Radiation-Hardened and Flexible Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 Piezoelectric Sensor for Structural Health Monitoring.

Piezoelectric sensors are excellent damage detectors that can be applied to structural health monitoring (SHM). SHM for complex structures of aerospace vehicles working in harsh conditions is frequently required, posing challenging requirements for a sensor's flexibility, radiation hardness, and high-temperature tolerance. Here, we fabricate a flexible and lightweight Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 piezoelectric film on flexible KMg3(AlSi3O10)F2 substrate via van der Waals (vdW) heteroepitaxy, endowing it with robust ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties under low energy-high flux protons (LE-HFPs) radiation (1015 p/cm2). More importantly, the Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 film sensor maintains highly stable damage monitoring sensitivity on an aluminum plate under harsh conditions of LE-HFPs radiation (1015 p/cm2, flat structure), high temperature (175 °C, flat structure), and mechanical fatigue (bending 105 cycles under a radius of 5 mm, curved structure). All these superior qualities are suggested to result from the outstanding film crystal quality due to vdW epitaxy. The flexible and lightweight Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 film sensor demonstrated in this work provides an ideal candidate for real-time SHM of aerospace vehicles with flat and complex curve-like structures working in harsh aerospace environments.

Quasi-Solid Electrolyte Interphase Boosting Charge and Mass Transfer for Dendrite-Free Zinc Battery.

The practical applications of zinc metal batteries are plagued by the dendritic propagation of its metal anodes due to the limited transfer rate of charge and mass at the electrode/electrolyte interphase. To enhance the reversibility of Zn metal, a quasi-solid interphase composed by defective metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles (D-UiO-66) and two kinds of zinc salts electrolytes is fabricated on the Zn surface served as a zinc ions reservoir. Particularly, anions in the aqueous electrolytes could be spontaneously anchored onto the Lewis acidic sites in defective MOF channels. With the synergistic effect between the MOF channels and the anchored anions, Zn2+ transport is prompted significantly. Simultaneously, such quasi-solid interphase boost charge and mass transfer of Zn2+, leading to a high zinc transference number, good ionic conductivity, and high Zn2+ concentration near the anode, which mitigates Zn dendrite growth obviously. Encouragingly, unprecedented average coulombic efficiency of 99.8% is achieved in the Zn||Cu cell with the proposed quasi-solid interphase. The cycling performance of D-UiO-66@Zn||MnO2 (~ 92.9% capacity retention after 2000 cycles) and D-UiO-66@Zn||NH4V4O10 (~ 84.0% capacity retention after 800 cycles) prove the feasibility of the quasi-solid interphase.

Combined Treatment with Fluoride and Antimicrobial Peptide GH12 Efficiently Controls Caries in vitro and in vivo.

Combining fluoride and antimicrobial agents enhances regulation of acid and exopolysaccharide production by biofilms. The combination also weakens the acidogenic and aciduric bacteria that contribute to caries, achieving stronger caries-controlling effects with lower concentrations of fluoride. In previous studies, antimicrobial peptide GH12 has been shown to inhibit lactic acid and exopolysaccharide synthesis in various cariogenic biofilm models, and reduce the proportion of acidogenic bacteria and Keyes caries scores in a rat caries model. The current study aimed to elucidate the effect of a combination of low concentrations of sodium fluoride (NaF) and GH12 and to determine the mechanism by which GH12/NaF combination controls caries. The GH12/NaF combination contained 8 mg/L GH12 and 250 ppm NaF. A rat caries model was built, and rat dental plaque was sampled and cultivated on bovine enamel slabs in vitro and subjected to short-term treatment (5 min, 3 times/day). The caries-controlling effects were evaluated using Keyes scoring and transverse microradiography. The results showed that the GH12/NaF combination significantly decreased the onset and development of dental caries, as well as mineral content loss and lesion depth in vitro (p < 0.05). For the caries-controlling mechanisms, 16S rRNA sequencing of in vivo dental plaque revealed that populations of commensal bacteria Rothia spp. and Streptococcus parasanguinis increased in the GH12/NaF group. In contrast, Veillonella, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus mutans decreased. Furthermore, the GH12/NaF combination significantly reduced biomass, lactic acid, and exopolysaccharides production of in vitro biofilm (p < 0.05). Overall, fluoride and GH12 efficiently arrested caries development and demineralization by regulating the microbiota and suppressing acid and exopolysaccharide production in biofilms.

