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N–C codoped Fe nanoparticles were used as a dual enzyme mimetic nanozyme. Colorimetric sensing platforms of antibiotics are important for environmental analysis. The superparamagnetism of Fe–N–C was conducive to its recycling and reuse.

Realizing real-time monitoring of physiological signals is vital for preventing and treating chronic diseases in elderly individuals. However, wearable sensors with low power consumption and high sensitivity to both weak physiological signals and large mechanical stimuli remain challenges. Here, a flexible triboelectric patch (FTEP) based on porous-reinforcement microstructures for remote health monitoring has been reported. The porous-reinforcement microstructure is constructed by the self-assembly of silicone rubber adhering to the porous framework of the PU sponge. The mechanical properties of the FTEP can be regulated by the concentrations of silicone rubber dilution. For pressure sensing, its sensitivity can be effectively improved fivefold compared to the device with a solid dielectric layer, reaching 5.93 kPa−1 under a pressure range of 0–5 kPa. In addition, the FTEP has a wide detection range up to 50 kPa with a sensitivity of 0.21 kPa−1. The porous microstructure makes the FTEP ultra-sensitive to external pressure, and the reinforcements endow the device with a greater deformation limit in a wide detection range. Finally, a novel concept of the wearable Internet of Healthcare (IoH) system for real-time physiological signal monitoring has been proposed, which could provide real-time physiological information for ambulatory personalized healthcare monitoring.

Summary In this paper, a meshless numerical modeling method named mesh-free discrete fracture model (MFDFM) of fractured reservoirs based on the newly developed extended finite volume method (EFVM) is proposed. First, matching and nonmatching point cloud generation algorithms are developed to discretize the reservoir domain with fracture networks, which avoid the gridding challenges of the reservoir domain in traditional mesh-based methods. Then, taking oil/water two-phase flow in fractured reservoirs as an example, MFDFM derives the EFVM discrete scheme of the governing equations, constructs various types of connections between matrix nodes and fracture nodes, and calculates the corresponding transmissibilities. Finally, the EFVM discrete scheme of the governing equations and the generalized finite difference discrete scheme of various boundary conditions form the global nonlinear equations, which do not increase the degree of nonlinearity compared with those in the traditional finite volume method (FVM)-based numerical simulator. The global equations can be solved by the existing nonlinear solver in the FVM-based reservoir numerical simulator by only adding the linear discrete equations of boundary conditions, which reduce the difficulty of forming a general purpose MFDFM-based fractured reservoir numerical simulator. Several numerical test cases are implemented to illustrate that the proposed MFDFM can achieve good computational performance under matching and nonmatching point clouds, and for heterogeneous reservoirs, complex fracture networks, complex boundary geometry, and complex boundary conditions, by comparing the computational results of MFDFM with embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM). Thus, MFDFM retains the computational performances of the traditional mesh-based methods and can avoid the difficulties of handling complex geometry and complex boundary conditions of the computational domain, which is the first meshless numerical framework to model fractured reservoirs in parallel with the mesh-based discrete fracture model (DFM) and EDFM.

With the rapid development of economy and culture, people's home decoration not only stays practical, but also emphasizes aesthetics, creativity and environmental protection, and the home improvement industry has ushered in rapid development. The traditional decoration industry also has obvious drawbacks such as long construction period, opaque price, and unnecessary construction. With the introduction of supply-side reforms, the home improvement industry also urgently needs to improve efficiency, thereby reducing the home improvement burden that modern residents are increasingly concerned about. In response to this problem, the "i-Home Yunju" smart APP was first developed. By exploring the relevant functions of the APP and carrying out innovative design, at the same time, the feasibility of AR and VR technology was analyzed to explore the importance of virtual reality technology to smart home decoration.

Canadian multicultural and Indigenous picturebooks greatly influence both children’s and educators’ being and becoming. Identity is closely related to our engagement with literacy practices, including book reading. In this paper, two researchers who immigrated from Mainland China engage in autobiographical narrative inquiry, a methodology that asks the researchers to self-face, and to “world”-travel to our earlier landscapes, times, places, experiences, and relationships. In personal, educational, and academic settings, we tell and retell our storied experiences of critically reading four multicultural and Indigenous Canadian picturebooks, to fight the hegemony of the Canadian dominant culture. Our article sheds light on the importance of negotiating one’s identity in multicultural and Indigenous picturebooks, as little work presents minority educators’ and adult newcomers’ voices of reading diverse Canadian picturebooks. By making visible our critical reading experiences, this inquiry opens space to maximize the outcomes of utilizing children’s literature in teaching and learning.

A raindrop solar cell can work either on rainy days to collect mechanical energy of the raindrops or on sunny days to harvest solar energy, which achieves high energy conversion efficiency in various energy environments. However, the low efficiency of raindrop energy harvesting is a dominating barrier to the raindrop solar cells in practical applications. In this work, a MoO

Background The ex vivo study is to compare the root canal preparation outcomes achieved by five nickel–titanium single-file instrumentation systems (M3-L, Reciproc Blue, V-Taper 2H, WaveOne Gold, XP-endo Shaper) in severely curved molar root canals. Methods A total of 60 root canals were selected from extracted human molar teeth with curvatures ranging from 25° to 50° and divided into five groups based on the instrumentation system employed (n = 12). Before and after root canal preparation, a Micro-CT scan was taken, and pre- and post-operative data were analyzed to evaluate the following parameters: volume increment of root canals (VI), untouched root canal areas (UTA), and canal transportation (CT). Apically extruded debris (AD) was collected during preparation. After that, all samples were separated into two parts and examined respectively by scanning electron microscope (SEM) to assess cleaning ability. Data were statistically analyzed with ANOVA (UTA, AD, VI) or Kruskal–Wallis test (CT, SEM-score), the level of significance was set at α = 0.05. Results There were no significant differences between the five systems regarding the AD, VI, and UTA parameters (P > 0.05). In terms of CT, no significant difference was noted at the straight section of canal and apical levels, while XP-endo Shaper showed less canal transportation than M3-L at the level of curved vertex (P P P P P Conclusion The five single-file systems evaluated performed equally in apically debris extrusion, dentin removal, and untouched root canal areas, while XP-endo Shaper and V-Taper 2H resulted in less canal transportation compared to M3-L and WaveOne Gold. Regarding cleaning ability, Reciproc Blue and XP-endo Shaper were associated with less smear layer than WaveOne Gold in the apical thirds.

The oral microbiome, associated with both oral disease and systemic disease, is in dynamic status along the whole life, and many factors including maternal microbiomes could impact the oral microbiome. While fewer studies have been conducted to study the characteristics of the oral microbiome in neonates and the associated maternal factors. Hence, we collected the microbiome of 15 mother-infant pairs across multiple body sites from birth up to 4 days postpartum and used high-throughput sequencing to characterize the microbiomes in mothers and their neonates. The oral microbiome in the neonates changed obviously during the 4 days after birth. Many bacteria originating from the vagina, skin, and environment disappeared in oral cavity over time, such as Prevotella bivia and Prevotella jejuni. Meanwhile, Staphylococcus epidermidis RP62A phage SP-beta, predominate bacterium in maternal skin microbiome and Streptococcus unclassified, main bacterium in vaginal microbiome, obviously increased in neonatal oral microbiome as time went on. Interestingly, as time progressed, the composition of the oral microbiome in the neonates was more similar to that of the milk microbiome in their mothers. Moreover, we found that the changes in the predominant bacteria in the neonates were in line with those in the neonates exposed to the environment. Together, these data described the sharp dynamics of the oral microbiome in neonates and the importance of maternal efforts in the development of the neonatal microbiome.

Background To evaluate the root canal preparation outcomes achieved by five nickel-titanium single-file instrumentation systems (M3-L, Reciproc Blue, V-Taper 2H, WaveOne Gold, XP-endo Shaper) in severely curved molar root canals. Methods A total of 60 root canals were selected from extracted human molar teeth with curvatures ranging from 25° to 50° and divided into five groups based on the instrumentation system employed (n = 12). Before and after root canal preparation, a Micro-CT scan was taken, and pre- and post-operative data were analyzed to evaluate the following parameters: volume increment of root canals (VI), untouched root canal areas (UTA), and canal transportation (CT). Apically extruded debris (AD) was collected during preparation. After that, all samples were separated into two parts and examined respectively by scanning electron microscope (SEM) to assess cleaning ability. Data were statistically analyzed with ANOVA (UTA, AD, VI) or Kruskal-Wallis test (CT, SEM-score), the level of significance was set at α = 0.05. Results There were no significant differences between the five systems regarding the AD, VI, and UTA parameters (P > 0.05). In terms of CT, no significant difference was noted at the straight section of canal and apical levels, while XP-endo Shaper showed less canal transportation than M3-L at the level of curved vertex (P P P P P

