A Fully Metaoptical Zoom Lens with a Wide Range.

Metalenses are typically designed for a fixed focal length, restricting their functionality to static scenarios. Various methods have been introduced to achieve the zoom function in metalenses. These methods, however, have a very limited zoom range, or they require additional lenses to achieve direct imaging. Here, we demonstrate a zoom metalens based on axial movement that performs both the imaging and the zoom function. The key innovation is the use of a polynomial phase profile that mimics an aspheric lens, which allows an extended depth of focus, enabling a large zoom range. Experimental results show that this focal length variation, combined with the extended depth of focus, translates into an impressive zoom range of 11.9× while maintaining good imaging quality. We see applications for such a zoom metalens in surveillance cameras of drones or microrobots to reduce their weight and volume, thus enabling more flexible application scenarios.

Synchronous Elimination of Excess Photoinstable PbI2 and Interfacial Band Mismatch for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Eliminating the undesired photoinstability of excess lead iodide (PbI2 ) in the perovskite film and reducing the energy mismatch between the perovskite layer and heterogeneous interfaces are urgent issues to be addressed in the preparation of perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) by two-step sequential deposition method. Here, the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIMBF4 ) is employed to convert superfluous PbI2 to more robust 1D EMIMPbI3 which can withstand lattice strain, while forming an interfacial dipole layer at the SnO2 /perovskite interface to reconfigure the interfacial energy band structure and accelerate the charge extraction. Consequently, the unencapsulated PVSCs device attains a champion efficiency of 24.28 % with one of the highest open-circuit voltage (1.19 V). Moreover, the unencapsulated devices showcase significantly improved thermal stability, enhanced environmental stability and remarkable operational stability accompanied by 85 % of primitive efficiency retained over 1500 h at maximum power point tracking under continuous illumination.

Research on the Adsorption Law of HFAD Agents on the Surface of Porous Media during Hydraulic Fracturing-Assisted Oil Displacement in Low-Permeability Reservoirs.

Adsorption loss of surfactants in porous media is one of the key factors affecting their application in low-permeability reservoirs. The hydraulic fracturing-assisted oil displacement (HFAD) technology can effectively reduce the adsorption loss of surfactants in porous media. However, the adsorption laws of HFAD agents (surfactants) during the HFAD process are still unclear. It was studied based on physical simulation experiments in this paper. The results showed that 0.3% SY-D as the HAFD agent achieved the best effect, which could reduce the oil-water interfacial tension to 0.0239 mN/m and increase the wettability index to 0.7492. In the high-pressure injection process of HFAD technology, the injection pressure and core permeability are positively correlated with the dynamic saturation adsorption capacity of the HFAD agent on the surface of porous media and the ambient temperature is negatively correlated with it. The higher the injection pressure and the larger the core permeability, the lower the dynamic saturation adsorption capacity of the HFAD agent on the porous media surface. In addition, since adsorption is an exothermic process, increasing the temperature has an inhibitory effect on adsorption. The higher the temperature, the slower the adsorption process of the HFAD agent on porous media. Among the three influencing factors, permeability has the greatest influence on the dynamic saturation adsorption capacity of the HFAD agent on the surface of core porous media, followed by injection pressure, and temperature has the least influence on it. Therefore, when implementing HFAD technology for the reservoir with low permeability, it can be considered to increase the injection pressure of HFAD technology to reduce the dynamic saturation adsorption capacity so as to increase the effective concentration of the agent. The research results have certain guiding significance for the application of HFAD technology in the field.

Mechanism of Low Chemical Agent Adsorption by High Pressure for Hydraulic Fracturing-Assisted Oil Displacement Technology: A Study of Molecular Dynamics Combined with Laboratory Experiments.

