Large single crystals serve as an ideal platform for investigating intrinsic material properties and optoelectronic applications. Here we develop a method, namely, room-temperature liquid diffused separation induced crystallization that uses silicone oil to separate the solvent from the perovskite precursors, to grow high-quality perovskite single crystals. The growth kinetics of perovskite single crystals using this method is elucidated, and their structural and optoelectronic properties are carefully characterized. The resultant perovskite single crystals, taking CH3NH3PbBr3 as an example, exhibit approximately 1 µs lifetime, a low trap density of 4.4 × 109 cm−3, and high yield of 92%, which are appealing for visible light or X-ray detection. We hope our findings will be of great significance for the continued advancement of high-quality perovskite single crystals, through a better understanding of growth mechanisms and their deployment in various optoelectronics. The diffused separation induced crystallization strategy presents a major step forward for advancing the field on perovskite single crystals.

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Magnetic skyrmions as swirling spin textures with a nontrivial topology have potential applications as magnetic memory and storage devices. Since the initial discovery of skyrmions in non-centrosymmetric B20 materials, the recent effort has focused on exploring room-temperature skyrmions in heavy metal and ferromagnetic heterostructures, a material platform compatible with existing spintronic manufacturing technology. Here, we report the surprising observation that a room-temperature skyrmion phase can be stabilized in an entirely different class of systems based on antiferromagnetic (AFM) metal and ferromagnetic (FM) metal IrMn/CoFeB heterostructures. There are a number of distinct advantages of exploring skyrmions in such heterostructures including zero-field stabilization, tunable antiferromagnetic order, and sizable spin-orbit torque (SOT) for energy-efficient current manipulation. Through direct spatial imaging of individual skyrmions, quantitative evaluation of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, and demonstration of current-driven skyrmion motion, our findings firmly establish the AFM/FM heterostructures as a promising material platform for exploring skyrmion physics and device applications.

Extrapancreatic nerves project to pancreatic islets directly or converge onto intrapancreatic ganglia. Intrapancreatic ganglia constitute a complex information-processing center that contains various neurotransmitters and forms an endogenous neural network. Both intrapancreatic ganglia and extrapancreatic nerves have an important influence on pancreatic endocrine function. This review introduces the histomorphology, innervation, neurochemistry, and electrophysiological properties of intrapancreatic ganglia/neurons, and summarizes the modulatory effects of intrapancreatic ganglia and extrapancreatic nerves on endocrine function.

Tight junctions (TJs) play an important role in maintaining cell polarity and regulating cell permeability. In recent years, many studies have shown that TJ proteins, especially claudin-7, are closely related to inflammation and the development of various malignant tumors. Claudin-7 plays a significant role in maintaining the physiological functions and pathological conditions of the TJ barrier. The dysregulation of claudin-7 plays a tumor suppressor role or conversely has carcinogenic effects in different target tissues or cells, but the exact underlying mechanism is still unclear. In this review, we will summarize the expression pattern of claudin-7 in tumors, focusing on the expression and regulation of claudin-7 in colorectal cancer and discussing the correlation between claudin-7 and invasion, metastasis and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in colorectal cancer. The construction of Cldn7−/− mice and conventional claudin-7 knockout mouse models has helped determine the mechanisms by which claudin-7 promotes tumorigenesis. Elucidation of the expression and subcellular localization of claudin-7 under pathological conditions will help develop claudin-7 as a useful biomarker for detecting and diagnosing cancer, and thus may help combat the occurrence, development, and invasion of cancers.

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Ceramic aerogels, which present a unique combination of low thermal conductivity and excellent high-temperature stability, are attractive for thermal insulation under extreme conditions. However, most ceramic aerogels are constructed by oxide ceramic nanoparticles and thus are usually plagued by their brittleness and structural collapse at elevated temperatures (less than 1000 °C). Despite great progress achieved in this regard recently, it still remains a big challenge to design and fabricate intriguing ceramic aerogels with enhanced mechanical strength and remarkable thermal stability at ultrahigh temperature up to 1400 °C. To this end, we herein report a facile and scalable strategy to manufacture ceramic nanorod aerogels (CNRAs) with hierarchically macroporous and mesoporous structures by the controllable assembly of Al2O3 nanorods and SiO2 nanoparticles. Subsequently, the high-temperature annealing treatment of CNRAs significantly maximizes mechanical strength and promotes thermal tolerance. The obtained CNRAs demonstrate the integrated properties of super-strong heat resistance (up to 1400 °C), low thermal conductivity (0.026 W/m·K at 25 °C and 0.089 W/m·K at 1200 °C), high mechanical robustness (compressive strength 1.5 MPa), and low density (0.146 g/cm3). We envision that this novel nanorod-assembled ceramic aerogels offer considerable advantages than most of the state-of-the-art ceramic aerogels for thermal superinsulation upon exposure to extremely harsh environments.

The objective of this study was to manufacture and investigate a novel microfibrillar-reinforced material based on fibrillized blends of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and TiO 2 nanoparticles (300 nm and 15 nm in size). The uncompatibilized and compatibilized blends (polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride as compatibilizer) were extruded and subsequently cold-drawn into strands with a draw ratio of 10. The effects of compatibilizer and TiO 2 particles on the structure and properties of drawn strands were investigated. Upon addition of compatibilizer, the preferential location of TiO 2 particles shifted from the PET-dispersed phase to the PP matrix, which brought about different structures of the drawn strands. Differential scanning calorimetry study provided indications for a heterogeneous nucleation effect of the PET fibrils on the PP matrix and of the TiO 2 particles on the PET fibrils. Dynamic mechanical analysis demonstrated that the mechanical properties of the drawn strands are strongly dependent on the strand structures.