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The aqueous zinc (Zn) battery is a safe and eco-friendly energy-storage system. However, the use of Zn metal anodes is impeded by uncontrolled Zn deposition behavior. Herein, we regulate the Zn-ion deposition process for dendrite-free Zn metal anodes using an aminosilane molecular layer with high zincophilic sites and narrow molecule channels. The aminosilane molecular layer causes Zn ions to undergo consecutive processes including being captured by the amine functional groups of aminosilane and diffusing through narrow intermolecular channels before electroplating, which induces partial dehydration of hydrated Zn ions and uniform Zn ion flux, promoting reversible Zn stripping/plating. Through this molecule-induced capture-diffusion-deposition procedure of Zn ions, smooth and compact Zn electrodeposited layers are obtained. Hence, the aminosilane-modified Zn anode has high Coulombic efficiency (∼99.5%), long lifespan (∼3000 h), and high capacity retention in full cells (88.4% for 600 cycles). This strategy not only has great potential for achieving dendrite-free Zn anodes in practical Zn batteries but also suggests an interface-modification principle at the molecular level for other alternative metallic anodes.

Excess greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), have caused major environmental concerns worldwide. The electroreduction of CO2 into valuable chemicals using renewable energy is an ecofriendly approach to achieve carbon neutrality. In this regard, copper (Cu) has attracted considerable attention as the only known metallic catalyst available for converting CO2 to high-value multicarbon (C2+) products. The production of C2+ involves complicated C–C coupling steps and thus imposes high demands on intermediate regulation. In this review, we discuss multiple strategies for modulating intermediates to facilitate C2+ formation on Cu-based catalysts. Furthermore, several sophisticated in situ characterization techniques are outlined for elucidating the mechanism of C–C coupling. Lastly, the challenges and future directions of CO2 electroreduction to C2+ are envisioned.

OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG (OSN) are the key factors of cell reprogramming, which are involved in the maintenance of stem cell pluripotency. Recently, it has been found that glycolysis plays an important role in the process of somatic-cell-induced reprogramming; however, the synergistic effect of OSN on glycolysis has rarely been reported. In this study, chicken embryonic fibroblasts (CEF) was reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by OCT4, SOX2, NANOG and LIN28 reprogramming strategy. RNA-seq showed that chicken iPSCs highly expressed pluripotent genes and the expression of the key genes of glycolysis, such as Hk1, Pfkp and Ldha, was also at a high level, while CEF was much lower. Glycolysis gene expression, glucose uptake and lactate production of CEF and iPSCs were also detected. The results showed that the glycolysis level of iPSCs was higher than that of CEF. ChIP-qPCR showed that SOX2 and NANOG transcription factors were significantly enriched in the promoter regions of Hk1, Pfkp and Ldha, while OCT4 was not. The above results indicated that OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG coordinately regulate glycolysis and participate in somatic-cell-induced reprogramming, thus setting a good foundation for further research on the molecular mechanism of somatic-cell-induced reprogramming. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10616-022-00530-6.

Aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries have long been considered a potentially more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries because of their better environmental compatibility, enhanced safety and cost advantage. However, in the presence of an aqueous electrolyte, the Zn anode is poised to undergo dendrite failure, corrosion and hydrogen evolution, all of which resonate with each other leading to fast performance degradation. Here, in a break from the current aqueous battery path, we report a low-cost hydrous organic electrolyte involving a hydrated Zn(BF4)2 salt and an ethylene glycol solvent, which not only promotes the in situ formation of a favourable ZnF2 passivation layer to protect Zn from dendrite growth and side reactions but also embraces excellent non-flammability. Remarkably, the present Zn anode sustains a long-term cycling over 4,000 h at a current density of 0.5 mA cm−2 with a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.4% and shows an areal capacity as high as 5 mAh cm−2. Equally intriguingly, the electrolyte can run across a wide temperature range from −30 °C to 40 °C without seriously compromising performance. The Zn//V2O5 full cells with our electrolyte also perform much better in terms of capacity retention than a device with an aqueous ZnSO4 electrolyte. Our findings suggest a promising direction for developing electrolyte solutions for practical Zn batteries which combine safety, performance and sustainability. Aqueous Zn batteries offer safety, but the Zn anodes are vulnerable to dendrite failure and side reaction. Here the authors show a low-cost electrolyte that involves hydrate salt and organic solvent but proves inflammable. The Zn battery cell delivers excellent performance even at a low temperature of −30 °C.

