Design,preparation,application of advanced array structured materials and their action mechanism analyses for high performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur battery(LSB)has brought much attention and concern because of high theoretical specific capacity and energy density as one of main competitors for next-generation energy storage systems.The widely commercial application and development of LSB is mainly hindered by serious“shuttle effect”of lithium polysulfides(Li PSs),slow reaction kinetics,notorious lithium dendrites,etc.In various structures of LSB materials,array structured materials,possessing the composition of ordered micro units with the same or similar characteristics of each unit,present excellent application potential for various secondary cells due to some merits such as immobilization of active substances,high specific surface area,appropriate pore sizes,easy modification of functional material surface,accommodated huge volume change,enough facilitated transportation for electrons/lithium ions,and special functional groups strongly adsorbing Li PSs.Thus many novel array structured materials are applied to battery for tackling thorny problems mentioned above.In this review,recent progresses and developments on array structured materials applied in LSBs including preparation ways,collaborative structural designs based on array structures,and action mechanism analyses in improving electrochemical performance and safety are summarized.Meanwhile,we also have detailed discussion for array structured materials in LSBs and constructed the structure-function relationships between array structured materials and battery performances.Lastly,some directions and prospects about preparation ways,functional modifications,and practical applications of array structured materials in LSBs are generalized.We hope the review can attract more researchers'attention and bring more studying on array structured materials for other secondary batteries including LSB.

The need to develop tailored tools for improving the quality of thematic bibliometric analyses: Evidence from papers published in Sustainability and Scientometrics

Purpose: The aim of this article is to explore up to seven parameters related to the methodological quality and reproducibility of thematic bibliometric research published in the two most productive journals in bibliometrics, Sustainability(a journal outside the discipline) and Scientometrics, the flagship journal in the field.Design/methodology/approach: The study identifies the need for developing tailored tools for improving the quality of thematic bibliometric analyses, and presents a framework that can guide the development of such tools. A total of 508 papers are analysed, 77% of Sustainability, and 23% published in Scientometrics, for the 2019-2021 period.Findings: An average of 2.6 shortcomings per paper was found for the whole sample, with an almost identical number of flaws in both journals. Sustainability has more flaws than Scientometrics in four of the seven parameters studied, while Scientometrics has more shortcomings in the remaining three variables.Research limitations: The first limitation of this work is that it is a study of two scientific journals, so the results cannot be directly extrapolated to the set of thematic bibliometric analyses published in journals from all fields.Practical implications: We propose the adoption of protocols, guidelines, and other similar tools, adapted to bibliometric practice, which could increase the thoroughness, transparency, and reproducibility of this type of research.Originality/value: These results show considerable room for improvement in terms of the adequate use and breakdown of methodological procedures in thematic bibliometric research, both in journals in the Information Science area and journals outside the discipline.

Mechanical stress and deformation analyses of pressurized cylindrical shells based on a higher-order modeling

In this research,mechanical stress,static strain and deformation analyses of a cylindrical pressure vessel subjected to mechanical loads are presented.The kinematic relations are developed based on higherorder sinusoidal shear deformation theory.Thickness stretching formulation is accounted for more accurate analysis.The total transverse deflection is divided into bending,shear and thickness stretching parts in which the third term is responsible for change of deflection along the thickness direction.The axisymmetric formulations are derived through principle of virtual work.A parametric study is presented to investigate variation of stress and strain components along the thickness and longitudinal directions.To explore effect of thickness stretching model on the static results,a comparison between the present results with the available results of literature is presented.As an important output,effect of micro-scale parameter is studied on the static stress and strain distribution.

In silico prospective analysis of the medicinal plants activity on the CagA oncoprotein from Helicobacter pylori

