Tailoring Intermolecular Interactions Towards High‐Performance Thermoelectric Ionogels at Low Humidity

Development of ionic thermoelectric (iTE) materials is of immense interest for efficient heat-to-electricity conversion due to their giant ionic Seebeck coefficient (Si), but challenges remain in terms of relatively small Si at low humidity, poor stretchability, and ambiguous interaction mechanism in ionogels. Herein, a novel ionogel is reported consisting of polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide (P123), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (Emim:OAC). By delicately designing the interactions between ions and polymers, the migration of anions is restricted due to their strong binding with the hydroxyl groups of polymers, while the transport of cations is facilitated through segmental motions due to the increased amorphous regions, thereby leading to enlarged diffusion difference between the cations and anions. Moreover, the plasticizing effect of P123 and Emim:OAC can increase the elongation at break. As a consequence, the ionogel exhibits excellent properties including high Si (18 mV K−1 at relative humidity of 60%), good ionic conductivity (1.1 mS cm−1), superior stretchability (787%), and high stability (over 80% retention after 600 h). These findings show a promising strategy to obtain multifunctional iTE materials by engineering the intermolecular interactions and demonstrate the great potential of ionogels for harvesting low-grade heat in human-comfortable humidity environments

Unreliable quantitation of species abundance based on high-throughput sequencing data of zooplankton communities

High-throughput sequencing (HTS) is rapidly becoming a popular and robust tool to characterize biodiversity of complex communities, especially for those dominated by microscopic species such as zooplankton. The popular use of HTS-based methods has prompted a possible method of inferring relative species abundance from sequencing data. However, these methods remain largely untested in many communities as to whether sequence data can reliably quantify relative species abundance. Here we tested the relationship between species abundance and sequence abundance in zooplankton using 2 methods: (1) spiking known amounts of indicator species into existing zooplankton communities, and (2) comparing results obtained from parallel replicates for the same natural zooplankton communities. Although we detected a general trend that low-abundance species usually corresponded to low-abundance sequence reads, further statistical analyses revealed that sequencing data could not reliably quantify relative species abundance, even for the same indicator species spiked into different zooplankton communities. The distribution of sequence reads statistically varied even between parallel replicates of the same natural zooplankton communities. Our study reveals that sequence abundance may generally qualitatively reflect species abundance as the general trend between these 2 variables exists; however, extra caution is required when using HTS-based approaches to make quantitative inferences regarding zooplankton communities

Actively implementing an evidence-based feeding guideline for critically ill patients (NEED): a multicenter, cluster-randomized, controlled trial

Background: Previous cluster-randomized controlled trials evaluating the impact of implementing evidence-based guidelines for nutrition therapy in critical illness do not consistently demonstrate patient benefits. A large-scale, sufficiently powered study is therefore warranted to ascertain the effects of guideline implementation on patient-centered outcomes. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, cluster-randomized, parallel-controlled trial in intensive care units (ICUs) across China. We developed an evidence-based feeding guideline. ICUs randomly allocated to the guideline group formed a local "intervention team", which actively implemented the guideline using standardized educational materials, a graphical feeding protocol, and live online education outreach meetings conducted by members of the study management committee. ICUs assigned to the control group remained unaware of the guideline content. All ICUs enrolled patients who were expected to stay in the ICU longer than seven days. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality within 28 days of enrollment. Results: Forty-eight ICUs were randomized to the guideline group and 49 to the control group. From March 2018 to July 2019, the guideline ICUs enrolled 1399 patients, and the control ICUs enrolled 1373 patients. Implementation of the guideline resulted in significantly earlier EN initiation (1.20 vs. 1.55 mean days to initiation of EN; difference − 0.40 [95% CI − 0.71 to − 0.09]; P = 0.01) and delayed PN initiation (1.29 vs. 0.80 mean days to start of PN; difference 1.06 [95% CI 0.44 to 1.67]; P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in 28-day mortality (14.2% vs. 15.2%; difference − 1.6% [95% CI − 4.3% to 1.2%]; P = 0.42) between groups. Conclusions: In this large-scale, multicenter trial, active implementation of an evidence-based feeding guideline reduced the time to commencement of EN and overall PN use but did not translate to a reduction in mortality from critical illness. Trial registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN12233792. Registered November 20th, 2017

Actively implementing an evidence-based feeding guideline for critically ill patients (NEED): a multicenter, cluster-randomized, controlled trial.

