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Four episodes of granitic rocks at 517, 501-496, 462-451, and 426-385 Ma occurred in the South Altyn subduction-collision complex. The first episode of granite emplacement predates the formation of the ophiolite type mafic rock (≥500 Ma), and the three subsequent episodes can be temporally correlated to high-pressure (HP) to ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphism at ca. 500 Ma, retrograde granulite-facies metamorphism at ca. 450 Ma, and amphibolite-facies metamorphism at ca. 420 Ma, respectively. A comprehensive study of these granitic rocks, along with the regional geological background, mafic-ultramafic rocks, and HP-UHP metamorphism, indicates that the four episodes of granitic magmatism are sequentially derived from the partial melting of the earlier subducted oceanic crust at 517 Ma, the thickened continental crust due to continental subduction at ca. 500 Ma, the mid-upper crust in response to slab breakoff at ca. 450 Ma, and the tectonic transition from contraction to extension at ca. 420 Ma. The formation age of 517 Ma for oceanic adakite provides a direct constraint on the time of the oceanic subduction in South Altyn. In addition, there is a ca. 10 Myr interval between the oceanic subduction to the continental deep subduction, suggesting that the Early Paleozoic tectonic evolution might have been a successive process in South Altyn. The four episodes of formation of granitic rocks, mafic-ultramafic rocks, and HP-UHP metamorphic rocks have fully recorded the tectonic evolution, beginning with the oceanic subduction, followed by continental subduction, and later exhumation during the Early Paleozoic in South Altyn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamaterials have enabled the realization of unconventional electromagnetic properties not found in nature, which provokes us to rethink the established rules of optics in both the linear and nonlinear regimes. One of the most intriguing phenomena in nonlinear metamaterials is 'backward phase-matching', which describes counter-propagating fundamental and harmonic waves in a negative-index medium. Predicted nearly a decade ago, this process is still awaiting a definitive experimental confirmation at optical frequencies. Here, we report optical measurements showing backward phase-matching by exploiting two distinct modes in a nonlinear plasmonic waveguide, where the real parts of the mode refractive indices are 3.4 and −3.4 for the fundamental and the harmonic waves respectively. The observed peak conversion efficiency at the excitation wavelength of ∼780 nm indicates the fulfilment of the phase-matching condition of k2ω = 2kω and n2ω = −nω, where the coherent harmonic wave emerges along a direction opposite to that of the incoming fundamental light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a wide bandgap semiconductor, SiC holds great importance for high temperature and high power devices. It is known that the intrinsic defects play key roles in determining the overall electronic properties of semiconductors; however, a comprehensive understanding of the intrinsic defect properties in the prototype 4H-SiC is still lacking. In this study, we have systematically investigated the electronic properties and kinetic behaviors of intrinsic point defects and defect complexes in 4H-SiC using advanced hybrid functional calculations. Our results show that all the point defects in 4H-SiC have relatively high formation energies, i.e., low defect concentrations even at high growth temperatures. Interestingly, it is found that the migration barriers are very high for vacancies (>3 eV) but relatively low for interstitial defects (∼1 eV) in SiC. Meanwhile, the diffusion energy barriers of defects strongly depend on their charge states due to the charge-state-dependent local environments. Furthermore, we find that VSi in SiC, a key defect for quantum spin manipulation, is unstable compared to the spin-unpolarized VC–CSi complex in terms of the total energy (under p-type conditions). Fortunately, the transformation barrier from VSi to VC–CSi is as high as 4 eV, which indicates that VSi could be stable at room (or not very high) temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) films are generally regarded as promising alternatives for non-biodegradable plastics films. However, the shortcomings of high hydrophilic performance, low elongation and poor folding endurance continue to pose challenges in commercial application. In the present study, we established controllable reflectance CNF films by applying a facile and scalable poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/SiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) reinforced strategy in a free chemical modification manner. CNF/PBAT films have the favorable combination of hydrophobicity, elongation and folding endurance. The results reveal a significant improvement in the hydrophobic properties of CNF/PBAT films (water contact angle >80°), as well as a 3 times improvement in folding resistance (1210 cycles), a 3.7 times improvement in tensile strength (89.8 MPa) and controlled reflectance properties. Additionally, we examined the hiding power and color difference of the CNF/PBAT films, and explored the underlying principle for the enhanced hydrophobicity, folding resistance, elongation and reflectance. Finally, the CNF/PBAT films exhibited stable comprehensive performance after we applied the films in drinking straws. The present study provides a facile strategy to prepare hydrophobic, folding resistant, reinforced and reflectance-controlled CNF films and could promote industrial use in the fields of glass film, beverage appliances, packaging, and flexible electronic devices. [Display omitted] • Increasing the layer spacing and porosity of CNF films by mixing with SiO2. • Mechanical, elongation, folding and reflectance properties of prepared composite improved markedly. • CNF/PBAT films display a controlled adjustment in reflectance, hiding power, and color difference. • CNF/PBAT films provide stability for packaging, electronics and other advanced applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A metal-free oxidative decarbonylative coupling of aliphatic aldehydes with various electron-deficient heterocycles has been developed. This reaction is supposed to be realized via a Minisci-type mechanism, based on the substrate scope, regioselectivity and radical trapping experiments. The ready availability of aliphatic aldehydes, metal-free conditions and broad substrate scope should make this method attractive for the late-stage alkylation of bioactive heterocycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The giant organs and enhanced concentrations of secondary metabolites realized by autopolyploidy are attractive for breeding the respective medicinal and agricultural plants and studying the genetic mechanisms. The traditional medicinal plant Chinese woad (Isatis indigotica Fort., 2n = 2x = 14) is now still largely used for the diseases caused by bacteria and viruses in China. In this study, its autopolyploids (3x, 4x) were produced and characterized together with the 2x donor for their phenotype and transcriptomic alterations by using high-throughput RNA sequencing. With the increase of genome dosage, the giantism in cells and organs was obvious and the photosynthetic rate was higher. The 4x plants showed predominantly the normal meiotic chromosome pairing (bivalents and quadrivalents) and equal segregation and then produced the majority of 4x progeny. The total 70136 All-unigenes were de novo assembled, and 56,482 (80.53%) unigenes were annotated based on BLASTx searches of the public databases. From pair-wise comparisons between transcriptomic data of 2x, 3x, 4x plants, 1856 (2.65%)(2x vs 4x), 693(0.98%)(2x vs 3x), 1045(1.48%)(3x vs 4x) unigenes were detected to differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including both up- and down-regulated ones. These DEGs were mainly involved in cell growth (synthesis of expansin and pectin), cell wall organization, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, response to stress and photosynthetic pathways. The up-regulation of some DEGs for metabolic pathways of functional compounds in the induced autotetraploids substantiates the promising new type of this medicinal plant with the increased biomass and targeted metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A non-Darcy flow with moving boundary conditions in a low-permeability reservoir was solved using the homotopy analysis method (HAM), which was converted into a fixed-boundary mathematical model via similarity transformation. Approximate analytical solutions based on the HAM are guaranteed to be more accurate than exact analytical solutions, with relative errors between 0.0089% and 2.64%. When λ = 0, the pressure drop of the Darcy seepage model could be instantaneously transmitted to infinity. When λ > 0, the pressure drop curve of the non-Darcy seepage model exhibited the characteristics of tight support, which was clearly different from the Darcy seepage model's formation pressure distribution curve. According to the results of the HAM, a moving boundary is more influenced by threshold pressure gradients with a longer time. When the threshold pressure gradients were smaller, the moving boundaries move more quickly and are more sensitive to external influences. One-dimensional, low-permeability porous media with a non-Darcy flow with moving boundary conditions can be reduced to a Darcy seepage model if the threshold pressure gradient values tend to zero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals are very important optoelectronic functional materials and their developments have significantly contributed to the progress of laser science and technology for decades. In order to explore new NLO crystals with superior performances, it is greatly desirable to understand the intrinsic relationship between the macroscopic optical properties and microscopic structural features in crystals. In this paper, the applications of density functional theory (DFT) method to the elucidation of the structure-property relationship and to the exploration on novel NLO materials in the ultraviolet and infrared spectrum regions are reviewed. The great success in the linear and NLO property predictions has been achieved using the first-principles computational simulations, and the mechanism understanding obtained by various analysis tools can give substantial guidance to the search and design of new NLO crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changshagou adakite, an outcrop in the middle segment of the South Altyn Tagh ultra-high pressure metamorphism (UHPM) terrane, contains medium-K cal-alkaline and weakly peraluminous compositions (SiO2= 66.79% to 68.65%, Al2O3= 17.48% to 18.31%, K2O + Na2O = 6.32% to 6.88%, K2O/Na2O = 0.25 to 0.33, A/CNK = 1.01 to 1.06). This outcrop is also enriched with large ion lithophile elements but with depleted high-field strength elements (HFSE) showing clearly negative Nb, Ta, and Ti anomalies. REE distribution patterns show a positive anomaly of Eu (δEu = 1.15 to 1.31) and weakly enriched with LREE compared with HREE (LREE/HREE = 1.02 to 4.20). Experimental results and several characteristics, including relatively low Nb/Ta ratios (6.03 to 8.45) and high Sr, Sr/Y, (La/Yb)N and low Y and Yb, which indicate the presence of residual garnet and the absence of plagioclase in the source region, show that adakite may form at a pressure ranging from 1.2 GPa to 1.5 GPa and at a temperature of approximately 900°C. Low Cr, Ni, and Mg# values, trace element patterns, and SiO2-Mg# and SiO2-MgO diagrams indicate that rocks are formed by the partial melting of a thickened lower continental crust LA-ICP-MS in situ U-Pb dating yields two group ages: 503.1 ± 1.7 Ma (core) and 453.1 ± 3.0 Ma (rim). The Th/U ratios of the core and the rim are 0.11 to 0.40 and 0.03 to 0.07, respectively. Considering the zircon CL image characteristics, Th/U ratios, and previous studies on regional UHPM rocks, adakite formed at 503.1 ± 1.7 Ma and underwent a tectothermal event as a result of the break-off of the Altyn deep subducted continental crust at 453.1 ± 3.0 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A complete set of monosomic alien addition lines of Brassica napus with one of the seven chromosomes of Isatis indigotica and the recombinant mitochondria was developed and characterized. Abstract: Monosomic alien addition lines (MAALs) are valuable for elucidating the genome structure and transferring the useful genes and traits in plant breeding. Isatis indigotica (Chinese woad, 2 n = 14, II) in Isatideae tribe of Brassicaceae family has been widely cultivated as a medicinal and dye plant in China. Herein, the intertribal somatic hybrid (2 n = 52, AACCII) between B. napus cv. Huashuang 3 (2 n = 38, AACC) and I. indigotica produced previously was backcrossed recurrently to parental B. napus, and 32 MAAL plants were isolated. Based on their phenotype, 5S and 45S rDNA loci and chromosome-specific SSR markers, these MAALs were classified into seven groups corresponding to potential seven types of MAALs carrying one of the seven I. indigotica chromosomes. One of the MAALs could be distinguishable by expressing the brown anthers of I. indigotica, other two hosted the chromosome with 5S or 45S rDNA locus, but the remaining four were identifiable by SSR markers. The simultaneous detection of the same SSR maker and gene locus in different MAALs revealed the paralogs on the chromosomes involved. The recombinant mitochondrial genome in MAALs was likely related with their male sterility with carpellody stamens, while the MAAL with normal brown anthers probably carried the restoring gene for the male sterility. The complete set of MAALs should be useful for exploiting the I. indigotica genome and for promoting the introgression of valuable genes to B. napus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Melamine modified carbon dots (Me-CDs) exhibits 92.36% corrosion inhibition efficiency on carbon steel in neutral medium. • Adsorption isotherm of Me-CDs conforms to Temkin adsorption model, involving both chemisorption and physisorption. • Hydrophobic Me-CDs film adheres on carbon steel via coordinate-covalent bond and multilayer accumulation effect. Melamine modified carbon dots (Me-CDs) was synthesized by hydrothermal method and used as effective corrosion inhibitor for Q235 carbon steel in 3.5 wt% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. The microstructure and surface properties of Me-CDs were characterized using XRD, FTIR, XPS and TEM. The corrosion inhibition behavior and mechanism of Me-CDs for carbon steel were investigated using weight loss and electrochemical methods, in combination with some surface characterizations (including SEM, AFM and contact angle tester). Results showed that Me-CDs as mixed-type adsorbent inhibitor could effectively prevent carbon steel from corrosion, and the maximum corrosion inhibition efficiency can reach 92.36% at 200 mg/L. The absorption of Me-CDs conformed to Temkin adsorption model, involving both chemisorption and physisorption. Based on the results of characterization analysis, the chemisorption from multiple adsorption centers, physisorption by blocking and barrier effect, and the formation of hydrophobic film on the surface of carbon steel was proposed to clarify the corrosion inhibition mechanism of Me-CDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel strategy for spraying nanosized soil particles on steel mesh to prepare the superlyophobic soil mesh by a facile surface treatment technology, and successfully apply it to various immiscible liquids separation. [Display omitted] • A multifunctional, sustainable material for immiscible liquid mixtures separation. • Under nonpolar (polar) liquid superlyophobicity of polar (nonpolar) liquid. • Used chemical properties-structure relationships to give material performance. • Low cost manufacturing, environment friendly, dimplicity of operator. • Good corrosion resistance in acidic, alkaline and high salt environment. Immiscible liquids separation has recently become a worldwide challenge due to the expanding industrial activity. It is still thorny to put forward a universal strategy for constructing multi-superlyophobic surfaces in immiscible liquids systems due to a thermodynamic contradiction. Herein, a low-cost, environmentally friendly pre-wetted nanosized soil coated-mesh (NSCM) was prepared, which shows the property of under-nonpolar-liquid superlyophobic to polar liquid, or under-polar-liquid