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The attractive dielectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers are well confirmed possessing the highest electroactive response including dielectric constant, piezoelectric and ferroelectric effects, which have increasingly wide range of applications such as in energy transfer, energy generation and storage, monitoring and control, and include the development of capacitors, sensors, actuators and so on. In this study, by clarifying the reliability of dielectric performances on their crystal phase structure of various PVDF polymers, the different physical and chemical fabricating ways to achieve different forms of PVDF samples such as linear polymers, ferroelectrics, and relaxor ferroelectrics were identified and quantified. In addition, many recent advances in the PVDF-based polymer dielectrics and some developed applications of these polymers are presented, which gives a reference in academic and engineering area to select an appropriate PVDF series dielectric polymer.

Recently, for their advantages of lightweight, easy-shaped, good corrosion resistance, biocompatibility, etc., a series of flexible poly (vinylidene fluoride)-based (PVDF-based) piezoelectric composites have been proposed for use in self-powered electronic devices, such as piezoelectric nanogenerators, sensors, wearable electronic units, etc. In this review, we classify the polymer-based piezoelectric composites, combine their preparation method, filler type, structure, and performance, etc., and explain in detail the effects of different preparation methods and filler types on the piezoelectric properties of the composites. Then, the influence of composition, structure, and forming method on the piezoelectric and energy-transforming performances are investigated. Finally, the development trends of these PVDF-based piezoelectric composites are prospected. This review may provide a reference for the academic and application of the polymer-based piezoelectric composites in energy transfer-related and harvesting-related areas.

Due to the limitations of low coverage, high repetition rate, and slow convergence speed of the basic genetic algorithm (GA) in robot complete coverage path planning, the state transition matrix of the Markov chain is introduced to guide individual mutation based on the genetic mutation path planning algorithm, which can improve the quality of population individuals, enhancing the search ability and convergence speed of the genetic algorithm. The proposed improved genetic algorithm is used for complete coverage path planning simulation analysis in different work areas. The analysis results show that compared to traditional genetic algorithms, the improved genetic algorithm proposed in this paper reduces the average path length by 21.8%, the average number of turns by 6 times, the repetition rate by 83.8%, and the coverage rate by 7.76% in 6 different work areas. The results prove that the proposed improved genetic algorithm is applicable in complete coverage path planning. To verify whether the Markov chain genetic algorithm (MCGA) proposed is suitable for agricultural robot path tracking and operation, it was used to plan the path of an actual land parcel. An automatic navigation robot can track the planned path, which can verify the feasibility of the MCGA proposed.

We synthesize a group of three-phase ferroelectric ceramics 0.35(Sr 0.7 Bi 0.2 ) TiO 3 –0.65(Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3 –xSr(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 (BST–BNT–xSMN) using conventional solid-phase sintering method. When tunning the volume of SMN to 0.01, the ceramic sheet shows homogeneous microcrystal grains and highly dense crystal morphology, which favors a reductive dielectric permittivity ( ε r ) of 2250 and loss of 0.05. Under a high electric field of 100 kV cm −1 , the BST–BNT- 0.01 SMN sample achieves a slender polarization versus electrical field (P–E) loop with saturation and residual polarization of 37.1 µC cm −2 and 3.0 µC cm −2 , respectively, corresponding to a high energy density of 1.32 J cm −3 and a large η of 81%. Strikingly, the BST–BNT–xSMN ceramics show the excellent temperature stability below 100 °C, which facilitates energy storage in relaxed ferroelectric ceramics and provides an efficient method for obtaining pulsed power capacitors with excellent energy-recoverable characteristics and high efficiency in BNT-based ceramics. Graphical abstract The three-phase ferroelectric ceramics 0.35(Sr 0.7 Bi 0.2 )TiO 3- 0.65(Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3- xSr(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 (BST- BNT- xSMN) possesses a slender polarization versus electrical field loop with saturation and residual polarization of 37.1 µC cm -2 and 3.0 µC cm -2 respectively at 100 kV cm -1 , which corresponds to a high energy density of 1.32 J cm -3 and a large η of 81%.

