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Inductor-capacitor (LC) sensors have several merits compared to traditional sensors, such as no power supply, fully passive components, and wireless telemetry. In practical applications, the accuracy of the readout signals of LC sensors will be affected by changes in readout distance and parasitic effects. This article establishes a complete model of LC sensing system and analyzes the influence of parasitic effects on the readout signal. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that parasitic capacitance at the readout end has a significant impact on the readout frequency over a long readout distance, while the electric field coupling capacitor only has a limited impact on the readout frequency within a very short readout distance. Based on parasitic effect analysis, the formula correction method and de-embedding correction method are proposed to improve the readout signal of LC sensors. Experimental results show that the frequency variation of the formula corrected results is less than 0.14% in the readout range of 3–16 mm, and the de-embedding corrected results show zero variation in the readout range of 2–10 mm. The theoretical analysis and correction approaches provided here are beneficial for improving the readout accuracy of LC sensing systems.

Purpose: Effectively solving the large tonnage cable in the construction process due to the tensioning method of the inclined cable often appears in the overall cable force and the design value of the deviation is large, cable internal strand force is not uniform, the main girder stress exceeds the limit of the problem affecting the safety of the structure. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the finite element method and theoretical analysis method are utilized to propose a construction control method of tensioning the whole bunch of diagonal cables in two parts according to the deformation coordination relationship between the main girder and the diagonal cables. This methodology was implemented during the actual construction of the PAIRA Bridge in Bangladesh. Findings: Tests conducted on cable-stayed bridges using this controlled tensioning method demonstrate that the measured cable strength of a single strand exhibits an error of less than 0.15% compared to the design target cable strength. The deviation between the measured and designed cable forces ranges from 0.16% to 0.27%. Furthermore, no tensile stress is observed in both the top plate and bottom plate of the root section of the main girder, indicating a state of full-section compression throughout the entire construction process. Originality/value: Through the comparison with the test value, it can be proved that the whole bunch of diagonal cable tensioned in two parts of the construction control method proposed in this paper can make the internal strand force more uniform, to meet the precision requirements of the site construction, to protect the safety of the bridge construction process. The method proposed in this paper is highly accurate, easy to calculate, and has a high value of popularization and application.

Purpose: The combination of an Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) layer and steel plate to reinforce RC beams (ESRB) is a new strengthening method. The ESRB was proposed based on the steel plate at the bottom of RC beams, aiming to solve the problem of over-reinforced RC beams and improve the bearing capacity of RC beams without affecting their ductility. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, the finite element model of ESRB was established by ABAQUS. The results were compared with the experimental results of ESRB in previous studies and the reliability of the finite element model was verified. On this basis, parameters such as the width of the steel plate, thickness of the ECC layer, damage degree of the original beam and cross-sectional area of longitudinal tensile rebar were analyzed by the verified finite element model. Based on the load–deflection curve of ESRB, ESRB was discussed in terms of ultimate bearing capacity and ductility. Findings: The results demonstrate that when the width of the steel plate increases, the ultimate load of ESRB increases to 133.22 kN by 11.58% as well as the ductility index increases to 2.39. With the increase of the damage degree of the original beam, the ultimate load of ESRB decreases by 23.7%–91.09 kN and the ductility index decreases to 1.90. With the enhancement of the cross-sectional area of longitudinal tensile rebar, the ultimate bearing capacity of ESRB increases to 126.75 kN by 6.2% and the ductility index elevates to 2.30. Finally, a calculation model for predicting the flexural capacity of ESRB is proposed. The calculated results of the model are in line with the experimental results. Originality/value: Based on the comparative analysis of the test results and numerical simulation results of 11 test beams, this investigation verified the accuracy and reliability of the finite element simulation from the aspects of load–deflection curve, characteristic load and failure mode. Furthermore, based on load–deflection curve, the effects of steel plate width, ECC layer thickness, damage degree of the original beam and cross-sectional area of longitudinal tensile rebar on the ultimate bearing capacity and ductility of ESRB were discussed. Finally, a simplified method was put forward to further verify the effectiveness of ESRB through analytical calculation.

Designing three-dimensional (3D) porous carbonaceous skeletons for K metal is one of the most promising strategies to inhibit dendrite growth and enhance the cycle life of potassium metal batteries. However, the nucleation and growth mechanism of K metal on 3D skeletons remains ambiguous, and the rational design of suitable K hosts still presents a significant challenge. In this study, the relationships between the binding energy of skeletons toward K and the nucleation and growth of K are systematically studied. It is found that a high binding energy can effectively decrease the nucleation barrier, reduce nucleation volume, and prevent dendrite growth, which is applied to guide the design of 3D current collectors. Density functional theory calculations show that P-doped carbon (P-carbon) exhibits the highest binding energy toward K compared to other elements (e.g., N, O). As a result, the K@P-PMCFs (P-binding porous multichannel carbon nanofibers) symmetric cell demonstrates an excellent cycle stability of 2100 h with an overpotential of 85 mV in carbonate electrolytes. Similarly, the perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride || K@P-PMCFs cell achieves ultralong cycle stability (85% capacity retention after 1000 cycles). This work provides a valuable reference for the rational design of 3D current collectors.

