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Natural rubber is an important national strategic and industrial raw material. The leaf anthracnose of rubber trees caused by the Colletotrichum species is one of the important factors restricting the yields of natural rubber. In this study, we isolated and identified strain Bacillus velezensis SF334, which exhibited significant antagonistic activity against both C. australisinense and C. siamense, the dominant species of Colletotrichum causing rubber tree leaf anthracnose in the Hainan province of China, from a pool of 223 bacterial strains. The cell suspensions of SF334 had a significant prevention effect for the leaf anthracnose of rubber trees, with an efficacy of 79.67% against C. siamense and 71.8% against C. australisinense. We demonstrated that SF334 can lead to the lysis of C. australisinense and C. siamense mycelia by causing mycelial expansion, resulting in mycelial rupture and subsequent death. B. velezensis SF334 also harbors some plant probiotic traits, such as secreting siderophore, protease, cellulase, pectinase, and the auxin of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and it has broad-spectrum antifungal activity against some important plant pathogenic fungi. The genome combined with comparative genomic analyses indicated that SF334 possesses most genes of the central metabolic and gene clusters of secondary metabolites in B. velezensis strains. To our knowledge, this is the first time a Bacillus velezensis strain has been reported as a promising biocontrol agent against the leaf anthracnose of rubber trees caused by C. siamense and C. australisinense. The results suggest that B. velezensis could be a potential candidate agent for the leaf anthracnose of rubber trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high integration density of microelectronic devices leads to local heat accumulation, and effective heat dissipation and signal transmission of packaging materials have become the primary issues to be solved. However, existing polymer materials have difficulty meeting the requirements due to their unsatisfactory thermal conductivity and thermal expansion properties. In this work, we proposed the use of digital light processing (DLP) printing technology to construct a triply periodic minimum surface (TPMS) skeleton, and a continuous and efficient heat conduction path was successfully constructed in epoxy resin by impregnating h-BN on the skeleton surface. When the loading of h-BN was 20 vol%, the thermal conductivity of the TPMS(SiO 2)@BN/EP(BN) composites was 1.86 W/(m·K), which was 786 % higher than that of pure epoxy resin. In addition, the thermal expansion coefficient of the composites decreased by more than 70 %. At the test frequencies of 3∼10 MHz, the composites showed stable dielectric properties, and the dielectric constant was always maintained in a low range, between 3.85 and 4.15. This work has realized the transformation of the method for constructing a heat conduction path from disordered to ordered and from random to repeatable. This provides a new strategy for the selection of microelectronic packaging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The latticework structure known as the cosmic web provides a valuable insight into the assembly history of large-scale structures. Despite the variety of methods to identify the cosmic web structures, they mostly rely on the assumption that galaxies are embedded in a Euclidean geometric space. Here, we present a novel cosmic web identifier called sconce (S pherical and CON ic C osmic w E b finder) that inherently considers the 2D (RA, DEC) spherical or the 3D (RA, DEC, z) conic geometry. The proposed algorithms in sconce generalize the well-known subspace constrained mean shift (scms) method and primarily address the predominant filament detection problem. They are intrinsic to the spherical/conic geometry and invariant to data rotations. We further test the efficacy of our method with an artificial cross-shaped filament example and apply it to the SDSS galaxy catalogue, revealing that the 2D spherical version of our algorithms is robust even in regions of high declination. Finally, using N -body simulations from Illustris, we show that the 3D conic version of our algorithms is more robust in detecting filaments than the standard scms method under the redshift distortions caused by the peculiar velocities of haloes. Our cosmic web finder is packaged in python as sconce-scms and has been made publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reported here is a systematical investigation on the crystal structure, magnetic properties and magnetocaloric (MC) effect of three rare earth (RE) molybdate RE 2 MoO 6 (RE = Dy, Tb and Gd) oxides. The X-ray powder diffraction and the morphology as examined using the scanning electron microscope indicate phase-pure and polycrystalline nature of these oxides. The temperature (2–100 K) and magnetic field (up to 5 T) dependence of the magnetic measurements determine the magnetic phase transition (MPT) and MC properties. All the present RE 2 MoO 6 oxides crystallize in a monoclinic structure belonging to C 2/ c space group with the antiferromagnetic ordering at low temperature. Moreover, the RE 2 MoO 6 oxides hold reasonable values of MC parameters including the maximum isothermal magnetic entropy change/temperature-averaged entropy change (2 K lift) and relative cooling power values have been evaluated with the magnetic change of 0–5 T, yielding 17.22 (17.08) J/kgK and 277.67 J/kg for Dy 2 MoO 6 , 17.03 (16.83) J/kgK and 261.12 J/kg for Tb 2 MoO 6 , as well as 27.68 (26.69) J/kgK and 228.14 J/kg for Gd 2 MoO 6 , respectively. These acceptable MC parameters make the present RE 2 MoO 6 oxides potential candidates for cryogenic magnetic refrigeration (MR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) has been extensively studied in various magnetic solids, aiming to both facilitate practical applications in magnetic cooling and deepen our understanding these materials' intrinsic properties. This study presents a systematic investigation of Gd 2 Ti 2 O 7 oxide, characterized by a geometrically frustrated magnetic structure, focusing on its structural and magnetic characteristics through experimental analysis and theoretical calculations. Emphasis is placed on its magnetic phase transition (MPT) and magnetocaloric properties, scrutinizing temperatures as low as 0.4 K and magnetic fields up to 16 T. The results reveal that Gd 2 Ti 2 O 7 oxide possesses a crystalline cubic pyrochlore-type structure with an antiferromagnetic (AFM) semiconductor ground state. The material undergoes a first-order MPT in low field and low-temperature regimes, transitioning to a second-order MPT above 2 K up to 16 T. Evaluation of magnetocaloric parameters, including maximum magnetic entropy change, temperature-averaged entropy change, relative cooling power, and refrigerant capacity, indicates moderate values under low magnetic field changes, while significantly large values are achievable under high magnetic field changes. This finding suggests that potential cryogenic magnetocaloric materials (MCMs) with optimal performance should exhibit low MPT temperatures induced by magnetic frustration and possess a ground state with a sufficiently large magnetic moment induced by low magnetic fields, thus avoiding excessively strong AFM coupling. This study lays the groundwork for future cryogenic MCM design and provides valuable insights into the intrinsic properties of geometrically frustrated magnetic materials. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited-angle CT is a challenging problem in real applications. Incomplete projection data will lead to severe artifacts and distortions in reconstruction images. To tackle this problem, we propose a novel reconstruction framework termed Deep Iterative Optimization-based Residual-learning (DIOR) for limited-angle CT. Instead of directly deploying the regularization term on image space, the DIOR combines iterative optimization and deep learning based on the residual domain, significantly improving the convergence property and generalization ability. Specifically, the asymmetric convolutional modules are adopted to strengthen the feature extraction capacity in smooth regions for deep priors. Besides, in our DIOR method, the information contained in low-frequency and high-frequency components is also evaluated by perceptual loss to improve the performance in tissue preservation. Both simulated and clinical datasets are performed to validate the performance of DIOR. Compared with existing competitive algorithms, quantitative and qualitative results show that the proposed method brings a promising improvement in artifact removal, detail restoration and edge preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray computed tomography (CT) is of great clinical significance in medical practice because it can provide anatomical information about the human body without invasion, while its radiation risk has continued to attract public concerns. Reducing the radiation dose may induce noise and artifacts to the reconstructed images, which will interfere with the judgments of radiologists. Previous studies have confirmed that deep learning (DL) is promising for improving low-dose CT imaging. However, almost all the DL-based methods suffer from subtle structure degeneration and blurring effect after aggressive denoising, which has become the general challenging issue. This paper develops the Comprehensive Learning Enabled Adversarial Reconstruction (CLEAR) method to tackle the above problems. CLEAR achieves subtle structure enhanced low-dose CT imaging through a progressive improvement strategy. First, the generator established on the comprehensive domain can extract more features than the one built on degraded CT images and directly map raw projections to high-quality CT images, which is significantly different from the routine GAN practice. Second, a multi-level loss is assigned to the generator to push all the network components to be updated towards high-quality reconstruction, preserving the consistency between generated images and gold-standard images. Finally, following the WGAN-GP modality, CLEAR can migrate the real statistical properties to the generated images to alleviate over-smoothing. Qualitative and quantitative analyses have demonstrated the competitive performance of CLEAR in terms of noise suppression, structural fidelity and visual perception improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a detailed investigation with respect to the structural, cryogenic magnetic properties and magnetocaloric performances of RE 2 CuMnO 6 (RE = Gd, Dy, Ho and Er) double perovskite (DP) compounds has been performed. All the RE 2 CuMnO 6 compounds are confirmed to B -site disordered and crystallized in the GdFeO 3 -type structure (Pnma space group, N 62, oP20). The magnetic transition temperatures (T M) are found to be ~7.5 K for Gd 2 CuMnO 6 , ~12.1 K for Dy 2 CuMnO 6 , ~12.2 K for Ho 2 CuMnO 6 , and ~3.6 K for Er 2 CuMnO 6 , respectively. Moreover, for checking the magnetocaloric performances several vital parameters including -Δ S M max (peak value of magnetic entropy change, -Δ S M), TEC (3) (temperature averaged -Δ S M) and RCP (relative cooling powers) are evaluated to be 7.84, 7.73 J/kgK and 151.1 J/kg for Gd 2 CuMnO 6 , 5.69, 5.59 J/kgK and 180.9 J/kg for Dy 2 CuMnO 6 , 7.12, 7.05 J/kgK and 192.4 J/kg for Ho 2 CuMnO 6 , as well as 9.92, 9.60 J/kgK and 195.9 J/kg for Er 2 CuMnO 6 under the magnetic field change Δ H = 5 T, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present the crystal structure, magnetic properties, and cryogenic magneto-caloric effect (MCE) of RE 2 FeAlO 6 (RE = Gd, Dy, Ho) oxides. The XRD refinement analysis suggests that all the RE 2 FeAlO 6 oxides are crystallized in B-site disordered orthorhombic structure. The RE 2 FeAlO 6 oxides exhibit large MCEs around T C. The peak magnetic entropy change (-Δ S M) and refrigeration capacity (RC) are 25.9 J/(kgK) and 240.1 J/kg for Gd 2 FeAlO 6 , 10.7 J/(kgK) and 274.9 J/kg for Dy 2 FeAlO 6 , 9.6 J/(kgK) and 249.6 J/kg for Ho 2 FeAlO 6 under Δ H of 0–70 kOe, respectively. Notably, Gd 2 FeAlO 6 exhibits promising magneto-caloric performance and therefore is a favorable candidate for cryogenic magnetic refrigeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure, cryogenic magnetic properties, magneto-caloric effect (MCE) and refrigeration performance of equi-atomic HoErGdCuNi ribbons have been investigated. Fully amorphousized structure with uniform distribution for all constituent elements is obtained. A table-like MCE that covers the temperature region from liquid nitrogen to liquid hydrogen is observed, which leads to a giant refrigerant capacity. Accordingly, the maximum magnetic entropy change (- Δ S M max) , temperature-averaged entropy change [ TEC (10)] and refrigerant capacity (RC) are 15.8 J/kgK, 15.7 J/kgK and 903 J/kg, respectively, at the magnetic field change (Δ H) of 0–7 T. The equi-atomic HoErGdCuNi amorphous ribbons with good MCE parameters especially those with large RC values, are an attractive candidate for cryogenic magnetic refrigeration materials. • Magnetism and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of HoErGdCuNi ribbons were investigated. • A giant refrigerant capacity (RC) in HoErGdCuNi ribbons was obtained. • The origin of MCE and its potential application in HoErGdCuNi were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract It is well known that rare earth (RE) based intermetallic compounds reveal various interesting magnetic properties depending on the crystallized structures and the constituent elements, paving the way for potential applications in different fields. Recent progresses regarding magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in ternary rare earth RE 2 T 2 X (RE = Gd-Tm; T = Cu, Ni, Co; and X = Cd, In, Ga, Sn, Al) intermetallic compounds are reviewed in this paper. Some of them exhibit excellent MCE performances which make them attractive in the field of magnetic refrigeration at low temperature. With the aim of understanding the magnetocaloric characteristics of RE 2 T 2 X compounds, the crystal structure, magnetism and magnetic phase transition are also focused. The origin of the MCE together with the physics behind and the potential application of RE 2 T 2 X compounds are thoroughly considered. Highlights • Magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in RE 2 T2X compounds are reviewed. • The RE 2 T2X compounds show four types of crystallize structures. • Some of them exhibit excellent cryogenic magnetocaloric performances. • The origin of magnetocaloric effect in RE 2 T2X compounds is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Magnetic cooling technology based on the magneto-caloric effect (MCE) has emerged as a viable alternative to conventional vapor compression refrigeration technology. Exploring suitable magnetic solids with promising magneto-caloric performances is a key issue in this field. Here, we report a systematic characterization of the glass forming ability, microstructure, magnetism