Convenient folding-hot-pressing fabrication and enhanced piezoelectric properties of highβ-phasecontent poly(vinylidene fluoride)films

Poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF)is the most attractive piezoelectric polymer for application in flexible sensors.To attain excellent piezoelectric properties,a substantial amount of spontaneous polarβ-phase content is highly desired.Nevertheless,the current reported manufacturing methods to increaseβ-phase contents are inconvenient and complex,hindering progress in PVDF's application.This work proposes a folding-hot-pressing method to fabricate highβ-phase-content PVDF films.Structural characterization indicates that the films haveαandβphases and the folding-hot-pressing process transforms theαphase into theβphase.Due to the 97.5%β-phase content and aligned structure,a piezoelectric constant of 20 pC/N is achieved in the three-times folded film.Furthermore,the process method enhances the tensile strength(126.2 MPa)of the films,with a low Young's modulus(0.87 GPa)remaining,making the films applicable for flexible piezoelectric sensors.Additionally,sensors based on the achieved films were assembled and applied for human physiological activity monitoring.This work offers a scalable new melt-processing strategy for developing high-performance PVDF-based piezo-electric composite films for wearable electronic devices.

Sulfolane‑Based Flame‑Retardant Electrolyte for High‑Voltage Sodium‑Ion Batteries

Sodium-ion batteries hold great promise as next-generation energy storage systems.However,the high instability of the electrode/electrolyte interphase during cycling has seriously hindered the development of SIBs.In particular,an unstable cathode–electrolyte interphase(CEI)leads to successive electrolyte side reactions,transition metal leaching and rapid capacity decay,which tends to be exacerbated under high-voltage conditions.Therefore,constructing dense and stable CEIs are crucial for high-performance SIBs.This work reports localized high-concentration electrolyte by incorporating a highly oxidation-resistant sulfolane solvent with non-solvent diluent 1H,1H,5H-octafluoropentyl-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl ether,which exhibited excellent oxidative stability and was able to form thin,dense and homogeneous CEI.The excellent CEI enabled the O3-type layered oxide cathode NaNi_(1/3)Mn_(1/3)Fe_(1/3)O_(2)(NaNMF)to achieve stable cycling,with a capacity retention of 79.48%after 300 cycles at 1 C and 81.15%after 400 cycles at 2 C with a high charging voltage of 4.2 V.In addition,its nonflammable nature enhances the safety of SIBs.This work provides a viable pathway for the application of sulfolane-based electrolytes on SIBs and the design of next-generation high-voltage electrolytes.

High Fe‑Loading Single‑Atom Catalyst Boosts ROS Production by Density Effect for Efficient Antibacterial Therapy

The current single-atom catalysts(SACs)for medicine still suffer from the limited active site density.Here,we develop a synthetic method capable of increasing both the metal loading and mass-specific activity of SACs by exchanging zinc with iron.The constructed iron SACs(h^(3)-FNC)with a high metal loading of 6.27 wt%and an optimized adjacent Fe distance of~4 A exhibit excellent oxidase-like catalytic performance without significant activity decay after being stored for six months and promising antibacterial effects.Attractively,a“density effect”has been found at a high-enough metal doping amount,at which individual active sites become close enough to interact with each other and alter the electronic structure,resulting in significantly boosted intrinsic activity of single-atomic iron sites in h^(3)-FNCs by 2.3 times compared to low-and medium-loading SACs.Consequently,the overall catalytic activity of h^(3)-FNC is highly improved,with mass activity and metal mass-specific activity that are,respectively,66 and 315 times higher than those of commercial Pt/C.In addition,h^(3)-FNCs demonstrate efficiently enhanced capability in catalyzing oxygen reduction into superoxide anion(O_(2)·^(−))and glutathione(GSH)depletion.Both in vitro and in vivo assays demonstrate the superior antibacterial efficacy of h^(3)-FNCs in promoting wound healing.This work presents an intriguing activity-enhancement effect in catalysts and exhibits impressive therapeutic efficacy in combating bacterial infections.

