2.4 V ultrahigh-voltage aqueous MXene-based asymmetric micro-supercapacitors with high volumetric energy density toward a self-sufficient integrated microsystem

Two-dimensional MXenes are key high-capacitance electrode materials for micro-supercapacitors(MSCs)catering to integrated microsystems.However,the narrow electrochemical voltage windows of conventional aqueous electrolytes(≤1.23 V)and symmetric MXene MSCs(typically≤0.6 V)substantially limit their output voltage and energy density.Highly concentrated aqueous electrolytes exhibit lower water molecule activity,which inhibits water splitting and consequently widens the operating voltage window.Herein,we report ultrahigh-voltage aqueous planar asymmetric MSCs(AMSCs)based on a highly concentrated LiCl-gel quasi-solid-state electrolyte with MXene(Ti3C2Tx)as the negative electrode and MnO_(2) nanosheets as the positive electrode(MXene//MnO_(2)-AMSCs).The MXene//MnO_(2)-AMSCs exhibit a high voltage of up to 2.4 V,attaining an ultrahigh volumetric energy density of 53 mWh cm−3.Furthermore,the in-plane geometry and the quasi-solid-state electrolyte enabled excellent mechanical flexibility and performance uniformity in the serially/parallel connected packs of our AMSCs.Notably,the MXene//MnO_(2)-AMSC-based integrated microsystem,in conjunction with solar cells and consumer electronics,could efficiently realize simultaneous energy harvesting,storage,and conversion.The findings of this study provide insights for constructing high-voltage aqueous MXene-based AMSCs as safe and self-sufficient micropower sources in smart integrated microsystems.

Routing and scheduling co-design for holistic software-defined deterministic network

As a result of the growing complexity of industrial Internet applications,traditional hardware-based network designs are encountering challenges in terms of programmability and dynamic adaptability as they struggle to meet the real-time,high-reliability transmission requirements for the vast quantities of data generated in industrial environments.This paper proposes a holistic software-defined deterministic network(HSDDN)design solution.This solution uses a centralized controller to implement a comprehensive software definition,ranging from the network layer down to the physical layer.Within the wireless access domain,we decouple the standard radio-frequency modules from baseband processing to realize a software-defined physical layer,which then allows us to adjust the data transmission cycles and tag the trigger rates to meet demand for low-power,high-concurrency transmission.Within the wired network domain,we integrate software-defined networking with time-sensitive networking and propose a coordinated design strategy to address routing and the deterministic scheduling problem.We define a set of constraints to ensure collaborative transmission of the periodic and aperiodic data flows.To guarantee load balancing across all paths and timeslots,we introduce the Jain’s fairness index as the optimization objective and then construct a nondeterministic polynomial-time(NP)-hard joint optimization problem.Furthermore,an algorithm called Tabu search for routing and scheduling with dual-stages(TSRS-DS)is proposed.Simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed HSDDN architecture.

Resilience indices from a family of recovery functions

Defining and measuring resilience using a unified framework has been a topic of intense research.This article presents a perspective on how resilience could be quantitatively assessed through a set of indices.It starts with a brief explanation of resilience in the context of supply chain and a quick summary of existing quantitative measures of resilience.It then discusses how resilience could be quantified in a constructive manner so that the resulting metrics are representative of the performance throughout the system's life cycle.In particular,it is proposed that resilience should be evaluated according to different time periods,i.e.before,during and after a disruption has occurred.Four dimensions of resilience,namely reliability,robustness,recovery and reconfigurability,can then be used to make up a set of indices for resilience.For numerical illustration,these indices are computed based on recovery data arising from Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.Finally,it is postulated that resilience will be the performance metric that complements productivity and sustainability as the third pillar for measuring success of organizations,and in turn,that of sovereign countries in their quests for developing smart cities.

Rethinking development and major research plans of Industrial Internet in China

This paper gives a definition of the Industrial Internet and expounds on the academic connotation of the future Industrial Internet.From this foundation,we outline the development and current status of the Industrial Internet in China and globally.Moreover,we detail the avant-garde paradigms encompassed within the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)’s“Future Industrial Internet Fundamental Theory and Key Technologies”research plan and its corresponding management strategies.This research initiative endeavors to enhance interdisciplinary collaborations,aiming for a synergistic alignment of industry,academia,research,and practical implementations.The primary focus of the research plan is on the pivotal scientific challenges inherent to the future industrial internet.It is poised to traverse the“first mile”,encompassing foundational research and pioneering innovations specific to the industrial internet,and seamlessly bridges to the“last mile”,ensuring the effective commercialization of scientific and technological breakthroughs into tangible industrial market applications.The anticipated contributions from this initiative are projected to solidify both the theoretical and practical scaffolding essential for the cultivation of a globally competitive industrial internet infrastructure in China.

