Tin selenides with layered crystal structures, SnSe and SnSe2, were synthesized by a solid-state method and electrochemically tested for use as Li-ion battery anodes. The phase change mechanisms of ...these compounds were thoroughly evaluated by ex situ X-ray diffraction and Se K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure techniques. SnSe showed better electrochemical reversibility of Li insertion/extraction than SnSe2, which was attributed to remarkable conversion/recombination reactions of the former compound during lithiation/delithiation. Additionally, the electrochemical performance of SnSe was further enhanced by preparing carbon-modified nanocomposites using two different methods, that is, heat treatment (HT) for producing a carbon coating using polyvinyl chloride as a precursor and high-energy ball milling (BM) using carbon black powder. The SnSe/C electrode produced by BM showed a highly reversible initial capacity of 726 mA h g–1 with a good initial Coulombic efficiency of ∼82%, excellent cycling behavior (626 mA h g–1 after 200 cycles), and a fast C-rate performance (580 mA h g–1 at 2C rate).
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•Achieving combustion stability while reducing gas emissions under half-load conditions in boiler.•Furnace suffers from asymmetrical combustion due to various burner group arrangements.•The optimal ...CCOFA/SOFA ratio is 5% CCOFA and 15% SOFA.•The influence of excess air ratio on NOx/UBC is discussed.•Field tests are performed under optimal conditions.
The off-peak period of the grid load (i.e., deep peak load) prevents a power generation boiler from operating at full load. To achieve stable combustion of 550-MW tangentially fired pulverized coal boiler and ultra-low pollutant emissions (nitrogen oxides and unburned carbon) under half-load conditions, different operating parameters have been analyzed and optimized. In this study, under half-load conditions, the numerical method was used to simulate the flow field characteristics, combustion stability, and pollutant emissions of the boiler under various operating conditions. The operating conditions included various burner group arrangements, close-coupled overfire air (CCOFA)/separated overfire air (SOFA) distributions, and excess air ratios. The simulation prediction results showed that the middle burner group (BCDE) arrangement has a good flow field distribution. Compared with the upper burner group (CDEF) arrangement, this reduces NOX by approximately 62 ppm and also maintains a higher pulverized coal burnout rate than the lower burner group (ABCD) arrangement. Considering the stability of the combustion and lowest emissions, the ratio of CCOFA of 5% and SOFA of 15% were preferred as the operating conditions for the air-staging distribution. The high excess air caused an increase in NOX while the combustion temperature significantly reduced in the furnace, made the furnace exit gas temperature (FEGT) too low, and affected the steam temperature. In addition, the simulation results of the optimized scheme were in good agreement with the field test results.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Deep-air-staged combustion technology has been extensively used in coal-fired boilers under full-load conditions, which can help reduce the formation of nitrogen oxides (NOX). In this study, ...different proportions of deep-air-staging classification tests were conducted in a 550-MW tangentially fired boiler under a 50% load condition. To achieve a flexible adjustment of the boiler load, numerical simulations were conducted to evaluate the flow field distribution, combustion characteristics, and NOX emissions in a boiler under various air-staging configuration combustion conditions. The prediction results show that with an increase in the over-fire air (OFA) flow rate (i.e., close-coupled OFA (CCOFA) or separate OFA (SOFA)), the burner zone stoichiometric ratios are decreased, which is extremely important for improving the degree of burnout and reducing the NOX emissions. SOFA has a wall nozzle to better penetrate the updraft, and is thus better than the CCOFA effect in terms of coal burnout. SOFA also achieves a better pollutant emission reduction than CCOFA, and CCOFA plays a vital role in the combustion stability of a boiler combustion system. Finally, field measurements verified the effectiveness of the optimized air-staging classification scheme, which improved the combustion characteristics compared to a scheme without air-staging classification.
•Chieving high burnout and low gas emissions under 50%-load conditions•The CCOFA plays a vital role in the combustion stability of the boiler combustion system•The influence of various air-staging conditions on NOx/UBC is discussed•The SOFA burnout system has a better pollutant emission reduction effect than CCOFA
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We isolated novel reassortant avian influenza A(H5N6) viruses containing genes from clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 virus and low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses in carcasses of whooper swans and bean ...geese in South Korea during December 2023. Neuraminidase gene was from a clade 2.3.4.4b H5N6 virus infecting poultry and humans in China.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Asian highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) viruses spread into North America in 2014 during autumn bird migration. Complete genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 32 H5 viruses ...identified novel H5N1, H5N2, and H5N8 viruses that emerged in late 2014 through reassortment with North American low-pathogenicity avian influenza viruses.
