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CrSbSe3─the only experimentally validated one-dimensional (1D) ferromagnetic semiconductor─has recently attracted significant attention. However, all reported synthesis methods for CrSbSe3nanocrystals are based on top-down methods. Here we report a template selection strategy for the bottom-up synthesis of CrSbSe3nanoribbons. This strategy relies on comparing the formation energies of potential binary templates to the ternary target product. It enables us to select Sb2Se3with the highest formation energy, along with its 1D crystal structure, as the template instead of Cr2Se3with the lowest formation energy, thereby facilitating the transformation from Sb2Se3to CrSbSe3by replacing half of the Sb atoms in Sb2Se3with Cr atoms. The as-prepared CrSbSe3nanoribbons exhibit a length of approximately 5 μm, a width ranging from 80 to 120 nm, and a thickness of about 5 nm. The single CrSbSe3nanoribbon presents typical semiconductor behavior and ferromagnetism, confirming the intrinsic ferromagnetism in the 1D CrSbSe3semiconductor.

The whorls of localized moments in chiral magnetic structures, such as skyrmions, lead to a quantized topological charge, which may make them useful as next-generation information bits. So far, the most reliable way to detect the existence of skyrmions is by using the topological Hall effect, which stems from electron scattering by the emergent magnetic field manifesting the topological charge. Here we employ two-dimensional magnets to establish a magneto-optical hallmark of skyrmions, which we call the topological Kerr effect, using the recently discovered ferromagnet CrVI6as a material platform. The Kerr angle hysteresis loop of this non-centrosymmetric system exhibits two antisymmetric bumps that are absent in the centrosymmetric CrI3and VI3. We develop a minimal model to further identify the bumps as direct manifestations of the topological charge, thereby providing a magneto-optical fingerprint of skyrmions with broader applicability.

An additive manufacturing technology was used to produce anode foils with different polystyrene microsphere (PSM). The effect of PSM addition in the range of 0–20 vol% on the specific capacitance and bending strength of the anode foils was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirms the presence of pores in the anode foils, which is attributed to the addition of PSM. The porosity and pore diameter of the anode foils increase with increasing PSM content, resulting in an initial increase and then a decrease in specific capacitance, as well as a gradual increase in bending strength. At a PSM addition of 12.5 vol%, the anode foils exhibit a high specific capacitance of 0.927 μF/cm2and a bending strength of over 120 times greater, meeting the specific capacitance and bending strength requirements for anode foils in aluminum electrolytic capacitors. These findings suggest that incorporating PSM into anode foils is an effective method for adjusting their specific capacitance and bending strength.

Two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnets have attracted widespread attention for promising applications in compact spintronic devices. However, the controlled synthesis of high-quality, large-sized, and ultrathin 2D magnets via facile, economical method remains challenging. Herein, we develop a hydrogen-tailored chemical vapor deposition approach to fabricating 2D Cr5Te8ferromagnetic nanosheets. Interestingly, the time period of introducing hydrogen was found to be crucial for controlling the lateral size, and a Cr5Te8single-crystalline nanosheet of lateral size up to ∼360 μm with single-unit-cell thickness has been obtained. These samples exhibit a leading role of domain wall nucleation in governing the magnetization reversal process, providing important references for optimizing the performances of associated devices. The nanosheets also show notable magnetotransport response, including nonmonotonous magnetic-field-dependent magnetoresistance and sizable anomalous Hall resistivity, demonstrating Cr5Te8as a promising material for constructing high-performance magnetoelectronic devices. This study presents a breakthrough of large-sized CVD-grown 2D magnetic materials, which is indispensable for constructing 2D spintronic devices.

Whole-brain analysis of single-neuron morphology is crucial for unraveling the complex structure of the brain. However, large-scale neuron reconstruction from terabyte and even petabyte data of mammalian brains generated by state-of-the-art light microscopy is a daunting task. Here, we developed ‘Gapr’ (Gapr accelerates projectome reconstruction) that streamlines deep learning-based automatic reconstruction, ‘automatic proofreading’ that reduces human workloads at high-confidence sites, and high-throughput collaborative proofreading by crowd users through the Internet. Furthermore, Gapr offers a seamless user interface that ensures high proofreading speed per annotator, on-demand conversion for handling large datasets, flexible workflows tailored to diverse datasets and rigorous error tracking for quality control. Finally, we demonstrated Gapr’s efficacy by reconstructing over 4,000 neurons in mouse brains, revealing the morphological diversity in cortical interneurons and hypothalamic neurons. Here, we present Gapr as a solution for large-scale single-neuron reconstruction projects.

ABSTRACT As solid wastes in the alumina production of Bayer method, four kinds of Bayer red muds were successfully added to prepare ceramic tile samples for better waste utilization. The [...]

Nonlayered two-dimensional (2D) magnets have attracted special attention, as many of them possess magnetic order above room temperature and enhanced chemical stability compared to most existing vdW magnets, which offers remarkable opportunities for developing compact spintronic devices. However, the growth of these materials is quite challenging due to the inherent three-dimensionally bonded nature, which hampers the study of their magnetism. Here, we demonstrate the controllable growth of air-stable pure γ-Fe2O3nanoflakes by a confined-vdW epitaxial approach. The lateral size of the nanoflakes could be adjusted from hundreds of nanometers to tens of micrometers by precisely controlling the annealing time. Interestingly, a lateral-size-dependent magnetic domain configuration was observed. As the sizes continuously increase, the magnetic domain evolves from single domain to vortex and finally to multidomain. This work provides guidance for the controllable synthesis of 2D inverse spinel-type crystals and expands the range of magnetic vortex materials into magnetic semiconductors.

