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The study of interface states and bulk traps and their connection to device instability is highly demanded to achieve reliable β-Ga2O3 metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices. However, a comprehensive analysis of the capture/emission behavior of interface states and bulk traps can be challenging due to widespread time constant distribution. In this study, using capacitance transient measurement tools, trap states of the ZrO2/β-Ga2O3 MOS gate stack were explicitly investigated, particularly its bias- and temperature-dependent relaxation kinetics. As forward bias is enlarged, it is observed that the interface state density (Dit) increases by 12.6%. Two bulk traps with discrete levels identified as 0.43 eV (E1) and 0.74 eV (E2) below the conduction band minimum were extracted by deep-level transient spectroscopy. It is further revealed that the emission processes of E1 and E2 are thermally enhanced, while the capture processes remain insensitive to temperature. The electric-field dependence of E1 indicates that the dominant mechanism follows the rule of Poole–Frenkel emission. The capacitance–voltage (C–V) hysteresis deteriorated at a higher forward bias due to the higher trap density and increased population of trapped charges. These findings provide an important framework for future device optimization to improve the reliability and performance of β-Ga2O3 MOS devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A broadband circularly polarized (CP) printed monopole antenna which fed by coplanar waveguide (CPW) is proposed in the paper. The structure of the novel antenna includes a quarter circular disc radiating monopole, a coupled circular patch, and a bent L-shaped microstrip stub line. The L-shaped microstrip stub line is used to widen the impedance bandwidth and generate a horizontal component of the electromagnetic wave. The adoption of the asymmetric ground coplanar waveguide structure with the single-feed technology and the coupled circular patch, simultaneously achieve wide impedance bandwidth and wide axial ratio (AR) bandwidth. The structure parameters and the surface current of the designed antenna are analysed. The simulation and the measurement are conducted, showing good characterizations of the designed antenna. The 10-dB impedance bandwidth is 7.57 GHz, the fractional bandwidth from 6.05 to 13.62 GHz is 76.9%, the 3-dB axial ratio bandwidth is 3.01 GHz, and the fractional bandwidth from 6.05 to 9.06 GHz is 39.8%. The antenna can generate right/left hand circularly polarized waves in the direction of ± z axis. The designed antenna has wide applications in the fields of Internet of Things (IoT), broadband dual-CP communication systems and polarization diversity systems, wireless personal area network and other advanced communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), emission and capture behaviors have been explicitly investigated for a single electron trap in a Si-doped β -Ga2O3 epilayer. Trap characteristics including activation energy for emission (E emi = 0.8 eV), capture cross-section of 6.40 Ă— 10âˆ'15 cm2 and lambda-corrected trap concentration (N Ta) of 2.48 Ă— 1013 cmâˆ'3 were revealed, together with non-emission region width (λ = 267.78 nm). By isothermal DLTS, in addition to the impact of temperature, electric-field-enhanced trap emission kinetics were studied. When a relatively low electric field was applied (E â©˝ 1.81 Ă— 105 V cmâˆ'1 at 330 K), emission kinetics of the trap was modeled to comply with phonon-assisted tunneling, whereas the emission process was regarded to be dominated by direct tunneling for a relatively high electric field (E â©ľ 1.81 Ă— 105 V cmâˆ'1 at 330 K). A thermal-enhanced capture process has also been disclosed and quantitatively studied, where a capture barrier energy of 0.15 eV was extracted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Properties of minority carrier (electron) traps in Schottky type p-GaN gate high electron mobility transistors were explicitly investigated by optical deep level transient spectroscopy (ODLTS). By temperature-scanning ODLTS, three electron traps, namely, E1, E2, and E3, were revealed, together with activation energy, capture cross section, and trap concentration. A thermally accelerated electron-releasing process of traps was quantitatively studied by Laplace ODLTS with individual emission time constant disclosed. At 300 K, the emission time constant was determined to be 0.21 and 1.40 s for E2 and E3, respectively, which adjacently existed in the bandgap and held activation energies of over 0.6 eV. As varying the optical injection pulse duration, a three-dimensional mapping of capacitance transient was obtained for each trap, attesting to the electron capture capability of each trap. By varying the reverse bias, the analysis of the ODLTS signal amplitude indicates that all three electron traps are located inside the p-GaN layer rather than the surface defect related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) exhibit excellent performance in hyperspectral image classification (HSIC) and have attracted significant interest. Nevertheless, the common CNN-based classification techniques still suffer from the following drawbacks. 1) Although deep CNNs can effectively extract features from hyperspectral images, a network that is too deep often leads to negative effects such as overfitting, vanishing gradients, and decreased accuracy. 2) Most of these models for HSIC do not fully consider the strong complementarity and correlation between features at different levels. To address these issues, firstly, a self-regularization parameter correction non-monotonic activation function, called Lush, was first proposed. Then, this study proposes a novel bias update method that can update network bias parameters more efficiently. On the basis of the above, a Lush multi-layer feature fusion polarization network (LMFFBNet) for hyperspectral image classification was proposed in this study. It designs a new after-melting technology to fuse deep and shallow features in multiple stages and layers, which can obtain more discriminative features, thereby improving the classification performance of hyperspectral images. Extensive experiments on five challenging datasets (Indian Pines, Pavia University, Kennedy Space Center, Salinas Valley, and Houston) have demonstrated that compared to some state-of-the-art methods, the proposed LMFFBNet method can provide better classification performance for hyperspectral images and has strong robustness. This fully proves the effectiveness of the LMFFBNet method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the emission kinetics of a single-electron trap (E1, EC–0.63 eV) in Sn-doped (01) β-Ga2O3 crystals studied using deeplevel transient spectroscopy (DLTS). The time constant () of the electrons emitted from the trap level E1 was thoroughly investigated as a function of the temperature and the electric field (E-field). The temperature-dependence of E1 was extracted by both the temperature-scanning and isothermal modes of DLTS. It was found that the emission process accelerated exponentially from 200 K to 350 K. The E-field dependence of the emission time constant could be divided into two regimes for all measurement steps (250–325 K). In the low-electric-field regime, the emission time constant of the trap decreased slightly with a strengthened E-field. With a further enhancement of the E-field (E > 1.76 MV cm−1), the field-enhanced emission rate was accurately modeled by the Poole–Frenkel effect; the accelerated emission process was attributed to a reduction of the Coulomb well barrier for the donor-like trap E1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this report, electrical characteristics of the Ni/GaN Schottky barrier diode grown on sapphire have been investigated in the range of 20 K–300 K, using current–voltage, capacitance–voltage, and deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). A unified forward current model, namely a modified thermionic emission diffusion model, has been developed to explain the forward characteristics, especially in the regime with a large ideality factor. Three leakage current mechanisms and their applicability boundaries have been identified for various bias conditions and temperature ranges: Frenkel–Poole emission for temperatures above 110 K; variable range hopping (VRH) for 20 K–110 K, but with a reverse bias less than 20 V; high-field VRH, in a similar form of Fowler–Nordheim tunneling, for cryogenic temperatures below 110 K, and relatively large bias (>25 V). Four trap levels with their energy separations from the conduction band edge of 0.100 ± 0.030 eV, 0.300 eV, 0.311 eV, and 0.362 eV have been tagged together with their capture cross sections and trap concentrations. The significantly reduced DLTS signal at 100 K suggested that traps practically became inactive at cryogenic temperatures, thus greatly suppressing the trap-assisted carrier hopping effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are the rate-controlling and/or energy-intensive reactions of numerous energy conversion and storage devices. It is a great challenge to attain a high catalytic efficiency with a single electrocatalyst towards these reactions simultaneously. Herein, a porous carbon was prepared by pyrolysis of chitin with the assistance of CoCl 2 and ZnCl 2 and a subsequent sulfurization process, which resulted in uniform loading of Co, N and S elements. The porous and modified carbon exhibited high catalytic performance towards ORR, OER and HER. Furthermore, the catalyst was used as air electrode to construct Zn-air batteries, which showed a power of 142 mW cm−2 and discharging and charging voltages of 1.3 V and 1.74 V at 1 mA cm−2 after 100 cycles, respectively. When used as both the anode and cathode for water splitting, the voltage to achieve a 10 mA cm−2 electrolysis current was 1.58 V which was stable over 75 h of operation. The performance enhancement is attributed to the etching effect which generates defects in both carbonaceous matrix and the Co 9 S 8 crystallites during the sulfurization, as well as the doping of S and N elements which creates multiple active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polycrystalline skutterudite Ba 0. 2 Co 4 Sb 1 1. 5 Te 0. 5 were successfully synthesized from 1.5 GPa to 3.5 GPa by the high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) method. Negative Seebeck coefficient confirmed the n-type conductivity of all samples. The phase compositions of samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the microstructures were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the grains appeared smaller and the grain boundaries became more abundant when pressures were higher. We measured the electrical properties from room temperature to 723 K. Both the electrical resistivity and absolute value of Seebeck coefficient increase with the increasing synthetic pressure. At 723 K, the maximum power factor of 2 0. 6 μ Wcm − 1 K − 2 was obtained for the sample synthesized under 3 GPa. The maximum ZT value of 0.61 was reached by Ba 0. 2 Co 4 Sb 1 1. 5 Te 0. 5 synthesized under 3 GPa and measured at 723 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is extensively used as a plasticizer in many products, especially medical devices, furniture materials, cosmetics, and personal care products. DEHP is noncovalently bound to plastics, and therefore, it will leach out of these products after repeated use, heating, and/or cleaning of the products. Due to the overuse of DEHP in many products, it enters and pollutes the environment through release from industrial settings and plastic waste disposal sites. DEHP can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact on a daily basis, which has raised some concerns about its safety and its potential effects on human health. The main aim of this review is to give an overview of the endocrine, testicular, ovarian, neural, hepatotoxic, and cardiotoxic effects of DEHP on animal models and humans in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Neuropathy target esterase (NTE, also known as neurotoxic esterase) is proven to deacylate phosphatidylcholine (PC) to glycerophosphocholine as a phospholipase B. Recently; studies showed that artificial phosphatidylserine/PC microvesicles can induce preeclampsia (PE)-like changes in pregnant mice. However, it is unclear whether NTE plays a key role in the pathology of PE, a pregnancy-related disease, which was characterized by deficient trophoblast invasion and reduced trophoblast-mediated remodeling of spiral arteries. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern of NTE in the placenta from women with PE and normal pregnancy, and the molecular mechanism of NTE involved in the development of PE. Methods: NTE expression levels in placentas from 20 pregnant women with PE and 20 healthy pregnant women were detected using quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry staining. The effect of NTE on trophoblast migration and invasion and the underlying mechanisms were examined in HTR-8/SVneo cell lines by transfection method. Results: NTE mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly decreased in preeclamptic placentas than normal control. Over-expression of NTE in HTR-8/SVneo cells significantly promoted trophoblast cells migration and invasion and was associated with increased MMP-9 levels. Conversely, shRNA-mediated down-regulation of NTE markedly inhibited the cell migration and invasion. In addition, silencing NTE reduced the MMP-9 activity and phosphorylated Erk1/2 and AKT levels. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the decreased NTE may contribute to the development of PE through impairing trophoblast invasion by down-regulating MMP-9 via the Erk1/2 and AKT signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy has been a topic of considerable research, and the solar concentrator is a key component of solar energy utilization technology. A traditional solar concentrator usually does not generate uniform illumination on the surface of the absorber. This paper presents a general method to develop a reflector profile of a uniform solar concentrator (USC) that can uniformly concentrate the incident solar radiation onto the absorber surface. A first-order differential equation of the reflector profile is developed for USCs with absorbers of different shapes, specifically for cases with a tubular absorber and a flat absorber. A numerical program in C++ is developed to generate the reflector profile. Optimization of the reflector profile has been made to lower manufacturing costs. The results show that for a USC with an absorber of any shape, lowering the location of the initial reflector point can shorten the reflector profile. Optimal parameters are obtained for a USC with absorbers of different shapes. For a USC with a tubular absorber or a flat absorber of which the slope angle is positive, the reflector achieves its optimal profile when the reflector top point is level with the top of the absorber. For a USC with a flat absorber of which the slope angle is non-positive, the reflector achieves its optimal profile when the reflector top point is on the absorber extended line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The welding deformation and residual stress of thin aluminum alloy welded structure are accurately predicted. • Fatigue tests of typical thin-plate aluminum alloy welded joints were carried out. • The influence of welding defects on the fatigue strength of thin-plate aluminum alloy welded joints is quantitatively analyzed. With the transformation and upgrading of shipbuilding industry, aluminum alloy shipbuilding will gradually develop towards energy saving, light weight and environmental protection. As a new generation of trustworthy aluminum alloy structure, 5059 aluminum alloy material has better mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. However, two prominent shortcomings of aluminum alloy welding structure are large welding deformation and low fatigue strength. In order to accurately consider the influence of welding defects, the temperature field simulation program of thin plate welding structure is designed to predict the welding deformation and residual stress. The simulation results of temperature field and welding deformation of typical welded joints are in good agreement with the test results. Moreover, taking welding deformation and residual stress as initial conditions, the fatigue strength class curves of 5059 aluminum alloy welded joints are renewed based on the hot spot stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations of Ceramide kinase-like ( CERKL ) gene are associated with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited degenerative eye disease. CERKL encodes an antioxidant protein which is critical to photoreceptor survival, its deficiency causes retinal degeneration as a result of oxidative damage. However, the regulation of CERKL in response to oxidative stress, and its contribution to photoreceptor survival remain unclear. pVHL, the substrate receptor of RING finger-type SCF like ECV ubiquitin ligase, binds and ubiquitinates a number of hydroxylated proteins for proteasomal degradation. Due to hydroxylated proteins which are modified by PHD1–3, pVHL dependent ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation pathway is blocked by PHD1-3 inhibitors (e.g. hypoxia or oxidative stress). In this study, we identified pVHL as an important regulator of CERKL. Western blot and in vivo ubiquitination assays showed hypoxia up-regulates CERKL at protein level by down-regulating its poly-ubiquitination. By Co-IP and domain mapping studies, we found CERKL complexes with ECV ligase via pVHL. Through overexpression and small RNA interference analysis, we demonstrated pVHL ubiquitinates CERKL for proteasomal degradation. Additionally, our work showed that the oxygen sensors PHD1 and PHD3 are involved in CERKL degradation. Collectively, our results indicated that pVHL interacts with CERKL and ubiquitinates it for oxygen dependent proteasomal degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to their unique advantages, single‐electrode triboelectric nanogenerators (SETENGs) have gained wide attention and have been applied in myriad areas, especially in the burgeoning flexible/wearable electronics. However, there is still a lack of a clear understanding of SETENGs. For example, previous simulation models generally put the reference electrode perpendicularly below the working part, but in practice, the reference electrode is designed in various scenarios and noticeable differences in outputs often occur when the reference electrode changes. With SETENGs developing towards wearability and portability, its reference electrode is often required to be constructed inside the device. Consequently, to achieve optimum performance, it is essential to understand the reference electrode's influence on the outputs. Here, the influence of the reference electrode on the performance of SETENGs is systematically investigated and the targeted optimization strategies are thoroughly revealed. First, theoretical simulations are conducted to investigate the reference electrode's effect on the performance of SETENGs with different structures and in various working modes. Secondly, the theoretical results are certified through corresponding experiments. Based on the results, the targeted optimization strategies for SETENGs are comprehensively demonstrated. This work provides fundamental guidance for the development of TENGs and the design and fabrication of new electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lungs characterized by airway remolding. In this study, we examined whether resveratrol exerts protective effects on allergic asthma in a murine model. To investigate the effects of resveratrol on allergic airway inflammation in house dust mite (HDM)-induced mouse asthma and explore its mechanism, a chronic asthma mouse model was established by intranasally administering extracts of HDM (25 μg of protein in 10 μl of saline) for 5 days/week for up to 7 consecutive weeks. Resveratrol (50 mg/kg body weight), dexamethasone (1 mg/kg body weight) or a vehicle was administered orally 1 h before antigen challenges for up to 2 weeks. Compared with the HDM-induced mice, the level of TNF-α of the BALF in the resveratrol + HDM-treated mice had obviously decreased. Histological examination of the lung tissue revealed that the resveratrol treatments attenuated the fibrotic response and airway inflammation. In addition, resveratrol inhibited the expression of the Syk protein and degranulation in mast cells. The presented findings collectively suggest that resveratrol has a therapeutic effect on mouse allergic asthma, and its mechanism of action might be related to reducing the production of the Syk protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid air energy storage (LAES) is promising in the large scale energy storage field. The heat exchanger (Hex) in a LAES system using liquid phase working mediums for cold energy storage (CES) works discontinuously for the intermittent characteristic of the LAES. Variable temperature distribution exists in the Hex for CES (Hex-CES) in the intermittent process, and degrades the performance of the CES unit. In this paper, a computational model is constructed for the unsteady process in the Hex-CES of a 100 kW LAES system using liquid phase working mediums for CES to study the unsteady effect. The established steady temperature gradient is decreased gradually in the static process during which the LAES stops working and basically turns to zero gradient 12 h later. In the next operation cycle, it takes 34.8 min to reestablish the steady temperature gradient in the Hex-CES. Two methods to reduce the unsteady effect are proposed, the influence of key parameters on weakening the unsteady effect is investigated, and the optimal operation parameters in the static process are obtained. The results obtained in this paper are expected to provide the basis for the application of CES using liquid phase mediums and enhance the performance of LAES. • Unsteady effect of liquid air energy storage system was first analyzed. • A computational model for the unsteady heat transfer was developed and verified. • Two methods were proposed to reduce the unsteady effect. • The influence of the proposed methods on the unsteady effect was originally studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Supercritical heat transfer loops are widely used in large‐scale thermal equipment, which development is restricted by the thermal‐hydraulic characteristics, especially the safety and thermal efficiency under high‐heat fluxes. This study is focused on numerical simulation for a 4‐m test section of the loop and further analyzes the flow transitions and heat transfer mechanisms from subcritical to supercritical. The heat transfer characteristics of supercritical water in the vertical loop were simulated for conditions: P = 24 MPa, Tin = 320°C, 340°C, mass flux (G) = 1000 kg/m2s, 1500 kg/m2s, and heat fluxes varied from 100 to 1200 kW/m2. The heat transfer transitions are analyzed from the perspective of local parameters that affect the status of both core flow and boundary layers. The empirical correlation and the error backpropagation (BP) neural network prediction model are proposed and compared with experimental and numerical results. The results show that transitions of both boundary layer and core flow from subcritical to supercritical contribute to the heat transfer behaviors: normal heat transfer, heat transfer deterioration, and heat transfer enhancement. The zero‐velocity gradient (∂u/∂r = 0) on the M‐shaped velocity curve causes the turbulent shear stress near the wall to be close to zero, which leads to the suppression of the turbulence. At the same time, the thickness of the thermal boundary layer reaches the maximum, resulting in a large thermal resistance, which affects the heat transfer from the wall to the core area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The PTEN-AKT pathway is frequently altered in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA). We aimed to evaluate the role of PTEN in the pathogenesis of eCCA and identify novel therapeutic targets for this disease. The Pten gene was genetically deleted using the Cre-loxp system in biliary epithelial cells. The pathologies were evaluated both macroscopically and histologically. The characteristics were further analyzed by immunohistochemistry, reverse-transcription PCR, cell culture, and RNA sequencing. Some features were compared to those in human eCCA samples. Further mechanistic studies utilized the conditional knockout of Trp53 and Aurora kinase A (Aurka) genes. We also tested the effectiveness of an Aurka inhibitor. We observed that genetic deletion of the Pten gene in the extrahepatic biliary epithelium and peri-ductal glands initiated sclerosing cholangitis-like lesions in mice, resulting in enlarged and distorted extrahepatic bile ducts in mice as early as 1 month after birth. Histologically, these lesions exhibited increased epithelial proliferation, inflammatory cell infiltration, and fibrosis. With aging, the lesions progressed from low-grade dysplasia to invasive carcinoma. Trp53 inactivation further accelerated disease progression, potentially by downregulating senescence. Further mechanistic studies showed that both human and mouse eCCA showed high expression of AURKA. Notably, the genetic deletion of Aurka completely eliminated Pten deficiency-induced extrahepatic bile duct lesions. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of Aurka alleviated disease progression. Pten deficiency in extrahepatic cholangiocytes and peribiliary glands led to a cholangitis-to-cholangiocarcinoma continuum that was dependent on Aurka. These findings offer new insights into preventive and therapeutic interventions for extrahepatic CCA. The aberrant PTEN-PI3K-AKT signaling pathway is commonly observed in human extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA), a disease with a poor prognosis. In our study, we developed a mouse model mimicking cholangitis to eCCA progression by conditionally deleting the Pten gene via Pdx1-Cre in epithelial cells and peribiliary glands of the extrahepatic biliary duct. The conditional Pten deletion in these cells led to cholangitis, which gradually advanced to dysplasia, ultimately resulting in eCCA. The loss of Pten heightened Akt signaling, cell proliferation, inflammation, fibrosis, DNA damage, epigenetic signaling, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cell dysplasia, and cellular senescence. Genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of Aurka successfully halted disease progression. This model will be valuable for testing novel therapies and unraveling the mechanisms of eCCA tumorigenesis. [Display omitted] • A novel mouse model of eCCA was established by genetically deleting the Pten gene in extrahepatic biliary epithelial cells. • This mouse model recapitulates the progression of cholangitis to cholangiocarcinoma observed in humans. • Both biliary