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Abstract Reducing the silver film to 10 nm theoretically allows higher transparency but in practice leads to degraded transparency and electrical conductivity because the ultrathin film tends to be discontinuous. Herein, we developed a thinning-back process to address this dilemma, in which silver film is first deposited to a larger thickness with high continuity and then thinned back to a reduced thickness with an ultrasmooth surface, both implemented by a flood ion beam. Contributed by the shallow implantation of silver atoms into the substrate during deposition, the thinness of silver films down to 4.5 nm can be obtained, thinner than ever before. The atomic-level surface smooth permits excellent visible transparency, electrical conductivity, and the lowest haze among all existing transparent conductors. Moreover, the ultrathin silver film exhibits the unique robustness of mechanical flexibility. Therefore, the ion-beam thinning-back process presents a promising solution towards the excellent transparent conductor for flexible optoelectronic devices.

Abstract In some complicated situations, decompression sickness (DCS) combined with other injuries, such as irradiation, will seriously endanger life safety. However, it is still unclear whether irradiation will increase the incidence of DCS. This study was designed to investigate the damage effects of irradiation on decompression injury and the underlying mechanism. Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to irradiation followed by hyperbaric decompressing and the mortality and decompression symptoms were observed. Lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were collected to detect the lung lesion, inflammation response, activity of the angiotensin system, oxidative stress, and relative signal pathway by multiple methods, including Q-PCR, western blot, and ELISA. As a result, pre-exposure to radiation significantly exacerbated disease outcomes and lung lesions of DCS. Mechanically, the up-regulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme expression and angiotensin II levels was responsible for the exacerbated DCS and lung lesions caused by predisposing irradiation exposure. Oxidative stress and PI3K/AKT signal pathway activation in pulmonary tissue were enhanced after irradiation plus decompression treatment. In conclusion, our results suggested that irradiation could exacerbate lung injury and the outcomes of DCS by activating the angiotensin system, which included eliciting oxidative stress and activation of the PI3K/AKT signal pathway.

Abstract The degradation of photovoltaic modules has an impact on various parameters of photovoltaic modules. Ignoring the degradation of photovoltaic modules or inaccurate estimation of the degradation will lead to wrong power dispatching strategies and lead to economic losses. For PV module life estimation or reliability estimation, it is necessary to first establish an accurate statistical degradation model of PV module. The main goal of this paper is to analyze a selection of explicit PV module degradation model based on distribution. Since the degradation is related to time, the study assumed that those parameters in Gamma or Gaussian distributions are related to time. Five models are calculated based on maximum likelihood estimation and particle swarm optimization. Through verification and comparison on the measured PV module degradation data, the performance of these models in four cases: long‐term data fitting, long‐term data prediction, single‐module short‐term data fitting, and multimodule short‐term data fitting are evaluated. The results show that the model proposed in this paper has a great improvement over the original model, and the constant‐σ Gaussian distribution degradation model achieves the best performance.

Optical imaging systems have greatly extended human visual capabilities, enabling the observation and understanding of diverse phenomena. Imaging technologies span a broad spectrum of wavelengths from x-ray to radio frequencies and impact research activities and our daily lives. Traditional glass lenses are fabricated through a series of complex processes, while polymers offer versatility and ease of production. However, modern applications often require complex lens assemblies, driving the need for miniaturization and advanced designs with micro- and nanoscale features to surpass the capabilities of traditional fabrication methods. Three-dimensional (3D) printing, or additive manufacturing, presents a solution to these challenges with benefits of rapid prototyping, customized geometries, and efficient production, particularly suited for miniaturized optical imaging devices. Various 3D printing methods have demonstrated advantages over traditional counterparts, yet challenges remain in achieving nanoscale resolutions. Two-photon polymerization lithography (TPL), a nanoscale 3D printing technique, enables the fabrication of intricate structures beyond the optical diffraction limit via the nonlinear process of two-photon absorption within liquid resin. It offers unprecedented abilities, e.g. alignment-free fabrication, micro- and nanoscale capabilities, and rapid prototyping of almost arbitrary complex 3D nanostructures. In this review, we emphasize the importance of the criteria for optical performance evaluation of imaging devices, discuss material properties relevant to TPL, fabrication techniques, and highlight the application of TPL in optical imaging. As the first panoramic review on this topic, it will equip researchers with foundational knowledge and recent advancements of TPL for imaging optics, promoting a deeper understanding of the field. By leveraging on its high-resolution capability, extensive material range, and true 3D processing, alongside advances in materials, fabrication, and design, we envisage disruptive solutions to current challenges and a promising incorporation of TPL in future optical imaging applications.