BACKGROUND Colonization with Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)has a strong correlation with gastric cancer,and the virulence factor CagA is implicated in carcinogenesis.Studies have been conducted using medicinal plants with the aim of eliminating the pathogen;however,the possibility of blocking H.pylori-induced cell differentiation to prevent the onset and/or progression of tumors has not been addressed.This type of study is expensive and time-consuming,requiring in vitro and/or in vivo tests,which can be solved using bioinformatics.Therefore,prospective computational analyses were conducted to assess the feasibility of interaction between phenolic compounds from medicinal plants and the CagA oncoprotein.AIM To perform a computational prospecting of the interactions between phenolic compounds from medicinal plants and the CagA oncoprotein of H.pylori.METHODS In this in silico study,the structures of the phenolic compounds(ligands)kaempferol,myricetin,quercetin,ponciretin(flavonoids),and chlorogenic acid(phenolic acid)were selected from the PubChem database.These phenolic compounds were chosen based on previous studies that suggested medicinal plants as non-drug treatments to eliminate H.pylori infection.The three-dimensional structure model of the CagA oncoprotein of H.pylori(receptor)was obtained through molecular modeling using computational tools from the I-Tasser platform,employing the threading methodology.The primary sequence of CagA was sourced from GenBank(BAK52797.1).A screening was conducted to identify binding sites in the structure of the CagA oncoprotein that could potentially interact with the ligands,utilizing the GRaSP online platform.Both the ligands and receptor were prepared for molecular docking using AutoDock Tools 4(ADT)software,and the simulations were carried out using a combination of ADT and AutoDock Vina v.1.2.0 software.Two sets of simulations were performed:One involving the central region of CagA with phenolic compounds,and another involving the carboxy-terminus region of CagA with phenolic compounds.The receptor-ligand complexes were then analyzed using PyMol and BIOVIA Discovery Studio software.RESULTS The structure model obtained for the CagA oncoprotein exhibited high quality(C-score=0.09)and was validated using parameters from the MolProbity platform.The GRaSP online platform identified 24 residues(phenylalanine and leucine)as potential binding sites on the CagA oncoprotein.Molecular docking simulations were conducted with the three-dimensional model of the CagA oncoprotein.No complexes were observed in the simulations between the carboxy-terminus region of CagA and the phenolic compounds;however,all phenolic compounds interacted with the central region of the oncoprotein.Phenolic compounds and CagA exhibited significant affinity energy(-7.9 to-9.1 kcal/mol):CagA/kaempferol formed 28 chemical bonds,CagA/myricetin formed 18 chemical bonds,CagA/quercetin formed 16 chemical bonds,CagA/ponciretin formed 13 chemical bonds,and CagA/chlorogenic acid formed 17 chemical bonds.Although none of the phenolic compounds directly bound to the amino acid residues of the K-Xn-R-X-R membrane binding motif,all of them bound to residues,mostly positively or negatively charged,located near this region.CONCLUSION In silico,the tested phenolic compounds formed stable complexes with CagA.Therefore,they could be tested in vitro and/or in vivo to validate the findings,and to assess interference in CagA/cellular target interactions and in the oncogenic differentiation of gastric cells.

Analyses on Marketing Strategies of Penglai's Tourism

Although tourism marketing has made great progress in recent years,researches on it are far from enough.Current re searches on tourism marketing at home and abroad lack pertinence and mostly provide theoretical basis for tourism development within a wide range.The researches on tourism marketing of Penglai are few and far between.Based on previous studies and the status quo of tourism marketing strategy,the below statements tries to find out existing problems of Penglai's tourism,put for ward countermeasures and propose feasible marketing patterns suitable for its tourism development.It subsequently concludes that it can make contribution to the sustainable development of Penglai's tourism and provide other county-level tourism cities with reference for marketing tourism marketing strategies.

Entransy analyses of heat–work conversion systems with inner irreversible thermodynamic cycles

In this paper, we try to use the entransy theory to analyze the heat–work conversion systems with inner irreversible thermodynamic cycles. First, the inner irreversible thermodynamic cycles are analyzed. The influences of different inner irreversible factors on entransy loss are discussed. We find that the concept of entransy loss can be used to analyze the inner irreversible thermodynamic cycles. Then, we analyze the common heat–work conversion systems with inner irreversible thermodynamic cycles. As an example, the heat–work conversion system in which the working fluid of the thermodynamic cycles is heated and cooled by streams is analyzed. Our analyses show that larger entransy loss leads to larger output work when the total heat flow from the high temperature heat source and the corresponding equivalent temperature are fixed.Some numerical cases are presented, and the results verify the theoretical analyses. On the other hand, it is also found that larger entransy loss does not always lead to larger output work when the preconditions are not satisfied.

Development of x-ray scintillator functioning also as an analyser grating used in grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging

In order to push the grating-based phase contrast imaging system to be used in hospitM and laboratories, this paper designs and develops a novel structure of x-ray scintillator functioning also as an analyser grating, which has been proposed for grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging. According to this design, the scintillator should have a periodical structure in one dimension with the pitch equaling the period of self-image of the phase grating at the Talbot distance, where one half of the pitch is pixellated and is made of x-ray sensitive fluorescent material, such as CsI（T1）, and the remaining part of the pitch is made of x-ray insensitive material, such as silicon. To realize the design, a deep pore array with a high aspect ratio and specially designed grating pattern are successfully manufactured on 5 inch silicon wafer by the photo-assisted electrochemical etching method. The related other problems, such as oxidation-caused geometrical distortion, the filling of CsI（T1） into deep pores and the removal of inside bubbles, have been overcome. Its pixel size, depth and grating pitch are 3 p.m^7.5 ~m, 150 p^m and 3 Ixm, respectively. The microstructure of the scintillator has been examined microscopically and macroscopically by scanning electron microscope and x-ray resolution chart testing, respectively. The preliminary measurements have shown that the proposed scintillator, also functioning as an analyser grating, has been successfully designed and developed.

