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Abstract In thermoelectric, phase interface engineering proves effective in reducing the lattice thermal conductivity via interface scattering and amplifying the density-of-states effective mass by energy filtering. However, the indiscriminate introduction of phase interfaces inevitably leads to diminished carrier mobility. Moreover, relying on a singular energy barrier is insufficient for comprehensive filtration of low-energy carriers throughout the entire temperature range. Addressing these challenges, we advocate the establishment of a composite phase interface using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. This design aims to effectively decouple the interrelated thermoelectric parameters in ZrNiSn. The engineered coherent dual-interface energy barriers substantially enhance the density-of-states effective mass across the entire temperature spectrum while preser carrier mobility. Simultaneously, the strong interface scattering on phonons is crucial for curtailing lattice thermal conductivity. Consequently, a 40-cycles TiO2 coating on ZrNi1.03Sn0.99Sb0.01 achieves an unprecedented zT value of 1.3 at 873 K. These findings deepen the understanding of coherent composite-phase interface engineering.

The present study designed and prepared a novel platinum alloy system Pt-xAu-5Ni (x = 0, 2, 5, wt.%) with high strength and good electrical resistivity. The mechanical, electrical properties and related microstructure during the cold deformation and subsequent aging process were investigated. The cold-deformed Pt–5Ni alloy obtained the yield strength of 581 MPa, the ultimate tensile strength of 828 MPa, the hardness of 283 HV, and the electrical resistivity of 23.9 μΩ⋅cm. The subsequent aging process and the Au addition into Pt–5Ni alloy were found to both enhance the mechanical properties. Therefore, with the dual strengthening effect of the subsequent aging and the Au addition, Pt–5Au–5Ni alloy achieved the high yield strength of 889 MPa, the high ultimate tensile strength of 1117 MPa, the high hardness of 361 HV with the electrical resistivity of 26.7 μΩ⋅cm. The precipitation of L12-type Pt3Ni nanoparticles and L11-type CSRO dominated the age-strengthening behavior of Pt–2Au–5Ni and Pt–5Au–5Ni alloys after cold deformation. The Au addition refined the grains via the experimental observations, and predictably favored the L12-type Pt3Ni nanoprecipitation based on the thermodynamical calculations, thus the Au addition effectively strengthened Pt–5Ni alloy. This study provides a novel platinum alloy system with excellent mechanical and electrical properties, which has potential application in the electrical contact field.

Abstract N-type polycrystalline SnSe is considered as a highly promising candidates for thermoelectric applications due to facile processing, machinability, and scalability. However, existing efforts do not enable a peak ZT value exceeding 2.0 in n-type polycrystalline SnSe. Here, we realized a significant ZT enhancement by leveraging the synergistic effects of divacancy defect and introducing resonance level into the conduction band. The resonance level and increased density of states resulting from tungsten boost the Seebeck coefficient. The combination of the enhanced electrical conductivity (achieved by increasing carrier concentration through WCl6 doping and Se vacancies) and large Seebeck coefficient lead to a high power factor. Microstructural analyses reveal that the co-existence of divacancy defects (Se vacancies and Sn vacancies) and endotaxial W- and Cl-rich nanoprecipitates scatter phonons effectively, resulting in ultralow lattice conductivity. Ultimately, a record-high peak ZT of 2.2 at 773 K is achieved in n-type SnSe0.92 + 0.03WCl6.

Refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) have remarkable properties like high strength and thermal stability at high temperatures. Their practical application is hindered by ambient brittleness and inferior formability. Titanium (Ti) is recognized as a crucial element in improving the ductility and oxidation resistance of RHEAs, but its plasticizing mechanism is still unclear. To address this, a series of body-centered cubic (BCC) single-phase VNbTaTix alloys were designed. The alloys exhibited exceptional ductility and cold-rolling formability at room temperature. Remarkably, the tensile fracture elongation of VNbTaTi alloy was about 26.9%, which surpassed most RHEAs. The major plastic mechanisms of the alloys are a/2-type dislocation and {1 1 2}-type twinning. Solid solution strengthening was identified as the primary strengthening mechanism. Although Ti reduced the solid solution strengthening effect, it contributed to weight reduction and enhanced local lattice distortion. This study not only designed several RHEAs with ductility but also provided insights into the effect of Ti content on their phase stability, lattice distortion, and strength mechanisms. These findings have significant implications for designing new RHEAs with ambient ductility.

Polyurethane elastomers (PUEs) will experience different strain rates in different application scenarios. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the mechanical properties of PUE under a wide range of strain rates and establish a constitutive model that considers strain rates with high accuracy and few parameters. In this study, the quasi-static and dynamic compression tests of two types of PUEs (PUE55 and PUE85) were carried out, and investigated the strain rate effect of the materials. Based on the Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic model and the Prony series, a compressible visco-hyperelastic constitutive model for PUE was established. Different from the conventional constant relaxation time in Prony series, two relaxation times that vary exponentially with principal stretch were proposed based on the relaxation test to describe the strain rate effect of the material at low and high strain rate respectively. In addition, using the visco-hyperelastic constitutive model to obtain the model inputs of the Simplified rubber/foam model in LS-DYNA, the impact process of the Metal/PUE composite projectile was reproduced under different impact conditions through the finite element simulation. Simulation results verified the visco-hyperelastic model in generating numerical model material parameters and the rationality of the Simplified rubber/foam model in describing PUEs.

