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Drug-induced hepatotoxicity (DIH) is a common cause of acute liver injury, endangering human health. Intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in hepatocytes is related to hepatotoxicity. Thus, monitoring the dynamic changes in lysosomal ATP is promising to further understand the pathogenesis and accurate evaluation of DIH. Herein, we developed a lysosomal ATP-activated upconversion nanoprobe by decorating ATP-sensitive carbon dots (CDs) on the surface of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) for ratiometric imaging of hepatotoxicity. Owing to the excellent optical characteristics of UCNPs as well as the high selectivity and biocompatibility of CDs, this nanoprobe showed robust reversibility and good sensitivity to ATP in an acidic environment. Noticeably, it was successfully applied in imaging the lysosomal ATP levels fluctuation in living cells and deep tissues and used for studying the production and remediation pathways of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. This nanoprobe is significant for further understanding the pathogenesis of DIH and may be a potentially effective tool for the clinical evaluation of DIH.

Based on non-equilibrium Green’s function combined with density functional theory (NEGF-DFT), we theoretically investigate the spin-related photogalvanic effect (PGE) in topological insulator BiBr and SbBr nanoribbons from atomic first-principles calculations....

Cough monitoring can enable new individual pulmonary health applications. Subject cough event detection is the foundation for continuous cough monitoring. Recently, the rapid growth in smart hearables has opened new opportunities for such needs. This paper proposes EarCough, which enables continuous subject cough event detection on edge computing hearables by leveraging the always-on active noise cancellation (ANC) microphones. Specifically, we proposed a lightweight end-to-end neural network model -- EarCoughNet. To evaluate the effectiveness of our method, we constructed a synchronous motion and audio dataset through a user study. Results show that EarCough achieved an accuracy of 95.4% and an F1-score of 92.9% with a space requirement of only 385 kB. We envision EarCough as a low-cost add-on for future hearables to enable continuous subject cough event detection., Comment: This paper has been accepted by ACM CHI 2023

The spark plasma-sintered Ti-6Al-4V alloy was used as experimental specimens to perform the multi-pass hot compression. The deformation temperature was 950, 900, 850 °C, and the compressed amount was 20, 30, 20% corresponding to one pass, two passes and three passes, respectively. The flow behaviors revealed that the curve with the strain rate of 5 s−1 appeared obvious oscillatory phenomenon after peak. Additionally, the curve with strain rate of 0.1 and 1 s−1 almost kept constant after peak stress during the process of two-pass compression. The microstructures showed that the sintered voids with the average diameter of 7.53 μm could be observed in initial Widmanstatten structures with the aspect ratio of 11.49 ± 0.5. The deformed inhomogeneity had prominent influence on the microstructures. For three-pass deformation with the strain rate of 0.1 s−1, the microstructures of severe plastic deformation area were equiaxial microstructures with the grain diameter of 3.82 μm, while the microstructures for medial and small plastic deformation area were dual and Widmanstatten, respectively. With the strain rate of 0.1 s−1, the fraction of dynamic recrystallization (fDRX) increased from 0.034 through 0.112 to 0.440 with the passes increased, and the variation tendency toward average diameter of grain size versus compressed passes shifted reversely. The β→α phase transformation was the main reason for the misorientation angle nearby 60° for one pass with the strain rate of 0.1 s−1. The fDRX declined from 0.440 through 0.225 to 0.297 with raising the strain rate for three-pass deformation, but the grain size changed oppositely. The CDRX and DDRX were both appeared during multi-pass hot deformation.

Heavy ion therapy is currently recognized as the most advanced cancer radiotherapy approach in the world. This article introduces a high-precision and non-contact measurement method based on close-...

In ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, both inflammation and apoptosis play a vital role, and the inhibition of excessive inflammation and apoptosis show substantial clinical potential in the treatment of I/R disease. The role of sacubitril/valsartan (SAC/VAL)-a first-in-class angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI)-in inflammation regulation and apoptosis in the context of I/R injury needs to be further explored. In this study, we investigate the short- and long-term effects of SAC/VAL administration in treating adult murine I/R injury both in vivo and in vitro. Our results verified that the application of SAC/VAL could reduce infarct size and suppress apoptosis and the inflammatory response in the acute phase post I/R. Long-term application of SAC/VAL for four weeks significantly improved ventricular function and reversed pathological ventricular remodeling. Mechanistically, SAC/VAL treatment induces the inhibition of the GSK3β-mediated NF-κB pathway through synergistically blocking angiotensin 1 receptor (AT1R) and activating natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR). In summary, we reported the therapeutic role of SAC/VAL in regulating the GSK3β/NF-κB signaling pathway to suppress the inflammatory response and apoptosis, thereby reducing cardiac dysfunction and remodeling post I/R.

