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Abstract Oxide semimetals exhibiting both nontrivial topological characteristics stand as exemplary parent compounds and multiple degrees of freedom, offering a promise for the realization of novel electronic states. In this work, we report the structural and transport phase transition in an oxide semimetal, SrNbO3, achieved through effective anion doping. Notably, the resistivity increased by more than three orders of magnitude at room temperature upon nitrogen‐doping. The extent of electronic modulation in SrNbO3 is strongly correlated with misfit strain, underscoring its phase instability to both chemical doping and crystallographic symmetry variations. Using first‐principles calculations, we discern that elevating the level of nitrogen doping induces an upward shift in the conductive bands of SrNbO3−δNδ. Consequently, a transition from a metallic state to an insulating state becomes apparent as the nitrogen concentration reaches a threshold of 1/3. This investigation shows effective anion engineering in oxide semimetals, offering pathways for manipulating their physical properties.

Abstract Biological nervous system outperforms in both dynamic and static information perception due to their capability to integrate the sensing, memory and processing functions. Reconfigurable neuromorphic transistors, which can be used to emulate different types of biological analogues in a single device, are important for creating compact and efficient neuromorphic computing networks, but their design remains challenging due to the need for opposing physical mechanisms to achieve different functions. Here we report a neuromorphic electrolyte-gated transistor that can be reconfigured to perform physical reservoir and synaptic functions. The device exhibits dynamics with tunable time-scales under optical and electrical stimuli. The nonlinear volatile property is suitable for reservoir computing, which can be used for multimodal pre-processing. The nonvolatility and programmability of the device through ion insertion/extraction achieved via electrolyte gating, which are required to realize synaptic functions, are verified. The device’s superior performance in mimicking human perception of dynamic and static multisensory information based on the reconfigurable neuromorphic functions is also demonstrated. The present study provides an exciting paradigm for the realization of multimodal reconfigurable devices and opens an avenue for mimicking biological multisensory fusion.

Abstract The demand for low‐dimensional ferroelectric devices is steadily increasing, however, the thick substrates in epitaxial films impede further size miniaturization. Freestanding films offer a potential solution by eliminating substrate constraints. Nevertheless, it remains an ongoing challenge to improve the stability in thin and fragile freestanding films under strain and temperature. In this work, the structure and ferroelectric order of freestanding PbTiO3 (PTO) films are investigated under continuous variation of the strain and temperature using nondestructive optical second harmonic generation (SHG) technique. The findings reveal that there are both out‐of‐plane and in‐plane domains with polarization along out‐of‐plane and in‐plane directions in the orthorhombic‐like freestanding PTO films, respectively. In contrast, only out‐of‐plane domains are observed in the tetragonal epitaxial PTO films. Remarkably, the ferroelectricity of freestanding PTO films is strengthened under small uniaxial tensile strain from 0% up to 1.66% and well‐maintained under larger biaxial tensile strain up to 2.76% along the [100] direction and up to 4.46% along the [010] direction. Moreover, a high Curie temperature of 630 K is identified in 50 nm thick freestanding PTO films by wide‐temperature‐range SHG. These findings provide valuable understanding for the development of the next‐generation electronic nanodevices with flexibility and thermostability.

Abstract Recent progress on the signatures of pressure-induced high-temperature superconductivity in Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) nickelates (La n+1Ni n O3n+1) has attracted growing interest in both theoretical calculations and experimental efforts. The fabrication of high-quality single-crystalline RP nickelate thin films is critical for possible reducing the superconducting transition pressure and advancing applications in microelectronics in the future. In this study, we report the observations of an active phase transition in RP nickelate films induced by misfit strain. We found that RP nickelate films favor the perovskite structure (n = ∞) under tensile strains, while compressive strains stabilize the La3Ni2O7 (n = 2) phase. The selection of distinct phases is governed by the strain dependent formation energy and electronic configuration. In compressively strained La3Ni2O7, we experimentally determined the e g splitting energy is ~0.2 eV and electrons prefer to occupy in-plane orbitals. First-principles calculations unveil a robust coupling between strain effects and the valence state of Ni ions in RP nickelates, suggesting a dual driving force for the inevitable phase co-existence transition in RP nickelates. Our work underscores the sensitivity of RP nickelate formation to epitaxial strain, presenting a significant challenge in fabricating pure-phase RP nickelate films. Therefore, special attention to stacking defects and grain boundaries between different RP phases is essential when discussing the pressure-induced superconductivity in RP nickelates.

Abstract High-performance active terahertz modulators as the indispensable core components are of great importance for the next generation communication technology. However, they currently suffer from the tradeoff between modulation depth and speed. Here, we introduce two-dimensional (2D) tellurium (Te) nanofilms with the unique structure as a new class of optically controlled terahertz modulators and demonstrate their integrated heterojunctions can successfully improve the device performances to the optimal and applicable levels among the existing all-2D broadband modulators. Further photoresponse measurements confirm the significant impact of the stacking order. We first clarify the direction of the substrate-induced electric field through first-principles calculations and uncover the unusual interaction mechanism in the photoexcited carrier dynamics associated with the charge transfer and interlayer exciton recombination. This advances the fundamental and applicative research of Te nanomaterials in high-performance terahertz optoelectronics.

Abstract Conventional circuit elements are constrained by limitations in area and power efficiency at processing physical signals. Recently, researchers have delved into high-order dynamics and coupled oscillation dynamics utilizing Mott devices, revealing potent nonlinear computing capabilities. However, the intricate yet manageable population dynamics of multiple artificial sensory neurons with spatiotemporal coupling remain unexplored. Here, we present an experimental hardware demonstration featuring a capacitance-coupled VO2 phase-change oscillatory network. This network serves as a continuous-time dynamic system for sensory pre-processing and encodes information in phase differences. Besides, a decision-making module for special post-processing through software simulation is designed to complete a bio-inspired dynamic sensory system. Our experiments provide compelling evidence that this transistor-free coupling network excels in sensory processing tasks such as touch recognition and gesture recognition, achieving significant advantages of fewer devices and lower energy-delay-product compared to conventional methods. This work paves the way towards an efficient and compact neuromorphic sensory system based on nano-scale nonlinear dynamics.

