Taking advantage of outstanding precision in target recognition and trans-cleavage ability, the recently discovered CRISPR/Cas12a system provides an alternative opportunity for designing fluorescence ...biosensors. To fully exploit the analytical potential, we introduce here some meaningful concepts. First, the collateral cleavage of CRISPR/Cas12a is efficiently activated in a functional DNA regulation manner and the bottleneck which largely applicable to nucleic acids detection is broken. After selection of a representative aptamer and DNAzyme as the transduction pathways, the sensing coverage is extended to a small organic compound (ATP) and a metal ion (Na+). The assay sensitivity is significantly improved by utilizing a bead-supported enrichment strategy wherein emerging holographic optical tweezers are used to enhance imaging stability and simultaneously achieve multiflux analysis. Last, a sandwich-structured energy-concentrating upconversion nanoparticle triggered boosting luminescent resonance energy transfer mode is comined to face with complicated biological samples by skillfully confining the emitters into a very limited inner shell. Following the above attempts, the developed CRISPR/Cas12a biosensors not only present an ultrasensitive assay behavior toward these model non-nucleic acid analytes but also can serve as a formidable toolbox for determining real samples including single cell lysates and human plasma, proving a good practical application capacity.
Flavonoids represent the main class of plant secondary metabolites and occur in the tissues and organs of various plant species. In plants, flavonoids are involved in many biological processes and in ...response to various environmental stresses. The consumption of flavonoids has been known to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases due to their antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. In the present review, we summarize the classification, distribution, biosynthesis pathways, and regulatory mechanisms of flavonoids. Moreover, we investigated their biological activities and discuss their applications in food processing and cosmetics, as well as their pharmaceutical and medical uses. Current trends in flavonoid research are also briefly described, including the mining of new functional genes and metabolites through omics research and the engineering of flavonoids using nanotechnology. This review provides a reference for basic and applied research on flavonoid compounds.
Electrocatalysts with high activity and durability for acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) play a crucial role in achieving cost‐effective hydrogen production via proton exchange membrane water ...electrolysis. A novel electrocatalyst, Te‐doped RuO2 (Te–RuO2) nanotubes, synthesized using a template‐directed process, which significantly enhances the OER performance in acidic media is reported. The Te–RuO2 nanotubes exhibit remarkable OER activity in acidic media, requiring an overpotential of only 171 mV to achieve an anodic current density of 10 mA cm−2. Furthermore, they maintain stable chronopotentiometric performance under 10 mA cm−2 in acidic media for up to 50 h. Based on the experimental results and density functional calculations, this significant improvement in OER performance to the synergistic effect of large specific surface area and modulated electronic structure resulting from the doping of Te cations is attributed.
Novel porous Te–RuO2 nanotubes: The Te–doped RuO2 nanotubes as OER electrocatalysts are fabricated through a template‐directed synthesis method, featuring a remarkable specific surface area. The Te dopant effectively modulates the electronic structure of the Ru sites, significantly enhancing their intrinsic electrocatalytic activity. These findings present a promising strategy for the rational design and development of superior electrocatalytic systems.
Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is a common postoperative complication. Negative consequences associated with POP included prolonged hospital length of stay, more frequent intensive care unit (ICU) ...stays, and a higher rate of sepsis, readmission, and mortality. This meta‐analysis aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors associated with POP after hip fracture surgery in elderly patients. PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched (up to March 31, 2022). All studies on the risk factors for POP after hip fracture surgery in elderly patients, published in English, were reviewed. The qualities of the included studies were assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Data were pooled, and a meta‐analysis was performed. Ten studies, including 12,084 geriatric patients undergoing hip fracture surgery, were included. Of these 12,084 patients, POP occurred in 809 patients. The results indicated that age (mean difference MD = 4.95, 95% confidence interval CI: 3.22–6.69), male (odds ratio OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.02–1.93), the American Society of Anaesthesiologists classification ≥3 (OR = 3.48, 95% CI: 1.87–6.47), dependent functional status (OR = 5.23, 95% CI: 2.18–12.54, P = 0.0002), smoking (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.07–1.65), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 3.76, 95% CI: 2.07–6.81), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01–1.40), coronary heart disease (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.23–2.46), arrhythmia (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.01–2.14), cerebrovascular disease (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.56–2.27), dementia (OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.04–5.36), chronic renal failure (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.29–2.67), hip arthroplasty (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.08–1.56), delayed surgery (OR = 6.40, 95% CI: 3.00–13.68), preoperative creatinine (MD = 5.32, 95% CI: 0.55–10.08), and preoperative serum albumin (MD = −3.01, 95% CI: −4.21 – −1.80) were risk factors for POP. Related prophylactic measures should be provided in geriatric patients with the above‐mentioned risk factors to prevent POP after hip fracture surgery.