It is reported a convenient method to obtain flame-retardant polylactic acid composite by adding low amount of crystal form II ammonium polyphosphate (APP-II) or nano-compound of crystal form II ammonium polyphosphate with calcium-based montmorillonite. The structures and thermal properties of the crystal form II ammonium polyphosphate and crystal form II ammonium polyphosphate with calcium-based montmorillonite were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Crystallography and morphologies of the polylactic acid and its composites with the crystal form II ammonium polyphosphate and crystal form II ammonium polyphosphate with calcium-based montmorillonite were measured through differential scanning calorimeter and scanning electron microscopy. In flame retardancy of the polylactic acid composites, the 5 wt% crystal form II ammonium polyphosphate could make the polylactic acid achieve the UL-94 vertical burning V-0 rating and limited oxygen index 27.3%. When using crystal form II ammonium polyphosphate with calcium-based montmorillonite in flame-retarding polylactic acid, only 3 wt% nano-compound can result in the same V-0 rating level and the limited oxygen index of 28.0%. Meanwhile, polylactic acid with crystal form II ammonium polyphosphate or crystal form II ammonium polyphosphate with calcium-based montmorillonite still keeps the good mechanical properties. The developed systems are environmentally friendly and highly effective flame retarding, which show a promising future in practical large-scale polylactic acid application.

During the COVID-19 pandemic teachers have been expected to learn new digital literacy skills, often applying them immediately. While professional development structures within school districts and professional associations are organized to offer supports, teachers may be challenged to gain digital skills within existing professional development models. Within our study, teachers explored technologies with the aim of rethinking frames for teaching and learning literacy. Following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic they shared their experiences, insights and challenges. In our article, we address implications for digital literacy teaching and learning and the need for new ways of approaching teacher development.

As one of the promising next-generation electronics, brain-inspired synaptic resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices with stacked solution-processed (SP) spin-coated resistive switching (RS) ...

Levels of extracellular histones are highly increased in sepsis and may facilitate microcirculatory dysfunction. Unfractionated heparin (UFH) binds histones and neutralizes their cytotoxicity. We investigated the effect of UFH on microcirculatory dysfunction by interacting with extracellular histones in endotoxemic rats.Twenty-four Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group, and LPS + UFH group. In the LPS and LPS + UFH groups, 10 mg/kg LPS was injected to induce endotoxemia, and 100 IU/kg/h UFH was administered intravenously in the LPS + UFH group. The rats underwent midline laparotomy, and then intestinal microcirculation was evaluated using an incident dark field microscope. Circulating histones and microstructures of the rat intestinal microvascular endothelium were also detected. Additionally, the antagonistic effect of UFH on histone-induced cytotoxicity was investigated in human intestinal microvascular endothelial cells.UFH protected the microcirculation of the intestinal serosa and mucosa in endotoxemic rats, as evidenced by increased total vessel density, perfused vessel density, and proportion of perfused vessels of both the serosa and mucosa, and increased microcirculatory flow index of the mucosa in the LPS + UFH group. UFH treatment decreased the levels of circulating histones and alleviated intestinal microvascular endothelial injuries in endotoxemic rats. Furthermore, UFH inhibited histone cytotoxicity in vitro.UFH attenuated microcirculatory dysfunction in endotoxemic rats by antagonizing extracellular histones, thereby providing a potential therapeutic strategy for sepsis.

Studies assessing the environmental impacts of oil spills focus primarily on the non-water-soluble components, leaving the fate of the water-soluble fraction (WSF) largely unexplored. We employed u...

