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Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an immune-mediated and multi-systemic disease which may affect the nervous system, causing neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE). Recent neuroimaging studies have examined brain functional alterations in SLE. However, discrepant findings were reported. This meta-analysis aims to identify consistent resting-state functional abnormalities in SLE. PubMed and Web of Science were searched to identify candidate resting-state functional MRI studies assessing SLE. A voxel-based meta-analysis was performed using the anisotropic effect-size version of the seed-based d mapping (AES-SDM). The abnormal intrinsic functional patterns extracted from SDM were mapped onto the brain functional network atlas to determine brain abnormalities at a network level. Twelve studies evaluating fifteen datasets were included in this meta-analysis, comprising 572 SLE patients and 436 healthy controls (HCs). Compared with HCs, SLE patients showed increased brain activity in the bilateral hippocampus and right superior temporal gyrus, and decreased brain activity in the left superior frontal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, bilateral thalamus, left inferior frontal gyrus and right cerebellum. Mapping the abnormal patterns to the network atlas revealed the default mode network and the limbic system as core neural systems commonly affected in SLE. The number of included studies is relatively small, with heterogeneous analytic methods and a risk of publication bias. Brain functional alterations in SLE are predominantly found in the default mode network and the limbic system. These findings uncovered a consistent pattern of resting-state functional network abnormalities in SLE which may serve as a potential objective neuroimaging biomarker. • This study is the first meta-analysis to investigate the resting-state functional alterations in SLE. • SLE-related brain abnormalities are predominantly found in the default mode network and the limbic system. • Resting-state fMRI may be an objective neuroimaging biomarker for identifying brain abnormalities in SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter-Satellite Links (ISLs) can effectively enhance the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) performance, such as communication and ranging performance. These performances would have been improved by disposing sparsely of ground stations and ISLs. Here, we demonstrate a topology scheduling strategy based on Signed Variance and Blossom algorithm (SV-Blossom) to promote the topology performance of GNSS. We also analyze the effect of this strategy on the robustness of the ranging information quality of the ISLs assignments system. For the domestic and overseas satellite communication Time Delay (TD) and Position Dilution of Precision (PDOP), by analyzing the relation of satellites, a set of the ISLs cost models is established, and the cost matrix is obtained. The final ISLs assignments result is obtained by processing the link cost matrix with the Blossom algorithm in the graph theory. In order to verify the rationality of the SV-Blossom strategy, a typical BDS-3 simulation scene with 10080 min is built to test these performances of ISLs. The final results show that the ranging information quality of the SV-Blossom strategy is greatly improved compared with recently published strategies, and the proposed links assignments mechanism has good robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohols and biodiesel are promising alternative biofuels for their excellent physicochemical properties and renewable property. Compared with low-carbon alcohols, high-carbon 1-Pentanol has better fuel characteristics. The objective of the present study was to reveal the effects of different 1-pentanol addition ratios on the micro-explosion characteristics of blended droplets. Single droplet suspension experiment under atmospheric pressure and 700 °C was carried out, and results were compared with that of methanol. The droplet had three initial diameters (1.281, 1.451, and 1.537 mm). The droplet evaporation images were recorded at 500 fps with a resolution of 1024 × 1024 pixels by a high-speed video camera, and the corresponding droplet diameter in the evaporation process was obtained by a MATLAB program. A new dimensionless micro-explosion intensity was proposed. The results showed that when the 1-pentanol volume content was 50% (B50P50), the micro-explosion number and total micro-explosion intensity reached the maximum. With the increase of initial droplet diameter, the micro-explosion number, total micro-explosion intensity and droplet lifetime increased. Compared with biodiesel/1-pentanol blended droplets, biodiesel/methanol ones had better micro-explosion characteristics and shorter droplet lifetime. White fog formed in the evaporation process of blended droplets and pure biodiesel ones. In short, the addition of methanol and 1-pentanol caused micro-explosions, changed the evaporation behavior of biodiesel, and reduced droplet lifetime, which could be considered as an alternative fuel blended with biodiesel. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymeric ultrafiltration technology, crucial in water treatment and desalination, faces challenges of membrane fouling that compromise performance and shorten the operational lifetime. Traditional polymer ultrafiltration membrane modifications, such as surface adsorption, grafting, and physical blending, have notable limitations including reduced permeability, structural instability, poor compatibility, and additive leakage. To overcome these shortcomings, we present a novel approach based on copolymerization, integrating click chemistry and sol-gel techniques for the preparation of copolymer ultrafiltration membranes. The active sites of sol-gel reaction were introduced into the PVC copolymer backbone through suspension copolymerization. Subsequently, an in-situ modification of resveratrol was carried out within the copolymer casting solution to facilitate sol-gel reaction with PVC skeleton, forming a crosslinking structure during the film-forming process. This approach enhances membrane properties like hydrophilicity, thermal stability, permeability, antifouling capability, and antibacterial adhesion without compromising structural integrity or causing additive leakage. Importantly, the hydrophilicity and permeability are sustained even after prolonged exposure to deionized water and bacterial conditions, respectively. Our research contributes to the advancement of durable and functional ultrafiltration membranes through copolymerization techniques, offering valuable insights to enrich membrane modification strategies for water treatment. [Display omitted] • Sol-gel reactive sites were introduced into PVC backbone by copolymerization. • Click chemistry and Sol-gel in situ integration for improved membrane properties. • Copolymer membrane solves the problems of additive leakage and poor compatibility. • Copolymer membranes have superior antifouling and antibacterial adhesion properties. • Copolymer membrane with excellent durability and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The capping agent glycinamide imparts multiple hydrogen bonds to WPU. • A hard but reversible Zr-O-Si network is constructed. • The chemical bonding between A-ZrO 2 and WPU enhances the interfacial combination. • The soft/hard hybrid structure endows the coating with robust mechanical property. Robust, self-healing waterborne coatings have become the preferred choice in the field of flexible electronic devices owing to their outstanding compliance, restorability, and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, most of the existing self-healing waterborne polymers exhibit viscoelasticity, irreversible fatigue damage, and the challenge of reconciling self-healing functions with mechanical properties, all stemming from inherent molecular structure contradictions between flexibility and rigidity. Here, we propose a novel strategy that utilizes a nanofiller with dynamic reversible bonds to overcome the self-healing limitations that theoretically demand flexible chain, for achieving both mechanical robustness and self-healing ability in the waterborne polyurethane (WPU) hybrid coating system. We modified tetrapropyl zirconate (TPOZ) with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to enhance compatibility between the matrix and inorganic particles, while the formation of dynamic reversible bonds through both condensation hydrolysis endows the self-healing abilities. The WPU hybrid coating was designed by covalently incorporating amino-modified TPOZ (A-ZrO 2) into a glycinamide-functionalized WPU network, conferring excellent fracture energy (50.3 kJ/m2), elastic recovery, along with antistatic capability to the coating. Furthermore, the hybrid coating maintains a robust mechanical performance alongside 92.58 % of healing efficiency, exhibiting a potential for flexible electronics application. The hybridization strategy via incorporation