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The deep‐sea ground contains a huge amount of energy and mineral resources, for example, oil, gas, and minerals. Various infrastructures such as floating structures, seabed structures, and foundations have been developed to exploit these resources. The seabed structures and foundations can be mainly classified into three types: subsea production structures, offshore pipelines, and anchors. This study reviewed the development, installation, and operation of these infrastructures, including their structures, design, installation, marine environment loads, and applications. On this basis, the research gaps and further research directions were explored through this literature review. First, different floating structures were briefly analyzed and reviewed to introduce the design requirements of the seabed structures and foundations. Second, the subsea production structures, including subsea manifolds and their foundations, were reviewed and discussed. Third, the basic characteristics and design methods of deep‐sea pipelines, including subsea pipelines and risers, were analyzed and reviewed. Finally, the installation and bearing capacity of deep‐sea subsea anchors and seabed trench influence on the anchor were reviewed. Through the review, it was found that marine environment conditions are the key inputs for any offshore structure design. The fabrication, installation, and operation of infrastructures should carefully consider the marine loads and geological conditions. Different structures have their own mechanical problems. The fatigue and stability of pipelines mainly depend on the soil‐structure interaction. Anchor selection should consider soil types and possible trench formation. These focuses and research gaps can provide a helpful guide on further research, installation, and operation of deep‐sea structures and foundations. This paper reviewed the development, installation, and operation of these infrastructures, including their structures, design, installation, marine environment loads, and applications. The research gaps and further research directions are explored through this literature review. First, different floating structures were briefly analyzed and reviewed. Second, the subsea production structures, including subsea manifolds and their foundations, were reviewed and discussed. Third, the basic characteristics and design methods of deep‐sea pipelines, including subsea pipelines and risers, were analyzed and reviewed. Finally, the installation and bearing capacity of deep‐sea subsea anchors and seabed trench influence on the anchor capacity were reviewed. •Provide a brief introduction about seabed structures and foundations related to deep‐sea resource development.•Introduce subsea production structures, including subsea manifolds and their foundations (mudmats, suction piles), from a design perspective.•Analyze the basic characteristics and design methods of deep‐sea pipelines, including subsea pipelines and risers.•Introduce the installation and bearing capacity of anchors in deep‐sea, and summarize seabed trench influence on anchor capacity. Provide a brief introduction about seabed structures and foundations related to deep‐sea resource development. Introduce subsea production structures, including subsea manifolds and their foundations (mudmats, suction piles), from a design perspective. Analyze the basic characteristics and design methods of deep‐sea pipelines, including subsea pipelines and risers. Introduce the installation and bearing capacity of anchors in deep‐sea, and summarize seabed trench influence on anchor capacity.

The COVID-19 outbreak encouraged the global development of efficient prevention, diagnosis, and treatment while posing a major threat to the global economy and public health. It is discovered that due to the benefits of nanomaterials, including their ease of preparation, low cost, and ease of modification, there is a new possibility to create tactics against SARS-CoV-2. Studies on the economic viability, long-term safety, biocompatibility, and environmental effects of nanomaterials are still scarce, nevertheless. Currently, the primary methods for combating the SARS-CoV-2 virus are the creation of potent disinfectants, quick and precise diagnostic instruments, and nanovaccines. In order to give useful data reference for the development of nanomaterials against SARS-CoV-2 virus, this review first provides a brief introduction to the structure and infection mode of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It next assesses the use of nanomaterials themselves. In order to establish a comprehensive cooperative battle against SARS-CoV-2 virus, it concludes by focusing on the application of nanomaterials for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as their combined application with existing technologies.

A hypersonic vehicle is covered by a plasma sheath during flight, which seriously attenuates the power of electromagnetic (EM) waves and generates the so-called “radio blackout” phenomenon when the equivalent frequency of plasma is greater than the carrier frequency. However, the parameters of plasma sheath vary randomly with time. The variation produces some random time slots where the equivalent frequency of plasma is lower than the carrier frequency, so the EM waves can penetrate the plasma sheath. Random time slots cause the receiver unable to receive information in the form of a complete frame, resulting in the traditional communication methods being no longer applicable. In order to receive the complete frame in random time slots and maximize the use of temporal resources of the plasma sheath channel, this article constructs a temporal-varying plasma sheath channel, proposes a soft-decision decoding algorithm for short-frame fountain codes (SFFCs), studies the relationship between the encode parameters and the characteristics of the channel, and designs communication experiments based on inductively coupling plasma (ICP). The short-frame fountain code (SFFC) has the characteristics of no-rate and short-frame, which can adapt to the short-time and random of the plasma sheath. In addition, soft-decision decoding algorithm can effectively reduce misjudgment of the receiver, reduce packet error rate, and improve the utilization of limited temporal resources of the plasma sheath channel. Simulation and experiments show that the proposed method achieves higher utilization of temporal resources of plasma sheath channel, and improves the reliability of communication. Even if the plasma equivalent frequency is higher than the carrier frequency, the uninterrupted and correct transmission of information can be realized.