Purpose: When the reinforced concrete beams are reinforced by bonding steel plates to the bottom, excessive use of steel plates will make the reinforced concrete beams become super-reinforced beams, and there are security risks in the actual use of super-reinforced beams. In order to avoid the occurrence of this situation, the purpose of this paper is to study the calculation method of the maximum number of bonded steel plates to reinforce reinforced concrete beams. Design/methodology/approach: First of all, when establishing the limit failure state of the reinforced member, this paper comprehensively considers the role of the tensile steel bar and steel plate and takes the load effect before reinforcement as the negative contribution of the maximum number of bonded steel plates that can be used for reinforcement. Through the definition of the equivalent tensile strength, equivalent elastic modulus and equivalent yield strain of the tensile steel bar and steel plate, a method to determine the relative limit compression zone height of the reinforced member is obtained. Second, based on the maximum ratio of (reinforcement + steel plate), the relative limit compression zone height and the equivalent tensile strength of the tensile steel bar and steel plate of the reinforced member, the calculation method of the maximum number of bonded steel plates is derived. Then, the static load test of the test beam is carried out and the corresponding numerical model is established, and the reliability of the numerical model is verified by comparison. Finally, the accuracy of the calculation method of the maximum number of bonded steel plates is proved by the numerical model. Findings: The numerical simulation results show that when the steel plate width is 800 mm and the thickness is 1–4 mm, the reinforced concrete beam has a delayed yield platform when it reaches the limit state, and the failure mode conforms to the basic stress characteristics of the balanced-reinforced beam. When the steel plate thickness is 5–8 mm, the sudden failure occurs without obvious warning when the reinforced concrete beam reaches the limit state. The failure mode conforms to the basic mechanical characteristics of the super-reinforced beam failure, and the bending moment of the beam failure depends only on the compressive strength of the concrete. The results of the calculation and analysis show that the maximum number of bonded steel plates for reinforced concrete beams in this experiment is 3,487 mm2. When the width of the steel plate is 800 mm, the maximum thickness of the steel plate can be 4.36 mm. That is, when the thickness of the steel plate, the reinforced concrete beam is still the balanced-reinforced beam. When the thickness of the steel plate, the reinforced concrete beam will become a super-reinforced beam after reinforcement. The calculation results are in good agreement with the numerical simulation results, which proves the accuracy of the calculation method. Originality/value: This paper presents a method for calculating the maximum number of steel plates attached to the bottom of reinforced concrete beams. First, based on the experimental research, the failure mode of reinforced concrete beams with different number of steel plates is simulated by the numerical model, and then the result of the calculation method is compared with the result of the numerical simulation to ensure the accuracy of the calculation method of the maximum number of bonded steel plates. And the study does not require a large number of experimental samples, which has a certain economy. The research result can be used to control the number of steel plates in similar reinforcement designs.

Cell-free network architecture plays a promising role in the terahertz (THz) networks since it provides better link reliability and uniformly good services for all the users compared to the co-located massive MIMO counterpart, and the spatial-spectral THz link has the advantages of lower initial access latency and fast beam operations. To this end, this letter studies cell-free spatial-spectral THz networks with leaky-wave antennas, to exploit the benefits of leveraging both cell-free and spatial-spectral THz technologies. By addressing the coupling effects between propagation angles and frequencies, we propose novel frequency-dependent THz transmit antenna selection schemes to maximize the transmission rate. Numerical results confirm that the proposed antenna selection schemes can achieve much larger transmission rate than the maximal ratio transmission of using all the transmit antennas with equal subchannel bandwidth allocation in higher THz frequencies.

Active ingredients from highland barley have received considerable attention as natural products for developing treatments and dietary supplements against obesity. In practical application, the research of food combinations is more significant than a specific food component. This study investigated the lipid-lowering effect of highland barley polyphenols via lipase assay in vitroand HepG2 cells induced by oleic acid (OA). Five indexes, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHO), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), were used to evaluate the lipid-lowering effect of highland barley extract. We also preliminary studied the lipid-lowering mechanism by Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results indicated that highland barley extract contains many components with lipid-lowering effects, such as hyperoside and scoparone. In vitro, the lipase assay showed an 18.4 % lipase inhibition rate when the additive contents of highland barley extract were 100 µg/mL. The intracellular lipid-lowering effect of highland barley extract was examined using 0.25 mM OA-induced HepG2 cells. The results showed that intracellular TG, LDL-C, and T-CHO content decreased by 34.4 %, 51.2 %, and 18.4 %, respectively. ALT and AST decreased by 51.6 % and 20.7 % compared with the untreated hyperlipidemic HepG2 cells. qPCR results showed that highland barley polyphenols could up-regulation the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes such as PPARγ and Fabp4.

This letter studies multiuser immersive communications networks in which different user equipment may demand various extended reality (XR) services. In such heterogeneous networks, time-frequency resource allocation needs to be more adaptive since XR services are usually multi-modal and latency-sensitive. To this end, we develop a scalable time-frequency resource allocation method based on multi-numerology and mini-slot. To appropriately determining the discrete parameters of multi-numerology and mini-slot for multiuser immersive communications, the proposed method first presents a novel flexible time-frequency resource block configuration, then it leverages the deep reinforcement learning to maximize the total quality-of-experience (QoE) under different users’ QoE constraints. The results confirm the efficiency and scalability of the proposed time-frequency resource allocation method.

Purpose: This paper presents the experimental and numerical results of the bending properties of low-height prestressed T-beams. The purpose is to study the bearing capacity, failure state and strain distribution of low-height prestressed T-beams. Design/methodology/approach: First, two 13 m-long full-size test beams were fabricated with different positions of prestressed steel bundles in the span. The load–deflection curves and failure patterns of each test beam were obtained through static load tests. Secondly, the test data were used to validate the finite element model developed to simulate the flexural behavior of low-height prestressed T-beams. Finally, the influence of different parameters (the number of prestressed steel bundles, initial prestress and concrete strength grade) on the flexural performance of the test beams is studied by using a finite element model. Findings: The test results show that when the distance of the prestressed steel beam from the bottom height of the test beam increases from 40 to 120 mm, the cracking load of the test beam decreases from 550.00 to 450.00 kN, reducing by 18.18%, and the ultimate load decreases from 1338.15 to 1227.66 kN, reducing by 8.26%, therefore, the increase of the height of the prestressed steel beam reduces the bearing capacity of the test beam. The numerical simulation results show that when the number of steel bundles increases from 2 to 9, the cracking load increases by 183.60%, the yield load increases by 117.71% and the ultimate load increases by 132.95%. Therefore, the increase in the number of prestressed steel bundles can increase the cracking load, yield load and ultimate load of the test beam. When the initial prestress is from 695 to 1,395 MPa, the cracking load increases by 69.20%, the yield load of the bottom reinforcement increases by 31.61% and the ultimate load increases by 3.97%. Therefore, increasing the initial prestress can increase the cracking load and yield load of the test beam, but it has little effect on the ultimate load. The strength grade of concrete increases from C30 to C80, the cracking load is about 455.00 kN, the yield load is about 850.00 kN and the ultimate load is increased by 4.90%. Therefore, the improvement in concrete strength grade has little influence on the bearing capacity of the test beam. Originality/value: Based on the experimental study, the bearing capacity of low-height prestressed T-beams with different prestressed steel beam heights is calculated by finite element simulation, and the influence of different parameters on the bearing capacity is discussed. This method not only ensures the accuracy of bearing capacity assessment, but also does not require a large number of samples and has a certain economy. The study of prestressed low-height T-beams is of great significance for understanding the principle and application of prestressed technology. Research on the mechanical behavior and performance of low-height prestressed T beams can provide a scientific basis and technical support for the design and construction of prestressed concrete structures. In addition, the study of prestressed low-height T-beams can also provide a reference for the optimization design and construction of other structural types.

