“DragonRing”亮相华西医院

DragonRing是中国首款完全自主研发的介入瓣环成形系统,标志着我国医疗器械自主创新在瓣膜介入治疗领域的又一次重大突破。2022年10月28日,四川大学华西医院心脏内科陈茂教授带领的多学科心脏团队成功应用Dragon Ring经导管瓣环成形系统,完成了全球首例临床研究人体植入。

“Coffee ring” controlment in spray prepared >19% efficiency Cs_(0.19)FA_(0.81)PbI_(2.5)Br_(0.5) perovskite solar cells

Achieving high-quality perovskite films with uniform morphology and homogeneous crystallinity is challenging owing to the coffee ring effect(CRE) in the spray-coating technologies. In this study, an evaporation/spray-coating two-step deposition method is used to fabricate Cs_(0.19)FA_(0.81)PbI_(2.5)Br_(0.5)light harvesters for perovskite solar cells(PSCs). Considering the solid–liquid reaction, we establish a reaction-dependent regulating strategy that inhibits CRE successfully and prepare a high-quality perovskite layer, wherein the solvent for the FAI/Br solution during the spraying process is changed from isopropanol to n-butyl alcohol(NBA). The retarded-drying-enhanced spreading of the NBA solution inhibits contact line pinning to suppress the capillary flows and increases the reaction between metal halides(CsI/PbI_(2)) and organic salts(FAI/Br), which result in a reduction in the accumulation of solutes in the periphery effectively inhibiting CRE. Consequently, we obtain a high performance Cs_(0.19)FA_(0.81)PbI_(2.5)Br_(0.5) PSC with a power conversion efficiency(PCE) of 19.17%. An enlarged perovskite film(10 × 10 cm^(2)) containing 40 sub-cells is prepared. The average PCE of these devices is 18.33 ± 0.56%, proving the reliability of the "coffee ring" regulating strategy. This study provides an effective approach for CRE controlment in spraying technology to achieve high repeatability devices with good performance.

从John的《语义学》看语义模糊和歧义——以“RUN”&“RING”为例

在当今世界各种语言中,英语以其词汇丰富与词义众多著称。一词多义更是英语一大特色,据有关专家研究,有些英语词汇竟有多达上百个意思,如意大利语法学家Varro研究发现"RUN"有831个意思。而对于一词多义现象的理解,各学家的观点又不甚相同。本文通过对两个含义较多,典型的一词多义词RUN&RING的分析,借助John I. Saeed所著的Semantics中的观点提出对模糊和歧义不同的理解。

深水采油树Spring-Seal密封圈接触模型构建与实验测试

为提高深水采油树在高压、高温、低温等工况下长时间工作的稳定性,对采油树密封圈进行重新设计,提出Spring-Seal密封圈(以下简称S密封圈);基于赫兹接触理论、填料密封接触理论,重新构建S密封圈接触力学模型;建立有限元仿真分析模型,分析不同条件下S密封圈的密封性能,同时验证新建接触模型的合理性;利用实验测试S密封圈的实际密封效果。研究结果表明:S密封圈在高压、高温、低温等工况下能够长时间稳定工作且密封性能良好。研究结果可为S密封圈的接触研究及工程运用提供理论参考。

Rising utilization of stable isotopes in tree rings for climate change and forest ecology

Analyses of stable isotopes(C,O,H)in tree rings are increasingly important cross-disciplinary programs.The rapid development in this field documented in an increasing number of publications requires a comprehensive review.This study includes a bibliometric analysis-based review to better understand research trends in tree ring stable isotope research.Overall,1475 publications were selected from the Web of Science Core Collection for 1974-2023.The findings are that:(1)numbers of annual publications and citations increased since 1974.From 1974 to 1980,there were around two relevant publications per year.However,from 2020 to 2022,this rose sharply to 109 publications per year.Likewise,average article citations were less than four per year before 1990,but were around four per article per year after 2000;(2)the major subjects using tree ring stable isotopes include forestry,geosciences,and environmental sciences,contributing to 42.5%of the total during 1974-2023;(3)the top three most productive institutions are the Chinese Academy of Sciences(423),the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest,Snow and Landscape Research(227),and the University of Arizona(204).These achievements result from strong collaborations;(4)review papers,for example,(Dawson et al.,Annu Rev Ecol Syst 33:507-559,2002)and(McCarroll and Loader,Quat Sci Rev 23:771-801,2004),are among the most cited,with more than 1000 citations;(5)tree ring stable isotope studies mainly focus on climatology and ecology,with atmospheric CO_(2) one of the most popular topics.Since 2010,precipitation and drought have received increasing attention.Based on this analysis,the research stages,key findings,debated issues,limitations and direc-tions for future research are summarized.This study serves as an important attempt to understand the progress on the use of stable isotopes in tree rings,providing scientific guid-ance for young researchers in this field.