of the nanofillers with hard but reversible covalent bond resolves the inherent robustness-healing trade-off, providing exciting thoughts to expand WPU applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large-scale construction and operation of the railway in Northwestern China has resulted in some geological disasters in recent times. Among them, the shallow sliding of the loess railway slope caused by the coupling effect of train vibration and rainfall has been a frequent occurrence, causing heavy losses of life and property. Accordingly, this is a major problem an needs an urgent solution. Therefore, this study used acceleration, pressure, moisture, and displacement monitoring equipment, among others, to conduct physical simulation experiments and theoretical analysis on the instability and sliding process of loess railway slopes under the coupling effect of train vibration and rainfall. The research results indicate that acceleration gradually decreases downward along the slope, and the pore water pressure and volumetric water content increase with the increase in rainfall infiltration. The slope displacement exhibits a phased increase after the initial slip. As vibration energy builds up, the slope bottom undergoes rapid structural damage and tensile shear coupled instability failure, followed by slip. Before sliding, both the crack density and fractal dimension of the slope have an active area, that is, a sliding slope area, which continues to expand upward under the cumulative effect of vibration energy. The failure process is divided into three stages according to the changes in macrodeformation, pressure, water content, displacement, and fractal dimension of the slope model: crack development stage, local liquefaction sliding stage, and slip propagation stage. This research elucidates the initiation mechanism of loess railway slope sliding under the coupling effect of train vibration and rainfall and provides a theoretical basis for predicting loess slope disasters under train vibration and providing adequate warning. • Quantitative analysis details loess slope failure modes. • Categorizes loess slope failure process: crack development, local liquefaction sliding, and slip propagation. • Reveals train vibrations and rain's impact on slope stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning has recently demonstrated considerable promise for a variety of computer vision tasks. However, in many practical applications, large-scale labeled datasets are not available, which limits the deployment of deep learning. To address this problem, semi-supervised learning has attracted a lot of attention in the computer vision community, especially in the field of medical image analysis. This paper analyzes existing deep semi-supervised medical image segmentation studies and categories them into five main categories (i.e., pseudo-labeling, consistency regularization, GAN-based methods, contrastive learning-based methods, and hybrid methods). Afterward, we empirically analyze several representative methods by conducting experiments on two common datasets. Besides, we also point out several promising directions for future research. In summary, this paper provides a comprehensive introduction to deep semi-supervised medical image segmentation, aiming to provide a reference and comparison of methods for researchers in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a kind of natural protein derived material, gelatin has been widely used in the preparation of medical hydrogels due to its good biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity and the ability of promoting cell adhesion. Functionalization of gelatin-based hydrogels is a hot topic in research and its clinic application. Herein, a novel gelatin-based adhesive hydrogel was prepared via mussel-inspired chemistry. Gelatin was firstly functionalized by dopamine to form dopamine grafted gelatin (GelDA). After the mixture with 1,4-phenylenebisboronic acid and graphene oxide (GO), the GelDA/GO hydrogels were obtained by H 2 O 2 /HRP (horseradish peroxidase) catalytic system. Based on the self-healing and tissue adhesion of the hydrogels, the hemostatic property has been exhibited in the rat hepatic hemorrhage model. Additionally, the incorporation of GO endowed conductivity and enhanced the mechanical property of GelDA/GO hydrogels. The electromyography (EMG) signals of finger movement were successfully monitored by using hydrogel as the adhesive electrodes of EMG monitor. L929 cell experiments showed that the hydrogels had good cytocompatibility. The results indicated the potential application of GelDA/GO hydrogels in tissue adhesives, wound dressings, and wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gas sensing device was fabricated using poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-coated ZnO nanorods, and the ammonia (NH 3) gas-sensing properties of the heterojunction device were analyzed. Hexagonal ZnO nanorods were prepared using the hydrothermal method on a ZnO seed layer. The ZnO seed layer was deposited using the sputtering method on a Ti–Pt bilayer interdigital electrode. X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy characterized the crystal structure and morphology of the ZnO–P3HT nanorods heterojunction devices. The gas-sensing properties of the P3HT–ZnO nanorods heterojunction sensor were examined and compared with different concentrations of NH 3 gas. The response and recovery times were less than 1.5 s with a NH 3 gas concentration of 1 ppm. Comparison with sensors of other materials indicated that P3HT was the reason for the short response and recovery times. Plausible mechanisms explaining the enhanced NH 3 selectivity of the P3HT–ZnO nanorods heterojunction structure are discussed. • A gas sensing device was fabricated using P3HT-ZnO nanorods. • The sensing response and recovery times were 0.9 s and 1.5 s. • The sensing detected NH 3 gas at 1 ppm concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A one-pot synthesis of Pt-containing TiO 2 materials has been developed. • The Pt precursor is incorporated prior to the rolling up of layered titanates. • After thermal treatment the resulting Pt-TiO 2 materials contain small and well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles. • The materials exhibit efficient and stable photocatalytic activity for photo-reforming of methanol to produce H 2. • The stability is attributed to limited Pt leaching likely due to preferable interactions between Pt and TiO 2. Functionalization of semiconductors by metallic nanoparticle is considered to be one of the most effective procedure to improve photocatalytic hydrogen production. Photodeposition is frequently used for functionalization but particle sizes and dispersions are still difficult to control. Here, Pt functionalization is achieved in a one-pot synthesis. The as-prepared samples are compared to reference materials prepared by conventional photodeposition and our results confirm that small and well-dispersed nanoparticles with superior stability are obtained by one-pot synthesis. The enhanced stability is attributed to a limited leaching of Pt nanoparticles during illumination likely caused by the preferable interaction of small, well dispersed Pt nanoparticles with the TiO 2 support material. In addition, our results demonstrate that Na-residues are detrimental for the photocatalytic performance and washing in acidic solution is mandatory to effectively reduce the sodium contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric capacitors with both high energy density and efficiency are highly demanded in pulsed power systems. Relaxor antiferroelectrics have attracted much attention due to their unique advantages in optimizing both properties of a dielectric capacitor. In this work, a novel relaxor antiferroelectric ceramic with composition of (1- x)Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 - x Ag 0.91 Sm 0.03 NbO 3 was developed, where the antiferroelectricity was stabilized with the increase of Ag 0.91 Sm 0.03 NbO 3 counterpart. Moreover, the relaxor feature was also obviously improved, as a result of chemical and structural disorder introduced by hetero cations with different radii and valence states. As expected, a high recoverable energy density of 2.1 J/cm3 accompanied with efficiency of 83 % was simultaneously achieved at x = 0.15. The as-prepared ceramics also exhibited good thermal stability in energy storage performance with small variations (energy storage density <10 % and efficiency <5 %) over 30−130 °C. All these merits demonstrate that the 0.85Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 -0.15Ag 0.91 Sm 0.03 NbO 3 ceramic has great potential for high power energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a one-dimensional isothermal single-phase transient model considering the finite-rate water absorption/desorption of membrane was established to study the dynamic behaviors of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells under different cathode inlet humidity conditions in the presence of voltage step