Lithium-and manganese-rich(LMR)layered cathode materials hold the great promise in designing the next-generation high energy density lithium ion batteries.However,due to the severe surface phase transformation and str...Lithium-and manganese-rich(LMR)layered cathode materials hold the great promise in designing the next-generation high energy density lithium ion batteries.However,due to the severe surface phase transformation and structure collapse,stabilizing LMR to suppress capacity fade has been a critical challenge.Here,a bifunctional strategy that integrates the advantages of surface modification and structural design is proposed to address the above issues.A model compound Li_(1.2)Mn_(0.54)Ni_(0.13)Co_(0.13)O_(2)(MNC)with semi-hollow microsphere structure is synthesized,of which the surface is modified by surface-treated layer and graphene/car-bon nanotube dual layers.The unique structure design enabled high tap density(2.1 g cm^(−3))and bidirectional ion diffusion pathways.The dual surface coatings covalent bonded with MNC via C-O-M linkage greatly improves charge transfer efficiency and mitigates electrode degradation.Owing to the synergistic effect,the obtained MNC cathode is highly conformal with durable structure integrity,exhibiting high volumetric energy density(2234 Wh L^(−1))and predominant capacitive behavior.The assembled full cell,with nanograph-ite as the anode,reveals an energy density of 526.5 Wh kg^(−1),good rate performance(70.3%retention at 20 C)and long cycle life(1000 cycles).The strategy presented in this work may shed light on designing other high-performance energy devices.展开更多
Degenerative disc disease(DDD) is associated with intervertebral disc degeneration of spinal instability. Here, we report that the cilia of nucleus pulposus(NP) cells mediate mechanotransduction to maintain anabolic a...Degenerative disc disease(DDD) is associated with intervertebral disc degeneration of spinal instability. Here, we report that the cilia of nucleus pulposus(NP) cells mediate mechanotransduction to maintain anabolic activity in the discs. We found that mechanical stress promotes transport of parathyroid hormone 1 receptor(PTH1 R) to the cilia and enhances parathyroid hormone(PTH) signaling in NP cells. PTH induces transcription of integrin α_vβ_6 to activate the transforming growth factor(TGF)-β-connective tissue growth factor(CCN2)-matrix proteins signaling cascade. Intermittent injection of PTH(iPTH) effectively attenuates disc degeneration of aged mice by direct signaling through NP cells, specifically improving intervertebral disc height and volume by increasing levels of TGF-β activity, CCN2, and aggrecan. PTH1 R is expressed in both mouse and human NP cells. Importantly,knockout PTH1 R or cilia in the NP cells results in significant disc degeneration and blunts the effect of PTH on attenuation of aged discs. Thus, mechanical stress-induced transport of PTH1 R to the cilia enhances PTH signaling, which helps maintain intervertebral disc homeostasis, particularly during aging, indicating therapeutic potential of iPTH for DDD.展开更多
The anode-free design is a promising strategy to increase the energy density of aqueous Zn metal batteries(AZMBs).However,the scarcity of Zn-rich cathodes and the rapid loss of limited Zn greatly hinder their commerci...The anode-free design is a promising strategy to increase the energy density of aqueous Zn metal batteries(AZMBs).However,the scarcity of Zn-rich cathodes and the rapid loss of limited Zn greatly hinder their commercial applications.To address these issues,a novel anode-free Zniodine battery(AFZIB)was designed via a simple,low-cost and scalable approach.Iodine plays bifunctional roles in improving the AFZIB overall performance:enabling high-performance Zn-rich cathode and modulating Zn deposition behavior.On the cathode side,the ZnI_(2) serves as Zn-rich cathode material.The graphene/polyvinyl pyrrolidone heterostructure was employed as an efficient host for ZnI_(2) to enhance electron conductivity and suppress the shuttle effect of iodine species.On the anode side,trace I_(3)^(−) additive in the electrolyte creates surface reconstruction on the commercial Cu foil.The in situ formed zincophilic Cu nanocluster allows ultralow-overpotential and uniform Zn deposition and superior reversibility(average coulombic efficiency>99.91% over 7,000 cycles).Based on such a configuration,AFZIB exhibits significantly increased energy density(162 Wh kg^(−1)) and durable cycle stability(63.8% capacity retention after 200 cycles)under practical application conditions.Considering the low cost and simple preparation methods of the electrode materials,this work paves the way for the practical application of AZMBs.展开更多
