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Since the first Chinese Word Segmentation (CWS) Bakeoff in 2003, CWS has experienced a prominent flourish because Bakeoff provides a platform for the participants, which helps them recognize the merits and drawbacks of their segmenters. However, the evaluation metric of Bakeoff is not sufficient to measure the performance thoroughly; sometimes it is even misleading. One typical example caused by this insufficiency is that there is a popular belief existing in the research field that segmentation based on word can yield a better result than character-based tagging (CT) on in-vocabulary (IV) word segmentation even within closed tests of Bakeoff. Many efforts were paid to balance the performance on IV and out-of-vocabulary (OOV) words by combining these two methods according to this belief. In this paper, we provide a more detailed evaluation metric of IV and OOV words than Bakeoff to analyze CT method and combination method, which is a typical way to seek such a balance. Our evaluation metric shows that CT outperforms dictionary-based (or so-called word-based in general) segmentation on both IV and OOV words within Bakeoff closed tests. Furthermore, our analysis shows that using confidence measure to combine the two segmentation results should be under certain limitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The self-assembly of various nanostructures is recently attracting a great deal of research attention. In this paper, we demonstrate that a palladium chloride aqueous solution, mixed with a proper ammonia solution, can produce Tetra-amminepalladous chloride (Pd(NH3)4Cl2·H2O) nanowires. These nanowires can spontaneously form the two-dimensional hexagon-oriented Pd(NH3)4Cl2·H2O arrays on mica surfaces. We can control the length and height of these nanowires by adjusting their deposit time on the mica substrate. This method can be potentially used in making sensors or in making templates to wire and position nanodevices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Keywords: dielectric constant; ion-dipole chemistry; lithium metal batteries; low temperature; solvation sheath EN dielectric constant ion-dipole chemistry lithium metal batteries low temperature solvation sheath 1 1 1 07/29/21 20210728 NES 210728 In article number 2100935, Zhenhua Sun, Feng Li and co-workers demonstrate an ion-dipole strategy in which the fluorination degree of solvating agents is altered to accelerate the evolution of the Li SP + sp solvation sheath. Dielectric constant, ion-dipole chemistry, lithium metal batteries, low temperature, solvation sheath Lithium Metal Batteries: Ion-Dipole Chemistry Drives Rapid Evolution of Li Ions Solvation Sheath in Low-Temperature Li Batteries (Adv. [Extracted from the article]

Here we presented a new facile strategy to fabricate ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) metal oxide nanosheets, by using polydopamine-coated graphene (rGO@PDA) as a template under simply wet-chemical conditions. Based on the strategy, graphene-like CeO 2 –TiO 2 mesoporous nanosheet (MNS-CeO 2 -TiO 2) was prepared and was loaded with dispersive Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) to obtain effective electrocatalysts (denoted as Ag/MNS-CeO 2 -TiO 2) for electrochemical detection of superoxide anion (O 2 •−). Characterizations demonstrated that MNS-CeO 2 -TiO 2 exhibited ultrathin thickness, larger specific surface area, and pore volume in comparison with its bulk counterpart. The above properties of MNS-CeO 2 -TiO 2 shorten electron transmission distance, promotes mass transfer, and is conducive to the dispersion of post-modified AgNPs. Therefore, the recommended Ag/MNS-CeO 2 -TiO 2 sensors (denoted as Ag/MNS-CeO 2 -TiO 2 /SPCE) exhibited satisfactory properties, including the sensitivity of 737.1 μA cm−2 mM−1, the detection limit of 0.0879 μM (S/N = 3), and good selectivity. Meanwhile, the sensors also successfully realized in the online monitoring of O 2 •− released from HepG2 cells, meaning the prepared sensors had practical application potential towards the analysis of O 2 •− in biological samples. • A novel facile strategy for preparing ultrathin 2D metal oxide nanosheets was presented. • Based on above strategy, Ag/MNS-CeO 2 -TiO 2 were prepared with controllable morphology. • The superoxide anion (O 2 •−) electrochemical sensor was successfully fabricated with Ag/MNS-CeO 2 -TiO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • S@AZVI with elevated Fe0 content was synthesized via post-sulfidation. • The FeS shell enhanced electron transport within the amorphous Fe0 core. • The ideal thickness of FeS ensured optimal reactivity. • Cr(VI) and Ni(II) were rapidly and synchronously removed from real wastewater. As one category of promising and efficacious purification material toward environmentally harmful heavy metals, sulfidated amorphous zero-valent Iron (S@AZVI) exhibits unparalleled removal performance. Due to the disruptive crystal growth however, the irreversible loss of Fe0 component during conventional synthesis route poses a substantial hindrance to its industrial application. To address this, we propose a post-sulfidation strategy to hinder the transformation of Fe0 by altering the shell composition of AZVI from Fe 2 O 3 to FeS, which maintains a remarkable Fe0 content up to 75.7 % over finally obtained S@AZVI, far higher than the material obtained through the one-step sulfidation. Attributing to the synergy of FeS shell and substantial Fe0, S@AZVI demonstrates impressive performance as the lowest free corrosion potential (−1.050 V) and work function (4.058 eV), and subsequently exhibits a notable enhancement in the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) and Ni(II), surpassing AZVI by 1.8 and 2.0 times, respectively. Results reveal that the adsorption, reduction, and coprecipitation constitute the mechanisms governing the removal of Cr(VI) and Ni(II). In practical electroplating wastewater experiments, S@AZVI effectively removes Cr(VI) and Ni(II) within a 60-min timeframe, meeting established emission standards. These findings provide valuable insights for future AZVI material synthesis for heavy metal elimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional (2D) materials have attracted extensive attention in the field of photodetection thanks to their unique physical properties. Among them, the PdSe2 nanoflake shows great potential. However, the performance of the PdSe2‐based photodetector with a hetero‐type heterojunction remains poor due to the severe tunneling‐assisted interfacial recombination of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs in the thin bilateral‐depletion heterojunctions. In this work, a novel photodetector with a α‐In2Se3/PdSe2 homo‐type heterojunction for both high‐performance and broadband detection from visible to short‐wave infrared is constructed. The high‐performance of the photoresponsivity of 4.64 × 103 A·W−1, the external quantum efficiency of 1.08 × 106%, and the specific detectivity of 1.55 × 1014 Jones at 532 nm is the result of the homo‐type unilateral‐depletion junction which can promote the effective separation of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs compared to the hetero‐type. Also, adjusting the α‐In2Se3 ferroelectric polarization state further optimizes the unilateral depletion region. In addition, the photodetector can work in a self‐powered mode. This study suggests that the PdSe2‐based homo‐type device has great application potential in the field of 2D optoelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis is a prevalent gynecological disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial‐like tissue outside the uterus, causing chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, and infertility. Despite the common use of hormone therapy and surgical lesion excision in its treatment, there remain significant postoperative risks and potential side effects, with a high recurrence rate. An efficient nonsurgical treatment for this condition is therefore urgently needed. In this study, an interventional hydrogel microsphere with near‐infrared (NIR)‐controlled curcumin release is developed for the non‐invasive thermal therapy of endometriosis. The hydrogel microspheres