Human health risks caused by PM
raise awareness to the role of trees as bio-filters of urban air pollution, but not all species are equally capable of filtering the air. The objectives of this ...current study were: (1) to determine the foliar traits for effective PM
-capture and (2) explore species-to-species differences in foliar PM
-recapture capacity following a rain event. The study concluded that overall, the acicular needle shape made conifers more efficient with PM
accumulation and post-rainfall recapture than broadleaved species. The foliar shape and venation of broadleaved species did not appear to influence the PM
accumulation. However, the number of the grooves and trichomes of broadleaved species were positively related to foliar PM
accumulation, suggesting that they could be used as indicators for the effectiveness of tree PM
capture. Furthermore, the amount of PM
removal by rainfall was determined by the total foliar PM
. Not all PM
remained on the foliage. In some species, PM
was resuspended during the growing season, and thus reduced the net particular accumulation for that species. These findings contribute to a better understanding of tree species potential for reducing PM
in urban environments.
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have gained tremendous research interest in recent several years. To date the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs has been increased from 3.8% to over 22.1%, ...showing that they have a promising future as a renewable energy resource to compete with conventional silicon solar cells. However, a crucial challenge of PSCs currently is that perovskite materials and PSCs have limitations of easy degradation and inferior long-term stabilities, thus hampering their future commercial applications. In this review, the degradation mechanisms for instable perovskite materials and their corresponding solar cells are discussed. The stability study of perovskite materials and PSCs from the aspect of experimental tests and theoretical calculations is reviewed. The strategies for enhancing the stability of perovskite materials and PSCs are summarized from the viewpoints of perovskite material engineering, substituted organic and inorganic materials for hole transportation, alternative electrodes comprising mainly carbon and its relevant composites, interfacial modification, novel device structure construction and encapsulation,
etc.
Various approaches and outlooks on the future direction of perovskite materials and PSCs are highlighted. This review is expected to provide helpful insights for further enhancing the stability of perovskite materials and PSCs in this exciting field.
This review provides a comprehensive overview of the recent strategies aimed at enhancing the long-term stability of perovskite materials and perovskite solar cells (PSCs). It also extensively discusses the stability problem of perovskite materials and PSCs from perspectives of experimental tests and theoretical calculations.
High‐frequency electromagnetic waves and electronic products can bring great convenience to people's life, but lead to a series of electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems, such as great potential ...dangers to the normal operation of electronic components and human safety. Therefore, the research of EMI shielding materials has attracted extensive attention by the scholars. Among them, polymer‐based EMI shielding materials with light weight, high specific strength, and stable properties have become the current mainstream. The construction of 3D conductive networks has proved to be an effective method for the preparation of polymer‐based EMI shielding materials with excellent shielding effectiveness (SE). In this paper, the shielding mechanism of polymer‐based EMI shielding materials with 3D conductive networks is briefly introduced, with emphasis on the preparation methods and latest research progress of polymer‐based EMI shielding materials with different 3D conductive networks. The key scientific and technical problems to be solved in the field of polymer‐based EMI shielding materials are also put forward. Finally, the development trend and application prospects of polymer‐based EMI shielding materials are prospected.
Researches show that the construction of 3D conductive networks can enhance the attenuation of electromagnetic waves, achieving the remarkable EMI SE for polymer‐based composites with ultralow loading of conductive fillers. In this paper, the shielding mechanism and preparation methods of polymer‐based EMI shielding materials in recent years, as well as the latest research progress in the field of EMI shielding are reviewed, and the key scientific and technical problems that need to be solved are proposed. Finally, the development trend and application prospects of the polymer‐based EMI shielding materials are prospected.
Reversible hydrogen storage in MgH2 under mild conditions is a promising way for the realization of “Hydrogen Economy”, in which the development of cheap and highly efficient catalysts is the major ...challenge. Herein, A two-dimensional layered Fe is prepared via a facile wet-chemical ball milling method and has been confirmed to greatly enhance the hydrogen storage performance of MgH2. Minor addition of 5 wt% Fe nanosheets to MgH2 decreases the onset desorption temperature to 182.1 °C and enables a quick release of 5.44 wt% H2 within 10 min at 300 °C. Besides, the dehydrogenated sample takes up 6 wt% H2 in 10 min under a hydrogen pressure of 3.2 MPa at 200 °C. With the doping of Fe nanosheets, the apparent activation energy of the dehydrogenation reaction for MgH2 is reduced to 40.7 ± 1.0 kJ mol−1. Further ab initio calculations reveal that the presence of Fe extends the Mg–H bond length and reduces its bond strength. We believe that this work would shed light on designing plain metal for catalysis in the area of hydrogen storage and other energy-related issues.
The well distributed Fe nanoparticles broken down from nanosheets contributed to the remarkable enhancement in hydrogen storage properties of MgH2. Display omitted
•Fe nanosheets were successfully prepared by a facile wet-chemical method.•Hydrogen could be released at 182.1 °C and absorbed at 75 °C for the composite.•The de/hydrogenation activation energy of the composite were significantly reduced.•Ab initio calculations revealed that Fe facilitated the breaking of the Mg–H bond.
Mutations in somatic cells generate a heterogeneous genomic population and may result in serious medical conditions. Although cancer is typically associated with somatic variations, advances in DNA ...sequencing indicate that cell-specific variants affect a number of phenotypes and pathologies. Here, we show that mutagenic damage accounts for the majority of the erroneous identification of variants with low to moderate (1 to 5%) frequency. More important, we found signatures of damage in most sequencing data sets in widely used resources, including the 1000 Genomes Project and The Cancer Genome Atlas, establishing damage as a pervasive cause of sequencing errors. The extent of this damage directly confounds the determination of somatic variants in these data sets.
Propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS) is an uncommon life-threatening complication observed most often in patients receiving high-dose propofol. High-dose propofol treatment with a prolonged duration can ...damage the immune system. However, the associated molecular mechanisms remain unclear. An increasing number of clinical and experimental observations have demonstrated that tissue-resident macrophages play a critical role in immune regulation during anaesthesia and procedural sedation. Since the inflammatory response is essential for mediating propofol-induced cell death and proinflammatory reactions, we hypothesised that propofol overdose induces macrophage pyroptosis through inflammasomes. Using primary cultured bone marrow-derived macrophages, murine macrophage cell lines (RAW264.7, RAW-asc and J774) and a mouse model, we investigated the role of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and secondary pyroptosis in propofol-induced cell death. We found that high-dose propofol strongly cleaved caspase-1 but not caspase-11 and biosynthesis of downstream interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Inhibition of caspase-1 activity blocks IL-1β production. Moreover, NLRP3 deletion moderately suppressed cleaved caspase-1 as well as the proportion of pyroptosis, while levels of AIM2 were increased, triggering a compensatory pathway to pyroptosis in NLRP3
macrophages. Here, we show that propofol-induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) can trigger NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Furthermore, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) was found to mediate NLRP3 and AIM2 signalling and contribute to propofol-induced macrophage pyroptosis. In addition, our work shows that propofol-induced apoptotic initiator caspase (caspase-9) subsequently cleaved effector caspases (caspase-3 and 7), indicating that both apoptotic and pyroptotic cellular death pathways are activated after propofol exposure. Our studies suggest, for the first time, that propofol-induced pyroptosis might be restricted to macrophage through an NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 pathway, which provides potential targets for limiting adverse reactions during propofol application. These findings demonstrate that propofol overdose can trigger cell death through caspase-1 activation and offer new insights into the use of anaesthetic drugs.
Quantitative paleoclimate reconstruction based on surface soil pollen and climate records on a regional scale is widely applied as a standard approach to investigating past climate changes. This ...study aimed to explore the quantitative relationships between the distribution of pollen taxa in 438 pollen samples from surface soils at altitudes ranging from 190 m to 3235 m and 19 environmental parameters in northern Xinjiang, China, using ordination and correlation analyses. The results showed that mean annual precipitation (MAP), precipitation in July, mean annual temperature (MAT), mean temperature in July and mean annual wind speed were the main environmental factors influencing the surface pollen distribution. Pinus pollen dispersal and transportation were primarily affected by spring wind, suggesting that exotic pollen played an essential role in surface pollen distribution. Picea pollen, with a percentage and concentration of over 30% and 30000 grains/g, was distributed at sites with MAT and MAP of −5.1–1.2 °C and 212–459 mm, respectively. Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae, with percentages and concentrations of over 50% and 50,000 grains/g and 50% and 10,000 grains/g, respectively, were mainly distributed at sites with MAT and MAP of −1.9–9.1 °C and 145–416 mm, and −3.2–8.9 °C and 129–449 mm, respectively, providing an accurate reference for paleoclimates reconstruction. This study presents information regarding the relationship between surface soil pollen and climate records, which may contribute to the reconstruction of historical climates, promote ecological development in Xinjiang, China, and assist in predicting future climate trends.
•438 surface pollen data and 19 climatic factors were analyzed in northern Xinjiang.•MAP, P7, MAT and T7 were the dominant climatic factors influencing surface pollen.•Spring winds was the main driving force of pine pollen transportation in Xinjiang.•The results provided a more accurate reference for paleoclimates reconstruction.
