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Ultrathin and two-dimensional (2D) metals can support strong plasmons, with concomitant tight field confinement and large field enhancement. Accordingly, 2D-metal nanostructures exhibiting plasmonic resonances are highly sensitive to the environment and intrinsically suitable for optical sensing. Here, based on a proof-of-concept numerical study, nano-engineered ultrathin 2D-metal films that support infrared plasmons are demonstrated to enable highly responsive refractive index (RI) sensing. For 3 nm-Au nanoribbons exhibiting plasmonic resonances at wavelengths around 1600 nm, a RI sensitivity of SRI > 650 nm per refractive index unit (RIU) is observed for a 100 nm-thick analyte layer. A parametric study of the 2D-Au system indicates the strong dependence of the RI sensitivity on the 2D-metal thickness. Furthermore, for an analyte layer as thin as 1 nm, a RI sensitivity up to 110 (90 nm/RIU) is observed in atomically thin 2D-In (2D-Ga) nanoribbons exhibiting highly localized plasmonic resonances at mid-infrared wavelengths. Our results not only reveal the extraordinary sensing characteristics of 2D-metal systems but also provide insight into the development of 2D-metal-based plasmonic devices for enhanced IR detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a cardiovascular disease with high mortality. At present, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is considered as the main effective treatment for CHD due to less trauma, shorter course of treatment, and better curative effect. However, PCI alone is not a permanent cure, so cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is needed for a supplement. Nowadays, the evaluation of the nursing-sensitive quality of CR after PCI focuses on the outcomes of patients, lacks a complete evaluation indicator system, and is prone to problems such as nursing management imbalance. Objective A scientific, sensitive, comprehensive and practical nursing-sensitive quality indicator system based on the structure-process-outcome model was constructed to provide a reference for evaluating nursing sensitive quality of CR after PCI. Methods Firstly, through literature analysis and semi-structured interview, the indicator system was collected, screened and determined. Then, the framework of the indicator system was established, and the draft of nursing-sensitive quality indicator system of CR after PCI was formed. Subsequently, the nursing-sensitive quality indicator system of CR after PCI was initially established using Delphi method. Finally, the specific weight was determined by analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and the nursing-sensitive quality indicator system of CR after PCI was established and perfected. Results Two rounds of expert consultations were separately given 15 questionnaires, and all these questionnaires were returned, with a questionnaire response rate of 100%. Such result indicated that experts were highly motivated. Besides, the authoritative coefficients for two rounds of expert consultations were 0.865 and 0.888, and the coordination coefficients were 0.491 and 0.522, respectively. Hence, the experts’ authority and coordination were high and the results were reliable. After the second round of expert consultation, the nursing-sensitive quality indicator system of CR after PCI was established, eventually. This system consisted of 3 first-level indicators (structural indicator, process indicator and outcome indicator), 11 s-level indicators and 29 third-level indicators. Conclusion A relatively complete and reliable nursing-sensitive quality indicator system of CR after PCI has been established in this study. Such system is scientific and reliable and can provide a reference for the evaluation of clinical teaching quality of CR after PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructures and mechanical properties of laser penetration welded joints of overlap steel-on-aluminum were investigated. The structure of the intermetallic compound layer without interlayer consists of FeAl and FeAl3 phases. After the Ni-foil was added, the thickness of the intermetallic compound layer and the content of the brittle and hard Al-Fe phase decreased significantly, and some new phases of Al0.9Ni1.1 and FeNi were formed. It was found that the Ni interlayer enhanced the tensile property of the joint by about 40% and decreased the microhardness of the intermetallic compounds, which is attributed to the improvement of the toughness of the welded joint made by the Ni interlayer. It is an effective way to improve the mechanical properties of the laser welding joint by adding a nickel interlayer to improve the metallurgical reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phononic crystals are a kind of artificial acoustic metamaterial whose mass density and elastic modulus are periodically arranged. The precise and efficient design of phononic crystals with specific bandgap characteristics has attracted increasing attention in past decades. In this paper, an improved adaptive genetic algorithm is proposed for the reverse customization of two-dimensional phononic crystals designed to maximize the relative bandwidth at low frequencies. The energy band dispersion relation and transmission loss of the optimal structure are calculated by the finite-element method, and the effective wave-attenuation effect in the bandgap range is verified. This provides a solution for the custom-made design of acoustic metamaterials with excellent low-frequency bandgap sound insulation or other engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flammability and gas barrier properties are essential for package material. Herein, a highly-oriented self-assembly nanocoating composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and montmorillonite (MMT) was prepared for endowing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films with excellent flame retardancy and gas barrier properties. The specific regular nanosheet structure of the PVA/MMT composite nanocoating was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the vertical burning test (VBT) suggested that the thermal stability and flame-retardancy of the coated PET films were considerably improved with more pick-up of the resulting nanocoating. When reaching 650 °C, there was still 22.6% char residual left for coated PET film, while only 6% char residual left for pristine PET film. During the vertical burning test, the flame did not spread through the whole PET film with the protection of PVA/MMT nanocoating, and no afterflame was observed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is consistent with vertical burning test, proving that the thermal stability and flame retardancy of coated PET films were considerably enhanced with the increment of PVA/MMT. Thanks to the multi-layer structure, PVA/MMT nanocoating could effectively improve the gas barrier properties of PET films, and the oxygen vapor transmittance rate and water vapor transmittance rate of PET films were more than four hundred times lower and 30% lower than those of neat PET film. Our work demonstrates that bi-functional flame retardant and gas barrier materials could be gained via constructing inorganic/organic highly-oriented self-assembly nanocoating, which is promising in the area of packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very appealing to develop cheap, highly sensitive and efficient metal ion fluorescence sensors as traditional instrument methods are inherently costly and time‐consuming. Carbon dots (CDs) are widely used for sensing metal ions, attributing to their merits of good biocompatibility, low toxicity, easy surface modification and excellent photostability. This article reviewed the research progress of CDs as metal ion sensors in recent years, and studied their modification methods and detection performances. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of CDs as metal ion sensors were also analyzed. This article is expected to provide inspiration and help for researchers focusing on CDs as metal ion sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral nanostructures have immense potential for complete polarization control of light. Given the intrinsic 3D structure of circularly polarized light, nanoarchitectures with structural chirality in 3D space are usually required to achieve "full" chiroptical response. On the other hand, due to the lack of available active materials at optical wavelengths, examples of chiral photonic devices that can be tuned in an active manner remain rare. Here, based on the large Kerr nonlinearities of silicon, the nonlinear chiroptical response from a planar Si metasurface supporting high quality (Q)‐factor guided mode resonances (GMRs) at near‐infrared wavelengths, are numerically demonstrated. In the linear regime, the optical anisotropy of the C2‐symmetric structure associated with the observed GMRs leads to a pair of chiral resonance modes, enabling pronounced cross‐polarization transmission circular dichroism and a strong handedness‐dependent field enhancement effect. Owing to the nonlinear Kerr effect, such Si metasurfaces are seen to exhibit prominent chiral‐selective optical nonlinearity. Importantly, a pronounced co‐polarization transmission circular dichroism is observed, suggesting that the circularly polarized waves in the nonlinear regime possess asymmetric Jones matrices. Dielectric chiral metasurfaces with Kerr nonlinearities can be utilized to facilitate polarization‐state modulators with simple planar structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-wavelength chiral resonators formed from artificial structures exhibit exceedingly large chiroptical responses compared to those observed in natural media. Owing to resonant excitation, chiral near fields can be significantly enhanced for these resonators, holding great promise for developing enantioselective photonic components such as biochemical sensors based on circular dichroism (CD) and spin-dependent nonlinear imaging. In the present work, strong linear and nonlinear chiroptical responses (scattering CD > 0.15 and nonlinear differential CDs > 0.4) at visible and near infrared frequencies are reported for the first time for individual micrometer-scale plasmonic and dielectric helical structures. By leveraging dark-field spectroscopy and nonlinear optical microscopy, the circular-polarization-selective scattering behavior and nonlinear optical responses (e.g., second harmonic generation and two-photon photoluminescence) of 3D printed micro-helices with feature sizes comparable to the wavelength (total length is ∼5λ) are demonstrated. These micro-helices provide potential for readily accessible photonic platforms, facilitating an enantiomeric analysis of chiral materials. One such example is the opportunity to explore ultracompact photonic devices based on single, complex meta-atoms enabled by state-of-the-art 3D fabrication techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notched beam specimens were loaded by the three-point bending test device, and the effects of different volume contents and combinations of steel fibers on the tensile properties of hybrid steel fiber–reinforced self-compacting concrete (HSFRSCC) were studied. The failure law and strain field distribution of the specimens were studied by digital image correlation (DIC) technology. Moreover, the curves between the load and crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) of 18 groups of hybrid steel fiber–reinforced concrete specimens were obtained, and the stress–strain curves of 18 groups of specimens were derived from the load–CMOD curves. The results show that both single and hybrid steel fibers can improve the crack deformation resistance and tensile properties of concrete, but hybrid steel fibers have a more significant improvement effect. Only when the content of steel fiber is more than 0.6% can it have a more obvious postpeak descending section, and hybrid steel fiber has higher postpeak deformation capacity and flexural toughness. The fundamental reason why concrete with hybrid steel fibers has better tensile properties is that micro and macro steel fibers cooperate with each other to resist cracks, improving the toughness of concrete after cracking. Finally, the mechanism of different size and volume content of steel fiber was analyzed from the micro level, which can be used as a reference for the engineering design of HSFRSCC in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen solubility was determined in olivine and orthopyroxene under water‐saturated conditions at P = 3–5 GPa and T = 1373–1573 K. For olivine, polycrystalline samples were prepared from San Carlos olivine, and for orthopyroxene synthetic samples were prepared from oxide mixture containing 1.5–5 wt% of Al2O3. Olivine and orthopyroxene were placed next to each other and annealed under various pressure and temperature conditions for 3–5 hr. Hydrogen content was measured across each sample by FTIR spectroscopy. Under the water‐saturated conditions, the hydrogen solubility in olivine increases with pressure and temperature similar to previous results. Hydrogen solubility in Al2O3‐bearing orthopyroxene also increases with temperature and pressure for a fixed Al2O3 content. Based on these observations we calculated the partition coefficients of hydrogen between orthopyroxene and olivine assuming the fugacity dependence of hydrogen solubility in olivine and Al2O3‐bearing orthopyroxene reported by previous studies. We find that the partition coefficient depends weakly on temperature but strongly on pressure and water fugacity. Our results are extended to an open system where Al2O3 content in orthopyroxene changes with pressure and temperature. At relatively low pressures and low water fugacity (in the lithosphere (shallower than ∼50 km)), the partition coefficient is high and a majority of hydrogen is present in orthopyroxene. Consequently, the influence of water on the bulk physical properties is small. In contrast, at higher pressures and higher water fugacity (in the asthenosphere), the partition coefficient is smaller and a substantial amount of hydrogen is present in olivine. Consequently, hydrogen has a strong effect on the bulk properties of the asthenosphere reducing viscosity and increasing electrical conductivity. Plain Language Summary: Water has strong influence on a number of physical and chemical properties of minerals and rocks, and therefore distribution of hydrogen in the deep Earth has been studied extensively. For the upper mantle, some rock samples are available and we can directly determine the hydrogen content in these minerals. However, samples collected from various localities have experienced a broad range of thermodynamic conditions since they were at chemical equilibrium when partial melting (including cooling) occurred and water loss during transportation to the surface. Therefore, a correction needs to be applied to the influence of thermodynamic history if one wants to learn hydrogen distribution in Earth from these rock samples. So, the purpose of this study is to determine the hydrogen partition coefficient between olivine and orthopyroxene at a variety of thermodynamic conditions including pressure, temperature and water fugacity. Key Points: Hydrogen solubility was determined in olivine and orthopyroxene under water‐saturated conditions at P = 3–5 GPa and T = 1373–1573 KWe found that hydrogen content in Al2O3‐bearing orthopyroxene increases with temperature and pressure for a fixed Al2O3 contentThe hydrogen partition coefficient between olivine and orthopyroxene depends weakly on temperature but strongly on pressure and water fugacity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dots (CDs) can be widely used in the field of sensing because of its good water solubility, low toxicity, high fluorescence stability and excellent biocompatibility. It has become a popular trend to prepare high-value, inexpensive, renewable and environmentally friendly CDs sensors from biomass resources. This article reviewed the research progress of biomass-derived CDs as chemical, physical and biological sensors in recent years and studied their preparation processes and sensing abilities. Furthermore, the prospects and challenges of biomass-CDs sensors were discussed. This article is expected to provide inspirations for the design, preparation and application of biomass-CDs sensors in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handwritten Text Recognition has achieved an impressive performance in public benchmarks. However, due to the high inter- and intra-class variability