Antiferromagnetic spintronics1,2shows great potential for high-density and ultrafast information devices. Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), a key spintronic memory component that are typically formed from ferromagnetic materials, have seen rapid developments very recently using antiferromagnetic materials3,4. Here we demonstrate a twisting strategy for constructing all-antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions down to the atomic limit. By twisting two bilayers of CrSBr, a 2D antiferromagnet (AFM), a more than 700% nonvolatile tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio is shown at zero field (ZF) with the entire twisted stack acting as the tunnel barrier. This is determined by twisting two CrSBr monolayers for which the TMR is shown to be derived from accumulative coherent tunnelling across the individual CrSBr monolayers. The dependence of the TMR on the twist angle is calculated from the electron-parallel momentum-dependent decay across the twisted monolayers. This is in excellent agreement with our experiments that consider twist angles that vary from 0° to 90°. Moreover, we also find that the temperature dependence of the TMR is, surprisingly, much weaker for the twisted as compared with the untwisted junctions, making the twisted junctions even more attractive for applications. Our work shows that it is possible to push nonvolatile magnetic information storage to the atomically thin limit.

We demonstrate for the first time the measurement of CO2isotope ratios (13C/12C and 18O/16O) in a hollow waveguide (HWG) fiber using a mid-infrared heterodyne phase-sensitive dispersion spectrometer (HPSDS). A 4.329 μm interband cascade laser is used to target the absorption lines of three CO2isotopes (13C16O2, 18O12C16O, and 12C16O2) in a 1 m long and 1 mm inner diameter HWG fiber. The detection limits are 0.29 ppm, 65.78 ppb, and 14.65 ppm with an integration time of 218 s for 13C16O2, 18O12C16O, and 12C16O2, respectively, at a modulation frequency of 160 MHz and a pressure of 230 mbar. The measurement precisions of δ13C and δ18O are 0.89 and 0.88 ‰, respectively, corresponding to an integration time of 167 s. An experimental comparison between a HPSDS and a built wavelength modulation system with second-harmonic detection (WMS-2f) is conducted. The results show that compared to the WMS-2f, the developed HPSDS exhibits a greater linear dynamic range and excellent long-term stability. This work aims to demonstrate a detection technique of CO2isotope dispersion spectroscopy with a large dynamic range for relevant applications focusing on samples with high concentrations of CO2(% volume fraction), such as respiratory analysis in medical diagnostics.

ABSTRACTRecently, multiple unmanned ground vehicles (multi-UGVs) have attracted a great deal of attention as viable solutions to a wide variety of military and civilian applications. Among many topics in the field of multi-UGVs, the formation cooperative reconnaissance is of great importance, which helps to concentrate firepower to suppress and eliminate the suspicious enemies. This paper presents a formation cooperative reconnaissance strategy for multi-UGVs to explore all the unknown areas in the environment, which is similar to the human soldiers paraded on patrol. First, the frontier-based exploration algorithm is proposed to get the reconnaissance targets in the unknown areas which is modeled as a global grid map. Then, A*-based multi-target path planning is applied to find the right exploring order of reconnaissance targets. Lastly, the distance-angle leader-follower formation control laws are designed to make the multi-UGVs rapidly form a desired formation after assigning a reconnaissance goal. The experiment results show that all the reconnaissance targets are searched and explored. The follower UGVs are gradually adjusting their position and orientation to follow the leader UGV while moving to each reconnaissance target sequentially. The motion of the multi-UGVs is reliable. Especially, the average position and heading errors of formation are less than 0.2%.

A hypersonic vehicle is covered by a plasma sheath during reentry, which seriously attenuates the power of electromagnetic (EM) waves and generates the so-called “radio blackout” phenomenon when the equivalent frequency of plasma is greater than the carrier frequency. However, the parameters of plasma sheath vary randomly with time and axial distance. The variation produces some random time slots where the equivalent frequency of plasma is lower than the carrier frequency, so the EM waves can penetrate the plasma sheath. Random time slots cause receiver unable to receive information with the form of complete frame, resulting in the traditional communication methods being no longer applicable. In order to receive the complete frame in random time slots and make full use of the spatial–temporal resources of the plasma sheath channel, we construct a spatial–temporal-varying plasma sheath channel mode, propose an adaptive space-time short-frame fountain code (ASTSFFC), and study the relationship between the ASTSFFC parameters and the characteristics of the channel. The ASTFFC has the characteristics of no-rate and short-frame, which can adapt to the short-time and random of the plasma sheath. In addition, ASTFFC contains an adaptive multilevel coding matrix to deal with the massive changes of plasma sheath parameters during reentry. Simulation shows that the proposed method achieves higher utilization of spatial–temporal resources of plasma sheath channel, and improves the reliability of communication by adaptively adjusting the coding strategy. When the plasma equivalent frequency is lower than the carrier frequency, information can be transmitted at high speed. Even when the plasma equivalent frequency is close to the carrier frequency, information can also be transmitted correctly.

