Search

Whether the hot spot temperature rise exceeds the limit under long-term thermal effects and the impact of temperature rise effect on material parameters has attracted much attention. At the same time, as a key structural component of the transmission and transformation system, the calculation and verification of the winding mechanical strength of transformers during three-phase short circuits is a key factor in analyzing their stability during operation. Given that the previous analysis of the impact of transformer short-circuit strength only considered uniform temperature conditions, it is necessary to compare and analyze the impact of uneven temperature on winding stability. This article focuses on the SGB10-800 transformer prototype, conducting temperature rise experiments and simulation analysis to verify the accuracy of simulation processing. Conduct tests on the changes in force and deformation of wires under different temperature conditions. Finally, analysis of the impact of uneven temperature on the short-circuit strength of transformer windings.

Organic electrode molecules hold significant potential as the next generation of cathode materials for Li-ion batteries. In this study, we have introduced a multi-objective active learning framework that leverages Bayesian optimization and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithms-II. This framework enables the selection of organic molecules characterized by high theoretical energy density and low gap (LUMO-HOMO) (LUMO, lowest unoccupied molecular orbital; HOMO, highest occupied molecular orbital). Remarkably, after only two cycles of active learning, the determination of coefficient can reach 0.962 for theoretical energy density and 0.920 for the gap with a modest dataset of 300 molecules, showcasing superior predictive capabilities. The 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorocyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione, selected by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithms-II, has been successfully applied to Li-ion batteries as cathode materials, demonstrating a high capacity of 288 mAh g−1and a long cycle life of 1,000 cycles. This outcome underscores the high reliability of our framework. Furthermore, we have also validated the universality and transferability of our framework by applying it to two additional databases, the QM9 and OMEAD. When the training dataset of the model includes at least 500 molecules, the determination of coefficient essentially reaches approximately 0.900 for four targets: gap, reduction potential, LUMO, and HOMO. Therefore, the universal framework in our work provides innovative insights applicable to other domains to expedite the screening process for target materials.

To integrate antennas into the curved surface of a mounted platform, a broadband flexible antenna array has been investigated in this letter, which maintains ultra-wideband lower scattering as well. The proposed array features a unique structure, combining two mirror-symmetrical types of metasurface-inspired antenna elements to create a 2 × 2 crossover array. This antenna array effectively reduces radar cross section (RCS) in the ultra-wideband without the need for additional components. Measured results indicate the proposed antenna array achieves a relative operating bandwidth exceeding 84% in both planar and deformed states and with peak gain over 13.3 dBi at 7 GHz. In comparison to a flexible equivalent metallic plane, the proposed antenna array demonstrates a relative 6 dB RCS reduction bandwidth exceeding 100.7% in planar state and over 75% in various deformed states.

Women in Microwave (WIM) serves as a subset of Women in Engineering (WIE), specifically focusing on the field of microwave engineering. In China, WIM has organized numerous events, offering a platform for female engineers to connect, learn, and grow [1]. Each event typically sees around 40 participants, including engineers and students from various institutions. Four years ago, the authors had the privilege of attending the WIE session at the Conference on Numerical Electromagnetic and Multiphysics Modeling and Optimization (NEMO) 2020. It showed the powerful presence of women in engineering and inspired the authors to keep moving forward. Therefore, the authors were delighted to chair and assist in organizing the WIM session during the 2024 China Microwave Week.

ContextDuring the evacuation of a residence during a fire event, individuals must often climb over objects or navigate stairs, which may be challenging or impossible for an individual who uses a wheelchair or scooter for mobility. Consequently, fire preparedness is critical to enhancing this population's safety and well-being.ObjectiveThis study examines best practices associated with fire preparedness among individuals who use a wheelchair or scooter to inform and facilitate fire preparedness education.MethodsA scoping literature review was conducted based on the framework established by Arksey and O'Malley. A total of 386 peer-reviewed articles and sources based on non-academic organizations, including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United Spinal Association, American Red Cross, and United States Fire Administration (USFA) were evaluated, and 14 of the 386 peer-reviewed publications were retained after determining predefined inclusion criteria.ResultsFindings emphasize the need to prevent fires from occurring through dedication to safe home practices and the use of early detection systems, and the utilization of easy-to-use or automated fire management equipment, such as a home sprinkler system, was encouraged. The need to develop highly detailed evacuation plans with the use of appropriate equipment is highly emphasized.ConclusionDue to the high-risk nature of the population, increased attention, and awareness of fire preparedness among individuals who use a wheelchair or scooter is critical.

The absorption-saturated carbon materials and waste template agent may cause secondary pollution to the environment, if it was treated inappropriately. To avoid the potential environmental risk, the regeneration of adsorption-saturated carbon materials and template agent were investigated. Thermal regeneration and solvent regeneration methods were both employed in regeneration of absorption-saturated carbon. Results showed that the thermal-regenerated carbon outperformed solvent-regenerated carbon. The maximum adsorption value (453.5 mg/g) of Congo red was obtained at the regeneration temperature of 400°C, slightly higher than the maximum value of 443.5 mg/g obtained in solvent regeneration. In the aspect of template agent regeneration, regenerated calcium citrate was obtained by acid washing of the waste template agent and precipitation crystallization of calcium ions. The best condition was achieved at a crystallization temperature of 80°C and a droplet rate of 0.4 mL/min. Porous carbon prepared by the optimal regenerated template agent showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 429.5 mg/g, which is still acceptable for Congo red adsorption. Its removal ratio remained above 78.4% after four cycles. The results of this study realized the regeneration of absorption-saturated carbon materials and calcium citrate, avoids the environmental pollution caused by the preparation and usage of porous carbon.

Recently, the surging need for greater bandwidth in the post-5G and 6G eras has prompted scientists to research visible light communications (VLC). VLC not only addresses the foreseeable limited radio frequency (RF) spectrum resources but also serves as a reliable solution for underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC). For high-speed VLC systems, GaN-based laser diodes have shown excellent potential over LEDs as emitting components. Downscaling laser diodes is considered an effective approach for high modulation bandwidth LDs, which has yet to be well studied in III-nitride material systems. In this work, we studied the key device design parameters, including cavity length, quantum well thickness, ridge waveguide width, and PN-junction distance. We analyzed the internal parameters of such high-speed InGaN/GaN double quantum well LDs and experimentally investigated their impact on the modulation bandwidth of LDs. As a result, a modulation bandwidth of 4.47 GHz (−3 dB) has been achieved. Our work provides valuable guidance for subsequent high-speed laser designs, paving the path for energy-efficient VLC systems.