Entropy resistance analyses of a two-stream parallel flow heat exchanger with viscous heating

Heat exchangers are widely used in industry, and analyses and optimizations of the performance of heat exchangers are important topics. In this paper, we define the concept of entropy resistance based on the entropy generation analyses of a one-dimensional heat transfer process. With this concept, a two-stream parallel flow heat exchanger with viscous heating is analyzed and discussed. It is found that the minimization of entropy resistance always leads to the maximum heat transfer rate for the discussed two-stream parallel flow heat exchanger, while the minimizations of entropy generation rate, entropy generation numbers, and revised entropy generation number do not always.

Updated neutronics analyses of a water cooled ceramic breeder blanket for the CFETR

The water cooled ceramic breeder（WCCB） blanket employing pressurized water as a coolant is one of the breeding blanket candidates for the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor（CFETR）.Some updating of neutronics analyses was needed, because there were changes in the neutronics performance of the blanket as several significant modifications and improvements have been adopted for the WCCB blanket, including the optimization of radial build-up and customized structure for each blanket module. A 22.5 degree toroidal symmetrical torus sector 3 D neutronics model containing the updated design of the WCCB blanket modules was developed for the neutronics analyses. The tritium breeding capability, nuclear heating power, radiation damage,and decay heat were calculated by the MCNP and FISPACT code. The results show that the packing factor and^6 Li enrichment of the breeder should both be no less than 0.8 to ensure tritium self-sufficiency. The nuclear heating power of the blanket under 200 MW fusion power reaches201.23 MW. The displacement per atom per full power year（FPY） of the plasma-facing component and first wall reach 0.90 and 2.60, respectively. The peak H production rate reaches150.79 appm/FPY and the peak He production reaches 29.09 appm/FPY in blanket module #3.The total decay heat of the blanket modules is 2.64 MW at 1 s after shutdown and the average decay heat density can reach 11.09 kW m^（-3） at that time. The decay heat density of the blanket modules slowly decreases to lower than 10 W m^（-3） in more than ten years.

Natural heritage values and comparative analyses of Kanas,China

Kanas is a National Nature Reserve and National 5A Scenic Area,and it is also high on China’s National Natural Heritage List. In this paper,with an integrated analysis and comparative geo-graphical approach,the genesis and current features of the Kanas landscape are analyzed systematically according to the criteria for outstanding universal values that must be met for designation by the United Nations as World Natural Heritage. It is concluded that Kanas has outstanding universal values in geosciences,biology and aesthetics. Through comparison with other World Natural Heritage sites of the same geological types,in the same biogeographic zone and in the same latitude,it is concluded that Kanas meets criteria vii,viii,ix and x for designation as World Natural Heritage. Thus,this work establishes a scientific foundation for nomination of Kanas for such a status.

Increased virulence of the oral microbiome in oral squamous cell carcinoma revealed by metatranscriptome analyses

Oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) is the most prevalent and most commonly studied oral cancer. However, there is a void regarding the role that the oral microbiome may play in OSCC. Although the relationship between microbial community composition and OSCC has been thoroughly investigated, microbial profiles of the human microbiome in cancer are understudied. Here we performed a small pilot study of community-wide metatranscriptome analysis to profile mRNA expression in the entire oral microbiome in OSCC to reveal molecular functions associated with this disease. Fusobacteria showed a statistically significantly higher number of transcripts at tumour sites and tumour-adjacent sites of cancer patients compared to the healthy controls analysed. Regardless of the community composition, specific metabolic signatures were consistently found in disease. Activities such as iron ion transport, tryptophanase activity, peptidase activities and superoxide dismutase were over-represented in tumour and tumour-adjacent samples when compared to the healthy controls. The expression of putative virulence factors in the oral communities associated with OSCC showed that activities related to capsule biosynthesis, flagellum synthesis and assembly, chemotaxis, iron transport, haemolysins and adhesins were upregulated at tumour sites. Moreover, activities associated with protection against reactive nitrogen intermediates, chemotaxis, flagellar and capsule biosynthesis were also upregulated in non-tumour sites of cancer patients. Although they are preliminary, our results further suggest that Fusobacteria may be the leading phylogenetic group responsible for the increase in expression of virulence factors in the oral microbiome of OSCC patients.

