AIM: To assess the appropriateness of prescribing acid suppressive therapy (AST) in a general medicine service in a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed the inpatient...AIM: To assess the appropriateness of prescribing acid suppressive therapy (AST) in a general medicine service in a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed the inpatient records of all patients admitted to the general medical service in a tertiary care hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, from April 1 to May 31, 2011. Treatment with AST was considered appropriate if the patient had a specific indication or appropriate treatment purpose [e.g. , gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, dyspepsia, acute or suspected gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding]. Appropriate administration of stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) was derived from an internal guideline that is based on the American Society of Health System Pharmacists guidelines. Prophylaxis was considered appropriate if a patient had 1 absolute indication (coagulopathy or requiring mechanical ventilation), or 2 or more relative indications (sepsis, occult bleeding, use of high dose corticosteroids, recent use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for more than 3 mo, renal or liver failure, enteral feeding and anticoagulant use). RESULTS: Of the 153 patient admissions during the study period, 130 patients (85%) were started on AST, out of which 11 (8.5%) had a diagnosis that sup-ports the use of this therapy (GI bleed, gastritis and GERD), 16 (12.3%) had an absolute indication for SUP, 59 (45.4%) had 2 or more relative indications for SUP, and 44 (33.8%) received AST without an appropriate indication. In addition, one patient with an absolute indication for SUP and four with two or more relative indications did not receive AST. Rabeprazole was the most frequently used AST (59.2%), followed by omeprazole (24.6%), esomeprazole (11.6%) and ranitidine (4.6%). The dose of AST was appropriate in 126 patients (96.9%) and the route of administration was appropriate in 123 patients (94.6%). Fifteen of the admitted patients (10%) were discharged on AST, 7 of which (47%) did not have an appropriate indication. CONCLUSION: AST is overused in hospitalized noncritically ill patients and many patients are discharged on unnecessary AST which can increase cost, drug interactions and adverse events. Potential interventions include implementation of institutional protocols and prescriber education.展开更多
BACKGROUND: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is an important cytokine with multiple functions, but the target genes transactivated by IFN-alpha remain largely unknown. A study of such genes will help to understand the mec...BACKGROUND: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is an important cytokine with multiple functions, but the target genes transactivated by IFN-alpha remain largely unknown. A study of such genes will help to understand the mechanism of function of IFN-alpha. To isolate the gene transcripts specifically upregulated by IFN-alpha in HepG2 cells, we conducted suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) analysis. METHODS: SSH was used to analyze the target genes transactivated by recombinant IFN-alpha protein, and a subtractive cDNA library was constructed from HepG2 cells treated with recombinant IFN-alpha (rIFN-alpha, 2000 IU/ml) for 16 hours as tester, and cells not treated with rIFN-alpha as driver. The SSH PCR products from the library were cloned into pGEM-T easy vector and with BLASTX, the positive clones were randomly selected, sequenced and compared to the database in GenBank of the 35 differentially expressed gene fragments from the library, 6 clones showed significant homology to other known proteins. RESULTS: The subtractive cDNA library of genes upregulated by IFN-alpha was constructed successfully, rIFN-alpha upregulated the expression of the RAN binding protein 5 (RANBP5), NADH dehydrogenase, exosome component 3 (EXOSC3), zinc finger RNA binding protein, Dickkopf homolog 1 (DKK1) and acetyl-coenzyme A acetyltransferase 2 (ACAT2). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that rIFN-alpha can upregulate the expression of important genes to exert its functions, and provide new clues for discovering the molecular mechanisms of action of IFN-alpha.展开更多
BACKGROUND： Stereo-tactic radiation therapy （SRT） is widely used to treat intracranial diseases, but some patients suffered from radiation induced brain edema after SRT. Once radiation induced brain edema occurs, t...BACKGROUND： Stereo-tactic radiation therapy （SRT） is widely used to treat intracranial diseases, but some patients suffered from radiation induced brain edema after SRT. Once radiation induced brain edema occurs, the treatment is quite difficult, and it always leads to a poor outcome. Dexamethasone has certain therapeutic effect on traumatic brain edema, but the biological mechanism is still unclear. OBJECTIVE ： To observe the effect of dexamethasone on the neutrophil expression of CD18.DESIGN ： A randomized control observation.SETTING： Changhai Hospital of the Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA. MATERIALS ： The experiment was carried out in Changhai Hospital of the Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA from January 1999 to December 1999. Twenty SD rats （male and female each in half） weighing （250±50） g were used. METHODS： Twenty SD rats were divided into four groups at random. ① Blank control group （n=5）： The rats were not treated without dexamethasone or irradiation;② Irradiation group （n=5）： The rats were given irradiation but no dexamethasone treatment; ③ Irradiation＋1 mg/kg dexamethasone group （n=5）; The rats were treated with irradiation and dexamethasone of 1 mg/kg; ④Irradiation＋5 mg/kg dexamethasone group （n=5）： The rats were treated with irradiation and dexamethasone of 5 mg/kg. The heads of the rats were irradiated with 10 MeV X-ray （30 Gy）, and brain tissue was removed after 2 weeks to observe the pathological changes. Blood samples were taken from the carotid artery, gradient centrifugation was used, and neutrophile layer was obtained, the level of neutrophile expression of CD18 mRNA and quantity of membrane proteins in blood were detected with Northern blot and flow cytometry respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： ① Blood cell count; ② Pathological results; ③ level of neutrophile expression of CD18 mRNA and quantity of membrane proteins. RESULTS ： All the 20 SD rats were involved in the analysis of results without deletion. At 2 weeks after irradiation, obvious cell injury could be observed under light microscope. The level of neutrophile expression of CD18 mRNA and quantity of membrane proteins in blood were obviously increased, but the severity of cell injury was relieved in the irradiation＋1 and 5 mg/kg dexamethasone groups, and the CD18 expression was markedly suppressed （P 〈 0.05）, and the suppression was more obvious in the irradiation＋5 mg/kg dexamethasone group than in the irradiation＋1 mg/kg dexamethasone group （P 〈 0.01 ）. CONCLUSION： Dexamethasone can reduce the radiation induced brain edema by inhibiting the expression of CD18.展开更多
Vascular wilt disease caused by Foe （Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. elaeidis） invades the host xylem and causes a devastating disease of oil palm in west and central Africa. This disease has not been reported in Southeas...Vascular wilt disease caused by Foe （Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. elaeidis） invades the host xylem and causes a devastating disease of oil palm in west and central Africa. This disease has not been reported in Southeast Asia, in spite of long term importation for breeding purposes of African seed and pollen, shown in this laboratory at the University of Bath to be contaminated with Foe disease epidemiology was recently studied in plantations in Ghana. Infection mainly occurred in clusters, implying root-root transmission rather than aerial spread by spores. Molecular diagnostic tools has being developed for： （1） rapid detection and quantification of Foe in plant tissue, soil, seed and pollen for quarantine purposes in order to prevent transcontinental spread of Foe; and （2） to test efficacy of putative disease resistant or tolerant palm genotypes. We have investigated the possibility of Foe-suppressive soils in Malaysia in order to explain the non-appearance of this vascular disease there and possibly to reveal other potential biocontrol agents. The explanation as to why Malaysia has not yet attained the disease is likely to revolve around the soil properties, in particular the microflora. This review reported that greater disease severity based on visual symptoms occurred in autoclaved soils and compost than in untreated soils when oil palm seedlings artificially infected with Foe.展开更多