Abstract The development of high-performance lead-free K0.5Na0.5NbO3-based piezoceramics for replacing commercial lead-containing counterparts is crucial for achieving environmentally sustainable society. Although the proposed new phase boundaries (NPB) can effectively improve the piezoelectricity of KNN-based ceramics, the difficulty of achieving saturated poling and the underlying multiscale structures resolution of their complex microstructures are urgent issues. Here, we employ a medium entropy strategy to design NPB and utilize texture engineering to induce crystal orientation. The developed K0.5Na0.5NbO3-based ceramics enjoys both prominent piezoelectric performance and satisfactory Curie temperature, thus exhibiting an ultrahigh energy harvesting performance as well as excellent transducer performance, which is highly competitive in both lead-free and lead-based piezoceramics. Comprehensive structural analysis have ascertained that the field-induced efficient multiscale polarization configurations irreversible transitions greatly encourages high saturated poling. This study demonstrates a strategy for designing high-performance piezoceramics and establishes a close correlation between the piezoelectricty and the underlying multiscale structures.

Large-size electronic-grade polycrystalline silicon is an important material in the semiconductor industry with broad application prospects. However, electronic-grade polycrystalline silicon has extremely high requirements for production technology and currently faces challenges such as carbon impurity breakdown, microstructure and composition nonuniformity and a lack of methods for preparing large-size mirror-like polycrystalline silicon samples. This paper innovatively uses physical methods such as wire cutting, mechanical grinding and ion thinning polishing to prepare large-size polycrystalline silicon samples that are clean, smooth, free from wear and have clear crystal defects. The material was characterized at both macroscopic and microscopic levels using metallographic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with backscattered electron diffraction (EBSD) techniques and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The crystal structure changes from single crystal silicon core to the surface of the bulk in the large-size polycrystalline silicon samples were revealed, providing a technical basis for optimizing and improving production processes.

Developing environmental-friendly materials with high-density energy storage is of paramount importance to meet the burgeoning demands for energy storage. In this study, we harness the modulation of a multicomponent solid solution by introducing KNN as a third element into the BNT–BST system, thereby achieving a marked enhancement in both energy storage performance and the temperature stability of the dielectric constant. BNBST–4KNN stands out for its exceptional dielectric stability, with a dielectric constant variation rate within 10% across a broad temperature range of [Formula: see text]C to [Formula: see text]C, a feat attributed to the flattening and broadening of the [Formula: see text] peak. BNBT–2KNN exhibits superior energy storage capabilities, with an energy storage density of 1.324 J/cm3 and an energy storage efficiency of 72.3%, a result of the P–E loop becoming more slender. These advancements are pivotal for the sustainable progression of energy storage technologies.

This paper focuses on the problems encountered in the production process of electronic-grade polycrystalline silicon. It points out that the characterization of electronic-grade polycrystalline silicon is mainly concentrated at the macroscopic scale, with relatively less research at the mesoscopic and microscopic scales. Therefore, we utilize the method of physical polishing to obtain polysilicon characterization samples and then the paper utilizes metallographic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy-electron backscatter diffraction technology, and aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy technology to observe and characterize the interface region between silicon core and matrix in the deposition process of electronic-grade polycrystalline silicon, providing a full-scale characterization of the interface morphology, grain structure, and orientation distribution from macro to micro. Finally, the paper illustrates the current uncertainties regarding polycrystalline silicon.

In this study, BNBT-KNN-xTa2O5 was designed and synthesized, successfully achieving a reduction in the relaxor-ferroelectric phase transition temperature. Synergy between temperature-dependent ferroelectric testing and dielectric spectroscopy confirmed that the depoling temperature gradually decreased with increasing doping concentration. Fitting of the relaxation parameter and freezing temperature substantiated that the incorporation of Ta2O5 increased the degree of relaxation in BNBT-KNN-xTa2O5, thereby effectively lowering the relaxor-ferroelectric phase transition temperature.

Gesture control is often used for the control of robotic manipulators. However conventional methods always focus on position control of robotic manipulators and use a fixed position to place gesture detection devices, which limits the flexibility to control and interact. This paper presents an interactive gesture control system based on Leap Motion Controller that can overcome these shortcomings. A coordinate transformation is performed between the position of the left palm detected by Leap Motion Controller and the tool center point (TCP) of the collaborative manipulator to obtain gesture data first. This gesture data is used to control the posture of a six-joint collaborative manipulator-Lite6. The position of gripper is controlled by grip level of the right palm. A controller is designed to manipulate a lift table on which Leap Motion Controller is placed to achieve adaptive ascending and descending movements to meet the needs of operators of different heights and arm spans. A modified Kalman filter is used to filter noise and smooth the signal captured by Leap Motion Controller. The experiments demonstrate that the system can operate stably and accurately control the position, posture, and gripper position of a collaborative manipulator in real time using human palms’ gestures.

Optically pumped magnetometers can provide functionality for bio-magnetic field detection and mapping. This has attracted widespread attention from researchers in the biomedical science field. Magnetocardiography has been proven to be an effective method for examining heart disease. Notably, vector magnetocardiography obtains more spatial information than the conventional method by only taking a component that is perpendicular to the chest surface. In this work, a spin-exchange-relaxation-free (SERF) magnetometer with a compact size of 14 mm × 25 mm × 90 mm was developed. The device has a high sensitivity of 25 fT/ Hz. Meanwhile, in the multichannel working mode, synchronous sensor manipulation and data acquisition can be achieved through our control software without additional data acquisition boards. Since a typical SERF magnetometer only responds to dual-axis magnetic fields, two sensors are orthogonally arranged to form a vector detection channel. Our system consists of seven channels and allows 7 × 9 vector MCG mapping by scanning. High-quality heart vector signals are measured, and P peak, QRS peak, and T peak can be distinguished clearly. To better demonstrate the vectorial information, a vector scatter plot form is also provided. Through a basic bio-electric current model, it demonstrates that triaxial MCG measurements capture a richer spatial current information than traditional uniaxial MCG, offering substantial diagnostic potential for heart diseases and shedding more light on the inversion of cardiac issues.

