Strong Compatibility Research Articles

Synthesis, characterization, and performance evaluation of AA/AMPS copolymers with different molecular weights and explanation of the inhibition mechanism of calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate

Polymeric scale inhibitors are widely acknowledged for their eco-friendliness, strong compatibility, and versatile nature. However, the impact of molecular weight variation on their inhibitory efficacy remains a relatively understudied aspect. In this investigation, AA/AMPS copolymers with distinct molecular weights (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000) were synthesized and probed for their influence on mineral scale inhibition across diverse water quality parameters (e.g., calcium ion concentration, pH) and process conditions (e.g., temperature, duration). Concurrently, the crystalline and morphological alterations of AA/AMPS during mineral scale inhibition were delved. By integrating molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemical calculations, the effects of varying molecular weights of AA/AMPS on mineral scale inhibition were scrutinized. Moreover, the inhibition mechanism was thoroughly explored. Our findings revealed that AA/AMPS with molecular weights of 2000 and 3000 exhibited superior inhibition efficacy against calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate. This phenomenon was attributed to the movement velocity and binding energy of AA/AMPS with corresponding molecular weights towards the primary crystal growth surface. Additionally, the carboxyl oxygen atoms on the polymers facilitated chelation with calcium ions, thereby impeding further crystal formation and growth. Consequently, achieving heightened efficiency in scale inhibition.

Effect of interface properties between functionalized cellulose nanocrystals and tricalcium silicate on the early hydration mechanism of cement

The hydration process is a critical stage in the development of the properties of cement-based materials，however, the influence of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) on cement during the early hydration is controversial. This study uses pure tricalcium silicate (C3S) as the object to analyze the influence of carboxyl CNC (CCNC) and sulfonic CNC (SCNC) on hydration parameters such as hydration rate, types, quality, and pore structure of hydration products during the early hydration period. The dissolution of C3S and the interaction between fluids and minerals at the C3S/CNC interface is the core mechanism of the early hydration. Ultraviolet and energy spectrum analyzed adsorption between CNC and C3S from a physical perspective, and molecular dynamics simulations deeply discussed the adsorption behavior between C3S/Water/CNC at nano-scale. The results show that CNC prolongs the hydration induction and acceleration period, delays the early hydration of C3S; CCNC exhibits a more significant effect than SCNC. Under the action of Ca-O and hydrogen bonds, CNC will adsorb on the surface of C3S and cover its surface, reducing the number of waters on the surface of C3S. Hydrophilic CNC molecules attract water molecules close to the CNC chain, and solidifying water molecules prevents it from entering the hydration surface. CNC also restricts the diffusion of Ca2+ on the surface of C3S to outside, improving the stability of Ca-O coordination, promoting the accumulation of hydration products at the C3S surface, and inhibiting the dissolution of C3S. Understanding the effect of functionalized CNCs on the diffusion and sedimentation mechanism of water molecules and Ca2+ during hydration can provide insights for guiding the design of nanomaterials with strong compatibility with cement systems and enlarging the application of functionalized nanomaterials in cement-based materials engineering fields.

The complexation color development—visible spectrophotometry method for rapid determination of Ca2+ concentration in mine wastewater and its mechanism

Ca2+ is an important cation in coagulants used in the treatment of mine wastewater such as coal slime water, and its concentration directly affects the settling and flotation of coal slime water. The rapid determination of Ca2+ concentration is of great significance to guiding industrial production. Herein, the complexation color development—visible spectrophotometry (CCDVS) method was proposed to obtain the concentration information of Ca2+, wherein 1-(1-Hydroxy-4-methyl-2-phenylazo)-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid (Calmagite) was used as an indicator and the mechanism of complexation between the indicator and Ca2+ was explored. The strong correlation between spectral data and Ca2+ concentration (R2 = 0.997) indicated that this method could be used for Ca2+ detection, thereby a quantitative model was proposed to predict Ca2+ concentration by using the complexation color development—visible light absorption data. The chemical element and bonding analysis confirmed that Ca2+ was complexed with the sulfonic acid group on the indicator skeleton in the form of Ca(OH)+ intermediate in an alkaline environment. The generated complexation product (-S-O-Ca(OH)+) could stably absorb 620 nm light energy, and its absorption performance remained 99.8% after standing for 60 min. The relative standard deviation of the detection results of Ca2+ in different calcium source solutions was as low as 1.24%, which confirmed the strong calcium source compatibility of the proposed method. More importantly, the successful application of this method in the determination of Ca2+ concentration at different points in industrial coal slime water system proved its advantages of high accuracy (relative error is as low as 5.01%), low cost and simple operation. The LOD of this method is 0.038 mg/L. Therefore, the complexation color development—visible spectrophotometry method can maximize the potential for cost reduction and efficiency improvement in mine wastewater treatment.

