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• The resultant hydrogel possesses an admirable feature of mechanical robustness and excellent electrical performance. • The intriguing overall properties are attributed to the synergy of multiple physical interactions and nano-reinforcement. • The hydrogel delivers sensitive strain-induced resistance change under variational deformations. • A strain sensor based on such hydrogel can accurately monitor multi-scale deformations from large mechanical deformation to tiny physiological motions. For advanced conductive hydrogels, adaptable mechanical properties and high conductivity are essential requirements for practical application, e.g., soft electronic devices. Here, a straightforward strategy to develop a mechanically robust hydrogel with high conductivity by constructing complicated 3D structures composed of covalently cross-linked polymer network and two nanofillers with distinguishing dimensions is reported. The combination of one-dimensional quaternized cellulose nanofibrils (QACNF) and two-dimensional MXene nanosheets not only provides prominent and tunable mechanical properties modulated by materials composition, but results in electronically conductive path with high conductivity (1281 mS m–1). Owing to the uniform interconnectivity of network structure attributed to the strong macromolecular interaction and nano-reinforced effect, the resultant hydrogel exhibits a balanced mechanical feature, i.e., high tensile strength (449 kPa), remarkable stretchability (> 1700 %), and ultra-high toughness (5.46 MJ m–3), outperforming those of virgin one. Additionally, the enhanced conductive characteristic with the aid of QACNF enables hydrogels with impressive electromechanical behavior, containing high sensitivity (maximum gauge factor: 2.24), wide working range (0–1465 %), and fast response performance (response time: 141 ms, recover time: 140 ms). Benefiting from the excellent mechanical performance, a flexible strain sensor based on such conductive hydrogel can deliver an appealing sensing performance of monitoring multi-scale deformations, from large and monotonous mechanical deformation to tiny and complex physiological motions (e.g., joint movement and signature/vocal recognition). Together, the hydrogel material in this work opens up opportunities in the design and fabrication of advanced gel-based materials for emerging wearable electronics. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perfect integration of microbubbles for efficient ultrasound imaging and nanocarriers for intelligent tumor-targeting delivery remains a challenge in precise tumor theranostics. Herein, we exquisitely fabricated laser-activated and targeted polymersomes (abbreviated as FIP-NPs) for simultaneously encapsulating the photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) and the phase change agent perfluorohexane (PFH). The formulated FIP-NPs were nanosize and effectively accumulated into tumors as observed by ICG fluorescence imaging. When the temperature rose above 56 °C, the encapsulated PFH transformed from liquid to gas and the FIP-NPs underwent balloon-like enlargement without structure destruction. Impressively, the enlarged FIP-NPs fused with adjacent polymersomes to form even larger microparticles. This temperature-responsive “nano-to-micro” transformation and fusion process was clearly demonstrated, and FIP-NPs showed greatly improved ultrasound signals. More importantly, FIP-NPs achieved dramatic antitumor efficacy through ICG-mediated phototherapy. Taken together, the novel polymersomes achieved excellent ultrasound/fluorescence dual imaging-guided tumor phototherapy, providing an optimistic candidate for the application of tumor theranostics.

By manipulating the aggregate states of dysprosium single-molecule magnets (DyIII-SMMs), the hydrogen bonds have played key roles in realizing aggregation-induced suppression of quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM), thus becoming a new tool to optimize the performance of DyIII-SMMs. Yet, supermolecular aggregates of DyIII-SMMs assembled by hydrogen bonds are still scarcely reported so far. Herein, two such aggregates, [Dy(H3spho)(NO3)2(CH3OH)2]·CH3OH (SAH-1) and [Dy2(H2cspho)(NO3)4(CH3OH)3(H2O)]·2CH3CN (SAH-2), were prepared by N,N′-bis(salicylicdene)pyridine-2,6-dicarbohydrazide N-oxide (H4spho) and N,N′-bis(5-chlorosalicylicdene) pyridine-2,6-dicarbohydrazide N-oxide (H4cspho), respectively. SAH-1shows a supermolecular dimer structure, where two mononuclear molecules are linked together by hydrogen bonds and arranged in a side-by-side fashion. SAH-2is a three-dimensional (3D) hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF). Its molecule features an asymmetric dinuclear {Dy2} structure based on a single symmetric ligand, which has not been observed in the whole lanthanide complex family. Both SAH-1and SAH-2exhibit desirable SMM behavior, with the highest effective energy barrier (Ueff) of 67(2) and 62(3) K, respectively. SAH-2also displays field-induced dual-relaxation behavior. The magnetic dilution experiments reveal that the dipole interactions relating to supermolecular aggregate states have non-negligible effects on the relaxation of SAH-1and SAH-2.

In this paper, the effects of settlement on force, track deformation, and train dynamics to determine the settlement thresholds of ballastless track-concrete box subgrade (BTCBS) are studied. Firstly, this study introduces four settlement types, namely V-shape, box rolling, box faulting, and trapezoid settlement. The nonlinear finite element model (FEM) of BTCBS and the train-ballastless track-concrete box subgrade (TBTCBS) model considering nonlinear contact between track slabs and base slabs are established. Then, the effects of settlement on fastener force, track deformation, and vehicle dynamics are studied. According to the calculated results and China’s codes, the settlement limit values of BTCBS can be obtained. The results indicate that the settlement thresholds with box rolling and faulting are controlled by vertical force of fasteners, and the settlement limit values with V-shape and trapezoid settlement are controlled by 10 m chord versine of vertical irregularity (CVVI). The suggested settlement limit values of BTCBS for box faulting, box rolling, trapezoid, and V-shape settlement are respectively 2.48 mm, 2.55 mm, 17.43 mm, and 8.79 mm.

abstract:Do network connections between government officials and administrative units facilitate efficient land use contracting across jurisdictions? This article leverages data from a groundbreaking policy in China where a strict quota-bound land use policy was replaced with an alternative, allowing between-county trade in land conversion quotas. We unpack the determinants of the boundary between trading and autarkic jurisdictions and unveil leader-related drivers of transaction costs between jurisdictions in a gravity-style estimation. We catalogue personal and career histories of county-level leaders and present evidence that leader networks derived from employment history are robustly trade-facilitating but nonworkplace links are not.

