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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common metabolic disease that is substantially associated with obesity-induced chronic inflammation. Macrophage activation and macrophage-medicated inflammation play crucial roles in the development and progression of NAFLD. Furthermore, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) has been shown to be essentially involved in macrophage activation. This study investigated the role of FGFR1 in the NAFLD pathogenesis and indicated that a high-fat diet (HFD) increased p-FGFR1 levels in the mouse liver, which is associated with increased macrophage infiltration. In addition, macrophage-specific FGFR1 knockout or administration of FGFR1 inhibitor markedly protected the liver from HFD-induced lipid accumulation, fibrosis, and inflammatory responses. The mechanistic study showed that macrophage-specific FGFR1 knockout alleviated HFD-induced liver inflammation by suppressing the activation of MAPKs and TNF signaling pathways and reduced fat deposition in hepatocytes, thereby inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells. In conclusion, the results of this research revealed that FGFR1 could protect the liver of HFD-fed mice by inhibiting MAPKs/TNF-mediated inflammatory responses in macrophages. Therefore, FGFR1 can be employed as a target to prevent the development and progression of NAFLD.

Due to the increasing antibiotic resistance, developing novel antimicrobials to fight infections caused by resistant bacteria is imperative. Herein, a series of novel bis-substituted aromatic amides were designed and synthesized through modifying the hit compound 1, and their antimicrobial activities were evaluated. Among them, compound 4t, as the most potent lead, exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacteria, including clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) isolates, while keeping weak hemolytic and mammalian cytotoxic activities. Furthermore, compound 4tdisplayed rapid bactericidal capabilities, low tendency to produce resistance, and favorable capacities to destroy bacterial biofilms. Further explorations indicated that compound 4tinduces bacterial death by binding to cardiolipin (CL) on the bacterial membrane, disrupting the cell membrane, and facilitating the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, compound 4tshowed remarkable anti-MRSA activity in vivo, demonstrating compound 4tcould be developed as a potential candidate to combat MRSA infections.

In the multi-infeed LCC-HVDC system, the concurrent commutation failure (CCF) caused by the AC fault of the receiving-end system may lead to the blocking of multiple converter stations, which challenges power grid security and stability. This paper proposes a novel method to quickly and accurately identify the CF risk areas, considering the CF probability (CFP) during the single-line-to-ground (SLG) fault. First, an AC-DC voltage asymmetry factor (ADVAF) and its theoretical derivation are proposed to quantify the influence of the fault position on the CF. Second, the critical ADVAF (CADVAF) is derived based on the equivalent method. By comparing ADVAF and CADVAF, the CF risk areas can be quickly divided into non-, possible- and inevitable-concurrent CF risk areas. Third, the relationship between local CFP (LCFP) and fault position is established, and the concurrent CFP (CCFP) is calculated. The proposed method has improved the accuracy and computational efficiency of theoretical analysis than earlier methods. Finally, the validity and accuracy of the proposed method are verified in dual-infeed and five-infeed LCC-HVDC systems built based on the IEEE 39-bus and IEEE 118-bus models, respectively.

The dynamics of a quadrotor exhibit the challenges of underactuation, strong coupling, and external disturbances. In order to handle these difficulties and enable quadrotors to align the six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) pose of the tilted narrow gap during the traversing maneuver, this article proposes a strategy based on simultaneous planning and execution (SPAE). In this strategy, the unknown disturbance is considered in both the planning and execution of the trajectory simultaneously. Specifically, the disturbance is estimated online during system execution and then combined with the attitude angle of the narrow gap and maximum thrust to constraint acceleration of trajectory. Given the state constraints and physical limitations in thrust, velocity, and jerk, a minimum time trajectory planning algorithm is developed based on a piecewise cubic function to realize aggressive flight. In this algorithm, the coupled maximum thrust is decoupled into three independent axes. Each axis can then generate time-efficient third-order trajectories that satisfy arbitrary state constraints and dynamic feasibility. The average computing time of the algorithm is less than $150 ~\mu \text{s}$ on the STM32 embedded platform, which is suitable for quadrotors with limited onboard computing capability. Finally, simulations and outdoor experiments were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed system strategy. The outdoor results demonstrate that the proposed strategy can enable the quadrotor to carry out aggressive flying through a narrow gap in a natural disturbance environment.

