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Open access to three-dimensional atomic-level biostructure information from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) facilitated discovery/development of 100% of the 34 new low molecular weight, protein-targeted, antineoplastic agents approved by the US FDA 2019–2023. Analyses of PDB holdings, the scientific literature, and related documents for each drug-target combination revealed that the impact of structural biologists and public-domain 3D biostructure data was broad and substantial, ranging from understanding target biology (100% of all drug targets), to identifying a given target as likely druggable (100% of all targets), to structure-guided drug discovery (>80% of all new small-molecule drugs, made up of 50% confirmed and >30% probable cases). In addition to aggregate impact assessments, illustrative case studies are presented for six first-in-class small-molecule anti-cancer drugs, including a selective inhibitor of nuclear export targeting Exportin 1 (selinexor, Xpovio), an ATP-competitive CSF-1R receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (pexidartinib,Turalia), a non-ATP-competitive inhibitor of the BCR-Abl fusion protein targeting the myristoyl binding pocket within the kinase catalytic domain of Abl (asciminib, Scemblix), a covalently-acting G12C KRAS inhibitor (sotorasib, Lumakras or Lumykras), an EZH2 methyltransferase inhibitor (tazemostat, Tazverik), and an agent targeting the basic-Helix-Loop-Helix transcription factor HIF-2α (belzutifan, Welireg).

This study explores how parametric uncertainties in the production affect failure tensile loads of reinforced thermoplastic pipes (RTPs) under combined loading conditions. The stress distributions in RTPs are examined with three-dimensional (3D) elasticity theory, and the analytical micromechanics of composites are evaluated. To evaluate the failure mechanisms for RTPs, 3D Hashin—Yeh failure criteria are combined with the damage evolution model to establish a progressive failure model. The theoretical model has been validated through numerical simulations and axial tensile tests data. To analyze how randomness of relevant parameters affects the first-ply failure (FPF) tensile load and final failure (FF) tensile load in RTPs, many samples are produced with the Monte—Carlo approach. The stochastic analysis results are statistically evaluated through the Weibull probability density distribution function. For the randomness of production parameters, the failure tensile load of RTPs fluctuates near the mean value. As the ply number at the reinforced layer increases, the dispersion of failure tensile load increases, with a high probability that the FPF tensile load of RTPs is lower than the mean value.

This study aimed to elucidate the strength weakening effect of high static pre-stressed rocks subjected to low-frequency disturbances under uniaxial compression. Based on the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of granite under static loading, 70%, 80%, and 90% of UCS were selected as the initial high static pre-stress (σp), and then the pre-stressed rock specimens were disturbed by sinusoidal stress with amplitudes of 30%, 20%, and 10% of UCS under low-frequency frequencies (f) of 1, 2, 5, and 10 Hz, respectively. The results show that the rockburst failure of pre-stressed granite is caused by low-frequency disturbance, and the failure strength is much lower than UCS. When the σpor fis constant, the specimen strength gradually decreases as the for σpincreases. The experimental study illustrates the influence mechanism of the strength weakening effect of high static pre-stress rocks under low-frequency dynamic disturbance, that is, high static pre-stress is the premise and leading factor of rock strength weakening, while low-frequency dynamic disturbance induces rock failure and affects the strength weakening degree.

The value-added intermarriage between amorphous and polycrystalline materials plays positives roles of achieving surface passivation and protection, as well as carrier dynamics modulation in perovskite solar cells.

Simplified structures of perovskite solar cells can reduce the fabrication and materials cost while simultaneously achieving high efficiencies, which are highly attractive for practical industrial production.

In this work, the hollow rectangular prism-like TiO2(HRP-TiO2) mesocrystals with exposed {001} facets were synthesized via an in-situ hydrothermal process without introducing any additional hydrofluoric acid or fluoride-containing compounds. A double-layer structured photoanode based on HRP-TiO2mesocrystals (as the light scattering top layer) and TiO2nanocrystalline (TiO2-NC, as the underlayer) was constructed. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on the double-layer photoanode showed a remarkable efficiency of 9.16%, which was superior to the pure TiO2-NC photoanode-based counterpart (8.19%). The efficiency improvement was attributed to the multiple advantages of HRP-TiO2mesocrystals with high crystallinity and superior light scattering capability. More importantly, the anatase phase mesocrystals with exposed {001} facets could provide efficient pathway for electrolyte diffusion and electron transport.

C36H32ClN3O7, orthorhombic, P212121(no. 19), a= 11.4608(5) Å, b= 12.1489(5) Å, c= 23.1684(7) Å, V= 3225.9(2) Å3, Z= 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0588, wRref(F2) = 0.1546, T= 293 K.

