Interface Engineering of Air Electrocatalysts for Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries

In the face of high cost and insufficient energy density of current lithium ion batteries, aqueous rechargeable Zn-air batteries with the advantages of low cost, environmental benignity, safety and high energy density are spotlighted in recent years. The practical application of Zn-air batteries, however, is severely restricted by the high overpotential, which is associated with the inherent sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of air electrocatalysts. Recently, engineering heterostructured/hybrid electrocatalysts by modulating the interface chemistry has been demonstrated as an effective strategy to improve the catalytic performance. Basically, there occur significant electronic effect, geometric effect, coordination effect, synergistic effect, and confinement effect at the heterostructure interface, which intensely affect electrocatalysts’ performance in terms of intrinsic activity, active site density and durability. In this review, the recent progress on development of heterostructured air electrocatalysts by interface engineering is summarized. Particularly, the potential relationship between interface chemistry and oxygen electrocatalysis kinetics is bridged and outlined. This review would provide a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the crucial role of the well-defined interfaces towards fast oxygen electrocatalysis, and would offer a solid scientific basis for the rational design of efficient heterostructured air electrocatalysts and beyond

The relationship between boredom proneness, the behavioral inhibition system, and anxiety in college students: variable-centered and person-centered analytic approaches

ObjectiveTo explore the relationship among boredom proneness, the behavioral inhibition system, and anxiety among college students based on variable-centered and person-centered analytic approaches.MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted on 1,102 college students from a university in Hebei Province using the Boredom Proneness Questionnaire (BPQ) for College Students, the Behavioral Inhibition System Scale (BIS), and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7).ResultsThe results reveal that boredom proneness was negatively correlated with scores on the behavioral inhibition system (r = −0.100, p < 0.01), and positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.457, p < 0.001), while the behavioral inhibition system was positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.086, p < 0.01). In the variable-centered analyses study, it was found that the behavioral inhibition system partially mediated the association between boredom proneness and anxiety. In the person-centered analyses study, three subtypes were identified: the high boredom-low inhibition group (9.35%), the moderate boredom-inhibition group (66.70%), and the low boredom-high inhibition group (23.95%). Individuals in these subtypes showed significant differences in anxiety scores (F = 4.538, p < 0.05), with the low boredom-high inhibition group scoring the highest.ConclusionThe results showed that the behavioral inhibition system partially mediates the relationship between boredom proneness and anxiety in college students; boredom proneness and the behavioral inhibition system exhibit group heterogeneity, with distinct classification features closely related to anxiety

Monitoring Cropping Intensity Dynamics across the North China Plain from 1982 to 2018 Using GLASS LAI Products

China is a large grain producer and consumer. Thus, obtaining information about the cropping intensity (CI) in cultivated land, as well as understanding the intensified utilization of cultivated land, is important to ensuring an increased grain production and food security for China. This study aims to detect and map the changes in CI over a period of 36 years across China’s core grain-producing area—the North China Plain (NCP)— using remotely sensed leaf area index (LAI) time series data acquired by the Global LAnd Surface Satellite (GLASS) products. We first selected 2132 sample points that consisted entirely, or almost entirely, of cultivated cropland from all pixels; the biennial LAI curves for the sample points were then extracted; the Savitzky–Golay filter and second-order difference algorithm were then applied to reconstruct the biennial LAI curves and obtain the number of peaks in these curves. In addition, the multiple cropping index (MCI) was calculated to represent the CI. Finally, the spatial distribution of the CI of cultivated land on the NCP was mapped from 1982 to 2018 using a geo-statistical kriging approach. Spatially, the results indicate that the CI of cultivated land over the NCP exhibits a distinct spatial pattern that conforms to “high in the south, low in the north”. The single cropping system (SCS) mainly occurred in the higher latitude area ranging from 37.04°N to 42.54°N, and the double cropping system (DCS) mainly existed in the lower latitude area between 31.95°N and 39.97°N. Temporally, the CI increased over the study period, but there were some large fluctuations in CI from 1982 to 1998 and it maintained relatively stable since 2000. Across the NCP, 68.14% of cultivated land experienced a significant increase in CI during the 36-year period, while only 3.87% showed a significant decrease. We also found that, between 1982 and 2018, the northern boundary of the area for DCS underwent a significant westward expansion and northward movement. Our results show a good degree of consistency with statistical data and previous research and also help to improve the reliability of satellite-based identification of CI using low spatial resolution LAI products. The results provide important information that can be used for analyzing and evaluating the rational utilization of cultivated land resources; thus, ensuring food security and realizing agricultural sustainability not only for the NCP, but for China as a whole. These results also highlight the value of satellite remote sensing to the long-term monitoring of cropping intensity at large scales

Remotely-Sensed Identification of a Transition for the Two Ecosystem States Along the Elevation Gradient: A Case Study of Xinjiang Tianshan Bogda World Heritage Site