between handwriting styles, such recognizers need to be trained using huge volumes of manually labeled training data. To alleviate this labor-consuming problem, synthetic data produced with TrueType fonts has been often used in the training loop to gain volume and augment the handwriting style variability. However, there is a significant style bias between synthetic and real data which hinders the improvement of recognition performance. To deal with such limitations, we propose a generative method for handwritten text-line images, which is conditioned on both visual appearance and textual content. Our method is able to produce long text-line samples with diverse handwriting styles. Once properly trained, our method can also be adapted to new target data by only accessing unlabeled text-line images to mimic handwritten styles and produce images with any textual content. Extensive experiments have been done on making use of the generated samples to boost Handwritten Text Recognition performance. Both qualitative and quantitative results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the current state of the art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection inhibits swine leukocyte antigen class I (SLA-I) expression in pigs, resulting in inefficient antigen presentation and subsequent low levels of cellular PRRSV-specific immunity as well as persistent viremia. We previously observed that the non-structural protein 4 (nsp4) of PRRSV contributed to inhibition of the β2-microglobulin (β2M) and SLA-I expression in cells. Here, we constructed a series of nsp4 mutants with different combination of amino acid mutations to attenuate the inhibitory effect of nsp4 on β2M and SLA-I expression. Almost all nsp4 mutants exogenously expressed in cells showed an attenuated effect on inhibition of β2M and SLA-I expression, but the recombinant PRRSV harboring these nsp4 mutants failed to be rescued with exception of the rPRRSV-nsp4-mut10 harboring three amino acid mutations. However, infection of rPRRSV-nsp4-mut10 not only enhanced β2M and SLA-I expression in both cells and pigs but also promoted the DCs to active the CD3+CD8+T lymphocytes more efficiently, as compared with its parental PRRSV (rPRRVS-nsp4-wt). These data suggested that the inhibition of nsp4-mediated β2M downregulation improved β2M/SLA-I expression in pigs. • The Nsp4 gene of PRRSV on virus level inhibit the expression of β2M/SLA-I gene in pigs in this research filed. • The three amino acid sites of Nsp4 gene we have screened play a key role in inhibition of the expression of β2M/SLA-I gene in pigs. • The rPRRSV-nsp4-mut10 can induce more expression of β2M/SLA-I which accelerates the clearance of PRRSV in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), caused by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection, is an important swine infectious disease that causes substantial losses worldwide each year. PRRSV is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that is highly susceptible to mutation and recombination, making vaccine and drug research for the disease extremely difficult. In this study, the binding of PRRSV nsp2 to HSP71 protein was detected by using the IP/MS technique. And the inhibitory effect of HSP71 on nsp2 antagonistic activity was validated by measuring NF-kB luciferase reporter. According to stress from inhibitory effects, the amino acid variation profile of PRRSV nsp2 under HSP71 stress was further analyzed using second-generation sequencing. Surprisingly, the results indicated that HSP71 pressure limits the random mutations of PRRSV nsp2 and maintains the dominant PRRSV strain within the population. Mutant strain showed weaker antagonistic activity and replication capability in cell. These results imply the binding of HSP71 with PRRSV nsp2 may lead to maintain the stability of highly virulent strains of PRRSV. • Hsp71 binds and inhibits PRRSV nsp2. • hsp71 binding contributes to the stabilization of PRRSV nsp2. • PRRSV nsp2 is prone to random mutations in normal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resonant nature and geometric scalability make metamaterials an ideal platform for an enhanced light–matter interaction over a broad frequency range. The mid-infrared (IR) spectral range is of great importance for vibrational spectroscopy of molecules, while IR metamaterials created from lithography-based planar nanostructures have been used to demonstrate enhanced molecular detection. Compared with visible and near-infrared, the relative long wavelengths of IR light make it possible to achieve three-dimensional (3D) IR metamaterials via the state-of-the-art 3D fabrication techniques. Here, we design and fabricate a 3D printed plasmonic metamaterial absorber (MMA), and by performing Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy, we demonstrate that a series of molecular fingerprint vibrations of glycine can be significantly enhanced by the high absorption mode supported by the 3D meta-atoms of the MMA. The observed enhanced IR detection can also be partially attributed to the improved accessibility offered by the 3D architecture of the MMA. In particular, due to capillary forces during the drying process, the microscale 3D printed features lead to selective analyte deposition in high-field regions, which provides another degree of freedom in the design of the 3D printed structures for surface-enhanced IR detection. Our study shows the flexibility of metastructures based on advanced 3D printing technology in tailoring the interaction between IR light and materials on a subwavelength scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Abnormal CD38 expression in some hematologic malignancies, including lymphoma, has made it a biomarker for targeted therapies. Daratumumab (Dara) is the first FDA-approved CD38-specific monoclonal antibody, enabling successfully immunoPET imaging over the past years. Radiolabeled Dara however has a long blood circulation and delayed tumor uptake which can limit its applications. The focus of this study is to develop 64Cu-labeled Dara-F(ab′)2 for the visualization of CD38 in lymphoma models. Methods: F(ab′)2 fragment was prepared from Dara using an IdeS enzyme and purified with Protein A beads. Western blotting, flow cytometry, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) were performed for in vitro assay. Probes were labeled with 64Cu after the chelation of 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (NOTA). Small animal PET imaging and quantitative analysis were performed after injection of 64Cu-labeled Dara-F(ab′)2, IgG-F(ab′)2, and Dara for evaluation in lymphoma models. Results: Flow cytometry and SPR assay proved the specific binding ability of Dara-F(ab′)2 and NOTA-Dara-F(ab′)2 in vitro. Radiolabeling yield of [64Cu]Cu-NOTA-Dara-F(ab′)2 was over 90% and with a specific activity of 4.0 ± 0.6 × 103 MBq/μmol (n = 5). PET imaging showed [64Cu]Cu-NOTA-Dara-F(ab′)2 had a rapid and high tumor uptake as early as 2 h (6.9 ± 1.2%ID/g) and peaked (9.5 ± 0.7%ID/g) at 12 h, whereas [64Cu]Cu-NOTA-Dara reached its tumor uptake peaked at 48 h (8.3 ± 1.4%ID/g, n = 4). In comparison, IgG-F(ab′)2 and HBL-1 control groups found no noticeable tumor uptake. [64Cu]Cu-NOTA-Dara-F(ab′)2 had significantly lower uptake in blood pool, bone, and muscle than [64Cu]Cu-NOTA-Dara and its tumor-to-blood and tumor-to-muscle ratios were significantly higher than controls. Conclusions: [64Cu]Cu-NOTA-Dara-F(ab′)2 showed a rapid and high tumor uptake in CD38-positive lymphoma models with favorable imaging contrast, showing its promise as a potential PET imaging agent for future clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pancharatnamâ€"Berry phase induced by the winding topology of polarization around a vortex singularity at bound states in the continuum (BIC) provides a unique approach to optical vortex (OV) generation. The BIC-based OV generators have the potential to outperform their counterparts that rely on spatial variations in terms of design feasibility, fabrication complexity, and robustness. However, given the fact that this class of OV generators originates from the topological property of the photonic bands, their responses are generally fixed and cannot be dynamically altered, which limits their applications to photonic systems. Here, we numerically demonstrate that a