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X-ray excited radioluminescence was demonstrated in Pr-doped lithium niobate polycrystalline samples with varying lithium-to-niobium ratios (R LN). The samples' phase structures, excitation and emission spectra, and radioluminescence were experimentally analyzed to investigate the tuning effects of R LN. Theoretical calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) were conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, and thermoluminescence curves were measured to verify the predictions of the theoretical analysis. We suggest that both photoluminescence and radioluminescence properties can be effectively tailored by adjusting the crystal structure, as well as the depth and density of electron traps within the LiNbO 3 :Pr matrix through R LN modulation. This research contributes to the development and practical implementation of scintillation materials derived from rare-earth-doped lithium niobate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc, a crucial trace element is vital for the growth and development of humans. It is frequently described as 'the flower of life' and 'the source of intelligence'. Zinc supplements play a pivotal role in addressing zinc deficiency by serving as a vital source of this essential micronutrients, effectively replenishing depleted zinc levels in the body. In this paper, we first described the biological behavior of zinc in the human body and briefly described the physiological phenomena associated with zinc levels. The benefits and drawbacks of various zinc supplement forms are then discussed, with emphasis on the most recent zinc supplement formulations. Finally, the application of zinc supplements in food, medicine, and animal husbandry is further summarized. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Tebipenem pivoxil (TP) is a carbapenem and is applied against pneumonia, otitis media, and sinusitis. This study compared the pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety of a test (T) preparation and reference (R) preparation of TP in healthy Chinese adults. Methods: This study was a single-center, randomized, open, single-dose (fasting/postprandial) oral administration, two-agent, two-sequence, two-cycle, crossover bioequivalence trial. A total of 60 participants were enrolled (24 fasting and 36 postprandial). All participants were randomly assigned to the TR sequence and RT sequence. Subsequently, they switched T sequences or R sequences 7 days later. PK blood samples were collected according to the protocol, plasma TP concentration was determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, main PK parameters were calculated based on a non-compartment model, and adverse events were recorded during the test. Results: In the feeding arm, the geometric mean ratio of maximum concentration (Cmax) was 89.84% (90% confidence interval 84.33–95.70), the geometric mean ratio of area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time 0 to last time of quantifiable concentration (AUC0–t) was 86.80% (83.62–90.10), and the geometric mean ratio of area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time 0 to infinity time of quantifiable concentration (AUC0–∞) was 86.90% (83.73–90.20), which were within the acceptable range of bioequivalence (80–125%). In the fasting arm, the geometric mean ratio of Cmax was 96.07% (89.62–102.99), the geometric mean ratio of AUC0–t was 93.09% (90.47–95.78), and the geometric mean ratio of AUC0–∞ was 93.09% (90.48–95.77), which was within the acceptable range of bioequivalence (80–125%). Hence, the T preparation and R preparation of TP had bioequivalence in the fasting arm and feeding arm of the clinical trial. In addition, all adverse events were mild, and no severe adverse events were noted. Conclusion: Preparations T and R of TP were bioequivalent in the fasting and postprandial groups in clinical trials, and TP was safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to explore the significance and prognostic value of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-(OH) D) deficiency in peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs). One hundred fifty-six patients of newly diagnosed PTCLs were enrolled in the study. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to determine independent risk factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted, and corresponding areas under the curve (AUC) were calculated to estimate the accuracy of International Prognostic Index (IPI) plus 25-(OH) D deficiency and Prognostic Index for T-cell lymphoma (PIT) plus 25-(OH) D deficiency respectively in PTCL risk stratification. Our results showed that the 25-(OH) D deficiency was an independent inferior prognostic factor for both PFS (P = 0.0019) and OS (P = 0.005) for PTCLs, especially for AITL and PTCL-not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS). Additionally, adding 25-(OH) D deficiency to PIT indeed has a superior prognostic significance than PIT alone for PFS (P = 0.043) and OS (P = 0.036). Multivariate COX regression analysis revealed that PIT 2‒4, albumin (ALB) ≤ 35 g/L, and 25-(OH) D deficiency were regarded as independent risk factors of PFS and OS. Our results showed that 25-(OH) D deficiency was associated with inferior survival outcome of PTCLs, especially for AITL and PTCL-NOS. PIT plus 25-(OH) D deficiency could better indicate the prognosis for PFS and OS of PTCLs than PIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are now various theories on the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the β-Amyloid (Aβ) cascade hypothesis has garnered a lot of interest. This text applied lentivirus-encapsulated plasmid to transfect APP695 (K595N, M596L) gene into SH-SY5Y cells and thereby obtain a stable cell line over-expressing Aβ. We used qPCR to monitor the mRNA expression of β-Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) gene, β-Site APP Cleaving Enzyme 1 (BACE1) gene, we also used Western Blot to detect the APP protein, BACE1 protein, and Aβ1-42, respectively, in addition, the expression of Aβ1-42 in SH-SY5Y cell lysate and cell culture supernatant was measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The findings demonstrated APP gene over-expression following APP695 (K595N, M596L) gene transfection, and also indicated the successful establishment of the Swedish mutant cell model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the irregularity and complexity of ground and non-ground objects, filtering non-ground data from airborne LiDAR point clouds to create Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) remains a longstanding and unresolved challenge. Recent advancements in deep learning have offered effective solutions for understanding three-dimensional semantic scenes. However, existing studies lack the capability to model global semantic relationships and fail to integrate global and local semantic information effectively, which are crucial for the ground filtering of point cloud data, especially for larger objects. This study focuses on ground filtering challenges in large scenes and introduces an elevation offset-attention (E-OA) module, which considers global semantic features and integrates them into existing network frameworks. The performance of this module has been validated on three classic benchmark models (RandLA-Net, point transformer, and PointMeta-L). It was compared with two traditional filtering methods and the advanced CDFormer model. Additionally, the E-OA module was compared with three state-of-the-art attention frameworks. Experiments were conducted on two distinct data sources. The results show that our proposed E-OA module improves the filtering performance of all three benchmark models across both data sources, with a maximum improvement of 6.15%. The performance of models was enhanced with the E-OA module, consistently exceeding that of traditional methods and all competing attention frameworks. The proposed E-OA module can serve as a plug-and-play component, compatible with existing networks featuring local feature extraction capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research works have proven that duplicate bug reports can provide helpful information to assist developers in software tasks such as fault localization and program fixing, while thoroughly reading duplicate bug reports is time‐consuming and inefficient. Summarization is a possible solution for gaining essential information quickly. However, there are many challenges when applying existing