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Background: Our study aimed to identify inclisiran-related adverse events(AEs) for primary hypercholesterolemia and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease(ASCVD) from the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database, analyzing its links to AEs in the overall patient population and sex-specific subgroups to improve medication safety. Methods: We analyzed inclisiran-related AEs signals by using statistical methods like Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR), Proportional Reporting Ratios (PRR), Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN), and Multi-item Gamma-Poisson Shrinker (MGPS). Results: Analyzing 2,400 AE reports with inclisiran as the primary suspected drug in the FAERS database, we identified 70 AE signals over 13 organ systems using the above four methods. Notable findings were strong signals for systemic diseases and various reactions at the site of administration (ROR 1.49, 95% CI 1.41–1.57), and various musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases (ROR 4.07, 95% CI 3.83–4.03) in overall and gender-specific populations. Myalgia, a new ADE signal not in the drug insert, was a top signal by intensity and frequency (ROR 14.76, 95% CI 12.84–16.98). Conclusion: Our study revealed the strongest AE signals associated with inclisiran in both the overall population and gender subgroups, highlighting potential risks in clinical medication use and guiding balanced clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Heart failure (HF) and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are significant global health issues with a complex interrelationship. This study investigates their shared biomarkers and causal relationships using bioinformatics and Mendelian randomization (MR) approaches. Methods: We analysed NAFLD and HF datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The GSE126848 dataset included 57 liver biopsy samples [14 healthy individuals, 12 obese subjects, 15 NAFL patients and 16 non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients]. The GSE24807 dataset comprised 12 NASH samples and 5 healthy controls. The GSE57338 dataset included 313 cardiac muscle samples [177 HF patients (95 ischaemic heart disease patients and 82 idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy patients) and 136 healthy controls]. The GSE84796 dataset consisted of 10 end‐stage HF patients and 7 healthy hearts procured from organ donors. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and constructed a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Functional pathways were elucidated through enrichment analyses using Gene Ontology (GO), the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and GeneMANIA annotation. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data for HF and NAFLD were sourced from genome‐wide association studies (GWAS). The HF dataset included 486 160 samples (14 262 experimental and 471 898 control), and the NAFLD dataset comprised 377 988 samples (4761 experimental and 373 227 control). MR analysis investigates the causal interrelations. Results: Our analysis revealed 4032 DEGs from GSE126848 and 286 DEGs from GSE57338. The top 10 hub genes (CD163, VSIG4, CXCL10, FCER1G, FPR1, C1QB, CCR1, C1orf162, MRC1 and CD38) were significantly enriched in immune response, calcium ion concentration regulation and positive regulation of monocyte chemotaxis. CIBERSORT analysis indicated associations between these hub genes and natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages. Transcription factor (TF) target prediction for CD38, CXCL10 and CCR1 highlighted related TFs. A two‐sample MR analysis confirmed a bidirectional causal relationship between NAFLD and HF. The main method [inverse variance weighted (IVW)] demonstrated a significant positive causal relationship between NAFLD and HF [P = 0.037; odds ratio (OR) = 1.024; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.001 to 1.048]. Similarly, HF was associated with an increase in the risk of NAFLD (P < 0.001; OR = 1.117; 95% CI: 1.053 to 1.185). Conclusions: Our findings reveal novel molecular signatures common to NAFLD and HF and confirm their bidirectional causality, highlighting the potential for targeted therapeutic interventions and prompting further investigation into their intricate relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxide ceramic electrolytes (OCEs) have great potential for solid-state lithium metal (Li0) battery applications because, in theory, their high elastic modulus provides better resistance to Li0 dendrite growth. However, in practice, OCEs can hardly survive critical current densities higher than 1 mA/cm2. Key issues that contribute to the breakdown of OCEs include Li0 penetration promoted by grain boundaries (GBs), uncontrolled side reactions at electrode-OCE interfaces, and, equally importantly, defects evolution (e.g., void growth and crack propagation) that leads to local current concentration and mechanical failure inside and on OCEs. Here, taking advantage of a dynamically crosslinked aprotic polymer with non-covalent –CH3⋯CF3 bonds, we developed a plastic ceramic electrolyte (PCE) by hybridizing the polymer framework with ionically conductive ceramics. Using in-situ synchrotron X-ray technique and Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM), we uncover that the PCE exhibits self-healing/repairing capability through a two-step dynamic defects removal mechanism. This significantly suppresses the generation of hotspots for Li0 penetration and chemomechanical degradations, resulting in durability beyond 2000 hours in Li0-Li0 cells at 1 mA/cm2. Furthermore, by introducing a polyacrylate buffer layer between PCE and Li0-anode, long cycle life >3600 cycles was achieved when paired with a 4.2 V zero-strain cathode, all under near-zero stack pressure. Self-healing is an appealing property for solid-state battery electrolytes to combat Li metal dendrites that pierce through the solid electrolyte. Here, authors report a self-healing electrolyte and observe its self-repairing kinetics in real-time using advanced microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of heart failure (HF). This study was aimed to the potential association between complete blood cell count (CBC)-derived inflammatory biomarkers and HF. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2018 were utilised. We evaluated the associations between HF and five systemic inflammation markers derived from CBC: systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR). Demographic characteristics, physical examinations, and laboratory data were systematically collected for comparative analysis between HF and non-HF individuals. Fitted smoothing curves and threshold effect analysis delineated the relationship. In addition, Spearman correlation and subgroup analyses were further conducted. A total of 26,021 participants were categorised into HF (n = 858) and non-HF (n = 25,163) groups. After adjusting for confounding variables, SIRI, NLR, and MLR had significant positive correlations with the risk of HF. Participants in the highest quarter groups of SIRI, NLR, and MLR showed a increased risk of developing HF compared to those in the lowest quarter group. Furthermore, subgroup and sensitivity analyses indicated that SIRI, NLR, and MLR had a stronger correlation to HF (all p < 0.05). Smoothing curve fitting highlighted a nonlinear relationship between CBC-derived inflammatory biomarkers and HF. Our results illustrated a significant association between elevated levels of SIRI, NLR, and MLR and an increased risk of HF. SIRI, NLR, and MLR could potentially serve as systemic inflammation hazard markers for HF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid polymer electrolytes based on plastic crystals are promising for solid‐state sodium metal (Na0) batteries, yet their practicality has been hindered by the notorious Na0‐electrolyte interface instability issue, the underlying cause of which remains poorly understood. Here, by leveraging a model plasticized polymer electrolyte based on conventional succinonitrile plastic crystals, we uncover its failure origin in Na0 batteries is associated with the formation of a thick and non‐uniform solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and whiskery Na0 nucleation/growth. Furthermore, we design a new additive‐embedded plasticized polymer electrolyte to manipulate the Na0 deposition and SEI formulation. For the first time, we demonstrate that introducing fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive into the succinonitrile‐plasticized polymer electrolyte can effectively protect Na0 against interfacial corrosion by facilitating the growth of dome‐like Na0 with thin, amorphous, and fluorine‐rich SEIs, thus enabling significantly improved performances of Na//Na symmetric cells (1,800 h at 0.5 mA cm−2) and Na//Na3V2(PO4)3 full cells (93.0 % capacity retention after 1,200 cycles at 1 C rate in coin cells and 93.1 % capacity retention after 250 cycles at C/3 in pouch cells at room temperature). Our work provides valuable insights into the interfacial failure of plasticized polymer electrolytes and offers a promising solution to resolving the interfacial instability issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid polymer electrolytes based on plastic crystals are promising for solid‐state sodium metal (Na0) batteries, yet their practicality has been hindered by the notorious Na0‐electrolyte interface instability issue, the underlying cause of which remains poorly understood. Here, by leveraging a model plasticized polymer electrolyte based on conventional succinonitrile plastic crystals, we uncover its failure origin in Na0 batteries is associated with the formation of a thick and non‐uniform solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and whiskery Na0 nucleation/growth. Furthermore, we design a new additive‐embedded plasticized polymer electrolyte to manipulate the Na0 deposition and SEI formulation. For the first time, we demonstrate that introducing fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive into the succinonitrile‐plasticized polymer electrolyte can effectively protect Na0 against interfacial corrosion by facilitating the growth of dome‐like Na0 with thin, amorphous, and fluorine‐rich SEIs, thus enabling significantly improved performances of Na//Na symmetric cells (1,800 h at 0.5 mA cm−2) and Na//Na3V2(PO4)3 full cells (93.0 % capacity retention after 1,200 cycles at 1 C rate in coin cells and 93.1 % capacity retention after 250 cycles at C/3 in pouch cells at room temperature). Our work provides valuable insights into the interfacial failure of plasticized polymer electrolytes and offers a promising solution to resolving the interfacial instability issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $ T:[0,1]\to [0,1] $ be an expanding Markov map with a finite partition. Let $ \mu _\phi $ be the invariant Gibbs measure associated with a Hölder continuous potential $ \phi $. For $ x\in [0,1] $ and $ \kappa>0 $ , we investigate the size of the uniform approximation set $$ \begin{align*}\mathcal U^\kappa(x):=\{y\in[0,1]:\text{ for all } N\gg1, \text{ there exists } n\le N, \text{ such that }|T^nx-y| The critical value of $ \kappa $ such that $ \operatorname {\mathrm {\dim _H}}\mathcal U^\kappa (x)=1 $ for $ \mu _\phi $ -almost every (a.e.) $ x $ is proven to be $ 1/\alpha _{\max } $ , where $ \alpha _{\max }=-\int \phi \,d\mu _{\max }/\int \log |T'|\,d\mu _{\max } $ and $ \mu _{\max } $ is the Gibbs measure associated with the potential $ -\log |T'| $. Moreover, when $ \kappa>1/\alpha _{\max } $ , we show that for $ \mu _\phi $ -a.e. $ x $ , the Hausdorff dimension of $ \mathcal U^\kappa (x) $ agrees with the multifractal spectrum of $ \mu _\phi $. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single Li+ ion conducting polyelectrolytes (SICs), which feature covalently tethered counter‐anions along their backbone, have the potential to mitigate dendrite formation by reducing concentration polarization and preventing salt depletion. However, due to their low ionic conductivity and complicated synthetic procedure, the successful validation of these claimed advantages in lithium metal (Li0) anode batteries remains limited. In this study, we fabricated a SIC electrolyte using a single‐step UV polymerization approach. The resulting electrolyte exhibited a high Li+ transference number (t+) of 0.85 and demonstrated good Li+ conductivity (6.3×10−5 S/cm at room temperature), which is comparable to that of a benchmark dual ion conductor (DIC, 9.1×10−5 S/cm). Benefitting from the high transference number of SIC, it displayed a three‐fold higher critical current density (2.4 mA/cm2) compared to DIC (0.8 mA/cm2) by successfully suppressing concentration polarization‐induced short‐circuiting. Additionally, the t+ significantly influenced the deposition behavior of Li0, with SIC yielding a uniform, compact, and mosaic‐like morphology, while the low t+ DIC resulted in a porous morphology with Li0 whiskers. Using the SIC electrolyte, Li0||LiFePO4 cells exhibited stable operation for 4500 cycles with 70.5 % capacity retention at 22 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single Li+ ion conducting polyelectrolytes (SICs), which feature covalently tethered counter‐anions along their backbone, have the potential to mitigate dendrite formation by reducing concentration polarization and preventing salt depletion. However, due to their low ionic conductivity and complicated synthetic procedure, the successful validation of these claimed advantages in lithium metal (Li0) anode batteries remains limited. In this study, we fabricated a SIC electrolyte using a single‐step UV polymerization approach. The resulting electrolyte exhibited a high Li+ transference number (t+) of 0.85 and demonstrated good Li+ conductivity (6.3×10−5 S/cm at room temperature), which is comparable to that of a benchmark dual ion conductor (DIC, 9.1×10−5 S/cm). Benefitting from the high transference number of SIC, it displayed a three‐fold higher critical current density (2.4 mA/cm2) compared to DIC (0.8 mA/cm2) by successfully suppressing concentration polarization‐induced short‐circuiting. Additionally, the t+ significantly influenced the deposition behavior of Li0, with SIC yielding a uniform, compact, and mosaic‐like morphology, while the low t+ DIC resulted in a porous morphology with Li0 whiskers. Using the SIC electrolyte, Li0||LiFePO4 cells exhibited stable operation for 4500 cycles with 70.5 % capacity retention at 22 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a non-increasing function ψ , let Exact (ψ) be the set of complex numbers which are approximable by complex rational numbers to order ψ but to no better order. In this paper, we obtain the Hausdorff dimension and the packing dimension of Exact (ψ) when ψ (x) = o (x - 2) . Moreover, without the condition ψ (x) = o (x - 2) , we also prove that the Hausdorff dimension of Exact (ψ) is greater than 2 - τ / (1 - 2 τ) when 0 < τ = lim sup x → + ∞ x 2 ψ (x) is small enough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells can generate high power using a potentially green fuel (H2) and zero emissions of greenhouse gas (CO2). However, significant mass transport resistances in the interface region of the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), between the membrane and the catalyst layers remains a barrier to achieving MEAs with high power densities and long‐term stabilities. Here, a 3D‐interfacial zipping concept is presented to overcome this challenge. Vinylbenzyl‐terminated bi‐cationic quaternary‐ammonium‐based polyelectrolyte is employed as both the anionomer in the anion‐exchange membrane (AEM) and catalyst layers. A quaternary‐ammonium‐containing covalently locked interface is formed by thermally induced inter‐crosslinking of the terminal vinyl groups. Ex situ evaluation of interfacial bonding strength and in situ durability tests demonstrate that this 3D‐zipped interface strategy prevents interfacial delamination without any sacrifice of fuel cell performance. A H2/O2 AEMFC test demonstration shows promisingly high power densities (1.5 W cm−2 at 70 °C with 100% RH and 0.2 MPa backpressure gas feeds), which can retain performances for at least 120 h at a usefully high current density of 0.6 A cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For regular continued fraction, if a real number x and its rational approximation p / q satisfying | x − p / q | < 1 / q 2 , then, after deleting the last integer of the partial quotients of p / q , the sequence of the remaining partial quotients is a prefix of that of x. In this paper, we show that the situation is completely different if we consider the Hurwitz continued fraction expansions of a complex number and its rational approximations. More specifically, we consider the set E (ψ) of complex numbers which are well approximated with the given bound ψ and have quite different Hurwitz continued fraction expansions from that of their rational approximations. The Hausdorff and packing dimensions of such set are determined. It turns out that its packing dimension is always full for any given approximation bound ψ and its Hausdorff dimension is equal to that of the ψ -approximable set W (ψ) of