Surface Self-Diffusion Induced Sintering of Nanoparticles.

Despite the critical role of sintering phenomena in constraining the long-term durability of nanosized particles, a clear understanding of nanoparticle sintering has remained elusive due to the challenges in atomically tracking the neck initiation and discerning different mechanisms. Through the integration of in situ transmission electron microscopy and atomistic modeling, this study uncovers the atomic dynamics governing the neck initiation of Pt-Fe nanoparticles via a surface self-diffusion process, allowing for coalescence without significant particle movement. Real-time imaging reveals that thermally activated surface morphology changes in individual nanoparticles induce significant surface self-diffusion.

Pivotal Role of Surface Terminations in MXene Thermodynamic Stability.

MXenes, i.e., two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, have been reported as promising materials for various applications, including energy storage, biomedicine, and electronics.

Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectral Library of MXenes.

Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy characterization is a powerful and easy-to-use technique frequently employed for the characterization and fingerprinting of materials. Although MXenes are a large and fastest growing family of inorganic 2D materials, the lack of systematic FTIR spectroscopy studies hinders its application to MXenes and often leads to misinterpretation of the results. In this study, we report experimental and calculated FTIR spectra of 12 most typical carbide and carbonitride MXenes with different compositions (5 transition metals) and all four basic structures, including TiCT , NbCT , MoCT , VCT , TiCT , TiCNT , MoTiCT , MoTiCT , NbCT , VCT , TaCT , and MoVCT .

Illuminating the future of precision cancer surgery with fluorescence imaging and artificial intelligence convergence.

Real-time and accurate guidance for tumor resection has long been anticipated by surgeons. In the past decade, the flourishing material science has made impressive progress in near-infrared fluorophores that may fulfill this purpose. Fluorescence imaging-guided surgery shows great promise for clinical application and has undergone widespread evaluations, though it still requires continuous improvements to transition this technique from bench to bedside.

Nanoscale hyperthermia mesostructures for sustainable antimicrobial design.

Sustainability is critical in addressing global challenges posed by prolonged pandemics that impact health, economies, and the environment. Here, we introduce a molecular engineering approach for thermoregulated antimicrobial management inspired by firewalking rituals. The study uses spectroscopy and multi-scale modeling to validate a hierarchical design.

Non-Perturbative Determination of Isotope-induced Anomalous Vibrational Physics.

In general, vibrational physics has been well described by quantum perturbation theory to provide footprint characteristics for common crystals. However, despite weak phonon anharmonicity, the recently discovered cubic crystals have shown anomalous vibrational dynamics with elusive fundamental origin. Here, we developed a non-perturbative approach, in together with spectroscopy and high-pressure experiments, to successfully determine the exact dynamic evolutions of the vibrational physics for the first time.

Vaccine adjuvants: current status, research and development, licensing, and future opportunities.

Vaccines represent one of the most significant inventions in human history and have revolutionized global health. Generally, a vaccine functions by triggering the innate immune response and stimulating antigen-presenting cells, leading to a defensive adaptive immune response against a specific pathogen's antigen. As a key element, adjuvants are chemical materials often employed as additives to increase a vaccine's efficacy and immunogenicity.

The trajectory of carbon emissions and terrestrial carbon sinks at the provincial level in China.

Global greenhouse gas emission, major factor driving climate change, has been increasing since nineteenth century. STIRPAT and CEVSA models were performed to estimate the carbon emission peaks and terrestrial ecosystem carbon sinks at the provincial level in China, respectively. Utilizing the growth characteristics and the peak time criteria for the period 1997-2019, the patterns of energy consumption and CO emissions from 30 Chinese provinces are categorized into four groups: (i) one-stage increase (5 provinces), (ii) two-stage increase (10 provinces), (iii) maximum around 2013 (13 provinces), and (iv) maximum around 2017 (2 provinces).

Moiré Pattern Controlled Phonon Polarizer Based on Twisted Graphene.

Twisted van der Waals materials featuring Moiré patterns present new design possibilities and demonstrate unconventional behaviors in electrical, optical, spintronic, and superconducting properties. However, experimental exploration of thermal transport across Moiré patterns has not been as extensive, despite its critical role in nanoelectronics, thermal management, and energy technologies. Here, the first experimental study is conducted on thermal transport across twisted graphene, demonstrating a phonon polarizer concept from the rotational misalignment between stacked layers.