Optical fiber force sensing has attracted considerable interest in biological, materials science, micromanipulation, and medical applications owing to its compact and cost-efficient configuration. However, the glass fiber has an intrinsic high Young’s modulus, resulting in force sensors being generally less sensitive. While hyperelastic polymer materials can be utilized to enhance the force sensitivity, the thermodynamic properties of the polymer may weaken the sensing accuracy and reliability. Herein, we demonstrate ultracompact three-dimensional (3D)-printed multicore fiber (MCF) tip probes for simultaneous measurement of nanoforce and temperature with high sensitivity. The sensor is highly sensitive to force-induced deformation due to the special geometric features of the polymer microcantilever, and the high-temperature sensitivity can be implemented through the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microcavity on the same fiber facet. Moreover, the sensitivities of the fiber interferometers are remarkably enhanced by introducing the optical analogue of the Vernier effect. Such a device exhibits a force sensitivity of 56.35 nm/μN, which is more than 103times that of all-silica fiber force sensors. The PDMS microcavity provides a temperature sensitivity of 1.447 nm/°C, measuring the local temperature of the probe and compensating for temperature crosstalk of the force detection. The proposed compact MCF-tip sensor can simultaneously measure nanoforce and temperature with high sensitivity, facilitating multiparameter sensing in a restricted space environment and showing the potential in miniaturized all-fiber multiparameter sensors.

Graphical abstract:

Titanium-oxo cluster (TOC)-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have received considerable attention in recent years due to their ability to expand the application of TOCs to fields that require highly stable frameworks. Herein, a new cyclic TOC formulated as [Ti6O6(OiPr)8(TTFTC)(phen)2]2(1, where TTFTC = tetrathiafulvalene tetracarboxylate and phen = phenanthroline) was crystallographically characterized. TOC 1takes a rectangular ring structure with two phen-modified Ti6clusters as the width and two TTFTC ligands as the length. An intracluster ligand-to-ligand (TTF-to-phen) charge transfer in 1was found for TOCs for the first time. Compound 1undergoes topotactic conversion to generate stable TOC-MOF P1, in which the rectangular framework in 1formed by a TOC core and ligands is retained, as verified by comprehensive characterization. P1shows an efficient and rapid selective adsorption capacity for cationic dyes. The experimental adsorption capacity (qex) of P1reaches a value of up to 789.2 mg/g at 298 K for the crystal violet dye, which is the highest among those of various adsorbents. The calculated models are first used to reveal the structure–property relationship of the cyclic host to different guest dyes. The results further confirmed the host MOF structure of P1.

C30H29MnN6O7V2, triclinic, P1‾$\overline{1}$ (no. 2), a= 9.0806(3) Å, b= 11.1937(3) Å, c= 16.3585(5) Å, α= 102.2430(10)°, β= 100.090(1)°, γ= 97.7410(10)°, V= 1574.09(8) Å3, Z= 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0335, wRref(F2) = 0.0886, T= 100 K.

Natural compounds like pterostilbene (PTE) have gained recognition for their various biological activities and potential health benefits. However, challenges related to bioavailability and limited clinical efficacy have prompted efforts to strengthen their therapeutic potential. To meet these challenges, we herein rationally designed and successfully synthesized a pharmaceutical phosphoramidite that allows for the programmable incorporation of PTE into oligonucleotides. The resultant aptamer–PTE conjugate can selectively bind to cancer cells, leading to a specific internalization and drug release. Moreover, compared with free PTE, the conjugate exhibits superior cytotoxicity in cancer cells. Specifically, in a zebrafish xenograft model, the nanomedicine effectively inhibits tumor growth and neovascularization, highlighting its potential for targeted antitumor therapy. This approach presents a promising avenue for harnessing the therapeutic potential of natural compounds via a nanomedicine solution.

Postoperative anatomical reconstruction and prevention of local recurrence after tumor resection are two vital clinical challenges in osteosarcoma treatment. A three-dimensional (3D)-printed porous Ti6Al4V scaffold (3DTi) is an ideal material for reconstructing critical bone defects with numerous advantages over traditional implants, including a lower elasticity modulus, stronger bone-implant interlock, and larger drug-loading space. Simvastatin is a multitarget drug with anti-tumor and osteogenic potential; however, its efficiency is unsatisfactory when delivered systematically. Here, simvastatin was loaded into a 3DTi using a thermosensitive poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA)-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-PLGA hydrogel as a carrier to exert anti-osteosarcoma and osteogenic effects. Newly constructed simvastatin/hydrogel-loaded 3DTi (Sim-3DTi) was comprehensively appraised, and its newfound anti-osteosarcoma mechanism was explained. Specifically, in a bone defect model of rabbit condyles, Sim-3DTi exhibited enhanced osteogenesis, bone in-growth, and osseointegration compared with 3DTi alone, with greater bone morphogenetic protein 2 expression. In our nude mice model, simvastatin loading reduced tumor volume by 59%–77 % without organic damage, implying good anti-osteosarcoma activity and biosafety. Furthermore, Sim-3DTi induced ferroptosis by upregulating transferrin and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 2 levels in osteosarcoma both in vivoand in vitro. Sim-3DTi is a promising osteogenic bone substitute for osteosarcoma-related bone defects, with a ferroptosis-mediated anti-osteosarcoma effect.

Neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes are the remnants of massive star explosions1. Most massive stars reside in close binary systems2, and the interplay between the companion star and the newly formed compact object has been theoretically explored3, but signatures for binarity or evidence for the formation of a compact object during a supernova explosion are still lacking. Here we report a stripped-envelope supernova, SN 2022jli, which shows 12.4-day periodic undulations during the declining light curve. Narrow Hα emission is detected in late-time spectra with concordant periodic velocity shifts, probably arising from hydrogen gas stripped from a companion and accreted onto the compact remnant. A new Fermi-LAT γ-ray source is temporally and positionally consistent with SN 2022jli. The observed properties of SN 2022jli, including periodic undulations in the optical light curve, coherent Hα emission shifting and evidence for association with a γ-ray source, point to the explosion of a massive star in a binary system leaving behind a bound compact remnant. Mass accretion from the companion star onto the compact object powers the light curve of the supernova and generates the γ-ray emission.

A compact and high-efficiency magnetron with diffraction output is proposed. In this diffraction output configuration, all cavities are tapered onto the horn antenna to extract the RF field of the operating $\pi $ mode from every resonator cavity and convert it to the TE01 mode for high output power. To demonstrate the capability, an $S$ -band ten-cavity magnetron with all-cavity diffraction output is designed. Compared to the conventional design, the cutoff radius of the TE01 mode is smaller than the TE51 mode in the circular waveguide. Consequently, the diameter of the output waveguide can be reduced significantly. Moreover, the short length of the diffraction output, about $0.63\lambda $ ( $\lambda $ is the operation wavelength), is designed to further reduce the volume of the proposed magnetron. Simulation results show that the proposed magnetron generates 3.64 MW output power with a power conversion efficiency of 91% at 2.31 GHz when the applied voltage is 46 kV and the axial magnetic field is 0.2 T.

Background: Limited data indicated the performance of large language model (LLM) taking on the role of doctors. We aimed to investigate the potential for ChatGPT-3.5 and New Bing Chat acting as doctors using thyroid nodules as an example. Methods: A total of 145 patients with thyroid nodules were included for generating questions. Each question was entered into chatbot of ChatGPT-3.5 and New Bing Chat five times and five responses were acquired respectively. These responses were compared with answers given by five junior doctors. Responses from five senior doctors were regarded as gold standard. Accuracy and reproducibility of responses from ChatGPT-3.5 and New Bing Chat were evaluated. Results: The accuracy of ChatGPT-3.5 and New Bing Chat in answering Q2, Q3, Q5 were lower than that of junior doctors (all P < 0.05), while both LLMs were comparable to junior doctors when answering Q4 and Q6. In terms of “high reproducibility and accuracy”, ChatGPT-3.5 outperformed New Bing Chat in Q1 and Q5 (P < 0.001 and P = 0.008, respectively), but showed no significant difference in Q2, Q3, Q4, and Q6 (P > 0.05 for all). New Bing Chat generated higher accuracy than ChatGPT-3.5 (72.41% vs 58.62%) (P = 0.003) in decision making of thyroid nodules, and both were less accurate than junior doctors (89.66%, P < 0.001 for both). Conclusions: The exploration of ChatGPT-3.5 and New Bing Chat in the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules illustrates that LLMs currently demonstrate the potential for medical applications, but do not yet reach the clinical decision-making capacity of doctors.

Magnetic propulsion of nano-/micro-robots is an effective way to treat implant-associated infections by physically destroying biofilm structures to enhance antibiotic killing. However, it is hard to precisely control the propulsion in vivo. Magnetic-nanoparticle coating that can be magnetically pulled off does not need precise control, but the requirement of adhesion stability on an implant surface restricts its magnetic responsiveness. Moreover, whether the coating has been fully pulled-off or not is hard to ensure in real-time in vivo. Herein, composited silk fibroins (SFMA) are optimized to stabilize Fe3O4nanoparticles on a titanium surface in a dry environment; while in an aqueous environment, the binding force of SFMA on titanium is significantly reduced due to hydrophilic interaction, making the coating magnetically controllable by an externally-used magnet but still stable in the absence of a magnet. The maximum working distance of the magnet can be calculated using magnetomechanical simulation in which the yielding magnetic traction force is strong enough to pull Fe3O4nanoparticles off the surface. The pulling-off removes the biofilms that formed on the coating and enhances antibiotic killing both in vitroand in a rat sub-cutaneous implant model by up to 100 fold. This work contributes to the practical knowledge of magnetic propulsion for biofilm treatment.

Background/Objectives: To determine the relationship between corneal stress-strain index (SSI) and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness. Subjects/Methods: 1645 healthy university students from a university-based study contributed to the analysis. The RNFL thickness was measured by high-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT), axial length (AL) was measured by IOL Master, and corneal biomechanics including SSI, biomechanical corrected intraocular pressure (bIOP), and central corneal thickness (CCT) were measured by Corvis ST. Multivariate linear regression was performed to evaluate the relationship between the SSI and RNFL thickness after adjusting for potential covariates. Results: The mean age of the participants was 19.0$\pm$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\pm $$\end{document}0.9 years, and 1132 (68.8%) were women. Lower SSI was significantly associated with thinner RNFL thickness ($\beta$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\beta $$\end{document}=8.601, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.999–14.203, $P$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$P$$\end{document}= 0.003) after adjusting for age, CCT, bIOP, and AL. No significant association between SSI and RNFL was found in men, while the association was significant in women in the fully adjusted model. The association was significant in the nonhigh myopic group ($P$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$P$$\end{document}for trend = 0.021) but not in the highly myopic group. Eyes with greater bIOP and lower SSI had significantly thinner RNFL thickness. Conclusions: Eyes with lower SSI had thinner RNFL thickness after adjusting for potential covariates, especially those with higher bIOP. Our findings add novel evidence of the relationship between corneal biomechanics and retinal ganglion cell damage.

Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) components are highly regarded in the aviation industry due to their characteristics such as high strength and good fatigue resistance. However, due to the inherent complexity of CFRP structures, defects are inevitable during the manufacturing process. This article addresses the challenges of rapid backpropagation of sound ray paths between two fixed points in CFRP components, considering the effects of elastic anisotropy and multilayer structure coupling. This article proposes a sound ray tracing method based on the Dijkstra shortest path search algorithm and make improvements. The research also involves the study of ultrasonic wave propagation characteristics and experiments using bottom reflection and total focusing method (TFM) imaging detection. The research results indicate that the material’s anisotropy significantly affects the imaging quality, defect localization accuracy, and defect distribution range in ultrasonic array TFM detection. The optimized algorithm allows for accurate detection of hole defects in CFRP multilayer plate components, reducing the array performance indicator (API) value to 0.47 and minimizing the defect localization error to less than 0.3 mm.

The conventional mutual coupling phase-locking technique uses waveguides to directly connect magnetrons to operate as a whole device. However, this method is not suitable for large-scale phase-locked array applications due to the considerable challenges in achieving the required vacuum level. Thus, the modular magnetron applied to the mutual coupling phase-locking technique was proposed. First, the coupling structure was designed to combine a double-ridged waveguide and a rectangular waveguide for incorporating an RF window. Therefore, a single magnetron could be vacuumed as a modular unit. Subsequently, in simulation, two modular X-band magnetrons connected by a coupling bridge were verified to operate in a phase-locked state with a 0° phase difference, with a phase-locking efficiency of 97.2%. Second, an experimental scheme capable of characterizing directly the phase difference between magnetrons was proposed. In the experiment, multiple sets of time-domain signal data were randomly sampled when the magnetrons were in a stable operating state. The experimental results were essentially consistent with the expected design phase difference of 0°, as the phase difference between the two magnetrons remained consistently between 3° and 5°, with the phase-locking efficiency measured at 91.9%.

One-stage 3-D object detection, known for its simplicity and high-speed inference, is attracting increasing attention in autonomous driving scenarios. However, current one-stage detectors tend to perform suboptimally compared to two-stage competitors. Our experimental findings suggest that one-stage detectors underperform due to the underutilization of spatial information in feature embedding and classification. Concretely, the spatial context is severely lost during feature propagation, inducing distorted spatial awareness. On the other hand, category recognition relies on the full utilization of spatial information, which is neglected by current detectors. This inadequate spatial awareness of the classification branch can exacerbate misclassification. To address these issues, we propose spatial-aware learning in feature embedding and classification for one-stage 3-D object detection (SLDet). Specifically, to restore the distorted spatial awareness, categorywise spatial augmentation (CSA) is proposed to adaptively bring the network with pre-encoding multiscale spatial contexts. As for misclassification, spatial guiding classification (SGC) is introduced to guide the classification using explicit scale information. It employs the natural scale divergences among categories to rectify misclassification. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate that SLDet efficiently utilizes spatial information and achieves newly state-of-the-art performance on both the Waymo open dataset and the ONCE dataset. Furthermore, additional experiments demonstrate the excellent generalization capacity of SLDet.

The scheme of a high-efficiency phase locking based on a novel multiorder cascaded coupling structure is proposed to establish a high-power $2\times 2$ array consisting of four megawatt-level, S-band magnetrons. Every magnetron is designed with only one coupling port to match the cascaded coupling structure, in which a matched, cascaded, standing-wave field is built up to support the phase-locked mode with 0 phase difference between them. To obtain high-efficiency phase locking, the two-order, cascaded, standing-wave field is produced with a small portion of stored energy, which matches with four $\pi $ modes in four magnetrons. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation results show that a 0-phase difference between four magnetrons is obtained with every magnetron delivering a peak power of 2.4 MW, which is almost the same as the power of a free-running magnetron. The array can deliver a total power of up to 9.6 MW. The power conversion efficiency of the array is 65.2%, which is almost the same as that of the free-running magnetron. This demonstrates the high-efficiency phase locking. The scheme is promising in developing a large-scale array for higher-power microwave generation.

The low tight bend-loss of antiresonant hollow-core fibers (AR-HCFs) is critical for many practical applications. In this paper, we provide an approximate analytical formula for the nested AR-HCFs to predict its critical bend radius for the first time, deepening physical insight of its bending mechanism and allowing straightforward design of low tight bend-loss nested AR-HCFs. We further carried out fabrication experiments of nested AR-HCFs and characterized their bending performance. A low bend loss of 0.039 dB/m at 1550 nm under a tightest bend radius of 1.8 cm is achieved. Our theoretical and experimental investigation of tight bend loss in nested AR-HCFs can provide useful design strategies and enhance the applicability of nested AR-HCFs in tight bend circumstances.

This paper mainly studies the cultivation of applied talents of music majors in colleges and universities based on internet remote technology. By analyzing the definition and development of internet remote technology and discussing the present situation and challenges of cultivating applied talents of music majors in colleges and universities, this paper puts forward a scheme of applying internet remote technology to cultivating applied talents of music majors in colleges and universities. In practice, this paper designs and constructs the distance teaching mode, optimizes the curriculum and teaching mode, and makes case analysis and evaluation. The results show that internet remote technology has obvious advantages in cultivating applied talents of music majors in colleges and universities, which can improve students' learning and learning satisfaction. Finally, this paper discusses the application prospect of internet remote technology in the cultivation of applied talents of music majors in colleges and universities and puts forward prospects and suggestions.

The time delay signature is a crucial secure key for chaos communication using optical feedback semiconductor lasers. Herein, we propose a single node-based photonic reservoir computing method for extracting the time delay signature of optical-feedback-induced chaos. Through drawing the phase diagram of the chaotic time series and its delayed copies, we transform the time delay signature into the shape feature of the obtained two-dimensional image. After training the optimized photonic reservoir with these two-dimensional images, we numerically demonstrate that our method can achieve an overall extraction accuracy rate of 97.3% for different optical feedback semiconductor lasers. Considering its good performance and simple configuration, we believe that this single node-based photonic reservoir computing offers a hardware-friendly solution for time delay signature extraction.

