Optimizing the power conversion processes in diluted donor/acceptor heterojunctions towards 19.4%efficiency all-polymer solar cells

All polymer solar cells(all-PSCs)promise mechanically-flexible and morphologically-stable organic photovoltaics and have aroused increased interests very recently.However,due to their disorderly conformation structures within the photoactive film,inefficient charge generation and carrier transport are observed which lead to inferior photovoltaic performance compared to smaller molecular acceptor-based photovoltaics.Here,by diluting PM6 with a cutting-edge polymeric acceptor PY-IT and diluting PY-IT with PM6 or D18,donor-dominating or acceptor-dominating heterojunctions were prepared.Synchrotron X-ray and multiple spectrometer techniques reveal that the diluted heterojunctions receive increased structural order,translating to enhanced carrier mobility,improved exciton diffusion length,and suppressed non-radiative recombination loss during the power conversion.As the results,the corresponding PM6+1%PY-IT/PY-IT+1%D18 and PM6+1%PY-IT/PY-IT+1%PM6 devices fabricated by layer-by-layer deposition received superior power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 19.4%and 18.8%respectively,along with enhanced operational lifetimes in air,outperforming the PCE of 17.5%in the PM6/PY-IT reference device.

Pharmacological Investigation on the Qi-Invigorating Action of Schisandrin B: Effects on Mitochondrial ATP Generation in Multiple Tissues and Innate/Adaptive Immunity in Mice

Schisandrae Fructus, containing schisandrin B (Sch B) as its main active component, is recognized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for its Qi-invigorating properties in the five visceral organs. Our laboratory has shown that the Qi-invigorating action of Chinese tonifying herbs is linked to increased mitochondrial ATP generation and an enhancement in mitochondrial glutathione redox status. To explore whether Sch B can exert Qi-invigorating actions across various tissues, we investigated the effects of Sch B treatment on mitochondrial ATP generation and glutathione redox status in multiple mouse tissues ex vivo. In line with TCM theory, which posits that Zheng Qi generation relies on the Qi function of the visceral organs, we also examined Sch B’s impact on natural killer cell activity and antigen-induced splenocyte proliferation, both serving as indirect measures of Zheng Qi. Our findings revealed that Sch B treatment consistently enhanced mitochondrial ATP generation and improved mitochondrial glutathione redox status in mouse tissues. This boost in mitochondrial function was associated with stimulated innate and adaptive immune responses, marked by increased natural killer cell activity and antigen-induced T/B cell proliferation, potentially through the increased generation of Zheng Qi.

Electricity generation during wastewater treatment by a microbial fuel cell coupled with constructed wetland

A membrane-less constructed wetland microbial fuel cell （CW-MFC） is constructed and operated under continuous flow with a hydraulic retention time （HRT） of 2 d. Fed with glucose, the CW-MFC generates a stable current density of over 2 A/m3 with a resistor of 1 kΩ and has a chemical oxygen demand （COD） removal efficiency of more than 90% after the startup of 2 to 3 d. A series of systems with the electrode spacings of 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm are compared. It is found that the container with the electrode spacing of 20 cm gains the highest voltage of 560 mV, the highest power density of 0. 149 W/m 3, and the highest Coulombic efficiency of 0.313%. It also has the highest COD removal efficiency of 94. 9%. In addition, the dissolved oxygen （DO） concentrations are observed as the lowest level in the middle of all the CW-MFC reactors. The results show that the more COD is removed, the greater power is generated, and the relatively higher Coulombic efficiency will be achieved. The present study indicates that the CW-MFC process can be used as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly wastewater treatment with simultaneous power generation.

Hydrogen generation from methanol reforming for fuel cell applications: A review

Methanol is regarded as an important liquid fuel for hydrogen storage, transportation, and in-situ generation due to its convenient conveyance, high energy density, and low conversion temperature. In this work, an overview of state-of-the-art investigations on methanol reforming is critically summarized, including the detailed introduction of methanol conversion pathways from the perspective of fuel cell applications, various advanced materials design for catalytic methanol conversion, as well as the development of steam methanol reformers. For the section of utilization pathways, reactions such as steam reforming of methanol, partial oxidation of methanol, oxidative steam reforming of methanol, and sorption-enhanced steam methanol reforming were elaborated;For the catalyst section, the strategies to enhance the catalytic activity and other comprehensive performances were summarized;For the reactor section, the newly designed steam methanol reformers were thoroughly described. This review will benefit researchers from both fundamental research and fuel cell applications in the field of catalyzing methanol to hydrogen.

