Theoretical Investigation on the Role of Na and O for High Conductivity in Na-Doped SrSiO₃

Generally, the conductivity of any electrolyte depends on the concentration of charge carriers and the activation energy of mobile species in the electrolyte. The detailed mechanism inducing high oxide ion conductivity in alkali-doped strontium silicate Sr3–3xNa3xSi3O9–1.5x (x = 0.45) (SNS) is still unclear and is under debate up to now. Questions are proposed about the charge carrier species of SNS. In this work, AIMD simulations are performed to investigate the Na and O dynamics and the effect of Na on the conductivity in Na-doped SrSiO3. Our AIMD simulations reveal that perfect SrSiO3 is an insulator, whereas SNS exhibits an excellent high oxide (O) ion conductivity (2.5 × 10–2 S/cm) with a low activation energy (0.37 eV). Na doping leads to amorphization of the structure and disrupts the bonding between O and the surrounding atoms, resulting in a greatly increased MSD. Moreover, trajectory study suggests that Na shows a random diffusion throughout the structure and collides not only with Sr but also with Si and O. The atomic collision behavior of Na may contribute to the excellent high oxide ion conductivity of SNS. This work highlights the central underline of Na’s role in oxide ion conductivity. However, such a random diffusion of Na may have important implications for its use as solid-state oxide fuel cells

Unique Core–Shell Nanorod Arrays with Polyaniline Deposited into Mesoporous NiCo₂O₄ Support for High-Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes

Polyaniline (PANI), one of the most attractive conducting polymers for supercapacitors, demonstrates a great potential as high performance pseudocapacitor materials. However, the poor cycle life owing to structural instability remains as the major hurdle for its practical application; hence, making the structure-to-performance design on the PANI-based supercapacitors is highly desirable. In this work, unique core–shell NiCo₂O₄@PANI nanorod arrays (NRAs) are rationally designed and employed as the electrode material for supercapacitors. With highly porous NiCo₂O₄ as the conductive core and strain buffer support and nanoscale PANI layer as the electrochemically active component, such a heterostructure achieves favorably high capacitance while maintaining good cycling stability and rate capability. By adopting the optimally uniform and intimate coating of PANI, the fabricated electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 901 F g^–1 at 1 A g^–1 in 1 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte and outstanding capacitance retention of ∼91% after 3000 cycles at a high current density of 10 A g^–1, which is superior to the electrochemical performance of most reported PANI-based pseudocapacitors in literature. The enhanced electrochemical performance demonstrates the complementary contributions of both componential structures in the hybrid electrode design. Also, this work propels a new direction of utilizing porous matrix as the highly effective support for polymers toward efficient energy storage

Table_1_ERRα as a Bridge Between Transcription and Function: Role in Liver Metabolism and Disease.XLSX

As transcriptional factors, nuclear receptors (NRs) function as major regulators of gene expression. In particular, dysregulation of NR activity has been shown to significantly alter metabolic homeostasis in various contexts leading to metabolic disorders and cancers. The orphan estrogen-related receptor (ERR) subfamily of NRs, comprised of ERRα, ERRβ, and ERRγ, for which a natural ligand has yet to be identified, are known as central regulators of energy metabolism. If AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) can be viewed as sensors of the metabolic needs of a cell and responding acutely via post-translational control of proteins, then the ERRs can be regarded as downstream effectors of metabolism via transcriptional regulation of genes for a long-term and sustained adaptive response. In this review, we will focus on recent findings centered on the transcriptional roles played by ERRα in hepatocytes. Modulation of ERRα activity in both in vitro and in vivo models via genetic or pharmacological manipulation coupled with chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-on-chip and ChIP-sequencing (ChIP-seq) studies have been fundamental in delineating the direct roles of ERRα in the control of hepatic gene expression. These studies have identified crucial roles for ERRα in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism as well as in mitochondrial function under both physiological and pathological conditions. The regulation of ERRα expression and activity via ligand-independent modes of action including coregulator binding, post-translational modifications (PTMs) and control of protein stability will be discussed in the context that may serve as valuable tools to modulate ERRα function as new therapeutic avenues for the treatment of hepatic metabolic dysfunction and related diseases.</p

Excellent Performance in Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes: Rational Synthesis of Co(CO₃)_0.5(OH)0.11H₂O Nanobelt Array and Its Conversion into Mesoporous and Single-Crystal Co₃O₄

Herein, we report a rational method to synthesize a Co3O4 nanobelt array on a conducting substrate and functionalize it in the application of Li-ion battery anodes, which is a novel and facile approach to access the nanobelt array of transition metal oxides. Compared to the previous reports, the as-prepared samples in our experiments exhibited both mesoporosity and single-crystallinity, and meanwhile, good contact with the conducting substrate (via a thin layer of TiO2) provided an express pathway for charge transfer when they were applied in Li-ion batteries without any need to add other ancillary materials (carbon black or binder) to enhance the system’s conductivity and stability. Under the condition of high charge−discharge current density of 177 mA/g in Li-ion batteries’ testing, the Co3O4 nanobelt array was capable of retaining the specific capacity of 770 mAh/g over 25 cycles. Moreover, even though the charge−discharge rates were increased to 1670 and 3350 mA/g, it still could have reached the stable retention of the specific capacity of 510 and 330 mAh/g beyond 30 cycles, respectively, indicating an obtainable excellent rate capability. More importantly, the improved performance in Li-ion battery testing was definitely ascribed to the unique structures in our samples after elaborate analysis. So the final conclusion would be given that the lab-synthesized Co3O4 nanobelt array potentially could be a highly qualified candidate for Li-ion battery anodes in some practical fields, where high capacity and good capability are strictly required

