Progress and Perspectives in 2D Piezoelectric Materials for Piezotronics and Piezo-Phototronics.

The emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials has catalyzed significant advancements in the fields of piezotronics and piezo-phototronics, owing to their exceptional mechanical, electronic, and optical properties. This review provides a comprehensive examination of key 2D piezoelectric and piezo-phototronic materials, including transition metal dichalcogenides, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and phosphorene, with an emphasis on their unique advantages and recent research progress. The underlying principles of piezotronics and piezo-phototronics in 2D materials is discussed, focusing on the fundamental mechanisms which enable these phenomena.

Effect of Reaction Interface Structure on the Morphology and Performance of Thin-Film Composite Membrane.

Thin-film composite (TFC) membrane has been extensively utilized and investigated for its excellent properties. Herein, we have constructed an active layer (AL) containing cave-like structures utilizing large meniscus interface. Furthermore, the impact of interface structure on the growth process, morphology, and effective surface area of AL has been fully explored with the assistance of sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS).

Performance Enhancement of Carbon Nanotube Network Transistors via SbI Inner-Doping in Selected Regions.

Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) represent one of the most promising materials for surpassing Moore's Law and developing the next generation of electronic devices. Despite numerous developed approaches, reducing the contact resistance of s-SWCNTs networks remains a significant challenge in achieving further enhancements in electronic performance. In this study, antimony triiodide (SbI) is efficiently encapsulated within high-purity s-SWCNTs films at low temperatures, forming 1D SbI@s-SWCNTs vdW heterostructures.

Significant Enhancement in THz Emission and Piezoelectricity in Atomically Thin Nb-Doped MoS.

A significantly enhanced THz radiation generation from femtosecond photoexcited MoS layers due to Nb-doping is reported here. Different microscopic mechanisms involved in the THz photocurrent generation vary in their relative contributions in the two cases of photoexcitation, i.e.

Higher Dietary Inflammatory Index and Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index Score are Associated With Higher Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease: Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey From 1999 to 2018.

Objective: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by a gradual decline in kidney function over time. The role of dietary inflammatory index (DII) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in individuals with CKD remains uncertain. We aimed to explore the potential correlation between DII and SII with the prevalence of CKD in adult Americans.

Inula helenium extract and lidocaine-loaded electrospun wound dressings for managing skin wounds pain and their healing: An in vitro and in vivo study.

The skin injuries pose a substantial public health challenge, not only due to their physical trauma but also the accompanying pain and complexities in wound healing. In the current research, extract and lidocaine were loaded into electrospun PVA/calcium alginate nanofibers to promote skin wounds healing and alleviate the resulting pain. Various in vitro experiments were utilized to characterize these dressings.

Ultra-low power carbon nanotube/porphyrin synaptic arrays for persistent photoconductivity and neuromorphic computing.

Developing devices with a wide-temperature range persistent photoconductivity (PPC) and ultra-low power consumption remains a significant challenge for optical synaptic devices used in neuromorphic computing. By harnessing the PPC properties in materials, it can achieve optical storage and neuromorphic computing, surpassing the von Neuman architecture-based systems. However, previous research implemented PPC required additional gate voltages and low temperatures, which need additional energy consumption and PPC cannot be achieved across a wide temperature range.

Association of urinary bisphenol A with hyperlipidemia and all-cause mortality: NHANES 2003-2016.

Background: The connection between urinary bisphenol A (BPA) and hyperlipidemia is still unclear, and few studies have evaluated whether urinary BPA affects mortality among individuals with hyperlipidemia. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the link between urinary BPA and hyperlipidemia and assess the impact of urinary BPA on mortality risk in subjects with hyperlipidemia.

Methods: We analyzed data of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003 to 2016.

Anaerobic acidification membrane bioreactor operating at acidic condition for treating concentrated municipal wastewater: Performance and implication.

To address the low-carbon treatment requirements for municipal wastewater, a novel anaerobic acidification membrane bioreactor (AAMBR) was developed for recovering organic matter in terms of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). While the AAMBR successfully generated VFAs from municipal wastewater through forward osmosis (FO) membrane concentration, its operation was limited to a single pH value of 10.0.

New insights on destruction mechanisms of waste activated sludge during simultaneous thickening and digestion process via forward osmosis membrane.

This study delved into the efficacy of sludge digestion and the mechanisms involved in sludge destruction during the implementation of forward osmosis process for sludge thickening and digestion (FO-MSTD). Utilizing a lab-scale FO membrane reactor for the thickening and digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS), the investigation explored the effects of sludge thickening and digestion in FO-MSTD processes using draw solutions of varying concentrations. The findings underscored the significance of hydraulic retention time (HRT) as a pivotal parameter influencing the swift thickening or profound digestion of sludge.

Interfacial Electron Transfer in PbI@Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube van der Waals Heterostructures for High-Stability Self-Powered Photodetectors.

Acquiring a deep insight into the electron transfer mechanism and applications of one-dimensional (1D) van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) has always been a significant challenge. Herein, through direct observation using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy (AC-TEM), we verify the stable formation of a high-quality 1D heterostructure composed of PbI@single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The phenomenon of electron transfer between PbI and SWCNT is elucidated through spectroscopic investigations, including Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Immunogenicity and safety of adjuvant-associated COVID-19 vaccines: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The benefits and risks of adjuvant-associated COVID-19 vaccines (ACVs) are unclear. The study aimed to assess the immunogenicity and safety of ACVs compared with controls (placebo or the same vaccine without adjuvants [NACVs]).