The gaseous plant hormone ethylene influences many physiological processes in plant growth and development. Plant ethylene responses are mediated by a family of ethylene receptors, in which the N-terminal transmembrane domains are responsible for ethylene binding and membrane localization. Until now, little structural information was available on the molecular mechanism of ethylene responses by the transmembrane binding domain of ethylene receptors. Here, we screened different constructs, fusion tags, detergents, and purification methods of the transmembrane sensor domain of ethylene receptors. However, due to their highly hydrophobic transmembrane domain (TMD), only a KSI-fused LeETR21–131 from tomato yielded a good-quality nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum in the organic solvent. Interestingly, a dimer model of LeETR21–131 built by the AlphaFold2 algorithm showed greatly converged structures. The interaction analysis of ethylene and LeETR21–131 using molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrated the potential binding sites of ethylene in LeETR21–131. Our exploration provides valuable knowledge for further understanding of the ethylene-perception process in ethylene receptors.

The installation spacing of thin quadrupole group is very small, the traditional base support adjustment support is changed to suspension regulating bracket, which meets the stability and adjustment accuracy of thin quadrupole. The motion and force, transmission efficiency, self-locking conditions of wedge mechanism for small spacing direction adjustment are studied, and the parametric design of wedge mechanism is studied.

Professional learning communities are recognized as one of the most effective approaches for promoting the professional development of teachers. In the current complex and rapidly changing era, to facilitate the implementation of interdisciplinary curricula, Chinese schools have made tremendous efforts to enhance teacher professional development, particularly by establishing professional learning communities. Aiming to understand the operation of professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects in Chinese K-12 schools and to examine factors impacting the sustainable development of these professional learning communities, we conducted a case study on professional learning communities in the interdisciplinary subject of Education for International Understanding in Chengdu Horsens Primary School. As part of this study, we interviewed the principal, course director, seed teachers and teachers participating in the selected case. The research results demonstrated that the major factors impacting the sustainable development of professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects in Chinese K-12 schools include school structures and policies, school leadership, teachers’ professionalism and learning capacity and their sense of community. In addition, compared to traditional subject-based professional learning communities in China, professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects highlight a sense of community, which presents three distinctive features: a conflict-inclusive atmosphere, the coexistence of individual and shared visions and an emotional bonding identity. These three features also have a considerable impact on the sustainable development of professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects in Chinese K-12 schools.

CXXC Zinc finger protein 1 (CFP1) is a multitasking protein playing essential roles during various developmental processes. Its ability to interact with several proteins contribute to several epigenetic events. Here, we review CFP1's functions and its impact on DNA methylation and the post-translational modification of histone proteins such as lysine acetylation and methylation. We will also discuss the potential role of CFP1 in carcinogenesis and the impact of the mutations identified in patients suffering from various cancers.

Bax proteins form pores in the mitochondrial outer membrane to initiate apoptosis. This might involve their embedding in the cytosolic leaflet of the lipid bilayer, thus generating tension to induce a lipid pore with radially arranged lipids forming the wall. Alternatively, Bax proteins might comprise part of the pore wall. However, there is no unambiguous structural evidence for either hypothesis. Using NMR, we determined a high‐resolution structure of the Bax core region, revealing a dimer with the nonpolar surface covering the lipid bilayer edge and the polar surface exposed to water. The dimer tilts from the bilayer normal, not only maximizing nonpolar interactions with lipid tails but also creating polar interactions between charged residues and lipid heads. Structure‐guided mutations demonstrate the importance of both types of protein–lipid interactions in Bax pore assembly and core dimer configuration. Therefore, the Bax core dimer forms part of the proteolipid pore wall to permeabilize mitochondria., NMR structures of membrane‐bound Bax core dimer reveal dual interactions with non‐polar tails and charged heads of bilayer lipids contributing directly to apoptotic mitochondrial permeabilization.