Developing fluid velocity sensors with high accuracy, high stability and self-power has practical significance. Triboelectric sensors provide a strategy to realize high-performance self-powered active sensing. In this article, we present a fully enclosed self-powered active spherical triboelectric sensor (SASTS) to detect the fluid velocity. Based on the electrification at the contact interface, resulting in the electrostatic induced electrons transferring between two interdigitated electrodes, SASTS effectively harvests the fluid flow energy to electric signal. After Fourier transform processing of the output signal, the motion frequency of the SASTS can be distinguished and the fluid velocity can be further calculated. By optimizing the structure parameter, it features high precision with average standard deviation less than 4, wide range speed from 2 m/s to 18 m/s of fluid flow, and proved lifetime more than half a year. This technique can be applied to measurement of fluid flow speed, even potentially to other rotation movements, which could have wide applications, such as environment monitoring, transportation and so on.

The spatial layout of urban villages seriously affects the living environment and integrated development of urban and rural areas. Using digital means to assist in the reconstruction of urban villages is necessary and urgent. This study built an urban renewal framework for intelligent building planning with a proposed multi-party collaborative pattern. First, villagers’ needs, and relevant standards and regulations were merged into planning requirements, which were formulated into planning goals and criteria. With the quantitative goals and criteria, building planning and design algorithms were developed. Furthermore, the method was verified to achieve an intelligent layout of buildings. Finally, under certain conditions, the average difference between the plot ratio calculated by the program and the actual plot ratio was 0.02, and that between the building intensity calculated by the program and the actual building intensity was 0.02. Within 11.43 hectares, 500 buildings were generated with a total floor area of 27.72 hectares, and the average time taken for scheme generation was 10 s. This method can efficiently generate a plan similar to the actual floor area ratio and building density and optimize the problem of insufficient spacing. Moreover, adjusting the parameters can automatically generate a variety of schemes that can support the layout design of rural buildings.

As accurate step counting is a critical indicator for exercise evaluation in daily life, pedometers give a quantitative prediction of steps and analyze the amount of exercise to regulate the exercise plan. However, the merchandized pedometers still suffer from limited battery life and low accuracy. In this work, an integrated self-powered real-time pedometer system has been demonstrated. The highly integrated system contains a porous triboelectric nanogenerator (P-TENG), a data acquisition and processing (DAQP) module, and a mobile phone APP. The P-TENG works as a pressure sensor that generates electrical signals synchronized with users' footsteps, and combining it with the analogue front-end (AFE) circuit yields an ultrafast response time of 8 ms. Moreover, the combination of a mini press-to-spin-type electromagnetic generator (EMG) and a supercapacitor enables a self-powered and self-sustained operation of the entire pedometer system. This work implements the regulation of TENG signals by electronic circuit design and proposes a highly integrated system. The improved reliability and practicality provide more possibilities for wearable self-powered electronic devices.

The components in traditional human–machine interaction (HMI) systems are relatively independent, distributed and low-integrated, and the wearing experience is poor when the system adopts wearable electronics for intelligent control. The continuous and stable operation of every part always poses challenges for energy supply. In this work, a triboelectric technology-based all-in-one self-powered HMI system for wireless remote telemetry and the control of intelligent cars is proposed. The dual-network crosslinking hydrogel was synthesized and wrapped with functional layers to fabricate a stretchable fibrous triboelectric nanogenerator (SF-TENG) and a supercapacitor (SF-SC), respectively. A self-charging power unit containing woven SF-TENGs, SF-SCs, and a power management circuit was exploited to harvest mechanical energy from the human body and provided power for the whole system. A smart glove designed with five SF-TENGs on the dorsum of five fingers acts as a gesture sensor to generate signal permutations. The signals were processed by the microcontroller and then wirelessly transmitted to the intelligent car for remote telemetry and control. This work is of paramount potential for the application of various terminal devices in self-powered HMI systems with high integration for wearable electronics.

The 13th Annual Graduate Research Showcase was held by the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education Graduate Students’ Associations on May 1, 2021. As our first virtual research showcase, graduate student presenters and participants gathered in virtual spaces to celebrate and share our research, and engage in conversation with colleagues. We appreciate and are grateful for the opportunity provided by the Alberta Academic Review to publish a special issue to present the conference proceedings.