High mobility group box 1 in the central nervous system:regeneration hidden beneath inflammation

High-mobility group box 1 was first discovered in the calf thymus as a DNA-binding nuclear protein and has been widely studied in diverse fields,including neurology and neuroscience.High-mobility group box 1 in the extracellular space functions as a pro-inflammatory damage-associated molecular pattern,which has been proven to play an important role in a wide variety of central nervous system disorders such as ischemic stroke,Alzheimer’s disease,frontotemporal dementia,Parkinson’s disease,multiple sclerosis,epilepsy,and traumatic brain injury.Several drugs that inhibit high-mobility group box 1 as a damage-associated molecular pattern,such as glycyrrhizin,ethyl pyruvate,and neutralizing anti-high-mobility group box 1 antibodies,are commonly used to target high-mobility group box 1 activity in central nervous system disorders.Although it is commonly known for its detrimental inflammatory effect,high-mobility group box 1 has also been shown to have beneficial pro-regenerative roles in central nervous system disorders.In this narrative review,we provide a brief summary of the history of high-mobility group box 1 research and its characterization as a damage-associated molecular pattern,its downstream receptors,and intracellular signaling pathways,how high-mobility group box 1 exerts the repair-favoring roles in general and in the central nervous system,and clues on how to differentiate the pro-regenerative from the pro-inflammatory role.Research targeting high-mobility group box 1 in the central nervous system may benefit from differentiating between the two functions rather than overall suppression of high-mobility group box 1.

High strength magnesium alloy with α-Mg and W-phase processed by hot extrusion

Fine-grained Mg-6Zn-4Y alloy was prepared by an ingot metallurgy process with hot extrusion at 300 ℃.The microstructure was studied by XRD,OM,SEM and TEM,and the tensile properties were tested at room temperature.The results show that the alloy is composed of α-Mg and W-phase.The microstructure of the as-extruded alloy has a bimodal grain size distribution.The fine grains with the mean size of 1.2 μm are formed by dynamic recrystallization.The coarse grains（about 23% in area fraction） are unrecrystallized regions which are elongated along extrusion direction.The engineering stress—strain curve shows a pronounced yield point.The ultimate tensile strength,yield strength,and elongation are（371±10） MPa,（350±5） MPa and（7±2）%,respectively.The high strengths are attributed to the fine-grained matrix structure enhanced by W-phase particles,nano-scaled precipitates,and strong basal plane texture.

Ultrasonic method for measuring water holdup of low velocity and high-water-cut oil-water two-phase flow

Oil reservoirs with low permeability and porosity that are in the middle and late exploitation periods in China＇s onshore oil fields are mostly in the high-water-cut production stage.This stage is associated with severely non-uniform local-velocity flow profiles and dispersed-phase concentration（of oil droplets） in oil-water two-phase flow,which makes it difficult to measure water holdup in oil wells.In this study,we use an ultrasonic method based on a transmission-type sensor in oil-water two-phase flow to measure water holdup in lowvelocity and high water-cut conditions.First,we optimize the excitation frequency of the ultrasonic sensor by calculating the sensitivity of the ultrasonic field using the finite element method for multiphysics coupling.Then we calculate the change trend of sound pressure level attenuation ratio with the increase in oil holdup to verify the feasibility of the employed diameter for the ultrasonic sensor.Based on the results,we then investigate the effects of oildroplet diameter and distribution on the ultrasonic field.To further understand the measurement characteristics of the ultrasonic sensor,we perform a flow loop test on vertical upward oilwater two-phase flow and measure the responses of the optimized ultrasonic sensor.The results show that the ultrasonic sensor yields poor resolution for a dispersed oil slug in water flow（D OS/W flow）,but the resolution is favorable for dispersed oil in water flow（D O/W flow） and very fine dispersed oil in water flow（VFD O/W flow）.This research demonstrates the potential application of a pulsed-transmission ultrasonic method for measuring the fraction of individual components in oil-water two-phase flow with a low mixture velocity and high water cut.