Double-Shelled Nanocapsules of V₂O₅-Based Composites as High-Performance Anode and Cathode Materials for Li Ion Batteries

Double-Shelled Nanocapsules of V2O5-Based Composites as High-Performance Anode and Cathode Materials for Li Ion Batterie

Hierarchical Fe₃O₄@Fe₂O₃ Core–Shell Nanorod Arrays as High-Performance Anodes for Asymmetric Supercapacitors

Anode materials with relatively low capacitance remain a great challenge for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) to pursue high energy density. Hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) has attracted intensive attention as anode material for ASCs, because of its suitable reversible redox reactions in a negative potential window (from 0 V to −1 V vs Ag/AgCl), high theoretical capacitance, rich abundance, and nontoxic features. Nevertheless, the Fe₂O₃ electrode cannot deliver large volumetric capacitance at a high rate, because of its poor electrical conductivity (∼10^–14 S/cm), resulting in low power density and low energy density. In this work, a hierarchical heterostructure comprising Fe₃O₄@Fe₂O₃ core–shell nanorod arrays (NRAs) is presented and investigated as the negative electrode for ASCs. Consequently, the Fe₃O₄@Fe₂O₃ electrode exhibits superior supercapacitive performance, compared to the bare Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄ NRAs electrodes, demonstrating large volumetric capacitance (up to 1206 F/cm³ with a mass loading of 1.25 mg/cm²), as well as good rate capability and cycling stability. The hybrid electrode design is also adopted to prepare Fe₃O₄@MnO₂ core–shell NRAs as the positive electrode for ASCs. Significantly, the as-assembled 2 V ASC device delivered a high energy density of 0.83 mWh/cm³ at a power density of 15.6 mW/cm³. This work constitutes the first demonstration of Fe₃O₄ as the conductive supports for Fe₂O₃ to address the concerns about its poor electronic and ionic transport

Energy-Saving Smart Windows with HPC/PAA Hybrid Hydrogels as Thermochromic Materials

Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) hydrogels exhibit thermal-responsive transparency change due to their temperature-sensitive miscible–immiscible transitions, making them promising thermochromic materials for fabricating energy-saving smart windows. However, their transition temperatures, named lower critical solution temperature (LCST), are too high for building window applications, and it is also challenging to reduce LCST to comfortable room temperature range (e.g., 26–28 °C) in hot seasons. In this work, we report smart windows prepared using poly­(acrylic acid) (PAA)-modified HPC hydrogels and demonstrate that the LCST of the resulting HPC/PAA hybrid hydrogels can be effectively tuned by solution pH, from 44 to 10 °C with decreasing pH from 6.0 to 1.0. At pH 2.5, an optimized LCST at 26.5 °C has been achieved. The sandwich-structured smart window, composed of two glass panes and an optimized HPC/PAA hydrogel in between, shows a high visible-light transmittance (Tlum = 90.1%), excellent solar energy modulation (ΔTsol = 47.5%), outstanding heat-shielding performance, and excellent stability after 100 heating and cooling cycles. These optical properties outperform the reported thermosensitive cellulose-based materials, vanadium oxide based smart windows, and other thermosensitive hydrogel-based smart windows. Furthermore, HPC/PAA hydrogels are easy to prepare, nontoxic, biocompatible, low-cost, and environmentally friendly, making them very promising materials for energy-saving and climate-adaptable smart windows

Correlation between outcrossing rates (<i>t_m</i>) and observed heterozygosity (<i>H_o</i>) of weedy rice populations.

<p>Correlation between outcrossing rates (<i>t_m</i>) and observed heterozygosity (<i>H_o</i>) of weedy rice populations.</p

Paternal specific alleles and their frequencies in weedy rice populations as estimated by MLRT (Ritland, 2002) [36].

<p>The shared alleles detected in rice varieties grown in the same field were indicated in the last column.</p><p>*The crop-specific alleles.</p

Parameters of genetic diversity in eleven weedy rice populations based on 22 SSR primer pairs.

<p><i>F_is</i>: Wright's (1978) inbreeding coefficient <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0016189#pone.0016189-Wright2" target="_blank">[40]</a>; <i>A</i>: average number of alleles per locus; <i>P</i>: percentage of polymorphic loci; <i>GD</i>: Nei's genetic diversity <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0016189#pone.0016189-Nei1" target="_blank">[41]</a>; <i>H_o</i>: observed heterozygosity. Numbers in parentheses indicate standard deviations (s.d.).</p