Flexible Thermoelectric Device Based on Poly(ether‑<i>b</i>‑amide12) and High-Purity Carbon Nanotubes Mixed Bilayer Heterogeneous Films

Thermoelectric (TE) generators are an appealing, ecofriendly energy harvesting technology capable of converting temperature gradients into electricity. Carbon nanotube (CNT) filled organic composites typically offer the best potential for making cheaper TE materials. In this study, a block copolymer poly­(ether-<i>b</i>-amide12) (PEBA) with excellent flexibility and mechanical properties was used to fabricate TE materials via blending CNTs. After doping PEBA with lithium chloride (PEBA-Li⁺), two types (p-type and n-type) of CNT filled PEBA-Li⁺ (CNT-PEBA-Li⁺) TE composites were obtained via a simple one-step casting method. Here, the n-type CNT is prepared by diethylenetriamine doping treatment of the pristine CNT (p-type). The resultant TE materials exhibited a bilayer heterogeneous (BH) structure comprised of a thermally nonconductive layer and a conductive layer. The Seebeck coefficient (<i>S</i>) and electrical conductivity (σ) (under the application of temperature gradient 20 K) for the obtained p-type CNT-PEBA-Li⁺ bilayer heterogeneous film (BHF) are 36.88 μV/K and 456 S/m and for the n-type CNT-PEBA-Li⁺ BHF are −33.25 μV/K and 492 S/m, respectively. We constructed this novel TE device by integrating p- and n-type elements. The results showed that generated TE voltages for the module made of three TE couples were able to reach 120 mV for a temperature gradient of 60 K. The TE device construction was more efficient and simpler due to the BH structure, as only two BHF types were needed and no thermal insulating layer was necessary. In addition, our TE device is flexible throughout the entire structure. These novel flexible TE composites may benefit future organic TE materials research and promote the application of flexible and wearable power-conversion devices for next-generation power generators and waste-heat-recovery systems

Additional file 1 of Diet quality as assessed by the healthy eating index-2020 among different smoking status: an analysis of national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES) data from 2005 to 2018

Supplementary Material 1

Inferring the population structure and admixture history of three Hmong-Mien-speaking Miao tribes from southwest China based on genome-wide SNP genotyping

Hmong-Mien speaking Miao, also called Hmong, is the sixth largest ethnic group in mainland China. However, the fine-scale genetic profiles and population history of Miao populations in southwest China, especially in Guizhou province, remain uncharacterised due to a scarcity of samples of genome-wide data from different tribes. To further investigate the population substructure and admixture history of the Guizhou Miao minority. We collected 29 samples from three Miao tribes of Guizhou province in southwest China and genotyped about 700,000 genome-wide SNPs of each sample. We analysed newly generated data in together with published modern/ancient East Asian populations datasets via a series of population genetic methods, including principal component analysis (PCA), ADMIXTURE, Fst, TreeMix, f-statistics, qpWave, and qpAdm. PCA and ADMIXTURE results showed that the three studied Guizhou Miao groups consistently fell on the Hmong-Mien-related genetic cline and were relatively genetically homogeneous, displaying a genetic affinity with neighbouring Tai-Kadai speaking populations such as Dong. These results were further confirmed by the observed genetic clade in Fst, TreeMix, outgroup-f3-statistics, and f4-statistics. Furthermore, f4-based allele sharing patterns illustrated that compared with Hunan Miao in central China, Guizhou Miao shared more alleles with Hmong-Mien-speaking Vietnam Hmong and Tai-Kadai-speaking CoLao, Dong, while exhibiting less northeast Asian-related ancestry. Admixture-f3 and f4-statistics revealed the North-South admixture pattern for the studied Guizhou Miao. A qpAdm-based two-way admixture model further revealed that the studied Guizhou Miao harboured 44%–55.4% indigenous Austronesian-speaking Atayal-related ancestry and 44.6%–56% Late Neolithic Yellow River farmer-related ancestry. The population structure within Hmong-Mien-related populations showed a geographic correlation. Hmong-Mien speaking Hunan Miao, Guizhou Miao, and Vietnam Hmong presented close genetic relationships although they dwelt in different regions, suggesting the preservation of the original Hmong-related genetic diversity. The results based on genome-wide SNPs data generally matched the migration history for the Miao population. Our study contributes to a better knowledge of Miao populations and the population structure in southwest China.</p

Presentation_1.PDF

<p>A more babyfaced individual is perceived as more child-like and this impression from babyface, as known as babyface effect, has an impact on social life among various age groups. In this study, the influence of babyfaces on visual selective attention was tested by cognitive task, demonstrating that the female babyface and male mature face would draw participants’ attention so that they take their eyes off more slowly. In Experiment 1, a detection task was applied to test the influence of babyfaces on visual selective attention. In this experiment, a babyface and a mature face with the same gender were presented simultaneously with a letter on one of them. The reaction time was shorter when the target letter was overlaid with a female babyface or male mature face, suggesting an attention capture effect. To explore how this competition influenced by attentional resources, we conducted Experiment 2 with a spatial cueing paradigm and controlled the attentional resources by cueing validity and inter-stimulus interval. In this task, the female babyface and male mature face prolonged responses to the spatially separated targets under the condition of an invalid and long interval pre-cue. This observation replicated the result of Experiment 1. This indicates that the female babyface and male mature face glued visual selective attention once attentional resources were directed to them. To further investigate the subliminal influence from a babyface, we used continuous flash suppression paradigm in Experiment 3. The results, again, showed the advantage of the female babyfaces and male mature faces: they broke the suppression faster than other faces. Our results provide primary evidence that the female babyfaces and male mature faces can reliably glue the visual selective attention, both supra- and sub-liminally.</p

AFB1 does not affect IRS1 and IRS2 transcription but regulates IRS1 and IRS2 degradation.

<p>(<b>A</b>) SMMC-7721 cells were treated with or without AFB1 at indicated dose for 3 days, followed by RT-PCR analysis of <i>IRS1</i> and <i>IRS2</i> transcription. <i>GAPDH</i> transcription was also detected as internal control. (<b>B</b>) SMMC-7721 cells were treated with or without AFB1 at indicated dose for 3 days, followed by real-time RT-PCR analysis of <i>IRS1</i> and <i>IRS2</i> transcription. The relative <i>IRS1</i> or <i>IRS2</i> levels were plotted. (<b>C</b>) HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells were treated with 25 µg/ml CHX to inhibit new protein synthesis for the times indicated. In parallel, the cells were treated with combination of AFB1 and CHX. Total proteins were harvested and subjected to western blotting for IRS1, IRS2 and β-actin to control for loading. The blots were subjected to densitometric analysis. The relative levels of IRS1 and IRS2 after normalization to actin were plotted. The relative levels of IRS1 and IRS2 in cells treated without CHX were set as 1. The statistical analysis of densitometric quantification of immunoblots from individual experiments were shown. *, <i>p</i><0.05. (<b>D</b>) HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells were treated with or without 2.5 µM AFB1 and 2 µM proteasome inhibitor MG132 for 3 days, followed by western blot analysis of IRS1 and IRS2 levels. All blots were subjected to densitometric analysis. The relative levels of IRS1 and IRS2 after normalization to actin were plotted. The relative levels of IRS1 and IRS2 in cells treated without AFB1 and MG132 were set as 1. A statistical analysis of densitometric quantification of immunoblots from individual experiments was shown. *, <i>p</i><0.05.</p

Visualization of the dental arch curve creation applied to a 3D dental CBCT data.

<p>Visualization of the dental arch curve creation applied to a 3D dental CBCT data.</p

AFB1 stimulates hepatoma cell migration through IGF-IR/IRS2 axis.

<p>(<b>A</b>) SMMC-7721 cells were seeded into 6-well plates. Upon confluency, scratches were made in cell cultures. To inhibit cell proliferation, the cells were treated with 2 µg/ml mitomycin C. Also, the cells were treated with or without 2.5 µM AFB1 and 10 µM IGF-IR inhibitor AG1024 for 4 days. <i>Bar</i>, 1000 µm. (<b>B</b>) SMMC-7721 cells were transfected with siCtrl or siIRS2. Twenty-four hours later scratches were made in cell cultures. The cells were treated with 2 µg/ml mitomycin C, and treated with or without 2.5 µM AFB1 for 4 days. <i>Bar</i>, 1000 µm. Cell lysates from siCtrl- or siIRS2-transfected cells were harvested and subjected to Western blot analysis of IRS2 expression.</p

The time cost of the proposed method applied to these datasets.

<p>The time cost of the proposed method applied to these datasets.</p

Panoramic radiographs by different methods from dataset 3.

Panoramic radiographs by different methods from dataset 3.</p

Results of our method from the closed-bite shaped dental CBCT dataset 2.

<p>Results of our method from the closed-bite shaped dental CBCT dataset 2.</p