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Context Although several epidemiological studies have examined the association between coffee or tea intake and the risk of cognitive disorders, the results to date are inconsistent. Objective An updated systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis was conducted to confirm the association between coffee, tea, and caffeine consumption and the risk of cognitive disorders. Data Sources PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched from inception to January 2022 for relevant studies, including dementia, Alzheimer disease (AD), and cognitive impairment or decline. Data Extraction Two reviewers independently performed data extraction and assessed the study quality. Data Analysis Restricted cubic splines were used to conduct the dose–response meta-analysis for coffee and tea intake. Results Twenty-two prospective studies and 11 case-control studies involving 389 505 participants were eligible for this meta-analysis. Coffee and tea consumption was linked to a lower risk of cognitive disorders, with an overall relative risk (RR) of 0.73 (95% CI: 0.60–0.86) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.56–0.80), respectively. The subgroup analysis revealed that ethnicity, sex, and outcomes had significant effects on this association. Protection was stronger for men than that for women in both coffee and tea consumption. A nonlinear relationship was found between coffee consumption and AD risk, and the strength of protection peaked at approximately 2.5 cups/day (RR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.59–0.93). A linear relationship was found between tea consumption and cognitive disorders, and the risk decreased by 11% for every 1-cup/day increment. Conclusion This meta-analysis demonstrated that the consumption of 2.5 cups coffee/day minimizes the risk of AD, and 1 cup/day of tea intake leads to an 11% reduction in cognitive deficits. Effective interventions involving coffee and tea intake might prevent the occurrence of dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 90% of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have oncogenic KRAS mutations. Nevertheless, mutated KRAS alone is insufficient to initiate pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), the precursor of PDAC. The identities of the other factors/events required to drive PanIN formation remain elusive. Here, optic‐clear 3D histology is used to analyze entire pancreases of 2‐week‐old Pdx1‐Cre; LSL‐KrasG12D/+ (KC) mice to detect the earliest emergence of PanIN and observed that the occurrence is independent of physical location. Instead, it is found that the earliest PanINs overexpress Muc4 and associate with αSMA+ fibroblasts in both transgenic mice and human specimens. Mechanistically, KrasG12D/+ pancreatic cells upregulate Muc4 through genetic alterations to increase proliferation and fibroblast recruitments via Activin A secretion and consequently enhance cell transformation for PanIN formation. Inhibition of Activin A signaling using Follistatin (FST) diminishes early PanIN‐associated fibroblast recruitment, effectively curtailing PanIN initiation and growth in KC mice. These findings emphasize the vital role of interactions between oncogenic KrasG12D/+‐driven genetic alterations and induced microenvironmental changes in PanIN initiation, suggesting potential avenues for early PDAC diagnostic and management approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geometry-induced domain wall pinning has been studied in heterostructure with soft magnet Fe3Pt and hard magnet FePt. It is demonstrated that the domain wall is pinned at the interface region of the Fe3Pt/FePt heterostructure under a small current field owing to the spin-transfer torque. The pinning of the domain wall is strongly dependent on the geometry of both soft and hard magnets. The thickness of the heterostructure Fe3Pt/FePt has an important influence on the pinning of the domain wall, which is caused by the combined effects of demagnetization, exchange coupling, and anisotropy. Moreover, with an increase in the width of the hard magnet FePt, the current of the pinning domain wall increases. With an increase in the width of the soft magnet, Fe3Pt, the pinning current decreased to a minimum value and then increased. These results are helpful for the fabrication and design of magnetic storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The anti-HER2 antibody trastuzumab is a standard treatment for gastric carcinoma with HER2 overexpression, but not all patients benefit from treatment with HER2-targeted therapies due to intrinsic and acquired resistance. Thus, more precise predictors for selecting patients to receive trastuzumab therapy are urgently needed. Methods: We applied mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis to 38 HER2-positive gastric tumor biopsies from 19 patients pretreated with trastuzumab (responders n = 10; nonresponders, n = 9) to identify factors that may influence innate sensitivity or resistance to trastuzumab therapy and validated the results in tumor cells and patient samples. Results: Statistical analyses revealed significantly lower phosphorylated ribosomal S6 (p-RPS6) levels in responders than nonresponders, and this downregulation was associated with a durable response and better overall survival after anti-HER2 therapy. High p-RPS6 levels could trigger AKT/mTOR/RPS6 signaling and inhibit trastuzumab antitumor efficacy in nonresponders. We demonstrated that RPS6 phosphorylation inhibitors in combination with trastuzumab effectively suppressed HER2-positive GC cell survival through the inhibition of the AKT/mTOR/RPS6 axis. Conclusions: Our findings provide for the first time a detailed proteomics profile of current protein alterations in patients before anti-HER2 therapy and present a novel and optimal predictor for the response to trastuzumab treatment. HER2-positive GC patients with low expression of p-RPS6 are more likely to benefit from trastuzumab therapy than those with high expression. However, those with high expression of p-RPS6 may benefit from trastuzumab in combination with RPS6 phosphorylation inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a 28 GHz GaN enhanced single‐sideband time‐modulated phased array (ESTMPA), based on a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC), including both a time‐modulated circuit and an RF front‐end module (FEM). The time‐modulated circuit mainly consists of a numerically controlled attenuator to balance the amplitude, compact phase shifters to generate balanced signals, a reconfigurable power divider, and a quadrature power divider. The FEM mainly consists of a low noise amplifier and a power amplifier, featuring codesign of input/output networks. Based on the in‐phase/quadrature (I/Q) composite modulation technique, a stepped modulation waveform, realized by the time‐modulated circuit, is used to enable a weighted array of phases. This helps generate a scanned beam at the first positive sideband and eliminate the undesired sidebands. The final MMIC‐based four‐element ESTMPA shows a relative suppression level of −16 dB at the positive fifth sideband and −13 dB at the zeroth sideband, and a much higher level at the other undesired sidebands. As a result, a wider signal bandwidth and a higher harmonic efficiency are achieved. In addition, the ESTMPA shows a beam sweeping angle from −30° to 30° in far‐field measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a great challenge to develop UV nonlinear optical (NLO) material due to the demanding conditions of strong second harmonic generation (SHG) intensity and wide band gap. The first ultraviolet NLO selenite material, Y3F(SeO3)4, has been obtained by control of the fluorine content in a centrosymmetric CaYF(SeO3)2. The two new compounds represent similar 3D structures composed of 3D yttrium open frameworks strengthened by selenite groups. CaYF(SeO3)2 has a large birefringence (0.138@532 nm and 0.127@1064 nm) and a wide optical band gap (5.06 eV). The non‐centrosymmetric