Analyses of an air conditioning system with entropy generation minimization and entransy theory

In this paper,based on the generalized heat transfer law,an air conditioning system is analyzed with the entropy generation minimization and the entransy theory.Taking the coefficient of performance（denoted as COP） and heat flow rate Qout which is released into the room as the optimization objectives,we discuss the applicabilities of the entropy generation minimization and entransy theory to the optimizations.Five numerical cases are presented.Combining the numerical results and theoretical analyses,we can conclude that the optimization applicabilities of the two theories are conditional.If Qout is the optimization objective,larger entransy increase rate always leads to larger Qout,while smaller entropy generation rate does not.If we take COP as the optimization objective,neither the entropy generation minimization nor the concept of entransy increase is always applicable.Furthermore,we find that the concept of entransy dissipation is not applicable for the discussed cases.

Fracture analyses of different pre-holed concrete specimens under compression

Crack propagation processes in specially prepared concrete discs and rectangular specimens containing a single cylindrical hole or multiple holes of varying diameters have been studied both experimentally and numerically. In this research, the cracks coalescence paths in Brazilian disc and rectangular specimens made from rock-like material containing multi-holes are investigated. These concrete specimens are specially prepared from an appropriate mixture of Portland Pozzolana Cement （PPC）, fine sands, and water. The pre-holed Brazilian discs and rectangular specimens are experimentally tested under compression. The breakage load in the ring type disc specimens containing an axial hole with varying diameters is measured and the distribution of the induced lateral stress is obtained. The mechanism of cracks propagation in the wall of the ring type specimens is also stud- ied. In the case of multi-hole Brazilian disc and rectangular specimens, the cracks propagation and cracks coalescence are also investigated. These experiments are numerically modeled by a modified higher order displacement discontinuity method. It has been shown that the corresponding experimental and numerical results are in good agreement with each other. The results presented in this research vali date the accuracy and applicability of these crack analyses procedures.

Ultrasonic Welding of Magnesium–Titanium Dissimilar Metals:A Study on Thermo-mechanical Analyses of Welding Process by Experimentation and Finite Element Method

Ultrasonic welding is an effective ways to achieve a non-reactive/immiscible heterogeneous metal connection, such as the connection of magnesium alloy and titanium alloy. But the thermal mechanism of magnesium alloy/titanium alloy ultrasonic welding has not been defined clearly. In this paper, the experimental and the finite element analysis were adopted to study the thermal mechanism during welding. Through the test, the temperature variation law during the welding process is obtained, and the accuracy of the finite element model is verified. The microscopic analysis indicates that at the welding time of 0.5 s, the magnesium alloy in the center of the solder joint is partially melted and generates the liquid phase. Through the finite element analysis, the friction coefficient of the magnesium–titanium ultrasonic welding interface can be considered as an average constant value of 0.28. The maximum temperature at the interface can exceed 600 ℃ to reach the melting point temperature of the magnesium alloy. The plastic deformation begins after 0.35 s and occurs at the magnesium side at the center of the interface.

Mathematical analyses of the GPS receiver interference tolerance and mean time to loss lock

In this paper, novel mathematical expressions are derived for the Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver interference tolerance in the presence of different types of interference signals such as: continuous wave interference, narrowband interference, partial band interference, broadband interference, match spectrum interference and pulse interference. Also, in this paper the mean time to loss lock is determined in order to analyse the mentioned interferences effect on the GPS receiver. These derived analytical expressions are validated with the aid of extensive simulation experiments.

Time-resolved shadowgraphs and morphology analyses of aluminum ablation with multiple femtosecond laser pulses

Aluminum ablation by multiple femtosecond laser pulses is investigated via time-resolved shadowgraphs and scanning electron microscope （SEM） images of the ablation spot. The spatial distribution of the ejected material and the radius of the shock wave generated during the ablation are found to vary with the increase in the number of pulses. In the initial two pulses, nearly concentric and semicircular stripes within the shock wave front are observed, unlike in subsequent pulses. Ablation by multiple femtosecond pulses exhibits different characteristics compared with the case induced by single femtosecond pulse because of the changes to the aluminum target surface induced by the preceding pulses.