With the development of the automotive industry, the number of automotive electronic components is growing rapidly. This leads to new requirements for reliability of the automotive electronics. Especially, for difficult operating environments, such as engine compartment of the car, extreme thermal cycles, and long holding time, where prediction of the fatigue life of the component is particularly important. In this study, thermal fatigue life prediction models for two packages are proposed: TSOP over BGA, and flip chip with BGA. The overall deformation of the two packages was analyzed using Moire fringes, and was found to be consistent with simulation results. The reliability of the model was verified by comparing thermal shock results and simulation results. Then, the fatigue life of the component under thermal cycles was predicted using the model. The overall component life of the BGA with flip chip package was 818 cycles. For TSOP over BGA this was 1005 cycles, but the shortest life of the BGA was 725 cycles, which may result in the failure of the entire component. The fatigue life prediction using different models is helpful to assess and optimize components at the early stage of product development.

Biomass has attracted considerable attention from both researchers and practitioners as an important renewable energy source that can help achieve sustainable development. However, inefficient biomass logistics systems hinder the development of biomass utilisation. This study investigates a two-echelon biomass resource location-routing problem (2E-BRLRP). Considering a predetermined supply of biomass resources, a mixed integer programming model for the 2E- BRLRP is established to determine the best locations for biomass collection facilities and corresponding vehicle routes. To address the computational complexity, a hybrid heuristic algorithm that embeds variable neighbourhood search into the tabu search framework is developed. A set of comprehensive computational examples are used to test the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.

Air gap discharge voltage is the key parameter to determine the minimum approach distance for live working. In this study, a mathematical–physical model for predicting 50% discharge voltage of the transmission line air gaps considering the effect of live line worker is developed based on the continuous leader inception criterion. Also, the tower structure coefficient S T is proposed to represent the influence of various tower structures and S T is calculated by finite element method. Finally, the switching impulse discharge tests of the equipotential worker-tower structure gaps are carried out on 750 kV transmission lines to verify the proposed model. The research results show that the errors between the calculation and experimental data are within ±4.03% which demonstrates the feasibility of discharge voltage prediction for complicated live working gaps. This model offers a possible way to determine the safety air gap distance for live working by analytical and numerical calculation rather than costly and time-consuming experiments.

Electrocatalytic CO

Based on the situation of Guiyang’s water resources, society, economy, ecology, etc., a comprehensive evaluation index system of Guiyang’s water resources carrying capacity is established by selecting appropriate indexes. Based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the entropy method, an evaluation model of Guiyang’s water resources carrying capacity is constructed. The results showed that the comprehensive evaluation value of water resources carrying capacity in Guiyang City increased by nearly 53% from 2009 to 2018, and the regulation and control force of water resources carrying capacity and water resources carrying pressure showed an upward trend. Within ten years, the total comprehensive evaluation value of Guiyang is 0.4503—close to H2 level—and the membership degree of evaluation results over the years to H2 is greater than that of H1 and H3. H1, H2, and H3 are the three standard grades of water resources carrying capacity index, and the degree of carrying capacity represented is decreasing in turn. This indicated that at this stage, water resources can maintain the rapid development of the social economy, and that there is still some development potential. The research results have certain reference value for Guiyang’s development and utilization of water resources.