Y3F(SeO3)4 can exhibit strong SHG intensity (5.5×KDP@1064 nm), wide band gap (5.03 eV), short UV cut‐off edge (204 nm) and high thermal stability (690 °C). So, Y3F(SeO3)4 is a new UV NLO material with excellent comprehensive properties. Our work shows that it is an effective method to develop new UV NLO selenite material by fluorination control of the centrosymmetric compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a great challenge to develop UV nonlinear optical (NLO) material due to the demanding conditions of strong second harmonic generation (SHG) intensity and wide band gap. The first ultraviolet NLO selenite material, Y3F(SeO3)4, has been obtained by control of the fluorine content in a centrosymmetric CaYF(SeO3)2. The two new compounds represent similar 3D structures composed of 3D yttrium open frameworks strengthened by selenite groups. CaYF(SeO3)2 has a large birefringence (0.138@532 nm and 0.127@1064 nm) and a wide optical band gap (5.06 eV). The non‐centrosymmetric Y3F(SeO3)4 can exhibit strong SHG intensity (5.5×KDP@1064 nm), wide band gap (5.03 eV), short UV cut‐off edge (204 nm) and high thermal stability (690 °C). So, Y3F(SeO3)4 is a new UV NLO material with excellent comprehensive properties. Our work shows that it is an effective method to develop new UV NLO selenite material by fluorination control of the centrosymmetric compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn+1AXn (MAX) phases are a family of nanolaminated ternary carbide/nitride, which are generally investigated as high‐safety structural materials, but their direct applications on electrocatalysis is still far from reality. Here, it is shown that by taking the advantages of self‐reconstruction, a unique class of MAX phases of V2(Sn, A)C (A = Ni, Co, Fe) can be adopted as efficient catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The specific single‐atomic‐thick (Sn, A) layers within V–C networks in V2(Sn, A)C are highly flexible to react with electrolyte. As a result, the V2(Sn, Ni)C (VSNC) can maintain bulk crystalline structure, and merely encounter surface reconstruction to generate Ni‐based oxyhydroxide accompanying with the self‐doping of V and Sn elements under alkaline OER condition. The surface‐reconstructed VSNC exhibits significantly enhanced OER performance to that of reconstructed Ni nanopowder and V2SnC. Density functional theory simulations indicate that the doping of Sn/V into γ‐NiOOH leads to the change of reaction pathway of alkaline OER, while the introduction of V can reduce the reaction barrier to facilitate the OER process. This study exhibits a new functionality of a unique MAX phase toward OER, which puts forward the potential applications of MAX phase materials in electrocatalysis and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the resource utilization of steel slag in road engineering, the chemical composition and immersion expansion rate of steel slag were tested first, and then 40%, 50%, and 60% of 4.75 ~ 16 mm basalt coarse aggregate were replaced by steel slag in drainage asphalt mixes by volume substitution method. To ensure the stability of the drainage asphalt mix structure, the oil-stone ratio was obtained by using raveling test and draindown test. Finally, the rutting and low-temperature trabecular bending tests were conducted on the drainage asphalt mixes with different steel slag dosing. The results show that: the amount of asphalt increases with the increase of steel slag admixture, and the addition of steel slag enhances the high and low-temperature performance of the mix. In terms of the water stability of the mix, the residual stability and the resistance to immersion water raveling loss were enhanced by incorporating the appropriate amount of steel slag. The steel slag adversely affected the freeze-thaw splitting strength ratio and bulk stability of the mixes, but within the specified permissible range. Considering the results of each test, a dosage of 60% steel slag in the drainage asphalt mix is recommended to provide good road performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatially directed synthesis of quantum dots (QDs) is intriguing yet challenging in organisms, due to the dispersed feature of templating biomolecules and precursors. Whether this task could be accomplished by biomolecular condensates, an emerging type of membraneless compartments in cells remains unknown. Here we report synthetic protein condensates for templated synthesis of QDs in bacterium Escherichia coli. This was realized by overexpression of spider silk protein to bind precursor ions and recruit other necessary components, which induced the spidroin to form more β‐sheet structures for assembly and maturation of the protein condensates. This in turn enabled formation and co‐localization of the fluorescent QDs to "light up" the condensates, and alleviated cytotoxicity of the precursor heavy metal ions and resulting QDs. Thus, our results suggest a new strategy for nanostructure synthesis and deposition in subcellular compartments with great potential for in situ applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatially directed synthesis of quantum dots (QDs) is intriguing yet challenging in organisms, due to the dispersed feature of templating biomolecules and precursors. Whether this task could be accomplished by biomolecular condensates, an emerging type of membraneless compartments in cells remains unknown. Here we report synthetic protein condensates for templated synthesis of QDs in bacterium Escherichia coli. This was realized by overexpression of spider silk protein to bind precursor ions and recruit other necessary components, which induced the spidroin to form more β‐sheet structures for assembly and maturation of the protein condensates. This in turn enabled formation and co‐localization of the fluorescent QDs to "light up" the condensates, and alleviated cytotoxicity of the precursor heavy metal ions and resulting QDs. Thus, our results suggest a new strategy for nanostructure synthesis and deposition in subcellular compartments with great potential for in situ applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious health problem that is associated with several systemic changes, including protein energy wasting (PEW). However, the exact mechanism of PEW in CKD remains unclear. As one of the important intestinal flora metabolites and uremic toxins, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is involved in CKD-associated mortality, which might play a role in the development of PEW in CKD patients especially in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). However, this possibility has not been investigated. PEW was diagnosed in a group of CKD patients on MHD according to the criteria of the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism. Serum TMAO concentration was assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The association between TMAO concentration and PEW was assessed using linear regression and logistic analysis after adjustment for confounding factors, including basic characteristics, comorbidities, and laboratory findings. The circulating TMAO level was higher in the MHD patients than in control (healthy) individuals (5653.76 ± 2853.51 vs. 254.92 ± 197.88 ng/mL, p < 0.001). Further, after the MHD patients were screened for PEW, those with PEW were found to have significantly higher serum TMAO levels than those without PEW (6760.9 vs. 4016.1 ng/mL, p < 0.001). Further, the serum TMAO concentration exhibited a significant negative correlation with body mass index (BMI) and dietary protein intake. In the logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for confounding factors, the serum TMAO concentration was still significantly correlated with PEW occurrence. The circulating TMAO level is significantly correlated with the prevalence of PEW in MHD patients. TMAO might be a potential target in the prevention and treatment of PEW in CKD especially ESRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nontraumatic anterior spinal artery syndrome (ASAS) is an extremely rare