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) used as sodium ion battery (SIB) cathodes are usually the focus of attention due to their three-dimensional open frame and high theoretical capacity. Nonetheless, the disadvantages of a low working voltage and inferior structural stability of PBAs prevent their further applications. Herein, we propose constructing the Kx(MnFeCoNiCu)[Fe(CN)6] (HE-K-PBA) cathode by high-entropy and potassium incorporation strategy to simultaneously realize high working voltage and cycling stability. The reaction mechanism of metal cations in HE-K-PBA are revealed by synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), ex situX-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and in situRaman spectra. We also investigate the entropy stabilization mechanism via finite element simulation, demonstrating that HE-K-PBA with small von Mises stress and weak structure strain can significantly mitigate the structural distortion. Benefit from the stable structure and everlasting K+(de)intercalation, the HE-K-PBA delivers high output voltage (3.46 V), good reversible capacity (120.5 mAh g–1at 0.01 A g–1), and capacity retention of 90.4% after 1700 cycles at 1.0 A g–1. Moreover, the assembled full cell and all-solid-state batteries with a stable median voltage of 3.29 V over 3000 cycles further demonstrate the application prospects of the HE-K-PBA cathode.

Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide, posing a serious threat to global health. Tetrandrine (Tet) is a small molecule in traditional Chinese medicine with proven primary efficacy against multiple cancers. Although previous studies have demonstrated the potential anticancer effects of Tet on NSCLC, its poor water solubility has limited its further clinical application. Herein, a novel nanoparticle-based drug delivery system, platelet membrane (PLTM)-coated Tet-loaded polycaprolactone-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-polycaprolactone nanoparticles (PTeNPs), is proposed to increase the potency of Tet against NSCLC. First, tetrandrine nanoparticles (TeNPs) are created using an emulsion solvent evaporation method, and biomimetic nanoparticles (PTeNPs) are prepared by coating the nanoparticles with PLTMs. When coated with PLTMs, PTeNPs are considerably less phagocytized by macrophages than Tet and TeNPs. In addition, compared with Tet and TeNPs, PTeNPs can significantly inhibit the growth and invasion of NSCLC both in vitro and in vivo. With reliable biosafety, this drug delivery system provides a new method of sustained release and efficient anticancer effects against NSCLC, facilitating the incorporation of Tet in modern nanotechnology.

This article studies the vehicle platooning system based on vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, where all the vehicles in the platoon upload their driving state information to the roadside unit (RSU), and the RSU makes the platoon control decisions with the assistance of edge computing. By addressing the delay concern, a platoon control approach is proposed to achieve plant stability and string stability. The effects of the time headway, communication, and edge computing delays on the stability are quantified. The velocity and size of the stable platoon are calculated, which show the impacts of the radio parameters such as massive multiple-input–multiple-output antennas and frequency band on the platoon configuration. The handover performance between RSUs in the V2I-based platooning system is quantified by considering the effects of the RSU's coverage and platoon size, which demonstrates that the velocity of a stable platoon should be appropriately chosen, in order to meet the V2I's quality-of-service and handover constraints.

This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory molecular activity of rapeseed napin-derived dipeptide Thr-Leu (TL) using Caco-2/RAW264.7 cell cocultures. This in vitro coculture intestinal inflammation model was used to assess the absorption, evolution, and anti-inflammatory effects of peptides. TL was absorbed by the intestinal epithelial cells with an apparent permeability of (2.48 ± 0.18) × 10–6cm/s, primarily through the PepT1 pathway. TL treatment exerted anti-inflammatory and restorative effects on the impaired intestinal barrier function by enhancing the expression levels of occludin and ZO-1 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced Caco-2 cells. No significant change (P< 0.05) was detected in claudin-1 expression levels; however, the occludin expression levels were upregulated through the protein kinase C (PKC) signaling pathway. Compared with the LPS-induced group, TL (2.0 mM) reduced the levels of intracellular inflammation-related enzymes (iNOS: by 50.84%; COX-2: by 49.64%) on the coculture cell model. In addition, the interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels in RAW264.7 cells were significantly (P< 0.05) downregulated following TL treatment (2.0 mM) due to the suppression of the phosphorylation of the JNK-independent pathway on the basolateral side of the coculture cell model. These findings highlight the potential use of TL in functional foods or nutraceuticals to prevent intestinal inflammation.

A Discrete Boltzmann Model(DBM) based on the Shakhov model for detonation is proposed. Compared with the DBM based on the Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook (BGK) model, the current model has a flexible Prandtl numbers and consequently can be applied to a much wider range of detonation phenomena. Besides the Hydrodynamic Non-Equilibrium (HNE) behaviors usually investigated by the Navier–Stokes model, the most relevant Thermodynamic Non-Equilibrium (TNE) effects can be probed by the current model. The model is validated by some well-known benchmarks, and some steady and unsteady detonation processes are investigated. As for the von Neumann peak relative to the wave front, it is found that (i) (within the range of numerical experiments) the peak heights of pressure, density, and flow velocity increase exponentially with the Prandtl number, the maximum stress increases parabolically with the Prandtl number, and the maximum heat flux decreases exponentially with the Prandtl number and (ii) the peak heights of pressure, density, temperature and flow velocity, and the maximum stress within the peak are parabolically increase with the Mach number, the maximum heat flux decreases exponentially with the Mach number.

