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Using atom probe tomography (APT), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and hardness tests, the effect of Sn and Cu on the evolution of Mg:Si ratios in clusters and subsequent precipitation hardening behavior of pre-aged Al-1.0Mg-0.6Si alloys are investigated, and the underlying mechanism is revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculation of interaction energy. It is shown that, the doping of Sn and/or Cu increases the average Mg:Si ratio in clusters. This increase is attributed to the strong interaction of Sn/Cu with Mg solutes, which enhances the binding of Mg to Si-rich clusters and results in a higher proportion of clusters with Mg:Si ratios near 1 (0.75–1.25). Consequently, the enhanced precipitation of β'' precipitates during artificial aging is observed in Sn and/or Cu doped alloys, due to the ease of clusters with Mg:Si ratios near 1 transform into β'' precipitates, leading to an improved hardening response. Notably, the combined doping of Sn and Cu exhibits the strongest aggregation tendency towards Mg solutes, yielding the most pronounced strengthening effects on precipitation and hardening response during artificial aging. Furthermore, a schematic model detailing the evolution of Mg:Si ratios in clusters is proposed, based on the APT results and DFT calculation of interaction energy.

Abstract Pyroptosis, a typical inflammatory cell death mode, has been increasingly demonstrated to have therapeutic value in inflammatory diseases such as sepsis. However, the mechanisms and therapeutic targets of sepsis remain elusive. Here, we reported that REGγ inhibition promoted pyroptosis by regulating members of the gasdermin family in macrophages. Mechanistically, REGγ directly degraded Bim, a factor of the Bcl-2 family that can inhibit the cleavage of GSDMD/E, ultimately preventing the occurrence of pyroptosis. Furthermore, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis model mice showed downregulation of REGγ at both the RNA and protein levels. Gasdermin-mediated pyroptosis was augmented in REGγ-knockout mice, and these mice exhibited more severe sepsis-related tissue injury. More importantly, we found that REGγ expression was downregulated in clinical sepsis samples, such as those from patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection. Finally, PA-infected mice showed decreased REGγ levels in the lung. In summary, our study reveals that the REGγ-Bim-GSDMD/E pathway is a novel regulatory mechanism of pyroptosis in sepsis-related tissue injury.

The impact of hot rolling finish temperature (HRFT) on the evolution of microstructure, texture, as well as formability—including deep drawability and bendability—of Al–Mg–Si alloy was studied in present work. The obtained results reveal that HRFT has a notable influence on the dynamic softening and dynamic precipitation behaviors during the hot rolling process of the investigated alloy. This leads to the volume fraction and number density of micro-sized Mg2Si particles increase as the increase of HRFT, those of nano-sized particles decrease, and the dislocation density decrease, in the hot-rolled sheets. These microstructural variations persist in the cold-rolled sheets, subsequently affecting the ultimate microstructure, texture, as well as formability of T4P sheets. The deep drawability improves as the HRFT rises, as indicated by the increase in normal anisotropy (r‾) and decrease in planar anisotropy (Δr). This is attributed to the weakening of texture intensity. The bendability, quantified by the minimum hemming factor (Rmin/t), deteriorates as the HRFT rises from 260 °C to 390 °C, attributed to the strengthening of P component along with the weakening of Cube component. Conversely, with the HRFT rises from 390 °C to 420 °C, the bendability improves dramatically due to the significant reduction in the average grain size. A combination of excellent deep drawability and bendability could be obtained by elevating the HRFT to 420 °C, attributed to the combined effect of weakened texture intensity and fine grains.

BackgroundThe protective role of gut microbiota and its metabolites against intestinal damage in sepsis patients remain unclear.MethodsFecal samples were acquired from patients categorized into sepsis and non-sepsis groups for analysis of microbial composition via 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics analysis. We assessed the impact of gut microbiota from sepsis patients on intestinal barriers in antibiotic-treated mice. Furthermore, We conducted spearman’s correlation analysis to examine the relationship between metabolites and the severity of sepsis. Additionally, we performed animal experiments to validate the functionality of identified metabolites.ResultsThe diversity of intestinal flora is decreased in patients with sepsis compared to the control group. Through fecal microbiota transplantation experiments, it was discovered that the gut microbiota derived from sepsis patients could induce intestinal damage in antibiotic-treated mice. Metabolomics analysis of the microbiota revealed a significant enrichment of the Valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis pathway. Further analysis showed a significant decrease in the abundance of L-valine in sepsis patients, which was negatively correlated with APACHE-II and SOFA scores. In sepsis mouse experiments, it was found that L-valine could alleviate sepsis-induced intestinal damage.ConclusionAlterations in microbial and metabolic features in the gut can affect the severity of sepsis. Furthermore, L-valine can protect against sepsis-induced intestinal injury.

In this paper, the combined effect of Sn addition and solution treatment temperature on natural aging (NA) hardness behavior and microstructure of Al-0.4Mg-1.0Si alloy were investigated by hardness test, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The evolutions of clusters characterized by three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP) during initials stages of NA are also investigated based on the slow in formation of clusters due to Sn addition. The results shown that a Sn-rich particles with round shape retained in Al matrix after quenching treatment when the added Sn content exceeds it limit solubility, which will reduce the Mg content of the designed alloy. The suppression of NA can be enhanced with the increase in the adding Sn content and solution treatment temperature, which is strongly related to the delay of the segregation of Mg and Si to form clusters due to more trapping vacancies by Sn atoms. The addition of Sn also revealed that the segregation of Si during NA is earlier than that of Mg atoms. The Si-rich clusters are formed preferentially during initial stage of NA, and Mg–Si co-clusters are formed after long period of NA. The Mg/Si ratio and average size of Sn-containing clusters in the 0.04%Sn and 0.1%Sn alloy are obviously higher than that of Sn-free clusters regardless of the 1 day NA or 14 days NA as more Mg atoms are dragged into Sn-containing clusters due to strong interaction between Sn and Mg atoms.

