The utilization of carbon dioxide (CO2) has garnered significant attention as a strategy to mitigate anthropogenic emissions. Within this field, the conversion processes of CO2 through photocatalytic systems have emerged as a particularly noteworthy area of research. This approach leverages solar energy for the reaction and is considered a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional thermally driven catalytic systems. This article aims to summarize recent advancements in several key photo-conversion pathways, including the synthesis of methane, methanol, C2 hydrocarbons, dimethyl carbonate, and glycerol carbonate. Additionally, potential configurations for the development of processes aimed at producing various chemicals will be proposed. Current insights indicate that the photocatalytic conversion of CO2 could be effectively integrated with chemical absorption methods, provided that appropriate separation and process intensification strategies are developed. From an economic perspective, the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 minimizes the reliance on green hydrogen as a hydrogen source, thereby significantly improving overall economic viability. Environmentally, it is essential to enhance the reaction conversion and product selectivity of the photocatalytic conversion processes to maximize their decarbonization potential. Overall, this paper is particularly suited for readers who are new to this field and are interested in transitioning from experimental work to process development.

In this paper, a capsule endoscopy system with a sensing function is proposed for medical devices. A single-arm spiral antenna is designed for data transmission and is combined with the voltage controlled oscillator to achieve sensing capabilities. The designed antenna operates at a 900 MHz industrial scientific medical band. By establishing a three-layer cylindrical model of the stomach, it was concluded that the antenna in the stomach has a high peak gain of −1.1 dBi. Additionally, the antenna achieved a −10 dB impedance bandwidth of 5%. The capsule endoscopy was experimentally measured in both actual stomach and simulated environments. The maximum working distance of the capsule endoscope was measured to be 6.8 m. Additionally, the proposed capsule endoscope was tested for its sensing function using solutions with different dielectric constants. Finally, it was confirmed through link analysis that it has good communication capabilities. The results and analysis confirm that the proposed capsule endoscope can be used for examining gastric diseases.

The southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) records the assembly process between several micro-continental blocks and the North China Craton (NCC), with the consumption of the Paleo-Asian Ocean (PAO), but whether the S-wards subduction of the PAO beneath the northern NCC was ongoing during Carboniferous–Permian time is still being debated. A key issue to resolve this controversy is whether the Carboniferous magmatism in the northern NCC was continental arc magmatism. The Alxa Block is the western segment of the northern NCC and contiguous to the southeastern CAOB, and their Carboniferous–Permian magmatism could have occurred in similar tectonic settings. In this contribution, new zircon U–Pb ages, elemental geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotopic analyses are presented for three early Carboniferous granitic plutons in the southwestern Alxa Block. Two newly identified aluminous A-type granites, an alkali-feldspar granite (331.6 ± 1.6 Ma) and a monzogranite (331.8 ± 1.7 Ma), exhibit juvenile and radiogenic Sr–Nd isotopic features, respectively. Although a granodiorite (326.2 ± 6.6 Ma) is characterized by high Sr/Y ratios (97.4–139.9), which is generally treated as an adikitic feature, this sample has highly radiogenic Sr–Nd isotopes and displays significantly higher K2O/Na2O ratios than typical adakites. These three granites were probably derived from the partial melting of Precambrian continental crustal sources heated by upwelling asthenosphere in lithospheric extensional setting. Regionally, both the Alxa Block and the southeastern CAOB are characterized by the formation of early Carboniferous extension-related magmatic rocks but lack coeval sedimentary deposits, suggesting a uniform lithospheric extensional setting rather than a simple continental arc.

Fullerene dimers have attracted extensive attention due to their unique structures and fascinating properties. Here, fullerene dimer derivatives with four to six carbon atoms in the esters are designed and synthesized. The property differences that caused by the carbon number in the esters of the fullerene dimers are investigated by performing their electrochemical, optical, and photoelectric measurements. As the carbon atom numbers in the esters increase from four to five and six, the absorption intensities increase to 1.6- and 4.4-folds. The intensities of the fluorescence spectra increase to 1.8- and 5.2-folds. Their photocurrent increases to 2- and 7-folds under the irradiation of a 405-nm laser. The LUMO energy levels move downward slightly from −3.89 to −3.90 and −3.92 eV, respectively. Our results indicate that as the carbon number increases, the carbon chain lengths in the ester structures increase, very slight effects produced on the energy levels of the fullerene dimers, but strongly contribute to their chemical activities and thus the photoelectronic efficiencies.

The LiCoO2 films were directly deposited on stainless steel (SS) using medium-frequency magnetron sputtering, and the effects of annealing parameters, such as ambiences, temperatures, holding times, and heating rates, were systematically compared based on surface morphologies, crystal structures, and electrochemical properties. The results demonstrate that an aerobic atmosphere with 3.5 Pa is the most important parameter to maintain the performance of LiCoO2 films. The influence of the annealing temperature (>550 °C) ranks second because the formed (101) or (104) planes of LiCoO2 facilitate Li+ migration. A short holding time of 20 min and a moderate heating rate of 3 °C/min are selected to reduce the oxidation or inter-diffusion between the LiCoO2 films and the SS substrate. Finally, the optimal annealing process is confirmed and corresponds to the initial discharge capacity of 37.56 μA h/(cm2 μm) and the capacity retention of 83.81% at the 50th cycle.

Pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a pine parasitic nematode, poses a serious threat to its host pine forests globally. When dispersal-stage larvae 4 (dauer, DL4) of B. xylophilus enters the new pine, it moults into propagative adult (dauer recovery) and reproduces quickly to kill the host pine. Here, we found pine chemical volatiles, rather than the common dauer recovery factors of nematodes (e.g. suitable temperatures, nutrient availability or density), promote B. xylophilus dauer recovery. The results showed that volatilization of chemicals in host pines could attract DL4 and promote DL4 recovery. To identify which chemicals promote this process, we determined the stimulated activity of the main volatiles of pines including six monoterpenes and two sesquiterpenes. Results showed that all the six monoterpenes promoted dauer recovery, especially β-pinene and β-myrcene, but the two sesquiterpenes have no effect on the transformation. Furthermore, β-pinene performed gradient effects on dauer recovery. We hypothesized that when DL4 infect pine trees, the pine volatiles released from the feeding wounds are used as chemical signals for DL4 transformation to adult to reproduce and rapidly kill the pines. Our study identified the B. xylophilus dauer recovery chemical signal and may contribute to preventing pine wilt disease.

In the new generation of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), dual-frequency constant envelope multiplexing is widely desired and is becoming an important subject in signal design. Considerable work has been devoted to multiplexing for the Alternative Binary Offset Carrier (AltBOC)-like signal model, for which each sideband consists of two or fewer signal components. In this paper, a phase-aligned dual-frequency constant envelope multiplexing technique is proposed for a general dual-frequency signal model. This multiplexing technique can be used to combine two constant-envelope-modulated signals in two sidebands into a composite signal with a constant envelope, where the constant-envelope-modulated signal in each sideband consists of an arbitrary number of signal components with an arbitrary power ratio and phase relationship among the signal components. A Lookup Table (LUT)-based signal generation method is also proposed, for which the required driving clock rate of the signal generator can be flexibly adjusted to meet the requirements of the satellite payload. Applications for the AltBOC-like signal model and a general dual-frequency signal model in the Beidou B1 band validate the flexibility and high multiplexing efficiency of our method. Specifically, AltBOC is a special case of the proposed method.

In this paper, Fe–B amorphous submicrometer particles with a size of 180 nm were synthesized by liquid phase reduction method. The as-synthesized Fe–B amorphous submicrometer particles were annealed at 400, 500, and 600 °C, respectively. The effect of annealing temperature on structure, magnetic properties, and microwave absorption properties of Fe–B submicrometer particles was investigated. Results show that the as-synthesized Fe–B amorphous submicrometer particles were crystallized into Fe2B phase when the annealing temperature was 479 °C. The microwave absorption properties of Fe–B submicrometer particles were dependent on annealing temperature, the paraffin composites containing 60 wt% Fe–B submicrometer particles annealed at 500 °C showed a minimal reflection loss (RL) as low as −43.16 dB at 3.12 GHz with a thickness of 5.1 mm, and the effective microwave absorption (RL < −20 dB) was obtained in a wide frequency range of 2.28–10.48 GHz by adjusting the thickness from 1.8 to 6 mm, indicating excellent electromagnetic absorption properties.

Alternative Binary Offset Carrier (AltBOC) modulation signal has the constraint of an equal power allocation scheme. Thus, it is not flexible enough to meet different requirements. To solve this problem, we propose a General AltBOC (GAltBOC) modulation. The proposed technique can achieve the same function as AltBOC. Meanwhile, its power allocation ratio can be adjusted when required. The detailed derivation of the GAltBOC modulation is presented, and three representative cases as well as the signal properties are discussed. To further improve the combination efficiency, we develop the Interlacing GAltBOC (IGAltBOC) modulation based on the GAltBOC modulation. The Power Spectrum Density (PSD) and correlation functions of the proposed signals are verified by simulation. The code tracking error and implementation complexities are analysed and compared with existing methods. Results show the proposed signals indeed enhance the flexibility of power allocation ratio with the same level code tracking accuracy. Compared with AltBOC modulation, the proposed signal can reach a higher combination efficiency at the expense of relatively higher implementation complexity. Compared with Asymmetric Constant Envelope Double-sideband (ACED) modulation, the proposed signals have significantly lower complexity of signal generation, which is helpful in simplifying the signal generation in the payload transmitter.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the anti-parasitic activity of a pure compound from Streptomyces sp. HL-2-14 against fish parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, and elucidate its chemical structure. By electron ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (1H NMR and 13C NMR), the compound was identified as amphotericin B (AmB). The in vitro trials revealed that AmB can effectively kill the theronts and tomonts of I. multifiliis with the median lethal concentration (LC50) of 0·8 mg L−1 at 30 min for the theronts and 4·3 mg L−1 at 2 h for the tomonts, respectively. AmB at 5 mg L−1 significantly reduced I. multifiliis infectivity prevalence and intensity on grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), and consequently decreased fish mortality, from 100% in control group to 30% in treated group. The 72 h acute toxicity (LC50) of AmB on grass carp was 20·6 mg L−1, but fish mortality was occurred when exposure to 13·0 mg L−1. These results indicated that AmB was effective in the therapy of I. multifiliis infection, but the safety concentration margin is relatively narrow. Further efforts aiming to decrease the toxicity and improve the therapeutic profile remain to be needed.