This study investigates the influence of physical parameters such as porosity, permeability, pore-throat radius, and specific surface area/volume on the adsorption capacity of surfactants in the pore surface of reservoirs. In the meantime, the hydraulic fracturing-assisted oil displacement (HFAD) technique can effectively improve the permeability and porosity of pores in the reservoir, which may affect the adsorption capacity of surfactants in low-permeability reservoirs. This may help to reduce the adsorption loss of surfactants in low-permeability reservoirs. Based on physical simulation methods, dynamic adsorption experiments were conducted to clarify the dynamic saturation adsorption capacity effect of high-pressure and low-pressure displacement agents by the HFAD technique. In addition, the molecular dynamics simulation method was used to study the effect of high-pressure conditions of HFAD on the adsorption capacity of surfactants on weakly lipophilic silica walls. Under the condition of high injection pressure by the HFAD technique, the fluid flow velocity and the initial kinetic energy of molecules increase, while the absolute value of the electrostatic potential energy in the system decreases. In addition, the van der Waals potential energy increases. In other words, the smaller the gravitational attraction experienced by the surfactant molecules during adsorption, the greater the repulsive force. Under the dual action of electrostatic force and van der Waals forces, the absolute values of the adsorption energy and the free energy decrease. The adsorption capacity of the surfactant molecules is weakened. Moreover, the decrease in adsorption capacity has little effect on the improvement of wettability, indicating that the adsorption of the surfactant reduced by HFAD technology is mostly ineffective adsorption.

Imaging through scattering media under strong ambient light interference via the lock-in process.

Scattered light imaging techniques leveraging memory effects have been extensively investigated, yet most approaches are limited to operating in predominantly dark environments. The introduction of additional optical noise disrupts the fine structure of the original speckle pattern, undermining spatial correlation and resulting in imaging failure. In this study, we present a high-performance imaging method that integrates a lock-in process to overcome this limitation. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed technique enables successful imaging of targets in low signal-to-background ratio (SBR) environments, even at SBR levels as low as -28.0 dB. Furthermore, the method allows for the directional separation of targets with distinct modulation frequencies. This innovative approach has the potential to significantly expand the applicability of scattering imaging techniques by eliminating the constraints of dark field environments, thereby enhancing the convenience of in vivo microscopy and daytime astronomical observations.

A three-dimensional composite film-modified electrode based on polyoxometalates and ionic liquid-decorated carbon nanotubes for the determination of L-tyrosine in food.

A stable and innovative composite film-modified electrode based on Dawson polyoxometalates H8P2Mo16V2O62 (P2Mo16V2) and ionic liquid (BMIMBr)-decorated carbon nanotubes, annotated as PEI/(P2Mo16V2/BMIMBr-CNTs)8, has been constructed by using the layer-by-layer self-assembly (LBL) method for the determination of L-tyrosine. The combination of three active components not only offers higher conductivity to facilitate rapid electron transfer, but also avoids the accumulation of P2Mo16V2 to expand the contact area and increase the reactive active sites. The modified electrode exhibits outstanding sensing performance for determination of Tyr with wide linear determination range of 5.8×10-7 M ~ 1.2×10-4 M, low determination limit of 1.7×10-7M (S/N=3), high selectivity for common interferences, and excellent stability at the potential of +0.78 V (vs. Ag/AgCl (3 M KCl)). The relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.3% for five groups of parallel experiments shows the satisfactory repeatability of PEI/(P2Mo16V2/BMIMBr-CNTs)8. In addition, for determination of Tyr, the PEI/(P2Mo16V2/BMIMBr-CNTs)8 shows good recoveries of 98.8-99.8% in meat floss, which can be feasible in practical application.