Lysosomal acid lipase （LAL） cleaves cholesteryl esters （CE） and triglycerides （TG） to generate cholesterol and free fatty acid in lysosomes of cells. The down-stream metabolic products of fatty acids are ligands...Lysosomal acid lipase （LAL） cleaves cholesteryl esters （CE） and triglycerides （TG） to generate cholesterol and free fatty acid in lysosomes of cells. The down-stream metabolic products of fatty acids are ligands for activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated re-ceptor gamma （PPARγ）. Accumulation of CEs and TGs is resulted from lack of functional LAL in lysosomes of cells, especially in myeloid cells. One characteristic phenotype in LAL knock-out （ lal-/- ） mice is systemic elevation of myeloid-derived suppressive cells （MDSCs）. MDSCs infltrate into multiple distal organs, alter T cell development, and suppress T cell proliferation and lym-phokine production in lal-/- mice, which lead to severe pathogeneses in multiple organs. The gene transcrip-tional profle analysis in MDSCs from the bone marrow has identified multiple defects responsible for MDSCs malformation and malfunction in lal-/- mice, including G protein signaling, cell cycles, glycolysis metabolism, mitochondrial bioenergetics, mTOR pathway etc. In a sep-arate gene transcriptional profle analysis in the lung of lal-/- mice, matrix metalloproteinase 12 （MMP12） and apoptosis inhibitor 6 （Api6） are highly overexpressed due to lack of ligand synthesis for PPARγ. PPARγ nega-tively regulates MMP12 and Api6. Blocking the PPAR signaling by overexpression of a dominant negative PPARγ （dnPPARγ） form, or overexpressing MMP12 or Api6 in myeloid or lung epithelial cells in inducible transgenic mouse models results in elevated MDSCs and infammation-induced tumorigenesis. These stud-ies demonstrate that LAL and its downstream effectors are critical for MDSCs development, differentiation and malfunction.展开更多
Mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs）, derived from adult tissues, are multipotent progenitor cells, which hold great promise for regenerative medicine. Recent studies have shown that MSCs are immunosuppressive in vivo and ...Mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs）, derived from adult tissues, are multipotent progenitor cells, which hold great promise for regenerative medicine. Recent studies have shown that MSCs are immunosuppressive in vivo and in vitro in both animals and humans. However, the mechanisms that govern these immune modulatory functions of MSCs remain largely elusive. Some studies with bulk populations of MSCs indicated that soluble factors such as PGE2 and TGFβ are important, while others support a role for cell-cell contact. In this study, we intended to clarify these issues by examining immunosuppressive effects of cloned MSCs. We derived MSC clones from mouse bone marrow and showed that the majority of these clones were able to differentiate into adipocytes and osteoblast-like cells. Importantly, cells from these clones exhibited strong inhibitory effects on TCR activation-induced T cell proliferation in vitro, and injection of a small number of these cells promoted the survival of allogeneic skin grafts in mice. Conditioned medium from MSC cultures showed some inhibitory effect on anti-CD3 induced lymphocyte proliferation independent of PGE2 and TGFβ. In comparison, direct co-culture of MSCs with stimulated lymphocytes resulted in much stronger immunosuppressive effect. Interestingly, the suppression was bi-directional, as MSC proliferation was also reduced in the presence of lymphocytes. Taking together, our findings with cloned MSCs demonstrate that these cells exert their immunosuppressive effects through both soluble factor（s） and cell-cell contact, and that lymphocytes and MSCs are mutually inhibitory on their respective proliferation.展开更多
Sixty-eight cases of sterility due to excessive suppressive syndrome were treated by differential administration of Chinese drugs combined with clomiphene citrate and progesterone. This com-bined therapy was found to ...Sixty-eight cases of sterility due to excessive suppressive syndrome were treated by differential administration of Chinese drugs combined with clomiphene citrate and progesterone. This com-bined therapy was found to be significantly superior in therapeutic effect to administration of Western drugs alone or administration of Chinese drugs supplemented by progesterone. Resultant pregnancy rate was 57.4%.展开更多
Significant developments in cancer treatment have been made since the advent of immune therapies.However,there are still some patientswithmalignant tumors who do not benefit from immunotherapy.Tumors without immunogen...Significant developments in cancer treatment have been made since the advent of immune therapies.However,there are still some patientswithmalignant tumors who do not benefit from immunotherapy.Tumors without immunogenicity are called“cold”tumors which are unresponsive to immunotherapy,and the opposite are“hot”tumors.Immune suppressive cells(ISCs)refer to cells which can inhibit the immune response such as tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs),myeloid-derived suppressor cells(MDSCs),regulatory T(Treg)cells and so on.The more ISCs infiltrated,the weaker the immunogenicity of the tumor,showing the characteristics of“cold”tumor.The dysfunction of ISCs in the tumor microenvironment(TME)may play essential roles in insensitive therapeutic reaction.Previous studies have found that epigeneticmechanisms play an important role in the regulation of ISCs.Regulating ISCs may be a new approach to transforming“cold”tumors into“hot”tumors.Here,we focused on the function of ISCs in the TME and discussed how epigenetics is involved in regulating ISCs.In addition,we summarized the mechanisms by which the epigenetic drugs convert immunotherapy-insensitive tumors into immunotherapy-sensitive tumors which would be an innovative tendency for future immunotherapy in“cold”tumor.展开更多
Immunosuppressive mediators in tuberculosis pleurisy(pleural fluid(PF))are associated with the course of disease,but they remain poorly defined.To study the local immune status of patients with tuberculosis pleurisy,w...Immunosuppressive mediators in tuberculosis pleurisy(pleural fluid(PF))are associated with the course of disease,but they remain poorly defined.To study the local immune status of patients with tuberculosis pleurisy,we examined the effect of PF on the functions of T cells and the differentiation of Th1 cells.PF could inhibit the ability of T cells to produce cytokines.However,tumor-necrosis factor(TNF)-a derived from non-T cells was not impaired.Further analysis indicated that cell activation and cell cycle progression were also suppressed.Moreover,PF could inhibit Th1 cell differentiation.Importantly,we found that inhibitors of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase(IDO)and adenosine and neutralizing antibodies against IL-10 and transforming growth factor(TGF)-b could reverse cytokine production,suggesting that IDO,adenosine,IL-10 and Transforming growth factor–b1 in PF might take part in impairing T-cell functions.Taken together,our data demonstrate for the first time that several immunopathological factors participate in the downregulation of T-cell functions in local PF.展开更多