BackgroundCold exposure has been considered an essential risk factor for the global disease burden, while its role in cardiovascular diseases is still underappreciated. The increase in frequency and duration of extreme cold weather events like cold spells makes it an urgent task to evaluate the effects of ambient cold on different types of cardiovascular disease and to understand the factors contributing to the population's vulnerability.MethodsIn the present systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane. We included original research that explored the association between cold exposure (low temperature and cold spell) and cardiovascular disease outcomes (mortality and morbidity). We did a random-effects meta-analysis to pool the relative risk (RR) of the association between a 1°C decrease in temperature or cold spells and cardiovascular disease outcomes.ResultsIn total, we included 159 studies in the meta-analysis. As a result, every 1°C decrease in temperature increased cardiovascular disease-related mortality by 1.6% (RR 1.016; [95% CI 1.015–1.018]) and morbidity by 1.2% (RR 1.012; [95% CI 1.010–1.014]). The most pronounced effects of low temperatures were observed in the mortality of coronary heart disease (RR 1.015; [95% CI 1.011–1.019]) and the morbidity of aortic aneurysm and dissection (RR 1.026; [95% CI 1.021–1.031]), while the effects were not significant in hypertensive disease outcomes. Notably, we identified climate zone, country income level and age as crucial influential factors in the impact of ambient cold exposure on cardiovascular disease. Moreover, the impact of cold spells on cardiovascular disease outcomes is significant, which increased mortality by 32.4% (RR 1.324; [95% CI 1.2341.421]) and morbidity by 13.8% (RR 1.138; [95% CI 1.015–1.276]).ConclusionCold exposure could be a critical risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and the cold effect varies between disease types and climate zones.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42022347247.

ObjectivesAcupuncture therapy has been used for cognitive impairment-related diseases, however, there are still few studies on the overall trend of acupuncture therapy on cognitive impairment based on bibliometric analysis. The purpose of this study was to explore the research trend of the impact of acupuncture on cognitive impairment in the past 15 years, analyze the research trends and hotspots, and provide new ideas and theoretical basis for future research directions.MethodsFrom the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), the relevant literature on the treatment of cognitive impairment with acupuncture from 2007 to 2022 was retrieved. Then, based on the CiteSpace and VOSviewer software of the Java platform, the cooperation between countries and institutions in this field, the co-citation of journals and documents, and the cooperation between authors and authors, etc. were analyzed. In addition, the co-occurrence and burst analysis of keywords are also carried out, and a visual knowledge map is drawn.ResultsAs of August 08, 2022, a total of 394 records related to the treatment of cognitive impairment with acupuncture were identified. The analysis results show: The number and rate of annual publications have steadily increased, with some fluctuations from year to year. The countries that contribute the most to this field are China and the USA. Among them, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Capital Medical University are tied for first place in terms of the number of published papers. Tao Jing is the most prolific author and the number one cited author.ConclusionsThe number of publications on acupuncture for cognitive impairment is expected to increase rapidly in future research, suggesting a bright future for the field. Future research hotspots will focus on pain, injury, protocol, diagnosis, guidelines, etc. It is also necessary to strengthen cross-regional and cross-country cooperation among various academic groups.

In most cases, recurrent chronic colitis is caused by the recurrence of acute colitis after incomplete recovery and re-exposure to irritating factors, and the gut microbiome, which is the largest micro-ecosystem in the human body, plays a crucial role in the development of colitis. Plant polysaccharides have always been reported to have the ability for anti-inflammation, and they are closely related to the gut microbiome. Lycium barbarum Glycopeptide (LbGP), the most potent component obtained by further isolation and purification from Lycium barbarum fruit, has been shown to inhibit inflammation in animal models. However, its therapeutic efficacy in colitis and its mechanism in gut microbiota regulation have not been fully studied. In our study, the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse model was used to dynamically evaluate the effect of LbGP in the treatment of acute colitis and the mechanism from the perspective of the gut microbiome through the 16S rDNA sequence. The results showed that LbGP treatment significantly alleviated acute colitis and improved the gut microbiome compared with that in the model group. Harmful bacteria, such as Lachnoclostridium spp. and Parabacteroides_distasonis, were inhibited and probiotics, such as Bacteroides_acidifaciens, Lactobacillus spp., Turicibacter spp., and Alistipes spp., were increased by LbGP treatment. Further, a Random Forest analysis with 10-fold cross-validation identified a family named Muribaculaceae representing colitis development and recovery upon LbGP treatment. In conclusion, our study demonstrated the capability of LbGP to prevent the development of acute colitis by regulating the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota and highlighted the dynamic process of gut microbiota with the colitis progression. Further, it provides evidence to develop LbGP as a functional food supplement and future drug acting on intestinal disease.