Research of the transition from a aqueous zinc ion battery to an aqueous hydrogen proton battery triggered by the Cu@Cu31S16 cathode material development.

The aqueous zinc ion battery (AZIB) has been widely studied due to its rapid kinetics and high specific capacity attributed to the chemical insertion of H+ protons. However, the current research landscape lacks comprehensive investigations into copper-based sulfide materials and the intricate co-embedding/extraction mechanism of H+/Zn2+. In this study, we employed an innovative in-situ etching method to synthesize a current collector-integrated Cu@Cu31S16 cathode material. Cu31S16 not only exhibits excellent stability and conductivity but also activates proton insertion chemistry. Consequently, we have demonstrated, for the first time, efficient and reversible co-embedding/extraction behavior of H+/Zn2+ in Zn-Cu31S16 batteries. Specifically, owing to the lower charging and discharging plateaus of zinc ions (0.65 V, 0.45 V) compared to H+ (0.97 V, 0.84 V) in Zn-Cu31S16 batteries, two distinct plateaus were observed. Moreover, we delved into the mechanism of ion co-embedding/extraction by exploring different ions (Zn2+, H+/Zn2+, H+) within varying voltage ranges. This exploration led to the development of three types of ion batteries, where Zn2+, H+/Zn2+, and H+ exhibit co-embedding/extraction within voltage ranges of 0.3-0.9 V, 0.3-1.05 V, and 0.5-1.05 V, respectively. These batteries have achieved impressive performance with specific capacities of 282.74 mAh g-1, 587.4 mAh g-1 and 687.3 mAh g-1, respectively. Introducing the concept of "Voltage-Selective Ion Co-Embedding/Extraction", this study broadens the research scope of AZIBs. This research not only offers a feasible solution and theoretical guidance for future proton batteries but also underscores the tremendous potential of AHPB.

Co,N-co-doped graphene sheet as a sulfur host for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.

To improve the performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, herein, based on the idea of designing a material that can adsorb polysulfides and improve the reaction kinetics, a Co,N-co-doped graphene composite (Co-N-G) was prepared. According to the characterization of Co-N-G, there was a homogeneous and dispersed distribution of N and Co active sites embedded in the Co-N-G sample. The 2D sheet-like microstructure and Co, N with a strong binding energy provided significant physical and chemical adsorption functions, which are conducive to the bonding S and suppression of LiPSs. Moreover, the dispersed Co and N as catalysts promoted the reaction kinetics in Li-S batteries via the reutilization of LiPSs and reduced the electrochemical resistance. Thus, the discharge specific capacity in the first cycle for the Co-N-G/S battery reached 1255.7 mA h g-1 at 0.2C. After 100 cycles, it could still reach 803.0 mA h g-1, with a retention rate of about 64%. This phenomenon proves that this type of Co-N-G composite with Co and N catalysts plays an effective role in improving the performance of batteries and can be further studied in Li-S batteries.

Synergistically Optimized Electron and Phonon Transport of Polycrystalline BiCuSeO via Pb and Yb Co-Doping.

Polycrystalline BiCuSeO is considered as a promising thermoelectric material due to its intrinsically low thermal conductivity and moderate Seebeck coefficient. However, its low electrical conductivity and coupled electron-phonon transport properties restrict the further improvement of the thermoelectric performance. In this work, Pb and Yb dopants are incorporated into BiCuSeO to substitute for Bi sites via ball milling and high-pressure and high-temperature sintering, leading to a synergistic optimization of the electron and phonon transport and improved thermoelectric performance. The carrier concentration exhibits an enhancement with increasing Pb&Yb co-doping contents. Meanwhile, the decreased carrier mobility is suppressed appropriately by coordinating with the interplay of Pb and Yb dopants on the electronic structure. Besides, Pb&Yb co-doping combined with high-pressure and high-temperature sintering introduces abundant grain boundaries, dislocations, and point defects to effectively decrease the lattice thermal conductivity by scattering phonons in a broad frequency range. Coupled with the synergistic optimization of the electrical and thermal properties, a maximum zT of 1.2 is achieved in Bi0.88Pb0.06Yb0.06CuSeO at 850 K, which significantly outperforms the majority of oxygen-containing thermoelectric materials. Our study suggests that dual doping of bivalent ions and rare-earth elements at Bi sites is an effective strategy for improving the thermoelectric performance of BiCuSeO.