Damping accumulative NDAGM(1,N, α) power model and its applications

PurposeIn this essay, a new NDAGM(1,N,α) power model is recommended to resolve the hassle of the distinction between old and new information, and the complicated nonlinear traits between sequences in real behavior systems.Design/methodology/approachFirstly, the correlation aspect sequence is screened via a grey integrated correlation degree, and the damped cumulative generating operator and power index are introduced to define the new model. Then the non-structural parameters are optimized through the genetic algorithm. Finally, the pattern is utilized for the prediction of China’s natural gas consumption, and in contrast with other models.FindingsBy altering the unknown parameters of the model, theoretical deduction has been carried out on the newly constructed model. It has been discovered that the new model can be interchanged with the traditional grey model, indicating that the model proposed in this article possesses strong compatibility. In the case study, the NDAGM(1,N,α) power model demonstrates superior integrated performance compared to the benchmark models, which indirectly reflects the model’s heightened sensitivity to disparities between new and old information, as well as its ability to handle complex linear issues.Practical implicationsThis paper provides a scientifically valid forecast model for predicting natural gas consumption. The forecast results can offer a theoretical foundation for the formulation of national strategies and related policies regarding natural gas import and export.Originality/valueThe primary contribution of this article is the proposition of a grey multivariate prediction model, which accommodates both new and historical information and is applicable to complex nonlinear scenarios. In addition, the predictive performance of the model has been enhanced by employing a genetic algorithm to search for the optimal power exponent.

Intimate Partner Violence, Femicide, and General Theories: Issues for Research and Policy From the View of Modern Control Theory

Intimate partner violence (IPV), including intimate partner homicide (IPH) and femicide, raises issues for general theories of crime, such as control and opportunity theories, that see close relationships among friends and family as barriers to interpersonal crimes. Crime-specific studies of both correlates and trends in IPV, including recent interrupted trend studies that examine the effects of COVID restrictions, often test opportunity theories absent considerations of theoretically driven images of actors. Review of empirical research on IPV and IPH reveals strong compatibility between the predictions of modern control theory and consistent findings from trend data. Barriers to understanding of the explanatory power of general theories of crime (including, for example, control theories and feminist perspectives) in contemporary research include use of poor definitions of intimacy, misspecification of age effects, failure to consider the versatility of offending behavior, neglecting the importance of trends in analogous behaviors, neglecting the role of situational factors in violence, and the limitations in the measurement of repetitive victimization. Theories such as routine activity and situational crime prevention that fail to explicitly include characteristics of actors can go only a limited way in providing meaningful policy. Research supports the potential policy effects of investments in early childhood and attention to situational barriers (including limitations on alcohol use and firearm availability) to reduce IPV. Although modern control theory is used to illustrate these issues, other general theories, like feminist theories, can make similar arguments.

