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Resolving the dichotomy between wide detection ranges and low mechanical hysteresis remains a critical challenge in flexible electronics, largely governed by the intrinsic viscoelastic creep of polymeric dielectrics. Drawing inspiration from the distinctive load-bearing mechanisms of traditional Chinese Sparrow Brace architecture, we report a mechanically optimized tilted micro-architecture designed to enhance structural resilience. Unlike conventional soft elastomeric pillars that easily succumb to mechanical failure, this BOPS-based tilted geometry provides excellent load-bearing capacity, effectively preventing premature failure. Finite element analysis (FEA) confirms that this tilted geometry forces a fundamental shift from conventional bulk compression to structural bending. Because this bending-dominated architecture drives rapid elastic recovery, it significantly mitigates the severe effects of the polymer’s viscoelastic creep under the tested loading conditions, achieving reliable signal reversibility with low hysteresis. We fabricated this specific architecture via programmable femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW) on biaxially oriented polystyrene (BOPS) films, harnessing the material’s entropy-driven self-growth kinetics. By merging this localized growth mechanism with the architectural design, we effectively bypassed the complexities of traditional molding, achieving mask-free, in situ growth of large-scale, highly uniform dielectric micro-arrays. The resulting sensor delivers a remarkably broad working range (up to ~2.28 MPa) coupled with a negligible recovery error (~1.3%), an agile dynamic response (~70/80 ms), and consistent operational durability. Ultimately, this work combines architecture-inspired structural design with advanced femtosecond laser surface microengineering, providing a conceptually novel and scalable pathway for next-generation flexible sensing.

A model of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled with phase-field and flow-solid interaction (FSI) was built to simulate a solid inclusion’s floating in steel and interacting with the steel-slag interface. The numerical model was validated by a water model experiment. The effects of inclusion size, density and contact angle with the interface on the dynamic process and static position were investigated. The simulation results indicate that floating small size inclusions satisfy Stokes flow while a large size inclusion is with turbulent flow. When approaching the interface, the inclusion will decelerate in advance due to steel film drainage and there will be an acceleration of inclusion once the film ruptures. The static position of inclusion settling at the interface is related to the size, density and contact angle of inclusion, and among all these properties, the contact angle of the steel-slag interface with the inclusion is the dominant factor.

Pile foundations are commonly used to support structures subjected to complex loading conditions. In seismic-prone regions, understanding the soil–pile interaction under cyclic loading is essential for ensuring the stability and safety of these foundations. Numerical modeling is an effective tool for predicting the nonlinear behavior of soil under seismic excitation, but selecting an appropriate constitutive model remains a significant challenge. This study investigates the seismic behavior of pile groups embedded in soft clay using advanced finite element analysis. The piles are modeled as aluminum with a linear elastic response and are analyzed within a soil domain characterized by two kinematic hardening constitutive models based on the Von Mises failure criterion. Model parameters are calibrated using a combination of experimental and numerical data. The study also examines the influence of pile spacing within the group on seismic response, revealing notable differences in the response patterns. The results show that the nonlinear kinematic hardening model provides a more accurate correlation with experimental centrifuge test results compared to the multilinear model. These findings contribute to enhancing the understanding of soil–pile interaction under seismic loading and improving the design of pile foundations.

Based on undrained cyclic simple shear tests conducted on coastal tidal soft soil under various conditions of cyclic stress ratios and moisture contents, this study investigated the influence of these factors on the dynamic properties of the soil. The findings indicated that with increasing moisture content and stress cycle ratio, the stress–strain hysteresis loop gradually expanded, resulting in a higher strain difference and a transition from a dense to a sparse curve pattern. Moreover, the symmetry of the hysteresis loop was lost in the later stages of shearing. With an increase in the number of cycles, the cumulative shear strain gradually increased, and the increase in the cyclic ratio of water content to stress reduced the number of cyclic shear cycles required to achieve failure, thereby accelerating the soil’s failure rate. A predictive formula was developed based on the experimental results to estimate the failure cycles as a function of the cyclic stress ratio and moisture content. Furthermore, the softening index decreased gradually with an increasing number of cycles, and a higher moisture content and cyclic stress ratio accelerated the soil’s softening process. It was observed that under the conditions of optimal moisture content, the soil exhibited a slower softening rate during the initial stage of shearing.

SiO2-Al2O3-CaO-MgO is the main type of refining slag in a ladle furnace. Here the effects of the CaO/Al2O3 mass ratio on the structural properties of the refining slag system are studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The pair distribution function, coordination number, micro-structure unit and diffusion capacity were analyzed. An increase in the CaO/Al2O3 ratio did not change the bond lengths of these units. However, an increase of the CaO/Al2O3 ratio caused more charge compensators to be introduced into the refining slag system, which led to conversion of free oxygen and non-bridging oxygen to tricluster oxygen and bridging oxygen in the system. Moreover, this augmented the content of relatively stable 4- and 5-coordinate Al. As the micro-structure of the system became more complex, the overall diffusion capacity of the refining slag became poorer. In the micro-structure, the diffusion capabilities of different atoms decreased in the following order: Mg > Ca > O > Al > Si.