Online education is the main form of pedagogy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The description and analysis of the emotional experience of online education for college students are of considerable significance. This paper surveyed and investigated the online learning experience of 1,147 college students during the pandemic. Moreover, their experience of offline and online learning was analysed. The results demonstrate that college students prefer face-to-face learning. Online learning produces more negative emotions, whereas face-to-face learning induces more positive emotions; academic situation, self-management, learning atmosphere, interpersonal relationship, self-expression, collective honour are the leading causes of students' emotions.

In the immersive communications systems, video information is stringently delivered for extended reality applications. Since users may demand various immersive experience and have different levels of view prediction accuracy, the two-tier 360-degree video delivery frame structure with dynamic transmission time interval duration needs to be designed appropriately. To maximize the system's quality of experience, two new frame structures and power control are proposed. Meanwhile, the synchronous and asynchronous cases with different computational complexities are addressed. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design and indicate that flexible frame structure is beneficial for multiuser immersive communications.

The use of terahertz (THz) frequencies has been recommended to achieve high-speed and ultra-low latency transmissions. Although there exist very large bandwidths in the THz frequency bands, THz channels are significantly dynamic and complicated, which is challenging for channel estimation. To improve the energy efficiency of wireless networks, THz channel power gains need to be precisely evaluated for determining optimal THz transmission frequencies and power control. Therefore, this work presents a novel conditional generative adversarial networks (GAN) based channel power gain estimation solution in the THz vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) networks with leaky-wave antennas, where the THz frequency has a big effect on the antenna gain, path loss and atmospheric attenuation. Simulation results confirm that our solution can accurately estimate the channel power gains versus the THz frequencies at a fast speed.

This paper designs the vehicle tracking and resource allocation in the terahertz (THz) vehicle-to-infrastructure communications (V2I) networks, where roadside units (RSUs) equipped with leaky-wave antennas help to estimate the driving states of multiple vehicles and optimize the transmit power and bandwidth per vehicle after receiving the vehicles’ feedback. Different from the conventional phased arrays, the leaky-wave antenna has the potential of improving the sensing accuracy with lower system overhead thanks to its unique spatial-spectral coupling feature. The generalized mobile scenario is studied in which vehicles drive at time-varying speeds. A novel unscented Kalman filter (UKF) based solution is proposed to track the vehicles without requirement of addressing the Doppler effect. Based on the estimated states of multiple vehicles, a low-complexity resource allocation method is developed to maximize the sum rate under user fairness concern. Simulation results confirm that the proposed tracking solution can evaluate the propagation angle, vehicle’s states and inter-vehicle distance accurately, and the tailored resource allocation method strikes a delicate balance between the sum rate and user fairness in the multi-vehicle V2I scenario.

Oligopeptides (Thr–His–Leu–Pro–Lys (THLPK), His–Pro–Leu–Lys (HPLK), Leu–Pro–Lys (LPK), His–Leu–Lys (HLK), and Leu–His–Lys (LHK)) are newly identified from rapeseed napin (Brassica napus) protein-derived hydrolysates with the capability of upregulating glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) expression and translocation. However, whether each of them enhances GLUT4 expression and translocation and their specific mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we assess the effects of the oligopeptides against insulin resistance (IR) and oxidative stress in hepatocytes and screen out the most antidiabetic one. Specifically, compared with other oligopeptides, LPK not only remarkably elevated glucose consumption to 8.45 mmol/L protein; superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity to 319 U/mg protein; GLUT4 expression and translocation; and phosphorylated level of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and protein kinase B (Akt) (P< 0.05) but also remarkably attenuated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level to 2255, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity to 20.5 U/mg protein, malondialdehyde (MDA) content to 241 nmol/mg protein, and NO content to 1302 μmol/mL protein (P< 0.05). These findings demonstrated that antidiabetic oligopeptide LPK possessed the most potential to protect HepG2 cells from IR and oxidative stress via activating IRS-1/PI3K/Akt/GLUT4 and regulating common oxidative markers in vitro.

The seismo-electromagnetic (EM) method is an important geophysical method that plays a major role in the observation of seismic anomalies related to earthquake precursors. It is the most promising method for a breakthrough in short-term earthquake prediction. The digital transformation and network upgrading implemented in the “Ninth five-year plan” and “Tenth five-year plan” have optimized the original observation system, improved the quality of observed data, enriched the seismic-electromagnetic information, and enhanced the analysis capability and timeliness of seismic-electromagnetic anomalies. These improvements are of major importance for the research on seismo-electromagnetics as well as for the development of new technologies. Since the beginning of the 21st century, China has launched a satellite named CSES that was designed for the generation and study of seismo-electromagnetic data and built a high-power transmitting source and a new CSELF observation network that is used specifically for earthquake monitoring. This platform has promoted the full-time three-dimensional EM monitoring and the identification of earthquake anomalies. Based on the study of anomalies related to earthquake precursors, the physical and numerical simulations, and the study on generation mechanism of anomalies in China, we summarize the characteristics of earthquake EM anomalies and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different EM observation methods. Finally, considering the related questions of the seismo-electromagnetic prediction and implementing the recent developments both in China and abroad, we review the current status of seismo-electromagnetic research and propose strategies for future research.