Ag–Cu alloys, as one type of typical eutectic solders, have been widely used in microelectronic packaging. The welding performance of Ag–Cu solders is closely associated with their microstructures. However, the microstructure evolution of Ag–Cu alloys during solidification is still poorly understood. In this work, a new melt fluxing technique was proposed to investigate the microstructure evolution of undercooled Ag-50at.%Cu hypereutectic alloy. The maximum undercooling of Ag-50at.%Cu alloy can reach up to 135 K. The obtained results show that the microstructures consist of primary dendrite and lamellar eutectic at low undercooling (ΔT – 10 K). With the increase of undercooling, dendrites undergo refining (ΔT 135 K. Theoretical calculation results indicate that the formation of irregular eutectic is associated with the dendritic fragmentation and eutectic coarsening under larger undercooling (ΔT = 135 K). These results not only elucidate the relationship between the solidification microstructure and undercooling of Ag-50at. %Cu hypereutectic alloys but also has positive significance for other hyper-eutectic systems.

To reduce the mass abrasion of AerMet100 ultra-high strength steel projectiles at increasing velocities, surface mechanical grinding treatment (SMGT) was employed to prepare a gradient nanostructure (GNS) on the AerMet100 surface. The microstructure of the GNS were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nanoindentation. It was found that the gradient nano-crystal structure was successfully prepared, and the martensite plate width was reduced to about 30 nm. As the distance from the surface depth increased, the plate size gradually increased, with the depth of the grain refinement layer measuring approximately 300 μm. The microhardness of the GNS AerMet100 was 870 Hv0.025, which was approximately 40% higher than that of the AerMet100 substrate. Additionally, the hardness was observed to decrease with increasing GNS depth. The friction and wear behavior of coarse grained (CG) AerMet100 and GNS AerMet100 were investigated. The results showed that their friction coefficients were similar, but wear volumes of GNS AerMet100 were smaller than those of CG AerMet100, the wear mechanisms of two surfaces were predominantly abrasive and adhesive wear. Furthermore, the projectiles penetration test showed that the mass loss of GNS AerMet100 was significantly lower than that of CG AerMet100 under similar velocity condition. Within the velocity range of 1200–1750 m/s, the degree of erosion and wear loss of the CG AerMet100 and GNS AerMet100 projectile noses increased with increasing penetration velocity, and the wear mechanism was mainly abrasive wear.

Background: Nivolumab plus chemotherapy (NC) was recently approved as the first-line intervention for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC). Moreover, in the latest KEYNOTE-859 (NCT03675737), pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy (PC) was demonstrated to produce remarkable patient survival outcomes. Objectives: The clinicians and patients need to assess NC and PC preference for cancer drugs. Design: The cost-effective analysis. Methods: In an economic assessment of the United States, United Kingdom, and Chinese healthcare systems using a Markov model simulated patients with GC/GEJC, two treatment decision branches with three health states and a tracked time horizon of 15 years were developed. The overall cost and efficacy outcomes of first-line strategies PC and NC were evaluated at willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds of different national, including life-years (LYs), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), and incremental net-health benefit (INHB). Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were considered. Results: Given a WTP threshold of $150,000, $60,161, and $37,653 per QALY in the United States, United Kingdom, and China, respectively, both PC and NC achieved QALYs of 1.67 and 1.65 (2.51 and 2.48 LYs), 1.65 and 1.63 (2.48 and 2.45 LYs), and 1.60 and 1.58 (2.40 and 2.37 LYs), with total costs of $242,444 and $232,617, $148,367 and $127,737, and $16,693 and $24,016, respectively. Based on our sensitivity analysis, the programmed death-1 inhibitors cost produced the largest impact on the outcome. In addition, the cost-effectiveness probabilities of PC were 38.3%, 4.1%, and 100% in the three aforementioned countries, respectively. Conclusion: In the case of the Chinese payers’ perspective, PC appeared more dominant as first-line therapy for advanced GC/GEJC patients, whereas NC was preferred in the United States and United Kingdom.

Since the diffraction behavior of a light field is fully determined by its spatial wavefunction, i.e., its spatial complex amplitude (SCA), full characterization of spatial wavefunction plays a vital role in modern optics from both the fundamental and applied aspects. In this work, we present a novel “complex-amplitude profiler” based on spatial Stokes tomography with the capability to fully determine the SCA of a light field in a single shot with high precision and resolution. The SCA slice observed at any propagation plane provides complete information about the light field, thus allowing us to further retrieve the complete beam structure in the 3D space as well as the exact modal constitution in terms of spatial degrees of freedom. The principle demonstrated here provides an important advancement for the full characterization of light beams with a broad spectrum of potential applications in various areas of optics, especially for the growing field of structured light.

PurposeThis study aims to develop and validate a model predictive for the incidence of grade 4 radiation-induced lymphopenia (G4RIL), based on dosiomics features and radiomics features from the planning CT of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated by radiation therapy.MethodsThe dataset of 125 NPC patients treated with radiotherapy from August 2018 to March 2019 was randomly divided into two sets—an 85-sample training set and a 40-sample test set. Dosiomics features and radiomics features of the CT image within the skull bone and cervical vertebrae were extracted. A feature selection process of multiple steps was employed to identify the features that most accurately forecast the data and eliminate superfluous or insignificant ones. A support vector machine learning classifier with correction for imbalanced data was trained on the patient dataset for prediction of RIL (positive classifier for G4RIL, negative otherwise). The model’s predictive capability was gauged by gauging its sensitivity (the likelihood of a positive test being administered to patients with G4RIL) and specificity in the test set. The area beneath the ROC curve (AUC) was utilized to explore the association of characteristics with the occurrence of G4RIL.ResultsThree clinical features, three dosiomics features, and three radiomics features exhibited significant correlations with G4RIL. Those features were then used for model construction. The combination model, based on nine robust features, yielded the most impressive results with an ACC value of 0.88 in the test set, while the dosiomics model, with three dosiomics features, had an ACC value of 0.82, the radiomics model, with three radiomics features, had an ACC value of 0.82, and the clinical model, with its initial features, had an ACC value of 0.6 for prediction performance.ConclusionThe findings show that radiomics and dosiomics features are correlated with the G4RIL of NPC patients. The model incorporating radiomics features and dosiomics features from planning CT can predict the incidence of G4RIL in NPC patients.

