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Recently, there has been a burgeoning interest in flexible shear force sensors capable of precisely detecting both magnitude and direction. Despite considerable efforts, the challenge of achieving accurate direction recognition persists, primarily due to the inherent structural characteristics and sensing mechanisms. Here, we present a shear force sensor constructed by a magnetically induced assembled Ni/PDMS composite membrane, which is magnetized and integrated with a three-axis Hall sensor, facilitating its ability to simultaneously monitor both shear force magnitude (0.7–87 mN) and direction (0–360°). The cilia-inspired shear force magnetic sensor (CISFMS) exhibits admirable attributes, including exceptional flexibility, high sensitivity (0.76 mN–1), an exceedingly low detection limit (1° and 0.7 mN), and remarkable durability (over 10,000 bending cycles). Further, our results demonstrate the capacity of the CISFMS in detecting tactile properties, fluid velocity, and direction, offering substantial potential for future developments in wearable electronics.

All-solid-state ionic conductive elastomers (ASSICEs) are emerging as a promising alternative to hydrogels and ionogels in flexible electronics. Nevertheless, the synthesis of ASSICEs with concomitant mechanical robustness, superior ionic conductivity, and cost-effective recyclability poses a formidable challenge, primarily attributed to the inherent contradiction between mechanical strength and ionic conductivity. Herein, we present a collaborative design of high-entropy topological network and multivalent ion–dipole interaction for ASSICEs, and successfully mitigate the contradiction between mechanical robustness and ionic conductivity. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of this design, the coordination, de-coordination, and intrachain transfer of Li+are effectively boomed. The resultant ASSICEs display exceptional mechanical robustness (breaking strength: 7.45 MPa, fracture elongation: 2621%, toughness: 107.19 MJ m−3) and impressive ionic conductivity (1.15 × 10−2S m−1at 25 °C). Furthermore, these ASSICEs exhibit excellent environmental stability (fracture elongation exceeding 1400% at 50 °C or −60 °C) and recyclability. Significantly, the application of these ASSICEs in a strain sensor highlights their potential in various fields, including human-interface communication, aerospace vacuum measurement, and medical balloon monitoring.

A high-quality thermal management system is crucial for addressing the thermal safety concerns of lithium ion batteries. Despite the utilization of phase change materials (PCMs) in battery thermal management, there is still a need to raise thermal conductivity, shape stability, and flame retardancy in order to effectively mitigate battery safety risks. This study investigates a flame-retardant PCM composed of polyethylene glycol, expanded graphite, MXene, APP (ammonium polyphosphate), and ZHS (Zinc hydroxy stannate). The properties of the PCM and its thermal management performance during the operation of batteries are explored and evaluated. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of MXene enhances both the enthalpy of phase transition and thermal conductivity of PCM. Furthermore, the synergistic flame retardancy of APP and ZHS increases the carbon residue content, enabling PCM to achieve a V0 flame retardant rating. PCM exhibits a noticeable cooling effect on the battery temperature, reducing the highest temperature of the battery module to 57.03 °C during 3C discharge while maintaining a temperature difference of within 5 °C. This research contributes valuable insights into the potential use of PCMs with MXene in thermal management systems for batteries, with the aim of improving lithium batteries safety during operation.

To investigate the status quo and influencing factors of general postpartum well-being in primiparas, analyze its correlation with postpartum depression, and provide a theoretical foundation for enhancing the postpartum well-being of primiparas. From the start of November 2021 to the end of December 2021, the General Information Questionnaire, General Well-Being Scale, and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale were used to survey primiparas in a tertiary hospital, and the correlation between general well-being and postpartum depression was analyzed. We surveyed a total of 225 primiparas. The average score for general well-being in primiparas was 77.84 ± 6.83, and the total score for postpartum depression was 9.11 ± 2.51. Confinement location, planned pregnancy, pregnancy complications, neonatal sex, medical expenses, etc, had statistically significant effects on the general well-being scores (P < .05), whereas per capita monthly income, pregnancy complications, maternal and infant care skills, and medical expenses had statistically significant effects on postpartum depression scores (P < .05). Postpartum depression scores were negatively correlated with general well-being, health anxiety, energy, sad or happy mood, relaxation, and tension. There is a negative correlation between the general well-being of primiparas and postpartum depression, suggesting that in clinical care, the focus should be on primiparas with pregnancy complications, and psychological counseling should be provided in advance to prevent postpartum depression and the resulting decrease in well-being.

