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Fried food has increased in popularity worldwide. However, deep frying can increase the production of peroxidative toxins in food, which might be harmful to fetal development. The antioxidative effect of vitamin D3 (VD3) has been reported previously.

The room-temperature sodium–sulfur (RT Na–S) battery is a promising alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries owing to its abundant material availability and high specific energy density. However, the sodium polysulfide shuttle effect and dendritic growth pose significant challenges to their practical applications. In this study, we apply diverse disciplinary backgrounds to introduce a novel method to stimulate polarized BaTiO3(BTO) nanoparticles on the separator. This approach generates more charges due to the piezoelectric effect under stronger driving forces produced by applying a controllable acoustic field at the outer edge of the cell. The acoustically stimulated BTO attracts more polysulfides, thus reducing the shuttling effect from the cathode to the anode and ultimately enhancing the battery performance. Meanwhile, the acoustic waves create additional streaming flows, improving the uniformity of the sodium ion dispersion, enhancing the sodium ion transport and reducing the possibility of sodium dendrite development. We believe that this work offers a new strategy for the development of high-performance Na–S batteries.

The increasing prevalence and persistence of nanoplastics (NPs) have become critical environmental concerns. These particles have the potential to enter the food chain and accumulate in living organisms, which exerts their adverse effects on human health. The release of nanoparticles from feeding bottles raises concerns about potential health issues, especially for newborns exposed to NPs at the neonatal stage. In this study, we examined the impacts of neonatal exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) on neurodevelopment. Our study demonstrates that exposure to PS-NPs in newborn mice impairs microglial autophagic function and energy metabolism, leading to the disruption of microglia-mediated synaptic pruning during early neurodevelopment. These mice subsequently develop social behavioral defects in adulthood, suggesting the long-lasting effects of neonatal PS-NP exposure on brain development and behavior. Together, these data provide insights into the mechanism by which PS-NPs affect early neurodevelopment, thus emphasizing the crucial need to address plastic pollution globally.

Reactive astrocytes play an important role in neurological diseases, but their molecular and functional phenotypes in epilepsy are unclear. Here, we show that in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and mouse models of epilepsy, excessive lipid accumulation in astrocytes leads to the formation of lipid-accumulated reactive astrocytes (LARAs), a new reactive astrocyte subtype characterized by elevated APOE expression. Genetic knockout of APOEinhibited LARA formation and seizure activities in epileptic mice. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing in TLE patients confirmed the existence of a LARA subpopulation with a distinct molecular signature. Functional studies in epilepsy mouse models and human brain slices showed that LARAs promote neuronal hyperactivity and disease progression. Targeting LARAs by intervention with lipid transport and metabolism could thus provide new therapeutic options for drug-resistant TLE.

Sodium metal batteries (SMBs) are cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternative to lithium batteries. However, at present, limitations such as poor compatibility, low coulombic efficiency (CE), and high electrolyte cost hinder their widespread application. Herein, we propose a non-flammable, low-concentration electrolyte composed of 0.3 M NaPF6in propylene carbonate (PC), fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC), and 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl ether (TTE). This low-concentration electrolyte not only reduces cost but also delivers rapid ion diffusion and superior wetting properties. While the Na||FePO4system with this electrolyte demonstrates slightly reduced performance at room temperature compared to standard-concentration formulations (S-PFT), it excels at both high (55 °C) and low (−20 °C) temperatures, showcasing its balanced performance. At 0.5 C (charge)/1 C (discharge), capacity retention reaches 92.8% at room temperature and 98.5% at elevated temperature, with CE values surpassing 99% and 99.63%, respectively, and significant performance sustained at −20 °C at 0.2 C. This electrolyte development thus offers a well-rounded, economically viable path to high-performance SMBs for diverse environmental applications.

Automatic detection technology provides a reliable method for civil engineering distress detection. However, to overcome limitations of computational resources and the significant cost of image acquisition, this study proposes a simplified network parameter-based pavement crack classification network (PCCNet) to achieve efficient and robust crack classification. Firstly, a lightweight classification model is developed based on a shuffle unit and inverted residual architecture, designed to deliver high-performance pavement crack classification with limited computing resources. Secondly, a novel training method is proposed to accurately identify pavement defects on small-sample pavement images datasets. Additionally, the interpretability of neural network in pavement defect detection is enhanced by visualizing training process. The results demonstrate that the model achieved a classification accuracy of 97.89 % on the augmented pavement image dataset and a classification accuracy of over 83 % on multi-source asphalt pavement images. Furthermore, visualizing intermediate features further enhanced the high-precision recognition ability of the lightweight model.

Asphalt mixtures are multiphase heterogeneous composites, the random distribution of the components leads to variability in the internal mechanical parameters of the material, but this variability has a certain degree of spatial correlation. In this study, the spatial variability and correlation of mechanical parameters of asphalt mixture materials are studied. Firstly, the viscoelastic and fracture parameters of asphalt mixtures were obtained by uniaxial compression test and semicircular bending (SCB) test. Then, the covariance decomposition method and Latin hypercubic sampling method were used to build the parameter random fields of long-term equilibrium modulus, flexural tensile strength and fracture energy of asphalt mixtures. Finally, using the extended finite element method to simulate the SCB test in ABAQUS. The results show that the application of the random field technique and the consideration of the spatial variability correlation of asphalt mixture material parameters can well simulate the randomness of the mechanical response of asphalt mixture materials caused by the randomness of the internal mechanical parameters in the laboratory test. The spatial variability of different parameters has different effects on the fracture response of semicircular specimens: the long-term equilibrium modulus and flexural and tensile strength mainly affect the loading stage of the load-displacement curve, while the fracture energy has a greater effect on the unloading stage.

Dietary microRNAs have been shown to be absorbed by mammals and regulate host gene expression, but the absorption mechanism remains unknown. Here, we show that SIDT1 expressed on gastric pit cells in the stomach is required for the absorption of dietary microRNAs. SIDT1-deficient mice show reduced basal levels and impaired dynamic absorption of dietary microRNAs. Notably, we identified the stomach as the primary site for dietary microRNA absorption, which is dramatically attenuated in the stomachs of SIDT1-deficient mice. Mechanistic analyses revealed that the uptake of exogenous microRNAs by gastric pit cells is SIDT1 and low-pH dependent. Furthermore, oral administration of plant-derived miR2911 retards liver fibrosis, and this protective effect was abolished in SIDT1-deficient mice. Our findings reveal a major mechanism underlying the absorption of dietary microRNAs, uncover an unexpected role of the stomach and shed light on developing small RNA therapeutics by oral delivery.

In order to prevent the microwave leakage and mutual interference, more and more microwave absorbing devices are added into the design of electronic products to ensure its routine operation. In this work, we have successfully prepared MoS2/TiO2/Ti3C2Txhierarchical composites by one-pot hydrothermal method and focused on the relationship between structures and electromagnetic absorbing properties. Supported by comprehensive characterizations, MoS2nanosheets were proved to be anchored on the surface and interlayer of Ti3C2Txthrough a hydrothermal process. Additionally, TiO2nanoparticles were obtained in situ. Due to these hierarchical structures, the MoS2/TiO2/Ti3C2Txcomposites showed greatly enhanced microwave absorbing performance. The MoS2/TiO2/Ti3C2Txcomposites exhibit a maximum reflection loss value of −33.5 dB at 10.24 GHz and the effective absorption bandwidth covers 3.1 GHz (13.9–17 GHz) at the thickness of 1.0 mm, implying the features of wide frequency and light weight. This work in the hierarchical structure of MoS2/TiO2/Ti3C2Txcomposites opens a promising door to the exploration of constructing extraordinary electromagnetic wave absorbents.

Polysiloxane is a promising modified material due to its good hydrophobicity and toughness, but it suffers from serious uneven distribution and migration during film formation process which gradually lead to the destruction of the hydrophobic structure. A novel silicon-modified copolymer with different molecular weight and vinyl content was synthesized to overcome this problem: an appropriate amount of double bonds between the polysiloxane backbone ensures uniform distribution. Moreover, a multicrosslinked network binder was prepared by miniemulsion polymerization of the polyacrylate copolymers and polysiloxane. Unlike the common crosslinked network of an uneven distribution and migration of silicone backbone, the polysiloxane with suitable crosslinking degree and molecular weight could be effectively distributed evenly during the film formation process. As a result, a better hydrophobicity and toughness performance (89.7° ± 0.5°, 2500% elongation at break) was achieved with this novel poly(methylvinylsiloxane) with 11,024 g/mol at 0.804 mmol/g vinyl content. The product was applied to pigment printing with better wet rubbing fastness and soft handle compared with the unmodified polyacrylates binder. The DSC, SAXS, and XPS indicated that high molecular organosilicon chain and moderate vinyl content were prone to phase separation and obviously shifted onto the surface of film, enriching a uniform organosilicon layer, which played a vital role in the surface hydrophobicity and mechanical properties.

The ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulations, which can predict chemical reactions, were performed on integral asphalt and individual asphalt molecules at different temperatures and oxygen levels to investigate the oxidation mechanism of asphalt and develop a molecular model suitable for aged asphalt. The simulation of integral asphalt suggests that the main oxidation products of asphalt are C–O, H–O, and S–O bonds. The oxygen level has the greatest influence on the yield of C–O bonds, and the temperature has the greatest influence on the H–O bonds. The simulation of individual asphalt molecules indicated that the oxidation of asphalt is accompanied by the decomposition of the aromatic rings, and thus, the aromaticity of the oxidized asphalt is decreased. Oxidation of asphaltenes starts with the oxygen molecules attacking the aromatic ring and generating a ketone, while the initial reactions of the other components are diverse. In addition, the simulation results were validated with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance tests and were used to study the effects of oxidation on the characteristics of asphalt. The results suggested that the introduction of oxygen-containing functional groups decreases the component compatibility of asphalt and causes the aged asphalt to be harder and more viscous.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries have attracted ever-increasing attention because of their enhanced energy density and low price. Although the performance of RT Na-S batteries is obtained in many other research, the basic mechanism and kinetics have not involved yet, especially in discharge product growth, which affects electrochemical performance. Meanwhile, designed additional redox activities (in the presence of oxygen) could simultaneously suppress sodium polysulfide shuttling and enhance energy density according to our group reported. However, the kinetic study of the intermediate has not been explored. In this work, we discussed the deposition of low-order sodium polysulfide (Na2Sx, x ≤ 2) in different potentials and types of glyme-solvents in Na-S and Na/(O2)-S system. The results show that the morphology of deposition Na2Sx(x ≤ 2) is affected by interfacial energy barrier controlled by overpotentials and the radius of sodium ions, which produced the precipitation of particle shape rather than film. Potentiostatic experiments show the kinetics are elevated in the presence of oxygen. In addition, the exchange current density of different sodium polysulfides was studied. The high-order sodium polysulfide has a lower exchange current density than that of low-order sodium polysulfide in Na-S system, requiring greater driving force, while transformation of the intermediate from high-order oxy-sulfur to low-order oxy-sulfur species require less impulse in Na/(O2)-S systems. This paper provides new understandings of the deposition mechanism and kinetics of Na2Sx(x ≤ 2) Na-S and Na/(O2)-S system in and to choose the appropriate solvent and potential.

The creep test is used as the main method of evaluating the rutting resistance of asphalt mixtures, but the variability has rarely been studied. Based on creep tests, this study investigated the stochastic nature of the mixture creep through mechanical modeling. First, creep tests were carried out on mixtures under different conditions. Consequently, the creep behavior was characterized using a fractional creep damage model (FCDM) and a variability analysis was performed. Second, a proposed creep stochastic damage model (CSDM), developed using a meso-mechanical approach, was utilized to characterize the variability behavior of the damage evolution, and the range of variation in damage evolution was predicted within a certain confidence interval. Subsequently, combined with FCDM, the variation of mixtures during creep was predicted. This study confirmed that the creep variability of mixtures is related to rutting resistance, and the better rutting resistance implies lower variability. The validation and prediction results show that the CSDM can well describe the stochasticity of damage, and that the variability of creep behavior for asphalt mixtures can be well predicted on the basis of the stochasticity of damage evolution. The physical mechanism of damage stochasticity in the mixture creep was clearly demonstrated on the mesoscopic scale.

Solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSBs) have attracted ever-increasing attention because of the enhanced energy density and safety. However, the solid-solid contact resistance and interfacial stability pose a huge challenge in the practical application of SSBs. In this work, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) is coated onto the LiCoO2(LCO) cathode surface via a simple drop-casting method in SSB employing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based electrolyte to construct an artificial cathode electrolyte interface (ACEI). It proves that the ACEI can not only form percolating Li+pathways across the electrode, but also protect the PEO electrolyte from being oxidized. Besides, Li+/H+exchange reaction is found between LCO and PAA during the initial cycles, which further promote the interfacial ion transport and lead to enhanced battery kinetics. Galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test indicate that the 0.5% PAA-treated LCO presents superior capacity retention of 93.3% after 120 cycles at 0.4 C when it works at 60 °C. PAA-LCO|PEO|Li pouch cells are also prepared and a reversible capacity of 145 mAh/g after 50 cycles at 0.1 C is achieved, which further demonstrates the feasibility of this strategy.

Plant diversity evaluation of highway construction of nature reserve is one important task in a construction project. I analyze and appraisal the plant diversity problems caused by the rebuilding and extension project of No.209 national highway Duchuan to Chunshuya section from plant species diversity, plant composition characteristics, vegetation type's diversity and national rare and endangered plants in the construction region. The highway reconstruction through the Savage Valley Nature Reserve basically causes no destructive effects on plant diversity, but there are still some negative effects. In this paper, I put forward scientific, reasonable and feasible measures and methods to the plant diversity protection by combining with the natural environment characteristics of the highway construction region.