This article investigates the robust current tracking control problem of three-phase grid-connected inverters with LCL filter under external disturbance by a dynamic state feedback control method.First,this paper cons...This article investigates the robust current tracking control problem of three-phase grid-connected inverters with LCL filter under external disturbance by a dynamic state feedback control method.First,this paper constructs an internal model to learn the information of the states and input of the grid-connected inverter under steady state.Second,by utilizing the internal model principle,the paper turns the tracking control problem into the robust stabilization control problem based on some appropriate coordinate transformations.Then,The paper designs a dynamics state feedback control law to deal with this robust stabilization problem,and thus the solution of the robust current tracking control problem of three-phase grid-connected inverters can be obtained.This control method can ensure the asymptotic stability of the closedloop system.Finally,the paper illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed control approach through several groups of simulations,and compares it with the feedforward control method to verify the robustness of the proposed control method to uncertain parameters.展开更多
Foxp3^(+)regulatory T(Treg)cells play a critical role in peripheral tolerance.Bcl1O,acting as a scaffolding protein in the Carma1-Bcl10-Malt1(CBM)complex,has a critical role in TCR-induced signaling,leading to NF-kB a...Foxp3^(+)regulatory T(Treg)cells play a critical role in peripheral tolerance.Bcl1O,acting as a scaffolding protein in the Carma1-Bcl10-Malt1(CBM)complex,has a critical role in TCR-induced signaling,leading to NF-kB activation and is required for T-cell activation.The role of Bcl1O in conventional T(Tconv)cells has been well characterized;however,the role of Bcl1 in the development of Treg cells and the maintenance of the suppressive function and identity of these cells has not been well characterized.In this study,we found that Bcl10 was required for not only the development but also the function of Treg cells.After deleting Bcl1O in T cells,we found that the development of Treg cells was significantly impaired.When Bcl1O was specifically deleted in mature Treg cells,the suppressive function of the Treg cells was impaired,leading to lethal autoimmunity in Bcl10^(fl/fl)Foxp3^(cre) mice.Consistently,in contrast to WT Treg cells,Bcl10-deficient Treg cells could not protect Rag1-deficient mice from T-cell transfer-induced colitis.Furthermore,Bcl1O-deficient Treg cells downregulated the expression of a series of Treg-cell effector and suppressive genes and decreased effector Treg-cell populations.Moreover,Bcl1O-deficient Treg cells were converted into IFNγ-producing proinflammatory cells with increased expression of the transcription factors T-bet and HIF-1α.Together,our study results provide genetic evidence,indicating that Bcl1O is required for the development and function of Treg cells.展开更多
Background CD4^＋ T cells play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of aplastic anaemia. However, the mechanisms of over-proliferation, activation, infiltration of bone marrow and damage to haematopoietic ceils of CD4^...Background CD4^＋ T cells play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of aplastic anaemia. However, the mechanisms of over-proliferation, activation, infiltration of bone marrow and damage to haematopoietic ceils of CD4^＋ T cells in aplastic anaemia are unclear. Therefore, we screened differentially expressed genes of bone marrow CD4^＋ T cells of aplastic anaemia patients and normal donors by suppressive subtractive hybridization to investigate the pathogenesis of aplastic anaemia. Methods The bone marrow mononuclear cells of a first visit aplastic anaemia patient and a healthy donor of the same age and sex were isolated using lymphocyte separating medium by density gradient centrifugation. With the patients as ＂tester＂ and donor as ＂driver＂, their CD4^＋T cells were separated with magnetic bead sorting and a cDNA library established by suppressive subtractive hybridization. Then 15 of the resulting subtracted cDNA clones were randomly selected for DNA sequencing and homological analysis. With semiquantitative RT-PCR, bone marrow samples from 20 patients with aplastic anaemia and 20 healthy donors assessed the expression levels of differentially expressed genes from SSH library. Results PCR detected 89 clones in the library containing an inserted fragment of 100 bp to 700 bp. Among 15 sequenced clones, 12 were known genes including 3 repeated genes. Compared with normal donors, there were 9/12 genes over-expressed in bone marrow CD4^＋T cells of patients with aplastic anaemia. The effects of these genes included protein synthesis, biology oxidation, signal transduction, proliferative regulation and cell migration. Not all these genes had been reported in the mechanisms of haematopoietic damage mediated by CD4^＋ T cells in aplastic anaemia. Conclusions Screening and cloning genes, which regulate functions of CD4^＋ T cells, are helpful in elucidating the mechanisms of over proliferation, activation, infiltrating bone marrow and damaging haematopoietic cells of CD4^＋ T cells in aplasUc anaemia.展开更多
A simultaneous boost in toughness and fire safety of epoxy(EP)is achieved through solvent-free one-step neutralization of phytic acid with 1,8-diaminooctane to yield a multifunctional bio-based curing agent,PA-DAO.Whe...A simultaneous boost in toughness and fire safety of epoxy(EP)is achieved through solvent-free one-step neutralization of phytic acid with 1,8-diaminooctane to yield a multifunctional bio-based curing agent,PA-DAO.When used as the sole hardener,5 wt%PA-DAO increased the tensile,flexural,and impact strengths by 165%,81%,and 455%,respectively,over the parent amine system,whereas the tensile and flexural toughness increased by 1387% and 775%,respectively.At 25 wt% loading,the resin attained a UL-94 V-0 rating and a limiting oxygen index of 28.1%,accompanied by a 71% reduction in the peak heat-release rate and a 53%suppression of total smoke production.This facile,green protocol provides scalable access to ultra-tough,intrinsically flame-retardant epoxy networks without external plasticizers or additives.展开更多
During high-speed operation,mixed-flow pumps are susceptible to cavitation,which destabilizes the internal flow,increases energy losses,and degrades hydraulic efficiency.To assess the effectiveness of blade perforatio...During high-speed operation,mixed-flow pumps are susceptible to cavitation,which destabilizes the internal flow,increases energy losses,and degrades hydraulic efficiency.To assess the effectiveness of blade perforation as a cavitation-mitigation strategy,in this study several mixed-flow pump models incorporating perforations were developed.Numerical simulations were performed for configurations with circular holes positioned at different locations along the blade leading edge,and the computational results were validated against experimental measurements.The findings indicate that the location of the perforations plays a decisive role in cavitation suppression.Moving from the blade rim toward the hub along the leading edge,the critical net positive suction head,NPSH_(cr),initially decreases and subsequently increases,while remaining consistently lower than that of the reference non-perforated configuration.The perforations promote the transfer of high-pressure fluid from the pressure side to the suction side of the blade,thereby alleviating local low-pressure regions.This pressure compensation significantly reduces the extent of low-pressure zones in the vicinity of the perforations,leading to a marked suppression of cavitation both locally and downstream of the perforated regions.展开更多
Zn-I_(2) batteries have emerged as promising next-generation energy storage systems owing to their inherent safety,environmental compatibility,rapid reaction kinetics,and small voltage hysteresis.Nevertheless,two crit...Zn-I_(2) batteries have emerged as promising next-generation energy storage systems owing to their inherent safety,environmental compatibility,rapid reaction kinetics,and small voltage hysteresis.Nevertheless,two critical challenges,i.e.,zinc dendrite growth and polyiodide shuttle effect,severely impede their commercial viability.To conquer these limitations,this study develops a multifunctional separator fabricated from straw-derived carboxylated nanocellulose,with its negative charge density further reinforced by anionic polyacrylamide incorporation.This modification simultaneously improves the separator’s mechanical properties,ionic conductivity,and Zn^(2+)ion transfer number.Remarkably,despite its ultrathin 20μm profile,the engineered separator demonstrates exceptional dendrite suppression and parasitic reaction inhibition,enabling Zn//Zn symmetric cells to achieve impressive cycle life(>1800 h at 2 m A cm^(-2)/2 m Ah cm^(-2))while maintaining robust performance even at ultrahigh areal capacities(25 m Ah cm^(-2)).Additionally,the separator’s anionic characteristic effectively blocks polyiodide migration through electrostatic repulsion,yielding Zn-I_(2) batteries with outstanding rate capability(120.7 m Ah g^(-1)at 5 A g^(-1))and excellent cyclability(94.2%capacity retention after 10,000 cycles).And superior cycling stability can still be achieved under zinc-deficient condition and pouch cell configuration.This work establishes a new paradigm for designing high-performance zinc-based energy storage systems through rational separator engineering.展开更多
