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Objective: To investigate whether expanded access to Veterans Affairs (VA)purchased care increased overall utilization or induced a shift from other payers to VA for emergency care among VA enrollees. Data Sources and Study Setting: This study included all emergency department (ED) encounters in 2019 from hospitals in the state of New York. Study Design: We conducted a difference-in-differences analysis comparing VA enrollees to the general population before and after the implementation of the Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act in June 2019. Data Collection/Extraction Methods: We included all ED visits with individuals aged 30 or older at the time of the encounter. Individuals were considered eligible for the policy change if they were enrolled with VA at the beginning of 2019. Principal Findings: Of the 5,577,199 ED visits in the sample, 4.9% (n = 253,799) were made by VA enrollees. Of these, 44.9% of visits were paid by Medicare, 32.8% occurred in VA facilities, and 7% were paid by private health insurance. There was a 6.4% (2.91 percentage points; std. error = 0.18; p < 0.01) decrease in the proportion of ED visits paid by Medicare among VA enrollees relative to the general population after the implementation of the MISSION Act in June 2019. This decrease was larger for ED visits with a subsequent inpatient admission (-8.4%; 4.87 percentage points; std. error = 0.33; p < 0.01). There was no statistically significant change in the total volume of ED visits (0.06%; std. error = 0.08; p = 0.45). Conclusions: Leveraging a novel dataset, we demonstrate that MISSION Act implementation coincided with a shift in the financing of non-VA ED visits from Medicare to VA without any increase in overall ED utilization. These findings have important implications for VA health care financing and delivery. KEYWORDS emergency care, insurance, medicare, veterans health, veterans health services, 1 | INTRODUCTION The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has long partnered with the non-VA health care community to provide certain outpatient, inpatient and emergency care services to VA [...]

To prospectively evaluate the prognosis of fetuses diagnosed with micrognathia using prenatal ultrasound screening. Between January 2019 and December 2022, a normal range of IFA to evaluate the facial profile in fetuses with micrognathia in a Chinese population between 11 and 20 gestational weeks was established, and the pregnancy outcomes of fetal micrognathia were described. The medical records of these pregnancies were collected, including family history, maternal demographics, sonographic findings, genetic testing results, and pregnancy outcomes. Ultrasound identified 25 patients with fetal micrognathia, with a mean IFA value of 43.6°. All cases of isolated fetal micrognathia in the initial scans were non‐isolated in the following scans. A total of 78.9% (15/19) cases had a genetic cause confirmed, including 12 with chromosomal abnormalities and 3 with monogenic disorders. Monogenic disorders were all known causes of micrognathia, including two cases of campomelic dysplasia affected by SOX9 mutations and one case of mandibulofacial dysostosis with an EFTUD2 mutation. In the end, 19 cases were terminated, 1 live birth was diagnosed as Pierre Robin syndrome, and 5 cases were lost to follow‐up. IFA is a useful indicator and three‐dimensional ultrasound is a significant support technique for fetal micrognathia prenatal diagnosis. Repeat ultrasound monitoring and genetic testing are crucial, with CMA recommended and Whole exome sequencing performed when normal arrays are reported. Isolated fetal micrognathia may be an early manifestation of monogenic disorders. Access the CME test hereand search by article title.

To tackle the small-signal instability in the single-phase railway vehicle-grid system, the dq admittance modeling method has received great attention. However, the orthogonal β components created by the asymmetric quadrature signal generators (QSGs) for dq control inevitably suffer from amplitude or phase errors at nonfundamental frequencies, which are not fully considered in the traditional dq modeling method. As revealed in this letter, due to the inherent signal dimensionality reduction process from the actual control output (2-D scalar) to the single-phase power stage input (1-D scalar), the nonideal β components can introduce nonnegligible errors to the traditional dq model. Thus, as a solution, an optimized dq admittance modeling method for the single-phase converter in vehicles is proposed, which involves the impact of the asymmetric QSGs by capturing the signal dimensionality reduction process, based on the existing dq models. Furthermore, the stability analysis and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations are achieved, which verify the effectiveness of the proposed optimization methodology.

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are the focus of current research for their diverse properties, including superconductivity and structural polymorphism. However, the polymorphic transition has been observed only in non-superconducting HEAs mostly under high pressure. Here we report the discovery of the superconductivity and temperature-driven polymorphism in (V0.5Nb0.5)3−xMoxAl0.5G0.5(0.2 ≤ x≤ 1.4) HEAs, which are of a single body-centered cubic (bcc) structure for x= 0.2 and a mixture of the bcc and A15 structures for higher xvalues. Upon annealing, the bcc structure undergoes a polymorphic transformation to the A15 one and all HEAs exhibit bulk superconductivity. For the sample with x= 0.2, the bcc polymorph is not superconducting down to 1.8 K, whereas the A15 polymorph has a superconducting transition temperature Tcof 10.2 K and estimated zero-temperature upper critical field Bc2(0) of 20.1 T, both of which are the highest among HEA superconductors. With increasing Mo content x, both Tcand Bc2(0) of the A15-type HEAs decrease, yet the large ratio of Bc2(0)/Tcsignifies a disorder-induced enhancement of the upper critical field over a wide xrange. The decrease in Tcis attributed to the decrease in both the electronic specific-heat coefficient and electron-phonon coupling strength. Furthermore, the valence electron count dependence of Tc, which is different from both the binary A15 and other structurally different HEA superconductors, suggests that Tcmay be increased further by reducing the number of valence electrons. Our results not only uncover HEA superconductors of a new structural type, but also provide the first example of polymorphism-dependent superconductivity in HEAs.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are ubiquitously expressed, essential enzymes, synthesizing aminoacyl-tRNAs for protein synthesis. Functional defects of aaRSs frequently cause various human disorders. Human KARSencodes both cytosolic and mitochondrial lysyl-tRNA synthetases (LysRSs). Previously, two mutations (c.1129G>A and c.517T>C) were identified that led to hearing impairment; however, the underlying biochemical mechanism is unclear. In the present study, we found that the two mutations have no impact on the incorporation of LysRS into the multiple-synthetase complex in the cytosol, but affect the cytosolic LysRS level, its tertiary structure, and cytosolic tRNA aminoacylation in vitro. As for mitochondrial translation, the two mutations have little effect on the steady-state level, mitochondrial targeting, and tRNA binding affinity of mitochondrial LysRS. However, they exhibit striking differences in charging mitochondrial tRNALys, with the c.517T>C mutant being completely deficient in vitroand in vivo.We constructed two yeast genetic models, which are powerful tools to test the in vivoaminoacylation activity of KARSmutations at both the cytosolic and mitochondrial levels. Overall, our data provided biochemical insights into the potentially molecular pathological mechanism of KARSc.1129G>A and c.517T>C mutations and provided yeast genetic bases to investigate other KARSmutations in the future.