Recently, the emerging 2-μm waveband has gained increasing interest due to its great potential for a wide scope of applications. The 2-μm waveband is considered a novel communication window with distinct advantages of lower signal loss, better fabrication tolerance and broader gain bandwidth. Considering the advantages of 2-μm waveband, wavelength division multiplexing of 1.55- and 2-μm wavebands is one of the effective means to solve the current communication capacity crisis. Therefore, wavelength (de)multiplexer for 1.55- and 2-μm wavebands is a crucial component. However, traditional design methods make it challenging to create a wavelength (de)multiplexer with a large bandwidth and compact footprint. Here, we proposed and experimentally demonstrated a wavelength demultiplexer for 1.55- and 2-μm wavebands with an ultra-compact footprint of 3 × 3 μm2 utilizing an inverse design method called hybrid analog-digital algorithm to reduce computational cost and improve the device performance. Based on this algorithm, we further created three adjustable optimization parameters to achieve optimal device performance. We provide detailed explanations for the selection of these optimization parameters. The designed device has experimentally achieved a bandwidth of 100 nm for 1.55- and 2-μm wavebands, with the insertion loss less than 1.2 and 0.9 dB, and the crosstalk less than −17.7 and −16.4 dB, respectively. Furthermore, based on a fabricated wavelength division multiplexing chip, we demonstrated a dual-waveband data transmission system that achieved a data rate of 138 Gbps at 1550 nm and 84 Gbps at 2004 nm, drawing a promising application for high-speed optical communications in the future.

A facile and novel synthetic method for the synthesis of functionalized polycyclic coumarins at the C-4 and C-5 positions is proposed for the first time, which employs copper-catalyzed addition reactions of undiscovered alkenes with difluoromethyl radicals to construct polycyclic coumarins. This strategy is characterized by high regioselectivity, easy availability of raw materials, and simple operation. Additionally, such undiscovered coumarin alkenes can be reacted with a variety of difluoromethyl precursors to obtain a wide range of valuable C-4 and C-5 position functionalized/difluoromethylated polycyclic coumarins. More importantly, some of the products showed significant inhibition of proliferation in vitro against melanoma B16–F10 and lung cancer A549 cell lines with optimal IC50values of 8.57 and 16.04 μM, respectively.

Manganese cobaltite (MnCo2O4) is a promising electrode material because of its attractive redox chemistry and excellent charge storage capability. Our previous work demonstrated that the octahedrally-coordinated Mn are prone to react with the hydroxyl ions in alkaline electrolyte upon electrochemical cycling and separates on the surface of spinel to reconstruct into δ-MnO2nanosheets irreversibly, thus results in a change of the reaction mechanism with K+ion intercalation. However, the low capacity has greatly limited its practical application. Herein, we found that the tetrahedrally-coordinated Co2+ions were leached when MnCo2O4was equilibrated in 1 mol L−1HCl solution, leading to the formation of layered CoOOH on MnCo2O4surface which is originated from the covalency competition induced selective breakage of the CoT–O bond in CoT–O–CoOand subsequent rearrangement of free CoO6octahedra. The as-formed CoOOH is stable upon cycling in alkaline electrolyte, exhibits conversion reaction mechanism with facile proton diffusion and is free of massive structural evolution, thus enables utilization of the bulk electrode material and realizes enhanced specific capacity as well as facilitated charge transfer and ion diffusion. In general, our work not only offers a feasible approach to deliberate modification of MnCo2O4's surface structure, but also provides an in-depth understanding of its charge storage mechanism, which enables rational design of the spinel oxides with promising charge storage properties.

The coherent passive optical network (PON) is a promising solution for the next generation of high-speed optical access network, capable of supporting 100G and beyond data rate. Moreover, the flexibility and adaptability of coherent PON (CPON) have attracted increasing interest. A flexible PON can enhance system throughput through adaptive modulation formats, baud rates, and coding techniques. One critical challenge for adaptive-modulation flexible CPON is the need for fast-tracking of the channel status, particularly for the downstream transmission. This is particularly important as signals with different modulation formats are continuous in downstream transmission. In the present study, we proposed and experimentally demonstrated a pilot-aided digital signal processing (DSP) scheme in a 300 G flexible CPON based on 4/16/64-QAMs, which avoids burst-signal processing in downstream transmission during modulation-format switching. The pilot symbols that we insert enable continuous tracking of the state-of-polarization, finite impulse response (FIR) coefficients for channel equalization, and carrier phase. The feasibility of the proposed pilot-aided DSP scheme was verified experimentally in four transmission cases involving different modulation formats. As a proof of concept, we achieved continuous signal processing in the downstream coherent signal detection, enabling 100-300 G flexible data transmission. We achieved total power budgets of 38, 30, and 20 dB for 25-GBaud polarization-division-multiplexed (PDM) 4/16/64-QAM signals after 20-km single-mode fiber (SMF), respectively.

In this study, the combustion experiments were carried out in a simultaneous thermogravimetric analyzer and in an oxidizing atmosphere at four heating rates of 5, 10, 15, and 20 °C/min, respectively. The thermal decomposition kinetics of pyrolysis char of torrefied treatment (T-P-char) from camellia shell were invested by the isoconversional methods of Friedman and Ozawa. The results showed that the correlation coefficients of the experiment data fitting were all over 0.99, and both the average values of activation energy and pre-exponential from Ozawa were higher than those of Friedman method. The enthalpy analysis indicated that the energy difference between the activated complex and the reagent was consistent with activation energy. The Gibbs free energy changed from 185.08 kJ/mol to 204.87 kJ/mol, and the entropy changes were negative, implying that the disorder degree of the products was lower than that of the initial reactants. Moreover, the reaction mechanism transformed from the random nucleation and growth reaction to the nth order reaction when the pyrolysis temperature exceeded 450 °C.

