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Magnetohydrodynamic angular rate sensor (MHD ARS) can precisely detect angular vibration information with a bandwidth of up to one kilohertz. However, due to secondary flow and viscous force, it experiences performance degradation when measuring low-frequency angular vibrations. This article presents an adaptive Kalman filter that uses online angular random walk (ARW) estimation to correct for the low-frequency error of MHD ARS, where a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope is used to measure low-frequency vibrations. The proposed algorithm determines the signal frequency based on the ARW coefficients and adjusts the measurement noise covariance to achieve accurate fusion results. Thus, the method solves the problem of frequency-dependent variation of the amplitude response of the sensors in data fusion. Initially, the algorithm calculates the ARW coefficient recursively utilizing the measurement signals of both sensors. Then, the operational frequencies of both sensors are determined by analyzing the correlation between the ARW coefficient and frequency. Subsequently, in the Sage-Husa adaptive Kalman filter (SHAKF), the Kalman gain matrix is adjusted by modifying the measurement noise variances of both sensor signals individually. Moreover, the stability of the proposed algorithm is achieved by introducing an adaptive matrix to constrain the measurement noise covariance estimation. In the experiment, the fusion effects of single-frequency and mixed-frequency signals are tested separately. The experimental results show that for frequency variation and frequency mixing, the proposed algorithm in this study significantly improves the fusion results.

The development of a fibrous conductive elastomer with the ability to withstand large deformations and exhibit linear stretching sensitivity is significant and challenging for wearable strain sensors. Herein, a continuous thermospinning strategy is presented to fabricate a fibrous strain sensor (MCPF sensor) that offers a wide sensing range, excellent fatigue resistance, high linearity, and good mechanical properties. The MCPF consists of CNTs modified by a silane coupling agent (KH570-CNT) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the conductive substances and elastic substrates, respectively. The interface between KH570-CNT and PDMS is enhanced, resulting in superior mechanical properties of the MCPF sensor. The MCPF exhibits a wide strain range (0–100%), good stretch repeatability for 1000 cycles of 50% strain, and excellent conductivity. Additionally, the MCPF can be knitted onto a stretchable fabric, enabling excellent flexibility. The fibrous sensor assembled with the MCPF demonstrates high linearity, minimal response time (<120 ms), high cyclic stability (>70,000 s), and stable responses under various strain ranges and cyclic frequencies. In practical applications, the MCPF sensor can simulate the monitoring of large and facet joint movements, indicating its wearability, wide detection range, extremely high sensitivity, and timely responsiveness. Through modification with a silane coupling agent, the aggregation between CNTs is effectively reduced, and CNTs can be uniformly dispersed in the PDMS substrate. This control over aggregation improves the dispersion of CNTs in PDMS, resulting in the excellent mechanical, electrical, and sensing properties observed in the prepared MCPF. Therefore, the fibrous conductive elastomer fabricated using the continuous thermospinning strategy holds promise for producing high-performance wearable strain sensors.

In this work, sulfur distribution in the surface and bulk of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin films and CIGS/molybdenum (Mo) interface after sulfurization was investigated. The morphology of the surfaces and cross-sections of the thin films was observed by scanning electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study the phases, structures and chemical components of the thin films. After sulfurization, the grain size became larger and a sulfur-contained phase could be found in the XRD pattern. Interestingly, Raman spectroscopy and XPS indicated that sulfur was abundant not only in the surface but also in the CIGS/molybdenum interface. Besides, the chemical state of indium in the surface was also modified by the annealing treatment. These results help in understanding the complicated interface behavior of CIGS solar cells and benefit the improvement of the devices.

ObjectiveHeterogeneity exists among patients with myositis who have antinuclear matrix protein 2 (anti-NXP2) antibodies, although they usually present with severe muscle weakness. This study aimed to investigate the differences in phenotypes and prognoses among adult patients with myositis who have anti-NXP2 antibodies.MethodsAdult patients with myositis who have anti-NXP2 antibodies were enrolled from January 2010 to December 2019. Their clinical features and laboratory data were recorded retrospectively. We followed up on their survival status until June 30, 2020. A hierarchical cluster analysis, Kaplan-Meier curves, and classification and regression trees were used to analyze the data.ResultsA total of 70 adult patients with myositis who have anti-NXP2 antibodies were enrolled. All patients experienced muscle weakness. A total of 11 patients did not present with rashes during disease progression, and 43 patients developed dysphagia. In total, 21 patients had interstitial lung disease (ILD), whereas no patients had rapidly progressive ILD. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified 2 clusters. Patients in cluster 1 were younger at disease onset, had a higher incidence of subcutaneous calcification, and had a lower incidence of V sign and shawl sign. Patients in cluster 2 had a higher frequency of ILD, accompanied by lower levels of lymphocytes and higher levels of serum ferritin. Moreover, patients in cluster 2 had worse prognoses.ConclusionPatients with myositis who have anti-NXP2 antibodies may present with different phenotypes that are characterized by unique features and prognoses.