Preparing conjugated polymer films via interfacial Suzuki polymerization is a promising method for obtaining desirable electrochromic materials with desired structures. Here, a series of aryl boronic esters and triphenylamine-based aryl bromides were applied as precursors, and several polymer films were finally obtained via the liquid/liquid interfacial Suzuki polymerization reaction under mild conditions. FT-IR, UV, and Raman as well as electrochemistry, SEM, and EDS results all provide strong evidence for the formation of the desired polymer structures. Among them, the TPA-Wu (containing triphenylamine and alkyl-fluorene) film exhibits the best film-forming quality. Besides, these polymer films were applied in electrochromic applications. The results show that electrochromic properties can be affected by the quality of film formation. It is worth mentioning that the TPA-Wufilm could achieve excellent electrochromic properties with reversible multicolor changes from transparent yellow to orange-red to blue-green under varying potentials. Compared to other triphenylamine-based electrochromic materials, the TPA-Wufilm possessed the most desirable coloring efficiency, higher optical contrast, and shorter switching time. This work provides an existing general approach of liquid/liquid interfacial Suzuki polymerization for constructing conjugated polymer films toward electrochromic applications.

Angiogenesis plays an important role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which increases the supply of nutrients, cytokines, and inflammatory cells to the synovial membrane. Genistein (GEN), a soy-derived isoflavone, has been validated that can effectively inhibit the angiogenesis of several tumours. We thus carried out a study in vitro to investigate the effect of GEN in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and angiogenesis induced by the inflammatory environment of RA.

Graphene (GR) was used as filler to improve the performance of fire resistance, thermal stability, smoke suppression of waterborne intumescent fire-retardant coating. The influence of graphene (GR) on the properties of the intumescent fire-retardant coating was studied by fire protection test, TGA, SEM and smoke density test. The results showed that the GR can effectively enhanced the performance of fire resistance and thermal stability of the coating. The result of SEM test indicated the coating with GR had excellent intumescent effect and enhanced foam structure. The smoke density test of the coating demonstrated the coating contain GR had excellent performance of smoke suppression.

Ceramic motorized spindle is more suitable for high-precision and high-speed machining because of its material with high stiffness, low deformation, and other excellent characteristics. The ceramic bearing assembly and support location are critical elements influencing the stiffness and dynamic characteristics of ceramic motorized spindle. In order to investigate the influence of bearing assembly on the dynamic characteristics of spindle, the relationship between preload and bearing stiffness is determined and a dynamic model of ceramic motorized spindle bearing rotor system is established taking the comprehensive impact of bearing span and preload into account. The bearing stiffness fluctuation caused by bearing preload and bearing thermal deformation is calculated, and the effect of bearing preload and span on the dynamic characteristics is investigated. The results show that the rotor amplitude firstly decreases with the bearing preload and span vary, and then increases. The best assembly combination of ceramic spindle is a preload of 400 N and a span of 190 mm in the speed of 12,000–18,000 r/min. The vibration experiments are conducted on the ceramic motorized spindle, and the average error between experimental date and calculated date is 2.49%, which verifies the accuracy of the model. This study lays a theoretical foundation for further investigation of the dynamic characteristics of ceramic motorized spindle and its structural optimization.

A series of Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3-CeO2 ceramics formed by solid state-reaction method have been systematically investigated. The effects of doping the Sm site of Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3 with Ce4+ on the structural, spectral reflectance, and thermal radiation properties were also explored. The modification of the initial phase takes place can be ascribed to the dissolution of Ce from initial CeO2 into the perovskite structure. The conductivity behavior depends critically on the Ce doping level, as was demonstrated that the recombination of holes (from Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3) and electrons (from ceria ion) could decrease electrical conductivity. Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3-CeO2 ceramics showed continuously adjustable conductivity and infrared emittance, opening up possible applications in solar thermal conversion or thermosensitive conductivity.