Water contamination irritated by Cd(II) brings about severe damage to the ecosystem and to human health. The decontamination of Cd(II) by the adsorption method is a promising technology. Here, we construct aminomethylpyridine-functionalized polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer/apple residue biosorbents (AP-G1.0-AMP and AP-G2.0-AMP) for adsorbing Cd(II) from aqueous solution. The adsorption behaviors of the biosorbents for Cd(II) were comprehensively evaluated. The maximum adsorption capacities of AP-G1.0-AMP and AP-G2.0-AMP for Cd(II) are 1.40 and 1.44 mmol·g–1at pH 6. The adsorption process for Cd(II) is swift and can reach equilibrium after 120 min. The film diffusion process dominates the adsorption kinetics, and a pseudo-second-order model is appropriate to depict this process. The uptake of Cd(II) can be promoted by increasing concentration and temperature. The adsorption isotherm follows the Langmuir model with a chemisorption mechanism. The biosorbents also display satisfied adsorption for Cd(II) in real aqueous media. The adsorption mechanism indicates that C–N, N═C, C–O, CONH, N–H, and O–H groups participate in the adsorption for Cd(II). The biosorbents display a good regeneration property and can be reused with practical value. The as-prepared biosorbents show great potential for removing Cd(II) from water solutions with remarkable significance.

Recently, neural networks have gained prominence as potent tools in the realm of channel modeling in optical wireless communication (OWC) systems. However, existing channel networks tend to ignore random intensity noise and phase noise induced by optical sources under spontaneous and excited radiation, and likewise the shot noise of the devices. They could only characterize deterministic noise such as inter-symbol interference (ISI), signal-to-signal beat interference (SSBI), and nonlinearities. In this paper, a novel channel simulator framework to optical wireless communication systems is proposed, which can jointly learn the deterministic noise and random noise of the real channel simultaneously. The proposed approach is a comprehensive noise joint channel estimator (CNJCE) architecture. A comprehensive comparison is carried out including three classical deep learning algorithms, which are two tributaries heterogeneous neural network (TTHnet) with posteriori additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), white Gaussian noise layer-based channel estimator (WGNCE) and conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN) based channel model. To represent both deterministic noise and random noise modeling capabilities, an overall estimation score is also proposed. The final experimental results show CNJCE achieved the highest average estimation scores of 79.86 and 97.52 in FSO and UVLC channels respectively. In contrast, TTHnet without AWGN or WGNCE only achieved 39.83 and 43.82. And CGAN based channel model completely lost signal characteristics, far worse than CNJCE. To our knowledge, this marks the first time that deterministic and random noise have been fully modeled in optical wireless communication, establishing a foundational framework for comprehensive end-to-end learning paradigms.

Visible light communication (VLC) based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is expected to be a key technology for next-generation (6G) networks owing to the property of providing illumination and communication. However, commercial LEDs are mostly designed for illumination or display, so that bandwidth limitations and nonlinear effects induced by the devices are major bottlenecks for VLC system. Faster-than-Nyquist (FTN) signaling is an alternative to realize high spectral efficiency (SE) with low-order modulation formats by inducing nonorthogonality in the time or frequency domain, namely, time compression (TC) and frequency compression (FC). For the first time, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a FTN multiband carrierless amplitude and phase (CAP) VLC system. The inter-symbol interference (ISI) and interchannel interference (ICI) terms are analyzed theoretically, and neural network (NN)-based dirty paper coding and waveform-to-symbol decoding schemes are proposed to address the combination of ISI and ICI. The experimental results prove the feasibility of the proposed scheme. A compression ratio of 50% is achieved for the FTN 16QAM multiband CAP VLC system. The average achievable SE exceeds 6.34 bit/s/Hz using FTN 16QAM with the 3.8×10-3 BER threshold.

Graphical abstract:

Visible light communication (VLC) has emerged as a valuable addition to the existing spectrum for wireless communication, complementing traditional radio frequency (RF) communication. By utilizing the untapped spectrum of visible light, VLC has the potential to play a substantial role in advancing wireless communication technologies. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that the predominant research focused in LED-based visible light communication has primarily revolved around point-to-point communication or the more ideal multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system. In this article, a transmission matrix-assisted neural network (TMANN) is proposed for a 2 × 4 MIMO visible light communication system to implement MIMO demultiplexing. The 2 × 2 transmission matrix is estimated by three methods, including the preamble method, the least mean-squares MIMO (LMS-MIMO) method, and the proposed attention-based weight neural network (AttWNN) method. The performance of transmission matrix estimation methods has been thoroughly investigated through both simulation and experimental evaluations. During the experiments conducted, it is observed that without employing any MIMO demultiplexing techniques, the total transmission rate can only achieve 2.787 Gbps, while by utilizing the classical least mean-squares MIMO (LMS-MIMO) method, the transmission rate can significantly increase to 5.961 Gbps. Compared with a multi-branch hybrid neural network (MBNN), the proposed TMANN has a full 59.23% reduction in computational complexity, although there is only a slight increase in data rate (from 6.643 Gbps to 6.689 Gbps). To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest transmission rate achieved in a LED-based MIMO visible light communication system in the simultaneous transmission of two data channels. These results showcase the promising applications of our proposed TMANN in low-cost MIMO visible light communication systems.

In order to implement circular polarization (CP) reconfigure, a semicircular ring antenna array has been designed by using liquid metal (LM). The array consists of eight CP antenna elements and a continuous-feeding network. A pair of slots are corroded on the radiation patch, and tubes are glued to the slots. The reconfigurable polarization was achieved by changing the current at the antenna surface after pushing the LM flowing to cover the slot with a microflow pump, then generating two degenerate modes. Therefore, a linear polarization and a right-/left-handed CP can be reconfigured. To verify this design, the antenna prototype has been fabricated; and the measurement results prove that the newly designed antenna array can archive three polarization forms, also presenting good work performance.

Wood–plastic composites are prepared by melting and mixing wood flour (WF) and thermoplastics, which have green and biodegradable advantages and are of great significance in the development of the era of global resource scarcity. In this work, recycled polypropylene and WF were used as raw materials and commercially available maleic anhydride–grafted polypropylene (MAH-g-PP) was used as a compatibilizer. The extrusion injection-molding method was used and investigated by varying the amounts of WF and compatibilizer added. The composites were analyzed for micromorphology, melt mass flow rate, mechanical properties and thermal stability by scanning electron microscopy, using a melt flow rate tester, using an electronic universal testing machine and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. According to the results, WF shows a positive effect in terms of the storage and loss moduli of the composites, but it shows a negative effect in terms of thermal stability and mechanical properties. As an effective compatibilizer, MAH-g-PP plays an important role in improving the mechanical properties of the composites, particularly at an additional level of 4 wt%, which maximizes the overall performance of the composites.