To avoid the critical problems of effective drugs not being carried to their targeted cancers and their quantity and location not being sensed in situ, this work presents a completely new innovative strategy to achieve both smart cancer targeting (SCT) and super-sensitive sensing (SSS), where one drug carrier works for effective drug loading and release. Herein, malignant melanoma treatment is used as an example of reliable detection and effective therapy. We report two characteristic dumbbell-like nano-micelles and spherical-like nano-micelles of hyaluronan induced by the Eu3+/Tb3+ complexes for effective drug loading and release, respectively. These special Eu3+/Tb3+-loaded nano-micelles (marked as ENM and TNM) have strong and sharp red/green luminescence that can sensitively detect the malignant melanoma drug dacarbazine through changes in fluorescence intensity. Cytotoxicity experiments confirmed that both ENM and TNM are not toxic to normal cells at very high concentrations of 4 mM. However, when loaded with cancer drugs (D-ENM and D-ENM), they both killed cancer cells with more than 40% efficacy at this concentration. The in vivo experiments confirmed that D-ENM and D-TNM can effectively target cancer cells in tissue and effectively impede cancer growth. The detection limits of ENM and TNM in sensing cancer drugs can reach 0.456 μg/mL and 0.139 μg/mL, respectively. Therefore, the reported Eu3+/Tb3+-induced hyaluronan nano-micelles (ENM and TNM) are distinguished carriers of this cancer drug and excellent in situ sensors, and they have highly therapeutic effects with extremely low toxicity to normal cells.

Abstract Enteral nutrition (EN) is important for critically ill patients. This study investigated the current situation of EN treatment in SHANGHAI intensive care units (ICUs). We hypothesized that improving EN practice in SHANGHAI may benefit the prognosis of ICU patients. Clinical information on EN use was collected using clinic information forms in 2019. The collected data included the patient’s general clinical information, EN prescription status, EN tolerance status, and clinical outcomes. The observation time points were days 1, 3, and 7 after starting EN. A total of 491 patients were included. The proportion of EN intolerance (defined as 0.5 g/kg/day on day 3 or day 7 might affect the 28-day mortality. Risk factors with EN tolerance on day 7 by logistic regression showed that the AGI grade on day 1 was a major factor against EN tolerance. The proportion of EN tolerance in SHANGHAI ICU patients was low. Achieving tolerance on day 7 after the start of EN is a protective factor for 28-day survival. Improving EN tolerance and protein intake maybe beneficial for ICU patients.

Abstract Wireless localization technology has been widely used in indoor and outdoor fields. Channel estimation based on channel state information is a hot research topic in recent years. However, due to the interference of acquisition bandwidth, noise and Doppler effect, high-resolution channel estimation is a difficult problem. In this paper, the least squares estimate the amplitude of the signal subspace projection and estimate the time delay, using wireless channel state information to delay obey exponential distribution and magnitude obey normal distribution features, and reconstruction after the signal space and sampling to the Euclidean distance between the signal space, common as gradient optimization parameters, estimate the arrival time delay of high precision. The algorithm proposed in this paper filters out the noise interference in wireless communication and improves the accuracy of channel estimation through the method of least square and gradient optimization, which provides a feasible scheme for indoor wireless localization.

Bile acids (BAs) play a crucial role in the human body’s defense against infections caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses. BAs counteract infections not only through interactions with intestinal bacteria exhibiting bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity but they also directly combat infections. Building upon our research group’s previous discoveries highlighting the role of BAs in combating infections, we have initiated an in-depth investigation into the interactions between BAs and intestinal microbiota. Leveraging the existing literature, we offer a comprehensive analysis of the relationships between BAs and 16 key microbiota. This investigation encompasses bacteria (e.g., Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), Bacteroides, Clostridium scindens (C. scindens), Streptococcus thermophilus, Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum), and lactic acid bacteria), fungi (e.g., Candida albicans (C. albicans) and Saccharomyces boulardii), and viruses (e.g., coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, influenza virus, and norovirus). Our research found that Bacteroides, C. scindens, Streptococcus thermophilus, Saccharomyces boulardii, C. butyricum, and lactic acid bacteria can regulate the metabolism and function of BSHs and 7α-dehydroxylase. BSHs and 7α-dehydroxylase play crucial roles in the conversion of primary bile acid (PBA) to secondary bile acid (SBA). It is important to note that PBAs generally promote infections, while SBAs often exhibit distinct anti-infection roles. In the antimicrobial action of BAs, SBAs demonstrate antagonistic properties against a wide range of microbiota, with the exception of norovirus. Given the intricate interplay between BAs and intestinal microbiota, and their regulatory effects on infections, we assert that BAs hold significant potential as a novel approach for preventing and treating microbial infections.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are widely recognized for their exceptional mechanical properties and potential to reinforce composite materials. However, the requirement for high MWCNT concentration remains a challenge in achieving effective reinforcement. In this study, using unzipped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (uMWCNTs) and transition metal filler as a means to significantly enhance the mechanical properties of polyamide 66 (PA66) and incorporating 0.2% w/w of uMWCNTs-Mn as filler allowed us to increase PA66's tensile strength by over 74% and its Young's modulus by over 100%. The structural and functional integrity of uMWCNTs-Mn and PA66 matrix were investigated in detail. This work reveals that the enhancement of mechanical properties is mainly due to the interfacial interaction between uMWCNTs-Mn sheets and the PA66 matrix, the coupling effect of manganese ions, and increases the crystallinity and reduces the size of microcrystals. This work's findings provide a novel approach to the preparation of high-performance composites with low concentrations of carbon nanostructures, which holds significant implications for the development of advanced materials.

Abstract Background The gut microbiota plays an important role in human health, as it can affect host immunity and susceptibility to infectious diseases. Invasive intestinal candidiasis is strongly associated with gut microbiota homeostasis. However, the nature of the interaction between Candida albicans and gut bacteria remains unclear. Objective This review aimed to determine the nature of interaction and the effects of gut bacteria on C. albicans so as to comprehend an approach to reducing intestinal invasive infection by C. albicans. Methods This review examined 11 common gut bacteria’s interactions with C. albicans, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Helicobacter pylori, Lactobacillus spp., Bacteroides spp., Clostridium difficile, and Streptococcus spp. Results Most of the studied bacteria demonstrated both synergistic and antagonistic effects with C. albicans, and just a few bacteria such as P. aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., and Lactobacillus spp. demonstrated only antagonism against C. albicans. Conclusions Based on the nature of interactions reported so far by the literature between gut bacteria and C. albicans, it is expected to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of invasive intestinal candidiasis.

