High-performance liquid metal electromagnetic actuator fabricated by femtosecond laser

Small-scale electromagnetic soft actuators are characterized by a fast response and simplecontrol,holding prospects in the field of soft and miniaturized robotics.The use of liquid metal(LM)to replace a rigid conductor inside soft actuators can reduce the rigidity and enhance the actuation performance and robustness.Despite research efforts,challenges persist in the flexible fabrication of LM soft actuators and in the improvement of actuation performance.To address these challenges,we developed a fast and robust electromagnetic soft microplate actuator based on a laser-induced selective adhesion transfer method.Equipped with unprecedentedly thin LM circuit and customized low Young’s modulus silicone rubber(1.03 kPa),our actuator exhibits an excellent deformation angle(265.25?)and actuation bending angular velocity(284.66 rad·s^(-1)).Furthermore,multiple actuators have been combined to build an artificial gripper with a wide range of functionalities.Our actuator presents new possibilities for designing small-scaleartificial machines and supports advancements in ultrafast soft and miniaturized robotics.

Encryption/decryption and microtarget capturing by pH-driven Janus microstructures fabricated by the same femtosecond laser printing parameters

Several natural organism can change shape under external stimuli. These natural phenomena have inspired a vast amount of research on exploration and implementation of reconfigurable shape transformation. The Janus structure is a promising approach to achieve shape transformation based on its heterogeneous chemical or physical properties on opposite sides.However, the heterogeneity is generally realized by multi-step processing, different materials,and/or different processing parameters. Here, we present a simple and flexible method of producing p H-sensitive Janus microactuators from a single material, using the same laser printing parameters. These microactuators exhibit reversible structural deformations with large bending angles of ~31°and fast response(~0.2 s) by changing the p H value of the aqueous environment. Benefited from the high flexibility of the laser printing technique and the spatial arrangements, pillar heights, and bending directions of microactuators are readily controlled,enabling a variety of switchable ordered patterns and complex petal-like structures on flat surfaces and inside microchannels. Finally, we explore the potential applications of this method in information encryption/decryption and microtarget capturing.

Insulin resistance and occurrence and prognosis of ischemic stroke A non-randomized concurrent control and intra-group comparison

BACKGROUND： Clinical evidence has demonstrated that insulin resistance might be an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke, which has not been recognized. At present, insulin resistance has been proven to be an independent risk factor for coronary arteriosclerotic heart disease. However, the relationship between the onset and prognosis of ischemic stroke remains unclear. OBJECTIVE： This study was designed to analyze the relationship between insulin resistance and ischemic stroke and the correlation between insulin resistance and stroke risk factor, and to investigate the relationship between insulin resistance and ischemic stroke prognosis as well as whether insulin resistance is an independent prognostic factor. DESIGN： A non-randomized concurrent control experiment. SETTING： Department of Geriatric Disease, Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College. PARTICIPANTS： A total of 106 inpatients with ischemic stroke of the cervical internal carotid artery, who had suffered from the disease within the previous 72 hours, were admitted to the Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College from March to December in 2005 and, recruited for the present study. All 106 inpatients corresponded to the diagnostic criteria of ischemic stroke, formulated at the Fourth National Cerebrovascular Disease Conference in 1995, and were confirmed as having had an ischemic stroke by CT/MRI examinations. The patient group consisted of 54 males and 52 females. An additional 50 healthy individuals, who received health examinations simultaneously, were included as controls. Among the control subjects, there were 26 males and 24 females. Informed consent for laboratory measurements was obtained from all subjects; this study was approved by the Hospital Ethics Committee. METHODS： Following admission, all subjects were inquired of age, gender, previous history, blood pressure, body temperature, admission time, and smoking habits. Meanwhile, they were scored on clinical neurological function deficits. At 24 hours after admission, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were measured under the fasting condition. The control subjects were subjected to the same examinations and evaluation upon admission. In the two groups, insulin resistance degree was evaluated by the insulin sensitivity index （ISI）. According to the ISI, patients were assigned into severe and mild insulin resistance subgroups. The insulin resistance degree and its correlations to stroke risk factors and stroke prognosis were analyzed separately by t-test, linear correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Comparisons of fasting blood glucose and insulin levels, ISI, blood pressure, and blood lipid level between the two groups; comparisons of neurological function deficit scores, daily living activity scores and complication incidence between the severe and mild insulin resistance patients at 4 weeks after onset. RESULTS： All 106 patients and 50 healthy subjects were included in the final analysis. On admission, in the patient group, the blood glucose and insulin levels were significantly higher, while the ISI was significantly lower, compared with the control group （t = 10.38-12.29, P 〈 0.05）; At 4 weeks after admission, in the patient group, blood glucose level was decreased, but there was no significant difference compared with the control group （P 〉 0.05）, insulin level was decreased, but it was significantly higher compared with the control group （t = 6.46, P 〈 0.05）, and ISI was increased, but it was significantly lower compared with the control group （t = 66, P 〈 0.05）. On admission and at 4 weeks after admission, ISI was negatively correlated with triglyceride level （r = -0.494, -0.459, P 〈 0.05） and positively correlated to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level （r = 0.448, 0.310, P 〈 0.05）; however, it was not correlated with total cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels （P 〉 0.05）. In the severe insulin resistance patients, clinical neurological function deficit scores and complication incidence were significantly higher, while daily living activity scores were significantly lower, compared with the mild insulin resistance patients （t = 5.352 9, 4.260 4, 0.070 6, P 〈 0.05）. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that ISI was finally excluded as an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSION： Ischemic stroke patients presented with insulin resistance. Insulin resistance was correlated with conventional risk factors for stroke, including hypertension and lipid metabolism disorder. Insulin resistance was correlated with the prognosis of acute cerebral infarction patients, but it was not an independent predictive factor.