Reversible and irreversible heat generation of NCA/Si–C pouch cell during electrochemical energy-storage process

To meet the requirements of electronic vehicles(EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles(HEVs),the high energy density Li Ni_(0.8) Co_(0.15) Al_(0.05) O_2(NCA) cathode and Si–C anode have attracted more attention.Here we report the thermal behaviors of NCA/Si–C pouch cell during the charge/discharge processes at different current densities.The total heat generations are derived from the surface temperature change during electrochemical Li+insertion/extraction in adiabatic surrounding.The reversible heat is determined by the entropic coefficients,which are related with open-circuit voltage at different temperatures; while the irreversible heat is determined by the internal resistance,which can be obtained via V–I characteristic,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and hybrid pulse power characterization(HPPC).During the electrochemical process,the reversible heat contributes less than 10% to total heat generation; and the heat generated in charge process is less than that in discharge process.The results of thermal behaviors analyses are conducive to understanding the safety management and paving the way for building a reliable thermal model of high energy density lithium ion battery.

“Second-generation” stem cells for cardiac repair

Over the last years, stem cell therapy has emerged asan inspiring alternative to restore cardiac function after myocardial infarction. A large body of evidence has been obtained in this field but there is no conclusive data on the efficacy of these treatments. Preclinical studies and early reports in humans have been encouraging and have fostered a rapid clinical translation, but positive results have not been uniformly observed and when present, they have been modest. Several types of stem cells, manufacturing methods and delivery routes have been tested in different clinical settings but direct comparison between them is challenging and hinders further research. Despite enormous achievements, major barriers have been found and many fundamental issues remain to be resolved. A better knowledge of the molecular mechanisms implicated in cardiac development and myocardial regeneration is critically needed to overcome some of these hurdles. Genetic and pharmacological priming together with the discovery of new sources of cells have led to a "second generation" of cell products that holds an encouraging promise in cardiovascular regenerative medicine. In this report, we review recent advances in this field focusing on the new types of stem cells that are currently being tested in human beings and on the novel strategies employed to boost cell performance in order to improve cardiac function and outcomes after myocardial infarction.

Study and performance test of 10 kW molten carbonate fuel cell power generation system

The use of high-temperature fuel cells as a power technology can improve the efficiency of electricity generation and achieve near-zero emissions of carbon dioxide.This work explores the performance of a 10 kW high-temperature molten carbonate fuel cell.The key materials of a single cell were characterized and analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.The results show that the pore size of the key electrode material is 6.5 lm and the matrix material is a-LiAlO_(2).Experimentally,the open circuit voltage of the single cell was found to be 1.23 V.The current density was greater than 100 mA/cm^(2)at an operating voltage of 0.7 V.The 10 kW fuel cell stack comprised 80 single fuel cells with a total area of 2000 cm^(2)and achieved an open circuit voltage of greater than 85 V.The fuel cell stack power and current density could reach 11.7 kW and 104.5 mA/cm2 at an operating voltage of 56 V.The influence and long-term stable operation of the stack were also analyzed and discussed.The successful operation of a 10 kW high-temperature fuel cell promotes the large-scale use of fuel cells and provides a research basis for future investigations of fuel cell capacity enhancement and distributed generation in China.

Universal Intelligent Small Cell （UnISCell） for next generation cellular networks

Exploring innovative cellular architectures to achieve enhanced system capacity and good coverage has become a critical issue towards realizing the next generation of wireless communications. In this context, this paper proposes a novel concept of Universal Intelligent Small Cell （UnISCell） for enabling the densification of the next generation of cellular networks. The proposed novel concept envisions an integrated platform of providing a strong linkage between different stakeholders such as street lighting networks, landline telephone networks and future wireless networks, and is universal in nature being independent of the operating frequency bands and traffic types. The main motivating factors for the proposed small cell concept are the need of public infrastructure re-engineering, and the recent advances in several enabling technologies. First, we highlight the main concepts of the proposed UnISCell platform. Subsequently, we present two deployment scenarios for the proposed UnISCell concept considering infrastructure sharing and service sharing as important aspects. We then describe the key future technologies for enabling the proposed UnISCell concept and present a use case example with the help of numerical results. Finally, we conclude this article by providing some interesting future recommendations.

Computational Modelling of the Hydride Generation Reaction in a Tubular Reactor and Atomization in a Quartz Cell Atomizer

In this study, we present a model whereby the centre of the atomization channel is shown to be the optimal location for the spectrometric data acquisition in a quartz cell atomizer. The study aims to explore the hydride generation technique which is normally coupled with efficient thermal source to apply determination of heavy metals in water samples via spectrometric analysis. The arsenic hydride generation process and the atomization of the generated hydride in a quartz cell atomizer were studied analytically as model case studies. The hydride generation (HG) process was analyzed by adopting two hypotheses, the nascent hydrogen and formation of intermediate hydroboron species, where the results based on the second hypothesis are found to be more realistic for design purposes. Moreover, the release of the generated hydride from the liquid phase and their transport to the gas phase is simulated in a helical tubular section, in which the actual tubular section length required for separation is deduced. The analytical results have been verified experimentally by measuring the signal intensity for the free arsenic atoms against several reaction tube lengths, in which increasing the tubular section length from 12 cm to 100 cm results in signal amelioration by no more than 6.6%. Furthermore, the atomization of the hydride and the distribution of the generated free atoms are deduced in two configurations of tubular quartz atomizers. The results obtained from both studied cases illustrate that a high concentration of the free analyte atoms is generated in the first part of the atomization channel, saturates to a maximum in a position at the atomizer centre, and dissipates at the inside wall of the tubular atomizer before reaching the atomizer outlet edge, which is found to be in total agreement with the current understanding of atomization mechanism in tubular atomizer and emphasizes the fact that the centre of the quartz cell atomizer is the best location for the spectrometric data acquisition.

Bimetallic catalysts as electrocatalytic cathode materials for the oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cell:A review

Microbial fuel cell(MFC) is one synchronous power generation device for wastewater treatment that takes into account environmental and energy issues, exhibiting promising potential. Sluggish oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) kinetics on the cathode remains by far the most critical bottleneck hindering the practical application of MFC. An ideal cathode catalyst should possess excellent ORR activity, stability, and costeffectiveness, experiments have demonstrated that bimetallic catalysts are one of the most promising ORR catalysts currently. Based on this, this review mainly analyzes the reaction mechanism(ORR mechanisms, synergistic effects), advantages(combined with characterization technologies), and typical synthesis methods of bimetallic catalysts, focusing on the application effects of early Pt-M(M = Fe, Co, and Ni) alloys to bifunctional catalysts in MFC, pointing out that the main existing challenges remain economic analysis, long-term durability and large-scale application, and looking forward to this. At last, the research trend of bimetallic catalysts suitable for MFC is evaluated, and it is considered that the development and research of metal-organic framework(MOF)-based bimetallic catalysts are still worth focusing on in the future, intending to provide a reference for MFC to achieve energy-efficient wastewater treatment.

Generation of diverse neural cell types through direct conversion

A characteristic of neurological disorders is the loss of critical populations of cells that the body is unable to replace,thus there has been much interest in identifying methods of generating clinically relevant numbers of cells to replace those that have been damaged or lost.The process of neural direct conversion,in which cells of one lineage are converted into cells of a neural lineage without first inducing pluripotency,shows great potential,with evidence of the generation of a range of functional neural cell types both in vitro and in vivo,through viral and non-viral delivery of exogenous factors,as well as chemical induction methods.Induced neural cells have been proposed as an attractive alternative to neural cells derived from embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells,with prospective roles in the investigation of neurological disorders,including neurodegenerative disease modelling,drug screening,and cellular replacement for regenerative medicine applications,however further investigations into improving the efficacy and safety of these methods need to be performed before neural direct conversion becomes a clinically viable option.In this review,we describe the generation of diverse neural cell types via direct conversion of somatic cells,with comparison against stem cell-based approaches,as well as discussion of their potential research and clinical applications.

Entropy and heat generation of lithium cells/batteries

The methods and techniques commonly used in investigating the change of entropy and heat generation in Li cells/batteries are introduced, as are the measurements, calculations and purposes. The changes of entropy and heat generation are concomitant with the use of Li ceUs/batteries. In order to improve the management and the application of Li cells/batteries, especially for large scale power batteries, the quantitative investigations of the change of entropy and heat generating are necessary.

