Abstract
The long-term cycling of anode-free Li-metal cells (i.e., cells where the negative electrode is in situ formed by electrodeposition on an electronically conductive matrix of lithium sourced ...from the positive electrode) using a liquid electrolyte is affected by the formation of an inhomogeneous solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the current collector and irregular Li deposition. To circumvent these issues, we report an atomically defective carbon current collector where multivacancy defects induce homogeneous SEI formation on the current collector and uniform Li nucleation and growth to obtain a dense Li morphology. Via simulations and experimental measurements and analyses, we demonstrate the beneficial effect of electron deficiency on the Li hosting behavior of the carbon current collector. Furthermore, we report the results of testing anode-free coin cells comprising a multivacancy defective carbon current collector, a Li
x
Ni
0.8
Co
0.1
Mn
0.1
-based cathode and a nonaqueous Li-containing electrolyte solution. These cells retain 90% of their initial capacity for over 50 cycles under lean electrolyte conditions.
Due to rapid urbanization worldwide, monitoring the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which causes cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, has attracted considerable attention. Developing ...real-time sensors to detect parts-per-billion (ppb)-level NO2 remains challenging due to limited sensitivity, response, and recovery characteristics. Herein, we report a hybrid structure of Cu3HHTP2, 2D semiconducting metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and laser-induced graphene (LIG) for high-performance NO2 sensing. The unique hierarchical pore architecture of LIG@Cu3HHTP2 promotes mass transport of gas molecules and takes full advantage of the large surface area and porosity of MOFs, enabling highly rapid and sensitive responses to NO2. Consequently, LIG@Cu3HHTP2 shows one of the fastest responses and lowest limit of detection at room temperature compared with state-of-the-art NO2 sensors. Additionally, by employing LIG as a growth platform, flexibility and patterning strategies are achieved, which are the main challenges for MOF-based electronic devices. These results provide key insight into applying MOFtronics as high-performance healthcare devices.NO2 monitoring is important in urban areas where pollutant levels are typically higher. Here authors present a hybrid structure of laser-induced graphene and Cu3HHTP2, a 2D semiconducting MOF, for highly sensitive and rapid detection of NO2 at the parts-per-billion level.
Identification of EGFR mutations is critical to the treatment of primary lung cancer and brain metastases (BMs). Here, we explored whether radiomic features of contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images ...(T1WIs) of BMs predict EGFR mutation status in primary lung cancer cases. In total, 1209 features were extracted from the contrast-enhanced T1WIs of 61 patients with 210 measurable BMs. Feature selection and classification were optimized using several machine learning algorithms. Ten-fold cross-validation was applied to the T1WI BM dataset (189 BMs for training and 21 BMs for the test set). Area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated. Subgroup analyses were also performed according to metastasis size. For all measurable BMs, random forest (RF) classification with RF selection demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance for identifying EGFR mutation (AUC: 86.81). Support vector machine and AdaBoost were comparable to RF classification. Subgroup analyses revealed that small BMs had the highest AUC (89.09). The diagnostic performance for large BMs was lower than that for small BMs (the highest AUC: 78.22). Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted image radiomics of brain metastases predicted the EGFR mutation status of lung cancer BMs with good diagnostic performance. However, further study is necessary to apply this algorithm more widely and to larger BMs.
The pulverization of lithium metal electrodes during cycling recently has been suppressed through various techniques, but the issue of irreversible consumption of the electrolyte remains a critical ...challenge, hindering the progress of energy-dense lithium metal batteries. Here, we design a single-ion-conductor-based composite layer on the lithium metal electrode, which significantly reduces the liquid electrolyte loss via adjusting the solvation environment of moving Li
in the layer. A Li||Ni
Mn
Co
O
pouch cell with a thin lithium metal (N/P of 2.15), high loading cathode (21.5 mg cm
), and carbonate electrolyte achieves 400 cycles at the electrolyte to capacity ratio of 2.15 g Ah
(2.44 g Ah
including mass of composite layer) or 100 cycles at 1.28 g Ah
(1.57 g Ah
including mass of composite layer) under a stack pressure of 280 kPa (0.2 C charge with a constant voltage charge at 4.3 V to 0.05 C and 1.0 C discharge within a voltage window of 4.3 V to 3.0 V). The rational design of the single-ion-conductor-based composite layer demonstrated in this work provides a way forward for constructing energy-dense rechargeable lithium metal batteries with minimal electrolyte content.