Hydrogel sensors have drawn tremendous attention due to the combination of stretchability, biocompatibility, and convenient production. The integration of high mechanical strength, stretchability and a wide working range towards various application environment is still a great challenge. Herein, both the tough and highly stretchable hydrogel sensor was developed and showed large working range and good sensing capability towards various deformation and underwater motions. The hydrogel was constructed by the polymerization of acrylic acid, acrylamide and N, N-dimethyl acrylamide, and crosslinked by the zirconium hydroxide. The obtained hydrogel exhibits high mechanical strength (∼1.5 MPa), strain (∼1400%) with good toughness (∼12 MJ/m−3), recovery properties and high elasticity (G’∼23 KPa) which was beneficial for the stable sensing performance. It also showed high sensitivity in a wide working range (0–1300%), and exhibited stretching-dependent resistance signal monitoring capability on large, small, cyclic deformations, and various human motions (wrist, finger bending and swallowing). Moreover, it can detect various motions underwater, even monitor the pulse beating for healthcare in the liquid environment. This hydrogel with these comprehensive mechanical and sensing performances has great potential in the fields of artificial intelligence and electric skins, and further applied in the aquatic environment.

Small-size gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are showing large potential in various fields, such as photothermal conversion, sensing, and medicine. However, current synthesis methods generally yield lower, resulting in a high cost. Here, we report a novel uni-micelle method for the controlled synthesis of monodisperse gold nanocrystals, in which there is only one kind micelle containing aqueous solution of reductant while the dual soluble Au (III) precursor is dissolved in oil phase. Our synthesis includes the reversible phase transfer of Au (III) and “uni-micelle” synthesis, employing a Au (III)-OA complex as an oil-soluble precursor. Size-controlled monodisperse AuNPs with a size of 4–11 nm are synthesized by tuning the size of the micelles, in which oleylamine (OA) is adsorbed on the shell of micelles and enhances the rigidity of the micelles, depressing micellar coalescence. Monodisperse AuNPs can be obtained through a one-time separation process with a higher yield of 61%. This method also offers a promising way for the controlled synthesis of small-size alloy nanoparticles and semiconductor heterojunction quantum dots.

The mechanism for enhanced precipitation strengthening due to the addition of copper to Al-9.0Zn-1.5Mg (wt.%) alloys has been investigated by means of tensile test, transmission electron microscopy, anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering and three-dimensional atom probe. With the addition of copper increasing from 0% to 1.0%, and then 2.6%, the strength increment of peak-aged alloys due to precipitation strengthening increases from 274.8 MPa to 329.3 MPa, and then 343.0 MPa. Based on the copper-induced change of the parameters of clusters, GPI zones and η′ precipitates coexisting in the aged alloys, the enhanced precipitation strengthening has been discussed in detail by considering their coherent, modulus and short-order strengthening. In the alloy without copper, the coherent strengthening from η′ precipitates play a main role in precipitation strengthening. In copper-containing alloys, the contribution of clusters to strengthening become significant. The addition of copper decreases coherent strengthening and modulus strengthening from η′ precipitates, but increases modulus strengthening from GPI zones and clusters, and short-range order strengthening from clusters more apparently, and consequently enhances strength of the alloys after aging.

The combined effect of Sn and pre-aging on hardening and precipitation behavior of Al-1.0Mg-0.6Si(-0.3Cu) alloy was investigated by using hardness measurement, tensile test, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results indicated that the natural aging (NA) hardening of Al-1.0Mg-0.6Si (−0.3Cu) alloy was suppressed by pre-aging treatment, and the suppression of NA can be enhanced by the addition of Cu. However, the suppression of NA time of Al-1.0Mg-0.6Si and Al-1.0Mg-0.6Si-0.3Cu alloy, i.e., without obvious hardness increase after pre-aging treatment, is reduced to 5 and 7 days by the addition of Sn, which is not conducive to the suppression of NA. For subsequent artificial aging (AA) of the Al-1.0Mg-0.6Si (−0.3Cu) alloys, the AA precipitation of Al-1.0Mg-0.6Si alloy with pre-aging treatment is accelerated by the addition of Sn or Cu, particularly by adding both Sn and Cu, resulting in the increase in the bake hardening response. The effect of the evolution of clusters after pre-aging on underling mechanisms of NA and its AA were also discussed.

Variable precision reduction (VPR) and positive region reduction (PRR) are common definitions in attribute reduction. The compacted decision table is an extension of a decision table. In this paper, we propose another extension, called the weighted decision table. In both types of decision tables, VPR is defined, and the corresponding discernibility matrices for the PRR are proposed. Then, algorithms for obtaining the PRR from the discernibility matrices are presented. In both types of decision tables, the relationship between VPR and PRR is established by comparing the corresponding discernibility matrices. If the precision of the VPR meets the given conditions, then the PRR algorithms can be used to obtain the results after modifying some decision values in the decision tables. An analysis of the modification process of the decision values and the compression process of decision tables is used to propose a new algorithm for VPR in decision tables that ensures credibility. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm was evaluated by an experimental comparison with existing VPR algorithms.

Constructing the interface passivation layer is of importance to accelerate the charge transfer and thus enhance the efficiency of quantum dots-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). Here, an effective Cu:ZnSeS intermediate passivation layer (IPL), aiming at improving the charge transfer process, is fabricated on the surface of photoanodes via the facile successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) process. Electrical chemical analysis results exhibit that the Cu:ZnSeS IPL can efficiently hinder the charge recombination and accelerate the charge transport process due to the synergistic effect of ZnSeS alloy layer and Cu ions dopant. Meanwhile, the time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopy demonstrates the Cu:ZnSeS IPL can not only reduce the surface traps but also accelerate hole capture. Importantly, the laser confocal Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurement is first used to investigate the charge transport process via the change of surface potential in dark and under laser irradiation. In terms of the merits of Cu:ZnSeS IPL, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the resultant CdSeTe-based QDSCs reaches up to 9.46%, with an enhancement of 14%, compared to the traditional single ZnS passivation layer (∼8.32%). Besides, employing the Cu:ZnSeS intermediate passivation layer, the PCE of 11.64% was achieved, which is considered the highest reported in the reported CdSeTe QDSCs so far. This work demonstrates a facile and effective approach to modulating the charge transport process, thus enhancing the device performance.

