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Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are pivotal components of tumor microenvironment (TME), and senescent TAMs contribute to the alternation of the profiles of TME. However, the potential biological mechanisms and the prognosis value of senescent macrophages are largely unknown, especially in bladder cancer (BLCA). Based on the single-cell RNA sequencing of a primary BLCA sample, 23 macrophage-related genes were identified. Genomic difference analysis, LASSO, and Cox regression were used to develop the risk model. TCGA-BLCA cohort (n = 406) was utilized as the training cohort, and then, three independent cohorts (n = 90, n = 221, n = 165) from Gene Expression Omnibus, clinical samples from the local hospital (n = 27), and in vitro cell experiments were used for external validation. Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B (AKR1B1), inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (ID1), and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1I1) were determined and included in the predictive model. The model serves as a promising tool to evaluate the prognosis in BLCA (pooled hazard ratio = 2.51, 95% confidence interval = [1.43; 4.39]). The model was also effective for the prediction of immunotherapeutic sensitivity and chemotherapy treatment outcomes, which were further confirmed by IMvigor210 cohort (P < 0.01) and GDSC dataset, respectively. Twenty-seven BLCA samples from the local hospital proved that the risk model was associated with the malignant degree (P < 0.05). At last, the human macrophage THP-1 and U937 cells were treated with H2O2 to mimic the senescent process in macrophage, and the expressions of these molecules in the model were detected (all P < 0.05). Overall, a macrophage cell senescence-related gene signature was constructed to predict the prognosis, immunotherapeutic response, and chemotherapy sensitivity in BLCA, which provides novel insights to uncover the underlying mechanisms of macrophage senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurethane acrylate prepolymers with different contents of HIPIH and HIH were synthesized via reacting excessive isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) with poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) and then end-capping with 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) in isobornyl methacrylate (IBOMA). After the addition of the photoinitiator PI 1173, the resulting prepolymer resins were irradiated by UV light to form cured materials. The structures of the prepolymers were confirmed by 1H NMR, FT-IR, and GPC. SEM analyses proved that no obvious phase separation was observed within the cured sample. As the content of HIH increased, the viscosity of the prepolymers increased slightly. In addition, the gel content, solvent resistance, Shore hardness, Young's modulus, and the tensile strength of the cured films increased, whereas the elongation at break decreased gradually. The volume shrinkage of the cured samples ranged between 4.5% and 4.8%. DMA analyses showed that the Tgs of the cured samples increased as more HIH structures existed. TGA analyses revealed that the cured samples had high thermal stability. This solvent-free fabrication process was simple, convenient, and controllable. By simply regulating the contents of HIPIH and HIH in the prepolymers, the performances of the cured materials could be adjusted to a wide range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrospun nanofiber membranes (ENMs) have garnered significant attention among researchers for membrane distillation (MD) in treating high-salinity wastewater due to their high water flux and low mass transfer resistance. However, a significant challenge in using ENMs for MD is membrane wetting, which results from the deformation of their weakly randomly overlaid nanofibers structure due to water flow shear forces. Herein, we focused on the membrane's structure and successfully prepared superhydrophobic nanofiber membranes with 3D-network reinforced pore structure by immersing PVDF ENMs in a mixed solution of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TNPs) after a hot-pressing treatment for impregnation and coating. The resulting membrane exhibits exceptional properties, including a high water contact angle (WCA) of 160.3°, a high liquid entry pressure (LEP) of 1.57 bar, and sustained structural integrity with an unchanged pore size distribution even after 5 h of water scouring. These characteristics contribute to a water flux of 39.3 kg·m−2·h−1 and an unexpectedly long durability of up to 102 h, along with an outstanding salt rejection exceeding 99.99 %. Moreover, the membrane demonstrates stable water flux and resistance to wetting when processing a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution containing 0.1 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), underscoring its significant potential for MD applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a total of 20 beam type concrete specimens were prepared to investigate bond behavior of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bar embedded in marine concrete. The influence of sustained loads (load level: 0.25, 0.45 and 0.65 ultimate load (P u)) and stirrup on bond properties was investigated. After sustained load period, flexural bond test was conducted to