•Longer periods of leisure-time sedentary behavior were associated with a higher risk of dementia incidence and mortality, especially among individuals ≤60 years.•Replacing 30 min/day of leisure-time sedentary behavior time with an equal amount of time spent doing different physical activities was associated with a 7%–18% decreased risk of dementia incidence and a 12%–21% decreased risk of mortality from dementia, with more intense exercises showing a stronger benefit.•Compared with apolipoprotein E allele ε4 noncarriers, apolipoprotein E ε4 carriers are more likely to see reduced incidence and mortality of Alzheimer's disease when physical activity is substituted for sedentary behavior.

Limited studies have explored the association between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass and fat‐to‐muscle mass ratio (FMR) and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the sex‐specific association of VAT and FMR with all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality by age. A total of 438 896 participants (49.8% men, mean age ± standard deviation: 57 ± 8 years for men; 56 ± 8 years for women) were included from the UK Biobank cohort. The nature of VAT was predictive, as obtained by sex‐stratified, non‐linear prediction models. Fat and muscle mass were estimated using a bioelectrical impedance assessment device. FMR was calculated as the fat mass divided by the muscle mass in the whole body. VAT and FMRs were divided into quintiles in ascending order, and the 3rd quintile was used as the reference. Cox regression analyses were used to estimate the associations between VAT, FMR and mortality. During a median of 12.4 years of follow‐up, we documented 29 903 deaths. After adjusting for various covariates, the individuals in the highest quintiles of VAT and FMR had the highest hazard ratios (HRs) of all‐cause mortality [1.24 (95% confidence interval: 1.17–1.33) for VAT and 1.24 (1.17–1.31) for FMR in men; and 1.11 (1.03–1.21) for VAT in women], except that the 1st quintile of FMR in women had the greatest HR [1.18 (1.09–1.27)]. Significant interactions were observed in both sexes according to age category (Pfor interaction < 0.05). Among men <50 years, participants in the 1st and 5th quintiles of VAT and FMR had significantly higher risks of mortality [1.30 (1.02–1.66) and 1.67 (1.27–2.19) in VAT; 1.25 (0.99–1.56) and 1.41 (1.11–1.79) in FMR, respectively]; in women, this phenomenon was observed in the ≥60 age group [1.16 (1.06–1.27) and 1.19 (1.08–1.31) in VAT; 1.18 (1.08–1.29) and 1.11 (1.01–1.22) in FMR, respectively]. VAT showed a linear positive association with mortality in women <60 years and a J‐shaped association from respiratory disease in both sexes ≥60 years. FMR showed a linear positive association with mortality from cancer in men <60 years and a J‐shaped association with mortality from cause‐specific mortality in both sexes ≥60 years, except for mortality from cardiovascular disease in men. Most associations of VAT and FMR with all‐cause mortality were J‐shaped and were significantly modified by age status (<50, 50–59 and ≥60 years). The clinical implication is that regarding body composition and VAT mass, different health strategies may be adopted for people of different sexes and ages.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) of the high-low voltage DC/DC converter based on GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) in electric vehicle, and design EMI filters to suppress the conducted EMI. Design/methodology/approach: The conducted EMI propagation model is established through simulation and analysis studying the influences of parasitic parameters, operation mode, output power and near-field capacitive coupling effects on conducted EMI of the DC/DC converter and comparing the suppression effects of EMI filters with different topologies to select the best EMI filter. Findings: It is shown that parasitic parameters, operation mode, output power and near-field capacitive coupling effects can affect the conducted EMI of the DC/DC converter, and EMI filters of the CLC topology can effectively suppress the conducted EMI below the limit of CISPR 25. Originality/value: Analysis of conducted EMI and design of EMI filters greatly facilitate further explorations and studies on EMI problems of the high-low voltage DC/DC converter based on GaN HEMTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTNecrosis that appears at the ischemic distal end of random-pattern skin flaps increases the pain and economic burden of patients. Necroptosis is thought to contribute to flap necrosis. Lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) plays an indispensable role in the regulation of necroptosis. Nonetheless, the mechanisms by which lysosomal membranes become leaky and the relationship between necroptosis and lysosomes are still unclear in ischemic flaps. Based on Western blotting, immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis results, we found that LMP was presented in the ischemic distal portion of random-pattern skin flaps, which leads to disruption of lysosomal function and macroautophagic/autophagic flux, increased necroptosis, and aggravated necrosis of the ischemic flaps. Moreover, bioinformatics analysis of the LC-MS results enabled us to focus on the role of PLA2G4E/cPLA2 (phospholipase A2, group IVE) in LMP of the ischemic flaps. In vivoinhibition of PLA2G4E with an adeno-associated virus vector attenuated LMP and necroptosis, and promoted flap survival. In addition, microRNA-seq helped us determine that Mir504-5pwas differentially expressed in ischemic flaps. A string of in vitroand in vivotests was employed to verify the inhibitory effect of Mir504-5pon PLA2G4E, LMP and necroptosis. Finally, we concluded that the inhibition of PLA2G4E by Mir504-5preduced LMP-induced necroptosis, thereby promoting the survival of random-pattern skin flaps.Abbreviations:AAV: adeno-associated virus; ACTA2/α;-SMA: actin alpha 2, smooth muscle, aorta; ALOX15/12/15-LOX: arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase; c-CASP8: cleaved caspase; c-CASP3: cleaved caspase 3; CTSD: cathepsin D; CTSB: cathepsin B; CTSL: cathepsin L; DMECs: primary mouse dermal microvascular endothelial cells; ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; F-CHP: 5-FAM-conjugated collagen hybridizing peptide; FISH: fluorescence in situ hybridization; HUVECs: human umbilical vein endothelial cells; LAMP1: lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1; LAMP2: lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2; LC-MS: liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; LDBF: laser doppler blood flow; LMP: lysosomal membrane permeabilization; LPE: lysophosphatidylethanolamine; LPC: lysophosphatidylcholine; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; MLKL: mixed lineage kinase domain-like; NDI: N-dodecylimidazole; PECAM1/CD31: platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1; PLA2G4A/cPLA2: phospholipase A2, group IVA (cytosolic, calcium-dependent); PLA2G4E/cPLA2: phospholipase A2, group IVE; qPCR: quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; RIPK1: receptor (TNFRSF)-interacting serine-threonine kinase 1; RIPK3: receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 3; RISC: RNA-induced silencing complex; ROS: reactive oxygen species; shRNA: short hairpin RNA; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; TBHP: tert-butyl hydroperoxide; TUNEL: terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling.

