Bimetallic Sulfides CrVS with Loosely Packed Structure: Exploring the Boundary of Conversion and Intercalation Sodium-Ion Storage Mechanism.

Metal sulfide electrodes for sodium-ion batteries face trade-offs among high capacity, fast kinetics, and stability. The challenge lies in breaking and restoring metal-sulfur bonds and allowing rapid ionic transport. Here we explore the boundary of conversion- and intercalation-type metal sulfides to develop ideal sodium-ion storage materials.

Influence of Initial Gap, Voltage, and Additives on Zinc Microcolumn Morphology by Local Electrochemical Deposition.

Local electrochemical deposition (LECD) is an innovative additive manufacturing technology capable of achieving precise deposition of metallic microstructures. This study delves into the ramifications of pivotal operational parameters-namely, the initial electrode gap, deposition voltage, and additive concentration-on the morphology of zinc microcolumns fabricated through LECD. A holistic approach integrating experimental methodologies with finite element simulations was adopted to scrutinize the influence of these variables on the microcolumns' dimensions, surface morphology, and structural integrity.

The Influence of Rice Husk Ash Incorporation on the Properties of Cement-Based Materials.

Rice husk ash is a kind of biomass material. Its main component is silicon dioxide, with a content of up to 80%. It has high pozzolanic activity and can react with hydroxide in cement.

Topology Design of Soft Phononic Crystals for Tunable Band Gaps: A Deep Learning Approach.

The phononic crystals composed of soft materials have received extensive attention owing to the extraordinary behavior when undergoing large deformations, making it possible to provide tunable band gaps actively. However, the inverse designs of them mainly rely on the gradient-driven or gradient-free optimization schemes, which require sensitivity analysis or cause time-consuming, lacking intelligence and flexibility. To this end, a deep learning-based framework composed of a conditional variational autoencoder and multilayer perceptron is proposed to discover the mapping relation from the band gaps to the topology layout applied with prestress.

Stress Distributions and Luminescent Responses of Mechanoluminescent Cylinders with Various Sizes and Loading Paths.

Mechanoluminescent (ML) materials emit light by trapping and releasing charge carriers under mechanical stress. However, previous studies do not fully reveal the relationship between emitting light intensity and mechanical stress, thereby affecting the accuracy of stress measurement. This study addresses this gap by systematically investigating ML cylinders with various sizes and loading paths using theoretical analysis and simulations, focusing on the maximum contact stress, equivalent stress distribution, and the relationship between the strain energy density and light intensity at the point of maximum contact stress.

Efficient Particle Manipulation Using Contraction-Expansion Microchannels Embedded with Hook-Shaped Arrays.

Inertial microfluidics, as an efficient method for the manipulation of micro-/nanoparticles, has garnered significant attention due to its advantages of high throughput, structural simplicity, no need for external fields, and sheathless operation. Common structures include straight channels, contraction-expansion array (CEA) channels, spiral channels, and serpentine channels. In this study, we developed a CEA channel embedded with hook-shaped microstructures to modify the characteristics of vortices.

Metasurface-Coated Liquid Microlens for Super Resolution Imaging.

Inspired by metasurfaces' control over light fields, this study created a liquid microlens coated with a layer of Au@TiO, Core-Shell nanospheres. Utilizing the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of Au@TiO, Core-Shell nanospheres, and the formation of photonic nanojets (PNJs), this study aimed to extend the imaging system's cutoff frequency, improve microlens focusing, enhance the capture capability of evanescent waves, and utilize nanospheres to improve the conversion of evanescent waves into propagating waves, thus boosting the liquid microlens's super-resolution capabilities. The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method analyzed the impact of parameters including nanosphere size, microlens sample contact width, and droplet's initial contact angle on super-resolution imaging.

Modeling and Characterization of Multilayer Piezoelectric Stacks via Dynamic Stiffness Method.

Multilayer piezoelectric stacks, which are multiple layers of piezoelectric materials placed on top of each other, are widely used to achieve precise linear movement and high-force generation. In this paper, a dynamic stiffness (DS) method for the dynamic vibration analysis of multilayer piezoelectric stacks is presented. First, the general solutions for all physical quantities of the three vibration contributions (i.