The ultra-dense wavelength division multiplexing (UDWDM)-based fiber-millimeter-wave integration network (FMWIN) is a key enabler for the 6G radio access network (RAN), providing high access density and large capacity. Due to the high density of wavelengths and bandwidth limitations, a modulation format of high spectral efficiency is required in the UDWDM FMWIN. In this article, we propose a spectrally efficient orthogonal odd-even staggered multi-band carrier-less amplitude and phase (OES-m-CAP) modulation. Each sub-band of OES-m-CAP transmits pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) symbols, which is different from the sub-bands of the conventional quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)-based m-CAP. The center frequency spacing of adjacent sub-bands in OES-m-CAP is half of the baud rate of each sub-band, and the roll-off spectra of adjacent sub-bands can overlap each other. Even if the roll-off factor increases, the center frequency of each sub-band does not shift, and the consumed system bandwidth increases only slightly. Thus, high spectral efficiency and good performance of the pulse shaping filters in OES-m-CAP can both be achieved without compromise. Moreover, we prove the orthogonality of OES-m-CAP in this article. By using OES-m-CAP in a UDWDM FMWIN system of 92-GHz millimeter-wave, we achieve a total data rate of 416 Gbps allocated across 32 sub-bands on 8 wavelengths over a transmission distance of 10 km.

A flexible coherent passive optical network (FLCS-CPON) is a promising solution for the future access network. By offering increased speed, sensitivity, and flexibility, it enables more efficient utilization of network resources and allows for serving a larger number of users. However, the past studies often overlook the flexibility of channel equalization. In the FLCS-CPON, customized rate optimization has been achieved to cater to users in different channel conditions. However, in addition to rate optimization, further performance improvement can be achieved by providing customized equalization methods. In this work, we proposed and demonstrated an end-to-end (E2E)-optimization-based FLCS-CPON in a 50 km fiber transmission. It enables tailored signal constellation shaping and equalization, maximizing system efficiency and performance. Finally, we achieved a FLCS-CPON with the net data rate (NDR) varied from 124 to 210 Gbps and the power budget of 40 and 42.4 dB in upstream and downstream, respectively; 3.7 and 2.9 dB power budgets are improved by E2E optimization. In burst-mode, the dynamic range of probabilistic shaping 32 quadrature amplitude modulation (PS-32QAM) at a line rate of 250 Gbps improved by 6.1 to 16.8 dB. Additionally, a dynamic range and net-rate product (DRNRP) of 5779 dB · Gbps is achieved.

This article proposes a unique method for the detection of the common doping drug Nandrolone (NDL) utilizing an electrochemical sensor based on a ZnO/GO nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode (ZIF8/GO/GCE) produced from metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). The accurate and sensitive detection of NDL, a prohibited doping agent in sports, is crucial for ensuring fair play and protecting athletes’ health. With its improved sensitivity and selectivity, the suggested sensor provides a quick, easy, and affordable way to detect NDLs. This makes it appropriate for on-site testing in intricate matrices such as biological, medicinal, and food samples. High precision and dependability are ensured by the special material combination, which takes advantage of the sensor’s high surface sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. The sensor is a dependable instrument for these kinds of applications since it demonstrates excellent stability and repeatability in the electrochemical detection process. Using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurements on real-world substances such as human serum, apples, and tap water, the suggested sensor’s practical applicability was evaluated. With recovery rates ranging from 94.00 to 99.00%, the results highlight the ZIF8/GO/GCE sensor’s exceptional precision for NDL detection and highlight its accuracy and dependability in clinical and food industry applications. Significantly, the sensor exhibited a sensitivity of 0.33074 µA/µM, a wide linear range from 0.5 µM to 138 µM, and a limit of detection as low as 0.09 µM. This study highlights how nanotechnology might improve analytical techniques and encourage fair play in sports.

Visible light communication (VLC) has recently emerged as a promising solution for 6G. In order to fully exploit the extensive coverage capabilities of VLC, multi-user communication scenarios have garnered significant attention. However, existing techniques, such as light beam shaping using Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs), are limited by uncontrollable focusing planes and positioning errors, which result in signal attenuation and communication interruption. Digital holography, another approach, is hindered by factors like dependence on physical lenses and high crosstalk for multiplate imaging. To address these issues, this paper proposes a Random Multiplate Hologram (RMPH) technique that employs high-dimensional orthogonal random vectors to achieve depth-multiplexed multi-user holography. This method effectively mitigates crosstalk between holograms enhances system robustness, and increases signal acceptance probability (AP) when positioning errors are taken into account. The RMPH approach can accurately control the size and position of targets at different depths and achieve over 90% AP for users with varying reception ranges at distinct positions in simulations. Experimental results indicate that the RMPH method exhibits a power variation of only approximately 1 dB, compared to the multi-Fresnel lens (MF) method's power variation of up to 10.9 dB. Furthermore, the RMPH method demonstrates superior communication capabilities, achieving an 9.40 dB power improvement at the edge of the receiving range compared to other methods. Moreover, the RMPH method helps to reduce crosstalk among different depths. Compared to conventional method, the RMPH method shows an improvement of more than 4 dB in the received optical power when conducting forward and backward displacement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first-time high-quality communications have been provided simultaneously to users at different 3D locations using digital holography. This outcome underscores the feasibility of future multi-user communication in the realm of visible light communication.

Good surface forming accuracy is an important indicator for evaluating the quality of the additive components, especially for complex components that require high surface forming accuracy, and the regulation of microstructure and properties has a very important impact on metal processing and manufacturing. In this study, an experimental device for interpass milling hybrid direct energy deposition-arc was developed. Combined with the simulation method, the effect of interpass milling on the forming accuracy was deeply studied from the liquid metal's force and flow behavior. The changes in microstructure and properties were also studied in depth from the evolution mechanism of residual stress and the solidification of liquid metal, thereby enhancing the controllability of the forming and properties of stainless steel additive components. The results showed that the addition of interpass milling refined the grains, weakened the orientation texture of the <001> crystal plane, and significantly improved the uniformity of the microstructure. Finally, the additive component with the best mechanical properties was obtained at a milling depth of 200 μm, with a 31.8 % increase in microhardness, 14.9 %, and 59.2 % increase in tensile strength and elongation, respectively. The anisotropy to isotropy of the deposited sample was transformed.

