Search

Osteoblast differentiation is regulated by various transcription factors, signaling molecules, and posttranslational modifiers. The histone acetyltransferase Mof (Kat8) is involved in distinct physiological processes. However, the exact role of Mof in osteoblast differentiation and growth remains unknown. Herein, we demonstrated that Mof expression with histone H4K16 acetylation increased during osteoblast differentiation. Inhibition of Mof by siRNA knockdown or small molecule inhibitor, MG149 which is a potent histone acetyltransferase inhibitor, reduced the expression level and transactivation potential of osteogenic key markers, Runx2 and Osterix, thus inhibiting osteoblast differentiation. Besides, Mof overexpression also enhanced the protein levels of Runx2 and Osterix. Mof could directly bind the promoter region of Runx2/Osterix to potentiate their mRNA levels, possibly through Mof-mediated H4K16ac to facilitate the activation of transcriptional programs. Importantly, Mof physically interacts with Runx2/Osterix for the stimulation of osteoblast differentiation. Yet, Mof knockdown showed indistinguishable effect on cell proliferation or apoptosis in MSCs and preosteoblast cells. Taken together, our results uncover Mof functioning as a novel regulator of osteoblast differentiation via the promotional effects on Runx2/Osterix and rationalize Mof as a potential therapeutic target, like possible application of inhibitor MG149 for the treatment of osteosarcoma or developing specific Mof activator to ameliorate osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of advanced nanomaterials is urgent for electrocatalytic energy conversion applications. Recently, 2D nanomaterial‐derived heterogeneous electrocatalysts have shown great promise for both fundamental research and practical applications owing to their extremely high surface‐to‐volume ratio and tunable geometric and electronic properties. Because of their unique electronic structure and physicochemical properties, molybdenum (Mo)‐based 2D nanomaterials are emerging as one of the most attractive candidates among the nonprecious materials for electrocatalysts. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in the synthesis and modulation of 2D Mo compounds for applications in electrocatalytic energy conversion. The categories based on different compositions and corresponding synthetic approaches of 2D Mo compounds are first introduced. Subsequently, various atomic/plane/synergistic engineering strategies, along with catalytic optimization in the electrochemical process that involves the cycles of water, carbon, and nitrogen, are discussed in detail. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities for the development of 2D Mo‐based electrocatalysts are proposed with the goal of shedding light on these promising 2D nanomaterials for electrocatalytic energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although cellular therapy holds enormous promise in treating intractable diseases, its application potential has been significantly hampered due to the scarcity of reliable and consistent cell sources. Therefore, a high-efficiency strategy that improves cell production and storage is desperately needed. Herein, we develop a versatile 3D bioinspired scaffold (Cryosilk) for improving scalable cell manufacture and cryopreservation. A bottom-up fabrication technique integrating electrospinning, in situ surface functionalization and freeze-shaping was explored to construct Cryosilk with biomimetic features and functions of silkworm cocoons. Cryosilk is composed of a core-shell heterostructure with silk fibroin/poly alanine fiber core and silk sericin shell, generating a 3D cocoon-mimicking fibrous structure. Importantly, Cryosilk possesses improved thermal conductivity and ice crystal resistance capability, thus enabling to cryopreserve biological samples with minimal cryodamage. Furthermore, Cryosilk not only promotes cell adhesion and growth, but achieves rapid and uniform rewarming process, which provides high cryopreservation efficacy for immune cells and stem cells. Particularly, Cryosilk can maintain cell viability and biofunctions of stem cell-scaffold constructs after freeze-thawing, which can be directly implanted to promote wound healing. Thus, Cryosilk offers unprecedented efficacy in cell manufacture and cryopreservation, which provides sufficient and high-quality precious cells and tissue engineered scaffolds for cellular therapy. [Display omitted] • 3D scaffold (Cryosilk) is developed for improving cell manufacture and cryopreservation. • Cryosilk has fibroin/poly alanine core and sericin shell fabricated by a bottom-up technique. • Cells with Cryosilk maintain high cell viability and functions after cryopreservation. • Cell-Cryosilk constructs can be directly implanted to restore tissue defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical translation of cellular therapy is hampered by the scarcity of reliable and consistent cell sources. In this study, we developed an exquisite scaffold featuring the hierarchical structure and biofunctions of silkworm cocoons (CryoSiCo), for boosting cell manufacture and cryopreservation. CryoSiCo was constructed by a creative bottom-up fabrication technique integrating electrospinning, in situ surface functionalization and freeze-shaping, generating a 3D cocoon-mimicking fibrous scaffold composed of graphene oxide-incorporated polylactic acid/gelatin inner fiber core and alginate outer fiber shell. CryoSiCo provided rapid and uniform rewarming for cryopreserved cells, and maximally maintained cell viability and proliferation capability, allowing for effective cryopreservation. Importantly, CryoSiCo could cryopreserve stem cell-scaffold constructs with high cell survival and functions, which can be directly implanted to restore tissue defects. Thus, CryoSiCo represents an appealing biomimetic strategy for storing precious cells and tissue engineered constructs, showing a broad application for fundamental research and applied medicine. • An integrative fabrication strategy is developed for constructing 3D fibrous CryoSiCo. • CryoSiCo has PLA/gelatin/graphene oxide fiber core and alginate fiber shell. • Unique structure endows CryoSiCo with a rapid and uniform freeze-thawing process. • Alginate modification of CryoSiCo enables inhibition of ice crystal growth. • Cryopreserved cells with CryoSiCo maintain high cell viability and functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sow reproductive performance is crucial in the entire pig industry. However, the heritability of reproductive traits is slowthat it is difficult to make great genetic progress by traditional breeding methods. Therefore, in this study, we performed genome-wide association analyses of litter traits in French White sows to explore genes related to sow reproductive traits and we finally detected a notable region (10.72–11.06 Mb on chromosome 7) and four promising genes (JARID2, PDIA6, FLRT2 and DICER1). The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for subsequent molecular breeding. The reproductive traits of sows are one of the important economic traits in pig production, and their performance directly affects the economic benefits of the entire pig industry. In this study, a total of 895 French Large White pigs were genotyped by GeneSeek Porcine 50K SNP Beadchip and four phenotypic traits of 1407 pigs were recorded, including total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), number healthy piglets (NHP) and litter weight born alive (LWB). To identify genomic regions and genes for these traits, we used two approaches: a single-locus genome-wide association study (GWAS) and a single-step GWAS (ssGWAS). Overall, a total of five SNPs and 36 genomic regions were identified by single-locus GWAS and ssGWAS, respectively. Notably, fourof all five significant SNPs were located in 10.72–11.06 Mb on chromosome 7, were also identified by ssGWAS. These regions explained the highest or second highest genetic variance in the TNB, NBA and NHP traits and harbor the protein coding gene ENSSSCG00000042180. In addition, several candidate genes associated with litter traits were identified, including JARID2, PDIA6, FLRT2 and DICER1. Overall, these novel results reflect the polygenic genetic architecture of the litter traits and provide a theoretical reference for the following implementation of molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Lithographical nanostructures were achieved on PMMA films by AFM ploughing. • The lithography conditions for the well-defined PMMA nanostructures were revealed. • OLED nanoarrays were realized based on the isolated resist channels by AFM ploughing. Fabrication of micro-nanoscaled organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with uniformity and scalability has emerged as a promising technology in next-generation displays and light sources. Patterning polymer resist into well-defined structures is a crucial step in the fabrication of optoelectronic device arrays, especially for cost-effectively fabricating lithographical sub-micro resist structures. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) ploughing is promising for patterning high-resolution polymer resist structures owing to nanoscaled resolution, high controllability, with relatively low cost under flexible working conditions. However, the defects of structures resulting from polymer debris contamination or spin-coated film exfoliation in ploughing procedure limit their further application in fabrication of device arrays. Herein, lithographical poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) resist patterns in micro-nanoscale with excellent reproducibility and uniformity are achieved via AFM mechanical ploughing at the optimized lithography conditions. Taking use of the isolated PMMA cavities as current channels, we fabricate prototype OLED arrays with pixels of 500 nm and 1 μm. This work paves the way for developing a tip-based mechanical lithography approach to fabricate micro-nanoscaled optoelectronic devices in a simple and low-cost way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiogenic shock is the most severe form of acute heart failure. The aim of the current study was to investigate correlations between diagnostic parameters and the estimated ejection fraction in patients with cardiogenic shock. A total of 2,445 patients with acute myocardial infarction were subjected to coronary angiograms and standard 2D transthoracic echocardiography. Information for culprit vessel(s) and mitral regurgitation were collected. The Spearman's correlation test was used to assess the correlation between diagnostic parameters and estimated ejection fractions at a 95% confidence level. The angiographically-derived numbers of culprit vessels had a significant correlation with mitral regurgitation (r=0.907; P=0.034). The echocardiographically-derived mitral regurgitation was significantly correlated with the numbers of culprit vessels (r=0.896; P=0.04). Positive correlation was established between angiographically- and echocardiographically-measured left ventricular ejection fraction (r=0.356; P=0.045). The numbers of culprit vessels (P=0.058) and mitral regurgitation (r=0.99; P=0.001) were similar for angiography and echocardiography. Echocardiography- and angiography-derived results were correlated with the estimated ejection fractions of patients with cardiogenic shock. However, there is a substantial difference in the procedures of the two operational techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clearance of apoptotic cells by efferocytosis is crucial for prevention of atherosclerosis progress, and impaired efferocytosis contributes to the aggravated atherosclerosis. Results: In this study, we found that diabetic ApoE–/– mice showed aggravated atherosclerosis as hyperglycemia damaged the efferocytosis capacity at least partially due to decreased expression of Mer tyrosine kinase (MerTK) on macrophages. To locally restore MerTK in the macrophages in the plaque, hybrid membrane nanovesicles (HMNVs) were thus developed. Briefly, cell membrane from MerTK overexpressing RAW264.7 cell and transferrin receptor (TfR) overexpressing HEK293T cell were mixed with DOPE polymers to produce nanovesicles designated as HMNVs. HMNVs could fuse with the recipient cell membrane and thus increased MerTK in diabetic macrophages, which in turn restored the efferocytosis capacity. Upon intravenous administration into diabetic ApoE–/– mice, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SMN) decorated HMNVs accumulated at the aorta site significantly under magnetic navigation, where the recipient macrophages cleared the apoptotic cells efficiently and thus decreased the inflammation. Conclusions: Our study indicates that MerTK decrease in macrophages contributes to the aggravated atherosclerosis in diabetic ApoE–/– mice and regional restoration of MerTK in macrophages of the plaque via HMNVs could be a promising therapeutic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) BANCR is a well-studied lncRNA that serves pivotal roles in various malignancies; however, to the best of our knowledge, its involvement in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remains unknown. In the present study, the expression levels of lncRNA BANCR were detected in granulosa cells (GCs) from patients with PCOS and non-PCOS patients undergoing in vitro fertilization by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, GCs and the KGN human granulosa-like tumor cell line were treated with insulin, and BANCR expression was detected. KGN cells were also transfected with a BANCR expression vector, after which, cell proliferation, apoptosis and the expression levels of pro-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein (Bax) and p53 were detected by Cell Counting kit-8 assay, MTT assay and western blotting, respectively. The results revealed that the expression levels of lncRNA BANCR in GCs were significantly higher in patients with PCOS compared with in non-PCOS patients. In addition, insulin treatment significantly upregulated the expression of BANCR in GCs and KGN cells. Transfection with the BANCR expression vector significantly inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of KGN cells, and significantly promoted the expression levels of pro-apoptotic Bax and p53. Therefore, it may be concluded that lncRNA BANCR participates in PCOS by promoting cell apoptosis through the upregulation of Bax and p53. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding of interface electronic property of organic/organic heterostructures is one of the important issues for the development of organic electronics. Herein, we report the visualization of both morphology and interface potential profile of two similar organic/organic heterostructures using Kelvin probe force microscopy. Both heterostructures adopt pentacene molecules as the top layer and using two conjugate oligomers as the bottom layer. Although they show similar morphology but exhibit significant differences in device performance, which can be understood from the results measured with Kelvin probe force microscopy. The 2D surface potential mapping at the organic/organic interface with submonolayer morphology provides a striking contrast between the two heterostrutures, which is directly related to the interface electronic properties. Moreover, a charge transfer effect was clearly observed in the pentacene/ p -6P system which further enhanced the charge transport in the devices. This study provides a simple route to gain thorough understanding of organic/organic interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • S atoms are doped into N-rich Mo 5 N 6 through controlled topochemical substitution. • The S dopants induce the electron redistribution of Mo 5 N 6. • DFT simulations reveal the optimized ΔG H* value of −0.06 eV on the basal planes. • S-Mo 5 N 6 can achieve 10 mA cm−2 with an overpotential of 56 mV and a Tafel slope of 37.9 mV dec-1. Nitrogen-rich transition metal nitrides (e.g., Mo 5 N 6) have emerged as promising catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) owing to their unique electronic properties and structural stability. However, the higher valence of metal atoms with strong hydrogen adsorption blocks the subsequent desorption process, leading to unsatisfactory HER activity. In this study, we devise a topochemical route for the synthesis of sulfur-doped Mo 5 N 6 through the controlled ammoniation of MoS 2. Experiments and density functional theory simulations reveal that the sulfur dopants reform the localized configurations of Mo 5 N 6 , thereby inducing the electron redistribution and optimizing the hydrogen adsorption energy on the basal plane. Consequently, extraordinary HER performance with an overpotential of 56 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 37.9 mV dec-1 are achieved, outperforming most reported Mo nitride-based electrocatalysts. This work provides a feasible strategy to explore efficient electrocatalysts by electronic structure refinement using heteroatom dopants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two