Search

Hydrogel-based flexible electronic devices have great potential in human motion monitoring, electronic skins, and human-computer interaction applications; hence, the efficient preparation of highly sensitive hydrogel-based flexible sensors is important. In the present work, the ultrafast polymerization of a hydrogel (1–3 min) was achieved by constructing a tannic acid (TA)-Fe3+ dynamic redox system, which endowed the hydrogel with good adhesion performance (the adhesion strength in wood was 17.646 kPa). In addition, the uniform dispersal ensured by incorporating polydopamine-decorated polypyrrole (PPy@PDA) into the hydrogel matrix significantly improved the hydrogel's stretching ability (575.082%). The as-prepared PAM/CS/PPy@PDA/TA hydrogel-based flexible sensor had a high-fidelity low detection limit (strain = 1%), high sensitivity at small strains (GF = 5.311 at strain = 0–8%), and fast response time (0.33 s) and recovery time (0.25 s), and it was reliably applied to accurate human motion monitoring and handwriting recognition. The PAM/CS/PPy@PDA/TA hydrogel opens new horizons for wearable electronic devices, electronic skins, and human-computer interaction applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractDistributed frameworks are commonly used in the setting where data are stored in k different local machines and cannot be merged due to privacy protections or the huge sample size. For a random vector X∈Rp with expectation μ, testing the mean vector H0:μ=μ0 vs H1:μ≠μ0 for a given vector μ0 is a basic problem in statistics. In distributed frameworks, the computation of the centralized test statistics is not privacy-preserving and often requires heavy communication costs, which can be a burden when p or k is large. To deal with this problem, we extend two commonly used centralized test statistics to the distributed ones based on the divide and conquer technique. It is observed that the proposed test statistics are effective and can reduce communication costs and computation complexity. Numerical results confirm the theoretical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the mechanical properties of rock–concrete combined body is crucial to ensure the safety and stability of engineering structures. In this paper, laboratory tests and numerical simulations are used to investigate the mechanical properties of the sandstone–concrete combined body. Uniaxial compression tests and an acoustic emission monitoring system are used to analyze the failure characteristics of the sandstone–concrete sample and to validate the accuracy of the numerical model. The mechanical properties of the composite body were further analyzed by integrating energy and damage theories. The results of the sandstone–concrete study suggest that the combined sandstone–concrete body exhibits synergistic deformation and failure when subjected to uniaxial compression. The peak stress and elastic modulus fall between those of sandstone and concrete. The interface's shape causes the stress in the y-direction to transition from tensile stress to compressive stress. Energy is stored before reaching the peak stress and released after reaching the peak stress. The damage curve indicates that the damage increases gradually with the strain, and it results in plastic failure. In the numerical simulation of triaxial compression, the stress and displacement at the interface are evenly distributed. Compared to uniaxial compression, the energy of each component is higher and shows a linear positive correlation with confining pressure. Additionally, the rate of energy dissipation increases with higher confining pressure. The damage variable also increases with the increase in confining pressure, and the plastic failure process is also apparent under triaxial compression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed tumor treatment. However, the risk of pulmonary adverse events (PAEs) associated with ICI combination therapy is still unclear. We aimed to provide a PAE overview and risk ordering of ICIs used in tumor treatment. Methods: We searched the databases of PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and clinical trial websites during January 2011–April 2023 to identify phase II and III randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and single-arm clinical trials wherein at least one treatment arm received ICIs (e.g., ICI monotherapy, a combination of two ICIs, or ICIs in combination with conventional cancer therapy). We reported the results of PAEs. Additionally, we compared risks of PAEs between different drug classes using a Bayesian network meta-analysis. Results: Among 143 RCTs and 24 single-arm trials, the incidence of all-grade and grade 3–4 PAEs were highest with programmed death L1 (PD-L1) plus cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and plus chemotherapy and anti-PD1 plus anti-CTLA4, the lowest with targeted therapy drug plus chemotherapy and anti-PD1 plus anti-PDL1. Anti-PD1 plus anti-CTLA4 and plus chemotherapy was the intervention with the highest risk for all-grade and 3–4 grade PAEs, and the intervention with the lowest risk was chemotherapy and anti-PD1 plus anti-PDL1. In terms of all-grade PAEs, chemotherapy was safer than ICI monotherapy. Except for the anti-PD1 plus anti-PDL1 regimen, no significant difference in the risk of grade 3–4 PAEs was detected between dual-ICIs and single-ICIs. Furthermore, the risk of PAEs associated with nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and atezolizumab may be dose dependent. Conclusions: In the single-drug regimen, anti-PD1 caused the greatest incidence of PAEs. The risk of PAEs was higher with all single-ICIs than with chemotherapy. However, no significant difference in the risk of PAEs was detected between single-ICIs. In the combined regimen, anti-PD1 plus anti-CTLA4 and plus chemotherapy showed the greatest risk of PAEs, but there were no significant differences in risk between dual-ICIs and single-ICIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal clear cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the world's most common form of cancer. Up to a third will develop metastases; the 5-year survival rate of the patients was only 14%. Practical prognostic markers remain to be discovered. Kinesin-like protein (KIFC1), a critical factor in maintaining the stability of the microtubule system, has significant prognostic value in some tumors. We analyzed the prognostic value, associated signaling pathways, and regulatory mechanisms of KIFC1 in ccRCC through bioinformatics and proteomics. Concretely, both mRNA and protein expression levels of KIFC1 were dramatically upregulated. KIFC1 is an independent prognostic factor for ccRCC. The expression of KIFC1 showed a significant positive correlation (Spearman coefficient > 0.7) with tumor proliferation-related pathways (tumor proliferation, G2/M checkpoint, and DNA replication) and tumor inflammation. Further, intratumoral immune cell analysis revealed that high expression of KIFC1 predicted more infiltration of CD8 + T and CD4 + T cells (p < 0.001). However, there was a significant positive relationship between CD8 + T cells and numerous immune checkpoint genes. CD8 + T cells in tumors from the KIFC1 high expression group were at the dysregulated state. High expression of KIFC1 may predict a poor immunotherapy outcome. By proteomics, we analyzed proteins interacting with KIFC1; spliceosome proteins had the most significant enrichment, indicating the new directions for KIFC1 investigation. In conclusion, our study identified KIFC1 as an independent prognostic factor in renal clear cell carcinoma, and the associated processes involved tumor proliferation and immune infiltration. KIFC1 had a close relationship with spliceosome proteins; it may be a new research direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-cell exhaustion (Tex) is considered to be a reason for immunotherapy resistance and poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, we used weighted correlation network analysis to identify Tex-related genes in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). Unsupervised clustering approach based on Tex-related genes divided patients into cluster 1 and cluster 2. Then, we utilized random forest