Parental phubbing refers to parents being distracted by their phone during an interaction with their child. The present study investigated how parental phubbing relates to adolescents’ self-control through the mediators of parent–adolescent closeness and loneliness. The current study also compared the effects of maternal and paternal phubbing. Having a sibling may influence adolescent mental health and behaviors. Thus, this study also examined whether siblings attenuate the effects of parental phubbing on self-control. We recruited 670 adolescents to participate in our survey. Path analyses revealed that maternal phubbing had both direct and indirect effects on self-control through mother–adolescent closeness and loneliness. However, paternal phubbing had only a sequential indirect effect through father–adolescent closeness and loneliness. This shows that maternal and paternal phubbing have different effects on adolescents’ self-control. Multi-group comparisons revealed that the direct and indirect effects of maternal phubbing on self-control were non-significant for adolescents with siblings. Thus, siblings attenuated the adverse relationships between maternal phubbing and adolescent self-control.

We aim to evaluate the effect of right lateral position on fetal hemodynamics (including umbilical artery [UA] and middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow‐velocity waveform). In total, 150 low‐risk singleton full‐term pregnant women were included in the study from November 2021 to January 2022. Doppler flow velocity waveforms of the fetal UA and MCA tested by ultrasound were collected in gestation of 37–40 weeks. Computational analysis was performed using the one‐way ANOVA test. Compared with the maternal left lateral position, there was a significant increase in Doppler indices of UA‐RI (P= .033), UA‐S/D (P= .019) and MCA‐PSV (P= .021) and a significant decrease in MCA‐RI (P= .030) in the supine position group. There was no statistical significance in all Doppler indices between the left and right lateral position (P> .05). Among the Doppler indices of three different maternal positions, there was no significance in both UA‐PI and MCA‐PI (P> .05). There were no significant differences on changes of the fetal hemodynamics between left and right lateral positions. Pregnant women could adopt to lie in the left or right lateral position alternately to relieve the discomfort in late pregnancy.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of epidural analgesia (EA) on maternal and fetal hemodynamics. A prospective single‐center observational study was conducted from March 2022 to May 2022 on low‐risk singleton pregnancies who received prenatal care at 37–40 weeks and delivered at our hospital. Pre‐ and post‐EA, maternal and fetal hemodynamics, including maternal parameters of mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and saturation of pulse oxygen (SPO2), fetal heart rate (FHR), Doppler flow parameters of umbilical artery (UA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and uterine artery (UtA) during labor were measured before epidural insertion (T0), and 15 (T1), 30 (T2), and 60 (T3) minutes after. Computational analysis was performed using a one‐way ANOVA test. In total, 100 singleton pregnant women were enrolled. After EA, maternal MAP, HR, and SPO2were significantly lower than baseline values at all times except for HR in T3 and remained lower for the study's duration (P <.05). As for FHR, there was no significant difference between pre‐ and post‐epidural. The mean UtA‐PI (pulsatility index), UA‐PI, UA‐RI (resistance index), and UA‐S/D (systolic/diastolic ratio) were not significantly modified after EA. Nevertheless, MCA‐PI and RI significantly decreased in 15 minutes after initiating EA compared with T0 values (P< .05), and MCA‐PSV (resistance index and peak systolic velocities) was significantly increased compared with T0 at all times (P< .05). The above changes were all within the normal range. Although maternal MAP, HR, and SPO2significantly decreased after EA, fetal hemodynamics remained relatively stable.

Abnormal vibration can lead to frequent maintenance requirements of electric locomotives. Many factors contribute to the vibration, and the influence mechanism of pulsating torque generated by interharmonics in the traction drive system (TDS) is not clear at present. In this article, an electromechanical coupling model is developed to investigate the influence of harmonics and interharmonics in the electric TDS on the vibration of key locomotive components. Firstly, this article attempts to analyze the generation mechanisms of interharmonics and their resulting pulsating torque in electric TDS and derives the formulas for calculating interharmonics and pulsating torque frequencies. Then, an electromechanical coupling model is established based on the electric TDS and the multibody dynamics, and the influence of pulsating torque caused by interharmonics on the vibration of the locomotive key components is discussed in detail. It is observed that the locomotive vibrations, especially the longitudinal and vertical vibrations of bogies and wheels, can be significantly influenced by the pulsating torque. It is noticeable that the frequencies of the vibrations are consistent with those of pulsating torque, which proves that electrical parameters can affect the vibrations of key locomotive components. The research of this article provides a new idea for restraining locomotive vibration.

The underlying mechanism for sustaining the high productivity of coral reefs in nutrient deplete water, known as the Darwin Paradox, has long been debated. The input of new nitrogen, for example, derived from N2fixation, and efficient nitrogen recycling are hypothesized as two critical factors in resolving the paradox. However, the source of new nitrogen and its connection to nitrogen recycling in the coral reef system remain poorly understood. We measured N2fixation rates and investigated the diazotroph community in different components of a tropical coral reef system. Our results show that the reef‐building crustose coralline algae demonstrate a significantly higher N2fixation rate than the overlying water or the coral holobiont, representing a large source of N2fixation to the system. The associated diazotroph community was dominated by the non‐cyanobacterial Rhizobiales. 15N2‐based pulse‐chase incubation experiments revealed ~ 50% of the diazotroph‐derived nitrogen was released from the crustose coralline algae holobiont to the overlying water and coral holobiont within 48 h, which was five fold higher than the fraction of nitrogen released from nitrate‐based assimilation by crustose coralline algae. Furthermore, the released diazotroph‐derived nitrogen was rapidly transferred to the coral holobiont through grazing and was subsequently released back to the overlying water as dissolved organic nitrogen, revealing an efficient pathway that connects the new nitrogen input with the nitrogen recycling in the coral reef ecosystem. Our results provide new insights into the sources and fates of new nitrogen in the coral reefs, helping to resolve the Darwin Paradox in this unique ecosystem.

