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The exploration of photosensitizers with aggregation-induced emission (AIE PSs) for efficient visualization and broad-spectrum photodynamic killing of pathogenic microbes is a significant task. Herein, two far-red/near-infrared AIE-active PSs (TBTPy and TBTCy) were attained to show efficient Type I and Type II ROS generation, benefiting from the efficient ISC processes. The attained AIE PSs, especially TBTPy with bright emission, showed advantages in discriminating G

In the lexical assessment of pain, an offshoot of the McGill Pain Questionnaire is the Pain Descriptor System (PDS) which assesses sensory, affective, and overall intensity of pain. To determine if sensory versus affective pain components might be selectively related to different aspects of disability, PDS scores were examined in relation to functional status and psychosocial impairment on the Pain Disability Questionnaire (PDQ). A sample of 629 chronic pain patients rated the degree to which each of 36 PDS words described their pain and also rated 15 items of the PDQ. Three regression models (including Group Lasso) were applied to the data. Results showed that as hypothesized, PDS sensory scores significantly predicted PDQ functional status, accounting for about 13% of the variance; PDS affective scores significantly predicted PDQ psychosocial impairment, accounting for 17% of the variance; PDS total scores significantly predicted PDQ total scores, accounting for approximately 24% of the variance. This supports the overall predictive validity of pain descriptors, while confirming more specific links between components of pain and facets of disability. Clinically, the patient's description of pain sensation may hold valuable clues to physical impairment, whereas the communication of affect/suffering is more likely to connote psychosocial difficulties in functioning. PERSPECTIVE: Regression models (including Group Lasso) were applied to data on pain and disability from 629 patients. Findings support the Pain Descriptor System in assessing pain but further suggest that sensory descriptors are predictive of physical impairment from chronic pain, whereas affective descriptors are more predictive of psychologically-related disability.

Mass customized production brings great uncertainty to the computer-aided process planning (CAPP). Current CAPP methods based on heuristic optimization assume in advance that manufacturing resources are static and make a deterministic plan that cannot cope with the uncertainty of the manufacture environment. As a promising method in solving complex and dynamic decision-making problems, deep reinforcement learning is employed in this paper for process planning, aiming at promoting the response speed by exploiting the reusability and expandability of past decision-making experiences. To simplify the decision procedure, two different types of decisions, operation sequencing and resource selection, are fused into one by integrating environment states and agent behaviors in a matrix manner. Then, a masking algorithm is developed to screen out currently inexecutable machining operations at each decision step and process planning datasets are generated for training and testing according to the actual processing logic. Next, the Monte Carlo method and the deep learning algorithm are utilized to evaluate and improve the process policy, respectively. Finally, the searching capability of the proposed method for both static and dynamic manufacturing resources are tested in case studies, and the results are discussed. It is shown that the proposed approach can solve the planning problem more efficiently compared with current optimization-based approaches.

In the nature, the fish can control the wave propagation on the caudal fin using the sarcomere at the leading edge of the caudal fin. The control methods can be classified into three modes: Active Heave and Active Pitch (AHAP),Passive Heave and Active Pitch (PHAP), Active Heave and Passive Pitch (AHPP). Which mode can produce the largest thrust? Which mode can develop the most efficient swimming performance? So far, the research on these issues still cannot be found in the article. In this paper, we have studied the self-propulsion of the flexible plates driven by these three modes. It is expected that results can shed new light on understanding the locomotion mechanism of the fish and give a new idea for the design and control of the robot fish. The vibration of the flexible plate in the high velocity flow maybe unstable, and the velocity threshold of the flow are depending on the stiffness of the plate. The motion of the plate driven by AHAP is the most unstable, while AHPP is the most stable driving mode. The thrust on the flexible plate is mainly affected by the resonance effect, and the thrust in AHAP mode and AHPP mode are larger than that in PHAP mode. The propulsive efficiency is affected by both the resonance effect and the phase dynamics in the oscillator model. The phase dynamics is the dominant factor, and the resonance effect is the secondary factor.