Abstract Electron‐correlated materials have been drawing ever‐increasing attention due to their fascinating physical behaviors and extensive application scenarios. In this review, a new method for material research and design (R&D), named structural‐functional unit ordering (SFU ordering), which is presented, overcomes the shortcomings—for example, the limitation of finite chemical elements and long R&D circle‐of conventional strategy and thus provides guidance for the design of these high‐performance functional materials on demand. Meanwhile, with the development of material characterization technologies, SFUs of different scales and types can be directly observed, which, moreover, regulate the corresponding orderings. The review, starts with an introduction of the profile for SFU ordering and the synergistic effect between SFUs. Then, studies on several new high‐performance electronic‐correlated materials, for example, a ferromagnetic semiconductor with local spin, ferromagnetic metals with spin topologies, ferroelectric thin films with polar topologies, piezoelectric thin films with nanopillars enclosed by charged boundaries, thermoelectric materials with local ferromagnetic nanoparticles and topotactic phase transformation with conducting nanofilaments are stated in detail one by one. The vital aspect is the breaking of local symmetry, the construction, the structure, of SFUs and their orderings existing or theoretically existing, together with the enhanced/new performance. All in all, the main comments of the review tend to the remaining challenges, promising design approaches for the SFUs, and their orderings for high‐performance functional materials.

For relaxor ferroelectrics, correlating their properties and local structures is challenging. Here, the authors correlate the atomic-scale structure and the large dynamic electromechanical property in Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based relaxor ferroelectrics.

The objective of this study is to further promote and apply the structural monitoring system to medium and small bridges, given the relative delays in scientific research, technical specifications, and engineering practice for the safety monitoring of small and medium-span girder bridges, as well as the relative simplicity of the structural system of these bridges, their well-defined forces, and the relatively large proportion of live load responses during operation. These concepts are proposed based on the evaluation method of live loading (As therefore, this paper suggests the notion of sensor acquisition frequency and appropriate acquisition frequency based on the live load assessment method and the fundamental reliability theory). Based on the time-history curve depicting the midspan deflection response of the vehicle-bridge coupling system, the frequency domain analysis reveals that the power spectrum at −3 dB corresponds to the response cutoff frequency. Significantly, the cutoff frequency mentioned is double the acquisition frequency considered suitable for the study. Based on the definition of a quasi-static response, it can be deduced that the velocity of a load does not exert any influence on the quasi-static response of a bridge structure. As a result, the derivation of the components related to the midspan deflection of a bridge’s quasi-static response is presented, together with a recommended set of methodological guidelines for the extraction of finite elements. This study introduces a novel approach for determining the cutoff frequency of the structural response by utilizing the characteristics of amplitude spectrum estimation and power spectrum estimation in frequency domain analysis. The cutoff frequency of the signal is determined by analyzing the amplitude-frequency curve of the power spectrum. Subsequently, the probability density function of the original time-history curve data is estimated based on the amplitude spectrum. Finally, reliability analysis is conducted by calculating the ratio of the amplitude spectrum area of the signal obtained through a reasonable acquisition frequency to the area of the amplitude spectrum function of the original signal. This analysis verifies the reliability of the proposed method for determining the midspan deflection acquisition frequency.

Maximizing the electromechanical response is crucial for developing piezoelectric devices. Here, the authors demonstrate a giant electric-field-induced strain and its origin in alkali niobate epitaxial thin films with self-assembled planar faults.

SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2-LIKE 6, 7, and 8 (SMXL6,7,8) function as repressors and transcription factors of the strigolactone (SL) signaling pathway, playing an important role in the development and stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the molecular mechanism by which SMXL6,7,8 negatively regulate drought tolerance and ABA response remains largely unexplored. In the present study, the interacting protein and downstream target genes of SMXL6,7,8 were investigated. Our results showed that the substrate receptor for the CUL4-based E3 ligase DDB1-BINDING WD-REPEAT DOMAIN (DWD) HYPERSENSITIVE TO ABA DEFICIENT 1 (ABA1) (DWA1) physically interacted with SMXL6,7,8. The degradation of SMXL6,7,8 proteins were partially dependent on DWA1. Disruption of SMXL6,7,8 resulted in increased drought tolerance and could restore the drought-sensitive phenotype of the dwa1 mutant. In addition, SMXL6,7,8 could directly bind to the promoter of SUCROSE NONFERMENTING 1 (SNF1)-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE 2.3 (SnRK2.3) to repress its transcription. The mutations in SnRK2.2/2.3 significantly suppressed the hypersensitivity of smxl6/7/8 to ABA-mediated inhibition of seed germination. Conclusively, SMXL6,7,8 interact with DWA1 to negatively regulate drought tolerance and target ABA-response genes. These data provide insights into drought tolerance and ABA response in Arabidopsis via the SMXL6,7,8-mediated SL signaling pathway.