The development of solution-processed inorganic amorphous electron-transporting layers (ETLs) is important for the future commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The formation of such ETLs using low-temperature processing techniques will lower potential production costs and accommodate diverse substrate materials. Herein, a low-temperature (<150 °C) solution process forms amorphous titania nanowire (Am-TNW) thin films on fluorine-doped tin oxide conducting glass substrates. When applied as an ETL in PSCs, the Am-TNW layer achieves a higher average power conversion efficiency (18.3%) relative to that of a nanocrystalline anatase TNW (ATNW) layer obtained after high-temperature (500 °C) heating (16.7%). Compared to the ATNW counterparts, the Am-TNW-based PSCs exhibit inferior charge extraction across the TNW/CH3NH3PbI3interface but more effectively suppress interfacial charge recombination. The insertion of a fullerene layer between the Am-TNW and CH3NH3PbI3improves the charge extraction. The Am-TNW-based bilayer ETL gave optimal power conversion efficiencies of 20.3% and 19.0% for PSCs with 0.16 cm2and 1.00 cm2apertures, respectively. This is due to the concurrent advantages of enhanced light absorption, facilitated charge extraction, and reduced charge recombination. The use of the Am-TNW as an ETL in PSCs provides a facile, efficient way to increase the effectiveness of PSCs.

Purpose: The goal of this study is to investigate how the development efficiency of restaurant companies' products of their suppliers, supplier–supplier connection, design quality and adaptation affect the supply chain performance (SCP) of restaurant companies. Design/methodology/approach: We use the stratified random-sampling method for this study. We mailed the research questionnaire to the managers in the cases where they could be identified; a total of 1,063 questionnaires were sent by mail and a useable response of 156 fully completed questionnaires was received. Findings: When the supplier has good development efficiency of restaurant companies' products, they can comply with the requirements of the budget project, and then, finally adapt to the restaurant companies to strengthen mutual relations of coexistence; suppliers with a good connection can make restaurant companies willing to go along with them. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of this study was that the different types of suppliers were not compared, and some restaurants without scaled operations may have different effects on the result. Practical implications: The supplier–supplier connection is established when the suppliers or companies have generated important decisions. The suppliers will cope with the restaurant companies to make the delivery procedure more unhindered and invest in highly specialized equipment in the relationship and finally, improve the SCP. Originality/value: This study focuses on the restaurant companies in partnership: how to cooperate with the suppliers to make good supply efficiency, and thus enhance the SCP of the restaurant companies. Overall, the results of the study have provided reliable instruments for operationalizing the key effect constructs in the analysis of operational performance.

State-of-the-art, high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs) contain a large amount of iodine to realize smaller bandgaps. However, the presence of numerous iodine vacancies at the surface of the film formed by their evaporation during the thermal annealing process has been broadly shown to induce deep-level defects, incur nonradiative charge recombination, and induce photocurrent hysteresis, all of which limit the efficiency and stability of PSCs. In this work, modifying the defective surface of perovskite films with cadmium iodide (CdI2) effectively reduces the degree of surface iodine deficiency and stabilizes iodine ions via the formation of strong Cd–I ionic bonds. This largely reduces the interfacial charge recombination loss, yielding a high efficiency of 21.9% for blade-coated PSCs with an open-circuit voltage of 1.20 V, corresponding to a record small voltage deficit of 0.31 V. The CdI2surface treatment also improves the operational stability of the PSCs, retaining 92% efficiency after constant illumination at 1 sun intensity for 1000 h. This work provides a promising strategy to optimize the surface/interface optoelectronic properties of perovskites for more efficient and stable solar cells and other optoelectronic devices.

Recent years have witnessed an explosive interest in branched TiO2nanostructures (BTNs) due to their promising applications in a wide range of energy-related fields. As anode materials for solar cells (dye- or quantum dot-sensitized solar cells and perovskite solar cells), photoelectrochemical synthetic cells and energy storage devices (e.g., Li-ion batteries), BTNs with inherent nature of structural hierarchy and porosity, provide fascinating optical, electrical and electrochemical properties such as high surface area, superior light scattering and confinement, and fast electron transport. This review summarizes the recent advances in the preparation of BTNs with tailored host-guest morphologies, branches compositions and structural complexity. Their promising progress achieved in the field of energy conversion and storage is discussed. Two blossoming representatives, including the tree-like branched TiO2nanoarrays and urchin-like branched TiO2spheres, are highlighted to shed light on the effect of smart surface branched modification on improving the solar-to-electricity or solar-to-fuel conversion efficiencies, and increasing energy (power) densities. In addition, we also provide perspective on the new trend and future directions of novel multifunctional BTNs for next-generation energy conversion and storage devices.

