of CVD-grown p-type 2D materials and demonstrates their potential for electronic and optoelectronic applications.

Hydrogels are an ideal material to develop soft robots. However, it remains a grand challenge to develop miniaturized hydrogel robots with mechanical robustness, rapid actuation, and multi-gait motions. Reported here is a facile strategy to fabricate hydrogel-based soft robots by three-dimensional (3D) printing of responsive and nonresponsive tough gels for programmed morphing and locomotion upon stimulations. Highly viscoelastic poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) and poly(acrylic acid-co-N-isopropyl acrylamide) aqueous solutions, as well as their mixtures, are printed with multiple nozzles into 3D constructs followed by incubation in a solution of zirconium ions to form robust carboxyl–Zr4+coordination complexes, to produce tough metallo-supramolecular hydrogel fibers. Gold nanorods are incorporated into ink to afford printed gels with response to light. Owing to the mechanical excellence and small diameter of gel fibers, the printed hydrogel robots exhibit high robustness, fast response, and agile motions when remotely steered by dynamic light. The design of printed constructs and steering with spatiotemporal light allow for multimodal motions with programmable trajectories of the gel robots. The hydrogel robots can walk, turn, flip, and transport cargos upon light stimulations. Such printed hydrogels with good mechanical performances, fast response, and agile locomotion may open opportunities for soft robots in biomedical and engineering fields.

In the evolving environment of mobile edge computing (MEC), optimizing system performance to meet the growing demand for low-latency computing services is a top priority. Integrating fluid antenna (FA) technology into MEC networks provides a new approach to address this challenge. This letter proposes an FA-enabled MEC scheme that aims to minimize the total system delay by leveraging the mobility of FA to enhance channel conditions and improve computational offloading efficiency. By establishing an optimization problem focusing on the joint optimization of computation offloading and antenna positioning, we introduce an alternating iterative algorithm based on the interior point method and particle swarm optimization (IPPSO). Numerical results demonstrate the advantages of our proposed scheme compared to traditional fixed antenna positions, showing significant improvements in transmission rates and reductions in delays. The proposed IPPSO algorithm exhibits robust convergence properties, further validating the effectiveness of our method.

Many laboratories have demonstrated that the ketogenic diet (KD) can lead to weight loss and reduced fasting glucose levels, while also increasing total serum cholesterol levels. However, it's worth noting that the specific outcomes induced by KD can vary across different research settings. Certain studies have indicated that environmental factors, such as housing conditions and the acidity of drinking water, can influence physiological parameters and gut microbes in mice. Thus, our current study aimed to investigate whether differences in housing conditions and pH levels of drinking water contribute to variations in KD-induced phenotypes and gut microbes. Our findings revealed that mice housed in conventional (CV) conditions experienced more significant weight loss, lower fasting blood glucose levels, and a greater elevation of blood cholesterol levels compared to those in the specific pathogen-free (SPF) condition. Additionally, similar differences were observed when comparing mice fed with non-acidified water versus acidified water. Furthermore, we analyzed cecum content samples using 16S rRNA sequencing to assess gut microbial composition and found that the tested environmental variables also had an impact on the gut microbial composition of KD-fed mice, which was correlated with their phenotypic alterations. In summary, both housing conditions and the pH of drinking water were identified as crucial environmental factors that influenced KD-induced changes in metabolic phenotypes and gut microbes. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering these factors in animal studies related to KD and gut microbes, as well as in other types of animal research.

We determined the risk of late morbidity and mortality after autologous blood or marrow transplantation (BMT) for lymphoma performed before age 40. The cohort included autologous BMT recipients who had survived ≥2 years after transplantation (N= 583 [HL = 59.9%; NHL = 40.1%]) and a comparison cohort (N= 1070). Participants self-reported sociodemographics and chronic health conditions. A severity score (grade 3 [severe], 4 [life threatening] or 5 [fatal]) was assigned to the conditions using CTCAE v5.0. Logistic regression estimated the odds of grade 3–4 conditions in survivors vs. comparison subjects. Proportional subdistribution hazards models identified predictors of grade 3–5 conditions among BMT recipients. Median age at BMT was 30.0 years (range: 2.0–40.0) and median follow-up was 9.8 years (2.0–32.1). Survivors were at a 3-fold higher adjusted odds for grade 3–4 conditions (95% CI = 2.3–4.1) vs. comparison subjects. Factors associated with grade 3–5 conditions among BMT recipients included age at BMT (>30 years: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 2.31; 95% CI = 1.27–4.19; reference: ≤21 years), pre-BMT radiation (aHR = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.13–2.03; reference: non-irradiated), and year of BMT (≥2000: aHR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.34–0.85; reference: <1990). The 25 years cumulative incidence of relapse-related and non-relapse-related mortality was 18.2% and 25.9%, respectively. The high risk for late morbidity and mortality after autologous BMT for lymphoma performed at age <40 calls for long-term anticipatory risk-based follow-up.

