Dielectric elastomers(DEs)have emerged as one of the most promising artificial muscle technologies,due to their exceptional properties such as large actuation strain,fast response,high energy density,and flexible proc...Dielectric elastomers(DEs)have emerged as one of the most promising artificial muscle technologies,due to their exceptional properties such as large actuation strain,fast response,high energy density,and flexible processibility for various configurations.Over the past two decades,researchers have been working on developing DE materials with improved properties and exploring innovative applications of dielectric elastomer actuators(DEAs).This review article focuses on two main topics:recent material innovation of DEs and development of multilayer stacking processes for DEAs,which are important to promoting commercialization of DEs.It begins by explaining the working principle of a DEA.Then,recently developed strategies for preparing new DE materials are introduced,including reducing mechanical stiffness,increasing dielectric permittivity,suppressing viscoelasticity loss,and mitigating electromechanical instability without pre-stretching.In the next section,different multilayer stacking methods for fabricating multilayer DEAs are discussed,including conventional dry stacking,wet stacking,a novel dry stacking method,and micro-fabrication-enabled stacking techniques.This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of recent developments in high-performance DE materials and multilayer stacking methods.It highlights the progress made in the field and also discusses potential future directions for further advancements.展开更多
Objective To compare the long-term clinical effects of two kinds of crowns and bridges made of porcelain fused to Au-Pt alloy and Ni-Cr alloy. Methods A total of 131 teeth (64 patients) were rehabilitated using porcel...Objective To compare the long-term clinical effects of two kinds of crowns and bridges made of porcelain fused to Au-Pt alloy and Ni-Cr alloy. Methods A total of 131 teeth (64 patients) were rehabilitated using porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, among which 59 were rehabilitated with Au-Pt alloy metal ceramic crown and 72 with Ni-Cr alloy metal ceramic crown. The porcelain fracture, shade, marginal adaptation, gingival discoloration, and gingival status after finishing restoration and 36 months of follow-up were evaluated. Results After 36 months of restoration, porcelain fused to Au-Pt alloy crown showed better clinical effects than porcelain fused to Ni-Cr alloy crown in shade, marginal adaptation, gingival discoloration, as well as gingival status (all P<0.05). Conclusion The Au-Pt alloy ceramic crown is superior to Ni-Cr alloy ceramic crown in long-term clinical effects.展开更多
To further improve the microstructure and mechanical properties of gas tungsten arc welded(GTAW)welded joints for ZC63 magnesium alloy,post-weld heat treatment is carried out.It is found that the majority of the MgZnC...To further improve the microstructure and mechanical properties of gas tungsten arc welded(GTAW)welded joints for ZC63 magnesium alloy,post-weld heat treatment is carried out.It is found that the majority of the MgZnCu phase in the fusion zone(FZ)is dissolved in theα-Mg matrix under suitable heat treatment conditions.The remainder is diffusely distributed as rods or granules at the grain bound-aries.The excessive heat treatment temperature(460℃)leads to abnormal grain growth(AGG)in the FZ.The substructure gradient between the abnormally grown grains and the surrounding small grains pro-vides the driving force for AGG.Meanwhile,the dissolution of the MgZnCu phase weakens the hindering effect of the second phase on grain boundary migration,setting the stage for AGG.In addition,the detri-mental impact of the continuous MgZnCu phase on the mechanical properties of the welded joint is also lessened by its dissolution.The ultimate tensile strength(UTS),yield strength(YS)and elongation(EL)of the welded joints are 255 MPa,119 MPa and 27.0%,respectively,under the post-weld heat treatment process of 440℃×12 h.The welding coefficient of the welded joint reaches 97.0%,satisfying the service criteria set forth by the mechanical properties of the welded joints.展开更多
Glucocorticoid-induced tumor-necrosis factor receptor(GITR)and its ligand,GITRL,play significant roles in regulating immune responses.It is clear that human soluble GITRL(hsGITRL)transduces signal activity through mul...Glucocorticoid-induced tumor-necrosis factor receptor(GITR)and its ligand,GITRL,play significant roles in regulating immune responses.It is clear that human soluble GITRL(hsGITRL)transduces signal activity through multiple oligomerization states.To develop human soluble trimeric GITRL protein as a potential therapeutic target,we explored the link of the isoleucine-zipper(ILZ)motif to the N-terminus of the human soluble GITRL with two leucine sequences.hsGITRL,with the ILZ motif(ILZ-hsGITRL),was firstly expressed in Escherichia coli,which exhibited a predominant trimer when identified by Sephadex G-100 filtration and non-reducing SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE).The significantly higher biological activity of the ILZ-hsGITRL compared with hsGITRL was confirmed by CD41 T proliferation,interferon-c(IFN-c)secretion and binding activity assay.To reveal and compare the underlying mechanisms,the level of extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2(ERK1/2)phosphorylation was examined,indicating that ILZ-hsGITRL induced more persistent and stronger ERK1/2 activation than hsGITRL.In conclusion,the incorporation of an ILZ motif could markedly improve the costimulation of hsGITRL.展开更多
基金This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.T229722).