demonstrate good biocompatibility and photothermal activities, causing the death of endometrial stromal cells under NIR and controlled curcumin (Cur) release. When injected into endometriotic lesions and stimulated by NIR light, the interventional hydrogel microspheres (Cur‐FeHMPs) can raise the temperature of the endometriotic lesions to 43.65 °C, inducing endometriotic lesion elimination. Furthermore, the controlled curcumin release from the interventional hydrogel inhibits the proinflammatory environment in endometriosis. The Cur‐FeHMPs in combination with NIR present a novel strategy for endometriosis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, photothermal interface water evaporation technology has shown great application prospects due to its advantages of sustainability and high efficiency. With the rapid development of this frontier field, a variety of photothermal materials have been developed and widely explored. Among them, polyphenol-based photothermal materials are drawing great attention in the development of high-performance interface evaporators with their advantages of being green, economical, versatile, and scalable, leading the next hotspot and frontier. Therefore there is an urgent need to update the wider scientific community on recent advances in this field. In this review, three distinct functions of polyphenols including adhesion, secondary reactivity and photothermal properties are first discussed, since these functions are vital for designing photothermal interface evaporation systems (PIES). Furthermore, structure–activity relationships and the unique advantages of polyphenols in constructing PIES are emphasized in this part. Subsequently, according to the main functions of polyphenols in PIES, the roles of polyphenols are introduced and categorized into four application forms: (a) as intermediate layers to introduce photothermal materials; (b) realizing hydrophilic modification in PIES; (c) as photothermal materials without substrates in PIES; (d) as photothermal coatings. Then some representative applications of polyphenols such as achieving confinement capillarity, designing complex 3D evaporators, and constructing multifunctional PIES are highlighted, which can further exhibit the distinct advantages of green polyphenol-based photothermal materials in improving the water evaporation performance. Finally, the challenges and opportunities for the future development of polyphenol-based interfacial water treatment for freshwater production are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D bioprinting techniques have enabled the fabrication of irregular large‐sized tissue engineering scaffolds. However, complicated customized designs increase the medical burden. Meanwhile, the integrated printing process hinders the cellular uniform distribution and local angiogenesis. A novel approach is introduced to the construction of sizable tissue engineering grafts by employing hydrogel 3D printing for modular bioadhesion assembly, and a poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA)‐gelatin‐dopamine (PGD) hydrogel, photosensitive and adhesive, enabling fine microcage module fabrication via DLP 3D printing is developed. The PGD hydrogel printed micocages are flexible, allowing various shapes and cell/tissue fillings for repairing diverse irregular tissue defects. In vivo experiments demonstrate robust vascularization and superior graft survival in nude mice. This assembly strategy based on scalable 3D printed hydrogel microcage module could simplify the construction of tissue with large volume and complex components, offering promise for diverse large tissue defect repairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are a promising class of two‐dimensional (2D) materials for flexible electronic applications due to their low integration temperature, good electronic properties, and excellent mechanical flexibility. Moreover, TMDCs offer the possibility of co‐integrating both n‐ and p‐type transistors on the same substrate, enabling the realization of complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) circuits. In this study, n‐type MoS2 field‐effect transistors (FETs), and p‐type WSe2‐FETs integrated on a flexible foil substrate fabricated by standard thin‐film technology are presented. These devices exhibit high stability in their electronic operation under strain and repeated bending cycles. A CMOS inverter based on these transistors is also successfully demonstrated, which shows excellent switching behaviour with high gain (up to 100), high noise margin (0.87 · VDD), and low average static power consumption (40 pW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-arc oxidation (MAO) is a promising technology for enhancing the wear resistance of engine cylinders by growing a high hardness alumina ceramic film on the surface of light aluminum engine cylinders. However, the positive and negative pulse coordination, voltage characteristic signal, hardness distribution characteristics of the ceramic film, and their internal mechanism during the growth process are still unclear. This paper investigates the synergistic effect mechanism of cathodic and anodic current on the growth behaviour of alumina, dynamic voltage signal, and hardness distribution of micro-arc oxidation film. Ceramic film samples were fabricated under various conditions, including current densities of 10, 12, 14, and 16 A/dm2, and current density ratios of cathode and anode of 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3, respectively. Based on the observed characteristics of the process voltage curve and the spark signal changes, the growth of the ceramic film can be divided into five stages. The influence of positive and negative current density parameters on the segmented growth process of the ceramic film is mainly reflected in the transition time, voltage variation rate, and the voltage value of different growth stages. Enhancing the cathode pulse effect or increasing the current density level can effectively shorten the transition time and accelerate the voltage drop rate. The microhardness of the ceramic film cross-section presents a discontinuous soft-hard-soft regional distribution. Multiple thermal cycles lead to a gradient differentiation of the Al2O3 crystal phase transition ratio along the thickness direction of the layer. The layer grown on the outer surface of the initial substrate exhibits the highest hardness, with a small gradient change in hardness, forming a high hardness zone approximately 20–30 μm wide. This high hardness zone extends to both sides, with hardness decreasing rapidly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Biomaterials used in bone tissue engineering must fulfill the requirements of osteoconduction, osteoinduction, and osseointegration. However, biomaterials with good osteoconductive properties face several challenges, including inadequate vascularization, limited osteoinduction and barrier ability, as well as the potential to trigger immune and inflammatory responses. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop guided bone regeneration membranes as a crucial component of tissue engineering strategies for repairing bone defects. Methods: The mZIF-8/PLA membrane was prepared using electrospinning technology and simulated body fluid external mineralization method. Its ability to induce biomimetic mineralization was evaluated through TEM, EDS, XRD, FT-IR, zeta potential, and wettability techniques. The biocompatibility, osteoinduction properties, and osteo-immunomodulatory effects of the mZIF-8/PLA membrane were comprehensively evaluated by examining cell behaviors of surface-seeded BMSCs and macrophages, as well as the regulation of cellular genes and protein levels using PCR and WB. In vivo, the mZIF-8/PLA membrane's potential to promote bone regeneration and angiogenesis was assessed through Micro-CT and immunohistochemical staining. Results: The mineralized deposition enhances hydrophilicity and cell compatibility of mZIF-8/PLA membrane. mZIF-8/PLA membrane promotes up-regulation of osteogenesis and angiogenesis related factors in BMSCs. Moreover, it induces the polarization of macrophages towards the M2 phenotype and modulates the local immune microenvironment. After 4-weeks of