Anatomical Study of the Hepatic Veins in Segment 4 of the Liver Using Three-Dimensional Visualization.

Objective: The current study aimed to examine the anatomical structure of the hepatic vein of segment IV liver (S4) of the liver using three-dimensional (3D) visualization technology in order to explore the surgical value of the middle hepatic vein (MHV) manipulation and highlight the importance of current research in hepatic surgery. Methods: Between January 2014 and December 2019, 52 patients with abdominal diseases(not including hepatic disease) were selected for multiphasic computed tomography-enhanced scans of the upper abdomen. A 3D visualization system was utilized to display the structural details of the hepatic veins in S4 of their livers. Couinaud's eight-segment classification system was used to denote the liver' sections. Results: The constructed 3D model clearly displayed vascular morphological characteristics and their location in the liver, hepatic artery and vein system, and portal vein system. Of the 52 patients, 43 had an umbilical fissure vein (UFV) (82.7%), 19 had an accessory S4 liver vein (36.5%), 16 had both a UFV (30.8%) and an accessory S4 liver vein, and 6 had neither (11.5%). A total of 79% of the patients with a UFV and 74.2% of those with an accessory S4 liver vein had venous blood returning into the left hepatic vein. Conclusion: 3D visualization technology was used to determine hepatic venous return of S4 hepatic veins and was found to improve the safety of evaluation in hepatic surgery.

Combined effects of AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 polymorphisms and environment on congenital heart disease risk: A case-control study.

This study aimed to explore the combined association between AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1) polymorphisms and congenital heart disease (CHD) risk, meanwhile, the role of AKT1 single polymorphism on CHD was also analyzed.In the first, AKT1 polymorphisms were genotyped in 130 CHD patients and 145 healthy people with the way of polymerase chain reaction-direct sequencing. The clinical data and genotypes, alleles between 2 groups were compared by χ test and the genotype distributions in the control group were checked by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The relative risk strength of disease based on genetic variant was revealed using odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI).In 3 polymorphisms of AKT1 (rs1130214, rs2494732, rs3803300), the GT/TT genotype of rs1130214 in cases and controls had a significant frequency difference (P = .04) and was 1.71 times risk developing CHD, compared with AA (OR = 1.71, 95%CI = 1.02-2.86), and T allele had 1.63 times risk for carriers (OR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.05-2.54). Similarly, both rs3803300 GG genotype and G allele had obvious differences between case and control groups (P < .05) and it was closely associated with CHD susceptibility. At the same time, the combined effects of rs1130214, rs3803300 and family history, smoking were found in our study.AKT1 rs1130214, rs3803300 polymorphisms are associated with the increased susceptibility to CHD. Environmental factors are found the interaction with AKT1 polymorphisms. Further study is needed to verify this conclusion.

Reduced graphene oxide/TiO2(B) nanocomposite-modified separator as an efficient inhibitor of polysulfide shuttling in Li-S batteries.

The shutting effect in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries hinders their widespread application, which can be restrained effectively by a modified separator. In this work, a composite of reduced graphene oxide and beta-phase TiO2 nanoparticles (RGO/TiO2(B)) is designed as a separator modification material for improving the electrochemical behavior of Li-S batteries. The TiO2(B) nanoparticles are in situ prepared and tightly adhere to the RGO layer. A series of examinations demonstrated that the RGO/TiO2(B)-coated separator efficiently inhibits the polysulfide shuttling phenomenon by the cooperative effect of physical adsorption and chemical binding. Specifically, as modified separators, a comparison between TiO2(B) and anatase TiO2(A) each composited with RGO has been conducted. The TiO2(B) sample not only exhibits a superior blocking character of migrating polysulfides, but also enhances battery electrochemical kinetics by fast Li ion diffusion.

Facile preparation of a self-assembled Artemia cyst shell-TiO2-MoS2 porous composite structure with highly efficient catalytic reduction of nitro compounds for wastewater treatment.