Semantic information processing for interoperability in the Industrial Internet of Things

With the advent of the Internet of Everything(IoE),the concept of fully interconnected systems has become a reality,and the need for seamless communication and interoperability among different industrial systems has become more pressing than ever before.To address the challenges posed by massive data traffic,we demonstrate the potentials of semantic information processing in industrial manufacturing processes and then propose a brief framework of semantic processing and communication system for industrial network.In particular,the scheme is featured with task-orientation and collaborative processing.To illustrate its applicability,we provide examples of time series and images,as typical industrial data sources,for practical tasks,such as lifecycle estimation and surface defect detection.Simulation results show that semantic information processing achieves a more efficient way of information processing and exchanging,compared to conventional methods,which is crucial for handling the demands of future interconnected industrial networks.

Digital twin for Industrial Internet

Industrial Internet upgrades the traditional industrial manufacturing to digitization,networking and intellectualization era,which calls for brand-new technology supports.As a promising solution,the emergence Digital Twin(DT)offers enhanced digital mapping capability with strong feasibility,security,economic and intelligence,which fits well with the concept of Industrial Internet.In this paper,we focus on establishing a new reference architecture of DT to support the development of Industrial Internet.It is composed of three interdependent layers(i.e.,physical layer,DT layer and DT networks layer)and four critical attributes(i.e.,privacy,security,awareness and real-time).We illustrate our perspectives for the functionality and relationship of the three layers,and features and feasible solutions of the four attributes.With those efforts,the proposed DT architecture can provide both smart manufacturing and networked services for Industrial Internet era.Moreover,we also illustrate the relevant and open challenges.Finally,the conclusion and future perspective are pointed out.

Optically driven intelligent computing with ZnO memristor

Artificial vision is crucial for most artificial intelligence applications.Conventional artificial visual systems have been facing challenges in terms of real-time information processing due to the physical separation of sensors,memories,and processors,which results in the production of a large amount of redundant data as well as the data conversion and transfer between these three components consuming most of the time and energy.Emergent optoelectronic memristors with the ability to realize integrated sensing-computing-memory(ISCM)are key candidates for solving such challenges and therefore attract increasing attention.At present,the memristive ISCM devices can only perform primary-level computing with external light signals due to the fact that only monotonic increase of memconductance upon light irradiation is achieved in most of these devices.Here,we propose an all-optically controlled memristive ISCM device based on a simple structure of Au/ZnO/Pt with the ZnO thin film sputtered at pure Ar atmosphere.This device can perform advanced computing tasks such as nonvolatile neuromorphic computing and complete Boolean logic functions only by light irradiation,owing to its ability to reversibly tune the memconductance with light.Moreover,the device shows excellent operation stability ascribed to a purely electronic memconductance tuning mechanism.Hence,this study is an important step towards the next generation of artificial visual systems.

Skull and vertebral bone marrow in central nervous system inflammation

Emerging evidence has highlighted the capacity of hematogenous cells in skull and vertebral bone marrow to enter the meningeal borders via ossified vascular channels and maintain immune homeostasis in the central nervous system(CNS).CNS-adjacent skull and vertebral bone marrow comprises hematopoietic niches that can sense CNS injury and supply specialized immune cells to fine-tune inflammatory responses.Here,we review recent advances in our understanding of skull and vertebral bone marrow-derived immune cells in homeostasis and inflammatory CNS diseases.Further,we discuss the implications for future development of therapies to mitigate CNS inflammation and its detrimental sequelae in neurological disorders.

Fibroblasts:New players in the central nervous system?