implantation, the mZIF-8/PLA membrane successfully bridges critical bone defects and almost completely repairs the defect area after 12-weeks, while significantly improving the strength and vascularization of new bone. Conclusions: The mZIF-8/PLA membrane with dual osteoconductive and immunomodulatory abilities could pave new research paths for bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a multifactorial disease in which abnormal growth factor activation and embryonic reawakening are considered important factors. Here we demonstrated that the aberrant activation of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Rho kinase 1 (ROCK1) increased the stemness of BPH tissue by recruiting mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), indicating the important role of embryonic reawakening in BPH. When TGF-β/ROCK1 is abnormally activated, MSCs are recruited and differentiate into fibroblasts/myofibroblasts, leading to prostate stromal hyperplasia. Further research showed that inhibition of ROCK1 activation suppressed MSC migration and their potential for stromal differentiation. Collectively, our findings suggest that abnormal activation of TGF-β/ROCK1 regulates stem cell lineage specificity, and the small molecule inhibitor GSK269962A could target ROCK1 and may be a potential treatment for BPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The MXene/cellulose scaffold is assembled by hydrogen bonding. • The "brick-mortar" layered microstructure enhances the EMI shielding performance. • The total EMI SE reaches as high as 39.3 dB. • The efficient production of robust and flexible sustainable EMI shielding materials. Electromagnetic-interference (EMI) shielding materials that are green, lightweight, and with high mechanical properties need to be urgently developed to address increasingly severe radiation pollution. However, limited EMI shielding materials are successfully used in practical applications, due to the intensive energy consumption or the absence of sufficient strength. Herein, an environmentally friendly and effective method was proved to fabricate wood-based composites with high mechanical robustness and EMI shielding performance by a MXene/cellulose scaffold assembly strategy. The lignocellulose composites with a millimeter–thick mimic the "mortar-brick" layered structure, resulting in excellent mechanical properties that can achieve the compressive strength of 288 MPa and EMI shielding effectiveness of 39.3 dB. This "top-down" method provides an alternative for the efficient production of robust and sustainable EMI shielding materials that can be used in the fields of structural materials for next-generation communications and electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been established that the formation of point defects and their behaviors could be regulated by growth details such as growth techniques and growth conditions. In this work, we prove that C doping approaches have great influence on the charge state of C N , thus the interaction between H and C in GaN. For GaN with intrinsic C doping, which is realized by reducing the V/III ratio, C N mainly exists in the form of C N − charged from the higher concentration of V N and, thus, may attract H + by coulomb interaction. Whereas for the extrinsically C doped GaN with propane as the doping source, the concentration of V N is reduced, and C N mainly exists in neutral charge state and, thus, nearly does not attract H ions. Therefore, we demonstrate that the interplay between H and C atoms is weaker for the extrinsically C doped GaN compared to the intrinsically doped GaN, thus gives a clear picture about the different charge states of C N and the formation of C–H complexes in GaN with different C doping approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Discoidin domain receptor is a new and unique type of receptor tyrosine kinases, which binds to collagen, the main compose of an extracellular matrix. DDR1 was identified to mediate cell aggregation, and dysregulation of DDR2 has also been shown to be involved in tumor pathogenesis, although its role in cancer development and progression remains controversial. Summary: Abnormal expression and mutations of DDR2 have been reported in several cancer types and its participation in different aspects of tumor progression, including proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and chemotherapy resistance. Moreover, novel DDR2 inhibitors have been designed and indicate a therapeutic effect for the cancer treatment. Key Messages: In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the role of DDR2 in cancer promotion and the potential therapeutic value of targeting DDR2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal and plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are essential for the spatio-temporal regulation of development. Together with this role, plant miRNAs have been proposed to target transposable elements (TEs) and stimulate the production of epigenetically active small interfering RNAs. This activity is evident in the plant male gamete containing structure, the male gametophyte or pollen grain. How the dual role of plant miRNAs, regulating both genes and TEs, is integrated during pollen development and which mRNAs are regulated by miRNAs in this cell type at a genome-wide scale are unknown. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of miRNA dynamics and activity during pollen development in Arabidopsis thaliana using small RNA and degradome parallel analysis of RNA end high-throughput sequencing. Furthermore, we uncover miRNAs loaded into the two main active Argonaute (AGO) proteins in the uninuclear and mature pollen grain, AGO1 and AGO5. Our results indicate that the developmental progression from microspore to mature pollen grain is characterized by a transition from miRNAs targeting developmental genes to miRNAs regulating TE activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Na 2 S 2 O 8 used as a new activator was introduced to improve ilmenite flotation. • Na 2 S 2 O 8 effectively oxidized Fe2+ into Fe3+ on the surface of ilmenite. • The increase in active sites of iron enhanced the adsorption of NaOL. • A reaction model of Na 2 S 2 O 8 activating the ilmenite was proposed. In this study, an innovative method was proposed to treat ilmenite by using sodium persulfate (Na 2 S 2 O 8) as a surface activator to enhance the flotation of ilmenite. The action mechanism of Na 2 S 2 O 8 on the ilmenite surface was investigated by micro-flotation, adsorption tests, powder contact angle, zeta potential detection, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Micro-flotation experiments showed that recovery of the ilmenite was effectively enhanced in the pH range of 4.0 ∼ 10.0 by adding Na 2 S 2 O 8. The adsorption tests illustrated that the introduction of Na 2 S 2 O 8 effectively enhanced the adsorption of NaOL on the surface of ilmenite. The powder contact angle tests presented that the contact angle of samples increased after treatment with Na 2 S 2 O 8 and NaOL. The zeta potential testing results showed that surface potential of the ilmenite treated with Na 2 S 2 O 8 and NaOL was negatively migrated in the pH ranging from 3.5 to 10.0, revealing that the mineral surface adsorbed more oleic acid anions. FT-IR analyses suggested that the chemical adsorption of oleic acid on the surface of ilmenite was enhanced after treating with Na 2 S 2 O 8. XPS analyses revealed that the addition of Na 2 S 2 O 8 induced a transformation of Fe (+Ⅱ) into Fe (+Ⅲ) and enhanced adsorption of NaOL on the ilmenite surface. A reaction model of Na 2 S 2 O 8 interacting with the surface of ilmenite was proposed to interpret the activation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This review concentrates on the nonmetal modulation of composition and morphology of g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalysts. • The composition modulation is mainly on nonmetal elemental doping, dye-sensitization, and heterojunction construction. • The morphology modulation is mainly through nonmetal hard or soft templates, self-templates or template-free. • The applications of g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalysts for water splitting, CO 2 reduction, and pollutants