In-situ hybridization of an epoxy resin using polyurethane and MXene nanoplatelets for thermally stable nanocomposites with improved strength and toughness

A novel ternary composite system has been developed by combining MXene nanoplatelets with pre-polyurethane (PU) and an epoxy (EP) resin through in-situ polymerization and solution blending. Our approach aims to enhance the strength and toughness of the EP matrix while maintaining its thermal stability. The strong compatibility between isocyanate-terminated PU and hydroxyl-terminated MXene with the resin was demonstrated through chemical grafting and hydrogen bonding processes. In this ternary composite, significant improvements were observed, including a 32 % increase in tensile strength, a 46.4 % increase in flexural strength, and a 13.4 % increase in fracture toughness, even at very low filler contents of 0.05 wt% for MXene and 1 wt% for PU. A thorough examination of the fractured surfaces revealed the underlying mechanisms responsible for the improved strength and toughness. These mechanisms involve a transition from a brittle to a ductile fracture mode, which can be attributed to the combined effects of thermoplastic toughness, strong chemical bonding between PU and EP, and crack-anchoring and bridging effects facilitated by MXene nanoplatelets. The results presented herein are relevant to a wide range of applications in aerospace, automotive, electronics and various other industries where durability and thermomechanical performance of materials are critical.

A robust vessel-labeling pipeline with high tissue clearing compatibility for 3D mapping of vascular networks

The combination of vessel-labeling, tissue-clearing, and light-sheet imaging techniques provides a potent tool for accurately mapping vascular networks, enabling the assessment of vascular remodeling in vascular-related disorders. However, most vascular labeling methods face challenges such as inadequate labeling efficiency or poor compatibility with current tissue clearing technology, which significantly undermines the image quality. To address this limitation, we introduce a vessel-labeling pipeline, termed Ultralabel, which relies on a specially designed dye hydrogel containing lysine-fixable dextran and gelatins for double enhancement. Ultralabel demonstrates not only excellent vessel-labeling capability but also strong compatibility with all tissue clearing methods tested, which outperforms other vessel-labeling methods. Consequently, Ultralabel enables fine mapping of vascular networks in diverse organs, as well as multi-color labeling alongside other labeling techniques. Ultralabel should provide a robust and user-friendly method for obtaining 3D vascular networks in different biomedical applications.

Interdigitated supercapacitor with double-layer active material prepared by sacrificial layer method

Increasing the surface area of active materials is a crucial approach to enhance the capacity of supercapacitors. In this study, we present an interdigitated supercapacitor featuring a double-layer active material prepared using a sacrificial layer method. The replacement of the insulating substrate with a gel electrolyte facilitates ion motion between the active electrodes. Finite element analysis (FEA) and electrochemical experiments confirm that the utilization of double-layer active material can significantly improve the capacity (1.5–1.85 times higher than traditional structures). The electrochemical performance of the three active materials has been significantly improved after using the double-layer active material structure, which proves that the method in this paper has strong material compatibility. Furthermore, an interdigital supercapacitor (ISC) is fabricated using electrodes with double-layer active material through the sacrificial layer method and its electrochemical performance is evaluated. At a scan rate of 10 mV·s-1, ISC exhibits an impressive area-specific capacitance as high as 68.4 mF·cm-2. Remarkably, ISC can maintain stable power output even under extreme deformation and fatigue testing conditions. This strategy involving interdigitated supercapacitors with double-layer active materials prepared via the sacrificial layer method presents a promising solution for flexible energy storage devices.

Solid-State Electrolytes by Electrospinning Techniques for Lithium Batteries.

Solid-state lithium batteries (SSLBs) are regarded as next-generation energy storage devices because of their advantages in terms of safety and energy density. However, the poor interfacial compatibility and low ionic conductivity seriously hinder their development. Electrospinning is considered as a promising method for fabricating solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) with controllable nanofiber structures, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Numerous efforts are dedicated to electrospinning SSEs with high ionic conductivity and strong interfacial compatibility, but a comprehensive summary is lacking. Here, the history of electrospinning SSEs is overeviewed and introduce the electrospinning mechanism, followed by the manipulation of electrospun nanofibers and their utilization in SSEs, as well as various methods to improve the ionic conductivity of SSEs. Finally, new perspectives aimed at enhancing the performance of SSEs membranes and facilitating their industrialization are proposed. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview and future perspective on electrospinning technology in SSEs, with the goal of guiding the further development of SSLBs.

