Application Of Structure Research Articles

MXene decorated hierarchical phase change microcapsules to strengthen the tribological properties of PPS/PTFE fabric composites

The reduction of the wear rate and friction coefficient of composites simultaneously has a great challenge. Herein, a unique phase change microcapsule is designed with n-docosane as the core, TiO2 coated with sodium alginate as the shell, as well as surface-decorated Ti3C2Tx nanosheets. In this microcapsule system, n-docosane absorbs part of the frictional heat via solid-liquid phase change and releases it continuously to achieve self-lubrication. The TiO2 shell possesses excellent load-bearing capacity and Ti3C2Tx is susceptible to interlayer slip, which reduces the friction and wear of fabric composites. The results indicate that an average wear rate and friction coefficient of fabric composites are decreased by 60.85 % and 11.83 % with the addition of microcapsules. A strong and continuous tribofilm is formed on the steel surface, and the tribofilm enhances the boundary lubrication of the steel counterpart. This paper is expected to provide a novel design thought for the application of core-shell structure in tribology.

Advancing cellular insights: Super-resolution STORM imaging of cytoskeletal structures in human stem and cancer cells

Fluorescence microscopy is an important tool for cell biology and cancer research. Present-day approach of implementing advanced optical microscopy methods combined with immunofluorescence labelling of specific proteins in cells is now able to deliver optical super-resolution up to ∼25 nm. Here we perform super-resolved imaging using standard immunostaining protocol combined with easy stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (easySTORM) to observe structural differences of two cytoskeleton elements, actin and tubulin in three different cell types namely human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), human glioblastoma (U87MG) and breast cancer (MDAMB-231) cells. The average width of the actin bundle obtained from STORM images of stem cells is observed to be larger than the same for U87MG and MDAMB-231 cells. No significant difference is however noticed in the width of the tubulin within the same cells. We also study the functional effect on the 2D migration potential of MDAMB-231 cells silenced for NICD1 and β-catenin. Although similar migration speed is observed for cells with the above two conditions compared to their control cells, easySTORM images show that widths of the actin in MDAMB-231 cells in β-catenin silenced is significantly lower than the same in control cells. Such minute differences however are not observable in widefield images. The outcome of our easySTORM investigation should benefit the researchers carrying out detailed investigations of the cellular structure and potential therapeutic applications.

Micro-Computed Tomography Analysis and Histological Observation of the Screw-Bone Interface of Novel Porous Scaffold Core Pedicle Screws and Hollow Lateral Hole Pedicle Screws: A Comparative Study in Bama Pigs

Screw loosening is a common complication of pedicle screw internal fixation surgery. This study aimed to investigate whether the application of a porous scaffold structure can increase the contact area between screws and bone tissue by comparing the bone ingrowth and screw-bone interface of porous scaffold core pedicle screws (PSCPSs) and hollow lateral hole pedicle screws (HLHPSs) in the lumbar spine of Bama pigs. Sixteen pedicle screws of both types were implanted into the bilateral pedicles of the L1-4 vertebrae of 2 Bama pigs. All Bama pigs were sacrificed and the lumbar spine was freed into individual vertebrae at 16weeks postoperatively. After the vertebrae were made into screw-centered specimens, micro-computed tomography analysis and histological observation were performed to assess the screw-bone interface and bone growth around and within the screws. We found that the bone condition around PSCPSs and HLHPSs did not show significant differences on micro-computed tomography three-dimensional reconstruction images. CT transverse views showed different bone growth inside the 2 screws. In PSCPSs, bone tissue was seen to fill the internal pores and was evenly distributed around each strut. Inside HLHPSs, bone growth was confined to 1 side of the screw and did not fill the entire cavity. Osteometric analysis showed that bone volume fraction and trabecular number, the parameters representing bone mass, were higher in PSCPSs than in HLHPSs. These differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Histological observations visualized that the osseointegration within PSCPSs was superior to that of HLHPSs, and the tight integration of bone tissue with the porous scaffold resulted in a larger screw-bone integration area in PSCPSs than in HLHPSs. Compared with HLHPSs, PSCPSs possessing a porous scaffold core could promote bone ingrowth and osseointegration, resulting in an effective enhancement of the combined area of the screw-bone interface.