and MCE of Ho 57 Cu 25 Al 18 and Tm 57 Cu 25 Al 18 amorphous ribbons. Promising MCE performances were observed for both ribbons at low temperature. Compared with most of the rare earth-based amorphous alloys, both ribbons were found to have comparable or even larger values of -Δ S M max (maximum magnetic entropy change), RC (refrigeration capacity) and RCP (relative cooling power). These promising magneto-caloric performances make amorphousized RE 57 Cu 25 Al 18 ribbons attractive for active cryogenic magnetic refrigeration. Highlights • Magnetism and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in RE 57 Cu 25 Al 18 ribbons were studied. • Promising MCE performance was observed in amorphous RE 57 Cu 25 Al 18 ribbons. • The origin of MCE in amorphous RE 57 Cu 25 Al 18 ribbons was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Double perovskite Pr 2 NiMnO 6 (PNMO) and Pr 2 CoMnO 6 (PCMO) ceramics have been synthesized and their crystal structure, microstructure, as well as cryogenic magnetic properties and magnetocaloric performance have been investigated. The crystal structure of PNMO and PCMO ceramics was determined to be monoclinic with space group of P21/n at room temperature. A ferromagnetic to paramagnetic (FM-PM) phase transition (second-order) occurred in PNMO and PCMO around 208 and 170 K, respectively. Significant reversible magnetocaloric effect (MCE) was found and the values of the maximum magnetic entropy change (-Δ S M max) were 3.15 and 3.91 J/kg-K under the magnetic field change (Δ H) of 0–7 T in PNMO and PCMO, respectively. The corresponding relative cooling power (RCP) values were 241.9 and 229.9 J/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrochlore RE 2 TiMnO 7 ( RE = Dy and Ho) compounds were synthesized using a ceramic method, and their crystal structures, microstructures, and cryogenic magnetic properties were determined. Dy 2 TiMnO 7 and Ho 2 TiMnO 7 compounds belong to the Fd-3m space group with a cubic pyrochlore structure and show a considerable reversible magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the vicinity of the second-order ferromagnetic-paramagnetic (FM-PM) phase transition at the Curie temperature ( T C ) of 7.6 and 7.5 K, respectively. The obtained maximal values of magnetic entropy change (-Δ S M max ) for Dy 2 TiMnO 7 and Ho 2 TiMnO 7 are 12.50 and 13.95 J/kg K under a magnetic field change (Δ H ) of 0–7 T, respectively. Correspondingly, the relative cooling power ( RCP ) values reach 530.3 and 573.2 J/kg, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ferromagnetic Al-Mn-Fe-Co-Cr high-entropy (HE) alloys were fabricated. • Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric (MC) properties were reported. • Combined experimentally determined and theoretically analyzed was performed. • Excellent MC properties were achieved at room temperature. • These HE alloys have potential for room temperature magnetic refrigeration. In the present study, the structure, magnetic phase transition, and magnetocaloric performance of Al 20 Mn 20 Fe 20 Co 14.5+ x Cr 25.5- x (x = 0, 1, and 2), a series of typical rare-earth-free high-entropy (HE) alloys, were experimentally determined and theoretically analyzed based on first-principle calculation. Ferromagnetic behavior was established and their Curie temperature could be tuned in a wide temperature range, which correlated with Co content; specifically, it increased from 282.8 K for Co 14.5 Cr 25.5 to 345.8 K for Co 16.5 Cr 23.5. In addition, the electronic density of states and magnetic moments associated with each consistent element were analyzed in the HE alloys. Maximum magnetic entropy changes of 1.135, 1.150, and 1.096 J/kgK were obtained for an x of 0, 1, and 2 under a magnetic field change of 5 T. These values are comparable or superior to those of reported 3 d metal-based HE alloys. Furthermore, the experimental characterizations and theoretical predications agreed well, which provided an in-depth understanding of the rare-earth-free HE Al-Mn-Co-Fe-Cr alloy system, which is expected to be expanded to other systems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) is a social pest species with a robust reproductive ability that causes extensive damage. Identification of the genes involved in queen fertility is critical in order to better understand the reproductive biology and screening for the potential molecular targets in S. invicta. Here, we used the mRNA deep sequencing (RNA-seq) approach to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the transcriptomes of three reproductive caste types of S. invicta, including queen (QA) and winged female (FA) and male (MA) ants. The genes that were specific to and highly expressed in the queens were then screened, and the Vg2 and Vg3 genes were chosen as targets to explore their functions in oogenesis and fertility. A minimum of 6.08 giga bases (Gb) of clean reads was obtained from all samples, with a mapping rate > 89.78%. There were 7524, 7133, and 977 DEGs identified in the MA vs. QA, MA vs. FA, and FA vs. QA comparisons, respectively. qRT–PCR was used to validate 10 randomly selected DEGs, including vitellogenin 2 (Vg2) and 3 (Vg3), and their expression patterns were mostly consistent with the RNA-seq data. The S. invicta Vgs included conserved domains and motifs that are commonly found in most insect Vgs. SiVg2 and SiVg3 were highly expressed in queens and winged females and were most highly expressed in the thorax, followed by the fat body, head, and epidermis. Evaluation based on a loss-of-function-based knockdown analysis showed that the downregulation of either or both of these genes resulted in smaller ovaries, less oogenesis, and less egg production. The results of transcriptional sequencing provide a foundation for clarifying the regulators of queen fertility in S. invicta. The functions of SiVg2 and SiVg3 as regulators of oogenesis highlight their importance in queen fecundity and their potential as targets of reproductive disruption in S. invicta control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphousized Ni30Co10RE60 (RE = Ho and Tm) ribbons have been prepared by melt-spinning technique, and their microstructure, glass formation ability, magnetic properties and cryogenic magneto-caloric effect (MCE) were systematically investigated. Based on the X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopic, the Ni30Co10Ho60 and Ni30Co10Tm60 ribbons show fully amorphous structure. The ribbons are confirmed to reveal a second-order magnetic phase transition (paramagnetic to ferromagnetic) by the magnetization measurements and Arrott plot analysis. A considerable MCE is found in Ni30Co10Ho60 and Ni30Co10Tm60 ribbons around their respective Curie temperatures (TC) of 22.7 and 6.3 K, respectively. Under a magnetic field change (∆H) of 0-5 T, the magnetic entropy change (− ∆SM) reaches 12.5 and 14.2 J/kg K, and the relative cooling power reaches 447 and 242 J/kg for Ni30Co10Ho60 and Ni30Co10Tm60, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RGA5 is a component of the Pia resistance‐protein pair (RGA4/RGA5) from Oryza sativa L. japonica. It acts as an immune receptor that directly recognizes the effector AVR1‐CO39 from Magnaporthe oryzae via a C‐terminal non‐LRR domain (RGA5A_S). The interaction between RGA5A_S and AVR1‐CO39 relieves the repression of RGA4, leading to effector‐independent cell death. To determine the structure of the complex of RGA5A_S and AVR1‐CO39 and to understand the details of this interaction, the complex was prepared by fusing the proteins together, by mixing them in vitro or