Molten Carbonates as an Effective Oxygen Reduction Catalyst for 550–650°C Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

We report the first study that investigates the use of molten carbonates as an effective catalyst to promote electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode of intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). A series of binary Li-K carbonate compositions were incorporated into the porous backbones of a commercial cathode assembled in symmetrical impedance cells for electrochemical characterization. Within the temperature range of 550–650◦C, we observed that the polarization and ohmic area-specific resistances of the original sample can be significantly reduced by the introduction of molten carbonates. A new ORR charge-transfer model involving two intermediate species CO5 2− and CO4 2− as the fast oxygen absorber and transporter, respectively, was presented as the mechanism for the facile ORR kinetics promoted by molten carbonates

Promoting Electrocatalytic Activity of a Composite SOFC Cathode La\u3csub\u3e0.8\u3c/sub\u3eSr\u3csub\u3e0.2\u3c/sub\u3eMnO\u3csub\u3e3+δ\u3c/sub\u3e/Ce\u3csub\u3e0.8\u3c/sub\u3eGd\u3csub\u3e0.2\u3c/sub\u3eO\u3csub\u3e2-δ\u3c/sub\u3e with Molten Carbonates

The effect of molten carbonates (MCs) on polarization resistance (RP), a direct measure of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, of a composite La0.8Sr0.2MnO3+δ/Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-δ (LSM/GDC) solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode has been systematically investigated in this study over a temperature range of 550–650°C and partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) span of 10−3 ∼ 1 atm. It is shown that the LSM/GDC cathode, either in the pristine or MC-modified states, can be generally modeled by two consecutive parallel circuits consisting of a resistance and a constant phase element (CPE). The high-frequency RP(HF)//CPE(HF) component is related to a charge-transfer process, while the low-frequency RP(LF)//CPE(LF) counterpart is associated with a surface oxygen dissociative adsorption process. Incorporation of an adequate amount of MC significantly reduces RP(LF) by as much as a factor of 10. Studies on the dependence of RP on temperature and pO2 further reveal that the rate-limiting step of a LSM/GDC cathode has shifted from the original surface oxygen dissociative adsorption to the formation of an intermediate CO2 −4 species in the presence of MC

Micro-motion Recognition of Spatial Cone Target Based on ISAR Image Sequences

The accurate micro-motions recognition of spatial cone target is the foundation of the characteristic parameter acquisition. For this reason, a micro-motion recognition method based on the distinguishing characteristics extracted from the Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) sequences is proposed in this paper. The projection trajectory formula of cone node strong scattering source and cone bottom slip-type strong scattering sources, which are located on the spatial cone target, are deduced under three micro-motion types including nutation, precession, and spinning, and the correctness is verified by the electromagnetic simulation. By comparison, differences are found among the projection of the scattering sources with different micro-motions, the coordinate information of the scattering sources in the Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar sequences is extracted by the CLEAN algorithm, and the spinning is recognized by setting the threshold value of Doppler. The double observation points Interacting Multiple Model Kalman Filter is used to separate the scattering sources projection of the nutation target or precession target, and the cross point number of each scattering source’s projection track is used to classify the nutation or precession. Finally, the electromagnetic simulation data are used to verify the effectiveness of the micro-motion recognition method

Medium-chain fatty acids decrease serum cholesterol via reduction of intestinal bile acid reabsorption in C57BL/6J mice

Abstract Background Bile acids play a pivotal role in cholesterol metabolism via the enterohepatic circulation. This study investigated the effects of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)/medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) on the reduction of bile acid absorption in the small intestine and the mechanisms of action in vivo and partially verified in vitro. Methods Thirty-six C57BL/6 J mice with hypercholesterolaemia were randomly divided into 3 groups: fed a cholesterol-rich diet (CR group), fed a cholesterol-rich and medium-chain triglyceride diet (CR-MCT group) and fed a cholesterol-rich and long-chain triglyceride diet (CR-LCT group). Body weights and blood lipid profiles were measured in all groups after 16 weeks of treatment. The concentrations of bile acids in bile and faeces were analysed using HPLC-MS (high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry). Gene transcription and the expression levels associated with bile acid absorption in the small intestines were determined using real-time PCR and Western blot. Ileal bile acid binding protein (I-BABP) was analysed using immunofluorescence. The effects of MCFAs on the permeability of bile acid (cholic acid, CA) in Caco-2 cell monolayers and I-BABP expression levels in Caco-2 cells treated with caprylic acid (C8:0), capric acid (C10:0), stearic acid (C18:0) and oleic acid (C18:1) were determined. Results Mice in the CR-MCT group exhibited lower body weights and serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and a higher HDL-C/LDL-C ratio than the CR-LCT group (P < 0.05). The concentrations of primary bile acids (primarily CA) and secondary bile acids in faeces and secondary bile acids in bile in the CR-MCT group were significantly higher than in the CR-LCT group (P < 0.05). C8:0 and C10:0 decreased the permeability of CA in Caco-2 cell monolayers. MCT/MCFAs (C8:0 and C10:0) inhibited I-BABP gene expression in the small intestines and Caco-2 cells (P < 0.05). Conclusions MCT slowed the body weight increase and promoted the excretion of bile acids. MCT lowered serum cholesterol levels at least partially via reduction of bile acid absorption in the small intestine by inhibition of I-BABP expression. Our results provide the basis for clinical trials of MCT as a dietary supplement for lowering plasma cholesterol and reducing risk of CHD