summarizing techniques on duplicate bug reports. Duplicate bug reports describe the same problem from different views and vary in quality, content, and writing style. Moreover, the code snippet understanding and the semantic gap between natural and programming languages make the summary generation even more difficult. Thus, in this paper, we want to investigate whether the state‐of‐the‐art summarization approaches can overcome the resistance and generate an effective summary for duplicate bug reports. We collected more than 8,000 groups of duplicate reports from GitHub and labeled 60 groups with 149 reports manually for the evaluation. Results showed that although the existing summarization approaches can work on duplicate bug reports, there are significant differences between them when it comes to code snippet summarization. Moreover, several methods can be very sluggish for summarizing long bug reports. Our study provides insights and guidelines for choosing proper summarization approaches in different scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution of water resources has become a global environmental problem, and the massive discharge of high-color printing and dyeing wastewater has caused serious harm to the natural environment. In this work, we have used repeated alkali solubilization and acid precipitation for an agricultural and forestry by-product, bilberry kernel shells, to obtain Mountain apricot shell Melanin (Mas-Mel), which can be used for the adsorption of cationic dyes. By graft copolymerization with a natural sugar-based polymer, κ-carrageenan (κCA), in a mild manner, we have prepared the adsorbent, Mountain apricot shell Melanin /κ-carrageenan (Mas-Mel/κCA) hydrogel beads, which were physically and chemically analyzed using a variety of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The optimum conditions for methylene blue (MB) adsorption and malachite green (MG) on Mas-Mel/κCA hydrogel were: contact time 150 min, adsorbent dose 60 mg, pH 6–7. The results of the adsorption tests followed the Pseudo-second order kinetics (R2 = 0.97 and 0.95), and the maximum adsorption capacity of MB and MG based on the Langmuir isotherm model was 48.63 mg/g and 37.84 mg/g, respectively. In addition, the prepared hydrogel beads still exhibited a high reusability and removal rate (∼50 %) after three consecutive 400-minute cyclic adsorption-resolution cycles. Our results may provide a new strategy for the development of green bio-based adsorbent materials and industrial dye wastewater treatment. [Display omitted] • Mountain apricot shell melanin (Mas-Mel) can be used for cationic dye adsorption. • Novel hydrogels obtained by grafting Mas-Mel into κ-carrageenan networks. • Removal of mobile cationic dyes using Mas-Mel/κCA beads as fixed bed filler. • Removes approx. 50 % of the dye even after 400 min of continuous adsorption-desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal oxide semiconductors have been developed for ultraviolet–visible photodetectors, but improving sensitivity has remained a challenge due to poor mobility and carrier losses. In this study, a high‐performance photodetector is achieved by implementing a chargeable electret to regulate carrier transmission properties in the CuBi2O4 (CBO) conductive channel. As expected, the positively charged device shows improved performance, with a broadband detection range covering 250–600 nm, maximum responsivity and detectivity of around 10.65 A W−1 and 8.56 × 1012 Jones, and a fast rise and decay time of 50 and 300 µs, respectively. Mechanism analyses suggest two roles of the electret layer: 1) positive charges in the electret layer attract electrons and leave a pure hole conductive channel with less carrier recombination and trapping; 2) holes in the conductive channel move in one direction with less carrier collision and scattering. This work has demonstrated an effective strategy for providing a durable and stable ultra‐high electrostatic field to improve the sensitivity of photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precisely manipulated π–π stacking of the hybrid catalyst favors the specific prediction of the ORR active sites, which are the iron atoms in the form of natural Fe-N 4 that bind preferentially to the oxygen. [Display omitted] Metal macrocycles with well-defined molecular structures are ideal platforms for the in-depth study of electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Structural integrity of metal macrocycles is vital but remain challenging since the commonly used high-temperature pyrolysis would cause severe structure damage and unidentifiable active sites. Herein, we propose a pyrolysis-free strategy to precisely manipulate the exfoliated 2D iron polyphthalocyanine (FePPc) anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via π–π stacking using facile high-energy ball milling. A delocalized electron shift caused by π–π interaction is firstly found to be the mechanism of facilitating the remarkable ORR activity of this hybrid catalyst. The optimal FePPc@rGO-HE achieves superior half-wave potential (0.90 V) than 20 % Pt/C. This study offers a new insight in designing stable and high-performance metal macrocycle catalysts with well-defined active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shape control of mesoporous carbon microparticles (MCMPs) is of critical importance; in particular, asymmetric shapes that can yield unique properties have attracted significant attention. However, the tailored synthesis of asymmetric MCMPs with ordered structures remains challenging. Herein, we report a facile route to prepare asymmetric MCMPs by neutral interface-guided 3D-confined self-assembly (3D-CSA) of block copolymer/homopolymer (BCP/hP) blends, followed by a self-templated selective direct carbonization strategy. BCP/hP Janus microparticles with ordered hierarchical mesostructures were prepared with emulsion solvent evaporation-induced 3D-CSA. The continuous phase of BCP domains was then crosslinked. Composite asymmetric MCMPs are successfully generated after selective carbonization of the crosslinked continuous phase. This method allows tuning the shape of MCMPs easily by varying the blending ratio of BCP/hP. The composite asymmetric MCMPs combine the advantages of asymmetric shape, ordered structure, high specific surface area, chemical inertness and thermal stability and could provide great possibilities for applications in catalysis, drug delivery, energy conversion and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of low T3 syndrome in follicular lymphoma (FL). A total of 221 FL patients with detailed serum thyroid hormone levels and other complete clinical data were enrolled. Baseline features associated with low T3 syndrome were analyzed and balanced by propensity score matching. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to determine independent risk factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the predictive accuracy of FL international prognostic index FLIPI-1/FLIPI-2 and low T3 syndrome. A total of 22 patients (10.0%) had low T3 syndrome at diagnosis, which was associated with poor PFS and OS in the rituximab era. It is an independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS. Low T3 syndrome and FLIPI-1/FLIPI-2 significantly increased the AUC of PFS and OS compared to FLIPI-1/FLIPI-2 alone. Low T3 is a risk factor for POD24. In conclusion, low T3 syndrome may be a good candidate for predicting the prognosis of CLL in future clinical practice. Our study demonstrates that low T3 syndrome is associated with poorer survival outcomes in FL patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fatigue crack initiation life of unwelded steel components accounts for the majority of the total fatigue life, and the accurate prediction of it is of vital importance. In this study, a numerical model utilizing the extended finite element method (XFEM) and Smith–Watson–Topper (SWT) model is established to predict the fatigue crack initiation life of notched details extensively used in orthotropic steel deck bridges. Using the user subroutine UDMGINI in Abaqus, a new algorithm was proposed to calculate the damage parameter of SWT under high-cycle fatigue loads. The virtual crack-closure technique (VCCT) was introduced to monitor crack propagation. Nineteen tests were performed, and the results were used to validate the proposed algorithm and XFEM model. The simulation results show that the proposed XFEM model with UDMGINI and VCCT can reasonably predict the fatigue lives of the notched