Fibroblasts are typically described as cells that produce extracellular matrix,contribute to the formation of connective tissue,and maintain the structural framework of tissues.Fibroblasts are the first cell type to be transdifferentiated into inducible pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs),demonstrating their versatility and reprogrammability.Currently,there is relatively extensive characterization of the anatomical,molecular,and functional diversity of fibroblasts in different peripheral organs and tissues.With recent advances in single cell RNA sequencing,heterogeneity and diversity of fibroblasts in the central nervous system(CNS)have also begun to emerge.Based on their distinct anatomical locations in the meninges,perivascular space,and choroid plexus,as well as their molecular diversity,important roles for fibroblasts in the CNS have been proposed.Here,we draw inspirations from what is known about fibroblasts in peripheral tissues,in combination with their currently identified CNS locations and molecular characterizations,to propose potential functions of CNS fibroblasts in health and disease.Future studies,using a combination of technologies,will be needed to determine the bona fide in vivo functions of fibroblasts in the CNS.

Quantitative studies on charcoalification:Physical and chemical changes of charring wood

Charcoal is commonly preserved in both natural and artificial sediments,and is intensively used in paleontological,paleoenvironmental,and archaeological studies due to the abundant bio-information it contains.The biochemical properties of charcoal are also used for paleoclimatic reconstruction;however,the reliability of this approach has been challenged due to a lack of clarity on how physicochemical properties change during the charring process,as well as the temperatures required for charcoalification.To address this lack,in this study,Qinghai spruce and Chinese pine wood samples from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau were heated at different temperatures and for different lengths of time under restricted oxygen conditions.The reflectance;carbon,nitrogen,and oxygen content;and tracheid morphology were quantified before and after heating to assess changes related to the charring process.Archaeological charcoal remains were then evaluated to determine the charcoalification temperatures by comparing with the experimental results.The minimum temperature required for wood charcoalification was∼300℃,while temperatures recorded by archaeological charcoal were concentrated at 400-500℃.During the charring experiments,the tracheid cell walls gradually homogenized,and tracheid cell wall thickness and lumen area decreased by∼20%.On average,50%mass losses were observed;the carbon and oxygen content(%wt.)approximately changed from 47%to 60%and 48%to 35%respectively,while the nitrogen content(%wt.)fluctuated around 0.2%.The reflectance increased slightly from 0%to 0.5%.We propose that the charcoalification of wood tissue refers to charring(in restricted air)and carbonization(in the almost absence of air)when the wood is exposed to a heat source,which then finally transforms into a black,inert solid.This quantitative study provided valuable data and a thorough assessment of the process of wood charcoalification,as well as accurately estimated the feasibility of using charcoal physicochemical properties in paleoclimatic research.

Market-based solution in China to finance the clean from the dirty

Financial incentives play a key role in promoting renewable energy investments that can help China achieve the‘dual carbon’goal.The national emissions trading scheme(ETS)and the renewable energy portfolio standard(RPS)are two existing market-based policy instruments that can generate stable expected returns for low-carbon projects.This paper studies the interactive distribution effects of these two market-based instruments.We use the micro-level thermal power plant data to investigate the abatement effects of the national ETS,in which the details show that the existing rate-based ETS will result in higher negative impacts on power units,whose installed capacities are smaller than 400 MW.The interactive distribution effects between the two markets will occur when the permit allocation standards of the national ETS become stricter than the existing ones.Provinces in Eastern China and Northern China will face high pressure on costs in both ETS and RPS markets.When the levels of the permit allocation standards are set as 70%of the existing ones and the carbon price is assumed to be 200 yuan/ton in 2030,the annual market size of the national ETS will be nearly 100 billion yuan,and the annual market size is predicted to be 250 billion yuan.In the existing rate-based national ETS,the China Certified Emission Reduction(CCER)mechanism will have an offsetting effect,which should be taken into serious consideration during the policy-making processes in the future.

The top-order energy of quasilinear wave equations in two space dimensions is uniformly bounded

Alinhac solved a long-standing open problem in 2001 and established that quasilinear wave equations in two space dimensions with quadratic null nonlinearities admit global-in-time solutions,provided that the initial data are compactly supported and sufficiently small in Sobolev norm.In this work,Alinhac obtained an upper bound with polynomial growth in time for the top-order energy of the solutions.A natural question then arises whether the time-growth is a true phenomenon,despite the possible conservation of basic energy.In the present paper,we establish that the top-order energy of the solutions in Alinhac theorem remains globally bounded in time.