Molecular recognition lies at the heart of biological functions, which inspires lasting research in artificial host syntheses to mimic biomolecules that can recognize, process, and transport molecules with the highest level of complexity; nonetheless, the design principle and quantifying methodology of artificial hosts for multiple guests (≥4) remain a formidable task. Herein, we report two rhombic dodecahedral cages [(Zn/Fe)8Pd6-MOC-16], which embrace 12 adaptive pockets for multiguest binding with distinct conformational dynamics inherent in metal-center lability and are able to capture 4–24 guests to manifest a surprising complexity of binding scenarios. The exceptional high-order and hierarchical encapsulation phenomena suggest a wide host–guest dynamic–fit, enabling conformational adjustment and adaptation beyond the duality of induced–fit and conformational selection in protein interactions. A critical inspection of the host–guest binding events in solution has been performed by NMR and ESI–MS spectra, highlighting the importance of acquiring a reliable binding repertoire from different techniques and the uncertainty of quantifying the binding affinities of multiplying guests by an oversimplified method.

The subjective measurement of the dynamic perception of sweetness is a problem in food science. Herein, the rapid interactions of sugars and sugar alcohols with sweet taste receptors on living cells on a millisecond timescale were studied via stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy. According to the rapid-kinetic parameters, sweeteners were divided into two groups. Sweeteners in group I disrupted the hydrogen bond network structure of water, and the apparent rate constant (kobs) was in the range of 0.45–0.6 s–1. Sweeteners in group II promoted the hydrogen bond formation of water, and the kobswas mostly in the range of 0.6–0.75 s–1. For most sweeteners, the kobsof cell responses was negatively correlated with the apparent specific volume of sweeteners. The differences in the cellular responses may be attributed to the disturbance in the water structure. Experimental results showed that the kinetic parameters of sweet cell responses reflected the dynamic perception of sweetness. Rapid kinetics, solution thermodynamic analysis, and water structure analysis enriched the physicochemical study of the sweetness mechanism and can be used to objectively evaluate the dynamic perception of sweetness.

Background/Objectives: Smoking and alcohol consumption are important risk factors for several ocular disorders, but their effects on corneal biomechanics remain unclear. Our study aims to explore the association between smoking and alcohol consumption with corneal biomechanical parameters measured by Corvis-ST (CST) among university students. Subjects/Methods: A total of 1645 healthy university students from a university-based study were included, and all participants underwent corneal biomechanical parameters measurement by CST. We selected 10 reliable parameters that can reflect the corneal deformation response. All participants had a standardised interview to determine their smoking and alcohol consumption status. Results: The mean age of the participants was 19.0 ± 0.9 years, and 1132 (68.8%) were women. Smoking was significantly associated with stiffer corneas. Smokers showed significantly slower second applanation velocity (A2v) (β= 0.007 m/s, 95% confidence interval 0.001 to 0.014, P= 0.032) and lower integrated radius (IR) (β= −0.214 mm−1, 95% confidence interval −0.420 to −0.007, P= 0.043) than non-smokers after adjusting for age, gender, eye-rubbing, myopia, and body mass index (BMI). Smokers with BMI no less than 24.0 showed slower A2v and lower IR. Alcohol consumption and passive smoking were found no significant association with corneal biomechanics. Conclusion: Smokers had less deformable corneas, especially those with BMI no less than 24.0. Our findings provide new evidence for the association between smoking and ocular disorders associated with corneal biomechanics like glaucoma.

Oil/water separation is an important pursuit because of the increasing worldwide oil pollution. The key to solving this problem is to develop high-performance materials and improve their separation efficiency. Polyurethane composite foam (PUCF) possesses large specific surface area, high open porosity, and good mechanical properties which have been developed for oil/water separation. This paper mainly summarizes the research progress of PUCF materials in oil/water separation, including the surface-wetting theory, the intrinsic wetting threshold theory, the main factors affecting the separation performance of foam materials, and the recent research status of the PUCF materials in oil/water separation. Finally, we look forward to the research focus on urgent problems that should be addressed for PUCF in oil/water separation, which will provide new strategies for further developing next-generation high-performance foam materials for oil/water separation.

Graphical abstract:

A large amount of alkali lignin by-product is produced by the pulp and paper industry which can be further processed and transformed into valuable chemicals. In this study, the catalyst Ni-W/ZrP was prepared via chemical reduction for catalyzing alkali lignin depolymerization. Effective conversion of alkali lignin to phenolic monomers with assistance of formic acid acted as an internal hydrogen donor was performed in isopropanol system from 180 to 240 °C. Effects of reaction temperature, catalyst loading, and formic acid addition on lignin conversion were all investigated. Results showed that the highest oil yield was obtained (74.66 wt%) at 240 °C. The presence of formic acid could enhance alkali lignin conversion (the yield of bio-oil ranged from 17 to 23 wt% at 220 °C when the reaction conditions were changed from no added formic acid to only added formic acid). According to the GC/MS analysis, when metal loading (the mass ratio of Ni and W is 1:1) was 20 wt% (based on ZrP input), the prepared catalyst (Ni-W)20/ZrP had best selectivity for the phenolic products (88.25%, relative content). Furthermore, the obtained catalyst had different catalytic selectivities to G-type phenols and vanillin at different temperatures (from 180 to 240 °C). The quantitative analysis of bio-oil showed that the four products with high content in bio-oil were phenol, 2-methoxy (1.21 wt%), phenol, 4-ethyl-2-methoxy (0.45 wt%), vanillin (4.09 wt%), and ethenone,1-(4-hydroxy-3-methox-henyl) (0.86 wt%). FTIR analysis showed that peaks at 1267 cm−1, 1213 cm−1, 1130 cm−1, and 1046 cm−1(C-O bonds in guaiac-based and clove-based units) gradually decrease with the increase of temperature which indicates that lignin is depolymerized to monoaromatic units effectively. Finally, the catalyst (Ni-W)20/ZrP can be recycled five times without significant activity loss, indicating that it was a promising catalyst for lignin depolymerization.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted noticeable attention as promising candidates for electrochemical energy storage. However, the lack of electrical conductivity and the weak stability of most MOFs result in poor electrochemical performances. Here, a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)-based complex, formulated as [(CuCN)2(TTF(py)4)] (1) (TTF-(py)4= tetra(4-pyridyl)-TTF), is assembled by in situ generation of coordinated CN–from a nontoxic source. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that compound 1possesses a two-dimensional layered planar structure, which is further stacked in parallel to form a three-dimensional supramolecular framework. The planar coordination environment of 1is the first example of a TTF-based MOF. Attributed to the unique structure and redox TTF ligand, the electrical conductivity of 1is significantly increased by 5 orders of magnitude upon iodine treatment. The iodine-treated 1(1-ox) electrode displays typical battery-type behavior through electrochemical characterizations. The supercapattery based on the 1-oxpositrode and AC negatrode presents a high specific capacity of 266.5 C g–1at a specific current of 1 A g–1with a remarkable specific energy of 62.9 Wh kg–1at a specific power of 1.1 kW kg–1. The excellent electrochemical performance of 1-oxis one of the best among those reported supercapatteries, demonstrating a new strategy for developing MOF-based electrode materials.

Paddy fields are one of the most important sources of nitrous oxide (N2O), but biogeochemical N2O production mechanisms in the soil profile remain unclear. Our study used incubation, dual-isotope (15N–18O) labeling methods, and molecular techniques to elucidate N2O production characteristics and mechanisms in the soil profile (0–60 cm) during summer fallow, rice cropping, and winter fallow periods. The results pointed out that biotic processes dominated N2O production (72.2–100%) and N2O from the tillage layer accounted for 91.0–98.5% of total N2O in the soil profile. Heterotrophic denitrification (HD) was the main process generating N2O, contributing between 53.4 and 96.6%, the remainder being due to ammonia oxidation pathways, which was further confirmed by metagenomics and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays. Nitrifier denitrification (ND) was an important N2O production source, contributing 0–46.6% of total N2O production, which showed similar trends with N2O emissions. Among physicochemical and biological factors, ammonium content and the ratio of total organic matter to nitrate were the main driving factors affecting the contribution ratios of the ammonia oxidation pathways and HD pathway, respectively. Moisture content and pH affect norC-carrying Spirochetesand thus the N2O production rate. These findings confirm the importance of ND to N2O production and help to elucidate the impact of anthropogenic activities, including tillage, fertilization, and irrigation, on N2O production.

Poor electrical conductivity and instability of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have limited their energy storage and conversion efficiency. In this work, we report the application of oxidatively doped tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)-based MOFs for high-performance electrodes in supercapatteries. Two isostructural MOFs, formulated as [M(py-TTF-py)(BPDC)]·2H2O (M = NiII(1), ZnII(2); py-TTF-py = 2,6-bis(4′-pyridyl)TTF; H2BPDC = biphenyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid), are crystallographically characterized. The structural analyses show that the two MOFs possess a three-dimensional 8-fold interpenetrating diamond-like topology, which is the first example for TTF-based dual-ligand MOFs. Upon iodine treatment, MOFs 1and 2are converted into oxidatively doped 1-oxand 2-oxwith high crystallinity. The electrical conductivity of 1-oxand 2-oxis significantly increased by six∼seven orders of magnitude. Benefiting from the unique structure and the pronounced development of electrical conductivity, the specific capacities reach 833.2 and 828.3 C g–1at a specific current of 1 A g–1for 1-oxand 2-ox, respectively. When used as a battery-type positrode to assemble a supercapattery, the AC∥1-oxand AC∥2-ox(AC = activated carbon) present an energy density of 90.3 and 83.0 Wh kg–1at a power density of 1.18 kW kg–1and great cycling stability with 82% of original capacity and 92% columbic efficiency retention after 10,000 cycles. Ex situ characterization illustrates the ligand-dominated mechanism in the charge/discharge processes. The excellent electrochemical performances of 1-oxand 2-oxare rarely reported for supercapatteries, illustrating that the construction of unique highly dense and robust structures of MOFs followed by postsynthetic oxidative doping is an effective approach to fabricate MOF-based electrode materials.

A frequency- and pattern-reconfigurable $1\times4$ array is analyzed and designed, which consists of a reconfigurable feed network, 12 rectangular parasitic patches, and four octagonal patch antennas. Characteristic mode analysis (CMA) is used to study the radiation characteristics of the proposed element antenna. By changing the ON–OFF states of 18 p-i-n diodes loaded in the feed network, different combinations of the initial current phase are obtained to realize the reconfiguration of five radiation states. By loading varactor diodes and parasitic patches, frequency reconfigurability is achieved. The measured result shows that the array pattern can be discretely switched in the directions of 0°, ±15°, ±25°, ±30°, and ±55°. The tunable overlapped −10-dB impedance bandwidth is 3.54–4.46 GHz for the five radiation patterns. The maximum gain reaches 7.67 dBi and the overlapped relative bandwidth of five radiation states is more than 22%.

A relativistic magnetron (RM) with axial symmetrical split output was proposed, which was targeted at improving efficiency. This output structure was designed to reduce the $Q_{e}$ value to enhance the energy coupling capability. Meanwhile, this output structure could affect the electric field distribution of the resonant cavity, which made intense radio frequency (RF) field electric strength smaller to be more beneficial for the interaction between electrons and high-frequency field. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation results showed that the efficiency of RM could be significantly improved by adopting an axial symmetrical split output design. An $L$ -band RM with split output was designed and the highest efficiency was 91.88% with a relatively low operating voltage of 230 kV and an external static magnetic field of 0.25 T.