The residual sludge in the secondary sedimentation tank of the municipal sewage treatment plant was taken as the treatment object, the synergistic effect of swirl cutting and ozone oxidation was used to investigate the sludge reduction effect and the effect of the process on sludge lysis cells. The results showed that the mixed decomposition of sludge (swirl cutter and ozone treatment) was better than ozone alone. The removal rates of mixed liquor suspended solids and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids were 85.6% and 91%, respectively, when the ozone dosage rate was 15 mg·O3·g–1suspended solids (SS). A better sludge reduction effect could be achieved with a lower ozone dosage rate. By examining microscope images with different magnifications before and after sludge treatment, it can be established that the swirl cutting process can disintegrate the sludge floc, thereby making the sludge floc into smaller particles and allowing ozone to be in full contact with the sludge floc. The carbon release effect of the sludge was characterized by chemical oxygen demand dissolution rate, which continued to increase with increasing ozone dosage. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), PO43––P, and polysaccharide leaching continued to grow with increasing ozone dosage, with the concentration of TN increasing from 2.83 to 33.27 mg·L–1, 11.76 times the initial concentration. The concentration of TP increased from 5.2 to 13.14 mg·L–1at 15 mg·O3·g–1SS, the concentration of PO43––P increased from 3.75 to 12.8 mg·L–1and the concentration of polysaccharides increased from 7 to 37 mg·L–1. Three-dimensional fluorescence was used to look at the changes in dissolved organic matter in the liquid phase of sludge both before and after treatment. The synergistic effects of swirl cutting and ozone oxidation resulted in the oxidation and decomposition of fulvic acid and aromatic protein I into small molecules without fluorescent characteristics.

Different from introducing ferromagnetism in three-dimensional (3D) topological insulators, empowering nontrivial band topology with 2D ferromagnetic (2DFM) materials is another way to realize quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE). The recently discovered 2DFM insulators provide unprecedented opportunities for realizing such an intriguing quantum phenomenon. Here, by using first-principles approaches, we design a generic rule for realizing QAHE in the transition-metal trichalcogenide family materials of Cr2A2X6(where A = Si, Ge, Sn; X = S, Se, Te), whose design principle is based on that a 2D topologically trivial magnetic insulator can be converted into a QAH system viaproper surface modification. Taking silicene-passivated Cr2Sn2Se6as an illustration, we show that the Cuire temperature of Cr2Sn2Se6monolayer can be enhanced up to ∼92 K after silicene passivation. Most strikingly, such a heterostructure harbors QAHE with a band gap of ∼30 meV. Further low-effective model analyses reveal that the topologically nontrivial states are attributed to the honeycomb lattice of Cr atoms. All those results demonstrate that our proposal is general, which opens a new avenue to explore high-temperature QAHE.

The integration and cooperation of nociceptors, neurons and synapses in the biological nervous system empower humans to efficiently perceive and process noxious information for avoiding dangers. Inspired by biological nervous systems, current artificial demonstrations include electrolyte-gate transistors, electrochemical metallization resistive switching devices and halide perovskite-based memristors. However, these devices suffer from integration difficulties and instability issues. Herein, we introduce a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible simple and stable Pt/V2O5/Pt sandwich structure and carefully construct and modulate the suboxide V2O5−xand Mott VO2nanochannels in the layered V2O5matrix to simulate brain-like processing and nervous pain perception functions, respectively. Simulation results demonstrate that the recognition accuracy of handwritten digits reaches 80% after only 5 training epochs and 89% after 52 epochs in a convolutional neural network based on the V2O5−xnanochannel synaptic device. The nociceptor with all key characteristics is perfectly imitated based on the VO2nanochannel threshold switching device. Especially, an ultralow threshold level of 0.4 V and sub-millisecond incubation time are observed in the nociceptor simulation, which could be needed in special injury situations. The proposed drift and Mott nanochannels in one device hold a tremendous potential as synaptic and nociceptive emulators for artificial intelligence systems.

Drawing upon social exchange theory, this research tests a unique underlying mechanism – interpersonal justice– through which coworker incivility indirectly influenced knowledge sharing (Study 1 and Study 2) as well as communion striving as the moderator of this indirect effect (Study 2). Specifically, Study 1, using cross-sectional data from 272 Chinese employees, and Study 2, using three-wave data from 234 American employees recruited from TurkPrime, confirmed the mediation effect of interpersonal justice (while controlling frustration) on the relationship between coworker incivility and knowledge sharing. Further, Study 2 found that communion striving moderated the relationship between coworker incivility and interpersonal justice such that the negative relationship was stronger for employees with low than high communion striving. Finally, the results of the moderated mediation analyses further supported that the indirect effect of coworker incivility on knowledge sharing via interpersonal justice was stronger among employees with low than high communion striving. This research provides the first empirical evidence of interpersonal justice as the underlying mechanism through which coworker incivility influences employees’ knowledge sharing and how communion striving moderates this mediating mechanism, offering new insights into why and when coworker incivility hinders knowledge sharing. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