and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to identify nine key genes to construct a riskscore. Patients were classified as low or high-risk groups. The multivariate cox analysis showed the riskscore was an independent prognostic factor in TCGA and GSE72094 cohorts. Moreover, patients in cluster 2 with high riskscore had the worst prognosis. The immune response prediction analysis showed the low-risk group had higher immune, stromal, estimate scores, higher immunophenscore (IPS), and lower tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion score which suggested a better response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy in the low-risk group. In the meantime, we included two independent immunotherapy cohorts that also confirmed a better response to ICIs treatment in the low-risk group. Besides, we discovered differences in chemotherapy and targeted drug sensitivity between two groups. Finally, a nomogram was built to facilitate clinical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal clear cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the world's most common form of cancer. Up to a third will develop metastases; the 5-year survival rate of the patients was only 14%. Practical prognostic markers remain to be discovered. Kinesin-like protein (KIFC1), a critical factor in maintaining the stability of the microtubule system, has significant prognostic value in some tumors. We analyzed the prognostic value, associated signaling pathways, and regulatory mechanisms of KIFC1 in ccRCC through bioinformatics and proteomics. Concretely, both mRNA and protein expression levels of KIFC1 were dramatically upregulated. KIFC1 is an independent prognostic factor for ccRCC. The expression of KIFC1 showed a significant positive correlation (Spearman coefficient > 0.7) with tumor proliferation-related pathways (tumor proliferation, G2/M checkpoint, and DNA replication) and tumor inflammation. Further, intratumoral immune cell analysis revealed that high expression of KIFC1 predicted more infiltration of CD8 + T and CD4 + T cells (p < 0.001). However, there was a significant positive relationship between CD8 + T cells and numerous immune checkpoint genes. CD8 + T cells in tumors from the KIFC1 high expression group were at the dysregulated state. High expression of KIFC1 may predict a poor immunotherapy outcome. By proteomics, we analyzed proteins interacting with KIFC1; spliceosome proteins had the most significant enrichment, indicating the new directions for KIFC1 investigation. In conclusion, our study identified KIFC1 as an independent prognostic factor in renal clear cell carcinoma, and the associated processes involved tumor proliferation and immune infiltration. KIFC1 had a close relationship with spliceosome proteins; it may be a new research direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A periodic intermittent adaptive control method with saturation is proposed to pin the quasi-consensus of nonlinear heterogeneous multi-agent systems with external disturbances in this paper. A new periodic intermittent adaptive control protocol with saturation is designed to control the internal coupling between the follower agents and the feedback gain between the leader and the follower. In particular, we use the saturation adaptive law: when the quasi-consensus error converges to a certain range, the adaptive coupling edge weight and the adaptive feedback gain will not be updated. Furthermore, we propose three saturated adaptive pinning control protocols. The quasi-consensus is achieved through its own pinning as long as the agents remain connected to each other. Using the Lyapunov function method and inequality technique, the convergence range of the quasi-consensus error of a heterogeneous multi-agent system is obtained. Finally, the rationality of the proposed control protocol is verified through numerical simulation. Theoretical derivation and simulation results show that the novel proposed periodic intermittent adaptive control method with saturation can successfully be used to achieve the pinning of quasi-consensus of nonlinear heterogeneous multi-agent systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-cell exhaustion (Tex) is considered to be a reason for immunotherapy resistance and poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, we used weighted correlation network analysis to identify Tex-related genes in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). Unsupervised clustering approach based on Tex-related genes divided patients into cluster 1 and cluster 2. Then, we utilized random forest and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to identify nine key genes to construct a riskscore. Patients were classified as low or high-risk groups. The multivariate cox analysis showed the riskscore was an independent prognostic factor in TCGA and GSE72094 cohorts. Moreover, patients in cluster 2 with high riskscore had the worst prognosis. The immune response prediction analysis showed the low-risk group had higher immune, stromal, estimate scores, higher immunophenscore (IPS), and lower tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion score which suggested a better response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy in the low-risk group. In the meantime, we included two independent immunotherapy cohorts that also confirmed a better response to ICIs treatment in the low-risk group. Besides, we discovered differences in chemotherapy and targeted drug sensitivity between two groups. Finally, a nomogram was built to facilitate clinical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-cell exhaustion (Tex) is considered to be a reason for immunotherapy resistance and poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, we used weighted correlation network analysis to identify Tex-related genes in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). Unsupervised clustering approach based on Tex-related genes divided patients into cluster 1 and cluster 2. Then, we utilized random forest and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to identify nine key genes to construct a riskscore. Patients were classified as low or high-risk groups. The multivariate cox analysis showed the riskscore was an independent prognostic factor in TCGA and GSE72094 cohorts. Moreover, patients in cluster 2 with high riskscore had the worst prognosis. The immune response prediction analysis showed the low-risk group had higher immune, stromal, estimate scores, higher immunophenscore (IPS), and lower tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion score which suggested a better response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy in the low-risk group. In the meantime, we included two independent immunotherapy cohorts that also confirmed a better response to ICIs treatment in the low-risk group. Besides, we discovered differences in chemotherapy and targeted drug sensitivity between two groups. Finally, a nomogram was built to facilitate clinical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The giant Yulong porphyry Cu (‐Mo‐Au) deposit was formed in a post‐collisional setting in eastern Tibet, which is associated with Eocene potassic to ultrapotassic felsic intrusive rocks. The origin of the Yulong potassic intrusion remains highly disputed. Hence, we present new zircon U–Pb ages, whole‐rock geochemistry and zircon Lu‐Hf isotopes for the Yulong intrusion. Zircon U–Pb dating from the porphyritic monzogranite and porphyritic quartz monzonite yield ages of 41.1 ± 0.2, 40.8 ± 0.1 and 40.5 ± 0.2 Ma, respectively. Samples from the Yulong intrusion exhibit high K2O (4.13–4.85%), and high K2O/Na2O (1.00–1.25), [La/Yb]n (30.37–40.37) and Sr/Y (57.86–87.68) ratios, low Mg#, MgO, Ni, and Cr contents, enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and depletion of high‐field‐strength elements (HFSEs, e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti). Zircon grains from this study have mostly positive εHf(t) values (+1.6 to +2.9), and crustal model ages (TDMC) of 0.90–1.19 Ga. These features suggest that the Yulong intrusion is derived from a thickened juvenile lower crust. During the Permian to late Triassic, Jinshajiang‐Ailaoshan Palaeo‐Tethyan oceanic subduction from the