AbstractThe cohesion cand the internal friction angle φ(hereinafter referred to as the c-φparameters) are the basic parameters that characterise rock strength. This paper proposes a method that makes use of digital core drilling in the prediction of rock’s c-φparameters. Based on slip line theory, this paper develops a core drilling rock cutting mechanical model and obtains the quantitative relationship between core drilling parameters and the rock c-φparameters (CDP-cφrelation). Using the rock mass digital drilling test system developed in house, the digital core drilling of rock specimens in a laboratory setting was performed. Based on these experiments, a method that predicts rock c-φparameters using digital core drilling parameters based on slip line theory was proposed. Additionally, c-φparameters predictions and laboratory triaxial test values were used to compare and analyse the method. The results indicate that the difference and fluctuation of the theoretical values and the test values are small, and the reliability of CDP-cφrelation is high. The proposed method can obtain rock c-φparameters at underground project sites accurately.

Effective reduction of carcinogenic contaminant Cr(VI) to low-toxic Cr(III) is of global importance for environmental and water source protection. Herein, a stable metal-organic framework (MOF), ZIF-8, was carbonized as a template to synthesize a novel nanocomposite involving Ag nanoparticles (NPs) inside (Ag@C-ZIF-8). Surprisingly, the Ag NPs synthesized in situ in the Ag+@C-ZIF-8/AB system exhibited outstanding reduction ability toward Cr(VI) and eliminated 100 % of Cr(VI) (20 mg/L) within 10 min in an initial pH range of 3–5. The Cr(VI) removal efficiency was much higher compared with these systems of AB (25.5 %), C-ZIF-8/AB (44.6 %), Ag+/AB (66.8 %), and Ag@C-ZIF-8/AB (39.3 %). Increasing the initial pH of the solution and the amount of C-ZIF-8 template accelerated Cr(VI) reduction. In four cycles of experiments, over 92 % of Cr(VI) was reduced without any treatment, demonstrating the excellent stability and reusability of Ag@C-ZIF-8. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization and mechanism exploration experiments indicated that Ag NPs catalyzed AB dehydrogenation and efficiently reduced Cr(VI) together with the generated hydrogen. This is the first report on carbonized MOF-based Ag NPs synthesized in situ for Cr(VI) reduction by combining catalytic AB dehydrogenation with metal nanoparticle reducibility. This work provides new avenues for the utilization of heavy metal ions in water environments and the development of novel and efficient reductants/catalysts of Cr(VI) removal.

Building energy conservation has important practical significance for solving the energy crisis. Inorganic hydrated salt composite phase change materials (PCMs) with multi-functional responses provide new ideas for low-cost realization of building energy conservation. This paper selects corn stalks (CS) and corn cobs (CC), which have regular pore gaps, through-structure, wide distribution, and are economically recyclable, as raw materials to prepare biochar materials with rich pore structures through high-temperature carbonization. Modified sodium sulfate decahydrate (M-SSD) with excellent performance is organized by modifying borax and sodium carboxymethylcellulose. Then, CS, CC, and modified sodium sulfate decahydrate were used as raw materials, and a vacuum impregnation process was used to prepare biomass carbon-based composite PCMs. The results show that CS and CC have rich pore structures and are excellent adsorption carriers. M-SSD eliminates phase separation and reduces subcooling. The phase change temperature of the biomass carbon-based composite PCMs is 32.26 °C, and the phase change enthalpy is 188.9 J/g. It can complete heat storage and release at low voltage within the human body's safe voltage range and has good heat storage and release capabilities under simulated sunlight. Therefore, the ability of biomass carbon-based composite PCMs to store and release energy caused by excellent electrothermal and photothermal responses gives them great application potential in building temperature regulation.

