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The proper differentiation and reorganization of the intestinal epithelial cell population is critical to mucosal regeneration post injury. Label retaining cells (LRCs) expressing SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9) promote epithelial repair by replenishing LGR5+ intestinal stem cells (ISCs). While, LRCs are also considered precursor cells for enteroendocrine cells (EECs) which exacerbate mucosal damage in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The factors that determine LRC-EEC differentiation and the effect of intervening in LRC-EEC differentiation on IBD remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of a natural anthraquinone called aloe emodin (derived from the Chinese herb rhubarb) on mucosal healing in IBD models. Our findings demonstrated that aloe emodin effectively interfered with the differentiation to EECs and preserved a higher number of SOX9+ LRCs, thereby promoting mucosal healing. Furthermore, we discovered that aloe emodin acted as an antagonist of free fatty acid receptors (FFAR1), suppressing the FFAR1-mediated Gβγ/serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT) pathway and promoting the translocation of forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) into the nucleus, ultimately resulting in the intervention of differentiation fate. These findings reveal the effect of free fatty acid accessibility on EEC differentiation and introduce a strategy for promoting mucosal healing in IBD by regulating the FFAR1/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway.

In this investigation, gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and gas tungsten arc welding with trailing ultrasonic rotating extrusion (U-RE-GTAW) were applied to 7075 aluminum alloys. Qualitative comparisons and analyses were carried out to investigate the effects of the ultrasonic rotary extrusion-assisted technology on GTAW processes. The weld joints fabricated by GTAW and U-RE-GTAW were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Concurrently, the tensile strength and fatigue characteristics were assessed at ambient temperature. The experimental outcomes indicated that the U-RE-GTAW process mitigated porosity within the weld region and substantially augmented dislocation density, while concurrently achieving a notable reduction in grain size and an increase in the volume fraction of secondary phases due to the synergistic effects of ultrasonic oscillation and rotational extrusion. The enhancement in tensile and fatigue resistance of the welded joint was attributed to the strengthening mechanisms associated with these microstructural alterations. Specifically, the ultimate tensile strength exhibited a 20.4% increase, and the elongation at break was elevated by 46.3%. At stress amplitudes of 190 MPa, 160 MPa, and 100 MPa, the fatigue strength of the welded joints was enhanced by 67%, 55%, and 32%, respectively. A quantitative analysis was conducted to elucidate the impact of diverse strengthening mechanisms on the welded joints. It was concluded that dislocation strengthening is the predominant factor contributing to the superior performance of the U-RE-GTAW specimens.

A novel recrystallization and partial melting process combined radial forging was proposed to prepare long axial 2A50 aluminum alloy semi-solid billets. Microstructure characteristics of the forged and isothermal treated samples were investigated. Results demonstrate that initial elongated grains (fibrous structure) and low angle grain boundaries were substituted by spherical equiaxed grains and high angle grain boundaries when the sample was heated at 585 °C for 10 min. Deformed textures of the forged 2A50 aluminum alloy were remarkably weaken after isothermal treatment. The average grain size and shape factor increased with the increased temperature and holding time. Long holding time resulted in some dendrites. The liquid films at the grain boundaries thickened with the increase in temperature and holding time. Grains growth and spheroidization were determined by coarsening and Ostwald ripening mechanisms. The coarsening rate constant k of grains at 575 °C was 378.5 μm3/s.

This paper introduces a nested sinusoidal re-entrant (NSR) metamaterial characterized by tunable complete bandgaps (CBGs) and dynamic responsiveness in thermal-mechanical dual fields. NSR comprises shape memory polymer and features a sinusoidal modification with nested re-entrant hexagonal and star-shape re-entrant structure. Dynamic response of NSR is studied using the representative volume element method, specifically focusing on the effective modulus and Poisson's ratio and CBGs under varying average strains. The findings indicate that both the mechanical properties and CBGs exhibit dynamic responses to mechanical field, demonstrating interrelation between mechanical adjustments and functional performance. Moreover, the study examines how temperature fluctuations influence the NSR's elastic modulus, thereby altering its CBGs. Hence, manipulating both compression and temperature variations presents a viable approach to control and adjust the CBGs of NSR effectively. These results are validated by computations of the frequency response function under various average strains. Overall, this design presents a promising approach for developing mechanical metamaterials with tunable functionality.

In recent years, the role of naval ship power has become increasingly prominent in regional conflicts and military operations worldwide, and the powerful capabilities demonstrated by naval forces have also been valued by countries around the world. While naval forces are frequently deployed to carry out various tasks, the intensity of equipment wear and tear on ships is also significantly increasing, posing a huge challenge to the maintenance and support capabilities of ship equipment. In the actual process of ship equipment maintenance, a series of risk factors such as cost, schedule, and quality will have a significant impact on the entire ship maintenance project, and even affect the success or failure of the entire project. This article first decomposes the project process of ship maintenance projects, further analyzes the various risk factors of ship maintenance projects based on the project decomposition situation, and then distinguishes the overall project, project process, and project risk factors to establish an intelligent agent group model for simulation analysis. Through the above simulation analysis, we will conduct in-depth research on the specific impact of project risks on ship maintenance projects, and analyze and verify the positive role and practical significance of project risk management in project risk control and project efficiency improvement. In the process of the above research content, methods and measures for risk management of ship maintenance projects are proposed, providing scientific and efficient risk management suggestions for such projects, improving the scientific management efficiency of ship maintenance projects, and contributing to the improvement of the quality and efficiency of project management.

Background: Maternal exposure to multiple antibiotics exposure during pregnancy has attracted extensive attention, but biomonitoring studies linking prenatal antibiotic exposure to emotional and behavioural problems in children are limited. Methods: A total of 2475 pregnant women from the Ma’anshan Birth Cohort were included, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was completed when their children turned four years of age. The levels of 41 maternal urinary antibiotics and two metabolites were measured during the first, second and third trimesters. Generalized estimating equations and binary logistic regression models were applied to analyse the associations between maternal antibiotic exposure and emotional and behavioural problems in children and to determine the sensitive period, respectively. A quantile-based g-computation (QGC) approach was employed to examine the combined effects of multiple antibiotics on emotional and behavioural problems in children. Results: Overall, florfenicol and preferred-as-veterinary antibiotic (PVA) exposure during pregnancy increased the risk of emotional problems in children, and ofloxacin exposure increased the risk of hyperactivity-inattention. Maternal exposure to trimethoprime, ciprofloxacin, florfenicol, other antibiotics and PVA exposure during the first trimester was positively associated with emotional problems in children. Second-trimester trimethoprime concentrations and third-trimester ciprofloxacin concentrations were positively associated with hyperactivity-inattention. Third-trimester veterinary antibiotic (VA) exposure was negatively associated with hyperactivity-inattention, and second-trimester VA and PVA exposure was negatively associated with peer problems. The QGC model revealed that mixed antibiotic exposure in the first trimester exacerbated the risk of childhood emotional problems (the contribution of ciprofloxacin is prominent), and mixed antibiotic exposure in the second trimester increased the risk of hyperactivity-inattention (the contribution of trimethoprime is prominent). Conclusion: Maternal mixed antibiotic exposure during the first and second trimesters increases the risk of emotional problems and hyperactivity-inattention in children at four years of age.

