TomoNet: A streamlined cryogenic electron tomography software pipeline with automatic particle picking on flexible lattices.

Cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET) is capable of determining in situ biological structures of molecular complexes at near-atomic resolution by averaging half a million subtomograms. While abundant complexes/particles are often clustered in arrays, precisely locating and seamlessly averaging such particles across many tomograms present major challenges. Here, we developed TomoNet, a software package with a modern graphical user interface to carry out the entire pipeline of cryoET and subtomogram averaging to achieve high resolution. TomoNet features built-in automatic particle picking and three-dimensional (3D) classification functions and integrates commonly used packages to streamline high-resolution subtomogram averaging for structures in 1D, 2D, or 3D arrays. Automatic particle picking is accomplished in two complementary ways: one based on template matching and the other using deep learning. TomoNet's hierarchical file organization and visual display facilitate efficient data management as required for large cryoET datasets. Applications of TomoNet to three types of datasets demonstrate its capability of efficient and accurate particle picking on flexible and imperfect lattices to obtain high-resolution 3D biological structures: virus-like particles, bacterial surface layers within cellular lamellae, and membranes decorated with nuclear egress protein complexes. These results demonstrate TomoNet's potential for broad applications to various cryoET projects targeting high-resolution in situ structures.

Droplet-based mechanical transducers modulated by the symmetry of wettability patterns.

Asymmetric mechanical transducers have important applications in energy harvesting, signal transmission, and micro-mechanics. To achieve asymmetric transformation of mechanical motion or energy, active robotic metamaterials, as well as materials with asymmetric microstructures or internal orientation, are usually employed. However, these strategies usually require continuous energy supplement and laborious fabrication, and limited transformation modes are achieved. Herein, utilizing wettability patterned surfaces for precise control of the droplet contact line and inner flow, we demonstrate a droplet-based mechanical transducer system, and achieve multimodal responses to specific vibrations. By virtue of the synergistic effect of surface tension and solid-liquid adhesion on the liquid dynamics, the droplet on the patterned substrate can exhibit symmetric/asymmetric vibration transformation when the substrate vibrates horizontally. Based on this, we construct arrayed patterns with distinct arrangements on the substrate, and employ the swarm effect of the arrayed droplets to achieve three-dimensional and multimodal actuation of the target plate under a fixed input vibration. Further, we demonstrate the utilization of the mechanical transducers for vibration management, object transport, and laser modulation. These findings provide a simple yet efficient strategy to realize a multimodal mechanical transducer, which shows significant potential for aseismic design, optical molding, as well as micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS).

TomoNet: A streamlined cryoET software pipeline with automatic particle picking on flexible lattices.

Cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET) is capable of determining in situ biological structures of molecular complexes at near atomic resolution by averaging half a million subtomograms. While abundant complexes/particles are often clustered in arrays, precisely locating and seamlessly averaging such particles across many tomograms present major challenges. Here, we developed TomoNet, a software package with a modern graphical user interface to carry out the entire pipeline of cryoET and subtomogram averaging to achieve high resolution. TomoNet features built-in automatic particle picking and 3D classification functions and integrates commonly used packages to streamline high-resolution subtomogram averaging for structures in one-, two- or three-dimensional arrays. Automatic particle picking is accomplished in two complementary ways: one based on template matching and the other employing deep learning. TomoNet's hierarchical file organization and visual display facilitate efficient data management as required for large cryoET datasets. Applications of TomoNet to three types of datasets demonstrate its capability of efficient and accurate particle picking on flexible and imperfect lattices to obtain high-resolution 3D biological structures: virus-like particles, bacterial surface layers within cellular lamellae, and membranes decorated with nuclear egress protein complexes. These results demonstrate TomoNet's potential for broad applications to various cryoET projects targeting high-resolution in situ structures.

Ink-Drop Dynamics on Chemically Modified Surfaces.

Inkjet printing provides an efficient routine for distributing functional materials into locations with well-designed arrangements. As one of the most critical factors in determining the printing quality, the impacting and depositing behaviors of ink drops largely depend on the wettability of the target surface. In addition to printing on solids with intrinsic wettability, various ink-drop impact dynamics and deposition morphologies have been reported through modifying the surface wettability including both homogeneous and heterogeneous, which opens up possibilities for applications such as advanced optic/electric device fabrication and highly sensitive detection. In this Perspective, we summarize recent progress in the modification methods of solid surface wettability and their capability in modulating the ink-drop impacting and depositing dynamics. The challenges facing ink-drop regulation by chemical modification methodologies are also envisaged at the end of the Perspective.

A broad and potent neutralization epitope in SARS-related coronaviruses.

Many neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) elicited to ancestral severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) through natural infection and vaccination have reduced effectiveness to SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we show that therapeutic antibody ADG20 is able to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) including Omicron (B.1.1.529) as well as other SARS-related coronaviruses. We delineate the structural basis of this relatively escape-resistant epitope that extends from one end of the receptor binding site (RBS) into the highly conserved CR3022 site. ADG20 can then benefit from high potency through direct competition with ACE2 in the more variable RBS and interaction with the more highly conserved CR3022 site. Importantly, antibodies that are able to target this site generally neutralize a broad range of VOCs, albeit with reduced potency against Omicron. Thus, this conserved and vulnerable site can be exploited for the design of universal vaccines and therapeutic antibodies.