Forest soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a major source of terrigenous dissolved organic carbon (DOC) that is an important component of biogeochemical cycles. While many studies have shown tha...

Ion concentration in water is a key criterion for evaluating water quality. In this work, we developed a self-powered on-line ion concentration monitor in water transportation based on impedance matching effect of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). A rotary disc-shaped TENG (RD-TENG) and an ion concentration sensor were fabricated based on the industrial printed circuit board (PCB) technology. Flowing water in the pipeline acts as the energy source to drive the RD-TENG and generate an open-circuit (Voc) of 210 V. The ion concentration sensor exhibits a nearly pure resistance characteristic under the alternating current (AC) signal with the frequency below 500 Hz, corresponding to the rotation speed of 250 rpm for the RD-TENG. The impedance matching relationship between the RD-TENG and the ion concentration sensor was experimentally studied and applied to elucidate the sensing mechanism. Finally, a self-powered sensing system integrated with an alarm circuit was assembled which exhibits excellent responsibility and high sensitivity. The change of ion concentration with only 1 × 10−5 mol/L can light up an alarm LED.

Constructing electronic systems without an external power source is urgently required toward self-powered photodetection. In this work, we proposed a self-driven photodetection system with a MoS2 nanosheets photodetector as light intensity sensor, a vertical contact-separate mode triboelectric nanogenerator (CS-TENG) as power source, and several LEDs as alarm. The MoS2 based planar photodetector was fabricated by conventional photolithography technique and lift-off process. It is highly sensitive for visible light illumination with high current on-off ratio and excellent reproducibility characteristics under light on-off switching. When conjuncting these functional devices, the induced output voltage of the CS-TENG is tuned by the load resistance of the photodetector, which is responded to the light intensity. The mechanism can be ascribed to the impedance matching effect between specific output characteristics of TENG and working status of photodetector. By adding a Zener diode acts as a voltage regulator, the self-driven renders the voltage and current varying from 1.58 to 20.60 V and 0.06–4.78 μA in a range of light intensity from 0 to 3.19 W/m2, respectively. Finally, it is demonstrated that the output of CS-TENG varies with the variable working states of the MoS2 photodetector and then accurately reflects on the lighted number of LEDs.

Microbial and emerging chemical contaminants are unwanted constituents in reclaimed wastewater, due to the health concerns of using the water for agricultural irrigation, aquifer recharges, and potable water. Removal of these contaminants is required but it is currently challenging, given that there is no simple treatment technology to effectively remove the mixture of these contaminants. This study examined the effectiveness of ZnO-assisted photocatalytic degradation of several constituents, including 1,4-dioxane, trihalomethanes (THMs), triclosan (TCS), triclocarban (TCC), antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs), under low intensity of UV exposure. E. coli with an ARGs-carrying circular plasmid (pUC19) was used as a model antibiotic resistant bacterium. Our results show that commercial zinc oxide (C-ZnO) assisted photodegradation of 1,4-dioxane, and dehalogenation of THMs, TCS, and TCC, while tetrapodal zinc oxide (T-ZnO) enhanced the dehalogenation of TCS and TCC. Additionally, T-ZnO assisted the photocatalytic inactivation of the E. coli within 6 h and caused structural changes in the plasmid DNA (pUC19) with additional UV exposure, resulting in non-functional AGR-containing plasmids. These results also suggest that higher UV dose is required not only to inactivate ARB but also to damage ARGs in the ARB in order to decrease risks in promoting ARB population in the environment. Overall, our results implicated that, under low UV intensity, ZnO-assisted photocatalysis is a promising alternative to simultaneously remove biological and emerging chemical contaminants in treated wastewater for safe reuse.