The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus L08 (L. rhamnosus L08) to enhance the functionality, improve the taste, and explore efficient storage methods of blue honeysuckle juice (BHJ). The fermentation process resulted in an increase in the levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins in blue honeysuckle juice, which was attributed to the action of β-glucosidase on specific phenolic compounds, namely Cyanidin-3-Glucoside and Quinic acid. The increase in phenolic content resulted in an enhancement of the antioxidant capacity of BHJ. The fermentation processed, utilizing L. rhamnosus L08, not only enhanced the flavor and taste of BHJ, but also mitigated its bitter aftertaste while minimizing the loss of bioactive components during storage. In conclusion, this study demonstrated a potential avenue for enhancing the commercial value and dietary significance of this lesser-known superfruit, with fermented BHJ emerging as a promising innovation in the field of functional foods.

Background: Antisynthetase syndrome (ASS) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by the immune system attacking specific synthetase in the body. Due to the difficulty in clinical diagnosis, there is still a lack of effective treatment. Methods: We report a case of a 50-year-old man who presented with progressive, symmetric limb weakness, starting from the lower limbs and gradually affecting the upper limbs. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for treatment due to recurrent fever and coma. When he was admitted to the ICU, his limbs were almost unable to move, and the levels of creatine phosphokinase and muscle glycogen were significantly elevated (2449 u/l and 1857 ng/ml). The electromyogram showed myogenic injury, and the anti-PL7 antibody, anti-SSA antibody, and anti-Ro52 antibody were positive. Pathological biopsy of the left biceps brachii showed striated muscle necrosis and macrophage infiltration. He was finally diagnosed with ASS and received treatment with methylprednisolone (subsequently changed to prednisone) and traditional Chinese medicine (Buzhongyiqi Decoction and Shenlingbaizhu powder). Results: After receiving 2 weeks of glucocorticoid and traditional Chinese medicine treatment, his muscle strength had basically recovered, reaching grade 5 in his limb muscles strength. During the 3-month follow-up period, his activity tolerance continued to improve. Conclusion: We present a case of severe anti-PL7 positive ASS with positive anti-SSA/Ro52 antibody. The disease was relieved by glucocorticoid and traditional Chinese medicine treatment. This provides an effective approach for managing ASS.

Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric Generator (PV-TEG) system has emerged as a promising approach to significantly enhance the efficiency of conventional PV cells. However, optimizing the performance of these hybrid systems presents a formidable challenge due to their complex structure and multitude of design parameters. This study tackles such challenge by developing a machine learning based Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model which comprises two sub-ANN models that can work independently for PV and TEG modules or in combination through a cyclic approach for the hybrid PV-TEG system. The model demonstrates remarkable versatility, allowing control over various parameters such as PV coating, device geometry, and environmental conditions. Compared to COMSOL simulations, the ANN model achieves over 97.6 % accuracy with a 6000-fold increase in simulation speed, enabling extensive parameter sweeps and insightful system analysis. Within 18 min, the model conducted a real-time simulation using 8712 weather data entries from Singapore in 2022 and predicted that the hybrid PV-TEG system would generate a total power of 265 kWh/m2, 6.4 % more than that of the standalone PV system with an average system temperature reduction of 7 K. The model's rapid processing capabilities and high accuracy are particularly beneficial for large-scale simulations and practical applications in renewable energy technology.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic reprogramming can lead to the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ferredoxin 1 (FDX1) is a small mitochondrial protein and recent studies have shown that FDX1 plays an important role in tumor cuproptosis, but its role in HCC is still elusive. In this study, we aim to investigate the expression and novel functions of FDX1 in HCC. Methods: FDX1 expression was first analyzed in publicly available datasets and verified by immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and Western blot. In vitro and in vivo experiments were applied to explore the functions of FDX1. Non-targeted metabolomics and RNA-sequencing were used to determine molecular mechanism. mRFP-GFP-LC3 lentivirus transfection, Mito-Tracker Red and Lyso-Tracker Green staining, transmission electron microscopy, flow cytometry, JC-1 staining, etc. were used to analyze mitophagy or ROS levels. Hydrodynamic tail vein injection (HTVi) and patient-derived organoid (PDO) models were used to analyze effect of FDX1 overexpression. Results: FDX1 expression is significantly downregulated in HCC tissues. FDX1 downregulation promotes HCC cell proliferation, invasion in vitro and growth, metastasis in vivo. In addition, FDX1 affects metabolism of HCC cells and is associated with autophagy. We then confirmed that FDX1 deficiency increases ROS levels, activates mitophagy and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in HCC cells. Interestingly, scavenging ROS attenuates the tumor-promoting role and mitophagy of FDX1 downregulation. The results of HTVi and PDO models both find that FDX1 elevation significantly inhibits HCC progression. Moreover, low FDX1 expression is associated with shorter survival and is an independent risk factor for prognosis in HCC patients. Conclusions: Our research had investigated novel functions of FDX1 in HCC. Downregulation of FDX1 contributes to metabolic reprogramming and leads to ROS-mediated activation of mitophagy and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. FDX1 is a potential prognostic biomarker and increasing FDX1 expression may be a potential therapeutic approach to inhibit HCC progression.

Carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems varies with land use changes, and exploring the impact of land use changes on carbon storage in regional terrestrial ecosystems is important for maintaining regional carbon balance. Data on Dalian City’s land use types from 2000 to 2020 are used in this research, to evaluate the spatio-temporal evolution of carbon storage in Dalian. Furthermore, with the scenarios of urban development, natural development, cultivated land protection, and ecological protection in 2030, this study combines the PLUS and InVEST models to emulate the dynamic adjustment at land-use types and the spatio-temporal evolution regarding carbon storage in Dalian City. The investigation shows that: 1) The carbon storage of terrestrial ecosystem in Dalian has been altered as a consequence of changes in land use, and now it shows a general decline during 2000–2020, with reductions amounting to 5.39 × 106 t. 2) From 2000 through 2020, Dalian’s land resources that are utilized for farming, forestry, and grassland decreased to different degrees. The total construction land area increased by 796.47 km2, or 6.38 %, whereas there has been no substantial improvement in water or unused land. 3) The carbon storage reduction in 2030 in comparison to 2020 for the natural development, cultivated land protection, and urban development scenarios, among which the urban development scenario was the largest, was 1.36 × 106t. It suggests that the rapid rate of urbanization and expansion of construction land is an important cause of the decline in carbon storage. 4) The cultivated land protection scenario (CPS) yields the smallest reduction of 6.50 × 105t. The structure of Dalian’s land use type is optimum under the ecological protection scenario (EPS), as seen by the 3.90 × 105t increase in carbon storage under this scenario. It speeds up the rate of recovery of carbon storage and improves the function of carbon sinks in urban terrestrial ecosystems. Hoping to provide the reference to decision makers for ecosystem carbon storage optimization from the view of land use, which is vital for making future land use policies and realizing the “dual carbon” strategic goal.