•Adults with LCH have a higher risk of mortality from non-LCH causes such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and second primary malignancies.•Most LCH-related deaths occurred within 5 years of diagnosis, with other causes predominating beyond that period.

In multi-UAV networks, the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) associations between a UAV and a user equipment (UE) is typically coupled, which restricts each UE to associate to the same UAV for both DL and UL. However, this mode may not be efficient since UAV networks can be heterogeneous (e.g., multi-tier UAV networks) and can experience high link uncertainty due to the mobility of UAVs. The introduction of full-duplex communication in a multi-UAV network further complicates the UE-UAV association. For this reason, the idea of DL-UL decoupling (DUDe) is introduced in this work, with which each UE is allowed to associate with separate UAVs for UL and DL transmissions. Besides, the UE-UAV association depends on the flight trajectory of the UAVs, which makes the DUDe design challenging. In this article, we study the joint decoupled UL-DL association and trajectory design problem for full-duplex multi-UAV networks. A joint optimization problem is formulated with the objective of maximizing the UEs’ sum-rate in both UL and DL. Since the problem is non-convex with sophisticated states and an individual UAV may not know the reward functions of other UAVs, a robust partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) model is proposed to characterize the model uncertainty. A multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (MADRL) approach is proposed which enables each UAV to select its policy in a distributed manner. To train the actor-critic neural networks in the MADRL approach, an improved clip and count-based proximal policy optimization (PPO) algorithm is developed. In particular, a modified clip distribution is designed to deal with the hard restrictions between current and old policies, and an intrinsic reward is introduced to enhance the exploration capability. Simulation results illustrate the superiority of our proposed schemes when compared to the benchmarks. The codes are made publicly available in GitHub (https://github.com/isdai/MADRL-PPO).

IMPORTANCE: Little is known about the risk of post–COVID-19 multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in the setting of childhood cancer. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate factors associated with MIS-C and describe the clinical course of COVID-19 in the setting of MIS-C. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Multisite observational cohort study of a registry representing more than 100 US pediatric oncology sites. All included patients were registered between April 1, 2020, and May 18, 2022. Sites submitted deidentified data surrounding sociodemographics, cancer diagnosis and treatment, and COVID-19 course (symptoms, maximum support required, outcome). Patients with MIS-C (n = 24) were compared with matched controls (n = 96). Children (&lt;21 years) with cancer who developed COVID-19 while receiving cancer treatment or within 1 year of completing treatment were characterized based on their development of MIS-C. EXPOSURES: (1) Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of children with cancer and COVID-19; and (2) MIS-C. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: (1) Development of MIS-C among children with cancer and COVID-19; and (2) symptoms and disease severity associated with MIS-C. RESULTS: Among 2035 children with cancer and COVID-19, 24 (1.2%) developed MIS-C. COVID-19 occurred at a median (IQR) age of 12.5 (5.5-17.1) years in those with MIS-C and 11 (6-16) years among matched controls (P = .86). The majority of children with MIS-C had a hematologic cancer (83.3% [n = 20]), were publicly insured (66.7% [n = 16]), and were Hispanic (54.2% [n = 13]). Half (n = 12) had 1 or more noncancer comorbidity. Those with comorbidities were more likely to develop MIS-C than those without (odds ratio [OR], 2.5 [95% CI, 1.1-5.7]). Among children with MIS-C, 100% (n = 24) were admitted to the hospital and 54.2% (n = 13) to the intensive care unit (ICU), while COVID-19 contributed to the death of 20.1% (n = 5); cancer therapy was changed in 62.5% (n = 15). Compared with matched controls, those with MIS-C had higher odds of symptoms classified as systemic (OR, 4.7 [95% CI, 1.4-15.8]) or gastrointestinal (OR, 5.0 [95% CI, 1.7-14.6]) along with higher odds of hospitalization (OR, 42.9 [95% CI, 7.1-258]), ICU admission (OR, 11.4 [95% CI, 3.6-36.4]), and changes to cancer therapy (OR, 24.9 [95% CI, 6.5-94.8]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study among children with cancer and COVID-19, those with MIS-C had a more severe clinical course than those without MIS-C. The risk of MIS-C and its severity are important to consider as clinicians monitor patients with COVID-19. These findings can inform their conversations with families regarding COVID-19 risks and the benefits of prevention strategies that are pharmacologic (vaccination) and nonpharmacologic (masking), as well as treatment (antivirals, monoclonal antibodies).

