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Piezoelectric actuators play a strong part in the field of electromechanical applications by precisely transferring input electric energy into mechanical force, electric displacement efficiently based on inverse piezoelectric effect. It is still challenging for high-drive electromechanical applications to rely on advanced ferroelectrics with high piezoelectricity. This study focuses on the xPb(Ni1/3Sb2/3)O3–(1 − x)Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O3 ternary ceramics as the base composition to design morphotropic phase boundary region to strengthen piezoelectric response. The results show that the composition at x = 0.12 locates at morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region which exhibits optimal piezoelectric charge coefficient d33 of 481 pC/N, Curie temperature Tc of 226 °C, and electromechanical coupling coefficient kp = 0.43, respectively. Additionally, this composition demonstrates excellent temperature stability within a range of 160 °C, suggesting its potential as a promising solution for high electromechanical applications. In summary, a comprehensive piezoelectric performance evaluation of the PNS-PZT ternary ceramics was conducted for the first time, yielding the highest piezoelectric coefficient compared with reported peer-reviewed literature. These findings contribute novel perspectives to the compositional design of high-performance piezoelectric actuators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric capacitors offer great potential for advanced electronics due to their high power densities, but their energy density still needs to be further improved. High-entropy strategy has emerged as an effective method for improving energy storage performance, however, discovering new high-entropy systems within a high-dimensional composition space is a daunting challenge for traditional trial-and-error experiments. Here, based on phase-field simulations and limited experimental data, we propose a generative learning approach to accelerate the discovery of high-entropy dielectrics in a practically infinite exploration space of over 1011 combinations. By encoding-decoding latent space regularities to facilitate data sampling and forward inference, we employ inverse design to screen out the most promising combinations via a ranking strategy. Through only 5 sets of targeted experiments, we successfully obtain a Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3-based high-entropy dielectric film with a significantly improved energy density of 156 J cm−3 at an electric field of 5104 kV cm−1, surpassing the pristine film by more than eight-fold. This work introduces an effective and innovative avenue for designing high-entropy dielectrics with drastically reduced experimental cycles, which could be also extended to expedite the design of other multicomponent material systems with desired properties. High-entropy ceramic dielectrics show promise for capacitive energy storage but struggle due to vast composition possibilities. Here, the authors propose a generative learning approach for finding high-energy-density high-entropy dielectrics in a practically infinite exploration space of over 1011 combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess direct costs and risks associated with revision operations for distal junctional kyphosis/failure (DJK) following thoracic posterior spinal instrumented fusions (TPSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Methods: Children who underwent TPSF for AIS by a single surgeon (2014–2020) were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were minimum follow-up of 2 years, thoracolumbar posterior instrumented fusion with a lower instrumented vertebra (LIV) cranial to L2. Patients who developed DJK requiring revision operations were identified and compared with those who did not develop DJK. Results: Seventy-nine children were included for analysis. Of these, 6.3% developed DJK. Average time to revision was 20.8 ± 16.2 months. Comparing index operations, children who developed DJK had significantly greater BMIs, significantly lower thoracic kyphosis postoperatively, greater post-operative lumbar Cobb angles, and significantly more LIVs cranial to the sagittal stable vertebrae (SSV), despite having statistically similar pre-operative coronal and sagittal alignment parameters and operative details compared with non-DJK patients. Revision operations for DJK, when compared with index operations, involved significantly fewer levels, longer operative times, greater blood loss, and longer hospital lengths of stay. These factors resulted in significantly greater direct costs for revision operations for DJK ($76,883 v. $46,595; p < 0.01). Conclusions: In this single-center experience, risk factors for development of DJK were greater BMI, lower post-operative thoracic kyphosis, and LIV cranial to SSV. As revision operations for DJK were significantly more costly than index operations, all efforts should be aimed at strategies to prevent DJK in the AIS population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endoscopic spine surgery has recently grown in popularity due to the potential benefits of reduced pain and faster recovery time as compared to open surgery. Biportal spinal endoscopy has been successfully applied to lumbar disc herniations and lumbar spinal stenosis. Obesity is associated with increased risk of complications in spine surgery. Few prior studies have investigated the impact of obesity and associated medical comorbidities with biportal spinal endoscopy. Methods: This study was a prospectively collected, retrospectively analyzed comparative cohort design. Patients were divided into cohorts of normal body weight (Bone Mass Index (BMI)18.0–24.9), overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9) and obese (BMI > 30.0) as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Patients underwent biportal spinal endoscopy by a single surgeon at a single institution for treatment of lumbar disc herniations and lumbar spinal stenosis. Demographic data, surgical complications, and patient-reported outcomes were analyzed. Statistics were calculated amongst treatment groups using analysis of variance and chi square where appropriate. Statistical significance was determined as p < 0.05. Results: Eighty-four patients were followed. 26 (30.1%) were normal BMI, 35 (41.7%) were overweight and 23 (27.4%) were obese. Patients with increasing BMI had correspondingly greater American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) scores. There were no significant differences in VAS Back, VAS Leg, and ODI scores, or postoperative complications among the cohorts. There were no cases of surgical site infections in the cohort. All cohorts demonstrated significant improvement up to 1 year postoperatively. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that obesity is not a risk factor for increased perioperative complications with biportal spinal endoscopy and has similar clinical outcomes and safety profile as compared to patients with normal BMI. Biportal spinal endoscopy is a promising alternative to traditional techniques to treat common lumbar pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A machine learning (ML)-based random forest (RF) classification model algorithm was employed to investigate the main factors affecting the formation of the core-shell structure of BaTiO3-based ceramics and their interpretability was analyzed by using Shapley additive explanations (SHAP). An F1-score changed from 0.879 5 to 0.931 0, accuracy from 0.845 0 to 0.907 0, precision from 0.871 4 to 0.900 0, recall from 0.892 9 to 0.964 3, and ROC/AUC value of 0.97±0.03 was achieved by the RF classification with the optimal set of features containing only 5 features, demonstrating the high accuracy of our model and its high robustness. During the interpretability analysis of the model, it was found that the electronegativity, melting point, and sintering temperature of the dopant contribute highly to the formation of the core-shell structure, and based on these characteristics, specific ranges were delineated and twelve elements were finally obtained that metall the requirements, namely Si, Sc, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Pd, Er, Tm, Lu, Pa, and Cm. In the process of exploring the structure of the core-shell, the doping elements can be effectively localized to be selected by choosing the range of features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In piezoelectric catalysis, the surface-bound charges induced by the piezoelectric effect will affect the effectiveness of piezoelectric catalytic reactions. BaTiO3 nanoparticles in this study were prepared by solvent improved hydrothermal method with surface modified and heterovalent La3+ ion doping, and piezoelectric catalytic activity was evaluated toward dye reactants under ultrasonic vibration. Due to La doping, the quantity of Ba vacancies in BaTiO3 will increase, resulting in a greater response of charge carriers under ultrasonic irradiation. Meanwhile, due to surface modification, carboxyl groups will be applied to the surface of BaTiO3 nanoparticles, resulting in a decrease in particle size with increased specific surface area. The adsorption of carboxyl groups on the surface can also enhance the ability of BaTiO3 nanoparticles to capture organic dyes. Due to the synergistic effect of heterovalent ion doping and surface modification, BaTiO3 nanoparticles achieved a high voltage electrocatalytic reaction rate constant of 0.054 min−1 and a degradation efficiency of > 90% within 40 min under ultrasound conditions of 40 kHz and 100 W. These results indicate that by controlling the precursor and hydrothermal parameters, BaTiO3 nanoparticles were comprehensively modified, resulting in excellent piezoelectric catalytic performance. This study provides a new method for the preparation of chemically functionalized piezoelectric catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the interplay between the spatial and temporal distribution of geological hazards and the complex hazard-prone environment provides valuable insights for effective management of geological hazards. We analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of historical geological hazards in Hunan Province from 2015 to 2022 using standard deviation ellipse, mean nearest neighbor, and kernel density estimation. We also employed three machine learning models to evaluate the susceptibility of geological hazards. Our research reveals that the frequency trends of landslide, debris flow, and collapse over time exhibit highly similar characteristics, and their high-density areas in spatial distribution significantly overlap. Spatial correlation analysis and kernel density estimation show that geological hazards tend to aggregate in certain areas. Central Hunan and its surrounding regions are high-density areas for geological hazards, with the most severe surface collapses occurring in the Loudi area. Geological hazards are more likely to occur at the intersection of various administrative regions, and landslides, in particular, manifest as multi-point distributions, forming a belt around cities—especially in the Hengyang area, surrounded by ridges and mountains. The locus of gravity shift for geological hazards is complex, yet the distance is small, and it primarily concentrates in and around Loudi. Lithology is the most crucial factor affecting geological hazards, followed by elevation and the topographic relief index. The extreme gradient boosting model achieved an AUC value of 0.786, outperforming the random forest and support vector machine models. The susceptibility assessment aligns closely with the kernel density estimation results. This study provides a solid foundation for understanding the spatiotemporal evolution and susceptibility of geological hazards on a local scale, thereby aiding in hazard risk prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to study the difference in test results of online visual acuity (VA) test under different devices and screen brightness conditions and to compare online VA test with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS). Methods: Healthy volunteers with the best corrected VA of 0.0 LogMAR or higher were recruited. VAs under ETDRS were tested first, and then online VA test (the Stanford Acuity Test, StAT) visual acuities using iPad Air2 and Microsoft Surface pro4 under 50% and 100% screen brightness were performed. The VA results and the testing times were compared between different devices and screen brightness conditions. Results: A total of 101 eyes were included in this study. The VA results measured by the StAT were better than those of ETDRS. The VA results measured at 100% screen brightness were better than those of 50% brightness (mean difference, 0.013 logMAR at most, less than 1 letter); the VA results measured by iPad Air2 were better than those of Surface pro4 (mean difference, −0.009 logMAR at most, less than 1 letter). Significantly less time was spent on VA testing under StAT than that under ETDRS. Conclusion: The impact of screen brightness and the device on the VA results generated by online VA tests was clinically insignificant. In addition, online VA tests are found to be reliable and more time efficient than ETDRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric materials are widely used in the direction of sensors. PZT-based ceramics are very suitable for precision sensors. However, due to the low Curie temperature, the application temperature range of the material is relatively narrow. Here we show a high-performance material 0.6PZT–0.4PNN. In this case, a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region was artificially designed in the 0.6Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3–0.4Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3 (x = 0.35–0.41) ceramics to develop high-performance piezoelectric compositions which could cofire with low-cost Ag/Pd inner electrode by 0.2wt% Li2CO3 addition. The ceramic composition at x = 0.39 near MPB possess exceptional properties with high piezoelectric coefficient d33 ∼ 611 pC/N, planar electromechanical coupling coefficient kp ∼ 53.5%, low mechanical quality factor Qm ∼ 64.5 piezoelectric strain of 0.17%, and suitable Curie temperature Tc ∼ 191 °C, respectively. The fact that d33 was detected close to Tc, and no noticeable change below 6.6% in cycling stability was observed at 20 kV/cm means a robust temperature-independence and fatigue reliability of the piezoelectric ceramics. Thus, this research provides a novel high-piezoelectricity configuration with elemental regulation, comparable to the commercial PZTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neonatal mortality and morbidity are often caused by preterm birth and lower birth weight. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and gestational hypertension (GH) are the most prevalent maternal medical complications during pregnancy. However, evidence on effects of air pollution on adverse birth outcomes and pregnancy complications is mixed. Singleton live births conceived between January 1st, 2000, and December 31st, 2015, and reached at least 27 weeks of pregnancy in Kansas were included in the study. Trimester-specific and total pregnancy exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), and ozone (O3) were estimated using spatiotemporal ensemble models and assigned to maternal residential census tracts. Logistic regression, discrete-time survival, and linear models were applied to assess the associations. After adjustment for demographics and socio-economic status (SES) factors, we found increases in the second and third trimesters and total pregnancy O3 exposures were significantly linked to preterm birth. Exposure to the second and third trimesters O3 was significantly associated with lower birth weight, and exposure to NO2 during the first trimester was linked to an increased risk of GDM. O3 exposures in the first trimester were connected to an elevated risk of GH. We didn’t observe consistent associations between adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes with PM2.5 exposure. Our findings indicate there is a positive link between increased O3 exposure during pregnancy and a higher risk of preterm birth, GH, and decreased birth weight. Our work supports limiting population exposure to air pollution, which may lower the likelihood of adverse birth and pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Penile cancer is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis, even with various treatment options. Considering the little progress in the study of the pathogenesis and treatment of penile cancer because of the lack of models that mimic the biological properties of the tumor, we have developed a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model and paired hydrogel-embedded histoculture drug sensitivity test (HDST) to screen for drugs that can inhibit tumors. The increased expression of XPO1, as a key nuclear export protein involved in the transport of various tumor suppressors and cell cycle regulatory proteins, is associated with the prognosis of a variety of tumors [World J Uroly 27(2):141–150, 2009]. Selinexor is an inhibitor of XPO1, which can treat cancers, such as multiple myeloma, gastric cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and non-small cell carcinoma [Transl Androl Urol 6(5):785–790, 2017; OncoTargets Therapy 13:6405–6416, 2020]. However, whether XPO1 inhibition has a role in penile cancer remains unknown. Therefore, this article used the PDX and HDST models to investigate whether the inhibition of XPO1 has an effect on penile cancer and its underlying mechanism. Methods: We used penile cancer tumor tissues to construct a PDX model of penile cancer and paired PDXE model and confirmed the consistency of PDX tumor tissues in source patients. Then, we assessed the ability of Selinexor to inhibit penile cancer tissues in vivo using a PDX model and in vitro by HDST. We also examined the potential mechanism of XPO1 action on penile cancer by IHC and TUNEL. Finally, we assessed the safety of the drug treatment by H&E and biochemical blood analysis. Results: Result showed that the penile cancer PDX model and patient penile cancer tissues were clinically consistent in morphological characteristics and protein expression. In addition, Selinexor could inhibit tumor growth in PDX models and HDST. We found that P53, P21 expression was upregulated; Cyclin D1 expression was downregulated, and apoptosis of tumor cells was increased in the Selinexor-treated PDX model. Moreover, it had no significant effect on liver, kidney, and cardiac function. Conclusion: The PDX model of penile cancer was a powerful tool for penile cancer research and new drug development. It showed that Selinexor can effectively inhibit penile cancer in vitro and in vivo. In addition, XPO1 may affect P53, P21, and Cyclin D1 expression to regulate the growth and apoptosis of penile carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose that the double barrier effect is expected to enhance the tunneling electroresistance (TER) in the ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs). To demonstrate the feasibility of this mechanism, we design a model structure of Pt/BaTiO3/LaAlO3/Pt/BaTiO3/LaAlO3/Pt double barrier ferroelectric tunnel junction (DB-FTJ), which can be considered as two identical Pt/BaTiO3/LaAlO3/Pt single barrier ferroelectric tunnel junctions (SB-FTJs) connected in series. Based on density functional calculation, we obtain the giant TER ratio of 2.210 × 108% in the DB-FTJ, which is at least three orders of magnitude larger than that of the SB-FTJs of Pt/BaTiO3/LaAlO3/Pt, together with an ultra-low resistance area product (0.093 KΩμm2) in the high conductance state of the DB-FTJ. Moreover, it is possible to control the direction of polarization of the two single ferroelectric barriers separately and thus four resistance states can be achieved, making DB-FTJs promising as multi-state memory devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Ba(0.5−1.5x)Sr0.5LaxTiO3(x = 0.005,0.01,0.015,0.02) ceramics were manufactured in N2 atmosphere by solid state reaction method. All ceramic samples present a cubic perovskite phase. The relative dielectric constant of the sample can reach 115,648 at 1000 Hz and 25 °C when x = 0.01, with a dielectric loss of less than 0.04 and a relatively high dielectric temperature stability in a region of 25–250 °C. The same sample experiences a decline in dielectric constant when it is annealed in air. In addition, there is an increase in its dielectric loss, with two sets of dielectric loss peaks. According to the systematic analysis, both the thermal motion of the oxygen vacancy and its defective dipole are responsible for the relaxation behavior. This may serve as a reference for the future study of the dielectric properties of modified materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(Ba, Sr)TiO3 ceramic attracts much interest due to its adjustable dielectric performance and outstanding dielectric properties. Alkali-free multi-component glasses with their high dielectric breakdown strength are considered as one of the promising candidates for next-generation high energy density storage capacitor applications. In the present study, oxalate co-precipitation method has been applied to obtain (Ba, Sr)TiO3 nanopowders, which were used to fabricate composite with Ba–B–Al–Si glass and (Ba, Sr)TiO3 ceramic. The parameters, such as the sintering temperature, dielectric constant, and breakdown strength were studied. The results indicated that the sintering temperature and the dielectric constant decreased with increasing the glass content, while the breakdown strength increased firstly and then decreased due to the modification of the microstructure. The effect of different alkali-free glass additions on the sintering temperature and dielectric properties of (Ba, Sr)TiO3 were studied. The composite with 13.5 vol.