Flow characteristics and Shannon entropy analysis of dense-phase pneumatic conveying under high pressure

Experiments of dense-phase pneumatic conveying of pulverized coal using nitrogen are carded out in an experimental test facility with the conveying pressure up to 4. 0 MPa and the gas-solid ratio up to 450 kg/m^3. The influences of different conveying differential pressures, coal moisture contents, gas volume flow rates and superficial velocities on the solid-gas ratios are investigated. Shannon entropy analysis of pressure fluctuation time series is developed to reveal the flow characteristics. Through investigation of the distribution of the Shannon entropy under different conditions, the flow stability and the evolutional tendency of the Shannon entropy in different regimes and regime transition processes are discovered, and the relationship between the Shannon entropy and the flow regimes is also established. The results indicate that the solid-gas ratio and the Shannon entropy rise with the increase in conveying differential pressure. The solid-gas ratio and the Shannon entropy reveal preferable regularity with gas volume flow rates. The Shannon entropy is different for different flow regimes, and can be used to identify the flow regimes. Both mass flow rate and the Shannon entropy decrease with the increase in moisture contents. The Shannon entropy analysis is a feasible approach for researching the characteristics of flow regimes, flow stability and flow regime transitions in dense-phase pneumatic conveying under high pressure.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of C-Mn-Cr-Nb and C-Mn-Si-Nb ultra-high strength dual-phase steels

The microstructures and mechanical properties of C-Mn-Cr-Nb and C-Mn-Si-Nb ultra-high strength dual-phase steels were studied by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and tensile test. The results show that Si can promote the transformation of austenite （γ） to ferrite （α）, enlarge the （α＋γ） region, and increase the aging stability of martensite by inhibiting carbide precipitation. Adding Cr leads to the formation of retained austenite and martensite/austenite （M/A） constituents, as well as the decomposi- tion of martensite during the overaging stage. Both of the steels show higher initial strain-hardening rates and two-stage strain-hardening characteristics. The C-Mn-Si-Nb steel shows the higher strain-hardening rate than the C-Mn-Cr-Nb steel in the first stage; however, there is no significant difference in the second stage. Although the tensile strength and elongation of the two steels both exceed 1000 MPa and 15%, respectively, the comprehensive mechanical properties of the C-Mn-Si-Nb steel are superior.

Effect of Morphology for Novel Bainite/Martensite Dual-Phase High Strength Steel on Its Hydrogen Embrittlement Susceptibility

With TEM、SEM, various high temperature deformed structures in W9Mo3Cr4V steel were investigated. The sub structures,recrystallized nuclei, as well as the dynamic precipitation were also studied and analyzed. The relationship between recrystallized structures and dynamic precipitation was discussed. The results showed that the deformed structures in W9Mo3Cr4V steel are more complicated than those in low alloy steels. Because W9Mo3Cr4V steel is a high speed steel, there are a large number of residual carbides on the matrix. Also, much dynamic precipitating carbides will precipitate during deformation at high temperature.

Combined impact of in-phase and out-of-phase variation between the northern East Asian low and western North Pacific subtropical high on East Asian summer rainfall

East Asian summer rainfall is affected by both the continental northern East Asian low （NEAL） and the western North Pacific subtropical high （WNPSH） in the lower troposphere. This study investigates the joint effect of the two circulation factors on East Asian summer rainfall. It is found that the rainfall in East Asia behaves differently in the years with in-phase and out-of-phase variation between the NEAL and WNPSH. When the NEAL and WNPSH vary in phase, i.e. when they are both stronger, the rainfall anomaly shows a dipole pattern in East Asia and displays opposite changes between north and south of 30°N. When the two circulation factors vary out of phase, the rainfall anomaly is concentrated in the Yangtze River valley.