Mechanism of Simultaneous Nitrogen Removal and Electricity Generation by Microbial Fuel Cell

The working mechanism of MFC used for simultaneous nitrogen removal and electricity generation was studied.The results show that the electrode biofilms and suspension had different modes of electron transfer.The microorganisms growing on the electrodes and bioflocs could transfer electrons by direct contact and intermediaries respectively.The electrode biofilms and bioflocs were dominant in different functional spaces,and played a synergistic role in the process of contaminant removal,but showed a certain competitive relationship in the process of electricity generation.This study can provide a theoretical basis for the development of a new low-consumption wastewater treatment technology and promote technological innovation in wastewater treatment.

Observations of intracellular second-harmonic generation imaging in black phosphorus nanosheets

Functionalized black phosphorus(BP)nanosheets have been considered as promising nanoagents in cancer therapy due to their excellent photothermal conversion efficiency.However,it is still difficult to visually monitor the dynamic localization of BP nanoagents in cancer cells.In this paper,we systematically studied the second-harmonic generation(SHG)signals originating from exfoliated BP nanosheets.Interestingly,under the excitation of a high frequency pulsed laser at 950 nm,the SHG signals of BP nanosheets in vitro are almost undetectable because of their poor stability.However,the intracellular SHG signals from BP nanosheets could be measured by in vivo optical imaging due to the efficient enrichment of living HeLa cells.Moreover,the SHG signal intensity from BP nanosheets increases with the prolonged incubation time.It can be expected that the BP nanosheets could be a promising intracellular SHG nanoprobe employed for visually in vivo biomedical imaging in practical cancer photothermal therapy(PIT).

Preface to Special Issue on New Generation Solar Cells

Photovoltaic solar cells have been recognized as one of the most promising ways to ease the increasingly serious energy shortages and solve the related environmental problems in the power generation industry. To accelerate the wider application of these photovoltaic devices, it is particularly important to realize low-cost and environmentally-friendly photovoltaic materials and technologies. Therefore, some new generation solar cells, including sensitized, organic heterojunction-based, perovskite and inorganic thin fihn solar cells, have been developed and continue to develop rapidly. These new generation solar cells are currently hot research topics in both the scientific and industrial fields, and are promoting deeper understanding of the charge generation, transport and storage processes in these complex semiconductor and photo-electrochemical systems, which is beneficial for interdisciplinary research among the various light-to-electricity conversion subjects.

Effect of Antioxidants on Endothelial Cell Reactive Oxygen Species (ROD Generation and Adhesion of Leukocytes to Endothelial Cells

Objective To investigatewhether antioxidants inhibit adhesion of leukocytes to endothelium and furthermore, whether all antioxidants regulate NF-KB activation through a redox sensitive mechanism. Methods The effect of the antioxidative substances pyrrolidin dithiocarbamat (PDTC), dichloroisocumarin (DCI), chrysin and probucol on the endothelial leukocyte adhesion were examined under near physiological flow conditions. The antioxidative activity of antioxidants was measured in a DCF fluorescence assay with flow cytometry. The activation of NF-kB in endothelial cells was investigated in a gel shift assay. Results PDTC and probucol did not show an inhibitory effect to the formation of intracellular H2O2 in TNFa activated human vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) . Chrysin showed a moderate effect. DCI showed a strong antioxidative effect. In contrast, PDTC and chrysin inhibited the adhesion of HL 60 cells to TNFa-stimulated HUVEC. DCI and probucol did not have influence on the adhesion within the area of the examined shear stresses. Only PDTC inhibited the TNFa-induced activation of NF-KB in endothelial cells. Conclusion The inhibition of the endothelial leukocyte adhesion by antioxidative substances is not to be explained by its antioxidative characteristics only. The inhibitory effect of PDTC on NF-KB activation was probably not related to its antioxidative properties. Endothelial cell Antioxidants NF-kappa-B

Electricity Storage With High Roundtrip Efficiency in a Reversible Solid Oxide Cell Stack

We theoretically investigate the electricity storage/generation in a reversible solid oxide cell stack. The system heat is for the first time tentatively stored in a phase-change metal when the stack is operated to generate electricity in a fuel cell mode and then reused to store electricity in an electrolysis mode. The state of charge （H2 frication in cathode） effectively enhances the open circuit voltages （OCVs） while the system gas pressure in electrodes also increases the OCVs. On the other hand, a higher system pressure facilitates the species diffusion in electrodes that therefore accordingly improve electrode polarizations. With the aid of recycled system heat, the roundtrip efficiency reaches as high as 92% for the repeated electricity storage and generation.