Energetic,bio-oil,biochar,and ash performances of co-pyrolysis-gasification of textile dyeing sludge and Chinese medicine residues in response to K_(2)CO_(3),atmosphere type,blend ratio,and temperature

Hazardous waste stream needs to be managed so as not to exceed stock-and rate-limited properties of its recipient ecosystems.The co-pyrolysis of Chinese medicine residue(CMR)and textile dyeing sludge(TDS)and its bio-oil,biochar,and ash quality and quantity were characterized as a function of the immersion of K_(2)CO_(3),atmosphere type,blend ratio,and temperature.Compared to the mono-pyrolysis of TDS,its co-pyrolysis performance with CMR(the comprehensive performance index(CPI))significantly improved by 33.9%in the N_(2)atmosphere and 33.2%in the CO_(2)atmosphere.The impregnation catalyzed the co-pyrolysis at 370℃,reduced its activation energy by 77.3 kJ/mol in the N_(2)atmosphere and 134.6 kJ/mol in the CO_(2)atmosphere,and enriched the degree of coke gasification by 44.25%in the CO_(2)atmosphere.The impregnation increased the decomposition rate of the co-pyrolysis by weakening the bond energy of fatty side chains and bridge bonds,its catalytic and secondary products,and its bio-oil yield by 66.19%.Its bio-oils mainly contained olefins,aromatic structural substances,and alcohols.The immersion of K_(2)CO_(3)improved the aromaticity of the copyrolytic biochars and reduced the contact between K and Si which made it convenient for Mg to react with SiO_(2)to form magnesium-silicate.The co-pyrolytic biochar surfaces mainly included-OH,-CH_(2),C=C,and Si-O-Si.The main phases in the co-pyrolytic ash included Ca_(5)(PO_(4))_(3)(OH),Al_(2)O_(3),and magnesium-silicate.

Magnetically responsive manipulation of droplets and bubbles

Droplets and bubbles have a wide range of applications in industry,agriculture,and daily life,and their controllable manipulation is of significant scientific and technological importance.Versatile magnetically responsive manipulation strategies have been developed to achieve precise control over droplets and bubbles.To manipulate nonmagnetic droplets or bubbles with magnetic fields,the presence of magnetic medium is indispensable.Magnetic additives can be added to the surface or interior of droplets and bubbles,allowing for on-demand manipulation by direct magnetic actuation.Alternatively,magnetically responsive elastomer substrates can be used to actuate droplets and bubbles by controlling the deformation of microstructures on the substrates through magnetic stimulation.Another strategy is based on untethered magnetic devices,which enables free mobility,facilitating versatile manipulation of droplets and bubbles in a flexible manner.This paper reviews the advances in magnetically responsive manipulation strategies from the perspective of droplets and bubbles.An overview of the different classes of magnetic medium,along with their respective corresponding droplet/bubble manipulation methods and principles,is first introduced.Then,the applications of droplet/bubble manipulation in biomedicine,microchemistry,and other fields are presented.Finally,the remaining challenges and future opportunities related to regulating droplet/bubble behavior using magnetic fields are discussed.

The preparation of paddy soil amendment using granite and marble waste: Performance and mechanisms

The wastes generated from themining and processing of granite and marble stone are generally regarded as useless.However,these waste materials were used as the soil amendments for the first time.The functional groups,crystalline structure andmicro-morphology of granite and marble wastes amendments(GMWA)were different from the original wastes demonstrated by X-ray diffractometer(XRD),Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FTIR)and Scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometer(SEM-EDS)analyses.With the addition of the amendments,the cation exchange capacity,electrical conductivity and nutrient availability of the soil increased,and the extractable heavy metals of the soil reduced significantly.Under the condition of the addition of 3%amendments,7.0%,99.9%,99.7%and 70.5%of Cu,Pb,Zn and Cd in exchangeable fractions in soil were transformed to the more stable Fe-Mn oxides-or carbonates-bounded fractions.Tessier method and correlation analysis showed that the reduction of extractable metals in the acidic paddy soil can be attributed to the adsorption of available SiO_(2),the co-precipitation induced by the elevated pH value,the complexation induced by Fe-Mn oxides and the cation exchange induced by mineral nutrients.This study provides a new strategy for resource recovery of waste stones and remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil.

The response of intestinal stem cells and epithelium after alemtuzumab administration

Qiurong Li1,Qiang Zhang1,Chenyang Wang1,Shaojun Jiang2,Ning Li1,Jieshou Li1 Intestinal stem cells may have important roles in the maintenance of epithelial integrity during tissue repair.Alemtuzumab is a humanized anti-CD52 lymphocytic antibody that is increasingly being used to induce immunosuppression;intestinal barrier function is impaired during treatment with alemtuzumab.We investigated the response of intestinal stem cells to epithelial damage resulting from alemtuzumab treatment.Intestinal epithelial cell loss and abnormal Paneth cell morphology were found following a single dose of alemtuzumab.The animals receiving alemtuzumab exhibited increased apoptosis in the villi 3 days after alemtuzumab treatment and in the crypt on day 9,but apoptosis was scarce on day 35.We assessed expression of Musashi-1-and Lgr5-positive stem cells following alemtuzumab treatment.Increased numbers of cells staining positive for both Musashi-1 and Lgr5 were found in the stem cell zone after alemtuzumab treatment for 3 and 9 days.These data indicated that the epithelial cells were injured following alemtuzumab treatment,with the associated expansion of intestinal stem cells.After alemtuzumab treatment for 35 days,the numbers of intestinal epithelial cells and intestinal stem cells returned to normal.This study suggests that alemtuzumab treatment induced the increase in stem cells,resulting in the availability of more enterocytes for repair.