changes. Both the overshoot and undershoot phenomena were observed. Moreover, the distributions of water inside the electrolyte and the influence of that on the response current density of fuel cells were analyzed. When voltage stepped up/down, the water content in anode generally increased/decreased, and the water content in cathode is reversed. If the cathode intake is fully humidified, the water vapor in cathode is always over-saturated causing the change of ionic resistance is determined by that of the water content in anode. If the cathode intake is partially humidified, the change of ionic resistance could maintain within a small range owing to the change of water content in anode can be balanced by that of the water content in cathode. • The finite-rate water absorption/desorption of membrane was taken into consideration in this study. • The computing domain is only MEA for the influence of water behaviors on dynamic response. • The explanation between the ionic resistance and the response current density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the infrastructure of hydrogen production, storage and transportation is poor. Fuel reforming for hydrogen production from liquid fossil fuels such as kerosene, petrol and diesel is of great significance for wide application of on-board fuel cell and distributed energy resources. In this work, the produced and heat released of kerosene, petrol and diesel reformed by different reforming methods (autothermal reforming, partial oxidation, steam reforming) were studied by means of thermodynamic analysis. Based on the thermodynamic analysis, the effect of reforming methods on the system's ideal thermal efficiency are analysed. The results show that the hydrogen concentration of syngas obtained from steam reforming is highest regardless of the fuel types. The hydrogen yielded by per unit volume of diesel is largest under same reforming method. Autothermal reforming has the largest ideal thermal efficiency among three reforming methods. • Reforming methods determine the composition of products, regardless of fuels' type. • Fossil fuels' autothermal reforming have similar oxygen-to-carbon ratio. • The efficiency of autothermal reforming is largest among three reforming methods. • The heat effect and the heat of vaporization of added water effect efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puffing and evaporation characteristics of acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) and diesel blend droplet under different ABE contents and ambient temperatures were investigated experimentally by using droplet suspension method. Both thermocouple wire and quartz fiber wire were adopted in this experiment to realize the measurement of droplet temperature, and minimize the effect of suspension wire. The experimental results show that, adding ABE component in diesel results in the droplet puffing, and increasing of ambient temperature promotes droplet puffing. With the increasing of ABE content, the onset point of puffing decreases first and then increases, and the average expansion speed and the frequency of puffing increase first and then decrease. Thus, an optimal volume blend ratio exists for puffing, which is found to be around 40%–50% ABE content. The occurrence of puffing decreases the duration of transient heating phase, and promotes the evaporation in the fluctuation evaporation phase. Thus, the overall evaporation duration decreases first and then increases with the ABE content increasing due to the effect of puffing at higher ambient temperature. • Puffing and evaporation characteristics of acetone–butanol–ethanol and diesel blend. • Increasing of ambient temperature promotes the occurrence and intensity of puffing. • Puffing performance varies non-monotonically with ABE content increasing. • Evaporation duration shows different trends with ABE content at different temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A calibrated Hill48 yield function is proposed to improve prediction accuracy. • The blank experiences bending-unbending deformation in straight flanging by ISF. • The elastic moment in the reverse loading mode is a major cause of geometric error. The geometric accuracy is a key quality indicator for the application of flanging by incremental sheet forming (ISF), namely incremental flanging (IF). As a local loading forming process, the deformation process in IF is different from that in conventional flanging formed by press-working operation in which considerable geometric error can be introduced. Thereby, the deformation process of straight flanging by ISF is investigated through both experimental and numerical simulation approaches. First, the effects of different yield functions (Mises and Hill48) and hardening models (A–F, isotropic and kinematic) on the prediction accuracy are investigated. In particular, the Hill48 yield function is not only solved by r -values, but also calibrated by material properties of strain states corresponding to the actual deformation condition of straight flanging by ISF. Among different yield functions, calibrated methods and hardening models, a A–F hardening model with the calibrated Hill48 yield function is found to have the best performance in terms of prediction accuracy of both forming force and cross-section profile. Then, based on this model, the deformation process of the straight flanging by ISF is analyzed. The results show that the strain states of straight flanging by ISF are plane and uniaxial tension strain states. In the forming process of straight flanging by ISF, the whole blank experiences bending-unbending deformation in which the material contacting with the die undergoes reverse loading. In addition, the main deformation modes of straight flanging are bending and stretch deformation through internal energy analysis. Finally, the deformation process of the straight flanging by ISF is theoretical analyzed. It is found that the elastic moment in the reverse loading mode is the main source for geometric error of the straight wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new method for preparing anti-flashing rust and robust WPU coatings is proposed. • Click reaction attaches BET into WPU to limit its leakage. • The conjugated benzimidazole is highly effective against flashing rust of metal. • "External hard inner soft" structure from gradient metal coordination is constructed. Waterborne coatings have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional solvent-based coatings due to their environmentally friendly and easy application characteristics. Nevertheless, the application of these coatings is still limited by significant challenges such as the occurrence of flash rust phenomenon and the difficulty of reconciling mechanical properties with self-healing functions. Here, we report a novel self-healing waterborne polyurethane coating that utilizes coordination chemistry to achieve anti-flashing rust, mechanical robustness, and preserve self-healing and adhesion capabilities. The waterborne coating was designed by attaching 2-(2-benzimidazolyl) ethanethiol (BET) onto the polyurethane side chain. The conjugated benzimidazole forms a coordination structure with the tinplate substrate, effectively preventing the occurrence of flashing rust from the metal substrate during the film-forming process. Furthermore, BET forms a Zn(II)-ligands cross-linking structure with the exogenous zinc ions through coordination bonds, resulting in a distinctive sparse inside and dense outside structure due to the inhomogeneous distribution of zinc ions within the coating, thereby leading to high surface hardness (4H), and holding strong adhesion (∼2.0 MPa). In addition, the coordination between Zn2+ and BET provides extra interchain forces, resulting in a high self-healing efficiency (95.9%). Our work proposes a novel strategy to address the contradiction of simultaneously achieving anti-flashing rust and high hardness, without compromising adhesion and self-healing capabilities, thus offering the potential for expanding the commercial applications of waterborne polymer coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The AgNbO 3 antiferroelectric (AFE) ceramics have attracted increasing attention for their high energy storage performance and environmentally friendly characters. In this work, Ag 1–2 x Ba x NbO 3 ceramics were successfully prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. The effect of Ba-modification on phase structure, microstructure, and electric properties was systematically investigated. The introduction of Ba2+ ion led to complex cell parameter evolution and significant refinement of grain size. Room temperature dielectric permittivity increased obviously from ~260 for the pure AgNbO 3 counterpart to ~350 for those after adding a small amount of Ba element. Slim P-E hysteresis loops with improved AFE phase were achieved after Ba modification, due to the decrease of tolerance factor. A high recoverable energy density up to 2.3 J/cm3 with energy efficiency of 46% can be obtained for the composition of Ag 0.96 Ba 0.02 NbO 3 , in correlation