The chemical equilibrium equations utilized in reactive transport modeling are complex and nonlinear,and are typically solved using the Newton-Raphson method.Although this algorithm is known for its quadratic converge...The chemical equilibrium equations utilized in reactive transport modeling are complex and nonlinear,and are typically solved using the Newton-Raphson method.Although this algorithm is known for its quadratic convergence near the solution,it is less effective far from the solution,especially for ill-conditioned problems.In such cases,the algorithm may fail to converge or require excessive iterations.To address these limitations,a projected Newton method is introduced to incorporate the concept of projection.This method constrains the Newton step by utilizing a chemically allowed interval that generates feasible descending iterations.Moreover,we utilize the positive continuous fraction method as a preconditioning technique,providing reliable initial values for solving the algorithms.The numerical results are compared with those derived using the regular Newton-Raphson method,the Newton-Raphson method based on chemically allowed interval updating rules,and the bounded variable least squares method in six different test cases.The numerical results highlight the robustness and efficacy of the proposed algorithm.展开更多
DNA delivery is a core technology for gene structure and function research as well as clinical settings. The ability to safely and efficiently targeted transfer foreign DNA into cells is a fundamental goal in biotechn...DNA delivery is a core technology for gene structure and function research as well as clinical settings. The ability to safely and efficiently targeted transfer foreign DNA into cells is a fundamental goal in biotechnology. With the development of nanobiotechnology, nanoparticle gene vectors brought about new hope to reach the goal. In our research, silica nanoparticles (SiNP) were synthesized first in a microemulsion system polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether (OP-10)/cyclohexane/ammonium hydroxide, at the same time the effects of SiNP size and its distribution were elucidated by orthogonal analysis; then poly-L-lysine (PLL) was linked on the surface of SiNP by nanoparticle surface energy and electrostatically binding; lastly a novel complex nanomate-rial-poly-L-lysine-silica nanoparticles (PLL-SiNP) wasprepared. The analysis of plasmid DNA binding and DNase I enzymatic degradation discovered that PLL-SiNP could bind DNA, and protect it against enzymatic degradation. Cell transfection showed that展开更多
Rotator cuff(RC)attaches to humerus across a triphasic yet continuous tissue zones(bone-fibrocartilage-tendon),termed“enthesis”.Regrettably,rapid and functional enthesis regeneration is challenging after RC tear.The...Rotator cuff(RC)attaches to humerus across a triphasic yet continuous tissue zones(bone-fibrocartilage-tendon),termed“enthesis”.Regrettably,rapid and functional enthesis regeneration is challenging after RC tear.The existing grafts bioengineered for RC repair are insufficient,as they were engineered by a scaffold that did not mimic normal enthesis in morphology,composition,and tensile property,meanwhile cannot simultaneously stimulate the formation of bone-fibrocartilage-tendon tissues.Herein,an optimized decellularization approach based on a vacuum aspiration device(VAD)was developed to fabricate a book-shaped decellularized enthesis matrix(O-BDEM).Then,three recombinant growth factors(CBP-GFs)capable of binding collagen were synthesized by fusing a collagen-binding peptide(CBP)into the N-terminal of BMP-2,TGF-β3,or GDF-7,and zone-specifically tethered to the collagen of O-BDEM to fabricate a novel scaffold(CBP-GFs/O-BDEM)satisfying the above-mentioned requirements.After ensuring the low immunogenicity of CBP-GFs/O-BDEM by a novel single-cell mass cytometry in a mouse model,we interleaved urine-derived stem cell-sheets into this CBP-GFs/O-BDEM to bioengineer an enthesis-like graft.Its high-performance on regenerating enthesis was determined in a canine model.These findings indicate this CBP-GFs/O-BDEM may be an excellent scaffold for constructing enthesis-like graft to patch large/massive RC tears,and provide breakthroughs in fabricating graded interfacial tissue.展开更多
A pilot-scale multistage constructed wetland-pond(MCWP)system with a"pre-ecological oxidation pond,two-stage horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland(HSCW)and surface flow constructed wetland(SFCW)as the co...A pilot-scale multistage constructed wetland-pond(MCWP)system with a"pre-ecological oxidation pond,two-stage horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland(HSCW)and surface flow constructed wetland(SFCW)as the core and postsubmerged plant pond"as the process was used to treat actual polluted river water in the field,and the variation in nitrogen removal from summer to winter was investigated.The results showed that the average total nitrogen(TN)removal efficiency in the MCWP was approximately 40.74%.The significant positive correlation between the daily highest temperature and the TN removal efficiency of the whole system was fitted with a nonlinear curve(R^(2)=0.7192).The TN removal load rate in the HSCWs was 2.7–3.7 times that in the SFCW.The SFCW,which had high-density plants(35 plants/m^(2)),increased the proportion of nitrogen removed by plant harvesting and microbial function.The TN transformed by Iris pseudacorus L.accounted for 54.53%in the SFCW.Furthermore,bacteria completed the nitrogen cycle in the SFCW through a variety of nitrogen removal pathways.This research not only investigated the TN removal performance in an MCWP system but also made it possible to predict the TN removal efficiency according to the daily highest temperature from summer to winter in the field.展开更多