Isolation and Purification of Unstable Iridoid Glucosides from Traditional Chinese Medicine by Preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Solid-phase Extraction

An efficient preparative method was successfully developed for isolation and purification of unstable components from medicinal plant extracts, using a combined method of preparative high performance liquid chro-matography(HPLC) and solid-phase extraction(SPE). The aim of this study was to obtain an effective method with high preparative efficiency and importantly to avoid the transformation of unstable compounds. The preparative HPLC system was based on an LC/MS controlled four-channel autopurification system. The SPE method was performed with a C18 packing material to trap the target compounds and to remove the acidic additive derived from the mobile phase. Using this method, the unstable iridoid glucosides(IGs) as model compounds were successfully isolated and purified from the extract of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. Six IGs(including one new minor IG) and one nucleotide compound were simultaneously obtained, each with a purity of 91% as determined by HPLC. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified by UPLC/Q-TOF MS, UV, 1D and/or 2D NMR. It was demonstrated that the combination of preparative HPLC with SPE is a versatile tool for preparative purification of unstable compounds from complex natural products.

Effect of microvoids on microplasticity behavior of dual-phase titanium alloy under high cyclic loading(Ⅰ):Crystal plasticity analysis

A crystal plasticity finite element(CPFE)model was established and 2D simulations were carried out to study the relationship between microvoids and the microplasticity deformation behavior of the dual-phase titanium alloy under high cyclic loading.Results show that geometrically necessary dislocations(GND)tend to accumulate around the microvoids,leading to an increment of average GND density.The influence of curvature in the tip plastic zone(TPZ)on GND density is greater than that of the size of the microvoid.As the curvature in TPZ and the size of the microvoid increase,the cumulative shear strain(CSS)in the primaryα,secondaryα,andβphases increases.Shear deformation in the prismatic slip system is dominant in the primaryαphase.As the distance between the microvoids increases,the interactive influence of the microvoids on the cumulative shear strain decreases.

Determination of Trace Amount of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Urban Sewage by Solid-phase Extraction Coupled with High Performance Liquid Chromatograph

[Method] This study aimed to determine trace amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in urban sewage by using solid-phase extraction(SPE) coupled with high performance liquid chromatograph(HPLC).[Method] From the aspects of solid-phase extraction column,elution solvent,elution volume,elution speed and so forth,the test conditions of SPE-HPLC method were optimized,and trace amount of PAHs in urban sewage was determined.[Result] The optimized solid-phase extraction conditions were SUPELCLEAN LC-18 solid-phase extraction column,methylene dichloride as elution solvent,15 ml elution volume,2 ml/min elution speed,5 ml/min loading speed,1 000 ml water with 200 ml methanol loading volume.Under the optimized extraction conditions,the recovery was high,namely 76.3%-105.2%;relative standard deviation was 3.8%-6.0%,showing good precision;detection limit was low,only 0.000 8-0.048 0 μg/L.[Conclusion] This method is user-friendly,with high sensitivity and good precision,and suitable for continuous determination of a large volume of water samples.

A Sensitive Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for the Quantitative Determination of Milk Xanthine Oxidase Activity

A new reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography method was developed to quantitate the activity of xanthine oxidase involved in milk fat globule membrane with xanthine as the substrate and the separation of product (uric acid). The increment of uric acid in the reaction system was used to calculate the total activity of XO. The optimized assay conditions, linearity of detection, recovery of uric acid and chromatogram were developed in text, indicating this method is simple, rapid and efficient. It is an alternative potential method for the determination of the activity of XO in milk.