Often a problem in linear regression either for correlated data or high-dimensional data is the singularity of the sample covariance matrix. While dealing with an ill-conditioned covariance matrix has been a longstanding challenge in the statistical literature, recent proposals relying on adding noises to the original data have found their successes in obtaining reliable estimates and making predictions. It has been shown that perturbing data with noises has a close relationship to the well-known ridge estimator. In this paper, we propose to add noises to the predictors with a known covariance structure, and call the estimator obtained in such a way a “pseudo estimator”. A new variable selection procedure based on the concept of pseudo confidence interval which works for both correlated predictors and “large p small n ” problem is proposed. We study the theoretical properties of the proposed pseudo estimator and variable selection procedure. Furthermore, we use an ensemble step to stabilize the pseudo estimation (variable selection) results. The advantages of the proposed method are demonstrated by both simulation studies and real data analyses.

Bacterial infection is the leading cause of many serious inflammation diseases threatening human health. Existing theranostic options for bacterial infection are always complicated and unsatisfactory. There is an increasing interest in developing a more effective theranostic approach for the treatment of infections. Herein, we report the development of a near-infrared (NIR) chemiluminescent (CL) nanoparticles ALPBs containing luminol, AIE dye (TTDC), PCPDTBT, and nitric oxide (NO) donor (BNN6), which could achieve a deep CL imaging-guided photothermal-NO gas therapy of bacterial infection. After intravenous injection, ALPBs could be largely accumulated in the infected site and then activated by oversecreted reactive oxygen species (ROS) to produce near-infrared chemiluminescence, which could precisely track infection-induced local inflammation. Under the guidance of imaging, synergistic photothermal-NO therapy was further performed by 808 nm laser irradiation, leading to active bacterial eradication and rapid recovery of infected tissues. The utility of ALPBs provides a powerful and controllable "all-in-one" platform for combating bacterial infection.

The practical application of mechanoluminescent luminophores has been severely limited by random crystal collapse because it would break down the quantitative relationship between pressure and brightness. In this issue of Matter, Li and co-workers designed a pure organic mechanoluminescent material, tPE-2-Th, by taking advantage of thiophene rings, which endow the molecule with a new equilibrium of orderly molecular arrangement upon force stimuli. tPE-2-Th demonstrates an unusual stable quantitative relationship between pressure and emission intensity. This enables the development of various flexible and wearable devices, which assist information conversion and storage for encrypted communication; sense external force changes for patient care; and detect weak forces such as the human heartbeat for health monitoring.

In-situ (Ti, Nb)C/Ni composite coatings with liquid nitrogen cooling were fabricated on Cr12MoV die steel by laser cladding. The phase constitution, microstructure characteristics, micro-segregation behavior of elements, micro-hardness and wear resistance of coatings was explored. The results showed that the liquid nitrogen cooled coating was composed of (Ti, Nb)C, Cr7C3, Cr23C6 and γ-Ni(Fe), and the growth of (Ti, Nb)C was restrained. The segregation behavior of Cr, Nb and Ti elements, crack sensitivity and pores were remarkably reduced. The nanometer chromium carbides and higher dislocation density were also observed by TEM. According to EBSD results, the coatings showed stronger textural characteristics, and the imposing liquid nitrogen cooling refined the microstructure and increased slightly the high angle grain boundaries. In addition, γ-Ni matrix in the liquid nitrogen cooled coating increased the amount of Nb, Cr and Ti elements, resulting in higher elastic modulus and average hardness. The tribochemical reaction was also occurred during the wear test from XPS results. The liquid nitrogen cooled coating showed excellent wear resistance, and it was improved 73% than air cooled coating.

Ni-based composite coatings reinforced with in-situ titanium-doped NbC particles were fabricated on Cr12MoV steel plate utilizing laser cladding technology. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the coatings were investigated, as well as the effect of different Nb/Ti mole ratio on the distribution characteristics and formation mechanism of titanium-doped NbC particles. The (Ti, Nb)C distributed homogeneously in the coatings. According to the EBSD results, the coating with Nb/Ti = 1:1 showed strong texture characteristics, and the grains size of the bottom was smaller due to faster heat dissipation. As lower surface energy and lattice misfits of TiC and NbC, (Ti, Nb)C was easily synthesized and the pre-formed TiC particles were the most favorable attachment sites. According to the analysis results of SEM, EPMA and TEM, when Nb/Ti = 1:1, (Ti, Nb)C was a multiple carbide with a NbC structure. In addition, the various morphologies of reinforcing phases were relevant to the solidification rates, temperature gradient and composition distribution. The micro-hardness and wear resistance of coating with Nb/Ti = 1:1 exhibited significantly improvement compared with other coatings.