Wuwei heavy ion therapy center is the first Chinese heavy ion accelerator facility developed for cancer therapy, in which four terminals are distributed and the height of the vertical terminal is u...

Heterostructures have broad potential application in energy conversion material and optoelectronic device since of novel interface effect and enhanced electron transport dynamics at heterointerfaces. Herein, we report a heterostructured SnS/SnO2/spherical graphene composite, in which ultrafine SnS/SnO2 nanoparticles with heterostructures are sandwiched between multi-layers of graphene sheets, exhibiting a hollow spherical architecture as a whole. Detailed electrochemical studies indicate that the molar ratio of SnS to SnO2 has great influence on the charge transport efficiency. Theoretical calculation reveals that SnS and SnO2 exhibit different work functions and the Fermi level shift is affected by the SnS/SnO2 molar ratio, thus the hybrid with the ratio close to 1.0 owns the most adsorbed lithium ions, which leads to the highest specific charge-transfer kinetics and lowest ion-diffusion resistance than other samples. Electrochemical tests show that the composite with appropriate composition delivers the best lithium storage rate performance (620 and 312.7 mAh g−1 at 1 C and 10 C). A much stable and high reversible specific capacity of 850 mAh g−1 is obtained after 200 cycles at 0.1 C. The appropriate molar ratio of nano-heterostructures and the novel sandwich hollow spherical composite structure are attributed to the excellent electrochemical performances.

Efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are critical to reduce energy losses in alkaline water electrolysis. Herein, CoNiSe2 heteronanorods decorated with layered-double-hydroxides (LDHs) nanosheets are designed, in which the selenide-LDHs interfaces can boost H2O chemisorption to produce reactive H intermediate, resulting in fast HER kinetics. Such promotion in HER is further interpreted by theoretical calculation and in-situ Raman investigation. By contrast, it’s negligible for anodic oxygen evolution. Assembled as an electrolyzer for overall water splitting, the heteronanorods afford a quite low cell voltage of 1.44 V at a geometric current density of 10 mA cm−2 and remarkable stability for more than 48 h in 1.0 M KOH, performing among the best of non-precious electrocatalysts. Identifying efficient electrocatalysis on engineered heterointerfaces, this work is anticipated to open up new opportunities for catalyst design in energy chemistry.

The reunion of Sn is always a troublesome issue when it’s used as the energy storage materials, on the one hand it comes from the preparation process due to its low melting point, and on the other hand it comes from the Li-Sn alloying process because of its natural tendency of migration. The Sn/SnO2/spherical graphene composite prepared by one-step low temperature hydrothermal reduction method can effectively solve this problem. In the composite, Sn/SnO2 tiny nanoparticles with average diameter of 5 nm distribute evenly between multilayers of graphene sheets presenting a hollow spherical structure. The introduction of SnO2 can effectively restrain the agglomeration of Sn nanoparticles during alloying process since an amorphous Li2O matrix is formed to separate the adjacent active particles. The sandwich graphene hollow sphere skeleton effectively buffers the volume expansion of Sn/SnO2 and further restricts their migration and agglomeration. Due to the above advantages, the nano-Li2O generating from the decomposition of SnO2 can contact closely with excessive nano-Sn in restricted area, promoting facile conversed conversion reaction. Therefore, the composite exhibits high reversible capacity and excellent cycle performance. A stable and high specific capacity of 843.8 mAh g−1 is obtained after 100 cycles at 0.1 C.