A broad and potent neutralization epitope in SARS-related coronaviruses.

Many neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) elicited to ancestral SARS-CoV-2 through natural infection and vaccination generally have reduced effectiveness to SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here we show therapeutic antibody ADG20 is able to neutralize all SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) including Omicron (B.1.1.529) as well as other SARS-related coronaviruses. We delineate the structural basis of this relatively escape-resistant epitope that extends from one end of the receptor binding site (RBS) into the highly conserved CR3022 site. ADG20 can then benefit from high potency through direct competition with ACE2 in the more variable RBS and interaction with the more highly conserved CR3022 site. Importantly, antibodies that are able to target this site generally neutralize all VOCs, albeit with reduced potency against Omicron. Thus, this highly conserved and vulnerable site can be exploited for design of universal vaccines and therapeutic antibodies.

Recent Progress of High Performance Thermosets Based on Norbornene Functional Benzoxazine Resins.

With the growing demand for high performance polymeric materials in industry, several types of thermosets such as bismaleimides, advanced epoxy resins, cyanate esters, and phenolic resins have been widely investigated to improve the performance of thermosetting products. Among them, benzoxazine resins have received wide attention due to their extraordinarily rich molecular design flexibility, which can customize our needs and adapt increasing requirements. To further improve the properties of polybenzoxiazines, researchers have found that the introduction of a norbornene functional group into the benzoxazine moiety can effectively improve the comprehensive performance of polybenzoxazine thermosets. This article focused on reviewing the recent development of high-performance thermosets based on norbornene functional benzoxazine thermosetting resins.

Energy Efficiency and Health Efficiency of Old and New EU Member States.

Environmental protection and health issues have always been of great concern. This study employed modified Meta-Frontier Dynamic Network Data Envelopment Analysis to explore the environmental pollution effects from energy consumption on the mortality of children and adults, tuberculosis rate, survival rate, and health expenditure efficiencies in 15 old EU states and 13 new EU states from 2010 to 2014. We calculated the overall efficiency scores and technology gap ratios for each old EU and new EU states as well as the efficiencies of non-renewable energy, renewable energy, PM2.5, CO2, labor, GDP, tuberculosis, child mortality, adult mortality, health expenditure efficiency, and survival efficiency at the health stage. The average annual overall efficiencies of the old EU states are higher than that of the new EU states. Whether in terms of energy efficiencies or health efficiencies, the inputs and outputs of the old EU states are always higher than that of the new EU states. Overall, developing countries in Eastern Europe are lagging behind in terms of energy and health efficiencies. At the same time, the efficiency of child mortality is lower than that of adult mortality, and the efficiency of PM2.5 is higher than that of CO2 in both old and new EU states.

Dynamic Linkages among Economic Development, Energy Consumption, Environment and Health Sustainable in EU and Non-EU Countries.

There is a close and important relationship between environmental pollution and public health, and environmental pollution has an important impact on the public health. This study employed the two-stage meta-frontier dynamic network data envelopment analysis (TMDN-DEA) model to explore the environment pollution effects from energy consumption on the mortality of children and adult, tuberculosis rate, survival rate and health expenditure efficiencies in 28 EU countries and 53 non-EU countries from 2010 to 2014. We calculated the overall efficiency scores and the technology gap ratios of each EU and non-EU countries and the efficiencies of input and output variables in the production and health stage. The average overall efficiencies each year in EU countries are higher than in the non-EU countries. But EU countries have higher energy efficiency than non-EU countries, and non-EU countries have higher health efficiency than EU countries. The health expenditure efficiencies in the EU countries are obviously lower than those in non-EU countries. The renewable energy efficiencies are obviously higher than the non-renewable energy efficiencies; PM2.5 efficiencies are obviously higher than the CO2 efficiencies and the children's mortality rate efficiencies are higher than the adult's mortality rate efficiencies for EU countries and non-EU countries. The government management in the EU and non-EU countries should be strengthened to reduce the air pollutant and carbon dioxide emissions and raise energy transformation to the clean energy in renewable energy and improve health efficiencies in medical and health care field.

Ultrasonic semi-solid coating soldering 6061 aluminum alloys with Sn-Pb-Zn alloys.

In this paper, 6061 aluminum alloys were soldered without a flux by the ultrasonic semi-solid coating soldering at a low temperature. According to the analyses, it could be obtained that the following results. The effect of ultrasound on the coating which promoted processes of metallurgical reaction between the components of the solder and 6061 aluminum alloys due to the thermal effect. Al2Zn3 was obtained near the interface. When the solder was in semi-solid state, the connection was completed. Ultimately, the interlayer mainly composed of three kinds of microstructure zones: α-Pb solid solution phases, ß-Sn phases and Sn-Pb eutectic phases. The strength of the joints was improved significantly with the minimum shear strength approaching 101MPa.