As a surface repair and strengthening technology, (Ti, Nb)C/Ni coatings with different amount of CeO2 were fabricated to repair the automobile dies. The phase constitution, microstructure, texture characteristics of oriented growth, micro-hardness, tensile properties and the action mechanism of CeO2 were investigated. The results showed that the diffraction peaks of γ-Ni(Fe), (Ti, Nb)C, Cr7C3 and Cr23C6 drifted slightly as a result of solute atoms incorporation. The compact and homogenized microstructure of coatings was dominated by small striped precipitated phases and particles according to SEM and TEM results. The size of (Ti, Nb)C particles were suppressed by rare earth element Ce, which was prone to accumulate at the interface of grain boundary or crystalline phases. The unmelted CeO2 can also become the heterogeneous nucleation basement of (Ti, Nb)C, Cr23C6 and Cr7C3 particles. EBSD results showed that the grain growth orientation of coatings was changed by the effect of CeO2 on the fluidity of molten pool, as well as the growth of particles. In addition, the tensile properties of coatings were improved, and the fracture behavior was transformed from the quasi-cleavage fracture to brittle fracture with the increase of CeO2 addition.

A hyper-structured molecule (HSM) CRA-DR1 and a model molecule Ph-DR1 for photorefractive (PR) application under non-electric field were designed and synthesized via highly reactive “click” reaction between alkynyl derivatives of calix [4]resorcinarene (CRA) or resorcinol and an azide derivative of disperse red 1 (DR1) in satisfactory yields. XRD pattern and UV–Vis absorption spectra indicated that the CRA-DR1 with three-dimensional (3D) CRA core could effectively decrease the aggregation, packing and crystallization of the nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores. AFM images showed a smooth and pinhole-free morphology of the CRA-DR1 film. Two-beam coupling (TBC) experiment was used to test the photorefractive performance in optically transparent films of Ph-DR1 and CRA-DR1 doped with [6,6]-phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as a photosensitizer and N -ethyl-carbazole (ECz) as a plasticizer. Without poling and without external electric filed, the coupling gain coefficient obtained in the CRA-DR1-based composite is 147.4 cm −1 , which is higher than that of Ph-DR1-based composite (132.6 cm −1 ) owing to its asymmetrical 3D CRA core. Coupled with its convenient synthesis and commercial DR1, CRA-DR1 could serve as a good candidate for PR application.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are major innate immune cells that play crucial roles in prostate cancer onset and progression. Recently, increasing evidence has suggested that elevated N6-adenine methylation of mRNA is observed in prostate cancer tissues and is closely associated with a poor prognosis. However, its role in prostate cancer-associated macrophages remains poorly understood. Here, we showed that downregulation of METTL3 in prostate cancer TAMs modulated macrophages toward an M2-like phenotype and that this modulation was mediated by activation of STAT6. In addition, our data demonstrated that prostate cancer cell-derived small lipid molecule lipoxin A4 (LXA4) activated STAT6 by inhibiting METTL3. Treatment with PBP10 (an inhibitor of the LXA4 receptor) abolished the inhibition of METTL3 by LXA4 and consequently reduced the tumorigenicity of prostate cancer cells. Altogether, this work demonstrated that prostate cancer cells facilitate polarization of M2 like macrophages by releasing LXA4 via inhibiting METTL3. These findings provide new insight into the mechanism of microenvironmental regulation of macrophage polarization during prostate cancer progression.