This paper proposes an estimation model of hysteresis loss based on the mapping of the hysteresis loop conducted through tiny material samples with the aid of the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). This approach allows precise measurement of hysteresis loops. The aim of this paper is to develop a precise estimation model for hysteresis loss, one component of core loss, so as to improve the overall estimation accuracy of the entire core loss under complex excitations. First, with the help of the SQUID system and measurements conducted on tiny samples, the proposed model manages to minimize the impact of eddy current throughout the measurement and the modeling of hysteresis loss. This contrasts with the use of the conventional Steinmetz model and its modifications. Moreover, compared with methods including the modified Steinmetz equation (MSE) and the generalized Steinmetz equation (GSE) which merely focuses on the overall iron loss under simple non-sinusoidal excitations, the model presented here enables the estimation of hysteresis loss under complex excitations where multiple peaks and DC-bias take place. This approach will be very useful in situations such as those requiring pulse-width modulation (PWM) excited converters which are quite common on occasions including wind power systems. The estimation error of this model on the actual coil is within 15% under given excitations.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in different diseases. Exosomes are important intermediates of intercellular communication. While both have been widely reported in cancers, exosome-derived circRNAs are rarely studied. In this work, we identified the differently expressed circRNAs in bladder cancer (BCa) tissue and exosomes through high-throughput sequencing. RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation, and luciferase reporter assays were used to investigate the interactions between specific circRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), and mRNAs. Wound-healing, Transwell, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), and colony-formation assays were used to study the biological roles in vitro. Metabolomics were used to explore the mechanism of how specific circRNAs influenced BCa cell behavior. Flow cytometry was used to study how specific circRNAs affected the function of CD8+ T cells in tumor microenvironments. We identified that exosome-derived hsa_circ_0085361 (circTRPS1) was correlated with aggressive phenotypes of BCa cells via sponging miR-141-3p. Metabolomics and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) identified GLS1-mediated glutamine metabolism was involved in circTRPS1-mediated alterations. Exosomes derived from circTRPS1 knocked down BCa cells, prevented CD8+ T cells from exhaustion, and repressed the malignant phenotype of BCa cells. In conclusion, exosome-derived circTRPS1 from BCa cells can modulate the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance and CD8+ T cell exhaustion via the circTRPS1/miR141-3p/GLS1 axis. Our work may provide a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for BCa.

To investigate the ratio of Crown to Chin length (CCL) to Crown–rump length (CRL) between triploid and normal fetuses at first trimester and establish a reference range of fetal CCL/CRL ratio. Three hundred and twenty‐five normal and 12 triploid fetuses were reviewed in this study. The image of fetal Crown–rump length (CRL) was acquired retrospectively. CCL and CRL were measured offline by two experienced sonographers, we obtained each averaged value of CCL and CRL as the final data for analysis. A normal range of CCL was established and CCL/CRL ratio was analyzed in normal and triploid fetuses. In 325 normal fetuses, CCL increased with gestational age following a linear trend from 20 mm at a CRL of 45–36 mm at a CRL of 84 mm (CCL (mm) = 3.65 + 0.38 CRL, R2= 0.821, P= .000). The CCL/CRL ratio decreased with gestational age from a mean of 0.46 at a CRL of 45 mm to 0.41 at a CRL of 84 mm (PML/CRL = 0.502–0.001 CRL, R2= 0.093, P= .000). All 12 triploid fetuses had a CCL/CRL ratio above the 95th percentile. When the 95th percentile are used as cutoff values, the detection rate, false‐positive rate, and the positive likelihood ratio are 100%, 5%, and 20, respectively. The present study demonstrates that fetal CCL/CRL ratio can be used and effective ultrasound marker in screening for triploidy during the first trimester.

Exploring Ru-based materials with strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) is a promising method to develop superb activity and long-term durability electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, a heterojunction substrates strategy is proposed to stimulate the intrinsic activity of Ru nanoparticles loading on FeTeO (Ru/FeTeO) by activating the strong metal-heterojunction substrate interaction (SMHSI). Density functional theory (DFT) and in-situ tests uncover that FeTeO heterojunction substrates can further boost the HER activity by modulating the electronic structure and H adsorption energy. Consequently, the as-prepared Ru/FeTeO possesses outstanding HER activity with low overpotentials of 244 and 311 mV to drive 1.0 and 3.0 A cm−2current densities in 1.0 M KOH seawater solution, respectively, and displays a long-term stability more than 150 h. This work supplies an effective way to stimulate the intrinsic activity of precious metals.

The depletion of fossil fuels and the impacts of climate deterioration present significant challenges to achieving sustainable development goals. Developed nations worldwide are actively transitioning their energy mix to address these challenges. One promising solution is integrated renewable energy systems (IRES), which offer low-emission energy supply systems and proximity to end consumers. Compared to traditional or single-source energy supply systems, IRES have potential to reduce carbon emissions by 10 % to 50 % and can achieve a substantial 42 % reduction in operating costs. Furthermore, energy storage technologies effectively address energy supply intermittency issues, leading to additional reductions in operating costs and the carbon footprint. This comprehensive review examines renewable energy sources (RES), energy storage technologies, and system optimization methods that pertain to IRES. It highlights the significant potential of IRES in energy conservation and emissions reduction. This study identifies the challenges such as government policies, renewable energy (RE) instability, energy storage technologies, and public acceptance, and proposes strategies for overcoming these obstacles from three perspectives of the government, researchers, and the public. Importantly, the review emphasizes potential breakthroughs for future IRES development, including artificial intelligence, battery pollution, phase change energy storage, and building lifecycle emission reduction, providing actionable avenues for advancing IRES development. The study concludes that with concerted efforts in policy and technological innovation, IRES can not only meet but potentially exceed future energy demands.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer (BC) with a poor prognosis. To date, the mechanism of TNBC’s aggressive phenotype is still unclear. Based on metabolome analysis, we found that glutamine (Gln) metabolism plays a key role in the difference between TNBC and non-TNBC. We identified a 21-amino-acid survival-associated micropeptide XBP1SBM, encoded by the lncRNA MLLT4-AS1, which was upregulated in TNBC tissues and Gln-deprived TNBC cell lines. We showed that XBP1SBM expression was upregulated by Gln-deprivation-induced XBP1s transcriptional promotion, and in turn retained XBP1s in the nuclear to enhance the expression of VEGF. Using human endothelial cells, mouse xenograft models and mouse spontaneous BC models, we found that XBP1SBM improved Gln levels and promoted angiogenesis and metastasis in TNBC. Our study showed that a TNBC-specific nutrient deficiency adaption results in aggressive TNBC, and this mechanism provides a novel potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in TNBC.

The crystal structure and physical properties of Nb 25 Mo 5+ x Re 35 Ru 25 -x Rh 10 (0 ≤ x ≤ 10) and Nb 5 Mo 35 -y Re 15+ y Ru 35 Rh 10 (0 ≤ y ≤ 15) high-entropy alloys (HEAs) have been studied by X-ray diffraction, electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat measurements. The results show that the former HEAs with valence electron concentration (VEC) values of 6.7–6.9 crystallize in a noncentrosymmetric cubic α-Mn structure, while the latter ones with VEC values of 7.1–7.25 adopt a centrosymmetric hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure. Despite different structures, both series of HEAs are found to be bulk superconductors with a full energy gap, and the superconducting transition temperature T c tends to decrease with the increase of VEC. Nevertheless, the T c values of the hcp-type HEAs are higher than those of the α-Mn-type ones, likely due to a stronger electron phonon coupling. Furthermore, we show that VEC and electronegativity difference are two key parameters to control the stability of α-Mn and hcp-type HEAs. These results not only are helpful for the design of such HEAs, but also represent the first realization of structurally different HEA superconductors without changing the constituent elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) can serve as building blocks and interfaces in designing functional materials. Here, the use of PDA as an interlayer between polyaniline (PANi) and multidimensional carbon materials, such as graphene quantum dots (GQD), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), and graphene nanosheets (GNS), to improve the thermoelectric performance of p-type polymer-based materials has been reported. The introduction of PDA promotes the carrier mobility of GQD/PDA/PANi, CNT/PDA/PANi, and GNS/PDA/PANi ternary composites due to the superior adhesive property of PDA. An optimal conductivity of 4.98 × 104S m–1and a power factor of 92.17 μW m–1K–2at 363 K are achieved in GNS/PDA/PANi, which are much higher than the values of GNS/PDA and GNS/PANi. More surprisingly, despite the fact that GQD/PDA, CNT/PDA, and GNS/PDA binary composites show p-type properties, the pyrolysis treatment of GQD/PDA, CNT/PDA, and GNS/PDA at 800 °C results in a gain in both the electrical conductivity and negative Seebeck coefficient of c-GQD/PDA, c-CNT/PDA, and c-GNS/PDA. The c-CNT/PDA composites possess the highest Seebeck value of −30.2 μV K–1and a maximum power factor value of 35.57 μW m–1K–2. Finally, a flexible thermoelectric generator with 24 thermoelectric units composed of GNS/PDA/PANi and c-CNT/PDA is demonstrated, which gives an output voltage of 52.8 mV at a temperature difference of 60 °C.