Summary: Zebrafish and organoids, crucial for complex biological studies, necessitate an imaging system with deep tissue penetration, sample protection from environmental interference, and ample operational space. Traditional three-photon microscopy is constrained by short-working-distance objectives and falls short. Our long-working-distance high-collection-efficiency three-photon microscopy (LH-3PM) addresses these challenges, achieving a 58% fluorescence collection efficiency at a 20 mm working distance. LH-3PM significantly outperforms existing three-photon systems equipped with the same long working distance objective, enhancing fluorescence collection and dramatically reducing phototoxicity and photobleaching. These improvements facilitate accurate capture of neuronal activity and an enhanced detection of activity spikes, which are vital for comprehensive, long-term imaging. LH-3PM’s imaging of epileptic zebrafish not only showed sustained neuron activity over an hour but also highlighted increased neural synchronization and spike numbers, marking a notable shift in neural coding mechanisms. This breakthrough paves the way for new explorations of biological phenomena in small model organisms.

Hydrogen energy as the alternative to fossil fuel received wide attention. Among different methods of hydrogen production, water electrolysis is the cleanest and most promising method. However, its development is greatly limited by hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) reaction and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) reaction. Therefore, it is very necessary to develop low-cost, high activity, and good stability of non-precious metal catalyst to replace the precious metal catalyst (Pt, RuO2), and to further reduce overpotential and power consumption. To date, great efforts have been made to develop transition metal compounds with electrocatalytic performance, such as sulfides, oxides, and carbides materials. Especially, transition metal sulfides play a very important role as catalysts and have attracted wide attention for their structural adjustability, high abundance, and mild preparation process. In this introduction, we focus on the role of transition metal sulfides in catalysts for water electrolysis, especially in a few most studied sulfides such as cobalt/molybdenum based sulfides and the recently reported homogeneous cobalt-molybdenum based sulfides, in which cobalt acts as a key element. Composition, morphology, and size are the most important factors that influence the intrinsic activity, electrical conductivity, and electronic structure of these transition metal sulfides. Besides, the effect of carbon nanomaterials as carrier materials is also discussed. The aim of this review is to emphasize the great potentials of cobalt and molybdenum based sulfides with high performance, and to help improve the performance of existing sulfides and explore new modification methods.

In this work, the topology-optimized lattices structures were designed to serve as ductile nylon reinforcements in lattice-enhanced cementitious composites. The mechanical behavior of the prepared composites was examined via a flexural test where the strength and mid-span deflection were especially concerned. The digital image correlation (DIC) approach was employed to monitor and evaluate the failure pattern and strain distribution. Further investigation was conducted on the mechanical effects of two major optimization factors in the lattice design process, namely cell size and optimization volume fracture. Finally, the improved ductile performance of the suggested composites was compared to that of prior works. The results indicated that the proposed topology-optimized lattices significantly promote the mechanical performance of the prepared composites, i.e., strength and ductility. It may present a higher ductility enhancement efficiency than homogenous lattices under an identical volume. The cell size of lattices is inversely related to the enhancing effects, and more extensive optimization volume fracture enhances composite strength and ductility. Compared with previous works, this study gained advancement in terms of printing materials, unit topology, and cement types. The topology-optimized lattice generally provides a novel solution to the ductility enhancement effect, providing both superior performance and greater design flexibility.

The cyclic oxidation and topologically close-packed (TCP) phase precipitation behaviors of β-(Ni, Pt)Al coatings with different Pt/Al ratios at 1150 °C were investigated. In the initial oxidation stage, coatings with different Pt/Al ratios exhibited comparable high-temperature oxidation resistance, likely due to a similar level of Al absorption. Subsequently, oxide spallation was common for coatings with lower Pt/Al ratios due to the formation of fine-grained alumina and a “sandwich” structure (a multilayer porous structure) oxide scale. For coatings with higher Pt/Al ratios, severe rumpling occurred, and numerous cracks formed in the oxide scale. However, sufficient Al concentration in the outer zone and the improved deformation tolerance of the oxide scale enhanced the spallation resistance of the thermally grown oxide (TGO). Furthermore, a higher Pt/Al ratio promotes uphill diffusion of Al, which reduces its migration into the substrate, thereby diminishing TCP precipitation. Coatings with the same Pt/Al ratios but higher Pt and Al contents further reduced TCP precipitation after oxidation. This improvement is attributed to the initially lower Al concentration in these coatings' secondary reaction zone (SRZ) and their greater thickness.

Semi-flexible pavement is a new type of pavement technology with excellent mechanical and road performance. Grouting materials play a crucial role in filling and reinforcing semi-flexible pavements as an important component. In this study, based on sulphoaluminate cement, the effect of mineral admixtures on rheological properties of grouting materials was studied by introducing rheology. High-performance grouting materials for semi-flexible pavements were prepared by varying the ratio of water-cement ratio, early-strength agent and mineral admixture, and their optimal ratios were determined. The research findings indicate that, the grouting materials with the best mechanical properties can be obtained when the water-to-binder ratio is 0.5, and the dosages of lithium carbonate, silica fume, microspheres, and granulated blast furnace slag are 0.2 %, 1.6 %, 5.0 %, and 5.0 %, respectively. The optimal dosage for shrinkage-reducing agents to improve the shrinkage behavior of grouting materials is in the range of 0.10–0.15 %. The accelerated early hydration reaction and improved compactness of the material matrix are the main reasons for the rapid development of the mechanical properties of the grouting materials. Mineral admixtures can undergo a hydration reaction similar to that of cement to produce a rigid gel consisting of very small particles with a laminar structure, which has a positive effect on the development of grouting material properties. The improvement in shrinkage behavior is achieved through the filling effect of silica fume and the micro-expansion effect of plasticizing expanders, which generate small and uniform bubbles.