Fluctuations in outer space's temperature would affect the spacecraft's regular operation. This paper aims to study the temperature influences of the aluminum honeycomb buffer in the tether-net launcher. Firstly, a buffer structure was designed to attenuate the pyroshock generated by the pyrotechnic device. Secondly, the mechanical properties of aluminum honeycomb at different temperatures were obtained through quasi-static compression experiments. Then, the internal ballistic responses of the launcher were gained by the closed bomb tests and the equivalent classical interior ballistic model. Finally, the recoil performance of the launcher with aluminum honeycomb buffer at different temperatures was studied. It is revealed that the aluminum honeycomb crushing force gradually decreases with the temperature increases. The peak pressure, burning rate coefficient and velocity increase while the peak time decreases with the temperature increase for the interior ballistics. For the launcher recoil responses, the average launch recoil decreases if the aluminum honeycomb doesn't enter the dense stage. The impact acceleration, projectile velocity and displacement increase as the temperature increase. The paper spotlights the temperature's influence on the recoil characteristics of the aluminum honeycomb buffer, which provides a new idea for buffering technology of pyrotechnic devices in a complex space environment.

Safety is crucial for quadrotor flight, especially when the system suffers one rotor loss and disturbance. To enable quadrotors to survive in these worst cases, this article proposes a simultaneous planning and execution (SPAE) system strategy. First, the Euler angles under different equilibrium states are solved to ensure the feasibility of the control input when the quadrotors encounter rotor loss and disturbance. Based on the admissible Euler angle solutions, an emergency control strategy is proposed to realize desired angles by recalculating the desired trajectory and the disturbance observer. Meanwhile, this control strategy sacrifices the yaw angle control to handle further underactuation of the system caused by complete rotor failure. In addition to rotor losses, unsafe flight caused by actuator saturation is considered in the SPAE strategy, where the planning and execution are simultaneous. As a decision-maker, the planning considers the current disturbances and constraints of actuators, then generates a feasible trajectory for the controller execution. As an executor of the decision, the controller feedback estimated disturbance information to the trajectory planning, which can help trajectory planning make admissible decisions consistent with the current situation. As a result, the actuator saturation caused by the underestimation of disturbance can be avoided under a feasible regenerated trajectory. Extensive simulations and experiments prove the validity of the proposed SPAE strategy.

An important goal for bottom-up synthetic biology is to construct tissue-like structures from artificial cells. The key is the ability to control the assembly of the individual artificial cells. Unlike most methods resorting to external fields or sophisticated devices, inspired by the hanging drop method used for culturing spheroids of biological cells, we employ a capillary-driven approach to assemble giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs)-based protocells into colonized prototissue arrays by means of a coverslip with patterned wettability. By spatially confining and controllably merging a mixed population of lipid-coated double-emulsion droplets that hang on a water/oil interface, an array of synthetic tissue-like constructs can be obtained. Each prototissue module in the array comprises multiple tightly packed droplet compartments where interfacial lipid bilayers are self-assembled at the interfaces both between two neighboring droplets and between the droplet and the external aqueous environment. The number, shape, and composition of the interconnected droplet compartments can be precisely controlled. Each prototissue module functions as a processer, in which fast signal transports of molecules via cell–cell and cell-environment communications have been demonstrated by molecular diffusions and cascade enzyme reactions, exhibiting the ability to be used as biochemical sensing and microreactor arrays. Our work provides a simple yet scalable and programmable method to form arrays of prototissues for synthetic biology, tissue engineering, and high-throughput assays.

