Abstract
Structured light refers to the arbitrarily tailoring of optical fields in all their degrees of freedom (DoFs), from spatial to temporal. Although orbital angular momentum (OAM) is perhaps ...the most topical example, and celebrating 30 years since its connection to the spatial structure of light, control over other DoFs is slowly gaining traction, promising access to higher-dimensional forms of structured light. Nevertheless, harnessing these new DoFs in quantum and classical states remains challenging, with the toolkit still in its infancy. In this perspective, we discuss methods, challenges, and opportunities for the creation, detection, and control of multiple DoFs for higher-dimensional structured light. We present a roadmap for future development trends, from fundamental research to applications, concentrating on the potential for larger-capacity, higher-security information processing and communication, and beyond.
Recent realization of high sodium‐ion conductivities (>10−2 S cm−1) in inorganic solid electrolytes (ISEs) at room temperature will certainly trigger a boom in all‐solid‐state sodium batteries ...(ASS‐SBs). However, their electrochemical stable windows and compatibility to high capacity/voltage electrodes are unsatisfactory. Developing ideal ISEs that deliver high Na+ ion conductivities, good electrochemical/chemical stability, and compatible electrode/ISE interface is key for the success of high‐performance ASS‐SBs. In this review, focus is mainly on the fundamentals and strategies to optimize ASS‐SB performances from the aspects of ISE and interface, and note that interfacial issues are also ISE‐related. The latest progress in ISEs, including fundamentals of the sodium‐ion conduction mechanism, key parameters dominating the Na+ ion conduction in terms of crystal structure, lattice dynamics, point defects, and grain boundaries, and prototyping strategies for cell design, are elaborated from the perspectives of material and defect chemistry. The key challenges and future opportunities are discussed, and rational solutions are provided.
This review discusses the fundamentals of sodium ionic conduction in inorganic solid electrolytes (ISEs), identifies the key parameters dominating the sodium ionic conduction, and proposes prototyping strategies for both solid electrolyte and full cell design, from the perspectives of materials and defect chemistry. The key challenges and future opportunities for all‐solid‐state sodium batteries using ISEs are also discussed in detail.
Southerly wind in the lower troposphere is an essential feature of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) circulation, which is reported to be enhanced under global warming scenarios and interglacial ...epochs. Based on an analysis of an ensemble of CMIP6 models, this study shows that the magnitude of intensification of the EASM circulation is much smaller under global warming scenarios than during interglacial epochs. Distinct changes in the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) are responsible for the different responses of the EASM circulation. The WNPSH is substantially enhanced during interglacial epochs, which acts to strengthen the southerly wind associated with the EASM on the western flank of the WNPSH. However, the change in the WNPSH is insignificant and cannot strengthen the EASM under global warming scenarios, and the weakly enhanced EASM circulation may be a direct response to intensified heating over the Tibetan Plateau. The land–ocean thermal contrast explains the different responses of the WNPSH. During interglacial epochs, the summertime surface warming over the subtropical North Pacific is much weaker than over Eurasia due to the large thermal inertia of the ocean to increased insolation, and the WNPSH is intensified as a response to the suppressed latent heating over the subtropical North Pacific. The fast response of the WNPSH to abrupt quadrupling of CO₂ without sufficient ocean warming is an analog to the interglacial epochs, but it is offset by the effect of slow oceanic warming, resulting in an insignificant change of the WNPSH under global warming scenarios.
Bio‐ink has gradually transited from ionic‐crosslinking to photocrosslinking due to photocurable bio‐hydrogel having good formability and biocompatibility. It is very important to understand and ...quantify the crosslinking process of photocurable hydrogels, otherwise, bioprinting cannot be standardized and scalable. However, there are few studies on hydrogel formation process and its photocrosslinking behavior which cannot be accurately predicted. Herein, the photoinitiated radical polymerized bio‐hydrogels are taken as an example to establish the formation theory. Three typical crosslinking reactions are first distinguished. It is further proposed that not all double‐bonds consumed during crosslinking contributeequally to polymerization. Then the concept of effective double‐bond conversion (EDBC) is elicited. Deriving from EDBC, several important formation indices are defined. According to theory, it is predicted that slow crosslinking can improve the crosslinking degree. Furthermore, based on the slow crosslinking effect, a new strategy of projection‐based 3D printing (PBP) is proposed, which significantly improved printing quality and efficiency. Overall, this work will fill the gap in hydrogel's formation theory, making it possible to accurately quantify the formation process.
A systematic formation theory of photocurable bio‐hydrogels is established, and the formation process of hydrogels is clarified. Based on the theory, the photocrosslinking behavior of hydrogels is predicted accurately. Besides, an original projection‐based 3D printing (PBP) strategy is proposed, which significantly improves the printing resolution, printing efficiency, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility.
Adsorption separation of olefin and paraffin can greatly lower the energy consumption associated with the currently utilized distillation technique but remains a great challenge. Herein, we report ...the efficient separation of propylene (C3H6) and propane (C3H8) in a phosphate anion‐functionalized metal–organic framework (MOF) ZnAtzPO4 by synergetic effect of equilibrium and kinetics. The material features periodically expanded and contracted apertures decorated with electronegative groups, offering eligible pore shape and pore chemistry to effectively trap C3H6 under moderate isosteric heat of adsorption (27.5 kJ mol−1) while obstruct the diffusion of C3H8. It simultaneously combines excellent thermodynamic selectivity (uptake ratio of 1.71) and kinetic selectivity (~31) for C3H6/C3H8 separation, meanwhile can be easily regenerated. Breakthrough experiment for C3H6/C3H8 gas mixture was conducted and confirmed the outstanding separation capability of ZnAtzPO4. The equilibrium and kinetics cooperative C3H6/C3H8 adsorption separation was for the first time found in anion‐functionalized MOFs, and further confirmed by computational studies.