Landfill leachate (LL) is endowed with double roles as refractory wastewater and nutrients/energy sources due to inherent vast inorganics and organics. Bioconversion of LL’s nutrients into biohydrogen and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) via eco-friendly dark fermentation (DF) is a promising approach to simultaneously deal with environment deterioration and energy crisis, but its application is severely restricted by poor fermentative performance attributing to strong toxicity of LL and vulnerable vitality of fermentative bacteria. Herein, a novel conversion strategy was proposed by coupling microalgal photosynthesis with DF, which was capable of reclaiming nutrients and organics from LL to produce biohydrogen and VFAs relying on robust microalgae coupled with DF. Results demonstrated that microalgae grew well in 10% LL with maximum biomass concentration of 1.41 g/L. More importantly, 86.12% NH4+ and 53.00% organics were recovered from LL and stored as carbohydrates (26.4%), proteins (48.7%) and lipid (15.9%) in microalgal cells. The accumulated intracellular carbohydrate and protein were then converted into biohydrogen and VFAs via DF, producing 16.37 kJ/L of output energy with overall energy conversion efficiency of 11.67%. Transformations of macromolecular organics and possible conversion mechanism of microalgae biomass to bioenergy were detailed discussed. Together, this work may provide a promising strategy for better dealing with LL disposal.

Summary Effective photosensitizers are highly desirable in many applications, such as photodynamic therapy, photocatalytic organic waste decomposition, and synthetic chemistry. Herein, we demonstrate polymerization-enhanced photosensitization, in which conjugated-polymer-based photosensitizers show much higher efficiency in singlet oxygen (1O2) production than their small-molecule analogs. Based on small-molecule photosensitizers SM1–SM4 with long wavelength emission, four conjugated polymer photosensitizers, CP1–CP4, were prepared. Interestingly, the conjugated polymer photosensitizers CP1–CP4 showed 5.06-, 5.07-, 1.73-, and 3.42-fold higher 1O2 generation efficiency than SM1–SM4, respectively. The improved intersystem crossing process from the singlet excitation states to the triplet excitation states and improved light-harvesting ability are essential to the enhancement of 1O2 generation efficiency. To illustrate the advantages of conjugated polymer photosensitizers on various applications, we demonstrate the superior performance of CP1 by using photoinduced organic waste decomposition, photoinduced organic oxidation reaction, and photodynamic cancer therapy as examples.

Seismic multi-pathing effects, attributed to a contrast in seismic attenuation between the back-arc mantle wedge and subducted crust, are detected in central Honshu, northeastern Japan. We observe an initial broadened P-wave which is followed by a delayed higher frequency P-wave signal. Their discrepant frequencies are best explained by attenuation effects: delayed P-wave signals travel in the low-attenuation oceanic crust and therefore contain more high frequency components. The time separation between the initial broadened P-waves and the delayed P-wave signals are affected by the seismic velocity in the subducted oceanic crust. We observe systematic variation in the delay times of the later waves indicating an increase in seismic velocity in the oceanic crust (relative to the mantle wedge) at ∼130–150 km depth. High-frequency seismic simulations incorporating mineral-physics derived models show that a 4% Vp increase due to the blueschist decomposition and a 9% Vp increase associated with the (lawsonite, talc)–eclogite transition replicate the observed delay time variation. The blueschist breakdown may occur at a depth of ∼100 km and the (lawsonite, talc)–eclogite transition might be linked with the reduced seismicity level at depths greater than 150 km. Distinct from traditional guided waves, the multi-pathing effects in this study are mainly controlled by attenuation contrast and therefore may not require the oceanic crust to have low velocity and any special decoupling mechanism. The multi-pathing effects offer us another important tool to image subducted oceanic crust below back-arc mantle wedges, especially where guided waves are not observable. In this study, we demonstrate the value of observing and simulating high frequency seismic waves (>20 Hz) in advancing our understanding of subduction zones.