clinical condition in pediatric populations with a mostly unknown underlying etiology. Here we discuss the case of a previously healthy 14-year-old girl presenting with sudden onset acute flaccid paralysis to the emergency department. A spinal STIR/DWI MRI revealed hyperintensities extending from cervical vertebrae C3-6, consistent with the diagnosis of ASAS. In order to determine any precipitating causes of ASAS, we also extensively investigated established potential risk factors for ASAS in our patient and noticed that she had a marked folate deficiency requiring folic acid supplementation to prevent future episodes of ASAS as well as to repair the patient's injured spinal cord. Interestingly, the patient did not display elevated levels of homocysteine nor did she possess the three pathogenic MTHFR mutations characteristic of ASAS. Although her folate deficiency did not cause responsive hyperhomocysteinemia, and she did not have pathogenic MTHFR mutations that impair the function of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase in folate cycle, we suggest that isolated folate deficiency may play a role in adolescent cases of ASAS that, once identified, would require prompt identification and early intervention to improve the prognosis of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional materials have attracted great interest in humidity sensing due to their excellent sensitivity and response time. Herein, we propose a humidity sensor consisting of MXene and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), using the Marangoni effect to self-assemble two-dimensional materials on the liquid surface, and then preparing them on the interdigital substrate through the layer-by-layer dip-coating method. Due to the expanded interlayer spacing of MXene and more exposed hydrogen active sites provided by SWCNTs, the sensor showed an excellent dynamic property with the response and recovery time of 2 s and 1.75 s Besides, the sensitivity is 0.53 pF/% RH (10–60% RH) and 7.6 pF/% RH (60–90% RH), the maximum humidity hysteresis is 6% of full scale (60% RH), and the reproducibility is ＞200cycles. Then, a flexible humidity breathing detection system has been developed based-on the sensor. Result demonstrated that it can detect human respiration and be successfully used to distinguish different human respiratory patterns. This work not only optimizes the dynamic property of sensors, but also provides a solution for the production of high-performance flexible humidity monitoring systems on this basis. • A low-cost manufacturing preparation method for MXene -SWCNTs humidity sensors has been proposed. • SWCNTs are doped in MXene to expand the interlayer spacing, resulting in a response and recovery time of 2/1.75s. • Making a wearable testing system by mounting sensors on flexible circuit boards and it can detect human respiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, it has been recommended to utilize specific plant root metabolites to decrease nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions from agricultural soil. However, only a limited number of plant root metabolites have been shown to decrease soil N 2 O emissions, and their combined effects with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, as well as the mechanisms involved in mitigating N 2 O emissions, remain to be explored. This study investigated the impact and microbial mechanisms of three tomato root exudate metabolites, namely, methyl hexadecanoate, methyl stearate, and n-hexadecanoic acid, on N 2 O emissions. In a pure culture experiment, n-hexadecanoic acid significantly enhanced Pseudomonas stutzeri NRCB010 auxin production, nitrogen removal, N 2 O reduction capacity, and N 2 O reductase activity. Methyl stearate significantly promoted NRCB010 N removal and the N 2 O reduction capacity. In soil microcosm and greenhouse pot experiments, n-hexadecanoic acid decreased N 2 O cumulative emissions by 34.3 % and 46.6 %, respectively, and further decreases were observed when combined with NRCB010. Additionally, n-hexadecanoic acid, both independently and in combination with NRCB010, significantly promoted tomato growth. N-hexadecanoic acid, alone or with NRCB010, also altered soil microbial communities and nitrogen-cycle functional gene abundance. Structural equation models revealed that n-hexadecanoic acid, either alone or with NRCB010, decreased N 2 O cumulative emissions by modifying the environmental conditions to be more conducive to N 2 O mitigation (e.g., higher soil pH and organic matter content), inhibiting N 2 O production (through a decrease in ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and nirK gene copy numbers), and promoting N 2 O reduction (by increasing nosZ II gene copy numbers). Our results support the potential use of n-hexadecanoic acid in enhancing crop productivity and mitigating N 2 O emissions in agricultural soils. • Addition n-hexadecanoic acid or combination with NRCB010 mitigated soil N 2 O • Addition altered soil microbial community and N-cycle functional gene copy numbers. • Addition increased soil pH and SOM, which were favorable to N 2 O mitigation. • Addition decreased AOB and nirK gene copy numbers, thus inhibiting N 2 O production. • Addition increased nosZ II gene copy number, thus stimulating N 2 O consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastable (Ti,Al)N thin films with face-centered cubic (fcc) structure are widely applied to protect tools and components used in the machining industry for their high hardness and exceptional thermal stability. Alloying is a simple but powerful strategy to further improve the performance of (Ti,Al)N thin films. Here, the combination of experiments and ab initio calculations allowed us to further improve the mechanical properties, thermal stability, and oxidation resistance of arc-evaporated (Ti,Al)N films through the addition of Nb and Ta. The developed Ti 0.40 Al 0.53 Nb 0.07 N, Ti 0.34 Al 0.52 Nb 0.14 N, Ti 0.40 Al 0.53 Ta 0.07 N, and Ti 0.34 Al 0.50 Ta 0.16 N thin films show a single-phase fcc structure like Ti 0.46 Al 0.54 N. While the hardness (H) of as-deposited (Ti,Al,Nb)N thin films is similar to that of Ti 0.46 Al 0.54 N (30.1 ± 0.4 GPa), it increases to 33.2 ± 0.7 and 34.1 ± 1.1 GPa by alloying with 7 and 16 at.% Ta (metal fraction), respectively. Both alloying elements allow to retard the spinodal decomposition of (Ti,Al)N, as suggested by X-ray diffraction of vacuum-annealed samples. The (Ti,Al)N and (Ti,Al,Nb)N samples exhibit the onset of wurtzite (w-) AlN formation at ~1050 °C, which is postponed to ~1200 °C for the (Ti,Al,Ta)N thin films. Ab initio calculations suggest that age hardening of (Ti,Al)N is improved by Nb and Ta, with Nb being more effective than Ta. This is verified by experiments showing that Ti 0.40 Al 0.53 Nb 0.07 N (Ti 0.34 Al 0.52 Nb 0.14 N) and Ti 0.40 Al 0.53 Ta 0.07 N (Ti 0.34 Al 0.50 Ta 0.16 N) experience an increase of H to 34.7 ± 0.5 GPa (36.7 ± 0.7 GPa) and 35.8 ± 1.0 GPa (37.0 ± 1.1 GPa) when annealed at 1000 °C, compared to the 32.4 ± 0.7 GPa of Ti 0.46 Al 0.54 N annealed at 900 °C. The relative H increase is thus higher for (Ti,Al,Nb)N than for (Ti,Al,Ta)N. Furthermore, Nb and Ta also improve the oxidation resistance of (Ti,Al)N with Ta being more effective than Nb. Based on these results we can conclude that both Nb and Ta elements improve hardness, thermal stability, and oxidation resistance of (Ti,Al)N, with Nb providing more relative hardness gain but Ta providing higher absolute values. • B1-structured (Ti,Al,Nb)N and (Ti,Al,Ta)N thin films with low Nb and Ta contents are synthesized. • Combined experimental and ab initio study reveals age hardening enhancement by Nb and Ta. • (Ti,Al,Nb)N films show larger hardness increment (17– 24 %) than (Ti,Al,Ta)N upon annealing. • (Ti,Al,Ta)N maintains ~32 GPa up to 1200 °C, showing better thermal stability than (Ti,Al,Nb)N. • The oxidation resistance of (Ti,Al)N is improved by Nb and Ta, with Ta being more effective than Nb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cubic-wurtzite phase transition of (Ti,Al)N-based thin films at high temperatures is the chief determing factor for their thermal stability. Nevertheless, its mechanism of atomic shear is not yet well explored theoretically. Here, we correlate the coherent interfaces with wurtzite formation within (Ti,Al)N/ZrN multilayers by a combined ab initio and experimental study. Compared to (Ti,Al)N, the multilayer exhibits a delayed formation of hexagonal close-packed (hcp) wurtzite-type AlN phase, which is encapsulated by face-centered cubic (fcc-)(Ti,Zr)N and fcc-(Zr,Ti)N layers when annealed at 1200 °C. Based on the orientation relationships of (200) fcc //(0001) hcp and (220) fcc //(01-10) hcp among hcp-AlN and neighboring fcc-(Ti,Zr)N as well as fcc-(Zr,Ti)N by the solid-state nudged elastic band (SS-NEB) method, two mechanisms for atomic shear during fcc-hcp transition are proposed. The introduction of ZrN layers effectively suppresses the fcc-hcp transition, due to higher activation energies induced by the coherent interfaces. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first NLO-active metal iodate-phosphates, namely, Cd2(IO3)(PO4) and Cd1.62Mg0.38(IO3)(PO4) (1 and 2), with three types of NLO groups, have been reported. 1 and 2 are isostructural and the structure of 1 features a 3D network formed by the Cd4(IO3)8/4(PO4)6/3 groups. 1 and 2 with strong SHG signals of 4 × and 3.5 × KH2PO4 are promising SHG materials in the visible region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three nonlinear optical materials Cd4REO(BO3)3 (RE = Sm, Eu, Tb) have been synthesized through high-temperature solid-state reactions. In their crystal structures, Cd(1)O8 and Cd(2)O6 polyhedra are interconnected via sharing edges and corners into a 3D anion framework with two types of tunnels based on 4- and 7-membered rings; the BO3 groups are grafted into the above-mentioned types, creating new tunnels based on Cd4B3 seven-membered rings, which are filled by RE3+ cations. Powder SHG measurements revealed that the Cd4REO(BO3)3 (RE = Sm, Eu, Tb) samples display SHG signals that are approximately 1.2, 5.6 and 1.5 times that of the KDP sample. In addition, Cd4EuO(BO3)3 and Cd4TbO(BO3)3 emit red and green light, respectively. The lifetime of the Eu(5D0) state for λex,em = 464, 610 nm in Cd4EuO(BO3)3 is measured to be about 1.43 ms whereas the lifetime of the Tb(5D4) state for λex,em = 376, 543 nm in Cd4TbO(BO3)3 is measured to be about 1.01 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Dual-dragging force was built by inserting benzene-ring and -C≡N group on g-C 3 N 4 surface. • Dual-dragging force pushed the photogenerated charge to directional separation. • Benzene-ring and -C≡N group also enhanced light-absorption and surface area. • BCN-ND shows superior photocatalytic SMX degradation with H 2 O 2 production. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) is a promising candidate for photocatalytic antibiotic degradation with simultaneous H 2 O 2 production. However, g-C 3 N 4 suffers from a high charge recombination and insufficient visible-light absorption. Herein, the benzene-ring and cyano groups were successfully grafted onto the surface of g-C 3 N 4 (BCN-ND) by a simple coupling route involving copolymerization and secondary calcination, which provided a dual-dragging force was generated for the directional separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. The benzene-ring establishes a mid-state slightly above the valence band, which results in a dragging force for holes and extends the response of g-C 3 N 4 to visible light. Moreover, the cyano group exhibits a powerful electron-withdrawing capacity, acting as an electron-dragging force and narrowing the intrinsic bandgap. Therefore, BCN-ND exhibits remarkable photocatalytic activity with a sulfamethoxazole degradation percentage of 99.5 % and simultaneous H 2 O 2 production of 62 μmol/L after 80 min of visible light irradiation. This work provides new perspectives for enhancing photocatalytic activity by constructing of a dual-dragging center for oppositely directional charge separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiAlCN thin films have been known for their high hardness, favorable toughness and wear properties. Nevertheless, a comprehensive theoretical study conveying the mechanism for the effects of dissolved carbon on the mechanical properties, and thermal stability of TiAlN is still missing. Here, we studied the influence of carbon addition on the structure, modulus and thermal stability of TiAlN by first-principle calculations. The calculated formation energies indicate that carbon preferentially occupies nitrogen site and decreases the solubility of Al in cubic TiN. Furthermore, the enhanced ductility and decreased shear modulus by carbon addition revealed by our calculations, nicely explain the experimentally observed exceptional toughness of TiAlCN. The decomposition enthalpy calculations suggest that c-Ti(C,N) and c-AlN are the most probable decomposition products of TiAlCN. The reduced diffusion barriers of Al, the dominant diffusing atoms, indicate promoted spinodal decomposition process by carbon addition. • Ab initio calculations show the preferential substitution of C for N within TiAlCN. • C-addition into TiAlN reduces the solubility of Al in c-TiN. • C-addition has a beneficial effect on the ductility and toughness of TiAlN. • The spinodal decomposition of TiAlCN is promoted with increasing C content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A phase-field fracture model for fatigue cracks considering the thickness effect is proposed. • The G c -B curve of specimen is fitted, and the effect of fatigue parameters of this model is analyzed. • The crack growth behaviour of compact tensile specimens are simulated to validate the proposed model. Modern aero-engine turbine structures often have variable-thickness geometries (e.g., turbine structures with complex cooling systems) that pose a significant challenge to crack analysis. The phase-field fracture method is a numerical method that has recently received considerable attention. However, phase-field fatigue fracture models that consider the effect of thickness are still lacking. To address this problem, this paper proposes a modification of the fracture toughness in the phase-field fatigue model by introducing a relationship function between material fracture toughness and thickness (G c - B curve). We use reference experimental data to fit the G c - B curve of GH4169 and predict the fracture toughness of specimens with other thicknesses. The predictions of the proposed model agree well with the experimental results reported in the literature. This achievement contributes significantly to the structural safety design and life prediction of aero-engine components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switching materials in channels of nonlinear optics (NLOs) are of particular interest in NLO material science. Numerous crystalline NLO switches based on structural phase transition have emerged, but most of them reveal a single‐step switch between two different second‐harmonic‐generation (SHG) states, and only very rare cases involve three or more SHG states. Herein, we report a new organic‐inorganic hybrid salt, (Me3NNH2)2[CdI4], which is an unprecedented case of a reversible three‐step NLO switch between SHG‐silent, ‐medium, ‐low, and ‐high states, with high contrasts of 25.5/4.3/9.2 in a temperature range of 213–303 K. By using the combined techniques of variable‐temperature X‐ray single‐crystal structural analyses, dielectric constants, solid‐state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and Hirshfeld surface analyses, we disclose that this four‐state switchable SHG behavior is highly associated with the stepwise‐changed molecular dynamics of the polar organic cations. This finding demonstrates well the complexity of molecular dynamics in simple hybrid salts and their potential in designing new advanced multistep switching materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Switching materials in channels of nonlinear