A new mixed-mode phase-field model for crack propagation of brittle rock

Study on crack propagation process of brittle rock is of most significance for cracking-arrest design and cracking-network optimization in rock engineering.Phase-field model(PFM)has advantages of simplicity and high convergence over the common numerical methods(e.g.finite element method,discrete element method,and particle manifold method)in dealing with three-dimensional and multicrack problems.However,current PFMs are mainly used to simulate mode-I(tensile)crack propagation but difficult to effectively simulate mode-II(shear)crack propagation.In this paper,a new mixed-mode PFM is established to simulate both mode-I and mode-II crack propagation of brittle rock by distinguishing the volumetric elastic strain energy and deviatoric elastic strain energy in the total elastic strain energy and considering the effect of compressive stress on mode-II crack propagation.Numerical solution method of the new mixed-mode PFM is proposed based on the staggered solution method with self-programmed subroutines UMAT and HETVAL of ABAQUS software.Three examples calculated using different PFMs as well as test results are presented for comparison.The results show that compared with the conventional PFM(which only simulates the tensile wing crack but not mode-II crack propagation)and the modified mixed-mode PFM(which has difficulty in simulating the shear anti-wing crack),the new mixed-mode PFM can successfully simulate the whole trajectories of mixed-mode crack propagation(including the tensile wing crack,shear secondary crack,and shear anti-wing crack)and mode-II crack propagation,which are close to the test results.It can be further extended to simulate multicrack propagation of anisotropic rock under multi-field coupling loads.

Advances in CIGS thin film solar cells with emphasis on the alkali element post-deposition treatment

In the past tens of years,the power conversion efficiency of Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS)has continuously improved and been one of the fastest growing photovoltaic technologies that can also help us achieve the goal of carbon emissions reduction.Among several key advances,the alkali element post-deposition treatment(AlK PDT)is regarded as the most important finding in the last 10 years,which has led to the improvement of CIGS solar cell efficiency from 20.4%to 23.35%.A profound understanding of the influence of alkali element on the chemical and electrical properties of the CIGS absorber along with the underlying mechanisms is of great importance.In this review,we summarize the strategies of the alkali element doping in CIGS solar cell,the problems to be noted in the PDT process,the effects on the CdS buffer layer,the effects of different alkali elements on the structure and morphology of the CIGS absorber layer,and retrospect the progress in the CIGS solar cell with emphasis on the alkali element post deposition treatment.

Highly efficient 1D p-Te/2D n-Bi_(2)Te_(3) heterojunction self-driven broadband photodetector

Broadband photodetectors with self-driven functions have attracted intensive scientific interest due to their low energy consumption and high optical gain.However,high-performance broadband self-driven photodetectors are still a significant challenge due to the complex fabrication processes,environmental toxicity,high production costs of traditional 3D semiconductor materials and sharply raised contact resistance,severe interfacial recombination of 2D materials and 2D/3D mixed dimension heterojunction.Here,1D p-Te/2D n-Bi_(2)Te_(3) heterojunctions are constructed by the simple and low-cost hydrothermal method.1D p-Te/2D n-Bi_(2)Te_(3) devices are applied in photoelectrochemical(PEC)photodetectors,with their high performance attributed to the good interfacial contacts reducing interface recombination.The device demonstrated a broad wavelength range(365–850 nm)with an Iph/Idark as high as 377.45.The R_(i),D^(*),and external quantum efficiency(EQE)values of the device were as high as 12.07 mA/W,5.87×10^(10) Jones,and 41.05%,respectively,which were significantly better than the performance of the prepared Bi_(2)Te_(3) and Te devices.A comparison of the freshly fabricated device and the device after 30 days showed that 1D p-Te/2D n-Bi_(2)Te_(3) had excellent stability with only 18.08%decay of photocurrent.It is anticipated that this work will provide new emerging material for future design and preparation of a high-performance self-driven broadband photodetector.

