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Abstract Rechargeable calcium (Ca) metal batteries are promising candidates for sustainable energy storage due to the abundance of Ca in Earth’s crust and the advantageous theoretical capacity and voltage of these batteries. However, the development of practical Ca metal batteries has been severely hampered by the current cathode chemistries, which limit the available energy and power densities, as well as their insufficient capacity retention and low-temperature capability. Here, we describe the rechargeable Ca/Cl2 battery based on a reversible cathode redox reaction between CaCl2 and Cl2, which is enabled by the use of lithium difluoro(oxalate)borate as a key electrolyte mediator to facilitate the dissociation and distribution of Cl-based species and Ca2+. Our rechargeable Ca/Cl2 battery can deliver discharge voltages of 3 V and exhibits remarkable specific capacity (1000 mAh g−1) and rate capability (500 mA g−1). In addition, the excellent capacity retention (96.5% after 30 days) and low-temperature capability (down to 0 °C) allow us to overcome the long-standing bottleneck of rechargeable Ca metal batteries.

The study of thermal history of sedimentary basins is very important for oil-gas accumulation analysis and has decisive influence on oil and gas exploration and oil-gas resource evaluation. However, it is difficult to reconstruct the thermal history of carbonate strata in marine basins due to the lack of effective palaeo-thermometer. The carbonate cluster isotope is an index that can indicate the formation temperature of carbonate rock. It records temperature information in chemical bond through conjugated 13C-18O, and temperature information is revealed through changes in the abundance of conjugated 13C-18O, namely, the abundance of carbonate clumped isotope (Δ47) is closely related to the evolution of strata temperature. This paper reviews the application of carbonate clumped isotope palaeo-thermometer and discusses the existing problems and future development direction based on the basic principle and methods of carbonate clumped isotope thermometry and thermal history reconstruction, and combined with the case studies of thermal history reconstruction in marine basins in recent years. As a new palaeo-thermometer, carbonate clumped isotope shows great potential in the thermal history reconstruction of carbonate strata. Previous studies show that the maximum paleotemperature of the Bird Spring Formation in Arrow Canyon, Nevada, USA is about 175 ℃, and the maximum burial temperature of Permian Maokou Formation in the Sichuan Basin is 213-225 ℃. There is an abnormal high temperature of above 160 ℃ in the Ordovician strata of the Tarim Basin due to the Permian magmatic activity. We believe that the carbonate clumped isotope is still insufficient in the reconstruction of thermal history due to the immaturity of thermal evolution models, the recrystallization, and the change of burial temperature. Thus, we suggest that combining the carbonate clumped isotope, U-Pb dating, and other palaeo-thermometers to accurately reconstruct the thermal history of carbonate strata will be the future development direction.

Nanogrooves with high aspect ratios possess small size effects and high-precision optical control capabilities, as well as high specific surface area and catalytic performance, demonstrating significant application value in the fields of optics, semiconductor processes, and biosensing. However, existing manufacturing methods face issues such as complexity, high costs, low efficiency, and low precision, especially in the difficulty of fabricating nanogrooves with high resolution on the nanoscale. This study proposes a method based on focused ion beam technology and a layer-by-layer etching process, successfully preparing V-shaped and rectangular nanogrooves on a silicon dioxide substrate. Combining with cellular automaton algorithm, the ion sputtering flux and redeposition model was simulated. By converting three-dimensional grooves to discrete rectangular slices through a continuous etching process and utilizing the sputtering and redeposition effects of gallium ion beams, high-aspect-ratio V-shaped grooves with up to 9.6:1 and rectangular grooves with nearly vertical sidewalls were achieved. In addition, the morphology and composition of the V-shaped groove sidewall were analyzed in detail using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and tomography techniques. The influence of the etching process parameters (ion current, dwell time, scan times, and pixel overlap ratio) on groove size was analyzed, and the optimized process parameters were obtained.