complex numbers. As a consequence, we also obtain an analogue of the classical Jarník theorem in real case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise control over polyelectrolyte architecture, engineered for self‐assembly of ion‐conducting channels, is of fundamental and technological importance to many fields, for example, fuel cells and redox flow batteries and electrodialysis. Building on recent advances with the supramolecular chemistry, we introduce inter/intra‐molecular cation–dipole interactions between pendent quaternary ammoniums cations and polar polyethylene glycol grafts in an anion‐exchange membrane (AEM). Such interactions lead to desirable, ordered ion‐conducting pathways when in the membrane form. Comparison of the results of molecular dynamics simulation with 1H NMR and nano‐scale microscopy analyses show that the cation–dipole interactions enhance self‐assembly and the formation of interconnected ionic network domains, providing three‐dimensional pathways for both water and ion transport. The resultant AEM exhibits high OH− conductivity (49 mS cm−1 at 30°C) and a completive peak power density of 622 mW cm−2 at 70°C when tested in a H2/O2 single‐cell alkaline membrane fuel cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) may provide a path for next generation high‐performance, hazard‐free lithium ion batteries. However, the low lithium ion transference number (tLi+) and electrolyte conductivity limit device performance. In this study, a diblock copolymer with a polycarbonate first block and poly(sulfonated styrene) second block has been synthesized and characterized for conductivity and shows improved tLi+. The low dissociation of lithium salts from the tethered sulfonate anion was overcome by incorporating plasticizers. The diblock SPE material had room temperature conductivity of up to 1.95 ⋅ 10−6 S/cm, and lithium transference number of up to 0.83 with the tethered sulfonate anion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although much progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic aortic dissection (TAD), the overall morbidity and mortality rates of TAD are still high. Therefore, the molecular pathogenesis and etiology of TAD need to be elucidated. In this study, we found that histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) expression is dramatically higher in the aortic wall of patients with TAD (than that in a normal group) and negatively correlates with the levels of the vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) contractile‐phenotype markers. Knockdown of HDAC1 upregulated both smooth muscle 22 α (SM22α) and α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) in platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF)‐BB‐treated and ‐untreated SMCs. In addition, the knockdown of HDAC1 markedly decreased SMC viability and migration in contrast to the control group under the conditions of quiescence and PDGF‐BB treatment. We also showed that the expression of polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1) is decreased in the aortic wall of patients with TAD and negatively correlates with HDAC1 expression. Overexpressed PKD1 obviously increased SM22α and α‐SMA expression and reduced the viability and migration of SMCs, but these effects were attenuated by HDAC1. Furthermore, we demonstrated that HDAC1 serves as an important modulator of the migration and phenotypic switch of SMCs by suppressing the PKD1– mammalian target of the rapamycin signaling pathway. HDAC1 downregulation inhibited media degeneration and attenuated the loss of elastic–fiber integrity in a mouse model of TAD. Our results suggest that HDAC1 might be a new target for the treatment of a macrovascular disease such as TAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power generation has developed rapidly in recent decades due to low carbon emissions. However, the significant uncertainty makes it uneconomic or even unreliable to be consumed, which hinders the development of wind energy. To guarantee the minimum wind utilisation level without jeopardising system reliability and cost-effectiveness, this study proposes a concept of optimal wind power consumption point. Based on that, a two-stage chance-constrained unit commitment model is presented to co-optimise the day-ahead energy and reserve schedules, which achieves a reasonable trade-off between robustness and costs. The battery energy storage is also investigated to enhance system flexibility and promote wind consumption. The joint chance constraint is dealt with through a sample average approximation method in bilinear forms. The resulting large-scale mixed-integer programming is decomposed into the master and subproblem formulations and then solved iteratively by the developed bilinear Benders decomposition (BBD) method. To achieve computational tractability, several techniques are used to enhance the convergence property of BBD and accelerate the solution process, with a novel optimality-check-only bilinear Benders decomposition method proposed. Case studies on six-bus, IEEE 118-bus and 236-bus systems demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power generation has developed rapidly in recent decades due to low carbon emissions. However, the significant uncertainty makes it uneconomic or even unreliable to be consumed, which hinders the development of wind energy. To guarantee the minimum wind utilisation level without jeopardising system reliability and cost‐effectiveness, this study proposes a concept of optimal wind power consumption point. Based on that, a two‐stage chance‐constrained unit commitment model is presented to co‐optimise the day‐ahead energy and reserve schedules, which achieves a reasonable trade‐off between robustness and costs. The battery energy storage