BackgroundT lymphocytes, integral to the adaptive immune system, wield pivotal influence in bolstering anti-tumor responses, and are strictly regulated by ubiquitination modification. The objective of this investigation was to devise a novel prognostic and immunotherapeutic efficacy predictor for hepatocellular carcinoma patients utilizing T cell-related ubiquitination genes (TCRUG).MethodThe single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data and bulk RNA data of HCC patients are derived from the GEO database and TCGA database. Based on the processing of scRNA-seq, T cell marker genes are obtained and TCRUG is obtained. Further combined with WGCNA, differential analysis, univariate Cox regression analysis, LASSO analysis, and multivariate Cox regression analysis to filter and screen TCRUG. Finally construct a riskscore for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients, the predictive effect of which is validated in the GEO dataset. In addition, we also studied the correlation between riskscore and immunotherapy efficacy. Finally, the oncogenic role of UBE2E1 in HCC was explored through various in vitro experiments.ResultBased on patients’ scRNA-seq data, we finally obtained 3050 T cell marker genes. Combined with bulk RNA data and clinical data from the TCGA database, we constructed a riskscore that accurately predicts the prognosis of HCC patients. This riskscore is an independent prognostic factor for HCC and is used to construct a convenient column chart. In addition, we found that the high-risk group is more suitable for immunotherapy. Finally, the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of HCC cells significantly decreased after UBE2E1 expression reduction.ConclusionThis study developed a riskscore based on TCRUG that can accurately and stably predict the prognosis of HCC patients. This riskscore is also effective in predicting the immune therapy response of HCC patients.

Abstract Reservoir computing can more efficiently be used to solve time-dependent tasks than conventional feedforward network owing to various advantages, such as easy training and low hardware overhead. Physical reservoirs that contain intrinsic nonlinear dynamic processes could serve as next-generation dynamic computing systems. High-efficiency reservoir systems require nonlinear and dynamic responses to distinguish time-series input data. Herein, an interface-type dynamic transistor gated by an Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) film was introduced to perform reservoir computing. The channel conductance of Mott material La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) can effectively be modulated by taking advantage of the unique coupled property of the polarization process and oxygen migration in hafnium-based ferroelectrics. The large positive value of the oxygen vacancy formation energy and negative value of the oxygen affinity energy resulted in the spontaneous migration of accumulated oxygen ions in the HZO films to the channel, leading to the dynamic relaxation process. The modulation of the channel conductance was found to be closely related to the current state, identified as the origin of the nonlinear response. In the time series recognition and prediction tasks, the proposed reservoir system showed an extremely low decision-making error. This work provides a promising pathway for exploiting dynamic ion systems for high-performance neural network devices.

Synthetic fibers can effectively inhibit the formation and propagation of micro-cracks in concrete, significantly reducing the number and scale of cracks within the concrete matrix, thereby enhancing the concrete’s crack resistance and seepage prevention capabilities. In this study, two types of synthetic fibers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polypropylene (PP), were incorporated into cement mortar to investigate their microstructural evolution at elevated temperatures and their influence on the mechanical properties of the mortar. Both fibers were added at a volume content of 0.5%. The mortar samples were subjected to the following temperature conditions: 20 °C (ambient), 200 °C, 400 °C, and 500 °C. The results indicate that the synthetic fibers employed in this study improved the tensile properties of the mortar at room temperature (20 °C). This enhancement persisted up to 400 °C, beyond which, at 500 °C, the mechanical properties of the fiber-reinforced mortar deteriorated significantly. At 400 °C, the tensile strength of the PVA group increased by approximately 16% compared to the unblended fiber group (JZ) and by about 45% compared to the PP group. After treatment at 500 °C, the tensile strength of mortar specimens in the PVA group and the PP group decreased by 36.47% and 24.14%, respectively, compared with that at 20 °C. The porous structure formed due to the high-temperature ablation of the synthetic fibers contributed to relieving the internal pressure within the mortar.

The interfaces between the electrode and solid‐state electrolyte play a decisive role in the performance of all‐solid‐state batteries. For example, the formation of the interphase between cathode and solid‐state electrolyte can affect interfacial impedance and thus the rate capability. Herein, the thermal stability at the solid–solid interface between LiMn2O4 cathode and garnet electrolyte LLZTO via combined in situ techniques is studied, including in situ X‐Ray diffraction, in situ transmission electron microscopy, and in situ Raman. The dynamic process of interfacial reaction at different scales is elucidated. Starting from 300 °C, Mn ions from LiMn2O4 would migrate into the solid‐state electrolyte, accompanied with the formation of LiMn3O4 interphase. As the temperature increases to 500 °C, the LiMn3O4 interphase transforms to MnO structure which hinders Li‐ion transportation and therefore increases the interfacial impedance. Although both LiMn2O4 and LLZTO could withstand continuous heating, their interface is inherently thermally unstable at relatively low temperature, which requires special attention during thermal treatment for practical fabrication. Findings provide mechanistic insights into the interfacial reaction which serves as a guidance for the design and manufacturing of all‐solid‐state batteries.