The catalytic reduction of nitro compounds is currently a hot research area, how to efficiently and stably degrade such toxic and harmful substances has become the research goal of many researchers. In this work, an Artemia cyst shell (ACS)-TiO2-MoS2 ternary porous structure was proposed and prepared as a catalyst for the reduction of 2-nitroaniline (2-NA) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). The ACS has a large number of porous structures, exhibits a good binding ability with TiO2 and MoS2, and provides a large number of active sites for the catalytic reduction process. The obtained composite material has a good reduction effect on 4-NP and 2-NA, with a good stability and recyclability, which is obviously higher than the reduction effect of ACS-TiO2 and MoS2 under the same conditions. This work provides ideas for the design of porous catalytic materials.

Noninvasive Suspicious Liquid Detection Using Wireless Signals.

Conventional liquid detection instruments are very expensive and not conducive to large-scale deployment. In this work, we propose a method for detecting and identifying suspicious liquids based on the dielectric constant by utilizing the radio signals at a 5G frequency band. There are three major experiments: first, we use wireless channel information (WCI) to distinguish between suspicious and nonsuspicious liquids; then we identify the type of suspicious liquids; and finally, we distinguish the different concentrations of alcohol. The K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm is used to classify the amplitude information extracted from the WCI matrix to detect and identify liquids, which is suitable for multimodal problems and easy to implement without training. The experimental result analysis showed that our method could detect more than 98% of the suspicious liquids, identify more than 97% of the suspicious liquid types, and distinguish up to 94% of the different concentrations of alcohol.

Application of three-dimensional visualization technique in preoperative planning of progressive hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the role of three-dimensional visualization technique in the diagnosis and treatment of progressive hilar cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: From January 2014 to February 2017, a three-dimensional visualization model was set up in 23 patients with progressive hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The distributions and variations of the hepatic portal ducts were observed. The tumors were classified based on Bismuth classification. The simulation operation was performed and the operation plan was established. RESULTS: All 23 patients revealed a clear relationship between the intrahepatic and extrahepatic ducts, as well as the tumors and ducts. An individualized surgery program was established through the accurate calculation of liver volume and residual liver volume. Among these patients, 13 patients completed radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma combined with massive hepatectomy. No bile leakage occurred and no operative death was found. CONCLUSION: For patients with progressive hilar cholangiocarcinoma, the optimized three-dimensional visualization technique can accurately demonstrate the dilated biliary tract system, provide a new standard to determine the presence of tumor and peripheral vascular invasion, help in establishing a reasonable individualized operation plan, reduce the incidence of bile leakage and liver failure after the operation, and improve the success rate of operation.

Characterization of aspartate kinase and homoserine dehydrogenase from Corynebacterium glutamicum IWJ001 and systematic investigation of L-isoleucine biosynthesis.

Previously we have characterized a threonine dehydratase mutant TD(F383V) (encoded by ilvA1) and an acetohydroxy acid synthase mutant AHAS(P176S, D426E, L575W) (encoded by ilvBN1) in Corynebacterium glutamicum IWJ001, one of the best L-isoleucine producing strains. Here, we further characterized an aspartate kinase mutant AK(A279T) (encoded by lysC1) and a homoserine dehydrogenase mutant HD(G378S) (encoded by hom1) in IWJ001, and analyzed the consequences of all these mutant enzymes on amino acids production in the wild type background. In vitro enzyme tests confirmed that AK(A279T) is completely resistant to feed-back inhibition by L-threonine and L-lysine, and that HD(G378S) is partially resistant to L-threonine with the half maximal inhibitory concentration between 12 and 14 mM. In C. glutamicum ATCC13869, expressing lysC1 alone led to exclusive L-lysine accumulation, co-expressing hom1 and thrB1 with lysC1 shifted partial carbon flux from L-lysine (decreased by 50.1 %) to L-threonine (4.85 g/L) with minor L-isoleucine and no L-homoserine accumulation, further co-expressing ilvA1 completely depleted L-threonine and strongly shifted carbon flux from L-lysine (decreased by 83.0 %) to L-isoleucine (3.53 g/L). The results demonstrated the strongly feed-back resistant TD(F383V) might be the main driving force for L-isoleucine over-synthesis in this case, and the partially feed-back resistant HD(G378S) might prevent the accumulation of toxic intermediates. Information exploited from such mutation-bred production strain would be useful for metabolic engineering.

