Recent advances in living cell nucleic acid probes based on nanomaterials for early cancer diagnosis

The early diagnosis of cancer is vital for effective treatment and improved prognosis. Tumor biomarkers, which can be used for the early diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation of cancer, have emerged as a topic of intense research interest in recent years. Nucleic acid, as a type of tumor biomarker, contains vital genetic information, which is of great significance for the occurrence and development of cancer. Currently, living cell nucleic acid probes, which enable the in situ imaging and dynamic monitoring of nucleic acids, have become a rapidly developing field. This review focuses on living cell nucleic acid probes that can be used for the early diagnosis of tumors. We describe the fundamental design of the probe in terms of three units and focus on the roles of different nanomaterials in probe delivery.

Tim4 deficiency reduces CD301b+macrophage and aggravates periodontitis bone loss

Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease that causes the periodontal bone destruction and may ultimately result in tooth loss.With the progression of periodontitis,the osteoimmunology microenvironment in periodontitis is damaged and leads to the formation of pathological alveolar bone resorption.CD301b^(+)macrophages are specific to the osteoimmunology microenvironment,and are emerging as vital booster for conducting bone regeneration.However,the key upstream targets of CD301b^(+)macrophages and their potential mechanism in periodontitis remain elusive.In this study,we concentrated on the role of Tim4,a latent upstream regulator of CD301b^(+)macrophages.We first demonstrated that the transcription level of Timd4(gene name of Tim4)in CD301b^(+)macrophages was significantly upregulated compared to CD301b^(-) macrophages via high-throughput RNA sequencing.Moreover,several Tim4-related functions such as apoptotic cell clearance,phagocytosis and engulfment were positively regulated by CD301b^(+)macrophages.The single-cell RNA sequencing analysis subsequently discovered that Cd301b and Timd4 were specifically co-expressed in macrophages.The following flow cytometric analysis indicated that Tim4 positive expression rates in total macrophages shared highly synchronized dynamic changes with the proportions of CD301b^(+)macrophages as periodontitis progressed.Furthermore,the deficiency of Tim4 in mice decreased CD301b^(+)macrophages and eventually magnified alveolar bone resorption in periodontitis.Additionally,Tim4 controlled the p38 MAPK signaling pathway to ultimately mediate CD301b^(+)macrophages phenotype.In a word,Tim4 might regulate CD301b^(+)macrophages through p38 MAPK signaling pathway in periodontitis,which provided new insights into periodontitis immunoregulation as well as help to develop innovative therapeutic targets and treatment strategies for periodontitis.

聚羧酸减水剂结构改进与性能提升的聚合工艺优化

不同单体在水溶液中进行自由基共聚制备的聚羧酸减水剂(PCE)具有高效、稳定和安全方便等优点,是目前PCE生产的主流工艺,但自由基共聚存在的问题是生成聚合物的组成和结构与设计值偏离较大。文中基于试验得到的自由基共聚单体的竞聚率数据,以制备组成与结构均匀PCE共聚物为目的,通过理论计算和实验测定相结合方式,研究了共聚合过程中精确控制单体转化率变化和聚合物组成的新工艺。采用凝胶渗透色谱和高效液相色谱研究对比了新控制工艺与传统工艺(一次投料和滴加工艺)合成的PCE共聚物形成过程和结构特性,包括聚合物的相对分子质量和单体序列结构分布、大单体转化率等。结果显示,传统工艺合成的PCE共聚物组成和结构随聚合反应过程波动很大,与目标设计值显著偏离;采用控制工艺合成的PCE共聚物的平均酸醚比接近设计值(4.0),各时间段内酸醚比在设计值上下稍微波动(2.70~4.77)。不同工艺合成的PCE的性能研究结果表明,原材料配比相同条件下,控制工艺制备的PCE共聚物具有更好的分散性能和流动保持能力。

Flotation separation depressants for scheelite and calcium-bearing minerals: A review

Owing to the depletion of wolframite, the focus of tungsten extraction has gradually shifted to scheelite. However, separating the associated minerals(e.g., apatite, fluorite, and calcite) and scheelite is challenging because their surface physicochemical properties are similar to those of scheelite. Fortunately, researchers have made substantial progress in separating the minerals of scheelite by using depressants. This study reviews the application and inhibition mechanism of inorganic depressants in obtaining tungsten from its calcium-bearing minerals. The application of new organic depressants in obtaining tungsten from its calcium-bearing minerals and the associated mechanisms are also summarized. After an objective assessment of inorganic and organic depressants’ advantages and disadvantages, possible future research directions for inorganic and organic depressants are proposed. Herein, we provide a theoretical basis for developing scheelite flotation depressants.