Abstract Physiological signal processing plays a key role in next-generation human-machine interfaces as physiological signals provide rich cognition- and health-related information. However, the explosion of physiological signal data presents challenges for traditional systems. Here, we propose a highly efficient neuromorphic physiological signal processing system based on VO2 memristors. The volatile and positive/negative symmetric threshold switching characteristics of VO2 memristors are leveraged to construct a sparse-spiking yet high-fidelity asynchronous spike encoder for physiological signals. Besides, the dynamical behavior of VO2 memristors is utilized in compact Leaky Integrate and Fire (LIF) and Adaptive-LIF (ALIF) neurons, which are incorporated into a decision-making Long short-term memory Spiking Neural Network. The system demonstrates superior computing capabilities, needing only small-sized LSNNs to attain high accuracies of 95.83% and 99.79% in arrhythmia classification and epileptic seizure detection, respectively. This work highlights the potential of memristors in constructing efficient neuromorphic physiological signal processing systems and promoting next-generation human-machine interfaces.

Abstract Magnetoelectric coupling, as a fundamental physical nature and with the potential to add functionality to devices while also reducing energy consumption, has been challenging to be probed in freestanding membranes or two-dimensional materials due to their instability and fragility. In this paper, we report a magnetoelectric coupling probed by optical second harmonic generation with external magnetic field, and show the manipulation of the ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic orders by the magnetic and thermal fields in BiFeO3 films epitaxially grown on the substrates and in the freestanding ones. Here we define an optical magnetoelectric-coupling constant, denoting the ability of controlling light-induced nonlinear polarization by the magnetic field, and found the magnetoelectric-coupling was suppressed by strain releasing but remain robust against thermal fluctuation for freestanding BiFeO3.

Abstract Background This study was performed to investigate the clinical efficacy of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for vertebral compression fractures with different bone mineral densities (BMD). Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 232 patients with single-segment vertebral compression fractures who underwent PKP. Patients were divided into the normal BMD, osteopenia, and osteoporosis groups according to their average lumbar BMD before surgery. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to compare differences in pain relief before and after surgery in each group. Corrections of the wedge angle and kyphotic angle before and after surgery were observed using anteroposterior and lateral radiographs and compared among the groups, as was the incidence of bone cement leakage. Results Patients were followed up for 6–12 months, with an average follow-up time of 9.12 ± 1.68 months. The VAS score, wedge angle, and kyphotic angle of the three groups of patients decreased significantly at the end of the follow-up (P 0.05). Conclusions PKP has a positive effect on vertebral compression fractures with different BMD, and is especially suitable for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

Hollow-strut metal lattice structures are currently attracting extensive attention due to their excellent mechanical performance. Inspired by the node structure of bamboo, this study aimed to investigate the mechanical performance of the gradient hollow-strut octet lattice structure fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The effect of geometrical parameters on the yield strength, Young’s modulus and energy absorption of the designed octet unit cells were studied and optimized by FEA analysis. The hollow-strut geometrical parameters that deliver the best mechanical property combinations were identified, and the corresponding unit cells were then redesigned into the 3 × 3 × 3 type lattice structures for experimental evaluations. Compression tests confirmed that the designed gradient hollow-strut octet lattice structures demonstrated superior mechanical properties and deformation stability than their solid-strut lattice structure counterparts. The underlying deformation mechanism analysis revealed that the remarkably enhanced bending strength of the gradient hollow-strut lattice structure made significant contributions to its mechanical performance improvement. This study is envisaged to shed light on future hollow-strut metal lattice structure design for lightweight applications, with the final aim of enhancing the component’s mechanical properties and/or lowering its density as compared with the solid-strut lattice structures.

In the electrospinning process, the Taylor cone, as the jet source, directly affects the jet movement and the quality of the fiber membrane. Therefore, to understand the formation mechanism of the Taylor cone intuitively, a multiphysics coupling model that comprehensively considers the gravitational field, electrostatic field, and fluid field is established, and numerical simulations are conducted in this study. First, we construct a level-set function and analyze the force of the droplet. The gravity, surface tension, and electric field force are coupled to the incompressible Navier–Stokes equation as volume forces, and the nonconservation of the droplet area is solved by approximating the Dirac function with a smooth function. Subsequently, the deformation of the electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) Taylor cone under different process parameters is simulated. Finally, data obtained from the numerical simulation and the average diameter of the electrospun PAN fiber membrane are analyzed via gray relational analysis. The results show that the volume force is the key factor affecting the average diameter of the fiber membrane (the correlation is 0.934). This article provides an effective reference and basis for the analysis and control of the electrospinning process.

Cutaneous hyperpigmented lesions, including nevi, are populated by senescent melanocytes. Here the authors provide evidence for a novel strategy based on combining inhibition of the BCL-2 and MCL1 anti-apoptotic pathways that selectively eliminates senescent melanocytes in culture and in vivo.

Abstract Background Cell death and inflammation are the two important triggers of wear particle-induced osteolysis. Particles, including cobalt-chromium-molybdenum and tricalcium phosphate, have been reported to induce pyroptosis in macrophages and osteocytes. Although macrophage pyroptosis facilitates osteoclastic bone resorption and osteolysis, whether osteocyte pyroptosis is involved in osteoclastic osteolysis still needs further investigation. Desferrioxamine (DFO), an FDA-approved medication and a powerful iron chelator, has been proven to reduce ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) particle-induced osteolysis. However, whether DFO can ameliorate UHMWPE particle-induced osteolysis by decreasing pyroptosis in osteocytes is unknown. Results A mouse calvarial osteolysis model and the mouse osteocyte cell line MLO-Y4 was used, and we found that pyroptosis in osteocytes was significantly induced by UHMWPE particles. Furthermore, our findings uncovered a role of caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis in osteocytes in facilitating osteoclastic osteolysis induced by UHMWPE particles. In addition, we found that DFO could alleviate UHMWPE particle-induced pyroptosis in osteocytes in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions We uncovered a role of caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis in osteocytes in facilitating osteoclastic osteolysis induced by UHMWPE particles. Furthermore, we found that DFO alleviated UHMWPE particle-induced osteoclastic osteolysis partly by inhibiting pyroptosis in osteocytes. Graphical Abstract Schematic of DFO reducing UHMWPE particle-induced osteolysis by inhibiting osteocytic pyroptosis. Wear particles, such as polymers, generated from prosthetic implant materials activate canonical inflammasomes and promote the cleavage and activation of caspase-1. This is followed by caspase-1-dependent IL-β maturation and GSDMD cleavage. The N-terminal fragment of GSDMD binds to phospholipids on the cell membrane and forms holes in the membrane, resulting in the release of mature IL-β and inflammatory intracellular contents. This further facilitates osteoclastic differentiation of BMMs, resulting in excessive bone resorption and ultimately leading to prosthetic osteolysis. DFO reduces UHMWPE particle-induced osteolysis by inhibiting osteocytic pyroptosis.