degradation are discussed. In recent years, metal-free graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) as a fascinating photocatalyst has become a research hot topic in energy conversion and environmental treatment. To date, great attentions are paid to nanostructures design, electronic structure modulation, and heterostructure construction of g-C 3 N 4. In terms of maintaining the metal-free nature of g-C 3 N 4 , nonmetal modulation of g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalysts is charming and attractive because of the low-cost, earth-abundant, robust, and tunable properties. This review will focus on the nonmetal modulation of composition and morphology of g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalysts, mainly on nonmetal elemental doping, copolymerization, dye-sensitization, and nonmetal heterojunction construction for the photocatalytic applications on water splitting, CO 2 reduction, and pollutants degradation, which shall endow the perceptions in regard to the development of metal-free g-C 3 N 4 -based photocatalysts in future, and pave a new research doorway to exploit low-cost metal-free photocatalysts as well as nonmetal elemental photocatalysts in the field of energy conversion, and environmental treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium Anodes: An Anion-Tuned Solid Electrolyte Interphase with Fast Ion Transfer Kinetics for Stable Lithium Anodes (Adv. Keywords: anions; energy barriers; lithium metal anodes; solid electrolyte interphase; solvation sheaths EN anions energy barriers lithium metal anodes solid electrolyte interphase solvation sheaths 1 1 1 04/16/20 20200414 NES 200414 In article number 1903843, Feng Li and co-workers provide an anion-tuned strategy to regulate the electrolyte chemistry of a Li SP + sp solvation sheath, which not only facilitates fast Li SP + sp desolvation kinetics, but significantly reduces the energy barrier during Li SP + sp diffusion through the solid electrolyte interphase, subsequently contributing to uniform Li SP + sp deposition with high cycling stability. Anions, energy barriers, lithium metal anodes, solid electrolyte interphase, solvation sheaths. [Extracted from the article]

Tannic acid(TA)-aminopropyltriethoxysilane(APTES) coating possesses hierarchical structure and superhydrophilicity, and can be facilely coated on various porous membranes for oil-water separation. However, the TA-APTES coating will lose its superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity after being exposed to the air for more than one month. Besides, TA-APTES coating on membrane surface decomposes when the coating is immersed in acidic solution (pH ≤ 3) or alkaline solution (pH ≥ 12). In this study, the reasons for the instability of TA-APTES coating have been studied, and an effective strategy for significantly improving the stability of the coating has been developed via simple treatment with ferric ions. The coordination effect between ferric ions and the TA-APTES coating can not only restrain the oxidation of the phenolic hydroxyl groups, but also decrease the electrostatic repulsion and enhance the interactions between the chain segments. The resultant (TA-APTES)-Fe(III) coating possesses long-term superhydrophilicity and excellent acid-base resistance property, while the distinct and hierarchical structure of the TA-APTES coating can be reserved. Thanks to the outstanding stability of (TA-APTES)-Fe(III) coating, the PVDF-(TA-APTES)-Fe(III) membrane can maintain its outstanding anti-oil-fouling property and good oil/water separation performance even it is being exposed in air for one month or being immersed in strong acidic or alkaline solutions for 48 h, which is much better than the pristine PVDF-(TA-APTES) membrane. This study will accelerate the practical application of TA-APTES coating. Image 1 • The reasons for the instability of TA-APTES coating have been investigated. • The stability of TA-APTES coating has been significantly improved by incorporation of ferric ions. • The roles of the ferric ions have been revealed. • The modified TA-APTES coating possesses long-term superhydrophilicity and desirable acid-base resistance property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a novel concept for operating graphene-based Hall sensors using an alternating current (AC) modulated gate voltage, which provides three important advantages compared to Hall sensors under static operation: (1) The sensor sensitivity can be doubled by utilizing both n- and p-type conductance. (2) A static magnetic field can be read out at frequencies in the kHz range, where the 1/f noise is lower compared to the static case. (3) The off-set voltage in the Hall signal can be reduced. This significantly increases the signal-to-noise ratio compared to Hall sensors without a gate electrode. A minimal detectable magnetic field Bmin down to 290 nT / √ Hz and sensitivity up to 0.55 V/VT was found for Hall sensors working on flexible polyimide (PI) substrates. This clearly outperforms state-of-the-art flexible Hall sensors and is comparable to the values obtained by the best rigid III/V semiconductor Hall sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most malignant tumors, causing over 1,000,000 deaths each year worldwide. Deep learning has brought success in many domains in recent years. DNA methylation, an epigenetic factor, is used for model training in many studies. There is an opportunity for deep learning methods to analyze the lung cancer epigenetic data to determine their subtypes for appropriate treatment. Results: Here, we employ variational autoencoders (VAEs), an unsupervised deep learning framework, on 450K DNA methylation data of TCGA-LUAD and TCGA-LUSC to learn latent representations of the DNA methylation landscape. We extract a biologically relevant latent space of LUAD and LUSC samples. It is showed that the bivariate classifiers on the further compressed latent features could classify the subtypes accurately. Through clustering of methylation-based latent space features, we demonstrate that the VAEs can capture differential methylation patterns about subtypes of lung cancer. Conclusions: VAEs can distinguish the original subtypes from manually mixed methylation data frame with the encoded features of latent space. Further applications about VAEs should focus on fine-grained subtypes identification for precision medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pectin degradation in the cell walls and middle lamella greatly affects the texture and the quality of the fruit including the taste and storage time. This directly affects its acceptability, supply to the consumer market, and economic benefits. It is therefore essential to establish the relationship between the chemical changes of pectin and the texture of the fruit to improve its preservation. This study was designed to evaluate the degradation of pectin in the peels of Tarocco blood orange and the textural changes during postharvest storage and further investigate their relationship over the study period. The texture of the fruit was characterized using the texture profile analyzer and the degradation of pectin was investigated by testing the content of the pectin, degree of esterification, and galacturonic acid content. The physicochemical properties, such as weight loss, moisture content, and anthocyanin content were also measured. Furthermore, the structural changes of the pectin were analyzed by molecular weight determination and FTIR test. The results showed that the Mw of pectin decreased from 568.05 kDa to 362.55 kDa, with a 42.1% decline in pectin content for storing for 63 d. The gradual solubilization, depolymerization, and de-esterification of the pectin consequently led to the decline in the textual properties of the fruit during postharvest storage. This can be applied and lead to improvements in quality control and process design in the food industry and the marketplace for the fruit during storage and preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) metal-oxidesemiconductor (CMOS) field-effect-transistors (FETs) with ferroelectric semiconducting α-In 2 Se 3 as the channel can achieve logic, in-memory computing, and optoelectrical logic and non-volatile computing functionalities in a single