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BaTiO3 thin films emerge as a highly promising material platform for integrated photonics due to their outstanding electro‐optic properties and diverse functionalities. Despite extensive studies, there remains a notable gap in the understanding of the intricate relationship between the phase structure, domain switching kinetics and electro‐optic performance of these materials. By controlling the structural phase evolution, it is possible to gain deep insights into the physical mechanisms underlying the electro‐optic performance. Here, the phase constitution of BaTiO3 epitaxial thin films is successfully tuned by the insertion of a GdScO3 buffer layer. Continuous polarization rotation paths are observed from an out‐of‐plane tetragonal‐like phase, to an intermediate rhombohedral‐like phase, and finally an in‐plane tetragonal‐like phase, achieving an enhanced effective electro‐optic coefficient of 175 pm V−1 compared to unbuffered films. Furthermore, by in situ second harmonic generation microscopy and electro‐optic measurements, the domain switching behaviors in both statistical and spatially resolved manners are examined, resulting in a clear delineation of the key domain nucleation processes. The in‐depth explorations of these structural mechanisms and kinetics inform the rational design of strong electro‐optic thin films and help in the realization of high‐performance integrated photonic devices such as electro‐optic modulators and multilevel phase shifters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the association between cardiovascular health metrics defined by Life's Essential 8 (LE8) scores and vascular complications among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 11 033 participants with T2D, all devoid of macrovascular diseases (including cardiovascular and peripheral artery disease) and microvascular complications (e.g. diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy) at baseline from the UK Biobank. The LE8 score comprised eight metrics: smoking, body mass index, physical activity, non‐high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, glycated haemoglobin, diet and sleep duration. Cox proportional hazards models were established to assess the associations of LE8 scores with incident macrovascular and microvascular complications. Results: During a median follow‐up of 12.1 years, we identified 1975 cases of incident macrovascular diseases and 1797 cases of incident microvascular complications. After adjusting for potential confounders, each 10‐point increase in the LE8 score was associated with an 18% lower risk of macrovascular diseases and a 15% lower risk of microvascular complications. Comparing individuals in the highest and lowest quartiles of LE8 scores revealed hazard ratios of 0.55 (95% confidence interval 0.47‐0.62) for incident macrovascular diseases, and 0.61 (95% confidence interval 0.53‐0.70) for incident microvascular complications. This association remained robust across a series of sensitivity analyses and nearly all subgroups. Conclusion: Higher LE8 scores were associated with a lower risk of incident macrovascular and microvascular complications among individuals with T2D. These findings underscore the significance of adopting fundamental strategies to maintain optimal cardiovascular health and curtail the risk of developing diabetic vascular complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric materials are highly promising for waste heat harvesting. Although thermoelectric materials research has expanded over the years, bismuth telluride‐based alloys are still the best for near‐room‐temperature applications. In this work, a ≈38% enhancement of the average ZT (300−473 K) to 1.21 is achieved by mixing Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 with an emerging thermoelectric material Sb2Si2Te6, which is significantly higher than that of most BiySb2−yTe3‐based composites. This enhancement is facilitated by the unique interface region between the Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 matrix and Sb2Si2Te6‐based precipitates with an orderly atomic arrangement, which promotes the transport of charge carriers with minimal scattering, overcoming a common factor that is limiting ZT enhancement in such composites. At the same time, high‐density dislocations in the same region can effectively scatter the phonons, decoupling the electron‐phonon transport. This results in a ≈56% enhancement of the thermoelectric quality factor at 373 K, from 0.41 for the pristine sample to 0.64 for the composite sample. A single‐leg device is fabricated with a high efficiency of 5.4% at ΔT = 164 K further demonstrating the efficacy of the Sb2Si2Te6 compositing strategy and the importance of the precipitate‐matrix interface microstructure in improving the performance of materials for relatively low‐temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The use of corticosteroids in chronic drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) is an important issue. Our previous randomized controlled trial showed that patients with chronic DILI benefited from a 48‐week steroid stepwise reduction (SSR) regimen. However, it remains unclear whether a shorter course of therapy can achieve similar efficacy. In this study, we aimed to assess whether a 36‐week SSR can achieve efficacy similar to that of 48‐week SSR. Methods: A randomized open‐label trial was performed. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to the 36‐ or 48‐week (1:1) SSR group. Liver biopsies were performed at baseline and at the end of treatment. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with relapse rate (RR). The secondary outcomes were improvement in liver histology and safety. Results: Of the 90 participants enrolled, 84 (87.5%) completed the trial, and 62 patients (68.9%) were women. Hepatocellular damage was observed in 53.4% of the cohort. The RR was 7.1% in the 36‐week SSR group but 4.8% in the 48‐week SSR group, as determined by per‐protocol set analysis (p = 1.000). Significant histological improvements in histological activity (93.1% vs. 92.9%, p = 1.000) and fibrosis (41.4% vs. 46.4%, p =.701) were observed in both the groups. Biochemical normalization time did not differ between the two groups. No severe adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Both the 36‐ and 48‐week SSR regimens demonstrated similar biochemical response and histological improvements with good safety, supporting 36‐week SSR as a preferable therapeutic choice (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03266146). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure and transport properties of GeBi2Te4 are investigated as a layered compound with potential applications as thermoelectric materials. A disordered arrangement of Ge and Bi atoms in a septuple‐layer structure is discovered through synchrotron radiation X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Neutron pair distribution function analysis revealed the presence of discordant Ge atoms with an off‐centering distance of 0.12 Å at 300 K. The thermal conductivity of GeBi2Te4 is very low due to the strong phonon scattering. This is a result of the three Einstein local oscillators coupled with the disordered arrangement of atoms. This study also explores further the structural characteristics of these materials and their associated phonon scattering processes. The effect of Sb substitution for Ge on the electrical transport properties of the sample is profound, resulting in a change from p‐type to n‐type conduction. An enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 0.45 at 523 K in the in‐plane direction is obtained. This research provides valuable insights into the crystal structure and transport properties of GeBi2Te4, showcasing its promising role as a thermoelectric material with potential for near‐room‐temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Similar to conventional ocean bottom seismometers and ocean bottom cables, the attitude and position of vertical cables deployed on the seafloor should be calibrated. However, due to the effect of ocean currents, the cable attitude is not stationary. Therefore, a new method for the dynamic repositioning of vertical cables is required. The dynamic repositioning of the hydrophones on vertical cables plays an important role in accurately describing the structure of the stratum and establishing an accurate velocity model. To realize the dynamic positioning of marine vertical cables, the shot lines are divided according to time, the first break time objective equation is established and the receiver position in each time period is obtained using the inversion methods outlined in this work. By analysing the trace spacing, first break time, shot point coordinate accuracy, temporal resolution, shot line spacing and other factors after repositioning, it is found that the first break time pickup accuracy and shot line spacing are the main factors that affect the repositioning accuracy. Furthermore, the resolution is limited by the timing of a single shot line. Additionally, the trace spacing after repositioning is consistent with the actual situation, which verifies the correctness and feasibility of this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degenerate semiconductors usually demonstrate a metallic‐like conduction behavior, showing limited carrier mobility at high temperatures. Herein, by incorporating B4C nanoparticles into the Cu1.99Se system, an unusual switch from the "degenerate" to "non‐degenerate" semiconducting behavior is revealed as a result of the engineered interfaces. Heterogeneous interfaces and disordered Cu2Se amorphous phases are introduced in the Cu1.99Se/B4C composites, which generate a trapping effect against the mobile Cu ions, leading to a distinctive "hump" signature for electrical conductivity. Benefiting from this rare high‐temperature thermoelectric response, a high power factor is obtained due to reduced carrier concentration and enhanced mobility, and low lattice thermal conductivity is retained because of relatively stronger anharmonic lattice vibrations. Consequently, the Cu1.99Se + 0.9 vol.% B4C sample at least achieves a maximum thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 2.6 at 1025 K with synergistically enhanced mechanical robustness. The present interface engineering strategy may be applicable to other thermoelectric materials with ionic migration characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA) is classified as Siewert type II adenocarcinoma at the esophagogastric junction in Western countries. The majority of GCA patients do not exhibit early warning symptoms, leading to over 90% of diagnoses at an advanced stage, resulting in a grim prognosis, with less than a 20% 5‐year survival rate. Method: Metabolic features of 276 GCA and 588 healthy controls were characterized through a widely‐targeted metabolomics by UPLC‐MS/MS analysis. This study encompasses a joint pathway analysis utilizing identified metabolites, survival analysis in both early and advanced stages, as well as high and negative and low expression of HER2 immunohistochemistry staining. Machine learning techniques and Cox regression models were employed to construct a diagnostic panel. Results: A total of 25 differential metabolites were consistently identified in both discovery and validation sets based on criteria of p < 0.05, (VIP) ≥ 1, and FC ≥ 2 or FC ≤ 0.5. Early‐stage GCA patients exhibited a more favorable prognosis compared to those in advanced stages. HER2 overexpression was associated with a more positive outcome compared to the negative and low expression groups. Metabolite panel demonstrated a robust diagnostic performance with AUC of 0.869 in discovery set and 0.900 in validation set. Conclusions: A total of 25 common and stable differential metabolites may hold promise as liquid non‐invasive indicators for GCA diagnosis. HER2 may function as a tumor suppressor gene in GCA, as its overexpression is associated with improved survival. The downregulation of bile acid metabolism in GCA may offer valuable theoretical insights and innovative approaches for precision‐targeted treatments in GCA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shanghai has faced an unprecedented COVID‐19 pandemic with the BA.2.2 strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) Omicron infection. Comprehensive insights into its epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and viral shedding dynamics are currently limited. This study encompasses 208373 COVID‐19 patients that were infected with the Omicron BA.2.2 sub‐lineage in Shanghai, China. Demographic information, clinical symptoms, vaccination status, isolation status, as well as viral shedding time (VST) were recorded. Among the COVID‐19 patients included in this study, 187124 were asymptomatic and 21249 exhibited mild symptoms. The median VST was 8.3 days. The common clinical symptoms included fever, persistent cough, phlegm, sore throat, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Factors such as advanced age, presence of comorbidities, mild symptomatology, and delayed isolation correlated with extended VST. Conversely, female gender and administration of two or three vaccine doses correlated with a reduction in VST. This investigation offers an in‐depth characterization and analytical perspective on Shanghai's recent COVID‐19 surge. Prolonged viral shedding of SARS‐CoV‐2 was observed in elderly, male, symptomatic patients, and those with comorbidity. Female, individuals with two or three vaccine doses, as well as those isolated early, shows an effective reduced VST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atomic‐scale structure of cuprous selenide room temperature phase (α‐Cu2Se), which plays an important role in understanding the mechanism of its high thermoelectric performance, is still not fully determined. Here, direct observation with atomic‐scale resolution is realized to reveal the fine structure of α‐Cu2Se via spherical‐aberration‐corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. It is observed to be an interesting self‐independent binary‐sublattice construction for Cu and Se in α‐Cu2Se, respectively, which shows a variety of ordered copper fluctuation structures are embedded in a rigid pseudo‐cubic Se sublattice. Ordering of Cu uses a variety of configurations with little energy difference, forming considerable amounts of "boundaries," which may lead to ultrastrong phonon scattering. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations indicate that the electronic structures are mainly determined by the rigid Se face‐centered cubic sublattice and not sensitive to the various copper fluctuations, which may guarantee the electron transfers with large carrier mobility. The self‐independent binary‐sublattice construction is speculated to enhance phonon scattering while still maintaining good electrical transport property. This study provides new critical information for further understanding the possible correlation between the specific structure and thermoelectric performance of α‐Cu2Se, as well as designing new thermoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atg2 is a key gene in autophagy formation and plays an important role in regulating aging progress. Exercise is an important tool to resist oxidative stress in cells and delay muscle aging. However, the relationship between exercise and the muscle Atg2 gene in regulating skeletal muscle aging remains unclear. Here, overexpression or knockdown of muscle Atg2 gene was achieved by constructing the AtgUAS/MhcGal4 system in Drosophila, and these flies were also subjected to an exercise intervention for 2 weeks. The results showed that both overexpression of Atg2 and exercise significantly increased the climbing speed, climbing endurance, cardiac function, and lifespan of aging flies. They also significantly up‐regulated the expression of muscle Atg2, AMPK, Sirt1, and PGC‐1α genes, and they significantly reduced muscle malondialdehyde and triglyceride. These positive benefits were even more pronounced when the two were combined. However, the effects of Atg2 knockdown on skeletal muscle, heart, and lifespan were reversed compared to its overexpression. Importantly, exercise ameliorated age‐related changes induced by Atg2 knockdown. Therefore, current results confirmed that both overexpression of muscle Atg2 and exercise delayed age‐related deteriorations of skeletal muscle, the heart function, and lifespan, and exercise could also reverse age‐related changes induced by Atg2 knockdown. The molecular mechanism is related to the overexpression of the Atg2 gene and exercise, which increase the activity of the AMPK/Sirt1/PGC‐1α pathway, oxidation and antioxidant balance, and lipid metabolism in aging muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring better electrochemical energy storage devices is a great challenge. Lithium‐ion capacitors have attracted much attention because they combine the advantages of Li‐ion batteries and supercapacitors, but the mismatch between the kinetics and capacity of the cathode and anode is still an extraordinary gap. In order to address this issue, a cubic‐phase perovskite fluoride KMnF3 via a simple and safe coprecipitation way is synthesized. The KMnF3 electrode exhibits a cubic‐phase structure and a pseudocapacitive kinetics by X‐ray diffractometer and cyclic voltammetry. The high specific capacity (189 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 for 500 cycles) and fast pseudocapacitive control dynamics (at the sweep speed of 0.2 mV s−1, the pseudocapacitance ratio is 62.12%) can be demonstrated in half cell, while the b‐value is up to 0.95. Further assembled with activate carbon to form lithium‐ion capacitors (LICs), KMnF3//AC delivers high energy density (24 Wh kg−1), high power density (3900 kW kg−1), and long cycle life over 4000 cycles. The findings shed lights on developing advanced electrode materials for high‐performance electrochemical LICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric technology enables the direct interconversion between heat and electricity. SnSe has received increasing interest as a new promising thermoelectric compound due to its exceptionally high performance reported in crystals. SnSe possesses intrinsic low thermal conductivity as a congenital advantage for thermoelectric, but high thermoelectric performance can be hardly achieved due to the difficulty to realize efficient doping to raise its low carrier concentration to an optimal level. In this work, it is found that a series of rare earth elements are effective dopants for SnSe, which can greatly improve the electrical transport properties of p‐type polycrystalline SnSe. In particular, the remarkable enhancement in electrical conductivity and power factor is achieved by Na/Er co‐doping at 873 K. The lattice thermal conductivity is reduced due to the presence of abundant defects (dislocations, stacking faults, and twin boundaries). Consequently, a peak thermoelectric figure of merit ZT (2.1) as well as a high average ZT (0.77) are achieved in polycrystalline SnSe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature and humidity (TH) post‐treatment is a relatively mild way to change the silk fibroin (SF) secondary structure. Here, urease is immobilized in SF scaffold (SFS) by TH post‐treatment, and the effects of annealing on the immobilized urease activity are examined. Fourier transform infrared indicates that the SFS secondary structure started to transform when the scaffold is annealed at 35 °C with 100% relative humidity for 20 min. The higher the temperature, the lower the treatment time is required to change SFS structure. Compared to methanol annealing, TH post‐treatment maintains the original form of the sample, and the scaffold shows better water‐binding abilities. The maximum recovery ratio of immobilized urease is 98.4 ± 7.0%, which is obtained after the scaffold is postprocessed at 35 °C for 60 min, and the relative recovery ratio of the urease activity is still as high as 80.6 ± 12.1% after repeatedly measuring 10 times. In addition, the relative recovery ratio of urease is not significantly decrease within 4 weeks of storage. Therefore, TH annealing is a relatively mild and effective way to immobilize urease in SFS. The urease‐immobilized SFS with hydrophilic properties and prolonged enzyme activity may be used for peritoneal dialysate regeneration systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GeTe and (Bi,Sb)2Te3 are two representative thermoelectric (TE) materials