Recent advances and perspectives in MXene-based cathodes for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs)show great potential for applications in grid-scale energy storage,given their intrinsic safety,cost effectiveness,environmental friendliness,and impressive electrochemical performance.However,strong electrostatic interactions exist between zinc ions and host materials,and they hinder the development of advanced cathode materials for efficient,rapid,and stable Zn-ion storage.MXenes and their derivatives possess a large interlayer spacing,excellent hydrophilicity,outstanding electronic conductivity,and high redox activity.These materials are considered“rising star”cathode candidates for AZIBs.This comprehensive review discusses recent advances in MXenes as AZIB cathodes from the perspectives of crystal structure,Zn-storage mechanism,surface modification,interlayer engineering,and conductive network design to elucidate the correlations among their composition,structure,and electrochemical performance.This work also outlines the remaining challenges faced by MXenes for aqueous Zn-ion storage,such as the urgent need for improved toxic preparation methods,exploration of potential novel MXene cathodes,and suppression of layered MXene restacking upon cycling,and introduces the prospects of MXene-based cathode materials for high-performance AZIBs.

The Association between Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) Mutations and Serum Biomarkers of Cardiac Health

Background: Homocysteine (tHcy) has emerged as a new risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) The Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms are seen to give rise to high levels of tHcy which can be a causative factor in the progression of CVD due to its thrombogenic effect. Serum cardiac biomarkers help in the diagnosis, prognosis, or surveillance of CVD. The present study evaluated the association of the two MTHFR mutations, rs1801133 and rs1801131 with 16 well-established serum cardiac markers. Additionally, the influence of age and gender on the association of the two MTHFR polymorphisms with serum cardiac marker levels was also investigated. Methods: The study was carried out on 1295 individuals who visited Vibrant America Clinical Lab for regular or suspected CVD check-ups. The serological markers and genomic variant analysis were carried out as per the standard laboratory protocol under CLIA. The association between serological markers and the rs1801133 and rs1801131 genetic variants with respect to age and gender was evaluated using a one-way ANNOVA test. Results: No significant association was observed in tHcy levels with respect to gender, however, plasma total tHcy levels were higher in males than females. tHcy levels increased with increasing age in the wild and heterozygous genotypes for the mutations, rs1801133 and rs1801131. Additionally, the serum cardiac markers, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), Cholesterol (CHOL), Apolipoprotein A (APOA), Apolipoprotein B (APOB), N-terminal (NT)-pro hormone BNP (BNPNT), LDL calculated (LDLCAL), Small Density Low Density Lipoprotein (SDLDL), APOBAR, Oxidised Low Density Lipoprotein (OXLDL), Lipoprotein (A) (LPA), Triglycerides (TRIG), and Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase (Lp-PLA2) Test (PLAC) showed significant associations with respect to gender and age for rs1801133 and rs1801131 (P Conclusions: The present study reports the association of tHcy, HDL, LDL, CHOL, APOA, APOB, BNPNT, LDLCAL, SDLDL, APOBAR, OXLDL, LPA, TRIG, and PLAC with respect to age and gender for the mutations, rs1801133 and rs1801131. We observed that tHcy levels were high in males and the levels increased with increasing age in males for both polymorphisms. rs1801131 mutant males have high levels of triglyceride whereas rs1801133 mutant postmenopausal females showed high levels of cholesterol. Further analysis will be required to understand the pattern of association of the rest of the serum cardiac markers with age and gender for rs1801133 and rs1801131 mutations.

Relationship of High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein with Cardiovascular, Diabetic, and Hepatic Biomarkers

Biomarkers are early predictors of various disorders, circulating level of C-reactive protein is a sensitive biomarker of systemic inflammation and may also be associated with the development of diabetic, hepatic, and cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between circulating levels of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and various biomarkers for hepatic, diabetic, and cardiovascular health. The retrospective analysis included 438 individuals who were tested for these panels simultaneously at Vibrant America Clinical Laboratory. The study population included free-living individuals without any preexisting clinical conditions. Among the cardiovascular markers, a positive correlation and significant association was found between high levels of hs-CRP and serum levels of triglycerides (r = 0.0964, p −0.1423, p −0.1216, p < 0.0105) with circulating levels of hs-CRP. Among all the diabetic markers, glucose (r = 0.1547, p < 0.0011) and glycated serum protein (r = 0.1725, p < 0.0003) were positively correlated with circulating hs-CRP. In the hepatic panel, AST, a transaminase that plays a vital role in amino acid metabolism, was found to have a strong positive correlation with hs-CRP (r = 0.2139, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the results clearly show the association of hs-CRP with diabetic, hepatic, and cardiovascular risk factors indicating its central value as a key marker for several lifestyle-associated disorders.