Triple-phase interfaces of graphene-like carbon clusters on antimony trisulfide nanowires enable high-loading and long-lasting liquid Li_(2)S_(6)-based lithium-sulfur batteries

High performance of lithium-sulfur batteries have been dragged down by their shuttling behavior which is complicated multiphase transition-based 16-electron redox reactions of the S8/Li2 S.In this article,the triple-phase interfaces of graphene-like carbon clusters on antimony trisulfide(C-Sb_(2)S_(3))nanowires are tailored to design a multifunctional polysulfide host which can inhibit migration of polysulfides and accelerate conversion kinetics of redox electrochemical reactions.Benefiting from the triple-interface design of polysulfides/Sb_(2)S_(3)/carbon clusters,the C-Sb_(2)S_(3) electrode not only anchors polysulfide migration by the synergistic effect of Sb,S,and C atoms as interfacial active sites,but also the graphene-like carbon clusters shorten the diffusion paths to further favor redox electron/ion transport through the liquid(electrolyte/polysulfide)and solid(Li2 S/S8,carbon clusters,and Sb_(2)S_(3))-based triple-phases.Therefore,these Li_(2)S_(6)-based C-Sb_(2)S_(3) cells possess high sulfur loading,excellent cycling stability,impressive specific capacity,and great rate capability.This work of interfacial engineering reveals insight for powering reaction kinetics in the complicated multistep catalysis reaction with multiphase evolution-based chargetransfer/non-transfer processes.

The Phenomenon of High Hardness Values on the S-Phase Layer of Austenitic Stainless Steel via Screen Plasma Nitriding Process

The purpose of this study is to improve the surface properties of austenitic stainless steel using the double-folded electrode screen plasma nitriding (SPN) process. In general, the S-phase is well-known for its excellent properties such as improved hardness and wear resistance along with sustained corrosion resistance. The concentrated nitrogen via SPN process was injected to form S-phase with time at 713 K. This study was carried out under the conditions of 44 at% of nitrogen injection, which was higher than 25 at% known as the condition of no precipitation of S-phase formed by the SPN process, and 20 K higher than the maximum temperature without precipitation phase. The hardness analysis of stainless steel sample treated by the SPN process at 713 K showed a much higher value than the typical nitriding hardness at a depth of lower nitrogen than the maximum nitrogen concentration. The SPN 20 hr treated specimen showed the average value of 2339 HV while 40 hr showed the average value of 2215 HV. The result is attributed to the concentrated nitrogen formed in the SPN process reacting with the alloying elements contained in the base material to form fine precipitates, thus producing a synergy effect of the extreme hardening effect;that is, the movement of precipitates and dislocations due to the GP-zone (Guinier-Preston zone).

Study on Dynamic Prediction of Two-Phase Pipe Flow in Inclined Wellbore with Middle and High Yield

Gas-liquid two-phase flow is ubiquitous in the process of oil and gas exploitation,gathering and transportation.Flow pattern,liquid holdup and pressure drop are important parameters in the process of gas-liquid two-phase flow,which are closely related to the smooth passage of the two-phase fluid in the pipe section.Although Mukherjee,Barnea and others have studied the conventional viscous gas-liquid two-phase flow for a long time at home and abroad,the overall experimental scope is not comprehensive enough and the early experimental conditions are limited.Therefore,there is still a lack of systematic experimental research and wellbore pressure for gas-liquid two-phase flow under the conditions of middle and high yield and high gas-liquid ratio in conventional viscosity,and the prediction accuracy is low.In view of this,this study carried out targeted systematic research,and from the flow pattern,liquid holdup and pressure drop aspects,established the relevant model,obtained a set of inclined wellbore gas-liquid two-phase pipe flow dynamic prediction method.At the same time,firstly,the model is tested by experimental data,and then the model is compared and verified by a number of field measured wells,which proves that the model is reliable and the prediction accuracy of wellbore pressure is high.