Recent advances in viral vector engineering, as well as an increased understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanism of retinal diseases, have led to the development of novel gene therapy approaches. Furthermore, ease of accessibility and ocular immune privilege makes the retina an ideal target for gene therapies. In this study, the nuclear hormone receptor gene Nr2e3was evaluated for efficacy as broad-spectrum therapy to attenuate early to intermediate stages of retinal degeneration in five unique mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). RP is a group of heterogenic inherited retinal diseases associated with over 150 gene mutations, affecting over 1.5 million individuals worldwide. RP varies in age of onset, severity, and rate of progression. In addition, ~40% of RP patients cannot be genetically diagnosed, confounding the ability to develop personalized RP therapies. Remarkably, Nr2e3administered therapy resulted in reduced retinal degeneration as observed by increase in photoreceptor cells, improved electroretinogram, and a dramatic molecular reset of key transcription factors and associated gene networks. These therapeutic effects improved retinal homeostasis in diseased tissue. Results of this study provide evidence that Nr2e3can serve as a broad-spectrum therapy to treat multiple forms of RP.

Cake layer formation is the dominant ultrafiltration membrane fouling mechanism after long-term operation. However, precisely analyzing the cake-layer structure still remains a challenge due to its thinness (micro/nano scale). Herein, based on the excellent depth-resolution and foulant-discrimination of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, a three-dimensional analysis of the cake-layer structure caused by natural organic matter was achieved at lower nanoscale for the first time. When humic substances or polysaccharides coexisted with proteins separately, a homogeneous cake layer was formed due to their interactions. Consequently, membrane fouling resistances induced by proteins were reduced by humic substances or polysaccharides, leading to a high flux. However, when humic substances and polysaccharides coexisted, a sandwich-like cake layer was formed owing to the asynchronous deposition based on molecular dynamics simulations. As a result, membrane fouling resistances were superimposed, and the flux was low. Furthermore, it is interesting that cake-layer structures were relatively stable under common UF operating conditions (i.e., concentration and stirring). These findings better elucidate membrane fouling mechanisms of different natural-organic-matter mixtures. Moreover, it is demonstrated that membrane fouling seems lower with a more homogeneous cake layer, and humic substances or polysaccharides play a critical role. Therefore, regulating the cake-layer structure by feed pretreatment scientifically based on proven mechanisms should be an efficient membrane-fouling-control strategy.

Biological springs can be used in nature for energy conservation and ultra-fast motion. The loading and unloading rates of elastic materials can play an important role in determining how the properties of these springs affect movements. We investigate the mechanical energy efficiency of biological springs (American bullfrog plantaris tendons and guinea fowl lateral gastrocnemius tendons) and synthetic elastomers. We measure these materials under symmetric rates (equal loading and unloading durations) and asymmetric rates (unequal loading and unloading durations) using novel dynamic mechanical analysis measurements. We find that mechanical efficiency is highest at symmetric rates and significantly decreases with a larger degree of asymmetry. A generalized one-dimensional Maxwell model with no fitting parameters captures the experimental results based on the independently characterized linear viscoelastic properties of the materials. The model further shows that a broader viscoelastic relaxation spectrum enhances the effect of rate-asymmetry on efficiency. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the interplay between material properties and unloading dynamics in both biological and synthetic elastic systems.

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology enables the creation of a wide variety of assemblies and complex shapes from three-dimensional model data in a bottom-up, layer-by-layer manner. Therefore, AM has revolutionized the modern manufacturing industry, attracting increasing interest from both academic and industrial fields. The Rapid Manufacturing Center (RMC) of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), one of the earliest and most powerful AM research teams in China, has been engaged in AM research since 1991. Aiming to address the “stuck neck” problems of specific high-strength products for AM, the RMC has conducted full-chain research in the aspects of special materials, processes, equipment, and applications for AM. Moreover, it has formed a multi-disciplinary research team over the past three decades. Relevant research achievements in the AM field include winning five national awards, more than ten first prizes, and more than ten second prizes at the provincial and ministerial levels. The RMC was complimented as “the world's most influential organization in the laser AM field in 2018” by Virtual and Physical Prototyping (an international authoritative magazine of AM). Moreover, their industrialization achievements were evaluated as “having affected countries such as Singapore, South Korea, and the United States” by an international authoritative Wohlers Report on AM. In this study, we first summarize the representative research achievements of the RMC in the AM field. These include the preparation and processing technology of high-performance polymeric, metallic, and ceramic materials for AM; advanced processing technology and software/equipment for AM; and typical AM-fabricated products and their applications. Further, we discuss the latest research achievements in cutting-edge 4D printing in terms of feedstock selection, printing processes, induction strategies, and potential applications. Finally, we provide insights into the future directions of AM technology development: (ⅰ) Evolving from three-dimensional printing to multi-dimensional printing, (ⅱ) transitioning from plane slicing to curved surface slicing to woven slicing, (ⅲ) enhancing efficient formation from dot-line-sheet-volume printing, (ⅳ) shifting from single material to multi-materials AM, (ⅴ) advancing from the multiscale direction of macroscopic–mesoscopic–microscopic structures, (ⅵ) integrating material preparation with forming integration, (ⅶ) expanding from small batch to large batch.

Climate warming has intensified the global hydrological cycle, amplifying the differences in precipitation and soil moisture between arid and humid areas. Such a change in regional drought may alter nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) release during litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems, but how these biogeochemical processes respond to drought between arid and humid areas remains not fully understood. Here, we compiled 259 and 138 paired observations (with and without drought conditions) to assess the global variations in N and P release during litter decomposition to drought between arid (aridity index < 0.5) and humid (aridity index > 0.5) areas. Litter N release was increased under drought in both arid (0.35%) and humid (3.62%) areas, and P release was decreased by 7.32% in arid areas but increased by 2.22% in humid areas under drought. These decreases in N and P release from the decomposing litter were positively correlated with drought duration in arid areas, dependent on microclimate, edaphic factors, and litter quality. Our findings highlight the contrasting effects of drought on litter N and P release between arid and humid ecosystems, and this differential influence will greatly improve our capability to evaluate and forecast nutrient cycling during litter decomposition under inconsistent precipitation patterns.

