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Currently, there are more perfect theoretical basis and operation methods for the research of the Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cell characteristics, but the experimental process is tedious. In this article, to measure the characteristics of the CZTS solar cells more accurately and quickly, the computer-aided measurement method was used. During testing the characteristics of solar cells, the results were collected and analyzed by using LabCoder and Origin software. By designing experiments and using software to record data and complete solar cell characterization tests in one step, the number of artificial changes in resistance during testing is reduced. In the experiments, the data can be obtained in real time by using experimental results of computer-aided measurement technology, which can significantly improve the experimental efficiency. Through computer real-time monitoring, the maximum output power of as-prepared solar cells is P m = 1.62 W, and the calculated filling factor remains at 86%. It means that computer-aided measurement technology is suitable for the experiment of CZTS solar cell characteristics.

Molybdenum disulfide, a typical layered transition metal sulfide, is considered one of the most promising electrode candidates for next-generation high-energy–density batteries due to its tunable physical and chemical properties, low cost, and high specific capacity. This paper provides a detailed introduction for the following parts: (1) the characteristics of nano-molybdenum disulfide-based anode materials are introduced, their advantages and disadvantages are summarized in detail, and targeted composite methods are proposed; (2) the modification strategies of MoS2-based materials are introduced thoroughly according to characteristics of the composite materials in different categories, in which composites are classified into fixed and non-fixed morphology carbon, high-specific-capacity materials for constructing heterogeneous structure, and other modification materials; (3) the novel preparation process and future development status of MoS2-based composites are outlined, and the practical application proposal in the fields of new energy and nanocomposites are put forward accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has become a general developing trend to resource recyciing lead-contammg soiid waste,such as lead-silver leaching residues by kad smelting. However, due to the obvious difference of raw material structure, the conventional direct reduction control theory of ligh--ead slag is not suitable for that of the mixed lead-si1ver eaching resddues and lead concentrates. To investigate the stag formation characteristics and reaction kinetics of the direct reduction process for recyciing lead-si1ver stag leaching resddues^n the basss of the occurrence state analysis of raw materiais and thermodynamic caiculation, combined subsequent reduction experiment.. The resuits show that both the early and kte stages of reduction (>30 min) are controled by interfacia1 reactions, and the 20 -- 30 min of reduction controled by external diffuson. Therefore, the reduction reaction efficiency can be enhanced by Increasing the reaction interface and reducing the viscosity of stag. As the reduction process proceeds, the !ead-containing phase in the slag vansshed off, the zinc mejijite and iron-zinc spinel phases gradually increased, the sijicate structure of stag ss changed from simple SiO" to Si2O7, and the meiiing temperature and viscosity of the stag Increase accordingly. The dreci smeiiing process for treating !ead-silver eaching residues mixed with !ead concentrates can meet the requrrements of reduction smeiiing production though controlling reduction smeiing stag with FeO/SiO2=1. 6,CaO/SiO2 = 0. 6, and ZnO ) 20 w.. %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc and cadmium were recovered by acid leaching--vulcanization impurity removal method from dust of slide blowing--fuming process for treating jarosites, and copper was selectively removed from the leaching solution by sulfide precipitation. Subsequently, the obtained purified solution will be used to prepare Cd-doped ZnS composites. Based on the thermodynamic analysis, the influencing factors and kinetics of zinc leaching rate in sulfuric acid system were investigated, and the influence of various parameters on sulfidation was elucidated through orthogonal tests. The results show that the zinc in dust mainly exists in the form of zinc oxide, the leaching reaction follows a mixed control model with a 73.70 kJ/mol activation energy. Zinc leaching rate can reach 98.99% under the optimum conditions. The copper removal rate can reach 95.97% under 3.2 theoretical times of