The alpine treeline, as an ecological transition zone between montane coniferous forests and alpine meadows (two ecosystem states), is a research hotspot of global ecology and climate change. Quantitative identification of its elevation range can efficiently capture the results of the interaction between climate change and vegetation. Digital extraction and extensive analysis in such a critical elevation range crucially depend on the ability of monitoring ecosystem variables and the suitability of the experimental model, which are often restricted by the weak intersection of disciplines and the spatial-temporal continuity of the data. In this study, the existence of two states was confirmed by frequency analysis and the Akaike information criterion (AIC) as well as the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) indices. The elevation range of a transition for the two ecosystem states on the northern slope of the Bogda was identified by the potential analysis. The results showed that the elevation range of co-occurrence for the two ecosystem states was 2690–2744 m. At the elevation of 2714 m, the high land surface temperature (LST) state started to exhibit more attraction than the low LST state. This elevation value was considered as a demarcation where abrupt shifts between the two states occurred with the increase of elevation. The identification results were validated by a field survey and unmanned aerial vehicle data. Progress has been made in the transition identification for the ecosystem states along the elevation gradient in mountainous areas by combining the remotely-sensed index with a potential analysis. This study also provided a reference for obtaining the elevation of the alpine tree line quickly and accurately

The impact of college students’ parent–child attachment on bullying behavior: the mediating role of external expression of anger

Purpose(1) To investigate the relationship between college students’ parent–child attachment, external expression of anger, and bullying behavior; (2) To explore the mediating role of external expression of anger between parent–child attachment and bullying behavior.MethodsThe Parent–Child Attachment Scale, State–Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and Bullying Participation Behavior Questionnaire were administered to 306 college students. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 for common method bias tests, descriptive analysis, and correlation analysis. The mediation model was tested using the PROCESS macro program.ResultsParent–child attachment was significantly negatively correlated with external expression of anger and bullying behavior, while external expression of anger was positively correlated with bullying behavior. Additionally, the external expression of anger partially mediated the impact of parent–child attachment on bullying behavior.ConclusionThis study clarifies the relationship between parent–child attachment, external expression of anger, and bullying, emphasizing the indirect effect of parent–child attachment on individual bullying behavior through the external expression of anger. It provides data support for the further development of innovative methods to effectively reduce bullying behavior

Effect of transcatheter aortic valve replacement on bicuspid coronary hemodynamics: A numerical study

To investigate the effects of transcatheter heart valve (THV) poses and bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) subtypes on coronary hemodynamics after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The computational models for BAV included left-right fusion (LR), non-coronary-left fusion (LN) and non-coronary-right fusion (RN). THV deployment height is defined as the distance below the aortic annulus of the lowest point of the stent, H1 ​= ​2 ​mm, H2 ​= ​5 ​mm and H3 ​= ​8 ​mm, Orientations include O1 (one commissure is aligned with the raphe) and O2 (one commissure is aligned with the axis of non-fused leaflet symmetry). The maximum flow velocity (Vmax), mean wall shear stress (mWSS) and coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) of coronary were obtained by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. The CPP was 59% in left coronary and 82% in right coronary higher than that before deployment. At O1, the CPP of the LN left coronary and the RN right coronary was 74% and 79% higher than that before deployment. At O2, the CPP of the LN right coronary and the RN left coronary was 83% and 82% higher than that before deployment. When the THV deployment height is less than 2 ​mm, Vmax and CPP of coronary arteries do not return to healthy TAV levels or changed weakly. The overlap of the THV commissure with the coronary ostium makes the coronary CPP so large that it exceeds the level of a healthy TAV

MiR-17 partly promotes hematopoietic cell expansion through augmenting HIF-1α in osteoblasts.

BACKGROUND: Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) regulation is highly dependent on interactions with the marrow microenvironment, of which osteogenic cells play a crucial role. While evidence is accumulating for an important role of intrinsic miR-17 in regulating HSCs and HPCs, whether miR-17 signaling pathways are also necessary in the cell-extrinsic control of hematopoiesis hereto remains poorly understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using the immortalized clone with the characteristics of osteoblasts, FBMOB-hTERT, in vitro expansion, long-term culture initiating cell (LTC-IC) and non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient disease (NOD/SCID) mice repopulating cell (SRC) assay revealed that the ectopic expression of miR-17 partly promoted the ability of FBMOB-hTERT to support human cord blood (CB) CD34(+) cell expansion and maintain their multipotency. It also seemed that osteoblastic miR-17 was prone to cause a specific expansion of the erythroid lineage. Conversely, deficient expression of miR-17 partly inhibited the hematopoietic supporting ability of FBMOB-hTERT. We further identified that HIF-1α is responsible for, at least in part, the promoted hematopoietic supporting ability of FBMOB-hTERT caused by miR-17. HIF-1α expression is markedly enhanced in miR-17 overexpressed FBMOB-hTERT upon interaction with CB CD34(+) cells compared to other niche associated factors. More interestingly, the specific erythroid lineage expansion of CB CD34(+) cells caused by osteoblastic miR-17 was abrogated by HIF-1α knock down. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data demonstrated that CB CD34(+) cell expansion can be partly promoted by osteoblastic miR-17, and in particular, ectopic miR-17 can cause a specific expansion of the erythroid lineage through augmenting HIF-1α in osteoblasts