Thermal insulation under extreme conditions requires materials that can withstand complex thermomechanical stress and retain excellent thermal insulation properties at temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius 1 – 3 . Ceramic aerogels are attractive thermal insulating materials; however, at very high temperatures, they often show considerably increased thermal conductivity and limited thermomechanical stability that can lead to catastrophic failure 4 – 6 . Here we report a multiscale design of hypocrystalline zircon nanofibrous aerogels with a zig-zag architecture that leads to exceptional thermomechanical stability and ultralow thermal conductivity at high temperatures. The aerogels show a near-zero Poisson’s ratio (3.3 × 10 −4 ) and a near-zero thermal expansion coefficient (1.2 × 10 −7 per degree Celsius), which ensures excellent structural flexibility and thermomechanical properties. They show high thermal stability with ultralow strength degradation (less than 1 per cent) after sharp thermal shocks, and a high working temperature (up to 1,300 degrees Celsius). By deliberately entrapping residue carbon species in the constituent hypocrystalline zircon fibres, we substantially reduce the thermal radiation heat transfer and achieve one of the lowest high-temperature thermal conductivities among ceramic aerogels so far—104 milliwatts per metre per kelvin at 1,000 degrees Celsius. The combined thermomechanical and thermal insulating properties offer an attractive material system for robust thermal insulation under extreme conditions. Hypocrystalline ceramic aerogels with a zig-zag architecture show high thermal stability under thermal shock and exposure to high temperature, providing a reliable material system for thermal insulation at extreme conditions.

Atmospheric dustfall is solid air pollutant, which is mainly influenced by local sources, so it has a major impact on the local environment and the health of local residents. The objective of this study was to investigate the distribution characteristics of dustfall fluxes and particle size, and the meteorological factors affected them. Atmospheric dustfall was collected in an open-pit coal mining area and surrounding areas in the arid desert area of Northwest China from March to December 2018. Dustfall fluxes was measured, particle size was measured by using graphical methods and grain-size characteristic parameters, the meteorological factors were measured by using Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient (SCC) and Stepwise Linear Regression (SLR), the correlations of dustfall fluxes, mean diameter, the content of particles at different grain-sizes were measured by using SCC. The results showed that dustfall fluxes were larger in open-pit mining area and desert area, and in spring and summer. The frequency of particle size distribution showed unimodal distribution, with the peak and the mean diameter in desert area being the largest, and being larger in spring and summer. The main meteorological factor affecting dustfall fluxes was wind speed and affecting particle size was relative humidity. There was no significant correlation between dustfall fluxes with mean diameter and the content of particles at different grain-sizes. The results of this study can provide areas and times where atmospheric dustfall control should be reinforced, and provide strong scientific support for regulatory policies.

Background Insulin resistance (IR), endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, and thrombosis are believed involved in coronary heart disease (CHD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a new IR indicator, is correlated with NAFLD occurrence and severity, but its relationship with CHD risk remains unclear. This study investigated the correlation between TyG index and CHD risk among NAFLD patients. Methods This cross-sectional study included 424 patients with NAFLD and chest pain in the Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, from January 2021 to December 2021. The TyG index was calculated and coronary angiography performed. All individuals were divided into NAFLD + CHD and NAFLD groups and then by TyG index level. The t-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, or one-way analysis of variance compared differences in continuous variables, while the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test compared differences in categorical variables. Logistic regression analysis determined the independent protective or hazardous factors of NAFLD with CHD. The receiver operating characteristic curve evaluated the ability of different TyG index rule-in thresholds to predict CHD. The relationship between Gensini score and TyG index was evaluated using linear correlation and multiple linear regression. Results CHD was detected in 255 of 424 patients. Compared to NAFLD group, multivariate logistic regression showed that TyG index was a risk factor for CHD among NAFLD patients after adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus with the highest odds ratio (OR, 2.519; 95% CI, 1.559–4.069; P < 0.001). TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, FBG and TYG–body mass index were also risk factors for CHD among NAFLD patients. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was a protective factor for CHD events in patients with NAFLD. In an in-depth analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that each 1-unit increase in TyG index was associated with a 2.06-fold increased risk of CHD (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.16–3.65; P = 0.013). The multifactor linear regression analysis showed each 0.1-unit increase in TyG in the NAFLD-CHD group was associated with a 2.44 increase in Gensini score (β = 2.44; 95% CI, 0.97–3.91; P = 0.002). Conclusions The TyG index was positively correlated with CHD risk in NAFLD patients and reflected coronary atherosclerosis severity.

To assess the synergistic effects of nitrogen (N) application rates on soil properties, maize yield, and water-N use efficiency under aerated irrigation in red loamy soils of Guangdong, a 3-year field experiment (2021-2023) was conducted with three N levels [150 (N1), 300 (N2), and 450 kg·hm (N3)] and a control (CK). Results showed that N2 (300 kg·hm ) and N3(450 kg·hm ) treatments significantly reduced soil bulk density by 3.87% and 5.23% (  < 0.05), and increased total porosity by 5.40% and 6.27%, respectively, compared to CK. Soil water storage and respiration were highest under N2 (300 kg·hm ) during key growth stages (V6-VT, VT-R2). N application enhanced organic carbon (up to 59.6% in 300 kg·hm ) and total nitrogen (up to 96.2% in 450 kg·hm ), while decreasing C/N ratio and increasing microbial biomass (up to 78.9% higher in 300 kg·hm vs. CK). N2 (300 kg·hm ) significantly improved maize yield by 63.7%, WUE by 70.9%, and N use efficiency (agronomic efficiency: 25.1 kg·kg ; recovery rate: 41.9%). A quadratic yield model indicated 250-300 kg·hm N as optimal. These findings suggest that moderate N application 300 kg·hm under aerated irrigation enhances soil structure, nutrient availability, and crop productivity, offering a sustainable approach for nitrogen-efficient maize production and red soil management in subtropical regions.