Na2S addition at pH of 2.0, with high retaining rate of Zn and Cd, achieving effectively selective separation of copper from zinc and cadmium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal selenide (TMS) materials are potential leading anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of their superior operating voltage and theoretical capacity. Herein, a simple bimetallic selenide hydrothermal strategy is used to synthesize (Ni,Co)Se2 (NCS) nanostructures by regulating with polyethylene glycol 500 (PEG-500). The material morphology assessment indicated that the prepared NCS materials exhibit a network structure formed by stacked nanoparticles. Remarkably, part of the NCS nanoparticles (marked as NCS10) grew into smooth polygonal nanosheets when 10 ml PEG-500 was added, which has presented a specific capacity of 357.7 mAh·g−1 at 0.1 A·g−1 after 100 cycles. Meanwhile, it delivered an excellent rate performance of 318.2 mAh·g−1 at 5 A·g−1. It is the synergized effect of ultrathin NCS10 polygonal nanosheets and special porous network structure formed by nanoparticles that ensure favourable structural stability for the insertion and deinsertion of Na+ during sodiation/desodiation reaction, and the superior sodium storage rate can be attributed to the pseudocapacitance contribution. The excellent electrochemical properties of NCS nanomaterials have verified that they are promising anode materials for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnO2 is a theoretically excellent transformed anode material with high theoretical capacity for SIBs. However, SnO2 faces serious volume effect and high resistance, which greatly damages its electrochemical performance. Given that, the SnS−SnO2 heterostructures is constructed with special internal electric field, which is beneficial to promote the transfer ability of sodium ions. Besides, the graphene oxide (GO) modification is carried out to isolate the intrinsic materials from direct contact with electrolyte, and alleviate volume expansion of the anode, ultimately promote the electrochemical performance. Furthermore, the structure and the conductivity characteristics of SnS, SnO2, SnS−SnO2 and SnS−SnO2@ GO are simulated respectively by first principles and are compared with the correspondence experiment results to verify the accuracy of established models. Owing to the special p‐n junction in SnS−SnO2@GO heterostructures, the resistance of SnS−SnO2@GO can be reduced to 36.23 Ω, much lower than that of SnO2 (Rct=341.9 Ω). Notably, the combination of GO has effectively alleviated the volume expansion of SnS−SnO2@GO electrodes, and present excellent capacity higher than 384.7 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles. Thus, the efficient synthesis of SnS−SnO2@GO heterostructure electrodes with excellent performance for sodium storage is expected to provide valuable direction for SIBs anode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is exactly the high potential and high energy density that makes the LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) an attractive material for lithium-ion battery cathode. However, the poor cycle performance of LNMO caused by John-Teller effect during the Li+ ion insertion/desertion process has been a hindrance for its practical application. Herein, the influence of M-doped (M= Cr and Co) on structure, morphology, and electrochemical performances of LiMyNi0.5-yNi1.5O4 spinel materials are deeply investigated to improve the structural stability and cycling ability. The results reveal that the cell volume and of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 are decreased with Cr3+ and Co2+ doping; the stability of structure and electrical conductivity is correspondingly improved. The state density diagrams demonstrate that Cr3+ and Co2+ cationic doping have clearly enhanced the interaction between oxygen and transition metals (Ni and Mn) and improved the transition capacity of Li+. The initial discharge specific capacities of LiCo0.12Ni0.38Mn1.5O4 and LiCr0.12Ni0.38Mn1.5O4 samples are 113.3 mAh·g−1 and 107.7 mAh·g−1 respectively at a high rate of 0.5 C, which are higher than that of pure LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4. Additionally, the capacity retention rates of 87.2% and 63.97% come through respectively after 50 cycles while only 59.8% for pure LNMO. The rate of LiCo0.12Ni0.38Mn1.5O4 exhibits a better stability than LiCr0.12Ni0.38Mn1.5O4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the melting process, the fundamental slag system of PbO-CaO-SiO2-FeO-ZnO was chosen based on the composition and phase of the jarosite residue and melt agent. The phase diagram of the slag system was drawn by FactSage thermodynamic software, combined with relevant slag performance