To inspire upper-division undergraduate students to gain a deeper understanding of biorefinery, an experiment related to biofuels and lignin-based sunscreen products from corncob was performed in multiple offerings of a summer-semester class. Specifically, corncobs were pretreated with 1% H2SO4to obtain hemicellulose hydrolysates, which were detoxified, and followed with oleaginous yeast fermentation to yield microbial lipids. The microbial lipids were chemically transesterified into biodiesel in situ by an alkali catalyst. Subsequently, dilute acid-pretreated corncob residue was enzymatically saccharified to release glucose for ethanol production by separation hydrolysis and fermentation. Finally, the resultant lignin from the cellulosic ethanol production was valorized to make sunscreen. The main objectives of this work are to introduce students to integrated biorefinery concepts and techniques so that they can learn how to obtain added-value products from waste materials and to evoke students’ awareness of environmental issues.

This study aimed to investigate the dysfunctional ascending/descending pain pathways at the thalamic level in patients with migraine without aura (MWoA) using the effective connectivity analysis of the resting-state functional MRI. Twenty MWoA and 25 matched healthy controls participated in the resting-state functional MRI scans. The directional interactions between the posterior thalamus (PTH) and other brain regions were investigated using the Granger causality analysis and choosing bilateral PTH as two individual seeds. Pearson’s correlation analysis was carried out between the abnormal effective connectivity and the headache duration and pain intensity of MWoA. Compared with healthy controls, MWoA showed decreased inflows to the bilateral PTH from the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the left precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex, decreased outflow from the left PTH to the ipsilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and increased inflow to the right PTH from the ipsilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In addition, the abnormal inflows to the right PTH from the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex correlated positively with the headache duration and pain intensity, respectively. The abnormal ascending/descending pain pathways between the thalamus and these cortical regions indicate a disrupted pain modulation in affective and sensory domains, which suggests a disequilibrium of pain inhibition and facilitation in MWoA. These findings may help to shed light on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of migraine.

n allusion to the disadvantages of sucker rod displacement measuring technologies at present, we introduce an inertial measuring technology in which the design of acceleration measuring system, the design of IIR digital filter and double integral algorithm play significant roles. Through combination of hardware and software, the embedded measuring system was developed to measure the acceleration, process data and realize the serial communication. In our practical work, some chips were used in this system, eg 1221L-002, ADS1259, MSP430F1611, MAX202, etc. The test results showed that the accuracy of the measuring system reached to 5%, which met the request for oilfield.

The abnormal thermogram has been shown to be a reliable indicator of a high risk of breast cancer. Nevertheless, a major weakness of current infrared breast thermography is its poor sensitivity for deeper tumors. Numerical modeling for breast thermography provides an effective tool to investigate the complex relationships between the breast thermal behaviors and the underlying patho-physiological conditions. We have developed a set of new modeling techniques to take into account some subtle factors usually ignored in previous studies, such as gravity-induced elastic deformations of the breast, nonlinear elasticity of soft tissues, and dynamic behavior of thermograms. Conventional "forward problem" modeling cannot be used directly to improve tumor detectability, however, because the underlying tissue thermal properties are generally unknown. Therefore, we propose an "inverse problem" modeling technique that aims to estimate the tissue thermal properties from the breast surface thermogram. Our data suggest that the estimation of the tumor-induced thermal contrast can be improved significantly by using the proposed inverse problem solving techniques to provide the individual-specific thermal background, especially for deeper tumors. We expect the proposed new methods, taken together, to provide a stronger foundation for, and greater specificity and precision in, thermographic diagnosis, and treatment, of breast cancer.