device. [Display omitted] Exploring materials with multiple properties who can endow a simple device with integrated functionalities has attracted enormous attention in the microelectronic field. One reason is the imperious demand for processors with continuously higher performance and totally new architecture. Combining ferroelectric with semiconducting properties is a promising solution. Here, we show that logic, in-memory computing, and optoelectrical logic and non-volatile computing functionalities can be integrated into a single transistor with ferroelectric semiconducting α-In 2 Se 3 as the channel. Two-input AND, OR, and non-volatile NOR and NAND logic operations with current on/off ratios reaching up to five orders, good endurance (1000 operation cycles), and fast operating speed (10 μs) are realized. In addition, optoelectrical OR logic and non-volatile implication (IMP) operations, as well as ternary-input optoelectrical logic and in-memory computing functions are achieved by introducing light as an additional input signal. Our work highlights the potential of integrating complex logic functions and new-type computing into a simple device based on emerging ferroelectric semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous electrocatalysis closely relies on the electronic structure of the catalytic materials. The ferroelectric‐to‐paraelectric phase transition of the materials also involves a change in the state of electrons that could impact the electrocatalytic activity, but such correlation remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate experimentally and theoretically that the intrinsic electrocatalytic activity could be regulated as exampled by hydrogen evolution reaction catalysis over two‐dimensional ferroelectric CuInP2S6. The obvious discontinuity in the overpotential and apparent activation energy values for CuInP2S6 electrode are illustrated during the ferroelectric‐to‐paraelectric phase transition caused by copper displacement around Tc point (318 K), revealing the ferroelectro‐catalytic effect on thermodynamics and kinetics of electrocatalysis. When loading Pt single atom on the CuInP2S6, the paraelectric phase one showed an improved hydrogen evolution activity with smaller apparent activation energy over the ferroelectric phase counterpart. This is attributed to the copper hopping between two sulfur planes, which alternate between strong and weak H adsorption at the Pt sites to simultaneously promote H+ reactant adsorption and H2 product desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous electrocatalysis closely relies on the electronic structure of the catalytic materials. The ferroelectric‐to‐paraelectric phase transition of the materials also involves a change in the state of electrons that could impact the electrocatalytic activity, but such correlation remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate experimentally and theoretically that the intrinsic electrocatalytic activity could be regulated as exampled by hydrogen evolution reaction catalysis over two‐dimensional ferroelectric CuInP2S6. The obvious discontinuity in the overpotential and apparent activation energy values for CuInP2S6 electrode are illustrated during the ferroelectric‐to‐paraelectric phase transition caused by copper displacement around Tc point (318 K), revealing the ferroelectro‐catalytic effect on thermodynamics and kinetics of electrocatalysis. When loading Pt single atom on the CuInP2S6, the paraelectric phase one showed an improved hydrogen evolution activity with smaller apparent activation energy over the ferroelectric phase counterpart. This is attributed to the copper hopping between two sulfur planes, which alternate between strong and weak H adsorption at the Pt sites to simultaneously promote H+ reactant adsorption and H2 product desorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the growing demand for organ substitutes, tissue engineering has evolved significantly. However, it is still challenging to create functional tissues and organs. Tissue engineering from the 'bottom-up' is promising on solving this problem due to its ability to construct tissues with physiological complexity. The workflow of this strategy involves two key steps: the creation of building blocks, and the subsequent assembly. There are many techniques developed for the two pivotal steps. Notably, bioprinting is versatile among these techniques and has been widely used in research. With its high level of automation, bioprinting has great capacity in engineering tissues with precision and holds promise to construct multi-material tissues. In this review, we summarize the techniques applied in fabrication and assembly of building blocks. We elaborate mechanisms and applications of bioprinting, particularly in the 'bottom-up' strategy. We state our perspectives on future trends of bottom-up tissue engineering, hoping to provide useful reference for researchers in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and efficient strategy for constructing anti-oil-fouling zwitterionic coatings on membranes is developed. The resultant membrane exhibits excellent anti-oil-fouling ability even in a dry state, and has a high efficiency for emulsion separation with a high flux of 5800 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 and an oil rejection of up to 99.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large‐scale implementation of all‐solid‐state lithium batteries is impeded by the physical limitations of the interface between the electrode and solid electrolyte; specifically, high resistance and poor stability, as well as poor compatibility with Li+ migration. We report double ionic–electronic transfer interface layers grown at electrode–electrolyte interfaces by in situ polymerization of 2,2′‐bithiophene in polyethylene oxide (PEO) electrolyte. For all‐solid‐state LiFePO4∥PT‐PEO‐PT∥Li cells, the formation of a conductive polythiophene (PT) layer at the cathode–electrolyte interface resulted in an at least sevenfold decrease in interface resistance, and realized a capacity retention of about 94 % after 1000 cycles along with a lower polarization voltage under a rate of 2 C. The mixed ionic–electronic conductive layers imparted superior interface stability and contact while keeping good compatibility with the Li anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large‐scale implementation of all‐solid‐state lithium batteries is impeded by the physical limitations of the interface between the electrode and solid electrolyte; specifically, high resistance and poor stability, as well as poor compatibility with Li+ migration. We report double ionic–electronic transfer interface layers grown at electrode–electrolyte interfaces by in situ polymerization of 2,2′‐bithiophene in polyethylene oxide (PEO) electrolyte. For all‐solid‐state LiFePO4∥PT‐PEO‐PT∥Li cells, the formation of a conductive polythiophene (PT) layer at the cathode–electrolyte interface resulted in an at least sevenfold decrease in interface resistance, and realized a capacity retention of about 94 % after 1000 cycles along with a lower polarization voltage under a rate of 2 C. The mixed ionic–electronic conductive layers imparted superior interface stability and contact while keeping good compatibility with the Li anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bone tissue engineering is not widely used in clinical treatment. Two main reasons hide behind this: (1) the seed cells are difficult to obtain and (2) the process of tissue engineering bone construction is too complex and its efficiency is still relatively low. It is foreseeable that in the near future, the problem of seed cell sources could be solved completely in tissue engineering bone repair. As for the complex process and low efficiency of tissue engineering bone construction, usually two strategies would be considered: (1) the construction strategy based on injectable bone tissue and (2) the construction strategy based on osteogenic cell sheets. However, the application of injectable bone tissue engineering (iBTE) strategy and osteogenic cell sheet strategy is limited and they could hardly be used directly in repairing defects of large segmental bone, especially load-bearing bone. Methods: In this study, we