showing maximum performance at middle and low temperature, respectively. In order to achieve higher performance over the whole temperature range, their segmented one‐leg TE modules are designed and fabricated by one‐step spark plasma sintering (SPS). To search for contact and connect layers, the diffusion behavior of Fe, Ni, Cu, and Ti metal layers in GeTe is studied systematically. The results show that Ti with a similar linear expansivity (10.80 × 10−6 K−1) to GeTe, has low contact resistance (3 µΩ cm2) and thin diffusion layer (0.4 µm), and thus is an effective metallization layer for GeTe. The geometric structure of the GeTe/(Bi,Sb)2Te3 segmented one‐leg TE module and the ratio of GeTe to (Bi,Sb)2Te3 are determined by finite element simulation method. When the GeTe height ratio is 0.66, its theoretical maximum conversion efficiency (ηmax) can reach 15.9% without considering the thermal radiation and thermal/electrical contact resistance. The fabricated GeTe/(Bi,Sb)2Te3 segmented one‐leg TE module showed a ηmax up to 9.5% with a power density ≈ 7.45 mW mm−2, which are relatively high but lower than theoretical predictions, indicating that developing segmented TE modules is an effective approach to enhance TE conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of integrated circuits for displays and other applications requires semiconductor device models and appropriate parameter extraction techniques to predict and understand the circuit behavior. These techniques are paramount in reducing design errors and shortening the product development cycle. This paper presents an algorithm that employed swarm intelligence in exploring an automated and accurate parameter extraction technology. First, an automatic parameter extraction of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Model for polysilicon thin-film transistor (Poly-Si TFT) is achieved by genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Compared with the best solution of the GA algorithm for automatic parameter extraction, the PSO outperformed the GA. However, it still prematurely converges to the suboptimal solution henceforth cannot obtain the expected solution accuracy. Second, the mutual learning particle swarm optimization (MLPSO) algorithm is proposed that introduces the concept of "mutual learning." The new algorithm aims to find the global optimum in getting suitable trade-off between exploration and exploitation. In addition, the MLPSO algorithm implemented the novel random initialization and fitness function in simplifying the complex manual processes and the empirical calibration, and it led to achieving automatic and accurate parameters extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of stress on the small‐signal dielectric permittivity and piezoelectric coefficient of polycrystalline lead‐free perovskite 0.92(Na1/2K1/2)NbO3–(0.08 − x)Bi1/2Li1/2TiO3–xBaZrO3 (x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.07) was characterized under different constant uniaxial stress up to −200 MPa within a temperature range of −150 to 450°C, revealing stress‐induced suppression of the electromechanical response as well as shifts in the phase boundaries. For all compositions, the interferroelectric and ferroelectric–paraelectric phase transitions were shifted to higher temperatures under the uniaxial compressive stress. Interestingly, the sensitivity to the applied stress was found to increase with increasing BZ/BLT ratio in the system. The origin of a different extent of stress‐sensitivity with BZ/BLT ratio is suggested to be related to the change in the crystal structure. Additionally, at temperatures below −50°C, the relative permittivity showed a significant increase under applied compressive stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Sitobion miscanthi is a major wheat pest at the grain‐filling stage found in China. Identifying parasitoid species and understanding parasitism rates are keys to controlling the aphids via natural enemies in the wheat field. RESULTS: In the present study, a method based on DNA barcoding for early determination of the community composition of Aphidiinae parasitoids and parasitism on the aphid was developed. The proposed method detected Aphidius gifuensis as the predominant parasite, with parasitism rates of 40.1 ± 2.8% in 2019 and 65.7 ± 3.7% in 2022, and found that the rate varied significantly among different wheat varieties. COI primers efficiently amplified the Aphidiinae parasitoids COI fragments and amplified the aphid COI fragments derived from parasitized (mummified) S. miscanthi. Thus, the COI barcode is not sufficiently specific to unambiguously detect immature parasitoids inside their S. miscanthi hosts. However, it can be used to detect the DNA extracted from mummified aphids. In contrast, the 16S and LWRh primers effectively amplified and identified the parasitoids in parasitized aphids. The 16S primer was reliable even in the early stages of parasitism (24 h) and for DNA samples stored at −20 °C for 5 days. The three barcodes from COI, 16S, and LWRh genes could not clearly distinguish a few certain Aphidiinae species owing to relatively low intraspecific and interspecific diversity. CONCLUSION: The morphological features remain indispensable when identifying Aphidiinae species. Nonetheless, the COI and 16S primers could be used in combination for monitoring the parasitism rates on S. miscanthi in wheat fields. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in perovskite ferroelectrics have fostered a host of exciting sensors and actuators. Defect engineering provides critical control of the performance of ferroelectric materials, especially lead‐free ones. However, it remains a challenge to quantitatively study the concentration of defects due to the complexity of measurement techniques. Here, a feasible approach to analyzing the A‐site defect and electron in alkali metal niobate is demonstrated. The theoretical relationships among defect concentration, conductivity, and oxygen partial pressure can be established based on the defect chemistry equilibria. The type and concentration of defects are reflected through the conductivity variation with oxygen partial pressure. As a result, the variation of defect concentration gives rise to defect‐driven interfacial polarization, which further leads to distinct properties of the ceramics. e.g. abnormal dielectric behavior. Furthermore, this study also suggests a strategy to manipulate defects and charges in perovskite oxides for performance optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realizing high average thermoelectric figure of merit (ZTave) and power factor (PFave) has been the utmost task in thermoelectrics. Here the new strategy to independently improve constituent factors in ZT is reported, giving exceptionally high ZTave and PFave in n‐type PbSe. The nonstoichiometric, alloyed composition