Dynamics of a rotating ring-stiffened sandwich conical shell with an auxetic honeycomb core

The free vibration analysis of a rotating sandwich conical shell with a reentrant auxetic honeycomb core and homogenous isotropic face layers reinforced with a ring support is studied.The shell is modeled utilizing the first-order shear deformation theory(FSDT)incorporating the relative,centripetal,and Coriolis accelerations alongside the initial hoop tension created by the rotation.The governing equations,compatibility conditions,and boundary conditions are attained using Hamilton’s principle.Utilizing trigonometric functions,an analytical solution is derived in the circumferential direction,and a numerical one is presented in the meridional direction via the differential quadrature method(DQM).The effects of various factors on the critical rotational speeds and forward and backward frequencies of the shell are studied.The present work is the first theoretical work regarding the dynamic analysis of a rotating sandwich conical shell with an auxetic honeycomb core strengthened with a ring support.

Winter-spring minimum temperature variations inferred from tree-ring δ^(13)C in southeastern China

Long-term temperature variations inferred from high-resolution proxies provide an important context to evaluate the intensity of current warming.However,tem-perature reconstructions in humid southeastern China are scarce and particularly lack long-term data,limiting us to obtain a complete picture of regional temperature evolution.In this study,we present a well-verified reconstruction of winter-spring(January–April)minimum temperatures over southeastern China based on stable carbon isotopic(δ^(13)C)records of tree rings from Taxus wallichiana var.mairei from 1860 to 2014.This reconstruction accounted for 56.4%of the total observed variance.Cold periods occurred during the 1860s–1910s and 1960s–1970s.Although temperatures have had an upward trend since the 1920s,most of the cold extremes were in recent decades.The El Niño-Southern Oscillation(ENSO)variance acted as a key modulator of regional winter-spring minimum temperature variability.However,teleconnections between them were a nonlinear process,i.e.,a reduced or enhanced ENSO variance may result in a weakened or intensified temperature-ENSO relationship.

Climate warming is significantly influenced by rising summer maximum temperatures:insights from tree-ring evidence of the Western Tianshan Mountains,China

As one of the regions most affected by global climate warming,the Tianshan mountains has experienced several ecological crises,including retreating glaciers and water deficits.Climate warming in these mountains is considered mainly to be caused by increases in minimum temperatures and winter temperatures,while the influence of maximum temperatures is unclear.In this study,a 300-year tree-ring chronology developed from the Western Tianshan Mountains was used to reconstruct the summer(June-August)maximum temperature(Tmax6-8) variations from 1718 to2017.The reconstruction explained 53.1% of the variance in the observed Tmax6-8.Over the past 300 years,the Tmax6-8reconstruction showed clear interannual and decadal variabilities.There was a significant warming trend(0.18 ℃/decade) after the 1950s,which was close to the increasing rates of the minimum and mean temperatures.The increase in maximum temperature was also present over the whole Tianshan mountains and its impact on climate warming has increased.The Tmax6-8variations in the Western Tianshan mountains were influenced by frequent volcanic eruptions combined with the influence of solar activity and the summer North Atlantic Oscillation.This study reveals that climate warming is significantly influenced by the increase in maximum temperatures and clarifies possible driving mechanisms of temperature variations in the Western Tianshan mountains which should aid climate predictions.