% Ba–B–Zn glass phase was sintered at 920 °C and showed optimal electrical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we proposed a novel method of adding large amount of excessive Ti in Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based thin film to improve its energy storage density. Ti-excess 0.94Bi0.5Na0.5TixO3-0.06BaTixO3 (BNBTx, x = 1.00, 1.05, 1.10, 1.15) thin films were successfully prepared by sol–gel method. It was found that the phase structure of the thin films kept unchanged with the increase of Ti content, and substantial improvements in microstructure and breakdown strength could be obtained by the addition of an excess of Ti in BNBTx thin films, as well as reduced leakage. As a result, improved energy storage density of 34 J/cm3 and energy storage efficiency of 48% were achieved simultaneously in BNBT1.15 thin film at a medium electric field of 2400 kV/cm. Furthermore, Ti-excess thin films showed high-dielectric constant with good temperature stability from 25 to 200 °C. These results demonstrate that Ti-excess BNBTx thin film is a potential system for energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric film capacitors are widely studied in recent years owing to their advanced power density and excellent mechanical and thermal stability. Despite the fact that extensive research has been done, the energy storage density still needs to be further improved. Herein, the highly polarized phase and amorphous phase are introduced into barium zirconate titanate simultaneously by the sol–gel method to fabricate (1−x)BaZr0.2Ti0.8O3−xBi0.5Na0.5TiO3 ((1−x)BZT−xNBT) amorphous films, researching the impact of amorphous phase and NBT levels on microstructure, energy storage, and dielectric properties of the films systematically. This material can generate a giant recoverable energy density of 86.35 J cm−3 and a great energy efficiency of 89.2% when x = 0.10, showing great thermal stability in energy storage property and dielectric property at 20–200 °C and excellent cycling reliability up to 105 cycles, which indicate the potential of 0.9BZT–0.1NBT film in the energy storage field. More importantly, there is no research on BZT-NBT films in the published literatures up to now. This work verifies the feasibility of this system in energy storage films and provides a new avenue to design lead-free dielectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The piezoelectric strain of K0.5Na0.5NbO3-based lead-free ceramic at different temperatures was studied. The Rayleigh analysis shows that the intrinsic and extrinsic contributions are increased at temperature from 173 to 298 K. In addition, a monoclinic phase structure was observed at 83 K. The results of phase field simulation show that the temperature dependent microstructure evolution is a function of the local structure size. This work contributes to understanding the structure and properties relationship of the multi-cations doped KNN-based piezoelectric ceramics as a function of temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realizing a high-performance and energy-efficient circuit system is one of the critical tasks for circuit designers. Conventional researchers always concentrated on the tradeoffs between the energy and the performance in circuit and system design based on accurate computing. However, as video/image processing and machine learning algorithms are widespread, the technique of approximate computing in these applications has become a hot topic. The errors caused by approximate computing could be tolerated by these applications with specific processing or algorithms, and large improvements in performance or power savings could be achieved with some acceptable loss in final output quality. This paper presents a survey of approximate computing from arithmetic units design to high-level applications, in which we try to give researchers a comprehensive and insightful understanding of approximate computing. We believe that approximate computing will play an important role in the circuit and system design in the future, especially with the rapid development of artificial intelligence algorithms and their related applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The requisite for piezoelectric ceramics, which can offer increased sensitivity in harsh environment, is to own high Curie temperature. Here, lead-free 0.75BiFe0.94(Zn1/2Ti1/2)0.06O3-0.25BaTiO3-xmol%MnO2 (BFZT-BT-M) ceramics were selected to develop a novel high temperature piezoelectric composition. Doping of Mn markedly improved comprehensive piezoelectric properties of BFZT-BT-M ceramics at x = 0.25 with the maximum piezoelectric constant d33 of 118 pC/N and high Curie temperature of 503 °C, respectively. The thermal depolarization stability is up to 400 °C. Favorable electrical properties combined with high Curie temperature make the BFZT-BT-M ceramics suitable for high temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different acquisition data approaches have been used to fetch the fluorescence spectra. However, the comparison between them is rare. Also, the extendability of a sensor array, which can work with heavy metal ions and other types of analytes, is scarce. In this study, we used first- and second-order fluorescent data generated by 6-Aza-2-thiothymine-gold nanocluster (ATT-AuNCs) as a single probe along with machine learning to distinguish between a group of heavy metal ions. Moreover, the dimensionality reduction was carried out for the different acquisition data approaches. In our case, the accuracy of different machine learning algorithms using first-order data outperforms the second-order data before and after the dimensionality reduction. For proving the extendibility of this approach, four anions were used as an example. As expected, the same finding has been found. Furthermore, random forest (RF) showed more stable and accurate results than other models. Also, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) gave acceptable accuracy in the analysis of the high-dimensionality data. Accordingly, using LDA in high-dimensionality data (the first- and second-order data) analysis was highlighted for discrimination between the selected heavy metal ions in different concentrations and in different molar ratios, as well as in real samples. Also, the same method was applied for the anion's discrimination, and LDA gave an excellent separation ability. Moreover, LDA was able to differentiate between all the selected analytes with excellent separation ability. Additionally, the quantitative detection was considered using a wide concentration range of Cd2+, and the LOD was 60.40 nM. Therefore, we believe that our approach opens new avenues for linking analytical chemistry, especially sensor array chemistry, with machine learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Costs of revision operations for distal junctional kyphosis following thoracic posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis" published in the European Spine Journal. The correction addresses an error in the affiliation of the third author, Jacob F. Oeding. The correct affiliation is the School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA. The original article has been corrected. The publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. The authors of the article are Alekos A. Theologis, Hao-Hua Wu, Jacob F. Oeding, and Mohammad Diab. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: The accuracy of preoperative patient-reported weight was never evaluated in patients undergoing lower extremity procedures. The purpose of this study was to: (1) compare the disparity between patient-reported and measured weights in patients undergoing lower extremity total joint arthroplasty (LE-TJA) and arthroscopy; and (2) investigate the association between patient-specific factors (patient age, BMI, zip code, and psychiatric comorbidities) and the accuracy of patient-reported weight. Methods: Preoperative self-reported weights were retrospectively compared to measured weights in 400 LE-TJA and 85 control arthroscopy patients. The difference between reported and measured weights was calculated. Additionally, the percent of accurate reporting within 0.5, 1, and 5 kg ranges of the measured weight was calculated. Outcomes were compared between surgical modalities as well as between patient-specific factors. Results: There was low disparity (p = 0.838) between patient-reported and measured weights among LE-TJA (mean difference 0.18 ± 3.63 kg; p = 0.446) and that of arthroscopy (0.27 ± 4.08 kg; p = 0.129) patients. Additionally, LE-TJA patients were equally likely to report weights accurately within 0.5 kg of the measured weight (74% vs. 71.76%; p = 0.908). LE-TJA and arthroscopy patients had similar reporting accuracy within 1 and 5 kg of the measured weights (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Preoperative patient-reported weights demonstrated acceptable accuracy in both LE-TJA and lower extremity arthroscopic orthopaedic patient populations making it a potentially reliable parameter of preoperative assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a kind of sensing and imaging fluorescent probe with the merit of low toxicity, good stability, and environment-friendly, silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) are currently attracting extensive research. In this work, we obtained mitoxantrone-SiNPs (MXT-SiNPs) with green emission by one-pot synthesis under mild temperature condition. The antenna based on pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) was designed for light-harvesting to enhance the luminescence of MXT-SiNPs and to establish a novel sensing strategy for alkaline phosphatase (ALP). PLP transfers the absorbed photon energy to MXT-SiNPs by forming Schiff base. When PLP is dephosphorized by ALP, the released free hydroxyl group reacts with aldehyde group to form internal hemiacetal, which leads to the failure of Schiff base formation. Based on the relationship between antenna formation ability and PLP hydrolysis degree, the activity of ALP can be measured. A good linear relationship was obtained from 0.2 to 3.0 U/L, with a limit of detection of 0.06 U/L. Furthermore, the sensing platform was successfully used to detect ALP in human serum with recovery of 97.6–106.2%. The rational design of antenna elements for fluorescent nanomaterials can not only provide a new pathway to manipulate the luminescence, but also provide a new direction for fluorescence sensing strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric capacitors are extensively applied in the electronics industry and energy storage fields due to their fast charging and discharging and better safety and stability. However, the inferior dielectric stability and low energy storage density observably limited the applications in electronics industry. A reasonable microstructural design of hierarchically structured ceramics by synergistic multiscale-domain is applied to the preparation of dielectric ceramics capacitors to improve the dielectric and energy storage properties. The dielectric and energy storage performance of materials could be adjusted and controlled by coordinating the single domain and multi domain structures of nanograins and macro grains. BaTiO3-based dielectric ceramics are prepared by fabricating around macrocrystalline BaTiO3 with nanocrystalline BaTiO3. The synergistic effect for the various grain sizes of BaTiO3 can significantly enhance the breakdown strength and polarization and achieve excellent dielectric properties. The results show that predominant dielectric temperature stability in compliance with the X9R standard is obtained. Synchronously, a large discharge energy storage density of 2.18 J cm−3 and an excellent energy storage efficiency of 77% together with prominent storage cycle stability (under 105 times) and extraordinary temperature stability (30–200 °C) is achieved in this hierarchical structure design for BaTiO3@FeO ceramics. The microstructure design by fabricated hierarchically structured materials provides a feasible illustration for developing dielectric capacitors with high-performance dielectric and energy storage capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sr4Fe6O13 ferrites as a new kind of high frequency microwave absorption materials were synthesized by solid-state method, and its high frequency microwave absorption performances were investigated. The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were added into Sr4Fe6O13 ferrites to form Sr4Fe6O13/CNTs composites with network structure, which improved the high-frequency dielectric performance and microwave absorption capacity. When the mass ratio of Sr4Fe6O13 and CNTs was 20, the Sr4Fe6O13/CNTs composites achieved the strongest absorption capacity (− 51 dB) at frequency of 15 GHz with 1.2 mm thickness. Those results indicate that Sr4Fe6O13/CNTs composites are suitable potential application to high-frequency communication device in suppressing electromagnetic interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric ceramics with good temperature stability and excellent energy storage performances are in great demand for numerous electrical energy storage applications. In this work, xSm doped 0.5Bi0.51Na0.47TiO3–0.5BaZr0.45Ti0.55O3 (BNT–BZT − xSm, x = 0–0.04) relaxor ferroelectric lead-free ceramics were synthesized by high temperature solid-state sintering for energy storage applications. The grain sizes of BNT–BZT − xSm ceramics exhibited gradually decrease with the increase of Sm doping content, and the temperature stability of dielectric properties were improved due to the significantly reduced dielectric constant at depolarization temperature (Td). It's worth noting that a good temperature stability