文摘Dielectric elastomers(DEs)have emerged as one of the most promising artificial muscle technologies,due to their exceptional properties such as large actuation strain,fast response,high energy density,and flexible processibility for various configurations.Over the past two decades,researchers have been working on developing DE materials with improved properties and exploring innovative applications of dielectric elastomer actuators(DEAs).This review article focuses on two main topics:recent material innovation of DEs and development of multilayer stacking processes for DEAs,which are important to promoting commercialization of DEs.It begins by explaining the working principle of a DEA.Then,recently developed strategies for preparing new DE materials are introduced,including reducing mechanical stiffness,increasing dielectric permittivity,suppressing viscoelasticity loss,and mitigating electromechanical instability without pre-stretching.In the next section,different multilayer stacking methods for fabricating multilayer DEAs are discussed,including conventional dry stacking,wet stacking,a novel dry stacking method,and micro-fabrication-enabled stacking techniques.This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of recent developments in high-performance DE materials and multilayer stacking methods.It highlights the progress made in the field and also discusses potential future directions for further advancements.
文摘Objective To compare the long-term clinical effects of two kinds of crowns and bridges made of porcelain fused to Au-Pt alloy and Ni-Cr alloy. Methods A total of 131 teeth (64 patients) were rehabilitated using porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns, among which 59 were rehabilitated with Au-Pt alloy metal ceramic crown and 72 with Ni-Cr alloy metal ceramic crown. The porcelain fracture, shade, marginal adaptation, gingival discoloration, and gingival status after finishing restoration and 36 months of follow-up were evaluated. Results After 36 months of restoration, porcelain fused to Au-Pt alloy crown showed better clinical effects than porcelain fused to Ni-Cr alloy crown in shade, marginal adaptation, gingival discoloration, as well as gingival status (all P<0.05). Conclusion The Au-Pt alloy ceramic crown is superior to Ni-Cr alloy ceramic crown in long-term clinical effects.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51974082)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.N2209001)the Programme of Introducing Talents of Discipline Innovation to Universities 2.0(the 111 Project 2.0 of China,No.BP0719037).
文摘To further improve the microstructure and mechanical properties of gas tungsten arc welded(GTAW)welded joints for ZC63 magnesium alloy,post-weld heat treatment is carried out.It is found that the majority of the MgZnCu phase in the fusion zone(FZ)is dissolved in theα-Mg matrix under suitable heat treatment conditions.The remainder is diffusely distributed as rods or granules at the grain bound-aries.The excessive heat treatment temperature(460℃)leads to abnormal grain growth(AGG)in the FZ.The substructure gradient between the abnormally grown grains and the surrounding small grains pro-vides the driving force for AGG.Meanwhile,the dissolution of the MgZnCu phase weakens the hindering effect of the second phase on grain boundary migration,setting the stage for AGG.In addition,the detri-mental impact of the continuous MgZnCu phase on the mechanical properties of the welded joint is also lessened by its dissolution.The ultimate tensile strength(UTS),yield strength(YS)and elongation(EL)of the welded joints are 255 MPa,119 MPa and 27.0%,respectively,under the post-weld heat treatment process of 440℃×12 h.The welding coefficient of the welded joint reaches 97.0%,satisfying the service criteria set forth by the mechanical properties of the welded joints.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.30871193 and No.30972748)Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(Grant No.BK2004405)+2 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province Educational Commission(Grant No.08KJB320002)Research Foundation of Jiangsu Province Health Department(Grant No.H200952)Top Talent Program of Jiangsu University and SCI-Tech Innovation Team of Jiangsu University。
文摘Glucocorticoid-induced tumor-necrosis factor receptor(GITR)and its ligand,GITRL,play significant roles in regulating immune responses.It is clear that human soluble GITRL(hsGITRL)transduces signal activity through multiple oligomerization states.To develop human soluble trimeric GITRL protein as a potential therapeutic target,we explored the link of the isoleucine-zipper(ILZ)motif to the N-terminus of the human soluble GITRL with two leucine sequences.hsGITRL,with the ILZ motif(ILZ-hsGITRL),was firstly expressed in Escherichia coli,which exhibited a predominant trimer when identified by Sephadex G-100 filtration and non-reducing SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE).The significantly higher biological activity of the ILZ-hsGITRL compared with hsGITRL was confirmed by CD41 T proliferation,interferon-c(IFN-c)secretion and binding activity assay.To reveal and compare the underlying mechanisms,the level of extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2(ERK1/2)phosphorylation was examined,indicating that ILZ-hsGITRL induced more persistent and stronger ERK1/2 activation than hsGITRL.In conclusion,the incorporation of an ILZ motif could markedly improve the costimulation of hsGITRL.
