The new scenario involving the rapid energy supply transition from oil-based to natural gas-based undoubtedly affects the future carbon capture and storage (CCS) and offers an opportunity for the use ...of natural gas hydrates (NGHs). NGHs account for one-third of the mobile organic carbon on Earth, acting as a carbon storage reservoir in the carbon cycle. Hydrate-based technologies including CO
2
capture, CO
2
separation, and natural gas storage and transportation can also be used to reduce greenhouse gas (CO
2
, CH
4
) emissions and have excellent application potential. However, the implications of the energy supply transition, NGH extraction, and hydrate-based technologies for future climate change mitigation have not been deeply recognized. This paper comprehensively discusses the global energy supply and environmental challenges and transitions, and NGHs and their role in the energy supply, carbon cycle, and historical and future climate change, and summarizes the state-of-the-art developments in hydrate-based technologies and NGH exploitation methods and their potential environmental impacts, thereby providing a perspective on the roles of NGHs and their related technologies in the future energy supply and climate change mitigation. In all of these areas, we focus on identifying future CCS challenges and the technological development risk imposed by a natural gas-based global economy and NGH utilization, which should be highlighted in the next several decades.
The roles of natural gas hydrates and their related technologies in the future energy supply, carbon cycle and climate change mitigation.
Among the main bacteria implicated in the pathology of periodontal disease, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) is well known for causing loss of periodontal attachment and systemic disease. ...Recent studies have suggested that secreted extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) from several bacteria may be important in periodontitis, although their role is unclear. Emerging evidence indicates that exRNAs circulate in nanosized bilayered and membranous extracellular vesicles (EVs) known as outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) in gram‐negative bacteria. In this study, we analyzed the small RNA expression profiles in activated human macrophage‐like cells (U937) infected with OMVs from Aa and investigated whether these cells can harbor exRNAs of bacterial origin that have been loaded into the host RNA‐induced silencing complex, thus regulating host target transcripts. Our results provide evidence for the cytoplasmic delivery and activity of microbial EV‐derived small exRNAs in host gene regulation. The production of TNF‐α was promoted by exRNAs via the TLR‐8 and NF‐κB signaling pathways. Numerous studies have linked periodontal disease to neuroinflammatory diseases but without elucidating specific mechanisms for the connection. We show here that intracardiac injection of Aa OMVs in mice showed successful delivery to the brain after crossing the blood‐brain barrier, the exRNA cargos increasing expression of TNF‐α in the mouse brain. The current study indicates that host gene regulation by microRNAs originating from OMVs of the periodontal pathogen Aa is a novel mechanism for host gene regulation and that the transfer of OMV exRNAs to the brain may cause neuroinflammatory diseases like Alzheimer's.—Han, E.‐C., Choi, S.‐Y., Lee, Y., Park, J.‐W., Hong S.‐H., Lee, H.‐J. Extracellular RNAs in periodontopathogenic outer membrane vesicles promote TNF‐α production in human macrophages and cross the blood‐brain barrier in mice. FASEB J. 33, 13412–13422 (2019). www.fasebj.org
Elimination of charge trapping at defects is highly challenging for poly-crystalline organometal halide perovskites. Here, we report a new architecture for reinforcing the built-in electric field (
E
...in
) across the photoactive layer with a pair of strong electric dipole layers (EDLs). The paired EDLs significantly intensify the
E
in
across the perovskite layer, resulting in suppressed charge trapping of photogenerated charges. As a result, our low-temperature processed P–I–N planar PeSC devices using the paired EDLs exhibit a higher power conversion efficiency (
η
max
∼ 19.4%) and a smaller device-to-device variation with a standard deviation (S.D.) of 0.70%, which far surpass those (
η
max
∼ 17.8%, S.D. ∼ 1.1%) of the devices with typical charge transport layers.
Ovarian cancer preferentially metastasizes to the omentum, a fatty tissue characterized by immune structures called milky spots, but the cellular dynamics that direct this tropism are unknown. Here, ...we identified that neutrophil influx into the omentum is a prerequisite premetastatic step in orthotopic ovarian cancer models. Ovarian tumor-derived inflammatory factors stimulated neutrophils to mobilize and extrude chromatin webs called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs were detected in the omentum of ovarian tumor-bearing mice before metastasis and of women with early-stage ovarian cancer. NETs, in turn, bound ovarian cancer cells and promoted metastasis. Omental metastasis was decreased in mice with neutrophil-specific deficiency of peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4), an enzyme that is essential for NET formation. Blockade of NET formation using a PAD4 pharmacologic inhibitor also decreased omental colonization. Our findings implicate NET formation in rendering the premetastatic omental niche conducive for implantation of ovarian cancer cells and raise the possibility that blockade of NET formation prevents omental metastasis.
In this article, we propose a method for performing the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) in indoor environments using only multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) frequency-modulated ...continuous wave (FMCW) radar. The SLAM is a technology that maps the surrounding environment and position of a platform simultaneously. The following are the steps of the overall the SLAM implementation of the proposed method. First, the ego-velocity of the platform is estimated using the relative velocity with respect to stationary objects. In this case, a random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is used in the velocity-angle map generated from the detection results to identify stationary objects. Second, the rotation angle of the platform is estimated using the linear component extracted from the walls in the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">{xy} </tex-math></inline-formula> plane. Then, we determine the ego-motion of the platform using the estimated ego-velocity and rotation angle. Finally, we map the position of the platform and the indoor environment simultaneously in the absolute coordinate system. We validate the mapping result generated using our proposed method by comparing it with the ground truth-based mapping result.