Association of Serum Ferritin Levels and Thyroid Hormones

Thyroid metabolism is orchestrated by the action of various minerals and trace elements including iron, iodine, selenium, and zinc. Iron deficiency, specifically deficiency in serum ferritin levels, is one of the common causes of thyroid dysfunction. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between serum ferritin levels and circulating thyroid hormones. For this, a retrospective analysis was performed on 16,512 individuals who tested for serum levels of ferritin and thyroid profile at Vibrant America Clinical Laboratories. Subjects were stratified based on the serum levels of ferritin. Age (p −0.03232, p < 0.0001). Analysis of Linear association by Pearson’s correlation exhibited a considerable correlation between varying serum ferritin levels with all tested thyroid hormones. The study concludes that serum ferritin levels were associated with thyroid hormone synthesis and metabolism in individuals with optimal levels of circulating ferritin.

Development of a Spin-Exchange Optical Pumping-Based Polarized ^(3)He System at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS)

Polarized 3He neutron spin filters(NSFs)can be used as a vital tool for neutron polarization production and analysis.The China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS),as one of the major neutron facilities in China,has committed resources to the development of a polarized ^(3)He NSF program to support its growing polarized neutron research.A spin-exchange optical pumping(SEOP)-based polarized ^(3)He system and other necessary hardware for NSF transport has been recently developed.The performance of the system is benchmarked using an in-house developed cell named“Trident”.Neutron beam measurements yield a ^(3)He polarization of 77%with over 200 h of on-beam relaxation time.Combining this newly developed SEOP system with the recently reported cell fabrication station,CSNS is now capable of the fully self-sustained production of ^(3)He NSFs that shall support its future neutron polarization research.

Friction-based riveting technique for AZ31 magnesium alloy

A new friction-based riveting technique, Rotating Hammer Riveting(RHR), is demonstrated to fully form AZ31 Mg rivet heads in a mere 0.23 s. Heat and pressure generated through severe plastic deformation during the process was sufficient to form the Mg rivet head without the need for a pre-heating operation. Due to preliminary twinning and followed by dynamic recrystallization, AZ31 Mg grains in the rivet head were refined during RHR, which enhance the formability of Mg rivets by triggering grain boundary sliding and reducing plastic anisotropy of Mg. In addition, RHR joints showed a metallurgical bond between the rivet head and top AZ31 Mg sheet, which eliminates a significant pathway for corrosion.

High-throughput transcriptional profiling of perturbations by Panax ginseng saponins and Panax notoginseng saponins using TCM-seq

Panax ginseng(PG)and Panax notoginseng(PN)are highly valuable Chinese medicines(CM).Although both CMs have similar active constituents,their clinical applications are clearly different.Over the past decade,RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)analysis has been employed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of extracts or monomers.However,owing to the limited number of samples in standard RNA-seq,few studies have systematically compared the effects of PG and PN spanning multiple conditions at the transcriptomic level.Here,we developed an approach that simultaneously profiles transcriptome changes for multiplexed samples using RNA-seq(TCM-seq),a high-throughput,low-cost workflow to molecularly evaluate CM perturbations.A species-mixing experiment was conducted to illustrate the accuracy of sample multiplexing in TCM-seq.Transcriptomes from repeated samples were used to verify the robustness of TCM-seq.We then focused on the primary active components,Panax notoginseng saponins(PNS)and Panax ginseng saponins(PGS)extracted from PN and PG,respectively.We also characterized the transcriptome changes of 10 cell lines,treated with four different doses of PNS and PGS,using TCM-seq to compare the differences in their perturbing effects on genes,functional pathways,gene modules,and molecular networks.The results of transcriptional data analysis showed that the transcriptional patterns of various cell lines were significantly distinct.PGS exhibited a stronger regulatory effect on genes involved in cardiovascular disease,whereas PNS resulted in a greater coagulation effect on vascular endothelial cells.This study proposes a paradigm to comprehensively explore the differences in mechanisms of action between CMs based on transcriptome readouts.