Aflatoxin (AFB) is one of the most toxic fungal metabolites produced by Aspergillus flavus, which may contaminate food and agricultural products. Herein, an aptamer-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor was developed to detect AFBs. The chosen aptamer showed comparable interaction with the two AFBs, namely aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin B2 (AFB2). Such phenomenon was rarely reported, and might lead to a simultaneous detection of both AFBs. In this study, AFB1 was used to systematically establish the detection method. In the SPR system, streptavidin proteins were immobilized on the surface of a CM5 sensor chip as a cross-linker and biotin-aptamers were captured through streptavidin-biotin interaction. After optimization, the assay showed a dynamic range between 0.09 and 200 ng mL−1 (linear range from 1.5 to 50 ng mL−1 and a LOD of 0.19 ng mL−1) of AFB1 in buffer. As expected, the aptasensor showed high specificity towards AFB1 and AFB2, but hardly bound to other toxins with similar structures, including ochratoxin A (OTA), ochratoxin B (OTB), Zeralenone (ZEA) and T-2 toxin (T-2). Determination of AFB1 in vinegar was further performed using the SPR biosensor. Recoveries of AFB1 from spiked samples ranged from 96.3 to 117.8%. The developed SPR assay is a simple, fast and sensitive approach for the detection of residual AFBs in agricultural products and foodstuffs like vinegar.

Volumetric heterogeneities on large (∼>1000 km) and intermediate scales (∼>100 km) in the lowermost mantle have been established with seismological approaches. However, there are controversies regarding the level of heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle at small scales (a few kilometers to tens of kilometers), with lower bound estimates ranging from 0.1% to a few percent. We take advantage of the small amplitude PcP waves at near podal distances (0–12°) to constrain the level of small-scale heterogeneity within 250 km above the CMB. First, we compute short period synthetic seismograms with a finite difference code for a series of volumetric heterogeneity models in the lowermost mantle, and find that PcP is not identifiable if the small-scale heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle is above 2.5%. We then use a functional form appropriate for coda decay to suppress P coda contamination. By comparing the corrected envelope of PcP and its precursors with synthetic seismograms, we find that perturbations of small-scale (∼8 km) heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle is ∼0.2–0.5% beneath regions of the China–Myanmar border area, Okhotsk Sea and South America. Whereas strong perturbations (∼1.0%) are found beneath Central America. In the regions studied, we find that this particular type of small-scale heterogeneity in the lowermost mantle is weak, yet there are some regions requiring heterogeneity up to 1.0%. Where scattering is stronger, such as under Central America, more chemically complex mineral assemblages may be present at the core–mantle boundary.

A numerical simulation of the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) at Reynolds number of 500 is carried out for a circular cylinder with a downstream rigidly connected control rod. The mass ratio (m*) and damping ratio ( ξ ) are fixed as 10 and 5 × 10−4. The fluid dynamics is obtained by solving arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) Navier–Stokes equations, and the structure dynamics is solved using Newmark- β method. The grid convergence is tested using five different grids to select the proper mesh. The model and computational method are validated by comparing with the previous research, and a good agreement is reached. The VIV of the cylinder system at eight different gap ratios ( G ∕ D = 0 . 01 ∼ 2 ) are simulated. The responses of the cylinder system are discussed following the classification of the flow patterns at different gap ratios. The same VIV characteristic can be observed in the same flow pattern. The sub-harmonic resonance is observed in the VIV of the cylinder system for large reduced velocity as G ∕ D 0 . 7 . A simple formula is used to explain the sub-harmonic resonance. The vortex shedding mode and the frequency of the lift force on the cylinders in the lock-in regime are used to validate the formula. The smaller the gap ratio is, the more lock-in regimes can be excited, and the higher-order sub-harmonic resonance can be observed. The control rod has a great influence or even is decisive on the VIV of the cylinder system at small gap ratio. As the gap ratio increases, the effect of the control rod is becoming weak. Besides the natural frequency of the cylinder system, the frequency corresponding to the vortex shedding mode is observed in the lift coefficient of the cylinders.

The research about response of a circular cylinder fitted with rigid splitter plates has been performed previously to control VIV while a structure instability, galloping has been found under some conditions, which has an increasing interest recently. However, the galloping instability attached with flexible splitter plate (FSP1) is studied scarcely. In the present study, a FSP of different length (0.5 ≤ L/D ≤ 2.5) (where L is the length of splitter plates, D is the external diameter of cylinder) was proposed to control the vortex induced vibration (VIV). It was found that the vibration can be well controlled for L/D ≤ 1.1. As a further increase of length of splitter plates, severe galloping occurs. The amplitude response is even higher than that of bare cylinder. Flow visualization showed that shear layers and vortex shedding are controlled by the wave motion of flexible splitter plates. Unlike the classical galloping, it would not persist for all velocities above a certain value. A simple study about the influence of bending stiffness has shown that the response is very sensitive to bending stiffness. FFT spectrums of streamwise velocity obtained from hotwire tests revealed more harmonic components, other than natural frequency, are present when the cylinder is attached with flexible splitter plates. It may be possible that these higher harmonic components are partly responsible for the more violent response.