with the enhanced AFE stability, reduced P r , increased P m and decreased Δ E. Moreover, the Ag 0.96 Ba 0.02 NbO 3 ceramics also exhibited excellent temperature stability in both energy density and efficiency with small variation of < 5% over 20–120 ℃. The results suggest that the electric properties of AgNbO 3 system can be largely tuned after Ba modification, making it a promising candidate for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Planar waveguide laser is a promising candidate for high power solid state lasers. Normally the native inhomogeneous refractive index exists during fabrication process, this will apparently affect power scaling and beam quality. Few quantitative works have been reported to the optimization of this behavior and in practice, try and error routine is needed to set pump conditions. In this work, we manufactured a miniature composite Yb:YAG ceramic waveguide laser via non-aqueous tape casting method, refractivity index gradience is natively generated via border diffusion between the Yb:YAG and YAG layers. We found a simple and effective criterion to treat pump optimization by combining wave optics model and laser rate equations. Guided by this criterion, we obtained an experimental slope-efficiency about 66% with optimized pumping beam parameters. This method could be forward applied in similar designs and much higher power planar waveguide lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of ambient temperature, pressure and relative velocity between droplet and airflow on evaporation characteristics of multi-component droplet were investigated numerically. A recently proposed multi-component model was adopted in the present study by considering the pressure effects. The result shows that, present model predicts satisfactory results when compares with experimental data. Increasing ambient temperature especially promotes evaporation of low volatile components in ABE20. Ambient pressure influences ABE-diesel blends droplet evaporation differently under various ambient temperatures. For low ambient temperature environment, droplet evaporation rate decreases with ambient pressure increasing, especially for low diffusion coefficient components. However, evaporation characteristic shows an opposite tend under high ambient temperature environment, where evaporation rate increases with ambient pressure increasing. Additionally, increasing ambient pressure promotes maximum evaporation rate of high diffusion coefficient components. With temperature increasing, this promotion extends to low diffusion coefficient components. Finally, increase relative velocity between liquid and gas phase substantially enhances evaporation of high diffusion coefficient components in the mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor targeted drug delivery in vivo remains a significant challenge in tumor therapy. In this article, we fabricated a steric shielding protected/tumor acidity-activated chimeric peptide for tumor targeted photodynamic therapy. This amphiphilic chimeric peptide could form spherical nanoparticles at neutrally physiological environment with the shielding of biotin molecule (tumor target ligand). When in tumor acidic microenvironment, acidity-sensitive dimethylmaleic amide was rapidly hydrolyzed, resulting in subsequent liberation of (Lys) 8 and the recovery of intramolecular electrostatic interaction between (Lys) 8 and (Glu) 8 . Then (Glu) 8 folded (Lys) 8 and biotin molecule was popped up to the surface of nanoparticles. Both in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that this steric shielding protected/tumor acidity-activated pop-up strategy demonstrated here could remarkably enhance tumor specific accumulation/internalization of chimeric peptide, improve photodynamic therapy efficacy and minimize the side effects. This strategy should not only be used for phototherapy, but also open a window to endow nanocarriers with effective tumor target ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi 0.85 La 0.15 Fe 0.95 Mn 0.05 O 3 (BLFMO) gel films with benzoylacetone (BzAc) as a chelating reagent were fabricated on (00 l ) LaAlO 3 (LAO) substrates using a photosensitive sol-gel method. The morphology, crystalline structure, electric and magnetic properties, and the grating-pattern of the films were investigated. The results showed that the epitaxial BLFMO films deposited on LAO single crystal substrates exhibit a higher degree of the c-axis orientation. The remnant polarization and saturation magnetization were found to be higher than those of the randomly oriented BLFMO films. Moreover, the gratings of the film with a period of 1 μm were obtained after exposure to two interference laser beams followed by leaching in ethanol. After treatment at 600 °C, the gel film turned into inorganic film gratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetone–Butanol–Ethanol (ABE), the intermediate product to produce bio-butanol is used as an alternative fuel directly to eliminate needless production costs. In this study, the droplet burning characteristics of neat ABE, diesel and ABE-diesel blends (10%, 20%, 30%, 50% of ABE (vol%)) fuels are investigated by the droplet free falling technique under atmospheric pressure. The initial droplet temperature and diameter are about 300 K and 235 μm respectively. The ambient temperature around the flat-flame burner is about 1123 K, and the residual oxygen concentration is 21 vol%. The results show that the addition of ABE not only increases the average burning rate and the ignition delay of droplets, but also reduces soot emissions. Meanwhile, ABE-diesel blends droplets occur micro-explosion at the end of flame because of the large difference in volatility between ABE components and diesel, which distinctly shortens the burning duration of ABE-diesel blends. In addition, with the increase of ABE content, the micro-explosion performance and overall burning rates increase first and then decrease, which indicates the existence of an optimal volume blend ratio around 30% ABE content for ABE-diesel blends that makes explosion performance and overall burning rates reach the top. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable secondary batteries (RSBs) have been practiced successfully for over one hundred years and now lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) represent the best-commercialized RSBs. However, the state-of-the-art LIBs are still not sufficient in many aspects to power electrical vehicles. In this context, research efforts are being intensively invested on developing next-generation LIBs. On the list of promising battery materials, silicon (Si) is particularly attractive as an anode material of LIBs, ascribed to its richness in the earth and extremely high capacity (∼3500 mAh g −1 at room temperature). With the successful utilization of Si as anodes, LIBs would enable much higher energy density. However, Si anodes suffer from several issues technically, including huge volume changes, unstable interface between Si and electrolyte, and low conductivity. Aimed at addressing these challenges, various technical strategies have been investigated. Recently, atomic and molecular layer deposition (ALD & MLD) have emerged as two new research thrusts for LIBs and have demonstrated tremendous capabilities to resolve the issues of Si anodes. In this work, we for the first time made this comprehensive review on a variety of inorganic and organic coatings via ALD and MLD for achieving high-performance Si anodes in LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon/carbon (Si/C) composite shows great potential to replace graphite as lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode owing to its high theoretical capacity. Exploring low-cost scalable approach for synthesizing Si/C composites with excellent electrochemical performance is critical for practical application of Si/C anodes. In this study, we rationally applied a scalable in situ approach to produce Si-carbon nanotube (Si-CNT) composite via acid etching of commercial inexpensive micro-sized Al-Si alloy powder and CNT mixture. In the Si-CNT composite, ∼10 nm Si particles were uniformly deposited on the CNT surface. After combining with graphene sheets, a flexible self-standing Si-CNT/graphene paper was fabricated with three-dimensional (3D) sandwich-like structure. The in situ presence of CNT during acid-etching process shows remarkable two advantages: providing deposition sites for Si atoms to restrain agglomeration of Si nanoparticles after Al removal from Al-Si alloy powder, increasing the cross-layer conductivity of the paper anode to provide excellent conductive contact sites for each Si nanoparticles. When used as binder-free anode for LIBs without any further treatment, in situ addition of CNT especially plays important role to improve the initial electrochemical activity of Si nanoparticles synthesized from low-cost Al-Si alloy powder, thus resulting in about twice higher capacity than Si/G paper anode. The self-standing Si-CNT/graphene paper anode exhibited a high specific capacity of 1100 mAh g −1 