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Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-motile, and rod-shaped bacterial strains, designated NC18T and NC20, were isolated from the sediment near-vertical borehole effluent ...originating 714 m below the subsurface located in the Soudan Iron Mine in Minnesota, USA. The 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strains NC18T and NC20 grouped with members of the genus Martelella, including M. mediterranea DSM 17316T and M. limonii YC7034T. The genome sizes and G + C content of both NC18T and NC20 were 6.1 Mb and 61.8 mol%, respectively. Average nucleotide identity (ANI), the average amino acid identity (AAI), and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values were below the species delineation threshold. Pan-genomic analysis showed that NC18T, NC20, M. mediterranea DSM 17316T, M. endophytica YC6887T, and M. lutilitoris GH2-6T had 8470 pan-genome orthologous groups (POGs) in total. Five Martelella strains shared 2258 POG core, which were mainly associated with amino acid transport and metabolism, general function prediction only, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, translation, ribosomal structure and biogenesis, and transcription. The two novel strains had major fatty acids (>5%) including summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c), C19:0 cyclo ω8c, C16:0, C18:1 ω7c 11-methyl, C18:0, and summed feature 2 (C12:0 aldehyde and/or iso-C16:1 I and/or C14:0 3-OH). The sole respiratory quinone was uniquinone-10 (Q-10). On the basis of polyphasic taxonomic analyses, strains NC18T and NC20 represent novel species of the genus Martelella, for which the name Martelella soudanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NC18T (=KTCT 82174T = NBRC 114661T).
To design an easily manufactured, large energy density, highly reversible, and fast rate-capable Li-ion battery (LIB) anode, Co–Sn intermetallics (CoSn2, CoSn, and Co3Sn2) were synthesized, and their ...potential as anode materials for LIBs was investigated. Based on their electrochemical performances, CoSn2 was selected, and its C-modified nanocomposite (CoSn2/C) as well as Ti- and C-modified nanocomposite (CoSn2/a-TiC/C) was straightforwardly prepared. Interestingly, the CoSn2, CoSn2/C, and CoSn2/a-TiC/C showed conversion/nonrecombination, conversion/partial recombination, and conversion/full recombination during Li insertion/extraction, respectively, which were thoroughly investigated using ex situ X-ray diffraction and extended X-ray absorption fine structure analyses. As a result of the interesting conversion/full recombination mechanism, the easily manufactured CoSn2/a-TiC/C nanocomposite for the Sn-based Li-ion battery anode showed large energy density (first reversible capacity of 1399 mAh cm–3), high reversibility (first Coulombic efficiency of 83.2%), long cycling behavior (100% capacity retention after 180 cycles), and fast rate capability (appoximately 1110 mAh cm–3 at 3C rate). In addition, degradation/enhancement mechanisms for high-capacity and high-performance Li-alloy-based anode materials for next-generation LIBs were also suggested.
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Recent advances in pluripotent stem cell technology provide an alternative source of human hepatocytes to overcome the limitations of current toxicity tests. However, this approach requires ...optimization and standardization before it can be used as a fast and reliable toxicity screening system. Here, we designed and tested microwell culture platforms with various diameters. We found that large quantities of uniformly-sized hepatocyte-like cell (HLC) spheroids (3D-uniHLC-Ss) could be efficiently and reproducibly generated in a short period time from a small number of differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). The hPSC-3D-uniHLC-Ss that were produced in 500-μm diameter microwells consistently exhibited high expressions of hepatic marker genes and had no significant signs of cell death. Importantly, a hepatic master gene hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) was maintained at high levels, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition was significantly attenuated in hPSC-3D-uniHLC-Ss. Additionally, when compared with 3D-HLC-Ss that were produced in other 3D platforms, hPSC-3D-uniHLC-Ss showed significantly higher hepatic gene expressions and drug-metabolizing activity of the enzyme, CYP3A4. Imaging-based drug toxicity studies demonstrated that hPSC-3D-uniHLC-Ss exhibited enhanced sensitivity to various hepatotoxicants, compared to HLCs, which were differentiated under 2D conditions. Precise prediction of drug-induced hepatotoxicity is a crucial step in the early phases of drug discovery. Thus, the hPSC-3D-uniHLC-Ss produced using our microwell platform could be used as an imaging-based toxicity screening system to predict drug hepatotoxicity.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
SARS-CoV-2 induces illness and death in humans by causing systemic infections. Evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 can induce brain pathology in humans and other hosts. In this study, we used a canine ...transmission model to examine histopathologic changes in the brains of dogs infected with SARS-CoV-2. We observed substantial brain pathology in SARS-CoV-2–infected dogs, particularly involving blood–brain barrier damage resembling small vessel disease, including changes in tight junction proteins, reduced laminin levels, and decreased pericyte coverage. Furthermore, we detected phosphorylated tau, a marker of neurodegenerative disease, indicating a potential link between SARS-CoV-2–associated small vessel disease and neurodegeneration. Our findings of degenerative changes in the dog brain during SARS-CoV-2 infection emphasize the potential for transmission to other hosts and induction of similar signs and symptoms. The dynamic brain changes in dogs highlight that even asymptomatic individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 may develop neuropathologic changes in the brain.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The emergence of novel avian influenza viruses in migratory birds is of concern because of the potential for virus dissemination during fall migration. We report the identification of novel highly ...pathogenic avian influenza viruses of subtype H5N8, clade 2.3.4.4, and their reassortment with other avian influenza viruses in waterfowl and shorebirds of Siberia.
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