Given the significant decline in vaccine efficacy against Omicron, the development of novel vaccines with specific or broad-spectrum effectiveness is paramount. In this study, we formulated four monovalent vaccines based on recombinant spike trimer proteins, along with three bivalent vaccines, and five monovalent vaccines based on recombinant spike proteins. We evaluated the efficacy of different vaccination regimens in eliciting neutralizing antibodies in mice through pseudovirus neutralization assays. Following two doses of primary immunization with D614G, mice received subsequent immunizations with Omicron (BA.1, BA.2, BA.4/5) boosters individually, which led to the generation of broader and more potent cross-neutralizing activity compared to D614G boosters. Notably, the BA.4/5 booster exhibited superior efficacy. Following two doses of primary immunization with Omicron (BA.1, BA.2, BA.4/5), mice were subsequently immunized with one dose of D614G booster which resulted in broader neutralizing activity compared to one dose of Omicron (BA.1, BA.2, or BA.4/5). In unvaccinated mice, full-course immunization with different bivalent vaccines induced broad neutralizing activity against Omicron and pre-Omicron variants, with D614G&BA.4/5 demonstrating superior efficacy. However, compared to other variants, the neutralizing activity against XBB.1.5/1.9.1 is notably reduced. This observation emphasizes the necessity of timely updates to the vaccine antigen composition. Based on these findings and existing studies, we propose a vaccination strategy aimed at preserving the epitope repertoire to its maximum potential: (1) Individuals previously vaccinated or infected with pre-Omicron variants should inoculate a monovalent vaccine containing Omicron components; (2) Individuals who have only been vaccinated or infected with Omicron should be inoculated a monovalent vaccine containing pre-Omicron variants components; (3) Individuals without SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination should inoculate a bivalent vaccine comprising both pre-Omicron and Omicron components for primary immunization. Additionally, through cross-inoculation of SARS-CoV-2 D614G spike trimer protein and SARS-CoV-1 spike protein in mice, we preliminarily demonstrated the possibility of cross-reaction between different coronavirus vaccines to produce resistance to the pan-coronavirus.

Scientific analysis of green development efficiency is crucial for promoting healthy green development at home. The subjects of this study were 181 counties in three provinces in Northeast China. As a first step, the Super-SBM model is utilized to estimate the efficiency of 181 counties from 2006 to 2020; in addition, spatial autocorrelation analysis is applied to assess green development efficiency, spatially and temporally, of 181counties; and to examine the driving factors and spillover effects associated with the efficiency of 181 counties, the Spatial Durbin model (SDM) is utilized. The conclusions show that 181 counties have low levels of green development efficiency and are all on a downward trajectory. Liaoning Province has the highest level, Jilin Province has the second highest level, and Heilongjiang Province has the lowest level. According to the geographical distribution, the locations with high and very high green development efficiency are roughly located in Mohe City, Huma County, Xunke County, Daqing Municipal District, Harbin Municipal District, Changchun Municipal District, Wafangdian City, Dalian Municipal District, and Zhuanghe City. There is a favorable spatial connection of efficiency across regions, but the positive spatial agglomeration trend first diminishes and then gradually increases. Economic development, industrial structure, policy regulations, and environmental protection play significant roles in economic development, industrial structure, policy regulations, and environmental protection. The contribution of this essay is of paramount importance for understanding the status quo and potential for green development in different counties in Northeast China and for realizing coordinated regional green development.

Deep learning has demonstrated its effectiveness in capturing high-level features, with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) excelling in remote sensing classification. However, CNNs encounter challenges when applied to Landsat images with limited multi-spectral bands, as they struggle to learn stable features from the spectral domain and integrate them with spatial features to enhance accuracy. Additionally, most CNN applications focus on learning features directly from the raw image, making them susceptible to spectral environment changes. To overcome these limitations, this paper introduces a novel approach for large-scale Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) extraction from Landsat OLI images. The proposed classification architecture comprises two modules. The first module utilizes a feature relationships matrix to generate an extent feature map (EFM), and a specifically designed CNN structure learns deep features from the EFM and spatial domain. In the second module, a multiple classifiers system (MCS) is employed to obtain shallow learning features, which are further enhanced by another CNN structure through continued learning. The combined features from these modules contribute to improved classification of remote sensing images. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method effectively acquires stable features for training deep learning models with strong generalization ability. It exhibits significant advancements in accuracy improvement and large-scale LULC extraction in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) in China, surpassing comparative approaches based on deep learning and non-deep learning methods.

In this work, the electron irradiation effects and post-irradiation annealing (PIA) response on SiC MOSFETs were investigated and analyzed in terms of the evolution of oxide- and interface-trap charges after irradiation and PIA. It is found that the electron irradiation leads to the significant decrease of Ron, degraded blocking characteristics, and negative shift of capacitance characteristics, which can be ascribed to the promoted generation of positively charged oxide and interface traps by irradiation. Interestingly, these degraded electrical properties can be partly or completely recovered by room-temperature (RT) anneal, which is associated with the difference in the sensitivity to the oxide/interface charge variations in the channel, JFET, and termination region. Surprisingly, the positive charge in the oxide presents an incomplete recovery, which is suggested to result from the tunneling electrons from SiC and thus the subsequent electron capture by positively charged oxygen vacancy in the oxide. Whereas, the irradiation-induced interface-trap charges are fully eliminated even after RT anneal for 15 days. Deep-Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) characterizations shows that the interface defects with the energy band from EC − 0.14 eV to EC − 0.7 eV are enhanced by irradiation and exhibits similar dependence on the filling pulse as the near-interface traps. However, the irradiation-induced interface state density (Dit) distributions show a recovery behavior after RT storage, which is suggested to be resulted from the change in the charge states of interface defects from the electron trapping.

Porous Ti–Zr–Cu–Pd–Sn bulk metallic glass (BMG) produced by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) in our previous work demonstrates bone-like mechanical properties, effectively mitigating the issue of stress shielding within the implant. Nevertheless, concerns persist regarding the BMG's brittleness and its lack of bioactivity, both of which pose concealed risks in practical applications. In light of these challenges, a semi-degradable biomaterial, the MG-Fe composites, has been meticulously crafted via SPS in this work. The incorporation of ductile Fe phase in the MG matrix significantly enhances its plasticity. Moreover, the degradation of Fe results in the deposition of Ca–P compounds, imbuing the MG-Fe composites with a degree of bioactivity. Furthermore, by introducing a gradient porous structure, researchers have managed to fine-tune the mechanical properties of the MG-Fe composites. This innovative design imparts plastic and ductile compression deformation behavior to the gradient porous MG-Fe composites, offering a potential solution to the issue of brittle fracture behavior observed in conventional brittle BMGs. In addition, the introduction of the gradient porous structure serves to further accelerate the degradation rate of Fe. This advancement holds the potential to strike a dynamic balance with the growth rate of human bone, further elevating the bioactivity of the MG-Fe composites.