Mechanical exfoliation is of great potential in the preparation of two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, offering new opportunities for exploring extraordinary electronic, optic, optoelectronic, and spintronic properties of low-dimensional materials. However, the extension of the exfoliation method from 2D van der Waals materials to one-dimensional (1D) materials has rarely been reported. Here, we show that the 1D α-Bi4Br4nanobelts can be prepared by direct exfoliation of single crystals, as characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Electrical transportation measurements indicate that the nanobelts maintain the intrinsic semiconducting properties of the bulk. Remarkably, the nanobelts can bear a very high current density up to 106Acm–2at room temperature, much higher than that of most semiconducting nanowires reported so far and comparable with that of Cu or Ag. This behavior is attributed to their 1D topological edge states. Our work demonstrates that mechanical exfoliation is an effective way to prepare high-quality α-Bi4Br4nanobelts for the investigation of fundamental topological physics and the development of high-performance electronic devices.

Continuous-time autonomous switched linear systems are important not only theoretically but also practically in various engineering applications. This paper addresses the problem of performance estimation in such systems by approximating the spectral abscissa. Based on the square coordinate transformation methodology, a computational procedure is proposed to get the least μ1measure of the equivalent system. A systematic way is first introduced to find the transformation matrix in the sense that the μ1measure of the equivalent system equals the given desired value if it exists. Then, an iterative algorithm is developed to obtain the sequence of μ1measures of the equivalent system which is convergent, and its limit can be used for estimating the spectral abscissa of the original switched linear system. At last, numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the method, which shows that it does overcome the limitations of the transformation orders to get better estimation of spectral abscissa.

Peptide self-assemblies could leverage their specificity, stability, biocompatibility, and electrochemical activity to create functionalized interfaces for molecular sensing and detection. However, the dynamics within these interfaces are complex, with competing forces, including those maintaining peptide structures, recognizing analytes, and facilitating signal transmission. Such competition could lead to nonspecific interference, compromising the detection sensitivity and accuracy. In this study, a series of peptides with precise structures and controllable electron transfer capabilities were designed. Through examining their stacking patterns, the interplay between the peptides’ hierarchical structures, their ability to recognize targets, and their conductivity were clarified. Among these, the EP5peptide assembly was identified for its ability to form controllable electronic tunnels facilitated by π-stacking induced β-sheets. EP5could enhance the long-range conductivity, minimize nonspecific interference, and exhibit targeted recognition capabilities. Based on EP5, an electrochemical sensing interface toward the disease marker PD-L1 (programmed cell death ligand 1) was developed, suitable for both whole blood assay and in vivocompanion diagnosis. It opens a new avenue for crafting electrochemical detection interfaces with specificity, sensitivity, and compatibility.