Declined trends of chlorophyll a in the South China Sea over 2005–2019 from remote sensing reconstruction

Chlorophyll a concentration(CHL)is an important proxy of the marine ecological environment and phytoplankton production.Long-term trends in CHL of the South China Sea(SCS)reflect the changes in the ecosystem’s productivity and functionality in the regional carbon cycle.In this study,we applied a previously reconstructed 15-a(2005–2019)CHL product,which has a complete coverage at 4 km and daily resolutions,to analyze the long-term trends of CHL in the SCS.Quantile regression was used to elaborate on the long-term trends of high,median,and low CHL values,as an extended method of conventional linear regression.The results showed downward trends of the SCS CHL for the 75th,50th,and 25th quantile in the past 15 a,which were−0.0040 mg/(m^(3)·a)(−1.62%per year),−0.0023 mg/(m^(3)·a)(−1.10%per year),and−0.0019 mg/(m^(3)·a)(−1.01%per year).The negative trends in winter(November to March)were more prominent than those in summer(May to September).In terms of spatial distribution,the downward trend was more significant in regions with higher CHL.These led to a reduced standard deviation of CHL over time and space.We further explored the influence of various dynamic factors on CHL trends for the entire SCS and two typical systems(winter Luzon Strait(LZ)and summer Vietnam Upwelling System(SV))with single-variate linear regression and multivariate Random Forest analysis.The multivariate analysis suggested the CHL trend pattern can be best explained by the trends of wind speed and mixed-layer depth.The divergent importance of controlling factors for LZ and SV can explain the different CHL trends for the two systems.This study expanded our understanding of the long-term changes of CHL in the SCS and provided a reference for investigating changes in the marine ecosystem.

Development of Time-of-Flight Polarized Neutron Imaging at the China Spallation Neutron Source

A time-of-flight polarized neutron imaging setup was realized by integrating an in situ pumped polarized ^(3)He spin filter and energy dispersive neutron camera on the neutron technique development beamline(BL-20)of the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS).Test experiments were performed with a solenoid with aluminum wire as a sample.These demonstrated that polarized radiography with a field of view in diameter 2.0 cm at different wavelengths can be obtained.The wavelength-dependent polarization was used to distinguish the neutron polarization behavior for different positions inside and outside the solenoid.The results of this work show the possibility of applying the technique at CSNS and marks a milestone for future polarized neutron imaging developments.

Development of a ~3He Gas Filling Station at the China Spallation Neutron Source

At the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS), we have developed a custom gas-filling station, a glassblowing workshop, and a spin-exchange optical pumping(SEOP) system for producing high-quality ^(3)He-based neutron spin filter(NSF) cells. The gas-filling station is capable of routinely filling ^(3)He cells made from GE180 glass of various dimensions, to be used as neutron polarizers and analyzers on beamlines at the CSNS. Performance tests on cells fabricated at our gas-filling station are conducted via neutron transmission and nuclear-magneticresonance measurements, revealing nominal filling pressures, and a saturated ~3He polarization in the region of 80%, with a lifetime of approximately 240 hours. These results demonstrate our ability to produce competitive NSF cells to meet the ever-increasing research needs of the polarized neutron research community.

Human Reproductive Health in Relation to Thyroid Alterations

Background: Thyroid alterations have adverse effects on other health systems in the body, and reproductive system is one of the most affected organs. Here, we perform a comprehensive analysis on the effects of different thyroid abnormalities on sexual and reproductive-related hormones in both men and women in different age groups. Method: A comprehensive analysis was performed on 15,043 subjects within the reproductive age (15 - 49 years). They were tested for thyroid markers (TSH, FT4, anti-TPO, anti-Tg) and 13 reproductive hormones in Vibrant America Clinical Laboratory between March 2016 to July 2018. The alterations of each reproductive hormone in hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, anti-TPO+ anti-Tg+ groups were evaluated. Results: A total of 10,626 women was tested. Women with hypothyroidism had elevated cortisol and low SHBG and DHEA-S. Women with hyperthyroidism showed elevated total testosterone and SHBG. Women seropositive for anti-TPO had elevated total testosterone and low cortisol. Women seropositive for anti-Tg had low parathyroid hormones. Similarly, a total of 4417 men was tested. Men with hypothyroidism had low IGF-I. Similarly, men with hyperthyroidism had low DHEA-S, but elevated estradiol, FSH, LH and prolactin. Men seropositive for anti-TPO had elevated SHBG and low progesterone. Men seropositive for anti-Tg had elevated progesterone. The reproductive and related hormone levels of age group 36 - 49 showed the most variations. Conclusion: Our results clearly show that individuals with different thyroid alterations have different effects on reproductive health, especially in the age group 36 - 49. Hence, routine testing and follow-up checkups on reproductive system would be beneficial for individuals in the age group 36 - 49 with thyroid disorders.