specimens within the regime of high-cycle fatigue with a load ratio of 0.1. The error for the prediction of fatigue initiation life ranges from −27.5% to 41.1%, and the prediction of total fatigue life has a good agreement with the experimental results with a scatter factor of around 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A type of MoS2 nanoparticle with a spherical‐like shape is chemically synthesized with favorable third‐order and suppressed second‐order nonlinear optical response, which results from the isotropy induced by the geometrical uniformity of nanoparticles and an artificial symmetry center. It is found that the linewidth of third harmonic signal is broadened due to the self‐phase modulation effect, another third‐order nonlinearity. Moreover, the intensity of harmonic signal can be conveniently adjusted by controlling the polarization state of applied optical field. The artificially designed material morphology may provide a reference for designing all‐optical modulation devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of the study was to compare the number of paired box 7 (PAX7)-positive, myogenic differentiation 1 (MyoD1)-positive, and neural cell adhesion molecule-1 (NCAM)-positive satellite cells in human primary versus secondary inferior oblique muscle overaction (IOOA). Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled patients who underwent inferior oblique muscle myectomy at the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus in Tianjin Eye Hospital between January 2020 and November 2020. The muscle specimens were processed. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to quantify inferior oblique muscle fiber diameter and PAX7-positive, NCAM-positive, and MyoD1-positive satellite cells. Results: Thirty-eight patients with inferior oblique overaction were enrolled: 18 with primary IOOA and 20 with secondary IOOA. The participants were significantly younger in the secondary IOOA group than in the primary IOOA group (2.8 ± 1.2 vs. 9.0 ± 3.2 years, p < 0.001). The muscle fiber diameter between the two groups was not significantly different (13.5 ± 1.4 vs. 13.8 ± 0.7 µm, p = 0.530), but PAX7+ (3.3 ± 2.8 vs. 1.8 ± 0.6, p < 0.001), NCAM+ (3.6 ± 1.5 vs. 1.7 ± 0.2, p < 0.001), and MyoD1+ (4.8 ± 1.9 vs. 2.7 ± 0.5, p < 0.001) cell counts were higher in primary IOOA than in secondary IOOA. Conclusions: PAX7pos, MyoD-1pos, and NCAMpos cell counts per laminar nucleus were almost 2-fold higher in the primary IOOA group than in the secondary IOOA group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Placement is a crucial and time-consuming step in modern very-large scale integration (VLSI) physical design. In this survey, we provide a comprehensive review of existing machine learning techniques for placement studies and categorize them as follows: intelligent placement and kernelized placement. Intelligent placement that combines machine-learning algorithms and traditional placement methods will continue to be a trending topic in academic research. Kernelized placement frameworks that can significantly accelerate solving multi-objective placement problems using AI hardware have also received considerable attention recently. We discuss the advantages and drawbacks of intelligent placement and kernelized placement and highlight future trends in machine learning techniques for placement. • Four paradigms for combining machine learning techniques with placement are proposed • Intelligent placement combines machine learning and traditional placement methods • Kernelized placement uses AI hardware to accelerate solving placement problems • Intelligent and kernelized placement are complementary to each other • Intelligent and kernelized placement are the most promising directions for the future [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Jahn–Teller effects increase charge carriers and boosts photon harvesting. • Strong absorption over full sun light for (Mn 2 O 3) 3 CuSiO 3 with Jahn–Teller defects. • Direct light absorption and heat storage of Cu-braunite–coated Mg(OH) 2. • Photo-dehydration conversion of Cu-braunite–Mg(OH)2 increases by 10 fold.. To improve photon harvesting, we demonstrated that Jahn–Teller defects can efficiently reduce the band gap and increase the carrier density, which significantly intensify light harvesting and widen the absorption band. This may be an effective method for designing solar materials. The substitution of Mn2+ with Jahn–Teller active Cu2+ leads to quasi-metallic (Mn 2 O 3) 3 CuSiO 3 nanoparticles with a high concentration of charge carriers, displaying intense absorption in entire solar spectrum. Silicates may represent a new type of photon harvesting material. Mg(OH) 2 powder coated by Cu-braunite shows a 150 % increase in photothermal temperature, a tenfold improvement in photothermal-dehydration conversion and a 15.8-fold increase in the reversibility of 30 cycles of heat storage and release. This material may be practicable for directly harvesting solar energy and storing thermoenergy. Jahn–Teller effects are effective for tuning photon harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A redox system has high density of delocalized charge carrier. • Metal-like CeO 2 –Co 3 O 4 absorbs light strongly in full solar spectrum. • CeO 2 –Co 3 O 4 can catalyze Ca(OH) 2 dehydration. • Ca(OH) 2 –CeO 2 –Co 3 O 4 composite can efficiently absorb sun light. • Ca(OH) 2 –CeO 2 –Co 3 O 4 is promising for direct photothermal storage. Thermal energy storage technology is an effective means for expanding the use of solar energy. Light harvesting across the full solar wavelength is essential for ensuring photothermal efficiency. Lattice defect engineering has been widely used to narrow the band gap and induce surface plasmon resonance absorption. In this study, we present an alternate method for intensifying light absorption. The CeO 2 –Co 3 O 4 redox system possesses highly delocalised electrons and numerous oxygen vacancies, allowing considerable light harvesting over the full solar spectrum. By incorporating CeO 2 –Co 3 O 4 as an absorber, the photothermal temperature, photothermal dehydration conversion and reversibility of the thermal storage and release cycles of Ca(OH) 2 can be drastically enhanced. The dehydration kinetics of Ca(OH) 2 are also substantially increased by reducing the dehydration activation energy using CeO 2 –Co 3 O 4. The Ca(OH) 2 –CeO 2 –Co 3 O 4 composite is a promising candidate for one-step photothermal conversion and thermal energy storage. Herein, we develop a light–material design for the very first time using a redox system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2,4,6,8,10,12-Hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) is considered as the most promising energetic materials (EMs) in terms of its detonation performance. Nonetheless, its applications are limited due to high sensitivity and low phase stability. Thermal decomposition behavior especially for the initial reaction pathway determines its reactivity and sensitivity. An in-depth discernment of the innate decomposition pathways of CL-20 would facilitate the precision tailoring and augmentation of its performance. The thermal behavior and decomposition mechanisms of CL-20 are largely dependent on the experimental conditions and chemical environments. In this brief review, the effects of those factors on the thermal decomposition mechanisms of CL-20 are summarized from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. In particular, the interaction mechanisms between CL-20 and the other commonly used energetic compounds are simultaneously elucidated. • Environmental conditions and contact materials influence the thermal decomposition mechanism of CL-20. • High temperatures can weaken the influence of physical factors on the decomposition of CL-20. • The influence of contact materials on the decomposition mechanism of CL-20 varies depending on the material used. • Need to strengthen theoretical research on the decomposition mechanism of CL-20 under chemical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten bronze ceramics of composition Sr 2 Ag 0.2 Na 0.8 Nb 5- x Ta x O 15 were synthesized by solid state methods to investigate the impact of Ta replacement on the structure and energy-storage properties (ESP). The study on the relationship between structure and electric properties revealed three main conclusions: (1) as the Ta5+ concentration increased, the crystal structure transformed from an orthorhombic Im 2 a phase to a tetragonal paraelectric