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The complex rutile ore containing TiO2 and ZrO2 exhibited a high economical value. To effectively recover TiO2 and ZrO2 from the raw sample, a complete gravity separation process including a spiral chute and a shaking table was proposed. Chemical constituents, phase, liberation degree and size distribution were firstly characterized by XRF, chemical analyses, XRD, EPMA-EDS and screening to understand the mineralogy. Then, two stages of spiral chute separation tests were performed to treat the complex rutile ore. A rough zircon concentrate containing 33.18% ZrO2 was obtained after the first-stage spiral chute and a rough rutile concentrate containing 56.77% TiO2 was obtained after the second-stage spiral chute. To further improve the grade and recovery of ZrO2 and TiO2 in the rough products obtained by spiral chutes, shaking table tests were performed. A zircon concentrate containing 42.65% ZrO2 and a rutile concentrate containing 61.75% TiO2 were obtained. For the tailing of the first-stage spiral chute, a rutile product assaying 57.50% TiO2 was obtained, and the tailing was directly discarded as waste after the shaking table tests. Moreover, the distribution regularities of ZrO2 and TiO2 in the products were further revealed by XRD analyses. Finally, a closed-circuit beneficiation process was proposed to treat the complex rutile ore for achieving comprehensive and effective utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, mechanical performance testing of 45# carbon steel samples with Ni/Co alloy plasma cladding was conducted through a combination of experiments and numerical simulations. The thickness of the coating of the Ni and Co base has two types of working conditions: 1mm and 0.5mm thick. The differences of the mechanical properties under different cladding thickness of the samples were experimental tested by metallographic analysis, hardness testing, abrasion resistance testing and impact resistance, by which the samples preparation has been confirmed to be essentially qualified. Then, in order to examine the improvement effect of plasma cladding technology on the sand shovel mechanical properties, the two materials were used to simulate the sand collection process of straight blade and bent blade. By analyzing mechanical representation such as stress, strain and fatigue damage, it is found that with the cladding thickness and the shovel shape difference, the force performance of the shovel is relatively different. Therefore, these factors should be comprehensively considered when selecting an appropriate cladding thickness and shovel curve to enhance the performance of the sand shovel during the sand collection process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The µW‐level power density of flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters (FPEHs) restricts their potential in applications related to high‐power multifunctional wearable devices. To overcome this challenge, a hierarchical design strategy is proposed by forming porous piezoceramics with an optimum microstructure into an ordered macroscopic array structure to enable the construction of high performance FPEHs. The porous piezoceramic elements allows optimization of the sensing and harvesting Figure of merit, and the array structure causes a high level of effective strain under a mechanical load. The introduction of a network of polymer channels between the piezoceramic array also provides increased device flexibility, thereby allowing the device to attach and conform to the curved contours of the human body. The unique hierarchical piezoceramic array architecture exhibits superior flexibility, a high open circuit voltage (618 V), high short circuit current (188 µA), and ultrahigh power density (19.1 mW cm−2). This energy density value surpasses previously reported high‐performance FPEHs. The ultrahigh power flexible harvesting can charge a 0.1 F supercapacitor at 2.5 Hz to power high‐power electronic devices. Finally, the FPEH is employed in two novel applications related to fracture healing monitoring and self‐powered wireless position tracking in extreme environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part in computer vision, facial expression recognition (FER) has received extensive attention, but it still has lots of challenges in this area. One of the important difficulties is to remain the topological information in the feature extraction operation. In this paper, we propose a novel facial expression recognition method with lite dual channel neural network based on graph convolutional networks (DCNN-GCN). In the proposed method, (1) the topological structure information and texture feature of regions of interest (ROIs) are modeled as graphs and processed with graph convolutional network (GCN) to remain the topological features. (2) The local features of ROIs and global features are extracted with dual channel neural networks, which can improve the performance of features extraction and reduce the complexity of networks. The proposed method is evaluated on CK+, Oulu-CASIA and MMI data sets. Experiment results show that the proposed method can significantly improve the accuracy of facial expression recognition. In addition, the network is much lite and suitable for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tannic acid-based functional coatings, as a green, universal and versatile tool to manipulate surface properties, have received extensive attention in the field of surface engineering of membranes for oil-in-water emulsion separation. With the rapid development of this field, more flexible and efficient modification strategies for surface engineering of membranes have been developed recently. It is therefore critical to update the broader scientific community on the important advances in this field. Here, we summarize recent progress in surface engineering of membranes with tannic acid-based coatings for oil-in-water emulsion separation. The chemical properties of tannic acid and how to design TA-based functioanl coatings via physical/chemical regulation are discussed. The roles of tannic acid in surface engineering of membranes are highlighted and classified into the following five categories: changing surface wettability, adjusting surface charge, constructing catalytic surfaces, forming hydrogel surfaces, and fabricating hybrid separation membranes/layers. Finally, the future outlook and the challenges in this field are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-arc breakdowns of vacuum circuit breakers during capacitive operation can be possibly caused by particles. In this work, we experimentally observe the generation and dynamics of particles in capacitive interruptions and their resultant effects on post-arc breakdowns. We further constructed a synthetic test circuit for the capacitive current switching and adopted the laser-shadow technique to observe the dynamics behaviors of particles, formed by different electrode materials and inrush currents. CuCr10 electrodes tend to generate particles with high probability and quantity, owing to their weak refractoriness and lower mechanical strength. Furthermore, we find that the higher inrush current facilitates the formation of particles. Additionally, under the influence of recovery voltages and variable charges, particles show complex and diverse dynamic behavior, such as bouncing, oscillating, levitating, lifting, and rotating. Essentially, all particles relevant to breakdowns moved at a low speed (below 0.5 m/s), besides, almost all non-sustained disruptive discharges and restrikes are concerned with the particles closed to electrodes under near-peak recovery voltage. Therefore, we think neither energy accumulation nor high-speed bombardment of particles can explain post-arc breakdowns, conversely, the joint effect of particle-induced field enhancement and resulting field electron emission is responsible for breakdowns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive understanding the layered transition oxide cathodes from the evolution of redox couples is crucial for developing electrochemically stable and high-energy-density cathode materials. [Display omitted] A comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the structure (electron/bulk/surface structures) and redox chemistry in the cathodes was discussed in this Review. First, the attention is given to the comparison of different layered Li-Co-Ni-Mn oxide cathodes, especially the bulk atomic configuration (Section 2.1). Second, corresponding to the distinct layered structure, the electronic structures, Fermi level energies of different redox couples are introduced (Section 2.2). The structural failures induced by the redox chemistry at the deep lithiation state, including bulk phase transition, surface structure degradation, as well as the resulting cracking, cation mixing, oxygen release, dissolution of metal cations, voltage fading and low initial Coulombic efficiency, are discussed (Section 3.1-3.3). Correspondingly, the strategies for stabilizing the structural stability by regulating the redox activity, including bulk atomic doping design, surface engineering, cations mixing, particle morphology, oxygen vacancy and oxygen stacking type, are summarized (Section 4.1-4.3). The advanced characterization techniques, such as X-ray, electron, neutron and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, are summarized for detecting the cationic/anionic charge state (Section 5.1-5.4). In the last section (Section 6), the promising strategies and future perspectives are highlighted to propel significant breakthroughs in developing high-energy-density LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well-known that when high currents flow through a vacuum gap, anode spots are formed on the anode surface. However, anode flare phenomena are also observed in low-current vacuum discharges. The objective of this article is to experimentally observe the spatial distribution of excited Cu atoms and ions generated from a single cathode spot (CS) and to interpret the mechanism of the anode flare at low currents (40–80 A). Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) techniques have been used for investigating low-current vacuum arc discharge confined to axial magnetic fields (AMFs). The effects of AMFs and arc currents on the axial distribution of the radiation intensity were investigated for different copper ionization states (Cu I and Cu II). The highest luminance was found near the electrodes for both excited neutral copper atoms and ions, and only weak spectral lines of excited Ni atoms were detected in the near-anode region. With increasing the external AMF, a bright “spot” appeared near the anode surface. In the visible light range, excited atoms were the main contributor to anode flare in low-current vacuum discharge. As measured by LIF, the density of copper atoms near the anode increased from 10 $\times 10^{17}$ to 14 $\times 10^{17}\,\,\text{m}^{-3}$ when the applied magnetic fields increased from 31 to 74 mT. The anode flare contains far more excited atoms from the cathode material than the anode material. They are the results of cathodic plasma expansion to reach the anode after charge neutralization and reflection on the anode surface. For the single CS, the observed fact that a tiny number of atoms leave the anode surface and participate in the anode flare is more likely the result of a sputtering effect rather than thermal evaporation by cathode electron stream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, represented by programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), has shown an obvious benefit for melanoma immunotherapy, but the overall response rate is still low. To find an effective combination therapy strategy, we successfully produced small size silver nanoparticles coated with sucrose (S-AgNPs) as potent adjuvants. The antitumor effects of S-AgNPs were tested in vitro and comparatively investigated in immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice with melanoma. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting and immunofluorescent staining analysis were conducted to identify the tumor microenvironments. The expression of PD-L1 in tumors was tested by multiple methods. The combination therapy and potential toxicity of S-AgNPs and PD-1 mAbs were assessed in melanoma-bearing mice. In our findings, S-AgNPs presented potent antitumor effects, good druggability and low systemic toxicity. Functionally, we found that S-AgNPs exhibited better antitumor effects in immunocompetent mice. Mechanistically, we showed that S-AgNPs suppress tumor cell proliferation by inducing cellular apoptosis and promote cytotoxic CD8+ T cell infiltration and activity. Preclinically, S-AgNPs showed excellent local antitumor activity and mild systemic immunotoxicity with PD-1 mAbs in the inhibition of melanoma proliferation, providing a novel clinical combination treatment strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deteriorating interfacial contact under mechanical deformation induces large cracks and high charge transfer resistance, resulting in a severe capacity fading of flexible lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, an oxygen plasma treatment on a polymer separator combined with high‐speed centrifugal spraying to construct ultrastable interfacial contacts is reported. With the treatment, abundant hydrophilic oxygen‐containing functional groups are produced and ensure strong chemical adhesion between the separator and the active materials. With single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) sprayed onto the active materials, a dense thin film is formed as the current collector. Meanwhile, the centrifugal force caused by high‐speed rotation together with van der Waals forces under fast evaporation produces a much closer interface between the current collector and the active materials. As a result of this ultrastable interfacial interaction, the integrated electrode shows no structural failure after 5000 bending cycles with the charge‐transfer resistance as low as 35.8% and a Li‐ion diffusion coefficient nearly 19 times of the untreated electrode. Flexible LIBs assembled with these integrated electrodes show excellent structural and electrochemical stability, and can work steadily under various deformed states and repeated bending. This work provides a new technique toward rational design of electrode configuration for flexible LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc batteries, that demonstrate high safety and low cost, are considered promising candidates for large‐scale energy storage. However, Zn anodes suffer from rapid performance deterioration due to the severe Zn dendrite growth and side reactions. Herein, with a low‐cost ammonium acetate (NH4OAc) additive, a self‐regulated Zn/electrolyte interface is built to address these problems. The NH4+ induces a dynamic electrostatic shielding layer around the abrupt Zn protuberance to make the Zn deposition uniform, and the OAc− acts as an interfacial pH buffer to suppress the proton‐induced side reactions and the precipitation of insoluble by‐products. As a result, in the electrolyte with the NH4OAc additive, Zn anodes exhibit a long cycling stability of 3500 h at 1 mA cm−2, an impressive cumulative areal capacity of 5000 mAh cm−2 at 10 mA cm−2, and a high Coulombic efficiency of ≈99.7%. A prototype full cell coupled with a NH4V4O10 cathode performs much better in terms of capacity retention than the additive‐free case. The findings pave the way for developing practical Zn batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive attempts have been made to enable the application of deep learning to 3D plasma reconstruction. However, due to the limitation on the number of available training samples, deep learning-based methods have insufficient generalization ability compared to the traditional iterative methods. This paper proposes an improved algorithm named convolutional neural network-maximum likelihood expectation maximization-split-Bergman (CNN-MLEM-SB) based on the combination of the deep learning CNN and an iterative algorithm known as MLEM-SB. This method uses the prediction result of a CNN as the initial value and then corrects it using the MLEM-SB to obtain the final results. The proposed method is verified experimentally by reconstructing two types of vacuum arcs with and without transverse magnetic field (TMF) control. In addition, the CNN and the proposed algorithm are compared with respect to accuracy and generalization ability. The results show that the CNN can effectively reconstruct the arcs between a pair of disk contacts, which has specific distribution patterns: its structural similarity index measurement (SSIM) can reach 0.952. However, the SSIM decreases to 0.868 for the arc between a pair of TMF contacts, which is controlled by the TMF and has complex distribution patterns. Compared with the CNN reconstruction method, the proposed algorithm can achieve a higher reconstruction accuracy for any arc shape. Compared with the iterative algorithm, the proposed algorithm's reconstruction efficiency is higher by 38.24% and 35.36% for the vacuum arc between the disk and the TMF contacts, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulse-power technology has been widely used in inertial-confinement fusion, electron-beam accelerators, and the aeronautics and astronautics fields. However, particle contamination can reduce operational stability by altering the breakdown process. The objective of this paper is to study the effects of large numbers of metallic submicron particles on the breakdown characteristics. Particles were spontaneously generated via consecutive high-pulse-power breakdowns in compressed N2. In this paper, we adopted a plasma-diagnosis system that combines a laser scattering technique with laser shadow photography to detect particles originating from different materials. To distinguish the specific effects of particles, a double-electrode/double-pulse method was used to eliminate the unwanted effects of electrode erosion. After thousands of consecutive breakdowns, numerous particles were unexpectedly found to suspend and accumulate in the inter-electrode gap rather than fall to the bottom. These particles mainly stemmed from the anode and were identified as either metallic conducting nanoparticles or submicron particles. Furthermore, their density continuously increased and remained at a high level for a long time. This converted the insulating medium