measurement tests to explore the effect of changing the FeO/SiO2 ratio and CaO/SiO2 ratio on the physical and chemical properties of the slag. The results showed that if there are no more additional components in this system, the melting point gets higher with the FeO/SiO2 ratio increasing, and the melting point became lowest (1 338 °C) when the FeO/SiO2 ratio was 0.92. When the CaO/SiO2 ratio increased from 0.3 to 0.8, the melting point shows a decreasing trend, while the CaO/SiO2 ratio is 0.78, the lowest melting point appeared, and the value is 1 385 °C. The viscosity of slags with a low melting point was measured, and the results showed that when the temperature was 1 500 °C, the viscosities of all slags were less than 0.5 Pa ⋅ s. It means that the smelting requirements for fluidity could be achieved. Finally, the optimized slag adjustment scheme was proposed which is adding CaO and reducing SiO2 to a CaO/SiO2 ratio of 0.78. It is beneficial to the subsequent iron extraction after slag adjustment because the phases of slag are mainly magnetite and silicate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeSe2-based materials as potential anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have caused extensive attention due to their high theoretical capacity and suitable working potential. However, due to the large volume expansion during cycling and poor electrical conductivity, it is still not possible for FeSe2-based materials to be commercialized. In this paper, FeSe2 flower-like nanoclusters were synthesized by a simple solvothermal method. Carbon coating was performed with glucose and graphene as carbon sources. Uniform amorphous carbon-coated FeSe2@C and FeSe2@G powders were obtained accordingly. The carbon layer formed by glucose can well limit the further growth of nanoparticles during heat treatment due to the sufficient carbon layer thickness. When tested as anode in SIBs, due to the uniform coating of carbon, FeSe2@C powders exhibited better electrochemical performance with the first discharge-specific capacity of 423 mAh g−1. Compared with the specific capacity of 291 mAh g−1 for FeSe2@G sample, the improved electrochemical performances could be attributed to both the nanosized structures and the uniform carbon coating for anode application in sodium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of fluoride‐containing mold fluxes changes when their melting point or viscosity are measured because the fluoride in the mold fluxes evaporates at high temperatures. Therefore, the measured melting points and viscosities are not those of the original fluxes, and thus, the results are not accurate. Therefore, evaluating the effects of evaporation is essential to accurately investigate the relevant properties. Herein, the chemical composition of the slag is determined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), roasting tests, and evaporation mechanism after the physical properties of the slag are measured using conventional methods. The measured melting point and viscosity are then matched with the modified slag composition instead of the original composition. This method is applied to different fluoride‐containing mold fluxes. The weight of the mold fluxes is reduced by more than 10% during the measurements, indicating that a large amount of the volatiles react and evaporate. The actual flux compositions corresponding to the observed melting point or viscosity of the mold fluxes are obtained through roasting test and TGA; therefore, one can easily match the measured mold flux properties to the flux composition. This study will help in determining other physical properties of slag and other melts containing volatiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-Hederin, a potent bioactive compound of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel (Ranunculaceae), has many pharmacological uses, but its effect on cancer cell metabolism is still unclear. To elucidate the role of α-hederin in the glucose metabolism of lung cancer cells. Cell Counting Kit 8 and colony formation assays were employed to assess the antiproliferative effects of α-hederin. Glucose uptake, ATP generation, and lactate production were measured. Glycolysis-related proteins were detected using western blotting, and a sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) inhibitor was used to verify A549 cell proliferation. Sixty male BALB/c nude mice were divided into normal control, 5-FU (25 mg/kg), and α-hederin (5 and 10 mg/kg) groups to assess the antitumor effect for 32 days. Glycolysis-related protein expression was evaluated using immunohistochemical analysis. α-Hederin inhibited A549 (IC50 = 13.75 μM), NCI-H460 (IC50 = 17.57 μM), and NCI-H292 (IC50 = 18.04 μM) proliferation; inhibited glucose uptake