P 4 bm phase; (2) a high recoverable energy storage density (1.44 J/cm3) and a moderate efficiency (82%) under low-electric fields was obtained in x = 0.3 sample; (3) both dielectric properties (−9.6 to 232.7 °C) and ESP (30–150 °C) exhibit an excellent thermal stability for x = 0.3 sample. In addition, a high current density (863.69 A/cm2) and a large powder density (70.21 MW/cm3) were achieved simultaneously. The current system could be a promising candidate in temperature-stable dielectric capacitors under low-fields and over a broad temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) have been demonstrated to be a promising autologous stem cell source for treating various neuronal diseases. Our study indicated that hADSCs could be induced into neuron-like cells in a stepwise manner that are characterized by the positive expression of MAP2, SYNAPSIN 1/2, NF-200, and vGLUT and electrophysiological activity. We first primed hADSCs into neuron-like cells (hADSC-NCs) and then intracerebrally transplanted them into MCAO reperfusion mice to further explore their in vivo survival, migration, integration, fate commitment and involvement in neural circuit rebuilding. Results: The hADSC-NCs survived well and transformed into MAP2-positive, Iba1- or GFAP-negative cells in vivo while maintaining some proliferative ability, indicated by positive Ki67 staining after 4 weeks. hADSC-NCs could migrate to multiple brain regions, including the cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and hypothalamus, and further differentiate into mature neurons, as confirmed by action potential elicitation and postsynaptic currents. With the aid of a cell suicide system, hADSC-NCs were proven to have functionally integrated into the hippocampal memory circuit, where they contributed to spatial learning and memory rescue, as indicated by LTP improvement and subsequent GCV-induced relapse. In addition to infarction size shrinkage and movement improvement, MCAO-reperfused mice showed bidirectional immune modulation, including inhibition of the local proinflammatory factors IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, MIP-1β and promotion proinflammatory IP-10, MCP-1, and enhancement of the anti-inflammatory factors IL-15. Conclusion: Overall, hADSC-NCs used as an intermediate autologous cell source for treating stroke can rebuild hippocampus neuronal circuits through cell replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has demonstrated that lithium niobate doped with praseodymium (LiNbO 3 :Pr), which initially did not exhibit persistent luminescence(PersL), can display significant PersL performance through the modulation of the lithium-to-niobium ratio (R LN). By adjusting the R LN to 1, LiNbO 3 :Pr achieved enhanced PersL, lasting several minutes, with the afterglow's duration further influenced by the R LN. Thermoluminescence (TL) assays and energy diagram analyses have elucidated that the presence and depth of oxygen vacancy defects are critical for both the emergence and longevity of PersL LiNbO 3 :Pr polycrystals. These insights enhance the understanding of PersL mechanisms in lithium niobate crystals and highlight their potential for application in optical information storage. • The lithium-to-niobium ratio effectively modulated the afterglow and thermoluminescence(TL) of LiNbO 3 :Pr polycrystals. • The lithium-to-niobium ratio of 1 resulted in the maximum persistent luminescent time constant and minimum defect depth. • TL experiments confirmed the depth of oxygen vacancy defects and elucidated their role in modulating the afterglow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of blockchain technology with Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) has gained significant attention across various industry domains such as manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and energy management. The consensus mechanism serves as the fundamental component of decentralized blockchain systems, and the efficiency of the consensus algorithm greatly impacts the practicality of the entire system. One of the most well-known representative algorithms in the field of Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) consensus is PBFT, which operates through successive views where a replica is designated as the leader in each view. The leader assumes the responsibility of proposing new requests and gathering votes from other replicas. However, in cases where the leader becomes Byzantine or faulty, a view-change process is triggered after a Δ timer expires, transitioning to the next view. Requests that failed to commit in a previous view may experience a delay of up to Δ + 6 δ (δ representing the actual network delay) before being committed in the new view. Given that Δ is typically set to a large value, this latency becomes unacceptable for CPS, which necessitates real-time transaction processing or data exchange. Following PBFT, several works, including SBFT, have aimed to improve consensus performance. However, all these works primarily focus on reducing latency in the normal case and overlook the aforementioned issue that existed during the view-change process. To address this issue, we propose Doppel, an approach that reduces the latency caused by a faulty leader. Doppel achieves this by introducing two leaders, namely L 1 and L 2 , in each view and enabling request commitment during the view-change process. These leaders are assigned different priorities. If L 1 is non-faulty, Doppel can commit requests within 5 δ , which is equivalent to PBFT and SBFT. Conversely, if L 1 is faulty but L 2 is non-faulty, Doppel significantly reduces latency to 7 δ , which is notably smaller than Δ + 6 δ in PBFT and SBFT. We have implemented a system prototype of and conducted multiple experiments to evaluate its performance. The experimental results consistently demonstrate Doppel's outperformance over PBFT and SBFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A W-band low-profile dual-polarized Cassegrain reflectarray with an integrated feed is designed in this work. High isolation, which is necessary for the in-band full-duplex (IBFD) applications, is realized between two feeding ports corresponding to the orthogonal polarizations. The antenna is composed of two parts, i.e., the dual-polarized planar-array feed and the Cassegrain reflectarray with a small focal-length to diameter ratio ($F/D)$. The dual-polarized planar array feed is appressed behind the main-reflectarray, and the $F/D$ is reduced to 0.2 to realize the integration and the low-profile property. For the array feed, high isolation is achieved through the orthogonal-mode isolation and the differential signal cancellation. Its radiation pattern is also manipulated to fit the reflectarray considering the taper and spillover efficiency. For the reflectarray, the rotational symmetry configuration and the dual-layer-patch cell are applied to suit the dual-polarization operation and the large incident angle, respectively. The measured operation band, where the gain variation is within 1 dB, is 93.4–95.6 GHz. At the center frequency, the gains of the Cassegrain reflectarray for the two ports are 31.86 and 30.88 dBi, and the corresponding aperture efficiencies are 31.4% and 25.1%, respectively. The isolation between the two ports is higher than 55 dB within the operation band. This work is a low-profile candidate for W-band point-to-point IBFD communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium matrix composites are essential lightweight metal matrix composites, following aluminum matrix composites, with outstanding application prospects in automotive, aerospace lightweight and biomedical materials because of their high specific strength, low density and specific stiffness, good casting performance and rich resources. However, the inherent low plasticity and poor fatigue resistance of magnesium hamper its further application to a certain extent. Many researchers have tried many strengthening methods to improve the properties of magnesium alloys, while the relationship between wear resistance and plasticity still needs to be further improved. The nanoparticles added exhibit a good strengthening effect, especially the ceramic nanoparticles. Nanoparticle-reinforced magnesium matrix composites not only exhibit a high impact toughness, but also maintain the high strength and wear resistance of ceramic materials, effectively balancing the restriction between the strength and toughness. Therefore, this work aims to provide a review of the state of the art of