A Multiplex Autoantibody Panel for Early Detection of Autoimmune Disease Activity

Background: Detection of autoantibodies has played a consolidate role in diagnosis of systemic autoimmune disorders. A cascade autoantibody testing is usually performed by employing antinuclear antibodies (ANA) test as a first screening test and the other tests as second level determinations. Here, we present that supplementing extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) tests to the ANA test may capture more autoimmunity and provide critical medical information at an early stage. In this study, we?evaluated the clinical significance of a multiplex ANA + ENA panel. Methods: A cohort of 110 subjects, identified as ANA negative but ENA positive, were followed up for two years. The detection of their ANA and anti-ENA autoantibodies was assessed with a multiplex ANA + ENA panel at Vibrant America Clinical Laboratory. Results: During two years of multi-visit follow-up, 23 out of 110 subjects (20.9%) were found to become ANA positive within an average of 385 (±144) days. Histone (50/110, 45.5%) and Chromatin (25/110, 22.7%) antibodies were the most frequently found antibodies at their first visits. The subjects who were positive for RNP (5/8, 62.5%) and SSA (Ro) (10/22, 45.5%) have the highest ratio of conversion to positive ANA. No significant correlation was observed between the conversion frequency and the number of anti-ENA antibodies being carried. Conclusion: This study, which followed up on the subjects who had disparate ANA and ENA test results, showed that anti-ENA antibodies may exist years earlier than ANA. Combining ENA tests with ANA screening may reduce false negatives and improve sensitivity.

Erratum:Development of a Spin-Exchange Optical Pumping-Based Polarized 3He System at the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS)[Chin.Phys.Lett.38,092801(2021)]

In our published paper,国an important affiliation(University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China)should be added as the 3rd affiliation for the first author,as given above.References[1]Huang C,ZhangJ,Ye F,Qin Z,Amir S M,Buck Z N,Salman A,Kreuzpaintner W,Qi X,Wang T,and Tong X 2021 Chin.Phys.Lett.38092801。

A comparison of static and rotordynamic characteristics for two types of liquid annular seals with and without helical grooved stator

Less leakage is a benefit of parallel grooved liquid seals(labyrinth seals).But researches show that the liquid seal with parallel grooves on the rotor harms the rotor stability.The seal with helical grooves on stator performs well in terms of rotordynamics,and its leakage is sensitive to the rotating speed.To make use of the advantages of both seals and improve seal stability,based on the Smooth-stator/Parallel Grooved-rotor(SPG)liquid seal,a Helical Grooved-stator/Parallel Grooved-rotor(HGPG)liquid seal is designed.To evaluate two liquid seals'leakage,rotordynamic characteristics and drag power loss,a transient computational fluid dynamics-based method is employed.This method is based on the multi-frequency elliptical-orbit rotor whirling model and the mesh deformation technique.The published experimental data of the leakage and rotordynamic force coefficients for an SPG liquid seal are used to validate the accuracy and dependability of the current method.Seal leakage and force coefficients are presented and compared for the SPG liquid seal and the HGPG liquid seal at various pressure drops.The influences of parallel groove depth on the leakage and rotordynamic properties for the HGPG liquid seals at two rotational speeds(2000,6000 r/min)are analyzed.The numerical findings demonstrate that the novel HGPG liquid seal has a lower leakage flow rate(by$22.3%)than the traditional SPG liquid seal.There is an optimal parallel groove depth that minimizes leakage.The presented novel HGPG liquid seal significantly improves rotordynamic stability,due to the similar effective stiffness and the obviously larger positive effective damping.Reducing parallel groove depth can increase the positive effective damping.In terms of leakage and rotordynamic characteristics,the novel HGPG liquid seal is a better seal design for liquid turbomachinery.

