The design of advanced high‐energy‐density supercapacitors requires the design of unique materials that combine hierarchical nanoporous structures with high surface area to facilitate ion transport ...and excellent electrolyte permeability. Here, shape‐controlled 2D nanoporous carbon sheets (NPSs) with graphitic wall structure through the pyrolysis of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are developed. As a proof‐of‐concept application, the obtained NPSs are used as the electrode material for a supercapacitor. The carbon‐sheet‐based symmetric cell shows an ultrahigh Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET)‐area‐normalized capacitance of 21.4 µF cm−2 (233 F g−1), exceeding other carbon‐based supercapacitors. The addition of potassium iodide as redox‐active species in a sulfuric acid (supporting electrolyte) leads to the ground‐breaking enhancement in the energy density up to 90 Wh kg−1, which is higher than commercial aqueous rechargeable batteries, maintaining its superior power density. Thus, the new material provides a double profits strategy such as battery‐level energy and capacitor‐level power density.
Shape‐controlled 2D hierarchical nanoporous carbon sheets derived from a metal–organic framework achieving excellent surface‐area‐normalized capacitance are prepared. Further, the effect of the addition of KI redox‐active species in the aqueous electrolyte to enhance the performance is explored.
Hybrid metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) demonstrate great promise as ideal electrode materials for energy‐related applications. Herein, a well‐organized interleaved composite of graphene‐like ...nanosheets embedded with MnO2 nanoparticles (MnO2@C‐NS) using a manganese‐based MOF and employed as a promising anode material for Li‐ion hybrid capacitor (LIHC) is engineered. This unique hybrid architecture shows intriguing electrochemical properties including high reversible specific capacity 1054 mAh g−1 (close to the theoretical capacity of MnO2, 1232 mAh g−1) at 0.1 A g−1 with remarkable rate capability and cyclic stability (90% over 1000 cycles). Such a remarkable performance may be assigned to the hierarchical porous ultrathin carbon nanosheets and tightly attached MnO2 nanoparticles, which provide structural stability and low contact resistance during repetitive lithiation/delithiation processes. Moreover, a novel LIHC is assembled using a MnO2@C‐NS anode and MOF derived ultrathin nanoporous carbon nanosheets (derived from other potassium‐based MOFs) cathode materials. The LIHC full‐cell delivers an ultrahigh specific energy of 166 Wh kg−1 at 550 W kg−1 and maintained to 49.2 Wh kg−1 even at high specific power of 3.5 kW kg−1 as well as long cycling stability (91% over 5000 cycles). This work opens new opportunities for designing advanced MOF derived electrodes for next‐generation energy storage devices.
Metal–organic framework derived electrodes for high performance Li‐ion hybrid capacitors: graphene‐like nanosheets wrap a MnO2 anode and nanoporous carbon nanosheet cathode.
The main research tool for identifying microRNAs involved in specific cellular processes is gene expression profiling using microarray technology. Agilent is one of the major producers of microRNA ...arrays, and microarray data are commonly analyzed by using R and the functions and packages collected in the Bioconductor project. However, an analytical package that integrates the specific characteristics of microRNA Agilent arrays has been lacking.
This report presents the new bioinformatic tool AgiMicroRNA for the pre-processing and differential expression analysis of Agilent microRNA array data. The software is implemented in the open-source statistical scripting language R and is integrated in the Bioconductor project (http://www.bioconductor.org) under the GPL license. For the pre-processing of the microRNA signal, AgiMicroRNA incorporates the robust multiarray average algorithm, a method that produces a summary measure of the microRNA expression using a linear model that takes into account the probe affinity effect. To obtain a normalized microRNA signal useful for the statistical analysis, AgiMicroRna offers the possibility of employing either the processed signal estimated by the robust multiarray average algorithm or the processed signal produced by the Agilent image analysis software. The AgiMicroRNA package also incorporates different graphical utilities to assess the quality of the data. AgiMicroRna uses the linear model features implemented in the limma package to assess the differential expression between different experimental conditions and provides links to the miRBase for those microRNAs that have been declared as significant in the statistical analysis.
AgiMicroRna is a rational collection of Bioconductor functions that have been wrapped into specific functions in order to ease and systematize the pre-processing and statistical analysis of Agilent microRNA data. The development of this package contributes to the Bioconductor project filling the gap in microRNA array data analysis.