Objectives: The need for a unified definition of weight loss (WL) after bariatric surgery has recently been highlighted. We aimed to evaluate the reliability of two clinically common WL indications including percentage of total WL (%TWL) and percentage of excess WL (%EWL) through comparing their performances in predicting metabolic syndrome (MetS) remission 1 year after bariatric surgery. Methods: A total of 430 individuals with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery were enrolled. Participants were evaluated for changes in anthropometric parameters, metabolic indexes, MetS components and medications before and 1 year after surgery. MetS was defined using the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for Asian-Americans. Results: The prevalence of MetS is 92.3% (397) at baseline. One year after bariatric surgery, 337 individuals (84.9%) were in MetS remission. The multivariate adjusted ORs were 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10–1.22) for each 1% increase in %TWL for MetS remission and 1.18 (95% CI 1.11–1.25) for each 5% increase in %EWL. This association with MetS remission remained statistically significant for %TWL after additional adjustment for %EWL (Pfor trend 0.029), and disappeared for %EWL. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses showed that the %TWL was more predictive than the %EWL (AUC%TWLvs. AUC%EWL, 0.749 vs. 0.700, p?=?0.023). The Youden index indicated that the optimal %TWL cutoff point to identify MetS remission was 25%. Conclusions: We recommend that good responders to bariatric surgery should be defined as those exhibiting %TWL?=?25%.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM), a common tuberculosis (TB) comorbidity, is associated with delayed bacillary clearance during anti-TB treatment and unfavorable outcomes. Bedaquiline (BDQ), when used as part of multidrug regimen for multidrug-resistant/extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/XDR-TB), has been shown to be effective and safe although treatment outcome and risks for patients with MDR/XDR-TB and DM are unknown. A multicenter retrospective study was conducted to compared the safety and effectiveness of 24-week BDQ-containing anti-TB treatment for patients with MDR/XDR-TB with and without DM. Methods: The study of patients with MDR/XDR-TB with or without DM (enrolled February 2018–September 2019, 21 Chinese hospitals) was supervised by the New Drug Introduction and Protection Program (NDIP). Of 640 patients with MDR/XDR-TB receiving BDQ-containing anti-TB treatments, two propensity score-matched groups (107 DM/107 non-DM) were compared for cumulative culture conversion rate, time to culture conversion, adverse events, and corrected QT interval. Results: Body mass index was higher in patients with DM than patients without DM (23.29 ± 3.9 vs. 20.5 ± 3.6, P&lt; 0.001); lung cavity prevalence (86.9% vs. 72.9%, P= 0.037) was also higher in patients with DM; the non-DM group had higher hepatitis prevalence (29.0% vs. 15.9%, P= 0.022). No significant intergroup differences were found for sputum culture conversion rate at week 8 (80.0% vs. 81.4%, P= 0.884), at week 24 (95.6% vs. 98.2%, P= 0.629), or for median time to sputum culture conversion [56 days (IQR 28–63) vs. 56 days (IQR 28–84) (P= 0.687)]. Favorable post-24-week treatment outcomes were presented by 90.7% and 93.5% in the DM group and non-DM group, respectively, without significant intergroup differences (P= 0.448). The DM adverse event rate exceeded non-DM rate (77.6% vs. 64.5%, P= 0.035). Conclusion: Despite some differences in baseline characteristics, Chinese patients with MDR/XDR-TB with or without DM had similar sputum culture conversion rates and favorable treatment outcomes post-24-week BDQ-containing anti-TB treatment. Low BMI but not DM is risk factor associated with unfavorable outcome of patients with MDR/XDR-TB.

Two-dimensional (2D) material solution attracts intense attention from the fields of energy, healthcare, and electronics. Raman spectroscopy is a versatile tool for studying the properties of 2D materials. Despite the numerous elaborate Raman studies of solid-state 2D materials, few have focused on the solution-phase 2D materials. In this work, we systematically investigated the representative 2D MoS2solution using angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy, helicity-resolved Raman spectroscopy, and resonant Raman spectroscopy. With careful analysis, we find that the Raman spectra of 2D MoS2solution feature the distinctively detected forbidden Raman modes, the unique Raman anisotropy, and detailed information of the Raman tensor elements, which are unavailable with commonly studied solid-state 2D MoS2. We further established a theoretical model, considering the random orientation of 2D materials in the solution phase, which applies to all the 2D material solutions. With the systematic Raman characterization of the representative 2D MoS2solution, we expect it to open up more Raman studies on the abundant 2D material solution families.

Two-dimensional ternary compounds bismuth oxyhalides (BiOxBry) with suitable band gap and high surface bulk ratio have great potentials for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Although intensive efforts were devoted to the design of well-defined nanostructures to optimize the photoreactivity, it remains a great challenge to improve the light absorption capacity and charge carrier transfer of the materials. In this work, we developed a controllable synthesis route to prepare core–shell structured Bi/BiOBr complexes with abundant conduction channels and active edges as photoelectrodes. The structure and morphology of the Bi/BiOBr complexes could be modulated by tuning the thickness of Bi thin film and/or the oxygen gas flow during the annealing process. Photoelectrochemical analyses indicated that the photocurrent density of the Bi/BiOBr electrodes reached up to 0.36 mA cm–2at −0.4 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in acid environments, which was 1 order large than that based on pure BiOBr thin film electrodes (0.08 mA cm–2). Our study demonstrates that the controllable synthesis of Bi/BiOBr core–shell structures may open a new way for engineering 2D layered ternary compounds materials to develop novel catalyst devices.