The chloroplast pentatricopeptide repeat protein RCN22 regulates tiller number in rice by affecting sugar levels via the TB1–RCN22–RbcL module

As an important yield component,rice tiller number controls panicle number and determines grain yield.Regulation of rice tiller number by chloroplast pentatricopeptide repeat(PPR)proteins has not been reported previously.Here,we report the rice reduced culm number22(rcn22)mutant,which produces few tillers owing to suppressed tiller bud elongation.Map-based cloning revealed that RCN22 encodes a chloroplast-localized P-type PPR protein.We found that RCN22 specifically binds to the 5′UTR of RbcL mRNA(encoding the large subunit of Rubisco)and enhances its stability.The reduced abundance of RbcL mRNA in rcn22 leads to a lower photosynthetic rate and decreased sugar levels.Consequently,transcript levels of DWARF3(D3)and TEOSINTE BRANCHED1(TB1)(which encode negative regulators of tiller bud elongation)are increased,whereas protein levels of the positive regulator DWARF53(D53)are decreased.Furthermore,high concentrations of sucrose can rescue the tiller bud growth defect of the rcn22 mutant.On the other hand,TB1 directly binds to the RCN22 promoter and downregulates its expression.The tb1/rcn22 double mutant shows a tillering phenotype similar to that of rcn22.Our results suggest that the TB1–RCN22–RbcL module plays a vital role in rice tiller bud elongation by affecting sugar levels.

表观遗传调控植物分枝/分蘖研究进展

分蘖是禾本科植物特有的分枝类型,是影响作物产量的关键因素之一。分枝/分蘖数由叶腋处侧生分生组织的数量和侧芽的活性共同决定。表观遗传修饰调控植物生长发育的各个方面,但是如何调控植物的分枝/分蘖数还未见系统报道。该综述归纳了表观遗传调控侧生分生组织的形成和侧芽向外生长两个方面,并展望了表观遗传在调控植物分枝/分蘖中的研究方向,以期为通过表观遗传修饰改良作物品种的育种途径提供理论指导。

Electrochemical Oxidative Csp^3—H/S—H Cross-Coupling with Hydrogen Evolution for Synthesis of Tetrasubstituted Olefins

Tetrasubstituted olefins are significant scaffolds as they are prevalent in many biologically active compounds and versatile building blocks for organic synthesis. Herein, we report an electrochemical oxidative Csp^3—H/S—H cross-coupling reaction, in which various tetrasubstituted olefins were prepared under base-free, transition metal-free, and oxidants-free reaction conditions.

Correlation between microstructures and mechanical properties of high-speed friction stir welded aluminum hollow extrusions subjected to axial forces

The AA6005A-T6 aluminum hollow extrusions were friction stir welded at a high welding speed of 2000mm/min and various axial forces. The results show that the nugget zone （NZ） is characterized by fine equiaxed grains, in which a low density of equilibrium phase β is observed. The grains in the thermo-mechanically affected zone （TMAZ） are elongated, and the highest density of dislocations and a low density of β precipitates can be found in grains. The heat affected zone （HAZ） only experiences a low thermal cycle, and a high density of β precipitates and a low density of β precipitates remain in the coarsened grains. The microhardness evolutions in the NZ, TMAZ and HAZ are governed by the grain refinement and dislocation strengthening, the dislocation and precipitation strengthening, and the precipitation and solid solution strengthening, respectively. When increasing the axial force, the changing trend of one strengthening mechanism is contrary to the other in each zone, and the microhardness increases in different zones. As a result, the tensile strength roughly increases with raising the axial force, and all joints show good tensile properties as the high welding speed inhibits the coarsening and dissolution of strengthening precipitates significantly.

In-situ optical pumping for polarizing 3He neutron spin filters at the China Spallation Neutron Source

In this paper,we present the performance of a recently developed in-situ spin-exchange optically pumped^(3)He-neutron spin filter system at the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS).The system achieved a^(3)He polarization of over 74%at the beamline BL-20.Analysis of neutron transmission experiment results reveals a neutron polarization of>90%and an average transmission of 27%for 2.2Åneutrons,which were maintained for a duration of 120 h of beam time.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first in-situ hyperpolarized^(3)He system incorporated on a neutron beamline in China.This technology is expected to provide stable,wide-angle,and highly polarized neutrons at the CSNS for materials research and fundamental neutron physics.