carbazole or carbazole-3-carbonitrile/pyridine-based bipolar materials were designed and synthesized as the hosts for solution-processed sky-blue PhOLEDs and green TADF-OLEDs. The solution-processed blue PhOLEDs based on 2,6-CzPy and CN-2,6-CzPy were fabricated exhibiting CE max of 27.4, 14.0 cd A−1 and PE max of 11.1, 5.6 lm W−1. Remarkably, the turn-on voltage (V on) of device A and B based on 2,6-CzPy drops slightly, as the doping concentration increasing from 10% to 15%. The green TADF-OLED based on 2,6-CzPy shows CE max of 10.6 cd A−1, EQE of 3.0%. Although the rational introduction of cyano substituents can significantly upgrade the thermal stability of the hosts. T g and T d of CN-2,6-CzPy improved by 53 °C and 83 °C than 2,6-CzPy. Nevertheless, the introduction of cyano substituents leads to CN-2,6-CzPy exhibiting deeper HOMO and generating a large hole injection barrier is not conducive to improve device performance. [Display omitted] • Carbazole or carbazole-3-carbonitrile/pyridine-based bipolar hosts. • For solution-processed sky-blue PhOLEDs and green TADF-OLEDs. • The green TADF-OLED based on 2,6-CzPy shows CE max of 10.6 cd A−1, EQE of 3.0%. • The blue PhOLEDs exhibited CE max of 27.4 cd A−1 and PE max of 11.1 lm W−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogen generation rate (HGR) of NaBH4 hydrolyzation is sensitive to the pH value of its aqueous solution. The highly dispersed conduction band of metal-oxide semiconductors with d10 electronic configuration allows excellent mobility of photoexcited electrons, ensuring effective separation of photoexcited electron–hole pairs. In this study, ZnGa2O4, a conventional photocatalytic material with d10 electronic configuration was investigated for the synergistically photo-thermo-catalytic effect in NaBH4 hydrolyzation. The hydrogen generation tests revealed that photoexcited holes as OH−-trapping agent promoted hydrogen generated from NaBH4 hydrolyzation. Meanwhile, the consumption of photoexcited holes accelerated hydrogen generated from photoexcited electron reduction. Coupled with these two factors, ZnGa2O4 exhibited synergistically photo-thermo-catalytic effect in NaBH4 hydrolyzation. The HGR in photo-thermo driven condition offered several times higher than that in single-energy driven condition (irradiation or thermal radiation). The obtained catalysts, bare-ZnGa2O4 and ZnGa1.90Fe0.10O4 achieved optimum HGR at 313.15 K under ultraviolet-light (7.81 mmol h−1 g−1) and visible light (4.39 mmol h−1 g−1), respectively. In addition, the circular tests demonstrated ZnGa2O4 catalysts with high thermodynamic and chemical stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid detection of cell viability is of importance for various aspects of basic and applied research. However, the most commonly used MTT assay suffers from some disadvantages of time-consuming, poor solubility of formazan crystals, and interference of cell extracts, resulting in either delayed results or inconsistent cell viability. Accumulating evidences show that mitochondrial activity is closely associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis, making it valuable for real-time monitoring of cell fates. Herein, we present a novel type of cell-permeant mitochondrial dyes, composed of coumarin-quinoline conjugates (CQCs), for assessing cell viability through monitoring mitochondrial dynamic changes. CQCs exhibited superior preference for mitochondria, and could sensitively monitor their fissions under pathological conditions. Particularly, CQCs could accurately assess the cell viability within 10 min, allowing for rapidly evaluating therapeutic effects with high sensitivity and accuracy, in comparison of MTT assay. Therefore, CQCs provide a proof-of-concept assay that is appropriately practical either independently or in complementation with other assays for the analysis of cellular viability in broad range of biomedical applications. Image 1 • Coumarin-quinoline conjugates (CQCs) with inherent alkaloid-like and lipophilic properties have been developed. • CQCs possess outstanding biocompatibility and mitochondrial specificity. • CQCs can selectively monitor and quantify mitochondrial dynamics in living cells. • CQCs exhibit analogous sensitivity to the MTT assay in assessing cell viability with high sensitivity and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the effect of FTZ on high-glucose-induced oxidative stress and underlying mechanisms. Methods. We used a β cell dysfunction and diabetes model that was induced in rats fed a high-fat high-sugar diet (HFHSD) for 6 weeks and injected once with 35 mg/kg streptozocin (STZ). Then, 3 and 6 g/kg of FTZ were administered by gavage for 8 weeks. In addition, an ex vivo model of oxidative stress was induced by stimulating INS-1 cells with 25 mmol/L glucose for 48 h. Result. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG) in diabetic model rats were obviously higher than those in the normal group; furthermore with reduced levels of β cells, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and Bcl-2 increased lipid peroxide malondialdehyde (MDA) and caspase-3 in the pancreatic tissue of the diabetic model rats. Afterward, the cells were incubated with FTZ-containing serum and edaravone. The 25 mmol/L glucose-induced SOD reduction increased MDA and intracellular ROS. The protein expression level of Mn-SOD and CAT in the model group decreased significantly compared with that in the control group. Conclusion. FTZ treatment significantly improved the alteration in the level of SOD, CAT, Bcl-2, caspase-3, and MDA coupled with β cell dysfunction in diabetic rats. Oxidative stress in INS-1 cells was closely associated with a higher rate of apoptosis, increased production of ROS and MDA, enhanced Bax expression, and caspase-3, -9 activities and markedly decreased protein expression of Mn-SOD and CAT. FTZ-containing serum incubation notably reversed the high-glucose-evoked increase in cell apoptosis, production of ROS and MDA, and Bax protein levels. Furthermore, FTZ stimulation upregulated the expression levels of several genes, including Mn-SOD, CAT, and Bcl-2/Bcl-xl. In addition, FTZ decreased the intracellular activity of caspase-3, -9 in INS-1 cells. FTZ protected β-cells from oxidative stress induced by high glucose in vivo and in vitro. The beneficial effect of FTZ was closely associated with a decrease in the activity of caspase-3, -9 and intracellular production of ROS, MDA, and Bax coupled with an increase in the expression of Mn-SOD, CAT, and Bcl-2/Bcl-xl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetallic core-shell nanostructures are of great interest because of their unique properties. Although bimetallic core-shell nanostructures with plenty of shapes are prepared, synthesis of core-shell nanostructures with asymmetric core and shells is still elusive. This work reports a facile seed-mediated synthesis of Au@Ag right bipyramids with high yield (>95%) and broadly tunable edge length (from ≈130 to ≈230 nm) as well as tunable localized surface plasmon resonance properties. For the first time, a four-leaf-cloverlike tetramer of bipyramids is obtained through self-assembly of the synthesized Au@Ag right bipyramids. The as-assembled structure performs well in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with an analytical enhancement factor up to 1.4 × 107 because of the existence of both sharp tips and "hot-spots." The present work not only develops a new kind of nanomaterials, but also shows promising applications in optics and sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power generation is one of the most effective ways to solve the electric power supply in islands. This paper presents a simple, reliable, and effective power regulating device for small-scale island wind turbine, especially for the turbine's protection during strong winds. The regulator consists of a rigid tail with an electrical control rotating an aerodynamic vane to yaw the rotor edgewise to the wind direction during high wind speeds, an electric linear actuator, and a controller. Compared with the conventional mechanical vane applied in small-scale wind turbines, such a device possesses several advantages of simple structure, high controllability, and increased reliability. The implementation of rotating the vane actively only depends on the generator speed by measuring AC electrical frequency and the output power by measuring two DC electrical quantities, and no mechanical sensors are needed. The regulator has been applied to a 15-kW prototype operating on an island for more than three years. Field test results indicate that the regulator can effectively turn the rotor out of the wind direction and its behavior agrees well with simulations. Such means of power regulating for small-scale wind turbines can be advantageously utilized compared to other mechanical or electromechanical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Suicide among youth is a major public health challenge, attracting increasing attention. However, the neurobiological mechanisms and the pathophysiology underlying suicidal behavior in depressed youths are still unclear. The fMRI enables a better understanding of functional changes in the brains of young suicide attempters with depressive disorder through detecting spontaneous neural activity. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between abnormalities involving local brain function and suicidal attempts in depressed youths using resting-state fMRI (RS-fMRI).Method: Thirty-five depressed youths aged between 15 and 29 years with a history of suicidal attempts (SU group), 18 patients without suicidal attempts (NSU group) and 47 gender-, age- and education-matched healthy controls (HC) underwent psychological assessment and R-fMRI. The differences in fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) among the three groups were compared. The clinical factors correlated with z-score ALFF in the regions displaying significant group differences were investigated. The ROC method was used to evaluate these clusters as markers to screen patients with suicidal behavior.Results: Compared with the NSU and HC groups, the SU group showed increased zALFF in the right superior temporal gyrus (r-STG), left middle temporal gyrus (L-MTG) and left middle occipital gyrus (L-MOG). Additionally, significantly decreased zALFF values in the L-SFG and L-MFG were found in the SU group compared with the NSU group, which were negatively correlated with BIS scores in the SU group. Further ROC analysis revealed that the mean zALFF values in these two regions (sensitivity=83.3% and specificity=71.4%) served as markers to differentiate the two patient subtypes.Conclusion: The SU group had abnormal spontaneous neural activity during the resting state, and decreased activity in L-SFG and L-MFG was associated with increased impulsivity in SU group. Our results suggested that abnormal neural activity in these brain regions may represent a potential neurobiological diathesis or predisposition to suicidal behavior in youth depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bottom-up approach combined with national and provincial statistical data was used to evaluate the potential environmental effects of electricity generation scenarios based on five mature biomasses in China. Coal-based electricity generation technology was used as control. Uncertainty analysis was conducted to confirm and add credibility to this study. The electricity generation capacities of municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, and corn straw account for approximately 0.86%, 0.085%, and 8.18%, respectively, of electricity generated in China in 2012. The estimated national environmental burden caused by biomass-based electricity generation was mainly observed in eastern China, which can be attributed to the relatively high population density and economic levels of this region. For each biomass-based scenario, the key factors that contribute to the overall environmental burden include direct emissions of nitrogen oxides, phosphorus, mercury, and particulate matter. In addition, carbon dioxide pollution generated from methane incineration, road transport, and electricity consumption play a dominant role in the overall environmental burden. The environmental benefits of biomass mainly vary depending on the technologies applied and their electricity generation efficiency. Compared with the corn straw scenario, coal-based electricity generation technology yields strong environmental benefits in most key categories with the exception of climate change and human toxicity. Accordingly, biomass is not unconditionally cleaner than fossil fuel. The utilization and popularization of biomass-based electricity generation technologies must be systematically and scientifically evaluated to avoid secondary pollution generation and pollutant transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peritonitis is a serious complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Gut microbiota alterations occur in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The relationship between the gut microbiota and PD-related peritonitis (PRP) is still poorly understood. It is unclear whether the intestinal flora is involved in the pathogenesis of PRP. Methods: We collected fecal samples from PRP patients and normal group (NG) PD patients. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to analyze the gut microbiota of PRP and NG patients while also comparing the gram-positive peritonitis (GPP), Escherichia coli peritonitis (EP) and culture-negative peritonitis (CNP) groups in the subgroup analysis. The demographic data and clinical indicators of all patients were collected. Results: Seventeen PRP patients and 28 NG patients were recruited for this study. The analysis of fecal community diversity with 16S rDNA sequencing showed an obvious change in the microbial structure of PRP patients, where Bacteroidetes and Synergistetes were upregulated at different levels, while Bacilli and Lactobacillus were downregulated at different levels compared to levels in the NG group. In the subgroup analysis, Saccharimonadaceae was significantly increased in the GPP group compared to the EP and CNP group. In addition, decreased gene function associated with metabolic pathways was observed in PRP patients. Conclusions: Bacteroidetes and Synergistetes were the dominant orders in PRP patients. The altered composition of the gut microbiota in PRP patients provided deeper insights into the pathogenesis of PRP, and these biomarkers might be established as potential therapeutic targets that deserve further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a design concept for multifunctional prodrugs that simultaneously induce apoptosis and suppress cancer cell metastasis in vitro and in vivo. These “all-in-one” prodrug constructs possess therapeutic potential as novel “integrative” platforms for metastatic cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene–polyaniline–MnO 2 (G–P–Mn) hybrids were synthesized via a facile approach that includes the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) to graphene (G) by aniline and then followed by oil–water interfacial polymerization of aniline to polyaniline (PANI) using a binary oxidant of KMnO 4 and (NH 4 ) 2 S 2 O 8 . PANI was orderly nanofibered and MnO 2 -doped due to interfacial polymerization and the use of binary oxidant. The hybrids conclude electrical double layer capacitance of G and pseudo capacitance of PANI and MnO 2 , showing enhanced specific capacitance of 800.1 F g −1 at 0.4 A g −1 with good cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Uric acid (UA) is thought to exert neuroprotective roles. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of serum UA with suicide attempts (SA) in adolescents and young adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). Patients and Methods: We retrospectively recruited  533 participants with MDD aged 13 to 25 years, of which 168 had a history of SA in the past three months and 365 did not have a history of SA. Serum UA levels were measured using the uricase-peroxidase coupling method. In addition to overall serum UA level comparison in MDD individuals with and without SA, a stratified analysis by biological sex was carried out. Results: Compared to MDD individuals without a history of SA, serum UA levels were significantly lower in MDD individuals with SA (P < 0.001). Female MDD, but not male MDD individuals, with SA exhibited lower levels of UA than those without SA (P < 0.01). Importantly, serum UA remained significantly associated with SA in MDD individuals (OR = 0.996, 95% CI: 0.993∼ 0.999, P < 0.01) when controlling for possible confounding variables. Conclusion: This research identifies a relationship between serum UA levels and SA in adolescents and young adults with MDD. UA may represent a biological risk marker for SA, in particular for female MDD individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the extended exposure of tidal stream energy generation systems to seawater, which can lead to marine biofouling and subsequent reductions in