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Chiral hybrid organic–inorganic metal halides are highly promising chiroptoelectronic materials with potential applications in several fields, such as circularly polarized photodetectors, second-order nonlinear optics, and spin-selective devices. However, the ability of manipulating the chiroptical response and the chirality transfer from the organic ligands require one to shed light on structure–property correlations. Herein, we devised and prepared two novel Ge-based chiral hybrid organic–inorganic metal halides showing a different structural topology, namely, a 1D and a 2D arrangement, but composed of the same chemical building blocks: (R/S-ClMBA)3GeI5and (R/S-ClMBA)2GeI4. Through a combined experimental and computational investigation on these samples, we discuss the impact of structural dimensionality on chiroptical properties, chirality transfer, and spin-splitting effects; also, we highlight the impact of structural distortions. The approach presented here paves the way for a solid understanding of the factors affecting the properties of chiral metal halides, thus allowing a future wise materials engineering.

Tuning the properties of materials by using external stimuli is crucial for developing versatile smart materials. Strong coupling among the order parameters within a single-phase material constitutes a potent foundation for achieving precise property control. However, cross-coupling is fairly weak in most single materials. Leveraging first-principles calculations, we demonstrate a layered mixed anion compound MoBr2O2that exhibits electric-field switchable spontaneous polarization and ultrastrong coupling between polar distortion and electronic structures as well as optical properties. It offers feasible avenues of achieving tunable Rashba spin-splitting, electrochromism, thermochromism, photochromism, and nonlinear optics by applying an external electric field to a single domain sample and heating, as well as intense light illumination. Additionally, it exhibits an exceptionally large photostrictive effect. These findings not only showcase the feasibility of achieving multiple order parameter coupling within a single material but also pave the way for comprehensive applications based on property control, such as energy harvesting, information processing, and ultrafast control.

Controlling multimetallic ensembles at the atomic level is significantly challenging, particularly for high-entropy alloys with more than five elements. Herein, we report an innovative ultrasmall (∼2 nm) PtFeCoNiCuZn high-entropy intermetallic (PFCNCZ-HEI) with a well-ordered structure synthesized by using the space-confined strategy. By exploiting these combined metals, the PFCNCZ-HEI nanoparticles achieve an ultrahigh mass activity of 2.403 A mgPt–1at 0.90 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode for the oxygen reduction reaction, which is up to 19-fold higher than that of state-of-the-art commercial Pt/C. A proton exchange membrane fuel cell assembled with PFCNCZ-HEI as the cathode (0.03 mgPtcm–2) exhibits a power density of 1.4 W cm–2and a high mass-normalized rated power of 45 W mgPt–1. Furthermore, theoretical calculations reveal that the outer electrons of the non-noble-metal atoms on the surface of the PFCNCZ-HEI nanoparticle are modulated to show characteristics of multiple active centers. This work offers a promising catalyst design direction for developing highly ordered HEI nanoparticles for electrocatalysis.

The demand for high-density storage is urgent in the current era of data explosion. Recently, several single-molecule (-atom) magnets and ferroelectrics have been reported to be promising candidates for high-density storage. As another promising candidate, single-molecule multiferroics are not only small in size but also possess ferroelectric and magnetic orderings, which can sometimes be strongly coupled and used as data storage to realize the combination of electric writing and magnetic reading. However, they have been rarely proposed and have never been experimentally reported. Here, by building Hamiltonian models, we propose a new model of single-molecule multiferroics in which electric dipoles and magnetic moments are parallel and can rotate with the rotation of the single molecule. Furthermore, by performing spin–lattice dynamics simulations, we reveal the conditions (e.g., large enough single-ion anisotropy and an appropriate electric field) under which the new single-molecule multiferroic can arise. Based on this model, as well as first-principles calculations, a realistic example of Co(NH3)4N@SWCNT is constructed and numerically confirmed to demonstrate the feasibility of the new single-molecule multiferroic model. Our work not only sheds light on the discovery of single-molecule multiferroics but also provides a new guideline to design multifunctional materials for ultimate memory devices.

The interannual meridional displacement of the upper-tropospheric westerly jet over the eastern portion of East Asia in summer has been well documented. This study, however, investigates the interannual meridional displacement of the westerly jet over the western portion of East Asia in summer, which is distinct from its eastern counterpart. The results show that the meridional displacement of the western East Asian jet shows a clear asymmetric feature; that is, there are remarkable differences between the southward and northward displacement of the jet. The southward displacement of the jet corresponds to suppressed convection in the tropical western North Pacific and Maritime Continent and enhanced convection in the equatorial Pacific, which can be explained by the warmer sea surfaces found in the northern Indian Ocean and equatorial eastern Pacific. These tropical anomalies somewhat resemble those associated with the eastern East Asian jet variability. However, the northward displacement of the western East Asian jet does not correspond to significant convection and SST anomalies in the entire tropics; instead, the northward displacement of the jet corresponds well to the positive phase of the Arctic Oscillation. Furthermore, the meridional displacement of the western jet has asymmetric impacts on rainfall and surface air temperatures in East Asia. When the western jet shifts northward, more precipitation is found over South China and Northeast China, and higher temperatures appear in northern China. By contrast, when the jet shifts southward, more precipitation appears over the East Asian rainy belt, including the Yangtze River valley, South Korea, and southern and central Japan and warmer temperatures are found South and Southeast Asia.