is also investigated to enhance system flexibility and promote wind consumption. The joint chance constraint is dealt with through a sample average approximation method in bilinear forms. The resulting large‐scale mixed‐integer programming is decomposed into the master and subproblem formulations and then solved iteratively by the developed bilinear Benders decomposition (BBD) method. To achieve computational tractability, several techniques are used to enhance the convergence property of BBD and accelerate the solution process, with a novel optimality‐check‐only bilinear Benders decomposition method proposed. Case studies on six‐bus, IEEE 118‐bus and 236‐bus systems demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the proliferation of natural gas combined cycle units, the modern energy infrastructure has evolved into a coupled electricity and natural gas system, which often encompasses multiple large-scale and geographically-diverse energy areas. The similarity in electricity and natural gas consumption profiles in coupled systems gives rise to critical mandates for the coordinated optimization of electricity and natural gas operation. This paper presents a decentralized optimization framework, which considers wind energy and power-to-gas (P2G) technologies in the operation of integrated multi-area electricity and natural gas transmission system (IEGTS). First, a comprehensive optimal dispatch model is established for the multi-area IEGTS in a centralized manner where bi-directional flows of electricity and natural gas among multi-areas are optimized considering the stochastic nature of wind energy. In particular, a linearized transient-state gas flow model under mild assumptions is proposed to represent the dynamic characteristics of the natural gas sector. The centralized optimization problem is decomposed into a set of computationally-tractable subproblems that are solved independently in individual areas. The alternating direction multiplier method is employed to achieve a rapidly convergent solution while preserving the privacy of operation data shared among participating areas. Finally, case studies are carried out on two multi-area IEGTS with multiple wind generation scenarios which demonstrate the computational performance of the proposed method with P2G facilities operating in variable conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial counterparts of conical‐shaped transmembrane protein channels are of interest in biomedical sciences for biomolecule detection and selective ion permeation based on ionic size and/or charge differences. However, industrial‐scale applications such as seawater desalination, separation of mono‐ from divalent cations, and treatment of highly‐saline industrial waste effluents are still big challenges for such biomimetic channels. A simple monomer seeding experimental approach is used to grow ionically conductive biomimetic charged nanocone pores at the surface of an acid‐functionalized membrane. These readily scalable nanocone membranes enable ultra‐fast cation permeation (Na+=8.4× vs. Mg2+=1.4×) and high ion charge selectivity (Na+/Mg2+=6×) compared to the commercial state‐of‐the‐art permselective membrane (CSO, Selemion, Japan) owing to negligible surface resistance and positively charged conical pore walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial counterparts of conical‐shaped transmembrane protein channels are of interest in biomedical sciences for biomolecule detection and selective ion permeation based on ionic size and/or charge differences. However, industrial‐scale applications such as seawater desalination, separation of mono‐ from divalent cations, and treatment of highly‐saline industrial waste effluents are still big challenges for such biomimetic channels. A simple monomer seeding experimental approach is used to grow ionically conductive biomimetic charged nanocone pores at the surface of an acid‐functionalized membrane. These readily scalable nanocone membranes enable ultra‐fast cation permeation (Na+=8.4× vs. Mg2+=1.4×) and high ion charge selectivity (Na+/Mg2+=6×) compared to the commercial state‐of‐the‐art permselective membrane (CSO, Selemion, Japan) owing to negligible surface resistance and positively charged conical pore walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a coordinated regional-district operation of integrated energy system (IES) for enhancing resilience in extreme conditions. A bi-directional flow model is established for regional-district IES with the utilization of power-to-gas technologies which shows how regional and district IES can jointly enhance the IES resilience. The regional IES co-optimizes power grid and natural gas networks, while the district IES coordinates the energy conversion and storage facilities. The district IES is modeled as an energy hub which supplies electricity to the regional IES. A tri-level two-stage robust model is established to accommodate random outages caused by natural disasters in both natural gas and electricity generation and delivery systems. A two-level algorithm utilizing Benders decomposition and column-and-constraint generation algorithms is proposed to solve the robust IES problem. Numerical results tested on a 6-bus electrical–6-node natural gas system and a modified IEEE RTS-79 40-node natural gas system show the effectiveness of the proposed model and solution technique for enhancing the IES resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A branched polymer was prepared by grafting allyltrimethylammonium chloride onto polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) via free‐radical polymerization. Afterwards, a series of hybrid membranes were prepared by sol‐gel cross‐linking between quaternary ammonium‐PVA and tetraethoxysilane. The obtained