Recently, perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) were employed as promising emitters in light-emitting diode devices (LEDs) mainly owing to their marvelous photoelectronics properties. However, these perovskite QLEDs suffered from the inefficient performance, especially their serious efficiency roll-off probably due to the exciton recombination dynamic in the interface of PQDs films and charge imbalance resulting from low electrical transportation. Herein, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was effectively introduced to synthesize PQDs with many excellent properties and eventually suppressed the efficiency roll-off of QLEDs. SDS-based PQDs films exhibited obviously enhanced radiative recombination, reduced trap density, and increased carrier mobility, especially the transportation of electrons. Therefore, the charge carrier was balanced at high current density together with the remarkably suppressed efficiency roll-off. QLEDs fabricated by SDS-capped PQDs exhibited significantly improved maximum brightness of 193,810 cd/m2, and achieve the external quantum efficiency of 10.13%. More importantly, the EQE roll-off of QLED optimized in the thickness of emitting layer was only 1.5% at the current density of 200 mA/cm2, representing a prominent achievement of our strategy.

Summary Image-guided therapy is one of the most promising strategies for efficiently curing a tumor. Here, a novel nanomaterial with chemiexcited far-red/near-infrared (FR/NIR) emission and singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) generation is reported for precise diagnosis and treatment of tumors. Bis[2,4,5-trichloro-6-(pentyloxycarbonyl)phenyl] oxalate (CPPO) and a specially designed photosensitizer TBD with aggregation-induced FR/NIR emission were co-encapsulated by pluronic F-127 and soybean oil to form C-TBD nanoparticles (C-TBD NPs). These NPs serve as a specific H 2 O 2 probe to precisely track tumors in vivo through chemiluminescence imaging. In addition, effective 1 O 2 generation by C-TBD NPs in response to tumor H 2 O 2 was observed, which could efficiently induce tumor cell apoptosis and inhibit tumor growth. Both the chemiluminescence response and the therapeutic function were further enhanced when β-phenylethyl isothiocyanate was used to enhance the H 2 O 2 production at the tumor site. Our results prove that C-TBD NPs provide a new strategy for intelligent, accurate, and non-invasive tumor therapy.

Activatable photosensitizers (PSs) and chemo-prodrugs are highly desirable for anti-cancer therapy to reduce systemic toxicity. However, it is difficult to integrate both together into a molecular probe for combination therapy due to the complexity of introducing PS, singlet oxygen quencher, chemo-drug, chemo-drug inhibitor and active linker at the same time. To realize activatable PS and chemo-prodrug combination therapy, we develop a smart therapeutic platform in which the chemo-prodrug serves as the singlet oxygen quencher for the PS. Specifically, the photosensitizing activity and fluorescence of the PS (TPEPY-SH) are blocked by the chemo-prodrug (Mitomycin C, MMC) in the probe. Meanwhile, the cytotoxicity of MMC is also inhibited by the electron-withdrawing acyl at the nitrogen position next to the linker. Upon glutathione activation, TPEPY-S-MMC can simultaneously release active PS and MMC for combination therapy. The restored fluorescence of TPEPY-SH is also used to report the activation for both PS and MMC as well as to guide the photodynamic therapy.