built an osteogenic micro-tissue with simple construction but with a certain structure and composition. Based on this, we established a new iBTE repair strategy—osteogenic micro-tissue in situ repair strategy, mainly targeting at solving the problem of large segmental bone defect. The steps are as follows: (1) Build the biodegradable three-dimensional scaffold based on the size of the defect site with 3D printing rapid prototyping technology. (2) Implant the three-dimensional scaffold into the defect site. This scaffold is considered as the "steel framework" that could provide both mechanical support and space for bone tissue growth. (3) Inject the osteogenic micro-tissue (i.e., the "cell-extracellular matrix" complex), which could be considered as "concrete," into the three-dimensional scaffold, to promote the bone tissue regeneration in situ. Meanwhile, the digested cells were injected as the compared group in this experiment. After 3 months, the effect of in situ bone defect repair of osteogenic micro-tissue and digested cells was compared. Results: It is confirmed that osteogenic micro-tissue could achieve a higher efficiency on cell usage and has a better repair effect than the digested cells. Conclusions: Osteogenic micro-tissue repairing strategy would be a more promising clinical strategy to solve the problem of large segmental bone defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: At present, many laboratories and hospitals all over the world are attempting and exploring the clinical transformation of this tissue engineered bone graft (TEBG) strategy. Many successful cases of bone tissue engineering (BTE) repair were based on young individuals. But there are little studies about the effectiveness of TEBG strategy in physiological aged individuals.Methods: In this research, we studied whether aging factor has influence on the skull repair effect of Fetal-TEBG, at the level of the large animal models. We used the fetal bone marrow stromal cells (Fetal-BMSCs) as the seed cells, combining the decalcified bone matrix (DBM) scaffolds, to repair the skull defects of the aged goats and the young goats. The repair effects on both aged goat and young goat were compared by Micro-CT and histology examination.Results: The skull defects of the young goats could be repaired better than that of the aged goats after 6 months by Fetal-TEBG; In the aged goats, although not completely repaired, the defects repaired by Fetal-TEBG was better than that repaired by the Control DBM scaffold.Conclusions: Aging factor has impact on the bone repair effect of Fetal-TEBG; and the BTE strategy is still efficacious even in the aged individuals. The improvement of the aged state may promote the repair effect of the BTE in the aged individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qubits are the basic unit of quantum information and computation. To realize quantum computing and information processing, the decoherence times of qubits must be long enough. Among the studies of molecule‐based electron spin qubits, most of the work focused on the ions with the spin S=1/2, where only single‐bit gates can be constructed. However, quantum operations require the qubits to interact with each other, so people gradually carry out relevant research in ions or systems with S>1/2 and multilevel states. In this work, a two‐dimensional (2D) oxygen‐coordinated GdIIINaI‐based oxamato supramolecular coordination framework, Na[Gd(4‐HOpa)4(H2O)] ⋅ 2H2O (1, 4‐HOpa=N‐4‐hydroxyphenyloxamate), was selected as a possible carrier of qubit. The field‐induced slow magnetic relaxation shows this system has phonon bottleneck (PB) effect at low temperatures with a very weak magnetic anisotropy. The pulse electron paramagnetic resonance studies show the spin‐lattice and spin‐spin relaxation times are T1=1.66 ms at 4 K and Tm=4.25 μs at 8 K for its diamagnetically diluted sample (1Gd0.12 %). It suggested that the relatively long decoherence time is mainly ascribed to its near isotropic and the PB effect from resonance phonon trapped for pure sample, while the dilution further improves its qubit performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacuum breakdown, also known as vacuum discharge, is a common phenomenon in nature and is gaining an increasingly important role in modern technologies. In spite of a remarkable advance in our understanding of the nature of the breakdown, the role of the anode, i.e. the positively charged electrode, in the development of the breakdown is still completely unclear. In this paper, we employ a streak camera with picosecond time resolution to observe precisely the evolution of anodic glow from different anode materials. The results show that the choice of the anode material does not affect either the delay time between the cathodic and anodic flares or the formation of the conductive channel. Furthermore, we show that the heating of the anode surface by runaway electron currents is not sufficient to evaporate enough atoms for the anodic glow. On the other hand, we show that the neutrals for the anodic flare can be produced by the ions from the expanding cathode plasma by sputtering. Finally, the coincidence in time of the voltage collapse and the anode glow is consistent with the fast expansion of the cathode plasma, which causes both the voltage collapse and the anode glow when it reaches the anode, and densifies by sputtering and reflection. However, the two events are not in direct dependence of one another, since the order of their appearance is random, implying that a fully conductive channel can be established without any light emission from the anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schisandra chinensis, classed as a climbing woody vine, is representative of the Schisandraceae family regarded as a significant plant in Chinese herbal medicine. However, the application of molecular breeding is constrained by the fact that the number of genetic markers is small for this species. In this study, transcriptome sequencing of S. chinensis was performed using the Illumina HiSeq platform to construct a library of expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers. A total of 59,786 unigenes were obtained on the basis of 8.57 Gbp clean data. A total of 3460 putative SSR sites were detected with a frequency of 5.79%. The predominant type of repeat markers was dinucleotide (64.54%), followed by trinucleotide (23.87%), hexanucleotide (0.90%), tetranucleotide (0.12%) and pentanucleotide (0.40%). Besides, 50 pairs of EST-SSR primers were randomly selected for verification, among which 14 pairs (28%) showed polymorphism in 42 different types of S. chinensis accessions. The mean values of Na, Ne, PIC, Ho, He and SI were 2.71, 1.7642, 0.4295, 0.6016, 0.3934 and 0.6078, respectively. All of the 42 accessions were successfully identified and formed four major clusters, indicating that the EST-SSR markers are applicable for genetic diversity analysis and identification in S. chinensis. According to the result, the transcriptome data are an effective resource for developing SSR markers. These markers can provide a basis for the identification of S. chinensis accessions, genetic diversity analysis, the conservation and construction of genetic linkage maps as part of selective breeding and the conservation efforts for this valuable plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In classic pancreatic transplantation, the splenic artery and vein are ligated at the tail of the pancreas graft. This leads to slowed blood flow in the splenic vein and may cause thrombosis and graft loss. In this study, a patient received a pancreas after kidney transplantation. A modified surgical technique was used in the pancreatic graft preparation. The donor splenic artery and vein were anastomosed end to end at the tail of the pancreas. The splenic artery near the anastomosis was partially ligated, and an effective diameter of 2 mm was reserved to limit arterial blood pressure and flow. The patient recovered very well. Contrasted computed tomography scans on days 11 and 88 after pancreas transplantation indicated sufficient backflow of the splenic vein. We believe that this procedure may avoid the risk of splenic vein thrombosis after pancreas transplantation. This modified