Self-healable soft conductors, which can withstand certain degrees of deformation and can recover from damage spontaneously, are essential for wearable applications. In this work, a soft hydrogel based self-healing triboelectric nanogenerator (HS-TENG), which is highly deformable, and both mechanically and electrically self-healable, has been successfully fabricated from a poly(vinyl alcohol)/agarose hydrogel. The incorporation of photothermally active polydopamine particles and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) allows the HS-TENG to be physically self-healed in ∼1 min upon exposure to near-infrared (NIR) light. At the same time, the chemical self-healing of the HS-TENG can be triggered by water spraying at 25 °C when introducing water-active dynamic borate bonds into the hydrogel. The applicability of the HS-TENG as a soft energy device to harvest human motion energies has been demonstrated. By tapping the HS-TENG with various deformations, the rectified electricity can charge commercial LEDs with sustainable energy. Working in single-electrode mode, the electrical outputs of the HS-TENG in terms of short-circuit transferred charge (Qsc), open circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current (Isc) reach ∼32 nC, ∼95 V and ∼1.5 μA, respectively, and remain stable even with 200% strain since the MWCNTs disperse evenly in the matrix and play the role of conductive fillers in the HS-TENG.

Contemporary childhood exists in a rapidly changing literacy context in the digital age, where digital devices and technology are progressively used at home (OECD 2019). In the global context, digital technology is greatly emerging in children’s lives, including the way of their play, learning, communicating and entertainment (Marsh et al. 2016). In this paper presentation, the author who is a researcher in the intersection of digital literacy and children’s literature, engages in autobiographical narrative inquiry (Clandinin and Connelly 2000), where she tells and retells her stories of reading contemporary fiction picture books, focusing on digital practices in both written text and illustrations. Such experiences are reflected and compared to her experiences of reading contemporary academic articles and reports on digital literacy studies in early childhood education. She noticed that there is a significant missing of digital lives and practices in contemporary fiction picture books, which contrasts with the prevalence of children’s digital usage in the contemporary post-typographic era. As children’s fiction is infused with ideology, the text instills values and beliefs in young readers, which, further, will shape children’s sociocultural development (Stephens 1992). For this reason, it is critical for future research to examine the ideological message and cultural discourse in relation to digital literacy practices in children’s fiction work. Because the gaps and differences between the ideologies of digital usage in children’s literature and children’s digital literacy practices reality could cause confusion to our young readers. This article highlights the silence of digital lives and practices in today’s fiction picture books and this research urges writers, illustrators, educators, and parents to pay attention to the gaps between digital practices in today’s children’s real lives and the contemporary fiction picture books.

The 14th Annual Graduate Student Showcase was held by the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education on April 30, 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to impact the way in which we gather and share our research. This year, we continued to meet in a hybrid synchronous/asynchronous space with our keynote speakers, presenters, and attendees. This format allowed for graduate students from around the world to share and participate. This year, our showcase theme, Exploring Horizons, speaks to looking forward, keeping our heads up, and navigating what lies beyond. Despite numerous challenges to this academic year, as a graduate student community, this research showcase demonstrated that graduate student research in education is attuned to the possibilities that might lie on or on the other side of the horizons. Exploring Horizons also represents an invitation to think and rethink differently and creatively. Currently, the field of education is in the midst of dealing with some serious challenges. Yet, when we simply glance at this showcase special issue, it is easy to see that our graduate students in education are rising to the occasion and exploring the horizons of educational research, ready to take on these challenges and to open new possibilities for imagining the future(s) of curriculum, pedagogy, teacher education, and educational philosophy and thought. This year’s theme of Exploring Horizons asks participants and attendees to visualize and imagine the unknown and all that becomes possible by thinking, creating, and imagining new ways of knowing and understanding. To all of our authors in this special issue, we want to thank you for putting your important work out into the world and for sharing it with others. Additionally, this special issue Exploring Horizons celebrates the diversity of our graduate student research in education. Beyond presentations from graduate students, we featured Dr. Cathryn van Kessel, a keynote speaker in the morning session and an associate professor for the Department of Secondary Education, as she shared her experiences with “Exploring Horizons” in knowledge dissemination and research mobilization. Dr. Jacqueline Filipek, an alumna of the Department of Elementary Education and assistant professor at The King’s University, shared valuable insights about the process for applying and interviewing for academic jobs in the afternoon session. She offered generous advice on how graduate students might prepare their application packages and think about potential interview processes in academia. On behalf of the EEGSA/SEGSA Graduate Student Research Showcase Committee, Katherine Koskie, Kimberly Edmondson, and Yina Liu, we wish to thank you for reading this special issue as you explore new horizons together with our authors. We hope you find your reading thought-provoking as you consider what is on the horizon of educational research.