optics (NLOs) are of particular interest in NLO material science. Numerous crystalline NLO switches based on structural phase transition have emerged, but most of them reveal a single‐step switch between two different second‐harmonic‐generation (SHG) states, and only very rare cases involve three or more SHG states. Herein, we report a new organic‐inorganic hybrid salt, (Me3NNH2)2[CdI4], which is an unprecedented case of a reversible three‐step NLO switch between SHG‐silent, ‐medium, ‐low, and ‐high states, with high contrasts of 25.5/4.3/9.2 in a temperature range of 213–303 K. By using the combined techniques of variable‐temperature X‐ray single‐crystal structural analyses, dielectric constants, solid‐state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and Hirshfeld surface analyses, we disclose that this four‐state switchable SHG behavior is highly associated with the stepwise‐changed molecular dynamics of the polar organic cations. This finding demonstrates well the complexity of molecular dynamics in simple hybrid salts and their potential in designing new advanced multistep switching materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] A series of BiO(OH) x I 1–x solid solution (SS) catalysts were successfully prepared by ion exchange of I− and OH− between the [Bi 2 O 2 ]2+ layers. The morphology and microstructure were studied in depth using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, etc. Tunable absorption in the visible-light region was achieved by changing the proportion of OH– to I−. Due to the etching effect of OH−, oxygen vacancies (OVs) greatly increased for the SS catalysts, and were confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and electron paramagnetic spectroscopy (EPR). The unique composition of OH−, I−, OV, and [Bi 2 O 2 ]2+ layers in BiO(OH) x I 1–x materials resulted in diverse photoexcitations. The BiO(OH) 0.45 I 0.55 photocatalyst displayed a 10-fold-improved 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) degradation rate compared to BiOI. The interfacial reaction process by the photoinduced valence-band holes and conduction-band electrons proved to be a more efficient pathway for organic pollutant degradation by the BiO(OH) x I 1–x SS photocatalyst. The OVs in the SS photocatalyst facilitated photoexcited and electron migration and transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many problems in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) are caused by microbe, such as biofilm formation, biocorrosion and opportunistic pathogens growth. More iron release from corrosion scales may induce red water. Biofilm played great roles on the corrosion. The iron-oxidizing bacteria (IOB) promoted corrosion. However, when iron-reducing bacteria (IRB) and nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB) became the main bacteria in biofilm, they could induce iron redox cycling in corrosion process. This process enhanced the precipitation of iron oxides and formation of more Fe 3 O 4 in corrosion scales, which inhibited corrosion effectively. Therefore, the IRB and NRB in the biofilm can reduce iron release and red water occurrence. Moreover, there are many opportunistic pathogens in biofilm of DWDSs. The opportunistic pathogens growth in DWDSs related to the bacterial community changes due to the effects of micropollutants. Micropollutants increased the number of bacteria with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Furthermore, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production was increased by the antibiotic resistant bacteria, leading to greater bacterial aggregation and adsorption, increasing the chlorine-resistance capability, which was responsible for the enhancement of the particle-associated opportunistic pathogens in DWDSs. Moreover, O 3 -biological activated carbon filtration-UV-Cl 2 treatment could be used to control the iron release, red water occurrence and opportunistic pathogens growth in DWDSs. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploration of new types of borates is important because of their promising applications in diverse fields. Two new boroselenites, namely, M(B(SeO3)3)H2O (M = Al, Ga), which represent the first IIIA metal boroselenite, were synthesized by hydrothermal reactions. M(B(SeO3)3)H2O (M = Al, Ga) possesses a unique sandwich like double-layer structure formed by two 2D [MSe2O8]5− layers interconnected by 1D [BSeO5]3− chains. More interestingly, both compounds display large band gaps (4.86/4.79 eV) and moderate birefringences (Δn = 0.063/0.064 at 1064 nm) based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new noncentrosymmetric iron-iodate-fluoride Ba2[FeF4(IO3)2]IO3 was ingeniously obtained based on the centrosymmetric Ba[FeF4(IO3)] through chemical tailoring. Ba2[FeF4(IO3)2]IO3 exhibits a strong phase-matchable second-harmonic generation effect, a large band gap, and a wide mid-infrared transparent window. The chemical tailoring design based on oxide-fluoride anions affords a feasible approach to design nonlinear optical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clavulanic acid (CA) is usually used together with other β‐lactam antibiotics as combination drugs to inhibit bacterial β‐lactamases, which is mainly produced from the fermentation of microorganism such as Streptomyces clavuligerus. Recently, it is still a challenge for downstream processing of low concentration and unstable CA from fermentation broth with high solid content, high viscosity, and small cell size. In this study, an integrated process was developed for simultaneous solid–liquid separation and primary purification of CA from real fermentation broth of S. clavuligerus using salting‐out extraction system (SOES). First, different SOESs were investigated, and a suitable SOES composed of ethanol/phosphate was chosen and further optimized using the pretreated fermentation broth. Then, the optimal system composed of 20% ethanol/15% K2HPO4 and 10% KH2PO4 w/w was used to direct separation of CA from untreated fermentation broth. The result showed that the partition coefficient (K) and recovery yield (Y) of CA from untreated fermentation broth were 29.13 and 96.8%, respectively. Simultaneously, the removal rates of the cells and proteins were 99.8% and 63.3%, respectively. Compared with the traditional method of membrane filtration or liquid–liquid extraction system, this developed SOES showed the advantages of simple operation, shorter operation time, lower process cost and higher recovery yield of CA. These results demonstrated that the developed SOES could be used as an attractive alternative for the downstream processing of CA from real fermentation broth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Directly resolving structural changes in material on the atomic scales of time and space is desired in studies of many disciplines. Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED), which combines the temporal resolution of femtosecond-pulse laser and the spatial sensitivity of electron diffraction, is an advancing methodology serving such a goal. Here we present the design of a UED apparatus with multiple operation modes for observation of collective atomic motions in solid material of various morphologies. This multi-mode UED employs a pulsed electron beam with propagation trajectory of parallel and convergent incidences, and diffraction configurations of transmission and reflection, as well utilities of preparation and characterization of cleaned surface and adsorbates. We recorded the process of electron–phonon coupling in single crystal molybdenum ditelluride following excitation of femtosecond laser pulses, and diffraction patterns of polycrystalline graphite thin film under different settings of electron optics, to demonstrate the temporal characteristics and tunable probe spot of the built UED apparatus, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An organic–inorganic hybrid polyiodate, namely, [o‐C5H4NHOH]2[I7O18(OH)]⋅3 H2O (I), featuring a novel branched polyiodate chain has been obtained by evaporation method. [o‐C5H4NHOH]2[I7O18(OH)]⋅3 