membranes were characterized in terms of infrared spectroscopy, ion exchange capacity, water uptake, linear expansion ratio, and acid resistance. The thermal properties of the membranes were investigated as well. The diffusion dialysis performances of the membranes were tested by using a simulated feed solution containing HCl and FeCl2. The diffusion dialysis coefficients and the separation factors were much better than those of the commercial DF‐120 membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A robust security-constrained unit commitment (robust SCUC) model is proposed in this paper to enhance the operational reliability of integrated electricity-natural gas system (IEGS) against possible transmission line outages. In this work, adjustable capability of natural gas contract is considered to avoid dramatic changes in real-time gas demand. Distributed natural gas storage is also included to smooth out power system demand curve and further improve operational efficiency at normal state and during contingencies. Nonlinear and nonconvex natural gas flow functions are relaxed into second-order cone (SOC) constraints, then the SOC-based column and constraint generation method is adopted to solve the proposed two-stage robust convex optimization problem. In this iterative method, the security-check subproblem feeds back worst case constraints to the first-stage master problem, until no violated scenarios can be detected. Simulations tested on 6-bus-6-node and 118-bus-10-node IEGS with natural gas storage show that the proposed storage model is effective in the robust SCUC solution for IEGS considering possible N − k contingencies with limited natural gas adjustments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large-scale integrated energy system can represent several subsystems representing areas that are tied by electricity and natural gas networks. Accordingly, we propose a decentralized optimal energy flow (DOEF) calculation as compared with a centralized solution method. The proposed approach demonstrates the merits of the decentralized operation and control of a multi-area integrated electricity-natural gas system (IEGS), in terms of large-scale modeling requirements, faster computations, and data management for local sensitivity analyses. Using the proposed decentralized structure, the communication burden is relatively light as individual area operators in a multi-area IEGS will make optimal dispatch decisions independently and the corresponding information is shared with adjacent subsystems. The reformulation of the second-order cone (SOC) is proposed using advanced sequential cone programming (SCP) to handle the nonlinear steady-state natural gas flow, which provides a feasible solution with a high degree of computational efficiency. Furthermore, an iterative alternating direction method of multipliers (I-ADMM) is adopted to manage the nonconvexity of integer variables, which guarantees a satisfactory convergence performance. Case studies on three multi-area IEGS validate the effectiveness of the proposed model in a multi-area IEGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) was tethered with a 1,5-disubstituted tetrazole through a quaternary ammonium linkage. The formation of a tetrazole-ion network in the resulting polymers was found to promote the hydroxide ion transport through the Grotthus-type mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly conductive anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are urgently desired for various electro-chemical technologies like fuel cells, flow batteries and electro-dialysis. Available strategies for enhancing the hydroxide conductivity of AEMs commonly focus on increasing the concentration of cationic sites, which, in turn, causes undesirable, excessive dimensional swelling and poor alkaline stability. To overcome this problem, a novel AEM with flexible branched ionic clusters was developed in this study. The improved cation density and cation mobility in the branched ionic clusters have resulted in highly ordered nano-scale channels for hydroxide ion transport and an excellent fuel cell performance of 266 mW cm−2 at 60 °C. Low water uptake and restricted swelling ratio as well as good alkaline stability were also observed benifiting from its unique polymer architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly alkaline stable anion exchange membrane is a critical component in alkaline polyelectrolyte fuel cells (APEFCs). However, the commonly employed cationic moieties in the membrane show limited alkaline stability, thereby barely enduring harsh fuel cell operating conditions. In this study, we synthesized a series of imidazolium-type anion-exchange membranes, in which the substituents were attached at different positions of the imdazolium ring to systematically investigate their impact on the overall alkaline stability of the cationic moieties. 1,2,4,5-Tetramethylimidazolium-functionalized anion-exchange membrane has highest alkaline stability, and it retains 97% alkaline stability after 7 days in a 1 M NaOD/D2O/CD3OD solution at 60 °C. Compared to the recently reported imidazolium-type membranes, the resultant membrane exhibits unprecedented fuel cell performance to date, reaching an exceptional excellent peak power density of 340 mW cm−2 at 80 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We acquired herein a novel pendant type anion exchange membrane by grafting brominated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (BPPO) with HLTEI (1-(2-(hexylthio)ethyl)-1H-imidazole), a monomer synthesized via click chemistry. The membrane shows improved hydroxide conductivity because of the flexible side chain induced microphase-separated morphology. Low water uptake is the added benefit of the synthesized membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adhesion of disseminating tumor cells to vascular endothelium is a pivotal starting point in the metastasis cascade. We have shown previously that diabetic high-density lipoprotein (HDL) has the capability of promoting breast cancer metastasis, and this report summarizes our more recent work studying the role of abnormal HDL in facilitating the adhesion of the circulating tumor cells to the endothelium. This is an initiating step in breast cancer metastasis, and this work assesses the role of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in this process. MDA-MB-231, MCF 7, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with normal HDL from healthy controls (N-HDL), HDL from breast cancer patients (B-HDL), or HDL from breast cancer patients complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (BD-HDL), and the cell adhesion abilities were determined. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression as well as the protein kinase C (PKC) activity were evaluated. The effect of PKC inhibitor and PKC siRNA on adhesion was also studied. The immunohistochemical staining of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin from breast cancer patients and breast cancer patients complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were examined. Our results indicate that BD-HDL promoted an increase in breast cancer cell adhesion to HUVECs and stimulated higher ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression on the cells surface of both breast cancer and HUVEC cells, along with the activation of PKC. Increased tumor cell (TC)-HUVEC adhesion, as well as ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression induced by BD-HDL, could be inhibited by staurosporine and PKC siRNA. In addition, a Db/db type 2 diabetes mouse model has more TC-Vascular Endothelium adhesion compared to a normal model. However, BD patients have a lower expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin in their tumor tissues. BD-HDL facilitates the adhesion of tumor cells to vascular endothelium by upregulating the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, thereby promoting the initial progression of breast cancer metastasis. This work indicates a prospective utilization of HDL-based strategies in the treatment of breast cancer patients with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the spring of 2013, NASA conducted a field campaign known as Iowa Flood Studies (IFloodS) as part of the Ground Validation (GV) program for the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. The purpose of IFloodS was to enhance the understanding of flood-related, space-based observations of precipitation processes in events that transpire worldwide. NASA used a number of scientific instruments such as ground-based weather radars, rain and soil moisture gauges, stream gauges, and disdrometers to monitor rainfall events in Iowa. This article presents the cyberinfrastructure tools and systems that supported the planning, reporting, and management of the field campaign and that allow these data and models to be accessed, evaluated, and shared for research. The authors describe the collaborative informatics tools, which are suitable for the network design, that were used to select the locations in which to place the instruments. How the authors used information technology tools for instrument monitoring, data acquisition, and visualizations after deploying the instruments and how they used a different set of tools to support data analysis and modeling after the campaign are also explained. All data collected during the campaign are available through the Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC), a NASA Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies suggested complicated associations between type 2 diabetes mellitus and breast cancer. There is a significant inverse association between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the risk and mortality of breast cancer. However, HDL could be modified in various ways in diabetes patients, and this may lead to the altered effects on many different types of cells. In our study, we found that glycation and oxidation levels are significantly higher in HDL from type 2 diabetes mellitus patients compared to that from healthy subjects. Diabetic HDL dramatically had a stronger capability to promote cell proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer (as examined both on hormone-independent cells and on hormone-dependent cells). In addition, glycated and oxidized HDL, which were produced in vitro, acted in similar way as diabetic HDL. Diabetic HDL, glycated HDL and oxidized HDL also induced higher synthesis and secretion of VEGF-C, MMP-2 and MMP-9 from malondialdehyde (MDA)-MB-231 cells. It was indicated that diabetic, glycated and oxidized HDL promote MDA-MB-231 cell migration and invasion through ERK and p38 MAPK pathways, and Akt pathway plays an important role as well in MDA-MB-231 cell invasion. The Akt, ERK and p38 MAPK pathways are also involved in VEGF-C and MMP-9 secretion induced by diabetic, glycated and oxidized HDL. Our study demonstrated that glycation and oxidation of HDL in diabetic patients could lead to abnormal actions on MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation, migration and invasion, thereby promoting the progression of breast cancer. This will largely draw the attention of HDL-based treatments in diabetic patients especially those with breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OLiPSE-02 Fe-Cu samples, which were liquid phase sintered under 10 -5 torr in microgravity for 20, 30, 60, and 330 min for each composition, were analyzed in this article. The compositions of the samples are 80% Fe/Cu, 70% Fe/Cu, 