Full-ceramic motorized spindle is suitable for high-grade CNC machine tool due to its high stiffness and wear resistance, while axial transfer of unbalanced magnetic pull (UMP) caused by reverse magnetic characteristic leads to random vibration at the shaft end. In order to investigate the nonlinear dynamics of full-ceramic motorized spindles under the influence of reverse magnetic, a five-degree-of-freedom dynamic model of bearing-rotor system considering the axial transfer of UMP is constructed. The improved transfer matrix method is proposed to establish the axial transfer model of UMP and the vibration mode of the shaft is obtained. The dynamic characteristics of the bearing-rotor system are analyzed considering the effect of UMP. The magnetic field density and vibration characteristics of the motorized spindle system is studied, and the full-ceramic motorized spindle shaft influence of UMP axial transfer, the vibration of the rotor tends to decrease from inward to outward, while the shaft end vibration also tends to increase gradually with the increase of rotation speed and eccentricity value. The results show that the vibration of ceramic shaft end is 55.4% weaker than that of metal shaft end. It can be seen that under the action of the diamagnetic property, UMP transfer occurs on the ceramic shaft, which reduces the vibration. The experiments show that the average error between the calculated value and the experimental result is 8.5% at the operating speed, which verifies the accuracy of the model developed in this paper.

The heterogeneous UV/Fenton process with the appropriate amount of Fe-Mn-Cu-Y as catalyst was developed and various operation conditions for the degradation of phenol were evaluated. The results indicated that by using the heterogeneous UV/Fenton process, the CODcrremoval rate reached almost 100% for wastewater containing phenol. Compared with the homogeneous process, the developed catalyst could be used at wider pH range in the UV/Fenton process. Comparison of various heterogeneous process showed that heterogeneous UV/Fenton process was best. The heterogeneous UV/Fenton process with Fe-Mn-Cu-Y catalyst is highly efficient in degrading various organic pollutants.

Reverse spiral scanning with arterial spin-labeling was developed at 3T to simultaneously detect perfusion and BOLD signals in the brain by subtracting or adding the control and labeled images, respectively, in the same dataset. BOLD contrast was improved with the longer effective echo time achieved in the reverse spiral scan compared to conventional forward spiral scans. Susceptibility artifacts near air–tissue interfaces in the brain were substantially reduced in the reverse spiral images due to their early data acquisition time and, hence, less signal attenuation. Brain activation experiments with the reverse spiral scan were performed on normal subjects and were compared to forward spiral imaging in the same subjects. The experiments demonstrated that reverse spiral imaging was able to detect perfusion and BOLD signals simultaneously and reliably, even in the brain regions with severe susceptibility-induced local gradients, while forward spiral scans were either not optimal for detecting the two functional signals at the same time or were vulnerable to susceptibility artifacts. Magn Reson Med 48:278–289, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

This paper presents a new method of vaginal reconstruction. On the basis of anatomic study, we designed an island flap obtained from the upper abdomen to carry the deep inferior epigastric vasculature. At operation, the flap was transferred to the artificial cavity created between the urinary bladder and rectum for vaginal reconstruction. Eight patients received the operation. Complete survival of the flap occurred in seven patients, and one flap failed because of a twist in the flap vascular pedicle. During a follow-up of 6 months to 2 years, it was found that the reconstructed vaginal wall was not only soft but also elastic, and the patients were able to have a satisfying sexual life after marriage.

This in vitro study was designed to determine if in fact silicone expanders are readily permeable to metronidazole and procaine. The expanders were filled with 0.2 metronidazole or 2 procaine through the filler valves and then immersed wholly in normal saline. At several intervals over 120 hours, a certain amount of the surrounding saline was sampled and the drug levels subsequently determined. In this study, the silicone expanders were indeed readily permeable to the drugs, as measured with an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. A consistent diffusion curve was demonstrated. The rate of diffusion of a drug is inversely proportional to its molecular weight i.e., the smaller the given drug's molecular weight, the greater is its ability to permeate an expander. In view of this, in the course of expansion, 0.2 metronidazole could be used in clinical expansion instead of normal saline, and a certain amount of antibiotic would diffuse out of the expander to prevent and control the infection. Plast. Reconstr. Surg.97 1416, 1996.

The article presents information on a Hackathon volunteer day hosted by the actuarial services team of the National Australia Bank, which were attended by representatives from nonprofit organizations, like Social Ventures Australia, Good Beginnings Australia and Lifeline Australia.

The article reports that Asia's Top 1000 brands is building equity for driving economic growth of China. It is stated that Chinese companies are putting efforts to strengthen their brands as a part of their business plans. It mentions that advertisers also retaining opportunities for building brand equity by investing in the digital arena.