A novel C4-modified bipyridinium stationary phase (Sil-DPC4) was prepared and characterized by elemental analysis (EA) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) and further investigated for multi-mode liquid chromatography. The chromatographic performances of Sil-DPC4 were evaluated by reversed-phase chromatography using polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenylamines and phenols, hydrophilic interaction chromatography using nucleosides and nucleobases, and ion exchange chromatography using inorganic ions and organic ions. The effects of the acetonitrile content, salt concentration and pH value of the mobile phase on the retention of Sil-DPC4 were also investigated. Sil-DPC4 showed multiple retention mechanisms including π–π, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions for PAHs, phenylamines and phenols compared with a dipyridine modified silica stationary phase (Sil-DP) and C18 in RPLC, faster separation for nucleosides and nucleobases compared with Sil-DP, and higher hydrophilicity than HILIC in HILIC, and stronger retention and better separation ability for inorganic ions and organic ions in comparison to Sil-DP in IEC. Besides, Sil-DPC4 was used successfully to detect iodide in artificial seawater and had the potential to analyze radionuclide iodine-131 in seawater. In conclusion, multiple retention mechanisms of Sil-DPC4 could make it have potential applications in complex samples.

FK506, a first-line immunosuppressant, is routinely administered orally and intravenously following heart transplantation. However, frequent administration can result in a substantial psychological burden to patients, resulting in non-adherence to medication. The purpose of our study is to overcome the disadvantages of systemic drug administration by developing a polymer-based delivery system that is tunable and biodegradable and that can release highly hydrophobic FK506 over extended periods to treat or prevent acute cardiac allograft rejection. Using an electrospinning method, long-acting microfibers were prepared, and FK506 appeared to be continuously released for up to 14 days based on the in vitrorelease profiles. After implanting the microfiber subcutaneously into the abdominals of transplanted rats, it was found that the infiltration of T cells and macrophages and the secretion of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-1β were significantly reduced compared with those of the free FK506 groups. More importantly, the mean survival time (MST) of the PCL-FK506 group was significantly extended in comparison with that of untreated control recipients and free FK506 (MST of untreated control recipients, free FK506, and PCL-FK506 was 8, 26.1, and 37, respectively). In conclusion, we propose that this drug delivery approach would be suitable for developing long-lasting immunomodulatory agents that prolong cardiac graft survival safely and effectively.

In this paper, the positive materials after discharging at different rates (0.05, 0.10, and 0.50) were reutilized as negative additives for lead-acid batteries and recorded as PM-0.05, PM-0.10 and PM-0.50, respectively. Among them, the battery with PM-0.50 additive showed the best performance in both capacity cycle test and high rate partial state of charge (HRPSoC) test, which still has a reversible capacity of 104 mAh/g after 116 cycles in 100%DOD cycle test. In the HRPSoC test, the battery with PM-0.50 has a cycle life of 11,879 times, 4.87 times longer than the blank (2439). Furthermore, the surface morphology of the battery with additive after formation is “honeycomb,” which facilitates the transmission process and greatly enhances the electrochemical activity.

This study aims to create a lead foil anode for lead-acid batteries with high specific energy, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant. The research also discovered that incorporating tri-ammonium citrate (AC) into the electrolyte significantly enhances the cycling performance of the pure lead level foil negative electrode under high-rate-partial-state-of-charge (HRPSoC) conditions. This addition also increases the specific capacity at high rates, resulting in a 2.3-fold improvement in HRPSoC cycling performance at a 1C rate and a 52 % increase in discharged capacity at a 4C rate, compared to the control blank plate without AC. Through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and other material characterization methods, as well as electrochemical tests, it is proved that AC improves the morphology of lead sulfate into a lamellar stacked structure. It can also effectively refine lead sulfate grains and inhibit sulfation. In addition, pure lead foil batteries exhibit superior capacity cycle stability at a high multiplication rate compared to grid lead-based alloy batteries. Pure lead foil batteries also have a significantly longer cycle life, with a 65 % increase in discharge-specific capacity at a 4C multiplication rate and a 2.2 times and 1.8 times increase in cycle life at 1C and 2C multiplication rates, respectively.

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to explore the safety of peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) replacement every 96 h compared to that of clinically indicated catheter removal.Methods: A prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted. A random number table method was used. Six hundred patients treated with PIVC intravenous infusion in 10 nursing units of a hospital from September to October 2019 were selected. Sixty were collected from each nursing unit, including 30 in the clinically indicated replacement group and 30 in the routine replacement group. The incidence of phlebitis, catheter-related infection (CRI), occlusion, infiltration, and any form of infusion therapy failure were compared between the two groups. SPSS 23.0 software was used.Results: The dwelling times of PIVC in the clinically indicated replacement group and routine replacement group were significantly different (hours) (83.62 ± 50.08, 69.75 ± 25.54, t= 3.021, p= 0.003). The incidence of any form of infusion therapy failure (RR = 4.448, 95% CI: 3.158–6.265, p< 0.001), phlebitis (RR = 2.416, 95% CI: 1.595–3.660, p< 0.001), occlusion (RR = 6.610, 95% CI: 3.062–14.268, p< 0.001), infiltration (RR = 2.607, 95% CI: 1.130–6.016, p= 0.020), accidental dislodgement (RR = 2.027, 95% CI: 1.868–2.200, p= 0.013), and pain at the insertion site (RR = 2.521, 95% CI: 1.742–3.649, p< 0.001) was higher in the clinically indicated replacement group than that in the routine replacement group. The overall survival curve of PIVC was drawn with Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. The median survival time of intravenous infusion was 59.58 h; the cumulative survival rates of 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h were 77.00%, 51.33%, and 20.33%, respectively.Conclusion: Replacement of PIVC every 96 h is safer than clinically indicated.