Based on non-equilibrium Green's function combined with density functional theory (NEGF-DFT), we theoretically investigate the spin-related photogalvanic effect (PGE) in two anti-ferroelectric bilayer In

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by limited airflow due to pulmonary and alveolar abnormalities from exposure to cigarette smoke (CS). Current therapeutic drugs are limited and the development of novel treatments to prevent disease progression is challenging. Isoforskolin (ISOF) from the plant Coleus forskohlii is an effective activator of adenylyl cyclase (AC) isoforms. Previously we found ISOF could attenuate acute lung injury in animal models, while the effect of ISOF on COPD has not been elucidated. Purpose In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ISOF on COPD and reveal its potential mechanisms. Methods A rat model of COPD was established by long-term exposure to CS, then the rats were orally administered with ISOF (0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg). The pulmonary function, lung morphology, inflammatory cells and cytokines in serum or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were evaluated. Transcriptomics, proteomics and network pharmacology analysis were utilized to identify potential mechanisms of ISOF. Droplet digital PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of AC1-10 in donor lung tissues. AC activation was determined in recombinant human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells stably expressing human AC isoforms. In addition, ISOF caused trachea relaxation ex vivo were assessed in isolated trachea rings from guinea pigs. Results ISOF significantly ameliorated pathological damage of lung tissue and improved pulmonary function in COPD rats. ISOF treatment decreased the number of inflammatory cells in peripheral blood, and also the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum and BALF. Consistent with omics-based analyses, ISOF markedly downregulated the mTOR level in lung tissue. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that ISOF treatment reduced the ratio of Th17/Treg cells in peripheral blood. Furthermore, the expression levels of AC1 and AC2 are relatively higher than other AC isoforms in normal lung tissues, and ISOF could potently activate AC1 and AC2 in vitro and significantly relax isolated guinea pig trachea. Conclusion Collectively, our studies suggest that ISOF exerts its anti-COPD effect by improving lung function, anti-inflammation and trachea relaxation, which may be related to AC activation, mTOR signaling and Th17/Treg balance.

Based on non-equilibrium Green's function combined with density functional theory (NEGF-DFT), we theoretically investigate the spin-related photogalvanic effect (PGE) in two anti-ferroelectric bilayer In2Se3 structures by atomic first-principles calculations. It is found that, due to the absence of inversion symmetry and the presence of strong spin–orbital interaction (SOI) in anti-ferroelectric bilayer In2Se3, the photoinduced charge-to-spin conversion can be achieved via the PGE. The generated spin-dependent photocurrent is largely spin-polarized and the corresponding spin polarization can vary from 0% to 100% depending on the photon energies, polarization and incident angles. Furthermore, it is found that, by tuning the polarization and the incident angles of light, the fully spin-polarized and pure spin photocurrent can be obtained. Most importantly, the spin dependent photocurrent can be largely tuned through the transition between two anti-ferroelectric bilayer In2Se3 states by the gate voltage. The defined relative spin dependent photoresponse change ratio ns between two states is extremely large and its maximum value can be in the order of ∼104. Therefore, our work demonstrates the great potential of bilayer In2Se3's novel application in two-dimensional non-volatile opto-spintronic devices.

SummaryBax proteins form pores in the mitochondrial outer membrane to initiate apoptosis. They may embed in the cytosolic leaflet of the lipid bilayer generating tension to induce a lipid pore with radially arranged lipids forming the wall. Alternatively, they may comprise part of the pore wall. However, there is no unambiguous structural evidence for either hypothesis. Using NMR, we determine a high-resolution structure of the Bax core region that forms a dimer with the nonpolar surface covering the lipid bilayer edge and the polar surface exposed to water. The dimer tilts from the bilayer normal, not only maximizing nonpolar interactions with lipid tails but creating polar interactions between charged residues and lipid heads. Structure-guided mutations demonstrate the importance of both protein-lipid interactions in Bax pore assembly and core dimer configuration. Therefore, the Bax core dimer forms part of the proteolipid pore wall to permeabilize mitochondria.

Based on non-equilibrium Green's function combined with density functional theory (NEGF-DFT), we investigate the spin dependent transport in the ferromagnetic 6,6,12/γ-graphyne zigzag nanoribbon (GYZNR) heterojunction under different magnetic configurations. It is found that, at low bias ([−0.05, 0.1] V), the junction presents metallic transport with negligible spin polarization in parallel configuration (PC) while it behaves as an insulator in anti-parallel configuration (APC), which results in giant magnetoresistance. Interestingly, when we increase the bias voltage beyond [−0.05, 0.1] V, dual spin filtering characterized by electron transport of different spin channels under different polarity of bias is observed in APC but not in PC. All these findings are understood from the symmetry matching of wave functions in two nanoribbons at equilibrium or finite bias. Furthermore, dual spin filtering can also be achieved in PC by applying a gate voltage on the central interface region, which arises from the shift of different single spin channel of the central gate region into the bias window at a different polarity of the gate voltage. Thus, our work demonstrates the great potential of the 6,6,12/γ-GYZNR heterojunction as a multi-functional device and its great perspectives in carbon-based nanoelectronics and spintronics.