Effective methods for visualizing neurovascular morphology are essential for understanding the normal spinal cord and the morphological alterations associated with diseases.However,ideal techniques for simultaneously ...Effective methods for visualizing neurovascular morphology are essential for understanding the normal spinal cord and the morphological alterations associated with diseases.However,ideal techniques for simultaneously imaging neurovascular structure in a broad region of a specimen are still lacking.In this study,we combined Golgi staining with angiography and synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography(SRμCT)to visualize the 3D neurovascular network in the mouse spinal cord.Using our method,the 3D neurons,nerve fibers,and vasculature in a broad region could be visualized in the same image at cellular resolution without destructive sectioning.Besides,we found that the 3D morphology of neurons,nerve fiber tracts,and vasculature visualized by SRjiCT were highly consistent with that visualized using the histological method.Moreover,the 3D neurovascular structure could be quantitatively evaluated by the combined methodology.The method shown here will be useful in fundamental neuroscience studies.展开更多
基金The authors greatly appreciate the financial support from the National Science Foundation of China(22075048,51173027,21875141)Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics,Shanghai International Collaboration Research Project(19520713900).
文摘Lithium-and manganese-rich(LMR)layered cathode materials hold the great promise in designing the next-generation high energy density lithium ion batteries.However,due to the severe surface phase transformation and structure collapse,stabilizing LMR to suppress capacity fade has been a critical challenge.Here,a bifunctional strategy that integrates the advantages of surface modification and structural design is proposed to address the above issues.A model compound Li_(1.2)Mn_(0.54)Ni_(0.13)Co_(0.13)O_(2)(MNC)with semi-hollow microsphere structure is synthesized,of which the surface is modified by surface-treated layer and graphene/car-bon nanotube dual layers.The unique structure design enabled high tap density(2.1 g cm^(−3))and bidirectional ion diffusion pathways.The dual surface coatings covalent bonded with MNC via C-O-M linkage greatly improves charge transfer efficiency and mitigates electrode degradation.Owing to the synergistic effect,the obtained MNC cathode is highly conformal with durable structure integrity,exhibiting high volumetric energy density(2234 Wh L^(−1))and predominant capacitive behavior.The assembled full cell,with nanograph-ite as the anode,reveals an energy density of 526.5 Wh kg^(−1),good rate performance(70.3%retention at 20 C)and long cycle life(1000 cycles).The strategy presented in this work may shed light on designing other high-performance energy devices.
基金supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers AR071432 and AR063943
文摘Degenerative disc disease(DDD) is associated with intervertebral disc degeneration of spinal instability. Here, we report that the cilia of nucleus pulposus(NP) cells mediate mechanotransduction to maintain anabolic activity in the discs. We found that mechanical stress promotes transport of parathyroid hormone 1 receptor(PTH1 R) to the cilia and enhances parathyroid hormone(PTH) signaling in NP cells. PTH induces transcription of integrin α_vβ_6 to activate the transforming growth factor(TGF)-β-connective tissue growth factor(CCN2)-matrix proteins signaling cascade. Intermittent injection of PTH(iPTH) effectively attenuates disc degeneration of aged mice by direct signaling through NP cells, specifically improving intervertebral disc height and volume by increasing levels of TGF-β activity, CCN2, and aggrecan. PTH1 R is expressed in both mouse and human NP cells. Importantly,knockout PTH1 R or cilia in the NP cells results in significant disc degeneration and blunts the effect of PTH on attenuation of aged discs. Thus, mechanical stress-induced transport of PTH1 R to the cilia enhances PTH signaling, which helps maintain intervertebral disc homeostasis, particularly during aging, indicating therapeutic potential of iPTH for DDD.