Because abnormal acid phosphatase (ACP) can disrupt the normal physiological processes, determination of ACP level is extremely important for early diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation of diseases. Herein, a fluorescence platform for monitoring ACP level was established based on the assembly of red-emitting carbon dots (RCDs) on cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanoflakes. RCDs displayed excellent water solubility, pH stability, salt resistance, and photobleaching resistance. Interestingly, the fluorescence of the RCDs assembled on the surface of the CoOOH nanoflakes could be quenched due to the energy transfer caused by the nanoflakes. However, the ascorbic acid (AA) produced by the hydrolysis of ascorbic acid-2-phosphate trisodium salt (AAP) catalyzed by ACP could quickly and effectively reduce CoOOH nanoflakes, leading to the fluorescence recovery of the RCDs. Therefore, an “off–on” biosensor platform for rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of ACP was constructed with a limit of detection of 0.25 mU/L. With the assistance of the biosensor, the level of ACP in human serum samples was evaluated, and the spike recovery values ranged from 94.0% to 104.5%.

The local binary pattern (LBP) and its variants have shown their effectiveness in texture images representation. However, most of these LBP methods only focus on the histogram of LBP patterns, ignoring the spatial contextual information among them. In this paper, a uniform three-structure descriptor method was proposed by using three different encoding methods so as to obtain the local spatial contextual information for characterizing the nonuniform texture on the surface of colored spun fabrics. The testing results of 180 samples with 18 different color schemes indicate that the established texture representation model can accurately express the nonuniform texture structure of colored spun fabrics. In addition, the overall correlation index between texture features and sample parameters is 0.027 and 0.024, respectively. When compared with the LBP and its variants, the proposed method obtains a higher representational ability, and simultaneously owns a shorter time complexity. At the same time, the algorithm proposed in this paper enjoys ideal effectiveness and universality for fabric image retrieval. The mean Average Precision (mAP) of the first group of samples is 86.2%; in the second group of samples, the mAP of the sample with low twist coefficient is 89.6%, while the mAP of the sample with high twist coefficient is 88.5%.

Progression of chronic aortic regurgitation (CAR) is insidious, and management is challenging. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate left ventricular (LV) remodeling and its progression in asymptomatic patients with CAR and preserved LV ejection fraction by three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE). The secondary aim was to identify the effect of management strategies on LV remodeling in severe CAR.

Heart transplantation (HT) is an effective treatment for end-stage heart disease. However, acute rejection (AR) is still the main cause of death within one year after HT. AR is an acute immune response mediated by T lymphocytes, mainly CD4+ T lymphocytes. This study innovatively develops a radiolabeled probe 99mTc-HYNIC-mAbCD4for noninvasive visualization of CD4+ T lymphocyte infiltration and detection of AR. The 99mTc-HYNIC-mAbCD4and its isotype control 99mTc-HYNIC-IgG were successfully prepared and characterized. The specificity and affinity of the probe in vitrowere assessed by cell-binding experiments. Binding of 99mTc-HYNIC-mAbCD4to CD4+ T lymphocytes was higher than that of the macrophages and IgG probe groups, and mAbCD4was effective in the blockade of the binding reaction. The biodistribution data confirmed the SPECT/CT images, with significantly higher levels of 99mTc-HYNIC-mAbCD4observed in allografts compared to allograft treatment (10 mg/kg/d Cyclosporin A subcutaneously for 5 consecutive days after surgery), isografts, or in rats which received allografts injected with 99mTc-HYNIC-IgG. Histological examination confirmed more CD4+ T lymphocyte infiltration in the allograft hearts than other groups. In summary, 99mTc-HYNIC-mAbCD4achieved high affinity and specificity of binding to CD4+ T lymphocytes and accumulation in the transplanted heart. Radionuclide molecular imaging with 99mTc-HYNIC-mAbCD4may be a potential diagnostic method for acute cardiac rejection.

In this letter, a novel discrete Fourier transform (DFT)-based scheme is proposed for peak to average power ratio (PAPR) reduction in filter-bank multicarrier with offset quadrature amplitude modulation (FBMC/OQAM) systems. The key idea is the combination of DFT and the concept of block repetition. Different from the conventional DFT-based PAPR reduction method, the output complex-valued signal of the DFT module is directly transmitted in the proposed DFT-based PAPR reduction method, instead of separating and transmitting the real and imaginary parts of the output signal, respectively. The proposed method can provide a solution to the low PAPR without the cost of high complexity, signal distortion or side information. To validate the performance of the proposed method, simulation results are provided in terms of complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) and bit error ratio (BER).

The facile synthesis of a series of benzodithiophene (BDT)- and indacenodithiophene (IDT)-based A–D–A oligomers with different end groups is reported, and their properties are studied by optical spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and density functional theory calculations. The permutation of central and terminal units tunes the optoelectronic properties and photovoltaic device characteristics in a predictable way, aiding in the rational design of small molecule semiconducting materials. Among the three rhodanine-derived terminal groups, N-alkylthiazolonethione revealed the strongest electron-withdrawing character, resulting in the lowest band gap, the highest stability, and the best photovoltaic device performance. The crystallographic analysis of two IDT derivatives yielded a highly unusual three-dimensional packing of the conjugated backbone, which is likely responsible for the remarkable photovoltaic performance of such A–D–A semiconductors.