Heretofore, there are no effective therapeutic interventions for food allergies induced by β-conglycinin, an major allergen in soybean. The objective of this study was to explore the alleviating effect and underlying mechanism of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) on β-conglycinin-induced anaphylaxis. Twenty-one-day-old weaned BN rats were sensitized by gavage of β-conglycin and then given drinking water containing 1% GTPs. The results showed that β-conglcyinin sensitized rats had increased serum IgE levels and IL-4 level in spleen cell culture supernatant compared with the control group. However, total IgE, β-conglycin-specific IgE and IL-4 levels were significantly decreased by GTPs, suggesting that it weakened Th2-type immune response and restored cytokine homeostasis. The impact of GTPs on gut microbiota mainly focused on the changes in specific microbes, characterized by a significant increase of Bacteroidesand other beneficial bacteria, which would contribute to the recovery of gastrointestinal allergies. This study is the first to demonstrate that GTPs, as good immunomodulator, played an important role in alleviating soybean protein allergy, which were associated with the alterations in gut microbiota. These results contribute to the development and application of green tea and provided an effective nutritional therapy strategy for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases caused by soybean allergens.

Topological materials harbor topologically protected boundary states. Recently, TaIrTe4, a ternary transition-metal dichalcogenide, was identified as a type-II Weyl semimetal with the minimal nonzero number of Weyl points allowed for a time-reversal invariant Weyl semimetal. Monolayer TaIrTe4was proposed to host topological edge states, which, however, lacks of experimental evidence. Here, we report on the topological edge states localized at the monolayer step edges of the type-II Weyl semimetal TaIrTe4using scanning tunneling microscopy. One-dimensional electronic states that show substantial robustness against the edge irregularity are observed at the step edges. Theoretical calculations substantiate the topologically nontrivial nature of the edge states and their robustness against the edge termination and layer stacking. The observation of topological edge states at the step edges of TaIrTe4surfaces suggests that monolayer TaIrTe4is a two-dimensional topological insulator, providing TaIrTe4as a promising material for topological physics and devices.

We report the growth and structural properties of Bi thin films on TiSe2substrates by using a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope. Extended Bi(110) thin films are formed on the TiSe2substrates and adopt a distorted black-phosphorus structure at room temperature (RT). The diagonal of the Bi(110) rectangular unit cell is parallel to the close-packed direction of the top-layer Se atoms of the TiSe2substrates, resulting in the formation of a stripe-shaped commensurate moiré pattern with a periodicity of ∼38.5 Å at RT. Meanwhile, the charge density wave phase transition of the TiSe2substrate and the different coefficients of thermal expansion of Bi(110) and TiSe2lead to the formation of a quasi-hexagonal incommensurate moiré pattern with a periodicity of 14.5 Å at 77 K. In particular, the combination of domains with twisting angles of 30° or 60° results in the formation of various domain boundaries. Our work is very helpful for understanding and tuning the structural and electronic properties of epitaxial Bi(110) thin films.

Controlling the assembly of DNA in order on a suitable electrode surface is of great significance for biosensors and disease diagnosis, but it is full of challenges. In this work, we creatively assembled DNA on the surface of octadecylamine (ODA)-modified topological insulator (Tls) Bi2Se3and developed an electrochemical biosensor to detect biomarker DNA of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A high-quality Bi2Se3sheet was obtained from a single crystal synthesized in our lab. A uniform ODA layer was coated in argon by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). We observed and analyzed the assembly and mechanism of single-strand DNA (ssDNA) and double-strand DNA (dsDNA) on the Bi2Se3surface through atomic force microscopy (AFM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The electrochemical signal revealed that the biosensor based on the DNA/ODA/Bi2Se3electrode has a wide linear detection range from 1.0 × 10–12to 1.0 × 10–8M, with the limit of detection as low as 5 × 10–13M. Bi2Se3has robust surface states and improves the electrochemical signal-to-noise ratio, while the uniform ODA layer guides high-density ordered DNA, enhancing the sensitivity of the biosensor. Our work demonstrates that the ordered DNA/ODA/Bi2Se3electrode surface has great application potential in the field of biosensing and disease diagnosis.