epithelial cells and peribiliary glandular cells can be the cell origin of eCCA. • Via both genetic and pharmacological approaches, Aurora kinase A was identified as an effective target to inhibit eCCA progression. • This preclinical model provides a tool to test novel therapies and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of eCCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tissue-specific gene manipulations are widely used in genetically engineered mouse models. A single recombinase system, such as the one using Alb-Cre, has been commonly used for liver-specific genetic manipulations. However, most diseases are complex, involving multiple genetic changes and various cell types. A dual recombinase system is required for conditionally modifying different genes sequentially in the same cell or inducing genetic changes in different cell types within the same organism. A FlpO cDNA was inserted between the last exon and 3′-UTR of the mouse albumin gene in a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC-Alb-FlpO). The founders were crossed with various reporter mice to examine the efficiency of recombination. Liver cancer tumorigenesis was investigated by crossing the FlpO mice with FSF-KrasG12D mice and p53frt mice (KPF mice). BAC-Alb-FlpO mice exhibited highly efficient recombination capability in both hepatocytes and intrahepatic cholangiocytes. No recombination was observed in the duodenum and pancreatic cells. BAC-Alb-FlpO-mediated liver-specific expression of mutant KrasG12D and conditional deletion of p53 gene caused the development of liver cancer. Remarkably, liver cancer in these KPF mice manifested a distinctive mixed hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma phenotype. A highly efficient and liver-specific BAC-Alb-FlpO mouse model was developed. In combination with other Cre lines, different genes can be manipulated sequentially in the same cell, or distinct genetic changes can be induced in different cell types of the same organism. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: A liver-specific Alb-FlpO mouse line was generated. By coupling it with other existing CreERT or Cre lines, the dual recombinase approach can enable sequential gene modifications within the same cell or across various cell types in an organism for liver research through temporal and spatial gene manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel liquid air energy storage system is firstly established. • Test result with liquid phase cold storage subsystem is originally obtained. • The highest cold storage efficiency for the liquid air energy storage system is achieved. • The method for the cold storage subsystem design is analyzed and carried out. Liquid air energy storage is a promising large-scale energy storage technology for power grid peak-load shifting and reducing the volatility of renewable energy power generation. A high-efficiency cold storage subsystem of the liquid air energy storage system is important to guarantee good overall system performance. Liquid phase cold storage technology can avoid the heat conduction in the axial direction of that in the solid-phase media, which theoretically can achieve a higher cold storage efficiency. In this paper, the design method for liquid phase cold storage was proposed. A novel liquid air energy storage system with the compression power of 100 kW was built. The variation rules of the working medium temperatures, pressures and other key experimental results during the process of cold storage and release were tested. Results showed that the system achieved a 91.35% cold storage efficiency, providing an important basis for the liquid–air energy storage system to making it possible to gain a net round trip electricity to electricity efficiency to 50%. Methods to further improve the cold storage efficiency were also proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a pressing need for flexible integrated systems owing to the swift progress of flexible electronics. Apart from flexibility, flexible supercapacitor (FSC) integrated systems exhibit certain characteristics like rapid charge–discharge rates, high power density, and excellent cycling stability, which makes them a promising candidate to serve as a vital component in flexible electronics. In this context, an in‐depth overview of recent progress in FSC‐integrated systems, including their design of structure, materials, fabrication techniques, and applications, is offered. On the basis of the current progress, the existing challenges and future prospects are also outlined and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature-dependent dynamic degradation was investigated for C-doped GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) from 300 to 20 K. Pulsed I – V measurements with various OFF-state quiescent bias voltages revealed that current collapse (C.C.) induced by charge-trapping effect at room temperature was greatly suppressed and monotonously declined as decreasing temperatures. This was attributed to reduced number of electrons which were injected into the C-doped layer and capable of overcoming capture potential barrier. Drain current transient measurements were employed to investigate temperature-dependent and time-resolved carrier capture/emission process. Based on the extracted time constants, an activation energy of 0.36 eV was identified for the electron capture process. For carrier emission process, both current-based and capacitance-based transient analysis indicated an activation energy around 0.20 eV. Furthermore, the traps were confirmed to be located in the C-doped layer by varying the pulse stimulus in deep-level transient spectroscope (DLTS). The measurement results showed that C-doped HEMTs grown on Si substrates exhibited high-saturation current, stabilized threshold voltage, and minor C.C. at cryogenic temperatures, particularly in comparison with those at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the broad-energy-spectrum reactor-neutron irradiation effects on the electrical characteristics of Ni/β-Ga2O3 Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs), where the irradiated neutron fluence was up to 1 × 1016 cm−2. On the one hand, the high neutron fluence of 1016 cm−2 resulted in a reduction in forward current density by two orders of magnitude and an extremely high on-resistance property due to the radiation-generated considerable series resistance in the SBD. On the other hand, the irradiation brought little influence on the Ni/β-Ga2O3 Schottky contact, since the extracted ideality factor and barrier height from temperature-dependent current–voltage (I–V–T) characteristics showed no significant changes after the radiation. Moreover, the capacitance–voltage (C–V) characterization revealed that the net carrier density in the β-Ga2O3 material was only reduced by 25% at the neutron fluence of 1015 cm−2 but a significant reduction by 2–3 orders at 1016 cm−2. Within the neutron fluence range of 2 × 1014 cm−2 up to 1016 cm−2, the carrier removal rates trended to be saturated with the increased fluences, following an exponential regular. In addition, the C–V measurement on the 1016 cm−2 irradiated sample exhibited an obvious frequency dispersion, and the extracted carrier distribution was not uniform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti3C2Tx MXene has shown remarkable potential for supercapacitors. However, its limited capacitance restrains the energy density. Here, a designed redox‐electrolyte strategy boosted with electrode engineering for Ti3C2Tx MXene is demonstrated, by which a record‐high specific capacitance of 788.4 F g−1 at 2 mV s−1 is achieved, accompanied by good rate capability and highly improved cyclic stability compared with the pristine MXene electrode. For the first time, redox additives with redox potentials falling in the Ti3C2Tx MXene's potential range and that can take full advantage of the characteristics of Ti3C2Tx MXene are investigated. CuSO4 and VOSO4 are screened as the hybrid redox additives; and it is revealed that copper and vanadium ions can bond with ═O terminals on the MXene surface and undergo redox reactions mainly via Cu2+/Cu+ and V3+/V2+. The electrode engineering significantly boosts the designed redox‐electrolyte strategy by enhancing ion dynamics and increasing electrochemically active sites. High energy density of 80.9 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 376.0 W kg−1 and high cyclic stability and improved self‐discharging behavior are obtained for the fabricated supercapacitor by applying this strategy. The strategy is also demonstrated for the performance improvement of MXene‐based flexible supercapacitors with hydrogel electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study focuses on designing and calibrating a blade system that allows for modeling downbursts outflows at the Subsonic Wind Tunnel (WT) at Ryerson University (RU). The system is based on flow redirection to generate downburst outflow gust fronts. A system of multiple louvers was suggested and calibrated using (CFD) simulations in 3 stages. In