Superlubricity of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) coatings under boundary lubrication with organic friction modifiers is important for industrial applications, but the underlying mechanisms ...remain elusive. Here, combined experiments and simulations unveil a universal tribochemical mechanism leading to superlubricity of ta-C/ta-C tribopairs. Pin-on-disc sliding experiments show that ultra- and superlow friction with negligible wear can be achieved by lubrication with unsaturated fatty acids or glycerol, but not with saturated fatty acids and hydrocarbons. Atomistic simulations reveal that, due to the simultaneous presence of two reactive centers (carboxylic group and C=C double bond), unsaturated fatty acids can concurrently chemisorb on both ta-C surfaces and bridge the tribogap. Sliding-induced mechanical strain triggers a cascade of molecular fragmentation reactions releasing passivating hydroxyl, keto, epoxy, hydrogen and olefinic groups. Similarly, glycerol's three hydroxyl groups react simultaneously with both ta-C surfaces, causing the molecule's complete mechano-chemical fragmentation and formation of aromatic passivation layers with superlow friction.
This paper sheds light on the relevance of socially responsible human resource management (SR‐HRM) and its link to the generation of value for companies. Based on the synergistic assumptions of the ...configurational approach, the article tests the association of SR‐HRM policies on intellectual capital (IC) dimensions (human, social and organizational capital). A cluster and structural equation modelling analysis on a sample of 85 human resource (HR) managers confirms that companies implementing socially responsible HR policies could experience a greater increase in IC levels than other companies. This process facilitates the sustainable development of organizations through the enhancement of IC value and stakeholder engagement among employees as a main group of interest.
Inspired by future needs of flexible, simple, and low‐cost energy storage devices, smart graphene‐based micro‐supercapacitors on conventional Xerox paper substrates were developed. The use of ...redox‐active species (iodine redox couple) was explored to further improve the paper device's performance. The device based on printed graphene paper itself already had a remarkable maximum volumetric capacitance of 29.6 mF cm−3 (volume of whole device) at 6.5 mA cm−3. The performance of the hybrid electrode with redox‐active potassium iodide at the graphene surface was tested. Remarkably, the hybrid device showed improved volumetric capacitance of 130 mF cm−3. The maximum energy density for a graphene+KI device in H2SO4 electrolyte was estimated to be 0.026 mWh cm−3. Thus, this work offers a new simple, and lightweight micro‐supercapacitor based on low‐cost printed graphene paper, which will have great applications in portable electronics.
The prints and the paper: Print graphene on both sides of a common office paper acting as separator. Add an aqueous sulfuric acid electrolyte, current collectors and… Potassium Iodide as an electroactive redox couple for extra charge storage. The result is a low‐cost micro‐supercapacitor with extra capacitance (130 mF cm−3) and energy density (0.026 mWh cm−3), ideally suited for flexible applications.
The development of immunotherapies over the past decade has resulted in a paradigm shift in the treatment of cancer. However, the majority of patients do not benefit from immunotherapy, presumably ...owing to insufficient reprogramming of the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME) and thus limited reinvigoration of antitumour immunity. Various metabolic machineries and nutrient-sensing mechanisms orchestrate the behaviour of immune cells in response to nutrient availability in the TME. Notably, tumour-infiltrating immune cells typically experience metabolic stress as a result of the dysregulated metabolic activity of tumour cells, leading to impaired antitumour immune responses. Moreover, the immune checkpoints that are often exploited by tumour cells to evade immunosurveillance have emerging roles in modulating the metabolic and functional activity of T cells. Thus, repurposing of drugs targeting cancer metabolism might synergistically enhance immunotherapy via metabolic reprogramming of the TME. In addition, interventions targeting the metabolic circuits that impede antitumour immunity have been developed, with several clinical trials underway. Herein, we discuss how these metabolic circuits regulate antitumour immunity and the possible approaches to targeting these pathways in the context of anticancer immunotherapy. We also describe hypothetical combination treatments that could be used to better unleash the potential of adoptive cell therapies by enhancing T cell metabolism.
T cells play a critical role in cancer control, but a range of potent immunosuppressive mechanisms can be upregulated in the tumor microenvironment (TME) to abrogate their activity. While various ...immunotherapies (IMTs) aiming at re-invigorating the T-cell-mediated anti-tumor response, such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), and the adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of natural or gene-engineered
expanded tumor-specific T cells, have led to unprecedented clinical responses, only a small proportion of cancer patients benefit from these treatments. Important research efforts are thus underway to identify biomarkers of response, as well as to develop personalized combinatorial approaches that can target other inhibitory mechanisms at play in the TME. In recent years, adenosinergic signaling has emerged as a powerful immuno-metabolic checkpoint in tumors. Like several other barriers in the TME, such as the PD-1/PDL-1 axis, CTLA-4, and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO-1), adenosine plays important physiologic roles, but has been co-opted by tumors to promote their growth and impair immunity. Several agents counteracting the adenosine axis have been developed, and pre-clinical studies have demonstrated important anti-tumor activity, alone and in combination with other IMTs including ICB and ACT. Here we review the regulation of adenosine levels and mechanisms by which it promotes tumor growth and broadly suppresses protective immunity, with extra focus on the attenuation of T cell function. Finally, we present an overview of promising pre-clinical and clinical approaches being explored for blocking the adenosine axis for enhanced control of solid tumors.
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