Exploring Glypican-3 as a Molecular Target in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Perspectives on Diagnosis and Precision Immunotherapy Strategies.

Liver cancer, primarily hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. It is typically characterized by rapid progression, poor prognosis, and high mortality rates. Given these challenges, the search for molecular targets aiding early diagnosis and targeted therapy remains imperative. Glypican 3 (GPC3), a cell-surface glycoprotein, emerges as a promising candidate for addressing HCC Overexpressed in HCC tissues; GPC3 is a credible immunohistochemical marker for liver cancer diagnosis and a potential marker for liquid biopsy through soluble GPC3 in serum. Various immunotherapies targeting GPC3 have been developed, including vaccines, anti-GPC3 immunotoxins, and chimeric antigen receptor-modified cells. This review comprehensively covers the structure, physicochemical properties, biological functions, and clinical applications of GPC3. It explores diagnostic and treatment strategies centered around GPC3, offering hope for improved early detection and targeted therapies in the challenging landscape of HCC.

Arbeitsgemeinschaft: QFT and Stochastic PDEs

Quantum field theory (QFT) is a fundamental framework for a wide range of phenomena is physics. The link between QFT and SPDE was first observed by the physicists Parisi and Wu (1981), known as Stochastic Quantisation. The study of solution theories and properties of solutions to these SPDEs derived from the Stochastic Quantisation procedure has stimulated substantial progress of the solution theory of singular SPDE, especially the invention of the theories of regularity structures and paracontrolled distributions in the last decade. Moreover, Stochastic Quantisation allows us to bring in more tools including PDE and stochastic analysis to study QFT.This Arbeitsgemeinschaft starts by covering some background material and then explores some of the advances made in recent years. The focus of this Arbeitsgemeinschaft is QFT models such as the \Phi^{4} , sine-Gordon and Yang–Mills models as examples to discuss stochastic quantisation and SPDE methods and their applications in these models. We introduce the key ideas, results and applications of regularity structure and paracontrolled distributions, construction of solutions of the SPDEs corresponding to these models, and use the PDE method to study some qualitative behaviors of these QFTs, and connections with the corresponding lattice or statistical physical models. We also discuss some other topics of QFT, such as Wilsonian renormalisation group, log-Sobolev inequalities and their implications, and various connections between these topics and SPDEs.

Evaluating load-bearing and hypervelocity impact shielding capabilities of face-centered cubic lattice core sandwich panels

In the present paper, a comparative study on load-bearing as well as hypervelocity impact shielding performance of sandwich panels with face-centered cubic (FCC) lattice core is numerically performed in order to evaluate their competency in satellite structure applications. To this end, 5A06 aluminum alloy FCC and FCCz beside cube and octahedron lattice structures with similar areal densities were investigated. Whipple shield structure of same material and areal density was also studied in order to be compared to lattice structure in protection field. The present study simulates hypervelocity impact of a spherical projectile with 2 mm diameter, represents the space debris, collides with the structures at the velocity range of 2–6 km/s. Numerical simulation model was validated by performed experimental study. Authors were inspired by cube and FCCz topologies to propose a novel lattice structure could provide outstanding shielding and load-bearing capabilities in comparison to the other structures studied in this research. Furthermore, the detailed effects of projectile impact location on the protection performance were investigated and the mentioned item was found to have considerable influence on the structure shielding performance.

Current status of the application of additive-manufactured TPMS structure in bone tissue engineering

AbstractBone tissue engineering provided the innovative solution to regenerate bone tissue using scaffolds (porous) structures. This research investigates optimization, additive manufacturing methods and the application areas of triply periodic minimal surface-based (TPMS) porous structures in the broad field of tissue engineering through literature review. The properties of TPMS structures are compared with more classical strut-based structures. Also, information on how TPMS can be formulated and how they can be designed to obtain desired properties are presented. Attention is dedicated to the topological optimization process and how it can be applied to scaffolds to further increase their biomechanical properties and improve their design through density, heterogenization, and unit cell size grading. Common numerical algorithms as well as the difference between gradient-based and non-gradient-based algorithms are proposed. Efforts also include the description of the main additive manufacturing technologies that can be utilized to manufacture either stochastic or periodic scaffolds. The information present in this work should be able to introduce the reader to the use of TPMS structures in tissue engineering.