Background and objective: The association between cardiac dysfunction and functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is not clear. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the routinely assessed left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and functional outcomes in patients with AIS. Methods: Data came from a prospective, observational, single-center study (Effect of Cardiac Function on Short-term Functional Prognosis in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke, SPARK). The LVEF was assessed with transthoracic echocardiography within 7 days of stroke onset. The primary outcome was functional disability, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 3–6 at 90 days (range: 0–6, with higher scores indicating greater disability). We also investigated the association of the LVEF with mortality, early neurological deterioration, hospital stay, and costs. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and 2:1 propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to compare the differences in outcomes. Results: A total of 1181 patients were included in this analysis, of which 87 (7.4 %) patients were found to have LVEF of

Background: Particulate matter (PM) has been found to elevate the risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) onset. Among the contributors to PM, dust PM stands as the second natural source, and its emissions are escalating due to climate change. Despite this, information on the effect of dust PM on PE onset is scarce. Hence, this study aims to investigate the impacts of dust PM10, dust PM2.5–10, and dust PM2.5 on PE onset. Methods: A nationwide time-stratified case-crossover study was conducted between 2015 and 2020, using data from 18,616 PE onset cases across 1,921 hospitals in China. The analysis employed a conditional logistic regression model to quantify the associations between dust PM10, dust PM2.5–10, and dust PM2.5 and PE onset. Furthermore, the study explored the time-distributed lag pattern of the effect of dust PM on PE development. Stratified analyses were performed based on sex, age, region, and season. Results: Dust PM10, dust PM2.5–10, and dust PM2.5 exhibited significant health effects on PE onset, particularly concerning exposure on the same day. The peak estimates were observed at lag 01 day, with the odds ratio being 1.011 [95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.003, 1.019], 1.014 (95 % CI: 1.003, 1.026), and 1.039 (95 % CI: 1.011, 1.068), for a 10 μg/m3 increase in the concentration of dust PM10, dust PM2.5–10, and dust PM2.5, respectively. In addition, the study identified a higher risk of PE onset associated with dust PM exposure during the warm season than that in cool season, particularly for dust PM2.5. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that short-term exposure to dust PM, particularly dust PM2.5, may trigger PE onset, posing a significant health threat. Implementing measures to mitigate dust PM emissions and protect patients with PE from dust PM exposure is imperative.

This study aims to investigate the significance of using the Toumai robotic platform for the resection of inferior vena cava (IVC) hemangiomas. Our objective is to provide information on the potential benefits of this innovative approach in managing these uncommon vascular tumors and to contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field of surgical oncology and vascular surgery. A 37-year-old female patient with an incidental finding of a right retroperitoneal mass underwent contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, which confirmed the diagnosis of an IVC hemangioma. Due to the rarity and complexity of this vascular tumor, the medical team opted for a novel approach using the Toumai robotic surgical platform (Shanghai MicroPort MedBot Group Co, Ltd). Under general anesthesia, the patient was placed in the left lateral decubitus position, and the robotic arms were controlled remotely through the Toumai platform. A transperitoneal approach was adopted, and the surgeon meticulously resected the tumor while preserving the integrity of the IVC. The use of the Toumai robotic platform facilitated precise tumor resection, minimizing the risk of damage to surrounding structures. The minimally invasive nature of the robotic surgery contributed to a reduced incidence of postoperative complications and accelerated patient recovery. Furthermore, the remote fifth-generation mobile network surgical capabilities of the Toumai platform allow for expert care to be provided to patients despite geographic barriers. The robotic-assisted surgical approach using the Toumai platform demonstrates its potential benefits in managing rare and complex vascular tumors such as IVC hemangiomas. Robotic technology has the potential to revolutionize the field of surgical oncology and vascular surgery, leading to improved patient outcomes and healthcare delivery. However, more extensive clinical studies and larger case series are needed to validate the long-term safety and efficacy of this innovative surgical approach. Continued research and collaboration between clinicians and robotic technology experts are essential to fully realize the potential of robotic-assisted surgery for the benefit of patients with rare and challenging medical conditions.

Summary: Background: Hospitals in China are classified into tiers (1, 2 or 3), with the largest (tier 3) having more equipment and specialist staff. Differential health insurance cost-sharing by hospital tier (lower deductibles and higher reimbursement rates in lower tiers) was introduced to reduce overcrowding in higher tier hospitals, promote use of lower tier hospitals, and limit escalating healthcare costs. However, little is known about the effects of differential cost-sharing in health insurance schemes on choice of hospital tiers. Methods: In a 9-year follow-up of a prospective study of 0.5 M adults from 10 areas in China, we examined the associations between differential health insurance cost-sharing and choice of hospital tiers for patients with a first hospitalisation for stroke or ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in 2009–2017. Analyses were performed separately in urban areas (stroke: n = 20,302; IHD: n = 19,283) and rural areas (stroke: n = 21,130; IHD: n = 17,890), using conditional logit models and adjusting for individual socioeconomic and health characteristics. Findings: About 64–68% of stroke and IHD cases in urban areas and 27–29% in rural areas chose tier 3 hospitals. In urban areas, higher reimbursement rates in each tier and lower tier 3 deductibles were associated with a greater likelihood of choosing their respective hospital tiers. In rural areas, the effects of cost-sharing were modest, suggesting a greater contribution of other factors. Higher socioeconomic status and greater disease severity were associated with a greater likelihood of seeking care in higher tier hospitals in urban and rural areas. Interpretation: Patient choice of hospital tiers for treatment of stroke and IHD in China was influenced by differential cost-sharing in urban areas, but not in rural areas. Further strategies are required to incentivise appropriate health seeking behaviour and promote more efficient hospital use. Funding: Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Kadoorie Charitable Foundation, China Ministry of Science and Technology, and National Natural Science Foundation of China.

On the backdrop of dwindling conventional reserves, unconventional reservoirs have emerged as a pivotal chapter in resource extraction. Despite their challenges, such as low permeability, complex fluid storage, and flow mechanisms, hydraulic fracturing technology has underpinned the development of unconventional reservoirs. Consequently, this has brought about a shift in the sequence of flow regimes, e.g., the transient radial flow regime has been largely shortened by the lengthy transient linear flow regime due to the low permeability of unconventional reservoirs. Moreover, straight-line analysis (SLA), the simplest technique in rate transient analysis (RTA), is a fundamental and potent tool for swiftly extracting reservoir and hydraulic fracture information, estimating oil and gas reserves, and furnishing crucial initial data for subsequent historical matching processes. However, there is currently a dearth of review papers pertaining to a necessary guide of applying SLA in various transient linear flow (TLF) regimes and different unconventional reservoirs. Hence, this paper commences by elucidating the classification of TLF regimes, commonly used methods for recognizing flow regimes, and the diverse SLA methods used for different TLF regimes. Subsequently, it delves into a discussion of different modification techniques for variable rate/flowing pressure, gas phase, complex reservoir characteristics in unconventional reservoirs, and dynamic drainage area concepts etc. Furthermore, the application of SLA in specific domains, namely core analysis and the flowback period, is described. It culminates by surveying the advancements through an integration of novel technologies to enhance estimation accuracy. The paper also highlights certain drawbacks of current SLA technology and proposes new research directions. Ultimately, this paper would serve as an indispensable resource, offering foundational knowledge for the application of SLA in TLF to promote the production of global unconventional resources in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable fashion in the face of a climate-resilient world.