Right ventricular (RV) involvement has been reported in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The relationship between glycemic control and RV function remains unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between glycemic control and RV function assessed by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography and three-dimensional echocardiography in T2DM individuals.

Barium sulfate was used as inorganic expander at negative plates of lead-acid battery (LAB) due to its similar lattice structure to lead sulfate. In this study, we proposed in-situ synthesis of BaSO4by using barium acetate solution on ball milled lead powder substrate as the expander of LAB, which has exhibited significant electrochemical performance. Under high-rate partial state-of-charge (HRPSoC) operation, the cell with 1 % in-situ synthesis of BaSO4showed ultra-long lifespan for 20,588 cycles, which was 13.9 times longer than the cell with 1 % BaSO4(1485). Even with 0.5 % in-situ synthesis BaSO4, the cell still exhibited promising HRPSoC performance (11916). In addition, the cells with in-situ synthesis BaSO4also have higher reversible capacity and initial discharge capacity. Finally, we explored the function of barium acetate solution in mixing paste and the mechanism of BaSO4as an expander under various current densities.

For nonlocal fuzzy delayed competitive neural networks, a novel difference model is first developed in this article using the Mittag-Leffler Euler difference method. Secondly, the existence of a sole globally bounded solution and globally exponential stability to the discrete-time networks are addressed based on Banach contractive mapping principle and the constant variation formula for sequences. Besides, exponential synchronization of the discrete-time networks is investigated and a feedback controller is designed from the viewpoint of the theory of controls. It is the first time to consider nonlocal fuzzy delayed competitive neural networks by using Mittag-Leffler Euler differences. In contrast to nonlocal discrete approaches, such difference competitive neural networks could preferably figure the features of continuous networks. The difference method in this paper extends and improves the traditional difference approaches, for example, Adams-Bashforth Euler differences. Moreover, this article explores some avenue for the research of discrete-time fractional-order systems and develops a set of theories and methodologies for the future investigations.

It is well known that elevated homocysteine (HcySH) values can lead to a wide range of diseases. Quantifying HcySH can be an aid in early diagnosis and treatment of related illnesses. Consequently, it is very significant to develop a sensitive detection technology for exact monitoring of HcySH. Based on the excellent affinity of Au NPs with the -SH group in HcySH and the excellent conductivity of cMWCNTs, a novel electrochemical sensor (Au NPs/cMWCNTs/GCE) was constructed to detect HcySH in this paper. The sensor not only can effectively improve the specificity of HcySH detection, but also has the wide linear range and low detection limit (2.89 × 10−8 M, S/N = 3). What’s more, the homocysteine contents of a variety of serum samples were directly detected by the constructed sensor for the first time, and the recovery rate was satisfactory. In conclusion, the research provided an effective method to achieve the rapid, reliable and ultrasensitive determination of HcySH, which has important applications in biomedical analysis and clinical diagnosis.

Graphical Abstract:

The aim of this study was to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of different criteria of pharmaco‐penile duplex sonography in venous erectile dysfunction (ED). The following parameters were measured after an intracavernous injection test in patients with ED from May 2016 to February 2017 at our hospital: diameter, peak systolic velocity, end‐diastolic velocity, and resistance index of the cavernous artery; diameter and peak velocity (if leak occurred) of the deep dorsal vein. Three ultrasonographic diagnostic criteria of venous ED were applied. Criterion A: continuous blood flow signals in the deep dorsal vein, peak velocity greater than 3 cm/s, peak systolic velocity greater than 30 cm/s, end‐diastolic velocity greater than 5 cm/s; Criterion B: resistance index less than 0.89 and other parameters corresponding with Criterion A; Criterion C: resistance index less than 0.80 and other parameters corresponding with Criterion A. The diagnostic results of each criterion were compared with the cavernosographic results. Thirty‐six patients were diagnosed as venous ED by cavernosography in 54 ED cases. The diagnostic specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of Criterion A were 70.6%, 91.7%, and 84.9%, respectively. Those of Criterion B were 82.4%, 69.4%, and 73.6%, while the results for Criterion C were 94.1%, 33.3%, and 52.8%, respectively. Criterion A had the highest diagnostic accuracy, the largest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (area = 0.811), and the highest consistency (kappa = 0.642) with the cavernosographic results in the 3 criteria. The difference was statistically significant (P< .05). Among the 3 commonly used ultrasonographic criteria, Criterion A is most appropriate in the diagnosis of venous ED.

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As the most abundant intracellular biothiol, glutathione (GSH) plays a central role in many cellular functions and has been proved to be associated with numerous clinical diseases. Nevertheless, it is still a challenge to detect GSH over other mercaptoamino acids owing to their similar structures and activities. In this paper, magnetic nanoporous graphene (MNPG) nanocomposites were prepared for the first time through partial combustion of graphene oxide (GO) and ferric chloride. Due to the combination of porous graphene and magnetic nanoparticles, the MNPG nanocomposites exhibited large specific surface area, fast mass, and electron transport kinetics, resulting in remarkable oxidase mimic activity and easy separation. On the basis of the inhibition effect of GSH on the MNPG-catalyzed oxidation of thiamine, a novel and simple method for fluorescence determination of GSH was established. The sensor displayed a good linear response in the range of 0.2–20 μM toward GSH with a limit of detection of 0.05 μM. High sensitivity and selectivity facilitated its practical application for discriminative detection of GSH levels in PC12 cell lysates. The presented assay will be a simple and powerful tool to monitor intracellular GSH levels for biomedical diagnosis. Furthermore, the MNPG nanocomposites will provide insights to construct nanoporous graphene-based hybrids and push forward the advancement of porous graphene for wide applications.