eastern margin of the North Qiangtang produced metasomatic domains within the continental lithospheric mantle and lower crust. During the late Eocene, the continuing India‐Asia continental collision may have preferentially overthickened the crust. Convective removals in the lower part of the thickened lithosphere resulted in the hot asthenosphere upwelling along the Jinshajiang‐Ailaoshan Suture, which induced the partial melting of the residual metasomatized lithospheric mantle, as well as the thickened lower crust in the Eocene, which formed the Yulong intrusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a crucial need for novel antibiotics to stem the tide of antimicrobial resistance, particularly against difficult to treat gram-negative pathogens like Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex (ABC). An innovative approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance may be pathogen-targeted development programs. Sulbactam-durlobactam (SUL-DUR) is a β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combination antibiotic that is being developed to specifically target drug-resistant ABC. The development of SUL-DUR culminated with the Acinetobacter Treatment Trial Against Colistin (ATTACK) trial, a global, randomized, active-controlled phase 3 clinical trial that compared SUL-DUR with colistin for treating serious infections due to carbapenem-resistant ABC. SUL-DUR met the primary noninferiority endpoint of 28-day all-cause mortality. Furthermore, SUL-DUR had a favorable safety profile with a statistically significant lower incidence of nephrotoxicity compared with colistin. If approved, SUL-DUR could be an important treatment option for infections caused by ABC, including carbapenem-resistant and multidrug-resistant strains. The development program and the ATTACK trial highlight the potential for pathogen-targeted development programs to address the challenge of antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted much attention in recent years due to their simple manufacturing process, low cost, and high efficiency. So far, all efficient organic-inorganic halide PSCs are mainly made of polycrystalline perovskite films. There are transmission barriers and high-density defects on the surface, interface, and grain boundary of the films. Among them, the deep-level traps caused by specific charged defects are the main non-radiative recombination centers, which is the most important factor in limiting the photoelectric conversion efficiency of PSCs devices to the Shockley-Queisser (S-Q) theoretical efficiency limit. Therefore, it is imperative to select appropriate passivation materials and passivation strategies to effectively eliminate defects in perovskite films to improve their photovoltaic performance and stability. There are various passivation strategies for different components of PSCs, including interface engineering, additive engineering, antisolvent engineering, dopant engineering, etc. In this review, we summarize a large number of defect passivation work to illustrate the latest progress of different types of passivators in regulating the morphology, grain boundary, grain size, charge recombination, and defect density of states of perovskite films. In addition, we discuss the inherent defects of key materials in carrier transporting layers and the corresponding passivation strategies to further optimize PSCs components. Finally, some perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of PSCs in future development are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgical treatment of Seinsheimer type V subtrochanteric fractures is extremely challenging due to the difficulty of obtaining and maintaining anatomic reduction and effective fixation. The purpose of this study was to describe a surgical technique for minimally invasive clamp-assisted reduction and long InterTAN nail fixation to manage Seinsheimer type V subtrochanteric fractures and report the clinical and radiological results. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on patients with Seinsheimer type V subtrochanteric fractures between March 2015 and June 2021. A total of 30 patients treated via minimally invasive clamp-assisted reduction, long InterTAN nail fixation and selective augmentation with a cerclage cable were included. The following data were collected and evaluated: patient demographics, operative time, blood loss, reduction quality, tip apex distance (TAD), time to bone union, Harris hip score (HHS), visual analog score (VAS), and complications. Results: The mean age of the 30 patients was 64.8 years (range: 36-90 years). The mean operative time was 102.2 min (range: 70-150 min). The mean loss of blood was 318.3 ml (range: 150-600 ml). The reduction quality involved 27 cases of anatomic reduction and 3 cases of satisfactory reduction. The mean TAD was 16.3 mm (range: 8-24 mm). The mean follow-up time was 18.9 months (range: 12-48 months). The mean fracture healing time was 4.5 months (range: 3-8 months). The mean Harris score was 88.2 (range: 71-100), and the VAS score was 0.7 (range: 0-3). Delayed union of the subtrochanteric fracture site occurred in two patients. The limb length discrepancy, which was determined in 3 patients, was < 10 mm. There were no significant complications. Conclusion: Our results indicate that minimally invasive clamp-assisted reduction with long InterTAN nail fixation is encouraging for Seinsheimer Type V subtrochanteric fractures, resulting in excellent reduction and fixation. Additionally, this reduction technique is simple, reliable, and effective in reducing and maintaining subtrochanteric fractures, particularly when intertrochanteric fractures are irreducible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River discharge monitoring is an important component of the hydrology objectives of Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission (SWOT). River discharge can be estimated Solely using river widths and At Many-stations Hydraulic Geometry (AMHG), but the accuracy is low due to the parameters of At a-station Hydraulic Geometry (AHG) given by AMHG deviate from the truth. In view of this, a Constrained At-Many-Stations Hydraulic Geometry (CAMHG) is proposed to optimize AHG parameters. The performance of CAMHG is verified in three reaches of the Yangtze River using river widths derived from SWOT. After using CAMHG, the relative root mean square error (RRMSE) of estimated discharge reduce 100.1% to 24.4%, 1137.1% to 49.9% and 48.6% to 45.5% for Hankou, Shashi and Luoshan respectively. In addition, CAMHG can also weaken the accuracy difference of estimated discharge in dry and wet seasons benefited from its more reliable AHG parameters. Thus, the proposed CAMHG can dramatically improves the accuracy of discharge estimations and it is meaningful for the discharge calculation after SWOT data release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a core-shell based on the Fe3O4@SiO2@Au nanoparticle amplification technique for a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is proposed. Fe3O4@SiO2@AuNPs were used not only to amplify SPR signals, but also to rapidly separate and enrich T-2 toxin via an external magnetic field. We detected T-2 toxin using the direct competition method in order to evaluate the amplification effect of Fe3O4@SiO2@AuNPs. A T-2 toxin–protein conjugate (T2-OVA) immobilized on the surface of 3-mercaptopropionic acid-modified sensing film competed with T-2 toxin to combine with the T-2 toxin antibody–Fe3O4@SiO2@AuNPs conjugates (mAb-Fe3O4@SiO2@AuNPs) as signal amplification elements. With the decrease in T-2 toxin concentration, the SPR signal gradually increased. In other words, the SPR response was inversely proportional to T-2 toxin. The results showed that there was a good linear relationship in the range of 1 ng/mL~100 ng/mL, and the limit of detection was 0.57 ng/mL. This work also provides a new possibility to improve the sensitivity of SPR biosensors in the detection of small molecules and in disease diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ratoon rice is resource efficient to produce economically sound and environmentally sustainable rice production. However, there is no more information on the relative impact of soil tillage practices on