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Albumin nanoparticles are widely used in biomedicine due to their safety, low immunogenicity, and prolonged circulation. However, incorporating therapeutic molecules into these carriers faces challenges due to limited binding sites, restricting drug conjugation efficiency. We introduce a universal nanocarrier platform (X-UNP) using polyphenol-based engineering to incorporate phenolic moieties into albumin nanoparticles. Integration of catechol or galloyl groups significantly enhances drug binding and broadens the drug conjugation possibilities. Our study presents a library of X-UNP nanoparticles with improved drug-loading efficiency, achieving up to 96% across 10 clinically used drugs, surpassing conventional methods. Notably, ibuprofen-UNP nanoparticles exhibit a 5-fold increase in half-life compared with free ibuprofen, enhancing in vivo analgesic and anti-inflammatory effectiveness. This research establishes a versatile platform for protein-based nanosized materials accommodating various therapeutic agents in biotechnological applications.

This study was designed to examine the impact of aspirin eugenol ester (AEE) on the growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, jejunal barrier function, and cecal microbiota of broilers raised under stressful high density (HD) stocking conditions compared with normal density broilers (ND). A total of 432 one-day-old AA+ male broilers were randomly divided into four groups: normal density (ND, 14 broilers /m2), high density (HD, 22 broilers /m2), ND + AEE, and HD + AEE. The results of the study revealed a significant decrease in the growth performance of broiler chickens as a result of HD stress (P< 0.05). The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in serum demonstrated a significant decrease (P< 0.05) at both 28 and 35 days. Conversely, the serum level of malondialdehyde (MDA) exhibited a significant increase (P< 0.05). Dietary supplementation of AEE resulted in a significant elevation (P< 0.05) of serum GSH-PX, SOD and T-AOC activity at both 28 and 35 days. Moreover, exposure to HD stress resulted in a considerable reduction in the height of intestinal villi and mRNA expression of tight junction proteins in the jejunum, along with, a significant elevation in the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines (P< 0.05). However, the administration of AEE reversed the adverse effects of HD-induced stress on villus height and suppressed the mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory genes, COX-2and mPGES-1. Additionally, the exposure to HD stress resulted in a substantial reduction in the α-diversity of cecal microbiota and disruption in the equilibrium of intestinal microbial composition, with a notable decrease in the relative abundance of Bacteroidesand Faecalibacterium(P< 0.05). In contrast, the addition of AEE to the feed resulted in a notable increase in the relative abundance of Phascolarctobacteriumand enhanced microbial diversity (P< 0.05). The inclusion of AEE in the diet has been demonstrated to enhance intestinal integrity and growth performance of broilers by effectively mitigating disruptions in gut microbiota induced by HD stress.

Graphene bubbles (GBs) are of significant interest owing to their distinguished electrical, optical, and magnetic properties. GBs can also serve as high-pressure reaction vessels to numerous chemical reactions. However, previous strategies to produce GBs are relatively elaborate and random. Therefore, their potential applications are severely restricted. Here, a facile and effective protocol is proposed to construct position-controllable GBs in liquid nitrogen (LN) with the assistance of laser and graphene wrinkles. Specifically, a film of graphene mounted on a SiO2substrate (G@SiO2) is subjected to irradiation by a low-power laser in LN and then many GBs emerge from the surface of G@SiO2. Most impressively, the domain where GBs arise is the position of the laser beam spot. Hence, we demonstrated that the high collimation of laser facilitates the position definition of GBs. The microscopic results indicate that some GBs split into three parts when they were subjected to irradiation by an electron. Meanwhile, some GBs degenerate into pores with a diameter of 500 nm when they are exposed to air. To grasp the properties of GBs in depth, the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed, and the corresponding results indicate that temperature has very little impact on the GBs’ shape. A phase transition process of the substance inside GBs is also revealed. Moreover, a two-dimensional (2D) solid nitrogen is discovered by MD simulations. The simplicity of our protocol paves the way to engineer high-pressure microreaction vessels and fabricate porous graphene membranes.

A redox-responsive oil-in-dispersion emulsion was developed by using a cationic ferrocene surfactant (FcCOC10N) and Al2O3nanoparticles, in which the required concentrations of FcCOC10N and Al2O3nanoparticles are as low as 0.001 mM (≈0.005 cmc) and 0.006 wt %, respectively. Rapid demulsification can be successfully achieved through a redox trigger, resulting from the transition of FcCOC10N from a normal cationic surfactant form into a strongly hydrophilic Bola type form (Fc+COC10N). Moreover, Fc+COC10N together with the particles almost resides in the aqueous phase and can be recovered after the reduction reaction. Not only the amount of surfactant and nanoparticles are significantly reduced but also the emulsifier (surfactant and alumina) can be recycled and reused from the aqueous phase, which is a sustainable and economical strategy for various applications.