基金This work was financially supported by Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum CO.,Ltd(18529)Yiwu Research Institute of Fudan University(21557),the National Science Foundation of China(22075048)the Shanghai International Collaboration Research Project(19520713900).
文摘The anode-free design is a promising strategy to increase the energy density of aqueous Zn metal batteries(AZMBs).However,the scarcity of Zn-rich cathodes and the rapid loss of limited Zn greatly hinder their commercial applications.To address these issues,a novel anode-free Zniodine battery(AFZIB)was designed via a simple,low-cost and scalable approach.Iodine plays bifunctional roles in improving the AFZIB overall performance:enabling high-performance Zn-rich cathode and modulating Zn deposition behavior.On the cathode side,the ZnI_(2) serves as Zn-rich cathode material.The graphene/polyvinyl pyrrolidone heterostructure was employed as an efficient host for ZnI_(2) to enhance electron conductivity and suppress the shuttle effect of iodine species.On the anode side,trace I_(3)^(−) additive in the electrolyte creates surface reconstruction on the commercial Cu foil.The in situ formed zincophilic Cu nanocluster allows ultralow-overpotential and uniform Zn deposition and superior reversibility(average coulombic efficiency>99.91% over 7,000 cycles).Based on such a configuration,AFZIB exhibits significantly increased energy density(162 Wh kg^(−1)) and durable cycle stability(63.8% capacity retention after 200 cycles)under practical application conditions.Considering the low cost and simple preparation methods of the electrode materials,this work paves the way for the practical application of AZMBs.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.22178190 and 22008129).
文摘The chemical equilibrium equations utilized in reactive transport modeling are complex and nonlinear,and are typically solved using the Newton-Raphson method.Although this algorithm is known for its quadratic convergence near the solution,it is less effective far from the solution,especially for ill-conditioned problems.In such cases,the algorithm may fail to converge or require excessive iterations.To address these limitations,a projected Newton method is introduced to incorporate the concept of projection.This method constrains the Newton step by utilizing a chemically allowed interval that generates feasible descending iterations.Moreover,we utilize the positive continuous fraction method as a preconditioning technique,providing reliable initial values for solving the algorithms.The numerical results are compared with those derived using the regular Newton-Raphson method,the Newton-Raphson method based on chemically allowed interval updating rules,and the bounded variable least squares method in six different test cases.The numerical results highlight the robustness and efficacy of the proposed algorithm.
基金This work was supported by the National High Technology R&D Project of China (Grant No. 102-10-01-05)the Special Funds for Major State Basic Research of China (Grant No. 1998051008)the Key Program Funds of the Ministry of Education (Grant No. 2000-15
文摘DNA delivery is a core technology for gene structure and function research as well as clinical settings. The ability to safely and efficiently targeted transfer foreign DNA into cells is a fundamental goal in biotechnology. With the development of nanobiotechnology, nanoparticle gene vectors brought about new hope to reach the goal. In our research, silica nanoparticles (SiNP) were synthesized first in a microemulsion system polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether (OP-10)/cyclohexane/ammonium hydroxide, at the same time the effects of SiNP size and its distribution were elucidated by orthogonal analysis; then poly-L-lysine (PLL) was linked on the surface of SiNP by nanoparticle surface energy and electrostatically binding; lastly a novel complex nanomate-rial-poly-L-lysine-silica nanoparticles (PLL-SiNP) wasprepared. The analysis of plasmid DNA binding and DNase I enzymatic degradation discovered that PLL-SiNP could bind DNA, and protect it against enzymatic degradation. Cell transfection showed that
基金We are grateful for finandal support from Fudan University, National Basic Research Program of China （No. 2011CB605702）, National Natutral Science Foundation of China （No. 51173027）, The Program for Professor of Special Appointment （Eastern Scholar） at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning （No. TP2015002） and Shanghai Basic Research Program （No. 14JC1400600）. We also thank Miss Q. Yah, Dr. L. Dei, Dr. G. Qi, Dr. Y. Cui and Dr. Y. Ren at Fudan University and Miss Q. Hu at Shanghai Jiao Tong University for the help with the experiments. Dr. S. Ye and Dr. Y. Zhang at Fudan University provide some suggestions, too. I. S. would like to extend his sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at the King Saud University for its funding of this research through the Research Prolific Research Group, Project No PRG-1436-25.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.81902192 and 81730068)the Science and Technology Major Project of Changsha(No.kh2003015)+1 种基金the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China(No.2019M652809)Additionally,we thank the staffs at BL01B station of National Facility for Protein Science Shanghai and the BL15U1 station of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility,Shanghai,China,for their kind assistance during the experiments.