Screening of Ultra‐Efficient Visible Light Catalysts via Material Modification to Activate Electron Polarization Inside the Material

The high catalytic activity of photocatalysts is greatly influenced by the efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers. In this study, six g‐C3N4‐based COFs are designed and synthesized, and CN‐203 is identified as the most efficient photocatalyst through experimental screening. Quantitative measurements reveal that singlet oxygen production is ≈100 times that of ·O2− and 5000 times that of ·OH. When combined with PMS, CN‐203 exhibits degradation rates for RhB and TC that are ≈30 (k = 0.0293 s−1) and 10 (k = 0.2940 min−1) times faster than those of CN550(RhB, k = 0.0531 min−1; TC, k = 0.0301 min−1), respectively. Structural simulations and calculations show that the modified CN‐203 have better electron–hole separation in the excited state, and the energy gap between HOMO and LUMO is significantly reduced after modification. The study also revealed the structure–function relationship between the modification of the same site with different functional groups and its effect on photocatalysis. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the relationship between surface structure and photocatalytic applications.

Research on Design and Application of Steel Structure in Building Construction

Research on Design and Application of Steel Structure in Building Construction

Quantum chemical investigations, Hirschfeld surface analysis, FMO, MESP, topology analyses, in-silico analysis and pharmacokinetics properties of 3-chloro-N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzyl)-2,2-dimethyl propanamide [CHMBDP]

This article reports a comprehensive theoretical investigation of 3-chloro-n-(4-Hydroxy-3-Methoxy-Benzyl)-2,2-Dimethyl Propenamide (CHMBDP). Hirshfeld surface analysis provided a detailed visualization of intermolecular interactions within the crystal structure of CHMBDP. Analyses of Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MESP), Electron Localization Function (ELF), Localized Orbital Locator (LOL), and Reduced Density Gradient (RDG) offered insights into the compound’s reactivity and stability. The energies of the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) and the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) indicated significant charge transfer within the molecule. In-silico analysis explored the compound’s interactions with TRPV1 (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid subtype 1), DNA, and BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin). The pharmacokinetic properties of CHMBDP were assessed using the Swiss ADME online tool to interpret its ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) characteristics. Overall, this study presents a thorough computational investigation of CHMBDP, characterizing its structure, properties, and potential applications.

Dynamics analysis of noncircular planetary gears

Noncircular planetary gear has simple structure and wide application, but its dynamics research is still blank. Therefore, this paper designs and establishes a 3–4 noncircular planetary gear model, and takes a deep dive into its dynamic characteristics. Firstly, the torsional vibration mechanical model of noncircular planetary gear is established, and the key factors in the planetary gear system are fully considered, such as time-varying meshing stiffness, backlash, meshing damping and excitation frequency. These factors have an important impact on the vibration characteristics of the system. Then, the vibration differential equation of the system is established, and the vibration characteristics of the system under different parameter conditions are analyzed. The results show that the noncircular planetary gear system with large damping and appropriate stiffness can maintain a more stable operating state at a larger excitation frequency. In addition, shortening the acceleration time of the system can effectively reduce the damage caused by the unstable state to the system. These findings provide a solid theoretical basis for the subsequent optimization and analysis of noncircular planetary gears.

Groups IV, V and VI metal oxide-containing hydrotalcite catalysts: state of the art on their catalytic applications

The present contribution is a review paper that summarizes the structure, properties and catalytic applications of hydrotalcite based materials when they are modified by the incorporation of oxide metals from groups 4, 5 and 6. The unique properties of hydrotalcites, with a double layer structure able to host ions in the interlayer space and its basicity, together with the properties of transitions metal oxides from groups 4, 5 and 6, leads to materials highly promising as catalysts. The incorporation can form dispersed species of those oxides on the hydrotalcite-like structure, which acts as support, or by the incorporation of those elements into the hydrotalcite structure. The structure and properties of these materials have been reviewed and analyzed, in order to give a detailed description of the main factors that affect the catalytic properties of these interesting materials.

