Bridging multiscale interfaces for developing ionically conductive high-voltage iron sulfate-containing sodium-based battery positive electrodes

Non-aqueous sodium-ion batteries (SiBs) are a viable electrochemical energy storage system for grid storage. However, the practical development of SiBs is hindered mainly by the sluggish kinetics and interfacial instability of positive-electrode active materials, such as polyanion-type iron-based sulfates, at high voltage. Here, to circumvent these issues, we proposed the multiscale interface engineering of Na$_{2.26}$Fe$_{1.87}$(SO$_4$)$_3$, where bulk heterostructure and exposed crystal plane were tuned to improve the Na-ion storage performance. Physicochemical characterizations and theoretical calculations suggested that the heterostructure of Na$_6$Fe(SO$_4$)$_4$ phase facilitated ionic kinetics by densifying Na-ion migration channels and lowering energy barriers. The (11-2) plane of Na$_{2.26}$Fe$_{1.87}$(SO$_4$)$_3$ promoted the adsorption of the electrolyte solution ClO4− anions and fluoroethylene carbonate molecules, which formed an inorganic-rich Na-ion conductive interphase at the positive electrode. When tested in combination with a presodiated FeS/carbon-based negative electrode in laboratory- scale single-layer pouch cell configuration, the Na$_{2.26}$Fe$_{1.87}$(SO$_4$)$_3$-based positive electrode enables an initial discharge capacity of about 83.9 mAh g$^{−1}$, an average cell discharge voltage of 2.35 V and a specific capacity retention of around 97% after 40 cycles at 24 mA g$^{−1}$ and 25 °C

Interface engineering of Fe-Co3N/CoP composite with N-doped C by using soybean: Fabrication of efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

Soybean can serve as an efficient carbon and nitrogen source for in-situ fabrication of efficient composite electrocatalysts with conductive nitrogen-doped carbon (N-C) material. In this study, the iron-doped cobalt nitride/phosphide (Fe-Co3N/CoP) nanosheet was composited with a conductive N-C material by using soybean as C and N source, as well as NH3 as additional nitrogen source. During the nitridation process of Fe-Co3N, N-C bond was formed as a newly generated Co(Fe)-N-C active sites. Therefore, it fabricates a good microscopic contact interface between the catalyst and carbon material for charge transfer. Besides, the introduction of Fe-CoP by partially phosphating Fe-Co3N further improved the OER activity due to the high catalytic activity of Co sites with high valence state. As a result, the obtained electrocatalyst exhibited overpotentials as low as 285 and 390 mV for supporting 10 and 100 mA/cm−2 current densities. This work indicates that the design of materials with good interfaces could be an effective approach for the preparation of electrocatalysts for water electrolysis

Development of a novel sea surface temperature proxy based on bacterial 3-hydroxy fatty acids

Gram-negative bacterial 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-OH-FAs) have received recent attention for their potential as palaeoclimate proxies. A novel temperature proxy, the ratio of anteiso to normal C13 3-OH-FA (RAN13), has been proposed for sea surface temperature (SST) reconstruction in the North Pacific Ocean. However, whether this newly proposed temperature proxy is applicable to marginal seas with significant terrigenous input or tropical oligotrophic seas requires further investigation. Here, we analyzed the composition and distribution of 3-OH-FAs and evaluated the possible impact of various environmental parameters (SST, water depth, dissolved oxygen, salinity and nutrient concentration) on their distribution in marine surface sediments from the Bohai Sea (BS) and the South China Sea (SCS). In the BS, the potential source proxy, fractional abundance of anteiso 3-OH-FAs (average 17%), indicates 3-OH-FA geochemical signature are not greatly overprinted by terrigenous inputs. The relative abundance of long-chain 3-OH-FAs (C15-C18) are higher in the SCS (average 41%) compared to those in other seas (average 33% for all marine samples). Massive inputs of terrigenous organic matter to the BS likely result in overestimation of SSTs based on the RAN13 proxy, and limited abundance of anteiso and normal C13 3-OH-FAs in the oligotrophic SCS may increase the uncertainty of the RAN13 estimated SSTs. More importantly, we find that most short-chain 3-OH-FAs are temperature dependent, especially the fractional abundance of i-C12, a-C13, i-C14 and n-C14 with a high determination coefficient (R2 > 0.60). Based on these newly found correlations, we propose a novel proxy: RANs. The RANs index shows a strong linear relationship with SST (R2 = 0.92, p13, especially in tropical samples. Furthermore, the RANs proxy is significantly correlated with TEX86, and RANs-based SSTs are approximate to LDI derived temperature in the SCS, which support the reliability of RANs as a temperature proxy. These findings further suggest 3-OH-FA based proxies have potential for paleo-SST reconstruction, especially at higher and lower ends of the ocean temperature spectrum and even in cases where marginal inputs of terrestrial organic matter and nutrients are high.</p