Objective: We aimed to identify new, more accurate risk factors of liver transplantation for liver cancer through using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Methods: Using the SEER database, we identified patients that had undergone surgical resection for non-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and subsequent liver transplantation between 2010 and 2017. Overall survival (OS) was estimated using Kaplan-Meier plotter. Cox proportional hazards regression modelling was used to identify factors independently associated with recurrent disease [presented as adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CIs]. Results: Totally, 1530 eligible patients were included in the analysis. There were significant differences in ethnicity (P=0.04), cancer stage (P&lt;0.001), vascular invasion (P&lt;0.001) and gall bladder involvement (P&lt;0.001) between the groups that survived, died due to cancer, or died due to other causes. In the Cox regression model, there were no significant differences in OS at 5 years with different operative strategies (autotransplantation versusallotransplantation), nor at survival at 1 year with neoadjuvant radiotherapy. However, neoadjuvant radiotherapy did appear to improve survival at both 3 years (HR: 0.540, 95% CI: 0.326–0.896, P=0.017) and 5 years (HR: 0.338, 95% CI: 0.153–0.747, P=0.007) from diagnosis. Conclusion: This study demonstrated differences in patient characteristics between prognostic groups after liver resection and transplantation for HCC. These criteria can be used to inform patient selection and consent in this setting. Preoperative radiotherapy may improve long-term survival post-transplantation.

IMPORTANCE: Survivors of blood or marrow transplant (BMT) are at increased risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs). Cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) system are of special interest because their clinical behavior is often aggressive, necessitating early detection by increasing awareness of high-risk populations. OBJECTIVE: To describe the risk of SMNs in the GI tract after BMT. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A cohort study of 6710 individuals who lived at least 2 years after BMT performed between January 1, 1974, and December 31, 2014, at City of Hope, University of Minnesota, or University of Alabama at Birmingham. End of follow-up was March 23, 2020. Data analysis was performed between September 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022. EXPOSURES: Demographic and clinical factors; therapeutic exposures before or as part of BMT. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Development of SMNs in the GI tract after BMT. Participants self-reported SMNs in the GI tract; these were confirmed with pathology reports, medical records, or both. For deceased patients, death records were used. Standardized incidence ratios determined excess risk of SMNs in the GI tract compared with that of the general population. Fine-Gray proportional subdistribution hazard models assessed the association between risk factors and SMNs in the GI tract. RESULTS: The cohort of 6710 individuals included 3444 (51.3%) autologous and 3266 (48.7%) allogeneic BMT recipients. A total of 3917 individuals (58.4%) were male, and the median age at BMT was 46 years (range, 0-78 years). After 62 479 person-years of follow-up, 148 patients developed SMNs in the GI tract. The standardized incidence ratios for developing specific SMNs ranged from 2.1 for colorectal cancer (95% CI, 1.6-2.8; P &lt; .001) to 7.8 for esophageal cancer (95% CI, 5.0-11.6; P &lt; .001). Exposure to cytarabine for conditioning (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR], 3.1; 95% CI, 1.5-6.6) was associated with subsequent colorectal cancer. Compared with autologous BMT recipients, allogeneic BMT recipients with chronic graft-vs-host disease were at increased risk for esophageal cancer (SHR, 9.9; 95% CI, 3.2-30.5). Conditioning with etoposide (SHR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5) and pre-BMT anthracycline exposure (SHR, 5.4; 95% CI, 1.3-23.4) were associated with an increased risk of liver cancer compared with no exposure to the respective agents. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this cohort study are relevant for oncologists and nononcologists who care for the growing number of survivors of transplant. Awareness of subgroups of survivors of BMT at high risk for specific types of SMNs in the GI tract may influence recommendations regarding modifiable risk factors, as well as individualized screening.