determine bond stress and slip. Test results indicate that bond strength of GFRP bars shows decreased trend with increasing sustained loading. Compared with specimen not subjected to sustained load, bond strength significantly decreased under 0.25, 0.45 and 0.65 P u. Also, sustained load deteriorates the bond stiffness and bond toughness. What' s more, differences in failure modes and bond strength of steel bar and GFRP bars in flexural bonding tests were analyzed and compared. All GFRP bar specimens subjected to sustained load exhibit bars pull-out failure. In contrast to steel bar, the influence of stirrups on GFRP bar-marine concrete bond strength is relatively limited (specimens with stirrups exhibited only 1.8 % increase over specimens without stirrups), due to GFRP bars lower rib heights and weaker mechanical interlocking with concrete. Characterization of different stages of bond-slip curves of GFRP bar beam specimen subjected to sustained loads was carried out and bond-slip curves of GFRP shows two peaks. According bond strength and slip test data, bond stress-slip mathematical relationship model between GFRP bar and marine concrete under sustained load has been fitted. • Bond strength of GFRP bars shows decreasing trend with increasing sustained load. • Influence of stirrups on bond strength of GFRP - marine concrete is relatively limited. • Bond stress-slip mathematical relationship model under sustained load has been fitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, glass slides were separately silanized by silane coupling agents, 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (TPM) and 3-(mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPS). Then, in presence of a photoinitiator, multifunctional hydrophilic coatings were fabricated facilely on these silanized glasses via UV-induced grafting polymerization of zwitterionic acrylic monomer methacryloxyethyl sulfobetaine (SBMA). The results showed that both TPM and MPS silanized glasses could participate in the UV-induced grafting polymerization of SBMA, while more SBMA could be grafted to the former glass to gain a little bit higher hydrophilicity. The structure, morphology and properties of the multifunctional glasses were investigated fully. As the hydrophilic polymer brushes poly(SBMA) (pSBMA) covalently attached to the glass surface, the glasses could render a series of excellent performances, including underwater superoleophobicity, anti-fogging, anti-frosting, abrasion resistance, self-cleaning and antibacterial adhesion, and especially high stability even after being immersed in water for 20 days. The strong interaction of pSBMA and water was confirmed via differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and Raman spectrum analysis, to explicit the anti-fogging mechanism. Therefore, it is promising that the scalable multifunctional glass fabricated via UV-induced grafting polymerization could be potentially applied in the fields of automobile, bathroom, medical, etc. [Display omitted] • A zwitterionic pSBMA coating covalently bonded on glass was fabricated via UV-induced grafting polymerization. • The coating endowed the glass with superb antifogging, antifrosting, self-cleaning, and antibacterial adhesion properties. • The strong interaction between pSBMA and water was identified via multiple techniques. • The glass coated with robust pSBMA brushes exhibited high durability and long-term antifogging property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In bladder cancer, up to 70% of patients will relapse after resection within 5 years, in which the mechanism underlying the recurrence remains largely unclear. Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry were conducted. The assays of tumor sphere formation and tumor xenograft were further performed to assess the potential biological roles of ATF5 (activating transcription factor 5). Chromatin immunoprecipitation-qPCR and luciferase activity assays were carried out to explore the potential molecular mechanism. A two-tailed paired Student's t-test, χ2 test, Kaplan Meier and Cox regression analyses, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were used for statistical analyses. Results: ATF5 is elevated in bladder urothelial cancer (BLCA) tissues, especially in recurrent BLCA, which confers a poor prognosis. Overexpressing ATF5 significantly enhanced, whereas silencing ATF5 inhibited, the capability of tumor sphere formation in bladder cancer cells. Mechanically, ATF5 could directly bind to and stimulate the promoter of DVL1 gene, resulting in activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Conclusions: This study provides a novel insight into a portion of the mechanism underlying high recurrence potential of BLCA, presenting ATF5 as a prognostic factor or potential therapeutic target for preventing recurrence in BLCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, high performance hydrophilic anti-icing coatings with carboxyl groups were facilely fabricated via UV curing polyurethane methacrylate prepolymers, which were prepared through polyaddition of isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), poly(propylene glycol) (PPG), dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA) and 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) gradually in acetone (A series prepolymer) or isobornyl acrylate (IBOA) (B series prepolymer), and