by co‐expressing them in one host cell. Samples purified via the first two strategies were crystallized under two different conditions. A mixture of AVR1‐CO39 and RGA5A_S (complex I) crystallized in 1.1 M ammonium tartrate dibasic, 0.1 M sodium acetate–HCl pH 4.6, while crystals of the fusion complex RGA5A_S‐TEV‐AVR1‐CO39 (complex II) were grown in 2 M NaCl. The crystal of complex I belonged to space group P3121, with unit‐cell parameters a = b = 66.2, c = 108.8 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°. The crystals diffracted to a Bragg spacing of 2.4 Å, and one molecule each of RGA5A_S and AVR1‐CO39 were present in the asymmetric unit of the initial model. The crystal of complex II belonged to space group I4, with unit‐cell parameters a = b = 137.4, c = 66.2 Å, α = β = γ = 90°. The crystals diffracted to a Bragg spacing of 2.72 Å, and there were two molecules of RGA5A_S and two molecules of AVR1‐CO39 in the asymmetric unit of the initial model. Further structural characterization of the interaction between RGA5A_S and AVR1‐CO39 will lead to a better understanding of the mechanism underlying effector recognition by R proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure, magnetic transition and magnetocaloric properties in the ternary gallium intermetallic compounds of Ho 2 Ni 2 Ga and Tm 2 Ni 2 Ga have been systematically investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and magnetization measurements. As found from powder XRD and Rietveld refinement, Ho 2 Ni 2 Ga and Tm 2 Ni 2 Ga crystallized in an orthorhombic structure of the W 2 B 2 Co type belonging to the Immm space group. Both compounds are ordering antiferromagnetically at low temperatures and under low magnetic fields together with a field-induced metamagnetic transition from antiferromagnetic (AFM) to ferromagnetic (FM). Peculiar and similar magnetocaloric properties are observed for both compounds, i. e., an inverse magnetocaloric effect (positive magnetic entropy change, Δ S M ) under low magnetic field changes (Δ H ) and at low temperatures together with a large normal reversible magnetocaloric effect under high Δ H . The positive Δ S M below/at the Néel temperatures ( T N ) is ascribed to first order transition from antiferromagnetic (AFM) to ferromagnetic (FM) states, whereas the negative Δ S M above T N is due to the fact of the magnetic transition from paramagnetic (PM) to ferromagnetic (FM) states. Based on the field-dependent magnetization data, the maximum magnetic entropy change (−Δ S M max ), relative cooling power ( RCP ) and refrigerant capacity ( RC ) are established, and the corresponding values are 9.6 J/kg K, 276 J/kg and 206 J/kg for Ho 2 Ni 2 Ga, and are 4.3 J/kg K, 60 J/kg and 46 J/kg for Tm 2 Ni 2 Ga, respectively, for a magnetic field change of 0–70 kOe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic properties and magnetic entropy change of amorphousized Tm 60 Co 20 Ni 20 ribbon were systematically studied. The results indicate that the Tm 60 Co 20 Ni 20 amorphous ribbon reveals a second order magnetic transition (paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state) based on the Arrott plots and rescaled magnetic entropy change curves. A large magnetic entropy change is achieved around its Curie temperature of T C ∼6.7 K. Under the magnetic field change (Δ Η ) of 0–5 T, the maximum values of magnetic entropy change (−Δ S M max ) and relative cooling power ( RCP ) are 17.1 J/kg K and 273 J/kg, respectively. In particular, under a relative low Δ Η of 0–2 T, a large magnetic entropy change of 11.8 J/kg K reaches, making it attractive in the field of low-temperature magnetic refrigeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report on a detailed investigation of the crystal structure, cryogenic magnetic and magneto-caloric properties in Ho 2 BaCuO 5 cuprate. The Ho 2 BaCuO 5 crystallized in the orthorhombic crystal structure with Pbnm space group and undergoes a paramagnetic (PM) to antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at the Néel temperature ( T N ) of 12.5 K. An obvious signal change in the magneto-caloric effect (MCE) was observed, which is correlated with the fact of the AFM ground state inducing a small negative magnetic entropy change (-Δ S M ) at/below T N and a field-induced metamagnetic transition (first ordered) from AFM to ferromagnetic (FM) producing a large positive -Δ S M above T N . For a magnetic field change of 0–7 T, the -Δ S M max ≈ 10.4 J/kg K, RCP ≈ 263 J/kg and RC ≈ 199 J/kg for the maximum magnetic entropy change, relative cooling power and refrigerant capacity are evaluated, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two single-phased aluminide RE NiAl 2 ( RE = Ho and Er) compounds have been synthesized by an arc-melting method. The magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of HoNiAl 2 and ErNiAl 2 have been studied by magnetization measurements. A second-order paramagnetic (PM) to ferromagnetic (FM) phase transition together with a considerable reversible MCE were observed around the Curie temperature T C ∼7.5 K and 5.0 K for HoNiAl 2 and ErNiAl 2 , respectively. Under the magnetic field change (Δ H ) of 0–5 T, the maximal values of magnetic entropy change, refrigerant capacity and relative cooling power are 14.0 J/kg K, 171 J/kg, 213 J/kg for HoNiAl 2 and 21.2 J/kg K, 267 J/kg, 357 J/kg for ErNiAl 2 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reported the magnetism, magnetic phase transition behavior and magnetocaloric effect of the ternary Dy 2 CuSi 3 and Ho 2 CuSi 3 compounds. A second order magnetic phase transition from a paramagnetic (PM) to ferromagnetic (FM) state around their respective Curie temperatures were confirmed by using the magnetic measurements and rescaled magnetic entropy change curves in both compounds. A large magnetic entropy change was obtained with the absence of thermal and magnetic hysteresis loss in both compounds. The maximal magnetic entropy change (-Δ S M max ) reach 18.3 and 28.3 J/kg K for a magnetic field change of 0–70 kOe in Dy 2 CuSi 3 and Ho 2 CuSi 3 , respectively. The corresponding values of relative cooling power ( RCP ) are evaluated to be 460 J/kg and 627 J/kg, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic properties, magnetocaloric effect (MCE) and universal behaviour of ternary Cadmium compounds Gd 2 Cu 2 Cd and Er 2 Cu 2 Cd have been investigated systematically. A second order magnetic phase transition from a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state is observed for Gd 2 Cu 2 Cd and Er 2 Cu 2 Cd at their own Curie temperatures of T C ∼120 and 36 K, respectively. A large reversible MCE occurs near its own T C for both compounds. The maximum values of magnetic entropy change (−Δ S M max ) are 10.1 and 19.1 J/kg K under a magnetic field change of 0–7 T with no obviously hysteresis loss for Gd 2 Cu 2 Cd and Er 2 Cu 2 Cd, respectively. The corresponding values of refrigerant capacity ( RC ) and relative cooling power ( RCP ) are evaluated to be 386 and 373 J/kg, and to be 525 and 489 J/kg, respectively. The rescaled magnetic entropy change curves collapse onto a single curve for various magnetic fields, further confirming the Gd 2 Cu 2 Cd and Er 2 Cu 2 Cd compounds with the second order phase transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the low concentration and intractable VOCs and CO 2 , plasma-coupled catalysis has superior advantages and development potential to deal with them. However, there are critical issues such as efficiency to be further improved and unclear coupling mechanism to reveal. In this