A deep eutectic solvent (DES) called Reline has attracted great interests in photovoltaic application. Many efforts have been made to get high efficiency solar cells by electrodeposition in such a low-cost and green electrolyte. In this work, the micro-structure and electrochemical properties of Reline are investigated. The metal complex system of Reline and metal salts is deduced by FTIR and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy analyses. The theoretical diffusion coefficients of Cu, In and Ga at 65degC are calculated by Cyclic voltammetry analysis to perform a controllable Ga/(In+Ga) ratio over a large range (0 [?] 0.53) by different pulse potentiostatic methods. Based on these achievements and optimizations, the best CIGS solar cell device with a promising efficiency of 10.1% is achieved.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone that regulates glucose homeostasis. Because of their direct stimulation of insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells, GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists are now important therapeutic options for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. To better understand the mechanisms that control the insulinotropic actions of GLP-1, affinity purification and mass spectrometry (AP-MS) were employed to uncover potential proteins that functionally interact with the GLP-1R. AP-MS performed on Chinese hamster ovary cells or MIN6 β cells, both expressing the human GLP-1R, revealed 99 proteins potentially associated with the GLP-1R. Three novel GLP-1R interactors (PGRMC1, Rab5b, and Rab5c) were further validated through co-immunoprecipitation/immunoblotting, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, and immunofluorescence. Functional studies revealed that overexpression of PGRMC1, a novel cell surface receptor that associated with liganded GLP-1R, enhanced GLP-1-induced insulin secretion (GIIS) with the most robust effect. Knockdown of PGRMC1 in β cells decreased GIIS, indicative of positive interaction with GLP-1R. To gain insight mechanistically, we demonstrated that the cell surface PGRMC1 ligand P4-BSA increased GIIS, whereas its antagonist AG-205 decreased GIIS. It was then found that PGRMC1 increased GLP-1-induced cAMP accumulation. PGRMC1 activation and GIIS induced by P4-BSA could be blocked by inhibition of adenylyl cyclase/EPAC signaling or the EGF receptor–PI3K signal transduction pathway. These data reveal a dual mechanism for PGRMC1-increased GIIS mediated through cAMP and EGF receptor signaling. In conclusion, we identified several novel GLP-1R interacting proteins. PGRMC1 expressed on the cell surface of β cells was shown to interact with the activated GLP-1R to enhance the insulinotropic actions of GLP-1.

Some nondiabetic trauma patients with hyperglycemia have been found to have occult diabetes mellitus (ODM). We studied whether glycated albumin (GA) was an effective tool for detecting ODM in orthopedic trauma patients with elevated glucose levels.

Objective To investigate the effect of drug treatment combined with interventional cavity therapy for cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis.Methods One-hundred thirty patients who underwent transbronchial tuberculosis cavity plugging (TTCP) combined with drug therapy from 2012 to 2018 were selected as the observation group, and 130 patients with cavitary tuberculosis who underwent treatment with drugs only were selected as the control group. Changes in cavity size and sputum tests were compared between the two groups. In addition, adverse reactions were monitored.Results The number of cases with cavity closure was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group at different time points. The number and proportion of negative sputum samples in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The treatment success rate was 98.46% in the observation group and 92.3% in the control group. No recurrence was observed in the observation group, and 8.3% of cases in the control group showed recurrence.Conclusions TTCP for the treatment of cavity tuberculosis showed good outcomes, with limited side effects and minimal complications.

The development of the preparation strategy for high-quality and large-size graphene viaeco-friendly routes is still a challenging issue. Herein, we have successfully developed a novel route to chemically exfoliate natural graphite into high-quality and large-size graphene in a binary-peroxidant system. This system is composed of urea peroxide (CO(NH2)2⋅H2O2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), where CO(NH2)2⋅H2O2is used in preparing graphene for the first time. Benefiting from the complete decomposition of CO(NH2)2⋅H2O2and H2O2into gaseous species under microwave (MW) irradiation, no water-washing and effluent-treatment are needed in this chemical exfoliation procedure, thus the preparation of graphene in an eco-friendly way is realized. The resultant graphene behaves a large-size, high-quality and few-layer feature with a yield of ~100%. Then 4 μm-thick ultrathin graphene paper fabricated from the as-exfoliated graphene is used as an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material. And its absolute effectiveness of EMI shielding (SSE/t) is up to 34,176.9 dB cm2g −1, which is, to the best of our knowledge, among the highest values so far reported for typical EMI shielding materials. The EMI shielding performance demonstrates a great application potential of graphene paper in meeting the ever-increasingly EMI shielding demands in miniaturized electronic devices.

YY1 transcriptionally represses TGFB1in mice and may be a potential drug target for treating diabetic nephropathy.

A deep eutectic solvent (DES) called Reline has attracted great interests in photovoltaic application. Many efforts have been made to get high efficiency solar cells by electrodeposition in such a low-cost and green electrolyte. In this work, the micro-structure and electrochemical properties of Reline are investigated. The metal complex system of Reline and metal salts is deduced by FTIR and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy analyses. The theoretical diffusion coefficients of Cu, In and Ga at 65°C are calculated by Cyclic voltammetry analysis to perform a controllable Ga/(In+Ga) ratio over a large range (0 ∼ 0.53) by different pulse potentiostatic methods. Based on these achievements and optimizations, the best CIGS solar cell device with a promising efficiency of 10.1% is achieved.