A group of 0.65(Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3 -0.35(Sr 0.7+ x  + Bi 0.2 )TiO 3 (BNT-S 0.7+ x BT) composite ceramic pellets are synthesized using a traditional solid sintering method, where a tunable x, the changeable volume of Sr, is to tailor energy storage through the adjustments of the A-site stoichiometry in BNT-S 0.7+ x BT. We find that a small excess of Sr 2+ ions will result in an extensively tuning on the crystal grain size and even contribute to the A-site disorder and charge fluctuation of BNT-S 0.7+ x BT. As such, the BNT-S 0.7+ x BT exhibits a minimum average grain size and a highly compact crystal morphology, and thus, BNT-S 0.75 BT ceramic exhibits a high dielectric constant ( ε r ) of about 5100 at 110 °C. Meanwhile, a relatively thin polarization–electric field (P–E) loop with a high maximum polarization of 42 μC/cm 2 and a low remnant electric polarization of 5 μC/cm 2 are obtained in a BNT-S 0.75 BT pellet under 100 kV/cm, corresponding to an energy density of 0.98 J cm −3 and a good η of 70.7%. Attractively, the maximum polarization ( P m ) of BNT-S 0.75 BT ceramic at 25–100 °C hardly decreases, implying excellent temperature stability of polarization performances under high electric field of 100 kV/cm, which favors the energy storage of relaxor ferroelectric ceramics and is valuable to a supercapacitor serving at evaluated high temperature.

Tumor-infiltrating B cells and tertiary lymphoid structures have been identified to predict the responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer immunotherapy. Considering the feasibility of sample collection, whether peripheral B cell signatures are associated with the responses to ICI therapy remains unclear. Herein, we have defined peripheral B cell signatures in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving anti-PD-1 monotherapy and investigated their associations with clinical efficacy. It was found that the percentages of B cells before the treatment (baseline) were significantly higher ( P = 0.004) in responder (R, n = 17) than those in non-responder (NonR, n = 33) NSCLC patients in a discovery cohort. Moreover, the percentages of baseline IgM + memory B cells were higher ( P < 0.001) in R group than those in NonR group, and associated with a longer progression free survival (PFS) ( P = 0.003). By logistic regression analysis peripheral baseline IgM + memory B cells were identified as an independent prognostic factor ( P = 0.002) for the prediction of the responses to anti-PD-1 monotherapy with the AUC value of 0.791, which was further validated in another anti-PD-1 monotherapy cohort ( P = 0.011, n = 70) whereas no significance was observed in patients receiving anti-PD-L1 monotherapy ( P = 0.135, n = 30). Therefore, our data suggest the roles of peripheral IgM + memory B cells in predicting the responses to anti-PD-1 treatment in Chinese advanced NSCLC patients.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Everolimus (EVE) in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in bladder cancer treatment and the underlying mechanisms. In vitro, MB49 cells were exposed to gradient concentrations (0 nM–100 nM) of EVE for 48 h, to investigate the cell viability and cell proliferative potential. In vivo, we applied a subcutaneous tumor mouse model of bladder cancer and the mice were treated with EVE monotherapy (different doses) or in combination with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) agents to study the impacts on tumor growth and explore the immune mechanism. The influences of treatments on peripheral immune profiles and tumor immune microenvironment were also discussed. EVE could inhibit the growth of MB49 cells in vitro. Though high-dose EVE monotherapy could induce tumor regression in vivo, it also contributed to immunosuppression. High-dose EVE inhibited the expression of PD-L1 by inhibiting Th1 cytokine secretion, while combined therapy with PD-1 inhibitors showed no extra profit. Low-dose EVE in combination with PD-1 inhibitors could effectively suppress tumor growth by increasing periphery CD8 + T cell frequency and GZMB + CD8 + T cell frequency in the tumor microenvironment. High-dose EVE monotherapy induced tumor regression, but with immunosuppression to some content. Combination therapy with low-dose EVE and PD-1 inhibitor could effectively inhibit the growth of bladder tumors by enhancing the antitumor immunity of CD8 + T cells in both periphery and tumor microenvironment.