In this paper,the joint design of transmit and receive beamformers for transmit subaperturing multiple-input-multiple-output(TS-MIMO)radar is investigated,aiming to enhance its low probability of intercept(LPI)capabil...In this paper,the joint design of transmit and receive beamformers for transmit subaperturing multiple-input-multiple-output(TS-MIMO)radar is investigated,aiming to enhance its low probability of intercept(LPI)capability.The main objective is to simultaneously minimize the transmission power,suppress the transmit sidelobe levels,and minimize the probability of intercept,thus bolstering the LPI performance of the radar system while maintaining the desired target detection performance.An alternative optimization method is proposed to jointly optimize the transmit and receive beamformers,yielding an unified LPI optimization framework.Particularly,the proposed iterative algorithm based on the Lagrange duality theory for transmit beamforming is more efficient than the conventional convex optimization method.Numerical experiments highlight the effectiveness of the proposed approach in sidelobe suppression and computational efficiency.展开更多
Aqueous Zn-ion storage offers high capacity and safety,but practical use is hindered by dendrite formation,side reactions,and hydrogen evolution,affecting stability and efficiency.Herein,tetramethylol acetylenediurea(...Aqueous Zn-ion storage offers high capacity and safety,but practical use is hindered by dendrite formation,side reactions,and hydrogen evolution,affecting stability and efficiency.Herein,tetramethylol acetylenediurea(TA)is proposed as an effective electrolyte additive that modulates the Zn^(2+)deposition environment via coordination competition.The polar functional groups of TA restructure the solvation sheath,while its molecular dipoles generate localized electric fields that accelerate Zn^(2+)migration and promote directional(002)-oriented deposition.These effects collectively suppress side reactions and enhance Zn plating/stripping reversibility.The four hydroxyl(–OH)and conjugated ketone groups(C=O)in the TA molecule have strong coordination ability(Lewis basicity)and can form a stable[Zn(TA)(H_(2)O)_(n)]^(2+)with Zn^(2+),reducing the number of free water molecules and the proportion of active water in the solvation sheath.The TA molecules are adsorbed onto the Zn anode surface,leading to the redistribution of the local spatial electric field and homogenization of ion flux dynamics.Its conjugated planar structure can induce Zn^(2+)to preferentially deposit along the(002)crystal plane.Zn//Zn symmetric cell using TA-containing ZnSO4 electrolyte exhibits stable cycling for more than 2240 h at 1 mA cm^(−2),1 mAh cm^(−2).The Zn//activated carbon(AC)full-cell can stably cycle 30,000 cycles at 5 A g^(−1)with a capacity retention rate of 90%.This study provides important insights into electrolyte engineering strategies for stabilizing Zn anodes,highlighting the potential of molecular design additives in next-generation Zn^(2+)energy storage systems.展开更多
To address the challenge of balancing thermal management and thermal runaway mitigation,it is crucial to explore effective methods for enhancing the safety of lithium-ion battery systems.Herein,an innovative hydrated ...To address the challenge of balancing thermal management and thermal runaway mitigation,it is crucial to explore effective methods for enhancing the safety of lithium-ion battery systems.Herein,an innovative hydrated salt composite phase change material(HSCPCM)with dual phase transition temperature zones has been proposed.This HSCPCM,denoted as SDMA10,combines hydrophilic modified expanded graphite,an acrylic emulsion coating,and eutectic hydrated salts to achieve leakage prevention,enhanced thermal stability,cycling stability,and superior phase change behavior.Battery modules incorporating SDMA10 demonstrate significant thermal control capabilities.Specifically,the cylindrical battery modules with SDMA10 can maintain maximum operating temperatures below 55°C at 4 C discharge rate,while prismatic battery modules can keep maximum operating temperatures below 65°C at 2 C discharge rate.In extreme battery overheating conditions simulated using heating plates,SDMA10 effectively suppresses thermal propagation.Even when the central heating plate reaches 300°C,the maximum temperature at the module edge heating plates remains below 85°C.Further,compared to organic composite phase change materials(CPCMs),the battery module with SDMA10 can further reduce the peak thermal runaway temperature by 93°C and delay the thermal runaway trigger time by 689 s,thereby significantly decreasing heat diffusion.Therefore,the designed HSCPCM integrates excellent latent heat storage and thermochemical storage capabilities,providing high thermal energy storage density within the thermal management and thermal runaway threshold temperature range.This research will offer a promising pathway for improving the thermal safety performance of battery packs in electric vehicles and other energy storage systems.展开更多
Unlike animals, plants cannot move away from unfavorable environments. Instead, they must continuously adjust their growth to external conditions. When the environment is favorable, plants sustain vigorous growth. Con...Unlike animals, plants cannot move away from unfavorable environments. Instead, they must continuously adjust their growth to external conditions. When the environment is favorable, plants sustain vigorous growth. Conversely, when challenged by drought, salinity, temperature extremes, or other stresses, they must rapidly suppress growth to conserve energy and minimize damage. This capacity to switch growth on or off in response to external cues represents one of the most successful adaptive strategies that enables plants to thrive worldwide. A central mediator of this growth suppression is the phytohormone abscisic acid(ABA). Abscisic acid plays pivotal roles in stomata closure, germination inhibition, and root development modulation, thereby orchestrating defense responses under abiotic stresses(e.g., Chen et al., 2020, for a review). For this reason, ABA is often referred to as the“stress hormone” of plants. However,growth arrest is only half of the story. Once environmental conditions improve, plants must promptly resume growth to recover and compete effectively. For survival, the decision of whether“to grow or not to grow” is critical, and yet, the molecular mechanisms that enable plants to toggle this switch have long remained elusive.展开更多
Prelaunch rolling of maritime rockets threatens the reliability of launch in rough sea conditions.In order to suppress the prelaunch rolling,this study introduces advanced smart prediction designed especially for mari...Prelaunch rolling of maritime rockets threatens the reliability of launch in rough sea conditions.In order to suppress the prelaunch rolling,this study introduces advanced smart prediction designed especially for maritime rockets.The suggested approach introduces a hybrid model that combines random forest(RF)and Adaptive boosting(Ada Boost)methods to describe the coupling mechanism of factors affecting rocket rolling and to suppress the rolling.This combination improves forecast accuracy.Thereafter,the dimensionality reduced response surfaces are used to visually present the coupling between rocket rolling and influencing factors,which reveals the prelaunch rolling mechanism.When angle between the launch device and the ship's bow is within 80°-100°,the dynamic friction coefficient between adapters and guideways is 0.4,and the dynamic friction coefficient between the rocket and launchpad is within 0-0.15 or0.5-0.7,the prelaunch rolling of rocket during one motion cycle of the ship is less than 0.065°,originally 0.27°,reduced by 75.93%,effectively suppressing the prelaunch rolling.This study improves the prelaunch stability of maritime rockets in rough sea conditions and establishes a mapping relationship between the factors affecting rocket rolling and the structure of the sea launch system,guiding the optimization of future sea launch systems.展开更多