Functional Liquid Metal Polymeric Composites: Fundamentals and Applications in Soft Wearable Electronics

AbstractWearable and self‐healing soft electronics have led to a significant emphasis on their potential in creating versatile, conformable, and sustainable electronic modules. Among conductive additives, Liquid metals (LMs), combining both solid and liquid characteristics, have gained widespread attention due to their versatile physical, chemical, and electrical properties as well as self‐healing capability, biocompatibility, and recyclability. The fluidity of LMs facilitates adaptability to various experimental conditions and components for specific applications. Moreover, the oxide shell on LMs exhibits strong compatibility with surface functionalization and polymerization processes, enhancing the development of reliable composite materials. Herein, an in‐depth analysis of the fundamental properties and characteristics of LMs while addressing their current drawbacks, such as unpredictable reactivity and poor surface stability, is presented. To harness the advantages of LMs, their integration is extensively discussed with polymeric materials through various grafting strategies, leading to the development of macromolecular composites with exceptional softness, solubility, surface functionalization, and versatility. Furthermore, the applications of LMs within LM‐elastomer composites, particularly focusing on their relevance in specific fields such as flexible electronics, are investigated. Finally, LMs' future prospects are emphasized by highlighting their compatibility with self‐healing polymers, thereby providing pathways for major breakthroughs of LMs based devices.

In vivo assessment of the toxic impact of exposure to magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) using Drosophila melanogaster

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have useful properties, such as strong magnetism and compatibility with living organisms which is preferable for medical applications such as drug delivery and imaging. However, increasing use of these materials, especially in medicine, has raised concerns regarding potential risks to human health. In this study, IONPs were coated with silicon dioxide (SiO2), citric acid (CA), and polyethylenimine (PEI) to enhance their dispersion and biocompatibility. Both coated and uncoated IONPs were assessed for genotoxic effects on Drosophila melanogaster. Results showed that uncoated IONPs induced genotoxic effects, including mutations and recombinations, while the coated IONPs demonstrated reduced or negligible genotoxicity. Additionally, bioinformatic analyses highlighted potential implications of induced recombination in various cancer types, underscoring the importance of understanding nanoparticle-induced genomic instability. This study highlights the importance of nanoparticle coatings in reducing potential genotoxic effects and emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive toxicity assessments in nanomaterial research.

Nitroxyl radical triggered the construction of a molecular protective layer for achieving durable Zn metal anodes

The issues of dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reaction, and zinc anode corrosion have significantly hindered the widespread implementation of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Herein, trace amounts of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) additive is introduced into AZIBs to protect the zinc metal anode. Trace amounts of the TEMPO additive with nitroxyl radical can provide fast Zn2+ transport and anode protection ability by forming an adsorbed molecular layer via Zn-O bond. This interface not only provides strong interfacial compatibility and promotes dynamic transport of Zn2+, but also induces deposition of Zn2+ along Zn (002) plane. Additionally, the molecular protective layer significantly inhibits hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and corrosion. The Zn anodes achieve high Coulombic efficiency of up to 99.75 % and long-term plating/stripping of more than 1400 h at 1 mA cm−2 and 0.5 mAh cm−2. The Zn//Zn symmetric cell can operate continuously for 2500 h at a current density of 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mAh cm−2, and it can still last for nearly 1400 h even when the current density is increased to 5 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the Zn//V2O5 full cell using TEMPO/ZnSO4 electrolyte effectively maintains a maximum capacity retention rate of 53.4 % even after 1500 cycles at 5 A/g. This innovative strategy introduces trace additive with free radicals into the electrolyte, which may help to achieve large-scale, ultra-long-life, and low-cost AZIBs.

The Effects of a New Citrus Rootstock Citrus junos cv. Shuzhen No. 1 on Performances of Ten Hybrid Citrus Cultivars