60% Fe/Cu, and 50% Fe/Cu by volume. The experimental results of distortion and densification were presented. During the microgravity processing, liquid ejection occured for the long duration samples with compositions 70% Fe/Cu and 60% Fe/Cu. Measurements of the weights and dimensions of all the beads were made and their distributions were presented. One of the beads that are about the average weight and size from the 70% Fe/Cu long duration sample was chosen to be mounted, polished, etched, and analyzed under an optical microscope. The iron in the bead appeared as iron grains and its grain size was smaller than that in the mother sample with the same composition. Discussions of the bead and its iron grain formations are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve Co-Cu powder compact samples with different liquid volume fractions were processed during microgravity liquid phase sintering on a suborbital sounding rocket and three Space Shuttle missions. The processing times ranged from 2.5 minutes to 66 minutes. The samples exhibited dimension stability after sintering. Microstructural evolutions such as densification, dihedral angle, contact per grain and grain growth rates, indicated a dependency on Cu composition and sintering time. Grain growth analysis showed a diffusion-controlled grain growth mechanism. The diffusional layer was found in a microgravity processed 70vol%Co-Cu sample. A mechanism that explains the transient nature of this diffusion layer is proposed and used to explain the results at other processing times. Agglomeration and coalescence of particles were observed in this study, and the grain size distributions were in agreement with LSEM model, which incorporates the effect of higher solid volume fraction and particle coalescence. Analysis of the samples also revealed considerable pore formation and metamorphosis. Unlike the Fe-Cu samples, in which pore breakup was found, pore filling and coarsening dominate in all Co-Cu samples. The evolution of these parameters has been used to enhance the understanding of driving forces that contribute to the pore metamorphosis during liquid phase sintering in the Co-Cu system under microgravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The staged fracturing technique of pumping type composite bridge plug is applied in Renmi 1H well of Huabei Oilfield. After fracturing and blow-off, the sand jamming occurs to the bridge plug, thus the drilling bridge plug is required to increase the output. According to the analysis of characteristics of staged fracturing techniques for bridge plug, the difficulties in drilling the bridge plug are found and relevant schemes are formulated. According to the well condition, the techniques of coiled tubing with bottom screw drill and ordinary tubing with screw drill and home-made cyclone four-wing concave bottom mill shoe are applied for bridge plug drilling of Renmi 1H well and Taimi 1X well to consecutively drill five or four bridge plugs with one pipe string and to carry out construction quickly and safely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the Energy Internet, customers are supplied by energy hubs (EH), while the EHs are interconnected through an upper-level transmission system. In this paper, a stochastic scheduling model is proposed for the interconnected EHs considering integrated demand response (DR) and wind variation. The whole integrated energy system (IES) is linearly modeled for the first time. The output-input relationship within the energy hub is denoted as a linearized matrix, while the upper-level power and natural gas transmission systems are analyzed through piecewise linearization method. A novel sequential linearization method is further proposed to balance computational efficiency and approximation accuracy. Integrated demand response is introduced to smooth out demand curve, considering both internal DR achieved by the optimal energy conversion strategy within energy hubs, and external DR achieved by demand adjustment on the customer's side. Distributed energy storage like natural gas and heat storage are considered to provide buffer for system operation. The proposed stochastic model is solved by scenario-based optimization with a backward scenario reduction strategy. Numerical tests on a three-hub and seventeen-hub interconnected system that validates the effectiveness of the proposed scheduling model and solution methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline polyelectrolyte fuel cell now receives growing attention as a promising candidate to serve as the next generation energy-generating device by enabling the use of non-precious metal catalysts (silver, cobalt, nickel et al.). However, the development and application of alkaline polyelectrolyte fuel cell is still blocked by the poor hydroxide conductivity of anion exchange membranes. In order to solve this problem, we demonstrate a methodology for the preparation of highly OH− conductive anion exchange polyelectrolytes with good alkaline tolerance and excellent dimensional stability. Polymer backbones were grafted with flexible aliphatic chains containing two or three quaternized ammonium groups. The highly flexible and hydrophilic multi-functionalized side chains prefer to aggregate together to facilitate the formation of well-defined hydrophilic-hydrophobic microphase separation, which is crucial for the superior OH− conductivity of 69 mS/cm at room temperature. Besides, the as-prepared AEMs also exhibit excellent alkaline tolerance as well as improved dimensional stability due to their carefully designed polymer architecture, which provide new directions to pursue high performance AEMs and are promising to serve as a candidate for fuel cell technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]