This study aims to assess the feasibility of the Overlap anastomosis technique in minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. An accompanying video presentation elucidates our surgical procedures. A retrospective review of 46 patients diagnosed with middle and lower esophageal cancer was conducted. These patients underwent minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy with Overlap anastomosis between January 2019 and December 2020. A consistent team of surgeons performed all procedures. The initial phase involved laparoscopic stomach mobilization, intra-abdominal lymphadenectomies, and preparation of the tubular stomach. Subsequently, with the patient in the left decubitus position, thoracoscopy was used to dissect the esophagus, excise the diseased segment, and conduct mediastinal lymph node dissection. The final stage encompassed the intrathoracic gastroesophageal anastomosis using the Overlap method. All surgeries were completed without converting to an open approach, achieving complete resection. There were no operative fatalities, with an average surgery duration of 259.4 min. Average statistics included intraoperative blood loss of 92.3 ml, 16.2 lymph nodes dissected, and a postoperative hospital stay of 10.3 days. Postoperative complications comprised three instances of hoarseness due to recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, two cases of aspiration pneumonia, one occurrence of chylothorax, and one gastric emptying disorder. Anastomotic technique-related complications were minimal, with only one patient experiencing an anastomotic leak that resolved spontaneously and two patients facing anastomotic stenosis, which was subsequently alleviated. Our findings posit that the Overlap anastomosis method is safe and efficient for minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy, marked by a notably low rate of anastomosis-related complications. Further evaluation of its long-term implications remains necessary.

Atherosclerosis, driven by chronic inflammation in the artery walls, underlies several severe cardiovascular diseases. However, currently available anti-inflammatory-based strategies for atherosclerosis treatment suffer from compromised therapeutic efficacy and undesirable therapeutic outcome. Herein, a distinct tetrapod needle-like PdH nanozyme was designed and engineered for efficient atherosclerosis treatment by the combinatorial reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, hydrogen anti-inflammation, and autophagy activation. After loading into macrophages and targeted delivery to arterial plaques, these multifunctional nanozymes efficiently decreased the ROS levels and significantly suppressed the inflammation-related pathological process, exerting the distinct antioxidation and anti-inflammatory performance for alleviating atherosclerosis development. Especially and importantly, the specific spiky morphology of the PdH nanoenzyme further triggered a strong autophagy response in macrophages, synergistically maintaining the cellular homeostasis and alleviating atherosclerosis development. Both in vitroand in vivoresults confirmed the synergy among the antioxidation, anti-inflammatory, and autophagy activation, suggesting that the combinatorial engineering of nanomedicines with intrinsic multiple therapeutic functions and topology-induced biological effects is highly preferable and effective for achieving the high therapeutic performance and desirable therapeutic outcome on atherosclerosis management and therapy.

In this study, n-type stannic sulfide (SnS2) nanosheets and p-type bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) nanosheets prepared by hydrothermal method are utilized to construct the heterostructure SnS2-BiOCl composite through ultrasonication and grinding procedures. The piezoelectric SnS2-BiOCl heterojunction nanosheets are incorporated into the ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane to fabricate the PVDF-based SnS2-BiOCl (PVDF-SnS2-BiOCl) flexoelectric strain sensor. The optimal amount of SnS2-BiOCl heterojunction in the PVDF-SnS2-BiOCl membrane is determined. A thorough analysis is conducted on the impact of bending curvature, frequency of bending, the size and thickness of the membrane, water flapping, underwater bending, resistance to fatigue from repeated bending, and resistance to corrosions from acid and alkali on the membrane's output current and voltage. The experimental and density functional theory (DFT) calculation results indicate that the PVDF-SnS2-BiOCl(2:1)-10 % membrane, functioning as a smart strain sensor, has the ability to monitor human joint movements and water fluctuations in different situations. Additionally, it can be used as a coating for polyester and linen fabrics and can be connected in series or in parallel. The experimental findings align closely with the results obtained from DFT calculations. The outcomes demonstrate that the PVDF-SnS2-BiOCl membrane strain sensor, which is highly flexible, sensitive, and attachable, is well-suited for smart wearable electronic materials.

