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This article develops an electromechanical-thermal model for semi-solid-state batteries using Software COMSOL Multi-physics. The battery’s three-dimensional structure is firstly simplified into a one-dimensional electrochemical model (P2D), which combines the solid heat transfer module and the solid mechanics module. The total power consumption of the battery, obtained from the P2D model, is used to calculate the battery temperature and the lithium concentration. Then, stress analysis of the anode active particles is conducted, and the battery temperature is fed back into both the electrochemical and mechanical models. To validate the model, constant current charge/discharge cycling experiments, as well as tests on the basic electrical parameters and temperature of the battery, are conducted. The electromechanical-thermal model developed in this study serves as an effective tool for simulating semi-solid-state lithium-ion batteries, which can predict the battery’s performance under various operating conditions. The simulation results from the numerical model are consistent with experimental data at low charge/discharge rates, while slightly larger discrepancies are observed at high charge/discharge rates, with the accuracy remaining over 90%. Further, the thermal expansion behavior of the batteries with silicon-carbon anodes during the charge-discharge process can be examined using the developed model.

Currently, regardless of the algorithm used, motion planners for dealing with dynamic obstructions need to rely on high‐precision sensors and high performance processors. The requirements for hardware increase as the density of dynamic obstructions in an area becomes higher. Additionally, motion planners are more prone to errors in complex environments. The Rapidly‐exploring Random Tree (RRT   ∗ ) algorithm only considers static obstructions and cannot effectively avoid densely populated regions of dynamic obstructions. This paper develops an improved RRT  ∗ algorithm that is capable of avoiding densely populated regions of dynamic obstructions. In this algorithm, the cost function of the traditional RRT   ∗ algorithm is modified based on the density of dynamic obstructions, allowing the planned path to bypass densely populated regions. The algorithm also introduces reasonable penalty terms to penalize segments that pass through densely populated regions, while maintaining asymptotic optimality of the traditional RRT   ∗ algorithm. Numerical experiments reveal that the improved RRT   ∗ algorithm is able to successfully avoid densely populated regions of dynamic obstructions with minimal time cost and exhibits better robustness during the path search process in comparison to the traditional RRT   ∗ algorithm. Thus, the improved RRT   ∗ algorithm possesses the ability to adapt to more complex areas for path planning.

So far too long, people have been working hard to develop fire prevention measures to deal with lithium ion battery (LIB) fires. LIB fires have a high calorific value, a rapid burning and spread speed and a high risk of re-ignition and explosion. Under thermal runaway, LIB fires develop from the inside out, preventing fire extinguishing agents from entering the interior of LIB, thus resulting in low extinguishing efficiency or even failure of the extinguishing agents. Based on the principle of ‘isolation and stifling’, fire-blocking blanket can effectively inhibit the spread of fire, suppress the combustion intensity and reduce the smoke emission. This paper digs into the detailed performance requirements of fire blanket to block LIB fires. By conducting laboratory tests to mimic LIB fires, the candidate materials including fiber materials, woven textile and woven fabrics with organic coatings are systematically investigated. Performance of the materials are evaluated, including fire resistance, thermal insulation, tensile strength at break and blast resistance, respectively. The testing results help to screen out the best material for LIB fire blanket, and high-silica glass fiber coated by polyurethane has the best thermal and mechanical properties among all materials tested. This paper also presents a three-layer structured design of blanket, which can pass all the tests proposed.

Long-term memory is thought to be mediated by protein synthesis-dependent, late-phase long-term potentiation (L-LTP). Two secretory proteins, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), have been implicated in this process, but their relationship is unclear. Here we report that tPA, by activating the extracellular protease plasmin, converts the precursor proBDNF to the mature BDNF (mBDNF), and that such conversion is critical for L-LTP expression in mouse hippocampus. Moreover, application of mBDNF is sufficient to rescue L-LTP when protein synthesis is inhibited, which suggests that mBDNF is a key protein synthesis product for L-LTP expression.

The evidence from recent epidemiological studies investigating the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and the risk of breast cancer (BC) remains inconsistent. The PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were comprehensively searched by two independent authors to identify related cohort studies from the inception of the databases through January 31, 2018. Similarly, two researchers separately extracted the data from the selected studies, and any differences were resolved by discussion. Summarized relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs were summarized via inverse variance weighted random-effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed with the statistic. Ten studies with 1,522 BC patients among 81,902 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Compared to the participants with the lowest BMD at the lumbar spine, those with the highest BMD had a significantly lower RR for BC (RR =0.75; 95% CI =0.60-0.93; =23.0%). In the subgroup analyses, although the directions of the results were consistent with those of the main findings, not all showed statistical significance. We failed to detect an association between BMD at the femoral neck or total hip and the risk of BC (RR =0.94; 95% CI =0.66-1.33; =72.5%). Furthermore, the results of the dose-response analysis did not show a significant association between BMD at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, or total hip and the risk of BC. Funnel plot and statistical analyses showed no evidence of publication bias. There is no relationship between BMD and the risk of BC. More prospective cohort studies are warranted to further investigate this issue.