Highly active and stable Co nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon nanofibers for aqueous-phase levulinic acid hydrogenation

Developing a highly active and durable non-noble metal catalyst for aqueous-phase levulinic acid(LA)hydrogenation to g-valerolactone(GVL)is an appealing yet challenging task.Herein,we report well-dispersed Co nanoparticles(NPs)embedded in nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon nanofibers as an efficient catalyst for aqueous-phase LA hydrogenation to GVL.The Co zeolitic imidazolate framework(ZIF-67)nanocrystals were anchored on the sodium dodecyl sulfate modified wipe fiber(WF-S),yielding one-dimensional(1-D)structured composite(ZIF-67/WF-S).Subsequently,Co NPs were uniformly embedded in nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon nanofibers(Co^(R)NC/SMCNF)through a pyrolysis-reduction strategy using ZIF-67/WF-S as the precursor.Benefiting from introducing modified wipe fiber WF-S to enhance the dispersion of Co NPs,and Co^(0) with Co-N_xdual active sites,the resulting Co^(R)NC/SMCNF catalyst shows brilliant catalytic activity(206 h^(-1) turnover frequency).Additionally,the strong metal-support interactions greatly inhibited the Co NPs from aggregation and leaching from the mesoporous carbon nanofibers,and thus increasing the reusability of the Co^(R)NC/SMCNF catalyst(reusable nine times without notable activity loss).

ON THE PRIMARY η-PHASE IN A HIGH-Ti Ni-Fe-Cr BASED SUPERALLOY

The precipitation and dissolution together with their control of the primary η-phase in a high-Ti Ni-Fe-Cr base superalloy have been investigated.The precipitation of primary η-phase was found to be closely related to Ti or Al content and solidification rate of the alloy. The aggregation of blocky η-phase may remarkably reduce the tensile strength,ductility and rupture life of the alloy.The temperature-time relation of dissolution of the primary η-phase obeys T=1370-86.1 lgt for as-cast superalloy.The formation of primary η-phase may be prevented by the reasonable control of Ti or Al content and smelting process.The adoption of treatment under large hot deformation and homogenization may be the remedy for unfavorable influence of η-phase.

A bHLH transcription factor,CsSPT,regulates high-temperature resistance in cucumber

High-temperature stress threatens the growth and yield of crops. Basic helix-loop-helix(bHLH) transcription factors(TFs) have been shown to play important roles in regulating high-temperature resistance in plants. However, the bHLH TFs responsible for high-temperature tolerance in cucumbers have not been identified. We used transcriptome profiling to screen the high temperature-responsive candidate bHLH TFs in cucumber. Here, we found that the expression of 75 CsbHLH genes was altered under high-temperature stress. The expression of the CsSPT gene was induced by high temperatures in TT(Thermotolerant) cucumber plants. However, the Csspt mutant plants obtained by the CRISPR-Cas9 system showed severe thermosensitive symptoms, including wilted leaves with brown margins and reduced root density and cell activity.The Csspt mutant plants also exhibited elevated H_(2)O_(2) levels and down-regulated photosystem-related genes under normal conditions.Furthermore, there were high relative electrolytic leakage(REC), malondialdehyde(MDA), glutathione(GSH), and superoxide radical(O_(2)^(·-)) levels in the Csspt mutant plants, with decreased Proline content after the high-temperature treatment. Transcriptome analysis showed that the photosystem and chloroplast activities in Csspt mutant plants were extremely disrupted by the high-temperature stress compared with wildtype(WT) plants. Moreover, the plant hormone signal transduction, as well as MAPK and calcium signaling pathways were activated in Csspt mutant plants under high-temperature stress. The HSF and HSP family genes shared the same upregulated expression patterns in Csspt and WT plants under high-temperature conditions. However, most bHLH, NAC, and bZIP family genes were significantly down-regulated by heat in Csspt mutant plants. Thus, these results demonstrated that CsSPT regulated the high-temperature response by recruiting photosynthesis components, signaling pathway molecules, and transcription factors. Our results provide important insights into the heat response mechanism of CsSPT in cucumber and its potential as a target for breeding heat-resistant crops.