The perovskite La2/3Sr1/3MnO3(LSMO)-based heterostructures have attracted considerable interest for their potential applications in oxide spintronics, topological electronics, and electrocatalysis. This interest originates due to several key properties exhibited by these heterostructures, which include spin-orbit coupling, high-temperature ferromagnetism, high conductivity, and rich oxygen octahedral distortion. This paper provides a systematic and timely review of the magnetic anisotropy progression in LSMO-based heterostructures because it presents opportunities in oxide spintronic applications. First, a description of the current status of LSMO-based heterostructures is provided, followed by an explanation of the motivations for this review. The factors of compressive strain and substrate orientation are then incorporated to manipulate magnetic anisotropy in manganite oxides heterostructures. The third section summarizes the effects of recent interfacial coupling engineering, oxygen octahedral rotation, and symmetry mismatch dependency on magnetic anisotropy in manganite heterostructures. The fourth section examines the electric-field control of magnetic anisotropy in manganite heterostructures, including the ionic-liquid-gating and reversible switching. Finally, a conclusion of the review is presented, along with a summary of future challenges and outlooks in the tuning methods of magnetic anisotropy for applications in high-density energy-storage magnets.

Black phosphorus (BP), a fascinating semiconductor with high mobility and a tunable direct bandgap, has emerged as a candidate beyond traditional silicon-based devices for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics. The ability to grow large-scale, high-quality BP films is a prerequisite for scalable integrated applications but has thus far remained a challenge due to unmanageable nucleation events. Here we develop a sustained feedstock release strategy to achieve subcentimetre-size single-crystal BP films by facilitating the lateral growth mode under a low nucleation rate. The as-grown single-crystal BP films exhibit high crystal quality, which brings excellent field-effect electrical properties and observation of pronounced Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations, with high mobilities up to ~6,500 cm2V−1s−1at low temperatures. We further extend this approach to the growth of single-crystal BP alloy films, which broaden the infrared emission regime of BP from 3.7 μm to 6.9 μm at room temperature. This work will greatly facilitate the development of high-performance electronics and optoelectronics based on BP family materials.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is an emerging treatment method. In comparison with photodynamic therapy (PDT), SDT exhibits deep penetration, high cell membrane permeability, and free exposure to light capacity. Unfortunately, owing to inappropriate ultrasound parameter selection, poor targeting of sonosensitizers, and the complex tumor environment, SDT is frequently ineffective. In this review, we describe the approaches for selecting ultrasound parameters and how to develop sonosensitizers to increase targeting and improve adverse tumor microenvironments. Furthermore, the potential of combining SDT with other treatment methods, such as chemotherapy, chemodynamic therapy, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and immunotherapy, is discussed to further increase the treatment efficiency of SDT.

Filter membrane technology has been extensively used for water purification. However, due to their high brittleness and biological fouling, filter membranes will gradually deteriorate. Here we develop a robust Cu/TiO2ceramic filter membrane for water treatment, which has excellent inherent antibacterial activities both in the dark and under visible light irradiation. One-dimensional nanobelt TiO2can be sintered into a nanoporous membrane structure by overlapping and interweaving with each other, thereby achieving high flux simultaneously and solving the problem of high brittleness of inorganic ceramics. Meanwhile, such one-dimensional TiO2nanostructures can provide more deposition sites for Cu nanoparticles with inherent antibacterial activity in the dark. To realise the surface plasmon resonance-enhanced antibacterial activity under visible light, Cu/TiO2heterostructures are used.

Control of magnetic anisotropy in low-dimensional systems is of paramount importance in terms of their fundamental and technological perspectives. La0.7Sr0.3MnO3(LSMO) is a ferromagnetic half-metal with a high Curie temperature and many efforts have been made to control its magnetic anisotropy. However, the relationship between the evolution of the magnetic anisotropy orientation and the electronic structure of low-dimensional LSMO still remains poorly understood. Here, the high-quality superlattices comprised of LSMO and SrMnO3(SMO) layers are synthesized with a compatible structure at the atomic scale. Their magnetic anisotropy is gradually varied from planar to perpendicular by increasing the SMO thickness, and the special fourfold magnetic anisotropy is also observed at the intermediate superlattice thickness. The evolution of the magnetic anisotropy in these systems is confirmed by the electronic transport and magnetic measurements. Moreover, X-ray linear dichroism measurements and first-principles calculations reveal the interfacial orbital reconstruction with the in-plane to out-of-plane magnetic reorientation transition. Therefore, a new microscopic method for magnetic anisotropy manipulation is developed in the present study, enabling discovery of novel phenomena as well as control of the magnetic properties.

Controlling the polar order in ferroelectric materials may enrich the diversity of their property and functionality, offering new opportunities for the design of novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this paper, we report a planar multi-state memory device built upon a two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals layered ferroelectric material, 2H α-In2Se3. Three (high, median and low) resistance states are demonstrated to be interconvertible in this device with a fast switching speed, excellent endurance and retention performances viathe modulation of the polar order of the ferroelectric α-In2Se3layers under an in-plane electric field. Remarkably, reversible switching between the median-resistance state and the low-resistance state can be achieved by an ultralow electric field of 1–2 orders of magnitude smaller than the reported values in other 2D ferroelectric material-based memory devices. Furthermore, the three different polar order states are discovered to exhibit distinctive photo-responses. These results demonstrate great potentials of α-In2Se3in nonvolatile high-density memory and advanced optoelectronic device applications.