A Silk Protein-Based Eutectogel as a Freeze-Resistant and Flexible Electrolyte for Zn-Ion Hybrid Supercapacitors.

A eutectogel (ETG) based on immobilizing a zinc salt deep eutectic solvent (DES) in a silk protein backbone is prepared by a coagulating bath method as a solid electrolyte for Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSCs). The Zn salt DES is composed by ethylene glycol (EG), urea, choline chloride (ChCl), and zinc chloride (ZnCl2) with a molar ratio of 6:10:3:3. A strong bonding of the DES liquid to the silk protein backbone is formed between protein macromolecules and the DES due to plenty of hydrogen bonds in both materials. The as-prepared ETG membrane is dense and has no obvious void defects, which possesses a fracture strength of 7.58 MPa and environmental stability. As a solid electrolyte, the ETG membrane exhibits a higher Zn2+ transference number of about 0.60 and a high ionic conductivity (12.31 mS cm-1 at room temperature and 3.63 mS cm-1 at -20 °C). A ZHSC (Zn∥ETG∥C) with the silk protein-based ETG electrolyte is assembled by Zn and active carbon as the anode and the cathode, respectively, which delivers a specific capacitance of 342.8 F g-1 at a current density of 0.2 A g-1 and maintains excellent cycling stability with 80% capacitance retention after 20,000 cycles at a high current rate (5 A g-1) at room temperature. Moreover, the Zn∥ETG∥C device can safely work under a lower temperature of about -18 °C and damaging situations, such as folding states and even cutting tests. The interface evolutions between the Zn anode and the ETG electrolyte are explored, and it was found that a ZnCO3/Zn(CH2OCO2)2 solid electrolyte interphase is in situ formed on the Zn anode, which can inhibit the growth of Zn dendrites. This work provides a new way to fabricate advanced electrolytes for applications in Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors.

Mechanisms of the Bushen Huoxue formula in the treatment of osteoarthritis based on network pharmacology-molecular targets.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative disease with a high incidence, high disability rate, and poor prognosis. Clinical studies have shown that Bushen Huoxue formula can relieve joint swelling and pain and improve limb function and joint mobility, but there is a lack of high-quality scientific basis. Using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to study the mechanism of Bushen Huoxue formula in the treatment of osteoarthritis. METHODS: First, the active ingredients and corresponding target predictions of the formula were obtained through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Meanwhile, the osteoarthritis disease targets were obtained through the genome annotation database platform (GeneCards) and the DrugBank database, and the target proteins obtained above were standardized using the Uniprot (https://www.uniprot.org) database standardization of names. Then, the Venn diagram was created by taking the intersection of the active ingredient and the target of the disease, and the "active ingredient-target" network was constructed and analyzed using Cytoscape 3.7.2 software. At the same time, the intersecting targets were imported into the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interaction Gene/Proteins database to build a protein-protein interaction network and to screen the core targets; the intersecting targets were visualized by using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery 6.8 database for gene ontology functional analysis and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, and construct the "active ingredient-target-pathway" network. Finally, the main active ingredients of the formula for tonifying the kidney and invigorating the blood were validated by molecular docking with the core targets. RESULTS: A total of 194 active ingredients and 365 targets of the Bushen Huoxue formula were collected, 776 targets for osteoarthritis diseases and 96 targets for the intersection of active ingredients and diseases. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis yielded 104 relevant pathways, including tumor necrosis factor signaling pathways, cancer signaling pathways, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor signaling pathways, Toll-like receptors signaling pathways, and osteoclast differentiation, apoptosis, T-cell receptor signaling pathway, and other related pathways. The molecular docking results showed good binding of the main active ingredients to the core targets. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the treatment of osteoarthritis involves multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway processes. The mechanism of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, inhibition of cartilage matrix degradation, and reduction of subchondral bone destruction may be an important mechanism for the therapeutic effect.