technique has not been reported in clinical cases previously and may help reduce the risk of thrombosis after pancreas transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human skin wound repair may result in various outcomes with most of them leading to scar formation. Commonly seen in many cutaneous wound healing cases, hypertrophic scars are considered as phenotypes of abnormal wound repair. To prevent the formation of hypertrophic scars, efforts have been made to understand the mechanism of scarring following wound closure. Numerous in vivo and in vitro models have been created to facilitate investigations into cutaneous scarring and the development of antiscarring treatments. To select the best model for a specific study, background knowledge of the current models of hypertrophic scars is necessary. In this review, we describe in vivo and in vitro models for studying hypertrophic scars, as well as the distinct characteristics of these models. The choice of models for a specific study should be based on the characteristics of the model and the goal of the study. In general, in vivo animal models are often used in phenotypical scar formation analysis, development of antiscarring treatment, and functional analyses of individual genes. In contrast, in vitro models are chosen to pathway identification during scar formation as well as in high‐throughput analysis in drug development. Besides helping investigators choose the best scarring model for their research, the goal of this review is to provide knowledge for improving the existing models and development of new models. These will contribute to the progress of scarring studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and myoglobin (Myo) is increasingly significant considering their potential in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) diagnosis. Here, we constructed a sandwich-type electrochemical aptasensor for the simultaneous detection of cTnI and Myo. The polydopamine-Au-metal ions (PDA-Au-Pb2+/Cu2+) were synthesized and used as the labels of second aptamers (TrO6 and S232). The labels displayed different peaks at different potential sites, thus making the simultaneous detection method available. Meanwhile, the synthesized zirconium-based carbon architecture (CC) was well-conductive originating from the annealing process. After the modification of CC on the bare electrode (screen-printed carbon electrode, SPCE), the coralloid Au (CAu) was further decorated on the electrode by electro-deposition, thus forming CAu/CC/SPCE with high conductivity. Hence, the aptasensor proposed here showed admirable simultaneous quantitative analysis performance towards cTnI and Myo with wide linear ranges (1 μg/mL-0.01 pg/mL, 1 μg/mL-0.1 pg/mL) and low detection limits (3.8 fg/mL, 35 fg/mL). These results demonstrated that the aptasensor held the potential application in clinical diagnosis. ● An electrochemical aptasensor was fabricated based on CAu/CC and PDA-Au-Pb2+/Cu2+. ● The CAu/CC exhibited high electronic conductivity, thus improving sensitivity. ● The labels PDA-Au-Pb2+/Cu2+ made the simultaneous detection available. ● The aptasensor showed good performance for the simultaneous detection of cTnI+Myo. ● The portable aptasensor further showed its potential application in on-site analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All carbon-based CG/M − CN rectangular nanotubes have been constructed by a facile molten salt thermal condensation of melamine and glucose. In the molten salt fluid, the glucose is carbonized into graphene-like (CG) nanosheets acting as an electron acceptor, and the melamine thermally condenses into carbon nitride (M − CN) rectangular nanotube acting as an electron donor. The 0.5 wt% CG/M − CN nanotubes display a photocatalytic H 2 evolution rate of 2345 μmol h−1 g−1, which is 1.52 times higher than that of M-CN. Moreover, without loading Pt co-catalyst, the 0.5 wt% CG/M − CN nanotubes show a 12.75 times higher photocatalytic H 2 evolution rate than that of M-CN. It is revealed that the graphene-like CG nanosheets not only can act as an electron acceptor boosting charge carrier separation, but also function as a HER cocatalyst for M-CN. Our work provides a new insight for the development of all carbon-based photocatalysts for energy-related applications. All carbon-based donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugated CG/M − CN rectangular tubular composites with HER cocatalyst free have been constructed through a facile one-step molten salt thermal condensation approach, which exhibits superior photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance. [Display omitted] • The CG/M − CN composites are developed by a molten salt thermal condensation method. • CG acts as an electron acceptor and cocatalyst for M − CN to drive H 2 evolution. • The D-A conjugated system promotes fast charge carrier transfer in CG/M-CN. • The 0.5 wt% CG/M − CN without cocatalyst shows optimal photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA-dependent RNA polymerases (Pols) transfer the genetic information stored in genomic DNA to RNA in all organisms. In eukaryotes, the typical products of nuclear Pol I, Pol II, and Pol III are ribosomal RNAs, mRNAs, and transfer RNAs, respectively. Intriguingly, plants possess two additional Pols, Pol IV and Pol V, which produce small RNAs and long noncoding RNAs, respectively, mainly for silencing transposable elements. The five plant Pols share some subunits, but their distinct functions stem from unique subunits that interact with specific regulatory factors in their transcription cycles. Here, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of plant nucleus-localized Pols, including their evolution, function, structures, and transcription cycles. This review explores the evolution, structure, and functions in transcription of nucleus-localized DNA-dependent RNA polymerases in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), as an attractive metal-free polymer photocatalyst, has attracted extensive attention in energy and environmental fields in recent years. The photoactivity of bulk g-C3N4 is moderate on account of solid-phase thermal-condensation synthesis. This leads to inadequate light absorption, limited surface area, and easy recombination of charge carriers. The composition and nanostructure of g-C3N4 have been studied extensively. Molten-salt modulation is fascinating because of its "green" credentials and the properties of liquid-phase reaction systems. The review focuses mainly on molten-salt modulation of the composition and structure of g-C3N4 based-photocatalysts. We focus on elemental doping, molecular doping, and defect engineering, as well as control of the crystal structure, multi-dimensional structure, hom/heterostructures for photocatalytic applications. This review provides new insights to develop g-C3N4-based photocatalysts with control of composition and structure by facile molten-salt modulation in energy-conversion and environmental fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All‐liquid molding can be used to transform a liquid into free‐form solid constructs, while maintaining internal fluidity. Traditional biological scaffolds, such as cured pre‐gels, are normally processed in solid state, sacrificing flowability and permeability. However, it is essential to maintain the fluidity of the scaffold to truly mimic the complexity and heterogeneity of natural human tissues. Here, this work molds an aqueous biomaterial ink into liquid building blocks with rigid shapes while preserving internal fluidity. The molded ink blocks for bone‐like vertebrae and cartilaginous‐intervertebral‐disc shapes, are magnetically manipulated to assemble into hierarchical structures as a scaffold for subsequent spinal column tissue growth. It is also possible to join separate ink blocks by interfacial coalescence, different from bridging solid blocks by interfacial fixation. Generally, aqueous biomaterial inks are molded into shapes with high fidelity by the interfacial jamming of alginate surfactants. The molded liquid blocks can be reconfigured using induced magnetic dipoles, that dictated the magnetic assembly behavior of liquid blocks. The implanted spinal column tissue exhibits a biocompatibility based on in vitro