Stability assessment of tree ring growth of Pinus armandii Franch in response to climate change based on slope directions at the Lubanling in the Funiu Mountains,China

Global warming will affect growth strategies and how trees will adapt.To compare the response of tree radial growth to climate warming in different slope directions,samples of Pinus armandii Franch were collected and tree-ring chronologies developed on northern and western slopes from the Lubanling in the Funiu Mountains.Correlation analyses showed that two chronologies were mainly limited by temperatures in the previous June-August and the com-bination of temperatures and moisture in the current May-July.The difference of the climate response to slopes was small but not negligible.Radial growth of the LBLO1 site on the northern slope was affected by the combined maximum and minimum temperatures,while that of the LBLO2 site was affected by maximum temperatures.With regards to moisture,radial growth of the trees on the north slope was influenced by the relative humidity in the current May-July,while on the western slope,it was affected by the relative humidity in the previous June-August,the current May-July and the precipitation in the current May-July.With the change in climate,the effects of the main limiting factors on growth on different slopes were visible to a certain extent,but the differences in response of trees on different slopes gradually decreased,which might be caused by factors such as different slope directions and the change in diurnal temperature range.These results may provide information for forest protection and ecological construction in this region,and a scientific reference for future climate reconstruction.

Stability assessment of tree ring growth of Pinus armandii Franch in response to climate change based on slope directions at the Lubanling in the Funiu Mountains,China

Global warming will affect growth strategies and how trees will adapt.To compare the response of tree radial growth to climate warming in different slope directions,samples of Pinus armandii Franch were collected and treering chronologies developed on northern and western slopes from the Lubanling in the Funiu Mountains.Correlation analyses showed that two chronologies were mainly limited by temperatures in the previous June–August and the combination of temperatures and moisture in the current May–July.The difference of the climate response to slopes was small but not negligible.Radial growth of the LBL01 site on the northern slope was affected by the combined maximum and minimum temperatures,while that of the LBL02 site was affected by maximum temperatures.With regards to moisture,radial growth of the trees on the north slope was influenced by the relative humidity in the current May–July,while on the western slope,it was affected by the relative humidity in the previous June–August,the current May–July and the precipitation in the current May–July.With the change in climate,the effects of the main limiting factors on growth on different slopes were visible to a certain extent,but the differences in response of trees on different slopes gradually decreased,which might be caused by factors such as different slope directions and the change in diurnal temperature range.These results may provide information for forest protection and ecological construction in this region,and a scientific reference for future climate reconstruction.

Dynamics of perinuclear actin ring regulating nuclear morphology

Cells are capable of sensing and responding to the extracellular mechanical microenvironment via the actin skeleton.In vivo,tissues are frequently subject to mechanical forces,such as the rapid and significant shear flow encountered by vascular endothelial cells.However,the investigations about the transient response of intracellular actin networks under these intense external mechanical forces,their intrinsic mechanisms,and potential implications are very limited.Here,we observe that when cells are subject to the shear flow,an actin ring structure could be rapidly assembled at the periphery of the nucleus.To gain insights into the mechanism underlying this perinuclear actin ring assembly,we develop a computational model of actin dynamics.We demonstrate that this perinuclear actin ring assembly is triggered by the depolymerization of cortical actin,Arp2/3-dependent actin filament polymerization,and myosin-mediated actin network contraction.Furthermore,we discover that the compressive stress generated by the perinuclear actin ring could lead to a reduction in the nuclear spreading area,an increase in the nuclear height,and a decrease in the nuclear volume.The present model thus explains the mechanism of the perinuclear actin ring assembly under external mechanical forces and suggests that the spontaneous contraction of this actin structure can significantly impact nuclear morphology.

Climate warming is significantly influenced by rising summer maximum temperatures: insights from tree-ring evidence of the Western Tianshan Mountains, China

As one of the regions most affected by global cli-mate warming,the Tianshan mountains has experienced sev-eral ecological crises,including retreating glaciers and water deficits.Climate warming in these mountains is considered mainly to be caused by increases in minimum temperatures and winter temperatures,while the influence of maximum temperatures is unclear.In this study,a 300-year tree-ring chronology developed from the Western Tianshan Moun-tains was used to reconstruct the summer(June-August)maximum temperature(T_(max6-8))variations from 1718 to 2017.The reconstruction explained 53.1% of the variance in the observed T_(max6-8).Over the past 300 years,the T_(max6-8)reconstruction showed clear interannual and decadal vari-abilities.There was a significant warming trend(0.18°C/decade)after the 1950s,which was close to the increasing rates of the minimum and mean temperatures.The increase in maximum temperature was also present over the whole Tianshan mountains and its impact on climate warming has increased.The T_(max6-8) variations in the Western Tianshan mountains were influenced by frequent volcanic eruptions combined with the influence of solar activity and the sum-mer North Atlantic Oscillation.This study reveals that cli-mate warming is significantly influenced by the increase in maximum temperatures and clarifies possible driving mech-anisms of temperature variations in the Western Tianshan mountains which should aid climate predictions.

