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Manipulating the thermal emission in the infrared (IR) range significantly impacts both fundamental scientific research and various technological applications, including IR thermal camouflage, information encryption, and radiative cooling. While prior research has put forth numerous materials and structures for these objectives, the significant challenge lies in attaining spatially resolved and dynamically multilevel control over their thermal emissions. In this study, a one-step ultrafast laser writing technique is experimentally demonstrated to achieve position-selective control over thermal emission based on the phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST). Ultrafast laser writing technique enables direct fabrication and manipulation of laser-induced crystalline micro/nano-structures on GST films. Thermal emission can be precisely controlled by adjusting the pulse energy of the ultrafast laser, achieving a high thermal emissivity modulation precision of 0.0014. By controlling thermal emission, the ultrafast laser writing technique enables multilevel patterned processing. This provides a promising approach for multilevel IR thermal camouflage, which is demonstrated with emissivity-modulated GST emitters. Remarkably, ultrafast laser-induced crystalline micro/nano-structures display geometric grating features, resulting in a diffraction-based structural color effect. This study demonstrates the effective use of laser-printed patterns for storing information in both visible and infrared spectrum.

The lightweight high entropy alloys have shown great application value in the lightweight structural materials. Laser melting and laser additive manufacturing technology provide new ideas for the development of high entropy alloys due to their extreme metallurgical conditions. AlxNbTiV(x=0.5-7) and AlNbTiyV(y=1-7) button samples were prepared by laser melting technology, and their phase structure, microstructure and hardness were systematically studied. The results show that the Al content has a significant effect on the phase structure and microstructure of the alloy. When the Al content is low (x ≤ 2), the AlxNbTiV alloy is composed of BCC single-phase solid solution. When the Al content is high (2 ≤ x ≤ 7), intermetallic compounds appear in the alloy. With the increase of Al content, the BCC and TiAl phases change into TiAl3 and NbAl3 phases. Ti content in a certain range (y ≤ 7) will not affect the phase structure of the alloy. AlNbTiyV alloys are composed of BCC single-phase solid solution. The content of Al and Ti has a great influence on the hardness of the alloy. When the AlxNbTiV alloy is composed of BCC single phase, the hardness of the alloy increases with the increase of Al content, and the appearance of intermetallic compounds makes the hardness of the alloy no longer change with the change of Al content. The hardness of AlNbTiyV alloy decreases with the increase of Ti content.

This study investigates the heterogeneity and driving factors of carbon emission reduction in developed countries, providing insights for formulating carbon neutrality strategies and plans in China. Firstly, typical developed countries worldwide are categorized into four modes: high energy consumption–high emissions, high energy consumption–low emissions, low energy consumption–low emissions and low energy consumption–high emissions, based on the "per capita energy consumption–emission intensity" classification method. Secondly, the LMDI decomposition model is employed to calculate the carbon emission-reduction driving effects of each mode, thereby analyzing the evolution path of carbon emissions. Finally, carbon emission-reduction policy recommendations are proposed based on the current situation of provincial carbon emissions in China. The research findings are as follows: (1) Carbon emissions in developed countries follow the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) law, exhibiting an inverted U-shaped trajectory. In the per capita GDP range of USD 12,000–20,000, carbon emissions in most countries have reached or are close to their peak, with per capita carbon emissions in different modes decreasing and tending towards a level of 4000 kg/person. (2) There is heterogeneity in the EKC of carbon emissions in developed countries, which can be divided into technological, structural, comprehensive and clean types based on differences in emission-reduction factors. The trajectories of carbon emissions in most developed countries follow a clean path, while those in newly developed countries are constrained by environmental pressures and are expected to be between mixed and structural types before the emission peak, and tend towards a clean type after the peak. (3) Energy clean-up is the most direct and efficient method for carbon emission reduction, which can significantly and efficiently achieve carbon emission reduction. Industrial restructuring and technological progress play a significant role in suppressing carbon emissions. Policy recommendations are proposed as follows: first, reduce the proportion of fossil energy and increase energy cleanliness; second, promote industrial restructuring to reduce energy dependence; third, enhance production technology and improve energy-utilization efficiency; fourth, increase technological breakthroughs to support low-carbon transformation; fifth, correctly recognize the differences among provinces in China and formulate differentiated carbon emission-reduction policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to systematically study the suppression effect of Aluminum hydroxide[Al(OH)3] and Magnesium hydroxide[Mg(OH)2] on the explosion of flour, Hartmann experiment system was used to carry out the explosion flame propagation experiment, and the influence of adding different proportions of Al(OH)3 and Mg(OH)2 powder on the morphology and propagation speed of flour combustion flame was studied. Combined with the thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves of Al(OH)3 and Mg(OH)2 powder, the inhibition mechanism of Al(OH)3 and Mg(OH)2 powder on flour explosion was analyzed. The results showed that with the increase of Al(OH)3 and Mg(OH)2, the flame propagation speed gradually decreases. After adding 40%wt Mg(OH)2, when t = 182 ms, the flame reaches the top of the glass tube. When 60 wt% Mg(OH)2 and 60 wt% Al(OH)3 powder were added, the maximum flame propagation velocity of flour decreased from 13.86 m/s to 5.78 m/s and 1.62 m/s, respectively, and Al(OH)3 was superior to Mg(OH)2 in inhibiting flame propagation. Both inhibitors can inhibit flour combustion by adsorption of H and OH radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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As a locative media, Blued articulates physical and digital space in the form of localization, giving a mediated visibility to its users who are not visible in physical space, thus making the city a queering code/space. This can transform social accessibility and the ways that gays come together and interact in local spaces. Taking mainland China, dominated by heteronomativity, as a field, this paper focuses on the visibility negotiation and social accessibility practices in Blued-based queering code/space. Using the digital anthropology method, this study found that Blued-based visibility is essential for non-closeted gay men to gain a sense of local belonging and community inclusion. Offline accessibility is a crucial demand for Blued users, but until then they have negotiated visibility through selective disclosure of social cues. At the same time, Blued users face visibility asymmetries and risks in the pursuit of accessibility. This study then argues that in the Blued-based queering code/space, the gay men constantly reconcile accessibility with others by managing visibility in a heteronormative urban space. In addition, this paper highlights the value of the hybrid of new media and physical space for the public interaction of marginalized groups in the city., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Xu and Zhang.)