ABSTRACTProstate cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among men worldwide. The importance of circular RNA (circRNA) in prostate cancer and its connection to malignancy has been steadily recognized. circRNA expression was obtained by circRNA sequencing of prostate cancer. circRNA and its function were further analysed. The results were verified by qRT-PCR, RIP assay, FISH, RNA pulldown, WB, CCK-8, colony formation assay and wound-healing assay. BALB/c Nude mice were used for xenograft hosts. Low expression of circDHRS3 was assessed in prostate cancer. Overexpression of circDHRS3 inhibited prostate cancer growth and migration in vitro. Additionally, miR-421 was shown to be the downstream target of circDHRS3, as shown by fluorescence in situhybridization and dual-luciferase experiments. The rescue assay results for the PC3 and Du145 cell lines demonstrated that circDHRS3 inhibits prostate cancer cell lines’ ability to proliferate and metastasize by modulating MEIS2 expression through the circDHRS3/miR-421/MEIS2 axis. In vivoinvestigations confirmed that the overexpression of circDHRS3 could inhibit both the lung and bone metastasis of prostate cancer cells. circDHRS3 has the potential to become a biomarker and a targeted therapeutic site for prostate cancer, particularly in the malignant stage. Our study indicates that circDHRS3 inhibits prostate cancer cell proliferation and metastasis through the circDHRS3/miR-421/MEIS2 axis.

Multiple cancers exhibit aberrant protein arginine methylation by both type I arginine methyltransferases, predominately protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) and to a lesser extent PRMT4, and by type II PRMTs, predominately PRMT5. Here, we perform targeted proteomics following inhibition of PRMT1, PRMT4, and PRMT5 across 12 cancer cell lines. We find that inhibition of type I and II PRMTs suppresses phosphorylated and total ATR in cancer cells. Loss of ATR from PRMT inhibition results in defective DNA replication stress response activation, including from PARP inhibitors. Inhibition of type I and II PRMTs is synergistic with PARP inhibition regardless of homologous recombination function, but type I PRMT inhibition is more toxic to non-malignant cells. Finally, we demonstrate that the combination of PARP and PRMT5 inhibition improves survival in both BRCA-mutant and wild-type patient-derived xenografts without toxicity. Taken together, these results demonstrate that PRMT5 inhibition may be a well-tolerated approach to sensitize tumors to PARP inhibition.

Chemical doping of topological materials may provide a possible route for realizing topological superconductivity. However, all such cases known so far are based on chalcogenides. Here we report the discovery of superconductivity induced by Re doping in the topological semimetal Mo5Si3with a tetragonal structure. Partial substitution of Re for Mo in Mo5–xRexSi3results in an anisotropic shrinkage of the unit cell up to the solubility limit of approximately x= 2. Over a wide doping range (0.5 ≤ x≤ 2), these silicides are found to be weakly coupled superconductors with a fully isotropic gap. Tcincreases monotonically with xfrom 1.67 to 5.78 K, the latter of which is the highest among superconductors of the same structural type. This trend in Tccorrelates well with the variation of the number of valence electrons and is mainly ascribed to the enhancement of electron–phonon coupling. In addition, band structure calculations reveal that superconducting Mo5–xRexSi3exhibits nontrivial band topology characterized by Z2invariants (1;000) or (1;111) depending on the Re doping level. Our results suggest that transition metal silicides are a fertile ground for the exploration of candidate topological superconductors.

The addition of oxygen or nitrogen in titanium alloys increases the hardness by the solid solution strengthening. Spinodal decomposition in titanium alloys is also the way to increase the hardness. This study aimed to reveal the effect of oxygen or nitrogen addition on spinodal decomposition in Ti-10at%V. Ti-10at%V-(0, 1, 3)at%O or N alloys were prepared by arc-melting. They were solution-treated at 1200 or 1300 °C for 0.6 ks and then quenched in iced brine. The solution treated specimens were aged at 375 °C. The increase of hardness was decreased by the oxygen or nitrogen addition in the alloys. The addition of nitrogen more suppressed the age-hardening than the case of oxygen addition. The modulated structure caused by spinodal decomposition in the laths was observed in all the aged specimens. The wavelength of spinodal decomposition of the aged specimens increased with the addition of oxygen or nitrogen, leading to a decrease in age-hardening by spinodal decomposition.

CrC27H33Cl3N7O3, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a= 9.7862(13) Å, b= 12.4690(17) Å, c= 12.8413(17), α= 84.163(2)°, β= 73.602(3)°, γ= 85.524(2)°, V= 1493.4(3) Å3, Z= 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0472, wRref(F2) = 0.1524, T= 100(2) K.

Plantaricin BM-1, a typical IIa bacteriocin, is produced by Lactobacillus plantarumBM-1, which can be isolated from a traditionally fermented Chinese meat product. This bacteriocin exhibits perfect thermal stability and broad inhibitory activity against certain foodborne pathogens. In this study, we investigated the effect of plantaricin BM-1 combined with physicochemical treatments (sodium nitrite, heat treatment, ultrahigh pressure technology) on the control of Listeria monocytogenespopulations in cooked ham. According to our results, the addition of sodium nitrite (0.075 or 0.15 mg/mL) significantly inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenesin broth, plantaricin BM-1 combined with heat treatment reduced the viable counts of L. monocytogenesmore than plantaricin BM-1 alone, and plantaricin BM-1 combined with sodium nitrite and heat treatment had the greatest antibacterial effect in broth. However, the addition of sodium nitrite or heat treatment alone did not inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenesin cooked ham. The combined application of 5,120 arbitrary units per gram (AU/g) plantaricin BM-1 and 0.075 mg/g sodium nitrite reduced L. monocytogenessignificantly more effectively (by 1.97 log CFU/g) than application of 5,120 AU/g plantaricin alone. Plantaricin BM-1 application combined with sodium nitrite and heat treatment led to viable counts of L. monocytogenesbelow the level of detection for 49 days of storage. Moreover, in cooked ham treated with 5,120 AU/g plantaricin BM-1, 0.075 mg/g sodium nitrite, and ultrahigh pressure technology (400 MPa for 5 min), viable counts of L. monocytogeneswere reduced by 5.79 log CFU/g compared with control samples at the end of storage. In conclusion, the combination of plantaricin BM-1 with physicochemical treatments had a synergistic inhibitory effect on L. monocytogenesin cooked ham.