文摘AIM: To assess the appropriateness of prescribing acid suppressive therapy (AST) in a general medicine service in a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed the inpatient records of all patients admitted to the general medical service in a tertiary care hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, from April 1 to May 31, 2011. Treatment with AST was considered appropriate if the patient had a specific indication or appropriate treatment purpose [e.g. , gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease, dyspepsia, acute or suspected gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding]. Appropriate administration of stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) was derived from an internal guideline that is based on the American Society of Health System Pharmacists guidelines. Prophylaxis was considered appropriate if a patient had 1 absolute indication (coagulopathy or requiring mechanical ventilation), or 2 or more relative indications (sepsis, occult bleeding, use of high dose corticosteroids, recent use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for more than 3 mo, renal or liver failure, enteral feeding and anticoagulant use). RESULTS: Of the 153 patient admissions during the study period, 130 patients (85%) were started on AST, out of which 11 (8.5%) had a diagnosis that sup-ports the use of this therapy (GI bleed, gastritis and GERD), 16 (12.3%) had an absolute indication for SUP, 59 (45.4%) had 2 or more relative indications for SUP, and 44 (33.8%) received AST without an appropriate indication. In addition, one patient with an absolute indication for SUP and four with two or more relative indications did not receive AST. Rabeprazole was the most frequently used AST (59.2%), followed by omeprazole (24.6%), esomeprazole (11.6%) and ranitidine (4.6%). The dose of AST was appropriate in 126 patients (96.9%) and the route of administration was appropriate in 123 patients (94.6%). Fifteen of the admitted patients (10%) were discharged on AST, 7 of which (47%) did not have an appropriate indication. CONCLUSION: AST is overused in hospitalized noncritically ill patients and many patients are discharged on unnecessary AST which can increase cost, drug interactions and adverse events. Potential interventions include implementation of institutional protocols and prescriber education.
文摘BACKGROUND: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is an important cytokine with multiple functions, but the target genes transactivated by IFN-alpha remain largely unknown. A study of such genes will help to understand the mechanism of function of IFN-alpha. To isolate the gene transcripts specifically upregulated by IFN-alpha in HepG2 cells, we conducted suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) analysis. METHODS: SSH was used to analyze the target genes transactivated by recombinant IFN-alpha protein, and a subtractive cDNA library was constructed from HepG2 cells treated with recombinant IFN-alpha (rIFN-alpha, 2000 IU/ml) for 16 hours as tester, and cells not treated with rIFN-alpha as driver. The SSH PCR products from the library were cloned into pGEM-T easy vector and with BLASTX, the positive clones were randomly selected, sequenced and compared to the database in GenBank of the 35 differentially expressed gene fragments from the library, 6 clones showed significant homology to other known proteins. RESULTS: The subtractive cDNA library of genes upregulated by IFN-alpha was constructed successfully, rIFN-alpha upregulated the expression of the RAN binding protein 5 (RANBP5), NADH dehydrogenase, exosome component 3 (EXOSC3), zinc finger RNA binding protein, Dickkopf homolog 1 (DKK1) and acetyl-coenzyme A acetyltransferase 2 (ACAT2). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that rIFN-alpha can upregulate the expression of important genes to exert its functions, and provide new clues for discovering the molecular mechanisms of action of IFN-alpha.
文摘BACKGROUND： Stereo-tactic radiation therapy （SRT） is widely used to treat intracranial diseases, but some patients suffered from radiation induced brain edema after SRT. Once radiation induced brain edema occurs, the treatment is quite difficult, and it always leads to a poor outcome. Dexamethasone has certain therapeutic effect on traumatic brain edema, but the biological mechanism is still unclear. OBJECTIVE ： To observe the effect of dexamethasone on the neutrophil expression of CD18.DESIGN ： A randomized control observation.SETTING： Changhai Hospital of the Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA. MATERIALS ： The experiment was carried out in Changhai Hospital of the Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA from January 1999 to December 1999. Twenty SD rats （male and female each in half） weighing （250±50） g were used. METHODS： Twenty SD rats were divided into four groups at random. ① Blank control group （n=5）： The rats were not treated without dexamethasone or irradiation;② Irradiation group （n=5）： The rats were given irradiation but no dexamethasone treatment; ③ Irradiation＋1 mg/kg dexamethasone group （n=5）; The rats were treated with irradiation and dexamethasone of 1 mg/kg; ④Irradiation＋5 mg/kg dexamethasone group （n=5）： The rats were treated with irradiation and dexamethasone of 5 mg/kg. The heads of the rats were irradiated with 10 MeV X-ray （30 Gy）, and brain tissue was removed after 2 weeks to observe the pathological changes. Blood samples were taken from the carotid artery, gradient centrifugation was used, and neutrophile layer was obtained, the level of neutrophile expression of CD18 mRNA and quantity of membrane proteins in blood were detected with Northern blot and flow cytometry respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： ① Blood cell count; ② Pathological results; ③ level of neutrophile expression of CD18 mRNA and quantity of membrane proteins. RESULTS ： All the 20 SD rats were involved in the analysis of results without deletion. At 2 weeks after irradiation, obvious cell injury could be observed under light microscope. The level of neutrophile expression of CD18 mRNA and quantity of membrane proteins in blood were obviously increased, but the severity of cell injury was relieved in the irradiation＋1 and 5 mg/kg dexamethasone groups, and the CD18 expression was markedly suppressed （P 〈 0.05）, and the suppression was more obvious in the irradiation＋5 mg/kg dexamethasone group than in the irradiation＋1 mg/kg dexamethasone group （P 〈 0.01 ）. CONCLUSION： Dexamethasone can reduce the radiation induced brain edema by inhibiting the expression of CD18.
文摘Vascular wilt disease caused by Foe （Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. elaeidis） invades the host xylem and causes a devastating disease of oil palm in west and central Africa. This disease has not been reported in Southeast Asia, in spite of long term importation for breeding purposes of African seed and pollen, shown in this laboratory at the University of Bath to be contaminated with Foe disease epidemiology was recently studied in plantations in Ghana. Infection mainly occurred in clusters, implying root-root transmission rather than aerial spread by spores. Molecular diagnostic tools has being developed for： （1） rapid detection and quantification of Foe in plant tissue, soil, seed and pollen for quarantine purposes in order to prevent transcontinental spread of Foe; and （2） to test efficacy of putative disease resistant or tolerant palm genotypes. We have investigated the possibility of Foe-suppressive soils in Malaysia in order to explain the non-appearance of this vascular disease there and possibly to reveal other potential biocontrol agents. The explanation as to why Malaysia has not yet attained the disease is likely to revolve around the soil properties, in particular the microflora. This review reported that greater disease severity based on visual symptoms occurred in autoclaved soils and compost than in untreated soils when oil palm seedlings artificially infected with Foe.