Androgen receptor (AR) antagonists have been widely used for the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). As a link between the AR and its transcriptional function, the activation function 2 (AF2) region has recently been revealed as a novel targeting site for developing AR antagonists. Here, we reported a series of N-(4-(benzyloxy)-phenyl)-sulfonamide derivatives as new-scaffold AR antagonists targeting the AR AF2. Therein, compound T1-12 showed excellent AR antagonistic activity (IC50= 0.47 μM) and peptide displacement activity (IC50= 18.05 μM). Furthermore, the in vivo LNCaP xenograft study confirmed that T1-12 offered effective inhibition on tumor growth when administered intratumorally. The study represents the first successful attempt to identify a small molecule targeting the AR AF2 with submicromolar AR antagonistic activity by structure-based virtual screening and provides important clues for the development of novel therapeutics for PCa treatment.

ABSTRACTPerillaldehyde (PAH), one of the active ingredients of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plant Perilla frutescens, is widely used and exerts crucial anti-cancer activities. The aim of current study is to illustrate the potential mechanisms of PAH-mediated regulation of bone metastasis and osteoclastogenesis in prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines. Effects of PAH on proliferation, invasion and migration of PC-3 cells were assessed with the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and Transwell assays, respectively. Effects of PAH on stem cell characteristics of PC-3 cells were evaluated by cell-matrix adhesion assay, colony formation assay, spheroid formation assay, as well as western blot . The anti-metastasis and anti-osteoclastogenesis activity of PAH in RAW264.7 cells was examined by osteoclast differentiation assay and western blot. The protein levels of CD133 and CD44 in PC-3 cells and the activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells were measured by western blot. PAH suppressed proliferation, invasion and migration of PC-3 cells, prevented stem cell characteristics including cell-matrix adhesion, colony formation, spheroid formation as well as CD133 and CD44 expression. PAH inhibited bone metastasis and osteoclastogenesis via repressing the activation of NF-κB pathway as well as (RANKL) – and cancer cell-induced osteoclastogenesis in PCa cells. These findings suggested the potential therapeutic effects of PAH on the metastasis of patients with PCa.

Androgen receptor (AR) has proved to be a vital drug target for treating prostate cancer. Here, we reported the discovery of a novel AR antagonist 92targeting the AR ligand-binding pocket, but distinct from the marketed drug enzalutamide (Enz), 92demonstrated inhibition on the AR ligand-binding domain (LBD) dimerization, which is a novel mechanism reported for the first time. First, a novel hit (26, IC50= 5.57 μM) was identified through virtual screening based on a theoretical AR LBD dimer bound with the Enz model. Then, guided by molecular modeling, 92was discovered with 32.7-fold improved AR antagonistic activity (IC50= 0.17 μM). Besides showing high bioactivity and safety, 92can inhibit AR nuclear translocation. Furthermore, 92inhibited the formation of the AR LBD dimer, possibly through attenuating the hydrogen-bonding network between the two monomers. This interesting finding would pave the way for the discovery of a new class of AR antagonists.

ABSTRACTIn vibration testing, the time domain integral is a key issue. A kind of recursive Simpson integral method is presented in this paper, which combines Newton–Leibniz formula and 3/8 Simpson formula to obtain the recurrence integral calculation of each point. The integrated waveform of whole sequence can be obtained by polynomial fitting and detrended processing. The verification test is carried out through the earthquake data provided by MATLAB and frequency domain analysis, which illustrates the effectiveness of this method. Furthermore, the method has high computational precision and efficiency, its truncation error reaches 4 order infinitesimal of sampling interval, and is suitable for vibration testing application.

Byline: Anqiao. Zhong, Xiaohong. Xu, Hongxia. Fan, Lei. Wang, Yikai. Niu Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and oncologic outcomes of transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) for recurrent laryngeal carcinoma after previous [...]

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High-level reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been reported to exert a robust anti-tumor effect by inducing cell apoptosis or necroptosis. Based on the Fenton reaction or Fenton-like reaction, a therapeutic strategy (i.e., chemodynamic therapy (CDT)) is proposed, where hydroxyl radicals (·OH) are one of the ROS that can be produced to kill tumors via the spontaneous activation by an endogenous stimulus. Moreover, high-level ROS can also facilitate tumor-associated antigen exposure, which benefits phagocytosis of corpses and debris by antigen-presenting cells (e.g., dendritic cells (DCs)) and further activates systematic immune responses. Great efforts have been made, wherein the development in the field of nanotechnology has been witnessed by the interdisciplinary communities. For providing a comprehensive understanding of CDT, state-of-theart strategies on nanotechnology-enabled CDT have been discussed in detail in this study. In particular, the combination of CDT with its augmented immunotherapy against tumors has been highlighted for overcoming the poor outcome of the mono-CDT. Moreover, the potential challenges have also been discussed.