superlyophobic to nonpolar liquid. The NSCM was fabricated in aqueous solutions by spraying melamine formaldehyde resin modified nanosized soil particles on a stainless-steel mesh for selective immiscible liquid separation. After the NSCM is prewetted with heavy liquid, heavy liquid can be removed from the light immiscible liquid mixtures by gravity. The as-prepared NSCM showed a high separation efficiency of above 99% for a series of immiscible liquids mixtures, even after 60 separation cycles. More importantly, the electrochemical tests indicated that the NSCM exhibited the outstanding durability after being immersed in alkali (pH = 10.0, NaOH), acidic (pH = 4.0, HCl) and high-concentrated salt solutions (3.5 wt% NaCl) for 30 days. The calculated R t values were approximately 1.04 × 107, 2.65 × 106 and 7.59 × 105 Ω·cm2, respectively. And the corresponding corrosion rates were 0.013712, 0.96438, and 2.5818 μm/year, respectively. These excellent performances of the NSCM make it an ideal candidate material for separation, and even in a wider field of sea wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Single crystal structure of a novel ultraviolet NLO tourmaline was solved. • Sellmeier equations were obtained by fitting the measured refractive indices. • Phase matching range of the title crystal is obtained from the Sellmeier equations. • The linear and NLO properties were investigated by the experimental and theory calculation. Transparent tourmaline NaAl 9 (BO 3) 3 Si 6 O 21 OH is first reported by combining experimental and theory calculation methods, which exhibits potential ultraviolet nonlinear optical properties. [Display omitted] Tourmaline, as an important mineral, has received intensive interest, since it is not only a valuable gemstone, but also is a piezoelectric or pyroelectric material, due to the polar structural configuration. However, its nonlinear optical (NLO) properties were not explored so far, because a transparent crystal with high transmittance is scarce, being essential to optical functional materials. Here, we report a novel ultraviolet (UV) NLO tourmaline crystal with chemical composition NaAl 9 (BO 3) 3 Si 6 O 21 OH for the first time by combining first-principles analysis and experimental measurements. It exhibits a short UV absorption edge, considerable second harmonic generation effect and moderate birefringence, thereby facilitating its phase-matching coherent beam output in the range from visible to UV regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first propose a very interesting and practical problem, pattern matching in a distributed mobile environment. Pattern matching is a well-known problem and extensive research has been conducted for performing effective and efficient search. However, previous proposed approaches assume that data are centrally stored, which is not the case in a mobile environment (e.g., mobile phone networks), where one person's pattern could be separately stored in a number of different stations, and such a local pattern is incomplete compared with the global pattern. A simple solution to pattern matching over a mobile environment is to collect all the data distributed in base stations to a data center and conduct pattern matching at the data center afterwards. Clearly, such a simple solution will raise huge amount of communication traffic, which could cause the communication bottleneck brought by the limited wireless bandwidth to be even worse. Therefore, a communication efficient and search effective solution is necessary. In our work, we present a novel solution which is based on our well-designed weighted bloom filter (WBF), called, D istributed Incomplete pattern matching ( DI-matching), to find target patterns over a distributed mobile environment. Specifically, to save communication cost and ensure pattern matching in distributed incomplete patterns, we use WBF to encode a query pattern and disseminate the encoded data to each base station. Each base station conducts a local pattern search according to the received WBF. Only qualified IDs and corresponding weights in each base station are sent to the data center for aggregation and verification. Through non-trivial theoretical analysis and extensive empirical experiments on a real city-scale mobile networks data set, we demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We demonstrate enormously strongchiral effects from a photonicmetamaterial consisting of an array of dual-layer twisted-arcs witha total thickness of ∼λ/6. Experimental results reveala circular dichroism of ∼0.35 in the absolute value and a maximumpolarization rotation of ∼305°/λ in a near-infraredwavelength region. A transmission of greater than 50% is achievedat the frequency where the polarization rotation peaks. Retrievedparameters from measured quantities further indicate an actual opticalactivity of 76° per λ and a difference of 0.42 in the indicesof refraction for the two circularly polarized waves of opposite handedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The amplitude of an ultrasonic signal generated by electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) is typically low when compared to those generated by contacting transducers, which restricts the application of EMATs in the fields of nondestructive testing and nondestructive evaluation. The transmission process of a surface wave EMAT is studied, based on a previously established 3-D model, with the aim of enhancing the amplitude of ultrasonic waves generated by the EMAT. The effect of changing various EMAT parameters on the surface wave is investigated, by utilizing the orthogonal test method. Results indicate that after optimization, the signal amplitude of the EMAT has increased by 25.2%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new ternary phosphidopolysilicate (IV), KSi2P3, has been synthesized by high temperature solid state reaction. The compound crystallizes in a new structure type in the monoclinic space group C2/c with a=10.1327(5)Å, b=10.1382(5)Å, c=21.1181(10)Å, β=96.88(0)°, and Z=8. In the structure, all SiP4 tetrahedra are connected with each other by corner-sharing P atoms to form layers, which are stacked along c direction and separated by K+ cations. The two-dimensional structure of KSi2P3 contrasts with those of the two known members in the ternary A/Si/P (A=alkali metal) system, namely Na5SiP3 (zero-dimensional) and K2SiP2 (one-dimensional), which contains less amount of Si. The band gap deduced from UV–vis–IR diffuse reflectance spectrum is 1.72eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The vertically aligned structures of anisotropic fillers (using 2D boron nitride (BN) platelets as a proof-of-concept) in composites are constructed assisted by the expansion flow. BN platelets in composites are aligned in a curved shape that includes vertical alignment in the central area and horizontal alignment close to strip surfaces. The shape of expansion channels affects the vertical orientation order and the through-plane thermal conductivity of composites.Orientation control of anisotropic one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) materials in solutions is of great importance in many fields ranging from structural materials design, the thermal management, to energy storage. Achieving fine control of vertical alignment of anisotropic fillers (such as graphene, boron nitride (BN), and carbon fiber) remains challenging. This work presents a universal and scalable method for constructing vertically aligned structures of anisotropic fillers in composites assisted by the expansion flow (using 2D BN platelets as a proof-of-concept). BN platelets in the silicone gel strip are oriented in a curved shape that includes vertical alignment in the central area and horizontal alignment close to strip surfaces. Due to the vertical orientation of BN in the central area of strips, a through-plane thermal conductivity as high as 5.65 W m−1 K−1 was obtained, which can be further improved to 6.54 W m−1 K−1 by combining BN and pitch-based carbon fibers. The expansion-flow-assisted alignment can be extended to the manufacture of a variety of polymer composites filled with 1D and 2D materials, which can find wide applications in batteries, electronics, and energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent unmanned mining is