from a pure gas to a mixture with numerous metallic particles. In this case, the probability of breakdowns involving particles increased and their mean breakdown voltage showed a downward trend. According to our analysis of the field-enhancement process, these small particles alone can neither cause field emission nor trigger a microdischarge. However, their collective effects could be significant if they were involved in the breakdown channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sluggish evolution of lithium ions' solvation sheath induces large charge‐transfer barriers and high ion diffusion barriers through the passivation layer, resulting in undesirable lithium dendrite formation and capacity loss of lithium batteries, especially at low temperatures. Here, an ion‐dipole strategy by regulating the fluorination degree of solvating agents is proposed to accelerate the evolution of the Li+ solvation sheath. Ethylene carbonate (EC)‐based fluorinated derivatives, fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) and di‐fluoro ethylene carbonate (DFEC) are used as the solvating agents for a high dielectric constant. As the increase of the fluorination degree from EC to FEC and DFEC, the Li+‐dipole interaction strength gradually decreases from 1.90 to 1.66 and 1.44 eV, respectively. Consequently, the DFEC‐based electrolyte displays six times faster ion desolvation rate than that of a non‐fluorinated EC‐based electrolyte at −20 °C. Furthermore, LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2||lithium cells in a DFEC‐based electrolyte retain 91% original capacity after 300 cycles at 25 °C, and 51% room‐temperature capacity at −30 °C. By bridging the gap between the ion‐dipole interactions and the evolution of Li+ solvation sheath, this work provides a new technique toward rational design of electrolyte engineering for low‐temperature lithium batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transverse magnetic field (TMF) contacts make the vacuum arcs deviate from the axisymmetric structure, so complete spatiotemporal evolution information of the plasma cannot be obtained by adopting one- or two-dimensional (2D) diagnostic methods. To address the issues, computer tomography was introduced in this paper. First, a multi-angle diagnostic imaging system based on split fiber bundles was proposed, which used a high-speed camera to simultaneously acquire eight angles of the arc image over time. In addition, a tomography algorithm called the maximum likelihood expectation maximum with Split Bregman denoising was proposed to reconstruct the dynamic spatiotemporal characteristics of the arc under complex conditions. Then, the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of Cu i and Cr i particles inside the contact gap was obtained by adopting optical filters. The 3D distribution of the vacuum arc had shown an obvious asymmetrical pattern under the TMF contacts, and there was a ring-like aggregation zone inside the arc, which can cause severe ablation on the anode contacts. According to the reconstructed 3D distribution of Cu i and Cr i, it is found that the metal vapor was mainly concentrated near the electrode surface and showed a clear distribution of non-uniform aggregates, while the concentration of particles in the gap was low. Moreover, on the cathode surface, the cathode spots moved in the form of groups driven by the TMF, while the anode surface was ablated by the electric arc, and the metal vapor existed in the form of bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated anthropogenic inputs and chemical weathering in the upper reaches of the Datong River Basin, a tributary of the upper Yellow River, NW China. Multiple approaches were applied to data from 52 water and 12 soil samples from the Muli, Jiangcang, and Mole basins to estimate the chemical component concentrations and to analyze hydrochemical characteristics, distribution patterns, and origins in this coal mining‐affected river basin. Coal mining has enhanced the weathering of the lithosphere in the study region. The total dissolved solids in the river range from 145.4 to 701.9 mg/L, which is higher than the global average for rivers. Ion concentration spatial distributions increase around mining areas. River geochemistry is mainly controlled by coal mining activity, carbonate weathering, and silicate weathering, with variances of 33.4%, 26.2%, and 21.3%, respectively. Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO3− are mainly due to the dissolution of carbonate minerals (calcite > dolomite); Si and K+ are mainly from potassium (sodium) feldspar weathering; and Na+ and SO42‐ mainly from coal mine production. A conceptual model of the river water ion origins from the study area is presented and management implications for improving the adverse effects of coal mining are proposed. These results provide an important standard reference for water resource and environmental management in the study region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realizing ultrathin water and generating an abundant water/air interface in the interconnected pores of photothermal materials is an effective way to boost the solar‐driven water evaporation rate, but still a great challenge. Herein, confinement capillarity (CC) of photothermal thin coating on porous sponge for significantly enhancing the solar‐driven water evaporation is proposed. The thin coating is composed of abundant agminated black/hydrophilic nanoparticles (BHNPs), and the channels among the BHNPs can generate strong capillarity for water transportation. Water can be spontaneously limited and transported among the agminated nanoparticles, rather than fill in the interconnected pores of the sponge. Thus, ultrathin water layer can be realized on the outer/inner surface of the sponge skeleton, without precisely controlling water supply. The thin water layer can not only expose as much evaporation area as possible by increasing the vapor escape channel, but also prevent solar energy to heat excess water. Thanks to the CC, the rate of solar steam generation can be greatly improved. Moreover, the photothermal material with CC can maintain its high evaporation rate during the whole day, and can remove the salt during night time, highlighting its recyclability and anti‐salt‐accumulation property. Moreover, the CC can be readily scaled up for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing popularity in digital systems and electronic communication equipment, there is an urgent need to develop lightweight, green, and efficient electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials to handle the increasingly serious problem of radiation pollution. Herein, Ti3C2Tx (MXene)/natural wood (NW) composites were prepared using a vacuum-pulse impregnation method and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, and EMI shielding performance. As demonstrated, Ti3C2Tx nanosheets were successfully inserted into wood matrices, and hydrogen bonding between Ti3C2Tx nanosheets and cellulose nanofibers induced the fabrication of Ti3C2Tx/NW composites. Ti3C2Tx/NW composites exhibited excellent EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) values of 28.2 dB at the X-band frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we combined magnetometry, multi‐frequency electronic paramagnetic resonance, and wave function based ab initio calculations to investigate magnetic properties of two high spin Co(II) complexes Co(BDPRP) (BDPRP=2,6‐bis((2‐(S)‐di(4‐R)phenylhydroxylmethyl‐1‐pyrrolidi‐nyl)methyl)pyridine, R=H for 8; R=tBu for 9). Complexes 8 and 9 featuring effective D3h symmetry were found to possess D=24.0 and 32.0 cm−1, respectively, in their S=3/2 ground states of 1e''dxz/yz41e'dxy/x2-y221a1'dz21 ${{\left(1{{\rm e}}^{{\rm { {^\prime}}}{\rm { {^\prime}}}}\right({d}_{xz/yz}\left)\right)}^{4}{\left(1{{\rm e}}^{{\rm { {^\prime}}}}\right({d}_{{xy/{x}^{2}-y}^{2}}\left)\right)}^{2}{\left(1{{\rm a}}_{1}^{{\rm { {^\prime}}}}\right({d}_{{z}^{2}}\left)\right)}^{1}}$. Ligand field analyses revealed that the low‐lying d‐d excited states make either positive or vanishing contributions to D. Hence, total positive D values were measured for 8 and 9, as well as related D3h high spin Co(II) complexes. In contrast, negative D values are usually observed for C3v congeners. In‐depth analyses suggested that lowering symmetry from D3h to C3v induces orbital mixing between 1edxz/yz ${1{\rm e}\left({d}_{xz/yz}\right)}$ and 2edxy/x2-y2 ${2{\rm e}\left({d}_{{xy/{x}^{2}-y}^{2}}\right)}$ and admixes excited state 4A21e→2e ${{}^{4}{{\rm A}}_{2}\left(1e\to 2e\right)}$ into the ground state. Both factors turn the total D value progressively negative with the increasing distance (δ) of the Co(II) center out of the equatorial plane. Therefore, δ determines the sign and magnitude of final D values of five‐coordinate trigonal bipyramidal S=3/2 Co(II) complexes as measured for a series of such species with varying δ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiangcang Basin is an important mining area of the former Qilian Mountain large coal base in Qinghai Province, and understanding the groundwater circulation mechanism is the basis for studying the hydrological effects of permafrost degradation in alpine regions. In this