Efficacy and safety of venetoclax combined with hypomethylating agents for relapse of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is no standard treatment for managing relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome (AML/MDS) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Venetoclax-based therapies have been increasingly used for treating post-transplantation relapse of AML. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of Venetoclax combined with hypomethylating agents (HMAs) for AML/MDS relapse post-transplantation. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Excerpta Medica Database, Cochrane Library, and Clinical. gov for eligible studies from the inception to February 2022. The Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies was used to evaluate the quality of the included literatures. The inverse variance method calculated the pooled proportion and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 10 studies involving a total of 243 patients. The pooled complete response and complete response with incomplete blood count recovery rate of Venetoclax combined with HMAs for post-transplantation relapse in AML/MDS was 32% (95% CI, 26-39%, I2 = 0%), with an overall response rate of 48% (95% CI, 39-56%, I2 = 37%). The 6-month survival rate was 42% (95% CI, 29-55%, I2 = 62%) and the 1-year survival rate was 23% (95% CI, 11-38%, I2 = 78%). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated a moderate benefit of Venetoclax in combination with HMAs for patients with relapsed AML/MDS post-transplantation (including those who have received prior HMAs therapy), and may become one of treatment options in the future. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm the potential benefit from venetoclax combined with HMAs.

Performance Evaluation and Oil Displacement Effect of Amphiphilic Polymer Heavy Oil Activator.

A heavy oil activator is an amphiphilic polymer solution that contains hydrophilic and oleophobic groups. It can enhance heavy oil recovery efficiency. This paper studied the changes in the distribution of the remaining oil after activator flooding and the performance of heavy oil's active agent. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, laser confocal microscopy, microscopic visualization, and CT scanning techniques were used to analyze crude oil utilization, and the distribution characteristics of the remaining oil during activator flooding of heavy oil. The results showed that the heavy oil activator solution presented a dense spatial network and good viscosification ability. The activator could reduce the interfacial tension of oil and water, disassemble the heavy components of dispersed heavy oil and reduce the viscosity of heavy oil. The utilization degree of the remaining oil in small and middle pores increased significantly after activator flooding, the remaining oil associated with membranous-like and clusterlike structures was utilized to a high degree, and the decline of light/heavy fraction in heavy oil slowed down. Heavy oil activator improved the swept volume and displacement efficiency of heavy oil, playing a significant role in improving the extent of recovery of heavy oil reservoirs.

Experimental Study on the Enhanced Oil Recovery Mechanism of an Ordinary Heavy Oil Field by Polymer Flooding.

It is widely known that in the water flooding development process of ordinary heavy oil, the fingering phenomenon is obvious, there are a lot of unswept areas, and absolutely, the recovery is really very low. In addition, for some shallow and thin ordinary heavy oil reservoirs limited by the geological conditions of the reservoir, the thermal recovery technology also has serious heat loss and high development cost. Therefore, there is an urgent need to transform the development and further improve the enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In this paper, the mechanism of EOR by polymer flooding was investigated for high-porosity and high-permeability terrestrial ordinary heavy oil reservoirs. Through laboratory experiments, we analyzed the characteristics of oil-water relative permeability curves, mobility control ability, and microscopic seepage characteristics during polymer flooding of ordinary heavy oil reservoirs. On this basis, the effect of the mobility ratio on seepage characteristics and the mechanism of EOR enhancement were clarified. The results show that the polymer can effectively improve the mobility control effect of the displacing fluid. As the polymer solution and ordinary heavy oil have the characteristics of high viscosity and low mobility, there is a minimum mobility ratio in the process of polymer flooding. Namely, the characteristics of dual low mobility exist in the process of polymer flooding for the ordinary heavy oil. It effectively enhances the profile control and plugging ability of the polymer, thus expanding the sweep volume of larger pores and improving the displacement efficiency of smaller pores. Based on the two factors mentioned above, it is found that the dual low mobility characteristics can improve the recovery of ordinary heavy oil by polymer flooding. Therefore, it is proposed that an enhanced profile control and plugging effect due to the dual low mobility characteristics is an important EOR mechanism for ordinary heavy oil development by polymer flooding.

Preparation and Performance Evaluation of a Temperature and Salt Resistant Hydrophobic Associative Weak Polymer Gel System.