We have synthesized two iron fluo-arsenides ACa2Fe4As4F2with A= Rb and Cs, analogous to the newly discovered superconductor KCa2Fe4As4F2. The quinary inorganic compounds crystallize in a body-centered tetragonal lattice with space group I4/mmm, which contain double Fe2As2layers that are separated by insulating Ca2F2layers. The electrical and magnetic measurements on the polycrystalline samples demonstrate that the new materials undergo superconducting transitions at Tc= 30.5 and 28.2 K, respectively, without extrinsic doping. The correlations between Tcand structural parameters are discussed. 本文合成了与新发现的KCa2Fe4As4F2超导体结构相同的两种铁砷氟化物ACa2Fe4As4F2(A= Rb, Cs). 该五元无机物具有四方体心晶格,空间群为I4/mmm, 包含被Ca2F2绝缘层分开的双Fe2As2层. 对多晶样品的电阻和直流磁化率的测量表明, ACa2Fe4As4F2(A= Rb, Cs)样品无需外在掺杂即呈现出30.5和28.2 K的超导电性. 文中还讨论了其Tc与晶体结构参数间的关联.

Under the condition of industrial ampere-level current density seawater splitting, the electrocatalyst for hydrogen production needs two characteristics of superb activity and long-term durability. In this work, P vacancies enriched CoxPv@NC with unique multilevel structure was synthesized and applied to ampere-level current density for seawater splitting process. The coupled CoxPv@NC seawater electrolyzer requires low voltages of 1.88 and 1.74V to provide 1.0Acm-2in 1.0M KOH seawater solution at room temperature and 6.0M KOH seawater solution at 60oC, respectively, exhibiting no obvious decline over 100h test at 1.0Acm-2. In-situ Raman spectra and theoretical calculations uncover that the outstanding catalytic performance originates from the P vacancy induced optimization of intermediate adsorption energy for HER and rapid reconstruction of active species for OER. The elctrocatalyst devised in this work supplies an effective way to settle the insufficient of ampere-level current-density-tolerant bifunctional electrocatalysts in industrial seawater splitting.

Oil/water separation is of great significance due to the severe threats of oily wastewater to the environment and human health. However, the existing methods still cannot spontaneously and continuously separate the oil/water mixture with high rates and low costs. Here, a novel oil/water separation method based on a self-driven oil jet phenomenon was proposed to resolve the aforementioned problem. We designed a self-driven oil/water separator (SOWS) composed of an oil container with some oil and a water container with some water. The oil container, whose whole bottom was covered with underwater superoleophilic pores, underwater superoleophilic ring region, and other underwater superoleophobic region, was fixed in the water container. The underwater oil droplet was easily captured by the superoleophilic region and spontaneously penetrated the pore, generating an oil jet. The resultant force from Laplace pressure and hydrostatic pressure drove the droplet to generate the jet and affected the droplet flow rate. Based on the self-driven oil jet and suitable optimization, the SOWS realized the spontaneous and continuous oil/water separation with the separation rate of 42929.4L∙m-2∙h-1which was much faster than the reported oil/water separation methods. Moreover, the SOWS could efficiently separate the oil/water mixture with different oil content and oil viscosity. This method shows an outstanding practical application prospect in the oily wastewater treatment.

Immunomodulation therapies have attracted immense interest recently for the treatment of immune-related diseases, such as cancer and viral infections. This new wave of enthusiasm for immunomodulators, predominantly revolving around cytokines, has spurred emerging needs and opportunities for novel immune monitoring and diagnostic tools. Considering the highly dynamic immune status and limited window for therapeutic intervention, precise real-time detection of cytokines is critical to effectively monitor and manage the immune system and optimize the therapeutic outcome. The clinical success of such a rapid, sensitive, multiplex immunoanalytical platform further requires the system to have ease of integration and fabrication for sample sparing and large-scale production toward massive parallel analysis. In this article, we developed a nanoplasmonic bioink-based, label-free, multiplex immunosensor that can be readily “written” onto a glass substrate via one-step calligraphy patterning. This facile nanolithography technique allows programmable patterning of a minimum of 3 μL of nanoplasmonic bioink in 1 min and thus enables fabrication of a nanoplasmonic microarray immunosensor with 2 h simple incubation. The developed immunosensor was successfully applied for real-time, parallel detection of multiple cytokines (e.g., interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)) in immunomodulated macrophage samples. This integrated platform synergistically incorporates the concepts of nanosynthesis, nanofabrication, and nanobiosensing, showing great potential in the scalable production of label-free multiplex immunosensing devices with superior analytical performance for clinical applications in immunodiagnostics and immunotherapy.

The widespread development of Permian/Triassic boundary microbialites is a key biosedimentary response to the mass extinction event. The microbial communities that precipitated these structures remain, however, poorly resolved. Here, we report abundant columnar microfossils from five Permian‐Triassic successions in South China. Four phases of the microfossil life cycle are recorded: baeocytes, juvenile column, mature column, and baeocyte‐splitting, which are interpreted as Pleurocapsales (cyanobacterial clade that reproduces by multiple fission). The great thickness (up to 13 m) of these microbial deposits and Raman spectrum analysis indicate a strong calcification capacity of the Pleurocapsales. Pronounced peaks of Mg/(Mg + Ca) ratios from microbialite and distinct Mg‐enrichment in microfossils indicate that Pleurocapsales blooms may also have facilitated dolomitization of the microbialites. Common occurrence, strong biomineralization capacity, baffling framework, and the close association with carbonate minerals suggest that Pleurocapsales were key constructors of post‐extinction microbialites. As a biosedimentary response to the end‐Permian mass extinction, the widespread occurrence of microbialites has attracted increasing levels of interests from geologists worldwide. However, the major constituents of microbial communities that constructed the microbialites have long been disputed. Our new study describes morphological features, growth direction and reproduction characteristic of columnar microfossils obtained from the microbialites, and all characteristics indicate that these microfossils are assignable to a type of photosynthesizing bacteria, known as Pleurocapsales cyanobacteria. Both biomineralization and dolomitization of these Pleurocapsales are evaluated based on in‐situobservations and geochemical analyses. The new results show that the cluster‐branching morphologies, together with common occurrence and strong calcification capacity indicate that Pleurocapsales were key constructors of the microbialites. High Mg/(Mg + Ca) ratios coinciding with the microbialites and Mg‐enrichment in the microfossils suggest that the Pleurocapsales may have catalyzed dolomitization of the microbialites after the end‐Permian mass extinction. Four phases of a microbe life cycle are recognized from fossils within microbialites reflecting Pleurocapsales asexual reproductionCommon occurrence and baffling framework indicate that Pleurocapsales cyanobacteria are important in constructing microbialitesPleurocapsales cyanobacteria were an important component of microbialite calcification and magnesium enrichment Four phases of a microbe life cycle are recognized from fossils within microbialites reflecting Pleurocapsales asexual reproduction Common occurrence and baffling framework indicate that Pleurocapsales cyanobacteria are important in constructing microbialites Pleurocapsales cyanobacteria were an important component of microbialite calcification and magnesium enrichment