Exchange-coupled nanocomposites with hard/soft magnetic phases are promising for the next generation of permanent magnets. Chemical methods have an advantage in controlling the nanoscale size of both phases. The nanocomposites obtained by the chemical method generally consist of a hard phase core and a soft phase shell. However, the soft-phase shell is easily oxidized leading to small enhancement of remanence. Here, a novel microstructure of Fe@FePt nanocomposites with Fe soft phase core and FePt hard phase shell has been synthesized by replacement reaction, in which the size of core and shell can be controlled below 10 nm by adjusting the ratio of Fe nanoparticles to PtCl 4. Excellent exchange-coupling (single-phase-like demagnetization curves) between soft-hard phases was observed due to the precise size control of both phases, and substantial enhancements both in remanence (32 %) and saturation magnetization (81 %) were obtained in optimal nanocompistes. This work provides an alternative routine to prepare heterostructure materials with various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Pb harbors a strong spin–orbit coupling effect, pristine plumbene (the last group-IV cousin of graphene) hosts topologically trivial states. Based on first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that epitaxial growth of plumbene on the BaTe(111) surface converts the trivial Pb lattice into a quantum spin Hall (QSH) phase with a large gap of ∼0.3 eV via a selectivesubstrate-orbital-filtering effect. Tight-binding model analyses show the pzorbital in half of the Pb overlayer is selectively removed by the BaTe substrate, leaving behind a pz–px,yband inversion. Based on the same working principle, the gap can be further increased to ∼0.5–0.6 eV by surface adsorption of H or halogen atoms that filters out the other half of the Pb pzorbitals. The mechanism of selectivesubstrate-orbital-filtering is general, opening an avenue to explore large-gap QSH insulators in heavy-metal-based materials. It is worth noting that plumbene has already been widely grown on various substrates experimentally.

The technique of electrical field to manipulate physicochemical properties of oxide heterostructures has ample potential in electronic and ionitronic devices. SrCoO3–xis a famous “sponge” material displaying topotactic structural phase transition from perovskite (0 ≤ x≤ 0.25) to brownmillerite (x= 0.5) accompanied by the magnetic phase transition from ferromagnetism to antiferromagnetism, which can be controlled reversibly by electric field via the ionic liquid gating method. Here, the exchange spring effect can be observed at the perovskite SrCoO3–x(P-SCO)/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3(LSMO) bilayer, while the exchange bias effect is received at the brownmillerite SrCoO2.5(B-SCO)/LSMO bilayer. The reversible and nonvolatile switching of the exchange spring and exchange bias effect can be achieved in these SCO3–x/LSMO bilayers by utilizing ionic liquid gating to control the annihilation or generation of oxygen vacancies. In addition, the variations in the stacking orders of these SCO3–x/LSMO bilayers are investigated because the previous SCO3–xlayer always acts as the cover layer. It is worth noting that LSMO/SCO3–xbilayer magnetization is strongly suppressed when the SCO3–xlayer is used as the bottom layer. Combined with the X-ray line dichroism measurements, it is suggested that the bottom SCO3–xlayer would induce the spin arrangements in the LSMO layer to have the tendency toward the out-of-plane orientation. This is the reason for the sharp decrease in magnetization of LSMO/SCO3–xbilayers. Our investigations accomplish a reversible control of the exchange coupling transition in all-oxide bilayers and provide the foundation for further electric-field control of magnetic properties.

In this paper, sialon/SiC composite ceramics were synthesized in situ from SiC, α-Si3N4, AlN, calcined bauxite, quartz, and Y2O3via layered buried sintering at different temperatures (1540–1640 °C). The sialon/SiC composite ceramics designed in this study are expected to be used as thermal absorb materials in solar thermal power generation based on the good mechanical character and thermal shock resistance. The results showed that the β-sialon/SiC sample with 60 wt% silicon carbide sintered at 1600 °C exhibited the optimal performances with dense microstructure, high bending strength, and good thermal shock resistance. After 30 thermal shock cycles, the bending strength of β-sialon/SiC sample with 60 wt% silicon carbide was 66.68 MPa with a decrease of 4.79%. In thermal shock tests, SiC and Si3N4in the sample were oxidized into amorphous SiO2, and small amount of sialon was decomposed into mullite, which resulted in good thermal shock resistance. It was believed that in situ sialon/SiC composite ceramics can be a promising candidate for solar absorber owing to good thermal shock resistance.

Quartz, an important mineral that occurs in lacustrine shales, can be of different types and origins. Yet, only few studies have investigated how quartz from different sources contribute to phase fluids, such as adsorbed and free fluids present within shale matrix pores. This study integrates various experimental techniques, including X-ray diffraction analysis, geochemical analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and high-frequency two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance analysis to quantitatively characterize the different phase fluids associated with various types of quartz occurring in the Qingshankou Formation shale. The characterization results indicated four distinct quartz types: silt-sized quartz, microcrystalline quartz linked with clay minerals, organism-skeletal quartz, and quartz aggregates comprising multiple crystals. The Fe–Al–Mn ternary diagram and SiO2versus Zr scatter plot indicate that terrigenous clastic material is the primary source of SiO2in shale quartz. Smectite-to-illite transition plays a pivotal role in authigenic quartz formation. Based on quartz concentration data obtained using major element analysis, we estimated the ranges of terrigenous clastic quartz, diagenetic quartz formed by the smectite-to-illite transition, and biogenic quartz concentrations to be from 55.49% to 92.03% (average 84.70%), 6.67%–20.30% (average 13.12%), and 0%–24.21% (average 2.17%), respectively. The solid organic matter in shale is affected by both terrigenous detrital quartz and authigenic quartz transformed from the clay in the basin. Authigenic quartz, formed by the smectite-to-illite transition, considerably enhances the development of solid organic matter in the Qingshankou Formation. By contrast, an abundance of terrigenous detrital quartz can lead to a dilution of the solid organic matter. Thus, this study provides the first direct evidence that along with a high value of bio-organic matter yield factor, the source of quartz plays a significant role in controlling organic matter abundance.

