Association of solid fuel use with risk of stunting in children living in China

Stunting adversely affects physical and mental outcomes of children. It has not been examined whether household air pollution from solid fuel combustion is a risk factor for stunting in children. In a total of 41,439 children aged 6-17 across China, height was measured using a unified protocol. Multivariable linear regression models and logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of solid fuel use for cooking/heating with stunting in children. Adjusted for covariates, cooking/heating with solid fuel was significantly associated with a lower z-score for height for age and sex (β = −0.21 [−0.32 to −0.09] and −0.17 [−0.31 to −0.03], respectively) and an increased risk of stunting with an estimated ORs of 1.34 [1.07~1.68] and 1.37 [1.02~1.83], respectively. The risk of stunting associated with solid fuel use was statistically significant in high-age children. And the effect was greater on girls than on boys, though the difference was not statistically significant. Our study suggested that Chinese children living in households using solid fuel had a significantly higher risk of stunting than those living in households using cleaner fuel.     

X射线干涉光刻光束线关键光学元件热-结构耦合分析

为了保证上海光源X射线干涉光刻光束线的稳定性,减小热变形对实验结果的影响,对X射线干涉光刻光束线的3个关键光学元件——偏转镜、聚焦镜和精密四刀狭缝进行热-结构耦合分析。首先,计算偏转镜、聚焦镜和精密四刀狭缝所承载的功率密度;然后,建立其有限元模型;最后,获得光学元件的温度场和热变形的结果。结果表明,偏转镜和聚焦镜采用间接水冷方式可有效抑制热变形,冷却后的最大面形误差分别为7.2μrad和9.2μrad。精密四刀狭缝未冷却时,刀片组件温度介于271.56~273.27℃,刀口热变形为0.19 mm,直线导轨热变形为0.08 mm;经过铜辫子冷却后,刀片组件温度降至22.24~23.94℃,刀口热变形降至0.2μm,直线导轨热变形降至0.1μm;采用影像法和接触探头法测试后,刀口直线度、平行度和重复精度均满足技术要求。偏转镜、聚焦镜和精密四刀狭缝的热变形通过间接水冷和铜辫子的冷却方式可以得到很大程度的抑制,进而保证光斑质量。     

Supramolecular Glyco‐nanoparticles Toward Immunological Applications

Glyco‐mimicking nanoparticles (glyco‐NPs) with Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) donor and acceptor groups formed via dynamic covalent bond of benzoboroxole and sugar from two complementary polymers are prepared. The glyco‐NPs are proved to be quite stable under physiological conditions but sensitive to pH. So the glyco‐NPs can be internalized by dendritic cells with integrity and nontoxicity and then dissociate within the acidic organelles. This particle dissociation is directly observed and visualized in vitro, for the first time via the FRET measurements and fluorescent microscopy. This feature makes controlled release of drug or protein by glyco‐NPs possible, i.e., when model antigen Ovalbumin is loaded in the glyco‐NPs, the released Ovalbumin in dendritic cells stimulates T cells more efficiently than the free Ovalbumin itself as a result of the enhanced antigen processing and presentation. Thus, the results enlighten a bright future of the glyco‐NPs in immunotherapy.     

Fabrication of dense nano-laminated tungsten carbide materials doped with Cr3C2/VC through two-step sintering

This work investigates the critical roles of two-step sintering (TSS) and laminated structure on the sintering behavior and mechanical properties of functionally graded WC-TiC-Al₂O₃ nanostructured composite materials doped with Cr₃C₂/VC. Results show that excellent mechanical properties are achieved for tailored TSS conditions with a hardness of 27.91?±?2.3?GPa and a flexural strength of 1423.3?±?23.5?MPa. The desirable mechanical properties are attributed to the suppressed grain growth without densification deterioration. TSS is more effective in facilitating the favorable dispersion of secondary phase toughening nano-particulates in a WC matrix than conventional sintering (CS). Cr₃C₂/VC dopant plays an important role in maximizing and shifting the temperature range of the kinetic window for WC-Al₂O₃ composites. Al₂O₃ crack deflection, transgranular Al₂O₃, microcracking, WC crack bridging and plate-like WC crack deflection are the major toughening mechanisms. Residual surface compressive stress induced by the graded structure is also an appreciated contribution to the improvement of mechanical properties.     