Background Early recognition of persistent acute kidney injury (AKI) could optimize management and prevent deterioration of kidney function. The Doppler-based renal resistive index (RI) has shown promising results for predicting persistent AKI in preliminary studies. Here, we aimed to evaluate the performance of renal RI, clinical indicators, and their combinations to predict short-term kidney prognosis in septic shock patients.Method We performed a retrospective study based on data from a prospective study in a single-center general ICU between November 2017 and October 2018. Patients with septic shock were included. Clinical indicators were evaluated immediately at inclusion, and renal RI was measured within the first 12 h of ICU admission after hemodynamic stabilization. Persistent AKI was defined as AKI without recovery within 72 h. A multivariable logistic regression was used to select significant variables associated with persistent AKI. The discriminative power was evaluated by a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.Result Overall, 102 patients were included, 39 of whom had persistent AKI. Renal RI was higher in the persistent AKI patients than in those without persistent AKI: 0.70 ± 0.05 vs. 0.66 ± 0.05; p = 0.001. The performance of RI to predict persistent AKI was poor, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.699 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.600–0.786]. A clinical prediction model combining serum creatinine at inclusion and the nonrenal SOFA score showed a better prediction ability for nonrecovery, with an AUROC of 0.877 (95% CI 0.797–0.933, p = 0.0012). The addition of renal RI to this model did not improve the predictive performance.Conclusion The Doppler-based renal resistive index performed poorly in predicting persistent AKI and did not improve the clinical prediction provided by a combination of serum creatinine at inclusion and the nonrenal SOFA score in patients with septic shock.

Pituitary incidentalomas (PIs) are defined as previously unexpected pituitary lesions which are accidentally discovered during imaging examinations performed for unrelated reasons, including pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma, Rathke's cyst, pituitary hyperplasia and other sellar lesions. With the wide application of imaging techniques, especially MRI, more and more pituitary incidentalomas have been detected. However, there are still many problems regarding the definition of pituitary incidentaloma, natural course of disease, intervention indication at the first diagnosis, follow⁃up plan, and so on, resulting in misdiagnosis and overtreatment. This review attempts to discuss the definition, relevant factors for predicting the natural course of tumor, diagnosis, surgical indications, and individualized follow ⁃up plan, and so on, in order to attract clinical attention and conduct related research to further clarify the clinical unsolved problems.

This paper introduces the structure and characteristics of an internal-matching high-power Doherty power amplifier based on GaN HEMT devices with 0.25 μm process platforms from the Nanjing Electronic Devices Institute. Through parameter extraction and load-pull testing of the model transistor, an EE_HEMT model for the 1.2 mm gate-width GaN HEMT device was established. This model serves as the foundation for designing a high-power three-stage Doherty power amplifier. The amplifier achieved a saturated power gain exceeding 9 dB in continuous wave mode, with a saturated power output of 49.7 dBm. The drain efficiency was greater than 65% at 2.6 GHz. At 9 dB power back-off point, corresponding to an output power of 40.5 dBm, the drain efficiency remained above 55%. The performance of the amplifier remains consistent within the 2.55–2.62 GHz frequency range. The measured power, efficiency, and gain of the designed Doherty power amplifier align closely with the simulation results based on the EE_HEMT model, validating the accuracy of the established model. Furthermore, the in-band matching design reduces the size and weight of the amplifier. The amplifier maintains normal operation even after high and low-temperature testing, demonstrating its reliability. In conjunction with DPD (digital pre-distortion) for the modulated signal test, the amplifier exhibits extremely high linearity (ACLR < −50.93 dBc). This Doherty power amplifier holds potential applications in modern wireless communication scenarios.

Obesity has now surpassed malnutrition and infectious diseases as the most significant contributor to health problems worldwide. In particular, obesity is associated with several metabolic disorders, including hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and subfertility. Genipin (GNP), the aglycone of geniposide, is isolated from the extract of the traditional Chinese medicine Gardenia jasminoides Ellis and has been used in traditional oriental medicine against several inflammation-driven diseases. However, the effect and molecular mechanism of GNP on obesity-associated dyslipidemia and sperm dysfunction still need to be explored. In this study, we detect the effects of GNP on hyperlipidemia, hepatic lipid accumulation and sperm function using a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse model. We find that obese mice treated with GNP show an improvement in body weight, serum triglyceride levels, serum hormone levels, serum inflammatory cytokines, hepatic steatosis and sperm function. At the molecular level, HFD/GNP diversely regulates the expression of miR-132 in a tissue-specific manner. miR-132 further targets and regulates the expression of SREBP-1c in liver cells, as well as the expressions of SREBP-1c and StAR in Leydig cells in the testis, thus modifying lipogenesis and steroidogenesis, respectively. Collectively, our data demonstrate that GNP shows a broad effect on the improvement of HFD-induced metabolic disorder and sperm dysfunction in male mice by tissue-specific regulation of miR-132. Our findings reveal the function GNP in ameliorating hepatic lipid metabolism and sperm function and suggest that this compound is a versatile drug to treat metabolic disorders.