基于磁控溅射法制备的大面积高质量硒化铂薄膜及其在红外探测中的应用

PtSe_(2)因其可调的带隙、高载流子迁移率和较高的光吸收率在红外探测领域受到广泛的研究和关注.然而,传统的制备方法存在生长条件复杂、生长时间长、铂源和硒源的选择性较低、晶体质量不高、成本昂贵以及大规模制造困难等缺点,限制了其实际应用.在此,我们采用了一种便捷、低成本的磁控共溅射法来制备大面积、高质量的PtSe_(2)薄膜.在不同温度下生长的薄膜的表面形貌和微观结构表征结果表明,我们制备的PtSe_(2)薄膜具有良好的结晶性、可控性、均匀性、较窄带隙和优异的红外波段吸收特性,同时我们还研究了最合适的衬底和生长温度.基于PtSe_(2)的光电探测器展示出良好的红外探测能力和较快的响应速度.尤其值得注意的是,相比于传统制备方法,本研究提出的制备方法的制备时间非常短,为PtSe_(2)大规模应用于下一代红外探测,并与现有的硅技术兼容提供了有益的指导.

Advanced Electrical Motors and Control Strategies for High-quality Servo Systems-A Comprehensive Review

Recent technological advancements have propelled remarkable progress in servo systems,resulting in their extensive utilization across various high-end applications.A comprehensive review of high-quality servo system technologies,focusing specifically on electrical motor topologies and control strategies is presented.In terms of motor topology,this study outlines the mainstream servo motors used across different periods,as well as the latest theories and technologies surrounding contemporary servo motors.In terms of control strategies,two well-established approaches are presented:field-oriented control and direct torque control.Additionally,it discusses advanced control strategies employed in servo systems,such as model predictive control(MPC)and fault tolerance control,among others.

The E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4-1 protects against acetaminophen-induced liver injury by targeting VDAC1 for degradation

Acetaminophen(APAP)overdose is a major cause of liver injury.Neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated 4—1(NEDD4-1)is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous liver diseases;however,its role in APAP-induced liver injury(AILI)is unclear.Thus,this study aimed to investigate the role of NEDD4-1 in the pathogenesis of AILI.We found that NEDD4-1 was dramatically downregulated in response to APAP treatment in mouse livers and isolated mouse hepatocytes.Hepatocyte-specific NEDD4-1 knockout exacerbated APAP-induced mitochondrial damage and the resultant hepatocyte necrosis and liver injury,while hepatocyte-specific NEDD4-1 overexpression mitigated these pathological events both in vivo and in vitro.Additionally,hepatocyte NEDD4-1 deficiency led to marked accumulation of voltage-dependent anion channel 1(VDAC1)and increased VDAC1 oligomerization.Furthermore,VDAC1 knockdown alleviated AILI and weakened the exacerbation of AILI caused by hepatocyte NEDD4-1 deficiency.Mechanistically,NEDD4-1 was found to interact with the PPTY motif of VDAC1 through its WW domain and regulate K48-linked ubiquitination and degradation of VDAC1.Our present study indicates that NEDD4-1 is a suppressor of AILI and functions by regulating the degradation of VDAC1.

Bioceramic scaffolds with triply periodic minimal surface architectures guide early-stage bone regeneration

The pore architecture of porous scaffolds is a critical factor in osteogenesis,but it is a challenge to precisely configure strut-based scaffolds because of the inevitable filament corner and pore geometry deformation.This study provides a pore architecture tailoring strategy in which a series of Mg-doped wollastonite scaffolds with fully interconnected pore networks and curved pore architectures called triply periodic minimal surfaces(TPMS),which are similar to cancellous bone,are fabricated by a digital light processing technique.The sheet-TPMS pore geometries(s-Diamond,s-Gyroid)contribute to a 3‒4-fold higher initial compressive strength and 20%-40%faster Mg-ion-release rate compared to the other-TPMS scaffolds,including Diamond,Gyroid,and the Schoen’s I-graph-Wrapped Package(IWP)in vitro.However,we found that Gyroid and Diamond pore scaffolds can significantly induce osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs).Analyses of rabbit experiments in vivo show that the regeneration of bone tissue in the sheet-TPMS pore geometry is delayed;on the other hand,Diamond and Gyroid pore scaffolds show notable neo-bone tissue in the center pore regions during the early stages(3-5 weeks)and the bone tissue uniformly fills the whole porous network after 7 weeks.Collectively,the design methods in this study provide an important perspective for optimizing the pore architecture design of bioceramic scaffolds to accelerate the rate of osteogenesis and promote the clinical translation of bioceramic scaffolds in the repair of bone defects.