Multiplicity fluctuation of the target evaporated fragments emitted in 290 A MeV 12C-AgBr, 400 A MeV 12C-AgBr, 400 A MeV 20Ne-AgBr and 500 A MeV 56Fe-AgBr interactions is investigated using scaled factorial moment method in two-dimensional normal phase space and cumulative variable space, respectively. It is found that in normal phase space the scaled factorial moment (ln) increases linearly with increase of the divided number of phase space (lnM) for lower q-value and increases linearly with the increase of lnM and then becomes saturated or decreased for higher q-value, in cumulative variable space ln decreases linearly with increase of lnM, which indicates that no evidence of non-statistical multiplicity fluctuation is observed in our data sets. So any fluctuation indicated in the results of normal variable space analysis is totally caused by non-uniformity of single-particle density distribution.

Titanium dioxide （TiO2） is a widely used photocatalyst that has been demonstrated for microorganism disinfection in drinking water. In this study, a new material with a novel structure, silver and copper loaded TiO2 nanowire membrane （Cu-Ag-TiO2） was prepared and evaluated for its efficiency to inactivate E. coli and bacteriophage MS2. Enhanced photo-activated bactericidal and virucidal activities were obtained by the Cu-Ag-TiO2 membrane than by the TiO2, Ag-TiO2 and Cu-TiO2 membranes under both dark and UV light illumination. The better performance was attributed to the synergies of enhanced membrane photoacfivity by loading silver and copper on the membrane and the synergistic effect between the free silver and copper ions in water. At the end of a 30 min test of dead- end filtration under 254 nm UV irradiation, the Cu-Ag-TiO2 membrane was able to obtain an E. coli removal of 7.68 log and bacteriophage Ms2 removal of 4.02 log, which have met the US EPA standard. The free metal ions coming offthe membrane have concentrations of less than 10 ppb in the water effluent, far below the US EPA maximum contaminant level for silver and copper ions in drinking water. Therefore, the photo-activated disinfection by the Cu-Ag-Ti02 membrane is a viable technique for meeting drinking water treatment standards of microbiological water purifiers.