finally treated with triethylamine (TEA). The structures of A series prepolymer and the corresponding cured coating were confirmed via various techniques. The anti-icing performance of the cured coatings was investigated by ice freezing delay test, ice adhesion strength test, water contact angle and water absorption tests, and DSC test. Based on the testing results, the anti-icing behavior was defined as the incomplete icing of water on hydrophilic surface to weaken the interface adhesion. The ice adhesion strength firstly decreased as the DMPA content increased. At DMPA content of 5 %, the coating displayed a stable and very low ice adhesion strength of 40 kPa even after 25 times of icing (at −12 °C) and de-icing (at 25 °C) cycling. At even higher DMPA content, the ice adhesion strength improved because of the anchoring effect of the ice. Moreover, when IBOA was used as reactive diluent and participated in the polymerization with the prepolymers, the obtained B series coatings could have much improved mechanical properties, together with low ice adhesion strength. The facile fabrication process, excellent anti-icing performance and adjustable mechanical properties should make the coatings suitable for various purposes. High performance hydrophilic anti-icing coatings with stable and very low ice adhesion strength were facilely fabricated via UV curing polyurethane methacrylate prepolymers. [Display omitted] • A high-performance hydrophilic anti-icing coating was facilely fabricated. • The coating displayed low and very stable ice adhesion strength of 40 kPa. • The anti-icing behavior was originated from the incomplete icing of water at coating surface. • IBOA improved mechanical strength with little effect on anti-icing property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform Co 9 S 8 nanosheet arrays on conductive nickel foam (Ni-Co 9 S 8 ) are successfully fabricated through a facile hydrothermal method and directly used as the electrode for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. The phase structure and morphology are characterized systematically. Galvanostatic charge-discharge measurement is applied to investigate the electrochemical performance of the Ni-Co 9 S 8 electrode. The Ni-Co 9 S 8 electrode exhibits good lithium-storage cycle performance (720 mAh g −1 at 100 mA g −1 after 100 cycles, 330 mAh g −1 after 50 cycles at 2000 mA g −1 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bond properties of specimen subjected to different working condition was analyzed. • The existence of reciprocating load and chloride cause the bond strength deterioration. • The mathematical model of bond strength-slip has been proposed. This work presented an experimental investigation on bond behavior of corroded steel bars embedded in concrete under the action of three different levels of reciprocating loads (25%, 45% and 65% of ultimate load) and sustained chloride attack using 51 RC beam specimens with dimensions of 100 mm × 150 mm × 550 mm. In the test, the steel is corroded by the method of energized accelerated corrosion (theoretical corrosion ratio of steel is set as 2%, 4% and 6%). Test results show that the effect of reciprocating load will cause the bond strength between uncorroded steel bars and concrete to decrease in the chloride environment, but the effect is not significant. Under the coupled effect of reciprocating loads and energized accelerated corrosion, when the corrosion ratio of longitudinal reinforcement is constant, as the increase of the reciprocating load level, the bond strength between the steel bar and concrete of the specimen decreases. When the theoretical corrosion ratio of steel bars is small, the bond strength between steel bars and concrete gradually increases with the increase of the corrosion ratio; as the corrosion ratio of steel bars further increases, the bond strength shows a downward trend. The theoretical corrosion ratio of steel bars reaches a peak of about 2%. In this paper, the mathematical model of bond strength-slip has been proposed. This work provided an important theoretical basis for correctly assessing the durability of buildings or structures subjected to reciprocating loads in coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Zinc finger E-box binding homEeobox 1 (ZEB1) and ZEB2 are two anoikis-related transcription factors. The mRNA expressions of these two genes are significantly increased in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), which are associated with poor survival. Meanwhile, the mechanisms and clinical significance of ZEB1 and ZEB2 upregulation in KIRC remain unknown. Methods: Through the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, expression profiles, prognostic value and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) of ZEB1 and ZEB2 were evaluated. The correlations of ZEB1 and ZEB2 with anoikis were further assessed in TCGA-KIRC database. Next, miRTarBase, miRDB, and TargetScan were used to predict microRNAs targeting ZEB1 and ZEB2, and TCGA-KIRC database was utilized to discern differences in microRNAs and establish the association between microRNAs and ZEBs. TCGA, TIMER, TISIDB, and TISCH were used to analyze tumor immune infiltration. Results: It was found that ZEB1 and ZEB2 expression were related with histologic grade in KIRC patient. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses showed that KIRC patients with low ZEB1 or ZEB2 levels had a significantly lower survival rate. Meanwhile, ZEB1 and ZEB2 are closely related to anoikis and are regulated by microRNAs. We constructed a risk model using univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses to identify two microRNAs (hsa-miR-130b-3p and hsa-miR-138-5p). Furthermore, ZEB1 and ZEB2 regulate immune cell invasion in KIRC tumor microenvironments. Conclusions: Anoikis, cytotoxic immune cell infiltration, and patient survival outcomes were correlated with ZEB1 and ZEB2 mRNA upregulation in KIRC. ZEB1 and ZEB2 are regulated by microRNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterosis is a common biological phenomenon that can be used to optimize yield and quality of crops. Using heterosis breeding, hybrids with suitable nicotine content have been applied to tobacco leaf production. However, the molecular mechanism of the formation of nicotine heterosis has never been explained from the perspective of protein. The DIA proteomics technique was used to compare the differential proteomics of the hybrid Va116 × Basma, showing strong heterosis in nicotine content from its parent lines Va116 and Basma. Proteomics analysis indicated that 65.2% of DEPs showed over-dominant expression patterns, and these DEPs included QS, BBL, GS, ARAF and RFC1 which related to nicotine synthesis. In addition, some DEPs (including GST, ABCE2 and ABCF1 and SLY1) that may be associated with nicotinic transport exhibited significant heterosis over the parental lines. These findings demonstrated that the efficiency of the synthesis and transport of nicotine in hybrids was significantly higher than that in the parent lines, and the accumulation of over-dominant expression proteins may be the cause of heterosis of nicotinic content in hybrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles and exosome-mimetic nanovesicles (NVs) derived from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have emerged as promising to promote hair growth. However, short local skin retention after subcutaneous administration hinders their clinical applications. In this study, we prepared magnetic nanovesicles (MNVs) from iron oxide nanoparticle–incorporated MSCs. MNVs contained more therapeutic growth factors than NVs derived from naive MSCs, and their localization and internalization were manipulated by external magnetic field. Following the subcutaneous injection of MNVs into a mouse model of depilation-induced hair regeneration, the magnetic attraction increased their skin retention. Then, the cellular proliferation and β-catenin signaling in hair follicles (HF) were markedly enhanced by MNV injection and magnetic field application. Furthermore, an acceleration of HF growth was revealed by histological analysis. The proposed strategy can enhance the therapeutic potential of MSC-derived NVs for hair regeneration and other dermatological diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with limited therapeutic options. Eupalinolide O (EO) was reported to inhibit tumor growth. This study is aimed at exploring the role of EO on TNBC both in vivo and in vitro. Methods. In in vitro experiments, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and clonogenic assay were conducted to measure the impact of EO on TNBC cell growth at different concentrations and time points. Flow cytometry was conducted to evaluate cell apoptosis. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) loss, caspase-3 activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were assessed. The expressions of apoptosis-related mRNAs and Akt/p38 MAPK signaling pathway-related proteins were measured. In in vivo experiments, by injecting TNBC cells into the nude mice to induce xenograft tumor, mice were treated with EO for 20 days. Then, in vivo bioluminescence imaging system was utilized to monitor the growth and distribution of TNBC cells. Tumor volume and weight were also recorded. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and ELISA assay were applied to observe tumor tissue morphology and ROS levels. Furthermore, western blotting was conducted to observe the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and Akt/p38 MAPK signaling pathway-associated proteins. Results. EO inhibited the cell viability and proliferation of TNBC cells but not normal epithelial cells. Furthermore, EO induced apoptosis, decreased MMP, and elevated caspase-3 activity and ROS content in TNBC cells. Meanwhile, the expression of apoptosis-related mRNAs and Akt/p38 MAPK pathway-related proteins was regulated by EO treatment. Besides, in vivo experiments demonstrated EO not only suppressed tumor growth, Ki67 expression, ROS generation, and Akt phosphorylation but also upregulated caspase-3 expression and p-38 phosphorylation. Conclusion. EO may induce cell apoptosis in TNBC via regulating ROS generation and Akt/p38 MAPK pathway, indicating EO may be a candidate drug for TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common lung cancer subtype and accounts for the highest proportion of cancer-related deaths. The tumor microenvironment influences prognostic outcomes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Materials and Methods. We used the ESTIMATE algorithm (Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data) to investigate the role of microenvironment-related genes and stromal cells in lung