Search

V2O5, as a potential cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), is limited by poor activity and structural stability. Herein, a series of 3D shuttle V2O5 materials are obtained by a simple solvothermal method combined with subsequent calcination. When the calcination temperature was set to 600°C, the obtained V2O5 porous material (V-MOFs-600) had the largest specific surface area and pore volume, which conferred more Li+ embedding sites and thus accelerated Li+ embedding/de-embedding. Based on this, paired with a lithium anode, the V-MOFs-600 cathode exhibits excellent lithium storage performance parameters of 162.1 mAh·g-1 at 1A·g-1 and 78.3% capacity retention after 200 cycles. These results indicate that the 3D shuttle V2O5 porous nanoelectrode materials assembled from particles are highly promising as long-life, high-rate cathode materials for next-generation LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control commands established by Chinese local governments to tackle COVID-19 proved effective in containing its spread nationwide. The primary interest in this contribution is to uncover the mechanism underlying the effectiveness of a control command established by Qingdao municipality in managing COVID-19. We conclude that the combination of five conditions, namely, task immersion, qualified team members, flexible organizing, high swift trust, and high operational representation, is sufficient to result in effective temporary organizing. Our study contributes to the policy and governance literature through adding building blocks to the explanation regarding the effectiveness of temporary organizations in managing crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bleeding and thrombosis are known as common complications of polycythemia for a long time. However, the role of coagulation system in erythropoiesis is unclear. Here, we discover that an anticoagulant protein tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) plays an essential role in erythropoiesis via the control of heme biosynthesis in central macrophages. TFPI levels are elevated in erythroblasts of human erythroblastic islands with JAK2V617F mutation and hypoxia condition. Erythroid lineage-specific knockout TFPI results in impaired erythropoiesis through decreasing ferrochelatase expression and heme biosynthesis in central macrophages. Mechanistically, the TFPI interacts with thrombomodulin to promote the downstream ERK1/2-GATA1 signaling pathway to induce heme biosynthesis in central macrophages. Furthermore, TFPI blockade impairs human erythropoiesis in vitro, and normalizes the erythroid compartment in mice with polycythemia. These results show that erythroblast-derived TFPI plays an important role in the regulation of erythropoiesis and reveal an interplay between erythroblasts and central macrophages. The role of coagulation system in erythropoiesis is not clear. Here, the authors report that an anticoagulant protein TFPI from erythroblasts directs central macrophages to synthesize heme, which in turn promotes erythropoiesis in bone marrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral leukoplakia (OLK) has received much attention due to its potential risk of malignant transformation. Studies have shown that when drug therapy is combined with photothermal therapy (PTT), not only can the cytotoxicity of the drug be enhanced, but also the heat energy can be used to kill the lesion cells, so we can combine drug therapy with PTT to enhance the therapeutic effect on OLK. However, with certain drawbacks due to its lack of targeting, fibroblast activating protein (FAP) has become an attractive target for OLK combination therapy. In this study, we used NGO-PEG loaded with FAP-targeting peptide (F-TP) and celecoxib (CXB) to construct a nano-drug delivery system CGPF for targeting OLK with high FAP expression and confirmed the biocompatibility and therapeutic efficacy of CGPF by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Overall, the novel nano-drug delivery system CGPF proposed in this study showed a very significant potential for the combination therapy of OLK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, adaptive virtual element method (VEM) approximation of optimal control problem governed by Stokes equations with control constraints is discussed. The virtual element discrete scheme of the optimal control problem is constructed by polynomial projections and variational discretization of the control variable. Based on the a posteriori error estimates of VEM for Stokes equations and approximated error equivalence between the solutions of the optimal control problem and the solutions of the state and adjoint equations, we build up upper and lower bounds for the a posteriori error estimates of the optimal control problem. It proves that the a posteriori error indicator is reliable and efficient. The theoretical findings are illustrated by the numerical experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring novel metal-metal batteries with a facile manufacturing process and low production cost is crucial for the development of next-generation energy storage systems. In this work, the electrochemical performance of a novel Cu–Na battery with Cu foil as a cathode and Na foil as an anode is explored for the first time. The Cu–Na battery exhibits good electrochemical reaction reversibility and cycling stability, which delivers a Coulombic efficiency of 61.5% under a charge capacity limitation of 0.02 mA h cm− 2 with a current density of 0.01 mA cm− 2 after 50 cycles. EIS analysis reveals that the Cu–Na battery maintains a stable electrochemical reaction resistance upon repeated cycles. The present work demonstrates that this Cu–Na battery could be a promising candidate for the next-generation energy storage system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the urgency of developing high energy density cathode materials in power batteries, as well as the high price and environmental unfriendliness of cobalt, researchers are working on ultra-high nickel low cobalt and ultra-high nickel cobalt-free layered cathode materials. However, the poor cyclic stability and rate performance of this material resulted from structural instability and severe surface/interface side reactions during cycling seriously hinder its practical application. In this paper, LiNi0.9Mn0.1O2 (NM90) cathode material is modified by La2O3 coating, and La3+ doping caused by thermal diffusion is achieved simultaneously. The synergistic enhancement of the two modifications can effectively improve the layered structure and reduce surface/interface side reactions. The dual-modified material shows good structural stability, the La2O3 coating does not fall off and the active material does not appear fragmentation and collapse after 100 cycles. At the same time, the dual-modified material also shows excellent electrochemical performance, with a capacity retention of 83.19% after 100 cycles at 1 C and a reversible capacity of 129.9 mAh g−1 at 10 C. The electrochemical mechanism reveals that the dual-modified material effectively reduces the charge transfer resistance and greatly increases the Li+ diffusion coefficient. It will provide useful reference and technical support for the research of other electrode materials. The NM90 and La2O3-coated NM90 particles have similar spherical morphology and are formed by the agglomeration of many primary particles; the surface of NM90 material is evenly coated by La2O3 and No obvious boundary between La2O3 and NM90 materials is found; LiNi0.9Mn0.1O2 cathode material coated by 1wt% La2O3 has the best cycle stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn2O3/Mn3O4 composites are prepared by a facile thermal decomposition method with MnCl2·4H2O as the manganese source. The effect of different additives (glucose, sucrose, and lactose) on the microstructure and zinc storage properties of the as-prepared samples were investigated in detail. The results show that the additives influence the phase composition and morphology of obtained manganese oxides, which accordingly affect their zinc storage performances. Particularly, the Mn2O3/Mn3O4 sample prepared with sucrose additive (MO-s) shows the best zinc storage performance benefiting from the smaller primary particle size and the synergistic effect of Mn2O3 and Mn3O4 components. The MO-s sample delivers a high reversible capacity of 597/142 mA h g−1 after 250/1000 cycles at 0.5/1.0 A g−1. This work provides a facile method for preparing high-performance manganese-based oxides cathode materials of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicomponent composites are synthesized via a one-step liquid thermal-decomposition method with the leaching liquor of industrial jarosite residue and sucrose as raw materials. The results demonstrate that the preparation temperature (700, 800, and 900 °C) has a great impact on the composition and lithium storage performance of the as-prepared samples. In particular, the sample (Fe2O3/Fe3O4/ZnFe2O4/ZnS/Carbon) prepared at the temperature of 800 °C exhibits superior lithium storage performance in terms of lithium storage activity (817.2 m A h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1), high-rate capability (348.5 m A h g−1 at 5.0 A g−1), and cyclability (689.6 mA h g−1 over 300 cycles at 0.5 A g−1). The work achieves the low-cost and facile fabrication of high-performance Fe-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries and provides an avenue for the high-value utilization of Fe, Zn, and S resources in industrial jarosite residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effect of Zn2+ content in ferric chloride solution on the structure and lithium storage performance of α-Fe2O3-based anode materials prepared via a facile thermal decomposition method are systematically studied. With the increase of Zn2+ content, the as-prepared α-Fe2O3-based samples gradually transform from single-phase α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (FZ-0) to α-Fe2O3/ZnFe2O4 composites with two-dimensional (2D) porous sheet-like structure (FZ-10, FZ-30, and FZ-50) and finally to α-Fe2O3/ZnFe2O4/ZnO composite composed of loosely connected nanoparticles (FZ-70). An appropriate amount of Zn2+ impurity in ferric chloride solution has a positive effect on the lithium storage performance of the prepared electrode materials. Particularly, the FZ-50 exhibits the best lithium storage performance because of the 2D porous morphology and synergistic effect between α-Fe2O3 and ZnFe2O4 components. The FZ-50 sample maintains a high reversible capacity of 793 mAh g−1 after 400 cycles at 0.5 A g−1; at the high current density of 5.0 A g−1, it still delivers a specific capacity of 357 mA h g−1, much higher than the corresponding value (145 mA h g−1) of the FZ-0 sample without Zn2+ impurity. The results reported in this work could provide guidance for the facile preparation of high-valued α-Fe2O3-based anode materials by comprehensive utilization of jarosite slag or Fe3+ solution containing Zn2+ impurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.] is one of the most common horticultural and medicinal crops. Genetic transformation is a rate-limiting step in unraveling the function of genes and molecular breeding in this non-model crop. In this study, we established an optimized protocol for transformation using a seed germination pouch as a growth carrier and developed bottle gourd composite plants. Overground explants were inoculated with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain R1000, which harbored a binary vector pBI121 carrying the GUS reporter gene. The integration of GUS into transgenic roots was confirmed via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and histochemical staining. Furthermore, we screened for desirable genotypes from 14 bottle gourd germplasm collections based on the number of induced roots, transformation efficiency, and induction rate, and "Changguang" (transformation efficiency, approximately 36.8%) was selected as the genotype suitable for hairy root induction in bottle gourd. The optimized protocol presented here is a rapid, suitable, and efficient tool for studying the function of genes and root biology of bottle gourd in the future. Key message: This study developed an optimized Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation protocol for developing bottle gourd composite plants and screened the desirable genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays various innovative technologies have been adopted by governments worldwide in resolving various complex and grand societal challenges. We have reported an in-depth case study, which has elaborated how a Chinese metro company has governed the risks of adopting an innovative technology, mobile payment. We have identified three primary risks involved in adopting mobile payment technology, namely promotion risk, integration risk, and organizational risk. For the governance of the risks involved, three different governance strategies were adopted by the metro company in Nanjing, namely, no response, control-oriented strategy, and toleration-oriented strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium pentoxide as the cathode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) has attracted wide attention due to its high theoretical capacity, relatively low price, and easy preparation. However, the poor structural stability and bad electronic conductivity severely hamper its practical application. Herein, vanadium pentoxide/titanium dioxide (V2O5/TiO2) composite was prepared by a hydrothermal method with commercial vanadium pentoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and titanium dioxide as raw materials. Compared to pureV2O5, the V2O5/TiO2 composite exhibits higher sodium storage activity and better rate capability (with specific capacities of 141.7 and 31.6 mA h g−1 at 100 and 1000 mA g−1, respectively). SEM characterization shows that the V2O5 material changed from nanosheet morphology to nanorod morphology after compositing with TiO2. Cyclic voltammetry analysis reveals that the V2O5/TiO2 composite has obvious pseudocapacitive behavior during the discharge/charge processes. EIS analysis demonstrates that the introduction of TiO2 in V2O5 decreases the electrochemical reaction resistance upon repeated cycling. This work provides a simple and efficient method for the preparation of vanadium-based cathode material for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a canning compression process was developed to perform hot compression deformation of high chromium cast iron (HCCI) on a Gleeble 3800 thermomechanical simulator at temperature of 950–1150 °C and strain rate of 0.01 s–1. The hot deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of HCCI were investigated. The mechanisms of carbide dissolution and refinement were analyzed. Results show that HCCI in the steel canning can achieve large plastic deformation without incurring macro-cracks. Static pressure exerted by carbon steel cans on HCCI helps inhibit the initiation and growth of cracks when HCCI deforms under triaxial stress. After HCCI was deformed at 1150 °C, fine carbide and low-volume fraction of carbide cavity were achieved. HCCI carbide dissolves and deforms during hot compression and will undergo tensile fracture when the maximum tensile stress is greater than its tensile strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodispersed cubic α-Fe2O3 particles are prepared by a facile hydrothermal method with FeCl3•6H2O and CO(NH2)2 as raw materials. The structure and surface morphology of the sample are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical performance of the sample is investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and galvanostatic discharge–charge tests. The results demonstrate that the cubic α-Fe2O3 has a superior high-rate capability and outstanding cycling stability. For example, the cubic α-Fe2O3 maintains a specific capacity of 377 mA h g−1 at 2.0 A g−1, and delivers a reversible capacity of 664 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles at 500 mA g−1. The lithium ions diffusion coefficient evaluated by galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) method ranges from 10−11 to 10−14 cm2 s−1. Ex-situ SEM and charge storage mechanism analysis reveal that the cubic α-Fe2O3 has good structural integrity and exhibits a pseudocapacitive-dominant charge storage behavior during discharge/charge processes, which account for the superior cycling stability and high-rate performance. Considering the merits of low-cost, easy preparation, non-toxicity, and superior lithium storage performance, the cubic α-Fe2O3 could be a promising candidate as an anode material for next-generation LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel circovirus designated "porcine circovirus type 4" (PCV4) was recently reported in pigs with severe clinical disease in Hunan Province, China. Relatively little is known about the molecular epidemiology of this recently discovered virus. In order to assess the prevalence of PCV4 infection in pigs and to analyze its genomic characteristics, 1683 clinical samples were collected in Inner Mongolia, China, from 2016 to 2018. The overall infection rate of PCV4 was 1.6% (27/1683) at the sample level and 21.6% (11/51) at the farm level, with rates ranging from 3.2% (1/31) to 20.0% (6/30) on different PCV4-positive pig farms. In addition, the PCV4 infection rates at both the sample and farm level increased from 2016 to 2018. This also showed that PCV4 was present in pigs in 2016 in China and therefore did not arrive later than this date. Additionally, our findings showed that PCV4 infections had no association with PCV2 or PCV3 infections. We sequenced the complete genomes of three PCV4 strains and found that the PCV4 strains had a high degree of genetic stability but shared less than 80% sequence identity with other circoviruses. We identified six amino acid mutations in the Rep protein and seven in the Cap protein. Phylogenetic analysis based on Cap and Rep sequences confirmed that the PCV4 strains grouped in an independent branch. Our findings provide important information about the prevalence and genetic characteristics of PCV4 strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumour-to-tumour metastasis is very unusual and has been defined as a tumour metastasis into another histologically different tumour. It is extremely rare in bone. We report a case of lung squamous cell carcinoma metastasized to an enchondroma in the femur of a patient with Ollier disease. A 60-year-old female had a history of a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. She underwent a video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, and a follow-up MRI scan showed three lesions in the left distal femur and proximal tibia, which were initially interpreted as metastasis on radiology. Resection of the left proximal tibial lesion was performed, and the pathological findings were consistent with enchondroma with no evidence of metastasis. Subsequent curettage of lesions in the distal left femur revealed metastatic poorly differentiated carcinoma with foci of hyaline cartilage, which was most consistent with metastatic carcinoma in a pre-existing enchondroma. The MRI films were re-reviewed. Characteristic MRI features of enchondroma were found in the lesion in the left proximal tibia and one of the lesions in the left distal femur, while the features of the other lesion in the left distal femur included cortical destruction and extensive oedema in surrounding soft tissue, which were consistent with a malignant tumour. In addition, the enchondroma in the lateral condyle showed blurring and irregular inner margin and adjacent bone oedema, which likely represents a co-existing metastatic tumour and enchondroma. The difference in lineage was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The final diagnosis was metastatic poorly differentiated carcinoma of the lung into a co-existent enchondroma. The diagnosis can be challenging and could be easily overlooked both radiologically and histologically. Thorough clinical and radiological information is critical for the diagnosis, and despite a very unusual event, awareness of the tumour-to-tumour metastasis phenomenon can avoid an inaccurate diagnosis by the pathologist, therefore preventing inappropriate clinical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The alkylation of benzene with methanol is an important synthetic method that is widely used in various chemical production processes. However, obtaining a high selectivity for xylene and annihilating the MTO side reaction remain challenges. Results: In this work, a Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst was prepared using ZSM-5 as the precursor by a chemical precipitation method. Both XRD and TEM confirmed that Ru nanoparticles were evenly dispersed on the surface of the ZSM-5. The catalytic performance of benzene alkylation with methanol on the Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst was investigated. The results showed that the Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst could completely annihilate