The repair of spinal cord injury (SCI) is still a tough clinical challenge and needs innovative therapies. Mitochondrial function is significantly compromised after SCI and has emerged as an important factor causing neuronal apoptosis and hindering functional recovery. In this study, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSC), which are promising seed cells for nerve regeneration, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) that have been demonstrated to have a variety of effects on neural regeneration were jointly immobilized in extracellular matrix (ECM) and heparin-poloxamer (HP) to create a polymer bioactive system that brings more hope and possibility for the treatment of SCI. Our results in vitroand in vivoshowed that the UCMSC-bFGF-ECM-HP thermosensitive hydrogel has good therapeutic effects, mainly in reducing apoptosis and improving the mitochondrial function. It showed promising utility for the functional recovery of impaired mitochondrial function by promoting mitochondrial fusion, reducing pathological mitochondrial fragmentation, increasing mitochondrial energy supply, and improving the metabolism of MDA, LDH, and ROS. In addition, we uncovered a distinct molecular mechanism underlying the protective effects associated with activating p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) and mitochondrial sirtuin 4 (SIRT4) by the UCMSC-bFGF-ECM-HP hydrogel. The expansion of new insights into the molecular relationships between PAK1 and SIRT4, which links the mitochondrial function in SCI, can lay the foundation for future applications and help to provide promising interventions of stem-cell-based biological scaffold therapies and potential therapeutic targets for the clinical formulation of SCI treatment strategies.

Accurate segmentation of oral surgery-related tissues from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images can significantly accelerate treatment planning and improve surgical accuracy. In this paper, we propose a fully automated tissue segmentation system for dental implant surgery. Specifically, we propose an image preprocessing method based on data distribution histograms, which can adaptively process CBCT images with different parameters. Based on this, we use the bone segmentation network to obtain the segmentation results of alveolar bone, teeth, and maxillary sinus. We use the tooth and mandibular regions as the ROI regions of tooth segmentation and mandibular nerve tube segmentation to achieve the corresponding tasks. The tooth segmentation results can obtain the order information of the dentition. The corresponding experimental results show that our method can achieve higher segmentation accuracy and efficiency compared to existing methods. Its average Dice scores on the tooth, alveolar bone, maxillary sinus, and mandibular canal segmentation tasks were 96.5%, 95.4%, 93.6%, and 94.8%, respectively. These results demonstrate that it can accelerate the development of digital dentistry.

Radiotherapy (RT) is a widely used treatment with strong therapeutic effects, but overcoming challenges related to hypoxia-induced tumor resistance and ineffective antitumor immune responses is crucial for optimal outcomes. In this study, we developed a versatile nanosystem using mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), R837, and a small quantity of manganese peroxide (Mn/ZnO2). The synthesized MSN@R837-Mn/ZnO2nanoparticles exhibited precise tumor targeting and accumulation, controlled drug release under acidic conditions, and increased sensitivity in magnetic resonance imaging. These attributes collectively augmented the therapeutic efficacy of RT by alleviating hypoxia and immunosuppression. Tumor cells treated with RT combined with these nanoparticles displayed reduced oxidative stress, alleviated hypoxia, and normalized blood vessel formation. Notably, all mice in the RT + PD-1 + MSN@R837-Mn/ZnO2group achieved complete tumor regression with extended survival. Safety assessments confirmed the absence of MSN@R837-Mn/ZnO2toxicity, highlighting its potential as a promising approach with dual functionality for the diagnostic imaging and treatment of cancer.

The fault zone architecture may provide reliable information about the deformations in both on‐fault and off‐fault media. The outer damage zones of faults may extend for kilometers and exhibit structural anisotropy, which potentially causes electrical anisotropy in rocks. Thus, electrically anisotropic structures may indicate the dimensions and extent of fault damage zones. We investigated the electrical anisotropic structure of the sinistral Altyn Tagh fault (ATF), NW China, using magnetotelluric data collected in and around the Subei Basin. Our three‐dimensional resistivity model reveals widespread anisotropic anomalies at depths <∼5 km. The directions of the minimum horizontal resistivity values of the anomalies inside the Qilian Shan southeast of the ATF are dominantly subparallel to the fault traces at the surface. At deeper levels (∼15–19 km and ∼33–43 km), the anisotropic anomalies are mainly concentrated near the northern strand of the ATF (NATF) and the North Yemahe fault (NYMF) in the northeastern Subei area. The mid‐lower crust (∼33–43 km) inside the Qilian Shan is characterized by isotropy or weak anisotropy with low resistivities (∼10 Ωm), which deviate significantly from the values along the NATF. Our results indicate the presence of a ∼30 km wide off‐fault damage zone along the NATF and NYMF in the shallow crust that thins downward to the lower crust. We propose that the distribution of anisotropic anomalies is influenced primarily by neighboring faults. An independent deformation model could be appropriate for evaluating the relationships between the ATF and thrust faults within the Qilian Shan. Damage zones of faults include the volumes of subsidiary structures that may occur in preferred orientations and induce electrical anisotropy. An electrically anisotropic structure, indicating direction‐dependent conductivity (the reciprocal of resistivity), may provide a new means to delineate the architecture of a fault, especially its damage zones. The sinistral Altyn Tagh fault (ATF) defines the northern boundary of the Tibetan Plateau. The architecture of the ATF has seldom been discussed from a three‐dimensional (3‐D) perspective. We obtained the 3‐D crustal electrical anisotropic structure in the area through which the ATF passes and found that widespread electrical anisotropic anomalies exist in the upper crust. As depth increases, the anisotropic anomalies become more concentrated below the northern strand of the ATF (NATF) and a parallel fault ∼15 km south of it. These features may imply the existence of a damage zone between the NATF and its parallel fault that is ∼30 km wide at a depth of ∼5 km and thins to ∼10 km in the lower crust. Our study suggests that the ATF and the thrust faults within the Qilian Shan may be more compatible with an independent deformation pattern. Dense magnetotelluric data are inverted to examine the architecture of the Altyn Tagh fault in the Subei areaThe electrical anisotropic anomalies in the Subei area are likely controlled by faultsAnisotropic anomalies in the crust are interpreted to reflect off‐fault damage zones Dense magnetotelluric data are inverted to examine the architecture of the Altyn Tagh fault in the Subei area The electrical anisotropic anomalies in the Subei area are likely controlled by faults Anisotropic anomalies in the crust are interpreted to reflect off‐fault damage zones

Single atom catalysts (SACs) have garnered significant attention in the field of catalysis over the past decade due to their exceptional atom utilization efficiency and distinct physical and chemical properties. For the semiconductor-based electrical gas sensor, the core is the catalysis process of target gas molecules on the sensitive materials. In this context, the SACs offer great potential for highly sensitive and selective gas sensing, however, only some of the bubbles come to the surface. To facilitate practical applications, we present a comprehensive review of the preparation strategies for SACs, with a focus on overcoming the challenges of aggregation and low loading. Extensive research efforts have been devoted to investigating the gas sensing mechanism, exploring sensitive materials, optimizing device structures, and refining signal post-processing techniques. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives on the SACs based gas sensing are presented.

