Sodium ion batteries (NIBs) have become attractive promising alternatives to lithium ion batteries in a broad field of future energy storage applications. The development of high‐performance anode ...materials has become an essential factor and a great challenge toward satisfying the requirements for NIBs, advancement. This work is the first report on GeS2 nanocomposites uniformly distributed on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as promising anode materials for NIBs prepared via a facile hydrothermal synthesis and a unique carbo‐thermal annealing. The results show that the GeS2/rGO hybrid anode yields a high reversible specific capacity of 805 mA h g−1 beyond the theoretical capacity, an excellent rate capability of 616 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1, and a cycle retention of 89.4% after 100 cycles. A combined ex situ characterization study reveals that the electrochemically driven amorphization plays a key role in achieving efficient sodium storage by accommodating excess sodium ions in the electrode materials. Understanding the sequential conversion‐alloying reaction mechanism for GeS2/rGO hybrid anodes provides a new approach for developing high‐performance energy storage applications.
The novel‐designed GeS2/rGO hybrid anode materials are prepared via a facile hydrothermal synthesis and a unique carbo‐thermal annealing. The nanocomposites ensure the high reversible specific capacity of 805 mA h g−1 beyond the theoretical capacity and the excellent rate capability (562 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1), revealing the best use of electrochemically driven amorphization.
The changes in soft tissue profile following alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) with/without primary flap closure (PC) in periodontally damaged sockets have yet to be discovered.
For periodontally ...damaged non-molar extraction sockets, ARP with PC (group PC)/without PC (group SC) was performed using granule-type xenogeneic bone substitute material and a collagen barrier. Intraoral scans were performed at the time of ARP and 4 months thereafter. Superimposition of STL files was performed to examine tissue change on the soft tissue level. The level of mucogingival junction (MGJ) was also evaluated.
A total of 28 patient (13 in group PC, 15 in group SC) completed the study. Soft tissue profile change was evaluated only when the measurement level was located on the non-mobile tissue. Group PC tended to shrink less on the long axis of the extraction socket than group SC (-4.3 ± 3.1 mm vs. -5.9 ± 4.4 mm at the 1 mm below the pre-extraction gingival margin, p > 0.05). Profilometric analysis (on the region of interest) also have a tendency of less tissue profile change in group PC than group SC (-1.0 ± 0.8 mm vs. -1.3 ± 0.5 mm, p > 0.05). The MGJ level change was not statistically significantly different between the groups (p > 0.05) even though the MGJ level was located more apically at 4 months in group SC compared with group PC.
Alveolar ridge preservation with PC tended to yield less soft tissue shrinkage than ARP without PC.
Electrophoresis can be an effective approach for depositing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the surface of carbon fiber (CF). Nevertheless, it has been rarely reported on polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) ...composites filled with CFs surface-modified by CNTs based on electrophoresis. In this study, we investigated the electrophoresis process conditions that can completely coat CF with multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) using self-manufactured electrophoresis equipment, and the enhancement of interfacial, electrical and flexural properties of PPS composites by introducing CFs coated with MWCNTs based on electrophoresis. In particular, interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of the PPS composites was measured by microbond tests and improved by about 41.7% due to the MWCNTs introduced on the surface of CFs. These enhancements were theoretically explained by an interface-modified CF-based micromechanical model. Introducing MWCNTs on the CF surface based on electrophoresis was demonstrated to be an effective method for improving the interfacial, electrical and flexural properties of PPS composites.
Target-mediated drug disposition (TMDD) is a phenomenon characterized by a drug's high-affinity binding to a target molecule, which significantly influences its pharmacokinetic profile within an ...organism. The comprehensive TMDD model delineates this interaction, yet it may become overly complex and computationally demanding in the absence of specific concentration data for the target or its complexes. Consequently, simplified TMDD models employing quasi-steady state approximations (QSSAs) have been introduced; however, the precise conditions under which these models yield accurate results require further elucidation. Here, we establish the validity of three simplified TMDD models: the Michaelis-Menten model reduced with the standard QSSA (mTMDD), the QSS model reduced with the total QSSA (qTMDD), and a first-order approximation of the total QSSA (pTMDD). Specifically, we find that mTMDD is applicable only when initial drug concentrations substantially exceed total target concentrations, while qTMDD can be used for all drug concentrations. Notably, pTMDD offers a simpler and faster alternative to qTMDD, with broader applicability than mTMDD. These findings are confirmed with antibody-drug conjugate real-world data. Our findings provide a framework for selecting appropriate simplified TMDD models while ensuring accuracy, potentially enhancing drug development and facilitating safer, more personalized treatments.