Purpose: Head and neck cancers radiotherapy (RT) is associated with inevitable injury to parotid glands and subsequent xerostomia. We investigated the utility of SUV derived from 18FDG-PET to develop metabolic imaging biomarkers (MIBs) of RT-related parotid injury. Methods: Data for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) patients treated with RT at our institution between 2005 and 2015 with available planning computed tomography (CT), dose grid, pre- & first post-RT 18FDG-PET-CT scans, and physician-reported xerostomia assessment at 3–6 months post-RT (Xero 3–6 ms) per CTCAE, was retrieved, following an IRB approval. A CT-CT deformable image co-registration followed by voxel-by-voxel resampling of pre & post-RT 18FDG activity and dose grid were performed. Ipsilateral (Ipsi) and contralateral (contra) parotid glands were sub-segmented based on the received dose in 5 Gy increments, i.e. 0–5 Gy, 5–10 Gy sub-volumes, etc. Median and dose-weighted SUV were extracted from whole parotid volumes and sub-volumes on pre- & post-RT PET scans, using in-house code that runs on MATLAB. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to test differences pre- and post-RT. Results: 432 parotid glands, belonging to 108 OPC patients treated with RT, were sub-segmented & analyzed. Xero 3–6 ms was reported as: non-severe (78.7%) and severe (21.3%). SUV- median values were significantly reduced post-RT, irrespective of laterality (p = 0.02). A similar pattern was observed in parotid sub-volumes, especially ipsi parotid gland sub-volumes receiving doses 10–50 Gy (p

Experimentally manipulating bubble domains remains elusive especially in the bulk form of ferroelectrics. Here, the authors achieve self-confined bubble domains with multiple polar topologies in bulk Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 ferroelectrics, demonstrating reversible and donut-like domain morphology evolution.

Phase boundary engineering through chemical alloying and phase control is a traditional approach to enhancing piezoelectric properties. Here, the authors design a strategy in alkali niobate films, utilizing alkali vacancies without alloying to form nanopillars enclosed.

Abstract Bi2Te3 based thermoelectric alloys have been commercialized in solid‐state refrigeration, but the poor mechanical properties restrict their further application. Nanotwins have been theoretically proven to effectively strengthen these alloys and could be sometimes constructed by strong deformation during synthesis. However, the obscure underlying formation mechanism restricts the feasibility of twin boundary engineering on Bi2Te3 based materials. Herein, thorough microstructure characterizations are employed on a series of Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3+δ alloys to systematically investigate the twins’ formation mechanism. The results show that the twins belong to the annealing type formed in the sintering process, which is sensitive to Te deficiency, rather than the deformation one. The Te deficiency combined with mechanical deformation is prerequisite for constructing dense nanotwins. By reducing the δ below −0.01 and undergoing strong deformation, samples with a high density of nanotwins are obtained and exhibit an ultrahigh compressive strength over 250 MPa, nearly twice as strong as the previous record reported in hierarchical nanostructured (Bi, Sb)2Te3 alloy. Moreover, benefitting from the suppressed intrinsic excitation, the average zT value of this robust material could reach near 1.1 within 30–250 °C. This work opens a new pathway to design high‐performance and mechanically stable Bi2Te3 based alloys for miniature device development.

Based on the principles of neuromechanics, human arm movements result from the dynamic interaction between the nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems. To develop an effective neural feedback controller for neuro-rehabilitation training, it is important to consider both the effects of muscles and skeletons. In this study, we designed a neuromechanics-based neural feedback controller for arm reaching movements. To achieve this, we first constructed a musculoskeletal arm model based on the actual biomechanical structure of the human arm. Subsequently, a hybrid neural feedback controller was developed that mimics the multifunctional areas of the human arm. The performance of this controller was then validated through numerical simulation experiments. The simulation results demonstrated a bell-shaped movement trajectory, consistent with the natural motion of human arm movements. Furthermore, the experiment testing the tracking ability of the controller revealed real-time errors within one millimeter, with the tensile force generated by the controller’s muscles being stable and maintained at a low value, thereby avoiding the issue of muscle strain that can occur due to excessive excitation during the neurorehabilitation process.

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have attracted wide attention in the field of catalysis because of their excellent stability and electrical properties. Herein, an accurate vacancy formation energy model based on nanothermodynamics theory is developed, the intrinsic correlation between vacancy formation energy and CO oxidation activity is investigated in detail, and the relationship between vacancy formation energy and activity-influencing factors such as particle size, temperature, and crystal surface is analyzed. The results show an excellent linear relationship between vacancy formation energy and CO oxidation activity, with an accuracy of up to 95%. In addition, the vacancy formation energy also corresponds well to the influencing factors of size, temperature, and crystal surface, and its correspondence is particularly accurate when the size is below 20 nm and the temperature is below 500 K. It can serve as a normalized expression of the three influencing factors. Moreover, the present research reveals that the essence of the vacancy formation energy descriptor is the chemical bond energy, and gives its correspondence with the coordination number, diffusion activation energy, and adsorption energy (with a decrease in vacancy formation energy, the adsorption effect of AuNPs is stronger), further demonstrating the feasibility and accuracy of the vacancy formation energy as a descriptor. This research not only overcomes the problem that traditional single-influence descriptors are difficult to apply in complex environments but also has considerable potential for defect modulation.

Development of suitable methanol oxidation reaction catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells is challenging due to sluggish kinetics. Herein, authors show that four-coordinate nickel atoms form charge-transfer orbitals near the Fermi energy level, leading to remarkable methanol oxidation activity.

Objective. Liver cancer is one of the most common malignancies, but its prognosis is still poor. Exploring potential biomarkers is an important direction of tumor research. We intend to use bioinformatics methods to explore potential biomarkers related to survival and prognosis of HCC. Methods. The mRNA and protein expressions of PPM1G in liver cancer were analyzed by HPA, TIMER, and UALCAN databases, and the effects of PPM1G on the prognosis of liver cancer patients were explored by the GEPIA database. We also explored the correlation between PPM1G expression and liver cancer immune infiltration through the TIMER database and further explored the potential protein interaction network of PPM1G through the STRING database. Results. The mRNA and protein expression of PPM1G gene in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues was lower than that in normal adjacent tissues. Liver cancer patients with high expression of PPM1G have a better prognosis than those with low expression of PPM1G. The expression of PPM1G is positively or negatively correlated with different immune cells of liver cancer, such as CD4+ T lymphocytes, CD8+ T lymphocytes, B cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. Conclusion. The liver cancer patients with high expression of PPM1G have a good prognosis, and PPM1G gene may be a potential immunotherapy target and prognostic marker of liver cancer.