The discharge caused by metals triggered by microwave radiation is a key issue, whereas little attention was paid to the pyrolysis of waste tires by using the interaction between microwave and meta...

SnS is widely studied as anode materials since of its superior structural stability and physicochemical property comparing with other Sn-based composites. Nevertheless, the inconvenience of phase morphology control and excessive consumption of sulfur sources during synthesis hinder the scalable application of SnS nanocomposites. Herein, we report a facile in-situ sulfuration strategy to synthesize sandwiched spherical SnS/sulfur-doped graphene (SnS/S-SG) composite. An ultra-low sulfur content with approximately stoichiometric ratio of Sn:S can effectively promote the sulfuration reaction of SnO2 to SnS and simultaneous sulfur-doping of graphene. The as-prepared SnS/S-SG composite shows a three-dimensional interconnected spherical structure as a whole, in which SnS nanoparticles are sandwiched between the multilayers of graphene sheets forming a hollow sphere. The sandwiched sphere structure and high S doping amount can improve the binding force between SnS and graphene, as well as the structural stability and electrical conductivity of the composite. Thus, a high reversibility of conversion reaction, promising specific capacity (772 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 C) and excellent rate performance (705 and 411 mAh g−1 at 1 C and 10 C, respectively) are exhibited in the SnS/S-SG electrode, which are much higher than that of the SnS/spherical graphene synthesized by traditional post-sulfuration method.

Using the test system for the microwave pyrolysis of scrap tires, the effects of different factors on the production characteristics of limonene in oils were investigated. The results showed that the optimum processing parameters for the production of limonene were the specific microwave power of 15 W/g, the weight hourly space velocity of 3.75 h−1, the tire particle size of 0.6 mm, and the absence of steel wires. The yield of limonene in the pyrolysis oil under this set of conditions was up to 23.4%. According to the pyrolysis process and the product composition, the mechanism of limonene production under microwave pyrolysis conditions was predicted. The content of limonene in the pyrolysis oil was quantitatively analyzed by an external standard method (ESM) and the peak area normalization method (PANM) separately. The numerical values of the test results obtained by multiplying PANM by the calibration factor of 1.5 equal the corresponding results obtained using the ESM method. Compared with conventional pyrolysis, the microwave pyrolysis of waste tires has a higher yield of limonene under optimized conditions. The results provide an important reference for the high-value utilization of waste tires and the utilization of resources, especially the subsequent production of limonene.

Microwave pyrolysis of tire powders were run in a laboratory scale microwave oven (2.45 GHz). A special attention was dedicated to the yields of gaseous products during the microwave pyrolysis at different powers (300, 500, and 700 W). Triple-channel refinery gas chromatograph was used to quickly detect the gas composition of tire pyrolysis and its evolution during the process. H 2 , CO, and CH 4 , up to 90% of the total volume of pyrolytic gases, were the most predominant gaseous products. As the pyrolysis proceeded, the composition exhibited a significantly changes, e.g., more H 2 was produced and less CH 4 was generated. As the power increased, the content of CH 4 + CO 2 decreased, while the fractions of H 2 + CO rapidly increased at the intense stage of the microwave pyrolysis. The maximum yields of gaseous and liquid products and the maximum conversion of tires were obtained at 500 W.

Lithium sulfide as a promising cathode material not only have a high theoretical specific capacity, but also can be paired with Li-free anode material to avoid potential safety issues. However, how to prepare high electrochemical performance material is still challenge. Herein, we present a facile way to obtain high crystal quality Li 2 S nanomaterials with average particle size of about 55 nm and coated with Li 3 PS 4 to form the nano-scaled core-shell Li 2 S@Li 3 PS 4 composite. Then nano-Li 2 S@Li 3 PS 4 /graphene aerogel is prepared by a simple liquid infiltration-evaporation coating process and used directly as a composite cathode without metal substrate for lithium-sulfur batteries. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that the composite delivers a high discharge capacity of 934.4 mAh g −1 in the initial cycle and retains 485.5 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 C rate. In addition, the composite exhibits much lower potential barrier (∼2.40 V) and overpotential compared with previous reports, indicating that Li 2 S needs only a little energy to be activated. The excellent electrochemical performances could be attributed to the tiny particle size of Li 2 S and the superionic conducting Li 3 PS 4 coating layer, which can shorten Li-ion and electron diffusion paths, improve the ionic conductivity, as well as retarding polysulfides dissolution into the electrolyte to some extent.