Targeted delivery of immunosuppressants to allografts can increase the concentrations of drugs in pathological tissues, improve therapeutic effects and reduce unfavorable side effects. Therefore, we synthesized FK506-loaded microbubbles (FK506-MBs) for site-specific release of FK506 into transplanted hearts by the ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) technique. The average particle size of FK506-MBs was 1.65 ± 0.32 μm and they had high drug loading and encapsulation efficiency. The in vivodrug concentration in transplanted hearts that were treated with FK506-MBs plus UTMD was about 1.64-fold higher than that in grafts that received free FK506 at the same dosage. The degree of graft rejection in the FK506-MB plus UTMD group was lower than those of other groups. Both infiltration of T cells and secretion of inflammatory cytokines were significantly reduced in the FK506-MB plus UTMD group. More importantly, the mean survival time of the grafts was significantly longer (16.00 ± 0.89 day) than those of the PBS group (6.66 ± 1.36 day) and the FK506 group (12.83 ± 1.17 day). In addition, we also found that the concentration of FK506 in whole blood was lower in the FK506-MB plus UTMD group than that in the FK506 group, which would be beneficial for reducing the side effects. Hence, our results showed that combining FK506-MBs with UTMD was an effective strategy to deliver FK506 to transplanted hearts, which can increase the local drug concentration and enhance its efficacy on rejection. Ultrasound-targeted drug release is safe and radiation-free, with great potential for clinical transformation, and could also be extended to the treatment of other graft rejection cases, such as liver transplantation, kidney transplantation and so on.

An equivalent damage model was established to study the fatigue damage behavior of steel–aluminum friction stir welding (FSW) joints. Internal defects of friction stir welding joint under various cyclic loading stages were observed by X-ray microcomputed tomography (X-CT). For the characteristics of defects of the steel–aluminum FSW joints, a simplified method of defects considering key parameters is proposed, and then, the defect model is established. The FSW joint model was established based on the steel–aluminum boundary contour identified by using image processing techniques. Based on the defect model and the FSW joint model, the equivalent damage model was developed. The equivalent damage model was subjected to finite element analysis and compared with the test using strain amplitude as the damage variable. The equivalent damage model can be used to assess fatigue damage in steel–aluminum FSW joints, which provides some theoretical basis for fatigue life prediction.

In this article, different carbon materials (NC, CC) are obtained by burning two kinds of six‐carbon alkane, n‐hexane, and cyclohexane, respectively. They are used as negative electrode additives for lead‐carbon batteries (LCBs) that could considerably improve the performance of LCB cycle life. 0.1 wt% NC (0.1NC) shows the best high rate partial state of charge cycle performance (5350) which is 3.6 times of CC and 1.2 times of commercial conductive carbon black. Furthermore, in the charging acceptance test, the initial instantaneous constant voltage charging receiving current of 0.1NC is 7.81 A, which is increased by 167% compared with 0.1EC (2.92 A). The synergistic effect of high graphitization structure, small specific surface area, and abundant carboxyl functional groups may be the reason for NC's good performance. Burning hexa‐carbon alkanes is a simple way to obtain carbon with high graphitized structure, small specific surface area, and abundant carboxyl functional groups. As a negative electrode additive for lead‐carbon batteries (LCBs), it can significantly improve the performance of LCB cycled life and charging acceptance ability. It is a very simple way to get the material, but it makes the lead acid battery much better.

Control over magnetic properties by optical stimulation is not only interesting from the physics point of view, but also important for practical applications such as magneto-optical devices. Here, based on a simple tight-binding (TB) model, we propose a general theory of light-induced magnetic phase transition (MPT) in antiferromagnets. Considering the fact that the bandgap of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase is usually larger than that of the ferromagnetic (FM) one for a given system, we suggest that light-induced electronic excitation prefers to stabilize the FM state over the AFM one, and will induce an MPT from AFM phase to FM phase once a critical photocarrier concentration (αc) is reached. This theory has been confirmed by performing first-principles calculations on a series of 2D van der Waals (vdW) antiferromagnets. Interestingly, a linear relationship between αcand the intrinsic material parameters is obtained, in agreement with our TB model analysis. Our general theory paves a new way to manipulate 2D magnetism with high speed and superior resolution.

Herein, a simple method to prepare porous carbon that inhibits hydrogen evolution is used, which has enormous advantages for both capacitors and lead‐acid batteries. The quantitative filter paper spongy porous carbon (SQFPC) is successfully synthesized by the two‐step method. SQFPC displays a porous, spongy structure with a large specific surface area (1847 m2g−1). In electrochemical tests, SQFPC exhibits high specific capacitance (244 F g−1at 1 A g−1) and a capacitance retention rate of 72.5% at 40 A g−1. In addition, the capacity of the battery with 0.5 wt% SQFPC is improved by 57.6% at a discharge rate of 0.1C, and the cycle life under the high‐rate partial state of charge is 9.3 times that of the blank battery. The enhanced battery performance is related to the unique structure and surface functional groups of carbon, which speed up ion movement inside the battery and provide active sites for lead deposition. Spongy carbon nanosheets with a high specific surface area using a two‐step method are utilized. Spongy porous carbon (SQFPC) made of quantitative filter paper has the characteristics of low ash, low resistance, and high capacitance. SQFPC can also inhibit the hydrogen evolution of lead‐acid batteries and improve their performance.

Plant health is directly related to the change in native microbial diversity and changes in soil health have been implicated as one of the main cause of root rot. However, scarce information is present regarding allelopathic relationship of Panax notoginsengroot exudates and pathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporumin a continuous cropping system.