soil physical and chemical properties, microbial biomass, and enzymatic activity, and grain yield in a rice–ratoon rice cropping system remains to be tested. Systematic study of soil under ratooning rice model is a problem to be solved in the development of ratooning rice model. This study primarily investigated the long‐term (from 2014 to 2020) changes in soil bulk density (BD), soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration, total nitrogen (TN) concentration, microbial biomass, β‐glucosidase activity (BG), urease activity (UR), and yield under four treatments: no‐tillage (NT), no plowing tillage + rotatory tillage (RT), plowing tillage in winter + rotatory tillage (PTW), and plowing tillage in spring + rotatory tillage (PTS). NT increased BD by 9.65%–12.97%, and RT increased the 20–40 cm soil layer BD by 8.80% in 2020, compared with the baseline initial value (in 2014). Plowing tillage (PT) time had no significant effect on BD. All tillage methods decreased the SOC concentration in the 0–20 cm soil layer, and only RT increased the TN concentration. PT was the only treatment that increased the SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–40 cm soil layer. Both the main‐season rice yield and the ratoon season rice yield ranked PTW > PTS > NT > RT, in which the main‐season rice yield increased by 28.15% and the ratoon season rice yield increased by 25.19% in PTW. Overall, the PTW treatment had the highest microbial biomass, enzyme activity, and grain yield compared with the other tillage methods. In conclusion, plowing tillage in winter + rotatory tillage is a more suitable tillage method under the mode of ratooning rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of the drying-wetting cycle is a component of the weathering process and has a significant impact on the characteristics of rock materials. In order to examine the physical and dynamic tensile properties of red sandstone subjected to drying-wetting cycles, physical tests and dynamic splitting tensile tests were performed on red sandstone specimens under varying drying-wetting conditions. First, the split Hopkins pressure bar was used to perform dynamic tensile tests on red sandstone samples after varying numbers of drying-wetting cycles (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80). Second, the effects of the loading rate and drying-wetting cycles on dynamic tensile strength and energy dissipation of red sandstone were studied. Finally, taking into account the effect of the loading rate, a model was developed to predict the trend of decay in the dynamic tensile strength of red sandstone following drying-wetting cycles. The findings indicate that as the number of drying-wetting cycles increases, there is a decrease in longitudinal wave velocity and a marked degradation of the red sandstone due to the effects of the drying-wetting cycles. The dynamic tensile strength and dissipation energy density of red sandstone samples increase with the increasing loading rate. Under consistent loading rate conditions, the dynamic tensile strength and dissipative energy density of red sandstone samples exhibit a decrease as the number of drying-wetting cycles increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the slit Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) experiments were conducted to investigate the dynamic mechanical characteristics of red sandstone during acid dry-wet cycles. The appearance of the samples was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, and the process of red sandstone degradation under acid dry-wet cycles was examined. The results reveal that, as compared to neutral solution, acid solution enhances the degree of degradation induced by dry-wet cycles in red sandstone. The dynamic compressive strength and elastic modulus of red sandstone steadily decline as the number of dry-wet cycles increases, and the lower the pH of solution, the greater the reduction. The mechanism of degradation of red sandstone during acid dry-wet cycles may be explained in two ways. First, the chemical interaction between the mineral components in the sample, such as cement and feldspar, and H+ in the acid solution has accelerated the formation of secondary pores and fractures, resulting in a decrease in the cementation capacity between mineral particles. Second, partial breakdown of the major mineral particles softens the mineral skeleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer-derived-ceramics (PDCs) are considered as a promising candidate for excellent microwave absorption under harsh environments due to their controllable microstructure at the molecular level. Herein, a series of silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) nanospheres are successfully fabricated through a PDC method and then pyrolyzed under argon atmosphere at different temperatures and the evolutions of microstructure and their microwave absorption properties are investigated simultaneously. It is found that the microwave absorption properties mainly depend on carbon content. With a relative carbon content of 38.13%, the carbon-rich SiOC nanospheres-1 pyrolyzed at 1400 °C possess excellent microwave absorption properties with a minimum reflection loss (RL) value of −56.28 dB at 6.8 GHz with a thickness of 2.93 mm. Electromagnetic analysis demonstrates that proper impedance matching, intrinsic attenuation ability, and the multiple reflection are responsible for the excellent RL. This work will provide a novel approach to obtain the PDCs with excellent microwave absorption properties. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese government regards ensuring food security and developing water‐saving agriculture as an important national strategy and that carrying out relevant research has important practical significance and production application value. A two‐year field experiment was conducted to explore the compensation potential in rice yield by using rice varieties with different panicle size under two water management regimes (conventional water management or CWM and alternate wetting and drying or AWD). The results showed that the large panicle rice variety resulted in greater yield, crop water productivity, spikelet density, dry matter accumulation and translocation, and photosynthesis. Compared with the CWM, the AWD had little effect on rice yield. However, with an appropriate planting density, the AWD achieved a greater grain yield compared with the CWM. Moreover, the AWD increased crop water productivity and the grain‐filling efficiency. The loss of spikelets under the AWD could be compensated by increasing the planting density. Although AWD reduced tillering number, it increased the photosynthetic rate, dry matter accumulation and its translocation to grain, and leaf area index. In addition, the adverse effects on rice growth and the yield caused by the AWD could be alleviated by increasing planting density of rice. Therefore, an appropriate planting density can be used to save water and maintain high grain yield of rice under alternate wetting and drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wheat production, improving resource utilization and grain yield is the goal researcher have been pursuing. This study aimed to investigate if a regulated nitrogen (N) and selenium (Se) fertilizer management could increase wheat yield and N use efficiency (NUE). This study reports the effects of three N application levels (N0: 0 kg N ha−1, N1: 180 kg N ha−1, N2: 270 kg N ha−1) and a combination of three Se application levels (Se0: 0 g Se ha−1, Se1: 450 g Se ha−1, Se2: 900 g Se ha−1) on N metabolism, NUE and yield in wheat in 2020–2021. Compared with N0, wheat yield increased by 44.76% in N1 and by 54.32% in N2, and the activity of N-metabolizing enzymes increased by 25.15~35.03% in N1 and by 32.01~51.27% in N2. Compared with N1, the apparent recovery efficiency of N, the agronomic N use efficiency and the partial factor productivity of applied N decreased by 15.71%, 28.00% and 28.93% in N2, respectively. Compared with Se0, the 1000-grain weight increased by 3.93% in Se1 and by 4.87% in Se2, and the activity of nitrogen-metabolizing enzymes increased by 4.23~4.91% in Se1 and by 6.65~8.46% in Se2. We conclude that Se could improve the wheat 1000-grain weigh