Machine Learning Assisted Self-Powered Identity Recognition Based on Thermogalvanic Hydrogel for Intelligent Security.

Identity recognition as the first barrier of intelligent security plays a vital role, which is facing new challenges that are unable to meet the need of intelligent era due to low accuracy, complex configuration and dependence on power supply. Here, a finger temperature-driven intelligent identity recognition strategy is presented based on a thermogalvanic hydrogel (TGH) by actively discerning biometric characteristics of fingers. The TGH is a dual network PVA/Agar hydrogel in an H2O/glycerol binary solvent with [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- as a redox couple. Using a concave-arranged TGH array, the characteristics of users can be distinguished adequately even under an open environment by extracting self-existent intrinsic temperature features from five typical sites of fingers. Combined with machine learning, the TGH array can recognize different users with a high average accuracy of 97.6%. This self-powered identity recognition strategy is further applied to a smart lock, attaining a more reliable security protection from biometric characteristics than bare passwords. This work provides a promising solution for achieving better identity recognition, which has great advantages in intelligent security and human-machine interaction toward future Internet of everything.

Mild γ-Butyrolactone/Water Pretreatment for Highly Efficient Sugar Production from Corn Stover.

In this study, γ-butyrolactone/water (GBL/H2O) was explored as a mild, efficient, and cost-effective binary solvent pretreatment to enhance hydrolyzability of corn stover (CS). Key pretreatment parameters-reaction time, temperature, and H2SO4 concentration-were systematically investigated for their effects on the physicochemical properties of CS. Specifically, increased temperature and acid concentration significantly decreased cellulose crystallinity (from 1.39 for untreated CS to 1.04 for CS pretreated by GBL/H2O with 100 mM H2SO4 at 120 °C for 1 h) and promoted lignin removal (47.3% for CS pretreated by GBL/H2O with 150 mM H2SO4 at 120 °C for 1 h). Acknowledging the cellulase's limited hydrolysis efficiency, a dual-enzyme scheme using a low cellulase dosage (10 FPU/g) supplemented with ß-glucosidase or xylanase was tested, enhancing hydrolysis of CS pretreated under low temperature-long duration and high temperature-short duration conditions, respectively. Optimum sugar release was obtained from CS pretreated with GBL/H2O and 150 mM H2SO4 at 120 °C for 1 h, achieving 98% glucan and 82.3% xylan conversion, compared with 53.9% and 17% of glucan and xylan conversion from untreated CS. GBL/H2O pretreatment outperformed other binary systems in literature, achieving the highest sugar conversions with lower enzyme loading. These results highlight the potential of GBL/H2O pretreatment for efficient biomass conversion, contributing to the goals of the green economy.

Study on the T-helper cell 1/2 cytokine profile in blister fluid of patients with herpes zoster and its clinical significance.

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a Varicella zoster virus infection disease. Previous studies have presumed the connection between development of HZ and involvement of cellular immunity in peripheral blood. However, whether cellular immunity plays a role in the local skin lesion has not been addressed. To explore the levels of T-helper cell (Th)1/Th2 type cytokine profiles in the blister fluid of the skin lesions from the patients with HZ and its role in pathogenesis, we used the cytometric bead array kit to compare the levels of cytokines (interleukin [IL]-2, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, IL-10 and IL-4) in blister fluid from 46 patients with those from the suction blister fluids from 20 volunteers without any infectious disease (the control group). The results indicated that the levels of Th1 cytokines, IL-2 and TNF-α in the blister fluid from the patients' skin lesions were significantly lower than those from the control group, whereas the levels of Th2 cytokines IL-10 and IL-4 were significantly higher than those in the control group. Moreover, significant variation of the levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines (IL-2, TNF-α, IL-10 and IL-4) in the blister fluid from the HZ patients' lesions was also observed among different stages of the disease. It is concluded that a cytokine imbalance was present in the local lesions of patients with HZ during disease development. Our data suggested that the Th immunity was associated with disease activity, which may play an important role in the pathogenesis of HZ.