Static and Dynamic Mechanical Analyses for the Vacuum Vessel of EAST Superconducting Tokamak Device

EAST （experimental advanced superconducting tokamak） is an advanced steadystate plasma physics experimental device, which is being constructed as the Chinese National Nuclear Fusion Research Project. During the plasma operation the vacuum vessel as one of the key component will withstand the electromagnetic force due to the plasma disruption, the Halo current and the toroidal field coil quench, the pressure of boride water and the thermal load due to 250℃ baking by pressurized nitrogen gas. In this paper a report of the static and dynamic mechanical analyses of the vacuum vessel is made. Firstly the applied loads on the vacuum vessel were given and the static stress distribution under the gravitational loads, the pressure loads, the electromagnetic loads and thermal loads were investigated. Then a series of primary dynamic, buckling and fatigue life analyses were performed to predict the structure＇s dynamic behavior. A seismic analysis was also conducted.

Phylogenetic relationships of the zokor genus Eospalax(Mammalia,Rodentia,Spalacidae)inferred from whole-genome analyses,with description of a new species endemic to Hengduan Mountains

Zokors in the genus Eospalax,which are endemic to northern and western China,are subterranean rodents that inhabit various niches,including grasslands,high-altitude meadows,forests,and farmlands.Six species in Eospalax were described a century ago but their taxonomy and phylogeny remain controversial.In this study,we performed high-depth whole-genome sequencing of 47 zokor samples,comprising all six previously described species.Genomic analyses revealed a reliable and robust phylogeny of Eospalax and supported the validity of the six named species.According to the inferred phylogenetic relationships,Eospalax first divergent into two clades in the early Pliocene(ca.4.68 million years ago(Ma)),one inhabiting the highaltitude Qinghai-Xizang(Tibet)Plateau(QTP)and adjacent regions,and the another inhabiting the lowaltitude Loess Plateau and Qinling-Daba Mountains.The most recent divergences occurred between E.baileyi and E.smithii and between E.rufescens and E.rothschildi in the late Pliocene(ca.2.09 and 2.19 Ma,respectively).We also collected specimens of zokors in the southern Hengduan Mountains(Muli County,Sichuan Province),far from the known distributions of all other zokors.Morphological and molecular analyses strongly suggested that the specimens represent a new species,formally described here as Eospalax muliensis sp.nov.The new species belongs to the high-altitude clade and diverged from closely related species(ca.4.22 Ma)shortly after the first divergence in Eospalax.Interestingly,Eospalax muliensis sp.nov.possesses more supposedly plesiomorphic characters,suggesting a possible origin of the genus in the Hengduan Mountains.

Bioinformatics analyses of differentially expressed genes associated with spinal cord injury:a microarray-based analysis in a mouse model

Gene spectrum analysis has shown that gene expression and signaling pathways change dramatically after spinal cord injury,which may affect the microenvironment of the damaged site.Microarray analysis provides a new opportunity for investigating diagnosis,treatment,and prognosis of spinal cord injury.However,differentially expressed genes are not consistent among studies,and many key genes and signaling pathways have not yet been accurately studied.GSE5296 was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus DataSet.Differentially expressed genes were obtained using R/Bioconductor software(expression changed at least two-fold;P < 0.05).Database for Annotation,Visualization and Integrated Discovery was used for functional annotation of differentially expressed genes and Animal Transcription Factor Database for predicting potential transcription factors.The resulting transcription regulatory protein interaction network was mapped to screen representative genes and investigate their diagnostic and therapeutic value for disease.In total,this study identified 109 genes that were upregulated and 30 that were downregulated at 0.5,4,and 24 hours,and 3,7,and 28 days after spinal cord injury.The number of downregulated genes was smaller than the number of upregulated genes at each time point.Database for Annotation,Visualization and Integrated Discovery analysis found that many inflammation-related pathways were upregulated in injured spinal cord.Additionally,expression levels of these inflammation-related genes were maintained for at least 28 days.Moreover,399 regulation modes and 77 nodes were shown in the protein-protein interaction network of upregulated differentially expressed genes.Among the 10 upregulated differentially expressed genes with the highest degrees of distribution,six genes were transcription factors.Among these transcription factors,ATF3 showed the greatest change.ATF3 was upregulated within 30 minutes,and its expression levels remained high at28 days after spinal cord injury.These key genes screened by bioinformatics tools can be used as biological markers to diagnose diseases and provide a reference for identifying therapeutic targets.

Analyses of active faults, seismic activities and sea floor unstable factors of the Zhujiang River Mouth Basin and its adjacent areas

-On the basis of the data of geophysics and seismic activities, the analyses of the active faults, seismic activities and the sea floor unstable factors of the Zhujiang River Mouth Basin have been made so as to study the characteristics of the compressional subactive continental margin of Cathaysian system, arc littoral strongly active fracture zone, the division of seismic subzone and seismic zone of the continental margin of northern South China Sea, the potential focal area, and to analyze the regional stability. We consider that the Zhujiang River Mouth Basin belongs to a stable or a moderately stable region.