review, various types of catalysts are categorized and evaluated by exploring their enhancement effect in plasma-catalytic system to indicate their synergistic excellence and application limitation. Besides, the detailed research of synergistic mechanism between plasma and catalysis is given more attention, which is rapidly progressing due to the development of in-situ experimental techniques and kinetic analysis approach. In our view, the future direction of plasma catalysis is to reveal the synergistic mechanism more deeply for efficiency improvement with efficient catalysts, and pave the way for practical application. [Display omitted] • The theoretical basis of plasma-coupled catalytic conversion of VOCs and CO 2 was introduced. • Enhancement of conversion efficiency by classified catalysts was discussed and evaluated. • Recent advances in in-situ experiments to investigate the synergistic mechanism were reviewed. • Prospects and challenges of plasma-coupled catalysis in VOCs removal and CO 2 conversion were pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in Dy 2 Cu 2 In compound have been investigated. Dy 2 Cu 2 In undergoes two magnetic phase transitions, a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic (FM) at T C ∼ 49.5 K followed by a spin reorientation (SR) at T SR ∼ 19.5 K. For a magnetic field change of 0–7 T, the maximum values of the magnetic entropy change (−Δ S M max ) are estimated to be 16.5 around T C and 6.7 J/kg K around T SR with a large relative cooling power ( RCP ) value of 617 J/kg. The modified Arrott plots and universal curves of the rescaled Δ S M confirmed that the magnetic phase transitions in Dy 2 Cu 2 In compound belongs the second order phase transitions. The present results may provide some clues to search for new magnetocaloric materials belonging to RE 2 T 2 X system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in the equiatomic intermetallic compounds of TmZnAl and TmAgAl have been investigated. The compounds undergo a second order magnetic transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state around its own Curie temperatures T C ∼2.8 K and 3.3 K for TmZnAl and TmAgAl, respectively. A considerable reversible magnetocaloric effect (MCE) was observed at low temperature. For a magnetic field change of 7 T, the maximum values of magnetic entropy change (−Δ S M max ) and relative cooling power ( RCP ) are 11.8 J/kg K and 289 J/kg for TmZnAl, respectively, and the corresponding values for TmAgAl are 14.1 J/kg K and 315 J/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in GdNiBC compound have been investigated by magnetization and heat capacity measurements. The compound exhibits a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition at TC\sim 15 K. A large reversible magnetocaloric effect has been observed and accompanied by a second-order magnetic phase transition at TC . The maximum magnetic entropy change ( -\Delta SM^{\mathrm {max}} ) and adiabatic temperature change ( \Delta T\mathrm {ad}^{\mathrm {max}} ) are 24.9 J/kg K and 13 K, for a magnetic field change of 0–7 T, respectively. The corresponding relative cooling power is 801 J/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in ErFeAl and HoFeAl intermetallic compounds have been studied systematically. Both compounds undergo a second order magnetic phase transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state together with a probable spin reorientation transition at low temperature. A considerable reversible magnetocaloric effect was observed around its own Curie temperatures T C ∼55 K and 80 K for ErFeAl and HoFeAl, respectively. For a magnetic field change of 0–7 T, the maximum values of magnetic entropy change (−Δ S M max ) are found to be 8.3 and 9.9 J/kg K for RE = Er and Ho, respectively. The corresponding values of refrigerant capacity ( RC ) are evaluated to be 384 and 647 J/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetism and magnetocaloric effect in RE AgAl ( RE = Er and Ho) intermetallic compounds have been studied. Both compounds undergo a second order magnetic phase transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state. A large reversible magnetocaloric effect was observed around its own Curie temperatures T C ∼ 14 and 18 K for ErAgAl and HoAgAl, respectively. For a field change of 0–7 T, the maximum magnetic entropy change reaches 13.7 and 13.8 J/kg K for RE = Er and Ho, respectively. The corresponding relative cooling powers are evaluated to be 398 and 525 J/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Magnetism and magnetocaloric effect in ErNi2−x Fe x B2C were studied. [•] Ni site Fe substitution can reduce the magnetic hysteresis of ErNi2B2C. [•] The origin of MCE and its potential application in ErNi2−x Fe x B2C were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic refrigeration (MR) technology by utilizing the magnetocaloric (MC) effects of magnetic solids have been realized to be a promising energy efficiency and environmentally friendly technology. Developing or discovering proper magnetic solids with promising MC performances is one of the most important tasks at present stage since a huge gap still exists between the requirement of practical MR application and the MC performances of the magnetic solids. Herein, we reported a combined theoretical and experimental investigation of the crystal structure together with the magnetic properties, magnetic phase transition (MPT) and MC performances in Gd 2 MgTiO 6 oxide. The Gd 2 MgTiO 6 is confirmed to crystalize in a B -site ordered monoclinic double perovskite (DP) crystal structure. A rather unstable antiferromagnetic (AFM) interaction with large magnetic moment and semi-conductor characteristic with the band gap of 2.977 eV have been confirmed in Gd 2 TiMgO 6 DP oxide at ground state. Giant reversible cryogenic MC effect together with excellent MC performances have been confirmed by a series of the figure of merits including the values of maximum magnetic entropy change (-Δ S M) and refrigerant capacity (RC), which are evaluated to be 46.21 J/kgK and 300.27 J/kg around 3.3 K with the magnetic change of 0–7 T, these values are much better than most of the recently reported famous cryogenic MC materials and the commercialized magnetic refrigerants gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) as well. The observed excellent MC performances suggest that Gd 2 TiMgO 6 DP oxide is a promising candidate material for cryogenic MR applications. Graphical abstract [Display omitted]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rare-earths (RE) based amorphous materials with large magnetocaloric (MC) effects and excellent glass forming ability (GFA) have been recognized as promising candidates for magnetic refrigeration (MR). In this work, the RE 60 Co 20 Al 20 (RE = Ho, Er, Tm) amorphous ribbons were successfully fabricated and systematically determined with respect to the GFA, magnetic properties and MC effects. A second order magnetic phase transition (MPT) from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic (FM to PM) without noticeable field or thermal hysteresis has been observed around the Curie temperatures, T C ~ 22.3 K for Ho 60 Co 20 Al 20 , ~ 10.3 K for Er 60 Co 20 Al 20 , and ~ 5.0 K for Tm 60 Co 20 Al 20 , respectively. The MC parameters including the maximum magnetic entropy change (| Δ S M max |), temperature-averaged entropy change with 3 K lift [ TEC (3 K)], and relative cooling powder/refrigerant capacity (RCP/RC) have been determined to check the MC performances, and the corresponding values are determined to be 14.16, 