the MTO side reaction with a high conversion efficiency of benzene and selectivity for xylene, which resulted from the large gap between the transgression energy value of Ru and the ionization potential value of benzene, and the acidity of the catalyst changed greatly. Conclusion: These findings may offer not only a new and efficient multifunctional catalyst for benzene alkylation but also fundamental insight into the catalytic mechanism of the Ru/HZSM-5 catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth and design of hyperbranched hierarchical nanoarchitectures attract considerable current research enthusiasm in various scientific and technological fields, in which high porosity, large surface area and strong coupling between the sub-branches, are expected. In this paper, the growth of hierarchical ZnOHF nanoarchitectures via a hydrothermal strategy is demonstrated. A variety of controllable morphologies with tunable degrees of branching, such as nanoparticles, nanorods, polypods, sheaf- and spherulite-like prickly hierarchical nanoarchitectures, can be obtained with the controlled regulation of the synthetic parameters including temperature, reaction time and solvent component. For the formation of ZnOHF hierarchical nanoarchitectures, the crystal splitting growth mechanism plays the dominant role, which is evidenced by the time-dependent morphological evolution. It is shown that the gas sensing properties of ZnOHF hyperbranched hierarchical nanoarchitectures may be closely correlated with their branching degrees. The half-sheaf-shaped ZnOHF nanoarchitecture exhibits the highest response for ethanol among some common hazardous volatile compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical flower-like α-Ni(OH)2 with interlayer NO3− is prepared via a homogeneous precipitation method. To optimize the lithium storage performance of the α-Ni(OH)2 sample, the interlayer NO3− is partially exchanged by Cl−, SO42−, CO32−, PO43−, and OH−, respectively. The results demonstrate that the α-Ni(OH)2 samples exchanged by SO42−, CO32−, Cl−, and OH− exhibit improved rate capability and enhanced pseudocapacitive behavior. The α-Ni(OH)2 with interlayer NO3− and the ones exchanged by SO42− and Cl− suffer from poor cyclic stability after 50 cycles at a current density of 1.0 A g−1. In contrast, the α-Ni(OH)2 samples exchanged by CO32−, PO43−, and OH− exhibit much-enhanced cyclic stability compared to the α-Ni(OH)2 with interlayer NO3−. The α-Ni(OH)2 with interlayer NO3− and the ones exchanged by SO42− and Cl− deliver capacities of 265, 197, and 341 mA h g−1, respectively, after 500 cycles at a current density of 1.0 A g−1, while the α-Ni(OH)2 samples exchanged by CO32−, PO43−, and OH− maintain reversible capacities of 980, 1172, and 879 mA h g−1, respectively, after 500 cycles at a current density of 1.0 A g−1. This work provides a new avenue for the rational design and performance optimization of α-Ni(OH)2 as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular spherical FePO4/3DG precursor with good dispersion, uniform morphology, and diameters of 2~3 μm was hydrothermally synthesized, followed by synthesizing LiFePO3.98F0.02/3DG/C material via a two-step carbothermal reduction technology with ascorbic acid and glucose as carbon sources. The morphology, structure, and carbon content of the material were characterized by SEM, XRD, XPS, TEM, and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The electrochemical properties of material were systematically studied by means of constant current charge and discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results revealed that the initial discharge specific capacity of LiFePO0.98F0.02/3DG/C material was 158.7, 144.5, 130.4, 114.8, 96.8, and 80.3 mAh/g at 0.2 C, 0.5 C, 1 C, 2 C, 5 C, and 10 C, respectively, and the capacity retention rate still remained 98.9% after 100 cycles at 0.2 C, indicating excellent rate performance and cycle stability. Obviously, LiFePO3.98F0.02/3DG/C material exhibited remarkable improvement in comparison with the pristine LiFePO4 material. Therefore, the synergy of F− doping and 3DG coating was an effective method in synthesis of high electrochemical performance LiFePO4 composite material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigate the influence of water content on the lithium storage performance of α-Ni(OH)2 samples prepared by homogeneous precipitation method and subsequent heat treatment at different temperatures. It is found that the adsorbed water in α-Ni(OH)2 has a decisive impact on the cycling stability and rate capability of the electrode; in contrast, the effect of interlayer water contents is not significant. For example, the α-Ni(OH)2 sample with adsorbed water molecules (heat-treated at 100 °C) delivers a reversible specific capacity of 1115 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 after 30 cycles, while the α-Ni(OH)2 sample after removing the adsorbed molecules (heat-treated at 150 °C) gives a capacity of only 516 mAh g−1 under the same measurement condition. EIS and CV analyses reveal that the adsorbed water molecules in α-Ni(OH)2 decrease the electrochemical reaction resistance, increase lithium ion diffusivity, and greatly enhance the pseudocapacitive charge storage behavior, which lead to superior performance in cycle life and rate capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In soybean, only one mitochondrial genome of cultispecies has been completely obtained. To explore the effect of mitochondrial genome on soybean cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), two CMS lines and three maintainer lines were used for sequencing. Comparative analysis showed that mitochondrial genome of the CMS line was more compact than that of its maintainer line, but genes were highly conserved. Conserved and unique sequence coexisted in the genomes. Mitochondrial genomes contained different sequence lengths and copy numbers of repeats between CMS line and maintainer line. Large and short repeats mediated intramolecular and intermolecular recombination in mitochondria. Unique sequences and genes were also involved in recombination process and constituted a complex network. orf178 and orf261 were identified as CMS-associated candidate genes. They had sequence characteristics of reported CMS genes in other crops and could be transcribed in CMS lines but not in maintainer lines. This report reveals mitochondrial genome of soybean CMS lines and compares complete mitochondrial sequence between CMS lines and their maintainer lines. The information will be helpful in further understanding the characteristics of soybean mitochondrial genome and the mechanism underlying CMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monodisperse SnO2/Co3O4 nanocubes are designed and prepared via a thermally induced phase separation. X-ray diffraction measurement reveals that the composite is composed of SnO2 and Co3O4 phases. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy bring insight into the morphology of the nanocubes, which have a size of 100–200 nm and consist of tightly contacted SnO2 and Co3O4 grains with a size of 20–30 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the SnO2 and Co3O4 are chemically bound with each other. Comparative study in electrochemical properties is implemented among the SnO2/Co3O4 nanocubes, pure SnO2, Co3O4, and physical mixture of SnO2 and Co3O4. Electrochemical characterizations suggest that the SnO2/Co3O4 nanocomposite has remarkably enhanced electrochemical reversibility, cycling stability, rate capability, and faster charge-transfer than the others. The results highlight the synergistic effect derived from the Sn–Co binding in electrochemical Li-ion storage. In addition, the phase separation method is considered as an effective way to produce heterojunctions within binary or ternary composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnFe2O4 has attracted much attention as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its high theoretical capacity. However, the fast capacity fading and poor rate performance severely hamper its practical application. To overcome these problems, herein, ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles uniformly embedded in carbon matrix (ZnFe2O4/C composite) were fabricated by a facile chemical co-precipitation method and subsequent calcination process with leaching liquor of jarosite residue, NaCO3, and ammonium citrate as raw materials. The prepared ZnFe2O4/C composite shows superior high-rate capability (with 731 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 and 321 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability (with reversible capacity of 644 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 2 A g−1). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis reveals significant pseudocapacitive contributions during the discharge/charge processes of ZnFe2O4/C composite. This work provides a facile, efficient, and eco-friendly strategy for the preparation of high-performance transition metal oxides electrode materials for LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ridesharing or ride-hailing services have received substantial attention from scholars and practitioners around the world, and it has become an urgent issue for the government to find solutions to mitigate their negative externalities and to provide room for their development. Since the Chinese central government legalized ridesharing in 2016, cities across provinces have adopted dissimilar strategies in governing ridesharing. In this contribution, we use a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis approach to explain the variations in regulatory strategies adopted by 25 Chinese capital cities to govern ridesharing. Our study has identified seven paths to explain both the stringent and loose regulation of municipalities on ridesharing. These findings enrich our understanding of the choices of government strategies in regulating ridesharing. We conclude that regulators should adopt a network governance approach to achieve a win–win outcome in governing ridesharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

V2O5·nH2O/graphene composites have been fabricated via a facile sol–gel method followed with an annealing treatment in air. The influence of incorporation of graphene on the microstructure and sodium storage performance of V2O5·nH2O were investigated. XRD, Raman, and TGA analyses validated that graphene was successfully incorporated in V2O5·nH2O particles; XPS tests revealed that the incorporation of graphene induced more V4+ in the V2O5·nH2O. When evaluated as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), the V2O5·nH2O/graphene composites exhibited higher sodium storage capacity, better rate capability, enhanced Na+ diffusivity, and lower electrochemical reaction resistance as compared to the pure V2O5·nH2O. However, the incorporation of graphene had no improvement of the cycling stability of V2O5·nH2O. Ex situ XRD demonstrated that the layered structure of V2O5·nH2O collapsed upon cycling, which accounts for the capacity decay of the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-Ni(OH)2 has attracted great attention as a cathode material for alkaline secondary batteries (ASBs) because of its high theoretical capacity and small volume change during charge/discharge cycles. However, poor cycling stability and low electronic conductivity of α-Ni(OH)2 severely hinder its development and practical applications in ASBs. In this work, α-Ni(OH)2/graphene nanosheet composite was successfully fabricated by a facile homogeneous precipitation method. The nanocomposite is composed of α-Ni(OH)2 nanoflowers decorated homogeneously on the surfaces of graphene nanosheets. When evaluated as cathode material for ASBs, this α-Ni(OH)2/graphene nanocomposite exhibits much enhanced high-rate capability and cycling stability compared to the pure α-Ni(OH)2 due to the improved electrochemical reaction kinetic, enhanced electronic conductivity, and hierarchical nanostructure. For example, the α-Ni(OH)2/graphene nanocomposite presents a rate retention of 74.8% as the current density increasing from 250 to 5000 mA g−1, much higher than that (49.0%) of pure α-Ni(OH)2; moreover, at a current density of 2000 mA g−1, the α-Ni(OH)2/graphene nanocomposite still maintains a reversible capacity of 177 mA h g−1 after 200 cycles, which is four times higher than that (41 mA h g−1) of the pure α-Ni(OH)2. The attractive electrochemical performances and facile synthesis route made the prepared α-Ni(OH)2/graphene nanocomposite become a promising electrode material for ASBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, RSS fingerprint-based location has been considered as a low-complexity solution for indoor localization. However, constructing a fingerprint map requires a great amount of manual effort to achieve a high location accuracy. In this paper, we present a refinement method to reduce the necessary manual effort without degrading the location accuracy. This method transforms a coarse-gained fingerprint map containing only a small number of offline samples into a high-density fingerprint map by augmenting the map with artificial samples. In particular, a local-to-local strategy is proposed to improve the accuracy of artificial samples. Furthermore, we propose a judgment criterion to determine whether a fingerprint map should continue to be refined when it has reached a certain density and which refined fingerprint map can achieve the best location accuracy. Extensive experimental results show that our proposed method can significantly improve the location accuracy without additional manual effort compared with the original fingerprint map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass burning particles are one of the largest aerosol sources worldwide and contribute a significant fraction of the global cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) burden. Chemical aging experiments of sawgrass burning particles took place in a smog chamber by turning on the UV light after HONO or H2O2 injection. The CCN activity and corresponding hygroscopicity