turbine efficiency, this paper presents a deep learning-based method for the identification of pollutant adhesion. This method aims to rapidly assess the status of turbine pollutant adhesion in tidal energy generation systems. A dataset of adhesion images from tidal stream energy generation system under varying levels of pollution was obtained through underwater experiments with artificial fouling. Three different deep learning algorithms were employed to investigate the enhancement of underwater biofouling image quality. Image segmentation algorithms were used to extract and identify information related to the location and area of biofouling. The results demonstrate that the proposed deep learning-based pollutant adhesion identification method effectively recognizes the adhesion status on turbine blades, improving the accuracy of pollutant identification. This approach provides an efficient and accurate means of pollutant adhesion detection and management for the operation and maintenance of tidal stream energy generation systems, ultimately reducing operational costs. • A deep learning-based method for pollutant adhesion recognition is proposed. • The prototypes of the turbine component for the tidal energy generator device are designed, manufactured and tested under water. • Underwater images of the biofouling status of underwater tidal energy turbine devices are collected. • The recognition method can effectively improve the accuracy of identification of pollutant adhesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Size-controllable PtNPs decorated-PmPD was fabricated by a double-potential method. [•] The PtNPs/PmPD exhibits excellent catalytic ability toward methanol oxidation. [•] The electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergic effect of PtNPs and PmPD. [•] The as-prepared PtNPs/PmPD also exhibits good poisoning-tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The tidal stream turbine is the major device we use to obtain the kinetic energy of tides. The blades of the rotor are one of the essential parts which can convert tidal current energy into mechanical energy. Now most horizontal-axis turbine blade design theories are mostly based on the BEM (blade element momentum) theory and Glauert theory (e.g., WTperf, GHbladed). This paper comes up with a new method – Schmitz design. This method is easier, but they have the same physical philosophy. Also we change the chord length distribution to adapt the low stream velocity. This new hydrofoil increases the startup torque, improves the total performance of the turbine and decreases the thrust coefficient. At the same time we consider the incipient cavitations, tip loss and airfoil loss. We compare the design results with the experimental data in the literature. This method can satisfy the requirement of the design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The adaptation to changes in flow direction is the premise to harness the bidirectional flow energy for a tidal stream turbine. Present studies usually aim at active variable-pitch or steering with dynamic sealing to carry out this task. In this paper, a 300 kW horizontal-axis tidal stream energy conversion system with an adaptive variable-pitch turbine and an outer-rotor type PMSG is developed. Based on the BEMT, the principle of the turbine with symmetrical airfoils and backward swept blades to follow the bidirectional flow is presented, and the hydrodynamic performances, such as pitching, starting, power and thrust, are discussed. The encapsulated windings and magnets of the PMSG can expose to the seawater, and the output characteristics are analyzed at different conditions in the factory. Both the turbine and generator are characterized by no dynamic sealing. The experiment results in the field show that the bidirectional flow energy can be extracted effectively, and the generator can work well to output electric power steadily. The hydrodynamic performances predicted by the modified BEMT meet the design requirements of the 300 kW prototype. The successful field trial of this novel device lays solid support for the utilization of the bidirectional tidal stream energy. [Display omitted] • A horizontal-axis TST with three adaptive variable-pitch blades is presented. • Hydrodynamic performance of the novel design is discussed based on modified BEMT. • An outer-rotor type PMSG with no dynamic sealing is proposed. • A 300 kW prototype has been testified to work well at a test site of Zhoushan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This was the first study on suicidal and self-harm ideation (SSI) in hospital staff during a public health crisis. • 744 (6.47%) hospital staff reported a suicidal and self-harm ideation. • The epidemic-related factors, the psychological status and need, and the perceived stress and support were associated with SSI in hospital staff. • The current SSI in the initial phase of a pandemic might lower than that in non-pandemic days. The COVID-19 pandemic put global medical systems under massive pressure for its uncertainty, severity, and persistence. For detecting the prevalence of suicidal and self-harm ideation (SSI) and its related risk factors among hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, this cross-sectional study collected the sociodemographic data, epidemic-related information, the psychological status and need, and perceived stress and support from 11507 staff in 46 hospitals by an online survey from February 14 to March 2, 2020. The prevalence of SSI was 6.47%. Hospital staff with SSI had high family members or relatives infected number and the self-rated probability of infection. Additionally, they had more perceived stress, psychological need, and psychological impact. On the contrary, hospital staff without SSI reported high self-rated health, willingness to work in a COVID-19 ward, confidence in defeating COVID-19, and perceived support. Furthermore, they reported better marital or family relationship, longer sleep hours, and shorter work hours. The infection of family members or relatives, poor marital status, poor self-rated health, the current need for psychological intervention, perceived high stress, perceived low support, depression, and anxiety were independent factors to SSI. A systematic psychological intervention strategy during a public health crisis was needed for the hospital staff's mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicidal behavior is a major concern for patients who suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD), especially among adolescents and young adults. Machine learning models with the capability of suicide risk identification at an individual level could improve suicide prevention among high-risk patient population.Methods: A cross-sectional assessment was conducted on a sample of 66 adolescents/young adults diagnosed with MDD. The structural T1-weighted MRI scan of each subject was processed using the FreeSurfer software. The classification model was conducted using the Support Vector Machine - Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE) algorithm to distinguish suicide attempters and patients with suicidal ideation but without attempts.Results: The SVM model was able to correctly identify suicide attempters and patients with suicidal ideation but without attempts with a cross-validated prediction balanced accuracy of 78.59%, the sensitivity was 73.17% and the specificity was 84.0%. The positive predictive value of suicide attempt was 88.24%, and the negative predictive value was 65.63%. Right lateral orbitofrontal thickness, left caudal anterior cingulate thickness, left fusiform thickness, left temporal pole volume, right rostral anterior cingulate volume, left lateral orbitofrontal thickness, left posterior cingulate thickness, right pars orbitalis thickness, right posterior cingulate thickness, and left medial orbitofrontal thickness were the 10 top-ranked classifiers for suicide attempt.Conclusions: The findings indicated that structural MRI data can be useful for the classification of suicide risk. The algorithm developed in current study may lead to identify suicide attempt risk among MDD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking the flow direction is one of the effective ways to harvest more energy for a horizontal-axis tidal stream turbine (HATST). This paper presents a novel HATST design that incorporates a yaw method with a tail wing, inspired by horizontal-axis wind turbines. The design enables the HATST to adaptively yaw toward the bidirectional flow with a reciprocating rotation. To ensure