Summary: Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive malignant tumor of the central nervous system, but the interaction between glioblastoma and different types of neurons remains unclear. Here, we established a co-culture model in vitro using 3D printed molds with microchannels, in which glioblastoma organoids (GB), dorsal forebrain organoids (DO, mainly composed of excitatory neurons), and ventral forebrain organoids (VO, mainly composed of inhibitory neurons) were assembled. Our results indicate that DO has a greater impact on altered gene expression profiles of GB, resulting in increased invasive potential. GB cells preferentially invaded DO along axons, whereas this phenomenon was not observed in VO. Furthermore, GB cells selectively inhibited neurite outgrowth in DOs and reduced the expression of the vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT), leading to neuronal hyperexcitability. By revealing how glioblastoma interacts with brain cells, our study provides a more comprehensive understanding of this disease.

Numerical simulation research was carried out to study the effect of the parabolic cavity shape on detonation initiation process for shock wave focusing engine with kerosene as fuel. The results showed that the peak pressure in the cavity was decreased significantly as the depth of the cavity was enhanced. An umbrella-shaped aerodynamic structure which is composed by the expansion of the fan and two vortices was generated under the K–H instability effect when the supersonic jet entered into the cavity. When the inlet jet temperature was at ambient temperature (300 K) or set as 500 K, nearly no ignition was generated for all the three cavity configurations. As the jet temperature was increased to 600 K, the flame can be formed and stay in the cavity for all of these three cavities. However, the coupling between the flame propagation and the reflected shock wave is not close that detonation was not generated as well. As the inlet jet temperature was further increased to 700 K, the hot spot at the bottom of the cavity could be coupled with the reflected shock wave and detonation wave was successfully formed for all of these three cavity configurations.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is developing rapidly and has found widespread applications in medicine, especially radiotherapy. This paper provides a brief overview of AI applications in radiotherapy, and highlights the research directions of AI that can potentially make significant impacts and relevant ongoing research works in these directions. Challenging issues related to the clinical applications of AI, such as robustness and interpretability of AI models, are also discussed. The future research directions of AI in the field of medical physics and radiotherapy are highlighted.

The CC 5005 aluminum alloy was cold-rolled to different reductions and then annealed at 537 °C for 1 h under different pressures. The changes in microstructure, mechanical property and texture were investigated. The results showed that high-pressure heat treatment significantly refines the recrystallized grain, and the refinement effect is enhanced with increasing rolling reduction. The grain refinement leads to an increase in yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and hardness of the CC 5005 annealed sheet, but a decrease in elongation. The high-pressure heat treatment also has a significant effect on the recrystallization texture. High-pressure heat treatment improves the intensities of the cube and the R textures in the fully recrystallized sheets with the same reduction. The intensity of the cube texture gradually decreases, while that of the R texture gradually increases with increasing rolling reduction.

The large-scale access of new energy to the power grid leads to a significant decrease in the inertia level of the power system, which seriously threatens the system frequency stability. By considering the power complementary characteristics of the supercapacitor and battery, an inertia adaptive control is proposed based on the amplitude–frequency characteristic curves of the Butterworth filter to integrate the inertia level of the system. For this strategy, the virtual inertia voltage control is used to adjust the power output of the supercapacitor to smooth the high-frequency disturbance and imitate the inertia response of the synchronous generators (SGs), which can reduce the number of SGs movements near the dead zone, and at the same time, the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control is adopted to regulate the power output of the hybrid energy storage system (HESS) to participate in primary frequency regulation. The notable feature of this method is to achieve a smooth switching between the virtual inertia voltage control of the supercapacitor and the VSG control, which can ensure the DC side voltage level and AC side grid frequency level, by constructing an adaptive control model of inertia weight coefficients according to the Butterworth filter. Finally, a regional frequency regulation model with the HESS is built under the MATLAB/SIMULINK environment to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

The original unstructured record data for the defect of the relay protection devices (RPDs) may contain problems influencing the data mining, and it is lack of quantitative evaluation. So the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality of these defective texts of relay protection devices, and it proposes a text quality evaluation method for the unstructured defect record of RPDs based on the ontology and knowledge graph for the defects text of relay protection devices, combined with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy weighting method. In details, first, the problems existing in the unstructured defect records of RPDs are presented. Secondly, the corresponding evaluation indicators are proposed, and the quantitative calculation method for each indicator is given in combination with the knowledge graph for the defects of relay protection devices. Thirdly, combined with the subjective AHP and the objective entropy weight method, a comprehensive evaluation method for the unstructured defect record for RPDs is proposed, and its effectiveness is verified with examples. Finally, with the 10-year actual defects record data, the data quality of the unstructured defect record for the RPDs in a regional power grid is comprehensively evaluated, and characteristic of the data quality with respected to text length, defect level, and dispatch region are revealed.

Since its introduction, discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) has been widely used in different areas of rock mechanics. By dividing large blocks into subblocks and introducing artificial joints, DDA can be applied to rock fracture simulation. However, parameter calibration, a fundamental issue in discontinuum methods, has not received enough attention in DDA. In this study, the parameter calibration of DDA for intact rock is carefully studied. To this end, a subblock DDA with Voronoi tessellation is presented first. Then, a modified contact constitutive law is introduced, in which the tensile and shear meso-strengths are modified to be independent of the bond lengths. This improvement can prevent the unjustified preferential failure of short edges. A method for imposing confining pressure is also introduced. Thereafter, sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the influence of the calculated parameters and meso-parameters on the mechanical properties of modeled rock. Based on the sensitivity analysis, a unified calibration procedure is suggested for both cases with and without confining pressure. Finally, the calibration procedure is applied to two examples, including a biaxial compression test. The results show that the proposed Voronoi-based DDA can simulate rock fracture with and without confining pressure very well after careful parameter calibration.

The high manufacturing cost of sulfoaluminate cement (SAC) has limited its application for a long time. The addition of solid waste in raw material can solve this problem and provide an effective method for green manufacturing of cement. In this study, ferrite-rich SAC (FSAC) clinker was calcined using red mud (RM) in combination with limestone, bauxite and anhydrite. The effects of anhydrite and desulfurization gypsum (DSG) on the hydration and mechanical properties of cement were evaluated. Results show that RM-based FSAC can be calcined at 1300 °C, and the hydration process is closely related to the varieties and quantities of the calcium sulfate set regulator. Anhydrite promotes the early compressive strength of cement minimally, but it can increase the strength to 94.61 MPa in 3 days. DSG can increase the strength to 30 MPa in 4 h, but the strength shrinkage occurs in the later stage. The reaction between different gypsum with water is the most significant effect on the hydration properties of cement. The cement prepared by anhydrite (12 wt%), DSG (3 wt%) and clinker (85 wt%) has the characteristics of fast mechanical strength development in the early hydration and continuous development after 1 day, which proves that the preparation of ferrite-rich sulfoaluminate cement using red mud and DSG is feasible.