The anodically polarized Mg surface products and accelerated hydrogen evolution

To clarify the anodic dissolution mechanism of Mg,the hydrogen evolution from pure Mg in acidic solutions under galvanostatic conditions were systematically measured.With increasing anodic current density,the cathodic hydrogen evolution rate decreased,and the anodic hydrogen evolution became faster while some surface area on the Mg was becoming dark under anodic polarization.Based on the surface analysis results and the generally accepted basic electrochemical equations,the evolution kinetics of hydrogen from Mg was deduced,and the most possible surface intermediate active species that could facilitate the anodic Mg dissolution and anodic hydrogen evolution were proposed.This paper further develops the model of incomplete film Mg^(+) dissolution,explains many reported experimental phenomena,and clarifies misunderstandings of current mechanism.

A Mg alloy with no hydrogen evolution during dissolution

Hydrogen evolution is normally associated with the corrosion or dissolution of Mg alloys in aqueous solutions.This work studied the corrosion behavior of sputtered pure Mg,Mg82Zn18(at.%),Mg64Zn36(at.%),and pure Zn in 3.5%Na Cl solution.Mg64Zn36had(ⅰ)an amorphous microstructure with some nano-scale grains,(ⅱ)a corrosion rate substantially lower than that of pure Mg,and(ⅲ)no hydrogen evolution during corrosion or anodic dissolution,because the positive corrosion potential retarded the cathodic hydrogen evolution.This is a new route to prevent hydrogen evolution during Mg corrosion,which has never previously been realized.

聚羧酸减水剂共聚单体活性及共聚物结构组成

以过硫酸铵分别引发甲基烯丙基聚乙二醇醚(MAPEG)、异戊烯基聚乙二醇醚(IPEG)、乙氧基乙烯基聚乙二醇醚(VEPEG)大单体与丙烯酸(AA)小单体进行自由基共聚合反应,制备了一系列不同单体配比的3种低转化率(<15%)共聚物,并进行了凝胶渗透色谱、高效液相色谱测试,通过K-T法计算得到了3个共聚体系中单体竞聚率分别为r(MAPEG)=0.017,r(AA)=1.700;r(IPEG)=0.042,r(AA)=1.630;r(VEPEG)=0.250,r(AA)=7.060。竞聚率结果表明,丙烯酸比大单体有更高的共聚活性;对比3种大单体共聚合活性,VEPEG大单体有更高的竞聚率且在链增长阶段显示出更高的活性;VEPEG-AA共聚体系的共聚物组成曲线符合一般理想共聚特征,而MAPEG-AA、IPEG-AA共聚物组成曲线表现出非理想共聚特征。

异丁烯醇聚氧乙烯醚与丙烯酸的竞聚率及共聚物链段分布

以过硫酸铵(APS)为引发剂,在50℃对异丁烯醇聚氧乙烯醚(HPEG)大单体与丙烯酸(AA)进行低转化率(<15%)的水溶液共聚反应。用凝胶渗透色谱和高效液相色谱分别测定反应体系中HPEG和AA剩余量。依据设计反应单体投料比,K-T作图法处理数据,得到异丁烯醇聚氧乙烯醚(HPEG)与丙烯酸(AA)的竞聚率分别为:r1(HPEG)=0.017,r2(AA)=1.70。进而分析了HPEG与AA共聚物P(HPEG-co-AA)的链段微结构和链节分布。当投料比为1∶4时,二元共聚物P(HPEG-co-AA)中HPEG以1个单体单元存在。丙烯酸均聚形成的链段以3~15个单体单元的链段长度为主,链段数均长度为7.8。

A physical model study of surrounding rock failure near a fault under the influence of footwall coal mining

A study of the deformation of the surrounding rock and coal pillars near a fault under the influence of mining is conducted on a physical model for the design of coal pillars to support and maintain the roofs of adjacent fault roadways.This research is based on the 15101 mining face in the Baiyangling Coal Mine,Shanxi,China,and uses simulation tests similar to digital speckle test technology to analyse the displacement,strain and vertical stress fields of surrounding rocks near faults to determine the influence of the coal pillar width.The results are as follows.The surrounding rock of the roadway roof fails to form a balance hinge for the massive rock mass.The vertical displacement,vertical strain and other deformation of the surrounding rock near the fault increase steeply as the coal pillar width decreases.The steep increase in deformation corresponds to a coal pillar width of 10 m.When the coal pillar width is 7.5 m,the pressure on the surrounding rock near the footwall of the fault suddenly increases,while the pressure on the hanging wall near the fault increases by only 0.35 MPa.The stress of the rock mass of the hanging wall is not completely shielded by the fault,and part of the load disturbance is still transmitted to the hanging wall via friction.The width of the fault coal pillars at the 15101 working face is determined to be 7.5 m,and the monitoring data verify the rationality of the fault coal pillars.