Bio-green synthesis of bismuth oxide nanoparticles using almond gum for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of water pollutants and biocompatibility.

The discharge of dye-contaminated industrial wastewater is a significant source of water and soil pollution. The eco-friendly synthesis of multifunctional bismuth oxide nanoparticles (BiO-NPs) offers a promising approach for the removal of toxic contaminants. The incorporation of natural polymers in nanoparticle production has gained significant scientific attention due to their environmentally friendly and efficient properties.

Inspired by the growth behavior of plants: biomimetic soft robots that just meet the requirements of use.

Soft robots are usually manufactured using the pouring method and can only be configured with a fixed execution area, which often faces the problem of insufficient or wasteful performance in real-world applications, and cannot be reused for other tasks. In order to overcome this limitation, we propose a simple and controllable rather than redesigned method inspired by the bionic growth behavior of plants, and prepare bionic soft robots that can just meet the requirements of use, and transform biological intelligence into mechanical intelligence. Based on finite element method, we establish a theoretical model of soft robot performance.

Research on the evolution of college online public opinion risk based on improved Grey Wolf Optimizer combined with LSTM model.

Since the dissemination of information is more rapid and the scale of users on online platforms is enormous, the public opinion risk is more visible and harder to tackle for universities and authorities. Improving the accuracy of predictions regarding online public opinion crises, especially those related to campuses, is crucial for maintaining social stability. This research proposes a public opinion crisis prediction model that applies the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) algorithm combined with long short-term memory (LSTM) and implements it to analyze a trending topic on Sina Weibo to validate its prediction accuracy.

A Bio-Inspired Visual Neural Model for Robustly and Steadily Detecting Motion Directions of Translating Objects Against Variable Contrast in the Figure-Ground and Noise Interference.

(1) Background: At present, the bio-inspired visual neural models have made significant achievements in detecting the motion direction of the translating object. Variable contrast in the figure-ground and environmental noise interference, however, have a strong influence on the existing model. The responses of the lobula plate tangential cell (LPTC) neurons of Drosophila are robust and stable in the face of variable contrast in the figure-ground and environmental noise interference, which provides an excellent paradigm for addressing these challenges.

Transient Voltage Information Entropy Difference Unit Protection Based on Fault Condition Attribute Fusion.

Transient protection has the advantage of ultra-high-speed action, but traditional transient protection is susceptible to the influence of two fault condition attributes, namely, transition resistance and initial angle of fault, and there are the problems of insufficient sensitivity and insufficient reliability under weak faults. To this end, the propagation characteristics of high-frequency components of transient voltage in bus and line systems are explored, and a new method of unit protection based on the entropy difference in transient voltage information is proposed. In order to solve the problem of single-ended transient protection not being able to reliably distinguish line faults from bus faults and adjacent line first-end faults, the difference between the entropy of line voltage and the entropy of bus voltage was introduced as a fault characteristic.

Selective extraction process of scandium from nickel laterite waste through hydrometallurgy.

Scandium (Sc) extraction from iron and aluminum waste is a promising technique for the recycling and valorization of laterite nickel ore waste. Iron and aluminum waste is one source of scandium during preparation of nickel and cobalt hydroxide by wet smelting of laterite nickel ore. The content of Sc is notably higher than that of the raw materials, as the element is enriched in the iron and aluminum waste.

Phononic origin of resonance in atomic scale fatigue of MoS.

Previous researchers have conducted extensive investigations on the impact of various working conditions on fatigue damage. However, further research is still needed to understand the underlying mechanism of how the excitation frequency of cyclic loading affects the fatigue life. This article systematically discloses the phononic origin of atomic scale fatigue resonance, focusing on single-layer molybdenum disulfide (SL MoS) as a prototypical material.

Functional safety-oriented hazard analysis and risk assessment for vehicular fuel cell systems.

Functional safety is an emerging trend for safety design in the automobile industry. This study is an innovative exploration of a hazard analysis and quantitative risk assessment (QRA) methodology based on the functional safety of vehicular fuel cell systems. In this study, the potential hazards that fuel cell vehicles may encounter during operation were identified using the automobile generic hazard list.