stage 1, flow resulting from the system with stationary inclined blades (do not move with the time) was characterized to understand formation of the outflow-like vortices. Stage 2 focuses on the non-stationary effects resulting from suddenly rotating the blades to a specific angle over a specific time. Stage 3 focuses on developing a superposition code to combine different cases from stage 2 (blades rotate to different angles). This superposition code was coupled with an optimization technique to generate arbitrary downburst outflows at the full scale. Three full scale records were selected, and optimization was carried out to identify blade angles and time simulating the records. Accuracy of the blade system and optimization was confirmed by conducting CFD simulations and experimental wind tunnel testing with comprehensive blade rotation as described from the optimization and achieving a reasonable match to the full scale. Highlights • This study focuses on designing and calibrating a blade system to model downbursts at the Wind Tunnel at Ryerson University. • The system is based on redirecting the flow, which was calibrated using CFD simulations. • The calibration resulted in a flow database under various blade rotational pulses characterized by the angle and time. • The system generates any downburst outflow through combining the flows from several pulses using an optimization technique. • Accuracy of the system was confirmed experimentally for 3 full-scale events both for temporal and spatial characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Co-doped ZIF-8 is synthesized as precursor of high-performance Co N C catalyst. • Co is dispersed in the catalyst as atoms coordinated with N to form Co-N X moieties. • The catalyst has high Co-Nx content and high surface area up to 1230 m2 g−1. • The catalyst exhibits high ORR activity and stability in both acid medium. • In Zn/air battery, the cathodic performance of Co N C surpass the Pt/C catalyst. Improving the activity and durability of carbon-based catalysts is a key challenge for their application in fuel cells. Herein, we report a highly active and durable Co/N co-doped carbon (Co N C) catalyst prepared via pyrolysis of Co–doped zeolitic–imidazolate framework–8 (ZIF–8), which was synthesized by controlling the feeding sequence to enable Co to replace Zn in the metal–organic framework (MOF). The catalyst exhibited excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance, while the half-wave potential decreased by only 8 mV after 5,000 accelerated stress test (AST) cycles in an acidic solution. Furthermore, the catalyst exhibited satisfactory cathodic catalytic performance when utilized in a hydrogen/oxygen single proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell and a Zn-air battery, yielding maximum power densities of 530 and 164 mW cm−2, respectively. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and high-angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAAD–STEM) analyses revealed that Co was present in the catalyst as single atoms coordinated with N to form Co–N moieties, which results in the high catalytic performance. These results show that the reported catalyst is a promising material for inclusion into future fuel cell designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a copper (Cu) based fiber surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor using two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is studied theoretically. As the number of layers of TMDs increases, the sensitivity first increases and then decreases, exhibiting a maximum value for each TMDs based fiber SPR sensor. The maximum sensitivities of the fiber SPR sensors with WS 2 , MoS 2 , WSe 2 and MoSe 2 are up to 47.664 µm/RIU, 44.164 µm/RIU, 46.704 µm/RIU and 48.816 µm/RIU, while their resonance wavelengths are 3481.1 nm, 3592.2 nm, 3500.8 nm and 3435.1 nm. In addition, the growth rate of sensitivity in the mid-infrared regime is obviously higher than that in the visible or near-infrared regime. The proposed Cu based fiber SPR sensor with 2D TMDs exhibits ultra-high sensitivity in the mid-infrared regime, and can be used for highly sensitive bio-sensing. • A copper based fiber SPR sensor with 2D TMDs is proposed. • There is an optimal sensitivity by optimizing TMDs layer. • Rapid improvement of sensitivity is exhibited in mid-infrared regime. • Highest sensitivity is 48.816 µm/RIU realized by 151 layers of MoSe 2. • Sensitivity increases with refractive index of sensing medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil contamination is one of the major sustainable development issues which requires increasing efforts from multidisciplinary collaborations. In recent years, supercritical fluid remediation has been proposed as one "green technology" that is suitable with various types of contaminants without destroying the soil nature. Supercritical fluid process employs the high solubility and zero surface tension of supercritical states as well as the large solubility variations in the supercritical region for high efficiency separation. In this analysis, characteristics of soil contaminants in representative "matrix" conditions and related effects on remediation process with supercritical fluid technology are analyzed. Mechanisms and procedures of supercritical remediation technology are summarized and compared for different contaminants. Operation conditions, flow design, processing time and the entrainer applications in supercritical fluid remediation systems are shown to act more as coupled parameter groups rather than single-parameter controlled system. From a summary of existing remediation prototypes, a remediation efficiency around 80 % were shown. It is recommended that large-scale remediation trials be operated and optimized soon. [Display omitted] • Mechanism of supercritical fluid-based soil remediation summarized. • Supercritical fluid high solubility and zero surface tension contribute to efficiency. • Optimization conducted on both process parameter design and equipment design. • Combined parameter trends and laws of supercritical fluid interactions with contaminants identified. • Existing remediation prototypes show high efficiency around 80 % [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water electrolysis (WE) from renewable energy sources is broadly acknowledged as a critical future route for hydrogen production. Reducing energy consumption and enhancing hydrogen production rates are both important directions for future WE technology. In this work, pulsed potential coupled anodic sulfite (SO 3 2−) electrooxidation water electrolysis (PSWE) system was proposed, enabling the production of hydrogen at low cell voltages as well as enhanced rates. The onset potential for the electrooxidation of sulfite to sulfate (SO 4 2−) is as low as 0.6 V vs. RHE. Under pulsed parameter of 0.75 V vs. RHE and frequency of 0.5 Hz, the hydrogen production rate increased by 321 % compared to constant potential of 0.75 V vs. RHE. Pulsed potential increased the local concentration of SO 3 2− anions at the anode, thereby enhancing the accumulation of total charges on the electrode surface. In the H-cell, operating voltage as low as 1.15 V could drive current density of 10 mA cm−2, demonstrating excellent hydrogen production capability and lower electricity consumption. The proposed PSWE system offers a potential route for coupling WE with intermittent renewable energy sources, as well as with low-energy consumption. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experimentally study on electromechanical degradation of REBCO coated superconductors. • Longitudinal strain is mainly responsible for critical current degradation. • Propose a phenomenological model for tension–torsion dependence of I c degradation. • Model well predicts I c degradation under combined deformation. In this study, the electromechanical and critical current degradation behaviors of rare earth–barium–copper–oxide (REBCO) coated conductors (CCs) under uniaxial tension, torsion, and tension–torsion deformations were experimentally and theoretically investigated. A self-designed apparatus was established to provide a 77 K cooling environment incorporated with a mechanical loading fixture to determine the critical current (I c) under different deformation modes. The effects of the deformation and mechanical properties of REBCO CCs on the I c and its degradation were addressed. Uniaxial tensile tests demonstrated that the irreversible I c degradation was mainly related to the plastic failure of the conductor. A comparative analysis of the electromechanical behavior of the three deformation modes indicated that the longitudinal strain in the REBCO superconducting film was responsible for I c degradation, unifying the characterization of different deformation modes. Furthermore, the degradation modeling of the strain dependence of I c based on the Ekin power-law formula and Weibull distribution function was extended to examine the influence of different deformation modes. The phenomenological model can predict I c degradation behavior effectively, including reversible and irreversible processes in the combined tension–torsion deformation mode. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) has been extensively used in industry. DBP has been shown to cause damage to Leydig cells, yet its underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we show that DBP induces ferroptosis of mouse Leydig cells via upregulating the expression of Sp2, a transcription factor. Also, Sp2 is identified to promote the transcription of Vdac2 gene by binding to its promoter and subsequently involved in DBP-induced ferroptosis of Leydig cells. In addition, DBP is proved to induce ferroptosis via inducing oxidative stress, while inhibition of oxidative stress by melatonin alleviates DBP-induced ferroptosis and upregulation of Sp2 and VDAC2. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that melatonin can alleviate DBP-induced ferroptosis of mouse Leydig cells via inhibiting oxidative stress-triggered Sp2/VDAC2 signals. [Display omitted] • DBP induces ferroptosis of mouse Leydig cells. • Sp2 is essential for DBP-induced ferroptosis of mouse Leydig cells. • Sp2 promotes transcription of Vdac2 gene. • DBP induces ferroptosis of mouse Leydig cells via activating Sp2/VDAC2 signals. • Melatonin alleviates DBP-induced ferroptosis of mouse Leydig cells via inhibiting Sp2/VDAC2 signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean hydrogen production via methane pyrolysis (CH 4 → 2H 2 + C) generates large quantities of solid carbon. Realizing their applications is a critical gap to enable its broader adoption. Here, we show that carbon nano onions encapsulated with iron cores (Fe@CNO) produced in CH 4 pyrolysis using low-cost Fe ore catalysts can serve as a tri-functional adsorbent and catalyst for organic contaminant degradation. Fe@CNO has a high adsorption capacity and fast pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics for antibiotics in wastewater. Surface oxidized Fe@CNO presents a high catalytic activity for in situ hydrogen peroxide production. Fe@CNO is also an efficient heterogeneous Fenton catalyst to degrade adsorbed antibiotics. Further, the Fe core is magnetic, enabling easy separation from solvents as reusable adsorbents and catalysts. We demonstrate that the adsorption and electro-Fenton process applies to various organic pollutants in different water matrices. This opens a new strategy for utilizing co-products from H 2 production for sustainable environmental applications. [Display omitted] • A new strategy to utilize carbon coproducts from clean H 2 production. • An adsorption capacity of 199.5 mg/g from low-concentration tetracycline solutions. • A dual-functional catalyst for in situ H 2 O 2 generation and activation. • An electro-Fenton catalyst workable over a wide pH (3–10). • Catalysts with super magnetization (21.8 emu/g) to enable efficient recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed Virtual Reality (DVR) is a combination of network and virtual reality technology, it could facilitate to construct a uniformly shared Distributed Virtual Environment (DVE) by using network to connect geographically distributed multiplayers. This paper concentrates on the theoretical research and practical development about Multiplayer Virtual Intelligent System (MVIS), and the main contribution could be summarized as two points. (1) Based on the DVR technology, this paper presented some theoretical research on MVIS, including the classification of virtual entities, communication pattern of entities, and the behavioral consistency research. Furthermore, a Multiplayer Earliest Deadline First (MEDF) program was proposed in order to guarantee the consistency of entities. (2) A prototype algorithm experiment system, called Multiplayer Graph-algorithm Intelligent System (MGIS), was designed. MGIS not onlyefficiently solves many problems in traditional computer algorithm teaching, such as high-abstraction, difficulty to understand, and lack of interaction mechanism; but also extends the application of DVR to cultural tourism, because MGIS is developed on the 3D scene of Lushan Mountain, which is one of the notable tourist attractions in China, and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1996. What i's more, MGIS illustrates the ability of expression, applicability and generality of the theoretical research about MVIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to construct a widely accepted prognostic nomogram in Chinese high-grade osteosarcoma (HOS) patients aged ≤ 30 years to provide insight into predicting 5-year overall survival (OS). Data from 503 consecutive HOS patients at our centre between 12/2012 and 05/2019 were retrospectively collected. Eighty-four clinical features and routine laboratory haematological and biochemical testing indicators of each patient at the time of diagnosis were collected. A prognostic nomogram model for predicting OS was constructed based on the Cox proportional hazards model. The performance was assessed by the concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic curve and calibration curve. The utility was evaluated by decision curve analysis. The 5-year OS was 52.1% and 2.6% for the nonmetastatic and metastatic patients, respectively. The nomogram included nine important variables based on a multivariate analysis: tumour stage, surgical type, metastasis, preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycle, postoperative metastasis time, mean corpuscular volume, tumour-specific growth factor, gamma-glutamyl transferase and creatinine. The calibration curve showed that the nomogram was able to predict 5-year OS accurately. The C-index of the nomogram for OS prediction was 0.795 (range, 0.703–0.887). Moreover, the decision curve analysis curve also demonstrated the clinical benefit of this model. The nomogram provides an individualized risk estimate of the 5-year OS in patients with HOS aged ≤ 30 years in a Chinese population-based cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to construct a widely accepted prognostic nomogram in Chinese high-grade osteosarcoma (HOS) patients aged ≤ 30 years to provide insight into predicting 5-year overall survival (OS). Data from 503 consecutive HOS patients at our centre between 12/2012 and 05/2019 were retrospectively collected. Eighty-four clinical features and routine laboratory haematological and biochemical testing indicators of each patient at the time of diagnosis were collected. A prognostic nomogram model for predicting OS was constructed based on the Cox proportional hazards model. The performance was assessed by the concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic curve and calibration curve. The utility was evaluated by decision curve analysis. The 5-year OS was 52.1% and 2.6% for the nonmetastatic and metastatic patients, respectively. The nomogram included nine important variables based on a multivariate analysis: tumour stage, surgical type, metastasis, preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycle, postoperative metastasis time, mean corpuscular volume, tumour-specific growth factor, gamma-glutamyl transferase and creatinine. The calibration curve showed that the nomogram was able to predict 5-year OS accurately. The C-index of the nomogram for OS prediction was 0.795 (range, 0.703–0.887). Moreover, the decision curve analysis curve also demonstrated the clinical benefit of this model. The nomogram provides an individualized risk estimate of the 5-year OS in patients with HOS aged ≤ 30 years in a Chinese population-based cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports trap-related forward conduction instability of GaN quasi-vertical p-i-n diodes grown on a Si substrate. Three hole traps with activation energies of 0.38, 0.60, and 0.70 eV together with one electron trap with an energy level of 0.26 eV under the conduction band were revealed by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Pulsed I – V measurements were performed on a device whose traps were prefilled. The rest time durations and OFF-state bias levels and periods were varied to investigate the forward I – V recovery phenomenon, which was highly correlated with the carrier detrapping process inside the device. The detrapping process could be greatly accelerated by a reverse bias or a lifted temperature. An “on-the-fly” resistance characterization was carried out to study the time-dependent carrier release process using short positive voltage pulses. The device was further submitted to switch-on transient assessment to investigate the time-resolved dynamic RON evolution. The initial dynamic RON ratio was proportional to the reverse bias level and duration and was gradually decreased after continuous carrier injection until the trapping effects were overwhelmed. With a forward voltage slightly higher than the threshold voltage, it took dozens of milliseconds for the dynamic RON to be equal to its static counterpart. It was found that at 350 K, the ON-resistance ratio could reach unit more rapidly than the room temperature case, indicating