An innovative rheo-extrusion process for aluminium alloy miniature gears is proposed in this work to overcome the disadvantages of inefficiency and high cost in the existing forming methods. Numerical simulation and experiment were conducted on the rheo-extrusion process of 2A50 aluminium alloy miniature gear. Simulation results reveal that the metal fills into the cavity of the gear die along the axial and radial directions at different flowing velocities, mostly varying from 0 mm/s to 6 mm/s depending on the position of the metal in the gear die. The temperature of the billet rises with increasing extruded displacement, and the side of the gear near the punch has a high temperature of 593 °C at the end of extrusion. The equivalent stress of the parts in the billet near the top and bottom lands of the gear die is higher than others, with a maximum value of approximately 290 MPa at the top lands of the gear die when the extrusion is finished. The rheo-extrusion experiment shows that the miniature gear is fully filled, and its microstructure consists of fine grains with an average size of 19–31 μm. The micro-Vickers hardness distribution of the miniature gear is related to the grain size. The hardness of the parts near the dies are higher than others, with value of 81–85 HV, and the grains in these regions are finer than the other positions.

The research object is diorite in the Lingbei TBM section of the Hanjiang-To-Weihe River Qinling tunnel, with a buried depth of over 1 km. Using MTS-2000 microcomputer-controlled electro-hydraulic servo universal testing machine and DS5-16b acoustic emission (AE) monitoring system, uniaxial compression and acoustic emission monitoring tests were carried out on rock samples, to study the uniaxial compression mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of the deep diorite. The results of the study indicate that: (1) During uniaxial compression, diorite undergoes four stages: initial compaction, elasticity, yield and failure, in which the curve of the initial compaction stage is significantly smoother. The uniaxial compressive strength is 41.95 MPã102.42 MPa, with an average of 74.07 Mpa; The axial peak strain ranges from 1 % to 1.4 %, and the failure mode belongs to brittle ductile splitting failure. (2) The cumulative ringing count and energy showed a very slow increase trend during the calm period; After entering a surge period (with the appearance of Kaiser points), both show a significant transition state; During the slow increase period, the overall growth rate of the two slowed down and remained almost silent. (3) On the basis of the analysis of RA-AF values during the deformation and rupture process of diorite, it can be seen that the damage type of diorite is tensile damage by the significant low RA value and high AF value characteristics, which coincides with the actual damage fracture characteristics of the rocks in the sample. (4) During the compaction stage, there are few acoustic emission location points, which correspond to low energy and are mainly distributed at the higher and lower ends of the sample; After entering the elasticity stage, the number of positioning points significantly increases and gradually expands towards the middle; Near Kaiser point, the number of location points and corresponding energy are both in a sharp increase state, and this trend is in good agreement with the changes in the ringing count-time and energy-time curves. (5) The damage time mainly starts at the end of the calm period, and the pattern of change in the damage curve coincides with the localization point and energy evolution. The results of the research can be used as a referential basis for the development of the excavation, protection and other construction plans for the Lingbei TBM section of the Hanjiang-To-Weihe River Qinling tunnel or similar surrounding rock tunnels, as well as for further conducting triaxial unloading tests on diorite.

While auxetic metamaterials exhibit impressive mechanical traits, they frequently grapple with inherent conflict between their stiffness and auxeticity. In this study, we introduced an optimized lozenge-chiral auxetic metamaterial (oLCAM) with the dual objectives of balancing the auxeticity and stiffness and achieving tunable properties concurrently. The mechanical performance of the proposed oLCAM was first compared with that of conventional lozenge auxetic metamaterial (cLAM) through both experimental and numerical studies. Herein, the transition stiffness (Etrans) was initially proposed as the typical metric evaluating the overall structural stiffness. Subsequently, the study proceeded to investigate the impact of crucial design parameters, specifically the angle of inclination and the radius of the circular core. The design method of oLCAM with tunable auxeticity and stiffness was finally established based on a multi-objective optimization model, achieving the balance between the auxeticity and stiffness of oLCAM. The results revealed the proposed oLCAM obtained a more stable deformation mode than cLAM. Two geometric parameters verified their significance on the above mechanical properties of oLCAM. The resulting optimal oLCAM structure has been proven to obtain both comparatively prominent auxeticity and stiffness. The established design method may have the potential to broaden the possibilities for metamaterial design and performance tuning.

Small berry pomaces (SBPs) are poorly utilized as an inexpensive source of bioactive compounds. This study investigated the impact of compounding treatment on nutritional and antioxidant characteristics of combined SBPs, in comparison with single SBP. The results showed that the amounts of protein, minerals, dietary fiber (DF) and anthocyanidins were significantly (p

Yak milk is a characteristic animal product of yaks in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Although yak milk production is low, it is richer in nutrients such as protein, fat, and lactose, a more comprehensive range of bioactive components, and unique microbial resources than Holstein cow milk. The plateau environment makes yak milk resistant to hypoxia, anti-fatigue, antioxidant, antibacterial, and relieves chronic diseases. In this paper, based on the systematic analysis of yak milk research results in the past 20 years using CiteSpace 6.1.R2, we reviewed yak lactation performance and nutritional efficacy of yak milk. This paper summarizes the improvement of traditional yak dairy processing technology, and also focuses on the microbial diversity of yak milk sources and their beneficial effects. The purpose of this review is to provide scientific support for the development of a quality yak milk industry on the Tibetan plateau.

Cabazitaxel (CTX) is a medication used for treating metastatic prostate cancer. However, its effectiveness is majorly limited by its poor water solubility and lack of tumor targeting. In this study, three unsaturated fatty acids, GLA, ALA and DHA, were separately connected with CTX and then covalently attached to bifunctionalized dextran through a linker to produce three dual drug conjugates named dextran-GLA-CTX, dextran-ALA-CTX and dextran-DHA-CTX. The three conjugates displayed enhanced solubility of CTX in water and improved antitumor effects compared to the conventional CTX formulation. The results also confirmed that dextran-GLA-CTX exhibited the strongest antitumor activity, while dextran-DHA-CTX displayed less efficacy, as evaluated through xenografted nude mice bearing PC-3 and DU145 prostate cancer cells. Additionally, dextran-GLA-CTX showed greater inhibition of tumor growth than dextran-CTX. Moreover, the dextran-GLA-CTX conjugate was found to prolong the half-life of CTX in plasma and selectively accumulate in tumors. This study revealed that unsaturated fatty acids can enhance the antitumor activity of dextran-based conjugates grafted with CTX.

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is a common complication of prostatitis, which was associated with the pathological depolarization of macrophage and the neuroinflammation. However, its underlying reason is far from clear and few effective treatments is applicable. In this study, we tested the effect of obacunone (Oba), a highly oxygenated triterpenoid, on CPPS. The experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) was induced by subcutaneous injection of heterologous prostate homogenate in mice. We found that EAP led to prostatodynia, neuronal activation of spinal dorsal horn, and the pro-inflammatory depolarization of macrophage within prostate, which was significantly alleviated by oral administration of Oba in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistically, EAP-induced production of IL-6 on prostatic macrophage was suppressed by Oba. Moreover, co-administration of Oba and MIF inhibitor ISO-1 did not lead to additive effect when compared with either alone. In summary, we conclude that Oba prevents the production of macrophage-derived pro-inflammatory factors by inhibiting MIF, which eventually alleviates CPPS after prostatitis.