Efficient in-droplet cell culture and cytomechanics measurement for assessment of human cellular responses to alcohol.

Background: Excessive alcohol consumption poses a significant threat to human health, leading to cellular dehydration, degeneration, and necrosis. Alcohol-induced cellular damage is closely linked to alterations in cellular mechanical properties. However, characterizing these changes following alcohol-related injury remains challenging.

Achieving a Porous PDMS Film for Passive Cooling through the Utilization of Ultrafine NaCl Sacrificial Templates.

Passive radiative cooling technology serves as an energy-free alternative to traditional cooling systems. Porous polymer structures are frequently employed for radiative cooling by leveraging the refractive index mismatch between the polymer and the pores, enabling the scattering of incoming sunlight. Recently, water-soluble and readily available Sodium chloride (NaCl) particles have been utilized as sacrificial templates for sustainable pore creation.

Multiscale wildfire and smoke detection in complex drone forest environments based on YOLOv8.

Global climate change has triggered frequent extreme weather events, leading to a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of forest fires. Traditional fire monitoring methods such as manual inspections, sensor technologies, and remote sensing satellites have limitations. With the advancement of drone technology and deep learning, using drones combined with artificial intelligence for fire monitoring has become mainstream.

SLA-3D printing and bioactivity enhancement of zirconia anchor screws for temporomandibular joint disc reduction surgery.

A method is proposed for 3D printing and enhancing the surface bioactivity of zirconia ceramic anchor screws, specifically tailored for temporomandibular joint disc reduction surgery. Initially, the challenge posed by the brittleness and processing difficulties of fine ceramic anchor screws was addressed through the application of SLA-3D printing technology. This allowed for an exploration of the forming accuracy and biomechanical properties of the printed anchor screws.

Thumb-sized 3D-Printed cymbal microneedle array (CyMA) for enhanced transdermal drug delivery.

Transdermal drug delivery presents a compelling alternative to both needle injection and oral ingestion of medication, as it enhances patient adherence and convenience through its non-invasive and painless administration method. The use of microneedles penetrates the barrier of the stratum corneum, facilitating the sustained delivery of drugs across the skin. However, their efficacy has been limited by the slow diffusion of molecules and often requires external triggers.

An all-in-one microfluidic cryopreservation system and protocols with gradually increasing CPA concentration.

In regular biosample cryopreservation operations, dropwise pipetting and continuous swirling are ordinarily needed to prevent cell damage ( sudden osmotic change, toxicity and dissolution heat) caused by the high-concentration cryoprotectant (CPA) addition process. The following CPA removal process after freezing and rewarming also requires multiple sample transfer processes and manual work. In order to optimize the cryopreservation process, especially for trace sample preservation, here we present a microfluidic approach integrating CPA addition, sample storage, CPA removal and sample resuspension processes on a 30 × 30 × 4 mm three-layer chip.

Influence of drilling incidence angle on the drilling force distribution of pneumatic impactor.

Pneumatic impactor is widely used in the drilling process of various medium and high hard rocks with poor drill ability. Currently, there is relatively little analysis on the impact of the inclination of the rock surface during the drilling process on the drilling efficiency and excavation capability of pneumatic impactors. Based on the dynamic theory of impact drilling and finite element method (FEM), the constitutive model of HJC criterion and INVENTOR 3D mechanical structure design software, a 3D numerical analysis system of piston-bit head-rock during pneumatic impactor drilling is established by ANSYS LS-DYNA, a nonlinear dynamic analysis software.

Biocompatible autonomous self-healing PVA-CS/TA hydrogels based on hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction.

The biocompatible autonomous self-healing hydrogels have great potential in biomedical applications. However, the fairly weak tensile strength of the hydrogels seriously hinders their application. Here, we introduced chitosan (CS) into the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-tannic acid (TA) hydrogel and investigated the effects of the CS content, as CS can not only form reversible H bonds with PVA and TA but also form reversible electrostatic interactions with TA.