Asymmetric synthesis of enantioenriched azo compounds bearing tetrasubstituted stereocenter was achieved through chiral N,N′-dioxide/metal Lewis acid promoted interrupted Japp-Klingemann reaction of aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborate salts with nucleophiles under mild conditions. This protocol features wide substrate scope and good functional group compatibility. Azaarene-containing chiral azo compounds were stable enough in Japp-Klingemann reaction condition. The key to success of the reaction was the employment of metal salt/N,N′-dioxide ligand and the dual-task roles of the base. Moreover, the X-ray crystal structure of Ni(II)/N,N′-dioxide/substrate complex confirmed that the substrate was activated by bidentate coordination, which shed light on the origin of chiral control of the reaction.

The strain gradient elasticity theory is adopted to capture the small-scale effect of micro/nanostructures to derive the governing equation by using Hamilton's principle. A mesh-free method on the basis of moving Kriging interpolation, of which shape function possesses C 2 continuum, is developed to investigate the vibration of the strain gradient plate. Owing to the inherent Kronecker delta function property of the moving Kriging interpolation, essential boundary conditions can be directly implemented. One superiority of the moving Kriging interpolation over the traditional moving least square approximation is that it can ensure the continuity and stability at the third order derivatives, which is confirmed by comparison with analytic solutions. Parametric studies in terms of small-scale parameters, boundary conditions and side length on the frequencies and mode shapes are carried out. Natural frequencies evaluated by strain gradient elasticity theory are found to be lower than those of classical plate model. Some lower natural frequencies corresponding to ultrahigh-order mode shapes appear. This demonstrates that the mesh-free moving Kriging interpolation method has high precision and good stability in the construction of the C 2 continuum shape functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the mechanical properties of steel strands cooled by water at different temperatures after high-temperature treatment, a two-stage experiment was conducted. First, tensile tests of 1860-grade steel wire specimens were conducted after heating to different peak temperatures using 15 °C water and air for cooling. After that, tensile tests of steel strand specimens with the same heating temperature and different cooling temperatures of water were conducted. The results showed that the ultimate strength of the steel wire first decreased and then increased with increasing heating temperature under the air cooling method but decreased continuously under the water cooling method, which is in agreement with previous research results. The ultimate strength of the steel strands increased as a polynomial function of increasing cooling water temperature until the heating temperature reached 1000 °C. When the temperature of the cooling water increased from 10 to 80 °C, the stress increased from 19.61 to 139.88 MPa, while the stress increased sharply from 39.56 to 106.57 MPa as the temperature increased from 50 to 60 °C. The stress–strain relationship of steel strands cooled by water at different temperatures was also studied. This study may provide a basis for the damage assessment of steel strands after fire-related accidents.

Appropriate root system architecture (RSA) can improve maize yields in densely planted fields, but little is known about its genetic basis in maize. Here we performed root phenotyping of 14,301 field-grown plants from an association mapping panel to study the genetic architecture of maize RSA. A genome-wide association study identified 81 high-confidence RSA-associated candidate genes and revealed that 28 (24.3%) of known root-related genes were selected during maize domestication and improvement. We found that modern maize breeding has selected for a steeply angled root system. Favourable alleles related to steep root system angle have continuously accumulated over the course of modern breeding, and our data pinpoint the root-related genes that have been selected in different breeding eras. We confirm that two auxin-related genes, ZmRSA3.1and ZmRSA3.2, contribute to the regulation of root angle and depth in maize. Our genome-wide identification of RSA-associated genes provides new strategies and genetic resources for breeding maize suitable for high-density planting.

N/O dual-doped carbon nanofibers with interconnected micro/mesopores are designed, which realize the comprehensive utilization of the advantages of small Se2–3molecular and long chain Se4–7.

Molybdenum carbide and nitride nanocrystals have been widely recognized as ideal electrocatalyst materials for water splitting. Furthermore, the interfacial engineering strategy can effectively tune their physical and chemical properties to improve performance. Herein, we produced N-doped molybdenum carbide nanosheets on carbonized melamine (N-doped Mo2C@CN) and 3D hollow Mo2C–Mo2N nanostructures (3D H–Mo2C–Mo2N) with tuneable interfacial properties via high-temperature treatment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that Mo2C and Mo2N nanocrystals in 3D hollow nanostructures are chemically bonded with each other and produce stable heterostructures. The 3D H–Mo2C–Mo2N nanostructures demonstrate lower onset potential and overpotential at a current density of 10 mV cm–2than the N-doped Mo2C@CN nanostructure due to its higher active sites and improved interfacial charge transfer. The current work presents a strategy to tune metal carbide/nitride nanostructures and interfacial properties for the production of high-performance energy materials.

