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Herein, the organic matter is reported to reduce the overpotential of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for water splitting. Herein, osmium (Os) is doped into WO2.72 to form Os–WO2.72 as an electrocatalyst, which is applied into water splitting to produce hydrogen and assist promote glucose oxidization reaction (GOR). The OER overpotential of 0.05 Os–WO2.72 is only 248 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1 m KOH, which is much superior to commercial RuO2. Additionally, the 0.05 Os–WO2.72 has ultralow GOR overpotential of 158 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and 365 mV at 100 mA cm−2 in 1 m KOH with 0.1 m glucose, and the cell voltage is 1.37 V at 10 mA cm−2, the values are much lower than its electrocatalytic behaviors in 1 m KOH. The anode produces gluconic acid, which is an important industrial intermediate during hydrogen production at the cathode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulated pyroptosis is critical for pathogen elimination by inducing infected cell rupture and pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion, while overwhelmed pyroptosis contributes to organ dysfunction and pathological inflammatory response. Caffeic acid (CA) and ferulic acid (FA) are bothwell-known antioxidant and antiinflammatory phenolic acids, which resemble in chemical structure. Here we found that CA, but not FA, protects macrophages from both Nigericin-induced canonical and cytosolic lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced non-canonical pyroptosis and alleviates LPS-induced mice sepsis. It significantly improved the survival of pyroptotic cells and LPS-challenged mice and blocked proinflammatory cytokine secretion. The anti-pyroptotic effect of CA is independent of its regulations in cellular lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial function, or pyroptosis-associated gene transcription. Instead, CA arrests pyroptosis by directly associating with gasdermin D (GSDMD) and blocking its processing, resulting in reduced N-GSDMD pore construction and less cellular content release. In LPS-induced septic mice, CA inhibits GSDMD activation in peritoneal macrophages and reduces the serum levels of interleukin-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-a as the known pyroptosis inhibitors, disulfiram and dimethyl fumarate. Collectively, these findings suggest that CA inhibits pyroptosis by targeting GSDMD and is a potential candidate for curbing the pyroptosisassociated disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric film capacitors are considered as potential candidates for advanced power electronics technology due to their extremely high-power densities and outstanding mechanical and thermal stability, but the further improvement of energy storage density is still needed. Here, a strategy is proposed to enhance the energy storage properties by introducing nanoscale polarization regions into amorphous films, which can significantly improve the maximum polarization and maintain a high breakdown strength. The (1−x) BaTiO3-xBi(Ni0.5Zr0.5)O3 ((1−x)BT-xBNZ) thin films are fabricated by the sol– gel method and the amorphous films with nanoscale polarization regions are obtained by adjusting the preparation process. Consistent with the conjecture, amorphous phase and nanoscale polarization regions in the (1−x) BT-xBNZ films are clearly observed by electron diffraction. Results show that giant recoverable energy density of 103.7 J cm−3 with high energy efficiency of 88.3% are simultaneously achieved at 8.3 MV cm−1 in 0.92BT-0.08BNZ thin films. Furthermore, the 0.92BT-0.08BNZ thin film exhibits excellent thermal stability in a wide temperature range of 20–200°C, ΔWrec/Wrec20°C < 2.2%. This work provides a novel method for dielectric thin film capacitors applied in high temperature and electric field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancherythroculter nigrocauda is a cyprinid fish endemic of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China, where it is an important aquaculture and commercial species. It is also a threatened species as a result of overfishing, dam construction and water pollution. In this study, a chromosome‐level genome assembly of A. nigrocauda is reported and built using PacBio sequencing and the Hi‐C technology. The 1.04‐Gb sequenced genome of A. nigrocauda contained 2,403 contigs, with an N50 length of 3.12 Mb. Then, 1,297 contigs, which represented 54.0% of all contigs and 97.2% of the whole content of the genome nucleotide base, were assembled into 24 chromosomes. Combined with transcriptome data from 10 tissues, 27,042 (78.5%) genes were functionally annotated out of 34,414 predicted protein‐coding genes. Interestingly, high expression of many positively selected genes and expanded gene families in the brain suggested that these genes might play important roles in brain development in A. nigrocauda. Finally, we found tissue‐specific expression of 10,732 genes. Functional analyses showed that they were mainly composed of genes related to (a) environmental information processing, (b) the circulatory system, and (c) development, suggesting they might be important for adaptation to different environments and for development of A. nigrocauda. The high‐quality genome obtained in this study not only provides a valuable genomic resource for future studies of A. nigrocauda populations and conservation, but is also an important resource for further functional genomics studies of fishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel partitioned stator hybrid excited machine is proposed, in which the excitation sources including both permanent magnets (PMs) and field windings are allocated on the secondary stator that is separated from the original stator having armature windings. As a result, the available space is boosted to improve the torque density and flux regulation capability. Meanwhile, the rotor is simple without coil or PM. The PMs on the stator is placed on the slot openings between the two neighbour tooth tips, with which the uncontrolled voltage of the proposed machine is limited and it is favoured for safety-critical applications. The machine topology and operating principle are introduced in detail, and the basic electromagnetic performance is evaluated based on finite element method to validate the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric materials with large maximum polarization but small lossy hysteresis, high electrical breakdown, and postponed maximum polarization can store a large amount of electrical energy and are thus promising candidates for energy storage applications. In this work, a dielectric capacitor based on (Sr0.98Ca0.02)(Ti,Zr)O3 system achieved the elevated energy storage performances calculated from the polarization-electric field hysteresis loops due to enhanced breakdown strength by Zr substitution. Dielectric relaxation could be ascribed to the appearance of the doubly ionized oxygen vacancies verified by activation energy. For the studied system, dielectric breakdown dominated for the enhancement of energy storage performances because of the difference of ferroelectric activity and cation stability between Zr and Ti ions. The optimal Zr-modified composition exhibited better energy storage performances in contrast with pure (Sr0.98Ca0.02 )TiO3,suggesting that they might be an emerging candidate for next-generation high-energy devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective The mammalian target of rapamycin ( mTOR) signalling pathway regulates immune responses, and promotes cell growth and differentiation. Inhibition of mTOR with rapamycin modulates allergic asthma, while the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that rapamycin, effectively inhibits eosinophil differentiation, contributing to its overall protective role in allergic airway inflammation. Methods Rapamycin was administered in a mouse model of ovalbumin-induced allergic airway inflammation, and the eosinophil differentiation was analysed in vivo and in vitro. Results Rapamycin significantly attenuated allergic airway inflammation and markedly decreased the amount of eosinophils in local airways, peripheral blood and bone marrow, independently of levels of interleukin-5 ( IL-5). In vitro colony forming unit assay and liquid culture demonstrated that rapamycin directly inhibited IL-5-induced eosinophil differentiation. In addition, rapamycin reduced the production of IL-6 and IL-13 by eosinophils. Rapamycin was also capable of reducing the eosinophil levels in IL-5 transgenic NJ.1638 mice, again regardless of the constitutive high levels of IL-5. Interestingly, rapamycin inhibition of eosinophil differentiation in turn resulted in an accumulation of eosinophil lineage-committed progenitors in bone marrow. Conclusions Altogether these results clearly demonstrate a direct inhibitory role of rapamycin in eosinophil differentiation and function, and reemphasize the importance of rapamycin and possibly, mTOR, in allergic airway disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide with increasing morbidity. China has the largest asthmatic population and is one of the countries with the highest asthma mortality. Fortunately, asthma research in China, both clinical and scientific, has developed markedly over the past few years. This has resulted in significant increases in our understanding of Chinese asthma prevalence, risk factors, control status, pathogenesis, and new prevention or treatment strategies. In this review, the major achievements of asthma research in China from 2008 to 2012 are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) compositions separating rhombohedral and tetragonal phases in the (1− x− y)Pb(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3– yPbZrO3– xPbTiO3 (PMT–PZ–PT100 x) ternary solid solution system were characterized using X-ray diffraction and dielectric, piezoelectric properties. This work focused on compositions with a PZ content fixed at y=0.2, with an MPB composition found to be located at x=0.4. Piezoelectric coefficients and dielectric permittivity were found to be on the order of d33=580 pC/N and 4100, respectively. Acceptor modification using manganese was found to induce a “hardening” effect in 0.4PMT–0.2PZ–0.4PT, with decreased piezoelectric coefficients d33 and dielectric loss and increased mechanical quality factor Q. Piezoelectric coefficients d33, Q values, and dielectric loss were found to be 500 pC/N, 2000, and 0.4%, respectively, for 0.4PMT–0.2PZ–0.4PT with MnO2 dopant levels around 0.5 wt%. The figure of merit (product of Q and d33) was found to be on the order of 1 × 106, significantly higher when compared with other hard piezoelectric PZT materials. Specifically, the PMT–PZ–PT materials may be attractive candidates for high-power ultrasonic applications, particularly fine-scale components that require relating high permittivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we investigated the induction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and its resistance to Botrytis cinerea Pers. by burdock oligosaccharide. The disease severity of L. esculentum was evaluated 48 h after treatment with 0.6% burdock oligosaccharide, followed by inoculation with a spore suspension of B. cinerea. The formation of O2+, the activity of lipoxygenases (LOX), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the quantity and quality of changes in VOCs were determined a period of time after treatment with 0.6% burdock oligosaccharide. The results demonstrated that the disease index in treated plants was decreased by 42.5% compared with control 96 h after inoculation. The production of O2+ reached a maximum 6 h after treatment (1.36-fold compared with control). There was an increase in LOX, POD, CAT and SOD activity in response to burdock oligosaccharide treatment and the enzymes showed different trends in the time-course of induction. At 120 h after treatment, ( E)-2-hexenal was increased by 92% compared with control, whereas methyl salicylate showed a gradual increase with induction period. Previous results had demonstrated that chitosan elicitor enhanced the production VOCs of L. esculentum and decreased plant susceptibility towards B. cinerea. Together, these findings suggest that increasing the production of VOCs in response to burrdock oligosaccharide may be an important mechanism for L. esculentumin its defense against pathogens. In addition, burrdock oligosaccharide may act as a potent elicitor of resistance to disease in L. esculentum. (Managing editor: Ping He) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been globally reported. A novel coronavirus (CoV), SARS-CoV, was identified as the etiological agent of the disease. SARS-CoV 3C-like protease (3CLpro) mediates the proteolytic processing of replicase polypeptides 1a and 1ab into functional proteins, playing an important role in viral replication. In this study, we demonstrated the expression of the SARS-CoV 3CLpro in Escherichia coli and Vero cells, and then characterized the in vitro trans-cleavage and the cell-based cis-cleavage by the 3CLpro. Mutational analysis of the 3CLpro demonstrated the importance of His41, Cys145, and Glu166 in the substrate-binding subsite S1 for keeping the proteolytic activity. In addition, alanine substitution of the cleavage substrates indicated that Gln-P1 in the substrates mainly determined the cleavage efficiency. Therefore, this study not only established the quantifiable and reliable assay for the in vitro and cell-based measurement of the 3CLpro activity, but also characterized the molecular interaction of the SARS-CoV 3CLpro with the substrates. The results will be useful for the rational development of the anti-SARS drugs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

an editorial is presented on research and study presented by the medical care industry in China regarding inflammation of airways and respiratory diseases. It talks about the research emphasising of the medical care provided for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma in China. It tells about the manuscripts submitted by Chinese respirologists in the industry.