Objective: This study aimed to establish a nomogram model to predict the mortality risk of patients with dangerous upper gastrointestinal bleeding (DUGIB), and identify high-risk patients who require emergent therapy. Methods: From January 2020 to April 2022, the clinical data of 256 DUGIB patients who received treatments in the intensive care unit (ICU) were retrospectively collected from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (n=179) and the Eastern Campus of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (n=77). The 179 patients were treated as the training cohort, and 77 patients as the validation cohort. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the independent risk factors, and R packages were used to construct the nomogram model. The prediction accuracy and identification ability were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, C index and calibration curve. The nomogram model was also simultaneously externally validated. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was then used to demonstrate the clinical value of the model. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that hematemesis, urea nitrogen level, emergency endoscopy, AIMS65, Glasgow Blatchford score and Rockall score were all independent risk factors for DUGIB. The ROC curve analysis indicated the area under curve (AUC) of the training cohort was 0.980 (95%CI: 0.962–0.997), while the AUC of the validation cohort was 0.790 (95%CI:0.685–0.895). The calibration curves were tested for Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit for both training and validation cohorts (P=0.778, P=0.516). Conclusion: The developed nomogram is an effective tool for risk stratification, early identification and intervention for DUGIB patients.

High-temperature wear is a common wear loss in medium heat-resistant hot-work die steels. In this study, NbC-reinforced 4Cr5MoSiV1 composites were prepared by using an in situmethod to increase their high-temperature wear resistance. SEM, EBSD, and TEM were used to analyze the morphology, distribution, and microstructure of NbC in composites with different NbC volume fractions. The NbC gradually became “allotriomorphic” and was more uniformly distributed in the composites as the volume fraction increased from 1 vol%, 3 vol% to 5 vol%. High temperature friction wear tests showed that the wear rate of composites with NbC was lower than NbC-free ones. The wear rate of the composites with 5 vol% NbC increased from 2.51 × 10−8 mm3 N−1 ± 0.12 m-1to 7.07 × 10−8 ±0.35 mm3 N−1m−1. While that of the NbC-free ones increased from 5.05 × 10−8 ± 0.25 mm3 N−1m−1to 1.727 × 10−7 ± 0.86 mm3 N−1m−1when the temperature was increased from 200 °C to 400 °C. The wear rate of the NbC-free samples was 1.727 × 10−7 ± 0.86 mm3 N−1m−1 at 400 °C, while that of samples with 5 vol% NbC was 7.07 × 10−8 ± 0.35 mm3 N−1m−1. Their wear mechanisms were oxidative wear, abrasive wear, and adhesive wear. This study provided ideas for work on the development of wear-resistant composites and promising applications in wear-resistant engineering products, such as shovel teeth and shield machine tool rings in mining and tunneling.

The traditional fault control strategy of converter-interfaced renewable energy sources (CIRESs) may bring about a lower sensitivity level or misoperation of fault component-based directional elements. To overcome this problem, a new control scheme is proposed to adjust sequence impedance angles of CIRESs by computing suitable current references of the CIRES controller. Meanwhile, these current references are maximized by an iterative algorithm to make full use of the short-circuit capacity of CIRESs. The proposed control scheme is applicable to various faulty conditions such as different fault types, power factors, weak grids, and larger fault resistances. Compared with the new directional elements that need to update protection algorithms, the proposed control strategies can make CIRESs compatible with the existing directional elements whilst the necessary fault ride-through (FRT) requirements can still be satisfied. Furthermore, all the controller parameters are not required to be revised based on the detected fault type, even with only local measured data collected. The associated PSCAD simulations, real-time digital simulator (RTDS) testing and the downscale hardware experiment verify the proposed method.

All-perovskite tandem solar cells promise higher power-conversion efficiency (PCE) than single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs) while maintaining a low fabrication cost1–3. However, their performance is still largely constrained by the subpar performance of mixed lead–tin (Pb–Sn) narrow-bandgap (NBG) perovskite subcells, mainly because of a high trap density on the perovskite film surface4–6. Although heterojunctions with intermixed 2D/3D perovskites could reduce surface recombination, this common strategy induces transport losses and thereby limits device fill factors (FFs)7–9. Here we develop an immiscible 3D/3D bilayer perovskite heterojunction (PHJ) with type II band structure at the Pb–Sn perovskite–electron-transport layer (ETL) interface to suppress the interfacial non-radiative recombination and facilitate charge extraction. The bilayer PHJ is formed by depositing a layer of lead-halide wide-bandgap (WBG) perovskite on top of the mixed Pb–Sn NBG perovskite through a hybrid evaporation–solution-processing method. This heterostructure allows us to increase the PCE of Pb–Sn PSCs having a 1.2-µm-thick absorber to 23.8%, together with a high open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.873 V and a high FF of 82.6%. We thereby demonstrate a record-high PCE of 28.5% (certified 28.0%) in all-perovskite tandem solar cells. The encapsulated tandem devices retain more than 90% of their initial performance after 600 h of continuous operation under simulated one-sun illumination.

