Utilization of Microgravity Bioreactor for Differentiation and Growth of Human Vascular Endothelial Cells

The goal was to delineate mechanisms of genetic responses to angiogenic stimulation of human coronary arterial and dermal microvascular endothelial cells during exposure to microgravity. The NASA-designed rotating-wall vessel was used to create a three-dimensional culture environment with low shear-stress and microgravity simulating that in space. The primary specific aim was to determine whether simulated microgravity enhances endothelial cell growth and whether the growth enhancement is associated by augmented expression of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (BFGF) and c-fos, an immediate early gene and component of the transcription factor AP-1

Exploring the Properties of Disordered Rocksalt Battery Cathode Materials by Advanced Characterization

Cation-disordered metal oxides as cathode materials for Li ion batteries have been overlooked from early studies due to to the restriction of Li ion diffusion, leading to poor electrochemical performance. However, the discovery of a new disordered rocksalt (DRX) structured material Li1.211Mo0.467Cr0.3O2 with a high capacity of >260 mAh g−1 at 0.05 C opened new research prospects in this emerging field and established DRX materials as a promising alternative with wider choices of transition metal elements compared with currently widely used layered cathode materials. Some of the major obstacles of the DRX materials include γ-LiFeO2 type cation short-range-order that impedes Li ion diffusion, irreversible oxygen loss, and transition metal dissolution, which also present challenges for appropriate characterization techniques. Several performance optimization strategies have been employed, including fluorine incorporation, high entropy modification, and surface coating. This review article focuses on advancements in characterization techniques to uncover underlying mechanisms of Li ion diffusion and degradation of the DRX cathode materials to address the abovementioned challenges and provide inspiration for future studies of this class of materials

Enhancement of UV-assisted TiO2 degradation of ibuprofen using Fenton hybrid process at circumneutral pH

A synergistic UV/TiO2/Fenton (PCF) process is investigated for the degradation of ibuprofen (IBP) at circumneutral pH. The IBP decay in the PCF process is much faster than that with the conventional UV, UV/H2O2, Fenton, photo-Fenton, and photocatalysis processes. The kinetics analysis showed that the IBP decay follows a two-stage pseudo-first order profile, that is, a fast IBP decay (k(1)) followed by a slow decay (k(2)). The effects of various parameters, including initial pH level, dosage of Fenton's reagent and TiO2, wavelength of UV irradiation, and initial IBP concentration, are evaluated. The optimum pH level, [Fe2+](0), [Fe2+](0)/[H2O2](0) molar ratio, and [TiO2](0) are determined to be approximately 4.22, 0.20 mmol/L, 1/40, and 1.0 g/L, respectively. The IBP decay at circumneutral pH (i.e., 6.0-8.0 for wastewater) shows the same IBP decay efficiency as that at the optimum pH of 4.22 after 30 min, which suggests that the PCF process is applicable for the treatment of wastewater in the circumneutral pH range. The lnk(1) and lnk(2) are observed to be linearly correlated to 1/pH(0), [IBP](0), [H2O2](0), [H2O2](0)/[Fe2+](0) and ln[TiO2](0). Mathematical models are therefore derived to predict the IBP decay. (C) 2018, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved