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All-solid-state Li-metal batteries (ASSLBs) are highly desirable, due to their inherent safety and high energy density; however, the irregular and uncontrolled growth of Li filaments is detrimental to interfacial stability and safety. Herein, we report on the incorporation of piezo-/ferroelectric BaTiO 3 (BTO) nanofibers into solid electrolytes and determination of electric-field distribution due to BTO inclusion that effectively regulates the nucleation and growth of Li dendrites. Theoretical simulations predict that the piezoelectric effect of BTO embedded in solid electrolyte reduces the driving force of dendrite growth at high curvatures, while its ferroelectricity reduces the overpotential, which helps to regularize Li deposition and Li + flux. Polarization reversal of soft solid electrolytes was identified, confirming a regular deposition and morphology alteration of Li. As expected, the ASSLBs operating with LiFePO 4 /Li and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/garnet solid electrolyte containing 10% BTO additive showed a steady and long cycle life with a reversible capacity of 103.2 mAh g −1 over 500 cycles at 1 C. Furthermore, the comparable cyclability and flexibility of the scalable pouch cells prepared and the successful validation in the sulfide electrolytes, demonstrating its universal and promising application for the integration of Li metal anodes in solid-state batteries.

In order to analyze the spatial variability of soil nutrients and their ecological chemometrics in Tangchang Town, National Agricultural Park, 20 influencing factors were selected: soil pH, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Ni, Se, elevation, slope, aspect, land use type, distance from industrial land, distance from commercial land, distance from railway, distance from residential area, distance from highway and distance from river. The effects of various influencing factors on the spatial variability of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P), total potassium (K) and ecological stoichiometry were analyzed by means of geographic detector. The results showed that there were significant differences in the spatial distribution of soil nutrients and their eco-stoichiometry in the study area, and TOC, N, P, K, C/N, C/P, C/K, N/P, N/K and P /K has a significant correlation with each other, and a significant correlation with soil properties. Factor detection showed that soil properties, distance from railway and distance from residential area had the most significant explanatory power to the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients and eco-stoichiometry. Interaction detection showed that the interaction between soil properties with other factors was the most important factor affecting the spatial differentiation of soil nutrients and their ecological chemometrics, and elevation, distance from railway and distance from residential area were also important factors. Risk detection showed that the differences of soil nutrients and their ecological stoichiometry were most significant in the subregions of soil properties (pH, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Ni and Se).

Mountain roads are affected by various factors such as topography, which limits the overall alignment of mountain roads and frequent traffic accidents. In order to study the accident factors of a secondary road in a mountainous area, three-year traffic accident data on a two-way two-lane secondary road in the mountainous area was analyzed. Using the binomial logistic model, the consequences of the accident are divided into serious accidents and general accidents as dependent variables, and time, weather, road conditions, alignment and month are used as independent variables for analysis. The results show that time, alignment and month have a significant impact on the severity of the consequences of a traffic accident. According to the results, the influence degree of each influencing factor is analyzed. According to the results, suggestions for mitigating the serious consequences of the accident were put forward from the aspects of strengthening safety facilities, improving safety awareness, and safety management.

Bridge construction in my country is developing rapidly, and the problem of bridge diseases is becoming more and more prominent. Bridge diseases bring huge economic losses to road transportation every year. Preventing bridge diseases have great significance that ensure the normal use of bridges and ensure the safety of road transportation. This article takes the slope cone disease prevention and control of a small bridge in the project as an example. The process of treating such bridge diseases was explained, and a comprehensive reinforcement treatment method of "steel pile + M7.5 mortar and rubble closed slope + cut-off drainage + repair of cone slope" was proposed. The construction process and technical points were explained. It has guiding significance for the disease management of the same type of bridges. This study can be of guiding significance for the disease management of the same type of bridges, and can be applied to similar bridge disease management.

There are continuously strong interests for the preparation of carbon and carbon composite materials because of their excellent properties and very broad applications. We report here the fabricatio...

The Lower Paleozoic carbonate strata experience multi-stage tectonic activity and post-depositional volcanic activity in the Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay basin. These tectonic and magmatic activities have caused the reservoir to undergo severe diagenesis, resulting in strong reservoir heterogeneity. This study aims to identify the characteristics of dolomite, various reservoir spaces’ characteristics, the origin of different types of dolomite, and the porosity evolution. According to crystal size and morphology, dolomites can be divided into three kinds of matrix dolomites and four kinds of dolomite cements. The petrology and geochemistry of the dolomite suggests that matrix dolomite is formed from seawater. The medium-to-coarse-crystalline dolomite cement (D3) has a higher 87Sr/86Sr ratio (0.7119 to 0.7129) and a higher homogenization temperature (>125 °C), suggesting that the fluid for the precipitation of D3 is a mixed fluid formed by hydrothermal fluid eroding the 87Sr-rich feldspar sandstone. The strikingly negative δ18O values (−23.7 to −25.7‰ VPDB) of saddle dolomite (D4) indicate that D4 precipitated from hydrothermal fluids and the Mg2+ source may be due to dissolution of the host dolomite that formed in the evaporation environment. The reservoir spaces of the target strata in the study area mainly include fractures, dissolution vugs, intercrystalline pores, and moldic pores. Dissolution is the basis for forming high-quality dolomite reservoirs. The faults and fractures provided favorable conditions for dissolution. Hydrothermal fluid and organic acid were the main dissolution fluids for the dolomite reservoir, which were beneficial to the development of secondary pores. In the study area, organic acid dissolution was shown to contribute more than hydrothermal dissolution in the study area.

The p-n junction is one of the most important basic structures in the semiconductor field, with vast applications in photodetectors, transistors, light emitting diodes, and solar cells. Here, an new in-plane intramolecular WSe2 p-n junction is realized, in which the n-type region and p-type region are chemically doped by polyethyleneimine and electrically doped by the back-gate, respectively. An ideal factor of 1.66 is achieved, proving the high quality of the p-n junction realized by this method. As a photovoltaic detector, the device possesses a responsivity of 80 mAW-1 (≈20% external quantum efficiency), a specific detectivity of over 1011 Jones and fast response features (200 μs rising time and 16 μs falling time) at zero bias, simultaneously. Moreover, a large open-circuit voltage of 0.38 V and an external power conversion efficiency of ≈1.4% realized by the device also promises its potential in microcell applications.

An ice-templating process was used to fabricate polymer/MOF monoliths, specifically chitosan/UiO-66, as adsorbents for water treatment. The ice-templated macropores enhanced mass transport while the monoliths could be easily recovered from solution. This was demonstrated by the adsorption of methylchlorophenoxypropionic acid (MCPP, a herbicide compound) from dilute aqueous solution. To enhance the stability, the freeze-dried monoliths were treated with NaOH solution, solvent exchanged, and dried. The treated chitosan/UiO-66 monolith achieved an adsorption capacity of 34.33 mg g-1 (a maximum theoretic value of 334 mg g-1 by the Langmuir model), closer to the capacity (36.00 mg g-1) of the freshly prepared UiO-66 nanoparticles, much higher than that of the NaOH-washed UiO-66 nanoparticles (18.55 mg g-1), by performing the tests in 60 ppm MCPP solution. The composite monolith could be easily picked up using tweezers and used for recycling tests. Over 80 % of the adsorption capacity was retained after 3 more ...

Objective To propose a new hypothesis that GABAergic dysfunction in excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) imbalance drives the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Background Synaptic dysfunction and E/I imbalance emerge decades before the appearance of cognitive decline in AD patients, which contribute to neurodegeneration. Initially, E/I imbalance was thought to occur first, due to dysfunction of the glutamatergic and cholinergic systems. However, new evidence has demonstrated that the GABAergic system, the counterpart of E/I balance and the major inhibitory neurotransmitter system in the central nervous system, is altered enormously and that this contributes to E/I imbalance and further AD pathogenesis. New hypothesis Alterations to the GABAergic system, induced by multiple AD pathogenic or risk factors, contribute to E/I imbalance and AD pathogenesis. Major challenges for the hypothesis This GABAergic hypothesis accounts for many critical questions and common challenges confronting a new hypothesis of AD pathogenesis. More specifically, it explains why amyloid beta (Aβ), β-secretase (BACE1), apolipoprotein E4 gene (APOE e4), hyperactive glia cells, contributes to AD pathogenesis and why age and sex are the risk factors of AD. GABAergic dysfunction promotes the spread of Aβ pathology throughout the AD brain and associated cognitive impairments, and the induction of dysfunction induced by these varied risk factors shares this common neurobiology leading to E/I imbalance. In turn, some of these factors exacerbate GABAergic dysfunction and E/I imbalance. Moreover, the GABAergic system modulates various brain functions and thus, the GABAergic hypothesis accounts for nonamnestic manifestations. Furthermore, corrections of E/I balance through manipulation of GABAergic functions have shown positive outcomes in preclinical and clinical studies, suggesting the potential of the GABAergic system as a therapeutic target in AD. Linkage to other major theories Dysfunction of the GABAergic system is induced by multiple critical signaling pathways, which include the existing major theories of AD pathogenesis, such as the Aβ and neuroinflammation hypotheses. In a new perspective, this GABAergic hypothesis accounts for the E/I imbalance and related excitotoxicity, which contribute to cognitive decline and AD pathogenesis. Therefore, the GABAergic system could be a key target to restore, at least partially, the E/I balance and cognitive function in AD patients.

This study is for the first time to explore the possible effects of dietary tryptophan (Trp) on structural integrity and the related signalling factor gene expression in the gill of young grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Fish were fed with six different experimental diets containing graded levels of Trp at 0.7 (control), 1.7, 3.1, 4.0, 5.2 and 6.1 g kg(-1) diet for 8 weeks. The results firstly demonstrated that Trp deficiency or excess caused increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) contents, and severe oxidative damage (lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation) in the gill of fish, and those negative effects could be reversed by optimal Trp levels. Secondly, compared with the optimal Trp levels, Trp deficiency could cause decreases in the mRNA levels of the barrier functional proteins (occludin, zonula occludens-1, claudin-c, and -3) and increases in the mRNA levels of the pore-formation proteins (claudin-12 and -15) mRNA levels in the gill of fish, and those were reversed by the optimal levels of Trp. The negative effects of Trp deficiency on those tight junction protein gene expression might be partly related to the increases in the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and related signalling factors (tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 8, interleukin 1β and transcription factor-κB) and decreases in the mRNA levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines and related signalling factors [interleukin 10, transforming growth factor-β1, nuclear inhibitor factor κBα (iκBα), target of rapamyc and ribosome protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1)] in the gill of fish. In addition, optimal dietary Trp protected the gill of fish against its deficiency-caused increases in the mRNA levels of the apoptosis signalling (caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9) and decreases in anti-superoxide radicals capacity, anti-hydroxyl radical capacity, glutathione contents and the activities of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in the gill of fish. Additionally, compared with the Trp deficiency, optimal Trp up-regulated the mRNA levels of SOD, CAT, GPx, GR and GST, which might be partly ascribed to the up-regulation of the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) mRNA levels and the down-regulation of Kelch-like-ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) mRNA levels in the gill of fish. Interestingly, excessive Trp caused similar results with its deficiency. Collectively, Trp deficiency or excess could cause antioxidant system disruption and change tight junction protein transcription abundances, which were partly related to the signalling factors, NF-κB p65, TOR, caspase-(3,8,9) and Nrf2, in fish gill, those could be blocked by the optimal Trp levels.

Buckwheat is a kind cereal mainly grown in cold plateau and mountainous districts. The seeds and food production made from buckwheat demonstrated great nutritional value and protective effects towards various kinds of disease. In this review, the antibacterial, trypsin inhibiting, antitumor, hypocholesterol, hypotensive and antidiabetic effects of buckwheat proteins and their enzyme hydrolysates were summarized and discussed. Many naturally occurring peptides isolated from buckwheat seeds are certified to be multiple functional compounds, such as buckwheat antimicrobial peptides, trypsin inhibitors, antitumor proteins, hypotensive peptides and antioxidant peptides. Besides its trypsin inhibiting activity upon proteases, buckwheat trypsin inhibitors also revealed antimicrobial activity towards fungi, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and antitumor activity against various kinds of cancer cells. The antitumor effects and the trypsin inhibiting activity are related with the special active site of the peptide molecules, while the hypolipidemic property and the hypotensive activity are most probably associating with the unique amino acids composition of buckwheat proteins, for the reason that the hydrolyzed small peptides still possess the relevant activity. Buckwheat peptides show prospective application in function food area and traditional medicine research. And structure–activity relationship of peptides attracts much more interests in recent years.

A new type of multifunctional quantum dot (QD)-polypeptide hybrid nanogel with targeted imaging and drug delivery properties has been developed by metal-affinity driven self-assembly between artificial polypeptides and CdSe-ZnS core-shell QDs. On the surface of QDs, a tunable sandwich-like microstructure consisting of two hydrophobic layers and one hydrophilic layer between them was verified by capillary electrophoresis, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering measurements. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs can be simultaneously loaded in a QD-polypeptide nanogel. In vitro drug release of drug-loaded QD-polypeptide nanogels varies strongly with temperature, pH, and competitors. A drug-loaded QD-polypeptide nanogel with an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motif exhibited efficient receptor-mediated endocytosis in αvβ3 overexpressing HeLa cells but not in the control MCF-7 cells as analyzed by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. In contrast, non-targeted QD-polypeptide nanogels revealed minimal binding and uptake in HeLa cells. Compared with the original QDs, the QD-polypeptide nanogels showed lower in vitro cytotoxicity for both HeLa cells and NIH 3T3 cells. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the targeted QD-polypeptide nanogel was lower for normal NIH 3T3 cells than that for HeLa cancer cells. These results demonstrate that the integration of imaging and drug delivery functions in a single QD-polypeptide nanogel has the potential for application in cancer diagnosis, imaging, and therapy.

This article investigates the transition tempo and life course orientation of Taiwanese young adults in their early 20s. The results indicate that Taiwanese young adults experience a prolonged transition tempo and delay their entry into adult roles. The rate of transitioning to family roles is low for young adults at this stage. There are significant gender differences in life course orientation toward marriage, parenthood, and employment, with young women having a clearer picture in mind than do young men. Age 30 appears to have become the new threshold when young adults schedule their marriage plans, with parenthood significantly later in life. Multivariate analyses suggest that young adults who hold more traditional attitudes about gender roles are more likely to start parenthood before age 30. However, when the tempo of education completion and initiation of employment is controlled for, the effect of gender role attitudes becomes nonsignificant.

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) is widely used in long deep tunnel construction with its advantages of high efficiency, safety and low manpower. Cutterhead driving system provides power for excavating rocks and is an important component of TBM. Since the cutterhead system is driven by multiple induction motors, the synchronization control of multi-motor is critical important for high efficient excavating. The driving motors have to bear different excavating loads due to the uneven distribution of soils acting on the cutterhead surface. In this paper, all the driving motors are divided into two regions and a regional coupling based synchronization control strategy is proposed for the TBM cutterhead system. The dynamical induction motor model for vector control is established through coordinate transformation. The synchronous control of motors in each region is achieved by designing a master-slave motor control strategy. To deal with the torque difference between two regions, a fuzzy logic PID coordination controller is proposed for the master motors. Then, the synchronous control of driving motors is achieved by the presented regional coupling control strategy. The proposed synchronization control strategy is validated by simulating on multi-motor driving TBM cutterhead system for constant load torque and varying load torques, respectively. Compared with the single master-slave control, the proposed regional coupling control can achieve quicker dynamic response and better synchronization performance.

Flesh quality, muscle antioxidant status and related signalling molecule expressions were investigated in young grass carp fed six levels of tryptophan (Trp) for 8 weeks. The results indicated that fish fed 0.7 (deficiency) and 6.1g Trp g/kg (excess) diets exhibited lower muscle water-holding capacity, tenderness, cathepsin activity, protein levels, lipids and collagen contents. Optimal Trp reversed these negative effects, which were related to enhanced glutathione (GSH) content and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities regulated at gene transcription levels, rather than to superoxide dismutase (SOD) or catalase (CAT). The expression of signalling molecules [Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1, target of rapamycin (TOR) and ribosomal S6 protein kinase 1] involved in the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway revealed a potential method of Trp-enhanced antioxidant defence. Collectively, the present study indicated that appropriate Trp levels improved flesh quality partly related to the enhancement of antioxidant ability through Nrf2 and TOR signalling.

An actinomycete strain was isolated from a soil sample collected from a secondary forest at Yongsheng of Yunnan province, China. The isolate, YIM 31634T, was identified by a polyphasic approach. The 16S rDNA sequence analysis showed that the strain YIM 31634T belongs to the genus Streptomyces, with closest similarity to Streptomyces olivochromogenes DSM 40451T (97.66% similarity). Sequence similarities between strain YIM 31634T and other Streptomyces species in the same subclade ranged from 97.59% (with Streptomyces resistomycificus DSM 40133T) to 97.22% (with Streptomyces mirabilis ATCC 27447T). Key phenotypic characteristics as well as chemotaxonomic features of the actinomyces were congruent with the description of the genus Streptomyces. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses, strain YIM31634T was recognized as a new species of the genus Streptomyces for which the name Streptomyces roseoalbus sp. nov. is proposed. The strain YIM 31634T has been deposited in the Chinese Center of Type Culture Collection as strain CCTCC M 203016T and in the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen (DSM 41833T).

The present research evaluated the effects of dietary tryptophan (Trp) on growth performance, intestinal mucosa] immune, barrier function and antioxidant capacity and gene expression of young grass carp (Ctenophatyngodon idella). Fish were fed six different experimental diets containing graded levels of Trp at 0.7(control), 1.7, 3.1, 4.0, 52 and 6.1 g kg(-1) diet for 8 weeks. The results showed that Trp supplementation significantly enhanced the percent weight gain (PWG), feed intake and feed efficiency (P < 0.05), and decreased the plasma ammonia content (PAC) (P < 0.05). After the 8-week feeding trail, an environmental copper exposure trail was conducted for 4 days. Results from the copper exposure trail showed that dietary Trp enhanced the lysozyme, acid phosphatase activities and complement 3 contents in the intestine of young grass carp (P < 0.05). In addition, Trp supplementation increased the copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and glutathione contents (P < 0.05), and decreased the protein carbonyl and malondialdehyde contents (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the relative gene expression levels of interleukin 10, transforming growth factor-beta 1, occludin, zonula occludens 1, claudin-b, -c, and 3, SOD1, GPx and NF-E2-related factor 2 in the intestine were significantly up-regulated with increasing of dietary Trp up to a certain level (P < 0.05). Conversely, the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor a, interleukin 8, target of rapamycin, Kelch-like-ECH-associated protein 1, claudin-12 and -15a in the intestine were significantly down-regulated by Trp (P < 0.05). Collectively, appropriate dietary Trp level improves fish growth, intestinal immune response, barrier function and antioxidant status, and regulated the mRNA levels of related signal molecules of young grass carp. Based on the quadratic regression analysis of the PWG and PAC, the dietary Trp requirement of young grass carp (287-699 g) was estimated to be 3.81 g kg(-1) diet (12.7 g kg(-1) protein) and 3.89 g kg(-1) diet (13.0 g kg(-1) protein), respectively. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The main purpose of the research is to explore the process of adolescent self-concept development by using six-waves of panel data collected from early to late adolescence in Taiwan. The social contexts associated with self-concept development are examined. Sample subjects were surveyed during the first year of junior high school in 1996, and surveyed again each consecutive year throughout high school. Several important findings have been revealed. First of all, the development of self-concept of Taiwanese adolescent does not follow the U-shape pattern experienced by Western youths. Considerably more variation occurs in the course of development. Secondly, an important gender difference is found in the development of self-concept. The family and school contexts are also significant in influencing self-concept at different points of time. Finally, there appears to be a dramatic change in self-concept in the transition from junior to senior high schools. Adolescents do not benefit from entering into the prestigious senior high schools, particularly male adolescents. Female self-concept is more significantly influenced by family context in this transition period.

This chapter analyzes the patterns of leaving home among Taiwanese young adults in their early 20s. It also examines the association between the experience of leaving home and individual autonomy. It argues that autonomy and dependency are not mutually exclusive. Instead, the concept of interdependency describes young adults’ transitional process better. Based on the different experiences Taiwanese young adults have when leaving home, we construct three home-leaving categories – leaver, stayer, and returner. Drawing from longitudinal survey data of the Taiwan Youth Project, we observe the dynamic process of leaving home in early adulthood. The results suggest that there are differences in rates of leaving home during early adulthood based on gender and area. In addition, young adults from white-collar families are more likely to leave home (as opposed to staying or returning home) than those from blue-collar families. However, a parental preference for coresidence does not play a significant role in explaining leaving home behavior for young adults in their early 20s. Finally, both leaving home status and financial independence enhance the likelihood of autonomy and lower the sense of dependency.

An actinomycete strain was isolated from a soil sample collected from a secondary forest at Yongsheng of Yunnan province, China. The isolate, YIM 31634T, was identified by a polyphasic approach. The 16S rDNA sequence analysis showed that the strain YIM 31634T belongs to the genus Streptomyces, with closest similarity to Streptomyces olivochromogenes DSM 40451T (97.66% similarity). Sequence similarities between strain YIM 31634T and other Streptomyces species in the same subclade ranged from 97.59% (with Streptomyces resistomycificus DSM 40133T) to 97.22% (with Streptomyces mirabilis ATCC 27447T). Key phenotypic characteristics as well as chemotaxonomic features of the actinomyces were congruent with the description of the genus Streptomyces. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses, strain YIM31634T was recognized as a new species of the genus Streptomyces for which the name Streptomyces roseoalbus sp. nov. is proposed. The strain YIM 31634T has been deposited in the Chinese Center of Type Culture Collection as strain CCTCC M 203016T and in the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen (DSM 41833T).