Additive manufacturing has received attention for the fabrication of medical implants that have customized and complicated structures. Biodegradable Zn metals are revolutionary materials for orthopedic implants. In this study, pure Zn porous scaffolds with diamond structures were fabricated using customized laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) technology. First, the mechanical properties, corrosion behavior, and biocompatibility of the pure Zn porous scaffolds were characterized in vitro. The scaffolds were then implanted into the rabbit femur critical-size bone defect model for 24 weeks. The results showed that the pure Zn porous scaffolds had compressive strength and rigidity comparable to those of cancellous bone, as well as relatively suitable degradation rates for bone regeneration. A benign host response was observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining of the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Moreover, the pure Zn porous scaffold showed good biocompatibility and osteogenic promotion ability in vivo. This study showed that pure Zn porous scaffolds with customized structures fabricated using L-PBF represent a promising biodegradable solution for treating large bone defects.

In this article, a Section of ultrafine no-core fiber (UNCF) is fused between two sections of single-mode fiber (SMF) to form a multimode interference (MMI)-based sensor, which enables dual-parameter measurement of liquid level and temperature. The effect of UNCF diameter on the liquid-level sensing performance is analyzed theoretically and experimentally, and the results show that the sensitivity can be improved by reducing the UNCF diameter. When the UNCF diameter is reduced to $30 \mu \text{m}$ , the sensitivity of the sensor is 1008.2 pm/mm for water with a refractive index (RI) of 1.333 in the liquid-level range of 0–30 mm. Its temperature sensitivity is −221.02 pm/°C over a detection range of 5 °C–60 °C. Attractively, the sensor shows almost no response to pressure variation. When applied to the liquid-level measurement of a water cooler, the sensitivity is 1898 pm/mm. The sensor has the advantages of high sensitivity, good repeatability and stability, and satisfactory anti-interference ability. It has great potential for applications in the health management of lasers, chips, transformers, and other instruments.

We propose an elliptical-core mode selective photonic lantern (EC-MSPL), which can be well matched to mode division multiplexing (MDM) systems without multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO). The taper region of the small package satisfying the adiabatic condition is obtained through two-stage taper related parameter optimization, which can reduce the length of the taper region without affecting the PL performance. Finally, we simulated the results for step-index EC-MSPL and graded-index EC-MSPL at taper lengths of 10 cm and 5 cm, respectively, using the beam propagation method. Both types of PL can achieve low-loss mode conversion and crosstalk below −15.6 dB at 1550 nm wavelength. At the same time, the coupling efficiencies of the two PL modes in the S+C+L bands are higher than 85% and 71%.

The synergetic biological effect of scaffolds with biomimetic properties including the ECM micro-architecture and intestinal macro-mechanical properties on intestinal models in vitroremains unclear. Here, we investigate the profitable role of biomimetic scaffolds on 3D intestinal epithelium models. Gelatin/bacterial cellulose nanofiber composite scaffolds crosslinked by the Maillard reaction are tuned to mimic the chemical component, nanofibrous network, and crypt architecture of intestinal ECM collagen and the stability and mechanical properties of intestinal tissue. In particular, scaffolds with comparable elasticity and viscoelasticity of intestinal tissue possess the highest biocompatibility and best cell proliferation and differentiation ability, which makes the intestinal epithelium models closest to their counterpart intestinal tissues. The constructed duodenal epithelium models and colon epithelium models are utilized to assess the immunobiotics–host interactions, and both of them can sensitively respond to foreign microorganisms, but the secretion levels of cytokines are intestinal cell specific. The results demonstrate that probiotics alleviate the inflammation and cell apoptosis induced by Escherichia coli, indicating that probiotics can protect the intestinal epithelium from damage by inhibiting the adhesion and invasion of E. colito intestinal cells. The designed biomimetic scaffolds can serve as powerful tools to construct in vitrointestinal epithelium models, providing a convenient platform to screen intestinal anti-inflammatory components and even to assess other physiological functions of the intestine.

C29H41N10O7V2, triclinic, P1‾$\overline{1}$ (no. 2), a= 11.3461(5) Å, b= 12.7013(5) Å, c= 14.0649(5) Å, α= 111.609(1)∘$111.609{(1)}^{\circ }$ , β= 108.702(1)∘$108.702{(1)}^{\circ }$ , γ= 93.957(2)∘$93.957{(2)}^{\circ }$ , V= 1744.20(12) Å3, Z= 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0439, wRref(F2) = 0.1160, T = 173 K.

The starch–phenolics complexes are widely fabricated as functional foods but with low phenolics retention limited by traditional liquid reaction and washing systems. In this study, ferulic acid (FA, 5%) was exogenously used in the crystalline form, and it reacted with starch in a high-solid extrusion environment, which was simultaneously controlled by thermostable α-amylase (0–252 U/g). Moderate enzymolysis (21 or 63 U/g) decreased the degree of the starch double helix and significantly increased the FA retention rate (>80%) with good melting and distribution. Although there were no significantly strong chemical bonds (with only 0.17–2.39% FA bound to starch hydrolysate), the noncovalent interactions, mainly hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, and electrostatic interactions, were determined by 1H NMR and molecular dynamics simulation analyses. The phased release of total FA (>50% in the stomach and ∼100% in the intestines) from bioextrudate under in vitrodigestion conditions was promoted, which gives a perspective for handing large loads of FA and other phenolics based on starch carrier.