IMPORTANCE: The past 4 decades have seen substantial changes in allogeneic blood or marrow transplantation (BMT) practice, with the overarching goal of expanding the eligible patient pool while optimizing disease-free survival. OBJECTIVE: To determine trends in life expectancy and cause-specific late mortality after allogeneic BMT performed over a 40-year period. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective cohort study of 4741 individuals who lived 2 or more years after allogeneic BMT performed between January 1, 1974, and December 31, 2014, was conducted at City of Hope, University of Minnesota, or University of Alabama at Birmingham. The end of follow-up was March 23, 2020. EXPOSURES: Allogeneic BMT performed in 3 eras: 1974-1989, 1990-2004, and 2005-2014. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: All-cause, recurrence-related, and nonrecurrence-related mortality and projected reduction in life expectancy. Information regarding vital status and cause of death was obtained from the National Death Index Plus and Accurint databases. RESULTS: Of the 4741 individuals included in the study, 2735 (57.7%) were male; median age at BMT was 33 years (range, 0-75 years). The cumulative incidence of recurrence-related mortality plateaued at 10 years, reaching 12.2% (95% CI, 11.0%-13.4%) at 30 years from BMT. In contrast, the incidence of nonrecurrence-related mortality continued to increase and was 22.3% (95% CI, 20.4%-24.3%) at 30 years. Leading causes of nonrecurrence-related mortality included infection (30-year cumulative incidence, 10.7%; standardized mortality ratio [SMR], 52.0), subsequent malignant neoplasms (30-year cumulative incidence, 7.0%; SMR, 4.8), cardiovascular disease (30-year cumulative incidence, 4.6%; SMR, 4.1), and pulmonary disease (30-year cumulative incidence, 2.7%; SMR, 13.9). Compared with the general population, the relative mortality remained higher at 30 or more years after BMT (SMR, 5.4; 95% CI, 4.0-7.1). The cohort experienced a 20.8% reduction in life expectancy (8.7 years of life lost). Compared with 1974-1989 (reference), the adjusted 10-year hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause mortality declined over the 3 eras (1990-2004: HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.53-0.85; 2005-2014: HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.39-0.69; P &lt; .001 for trend), as did years of life lost (1974-1989: 9.9 years [reference]; 1990-2004: 6.5 years; and 2005-2014: 4.2 years). The reduction in late mortality was most pronounced among individuals who underwent transplantation at ages younger than 18 years (1990-2004: HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40-0.96; 2005-2014: HR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.16-0.54; reference: 1974-1989; P &lt; .001 for trend) and those who received bone marrow (1990-2004: HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.54-0.90; 2005-2014: HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.29-0.69; reference: 1974-1989; P &lt; .001 for trend). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This cohort study noted that late mortality among recipients of allogeneic BMT has decreased over the past 40 years; however, life expectancy was not restored to expected rates compared with the general US population. Furthermore, the reduction in risk of late mortality appeared to be confined to those who underwent transplantation at a younger age or those who received bone marrow. Further efforts to mitigate disease recurrence, infections, subsequent neoplasms, cardiovascular disease, and pulmonary disease may be useful in this population.

Abstract

Studies on the development of interlanguage pragmatic markers (PMs) have attracted increasing interest recently. However, little research is available on the PM dynamic development in alignment with English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classroom contexts. Given the lacuna, this article, based on the Complexity and the Alignment theories, investigates how PMs develop and how aligning with film-situated un/equal role relationships influences development. The study with eight data collection points tracks 28 EFL learners’ PM production over around 1.5 year. Results revealed: (1) the employed PM functions fluctuated but developed from singular to multiple, with the interpersonal function use being regressive and the structural and the cognitive, progressive; (2) the PM development manifested a significant gain in aligning with the equal role relationships; and (3) different proficiency learners had dissimilar PM development. These findings corroborate the view of context-dependent dynamic development and provide strong evidence for aligning EFL learning with various role relationships.