seeding and in vivo cultivating results, showing potential physiological function such as bending of the spinal column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two seven-coordinate Co(II)-nitrate complexes, [Co(tmpdc)(NO3)2] (1) and [Co(tmpdt)(NO3)2]·CH3CN (2) (tmpdc = N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide, tmpdt = N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-2,6-pyridinedithiocarboxamide) with tridentate neutral ligands tmpdc or tmpdt have been prepared. Their crystal structures by single X-ray diffraction show markedly different coordination geometries when two donor atoms of the tridentate ligand change from oxygen in 1 to sulfur in 2. Complex 1 is a capped octahedral while complex 2 is a pentagonal bipyramid. Results of direct-current (dc) magnetic measurements and high-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (HFEPR) indicate the anisotropic S = 3/2 spin ground state of the Co(II) ions with the easy-plane anisotropy for both 1 and 2. Frequency- and temperature-dependent alternating-current (ac) magnetic susceptibility studies reveal slow magnetic relaxation for 1 and 2 under applied fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrostatic suspension accelerometer is an important instrument for measuring quasi-steady micro-acceleration. A reasonable working mode is the premise to ensure acquisition and stable control of the accelerometer in-orbit and then to carry out high-precision linear measurement. Based on the dynamic model analysis of the electrostatic suspension accelerometer, and taking the force balance of inertial proof mass as the fundamental requirement, the design of the acquisition working mode and measurement working mode based on displacement sensing output and feedback control output is proposed. The rationality and feasibility of the proposed working mode design are verified by the ground drop tower test of the Taiji-1 accelerometer prototype and in-flight test of the actual product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystalline carbon dots (CCDs) embedded in carbon nitride (CN) nanofragments (CCDs-CN) have been developed through facile molten salt treatment. Molten salt treatment not only reconstructs CN layered sheets to form nanofragments, but also promotes the crystallization of CDs-CN. The π-conjugated electric field between CCDs and CN accelerates charge carrier separation for efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZIF-8 may experience ion-responsive degradation in ionic solutions, which will change its initial architecture and restrict its direct biological use. Herein, we report an abnormal phenomenon in which ZIF-8 induces large hydroxyapatite-like crystals when soaked directly in simulated body fluid. These crystals grew rapidly continuously for two weeks, with the volume increasing by over 10 folds. According to Zn2+ release and novel XRD diffraction peak presence, ZIF-8 particles can probably show gradual collapse and became congregate through re-nucleation and competitive coordination. The phenomenon could be found on ZIF-8/PCL composite surface and printed ZIF-8/PCL scaffold surface. ZIF-8 enhanced PCL roughness through changing the surface topography, while obviously improving the in-vivo and in-vitro osteoinductivity and biocompatibility. The pro-biomineralization property can make ZIF-8 also applicable in polylactic acid-based biomaterials. In summary, this study demonstrates that ZIF-8 may play the role of a bioactive additive enabling the surface modification of synthetic polymers, indicating that it can be applied in in-situ bone regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascularization is crucial for bone regeneration after the transplantation of tissue-engineered bone grafts in the clinical setting. Growing evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are potently pro-angiogenic both in vitro and in vivo. In the current study, we fabricated a novel EV-functionalized scaffold with enhanced pro-angiogenic and pro-bone regeneration activities by coating decalcified bone matrix (DBM) with MSC-derived EVs. EVs were harvested from rat bone marrow-derived MSCs and the pro-angiogenic potential of EVs was investigated in vitro. DBM scaffolds were then coated with EVs, and the modification was verified by scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Next, the pro-angiogenic and pro-bone regeneration activities of EV-modified scaffolds were evaluated in a subcutaneous bone formation model in nude mice. Micro-computed tomography scanning analysis showed that EV-modified scaffolds with seeded cells enhanced bone formation. Enhanced bone formation was confirmed by histological analysis. Immunohistochemical staining for CD31 proved that EV-modified scaffolds promoted vascularization in the grafts, thereby enhancing bone regeneration. This novel scaffold modification method provides a promising way to promote vascularization, which is essential for bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract (K,Na)NbO 3 (KNN)-based ceramics have attracted considerable attention owing to their excellent piezoelectric performance in the polymorphic phase boundary (PPB); however, many researchers have found that the optimal composition usually appears on the tetragonal side near the PPB zone. In this study, it is found that the maximum piezoelectric performance is achieved in the PPB region for unpoled ceramics due to the more efficient and facile polarization switching. However, the most outstanding piezoelectricity shifts to the tetragonal side after the ceramics are poled. Raman spectra and first-principles calculations reveal the occurrence of a phase transformation from a tetragonal to monoclinic structure under an external electric field. Hence, the unpoled tetragonal ceramics transform to a two-phase coexistence condition after the poling process and exhibit the best electrical properties driven by the combined effects of polarization switching and rotation. This study reveals that the electric-field-induced phase transformation leads to the optimal composition on the tetragonal side, and this can provide useful guidance for the design of high-performance KNN-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Here we present a new method to fabricate enzyme-mimic metal-free catalysts for electrochemical detection of superoxide anion (O 2 •−) by introducing phosphate groups into graphene-based foam. Through a template-free hydrothermal process, graphene oxide (GO) was treated with different amount of phytic acid (PA) to obtain 3D porous graphene-based foam (PAGF). Characterizations demonstrate that phosphate groups were successfully modified on the surface and inter layer structure of PAGF materials and the defects and disorder degree of PAGF could be controlled by adjusting the addition of PA precursors. Meanwhile, the synthesized PAGF was successfully immobilized on screen printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) and employed in O 2 •− detection. With PA treated on graphene structure, the resulted PAGF/SPCEs exhibit distinct characteristic redox peaks, showing enzyme-mimic catalytic activity toward O 2 •− dismutation. Also, the amount of modified phosphate groups has caused a considerable variety on the performance of PAGF-based electrodes. Apart from high sensitivity, wide liner range, low detection limit, good selectivity and long-term stability, our sensors also present satisfying performance in the real-time monitoring of drug-induced O 2 •− released from Hela cells. The reliability of the biological measurement was further demonstrated via electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to characterize the released O 2 •− from stimulated cells by using 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPOL) to trap the transient O 2 •−. The above results indicate that our established sensors hold potential application in the real-time detection of O 2 •− in biological samples. Highlights • A facile method to fabricate carbon-based Nanozyme with SOD-mimic activity. • The recommended sensor exhibit stable current steps toward cell-released O 2 •−. • The electrochemical determination of cell-released O 2 •− was further confirmed by using EPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]