Expressway traffic information is important for guiding driving routes and alleviating traffic congestion. However, the current research on expressway guidance information focuses on existing expressways. In this study, strategies for providing expressway guidance information under reconstruction and expansion scenarios are investigated. Multiple factors of expressway reconstruction and expansion, such as the length of construction areas and the number of lanes occupied by construction areas, are extracted. A panel latent class logit model considering individual heterogeneity is established to fit the survey data collected by 825 respondents. The results show that the proposed panel latent class logit model fits the data best, and the studied drivers could be categorized into three classes, i.e., the information provision time-sensitive class, the information promotion detour class, and the information suppression detour class. The research results can support expressway operators in designing appropriate traffic information provision strategies, providing personalized guidance to drivers, and ensuring the safe operation of expressways in construction areas.

The Shanxi Formation layers in the northeast of the Zhoukou Depression, Southern North China Basin, mainly consist of dark mudstone interbed with tight stone and widely developed coal seam, which is a promising target for unconventional oil and gas exploration. A series of geochemical and geological methods were used to analyze the characterization and controls of the pores structural heterogeneity in low-thermal-maturity shale. These methods include the Rock-Eval analysis, total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, scanning electron microscope observation with an energy-dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction, and low-pressure N2 adsorption. Based on these measurements, the pore diameter, specific surface area (SSA), and fractal dimension (D) were calculated, and then, the pore structure heterogeneity was analyzed. The result shows the pores of Shanxi Formation shale are mainly interparticle pores with low porosity and low permeability, and the pore structure is highly complex. The average fractal dimension of the micropore and the macropore are both 2.77, but that of the mesopore is 2.65, indicating a less-complex mesopore structure than the micropore and macropore. The S2, S1, and TOC exhibit no clear correlation with SSA and fractal dimension of pores, which proved the little impact of organic matter on the heterogeneity of pore structure in the low-maturity shale of the research area. The illite has a strong effect on the pore structural heterogeneity of Shanxi Formation shale. The samples with high content of illite show higher SSA, better physical properties, and low fractal dimension, reflecting low pore structural heterogeneity. However, the quartz and clay minerals show a slight correlation with SSA and no obvious relationship with the fractal dimension, indicating a little effect of them on the pore structure heterogeneity. The pore structural heterogeneity decreases along with the increase in porosity, while the permeability influenced by a variety of reasons under the compaction shows a poor relationship with SSA and fractal dimension. On the whole, the pore structural heterogeneity decreases for low-thermal-maturity shale with high content of illite and high porosity, which should be considered to be the better unconventional oil and gas reservoir in the research area.

ObjectiveTo determine the clinical value of high-frequency ultrasonography (US) in the evaluation and diagnosis of pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) among children.MethodsThe clinical subjects consisted of 31 pediatric patients who were diagnosed with PBM from January 2015 to May 2021 in Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital. The primary outcomes included diagnosis accuracy, imaging characteristics of each type of PBM based on JSPBM, time length of operation, and cost of service. Secondary outcomes were the serum amylase and bilirubin levels.ResultsThe diagnostic accuracy of US was 90.3% and comparable to the other imaging methods—MRCP (82.6%), IOC (79.2%), and ERCP (100%), respectively. The time length of operation and direct cost were significantly lower than other imaging pathways. Stenotic type (A) is associated with a high internal diameter of CBD, and dilated channel type (C) presents increased internal diameter and length of CC as well as internal diameter of PD. There were higher levels of the serum bilirubin seen in type A and of serum amylase in type C compared with others.ConclusionHigh-frequency US is a safe, cost-effective, and non-invasive imaging tool for the diagnosis and evaluation of PBM in pediatrics.

This article explores the works of Tash Aw, a Malaysian-Chinese anglophone writer, through the lens of Giorgio Agamben's philosophical ideas on contemporariness. It analyzes Aw's four novels, discussing how he challenges stereotypes and explores identity. The article also examines themes of history, nationalism, and boundaries in Aw's works. "We, the Survivors" is a contemporary novel that addresses issues of colonialism, postcolonialism, race, gender, class, racial discrimination, capitalist exploitation, economic disparity, and social inequality in Malaysia. The text discusses Aw's novels in relation to power, authority, representation, and the environment, and suggests further research that integrates insights from various disciplines. [Extracted from the article]