and N metabolism and has the potential to increase wheat yield and NUE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new magnetic affinity immunoassay (MAIA) was developed for the determination of abrin based on signal amplification of staphylococcal protein A (SPA) functionalized gold magnetic microparticles (GMPs) and the aptamer. This assay consisted of a sandwich format in which SPA-coated GMPs coupled anti-abrin monoclonal antibodies (mcAb) were used as the magnetic capture probe and the enzyme-labeled abrin aptamer was used as the signal probe. Abrin was successfully determined by the proposed strategy. This method exhibited a linear response to abrin from 0.031 to 31.25 μg/L with a detection limit of 0.031 μg/L. The staphylococcal protein A, gold magnetic microparticles, and aptamer increased the sensitivity by 4 times, 2 times and 2 times, respectively The integrated amplification produced by these parameters increased the sensitivity by 16-fold compared to the traditional double-antibody sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This method possesses a low detection limit, acceptable reproducibility, and high specificity, which demonstrates that the MAIA shows promise in trace toxin determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of new fields such as wearable devices, human health monitoring, and artificial intelligence, flexible sensors have received extensive attention. Conductive hydrogels combine conductive fillers with the excellent properties of hydrogels, making them ideal materials for building flexible sensors. However, conductive hydrogels suffer from poor mechanical properties and low sensitivity, and designing hydrogels with high electrical conductivity and excellent mechanical properties remains a challenge. In this work, a conductive TA-RGO/PVA hydrogel was developed by incorporating TA-RGO nanocomposites into a PVA matrix. The prepared TA-RGO/PVA hydrogel exhibited excellent electrical conductivity, good elastic strain, and excellent mechanical stress. TA-RGO/PVA hydrogels can be used for stretchable strain and pressure sensors. The strain sensor based on the TA-RGO/PVA hydrogel exhibits excellent tensile strain sensitivity (1.936 78 gage factor in the 1%–280% strain region) with excellent stability. The sensor also maintains high sensitivity when used as a pressure sensor (2.2695 kPa−1 in the 0–9 kPa pressure range). These characteristics offer the TA-RGO/PVA hydrogel great potential in the application of wearable flexible strain/pressure sensors and bioelectrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorinated graphene oxide@CeO 2 (FGO@CeO 2) was synthesized using an in-situ growth method and incorporated as a filler into epoxy resins to improve their UV aging resistance. On UV irradiation, it facilitated the surface enrichment of the modified epoxy resin (MEP), forming a UV-blocking layer. Incorporating FGO@CeO 2 induced n→π* electronic transitions within the MEP and lowered the electronic excitation threshold, expanding the UV spectral absorption band and enhancing the UV absorption intensity. A 785% increase in the UV absorption capacity was achieved in the MEP compared with that in the pristine epoxy resin. After 300 h of UV exposure, the photothermal temperature rise in the MEP was 13.67 ± 2 °C higher than that in pure epoxy resin. [Display omitted] • Fluorinated graphene oxide (FGA)@CeO 2 was synthesized by an in-situ growth method. • FGA@CeO 2 was incorporated into epoxy resins to improve UV aging resistance. • FGA@CeO 2 was enriched under UV, forming a surface UV-blocking layer. • FGA@CeO 2 expanded UV absorption band and enhanced absorption intensity. • Epoxy with FGA@CeO 2 had a more significant photothermal temperature rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collaboration of heterogeneous multiple robots has been shown to be capable of significantly enhancing the system redundancy, autonomy, robustness, and so on. However, realizing the collaboration with specific tasks in practice often requires the development of sophisticated mechanisms which are envisioned to exploit distinct benefits of the heterogeneous platforms. Thus, we propose a novel air–ground cooperative framework in this paper for the task of multi-target searching under an unknown urban environment. In particular, a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is employed to operate above the urban area to provide surveillance from a global perspective. Under the guidance of UAVs, multiple teams of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are deployed to conduct the target searching missions. The UAVs’ and UGVs’ searching strategies are devised correspondingly leveraging on their own advantageous features. Finally, an ingenious integration of UAVs’ and UGVs’ searching operations is established by a notion of the upper confidence bound. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, metal-modified silicon oxycarbides ceramics (SiOC/M, M = Fe, Al, and Zr) were fabricated, and the thermal stability of the SiOC/M (M = Fe, Al, and Zr) ceramics was investigated under the water-vapor- argon hybrid atmosphere. The phase and microstructural analysis showed that the thermal stability was in the order of SiOC/Zr ＞ SiOC/Al > SiOC/Fe. The SiOC/Zr and SiOC/Al ceramics possessed better thermal stability than SiOC/Fe ceramics, because they formed metallic oxides (ZrO 2 , mullite, or sillimanite). Additionally, the water-vapor-argon hybrid atmosphere increases the defects within the carbon clusters of SiOC/M ceramics and refines the lateral size of the nanocrystalline carbon. Understanding thermal stability and microstructural evolutions of metal-dropped polymer derived ceramics provided a new method for achieving high-temperature ceramics for application in an extreme environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To effectively control the seismic performance of precast concrete (PC) frames with semirigid connections under strong earthquakes, a damage-oriented energy capacity spectrum method is proposed under the performance-based seismic design (PBSD) framework. The energy dissipation capacity (EDC) spectrum corresponding to an equivalent single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system of a PC frame is derived based on the Coffin–Manson low-cycle fatigue model of connections and expressed as a function of the displacement response. The related parameters are experimentally and numerically calibrated. To ensure consistency with the EDC spectrum, the hysteretic energy demand (HED) spectrum is developed based on a pseudo-acceleration spectrum, a ductility spectrum, and two energy spectra. The relation between the connection damage and structural damage is employed to establish the damage-oriented EDC spectra. The performance point is iteratively determined, from the intersection points of the EDC and HED spectra at different damage levels, until the specified objective overall damage performance is satisfied. The implementation of the damage-oriented design procedure on a 12-story PC frame with semirigid connections indicates that the EDC spectra corresponding to the three modes agree well with the predictions, and the overall damage indexes obtained from the time history analyses (THAs) are consistent with those obtained from the solution of the performance points. The damage performance objective for PC frames with semirigid connections can be attained by adjusting the design yield moments of the connections by exploiting their adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lightweight and miniaturized design of power equipment, as well as their extreme operating environments, are placing higher demands on the insulation properties of epoxy polymers (EPs), which are closely related to the space charge distribution. To further homogenize the electric field distribution and improve the insulating properties of EPs, this article improved the space charge migration rate of EPs by providing sp3 molecular hybridization orbitals with fluorine-modified butyl glycidyl ether (BGE) diluent. Three EPs, BGE/EP, 3F-BGE/EP, and 7F-BGE/EP, were prepared, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations showed that fluorinated 3F-BGE and 7F-BGE provided sp3 hybridized orbitals