stability, a small yaw angle was reserved and permanent magnets were employed to hold the yaw mechanism steady. The kinetic equations of the yaw mechanism were established, and the influence of the yaw shaft's position and the tail wing's mass on the yaw performance was analyzed. A test model was constructed to validate the design and analysis, and the optimum parameters were discussed. Experimental results demonstrated that the HATST yawed well toward the inflow and maintained the designed yaw angle of approximately 5° at different velocities. Compared with the device without magnetic-assisted yaw, the HATST achieves more than 4.47% increase in output power in the velocity range of 0.15 m/s to 0.31 m/s, and exhibits minimal swing amplitude. This research provides a novel and practical solution for the effective utilization of bidirectional tidal steam energy. [Display omitted] • A HATST with adaptive yaw is proposed to capture more energy. • A magnetic-assisted limit device is employed for stable yaw. • The kinetic equations of this novel yaw mechanism are established. • Narrow yaw shaft span is designed to relieve the yaw damp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal nitrides (TMNs), by virtue of their unique electronic structure, high electrical conductivity, superior chemical stability, and excellent mechanical robustness, have triggered tremendous research interest over the past decade, and showed great potential for electrochemical energy conversion and storage. However, bulk TMNs usually suffer from limited numbers of active sites and sluggish ionic kinetics, and eventually ordinary electrochemical performance. Designing nanostructured TMNs with tailored morphology and good dispersity has proved an effective strategy to address these issues, which provides a larger specific surface area, more abundant active sites, and shorter ion and mass transport distances over the bulk counterparts. Herein, the most up-to-date progress on TMN-based nanomaterials is comprehensively reviewed, focusing on geometric-structure design, electronic-structure engineering, and applications in electrochemical energy conversion and storage, including electrocatalysis, supercapacitors, and rechargeable batteries. Finally, we outline the future challenges of TMN-based nanomaterials and their possible research directions beyond electrochemical energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wound healing is a complex process involved in repairing tissue damage and preventing infection. However, there is a lack of appropriate treatment solutions that can simultaneously promote tissue repair and protect againstbacteria, especially antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In this study, we have developed an injectable hydrogel encapsulating acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) and bacteriophage, termed as ABgel, for combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria and enhancing wound regeneration. ABgel is composed of oxidized sodium alginate (OSA), gelatin and hyaluronic acid (HA), and can rapidly form hydrogel with an elastic modulus of 13 kPa, which mimics the skin tissues. In addition, ABgel can effectively load and stabilize bacteriophage and aFGF, allowing for preventing bacterial infections and improving regeneration of damaged dermal tissues. In vitro studies demonstrate that ABgel exhibits enormous antibacterial activity against antibiotic-resistant E. coli and enhanced angiogenetic activity. Importantly, ABgel can promote skin regeneration and prevent bacterial infections in mice, thereby promoting wound healing process. Therefore, ABgel represents a decent bioactive engineered hydrogel dressing with a broad application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescence and young adulthood are considered the peak age for the emergence of many psychiatric disorders, in particular major depressive disorder (MDD). Previous research has shown substantial heritability for MDD. In addition, the brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene is known to be associated with MDD. However, there has been no study conducting targeted sequencing of the BDNF gene in young MDD patients so far. Method: To examine whether the BDNF gene is associated with the occurrence of MDD in young patients, we used targeted sequencing to detect the BDNF gene variants in 259 young Chinese Han people (105 MDD patients and 154 healthy subjects). Results: The BDNF variant rs4030470 was associated with MDD in young Chinese Han people (uncorrected p = 0.046), but this was no longer significant after applying FDR correction (p = 0.552, after FDR correction). We did not find any significant differences in genotype or haplotype frequencies between the case and control groups, and furthermore discovered no rare mutation variants any of the 259 subjects. Conclusion: Our results do not support an association of the BDNF gene variants with MDD in young people in the Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet addiction (IA) is common among young students. This study aimed to examine the influence and mechanisms of IA and susceptible personality traits on the impact of suicidal ideation in adolescent students in China. This cross-sectional study (09/2012–09/2015) used stratified cluster sampling with "school type" for stratification; 136,266 students from 63 schools completed the questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the effect of IA (Young's Internet Addiction Test) and susceptible personality (Barratt impulsiveness scale, Buss & Perry Aggression Questionnaire; and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-R Short Scale) on suicidal ideation (Scale of Suicidal Ideation). Suicidal ideation was observed in 20,218 (14.77%) of the students, and IA was detected in 28,836 (21.16%) subjects. Compared with those without IA, students with IA had a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation (P < 0.0001). No planning impulsiveness had a predictive effect on suicidal ideation in the impulsive personality trait, while in the aggressive personality trait, hostility and self-aggression had a predictive effect on suicidal ideation (all P < 0.0001). High psychoticism and neuroticism were impact factors for suicidal ideation, but extroversion was a protective factor (all P < 0.0001). These results highlight the importance of assessing personality traits and reducing IA as a possible means of lessening suicidal ideation. Susceptible personality (such as high psychoticism, high neuroticism, and low extroversion) play a prominent role in influencing the probability of having suicidal behavior among those recently exposed to IA. IA and susceptible personality traits were significantly correlated with suicidal and self-harm ideation among adolescent students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterning organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) with several micrometers resolution is of importance in applications such as micro displays, virtual and augmented reality devices. Here a fabrication method of micro OLEDs is reported, using conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy) as nucleation layer. The photolithographically patterned PPy films are used for patterned growth of hole transport layer to locally confine carrier injection. High‐resolution red, green, and blue micro OLED arrays are demonstrated. The green micro OLEDs with stacked structure of Al/Alq3/NPB/PPy/ITO exhibit a maximum current efficiency of 3.41 cd A−1, which is 80% in comparison to those devices on indium tin oxide glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The neural basis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) which is a clinical syndrome characterized by emotional and cognitive impairments is poorly understood. Accumulating evidence has suggested that the insula is an important substrate underlying the mechanism of MDD. This study aimed to examine the disrupted resting-state brain regional function in insula and to further investigate the associated resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) of insula underlie the MDD in adolescents and young adults.Methods: We employed 3.0T resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to acquire data from 76 adolescents and young adults with MDD and 44 age and sex matched healthy control subjects. We employed a regional Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation (ALFF) analysis to explore local intrinsic neural oscillation alterations in insula and an ALFF-based functional connectivity (FC) approach