Ultrasound Elastography is a late-model Ultrasound imaging technique mainly used to diagnose tumors and diffusion diseases that can't be detected by traditional Ultrasound imaging. However, artifact noise, speckle noise, low contrast and low signal-to-noise ratio in images make disease diagnosing a challenging task. Medical images denoising, as the first step in the follow-up processing of medical images, has been concerned by many people. With the widespread use of deep learning technique in the research field, dictionary learning method are once again receiving attention. Dictionary learning, as a traditional machine learning method, requires less sample size, has high training efficiency, and can describe images well. In this work, we present a novel strategy based on K-clustering with singular value decomposition (K-SVD) and principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce noise in Ultrasound Elastography images. At this stage of dictionary training, we implement a PCA method to transform the way dictionary atoms are updated in K-SVD. Finally, we reconstructed the image based on the dictionary atoms and sparse coefficients to obtain the denoised image. We applied the presented method on datasets of clinical Ultrasound Elastography images of lung cancer from Nanjing First Hospital, and compared the results of the presented method and the original method. The experimental results of subjective and objective evaluation demonstrated that presented approach reached a satisfactory denoising effect and this research provides a new technical reference for computer aided diagnosis.

A highly efficient hardware element capable of sensing and encoding multiple physical signals is still lacking. Here, the authors report a spike-based neuromorphic perception system consisting of tunable and highly uniform artificial sensory neurons based on epitaxial VO2 capable of hand gesture classification.

Industrial textile materials are a new type of functional or structural basic materials processed by weaving, knitting, or nonweaving of fibrous materials. They have been widely applied to aerospace, national defense, ocean engineering, energy, environmental protection, transportation, civil construction, and other fields. The vigorous development of industrial textile materials can significantly promote the manufacturing industry of China, transform and upgrade China’s textile industry into an emerging resource industry, and contribute to the international and domestic dual circulation of China’s textile industry. In this paper, the development status, application scenarios, industrial demand, and manufacturing technologies of industrial textile materials are analyzed, the development direction and focus of relevant technologies and equipment are clarified, and development countermeasures are proposed. Specifically, China needs to formulate special policies to coordinate the technological research, equipment development, production, and application of the industry, establish a standards system for industrial textile equipment, and build systems for innovative services and talent training.

Bioinspired neuromorphic vision components are highly desired for the emerging in-sensor computing technology. Here, Ge et al. develop an array of optoelectronic synapses capable of memorizing and processing ultraviolet images facilitated by photo-induced non-volatile phase transition in VO2 films.

BackgroundMost patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) obtain pain relief after vertebral augmentation, but some will experience residual back pain (RBP) after surgery. Although several risk factors of RBP have been reported, it is still difficult to estimate the risk of RBP preoperatively. Radiomics is helpful for disease diagnosis and outcome prediction by establishing complementary relationships between human-recognizable and computer-extracted features. However, musculoskeletal radiomics investigations are less frequently reported.ObjectiveThis study aims to establish a radiomics score (rad-score) based nomogram for the preoperative prediction of RBP in OVCF patients.MethodsThe training cohort of 731 OVCF patients was used for nomogram development, and the validation cohort was utilized for performance test. RBP was determined as the score of visual analogue scale ≥ 4 at both 3 and 30 days following surgery. After normalization, the RBP-related radiomics features were selected to create rad-scores. These rad-scores, along with the RBP predictors initially identified by univariate analyses, were included in the multivariate analysis to establish a nomogram for the assessment of the RBP risk in OVCF patients preoperatively.ResultsA total of 81 patients (11.2%) developed RBP postoperatively. We finally selected 8 radiomics features from 1316 features extracted from each segmented image to determine the rad-score. Multivariate analysis revealed that the rad-score plus bone mineral density, intravertebral cleft, and thoracolumbar fascia injury were independent factors of RBP. Our nomograms based on these factors demonstrated good discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility in both training and validation cohorts. Furthermore, it achieved better performance than the rad-score itself, as well as the nomogram only incorporating regular features.ConclusionWe developed and validated a nomogram incorporating the rad-score and regular features for preoperative prediction of the RBP risk in OVCF patients, which contributed to improved surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Abstract Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) is one of the widely used antineoplastic agents in treating various cancers, yet it is always associated with the occurrence of adverse reactions that limit its clinical use. Currently, encapsulating DOX in micelles may represent a promising strategy to reduce toxicity and side effects of the drug. This study aimed to explore a novel acitretin-based surfactant (ACMeNa) with good solid stability to encapsulate DOX to form micelles (ACM-DOX). In this work, ACM-DOX micelles were prepared by a microfluidic method free of organic solvents. The characteristics of ACM-DOX micelles were assessed, including morphology, particle size, stability, entrapment efficiency, and drug loading. An in vitro cytotoxicity experiment of the micelles on MDA-MB-231 (a human breast cancer cell line) was also performed. The micelle formation mechanism suggested that the insoluble ACMeNa/DOX complex was formed by electrostatic interaction, and subsequently encapsulated by self-assembly into micelles. The designed ACM-DOX micelles had an average particle size of 19.4 ± 0.2 nm and a zeta potential of −43.7 ± 2.4 mV, with entrapment efficiency and drug loading efficiency of 92.4 ± 0.5% and 33.4 ± 0.3%, respectively. The ACM-DOX micelles had worm-like structures under a Cryo-transmission electron microscope and exhibited good stability within 8 hours after reconstitution and 4- to 32-fold dilution of its reconstituted solution. ACM-DOX micelles released 80% of DOX within 24 hours in a medium of pH = 5.0, and its drug profile can be described by a first-order model. Moreover, ACM-DOX micelles showed cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 in a dose-dependent manner, and displayed a higher antitumor activity as compared with free DOX, with IC50 values of DOX and ACM-DOX micelles being 6.80 ± 0.50 and 4.64 ± 0.32 μg/mL, respectively. Given above, ACMeNa has great application potential as a DOX carrier for the treatment of cancers.