even after 100 cycles at 200 mA g −1 current density with a Coulombic efficiency of >99%. It also showed remarkable rate capability improvement compared to Si/G paper without CNT. The present work demonstrates a low-cost scalable in situ approach from commercial micro-sized Al-Si alloy powder for Si-based composites with specific nanostructure. The Si-CNT/graphene paper is a promising anode candidate with high capacity and cycling stability for LIBs, especially for the flexible batteries application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2′-5′-Oligoadenylate synthetase-like protein (OASL) is an interferon-inducible antiviral protein that exerts antiviral effects through the RNase L- or retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-dependent signalling pathway. In this study, we identified and cloned the OASL gene (named duOASL ) from healthy adult Cherry Valley ducks. Full-length duOASL cDNA (1630 bp) encoded a 504-amino acid polypeptide containing three conserved domains, namely, nucleotidyltransferase domain, 2′-5′-oligoadenylate synthetase domain, and two ubiquitin-like repeats. DuOASL mRNA expression was quantified by performing quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). Results of qRT-PCR showed that duOASL was broadly expressed in all examined tissues, with the highest mRNA expression in the large intestine. Antiviral activity of duOASL was measured by determining its effect on Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) replication in vitro. We found that duOASL overexpression slightly inhibited DTMUV replication, whereas duOASL knockdown by using a specific small interfering RNA increased DTMUV replication in DF-1 cells. Thus, we successfully cloned and characterized the antiviral protein duOASL from Cherry Valley ducks and found that it exerted antiviral effects against DTMUV. These results provide a solid foundation for performing further studies to determine the mechanism underlying the antiviral effect of duOASL at the cellular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the greatest challenges for advancing lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology is to minimize cell degradation during operation for long-term stability. To this end, it is important to understand how cell performance during operation relates to complex LIB microstructures. In this report, transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) nanotomography is used to gain quantitative three-dimensional (3D) microstructure-performance correlations of LIB cathodes during cycling. The 3D microstructures of LiMn 2 O 4 (LMO) electrodes, cycled under different conditions, including cycle number, operating voltage, and temperature, are characterized via TXM and statistically analyzed to investigate the impact of cycling conditions on the electrode microstructural evolution and cell performance. It is found that the number of cracks formed within LMO particles correlated with capacity fade. For the cell cycled at elevated temperatures, which exhibits the most severe capacity fade among all cells tested, mechanical cracking observed in TXM is not the only dominant contributor to the observed degradation. Mn 2+ dissolution, as verified by detection of Mn on the counter electrode by energy dispersive spectrometry, also contributed. The current work demonstrate 3D TXM nanotomography as a powerful tool to help probe in-depth understanding of battery failure mechanisms, which could be applicable to electrode structure optimization for advancing LIB development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring low-cost, facile, and scalable fabrication procedure for silicon/carbon composite with excellent electrochemical performance is urgently required to promote the practical application of high-capacity silicon material for Li-ion battery anodes. Using commercial cost-effective AlSi alloy nanopowder as the silicon source, here we present a facile approach via pre-template-coating and chemical acid etching methods for synthesizing silicon/porous nitrogen-doped carbon composite with a unique core-porous shell structure. At the pre-template-coating stage, the AlSi alloy nanopowder is initially coated by carbon via the solution deposition and carbonization of PVP. The Al template is subsequently removed by acid etching, affording silicon nanoparticles wrapped by the highly conductive nitrogen-doped carbon. The escape of hydrogen gas during acid etching leads to the nitrogen-doped carbon shell with a microporous structure. The silicon/porous nitrogen-doped carbon composite with 88% Si delivers a high reversible capacity of 1730 mAh g −1 (based on the total mass of the composite) after 100 cycles at a current density of 1000 mA g −1 with a coulombic efficiency of approximately 100%. Moreover, the rate capability is significantly improved. With the increase in the current density from 200 to 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 mA g −1 , high capacity retention values of 99.7, 97.5, 93.7 and 91.5%, respectively, are obtained. A long cycle life at a high rate is also achieved, with a notable capacity of 665 mAh g −1 after 600 cycles at a high current density of 5000 mA g −1 . The low-cost, facile, and scalable synthesis of the approach silicon/porous nitrogen-doped carbon composite with exceptional electrochemical performance from a commercial AlSi alloy powder makes it extremely promising as a practical anode material for high-energy Li-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes are a promising candidate for water treatment, such as sewage purification and desalination, due to its high mechanical strength, superior flexibility and hydrophilic property. However, one of their major application challenges is the membrane fouling, resulting in membrane blocking and poor water flux. Here, we incorporate triethanolamine (TEOA) modified titanate nanowires (TNWs) with GO membranes to resolve the fouling problem by taking advantage of enhanced membrane photocatalytic properties. The results show that the composite membranes exhibited remarkable photocatalytic degradation of Congon Red dyes under UV-light during filtration separation, and membrane fouling could be significantly alleviated after UV-light irradiation, leading to high water treatment performance for long-term cycling use. Furthermore, intercalation of TNWs between GO layers can produce a great quantity of nanochannels inside the membranes such that significantly increases the water flux. Besides, the presence of TEOA can evidently improve the aqueous stability for GO membranes, which is also an essential requirement for practical application. Our work demonstrates that endowing GO membranes with photocatalytic properties is an effective approach to resolve the fouling problem. And the as-prepared GO/TEOA-TNWs composite membranes are a promising material with anti-fouling function and highly-aqueous-stability for long-term practical water treatment applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As heat sources in the fiber laser system, fusion points are among the most vulnerable parts in high power fiber lasers (HPFLs). A model is built to evaluate the heat induced by fusion splices quantitatively. By introducing the splice thermogenic factor (STF), the temperature of a fusion point is obtained at different output powers. At the same time, a real-time in-situ temperature measurement experiment is carried out, and the actual STF value of 0.449 ppm is obtained by fitting the model parameters with the experimental results. The fitting results indicate that the STF can evaluate the heat characteristics of fusion splices quantitatively and predict the temperature rise. The model can pave the way for further power scalability of HPFLs. • A novel method is proposed to evaluate the heat induced by fusion splices in high-power fiber lasers quantitatively through the ratio of the laser energy converted into heat. • A temperature rise model is built up by introducing the splice thermogenic factor (STF), which represents the energy converted into thermal load at the fusion splice. • A real-time in-situ temperature measurement experiment is carried out and by fitting the model parameters with the experimental results, the splice thermogenic factor (STF) is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the droplet burning characteristics of neat benzyl azides, diesel-benzyl azides blends (10%, 30%, 50% of benzyl azides (wt.)) and diesel fuel were investigated under atmospheric pressure. The ambient temperature around the flat-flame burner is about 1123 K. The initial droplet temperature is about 300 K. The effects of ambient oxygen concentration (14%, 21% and 30%) and initial droplet diameter (∼257 μm and ∼456 μm) on the burning characteristics were also studied. Experiments were carried out using the droplet free falling technique. A CCD camera with a micro lens was used to collect droplet photos, through which the droplet burning rate and flame size were deduced. A strobe light which could freeze the droplet visually was also used to collect ignition delay and