adenocarcinoma prognosis. This analysis was done on lung adenocarcinoma cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The cases were divided into high and low groups on the basis of immune and stromal scores, respectively. Results. There were close correlations between immune scores with prognosis and disease stage. There were 367 differentially expressed genes. Combining the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we found 14 prognosis-related genes. Results. Based on the enrichment levels of the immune cell types, we clustered LUAD into Immunity_H and Immunity_L subtypes. Most of these genes were upregulated in Immunity_H subtype. Finally, using the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) databases, most of the proteins corresponding to prognostic genes were verified to be differentially expressed between the tumor and normal groups. Conclusions. The key genes identified in this study are involved in molecular mechanisms of LUAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The study aims to explore the molecular basis for the poor response of epithelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in EGFR mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with smoking history. Novel agent overcoming EGFR-TKI resistance had also been investigated. Methods The impact of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on gefitinib sensitive PC-9 cells was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot, CCK-8 assays, immunofluorescence staining, matrigel invasion assays and wound healing assays. Results Western blot and qRT-PCR presented that CSE stimulated the up-regulation of Vimentin and down-regulation of E-cadherin in PC-9 cells in concentration-and time-dependent manners through modulating Src phosphorylation. N -acetylcysteine (NAC) was capable of decreasing Src phosphorylation, abrogating changes of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers instigated by CSE. Immunofluorescence staining found that PC-9 cells displayed features of mesenchymal cells after CSE exposure, while PP2 and NAC could recover these changes. CCK-8 assays showed that CSE could increase the IC50 of PC-9 cells, while PP2 and NAC could abort the elevation of IC50 caused by CSE. Matrigel invasion assays and wound healing assays showed that CSE could increase the invasion and migration ability of PC-9 cells, which could be suppressed by NAC and PP2. Conclusion CSE exposure induced EGFR-TKI resistance via mediating Src activation and EMT in NSCLC. NAC may alleviate smoking induced EGFR-TKI resistance through inhibiting Src activation and EMT reversal. NAC may be a promising adjuvant to reinforce the effect of EGFR-TKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gated Recurrent Units with attention mechanism learn time-series features efficiently. • Multi-channel model exploits correlations among the various cryptocurrency prices. • Convolutional neural networks extract local features effectively. After the invention of Bitcoin as well as other blockchain-based peer-to-peer payment systems, the cryptocurrency market has rapidly gained popularity. Consequently, the volatility of the various cryptocurrency prices attracts substantial attention from both investors and researchers. It is a challenging task to forecast the prices of cryptocurrencies due to the non-stationary prices and the stochastic effects in the market. Current cryptocurrency price forecasting models mainly focus on analyzing exogenous factors, such as macro-financial indicators, blockchain information, and social media data – with the aim of improving the prediction accuracy. However, the intrinsic systemic noise, caused by market and political conditions, is complex to interpret. Inspired by the strong correlations among cryptocurrencies and the powerful modelling capability displayed by deep learning techniques, we propose a Weighted & Attentive Memory Channels model to predict the daily close price and the fluctuation of cryptocurrencies. In particular, our proposed model consists of three modules: an Attentive Memory module combines a Gated Recurrent Unit with a self-attention component to establish attentive memory for each input sequence; a Channel-wise Weighting module receives the price of several heavyweight cryptocurrencies and learns their interdependencies by recalibrating the weights for each sequence; and a Convolution & Pooling module extracts local temporal features, thereby improving the generalization ability of the overall model. In order to validate the proposed model, we conduct a battery of experiments. The results show that our proposed scheme achieves state-of-the-art performance and outperforms the baseline models in prediction error, accuracy, and profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Serum exosomal LncRNA LINC00989 was significantly up-regulated in metastatic patients of TNBC. • LINC00989, clinic marker CEA and CA125, were selected to construct a prognostic signature. • Higher levels of this signature were significantly related with shorter overall and progression-free survival time. • The signature was independent prognosis factor in TNBC patients. Breast cancer is the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality among women, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have recently been studied to predict the prognosis of various cancers, but