Le regole del gioco: Primo incontro con l'ingegneria strategica

Cu particles decorated carbon composite microspheres (CCMs) with a unique sesame ball structure have been prepared by combining the mass-producible spray drying technique with calcinations. The conventional cuprammonium cellulose complex solution obtained by dissolving cellulose in a cuprammonia solution has been applied as raw materials for the preparation of Cu­(NH₃)₄²⁺/cellulose complex microspheres via a spray drying process. The resulted Cu­(NH₃)₄²⁺/cellulose complex microspheres are then transformed into the Cu particles homogeneously decorated porous carbon spheres <i>in situ</i> by calcinations at 450 or 550 °C. The coordination effect between the Cu­(NH₃)₄²⁺ species and the hydroxyl groups of the cellulose macromolecules has been exploited for directing the dispersion of the Cu particles in the resultant composite CCMs. The antimicrobial effects of the CCMs are evaluated by determining the minimum growth inhibitory concentrations using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as representatives, respectively. The CCMs show high efficiency catalytic properties to the conversion of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol using NaBH₄ as a reductant in a mild condition. The recyclability and stability of the CCM catalysts have also been studied

Is there a relationship between environmental performance and outward FDI? A study of Chinese MNEs

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the question, “How do firm-level, home-country and host-country environmental performance (EP) affect the outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) of Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs)?” Design/methodology/approach: The authors examine the relationships between EP and OFDI propensity and between EP and OFDI intensity using a sample of 359 Chinese firms in industries with a significant environmental footprint between 2009 and 2019 (2,002 firm-year observations) and a Heckman two-stage model. Findings: This study shows that the propensity for OFDI by Chinese MNEs is significantly and positively related to the firm’s prior EP and the country-level EP of China. However, the amount of FDI invested is significantly and positively related to the firm’s prior EP and negatively related to the EP of the host country. Research limitations/implications: The findings suggest that FDI in a country by an MNE is determined by a combination of firm-level EP, home-country EP and host-country EP. This study finds that the decision to undertake FDI (propensity) and the decision about how much to invest (intensity) are determined by different factors. The propensity for FDI is determined by the home-country EP and firm-level EP. However, the intensity of FDI is determined by a combination of the host country EP and firm-level EP. A limitation is that this study only examines MNEs in China, so the findings may not apply to other countries. Originality/value: This paper shows that MNEs’ EP is positively related to the propensity and intensity of their OFDI decisions. However, this paper shows that the home-country and host-country EP may also play an important role in determining the propensity or intensity of OFDI

In Situ Formation of Tungsten Nitride among Porous Carbon Polyhedra for High Performance Zinc–Iodine Batteries

To address the low capacity and poor stability of aqueous zinc–iodine batteries owing to the insulating nature of iodine and the shuttle effect of polyiodide, herein, tungsten nitride-modified porous carbon polyhedron (W2N/N-C) was prepared via the pyrolysis of ZIF-8 injected with phosphotungstic acid (PTA@ZIF-8). During the thermal treatment process, the self-nitridation enabled the in situ formation of tungsten nitride nanoparticles in hierarchical porous carbon with nitrogen doping for favorable loading of iodine. When used as the electrode material, the zinc–iodine battery exhibited the low polarization during the charge/discharge process with improved reversibility and good cycling stability for 2000 cycles. The improved electrochemical performance would be attributed to the confinement effect of W2N/N-C for the reversible conversion between iodine and polyiodide, thus enhancing the redox reversibility and utilization of active materials. The present work demonstrates an efficient strategy to prepare porous carbon with metal nitrides via the combination of carbonization and self-nitridation process for high-performing zinc–iodine battery

China's pivot from zero-COVID strategy and the role of vaccines

Objective: This paper aims to examine China's vaccine policy within the context of broader policy interventions and evaluate their impact on both health and non-health outcomes. Method: We first utilize the categorizing Policy & Technology Interventions (CPTI) framework to assess the intensities of different policy responses during various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We adopt a process inspired by the Delphi method to evaluate the timelines and intensities of the policy measures comprehensively. Subsequently, we probe the results generated from this process to identify distinctive patterns in China's pandemic policy changes, particularly in relation to the country's reopening process. To explain this distinctive pattern, we employ the governmentality perspective, drawing on Foucault's theories, which focus on the power dynamics between techniques and governance. Results: The policy interventions in China during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly differ from those in the other countries in the four policy areas. Despite the massive vaccination efforts, vaccines did not play a decisive role in China's reopening in late 2022. Our analysis reveals that the vaccines are only used in China as part of a broader social governing system in conjunction with zero-COVID policy, such as lockdowns, travel restrictions, and mass tracking. Conclusions: China's approach to COVID vaccines and the policies governing their use are distinctive, shaped by a governmentality perspective that prioritizes the strengthening of governance