We targeted high-temperature and highly saline old oil fields, whose environmental conditions could be attributed to the significantly high heterogeneity cause by long-term water flooding. The Huabei Oilfield was chosen as the research object. We developed a hydrophobic functional monomer-polymer with temperature and salt resistance by introducing the temperature-resistant and salt-resistant monomer NVP and a hydrophobic functional monomer into the main chain for copolymerization. We used a crosslinking agent with phenolic resin to prepare a weak gel system that showed temperature and salt resistance and investigated its temperature and salt resistance, infective property, plugging performance, liquid flow ability, micropore throat migration, and plugging characteristics. The results obtained using the infrared spectroscopy technique revealed the successful preparation of the phenolic resin crosslinker. The weak gel exhibited good temperature and salt resistance when the polymer concentration was 2000 mg/L, the cohesion ratio was 1:1.5, the additive concentration was 2000 mg/L, the reservoir temperature was 120 °C, and the injected water salinity was 40,300.86 mg/L. The average viscosity retention rate of the 90-day weak gel reached more than 80% and its microstructure was examined. The coreflow experiment results revealed that the weak gel system was characterized by good infectivity. After plugging the weak gel, the effect on the direction of the liquid flow was evident and the flow rate of the low permeability layer increased to a maximum of 48.63% under conditions of varying permeability levels. A significant improvement in the water absorption profile was achieved. The plugging was carried out through a sand-filling pipe under varying permeability conditions and the pressure measuring points in the sand-filling pipe were sucessfully pressurized. The migration ability of the weak gel was good and the blocking rate was >85%.

Inhibition of Ion Migration for Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

In recent years, organic-inorganic halide perovskites are now emerging as the most attractive alternatives for next-generation photovoltaic devices, due to their excellent optoelectronic characteristics and low manufacturing cost. However, the resultant perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) are intrinsically unstable owing to ion migration, which severely impedes performance enhancement, even with device encapsulation. There is no doubt that the investigation of ion migration and the summarization of recent advances in inhibition strategies are necessary to develop "state-of-the-art" PVSCs with high intrinsic stability for accelerated commercialization. This review systematically elaborates on the generation and fundamental mechanisms of ion migration in PVSCs, the impact of ion migration on hysteresis, phase segregation, and operational stability, and the characterizations for ion migration in PVSCs. Then, many related works on the strategies for inhibiting ion migration toward highly efficient and stable PVSCs are summarized. Finally, the perspectives on the current obstacles and prospective strategies for inhibition of ion migration in PVSCs to boost operational stability and meet all of the requirements for commercialization success are summarized.

A benzenesulfonic acid-modified organic polymer monolithic column with reversed-phase/hydrophilic bifunctional selectivity for capillary electrochromatography.

Here, a styrene-based polymer monolithic column poly(VBS-co-TAT-co-AHM) with reversed-phase/hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (RPLC/HILIC) bifunctional separation mode was successfully prepared for capillary electrochromatography by the in situ polymerization of sodium p-styrene sulfonate (VBS) with cross-linkers 3-(acryloyloxy)-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (AHM) and 1,3,5-triacryloylhexahydro-1,3,5-triazine (TAT). The preparation conditions of the monolith were optimized. The morphology and formation of the poly(VBS-co-TAT-co-AHM) monolith were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The separation performances of the monolith were evaluated systematically. It should be noted that the incorporation of VBS functional monomer can provide π-π interactions, hydrophilic interactions, and ion-exchange interactions. Hence, the prepared poly(VBS-co-TAT-co-AHM) monolith can achieve efficient separation of thiourea compounds, benzene series, phenol compounds, aniline compounds and sulfonamides in RPLC or HILIC separation mode. The largest theoretical plate number for N,N'-dimethylthiourea reached 1.7 × 105 plates/m. In addition, the poly(VBS-co-TAT-co-AHM) monolithic column showed excellent reproducibility and stability. This novel monolithic column has great application value and potential in capillary electrochromatography (CEC).

Dietary proteins as excipient ingredients for improving the solubility, stability, and bioaccessibility of quercetin: Role of intermolecular interactions.