study, hydrogeochemical and multiple isotope tracer analysis methods are used to understand the chemical evolution and circulation mechanisms of the groundwater in the typical alpine region of the Jiangcang Basin. The diversity of the groundwater hydrochemistry in the study area reflects the complexity of the hydrogeochemical environment in which it is located. The suprapermafrost water and intrapermafrost water are recharged by modern meteoric water. The groundwater is closely hydraulically connected to the surface water with weak evaporation overall. The high δ34S value of deep groundwater is due to SO4 reduction, and SO42−‐rich snow recharge with lixiviated sulfate minerals are the main controlling factor for the high SO42− concentration in groundwater. According to the multivariate water conversion relationships, it reveals that the river receives more groundwater recharge, suprapermafrost water is recharged by the proportion of meteoric water, which is closely related to the mountainous area at the edge of the basin, while intrapermafrost water is mainly recharged by the shallow groundwater. This study provides a data‐driven approach to understanding groundwater recharge and evolution in alpine regions, in addition to having significant implications for water resource management and ecological environmental protection in coal bases of the Tibetan Plateau. Article impact statement: Groundwater flow systems in permafrost in alpine regions are characterized by unique circulation. This study provides a data‐driven approach for groundwater recharge and evolution in alpine regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. There was limited evidence of treatments aiming at aged coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Yanyu decoction (YD) has been used as adjuvant therapy in aged patients with stable CAD and might be a new treatment worthy of recommendation for CAD patients. This study was to evaluate the combined effects of YD plus conventional pharmaceutical treatment (CPT) on senile patients with stable CAD. Methods. This review was designed according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) recommendations. A literature search was conducted in seven electronic databases from their inception until August 2020. Primary outcomes of interest were adverse cardiovascular events, including cardiac mortality, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and unstable angina (UA). The secondary outcomes were blood lipids and hemorheology. Studies were pooled to calculate the risk ratio or weighted mean difference and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Results. Five studies recruiting 848 aged patients with stable CAD were included. Patients receiving YD as an adjuvant have fewer adverse cardiovascular events, including cardiac mortality, AMI, and UA. Besides, YD plus CPT has a better effect on reducing triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and improving high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Moreover, significant effects of YD plus CPT for reducing blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, and platelet aggregation rate were found compared with CPT alone. Conclusion. YD plus CPT showed better efficacy than CPT on reducing adverse cardiovascular events and improving hemorheology and blood lipids for aged patients with stable CAD. Our findings may suggest YD as an adjuvant natural-based treatment for CAD. However, more rigorous and larger trials are essential to validate our results, and further consideration of CAD studies specific to aged patients is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium (Li) is the lightest and most electronegative metallic element and has been considered the ultimate anode choice for energy storage systems with high energy density. However, uncontrollable dendrite formation caused by high ion transfer resistance and low Li atom diffusion, and dendrite growth with large volume expansion and high electronegative activity, result in severe safety concerns and poor coulombic efficiency. In this review, the latest progress is presented from the viewpoint of dendrite evolution (from dendrite formation to growth) as the main line to understand the factors that influence the deposition chemistry. For the dendrite formation, specific attention is focused on the four distinct but interdependent factors: (a) how the dielectric constant, donor number, viscosity and salt concentration affect the movement of solvated Li+ in nonaqueous electrolyte. (b) The effect of non-polar solvents and anions with polar groups or high concentration on the Li+ desolvation step. (c) The effect of the formation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), along with its specific adsorption and solvated structure, and its physical structure, chemical composition and growth thickness on Li+ diffusion. (d) The effect of the diffusion coefficient of the host material on Li atom migration. After dendrite formation, the attention is focused on two detrimental factors together with dendrite growth: (e) low coulombic efficiency; (f) large volume expansion. Correspondingly, the emphasis is placed on reducing the side reactions and minimizing the volume expansion. Conclusions and perspectives on the current limitations and future research directions are recommended. It is anticipated that the dynamic dendrite evolution can provide fresh insight into similar electrochemical reaction processes of other anode chemistries in nonaqueous electrolytes, ranging from a conversion-reaction metal anode (Li, Na, Al) and an alloying anode (LiAlx, NaAlx) to an intercalation-based anode (graphite, TiS2), as well as aqueous, ionic liquid and flow redox battery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution processes of vacuum breakdowns in single- and double-break vacuum interrupters are reported in this paper, in order to reveal the formation mechanisms for the conductive channels in vacuum arcs. Breakdown experiments in two vacuum interrupters containing 10–30 mm gaps with single-break and double-break are studied. The light emission during breakdowns is observed by an intensified charge coupled device camera, with the current and voltage waveforms being recorded simultaneously. According to the results, there is no difference between the evolution processes of breakdowns in small gaps and large gaps. The establishment of the conductive channel and sustaining of the vacuum arc can be achieved by the effect of the cathode without any contribution from the anodic glow. In the double-break interrupter, the transition from insulation to conduction for the two serial connected gaps starts simultaneously but evolves independently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, materials with complicated environmentally-sensitive abilities, high stretchability and excellent conductive sensitivity are interesting actuators in future applications. Herein, we fabricated a versatile and facile polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylic acid/dialdehyde cellulose nanofibrils-Fe3+ hydrogel integrated with programmable dual-shape memory properties, high mechanical strength, good recoverability, and heat-induced self-healing capability. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of hydrogen bonds and dual metal coordination bonds of cellulose-based dialdehyde and carboxyl with Fe3+and then heating-freeze-thawing cycle treatment, the obtained hydrogel exhibited dual shape memory abilities, high tensile strain (up to 600 %), good self-recovery, and anti-fatigue properties. Moreover, the resultant hydrogel sensors showed revealed high strain sensitivity (gauge factor = 2.95) and satisfactory electrochemical performance; and such hydrogel-based sensor could be used as ionic skin to detect various human motions in real-time and barrier-free communication in the aquatic environment. The composite hydrogel with superior and versatile performances reported in this study could offer a great promise to be applied under extreme conditions as multifunctional sensors. The polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylic acid/dialdehyde cellulose nanofibrils-Fe3+ hydrogel integrated with programmable dual-shape memory properties and could be used as electronic skin detect various human motions in real time and barrier-free communication in the aquatic environment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flame retardancy and dimensional stability of wood were improved by pretreating wood with succinic anhydride (SA), and then impregnating the SA-treated wood with melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF) resin. The SA-treated wood obtained graft anchors on the cell wall, which reduced the water-absorbing groups of wood and enhanced the retention of the MUF resin, leading to an efficiently fire-proof protection layer and water repellency. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that the grafting experiment was successful. The water repellency experiments revealed that the pretreated wood impregnated with MUF resin had enhanced hydrophobicity and great improvement in dimensional stability. In addition, the limiting oxygen index value of the modified wood increased by 74%, the flame-retardant performance was improved, and precious rescue time was provided for when a fire occurs. The facile two-step wood modification process substantially enhanced the thermal stability, water repellency, and fire-retardant performance of wood, and therefore represents a novel direction toward hydrophobic and fire-retardant structural materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma transport during continuous extinction processes from high-current arcs to full extinction is an important issue in the study of vacuum arcs. However, to describe this transition, the traditional methods, magneto hydrodynamics or particle-in-cell, are limited by either accuracy or efficiency. In this paper, we developed a fully 3D hybrid plasma simulation algorithm to study the extinction process of multiple cathode spots in a vacuum environment. Cathode spots are modelled as independent plasma sources rather than treating the whole cathode surface as an indivisible source. For a better balance between efficiency and accuracy, ions are modelled as particles and electrons are treated as a massless fluid. Using this model, the effects of cut-off time and the locations of cathode spots on the extinction process are studied. The results show that during an extinction process, the total number of ions between the electrodes gradually decreases and the mean velocity of the ions gradually increases. When the current approaches zero, two regions can be observed in the gap: the separated jet region, and the common plasma channel region. The last three surviving cathode spots have significant impacts on the ion distribution at current zero, whose values depend on the distances to them. The closer together the three cathode spots are, the higher the value that the local ion density will reach. In addition, at current zero, the maximum ion density appears near the last extinguished cathode spot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are key regulators of gene expression, are involved in lung cancer progression. Although numerous differentially expressed lncRNAs have been reported, merely a limited number of studies have been performed to verify their functions in lung cancer. Methods: RNA sequencing data were re-analyzed to investigate the GATA6-AS1 expression in lung cancer. RT-qPCR was performed to verify the expression of GATA6-AS1 in collected tissue samples and cell lines. CCK-8 and transwell assays were carried out to evaluate the role of GATA6-AS1 in lung cancer cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and bioinformatic analysis were used to explore the miRNA which can be sponged by GATA6-AS1 in lung cancer cells. Results: Currently, we focused on exploring the role and mechanisms of GATA6-AS1 in lung cancer. Expression of GATA6-AS1 was decreased in lung cancer based on the analysis of RNA sequencing dataset, TCGA data and RT-qPCR of clinical tissue samples. Via overexpression of GATA6-AS1, it was revealed that GATA6-AS1 inhibited lung cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Oncogene miR-324-5p was predicted to interact with GATA6-AS1. RT-qPCR and dual-luciferase reporter assay verified the regulation of miR-324-5p by GATG6-AS1 in lung cancer cells. Overexpression of GATA6-AS1 increased the expression of FBXO11 and SP1, two target genes of miR-324-5p. We further showed that miR-324-5p mimic reversed the effect of GATA6-AS1 overexpression in lung cancer cells. Conclusion: Overall, our findings demonstrated GATA6-AS1 as a novel tumor suppressor in lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution and dissipation of neutral atoms are crucial for understanding the dielectric recovery process after interrupting direct current (DC) vacuum arcs. This article aims to investigate the dissipation of copper atoms after a forced extinction of the vacuum arc experimentally, adopting the plane laser-induced fluorescence method. The change in the 2-D distribution of copper atoms with time is presented. The results show that the magnetic fields, the axial magnetic field (AMF), and the transverse magnetic field (TMF) have a limited effect on the initial density of copper atoms. For both the AMF and the TMF, the copper atom densities at current zero (CZ) vary in the range (6– $8) \times 10^{17}\,\,\text{m}^{-3}$ when 3-kA vacuum arcs are forced to 0 in 0.2 ms. Contrary to the TMF case, in the AMF case, the evaporation on the anode after the CZ results in long-existing atoms near it. Consequently, the atom density of the TMF decays faster than that of the AMF, which indicates that a vacuum interrupter with the TMF contacts has a better performance when interrupting a DC load. The difference between the two magnetic fields originates from the arc control patterns. Namely, the AMF tends to keep vacuum arcs in a stable mode, which is unfavorable for a DC interruption; on the contrary, the TMF drives the vacuum arcs to move at high velocities resulting in faster dissipation of copper atoms after the CZ. In addition, the composition proportion of CuCr contacts has a limited effect on the diffusion of copper atoms when a low-vacuum arc is interrupted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction‐resistant properties of piezoelectric ceramics are of great importance for multilayer monolithic structures based on base metal inner electrodes, particularly for recently reported niobate‐based lead‐free perovskites. In this letter, the Hall‐effect measurement and impedance analysis indicate that conventional (K,Na)NbO3 (NKN)‐based ceramics exhibit an n‐type electronic conduction. Rapid increase in the concentrations of oxygen vacancies and electrons is responsible for severe degradation of resistivity and piezoelectric properties as sintered in N2. By comparison, p‐type NKN‐based ceramics by Mn doping exhibit excellent electrical properties (d33 = 368 pC/N, d33∗ = 643 pm/V, tanδ = 0.019, and IR = 39.9 GΩ · cm) in N2 sintering atmosphere, as well interpreted by a series of proposed defect chemistry equations. The experimental results suggest that an introduction of the p‐type conduction behavior should be an effective strategy to enabling NKN‐based ceramics and Cu/Ni electrodes to well co‐fire in a weakly reducing atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast-growing wood is an abundant and low-cost material and is widely used for structural building and furniture construction. However, inferior mechanical properties and dimensional instability limit its application in advanced engineering structures. Herein, we developed a simple, effective and "green" method to transform bulk poplar into a high-performance wood composite. The wood composite was prepared by the impregnation of the itaconic acid (IA) solution acting as a grafting anchor into the wood matrix, followed by in situ polymerization of styrene upon heating to form a hydrophobic polymer within the wood scaffold. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed that hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) was deposited in wood cell walls and lumens, leading to a reduced water uptake and remarkably enhanced dimensional stability, as well as generally improved mechanical properties. In addition, the PS generated improvement in the thermal stability of the wood composite in comparison with that of natural wood (W). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution and transport characteristics of lithium ions (Li+) in the electrochemical interface region of a lithium anode in a lithium ion battery directly determine Li+ deposition behavior. The regulation of the Li+ solvation sheath on the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) by electrolyte chemistry is key but challenging. Here, 1 m lithium trifluoroacetate (LiTFA) is induced to the electrolyte to regulate the Li+ solvation sheath, which significantly suppresses Li dendrite formation and enables a high Coulombic efficiency of 98.8% over 500 cycles. With its strong coordination between the carbonyl groups (CO) and Li+, TFA− modulates the environment of the Li+ solvation sheath and facilitates fast desolvation kinetics. In addition, due to relatively smaller lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy than solvents, TFA− has a preferential reduction to produce a stable SEI with uniform distribution of LiF and Li2O. Such stable SEI effectively reduces the energy barrier for Li+ diffusion, contributing to low nucleation overpotential, fast ion transfer kinetics, and uniform Li+ deposition with high cycling stability. This work provides an alternative insight into the design of interface chemistry in terms of regulating anions in the Li+ solvation sheath. It is anticipated that this anion‐tuned strategy will pave the way to construct stable SEIs for other battery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary of main observation and conclusion: Novel and technologically important processes and phenomena arise at water surfaces in the presence of electric fields. However, experimental measurements on water surfaces are challenging, and the results are scarce and inconclusive. In this work, the constant potential molecular dynamics method, in which the electrode charges are allowed to fluctuate to keep the electric potential fixed, was implemented in the study of a near‐electrode water surface systems. This simulation system was set