To improve the frequency stability of power systems with a high penetration of converter-based generators, this paper proposes an Enhanced Frequency-Constrained Unit Commitment (E-FCUC) considering variable-droop-controlled Frequency Control (FC) from converter-based generators. Unlike previous studies emphasizing conventional and fix-droop converter-based generators participating in primary frequency response, the impact of converter-based generators with variable-droop FC (VD-FC) is investigated, modeled, and then incorporated into the UC problems. Firstly, the transfer function of variable-droop-controlled converter-based generators is modeled; the available primary power reserves bounding provided by converter-based generators is analyzed. Secondly, the frequency dynamic of power systems considering joint frequency control from conventional generators and variable-droop-controlled converter-based generators is derived based on an analytical aggregated System Frequency Response (SFR) model. Since the nonlinear non-smooth feature of obtained frequency dynamic function, the “max-affine” Piece-Wise-Linearization method (PWL) is adopted here to fit the calculated frequency function. The fitting function is subsequently reformulated into mix-integer linearized constraints participating in UC studies. Case studies based on a modified IEEE 6 bus test system and a modified IEEE 118 bus test system are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed E-FCUC through comparisons of results with existing empirical models.

Thanks to its preparatory ease, close affinity, and low cost, the aptasensor can serve as a promising substitute for antibody-dependent biosensors. However, the available aptasensors are mostly subject to a single-mode readout and the interference of unbound aptamers in solution and non-target-induced transition events. Herein, we proposed a multimodal aptasensor for multimode detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) with cross-validation using the 3′-6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM)-enhanced exonuclease I (Exo I) tool and magnetic microbead carrier. Specifically, the 3′-FAM-labeled aptamer/biotinylated-cDNA hybrids were immobilized onto streptavidin-magnetic microbeads via streptavidin–biotin interaction. With the presence of OTA, an antiparallel G-quadruplex conformation was formed, protecting the 3′-FAM labels from Exo I digestion, and then anti-FAM-horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was bound via specific antigen-antibody affinity; for the aptamers without the protection of OTA, the distal ssDNA was hydrolyzed from 3′ → 5′, releasing 3′-FAM labels to the solution. Therefore, the OTA was detected by analyzing the “signal-off” fluorescence of the supernatant and two “signal-on” signals in electrochemistry and colorimetry through the detection of the coating magnetic microbeads in HRP’s substrate. The results showed that the 3′-FAM labels increased the activity of Exo I, producing a low background due to a more thorough digestion of unbound aptamers. The proposed multimodal aptasensor successfully detected the OTA in actual samples. This work first provides a novel strategy for the development of aptasensors with Exo I and 3′-FAM labels, broadening the application of aptamer in the multimode detection of small molecules.

Exploiting single-atom catalytic activation and targeted adsorption properties, Ni single-atom active sites based on N, C coordination are constructed on the surface of two-dimensional MXene nanosheets (Ni–N–C/Ti3C2Tx), enabling highly sensitive and selective NH3gas detection.The catalytic activation effect of Ni–N–C/Ti3C2Txeffectively reduces the Gibbs free energy of the sensing elemental reaction, while its electronic structure promotes the spill-over effect of reactive oxygen species at the gas–solid interface.An end-sealing passivation strategy utilizing a conjugated hydrogen bond network of the conductive polymer was employed on MXene-based flexible electrodes, effectively mitigating the oxidative degradation of MXene-based gas sensors.

