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The potassium–sulfur battery (K–S battery) as an innovative battery technology is a promising candidate for large-scale applications, due to its high energy density and the low cost of both K and S. The development of the K–S technology is, however, inhibited by its low reversible capacity and the safety issues related to the K metal anode. Here, the review starts by discussing the mechanism of the redox reactions for the K–S batteries and emphasizes the challenges for this battery system based on its current research status. Furthermore, the current improvement strategies for the K–S system in terms of the sulfur cathode, electrolyte, separator, and K metal anode are summarized. Finally, future perspectives on the development of the K–S system are proposed.

© 2019 IEEE. This paper presents the proposal and design of multistate diplexer on uniform- A nd stepped stub-loaded resonators, that is, a three-state diplexer (TSD) and a four-state diplexer (FSD). The two proposed diplexers have an attractive application in a frequency-hopping system with miniaturization in their overall size. Next, three and four sets of second-order bandpass filters are applied to form the three and four filtering channels, respectively. These filtering channels are then used to comprise these multiple-state diplexers. In this way, compact size and high-frequency selectivity have been well achieved. For the purpose of demonstration, the prototypes of TSD and FSD are fabricated and measured. The measured results are found in good agreement with the simulated results.

In this paper, a systematic synthesis approach is proposed for achieving negative group delay responses using lossy coupling matrix. It is mathematically proved that, for a passive and reciprocal network, loss is the necessary condition to realize a negative group delay. Also, the optimum strategy is to place zeros and poles of the transfer function on the left complex plane. A closed-form relation between the group delay and magnitude is then derived based on this strategy, and followed by a complete synthesis approach using coupling matrix. Two numerical and one experimental examples are finally given to illustrate the proposed synthesis method.

Lossy filters have broad applications in satellite communication systems. This paper proposes an efficient tuning method, based on complex coupling matrix decomposition and extraction, for highly lossy filters. Interestingly, it shows that the proposed decomposition technique preserves the scattering parameters of the original coupling matrix. A simple and efficient tuning algorithm is provided and illustrated with a four-pole lossy Chebyshev filter example. The experimental demonstration is finally presented to validate the proposed tuning technique.

To investigate the associations of DNA methylation levels and mRNA expressions of DNA cytosine-5-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and methyl CpG-binding domain 2 (MBD2) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 108 patients with SLE and 97 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. DNA and total RNA were extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the SLE patients and the controls. The global methylation levels of DNA were measured in 63 patients with SLE and 68 healthy controls by the ELISA method. DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA were also detected in 108 SLE patients and 97 controls using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method. The global methylation level of DNA was significantly decreased in the SLE patients in comparison with that in the controls ( p

α-Tubulin acetyltransferase 1 (αTAT1) controls reversible acetylation on Lys40 of α-tubulin and modulates multiple cellular functions. αTAT1 depletion induced morphological defects of touch receptor neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans and impaired cell adhesion and contact inhibition in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, however, no morphological or proliferation defects in human RPE-hTERT cells were found after αTAT1-specific siRNA treatment. Here, we compared the effect of three αTAT1-specific shRNAs on proliferation and morphology in two human cell lines, HeLa and A549. The more efficient two shRNAs induced mitotic catastrophe in both cell lines and the most efficient one also decreased F-actin and focal adhesions. Further analysis revealed that αTAT1 downregulation increased γ-H2AX, but not other DNA damage markers p-CHK1 and p-CHK2, along with marginal change in microtubule outgrowth speed and inter-kinetochore distance. Overexpression of αTAT1 could not precisely mimic the distribution and concentration of endogenous acetylated α-tubulin (Ac-Tu), although no overt phenotype change was observed, meanwhile, this could not completely prevent αTAT1 downregulation-induced deficiencies. We therefore conclude that efficient αTAT1 downregulation could impair actin architecture and induce mitotic catastrophe in HeLa and A549 cells through mechanisms partly independent of Ac-Tu.

Aromatic polyketides make up a large class of natural products with diverse bioactivity. During biosynthesis, linear poly-β-ketone intermediates are regiospecifically cyclized, yielding molecules with defined cyclization patterns that are crucial for polyketide bioactivity. The aromatase/cyclases (ARO/CYCs) are responsible for regiospecific cyclization of bacterial polyketides. The two most common cyclization patterns are C7-C12 and C9-C14 cyclizations. We have previously characterized three monodomain ARO/CYCs: ZhuI, TcmN, and WhiE. The last remaining uncharacterized class of ARO/CYCs is the di-domain ARO/CYCs, which catalyze C7-C12 cyclization and/or aromatization. Di-domain ARO/CYCs can further be separated into two subclasses: "nonreducing" ARO/CYCs, which act on nonreduced poly-β-ketones, and "reducing" ARO/CYCs, which act on cyclized C9 reduced poly-β-ketones. For years, the functional role of each domain in cyclization and aromatization for di-domain ARO/CYCs has remained a mystery. Here we present what is to our knowledge the first structural and functional analysis, along with an in-depth comparison, of the nonreducing (StfQ) and reducing (BexL) di-domain ARO/CYCs. This work completes the structural and functional characterization of mono- and didomain ARO/CYCs in bacterial type II polyketide synthases and lays the groundwork for engineered biosynthesis of new bioactive polyketides.