Low dose treatment with the DNA methylation inhibitor decitabine has been shown to be applicable for the management of certain types of cancer. However, its antitumor effect and mechanisms are context dependent and its activity has never been systematically studied in bladder cancer treatment. We used mouse models, cultured cell lines and patient-derived xenografts to demonstrate that low dose decitabine treatment remarkably enhanced the effects of cisplatin and gemcitabine on basal-like bladder cancer both in vivo and in vitro. Genetic lineage tracing revealed that the stemness of a bladder cancer stem cell population was inhibited by decitabine treatment in mice. These effects were accompanied by decreases in genome-wide DNA methylation, gene re-expression, and changes in key cellular regulatory pathways such as STAT3 signaling. These results indicate that this DNA-demethylating reagent is a promising therapeutic approach for basal-like bladder cancer treatment.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant modification in eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs), and plays important roles in many bioprocesses. However, its functions in bladder cancer (BCa) remain elusive. Here, we discovered that methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3), a major RNA N6-adenosine methyltransferase, was significantly up-regulated in human BCa. Knockdown of METTL3drastically reduced BCa cell proliferation, invasion, and survival in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. On the other hand, overexpression of METTL3 significantly promoted BCa cell growth and invasion. Through transcriptome sequencing, m6A sequencing and m6A methylated RNA immuno-precipitation quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, we revealed the profile of METTL3-mediated m6A modification in BCa cells for the first time. AF4/FMR2 family member 4 (AFF4), two key regulators of NF-κB pathway (IKBKBand RELA) and MYCwere further identified as direct targets of METTL3-mediated m6A modification. In addition, we showed that besides NF-κB, AFF4 binds to the promoter of MYCand promotes its expression, implying a novel multilevel regulatory network downstream of METTL3. Our results uncovered an AFF4/NF-κB/MYC signaling network operated by METTL3-mediated m6A modification and provided insight into the mechanisms of BCa progression.

High-temperature phase change materials (PCMs) have broad application prospects in areas such as power peak shaving, waste heat recycling, and solar thermal power generation. They address the need for clean energy and improved energy efficiency, which complies with the global “carbon peak” and “carbon neutral” strategy requirements. This study provides an overview of the definition, standards, packaging process, and current state of high-temperature composite PCMs based on their significant energy application potential, economic value, and environmental value process. Finally, the future development of high-temperature composite PCMs is summarized and prospected.

Few-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS_2) has an electronic band structure that is dependent on the number of layers and, therefore, is a very promising material for an array of optoelectronic, photonic, and lasing applications. In this Letter, we make use of a side-polished optical fiber platform to gain access to the nonlinear optical properties of the MoS_2 material. We show that the nonlinear response can be significantly enhanced via resonant coupling to the thin film material, allowing for the observation of optical modulation and spectral broadening in the telecom band. This route to access the nonlinear properties of two-dimensional materials promises to yield new insights into their photonic properties.

We fabricated a simple, compact, and stable temperature sensor based on an S-shaped dislocated optical fiber. The dislocation optical fiber has two splice points, and we obtained the optimal parameters based on the theory and our experiment, such as the dislocation amount and length of the dislocation optical fiber. According to the relationship between the temperature and the peak wavelength shift, the temperature of the environment can be obtained. Then, we made this fiber a micro bending as S-shape between the two dislocation points, and the S-shaped micro bending part could release stress with the change in temperature and reduce the effect of stress on the temperature measurement. This structure could solve the problem of sensor distortion caused by the cross response of temperature and stress. We measured the S-shaped dislocation fiber sensor and the dislocation fiber without S-shape under the same environment and conditions, and the S-shaped dislocation fiber had the advantages of the stable reliability and good linearity.

The construction of semiconductor heterojunction photocatalyst is an effective way to improve the photocatalytic performance. In this study, a novel S-type heterojunction CsxWO3/BiOI photocatalyst, with both photothermal effect and good photocatalytic activity, was constructed in graphene aerogel. The as-prepared composite aerogel showed high adsorption/photocatalytic activity and cycling stability for removal of enrofloxacin. Especially, the aerogel sample 1.0CIGA with CsxWO3:BiOI molar ratio 1.0 showed a high removal efficiency of enrofloxacin with attaining to nearly 100% within 60 min. Moreover, the photothermal conversion effect of CsxWO3can further promote the photocatalytic degradation reaction efficiency. The degradation intermediate products and possible degradation pathways of enrofloxacin were analyzed and explored. In addition, the energy band structure and charge transfer mechanism of CsxWO3/BiOI heterojunction were studied by density functional theory (DFT) and other test methods. This work is of great significance for developing efficient photocatalytic materials and the as-prepared CsxWO3/BiOI@graphene composite aerogel with high adsorption/photothermal catalysis will have promising applications in the field of environmental purification.