A tripeptide Diapin effectively lowers blood glucose levels in male type 2 diabetes mice by increasing blood levels of insulin and GLP-1.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is rapidly increasing worldwide. Effective therapies, such as insulin and Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), require injections, which are costly and result in less patient compliance. Here, we report the identification of a tripeptide with significant potential to treat T2D. The peptide, referred to as Diapin, is comprised of three natural L-amino acids, GlyGlyLeu. Glucose tolerance tests showed that oral administration of Diapin effectively lowered blood glucose after oral glucose loading in both normal C57BL/6J mice and T2D mouse models, including KKay, db/db, ob/ob mice, and high fat diet-induced obesity/T2D mice. In addition, Diapin treatment significantly reduced casual blood glucose in KKay diabetic mice in a time-dependent manner without causing hypoglycemia. Furthermore, we found that plasma GLP-1 and insulin levels in diabetic models were significantly increased with Diapin treatment compared to that in the controls. In summary, our findings establish that a peptide with minimum of three amino acids can improve glucose homeostasis and Diapin shows promise as a novel pharmaceutical agent to treat patients with T2D through its dual effects on GLP-1 and insulin secretion

Polyethylenimine-Induced Alterations of Red Blood Cells and Their Recognition by the Complement System and Macrophages

In practical applications, biomedical materials introduced in vivo may interact with various host cells and/or biomacromolecules and alter their physiological characteristics. Biomaterial-altered cells and/or biomacromolecules may be recognized as “non-self” by the host immune system and may consequently cause further immune responses. In the present work, the gene carrier material branched polyethylenimine (1.8 kDa) (BPEI-1.8k) induced a series of alterations of human red blood cells (RBCs), such as a morphological transition from biconcave disks to spheroechinocytes, vesiculation, a size decrease, a change in surface charge from negative to positive, a cell density reduction, membrane oxidation, and PS externalization. Furthermore, BPEI-1.8k-treated RBCs caused autologous complement activation and were recognized by autologous macrophages. This implies that the biomedical material BPEI-1.8k changed the identity of the RBCs, leading to their recognition by the autologous immune system. This study provides novel insights for the biocompatibility evaluation and clinical application of biomedical materials

Biocompatibility and cellular uptake mechanisms of poly(N -isopropylacrylamide) in different cells

© SAGE Publications. Thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) is widely used in various biomedical applications including drug delivery systems, gene delivery systems, switching devices, sensors, and diagnostic assays. To promote these clinical applications, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the biosafety of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and the interaction of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with different cell lines, which has little research until now. In this work, we evaluated the biocompatibility of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) including cell viability, nitric oxide production, and apoptosis of macrophages RAW264.7, human bronchial epithelial cells, A549, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells in the presence of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). We have also examined the cellular uptake mechanisms of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) using endocytic inhibitors and insighted into the intracellular co-localization of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) using confocal laser scanning microscope. The results showed that poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) had good biocompatibility and could be internalized by these cells. It is macropinocytosis that poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) could be internalized in RAW264.7 cells and caveolae-mediated endocytosis in human bronchi al epithelial cells, A549, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In addition, we also evidenced that intracellular poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) was co-localized with lysosome. The study provided important information for the development and clinical applications of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) in the biomedical field

Liquid–Liquid Extraction of Benzene and Cyclohexane Using Sulfolane-Based Low Transition Temperature Mixtures as Solvents: Experiments and Simulation

The separation of benzene and cyclohexane is considered to be one of the most challenging processes in the petrochemical industry. In this paper, low transition temperature mixtures (LTTMs) were used as solvents for the separation of benzene and cyclohexane. The selected LTTMs were sulfolane–tetrabutyl­ammonium bromide 5:1 and ethylene glycol–trimethyl­amine hydrochloride 5:1, and liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) data of benzene–cyclohexane–LTTMs were experimentally determined at 40 °C under a normal atmosphere. Moreover, the effects of the mole ratio of hydrogen bond donor (HBD) sulfolane and hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) tetrabutyl­ammonium bromide on extraction performance were also observed based on the LLE data. It is found that, when the mole ratio of sulfolane to tetrabutylammonium bromide is 5:1, LTTM has the best extraction performance. In addition, the LLE data of the benzene–cyclohexane–LTTMs ternary system were used to fit parameters of the NRTL activity coefficient model. Based on the NRTL model the continuous extraction process was simulated and the operating parameters were obtained, and high product purity (cyclohexane 0.997) and high recovery efficiency (cyclohexane 93.28% and benzene 98.25%) can be achieved. In conclusion, the LTTM sulfolane–tetrabutyl­ammonium bromide 5:1 is a promising solvent for the extractive separation of benzene–cyclohexane mixtures