Methods: Randomized controlled trials sourced from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were systematically reviewed.

Boosting the Output Performance of the MoS Monolayer-Based Piezoelectric Nanogenerator by Artificial Dual Strain Concentration.

Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) with molybdenum disulfide (MoS) monolayers have been intensively studied owing to their superior mechanical durability and stability. However, the limited output performance resulting from a small active area and low strain levels continues to pose a significant challenge that should be overcome. Herein, we report a novel strategy for the epoch-making output performance of a PENG with a MoS monolayer by adopting the additive strain concentration concept.

Facet-Dependent Passivation for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Understanding the interplay between the surface structure and the passivation materials and their effects associated with surface structure modification is of fundamental importance; however, it remains an unsolved problem in the perovskite passivation field. Here, we report a surface passivation principle for efficient perovskite solar cells via a facet-dependent passivation phenomenon. The passivation process selectively occurs on facets, which is observed with various post-treatment materials with different functionality, and the atomic arrangements of the facets determine the alignments of the passivation layers.

Integrating anaerobic acidification with two-stage forward osmosis concentration for simultaneously recovering organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus from municipal wastewater.

In order to meet the demand of municipal wastewater for low-carbon treatment and resource recovery, a novel process of anaerobic acidification membrane bioreactor (AAMBR) assisted with a two-stage forward osmosis (FO) (FO-AAMBR-FO) was developed for simultaneously recovering organic matter and nutrients from municipal wastewater. The results indicated that the first FO process concentrated the municipal wastewater to one tenth of the initial volume. The corresponding chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH-N) and total phosphorus (TP) concentration reached up to 2800, 200 and 33 mg/L, respectively.

PD1 is transcriptionally regulated by LEF1 in mature T cells.

The role of programmed cell death 1 (PD1) in cancer immune evasion is of considerable importance, prompting the development of monoclonal antibodies that specifically target PD-1 to enhance the immune system for cancer therapy. Nevertheless, the efficacy of PD1/programmed cell death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking antibodies is limited to certain patients or tumor types. Although researchers have demonstrated the influence of PD-1 on the positive selection of T cells, its effect on the T-cell repertoire remains uncertain.

Construction of -Ferrocene Substituted Benzodihydrooxazoles via a Catalyst-Free Aza-Michael Addition/C(sp)-O Bond Formation Tandem Reaction.

A catalyst-free aza-Michael addition/C(sp)-O bond formation tandem reaction of substituted amino ferrocenes with quinone esters was developed, which provided a green and efficient strategy for the construction of a C(sp)-O bond from C(sp)-H, and a series of -ferrocene-substituted benzodihydrooxazoles were smoothly produced in moderate to excellent yields (up to >99% yield). The mechanism experiments showed that quinone esters performed as both substrate and oxidant. The salient features of this transformation include good functional group tolerance, broad substrate scope and mild conditions.

Effects of sperm processing techniques on IVF pregnancy rates: a mini-review.

Many factors associated with assisted reproductive technologies significantly influence the success of pregnancy after fertilization (IVF) either directly or indirectly. These factors include sperm processing techniques, egg retrieval, intrauterine artificial insemination, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and embryo transfer. Among these technologies, sperm quality is one of the most critical factors for a successful IVF pregnancy.

TAT-PEP Alleviated Cognitive Impairment by Alleviating Neuronal Mitochondria Damage and Apoptosis After Cerebral Ischemic Reperfusion Injury.

Paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B (PirB) was identified as a myelin-associated inhibitory protein (MAIP) receptor that plays a critical role in axonal regeneration, synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival after stroke. In our previous study, a transactivator of transcription-PirB extracellular peptide (TAT-PEP) was generated that can block the interactions between MAIs and PirB. We found that TAT-PEP treatment improved axonal regeneration, CST projection and long-term neurobehavioural recovery after stroke through its effects on PirB-mediated downstream signalling.

Esketamine ameliorates post-stroke anxiety by modulating microglial HDAC3/NF-κB/COX1 inflammatory signaling in ischemic cortex.

Post-stroke anxiety (PSA) is a kind of affective disorder occurring after a stroke, with anxiety as the primary clinical manifestation. PSA's mechanism is unclear, and there are few prevention and treatment measures. Our previous study found that HDAC3 could activate NF-κB signaling through mediated p65 deacetylation, which further influenced microglia activation.

TCF1/LEF1 triggers Wnt-dependent chemokine/cytokine-induced inflammation and cadherin pathways to drive T-ALL cell migration.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a type of aggressive hematologic malignancy. It progresses quickly and it is likely to be fatal within a few months without treatment. Despite the limitations of current clinical therapies, there is an urgent need for novel and targeted therapies.

Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Reaction of -arylnaphthalen-2-amines with Quinone Esters for the Construction of Carbazole and C-N Axially Chiral Carbazole Derivatives.

We demonstrated here an efficient synthetic method of carbazole derivatives from readily available -arylnaphthalen-2-amines and quinone esters catalyzed by Brønsted acid. With this strategy, a series of carbazole derivatives were obtained in good to excellent yields (76 to >99) under mild conditions. Large scale reaction illustrated the synthetic utility of this protocol.