a key process in coal mine production, which has direct impact on the production safety, coal output, economic benefits and social benefits of coal mine enterprises. With the rapid development and popularization of 5G+ intelligent mines and coal mine intelligent equipment in China, the intelligentization of intelligent unmanned mining has become an important research topic. Especially with the promulgation of some Chinese policies and regulations, intelligent unmanned mining technology has become one of the key technologies of coal mine production. To understand the connotation, status quo and development trends of intelligent unmanned mining, this paper takes the relationship between key technologies and engineering application of intelligent unmanned mining in China as the perspective. It is proposed that the intelligent unmanned mining technology is in the whole process of working face mining. A research structure of unmanned follow-up operation and safe patrol is changing to the mode of intelligent adaptive mining, followed by the basic concepts and characteristics of intelligent unmanned mining. Relevant researches that maybe beneficial to the proposed research content are reviewed in four layers, which include basic theory, key technology, mining mode, and overall design system theory and technology. Finally, the current intelligent unmanned mining mode and future trends in this field in China are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-Throughput, Label-Free and Slide-Free Histological Imaging by Computational Microscopy and Unsupervised Learning (Adv. Sci. 2/2022) Assisted by computational microscopy and unsupervised learning, virtually stained Deep-CHAMP images show high-resolution histopathological cellular features of thick and unprocessed tissues with large surface irregularity. B Label-Free and Slide-Free Histological Imaging Method b In article number 2102358 by Terence T. W. Wong and co-workers, a high-throughput, label-free, and slide-free histological imaging method (termed CHAMP) is proposed. [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] • Superhydrophobic strategies based on condensation and addition reactions. • Oil spill clean-up through selective absorption and active filtration processes. • The scalable manufacturing strategy is low-cost and environment-friendly. oil pollution incidents emerge in endlessly, threatening global ecological security and environmental sustainability. It is a consensus of current scientific research to develop environmentally friendly, sustainable and degradable materials for polluted water body restoration. Cellulose is one of the most attractive candidate materials due to its abundant reserves and all-green degradability. Herein, a technique used to modify lignocellulose fibers via the condensation and addition reactions is reported, and the modified lignocellulose fibers exhibit excellent superhydrophobic and degradation properties. The modification process consists of two main steps: 1) the in situ construction of micro-nano structures on the surface of lignocellulose fibers through the condensation reaction using melamine and formaldehyde; 2) using the addition reaction between the isothiocyanate compound with low surface energy and the amino groups of the melamine resin. The superhydrophobic isothiocyanate/melamine/formaldehyde (IMF) lignocellulose fibers are extremely repellent to water both in atmospheric conditions and underoil. It can separate various oil–water mixtures by absorption (with a high oil absorption capacity of > 1000 wt%) and gravity-driven filtration (with a separation efficiency of > 96%). The embedded superhydrophobicity in the IMF lignocellulose fibers remained unperturbed (with the water contact angle of > 150° and the oil–water separation efficiency of > 97%) even after repeating for 50 cycles. The presented strategy not only indicates a new direction for the comprehensive utilization of abundant lignocellulose fibers, but also proposes a promising way for the development of oil–water remediation technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-cost and scalable fabrication processes are needed to prepare efficient superhydrophobic materials, particularly for oil/water separation and metal protection against severe oil spills and metal corrosion. Here, an effective oil/water separation mesh with long-lasting acid/base durability and corrosive resistance is reported. In this work, the mesh was fabricated by simply spraying nano soil particles cross-linked with melamine resin and impregnating them with polyethylene (PE) solution. The multi-layered morphology obtained from the spraying and impregnating process which provides the unique wetting properties for the stainless steel (SS) mesh, such as superhydrophobicity and low water adhesion. Also the low chemical activity of alkyl sp3 carbon-hydrogen bonds provides acid/base resistance for the manufactured material. By utilizing these unique properties, not only can gravity-driven efficient oil/corrosive fluid separation be achieved, but the fabricated superhydrophobic stainless steel (SSS) mesh retains high separation efficiency (> 99%) and superhydrophobicity (water contact angle, WCA > 150°) in reuse process of wastewater in treated oil. More importantly, this excellent protection can effectively reduce the corrosion rate of the mesh by more than two orders of magnitude (SS mesh i corr 1.82 × 10−8 A·cm−2; SSS mesh i corr 9.84 × 10−11 A·cm−2) which providing a long-lasting protection even after 16 days of immersion in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. All in all, the easy operation, acid/base resistance, high separation efficiency, and corrosion inhibition efficiency of the SSS mesh give them great potential for oil/water separation and metal protection applications. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A video-clip based survey was conducted to investigate pedestrian perceived level of service. [•] A random parameters ordered probit model is developed. [•] Bicycles are found to have a strong negative impact on pedestrian perceptions of level of service. [•] The results provide guidance for making sidewalks more pedestrian friendly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Surface wave electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) are becoming preferred sensors of automatic inspection systems for the detection of surface-layer defects in hostile environments. Aiming at establishing a 3-D model for meander-line-coil surface wave EMATs operating on the Lorentz principle, a novel modeling method is proposed by combining numerical calculations and analytical solutions with special attention to the influence of the dynamic magnetic field. Simulation and analysis find that the frequency of the surface waves due to the dynamic magnetic field is twice that due to the static magnetic field; the excitation of surface waves with two frequencies can effectively improve the sensitivity of EMATs to flaws; and the force due to the dynamic magnetic field generates surface waves more efficiently than that due to the static one when the excitation current exceeds 528.9A. The accuracy of the established model is verified by experiment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Comprehensive thermodynamic calculations and high‐temperature experiments are performed to systematically evaluate the effect of calcium and magnesium additions on the modification and control of inclusions in AH36 ship plate steel. The results show that Al2O3 or MgAl2O4 inclusions are formed under the casting temperature conditions. Calcium treatment modifies the inclusions into calcium aluminate, of which components partially fall into the liquidus region, and the aspect ratio and number density of inclusions became smaller, avoiding nozzle clogging, but the inclusions are easy to gather and grow up, which would affect the steel properties. Magnesium treatment modifies the inclusions into dispersed magnesium‐aluminum spinel with small size. However, the number density and aspect ratio of inclusions increase, as well as the melting points of inclusions are high, which would easily cause nozzle clogging. When calcium–magnesium synergistic treatment, with the increase of magnesium proportion, the inclusions types increased, and the liquidus area of inclusions