The novel AZ31B/SiCps composite was prepared by wire-arc directed energy deposition (DED-Arc) method. The effects of SiCps content in the range of 1.0–3.0 wt% on grain orientation, average grain size, grain boundary angle distribution, and mechanical properties of AZ31B magnesium alloy were studied. The results showed that SiCps, as a reinforcing phase uniformly dispersed in the matrix, could effectively reduce the free energy of the α-Mg matrix, and promoted non-uniform nucleation as a heterogeneous nucleation point. At the same time, SiCps was also pushed to the grain boundary by the solid-liquid interface, hindering the columnar grain of epitaxial growth, which helped to reduce the subcooling of components at the grain growth front (ΔTcs = ΔTn-min). With the increase of SiCps mass fraction, the transformation of columnar crystals to equiaxed crystals was realized. The average grain size of the deposited specimen and the texture strength of the crystal face of the α-Mg matrix (0001) gradually decreased. Finally, the AZ31B magnesium alloy with a mass fraction of 2.0 wt% SiCps exhibited excellent mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 233.35 MPa and an elongation of 24.04%. The anisotropy of the deposited sample was converted to isotropy.

Artificial synapse networks capable of massively parallel computing and mimicking biological neural networks can potentially improve the processing efficiency of existing information technologies. Semiconductor devices functioning as excitatory and inhibitory synapses are crucial for developing intelligence systems, such as traffic control systems. However, achieving reconfigurability between two working modes (inhibitory and excitatory) and bilingual synaptic behavior in a single transistor remains challenging. This study successfully mimics a bilingual synaptic response using an artificial synapse based on an ambipolar floating gate memory comprising tungsten selenide (WSe2)/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)/ molybdenum telluride (MoTe2). In this WSe2/h-BN/MoTe2structure, ambipolar semiconductors WSe2and MoTe2are inserted as channel and floating gates, respectively, and h-BN serves as the tunneling barrier layer. Using either positive or negative pulse amplitude modulations at the control gate, this device with bipolar channel conduction produced eight distinct resistance states. Based on this, we experimentally projected that we could achieve 490 memory states (210 hole-resistance states + 280 electron-resistance states). Using the bipolar charge transport and multistorage states of WSe2/h-BN/MoTe2floating gate memory, we mimicked reconfigurable excitatory and inhibitory synaptic plasticity in a single device. Furthermore, the convolution neural network formed by these synaptic devices can recognize handwritten digits with an accuracy of >92%. This study identifies the unique properties of heterostructure devices based on two-dimensional materials as well as predicts their applicability in advanced recognition of neuromorphic computing.

Widefield microscopy can provide optical access to multi-millimeter fields of view and thousands of neurons in mammalian brains at video rate. However, tissue scattering and background contamination results in signal deterioration, making the extraction of neuronal activity challenging, laborious and time consuming. Here we present our deep-learning-based widefield neuron finder (DeepWonder), which is trained by simulated functional recordings and effectively works on experimental data to achieve high-fidelity neuronal extraction. Equipped with systematic background contribution priors, DeepWonder conducts neuronal inference with an order-of-magnitude-faster speed and improved accuracy compared with alternative approaches. DeepWonder removes background contaminations and is computationally efficient. Specifically, DeepWonder accomplishes 50-fold signal-to-background ratio enhancement when processing terabytes-scale cortex-wide functional recordings, with over 14,000 neurons extracted in 17 h.

Graphical abstract: Hard-to-dissolve nanofibers provide alternatives for high-efficiency and low-resistant air filtration but are limited by the universality and economics of fabrication methods. A scalable and efficient ionic solution blow-spinning strategy has herein been proposed in preparing hard-to-dissolve nanofibrous filters.

Advanced display devices are in greater demand due to their large color gamut, high color purity, ultrahigh visual resolution, and small size pixels. All-inorganic lead halide perovskite (AILHP) nanocrystals (NCs) possess inherent advantages such as narrow emission width, saturated color, and flexible integration, and have been developed as functional films, light sources, backlight components, and display panels. However, some drawbacks still restrict the practical application of advanced display devices based on AILHP NCs, including working stability, large-scale synthesis, and cost. In this review, we focus on AILHP NCs, review the recent progress in materials synthesis, stability improvement, patterning techniques, and device application. We also highlight the important role of materials systems in creating advanced display devices, followed by the challenges and opportunities in industrial processes. This review provides beneficial inspiration for the future development of AILHP NCs in colorful and white backlight, as well as high resolution full-color displays.

Scutellaria baicalensis georgi, known as “Huangqin” in its dried root form, is a herb widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for “clearing away heat, removing dampness, purging fire and detoxification”. Baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, and wogonoside are the main flavonoid compounds found in Scutellaria baicalensis. Scutellaria baicalensis flavonoid components have the potential to prevent and treat a host of diseases. The components of S. baicalensis have limited clinical application due to their low water solubility, poor permeability, and microbial transformation in vivo. Nanopharmaceutical techniques can improve their biopharmaceutical properties, enhance their absorption in vivo, and improve their bioavailability. However, due to the limited number of clinical trials, doubts remain about their toxicity and improvements in human absorption as a result of nanoformulations. This review summarizes the latest and most comprehensive information regarding the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of the Scutellaria baicalensis components in vivo. We examined the main advantages of nanodrug delivery systems and collected detailed information on the nanosystem delivery of the Scutellaria baicalensis components, including nanosuspensions and various lipid-based nanosystems. Lipid-based systems including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and self-micro emulsifying drug delivery systems are introduced in detail. In addition, we make recommendations for related and future research directions. Future research should further examine the absorption mechanisms and metabolic pathways of nanoformulations of the components of Scutellaria baicalensis in vivo, and accurately track the in vivo behavior of these drug delivery systems to discover the specific reasons for the enhanced bioavailability of nanoformulations of the scutellaria baicalensis components. The development of targeted oral administration of intact nanoparticles of Scutellaria baicalensis components is an exciting prospect.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) are both frequently present in air as contaminants, posing serious health and environmental hazards. The current filtration of VOCs utilizes entirely different materials compared with PM filtration, adding complexity to air cleaning system. Herein, we design a pitch-based activated carbon ultrathin fibers (PACUFs) for bifunctional air purification. The PACUFs, with fiber diameter of ∼1.2 µm and specific surface area of 2341 m2g−1, provide both high VOCs adsorption capacity (∼706 mg g−1) and excellent efficiency of ∼97% PM0.3filtration with low pressure drop. In contrast, traditional activated carbon fibers exhibit VOCs adsorption capacity of ∼448 mg g−1and PM0.3removal efficiency of only ∼36% at an equal area density of ∼190 g m−2. Theoretical investigations reveal the filtration mechanism of the high-performance bifunctional fibrous PACUFs, considering full advantages of the high surface area, small pore size, and significant micropore volume.