Annual growth of Fagus orientalis is limited by spring drought conditions in Iran’s Golestan Province

Due to the lack of a uniform and accurate defi-nition of‘drought’,several indicators have been introduced based on different variables and methods,and the efficiency of each of these is determined according to their relationship with drought.The relationship between two drought indices,SPI(standardized precipitation index)and SPEI(standard-ized precipitation-evapotranspiration index)in different sea-sons was investigated using annual rings of 15 tree samples to determine the effect of drought on the growth of oriental beech(Fagus orientalis Lipsky)in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran.The different evapotranspiration calcula-tion methods were evaluated on SPEI efficiency based on Hargreaves-Samani,Thornthwaite,and Penman-Monteith methods using the step-by-step M5 decision tree regression method.The results show that SPEI based on the Penman-Monteith in a three-month time scale(spring)had similar temporal changes and a better relationship with annual tree rings(R^(2)=0.81)at a 0.05 significant level.Abrupt change and a decreasing trend in the time series of annual tree rings are similar to the variation in the SPEI based on the Penman-Monteith method.Factors affecting evapotranspiration,temperature,wind speed,and sunshine hours(used in the Penman-Monteith method),increased but precipitation decreased.Using non-linear modeling methods,SPEI based on Penman-Monteith best illustrated climate changes affecting tree growth.

Analysis and optimization of stamping and forming process of bearing outer ring

To address the common issues of wrinkling,tearing,and uneven wall thickness in the actual sheet metal stamp-ing process of the outer ring of needle roller bearings,this study analyzes critical technical indicators such asforming limits,thickness distribution,and principal strains in the forming process in detail.Three-dimensionalmodels of the concave and convex dies were constructed.The effects of different process parameters,includingstamping speed,edge pressure,sheet metal thickness,and friction coefficient,on the quality of the forming partswere investigated by varying these parameters.Subsequently,the orthogonal experimental method was used todetermine an optimal experimental group from multiple sets of experiments.It was found that under the processparameters of a stamping speed of 3000 mm/s,edge pressure of 2000 N,sheet metal thickness of 0.9 mm,andfriction coefficient of 0.125,the forming quality of the outer ring of the bearing is ideal.

Single atom Cu-N-C catalysts for the electro-reduction of CO_(2) to CO assessed by rotating ring-disc electrode

The electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR) to controllable chemicals is considered as a promising pathway to store intermittent renewable energy. Herein, a set of catalysts based on copper-nitrogendoped carbon xerogel(Cu-N-C) are successfully developed varying the copper amount and the nature of the copper precursor, for the efficient CO_(2)RR. The electrocatalytic performance of Cu-N-C materials is assessed by a rotating ring-disc electrode(RRDE), technique still rarely explored for CO_(2)RR. For comparison, products are also characterized by online gas chromatography in a H-cell. The as-synthesized Cu-NC catalysts are found to be active and highly CO selective at low overpotentials(from -0.6 to -0.8 V vs.RHE) in 0.1 M KHCO_(3), while H_(2) from the competitive water reduction appears at larger overpotentials(-0.9 V vs. RHE). The optimum copper acetate-derived catalyst containing Cu-N_(4) moieties exhibits a CO_(2)-to-CO turnover frequency of 997 h^(-1) at -0.9 V vs. RHE with a H_(2)/CO ratio of 1.8. These results demonstrate that RRDE configuration can be used as a feasible approach for identifying electrolysis products from CO_(2)RR.