All-perovskite tandem solar cells hold the promise of surpassing the efficiency limits of single-junction solar cells1–3; however, until now, the best-performing all-perovskite tandem solar cells have exhibited lower certified efficiency than have single-junction perovskite solar cells4,5. A thick mixed Pb–Sn narrow-bandgap subcell is needed to achieve high photocurrent density in tandem solar cells6, yet this is challenging owing to the short carrier diffusion length within Pb–Sn perovskites. Here we develop ammonium-cation-passivated Pb–Sn perovskites with long diffusion lengths, enabling subcells that have an absorber thickness of approximately 1.2 μm. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that widely used phenethylammonium cations are only partially adsorbed on the surface defective sites at perovskite crystallization temperatures. The passivator adsorption is predicted to be enhanced using 4-trifluoromethyl-phenylammonium (CF3-PA), which exhibits a stronger perovskite surface-passivator interaction than does phenethylammonium. By adding a small amount of CF3-PA into the precursor solution, we increase the carrier diffusion length within Pb–Sn perovskites twofold, to over 5 μm, and increase the efficiency of Pb–Sn perovskite solar cells to over 22%. We report a certified efficiency of 26.4% in all-perovskite tandem solar cells, which exceeds that of the best-performing single-junction perovskite solar cells. Encapsulated tandem devices retain more than 90% of their initial performance after 600 h of operation at the maximum power point under 1 Sun illumination in ambient conditions.

Named entity information in Chinese local gazetteers supports extending the Chinese Biographical Database (CBDB) project. Instead of using regular expressions method and manual work to tag biographical information using LoGaRT, we propose an automatic deep learning method that uses tagged data to train a Bi-LSTM-CRF model that can then be applied to an untagged dataset without manual work. This method can not only dramatically improve tagging efficiency, but also overcome the shortcomings of regular expression in named entity justification by utilizing semantic information. Moreover, we employ the advanced pre-trained language model, BERT, to encode our word vectors and further improve performance. This method has performed very well on our local gazetteers dataset and extracted data for CBDB. This experiment can also support our further work on unstructured, narrative historical data and demonstrates the applicability of deep learning methods to ancient Chinese texts.

Background: Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are a high-risk group for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Thus, a reliable prediction of the conversion from MCI to AD based on three-dimensional (3D) texture features of MRI images could help doctors in developing effective treatment protocols. Methods: The 3D texture features of the whole-brain were deduced based on the gray-level co-occurrence matrix. Then, the embedded feature selection method based on least squares loss and within-class scatter (LSWCS) was employed to select the optimal subsets of features that were used for binary classification (AD, MCI_C, MCI_S, normal control in pairs) based on SVM. A tenfold cross validation was repeated ten times for each classification. LASSO, fused_LASSO, and group LASSO are used in feature selection step for comparison. Results: The accuracy and the selected features are the focus of clinical diagnosis reports, indicating that the feature selection algorithm is effective.

Perovskite tandem solar cells have recently received extensive attention due to their promise of achieving power conversion efficiency (PCE) beyond the limits of single-junction cells. However, their performance is still largely constrained by the wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells which show considerable open-circuit voltage (VOC) losses. Here, we increase the VOCand PCE of wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells by changing the hole transport layer (HTL) from commonly used poly(bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine) (PTAA) to in-situcross-linked small molecule N4,N4′-di(naphthalen-1-yl)-N4,N4′-bis(4-vinylphenyl) biphenyl-4,4′-diamine (VNPB). The stronger interaction and lower trap density at the VNPB/perovskite interface improve the PCE and stability of wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells. By using the cross-linked HTL for front wide-bandgap subcells, PCEs of 24.9% and 25.4% have been achieved in perovskite/perovskite and perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells, respectively. The results demonstrate that cross-linkable small molecules are promising for high-efficiency and cost-effective perovskite tandem photovoltaic devices.

Tanning sludge, chrome tanned buffing dust and chrome shavings were selected as experimental materials. The non-isothermal distributed activation energy model (DAEM) was used to study the pyrolysis kinetic parameters. Effects of particle size and temperature on distribution of co-pyrolysis products of various tanning wastes were investigated in a fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor, which provided a new approach for comprehensive thermal treatment of various tannery wastes. The results show that the total activation energy required for the co-pyrolysis decreases and then increases in the range of conversion rate of 0.1 to 0.8. The tar yield decreases with raising particle size, while the yields of gas and char increase. With increasing pyrolysis temperature, the tar yield increases rapidly to a peak value of 17% at 600°C, and then decreases, correspondingly the char yield decreases while the gas yield increases. At 600°C and the particle size of 1.6–2.5 mm, specific surface area of the char is larger, and the light fractions in tar is higher. Thus, co-pyrolysis is conducive to clean treatment of the tannery wastes.

