Study of damage characteristics in composite structures from simulated lightning strikes

This work investigated experimentally the direct effects of simulated lightning strikes in carbon/epoxy and E-glass/epoxy laminates. The direct effects were represented by Joule heating and kinetic shock waves. The experimental set-up was designed to maximize these direct effects by employing a solid electrode, pointed vertically to the surface of the specimens with a small electrode gap. The damage mechanisms were found to be in the form of resin sublimation, delamination and fibre tufting. The damage characteristics depended on type of composite materials, lightning current and action integral. In the carbon/epoxy laminates, resin sublimation and degradation were dominant at relatively low currents and with the further increase in current fibre tufting appeared due to kinetic shock waves. Penetration into the laminates was found to be limited to the only top two plies in the extreme case. The damage characteristics of the E-glass/epoxy laminates with a tiny hole were dominated by extensive delamination due entirely to shock waves with little sign of Joule heating. Analytical work will be desired to aid establishment of relationships between the damage characteristics and the lightning strike parameters via lightning channel radius and raised temperatures

Multilayer CuO@NiO Hollow Spheres: Microwave-Assisted Metal–Organic-Framework Derivation and Highly Reversible Structure-Matched Stepwise Lithium Storage

A unique CuO@NiO microsphere with three-layer ball-in-ball hollow morphology is successfully synthesized by Cu–Ni bimetallic organic frameworks. The beforehand facile microwave-assisted production of the Ni organic framework sphere is used as the template to induce the morphology control of bimetallic oxides. Designed by the controlled surface cationic exchange reactions between Cu and Ni ions, there is an elemental gradient (decreased amount of CuO but increased amount of NiO) from the shell to the core of the microsphere product. This ternary metal oxide hollow structure is found to be very suitable for solving the critical volume expansion problem, which is critical for all high-capacity metal oxide electrodes for lithium ion batteries. A reversible larger-than-theoretical capacity of 1061 mAh·g^–1 can be retained after a repetitive 200 cycles without capacity fading compared to the initial cycle. These excellent electrochemical properties are ascribed to the step-by-step lithium insertion reactions induced by the matched CuO@NiO composition from the shell to the core and facilitated lithium/electron diffusion and accommodated volume change in the porous bimetallic oxides microsphere with a multiple-layer yolk–shell nanostructure

Microwave Hydrothermal Synthesis of Ni-based Metal–Organic Frameworks and Their Derived Yolk–Shell NiO for Li-Ion Storage and Supported Ammonia Borane for Hydrogen Desorption

This paper reports fast microwave hydrothermal synthesis of Ni-based metal–organic frameworks (Ni-MOFs) and their derived yolk–shell NiO structures by direct calcination in air. The molar ratio of the Ni ion to the benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (H₃BTC) ligand has important influence on the NiO morphologies and their electrochemical performances. The obtained yolk–shell NiO microsphere displays a large reversible capacity of 1060 mAh g^–1 at a small current density of 0.2 A g^–1 and a good high-rate capability when evaluated as an anode for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, the facilitated hydrogen release from ammonia borane (AB) at a lower temperature and the depressed release of undesired volatile byproducts are also observed in the Ni-MOFs supported AB

Effective Astaxanthin Extraction from Wet <i>Haematococcus pluvialis</i> Using Switchable Hydrophilicity Solvents

A novel approach based on switchable hydrophilicity solvents (SHS) was developed for extracting astaxanthin from wet microalgae. Dimethylaminocyclohexane (DMCHA) was used to extract astaxanthin from wet Haematococcus pluvialis, and the extraction efficiency reached 87.2%. Astaxanthin was recovered from the DMCHA without distillation by simply adding H₂O and CO₂

Microwave-Assisted Morphology Evolution of Fe-Based Metal–Organic Frameworks and Their Derived Fe₂O₃ Nanostructures for Li-Ion Storage

The metal–organic-framework (MOF) approach is demonstrated as an effective strategy for the morphology evolution control of MIL-53­(Fe) with assistance of microwave irradiation. Owing to the homogeneous nucleation offered by microwave irradiation and confined porosity and skeleton by MOF templates, various porous Fe₂O₃ nanostructures including spindle, concave octahedron, solid octahedron, yolk–shell octahedron, and nanorod with porosity control are derived by simply adjusting the irradiation time. The formation mechanism for the MOF precursors and their derived iron oxides with morphology control is investigated. The main product of the mesoporous yolk–shell octahedron-in-octahedron Fe₂O₃ nanostructure is also found to be a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its excellent Li-storage performance. It can deliver a reversible larger-than-theoretical capacity of 1176 mAh g^–1 after 200 cycles at 100 mA g^–1 and good high-rate performance (744 mAh g^–1 after 500 cycles at 1 A g^–1)

An investigation of inversion method to measure the radial velocity of Kuroshio from Sentinel-1 SAR data