C39H38N2O9, monoclinic, P21/c(no. 14), a= 9.9846(6) Å, b= 31.4308(13) Å, c= 11.5739(6) Å, β= 110.712(7)°, V= 3397.4(3) Å3, Z= 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0596, wRref(F2) = 0.1221, T= 293 K.

Primary amines function well in defect passivation, crystal modulation, and surface functionalization in perovskite solar cells and perovskite light-emitting diodes, yielding record performances.

C23H23NO6, monoclinic, P21/n(no. 14), a= 7.5845(4) Å, b= 14.7024(5) Å, c= 18.1433(6) Å, β= 98.753(4)°, V= 1999.62(14) Å3, Z= 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0389, wRref(F2) = 0.0965, T= 293 K.

The utilization of solar energy and the development of its related optoelectronic devices have become more important than ever. Solar cells or photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells that require the design of light harvesting assemblies for efficiently converting solar light into electricity or solar fuels are of particular interest. Semiconductor TiO2, serving as the photoelectrode for photovoltaic devices (e.g., dye- or quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs/QDSSCs) or perovskite solar cells (PSCs)) and PEC cells, has aroused intense research interest owing to its inherent characteristics of wide band gap and promising optical and electrical properties.

Autophagy, an intracellular bulk degradation process of proteins and organelles, can be induced by myocardial ischemia in the heart. However, the causative role of autophagy in the survival of human cardiac fibroblasts and the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Oxidative stress can induce autophagy in cultured cells upon hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure. Because hydrogen sulfide (H2S) regulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis, we hypothesize that H2S may have a cardioprotective function. To examine our hypothesis, we investigated the regulation of autophagy by the H2S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), using a cell model of human cardiac fibroblasts from adult ventricles (HCF-av) that suffered from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress by H2O2. In the present study, we found that the apoptosis and autophagy were induced along with ER stress by H2O2in the primary cultured HCF-av cells. In contrast, H2S suppressed HCF-av cell apoptosis and autophagic flux, in part directly by inhibiting ROS production and preserving mitochondrial functions.

Nanostructured TiO2with differentiate morphologies has attracted tremendous attention due to its wide band-gap nature as well as outstanding optical and electric properties for solar-driven light-to-electricity conversion application. Layered-stacking TiO2film such as double-layer, tri-layer, quadruple- or quintuplicate-layer, is highly desirable to the design of high-performance semiconductor material photoanodes and the development of advanced photovoltaic devices. In this minireview, we will summarize the recent progress and achievements on proof-of-concept of layered-stacking TiO2films (LTFs) for solar cells with emphasis on the tailored properties and synergistic functionalization of LTFs, such as optimized sensitizer adsorption, broadened light confinement as well as facilitated electron transport characteristics. Various demonstrations of LTFs photovoltaic systems provide lots of possibilities and flexibilities for more efficient solar energy utilization that a wide variety of TiO2with distinguished morphologies can be integrated into differently structured photoanodes with synergistic and complementary advantages. This key structure engineering technology will also pave the way for the development of next generation state-of-the-art electronics and optoelectronics. Finally, from our point of view, we conclude the future research interest and efforts for constructing more efficient LTFs as photoelectrode, which will be highly warranted to advance the solar energy conversion process.

A comprehensive summary of the representative promising applications of metal halide perovskite materials, including traditional optoelectronic devices (solar cells, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, lasers), and cutting-edge technologies in terms of neuromorphic devices (artificial synapses and memristors) and pressure-induced emission.For each application, the fundamentals of the field, the current progress and the remaining challenges are provided, based on the up-to-date works.

C12H10N2O6, monoclinic, P21/c(no. 14), a= 14.6017(10) Å, b= 6.8095(4) Å, c= 13.0101(8) Å, β= 113.075(7)°, V= 1190.10(14) Å3, Z= 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0405, wRref(F2) = 0.0976, T= 293 K.

The development of ternary metal oxide based electron transporting layers (ETLs) opens an alternative composition for constructing perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, a solution processed route to prepare a dense and uniform Zn2SnO4(ZTO) thin film is reported for use as an excellent alternative ETL material for high-performance planar PSCs. The ZTO film exhibits good antireflective properties, with significantly improved optical transmittance over the entire range of wavelengths. The ZTO ETL improves the quality of the methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) layer, giving enhanced crystallinity and a flatter surface. The hole-blocking ability, suitable energy band positioning for MAPbI3and high electron mobility of the ZTO films facilitate the charge extraction and collection at the ZTO/MAPbI3interface and suppress the charge recombination through the planar PSC device. The best-performing PSC based on the optimized ZTO ETL thin film exhibits a champion power conversion efficiency of 16.38% under AM 1.5G one sun illumination (100 mW cm−2), indicating that ZTO is a promising ETL alternative for the construction of highly efficient perovskite photovoltaic devices. These ETL thin films have good optical and electrical properties, such as antireflection for maximized light harvesting as well as high electron mobility and interfacial band-alignment for charge collection.