Van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectric-semiconductor heterojunction provides reconfigurable band alignment based on optical/electrical-assisted polarization switching, which shows great potential to construct artificial visual neural systems. However, the mechanical exfoliation fabrication scheme for proof-of-concept demonstrations and fundamental studies is cumbersome and not scalable for practical application. Here, we present a synthetic strategy for the large-scale and high crystallinity growth of planar/vertical α-In2Se3/MoS2heterojunctions by dynamically tuning the growth temperature. Furthermore, based on the α-In2Se3/MoS2heterostructures, photo-synapse devices are designed and fabricated to simulate visual neural systems functions, including multistate storage, optical logic operation, potentiation and depression, paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), short-term memory (STM), long-term memory (LTM), and Learning-Forgetting-Relearning. By coupling the spatiotemporally relevant optical and electric information, the device can mimic the superior biological visual system's light adaptation and Pavlovian conditioning. This work provides a strategy for dynamically tuning the orientation of ferroelectric-semiconductor heterojunction stacks and will give impetus to applying all-in-one sensing and memory-computing artificial vision systems.

•MiR-1258 is downregulated in septic ALI.•MiR-1258 inhibits inflammation and oxidative stress via Pknox1 in ALI.•MiR-1258 targets Pknox1 to control TGF-β1/SMAD3 cascade.

Exploring transition metal sulfide electrocatalysts with high-efficiency for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is essential to produce H2fuel through water splitting. Herein, novel nickel tungsten sulfide heterojunction (NiS-WS2) with a nanowoven ball-like structure were directed synthetized by a facile hydrothermal method. The hierarchical NiS-WS2exhibited excellent HER activity with a relatively small overpotential of 142 mV and 137 mV at 10 mA/cm2in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4and 1 mol/L KOH, which is much better than that of single NiS and WS2. The impressive performance of NiS-WS2heterojunction is owed to the collective synergy of special morphological and more exposed active sites between the crystal interfacial of NiS and WS2. In addition, the hierarchical NiS-WS2can facilitate the transport of charge/mass by optimized electronic structure, which further improves the HER activity of electrocatalysts. These outcomes provide a simple method to prospect towards the design and application of heterostructures as efficient electrocatalysts, shedding some light on the development of functional materials in energy chemistry.

Rare-earth nickelates possess intrinsic charge order, orbital order, and electron-lattice coupling, which make them very interesting for applications in oxide-based electronic devices. In this study, we grew NdNiO3–δ(NNO) films with oxygen pressures changing from 27 to 10−5 Pa. With decreasing oxygen pressure, the antiferromagnetic state of the NNO film becomes a ferromagnetic state, and the resistance increases significantly. According to combined X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray linear dichroism measurements, the ratio of Ni2+-ions increases with decreasing oxygen-pressure, and the preferred orbital occupation changes from x2-y2to 3z2-r2. In addition, using the ionic-liquid gating method to control the migration of oxygen vacancies, both the magnetic properties and resistance of NNO films can be modulated reversibly. The oxygen vacancy induces a valence in the Ni ions and the orbital occupation changes, which alters the magnetic properties and the electronic transport in these NNO films. This study describes a novel tunable method for electronic devices that use NdNiO3–δfilms, and opens new doors for future improvements and functionalities.

Melatonin is a hormone synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland with the effect of regulating sleep rhythm. Circadian and sleep disturbances may be central for understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Recently, the melatonergic system has been implicated in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. In this study, we observed the effects of melatonin on depression-like behavior induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in rats, and its molecular mechanism was explored. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to CUMS for 4 weeks. Melatonin or saline was injected intraperitoneally. Behavioral changes of Sprague–Dawley rats were detected by the open field test, sugar preference test, elevated O maze test and forced swimming test. In addition, the plasma corticosterone level and the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein in the hippocampus of rats were measured. Compared with the control group, the CUMS-exposed Sprague–Dawley rats showed depression-like behavior, which was significantly improved by melatonin treatment. Moreover, CUMS induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and JNK phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Melatonin treatment could significantly reverse the endoplasmic reticulum stress and JNK phosphorylation induced by CUMS. These results suggest that melatonin improves depression-like behavior by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by CUMS. This study demonstrates that melatonin can improve depression-like behavior induced by CUMS, which may be related to the inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress and JNK phosphorylation in rat hippocampus.