Abstract
Electrolyte engineering advances Li metal batteries (LMBs) with high Coulombic efficiency (CE) by constructing LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). However, the low conductivity of ...LiF disturbs Li
+
diffusion across SEI, thus inducing Li
+
transfer-driven dendritic deposition. In this work, we establish a mechanistic model to decipher how the SEI affects Li plating in high-fluorine electrolytes. The presented theory depicts a linear correlation between the capacity loss and current density to identify the slope
k
(determined by Li
+
mobility of SEI components) as an indicator for describing the homogeneity of Li
+
flux across SEI, while the intercept dictates the maximum CE that electrolytes can achieve. This model inspires the design of an efficient electrolyte that generates dual-halide SEI to homogenize Li
+
distribution and Li deposition. The model-driven protocol offers a promising energetic analysis to evaluate the compatibility of electrolytes to Li anode, thus guiding the design of promising electrolytes for LMBs.
In order to improve the activation behavior of Ti1.02Cr1.1Mn0.3Fe0.6 alloy with high hydrogen desorption pressure for hybrid hydrogen storage vessel application, the rare earth (RE) doped ...Ti1.02Cr1.1Mn0.3Fe0.6RE0.03 (RE = La, Ce, Ho) alloys were prepared by induction levitation melting. The effect of rare earth doping on the microstructures and hydrogen storage properties was also investigated systematically. The results show that Ti1.02Cr1.1Mn0.3Fe0.6 alloy displays a single C14 Laves phase, and there is a secondary phase of rare earth oxide in the RE doped alloys. The RE doping strategy can expand the unit cell volume of C14 Laves main phase. After RE doping, the activation behavior of the Ti1.02Cr1.1Mn0.3Fe0.6RE0.03 alloy is obviously improved and the hydrogen storage capacity is increased, while the hydrogen desorption plateau pressure is decreased. Moreover, the RE-free alloy can hardly absorb hydrogen at room temperature under 34–43 MPa hydrogen pressure, but all RE-doped alloys can absorb hydrogen to saturation under the same condition. The decline of pressure plateau is inversely proportional to the atomic number of RE. Among the studied alloys, the Ti1.02Cr1.1Mn0.3Fe0.6La0.03 alloy shows the best overall properties and can be fully activated at room temperature. Its hydrogen absorption pressure is 39.31 MPa and 51.27 MPa under 298 K and 318 K, respectively. Its hydrogen storage capacity is up to 1.715 wt% and the dissociation enthalpy is 16.63 kJ/mol H2 with a desorption plateau slope of 0.098.
•The Ti1.02Cr1.1Mn0.3Fe0.6 is consisted of a single C14 Laves phase.•Activation behavior of Ti1.02Cr1.1Mn0.3Fe0.6RE0.03 is improved by doping with RE.•RE doping strategy can expand the unit cell volume of C14 Laves main phase.•After RE doping, H2 desorption plateau pressure decreases but its capacity increases.
Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been characterized in high-risk pediatric hospital inpatients, in whom AKI is frequent and associated with increased mortality, morbidity, and length of stay. ...The incidence of AKI among patients not requiring intensive care is unknown. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants 13,914 noncritical admissions during 2011 and 2012 at our tertiary referral pediatric hospital were evaluated. Patients younger than 28 days or older than 21 years of age or with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were excluded. Admissions with 2 or more serum creatinine measurements were evaluated. Factors Demographic features, laboratory measurements, medication exposures, and length of stay. Outcome AKI defined as increased serum creatinine level in accordance with KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) criteria. Based on time of admission, time interval requirements were met in 97% of cases, but KDIGO time window criteria were not strictly enforced to allow implementation using clinically obtained data. Results 2 or more creatinine measurements (one baseline before or during admission and a second during admission) in 2,374 of 13,914 (17%) patients allowed for AKI evaluation. A serum creatinine difference ≥0.3 mg/dL or ≥1.5 times baseline was seen in 722 of 2,374 (30%) patients. A minimum of 5% of all noncritical inpatients without CKD in pediatric wards have an episode of AKI during routine hospital admission. Limitations Urine output, glomerular filtration rate, and time interval criteria for AKI were not applied secondary to study design and available data. The evaluated cohort was restricted to patients with 2 or more clinically obtained serum creatinine measurements, and baseline creatinine level may have been measured after the AKI episode. Conclusions AKI occurs in at least 5% of all noncritically ill hospitalized children, adolescents, and young adults without known CKD. Physicians should increase their awareness of AKI and improve surveillance strategies with serum creatinine measurements in this population so that exacerbating factors such as nephrotoxic medication exposures may be modified as indicated.
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