of fresh and aged particles were measured. Most of the fresh particles can serve as reasonable CCN, and the average activation diameters at 0.2% supersaturation were 114-125 nm in the experiments. The aging process caused that the mass fraction of organic aerosols decrease and condensed phase nitrate NO3− increase, and also the average atomic oxygen to carbon (O:C) ratios increase, which were the main reasons that the aged particles were more CCN active and hygroscopic. The average activation diameters decreased by 8-15% at 0.2% supersaturation after aging, and hygroscopic parameter κ increased by 30-42%. The chemical aging productions were a little different in experiments, but the CCN property and hygroscopicity change trends were quite similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptocaryon irritans is a ciliated protozoan parasite infecting the gills and skin of almost all marine teleosts, resulting in severe disease. Notably, C. irritans is unable to cause significant pathogenesis in rabbitfish, Siganus oramin, a well-known less susceptible host. However, little is known about the development of C. irritans in rabbitfish. Thus, in the present study, rabbitfish were artificially infected with C. irritans at a 1/2 maximal tolerance dose (MTD), using the susceptible host, large yellow croaker, Larimichthys crocea, as a control. The daily food consumption (DFC), survival, and relative infection intensity (RII) of the fish were observed, and the relative number of tomonts (RNT), reproductive rate, and characteristics of C. irritans tomonts were measured. The lethal concentration 50 (LC50) of C. irritans on rabbitfish and large yellow croaker was 2236, and 264 theronts/g fish, respectively. The DFC of rabbitfish decreased by 14.6% at day 1 post-C. irritans infection (PI), but immediately returned to normal DFC levels by day 2 PI, and was not affected by secondary infection. However, large yellow croaker stopped feeding at day 3 PI, and all fish died following secondary infection with C. irritans. The RII of rabbitfish exhibited a significant downward trend at 6 h PI, and the reproductive rate of C. irritans was 8%; in contrast, the RII of large yellow croaker was not significantly different from 0 to 72 h PI, and the reproductive rate of C. irritans reached to 59.05-fold. Over the same time frame, the diameter of tomonts from rabbitfish was smaller compared with those from large yellow croaker. These results indicated that the rabbitfish were somehow able to limit the development of C. irritans, such that most trophonts left the host during early developmental stages, whereas those that survive could only develop into small tomonts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co3O4/Li2TiO3 composite hollow nanofibers with different molar ratios of Co to Ti were fabricated by integrating electrospinning approach with post-annealing treatment. When applied as lithium ion battery anode material for the first time, the Co3O4/Li2TiO3 (Co:Ti = 10:1) electrode exhibits superior electrochemical properties: (i) high initial discharge capacity (1035 mAh g−1); (ii) good cycling performance (1728.9 mAh g−1 after 212 cycles at 100 mA g−1); (iii) outstanding rate performance (1039.3 mAh g−1 at the current densities of 1 A g−1). Enhancement of electrochemical performance may be attributed to the improvement of structural stability and conductivity through Li2TiO3 modification as well as the feature of one-dimensional hollow structure. It is demonstrated that the Co3O4/Li2TiO3 composite hollow nanofibers is a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burgeoning interest in early childhood irritability has recently turned toward neuroimaging techniques to better understand normal versus abnormal irritability using dimensional methods. Current accounts largely assume a linear relationship between poor frustration management, an expression of irritability, and its underlying neural circuitry. However, the relationship between these constructs may not be linear (i.e., operate differently at varying points across the irritability spectrum), with implications for how early atypical irritability is identified and treated. Our goal was to examine how the association between frustration-related lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) activation and irritability differs across the dimensional spectrum of irritability by testing for non-linear associations. Children (N = 92; ages 3-7) ranging from virtually no irritability to the upper end of the clinical range completed a frustration induction task while we recorded LPFC hemoglobin levels using fNIRS. Children self-rated their emotions during the task and parents rated their child's level of irritability. Whereas a linear model showed no relationship between frustration-related LPFC activation and irritability, a quadratic model revealed frustration-related LPFC activation increased as parent-reported irritability scores increased within the normative range of irritability but decreased with increasing irritability in the severe range, with an apex at the 91st percentile. Complementarily, we found children's self-ratings of emotion during frustration related to concurrent LPFC activation as an inverted U function, such that children who reported mild distress had greater activation than peers reporting no or high distress. Results suggest children with relatively higher irritability who are unimpaired may possess well-developed LPFC support, a mechanism that drops out in the severe end of the irritability dimension. Findings suggest novel avenues for understanding the heterogeneity of early irritability and its clinical sequelae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hierarchical flower-like α-Ni(OH) was prepared by homogeneous precipitation method with the assistance of sodium dodecyl sulfate. When used as anode material for lithium-ion batteries, this flower-like α-Ni(OH) exhibits a high specific capacity, much enhanced cycling stability, and superior rate capability. For example, this flower-like α-Ni(OH) delivered a high capacity of 2031 mAh/g at the current density of 1 A/g for the initial cycle, and still maintained 892 mAh/g after 50th cycle with the capacity retention rate of 88.61% compared to the 10th cycle. Even at the ultrahigh current density of 5 A/g, this flower-like α-Ni(OH) can still delivers a capacity of 620 mAh/g. More importantly, pseduocapacitive behavior contributed a great portion of the total stored charge of this flower-like α-Ni(OH). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are the two most common, progressive central neurodegenerative diseases affecting the population over the age of 60 years. Apart from treatments that temporarily improve symptoms, there is no medicine currently available to inhibit or reverse the progression of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. In traditional Chinese medicine, the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a classic compatible component in the decoction of herbal medicine used for treating central nervous system diseases. Modern pharmacokinetic studies have confirmed that baicalein (5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone) is a major bioactive flavone constituent root of S. baicalensis Georgi. Studies showed that baicalein possesses a range of key pharmacological properties, such as reducing oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory properties, inhibiting aggregation of disease-specific amyloid proteins, inhibiting excitotoxicity, stimulating neurogenesis and differentiation action, and anti-apoptosis effects. Based on these properties, baicalein shows therapeutic potential for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. In this review, we summarize the pharmacological protective actions of baicalein that make it suitable for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, and discuss the potential mechanisms underlying the effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel hydroxides with hierarchical micro-nano structures are prepared by a facile homogeneous precipitation method with different nickel salts (Ni(NO)·6HO, NiCl·6HO, and NiSO·6HO) as raw materials. The effect of nickel sources on the microstructure and lithium storage performance of the nickel hydroxides is studied. It is found that all the three prepared samples are α-nickel hydroxide. The nickel hydroxides synthesized with Ni(NO)·6H or NiCl·6HO show a similar particle size of 20-30 μm and are composed of very thin nano-sheets, while the nickel hydroxide synthesized with Ni(SO)·6HO shows a larger particle size (30-50 μm) and consists of very thin nano-walls. When applied as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the nickel hydroxide synthesized with NiSO·6HO exhibits the highest discharge capacity, but its cyclic stability is very poor. The nickel hydroxides synthesized with NiCl·6HO exhibit higher discharge capacity than the nickel hydroxides synthesized with Ni(NO)·6HO, and both of them show much improved cyclic stability and rate capability as compared to the nickel hydroxide synthesized with Ni(SO)·6HO. Moreover, pseudocapacitive behavior makes a great contribution to the electrochemical energy storage of the three samples. The discrepancies of lithium storage performance of the three samples are analyzed by ex-situ XRD, FT-IR, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium/sulfur (Li/S) batteries are one of the rechargeable batteries with high theoretical special capacity and high theoretical energy density. The gaseous-phase, silica (GPSiO)-coated sulfur composites with different weight ratios were synthesized through solid-state fusion method as a novel cathode material for Li/S batteries. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and electrochemical testing methods were conducted to investigate the effect of gaseous-phase silica/sulfur composites on electrochemical performance. Results indicate that the composites have flocculent structure. The initial specific capacity of the GPSiO/S-3:7 composite is up to 1610 mA h g at 0.1 C, which is the highest in the different ratio composites and is approximately 96% of sulfur utilization. The specific capacity was maintained at 814 mA h g after the 50th cycle. The GPSiO/S-3:7 composite has the lowest impedance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the differentiation potential of purified CD90 cells sorted from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), CD90 cells were sorted from rabbit ADSCs using flow cytometry. Then, cell expansion of CD90 cells and unsorted ADSCs was observed using an inverted microscope. Furthermore, cell surface markers including CD40, CD105, and CD90 on CD90 cells and unsorted ADSCs were quantified using flow cytometry. Additionally, multi-lineage differentiation ability between CD90 cells and unsorted ADSCs was compared, and expression of adipocyte-related genes PPAR-r and CEBPA as well as stem cell-related gene SOX2 in CD90 cells and unsorted ADSCs was determined using real-time quantitative PCR. We found that CD90 cells had a stronger cell proliferation ability than unsorted ADSCs. CD90 cells showed a stronger ability of osteoblast and chondrocyte differentiation than unsorted ADSCs and CD90 cells, whereas the adipose differentiation ability of CD90 cells was similar to that of ADSCs and CD90 cells. CD14, CD105, and CD90 on CD90 cells were expressed more highly than those on ADSCs. Additionally, the mRNA expression level of SOX2 in CD90 cells was significantly higher than that in ADSCs, whereas the expression of PPAR-r and CEBPA was markedly lower than that in ADSCs. These results suggested that the purified CD90 cells sorted from ADSCs exhibit a stronger differentiation potential than the unsorted ADSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), are one of the biggest health problems worldwide. Currently, there is no cure for these diseases. The Gardenia jasminoides fruit is a common herbal medicine in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and a variety of preparations are used as treatments for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Pharmacokinetic studies suggest genipin is one of the main effective ingredients of G. jasminoides fruit extract (GFE). Accumulated research data show that genipin possesses a range of key pharmacological properties, such as anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, neurogenic, antidiabetic, and antidepressant effects. Thus, genipin shows therapeutic potential for central neurodegenerative diseases. We review the pharmacological actions of genipin for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS. We also describe the potential mechanisms underlying these effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Zn-vacancy (ZnFeO), Fe-vacancy (ZnFeO), and O-vacancy (ZnFeO) on the geometric and electronic structures of normal spinel ZnFeO (ZnFeO) are studied by using a first-principles method based on density functional theory (DFT) at a generalized gradient approximation (GGA) level. Compared with perfect ZnFeO, the lattice parameters of ZnFeO with Zn-vacancy or Fe-vacancy increase slightly, while the lattice parameters of ZnFeO with O-vacancy decrease significantly. All the vacancy defects induce the distortion of the unit cell structure, especially for the O-vacancy. Zn-vacancy, Fe-vacancy, and O-vacancy in ZnFeO cannot be formed spontaneously, but Zn-vacancy is the most prone to form, followed by Fe-vacancy and O-vacancy under the condition of external energy supply. Zn-vacancy, Fe-vacancy, and O-vacancy change the properties of ZnFeO from a semiconducting character to a metallic character. Either ZnFeO or ZnFeO has various vacancy defects, the strength of the O-Zn bond is stronger than that of the O-Fe bond, and both of them have a covalent bond character. Zn-vacancy enhances the strength of O-Fe bonds and slightly weakens the strength of O-Zn bonds around Zn-vacancy. Fe-vacancy induces a significant increase of the strength of O-Fe bonds and O-Zn bonds around Fe-vacancy. O-vacancy leads to a significant decrease in the strength of O-Zn bonds and to a slight