基金Supported by National Institutes of Health,No.CA138759,CA152099,to Yan CHL087001,to Du H,and HL-061803 and HL-067862 to Yan C and Du H
文摘Lysosomal acid lipase （LAL） cleaves cholesteryl esters （CE） and triglycerides （TG） to generate cholesterol and free fatty acid in lysosomes of cells. The down-stream metabolic products of fatty acids are ligands for activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated re-ceptor gamma （PPARγ）. Accumulation of CEs and TGs is resulted from lack of functional LAL in lysosomes of cells, especially in myeloid cells. One characteristic phenotype in LAL knock-out （ lal-/- ） mice is systemic elevation of myeloid-derived suppressive cells （MDSCs）. MDSCs infltrate into multiple distal organs, alter T cell development, and suppress T cell proliferation and lym-phokine production in lal-/- mice, which lead to severe pathogeneses in multiple organs. The gene transcrip-tional profle analysis in MDSCs from the bone marrow has identified multiple defects responsible for MDSCs malformation and malfunction in lal-/- mice, including G protein signaling, cell cycles, glycolysis metabolism, mitochondrial bioenergetics, mTOR pathway etc. In a sep-arate gene transcriptional profle analysis in the lung of lal-/- mice, matrix metalloproteinase 12 （MMP12） and apoptosis inhibitor 6 （Api6） are highly overexpressed due to lack of ligand synthesis for PPARγ. PPARγ nega-tively regulates MMP12 and Api6. Blocking the PPAR signaling by overexpression of a dominant negative PPARγ （dnPPARγ） form, or overexpressing MMP12 or Api6 in myeloid or lung epithelial cells in inducible transgenic mouse models results in elevated MDSCs and infammation-induced tumorigenesis. These stud-ies demonstrate that LAL and its downstream effectors are critical for MDSCs development, differentiation and malfunction.
文摘Mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs）, derived from adult tissues, are multipotent progenitor cells, which hold great promise for regenerative medicine. Recent studies have shown that MSCs are immunosuppressive in vivo and in vitro in both animals and humans. However, the mechanisms that govern these immune modulatory functions of MSCs remain largely elusive. Some studies with bulk populations of MSCs indicated that soluble factors such as PGE2 and TGFβ are important, while others support a role for cell-cell contact. In this study, we intended to clarify these issues by examining immunosuppressive effects of cloned MSCs. We derived MSC clones from mouse bone marrow and showed that the majority of these clones were able to differentiate into adipocytes and osteoblast-like cells. Importantly, cells from these clones exhibited strong inhibitory effects on TCR activation-induced T cell proliferation in vitro, and injection of a small number of these cells promoted the survival of allogeneic skin grafts in mice. Conditioned medium from MSC cultures showed some inhibitory effect on anti-CD3 induced lymphocyte proliferation independent of PGE2 and TGFβ. In comparison, direct co-culture of MSCs with stimulated lymphocytes resulted in much stronger immunosuppressive effect. Interestingly, the suppression was bi-directional, as MSC proliferation was also reduced in the presence of lymphocytes. Taking together, our findings with cloned MSCs demonstrate that these cells exert their immunosuppressive effects through both soluble factor（s） and cell-cell contact, and that lymphocytes and MSCs are mutually inhibitory on their respective proliferation.
文摘Sixty-eight cases of sterility due to excessive suppressive syndrome were treated by differential administration of Chinese drugs combined with clomiphene citrate and progesterone. This com-bined therapy was found to be significantly superior in therapeutic effect to administration of Western drugs alone or administration of Chinese drugs supplemented by progesterone. Resultant pregnancy rate was 57.4%.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Numbers:82373275,81974384,82173342,82203015China Postdoctoral Science Foundation,Grant/Award Number:2023JJ40942+3 种基金Nature Science Foundation of Hunan Province,Grant/Award Numbers:2021JJ3109,2021JJ31048,2023JJ40942Nature Science Foundation of Changsha,Grant/Award Number:73201CSCO Cancer Research Foundation,Grant/Award Numbers:Y-HR2019-0182,Y-2019Genecast-043the Key Research and Development Program of Hainan Province,Grant/Award Numbers:ZDYF2020228,ZDYF2020125。
文摘Significant developments in cancer treatment have been made since the advent of immune therapies.However,there are still some patientswithmalignant tumors who do not benefit from immunotherapy.Tumors without immunogenicity are called“cold”tumors which are unresponsive to immunotherapy,and the opposite are“hot”tumors.Immune suppressive cells(ISCs)refer to cells which can inhibit the immune response such as tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs),myeloid-derived suppressor cells(MDSCs),regulatory T(Treg)cells and so on.The more ISCs infiltrated,the weaker the immunogenicity of the tumor,showing the characteristics of“cold”tumor.The dysfunction of ISCs in the tumor microenvironment(TME)may play essential roles in insensitive therapeutic reaction.Previous studies have found that epigeneticmechanisms play an important role in the regulation of ISCs.Regulating ISCs may be a new approach to transforming“cold”tumors into“hot”tumors.Here,we focused on the function of ISCs in the TME and discussed how epigenetics is involved in regulating ISCs.In addition,we summarized the mechanisms by which the epigenetic drugs convert immunotherapy-insensitive tumors into immunotherapy-sensitive tumors which would be an innovative tendency for future immunotherapy in“cold”tumor.
基金the 115 grant(no.2008ZX10003011)the National Nature Science Foundation of China(no.30872300)the National Key Basic Research Program of China(973,no.2007CB512404).
文摘Immunosuppressive mediators in tuberculosis pleurisy(pleural fluid(PF))are associated with the course of disease,but they remain poorly defined.To study the local immune status of patients with tuberculosis pleurisy,we examined the effect of PF on the functions of T cells and the differentiation of Th1 cells.PF could inhibit the ability of T cells to produce cytokines.However,tumor-necrosis factor(TNF)-a derived from non-T cells was not impaired.Further analysis indicated that cell activation and cell cycle progression were also suppressed.Moreover,PF could inhibit Th1 cell differentiation.Importantly,we found that inhibitors of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase(IDO)and adenosine and neutralizing antibodies against IL-10 and transforming growth factor(TGF)-b could reverse cytokine production,suggesting that IDO,adenosine,IL-10 and Transforming growth factor–b1 in PF might take part in impairing T-cell functions.Taken together,our data demonstrate for the first time that several immunopathological factors participate in the downregulation of T-cell functions in local PF.
基金Supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2024ZYGXZR047)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62373156)the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2024A1515011736)。
文摘This article investigates the robust current tracking control problem of three-phase grid-connected inverters with LCL filter under external disturbance by a dynamic state feedback control method.First,this paper constructs an internal model to learn the information of the states and input of the grid-connected inverter under steady state.Second,by utilizing the internal model principle,the paper turns the tracking control problem into the robust stabilization control problem based on some appropriate coordinate transformations.Then,The paper designs a dynamics state feedback control law to deal with this robust stabilization problem,and thus the solution of the robust current tracking control problem of three-phase grid-connected inverters can be obtained.This control method can ensure the asymptotic stability of the closedloop system.Finally,the paper illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed control approach through several groups of simulations,and compares it with the feedforward control method to verify the robustness of the proposed control method to uncertain parameters.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81570211 to X.L.and 31670904 to X.Z.)funding from the Tsinghua University-Peking University Jointed Center for Life Sciences(to X.L).