mitigation of current collapse of p-i-n diodes and their great potential for high-temperature switching applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravity‐drainage‐assisted steam flooding is a new technology to improve the recovery factor after deep penetration in deep super‐heavy oil reservoirs. This study is based on a model of the 60‐H25 test well group in Block 59 in Liaohe Oilfield, China. The numerical model uses the C programming language to analyze the influence of change in the bottom water height on the drainage effect and provides a theoretical basis for physical model experiments and field production. The physical model experiment uses similar principles to describe the production characteristics at different stages in a short cycle. We combine the numerical model and the physical model experiment to analyze the production rule of the Wa59 block over a long time period. The results show that the physical model experiment and the actual production of the block reflect the productivity change law of the well group, the degree of production, and the productivity relationship of the well group over short cycles and long periods, respectively. The comparison showed that the actual production was consistent with the production model of the physical model test, and the drainage effect was verified. The study of gravity‐drainage‐assisted steam flooding provides a reliable basis for the next stage of oilfield production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy density, supercapacitors, self-discharge, redox electrolytes, MXene Significantly enhanced capacitance, along with good rate capability and highly improved cyclic stability are achieved compared with a pristine MXene electrode. Keywords: high energy density; supercapacitors; self-discharge; redox electrolytes; MXene EN high energy density supercapacitors self-discharge redox electrolytes MXene 1 1 1 09/12/23 20230908 NES 230908 B MXene-Based Supercapacitors b In article number 2301219, Fang Yi and co-workers investigate redox additives with redox potentials falling in the Ti SB 3 sb C SB 2 sb T SB x sb MXene's potential range and that can take full advantage of the characteristics of Ti SB 3 sb C SB 2 sb T SB x sb MXene. [Extracted from the article]

This study investigated the relationship of synthesis pressure and corresponding thermoelectric parameters of PbSe. These thermoelectric parameters include the energy gap (E g), resistivity (R), and the Seebeck coefficient (S). The variation tendency of these parameters with synthesis pressure is similar to the in-situ measurement results of the measurement pressure dependence of E g , R, and S. Moreover, high-pressure synthesis achieved the best power factor with sample synthesized at 1.5 GPa synthesis pressure. With regard to the high pressure in-situ measurement of PbSe, there is a possible best measurement pressure interval. The 1.5 GPa (synthesis pressure) here is consistent with the "best pressure interval". These results indicate that high-temperature and high-pressure synthesis is able to capture partial high pressure features of PbSe to the ambient pressure. Despite several innovative properties of PbSe in the high-pressure environment, it does not have direct applied value for the ambient pressure state. However, the high-pressure synthesis, perhaps, could provide an alternative way. Image 1 • The lattice constants, grain size and band gaps of PbSe were effective optimized. • Partial high pressure features of PbSe have been captured to the ordinary pressure. • The whole synthesis procedure last only for 30 min without a second synthesis. • High pressure can induce rich defects which are beneficial for thermal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissimilatory iron-reducing microorganisms play an important role in the biogeochemical cycle of iron and influence iron mineral formation and transformation. However, studies on microbial iron-reducing processes in deep-sea hydrothermal fields are limited. A novel piezophilic, thermophilic, anaerobic, fermentative iron-reducing bacteria of class Clostridia, named Anoxybacter fermentans DY22613T, was isolated from East Pacific Rise hydrothermal sulfides. In this report, we examined its cell growth, fermentative metabolites, and biomineralization coupled with dissimilatory iron reduction. Both soluble ferric citrate (FC) and solid amorphous Fe(III) oxyhydroxide (FO) could promote cell growth of this strain, accompanied by increased peptone consumption. More acetate, butyrate, and CO2 were produced than without adding FO or FC in the media. The highest yield of H2 was observed in the Fe(III)-absent control. Coupled to fermentation, magnetite particles, and iron-sulfur complexes were respectively formed by the strain during FO and FC reduction. Under experimental conditions mimicking the pressure prevailing at the deep-sea habitat of DY22613T (20 MPa), Fe(III)-reduction rates were enhanced resulting in relatively larger magnetite nanoparticles with more crystal faces. These results implied that the potential role of A. fermentans DY22613Tin situ in deep-sea hydrothermal sediments is coupling iron reduction and mineral transformation to fermentation of biomolecules. This bacterium likely contributes to the complex biogeochemical iron cycling in deep-sea hydrothermal fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 (i.c.v.) induced antinociception in acute pain in mice. • Ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 induced antinociception through GHS-R1α and opioid receptors. • Ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 (i.c.v.) was distributed at the dorsal 3rd ventricle and hippocampus. • mRNA and protein levels of δ -opioid peptide and receptor were increased in the test. Abstract Ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 is the active N-terminal hepta-peptide of ghrelin as an agonist at the ghrelin receptor GHS-R1α. The biological functions of ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 have not been well investigated. Therefore in this study, we were interested in exploring the effects and molecular mechanisms of ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 in pain modulation at the supraspinal level using the tail withdrawal test in mice. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 (0.002, 0.02, 0.2 and 2 nmol/kg) induced a dose- and time-related antinociceptive effect. This antinociceptive effect was fully antagonized by co-injection with the GHS-R1α antagonist [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6, indicating that this effect induced by ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 was mediated through the activation of GHS-R1α. Interestingly, naloxone, β-funaltrexamine, naloxonazine, and naltrindole, but not nor-binaltorphimine, could also antagonize the antinociceptive effect markedly, suggesting that OPRM (primary μ 1 subtype) and OPRD were involved in the antinociceptive response induced by ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2. Furthermore, the qRT-PCR and Western blot results indicated that both mRNA and protein levels of PENK and OPRD were up-regulated significantly. Using the fluorescence labeling method, our results showed that ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 (i.c.v.) was mainly distributed at the dorsal 3rd ventricle and hippocampus where there are regions with high expressions of ghrelin, GHS-R1α and ORs. All these results indicated that ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 initially activated the GHS-R1α, then activated the OPRM, as well as increased the release of endogenous PENK to activate of OPRD to produce antinociception. These results contributed to understanding the mechanisms of antinociception induced by ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2. Furthermore, ghrelin(1–7)-NH 2 as the active fragment of ghrelin may be a promising peptide for developing new analgesic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor electrical conductivity of titanium oxide is a chief hurdle against the enhancement of its thermoelectric properties and increasing its reduction degree is an effective way for advancing its electrical conductivity. Strongly reduced titanium oxides, however, are rarely investigated for their thermoelectric properties so far. Here they were successfully synthesized by the efficient high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) method and the first systematic investigations about their thermoelectric properties were conducted. It was revealed that the samples were composed of phases TiO and Ti2O3. The high-pressure modulated morphologies were complicated and the microstructures were rich in lattice defects and nanoscale grains, the characteristics of pressure-modulated samples. Consequently, the electrical resistivity was greatly suppressed compared with that of other semiconductors and the changes in the conducting types of the samples with measurement-temperature were diverse, p → n or n → p → n or n-type all the time. Besides, the common Lorentz number was no longer applicable. The