with the variation of dielectric constant at − 50–200 °C (Δε) less than 15% was obtained in the BNT–BZT − 0.04Sm ceramic. A high recoverable energy storage density Wrec = 1.12 J/cm3 and high energy storage efficiency η = 89.6%, together with excellent temperature stability from 25 to 200 °C and fast charge–discharge t0.9 = 0.655 µs were achieved in BNT–BZT − 0.04Sm ceramic, demonstrating its potential application for future pulse electric device candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many methods are used to locate preoperative small pulmonary nodules. However, deficiencies of complications and success rates exist. We introduce a novel magnetic gel for small pulmonary nodules localization in rabbit model, and furtherly evaluate its safety and feasibility. Rabbits were used as the experimental objects. A magnetic gel was used as a tracer magnet, mixed as sodium alginate-Fe3O4 magnetic fluid and calcium gluconate solution. In short-term localization, a coaxial double-cavity puncture needle was applied to inject the gel into the lung after thoracotomy, and a pursuit magnet made of Nd-Fe-B permanent magnetic materials was used to attract the gel representing location of the nodule. In long-term localization, the gel was injected under X-ray guidance. Imaging changes to the lung were observed under X-ray daily. Thoracotomy was performed to excise tissue containing the gel, and hematoxylin–eosin staining was used to observe the tissue on postoperative days 1, 3, 5, and 7. Observe tissues morphology of heart, liver, spleen, and kidney in the same way. The gel was formed after injection and drew lung tissue to form a protrusion from the lung surface under the applied magnetic field. No complication was observed. The shape and position of the gel had not changed when viewed under X-ray. Pathological analysis showed the gel had a clear boundary without diffusion of magnetic fluid. All tissues retained good histologic morphology and no magnetic fluid was observed. Our study preliminarily suggested that the technique using sodium alginate-Fe3O4 magnetic gel to locate small pulmonary nodules with guidance of X-ray, and to search for them under an applied magnetic field during the operation is safe and feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium sodium niobate-based ceramics have been extensively studied as high-power energy storage capacitor in recent years due to their excellent dielectric properties. We investigated the microstructure, dielectric-temperature spectrum, and energy storage properties of SiO2-coated 0.9(k0.5Na0.5)NbO3–0.1Bi(Zn2/3Nb1/3)O3 (0.9KNN–0.1BZN) ceramics prepared by solid-state sintering and Stöber method. During the sintering process, SiO2 reacted with 0.9KNN–0.1BZN to form the second phase K3Nb3O6Si2O7. Coating SiO2 could improve the dielectric-temperature stability of 0.9KNN–0.1BZN ceramics, and had excellent performance adapting to high-temperature conditions. When the SiO2 content is 1.0 wt%, the maximum energy storage density of 0.9KNN–0.1BZN ceramics is 0.97 J/cm3, and the breakdown field strength is 200 kV/cm. This work expands the application of (k0.5Na0.5)NbO3 ceramics in the field of energy storage capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe doping has been investigated to determine the effect of defects on the piezoelectric properties of BaTiO3 ceramics. Fe doping can produce oxygen vacancies due to ionic replacement, and then a defect dipole ( Fe Ti ′ - V O · · ) is formed. This acceptor characteristic typically induces a reduced piezoelectric constant but improves the thermal stability and fatigue behavior. A thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) is employed to distinguish the role of defect dipoles from oxygen vacancies and characterize the reasons for fatigue behavior and thermal stability. TSDC of the pure BaTiO3 ceramic shows one peak, whereas Fe-doped ceramic shows two peaks. The first and second peaks are presumably ascribed to defect dipole and space charge polarization, respectively. This study provides an effective method to extensively investigate the effect of defect configuration on ferroelectric–piezoelectric behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensitive and rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria plays an important role in avoiding food poisoning. However, the practical application value of conventional assays for detection of foodborne bacteria, are limited by major drawbacks; these include the laboriousness of pure culture preparation, complexity of DNA extraction for polymerase chain reaction, and low sensitivity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Herein, we designed a non-complex strategy for the sensitive, quantitative, and rapid detection of Salmonella typhimurium with high specificity, using an anti-Salmonella typhimurium IgG-AuNC-based immunofluorescent-aggregation assay. Salmonella typhimurium was agglutinated with fluorescent anti-Salmonella typhimurium IgG-AuNC on a glass slide, and observed using a fluorescence microscope with photoexcitation and photoemission at 560 nm and 620 nm, respectively. Under optimized reaction conditions, the AuNC-based immunofluorescent-aggregation assay had a determination range between 7.0 × 103 and 3.0 × 108 CFU/mL, a limit of detection of 1.0 × 103 CFU/mL and an assay response time of 3 min. The technique delivered good results in assessing real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Zao Ren An Shen capsule (ZRASC) which is composed of three kinds of traditional Chinese herbs is a popular Chinese medicine for the treatment of insomnia. This study investigated the hypnotic effect of ZRASC in an anxiety-like mouse model. Methods: We determined the role of ZRASC in anxiety and co-morbid insomnia using electroencephalogram and electromyogram recordings. Anxiety-like behaviors were tested by using the open-field, light/dark box, or elevated plus-maze in mice. Immunohistochemical techniques were employed to reveal the mechanism by which ZRASC regulated anxiety and insomnia. Results: ZRASC at 680 mg/kg prolonged the time spent in the central area, open arms area, and light box by 1.9, 2.3, and 1.7-fold respectively, compared with the vehicle control group in immobilization stress (IMS) mice. ZRASC at 680 mg/kg given at 08:00 h increased the amount of non-rapid eye movement sleep by 1.4-fold in a 2-h period after dosing in IMS mice. However, it did not alter the sleep-wake behaviors in normal mice. Immunohistochemistry showed that IMS increased c-Fos expression in the neurons of the stria terminalis and tuberomammillary nucleus by 1.8 and 1.6-fold, respectively. In addition, ZRASC (680 mg/kg) reversed the IMS-induced c-Fos expression. Conclusions: Our results suggest that ZRASC is an effective therapeutic strategy for both anxiety disorder and sleep disturbances in an anxiety-like mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage dielectric ceramics play a more and more important role in power or electronics systems as a pulse power material, and the development of new technologies has put forward higher requirements for energy storage properties. Here, the sol-gel method was