Immunotherapy has led to an expansion of the treatment of malignancies, but its effect in prostate cancer (PCa) patients is modest. Chemoimmunotherapy is a promising approach that has attracted substantial attention. Although the widely used clinical chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX) elicits immunogenic cell death (ICD), its weak ICD effect and the abnormal vasculature of tumors severely limit its efficacy in chemoimmunotherapy. Ingenol-3-angelate (I3A), an emerging antitumor drug with dual chemotherapeutic and immune response-eliciting effects, is expected to exert synergistic effects when administered in combination with DOX. I3A induces the ICD of PCa cells by triggering mitophagy and apoptosis and promotes the normalization of tumor vessels, resulting in sufficient infiltration of immune cells into tumors. A synergistic effect of I3A and DOX was observed in vitro at a molar ratio of 1:4. To codeliver this ratio of I3A and DOX to tumor and ensure their uptake, we designed a dual-targeting delivery system, polylactide-poly(ethylene) glycol-2-(3-((S)-5-amino-1-carboxypentyl)-ureido) pentanedioate/triphenylphosphonium (PLA-PEG-ACUPA/TPP), which targets prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and mitochondria. Delivery of these nanomedicines led to inhibited tumor growth and a strong antitumor immune response. This study sheds light on the mitophagic and antiangiogenic mechanisms underlying I3A treatment of PCa and provides a strategy for combining vascular normalization and chemoimmunotherapy for PCa treatment.

Polyurea is widely employed as a protective coating in many fields because of its superior ability to improve the anti-blast and anti-impact capability of structures. In this study, the mechanical properties of polyurea XS-350 were investigated via systematic experimentation over a wide range of strain rates (0.001–7000 s−1) by using an MTS, Instron VHS, and split-Hopkinson bars. The stress-strain behavior of polyurea was obtained for various strain rates, and the effects of strain rate on the primary mechanical properties were analyzed. Additionally, a modified rate-dependent constitutive model is proposed based on the nine-parameter Mooney-Rivlin model. The results show that the stress-strain curves can be divided into three distinct regions: the linear-elastic stage, the highly elastic stage, and an approximate linear region terminating in fracture. The mechanical properties of the polyurea material were found to be highly dependent on the strain rate. Furthermore, a comparison between model predictions and the experimental stress-strain curves demonstrated that the proposed model can characterize the mechanical properties of polyurea over a wide range of strain rates. Keywords: Polyurea, Strain rate effect, Dynamic mechanical properties, Constitutive model

Abstract Background Glioma is an aggressive adult primary cancer, and is characterized by low cure rate, poor prognosis, and high recurrence. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of lncRNA‐H19 gene silencing on glioma cell function. Methods lncRNA‐H19 interference vector (LV3‐si‐H19) and negative control vector (LV3‐NC) were stably transfected into U251 and U87‐MG cells, respectively. Quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) was performed to investigate the expression of lncRNA‐H19. Cell proliferation capacity was tested by adopting cell counting kit (CCK8), and propidium iodide (PI) was used for cell cycle analysis. Meanwhile, flow cytometry (FCM) method was used to investigate cell apoptosis, cell migration capacity was detected via wound healing and transwell experiments, and sphere‐forming ability was examined in serum‐free suspension culture. Additionally, glioma animal models were conducted through injecting U251 cells to estimate the effects of lncRNA‐H19 on glioma growth in vivo. Results Knocking down lncRNA‐H19 gene could effectively suppress the proliferation of U251 and U87‐MG cells. The knockdown of lncRNA‐H19 remarkably inhibited the migration and blocked cycle progressions of U251 and U87‐MG cells, yet, no obvious changes were observed in cell apoptosis. Besides, inhibiting lncRNA‐H19 expression could attenuate sphere‐forming function of U251 and U87‐MG cells. Additionally, tumor volume and weight were significantly reduced in rats injected with U251 LV‐si‐H19 cell line compared to untransfected and negative controls, when survival time was obviously prolonged in U251 LV‐si‐H19 injection groups. Conclusion LncRNA‐H19 gene plays a carcinogenic role in glioma progression via enhancing aggressive behavior of glioma cells.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the incidence of hypothyroidism in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), analyze its correlation with multiple influencing factors such as thyroid exposure dose, thyroid volume, and gender, and construct a multivariate-based normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model for the occurrence of hypothyroidism after IMRT.Materials and MethodsThe thyroid hormone levels of patients at different points in time before and after radiotherapy were tested, and statistics on the incidence of hypothyroidism after treatment were obtained. The dose-volume data of patients’ thyroids were converted into EQD2 equivalent dose values. The correlation between hypothyroidism after radiotherapy and thyroid exposure dose, thyroid volume, gender, and other factors was analyzed, and an NTCP model was constructed.ResultsA total of 69 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were enrolled in this study. Twelve months after radiotherapy, a total of 24 patients (34.8%) developed hypothyroidism. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis revealed that the average thyroid dose and thyroid volume are the most important factors affecting hypothyroidism after radiotherapy. The NTCP model constructed based on the average dose and thyroid volume has a good degree of fit.ConclusionThe volume and average dose of the thyroid gland are the key factors affecting the occurrence of hypothyroidism in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy. The NTCP model constructed based on multivariate construction suggests that reducing the average dose of the thyroid to the greatest extent is an effective way to protect thyroid functions.

