Who stands on the shoulders of Chinese (scientific) giants? Evidence from chemistry

In recent decades, Chinese researchers have become preeminent contributors to the scientific enterprise, as reflected by the number of publications originating from Chinese research institutions. China's rise in science has the potential to push forward the global frontier, but mere production of knowledge does not guarantee that others are able to build on it. In this manuscript, we study how fertile Chinese research is, as measured by citations. Using publication and citation data for elite Chemistry researchers, we show that Chinese authored articles receive only half the citations from the US compared to articles from other countries. We show that even after carefully controlling for the "quality" of Chinese research, Chinese PIs' articles receive 28% fewer citations from US researchers. Our results imply that US researchers do not build as readily on the work of Chinese researchers, relative to the work of other foreign scientists, even in a setting where Chinese scientists have long excelled

Electrochemistry-Triggered Microscopic Wrinkle Patterns That Improve the Sensitivity of Hydrogel Sensors

To improve the signal-to-noise ratio of strain sensors, a critical factor involves improving the change ratio of resistance in response to an external force. Traditional methods such as templating, prestretching, or asymmetric swelling can construct wrinkles on hydrogel but do not alter its conductive characteristics and improve the change ratio of resistance. Herein, we report an electrochemical protocol that can trigger homogeneous hydrogel to form the gradient distribution of mechanical strength and induce microscopic wrinkle patterns at the surface of hydrogel. The electrode reactions produce metal ions (Fe3+) inside the hydrogel, in which the electric field-driven ion migration results in the gradient distribution of Fe3+ ions, the closer to the wrinkle patterning surface of hydrogel, the higher content of Fe3+ ions. Large amounts of Fe3+ ions concentrate at the wrinkle surface, which improves the conductive characteristics of hydrogel. Therefore, upon compression at the wrinkle surface, the hydrogel sensor shows the higher change ratio of resistance. We demonstrate this feature by testing the weak vibration such as motion of soft brush and rolling of glass rods at the wrinkle surface of hydrogel, which shows the wrinkle patterns can improve the signal intensity of hydrogel sensor by two times. These results highlight the potential of our method for the construction of microscopic wrinkle structures to improve the sensitivity of hydrogel sensors

Electrochemistry-Triggered Microscopic Wrinkle Patterns That Improve the Sensitivity of Hydrogel Sensors

To improve the signal-to-noise ratio of strain sensors, a critical factor involves improving the change ratio of resistance in response to an external force. Traditional methods such as templating, prestretching, or asymmetric swelling can construct wrinkles on hydrogel but do not alter its conductive characteristics and improve the change ratio of resistance. Herein, we report an electrochemical protocol that can trigger homogeneous hydrogel to form the gradient distribution of mechanical strength and induce microscopic wrinkle patterns at the surface of hydrogel. The electrode reactions produce metal ions (Fe3+) inside the hydrogel, in which the electric field-driven ion migration results in the gradient distribution of Fe3+ ions, the closer to the wrinkle patterning surface of hydrogel, the higher content of Fe3+ ions. Large amounts of Fe3+ ions concentrate at the wrinkle surface, which improves the conductive characteristics of hydrogel. Therefore, upon compression at the wrinkle surface, the hydrogel sensor shows the higher change ratio of resistance. We demonstrate this feature by testing the weak vibration such as motion of soft brush and rolling of glass rods at the wrinkle surface of hydrogel, which shows the wrinkle patterns can improve the signal intensity of hydrogel sensor by two times. These results highlight the potential of our method for the construction of microscopic wrinkle structures to improve the sensitivity of hydrogel sensors

Electrochemistry-Triggered Microscopic Wrinkle Patterns That Improve the Sensitivity of Hydrogel Sensors

To improve the signal-to-noise ratio of strain sensors, a critical factor involves improving the change ratio of resistance in response to an external force. Traditional methods such as templating, prestretching, or asymmetric swelling can construct wrinkles on hydrogel but do not alter its conductive characteristics and improve the change ratio of resistance. Herein, we report an electrochemical protocol that can trigger homogeneous hydrogel to form the gradient distribution of mechanical strength and induce microscopic wrinkle patterns at the surface of hydrogel. The electrode reactions produce metal ions (Fe3+) inside the hydrogel, in which the electric field-driven ion migration results in the gradient distribution of Fe3+ ions, the closer to the wrinkle patterning surface of hydrogel, the higher content of Fe3+ ions. Large amounts of Fe3+ ions concentrate at the wrinkle surface, which improves the conductive characteristics of hydrogel. Therefore, upon compression at the wrinkle surface, the hydrogel sensor shows the higher change ratio of resistance. We demonstrate this feature by testing the weak vibration such as motion of soft brush and rolling of glass rods at the wrinkle surface of hydrogel, which shows the wrinkle patterns can improve the signal intensity of hydrogel sensor by two times. These results highlight the potential of our method for the construction of microscopic wrinkle structures to improve the sensitivity of hydrogel sensors

Secrecy Control of Wireless Networks with Finite Encoding Blocklength

We consider wireless multi-hop networks in which each node aims to securely transmit a message. To guarantee the secure transmission, we employ an independent randomization encoding strategy to encode the confidential message. We aim to maximize the network utility. Based on the finite length of a secrecy codewords strategy, we develop an improved control algorithm, subject to network stability and secrecy outage requirements. On the basis of the Lyapunov optimization method, we design an control algorithm, which is decomposed into end-to-end secrecy encoding, flow control and routing scheduling. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve a utility result that is arbitrarily close to the optimal value. Finally, the performance of the proposed control policy is validated with various network conditions

Genetic polymorphisms of pri-let-7f, gene–environment and gene–gene interactions, and associations with ischemic stroke risk in Liaoning Province

Objective The incidence of stroke has been rising annually and investigations into traditional risk factors have led to increased attention on genetic factors. In this study, we focused on the pri-let-7f gene, and investigated the association between pri-let-7f gene polymorphisms and ischemic stroke (IS). Methods This case–control study included 1803 patients and 1456 healthy controls of Han ethnicity living in Liaoning Province. We carried out genotyping analysis of two loci, pri-let-7f-1 rs10739971 and pri-let-7f-2 rs17276588, and performed statistical analysis controlling for confounding factors by logistic regression. Results The A alleles and AA genotypes of both loci were significantly associated with an increased risk of IS. Variant genotypes of rs17276588 may also increase the risk of IS in females with alcohol intake. Gene–gene interaction analysis showed combined effects of mutations in both these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Conclusions This study demonstrated an association between pri-let-7f SNPs and IS, providing potential latent biomarkers for the risk of IS. However, more detailed studies are needed to clarify these results