The 2015 M w 7.8 Gorkha earthquake sequence that unzipped the lower edge of the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) in central Nepal provides an exceptional opportunity to understand the fault geometry in this region. However, the limited number of focal mechanisms and the poor horizontal locations and depths of earthquakes in the global catalog impede us from clearly imaging the ruptured MHT. In this study, we generalized the Amplitude Amplification Factor (AAF) method to teleseismic distance that allows us to model the teleseismic P-waves up to 1.5 Hz. We used well-constrained medium-sized earthquakes to establish AAF corrections for teleseismic stations that were later used to invert the high-frequency waveforms of other nearby events. This new approach enables us to invert the focal mechanisms of some early aftershocks, which is challenging by using other long-period methods. With this method, we obtained 12 focal mechanisms more than that in the GCMT catalog. We also modeled the high-frequency teleseismic P-waves and the surface reflection phases (pP and sP) to precisely constrain the depths of the earthquakes. Our results indicate that the uncertainty of the depth estimation is as small as 1–2 km. Finally, we refined the horizontal locations of these aftershocks using carefully hand-picked arrivals. The refined aftershock mechanisms and locations delineate a clear double-ramp geometry of the MHT, with an almost flat decollement sandwiched in between. The flat (dip ∼7 degrees) portion of the MHT is consistent with the coseismic rupture of the mainshock, which has a well-constrained slip distribution. The fault morphology suggests that the ramps, both along the up-dip and down-dip directions, play a significant role in stopping the rupture of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Our method can be applied to general subduction zone earthquakes and fault geometry studies.

Seven C-methylcalix[4]resorcinarene (CRA)-based photorefractive (PR) hyper-structured molecular glasses (HSMGs) containing carbazole-based methine nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores were designed and synthesized via esterification between carboxyl-containing asymmetric CRA core molecule and hydroxyl-containing functional compounds. When the feed ratio of hydroxyl-containing NLO functional compounds to carboxyl groups of CRA-COOH was kept at 1.5/1 by mole, the degree of introduction of NLO chromophore to the CRA core was above 70%. All the HSMGs show low glass transition temperatures (Tg), and good solubility in common low boiling point solvents such as THF, CHCl3, etc. Powder XRD and UV–vis absorption in films of HSMGs indicate that the aggregation, packing and crystallization of the NLO chromophores in these HSMGs had been effectively reduced. Doping with N-ethyl-carbazole (ECz) as a plasticizer and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as a photosensitizer, all the HSMGs composites showed good PR effects. All the coupling gain coefficients (Γ) of HSMGs-based composites are about twice to the corresponding small molecular NLO chromophores-based composites, thanks to the decreased NLO chromophores antiparallel packing caused by the asymmetric CRA core. Among them, CRA-CSN/ECz/PCBM (69:30:1, wt%) composite exhibited the best performance with the Γ value of 78.2 cm−1 at the external electric field of 12.5 V μm−1, which is one of the best performance in molecular glasses under the same test conditions. Coupled with their convenient synthesis, this work will provide a new simple design strategy for organic PR materials.

Summary Signal amplification is one of the simplest and most effective strategies for efficiently improving the performance of emerging sensing, imaging, and therapy technologies. For the amplification of detection signals and enhancement of therapeutic effects, the light-harvesting and energy-transfer properties of conjugated polymers (CPs) have made this class of materials a key platform for amplifying detection signatures that betray the presence of biomarkers and enhancing therapeutic action. In this review, we first summarize CP-amplified fluorescence sensing in homogeneous solution and on solid supports. We then discuss how CPs can be integrated into amplified in vitro and in vivo imaging with the use of both fluorescence and self-luminesce phenomena. We further illustrate and examine the importance of CPs as amplifiers through examples of enhanced photodynamic therapy. To conclude, we discuss the challenges, opportunities, and perspectives for the future development of this field.

In many regression applications, the predictors naturally fall into two categories: "the predictors of primary interest" and "the predictors of secondary interest". It is often desirable to have a dimension reduction method that focuses on the predictors of primary interest while controlling the effect of the predictors of secondary interest. To achieve this goal, a partial dimension reduction method via projective resampling of a composite vector containing the response variable(s) and the predictors of secondary interest is proposed. The proposed method is general in the sense that the predictors of secondary interest can be quantitative, categorical or a combination of both. An application of the proposed method for estimation in partially linear models is emphasized. The performance of the proposed method is assessed and compared with other competing methods via extensive simulation. The empirical results show that, in addition to the superior estimation accuracy, the proposed method has a considerable computational advantage. We also demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method by analyzing two real datasets.