Si has been regarded as one of the most promising next generation lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes due to its exceptional capacity and proper working voltage. However, the dramatic volume change ...during lithiation/delithiation processes has caused severe detrimental consequences, leading to very poor cyclic stability. It has been one of the critical problems hampering the practical applications of the silicon based LIB anode. Extensive research has been carried out to resolve the problem since early 1990s. For the first time, the studies on the Si anode in the time frame more than two decades are summarized and discussed in this review with a novel chronicle perspective. Through this article, the evolution of the concept, fundamental scientific and technology development of the silicon LIB anode are clearly presented. It provides unique eyesight into this rapid developing field and will shed light on the future trend of the Si LIB anode research.
The research on the Si-based lithium-ion battery anode has been systematically reviewed in a chronicle perspective from early 1990s to 2016, where the evolution trends of the structure feature and modification strategy of Si have been elaborated. Display omitted
•The emergence and preliminary stage of the Si LIB anode research until 2000 is addressed.•The Rise of the Si-based anode studies between 2001 and 2005 is recorded.•The rapid development of Si-based anodes from 2006 to 2010 is reviewed.•The explosive progress of the Si-based anodes research from 2011 to 2015 is systematically interpreted.•The evolution trend of the research on the Si LIB anode over more than two decades is summarized and discussed.
Titanium dioxide of bronze phase (TiO2(B)) has attracted considerable attention as a promising alternative lithium/sodium‐ion battery anode due to its excellent operation safety, good reversible ...capacity, and environmental friendliness. However, several intrinsic critical drawbacks, including moderate electrochemical kinetics and unsatisfactory long cyclic stability, significantly limit its practical applications. It is crucial to develop reliable strategies to resolve these issues to advance the TiO2(B) based materials into practical applications in lithium/sodium‐ion batteries. In this review, both the theoretical and experimental investigations on the TiO2(B) based materials over the last few decades are chronically elaborated. Insights on the general and detailed evolution trends of the research on TiO2(B) anodes are provided. The review also points to future directions for the TiO2(B) anode research to advance the practical application of TiO2(B) anodes.
A comprehensive chronicle review of the TiO2(B) lithium/sodium‐ion battery anodes over the last few decades is performed. With the unique perspective, the evolution trends of the related studies are revealed, which are instructive and inspiring for the development of high‐performance rechargeable batteries.
•Examine the effect of fiscal decentralization on the environment.•We applied advanced panel econometrics techniques.•Fiscal decentralization and technological innovation enhance environmental ...quality.•GDP is harmful to environmental quality.•Causality exists among CO2 emissions and its indicators.
Deteriorating environmental quality poses a serious threat to life on earth. Similar to other countries, China has been attempting to reduce its reliance on non-renewable energy sources by adopting new energy-efficient technologies that help create a more sustainable industrial structure. Various studies have been conducted to determine the leading causes of environmental degradation. However, unlike international trade, economic activities, and eco-innovation, the political structure of a country is often ignored by scholars because of its indirect impact—which is difficult to evaluate—on emission reduction. In this study, we examine the impact of technological innovation and fiscal decentralization on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the presence of gross domestic product (GDP) and globalization in the case of China for the period 2005Q1 to 2018Q4. By using time series econometric techniques, we find that technological innovation, fiscal decentralization, GDP, and globalization are influential factors in explaining CO2 emissions in China. In terms of policy implications, we suggest that to deal with deteriorating environmental quality, China needs to formulate policies to mitigate emission levels by promoting an energy-efficient system. Moreover, to smoothen the process, it is imperative to clarify the responsibilities at different levels of government to successfully achieve the targets of low CO2 emissions and energy-saving functions of fiscal expenditures.
Hemp and marijuana, both derived from Cannabis sativa L. (C. sativa), are subject to divergent legal regulations due to their different Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9‐THC) contents. Cannabinoid synthase ...genes are considered the key enzymes that determine the chemical composition or chemotype of a particular cultivar. However, existing methods for crop type differentiation based on previous synthase gene theories have limitations in terms of precision and specificity, and a wider range of cannabis varieties must be considered when examining cannabis‐based genetic markers. A custom next‐generation sequencing (NGS) panel was developed targeting all synthase genes, including Δ9‐THC acid synthase, cannabidiolic acid synthase, and cannabichromenic acid synthase, as well as the pseudogenes across diverse C. sativa samples, spanning reference hemp and marijuana, commercial hemp derivatives, and seized marijuana extracts. Interpretation of NGS data revealed a relationship between genotypes and underlying chemotypes, with the principal component analysis indicating a clear distinction between hemp and marijuana clusters. This differentiation was attributed to variations in both synthase genes and pseudogene variants. Finally, this study proposes a genetic cannabis classification method using a differentiation flow chart with novel synthase markers. The flow chart successfully differentiated hemp from marijuana with a 1.3% error rate (n = 147).
