Search

The 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11β-HSD1) with anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory effects in inflammatory diseases is related to metabolism, as well as in the immune response through regulatpn of glucocorticoid (GC) synthesis. The expression and functional activity of 11β-HSD1 are potentially induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines, this process relies on the NF-κB signaling pathway and is ultimately determined by the utilization levels of HSD11B1 P1 and P2 promoters. In addition, 11β-HSD1 inhibits the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma by reducing glucose intake and glycolysis in hepatocellular carcinoma, and thus plays a role in the development of T cells in thymus and the form of angiogenesis by regulating the level of GC. Understanding the molecular regulatory mechanism of 11β-HSD1 in inflammatory diseases, carcinogenesis, development and immune response is conducive to exploring the occurrence and development of related diseases.

The positivity principle states that people learn better from instructors who display positive emotions rather than negative emotions. In two experiments, students viewed a short video lecture on a statistics topic in which an instructor stood next to a series of slides as she lectured and then they took either an immediate test (Experiment 1) or a delayed test (Experiment 2). In a between-subjects design, students saw an instructor who used her voice, body movement, gesture, facial expression, and eye gaze to display one of four emotions while lecturing: happy (positive/active), content (positive/passive), frustrated (negative/active), or bored (negative/passive). First, learners were able to recognize the emotional tone of the instructor in an instructional video lecture, particularly by more strongly rating a positive instructor as displaying positive emotions and a negative instructor as displaying negative emotions (in Experiments 1 and 2). Second, concerning building a social connection during learning, learners rated a positive instructor as more likely to facilitate learning, more credible, and more engaging than a negative instructor (in Experiments 1 and 2). Third, concerning cognitive engagement during learning, learners reported paying more attention during learning for a positive instructor than a negative instructor (in Experiments 1 and 2). Finally, concerning learning outcome, learners who had a positive instructor scored higher than learners who had a negative instructor on a delayed posttest (Experiment 2) but not an immediate posttest (Experiment 1). Overall, there is evidence for the positivity principle and the cognitive-affective model of e-learning from which it is derived.

There has been much research on the effectiveness of animated pedagogical agents in an educational context, however there is little research about how the emotions they display contribute to a learner's understanding of the lesson. The positivity principle suggests that learners should learn better from instructors with positive emotions compared to those with negative emotions. Additionally, the media equation theory (Reeves and Nass 1996) would suggest this principle should be true for animated instructors as well. In an experiment, students viewed a lesson on binomial probability taught by an animated instructor who was happy (positive/active), content (positive/passive), frustrated (negative/active), or bored (negative/passive). Learners were able to recognize positive from negative emotions, rated the positive instructors as better at facilitating learning, more credible, more human-like, and more engaging. Additionally, learners who saw positive instructors indicated they tried to pay attention to the lesson and enjoyed the lesson more than those who saw negative instructors. However, learners who saw positive instructors did not perform better on a delayed test than those who saw negative instructors. This suggests that learners recognize and react to the emotions of the virtual instructors, but research is needed to determine how the emotions displayed by virtual instructors can promote better learning outcomes.

Solid‐state sodium batteries (SSSBs) are poised to replace lithium‐ion batteries as viable alternatives for energy storage systems owing to their high safety and reliability, abundance of raw material, and low costs. However, as the core constituent of SSSBs, solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs) with low ionic conductivities at room temperature (RT) and unstable interfaces with electrodes hinder the development of SSSBs. Recently, composite SSEs (CSSEs), which inherit the desirable properties of two phases, high RT ionic conductivity, and high interfacial stability, have emerged as viable alternatives; however, their governing mechanism remains unclear. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress of CSSEs, classified into inorganic–inorganic, polymer–polymer, and inorganic–polymer types, and discuss their structure–property relationship in detail. Moreover, the CSSE–electrode interface issues and effective strategies to promote intimate and stable interfaces are summarized. Finally, the trends in the design of CSSEs and CSSE–electrode interfaces are presented, along with the future development prospects of high‐performance SSSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the mutagenic effect of 60Co γ radiation on the tissue culture of medicinal gardenia seeds. Four 60Co γ radiation doses were selected to irradiate the fruits of the gardenia jasminoides obtained from Linhai No. 1 and those of the wild jasminoides obtained from Wugang, and then the treated seeds were tissue cultured. The rate of callus, mortality, adventitious bud differentiation, and adventitious root differentiation, and the change in the structure of the leaf tissue under different radiation doses were observed and compared. With the increase in the 60Co γ radiation dose, the callus rate of the Linhai No. 1 gardenia decreased, whereas that of the Wugang wild gardenia increased under a radiation dose of 40 Gy. The adventitious bud differentiation rate and rooting rate of the two types of gardenias decreased after radiation. The semilethal dose for the “Linhai No. 1” gardenia was 20~40 Gy and that of the Wugang wild gardenia was approximately 40 Gy. Different degrees of changes were observed in the stomata of the leaves of the two gardenias, and their guard cells were found to shrink; the most significant differences were observed under the radiation dose of 40 Gy. The “Linhai No. 1” and Wugang wild gardenias that were treated under 60Co γ radiation emerged and grew normally with a higher rooting rate, indicating that 60Co γ is a more suitable radiation dosage.