Lightning‐induced nitrogen oxides (LNOx) can affect ozone (O3) through photochemical processes. However, the impact of LNOxon the Tibetan Plateau (TP) O3valley, an area with a lower O3column compared to surrounding areas, remains controversial. Prior to this study, the impact of monsoonal transport on LNOxand related effects on the TP O3valley has been overlooked. The objectives of this study are to differentiate between locally generated LNOxand monsoon‐transported LNOxover the TP and to evaluate their impacts on tropospheric NOxvertical column density, tropospheric column O3, and O3at different altitudes. The Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry model was used to replicate LNOx, NOx, and O3over the TP during July 2010, for which nesting techniques and sensitivity experiments were implemented. The findings emphasize the importance of LNOxas a source of NOxin this region, with nonlocal lightning activity being the primary source. Conversely, the influence of locally generated LNOxon NOxlevels over the TP is comparatively minor. Overall, LNOxcontributes to an increase in O3over the TP, but one order lower than the O3depletion. The impact of LNOxon O3varies across different altitude ranges; it is broadly “C” shaped, reflecting increase in O3at near‐surface and in upper troposphere–lower stratosphere (UTLS) regions and decrease in the middle troposphere. The increase in surface‐level O3over the TP is mainly caused by monsoon‐transported LNOx, while locally generated LNOxalso plays a crucial role in O3formation in the UTLS region. Lightning‐induced nitrogen oxides (LNOx) play an important role in ozone (O3) production. However, the impact of LNOxon the Tibetan Plateau (TP) O3valley, an area with a lower O3column compared to surrounding areas, remains controversial. Prior to this study, the impact of monsoonal transport on LNOxand related effects on the TP O3valley has been overlooked. In this research, we distinguish between locally generated LNOxover the TP and LNOxtransported by the monsoon from surrounding areas, and we discuss their individual effects on NOxand O3over the TP. We found that NOxover the TP is mainly composed of LNOx, with a higher proportion of monsoon‐transported LNOxthan locally generated LNOx. Generally, LNOxincreases O3over the TP but the effect is small. The impact of LNOxon O3varies across different altitude ranges; it is broadly “C” shaped, reflecting increase in O3at near‐surface and in upper troposphere–lower stratosphere (UTLS) regions and decrease in the middle troposphere. The increase in surface‐level O3over the TP is mainly caused by monsoon‐transported LNOx, while locally generated LNOxalso plays a crucial role in O3formation in the UTLS region. Lightning‐induced nitrogen oxides and ozone over the Tibetan Plateau were simulated by Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry for 1 monthMonsoon‐transported lightning‐induced nitrogen oxides significantly contribute to Tibetan Plateau nitrogen oxidesLightning‐induced nitrogen oxides increase Tibetan Plateau ozone and the increment exhibits a C‐shaped curve in the vertical axis Lightning‐induced nitrogen oxides and ozone over the Tibetan Plateau were simulated by Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry for 1 month Monsoon‐transported lightning‐induced nitrogen oxides significantly contribute to Tibetan Plateau nitrogen oxides Lightning‐induced nitrogen oxides increase Tibetan Plateau ozone and the increment exhibits a C‐shaped curve in the vertical axis

The Ce-substituted (Nd1−xCex)12.2Fe81.6B6.2(x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6) nanocrystalline ribbons were prepared by annealing amorphous ribbons from melt spinning. It is found that all ribbons are in a multiphase state consisting of α-Fe phase, Nd(Ce)-rich phases and RE2Fe14B (RE = Nd, Ce) phases. However, the coercivity of all annealed ribbons can reach a considerably high value without doping any heavy rare earth or other coercivity enhanced elements. A strong intergranular exchange coupling appears in these nanocrystalline ribbons. The Nd12.2Fe81.6B6.2ribbons with multiphase have a coercivity of about 11.3 kOe, and the coercivity decreases slightly with increasing Ce content. A coercivity of 7.5 kOe can be obtained when 60 at% of Nd is replaced by Ce (x = 0.6) due to the grain refinement and the strong intergranular exchange coupling. This provides a practical approach of fabricating high coercivity Ce-substituted Nd-Fe-B materials.