15.57 and 15.06 J/kgK, to be14.04, 15.38 and 14.78 J/kgK, and to be 625.0/478.7, 505.7/391.8 and 334.0/243.4 J/kg for Ho 60 Co 20 Al 20 , Er 60 Co 20 Al 20 and Tm 60 Co 20 Al 20 under the field change Δμ 0 H = 5 T, respectively. The present results indicate that RE 60 Co 20 Al 20 (RE = Ho, Er, Tm) amorphous ribbons are considerable for cryogenic MR application. • The RE 60 Co 20 Al 20 (RE = Ho, Er, Tm) amorphous ribbons are fabricated. • The glass forming ability in RE 60 Co 20 Al 20 amorphous ribbons was investigated. • Large magnetocaloric effect in RE 60 Co 20 Al 20 has been observed. • RE 60 Co 20 Al 20 ribbons are considerable for cryogenic magnetic refrigeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Completely cross-linked film is obtained on the basis of photoinitiator markedly lowering the cross-linking temperature. • Hole mobility is enhanced by adding photoinitiator. • Energy levels become more suitable through doping photoinitiator. • Cross-linked hole transport layer improves power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells. To the best of our knowledge, poor environment stability is the main challenge for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, cross-linked hole transport layer (HTL) is built on perovskite crystal to guarantee the operation stability of mesoporous PSCs for the first time. Here, N,N' -di-p-tolyl- N,-N' -bis(4-vinylphenyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4,4′-diamine (V-p-TPD) was applied as a hole-transportable polymerizable monomer with the assistance of ultraviolet photoinitiator 4-octyloxydiphenyliodonium hexafluoroantimonate (OPPI). Cross-linking process is conducted at a distinctly low temperature of only 100 °C by adjusting the V-p-TPD: OPPI ratio to 10:1, which is tolerable for the active black phase of perovskite. The resultant cross-linked V-p-TPD film is qualified with a high cross-linking degree of 99%, a high hole mobility of 3.84 × 10−4 cm2V−1s−1 and a hydrophobic surface with wetting angle of 94.6°. Mesoporous PSCs based on the obtained cross-linked HTL achieved a tremendous Power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.49%, which represents the state-of-the-art records of mesoporous PSCs with cross-linkable HTL. PCE of the unpackaged device can remain 88% of the initial value after 30 d in an atmospheric environment with a relative humidity of 60 ± 5%, and maintain 86% of the initial PCE after 200 h in 65 ± 2 °C argon atmosphere. This work presents a low-temperature processing strategy for the preparation of cross-linked HTL layer, which does favor to the stable and efficient energy harvesting application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We herein provided a systematical determination of the structural and magnetic properties, especially of the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) and magnetocaloric performances of four rare-earth oxychlorides, i. e., the RE OCl (RE = Ho, Dy, Tb and Gd) compounds. The studied RE OCl compounds are all crystallized in the tetragonal matlockite structure (P 4/ nmm space group) and the RE , O, and Cl elements are with the RE 3+, O2−, and Cl− valence states, respectively. The DyOCl, TbOCl and GdOCl compounds reveal an antiferromagnetic transition at around approximate 9.5, 3.7 and 4.8 K, respectively. The magnetocaloric performances are checked by the maximum magnetic entropy change, relative cooling power, and temperature-averaged entropy change with 5 K lift, which are found to be 14.16 J/kgK, 375.55 J/kg and 13.89 J/kgK for HoOCl, to be 14.88 J/kgK, 488.14 J/kg, and 14.60 J/kgK for DyOCl, to be 14.59 J/kgK, 419.67 J/kg, and 14.42 J/kgK for TbOCl, and to be 16.16 J/kgK, 213.68 J/kg, and 14.39 J/kgK for GdOCl, with the magnetic field change of 0–7 T, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Effect of Fe/Ni addition on phase separated behavior in Cu75Co25 was investigated. [•] Particle size distribution in Cu75Co25 − x M x (M=Fe, Ni and x =1, 5) alloys was reported. [•] Small amounts Fe/Ni addition has similar effect to that of alter undercooling in Cu–Co alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels that possess adequate toughness in bulk and at soft interface are highly desirable. We report a fully physically crosslinked dual Amylopectin (Amy, the first network)/poly(N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide) (PHEAA, the second network) hydrogel, where both networks were hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) crosslinked, with super toughness in bulk and tunable adhesion at hydrogel-soft tissue interface. Through adjustment of hydrogen bond density, strong and tough hydrogels were prepared that exhibited different levels of adhesion strength and three adhesive failure mechanisms. We replaced Amy with oxidized starch (OSA) to synthesize dual and hybrid chemically/physically crosslinked OSA/PHEAA double network (DN) hydrogels that were capable of forming Schiff's bases at hydrogel-hydrogel or hydrogel-tissue interfaces, aside from interfacial H-bonding, incurring sustained, high interfacial toughness (1850 J m−2 hydrogel-hydrogel and 610 J m−2 hydrogel-tissue) in wet environments. Such tough and adhesive DN hydrogels have great potential in various applications such as engineering of artificial soft tissues or implantable devices that are intended to adhere to internal organs or tissues. • Fully physically crosslinked hydrogels via H-bonding. • Tunable adhesion and three adhesive failure mechanisms of hydrogels. • The sacrificial bonds including H-bonds and reversible Schiff's bases at the interface. • High interfacial toughness at hydrogel-hydrogel or hydrogel-tissue interfaces in wet environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ternary rare earth RE CoSi 2 (RE = Er and Tm) intermetallic compounds were synthesized by means of arc-melting technique and their crystal structure, magnetism and magneto-caloric effect (MCE) were studied systematically. Both ErCoSi 2 and TmCoSi 2 crystallize in a CeNiSi 2 -type structure (Cmcm space group) confirmed by FULLPROF Rietveld refinement. Magnetization data indicates the antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state for both RE CoSi 2 compounds, and a magnetic field-induced ferromagnetic (FM) transition occurs below the Neel temperature T N ∼6.9 K for ErCoSi 2 and ∼5.4 K for TmCoSi 2. Considerable reversible MCE in ErCoSi 2 and TmCoSi 2 was observed. The MCE performances of RE CoSi 2 are evaluated by -Δ S M max (maximal magnetic entropy change), TEC (3) (temperature averaged entropy change), and RCP (relative cooling power) with the values of 7.1 J/kg K, 6.8 J/kg K and 165.9 J/kg for ErCoSi 2 , as well as 8.7 J/kg K, 8.5 J/kg K and 152.9 J/kg for TmCoSi 2 , respectively, under Δ H (field change) of 0–50 kOe. Image 1 • CeNiSi 2 -type RE CoSi 2 (RE = Er and Tm) compounds were fabricated. • AFM ordering at T N ∼6.9 K for ErCoSi 2 and ∼5.4 K for TmCoSi 2. • A field-induced AFM to FM transition for both compounds occur below T N. • Considerable values of -Δ S M max, TEC , RC and RCP were found. • RE CoSi 2 compounds are also considerable for cryogenic magnetic cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustering electric load curves is an important part of the load data mining process. In this paper, we propose a clustering algorithm by combining singular value decomposition and KICIC clustering algorithm (SVD-KICIC) for analyzing the characteristics of daily load curves to mitigate some of the traditional clustering algorithm problems, such as only considering intra-class distance and low