Background: Our previous study has shown that intrahepatic necroinflammation favors the eliminations of HBV integration and clonal hepatocytes. Here, the effect of inflammation on host DNA damage eliminations in liver biopsy tissues from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) was further investigated., Methods: DNA damage markers, histone γ-H2AX and phosphorylated heterochromatin protein 1γ (p-HP1γ), and senescent marker p21 were detected using immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent assays in liver biopsy samples from 69 CHB patients and 12 liver cirrhosis (LC) patients. Twenty paired hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surgical samples were used as controls., Results: Both γ-H2AX and p-HP1γ were sensitively detected in nuclear and cytoplasmic/nuclear patterns. Nuclear γ-H2AX was superior as a DNA damage marker in hepatocytes. The level of nuclear γ-H2AX in CHB, comparable to those in LC and HCC, was correlated with liver fibrosis and coexisted with the senescent marker p21. However, hepatocytes carried an alleviated level of DNA damages, which was associated with the level of cytoplasmic γ-H2AX. Cytoplasmic γ-H2AX chiefly occurred in hepatocytes near necroinflammatory foci, was correlated with liver inflammation and usually indicated the decrease or disappearance of nuclear γ-H2AX. The lack of cytoplasmic γ-H2AX together with the high level of nuclear γ-H2AX was associated with the progression from large cell changes/dysplasia to small cell changes/dysplasia., Conclusions: Hepatocytes in CHB already carry massive DNA damages and undergo cellular senescence. The DNA damages in those senescent hepatocytes are histopathologically demonstrated to be amended by a novel cytoplasmic γ-H2AX-indicated and inflammation-driven rescue repair mechanism, which may be involved in hepatocarcinogenesis if it works improperly., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Background: Frailty is a complex geriatric syndrome that seriously affects the quality of life of older adults. Previous observational studies have reported a strong relationship of frailty with the gut microbiota; however, further studies are warranted to establish a causal link. Accordingly, we aimed to conduct a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study to assess the causal relationship between frailty, as measured by the frailty index, and gut microbiota composition., Methods: Instrumental variables for the frailty index ( N  = 175, 226) and 211 gut bacteria ( N  = 18,340) were obtained through a genome-wide association study. A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was performed to assess the causal relationship of gut microbiota with frailty. Additionally, we performed inverse Mendelian randomization analyses to examine the direction of causality. Inverse variance weighting was used as the primary method in this study, which was supplemented by horizontal pleiotropy and sensitivity analyses to increase confidence in the results., Results: Bacteroidia ( b  = -0.041, SE = 0.017, p  = 0.014) and Eubacterium ruminantium ( b  = -0.027, SE = 0.012, p  = 0.028) were protective against frailty amelioration. Additionally, the following five bacteria types were associated with high frailty: Betaproteobacteria ( b  = 0.049, SE = 0.024, p  = 0.042), Bifidobacterium ( b  = 0.042, SE = 0.016, p  = 0.013), Clostridium innocuum ( b  = 0.023, SE = 0.011, p  = 0.036), E. coprostanoligenes ( b  = 0.054, SE = 0.018, p  = 0.003), and Allisonella ( b  = 0.032, SE = 0.013, p  = 0.012). Contrastingly, frailty affected Butyrivibrio in the gut microbiota ( b  = 1.225, SE = 0.570, p  = 0.031). The results remained stable within sensitivity and validation analyses., Conclusion: Our findings strengthen the evidence of a bidirectional causal link between the gut microbiota and frailty. It is important to elucidate this relationship to optimally enhance the care of older adults and improve their quality of life., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Bo, Teng, Shi, Luo, Xu, Pan, Xia, Zhu, Zhang and Zhang.)