Enhancing efficiency and stability of organic solar cells through a simplified four-step synthesis of fully non-fused ring electron acceptor

Design and synthesis of superior cost-effective non-fullerene acceptors(NFAs)are still big challenges for facilitating the commercialization of organic solar cells(OSCs),yet to be realized.Herein,two medium bandgap fully non-fused ring electron acceptors(NFREAs,medium bandgap,i,e.,1,3-1,8 eV),namely PTR-2Cl and PTR-4Cl are synthesized with only four steps by using intramolecular noncovalent interaction central core,structured alkyl side chain orientation linking units and flanking with different electron-withdrawing end group.Among them,PTR-4C1 exhibits increased average electrostatic potential(ESP)difference with polymer donor,enhanced crystallinity and compactπ-πstacking compared with the control molecule PTR-2CI.As a result,the PTR-4Cl-based OSC achieved an impressive power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 14.72%,with a much higher open-circuit voltage(V_(OC))of 0.953 V and significantly improved fill factor(FF)of 0.758,demonstrating one of the best acceptor material in the top-performing fully NFREA-based OSCs with both high PCE and V_(OC).Notably,PTR-4Cl-based cells maintain a good T_80lifetime of its initial PCE after over 936 h under a continuous thermal annealing treatment and over1300 h T_(80)lifetime without encapsulation.This work provides a cost-effective design strategy for NFREAs on obtaining high V_(OC),efficient exciton dissociation,and ordered molecular packing and thus high-efficiency and stable OSCs.

Lateral ring compression test applied to a small caliber steel jacket:Identification of a constitutive model

The evolution of threats and scenarios requires continuous performance improvements of ballistic protections for armed forces.From a modeling point of view,it is necessary to use sufficiently precise material behavior models to accurately describe the phenomena observed during the impact of a projectile on a protective equipment.In this context,the goal of this paper is to characterize the behavior of a small caliber steel jacket by combining experimental and numerical approaches.The experimental method is based on the lateral compression of ring specimens directly machined from the thin and small ammunition.Various speeds and temperatures are considered in a quasi-static regime in order to reveal the strain rate and temperature dependencies of the tested material.The Finite Element Updating Method(FEMU)is used.Experimental results are coupled with an inverse optimization method and a finite element numerical model in order to determine the parameters of a constitutive model representative of the jacket material.Predictions of the present model are verified against experimental results and a parametric study as well as a discussion on the identified material parameters are proposed.The results indicate that the strain hardening parameter can be neglected and the behavior of the thin steel jacket can be described by a modeling without strain hardening sensitivity.

A vector sum analysis method for stability evolution of expansive soil slope considering shear zone damage softening

Slope stability analysis is a classical mechanical problem in geotechnical engineering and engineering geology.It is of great significance to study the stability evolution of expansive soil slopes for engineering construction in expansive soil areas.Most of the existing studies evaluate the slope stability by analyzing the limit equilibrium state of the slope,and the analysis method for the stability evolution considering the damage softening of the shear zone is lacking.In this study,the large deformation shear mechanical behavior of expansive soil was investigated by ring shear test.The damage softening characteristic of expansive soil in the shear zone was analyzed,and a shear damage model reflecting the damage softening behavior of expansive soil was derived based on the damage theory.Finally,by skillfully combining the vector sum method and the shear damage model,an analysis method for the stability evolution of the expansive soil slope considering the shear zone damage softening was proposed.The results show that the shear zone subjected to large displacement shear deformation exhibits an obvious damage softening phenomenon.The damage variable equation based on the logistic function can be well used to describe the shear damage characteristics of expansive soil,and the proposed shear damage model is in good agreement with the ring shear test results.The vector sum method considering the damage softening behavior of the shear zone can be well applied to analyze the stability evolution characteristics of the expansive soil slope.The stability factor of the expansive soil slope decreases with the increase of shear displacement,showing an obvious progressive failure behavior.

Cover story: Neuromodulation Brings Sunshine to Diseased Brains

Various invasive and non-invasive brain modulation methods are widely used to regulate sensory,cognitive,and motor functions both within local and large brain networks.This special issue provides innovative studies to optimize relevant methods and understand their neural mechanisms,paving the way for personalized neuromodulation of cognitive function.The cover of this issue uses the image of the four heavenly Kings in Chinese culture who are in charge of good weather.It compares the process of neuroregulation technology that integrates the principles of sound,light electricity or magnetism in treating the diseased brain,to the moment when these gods cast their spells to bring sunshine and peace to the human brain in the midst of lightning and thunder.

MATRICES OVER A REDUCED RING AS SUMS OF THREE TRIPOTENTS

In this paper,we study reduced rings in which every element is a sum of three tripotents that commute,and determine the integral domains over which every n£n matrix is a sum of three tripotents.It is proved that for an integral domain R,every matrix in M_(n)(R)is a sum of three tripotents if and only if R■Zp with p=2,3,5 or 7.