Exploring Low-Loss Surface Acoustic Wave Devices on Heterogeneous Substrates.

This article presents shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) devices with excellent temperature stability and low loss on ultrathin Y42-cut lithium tantalate film on sapphire substrate (LiTaO3-on-sapphire, LTOS). The demonstrated resonators exhibit scalable resonances from 1.76 to 3.17 GHz, effective electromechanical coupling coefficients between 5.1% and 7.6%, and quality factors (Bode-Q) between 419 and 3019. The filter with a center frequency of 3.26 GHz features a suppressed spurious passband, a 3-dB fractional bandwidth (FBW) of 3%, and a minimum insertion loss (IL) of 2.39 dB. In addition, coplanar waveguides (CPWs) and SH-SAW resonators built on LTOS and LiTaO3-on-insulator (LTOI) substrates were compared over a temperature range of 25 °C-150 °C. Due to the extremely high resistivity of the sapphire and the excellent thermal stability of the LiTaO3/sapphire interface, the IL of the CPW and the impedance ratio (in addition to Bode-Q) of the SH-SAW on the LTOS are maintained well even at 150 °C, while those on the LTOI seriously deteriorate. Of these, the impedance attenuation of LTOS-SAW at the antiresonant frequency is only 3.7 dB at 150 °C, whereas that of LTOI-SAW reaches 9.6 dB, demonstrating excellent temperature stability of the LTOS substrate's radio frequency (RF) performance. Overall, the SAW devices on LTOS substrates show great potential for temperature-sensitive and low-loss applications in RF wireless communications.

Effectiveness and safety of aromatherapy massage for knee osteoarthritis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of aromatherapy massage in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: To collect relevant literature, we will research following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database and Wanfang Data the time is from inception to December 30, 2021, and the language is limited to Chinese and English. In addition, we will retrieve other literature resources, including the Chinese Clinical Trial Register, conference papers. Two reviewers will independently complete the literature screen and data extraction, and quality assessment of the included studies will be independently completed by 2 other researchers. The primary outcomes included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scale, the visual analog scale, symptom score, Lysholm knee scoring scale, adverse events, and adverse reactions as secondary outcomes would be assessed. RevMan V.5.4.1 software will be used for meta-analysis, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) will be used to assess the quality of evidence. RESULTS: This systematic review will be showed a high-quality synthesis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aromatherapy massage in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, providing reference for the safe and effective treatment of knee osteoarthritis. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence of whether aromatherapy massage is effective.Systematic review registration: INPLASY202210010URL: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-1-0010/.

High-Q microresonators on 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator platform for nonlinear photonics.

The realization of high-quality (Q) resonators regardless of the underpinning material platforms has been a ceaseless pursuit, because the high-Q resonators provide an extreme environment for confining light to enable observations of many nonlinear optical phenomenon with high efficiencies. Here, photonic microresonators with a mean Q factor of 6.75 × 106 were demonstrated on a 4H-silicon-carbide-on-insulator (4H-SiCOI) platform, as determined by a statistical analysis of tens of resonances. Using these devices, broadband frequency conversions, including second-, third-, and fourth-harmonic generations have been observed. Cascaded Raman lasing has also been demonstrated in our SiC microresonator for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Meanwhile, by engineering the dispersion properties of the SiC microresonator, we have achieved broadband Kerr frequency combs covering from 1300 to 1700 nm. Our demonstration represents a significant milestone in the development of SiC photonic integrated devices.