Hydrogen-induced failure in a partially-recrystallized Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy with different aging conditions was studied by in-situ electrochemical hydrogen charging method, and the hydrogen-induced cracking mechanism was elucidated by investigating the microstructure-dominated deformation behavior. It was found that in naturally-aged and peak-aged samples, cracks initiate at sample surfaces, and deformation dominated by shearing facilitates hydrogen diffusion, resulting in a high hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility. However, in the over-aged sample, deformation dominated by bypassing cannot transport hydrogen efficiently, which exerts no effect on crack initiation at the sample center. In addition, the same cracking pattern exists on all samples in silicone oil and in-situ hydrogen charging environments. The grain boundary of recrystallized grains is prone to strain localization, leading to intergranular cracking. In unrecrystallized grains, transgranular cracks propagate along intersections of slip lines and subgrain boundaries. This study improves the understanding of hydrogen embrittlement in new generation Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy by linking the existing hydrogen embrittlement mechanism to the deformation behavior dominated by microstructures.

Abstract Under the influence of additive white Gaussian noise, sparse representation cannot effectively remove noise associated with the polynomial phase signal (PPS) via most dictionary learning algorithms whose training data come from the noisy signal, such as K-SVD and RLS-DLA. In this paper, we present a novel dictionary learning algorithm based on secondary exponentially weighted moving average (SEWMA) to denoise PPS. In the proposed algorithm, we first estimate the signal-to-noise (SNR) of the PPS to set the optimal rate of a weighted decline using covariance matrix model. Second we use RLS-DLA to train the dictionary. Thirdly, SEWMA is used to refine atoms in the learned dictionary. In this way, the SNR of the reconstructed signal obtained using the proposed algorithm is clearly higher than that of other algorithms, whereas the mean squared error is lower than that of other algorithms. To obtain the optimal denoising performance, the optimal rate of a weighted decline is set based on the estimated SNR. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms the K-SVD, RLS-DLA in mean square error and the SNR.

In this work, living diatoms (LDT) were fed Eu3+-complex-polysaccharide aggregates (EIPA), and the living diatoms integrated-EIPAs (LDT-E) in a completely new UV downconversion biophotonic material. The EIPAs were embedded inside siliceous cell walls of living diatoms. When dried, these diatoms (LDT-Es) are luminescent at 612 nm, due to the Eu3+-complex. As UV-downconversion material, LDT-E absorbs UV light in the band of 250–400 nm and converts into useful visible light, thus contributing to UV-protection and potentially to photocurrent generation in photovoltaic devices. This downconversion material from living diatom retains the porous characteristics of the diatom siliceous cells, as well as the diatom organic components. Most important is the absence of a chemical process to generate this biomaterial from natural living diatoms, in order to obtain UV-protection and downconversion.

We synthesized the two-dimensional Zn–Cu–In–S (ZCIS) semiconductor nanoplatelets and then modified their surface with 4-bromobenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate. The surface modified ZCIS nanoplatelets were combined with the conventional photovoltaic hole transport layer material (HTL) PEDOT: PSS. The work function of the HTL increased from 5.04 eV to 5.17 eV, thus promoting the reduction of the energy potential barrier and increasing the internal electric field. It also effectively improves the light utilization by effectively increasing the absorption of light in the spectral range below 500 nm and converting them into the secondary emission in the 600–700 nm range. Such emission can be effectively utilized by the active layer to increase the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current (Jsc) of the cell, resulting in an increase in the overall cell power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 12.29%–13.14%.

The graphene oxide-silica, GO-SiO2 (GS) nanoparticles synthesized by in-situ hydrolysis were grafted with block polymers polyethylene glycol (PEG) and low-molecular polyethylene terephthalate (LPET) using 3-isocyanatopropyltrimethicone (IPTES) as a bridge to prepare the additive GS-IPTES plus PEG-LPET (GSIP). This grafting process was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The GSIP of various contents was used as reinforcing fillers to prepare PET/GSIP composite by melt blending. The crystallization and mechanical properties of the PET/GSIP composite were dramatically enhanced with the addition of small amounts of GSIP. Compared with pure PET, the crystallization temperature of PET/GSIP was increased by 41 °C at 1 wt.% addition of GSIP. Moreover, the highest tensile strength was 91.2 MPa and the highest modulus was 14.7 GPa at 0.8 wt.% addition. The crystalline and mechanical properties improvements were attributed to the synergistic effects of GS and block polymer chains.

Attribute reduction comes from machine learning and is an important component of rough set theory. Research on attribute reduction has produced many important achievements. The aim of attribute reduction is to reduce the complexity of data while retaining its original characteristics to the greatest extent. The concept of attribute reduction is of great significance in machine learning research. In previous studies, a variety of attribute reduction definitions have been proposed according to different rules. Based on the binary relations among objects and local decision rules, this paper describes a local indiscernibility relation reduction for information tables. The discernibility matrix for the proposed reduction is established, and examples for single- and multi-decision classes are presented to illustrate that the proposed local indiscernibility relation reduction can be applied to decision tables. According to the reduction concept developed in this paper, and considering a heuristic algorithm for calculating the significance of attributes and a binary integer programming algorithm based on the discernibility matrix, three reduction algorithms are proposed. Experiments are conducted using four classifiers and a number of publicly available datasets. A comparison of the experimental results presented in this paper demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed algorithms.

Cr(VI) compounds are bioaccumulative and highly toxic pollutants, and there is a need for simple and fast detection methods to monitor their trace levels. In this work, we developed a Eu3+ complex-based fluorescence sensor to easily detect Cr(VI) in water droplets. Our sensor consists of a nanofibrous membrane electrospun with a blend of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), silica particles, and Eu3+ complex. Upon modifying the membrane surface with fluoroalkyl chemistry, the sensor displayed superhydrophobicity. When a water droplet with Cr(VI) was placed on such a superhydrophobic fluorescence sensor, the overlapping absorption of Cr(VI) and Eu3+ complex facilitated the inner filter effect, allowing the selective detection of Cr(VI) down to 0.44 µM (i.e., 45.76 µg L−1). We proposed and designed of new inexpensive and fast sensor for the detection of Cr(VI).

