Based on the spatial analysis and GIS modeling of the distribution of religious sites in Greater China, we have developed the concept of regional religious systems (RRSs) as a novel way of ...understanding and studying the spatial distribution patterns of religious sites and their relationship with other social and cultural factors. This essay further explores theoretical issues such as its center–periphery relations in existing administrative and economical hierarchies. Drawing on our current project on RRSs in the Hangzhou region and various available studies about pre-modern Chinese religion, the author explains the spatial characteristics of RRSs, such as the role of transportation, trade and pilgrimage routes in the formation of RRSs. Using Chinese Buddhism as an example, the author argues that RRSs in Greater China should be treated as a spatial formation without an internal hierarchical structure because the political and administrative hierarchy prevents the formation of a strong religious hierarchy.
2D materials hold great potential for designing novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, 2D material can only absorb limited incident light. As a representative 2D semiconductor, ...monolayer MoS2 can only absorb up to 10% of the incident light in the visible, which is not sufficient to achieve a high optical‐to‐electrical conversion efficiency. To overcome this shortcoming, a “gap‐mode” plasmon‐enhanced monolayer MoS2 fluorescent emitter and photodetector is designed by squeezing the light‐field into Ag shell‐isolated nanoparticles–Au film gap, where the confined electromagnetic field can interact with monolayer MoS2. With this gap‐mode plasmon‐enhanced configuration, a 110‐fold enhancement of photoluminescence intensity is achieved, exceeding values reached by other plasmon‐enhanced MoS2 fluorescent emitters. In addition, a gap‐mode plasmon‐enhanced monolayer MoS2 photodetector with an 880% enhancement in photocurrent and a responsivity of 287.5 A W−1 is demonstrated, exceeding previously reported plasmon‐enhanced monolayer MoS2 photodetectors.
By dropping Ag shell‐isolated nanoparticles onto Al2O3‐covered Au film, the gap‐mode plasmonic structure with a gap thickness of 7 nm can form naturally. By integrating monolayer MoS2 into this plasmonic structure, 110‐fold photoluminescence and 880% photocurrent enhancement are achieved. This work shows that the gap‐mode plasmonic structures have huge potential for realizing high‐performance 2D‐material‐based optoelectronic devices.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disease, which results in tissue loss and neurologic dysfunction. NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in the mechanism of diverse diseases. However, ...no studies have demonstrated the role of NLRP3 inflammasome and the effects of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors in a mouse model of SCI. We investigated whether inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by the pharmacologic inhibitor BAY 11-7082 or A438079 could exert neuroprotective effects in a mouse model of SCI.
SCI was performed using an aneurysm clip with a closing force of 30 g at the level of the T6-T7 vertebra for 1 min. Motor recovery was evaluated by an open-field test. Neuronal death was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling and Nissl staining. Mitochondrial dysfunction was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), western blot, and detection of mitochondrial membrane potential level. Microglia/macrophage activation and astrocytic response were evaluated by immunofluorescence labeling.
Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by pharmacologic inhibitor BAY 11-7082 or A438079 reduced neuronal death, attenuated spinal cord anatomic damage, and promoted motor recovery. Furthermore, BAY 11-7082 or A438079 directly attenuated the levels of NLRP3 inflammasome and proinflammatory cytokines. Moreover, BAY 11-7082 or A438079 alleviated microglia/macrophage activation, neutrophils infiltration, and reactive gliosis, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction.
Collectively, our results demonstrate that pharmacologic suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome activation controls neuroinflammation, attenuates mitochondrial dysfunction, alleviates the severity of spinal cord damage, and improves neurological recovery after SCI. These data strongly indicate that the NLRP3 inflammasome is a vital contributor to the secondary damage of SCI in mice.
The Poisson’s ratio characterizes the resultant strain in the lateral direction for a material under longitudinal deformation. Though negative Poisson’s ratios (NPR) are theoretically possible within ...continuum elasticity, they are most frequently observed in engineered materials and structures, as they are not intrinsic to many materials. In this work, we report NPR in single-layer graphene ribbons, which results from the compressive edge stress induced warping of the edges. The effect is robust, as the NPR is observed for graphene ribbons with widths smaller than about 10 nm, and for tensile strains smaller than about 0.5% with NPR values reaching as large as −1.51. The NPR is explained analytically using an inclined plate model, which is able to predict the Poisson’s ratio for graphene sheets of arbitrary size. The inclined plate model demonstrates that the NPR is governed by the interplay between the width (a bulk property), and the warping amplitude of the edge (an edge property), which eventually yields a phase diagram determining the sign of the Poisson’s ratio as a function of the graphene geometry.
In this paper, an averaging principle for multidimensional, time dependent, stochastic differential equations (SDEs) driven by fractional Brownian motion and standard Brownian motion was established. ...We combined the pathwise approach with the Itô stochastic calculus to handle both types of integrals involved and proved that the original SDEs can be approximated by averaged SDEs in the manner of mean square convergence.
This paper focuses on the decentralized optimal control algorithm for distribution management system by considering distribution network as coupled microgrids. Based on the autonomous control model ...of each single microgrid, coordinated information and strategies among different microgrids are used to decrease the operating cost of distributed generation, improve the efficiency of the distributed storages utilization, and reduce the complexity of distribution network operation. The optimal control problem of microgrids is modeled as a decentralized partially-observable Markov decision process (DEC-POMDP), and a coordinated dynamic programming algorithm is used to solve the problem by introducing a look-head dual multiplier mechanism as decentralized control signals from centralized information. The performances of this algorithm and the impacts of different coordinated information are discussed by some study cases in the end of this paper.
Abstract The rapidly emerging field of 2D magnetic materials has garnered significant attention due to its fascinating physical properties and wide‐ranging potential applications. This review ...highlights the importance of magneto‐optical interactions as a crucial tool for both studying and modulating 2D magnets. It offers a comprehensive survey of current research concerning magneto‐optical interactions in 2D magnetic materials, encompassing the magneto‐optical Kerr effect, reflection magnetic circular dichroism, second‐harmonic generation, photoluminescence, inelastic light scattering, and time‐resolved spectroscopy. This review discusses how these techniques provide insights into the properties of 2D magnets, enabling exploration of magnetic phase transitions, lattice alterations, spin dynamics, as well as their responses to external fields. Moreover, it emphasizes the modulation of magnetic properties by photo‐stimulation and offers a brief outlook on this swiftly developing field.
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