Soy protein isolate (SPI), whey protein isolate (WPI) and sodium caseinate (CS) were used as excipient ingredients to improve the water-solubility, chemical stability, and in vitro bioaccessibility of quercetin. Quercetin powder was dispersed in the protein solutions (pH 7.0) and then the mixtures were held at 30 °C for 24 h or 100 °C for 60 min. The mean particle diameter of the colloidal dispersions formed ranged from around 53 to 208 nm, whereas the zeta-potential values ranged from around -23 to -27 mV. The high-temperature treatment (100 °C) of the quercetin-protein mixtures led to a higher quercetin solubility than the low-temperature treatment (30 °C). When held at 100 °C, the solubility of quercetin increased first but then decreased over time when quercetin mixed with WPI, CS and SPI respectively. A simulated gastrointestinal tract study showed that the in vitro bioaccessibility of quercetin increased after being mixed with the protein solutions: from 13.5 % for free quercetin to 20.3 %, 26.5 %, and 36.3 % for SPI, WPI, and CS respectively. Fluorescent spectroscopy analysis indicated that there was about one quercetin molecule bound per protein molecule, with the dominant force being hydrophobic attraction. Per unit mass of protein, the total number of quercetin binding sites available was greater for CS and WPI than for SPI. This phenomenon may account for the greater enhancement in quercetin solubility, stability, and bioaccessibility for CS and WPI than SPI.

In-situ sampling of lipids in tissues using a porous membrane microprobe for direct mass spectrometry analysis.

Direct sampling of lipids from tissues for direct mass spectrometry (MS) analysis allows a quick profiling of lipidome, which is important for biomedical applications. In this work, we developed a polyporous polymeric membrane (PPM) microprobe for highly efficient sampling of lipids directly from tissue samples. The PPM was prepared by polypropylene with pores as large of 10 â€‹µm, facilitating the permeation of lipids from tissue surfaces. The PPM was coated onto a stainless steel wire with a thickness of ∼100 â€‹µm. The entire analysis procedure includes sampling of the lipids in tissue, washing the probe, and extraction spray ionization for MS analysis. The effectiveness was validated by analyzing mouse brain tissue samples. It showed high recoveries for a series of lipid classes in comparison with total lipid extraction method. Further demonstration was carried out with analysis of tissue samples from mouse liver, stomach, kidney and legs. With high physical strength and good chemical stability, the microprobe was also demonstrated for sampling lipids inside mouse kidney tissue samples. By incorporating a photochemical derivatization, a workflow was also developed for fast detection of lipid C[bond, double bond]C isomers in tissue samples. Finally, a microprobe array was also developed for simultaneous sampling of lipids from multiple sites on tissue surfaces.

A review of recent progress in improving the bioavailability of nutraceutical-loaded emulsions after oral intake.

Increasing awareness of the health benefits of specific constituents in fruits, vegetables, cereals, and other whole foods has sparked a broader interest in the potential health benefits of nutraceuticals. Many nutraceuticals are hydrophobic substances, which means they must be encapsulated in colloidal delivery systems. Oil-in-water emulsions are one of the most widely used delivery systems for improving the bioavailability and bioactivity of these nutraceuticals. The composition and structure of emulsions can be designed to improve the water dispersibility, physicochemical stability, and bioavailability of the encapsulated nutraceuticals. The nature of the emulsion used influences the interfacial area and properties of the nutraceutical-loaded oil droplets in the gastrointestinal tract, which influences their digestion, as well as the bioaccessibility, metabolism, and absorption of the nutraceuticals. In this article, we review recent in vitro and in vivo studies on the utilization of emulsions to improve the bioavailability of nutraceuticals. The findings from this review should facilitate the design of more efficacious nutraceutical-loaded emulsions with increased bioactivity.

Deep-lipidotyping by mass spectrometry: recent technical advances and applications.