became narrower until it disappeared. Synergistic treatment with more calcium and less magnesium (Ca2Mg1) is optimal since the inclusions were fine and diffuse, and the corresponding liquidus area of inclusions is wider than the calcium treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spoof plasmonics, which can enable strong terahertz (THz) radiation–matter interactions, hold great promise for the advancement of THz science and technology. However, THz spoof plasmonic devices based on micro-structured metals are in general limited by lithography-based fabrication processes as well as metals' mechanical, chemical, and thermal stability, which hinders their applications in, for instance, flexible and wearable THz imaging and communications, molecular sensing, etc. Possessing high electrical conductivity and outstanding mechanical robustness, graphene-assembled films (GAFs) promise many benefits for electronics as an alternative to metals. Here, by studying the resonance-enhanced transmission properties of subwavelength GAF hole arrays, we demonstrate a GAF metasurface as a transformative platform for flexible THz spoof plasmonics. Based on a laser direct writing (LDW) patterning technique, the proposed micro-engineered GAF is expected to pave the way toward large-area, durable, and inexpensive THz metadevices with superior flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent article in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging discusses the development of a macrocyclic peptide PET radioligand for PD-L1, a protein involved in immune checkpoint mechanisms. The article highlights the challenges and opportunities in individualizing treatment for patients who could benefit from anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy and monitoring their response during therapy. The authors present a study on the discovery and evaluation of a novel fluorine-18 labeled macrocyclic peptide-based PET ligand, [18F]BMS-986229, which demonstrated high affinity for PD-L1 and rapid clearance from non-PD-L1 tissues. The study suggests that this ligand has the potential to facilitate a broader clinical application of PD-L1 PET imaging. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the use of radiomics, a method that involves extracting imaging features from radiologic images, to predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The study found that radiomics analysis using 2-[18F]FDG PET-based imaging was more effective in predicting LNM compared to traditional CT and PET reports. The study also highlighted the need for standardization in radiomics workflow and the development of automated segmentation tools. While promising, further research and validation in larger clinical trials are needed before radiomics can be integrated into routine clinical practice. [Extracted from the article]

The highly strained, phenylene‐derived organic cages are typically regarded as very rigid entities, yet their deformation potential and supramolecular properties remain underexplored. Herein, we report a pliable conjugated phenylene nanocage by synergistically merging rigid and flexible building blocks. The anisotropic cage molecule contains branched phenylene chains capped by a calix[6]arene moiety, the delicate conformational changes of which endow the cage with a remarkably deformable cavity. When complexing with fullerene guests, the cage showcases excellent guest‐adaptivity, with its cavity volume capable of swelling by as much as 85 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly strained, phenylene‐derived organic cages are typically regarded as very rigid entities, yet their deformation potential and supramolecular properties remain underexplored. Herein, we report a pliable conjugated phenylene nanocage by synergistically merging rigid and flexible building blocks. The anisotropic cage molecule contains branched phenylene chains capped by a calix[6]arene moiety, the delicate conformational changes of which endow the cage with a remarkably deformable cavity. When complexing with fullerene guests, the cage showcases excellent guest‐adaptivity, with its cavity volume capable of swelling by as much as 85 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystalline Fe–C alloy had been the focal point of research in the traditional metallurgical steel industry. However, its corresponding amorphous alloy system had received little attention, with a lack of consensus on the microstructural evolution. Three types of Fe–C unbalanced composite films with different carbon content were fabricated using the magnetron sputtering method. The results indicated that as the carbon content increased, carbon existed in the form of supersaturated solid solution atoms in crystalline Fe, an amorphous Fe–C structure and Fe3C, respectively. The resistivity of the films in these three carbon types gradually increased from 1.37 × 10−4 ohm/cm to 4.53 × 10−2 ohm/cm and then to 5.43 × 10−2 ohm/cm. Simultaneously, the transmittance gradually increased from 0% to 28% and then to 51%. Upon annealing at 400°C, with the crystallisation of Fe in the low-carbon film, unbalanced carbon atoms were pushed out of the lattice and precipitated as Fe3C. After annealing at 650°C, the Fe3C in the high-carbon film decomposed into Fe and C. The as-prepared medium-carbon film displayed commendable corrosion resistance. These findings provided valuable insights for the design and performance development of new materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cristobalite‐type boron phosphate BPO4, an important nonlinear‐optical (NLO) crystal, exhibits nearly the largest bandgap (Eg ≈ 9.3 eV) and a significant second‐harmonic‐generation (SHG) effect (d36 ≈ 0.7 pm V−1) in the deep‐ultraviolet (DUV, < 200 nm) spectral region. However, its conventional tetrahedral framework structure tends to have low structural anisotropy, resulting in a severe deficiency of birefringence (Δn < 0.01), which fails to achieve DUV birefringent phase matching. In this work, the local anisotropy of tetrahedral structures are proposed to enlarge by constructing van der Waals (vdW) anisotropic motifs under synthetic chemical conditions, which can effectively convert unattainable extreme external forces into internal stresses in chemical bond structures. Depending on unique hierarchical vdW assemblies, enormous tetrahedral distortions can be achieved by stable in‐plane or in‐line bond matching between rigid tetrahedral primitives. First‐principles calculations demonstrate that the birefringence of 2D layered and 1D chained BPO4 achieved by vdW engineering are scaled from Δn < 0.01 to 0.07–0.13, with the shortest birefringent phase‐matched wavelengths down to DUV 189–154 nm. The finding is of seminal importance for the design of vdW NLO crystals in structural chemistry and would provide opportunities to explore unique vdW DUV NLO materials under extreme synthetic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The predictive capabilities of the density functional theory with various exchange–correlation functionals on the energy band gaps and optical properties in ultraviolet nonlinear optical (UV NLO) crystals are systematically investigated. We find that the energy band gaps of these crystals can be accurately predicted by the non-local hybrid functionals and sX-LDA functionals, but their calculated optical properties are not consistent with the experimental results compared to the usually adopted LDA or GGA functionals with the scissors corrections. Accordingly, we propose that a precise and effective strategy to study the optical properties in the UV NLO crystals without any experimental parameter should be the combination of different functional calculations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Type 1 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are deadly bloodborne-transmitting pathogens. Due to sharing the routes of transmission, co-infection of HIV-1 and HCV is common with a high rate. Co-infection of HCV affects morbidity and mortality of patients with AIDS and impairs their tolerance to antiretroviral therapy. In this study, the roles of HCV proteins in the regulation of HIV-1 replication and the molecular mechanism involved in such regulation were investigated. We demonstrated that HCV NS3 protein stimulated HIV-1 LTR transcription and that HIV-1 Vpu protein was required for the activation of HIV-1 transcription regulated by HCV NS3/4A complex. Further study revealed that Vpu mediated ubiquitination-associated degradation of NS4A, detached NS3/4A complex and release NS3 for nuclear translocation. Since both degradation of NS4A and activation of HIV-1 LTR were closely correlated and mediated by Vpu, we proposed that Vpu impairs the stability of NS4A and releases NS3 from NS3/4A complex for the stimulation of HIV-1 transcription. This study enriched our understanding on HIV-1/HCV co-infection and provided new insights in molecular mechanism involved in the co-infection of the two viruses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