for the EP system in the trap energy range, which reduced the trap energy levels from 2.76 to 2.42 and 1.65 eV, respectively, and improved the space charge migration rate. The surface potential decay test of the EPs revealed that when the applied voltage was stopped for 3000 s, the surface potentials of 3F-BGE/EP and 7F-BGE/EP decreased by 11.33% and 16.67%, respectively, and the flashover voltages along the surface increased by 7.06% and 17.98%, respectively, with no decrease in resistivity compared to BGE/EP. This method increased the space charge migration rate and insulation properties of the EP without decreasing its resistivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidrug resistance is still a major obstacle to cancer treatment. The most studies are to inhibit the activity of the drug transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp), but the effect is not ideal. Herein, a nanosystem was built based on cascade catalytic consumption of cholesterol. Cholesterol oxidase (natural enzyme, COD) was immobilized on the carrier (NH2-MIL-88B, MOF) through amide reaction, COD catalyzed the consumption of cholesterol, the reaction product H2O2 was further produced by the MOF with its peroxidase-like activity to produce hydroxyl radicals (•OH) with killing effect. Due to the high expression of CD44 receptor on the surface of tumor cells, we encapsulated chondroitin sulfate gel shell (CS-shell) with CD44 targeting and apoptosis promoting effect on the surface of DOX@MOF-COD nanoparticles, which can accurately and efficiently deliver the drugs to the tumor site and improve the effect of reversing drug resistance. Taking drug-resistant cell membrane as "breakthrough", this paper will provide a new idea for reversing multidrug resistance of tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hierarchical SiOC/SiCnws/CF composites (A/B/C structure) were designed via precursor infiltration and pyrolysis process. The SiOC ceramics served as the wave‐transparent characteristic materials to adjust the impedance matching. Herein, the in situ growth of SiCnws not only was used for the absorber but served as the reinforcement of SiOC matrix composites. In detail, the SiOC/SiCnws/CF‐1200°C‐2 exhibits excellent electromagnetic absorption performance with minimum reflection loss of −46 dB at 14.4 GHz with the thickness of 1.6 mm, and its effective absorption band reaches 4.3 GHz. Its compressive strength reaches 8.69 and 16.41 MPa in z and x/y directions, separately. This contribution has a guidance for the application of carbon fiber/ceramics matrix composites in harsh environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the condition of constant thickness, improving the low‐frequency sound absorption performance of conventional sound‐absorbing materials is a challenging research topic. To address this issue, a new reduced graphene oxide/polyvinyl alcohol (RGO/PVA) porous composite ceramic was fabricated using freeze‐drying and optimized by redesigning the internal connecting pores of porous ceramic matrixes with a reticular microstructure using RGO and PVA. The as‐prepared porous structure showed significant enhancement in the low‐frequency sound absorption band compared with pristine porous ceramics. In addition, the hybrid porous ceramics exhibited low thermal conductivity. These favorable properties indicate that the hybrid sound‐absorbing ceramics have potential application prospects for noise reduction in the fields of construction and electrical and mechanical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials with lightweight, wide absorption bandwidth, thin thickness, and strong EMW absorption performance has become a hotspot. Herein, the morphology‐controlled preparation of α‐manganese dioxide (α‐MnO2) was successfully obtained via a facile hydrothermal method, and the EMW absorption performance of α‐MnO2 was investigated in detail. The results indicated the as‐obtained Mn‐1.0‐120 possessed the best EMW absorption performance with minimum reflection loss of −53.43 dB at about 5.2 GHz with a thickness of 4.1 mm originated from the synergistic effects of multiply scattering, dielectric loss, and magnetic loss. This contribution demonstrates that the MnO2 has promising candidates with a tunable EMW absorption performance for applications in the electromagnetic field in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work is conducted to investigate the optimal extraction technology of polysaccharide from chestnut mushroom (Agrocybe aegerita) using a new method based on accelerated solvent extraction combined with response surface methodology (ASE-RSM). The conventional reflux extraction (CRE) method and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) method were also carried out. Additionally, the in vitro antioxidant activities, including ABTS and DPPH assay, were evaluated. The RSM method, based on a three level and three variable Box–Behnken design (BBD), was developed to obtain the optimal combination of extraction conditions. In brief, the polysaccharide was optimally extracted with water as extraction solvent, extraction temperature of 71 °C, extraction time of 6.5 min, number of cycles of 3, and extraction pressure of 10 MPa. The 3D response surface plot and the contour plot derived from the mathematical models were applied to determine the optimal conditions. Under the above conditions, the experimental value of polysaccharide yield was 19.77 ± 0.12%, which is in close agreement with the value (19.81%) predicted by the model. These findings demonstrate that ASE-RSM produce much higher polysaccharide and consumed environmentally friendly extraction and solvent systems, have less extraction discrimination and shorter time and provide scientific basis for industrialization of polysaccharide extraction. Moreover, it was proved that the polysaccharide had the potential ability to scavenge ABTS and DPPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, naturally degradable porous balsa wood was used as a raw material to prepare a highly elastic wood sponge (WS) substrate using a two-step chemical method and a freeze-drying method. The surface hydrophobic modification of Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles using the fluorine-free material octadecyltrimethoxysilane (C18TMS) solved the problem of agglomeration caused by the high nanoparticle surface energy. Polydopamine (PDA), hydrophobically modified Fe 3 O 4 (C18TMS/Fe 3 O 4), and low-surface-energy polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were sprayed onto WS substrates using a simple spraying method. An environmentally friendly adsorption sponge with photothermal, magnetically driven, and superhydrophobic properties was prepared for the first time using this method. The prepared sponge had a water droplet contact angle of 156.8° and exhibited excellent oil–water separation performances. Due to the addition of PDA and Fe 3 O 4 , the modified sponge exhibited excellent photothermal performance, rapidly heating to 63.4°C under a sunlight intensity of 1 kW m−2. The superhydrophobic WS prepared in this experiment provides a more environmentally friendly and low-cost way for high viscosity oil–water separation and targeted removal of oil pollution. [Display omitted] • Preparation of environmentally friendly sponge substrate using natural balsa wood as raw material. • Fe 3 O 4 @PDA@WS has excellent superhydrophobicity, photothermal effect, and magnetic driving performance. • Fe 3 O 4 particles firmly adhere to WS under the adhesion of PDA, enhancing the firmness of the hydrophobic coating. • Hydrophobic modification of Fe 3 O 4 using C18TMS to enhance dispersion. • The prepared sponge can be used for high viscosity oil/water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy (CH) is driven by maladaptive changes in myocardial cells in response to pressure overload or other stimuli. CH has been identified as a significant risk factor for the development of various cardiovascular diseases, ultimately resulting in heart failure. Melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5), encoded by interferon-induced with helicase C domain 1 (IFIH1), is a cytoplasmic sensor that primarily functions as a detector of double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) viruses