whether it is an effective marker in TNBC is inconclusive. We used RNA-sequencing analysis to identify differentially expressed exosomal LncRNAs, and qRT-PCR assay was performed to verify dysregulated LncRNAs in multicenter validation cohorts. A signature, which was composed of LINC00989, CEA, and CA153, was then utilized to predict the progression and recurrence of TNBC. Kaplan-Meier analysis was applied to evaluate the prognostic values of the signature. On the basis of RNA-sequencing analysis, we found that serum exosomal LncRNA LINC00989 was significantly up-regulated in metastatic patients of TNBC. Then LINC00989, together with clinic marker CEA and CA125, were selected to construct a prognostic signature. In both training and validation cohort, higher levels of this signature were significantly related with shorter overall and progression-free survival time. Univariate and multivariate analysis shown that the signature was the independent prognosis factor of TNBC patients. Our results suggested that this prognostic signature might potentially predict prognosis and recurrence of TNBC, and was worth validation in future clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon‐based transition metal/nitrogen material is one of the most promising non‐precious metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. And N‐containing polymers are considered as a kind of excellent N precursor because they are more likely to form ordered and stable carbon‐based active layer during heat treatment. However, further research is still needed due to the inferior oxygen reduction catalytic activity compared with Pt in acidic condition. Herein, we design the Fe/N/C catalyst through synthesize a special nitrogen‐rich polymer poly‐hexaazatrinaphthylene as N source and subsequently calcine with the mixture of ferric chloride and Vulcan XC‐72. The physical results indicate that the oxygen reduction catalytic activity is mainly related to the amorphous carbon, pyridinic‐N, and Fe‐N4 coordination geometry. Electrochemical tests indicated that the sample pyrolyzed at 800°C presents relative high oxygen reduction activity in 0.5 mol L−1 H2SO4 via an efficient four‐electron‐dominant pathway. We synthesis a kind of special N‐containing polymer poly‐hexaazatrinaphthylene (PHANT) as precursor to build Fe/N/C catalyst towards oxygen reduction in acidic conditions. It owns Fe‐N4 moiety and shows good catalytic activity with onset potential 0.78 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a category of Fe 3 C-containing Fe/N/C mesoporous material has been fabricated by carbonizing the mixture of uric acid, Iron (Ⅲ) chloride anhydrous and carbon support (XC-72) under different pyrolysis temperature. Of all these samples, pyrolysis temperature (800 °C) becomes the most crucial factor in forming Fe 3 C active sites which synergizes with high content of graphitic N to catalyze oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) is used to exhibit that the space structure around Fe atoms in the catalyst. This kind of catalyst possesses comparable ORR properties with commercial 20% Pt/C (onset potential is 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl in 0.1 M KOH), the average transfer electron number is 3.84 reflecting the 4-electron process. Moreover, superior stability and methanol tolerance deserve to be mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1 1 Nonstandard abbreviations: Cloud Optical Thickness (COT), Effective Diameter (De), Independent Pixel Approximation (IPA), Ice Water Content (IWC), Near-infrared (NIR), Plane Parallel Approximation (PPA), Severely Roughened Aggregated Columns (SRAC), Thermal infrared (TIR), Three-dimensional (3-D) ,Visible (VIS). The influences of three-dimensional radiative effects and horizontal heterogeneity effects on the retrieval of cloud optical thickness (COT) and effective diameter (De) for cirrus clouds are explored by the SHDOM radiative transfer model. The stochastic cirrus clouds are generated by the Cloudgen model based on the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program data. Incorporating a new ice cloud spectral model, we evaluate the retrieval errors for two solar zenith angles (SZAs) (30° and 60°), four solar azimuth angles (0°, 45°, 90°, and 180°), and two sensor settings (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) onboard Aqua and Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) onboard METEOSAT-8). The domain-averaged relative error of COT (μ) ranges from −24.1 % to -1.0 % (SZA = 30°) and from −11.6 % to 3.3 % (SZA = 60°), with the uncertainty within 7.5 % to –12.5 % (SZA = 30°) and 20.0 % - 27.5 % (SZA = 60°). For the SZA of 60° only, the relative error and uncertainty are parameterized by the retrieved COT by linear functions, providing bases to correct the retrieved COT and estimate their uncertainties. Besides, De is overestimated by 0.7–15.0 μm on the domain average, with the corresponding uncertainty within 6.7–26.5 μm. The retrieval errors show no discernible dependence on solar azimuth angle due to the flat tops and full coverage of the cirrus samples. The results are valid only for the two samples and for the specific spatial resolution of the radiative transfer simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slant Visual Range (SVR) is defined as the distance at which the contrast of a given object with respect to its