The role of vaccines in COVID-19 control strategies in Singapore and China

Objectives: In this article, we critically review the development and implementation of COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore and China during the pandemic. Methods: We collect and analyze data from a range of sources, including scholarly articles, statistics and documents from national governments in the two countries, and reports from international organizations. Results: There are important differences in the two countries’ approaches to the evolving pandemic, and thus the roles that COVID-19 vaccination plays in the overall response strategies in these two countries. Conclusions: Whereas Singapore adopted a “living with the virus” strategy, China continued to pursue a COVID-zero strategy. The overall COVID-19 response strategy of Singapore was largely shared by many countries in the world, while that of China was more unique and hardly imitated elsewhere. Nevertheless, vaccination played a significant role in both countries’ responses to the pandemic. A comparison and contrast between the vaccination processes in these two countries thus shed important light on the drivers and outcomes of COVID-19 vaccination in different settings

General Preparation of Three-Dimensional Porous Metal Oxide Foams Coated with Nitrogen-Doped Carbon for Enhanced Lithium Storage

Porous metal oxide architectures coated with a thin layer of carbon are attractive materials for energy storage applications. Here, a series of porous metal oxide (e.g., vanadium oxides, molybdenum oxides, manganese oxides) foams with/without nitrogen-doped carbon (N–C) coating have been synthesized via a general surfactant-assisted template method, involving the formation of porous metal oxides coated with 1-hexadecylamine (HDA) and a subsequent thermal treatment. The presence of HDA is of importance for the formation of a porous structure, and the successive pyrolysis of such a nitrogen-containing surfactant generates nitrogen-doped carbon (N–C) coated on the surface of metal oxides, which also provides a facile way to adjust the valence states of metal oxides via the carbothermal reduction reaction. When used as electrode materials, the highly porous metal oxides with N–C coating exhibited enhanced performance for lithium ion storage, thanks to the unique 3D structures associated with highly porous structure and thin N–C coating. Typically, the porous metal oxides (V₂O₅, MoO₃, MnO₂) exhibited discharge capacities of 286, 303, and 463 mAh g^–1 at current densities of 30 and 100 mA g^–1, respectively. In contrast, the metal oxides with low valences and carbon coating (VO₂@N–C, MoO₂@N–C, and MnO@N–C) exhibited improved capacities of 461, 613, and 892 mAh g^–1. The capacity retentions of about 87.5, 80.2, and 85.0% for VO₂@N–C, MoO₂@N–C, and MnO@N–C were achieved after 600 cycles, suggesting the acceptable cycling stability. The present strategy would provide general guidance for preparing porous metal oxide foams with enhanced lithium storage performances

Three-Dimensional Macroporous Graphene Foam Filled with Mesoporous Polyaniline Network for High Areal Capacitance

Bicontinuous macroporous graphene foam composed of few-layered graphene sheets provides a highly conductive platform on which to deposit mesoporous polyaniline via incorporation of electrodeposition and inkjet techniques. The experimental results exhibit that the coating polyaniline thin layer on the surface of three-dimensional graphene foam via electrodeposition is of importance for changing the hydrophobic surface to a hydrophilic one and for the subsequent filling of the mesoporous polyaniline network into the macroporous graphene foam. The porous polyaniline network with high pseudocapacitance is highly efficient for adjusting the pore structure and capacitive properties of graphene foam. When used as electrode materials for supercapacitors, the resulted graphene foam–polyaniline network with high porosity renders a large areal capacitance of over 1700 mF cm^–2, which is over two times the enhancement in comparison with the pure graphene foam and polyaniline thin layer coated one. The ultrahigh areal capacitance benefits from the synergistic effect of the good conductive graphene backbone and high pseudocapacitive polyaniline

Interfacial Deposition of Three-Dimensional Nickel Hydroxide Nanosheet-Graphene Aerogel on Ni Wire for Flexible Fiber Asymmetric Supercapacitors