In-depth structural characterization of lipids is an essential component of lipidomics. There has been a rapid expansion of mass spectrometry methods that are capable of resolving lipid isomers at various structural levels over the past decade. These developments finally make deep-lipidotyping possible, which provides new means to study lipid metabolism and discover new lipid biomarkers. In this review, we discuss recent advancements in tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) methods for identification of complex lipids beyond the species (known headgroup information) and molecular species (known chain composition) levels. These include identification at the levels of carbon-carbon double bond (C=C) location and sn-position, as well as characterization of acyl chain modifications. We also discuss the integration of isomer-resolving MS/MS methods with different lipid analysis workflows and their applications in lipidomics. The results showcase the distinct capabilities of deep-lipidotyping in untangling the metabolism of individual isomers and sensitive phenotyping by using relative fractional quantitation of the isomers.

Biological Process of Alkane Degradation by Gordonia sihwaniensis.

With the development of the petroleum industry, oil pollution has become widespread. It is harmful to the digestive, immune, reproductive, and nervous systems of fishes, wild animals, and humans, causing severe threats to ecological safety and human health. Gordonia has increasingly attracted attention in the treatment of alkane pollution for its outstanding performance against hydrophobic refractory substances. However, the lack of knowledge about alkane uptake and degradation restricts the application of gordonia. In this paper, we studied the strain lys1-3 of Gordonia sihwaniensis isolated from coal chemical wastewater, which showed good alkane degradation performance by lys1-3. It is found that stimulated by an alkane, lys1-3 secreted biosurfactants, which emulsified large alkane particles to smaller particles. By active transport, unmodified alkane was transferred into cells and produced a large amount of acid, which was secreted out of the cells.

Porous layer open-tubular column with styrene and itaconic acid-copolymerized polymer as stationary phase for capillary electrochromatography-mass spectrometry.

Enhancing the specific surface area of stationary phase is important in chromatographic science, especially in open-tubular column in which the coating only exists on the inner surface. In this work, a porous layer open-tubular (PLOT) column with stationary phase of styrene and itaconic acid-copolymerized polymer was developed. Thermal-initiated polymerization method with strategies like controlling the ratio of reaction reagents to solvents and reaction time, confinement by the narrow inner diameter of capillary were used for preparing the stationary phase with uniform structure and relatively thick layer. Due to the high separation efficiency and capacity, the PLOT column was used for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) separation of multiple groups of analytes like alkylbenzenes, phenyl amines, phenols, vanillins, and sulfonamides with theoretical plates (N) up to 1,54,845 N/m. In addition, due to high permeability of the CEC column and large electroosmotic flow mobility generated by abundant carboxyl groups in the coating material, the PLOT-CEC column was successfully coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) through a sheath flow interface. The developed PLOT-CEC-MS method was used for the analysis of antiseptics like parabens and herbicides like pyridines.

A lipase-based chiral stationary phase for direct chiral separation in capillary electrochromatography.

Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) is a natural biocatalyst with an intrinsically strong chiral environment and a high degree of enantio-selectivity, which is widely used in the separation of racemates. Here, a facile and efficient covalent immobilization approach was utilized to immobilize CALB onto the capillary inner wall as a novel chiral stationary phase to explore and broaden its application in the direct chiral separation by electrochromatography. The obtained CALB immobilized capillary column was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence imaging and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The enantioseparation property of the CALB immobilized capillary column was confirmed by direct chiral separation of several pairs of monoamine neurotransmitter enantiomers in OT-CEC mode. Outstanding enantioseparation performance for three types of monoamine neurotransmitter enantiomers including epinephrine, norepinephrine and phenylephrine was obtained by the CALB immobilized column. Thanks to the effectiveness of covalent bonding method and the intrinsic stability of CALB, the prepared CALB immobilized capillary columns were quite steady and reproducible. The relative standard deviations for retention times of the enantiomers were as follows: for intra-day (n = 5) runs (≤0.25%), inter-day (n = 3) runs (≤0.72%) and between-columns (n = 3) (≤2.42%). After 90 consecutive runs in CEC mode, the CALB immobilized column still exhibited desirable enantionseparation performance.