used to synthetize the 0.9BaTiO3-0.1Bi(Mg1/2Zr1/2)O3 (0.9BT–0.1BMZ) precursor powder and 0.9BT-0.1BMZ ceramics with pseudocubic phase was obtained. The 0.9BT-0.1BMZ dielectric ceramics possessed a strong relaxation behavior with 1.64 relaxation degree (g) and 0.15 eV relaxation activation energy (Ea) fitted by modified Curie–Weiss law and Vogel-Fulcher formulas, respectively. The most important was that by controlling the grain size to be reduced, the discharge energy storage density had been improved to 2.0 J/cm3 with high breakdown strength (325 kV/cm). In addition, the comprehensive analysis of electric field distributions, breakdown paths, and impedance spectra was illustrated the enhanced grain boundary effect can improve the energy storage performance obviously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin-dependent photogalvanic effect (PGE) in low-dimensional magnetic systems has recently attracted intensive attention. Based on first-principle transport calculations and symmetry analyses, we propose a robust scheme to generate pure spin current by PGE in centrosymmetric materials with spin polarization antisymmetry. As a demonstration, the idea is successfully applied to a photoelectric device constructed with a zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR), which has intrinsic antiferromagnetic coupling between the two edges and spin degenerate band structure. It suggests that spin splitting is not a prerequisite for pure spin current generation. More interestingly, by further introducing external transverse electric fields to the two leads to lift the spin degeneracy, the device may behave multifunctionally, capable of producing fully spin-polarized current or pure spin current, depending on whether the fields in the two leads are parallel or antiparallel. Very importantly, our scheme of pure spin current generation with PGE is not limited to ZGNR and can be extended to other two-dimensional (2D) centrosymmetric magnetic materials with spin polarization antisymmetry, suggesting a promising category of 2D platforms for PGE-based pure spin current generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1−x)[0.94Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 – 0.06BaTiO3]−xLa0.33NbO3 (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10) (BNBT-LN) bulk lead-free relaxor ferroelectric ceramics were synthesized via solid-state sintering method. Phase, microstructure and energy storage properties were determined. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed a single perovskite phase for compositions of x ≤ 0.02, while the second phase of Bi2Ti2O7 along with the parent phase for x ≥ 0.04. Dense microstructure with a decrease in grain size has been achieved via LN doping. The addition of LN decreased the remnant polarization (Pr), and coercive field (Ec), while increased the difference between the maximum polarization (Pmax) and remnant polarization (Pr). The high energy-storage density of 2.96 J/cm 3 and high recoverable energy density of 1.66 J/cm3 at a breakdown electric field of 214 kV/cm were achieved for the composition of x = 0.02 with good temperature stability satisfying the condition of Δεr /ε r200 °C ≤ ± 15% in a working temperature range of 70 °C to 400 °C. Similarly, a less discharge time of < 4 µs achieved in this study for x = 0.02. These results demonstrate that this material may be a good candidate material for power pulsed applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epoxy resin (E-51) was used as polymer matrix, conductive carbon black (CB) as conductive filler, and PZT was used to prepare a composite by curing. The effects of PZT and CB content on the properties of PZT/ CB/ EP piezoelectric composite were studied. When the PZT content reaches 40 wt%, the optimized vibration attenuation properties of PZT/CB/EP materials could be achieved with a loss factor of 0.9 from room temperature to 60 °C. With the increase of PZT content, the bending strength of PZT/CB/EP piezoelectric composite vibration reduction material firstly increased from 45 MPa to 65 MPa and then decreased to 38 MPa. At room temperature, the dielectric constant increased from 7 to 50, and the dielectric loss increased from 0.1 to 0.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of different sintering atmospheres (O2 and air) on the energy storage properties and dielectric characteristics were systematically investigated for 2MgO–2Al2O3–5SiO2 (MAS)-coated Er0.02Sr0.97TiO3 (EST) ceramics. The core–shell structure was formed by the sol-precipitation method. The ceramic sintered in O2 features fine grain, excellent frequency stability, low leakage current, high dielectric breakdown strength (BDS), and high energy storage density (Wreco). Compared with air-sintered ceramics, the dielectric DC breakdown strength of ceramic sintered in oxygen atmosphere has been enhanced significantly from 375 to 590 kV/cm. Besides, the maximum Wreco of 2.01 J/cm3 and efficiency of 86.2% were obtained at 460 kV/cm, which demonstrated that the core–shell structure and atmosphere sintering provide an instructive strategy for the design of high energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 30%) dipping treatment was conducted on Mn-doped Ca0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (CST) in this research, to modify the concentration of oxygen vacancies in dielectric ceramics. Structure characterization, including XRD, SEM, IR, and XPS, indicated minimal effect of H2O2 dipping on phase structure and grain size, while revealed a chemical reaction between H2O2 and the surface of CST. Electrical properties of the grain region remained unchanged after treatment, while the grain boundary region was sensitive to H2O2 dipping, due to faster diffusion rate of oxygen vacancies in grain boundary region. In addition to that, the bulk insulating properties was found to be dominated by grain boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BaTiO3@xMgO (BT@xMg, x = 0–7 mol%) ceramics were prepared by MgO-coated BT powders, which were synthesized by a chemical precipitation method. The effects of MgO coating on the phase structure, microstructure and dielectric properties of BT@xMg ceramics were explored. The solid solubility of Mg2+ at B-site in BT was about 0.8 mol%, which was confirmed by the c/a ratio variation. When x < 0.8 mol%, the degree of tetragonality and Curie temperature were decreased with the increase of MgO content, and it can be attributed to the B-site substitution of Mg2+ ion. At the same time, the decrease in grain size lead to the appearance of Orthorhombic at room temperature. With excess MgO beyond the solid solution limitation (≥ 0.8 mol%), inhomogeneous distribution of Mg was observed around grain boundaries which resulted in a core–shell structure in ceramics. The dielectric temperature stability was effectively improved with a low dielectric loss of ~ 0.01. Furthermore, a weak dependence of dielectric properties on MgO content was observed, where the composites of BT@3 Mg and BT@5 Mg ceramics met X8R standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A supramolecular polymer (CDP-DA) was prepared through the crosslinking