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals materials have exhibited many exotic layer-dependent physical properties including electronic structure, magnetic order, etc.Here, we report a striking even–odd layer dependent oscillation in the ferroelectric polarization of 2H-stacked few-layer α-In2Se3nanoflakes. As characterized by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), when the in-plane (IP) electric polarization of 2H-stacked α-In2Se3films is electrically aligned, the out-of-plane (OOP) polarization of the odd-layer (OL) samples is obviously larger than that of the even-layer (EL) ones. Similarly, samples with electrically aligned OOP polarization also show even–odd layer dependent IP polarization. Such an even–odd oscillation, as confirmed by the density functional theory calculations, can be attributed to the strong intercorrelation of the IP and OOP electric polarization of the α-In2Se3monolayers and the special 2H-stacking structure of a 180 degree IP rotation with respect to the adjacent layers. Moreover, a negative differential resistance, interestingly, is induced by the polarization flip with a small coercive field of ∼1.625 kV cm−1, and its peak-to-valley ratio can be tuned up to ∼7 by the gate. This work demonstrates that the delicate stacking geometry of multilayer α-In2Se3can bring an interesting even–odd ferroelectric effect, enriching the layer-dependent physical properties of the 2D materials family.

The dimensionality of the crystal structure plays a vital role in artificial heterostructures composed of different transition metal oxides. Nonlinear layer-thickness dependence of the exchange bias effect was observed in high-quality SrCuO2/La0.7Sr0.3MnO (LSMO) superlattices induced in the present work by dimensional evolution. In the SCO(n)/LSMO(8) superlattices with thickness below the critical value (5 u.c.), the exchange bias effect decreased and the saturated magnetization increased with increase in SCO thickness. By contrast, the exchange bias effect increased and the saturated magnetization decreased in S(n)L(8) superlattices with thickness above the critical value. This is because the lattice SCO material underwent a breathing-like structural transformation from the planar to a chain-like structure. The results indicate the interfacial superexchange coupling mainly present in the chain-like S(n)L(8) superlattices through X-ray absorption spectroscopy and first principles calculations. This superexchange coupling generated a weak localized magnetic moment to pin the adjacent ferromagnetic layer. However, in the thicker S(n)L(8) superlattices, evolution of magnetic properties was induced by the long-range antiferromagnetic order in the planar SCO layer. Our findings demonstrate that the dimensionality driven structural variation is an effective method to manipulate the electronic reconstruction and the associated physical properties, paving a pathway for the advancement of strongly correlated materials.

Byline: Zuoqing. Song, Xiaohong. Xu Malignant tumors are the major disease that cause serious damage to human health, and have been listed as the premier diseases which seriously threatened human [...]

AbstractThe People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been an aid donor for over six decades, offering multiple forms of development aid to other developing countries. Meanwhile, China has been constantly readjusting its strategies of aid provision while introducing institutional reforms to improve the efficiency of aid as a form of economic statecraft. What significant policy and institutional changes has China conducted in its aid distribution? What are the key motivators that have propelled such reforms? And how do Western donors perceive the Chinese model of aid distribution? Using a two-level analytical framework, this article mainly explores the domestic and international factors driving the three rounds of Chinese aid reforms. The article finds that while the transformation of China’s strategic priority enabled by leadership perception change is the key domestic incentive for aid reforms, international variables contribute to such processes either directly by exerting pressure and conveying knowledge or indirectly by changing China’s global status and leadership perception.

CrGeTe3has recently emerged as a new class of two-dimensional (2D) materials due to its intrinsic long-range ferromagnetic order. However, almost all the reported synthesis methods for CrGeTe3nanosheets are based on the conventional mechanical exfoliation from single-crystalline CrGeTe3, which is prepared by the complicated self-flux technique. Here we report a solution-processed synthesis of CrGeTe3nanosheets from a non-van der Waals (vdW) Cr2Te3template. This structure evolution from non-vdW to vdW is originated from the substitution of Ge atoms on the Cr sites surrounded by fewer Te atoms in the Cr2Te3lattice due to their smaller steric hindrance and lower energy barrier. These CrGeTe3nanosheets present regular hexagonal structures with a diameter larger than 1 μm and excellent stability. They exhibit soft magnetic behavior with a Curie temperature lower than 67.5 K. This non-vdW to vdW synthesis strategy promotes the development of CrGeTe3in ferromagnetism while providing an effective route to synthesize other 2D materials.

The poor outcomes in epithelial ovarian cancer necessitate new treatments. In this work, we systematically analyzed the inhibitory effects of ivermectin and the molecular mechanism of its action in ovarian cancer.

Coal series kaolin (CSK) is used as the raw material to prepare CSK cordierite electronic ceramics. Sintering process is analyzed by a heating microscope. The microstructure of green body, phase transformation, and microstructure evolution during sintering process is elucidated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Comprehensive evaluations of our product are made for physical properties, electrical properties, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), respectively. According to test results of the obtained CSK cordierite ceramic, the sintering temperature range is 1280~1420 °C, synthetic temperature is 1160~1280 °C, densification process is 1360~1420 °C, and large deformations of cordierite ceramic happen above 1420 °C. The optimum performance of the obtained CSK cordierite ceramics is summarized as follows: volume density is 1.81 g·cm3, apparent porosity is 28%, bending strength is 65 MPa, CTE is 1.41 × 10−6°C−1(600 °C), and dielectric constant is 4.6 (100 Hz). As a result, this cordierite electronic ceramics from CSK have great potential to do with applications in electric heater supports, such as electric stove, ceramic heater base, and electric heater cooling plate.