Oncogenic stress induces DNA damage repair (DDR) that permits escape from mitotic catastrophe and allows early precursor lesions during the evolution of cancer. SAMHD1, a dNTPase protecting cells from viral infections, has been recently found to participate in DNA damage repair process. However, its role in tumorigenesis remains largely unknown. Here, we show that SAMHD1 is up-regulated in early-stage human carcinoma tissues and cell lines under oxidative stress or genotoxic insults. We further demonstrate that de-ubiquitinating enzyme USP7 interacts with SAMHD1 and de-ubiquitinates it at lysine 421, thus stabilizing SAMHD1 protein expression for further interaction with CtIP for DDR, which promotes tumor cell survival under genotoxic stress. Furthermore, SAMHD1 levels positively correlates with USP7 in various human carcinomas, and is associated with an unfavorable survival outcome in patients who underwent chemotherapy. Moreover, USP7 inhibitor sensitizes tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agents by decreasing SAMHD1 in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest that de-ubiquitination of SAMHD1 by USP7 promotes DDR to overcome oncogenic stress and affect chemotherapy sensitivity.

A multibranch curvilinear Rao–Wilton–Glisson (MB-CRWG) basis function is proposed to solve surface integral equations with nonconformal curvilinear meshes. The derivation of the MB-CRWG basis function is given. The structure of the MB-CRWG basis function can be divided into positive and negative parts. The positive part is one curvilinear triangular patch, and the negative part is composed of several curvilinear triangular patches. The MB-CRWG can conveniently connect two surfaces discretized with curvilinear triangular patches of different sizes. Numerical examples of the electromagnetic scattering from multiscale perfect electrically conducting targets are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed basis function.

In order to further suppress the stopband β0p = π and open stopband, a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) periodic leaky-wave antenna is proposed in this letter. We develop a multimode resonator concept. The SIW unit cell has three resonators consisting of three slots. Two asymmetric straight slots are etched on the top surface, and one interdigital slot is at the bottom. Therefore, the fundamental space harmonic, the backward-traveling, and forward-traveling n = –1 space harmonic are connected together without any bandgap. A wider continuous beam-scanning frequency band is reached. Measurement results show that the proposed antenna with a wider scanning angle arrived at 73°. Moreover, dual-beam scanning and single-beam scanning properties are achieved in different frequency bands. Analysis of the dispersion diagram, S-parameters, electric field distribution, and radiation pattern validates the entire design available.

Visible light communication (VLC) has emerged as a promising communication method in the special field of 6G, such as intersatellite communication (ISC) and underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC). Green light-emitting diode (LED)-based underwater visible light communication (VLC) is considered a potential candidate for UWOC of mobile autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and remotely operated underwater vehicle, particularly in coastal and harbor environments. However, due to bandwidth limitations and variable underwater channels, implementing high-speed underwater VLC remains a challenge. In this paper, a neural network-based auto equalization model (NNAEM) using end-to-end learning is proposed to achieve a high-speed underwater VLC link with a bandwidth-limited green LED. The entire NNAEM includes a neural network-based channel model, a pre-equalization neural network, and a post-equalization neural network. Based on the data-driven channel model, our auto equalization (AE) method can dynamically pre-equalize the discrete multitone (DMT) modulated signal in different bandwidth-limited cases and various nonlinearity cases. An underwater VLC link with a data rate of 3.451 Gbps and a transmission distance of 1.2 m is experimentally demonstrated by employing the proposed NNAEM under the hard decision-forward error correction (HD-FEC) threshold of 3.8 × 10−3. The data rate improvement is up to 30.4% compared to other advanced digital signal processing (DSP) methods. The scenario adaptation and robustness of the NNAEM are also verified in the experiments, which demonstrate that the NNAEM can serve an important role in underwater high-speed VLC transmission.

The use of artificial neural networks (NNs) as models of chaotic dynamics has been rapidly expanding. Still, a theoretical understanding of how NNs learn chaos is lacking. Here, we employ a geometric perspective to show that NNs can efficiently model chaotic dynamics by becoming structurally chaotic themselves. We first confirm NN’s efficiency in emulating chaos by showing that a parsimonious NN trained only on few data points can reconstruct strange attractors, extrapolate outside training data boundaries, and accurately predict local divergence rates. We then posit that the trained network’s map comprises sequential geometric stretching, rotation, and compression operations. These geometric operations indicate topological mixing and chaos, explaining why NNs are naturally suitable to emulate chaotic dynamics.

Seamless fiber-terahertz integrated communication has emerged as a promising technology in the special field of 6G, including mobile fronthaul and wireless bridges. Electronic terahertz communication systems have the advantages of high-level integration, small form factors, and potentially low costs, but their drawbacks are their small bandwidths and high harmonic interference levels. In this paper, an end-to-end learning-based waveform-to-waveform automatic equalization framework (W2WAEF) is proposed to overcome the above shortcomings in a seamless fiber-terahertz integrated communication system. An attention-based three-tributary heterogeneous neural network (ATTH) is designed to simulate the channel model of a seamless fiber-wireless communication system, taking fiber optics, optical-to-electrical conversion, and electrogenerated terahertz waves into account. With the proposed method, a data rate of 80.78 Gbps is experimentally demonstrated for discrete multitone modulation (DMT) signals over 5 km of fiber and 1 m of 209-GHz terahertz signals under a 20% soft decision-forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold of 2.4 × 10−2. Compared with an approach without preprocessing, a receiver sensitivity gain exceeding 1.3 dB is successfully achieved at a data rate of 60 Gbps. The proposed method is a promising scheme for meeting the high speed and low-cost demands of future seamless fiber-terahertz integrated communication systems.

Graphical abstract:

To meet an implantable device for human disease detection, a conformal multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) antenna is investigated in this article. The layout and decoupling of the antenna are designed according to the inherent electromagnetic properties of the implanted device based on the theory of characteristic modes (TCM). Compared with traditional methods, the TCM provides a method and theory to design a conformal implantable antenna with MIMO properties. The designed antenna has the advantage of simple structure, low space occupation, and little multipath reflection. The newly designed structure adopts two planar helical radiators to achieve size miniaturization. Some I-type patches are located between two radiators and slotting structures on the ground plane to reduce coupling. The biocompatible flexible polyimide is used as a dielectric substrate, enabling the conformal property and compatibility with the human tissue. Measurements of the fabricated prototype have been finished in the minced pork and skin-mimicking gel. Results show very good agreement with the simulations, which validate the suitability of the proposed antenna for the implantable devices. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the TCM has been applied to guiding the design of implantable MIMO antennas.