The deposition of dense and uniform perovskite films with large grains is crucial for fabricating high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). High-quality CH3NH3PbI3films were produced by a self-induced intragranular-coarsening approach. The perovskite precursor solution contained a Lewis base, N,N-dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and was deposited using a gas-assisted, one-step, spin-coating method that was followed by a solvent vapor-assisted annealing treatment using a mix of DMSO and chlorobenzene (CBZ). Combining solvent-engineering with gas-assisted deposition helps to form intermediate crystalline entities upon evaporation of the parent solvent but retards the otherwise fast reaction between the precursor ingredients. Subsequent cosolvent annealing induces further grain-coarsening via a facilitated dissolution–precipitation process. This technique produced flat CH3NH3PbI3films featuring large grain microstructures, with well-coarsened subgrains and a reduction of intragranular defects that minimized carrier recombination. The optimized CH3NH3PbI3films exhibited enhanced crystallinity, excellent carrier transport and injection, as well as suppressed charge recombination. Benefiting from these advantages, PSCs based on the optimized perovskite films delivered a power conversion efficiency of 17.99% and a stabilized power output above 17.30%. This study presents an effective strategy for the fabrication of high-quality, hybrid perovskite films with potential applications in optoelectronic devices.

C14H13F2N3O3, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a= 9.4486(7) Å, b= 12.4694(8) Å, c= 13.8690(8) Å, α= 65.734(6)°, β= 74.523(5)°, γ= 83.726(6)°, V= 1435.63(18) Å3, Z= 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0495, wRref(F2) = 0.1249, T= 293(2) K.

Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV) is a typical flow-structure interference phenomenon which causes an unsteady flow pattern due to vortex shedding at or near the structure's natural frequency leading to resonant vibrations. VIV may cause premature fatigue failure of marine risers and pipelines. A test model was carried out to investigate the role of a stationary fairing by varying the caudal horn angle to suppress riser VIV taking into account the effect of wake interference. The test results show significant reduction of VIV for risers disposed in tandem and side-by-side. In general, fairing with a caudal horn of 45° and 60° are efficient in quelling VIV in risers. The results also reveal fairing can reduce the drag load of risers arranged side-by-side. For the tandem configuration, a fairing can reduce the drag load of an upstream riser, but will enlarge the drag force of the downstream riser.

To achieve high-performing perovskite solar cells (PSCs) interfacial engineering of the perovskite thin film and charge carrier-selective layers is vital for fast extraction of photogenerated electrons and holes, and the suppression of electron-hole recombination. Herein, a glucose-assisted self-assembly solvothermal protocol is reported to prepare electron-rich TiO2thin films as effective electron transport layers exhibiting enhanced electron mobility. Bilayer structured CH3NH3PbI3perovskite films are spontaneously formed, consisting of a flat and dense bottom layer forming the TiO2/CH3NH3PbI3planar heterojunction and a textured and porous top layer elongating in the vertical direction forming the CH3NH3PbI3/spiroMeOTAD bulk heterojunction. The integrated planar and bulk dual heterojunction based PSCs are efficient in light harvesting and charge collection, and thus yield power conversion efficiencies up to 17.75% and a stabilized power output above 17.20%. Integrating both planar and bulk heterojunctions into a PSC assembly provides an effective approach for fabricating highly efficient perovskite optoelectronic devices.

Two-dimensional (2D) ZnO nanosheet arrays were prepared via vanadium (V)-doping assisted hydrothermal method, and then the nanosheet was successfully converted to a nanorod-on-nanosheet ZnO hierarchical structure by treating with Na2S solution and subsequent hydrothermal reaction. Hierarchical films with different nanorod growth time (1–8 h) were prepared and their photovoltaic properties were also investigated after electrodeposition of CdSe quantum dots. For the hierarchical nanorod-on-nanosheet ZnO films, increasing the ZnO nanorod growth time can enormously enlarge the length of branched nanorods and light-scattering ability, resulting in better light-harvesting efficiency and higher photo-generated electron concentration, which leads to higher short-circuit current density (Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc). However, further increasing nanorod growth time to 8 h leads to the over-dense coverage of nanorods, which is harmful for light-harvesting efficiency and leads to severe electron recombination, eventually diminishes the power conversion efficiency (PCE). With the optimized nanorod modification and Cu2S counter electrode, the PCE reaches a maximum value of 4.26%, which to the best of our knowledge, is among the highest PCE record for CdSe sensitized solar cells based on ZnO photoanodes.

C22H21NO8S, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a= 7.095(4) Å, b= 11.882(7) Å, c= 13.661(8) Å, α= 95.004(9)°, β= 104.918(9)°, γ= 107.323(9)°, V= 1045.4(11) Å3, Z= 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0627, wRref(F2) = 0.1745, T= 296(2) K.