Burgeoning interest in flexible and wearable electronics sparks the rapid development of flexible fiber-shape supercapacitors (SCs). Herein, three-dimensional porous reduced graphene oxide (RGO) aerogel is deposited on flexible Ni wire via a simple aqueous reduction method. RGO aerogel exhibits good capacitive performance, thanks to its unique porous structure and good electrical conductivity. In order to fabricate an asymmetric SC, nickel hydroxide nanosheets are controllably deposited on the RGO sheets as the positive electrode while the RGO aerogel coated Ni wire is used as negative one. The obtained flexible fiber SCs exhibit good performance with high power/energy densities (10.3 kW kg^–1/3430 mW cm^–3, 24.5 Wh kg^–1/0.83 mWh cm^–3) and good cycling stability (83% retention, even after 6000 cycles). The solid-state nature combined with good flexibility makes the fiber SCs attractive for energy storage applications in portable and wearable electronics. The interfacial deposition of reduced graphene oxide and nickel hydroxide on Ni wire renders the fabrication of flexible fiber asymmetric supercapacitors for sustainable energy storage

Image_1_Association of atopic diseases with atrial fibrillation risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.TIF

BackgroundAtopic diseases and atrial fibrillation (AF) seem to share an underlying inflammatory pathology. To date, some population-based studies have explored the relationship between the two. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to examine the role of atopic condition in AF risk.MethodsAll relevant observational studies in PubMed and EMBASE databases up to November 2021 were searched. In RevMan 5.3, we used random-effects or fixed-effects models to pool the effect sizes of hazard ratio (HR), odds ratio (OR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). In addition, I2 and Cochran Q test were used to evaluate the heterogeneity.ResultsA total of 2488 records were retrieved. After screening according to the predetermined criteria, 6 cohort studies and 2 case-control studies were included in this meta-analysis. Herein, the meta-analysis of 6 cohort studies suggested that atopic diseases potentially increased the AF risk with the pooled HR of 1.26 (95%CI,1.14–1.39), while the pooled effect size (OR, 1.04; 95%CI,0.74–1.46) of 2 case-control studies was not statistically significant. Based on the types of atopic diseases, further subgroup analyses of 6 cohort studies revealed that asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis all potentially increased the risk of subsequent AF with the pooled HR of 1.41 (n = 4; 95%CI, 1.25–1.58), 1.12 (n = 1; 95%CI,1.10–1.14) and 1.06 (n = 3; 95%CI, 1.01–1.12), respectively.ConclusionThis meta-analysis demonstrated that patients with atopic diseases have a higher risk of developing AF, particularly those with asthma.</p

Sodium Butyrate Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Autophagy in Colorectal Cells: Implications for Apoptosis

<div><p>Purpose</p><p>Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid derived from dietary fiber, inhibits proliferation and induces cell death in colorectal cancer cells. However, clinical trials have shown mixed results regarding the anti-tumor activities of butyrate. We have previously shown that sodium butyrate increases endoplasmic reticulum stress by altering intracellular calcium levels, a well-known autophagy trigger. Here, we investigated whether sodium butyrate-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress mediated autophagy, and whether there was crosstalk between autophagy and the sodium butyrate-induced apoptotic response in human colorectal cancer cells.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Human colorectal cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and HT-29) were treated with sodium butyrate at concentrations ranging from 0.5–5mM. Cell proliferation was assessed using MTT tetrazolium salt formation. Autophagy induction was confirmed through a combination of Western blotting for associated proteins, acridine orange staining for acidic vesicles, detection of autolysosomes (MDC staining), and electron microscopy. Apoptosis was quantified by flow cytometry using standard annexinV/propidium iodide staining and by assessing PARP-1 cleavage by Western blot.</p><p>Results</p><p>Sodium butyrate suppressed colorectal cancer cell proliferation, induced autophagy, and resulted in apoptotic cell death. The induction of autophagy was supported by the accumulation of acidic vesicular organelles and autolysosomes, and the expression of autophagy-associated proteins, including microtubule-associated protein II light chain 3 (LC3-II), beclin-1, and autophagocytosis-associated protein (Atg)3. The autophagy inhibitors 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and chloroquine inhibited sodium butyrate induced autophagy. Furthermore, sodium butyrate treatment markedly enhanced the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated proteins, including BIP, CHOP, PDI, and IRE-1a. When endoplasmic reticulum stress was inhibited by pharmacological (cycloheximide and mithramycin) and genetic (siRNA targeting BIP and CHOP) methods, the induction of BIP, PDI, IRE1a, and LC3-II was blocked, but PARP cleavage was markedly enhanced.</p><p>Discussion</p><p>Taken together, these results suggested that sodium butyrate-induced autophagy was mediated by endoplasmic reticulum stress, and that preventing autophagy by blocking the endoplasmic reticulum stress response enhanced sodium butyrate-induced apoptosis. These results provide novel insights into the anti-tumor mechanisms of butyric acid.</p></div