Ferroelectricity in two-dimensional hybrid (2D) organic–inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) can be engineered by tuning the chemical composition of the organic or inorganic components to lower the structural symmetry and order–disorder phase change. Less efforts are made toward understanding how the direction of the polar axis is affected by the chemical structure, which directly impacts the anisotropic charge order and nonlinear optical response. To date, the reported ferroelectric 2D Dion–Jacobson (DJ) [PbI4]2−perovskites exhibit exclusively out-of-plane polarization. Here, we discover that the polar axis in ferroelectric 2D Dion–Jacobson (DJ) perovskites can be tuned from the out-of-plane (OOP) to the in-plane (IP) direction by substituting the iodide with bromide in the lead halide layer. The spatial symmetry of the nonlinear optical response in bromide and iodide DJ perovskites was probed by polarized second harmonic generation (SHG). Density functional theory calculations revealed that the switching of the polar axis, synonymous with the change in the orientation of the sum of the dipole moments (DMs) of organic cations, is caused by the conformation change of organic cations induced by halide substitution.

Regulating the magnetic properties of multiferroics lays the foundation for their prospective application in spintronic devices. Single-phase multiferroics, such as rare-earth ferrites, are promising candidates; however, they typically exhibit weak magnetism at room temperature (RT). Here, we significantly boosted the RT ferromagnetism of a representative ferrite, EuFeO3, by oxygen defect engineering. Polarized neutron reflectometry and magnetometry measurements reveal that saturation magnetization reaches 0.04 μB/Fe, which is approximately 5 times higher than its bulk phase. Combining the annular bright-field images with theoretical assessment, we unravel the underlying mechanism for magnetic enhancement, in which the decrease in Fe–O–Fe bond angles caused by oxygen vacancies (VO) strengthens magnetic interactions and tilts Fe spins. Furthermore, the internal relationship between magnetism and VOwas established by illustrating how the magnetic structure and magnitude change with VOconfiguration and concentration. Our strategy for regulating magnetic properties can be applied to numerous functional oxide materials.

Simulation of spontaneous combustion of partings in intermediate rank coal, aiming to study the influence of temperature and airflow on the formation and emission of 16 PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) specified by US Environmental Protection Agency as priority pollutants, and investigate the origin of PAHs. The experiments were performed from 50°C to 950°C, varying the airflow rates from 300mlmin∧1to 1200mlmin∧1, with a constant interval time of50min. PAHs released from spontaneous combustion were collected by XAD-2 resin and dichloromethane solvent, then extracted with Soxhlet extraction method. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze the amount and composition of PAHs. The result indicates that the amount and toxicity of PAHs are much higher after self-combustion of coal wastes. Furthermore, oxidization of coal gangue at lower temperature stage (50°C•450°C) released much more PAHs and toxicity than that of combustion of coal gangue at higher temperature stage (550°C•950°C) basically. LPAHs (Low molecular weight PAHs)with two- and three-ring dominate the total PAHs yields, and the HPAHs (High molecular weight PAHs) ratios at high temperatures are relatively higher than that at low temperatures. The distribution of PAHs from coal wastes self-combustion indicates that the PAHs emitted are most undecomposed PAHs from petrogenic source, but with temperature increasing, the intensity of oxidation and pyrolyzation cause the total amount of PAHs decreased and HPAHs ratio increased.

AL-1 is a novel andrographolide derivative synthesized by conjugating andrographolide and alpha lipoic acid. AL-1 has been found to increase insulin secretion, decrease blood glucose level and protect β-cell mass and function in alloxan-induced diabetic mouse model. However, the protective mechanism of AL-1 on high glucose-induced pancreatic β-cell injury is still not clear. In the present study, we found that AL-1 reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) generation induced by high glucose in RIN-m cells, and which elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). In addition, AL-1 increased the expression of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO- 1) proteins in RIN-m cells. These results suggest that AL-1 prevented RIN-m cells from high glucose-induced oxidative damage via upregulation of Nrf2 signaling pathway.

In2O3plays an important role in inhibiting hydrogen evolution reaction of lead-carbon battery (LCB). In this study, high purity indium hydroxide obtained by leaching tin indium oxide (ITO) glass waste has been applied in lead-carbon cell. Compared with ordinary lead-carbon cell, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) of lead-carbon cell with added ITO recovery (R-ITO) is effectively inhibited.

Recent advances in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cell (PSC) performance have resulted from compressing the band gap to enhance the short-circuit current density (JSC) while lowering the highest occupied molecular orbital to increase the open-circuit voltage (VOC) and consequently enhance the power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). However, PCEs of PSCs are still constrained by a low JSC, small VOC, and low fill factor (FF). In this study, we report 10.12% PCE from single-junction PSCs based on a novel two-dimensional (2D) conjugated copolymer. By introduction of conjugated 5-alkylthiophene-2-yl side chains to substitute nonconjugated alkoxy side chains in one-dimensional (1D) poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] (PTB7), a novel 2D donor–acceptor low-band-gap conjugated copolymer, poly[[4,8-bis[(5-ethylhexyl)thienyl]benzo[1,2-b;3,3-b]dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] (PTB7-DT), is developed. 2D PTB7-DT is further systematically investigated by absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, charge carrier mobility measurement, thin film morphology, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction and compared with 1D PTB7. In comparison with 1D PTB7, 2D PTB7-DT possesses a narrower band gap, tighter π–π stacking, and higher charge carrier mobility. These results are consistent with the observation from first-principle calculations. Consequently, the single-junction PSCs based on 2D PTB7-DT exhibit a PCE of 10.12% with a high JSC, larger VOC, and high FF in comparison with the PSCs based on 1D PTB7.