C18H15ClCuN4O2, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a= 8.938(3) Å, b= 9.228(3) Å, c= 12.127(6) Å, α= 105.478(7)°, β= 110.358(8)°, γ= 99.727(6)°, V= 865.0(6) Å3, Z= 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0504, wRref(F2) = 0.1447, T= 296(2) K.

C21H19NO8S, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a= 7.2884(9) Å, b= 11.9469(15) Å, c= 12.2002(16) Å, α= 95.862(2)°, β= 106.659(2)°, γ= 93.189(2)°, V= 1008.4(2) Å3, Z= 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0659, wRref(F2) = 0.1831, T= 296(2) K.

The development of a novel nanoarray photoanode with a heterostructure on a transparent conducting oxide substrate provides a promising scheme to fabricate efficient energy conversion devices. Herein, we successfully synthesize the vertically aligned hierarchical TiO2nanowire/ZnO nanorod or TiO2nanowire/ZnO nanosheet hybrid arrays, which are proven to be excellent anode candidates for superior light utilization. Consequently, the quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells based on such hybrid arrays exhibit an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) under AM 1.5G one sun illumination with improved short-circuit current density (JSC) and fill factor compared to pristine TiO2nanowire arrays. Combined with the chemical-bath-deposited Cu2S counter electrode, the eventual PCE can be further optimized to as high as 4.57% for CdS/CdSe co-sensitized quantum dot solar cells.

The development of an effective anode material with hierarchical multi-dimensional architecture is conducive to further improve the cell performance of photovoltaic devices. Herein we introduce an intriguing three-dimensional (3D) hierarchically branched hollow sphere-nanowire hybrid TiO2photoanode for promising CdS and CdSe quantum dots co-sensitized solar cells application. The demonstrated 3D hierarchically hybrid photoanode owns a considerably high specific surface area while maintaining roomy space and providing ample porosity for efficient electrolyte infiltration. Moreover, the outstanding light scattering ability of such multi-dimensional architecture leads to an enhancement of light utilization efficiency and thus significantly enhanced short-circuit photocurrent. The control over the pore size of TiO2hollow spheres and the optimizations on the newly developed chemical bath deposited (CBD) cuprous sulfide (Cu2S)/FTO counter electrode eventually yields power conversion efficiency as high as 6.01% for CdS/CdSe based quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs).

The high-performance of a well-aligned 1D nanostructured electrode relies largely on a smart and rational modification with other active nanomaterials. Herein, we present a facile solution-based route to fabricate a well-aligned metal oxide-based core–shell hybrid arrays on TCO substrate. Demonstrated samples included nanowire@nanoparticle (TNW@NP) or nanowire@nanosheet (TNW@NS) with a unique porous core/shell nanowire arrays architecture in the absence or presence of DETA during the solvothermal treatment process. The “alcoholysis” and “ripening” growth mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of honeycomb-like nanosheets shell on nanowires core. Based on careful control of experimental condition, a novel double layered TiO2photoanode (DL-TNW@NS-YSHTSs) consisting of 16 μm thick TNW@NS under layer and 6 μm thick yolk–shell hierarchical TiO2microspheres (YSHTSs) top layer can be obtained, exhibiting an impressive PCE over 10% at 100 mW cm–2, which can be attributed to the well-organized photoanode composed of hierarchical core–shell arrays architecture and yolk–shell hollow spheres architecture with synergistic effects of high dye loading and superior light scattering for prominent light harvesting efficiency.

Autophagy is a catabolic lysosomal degradation process essential for cellular homeostasis and cell survival. Dysfunctional autophagy has been associated with a wide range of human diseases, e.g., cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. A large number of small molecules that modulate autophagy have been widely used to dissect this process and some of them, e.g., chloroquine (CQ), might be ultimately applied to treat a variety of autophagy-associated human diseases. Here we found that vacuolin-1 potently and reversibly inhibited the fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes in mammalian cells, thereby inducing the accumulation of autophagosomes. Interestingly, vacuolin-1 was less toxic but at least 10-fold more potent in inhibiting autophagy compared with CQ. Vacuolin-1 treatment also blocked the fusion between endosomes and lysosomes, resulting in a defect in general endosomal-lysosomal degradation. Treatment of cells with vacuolin-1 alkalinized lysosomal pH and decreased lysosomal Ca2+content. Besides marginally inhibiting vacuolar ATPase activity, vacuolin-1 treatment markedly activated RAB5A GTPase activity. Expression of a dominant negative mutant of RAB5A or RAB5A knockdown significantly inhibited vacuolin-1-induced autophagosome-lysosome fusion blockage, whereas expression of a constitutive active form of RAB5A suppressed autophagosome-lysosome fusion. These data suggest that vacuolin-1 activates RAB5A to block autophagosome-lysosome fusion. Vacuolin-1 and its analogs present a novel class of drug that can potently and reversibly modulate autophagy.