silicon photonic crystal slab can be used to realize optically switchable OV generation by simultaneously exploiting the vortex topology in momentum space in conjunction with silicon’s nonlinear dynamics. Picosecond switching of OV beams at near-infrared wavelengths are observed. The demonstrated nontrivial topological nature of the active generators can significantly expand the application of BIC toward ultrafast vortex beam generation, high-capacity optical communication, and mode-division multiplexing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aspergillus and G- bacteria are the predominant strains in FN children. • mNGS is far superior to TPD in detecting fungal infections. • mNGS is conducive to targeted therapy and improved prognosis of FN children. To investigate the application value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in children with hematological diseases presenting with Febrile Neutropenia (FN). We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 49 hematological children with FN, and compared the results of mNGS with those of traditional pathogen detection (TPD) and the prognoses of mNGS positive group and negative group. A total of 77 pathogenic strains were identified, of which 70 strains were detected by mNGS, 19 strains by TPD, and Aspergillus and G- bacterias were the predominant strains in FN children who developed bloodstream infections. 42 cases were in the mNGS-positive group, of which 17 were simple infections, 25 were mixed infections, and 7 were in the negative group; the TPD-positive group contained 19 cases, all of which were simple infections. The detection rate of total and mixed pathogens was higher than that of TPD, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The mNGS positive group was detected earlier than the negative group, and with lower mortality and drug-related adverse events (DRAE), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). For FN children with hematological diseases, early mNGS can effectively improve the efficacy of pathogen detection, and precise treatment after clarifying the pathogens can reduce mortality and avoid antibiotic abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the development of energy and mineral resources strongly supports China's rapid industrialization and urbanization, it has led to a series of ecological and environmental problems. Strengthening the spatial regulation considering the ecological and environmental protection on energy and mineral resource development areas is an important aspect of realizing China's sustainable development. In this study, we mapped, categorized, and analyzed the ecological cumulative effects of the Chinese 134 prefectural mining units based on the pressure-state-response model, which is demonstrated as impact of mining activities on ecological environment, ecological environmental fragility, and ecological function. This investigation developed a stress zoning typology of the mining units based on scores of three dimensions of the ecological cumulative effects and classified 134 prefectural mining units into eight types of stress zones. A series of regulation and policy suggestions have been proposed to different types of zones from three aspects: space control, intensity control, and development mode control. The application of this evaluation and spatial zoning system will contribute to the refined spatial management of China's mining areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A zwitterionic hydrogel was introduced for moisture-energy generation. • The polyelectrolyte changes were resisted through the salt-in effect. • The adsorption capacity of the hydrogel reached 3.0 g g−1 at 90% RH and 25 °C. • The device exhibiting an I sc of up to 945 μA cm−1 and a V oc of 0.802 V. Hygroscopic salt composite hydrogels (HSCHs) offer a promising solution for combating global water scarcity by harvesting atmospheric water. Importantly, this is aided by an interior water gradient that facilitates ion transport, which opens up opportunities for power generation. The current and potential outputs are restricted by inadequate water collection and excessive cross-link density. Herein, a novel zwitterionic nanocomposite conductive hydrogel (ZNCH) is introduced to resist polyelectrolyte changes by leveraging the salt-in effect of cationic and anionic functional groups. The poly-[2-(methacryloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide-based ZNCH endows the HSCH with an enhanced swelling property together with an improved water storage capacity. The adsorption capacity of water reaches 3.0 g g−1 after 10 h of operation at 25 °C and 90% RH. More importantly, ZNCH replaces H bonds with Li bonds under the Hofmeister effect, resulting in the generation of a substantial number of free H+ ions. These endow the ZNCH with highly efficient power generation performance, associating with a short-circuit current of up to 945 μA, a current density of 945 μA cm−1, and an open-circuit voltage of 0.802 V. This work motivates the improvement of materials and devices that convert energy from atmospheric water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sb 2 Te thin film exhibits remarkable crystallization speed, which allows rapid data conversion in phase change memory (PCM). Thermal stability is a key challenge to enable reliable data retention. Meanwhile, it is necessary to study the transition energy in the process of crystallization when the thermal stability of the amorphous state is improved. Herein, we demonstrated an alloying strategy to optimize thermal stability and transition energy. Zn was screened to be a promising alloying element. Nano-composite Zn 0.75 Sb 2 Te thin film was designed, which exhibited excellent thermal stability and optimized transition energy. The data retention temperature for 10 years (T 10-yr) increased by ∼ 218 %, and the transition energy consumption decreased by ∼ 27 % compared with Sb 2 Te thin film. The enhancement of these properties originated from Zn-modified local chemical bonding. Zn induced the formation of tetrahedron with strong bonds (Zn–Te and Zn–Sb bonds) and dragged the atomic diffusion in amorphous phase to improve thermal stability. The structural disorder and complexity of the first and second nearest neighbors of atoms were stimulated by Zn alloying, which inhibited the carrier transports, increased the amorphous resistance, and reduced the transition energy in the process of crystallization. [Display omitted] • An alloying strategy is proposed to improve the thermal stability. • Transition energy could also be reduced by the alloying strategy. • Zn induces the formation of tetrahedrons in amorphous Sb 2 Te film. • Nano-composite Zn–Sb 2 Te film is prepared. • Microstructure and phase change mechanism of Sb 2 Te film depend on the Zn content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and high‐resolution histological imaging with minimal tissue preparation has long been a challenging and yet captivating medical pursuit. Here, the authors propose a promising and transformative histological imaging method, termed computational high‐throughput autofluorescence microscopy by pattern illumination (CHAMP). With the assistance of computational microscopy, CHAMP enables high‐throughput and label‐free imaging of thick and unprocessed tissues with large surface irregularity at an acquisition speed of 10 mm2/10 s with 1.1‐µm lateral resolution. Moreover, the CHAMP image can be transformed into a virtually stained histological image (Deep‐CHAMP) through unsupervised learning within 15 s, where significant cellular features are quantitatively extracted with high accuracy. The versatility of CHAMP is experimentally demonstrated using mouse brain/kidney and human lung tissues prepared with various clinical protocols, which enables a rapid and accurate intraoperative/postoperative pathological examination without tissue processing or staining, demonstrating its great potential as an assistive imaging platform for surgeons and pathologists to provide optimal adjuvant treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stemming from bound states in the continuum (BICs), momentum‐space polarization vortices observed in photonic structures provide an attractive approach to generating optical vortex (OV) beams. On the other hand, dominated by