increase in the strength of O-Fe bonds around O-vacancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With respect to the multi-attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problems with the interval grey uncertain linguistic variables (IGULVs), the MAGDM method based on the interval grey uncertain linguistic generalized hybrid averaging (IGULGHA) operator is proposed. Firstly, the operation rules, the properties and the comparing method of the IGUVs are introduced. Then, some aggregation operators such as interval grey uncertain linguistic generalized ordered weighted aggregation (IGULGOWA) operator and interval grey uncertain linguistic generalized hybrid aggregation (IGULGHA) operator are defined, and some properties such as idempotency, commutativity, monotonicity and boundedness are proved, and then, the decision-making methods based on these operators are presented to solve the group decision-making problems. Finally, a numerical example is used to show the proposed method, and the influence of the different position weight vector w and the different parameter λ on decision-making is analysed. The result shows that the method is simple and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequences of Neobenedenia melleni were determined and compared with those of Benedenia seriolae and B. hoshinai. This circular genome comprises 13,270 bp and includes all 36 typical mt genes found in flatworms. Total AT content of N. melleni is 75.9 %. ATG is the most common start codon, while nad4L is initiated by GTG. All protein-coding genes are predicted to terminate with TAG and TAA. N. melleni has the trnR with a TCG anticodon, which is the same to B. seriolae but different from B. hoshinai (ACG). The mt gene arrangement of N. melleni is similar to that of B. seriolae and B. hoshinai with the exception of three translocations ( trnF, trnT and trnG). The overlapped region between nad4L and nad4 was found in the N. melleni mt genome, which was also reported for the published Gyrodactylus species, but it was not found in those of B. seriolae and B. hoshinai, which are non-coding regions instead. The present study provides useful molecular characters for species or strain identification and systematic studies of this parasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometric structure, electronic structure, and stability of In-substituted ZnFeO (ZnInFeO and ZnFeInO) are investigated by the density functional theory at generalized gradient approximation level. Compared with the perfect ZnFeO (ZnFeO), the unit cell volume of In-substituted ZnFeO increases and the structure deforms slightly. The formation energy of In substitution for Zn is smaller than that of In substitution for Fe, indicating that ZnInFeO is easier to be formed than ZnFeInO. In substitution changes the properties of ZnFeO from semiconducting character to metallic character. For ZnFeO and In-substituted ZnFeO, the strength of O-Zn bond is stronger than O-Fe bond and both of them have a covalent bond character. The strength of O-In bond is similar to that of O-Zn bond in ZnInFeO, but weaker than O-Fe in ZnFeInO. In substitution for Zn causes the strength of O-Fe bonds around In atom to weaken. In substitution for Fe causes the strength of O-Zn bonds around In atom to weaken obviously, while the strength of O-Fe bonds strengthen slightly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cooperative cognitive radio networks (CCRNs), a licensed primary-user (PU) is allowed to leverage several unlicensed secondary-users (SUs) to relay its traffic. In this paper, a staged dynamic spectrum allocation (DSA) scheme is proposed for CCRNs. In the first stage, the network is uncongested. A simple pricing based DSA scheme is proposed for the PUs to lease their idled frequency bands to the SUs. And, hence, the initial quality of service (QoS) demands (in terms of the minimum rate requirements) of the PUs and the SUs are both satisfied through direct transmission on the allocated frequency bands. In the second stage, the network reaches the full-loaded situation. Therefore, a cooperative relaying based DSA scheme is proposed to stimulate the PUs to split more extra frequency bands to fulfill the increased QoS demands of the SUs, on condition that the QoS of the PUs are well maintained. By applying the cooperative bargaining game theory in the proposed cooperative relaying based DSA, on the one hand, the SUs can get fairness rate-rewards from the PUs according to the level of contribution that they can make to compensate the PUs for the rate-losses. Hence, the increased QoS demands of the SUs can be accommodated in short term. On the other hand, the PUs could retain the SUs successfully to obtain the long-term revenue, on condition that their QoS constraints are still satisfied. Finally, the analysis results of the proposed bargaining game theoretic DSA scheme (in the second stage) are testified through computer simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small stone asphalt mixture (SSAM) was designed by Bailey method and coarse aggregate voids-filling method. The optimum asphalt content was determined by Marshal test. Surface texture depth for SSAM with different voidage, and the BPN of SSAM and SMA before after wet track abrasion were measured. The experimental results indicate that the surface texture depth increases with the decreasing of asphalt aggregate ratio. The SSAM with the optimal asphalt content has a good skid resistance. BPN of asphalt mixture decreases with the increasing of wearing time, but the extent of reduction is different. The reduction rate of BPN for SSAM is smaller than that of SMA, indicating that SSAM has a good skid resistance attenuation capacity. Finally, the other properties of SSAM are also evaluated, showing that the splitting strength and modulus and SSAM are higher than those of SMA, and the other properties of SSAM, such as high-temperature performance and water stability can also satisfy the technical requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) inhibitors were developed for 118 benzothiadiazine derivatives based on linear and nonlinear approaches. The best multi-linear regression (BMLR) was utilized to select appropriate molecular descriptors and develop linear model. Using the same descriptors, radial basis function neural networks (RBFNN) and support vector machine (SVM) were employed to generate the non-linear models. When comparing with the simpler BMLR model, RBFNN and SVM models had more accurate results with the square of correlation coefficients ( R) of 0.850 and 0.875 for the training set, and R of 0.893 and 0.854 for the test set. It proved that RBFNN and SVM were useful tools to predict the biological activity of benzothiadiazine derivatives as HCV inhibitors. Meanwhile, those factors governing the biological activity of benzothiadiazine derivatives were discussed. The proposed methods will be of significance in the HCV inhibitors research, and can be expected to apply to other similar research fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]