The pyrolytic performance of tire powder treated under different specific microwave powers (SMP), powers per 1 g sample, (9, 15, and 24 W/g) was investigated. The experimental results show that the pyrolysis level of tire powder was enhanced with increasing SMP. The maximum yields of liquid product (45%) and gas product (18.5%) were obtained at 15 and 24 W/g, respectively. In addition, the conversion rates of main organic elements transferred to three-phase products were calculated. All of the evolved gases were collected in successive gasbags, and 80% of the volumes were low-molecular-weight gases like H 2 , CH 4 and C 2 H 4 ; the fraction of gases generated increased with increasing SMP. The liquid products contained a large amount of aromatic hydrocarbons, and more limonene (nearly 10%) was produced in microwave pyrolysis than in conventional pyrolysis of tires. The proximate and ultimate analyses of the solid product showed a slight difference in composition as a function of SMP. Furthermore, there may be a competitive reaction between the sulfur release to the volatiles and sulfur fixation, forming ZnS; the amount of ZnS varied with SMP. The energy recovery was examined, which provides a useful measure of the energy efficiency of microwave pyrolysis process.

Exploring noble-metal-free electrocatalysts with high efficiency for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) holds promise for advancing the production of H2 fuel through water splitting. Herein, one-pot synthesis was introduced for MoS2–Ni3S2 heteronanorods supported by Ni foam (MoS2–Ni3S2 HNRs/NF), in which the Ni3S2 nanorods were hierarchically integrated with MoS2 nanosheets. The hierarchical MoS2–Ni3S2 heteronanorods allow not only the good exposure of highly active heterointerfaces but also the facilitated charge transport along Ni3S2 nanorods anchored on conducting nickel foam, accomplishing the promoted kinetics and activity for HER, OER, and overall water splitting. The optimal MoS2–Ni3S2 HNRs/NF presents low overpotentials (η10) of 98 and 249 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm–2 in 1.0 M KOH for HER and OER, respectively. Assembled as an electrolyzer for overall water splitting, such heteronanorods show a quite low cell voltage of 1.50 V at 10 mA...

Three-dimensional (3D) interconnected spherical graphene framework-decorated SnS nanoparticles (3D SnS@SG) is synthesized by self-assembly of graphene oxide nanosheets and positively charged polystyrene/SnO2 nanospheres, followed by a controllable in situ sulfidation reaction during calcination. The SnS nanoparticles with diameters of ∼10–30 nm are anchored to the surface of the spherical graphene wall tightly and uniformly. Benefiting from the 3D interconnected spherical graphene framework and subtle SnS nanoparticles, the generated Li2S could keep in close contact with Sn to make possible the in situ conversion reaction SnS + 2Li+ + 2e– ↔ Sn + Li2S. As a result, the 3D SnS@SG as the anode material for lithium ion batteries shows a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 75.3%. Apart from the irreversible capacity loss of 3D spherical graphene, the initial Coulombic efficiency of SnS in the 3D SnS@SG composite is as high as 99.7%, demonstrating the almost complete reversibility of Li2S in this system. Furth...

The evolution of products of tire powders, with special attention to the yields and composition over time under microwave pyrolysis, was studied. The solid, liquid, and gaseous products generated were all collected separately during the pyrolysis process and characterized. In addition, temperature was measured using a thin thermocouple intermittently. The sample temperature first rose, then fell, and finally stabilized at approximately 500 °C. The major components of the pyrolysis gases were H2, CH4, and C2H4. The liquid products were complex mixtures of organic compounds with large proportions of aromatics and limonene. The solid residues, with high contents of carbon black and S, pyrolyzed almost completely at 20 min, and the samples in the center of the reactor were pyrolyzed earlier than those in the surrounding areas were. At the end of the pyrolysis, 43% of the solid residues, 45% of the oils, and 12% of the pyrolysis gases were obtained.