reaction among the assembled complexes (CDDA) based on β-cyclodextrin (β-CyD) and octadecylamine (ODA). The structural properties of CDP-DA were clarified by experimental techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and thermal analysis. Based on the results of molecular docking, the crosslinking unit, CDDA, in the CDP-DA structure favors to exhibit the configuration that narrow rims of two host compounds (β-CyD) are opposite to each other leaving the amino group of ODA outside the host cavity. The corrosion inhibition performance of CDP-DA for mild steel in industrial condensate water was evaluated by electrochemical measurements and surface analyses, the mechanism of which was disclosed by molecular dynamics simulations in the aspects of adsorption equilibrium and ions diffusion models. The results of electrochemical tests indicate that CDP-DA effectively retards the anodic and cathodic reactions and improves the interfacial charge transfer resistance of mild steel in condensate water, which can be categorized as the mixed-type inhibitor. Surface analyses reveal that CDP-DA adsorbs on the steel surface in the integral form showing a monolayer nature, which is consolidated by molecular dynamics simulations. The diffusion behavior of in situ ions in the adsorbed layer is prominently suppressed as compared with those in bulk solution. The robust barrier layer and the mitigated diffusion of ions may contribute to the effective inhibition for CDP-DA against steel deterioration in the condensate water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a massive research has been devoted on the exploration of noble metal–based nanozyme, less progress has been made in the investigation of palladium (Pd) nanozyme and the interaction between ions and Pd nanozyme. In this study, a new type of Pd nanozyme was prepared by a facile one-pot approach by using carboxylated chitosan as the stabilizer. Owing to the synergistic effect of carboxylated chitosan stabilized Pd nanoparticles (CC-PdNPs) can effectively catalyze the H2O2-mediated oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine sulfate (TMB) accompanied by a blue color change (oxidized TMB), indicating the peroxidase-like activity of CC-PdNPs. Furthermore, the Michaelis-Menten constants and catalytic stability of CC-PdNPs render them suitable for environmental analysis and bio-detection. Here, we found that while introducing the iodine ions (I−) into the reaction medium, the peroxidase-like activity of CC-PdNPs has been rapidly and effectively inhibited through the formation of Pd-I bond; thus, the active sites of PdNPs can be blocked by I−. Based on this specific inhibition by I−, a facile colorimetric assay has been performed for the detection of I− with an extremely low limit of detection (0.19 nM). Furthermore, the practicality of the proposed sensor also has been demonstrated in tap water, and the satisfactory recoveries were obtained. Our study not only demonstrated a novel Pd–based nanozyme but also provided guidance for I− sensing for environmental analysis, food inspection, and bio-detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) covered with a bovine serum albumin scaffold and a particle size of 1.5 nm (BSA-PtS NPs) are shown to display enhanced multiple enzyme-mimicking activities including peroxidase, oxidase, and catalase-like activities. The peroxidase-like activity is characterized by robustness and low signal background. BSA-PtS NPs were used to design colorimetric assays for H2O2 and glucose. H2O2 latter reacts with 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine in the presence of BSA-PtS NPs to form a blue product with an absorption maximum at 652 nm. The assay works in the 5–250 μM H2O2 concentration range. The glucose assay is based on its glucose oxidase-catalyzed oxidation to produce gluconic acid and H2O2 which then is colorimetrically quantified. Response is linear in the 10–120 μM glucose concentration range, and the detection limit is 2 μM (at S/N = 3). The method correlates well with the glucose standard method (R2 = 0.997 in the 95% confidence interval) which confirms that glucose in human serum has been successfully detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of sintering temperatures on the phases, microstructures, defect structures and dielectric behaviors of the SrTi0.985(Nb2/3Zn1/3)0.015O3 ceramics have been systematically investigated. Giant permittivity (~ 10100) and low tangent loss (~ 0.035) are achieved in the ceramics sintered at 1500 °C. With an increase in sintering temperature, the grain size increases first and then stabilizes gradually, while the lattice constant increases first and then decreases. Higher sintering temperature is beneficial to the thermal stabilities of permittivity and tangent loss. Further investigations reveal that the giant permittivity mainly results from defect polarization. More Ti3+ ions and more oxygen vacancy-related defect complexes ( Ti 3 + - V O · · - Ti 3 + and V O · · - Zn Ti ″ , etc.) are involved in the ceramics sintered at 1500 °C, contributing to the giant permittivity and low tangent loss. The presence of point defects breaks the local structural symmetry and distorts the oxygen octahedron. Dielectric properties are deteriorated at excessive sintering temperature due to the dissociation of defect complexes as well as the enhanced interfacial polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-state sintering method was used for the synthesis of Mg1−xCoxSiO3 (x = 0–0.25) ceramics. Phase, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics were investigated. With increase in Co2+ content, the increase was observed in the lattice parameters. The Qufo value of MgSiO3 was enhanced from 103,453 to 145,846 GHz with increasing the value of x content from 0 to 0.15. The Co2+ substitution also led to an obvious decrease in the sintering temperature by ~ 100 °C. Clino-enstatite phase formed for the composition with x = 0 while Proto-enstatite formed as the major along with minor clino-enstatite phase for the compositions with x > 0. Good dielectric properties at microwave frequencies i.e. εr ~ 8.11, Qufo ~ 145,846 GHz and τf ~ − 12 ppm/°C were obtained for the composition with x = 0.15 sintered at 1350 °C for 9 h. This is suggested to be a very favorable dielectric material for millimeterwave applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study observes, for the first time, twin domain boundary (TDB) formations on the surface of WTe2 single crystal, which is glued by solidifying indium to Si substrate. In these TDB regions, a large inhomogeneous strain field, especially a critical shear strain of about 7%, is observed by geometric phase analysis. This observation does not obey the old believe that a small mechanical stress is sufficient to drive thermally-induced TDB formations in two-dimensional materials. To resolve the contradiction, we perform density functional theory calculations combined with elasticity theory analysis, which show that TDBs on WTe2 are entirely displacement-induced, for which a critical strain is necessary to overcome the onset barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]