Search

Hydrogen production based on fluctuating power generation by wind and solar is an important way to efficiently consume the wind-solar resources and stabilize the output fluctuation for grid connection. However, the unstable attribute of wind-solar resources has a direct relation to the operating efficiency and economic benefits of hydrogen production system. For this reason, the hydrogen production system was analyzed in terms of its dynamic characteristics based on the wind-solar-hydrogen-storage integrated system. In combination with system operation strategy and the adaptive PSO algorithm, the system capacity allocation was optimized and the system economy was further evaluated. Specifically, an analysis was conducted based on specific cases, and the analysis results demonstrate that the wind-solar hybrid hydrogen production can effectively stabilize the wind-solar generation fluctuation, and has the efficiency raised to 32.17%, which is apparently higher than the single photovoltaic hydrogen production(10.25%) and the single wind power hydrogen production(23.39%).Moreover, the economic benefit of wind-solar hybrid hydrogen production is significantly better than that of single hydrogen production.For example, the internal rate of return(IRR) of wind-solar hybrid hydrogen production can reach 8% when the hydrogen is priced at 29.85 yuan/kg. Generally, the research results are of great reference value for the energy efficiency and economic evaluation of wind-solar hydrogen production technology.

Generally, thermal barrier and wear seriously affect flight safety by deforming or disabling the inner surface of the engine and outer surface of the vehicle of supersonic aircraft. In this study, we developed a bimetallic supported composite catalyst coating which can simultaneously eliminate the "thermal barriers" and improve the wear resistance. The bimetal-loaded composite catalysts (Pt-Cu@CeO2-Al2O3) coating was obtained by co-precipitation method. The catalytic cracking for RP-3 and wear resistance of composite catalyst coatings were evaluated via thermal cracking and friction experiments. The simulated catalytic cracking experiment results show that when n(Ce): n(Al) = 1:1, the composite catalyst exhibits the highest catalytic activity, which results from the largest specific surface area and proportion of strong acid centers. Meanwhile, under lower temperature conditions, the gas production rate of RP-3 catalytic cracking is increased by 915% (550 ℃) and 186% (600 ℃) compared with the thermal cracking. Meanwhile, the low frictional coefficient of 0.533 of the catalyst coating also indicates the satisfied wear resistance. This research provides useful information for the creation of a safer flying environment and the extension of the service life of supersonic aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solution processing has emerged as a promising technique for the fabrication of oxide thin‐film transistors (TFTs), offering advantages such as low cost, high throughput, and exceptional compositional control. However, achieving reasonable electrical properties typically demands high annealing temperatures in the fabrication process. In addressing this challenge, a novel combination strategy is proposed that involves integrating the H2O2 inducement technique with infrared (IR) irradiation annealing. The study investigates the effects of precursors and IR irradiation annealing temperatures on the electrical properties of In2O3 TFTs. It is found that H2O2 can help accelerate the decomposition of organic residues, while IR irradiation annealing could enhance the film densification. By employing the proposed strategy, metal oxide TFTs consisting of a Zr‐Al‐O dielectric fabricated at 230 °C and an In2O3 channel layer fabricated at 185 °C demonstrated high performance with field‐effect mobility = 31.7 cm2 V−1·s−1, threshold voltage = 1.3 V, subthreshold swing = 0.13 V per decade, and on‐to‐off current ratio = 1.1 × 105. This work demonstrates the proposed combinational strategy is a general method to fabricate not only metal oxide semiconductors but also dielectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/Background We aimed to investigate the impact of postoperative chemotherapy (POCT) on survival in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Methods This study included 786 PCNSL patients, of which 605 received chemotherapy after surgery, and 181 did not. Data from the SEER registry database (2007–2020) were used to analyze PCNSL. Baseline information, including age, sex, race, marital status, primary tumour site, histological type, summary stage, surgical procedures, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, was analyzed. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) (1:1) was employed to balance the effects of confounding variables between the two groups. Subsequently, Cox regression and bidirectional stepwise regression were used to identify independent prognostic factors. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curves were constructed to assess the impact of POCT on patient prognosis. Additionally, two cases of PCNSL with typical magnetic resonance imaging appearances were presented. Results Multivariate Cox regression results revealed that age older than 60 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.786; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.272–2.509; p = 0.001) and absence of POCT (HR = 2.841; 95% CI: 2.159–3.738; p < 0.001) were independent prognostic risk factors, while primary tumour locations in the meninges (HR = 0.136; 95% CI: 0.032–0.569; p = 0.006) and other nervous system regions (HR = 0.552; 95% CI: 0.326–0.936; p = 0.027), as well as histological morphologies such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (HR = 0.233; 95% CI: 0.128–0.425; p < 0.001) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (HR = 0.559; 95% CI: 0.356–0.876; p = 0.011), were associated with favourable patient outcomes. K-M curves demonstrated that the group undergoing POCT had a significantly more favourable prognosis compared to the non-POCT group, before (HR = 0.454; 95% CI: 0.343–0.600; p < 0.0001) or after PSM (HR = 0.580; 95% CI: 0.431–0.780; p < 0.0001). For patients with PCNSL, those with tumours located in the infratentorial region (HR = 0.231; 95% CI: 0.078–0.682; p = 0.046), supratentorial region (HR = 0.250; 95% CI: 0.163–0.383; p < 0.0001), overlapping brain regions (HR = 0.201; 95% CI: 0.056–0.727; p = 0.0058), and those who underwent biopsy (HR = 0.740; 95% CI: 0.463–1.182; p = 0.003), subtotal resection (STR) (HR = 0.490; 95% CI: 0.265–0.906; p = 0.0064), or gross total resection (GTR) (HR = 0.613; 95% CI: 0.292–1.287; p = 0.0003) had better prognoses in the postoperative chemotherapy group compared to the non-chemotherapy group. Conclusion POCT significantly improves the prognosis of PCNSL patients and identifies the characteristics of the benefiting population. This information aids clinical practitioners in designing personalized treatment plans for individuals and advancing precise treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately measuring the coefficient of friction (COF) is the fundamental prerequisite of superlubricity research. This study aimed to reduce the COF measurement resolution Δμ of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Based on the theoretical model, a distinctive strategy was adopted to reduce Δμ by optimizing the cantilever's cross-section of the AFM probe, inspired by civil engineering. Δμ can be reduced by decreasing the width of the horizontal side wR and the wall thickness t and increasing the width of the vertical side wH. Moreover, the I-shape demonstrates the highest reduction in Δμ, followed by the U-shape. Considering the processability, the AFM probe with the U-shaped cross-sectional cantilever was investigated further, and the dimensions are 35 µm wR, 3.5 µm wH, 0.5 µm t, 50 µm l (cantilever length), and 23 µm htip (tip height). The finite element analysis results confirm its reliability. After being fabricated and calibrated, the AFM probe achieves the minimal Δμ of 1.9×10−6 under the maximum normal force so far. Additionally, the friction detection capability of the fabricated AFM probe improves by 78 times compared to the commercial tipless-force modulation mode (TL-FM) AFM probe with the conventional solid rectangular cross-sectional cantilever. This study provides a powerful tool for measuring 10−6 COF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of berberine combined with curcumin on atherosclerosis (AS) by mediating M1 macrophages polarization. Methods M1-type macrophages were obtained from mouse mononuclear macrophages (RAW264.7) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 ng/mL) and interferon (IFN)-γ (20 ng/mL). A cell model was established. The cells were divided into a control group, model group, berberine group, curcumin group and berberine plus curcumin group. Concentrations of berberine and curcumin were detected by CCK-8 assay. The expression levels of M1-type macrophage markers iNOS, TNF-α, CXCL9 and p-STAT6/STAT6 in macrophage supernatant were detected by ELISA. Levels of iNOS, TNF-α and CXCL9 mRNA were detected by RT-PCR. Levels of iNOS, STAT6 and p-STAT6 proteins in each group were detected by Western blot. After down-regulation of STAT6 level by siRNA technology, expression of p-STAT6 protein was detected by Western blot. Expression levels of iNOS, TNF-α, CXCL9 and p-STAT6 were detected by ELISA. Results In the polarization of M1 macrophages induced by LPS and IFN-γ, berberine (25 μmol/L) and curcumin (20 μmol/L) were the best concentrations as compared with other drug concentration groups, and neither alone nor combined use could significantly inhibit the viability of RAW264.7 cells (P < 0.05). As compared with the normal group, iNOS, TNF-α and CXCL9 mRNA and protein levels were increased in the model group, while P-STAT6/STAT6 levels were decreased, with statistical differences (P < 0.05). As compared with the model group, iNOS, TNF-α and CXCL9 mRNA and protein levels in the berberine group, curcumin group, and berberine plus curcumin group were decreased, while P-STAT6 /STAT6 levels were increased, and the changes were more obvious in berberine plus curcumin group, with statistical difference (P < 0.05). After transfection of STAT6 siRNA in M1 macrophages in the berberine plus curcumin group, P-STAT6 levels were down-regulated, while expressions of iNOS, TNF-α and CXCL9 were up-regulated, with statistical differences (P < 0.05). Conclusions Both berberine and curcumin can inhibit the activity of M1-type macrophages and reduce inflammatory response. The action of berberine combined with curcumin is more advantageous than that of either drug alone, which may be the main mechanism of action through activation of STAT6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]