A total of 71 patients with Lyme disease were identified for analysis in whom treatment with disulfiram was initiated between 15 March 2017 and 15 March 2020. Four patients were lost to follow-up, leaving 67 evaluable patients. Our retrospective review found patients to fall into a &ldquo, high-dose&rdquo, group (&ge, 4 mg/kg/day) and a &ldquo, low-dose&rdquo, group (&lt, 4 mg/kg/day). In total, 62 of 67 (92.5%) patients treated with disulfiram were able to endorse a net benefit of the treatment with regard to their symptoms. Moreover, 12 of 33 (36.4%) patients who completed one or two courses of &ldquo, therapy enjoyed an &ldquo, enduring remission&rdquo, defined as remaining clinically well for &ge, 6 months without further anti-infective treatment. The most common adverse reactions from disulfiram treatment in the high-dose group were fatigue (66.7%), psychiatric symptoms (48.5%), peripheral neuropathy (27.3%), and mild to moderate elevation of liver enzymes (15.2%). We observed that although patients on high dose experienced a higher risk for adverse reactions than those on a low dose, high-dose patients were significantly more likely to achieve enduring remission.

The transformers work in a complex environment, which makes them prone to failure. Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) is one of the most important methods for oil-immersed transformers&rsquo, internal insulation fault diagnosis. In view of the high correlation of the same fault data of transformers, this paper proposes a new method for transformers&rsquo, fault diagnosis based on correlation coefficient density clustering, which uses density clustering to extrapolate the correlation coefficient of DGA data. Firstly, we calculated the correlation coefficient of dissolved gas content in the fault transformers oil and enlarged the correlation of the same fault category by introducing the amplification coefficient, and finally we used the density clustering method to cluster diagnosis. The experimental results show that the accuracy of clustering is improved by 32.7% compared with the direct clustering judgment without using correlation coefficient, which can effectively cluster different types of transformers fault modes. This method provides a new idea for transformers fault identification, and has practical application value.

Formation of skeletal muscle is among the most striking examples of cellular plasticity in animal tissue development, where mononucleated, lineage-restricted progenitor cells are reprogrammed by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to produce multinucleated myofibers. While some mediators of EMT have been shown to function in muscle formation, the regulation of this process in this tissue remains poorly understood. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) Meg3 is processed from the >200 kb Dlk1-Dio3 polycistron that we have previously shown is involved in skeletal muscle differentiation and regeneration. Here, we demonstrate that Meg3 regulates EMT in myoblast differentiation and skeletal muscle regeneration. Chronic inhibition of Meg3 in C2C12 myoblasts promoted aberrant EMT activation, and suppressed cell state transitions required for fusion and myogenic differentiation. Furthermore, adenoviral Meg3 knockdown compromised muscle regeneration, which was accompanied by abnormal mesenchymal gene expression and interstitial cell proliferation in the regenerating milieu. Transcriptomic and pathway analyses of Meg3-depleted C2C12 myoblasts and injured skeletal muscle revealed a significant dysregulation of EMT-related genes, and identified TGFβ as a key upstream regulator. Importantly, chemical inhibition of TGFβR1, as well as its downstream effectors ROCK1/2 and p38 MAPK, restored many aspects of myogenic differentiation in Meg3-depleted myoblasts in vitro. Thus, Meg3 regulates myoblast identity to maintain proper cell state for progression into differentiation.Summary statementMuscle differentiation and regeneration are regulated by an evolutionarily conserved long noncoding RNA that restricts gene expression to coordinate cell state transitions

Formation of skeletal muscle is among the most striking examples of cellular plasticity in animal tissue development, and while muscle progenitor cells are reprogrammed by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to migrate during embryonic development, the regulation of EMT in post-natal myogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)

Live working is an important means for the maintenance of transmission lines. During the process of entering the equipotential, the live working lineman is a floating conductor, which affects the discharge characteristics of the air gap of the transmission line. In order to improve the safety protection of linemen, the effect of a floating conductor on discharge characteristics of a long air gap under positive switching impulse was investigated. In this paper, an experiment platform of long air gaps with floating conductors was built, and the breakdown voltage and discharge progress were studied. The experimental results showed the effect of the rod-shaped electrodes and the electrodes with rod-shaped protrusions on the breakdown voltage of the air gaps, as well as the discharge process of the air gaps when the floating electrodes were at different positions. The research conclusions can provide a theoretical basis for discharge mechanism and live working.