This article aims to explain the inhibitory mechanism of thinned-young apple polyphenols (YAP) toward Fusobacterium nucleatum(F. nucleatum), Porphyromonas gingivalis(P. gingivalis) and Prevotella intermedia(P. intermedia). YAP has optimal antibacterial concentration against F. nucleatum(10.00 mg/mL), P. gingivalis(8.00 mg/mL) and P. intermedia(8.00 mg/mL), with viability of 47.97%, 38.01% and 36.94%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) observation revealed that YAP could cause the morphological changes of the halitosis-related bacterial cells and induce cell apoptosis. With the increase of YAP treatment concentrations, the permeability of the outer membranes (OM) and inner membranes (IM) of halitosis-related bacteria dramatically increased, resulting in the release of proteins and nucleic acids. In addition, bacterial cell membrane potential (MP) decreased after exposure to YAP. The results of this study provide new antibacterial agents for halitosis-related bacteria and find a new way for the development of thinned-young apples.

In this study, we report the investigation of the influence of molecular weight (MW) on power conversion efficiency (PCE) of bulk heterojunction (BHJ) polymer solar cells (PSCs). It was found that PCEs of PSCs fabricated by poly[[4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl][3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] (PTB7) blended with [6,6]-phenyl-C71butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) as the active layer, are significantly enhanced from 5.41 to 6.27 and 8.50% along with the MW of PTB7 increased from 18 to 40 and 128 kg/mol, respectively. This enhancement is attributed to the enhanced light absorption and increased charge carrier mobility of PTB7 with high MW, and a proper phase separation in BHJ composite of PTB7:PC71BM interpenetrating network. All these results demonstrate that the MW of donor polymer plays an important role in the performance of BHJ PSCs.

Novel low band gap fluorinated copolymers have been synthesized and characterized. The performance of inverted polymer solar cells made by these fluorinated copolymers blended with fullerene derivatives was also investigated. The studies of the effect of fluorine units on the electronic properties and the thin film morphologies of fluorinated copolymers demonstrated that an optimal window of 20–40% fluorine units coupled with thieno[3,4-b]thiopehene exists for a maximum hole mobility that correlated well with a dispersed interconnected morphology of the fluorinated copolymer, thus enhancing the performance of polymer solar cells. More fluorine units coupled with thieno[3,4-b]thiopehene adversely affected the phase morphology to coarsen that in turn reduced polymer solar cells performance. Nevertheless, the polymer solar cell performance of the highest fluorinated content polymer was twice as much as the nonfluorinated copolymer. These results indicate that the electronic properties as well as the thin film morphologies, not only in nanoscale but also in microscale, of electroactive and photoactive polymers are collectively very important for organic photovoltaic devices.

We have designed and built a magnetic tweezers device that enables the application of calibrated stresses to soft materials while simultaneously measuring their microscale deformation using confocal microscopy. Unlike previous magnetic tweezers designs, our device is entirely portable, allowing easy use on microscopes in core imaging facilities or in collaborators’ laboratories. The imaging capabilities of the microscope are unimpaired, enabling the 3-D structures of fluorescently labeled materials to be precisely determined under applied load. With this device, we can apply a large range of forces (∼1–1200 pN) over micron-scale contact areas to beads that are either embedded within 3-D matrices or attached to the surface of thin slab gels. To demonstrate the usefulness of this instrument, we have studied two important and biologically relevant materials: polyacrylamide-based hydrogel films typical of those used in cell traction force microscopy, and reconstituted networks of microtubules, essential cytoskeletal filaments.

Abstract: Two tuberculosis (TB) models with incomplete treatment are investigated. It is assumed that the treated individuals may enter either the latent compartment due to the remainder of Mycobacterium tuberculosis or the infectious compartment due to the treatment failure. The first model is a simple one with treatment failure reflecting the current TB treatment fact in most countries with high tuberculosis incidence. The second model refines the simple one by dividing the latent compartment into slow and fast two kinds of progresses. This improvement can be used to describe the case that the latent TB individuals have been infected with some other chronic diseases (such as HIV and diabetes) which may weaken the immunity of infected individuals and shorten the latent period of TB. Both of the two models assume mass action incidence and exponential distributions of transfers between different compartments. The basic reproduction numbers of the two models are derived and their intuitive epidemiological interpretations are given. The global dynamics of two models are all proved by using Liapunov functions. At last, some strategies to control the spread of tuberculosis are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Size-controlled and coated magnetite nanoparticles with glucose and gluconic acid have been successfully synthesized via a simple and facile hydrothermal reduction route using a single iron precursor, FeCl3, and a combination of the inherent chemical reduction capability of sucrose decomposition products and their inorganic coordinating ability. The particle size can be easily controlled in the range of 4−16 nm. Results obtained with and without the addition of sucrose indicate that sucrose is required for the formation of nanoscale and coated magnetite instead of the much larger hematite. Mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry analysis were used to investigate the formation mechanism of the coated nanomagnetite from the single Fe(III) precursor in sucrose. Sucrose acts as a bifunctional agent: (i) it decomposes into reducing species, causing partial reduction of the Fe3+ions to Fe2+ions as required for the formation of Fe3O4and (ii) acts as the source of a capping agent to adjust the surface properties and enable the formation of nanoscale particles. The saturation magnetization of the as-obtained magnetite is measured and greatly related to the particle size.

