Characterizing the mechanics of rectangular peg-hole disassembly and the effect of the active compliance centre on the extraction force.

This paper aimed at facilitating robotized disassembly for remanufacturing by focusing on the challenge of rectangular peg-hole disassembly. The study explores all potential contact states during the rectangular peg-hole disassembly process and identifies 26 distinct conditions, 16 of which are related to jamming. The contact conditions are categorized into five groups based on the number of contacts with the surface.

Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells Enabled by Inhibiting Voids via a Green Additive.

The buried interface in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is critical for determining device performance. However, during annealing, the perovskite crystallized downward from the film's top surfaces, and the use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) often resulted in voids at the perovskite bottom surface, which negatively impacted PSC performance. In this study, a green solid-state additive, piracetam (PA), was introduced into a perovskite precursor to reduce void formation.

Reconstruction of Hole Transport Layer via Co-Self-Assembled Molecules for High-Performance Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Adjusting the hole transport layer (HTL) to optimize its interface with perovskite is crucial for minimizing interface recombination, enhancing carrier extraction, and achieving efficient and stable inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, as a commonly used HTL, the self-assemble layer (SAM) of [2-(3,6-dimethoxy-9H-carbazol-9-yl)ethyl] phosphonic acid (MeO-2PACz) tends to form clusters and micelles during the deposition process, leading to inadequate coverage of the ITO substrate. Here, a Co-SAM strategy is employed by incorporating 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (SBA) and 4-trifluoromethyl benzoic acid (TBA) as additives into MeO-2PACz to fabricate a Co-SAM-based HTL.

Enhanced in-situ sediment remediation by calcium peroxide coupled with zero-valent iron: Simultaneous nitrogen removal and phosphorus stabilization.

As the potential causes of eutrophication, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in sediments have received wide attention. However, few of the in-situ sediment remediation methods can achieve simultaneous N removal and P stabilization in sediments. In this study, different impacts on N, P and organic matter (OM) properties of sediments and overlying water with different proportions of calcium peroxide (CaO) coupling with zero-valent iron (ZVI) were explored through incubation experiments.

Sex-specific responses of Taxus mairei to UV-B radiation involved altering the interactions between the microbiota assembly and host secondary metabolism.

Background: To adapt to constantly changing environments, ancient gymnosperms have coevolved with diverse endophytic fungi that are essential for the fitness and adaptability of the plant host. However, the effect of sex on plant-endophyte interactions in response to environmental stressors remains unknown. RNA-seq integrated with ITS analysis was applied to reveal the potential mechanisms underlying the sex-specific responses of Taxus mairei to ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation.

Fungal endophytes of Taxus species and regulatory effect of two strains on taxol synthesis.

Background: Taxol, derived from Taxus trees, is a valuable natural resource for the development of anticancer drugs. Endophytic fungi from Taxus trees are a promising alternative source of Taxol. However, the impact of plant-endophytic microbial interaction on the host's Taxol biosynthesis is largely unknown.

Mass Spectrometry-Imaging Analysis of Active Ingredients in the Leaves of .

Background: is an endangered evergreen conifer mainly found in Northeast Asia. In addition to the well-known taxanes, several active ingredients were detected in the leaves of . However, the precise spatial distribution of active ingredients in the leaves of is largely unknown.

Multifunctional Imidazolidinyl Urea Additive Initiated Complex with PbI Toward Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

High-quality perovskite absorption layer is the fundamental basis for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Due to the ionic nature of perovskite components, plentiful charged defects and suspension bonds remain on the surface of perovskite grains after continuous high-temperature annealing. Here, the complex initiated by the introduction of a multifunctional imidazolidinyl urea (IU) additive into the PbI precursor solution could serve as nucleation sites and crystallization templates for perovskite crystals to optimize the growth of high-quality perovskite films.

Modulation of Buried Interface by 1-(3-aminopropyl)-Imidazole for Efficient Inverted Formamidinium-Cesium Perovskite Solar Cells.

Considering the direct influence of substrate surface nature on perovskite (PVK) film growth, buried interfacial engineering is crucial to obtain ideal perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, 1-(3-aminopropyl)-imidazole (API) is introduced at polytriarylamine (PTAA)/PVK interface to modulate the bottom property of PVK. First, the introduction of API improves the growth of PVK grains and reduces the Pb defects and residual PbI present at the bottom of the film, contributing to the acquisition of high-quality PVK film.

Transcriptomic signatures associated with autoimmune thyroiditis in papillary thyroid carcinoma and cancer immunotherapy-induced thyroid dysfunction.

Up to 20% of patients treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors suffered from thyroid dysfunctions, yet the mediators associated with their occurrence remain unclear. The increasing coincidence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) and the high vulnerability of thyroid to immunotherapy motivated us to discover the similarities and their underlying transcriptomic basis. Clinical characteristics analysis of 468 PTC patients from two independent cohorts and meta-analysis of 22,155 PTC patients unveiled a strong negative association between HT and recurrence in PTC patients.

Unravelling Alkali-Metal-Assisted Domain Distribution of Quasi-2D Perovskites for Cascade Energy Transfer toward Efficient Blue Light-Emitting Diodes.

Solution processable quasi-2D (Q-2D) perovskite materials are emerging as a promising candidate for blue light source in full-color display applications due to their good color saturation property, high brightness, and spectral tunability. Herein, an efficient energy cascade channel is developed by introducing sodium bromide (NaBr) in phenyl-butylammonium (PBA)-containing mixed-halide Q-2D perovskites for a blue perovskite light-emitting diode (PeLED). The incorporation of alkali metal contributes to the nucleation and growth of Q-2D perovskites into graded distribution of domains with different layer number .

Stratification of Health Professional Education and Its Funding Disparities: Evidence From China During the Period of 1998-2017.

The finance of health professional education (HPE) is of immense importance for effective and sustainable health systems, yet relevant empirical research was scarce due to the lack of financial data. The study aimed to bridge the gap by presenting the scenario of finance for health professional institutions (HPIs) of different tiers in China and exploring how the stratification of institutions affected their funding disparities. The study employed data collected from the Ministry of Education in China, and selected the HPIs mainly based on the World Directory of Medical Schools.

Recombinant Lactobacillus acidophilus expressing S and S domains of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus could improve the humoral and mucosal immune levels in mice and sows inoculated orally.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a highly contagious intestinal infectious disease caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), which is characterized by a high mortality rate in piglets. Since 2012, a remarkable growth in PED outbreaks occurred in many pig farms in China, landing a heavy blow on the pig industry. In order to develop a new effective vaccine for the current PEDV, oral vaccines were generated by transferring eukaryotic expression recombinant plasmids carrying the S and S (antigenic sites of the S protein) epitopes of PEDV into a swine-origin Lactobacillus acidophilus (L.

GanMeijian ameliorates lipid accumulation and oxidative damage in alcoholic fatty liver disease in Wistar rats.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), a major public health problem, has drawn clinical and scientific attention. The study aims to investigate the effect of Ganmeijian [crude extract of malt root, phosphoesterase complex (Pho)] on AFLD, and explore the possible mechanisms. An AFLD rat model was made.

Detection of respiration changes inside biofilms with microelectrodes during exposure to antibiotics.

In order to evaluate the influence of antibiotics on the respiration of subpopulations in biofilms, dissolved oxygen microelectrodes were used to determine the oxygen concentration inside E. Coli biofilms. Based on the results, the oxygen consumption rate varying with depth in the biofilms was calculated before and after the treatment with antibiotics.

MicroRNA-214 promotes the calcification of human aortic valve interstitial cells through the acceleration of inflammatory reactions with activated MyD88/NF-κB signaling.

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a complex active process involving in endothelial injury, lipid infiltration, chronic inflammation, matrix remodeling, cell differentiation, progressive bone formation, and new angiogenesis. The excess inflammatory responses induced by aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs) are one of the common pathogeneses of this disease. Although many microRNAs (miRs) have been identified to play crucial roles in the calcification process of the aortic valve, numerous miRs are still waiting to be explored.

The Influence of Oxygen Atoms on Conformation and π-π Stacking of Ladder-Type Donor-Based Polymers and Their Photovoltaic Properties.

A novel ladder-type donor pyran-bridged indacenodithiophene (IDTP) is developed by introducing two oxygen atoms into indacenodithiophene unit. IDTP possesses a twisted backbone and leads to facially asymmetric arrangement of side chains, resulting in enhanced local π-π stacking of according polymer poly[(5,5,11,11-tetrakis(4-octylphenyl)-5,11-dihydrothieno[2',3':5,6]pyrano[3,4-g]thieno[3,2-c]isochromene)-alt-4,7-(5-fluoro-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PIDTP)-FBT, which shows extended absorption range. Moreover, oxygen atoms render deeper highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels of poly[indacenodithiophene-alt-4,7-(5-fluoro-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PIDTP)-FBT compared with PIDT-FBT, therefore bringing a higher open-circuit voltage (V ).

Apple Polysaccharide inhibits microbial dysbiosis and chronic inflammation and modulates gut permeability in HFD-fed rats.

The saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" has been known for over 150 years, and numerous studies have shown that apple consumption is closely associated with reduced risks of chronic diseases. It has been well accepted that dysbiosis is the reflection of various chronic diseases. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of apple polysaccharides (AP) on gut dysbiosis.

[Assessment of congenital vascular rings with MDCT on children].

Objective: To evaluate the value of MDCT on diagnosis of congenital vascular rings on children.

Methods: Retrospective analysis on 43 cases of congenital vascular rings, which underwent MDCT during Oct 2008 to Dec 2014 in Beijing Anzhen hospital affiliated to capital medical university. 21 males, 22 females; age from 29 days to 8 years, mean age 1.

Microcavity-enhanced light-trapping for highly efficient organic parallel tandem solar cells.

A high-performance parallel tandem solar cell employing ultra-thin Ag as the intermediate anode is demonstrated, which comprises a semitransparent front sub-cell and a microcavity assisted back sub-cell. In addition to the extended optical field as a result of the tandem architecture, the prominent microcavity resonance formed in the back sub-cell enables such a parallel tandem configuration to possess high light utilization efficiency (the peak EQE value is over 80%) and a high photovoltaic performance of 9.2%.