Accurate and sensitive detection of single-base mutations in RNAs is of great value in basic studies of life science and medical diagnostics. However, the current available RNA detection methods are challenged by heterogeneous clinical samples in which trace RNA mutants usually existed in a large pool of normal wild sequences. Thus, there is still great need for developing the highly sensitive and highly specific methods in detecting single-base mutations of RNAs in heterogeneous clinical samples. In the present study, a new chimeric DNA probe-aided ligase chain reaction-based electrochemical method (cmDNA-eLCR) was developed for RNA mutation detection through the BSA-based carrier platform and the horseradish peroxidase-hydrogen peroxide-tetramethylbenzidine (HRP-H2O2-TMB) system. The denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a fluorophore-labeled probe was ingeniously designed to demonstrate the advantage of cmDNA in ligation to normal DNA templated by RNA with the catalysis of T4 RNA ligase 2 as well as its higher selectivity than DNA ligase system. Finally, the proposed cmDNA-eLCR, compared with the traditional eLCR, showed excellent performance in discriminating single base-mismatched sequences, where the signal response for mismatched targets at a high concentration could overlap completely with that for the blank control. Besides, this cmDNA-eLCR assay had a wide linear range crossing six orders of magnitude from 1.0 × 10–15to1.0 × 10–10M with a limit of detection as low as 0.6 fM. Furthermore, this assay was applied to detect RNA in real sample with a satisfactory result, thereby demonstrating its great potential in diagnosis of RNA-related diseases.

Widespread antimicrobial resistance encourages repurposing/refining of nonantimicrobial drugs for antimicrobial indications. Gallium nitrate (GaNt), an FDA-approved medication for cancer-related hypercalcemia, recently showed good activity against several clinically significant bacteria.

Viral hepatitis infection is associated with negative impacts on renal function that may lead to nephropathy. We investigated associations between chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and/or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in a large, representative sample from a nationwide U.S. database.

In order to reduce the conduction losses of the Dual-Active-Bridge (DAB) converter, this paper proposes an optimized modulation scheme based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL). Owing to the Extended-Phase-Shift (EPS) modulation based Deep Q-Network (DQN) algorithm, the optimal phase-shift-angles can be defined, which reduces the root-mean-square (RMS) current tremendously. Moreover, the zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) performance can be guaranteed for the whole operation conditions. A 200 W prototype of the DAB converter is built and tested to prove the effectiveness of the proposed optimized modulation scheme. Experimental results demonstrates that the proposed optimized modulation scheme can obtain lower RMS current and higher operation efficiency in comparison to other three modulations.

Conjugated polymers are regarded as promising candidates for dopant-free hole-transport materials (HTMs) in efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Thus far, the vast majority of polymeric HTMs feature structurally complicated benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene (BDT) analogs and electron-withdrawing heterocycles, forming a strong donor–acceptor (D–A) structure. Herein, a new class of phenanthrocarbazole (PC)-based polymeric HTMs (PC1, PC2, and PC3) has been synthesized by inserting a PCunit into a polymeric thiophene or selenophene chain with the aim of enhancing the π–π stacking of adjacent polymer chains and also to efficiently interact with the perovskite surface through the broad and planar conjugated backbone of the PC. Suitable energy levels, excellent thermostability, and humidity resistivity together with remarkable photoelectric properties are obtained via meticulously tuning the conformation and elemental composition of the polymers. As a result, PSCs containing PC3as dopant-free HTM show a stabilized power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.8% and significantly enhanced longevity, rendering one of the best types of PSCs based on dopant-free HTMs. Subsequent experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the planar conformation of the polymers contributes to an ordered and face-on stacking of the polymer chains. Furthermore, introduction of the “Lewis soft” selenium atom can passivate surface trap sites of perovskite films by Pb–Se interaction and facilitate the interfacial charge separation significantly. This work reveals the guiding principles for rational design of dopant-free polymeric HTMs and also inspires rational exploration of small molecular HTMs.

Treatment of Staphylococcus aureusinfections is challenging owing to widespread multidrug resistance. There is now considerable interest in the potential of combination therapies. Although linezolid/fosfomycin combination appears to be a promising treatment option based on in vitrodata, further preclinical work is needed. In this study, the Galleria mellonellasystem was employed to study the in vivoefficacy of this combination in order to determine whether it should be explored further for the treatment of S. aureusinfections.

For onshore wind farms where all wind turbine (WT) locations are fixed, it is necessary to design corresponding cable connections to collect electricity generated by each WT. The cable connection system should ensure the collection of electricity successfully and reduce the cable cost optimally. Cables are prohibited from crossing restricted land areas, such as reserves, oil wells, and rocky areas. Therefore, in this article, a restricted area is added to the planning area of onshore wind farms. To obtain more accurate final optimized results, we consider topographic factors of onshore wind farms in the optimization process. The algorithm used for cable connection optimization is the dynamic minimum spanning tree. Results indicate the nonnegligible effects of the restricted area and topographic factors on the cable connection topology. The total cable cost savings can exceed 1.8% compared with the reference cable connection topology, in which the topographic factors and restricted area are not considered.

Oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the major pathological mechanisms of acute kidney injury (AKI). Inorganic nanomaterial-mediated antioxidant therapy is considered a promising method for the prevention of AKI; however, currently available antioxidants for AKI exhibit limited clinical efficacy due to the glomerular filtration threshold (∼6 nm). To address this issue, we developed ultrasmall RuO2nanoparticles (RuO2NPs) (average size ≈ 2 nm). The NPs show excellent antioxidant activity and low biological toxicity. In addition, they can pass through the glomerulus to be excreted. These properties in combination make the ultrasmall RuO2NPs promising as a nanozyme for the prevention of AKI. The NP catalytic properties mimic the activity of catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase. The nanozyme can be efficiently and rapidly absorbed by human embryonic kidney cells while significantly reducing ROS-induced apoptosis by eliminating excess ROS. After intravenous injection, the ultrasmall RuO2NPs significantly inhibit the development of AKI in mice. In vivo toxicity experiments demonstrate the biosafety of the NPs after long-term preventing. The multienzyme-like activity and biocompatibility of the ultrasmall RuO2NPs makes them of great interest for applications in the fields of biomedicine and biocatalysis.

The heterogeneous stacking of a thin two-dimensional (2D) perovskite layer over the three-dimensional (3D) perovskite film creates a sophisticated architecture for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). It combines the remarkable thermal and environmental stabilities of 2D perovskites with the superior optoelectronic properties of 3D materials which resolves the chronic stability issue with no compromise on efficiency. Herein, we propose the vapor-assisted growth strategy to fabricate high-quality 2D/3D heterostructured perovskite films by introducing long-chain organoamine gases in which the 2D layers have a uniform and tunable thickness. The 3D to 2D transformation of the widely adopted MAPbI3(MA = methylammonium) film is initiated by the butylamine vapor and monitored through the in situ grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction technique. A variety of 2D species are observed and rationalized by the different collapsing and reconstruction models of the Pb–I octahedra. The PSC devices based on the optimized 2D/3D heterostructures show significant improvements in photovoltaic performances, owing to better energy level alignments, longer carrier lifetimes, and less defects as compared to their 3D analogues. In addition, both the butylamine vapor-treated perovskite films and the derived PSC devices demonstrate exceptional long-term stabilities.

Objective: To characterize the specific metabolomics profiles in the outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and to explore potential metabolic biomarkers and their diagnostic roles. Methods: Nine AD patients and age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled, and feces were collected. OMVs were extracted, purified, and then analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass chromatography (LC-MS/MS) method coupled with a series of multivariate statistical analyses. Results: Remarkable differences were found between the OMVs from AD patients and those from healthy controls. A number of differential metabolites and several top-altered metabolic pathways were identified. The levels of aspartate, L-aspartate, imidazole-4-acetate and L-glutamate were confirmed to be highly upregulated in AD-OMVs. Other differential metabolites, such as arachidic acid, prostaglandin G2, and leukotriene B4, were also identified. Furthermore, the differential metabolites possessed higher areas under the ROC curve (AUCs). Conclusion: Metabolic activity is significantly altered in the OMVs from AD patients. This data might be helpful for identifying novel biomarkers and their diagnostic roles in AD. Furthermore, OMVs metabolomics analysis combined with GWAS could enrich our understanding of the genetic spectrum of AD and lead to early predictions and diagnosis and clinical applications of better AD treatments.