The sluggish conversion kinetics and severe shuttle effect in room-temperature Na–S (RT Na–S) batteries cause knotty issues, such as poor rate performance, fast capacity decay as well as low Coulombic efficiency, which seriously impede their practical application. Therefore, exploiting cost-effective and efficient electrocatalysts for absorbing soluble long-chain sodium polysulfides (NaPSs) and expediting NaPSs conversion is of paramount importance. Herein, catalyst mining is first conducted by density functional theory calculations, which reveal that the alloying of Fe into Ni can tailor the electronic structure, leading to lower reaction energy barrier for polysulfide conversion. Based on this, FeNi3@hollow porous carbon spheres (FeNi3@HC) as a promising sulfur host for RT Na–S batteries are rationally designed and fabricated. As expected, the S@FeNi3@HC cathode exhibits an excellent cycling stability (591 mAh g–1after 500 cycles at 2 A g–1) and outstanding rate performance (383 mAh g–1at 5 A g–1). Our work demonstrates an effective strategy (i.e., alloying strategy with a rich electron state) to design superior electrocatalysts for RT Na–S batteries.

MXene quantum dots feature favorable biological compatibility and superior optical properties, offering great potential for biomedical applications such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and fluorescence sensing. However, the ROS scavenging mechanism is still unclear and the MXene-based materials for ROS sensing are still scarce. Here, we report a nitrogen-doped titanium carbide quantum dot (N-Ti3C2QD) antioxidant with effective ROS scavenging ability. The doped nitrogen atoms promote the electrochemical interaction between N-Ti3C2QDs and free radicals and thus enhance their antioxidant performance. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations reveal the hydroxyl radical quenching process and confirm that the doped N element promotes the free-radical absorption ability, especially for −F and −O functional groups in N-Ti3C2QDs. Furthermore, N-Ti3C2QDs show rapid, accurate, and remarkable sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide in the range of 5 nM–5.5 μM with a limit of detection of 1.2 nM within 15 s, which is the lowest detection limit of the existing fluorescent probes up to now. Our results provide a new category of antioxidant materials, a real-time hydrogen peroxide sensing probe, promoting the research and development of MXene in bioscience and biotechnology.

•OXA-48-produicng K. pneumoniae(OXAKp) ST383, ST147 and ST11 caused outbreaks of different scales in our hospital.•OXA-48-producing E. coliST156 and ST648, E. cloacaeST414 and ST418, and K. oxytocaST34 were also identified.•K. pneumoniaeST11 co-producing KPC-2 and OXA-48 has been identified in our hospital.•It is possible that KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniaeST11 obtained the blaOXA-48-carrying plasmid during its spread.•A novel 109-kb blaOXA-48-carrying IncL plasmid has been identified from OXAKp ST11.

Purpose: The flexural reinforcement of bridges in-service has been an important research field for a long time. Anchoring steel plate at the bottom of beam is a simple and effective method to improve its bearing capacity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of anchoring steel plates of different thicknesses on the bearing capacity of hollow slab beam and to judge its working status. Design/methodology/approach: First, static load experiments are carried out on two in-service RC hollow slab beams; meanwhile, nonlinear finite element models are built to study the bearing capacity of them. The nonlinear material and shear slip effect of studs are considered in the models. Second, the finite element models are verified, and the numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, the finite element models are adopted to carry out the research on the influence of different steel plate thicknesses on the flexural bearing capacity and ductility. Findings: When steel plates of different thicknesses are adopted to reinforce RC hollow slab beams, the bearing capacity increases with the increase of the steel plate thickness in a certain range. But when the steel plate thickness reaches a certain level, bearing capacity is no longer influenced. The displacement ductility coefficient decreases with the increase of steel plate thickness. Originality/value: Based on experimental study, this paper makes an extrapolation analysis of the bearing capacity of hollow slab beams reinforced with steel plates of different thicknesses through finite element simulation and discusses the influence on ductility. This method not only ensures the accuracy of bearing capacity evaluation but also does not need many samples, which is economical to a certain extent. The research results provide a basis for the reinforcement design of similar bridges.

Fig. 1 The designed synthesis of Cl, N-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs and its scavenging ability and mechanism towards hydroxyl radicals. [Display omitted] • Cl, N-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs were designed and synthesized by a facile, energy-saving, and green electrochemical approach. • Cl, N-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs exhibit novel and high scavenging activity towards OH. • The strong scavenging activity of Cl, N-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs is attributed to the reducing ability of the intrinsic Ti 3 C 2 structure and the electron donation from the dopants. As a novel zero-dimensional (0D) material, metal carbides and/or carbonitrides (MXenes) quantum dots (MQDs) show unique photoluminescence properties and excellent biocompatibility. However, due to the limited synthesis methods and research to date, many new features have yet to be uncovered. Here, to explore their new properties and expand biological applications, chlorine and nitrogen co-doped Ti 3 C 2 MXene quantum dots (Cl, N-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs) were designed and synthesized, and their hydroxyl radical scavenging properties were investigated for the first time, revealing outstanding performance. Cl, N-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs was directly stripped from bulk Ti 3 AlC 2 by electrochemical etching, while N and Cl are successfully introduced to carbon skeleton and Ti boundaries in the etching process by electrochemical reactions between selected electrolytes and Ti 3 C 2 skeleton, respectively. The obtained Cl, N-Ti 3 C 2 MQDs exhibit large surface-to-volume ratio due to small particle size (ca.3.45 nm) and excellent higher scavenging activity (93.3 %) and lower usage (12.5 μg/mL) towards hydroxyl radicals than the previous reported graphene-based nanoparticles. The underlying mechanism of scavenging activity was also studied based on the reduction experiment with potassium permanganate (KMnO 4). The reducing ability of the intrinsic Ti 3 C 2 structure and electron donation of double dopants are the main contributors to the outstanding scavenging activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

•An orthotropic cylindrical shell model is proposed to investigate the vibrational behaviors of BPNTs.•The orthotropic cylindrical shell model can give a good prediction to the vibration of BPNTs with two edge-clamped.•The influence of length and radius-to-thickness ratios on the natural frequency of BPNTs are presented.

Treatment options in the second-line extensive-stage SCLC (ED-SCLC) setting are limited. The PASSION study (ClinicalTrials.govidentifier: NCT03417895) was a phase 2 study of camrelizumab plus apatinib in ED-SCLC after platinum-based chemotherapy.