Ambipolar charge-transport semiconducting polymer containing both a hole-transporting moiety, triphenylaniline (TPD), and an electron-transporting moiety, oxadiazole (OXD), in the main chain has been synthesized and investigated. OXD units allow an improvement in luminous efficiency (LE) of the polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). One hundred times enhanced LE was observed from PLEDs made by the polymer with OXD units as compared with that PLEDs made by the polymer without OXD units. These results indicate that enhanced LE was attributed to an improvement in the charge balance of electrons and holes inside this ambipolar polymer.

Organic–inorganic multiferroics are promising for the next generation of electronic devices. To date, dozens of organic–inorganic multiferroics have been reported; however, most of them show a magnetic Curie temperature much lower than room temperature, which drastically hampers their application. Here, by performing first-principles calculations and building effective model Hamiltonians, we reveal a molecular orbital-mediated magnetic coupling mechanism in two-dimensional Cr(pyz)2(pyz = pyrazine) and the role that the valence state of the molecule plays in determining the magnetic coupling type between metal ions. Based on these, we demonstrate that a two-dimensional organic–inorganic room-temperature multiferroic, Cr(h-fpyz)2(h-fpyz = half-fluoropyrazine), can be rationally designed by introducing ferroelectricity in Cr(pyz)2while keeping the valence state of the molecule unchanged. Our work not only reveals the origin of magnetic coupling in 2D organic–inorganic systems but also provides a way to design room-temperature multiferroic materials rationally.

Surface modification is an effective way to functionalize the materials so as to get some special properties. Tetraphenylethylene (TPE) has been widely investigated as a well-known reagent which has the nature of aggregation-induced emission (AIE), but has never been reported in the liquid chromatography stationary phase. In this work, TPE-grafted silica (Sil-TPE) was obtained successfully using the derivative of 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2,2-triphenylethylene as a ligand, and then characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectra, thermogravimetric analysis, and so forth. Laser scanning confocal microscopy images reflected the AIE phenomenon of grafted TPE because the internal vibration and rotation of TPE molecules were restrained in the confined silica space. The contact angle test showed superhydrophobic properties of Sil-TPE. In order to understand thoroughly the mechanism of chromatographic performance and retention behavior for Sil-TPE, Tanaka test mixture, alkylbenzenes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and phenols were separated. This reveals that Sil-TPE has strong aromaticity and certain shape selectivity, especially, has excellent separation performance for PAHs and phenols. The thermodynamic properties and repeatability of Sil-TPE were further studied, which showed the stability of Sil-TPE. This work shows that TPE can be successfully grafted on silica surface and it has the potential to be a new kind of promising stationary phases in the future.

Right ventricular free-wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS) carries important diagnostic and prognostic significance in a variety of clinical settings, however, its measurement is time consuming and operator dependent limiting its value in routine clinical practice. Automated RVFWLS measurements can overcome these limitations. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, reproducibility and prognostic implications of automated RVFWLS compared with manual assessment of RVFWLS.

A novel and facile β-cyclodextrin-assisted method has been employed in this study to prepare superparamagnetic Fe 3O 4nanoparticles from a single iron precursor of FeCl 3·6H 2O. Various characterization involving X-ray diffraction (XRD), standard and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM and HRTEM), electron diffraction (ED), and Raman spectroscopy has integrally testified the formation of pure magnetite nanoparticles with homogeneous morphology. The size of nanoparticles can be adjusted from 4 to 17 nm by varying the concentration of β-cyclodextrins. The success is ascribed to in situ formation of reducing sugar originating from the self-decomposition of β-CD under the reaction conditions, which partly reduces Fe 3+ions into Fe 2+ions for final formation of Fe 3O 4. Another function of β-CD is also discussed: that it acts as a coating agent to prevent particle growth and agglomeration, which allows the formation of nanoscale and superparamagnetic magnetite with different particle sizes. The saturation magnetization ( Ms) of the as-obtained magnetite is measured and is strongly related to the particle size.

Catalytic hydrogenation of nitrate (NO 3−) in water on Pd−Cu ensembles has been denoted as a promising denitridation method, but its hydrogenation selectivity remains challenging. In this study, the hydrogenation selectivity of nitrate on the Pd−Cu/TiO 2systems was discussed mainly concerning the size effect of Pd−Cu ensembles in a gas−liquid cocurrent flow system. Demonstrated by their TEM images, homogeneous morphologies as well as narrow size distributions of Pd−Cu ensembles on titania have been prepared by a facile photodeposition process, and the size of the ensembles was controlled and varied with the total metal loadings. The different XRD patterns and XPS spectra of Pd−Cu/TiO 2catalysts from their corresponding monometallic counterparts suggested the formation of Pd−Cu complex on the surface of TiO 2. It is first indicated that the hydrogenation selectivity of nitrate generally depends on the size of active phase with critical size of approximately 3.5 nm, below which NO 2−becomes the predominant product instead of nitrogen. Ammonium production was increasing slowly throughout the reaction, but this can be efficiently restrained by bubbling CO 2. The optimal catalytic activity and nitrogen selectivity of 99.9% and 98.3% respectively could be achieved on the Pd−Cu/TiO 2catalyst with average size of 4.22 nm under the modification of CO 2after approximately 30 min reduction. The catalytic activities of nitrite on several Pd−Cu bimetallic catalysts were examined to strongly depend on the size of active metal, as is well responsible for the observed distinct hydrogenation selectivity of nitrate.