Analysis of results related to the percent free prostate specific antigen among men without prostate diseases in Xi'an area

To measure the percent of free prostate specific antigen （fPSA） among men without prostate diseases in Xi＇an area, and to study the relationship of percent fPSA with age and pathological grade, clinical stage of prostate cancer （PCa） with percent fPSA, and to analyze the difference between the data in China and the.overseas data to determine appropriate reference range for Chinese male. Methods： A total of 713 participants were enrolled into the study, with PSA, fPSA in serum measured and the percent fPSA calculated. Out of 713 cases, 679 without prostate diseases were divided into 5 groups by age, and then the relationships of PSA, fPSA and percent fPSA with age were studied, respectively. The relationship of pathological grade and clinical stage with percent fPSA of the 34 participants with PCa was also studied. With the help of the related data of men without prostate disease, the appropriate reference range for Chinese male was established. Results： The increases in PSA or fPSA were correlated with age, while there was no significant correlation between age and percent fPSA. The percent fPSA was also correlated with pathological grade and clinical stage of PCa. The percent fPSA of men without prostate disease in Xi＇an area was significandy lower than that in the related overseas data. The reference range of percent fPSA for Chinese male was≥ 15%. Conclusion： Percent fPSA might be more useful than PSA in the detection of prostate cancer. As the percent fPSA is decreased, the pathological grade is decreased, and the clinical stage is increased, the malignant degree is increased. The reference range of ≥15% is more appropriate for Chinese male.

基于球团三大主机热力学计算的研究

随着高炉炼铁和球团降煤耗的需求的不断提高,提高热利用率和球团冶金性能是大势所趋。本文系统地研究了球团三大主机热力学计算,并通过热力学计算谈提高球团矿抗压强度。在球团行业热利用率、10~12.5 mm球团抗压强度不高的情况下,我们提出了基于热力学计算来解决的方法和方向,这将有利于改进三大主机热稳定性和提高球团矿质量。

Silicon-based optical phased array with a reconfigurable aperture for“gaze”scanning of LiDAR

Light detection and ranging(LiDAR)serves as one of the key components in the fields of autonomous driving,surveying mapping,and environment detection.Conventionally,dense points clouds are pursued by LiDAR systems to provide high-definition 3D images.However,the LiDAR is typically used to produce abundant yet redundant data for scanning the homogeneous background of scenes,resulting in power waste and excessive processing time.Hence,it is highly desirable for a LiDAR system to“gaze”at the target of interest by dense scanning and rough sparse scans on the uninteresting areas.Here,we propose a LiDAR structure based on an optical phased array(OPA)with reconfigurable apertures to achieve such a gaze scanning function.By virtue of the cascaded optical switch integrated on the OPA chip,a 64-,128-,192-,or 256-channel antenna can be selected discretionarily to construct an aperture with variable size.The corresponding divergence angles for the far-field beam are 0.32°,0.15°,0.10°,and 0.08°,respectively.The reconfigurable-aperture OPA enables the LiDAR system to perform rough scans via the large beam spots prior to fine scans of the target by using the tiny beam spots.In this way,the OPA-based LiDAR can perform the“gaze”function and achieve full-range scanning efficiently.The scanning time and power consumption can be reduced by 1/4 while precise details of the target are maintained.Finally,we embed the OPA into a frequency-modulated continuous-wave(FMCW)system to demonstrate the“gaze”function in beam scanning.Experiment results show that the number of precise scanning points can be reduced by 2/3 yet can obtain the reasonable outline of the target.The reconfigurable-aperture OPA(RA-OPA)can be a promising candidate for the applications of rapid recognition,like car navigation and robot vision.