combustion duration. The flat-flame burner manipulated by varying the composition of the premixed gas consisting of propane, oxygen, and air was used to provide combustion environment. The results show that the addition of benzyl azides not only increases the burning rate but also causes micro-explosion before the end of the flame because of the occurrence of liquid-phase reaction. With the increase of benzyl azides mass fraction, the ignition delay decreases, the combustion duration first increases and then decreases. Furthermore, due to the faster evaporation rate of benzyl azides, the droplet flame sizes increase with the benzyl azides mass fraction increasing during burning. However, the diesel-benzyl azides blend has stronger sooting propensity than diesel. Meanwhile, the ambient oxygen concentration and droplet initial diameter have important effects on the burning characteristics of diesel-benzyl azides droplet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C-axis oriented La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO)/PbZr 0.52 Ti 0.48 O 3 (PZT) films are fabricated successfully by sol-gel method on LaAlO 3 (00 l ) substrates. The structure, composition and morphology of the films are investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD, θ-2θ scan, ω-scan and ϕ-scan), X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The electric and magnetic properties of randomly and c-axis oriented LSMO/PZT films are studied comparably using ferroelectric testing apparatus and physical property measurement system (PPMS). It is found that the epitaxial LSMO/PZT composite films show well controlled growth along c-axis, and much better magnetoelectric properties than the randomly oriented ones. The ME voltage coefficient increases from 23 mV cm − 1 Oe − 1 for the randomly oriented LSMO/PZT composite films to 52 mV cm − 1 Oe − 1 for c-axis oriented ones prepared using the low cost sol-gel method presented in this study, which shows high potential in promising applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mengzi locates in the south 20 km away from the outlet of Nandong subsurface river, and has been suffering from water deficiency in recent years. It is necessary to find out the water resources underground according to the geological characteristics such as the positions and buried depths of the underground river to improve the civil and industrial environments. Due to the adverse factors such as topographic relief, bare rocks in karst terrains, the geophysical approaches, such as Controlled Source Audio Magnetotellurics and Seismic Refraction Tomography, were used to roughly identify faults and fracture zones by the geophysical features of low resistivity and low velocity, and then used the mise-a-la-masse method to judge which faults and fracture zones should be the potential channels of the subsurface river. Five anomalies were recognized along the profile of 2.4 km long and showed that the northeast river system has several branches. Drilling data have proved that the first borehole indicated a water bearing channel by a characteristics of rock core of river sands and gravels deposition, the second one encountered water-filled fracture zone with abundant water, and the third one exposed mud-filled fracture zone without sustainable water. The results from this case study show that the combination of Controlled Source Audio Magnetotellurics, Seismic Refraction Tomography and mise-a-la-Masse is one of the effective methods to detect water-filled channels or fracture zones in karst terrains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of medical drugs, the widely used tetracycline has brought many adverse effects on the ecosystem and human health. Tetracycline pollution of water environment is becoming more and more serious, and has become an emerging environmental problem. As single celled organisms, microalgae are not only model organisms for risk assessment of aquatic ecosystems, but also can efficiently purify sewage. Microalgae-mediated pollutant remediation has attracted more and more attention from researchers. In this paper, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (C. reinhardtii) was used to remove tetracycline in aqueous solution, and the removal efficiency and mechanism of microalgae on tetracycline were studied. The results showed that the removal rates of tetracycline by active and inactivated microalgae at a density of 5 × 106 cells·mL−1 were 81.9% and 89.8%, respectively. C. reinhardtii removed tetracycline through biosorption and nonmetabolic processes. Microalgal cell supernatant and hydroxyl radicals could significantly promote the removal of tetracycline. The positively charged tetracycline was electrostatically adsorbed on the microalgae surface and extracellular polymeric substances. Microalgae biomass can promote the production of ROS and enhance the ability of microalgae to remove tetracycline. [Display omitted] • Both live and inactived Chlamydomonas reinhardtii are reliable microalgaes for tetracycline removal. • Inactivated Chlamydomonas reinhardtii could maintain excellent tetracycline removal ability. • Under light conditions, the removal effect of inactivated microalgae was better than that of live microalgae. • Microalgal cell supernatant and hydroxyl radicals could promote the tetracycline removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanide-based optical ratiometric thermometer is a promising temperature detecting tool for noninvasive temperature measurements. However, owing to the thermal quenching of upconversion luminescence (UCL), the traditional temperature sensing range is limited to less than 600 K. In this work, highly thermally stable UCL is observed through introduced appropriate Cu2+ ions into LiYF 4 :Yb/Er (20/2 mol%) microcrystals (MCs) and on which are further used for temperature sensing applications. As gradually increases the doping of Cu2+ ions, the octahedron morphology of LiYF 4 MCs with smooth surfaces gradually aggregates smaller particles on their surface forming diamond-like micro-clusters. Based on the single-particle spectroscopy technique, the temperature-dependent UCL properties were systematically investigated and demonstrated. Doping of Cu2+ ions can efficiently adjust and enhance the UCL in the LiYF 4 :Yb/Er (20/2 mol%) MCs. The UCL thermal quenching temperature is less than ~670 K for Cu2+-free MCs. In contrast, the quenching temperature extends to as high as ~870 K when doping with 2 mol% Cu2+ ions. Furthermore, these highly thermal stable MCs are utilized to detect the temperature in a wide temperature ranging from 298 K to 873 K. A maximum relative sensitivity (S r) of 1.23%K−1 at 298 K is obtained and temperature uncertainty δ T < 0.091 K is determined under the measured temperature for the 2 mol% Cu2+-doped MCs. The highly thermally stable UCL properties and excellent thermometer performance of these MCs, particularly conducted at single-particle spectroscopy technique, can be potentially applied to micro-scale thermometers. • Cu2+ ions manipulate the morphology and size of LiYF 4 :Yb3+/Er3+ microcrystals. • Appropriate Cu2+ ions improve the upconversion luminescence thermostability. • High-temperature thermometers achieved at single-particle spectroscopy technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous efforts have been paid on n-type Mg 3 Sb 2 -based Zintl compounds with exceptional thermoelectric performance, but seldom on p-type sample with poor electrical transports. In this work, we investigate the electronic structure and transport properties of p-type Mg 3 Sb 2 by using first-principles method and Boltzmann transport theory. Firstly, the slightly higher low-temperature electrical conductivity for theoretical calculations than experimental results suggest that different from n-type sample, the contribution of eliminating grain boundary scattering to electrical transports is weak in p-type Mg 3 Sb 2. Secondly, the calculated higher Seebeck coefficient along x -axis and higher electrical conductivity along z -axis reveal the anisotropy of electrical transports, and this phenomenon may be ascribed to the anisotropic carrier's effective masses. Because the gradual leading role of Seebeck coefficient as temperature increasing, the peak power factor along x -axis exceeds that along z -axis at temperature above ∼500 K, which indicates that further improvement of the electrical performance can be expected through anisotropic transports. Thirdly, the effect of the adsorption of oxygen atom on Mg 3 Sb 2 (001) surface on the electronic structure are investigated. This work aims to provide new insight into the optimization of p-type electrical transport property, thereby closing the gap with n-type property for developing Mg 3 Sb 2 -based thermoelectric devices. • Contribution of grain boundary scattering to p-type electrical transport is weak. • The Mg 3 Sb 2 exhibits anisotropic p-type electrical transports. • Adsorption of oxygen atom affects the electronic structure of a material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the evaporation characteristics