This study compared the quality and storage characteristics of four pineapple varieties to select those displaying adequate storage resistance and those suitable for freshly cut processing. Four varieties of pineapple, namely Tainong No.16, Tainong No.17, Tainong No.11, and Bali, were used to analyze the quality differences in freshly cut pineapple during storage by measuring the quality, physiological indicators, and total microbial count. The results indicated that the nutritional quality and storability of freshly cut pineapples differed significantly among the varieties. During refrigeration at 4 °C, Tainong No.11 and Bali displayed the shortest storage period of 4 d, while Tainong No.17 and Tainong No.16 presented storage periods of 5 d and 6 d, respectively. A sensory evaluation indicated that the Tainong No.16 variety was superior in terms of consumer preference, while the Bali slices were generally rated lower than the other cultivars. Additionally, the sensory properties, weight loss, firmness, and ascorbic acid (AA) content of Tainong No.16 changed the least during storage, with values of 60.75%, 6.48%, 75.15%, and 20.44%, respectively. Overall, the quality order of the four varieties of freshly cut pineapples during storage was: Tainong No.16 > Tainong No.17 > Tainong No.11 > Bali. Moreover, two-way ANOVA showed that the main effect of variety and storage time on the storage quality of fresh-cut pineapple was significant (p < 0.05). The interaction effect of variety and storage time on other quality characteristics of fresh-cut pineapple was significant (p < 0.05) except for Titratable acid (TA) and AA. In conclusion, Tainong No.16 displayed higher storage potential than the other varieties. The results of this work provide application possibilities to promote the successful processing of pineapple cultivars as freshly cut produce.

The stability of the thermal properties of diamond/Al composites during thermal cycling is crucial to their thermal management applications. In this study, we realize a well-bonded interface in diamond/Al composites by interfacial in situ Al4C3 engineering. As a result, the excellent stability of thermal conductivity in the diamond/Al composites is presented after 200 thermal cycles from 218 to 423 K. The thermal conductivity is decreased by only 2–5%, mainly in the first 50–100 thermal cycles. The reduction of thermal conductivity is ascribed to the residual plastic strain in the Al matrix after thermal cycling. Significantly, the 272 μm-diamond/Al composite maintains a thermal conductivity over 700 W m−1 K−1 after 200 thermal cycles, much higher than the reported values. The discrete in situ Al4C3 phase strengthens the diamond/Al interface and reduces the thermal stress during thermal cycling, which is responsible for the high thermal conductivity stability in the composites. The diamond/Al composites show a promising prospect for electronic packaging applications.

Abstract The configurational entropy is an emerging descriptor in the functional materials genome. In thermoelectric materials, the configurational entropy helps tune the delicate trade‐off between carrier mobility and lattice thermal conductivity, as well as the structural phase transition, if any. Taking GeTe as an example, low‐entropy GeTe generally have high carrier mobility and distinguished zT > 2, but the rhombohedral‐cubic phase transition restricts the applications. In contrast, despite cubic structure and ultralow lattice thermal conductivity, the degraded carrier mobility leads to a low zT in high‐entropy GeTe. Herein, medium‐entropy alloying is implemented to suppress the phase transition and achieve the cubic GeTe with ultralow lattice thermal conductivity yet decent carrier mobility. In addition, co‐alloying of (Mn, Pb, Sb, Cd) facilitates multivalence bands convergence and band flattening, thereby yielding good Seebeck coefficients and compensating for decreased carrier mobility. For the first time, a state‐of‐the‐art zT of 2.1 at 873 K and average zTave of 1.3 between 300 and 873 K are attained in cubic phased Ge0.63Mn0.15Pb0.1Sb0.06Cd0.06Te. Moreover, a record‐high Vickers hardness of 270 is attained. These results not only promote GeTe materials for practical applications, but also present a breakthrough in the burgeoning field of entropy engineering.

Converting solar energy to hydrogen fuel requires light-absorbers that well-match the wavelengths of incoming sunlight. Here, authors prepare a broadband visible-light-absorbing molecular complex that efficiently produces hydrogen from water.

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is still the third most common cancer in the world with a limited prognosis due to the chemoresistance of CRC cells to 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU)‐based chemotherapy. In our previous study, we revealed that miR‐204 overexpression could sensitize CRC cell to 5‐FU treatment through targeting HMGA2/PI3K signaling pathway; however, miR‐204 expression in CRC tissues is abnormally downregulated. Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) dysregulation has been reported in human diseases, including cancer. Also, lncRNA can regulate cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, as well as chemoresistance. LncRNA prostate cancer‐associated transcript 6 (PCAT6) acts as an oncogene in many cancers; herein, PCAT6 expression was abnormally upregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines, suggesting its potential role in CRC. Further, we assessed the specific function and mechanism of PCAT6 in CRC. Furthermore, we revealed that PCAT6 knockdown attenuated CRC chemoresistance to 5‐FU through miR‐204/HMGA2/PI3K; miR‐204 inhibition could partially reverse the effect of PCAT6 knockdown. Taken together, we demonstrate that the abnormal PCAT6 overexpression inhibits miR‐204 expression in CRC, thereby promoting HMGA2/PI3K signaling activity, ultimately enhancing the chemoresistance of CRC cells to 5‐FU; PCAT6 represents a promising target for dealing with CRC chemoresistance.