Flexible and lightweight carbon nanotube (CNT)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) conductive foam with a novel aligned porous structure was fabricated. The density of the aligned porous material was as low as 0.123 g·cm–3. Homogeneous dispersion of CNTs was achieved through the skeleton of the foam, and an ultralow percolation threshold of 0.0023 vol % was obtained. Compared with the disordered foam, mechanical properties of the aligned foam were enhanced and the piezoresistive stability of the flexible foam was improved significantly. The compression strength of the aligned TPU foam increases by 30.7% at the strain of 50%, and the stress of the aligned foam is 22 times that of the disordered foam at the strain of 90%. Importantly, the resistance variation of the aligned foam shows a fascinating linear characteristic under the applied strain until 77%, which would benefit the application of the foam as a desired pressure sensor. During multiple cyclic compression-release measurements, the aligned conductive...

Lightweight conductive porous graphene/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) foams with ultrahigh compressibility were successfully fabricated by using the thermal induced phase separation (TISP) technique. The density and porosity of the foams were calculated to be about 0.11 g cm−3 and 90% owing to the porous structure. Compared with pure TPU foams, the addition of graphene could effectively increase the thickness of the cell wall and hinder the formation of small holes, leading to a robust porous structure with excellent compression property. Meanwhile, the cell walls with small holes and a dendritic structure were observed due to the flexibility of graphene, endowing the foam with special positive piezoresistive behaviors and peculiar response patterns with a deflection point during the cyclic compression. This could effectively enhance the identifiability of external compression strain when used as piezoresistive sensors. In addition, larger compression sensitivity was achieved at a higher compression rate. Due to high porosity and good elasticity of TPU, the conductive foams demonstrated good compressibility and stable piezoresistive sensing signals at a strain of up to 90%. During the cyclic piezoresistive sensing test under different compression strains, the conductive foam exhibited good recoverability and reproducibility after the stabilization of cyclic loading. All these suggest that the fabricated conductive foam possesses great potential to be used as lightweight, flexible, highly sensitive, and stable piezoresistive sensors.

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/polylactic acid (PLA) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/PLA nanocomposites were prepared by ultrasound-assisted dispersion and a hot-pressing method for comparative studies. The RGO and CNT nanofillers, which had a hydrogen-bonding interaction with the PLA matrix, were uniformly dispersed in the PLA matrix, and low percolation thresholds (0.11 wt% for RGO/PLA and 0.80 wt% for the CNTs/PLA nanocomposites) were achieved in the PLA nanocomposites. The addition of RGO resulted in weak crystallization ability and significant enhancement in thermal stability of the PLA matrix owing to the two-dimensional characteristic of RGO, while opposite results were obtained for the CNTs nanocomposites (the degree of crystallinity Xc is 49.82% for 0.8 wt% CNTs and 9.21% for 0.8 wt% RGO, respectively). During ten extension–retraction cycles, the values of the max and min ΔR/R0 for the RGO/PLA nanocomposites shift upwards gradually with the increase of the cycle number, resulting from the breakdown of conductive networks caused by the slippage of overlapped RGO layers; while the values of the max and min ΔR/R0 for CNTs/PLA nanocomposites decrease gradually owing to the formation of a better conductive network caused by the rearrangement of CNTs. This study is meaningful for the application of conductive polymer composite based strain sensors in many fields, such as structural health monitoring, wearable electronic devices, soft robotics, etc.

Positive switching impulse discharge characteristics are an important basis for the external insulation design of transmission line towers. At present, the characteristics are obtained mainly by real tower discharge tests. Since the existing research on the discharge model is not perfect, test designs are not reasonable, which results in high costs. The influence of line height and tower width on the discharge characteristics of Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission lines air gaps is studied in this paper. The results show that the line height had little influence on the breakdown voltage of air gaps in UHV transmission lines. A tower-width discharge model was obtained by fitting the breakdown voltage of air gaps with different gap lengths and tower widths. By analyzing the gap characteristic factors of different transmission lines, a discharge model of different tower air gaps in UHV transmission lines was presented. The breakdown voltage calculated by the models was in good agreement with the test results, and the errors were not more than 5%.