Symmetric-threshold ReLU for Fast and Nearly Lossless ANN-SNN Conversion

The artificial neural network-spiking neural network(ANN-SNN)conversion,as an efficient algorithm for deep SNNs training,promotes the performance of shallow SNNs,and expands the application in various tasks.However,the existing conversion methods still face the problem of large conversion error within low conversion time steps.In this paper,a heuristic symmetric-threshold rectified linear unit(stReLU)activation function for ANNs is proposed,based on the intrinsically different responses between the integrate-and-fire(IF)neurons in SNNs and the activation functions in ANNs.The negative threshold in stReLU can guarantee the conversion of negative activations,and the symmetric thresholds enable positive error to offset negative error between activation value and spike firing rate,thus reducing the conversion error from ANNs to SNNs.The lossless conversion from ANNs with stReLU to SNNs is demonstrated by theoretical formulation.By contrasting stReLU with asymmetric-threshold LeakyReLU and threshold ReLU,the effectiveness of symmetric thresholds is further explored.The results show that ANNs with stReLU can decrease the conversion error and achieve nearly lossless conversion based on the MNIST,Fashion-MNIST,and CIFAR10 datasets,with 6×to 250 speedup compared with other methods.Moreover,the comparison of energy consumption between ANNs and SNNs indicates that this novel conversion algorithm can also significantly reduce energy consumption.

Deep Domain Decomposition Methods:Helmholtz Equation

This paper proposes a deep-learning-based Robin-Robin domain decomposition method(DeepDDM)for Helmholtz equations.We first present the plane wave activation-based neural network(PWNN),which is more efficient for solving Helmholtz equations with constant coefficients and wavenumber k than finite difference methods(FDM).On this basis,we use PWNN to discretize the subproblems divided by domain decomposition methods(DDM),which is the main idea of DeepDDM.This paper will investigate the number of iterations of using DeepDDM for continuous and discontinuous Helmholtz equations.The results demonstrate that:DeepDDM exhibits behaviors consistent with conventional robust FDM-based domain decomposition method(FDM-DDM)under the same Robin parameters,i.e.,the number of iterations by DeepDDM is almost the same as that of FDM-DDM.By choosing suitable Robin parameters on different subdomains,the convergence rate is almost constant with the rise of wavenumber in both continuous and discontinuous cases.The performance of DeepDDM on Helmholtz equations may provide new insights for improving the PDE solver by deep learning.

Optical emission spectroscopy diagnosis of energetic Ar ions in synthesis of SiC polytypes by DC arc discharge plasma

Silicon carbides are basilic ceramics with proper bandgaps （2.4-3.3 eV） and unique optical properties. SiC@C monocrystal nanocapsules with different morphologies, sizes, and crystal types were synthesized via the fast and facile direct current （DC） arc discharge plasma method. The influence of Ar atmosphere on the formation of nanocrystal SiC polytypes was investigated by optical emission spectroscopy （OES） diagnoses on the arc discharge plasma. Boltzmann＇s plot was used to estimate the temperatures of plasma containing different Ar concentrations as 10,582 K （in 2 × 10^4 Pa of Ar partial pressure） and 14,523 K （in 4 × 10^4 Pa of Ar partial pressure）. It was found that higher energy state of plasma favors the ionization of carbon atoms and promotes the formation of α-SiC, while β-SiC is generally coexistent. Heat-treatment in air was applied to remove the carbon species in as-prepared SiC nanopowders. Thus, the intrinsic characters of SiC polytypes reappeared in the ultraviolet-visible （UV-vis） light absorbance. It was experimentally revealed that the direct bandgap of SiC is 5.72 eV, the indirect bandgap of β-SiC （3C） is 3.13 eV, and the indirect bandgap of α-SiC （6H） is 3.32 eV; visible quantum confinement effect is predicted for these polytypic SiC nanocrystals.

Development of optical-thermal coupled model for phosphor-converted LEDs

In this review, first, we discussed the effect of phosphor features on optical properties by the software simulation in detail. A combination of these parameters: phosphor material, phosphor particle size and particle distribution, phosphor layer concentration, phosphor layer thickness, geometry, and location of the phosphor layer, will result in the final optical performance of the phosphor layer. Secondly, we introduced how to improve light extraction efficiency with various proposed methods. Thirdly, we summarized the thermal models to predict the phosphor temperature and the junction temperature. To stabilize the optical performance of phosphor-converted light emitting diodes (PC-LEDs), much effort has been made to reduce the junction temperature of the LED chips. The phosphor temperature, a critical reliability concern for PC-LEDs, should be attracted academic interest. Finally, we summed up optical-thermal coupled model for phosphors and summarized future optical- thermal issues exploring the light quality for LEDs. We foresee that optical-thermal coupled model for PC-LEDs should be paid more attention in the future.