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) cation channels are encoded by HCN1-4 gene family and have four subtypes. These channels are activated upon hyperpolarization of membrane ...potential and conduct an inward, excitatory current Ih in the nervous system. Ih acts as pacemaker current to initiate rhythmic firing, dampen dendritic excitability and regulate presynaptic neurotransmitter release. This review summarizes recent insights into the cellular functions of Ih and associated behavior such as learning and memory, sleep and arousal. HCN channels are excellent targets of various cellular signals to finely regulate neuronal responses to external stimuli. Numerous mechanisms, including transcriptional control, trafficking, as well as channel assembly and modification, underlie HCN channel regulation. In the next section, we discuss how the intracellular signals, especially recent findings concerning protein kinases and interacting proteins such as cGKII, Ca(2+)/CaMKII and TRIP8b, regulate function and expression of HCN channels, and subsequently provide an overview of the effects of neurotransmitters on HCN channels and their corresponding intracellular mechanisms. We also discuss the dysregulation of HCN channels in pathological conditions. Finally, insight into future directions in this exciting area of ion channel research is provided.
•The hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge process is developed.•Hydrochars are solid fuels with less nitrogen and sulfur contents.•The first order combustion reaction of hydrochars is ...derived.•Main combustion decomposition of hydrochars is easier and more stable.•Formation pathways of hydrochars during hydrothermal carbonization are proposed.
Conventional thermochemical treatment of sewage sludge (SS) is energy-intensive due to its high moisture content. To overcome this drawback, the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process was used to convert SS into clean solid fuel without prior drying. Different carbonization times were applied in order to produce hydrochars possessing better fuel properties. After the carbonization process, fuel characteristics and combustion behaviors of hydrochars were evaluated. Elemental analysis showed that 88% of carbon was recovered while 60% of nitrogen and sulfur was removed. Due to dehydration and decarboxylation reactions, hydrogen/carbon and oxygen/carbon atomic ratios reduced to 1.53 and 0.39, respectively. It was found that the fuel ratio increased to 0.18 by prolonging the carbonization process. Besides, longer carbonization time seemed to decrease oxygen containing functional groups while carbon aromaticity structure increased, thereby rendering hydrochars highly hydrophobic. The thermogravimetric analysis showed that the combustion decomposition was altered from a single stage for raw sludge to two stages for hydrochars. The combustion reaction was best fitted to the first order for both raw sludge and hydrochars. The combustion of hydrochars is expected to be easier and more stable than raw sludge because of lower activation energy and pre-exponential factor.
To the Editor: We provide follow-up information on a case discussed in Emerging Infectious Diseases of a man with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection who reportedly ...had late-onset rhabdomyolysis with lower limb pain and fatigue (1). After the patient was stabilized, he was transferred to Wuhan Union Hospital, where he disclosed symmetric weakness (Medical Research Council grade 4/5) in both lower limbs with weakened deep tendon reflexes and decreased sensation to light touch and pinprick distally. Because weakness and paresthesia persisted after biochemistries normalized, we feel that these observations are not explained solely by rhabdomyolysis. ...thromboembolism has the potential to cause peripheral nerve ischemia and necrosis (4).
Coupled climate system models consistently show that the low-level southerly wind associated with the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) is enhanced under anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing, and the ...enhanced EASM was attributed to the enhanced land–sea thermal contrast by previous studies. Based on a comparison of the global warming scenarios with the present-day climate in an ensemble of 30 coupled models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), we show evidence that changes in land–sea thermal contrast cannot explain the enhanced EASM circulation in terms of the seasonality. Indeed, the enhanced low-level southerly wind over East Asia is associated with a large-scale anomalous cyclone around the Tibetan Plateau (TP), and numerical simulation by the Linear Baroclinic Model suggests that the enhanced latent heating over the TP associated with enhanced precipitation is responsible for this low-level cyclone anomaly and the enhanced EASM circulation projected by the coupled models. Moisture budget analysis shows that enhanced hydrological recycling and enhanced vertical moisture advection due to increased specific humidity have the largest contribution to the increased precipitation over the TP, and more than half of the intermodel uncertainty in the projected change of EASM circulation is associated with the uncertainty in the changes of precipitation over the TP. Therefore, the TP plays an essential role in enhancing the EASM circulation under global warming through enhanced latent heating over the TP.
Polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs), originated from breakdown of large plastic wastes, have already caused much concern for their environmental risks on health. This current study was aimed to reveal ...the toxicological mechanism of PS NPs on developing zebrafish and macrophage cells. To fulfill this purpose, 42 nm PS NPs were exposed to the early development stage of zebrafish for 5 days, the decreased heart rate and locomotor activity of zebrafish larvae were observed. The fluorescent PS NPs were used to precisely assess the accumulation of PS NPs in zebrafish larvae, and the results indicated that PS NPs not only accumulated in digestive system, but also infiltrated into the liver. More importantly, the transcriptomic analysis revealed that a total of 356 genes were differentially expressed and the KEGG class map showed significant differences in the MAPK pathway upon PS NPs treatment. Meanwhile, the induction of oxidative stress and inflammation were also observed in zebrafish larvae. Furthermore, PS NPs also induced oxidative damage and inflammatory response in RAW 264.7 cells, which activated p38 MAPK signal pathway and finally induced cell apoptosis. Our study provides a new understanding of MAPK signaling pathway involved in toxicity mechanism.
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•Nanoplastics posed great potential risks to aquatic organism and mammalian cell.•Nanoplastics induced significant alterations in MAPK pathway in zebrafish larvae.•The induction of oxidative stress and inflammation were correlated with p38 MAPK pathway.•Nanoplastics activated p38 MAPK pathway and finally induced apoptosis.
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