Objective To investigate the staining and tracing effect of mitoxantrone hydrochloride injection for tracing lymph nodes in radical thyroidectomy, and its safety and tolerability. Methods In this study, a single-centered, open-labeled, blank control trial was designed. According to the principle of dose escalation, the human tolerance test and kinetic test were performed in dose groups one by one. Patients scheduled for radical thyroidectomy in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from December 2016 to March 2017 were prospectively enrolled as subjects. The subjects were divided into the blank control group and the test groups. The blank control group routinely underwent surgery without tracer injection; the test groups were injected with 0.2 mL, 0.4 mL, 0.6 mL, 0.8 mL, or 1.2 mL of mitoxantrone hydrochloride for tracing in the thyroid gland after exposing the surgical field, and an escalation test was performed in the five dose groups from low to high. The primary efficacy measures were lymph node tracing rate and lymph node staining rate; the secondary efficacy measures were staining-degree scores of lymph nodes and the success rate of tracing persistence. Changes in signs of subjects were recorded for safety assessment. Venous blood was collected from the subjects before administration and at 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, 60 min, 90 min and 120 min after administration to calculate the kinetic parameters. Results A total of 27 subjects were included, including 3 subjects in the blank control group, and 3, 3, 6, 6 and 6 subjects in the 0.2 mL, 0.4 mL, 0.6 mL, 0.8 mL and 1.2 mL dose group, respectively. When the test proceeded to the third dose group (0.6 mL), the injection site of the subjects was saturated with the injection dose, and the test was terminated. Therefore, a total of 15 subjects completed the test. No lymph node was stained in blank control group.The lymph nodes of 12 subjects showed blue staining, and the parathyroid glands were not stained and negatively visualized. There was significant difference in the staining-degree scores of lymph nodes before and after administration in the 0.2 mL, 0.4 mL and 0.6 mL dose groups (P < 0.05). The average staining rates of lymph nodes were 90.47%, 91.67% and 91.36%, respectively. And the average tracing rates of lymph nodes were 79.17%, 100% and 98.67%, respectively. In the test groups, the duration of lymph node dissection was 5-20 min; no stained lymph nodes faded, and the success rate of tracing was 100%. In the safety evaluation, no serious adverse events occurred in the blank control group and test groups, and the cause of adverse events was certainly not related to this tracer. Kinetic tests showed that the tracer was rapidly absorbed after glandular injection; the blood concentration peaked at 10 min after injection (the maximum plasma concentration was 13.1 μg/L) and it was rapidly eliminated. Conclusions The use of 0.2-0.6 mL mitoxantrone hydrochloride injection in radical thyroidectomy can play a better role in tracing lymph nodes, with high safety and good tolerance.

Objective To investigate the risk factors of vestibular schwannoma without facial nerve functional preservation. Methods Total 95 patients with vestibular schwannoma who underwent surgery via the sigmoid sinus approach bewteen December 2018 to January 2020 were included. Tumor diameter and classification, tumor volume and surface area, tumor property were recorded according to MRI. The course of facial nerve, adhesion degree between tumor and facial nerve, extent of tumor resection and facial nerve anatomic preservation were recorded according to intraoperative observation. Facial nerve function after 8 d was evaluated. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze risk factors associated without facial nerve functional preservation. Results Of the 95 patients, 80 patients (84.21%) underwent gross total resection, among which 3 patients had no anatomical preservation of facial nerve. 15 patients (15.79%) underwent near total resection, including 14 cases with thin layer of tumor remaining on the facial nerve, and one case with thin layer of tumor remaining on the brainstem and no anatomical preservation of facial nerve. Logistic regression analysis showed that severe adhesion between tumor and facial nerve was risk factor for functional impairment of facial nerve (OR = 22.349, 95%CI: 1.895-263.599; P = 0.014). Conclusions For severe adhesion, the operation should be more careful. If the tumor might not be completely removed under the premise of preserving the facial nerve function, a small amount of tumor could be left on the facial nerve.

Abstract The restoration of suppressed miRNAs is a promising therapeutic approach for treating tumors; however, efficient delivery remains a challenge. Herein, we aimed to develop a polyethylenimine (PEI) functionalized graphene oxide nanosheets (GO‐PEI) as a suppressive miRNA delivery system to treat human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). We found that the GO‐PEI complex possessed excellent transfection efficacy and acceptable toxicity. Furthermore, using our miRNA array analysis and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, we selected four miRNAs (miR‐194‐5p, miR‐125b‐5p, miR‐122‐5p, and let‐7c‐5p) that are remarkably downregulated in ICC samples compared to that in adjacent tissues. The GO‐PEI complexed with the four miRNAs (GO‐PEI‐4miR) achieved a higher miRNA transfection efficiency than Lipo2000, as verified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) assays, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry analyses. In addition, in vitro experiments revealed that GO‐PEI‐4miR remarkably restored the repressed miRNAs, thereby significantly repressing tumor sphere formation, colony formation, drug resistance, and markedly inhibiting the target genes of these miRNAs and cancer stem cell‐related markers. Furthermore, both tumor weights and bioluminescent imaging analysis indicated that the GO‐PEI‐4miR significantly reduced tumor formation in vivo. Taken together, these results demonstrate that GO‐PEI could be a potential delivery system for multiple repressive miRNAs in ICC therapy.