We found that age, gender, ASA classification ≥ 3, dependent function status, smoking, COPD, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, cerebrovascular disease, dementia, chronic renal failure, hip arthroplasty, delayed surgery, preoperative creatinine, preoperative serum albumin were the risk factors of POP via meta‐analysis of 10 included studies.
The functional application of high entropy alloys, which emerge as a novel multi-principal component alloy, has been constantly expanding in the field of solar photothermal harvesting from optical ...materials to high temperature materials due to their excellent properties. A solar spectrally selective absorbing coating requires such materials that show not only outstanding optical properties but also prominent thermal stability. It is desirable but challenging to fabricate high performance solar absorbing coatings. A prospective strategy for the preparation of solar absorbing coatings is the introduction of high entropy alloys. In this work, we have developed a simple, cost-conscious, scalable and highly efficient solar selective absorbing coating using a single layer high entropy nitride AlCrTaTiZrN by choosing appropriate elemental compositions. The as-deposited coatings show an outstanding spectral selectivity of
α
/
= 92.8%/5.1% or 91.6%/5.1%. High temperature thermal stability tests are performed in depth, indicating that the coating could endure annealing treatment at 800 °C for 2 h with insignificant reflectance spectrum variation. A prolonged period of thermal stability characterization presents that this coating could maintain good optical performance after annealing at 650 °C for 300 h. Furthermore, high temperature thermal emittance can be suppressed to as low as 15.4% at 600 °C, which contributes to the state-of-the-art photothermal conversion efficiency under 100 suns (87.7% at 600 °C, and 84.6% at 650 °C). Overall, the high entropy nitride AlCrTaTiZrN based coating contributes to good thermal stability and optical properties, showing great potential for extensive applications in solar energy harvesting.
A high entropy alloy nitride AlCrTaTiZrN nanofilm is employed to develop a novel duplex spectrally selective solar absorber coating, which leads to a scalable, highly efficient and cost-conscience structure.
Apart from gene editing capacity, the newly discovered CRISPR/Cas systems offer an exciting option for biosensing field because of their excellent target recognition accuracy. However, the currently ...constructed sensors are not only limited to nucleic acid analysis but also suffer from poor adaptability in complex samples and unsatisfying sensitivity. We herein introduce some advanced concepts to break through these bottlenecks. First, the sensing targets are extended by skillfully designing a functional DNA such as aptamer (for protein) and DNAzyme (for metal ion) to regulate the transduction of non-nucleic acid species and further activate the trans cleavage of CRISPR/Cas12a. Second, a boosting upconversion luminescent resonance energy is triggered by using a peculiar energy-confining notion, whereby the luminescence domain is intensively restricted in a very narrow space (~2.44 nm) and up to 92.9% of the green emission can be quenched by the approaching BHQ-1 modified reporters. Third, a bio-inspired periodic arrangement biomimetic chip (photonic crystal) is employed to selectively reflect the upconversion luminescence to achieve noteworthy signal enhancement (~35-fold). By utilizing very simple detection devices (a 980 nm portable laser and a smartphone), the CRISPR/Cas12a biosensor shows commendable sensitivity and specificity toward model targets (ATP and Na+, limits of detection are ~ 18 nM and ~0.37 μM, respectively). More importantly, the analysis of real complex samples demonstrate that the as-proposed platform can work as a powerful toolbox for monitoring the ATP fluctuation in single cell and point-of-care testing Na+ in human plasma, enabling a broad application prospect.
•A functional DNA regulated transduction is introduced into CRISPR/Cas12a biosensor.•An energy-confining boosted upconversion LRET is constructed to face with complex samples.•A biomimetric chip is employed to simplify sensing devices and perform signal amplification.•Favorable assay performance toward model non-nucleic acid targets (ATP and Na+) are obtained.•Good sensing abilities toward single cell and human plasma are presented.