computational efficiency when dealing with massive load data. Our method identifies effective daily load curve characteristics using the singular value decomposition technique to improve dimensionality reduction, which improves low computational efficiency by reducing the number of dimensions inherent in big data. Additionally, the method performs SVD on the load data to obtain singular values for determination of weight of the KICIC algorithm, which leverages intra-class and inter-class distances of the load data and further improves the computational efficiency of the algorithm. Finally, we perform a series of simulations of actual load curves from a certain city to validate that the algorithm proposed in this paper has a short operation time, high clustering quality, and solid robustness that improves the clustering performance of the load curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We herein fabricated two gadolinium-transition metal-based high entropy (HE) oxides of Gd(Mn 0.25 Fe 0.25 Al 0.25 Cr 0.25)O 3 [denoted as Gd(4 TM 0.25)O 3 ] and Gd(Mn 0.2 Fe 0.2 Al 0.2 Co 0.2 Ni 0.2)O 3 [denoted as Gd(5 TM 0.2)O 3 ] and determined their structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties. Both of present HE oxides are found to crystallize in the single-phase perovskite-type orthorhombic structure with a homogeneous microstructure and exhibit prominent cryogenic magnetocaloric performances. The values of magnetic entropy change, refrigerant capacity, and temperature-averaged entropy change (6K-lift) under the magnetic field change of 0–7 T are estimated to be 20.34 J/kgK, 295.4 J/kg, and 19.56 J/kgK for Gd(4 TM 0.25)O 3 , and to be 22.45 J/kgK, 258.2 J/kg, and 20.79 J/kgK for Gd(5 TM 0.2)O 3 , respectively, which are comparable with recently reported candidate materials for practical magnetic cooling. These findings not only indicate potential applications of present perovskite-type Gd(4 TM 0.25)O 3 and Gd(5 TM 0.2)O 3 HE oxides, but also provide meaningful clues for exploring HE oxides with prominent cryogenic magnetocaloric performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure together with the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties in RE 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 (RE = Dy, Ho, Er and Tm) have been investigated systematically. All the RE 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 compounds crystallize in a CaIn 2 -type structure of (P63/mmc space group). A second-ordered magnetic phase transition (SOPT) from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic (FM to PM) is occurred in RE 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 compounds with the Curie temperatures (T C) of approximately 16.1, 10.6, 4.1 and below 2 K for RE of Dy, Ho, Er and Tm, respectively. The magnetocaloric parameters including magnetic isothermal entropy change/temperature-averaged magnetic entropy change -Δ S M max/ TEC (5) and relative cooling power RCP are calculated with the values of 10.01/9.92 J/kg K and 418.6 J/kg for Dy 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 , 20.12/19.65 J/kg K and 644.1 J/kg for Ho 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 , 18.07/17.69 J/kg K and 447.1 J/kg for Er 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 , as well as 18.22/16.75 J/kg K and 330.7 J/kg for Tm 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 with magnetic field change (Δ H) of 0–7 T, respectively. Notably, Ho 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 exhibits ralatively high magnetocaloric parameters, which suggests that Ho 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 is a competitive candidate among the MCE materials in the field of cryogenic magnetic refrigeration (MR). • Magnetic properties and MCE in RE 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 compounds were studied. • Large values of -ΔS M max, TEC and RCP were observed at low temperature. • Ho 2 Ni 1.5 Ga 2.5 compound is competitive for cryogenic magnetic cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed investigation of the crystal structure, magnetism and magneto-caloric performances of RE Co 2 B 2 C (RE = Gd, Tb and Dy) compounds. All compounds are described with a LuNi 2 B 2 C-type crystallographic structure (I 4/ mmm space group). A second-ordered paramagnetic to ferromagnetic (PM-FM) transition is observed in RE Co 2 B 2 C compounds around their Curie temperatures (T C) of 17.2, 5.3 and 7.7 K, and induced a considerable magneto-caloric effect (MCE) for GdCo 2 B 2 C, TbCo 2 B 2 C and DyCo 2 B 2 C, respectively. The magneto-caloric performances for RE Co 2 B 2 C were characterized by the isothermal magnetic entropy (- Δ S M max) , temperature averaged entropy change (TEC) with three different temperature lifts (3, 5 and 10 K), and relative cooling power (RCP). The corresponding values of - Δ S M max , TEC (3 K) and RCP under the magnetic field change (Δ H) of 0–5 T, are 10.34 J/kg-K, 10.23 J/kg-K, and 238.1 J/kg for GdCo 2 B 2 C, 18.09 J/kg-K, 17.83 J/kg-K, and 438.2 J/kg for TbCo 2 B 2 C, as well as 17.79 J/kg-K, 17.72 J/kg-K, and 480.1 J/kg for DyCo 2 B 2 C, respectively. • Magnetic properties and MCE in RE Co 2 B 2 C compounds were studied. • Large values of -ΔS M max, TEC, RC and RCP were observed at low temperature. • RE Co 2 B 2 C compounds are competitive for cryogenic magnetic cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, multiple‐hydrogen‐bond approach to fabricating physically crosslinked, Amylopectin reinforced polyacrylamide/poly(vinyl alcohol) (Amy/PAAm/PVA) double‐network (DN) hydrogels with super toughness in bulk and at solid interfaces is reported. The Amy/PAAm/PVA DN hydrogels exhibit high tensile strength (854.1 kPa), high extensibility (≈eight times), high bulk toughness (4094.8 kJ m−3), good self‐recovery property (≈92% of self‐recovery at room temperature), and strong adhesion to nonporous glass surfaces (≈158 kPa). Such tough and adhesive DN hydrogels have great potential for various applications in engineering artificial soft tissues, flexible electronics, and wearable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We herein investigated four rare earth (RE)-based oxides, the RE 2 SiO 5 (RE = Gd, Dy, Ho, and Er) silicates, regarding their structural and cryogenic magnetic properties. All the RE 2 SiO 5 silicates are found to crystallized in a monoclinic structure. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy spectra illustrate that RE , Si and O elements in RE 2 SiO 5 silicates are present as RE 3+, Si4+, and O2−, respectively. The Dy 2 SiO 5 reveals a first-order magnetic transition around 4.5 K. The magnetic phase transition temperatures are probably below 2 K for the RE 2 SiO 5 (RE = Gd, Ho, and Er) silicates. Large cryogenic magnetocaloric effects (MCE) and good magnetocaloric performances were observed in the RE 2 SiO 5 silicates. The MCE parameters in terms of the maximum magnetic entropy changes, the temperature-averaged entropy change (5 K-lift) and refrigerant capacity under a magnetic field change of 0–5 T are determined to be 35.5, 30.4 J/kgK, and 215.7 J/kg for Gd 2 SiO 5 , to be 13.3, 12.9 J/kgK, and 190.5 J/kg for Dy 2 SiO 5 , to be 15.3, 15.1 J/kgK, and 274.1 J/kg for Ho 2 SiO 5 and to be 17.9, 16.5 J/kgK, and 181.14 J/kg for Er 2 SiO 5 , respectively. These derived values of MCE parameters of the RE 2 SiO 5 silicates, especially for Gd 2 SiO 5 , are at similarly high level with or better than those of the updated candidate materials, making them also of potential for practical magnetic refrigeration applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immunosuppression induced by programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) presents a significant constraint on the effectiveness of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy. The potential of combining PD1/PDL1 (Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1) axis blockade with CAR-T cell therapy is promising. However, developing a highly efficient and minimally toxic approach requires further exploration. Our attempt to devise a novel CAR structure capable of recognizing both tumor antigens and PDL1 encountered challenges since direct targeting of PDL1 resulted in systemic adverse effects. Methods: In this research, we innovatively engineered novel CARs by grafting the PD1 domain into a conventional second-generation (2G) CAR specifically targeting CD19. These CARs exist in two distinct forms: one with PD1 extramembrane domain (EMD) directly linked to a transmembrane domain (TMD), referred to as PE CAR, and the other with PD1 EMD connected to a TMD via a CD8 hinge domain (HD), known as PE8HT CAR. To evaluate their efficacy, we conducted comprehensive assessments of their cytotoxicity, cytokine release, and potential off-target effects both in vitro and in vivo using tumor models that overexpress CD19/PDL1. Results: The findings of our study indicate that PE CAR demonstrates enhanced cytotoxicity and reduced cytokine release specifically towards CD19 + PDL1 + tumor cells, without off-target effects to CD19-PDL1 + tumor cells, in contrast to 2G CAR-T cells. Additionally, PE CAR showed ameliorative differentiation, exhaustion, and apoptosis phenotypes as assessed by flow cytometry, RNA-sequencing, and metabolic parameter analysis, after encountering CD19 + PDL1 + tumor cells. Conclusion: Our results revealed that CAR grafted with PD1 exhibits enhanced antitumor activity with lower cytokine release and no PD1-related off-target toxicity in tumor models that overexpress CD19 and PDL1. These findings suggest that our CAR design holds the potential for effectively addressing the PD1 signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure, magnetism, and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) were investigated in ternary Er2Ni2Ga compound. The Er2Ni2Ga belongs to W2B2Co-type structure (orthorhombic, space group Immm). The magnetization measurements indicate that Er2Ni2Ga suffers a field-induced metamagnetic transition (antiferromagnetic–ferromagnetic) below Néel temperature (TN) of 7.1 K. Inverse MCE occurs with magnetic field change ($\Delta H$) lower than 0–30 kOe and at low temperatures, whereas normal reversible MCE happens with higher $\Delta \text{H}$. The calculated $-\Delta S_{M}$ (magnetic entropy change) has a peak value of 12.93 J/kg K (~9 K) with refrigerant capacity value of 265 J/kg (5–30 K) for Er2Ni2Ga under $\Delta H$ of 0–70 kOe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synergistic effect of lanthanum oxide (La 2 O 3 ) on the flame retardant properties and mechanism of a novel intumescent flame retardant polylactide composites (PLA/IFR) was investigated by the means of limited oxygen index (LOI), catalytic effectivity analysis (CAT-EFF), vertical burning test (UL-94), microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), Laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). La 2 O 3 enhanced the LOI value of the PLA/IFR composite dramatically and all the composites passed the UL-94 V-0 rating test. PLA/IFR/1% La 2 O 3 had the highest CAT-EFF, and the LOI value of the composite increased from 32.8 to 42.2% according to catalytic affectivity (CAT-EFF) analysis. 1%La 2 O 3 enhanced the fire retardant performance of PLA/IFR, resulting consequently in reduction of heat release rate (HRR), total heat release (THR), heat release capacity (HRC) and degree of flammability ( F index ) of the PLA/IFR. The TGA test revealed that La 2 O 3 changed the degradation behavior of the PLA/IFR, enhanced the thermal stability of the PLA/IFR at high temperature and increased the char residue. The morphological structures observed by SEM demonstrated that La 2 O 3 effectively help to form more continuous and compact intumescent char layer on the surface. The LRS results indicated that higher graphitization degree of the residue char was formed. The EDS and XPS results illustrated that the existence of La 2 O 3 promoted to remain more P and O in the char layer to form more crosslinking structure to improve barrier properties of the char layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic refrigeration (MR) based on magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is a key technique, since it possesses ideally higher performance than the traditional gas compression technology. However, the lack of MR materials with excellent MCE performance is a bottle-neck for practical MR applications. Herein, we systematically report the structural properties using powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope as well as the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties through the magnetization measurements of four rare-earth (RE) ruthenate RE 3 RuO 7 (RE = Pr, Nd, Gd and Tb) compounds. Light RE -based Pr 3 RuO 7 and Nd 3 RuO 7 compounds form an orthorhombic Cmcm structure, while heavy RE based Gd 3 RuO 7 and Tb 3 RuO 7 compounds crystallize in an orthorhombic P 2 1 nb structure. The magnetic phase transition of all the present compounds are confirmed to be of the first-order type with T N of 52, 15, 11 and 12 K for Pr 3 RuO 7 , Nd 3 RuO 7 , Gd 3 RuO 7 and Tb 3 RuO 7 compounds, respectively. The related MCE parameters including the maximum isothermal magnetic entropy change, temperature-averaged entropy change (5 K lift), and refrigerant capacity with the magnetic field change of 0–5 T were computed to be 1.35 J/kgK, 1.31 J/kgK, and 27.4 J/kg for Pr 3 RuO 7 , to be 2.18 J/kgK, 2.04 J/kgK, and 25.6 J/kg for Nd 3 RuO 7 , to be 8.12 J/kgK, 7.90 J/kgK, and 124.6 J/kg for Gd 3 RuO 7 , and to be 7.78 J/kgK, 7.49 J/kgK, and 128.8 J/kg for Tb 3 RuO 7 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In search for new targets for the diagnosis and treatment of lupus nephritis (LN), we employed TMT-liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (TMT-LC–MS/MS) combined with RNA-seq and identified a panel of proteins that was dysregulated both at protein level and mRNA level in active LN patients compared with healthy controls. We chose to study the role of IGFBP2 since it is a relatively understudied protein in the context of LN. We further validated that IGFBP2 significantly increased and correlated with SLE activity index in active LN patients. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve suggested that plasma IGFBP2 had a high diagnostic efficiency for distinguishing between inactive and active LN patients (AUC = 0.992; 95% CI = 0.974–1.000; P < 0.001). We demonstrated neutralizing IGFBP2-downregulated CD4+ T cell activation, upregulated the ratio of Treg, downregulated AKT/mTOR/4E-BP1 pathway, and significantly improved nephritis in MRL/lpr mice. In all, our work demonstrated IGFBP2 as a biomarker specific for active LN and blocking IGFBP2 could be a new target for treating LN. Key messages: Plasma IGFBP2 is a promising diagnostic marker for distinguishing stable LN from active LN, and it is also a predictor for the poor prognosis of LN. Blockade of IGFBP2 can significantly improve the pathological damage of LN. IGFBP2 may regulate activation of CD4+ T and Treg ratio. Neutralizing IGFBP2 downregulates AKT/mTOR/4E-BP1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]