The human receives and transmits various information from the outside world through different sensory systems. The sensory neurons integrate various sensory inputs into a synthetical perception to monitor complex environments, and this fundamentally determines the way how we perceive the world. Developing multifunctional artificial sensory elements that can integrate multisensory perception plays a vital role in future intelligent perception systems, whereas prior spiking neurons reported can only handle single‐mode physical signals. Herein, a bioinspired haptic‐temperature fusion spiking neuron based upon a serial connection of piezoresistive sensor and VO2 volatile memristor is presented. The artificial sensory neuron is capable of detecting and encoding pressure and temperature inputs based on the voltage dividing effect and the intrinsic thermal sensitivity of metal–insulator transition in VO2. Recognition of Braille characters is achieved through multiple piezoresistive sensors, taking advantage of the spatial integration capabilities of such spiking neurons. Notably, the traditionally separate haptic and temperature signals can be fused physically in the sensory neuron when synchronizing the two sensory cues, which is able to recognize multimodal haptic/temperature patterns. The artificial multisensory neuron thus provides a promising approach toward e‐skin, neurorobotics, and human–machine interaction technologies. A preprint version of the article can be found at: https://www.authorea.com/doi/full/10.22541/au.164668806.60849882.

Introduction: Sepsis can cause acute lung injury (ALI), one of the leading causes of death in critically ill patients. The underlying mechanisms of sepsis-induced acute lung injury include excessive inflammation, oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, pulmonary edema, and lung tissue dysfunction. Recent studies have shown that miRNA-21 (miR-21) plays a vital role in sepsis-induced acute kidney injury. Relatively few studies have focused on the protective effects of ALI. This study aimed to determine the potential role of miR-21 in sepsis-induced ALI. Methods: We performed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in a septic mouse model induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) and found that miR-21 expression was upregulated. We then transfected the miR-21 precursor to upregulate miR-21 expression and miR-21 inhibitor to downregulate miR-21 expression. The sham group was exposed only to the cecum. ALI was induced by CLP, and the pre-miR-21+ALI and anti-miR-21+ALI groups were treated with miR-21 precursor or miR-21 inhibitor in the caudal vein before CLP. Pre-miR-21+ALI+PTEN inhibition (Pre-miR-21+ALI+PI) and anti-miR-21+ALI+PTEN inhibition (Anti-miR-21+ALI+PI) groups were treated with PTEN inhibition into the caudal vein after miR-21 transfection. Inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress indicators, lung tissue cell apoptosis, oxygenation index (OI), lung wet/dry weight ratio, and lung pathological changes in the lung were observed in each group. Results: Compared with ALI mice, inflammatory response, oxidative stress indicators, lung tissue cell apoptosis, and the degree of lung injury were remarkably alleviated in Pre-miR-21+ALI mice and aggravated in Anti-miR-21+ALI mice. Western blot analysis showed that phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) protein expression was decreased in CLP-treated mics. PTEN protein expression was decreased in the Pre-miR-21+ALI group but increased in the Anti-miR-21+ALI group. Moreover, the effect of miR-21 on anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, and anti-apoptosis enhanced after PTEN inhibition. Conclusion: This study revealed that miR-21 has a protective effect in sepsis-induced ALI by regulating PTEN in mice.

Abstract The emergence of ferromagnetism in two-dimensional van der Waals materials has aroused broad interest. However, the ferromagnetic instability has been a problem remained. In this work, by using the first-principles calculations, we identified the critical ranges of strain and doping for the bilayer Cr2Ge2Te6 within which the ferromagnetic stability can be enhanced. Beyond the critical range, the tensile strain can induce the phase transition from the ferromagnetic to the antiferromagnetic, and the direction of magnetic easy axis can be converted from out-of-plane to in-plane due to the increase of compressive strain, or electrostatic doping. We also predicted an electron doping range, within which the ferromagnetism can be enhanced, while the ferromagnetic stability was maintained. Moreover, we found that the compressive strain can reverse the spin polarization of electrons at the conduction band minimum, so that two categories of half-metal can be induced by controlling electrostatic doping in the bilayer Cr2Ge2Te6. These results should shed a light on achieving ferromagnetic stability for low-dimensional materials.

Artificial synapses are electronic devices that simulate important functions of biological synapses, and therefore are the basic components of artificial neural morphological networks for brain-like computing. One of the most important objectives for developing artificial synapses is to simulate the characteristics of biological synapses as much as possible, especially their self-adaptive ability to external stimuli. Here, we have successfully developed an artificial synapse with multiple synaptic functions and highly adaptive characteristics based on a simple SrTiO _3 /Nb: SrTiO _3 heterojunction type memristor. Diverse functions of synaptic learning, such as short-term/long-term plasticity (STP/LTP), transition from STP to LTP, learning–forgetting–relearning behaviors, associative learning and dynamic filtering, are all bio-realistically implemented in a single device. The remarkable synaptic performance is attributed to the fascinating inherent dynamics of oxygen vacancy drift and diffusion, which give rise to the coexistence of volatile- and nonvolatile-type resistive switching. This work reports a multi-functional synaptic emulator with advanced computing capability based on a simple heterostructure, showing great application potential for a compact and low-power neuromorphic computing system.

Abstract A variety of novel phenomena and functionalities emerge from lowering the dimensionality of materials and enriching the degrees of freedom in modulation. In this work, it is found that the saturation magnetization of LaMnO3 (LMO) films is largely enhanced by 56% after releasing from a brand‐new phase of tetragonal strontium aluminate buffer layer, and is significantly increased by 92% with bending films to a curvature of 1 mm−1 using a water‐assisted direct‐transferring method. Meanwhile, the Curie temperature of LMO films has been improved by 13 K. High‐resolution spherical aberration‐corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and first‐principles calculations unambiguously demonstrate that the enhanced ferromagnetism is attributed to the strengthened Mn–O–Mn super‐exchange interactions from the augmented characteristics of the unconventional P21/n structure caused by the out‐of‐plane lattice shrinking after strain releasing and increased flexure degree of freestanding LMO films. This work paves a way to achieve large‐scale and crack‐and‐wrinkle‐free freestanding films of oxides with largely improved functionalities.