novel chromogenic and fluorogenic chemosensor RhB-pMOSal comprising a rhodamine fluorophore and a salicylaldehyde receptor being connected by an iminohydrazine link was synthesized and fully characterized. Its sensing behavior toward various metal ions in neutral aqueous solution was investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. RhB-pMOSal exhibited a reversible and sensitive 'turn-on' response of absorption and fluorescence toward Cu in aqueous acetonitrile solution. Approximate 65 and 6-fold enhancement in the absorbance at 556 nm and fluorescence intensity at 573 nm were estimated when equivalent Cu was added to the RhB-pMOSal solution. Under the same conditions, RhB-pMOSal displayed more sensitive than a reported analogue RhB-Sal to Cu ion. The competition experiments for Cu mixed with common metal ions exhibited no obvious change in absorption and emission except Cr ion that can induce the fluorescence quenching of RhB-pMOSal to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Good thermal stability and high quantum efficiency (QE) are desirable properties for phosphors applied in white light-emitting diodes field. In this work, a Ce3+ doped phosphor Ba 2 LuAl 3 Si 2 O 12 :Ce3+ (BaLuAS:Ce3+) was designed and successfully obtained. Structure analysis of Ba 2 LuAl 3 Si 2 O 12 indicates that it adopts garnet structure and crystallizes in space group I a ¯3 d (No.230) of the cubic system. The wavelength-dependent photoluminescence emission property and the mechanism of concentration quenching effect of BaLuAS:xCe3+ were investigated systematically. The PL emission exhibits high thermal quenching resistance with the quenching temperature (T 50%) reaching up to 673 K (400 °C). By measuring thermoluminescence, the thermal ionization process was discussed. To compensate for the lack of orange-red emission region and avoid using multiple phosphors, Mn2+ ions were introduced into the host. The remarkable enhancements of the orange band are attributed to an efficient nonradiative energy transfer from Ce3+ to Mn2+ ions, which has been testified by the photoluminescence spectra and fluorescence decay dynamics. The w-LED fabrication results suggest that the broad emission of BaLuAS:Ce3+, Mn2+ is suitable for applying in high-quality warm w-LED. Targeted garnet phosphor Ce3+ doped Ba 2 LuAl 3 Si 2 O 12 was achieved via the hetero-valence substitution of Lu3+-Al3+ by Ba2+-Si4+ pairs starting from Lu 3 Al 5 O 12 : Ce3+ and the red component in the emission spectrum has been enhanced through Ce3+-Mn2+ energy transfer. Image 1 • The crystal structure of the compound and the corresponding specific position of Lu/Ba, Al/Si atoms were analysized. • The IQE and EQE of the BaLuASO:0.12Ce3+ phosphor can reach 88.2% and 49.7%, respectively. • The high luminescence quenching temperature (∼673 K) has been well established. • The effective energy transfer from the Ce3+ to Mn2+ ions was justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel integrated language model for handwriting word recognition. • A sequence-to-sequence approach for handwritten word recognition.. • Candidate fusion incorporates language statistics and commonly produced errors. • We achieve state-of-the-art performances challenging datasets. Sequence-to-sequence models have recently become very popular for tackling handwritten word recognition problems. However, how to effectively integrate an external language model into such recognizer is still a challenging problem. The main challenge while training a language model is to deal with the language model corpus which is usually different to the one used for training the handwritten word recognition system. Thus, the bias between both word corpora leads to incorrectness on the transcriptions, providing similar or even worse performances on the recognition task. In this work, we introduce Candidate Fusion, a novel way to integrate an external language model to a sequence-to-sequence architecture. Moreover, it provides suggestions from an external language knowledge, as a new input to the sequence-to-sequence recognizer. Hence, Candidate Fusion provides two improvements. On the one hand, the sequence-to-sequence recognizer has the flexibility to not only combine the information from itself and the language model, but also choose the importance of the information provided by the language model. On the other hand, the external language model has the ability to adapt itself to the training corpus and even learn the most common errors produced from the recognizer. Finally, by conducting comprehensive experiments, the Candidate Fusion proves to outperform the state-of-the-art language models for handwritten word recognition tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metamaterials consisting of subwavelength resonators offer an exciting opportunity for realizing asymmetric transmission (AT) of linearly polarized light. However, to date, only moderate/narrow‐band AT responses have been obtained in metadevices based on stacked planar nanostructures. Here, leveraging a combination of a genetic algorithm (GA) based optimization method and a membrane projection lithography (MPL) fabrication approach, a quasi‐3D metamaterial for broadband AT of linearly polarized mid‐infrared light is demonstrated. Facilitated by the customized GA, an efficient exploration of 3D plasmonic meta‐atoms with broken mirror symmetry in the light propagation direction allows the satisfaction of the rigorous conditions for AT of linearly polarized waves over a broad wavelength range. Confirmed by surface current analysis, the observed AT behavior is attributed to the resonant coupling between the plasmonic nanostructures located on the two orthogonal walls of the MPL cavities. Incorporating an advanced inverse‐design method and a state‐of‐art fabrication technique, the methodology used in the present study provides a promising route for exploiting 3D metamaterials with sophisticated functionalities via effectively exploring the high‐dimensional parametric space offered by true 3D meta‐atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a poor prognosis due to the absence of effective therapeutic targets. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family are expressed in 30–60% of TNBC, therefore providing potential therapeutic targets for TNBC. Aflibercept (Abe), a humanized recombinant fusion protein specifically bound to VEGF-A, B and placental growth factor (PIGF), has proven to be effective in the treatment in some cancers. Therefore, 89Zr/177Lu-labeled Abe was investigated for its theranostic role in TNBC. Methods: Abe was radiolabeled with 89Zr and 177Lu via the conjugation of chelators. Flow cytometry and cell immunofluorescent staining were performed to evaluate the binding affinity of Abe. Sequential PET imaging and fluorescent imaging were conducted in TNBC tumor bearing mice following the injection of 89Zr-labeled Abe and Cy5.5-labeled Abe. Treatment study was performed after the administration of 177Lu-labeled Abe. Tumor volume and survival were monitored and SPECT imaging and biodistribution studies were conducted. Safety evaluation was performed including body weight, blood cell measurement, and hematoxylin–eosin (H&E) staining of major organs. Expression of VEGF and CD31 was tested by immunohistochemical staining. Dosimetry was estimated using the OLINDA software. Results: FITC-labeled Abe showed a strong binding affinity to VEGF in TNBC 4T1 cells and HUVECs by flow cytometry and cell immunofluorescence. Tumor uptake of 89Zr-labeled Abe peaked at 120 h (SUVmax = 3.2 ± 0.64) and persisted before 168 h (SUVmax = 2.54 ± 0.42). The fluorescence intensity of the Cy5.5-labeled Abe group surpassed that of the Cy5.5-labeled IgG group, implying that Cy5.5-labeled Abe is a viable candidate monitoring in vivo tumor targeting and localization. 