Visual Detection of Adenosine Triphosphate by Taylor Rising: A Simple Point-of-Care Testing Method Based on Rolling Circle Amplification

Rapid and sensitive point-of-care testing (POCT) is an extremely critical mission in practical applications, especially for rigorous military medicine, home health care, and in the third world. Here, we report a visual POCT method for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) detection based on Taylor rising in the corner of quadratic geometries between two rod surfaces. We discuss the principle of Taylor rising, demonstrating that it is significantly influenced by contact angle, surface tension, and density of the sample, which are controlled by ATP-dependent rolling circle amplification (RCA). In the presence of ATP, RCA reaction effectively suppresses Taylor-rising behavior, due to the increased contact angle, density, and decreased surface tension. Without addition of ATP, untriggered RCA reaction is favorable for Taylor rising, resulting in a significant height. With this proposed method, visual sensitive detection of ATP without the aid of other instruments is realized with only a 5 μL droplet, which has good selectivity and a low detection limit (17 nM). Importantly, this visual method provides a promising POCT tool for user-friendly molecular diagnostics.     

An approach to measure infill matric suction of irregular infilled rock joints under constant normal stiffness shearing

Rock joints infilled with sediments can strongly influence the strength of rock mass. As infilled joints often exist under unsaturated condition, this study investigated the influence of matric suction of infill on the overall joint shear strength. A novel technique that allows direct measurement of matric suction of infill using high capacity tensiometers (HCTs) during direct shear of infilled joints under constant normal stiffness (CNS) is described. The CNS apparatus was modified to accommodate the HCT and the procedure is explained in detail. Joint specimens were simulated by gypsum plaster using three-dimensional (3D) printed surface moulds, and filled with kaolin and sand mixture prepared at different water contents. Shear behaviours of both planar infilled joints and rough joints having joint roughness coefficients (JRCs) of 8–10 and 18–20 with the ratios of infill thickness to asperity height (t/a) equal to 0.5 were investigated. Matric suction shows predominantly unimodal behaviour during shearing of both planar and rough joints, which is closely associated with the variation of unloading rate and volumetric changes of the infill material. As expected, two-peak behaviour was observed for the rough joints and both peaks increased with the increase of infill matric suction. The results suggest that the contribution of matric suction of infill on the joint peak normalised shear stress is relatively independent of the joint roughness.     

Microwave dielectric properties of SrLa[Ga1−x(Mg0.5Ti0.5)x]O4 and SrLa[Ga1−x(Zn0.5Ti0.5)x]O4 (x = 0.2-0.8) ceramics

SrLa[Ga_1−x(R_0.5Ti_0.5)_x]O₄ (R = Mg, Zn) ceramics were prepared by a standard solid state sintering method. The single-phase ceramics with K₂NiF₄-type layered perovskite structure and I4/mmm space group were obtained, indicating that SrLa(R_0.5Ti_0.5) and SrLaGaO₄ can form the unlimited solid solutions. With increasing x for R = Mg and Zn, ε_r increases monotonously, the Qf value first increases and then decreases, while τ_f increases from a negative to a positive value. The optimized microwave dielectric properties were obtained as following: ε_r = 23.3, Qf = 89 400 GHz, τ_f = −0.8 ppm/°C for SrLa[Ga_0.6(Mg_0.5Ti_0.5)_0.4]O₄ and ε_r = 23.3, Qf = 76 200 GHz, τ_f = 0.2 ppm/°C for SrLa[Ga_0.7(Zn_0.5Ti_0.5)_0.3]O₄, indicating that the present solid solution ceramics are the promising candidates as microwave resonator materials for the telecommunication applications.     

Genes Identification,Molecular Docking and Dynamics Simulation Analysis of Laccases from Amylostereum areolatum Provides Molecular Basis of Laccase Bound to Lignin

An obligate mutualistic relationship exists between the fungus Amylostereum areolatum and woodwasp Sirex noctilio. The fungus digests lignin in the host pine, providing essential nutrients for the growing woodwasp larvae. However, the functional properties of this symbiosis are poorly described. In this study, we identified, cloned, and characterized 14 laccase genes from A. areolatum. These genes encoded proteins of 508 to 529 amino acids and contained three typical copper-oxidase domains, necessary to confer laccase activity. Besides, we performed molecular docking and dynamics simulation of the laccase proteins in complex with lignin compounds (monomers, dimers, trimers, and tetramers). AaLac2, AaLac3, AaLac6, AaLac8, and AaLac10 were found that had low binding energies with all lignin model compounds tested and three of them could maintain stability when binding to these compounds. Among these complexes, amino acid residues ALA, GLN, LEU, PHE, PRO, and SER were commonly present. Our study reveals the molecular basis of A. areolatum laccases interacting with lignin, which is essential for understanding how the fungus provides nutrients to S. noctilio. These findings might also provide guidance for the control of S. noctilio by informing the design of enzyme mutants that could reduce the efficiency of lignin degradation.