We previously found that VAMP721/722 SNARE proteins guide secretory vesicles to pathogen-attacking sites during immune responses in Arabidopsis, which suggests that these vesicles should deliver ...immune molecules. However, the lethality of vamp721 vamp722 double null mutant makes it difficult to understand the nature of cargo transported via VAMP721/722 vesicles. Since VAMP721/722-depleted (VAMP721+/−VAMP722−/− and VAMP721−/−VAMP722+/−) plants show compromised resistance to extracellular pathogens, we assume that an immune protein secreted through the VAMP721/722-engaged exocytosis would be remained more in VAMP721/722-depleted plants than WT. By comparing intracellular proteins between WT and VAMP721/722-depleted plants, we found caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase 1 (CCOAOMT1) involved in the lignin biosynthesis was more abundantly detected in both VAMP721/722-depleted lines than WT. Plants are well-known to deposit secondary cell walls as physical barriers at pathogen-attempting sites. Therefore, extracellular detection of CCOAOMT1 and impaired resistance to Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 in ccoaomt1 plants suggest that plants secrete cell wall-modifying enzymes at least including CCOAOMT1 to reinforce the secondary cell walls for immunity.
•After flg22 treatment, CCOAOMT1 is more accumulated in VAMP721/722-depleted plants than WT.•CCOAOMT1 is secreted from the leaf-derived protoplasts.•Bacterial growth is elevated in ccoaomt1 plants compared to WT.
Highlights
Metal oxide and carbon hybrids (MO
x
/C) were micropatterned very rapidly and energy efficiently by direct laser writing.
Metal-organic framework was the ideal precursor for fabricating ...homogeneous MO
x
/C hybrids due to regularly spaced metal ions and organic ligands.
The fabricated sensor not only demonstrated broad-range gas sensing capability for ethanol gas (170-3,400 ppm) but also exhibited exceptional sensitivity, rapid response and recovery, selectivity, linearity, and thermal stability.
Advancements in sensor technology have significantly enhanced atmospheric monitoring. Notably, metal oxide and carbon (MO
x
/C) hybrids have gained attention for their exceptional sensitivity and room-temperature sensing performance. However, previous methods of synthesizing MO
x
/C composites suffer from problems, including inhomogeneity, aggregation, and challenges in micropatterning. Herein, we introduce a refined method that employs a metal–organic framework (MOF) as a precursor combined with direct laser writing. The inherent structure of MOFs ensures a uniform distribution of metal ions and organic linkers, yielding homogeneous MO
x
/C structures. The laser processing facilitates precise micropatterning (< 2 μm, comparable to typical photolithography) of the MO
x
/C crystals. The optimized MOF-derived MO
x
/C sensor rapidly detected ethanol gas even at room temperature (105 and 18 s for response and recovery, respectively), with a broad range of sensing performance from 170 to 3,400 ppm and a high response value of up to 3,500%. Additionally, this sensor exhibited enhanced stability and thermal resilience compared to previous MOF-based counterparts. This research opens up promising avenues for practical applications in MOF-derived sensing devices.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a persistent inflammatory skin condition resulting from an intricate interplay among genetic, immunological, and environmental factors.
(EA), an annual winter plant ...belonging to the family Asteraceae, possesses anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective, and antioxidant activities. In this study, we hypothesized that
extract (EAE) could be an effective agent for ameliorating AD-like symptoms. To confirm this hypothesis in vitro, we used H
O
-stimulated human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) to demonstrate that pre-treatment with EAE protected against oxidative stress. HaCaT cells pretreated with EAE and stimulated with H
O
showed decreased intracellular malondialdehyde content, increased superoxide dismutase activity, and reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation. To verify the in vivo hypothesis based on the intracellular results, an AD disease mouse model was induced with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB), and EAE was orally administered at a non-toxic concentration according to the toxicity evaluation results. The results showed that AD disease models in BALB/c mice exhibited reduced ear epidermal thickness, scratching behavior, and mast cell infiltration. In conclusion, our results indicate that EAE has the potential to improve AD by upregulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway.