Application of waste derived magnetic acid-base bifunctional CoFe/biochar/CaO as an efficient catalyst for biodiesel production from waste cooking oil.

The loss of active components, weak acid resistance, and low recover efficiency of common Ca-based catalysts limited its further development and application. In this study, to effectively produce biodiesel from waste cooking oil (WCO), a green and recyclable magnetic acid-base bifunctional CoFe/biochar/CaO catalyst was prepared from sargassum and river snail shell waste via hydrothermal method. The catalysts' structure and properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), CO/NH temperature programmed desorption (CO/NH TPD), etc.

Electrically gated molecular thermal switch.

Controlling heat flow is a key challenge for applications ranging from thermal management in electronics to energy systems, industrial processing, and thermal therapy. However, progress has generally been limited by slow response times and low tunability in thermal conductance. In this work, we demonstrate an electronically gated solid-state thermal switch using self-assembled molecular junctions to achieve excellent performance at room temperature.

Redox-Activatable Magnetic Nanoarchitectonics for Self-Enhanced Tumor Imaging and Synergistic Photothermal-Chemodynamic Therapy.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent malignancy of the head and neck region associated with high recurrence rates and poor prognosis under current diagnostic and treatment methods. The development of nanomaterials that can improve diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic efficacy is of great importance for OSCC. In this study, a redox-activatable nanoarchitectonics is designed via the construction of dual-valence cobalt oxide (DV-CO) nanospheres, which can serve as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and exhibit enhanced transverse and longitudinal relaxivities through the release and redox of Co /Co in an acidic condition with glutathione (GSH), resulting in self-enhanced T /T -weighted MR contrast.

Computationally Guided Synthesis of MXenes by Dry Selective Extraction.

MXenes are a rapidly growing family of 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides that are promising for various applications, including energy storage and conversion, electronics, and healthcare. Hydrofluoric-acid-based etchants are typically used for large-scale and high-throughput synthesis of MXenes, which also leads to a mixture of surface terminations that impede MXene properties. Herein, a computational thermodynamic model with experimental validation is presented to explore the feasibility of fluorine-free synthesis of MXenes with uniform surface terminations by dry selective extraction (DSE) from precursor MAX phases using iodine vapors.

Machine Learning for Harnessing Thermal Energy: From Materials Discovery to System Optimization.

Recent advances in machine learning (ML) have impacted research communities based on statistical perspectives and uncovered invisibles from conventional standpoints. Though the field is still in the early stage, this progress has driven the thermal science and engineering communities to apply such cutting-edge toolsets for analyzing complex data, unraveling abstruse patterns, and discovering non-intuitive principles. In this work, we present a holistic overview of the applications and future opportunities of ML methods on crucial topics in thermal energy research, from bottom-up materials discovery to top-down system design across atomistic levels to multi-scales.

Deep Circumflex Iliac Artery Flap Reconstruction in Brown Class I Defect of the Mandible Using a Three-Component Surgical Template System.

Background: Computer-assisted surgery is widely used in mandibular reconstruction, but the process is not well described for cases using the deep circumflex iliac artery flap (DCIA) as the donor site. This study aimed to present a DCIA-based three-component surgical template system (3-STS) in patients with a mandibular Brown class I defect.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study compared clinical outcomes of mandibular reconstruction with DCIA flap using 3-STS or conventional surgical templates.

Immediate reconstruction of defects after a partial maxillectomy with a digitally planned, prefabricated, 3-dimensionally printed, esthetic obturator prosthesis.

A digital workflow was used to design and prefabricate a 3-dimensionally printed, esthetic obturator prosthesis for immediate placement after a partial maxillectomy. The approach involved simultaneous reciprocation and support of the maxillary defect during the surgery and minimized the incidence of cicatricial contracture of the soft tissue, preventing permanent facial deformity and dysfunction.

Unicystic ameloblastoma: A retrospective study on recurrent factors from a single institute database.

Objective: Unicystic ameloblastomas are a variant of ameloblastoma with a definite recurrence rate because of the biological behaviours of the tumour. The risk factors associated with disease recurrence were analysed in this retrospective study.