A Unique Case of a 12-Year-Old Boy With Noonan Syndrome Combined With Noncompaction of the Ventricular Myocardium.

A 12-year-old Chinese boy was admitted with dyspnea after exercise. Based on his clinical features, echocardiography tests, and family history, he was diagnosed with Noonan syndrome (NS) combined with noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium (NVM). Noonan syndrome (NS) is a common syndrome, but to the best of our knowledge, our case is the first reported case of NS combined with NVM. In our case, the detected mutated genes may be inherited and unreported genes caused NS or NVM. Our research may enrich our knowledge about NS and contribute to furthering our understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment. In summary, we present a unique case of NS combined with NVM.

[Effects of Fluoxetine on Nogo Expression and Collagen Production with Decrease of Pulmonary Artery Pressure in Rats with Right Ventricular Failure.]

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of fluoxetine on neurite growth inhibitor (Nogo) expession and collagen production of cardiac tissue in rats with right heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: Thirty one male SD rats were randomly divided into the treatment group,right heart failure group and normal control group.The rats in the treatment group and right heart failure group received intrapertioneal injection of monocrotaline (MCT,60 mg/kg) to induce pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure.After 21 days,the rats in treatment group were given fluoxetine of 10 mg/(kg×d) by gavage per day for 21 days,the rats in the other two groups were given saline.HE staining was used to observe the pulmonary artery and right ventricular myocardial tissue in rats.The collagen formation in right ventricular myocardium was observed by Masson staining.The expressions of Nogo-A, Nogo-B,type1collagen and type 3 collagen mRNA in myocardium were measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR,while the semi quantitative measurement of Nogo protein level was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: After the intervention of fluoxetine,pulmonary artery stenosis was significantly reduced,myocardial tissue lesion decreased,collagen synthesis decreased in right ventricular myocardium.RT-PCR showed that mRNA of Nogo-A decreased,and mRNA of Nogo-B increased (P<0.05).Western blot showed that the expression of Nogo-A protein decreased,while Nogo-B1 protein expression increased (P<0.05),Nogo-B2 expression was not significantly changed (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nogo may affect the collagen synthesis in right heart failure,and partly involved in myocardial fibrosis.

The association between triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and all-cause mortality in acute coronary syndrome after coronary revascularization.

AIMS: High triglycerides (TG) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are cardiovascular risk factors. A positive correlation between elevated TG/HDL-C ratio and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events exists in women. However, utility of TG to HDL-C ratio for prediction is unknown among acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: Fasting lipid profiles, detailed demographic data, and clinical data were obtained at baseline from 416 patients with ACS after coronary revascularization. Subjects were stratified into three levels of TG/HDL-C. We constructed multivariate Cox-proportional hazard models for all-cause mortality over a median follow-up of 3 years using log TG to HDL-C ratio as a predictor variable and analyzing traditional cardiovascular risk factors. We constructed a logistic regression model for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) to prove that the TG/HDL-C ratio is a risk factor. RESULTS: The subject's mean age was 64 ± 11 years; 54.5% were hypertensive, 21.8% diabetic, and 61.0% current or prior smokers. TG/HDL-C ratio ranged from 0.27 to 14.33. During the follow-up period, there were 43 deaths. In multivariate Cox models after adjusting for age, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and severity of angiographic coronary disease, patients in the highest tertile of ACS had a 5.32-fold increased risk of mortality compared with the lowest tertile. After adjusting for conventional coronary heart disease risk factors by the logistic regression model, the TG/HDL-C ratio was associated with MACEs. CONCLUSION: The TG to HDL-C ratio is a powerful independent predictor of all-cause mortality and is a risk factor of cardiovascular events.

Unconventional charge distribution in the planar wheel-type M©B6H6(-/0/+) (M = Mn, Fe and Co): central M with negative charges and peripheral boron ring with positive charges.

Planar wheel-type D6h M©B6H6(-/0/+) (M = Mn, Fe and Co for anion, neutral and cation, respectively.) clusters with a planar hexacoordinate transition-metal at the center of the boron ring were designed and investigated by density functional theory. These planar clusters are chemically stable as a result of their large binding energy, vertical ionization potential, and vertical electron affinity. The detailed natural population and molecular orbital analyses suggest that not only does the M atom donate electrons to the boron ring for participation in the π-delocalized bonding, but also the boron ring donates electrons back to the M atom for the formation of the σ-delocalized bonding, which leads to a strong aromaticity and unconventional charge distribution, i.e., the M atom is negatively charged, while the boron ring is positively charged. This study may open a new area in coordination chemistry for planar hexacoordinate transition metals and we expect further experimental exploration of their synthesis and potential applications.