research on the matrix, reinforcement, design, properties and potential applications of nano-reinforced phase-reinforced magnesium matrix composites (especially ceramic nanoparticle-reinforced ones). The conventional and potential matrices for the fabrication of magnesium matrix composites are introduced. The classification and influence of ceramic reinforcements are assessed, and the factors influencing interface bonding strength between reinforcements and matrix, regulation and design, performance and application are analyzed. Finally, the scope of future research in this field is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on the deviations caused by different resolutions is relevant to the study of spatial scale effects. In 2018, spatial interpolations were performed using the removal ratios of the TN, NH4‐N, and NO3‐N of the layers of different resolutions, respectively. Based on the mean and the standard deviation, the area, shape, and position were obtained for four levels related to the removal ratios of the three nitrogen forms. The linear and 6th function fitting methods were used to reveal the differences in nitrogen removal in wetland water at different spatial resolutions. The results showed that a resolution of 25 times the original was the key scale of the spatial effects. Due to the fact that 52 of the 72 functions did not reach a significant level (P < 0.05), the spatial scale effect of the nitrogen removal was mainly characterized by disorderly fluctuations. The results have a certain extrapolation value for the analysis of spatial scale effects. Practitioner Points: The resolution difference was not sufficient to change the spatial pattern of the geographic phenomena.The resolution of 25 times the original was the important scale for determining spatial effects.When studying the spatial scale effects caused by differences in resolution, it was necessary to comprehensively consider various resolutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new zinc coordination polymers, {[Zn(iPrIPA)(bpa)]⋅2H2O}n (1) and [Zn2(iPrIPA)2(bpp)]n (2) (iPrIPA = 5-i-propoxyisophthalate, bpa = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl) ethane, bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Complexes 1 and 2 represent 3-D polythreaded supra molecular architecture consisting of corrugated 2D layer for complexes 1 and a 2D network consisting of alternating Zn1 binuclear and paddel-wheel Zn2 binuclear units for compound 2. The structural comparison of these two complexes demonstrates that the characteristics of auxiliary ligands play a key role in governing the coordination motifs and the final supramolecular lattices. Fluorescence emission and room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) behavior of 1 and 2 were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bifunctional catalyst was prepared by one-step pyrolysis of trimetallic ZIF. The obtained catalyst showed excellent charge–discharge stability in rechargeable Zn-air battery. • A facile and effect strategy is proposed for the synthesis of catalyst precursor. • This strategy reduces the adverse effects of the pyrolysis process on the catalyst. • The coexistence of Co NPs and CoFe-N x improves the ORR/OER activity. • The catalyst displays excellent durability as a cathode for Zn-air battery. Searching for high active, low cost and durable catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains challenge in developing metal-air battery cathodes. Herein, we proposed a novel bifunctional catalyst derived from the pyrolysis of Co/Fe/Zn trimetallic zeolitic imidazolite framework. The obtained Co@CoFe 0.01 N C catalyst displays desirable activity for both ORR and OER (E 1/2 = 0.844 V, E j=10 = 1.654 V). The Zn-air battery equipped with Co@CoFe 0.01 N C catalyst on the cathode exhibits a high peak power density of 174.1 mW cm−2, which is much superior than that of commercial 20% Pt/C (87.6 mW cm−2). Significantly, the designed Co@CoFe 0.01 N C presents an outstanding stability for over 100 h in rechargeable Zn-air battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial activities discharge a large amount of wastes containing hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] into the environment, which poses a threat to human health. Microorganisms can be used as efficient tools for Cr(VI) remediation. In this study, the Cr(VI) removal capacity of Aspergillus niger was evaluated. A. niger could tolerate and reduce Cr(VI) by nearly 100% at concentrations ranging from 10 to 50 mg/L. Overall, almost 97% of the Cr(VI) removal was caused by extracellular reduction whereas 3% was caused by accumulation. Extracellular reduction was mediated by non-enzymatic cell secretions, whereas extracellular accumulated Cr formed precipitates on the hyphal surfaces and was partially absorbed on the cell wall. Cr(VI) also entered the cell and was reduced by the strong chromate reductase activity in cell-free extracts and then accumulated within the cell. These data suggest that A. niger, which has the capacity to remove Cr(VI) by reduction and accumulation, can be a useful tool for Cr(VI) remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Various active substances, antioxidant activities and primary differential metabolite profiles were investigated to assess the nutritional quality of radish sprouts steamed for 0–300 s. The levels of flavonoids, total phenolic content and isothiocyanate in radish sprouts decreased with increased steaming time, and DPPH radical scavenging activity levels and superoxide dismutase levels also exhibited a downward trend (P < 0.05). By contrast, total phenolic acid, ferric‐reducing antioxidant power and reducing power levels exhibited significant increases in the early short‐term steaming process (P < 0.05). Steaming for 30 s promoted the accumulation of vitamin B2, whereas, steaming for 300 s promoted the accumulation of phospholipids and myristic acid to a greater extent than steaming for 30 s. Overall, there was a partial non‐decreased nutritional indicator in short‐term steaming of radish sprouts, and a longer steaming time positively affected the differential metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous metabolic parameters can be changed during hemodialysis in the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) caused by systemic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension. Some ocular parameters also can be variable due to the changes after hemodialysis. This study evaluates the effects of ocular parameters, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), central macular thickness (CMT), subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), retinal arteriolar caliber (RAC), retinal venular calibre (RVC), in ESRD patients following hemodialysis. Materials and methods: Two-hundred and two ESRD patients were recruited resulting in 404 eyes evaluations. All patients underwent hemodialysis in the Dialysis Unit of the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University. BCVA, CMT, IOP, SFCT, RAC and RVC were evaluated before and after hemodialysis. Systemic parameters were collected such as age, body weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), duration of hemodialysis, body weight changes, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDLC), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Results: The causes of ESRD patients included chronic glomerulonephritis (n = 65), diabetes mellitus (n = 60), hypertensive nephrosclerosis (n = 37), and other causes (n = 40). In our study, BCVA (p =.817), CMT (p =.252) and IOP (p =.978) did not significantly change after hemodialysis. SFCT significantly decreased from 254.29 ± 69.36 μm to 235.54 ± 659.90 μm (p =.002) following hemodialysis. SFCT changes were significantly correlated with SBP (p =.042) and body weight changes (p =.044). The RAC and RVC were dilated significantly (p =.033, p =.007). RVC changes were correlated with baseline DBP (p =.003), HDLC (p =.009), LDLC (p =.004) and changes in DBP (p =.037) and body weight (p =.001). Conclusion: Hemodialysis can affect various ocular parameters including SFCT, RAC and RVC, which changed significantly following hemodialysis. Whereas BCVA, IOP and CMT did not change after hemodialysis in ESRD patients. The systemic compensatory mechanisms of the changes in SBP, DBP, body weight following hemodialysis need further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead is a major source of environmental pollution that has recently been the focus of a great