Changes in the microbial community structure and diversity during the electricity generation process of a microbial fuel cell with algal-film cathode

A two-chamber microbial fuel cell(MFC)with algal-film cathode was constructed.It showed good electric-generating performance with three electric-generating stages:start-up,development,and stable.An average output voltage reached~0.412 V during the stable period.A maximum power density during continuous operation was 19.76 mW/m^(2).Bacterial samples were collected from the anode in the three stages(A1,A2,and A3),and their community structure and diversity were analyzed using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology.A total of 4238 operational taxonomic units were identified based on the number of taxa.At the phylum level,Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes played a dominant role in the three stages and increased significantly during electricity generation.Compared with A1,the relative abundances of Proteobacteria in A2 and A3 increased by 23.30%and 32.06%,respectively,whereas those of Bacteroidetes in A2 and A3 increased by 5.56%and 14.50%,respectively.At the genus level,there were differences in the composition of bacterial communities among the three stages.Acinetobacter and Chlorobium became the dominant genera in A2,replacing Nitrospira and norank_f__Saprospiraceae in A1,and Sphingobacterium and Ochrobactrum became the dominant genera in A3.According to the sample cluster and principal component analyses,A1 was clustered into one class,and A2 and A3 were clustered into a second class.This work revealed bacterial community succession at the anode of an algal-film cathode MFC during the electricity generation process,which provides a theoretical basis for the subsequent promotion of electricity generation by algal-film cathode MFCs.

Electricity generation by Pseudomonas putida B6-2 in microbial fuel cells using carboxylates and carbohydrate as substrates

Microbial fuel cells(MFCs)employing Pseudomonas putida B6-2(ATCC BAA-2545)as an exoelectrogen have been developed to harness energy from various conventional substrates,such as acetate,lactate,glucose,and fructose.Owing to its metabolic versatility,P.putida B6-2 demonstrates adaptable growth rates on diverse,cost-effective carbon sources within MFCs,exhibiting distinct energy production characteristics.Notably,the anode chamber’s pH rises with carboxylates’(acetate and lactate)consumption and decreases with carbohydrates’(glucose and fructose)utilization.The MFC utilizing fructose as a substrate achieved the highest power density at 411 mW m^(−2).Initial analysis revealed that P.putida B6-2 forms biofilms covered with nanowires,contributing to bioelectricity generation.These microbial nanowires are likely key players in direct extracellular electron transport through physical contact.This study established a robust foundation for producing valuable compounds and bioenergy from common substrates in bioelectrochemical systems(BESs)utilizing P.putida as an exoelectrogen.

标准曲线法与自动阈值法对TREC检测结果稳定性的影响

为评价实时荧光PCR法检测T细胞受体剪切环(TREC)时,标准曲线法或自动阈值法对不同操作批次重复检测结果稳定性的影响,采用同一批次TREC检测试剂盒重复检测标准质粒中内参基因与靶标TREC的Ct值,同时重复检测一组TREC低值样本的Ct值;分别采用标准曲线法和自动阈值法对检测结果进行分析,比较两种分析方法得到结果(Ct值)的稳定性。对标准质粒和TREC低值样本的检测结果表明,两种分析方法得到的Ct值与两个靶标的标称浓度(log10)均呈线性相关,R^(2)为1.00。两种方法获得标准质粒中内参基因Ct平均值,标准曲线法较自动阈值法平均低1.26,标准质粒中TREC基因Ct平均值,前者较后者平均低0.96。对TREC低值样本重复检测结果表明,同一样本标准曲线法获得的两种靶标Ct值的变异系数(CV)和极差均低于自动阈值法。表明在以实时荧光PCR法检测TREC靶标从而进行重症联合免疫缺陷(SCID)的筛查时,标准曲线法的分析结果稳定性优于自动阈值法。