in innate immune responses; however, its role in CH pathogenesis remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between MDA5 and CH using cellular and animal models generated by stimulating neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with phenylephrine and by performing transverse aortic constriction on mice, respectively. MDA5 expression was upregulated in all models. MDA5 deficiency exacerbated myocardial pachynsis, fibrosis, and inflammation in vivo , whereas its overexpression hindered CH development in vitro. In terms of the underlying molecular mechanism, MDA5 inhibited CH development by promoting apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) phosphorylation, thereby suppressing c-Jun N-terminal kinase/p38 signaling pathway activation. Rescue experiments using an ASK1 activation inhibitor confirmed that ASK1 phosphorylation was essential for MDA5-mediated cell death. Thus, MDA5 protects against CH and is a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carburization and tensile behavior of Alloy 617 corroded at 950 °C for 100 h in the impure helium containing methane were investigated. In helium containing 20 ppm CH 4 , Alloy 617 exhibited slight carburization and held its plasticity. However, in helium containing 200 ppm CH 4 , Alloy 617 was carburized to a depth of over 20 % and lost plasticity. In addition, the stress-strain curves in the plastic phase at room temperature exhibited a serrated flow phenomenon in both two environments, primarily caused by dynamic interactions between carbide-induced crack pinning and stress-concentration-induced crack unpinning. [Display omitted] • Accurate control and real-time detection of gas levels in the ppm range are achieved in this study. • The decomposition of methane at 950 °C is only related to itself and is not affected by the alloy. Carburization occurs only when free carbon from methane decomposition is deposited on the surface of the alloy. • The microstructure of Alloy 617 exhibited dramatic differences in the environments containing different levels of CH 4 , with a relatively smooth surface when the CH 4 content was 20 ppm, but a rough surface covered by a large amount of carbon and carbide when the content increased to 200 ppm. • The ductility of Alloy 617 is highly sensitive to the CH 4 content. The fracture mode of the alloy shifted from ductile fracture to brittle cleavage fracture when the content of methane increased from 20 ppm to 200 ppm. • Alloy 617 showed stress serrations in the plastic deformation stage at room temperature. The main reason for this phenomenon may be the dynamic interaction between carbide-induced crack pinning and stress concentration-induced crack debonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel fluorescence strategy based on FIS@MIP for transferrin was designed. • Zr-UiO-66-B(OH) 2 was served as imprinted supporter and provided functional groups. • Mg/N-CDs endowed FIS@MIP with higher fluorescence response to transferrin. • A smartphone sensing platform was designed and furnished the visual detection tool. • Boron affinity MOF provided a new application in transferrin imprinting. In this research, we proposed a novel fluorescence imprinted sensor (FIS@MIP) for rapid and sensitive detection of transferrin (TrF) based on the boronic acid functionalized Zr-MOF (Zr-UiO-66-B(OH) 2) and high fluorescence quantum yield of Mg/N co-doped carbon dots (Mg/N-CDs). The boronic acid moieties of Zr-UiO-66-B(OH) 2 could significantly covalently bind TrF and load more Mg/N-CDs to avoid fluorescence quenching caused by self-aggregation of Mg/N-CDs. Additionally, Zr-UiO-66-B(OH) 2 was prepared though linker fragmentation approach, which eliminated the complex post modification process and could provide sufficient boric acid groups. High luminescent and fluorescence quantum yield endowed Mg/N-CDs remarkable fluorescence response to TrF. Under the optimal conditions, the fluorescence intensity of FIS@MIP at 438 nm was quenched by Trf within 1 min. Based on specific recognition sites, a good linear relationship was obtained in the linear range of 0.1 µM–20 µM, and the low detection limit was determined as 0.067 µM. In order to explore portable detection application, a home-made device based on smartphone was designed for on-site detection of TrF with a detection limit of 0.38 µM. Significantly, this smartphone platform was successfully applied for detection of TrF in simulated actual samples (i.e., human urine and human serum) with satisfactory results, which provided a new promising strategy for on-site and sensitive discrimination of TrF in actual samples. This research will promote the development of the application of boronic-acid functionalized Zr-MOF in molecularly imprinted sensing of glycoproteins.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial lightweight aggregates (LWA) generally can be more deformable in lateral expansion than that of natural crushed stone. Therefore, concrete made of LWA can exhibit a higher Poisson effect, and this characteristic could be advantageously used in the confined elements. In the present study, experimental research on behaviors of semi‐lightweight aggregate concrete filled steel tube (LWACFT) under axial compression is performed, in which the key parameters such as the volume content of LWA and the thickness of steel tube are involved. The results showed that the bearing capacity of LWACFT columns is influenced by the compressive strength and Poisson effect of LWAC in dual‐facets. With a rational LWA volume fraction, the bearing capacity of LWACFT columns is not less than that of traditional CFT. Furthermore, the experimental results of bearing capacity are compared with the results by current design codes. With the volume content of LWA and the steel thickness as the variable, the modified and simplified models have been proposed to predict the axial load versus strain curves and the bearing capacity of LWACFT columns. The research results have demonstrated that the predicted results by the model proposed in this study agree well with the experimental ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D-carbon fiber felts reinforced ceramic-based composites are considered as valuable structural materials due to their excellent high-temperature mechanical performance, low density and low thermal conductivity. In order to enhance the mechanical properties of the carbon fiber reinforced silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramics, in-situ growth of SiCnws on the surface of carbon fiber via a simple precursor impregnation and pyrolysis method was proposed. As a result, nanoscale SiC nanowires and microscale carbon fiber felts reinforced SiOC ceramics were successfully fabricated. The results showed that the compressive strength of the composite increased by 369% and 173% after two PIP process in x/y and z directions, respectively. The enhanced compressive strength could be ascribed to the brittle fracture of SiCnws and CFs, and crack deflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By fully utilizing the designability of semi-rigid connections in precast concrete structures, the gradient-based interior point algorithm is applied to perform a two-stage optimization with the objectives of minimum material cost and a target interstorey drift ratio distribution. To obtain an efficient storey lateral stiffness estimate for optimization, the modified Muto's method is further extended to address hybrid distributions of connections. Based on the characteristics of the modified Muto's method, the dual objectives of attaining the target interstorey drift ratio distribution and minimizing the material cost are treated as two separate objectives in the optimization. A case study on precast concrete frames with different storeys, connection parameters and target interstorey drift ratio distribution patterns demonstrates the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed approach. Such an approach could be suitable for the preliminary design of precast concrete structures with hybrid semi-rigid connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are considered as promising candidates in the application of nonvolatile high‐density, low‐cost resistive switching (RS) memories and artificial synapses, resulting from their excellent electronic and optoelectronic properties including large light absorption coefficient, fast ion migration, long carrier diffusion length, low trap density, high defect tolerance. Among MHPs, 2D halide perovskites have exotic layered structure and great environment stability as compared with 3D counterparts. Herein, recent advances of 2D MHPs for the RS memories and artificial synapses realms are comprehensively summarized and discussed, as well as the layered structure properties and the related physical mechanisms are presented. Furthermore, the current issues and developing roadmap for the next‐generation 2D MHPs RS memories and artificial synapse are elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on the classical interacting multiple model algorithm, this article develops a novel distributed approach for solving the problem of distributed state estimation for stochastic linear hybrid systems. In our distributed framework, a network of sensors is employed and each of them measures only a portion of the system outputs, thus, the system may not necessarily be observable for any individual sensor. To tackle with this, we develop an effective data fusion scheme that enables the sensor network to collectively measure the output of the hybrid system, by leveraging the communication between neighboring sensors. Consequently, each sensor only needs to process a relatively small set of data and is able to locally and identically observe the states (both the continuous states and discrete modes) of stochastic linear hybrid systems. Stability of the proposed distributed algorithm is proved theoretically, in the sense that the covariance of estimation error is lower and upper bounded. Finally, the performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated via illustrative simulations on a maneuvering aircraft tracking problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New procedures are proposed for estimating the hysteretic energy demand distribution of precast concrete frames using the shear-bending story model and energy spectra. An efficient beam element is specifically developed to account for the effects of some precast connection parameters. The rationality of the proposed procedures is systematically demonstrated. The distribution of hysteretic energy demand is found to be closely related to the type, location and stiffness of connections. It is feasible to utilize the relationships between the hysteretic energy demand distribution and connection parameters to achieve an optimal energy-based seismic design for minimizing structural damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19, Critical care, Pandemic, Intensive care Ferrando et al. analyzed 742 patients with ARDS caused by COVID-19 and found that these patients had similar characteristics to other traditional ARDS patients [[5]]. Keywords: COVID-19; Critical care; Pandemic; Intensive care EN COVID-19 Critical care Pandemic Intensive care 1017 1020 4 09/08/21 20210901 NES 210901 Haibo Qiu is the new Guest Editor 2021 for Intensive Care Medicine. Critical care resource reorganization During the first wave of the pandemic in Wuhan, a significant shortage of critical care resources led to an extreme crisis in fighting the pandemic. [Extracted from the article]

Both Si and Se are the nutrient elements which had significant effects on crop growth and development. However, the application of Si and Se fertilizer management in field production of fragrant rice (Oryza sativa L.) was rarely reported. The present study was conducted with the objective to explore the effects of Si and Se fertilizer on fragrant rice performance though a six‐season field experiment. The Se rates were set at three levels: 0 g ha−1 (Se0), 36 g ha−1 (Se1), and 72 g ha−1 (Se2). The SiO2 rates were set at three levels: 0 kg ha−1 (Si0), 22.45 kg ha−1 (Si1), and 45 kg ha−1 (Si2). Compared with Si0Se0 treatment, Si and Se treatments significantly increased SPAD values and net photosynthetic rates of fragrant rice at tillering stage and heading stage. Higher grain yield, effectively panicle number and seed‐setting rate were also recorded in Si1Se1, Si1Se2, Si2Se1, and Si2Se2 treatments than Si0Se0 treatment in each cropping season. Moreover, Si and Se fertilizer management significantly increased the grain 2‐acetyl‐1‐pyrroline (2‐AP, main component of fragrant rice aroma) concentrations and the Si2Se1 treatment produced the highest or equally highest grain 2‐AP concentration in each cropping season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy engineering is an effective strategy for developing high properties of the transition-metal carbides, including their mechanical and functional performance, owing to its high-entropy effect, sluggish diffusion effect, sever lattice distortion, and cocktail effect. In this study, a single-phase high-entropy ceramic with a rock-salt crystal structure (Hf 0.25 Zr 0.25 Nb 0.25 Ta 0.25)C was fabricated through a solid-phase reaction at 2200 °C. The as-obtained, high-entropy ceramic powder exhibited high efficiency electromagnetic-wave-absorption capability. The minimum reflection loss (RL) value reached approximately − 64.38 dB at 16 GHz with a thickness of 4.43 mm. By tuning the thickness of the sample, the total effective absorption bandwidth (RL ≤ −10 dB) was ∼ 4.46 GHz, almost covering the Ku band. The excellent microwave absorption performance was ascribed to the high-entropy effect of the strong dielectric loss of the material as well as the proper impedance matching degree. Thus, high-entropy engineering is expected to be a promising route for developing microwave absorbers with excellent absorption capability. • The (Hf 0.25 Zr 0.25 Nb 0.25 Ta 0.25)C high-entropy ceramic powders with a single phase were fabricated by solid-phase reaction. • The as-obtained powders possessed excellent microwave absorption with the reflection loss value of -64.38 dB. • The mechanism of the microwave absorption was discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioaerosol detection technology represented by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) cannot effectively detect bioaerosols in the presence of interferents such as plant-derived smoke, industrial waste gas, pollen and pollen debris which can produce strong non-biological fluorescence interference. To overcome this drawback, in this study, a novel method based on broad-spectrum high-efficiency magnetic enrichment and separation combined with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence was proposed for Escherichia coli (E. coli) bioaerosols rapid detection. First, E. coli bioaerosols mixed with interferents were collected. Core-shell Fe 3 O 4 @Polydopamine@Polyethyleneimine magnetic particles were used as bioaerosol enrichment materials to enrich E. coli bioaerosol sampling solutions. Subsequently, an ATP bioluminescence assay was performed to determine the concentration of E. coli. A linear relationship was observed between ATP bioluminescence intensity after enrichment and the E. coli bioaerosol concentration in the range of 870–49,098 particles per liter; the bioluminescence intensity measured after enrichment was significantly higher than that before enrichment, and this enrichment method provide a 6-fold better sensitivity in bioaerosol detection. More importantly, this method efficiently enriched and detected bioaerosols in plant-derived smoke. This method can effectively improve the sensitivity of ATP bioluminescence detection, and possesses the advantages of convenient operation and strong anti-interference ability. It also provides a foundation for the effective detection of bioaerosols mixed with interfering substances, and a reference for evaluating the sensitivity and anti-interference of LIF-based instruments. • A strategy for bioaerosol rapid detection was built. • Magnetic particles were used as bioaerosol enrichment materials to enrich E. coli bioaerosol sampling solutions. • ATP bioluminescence intensity after enrichment was linear to the E. coli bioaerosol concentration. • The method can still efficiently enrich and detect bioaerosol in the presence of plant-derived smoke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]