and resulting defect structures in new Pb1+xSe0.8Te0.2 (x = 0–0.125) system is key to this achievement. First, incorporating excess Pb unusually increases carrier mobility (µH) and concentration (nH) simultaneously in contrast to the general physics rule, thereby raising electrical conductivity (σ). Second, modifying charge scattering mechanism by the authors' synthesis process boosts a magnitude of Seebeck coefficient (S) above theoretical expectations. Detouring the innate inverse proportionality between nH and µH; and σ and S enables independent control over them and change the typical trend of PF to temperature, giving remarkably high PFave ≈20 µW cm−1 K−2 from 300 to 823 K. The dual incorporation of Te and excess Pb generates unusual antisite Pb at the anionic site and displaced Pb from the ideal position, consequently suppressing lattice thermal conductivity. The best composition exhibits a ZTave of ≈1.2 from 400 to 823 K, one of the highest reported for all n‐type PbQ (Q = chalcogens) materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isobaric specific heat capacity (Cp) is an important parameter not only in physics but also for most materials. Its accurate measurement is particularly critical for performance evaluation of thermoelectric materials, but the experiments by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) often lead to large uncertainties in the measurements, especially at elevated temperatures. In this study, we propose a simple method to determine Cp by measuring the sound velocity (υ) based on lattice vibration and expansion theory. The relative standard error of the υ is smaller than 1%, showing good accuracy and repeatability. The calculated Cp at elevated temperature (>300 K) increases slightly with increasing temperature due to the lattice expansion, which is more reasonable than the Dulong–Petit value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rich functionalities have been identified for domain walls (DWs, naturally occurring interfaces in ferroics), e.g., enhanced conductance and photovoltaic effect, which specify the interest in their internal structure. The dimension/width and type are of particular interest, which is the carrier of their functionality. Recent attention has been focused on head‐to‐head or tail‐to‐tail charged DWs with greatly enhanced conductivity compared to the inner domains, which are found to be an order of magnitude thicker (tens of unit cells) than normal neutral DWs. In this study, ultrathin non‐Ising charged DWs are found, where polarization switched their direction within 2–3 unit cells in self‐assembled BiFeO3 nanocrystals. An analytical model and finite element method simulation are used to interpret the origin of this phenomenon, i.e., electrostatic constraints linked to DW configurations in a ferroelectric. This study indicates that as an intrinsic property, the width of the ferroic DWs varies with different electrostatic constraints and must be taken into consideration during its applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the ferroelectric ABO3 perovskite heterointerface, the broken translational symmetry significantly alters the octahedral network and cation sublattices. Experimentally revealing the interaction between the polarization and atomic structure parameters is beneficial not only for understanding the novel physical phenomena but also for realizing exotic physical functionalities at the materials surface science. Here, it is demonstrated that the induced polarization can be realized by the cooperative interaction between the octahedral distortion and the cation sublattices at the paraelectric‐ferroelectric heterointerface in the (K,Na)NbO3 epitaxial thin film. It is found that the cation–cation displacement scales with the tetragonality of the perovskite unit cell but not with the polarization, which is minimal in the substrate but increases substantially in the thin film. Nevertheless, the oxygen octahedral distortion in the substrate, accompanied by octahedral rotation, is stronger than that in the film, resulting in a translated and stable polarization across the interface. These results demonstrate the octahedral network plays a significant role in the ferroelectric polarization and can also greatly advance the understanding of the heterointerface science for ferroelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Similar to the canonical antiferroelectric (AFE) compound PbZrO3 in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 solid‐solutions, the presence of double hysteresis loops and that of electric field–induced phase transitions are important characteristics of NaNbO3 AFE materials; yet the phase transition behavior in the latter system is typically irreversible with the related mechanisms not fully understood. Here, we explore the phase transition mechanism of ferroelectric and AFE phases in NaNbO3 based on measurements of single crystals with different directions in conjunction with density‐functional theory (DFT) calculations. The tilting and distortion behaviors of the [NbO6] octahedra are explained by DFT, and the ion displacement in the lattice is traced. The tilting and distortion behaviors of the [NbO6] octahedra with different orientations are compared. We confirm that the tilt and distortion of the [NbO6] octahedra along the [1 1 1] direction is the main reason to improve the stability of AFE phase. This conclusion is verified by the experimental characterizations of large‐size NaNbO3 single crystals successfully obtained in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past two decades have seen a great enhancement of piezoelectric coefficients (d33) to higher than 570 pC/N in (K, Na)NbO3 (KNN) piezoelectrics, but one notoriously unresolved issue is their severe temperature instability, obstructing them toward practical applications. The present work demonstrates a facile approach to overcome this problem by introducing a layered distribution of key dopants (Li and Sb) in a monolithic ceramic, featuring stepwise varied polymorphic phase transition (PPT) temperatures along the thickness direction. The dopant‐graded ceramic exhibits an outstanding d33 of 508 pC/N and a very large piezoelectric strain (Suni, of 0.18%). More importantly, an excellent temperature stability (d33 variation within 13% over the temperature range of 25–150 °C) is achieved, which is superior to that of most state‐of‐art KNN counterparts. These are attributed to the construction of spatially diffused PPT in combination with enhanced polarization, permittivity, and piezoresponse through interfacial effect, including the Maxwell–Wagner effect and intergranular stress by gradient doping. The results offer an alternative strategy for designing high‐performance piezoelectric materials with desirable temperature reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Aims: Lambert‐Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is an autoimmune neuromuscular junction disorder. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) can regulate the expression of mRNA and is involved in the development of autoimmune diseases, but few genetic studies are available. In this study we aimed to explore the lncRNA and mRNA changes of LEMS. Methods: Plasma lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles of three LEMS patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and three matched healthy controls were analyzed by microarray. Differentially expressed lncRNAs and adjacent mRNAs were jointly analyzed, and candidates were verified by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). The identified genes were subsequently evaluated in 9, 8, and 4 patients with paraneoplastic LEMS, nontumor LEMS, and SCLC, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to determine possible functions. Results: A total of 320 lncRNA and 168 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the three LEMS with SCLC and compared with healthy controls. Among these, lncRNA LOC338963 and its neighboring mRNA AP3B2 were upregulated jointly, which was confirmed by qRT‐PCR. qRT‐PCR revealed significant upregulation of the two genes in patients with paraneoplastic LEMS compared with nontumor LEMS or SCLC. GO analysis of AP3B2 identified the enrichment terms anterograde synaptic vesicle transport and establishment of synaptic vesicle localization. KEEG analysis showed that AP3B2 was enriched in lysosomal pathways. Discussion: LOC338963 and AP3B2 were upregulated in patients with paraneoplastic LEMS, suggesting their involvement in pathogenesis. These genes could be targets for exploring the pathomechanism of paraneoplastic LEMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Treatment of chronic drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) or herb‐induced liver injury(HILI) is an important and unresolved challenge. There is no consensus regarding the indications for corticosteroids for chronic DILI/HILI. Aims: To investigate the efficacy and safety of corticosteroid plus glycyrrhizin for patients with chronic DILI/HILI. Methods: This was a randomised open‐label trial. Eligible patients with causality assessment using the updated RUCAM were randomly assigned (1:1) either to the steroid treatment group (48‐week stepwise dose reduction of methylprednisolone plus glycyrrhizin) or control group (glycyrrhizin alone). Liver biopsies were performed at baseline and at the end of the 48‐week treatment period. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with sustained biochemical response (SBR). The secondary outcomes were improvement in liver histology, time to biochemical normalisation and safety. Results: Of 80 participants, 70 (87.5%) completed the trial. The patients were predominantly female (77.5%), aged >40 years (77.5%) and had a hepatocellular injury pattern of DILI (71.2%). Compared to the control group, the treatment group showed a higher proportion of SBR (94.3% vs. 71.4%, p = 0.023), shorter biochemical normalisation time and histological improvements in both histological activity and fibrosis. The DILI and HILI subgroups, as well as the autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)‐like DILI and non‐AIH‐like subgroups, showed comparable responses. No severe adverse events were observed during the trial. Conclusion: This study provides the first clinical evidence that corticosteroid plus glycyrrhizin therapy for chronic DILI with or without AIH‐like features can achieve both biochemical response and histological improvements with good safety. (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT 02651350). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi‐antenna signal detection is one of the most critical and challenging issues for ambient backscatter communication (AmBC) systems. This paper proposes an efficient multi‐antenna AmBC signal detection method, called Bayesian‐MLE (maximum likelihood estimation). It shows good performance on high transmission rate, detection accuracy and low energy consumption. Particularly, a practical multi‐antenna AmBC system model is developed to offer transmit‐receive diversity, and then an efficient multi‐antenna AmBC signal detection method is presented using Bayesian optimization and MLE theory. Furthermore, to maximize the detection performance, an optimal detection threshold selection scheme is developed. Particularly, a non‐central chi‐square distribution conditional probability density function (PDF) is considered instead of the conventional Gaussian PDF. Extensive qualitative and quantitative experiments are performed, showing that the proposed Bayesian‐MLE detector achieves the state‐of‐the‐art signal detection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

External thermal, electrical, and mechanical fields can induce structural phase transitions in lead‐free Li‐modified Na0.5K0.5NbO3 ferroelectrics, which significantly influence the macroscopic electromechanical response. In particular, the relative stability of the polar monoclinic (or orthorhombic) and tetragonal phases under temperature and stress is critical to realize the ferroelectric and piezoelectric response. In this study, the effect of mechanical and thermal fields on the local structure in the vicinity of the monoclinic‐tetragonal (M‐T) phase boundary was investigated using a novel in situ combined uniaxial compressive stress‐ and temperature‐dependent Raman spectroscopy experimental arrangement. Experiments were performed up to 300°C and −200 MPa, clearly demonstrating stress‐induced M‐T phase transition in Li‐modified Na0.5K0.5NbO3. A stress‐temperature phase diagram has been established based on the change in vibrational modes. It was possible to correlate the relative permittivity singularities previously observed to a given stage of the M‐T phase transition using ratio between characteristic Raman band areas. In addition, the measurement method reported here can be applied to other functional ceramics to investigate the influence of mechanical fields on local structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report a two‐phase crystalline NiWO4/amorphous Co−B nanocomposite as an electrode material for supercapacitors, which is effectively synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method and chemical precipitation method. The obtained NiWO4/Co−B exhibits crystal‐amorphous contact, which makes it have more active sites than other crystalline‐crystalline phase boundaries, thereby enhancing electron transport. The NiWO4/Co−B electrode with the best mass ratio of crystalline and amorphous exhibits a great specific capacitance and excellent cycle durability. Compared to individual Co−B and NiWO4, it also shows enhanced rate capability Besides, NiWO4/Co−B/activated carbon supercapacitor device