Folic acid (FA) has shown great potential in the fields of targeted drug delivery and disease diagnosis due to its highly tumor-targeting nature, biocompatibility, and low cost. However, FA is generally introduced in targeted drug delivery systems through macromolecular linkage via complex synthetic processes, resulting in lower yields and high costs. In this work, we report a general protocol for synthesizing thiolated folate derivatives. The small molecule thiolated folate (TFa) was first synthesized with a purity higher than 98.20%. First, S-S-containing diol was synthesized with a purity higher than 99.44 through a newly developed green oxidation protocol, which was carried out in water with no catalyst. Then, folic acid was modified using the diol through esterification, and TFa was finally synthesized by breaking the disulfide bond. Further, the synthesized TFa was utilized to modify silver nanoparticles. The results showed that TFa could be easily bonded to metal particles. The protocol could be extended to the synthesis of a series of thiolated derivatives of folate, such as mercaptohexyl folate, mercaptoundecyl folate, etc., which would greatly benefit the biological applications of FA.

Chinese herbal medicines are effective for treating colon cancer (CC). CC development is reportedly associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis and immune function dysregulation. Herein we explored the therapeutic effects of a Chinese herbal medicine anticancer cocktail soup (CHMACS) on mice with CC and also explored its regulatory effects on gut microbiota. In vivo experiments indicated that CHMACS significantly inhibited the proliferation and tumorigenicity of CC cells. Further, CHMACS treatment decreased the proportion of CD8+ T, natural killer, and Th17 cells. HPLC/MS analysis showed that CHMACS comprised 227 active components. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed, for example, an increase in the relative abundance of uncultured_bacterium_g_Turicibacter and a decrease in that of uncultured_bacterium_g_Coriobacteriaceae_UCG-002 in gut microbiota of CHMACS-treated mice. Microbial diversity cluster analysis revealed that Verrucomicrobia, Spirochaetes, Fusobacteria, Patescibacteria, and Firmicutes contributed the most to fecal microbial diversity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes metabolic pathway analysis and clusters of orthologous groups of protein annotation indicated that CHMACS treatment induced amino acid metabolism and suppressed carbohydrate metabolism. Moreover, we found a strong association between changes in metabolites and immune cell maturation and activation. To summarize, our findings suggest that CHMACS kills CC cells by regulating gut microbiota and activating immune cells.

The fluorescent and quantum yield (QY) of graphene quantum dots has been improved in recent years by doped atoms, which have good application prospects in fluorescence sensors and biological imaging. Here, a one-step hydrothermal synthesis method was used to synthesize manganese ions bonded with boron and nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (Mn-BN-GQDs). Compared with the boron and nitrogen co-doping graphene quantum dots (BN-GQDs), the fluorescence properties and quantum yield of Mn-BN-GQDs are significantly improved. Meanwhile, Mn-BN-GQDs exhibit low toxicity and good fluorescence imaging in living cells and has high selectivity to Fe3+ ions. Therefore, this experiment design Mn-BN-GQDs as a fluorescence sensor to detect Fe3+ ions, providing strong evidence for the advanced high sensitivity, selectivity and wide detection range of the Mn-BN-GQDs as a fluorescence sensor. These results indicate a dual linear relationship with good linear relationships in the 10–100 μM and 100–800 μM ranges, and limit of detection are 0.78 μM and 9.08 μM, respectively. Cellular imaging results demonstrate that Mn-BN-GQDs can be used as fluorescence sensors in biological imaging. Mn-BN-GQDs can be used for fluorescence sensing in biological imaging in combination with low toxicity, QY and quantum dot lifetime.

Colonization of the intestinal tract by Candida albicans (C. albicans) can lead to invasive candidiasis. Therefore, a functional intestinal epithelial barrier is critical for protecting against invasive C. albicans infections. We collected fecal samples from patients with Candida albicans bloodstream infection and healthy people. Through intestinal flora 16sRNA sequencing and intestinal metabolomic analysis, we found that C. albicans infection resulted in a significant decrease in the expression of the metabolite kynurenic acid (KynA). We used a repeated C. albicans intestinal infection mouse model, established following intake of 3% dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) for 9 days, and found that KynA, a tryptophan metabolite, inhibited inflammation, promoted expression of intestinal tight junction proteins, and protected from intestinal barrier damage caused by invasive Candida infections. We also demonstrated that KynA activated aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) repressor in vivo and in vitro. Using Caco-2 cells co-cultured with C. albicans, we showed that KynA activated AHR, inhibited the myosin light chain kinase-phospho-myosin light chain (MLCK-pMLC) signaling pathway, and promoted tristetraprolin (TTP) expression to alleviate intestinal inflammation. Our findings suggest that the metabolite KynA which is differently expressed in patients with C. albicans infection and has a protective effect on the intestinal epithelium, via activating AHR, could be explored to provide new potential therapeutic strategies for invasive C. albicans infections.

Secondary immune damage to the intestinal mucosa due to an influenza virus infection has gained the attention of investigators. The protection of the intestinal barrier is an effective means of improving the survival rate in cases of severe pneumonia. We developed a fusion protein, Vunakizumab-IL22(vmab-IL22), by combining an anti-IL17A antibody with IL22. Our previous study showed that Vunakizumab-IL22 repairs the pulmonary epithelial barrier in influenza virus-infected mice. In this study, we investigated the protective effects against enteritis given its anti-inflammatory and tissue repair functions. The number of goblet cells and the expression of zonula occludens protein 1(ZO-1), Mucin-2, Ki67 and IL-22R were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative RT-PCR in influenza A virus (H1N1)-infected mice. The expression of NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and toll- like-receptor-4 (TLR4) was assayed by IHC in the lungs and intestine in HIN1 virus-induced mice to evaluate the whole efficacy of the protective effects on lungs and intestines. Consequently, Cytochrome C, phosphorylation of nuclear factor NF-kappaB (p-NF-κB), IL-1β, NLRP3 and Caspase 3 were assayed by Western blotting in dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-treated mice. Treatment with Vunakizumab-IL22 improved the shortened colon length, macroscopic and microscopic morphology of the small intestine (p < 0.001) significantly, and strengthened the tight junction proteins, which was accompanied with the upregulated expression of IL22R. Meanwhile, Vunakizumab-mIL22 inhibited the expression of inflammation-related protein in a mouse model of enteritis induced by H1N1 and DSS. These findings provide new evidence for the treatment strategy for severe viral pneumonia involved in gut barrier protection. The results suggest that Vunakizumab-IL22 is a promising biopharmaceutical drug and is a candidate for the treatment of direct and indirect intestinal injuries, including those induced by the influenza virus and DSS.