The importance of rootstock in citrus production lies in its crucial role in determining tree growth, environmental stress tolerance, and fruit quality. Citrus junos Siebold ex Tanaka cv. Shuzhen No. 1, a recently developed rootstock, demonstrates excellent graft compatibility and abiotic stress tolerance. The objective of this study was to assess ten hybrid citrus cultivars grafted onto two C. junos rootstock selections, with the aim of determining the potential for industrial utilization of the new citrus rootstock. All graft junctions are mature and well established. Vigorous growth characterized all ten citrus cultivars on Shuzhen No. 1, with the largest tree’s height reaching 280.33 cm (Wogan scion) and the widest scion’s diameter being 67.52 cm (Chunjian scion). However, the scion-to-rootstock diameter ratio was the lowest at 0.62 (Chunxiang scion). C. junos rootstock selections significantly affected fruit weight (five of ten scions) and fruit color (seven of ten scions) but had negligible impact on peel thickness (nine of ten scions). Furthermore, rootstock type had a significant influence on fruit quality. In conclusion, our findings indicate strong graft compatibility between all scions and C. junos rootstocks, which can impact overall size and fruit quality. Based on these results, Shuzhen No. 1 is recommended as a valuable citrus rootstock.

Caring public space: Advancing justice through intergenerational public space design and planning

ABSTRACT Intergenerational public spaces respond to the needs of both youth and older adults and actively foster interaction, engagement, and understanding between generations. We consider how incorporating an ethic of care into intergenerational public space planning and design could support ongoing practices of care for people and places. We present a framework for a revised approach to intergenerational public space design that centers the practices and potential of care throughout a project’s scope, context, process, practice, and evaluation. Drawing on a study of a new pocket park in Los Angeles, we operationalize this quinquepartite framework to demonstrate how incorporating care can support participatory processes, material infrastructures, and programming interventions that advance justice in intergenerational public spaces, particularly in disinvested communities. We argue that an ethic of care exhibits strong compatibility with the principles of intergenerationality, and ought to be made more central in efforts to plan, design, and program urban public spaces.

Giant microwave–optical Kerr nonlinearity via Rydberg excitons in cuprous oxide

Microwave–optical conversion is key to future networks of quantum devices, such as those based on superconducting technology. Conversion at the single quantum level requires strong nonlinearity, high bandwidth, and compatibility with a millikelvin environment. A large nonlinearity is observed in Rydberg atoms, but combining atomic gases with dilution refrigerators is technically challenging. Here, we demonstrate a strong microwave–optical nonlinearity in a cryogenic, solid-state system by exploiting Rydberg states of excitons in Cu2O. We measure a microwave–optical cross-Kerr coefficient of B0 = 0.022 ± 0.008 m V−2 at 4 K, which is several orders of magnitude larger than other solid-state systems. The results are in quantitative agreement with a nonlinear susceptibility model based on the giant microwave dipole moment between nearby excitonic states. Our results highlight the potential of Rydberg excitons for nonlinear optics and form the basis for a microwave–optical frequency converter based on Cu2O.

The quantum Frobenius for character varieties and multiplicative quiver varieties

We prove that quantized multiplicative quiver varieties, quantum character varieties, and Kauffman bracket skein algebras each define sheaves of Azumaya algebras over the smooth loci of their corresponding classical moduli spaces. In the case of skein algebras this establishes a strong form of the Unicity Conjecture of Bonahon and Wong. Our proofs exploit a strong compatibility between quantum Hamiltonian reduction and the quantum Frobenius homomorphism as well as a natural nondegeneracy condition satisfied by each of the classical Hamiltonian spaces. We therefore introduce the concepts of Frobenius quantum moment maps, Frobenius Poisson orders and their Hamiltonian reductions, and apply them to the study of Azumaya loci.

Perspective on integrated photonic devices using transparent conductive oxides: Challenges and opportunities

Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are gaining increasingly high research interest for integrated photonic devices due to the strong plasma dispersion effect and process compatibility with versatile optoelectronic platforms. In this perspective article, the authors gave a brief review of research efforts both on theoretical modeling and experimental demonstration of integrated photonic devices, especially on high-efficiency electro-optic modulators through the integration with plasmonics and silicon photonics. In addition, the authors discussed the challenge and opportunity associated with TCO photonic devices and the application in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) with emphasis on high mobility materials, high-speed E-O modulators, and large-scale integration. Finally, we conclude that collaboration with existing silicon photonics foundry is a necessary route to incorporate TCOs into existing PIC ecosystems.