Recently, more advanced synchronous global‐scale satellite observations, the Soil Moisture Active Passive enhanced Level 3 (SMAP L3) soil moisture product and the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO‐2) solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) product, provide an opportunity to improve the predictive understanding of both water and carbon cycles in land surface modeling. The Simplified Simple Biosphere Model version 4 (SSiB4) was coupled with the Top‐down Representation of Interactive Foliage and Flora Including Dynamics Model (TRIFFID) and a mechanistic representation of SIF. Incorporating dynamic vegetation processes reduced global SIF root‐mean‐squared error (RMSE) by 12%. Offline experiments were conducted to understand the water and carbon cycles and their interactions using satellite data as constraints. Results indicate that soil hydraulic properties, the soil hydraulic conductivity at saturation (Ks) and the water retention curve, significantly impact soil moisture and SIF simulation, especially in the semi‐arid regions. The wilting point and maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate (Vmax) affect photosynthesis and transpiration, then soil moisture. However, without atmospheric feedback processes, their effects on soil moisture are undermined due to the compensation between soil evaporation and transpiration. With optimized parameters based on SMAP L3 and OCO‐2 data, the global RMSE of soil moisture and SIF simulations decreased by 15% and 12%, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of integrating advanced satellite data and dynamic vegetation processes to improve land surface models, enhancing understanding of terrestrial water and carbon cycles. This study used advanced satellite observations and land surface models to learn more about the water and carbon cycles and their interactions. The soil hydraulic conductivity at saturation (Ks) and the parameter for the water retention curve were identified as important. They affect how fast water can move in soil and how much water can be held by soil, which affects the available water in the soil for plants to use and makes them particularly important in water and carbon cycle simulation in dry areas. Two vegetation parameters affecting photosynthesis can help to improve the carbon cycle simulation but cannot change the soil moisture much because of the offline model limitation. The adjustment on the two soil property parameters and the two vegetation parameters improved the global water cycle simulation by 15% and the carbon cycle simulation by 12%. The introduction of dynamic vegetation processes into our model improved the carbon cycle simulation by 12% globally and helped to better understand the water and carbon cycles and their interactions. Key processes and parameters are identified using satellite data for advances in understanding carbon and water cycles and interactionsThe soil hydraulic properties, wilting point, and maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate are key parameters linking water‐carbon cyclesThe dynamic vegetation process plays an important role in water and carbon cycles Key processes and parameters are identified using satellite data for advances in understanding carbon and water cycles and interactions The soil hydraulic properties, wilting point, and maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate are key parameters linking water‐carbon cycles The dynamic vegetation process plays an important role in water and carbon cycles

Water pollution caused by Hg(II) and Ag(I) poses deleterious effects to environmental safety. Adsorption is one of the promising methods to decontaminate aqueous metal ions. Herein, polyhydroxyl-capped poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer/silica composites (G1-OH and G2-OH) were prepared for decontaminating aqueous Hg(II) and Ag(I). The maximum adsorption capacity of G1-OH and G2-OH for Hg(II) are 0.45 and 0.76 mmol/g, while that for Ag(I) are 0.66 and 0.81 mmol/g. The optimum solution pH for the adsorption of Hg(II) and Ag(I) are both 6. The adsorption for Hg(II) and Ag(I) can reach equilibrium at 150 and 120 min, respectively. Pseudo-second-order model can be used to describe the adsorption kinetic process and the rate-controlling step is film diffusion process. Adsorption isotherm indicates the adsorption can be promoted by increasing concentration and temperature, and the adsorption process could be described by Langmuir model with chemical mechanism. G1-OH and G2-OH exhibit excellent adsorption selectivity and they can 100% adsorb Hg(II) or Ag(I) with the coexisting of Fe(III), Co(II), Cu(II) or Ni(II). Adsorption mechanism confirms C-N, OH and CONH groups play critical role for the adsorption of the two ions. The work may provide efficient adsorbents for the decontamination of aqueous Hg(II) and Ag(I) with practical value.

In recent years, the integration of deep learning technology based on convolutional neural networks with historical maps has made it possible to automatically extract roads from these maps, which is highly important for studying the evolution of transportation networks. However, the similarity between roads and other features (such as contours, water systems, and administrative boundaries) poses a significant challenge to the feature extraction capabilities of convolutional neural networks (CNN). Additionally, CNN require a large quantity of labelled data for training, which can be a complex issue for historical maps. To address these limitations, we propose a method for extracting roads from historical maps based on an attention generative adversarial network. This approach leverages the unique architecture and training methodology of the generative adversarial network to augment datasets by generating data that closely resembles real samples. Meanwhile, we introduce an attention mechanism to enhance UNet3 + and achieve accurate historical map road segmentation images. We validate our method using the Third Military Mapping Survey of Austria-Hungary and compare it with a typical U-shaped network. The experimental results show that our proposed method outperforms the direct use of the U-shaped network, achieving at least an 18.26% increase in F1 and a 7.62% increase in the MIoU, demonstrating its strong ability to extract roads from historical maps and provide a valuable reference for road extraction from other types of historical maps.