A powerful full solution-based process was demonstrated to synthesize various vertically aligned TiO2wires/rods self-assembled arrays nanostructures on conductive substrates via a simple hydrothermal growth system. Demonstrated samples included a family of high-quality and high-crystallinity anatase nanowire arrays with smooth, hierarchical or hyperbranched architectures, thanks to oriented attachment and crystallization as well as a self-assembly growth mechanism. The proposed hyperbranched arrays, consisting of long TiO2nanowire trunks, short TiO2nanorod branches as well as tiny TiO2nanorod leaves (recall a tree with luxuriant foliage) and thus possessing a microscopic feature size, overcome typical shortages of insufficient dye adsorption for conventional 1D smooth nanowire arrays or prototype hierarchical nanowire arrays when applied to DSSC, which achieved for the first time similar dye uptakes (i.e.90.10nmolcm−2vs88.62nmolcm−2) as nanoparticle counterparts under the same thickness. Dye-sensitized solar cell fabricated with an ~8μm long novel hyperbranched nanowire arrays photoelectrode yields an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.11%, which was much greater than that of anatase TiO2nanoparticle (20nm in diameter) counterpart due to synergistic effects of high dye uptakes and superior broadband light scattering for improved light harvesting as well as fast charge transport for efficient charge collection for the former.

The vertically aligned anatase TiO2nanowire arrays with smooth or branched architectures were grown on TCO substrate directly via a simple surfactant-free hydrothermal route. And they were utilized to fabricate efficient quantum-dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) for the first time. The thickness of CdS and CdSe shell were confirmed by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX). A power conversion efficiency of 4.2% was attained with the hierarchical TiO2nanowires based cell, which is 30% higher than that of smooth nanowires devices due to improved short-circuit current density (JSC) and fill factor (FF). The increased JSCprofits from superior light-scattering ability of branched hierarchical TiO2nanowires for enhanced light-harvesting efficiency and the prominent charge-collection efficiency benefited from additional growth of branches for efficient and effective electron injection.

An engineered and optimized trilayered TiO2photoelectrode on Ti metal substrates with synergistic effects for dye-sensitized solar cells has been developed through the combination of one-dimensional (1D) TiO2nanotubes, three-dimensional (3D) TiO2hierarchical microsized spheres, as well as zero-dimensional (0D) nanoparticles with a large surface area. The advantages of efficient charge-collection, light-harvesting, as well as high dye-loading capability make it possible to achieve unprecedentedly high short-circuit photocurrent density (17.90 mA cm–2) under back-side illumination and thus allow us to obtain a power conversion efficiency as high as 9.10%.

A hierarchical macroporous Zn2SnO4–ZnO nanorod composite film is prepared through a drop-casting process of PS@Zn2SnO4and subsequent hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorod. CdS/CdSe co-sensitized solar cells based on the macroporous Zn2SnO4–ZnO nanorod composite photoelectrode exhibits an enhancement of 34.4% in power conversion efficiency (1.68%) compared to the pristine macroporous Zn2SnO4photoelectrode (1.25%). Especially worth noting is that the growth of ZnO nanorods contributes greatly to the enlargement of surface area and improvement of light scattering ability of the composite film, which dominates the increase of Jscvalues and eventual power conversion efficiency. QDSSCs based on the optimized 9 μm thick composite photoanode film exhibits a power conversion efficiency of 2.08%, which is the highest value for the reported QDs sensitized solar cells based on the Zn2SnO4photoelectrode.

Individual air-conditioning system (IACS) can create an individual thermal environment control in a workroom which can contribute to save air-conditioning energy. In this study, we analyze the airflow circulation cell of the IACS with varied outlet port opening dimensions using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. We created an IACS, two workstations, lightings, and a cabinet in a 3-dimensional room. The fluid was assumed to be Newtonian, unsteady, and incompressible. We examined the effects of the outlet port opening on airflow circulation establishing process. Results will indicate the suitable outlet port opening for maintaining individual satisfied occupants’ requirements and improving energy saving potential.

Phosphorus is the main nutrient element for plant growth, whereas most of phosphate in soil is fixated by calcium, aluminum, iron and organic compounds. Available phosphate deficiency has been the main limiting factor that influences the yield and quality of agricultural products. P solubilizing microorganisms have been widely reported of solubilizing different forms of insoluble phosphates. P solubilizing Rhizobium, especially for strains with the ability of secreting 3-Indole acetic acid, which is also capable of fixating N and inoculation, is found excellent in promoting growth and yield of legume crops, which decreases the cost of agricultural production and the side effect of P application to the environment. The mechanism and amount range of P solubilization for Rhizobium are varied among strains. These results and phenomena from different studies are discussed in this paper.