Adenylyl cyclases (ACs), which are responsible for catalyzing the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into the second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), play a critical role in cell signal transduction. In this study, a combined approach involving docking-based virtual screening, with the combination of homology modeling followed by an in-vitro, and cell-based biological assay have been performed for discovering a class of novel potent and selective isoform adenylyl cyclase type 8 (AC8) agonist. The computer-aided virtual screening was used to identify fourteen virtual cluster compounds as potential hits which were further subjected to rigorous bioassays. A novel hit compound VHC-7 (ethyl 3-(2,4-dichlorobenzyl)-2-oxoindoline-3-carboxylate) was identified as a highly potent selective AC8 agonist with EC50 value of 0.1052 ± 0.038 µM. Remarkably, the molecule herein reported can be explored further to discover greater number of hit compounds with better pharmacokinetic properties as well as to serve as a promising novel hit agonist of AC8 for the treatment of various central nervous system disorders and its associated diseases.

In this paper, a supply chain network system is viewed as a serial-parallel multistage process; and the application of a change point control chart based on likelihood ratio is explored to monitor this system. Firstly, state-space modeling is used to characterize complexity of the supply chain network system. Then, a change point control chart based on likelihood ratio is built to trigger potential tardy orders in the system. A case study is illustrated to indicate that the change point control charts can effectively signal process mean shift, and accurately estimate the change point and the out-of-control stage in term of power of detection and the accuracy of estimation of change point. We also investigate the effect of misspecified parameters of state space equations on the performance of the change point control chart. The results show that the performance of the change point control chart is relatively stable.

Macrophage polarization determines the transition from the inflammation phase to the inflammation resolution phase after myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether resveratrol (RSV) could inhibit the inflammatory mediators associated with the regulation of macrophage phenotypes and functions in MI mice. We initially discovered that RSV significantly improved cardiac function and suppressed the expression of fibrosis markers, such as collagen-I, collagen-III, and fibronectin, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). RSV inhibited the expression of M1-like macrophage-related biomarkers (e.g., TNF-α and MCP-1) when bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-γ (INF-γ). In contrast, it upregulated M2-like macrophage-related biomarkers (e.g., CD163 and Arg-1) when BMDMs were stimulated with interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10). In addition, we found that RSV promoted M2-like macrophage polarization under anoxic conditions, which could be related to JAK2-SATA3 phosphorylation. In summary, RSV might promote anti-inflammatory M2-like polarization of macrophages after MI to improve cardiac function via the regulation of JAK2-SATA3 phosphorylation.

Heavy ion medical machine (HIMM) is built by the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, with a high-energy beam transport line with a height of 18 m, and its complex space mounting structure increases the difficulty of installation and alignment. The aim of this paper is to provide methods to install all accelerator components efficiently and to ensure that the alignment accuracies of all installed components are within the designed values. We accomplished the fiducialization and pre-alignment of complex modules by combining the laser tracker and the alignment telescope. By analyzing various elements that affect the accuracy of alignment, a method of alignment for high-energy beam transport line was proposed based on high-precision three-dimensional control network. All components have been installed and aligned in a short time, alignment position accuracy of magnets is less than 0.1 mm, and the treatment components alignment accuracy is no more than 0.4 mm. On the basis of error analysis, all alignment results are better than the required precisions, and all of these guaranteed the successful operation of HIMM.

Ultrathin, undersized MoS2/graphene composites are fabricated by a facile acetic acid assisted hydrothermal route and post-annealing. The structure and morphology characterization reveals that the MoS2 nanosheets with ∼5 layers and 130–160 nm in size are decorated on the surface of graphene nanosheets homogeneously and tightly. The effects of acetic acid and N-methyl-pyrrolidone solvent on the microstructures and electrochemical performances of the MoS2/graphene composites are investigated. It is found that the acetic acid could maintain a constant pH and promote hydrolysis of thiourea, and thus many more MoS2 crystals nucleus were formed, while the N-methyl-pyrrolidone could inhibit the aggregation of the as-prepared MoS2 sheets, and therefore few-layered MoS2 sheets with a small size are obtained. Electrochemical tests confirmed that the lithium storage performance of ultrathin, undersized MoS2/graphene is greatly improved compared to that without addition of acetic acid or N-methyl-pyrrolidone solvent. A high reversible capacity of 1229 mA h g−1 is achieved in the initial cycle and is maintained at 942.6 mA h g−1 after 50 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1. Even at a current density of 1000 mA g−1, the reversible capacity could be maintained as high as 747 mA h g−1.

Adenylate cyclases (ACs), play a critical role in the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into the second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Studies have indicated that adenylyl cyclase type 2 (AC2) is potential drug target for many diseases, however, up to now, there is no AC2-selective agonist reported. In this research, docking-based virtual screening with the combination of cell-based biological assays have been performed for discovering novel potent and selective AC2 agonists. Virtual screening disclosed a novel hit compound 8 as an AC2 agonist with EC50 value of 8.10 μM on recombinant human hAC2 + HEK293 cells. The SAR (structure activity relationship) based on the derivatives of compound 8 was further explored on recombinant AC2 cells and compound 73 was found to be the most active agonist with the EC50 of 90 nM, which is 160-fold more potent than the reported agonist Forskolin and could selectively activate AC2 to inhibit the expression of Interleukin-6. The discovery of a new class of AC2-selective agonists would provide a novel chemical probe to study the physiological function of AC2.

Rational design of composite with other electroactive materials can effectively improve the supercapacitive performances through the modulation of electronic structure and conductivity of the hybrid material. In this work, core-shell structured Ni3S2@VO2 nanorods on the nickel foam are prepared through a one-pot hydrothermal method. The addition of VO2 effectively reduces the charge transfer resistance and thus enhances the electrochemical conductivity. The nickel foam provides a platform for the in situ dispersive growth of Ni3S2@VO2 as well as a “superhighway” for the transformation of electrons. The Ni3S2@VO2 shows a high areal specific capacity of 1.09 C cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2. After a slight decrease in the initial 200 cycles, the discharge capacity remains almost constant at about 1.00 C cm−2 during the following cycles. At a high current of 50 mA cm−2, the areal specific capacitance is 0.09 C cm−2. A symmetric supercapacitor is assembled using Ni3S2@VO2 as both the anode and cathode. The specific capacity of it is 0.864 C cm−2 at a current of 1 mA cm−2. Good cycling stability and rate capability are also obtained. All these features promise it a high performance supercapacitor electrode.

The new injector SSC-LINAC is under design and construction to improve the efficiency and intensity of beams for the Separated-Sector Cyclotron (SSC). This will be accomplished with a normal conducting radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) accelerator. To match with the SSC, the RFQ must be operated on Continuous Wave (CW) mode with a frequency of 53.667 MHz. A four-rod structure was adopted for small dimensions of the cavity. While, it was a huge challenge on CW mode. A multi-physics theoretical analysis, including RF, thermal, structural and frequency shift coupling analysis, have been completed in response to the safe and stable operation of the RFQ. The experimental measurement of frequency shift has been also completed, which is consistent with the simulation. In this paper, the results of theoretical analysis and experiment are reported in detail.

The SSC-LINAC project is launched at Institute of Modern Physics in China to develop one new linear accelerator (LINAC) injector for separated sector cyclotron (SSC). It includes a high charge state ion source, a CW RFQ and a DTL section, and is designed to accelerate ions up to 580 keV/u. Now the ion source and the RFQ cavity have been installed in the main hall and the beam commissioning has been carried out. Two kinds of ions have been tested, 16 O 5+ and 40 Ar 8+ . The experiment result of 16 O 5+ is: the measured beam current is 180 μA at entrance of RFQ and 150 μA at exit of RFQ. The output energy of 16 O 5+ is 141.89 keV/u. The measured beam current is 210 μA at entrance of RFQ and 198 μA at exit of RFQ for 40 Ar 8+ . The output energy of 40 Ar 8+ is 142.78 keV/u. The experiment results agree with the design parameters of RFQ very well. This paper presents: the design consideration of beam dynamics, RF and cooling structure design; measurement of the cold model; high power test of RFQ and beam commissioning result.