and ATP generation; and reduced lactate production. Furthermore, α-hederin (10 and 15 μM) markedly inhibited hexokinase 2, glucose transporter 1, pyruvate kinase M2, lactate dehydrogenase A, monocarboxylate transporter, c-Myc, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, and activated SIRT6 protein expression. Using a SIRT6 inhibitor, we demonstrated that α-hederin inhibits glycolysis by activating SIRT6. A tumour xenograft mouse model of lung cancer confirmed that α-hederin (5 and 10 mg/kg) inhibits lung cancer growth by inhibiting glycolysis in vivo. α-Hederin inhibits A549 cell growth by inhibiting SIRT6-dependent glycolysis. α-Hederin might serve as a potential agent to suppress cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prognosis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is poor once it develops to the stage of cardiac impairment. Recent studies have demonstrated that electrocardiogram (ECG), which consists of general ECG and vectorcardiogram (VCG), retains an extremely powerful role in the assessment of patients with reduced left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. However, data regarding VCG recordings in DMD and its prognostic value for reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of DMD have never been reported. This study aims to describe the characteristics of VCG in children with DMD and to explore the predictive value of VCG for reduced LVEF in children with DMD., Methods: A total of 306 patients with a known diagnosis of DMD confirmed by the genetic test were retrospectively enrolled at our hospital between August 2018 and August 2022. This resulted in a total study group of 486 VCG recordings. Among them, 75 DMD patients who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) later after one year follow-up were prospectively enrolled. The trend of VCG parameters of DMD patients across the different age span were compared with age-matched normal children. Concordance statistic analysis was further performed to assess the validity of VCG parameters in predicting the occurrence of reduced LVEF in patients with DMD., Results: DMD patients have a significantly higher heart rate, R waves in V1, QRS loop percentage in the right anterior quadrant in the horizontal plane (horizontal quadrant II) and QRS loop percentage in the anterior superior quadrant in the sagittal plane (sagittal quadrant IV) than normal children. Concordance statistic (C-statistic) showed an area under the curve of quadrant IV in the sagittal plane of baseline was 0.704. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve shows that quadrant IV in the sagittal plane of 7.57% was the optimal cutoff with a sensitivity of 53.3% and a specificity of 88.3% for predicting reduced LVEF in DMD patients., Conclusions: Our study firstly showed that QRS loop percentage in the right anterior quadrant in the horizontal plane (horizontal quadrant II) and QRS loop percentage in the anterior superior quadrant in the sagittal plane (sagittal quadrant IV) could be abnormal in DMD boys as early as before 5 years old. Evaluation of the myocardium by VCG in the early age to predict possible cardiac systolic dysfunction may have important implications for the ongoing management of DMD boys., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.)

SnO 2 is a theoretically excellent transformed anode material with high theoretical capacity for SIBs. However, SnO 2 faces serious volume effect and high resistance, which greatly damages its electrochemical performance. Given that, the SnS-SnO 2 heterostructures is constructed with special internal electric field, which is beneficial to promote the transfer ability of sodium ions. Besides, the graphene oxide (GO) modification is carried out to isolate the intrinsic materials from direct contact with electrolyte, and alleviate volume expansion of the anode, ultimately promote the electrochemical performance. Furthermore, the structure and the conductivity characteristics of SnS, SnO 2 , SnS-SnO 2 and SnS-SnO 2 @ GO are simulated respectively by first principles and are compared with the correspondence experiment results to verify the accuracy of established models. Owing to the special p-n junction in SnS-SnO 2 @GO heterostructures, the resistance of SnS-SnO 2 @GO can be reduced to 36.23 Ω, much lower than that of SnO 2 (Rct=341.9 Ω). Notably, the combination of GO has effectively alleviated the volume expansion of SnS-SnO 2 @GO electrodes, and present excellent capacity higher than 384.7 mAh g -1 after 100 cycles. Thus, the efficient synthesis of SnS-SnO 2 @GO heterostructure electrodes with excellent performance for sodium storage is expected to provide valuable direction for SIBs anode materials., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)