Recent progress in terahertz modulation using photonic structures based on two-dimensional materials

Terahertz(THz)technology has attracted great attention in the past few decades for its unique applications in various fields,including spectroscopy,noninvasive detection,wireless communications,and imaging.In parallel to this,the practical,fast,and broadband modulation of THz waves is becoming indispensable.Two-dimensional(2D)materials exhibit unusual optical and electrical properties,which has prompted tremendous interest and significant advances in THz modulation.This review provides the recent progress in 2D materials-based THz modulators,outlining the operating principles,including all-optical,electro-optic,magneto-optic,and other exotic mechanisms.We focus on the recent advances in THz modulation by the designed photonic structures,such as heterostructure,metamaterial,capacitor,optical cavity,and waveguide integration.Lastly,we discussed the challenges and opportunities for 2D materials-based THz modulators and presented our prospects for the future development.

CD301b^(+) macrophages mediate angiogenesis of calcium phosphate bioceramics by CaN/NFATc1/VEGF axis

Calcium phosphate(CaP)bioceramics are important for tissue regeneration and immune response,yet how CaP bioceramics influence these biological processes remains unclear.Recently,the role of immune cells in biomaterial-mediated regeneration,especially macrophages,has been well concerned.CD301b^(+)macrophages were a new subset of macrophages we have discovered,which were required for bioceramics-mediated bone regeneration.Nevertheless,the impact of CD301b^(+)macrophages on angiogenesis,which is a vital prerequisite to bone formation is yet indistinct.Herein,we found that CD301b^(+)macrophages were closely correlated to angiogenesis of CaP bioceramics.Additionally,depletion of CD301b^(+)macrophages led to the failure of angiogenesis.We showed that store-operated Ca^(2+)entry and calcineurin signals regulated the VEGF expression of CD301b^(+)macrophages via the NFATc1/VEGF axis.Inhibition of calcineurin effectively impaired angiogenesis via decreasing the infiltration of CD301b^(+)macrophages.These findings provided a potential immunomodulatory strategy to optimize the integration of angiogenesis and bone tissue engineering scaffold materials.

Active-Sensing Epidermal Stretchable Bioelectronic Patch for Noninvasive,Conformal,and Wireless Tendon Monitoring

Sensors capable of monitoring dynamic mechanics of tendons throughout a body in real time could bring systematic information about a human body’s physical condition,which is beneficial for avoiding muscle injury,checking hereditary muscle atrophy,and so on.However,the development of such sensors has been hindered by the requirement of superior portability,high resolution,and superb conformability.Here,we present a wearable and stretchable bioelectronic patch for detecting tendon activities.It is made up of a piezoelectric material,systematically optimized from architectures and mechanics,and exhibits a high resolution of 5:8×10^(−5)N with a linearity parameter of R^(2)=0:999.Additionally,a tendon real-time monitoring and healthcare system is established by integrating the patch with a micro controller unit(MCU),which is able to process collected data and deliver feedback for exercise evaluation.Specifically,through the patch on the ankle,we measured the maximum force on the Achilles tendon during jumping which is about 16312 N,which is much higher than that during normal walking(3208 N)and running(5909 N).This work not only provides a strategy for facile monitoring of the variation of the tendon throughout the body but also throws light on the profound comprehension of human activities.

Buildup of Sn@CNT nanorods by in-situ thermal plasma and the electronic transport behaviors

Monocrystal Sn nanorods encapsulated in the multi-walled carbon nanotubes(Sn@CNT NRs), were fabricated by a facile arc-discharge plasma process, using bulk Sn as the raw target and methane as the gaseous carbon source. The typical Sn@CNT NRs are 40–90 nm in diameter and400–500 nm in length. The CNTs protect the inner Sn nanorods from oxidation. Temperature dependent I–V curve and electronic resistance reveal that the dielectric behavior of Sn@CNT NRs is attributed to the multi-wall CNTs shell and follows Mott-David variable range hopping [ln R(T)∝T-1/4]model above the superconducting critical temperature of3.69 K, with semiconductor–superconductor transition(SST).Josephson junction of Sn/CNT/Sn layered structure is responsible for the superconducting behavior of Sn@CNT NRs.