to detect the potential changes in remote connectivity with insula in adolescents and young adults with MDD.Results: By applying ALFF analysis, significantly decreased activities were detected in bilateral insula, and in particular in right anterior insular gyrus (MNI; ROI1: 42, 24, -3), right posterior insular gyrus (Montreal Neurological Institute, MNI; ROI2: 36, -9, 15) and left anterior insular gyrus (MNI; ROI3: -36, 12, 9) in patients with MDD compared to the healthy controls (p < 0.05, 1000 permutations, TFCE corrected). With ROI2 as the seed in the subsequent ALFF-based rs-FC analysis, patients with MDD were observed to have significantly reduced FC with bilateral middle occipital gyrus, lingual gyrus, calcarine, postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, supramarginal area, superior temporal gyrus and middle cingulate gyrus as compared to the healthy controls (p < 0.05, 1000 permutations, TFCE corrected). No significant differences of FC were detected between the patients and healthy controls when using ROI1 and ROI3 as the seeds. We found no correlations between ALFF or rs-FC values and the severity of depression as estimated by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D).Limitations: Clinical information were limited and no significant correlations were found between imaging variables and HAM-D scores, which reduces the power to interpret the present findings. A cross-sectional design was employed in this study so that it is not possible to know whether the abnormal ALFF or altered brain FC of insula reflects a state or trait effect in young people with MDD.Conclusions: This study highlights the regional/network interaction abnormalities of insula in adolescents and young adults with MDD, and could provide further insight into understanding the neural pathomechanism of MDD in young patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface modification of the widely used ZnO interfacial layer is a crucial issue for the development of photoelectric devices toward high efficiency and long-term stability. Most conventional surface modifications of ZnO interfacial layers involve only a one-sided modification (e.g., a ZnO/active layer interface), which limits the electrical and electronic performance of the resulting interfacial layer. Herein, we report a double-sided surface modification strategy in which both sides of the ZnO interfacial layer are modified. The resulting double-sided modified ZnO layers are used to enhance the photovoltaic performance of inverted organic solar cells as electron-transporting layers (ETLs). Compared with devices based on unmodified ZnO interfacial layers, the power conversion efficiencies of devices using the modified ZnO interfacial layer are markedly enhanced, from 3.42% to 4.23% for the P3HT:PC61BM active layer, and from 7.57% to 8.61% for the PTB7:PC71BM blend system. The enhancements in photovoltaic performance result mainly from the modified energy level alignment and improved interface contact quality between the ETL and active layer, which help to reduce the interfacial energy barrier between the active layer and indium tin oxide electrode, thereby enhancing the electron collection and transport efficiency. More importantly, this double-sided surface modification strategy could be easily extended to modify the interfacial layers of other photoelectric devices, such as perovskite solar cells, quantum dot solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1) agonist, named PAFA, with a strong agonist potency (EC50 = 6.04 nM) and good serum stability. PAFA significantly stimulates insulin secretion in INS-1 cells in a glucose-dependent manner and exhibits high antihyperglycemic effects in db/db mice without adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of facile and economic approaches for assembling organic semiconductors into more ordered structures toward high charge mobilities is highly demanding for the fabrication of organic circuits. Here a simple and facile approach is reported to prepare conjugated polymer thin films with improved crystallinities and charge mobilities by self‐assembling semiconducting polymers on water. The formation of polymer thin films with more ordered structures is attributed to coffee ring effect induced by solvent‐evaporation on water, and the hydrophobic nature of conjugated polymers that forces the polymer chains to pack densely and orderly on water surface. This approach is applicable to typical semiconducting polymers, and charge mobilities of their thin films are boosted remarkably. Finally, this new method can be utilized to easily fabricate the array of field‐effect transistors with high charge mobilities in an economic way. A unique and facile approach is reported to prepare conjugated polymer thin films with improved crystallinities by assembling semiconducting polymers on water (AOW), by using synergic actions of "coffee‐ring" effect and the hydrophobic feature of conjugated polymers. This AOW approach is generally applicable to several conjugated polymers, which can improve their semiconducting properties significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare chronic autoimmune disorder, mainly characterized by skin sclerosis. In this study, Bufei Qingyu Granules (BQG), a Chinese herbal formula, was used to treat SSc. To better understand the effects and molecular mechanisms of BQG, we successfully established a Bleomycin- (BLM-) induced SSc mouse model, and the mice were treated by BQG. Meanwhile, transcriptomic and bioinformatics analyses were conducted on those samples. As a result, we visually showed that BQG ameliorated the overall health of mice, including body weight, spleen, and thymus index. Thus, it also significantly alleviated inflammation presented by Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 2 (Cxcl2), vasculopathy characterized by α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and fibrotic changes elaborated by not only pathological images, but also the hydroxyproline (HYP) content. After testing by transcriptomic analysis, Cxcl2, Synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (Snap25), and Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3, and subunit J2 (Eif3j2) which were differentially expressed genes, were verified, so that the data were credible. We further found that BQG could regulate Notch signaling pathway by significantly decreasing both mRNA and protein expression levels of Notch-1 and Jagged-2. Hence, this study demonstrated that BQG could ameliorate the sclerotic skin in mice model involved in inflammation, vascular changes, and fibrosis effects, which was partly mediated by Notch signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on expression of lysine acetyltransferase 8 (KAT8) in leukaemic cells obtained from patients suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Bone marrow samples were extracted from many patients diagnosed with AML. The expression of KAT8 and other enzymes was observed using Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

It is really vital for the diesel engine to achieve a fast cold startup under low temperature environment especially in alpine region with the winter temperature in the range of –30 °C to 0 °C. The development of diesel engine cold start-up research is under the limits of the test equipments and the funds. In order to explore the cold start ability of diesel engine, the simulation and experiment were attributed to be combined on the basis of previous research methods in this work with a comprehensive consideration of low temperature, atmospheric pressure, preheating effect et al. The related low-temperature dependent maps (preheat time, running speed, torque and so on) were made by simulations for specific engine and then have been loaded down to the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and the vehicle experiments were carried outdoor of Heihe site in China. The results indicate that the maps with preheat function simulated by using detailed engine parameters can achieve the requirements of the cold start under the low temperature range (–25.5 °C to –16 °C). Preheat time, start voltage and start duration are employed to investigate the cold start ability for the diesel engine, which provide a better reference for strengthening the cold start capacity research. The longest preheat time is 10 s longer than the shortest warm-up time which can increased the intake temperature directly. The cold start-voltage drops by 15% as the temperature drops by 9.5 °C which tends to decrease with the temperature