177Lu-labeled Abe (11.1 MBq) served well as the therapeutic component to suppress tumor growth with standardized tumor volume at 16 days, significantly smaller than PBS group (about 815.66 ± 3.58% vs 3646.52 ± 11.10%, n = 5, P < 0.01). Moreover, SPECT images confirmed high contrast between tumors and normal organs, indicating selective tumor uptake of 177Lu-labeled Abe. No discernible abnormalities in blood cells, and no evident histopathological abnormality observed in liver, spleen, and kidney. Immunohistochemical staining showed that 177Lu-labeled Abe effectively inhibited the expression of VEGF and CD31 of tumor, suggesting that angiogenesis may be suppressed by 177Lu-labeled Abe. The whole-body effective dose for an adult human was estimated to be 0.16 mSv/MBq. Conclusion: 89Zr/177Lu-labeled Abe could be a TNBC-specific marker with diagnostic value and provide insights into targeted therapy in the treatment of TNBC. Further clinical evaluation and translation may be of high significance for TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese encephalitis virus is mainly prevalent in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Oceania. Through immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry analysis using monoclonal antibodies targeting JEV E protein, we found that mosquito Histone 2A protein could bind to JEV particles. The binding of H2A and JEV was detected in the salivary gland and supernatant of mosquito cells. Furthermore, RNA interference experiments in vitro and in vivo confirmed that H2A protein promotes JEV infection in mosquitoes. In summary, we found that mosquito H2A is a factor that supports JEV infection and can potentially facilitate cross-species transmission of JEV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the effect of age and disease duration on the efficacy and safety of iGlarLixi versus insulin glargine 100 units/ml (iGlar) or lixisenatide (Lixi) alone in Asian people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) uncontrolled on oral antidiabetic drugs (LixiLan‐O‐AP) or basal insulin ± oral antidiabetic drugs (LixiLan‐L‐CN). Materials and Methods: In this post hoc analysis, the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) changes were assessed from baseline to week 24 (LixiLan‐O‐AP) or 30 (LixiLan‐L‐CN) in subgroups defined by baseline age (<65, ≥65 years) and duration of T2D. The proportion who achieved the composite of HbA1c <7% (<53.0 mmol/mol) without weight gain and without symptomatic hypoglycaemia (plasma glucose ≤3.9 mmol/L) and the incidences of hypoglycaemia and gastrointestinal disorders were also analysed. Results: HbA1c reductions were consistently greater with iGlarLixi versus iGlar or Lixi across all subgroups, including participants aged ≥65 years and those with T2D for ≥15 or ≥20 years. Greater proportions of participants achieved HbA1c <7% (<53.0 mmol/mol) without weight gain or hypoglycaemia with iGlarLixi versus iGlar or Lixi, regardless of age or T2D duration. Hypoglycaemia incidence was similar with iGlarLixi versus iGlar across most subgroups; the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders was lower with iGlarLixi versus Lixi in all subgroups. Conclusions: iGlarLixi showed consistent efficacy and safety across all age and disease duration subgroups in Asian people with uncontrolled T2D, including older individuals and those with longstanding disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Corneal neovascularization (CoNV) threatens vision by disrupting corneal avascularity, however, current treatments, including pharmacotherapy and surgery, are hindered by limitations in efficacy and adverse effects. Minocycline, known for its anti-inflammatory properties, could suppress CoNV but faces challenges in effective delivery due to the cornea's unique structure. Therefore, in this study a novel drug delivery system using minocycline-loaded nano-hydroxyapatite/poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (nHAP/PLGA) nanoparticles was developed to improve treatment outcomes for CoNV. Results: Ultra-small nHAP was synthesized using high gravity technology, then encapsulated in PLGA by a double emulsion method to form nHAP/PLGA microspheres, attenuating the acidic by-products of PLGA degradation. The MINO@PLGA nanocomplex, featuring sustained release and permeation properties, demonstrated an efficient delivery system for minocycline that significantly inhibited the CoNV area in an alkali-burn model without exhibiting apparent cytotoxicity. On day 14, the in vivo microscope examination and ex vivo CD31 staining corroborated the inhibition of neovascularization, with the significantly smaller CoNV area (29.40% ± 6.55%) in the MINO@PLGA Tid group (three times daily) than that of the control group (86.81% ± 15.71%), the MINO group (72.42% ± 30.15%), and the PLGA group (86.87% ± 14.94%) (p < 0.05). Fluorescein sodium staining show MINO@PLGA treatments, administered once daily (Qd) and three times daily (Tid) demonstrated rapid corneal epithelial healing while the Alkali injury group and the DEX group showed longer healing times (p < 0.05). Additionally, compared to the control group, treatments with dexamethasone, MINO, and MINO@PLGA were associated with an increased expression of TGF-β as evidenced by immunofluorescence, while the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α demonstrated a significant decrease following alkali burn. Safety evaluations, including assessments of renal and hepatic biomarkers, along with H&E staining of major organs, revealed no significant cytotoxicity of the MINO@PLGA nanocomplex in vivo. Conclusions: The novel MINO@PLGA nanocomplex, comprising minocycline-loaded nHAP/PLGA microspheres, has shown a substantial capacity for preventing CoNV. This study confirms the complex's ability to downregulate inflammatory pathways, significantly reducing CoNV with minimal cytotoxicity and high biosafety in vivo. Given these findings, MINO@PLGA stands as a highly promising candidate for ocular conditions characterized by CoNV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibrosis is a progressive pathological process participating in the progression of many diseases and can ultimately result in organ malfunction and failure. Around 45% of deaths in the United States are believed to be attributable to fibrotic disorders, and there are no favorable treatment regiments available to meet the need of blocking fibrogenesis, reversing established fibrosis, and curing diseases, especially in the terminal stage. Therefore, early detection and continuous monitoring provide valuable benefits for patients. Among all the advanced techniques developed in recent years for fibrosis evaluation, molecular imaging stands out with its distinct advantage of visualizing biochemical processes and patterns of target localization at the molecular and cellular level. In this review, we summarize the current state of the art in molecular imaging of benign fibrosis diseases. We will first introduce molecular pathways underlying fibrosis processes and potential targets. We will then elaborate on molecular probes that have been developed thus far, expounding on their mechanisms and current states of translational advancement. Finally, we will delineate the extant challenges impeding further progress in this area and the prospective benefits after overcoming these problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water dissolved in nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs) can be transported to deep regions of the Earth through subducting slabs, thereby significantly influencing the physicochemical properties of deep-Earth materials and impacting dynamic processes in the deep Earth. Stishovite, a prominent mineral present in subducting slabs, remains stable at mantle pressures of 9–50 GPa and can incorporate various amounts of water (H + , OH - , and H 2 O) in its crystal structure. Consequently, stishovite can play a crucial role in transporting water into the deep Earth through subducting slabs. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the research process concerning water (hydrogen) solubility in stishovite. The key factors that govern water solubility in stishovite are summarized as temperature, pressure, water fugacity, and aluminum content. Combined with published results on the dependence of water solubility on the aforementioned parameters, this paper proposes a new equation to describe the solubility of water in Al-bearing stishovite. Calculation results based on this equation suggest that stishovite may effectively accommodate water released from processes such as hydrous mineral breakdown, which could ultimately contribute to the presence of a water-rich transition zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal interface materials (TIMs) with high through-plane thermal conductivity (TC), softness, and electrical insulation are highly desired for modern electronics. However, it is challenging to simultaneously achieve these properties. Boron nitride (BN)-based polymer composites are promising candidates for advanced TIMs owing to the high TC and great electrical insulation of BN. However, previous works perform either low TC (< 8 W m−1 K−1) or high stiffness. The ultimate properties of BN-based TIMs remain largely unclear and unrealized. Here, we fabricate BN film-filled silicone rubber composites by a facile stacking-cutting method, which maintains the high degree of orientation the BN film, so that a record-high though-plane TC of 19.1 W m−1 K−1 and a low compressive modulus of 5.42 MPa are achieved. The low BN content (37 vol%) ensures the softness and resilience of the as-prepared TIMs. This work presents a highly efficient strategy to enhance the performance of BN based TIMs, promoting their large-scale manufacturing and practical applications. • Thermal interface materials based on boron nitride film (BNF) were fabricated by a facile stacking-cutting method. • The composites exhibit a high degree of orientation and densely overlapped structures. • The composites show a record-high though-plane TC of 19.1 W m−1 K−1 at 37 vol% BN content and a low compressive modulus of 5.42 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors experimentally demonstrate a magnetically tunable optical negative refraction (NR) in nematic liquid crystals (NLCs), arising from the variation of optical anisotropy in the NLCs induced by external magnetic field. By measuring the refraction angle of the transmitted beam through the prism-shaped NLC device, the tunable extraordinary refractions for different molecular directions using magnetic field are observed. It shows that NR in NLCs occurs at certain inclination angle and can be tuned by changing the direction of the magnetic field, which is in good agreement with the established theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrically tunable negative permeability metamaterial consisting of a periodic array of split ring resonators infiltrated with nematic liquid crystals is demonstrated. It shows that the transmitted resonance dip of the metamaterial can be continuously and reversibly adjusted by an applied electric field, and the maximum shift is about 210 MHz with respect to the resonance frequency around 11.08 GHz. Numerical simulation shows that the permeability is negative near the resonance frequency, and the frequency range with negative permeability can be dynamically adjusted and widened by about 200 MHz by the electric field. It provides a convenient means to design adaptive metamaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally investigate the reflection behaviors of negative permeability metamaterials (NPMs) consisting of a periodic array of copper hexagonal split ring resonators (SRRs). Results show that, for the two-dimensional (2-D) NPMs samples, a reflectivity peak with the height of 10 dB appears near the resonance frequency, and the reflectivity is remarkably weak on both sides of the transmission gap; the reflection behaviors of 3-D samples similar to that of the 2-D ones are strongly affected by the lattice constants; the reflection phase increases with the frequency, and an inflexion exists at the resonance frequency of 2-D samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have performed in situ Raman scattering and synchrotron angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction (ADXRD) investigations to explore high-pressure behaviors of azodicarbonamide (C 2 N 4 O 2 H 4 , ADC) to 21.6 and 23.8 GPa, respectively. ADC exhibits the representative two-dimensional (2D) hydrogen-bonded networks, and is the most hugely used foaming agent in industry both under ambient and high pressures. Careful identification of external modes and indexation of Bragg diffraction peaks under different pressures demonstrate ADC crystal remains the P 2 1 / c symmetry in this study. The bulk modulus (B 0) and its pressure derivative (B 0 ') are determined to be 13.2(7) GPa and 8.2(2) by fitting the isothermal third Vinet equation of state (EOS). The conformation change of ADC molecule has been observed at 12.7 GPa. And this is evidenced by the splitting of skeleton atoms vibrations and the discontinuous evolutions with respect to hydrogen bond donor (NH) vibrations. First principle calculation reveals the observed confirmation change arises from the discontinuous variation of the torsion angel between H 2 NC=O and CN=NC skeleton groups. Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the extensive hydrogen bonds within 2D networks dominate the intermolecular close contacts even under high pressures. The intermolecular interaction energy calculation also implies that the energy between neighboring molecules in the 2D layer dominates the networks stability, whereas the energy between neighboring molecules in the second nearest adjacent layer is the primary factor for crystal instability. The cooperativity of the molecular flexibility and directional hydrogen bonds is responsible for structural stability under high pressures. • The conformation change of ADC molecule has been observed at 12.7 GPa, which is evidenced by the splitting of skeleton atoms vibrations and the discontinuous evolutions with respect to hydrogen bond donor (NH) vibrations. • The intermolecular interaction energy calculation indicates that the unique 2D layer is a dominant factor for the stability, whereas the molecules in adjacent 2D layers play a prominent role in the instability of ADC under high pressures. • The intermolecular hydrogen bonds are strengthened through inspect of N and H contact contributions to Hirshfeld surfaces at high pressures. • The bulk modulus and its pressure derivative are determined to be 13.2(7) GPa and 8.2(2) by fitting the isothermal third Vinet equation of state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate average flow velocity determination is essential for flow measurement in many industries, including automotive, chemical, and oil and gas. The ultrasonic transit-time method is common for average flow velocity measurement, but current limitations restrict measurement accuracy, including fluid dynamic effects from unavoidable phenomena such as turbulence, swirls or vortices, and systematic flow meter errors in calibration or configuration. A new spatial averaging method is proposed, based on flexural ultrasonic array transducer technology, to improve measurement accuracy and reduce the uncertainty of the measurement results. A novel two-dimensional flexural ultrasonic array transducer is developed to validate this measurement method, comprising eight individual elements, each forming distinct paths to a single ultrasonic transducer. These paths are distributed in two chordal planes, symmetric and adjacent to a diametral plane. It is demonstrated that the root-mean-square deviation of the average flow velocity, computed using the spatial averaging method with the array transducer is 2.94%, which is lower compared to that of the individual paths ranging from 3.65% to 8.87% with an average of 6.90%. This is advantageous for improving the accuracy and reducing the uncertainty of classical single-path ultrasonic flow meters, and also for conventional multi-path ultrasonic flow meters through the measurement via each flow plane with reduced uncertainty. This research will drive new developments in ultrasonic flow measurement in a wide range of industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]