Exploring reference-dependency in route switching behavior on intercity travel: Endowment effect and disparities between willingness to pay and willingness to accept

This study explores asymmetric preferences in route switching behavior on intercity travel. A reference-dependent travel choice model reflecting the endowment effect is empirically compared with the classical symmetric travel choice model to investigate the significance of the reference-dependency. Based on the application to stated preference data, our results reveal that the reference-dependent travel choice model outperforms the classical symmetric travel choice model in route switching decision, indicating the significant disparities between WTA and WTP. It implies that policy making based on the results of the classical symmetric model assuming equivalent WTA and WTP could lead to the overestimation of switching demand. Furthermore, our results show that drivers are more heterogeneous in terms of WTA than WTP. Moreover, our applications of the latent class mixed logit structure indicate that most of the responded drivers show reference-dependency in route switching decision. Our findings in this study are essential in transport network policy making.

Implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion modules into a nursing trends and issues course: A quality improvement project

BackgroundThe American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) supports integrating diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) into nursing curricula to aid in preparing students to administer competent care for diverse patient populations. AACN highlights equitable healthcare as the overarching goal and catalyst for improving patient health, reducing health disparities, and addressing social determinants of health. AimThe aim is to plan, implement, and evaluate diversity, equity, and inclusion modules in a nursing trends and issues course. DesignThe design is a quality improvement project using the PDSA cycle as a framework. ResultsStudents strongly agree that incorporating DEI modules into the course promotes learning. Nursing faculty acknowledge that more revisions are needed to the course modules to address and compare learning gaps in DEI between nursing cohorts for next semester. ConclusionIncorporating DEI in nursing curricula may demand the application of strategies and structure for students learning. With a lack of faculty experience on DEI topics, this process may require effective interventions to address the learning needs of students.

Metal-organic frameworks and composites on their basis: structure, synthesis methods, electrochemical properties and application prospects (a review)

Various types of metal-organic frameworks (MOF) and their structural parameters have been reviewed and their classification has been presented. Most widely used synthesis methods and approaches for MOF and composites on their basis have been discussed. MOF structure is a regular 3D lattice formed by organic linkers and metallic clusters. It has been shown for an example of literary data on MOF synthesis and structural studies that the types of bonds and metals can strongly affect the spatial structure and dimensions of MOF crystals: they can have nano-, micro- and meso-dimensions, be dense or porous, bulk or layered. This variety of structural parameters determines the wide range of their properties and potential applications. Prospects and methods of controlling the shapes of the crystals, their size and spatial bonds between organic components and metal ions have been reviewed. Major attention has been paid to zeolite-like frameworks (ZIF) as the most promising ones from the viewpoint of structure, synthesis and electrochemical current source applications. Discussion has touched on possible modifications and methods of controlling the properties of those MOFs and composites on their basis and introduction of impurities, including those having magnetic properties. Possible synthesis options of complex composites through controlled MOF pyrolysis have been presented, for either small-batch or scalable processes. The effect of heat treatment conditions on the final properties and electrochemical applications of those materials has been demonstrated. ZIF-67 structured MOF doping with one more metal has been presented as variant of modifying the properties of MOF and composites on their basis. For example, the Authors have implemented cobalt MOF synthesis wherein cobalt is partially substituted for manganese at the synthesis stage. Furthermore, a simple water solution co-deposition synthesis technique has been modified with ultrasonication thus reducing the time consumption of the process. Electrochemical studies have shown that the unit electrochemical capacity of pyrolyzed MOF electrodes with partial cobalt substitution for manganese is appreciably higher as compared to the manganese-free materials. The unit capacity and energy density increase with manganese content in the MOF. MOF manganese doping delivers a considerable improvement in the electrochemical parameters of the electrode materials for hybrid supercapacitors on their basis (from 100 to 298 F/g at 0.25 A/g current density). The results suggest that cobalt substitution for manganese is an effective method of improving the electrochemical parameters of MOFs. It has been demonstrated that the development of new approaches to the design of MOF based composite materials and the study of the physicochemical regularities of their interaction with various carriers is an important task.