deal of research. Bioremediation has been shown to be effective in remediation of lead pollution. Penicillium polonicum is a fungus with highly efficient adsorption of lead. In this study, the influence of electric current on the growth characteristics and adsorption of lead by the strain were investigated through applying different external voltages (1.5, 1.25, 1.0, 0.75, and 0.5 V). The results indicated that the electric current with voltage ranges from 1.0 to 1.25 V could promote the adsorption of lead. In addition, morphological characteristics and the quantity of lead-containing minerals formed on the surface of P. polonicum differed greatly under different experimental conditions. Further, the electric current intensity and electric energy consumption at voltages of 1.0, 1.25, and 1.5 V were higher than the blank control group, suggesting that the strain could utilize the energy supplied by an external electrochemical workstation to improve lead adsorption. After applying an external current, the lead adsorption of P. polonicum was affected by electric current changing the growth environment of the fungus and the electron transfer reaction between electrodes and P. polonicum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ESs and EFZs under different scales were assessed. • The spatiotemporal changes in ESs were broadly similar at different scales. • The spatiotemporal distribution of the EFZs varied at different scales. • Natural factors had greater impacts on the formation of EFZs at both two scales. • This study provides a theoretical basis for the zoning management of QPES. Ecological functional zones (EFZs) are crucial components of ecosystem management that maintain the sustainability of ecosystems. Clarifying EFZs and their driving factors can inform the management of regional ecosystems. This study analyzed the dynamic changes of four ecosystem services (ESs) on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau ecological shelter (QPES) at different scales in 2000 and 2015: water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), net primary productivity (NPP), and habitat quality (HQ). The K-means clustering algorithm was applied to classify EFZs, then the geographic detector model was used to reveal the driving factors for the formation of EFZs at different scales. The results demonstrated a decrease in WY and SC and an improvement in NPP and HQ in the QPES. The ecological regulating functional zone (E1), ecological supply functional zone (E2), and ecological supporting functional zone (E3) were classified based on the ESs that dominated the different areas. E1 was based primarily on NPP, E2 was based on WY, and E3 on HQ. The areas of E1 and E2 expanded and E3 decreased at the 1 km scale; while E1 expanded, E3 decreased and E2 remained unchanged at the county scale. Precipitation and the normalized difference vegetation index were the most important driving factors affecting the formation of EFZs either at the 1 km scale or the county scale. Socioeconomic factors were also major driving factors of EFZs formation at the county scale, and all driving factors except gross domestic product had greater explanatory power in 2015 than in 2000. This study offers scientific justification for multiple-scale sustainable management in the QPES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present prospective study aimed to investigate the structural and functional changes in patients with concomitant exotropia using multimodal MRI. A total of 11 adult patients with concomitant exotropia (5 males and 6 females) and 11 healthy adult individuals (5 males and 6 females) were recruited and examined using multimodal MRI techniques. Near and distance exotropia deviation angles were measured. The structrual changes were evaluated using the gray matter volume. Functional reorganization was assessed using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, regional homogeneity and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) on MRI. No significant differences could be found in terms of sex, age or body mass index between the two groups. However, the near and distance exotropia angles were significantly higer in the concomitant exotropia group compared with those in the normal control group (P<0.001). Compared with those in normal individuals, the bilateral thalamus, right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and right cuneus had significantly reduced gray matter volumes in the concomitant exotropia group (false discovery rate corrected, P<0.05). Reduced FC was found between the bilateral thalamus and the bilateral precuneus, between the right MTG and the right medial superior frontal gyrus in addition to the right precuneus, and between the right cuneus and the right primary sensorimotor cortex (P<0.05, Gaussian random-field corrected) in the concomitant exotropia group compared with that in the normal individuals. In conclusion, the present study indicated that structural and functional reorganization occurs in specific brain regions of patients with concomitant exotropia. These reorganized areas appeared to mainly involve the subcortical structures and related cortices that process visual information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead pollution is rapidly becoming a serious concern, and remediation of lead contamination is a major challenge. Biological remediation is both environmentally friendly and sustainable process. In this study, we investigated the application of Aspergillus niger (Bpb1) for removing lead ion from a liquid medium by using photoelectron generated from a light-semiconductor mineral-microbial system. Synthetic anatase electrodes were systematically characterized and used as a photoelectron provider. Under light irradiation, the adsorption rates of Pb(II) by A. niger in the experimental groups increased by 204% (the maximum) on the fourth day, while the total adsorption rates remained the same. Further study of lead products revealed that lead ion combines with organic acids to form extracellular lead-containing products, which wrap around the fungal hyphae and combine with the cell wall. The anatase photoelectron enhanced the adsorption rate of Pb(II) by A. niger by forming larger lead-containing products, and by accelerating the transportation of Pb(II) into the inner cell. This novel approach provides newer insights into the application of biological degradation for environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We theoretically investigate the high-order harmonic generation (HHG) of H 2 + molecule in the counter-rotating two-color circularly polarized laser pulse by numerically solving the two-dimensional (2D) time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE). The results show that the even harmonics are suppressed with the fundamental laser wavelength 800 nm for the ratio of the second laser frequency and the fundamental laser frequency 3 or 5. In order to investigate the contributions of the HHG from two nuclei, the HHG is separated into two parts, which is originated from nucleus 1 and nucleus 2. The underlying physical mechanism of enhancing and suppressing high-order harmonic generation is illustrated by the interference effect of the HHG spectra originating from two nuclei. Meanwhile, the difference of the HHG spectra is investigated with the fundamental laser wavelength 1600 nm and 2400 nm. Highlights • The HHG of H 2 + is investigated in two-color circularly polarized laser. • Even harmonics are suppressed, odd harmonics reverse for frequency ratios 3 or 5. • The interference effect is presented to illustrate HHG process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A field growing/non-growing season asymmetric warming experiment (C: control, i.e., no warming in the entire year; GLNG: growing season warming lower than non-growing season warming; GHNG: growing season warming higher than non-growing season warming) was conducted in an alpine meadow of the Northern Tibetan Plateau in early June 2015. The effects of growing/non-growing season asymmetric warming on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), aboveground biomass (AGB) and gross primary production (GPP) in 2015–2017 were examined. The 'GLNG' and 'GHNG' treatments significantly increased the annual mean air temperature (T a) by 2.95 °C and 2.76 °C, and the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) by 0.23 kPa and 0.28 kPa but significantly reduced the annual mean soil moisture (SM) by 0.02 m3 m−3 and 0.02 m3 m−3 respectively; however, changes in the annual mean T a , VPD and SM were the same between the 'GLNG' and 'GHNG' treatments over the three years in 2015–2017. There were no significant differences in the SAVI and GPP among the 'C', 'GLNG' and 'GHNG' treatments over the three growing seasons in 2015–2017. The 'GLNG' and 'GHNG' treatments did not significantly affect the NDVI and AGB compared to 'C', whereas the NDVI and AGB under the 'GLNG' treatment were significantly greater than those under the 'GHNG' treatment over the three growing seasons in 2015–2017. The significant differences in NDVI and AGB between the 'GLNG' and 'GHNG' treatments may be attributed to the different effects under the 'GLNG' and 'GHNG' treatments on the non-growing season T a , growing season water availability and soil nitrogen availability. Therefore, the non-growing season with a higher warming magnitude may have stronger effects on the aboveground plant production than did the growing season with a higher warming magnitude in the alpine meadow of the Northern Tibetan Plateau. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • NDVI/AGB and SAVI/GPP had varied responses to season asymmetric warming. • Non-growing season with a higher-level warming had greater effects on NDVI and AGB. • NDVI/AGB differences were due to varied effects on water, N and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Three bulky conjugated 4-(2,6-di(pyrazin-2-yl)pyridin-4-yl)benzoate (L)-based coordination polymers (CPs), {[Cu(L)Cl]·2.25H 2 O} n (1), {[Cu(H 2 O)(L)](NO 3)·H 2 O} n (2) and {[Zn(H 2 O)(L)(NO 3)][Zn(H 2 O) 2 (L)](NO 3)H 2 O} n (3), were solvothermally synthesized by varying transition metal ions and pH values of the reactant mixture. Their crystal structures, band gaps and catalytic performances for photodegradation of organic dyes and electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide were fully investigated. Single-crystal structural determinations reveal that both 1 and 2 are bent one-dimensional (1D) chains constructed from ditopic L− connectors and square pyramidal CuII ions in slightly different coordination environments. By contrast, complex 3 consists of two hydrogen-bonding 1D chains with hexacoordinate ZnII octahedra extended by L− linkers. Due to the more suitable band gap and the unsaturated coordination site of the CuII center, the three CPs exhibit varied photodegradation activity of Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue with the degradation rates of 91.2% and 91.9% for 1 , 84.9% and 86.9% for 2 as well as 30.6% and 42.7% for 3. Additionally, 1 and 2 also display good electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. Graphical abstract Two CuII-based chains with bulky conjugated 4-(2,6-di(pyrazin-2-yl)pyridin-4-yl)benzoate exhibit enhanced catalytic activity on the photodegradation of Rhodamine B/methylene blue and electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide than those of ZnII-derived chain. Image 1 Highlights • Three non-linear chains with 4-(2,6-di(pyrazin-2-yl)pyridin-4-yl)benzoate connector were synthesized. • The Cu(II)-chains exhibits better photocatalytic efficiency on the degradation of RhB and MB than that of Zn(II)-chain. • Two CuII-based CPs also display efficient electrocatalytic activities toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene-mediated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates are currently explored for ultrasensitive detection and expected to provide uniform SERS response by the virtue of graphene and plasmonic metal nanostructures. Here, we integrated graphene oxide (GO) and anisotropic metal nanostructures to create a novel multiple coupling system, in which ultrathin GO as nanospacer was sandwiched between two layers of closely packed gold nanostars (AuNSts). The sandwiched hybrid was prepared through alternative loading of AuNSts and graphene oxide (GO) film via filtration and spin-coating methods in the absence of any polymer stabilizer or organic linkage agent. The morphologies and plasmon resonance of AuNSts could be tuned by simply adjusting the synthesis parameters. Due to the multi-dimensional plasmonic coupling in horizontally and vertically patterned AuNSts, extra chemical enhancement and outstanding molecule harvesting capability from GO interlayer, the as-prepared AuNSt-GO-AuNSt sandwich structures manifested ultrahigh sensitivity and excellent reproducibility (the signal variations <6%). A detection limit of rhodamine-6G (R6G) as low as 10 −13  M and a high enhancement factor of 6.64 × 10 7 were achieved. Particularly, the AuNSt-GO-AuNSt system was applied to detect erythrosine B and chrysoidin down to 10 −9  M as well as offer spectroscopic identification in complicated solutions, indicating great potential practical applications for the rapid and sensitive on-site monitoring, especially for food and environmental safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allisartan isoproxil (AI) is an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker and be converted into the active substance EXP3174 in vivo. We evaluated the drug–drug interactions of AI and an indapamide sustained‐release (Ind SR) preparation, as well as the pharmacokinetic characteristics and safety of AI and Ind SR in healthy subjects. The trial was set up in 6 sequences and 3 cycles, and each cycle contained a 7‐day washout period. Subjects received 3 different trial drugs (A, AI; B, Ind SR; C, AI + Ind SR) during 3 different cycles. Twenty‐four subjects were enrolled in the clinical trial. Of these, 22 completed the study, 2 subjects dropped out due to adverse events (AEs). For subjects given AI alone or combined with Ind SR, the pharmacogenetic parameters Cmax and the geometric mean ratio of steady state (combined/single) of EXP3174 was 130%. The geometric mean ratio of area under the concentration–time curve over the dosing interval at steady state (combined/single use) was 144.5%. Therefore, the combination of Ind SR had an impact on the pharmacokinetics of AI. Then, the results indicated that the AI combination had no effect on the pharmacokinetics of Ind SR. Serious AEs did not occur. The AEs in this clinical trial were the same as those for AI and Ind SR. Combined administration resulted in 2 cases (2 subjects) of Grade 3 hypotension and 1 case of Grade 3 hypotension with AI alone. Considering that this trial included healthy volunteers, the risk of hypotension was expected to be manageable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we used a simple ultrasonic stripping method to synthesize a bimetal MOFs at room temperature as a nanoenzyme with peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity. Through bimetal MOFs catalytic Fenton-like competitive reaction, thiamphenicol can be quantitatively dual-mode detected by fluorescence and colorimetry. It realized the sensitive detection of thiamphenicol in water, and the limits of detection (LOD) were 0.030 nM and 0.031 nM, and the liner ranges were 0.1–150 nM and 0.1–100 nM, respectively. The methods were applied to river water, lake water and tap water samples, and with satisfactory recoveries between 97.67% and 105.54%. [Display omitted] • The method of fluorescence and colorimetric dual-mode detection was built. • There were obvious fluorescence and color changes in the detection, which made it possible for on-site detection. • No complex pretreatment and a large number of toxic solvents. • Visual detection based on competitive reaction provided a new idea for pollutant detection in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal- and N-codoped carbon catalysts with low cost are latent substitutes to Pt-based catalysts in oxygen reduction reaction. However, the variety of N species obtained by pyrolysis often makes the determination of the active site controversial. Here, we design catalyst structures with pyrrolic-N anchored dual metal centers, while the presence of pyrrolic-N avoids the complex and variable structure of the active sites. Theory calculations demonstrate that coupling of the Cu–N 4 single-atom sites is favorable to reduce the reaction energy barrier of pyrrolic-N-type Fe–N 4 active site during the reaction process. Subsequently, the high-purity pyrrolic-N-type iron and copper single-atom catalyst is successfully synthesized to verify the hypothesis. The obtained FeCu–N–C catalyst achieves a half-wave potential of 0.913 V, higher than the 0.839 V of Pt/C. This route may provide new insights for regulating catalytic active sites in high purity pyrrolic-N type catalysts. The introduction of Cu single-atom