The effects of three-stage homogenization on recrystallization and fatigue crack growth behavior of 7020 aluminum alloy were investigated. It was shown that a large amount of fine Al3Zr dispersoids form in the grain and near the grain boundaries of the alloy after three-stage homogenization. The ratio of volume fraction to radius for the Al3Zr dispersoids after three-stage homogenization increased by 171.2% compared with the one-stage homogenization. The recrystallization fraction was reduced from 29.5% for the one-stage homogenized alloy to 19.1% for the three-stage homogenized alloy. If the fatigue crack propagation encounters small recrystallized grains with high misorientation, the crack is easy to grow quickly along grain boundaries. When the stress intensity factor at the crack tip is 10MPa·m1/2, the fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) of the one-stage homogenized alloy is 30.6% faster than that of the three-stage homogenized alloy.

Evolution of grain structure during isothermal multi-direction forging (MDF) of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy at 400 °C and 450 °C with strain rates from 10−3 s−1 to 10−5 s−1 was investigated with electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results demonstrated that the evolution of grain structure was dominated by discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX), during which the continuous forming of new recrystallized grains at grain boundaries was found. Characteristics of DDRX was enhanced with the decrease of MDF strain rate or temperature, which promoted the formation of recrystallized grains at grain boundaries. Besides, the increase of total strain enhanced such grain refinement effect until the grain structure reached the stable state, in which fine recrystallized grains replaced most of the initial coarse grains.

In order to find a clean, efficient and sustainable new energy source that can replace fossil fuels, hydrogen energy is considered to be the most ideal choice. Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution plays a vital role in the development of hydrogen energy, promotes the research of new electrocatalysts, and is dedicated to find materials with high electrocatalytic efficiency. This article discusses in detail the major developments in OER electrocatalysts, including recently reported metal and non-metal based materials. Metal-based catalysts, although having the advantages of high catalytic activity, have disadvantages such as poor stability and low selectivity, which hinder the further application of such materials. Non-metallic based materials avoid such disadvantages and exhibit very substantial performance in overall water decomposition. This review provides useful knowledge of a well-designed OER electrocatalyst and a possible strategy for OER/HER dual-function catalytic performance for future development. Keywords: Oxygen evolution reaction (OER), Electrocatalyst, Metal-based electrocatalysts, Carbon-based electrocatalysts, Black phosphorous (BP)

Rough set theory is a tool for dealing with uncertainty problems. How to measure the uncertainty of a knowledge is an important issue in the theory. However, the existing uncertainty measures may not accurately reflect the uncertainty degree. This study analyzes the causes of it and explores a reasonable solution to it. Firstly, the existing accuracy models only focuses on some factors related to the target set while neglecting its own important influence on the model. Secondly, since no one gives a clear definition of knowledge uncertainty in approximation space, it is difficult to evaluate the accuracy and rationality of a knowledge uncertainty measure. Thirdly, most uncertain measures of knowledge are constructed based on the structure of knowledge itself, while neglecting other factors in the approximation model. In view of these, we first propose a new accuracy model which fully considers the important role of the target set itself. Second, two definitions of accuracy measure of knowledge are proposed to explain what the uncertainty of a knowledge is. And then, two uncertainty measures of knowledge are proposed and a method for quickly calculating them is designed. At last, an uncertain entropy is constructed for more conveniently calculating of knowledge uncertainty.

The organic Eu3+-complex [Eu(TTA)3Phen] has been incorporated into the channels of surface-modified frustules from diatoms as a key material to absorb and convert UV-photons to visible luminescence. Systematic investigation results indicate that the organic Eu3+-complex encapsulated in the functionalized diatomite channels exhibits enhanced luminescence and longer lifetime, owning to the Eu(TTA)3Phen complex interacting with its surrounding silylating agents. The organic Eu3+-complex-anchored porous diatomite hybrid luminescent material was compounded with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by using a mini-twin screw extruder to prepare a self-supporting film of the hybrid material. Besides, the UV absorption properties of the composite films were investigated. These films will potentially be related to the UV protection of photovoltaic devices.

The large mortality and morbidity rate of C. albicans infections is a crucial problem in medical mycology. Because the generation of biofilms and drug resistance are growing concerns, the growth of novel antifungal agents and the looking for newer objectives are necessary. In this review, inhibitors of C. albicans biofilm generation and molecular mechanisms of intestinal epithelial barrier protection are elucidated. Recent studies on various transcription elements; quorum-sensing molecules; host responses to adherence; and changes in efflux pumps, enzymes, bud to hyphal transition, and lipid profiles have increased the knowledge of the intricate mechanisms underlying biofilm resistance. In addition, the growth of novel biomaterials with anti-adhesive nature, natural products, drugs, bioactive compounds, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates are being researched. Recently, more and more attention has been given to various metal nanoparticles that have also appeared as antibiofilm agents in C. albicans. The intestinal epithelial obstacle exerts an crucial effect on keeping intestinal homeostasis and is increasingly associated with various disorders associated with the intestine such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome, metabolic syndrome, allergies, hepatic inflammation, septic shock, etc. However, whether their involvement in the prevention of other intestinal disorders like IBD are useful in C. albicans remains unknown. Further studies must be carried out in order to validate their inhibition functions in intestinal C. albicans. This provides innovates ideas for intestinal C. albicans treatment.

Diallyl disulfide (DADS), a garlic extract also known as allicin, has been reported to have numerous biological activities, including anticancer, antifungal, and inflammation-inhibiting activities, among others. Although many studies have assessed whether DADS can treat Candida albicans infection in vitro, its in vivo function and the underlying mechanism are still not clear. Accumulated evidence has implicated the gut microbiota as an important factor in the colonization and invasion of C. albicans. Thus, this study aimed to identify the mechanism by which DADS ameliorates dextran sulfate (DSS)-induced intestinal C. albicans infection based on the systematic analysis of the gut microbiota and metabolomics in mice. Here, we determined the body weight, survival, colon length, histological score, and inflammatory cytokine levels in the serum and intestines of experimental mice. Fecal samples were collected for gut microbiota and metabolite analysis by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and LC–MS metabolomics, respectively. DADS significantly alleviated DSS-induced intestinal C. albicans infection and altered the gut microbial community structure and metabolic profile in the mice. The abundances of some pathogenic bacteria, such as Proteobacteria, Escherichia–Shigella, and Streptococcus, were notably decreased after treatment with DADS. In contrast, SCFA-producing bacteria, namely, Ruminiclostridium, Oscillibacter, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG−013, greatly increased in number. The perturbance of metabolites in infectious mice was improved by DADS, with increases in secondary bile acids, arachidonic acid, indoles and their derivatives, which were highly related to the multiple differentially altered metabolic pathways, namely, bile secretion, arachidonic acid metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism. This study indicated that DADS could modulate gut microbiota and metabolites and protect the gut barrier to alleviate DSS-induced intestinal C. albicans infection in mice. Moreover, this work might also provide novel insight into the treatment of C. albicans infection using DADS.