文摘Rotator cuff(RC)attaches to humerus across a triphasic yet continuous tissue zones(bone-fibrocartilage-tendon),termed“enthesis”.Regrettably,rapid and functional enthesis regeneration is challenging after RC tear.The existing grafts bioengineered for RC repair are insufficient,as they were engineered by a scaffold that did not mimic normal enthesis in morphology,composition,and tensile property,meanwhile cannot simultaneously stimulate the formation of bone-fibrocartilage-tendon tissues.Herein,an optimized decellularization approach based on a vacuum aspiration device(VAD)was developed to fabricate a book-shaped decellularized enthesis matrix(O-BDEM).Then,three recombinant growth factors(CBP-GFs)capable of binding collagen were synthesized by fusing a collagen-binding peptide(CBP)into the N-terminal of BMP-2,TGF-β3,or GDF-7,and zone-specifically tethered to the collagen of O-BDEM to fabricate a novel scaffold(CBP-GFs/O-BDEM)satisfying the above-mentioned requirements.After ensuring the low immunogenicity of CBP-GFs/O-BDEM by a novel single-cell mass cytometry in a mouse model,we interleaved urine-derived stem cell-sheets into this CBP-GFs/O-BDEM to bioengineer an enthesis-like graft.Its high-performance on regenerating enthesis was determined in a canine model.These findings indicate this CBP-GFs/O-BDEM may be an excellent scaffold for constructing enthesis-like graft to patch large/massive RC tears,and provide breakthroughs in fabricating graded interfacial tissue.
基金supported bythe Ministry of Science and Technology of China(No.2015FY110900)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41877409)the Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment of China(No.2018ZX07208008)。
文摘A pilot-scale multistage constructed wetland-pond(MCWP)system with a"pre-ecological oxidation pond,two-stage horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland(HSCW)and surface flow constructed wetland(SFCW)as the core and postsubmerged plant pond"as the process was used to treat actual polluted river water in the field,and the variation in nitrogen removal from summer to winter was investigated.The results showed that the average total nitrogen(TN)removal efficiency in the MCWP was approximately 40.74%.The significant positive correlation between the daily highest temperature and the TN removal efficiency of the whole system was fitted with a nonlinear curve(R^(2)=0.7192).The TN removal load rate in the HSCWs was 2.7–3.7 times that in the SFCW.The SFCW,which had high-density plants(35 plants/m^(2)),increased the proportion of nitrogen removed by plant harvesting and microbial function.The TN transformed by Iris pseudacorus L.accounted for 54.53%in the SFCW.Furthermore,bacteria completed the nitrogen cycle in the SFCW through a variety of nitrogen removal pathways.This research not only investigated the TN removal performance in an MCWP system but also made it possible to predict the TN removal efficiency according to the daily highest temperature from summer to winter in the field.
基金by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82030071,81874004,and 81672174)the Key R&D Program of the Hunan Provincial Science&Technology Department(2017SK2061)+1 种基金Hunan Provincial Department of Finance[(2018)2]by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Central South University(2018zzts254).
文摘Effective methods for visualizing neurovascular morphology are essential for understanding the normal spinal cord and the morphological alterations associated with diseases.However,ideal techniques for simultaneously imaging neurovascular structure in a broad region of a specimen are still lacking.In this study,we combined Golgi staining with angiography and synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography(SRμCT)to visualize the 3D neurovascular network in the mouse spinal cord.Using our method,the 3D neurons,nerve fibers,and vasculature in a broad region could be visualized in the same image at cellular resolution without destructive sectioning.Besides,we found that the 3D morphology of neurons,nerve fiber tracts,and vasculature visualized by SRjiCT were highly consistent with that visualized using the histological method.Moreover,the 3D neurovascular structure could be quantitatively evaluated by the combined methodology.The method shown here will be useful in fundamental neuroscience studies.