Piezoresistive properties for soft structures using hybrid CCB/CNT-based natural rubber latex composites

This study explores the development of flexible sensors for soft structures. Conductive carbon black (CCB) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) were incorporated into a natural rubber (NR) matrix using glutaraldehyde (GA) as a curing system. The sensor properties of latex-NR composites with 20 phr of CCB, including variations of CNT content (0.5 to 3 phr), were examined. Increasing CNT content beyond 0.5 phr decreased tensile strength and elongation at break, but improved sensitivity and gauge factor (GF). Additionally, applying a voltage over 5 V caused a joule heating of the latex-NR composite strip elements. When integrated onto a soft tendon-based TPU bending actuator, higher CNT content reduced electrical signal drift during cyclic bending, enhancing long-term monitoring. This research highlights the potential of CCB/CNT-based latex-NR composites for soft structure applications, including soft robotics and health monitoring.

Research on the performance of GMCBO methodology based on model updating of a pedestrian bridge

Consider the loss of diversity of the bodies at the later optimization stage and the low efficiency of the global searching ability of the traditional colliding bodies optimization algorithm in dealing with complex optimization issues of practical structures. Herein, an improved colliding bodies optimization method combing Gaussian-white-noise mutation and innovative collision mode is proposed. The introduction of Gaussian-white-noise is mutating the positions of the selected bodies and enriching the diversity during the whole optimization process. The changed collision mode from ‘one to one’ to ‘one to best’ is accelerating the process to global extremum. During searching the global extremums of the 12 test functions which are unimodal, multimodal and multimodal with fix dimension, the proposed shows relatively better accuracy and efficiency. The comparison based on the maximum, minimum, average, standard deviation and non-parametric Wilcoxon test of the optimization results by the above algorithms confirmed the outstanding performance of the proposed method. Through the application of the proposed method to the model updating of a pedestrian bridge, all the differences of the first five frequencies between the measured vibration data and finite element model are reduced from approximate 25% to nearly 5%, and the updated dynamic characteristics show great agreement with the practical structure. From the comparison of the responses between updated model and human-induced vibration experiment, most of the response differences are around 10%. The application of the above real structure further verifies that the proposed method is feasible and strongly recommended in optimization issues of practical structures.

Optimization Study of Fire Prevention Structure of Electric Vehicle Based on Bottom Crash Protection

As the market share of electric vehicles continues to expand, fire accidents due to impacts from the power battery located at the bottom of the electric vehicles are receiving increasing attention. Lithium-ion batteries, as the mainstream choice of power battery for electric vehicles solving the problem that they are prone to thermal runaway due to damage when impacted, are the key to preventing and controlling fire accidents in electric vehicles. To address the protective problem of the bottom power battery of electric vehicles when it is impacted by road debris, two new types of sandwich structures with an enhanced regular hexagonal structure and semicircular arch structure as the core layer, respectively, are innovatively proposed in this article. They are used to protect the bottom power battery of electric vehicles and are compared with the traditional homogeneous protective structure in terms of protective performance. A local finite element simulation (FEM) of an electric vehicle containing the necessary components was established for simulation. Stress distribution, deformation, and energy absorption data for each component of an electric vehicle assembled with a protective structure when subjected to a bottom impact were obtained safely and cost-effectively. Three evaluation coefficients, namely, the cell shape variable (Bcmax), the protective effect parameter (ƒPE), and the total energy absorption of the structure (Ea), are proposed to compare and analyze the simulation results of different protective structures under equal mass conditions. The maximum values of the battery deformation of arched sandwich construction and reinforced honeycomb sandwich construction were 0.35 mm and 0.40 mm, respectively, which are much smaller than that of the maximum deformation of the battery under the protection of a homogeneous protective structure, which is 0.62 mm. Their protective effect parameters are 43.55 and 35.48, respectively, which proves that the optimization degree of the protective structure of the bottom of the electric vehicle after the application of the new structure is 35% or more. The total energy absorptions of the two structures are 91.77 J and 87.19 J, respectively, accounting for more than 70% of the kinetic energy in the system, which proves that the deformation of the sandwich structure can effectively absorb the kinetic energy of the collision between the road obstacle and the bottom of the car. The final results show that the arched sandwich structure showed the best impact resistance in the simulation, which can be used for the power battery’s protective structure on the electric vehicle’s bottom. This study fills a gap in local finite element modeling in electric vehicle crash simulations and provides ideas for fire prevention designs of electric vehicle structures.

