Hydrogen liquefaction and storage: Recent progress and perspectives

The global energy sector accounts for ∼75% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Low-carbon energy carriers, such as hydrogen, are seen as necessary to enable an energy transition away from the current fossil-derived energy paradigm. Thus, the hydrogen economy concept is a key part of decarbonizing the global energy system. Hydrogen storage and transport are two of key elements of hydrogen economy. Hydrogen can be stored in various forms, including its gaseous, liquid, and solid states, as well as derived chemical molecules. Among these, liquid hydrogen, due to its high energy density, ambient storage pressure, high hydrogen purity (no contamination risks), and mature technology (stationary liquid hydrogen storage), is suitable for the transport of large-volumes of hydrogen over long distances and has gained increased attention in recent years. However, there are critical obstacles to the development of liquid hydrogen systems, namely an energy intensive liquefaction process (∼13.8 kWh/kgLH2) and high hydrogen boil-off losses (liquid hydrogen evaporation during storage, 1–5% per day). This review focuses on the current state of technology development related to the liquid hydrogen supply chain. Hydrogen liquefaction, cryogenic storage technologies, liquid hydrogen transmission methods and liquid hydrogen regasification processes are discussed in terms of current industrial applications and underlying technologies to understand the drivers and barriers for liquid hydrogen to become a commercially viable part of the emerging global hydrogen economy. A key finding of this technical review is that liquid hydrogen can play an important role in the hydrogen economy - as long as necessary technological transport and storage innovations are achieved in parallel to technology demonstrations and market development efforts by countries committed liquid hydrogen as part of their hydrogen strategies.</p

Enrichment and bioactivities of polyphenols of crude extract by deep eutectic solvent extraction from foxtail millet bran

The adsorption and desorption capabilities of eight types of macroporous adsorption resins (MARs) for polyphenols from foxtail millet bran (FMB) extract were investigated. The D101 resin demonstrated the highest adsorption and desorption capacity, followed by the AB-8, DM301 and ADS-17 resins. The reaction kinetics for the adsorption of FMB polyphenols onto MARs accorded with a pseudo-first-order model (R2 > 0.99), with an apparent adsorption rate constant (K) of 1.225 × 10−2 g/mg·min. The adsorption process of FMB polyphenols onto D101 resin could be best described with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm (R2 > 0.99). The phenolic fractions were separated using silica gel column chromatography, and their total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, total flavonoid content (TFC), anti-glycosylation activity and acetylcholinesterase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were compared. Fraction 4 had the highest abundance of phenolic compounds, with N′-p-coumaroyl-N″-feruloylspermidine (461.65 ± 0.79 μg/g) and N′,N″-di-feruloylspermidine (578.46 ± 2.56 μg/g) being the predominant phenolics, the best acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and anti-glycosylation activity. Fraction 5 contained the highest apigenin-C-dihexoside, and therefore showed the best performance of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Fractions 4 and 5 displayed high antioxidant, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and anti-diabetic potential, indicating that these two fractions should be targeted for further high-value utilisation of free polyphenols from FMB

Grain-size dependent elastic-plastic deformation behaviour of inconel 625 alloy studied by in-situ neutron diffraction

The effect of grain size on elastic-plastic deformation and twinning behaviour of Inconel 625 alloy was studied. Alloy samples were investigated using compressive deformation analysis, in-situ neutron diffraction, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The alloy was found to exhibit strong elastic and plastic anisotropy. Grain refining was found to have several advantages, including the increased grain-specific diffraction elastic moduli, improved compatibility and homogeneity of polycrystalline deformation, and enhanced yield strength at room temperature. Two strong preferred orientations were present in coarse-grained samples: the Copper orientation of {112}, in deformed grains because of dislocation slip, and the Brass orientation of {110}, in elongated grains owing to deformation twinning. The coarse-grained samples also showed large quantities of stacking faults, multiple-slip lines, and dislocations. In contrast, stacking faults were not observed in fine-grained samples, however, a dense presence of slip lines, dislocations, and dislocation pile-ups at grain boundaries were observed. The fine-grained samples exhibited a higher density of dislocations than the coarse-grained samples given the same applied load during compressive deformation. The deformation mechanisms of the coarse-grained alloy were dominated by dislocation slipping and the formation of stacking faults, while the deformation of the fine-grained alloy showed only dislocation slipping

Enrichment and bioactivities of polyphenols of crude extract by deep eutectic solvent extraction from foxtail millet bran

The adsorption and desorption capabilities of eight types of macroporous adsorption resins (MARs) for polyphenols from foxtail millet bran (FMB) extract were investigated. The D101 resin demonstrated the highest adsorption and desorption capacity, followed by the AB-8, DM301 and ADS-17 resins. The reaction kinetics for the adsorption of FMB polyphenols onto MARs accorded with a pseudo-first-order model (R2 > 0.99), with an apparent adsorption rate constant (K) of 1.225 × 10−2 g/mg·min. The adsorption process of FMB polyphenols onto D101 resin could be best described with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm (R2 > 0.99). The phenolic fractions were separated using silica gel column chromatography, and their total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, total flavonoid content (TFC), anti-glycosylation activity and acetylcholinesterase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were compared. Fraction 4 had the highest abundance of phenolic compounds, with N′-p-coumaroyl-N″-feruloylspermidine (461.65 ± 0.79 μg/g) and N′,N″-di-feruloylspermidine (578.46 ± 2.56 μg/g) being the predominant phenolics, the best acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and anti-glycosylation activity. Fraction 5 contained the highest apigenin-C-dihexoside, and therefore showed the best performance of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Fractions 4 and 5 displayed high antioxidant, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and anti-diabetic potential, indicating that these two fractions should be targeted for further high-value utilisation of free polyphenols from FMB

Grain-size dependent elastic-plastic deformation behaviour of inconel 625 alloy studied by in-situ neutron diffraction

The effect of grain size on elastic-plastic deformation and twinning behaviour of Inconel 625 alloy was studied. Alloy samples were investigated using compressive deformation analysis, in-situ neutron diffraction, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The alloy was found to exhibit strong elastic and plastic anisotropy. Grain refining was found to have several advantages, including the increased grain-specific diffraction elastic moduli, improved compatibility and homogeneity of polycrystalline deformation, and enhanced yield strength at room temperature. Two strong preferred orientations were present in coarse-grained samples: the Copper orientation of {112}, in deformed grains because of dislocation slip, and the Brass orientation of {110}, in elongated grains owing to deformation twinning. The coarse-grained samples also showed large quantities of stacking faults, multiple-slip lines, and dislocations. In contrast, stacking faults were not observed in fine-grained samples, however, a dense presence of slip lines, dislocations, and dislocation pile-ups at grain boundaries were observed. The fine-grained samples exhibited a higher density of dislocations than the coarse-grained samples given the same applied load during compressive deformation. The deformation mechanisms of the coarse-grained alloy were dominated by dislocation slipping and the formation of stacking faults, while the deformation of the fine-grained alloy showed only dislocation slipping

Soil acidification induced variation of nitrifiers and denitrifiers modulates N₂O emissions in paddy fields

Soil acidification is a major land degradation process globally, and impacts soil nitrogen (N) transformation. However, it is still not well known how soil acidification affects net N mineralization and nitrification, especially N-cycling microbes and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Hence, three soils characterized by different soil pH values (5.5, 6.3, and 7.7) were collected from the paddy fields, and experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of soil acidification on net N mineralization and nitrification, and N2O emissions. Compared to those in the soils with pH 7.7 and 6.3, net N mineralization, net nitrification, and N2O emissions were decreased by 75–76 %, 89–91 %, and 19–48 %, respectively, in the soil with pH 5.5, while net N nitrification and N2O emissions decreased by 18 % in the soil with pH 6.3 when compared to those in the soil with pH 7.7. The significantly decreased net nitrification in the soils with pH 6.3 and 5.5 was mainly attributed to the limited N availability and abundance of nitrification-related microbes including ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and complete ammonia-oxidizers. The decrease in N2O emissions of soils with pH 6.3 and 5.5 had mainly resulted from decreasing nitrification and denitrification via suppressing microbes including nirS and fungal nirK and limiting N availability. Hence, this study provides new insights and improves our understanding of how soil acidification regulates N mineralization, nitrification, and N2O emissions in paddy soils, which gives guidance on developing N management strategies for sustainable production and N2O mitigation in acid soils.</p

Rising geopotential height under global warming

Geopotential height (H) is a widely used metric for atmospheric circulation. H has been reported to rise under global warming, but the amplitude and mechanism of this rise are not clear. Based on reanalysis datasets and climate models participating in CMIP6, this study quantitatively evaluates the sensitivity of H to global mean surface air temperature (Ts), i.e., dH/dTs. Reanalysis datasets and model simulations consistently show that dH/dTs increases monotonically with altitude in the troposphere, with a global averaged value of about 24.5 gpm/K at 500 hPa, which overwhelms the interannual H variability. Diagnosis based on the hypsometric equation shows that the rise in global H is dominated by expansion of the air column due to warming-induced reduction in air density, and the magnitude of dH/dTs is determined largely by a vertical integration of the warming profile below the pressure level. Since the anthropogenic forced rise in H is rather horizontally uniform and proportional to Ts change, past and projected future changes in the global H field at each pressure level can be reproduced by change in Ts multiplied by a constant historical dH/dTs value. Spatially uniform rise in H reproduces the past and projected future expansion of the widely used H = 5880 gpm contour at 500 hPa, suggesting that it does not indicate enhancement of the subtropical high but is simply caused by thermal expansion of the atmosphere. This work uncovers the physical mechanism for rising H and offers a simple way to estimate H anomaly based on Ts anomaly

Prefrontal cortex markers of suicidal vulnerability in mood disorders: a model-based structural neuroimaging study with a translational perspective

The vulnerability to suicidal behavior has been modeled in deficits in both valuation and cognitive control processes, mediated by ventral and dorsal prefrontal cortices. To uncover potential markers of suicidality based on this model, we measured several brain morphometric parameters using 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging in a large sample and in a specifically designed study. We then tested their classificatory properties. Three groups were compared: euthymic suicide attempters with a past history of mood disorders and suicidal behavior (N=67); patient controls with a past history of mood disorders but not suicidal behavior (N=82); healthy controls without any history of mental disorder (N=82). A hypothesis-driven region-of-interest approach was applied targeting the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), ventrolateral (VLPFC), dorsal (DPFC) and medial (including anterior cingulate cortex; MPFC) prefrontal cortices. Both voxel-based (SPM8) and surface-based morphometry (Freesurfer) analyses were used to comprehensively evaluate cortical gray matter measure, volume, surface area and thickness. Reduced left VLPFC volume in attempters vs both patient groups was found (P=0.001, surviving multiple comparison correction, Cohen's d=0.65 95% (0.33-0.99) between attempters and healthy controls). In addition, reduced measures in OFC and DPFC, but not MPFC, were found with moderate effect sizes in suicide attempters vs healthy controls (Cohen's d between 0.34 and 0.52). Several of these measures were correlated with suicidal variables. When added to mood disorder history, left VLPFC volume increased within-sample specificity in identifying attempters in a significant but limited way. Our study, therefore, confirms structural prefrontal alterations in individuals with histories of suicide attempts. A future clinical application of these markers will, however, necessitate further research

Clinical outcomes of different therapeutic options for COVID-19 in two Chinese case cohorts: A propensity-score analysis

Background: The timing of administration of agents and use of combination treatments in COVID-19 remain unclear. We assessed the effectiveness of therapeutics in cohorts in Hong Kong SAR and Anhui, China. Methods: We conducted propensity-score analysis of 4771 symptomatic patients from Hong Kong between 21st January and 6th December 2020, and 648 symptomatic patients from Anhui between 1st January and 27th February 2020. We censored all observations as at 13st December 2020. Time from hospital admission to discharge, and composite outcome of death, invasive mechanical ventilation or intensive care unit admission across 1) all therapeutic options including lopinavir-ritonavir, ribavirin, umifenovir, interferon-alpha-2b, interferon-beta-1b, corticosteroids, antibiotics, and Chinese medicines, and 2) four interferon-beta-1b combination treatment groups were investigated. Findings: Interferon-beta-1b was associated with an improved composite outcome (OR=0.55, 95%CI 0.38, 0.80) and earlier discharge (−8.8 days, 95%CI −9.7, −7.9) compared to those not administered interferon-beta-1b. Oral ribavirin initiated within 7 days from onset was associated with lower risk of the composite outcome in Hong Kong (OR=0.51, 95%CI 0.29, 0.90). Lopinavir-ritonavir, intravenous ribavirin, umifenovir, corticosteroids, interferon-alpha-2b, antibiotics or Chinese medicines failed to show consistent clinical benefit. Interferon-beta-1b co-administered with ribavirin was associated with improved composite outcome (OR=0.50, 95%CI 0.32, 0.78) and earlier discharge (−2.35 days, 95%CI −3.65, −1.06) compared to interferon-beta-1b monotherapy. Interpretation: Our findings support the early administration of interferon-beta-1b alone or in combination with oral ribavirin for COVID-19 patients. Funding: Hong Kong Health and Medical Research Fund; Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission; Chinese Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

Trophoblastic proliferation and invasion regulated by ACTN4 is impaired in early onset preeclampsia.

Successful pregnancy requires normal placentation, which largely depends on the tight regulation of proliferation, invasion, and migration of trophoblast cells. Abnormal functioning of trophoblast cells may cause failure of uterine spiral artery remodeling, which may be related to pregnancy-related disorders, such as preeclampsia. Here, we reported that an actin-binding protein, α-actinin (ACTN)4, was dysregulated in placentas from early onset preeclampsia. Moreover, knockdown of ACTN4 markedly inhibited trophoblast cell proliferation by reducing AKT membrane translocation. Furthermore, E-cadherin regulated ACTN4 and β-catenin colocalization on trophoblast cell podosomes, and ACTN4 down-regulation suppressed the E-cadherin-induced cell invasion increase via depolymerizing actin filaments. Moreover, loss of ACTN4 recapitulated a number of the features of human preeclampsia. Therefore, our data indicate that ACNT4 plays a role in trophoblast function and is required for normal placental development.-Peng, W., Tong, C., Li, L., Huang, C., Ran, Y., Chen, X., Bai, Y., Liu, Y., Zhao, J., Tan, B., Luo, X., Wang, H., Wen, L., Zhang, C., Zhang, H., Ding, Y., Qi, H., Baker, P. N. Trophoblastic proliferation and invasion regulated by ACTN4 is impaired in early onset preeclampsia