Synthesis and electrochemical performance of hierarchical Sb2S3 nanorod-bundles for lithium-ion batteries

Uniform hierarchical Sb2S3 nanorod-bundles were synthesised successfully by L-cysteine hydrochloride-assisted solvothermal treatment, and were then characterised by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The electrochemical performance of the synthesised Sb2S3 nanorod-bundles was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge−discharge technique, respectively. This material was found to exhibit a high initial charge specific capacity of 803 mA h g-1 at a rate of 100 mA g-1, a good cyclability of 614 mA h g-1 at a rate of 100 mA g-1 after 30 cycles, and a good rate capability of 400 mA h g-1 at a rate of 500 mA g-1 when evaluated as an electrode candidate material for lithium-ion batteries

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

The Value of D-dimer in the Prognosis and Clinical Classification of Acute Aortic Dissection

Objective: To investigate the prognostic and clinical classification value of D-dimer in acute aortic dissection (AAD), thereby providing a foundation for early clinical attention and proactive intervention. Methods: The clinical data of 74 patients with acute aortic dissection were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the prognosis, they were categorized into two groups: death group and survival group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to investigate the risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD). Similarly, regression analysis was conducted to identify the risk factors for Stanford A acute aortic dissection according to the Stanford classification criteria. Additionally, the prognostic value of D-dimer for both AAD and Stanford A dissection was evaluated using ROC curve analysis. Results: Significant differences were observed in Stanford type A, creatinine, D-dimer, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT proBNP) levels between the death group and survival group (P < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that D-Dimer (odds ratio [OR] = 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.46, P = 0.002) and creatinine (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.03, P = 0.022) independently contributed to the risk of mortality in patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD). The area under the curve (AUC) for D-dimer in predicting in-hospital death was found to be 0.77 with an optimal cut-off point of 6.5 mg/l; yielding a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 62%. Significant differences were also observed between Stanford A and Stanford B classifications among female patients regarding clinical classification as well as D-Dimer levels (P <0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that D-Dimer (OR=1.18,95 % CI : 1.05-1.32, P=0.005) and female gender (OR=4. 07, 95% CI: 1.24-13.29, P=0.02) were associated with increased risk of Stanford A dissection.The AUC for D-dimer was calculated as 0.69 with a critical point at 10.73mg/L,sensitivity ranged from 55%, and specificity reached 81%. Conclusion: The elevated levels of D-dimer not only serve as a prognostic indicator for mortality in acute aortic dissection but also act as a predisposing factor for Stanford A dissection

The Arabidopsis BAP1 and BAP2 Genes Are General Inhibitors of Programmed Cell Death1[OA]

Here we identify the BAP1 and BAP2 genes of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) as general inhibitors of programmed cell death (PCD) across the kingdoms. These two homologous genes encode small proteins containing a calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding C2 domain. BAP1 and its functional partner BON1 have been shown to negatively regulate defense responses and a disease resistance gene SNC1. Genetic studies here reveal an overlapping function of the BAP1 and BAP2 genes in cell death control. The loss of BAP2 function induces accelerated hypersensitive responses but does not compromise plant growth or confer enhanced resistance to virulent bacterial or oomycete pathogens. The loss of both BAP1 and BAP2 confers seedling lethality mediated by PAD4 and EDS1, two regulators of cell death and defense responses. Overexpression of BAP1 or BAP2 with their partner BON1 inhibits PCD induced by pathogens, the proapototic gene BAX, and superoxide-generating paraquat in Arabidopsis or Nicotiana benthamiana. Moreover, expressing BAP1 or BAP2 in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) alleviates cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide. Thus, the BAP genes function as general negative regulators of PCD induced by biotic and abiotic stimuli including reactive oxygen species. The dual roles of BAP and BON genes in repressing defense responses mediated by disease resistance genes and in inhibiting general PCD has implications in understanding the evolution of plant innate immunity

Improved Strength of Peroxide-Bleached Deinked Pulp after TEMPO-Mediated Oxidation at Medium Consistency

Deinked pulp was pretreated using the 4-acetamido-2,2,6,6,- tetramethyl-pipelidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)/NaBr/NaClO system and then bleached using hydrogen peroxide to achieve a medium pulp consistency. The effect of the amount of oxidant NaClO addition on the peroxide bleaching of deinked pulp was studied. The treated pulp was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The characterization of XRD and SEM showed that the treated pulp had a higher degree of crystallinity and more fibrillation than untreated pulp. Fiber quality analysis also revealed that the treated pulps had more fines and shorter fiber length than the untreated pulp. A handsheet test showed that the deinked pulps pretreated with the TEMPO system exhibited high tensile index values. The tensile index of the TEMPO pretreated pulp was 17% higher than that of the pulp bleached by hydrogen peroxide alone