Rapid growth of online media markets among world populations led to attempts by companies to exploit mobile services as part of business planning practices. Relatedly, this study examines adoption of ...paid mobile media service (i.e., Amazon Prime Video) as a source of new information and communication technology with online-offline integrated mobile services. The study’s main objective is to identify a technology acceptance model from the perspective of consumer experiences of value perceptions. This study proposed a value-based technology acceptance model, deriving from classic variables related to technology acceptance with regard to relevant consumer value perception literature. The proposed model examined effects of positive and negative experiences of value perceptions on consumers’ beliefs about paid service which explained future use of the paid service. Results indicated that consumers’ positive experiences—social, emotional, and functional values—derived from using mobile media services positively explained consumers’ belief of the usefulness of the paid mobile media service. Consumers’ negative experiences with technological barriers negatively influenced consumers’ beliefs with regard to the ease of use for paid mobile service, while price risk negatively influenced perceived usefulness. Consequently, consumers’ perceptions of ease of use and usefulness related to using the paid service positively influenced behavioral intention for continuous use of the paid mobile media service.
Among various potential applications of organic photovoltaics (OPVs), indoor power generation has great potential because of several advantages over outdoor light harvesting under 1 sun conditions. ...Commonly used indoor light sources have narrower emission spectra with lower intensity (by 3 orders of magnitude) as compared to the solar spectrum. Highly tunable optical absorption, large absorption coefficients, and small leakage currents under dim lighting conditions make OPVs promising candidates for indoor applications. For optimizing indoor photovoltaic materials and devices, several key issues (different from those under 1 sun conditions), such as developing new indoor photovoltaic materials and devices with suitable absorption spectra, large open-circuit voltages with low energy loss, minimized trap-mediated charge recombination and leakage currents, and device stability under indoor conditions, should be considered carefully. In this review, the recent progress in optimization of indoor photovoltaic materials and devices, and the key strategies to optimize the indoor photovoltaic characteristics will be summarized and discussed.
Organic photovoltaics are a promising candidate for indoor applications. Recent progresses in optimization of indoor photovoltaic materials and devices, and the key strategies to optimize the indoor photovoltaic characteristics will be discussed.
The purpose of this study is to understand fashion consumers’ channel switching to online stores during the COVID-19. We proposed an extended theory of planned behavior by incorporating protection ...motivation theory. The results showed that consumer assessments of perceived severity and altruistic fear of COVID-19 and response efficacy and self-efficacy of channel switching increased their beliefs (i.e., attitude, perceived behavior control, subjective norm) and intentions to switch shopping channels to online. We also found that the age (young vs. old) moderated the effects of response efficacy and self-efficacy on perceived behavior control, perceived severity on subjective norm, perceived behavior control on channel switching intentions, and channel switching intention on actual switching behavior. The findings provide fashion retailers and the society with a better understanding about fashion consumers’ shopping channel switching under the pandemic.
Expression of human mitochondrial DNA is indispensable for proper function of the oxidative phosphorylation machinery. The mitochondrial genome encodes 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and 11 mRNAs and their ...post-transcriptional modification constitutes one of the key regulatory steps during mitochondrial gene expression. Cytosine-5 methylation (m5C) has been detected in mitochondrial transcriptome, however its biogenesis has not been investigated in details. Mammalian NOP2/Sun RNA Methyltransferase Family Member 2 (NSUN2) has been characterized as an RNA methyltransferase introducing m5C in nuclear-encoded tRNAs, mRNAs and microRNAs and associated with cell proliferation and differentiation, with pathogenic variants in NSUN2 being linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we employ spatially restricted proximity labelling and immunodetection to demonstrate that NSUN2 is imported into the matrix of mammalian mitochondria. Using three genetic models for NSUN2 inactivation-knockout mice, patient-derived fibroblasts and CRISPR/Cas9 knockout in human cells-we show that NSUN2 is necessary for the generation of m5C at positions 48, 49 and 50 of several mammalian mitochondrial tRNAs. Finally, we show that inactivation of NSUN2 does not have a profound effect on mitochondrial tRNA stability and oxidative phosphorylation in differentiated cells. We discuss the importance of the newly discovered function of NSUN2 in the context of human disease.
Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a commonly used denture material with poor antimicrobial effects. This study investigated the antimicrobial effects of PMMA-containing silver-phosphate glass. We ...fabricated a novel material comprising PMMA-containing silver-phosphate glass. Then, microhardness, flexural strength, and gloss unit were analyzed. Antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans was investigated. Colony-forming units were counted, and antimicrobial rates were measured. Biocompatibility tests were performed using a colorimetric MTT assay for evaluating cell metabolic activity. The microhardness, flexural strength, and gloss unit of the experimental groups (with silver-phosphate glass) were not significantly different from those of the control group (no silver-phosphate glass) (P > 0.05), which showed clinically valid values. With increasing proportions of silver-phosphate glass, the antimicrobial activity against the two microorganisms increased (P < 0.05). Furthermore, S. mutans showed more than 50% antimicrobial activity in 4%, 6%, and 8% experimental groups, C. albicans showed more than 50% antimicrobial activity in 6% and 8% groups, and a statistically significant difference in antimicrobial activity was observed compared to the control (P < 0.05). The cell viability of the experimental groups was not significantly different from that of the control group (P > 0.05). Both control and experimental groups showed approximately 100% cell viability. These results suggest that silver-phosphate glass is a promising antimicrobial material in dentistry.
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