The interferon-inducible transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3), as one of the key genes involved in the interferon pathway, is critical for defending the host against influenza virus, and the rs12252 T>C variant in IFITM3 might be associated with susceptibility to severe influenza. Owing to contradictory and inconclusive results, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the association between rs12252 T>C polymorphism and severe influenza risk. A comprehensive literature search up to 1 August 2014 was conducted in EMBASE, Pubmed, Web of Science, VIP, Wanfang and CNKI databases. Four eligible studies with a total of 445 influenza patients and 3396 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, our results demonstrated a significant association between the IFITM3 rs12252 T>C polymorphism and influenza risk [C vs. T: odds ratio (OR) 1·68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·32–2·13; CC vs. CT+TT: OR 2·38, 95% CI 1·52–3·73; CC+CT vs. TT: OR 1·62, 95% CI 1·18–2·22]. Stratification by ethnicity indicated that the variant C allele was associated with an 88% increased risk of influenza in Asians (C vs. T: OR 1·88, 95% CI 1·34–2·62). Moreover, subjects carrying the variant C allele had an increased risk of developing severe illness upon influenza infection (C vs. T: OR 2·70, 95% CI 1·86–3·94). However, no significant association was observed in patients with mild infection (C vs. T: OR 1·26, 95% CI 0·93–1·71). Our meta-analysis suggests that IFITM3 rs12252 T>C polymorphism is significantly associated with increased risk of severe influenza but not with the chance of initial virus infection.

Background: Patients with the postural instability and gait difficulty (PIGD) subtype of Parkinson disease (PD) are at a higher risk of dysfunction and are less responsive to dopamine replacement therapy. The PIGD subtype was found to largely associate with white matter lesions, but details of the diffusion changes within these lesions have not been fully investigated. Voxel-based analysis for diffusion tensor imaging data is one of the preferred measures to compare diffusion changes in each voxel in any part of the brain. Methods: PD patients with the PIGD (n=12) and non-PIGD subtypes (n=12) were recruited to compare diffusion differences in fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity with voxel-based analysis. Results: Significantly reduced fractional anisotropy in bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus, bilateral anterior corona radiata, and the left genu of the corpus callosum were shown in the PIGD subtype compared with the non-PIGD subtype. Increased radial diffusivity in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus was found in the PIGD subtype with no statistical differences in axial diffusivity found. Conclusions: Our study confirms previous findings that white matter abnormalities were greater in the PIGD subtype than in the non-PIGD subtype. Additionally, our findings suggested: (1) compared with the non-PIGD subtype, loss of white matter integrity was greater in the PIGD subtype; (2) bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus may play a critical role in microstructural white matter abnormalities in the PIGD subtype; and (3) reduced white matter integrity in the PIGD subtype could be mainly attributed to demyelination rather than axonal loss.

In this paper, the mechanisms of material removal in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes are investigated in detail by the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method. The feature-scale behaviours of slurry flow, rough pad, wafer defects, moving solid boundaries, slurry-abrasive interactions, and abrasive collisions are modelled and simulated. Compared with previous work on CMP simulations, our simulations incorporate more realistic physical aspects of the CMP process, especially the effect of abrasive concentration in the slurry flows. The preliminary results on slurry flow in CMP provide microscopic insights on the experimental data of the relation between the removal rate and abrasive concentration and demonstrate that SPH is a suitable method for the research of CMP processes.

We prove that if $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}X$ is a space satisfying the discrete countable chain condition with a rank 3-diagonal then the cardinality of $X$ is at most $\mathfrak{c}$.

We prove that if a space $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}X$ with a rank 2-diagonal either has the countable chain condition or is star countable then the cardinality of $X$ is at most $\mathfrak{c}$.

We mainly prove that, assuming $\mathfrak{b}= \mathfrak{c}$, every regular star-compact space with a strong rank 1-diagonal is metrisable.

Patterned porous films prepared by the breath figure method have received considerable interests because of the potential applications. This paper reports a top–down method to fabricate functional patterned films. Cross-linked polystyrene microspheres were synthesized by a two-stage dispersion polymerization using divinylbenzene (DVB) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as cross-linkers, which provide free vinyl groups on the microspheres surface. The amounts of residual vinyl groups were determined by potentiometric titration. Glucose was then bound to the microspheres via thiol–ene reaction, which was confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and water contact angle measurements. Results indicate that vinyl groups of EGDMA show relatively higher reactivity than that of DVB. Microspheres with glucose were assembled into the pores of honeycomb films prepared by the breath figure method, forming functional arrays for recognizing a lectin, Con A. This top–down method is useful in preparing patterned films with various functional moieties, which may act as a platform, such as, for investigating carbohydrate–lectin interactions and for sensing.