Studies on the retrieval of ocean surface current by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mainly concentrate on coastal regions with land coverage, allowing for continuous land to estimate non-geophysical Doppler shifts. As a strong western boundary in the Western Pacific, the Kuroshio flows through mostly islands or open sea, and lacks land coverage for range bias correction. We propose a non-geophysical Doppler shift correction algorithm suitable for Kuroshio observation. Three solutions matching different land coverage were adopted in the range direction, and the scalloping was removed by using average filtering in the azimuth direction. Comparison between SAR radial velocity and Global Surface Lagrangian Drifter (GLD) reveals that the correlation coefficient (R2) increase to 0.686, and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.215 m/s after non-geophysical corrections, while the wind-wave bias corrections make R2 increase to 0.806 and RMSE decrease to 0.13 m/s. There is also a good consistency between SAR inversion and Regional Ocean Circulation Model (ROMS). Sensitivity analysis illustrates that ascending pass is more suitable for monitoring Kuroshio, and high incidence angles are less affected by ocean conditions and non-geophysical factors. The algorithm can be used in regions with discontinuous or absent land. Three schemes for various land coverage in the range direction, including AP, IAP, and NIAP.Using average filter to remove the scalloping signal in the azimuth direction.SAR currents compared with GLD data, R2 of 0.806 and RMSE of 0.13 m/s.The method can be used in both coastal and island/offshore regions. Three schemes for various land coverage in the range direction, including AP, IAP, and NIAP. Using average filter to remove the scalloping signal in the azimuth direction. SAR currents compared with GLD data, R2 of 0.806 and RMSE of 0.13 m/s. The method can be used in both coastal and island/offshore regions.</p

Organic Nanosheets of Imide-Linked Cathodes for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Organic electrodes have been identified as promising energy-storage materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Small molecular materials have ideal redox properties, high specific capacity, and structural diversity, making them a category of cathode candidates for AZIBs. However, the instability and dissolution during the extraction and insertion of H+/Zn2+ limit their application of the long-cycle stability for AZIBs. Herein, a small-molecule nanosheet (NI-DAQ, ∼14 nm in thickness) with imide linkage is designed and synthesized by the condensation of anthraquinones and anhydrides. It not only inhibits the dissolution of monomer electrodes but also boosts the reactivity and conductivity of the whole molecule by the introduction of π-conjugated imide groups and extended aromatic planes. Therefore, the NI-DAQ electrode obtains a large initial capacity of 191.9 mA h g–1 at 50 mA g–1 and superior cyclability after 3000 cycles at 500 mA g–1 with a minor average capacity fading rate of 0.01% per cycle. Moreover, in situ Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization techniques have been implemented to investigate the redox mechanism of CO units in AZIBs for the NI-DAQ electrode. Thus, a promising conductive molecule is developed and explored in this paper, which can provide insights into the application of organic materials in AZIBs

1,25(OH)₂D₃ Deficiency Induces Colon Inflammation via Secretion of Senescence-Associated Inflammatory Cytokines

<div><p>Epidemiological studies showed that 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D[1,25(OH)₂D₃] insufficiency appears to be associated with aging and colon cancer while underlying biological mechanisms remain largely unknown. Inflammatory bowel disease is one of the risk factors for colon cancer. In this study, we investigated whether 1,25(OH)₂D₃ deficiency has an impact on the colon of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1α-hydroxylase knockout [Cyp27b1^−/−] mice fed on a rescue diet (high calcium, phosphate, and lactose) from weaning to 10 months of age. We found that 1,25(OH)₂D₃ deficient mice displayed significant colon inflammation phenotypes including shortened colon length, thinned and disordered mucosal structure, and inflammatory cell infiltration. DNA damage, cellular senescence and the production of senescence-associated inflammatory cytokines were also increased significantly in the colon of Cyp27b1^−/−mice. Furthermore, the levels of ROS in the colon were increased significantly, whereas the expression levels of antioxidative genes were down-regulated dramatically in the colon of Cyp27b1^−/−mice. Taken together, our results demonstrated that 1,25(OH)₂D₃ deficiency could induce colon inflammation, which may result from increased oxidative stress and DNA damage, subsequently, induced cell senescence and overproduction of senescence-associated secretory factors. Therefore, our findings suggest that 1,25(OH)₂D₃ may play an important role in preventing the development and progression of colon inflammation and colon cancer.</p></div

Flame Retardant and Stable Li_1.5Al_0.5Ge_1.5(PO₄)₃‑Supported Ionic Liquid Gel Polymer Electrolytes for High Safety Rechargeable Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries

Recently, poor security in conventional liquid electrolytes and high interfacial resistance at the electrode/electrolyte interface are the most challenging barriers for the expanded application of lithium batteries. In this regard, easy processing and flexible composite ionic liquid gel polymer electrolytes (ILGPEs) supported by Li_1.5Al_0.5­Ge_1.5­(PO₄)₃ (LAGP) are fabricated and investigated. The electrolyte is effectively combined with good electrochemical performances and thermal safety. Among these, the effects of different types of fillers such as the inert filler-SiO₂ and the active filler-LAGP on the ionic conductivity were studied in detail. LAGP particles can not only effectively reduce the crystallinity of the polymer matrix but also provide lithium ions and act as the lithium-ion conductor leading to higher ionic conductivity and Li⁺ ion transference number. Especially, the electrolyte shows good compatibility and no dendrite with the Li metal anode, significantly improving cyclic stability of LiFe­PO₄/Li batteries. The results indicate that the ILGPE-10%LAGP is a potential alternative electrolyte for high safety rechargeable solid-state lithium metal batteries

1,25(OH)₂D₃ deficiency induced the genes expression of the senescence-associated inflammatory cytokines.

<p>Immunohistochemical analyses of IL-1ɑ (A) IL-6 (B) IL-8 (C) HGF1 (D) MMP3 (E) expressions in the colon from the WT and Cyp27b1^-/- mice. Positive cells in lamina propria were labeled by arrow. The histogram shows the mean percentage of the positive area determined from five randomly selected fields. Magnification, ×400. Bar, 25μm. Values are mean ± SEM, n = 5. *P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01. (F) Real-time RT-PCR was performed on extracts of colon from WT and Cyp27b1^-/- mice for the gene expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, HGF1, MMP-3 and MMP-13. (G) Western blot analyses of colonic NF-κB (p105 and p50) expression in the WT and Cyp27b1^-/- mice, β-actin was used as a loading control.</p