碳酸物种和氯离子对生物磷灰石磷酸钙成核的影响

磷灰石是骨骼和牙齿等生物硬组织的主要无机成分,对脊椎动物至关重要.生物系统的体液中普遍存在碳酸物种和Cl^(-)离子,了解这些阴离子对生物磷灰石成核过程的影响有助于解释生物矿化的控制作用.理论研究表明,Ca-O配位数在CaP成核和CaP与添加剂的界面相互作用中是一个重要描述符.CaP团簇最外层的Ca^(2+)离子能够通过静电作用吸引碳酸物种和Cl^(-)离子,从而促进CaP相的形成.在碳酸物种和Cl^(-)离子存在的情况下,钙磷石(DCPD)可以转化为羟基磷灰石(HA).平衡氧同位素分馏和振动光谱分析结果表明,Cl^(-)离子掺杂的B型HA是最有可能的生物磷灰石.上述结果可以指导阴离子掺杂的具有生物功能的磷灰石材料的合成.

Role of oxygen species and active phase of CuCeZrO_(x) prepared with bacterial cellulose for toluene catalytic oxidation

The present study investigates the active phases and the role of oxygen species in the toluene oxidation process over CuCeZrO_(x) catalysts prepared with bacterial cellulose(BC),and compares them with nitric acid pickling CuCeZrO_(x)-BC(H)and CeZrO_(x)-BC catalysts.The investigation is carried out using in-situ DRIFT,O_(2)-TPD,H_(2)-TPR,XRD,and TEM techniques.Our findings suggest that dispersed CuO species on the catalyst surface,Cu-Ce-Zr-O,and Ce-Zr-O solid solutions are active for toluene oxidation over CuCeZrO_(x)-BC,with corresponding activities decreasing successively.The in-situ DRIFT results demonstrate that gaseous oxygen facilitates the chemisorption of toluene on active oxygen species,forming benzoyl oxide species and partially oxidizing the absorbed intermediates to benzyl alcohol at room temperature.Furthermore,lattice oxygen is experimentally found to be involved in the deep oxidation of toluene,and the lattice oxygen present in dispersed CuO species dominates the toluene oxidation process over CuCeZrO_(x)-BC.

Injectable self-healing hydrogel with siRNA delivery property for sustained STING silencing and enhanced therapy of intervertebral disc degeneration

Inflammatory responses of nucleus pulposus(NP)can induce imbalanced anabolism and catabolism of extracellular matrix,and the cytosolic dsDNA accumulation and STING-NF-κB pathway activation found in NP inflammation are considered as fairly important cause of intervertebral disc(IVD)degeneration.Herein,we constructed a siSTING delivery hydrogel of aldehyde hyaluronic acid(HA-CHO)and poly(amidoamine)PAMAM/siRNA complex to intervene the abnormal STING signal for IVD degeneration treatment,where the formation of dynamic Schiff base bonds in the system(siSTING@HPgel)was able to overcome the shortcomings such as low cellular uptake,short half-life,and rapid degradation of siRNA-based strategy.PAMAM not only formed complexes with siRNA to promote siRNA transfection,but also served as dynamic crosslinker to construct hydrogel,and the injectable and self-healing hydrogel efficiently and steadily silenced STING expression in NP cells.Finally,the siSTING@HPgel significantly eased IVD inflammation and slowed IVD degeneration by prolonging STING knockdown in puncture-induced IVD degeneration rat model,revealing that STING pathway was a therapeutic target for IVD degeneration and such novel hydrogel had great potential for being applied to many other diseases for gene delivery.