A highly efficient ordered mesoporous CuZn/hierarchical porous silica (HPS) catalyst was prepared by an impregnation–ammonia evaporation method. The presence of Zn species prompted the dispersion of copper species and the formation of more Cu+species in reduced catalyst. Moreover, the larger mesopores in HPS significantly enhanced the accessibility of active sites for the dimethyl adipate adsorption. The cooperative effect of zinc species and the HPS structure contributed to the superior catalytic performances of CuZn/HPS in dimethyl adipate hydrogenation.The presence of Zn species prompted the dispersion of copper species and the formation of more Cu+species in CuZn/HPS catalyst. The hierarchical porous structure of HPS enhanced the accesibility of active sites for the reactants. The cooperative effect of zinc species and the HPS structure contributed to the superior catalytic performances of CuZn/HPS in dimethyl adipate hydrogenation.

Phase change energy storage technology (PCEST) can improve energy utilization efficiency and solve the problem of fossil energy depletion. Phase change materials (PCMs) are a critical factor in the development of PCEST. Solid waste is a dislocation resource, and its comprehensive utilization has always attracted much attention. Solid wastes and their products have large specific areas and abundant pore structures, and they can encapsulate PCMs to prepare form-stable PCMs (FS-PCMs) to overcome the problem of PCMs leakage during use. This article reviews the research on solid waste base FS-PCMs, which mainly includes preparation strategies, application solutions, and future research recommendations. These will provide references for related research and applications and promote the study of solid waste base FS-PCMs.

Here, we report an observation that illustrate the potential of polyelectrolyte microgels in salt-free solutions to display a high ionic conductivity. Laser light scattering and ionic conductivity tests on very dilute aqueous dispersions of the microgels indicate that both small size and swollen state of gel particles play vital roles, which should favor the counterions to freely penetrate and leave gel particles, and thus can contribute to the ion-conducting property. Upon discovering this on microgels that are composed of imidazolium-based poly(ionic liquid), we also illustrate the generality of the finding to single lithium-ion polyelectrolyte microgels that are of more technically relevant features for applications, for instance, as injectable liquid “microgel-in-solution” electrolytes of high conductivity (ca.8.2 × 10−2S/m at 25.0 °C for 1.0 × 10−2g/mL of microgels in a LiNO3-free 1:1 v/v mixture of 1,2-dioxolane and dimethoxymethane) and high lithium-ion transference number (0.87) for use in the rechargeable lithium-sulfur battery.

The ability to exchange energy and information between biological and electronic materials is critical in the development of hybrid electronic systems in biomedicine, environmental sensing, and energy applications. While sensor technology has been extensively developed to collect detailed molecular information, less work has been done on systems that can specifically modulate the chemistry of the environment with temporal and spatial control. The bacterial photosynthetic reaction center represents an ideal photonic component of such a system in that it is capable of modifying local chemistry via light-driven redox reactions with quantitative control over reaction rates and has inherent spectroscopic probes for monitoring function. Here a well-characterized model system is presented, consisting of a transparent, porous electrode (antimony-doped tin oxide) which is electrochemically coupled to the reaction center via a cytochrome cmolecule. Upon illumination, the reaction center performs the 2-step, 2-electron reduction of a ubiquinone derivative which exchanges with oxidized quinone in solution. Electrons from the electrode then move through the cytochrome to reoxidize the reaction center electron donor. The result is a facile platform for performing redox chemistry that can be optically and electronically controlled in time and space.

The potential electrochromic application of graphene-based nanohybrids is hampered by the challenges in interfacing the electrochromic nanoparticles with graphene at atomic scale and in fabricating their thin film on the substrate through a scalable method. In an effort to overcome these challenges, we demonstrate a highly dispersible graphene-based molybdenum oxide nanohybrid (mRGO-MoO3–x) for flexible electrochromic application. With only a squeeze pipet, mRGO-MoO3–xcould be deposited with a high coverage on various substrates through a scalable equipment-free Langmuir–Blodgett film deposition method. By taking advantage of high transmittance benefited from its remarkable thinness, the mRGO-MoO3–xLangmuir–Blodgett film shows a superior reversible electrochromic property with high coloration efficiency on both hard and flexible substrates.

Adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of pollutants are both considered to be effective ways of removing pollutants from environment. Here, a novel highly porous BiOBr/CsxWO3@SiO2composite aerogel with adsorption/self-heating photothermal catalysis synergistic effect was constructed using melamine resin as template. Multiple detection results demonstrated that the template melamine resin is conducive to expanding pore volume of the composite aerogels. Moreover, owing to the high pore volume and excellent photothermal conversion as well as the BiOBr/CsxWO3heterojunction catalysis effect, the composite aerogel with BiOBr/CsxWO3molar ratio 2:1 exhibited the most efficient removal of antibiotic tetracycline from water, with the adsorption/self-heating photothermal catalytic degradation rate of tetracycline being close to 100% after 30 min of darkroom adsorption and 60 min of light irradiation, and it also showed high removal efficiency of other pollutants. The efficient adsorption/self-heating photothermal synergistic catalysis mechanism and photocatalytic degradation pathway of tetracycline have been analyzed. This work will provide a new idea for constructing SiO2-based composite aerogel photocatalytic materials and the adsorption/self-heating photothermal catalytic synergetic effect will be a promising way for environment purification.

A novel rapid analytical method for the determination of four non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – nabumetone, ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac – in tap water and drinks is presented. The method is based on ultrasound-assisted ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (US-IL-DLLME) followed by ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography (UHPSFC) coupled to a photo-diode array detector (PDA). The ionic liquid 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C8MIM][PF6]) and methanol were used as the extraction and dispersion solvents for the DLLME procedure other than using a toxic chlorinated solvent. Plackett–Burman and Box–Behnken designs were applied as the experimental design strategies to screen and optimize the experimental variables such as the volume of the ionic liquid, the volume of the disperser solvent, sample pH, ionic strength, ultrasonication time and centrifugation time which affected the extraction efficiency. Separation conditions of UHPSFC, such as column screening, modifiers, column temperature, back pressure and flow rate, were also optimized in this study. 4 NSAIDs were simultaneously separated and determined in 2.1 minutes. The optimized US-IL-DLLME-UHPSFC-PDA method showed good enrichment factors (126–132) and recoveries (81.37–107.47%) for the rapid extraction of nabumetone, ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac in tap water and drinks. The method's limits of detection for nabumetone, ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac were 1.56, 7.69, 0.62, and 7.37 ng mL−1with excellent linearity (R> 0.9957).

Nano-crystalline silicon/silicon oxide (nc-Si/SiO2 structures have been prepared from amorphous silicon films on both silicon and quartz substrates by using electron-beam evaporation approach and annealing at temperatures about 600 oC in air. As a thermal oxidation procedure, the annealing treatment is not only a crystallization process but also an oxidation process. Scanning electron microscopy is employed to characterize the surface morphology of the nc-Si/SiO2 layers. Transmission electron microscopy study shows the sizes of nc-Si grains on the two different substrates. The nc-Si/SiO2 structures exhibit visible luminescence at room temperature as confirmed by photoluminescence spectroscopy. Comparing the photoluminescence spectra of different samples, our results agree with the quantum confinement-luminescence center model.

Background: Bone is thought to be the reservoir of the human lead burden, and vitamin D is associated with bone turnover. We aimed to explore whether exposure to lower 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels was associated with higher blood lead levels (BLLs) by increasing the bone turnover rate in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods: A total of 4103 type 2 diabetic men and postmenopausal women in Shanghai, China, were enrolled in 2018. Their 25(OH)D, β-C-terminal telopeptide (β-CTX), N-MID osteocalcin and procollagen type 1 N-peptide (P1NP) levels were detected. Their BLLs were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Mediation analyses were performed to identify the possible role that bone turnover played in the underlying mechanisms. Results: In both the men and postmenopausal women, all three bone turnover markers were inversely associated with 25(OH)D and positively associated with the BLL (all P<0.01) after adjusting for age, current smoking habits, metabolic parameters, duration of diabetes, vitamin D intake, and use of anti-osteoporosis medication. In the mediation analyses, none of the direct associations between 25(OH)D and BLL was significant for the three bone turnover markers, but all three bone turnover markers were found to be significant mediators of the indirect associations between 25(OH)D and BLL. Conclusion: The association between vitamin D and BLL was fully mediated by bone turnover markers in type 2 diabetic patients (mediation effect). This finding suggested that vitamin D may protect against blood lead exposure from the bone reservoir by decreasing bone turnover in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

In the aspect of stability analysis of tunneling engineering, geomechanical model test is an important research method. A similar material is the prerequisite for the success of geomechanical model test. In the field of major engineering applications, a variety of similar materials are prepared for different geological conditions of surrounding rock and applied in some major engineering. With the use of standard sand, fine sand, and silt clay as materials, similar materials for weak surrounding rock were developed. Based on the orthogonal design method, through the direct shear test, the range analysis and variance analysis of various factors affecting the physical and mechanical parameters of weak surrounding rock are carried out. The results show similar material can meet the requirements in weak surrounding rock. Standard sand is the key factor that influences the internal friction angle of similar materials, and silt clay is the key factor affecting the cohesion of similar materials. Similar materials can meet the elastic modulus and severe requirements of the weak surrounding rock and can be used for the weak surrounding rock engineering. The new type of similar material configuration is widely used in shallow buried tunnel entrance section and urban shallow buried excavation engineering, in addition to tunnel engineering in loess stratum, and the problems of engineering design and construction are solved through geomechanical model test.