the selection rules, the harmonic generation from nanostructures exhibits a nonlinear geometric phase that depends on both the harmonic orders and the handedness of circularly polarized harmonic signals. Here, the third‐ and fifth‐harmonic optical vortex generation from an amorphous silicon photonic crystal slab, supporting the guided resonance associated with BICs at near infrared wavelengths, is numerically demonstrated. The results show that, determined by the nonlinearity phase, the topological charge (lnω) associated with the nth‐harmonic OV beams follows σ(n∓1)q, where q is the polarization charge of the BIC and the ∓ sign represents the opposite or same polarization of the nth‐harmonic signal relative to the circular polarization state (σ) of the fundamental waves. Exploiting harmonic multiplexing, this approach can significantly improve the channel capacity of OV generators based on topologically protected optical BICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefiting from the planar π-conjugated (HxC3N3O3)x−3 (x = 0–3) groups, cyanurate crystals have recently become a research hotspot in birefringent materials. Herein, by combining the (HxC3N3O3)x−3 (x = 0–3) group with the (CN3H6)+ cationic group, two metal-free cyanurates, GU(H2C3N3O3) (I) and GU3(H2C3N3O3)3(H3C3N3O3) (II), were obtained by the hydrothermal method. These compounds have wide band gaps (∼5 eV) and a large birefringence (∼0.40@400 nm), demonstrating their potential to be ultraviolet birefringent crystals. Moreover, first-principles calculations indicate that their large birefringence values originated from the synergistic effect of the (CN3H6)+ cations and (HxC3N3O3)x−3 (x = 0–3) groups. These findings provide a new design strategy for exploring low-cost UV birefringent crystals with a large birefringence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van der Waals (vdW) deep‐UV (DUV) nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal is an important material system recently developed. Herein, we review its concept and original intention, and then summarized the discovery process of related materials, including the role of A‐site cations and the resulting two‐/one‐dimensional vdW DUV NLO systems. Finally, we evaluate the practical DUV NLO performance and prospected the opportunities and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Risk compensation effect of helmet use is studied based on selected bicyclists. • Targeted maximum likelihood estimator and ensemble learning are applied in this study. • Our results suggest the existence of risk compensation effect due to helmet use. Introduction: Safety is a critical factor in promoting sustainable urban non-motorized travel modes like bicycles. Helmets have shown to be effective in reducing injury severity in bicycle crashes, however, their effects on bicyclists' behaviors still requires deeper understanding, especially amid the emerging trend of using shared bicycles. Risk compensation effects suggest that bicyclists may offset perceived gains in safety from wearing a helmet by increasing risk-taking behaviors. A better understanding of these compensation effects can be useful in assessing various bicycle safety related programs. Method: Using a sample of 131 bicyclists from the San Francisco Bay area, this research studies how bicyclists respond with respect to risk-taking behaviors under various urban-street conditions, as a function of helmet use. Study participants were each shown 12 videos, shot in Berkeley, California, from the perspective of a bicyclist riding behind another bicyclist. A fractional factorial experiment design was used to systematically vary contextual attributes (e.g., speed, bike lane facilities, on-street parking, passing vehicles) across the videos. After each video, participants were asked to indicate if they would overtake the bicyclist in the video. With the help of data adaptive estimation techniques, targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) was applied to estimate the average risk difference between helmeted users and non-users, controlling for self-selection effects. Individual-based nonparametric bootstrap was performed to assess the uncertainty associated with the estimator. Results: Our findings suggest, on average, individuals more likely to wear a helmet are 15.6% more likely to undertake a risky overtaking maneuver. Practical Applications: This study doesn't try to oppose mandatory helmet laws, but rather serves as a cautionary warning that road safety programs may need to consider strategies in which unintended impact of bicycle helmet use can be mitigated. Moreover, our findings also provide additional evaluation component when it comes to the cost-benefit assessment of helmet-related laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear horizontal (SH) waves are commonly generated by periodic permanent magnet (PPM) electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) in metallic media. Conventional PPM EMATs generate ultrasonic waves, which simultaneously propagate both forward and backward. This can be an undesirable characteristic, since the backward wave can be eventually reflected, reaching the receiver transducer where it can mix with the signal of interest. This limitation can be overcome using two side-shifted PPM arrays and racetracks coils to generate SH waves in a single direction. That design relies on the EMAT wavefront diffraction to produce constructive and destructive interference, but produces unwanted backward traveling sidelobes. Here, we present a different design, which uses a conventional PPM array and a dual linear-coil array. The concept was numerically simulated, the main design parameters were assessed and the unidirectional EMAT was experimentally evaluated on an aluminum plate, generating the SH0-guided wave mode nominally in a single direction. The amplitude ratio of the generated waves at the enhanced to the weakened side is above 20 dB. Since the wavefronts from the two sources are perfectly aligned, no obvious backward sidelobes are present in the acoustic field, which can significantly reduce the probability of false alarm of an EMAT detection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating green and effective means for ammonia synthesis is an important but challenging task. Electrochemical ammonia synthesis (EAS) from an indirect route (N2 → NOx → NH3) provides a feasible alternative strategy. The key step in this route is the reduction of NOx to NH3 instead of N2, which requires the investigation of efficient catalysts with high selectivity of NH3. Herein, we initially demonstrate a highly efficient electrochemical reduction of NO2− to NH3 with nickel phosphide (Ni2P) as the catalyst. The system exhibits low onset potential (0.2 V vs. RHE) and high faradaic efficiency (>90%) for EAS. Experimental results and theoretical calculations reveal that the in situ generated hydrogen atoms on the surface of Ni2P greatly promote the reduction of NO2− to NH3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van‐der‐Waals (vdW) deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) nonlinear‐optical (NLO) materials hold great potential to extend DUV NLO applications to two dimensions, but they are rare in nature. In this study, we propose a design principle to realize vdW DUV NLO materials via structural evolution from the non‐vdW (BO3)‐(BeO3F) layers in KBe2BO3F2 (KBBF) to the vdW (BO3)‐(BeO4H) layers in berborite Be2BO5H3 (BBH) and the vdW (BO4)‐(BeO4) layers in beryllium metaborate BeB2O4 (BEBO). Based on first‐principles calculations, the fundamental NLO properties of BBH and BEBO demonstrate that a balanced DUV NLO performance can be achieved in these two systems. Importantly, BBH, a layered material existing in nature, can achieve an available DUV phase‐matched output with strong second harmonic generation (SHG) for 177.3/193.7 nm DUV lasers, which is almost identical to that of KBBF. Remarkably, BEBO shows an excellent DUV SHG capacity and an even shorter phase‐matching wavelength than KBBF. Therefore, the newly discovered vdW BBH and BEBO, once verified by experiments, could provide an ideal platform to study DUV NLO effects in three dimensions and two dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van‐der‐Waals (vdW) deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) nonlinear‐optical (NLO) materials hold great potential to extend DUV NLO applications to two dimensions, but they are rare in nature. In this study, we propose a design principle to realize vdW DUV NLO materials via structural evolution from the non‐vdW (BO3)‐(BeO3F) layers in KBe2BO3F2 (KBBF) to the vdW (BO3)‐(BeO4H) layers in berborite Be2BO5H3 (BBH) and the vdW (BO4)‐(BeO4) layers in beryllium metaborate BeB2O4 (BEBO). Based on first‐principles calculations, the fundamental NLO properties of BBH and BEBO demonstrate that a balanced DUV NLO performance can be achieved in these two systems. Importantly, BBH, a layered material existing in nature, can achieve an available DUV phase‐matched output with strong second harmonic generation (SHG) for 177.3/193.7 nm DUV lasers, which is almost identical to that of KBBF. Remarkably, BEBO shows an excellent DUV SHG capacity and an even shorter phase‐matching wavelength than KBBF. Therefore, the newly discovered vdW BBH and BEBO, once verified by experiments, could provide an ideal platform to study DUV NLO effects in three dimensions and two dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals are vital to the development of science and state‐of‐the‐art technologies, but the exploration of these important optoelectronic materials is hindered by the contradiction between NLO effect and energy band gap as well as the sensitivity of DUV phase‐matching to optical birefringence. Here, in order to achieve a well balanced DUV NLO performance, we chose the diamond‐like structure as the prototype template for the material design and synthesized the first DUV NLO hydroxycarbonate crystal, LiZn(OH)CO3. This compound simultaneously has a wide band gap (>6.53 eV), a strong second harmonic generation response (ca. 3.2×KDP), and a large birefringence (0.147 at 1064 nm) with the shortest DUV phase‐matching capability (λPM<190 nm) among all reported NLO carbonates. Moreover, the structure–property relationships in LiZn(OH)CO3 are analyzed by first‐principles calculations. This work presents an effective design strategy to push the NLO performance of hydroxycarbonates into the DUV region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep‐ultraviolet (DUV) nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals are vital to the development of science and state‐of‐the‐art technologies, but the exploration of these important optoelectronic materials is hindered by the contradiction between NLO effect and energy band gap as well as the sensitivity of DUV phase‐matching to optical birefringence. Here, in order to achieve a well balanced DUV NLO performance, we chose the diamond‐like structure as the prototype template for the material design and synthesized the first DUV NLO hydroxycarbonate crystal, LiZn(OH)CO3. This compound simultaneously has a wide band gap (>6.53 eV), a strong second harmonic generation response (ca. 3.2×KDP), and a large birefringence (0.147 at 1064 nm) with the shortest DUV phase‐matching capability (λPM<190 nm) among all reported NLO carbonates. Moreover, the structure–property relationships in LiZn(OH)CO3 are analyzed by first‐principles calculations. This work presents an effective design strategy to push the NLO performance of hydroxycarbonates into the DUV region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphoma is a heterogeneous disease with varying clinical manifestations and outcomes. Many subtypes of lymphoma, such as Burkitt′s lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma, are highly aggressive with dismal prognosis even after conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As such, exploring specific biomarkers for lymphoma is of high clinical significance. Herein, a potential marker, CD38, is investigated for differentiating lymphoma. A CD38‐targeting monoclonal antibody (mAb, daratumumab) is then radiolabeled with Zr‐89 and Lu‐177 for theranostic applications. As the diagnostic component, the Zr‐89‐labeled mAb is highly specific in delineating CD38‐positive lymphoma via positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, while the Lu‐177‐labeled mAb serves well as the therapeutic component to suppress tumor growth after a one‐time administration. These results strongly suggest that CD38 is a lymphoma‐specific marker and prove that 89Zr/177Lu‐labeled daratumumab facilitates immunoPET imaging and radioimmunotherapy of lymphoma in preclinical models. Further clinical evaluation and translation of this CD38‐targeted theranostics may be of significant help in lymphoma patient stratification and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel process involving base-catalyzed intramolecular defluorination/O-arylation of readily available α-fluoro-β-one-sulfones was realized and provided a series of 3-fluoro-1,4-oxathiine 4,4-dioxide derivatives in good to excellent yields. Unlike traditional defluorination reactions with stoichiometric base as the deacid reagent, this process is triggered by a catalytic amount of base (TMG: tetramethylguanidine) and molecular sieves serve as both an adsorbent to remove HF acid and an activator to assist C–F bond cleavage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphoma is a heterogeneous disease with varying clinical manifestations and outcomes. Many subtypes of lymphoma, such as Burkitt′s lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma, are highly aggressive with dismal prognosis even after conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As such, exploring specific biomarkers for lymphoma is of high clinical significance. Herein, a potential marker, CD38, is investigated for differentiating lymphoma. A CD38‐targeting monoclonal antibody (mAb, daratumumab) is then radiolabeled with Zr‐89 and Lu‐177 for theranostic applications. As the diagnostic component, the Zr‐89‐labeled mAb is highly specific in delineating CD38‐positive lymphoma via positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, while the Lu‐177‐labeled mAb serves well as the therapeutic component to suppress tumor growth after a one‐time administration. These results strongly suggest that CD38 is a lymphoma‐specific marker and prove that 89Zr/177Lu‐labeled daratumumab facilitates immunoPET imaging and radioimmunotherapy of lymphoma in preclinical models. Further clinical evaluation and translation of this CD38‐targeted theranostics may be of significant help in lymphoma patient stratification and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transducers for ultrasonic sensing and measurement are often operated with a short burst signal, for example a few cycles at a specific excitation voltage and frequency on the generating transducer. The vibration response of a narrowband transducer in detection is usually dominated by resonant ringing, severely affecting its ability to detect two or more signals arriving at the receiver at similar times. Prior researchers have focused on strategies to damp the ringing of a transducer in transmission, to create a temporally short output pressure wave. However, if the receiving transducer is narrowband, the incident pressure waves can create significant ringing of this receiving transducer, irrespective of how temporally short the incident pressure waves are on the receiving transducer. This can reduce the accuracy of common measurement processes, as signals are temporally long and multiple wave arrivals can be difficult to distinguish from each other. In this research, a method of damping transducers in reception is demonstrated using a flexural ultrasonic transducer (FUT). This narrowband transducer can operate effectively as a transmitter or receiver of ultrasound, and due to its use in automotive applications, is the most common ultrasonic transducer in existence. An existing mathematical analog for the transducers is used to guide the design of an engineered pressure wave to actively damp the receiving FUT. Experimental measurements on transducers show that ultrasonic receiver resonant ringing can be reduced by 80%, without significantly compromising sensitivity and only by using a suitable driving voltage waveform on the generating transducer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) transparency, second harmonic effect and optical birefringence are three vital but mutually restrictive factors in the application of UV nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. It is difficult for traditional phosphates to achieve a good balance among these factors. In this communication, we propose that the structural evolution of the NLO motif from traditional phosphate to oxythiophosphate would enhance the birefringence and second harmonic generation (SHG) effect while maintaining wide UV transparency, which is confirmed by first‐principles calculations and preliminary experimental measurements. Following this strategy, we predict that, compared with the well‐known NLO phosphate KH2PO4, the oxythiophosphate KH2PO3S exhibits better balance for the UV NLO performance, including wide UV transparency (UV cutoff down to 203 nm), strong SHG effect (ca. 0.9 pm V−1), and large birefringence (ca. 0.1 at 1 μm) with short phase‐matching SHG output wavelength (≈214 nm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) transparency, second harmonic effect and optical birefringence are three vital but mutually restrictive factors in the application of UV nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. It is difficult for traditional phosphates to achieve a good balance among these factors. In this communication, we propose that the structural evolution of the NLO motif from traditional phosphate to oxythiophosphate would enhance the birefringence and second harmonic generation (SHG) effect while maintaining wide UV transparency, which is confirmed by first‐principles calculations and preliminary experimental measurements. Following this strategy, we predict that, compared with the well‐known NLO phosphate KH2PO4, the oxythiophosphate KH2PO3S exhibits better balance for the UV NLO performance, including wide UV transparency (UV cutoff down to 203 nm), strong SHG effect (ca. 0.9 pm V−1), and large birefringence (ca. 0.1 at 1 μm) with short phase‐matching SHG output wavelength (≈214 nm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report effectiveness of dopants selected from group 13, such as B, Ga, and In, on the conductivity of Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 (LAGP) that is recognized as one of the promising solid electrolytes for next-generation solid-state lithium batteries. To minimize loss of versatile element, crystallization of LAGP using a microwave irradiation is introduced. Experimental results demonstrate that B enhances grain boundary conductivity, while Ga improves the bulk ionic conductivity. Co-doping of B and Ga leads to enhanced total ionic conductivity and remarkably reduced activation energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing fuel consumption is a unifying goal across the aviation industry. One fuel-saving opportunity for airlines is reducing contingency fuel loading by dispatchers. Many airlines' flight planning systems (FPSs) provide recommended contingency fuel for dispatchers in the form of statistical contingency fuel (SCF). However, because of limitations of the current SCF estimation procedure, the application of SCF is limited. In this study, we propose to use quantile regression–based machine learning methods to account for fuel burn uncertainties and estimate more reliable SCF values. Utilizing a large fuel burn data set from a major U.S.-based airline, we find that the proposed quantile regression method outperforms the airline's FPS. The benefit of applying the improved SCF models is estimated to be in the range $19 million–$65 million in fuel expense savings as well as 132 million–451 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emission reductions per year, with the lower savings being realized even while maintaining the current, extremely low risk of tapping the reserve fuel. The proposed models can also be used to predict benefits from reduced fuel loading enabled by increasing system predictability, for example, with improved air traffic management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical activity is the ability of chiral materials to rotate linearly polarized electromagnetic waves. A knotted chiral metamolecule is introduced here that exhibits strong optical activity corresponding to a 90° polarization rotation of the incident waves. More importantly, the torus knot structure is intrinsically chiral and multifold axisymmetric. Consequently, the observed polarization rotation behavior is found to be independent of how the incident wave is polarized. The metamolecule is fabricated through selective laser melting and experimentally validated in the microwave spectrum. This work represents the first ever metamolecule to be reported that is intrinsically axisymmetric and capable of simultaneously exhibiting strong optical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodic permanent magnet (PPM) array electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) can efficiently generate and receive shear horizontal (SH) ultrasonic waves. Conventional PPM EMATs typically generate waves which simultaneously propagate both forward and backward. This can complicate the received signals and make it difficult to locate the position of scatterers. Unidirectional generation of ultrasounds can be achieved if two ultrasonic sources are separated by a predefined distance and are excited with the proper delay. Relying on this principle, EMATs have been previously designed aiming to generate other modes of ultrasonic waves. The main challenge when extending this conception to an SH-wave EMAT is how to restrict each coil to its specific magnet array. We present the concept of a unidirectional SH EMAT consisting of two racetrack coils and two interlaced PPM arrays, that are slightly shifted sideways, in such a way that the generated wavefronts still properly interfere. The design was fabricated and experimentally evaluated in an aluminum plate generating the SH0 guided wave mode. The forward to backward generated wave ratio is above 20 dB and well agrees with finite element simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To study the retinal and choroidal microvascular parameters in children with nephrotic syndrome (NS). Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Optical coherence tomography angiography was used to evaluate the changes of retinal and choroidal microvessels in patients with NS. Thirty NS children and 20 normal controls were included in this study. The macular vessel density (VD) of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), choroid capillary plexus (CCP), and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area of the SCP and DCP was quantitatively calculated. Clinical data including serum protein, blood lipid, uric acid, urea, serum creatinine, urinary protein concentration, urinary creatinine, 24-h urine volume, 24-h urinary total protein, 24-h creatinine clearance rate, and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio were collected. Results: The VDs of the DCP and CCP in children with NS were significantly lower than those in controls (59.35 ± 2.45 vs. 61.15 ± 1.53, p = 0.002, 66.34 ± 1.43 vs. 67.16 ± 1.23, p = 0.042, respectively). The VD of the SCP in children with NS had a tendency to decrease compared with that in controls, but there were no significant differences. There were also no significant differences in FAZ area between the two groups. The VD of the SCP was positively correlated with serum total protein (ρ = 0.446, p = 0.014), serum albumin (ρ = 0.431, p = 0.017), and 24-h urine volume (ρ = 0.389, p = 0.034) but negatively correlated with triglyceride (ρ = − 0.450, p = 0.013), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ρ = −0.432, p = 0.017), urinary protein concentration (ρ = − 0.606, p < 0.001), and 24-h urinary total protein (ρ = − 0.517, p = 0.004). The VDs of the SCP, DCP, and CCP were negatively correlated with the urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ρ = − 0.473, p = 0.008, ρ = − 0.438, p = 0.015, ρ = −0.467, p = 0.009, respectively). Conclusions: Retinal and choroidal VDs were decreased in children with NS and paralleled the severity of kidney disease. Optical coherence tomography angiography can be used as a noninvasive method for evaluating renal injury in patients with NS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial emissions and oil spills as worldwide challenges have induced severe pollution and threatened the ecological environment. Conventionally, superhydrophobic surfaces show underwater lipophilicity, whereas superhydrophilic surfaces exhibit underwater oleophobicity. However, the intrinsic characteristics of these materials limit their practical applications for dealing with industrial oily wastewater. Here, from a chemical point of view, a lignocellulosic fiber surface with superwetting characteristics was successfully fabricated by the strategically adjusted condensation reaction of melamine and formaldehyde, making it underoil superhydrophobic and underwater superoleophobic. The formation of the dual superlyophobic surface in oil/water systems was related to the surface topography and the essential chemistry of the modified lignocellulosic fibers. After being pre-wetted by water, the dual superlyophobic melamine formaldehyde lignocellulosic (DSMFL) fibers were able to separate a light-oil/water mixture by gravity filtration. Simultaneously, the DSMFL fibers were sufficient to separate a heavy-oil/water mixture when they were pre-wetted by a heavy oil under a gravity-driven mechanism. In addition, the DSMFL fibers still showed excellent dual superlyophobicity along with robust chemical stability and had high separation efficiencies for dichloroethane (DCE)/water or kerosene/water mixtures after 50 separation cycles. The effective absorption of the light oil on the upper layer of the aqueous phase exceeded 1000%. Finally, the DSMFL fibers could be degraded into a nitrogen source for plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a class of wideband transmit arrays (TAs), composed of cascaded anisotropic impedance surfaces (AISs), for circularly polarized (CP) multibeam generation from a single feed horn are reported. The dispersionless phase compensation is achieved by the Berry phase (BP) via imposing a spatially dependent rotation angle on the TA unit cells. A homogenized model for the BPTA unit cell is proposed and utilized for obtaining a wideband response by tailoring the dispersive properties of the AIS layers. Two modeling methods, an analytical vectorial field analysis and a full-wave strategy incorporating the homogenized model, were employed to efficiently evaluate the performance of the BPTAs. In order to validate the proposed unit cell and the modeling methodologies, a Q-band single-beam BPTA is demonstrated, which achieves a peak gain of 30.2 dBi and a 1 dB bandwidth of 11.1% within which the axial ratio is smaller than 2 dB. Furthermore, by employing the intersection approach for pattern synthesis, several Q-band BPTAs supporting multiple concurrent symmetric/asymmetric CP pencil beams and circular-shaped flat-top beams are designed. A BPTA prototype for producing quad CP pencil beams with unequal gain values was fabricated and characterized, yielding good performance with an overall operational bandwidth of about 11%. The proposed BPTAs are promising candidates for point-to-multipoint communication and point-to-multiregional coverage in wideband millimeter-wave communications for wireless and satellite applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nonconforming mixed-element (tetrahedral/hexahedral) discontinuous Galerkin time-domain (DGTD) method with a perfectly matched layer (PML) absorber is proposed to analyze the electromagnetic scattering from doubly periodic structures. An efficient auxiliary differential equation (ADE)-based PML implementation is presented with transformed field variables introduced by the time-domain periodic boundary conditions (PBCs). The proposed PML implementation performs well in absorbing the waves with high-order Floquet modes. Additionally, a mixed-order DGTD method is introduced to improve the proposed PML implementation’s long-term stability and reduce the total computational cost. Based on the mixed tetrahedral and hexahedral grids, the nonconforming DGTD method can provide accurate field distribution near complex scattering geometries while simultaneously reducing the degrees of freedom (DoF) in the rest of the computational domain, including the open space and PML regions. Finally, electromagnetic simulations are presented to demonstrate the applicability, accuracy, and efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coordination-based supramolecular self-assembly is an effective approach for construction of the theranostic nanoplatforms. • Coordination-based supramolecular self-assembly is capable of modulating the nanostructures and physicochemical properties. • High performance theranostics are highlighted including multiple, responsive and enhanced theranostic applications. • Small biomolecules are promising candidates for the development of coordination-based supramolecular nanoplatforms. Theranostics possessing great potential in the treatment of various diseases gain attentions in recent years. Coordination-assembled supramolecular nanoplatforms are emerged as promising candidates for theranostic applications. With the facile, robust and versatile fabrication, these systems overcome the drawbacks of many existing theranostic nanoplatforms. Coordination-based supramolecular self-assembly offers the possibility for modulating the physicochemical properties, thus paving the way for theranostic applications. We highlight the most recent advances on the modulation of structures and properties of coordination-assembled supramolecular nanoplatforms and their exploration in theranostic applications. The long-term goal of this field is to achieve high-performance theranostics in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium‐based layered oxide cathodes are competitive candidates for commercial sodium‐ion batteries owing to their high theoretical capacities, low costs, and simple synthesis. P3‐type layered oxides with large open channels enable fast Na+ transport and hence good rate performance. However, the lower crystal symmetry of P3‐type oxides and variation of Na+ contents in the Na layer during desodiation/sodiation lead to large electrostatic repulsion changes between TMO2 slabs (TM=Transition Metal), resulting in irreversible phase transitions, and fast performance degradation. Herein, a potential Na+ conductor Na2SeO4 is first found that it can be easily in situ grown on P3‐Na0.45Ni0.2Mn0.8O2 to form a novel heterostructure P3‐Na0.45Ni0.2Mn0.8O2/Na2SeO4. The synergy between P3‐Na0.45Ni0.2Mn0.8O2 and Na2SeO4 functions in promoting Na+ diffusion and suppressing P3‐O3 phase transitions upon deep sodiation, which results in recorded high‐rate capability (68.2% capacity retention with retained 83.9 mAh g−1 capacity at 6400 mA g−1) and superior cycling stability (capacity retention 75% after 1000 cycles) among all reported P3‐type cathodes. Thus, it is believed that this novel heterostructure design opens a new pathway to promote practical applications for layered oxide cathodes in sodium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares three zircon synthesis techniques (synthesis, high-temperature and high-pressure sintering and fast hot-pressing sintering) for the preparation of reference materials for Hf isotope analysis of zircon by laser ablation multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS). Ultrafine milled zircon powder particles doped with Yb2O3 produced by wet milling were used to synthesize zircon samples by using high-temperature and high-pressure sintering and fast hot-pressing sintering techniques. Li–Mo flux was necessary to obtain synthetic zircon grains. Zr signals for synthetic zircon grains and high-temperature and high-pressure sintered zircon are consistent with those of natural zircons but higher than that of fast hot-pressing sintered zircon, indicating that high-temperature and high-pressure sintered zircon has approximated the theoretical maximum density due to high pressure. The Hf isotopic compositions of high-temperature and high-pressure sintered and fast hot-pressing sintered zircon are comparable to those of the initial starting materials, whereas the Hf isotopes in synthetic zircon grains deviate slightly from those of the initial Hf solution. Compared with Hf isotope ratios obtained by SN-MC-ICP-MS, all preparation techniques give reliable LA-MC-ICP-MS results, suggesting that all synthetic zircon samples have great potential as both tools for in situ method development and isotopic reference materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]