Abstract Background The lower quarter Y-balance test (YBT-LQ) has been recommended as a measure of dynamic postural control in the clinical setting; however, information about the relationship ...between performance on the YBT-LQ and joint kinematics is limited. Thus, the kinematic predictors responsible for performance on the YBT-LQ need to be identified for accurate evaluation of dynamic postural control. Objectives To identify the kinematic predictors that best explain variance in performance on the YBT-LQ. Design Cross-sectional design. Setting University motion analysis laboratory. Participants Thirty physically active participants. Methods All participants performed the YBT-LQ. The kinematics of the trunk and lower extremity at maximal reach in each direction of the YBT-LQ were monitored using a 3-dimensional motion analysis system. Main Outcome Measurements The correlations between reach distance and joint kinematics were assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient, and the best predictors of performance on the YBT-LQ were determined using a stepwise multiple regression analysis. Results Ankle dorsiflexion was the best single predictor of normalized reach in the anterior direction of the YBT-LQ ( r 2 = 0.50), and the combination of ankle dorsiflexion and trunk extension explained 65% of the variance in the anterior normalized reach. Hip flexion was the best single predictor of posteromedial ( r 2 = 0.60) and posterolateral ( r 2 = 0.71) normalized reaches of the YBT-LQ. The combination of hip flexion and ipsilateral trunk bending and the combination of hip flexion and contralateral trunk bending accounted for 69% and 80% of the variance in the posteromedial and posterolateral normalized reaches of the YBT-LQ, respectively. Conclusions These findings provide useful information on the relative contribution of joint kinematics to performance on the YBT-LQ when evaluating dynamic postural control.
Advanced smart grid technologies enable energy prosumers to trade surplus energy from their distributed renewable energy sources with other peer prosumers through peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading. ...In many previous works, P2P energy trading was facilitated by blockchain technology through blockchain’s distributive nature and capacity to run smart contracts. However, the feature that all the data and transactions on a blockchain are visible to all blockchain nodes may significantly threaten the privacy of the parties participating in P2P energy trading. There are many previous works that have attempted to mitigate this problem. However, all these works focused on the anonymity of participants but did not protect the data and transactions. To address this issue, we propose a P2P energy trading system on a blockchain where all bids are encrypted and peer matching is performed on the encrypted bids by a functional encryption-based smart contract. The system guarantees that the information encoded in the encrypted bids is protected, but the peer matching transactions are performed by the nodes in a publicly verifiable manner through smart contracts. We verify the feasibility of the proposed system by implementing a prototype composed of smart meters, a distribution system operator (DSO) server, and private Ethereum blockchain.
We propose a privacy-preserving face authentication system for smartphones that guarantees security against malicious clients. Using the proposed system, a face feature vector is stored on a remote ...server in encrypted form. To guarantee security against an honest-but-curious server who may try to learn the private feature vector, we perform a Euclidean distance-based matching score computation on encrypted feature vectors using homomorphic encryption. To provide security against malicious clients, we adopt a blinding technique. We implement the proposed system on a mobile client and a desktop server. Through an experiment with real-world participants, we demonstrate that secure face verification can be completed in real time (within 1.3 s) even when a smartphone is involved, with an Equal Error Rate (EER) of 3.04%. In further experiments with two public face datasets, CFP and ORL, face verification is completed in approximately 1 s with EER of 1.17% and 0.37%, respectively. Our system is two orders of magnitude faster than previous privacy-preserving face verification method with the same security assumptions and functionalities. To achieve this secure real-time computation, we improve the Catalano-Fiore transformation which converts a linear homomorphic encryption scheme into a quadratic scheme, and parallelize the decryption procedure of our system.
Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which is linked to autophagy regulation and melanogenesis regulation, is activated by marliolide. In this study, we investigated the effect of a ...marliolide derivative on melanosome degradation through the autophagy pathway. The effect of the marliolide derivative on melanosome degradation was investigated in α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-treated melanocytes, melanosome-incorporated keratinocyte, and ultraviolet (UV)B-exposed HRM-2 mice (melanin-possessing hairless mice). The marliolide derivative, 5-methyl-3-tetradecylidene-dihydro-furan-2-one (DMF02), decreased melanin pigmentation by melanosome degradation in α-MSH-treated melanocytes and melanosome-incorporated keratinocytes, evidenced by premelanosome protein (PMEL) expression, but did not affect melanogenesis-associated proteins. The UVB-induced hyperpigmentation in HRM-2 mice was also reduced by a topical application of DMF02. DMF02 activated Nrf2 and induced autophagy in vivo, evidenced by decreased PMEL in microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3)-II-expressed areas. DMF02 also induced melanosome degradation via autophagy in vitro, and DMF02-induced melanosome degradation was recovered by chloroquine (CQ), which is a lysosomal inhibitor. In addition, Nrf2 silencing by siRNA attenuated the DMF02-induced melanosome degradation via the suppression of p62. DMF02 induced melanosome degradation in melanocytes and keratinocytes by regulating autophagy via Nrf2-p62 activation. Therefore, Nrf2 activator could be a promising therapeutic agent for reducing hyperpigmentation.
A reconfigurable multiple input multiple output (MIMO) planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) is presented for three worldwide m-WiMAX bands: 2.3-2.4 GHz, 2.5-2.7 GHz, and 3.4-3.6 GHz. In order to achieve ...low mutual coupling, i.e., high isolation, a band-notched quarter-wave slot line on the ground plane is used between the two reconfigurable antennas. Two PIN-diodes are appropriately located on the slot line in order to electrically control the slot length. By adjusting both the PIN-diode biases for the reconfigurable antennas and the reconfigurable isolation slot, the proposed antenna simultaneously obtains the operating frequency and isolation reconfigurability for the three operating bands. A parametric analysis is performed to investigate optimized slot lengths for the three operation modes. All of the simulated results are confirmed with measurements. Measured isolation performance of greater than 30 dB improves the radiation efficiency, diversity gain, and channel capacity for all operating frequencies.
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