optimizes the pyrrolic-N-type Fe–N 4 active site of the FeCu–N–C, endowing the catalyst with remarkable ORR activity (E 1/2 = 0.913 V). [Display omitted] • A pyrrolic-N anchors dual metal centers structure is designed. • DFT calculations demonstrate Cu doping can improve the ORR activity of iron sites. • Catalysts with high purity pyrrolic-N are prepared to prove the DFT calculations. • The half-wave potential of the obtained FeCu–N catalyst reaches 0.913 V. • This strategy provides new insights for regulating active sites of ORR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ transmission electron microscopy based nanopillar compression is utilized to investigate the mechanical properties of zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP) tribological films. Small scale testing provides localized insights into the properties of ZDDP films that spatially vary in composition at the nanoscale. Large variations in yield strength, between 0.82 and 4.8 GPa, are measured and correlated with local chemistry changes. Lower density regions of the film that tend to be carbon-rich have lower yield stresses, than higher density regions that tend to be zinc-, iron-, and sulfur-rich. It is hypothesized that the strong compositional dependence in mechanical properties at the nanoscale is an important factor contributing to the efficacy of ZDDP as an antiwear tribological film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium ion batteries (KIBs) are drawing intensive attention as the next-generation energy storage technology, owning to their similar electrochemical properties to lithium system and rich abundance of potassium resources. The carbonaceous materials with low cost, nontoxicity and high safety have been considered as promising candidates for KIBs anodes. However, they still suffer from several problems, such as poor cycling and rate capability, complex activation process steps and multiple procedures to import heteroatoms doping. Herein, the N-doped carbon nanofibers (NCFs) are fabricated by direct pyrolysis of bio-waste chitin, which is the second most abundant biopolymer throughout nature. The as-prepared NCFs used as KIBs anodes, without any additional activation steps, are systematically investigated for the first time. They deliver high capacity, excellent rate capability and long-term cycling stability, which benefit from the multiple synergistic effects of suitable interlayer spacing, heteroatom doping and unique one dimensional mesoporous structure. With the spotlight of environmental friendliness, low cost and high energy density in energy storage field, the chitin-based NCFs demonstrate great potential for future low-cost energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron donor-acceptor polyimides (PIs) containing different contents of ferrocene (Fc) as the pendent group, were synthesized for electrical resistive memory device applications. The 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) was employed as the electron-withdrawing monomer to condensation polymerize with the flexible 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (4,4′-ODA), And the electron-donating 4,4′-diamino-4″-ferrocenyltriphenylamine (DAFcTPA) designed to bear the triphenylamine (TPA) and Fc groups. Semiconductor parameter analysis indicates that the synthesized PIs containing no less than 5 mol% of Fc, possess nonvolatile flash memory characteristic with excellent operational stability and transient response to applied voltage. The mechanism related to the electrical switching effect was elucidated through molecular simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel isoreticular cadmium metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with the framework formula of [Cd2(BPTC)(solvent)3] (H4BPTC = 3,3′,5,5′-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid) have been constructed under diverse reaction conditions and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, PXRD, IR and TGA. The neutral 3D frameworks of 1 and 2 with one-dimensional (1D) rhombic channels exhibit both distinct uptake and good selectivity for cationic methylene blue (MB) dye molecules. The adsorption capacity and adsorption kinetic constant of 2 are greater than those of 1, showing the importance of porosity and pore size during the adsorption. Moreover, both MOFs show effective degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes under UV light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate segmentation of pulmonary nodules is an important preprocessing step in computer-aided diagnoses of lung cancers. However, the existing segmentation methods may cause the problem of edge leakage and cannot segment juxta-vascular pulmonary nodules accurately. To address this problem, a novel automatic segmentation method based on an LBF active contour model with information entropy and joint vector is proposed in this paper. Our method extracts the interest area of pulmonary nodules by a standard uptake value (SUV) in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images, and automatic threshold iteration is used to construct an initial contour roughly. The SUV information entropy and the gray-value joint vector of Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography (PET-CT) images are calculated to drive the evolution of contour curve. At the edge of pulmonary nodules, evolution will be stopped and accurate results of pulmonary nodule segmentation can be obtained. Experimental results show that our method can achieve 92.35% average dice similarity coefficient, 2.19 mm Hausdorff distance, and 3.33% false positive with the manual segmentation results. Compared with the existing methods, our proposed method that segments juxta-vascular pulmonary nodules in PET-CT images is more accurate and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fracture of micro-cantilever Al 2 O 3 specimens containing single grain boundaries is quantified via in situ bending experiments performed in the transmission electron microscope. The type of grain boundary complexion plays a dominant role in determining the fracture response, while the dopant chemistry has a secondary effect for the same complexion type. More ‘ordered’ complexions, those containing sub-monolayer adsorbates, are tougher than the undoped material. The behaviors of SiO 2 and Y 2 O 3 doped Al 2 O 3 with different complexions are compared and contrasted. In general, grain boundaries exhibiting more ‘disordered’ complexions types, those with multilayer adsorbates, are embrittled relative to undoped Al 2 O 3 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using ascorbic acid as reducing agent and different organic acids (e.g., oxalic acid, DL-malic acid and citric acid) as structure-directing agents, a novel class of hierarchical flower-like silver mesoparticles with tunable size and shape were synthesized in high yield. The chemical structures of organic acids with different carbon chain length and functional groups have been found to play critical roles in the process of assembling metal nanoparticles into hierarchical complex structures. The anisotropic morphologies of as-synthesized silver structures could readily be tuned by simply varying the concentrations of reagents and the growth temperature. This synthesis method provides a new synthetic strategy for the anisotropic growth and morphology control of metallic particles. The textured flower-like Ag mesoparticles with hierarchical three-dimensional structures could generate abundant surface plasmon resonance hot spots and exhibit an excellent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity, revealing the promising potential for practical applications in single-particle and particle-array SERS sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Here we represented the heteropoly acids (HPAs) and polyoxometalate (POM)‐based ionic liquids (ILs) catalyzed the effective alcoholysis of furfural alcohol (FAL) to alkyl levulinate. H5AlW12O40 exhibited the highest catalytic activity among HPAs, furnishing > 99 % FAL conversion and 80 % yield of butyl levulinate (BL). The incorporation of IL framework containing sulfate group into HPAs resulted in the enhanced catalytic performance. [MIMBS]5[AlW12O40] achieved the highest BL yield of 94 % and maintained a good catalytic activity after 6 times of recycle and reuse experiments. The effect of the Hammett acidity and structure of catalyst on the catalytic performance of HPAs and POM‐based ILs was also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]