文摘Foxp3^(+)regulatory T(Treg)cells play a critical role in peripheral tolerance.Bcl1O,acting as a scaffolding protein in the Carma1-Bcl10-Malt1(CBM)complex,has a critical role in TCR-induced signaling,leading to NF-kB activation and is required for T-cell activation.The role of Bcl1O in conventional T(Tconv)cells has been well characterized;however,the role of Bcl1 in the development of Treg cells and the maintenance of the suppressive function and identity of these cells has not been well characterized.In this study,we found that Bcl10 was required for not only the development but also the function of Treg cells.After deleting Bcl1O in T cells,we found that the development of Treg cells was significantly impaired.When Bcl1O was specifically deleted in mature Treg cells,the suppressive function of the Treg cells was impaired,leading to lethal autoimmunity in Bcl10^(fl/fl)Foxp3^(cre) mice.Consistently,in contrast to WT Treg cells,Bcl10-deficient Treg cells could not protect Rag1-deficient mice from T-cell transfer-induced colitis.Furthermore,Bcl1O-deficient Treg cells downregulated the expression of a series of Treg-cell effector and suppressive genes and decreased effector Treg-cell populations.Moreover,Bcl1O-deficient Treg cells were converted into IFNγ-producing proinflammatory cells with increased expression of the transcription factors T-bet and HIF-1α.Together,our study results provide genetic evidence,indicating that Bcl1O is required for the development and function of Treg cells.
基金a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30570773)
文摘Background CD4^＋ T cells play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of aplastic anaemia. However, the mechanisms of over-proliferation, activation, infiltration of bone marrow and damage to haematopoietic ceils of CD4^＋ T cells in aplastic anaemia are unclear. Therefore, we screened differentially expressed genes of bone marrow CD4^＋ T cells of aplastic anaemia patients and normal donors by suppressive subtractive hybridization to investigate the pathogenesis of aplastic anaemia. Methods The bone marrow mononuclear cells of a first visit aplastic anaemia patient and a healthy donor of the same age and sex were isolated using lymphocyte separating medium by density gradient centrifugation. With the patients as ＂tester＂ and donor as ＂driver＂, their CD4^＋T cells were separated with magnetic bead sorting and a cDNA library established by suppressive subtractive hybridization. Then 15 of the resulting subtracted cDNA clones were randomly selected for DNA sequencing and homological analysis. With semiquantitative RT-PCR, bone marrow samples from 20 patients with aplastic anaemia and 20 healthy donors assessed the expression levels of differentially expressed genes from SSH library. Results PCR detected 89 clones in the library containing an inserted fragment of 100 bp to 700 bp. Among 15 sequenced clones, 12 were known genes including 3 repeated genes. Compared with normal donors, there were 9/12 genes over-expressed in bone marrow CD4^＋T cells of patients with aplastic anaemia. The effects of these genes included protein synthesis, biology oxidation, signal transduction, proliferative regulation and cell migration. Not all these genes had been reported in the mechanisms of haematopoietic damage mediated by CD4^＋ T cells in aplastic anaemia. Conclusions Screening and cloning genes, which regulate functions of CD4^＋ T cells, are helpful in elucidating the mechanisms of over proliferation, activation, infiltrating bone marrow and damaging haematopoietic cells of CD4^＋ T cells in aplasUc anaemia.
基金financially supported by Zhejiang Provincial"Leading Force"and"Leading Bird"R&D Key Project(No.2022C03128)Basic Public Welfare Research Plan of Zhejiang Province(No.LY21C160003)+1 种基金National Natural Science Foundation(No.51991355)Zhejiang A&F University Scientific Research Start-up Fund(No.2023LFR134)。
文摘A simultaneous boost in toughness and fire safety of epoxy(EP)is achieved through solvent-free one-step neutralization of phytic acid with 1,8-diaminooctane to yield a multifunctional bio-based curing agent,PA-DAO.When used as the sole hardener,5 wt%PA-DAO increased the tensile,flexural,and impact strengths by 165%,81%,and 455%,respectively,over the parent amine system,whereas the tensile and flexural toughness increased by 1387% and 775%,respectively.At 25 wt% loading,the resin attained a UL-94 V-0 rating and a limiting oxygen index of 28.1%,accompanied by a 71% reduction in the peak heat-release rate and a 53%suppression of total smoke production.This facile,green protocol provides scalable access to ultra-tough,intrinsically flame-retardant epoxy networks without external plasticizers or additives.
基金the National Key Research and Development Project of China(No.2019YFB 2005300)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(No.BK20220609)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52109106,52409122,and 12272187).
文摘During high-speed operation,mixed-flow pumps are susceptible to cavitation,which destabilizes the internal flow,increases energy losses,and degrades hydraulic efficiency.To assess the effectiveness of blade perforation as a cavitation-mitigation strategy,in this study several mixed-flow pump models incorporating perforations were developed.Numerical simulations were performed for configurations with circular holes positioned at different locations along the blade leading edge,and the computational results were validated against experimental measurements.The findings indicate that the location of the perforations plays a decisive role in cavitation suppression.Moving from the blade rim toward the hub along the leading edge,the critical net positive suction head,NPSH_(cr),initially decreases and subsequently increases,while remaining consistently lower than that of the reference non-perforated configuration.The perforations promote the transfer of high-pressure fluid from the pressure side to the suction side of the blade,thereby alleviating local low-pressure regions.This pressure compensation significantly reduces the extent of low-pressure zones in the vicinity of the perforations,leading to a marked suppression of cavitation both locally and downstream of the perforated regions.
基金the financial support from the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20231292)the Jiangsu Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Fund(CX(24)3091)+6 种基金the Postgraduate Research&Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province(KYCX25_1429)the National Key R&D Program of China(2024YFE0109200)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.2024300440)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2025A1515011098)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(12464032)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province(20232BAB201032)Ji'an Science and Technology Plan Project(2024H-100301)。
文摘Zn-I_(2) batteries have emerged as promising next-generation energy storage systems owing to their inherent safety,environmental compatibility,rapid reaction kinetics,and small voltage hysteresis.Nevertheless,two critical challenges,i.e.,zinc dendrite growth and polyiodide shuttle effect,severely impede their commercial viability.To conquer these limitations,this study develops a multifunctional separator fabricated from straw-derived carboxylated nanocellulose,with its negative charge density further reinforced by anionic polyacrylamide incorporation.This modification simultaneously improves the separator’s mechanical properties,ionic conductivity,and Zn^(2+)ion transfer number.Remarkably,despite its ultrathin 20μm profile,the engineered separator demonstrates exceptional dendrite suppression and parasitic reaction inhibition,enabling Zn//Zn symmetric cells to achieve impressive cycle life(>1800 h at 2 m A cm^(-2)/2 m Ah cm^(-2))while maintaining robust performance even at ultrahigh areal capacities(25 m Ah cm^(-2)).Additionally,the separator’s anionic characteristic effectively blocks polyiodide migration through electrostatic repulsion,yielding Zn-I_(2) batteries with outstanding rate capability(120.7 m Ah g^(-1)at 5 A g^(-1))and excellent cyclability(94.2%capacity retention after 10,000 cycles).And superior cycling stability can still be achieved under zinc-deficient condition and pouch cell configuration.This work establishes a new paradigm for designing high-performance zinc-based energy storage systems through rational separator engineering.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62271247)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20240181)+4 种基金the Dreams Foundation of Jianghuai Advance Technology Center(2023-ZM01D001)the National Aerospace Science Foundation of China(20220055052001)the Qing Lan Project of Jiangsu Provincethe Fund of Prospective Layout of Scientific Research for Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronauticsthe Key Laboratory of Radar Imaging and Microwave Photonics(Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics),Ministry of Education。
文摘In this paper,the joint design of transmit and receive beamformers for transmit subaperturing multiple-input-multiple-output(TS-MIMO)radar is investigated,aiming to enhance its low probability of intercept(LPI)capability.The main objective is to simultaneously minimize the transmission power,suppress the transmit sidelobe levels,and minimize the probability of intercept,thus bolstering the LPI performance of the radar system while maintaining the desired target detection performance.An alternative optimization method is proposed to jointly optimize the transmit and receive beamformers,yielding an unified LPI optimization framework.Particularly,the proposed iterative algorithm based on the Lagrange duality theory for transmit beamforming is more efficient than the conventional convex optimization method.Numerical experiments highlight the effectiveness of the proposed approach in sidelobe suppression and computational efficiency.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22269020,42167068,U23A20582)the Gansu Province Higher Education Industry Support Plan Project(2023CYZC-17,2023CYZC-68)+1 种基金the Key Project of Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province(25JRRA004)2024 Major Cultivation Project for University Research and Innovation Platforms(2024CXPT-10).