PET hydrolase (PETase), which hydrolyzes polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into soluble building blocks, provides an attractive avenue for the bioconversion of plastics. Here we present the structures ...of a novel PETase from the PET-consuming microbe Ideonella sakaiensis in complex with substrate and product analogs. Through structural analyses, mutagenesis, and activity measurements, a substrate-binding mode is proposed, and several features critical for catalysis are elucidated.
Since the commercialization of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) in the early 1990s, tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), and germanium (Ge)‐based anodes have attracted considerable research interest as promising ...candidates for next‐generation LIBs due to their high theoretical capacities, suitable operating voltages, and natural abundance. Additionally, the awareness of limited global lithium sources promoted the renaissance of sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) in recent years. Sn, Sb, and Ge can electrochemically alloy with sodium and are regarded as promising anode candidates for high‐performance SIBs. However, these alloying/dealloying anodes suffer severe volume expansion during lithiation or sodiation processes, which is one of the biggest obstacles toward practical applications. In order to solve this problem, several strategies are developed including reducing the absolute size of particles, creating interior void space, and introducing buffer media. After more than two decades' efforts, the electrochemical performance of Sn, Sb, and Ge‐based anodes is significantly improved. Considerable studies about Sn, Sb, and Ge‐based anodes are summarized in a chronicle perspective and the brief development histories of the three anodes are outlined. With this unique review, light will be shed on the future trends of the studies on the Sn, Sb, and Ge‐based anodes for advanced rechargeable batteries.
A comprehensive review of alloying‐based nonsilicon lithium/sodium‐ion battery anodes over the last few decades is performed. Unique insights about the evolution trends of the studies are revealed, which are instructive and inspiring for the development of high‐performance rechargeable batteries.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignancies and has a poor prognosis. Circular RNA (circRNA) has been increasingly recognized as a crucial contributor to ...carcinogenesis. circRNA_0000140 has been aberrantly expressed in OSCC, but its role in tumor growth and metastasis remains largely unclear. Sanger sequencing, actinomycin D, and RNase R treatments were used to confirm head-to-tail junction sequences and the stability of circ_0000140. In vitro cell activities, including proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, were determined by colony formation, transwell, and flow cytometry assays. The expression levels of circ_0000140, Hippo signaling pathway, and serial epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were measured by quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. Dual luciferase reporter assays and Argonaute 2-RNA immunoprecipitation assays were performed to explore the interplay among circ_0000140, miR-31, and LATS2. Subcutaneous tumor growth was observed in nude mice, in which in vivo metastasis was observed following tail vein injection of OSCC cells. circ_0000140 is derived from exons 7 to 10 of the KIAA0907 gene. It was down-regulated in OSCC tissues and cell lines, and correlated negatively with poor prognostic outcomes in OSCC patients. Gain-of-function experiments demonstrated that circ_0000140 enhancement suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and facilitated cell apoptosis in vitro. In xenograft mouse models, overexpression of circ_0000140 was able to repress tumor growth and lung metastasis. Furthermore, mechanistic studies showed that circ_0000140 could bind with miR-31 and up-regulate its target gene LATS2, thus affecting OSCC cellular EMT. Our findings demonstrated the roles of circ_0000140 in OSCC tumorigenesis as well as in metastasis, and circ_0000140 exerts its tumor-suppressing effect through miR-31/LATS2 axis of Hippo signaling pathway in OSCC.
Spinal sensory transmission is under descending biphasic modulation, and descending facilitation is believed to contribute to chronic pain. Descending modulation from the brainstem rostral ...ventromedial medulla (RVM) has been the most studied, whereas little is known about direct corticospinal modulation. Here, we found that stimulation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) potentiated spinal excitatory synaptic transmission and this modulation is independent of the RVM. Peripheral nerve injury enhanced the spinal synaptic transmission and occluded the ACC-spinal cord facilitation. Inhibition of ACC reduced the enhanced spinal synaptic transmission caused by nerve injury. Finally, using optogenetics, we showed that selective activation of ACC-spinal cord projecting neurons caused behavioral pain sensitization, while inhibiting the projection induced analgesic effects. Our results provide strong evidence that ACC stimulation facilitates spinal sensory excitatory transmission by a RVM-independent manner, and that such top-down facilitation may contribute to the process of chronic neuropathic pain.
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