Methods: A total of 132 patients with primary unicystic ameloblastoma reported in a tertiary hospital from 2005 to 2015 were analysed to identify the clinic-pathological and radiological factors associated with recurrence using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.

Anomalous thermal transport under high pressure in boron arsenide.

High pressure represents extreme environments and provides opportunities for materials discovery. Thermal transport under high hydrostatic pressure has been investigated for more than 100 years and all measurements of crystals so far have indicated a monotonically increasing lattice thermal conductivity. Here we report in situ thermal transport measurements in the newly discovered semiconductor crystal boron arsenide, and observe an anomalous pressure dependence of the thermal conductivity.

Incidence of Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients After Neck Dissection.

Objectives: To determine the incidence of progressive internal carotid artery stenosis (ICAS) by head and neck contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) in 45 patients who underwent neck dissection for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Patients And Methods: The study included 45 patients who underwent head and neck contrast-enhanced CT before and after surgery for OSCC by the Hu Yongjie team at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head & Neck Oncology of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital in 2016 and were followed up for 5 years.

Results: Comparison of the current CT with previously obtained head and neck contrast-enhanced CT images revealed progressive ICAS in 3 patients with a mean age of 50.

Hydrothermal oxygen uncoupling of high-concentration biogas slurry over Cu-α-FeO·α-MoO catalyst.

A hydrothermal oxygen uncoupling (HTOU) method which combines aqueous phase reforming (APR) and oxygen uncoupling was proposed to treat biogas slurry (BS). Based on Le Chatelier's principle, this novel approach was constructed and realized by Cu-α-FeO·α-MoO catalyst with van der Waals heterojunction-redox property. Additionally, the catalyst was synthesized by integrating a simple one-pot sol-gel method and thermal hydrogenating.

The Anterolateral Thigh Perforator Flap for Mandibular Reconstruction: A Volumetric and Patient Satisfaction Analysis.

Purpose: This study investigated the stability and quality of life (QoL) outcomes of patients who received mandibular reconstructions with the anterolateral thigh perforator flap (ALTF) following tumor resection.

Methods: Thirty-five patients with oral tumors that were resected and reconstructed with ALTF were included in this study. Volumetric analyses of each ALTF were performed at 6 to 18 months postoperatively.

Effect of Concentrated Growth Factor on Distraction Osteogenesis of Dental Implant Distractors.

Purpose: The periosteum of bone segments can be destroyed during the installation of a dental implant distractor (DID) device, resulting in bone defects on the exposed side of the distraction gap. The purpose of this animal experiment is to explore the application of concentrated growth factor (CGF) in DID surgery, which can induce angiogenesis and osteogenesis and improve osteogenesis defects caused by periosteum loss on the exposed side of bone segments.

Methods: CGF is the latest generation of platelet concentrate.

Solitary Neurofibroma of the Zygoma: Three-Dimensional Virtual Resection and Patient-Specific Polyetheretherketone Implant Reconstruction.

Intraosseous benign lesions rarely involve the zygoma, and intraosseous venous malformation is most commonly reported condition in the previous literature. A neurofibroma (NF) arising from the zygoma has not been reported before. Here, the authors present a 37-year-old female who developed solitary NF of the right zygoma.

Thermal management materials for energy-efficient and sustainable future buildings.

Thermal management plays a key role in improving the energy efficiency and sustainability of future building envelopes. Here, we focus on the materials perspective and discuss the fundamental needs, current status, and future opportunities for thermal management of buildings. First, we identify the primary considerations and evaluation criteria for high-performance thermal materials.

Transparent silica aerogel slabs synthesized from nanoparticle colloidal suspensions at near ambient conditions on omniphobic liquid substrates.

This paper presents a novel sol-gel method to synthesize large and thick silica aerogel monoliths at near ambient conditions using a commercial aqueous solution of colloidal silica nanoparticles as building blocks. To achieve slabs with high visible transmittance and low thermal conductivity, the method combines the strategies of (i) synthesizing gels on an omniphobic perfluorocarbon liquid substrate, (ii) aging at temperatures above room temperature, and (iii) performing solvent exchange with a low-surface-tension organic solvent prior to ambient drying. The omniphobic liquid substrates were used to prevent cracking and ensure an optically-smooth surface, while nanoparticle building blocks were small (<10 nm) to limit volumetric light scattering.