Nakai offers a reliable and efficient source of antioxidants that can help alleviate adverse skin reactions triggered by air pollutants. Air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), have the ...ability to infiltrate the skin and contribute to the higher occurrence of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory ailments. Individuals with compromised skin barriers are particularly susceptible to the impact of PM since it can be absorbed more readily through the skin. This study investigated the impact of protocatechuic acid and syringin, obtained from the n-BuOH extract of
Nakai, on the release of PGE
and PGD
induced by PM
. Additionally, it examined the gene expression of the synthesis of PGE
and PGD
in human keratinocytes. The findings of this research highlight the potential of utilizing safe and efficient plant-derived antioxidants in dermatological and cosmetic applications to mitigate the negative skin reactions caused by exposure to air pollution.
Drought and salinity are major important factors that restrain growth and productivity of rice. In plants, many really interesting new gene (RING) finger proteins have been reported to enhance ...drought and salt tolerance. However, their mode of action and interacting substrates are largely unknown. Here, we identified a new small RING-H2 type E3 ligase
, which is involved in the ABA and stress responses of rice.
transcripts were highly induced by ABA, salt, or drought treatment. Upregulation of
in transgenic rice conferred drought and salt tolerance and increased endogenous ABA levels. Consistent with this, faster transcriptional activation of key ABA biosynthetic genes,
, and
, was observed in
-OE plants compared with wild type in response to drought stress. Yeast two-hybrid assay, BiFC, and co-immunoprecipitation analysis identified clade A PP2C proteins as direct interacting partners with OsRF1.
ubiquitination assay indicated that OsRF1 exhibited E3 ligase activity, and that it targeted OsPP2C09 protein for ubiquitination and degradation. Cell-free degradation assay further showed that the OsPP2C09 protein is more rapidly degraded by ABA in the
-OE rice than in the wild type. The combined results suggested that OsRF1 is a positive player of stress responses by modulating protein stability of clade A PP2C proteins, negative regulators of ABA signaling.
•Pre-classification of lymphoma in its early stages and the peripheral blood smears can lead to immediate diagnosis and the quick initiation of the treatment.•A lack of well-annotated datasets with ...class-imbalanced distribution hinders training of machine learning-based detection model.•Unsupervised visual representation learning such as similarity-based distillation methods can alleviate this issue.•Thus, we utilize a graph neural network to establish a novel higher-order heuristic distillation method that distills knowledge about more general and powerful higher-order heuristic features.•Our proposed method can learn rich visual representations compared to previous state-of-the-art SD methods.
In many real-world scenarios, including the blood smear domain, it is difficult for detection networks to achieve good performance because image annotation is usually time consuming and expensive. To address this issue, similarity-based distillation (SD) methods, considered the soft version of contrastive learning, are applied to learn a better visual representation without requiring any supervision of the downstream task. Motivated by our theoretical analysis, we treat standard SD methods as the maximization of common 1-hop neighboring key points between two queries in an attributed graph, where nodes represent query and key data points. However, such first-order graph heuristic methods that calculate the likelihood of an unseen link between target nodes by using up to 1-hop neighborhoods are normally limited by insufficient representation power and even lack of generalization ability.
Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel higher-order heuristic distillation (H2D) method that distills knowledge about more general and powerful higher-order heuristic features based on a more than 1-hop relationship in the attributed graph. To do this, we utilize a graph neural network model to learn the higher-order heuristic features on the attributed graph constructed by query and key data representations and transfer the knowledge from the teacher to the student encoder.
Our method outperforms the previous state-of-the-art SD methods in the cell detection task on the blood smear dataset as well on open databases (Pascal VOC and MS COCO). Conclusions: Our proposed model allow teacher encoder to transfer the knowledge about more general and powerful higher-order heuristic embeddings to the student and enables better learning for visual representation on cell detection task using blood smear images.
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