BackgroundPrevious cluster-randomized controlled trials evaluating the impact of implementing evidence-based guidelines for nutrition therapy in critical illness do not consistently demonstrate patient benefits. A large-scale, sufficiently powered study is therefore warranted to ascertain the effects of guideline implementation on patient-centered outcomes.MethodsWe conducted a multicenter, cluster-randomized, parallel-controlled trial in intensive care units (ICUs) across China. We developed an evidence-based feeding guideline. ICUs randomly allocated to the guideline group formed a local "intervention team", which actively implemented the guideline using standardized educational materials, a graphical feeding protocol, and live online education outreach meetings conducted by members of the study management committee. ICUs assigned to the control group remained unaware of the guideline content. All ICUs enrolled patients who were expected to stay in the ICU longer than seven days. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality within 28 days of enrollment.ResultsForty-eight ICUs were randomized to the guideline group and 49 to the control group. From March 2018 to July 2019, the guideline ICUs enrolled 1399 patients, and the control ICUs enrolled 1373 patients. Implementation of the guideline resulted in significantly earlier EN initiation (1.20 vs. 1.55 mean days to initiation of EN; difference - 0.40 [95% CI - 0.71 to - 0.09]; P = 0.01) and delayed PN initiation (1.29 vs. 0.80 mean days to start of PN; difference 1.06 [95% CI 0.44 to 1.67]; P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in 28-day mortality (14.2% vs. 15.2%; difference - 1.6% [95% CI - 4.3% to 1.2%]; P = 0.42) between groups.ConclusionsIn this large-scale, multicenter trial, active implementation of an evidence-based feeding guideline reduced the time to commencement of EN and overall PN use but did not translate to a reduction in mortality from critical illness.Trial registrationISRCTN, ISRCTN12233792 . Registered November 20th, 2017

Actively implementing an evidence-based feeding guideline for critically ill patients (NEED): a multicenter, cluster-randomized, controlled trial (vol 26, 46, 2022)

BackgroundPrevious cluster-randomized controlled trials evaluating the impact of implementing evidence-based guidelines for nutrition therapy in critical illness do not consistently demonstrate patient benefits. A large-scale, sufficiently powered study is therefore warranted to ascertain the effects of guideline implementation on patient-centered outcomes.MethodsWe conducted a multicenter, cluster-randomized, parallel-controlled trial in intensive care units (ICUs) across China. We developed an evidence-based feeding guideline. ICUs randomly allocated to the guideline group formed a local "intervention team", which actively implemented the guideline using standardized educational materials, a graphical feeding protocol, and live online education outreach meetings conducted by members of the study management committee. ICUs assigned to the control group remained unaware of the guideline content. All ICUs enrolled patients who were expected to stay in the ICU longer than seven days. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality within 28 days of enrollment.ResultsForty-eight ICUs were randomized to the guideline group and 49 to the control group. From March 2018 to July 2019, the guideline ICUs enrolled 1399 patients, and the control ICUs enrolled 1373 patients. Implementation of the guideline resulted in significantly earlier EN initiation (1.20 vs. 1.55 mean days to initiation of EN; difference - 0.40 [95% CI - 0.71 to - 0.09]; P = 0.01) and delayed PN initiation (1.29 vs. 0.80 mean days to start of PN; difference 1.06 [95% CI 0.44 to 1.67]; P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in 28-day mortality (14.2% vs. 15.2%; difference - 1.6% [95% CI - 4.3% to 1.2%]; P = 0.42) between groups.ConclusionsIn this large-scale, multicenter trial, active implementation of an evidence-based feeding guideline reduced the time to commencement of EN and overall PN use but did not translate to a reduction in mortality from critical illness.Trial registrationISRCTN, ISRCTN12233792 . Registered November 20th, 2017

Spatial variability of stable isotopes in river water over the Tibetan Plateau

<p>Stable isotopes dataset for the manuscript "Spatial variability of stable isotopes in river water over the Tibetan Plateau". </p> <p>This dataset includes 437 new available isotopic data of river water firstly sampled from May 2013 to July 2016 covering eight great river basins over the TP, including the Upper Ganges, Upper Brahmaputra, Upper Mekong, Upper Salween, Upper Indus, Upper Yangtze, Upper Yellow, and the Endorheic Rivers. River water isotopic date from twelve previous studies are also complied, including 1178 samples with both δ<sup>18</sup>O and δD values, 231 with only δ<sup>18</sup>O values and 6 with only δD values. All data used in this study are accompanied by geographical information.</p&gt

Effect of ECAP on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Zn-0.5Ag-0.08Mg alloy

Zn–Ag alloys are recently regarded as highly promising biodegradable materials for medical applications, but they suffer from inferior mechanical properties. In this work, a Zn-0.5Ag-0.08Mg (wt.%) alloy with high strength and ductility was obtained by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). Zn-0.5Ag-0.08Mg samples were ECAP processed for six different passes (1P, 2P, 3P, 4P, 8P, and 12P) to investigate the effect of ECAP on the microstructure and mechanical properties. Samples processed for 3P, 4P, 8P, and 12P exhibit mechanical properties satisfying the application requirements. The sample processed for 4P possesses the largest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 388.1 MPa, accompanied by an excellent elongation (EL) of 45.3%. The sample processed for 12P shows the best EL of 58.3%, along with a high UTS of 332.5 MPa. The high strength is attributed to grain boundary strengthening and dislocation strengthening. The high ductility is closely related to relatively weak texture, grain refinement, and twin boundary suppression