Atomistic investigation of surface modification effect on interfacial properties of CNTs reinforced AAS geopolymer

To prolong the life of eco-friendly alkali-activated slag-based (AAS) geopolymers, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been adopted as reinforcements due to their outstanding properties. However, the hydrophobic nature of CNTs poses challenges in establishing a strong interfacial compatibility with the hydrophilic calcium-aluminum-silicate-hydrate (C-A-S-H) gel, which plays a crucial role in determining the strength of these geopolymers. This disparity leads to inadequate interfacial adhesion between CNTs and C-A-S-H gel, primarily resulting in material failure at the interface of CNTs reinforced AAS geopolymers. Despite employing various surface modification techniques to address this issue, the precise impact of functional groups on the interfacial interaction at the nanoscale between CNTs and C-A-S-H gels remains uncertain. In this work, the atomistic-scale impact of functional groups on the interfacial properties between CNTs and C-A-S-H gels has been investigated. Compared to unmodified CNTs, CNTs functionalized with carboxyl groups exhibit a remarkable 16.9 % increase in the maximum pull stress during the pull-out process, whereas those functionalized with hydroxyl groups show a more modest 3.5 % improvement. Water molecules gradually desorb from the functionalized CNTs and re-adsorb onto the C-A-S-H structure during the pull-out process, which consumes energy. Functional groups amplify this effect by involving more water molecules in these dynamic processes during interface failure. These findings provide valuable theoretical guidance for optimizing the surface modification techniques of CNTs and underscore the untapped potential of CNTs in enhancing the performance of AAS geopolymer composites.

A novel anomaly detection model for secure multipath QUIC communications by jointly using empirical mode decomposition and long short-term memory networks

In the era of rapid development of modern internet technology, network transmission techniques are continuously iterating and updating. The Quick UDP Internet Connections (QUIC) protocol has emerged as a timely response to these advancements. Owing to the strong compatibility and high transmission speed of QUIC, its extended version, Multipath QUIC (MPQUIC), has gained popularity. MPQUIC can integrate various transmission scenarios, achieving parallel transmission with higher bandwidth. However, due to some security flaws in the protocol, MPQUIC is susceptible to attacks from anomalous network traffic. To address this issue, we propose an MPQUIC traffic anomaly detection model based on Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, which can decompose and denoise data and learn the long-term dependencies of the data. Simulation experiments are conducted by obtaining MPQUIC traffic data under normal and anomalous conditions for prediction, analysis, and evaluation. The results demonstrate that the proposed model exhibits satisfactory prediction performance when trained on both normal and anomalous traffic data, enabling anomaly detection. Moreover, the evaluation metrics indicate that the EMD-LSTM-based model achieves higher accuracy compared to various traditional single models.

Computational insights into overcoming resistance mechanisms in targeted therapies for advanced breast cancer: focus on EGFR and HER2 co-inhibition

In the present study, the formation of a heterodimer involving both epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) has been explored as a potential therapeutic mechanism to inhibit the progression of breast cancer. Virtual screening using molecular docking resulted in the three hit compounds (ZINC08382411, ZINC08382438, and ZINC08382292) with minimum binding scores and commonly binding to both receptors. Further, MD simulation analysis of these complexes illustrated the high stability of these compounds with EGFR and HER2. RMSD showed that ZINC08382411 displayed the most stable RMSD of 2 - 3 Å when bound to both receptors, suggesting to have strong compatibility with the active site of the receptor. Hydrogen bond analysis showed that ZINC08382411 forms the maximum number of H-bonds (2 to 3) in both EGFR and HER2 bound complexes, with the highest occupancy of 62% and 79%, respectively. Binding free energy calculation showed that ZINC08382411 possesses maximum affinity towards both the receptors with ΔGbind = −129.628 and −164.063 kJ/mol, respectively. This approach recognizes the significance of EGFR and HER2 in breast cancer development and aims to disrupt their collaborative signaling, which is known to promote the antagonistic behavior of cancer cells. By focusing on this EGFR/HER2 heterodimer, the study offers a promising avenue for identifying a potential candidate (ZINC08382411) that may inhibit breast cancer cell growth and potentially improve patient outcomes. The study’s findings may contribute to the ongoing efforts to advance breast cancer treatment strategies. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma