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Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) metamaterials possess exceptional properties not commonly found in natural materials. TPMS metamaterials are used in lightweight structures and impact energy absorption structures due to their surface geometry and mechanical properties. The quasi-static mechanic properties of resin-based homogeneous and gradient TPMS structures manufactured by stereolithography are investigated in this study. The results of both experimental and numerical simulations reveal that the gradient TPMS structures have superior energy absorption abilities compared to the homogeneous TPMS structures. Furthermore, the benefits of gradient TPMS structures can be further enhanced by changing the gradient variation interval of the relative density and cell thickness of TPMS. If the slope and intercept of the C value function of the TPMS structures remain constant, selecting a design where the gradient direction of the cell aligns with the direction of the load on the material can enhance the energy absorption capability of the TPMS structures.

Electrochemical water splitting is considered a green and sustainable method of producing hydrogen energy. Herein, to pursue a highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction, we fabricated high-performance electrocatalysts, by utilizing a bimetallic (Cu and Co) metal–organic framework to modify rGO through a one-step in situ approach. The synthesized CuCoOC@rGO presents a highly ordered structure with a defect-rich porous surface for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Specifically, the appropriate adjustment of metal (Cu and Co), 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H3BTC), and rGO ratios leads to a well-defined morphology, which creates a defect-rich porous surface. Characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, and BET, the morphology exposes more active sites, strong evidence for the promotion of electrocatalytic efficiency. Upon the analysis of the experimental data, the obtained CuCoOC@rGO catalyst exhibits excellent activity in alkaline media with a low overpotential of 120 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, and a Tafel slope of 124 mV dec−1 for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Guided by the structure–activity relationship, the superior HER activity of CuCoOC@rGO in alkaline electrolyte could originate from many sources, including: (1) as a self-supported substrate, CuCoOC@rGO not only leads to profitable electrical contact and mechanical stability but also firmly roots into the rGO without extra binders. (2) The highly ordered structure provides smooth ion and electron transport channels, which are conducive to electrolyte infiltration and gas release. (3) The abundance of defective pores on the surface of the nanoarrays, which offers more active sites for the catalytic process. This study provides new prospects for the rational design and fabrication of advanced hierarchical functional electrocatalysts for application in electrochemical energy devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), although Pt is commonly used as counter electrode materials owing to its great electrocatalytic activity and conductivity, the high price and small reserves of Pt limit its large‐scale application. In this paper, heteromorphic Ni decorated Fe‐containing carbon nanofibers (Ni/NiO@Fe‐CNFs) was prepared by a thermal synthesis method, and applied as composite counter electrode materials for DSSCs. It was found that the as‐synthesized Ni/NiO@Fe‐CNFs shows better electrocatalytic activity than that of Fe‐CNFs and CNFs for the reduction reaction of triiodide to iodide. The improved electrocatalytic activity is not only attributed to the introduction of Fe2O3 to form Fe‐CNFs, but also attributed to the heteromorphic Ni decoration and their synergistic effect. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of DSSCs with Ni/NiO@Fe‐CNFs counter electrode is 4.81 %, much higher than that of CNFs (0.62 %) and Fe‐CNFs counter electrode (3.65 %), and comparable to the value of Pt counter electrode (5.10 %). Accordingly, the Ni/NiO@Fe‐CNFs is expected to be a potential counter electrode material to replace Pt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common benign tumor in infancy, and superficial IH is the most common type. IH can reportedly resolve spontaneously, but this is associated with complications, such as scars, atrophy, hypopigmentation, telangiectasia, and skin sagging, in 70% of cases. This study explores the safety and feasibility of therapeutic intervention with the 595-nm pulsed-dye laser (PDL) combined with 0.5% timolol maleate solution in superficial IH and compares the difference in efficacy between the early group and the late group. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study examined 167 patients with superficial IH who underwent combination therapy at the Dermatology Clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between July 2019 and July 2020. The early and late groups were composed of children aged ≤ 2 and > 2 months, respectively. Treatment was administered for 6 months, and patients were followed up for another 6 months. Two independent, double-blinded physicians reviewed photographs of the skin lesions before and after treatment to evaluate efficacy. Results: The early group demonstrated higher treatment efficacy than the late group. The early (n = 45) and late (n = 122) groups had treatment efficacy rates of 95.5% and 86.1%, respectively; the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). The early and late groups underwent 3.51 ± 0.50 and 4.73 ± 0.68 months of treatment, respectively; the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). Seventeen (44.4%) patients in the early group had immediate adverse reactions but no permanent sequelae, whereas 25 (20.49%) and 13 (10.7%) patients in the late group had immediate and permanent sequelae, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: This retrospective study demonstrated that 595-nm PDL combined with 0.5% timolol maleate solution was a safe and effective local treatment for superficial IH. Early treatment required fewer treatments, had better curative effects, and a lower probability of permanent sequelae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To seek a Pt‐free carbon material counter electrode for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the electrocatalytic activity of needle coke (NC) for the reduction of triiodide in DSSCs was investigated, and further improved by decorating with Ni to prepare Ni decorated needle coke (Ni‐NC) via a one‐step solid‐state synthesis method. It is found that the NC is a potential carbon counter electrode material for DSSCs due to its high‐density anisotropy with considerable conductivity. Although the decoration of Ni may sacrifice certain conductivity of NC, the electrocatalytic activity of Ni‐NC towards reduction of triiodide was better than that of NC. To obtain a balanced point of conductivity and electrocatalytic performance for Ni‐NC, the loading amount of Ni together with the solid‐state synthesis conditions were also studied. It is indicated that these parameters also have some effect on the performance of Ni‐NC. Under the optimized conditions, the DSSCs based on Ni‐NC counter electrode achieve an 77 % higher energy conversion efficiency of 4.39 % than that of NC counter electrode (2.48 %), and comparable to the value (5.34 %) obtains with Pt counter electrode. It is an efficient way to improve the performance of NC by decorating with Ni via a facile solid‐state synthesis method, and promote the application of needle coke as carbon counter electrode materials in DSSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Sugarcane is the main source of sugar worldwide, and 80% of the sucrose production comes from sugarcane. However, the genetic differentiation and basis of agronomic traits remain obscure. Here, we sequenced the whole‐genome of 219 elite worldwide sugarcane cultivar accessions. A total of approximately 6 million high‐quality genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. A genome‐wide association study identified a total of 2198 SNPs that were significantly associated with sucrose content, stalk number, plant height, stalk diameter, cane yield, and sugar yield. We observed homozygous tendency of favor alleles of these loci, and over 80% of cultivar accessions carried the favor alleles of the SNPs or haplotypes associated with sucrose content. Gene introgression analysis showed that the number of chromosome segments from Saccharum spontaneum decreased with the breeding time of cultivars, while those from S. officinarum increased in recent cultivars. A series of selection signatures were identified in sugarcane improvement procession, of which 104 were simultaneously associated with agronomic traits and 45 of them were mainly associated with sucrose content. We further proposed that as per sugarcane transgenic experiments, ShN/AINV3.1 plays a positive role in increasing stalk number, plant height, and stalk diameter. These findings provide comprehensive resources for understanding the genetic basis of agronomic traits and will be beneficial to germplasm innovation, screening molecular markers, and future sugarcane cultivar improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]