Application of the planar-scanning technique to the near-field dosimetry of millimeter-wave radiators.

The planar-scanning technique was applied to the experimental measurement of the electric field and power flux density (PFD) in the exposure area close to the millimeter-wave (MMW) radiator. In the near-field region, the field and PFD were calculated from the plane-wave spectrum of the field sampled on a scan plane far from the radiator. The measurement resolution was improved by reducing the spatial interval between the field samples to a fraction of half the wavelength and implementing multiple iterations of the fast Fourier transform. With the reference to the results from the numerical calculation, an experimental evaluation of the planar-scanning measurement was made for a 50 GHz radiator. Placing the probe 1 to 3 wavelengths from the aperture of the radiator, the direct measurement gave the near-field data with significant differences from the numerical results. The planar-scanning measurement placed the probe 9 wavelengths away from the aperture and effectively reduced the maximum and averaged differences in the near-field data by 70.6% and 65.5%, respectively. Applied to the dosimetry of an open-ended waveguide and a choke ring antenna for 60 GHz exposure, the technique proved useful to the measurement of the PFD in the near-field exposure area of MMW radiators.

Overexpression of ribosome elongation factor G and recycling factor increases L-isoleucine production in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Ribosome elongation factor G encoded by fusA promotes the translocation step of protein synthesis in bacteria; ribosome recycling factor encoded by frr, together with the elongation factor G, dissociates ribosomes from messenger RNA after the termination of translation. Both factors play important roles during protein synthesis in bacteria. In this study, we found that overexpression of fusA and/or frr led to the increase of L-isoleucine production in Corynebacterium glutamicum IWJ001, an L-isoleucine production strain generated by random mutagenesis. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that transcriptional levels of genes lysC, hom, thrB, ilvA, ilvBN, and ilvE encoding the key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway of L-isoleucine increased in C. glutamicum IWJ001 when fusA and/or frr were overexpressed. Co-overexpression of fusA and frr, together with genes ilvA, ilvB, ilvN, and ppnk in C. glutamicum IWJ001, led to 76.5 % increase of L-isoleucine production in flask cultivation and produced 28.5 g/L L-isoleucine in 72-h fed-batch fermentation. The results demonstrate that overexpressing ribosome elongation factor G and ribosome recycling factor is an efficient approach to enhance L-isoleucine production in C. glutamicum.

A genetic polymorphism in RBP4 is associated with coronary artery disease.

Insulin resistance and obesity is influenced by the retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) adipokine. This study aims to determine if genetic polymorphisms in RBP4 are associated with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Chinese patients. RBP4 polymorphisms were analyzed by high resolution melting (HRM) analysis in a case-control study of 392 unrelated CAD patients and 368 controls from China. The Gensini score was used to determine the severity of CAD. The genotypic and allelic frequencies of RBP4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were evaluated for associations with CAD and severity of disease. The A allele frequency was significantly higher in CAD case groups compared to control groups (16.7% vs. 8.8%) at the RBP4 rs7094671 locus. Compared to the G allele, this allele was associated with a higher risk of CAD (OR = 2.07 (1.50-2.84)). Polymorphisms at rs7094671 were found to associate with CAD using either a dominant or recessive model (OR, 95% CI: 1.97, 1.38-2.81; 3.81, 1.53-9.51, respectively). Adjusting for sex, history of smoking, serum TC, TG, LDL-c, and HDL-c, the risk of CAD for carriers remained significantly higher in both dominant and recessive models (OR, 95% CI: 1.68, 1.12-2.51; 2.74, 1.00-7.52, respectively). However, this SNP was not significantly associated with severity of CAD using angiographic scores in multivariable linear regression models (p = 0.373). The RBP4 rs7094671 SNP is associated with CAD; however, our results do not indicate that this locus is associated with clinical severity of CAD or the extent of coronary lesions.