Visible light communication (VLC) based on superluminescent diode (SLD) is a promising technology with great potential for future 6G optical wireless network. In this work, a 405 nm violet SLD device is fabricated with an 8° tilted facet at one end of the waveguide based on InGaN/GaN quantum wells. The device has an optical power of 14.67 mW under continuous‐wave operation. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the SLD at 400 mA is 12.52 nm, which is significantly larger than that in a violet laser diode (LD). Using the SLD as transmitter in VLC system, a high data transmission rate of 3.299 Gbps has been achieved using the discrete multiple tone (DMT) modulation. The corresponding bit error ratio (BER) is measured to be 1.67 × 10−3, which satisfies the forward error correction (FEC) threshold of 3.8 × 10−3. The results suggest that such device can be used as a promising light source for VLC and light fidelity (LiFi) applications. Visible light communication (VLC) based on superluminescent diode (SLD) is a promising technology with great potential for future 6G optical wireless network. This work demonstrates 405 nm violet‐emitting SLDs with tilted facet design grown on c‐plane GaN substrate. A high data transmission rate of 3.299 Gbps has been achieved using the discrete multiple tone (DMT) modulation.

p53 regulates multiple signaling pathways and maintains cell homeostasis under conditions of DNA damage and oxidative stress. Although USP7 has been shown to promote p53 stability via deubiquitination, the USP7-p53 activation mechanism has remained unclear. Here, we propose that DNA damage induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and activates ATM-CHK2, and CHK2 then phosphorylates USP7 at S168 and T231. USP7 phosphorylation is essential for its deubiquitination activity toward p53. USP7 also deubiquitinates CHK2 at K119 and K131, increasing CHK2 stability and creating a positive feedback loop between CHK2 and USP7. Compared to peri-tumor tissues, thyroid cancer and colon cancer tissues show higher CHK2 and phosphorylated USP7 (S168, T231) levels, and these levels are positively correlated. Collectively, our results uncover a phosphorylation-deubiquitination positive feedback loop involving the CHK2-USP7 axis that supports the stabilization of p53 and the maintenance of cell homeostasis.

Vegetation responses to rising atmospheric CO2levels can significantly affect water availability (defined as precipitation minus evapotranspiration (ET)). While this effect has long been recognized and assessed for the mean state, its influence on interannual variability, which is more closely associated with extreme events, has yet to be comprehensively quantified. In this study, our primary focus is to evaluate the impacts of ETby plant physiology (denoted as ETPhy) on the mean and interannual variability of water availability under elevated CO2using multiple CO2sensitivity experiments from the coupled model intercomparison project phase 6. We show that the contribution of vegetation physiological effects to the mean water availability varies among regions, while it consistently contributes to variability by about 33%. Considering CO2physiological effects alone, ETPhyexerts a more significant influence on the mean state than on variability, particularly in humid regions. Consequently, ETPhycontributes less than 5% to the variability of water availability in humid regions under rising CO2, whereas it accounts for about 20% of the mean state. This distinction could be attributed to the different mechanisms governing the mean and variability of ETPhy. Specifically, evaporation from CO2physiological forcing is the most critical contributor to the variability of ETPhyin most regions while showing minimal impacts on the mean state. Our findings identify the divergent effects of ETPhyon the mean state and interannual variability of water availability under elevated CO2, as important in future climate projections. Rising atmospheric CO2concentrations impacts on vegetation physiological processes are expected to change the evapotranspiration (ET) by plant physiology (denoted as ETPhy), allowing for altering the mean and the interannual variability of water availability (defined as precipitation minus ET). Using an ensemble of Earth system model simulations, this study reveals that the impacts of CO2physiological effects on the mean of water availability are region‐specific, but with a nearly consistent contribution to its interannual variability. Combined with the impact of ETPhyon the mean and variability of water availability resulting from CO2physiological forcing, ETPhytypically contributes less than 5% to the variability of water availability in humid regions under rising CO2, whereas it accounts for about 20% of the mean state. This discrepancy could arise from the different mechanisms governing the mean and variability of ETPhy. These results underscore the importance of accounting for the effects of ETPhyin response to increasing CO2in altering the mean and the interannual variability of regional water resources. The effects of CO2vegetation responses contribute variably in space to mean annual water availability but uniformly to variabilityThe evapotranspiration (ET) from CO2physiological forcing (ETPhy) shows more impacts on the mean of water availability than its variabilityThe evaporation from CO2physiological forcing plays an important role in the variability of ETPhybut has weak effects on the mean The effects of CO2vegetation responses contribute variably in space to mean annual water availability but uniformly to variability The evapotranspiration (ET) from CO2physiological forcing (ETPhy) shows more impacts on the mean of water availability than its variability The evaporation from CO2physiological forcing plays an important role in the variability of ETPhybut has weak effects on the mean

High-entropy alloy (HEA) has become an attraction for various fields since the advent of 2004. It is an alloy composed of five or more kinds of metallic and non-metallic elements in equimolar or near-equimolar ratios. With unique microstructures, high entropy alloys (HEAs) process many superior properties, such as good wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and superior strength and toughness, excellent thermal stability, oxidation resistance compared with the traditional alloy systems. The common preparation methods of HEAs are magnetron sputtering, laser cladding, electrochemical deposition, among which laser cladding has become a research hotspot in recent years due to its advantages of high energy density, fast solidification rate, small heat-affected zone. In this paper, the research progress of HEA coatings achieved through laser technology in recent years is reviewed, including aspects of the effects of laser processing parameters, the phase composition, microstructure characteristics, and the properties of hardness, strength, plasticity, wear, and corrosion resistance. In addition, the future trends and prospects are outlined.

Zwitterionic polymer brushes are well-known as excellent hydrophilic and antifouling materials. However, they demonstrate a certain degree of adsorption for proteins and other substances in practical application, and little research has been conducted into this area. Herein, a facile and efficient approach was employed to prepare zwitterionic spherical polymer brushes, polystyrene-poly(2-carboxy-N,N-dimethyl-N-(3′-acrylamidopropyl) ethanaminium inner salt) brushes (PS–PCBAA brushes). Specifically, the preparation process consists of three steps. First, polystyrene (PS) nanospheres were synthesized via conventional emulsion polymerization, and then photoinitiator with terminal double bond was immobilized on the surface of the PS core by copolymerizing with styrene (PS@HMEM). Finally, zwitterionic polymer chains (PCBAA) were grafted onto the surface of PS@HMEM via photoemulsion polymerization. The hydrodynamic diameter and size distribution, morphology, and chemical composition of PS–PCBAA brushes were characterized. The interaction between PS–PCBAA brushes and proteins was investigated by turbidity and size change. The interaction between brushes and proteins was mainly affected by two factors: the electrostatic interaction between polymer chains and proteins, and the transition of zwitterionic polymers from a fouling polymer to a nonfouling polymer. This work provided a simple and environmentally friendly method for constructing zwitterionic materials that showed potential application in the controllable adsorption and desorption of proteins.

Here, Fei et al. found that NDF, which was identified as a bilaterian nucleosome-destabilizing factor, is also a Pol II transcription factor that stimulates elongation with plain DNA templates in the absence of nucleosomes. Their findings demonstrate that NDF is a Pol II binding transcription elongation factor that is localized over gene bodies and is conserved from yeast to humans.