Background: Sepsis is a dysregulated host response to pathogens. Delay in sepsis diagnosis has become a primary cause of patient death. This study determines some factors to prevent septic shock in its early stage, contributing to the early treatment of sepsis. Methods: The sequencing data (RNA- and miRNA-sequencing) of patients with septic shock were obtained from the NCBI GEO database. After re-annotation, we obtained lncRNAs, miRNA, and mRNA information. Then, we evaluated the immune characteristics of the sample based on the ssGSEA algorithm. We used the WGCNA algorithm to obtain genes significantly related to immunity and screen for important related factors by constructing a ceRNA regulatory network. Result: After re-annotation, we obtained 1708 lncRNAs, 129 miRNAs, and 17 326 mRNAs. Also, through the ssGSEA algorithm, we obtained 5 important immune cells. Finally, we constructed a ceRNA regulation network associated with SS pathways. Conclusion: We identified 5 immune cells with significant changes in the early stage of septic shock. We also constructed a ceRNA network, which will help us explore the pathogenesis of septic shock.

Oxidized phospholipids have diverse biological activities, many of which can be pathological, yet how they are inactivated in vivo is not fully understood. Here, we present evidence that a highly conserved host lipase, acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH), can play a significant role in reducing the pro-inflammatory activities of two prominent products of phospholipid oxidation, 1-palmitoyl-2-glutaryl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1-palmitoyl-2-(5-oxovaleroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. AOAH removed the sn-2 and sn-1 acyl chains from both lipids and reduced their ability to induce macrophage inflammasome activation and cell death in vitro and acute lung injury in mice. In addition to transforming Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide from stimulus to inhibitor, its most studied activity, AOAH can inactivate these important danger-associated molecular pattern molecules and reduce tissue inflammation and injury.

In this work, a new photovoltaic device was prepared. The device uses titanium (Ti) foil/TiO2 nanotubes as the photoanode and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a photosensitizer. Titanium dioxide nanotube arrays (TiO2-NTs) were prepared by one-step anodic oxidation. Cut-MWCNTs with a length of less than 100 nm were obtained by the mixed-acid oxidation of MWCNTs. The two materials were combined to form a TiO2-NTs@cut-MWCNT heterostructure by electrophoresis. TiO2-NTs@cut-MWCNTs were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which showed that the two materials were effectively combined. We fabricated the heterostructure into a photovoltaic device, showing an enhanced photocurrent response and an efficiency of 0.0138%, and explained this phenomenon by performing UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical tests. It is hoped that this work can provide a reference value for the application of carbon nanotubes in photovoltaic devices.

Summary: Although microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP) molecules can promote cholesterol accumulation in macrophages, the existence of a host-derived MAMP inactivation mechanism that prevents foam cell formation has not been described. Here, we tested the ability of acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH), the host lipase that inactivates gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), to prevent foam cell formation in mice. Following exposure to small intraperitoneal dose(s) of LPSs, Aoah−/− macrophages produced more low-density lipoprotein receptor and less apolipoprotein E and accumulated more cholesterol than did Aoah+/+ macrophages. The Aoah−/− macrophages also maintained several pro-inflammatory features. Using a perivascular collar placement model, we found that Aoah−/− mice developed more carotid artery foam cells than did Aoah+/+ mice after they had been fed a high fat, high cholesterol diet, and received small doses of LPSs. This is the first demonstration that an enzyme that inactivates a stimulatory MAMP in vivo can reduce cholesterol accumulation and inflammation in arterial macrophages.

Trace amounts of heavy metal ions in the human body are essential for maintaining health. However, heavy metal ion excess or deficiency causes toxicity or disease. This study examines the sensitivity of luminescent europium complexes for the detection of Cu2+. Here, Eu3+ is complexed with1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and 4,4′,4-trimethyltriphenylamine (TTA) to form luminescent [Eu3+(TTA)3phen] complexes, encapsulated in silica (SiO2) nanoparticles. The silica nanoparticles are then formed into a composite with a blend of chitosan and polyethylene oxide (PEO), to make electrospun nanofibers. The combination of Eu3+ complexes with SiO2 nanoparticles doped in chitosan enhances the fluorescence performance. Photophysical measurements show that when the Cu2+ concentration is 100 μmol/L, the fluorescence of the composite chitosan nanofibers can be quickly and sensitively quenched, and that concentrations as low as 10 μmol/L Cu2+ can be detected. Furthermore, the use of chitosan and PEO to prepare the material makes these new fluorescence-based copper sensing materials suitable for Cu2+ detection in biological systems.

Histidine Polypeptide-Hybridized Nanoscale Metal–Organic Framework (fH12/ZIF-8) can be produced effectively in water at room temperature without using any additives. The fluorescein label also provides a useful method to quantify the extent to which the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) is loaded into or released from the resulting MOFs. In vitro studies have shown that fH12/ZIF-8 has the useful property of dissolving and controlled rates at low pH. It ruptured fastest in PBS buffer solution with pH 6.3, and the release rate reached 50% at 4 h. Furthermore, it showed that the addition of histidine polypeptides increases uptake by HepG-2 cells. This study integrates drug loading and detecting aspects into a single theranostic platform by a simple and efficient strategy, opening a new route for the construction of advanced drug delivery systems.