Due to the robust oxidation conditions in strong acid oxygen evolution reaction (OER), developing an OER electrocatalyst with high efficiency remains challenging in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) ...water electrolyzer. Recent theoretical research suggested that reducing the coordination number of Ir−O is feasible to reduce the energy barrier of the rate‐determination step, potentially accelerating the OER. Inspired by this, we experimentally verified the Ir−O coordination number's role at model catalysts, then synthesized low‐coordinated IrOx nanoparticles toward a durable PEM water electrolyzer. We first conducted model studies on commercial rutile‐IrO2 using plasma‐based defect engineering. The combined in situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis and computational studies clarify why the decreased coordination numbers increase catalytic activity. Next, under the model studies’ guidelines, we explored a low‐coordinated Ir‐based catalyst with a lower overpotential of 231 mV@10 mA cm−2 accompanied by long durability (100 h) in an acidic OER. Finally, the assembled PEM water electrolyzer delivers a low voltage (1.72 V@1 A cm−2) as well as excellent stability exceeding 1200 h (@1 A cm−2) without obvious decay. This work provides a unique insight into the role of coordination numbers, paving the way for designing Ir‐based catalysts for PEM water electrolyzers.
Reducing the coordination number is feasible to lower the rate‐determination‐step energy barrier, thus accelerating the electrocatalytic reaction process. Our designed low‐coordination IrOx delivers superior activity as well as excellent stability in water electrolyzers.
Mechanical science and engineering can use machine learning. However, data sets have remained relatively scarce; fortunately, known governing equations can supplement these data. This paper ...summarizes and generalizes three reduced order methods: self-consistent clustering analysis, virtual clustering analysis, and FEM-clustering analysis. These approaches have two-stage structures: unsupervised learning facilitates model complexity reduction and mechanistic equations provide predictions. These predictions define databases appropriate for training neural networks. The feed forward neural network solves forward problems, e.g., replacing constitutive laws or homogenization routines. The convolutional neural network solves inverse problems or is a classifier, e.g., extracting boundary conditions or determining if damage occurs. We will explain how these networks are applied, then provide a practical exercise: topology optimization of a structure (a) with non-linear elastic material behavior and (b) under a microstructural damage constraint. This results in microstructure-sensitive designs with computational effort only slightly more than for a conventional linear elastic analysis.
Photocuring formulas were designed for 3D printing technology used in forming propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics. Thermal performance is an essential part of the comprehensive performance of ...this kind of formula. In this paper, a formula consisting of epoxy acrylic resin (EA) as binder and hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL‐20) as the energetic additive was developed and printed by material extrusion 3D printing technology. The thermal decomposition behavior was investigated by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. Furthermore, the decomposition kinetics was calculated and analysed based on Kissinger‐Akahira‐Sunose (KSA) method. In addition, species and contents of gaseous products during decomposition were measured using the DSC‐TG‐FTIR‐MS method. The results from these several techniques were discussed comprehensively. It was shown that the resin binder has great effects on the decomposition of CL‐20. It was found that the interaction between resin and CL‐20 led to two exothermic processes in the decomposition of the compound. Also, there was no overlap in the activation energy between the two processes, with 149.23 kJ/mol for the first process and 164.41 kJ/mol for the second process.
The most recent advances in high-entropy materials provide impetus for the development of high-performance materials, simultaneously providing high-temperature robustness and excellent functional ...properties owing to the high configurational entropy and distorted lattices. Thus, in this work, double-layer high-entropy alloy nitride HfNbTaTiZrN with a well-designed metal content gradient is employed to fabricate a solar selective absorber coating (SSAC). We extensively investigated whether the coating meets the definition of a high-entropy material from the points of elemental analysis and phase structure, combined with thermodynamic calculation. Remarkably, the new, tailored SSAC exhibits an exceptionally high solar absorptance (
α
= 96%) and a suppressed thermal emittance (
= 8.2%) at 82 °C and omnidirectional absorption. Investigations of the long-term thermal stability indicate that the HfNbTaTiZrN-based SSAC due to the entropy-driven structural stabilization could endure heat treatment at 600 °C for 168 h, retaining a performance criterion (PC) value less than 0.05, which implies the feasibility of practical applications. More importantly, the photothermal conversion efficiency (
η
), which is utilized to quantitatively evaluate the performance at elevated temperatures, reaches 90.1% at a working temperature of 550 °C under 100 suns, and even after annealing at 600 °C for 168 h, the efficiency drop is still less than 5%. Overall, the combination of thermal robustness and photothermal conversion efficiency at working temperatures less than 600 °C provides significant potential to maximize solar energy harvesting and pioneers an opportunity to explore simultaneous multifunctional applications of high-entropy alloys.
The most recent advances in high-entropy materials provide impetus for the development of high-performance materials, simultaneously providing high-temperature robustness and excellent functional properties owing to the high configurational entropy and distorted lattices.