reduce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Photo-thermal synergistic catalyst Co x FeAl-LDHs are constructed for H 2 production. • Co 6 FeAl-LDH has photo-thermal conversion capability. • The highest H 2 production rate of Co 6 FeAl-LDH reached 3.38 mol g−1 h−1. The production of hydrogen from sodium borohydride (NaBH 4) with a suitable catalyst is a promising route for the hydrogen industry. The exploration of the energy-saving catalysts with visible light response and photothermal effect is necessary for utilizing solar energy in hydrogen utilization from hydrolysis of NaBH 4. In this study, a series of photo-thermal catalysts of Co x FeAl layered double hydroxides (Co x FeAl-LDHs x = 4, 6, 8) with abundant oxygen vacancy (V o) are successfully synthesized for photo-thermal synergic catalytic H 2 generation from hydrolysis of NaBH 4. Co x FeAl-LDHs differ in bandgap, V o concentration, and photo-thermal performance, with Co 6 FeAl-LDH show the highest concentration of V o and most efficient photo-thermal performance under 400–700 nm irradiation. Co 6 FeAl-LDH can significantly lower the activation energy of the hydrolysis of NaBH 4 (E a = 35.46 kJ mol−1) and demonstrates excellent photo-thermal synergic performance with H 2 generation rate of 3.38 mol g−1 h−1 without additional heat source. The mechanism study shows that the h+, ∙OH, and V o in Co x FeAl-LDHs also play essential roles in the hydrolysis of NaBH 4. This work develops a hydrotalcite-based photo-thermal synergistic catalyst, which provides a new approach for the design of sodium borohydride hydrolysis catalysts for hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photo-generated charge behaviors in the bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) of all-polymer solar cells (PSCs) are studied by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Root-mean-square deviations (RMSDs, R q ) of the contact potential difference (CPD) images are applied to quantitatively characterize the phase segregations of the BHJs. When the BHJs are illuminated, CPD values and R q of CPD images are changed, which attributes to the photo-generated charge transfer and accumulation. Inner structures of the BHJ are thus extrapolated by studying the charge behaviors, demonstrating KPFM an effective technique to study the relationship between inner structures and photovoltaic activities in all-PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is really important for a closed oscillating heat pipe (COHP) system to achieve a higher heat dissipation capacity. In this work, a novel narrow-tube closed oscillating heat pipe model with two backward steps is proposed to enhance its heat transfer ability that is attributed to the oscillation cycle in a fixed direction. Volume of fluid (VOF) simulations and related experiments are performed to investigate the vapor, the temperature distribution and the thermal performance of the COHP. Compared with conventional heat pipe, the results indicate that the novel narrow-tube closed oscillating heat pipe has advantages in the vapor uniform, the heat transfer and the oscillation motion. Field Synergy Principle (FSP) is employed to investigate the reasons for the improvement of the heat transfer capability of the novel COHP, which provides a better guide for strengthening the heat dissipation capacity of the COHP system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using a series of polymers in the polymer/PbSe planar heterojunction hybrid solar cells (HSCs), we found that the open circuit voltage of HSCs showed a great improvement compared to that of PbSe Schottky junction solar cells, which might be attributed to the formation of interface dipole, resulting in decreased interfacial resistance, increased built-in electrical field, as well as reduced exciton recombination at interface. Meanwhile, polymers with higher PL quenching have more favorable hole transfer which lead to better device performance. In addition, the energy levels and surface energy of the polymers might largely affect their interaction with PbSe NCs, leading to different interfacial morphologies and influencing the charge transfer efficiency. Furthermore, the optimized HSCs showed a remarkable PCE of 5.31% which was the highest efficiency reported for polymer/PbSe based HSCs. We believe this HSC efficiency can be further improved by selecting polymers with rationally designed structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate canopy spectral reflectance responses to different levels of heavy metals copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) induced stress. Random blocks design experiment was conducted to simulate Cu, Zn, and Cd at five concentration levels. Chlorophyll and visible and near infrared canopy reflectance were measured for each treatment 56 days after seeding using chlorophyll meter SPAD-502 and spectroradiometer, respectively. New vegetative indices termed ratio of inclination angles (RIA), MERIS (the medium resolution imaging spectrometer) terrestrial chlorophyll index (MTCI), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were used to assess the response of canopy spectral reflectance to different heavy metal levels. Significant spectral variability especially in blue, red, and near infrared reflectance was observed for different heavy metal treatments. One-sample test showed significant difference for NDVI, MTCI, and RIA among five-level treatments at the 0.01 level. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the two vegetative indices (RIA and MTCI) were significantly correlated with chlorophyll meter values for Cd, Cu, and Zn treatments. However, NDVI was only significantly correlated with chlorophyll meter values for Cu and Zn treatments. Linear regression analysis also illustrated that RIA and MTCI were potential indices for predicting chlorophyll concentration with significantFtest under Cu-, Zn-, and Cd-mediated stress. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Eruca sativa (Cruciferae family) is an ancient crop of great economic and agronomic importance. Here, the complete mitochondrial genome of Eruca sativa was sequenced and annotated. The circular molecule is 247 696 bp long, with a G+C content of 45.07%, containing 33 protein-coding genes, three rRNA genes, and 18 tRNA genes. The Eruca sativa mitochondrial genome may be divided into six master circles and four subgenomic molecules via three pairwise large repeats, resulting in a more dynamic structure of the Eruca sativa mtDNA compared with other cruciferous mitotypes. Comparison with the Brassica napus MtDNA revealed that most of the genes with known function are conserved between these two mitotypes except for the ccmFN2 and rrn18 genes, and 27 point mutations were scattered in the 14 protein-coding genes. Evolutionary relationships analysis suggested that Eruca sativa is more closely related to the Brassica species and to Raphanus sativus than to Arabidopsis thaliana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Multimeric AOX consisting of eight subunits was immobilized on electrospun fibers. [•] Branched PEI allows multipoint binding with AOX through glutaraldehyde activation. [•] Secondary and tertiary amino groups of PEI intensify interactions with AOX subunits. [•] Color strips were established on electrospun fibrous mats dyed with indigo Carmine. [•] Color fading ratio remained no significant change after repeat tests for 9 cycles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Herein, we reported the systematic investigation of synergistic photo-thermal-catalysis for NaBH 4 hydrolysis reaction based on zinc orthogermanate. A series of Zn 2 GeO 4 : x Fe3+ ( x = 0 to 0.10) catalysts were prepared via solvothermal method. The H 2 evolution experiments demonstrated that the photogenerated holes trap OH− not only shifted the equilibrium of NaBH 4 hydrolysis reaction toward the direction of H 2 evolution, but also inhibited the recombination of photogenerated carriers. With the remarkable photo-thermal synergism for the as-prepared catalysts, the H 2 evolution rate in photo-thermal-driven condition had witnessed several times higher than that in mono-energy driven condition. The catalysts remained stable after circulation tests. [Display omitted] • First study on conventional photocatalyst for H 2 evolution in NaBH 4 hydrolysis reaction • Photogenerated holes a crucial role in NaBH 4 hydrolysis reaction • The mechanism of synergistically photo-thermal-catalytic effect was proposed and verified by deuterium labeling method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]