Slurry Erosion Behavior of AlxCoCrFeNiTi0.5 High-Entropy Alloy Coatings Fabricated by Laser Cladding

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have gained extensive attention due to their excellent properties and the related scientific value in the last decade. In this work, AlxCoCrFeNiTi0.5 HEA coatings (x: molar ratio, x = 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5) were fabricated on Q345 steel substrate by laser-cladding process to develop a practical protection technology for fluid machines. The effect of Al content on their phase evolution, microstructure, and slurry erosion performance of the HEA coatings was studied. The AlxCoCrFeNiTi0.5 HEA coatings are composed of simple face-centered cubic (FCC), body-centered cubic (BCC) and their mixture phase. Slurry erosion tests were conducted on the HEA coatings with a constant velocity of 10.08 m/s and 16–40 meshs and particles at impingement angles of 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 degrees. The effect of three parameters, namely impingement angle, sand concentration and erosion time, on the slurry erosion behavior of AlxCoCrFeNiTi0.5 HEA coatings was investigated. Experimental results show AlCoCrFeNiTi0.5 HEA coating follows a ductile erosion mode and a mixed mode (neither ductile nor brittle) for Al1.5CoCrFeNiTi0.5 HEA coating, while Al2.0CoCrFeNiTi0.5 and Al2.5CoCrFeNiTi0.5 HEA coatings mainly exhibit brittle erosion mode. AlCoCrFeNiTi0.5 HEA coating has good erosion resistance at all investigated impingement angles due to its high hardness, good plasticity, and low stacking fault energy (SFE)

Simulation and Optimization of Supply and Demand Pattern of Multiobjective Ecosystem Services—A Case Study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

Assessing and predicting the impact of land use/cover changes on ecosystem service supply and demand are crucial to formulating effective sustainable land use policies. In this study, we use the ecosystem service (ES) score matrix, ES supply rate, and ES supply/demand ratio to analyze the supply/demand pattern of ecosystem services based on land use/cover changes in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from 1990 to 2020. The Conversion of Land Use and Its Effects-Simulation (CLUE-S) model is used to simulate the spatiotemporal patterns of land use change in three scenarios of natural development, ecological priority development, and economic priority development and to predict and simulate the evolution of the ES supply and demand patterns in these different scenarios from 2030 to 2050. It was found that the main land use types are farmland and woodland in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, accounting for more than 67% from 1990 to 2020, the proportion of farmland decreased from 51.79% to 46.11%, and the proportion of woodland increased from 20.99% to 21.34%; the land use transformation was mainly from farmland to construction land from 1990 to 2020. The supply of ES in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was at a high level, the supply rate of ES increased from 0.78 to 0.81, the supply/demand ratio of ES decreased from 0.33 to 0.16 from 1990 to 2020, and the supply and demand of ES in the northern and western parts of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region were in surplus. In the natural development scenario, the ES in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region would remain in a high supply state from 2030 to 2050, but the pressure would be greater than before. The deficit, centered on urban construction, would widen, and the ecological situation would deteriorate. In the ecological priority development scenario, the pressure on the ES would be relieved, and the rate of deficit expansion would be reduced. In the economic development priority scenario, the pressure on the ES would increase sharply, and the deficit area would expand rapidly

Simulation and Optimization of Supply and Demand Pattern of Multiobjective Ecosystem Services—A Case Study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

Assessing and predicting the impact of land use/cover changes on ecosystem service supply and demand are crucial to formulating effective sustainable land use policies. In this study, we use the ecosystem service (ES) score matrix, ES supply rate, and ES supply/demand ratio to analyze the supply/demand pattern of ecosystem services based on land use/cover changes in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from 1990 to 2020. The Conversion of Land Use and Its Effects-Simulation (CLUE-S) model is used to simulate the spatiotemporal patterns of land use change in three scenarios of natural development, ecological priority development, and economic priority development and to predict and simulate the evolution of the ES supply and demand patterns in these different scenarios from 2030 to 2050. It was found that the main land use types are farmland and woodland in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, accounting for more than 67% from 1990 to 2020, the proportion of farmland decreased from 51.79% to 46.11%, and the proportion of woodland increased from 20.99% to 21.34%; the land use transformation was mainly from farmland to construction land from 1990 to 2020. The supply of ES in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was at a high level, the supply rate of ES increased from 0.78 to 0.81, the supply/demand ratio of ES decreased from 0.33 to 0.16 from 1990 to 2020, and the supply and demand of ES in the northern and western parts of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region were in surplus. In the natural development scenario, the ES in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region would remain in a high supply state from 2030 to 2050, but the pressure would be greater than before. The deficit, centered on urban construction, would widen, and the ecological situation would deteriorate. In the ecological priority development scenario, the pressure on the ES would be relieved, and the rate of deficit expansion would be reduced. In the economic development priority scenario, the pressure on the ES would increase sharply, and the deficit area would expand rapidly