The purpose of this study was to develop mathematical models for air-cooled chillers and their components using innovative varied row configurations as a parameter analysis model followed by a simulation of actual operational performance. In this manner, we were able to observe the increase in performance of air-cooled chillers and the energy transfer efficiency of individual components. This study found that the innovative varied row configuration (Type C) can increase the COP of air-cooled chiller by 6.7% over that of traditional condensing-coil configuration (Type A) with an increase in total irreversibility and the irreversibility of the condenser of 8.4% and 4.1%, respectively; Type C can increase the COP of air-cooled chiller by 3.3% over that of the best condensing-coil configuration (Type B) with an increase in total irreversibility and the irreversibility of the condenser of 1.6% and 4.6%, respectively. We believe that the results of this research can provide an important basis of reference for future design of air-cooled chiller units.

Charging infrastructure is the fundamental conditions of electric vehicles(EV)’s application and dissemination, and advanced charging standards can guide and regulate the harmonious development of EV and infrastructure. In this paper, plenty of and latest EV charging standards were collected at home and abroad, which were compared in different classifications, then the standards differences were analyzed in term of relative merits to provide reference for the future development of EV charging standards in China.

This paper developed a mathematical model of three-phase PV grid-connected inverter, and studied the grid-connected current control method based on PI control in synchronous rotating reference frame. Simulation and experimental results from the prototype of 30kW three-phase PV grid-connected inverter proved the correctness and the feasibility of the control strategy, and this grid-connected inverter can operate at the unity power factor state with a nice dynamic performance, and the output current has high sinusoidal and low harmonic content as well as good symmetry.

In this paper, a design method of a LCM101 liquid crystal display interface circuit is presented. The LCM101 module is a multifunctional and universal type device. It can connect with any MCU or IC interface. So, it is widely used in digital products. The design is implemented by using Verilog HD language. It has been verified on Xilinx Virtex V verification platform and can operate properly. It is a reliable and less resource utilization design. Besides, a new element, which can satisfy the delay time is given in the design. Operation principle, design method and simulation wave will be provided in the body of the paper.

The leakage current, active power and delay characterizations of the domino circuits in the presence of P-V-T (Process, Voltage, and Temperature) variations are analyzed based on multiple-parameter Monte Carlo method. It is demonstrated that failing to account for P-V-T variations and process-electro-thermal couplings can result in significant inaccuracy in transistor-level performance estimation. It also indicates that under significant P-V-T variations, DTV (Dual Vt Technology) is still highly effective to reduce the leakage current and active power for domino circuits, but induces speed penalty. At last, the robustness of different domino circuits with DTV against the P-V-T variations is discussed.

Metal hydride (MH) alloy (MmNi3.81Mn0.41Al0.19Co0.76) is modified by the electroless nickel plating and used as the electroactive material of negative electrode in Ni/MH batteries. The effect of the concentrations of reductant (NaH2PO2×H2O), complex agent (Na3C6H5O7×2H2O), reaction time, and reaction temperature on the Ni loadings and the utilization of the modified MH are systematically studied. The experimental results reveal that the appropriate reaction time and temperature of electroless nickel plating are 30 min and 70 oC in this work. The loading amount of Ni-P on MH alloy is increased and decreased by increasing the concentration of reductant and complex agent, respectively. The steady utilization of unmodified MH alloy is 94.7±1.0 % in the forming process under the charge/discharge conditions of 0.2C charge to 160% SOC (state of charge) and 0.2C discharge to 0.95V. The utilization of MH alloys modified with conditions of [NaH2PO2×H2O] = 40 g L-1 and [Na3C6H5O7×2H2O] = 20 g L-1, T = 70 oC, t = 30 min and [MH] = 2g/100 ml, respectively, is improved to 101.9±0.3 %.

AbstractEducational training through professional programs has been recognized as an important tool to foster economic growth within companies and industries in the global marketplace. The primary goal of this study was to identify and analyze middle and senior-level managers’ attitudes concerning their perceived needs for educational training in tourist hotels. Survey data were collected from 87 hotels, and a targeted sampling method was adopted. The analyses of data reported in this study indicated that each dependent variable tested supported the hypothesis of significant difference at the .05 level. The perceived needs for educational training expressed by middle and senior level managers in tourist hotels represented their motivations related to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs within the categories of Self-esteem and Self-Actualization. The specific educational training courses identified as most needed by both middle and senior level managers were in the area of human resource management and leadership development.