文摘Aqueous Zn-ion storage offers high capacity and safety,but practical use is hindered by dendrite formation,side reactions,and hydrogen evolution,affecting stability and efficiency.Herein,tetramethylol acetylenediurea(TA)is proposed as an effective electrolyte additive that modulates the Zn^(2+)deposition environment via coordination competition.The polar functional groups of TA restructure the solvation sheath,while its molecular dipoles generate localized electric fields that accelerate Zn^(2+)migration and promote directional(002)-oriented deposition.These effects collectively suppress side reactions and enhance Zn plating/stripping reversibility.The four hydroxyl(–OH)and conjugated ketone groups(C=O)in the TA molecule have strong coordination ability(Lewis basicity)and can form a stable[Zn(TA)(H_(2)O)_(n)]^(2+)with Zn^(2+),reducing the number of free water molecules and the proportion of active water in the solvation sheath.The TA molecules are adsorbed onto the Zn anode surface,leading to the redistribution of the local spatial electric field and homogenization of ion flux dynamics.Its conjugated planar structure can induce Zn^(2+)to preferentially deposit along the(002)crystal plane.Zn//Zn symmetric cell using TA-containing ZnSO4 electrolyte exhibits stable cycling for more than 2240 h at 1 mA cm^(−2),1 mAh cm^(−2).The Zn//activated carbon(AC)full-cell can stably cycle 30,000 cycles at 5 A g^(−1)with a capacity retention rate of 90%.This study provides important insights into electrolyte engineering strategies for stabilizing Zn anodes,highlighting the potential of molecular design additives in next-generation Zn^(2+)energy storage systems.
基金financially supported by Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong province(2024A1515010228)CATARC Automotive Inspection Center Excellent Engineer Program(2023B0909050007).
文摘To address the challenge of balancing thermal management and thermal runaway mitigation,it is crucial to explore effective methods for enhancing the safety of lithium-ion battery systems.Herein,an innovative hydrated salt composite phase change material(HSCPCM)with dual phase transition temperature zones has been proposed.This HSCPCM,denoted as SDMA10,combines hydrophilic modified expanded graphite,an acrylic emulsion coating,and eutectic hydrated salts to achieve leakage prevention,enhanced thermal stability,cycling stability,and superior phase change behavior.Battery modules incorporating SDMA10 demonstrate significant thermal control capabilities.Specifically,the cylindrical battery modules with SDMA10 can maintain maximum operating temperatures below 55°C at 4 C discharge rate,while prismatic battery modules can keep maximum operating temperatures below 65°C at 2 C discharge rate.In extreme battery overheating conditions simulated using heating plates,SDMA10 effectively suppresses thermal propagation.Even when the central heating plate reaches 300°C,the maximum temperature at the module edge heating plates remains below 85°C.Further,compared to organic composite phase change materials(CPCMs),the battery module with SDMA10 can further reduce the peak thermal runaway temperature by 93°C and delay the thermal runaway trigger time by 689 s,thereby significantly decreasing heat diffusion.Therefore,the designed HSCPCM integrates excellent latent heat storage and thermochemical storage capabilities,providing high thermal energy storage density within the thermal management and thermal runaway threshold temperature range.This research will offer a promising pathway for improving the thermal safety performance of battery packs in electric vehicles and other energy storage systems.
基金supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS KAKENHI)[Grant numbers JP22H02294 to M.M.,JP22K05365 and JP23K18058 to S.K.]by the commissioned research fund provided by F-REI(JPFR25020105)to S.K。
文摘Unlike animals, plants cannot move away from unfavorable environments. Instead, they must continuously adjust their growth to external conditions. When the environment is favorable, plants sustain vigorous growth. Conversely, when challenged by drought, salinity, temperature extremes, or other stresses, they must rapidly suppress growth to conserve energy and minimize damage. This capacity to switch growth on or off in response to external cues represents one of the most successful adaptive strategies that enables plants to thrive worldwide. A central mediator of this growth suppression is the phytohormone abscisic acid(ABA). Abscisic acid plays pivotal roles in stomata closure, germination inhibition, and root development modulation, thereby orchestrating defense responses under abiotic stresses(e.g., Chen et al., 2020, for a review). For this reason, ABA is often referred to as the“stress hormone” of plants. However,growth arrest is only half of the story. Once environmental conditions improve, plants must promptly resume growth to recover and compete effectively. For survival, the decision of whether“to grow or not to grow” is critical, and yet, the molecular mechanisms that enable plants to toggle this switch have long remained elusive.
文摘Prelaunch rolling of maritime rockets threatens the reliability of launch in rough sea conditions.In order to suppress the prelaunch rolling,this study introduces advanced smart prediction designed especially for maritime rockets.The suggested approach introduces a hybrid model that combines random forest(RF)and Adaptive boosting(Ada Boost)methods to describe the coupling mechanism of factors affecting rocket rolling and to suppress the rolling.This combination improves forecast accuracy.Thereafter,the dimensionality reduced response surfaces are used to visually present the coupling between rocket rolling and influencing factors,which reveals the prelaunch rolling mechanism.When angle between the launch device and the ship's bow is within 80°-100°,the dynamic friction coefficient between adapters and guideways is 0.4,and the dynamic friction coefficient between the rocket and launchpad is within 0-0.15 or0.5-0.7,the prelaunch rolling of rocket during one motion cycle of the ship is less than 0.065°,originally 0.27°,reduced by 75.93%,effectively suppressing the prelaunch rolling.This study improves the prelaunch stability of maritime rockets in rough sea conditions and establishes a mapping relationship between the factors affecting rocket rolling and the structure of the sea launch system,guiding the optimization of future sea launch systems.