of ethanol–diesel blend fuel, an experimental method of droplet evaporation with post processing techniques is established. The droplet normalized square diameter, temperature and phenomenon during evaporation process is used to analyze the evaporation characteristics at different ambient temperatures. The results show that: the DE10 (diesel (85%) + ethanol (10%) + biodiesel (5%)) droplet has a fluctuation evaporation phase more than D100 (diesel) and the lifetime is shorter at 623 K. Puffing and micro-explosion can be observed during the fluctuation evaporation phase, which causes the droplet normalized square diameter fluctuated. The temperature of DE10 droplet is lower than D100 at first and then becomes higher. When the ambient temperature is 723 K, the evaporation of DE10 droplet remains three-stage characteristics but the fluctuations of normalized square diameter are strengthened. The strengthened micro-explosion causes a fluctuation of temperature but there exists a delay to the time of micro-explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaporation characteristics of different dual component droplets are experimentally studied through a suspended droplet device and a high-speed video camera. The droplets of hexadecane, dodecane–hexadecane mixture and benzyl azides-hexadecane mixture are studied. The initial diameter of droplet is about 1.21–1.23 mm, and the elevated temperature environment in the range of 473 and 773 K is provided by an electric furnace. The results indicate that the evaporation trend of the dodecane–hexadecane blend droplet is the same as hexadecane at the different ambient temperatures, while the evaporation characteristics of the benzyl azides-hexadecane blend droplet are completely different from that of the dodecane–hexadecane at the high temperature of 673 K. The evaporation process of the benzyl azides-hexadecane blend droplet consists of three stages: transient heating, fluctuation evaporation and steady evaporation at the high ambient temperatures. The bubble formation and expansion, droplet distortion, puffing and incomplete micro-explosion are observed for benzyl azides-hexadecane droplet due to the reactivity of benzyl azides at liquid phase. Moreover, the reduction of the benzyl azides-hexadecane blend droplet lifetime is larger than that of the dodecane–hexadecane blend droplet with increasing ambient temperature. The increase of the liquid-phase reaction rate of benzyl azides is the main reason for improving the evaporation of the binary fuel droplet. In addition, with increasing benzyl azides mass fraction, the benzyl azides-hexadecane binary droplet lifetime decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Designing and developing a multifunctional hydrogel with conductivity, antioxidant activity and photothermal antibacterial activity inspired by mussel chemistry. • The hydrogels had good antioxidant and ability to remove intracellular ROS. • Based on the good adhesion of hydrogels, the hydrogels showed adequate hemostatic ability. • Hydrogels could effectively promote burn wound healing. The outstanding role of hydrogels in promoting wound repair has been studied extensively, but the development of hydrogels with multiple functions to deal with the complex wound environments remains as a challenge and a research focus. Thus, inspired by mussel chemistry, the dopamine grafted gelatin (GelDA) and polydopamine coated graphene oxide (pGO) were prepared firstly. Then, the GelDA/pGO hydrogels with multifunction of adhesion, conductivity, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity were designed through an oxidative coupling reaction between catechol groups. The rheology, mechanical properties, and conductivity of hydrogels could be adjusted appropriately by changing the concentration of pGO. Furthermore, the catechol groups made the hydrogel possessed an adequate adhesive hemostasis in the rat liver hemorrhage model. While the introducion of pGO enabled the hydrogels to get the satisfactory photothermal antibacterial properties, which were verified by both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria tests. Finally, in vivo wound healing experiment demonstrated the beneficial effect of hydrogel on promoting burn wound healing. The prepared GelDA/pGO hydrogels could be considered as promising multifunctional wound dressings for accelerating wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of energy-efficient, cost-effective and durable photocatalytic systems for water splitting is one of the scientific problems that must be solved before the successful transformation from a fossil fuel-based economy to a solar fuel-based economy can be realized. Conventional photocatalytic systems are generally divided into heterogeneous systems of semiconductors, usually modified by noble metals or inorganic cocatalysts, and homogeneous systems comprised of molecular catalysts and organic or organometallic chromophores. In recent years, some hybrid photocatalytic systems were reported to be highly active and robust for photoinduced H 2 production, indicating that the integration of semiconducting materials with proper molecular catalysts is an effective strategy for constructing efficient photocatalytic systems for water splitting. This review will focus on hybrid photocatalytic systems, developed in the past three years, in which proton reduction molecular catalysts incorporate either semiconducting materials or inorganic, metal-organic, and other polymeric nanomaterials for photochemical H 2 generation from water. In the last section of the review, problems existing in the current hybrid photocatalytic systems are discussed; future challenges and developments are envisaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A flexible, self-standing graphene–Se@CNT composite film has been synthesized by a facile two-step assembly process. The film is directly employed as cathode for rechargeable Li–Se batteries without extra binders and conductive additives. It exhibits much higher reversible capacity and cycling stability (315 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 C) than graphene–Se composite film. The improved electrochemical performance is mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of graphene and CNT, which not only function as a flexible scaffold for strains/stresses release and volume expansion, but also offer a three-dimensional conductive architecture with open channels for electron transfer and Li ion diffusion, as well as strong confinement of soluble polyselenides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Gradient nano-grained (GNG) structure has been developed to solve the notable dilemma of the strength-ductility. However, the surface plastic strain-induced grain refinement often results in cracking or peeling of materials when overloaded. This study proposed a bending compensated surface mechanical grinding treatment (BC-SMGT) for thin metallic sheets, where the elastic bending dynamically compensates the perpendicular indentation-induced penetration. This unique deformation feature results in gradient nanostructured layers, with a grain size ranging from ∼80 nm to a few microns in a pure Cu sheet processed at both room temperature (RT) and cryogenic temperature (CT). A relatively thicker deformation layer and smaller top surface grain size in the CT Cu sample yields better strength-ductility synergy than that in the RT Cu sample, which benefits from the preserved nanograins. Our results advance the fundamental understanding of this newly developed deformation technique and enlighten the future application of GNG structures in metallic sheets at industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gradient nano-grained (GNG) structure has been developed to solve the notable dilemma of the strength-ductility. However, the surface plastic strain-induced grain refinement often results in cracking or peeling of materials when overloaded. This study proposed a bending compensated surface mechanical grinding treatment (BC-SMGT) for thin metallic sheets, where the elastic bending dynamically compensates the perpendicular indentation-induced penetration. This unique deformation feature results in gradient nanostructured layers, with a grain size ranging from ∼80 nm to a few microns in a pure Cu sheet processed at both room temperature (RT) and cryogenic temperature (CT). A relatively thicker deformation layer and smaller top surface grain size in the CT Cu sample yields better strength-ductility synergy than that in the RT Cu sample, which benefits from the preserved nanograins. Our results advance the fundamental understanding of this newly developed deformation technique and enlighten the future application of GNG structures in metallic sheets at industrial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A lithium sulfide-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite (Li2S-rGO) was synthesized and evaluated as the cathode material and Li source for the assembly of Li-S batteries. The composite, with a unique 3-D pocket structure, was synthesized by a combination