A previous phase 2 trial showed promising outcomes for patients with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer using neoadjuvant de-escalation chemotherapy with paclitaxel, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of weekly nab-paclitaxel compared with the standard regimen of docetaxel plus carboplatin, both with trastuzumab and pertuzumab, as neoadjuvant therapies for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. HELEN-006 was a multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial done at six hospitals in China. We enrolled patients aged 18–70 years with untreated, histologically confirmed stage II–III invasive HER2-positive breast cancer and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Using an interactive response system, patients were randomly assigned (1:1) under a permuted block randomisation scheme (block size of four), stratified by tumour stage, nodal status, and hormone receptor status. Patients received either intravenous nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15) for six 3-week cycles, or intravenous docetaxel (75 mg/m2 on day 1) plus intravenous carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve 6 mg/mL per min on day 1) for six 3-week cycles. Both groups also received concurrent intravenous trastuzumab, with an initial loading dose of 8 mg/kg and a maintenance dose of 6 mg/kg on day 1, as well as intravenous pertuzumab with a loading dose of 840 mg and a maintenance dose of 420 mg on day 1. This report is the final analysis of the primary endpoint, pathological complete response (ypT0/is ypN0), analysed in all patients who started treatment (modified intention to treat). The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04547907, and follow-up of the adjuvant phase is ongoing. Between Sept 20, 2020, and March 1, 2023, 789 patients were screened for eligibility, 689 of whom were randomly assigned (343 to the nab-paclitaxel group and 346 to the docetaxel plus carboplatin group). All 689 patients were Asian women. 669 patients received at least one dose of the study treatment and were included in the full analysis set (332 in the nab-paclitaxel group and 337 in the docetaxel plus carboplatin group). Median age of the patients was 50 years (IQR 43–55). Median follow-up time was 26 months (IQR 19–32). 220 (66·3% [95% CI 61·2–71·4]) patients in the nab-paclitaxel group had a pathological complete response, compared with 194 (57·6% [52·3–62·9]) in the docetaxel plus carboplatin group (combined odds ratio 1·54 [95% CI 1·10–2·14]; stratified p=0·011). 100 (30%) patients in the nab-paclitaxel group and 128 (38%) in the docetaxel plus carboplatin group had grade 3–4 adverse events. The most common grade 3–4 adverse events were nausea (22 [7%] in the nab-paclitaxel group vs 76 [23%] in the docetaxel plus carboplatin group), diarrhoea (25 [8%] vs 55 [16%]), and neuropathy (43 [13%] vs eight [2%]). Serious drug-related adverse events were reported in three (1%) patients in the nab-paclitaxel group and five (2%) in the docetaxel plus carboplatin group. No treatment-related deaths were reported in either group. These findings might suggest a potential advantage of nab-paclitaxel combined with trastuzumab and pertuzumab compared with the standard regimen in neoadjuvant therapy for patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer, suggesting that this new combination might establish a new standard for neoadjuvant treatment in this patient population. National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Science and Technology Research Projects of Henan Province, China. For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Background The neural cells in the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PWP) display aberrant synchronized oscillatory activity within the beta frequency range. Additionally, enhanced gamma oscillations may serve as a compensatory mechanism for motor inhibition mediated by beta activity and also reinstate plasticity in the primary motor cortex affected by Parkinson’s disease. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can synchronize endogenous oscillations with exogenous rhythms, thereby modulating cortical activity. The objective of this study is to investigate whether the addition of tACS to multidisciplinary intensive rehabilitation treatment (MIRT) can improve symptoms of PWP so as to enhance the quality of life in individuals with Parkinson’s disease based on the central-peripheral-central theory. Methods The present study was a randomized, double-blind trial that enrolled 60 individuals with Parkinson’s disease aged between 45 and 70 years, who had Hoehn-Yahr scale scores ranging from 1 to 3. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the tACS + MIRT group or the sham-tACS + MIRT group. The trial consisted of a two-week double-blind treatment period followed by a 24-week follow-up period, resulting in a total duration of twenty-six weeks. The primary outcome measured the change in PDQ-39 scores from baseline (T0) to 4 weeks (T2), 12 weeks (T3), and 24 weeks (T4) after completion of the intervention. The secondary outcome assessed changes in MDS-UPDRS III scores at T0, the end of intervention (T1), T2, T3, and T4. Additional clinical assessments and mechanistic studies were conducted as tertiary outcomes. Discussion The objective of this study is to demonstrate that tACS can enhance overall functionality and improve quality of life in PWP, based on the framework of MIRT. Additionally, it seeks to establish a potential correlation between these therapeutic effects and neuroplasticity alterations in relevant brain regions. The efficacy of tACS will be assessed during the follow-up period in order to optimize neuroplasticity and enhance its potential impact on rehabilitation efficiency for PWP. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2300071969. Registered on 30 May 2023.

We compared the analgesic effects of erector spinae plane block versus quadratus lumborum block following laparoscopic nephrectomy. A randomized controlled trial. A tertiary hospital in Beijing, China. Patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic nephrectomy. A total of 110 patients were enrolled and randomized to receive either erector spinae plane block (n = 55) or quadratus lumborum block (n = 55) under ultrasound guidance. Patient-controlled sufentanil analgesia was provided after surgery. Our primary outcome was cumulative opioid consumption within 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain intensity, subjective sleep quality, and quality of recovery. All 110 patients (mean 53 years, 57.3% female) were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Cumulative sufentanil equivalent within 24 h was lower in patients given erector spinae plane block (median 13 μg, interquartile range 4 to 33) than in those given quadratus lumborum block (median 25 μg, interquartile range 13 to 39; median difference − 8 μg, 95% CI -15 to 0, P = 0.041). Pain intensity (0–10 range where 0 = no pain and 10 = the worst pain) at 2, 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery was lower with erector spinae plane block (at rest: median differences −1 point, all P ≤ 0.009; with movement: median differences −2 to −1 points, all P < 0.001). Subjective sleep quality on the night of surgery (the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire: 0–100 range, higher score better; median difference 12, 95% CI 2 to 23, P = 0.018) and quality of recovery at 24 h (the Quality of Recovery-15: 0–150 range, higher score better; median difference 8, 95% CI 2 to 15, P = 0.012) were better with erector spinae plane block. No procedure-related adverse events occurred. Compared with quadratus lumborum block, erector spinae plane block provided better analgesia as manifested by lower opioid consumption and pain intensity for up to 24 h after laparoscopic nephrectomy. •Quadratus lumborum block and erector spinae plane block are effective in improving analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy.•We compared the analgesic effects of quadratus lumborum block versus erector spinae plane block in this patient population.•We found that erector spinae plane block provided better analgesia than quadratus lumborum block for up to 24 h after laparoscopic nephrectomy.