Two-dimensional layered transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted intense interest for their layer number-dependent electronic properties and have exciting potential for atomically thin electronics and optoelectronics. The studies to date have primarily been limited to exfoliated materials with limited control of the size, layer number, and yield. Despite considerable efforts to date, it remains a significant challenge to produce large-sized TMD single crystals with precise control of the layer number. Here, we report the robust growth of high-quality WSe2single-crystal domains with a selectively controlled thickness in a reverse-flow chemical vapor deposition system with a solid precursor. By introducing a pre-annealing step to tune elemental distribution and volatilization rate of the solid precursor, we stabilize the vapor supply to achieve a highly uniform nucleation and growth, and thus ensure the precise control of the layer number for the highly selective growth of monolayer or bilayer WSe2single crystals (>500 μm). The transmission electron microscopy and optical characterizations of the resulting WSe2single crystals exhibit excellent crystalline quality with systematically tunable optical properties. Electrical transport studies further show that the WSe2field-effect transistors exhibit p-type semiconductor characteristics with effective hole carrier mobility up to 92 cm2V–1s–1in monolayer and 145 cm2V–1s–1in bilayer materials at room temperature. This simple approach opens up a new avenue for the highly controlled synthesis of WSe2atomic layers for both fundamental studies and technological applications.

Gradient materials exist widely in natural living organisms, affording fascinating biological and mechanical properties. However, the synthetic gradient hydrogels are usually mechanically weak or only have relatively simple gradient structures. Here, we report on tough nanocomposite hydrogels with designable gradient network structure and mechanical properties by a facile post-photoregulation strategy. Poly(1-vinylimidazole-co-methacrylic acid) hydrogels containing gold nanorods (AuNRs) are in a glassy state and show typical yielding and forced elastic deformation at room temperature. The gel slightly contracts its volume when the temperature is above the glass-transition temperature that results in a collapse of the chain segments and formation of denser intra- and interchain hydrogen bonds. Consequently, the mechanical properties of the gels are enhanced, when the temperature returns to room temperature. The mechanical performances of hydrogels can also be locally tuned by near-infrared light irradiation due to the photothermal effect of AuNRs. Hydrogels with arbitrary two-dimensional gradients can be facilely developed by site-specific photoirradiation. The treated and untreated regions with different stiffness and yielding stress possess construct behaviors in stretching or twisting deformations. A locally reinforced hydrogel with the kirigami structure becomes notch-insensitive and exhibits improved strength and stretchability because the treated regions ahead the cuts have better resistance to crack advancement. These tough hydrogels with programmable gradient structure and mechanics should find applications as structural elements, biological devices, etc.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

ABSTRACTThis work focused on the effect of holding duration at maximum and minimum stress on creep fatigue (CF) interaction of P92 steel based on load-controlled CF tests and conventional creep test at 873K. The mechanical testing results, CF cyclic strain and mesoscopic fracture morphology were analysed in this paper. Comparing with the pure creep damage, the results show when the load is held at the minimum stress, the fatigue load promotes creep damage, and when the load is held at the maximum stress, the fatigue load inhibits the creep damage. These results are also verified by CF interaction parameter μ. It can be explained by the CF interaction parameter μto show whether the introduction of fatigue load promotes or inhibits creep damage.

Long intergenic non-coding RNA 01296 (LINC01296) has been reported to play an important role in many human malignancies, but a consistent perspective has not been established now. To explore the prognostic value of LINC01296 in different types of human solid malignant tumours, we performed this meta-analysis.An electronic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biological Medical Literature database and WanFang database was applied to select eligible literatures. Pooled ORs or HRs with their 95% CIs were calculated to estimate the effects.A total of 559 patients from nine eligible studies were enrolled in this meta-analysis. The results revealed that high LINC01296 expression was significantly related to larger tumour size (OR 3.42, 95% CI 2.08 to 5.63), lymph node metastasis (OR 3.03, 95% CI 2.01 to 4.57) and advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (OR 4.41, 95% CI 2.65 to 7.34). Moreover, we found that elevated LINC01296 expression predicted a poor outcome for overall survival (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.14) and recurrence-free survival (HR 4.00, 95% CI 1.04 to 15.67).High expression levels of LINC01296 were associated with unfavourable clinical outcomes of patients with cancer. Our results indicated that LINC01296 could serve as a prognostic predictor in human solid malignant tumours.