modulation by high-pressure is responsible for these. This work provides prospective strategies about upgrading the thermoelectric properties of titanium oxides under HPHT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • DEHP induces cytotoxicity of mouse NE-4C cells. • DEHP induces apoptosis of mouse NE-4C cells. • DEHP induces oxidative stress of mouse NE-4C cells. • Oxidative stress is involved in DEHP-induced apoptosis of mouse NE-4C cells. Abstract Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) has been widely used as a plasticizer in industry and can cause neurotoxicity; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the study, we found that DEHP significantly inhibited viability of mouse NE-4C neural stem cells and caused lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from the cells. DEHP dramatically increased the levels of apoptosis-related proteins such as cleaved Caspase-8, cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax, as well as decreased Bcl-2 protein level. DEHP could also significantly increase the total numbers of AnnexinV-positive/PI-negative and AnnexinV-positive/PI-positive staining cells. Hoechst 33342 staining showed that marked DNA condensation and apoptotic bodies could be found in the ZnO NPs-treated cells. These results indicated that DEHP could induce apoptosis of NE-4C cells. Meanwhile, DEHP could significantly increase malondialdehyde (MDA) level, and decrease the content of glutathione (GSH) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), respectively, implying that DEHP could induce oxidative stress of NE-4C cells. Furthermore, N -Acetyl- l -cysteine (NAC), an inhibitor of oxidative stress, could rescue the inhibition of cell viability and induction of apoptosis by DEHP. Taken together, our results showed that oxidative stress was involved in DEHP-induced apoptosis of mouse NE-4C cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, we optimized the high-temperature parameter of high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) for enhancing the thermoelectric properties of TiO 1.76. The phase compositions, morphologies and microstructures were significantly modulated during the optimization process of HPHT. Correspondingly, the electrical properties were improved yet the thermal conductivity reduced compared with other means. As a result, a zT of 0.35 at 700 °C was achieved, outperforming all reported results of nonstoichiometric titanium oxide obtained using ambient pressure. Besides, the mechanical performance was also significantly better than most alloy-based thermoelectric materials. For all these both high-pressure and high-temperature are indispensable and the coordination between them is the key to transforming potential edges into performance advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work explores the feasibility of advancing the thermoelectric properties of nonstoichiometric TiO 2−x through introducing more and more oxygen deficiencies. Compared with previous work, it is found that this compositional manipulation induces phase transition; in addition, the scattering mechanisms of both carrier and phonon have changed, resulting in the temperature-independent electrical resistivity, inferior electrical performance and an unexpected high thermal conductivity. As a consequence, a moderate zT value of 0.13 is obtained in TiO 1.72 at 600 ℃. Through this work, we understand deeply about thermoelectric properties of nonstoichiometric titanium oxide by high pressure and high temperature, and further investigations about this system have been directed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, Ni substitution for Co and Ba filling into the voids were simultaneously applied to the CoSb 3 bulks by the high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) method. As the results, the polycrystalline Ba 0.3 Ni 0.15 Co 3.85 Sb 12 skutterudite bulks were successfully synthesized and the systematic thermoelectric properties were investigated. In our experiments, the synthesized time was sharply shortened to 30 min, which is markedly an advantage for mass production. The multiple textures and microstructures were revealed, including vortices-like structures, defects, and lattice dislocations. Remarkably, pressure tuning led to the increase of the Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity, yielding an optimized power factor of 11.7 × 10 −4 Wm −1 K −2 in the Ba 0.3 Ni 0.15 Co 3.85 Sb 12 sample prepared at 3 GPa at room temperature, which yielded a 10-fold improvement in power factor and showed distinct reduction of thermal conductivity compared with pure CoSb 3 sample. The maximum zT value 0.91 was obtained at 700 K for Ba 0.3 Ni 0.15 Co 3.85 Sb 12 sample. The experimental results suggest that the effective elements doping combining with HPHT synthesis could optimize electrical and thermal transport properties in skutterudites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat shock factor 4 (HSF4) is an important transcriptional factor that plays a vital role in lens development and differentiation, but the mechanism underlying the regulation of HSF4 is ambiguous. BCAS2 was reported to be an essential subunit of pre-mRNA splicing complex. Here, we identified BCAS2 as a novel HSF4 interacting partner. High expression of BCAS2 in the lens epithelium cells and the bow region of mouse lens was detected by immunohistochemistry. In human lens epithelial cells, BCAS2 negatively regulates HSF4 protein level and transcriptional activity, whereas in BCAS2 knockdown cells, HSF4 protein stability was increased significantly. We further demonstrated that the prolonged protein half-time of HSF4 in BCAS2 knockdown cells was due to reduced ubiquitination. Moreover, we have identified the lysine 206 of HSF4 as the key residue for ubiquitination. The HSF4-K206R mutant blocked the impact of BCAS2 on HSF4 protein stability. Taken together, we identified a pathway for HSF4 degradation through the ubiquitin–proteasome system, and a novel function for BCAS2 that may act as a negative regulatory factor for modulating HSF4 protein homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differentiation from constantly dividing epithelial cells into secondary fiber cells is a key step during lens development. Failure in this process, which requires cell proliferation inhibition and cell cycle exit, causes cataract formation. HSF4 (Heat Shock Transcription Factor 4) gene mutations may lead to both congenital and senile cataract. However, how HSF4 mutations induce cataract formation remains obscure. In this study, we demonstrate that HSF4 can suppress the proliferation of human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) by promoting G1/S arrest in a p53-dependent manner. In contrast, HSF4 with cataract causative mutations fail to cause cell cycle arrest and have no obvious effect on cell proliferation. We further identify that HSF4 recruits p53 in the nucleus and promotes its transcriptional activity, leading to the expression of its target gene p21 in HLECs. HSF4, but not its cataract-causing mutants, stabilizes p53 protein and inhibits its ubiquitin degradation. Our data reveal that HSF4 may work as a switch between lens epithelial cell proliferation and secondary fiber cell differentiation, a process which mainly depends on p53. Through demonstration of this novel downstream pathway of HSF4, our results help uncover the pathogenic mechanisms caused by HSF4 mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), also known as lysolecithin, is one of the major components of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL). In the pathogenetic process of diverse diseases, LPC acts as a significant lipid mediator. However, no evidence shows that LPC can affect the female reproductive system. In our study, we found that LPC inhibited the cell viability of primary mouse ovarian granulosa cells. Meanwhile, LPC was shown to induce apoptosis, which is accompanied by an increase in apoptosis-related protein levels, such as cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-8 and Bax, as well as a decrease in Bcl-2. The total numbers of early and late apoptotic cells also increased in the LPC-treated cells. These results indicated that LPC could induce apoptosis of mouse ovarian granulosa cells. Furthermore, the increase in autophagy-related protein levels and the number of autophagic vesicles suggested that LPC could induce autophagy. The inhibition of oxidative stress by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) could rescue the induction of apoptosis and autophagy by LPC, which indicated that oxidative stress was involved in LPC-induced apoptosis and autophagy. Interestingly, the inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA could reserve the inhibition of cell viability and the induction of apoptosis by LPC. In conclusion, oxidative stress was involved in LPC-induced apoptosis, whileautophagy of mouse ovarian granulosa cells and the inhibition of autophagy could alleviate LPC-induced apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]