can provide a good specific capacitance and a maximum energy density of 10.92 Wh kg−1 at 200 W kg−1. This work provides new insights to develop novel electrode materials for energy storage and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead‐free piezoelectric materials with excellent performance are greatly demanded for the environmental issues. The lead‐free ferroelectric single crystals are therefore greatly concerned for their much higher piezoelectricity than the polycrystalline counterparts and the domain‐tunable property. However, the growth of large size and high‐quality lead‐free ferroelectric crystals has always been a great challenge. In this work, a ferroelectric KTa1‐xNbxO3 (KTN) single crystal with an extremely large size of 25 × 25 × 37 mm3 was grown using the modified top‐seeded solution growth method. The large size enabled us to carry out comprehensive investigations on the crystal. The complete sets of dielectric, piezoelectric, and elastic constants for the [001]C‐poled KTN crystal with quasi single domain state were determined. Results showed that the crystal exhibits high electromechanical coupling coefficients with kt~0.642 and k33~0.679. Furthermore, the orientation dependence of the piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic properties was determined by the tensor matrix transformation technique, and the maximum d33, s33E, and k33 were found along the polar direction [001]C. This work not only provides important guidance for the growth technology of lead‐free ferroelectric crystals but also offers essential datasets of lead‐free alkali niobate system, which is of great importance for both theoretical studies and designs of electromechanical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of advanced electrical and electronic devices and the requirement of environmental protection, lead‐free dielectric capacitors with excellent energy storage performance have aroused great attention. However, it is a great challenge to achieve both large energy storage density and high efficiency simultaneously in dielectric capacitors. This work investigates the energy storage performance of sol‐gel‐processed (K,Na)NbO3‐based lead‐free ferroelectric films on silicon substrates with compositions of 0.95(K0.49Na0.49Li0.02)(Nb0.8Ta0.2)O3‐0.05CaZrO3‐x mol% Mn (KNN‐LT‐CZ5‐x mol% Mn). The appropriate amount of Mn‐doping facilitates the coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases, suppresses the leakage current, and considerably enhances the breakdown strengths of KNN‐LT‐CZ5 films. Consequently, large recoverable energy storage density up to 64.6 J cm−3 with a high efficiency of 84.6% under an electric field of 3080 kV cm−1 are achieved in KNN‐LT‐CZ5‐5 mol% Mn film. This, to the best of our knowledge, is superior to the majority of both the lead‐based and lead‐free films on silicon substrates and thus demonstrates great potentials of (K,Na)NbO3‐based lead‐free films as dielectric energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved method to synthesize 1-glycosyl thioacetates was developed, where per-O-acetylated glycoses were allowed to directly react with potassium thioacetate (KSAc) in the presence of BFrEt2O in ethyl acetate under mild conditions. This method not only overcomes the disadvantage of the traditional onestep method, which is that the odorous and toxic thioacetic acid has to be used, but also overcomes the disadvantage of the traditional two-step method, which is that the unstable intermediate, glycosyl halide, has to be synthesized from the per-O-acetylated glycose in advance. Based on this, the per-Oacetylated glucosyl disulfide and the per-O-acetylated glucosyl 1-thiol were efficiently synthesized in high yields (91% and 90% respectively) starting from per-O-acetylated glycoses in two-step without the need to isolate intermediate products. Through metal-catalyzed cross-coupling of per-O-acetylated glucosyl 1-thiol with aryl-iodide under very mild conditions, two thioglucoside gliflozin analogues were efficiently synthesized in high yields for the first time. These two thioglucoside gliflozin analogues were further confirmed to be stable to hydrolysis of ß-glucosidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroelectric domain walls (DWs) are an important feature of ferroelectric materials and play a vital role in the ferroelectric materials, where charged DWs are a focus of extensive research due to their unique interfacial properties. Herein, epitaxial (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN)‐based thin films are prepared by a sol–gel method, and the monoclinic MC structure of the thin film is confirmed. Stripe‐shaped domain patterns with head‐to‐head and tail‐to‐tail charged DWs in the (110)pc and (1¯10)pc planes are observed in the KNN‐based epitaxial thin film. Although the screening of the bound charges in the charged DWs inevitably increases the energy of the system, the charged DWs in the KNN‐based epitaxial thin film are stabilized by the lattice mismatch strain between the thin film and the substrate. These interesting findings should shed light on the exploration of the functional charged DWs by strain engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interface engineering of highly efficient electrode materials is of dominant importance for enhancing the electrochemical performance of advanced energy storage devices. Here, we demonstrate the construction of a novel crystalline@amorphous core‐shell nanostructured with Co3V2O8 spherical particles as the cores and Co−B nanoflakes as the shells. The Co−B shell layer thickness could be tuned by changing the mass ratio of Co3V2O8 and B source. This unique structure shows intriguing synergistic properties with increased electroactive sites and also provides effective space and a short diffusion distance for faradaic reactions. The tunable amorphous layer facilitates the electrolyte diffusion while showing elastic behavior to alleviate the volume strain of Co3V2O8, and also provides a path for electron transport. The resulting Co3V2O8@Co−B under optimum conditions exhibits a high specific capacitance, remarkable rate performance, and outstanding cycling stability. Such an effective redox approach may shed substantial light on inspiring crystalline/amorphous contacts and their derivatives for energy storage and conversion devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is the key driving force behind diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Autophagy is extensively implicated in adaptive mechanisms for cell survival. Interleukin‐33 (IL‐33) is known to be a potent cardiac protector, but its roles in DCM, ER stress, and autophagy are currently unknown. We aimed to explore the effects of IL‐33 on DCM and characterize the roles that ER stress and autophagy play in DCM. The effects of IL‐33 on DCM, ER stress, and autophagy were