Recently, geopolymer have received more attention due to their high temperature stability and was considered to be a suitable material for preparing fireproof materials. However, dehydration of geopolymer gel phase products at high temperatures has been found to restrict the improvement of its fire resistance. And crystals such as zeolite and zeolite-like were confirmed to possess high-temperature resistance. Therefore, in this study, the preparation of zeolite was referenced and the crystal seeds induction method was used to modulate the composition of metakaolin-based geopolymer. Aiming to transform the gelatinous products to crystals (zeolites) and improve their fire resistance. Effects of zeolite on the composition of the geopolymer phase and its modulation mechanism were explored by XRD, SEM, TG, FT-IR, and 29Si NMR. Results suggested that zeolite promoted the transformation of the geopolymer gel phase to the zeolite crystal phase. New crystals were first generated on the surface and around the original crystals, and their crystal size was significantly reduced. Moreover, the content of zeolite seeds played a vital role in regulating the geopolymer phase composition. The induction effect was optimum, and about 6.19 % of the gel phase was transformed into zeolite when the zeolite content was 10 %, which is conducive to improving the fire resistance of geopolymer. This study provides a novel method for the preparation of high-performance fireproof geopolymer materials.

Mitigating non-specific adsorption (NSA) occurring on the surface of microfluidic devices plays a critical role in the detection of early protein biomarkers for clinical diagnosis. Surface-modified methods commonly used in the formation of microfluidic channels include BSA coating, PEG grafting, and Plasma cleaning. The surface composition and microstructure of PMMA surfaces were characterized by Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angles (CA), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. The NSA on surfaces of bovine serum albumin (BSA) labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) were investigated by microfluidics and fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that the hydrophobicity of the PMMA surface was enhanced after modification with PEG. We further evaluated their anti-protein adsorption properties under a mild alkaline (PH 7.4) condition, including concentration, reaction time, and sample volume. The BSA coating had the best anti-protein adsorption effect, reaching over 87.6%. The anti-protein adsorption effect of the plasma cleaning method is slightly inferior to that of BSA coating, at 86.1%, but the modification process is simpler and faster. Due to the insufficient stability of PEG, its resistance to protein adsorption decreases as the concentration increases.

Dental caries is an oral disease caused by acid production by microbial metabolism and gradual demineralization of tooth enamel, followed by the destruction of tooth structure protein, whose occurrence and development are closely related to the daily diet and nutritional intake. Cow's milk is rich in lactose, protein, minerals, and other nutrients, which is a low caries diet. Many epidemiological surveys, in vivo and in vitro experiments, and clinical studies have supported the positive role of milk and dairy products in caries prevention and treatment. Based on the characteristics that caries are bacterial-mediated and diet-driven, this paper describes the mechanisms involved in the management of dental caries by functional and active components in milk and analyzes different anti-caries dairy products, especially those containing probiotics. Hopefully, it provides some theoretical reference for the prevention and treatment of dental caries through scientific milk consumption in the future.

Lithium titanate exhibits effective suppression of lithium metal plating and lithium dendrite formation, attributed to its high lithium ion diffusion coefficient and a relatively high discharge plateau of 1.55 V (vs. Li+/Li). It is considered a zero-strain material, displaying minimal lattice size changes during lithium intercalation and deintercalation processes. The focus of this study was to obtain titanium dioxide through the calcination of selected MXene (Ti2C), and then mix it with lithium carbonate in a specific lithium-titanium ratio to generate lithium titanate. Spinel lithium titanate synthesized via solid-state method retained the sheet-like structure and excellent conductivity characteristics of MXene. Because its sheet structure provides a larger specific surface area for the electrode and enhances ion migration, it shows excellent electrochemical performance. The reaction mechanism was studied by in-situ Raman and variable speed CV. It was found that the reaction mechanism was pseudocapacitance plus lithium ion deintercalation. The obtained structure exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, making it suitable for applications in lithium-ion batteries.

LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 has been thoroughly investigated as one of the most promising high-voltage positive materials for Li-ion batteries, owing to its low cost, high energy density and good stability. Nonetheless, the limited reversible capacity and poor cycle efficiency limit its use to the high-end digital domain. Herein, the SmF3 cathode electrolyte interphase modified strategy has been first explored for LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, which demonstrated outstanding electrochemical performance. The surface regulated sample demonstrates a preferred initial discharge-specific capacity of 137.85 mAh g−1 at a 1 C rate and sustains a discharge capacity of 110.21 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles. More importantly, SmF3 can successfully reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions while producing a thin and homogenous CEI layer. The basic understanding of cathode electrolyte interphase alteration on surface morphology, crystal structure, and chemical components of the modified samples are revealed through means of various testing methods. The surface modification with SmF3 can effectively mitigate the formation of generated by-products and enhance the transport of Li+. This technique of modifying the cathode electrolyte interphase with SmF3 serves as a starting point for further research into the performance degradation process and opens up a new avenue for improving the electrochemical performance of the spinel positive materials.

In the traditional accumulative roll bonding (ARB) process of heterogeneous composite laminates, due to the excessive strain caused by accumulative roll bonding, many problems such as reduction of plasticity and cracks on the edge of composite plates cannot be ignored while increasing the strength. In this paper, a method of developing a Mg/Al composite sheet by hard-plate accumulative roll bonding (ARB (HPR)) is proposed. The addition of hard plate can change the stress state of the composite laminate during the rolling process, The shear stress in the rolling direction is partially converted into the compressive stress in the normal direction, which then increases the welding pressure between the heterogeneous composite laminates, the interface is closely bonded, and the warpage and edge crack caused by severe plastic deformation is significantly reduced. The results show that this method can significantly improve the tensile strength and plasticity of the composite laminate. The yield strength is 226 MPa, and the elongation is 21.5%, which is substantially higher than that of the traditional accumulative roll bonding. Many dynamically recrystallised grains were formed, the grains were uniform and delicate, and the grain boundaries were clear. To sum up, the Al/Mg composite sheet rolled by hard-plate accumulative roll bonding has improved in many aspects, such as mechanical properties and sheet formability, which provides a new idea for the research on the forming and manufacturing of heterogeneous composite laminates.

Many two-place physical problems can be explicitly presented as related events model named Alice–Bob systems. In this paper, an integrable Alice–Bob Boussinesq system is introduced via the Boussinesq equation with parameters, which may meet the symmetry transformation of Psˆx (parity with a shift) and Tdˆt (time reversal with a delay). After constructing an Bäcklund transformation, the system has rich symmetry solutions with the aid of auxiliary functions. The structures of obtained soliton solutions, such as the breathers, lumps and their hybrids, are all satisfied the Pˆsx or Tˆdt symmetry. To illustrate the symmetric characteristic, some lower-order solutions and the related dynamic structures are explicitly presented. The residual symmetry and its finite transformation for this system are also verified.