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic lattice structures (CLSs) have a rising requirement in high-value engineering fields owing to their superior specific strength and multiple thermal properties. With the advent of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), the manufacture of complex SiC CLSs has become possible. Compared with conventional lattices, the combination of triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures with outstanding properties and SiC ceramic materials makes it a promising candidate for wider applications. In this work, the Gyroid-type TPMS was introduced to the SiC CLSs, and a novel integrated procedure for the AM fabrication, experimental analysis of mechanical performance and fracture mechanisms, and related finite element (FE) simulated verification of Si/SiC TPMS CLSs were systematically conducted. The results indicate that the SiC Gyroid-type CLSs prepared via the LPBF and liquid silicon infiltration process have high manufacturing accuracy and a low shrinkage rate with most less than 6%. The experimental elastic modulus and compressive strength of Si/SiC CLSs increase from 121.9 MPa to 932.0 MPa and 2.3 MPa to 16.3 MPa when the volume fraction increases from 25% to 55%, respectively. The FE simulation model was established to verify and predict the mechanical and fracture behaviors for SiC-based lattices, and the FE results are consistent with the experimental findings with most deviations less than 20%. Besides, the fracture zones of SiC Gyroid-type CLSs show a transition from 45° plane to vertical plane when the volume fraction increases from 25% to 55%. The reason is related to the transition of the material feature from the distribution of the close-packed plane to the solid material, and it was verified through FE simulation and theoretical model. In general, this research provides valuable guidance on optimization of the design and additive manufacturing for SiC-based ceramic lattice structures.

Ni-Ti shape memory alloys with triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattice structures have aroused increasing interests due to their great application potential in bone tissue engineering. In this study, the effect of volume fraction and unit cell size on the manufacturability, compressive mechanical properties, and shape memory behaviors after compression of Ni-Ti Gyroid TPMS lattice structures, which were fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), were systematically investigated. A mathematical model was established to analyze the geometric influence factors on manufacturing fidelity of Ni-Ti Gyroid TPMS lattice structures fabricated by L-PBF. It was revealed that the manufacturing fidelity decreased as the volume fraction and unit cell size decreased due to the aggravation of powder adhesion caused by the increase of specific surface area and overhanging rate of struts. Three power-law equations based on the Gibson-Ashby models were established to describe the dependences of compressive modulus, nominal yield strength, and ultimate strength of Ni-Ti Gyroid TPMS lattice structures fabricated by L-PBF on the volume fraction and unit cell size. All the above mechanical properties showed positive dependences on the volume fraction but negative dependences on the unit cell size. Both the volume fraction and unit cell size had little influence on the martensitic transformation temperatures as well as the total shape recovery ratio of Ni-Ti Gyroid TPMS lattice structures prepared by L-PBF. All the as-built Ni-Ti lattices exhibited high total shape recovery ratios of above 96.5% after 8% compressive deformation at room temperature (RT). But noteworthily, as the volume fraction increased, the pseudoelastic response (i.e., the recovered strain during unloading) rapidly decreased, followingly the recovered strain during heating increased. This was ascribed to the enhanced stability of stress-induced martensite at RT caused by the increased actual strain of local struts at the same overall compressive deformation in the Ni-Ti lattices with higher volume fractions. In contrast, the Ni-Ti lattices with different unit cell sizes exhibited similar strain distribution and consequently similar deformation recovery behaviors.

Redox variations across the Permian‐Triassic boundary (PTB) have long been debated, especially during the proliferation of PTB microbialites. Here, we report redox fluctuations across the PTB to evaluate links between the two based on pyrite framboid analysis from basin to platform settings in South China. During the end‐Permian extinction, abundant framboids indicate a widespread anoxia that was likely a direct cause of extinction. In the earliest Triassic (Hindeodus parvusconodont zone), pyrite framboids were absent in ramp to basin and shallow, nonmicrobialite platform sections. In contrast, the coeval microbialites yield abundant framboids indicative of dysoxia. The fact that framboids were only confined to PTB microbialites and absent in other habitats indicates that microbe bloom may have stimulated dysoxic watermass and triggered the framboid growth within microbe aggregates. Thus, microbialites were not built in reducing settings, but instead, microbial proliferation caused local, dysoxia within shallow oxygenated platforms after the extinction. The widespread occurrence of microbialites immediately after the end‐Permian extinction has attracted interest about their formation conditions. Microbialites are generally believed to be formed during microbial bloom in reducing conditions linked to the mass extinction. However, the cause‐and‐effect relationship between microbe bloom and reducing states of seawater has long been disputed. Our new results based on analyses of 17,306 pyrite framboid diameters and morphologies derived from various Permian‐Triassic boundary sections in South China show that microbialite formation (microbial bloom) was not triggered by reducing waters upwelled from deeper water masses, instead, it caused local, dysoxic areas within oxygenated platforms after the end‐Permian crisis. A total of 17,306 pyrite framboids are analyzed in size and morphology from the Permian‐Triassic boundary beds of 26 sections, South ChinaFramboids were absent in ramp to basin and shallow, nonmicrobialite platforms after the extinction, but occurred in coeval microbialitesMicrobe bloom/microbialite growth was not triggered by reducing condition, but stimulated dysoxic water mass and triggered framboid growth A total of 17,306 pyrite framboids are analyzed in size and morphology from the Permian‐Triassic boundary beds of 26 sections, South China Framboids were absent in ramp to basin and shallow, nonmicrobialite platforms after the extinction, but occurred in coeval microbialites Microbe bloom/microbialite growth was not triggered by reducing condition, but stimulated dysoxic water mass and triggered framboid growth

Aluminium alloy lattice structures are prospective candidates for high-value engineering applications due to their excellent comprehensive properties. Selective laser melting (SLM), a promising additive manufacturing (AM) process, enables the fabrication of metallic periodic lattices with complex and controllable internal design. In this paper, finite element (FE) analysis with the Johnson–Cook model was employed to investigate the compressive plastic deformation and the fracture mechanisms of AlSi10Mg Gyroid lattice structures (GLSs). The simulated accuracy was then validated by the compression test of GLS samples with various volume fractions fabricated via SLM. The results revealed that FE simulations were in conformity with the experimental testing with most prediction errors less than 25% and could be utilised to estimate and characterise the mechanical properties for AlSi10Mg GLSs. Finally, the discussion about the energy absorption of GLSs during the elastic and yield stage demonstrated that the FE data were comparable with the experimental results, and the rise in volume fraction contributed to the increase of energy absorption capability from 1.33 J/mm3to 9.61 J/mm3and improved the ability to resist the decline of absorption efficiency. This study provides a deeper understanding and guidance based on FE analysis for the optimal design and AM of Al alloy lattice structures.