characterized both in db/db mice and in palmitic acid (PA)‐treated cardiomyocytes. The manipulators of ER stress and autophagy were used to clarify their roles in DCM remittance conferred by IL‐33. Gene expression analysis was used to identify IL‐33‐dependent regulators of ER stress and autophagy. Both db/db mice and PA‐treated cells presented with enhanced levels of ER stress, apoptosis, and lipid deposition, as well as impaired autophagy, all of which could be reversed by IL‐33. Treatment with IL‐33 improved the cardiac diastolic function of diabetic mice. Nonselective autophagy inhibitors, such as 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA) or wortmannin, abolished the protective effects of IL‐33, resulting in an increase in both ER stress and apoptosis. Strikingly, insulin‐like growth factor‐binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) was identified as the gene most significantly differentially expressed between IL‐33 and control groups. Knockdown of IGFBP3 expression, similar to the effect of nonselective autophagy inhibitors, resulted in high levels of ER stress, impaired autophagy, and apoptosis that were not rescued upon treatment with IL‐33. IL‐33 abates DCM by alleviating ER stress and promoting autophagy. IGFBP3 is essential for IL‐33‐induced ER stress resolution and autophagic enhancement during DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amorphous cobalt boride alloy with high electronic conductivity is fabricated through the liquid‐phase reduction method. Benefiting from large specific surface area and hierarchical pore structure, the as‐synthesized Co‐B nanoflakes expose substantial electrochemical active sites, promote the transfer of electrons and ions, and accelerate the redox kinetic process. The as‐obtained amorphous Co‐B alloy sample displays a specific capacitance of 411 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1, and with the current density increased to 10 A g−1, it maintains 69% of the initial capacitance. The as‐assembled asymmetric supercapacitor device reveals electrochemical properties comprising an excellent specific capacitance of 64.3 F g−1 at 0.25 A g−1, superior cyclical stability of 105% after 20,000 cycles at 3 A g−1, and maximum energy density of 22.9 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 200.3 W kg−1. This study demonstrates great potential in developing high‐conductivity materials for an asymmetric supercapacitor through utilizing an amorphous cobalt boride alloy as a promising electrode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread application of thermoelectric (TE) technology demands high‐performance materials, which has stimulated unceasing efforts devoted to the performance enhancement of Bi2Te3‐based commercialized thermoelectric materials. This study highlights the importance of the synthesis process for high‐performance achievement and demonstrates that the enhancement of the thermoelectric performance of (Bi,Sb)2Te3 can be achieved by applying cyclic spark plasma sintering to BixSb2–xTe3‐Te above its eutectic temperature. This facile process results in a unique microstructure characterized by the growth of grains and plentiful nanostructures. The enlarged grains lead to high charge carrier mobility that boosts the power factor. The abundant dislocations originating from the plastic deformation during cyclic liquid phase sintering and the pinning effect by the Sb‐rich nano‐precipitates result in low lattice thermal conductivity. Therefore, a high ZT value of over 1.46 is achieved, which is 50% higher than conventionally spark‐plasma‐sintered (Bi,Sb)2Te3. The proposed cyclic spark plasma liquid phase sintering process for TE performance enhancement is validated by the representative (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thermoelectric alloy and is applicable for other telluride‐based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bismuth telluride‐based materials are already being commercially developed for thermoelectric (TE) cooling devices and power generators. However, the relatively low efficiency, which is characterized by a TE figure of merit, zT, is the main obstacle to more widespread application. Significant advances in the TE performance have been made through boundary engineering via embedding nanoinclusions or nanoscale grains. Herein, an effective approach to greatly enhance the TE performance of p‐type BiSbTe material by incorporating carbon microfibers is reported. A high zT of 1.4 at 375 K and high average zT of 1.25 for temperatures in the range of 300 to 500 K is achieved in the BiSbTe/carbon microfiber (BST/CF) composite materials. Their superior TE performance originates from the low thermal conductivity and the relatively high power factor. A TE unicouple device based on the p‐type BST/CF composite material and the commercially available n‐type bismuth telluride‐based material shows a huge cooling temperature drop in the operating temperature range of 299–375 K, and is greatly superior to the unicouple device made of both commercial p‐type and n‐type bismuth telluride‐based material. The materials demonstrate a high average zT and excellent mechanical properties and are strong candidates for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the value of high‐flow nasal cannula (HNFC) oxygen therapy in treating patients with severe novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID‐19). Methods: The clinical data of 22 patients with severe COVID‐19 were collected. The heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and oxygenation index (PO2/FiO2) at 0, 6, 24 and 72 hours after treatment were compared between the HFNC oxygen therapy group and the conventional oxygen therapy (COT) group. In addition, the white blood cell (WBC) count, lymphocyte (L) count, C‐reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) were compared before and at 72 hours after oxygen therapy treatment. Results: The differences at 0 hours between the two groups were not statistically significant. Compared with COT group,in the HFNC oxygen therapy group, HR, RR and PaO2/FiO2 were better at 6 hours after treatment, PaO2/FiO2 was better at 24 and 72 hours. After 72 hours, L and CRP had improved in the HFNC oxygen therapy group compared with the COT group, but the differences in WBC and PCT were not statistically significant. The length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and the total length of hospitalization was shorter in the HFNC oxygen therapy group than in the COT group. Conclusion: Compared with COT, early application of HFNC oxygen therapy in patients with severe COVID‐19 can improve oxygenation and RR, and HFNC oxygen therapy can improve the infection indexes of patients and reduce the length of stay in the ICU of patients. Therefore, it has high clinical application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]