Summary: Thein vivo metabolism of the antipsychotic agent mazapertine was studied after oral administration of mazapertine succinate (40 mg/subject) to two healthy volunteers, and urine (0–24 hours) was obtained for metabolite identification using API-ionspray LC/MS and MS/MS analysis. Unchanged mazapertine (12% of the sample) plus 10 metabolites were profiled, quantified, and tentatively identified on the basis of MS data, Glusulase®-hydrolysis, and by comparison to synthetic samples. The formation of mazapertine metabolites are via seven metabolic pathways: (1) phenylhydroxylation, (2) piperidyl oxidation, (3) O-dealkylation, (4) N-dephenylation, (5) oxidative N-debenzylation, (6). depiperidylation, and (7) glucuronidation. Pathways 1, 2, 5 and 7 formed 4-OH-phenyl-mazapertine (Ml, 18%) and 4-OH-piperidyl (M2, 14%)-mazapertine, carboxybenzoylpiperidine (M8, 10%) and its glucuronide (M9, 14%) as four major metabolites. Six moderate and minor metabolites (M3-M7 & M10; each =10%) formed via a combination of pathways 1–6. Mazapertine is extensively metabolized in humans.

Summary: The in vitro and in vivo metabolism of RWJ-53050, an anxiolytic agent, was investigated after incubation with rat and human hepatic S9 fractions, and human microsomes and 7 microsomes containing individual human CYP isoforms, CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 in the presence of NADPH-generating system, and a single oral dose administration to dogs (30 mg/kg). Unchanged RWJ-53050 (≥74% of the sample in vitro; ⪯13% in vivo) plus 16 metabolites were profiled, quantified and tentatively identified based on the API-MS and MS/MS data. The formation of RWJ-53050 metabolites are via the 5 pathways: 1.N/O-demethylation, 2. phenylhydroxylation, 3. pyrido-oxidation, 4. dehydration, and 5. conjugation. Pathway 1 formedO-desmethyl-phenyl-RWJ-53050 (M1, <1–12% in vitro & in vivo), O-desmethyl-benzimidazole-RWJ-53050 (M2), and N-desmethyl-RWJ-53050 (M3) (M2 & M3, ⪯3% in vitro & in vivo). Pathway 2 generated hydroxy-benzimidazole-RWJ-53050 (M4), hydroxy-phenyl-RWJ-53050 (M5), and hydroxy-phenyl-M4 (M9) (⪯3% in vitro & in vivo). Pathway 3 formed 2 trace oxidized metabolites, hydroxy-pyrido-RWJ-53050 (M6, ⪯1% in vitro) and oxo-pyrido-RWJ-53050 (M8, <1% in vitro) and in conjunction with pathway 1 produced 2 trace dioxidized metabolites, OH-benzimidazole-M6 (M10) and OH-benzimidazole-M8 (M11) (in vitro). Pathway 4 formed a minor dehydrated metabolite of M6 (M7, 3%, in vitro). Pathway 5 produced 3 in vivo conjugates, Ml-glucuronide (M14,17%), M5-glucuronide (M15,50%), and M5-sulfate (M16,10%). RWJ-53050 is substantially metabolized in vitro in the rat and human, and extensively metabolized in vivo in the dog. formation of oxidized metabolites, Ml, M2, M4, M5 and M9.

Neuronal survival and death-related effects of nitric oxide synthase are widely studied, yet its potential involvement in regeneration remains largely unexplored. In the present study, the regenerative role of nitric oxide synthase in injured motoneurons was investigated. A ventral root was avulsed and a piece of peripheral nerve was implanted into the spinal cord. Results showed that nitric oxide synthase inhibitor reduced the number of regenerating motoneurons to half compared with sham-operated control at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after injury, but the rate of axonal regeneration was not affected. Our study adds a new line of evidence that expression of nitric oxide synthase is beneficial to the axonal regeneration of the injured spinal motoneurons.

Electrospray mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry techniques were utilized to elucidate the structures of ten aporphine-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, consisting of a monoether link between aporphine and benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline units, which were isolated and identified previously from a variety of Thalictrum sp.(Ranunculaceae family) based mainly on the ultraviolet, infrared, circular dichroism, nuclear magnetic resonance, electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS), chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CI-MS), derivatization and chemical degradation techniques. In this investigation, protonated molecules, [M + H]+ions, for nine tertiary alkaloids, a molecular ion, [M+•] ion, for a quaternary alkaloid and very intense doubly-protonated molecules, [M + 2H]2+ions (100% of relative abundance) in Q1 Scan MS spectra, and prominent, as well as diagnostic, product ions for structural information in the tandem mass spectra were observed for all investigated alkaloids each in nanogram quantities. More than 10 μg quantities of each investigated alkaloid or other isoquinoline and aporphine analogs were needed for the CI-MS, EI-MS and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometric analysis from the previous studies.