H2O (I) crystalizes in the polar space group Ia and features an [I7O18(OH)]∞2- branched polyiodate chain in which [I3O9]3− trimers are grafted on the same side of the one‐dimensional (1D) chain based on [I4O11(OH)]3− tetramers. The asymmetric organic amine groups are beneficial to the polymerization of iodate groups and inducing the formation of the non‐centrosymmetric (NCS) structure. Compound I exhibits a rather large Second‐Harmonic‐ Generation (SHG) signal of 8.5×KH2PO4 (KDP) upon 1064 nm laser radiation, a moderate band gap of 3.90 eV and a high laser‐induced‐damage‐threshold (LIDT) of 182.34 MW cm−2, hence it is a promising new SHG material. The relationship between the structures of the organic amine groups and the overall structures has been also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An organic–inorganic hybrid polyiodate, namely, [o‐C5H4NHOH]2[I7O18(OH)]⋅3 H2O (I), featuring a novel branched polyiodate chain has been obtained by evaporation method. [o‐C5H4NHOH]2[I7O18(OH)]⋅3 H2O (I) crystalizes in the polar space group Ia and features an [I7O18(OH)]∞2- branched polyiodate chain in which [I3O9]3− trimers are grafted on the same side of the one‐dimensional (1D) chain based on [I4O11(OH)]3− tetramers. The asymmetric organic amine groups are beneficial to the polymerization of iodate groups and inducing the formation of the non‐centrosymmetric (NCS) structure. Compound I exhibits a rather large Second‐Harmonic‐ Generation (SHG) signal of 8.5×KH2PO4 (KDP) upon 1064 nm laser radiation, a moderate band gap of 3.90 eV and a high laser‐induced‐damage‐threshold (LIDT) of 182.34 MW cm−2, hence it is a promising new SHG material. The relationship between the structures of the organic amine groups and the overall structures has been also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus (PMME) is an extremely rare but highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Due to the scarcity of driver gene alterations, there is a need for more clinical data to comprehensively depict its molecular alterations. This study reviewed 26 PMME cases from three medical centers. Hybrid capture‐based targeted sequencing of 295 and 1021 genes was performed in 14 and 12 cases, respectively. We found that PMME patients had a relatively low tumor mutation burden (median, 2.88 mutations per Mb) and were simultaneously accompanied by mutations in genes such as KIT (6/26, 23%), TP53 (6/26, 23%), SF3B1 (4/26, 15%), and NRAS (3/26, 12%). KIT, NRAS, and BRAF were mutually exclusive, and SF3B1 co‐occurred with KIT mutation and amplification. The most common pathways affected were the mitogen‐activated protein kinases and DNA damage response (DDR) pathways. Stage IV was a risk factor for both progression‐free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32–19.91) and overall survival (OS), HR = 4.33, 95% CI = 1.22–15.30). Treatment with immune‐checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) was an independent factor for favorable OS (HR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.01–0.91). Overall, PMME is a complex malignancy with diverse gene alterations, especially with harboring DDR alterations for potentially response from ICIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our exploration of novel inorganic solids with large birefringence in the d10 Metal–Te4+–SO42− system afforded four new sulfate tellurites, Ga2(TeO3)(SO4)(OH)2, In2(TeO3)2(SO4)(H2O), Zn4(Te3O7)2(SO4)2(H2O) and Hg3(Te3O8)(SO4). Notably, Hg3(Te3O8)(SO4) exhibits the largest birefringence at 532 nm (0.184) and 1064 nm (0.166) among the reported metal sulfate tellurites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release characteristics of a unique blend of carotenoid beadlets designed to increase bioavailability were tested using the dynamic gastrointestinal model TIM‐1. Individual carotenoid bioaccessibility peaks were observed over approximately 3–4 hr in the order of lutein and zeaxanthin first, followed by lycopene, and then finally α‐ and β‐carotene; when tested as a beadlet blend or when the beadlets were compressed into tablets. Bioaccessibility measurements of 7%–20% were similar to those previously reported in literature and comparable between the two formulations, beadlet blend and tablet formulations. Total recovery of carotenoids from all compartments ranged from 70% to 90% for all carotenoids, except lycopene where almost 50% was unrecoverable after digestion in the TIM system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With Chinese economic development in a new normal state, micro and small corporations have increasingly played an important role. The credit evaluation for micro and small corporations can contribute to efficient financial decisions. Traditional methods for the corporate credit evaluation rarely consider fuzzy features of micro and small entrepreneurs. Since the credit evaluation procedure for entrepreneurs consists of some alternatives and influential indicators, it can be recognized as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. To better express uncertainty information, a four-branch fuzzy set (FBFS) is presented to deal with the issue, which is characterized by a truth-membership function, an unknown-membership function and a falsity-membership function. In the paper, to handle the MCDM problems under four-branch fuzzy environments, the evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS) method is extended and utilized. These obvious improvement places include integrating an interval weight vector, determining an average solution, transforming a decision matrix and analyzing a change trend of the coefficients. To demonstrate the applicability and rationality of the proposed method in practice, an illustrative example is implemented, concerning a credit evaluation for some micro and small entrepreneurs. Its feasibility and validity are further verified by a sensitivity analysis and a comparative analysis. The results show the FBFSs and extended EDAS method can well match the reality and appropriately handle the credit evaluation problems for micro and small entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The not-homogenous microplastics (MPs) distribution in freshwaters results in distinct microbial communities. Yet knowledge regarding plastisphere in metabolic pathways and element cycling behaviors remains limited. In this study, we collected MPs from 15 sampling sites in the Taihu Lake in China, and found that MPs were widely distributed in this freshwater lake, and dominantly composed of fibrous polyethylene terephthalate. Based on the metagenomic analysis, we found that MPs were colonized by Bacteroidia, Alpha - Proteobacteria, and Bacilli as a filter, but depleted in Verrucomicrobiae. Potential pathogens of plant eudicots and monocots were significantly enriched in plastisphere. Predicted functional profiles involved in the metabolism of other amino acids, biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites, and glycan biosynthesis and metabolism were overrepresented in plastisphere. Regarding elemental cycling, functional genes related to nitrogen fixation and nitrification showed 39.6% and 67.5% decline in plastisphere, whereas the genes involved in denitrification and nitrate reduction were significantly enriched. For sulfur cycles, the plastisphere exhibited higher sulfate reduction and sulfur oxidation system activities. Additionally, the taxonomic compositions and predicted functions in the plastispheres were mainly driven by the stochastic processes, while the deterministic processes were more important for the planktonic communities. The distinctions in the microbial composition, the predicted functionality, and the underly mechanisms between plastisphere and planktonic communities illustrated the unique ecology of the new anthropogenic-related plastisphere ecosystems. [Display omitted] • Distinctive microbial communities were found between MPs and waters in Taihu Lake. • Potential pathogens of eudicots and monocots significantly enriched in plastisphere. • Microbiome and predicted functions on MPs were mainly driven by stochastic process. • MPs may induce N and S cycles by enriched denitrification and sulfate reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-based proteins are receiving increasing attention for economic, health and environmental reasons. Potato protein can be separated from potato fruit juice and industrial potato starch wastewater as high-value components or a renewable resource with a variety of functional properties, such as emulsibility, foamability and gelatin, suggesting the importance of research on potato protein production. For understanding the recent development in the research of potato protein extraction and modification and broaden its application in the food industry, this article reviews the research progress of potato protein in recent decades. Firstly, the nutritional value, structural composition and basic functional properties of potato protein are reviewed. Additionally, the isolation and extraction methods of potato protein are discussed in detail, with a focus on their processing conditions and effects on yield and purity. Moreover, the modification technologies (both traditional and emerging) for improving the functional properties of potato protein are emphatically investigated. Finally, the possible applications of potato protein in the food industry are presented. This review provides useful information for the development and utilization of potato protein in the food industry. • Potato protein has a variety of amino acids with a high nutritional value. • Potato protein separation and extraction methods can affect its yield and purity. • Its functionalities can be enhanced by physicochemical and enzymatic modification. • Potato protein and its derivatives have a broad application prospect in food field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for hydrogen production has necessitated the development of H 2 -selective membranes. Polyimides are excellent membrane materials for gas separation; however, commercial polyimides generally lack sufficient H 2 selectivity due to their low H 2 affinity. Understanding the relationship between gas transport properties and free volume microstructure is critical to advancing H 2 -selective membrane design. Herein, we report a facile material strategy to adjust the free volume characteristics and H 2 separation performance via blending Matrimid (PI) and crosslinkable resorcinol-based phthalonitrile prepolymer (RPN) with electron donor/acceptor properties. The novel RPN30/PI70 membrane exhibits H 2 /N 2 and H 2 /CO 2 permselectivity of 1637 and 66.4, respectively, with H 2 permeability of 2.7 Barrer in pure gas test, surpassing Robeson upper bounds (2008). The increased H 2 permselectivity of RPN/PI membranes was attributed to the narrowed free volume size and distribution, giving rise to the considerably improved H 2 solubility and selectivity of the blends. Moreover, the H 2 permeability of crosslinked RPN30/PI70 membranes can be further improved via thermal treatment. The H 2 /CO 2 mixed-gas test reveals that the H 2 gas separation performance of the RPN30/PI70 membrane is influenced by plasticization effect and competitive sorption. This study demonstrates a new versatile strategy for designing high-performance hydrogen-selective polymeric membranes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-consumption water purification system is firstly constructed based on a new dual-reaction-center (DRC) catalyst molybdenum-doped zinc sulfide (Mo-ZnS, MZS) with a confined nonequilibrium surface. The extremely strong electron trapping ability of the Mo site is realized by the substitution of Mo for ZnS lattice. In this way, the electrons of emerging contaminants (ECs) are efficiently transferred to the nonequilibrium surface through the oriented interface process (Mo-S-Zn bond bridge), and obtained by the natural dissolved oxygen (DO) to generate hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) under trace H 2 O 2 trigger without light and electricity assistant. The highest yield of H 2 O 2 is even up to ∼230 % of the initial value, and the ECs removal can reach 100 % within 60 min, which is far superior to conventional Fenton catalysts. This work realized the efficient utilization of the contaminant electrons through the construction of Mo-S-Zn bond bridge, which greatly reduced the energy consumption of water purification and improved the resourcefulness of ECs. [Display omitted] • DRC catalyst MZS with the confined nonequilibrium surface is first prepared. • MZS shows excellent performance for water purification. • Efficient H 2 O 2 generation is achieved without light and electricity assistant. • The highest H 2 O 2 concentration reaches up to ∼230 % of the initial concentration. • ECs electrons are efficiently utilized in ORR processes and water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a PINN for solving conservative-form transport equations (PINNforCTE). • PINNforCTE facilitates the treatment of Neumann and Robin boundary conditions. • PINNforCTE reduces the training time by ∼50% compared to the traditional PINN. • PINNforCTE improves the prediction accuracy compared to the traditional PINN. • PINNforCTE solves the inverse problems with high accuracy and strong robustness. Physics-informed neural network (PINN) has recently gained significant attention in the field of scientific computing. This paper proposes a PINN framework for solving conservative-form transport equations (PINNforCTE). The PINNforCTE features an accelerated back-propagation in the neural network (NN) training due to low-order derivatives in the governing equations. We demonstrate the application of PINNforCTE in simulating a classical flow and heat transfer problem, i.e., the lid-driven cavity flow and heat transfer under three types of boundary conditions, and the simulation results are compared with those obtained from the traditional PINN and the finite element CFD method. The comparisons indicate that PINNforCTE can significantly accelerate the NN training and potentially shorten the solution time. For all cases considered, the training time of PINNforCTE is reduced by approximately ∼50% compared with the conventional PINN. Furthermore, PINNforCTE can accelerate the Adam optimization algorithm (L-BFGS-B optimization algorithm) by ∼100% (∼80%) compared to the traditional PINN. Additionally, PINNforCTE shows greater convenience in applying the Neumann and Robin boundary conditions directly and higher calculation accuracy than the conventional PINN. Finally, the ability of PINNforCTE to solve the inverse problems is confirmed with an example of 2D steady lid-driven cavity flow and heat transfer. PINNforCTE is an efficient NN solver for conservative-form transport equations (CTEs) that are ubiquitous in science and engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, direct ink writing (DIW) technology was utilized to fabricate geopolymer-based anisotropic membranes from metakaolin precursors. For evaluation of filtration performance in water treatment, the 3D-printed membranes were characterized, tested systematically, compared with a molded membrane and benchmarked against other geopolymer and ceramic membranes reported in the literature. With a novel approach, geopolymer-yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ultrafiltration (UF) membrane with configuration of relatively dense rejection layer and gradient macroporous support was obtained via a one-step process of alkaline activation, DIW and curing, starting from a computer aided design (CAD) figure of an isotropic solid plate. The achievement of such structure resulted from the printing procedure leveraging both rheological properties of geopolymer ink and printing principle of DIW. The printed membrane displayed very high permeances (1453 L/(m2hbar) for pure water and 1311 L/(m2hbar) for suspension of 80-nm alumina particles), high rejection efficiency (98.4% for suspension of 80-nm alumina particles) and good chemical stability in alkaline solution. The present work provided the first-time report on