Porous poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) scaffolds have a good application prospect in orthopedics because of their excellent biocompatibility, chemical stability, and permeability. However, the porous PEEK scaffolds fabricated by conventional manufacturing methods are restricted to the uncontrollable and weak mechanical properties. In this work, porous PEEK scaffolds with highly-tunable elastic modulus are designed using typical triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures, Gyroid, Diamond, I-WP, and then printed by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The effects of unit cell type and volume fraction on the manufacturing deviation, stress distribution, and mechanical properties of LPBF-printed PEEK scaffolds are investigated. The results illustrate that the Gyroid scaffolds present the lowest volume fraction deviation, followed by the I-WP scaffolds. By adjusting the volume fraction, the elastic modulus of the TPMS scaffolds is in the range of 42.17–512.12MPa, which is comparable with those of human trabecular bones. Using the finite element (FE) simulation method, the experimental mechanical properties of the TPMS scaffolds can be predicted. In summary, the Gyroid structure is the optimal choice for the design and LPBF fabrication of porous PEEK scaffolds due to the best manufacturing fidelity and relatively good mechanical properties.

We report a facile approach to synthesizing and immobilizing zero-valent iron nanoparticles (ZVI NPs) onto polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayer-assembled electrospun polymer nanofibers for potential environmental applications. In this approach, negatively charged cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning were assembled with multilayers of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) through electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly. The formed PAA/PDADMAC multilayers onto CA nanofibers were then used as a nanoreactor to complex Fe(II) ions through the binding with the free carboxyl groups of PAA for subsequent reductive formation of ZVI NPs. Combined scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry analysis studies demonstrate that the ZVI NPs are successfully synthesized and uniformly distributed into the PE multilayers assembled onto the CA nanofibers. The produced hybrid nanofibrous mats containing ZVI NPs were found to exhibit superior capability to decolorize acid fuchsin, an organic dye in dyeing wastewater. We show that the loading capacity of ZVI NPs can be tuned by changing the number of PE layers and the cycles of binding/reduction process. Increasing the number of the binding/reduction cycles leads to a slight bigger size of the ZVI NPs, which is not beneficial for improving the reactivity of ZVI NPs. The present approach to synthesizing and immobilizing ZVI NPs onto polymer nanofibers opens a new avenue to fabricating various fiber-based composite materials with a high surface area to volume ratio for environmental, catalytic, and sensing applications.

A new noncentrosymmetric phosphide ThIrP has been synthesized and characterized. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that this compound crystallizes in a LaPtSi-type tetragonal lattice (space group I41md, Z= 4), whose lattice parameters are a = b= 4.0676(1) Å, c= 14.3354(2) Å, and V= 237.191(8) Å3. Moreover, ThIrP is discovered to be an intermediately coupled, type-II superconductor with possibly multiple gaps below Tc= 5.07 K. The upper critical magnetic field, Sommerfield coefficient, and Ginzburg-Laudau parameter are determined based on physical property measurements, which are Bc2= 0.83 T, γ= 7.5 mJ mol−1K−2, and κGL= 7.5, respectively. The electronic band structure calculations point out nearly equal contributions of Ir and Th atoms on the density of states around the Fermi surface. In addition, the spin-orbit coupling induced band splitting reaches as large as 270 meV along the Γ-Zline. Our results suggest that ThIrP provides a platform to study the interplay between inversion-symmetry breaking, strong spin-orbit coupling, and superconductivity.

Graded lattice structures (GLSs) have drawn much attention in engineering and biological areas due to the enhanced mechanical properties and energy absorption capacity that benefit from the graded design. This study aims to investigate the effect of gradient on fatigue behaviors of lattice structures under the cyclic loading lateral to the gradient direction. The Gyroid-type triply periodic minimal surface was utilized to design GLS with continuously varied volume fraction (VF) from 10% to 40%. Uniaxial compressive testing and compression-compression fatigue testing were conducted on the Ti-6Al-4V Gyroid lattice structures with both uniform and graded VFs fabricated by laser powder bed fusion. Three typical fracture modes and mixed fracture modes were all observed on the fracture surfaces of struts after fatigue testing. The fatigue life of Gyroid GLSs is 1.21–1.67 times that of uniform counterparts with an identical overall VF. The enhancement mechanism on fatigue properties coming from the gradient design is elaborated through the finite element analysis and experimental characterization. The lower level of tensile stress, bigger macro-area and micro-plastic zone on struts of the main loading-bearing constituent of Gyroid GLS relieve the stress concentration around the crack tip, thus, lower the crack propagation rate and provide stronger fatigue crack resistance. Furthermore, the struts in the main loading-bearing constituent are more prone to stretching, therefore, provide long-term carrying capacity even after the occurrence of penetrating cracks. Experiment results show that the carrying capacity can be still provided by these struts even with penetrating cracks.

The discrimination and quantification of the ingredients from natural medicines are a challenging issue due to their complicated and various structures. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great promise in sensing applications. Here, we report a fluorescent sensor array for rapid identification of some natural compounds using a sensor array composed of four kinds of lanthanide (Eu3+and Tb3+) fluorescent MOFs (Ln-MOFs), which have diversified fluorescent responses to 26 active/toxic compounds including 12 saponins, 7 flavonoids, 3 stilbenes, and 4 anthraquinones. The fluorescence of the Ln-MOFs after reaction with the compounds was summarized as datasets and processed by principle component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) methods. The corresponding responses of the 4 types of compounds are well separated on 2D/3D PCA score plots and HCA dendrograms. We have also tested typical blind samples by concentration-dependent PCA, and an accuracy of 100% was obtained. In addition, the response mechanisms of the Ln-MOFs to the compounds were also studied. Compared with traditional methods using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, the developed fluorescent sensor array provides a more efficient and economic strategy to discriminate various active/toxic ingredients in natural medicine.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer (BC) with the most aggressive phenotype and poor overall survival. Using bioinformatics tools, we identified LINC00908 encoding a 60-aa polypeptide and differentially expressed in TNBC tissues. We named this endogenously expressed polypeptide ASRPS (a small regulatory peptide of STAT3). ASRPS expression was down-regulated in TNBCs and associated with poor overall survival. We showed that LINC00908 was directly regulated by ERα, which was responsible for the differential down-regulation of LINC00908 in TNBCs. ASRPS directly bound to STAT3 through the coiled coil domain (CCD) and down-regulated STAT3 phosphorylation, which led to reduced expression of VEGF. In human endothelial cells, a mouse xenograft breast cancer model, and a mouse spontaneous BC model, ASRPS expression reduced angiogenesis. In a mouse xenograft breast cancer model, down-regulation of ASRPS promoted tumor growth, and ASRPS acted as an antitumor peptide. We presented strong evidence that LINC00908-encoded polypeptide ASRPS represented a TNBC-specific target for treatment.

Site-specific transcription factors (TFs) bind DNA regulatory elements to control expression of target genes, forming the core of gene regulatory networks. Despite decades of research, most studies focus on only a small number of TFs and the roles of many remain unknown.