Wind power utilization is attracting worldwide attention in the renewable energy field, and as wind power develops from land to sea, the size of the blades is becoming incredibly larger. The fatigue test, especially the biaxial synchronous fatigue test for the blades, is becoming an indispensable step to ensure the blade’s quality before mass production, which means the biaxial independent test presently used may have difficulty reproducing the real damage for large-sized blades that oscillate simultaneously in flap-wise and edgewise directions in service conditions. The main point of the fatigue test is to carry out accelerated and reinforced oscillations on blades in the experimental plan. The target moments of critical blade sections are reached or not during the test are treated as one significant evaluation criterion. For independent tests, it is not hard to realize moment matching using additional masses fixed on certain critical blade sections, which may be not easy to put into effect for biaxial synchronous tests, since the mechanical properties and target moments in the flap-wise and edgewise directions are widely varied. To realize the mechanical decoupling for loading force or additional mass inertia force in two directions is becoming one of the key issues for blade biaxial synchronous fatigue testing. For this problem, the present paper proposed one mechanical decoupling design concept after a related literature review. After that, the blade moment design and target matching approach are also proposed, using the Transfer Matrix Method (TMM) for moment quick calculation and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for case optimization.

To study the compressive mechanical properties and failure modes of TC11 titanium alloy fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) technology in a large strain rate range at room temperature, the quasi-static and dynamic compression tests were carried out. In addition, optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to observe the metallographic structure and fracture morphology, respectively. The stress–strain curves in the range of 0.001 s−1–4000 s−1, original and post-deformation microstructures, macroscopic damage patterns, and microscopic fracture morphology were obtained at two different loading directions, including the scanning and deposition directions, respectively. In uniaxial compression experiments, the material showed little difference in mechanical properties between the scanning and deposition directions, exhibiting a strain rate strengthening effect. However, the strain rate sensitivity of the material under quasi-static loading conditions is much less than that under dynamic loading conditions. In addition, combining the stress–strain curve with the fracture morphology analysis, the plasticity in the scanning direction is better than in the deposition direction. Based on the experimental results, a modified Johnson–Cook (JC) constitutive model considering strain rate sensitivity and the effect of strain rate on strain hardening was proposed, and the parameters were determined using a Multiple Population Genetic Algorithm (MPGA). The obtained constitutive model is in good agreement with the experimental data, which can provide a reference for the engineering numerical calculation of TC11 titanium alloy for WAAM. This study also provides a fundamental databank for the application and design of WAAM TC11 alloy in the manufacturing of large and complex structural parts.

The recovery of scheelite from calcium-bearing carbonate ores by foam flotation is challenging due to its low separation efficiency. This study investigated the effect of pentasodium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (PD) on the surface properties of scheelite and fluorite. For this purpose, we performed micro-flotation tests and carried out zeta potential measurements, as well as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopic measurements, in order to analyze the surface properties of these minerals. The addition of PD as a novel depressor significantly improved the effect of fluorite and sodium oleate (NaOl) on the flotation-based scheelite recovery and separation from fluorite. PD was spontaneously adsorbed onto fluorite through electrostatic and chemical adsorption. By contrast, PD did not appear on the scheelite because of the reaction conditions, surface site, and steric hindrance. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements and a solution chemistry analysis were used for the determination of the PD-selective adsorption mechanism and key factors derived from multi-layer adsorption onto fluorite, which completely hindered that of NaOl.

Although the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into bio-oil with high yield/quality through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is promising, it still faces many challenges. In this study, a Fex-Co(1-x)/Al2O3 catalyst was prepared with the coprecipitation method and low-content ethanol was used as the cosolvent for the HTL of poplar. The results showed that the Fex-Co(1-x)/Al2O3 catalyst significantly promoted the yield and energy recovery rate (ERR) of bio-oil compared with the control (10% ethanol content). At 260 °C for 30 min, 60Fe-40Co/Al2O3 had the best catalytic effect, achieving the highest bio-oil yield (67.35%) and ERR (93.07%). As a multifunctional bimetallic catalyst, Fex-Co(1-x)/Al2O3 could not only increase the degree of hydrogenation deoxidization of the product but also promote the diversity of phenolic compounds gained from lignin. The bio-oil obtained from HTL with Fex-Co(1-x)/Al2O3 as catalyst contained lower heterocyclic nitrogen, promoting the transfer of more bio-oil components to substances with lower boiling point.

Maintaining fish diversity is essential for environmental protection. To characterize the fish composition of the tributaries and mainstream in the upper reaches of the Ganjiang River, we identified seventy-five species of 15 families in 14 sampling sites. These data were analyzed using the inclusion index at the taxonomic level (TINCLi), the importance value index (IVI), the taxonomic diversity indices (Δ+ and Λ+), cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS). The results showed that the most common and dominant order was the Cypriniformes, represented most frequently by Hemiculter leucisculus among the sample sites. Most fishes were omnivorous, mountain stream or settled fish that lay sinking or viscid eggs. Most sites showed a trend of more discrete distribution from high latitude to low latitude. According to the taxonomic diversity indices, the fish taxonomic composition in the upper reaches of Ganjiang River is uneven. The Bray-Curtis resemblance matrix and nMDS showed that the habitats of the Ganjiang River were divided into four areas. The results will provide information needed for freshwater fish resource protection in the upper reaches of the Ganjiang River.

Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-STEM) has evolved into the most powerful characterization and manufacturing platform for all materials, especially functional materials with complex structural characteristics that respond dynamically to external fields. It has become possible to directly observe and tune all kinds of defects, including those at the crucial atomic scale. In-depth understanding and technically tailoring structural defects will be of great significance for revealing the structure-performance relation of existing high-property materials, as well as for foreseeing paths to the design of high-performance materials. Insights would be gained from piezoelectrics and thermoelectrics, two representative functional materials. A general strategy is highlighted for optimizing these functional materials’ properties, namely defect engineering at the atomic scale.

Magnetoresistance in ferromagnetic materials and heterostructures have been enabling advanced understanding of electron transport in solids, as well as new concepts for applications. Here the authors demonstrate a different type of magnetoresistance arising from anomalous Hall effect associated spin–charge mutual conversion.