It is well thought that the performance of polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene [P(VDF-TrFE)] is better than that of oriented polyvinylidene fluoride (oriented PVDF). But the harsh fabrication process or poor stability of P(VDF-TrFE) polymer limits its mass production. Therefore, it is worth making a comparative property assessment of PVDF and P(VDF-TrFE) piezoelectric polymers from the point of view of the practical application. In this work, we have used the oriented PVDF and P(VDF-TrFE) films to prepare an array of flexible piezoelectric and pyroelectric hybrid energy conversion devices. The responses of devices to different scenarios and environments were investigated. It was found that the two energy conversion devices can convert various forms of energy from the external stimulus conditions to get the output electrical signals. However, the two conversion devices exhibited different signal responses to different forms of external stimuli, which provides a reference for the choice of device materials in practical applications. It was confirmed that the oriented PVDF film fabricated by the simple and economical method has also great potential applications as wearable and electronic touch screens and medical monitoring devices.

Limited benefit population of immune checkpoint inhibitors makes it urgent to screen predictive biomarkers for stratifying the patients. Herein, we have investigated peripheral CD4 + T cell signatures in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatments. It was found that the percentages of IFN-γ and IL-17A secreting naïve CD4 + T cells (Tn), and memory CD4 + T cells (Tm) expressing PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4 were significantly higher in responder (R) than non-responder (NonR) NSCLC patients associated with a longer progression free survival (PFS). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the baseline IFN-γ-producing CD4 + Tn cells and PD-1 + CD4 + Tm cells were the most significant signatures with the area under curve (AUC) value reaching 0.849. This was further validated in another anti-PD-1 monotherapy cohort. Conversely, high percentage of CTLA-4 + CD4 + Tm cells was associated with a shorter PFS in patients receiving anti-PD-L1 monotherapy. Our study therefore elucidates the significance of functional CD4 + Tn and Tm subpopulations before the treatment in predicting the responses to anti-PD-1 treatment in Chinese NSCLC patients. The fact that there display distinct CD4 + T cell signatures in the prediction to anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 monotherapy from our study provides preliminary evidence on the feasibility of anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 combination therapy for advanced NSCLC patients.

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) to monitor renal function in patients with obstructive unilateral ureteral calculi.MethodsKidneys of 12 male C57BL/6J mice, as well as their urine and plasma specimens, were extracted to detect KIM-1 expressions 24 h after unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) construction or sham surgery. Meanwhile, a cohort of 89 patients with unilateral ureteral calculi was retrospectively reviewed. 46 of which received double-J ureteral stent indwelling (group 1) and the remaining 43 were treated conservatively (group 2). Urinary KIM-1 levels in the baseline, 2 h and 1 day after treatments were analyzed.ResultsKIM-1 expressions were dramatically higher in mice underwent UUO surgery when compared with the sham group. Clinical data showed urinary KIM-1 levels decreased as time went by for patients in group 1 (1.787 ± 1.081 ng/mL for baseline, 1.668 ± 1.162 ng/mL for 2 h and 0.935 ± 0.526 ng/mL for 1 day after operation; p = 0.0001). Nevertheless, for those in group 2, a mild increase (1.659 ± 0.997 ng/mL, 1.691 ± 0.872 ng/mL and 1.675 ± 0.911 ng/mL, correspondingly; p = 0.9869) was observed. Additionally, a urinary KIM-1 value of 1.04 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 83.1% and specificity of 62.5% to predict the presence of hydronephrosis (95% CI: 0.641–0.873, AUC: 0.757, p < 0.001).ConclusionsUrinary KIM-1 is a sensitive biomarker of post-renal acute kidney injury (AKI) and might predict the presence of hydronephrosis. It can be used as an effective surrogate to monitor renal function.