Room‐temperature sodium‐sulfur (RT Na−S) batteries, noted for their low material costs and high energy density, are emerging as a promising alternative to lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) in various applications including power grids and standalone renewable energy systems. These batteries are commonly assembled with glass fiber membranes, which face significant challenges like the dissolution of polysulfides, sluggish sulfur conversion kinetics, and the growth of Na dendrites. Here, we develop an amorphous two‐dimensional (2D) iron tin oxide (A‐FeSnOx) nanosheet with hierarchical vacancies, including abundant oxygen vacancies (Ovs) and nano‐sized perforations, that can be assembled into a multifunctional layer overlaying commercial separators for RT Na−S batteries. The Ovs offer strong adsorption and abundant catalytic sites for polysulfides, while the defect concentration is finely tuned to elucidate the polysulfides conversion mechanisms. The nano‐sized perforations aid in regulating Na ions transport, resulting in uniform Na deposition. Moreover, the strategic addition of trace amounts of Ti3C2 (MXene) forms an amorphous/crystalline (A/C) interface that significantly improves the mechanical properties of the separator and suppresses dendrite growth. As a result, the task‐specific layer achieves ultra‐light (~0.1 mg cm−2), ultra‐thin (~200 nm), and ultra‐robust (modulus=4.9 GPa) characteristics. Consequently, the RT Na−S battery maintained a high capacity of 610.3 mAh g−1 and an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.9 % after 400 cycles at 0.5 C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dearomative 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of 1-Boc-pyrroles with in situ generated silver α-bromo alkylidenenitronates delivered a series of 3a,6a-dihydro-4-Boc-pyrrolo[2,3-d]isoxazole-2-oxides (17–91% yields) under very mild conditions. N-Deoxygenation of the cycloaddition product gave a dihydro-pyrrolo[2,3-d]isoxazole, elaborations of which produced various functionalized 2,3-dihydropyrroles and pyrrolidines, showcasing the potential utilities of our new strategy of pyrrole dearomatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-transparent photovoltaic double skin façade (STPV-DSF) is a novel structure which integrates photoelectric, photothermal, ventilation and energy-saving features, which proves to be extremely attractive and promising. In this study, a full-scale experimental system was built, airflow and heat transfer in a rectangular cavity with different transmittance (τ) and different ventilation modes in summer that studies a STPV-DSF and includes natural ventilation were examined experimentally. The Rayleigh number and Nusselt number of STPV-DSF is significantly higher than that of traditional DSF. This also means stronger intense flow. And the maximum temperature difference at night between mode 1 and mode 2 can reach 7.3°C. When the external air circulation mode is switched to the external and internal mode, the indoor temperature drops by 2.88°C in ten minutes. Therefore, making fully use of natural ventilation can effectively reduce the cooling load of air conditioning in summer. The solar radiation intensity is proved to have the greatest influence on the cavity temperature, followed by the transmittance, and the the ventilation mode least influence. Applying naturally ventilated STPV-DSF would be a new efficient way for the curtain wall buildings to meet the task of sustainable building design.

This article explores the potential benefits and challenges of incorporating phase change materials (PCMs) into building glazing systems. By adding PCMs to glazing units, the thermal environment of buildings can be improved, leading to increased energy efficiency and reduced cooling energy consumption. The article discusses the properties of commonly used PCMs, such as paraffin wax and salt hydrates, and explores the potential of adding nanoparticles to enhance their photothermal properties. Factors that affect the performance of PCM-filled glazing systems, such as the position of the PCM layer and thermal conductivity, are also discussed. The evaluation of PCM-based glazing systems requires consideration of various metrics, including optics, thermal performance, energy performance, thermal comfort, and economy. The article concludes by identifying research challenges and gaps in the field, such as the need for long-term assessment, improvement of PCM properties, development of validated numerical tools, and economic feasibility studies. [Extracted from the article]