of facile solution chemistry and thermal treatment. The as-prepared Li2S-rGO nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, which showed 20–40 nm Li2S particles homogeneously dispersed between reduced graphene oxide sheets. Li2S contents as high as ∼66% could be obtained. When used with an electrolyte containing LiNO3 and polysulfide, the Li2S-rGO nanocomposites exhibited a high initial capacity of 982 mAh g−1 Li2S. However, there was noticeable capacity fade in subsequent cycles, probably due to polysulfide dissolution and the shuttle mechanism, but a capacity of 315 mAh g−1 could still be obtained after 100 cycles, with 90–95% coulomb efficiency. The effect of polysulfide additive in the electrolyte on the activation of Li2S in the first delithiation step was discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] To propose visual evaluation methods recommendations for displaying dynamic images. [•] To examine the influence of psychological factors of dynamic images on viewer. [•] To meet the best grating feature combinations of viewer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) facilitates the cotranslational installation of the 22nd amino acid pyrrolysine. Owing to its tolerance for diverse amino acid substrates, and its orthogonality in multiple organisms, PylRS has emerged as a major route to install noncanonical amino acids into proteins in living cells. Recently, a novel class of PylRS enzymes was identified in a subset of methanogenic archaea. Enzymes within this class (ΔPylSn) lack the N-terminal tRNA-binding domain that is widely conserved amongst PylRS enzymes, yet remain active and orthogonal in bacteria and eukaryotes. In this study, we use biochemical and in vivo UAG-readthrough assays to characterize the aminoacylation efficiency and substrate spectrum of a ΔPylSn class PylRS from the archaeon Candidatus Methanomethylophilus alvus. We show that, compared with the full-length enzyme from Methanosarcina mazei, the Ca. M. alvus PylRS displays reduced aminoacylation efficiency but an expanded amino acid substrate spectrum. To gain insight into the evolution of ΔPylSn enzymes, we performed molecular phylogeny using 156 PylRS and 105 pyrrolysine tRNA (tRNAPyl) sequences from diverse archaea and bacteria. This analysis suggests that the PylRS.tRNAPyl pair diverged before the evolution of the three domains of life, placing an early limit on the evolution of the Pyl-decoding trait. Furthermore, our results document the coevolutionary history of PylRS and tRNAPyl and reveal the emergence of tRNAPyl sequences with unique A73 and U73 discriminator bases. The orthogonality of these tRNAPyl species with the more common G73-containing tRNAPyl will enable future efforts to engineer PylRS systems for further genetic code expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At an atmospheric pressure, the effects of different temperatures and acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) content on the evaporation characteristics of biodiesel-ABE blended droplets suspended on a thermocouple fiber were investigated. The experimental results showed that micro-explosion did not occur for B80A20 (BX 1 AX 2 represented that the volume fractions of biodiesel and ABE were X 1 % and X 2 %, respectively) blended droplets at 530 and 730 °C. The micro-explosion intensity increased first and then decreased，and reached the maximum at B40A60. Besides, it increased with temperature at certain ABE content. The fluctuation delay decreased first and then increased with ABE content, and the minimum was obtained at B60A40. In addition, it decreased with the temperature. The variation trend of micro-explosion delay was similar to that of fluctuation delay. The equivalent evaporation rate in the transient heating stage (k 1) increased with the increase of ABE content, but decreased with the increase of temperature. Among all the blended droplets, the B40A60 droplets had the shortest lifetime. It can be speculated that there is an optimal ABE content between 40% and 60%, which makes the biodiesel-ABE blended droplets have the best evaporation performance. That is, the blended droplets have stronger micro-explosion and ejection, shorter fluctuation delay time and lifetime. [Display omitted] • A new calculation formula for micro-explosion intensity was established. • Four behaviors of droplet evaporation were observed and distinguished. • The variation of evaporation parameters was analyzed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Co-delivery of gene and drug for synergistic therapy has provided a promising strategy to cure devastating diseases. Here, an amphiphilic chimeric peptide (Fmoc)2KH7-TAT with pH-responsibility for gene and drug delivery was designed and fabricated. As a drug carrier, the micelles self-assembled from the peptide exhibited a much faster doxorubicin (DOX) release rate at pH 5.0 than that at pH 7.4. As a non-viral gene vector, (Fmoc)2KH7-TAT peptide could satisfactorily mediate transfection of pGL-3 reporter plasmid with or without the existence of serum in both 293T and HeLa cell-lines. Besides, the endosome escape capability of peptide/DNA complexes was investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). To evaluate the co-delivery efficiency and the synergistic anti-tumor effect of gene and drug, p53 plasmid and DOX were simultaneously loaded in the peptide micelles to form micelleplexes during the self-assembly of the peptide. Cellular uptake and intracellular delivery of gene and drug were studied by CLSM and flow cytometry respectively. And p53 protein expression was determined via Western blot analysis. The in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo tumor inhibition effect were also studied. Results suggest that the co-delivery of gene and drug from peptide micelles resulted in effective cell growth inhibition in vitro and significant tumor growth restraining in vivo. The chimeric peptide-based gene and drug co-delivery system will find great potential for tumor therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Based on the spectral manipulation technique, the Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) suppression effect and the coherent beam combination (CBC) effect in multi-tone CBC system are researched theoretically and experimentally. To get satisfactory SBS suppression, the frequency interval of the multi-tone seed laser should be large enough, at least larger than the SBS gain bandwidth. In order to attain excellent CBC effect, the spectra of the multi-tone seed laser need to be matched with the optical path differences among the amplifier chains. Hence, a sufficiently separated matching spectrum is capable at both SBS mitigation and coherent property preservation. By comparing the SBS suppression effect and the CBC effect at various spectra, the optimal spectral structure for simultaneous SBS suppression and excellent CBC effect is found. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Viral vectors, except for their safety concern, have shown high efficiency in both delivery and expression of gene. Here, a series of new gene carriers, comprised of short peptide subunits with special functions to imitate viral vectors, were designed and three vectors, (C18)2KH4R8GDS, AcKH4R8GDS and (C18)2KH4R8, designated as ARM1, ARM2, ARM3, respectively, were synthesized and evaluated. The transfection efficiency in vitro was studied in terms of 293T, HepG2 and HeLa cell lines. It was found that the transfection efficiency was enhanced significantly for the vectors (ARM1 and ARM3) with double hydrophobic aliphatic tails. Interestingly, the conjugation of RGDS sequence in vectors displayed no obvious difference in cell adhesion for all of the three cell lines. Moreover, confocal laser scanning microscope results indicated that the peptide/pDNA complexes can enter the cell and nuclei successfully. On the other hand, all the vectors displayed low cytotoxicity. The artificial recombinant multi-block oligopeptides (ARMs) demonstrated here might give a promising potential of the peptide-based vectors in gene therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Coherent beam combination can promote the emitting power of chemical laser in the extremely high power application. To achieve chemical laser coherent combining the optical paths of each channel should be adjusted to the same for the multi-line spectral characteristic and the combination effect is highly dependent on the optical path variance. The dependence of the combination effect on the optical path variance is calculated taking deuterium-fluoride (DF) laser for example. The feasibility and the validity of the multi-line chemical laser coherent combining are discussed with different optical path variances. The coherent combination of multi-line chemical laser is not totally unattainable as long as the precise optical path control measure is involved. To achieve excellent combination effect for chemical laser with ordinary optical path control measure, line-selecting technology is commonly needed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]