Neuroimmune interactions and their roles in neurodegenerative diseases

The nervous system possesses bidirectional,sophisticated and delicate communications with the immune system.These neuroimmune interactions play a vitally important role in the initiation and development of many disorders,especially neurodegenerative diseases.Although scientific advancements have made tremendous progress in this field during the last few years,neuroimmune communications are still far from being elucidated.By organizing recent research,in this review,we discuss the local and intersystem neuroimmune interactions and their roles in Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Unveiling these will help us gain a better understanding of the process of interplay inside the body and how the organism maintains homeostasis.It will also facilitate a view of the diseases from a holistic,pluralistic and interconnected perspective,thus providing a basis of developing novel and effective methods to diagnose,intervene and treat diseases.

Quantitative analysis of the morphing wing mechanism of raptors: Analysis methods, folding motions, and bionic design of Falco Peregrinus

Raptors can change the shape and area of their wings to an exceptional degree in a fast and efficient manner,surpassing other birds,insects,or bats.Some researchers have focused on the functional properties of muscle skeletons,mechanics,and flapping robot design.However,the wing motion of the birds of prey has not been measured quantitatively,and synthetic bionic wings with morphing abilities similar to raptors are far from reality.Therefore,in the current study,a 3D suspension system for holding bird carcasses was designed and fabricated to fasten the wings of Falco Peregrinus with a series of morphing postures.Subsequently,the wing skeleton of the falcon was scanned during extending motions using the computed tomography(CT)approach to obtain three consecutive poses.Subsequently,the skeleton was reconstructed to identify the contribution of the forelimb bones to the extending/folding motions.Inspired by these findings,we propose a simple mechanical model with four bones to form a wing-morphing mechanism using the proposed pose optimisation method.Finally,a bionic wing mechanism was implemented to imitate the motion of the falcon wing—divided into inner and outer wings with folding and twisting motions.The results show that the proposed four-bar mechanism can track bone motion paths with high fidelity.

Celastrol regulates the oligomeric state and chaperone activity of 𝛼B-crystallin linked with protein homeostasis in the lens

Protein misfolding and aggregation are crucial pathogenic factors for cataracts,which are the leading cause of visual impairment worldwide.α-crystallin,as a small molecular chaperone,is involved in preventing protein misfolding and maintaining lens transparency.The chaperone activity of α-crystallin depends on its oligomeric state.Our previous work identified a natural compound,celastrol,which could regulate the oligomeric state of αB-crystallin.In this work,based on the UNcle and SEC analysis,we found that celastrol induced𝛼αB-crystallin to form large oligomers.Large oligomer formation enhanced the chaperone activity of αB-crystallin and prevented aggregation of the cataract-causing mutant αA3-G91del.The interactions between𝛼αB-crystallin and celastrol were detected by the FRET(Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer)technique,and verified by molecular docking.At least 9 binding patterns were recognized,and some binding sites covered the groove structure of αB-crystallin.Interestingly,αB-R120G,a cataract-causing mutation located at the groove structure,and celastrol can decrease the aggregates of αB-R120G.Overall,our results suggested celastrol not only promoted the formation of large αB-crystallin oligomers,which enhanced its chaperone activity,but also bound to the groove structure of its α-crystallin domain to maintain its structural stability.Celastrol might serve as a chemical and pharmacological chaperone for cataract treatment.

Storage and redistribution of anthropogenic CO_(2) in the western North Pacific:The role of subtropical mode water transportation

Oceanic uptake and storage of anthropogenic CO_(2)(CANT)are regulated by ocean circulation and ventilation.To decipher the storage and redistribution of CANT in the western North Pacific,where a major CANT sink develops,we investigated the water column carbonate system,dissolved inorganic radiocarbon and ancillary parameters in May and August 2018,spanning the Kuroshio Extension(KE,35-39°N),Kuroshio Recirculation(KR,27-35°N)and subtropical(21-27°N)zones.Water column CANT inventories were estimated to be 40.5±1.1 mol m^(-2) in the KR zone and 37.2±0.9 mol m^(-2) in the subtropical zone.In comparison with historical data obtained in 2005,relatively high rates of increase of the CANT inventory of 1.05±0.20 and 1.03±0.12 mol m^(-2) yr^(-1) in the recent decade were obtained in the KR and subtropical zones,respectively.Our water-mass-based analyses suggest that formation and transport of subtropical mode water dominate the deep penetration,storage,and redistribution of CANT in those two regions.In the KE zone,however,both the water column CANT inventory and the decadal CANT accumulation rate were small and uncertain owing to the dynamic hydrology,where the naturally uplifting isopycnal surfaces make CANT penetration relatively shallow.The findings of this study improve the understanding of the spatiotemporal variations of CANT distribution,storage,and transport in the western North Pacific.