Robust Li6PS5I Interlayer to Stabilize the Tailored Electrolyte Li9.95SnP2S11.95F0.05/Li Metal Interface.

All-solid-state lithium-metal batteries (ASSLMBs) with sulfide electrolytes have attracted attention owing to their superior safety and high energy density. However, interfacial instability of sulfide electrolytes against Li metal still hinders their applications. Herein, F-doping is adopted to optimize the structure of Li10SnP2S12. It is demonstrated that the Li9.95SnP2S11.95F0.05 (LSPSF) electrolyte exhibits a high ionic conductivity of 6.4 mS cm-1 because of F-doping, which can reduce the impurity Li2SnS3 and generate Li+ vacancies. In addition, the Li6PS5I (LPSI) glass-ceramic interlayer is employed to enhance the interfacial stability between the sulfide electrolyte and Li metal by restraining the reduction of Sn4+ cations, as indicated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). As a result, the assembled ASSLMBs with the LPSI interlayer deliver high initial discharge capacity and remarkable cycling stability. This work provides a new design route for manufacturing high-performance ASSLMBs.

Improved Ionic Conductivity and Li Dendrite Suppression Capability toward Li7P3S11-Based Solid Electrolytes Triggered by Nb and O Cosubstitution.

It is still a big challenge to simultaneously enhance the ionic conductivity, dendrite suppression capability, and interfacial compatibility of sulfide solid electrolytes. In this work, a novel Li7P2.88Nb0.12S10.7O0.3 solid electrolyte is prepared via Nb and O cosubstitution of glass-ceramic Li7P3S11. This sulfide-based electrolyte possesses a high ionic conductivity (3.59 mS cm-1) at 298 K, improved critical current density (1.16 mA cm-2), and excellent interfacial compatibility between the sulfide electrolyte and Li2S active material. The improved electrochemical stability of the sulfide solid electrolyte against metallic lithium is attributed to the formation of Nb and Li2O at the interface, which can induce uniform Li deposition and prevent further side reaction. The all-solid-state Li/Li2S batteries based on this electrolyte exhibit remarkably enhanced cycling stability and rate performance.

Formation and In Vitro Evaluation of a Deep Eutectic Solvent Conversion Film on Biodegradable Magnesium Alloy.

The chemical conversion films from deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have recently been shown to reduce the corrosion rate of magnesium alloys, which are recognized as a kind of promising materials applied in the human body. However, the biocompatibility of the conversion films has not been investigated. This study proposes an uncommon DES system composed of lithium chloride and urea to fabricate the chemical conversion films on Mg and its alloy. The fabrication process of the conversion film is facile, which is performed by the heat treatment of the substrate in the DES at about 200 °C for 30 min. It is found that the thermal decomposition of the DES can release hydrogen, which diffuses into the Mg substrate to form MgH2-based conversion films. The DES conversion film possesses a porous structure on pure Mg, whereas it becomes dense on the alloy with some cracks. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that MgCO3 and oxides also exist in the DES conversion films, which depends on the substrate. Electrochemical corrosion test and in vitro biocompatibility tests, including hemolysis, cytotoxicity, antibacterial, and cytoskeleton staining experiments, are performed in a simulated body environment, which shows that the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of the substrates have been improved significantly. We expect that the DES heat treatment method will be applied to the fabrication of corrosion-resistant and biocompatible surfaces for biodegradable Mg alloys.

Graphene oxide enhanced polyacrylamide-alginate aerogels catalysts.

Biomass aerogel is a promising catalyst and has attracted extensive attention. However, most of the biomass aerogels are fragile, which limits their practical application. Herein, we significantly enhance the mechanical property of biomass aerogel catalysts by 30 times through incorporating graphene oxide into polyacrylamide and Cu-cross-linked alginate formed supper-strong double network aerogels. In addition to enhance the mechanical property, the graphene oxide also significantly increases the catalytic activity. Graphene oxide enhancement for biomass aerogel catalyst provides a new method to develop next generation supper catalysts.