To investigate the role of the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) gene's repertoire in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Taiwan.KIR genotypes were determined in 122 patients with RA and 96 healthy controls by the sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) method. Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-C genotyping was also performed simultaneously in 72 patients and 66 controls by the SSP-PCR method.The total carriage frequency of KIR 2DS4 regardless of corresponding HLA-Cw4 was significantly increased in RA patients compared with controls [p0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-3.4, Pc0.01]. The total carriage frequency of KIR 2DL1 regardless of corresponding HLA-C also tended to be increased in RA patients (p0.02, OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.2-3.9, Pc = not significant). The frequency of KIR 2DS4 with corresponding HLA-Cw4 was increased in RA patients in comparison with controls (p = 0.02, OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.1-9.4). Moreover, the association of RA with KIR 2DS4 depended on the presence of the corresponding HLA-Cw4.KIR 2DS4 may be a risk factor for susceptibility to RA in Taiwan.

Objectives: To investigate the associations of cytochrome p450 1A1 (CYP1A1) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) genes polymorphisms with the susceptibility to AS in Taiwan. Methods: The polymorphisms of CYP1A1 and MnSOD genes were determined in 70 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and 93 healthy controls by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) methods. Results: The genotype frequency of CYP1A1 4887C/A was significantly lower in patients with AS than in controls. The phenotype frequency of CYP1A1 4887A also tended to be decreased in patients with AS. There were no significant differences in the genotype, allele, and phenotype frequencies of MnSOD gene polymorphisms between patients with AS and controls. Conclusion: CYP1A1 4887A may be a protective factor for the development of AS in Taiwan. However, MnSOD gene polymorphisms are not associated with the susceptibility to AS.

Due to their graphene-like properties after oxygen reduction, incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) sheets into correlated-electron materials offers a new pathway for tailoring their properties. Fabricating GO nanocomposites with polycrystalline MgB2 superconductors leads to an order of magnitude enhancement of the supercurrent at 5 K/8 T and 20 K/4 T. Herein, we introduce a novel experimental approach to overcome the formidable challenge of performing quantitative microscopy and microanalysis of such composites, so as to unveil how GO doping influences the structure and hence the material properties. Atom probe microscopy and electron microscopy were used to directly image the GO within the MgB2, and we combined these data with computational simulations to derive the property-enhancing mechanisms. Our results reveal synergetic effects of GO, namely, via localized atomic (carbon and oxygen) doping as well as texturing of the crystals, which provide both inter- and intra-granular flux pinning. This study opens up new insights into how low-dimensional nanostructures can be integrated into composites to modify the overall properties, using a methodology amenable to a wide range of applications. © 2014 the Partner Organisations.

The process psi(3686) -> pi(0)h(c), h(c) -> gamma eta(c) has been studied with a data sample of 106 +/- 4 million Psi(3686) events collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII storage ring. The mass and width of the P-wave charmonium spin-singlet state h(c)(P-1(1)) are determined by simultaneously fitting distributions of the pi(0) recoil mass for 16 exclusive eta(c) decay modes. The results, M(h(c)) 3525.31 +/- 0.11(stat) +/- 0.14(syst) MeV/c(2) and Gamma(h(c)) = 0.70 +/- 0.28 +/- 0.22 MeV, are consistent with and more precise than previous measurements. We also determine the branching ratios for the 16 exclusive eta(c) decay modes, five of which have not been measured previously. New measurements of the eta(c) line- shape parameters in the E1 transition h(c) -> gamma eta(c) are made by selecting candidates in the h(c) signal sample and simultaneously fitting the hadronic mass spectra for the 16 eta(c) decay channels. The resulting eta(c) mass and width values are M(eta(c)) = 2984.49 +/- 1.16 +/- 0.52 MeV/c(2) and Gamma(eta(c)) 36.4 +/- 3.2 +/- 1.7 MeV. Ministry of Science and Technology, China - 2009CB825200 National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)- 10745001 / 10625524 / 10821063 / 10825524 / 10835001 / 10935007 / 11125525 / 11079008 / 11179007 / 10979058 Chinese Academy of Sciences - KJCX2-YW-N29 / KJCX2-YW-N45 Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) United States Department of Energy (DOE) - DE-FG02-04ER41291 / DE-FG02-91ER40682 / DE-FG02-94ER40823 National Science Foundation (NSF) University of Groningen (RuG) Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH (GSI), Darmstadt WCU Program of National Research Foundation of Korea - R32-008-000-10155-0 Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Kalkınma Bakanlığı - DPT2006K-120470

To investigate the role of cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) and manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn SOD) genes polymorphisms in the susceptibility to reactive arthritis, the polymorphisms of CYP1A1 and Mn SOD genes were determined in 43 patients with reactive arthritis following Chlamydia trachomatis infection and 92 healthy controls by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) method. The frequencies of CYP1A1 4887C/A and C/A+A/A were significantly higher in patients with reactive arthritis than in controls. Moreover, the increased frequency of CYP1A1 4887A in patients with reactive arthritis is independent of HLA-B27. The frequency of Mn SOD 1183T/T tended to be increased in patients with reactive arthritis. We also found that the frequency of CYP1A1 4887A was significantly increased in Mn SOD 1183T/T(+) reactive arthritis patients compared with 1183T/T(+) controls. CYP1A1 4887A may be a risk factor for the development of reactive arthritis, especially in the presence of Mn SOD 1183T/T.