Background:Uneven body-surface thermal distribution is a manifestation of hypoperfusion and can be quantified by infrared thermography. Our aim was to investigate whether body-surface thermal inhomogeneity could accurately evaluate the severity of patients at risk of hypoperfusion. Methods:This was a prospective cohort study in which infrared thermography images were taken from unilateral legs of critically ill patients at high risk of hypoperfusion in a cardiac surgical intensive care unit. For each patient, five body-surface thermal inhomogeneity parameters, including standard deviation (SD), kurtosis, skewness, entropy, and low-temperature area rate (LTAR), were calculated. Demographic, clinical, and thermal characteristics of deceased and living patients were compared. The risk of mortality and capillary refill time (CRT) were chosen as the primary outcome and benchmarking parameter for hypoperfusion, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate predictive accuracy. Results:Three hundred seventy-three patients were included, and 55 (14.7%) died during hospital stay. Of inhomogeneity parameters, SD (0.738) and LTAR (0.768) had similar AUROC to CRT (0.757) for assessing mortality risk. Besides, there was a tendency for LTAR (1%–3%–7%) and SD (0.81°C–0.88°C–0.94°C) to increase in normotensive, hypotensive, and shock patients. These thermal parameters are associated with CRT, lactate, and blood pressure. The AUROC of a combined prediction incorporating three thermal inhomogeneity parameters (SD, kurtosis, and entropy) was considerably higher at 0.866. Conclusions:Body-surface thermal inhomogeneity provided a noninvasive and accurate assessment of the severity of critically ill patients at high risk of hypoperfusion.

To assess the reliability of the methodological quality and outcome measures of systematic reviews (SR)/meta-analysis of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) treated with acupuncture.

Input cavity characteristics with a two-beam loading are one of the most important scientific problems for using a two-beam scheme to develop compact, high-power millimeter-wave klystrons. This article focuses on this problem with a 400 kW two-beam loading in an overmoded input cavity which is proposed to develop a Ka-band klystron with peak power toward 150–200 kW. The input cavity exploits TM13 mode to support two equivalent sections of field gaps for modulating two beams. The beam loading parameters, such as ${P}_{t}$ , and ${Q}_{b}$ , and cavity parameters, such as electric field distribution, frequency ( ${f}$ ), and cavity ${Q}_{l}$ without beams can be optimized and selected to achieve matching absorption by two beams with a certain RF power injection in the Ka-band. The CST Studio Suite (CST) simulation results show that over 99% power of the input signal around 35 GHz can be absorbed by the input cavity loaded by two beams with ${P}_{t}$ of 0.473– $0.716~\mu \text{P}$ . Constant ${P}_{t}$ exercises about the same degree of two-beam loading on the input cavity.

An hp-version fractional spectral collocation method is implemented to weakly singular Volterra integro-differential equations with vanishing delay. The main idea is to seek an approximate solution in a fractional polynomial space on each subinterval. For a class of constrained meshes depending on the delay function, an hp-version error estimate in a weighted H1norm is obtained, which shows that even if the exact solution has weak singularity, the error can decay exponentially in certain cases. Numerical examples are conducted to verify the theoretical results.

C25H33N10O7V2, triclinic, P1‾$P\overline{1}$ (no. 2), a= 10.3933(4) Å, b= 12.5655(5) Å, c= 14.1841(5) Å, α= 65.373(1)°, β= 70.351(1)∘$70.351{(1)}^{\circ }$ , γ= 88.052(2)∘$88.052{(2)}^{\circ }$ , V= 1573.62(11) Å3, Z= 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0362, wRref(F2) = 0.0885, T= 173 K.

The cobalt-based catalysts were broadly investigated in NO reduction with CO; however, further development is limited by the poor low-temperature catalytic activity and H2O/O2resistance. Herein, a series of Ag-doped Co3O4porous nanosheets (xAgCo) were synthesized and applied into NO reduction with CO reaction. The formation of more oxygen vacancies of xAgCo catalysts was promoted by the weakened Co–O bond strength; therefore, the redox properties and oxygen mobility were enhanced. The xAgCo catalysts reached superior catalytic activities compared with Co3O4. Especially, 0.02AgCo exhibited the optimal catalytic performance, achieving the lowest apparent active energy (Ea= 34 kJ mol–1). The enhanced catalytic activity of xAgCo could be attributed to the optimized CO adsorption, promoted NO dissociation, and the formation of *NCO species. The 5 vol % H2O enhanced the NO conversion through promoting the decomposition of accumulated carbonate species. Meanwhile, the O2or 10 vol % H2O inhibited the NO conversion due to the coverage of active sites and the competitive adsorption/reaction.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of brachytherapy with double-strand 125I seeds and biliary drainage for malignant obstructive jaundice. Methods and Materials: 42 patients with obstructive jaundice because of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were enrolled. 22 patients (group A) received a biliary stent with common drainage tube implantation, and 20 patients (group B) received a biliary stent with double-strand 125I seeds radiotherapy drainage tube placement. The length, location and pathological stage of biliary stricture were recorded in the two groups. Total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), IgA, IgG, IgM, alanine aminotransferase and white blood cell (WBC) count were measured before and after percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage (PTCD). Tumor diameter was measured before and three months after PTCD, and the difference were calculated. Stent patency time, survival time, and complications were recorded. Results: There was no significant difference in the length, location and pathological stage of biliary stenosis between the two groups. There was no significant difference in TBIL, DBIL, IgA, IgG, IgM, alanine aminotransferase and WBC count between the two groups before or after PTCD (P> 0.05). Three months after PTCD, tumors growth in group A and tumors shrinkage in group B. The difference in tumor size between the two groups before and after PTCD was statistically significant (P< 0.05). The average stent patency times in groups A and B were 3.55 ± 0.76 months and 8.76 ± 1.85 months, respectively (P< 0.05). The average survival times in groups A and B were 133.5 ± 27.8 days and 252.5 ± 114.5 days, respectively (P< 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Double-strand 125I seeds radiotherapy biliary drainage tubes can safely and effectively control tumors, prolong the patency of biliary stents, and prolong patient survival.