High yield and efficient use of nitrogen is one of the major target for maize breeding worldwide. Both yield potential and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of maize is lower in China compared to that in the US. In this study, we analyzed the change of the plant traits related to high yield and NUE of maize cultivars registered and planted in China and US during the past 40 decades. Compared to the cultivar released in the US, Chinese cultivar are less tolerant to high planting density, higher ratio of ear height to plant height, low grain filling rate, more stay-green and longer growth period. We suggest an ideal plant architecture of maize for high yield and NUE. To achieve high yield and high NUE under intensive production conditions (medium and high nitrogen input, high density planting), an ideotype plant architecture is proposed which includes compact plant architecture, low ratio of ear height to plant height (around 0.36–0.38, close to the golden rate.), medium ear, small tassel, medium root size, one-layer brace root, half stay-green, efficient N remobilization, fast grain filling rate etc. The parameters can be utilized to guide future breeding.

Fragrant Brassicaspecies seed oils (FBO) produced in China are mainly obtained from rapeseed (Brassica napus: B. napus) and mustard seeds (Brassica juncea: B. juncea). The characterization and differences of aroma profiles between those two species remain unclear. In this study, the volatile compounds in FBOs were systemically extracted by headspace solid-phase microextraction and solvent-assisted flavor evaporation combined with ultrasound and identified by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) and gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O). Ninety-three odorants were identified as aroma-active compounds with flavor dilution (FD) factors ranging from 1 to 6561. Moreover, 63 key compounds exhibited their odor activity values (OAVs) to be greater than 1. The oils of the two species were successfully recombinated with their key odorants. B. junceaoils presented stronger pungent-like, pickled-like, and fishy like notes compared to B. napusoils. The key odor differences were primarily attributed to the concentration of 3-butenenitrile, 4-(methylsulfanyl)butanenitrile, 5-(methylsulfanyl)pentanenitrile, 3-isothiocyanato-1-propene, 3-methyl-3-butenenitrile, isothiocyanatocyclopropane, (methylsulfanyl)acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, and 3-(methyldisulfanyl)-1-propene. This work provides a guide for the selection of raw materials and odor markers in fragrant B. napusand B. junceaoils.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide membranes have entered the spotlight for nanofiltration application owing to the novel mass transport properties in nanochannels. However, further improving the water permeability with high molecular separation rate simultaneously is challenging. In this work, to achieve ultrafast molecule separation, MoS2and WS2nanosheets with ultrasmall lateral size (<100 nm) are fabricated by sucrose-assisted mechanochemical exfoliation. Ultrasmall nanosheets in the membranes cut down average length of water-transporting paths and create more nanochannels and nanocapillaries for water molecules to pass through membranes. The water flux of these kinds of MoS2and WS2membranes are significantly enhanced to 918 and 828 L/m2h bar, respectively, which is four and two times higher than those of previously reported MoS2and WS2membranes with larger lateral size nanosheets. In addition, MoS2and WS2membranes display excellent rejection performance for rhodamine B and Evans blue with a high rejection rate (∼99%). This study provides a promising method to improve the performance of 2D laminar membranes for nanofiltration application by using ultrasmall 2D nanosheets.

ABSTRACTIn this paper, a novel modification applies to the Band-Dependent Spatial Detail (BDSD) framework to improve the fusion performance interestingly. Joint multiplication terms have been added to the conventional BDSD framework to make it nonlinear BDSD. It has been shown that joint product terms would lead to a better estimation of detail maps for each spectral band. To support the idea presented here, three public domain sensors were selected to conduct the experimental studies. The objective evaluation was performed through no-referenced quality metrics. Based on the visual assessment of fusion products, the developed generalized BDSD (nonlinear BDSD) approach better preserves spectral and spatial information to the fused outcome in comparison to the competitor methods.

•A rare carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent K1/ST1265 Klebsiella pneumoniaewas analyzed.•The strain carries a blaKPC-harboured conjugative plasmid and a pLVPK-like virulent plasmid.•CR-HvKP strain could be evolved from various types of HvKP strains.•R-M system on plasmids may protect the plasmids from cleavage.•Pernicious CR-HvKP strains pose serious threats to public health.

The creation of structural composites with combined strength, toughness, low density, and biocompatibility remains a long-standing challenge. On the other hand, bivalve marine shells—Clinocardiumspp.—exhibit strength, stiffness, and toughness that surpass even that of the nacre that is the most widely mimicked model for structural composites. The superior mechanical properties of Clinocardiumspp.shells originate from their cross-lamella design, comprising CaCO3mineral platelets arranged in an “interlocked” herringbone fashion. Reproduction of such hierarchical designs could offer multifunctionality, potentially combining strength and toughness at low densities, and the capability for seamless integration with biological systems. Here, we demonstrate manufacturing of the cross-lamella design by biomineralizing aragonite films with sawtooth patterns and assembling them in a chitosan/fibroin matrix to generate a composite with interlocked mineral layers. The resultant composite, with a similar constitution to that of the biological counterpart, nearly doubles the strength of previous nacre-mimetic composites while improving the tensile toughness and simultaneously exhibiting stiffness and biocompatibility.

Multilayer van der Waals (vdWs) semiconductors have promising applications in high-performance optoelectronic devices. However, photoconductive photodetectors based on layered semiconductors often suffer from sizeable dark currents and high external driving bias voltages. Here, we report vertical van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) consisting of multilayer indium selenide (InSe) and tellurium (Te). The multilayer InSe–Te vdWH device shows a record high forward rectification ratio greater than 107at room temperature. The vdWH device achieves an ultrasensitive and broadband photoresponse photodetector with an ultrahigh photo/dark current ratio over 104and a high detectivity of 1013Jones under visible light illumination with weak incident power. Moreover, the vdWH device has a photovoltaic effect and can function as a self-powered photodetector (SPPD). The SPPD is also ultrasensitive to a broadband spectrum ranging from 300 to 1000 nm and is capable of detecting weak light signals. This work offers an opportunity to develop next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices based on multilayer vdWs materials.