Skin neuropathy and immunomodulation in diseases

Skin is a vital barrier tissue of the body.Immune responses in the skin must be precisely controlled,which would otherwise cause severe disease conditions such as psoriasis,atopic dermatitis,or pathogenic infection.Research evidence has increasingly demonstrated the essential roles of neural innervations,i.e.,sensory and sympathetic signals,in modulating skin immunity.Notably,neuropathic changes of such neural structures have been observed in skin disease conditions,implicating their direct involvement in various pathological processes.An in-depth understanding of the mechanism underlying skin neuropathy and its immunomodulatory effects could help reveal novel entry points for therapeutic interventions.Here,we summarize the neuroimmune interactions between neuropathic events and skin immunity,highlighting the current knowledge and future perspectives of this emerging research frontier.

Allogenic microglia replacement:A novel therapeutic strategy for neurological disorders

Microglia are resident immune cells in the central nervous system(CNS)that play vital roles in CNS development,homeostasis and disease pathogenesis.Genetic defects in microglia lead to microglial dysfunction,which in turn leads to neurological disorders.The correction of the specific genetic defects in microglia in these disorders can lead to therapeutic effects.Traditional genetic defect correction approaches are dependent on viral vectorbased genetic defect corrections.However,the viruses used in these approaches,including adeno-associated viruses,lentiviruses and retroviruses,do not primarily target microglia;therefore,viral vector-based genetic defect corrections are ineffective in microglia.Microglia replacement is a novel approach to correct microglial genetic defects via replacing microglia of genetic defects with allogenic healthy microglia.In this paper,we systematically review the history,rationale and therapeutic perspectives of microglia replacement,which would be a novel strategy for treating CNS disorders.

Contact angle and stability of interfacial nanobubble supported by gas monolayer

Since solid-liquid interfacial nanobubbles(INBs)were first imaged,their long-term stability and large contact angle have been perplexing scientists.This study aimed to investigate the influence of internal gas density and external gas monolayers on the contact angle and stability of INB using molecular dynamics simulations.First,the contact angle of a water droplet was simulated at different nitrogen densities.The results showed that the contact angle increased sharply with an increase in nitrogen density,which was mainly caused by the decrease in solid-gas interfacial tension.However,when the nitrogen density reached 2.57 nm^(-3),an intervening gas monolayer(GML)was formed between the solid and water.After the formation of GML,the contact angle slightly increased with increasing gas density.The contact angle increased to 180°when the nitrogen density reached 11.38 nm^(-3),indicating that INBs transformed into a gas layer when they were too small.For substrates with different hydrophobicities,the contact angle after the formation of GML was always larger than 140°and it was weakly correlated with substrate hydrophobicity.The increase in contact angle with gas density represents the evolution of contact angle from macro-to nano-bubble,while the formation of GML may correspond to stable INBs.The potential of mean force curves demonstrated that the substrate with GML could attract gas molecules from a longer distance without the existence of a potential barrier compared with the bare substrate,indicating the potential of GML to act as a gas-collecting panel.Further research indicated that GML can function as a channel to transport gas molecules to INBs,which favors stability of INBs.This research may shed new light on the mechanisms underlying abnormal contact angle and long-term stability of INBs.

Femtosecond laser 3D printed micro objective lens for ultrathin fiber endoscope

The most important optical component in an optical fiber endoscope is its objective lens.To achieve a high imaging performance level,the development of an ultra-compact objective lens is thus the key to an ultra-thin optical fiber endoscope.In this work,we use femtosecond laser 3D printing to develop a series of micro objective lenses with different optical designs.The imaging resolution and field-of-view performances of these printed micro objective lenses are investigated via both simulations and experiments.For the first time,multiple micro objective lenses with different fields of view are printed on the end face of a single imaging optical fiber,thus realizing the perfect integration of an optical fiber and objective lenses.This work demonstrates the considerable potential of femtosecond laser 3D printing in the fabrication of micro-optical systems and provides a reliable solution for the development of an ultrathin fiber endoscope.