background is just equal to the contrast threshold of an observer in slant direction. In this study, estimation methods and errors of SVR are explored in lidar-free circumstances where Extinction Coefficient Profile (ECP), vertical distribution of Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) and asymmetry parameter (ASY) cannot be acquired. Statistical characteristics of aerosol optical properties in the Taklimakan Basin for sand-dust weather are derived from the CALIPSO daytime aerosol product from 2011 to 2014. SSA and ASY are approximated as 0.92 and 0.7 because aerosol types are mainly dust and polluted dust throughout layers. Besides, ECP can be categorized into exponential, Gaussian and other patterns. Based on whether the determination of real ECP into one of the three patterns is feasible, two SVR estimation methods are introduced and termed the accurate estimation method (AEM) and the blind estimation method (BEM), both methods are performed using SBDART radiative transfer model. For the AEM, analysis of estimated SVR and real SVR reveals a minimum linear correlation coefficient of 0.98 and a maximum root mean square error of 0.07, and the hit rate (R) of SVR estimation increases from 86% to nearly 100% when the maximum allowable relative error (MARE) increases from 10% to 25%. Validation of the BEM shows that R varies from 78% to 100% for MARE of 25% and falls drastically with the decrease of MARE, with the highest R value in spring and summer for the Gaussian pattern and the lowest values in fall and winter for exponential and other patterns. This study is among the first to explore the feasibility and methodology of deriving SVR in lidar-free circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnFe 2 O 4 /C composites have been prepared through a molten salt route combined with a carbonization process using glucose as carbon source. The field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy confirm that the as-prepared ZnFe 2 O 4 /C is composed of nanodiscs with the thickness of 100–200 nm. The electrochemical measurement depicts that the ZnFe 2 O 4 /C electrode exhibits good cycle ability and rate capacity. A specific capacity of 965 mAh g −1 can be maintained after 100 cycles at the current density of 100 mA g – 1 . When the current density is increased to 2000 mA g −1 , the specific capacity still remains at 595 mAh g −1 after 50 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform F-doped Mn3O4 nanobelts have been synthesized by the molten salt method using NaF as the fluorine source and morphology stabilizer. The as-prepared materials are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. Based on the experimental results, a possible formation mechanism of the F-doped Mn3O4 nanobelts is proposed. The electrochemical measurement indicates that the F-doped Mn3O4 nanobelts exhibit a reversible electrochemical lithium storage capacity as high as 615 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles, and an excellent rate capability of 412 mA h g−1 at a high current density of 1000 mA g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical SnO2/Fe2O3 hollow spheres are fabricated through the solvothermal method accompanied by a facile solution procedure in the absence of any surfactant. The composition, crystalline structure, morphology, and electrochemical properties of the synthesized product are investigated systematically. The SnO2/Fe2O3 as an anode material in Li-ion batteries demonstrates a better reversible capacity and very good rate capability and cyclic performance compared with pure-phase SnO2 hollow spheres. The greatly enhanced Li-ion storage capability of the SnO2/Fe2O3 hollow spheres is believed to result from the synergy of the two materials, SnO2 and Fe2O3, which provides breathable aggregates for effective buffering of the drastic volume changes during the charge/discharge process. This work reports a promising method for the design and preparation of nanocomposite electrodes for Li-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The allowable content of microfines can be relaxed. • Coupled effects of content and MBV of microfines has a decisive influence. • A correlation theory was established to calculate the coupled effects. This study investigated the coupled influences of the content and methylene blue value (MBV) of microfines on the comprehensive performance of manufactured sand concrete. The results show that microfines with a low MBV improve the workability of fresh concrete and the compactness of hardened concrete, thus improving certain properties of the concrete. In contrast, microfines with a high MBV are detrimental to frost resistance and shrinkage. Furthermore, the requirements regarding the allowable content of microfines can be relaxed depending on the associated MBV in order to make full use of microfines in manufactured sand concrete. Finally, this study calculates the coefficient of the coupled effects of the content and MBV of microfines on the performance of manufactured sand concrete based on the correlation theory and provides the basis for updating the content and MBV requirements for microfines in actual engineering. Sand can be replaced with microfines in traditional construction, transportation engineering and bridge engineering, thereby alleviating shortages of river sand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]