IFN-γ激活ERK/Jak2-STAT信号通路诱导乳腺癌细胞过表达PD-L1和上皮-间质转化

旨在探讨IFN-γ诱导乳腺癌细胞株MDA-MB-231表面程序性死亡配体(PD-L1)的表达、对上皮间质转化的影响及其分子机制。用不同浓度IFN-γ作用MDA-MB-231细胞后,利用蛋白质免疫印迹检测PD-L1、细胞迁移相关蛋白(E-钙黏蛋白、N-钙黏蛋白、波形蛋白)、ERK、p-ERK、Jak2及p-Jak2的表达水平;通过细胞划痕实验和Transwell实验检测细胞迁移能力;利用免疫荧光实验进一步检测细胞迁移相关蛋白的表达量。结果表明,IFN-γ可上调PD-L1的表达,使细胞划痕融合率显著增高,细胞迁移速率显著加快;波形蛋白和N-钙黏蛋白的表达量升高,E-钙黏蛋白表达量下降;ERK、p-ERK、Jak2及p-Jak2表达水平显著增加。加U0126后PD-L1、ERK及p-ERK表达水平下降,而加入AG490后,PD-L1、Jak2、p-Jak2表达水平下降。结果表明IFN-γ能上调乳腺癌细胞PD-L1表达水平,促进肿瘤细胞迁移,促使细胞从上皮向间质转化,而这一过程可能与ERK及Jak2-STAT信号通路相关。

Vipr2敲除对小鼠视网膜功能的影响

目的:检测血管活性肠肽受体2(Vipr2)敲除小鼠多巴胺(DA)等神经递质含量和视网膜电生理,明确Vipr2敲除对视网膜功能的影响。方法:实验研究。利用RT-PCR检测血管活性肠肽(Vip)、Vipr2在4周龄雄性C57BL/6J小鼠眼球组织中的表达水平。通过CRISPR-Cas9基因编辑技术构建Vipr2敲除(Vipr2-KO)小鼠,然后在4周龄时检测Vipr2-KO和Vipr2野生型(Vipr2-WT)小鼠视网膜中DA等神经递质含量及视网膜电生理功能。Vipr2-KO小鼠与Vipr2-WT小鼠DA等神经递质含量比较采用独立样本t检验,而2种小鼠视网膜电生理数据比较采用双因素重复测量方差分析。结果:Vip和Vipr2 mRNA在小鼠视网膜、脉络膜+视网膜色素细胞、角膜和巩膜中均有表达;在虹膜和晶状体中Vipr2呈低表达,未检测到Vip表达。与Vipr2-WT小鼠相比,Vipr2-KO小鼠表现为近视(t=2.51,P=0.017),视网膜DA、3,4-二羟基苯乙酸(DOPAC)、高香草酸(HVA)含量均明显升高(t=3.42,P=0.001;t=2.15,P=0.037;t=3.27,P=0.002),DOPAC/DA比值无变化;而玻璃体液中DA、DOPAC、DOPAC/DA、HVA、去甲肾上腺素含量差异均无统计学意义。视网膜和玻璃体液中天冬氨酸、谷氨酸、丝氨酸、谷氨酰胺、甘氨酸、牛磺酸和γ氨基丁酸含量在Vipr2-KO小鼠与Vipr2-WT小鼠之间差异均无统计学意义。在暗适应不同光刺激强度下(-3.699、-2.201、-0.699、0.301、0.799 log cd·s/m2),Vipr2-KO小鼠相比Vipr2-WT小鼠,b波振幅明显增加(F=8.65,P=0.015)。结论:Vipr2敲除可引起4周龄小鼠屈光向近视发展,影响视网膜中DA、DOPAC、HVA合成代谢,并引起视网膜电生理功能异常。提示Vipr2敲除可能通过影响视网膜功能参与近视形成,但具体作用机制有待进一步研究。