Glioma is one of the malignancy brain tumors, which deeply threaten the health of patients. Although the traditional therapies for glioma have improved, the outcome is still far from satisfactory. Bone Marrow Stromal Cells (BMSC)-based therapy provided novel insight in the treatment for glioma. However, the detailed molecular mechanism is still not clear. The aim of present study is to discover the novel factor in BMSC-based therapy for glioma. The cell proliferation and apoptosis were identified by using CCK-8 and flow cytometry. The invasion of glioma cells was examined by using Transwell assay and wound-healing assay respectively. qRT-PCR was used to examine the expression of miR-506. Western blot was used to examine the protein levels of CD63, TSG101, NUR77 and CXCR4. Our data suggested that BMSC-derived exosome inhibited the proliferation and contributed to apoptosis of human U87 cells after culturing with miR-506 mimic. Overexpression of miR-506 in BMSC-derived exosome inhibited the invasion of human glioma U87 cells, while these effects were deeply suppressed in the presence GW4869. Our present study demonstrated that BMSC inhibited the growth and metastasis of human glioma U87 cells through delivering exosomal miR-506, and provided the evidences to develop the BMSC-based therapy for glioma.

A systematic investigation of spin injection behavior in Au/FM (FM = Fe and Ni) multilayers is performed using the superdiffusive spin transport theory. By exciting the nonmagnetic layer, the laser-induced hot electrons may transfer spin angular momentum into the adjacent ferromagnetic (FM) metals resulting in ultrafast demagnetization or enhancement. We find that these experimental phenomena sensitively depend on the particular interface reflectivity of hot electrons and may reconcile the different observations in the experiment. Stimulated by the ultrafast spin currents carried by the hot electrons, we propose the multilayer structures to generate highly spin-polarized currents for the development of future ultrafast spintronics devices. The spin polarization of the electric currents carried by the hot electrons can be significantly enhanced by the joint effects of bulk and interfacial spin filtering. Meanwhile, the intensity of the generated spin current can be optimized by varying the number of repeated stacking units and the thickness of each metallic layer.

Introduction

Negative exchange bias is usually discovered in ferromagnetic (FM)/antiferromagnetic (AFM) heterostructures after a field-cooling (FC) process. Relatively, positive exchange bias (PEB) is a rarely observed phenomenon. So far, almost all of the models for PEB whether undergoing FC or zero-field-cooling (ZFC) treatment have been explained by an interaction of strong AFM coupling at the interface. In this work, by selecting a special material of SrFeO3–xas the AFM layer, coupled with FM-La0.7Sr0.3MnO3(LSMO), we obtain a novel PEB effect of the bilayer after ZFC measurement, of which the shift directions are unfixable and dependent on the initial magnetization direction. Based on a transient magnetic field to control the remanence (Mr) direction of LSMO at room temperature and then cooling below the TNof SrFeO3–xwithout any magnetic field disturbance, the shift direction can be locked only toward the transient magnetic field. Combined with experimental results and first-principles calculations, we propose that the above phenomena are explained as the field-induced AFM phase of SrFeO3–xtransforming into the FM phase at an FM coupling bilayer interface. Thus, our finding may provide a new approach to realize and tune the zero-field-cooling PEB with FM coupling heterostructures.

In this work, epitaxial growth of LaMnO3thin films on different substrates using pulsed laser deposition under tensile and compressive strain was studied. The intrinsic exchange bias effect was observed in the single A-type antiferromagnetic LaMnO3films no matter whether the tensile or compressive strain was supplied by the substrates. Due to the lattice mismatch between the film and different substrates, the intense strain can induce MnO6octahedral rotation in the bottom region of the film neighboring the substrate, which leads to the distortion of MnO6octahedron and the net magnetic behavior. However, the upper part maintains the original A-type antiferromagnetic order due to strain relaxation. The exchange bias effect in single films is attributed to the coupling between the bottom canted magnetic part and the upper antiferromagnetic region. The observation of exchange bias in single films on different substrates enables the emergence of a new class of biasing components in spintronics, which are based on strain-engineering. 本文用脉冲激光沉积系统外延生长了LaMnO3(LMO)薄膜, 研究了拉应力和压应力对薄膜磁学性质的影响, 发现在拉应力和压应力的衬底上, 外延生长这种A型反铁磁LMO薄膜, 均可出现交换偏置现象. 这是因为外应力导致衬底与薄膜界面处的MnO6氧八面体发生转动, 从而使临近衬底的LMO薄膜下层出现了净磁矩表现铁磁性; 而那些远离衬底的LMO薄膜上层则由于外应力的释放, 仍保持原有的反铁磁性. 因此, LMO薄膜中自发的交换偏置现象, 源于铁磁性与反铁磁性之间的交换耦合作用. 这种在单一LMO薄膜中实现交换偏置的现象, 为自旋阀器件的优化设计提供了一种新方法.

Urination (also called micturition) is thought to be regulated by a neural network that is distributed in both subcortical and cortical regions. Previously, urination-related neurons have been identified in subcortical structures such as the pontine micturition center (also known as Barrington’s nucleus). However, the origin of the descending cortical pathway and how it interfaces with this subcortical circuit to permit voluntary initiation of urination remain elusive. Here we identified a small cluster of layer 5 neurons in the primary motor cortex whose activities tightly correlate with the onset of urination in freely behaving mice and increase dramatically during territorial marking. Optogenetically activating these neurons elicits contraction of the bladder and initiates urination, through their projections to the pontine micturition center, while silencing or ablating them impairs urination and causes retention of urine. Together these results reveal a novel cortical component upstream of the pontine micturition center that is critically involved in urination.