up with a vapor/liquid‐water/vapor slab and two electrodes under different sets of applied electrostatic potential, yielding i) a detailed characterization of the external E‐field dependent electrostatic potential/density/dipole moment density profiles, and ii) the relationship between the water surface width and the applied electrode voltage differences which has been rarely reported. The adjustments in the number density profiles in the vicinity of water surfaces due to external E‐fields were observed, while the capillary interfacial widths for the surfaces near both cathode and anode were found with different increment rates under increasing E‐fields. By examining dipole density profiles across the water surfaces, we found that external E‐field induced polarization occurs in both bulk and surface regimes, yet the surface polarization densities vary asymmetrically with respect to the increasing E‐fields. Detailed discussions were carried out to explain the correlation between water surface tension and surface widths, as well as the interplay between the surface polarization densities and the hydrogen bond network structure. We conclude that the mechanical and structural properties of the water surfaces could be tuned by both magnitude and direction of the strong external E‐fields. We also recognize that more surface properties with application value, such as dielectric permittivity tensor or surface potential, could also be regulated by the external E‐fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focused on the effect of paeonol, one of the main components of Guizhi Fuling Pill, on blood pressure, cerebral blood flow, and vascular endothelium injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats to provide theoretical basis for the treatment of hypertension. After treatment with paeonol, the mean arterial pressure (MAP) of LSHRT and HSHRT rats decreased gradually with the prolongation of treatment time. The systolic blood flow velocity (Vs), diastolic blood flow velocity (Vd) and mean blood flow velocity (Vm) were significantly increased after paeonol treatment (p < 0.05). Paeonol effectively improved the blood pressure and increased the cerebral blood flow velocity in spontaneously hypertensive rats. This may be related to the fact that paeonol reduced the blood viscosity and the oxidative stress and improved the antioxidant capacity. Moreover, paeonol protected vascular endothelial cells and reduced vascular endothelial injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Paeonol protects against hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats by restoring vascular endothelium [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The individual WO 3 film and a series of Hierarchical structure WO 3 /TiO 2 complex films were fabricated by Radio Frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The influence of TiO 2 thickness on electrochromic properties of WO 3 thin films is investigated. The capability for accommodating H+, the diffusion coefficient (D) value of H+ and the life-time or cycle stability of WO 3 films were effectively enhanced by appropriate thickness (60 nm) of TiO 2 coated on WO 3. • Hierarchical structure WO 3 /TiO 2 complex films were fabricated by Radio Frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. • Electrochromic properties of hierarchical structure WO 3 /TiO 2 complex films were improved compared with WO 3 film. • Hierarchical structure WO 3 /TiO 2 (60 nm) complex film exhibited outstanding electrochromic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key to diagnosing acute myocardial infarction (AMI) lies in the sensitive and accurate analysis of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) content in human blood. Herein, in order to detect the content of cTnI, a novel sandwich-type cTnI electrochemical aptasensor was developed by utilizing dendritic platinum-copper alloy nanoparticles loaded on graphene-like CuO-TiO 2 mesoporous ultrathin nanosheet (PtCu DNs/MUN-CuO-TiO 2) as label material, and AuNPs loaded on polydopamine modified hollow mesoporous carbon spheres (HMCS@PDA@AuNPs) as electrode-modified material. On the one hand, with its advantages of assistance of Au and PDA coating, abundant pore structure, and large specific surface area, the HMCS@PDA@AuNPs exhibited excellent electronic conductivity but with a low catalytic capacity for the reduction of H 2 O 2 , thus enhancing the sensitivity of aptasensor. On the other hand, because of combining the structural and electrochemical performance superiority of MUN-CuO-TiO 2 and PtCu DNs, such as short electron transfer distance and abundant reactive sites, the catalytic performance of obtained PtCu DNs/MUN-CuO-TiO 2 towards H 2 O 2 reduction was enhanced and realized signal amplification. The constructed electrochemical aptasensor for cTnI detection exhibited a satisfactory dynamic range from 0.01 pg/mL to 500.0 ng/mL and a lower detection limit of 2.3 fg/mL. The recommended sensor has been utilized to detect human serum samples with acceptable results, exhibiting potential for clinical application. • A novel sandwich-type electrochemical aptasensor was constructed to detect cTnI. • HMCS@PDA@AuNPs and PtCu DNs/MUN-CuO-TiO 2 were successfully synthesized. • HMCS@PDA@AuNPs as a transducing material to enhance the conductivity. • PtCu DNs/MUN-CuO-TiO 2 as a signal amplification label showed excellent electrocatalytic performance for the reduction of H 2 O 2. • The sensitive aptasensor showed a wide dynamic range and low detection limit for detecting cTnI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its high carrier mobility, superior air stability, and intriguing self-modulation doping effects, Bi2O2Se has shown great potential for applications in high performance field-effect transistors and infrared photodetectors. However, Bi2O2Se generally tends to form 2D micromorphology because of its native layered structure. Here, we developed a space-confined CVD method to realize the epitaxial growth of highly oriented 1D Bi2O2Se arrays. The controllable length and width of the vertical growth nanowires mainly distribute in the ranges of 30–42 μm and 120–160 nm, respectively. The orientation of Bi2O2Se nanowires was determined by the epitaxial relationship between Bi2O2Se {110} and mica {00n} planes. In addition, various morphologies of Bi2O2Se including 1D nanowires, 2D nanosheets, and rectangular nanosheets can be controllably synthesized by precisely modifying the growth temperature. The integrated detector based on the as-synthesized Bi2O2Se nanowire arrays demonstrated excellent performances in the spectrum from the UV to near-infrared regime. The responsivity, detectivity, external quantum efficiency, and response time can reach up to 722.2 A W−1, 5.64 × 1011 Jones, 189 000%, and 0.267 ms, respectively. These findings manifest that the oriented Bi2O2Se nanowire arrays have great prospects in ultrafast and near-infrared photodetection applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2)/graphene oxide (GO)-treated wood was fabricated through a one-step hydrothermal-vacuum dipping technique, in which silica sol serves as a dispersant and linker owing to its good stability and high surface area, while the visible light activates TiO2/GO and negative oxygen ions (NOI) arise. This approach exhibits a super dye adsorption capacity and enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. In focus was the effect of the three-dimensional (3D) GO dopant on the NOI production, which was very high in this system. Namely, the concentration of NOI is up to 1710 ions cm−3 after 60 min visible light irradiation. Moreover, recycling experiments show that the properties of a TiO2/GO-wood system are stable. The TiO2/GO-treated wood is a healthy, environmentally friendly material which is promising for indoor decoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The secondary reactions of the TA- APTES coating has been investigated. • (TA-APTES)-based materials exhibit better performance than PDA-based materials. • The reasons for the significantly improved performance have been revealed. Abstract Secondary reactions of surface coating are of great importance and have drawn great attentions, since it can make the coating as a versatile platform for different uses via tailoring surface properties. A good example is the polydopamine (PDA) coating which has been widely used for preparation of various functional materials owing to its secondary reactions. In our recent study, we have developed hierarchical tannic acid (TA)-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) coating with distinct layer-nanospheres structure. Herein, the secondary reactions of the TA-APTES coating has been investigated in detail. And for the first time, various (TA-APTES)-based functional materials including superhydrophobic, adsorbent, and catalytic materials have been prepared for oil/water separation, dye adsorption, and 4-nitrophenol reduction, respectively. Significantly, under the same conditions, the performance of the (TA-APTES)-based functional materials is much better than that of the PDA-based materials: (a) The adsorptive capacity of the (TA-APTES)-based adsorbent toward rose bengal, methyl bule, orange G, and amaranthus red is 80.1%, 96.2%, 86.1%, and 98.6% higher than that of the PDA-based adsorbent, respectively; (b) The (TA-APTES)-based catalytic material can reduce about 98% of 4-NP in 10 min, while the PDA-based material can only reduce 60% of 4-NP under the same conditions; (c) After reacting with octadecyltrimethoxysilane, the TA-APTES coating can be directly transformed into superhydrophobic coating for oil/water separation, while the PDA coating is only hydrophobic and cannot separate oil/water mixture. The reasons for the significantly improved performance of the (TA-APTES)-based materials have been revealed. Our findings demonstrate that the TA-APTES coating can act as an outstanding platform for preparation of various functional materials with preferable performance, and the TA-APTES coating will be a promising substitute for PDA coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract DNA topoisomerases are key enzyme responsible for modulating the topological state of the DNA by breaking and rejoining of DNA strand. Characterization of a Gly717Asp mutation in the human topoisomerase was performed using several catalytic assays. The mutant enzyme was shown to have comparable cleavage and fast religation rate as compared to the wild-type protein. Addition of the anticancer drug camptothecin significantly reduced the religation step. The simulative approaches and analysis of the cleavage/religation equilibrium indicate that the mutation is able to modify the architecture of the drug binding site, increasing the persistence of the drug for the enzyme–DNA covalent complex. Taken together these results indicate that the structure modification of the drug binding site is the key reason for the increasing CPT persistence and furthermore provide the possibility for new anti-cancer drug discovery. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • The Gly717Asp mutation in the human topoisomerase was analyzed combining functional and computational approaches. • Gly717Asp mutant showed the same cleavage rate compare to the wild-type protein but faster religation kinetics. • Cleavage/religation equilibrium assay suggests longer drug persistence in the mutant cleavable complex. • Simulative approaches indicate that the mutation is able to modify the architecture of the drug binding site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial coupling in van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructures can effectively modulate the device performance. In this study, we demonstrate a high performance infrared detector fabricated by direct epitaxial growth of Te nanowires onto a MoS2 monolayer. Such directly grown Te/MoS2 heterostructures show much stronger interfacial coupling than artificially transferred Te/MoS2 hybrids, as evidenced from their Raman and photoluminescence spectra. The strong vdWs interfacial coupling leads to a high performance infrared detector with both ultrahigh photoresponsivity (>103 A/W) and rapid response time (τrising = 15 ms) at the telecommunication wavelength of 1550 nm. The anti-bipolar and rectification behaviors observed in the strongly coupled grown Te-MoS2 heterojunction further confirm the effective interfacial coupling. In contrast, the weakly coupled transferred Te-MoS2 heterojunction that is obtained by artificial transfer exhibits negligible anti-bipolar behavior and slight rectification behavior. These findings indicate that the coupled vdWs hybrid structures have great potential for achieving high performance photodetectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual functional membranes with super-wetting and adsorption capacity have drawn great attentions owing to their good application prospect in the treatment of mixed wastewater containing oil and dyes. Despite recent development in such functional membranes, there are still some obstacles need to be resolved. The one is how to further improve the dye adsorption capacity to realize the high-efficiency removal of dye under high permeation flux. The other is to improve the rejection towards nano-sized oil droplets in water. Herein, with porous polypropylene (PP) membrane as substrate, we show that constructing multiple hierarchical structures (MHS) on membrane surface is an effective way to solve the above mentioned problems. The MHS prepared by low-cost tannic acid, 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), and polyethyleneimine (PEI) are composed of rough layer, nanospheres, and nano nodes with abundant amine groups. On the one hand, the MHS can endow the membrane with high adsorptive capacity (480 mg g −1 toward methyl blue). On the other hand, the MHS can also decrease the pore size of the membrane, making it suitable for separation of nano-sized oil droplets. Moreover, the MHS can also render the membrane superhydrophilicity and excellent anti-oil-adhesion properties. Thanks to these advantages derived from MHS, the obtained dual functional membrane can realize high-efficiency and simultaneous removal of high concentrated dye (10–50 ppm, removal efficiency>95%) and nano-sized oil droplets (about 50–300 nm, oil rejection>99%) from mixed wastewater under high flux (1680 L m −2 h −1 ). Considering the significantly enhanced performance, as well as the facile and cost-effective process, the as-prepared functional membrane with MHS has good application prospects. Besides, a new insight on the influence of hydrodynamic conditions on membrane fouling during emulsion separation is also proposed, which may guide better design of anti-fouling membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional layered materials (2DLMs) have attracted a tremendous amount of attention as photodetectors due to their fascinating features, including high potentials in new-generation electronic devices, wide coverage of bandgaps, ability to construct van der Waals heterostructures, extraordinary light–mass interaction, strong mechanical flexibility, and the capability of enabling synthesis of 2D nonlayered materials. Until now, most attention has been focused on the well-known graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). However, a growing number of functional materials (more than 5619) with novel optoelectronic and electronic properties are being re-discovered, thereby widening the horizon of 2D libraries. In addition to showing common features of 2DLMs, these new 2D members may bring new opportunities to their well-known analogues, like wider bandgap coverage, direct bandgaps independence with thickness, higher mechanical flexibility, and new photoresponse phenomena. The impressive results communicated so far testify that they have shown high potentials with photodetections covering THz, IR, visible, and UV ranges with comparable or even higher performances than well-known TMDs. Here, we give a comprehensive review on the state-of-the-art photodetections of two-dimensional materials beyond graphene and TMDs. The review is organized as follows: fundamentals of photoresponse first are discussed, followed by detailed photodetections of new 2D members including both layered and non-layered ones. After that, photodiodes and hybrid structures based on these new 2D materials are summarized. Then, the integration of these 2D materials with flexible substrates is reviewed. Finally, we conclude with the current research status of this area and offer our perspectives on future developments. We hope that, through reading this manuscript, readers will quickly have a comprehensive view on this research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attention hypothesis, which assumes that font emphasis captures readers' attention, is usually used to explain the mechanism by which such emphasis operates. This study further delineates the attention hypothesis by investigating the ways in which font emphasis captures attention and its effects on the integration of emphasized information into the previous context. We computed event-related potentials and frequency band-specific electroencephalographic power changes occurring while participants read sentences containing critical words that were either emphasized (i.e., displayed in a color different from the other words in the sentence) or not (i.e., shown in the same color as the rest of the sentence) and semantically congruent with prior words or not. The results showed that the emphasized words (as compared to control words) elicited a reduced N1 and increased P2, indicating that font emphasis reduced familiarity-based visuo-orthographic processing and instead increased controlled attentional processing. We also observed greater P300 and power decreases in the alpha and beta frequency range in response to critical words in the emphasized condition, suggesting that font emphasis enhances focal attention to promote a fuller integration of information into the sentence context. Furthermore, relative to the control condition, the emphasized condition induced delta and theta power increases for the incongruent words. These results suggest that font emphasis increases the efficiency of glyph processing, which facilitates lexical access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracts from the aerial parts of Solidago canadensis L. were evaluated for molluscicidal activity against Pomacea canaliculata Lam. using an immersion bioassay method. The petroleum ether fraction of the ethanolic extract (PEEE) from S. canadensis exhibited strong molluscicidal activity. The PEEE mode of action in the hepatopancreas tissue of P. canaliculata was tested at several concentrations. Biochemical parameters, namely, soluble sugar content, protein, malondialdehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST) were significantly decreased or increased after exposure to PEEE for 48 h ( p <0.05). Histological assessment results showed that hepatopancreas tissue structure was destroyed by exposure to PEEE. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS) was used to identify 15 compounds that could contribute to the molluscicidal efficacy of the PEEE. Molluscicidal assay, biochemical tests and histological assessments suggest that the PEEE from S. canadensis has potential utility as a molluscicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we examine, using molecular simulation, the liquid-vapor phase equilibria and atomic-level structure of an ethylene-expanded mixture of methanol, water and hydrogen peroxide as functions of temperature and pressure. The motivation for this study is a recently proposed catalytic process for the epoxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide in Nb-doped silica nanopores [J. Catal. 336 75 (2016)], where the solvent (methanol) is expanded by the reactant (ethylene) in the presence of the oxidant (hydrogen peroxide in water). Optimal tuning of the reaction conditions can be greatly facilitated by detailed information as to the phase equilibrium and local structure (e.g., hydrogen bonding) of this quaternary mixture. In particular, we focus on the solubility of ethylene in this system as a function of water content. We compare this quaternary system to the recently studied ethylene/methanol/water ternary mixture [Fluid Phase Equilib. 429  275 (2016)]. One major conclusion of this work is that for solutions in which the methanol to water/hydrogen peroxide ratio is greater than 50%, the solubility of ethylene in the quaternary mixture is identical within the statistical error to that of a corresponding ternary mixture, in which hydrogen peroxide is replaced by water. Given that these methanol-rich systems are precisely those of most utility in the epoxidation process, this observation greatly simplifies the phase-equilibrium analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: DNA methylation has been identified to be widely associated to complex diseases. Among biological platforms to profile DNA methylation in human, the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip (450K) has been accepted as one of the most efficient technologies. However, challenges exist in analysis of DNA methylation data generated by this technology due to widespread biases. Results: Here we proposed a generalized framework for evaluating data analysis methods for Illumina 450K array. This framework considers the following steps towards a successful analysis: importing data, quality control, within-array normalization, correcting type bias, detecting differentially methylated probes or regions and biological interpretation. Conclusions: We evaluated five methods using three real datasets, and proposed outperform methods for the Illumina 450K array data analysis. Minfi and methylumi are optimal choice when analyzing small dataset. BMIQ and RCP are proper to correcting type bias and the normalized result of them can be used to discover DMPs. R package missMethyl is suitable for GO term enrichment analysis and biological interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human topoisomerase 1B is a ubiquitous and essential enzyme involved in relaxing the topological state of supercoiled DNA to allow the progression of fundamental DNA metabolism. Its enzymatic catalytic cycle consists of cleavage and religation reaction. A ternary fluorescence resonance energy transfer biosensor based on a suicide DNA substrate conjugated with three fluorophores has been developed to monitor both cleavage and religation Topoisomerase I catalytic function. The presence of fluorophores does not alter the specificity of the enzyme catalysis on the DNA substrate. The enzyme-mediated reaction can be tracked in real-time by simple fluorescence measurement, avoiding the use of risky radioactive substrate labeling and time-consuming denaturing gel electrophoresis. The method is applied to monitor the perturbation brought by single mutation on the cleavage or religation reaction and to screen the effect of the camptothecin anticancer drug monitoring the energy transfer decrease during religation reaction. Pathological mutations usually affect only the cleavage or the religation reaction and the proposed approach represent a fast protocol for assessing chemotherapeutic drug efficacy and analyzing mutant's properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As an emerging 2D layered material, Bi2O2Se has shown great potential for applications in thermoelectric and electronics, due to its high carrier mobility, near‐ideal subthreshold swing, and high air‐stability. Although Bi2O2Se has a suitable band gap for infrared (IR) applications, its photoresponse properties have not been investigated. Here, high‐quality ultrathin Bi2O2Se sheets are synthesized via a low‐pressure chemical vapor deposition method. The thickness of 90% Bi2O2Se sheets is below 10 nm and lateral sizes mainly distribute in the range of 7–11 µm. In addition, it is found that triangular sheets largely lack “O” content, even only 0.2 for Bi2O0.2Se. The near‐IR photodetection performance of Bi2O2Se nanosheets is systematically studied by variable temperature measurements. The response time, responsivity, and detectivity can approach up to 2.8 ms, 6.5 A W−1, and 8.3 × 1011 Jones, respectively. Additionally, the critical performance parameters, including responsivity, rising time, and decay time, remain at almost the same level when the temperature is changed from 80 to 300 K. These phenomena are likely due to the fact that as‐grown ultrathin Bi2O2Se sheets have no surface trap states and shallow defect energy levels. The findings indicate ultrathin Bi2O2Se sheets have great potentials for future applications in ultrafast, flexible near‐IR optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As an emerging 2D layered material, Bi2O2Se has shown great potential for applications in thermoelectric and electronics, due to its high carrier mobility, near‐ideal subthreshold swing, and high air‐stability. Although Bi2O2Se has a suitable band gap for infrared (IR) applications, its photoresponse properties have not been investigated. Here, high‐quality ultrathin Bi2O2Se sheets are synthesized via a low‐pressure chemical vapor deposition method. The thickness of 90% Bi2O2Se sheets is below 10 nm and lateral sizes mainly distribute in the range of 7–11 µm. In addition, it is found that triangular sheets largely lack “O” content, even only 0.2 for Bi2O0.2Se. The near‐IR photodetection performance of Bi2O2Se nanosheets is systematically studied by variable temperature measurements. The response time, responsivity, and detectivity can approach up to 2.8 ms, 6.5 A W−1, and 8.3 × 1011 Jones, respectively. Additionally, the critical performance parameters, including responsivity, rising time, and decay time, remain at almost the same level when the temperature is changed from 80 to 300 K. These phenomena are likely due to the fact that as‐grown ultrathin Bi2O2Se sheets have no surface trap states and shallow defect energy levels. The findings indicate ultrathin Bi2O2Se sheets have great potentials for future applications in ultrafast, flexible near‐IR optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oily wastewater and oil spills not only cause large amounts of resource wastefulness, but threaten water safety and human health. Besides, for some oily emulsions, the oil droplets are usually valuable, such as the soybean oil droplets formed during oil manufacture, and the oil droplets carrying high valued product from the extraction process or micro-emulsion reactor. Therefore, the collection and recovery of oil from water are particularly important. However, the recovery of oil droplets from emulsions and collection-lossless transportation of oil spills are still a big challenge, which cannot be solved by current oil/water separation methods, including the super-wetting strategy. Herein, we designed and prepared oil-unidirectional Janus membrane via unilateral decoration of commercial hydrophobic composite microfiltration membranes. The obtained Janus membrane is composed of a thin hydrophilic layer and thick hydrophobic supporting layer, and the asymmetric surface wettability can realize the unidirectional oil-transport property, viz. oil “diode”. Therefore, the obtained JMs with oil unidirectional transport property can realize the efficient collection and recovery of various oils. For example, the JM can effectively draw the micrometer-sized oil droplets from various oil-in-water emulsions, and realize the collection-lossless transportation of the oil spills. Our strategy can firmly stimulate and accelerate the advances of functional membranes toward the broad intelligent and sustainable usages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]