A novel fluorapatite-type deep-red CsSr3La(PO4)3F:Eu3+ phosphor with intense 5D0-7F4 transition for temperature sensors, plant growth lighting, and w-LEDs

The synthesis of CsSr3La(PO4)3F:xEu3+ phosphors (x = 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mol%) with fluorapatite-type structure was successfully accomplished through a direct solid-state reaction in this work. A systematic characterization was carried out, encompassing the crystal structure, phase composition, morphology, optical properties, and diverse applications of the samples. The crystalline structure of CsSr3La(PO4)3F belongs to the hexagonal system with space group P63/m (176), displaying two polyhedral structures [AⅠO9] and [AⅡO6F]. The band gap (Eg) of the material CsSr3La(PO4)3F is 5.823 eV. At the excitation of 393 nm, CsSr3La(PO4)3F:30 mol%Eu3+ phosphor exhibits a primarily significant emission peak at 703 nm, referring to the 5D0→7F4 transition due to a highly polarizable chemical environment and a distorted coordination polyhedron around Eu3+ ions. The concentration quenching process is attributed to the quadrupole-quadrupole interaction between Eu3+ ions, with the maximum luminescence intensity achieved at a doping content of 30 mol%. At 420 K, the emission intensity of the CsSr3La(PO4)3F:30 mol%Eu3+ phosphor can still maintain 75.04 % of the emission intensity observed at 300 K. The value of activation energy is 0.18 eV. The maximum absolute and relative thermal sensitivities (Sa and Sr) for the temperature sensor can reach 5.25 × 10−4 K−1 and 7.71 % K−1, respectively. The made-up red LED is well-suited to meet the light requirements for the growth and development of plants. The fabricated white light-emitting diode (w-LED) has a relatively high color rendering index (Ra) of 89 and a suitable correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4392 K. The phosphors have applications in temperature sensors, plant growth lighting, and w-LEDs.

Bridging Nature and Engineering: Protein-Derived Materials for Bio-Inspired Applications.

The sophisticated, elegant protein-polymers designed by nature can serve as inspiration to redesign and biomanufacture protein-based materials using synthetic biology. Historically, petro-based polymeric materials have dominated industrial activities, consequently transforming our way of living. While this benefits humans, the fabrication and disposal of these materials causes environmental sustainability challenges. Fortunately, protein-based biopolymers can compete with and potentially surpass the performance of petro-based polymers because they can be biologically produced and degraded in an environmentally friendly fashion. This paper reviews four groups of protein-based polymers, including fibrous proteins (collagen, silk fibroin, fibrillin, and keratin), elastomeric proteins (elastin, resilin, and wheat glutenin), adhesive/matrix proteins (spongin and conchiolin), and cyanophycin. We discuss the connection between protein sequence, structure, function, and biomimetic applications. Protein engineering techniques, such as directed evolution and rational design, can be used to improve the functionality of natural protein-based materials. For example, the inclusion of specific protein domains, particularly those observed in structural proteins, such as silk and collagen, enables the creation of novel biomimetic materials with exceptional mechanical properties and adaptability. This review also discusses recent advancements in the production and application of new protein-based materials through the approach of synthetic biology combined biomimetics, providing insight for future research and development of cutting-edge bio-inspired products. Protein-based polymers that utilize nature's designs as a base, then modified by advancements at the intersection of biology and engineering, may provide mankind with more sustainable products.