additive manufacturing of geopolymer-based asymmetric UF membranes with superb performance for water treatment. [Display omitted] • Geopolymer-based membranes with anisotropic structures were fabricated from a process mainly comprising direct ink writing. • Ink rheological property and printing process were leveraged to achieve such configuration. • The produced membrane displayed high permeance and rejection efficiency in water treatment. • The first-time report on 3D printing of geopolymer-based asymmetric membranes was provided in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of an efficient electrocatalyst toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of significant importance in transforming renewable electricity to pure and clean hydrogen by water splitting. However, the construction of an active electrocatalyst with multiple sites that can promote the dissociation of water molecules still remains a great challenge. Herein, a partial‐single‐atom, partial‐nanoparticle composite consisting of nanosized ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles (NPs) and individual Ru atoms as an energy‐efficient HER catalyst in alkaline medium is reported. The formation of this unique composite mainly results from the dispersion of Ru NPs to small‐size NPs and single atoms (SAs) on the Fe/N codoped carbon (Fe–N–C) substrate due to the thermodynamic stability. The optimal catalyst exhibits an outstanding HER activity with an ultralow overpotential (9 mV) at 10 mA cm−2 (η10), a high turnover frequency (8.9 H2 s−1 at 50 mV overpotential), and nearly 100% Faraday efficiency, outperforming the state‐of‐the‐art commercial Pt/C and other reported HER electrocatalysts in alkaline condition. Both experimental and theoretical calculations reveal that the coexistence of Ru NPs and SAs can improve the hydride coupling and water dissociation kinetics, thus synergistically enhancing alkaline hydrogen evolution performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large birefringence (Δn = 0.277 at 546 nm) and strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) intensity (4.3 × KDP) achieved a remarkable balance in a potential ultraviolet nonlinear optical crystal: 2(C3H7N6)+·2Cl−·H2O. Theoretical calculations showed that planar benzene-like π-conjugated [C3N6] groups had important optical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a new strongly birefringent material, [Al(H2O)6](IO3)2(NO3) (AINO). Based on a detailed analysis, we concluded that its enhanced birefringence (0.253 at 546 nm) predominantly resulted from a synergy of the effects of its (NO3)− and (IO3)− functional motifs, combined with an equally important and indispensable optimal arrangement of these two groups in the structure. This work has provided insight for discovering new birefringent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Potato powder, a rich source of high‐quality protein and starch, plays an important role in the production of functional foods. In this study, ball‐mill processed potato powders with different particle sizes (278, 208, 129, and 62 μm) were analyzed in terms of physicochemical, pasting, rheological, and digestive properties. RESULTS: Scanning electron microscopy and laser diffraction analysis of the samples revealed mono‐model particle‐size distributions. X‐ray diffraction analysis confirmed structure destruction of starch pellets. Proximate composition and physical property analysis showed an increase in the water, ash, protein, and starch content. Meanwhile, the water solubility index and swelling power values were found to increase with decreasing grain size, and so were the brightness (L*) and redness (b*) values of the potato powders. With particle size reduced to 129 μm, large changes were observed in gelatinization properties, such as peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown viscosity, and final viscosity. Oscillatory rheology results also showed that, with the decrease in particle size, the storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) improved, with highest storage modulus (G′) observed in the 129 μm particle size. The hydrolysis rate and glycemic index also increased in the 129 μm potato powder. CONCLUSION: The results provide information that could be useful for improving quality characteristics by using specific grain sizes in the development of potato‐based products such as gluten‐free products and ethnic food products with particular functional and rheological properties. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging single‐atom catalysts (SACs) are promising in water remediation through Fenton‐like reactions. Despite the notable enhancement of catalytic activity through increasing the density of single‐atom active sites, the performance improvement is not solely attributed to the increase in the number of active sites. The variation of catalytic behaviors stemming from the increased atomic density is particularly elusive and deserves an in‐depth study. Herein, single‐atom Fe catalysts (FeSA‐CN) with different distances (dsite) between the adjacent single‐atom Fe sites are constructed by controlling Fe loading. With the decrease in dsite value, remarkably enhanced catalytic activity of FeSA‐CN is realized via the electron transfer regime with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The decrease in dsite value promotes electronic communication and further alters the electronic structure in favor of PMS activation. Moreover, the two adjacent single‐atom Fe sites collectively adsorb PMS and achieve single‐site desorption of the PMS decomposition products, maintaining continuous PMS activation and contaminant removal. Moreover, the FeSA‐CN/PMS system exhibits excellent anti‐interference performance for various aquatic systems and good durability in continuous‐flow experiments, indicating its great potential for water treatment applications. This study provides an in‐depth understanding of the distance effect of single‐atom active sites on water remediation by designing densely populated SACs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies to date have reported on the development of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT)-based models intended to effectively distinguish between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules (PNs). This meta-analysis was designed with the goal of clarifying the utility of these PET/CT-based conventional parameter models as diagnostic tools in the context of the differential diagnosis of PNs. Methods: Relevant studies published through September 2023 were identified by searching the Web of Science, PubMed, and Wanfang databases, after which Stata v 12.0 was used to conduct pooled analyses of the resultant data. Results: This meta-analysis included a total of 13 retrospective studies that analyzed 1,731 and 693 malignant and benign PNs, respectively. The respective pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, and NLR values for the PET/CT-based studies developed in these models were 88% (95%CI: 0.86–0.91), 78% (95%CI: 0.71–0.85), 4.10 (95%CI: 2.98–5.64), and 0.15 (95%CI: 0.12–0.19). Of these endpoints, the pooled analyses of model sensitivity (I2 = 69.25%), specificity (I2 = 78.44%), PLR (I2 = 71.42%), and NLR (I2 = 67.18%) were all subject to significant heterogeneity. The overall area under the curve value (AUC) value for these models was 0.91 (95%CI: 0.88–0.93). When differential diagnosis was instead performed based on PET results only, the corresponding pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, and NLR values were 92% (95%CI: 0.85–0.96), 51% (95%CI: 0.37–0.66), 1.89 (95%CI: 1.36–2.62), and 0.16 (95%CI: 0.07–0.35), with all four being subject to significant heterogeneity (I2 = 88.08%, 82.63%, 80.19%, and 86.38%). The AUC for these pooled analyses was 0.82 (95%CI: 0.79–0.85). Conclusions: These results suggest that PET/CT-based models may offer diagnostic performance superior to that of PET results alone when distinguishing between benign and malignant PNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]