Abstract A variety of emergent phenomena are enabled by interface engineering in the complex oxides heterostructures. While extensive attention is attracted to LaMnO3 (LMO) thin films for observing the control of functionalities at its interface with substrate, the nature of the magnetic phases in the thin film is, however, controversial. Here, it is reported that the ferromagnetism in two and five unit cells thick LMO films epitaxially deposited on (001)‐SrTiO3 substrates, a ferromagnetic/ferromagnetic coupling in eight and ten unit cells ones, and a striking ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic pinning effect with apparent positive exchange bias in 15 and 20 unit cells ones are observed. This novel phenomenon in both 15 and 20 unit cells films indicates a coexistence of three magnetic orderings in a single LMO film. The high‐resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy suggests a P21/n to Pbnm symmetry transition from interface to surface, with the spatial stratification of MnO6 octahedral morphology, corresponding to different magnetic orderings. These results can shed some new lights on manipulating the functionality of oxides by interface engineering.

Summary: Oxide-based resistive switching devices, including ferroelectric tunnel junctions and resistance random access memory, are promising candidates for the next-generation non-volatile memory technology. In this work, we propose a ferroionic tunnel junction to realize a giant electroresistance. It functions as a ferroelectric tunnel junction at low resistance state and as a Schottky junction at high resistance state, due to interface engineering through the field-induced migration of oxygen vacancies. An extremely large electroresistance with ON/OFF ratios of 5.1×107 at room temperature and 2.1×109 at 10 K is achieved, using an ultrathin BaTiO3-δ layer as the ferroelectric barrier and a semiconducting Nb-doped SrTiO3 substrate as the bottom electrode. The results point toward an appealing way for the design of high-performance resistive switching devices based on ultrathin oxide heterostructures by ionic controlled interface engineering. : Interface Science; Transport Property of Condensed Matter; Devices Subject Areas: Interface Science, Transport Property of Condensed Matter, Devices

Abstract SnSe2 field-effect transistor was fabricated based on exfoliated few-layered SnSe2 flake, and its electrical and photoelectric properties have been investigated in detail. With the help of a drop of de-ionized (DI) water, the SnSe2 FET can achieve an on/off ratio as high as ~ 104 within 1 V bias, which is ever extremely difficult for SnSe2 due to its ultrahigh carrier density (1018/cm3). Moreover, the subthreshold swing and mobility are both improved to ∼ 62 mV/decade and ~ 127 cm2 V−1 s−1 at 300 K, which results from the efficient screening by the liquid dielectric gate. Interestingly, the SnSe2 FET exhibits a gate bias-dependent photoconductivity, in which a competition between the carrier concentration and the mobility under illumination plays a key role in determining the polarity of photoconductivity.

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of miRNA-222 in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), and explore its regulatory mechanism. Totally 30 patients with IDD and 36 normal control subjects were included. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blot analysis, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were preformed to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of MMP1, and the miRNA-222 expression levels, in the nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues and blood samples. Bioinformatics analysis was performed, and dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted for confirmation. HNPC cells were cultured in vitro, and the effects of agomiRNA-222 transfection were analyzed. The results showed that MMP1 expression was significantly up-regulated in the NP tissues and blood samples of patients with IDD, and the miRNA-222 expression was significantly down-regulated in both specimens. Bioinformatics analysis showed that MMP1 was the direct target for miRNA-222, which was confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Over-expression of miRNA-222 significantly decreased the expression levels of MMP1 in HNPC cells in vitro, and the expression levels of type II collagen were significantly up-regulated. These results suggest that MMP1 expression is up-regulated in the NP and blood of patients with IDD, which may be related to the down-regulation of miRNA-222. The miRNA-222 may regulate the expression of related proteins in intervertebral disc nucleus cells through MMP1, thus affecting the disease pathogenesis and development.

We report the synthesis of single-crystal La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) freestanding films with different crystal orientations. By using pulsed laser deposition, water soluble perovskite-like sacrificial layers Sr3Al2O6 (SAO) followed by LSMO films are grown on differently oriented SrTiO3 substrates. Freestanding LSMO films with different orientations are obtained by etching the SAO in pure water. All the freestanding films show room-temperature ferromagnetism and metallicity, independent of the crystal orientation. Intriguingly, the Curie temperature (TC) of the freestanding films is increased due to strain relaxation after releasing from the substrates. Our results provide an additional degree of freedom to tailor the properties of freestanding perovskite oxide heterostructures by crystal orientation and an opportunity to further integrate different oriented films together.

The firm size distribution is highly skewed to the right and often follows a power law. In practice, it is common that firm size and firm age data are aggregated and released as grouped data to avoid disclosure of confidential information. We investigate multiple parametric methods for firm size and firm age modeling based on grouped data, and propose to estimate the joint distribution of firm size and firm age using the Plackett copula. The goodness-of-fit of the estimated marginal distributions are benchmarked with respect to the fit to the whole data and to the upper tails, respectively. The utilization of the proposed methods are demonstrated via an application to the 1977-2014 US firm data. Results show that the generalized lambda distribution has overall better performance in modeling both firm size and firm age data. The exponentiated Weibull distribution also works well in modeling the firm size data. As a by-product, the estimated parameter of the Plackett copula provides a measure of the association between firm size and firm age.