Abstract Background Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen, but since it also belongs to the normal fungal flora, positive sputum culture as the solely basis for the diagnosis of invasive Candida albicans pneumonia can easily lead to excessive antifungal therapy. Therefore, identification of a pneumonia biomarker might improve diagnostic accuracy. Methods A rabbit model was established by inoculating 5 × 107 cfu/mL C. albicans into the trachea of 20 rabbits with 20 rabbits as control group. Infection was monitored by chest thin-layer computed tomography (CT). 2 mL blood samples were collected daily during each infection and serum levels of potential biomarkers were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Seven-day post-inoculation the rabbits were sacrificed by CO2 asphyxiation and lung tissue was histopathologically examined and blood was brought to culture. Data were statistically analyzed. Results Infection became evident as early as day 3 post-inoculation. The levels of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1), soluble hemoglobin-haptoglobin scavenger receptor (sCD163), procalcitonin (PCT) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were elevated in the experimental group compared to the control (P 0.05). The dynamic curves of the levels of CRP, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, SCD163 and TNF-α in both groups demonstrated a similar trend during infection but differences between the groups was observed only in the sTREM-1 levels. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity were 85 and 80% for sTREM-1 (cut-off value: 45.88 pg/mL) and 80 and 75% for SCD163 (cut-off value: 16.44 U/mL), respectively. The values of the area under the ROC curve (AUCROC) of sTREM-1 and SCD163 were 0.882 (95% CI: 0.922–0.976) and 0.814 (95% CI: 0.678–0.950), respectively. Other markers did not exhibit significant differences. Conclusion sTREM-1 and SCD163 might be suitable biomarkers for pneumonia.

Abstract Luminescent materials are of worldwide interest because of their unique optical properties. Silica, which is transparent to light, is an ideal matrix for luminescent materials. Luminescent silica nanoparticles (LSNs) have broad applications because of their enhanced chemical and thermal stability. Silica spheres of various sizes could be synthesized by different methods to satisfy specific requirements. Diverse luminescent dyes have potential for different applications. Subject to many factors such as quenchers, their performance was not quite satisfying. This review thus discusses the development of LSNs including their classification, synthesis, and application. It is the highlight that how silica improves the properties of luminescent dye and what role silica plays in the system. Further, their applications in biology, display, and sensors are also described.

The hot-deformation behavior of three medium-strength Al-Zn-Mg alloys with different Zn/Mg ratios was studied using isothermal-deformation compression tests; the true strain and true stress were recorded for constructing series-processing maps. A few constitutive equations describe the relationship between flow stress and hot-working parameters. The microstructures were characterized using an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) detector and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results show that the optimized deformation parameters for ternary alloy AA7003 are within a temperature range of 653 K to 813 K and with strain rates lower than 0.3 S−1. The microstructures show that materials with a lower Zn/Mg ratio of 6.3 could lead to a problematic hot-deformation capability. Alloys with a higher Zn/Mg ratio of 10.8 exhibited better workability than lower Zn/Mg ratios. The Al3Zr dispersoids are effective in inhibiting the recrystallization for alloy AA7003, and the Zn/Mg ratios could potentially affect the drag force of the dispersoids.

In this paper, hydrophobic luminescent CdSe quantum dots are successfully dispersed in a mixture of styrene and methyl methacrylate through the oleic to methacrylic acid ligand exchange. Further in situ solution polymerization of the quantum dots in a mixture of styrene and methyl methacrylate followed by electrospinning allowed us to prepare luminescence hybrid styrene-co-methyl methacrylate fibers embedded with quantum dots. CdSe@P(S+MMA) hybrid fibers with 27% quantum yield showed excellent moisture, heat and salt resistance with a photoluminescence output below 120 °C. When dry heated, the hybrid fibers of the fluorescence signals decreased with temperature to 79%, 40%, 28%, 20% and 13% at 120 °C, 140 °C, 160 °C, 180 °C and 200 °C, respectively, due the to the chemical degradation of CdSe QDs. Such hybrid fibers show the potential to manufacture wearable moisture- and heat-sensing protective clothing in a 120–200 °C range due to the thermal-induced quenching of quantum dot photoluminescence.

The combined effect of adding Sn and natural aging (NA) time on the precipitation and age-hardening rate of the Al-0.4Mg-1.0Si alloy was investigated by a hardness test, electrical resistivity test, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, 3-D atom probe (3DAP) analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the NA of the Al-0.4 Mg-1.0Si alloy was suppressed by adding Sn. This suppression was ascribed to the suppression of the formation of clusters. The short NA time (less than 5 days) had a positive effect on the subsequent artificial aging (AA) in the Sn-added alloys, i.e., a fast AA-hardening rate was achieved. The positive effect of the NA on the AA in the Sn-added alloys increased as the amount of Sn increased, but decreased as the NA time increased. The AA was negatively affected by the NA when the NA time was increased to 14 days. The accelerated AA precipitation of the Sn-added alloys after a short NA time was responsible for the fast AA-hardening rate. This accelerated precipitation was related to the increased amount of retained quenched-in vacancies according to their NA resistivity curves and similarity of the chemical composition between the Sn-containing clusters and β'' phases.

In the blending process of the composites, the clustering of MWCNTs under high concentration leads to poor dispersion and difficult complexing with luminescent elements. Cyanate ester resins (CERs) have a brittle network structure when cured caused by a conjugation effect that forms a strong emission peak in the ultraviolet-visible region and quenches the luminescent elements of the fluorescent nanofillers. In this paper, by anchoring of the Eu complex (Eu(TTA)3Phen, ETP) on a surface of longitudinal split unzipped carbon nanotubes (uMWCNTs); fluorescent nanoparticles were prepared as ETP anchor unzipper carbon nanotubes (ETP-uCNTs). Dicyanate ester of bisphenol E (CER-E monomer) is cured to polycyanurate at a lower temperature to achieve a high conversion, promoting a uniform blend with ETP-uCNTs, providing the fluorescence environment with high color purity. Studies show the ETP-uCNTs solve the agglomeration of MWCNTs and improve the interface binding ability. Compared with the pure CER-E, the tensile strength, bending strength and impact strength of CER-E/0.8 wt.% ETP-uCNT hybrid nanocomposites are increased by 94.6%, 92.8% and 101.1%, respectively. The carbon residue rate of CER-E/ETP-uCNTs is up to 47.14% at 800 °C, the temperature of the maximum reaction rate decreases by 67.81 °C, and the partial absorption of ultraviolet light is realized between 200 and 400 nm.