Gonadal Transcriptome Analysis and Sequence Characterization of Sex-Related Genes in <i>Cranoglanis bouderius</i>

In China, the Cranoglanis bouderius is classified as a national class II-protected animal. The development of C. bouderius populations has been affected by a variety of factors over the past few decades, with severe declines occurring. Considering the likelihood of continued population declines of the C. bouderius in the future, it is critical to investigate the currently unknown characteristics of gonadal differentiation and sex-related genes for C. bouderius conservation. In this study, the Illumina sequencing platform was used to sequence the gonadal transcriptome of the C. bouderius to identify the pathways and genes related to gonadal development and analyze the expression differences in the gonads. A total of 12,002 DEGs were identified, with 7220 being significantly expressed in the ovary and 4782 being significantly expressed in the testis. According to the functional enrichment results, the cell cycle, RNA transport, apoptosis, Wnt signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, and prolactin signaling pathway play important roles in sex development in the C. bouderius. Furthermore, the sequence characterization and evolutionary analysis revealed that AMH, DAX1, NANOS1, and AR of the C. bouderius are highly conserved. Specifically, the qRT-PCR results from various tissues showed significant differences in AMH, DAX1, NANOS1, and AR expression levels in the gonads of both sexes of C. bouderius. These analyses indicated that AMH, DAX1, NANOS1, and AR may play important roles in the differentiation and development of C. bouderius gonads. To our best knowledge, this study is the first to analyze the C. bouderius gonadal transcriptome and identify the structures of sex-related genes, laying the foundation for future research

Bridging multiscale interfaces for developing ionically conductive high-voltage iron sulfate-containing sodium-based battery positive electrodes

Abstract Non-aqueous sodium-ion batteries (SiBs) are a viable electrochemical energy storage system for grid storage. However, the practical development of SiBs is hindered mainly by the sluggish kinetics and interfacial instability of positive-electrode active materials, such as polyanion-type iron-based sulfates, at high voltage. Here, to circumvent these issues, we proposed the multiscale interface engineering of Na2.26Fe1.87(SO4)3, where bulk heterostructure and exposed crystal plane were tuned to improve the Na-ion storage performance. Physicochemical characterizations and theoretical calculations suggested that the heterostructure of Na6Fe(SO4)4 phase facilitated ionic kinetics by densifying Na-ion migration channels and lowering energy barriers. The (11-2) plane of Na2.26Fe1.87(SO4)3 promoted the adsorption of the electrolyte solution ClO4 − anions and fluoroethylene carbonate molecules, which formed an inorganic-rich Na-ion conductive interphase at the positive electrode. When tested in combination with a presodiated FeS/carbon-based negative electrode in laboratory- scale single-layer pouch cell configuration, the Na2.26Fe1.87(SO4)3-based positive electrode enables an initial discharge capacity of about 83.9 mAh g−1, an average cell discharge voltage of 2.35 V and a specific capacity retention of around 97% after 40 cycles at 24 mA g−1 and 25 °C

Effects of Tai Chi Yunshou exercise on community-based stroke patients: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Abstract Backgroud Tai Chi Chuan was used for stroke survivors with balance impairments. However, even a short-form of Tai Chi Chuan includes forms that make the exercise challenging for the stroke survivors. Tai Chi Yunshou (wave hands in the cloud) is the “mother” form and the fundamental form of all Tai Chi Chuan styles, which is considered more suitable and feasible for stroke survivors with balance impairments. So this study was designed to evaluate the effects of Tai Chi Yunshou exercise on community-based stroke patients with balance dysfunctions. Methods A total of 250 participants from 10 community health centers (5 per arm) were selected and randomly allocated into Tai Chi Yunshou exercise group (TC group) or a balance rehabilitation training group (control group) in an equal ratio. Participants in the TC group were received Tai Chi Yunshou exercise training five times per week for 12 weeks and those in control group were received balance rehabilitation training five times per week for 12 weeks. Outcome assessments including Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Time up to go test (TUGT), Modified Barthel Index (MBI) were measured at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and followed-up 6 weeks (18 weeks), 12 weeks (24 weeks). Intention-to-treat analysis was performed. Analysis of variance of repeated measures was used to assess between-group differences. Results A total of 244 participants, 120 in the TC group and 124 in the rehabilitation group, were included in final analysis. There was no siginificant difference in Tai Chi Yunshou and balance rehabilitation training on the improvement of balance ability and mobility (P = 0.531 and P = 0.839, respectively) after adjustment for baseline. However, there was significant difference between two groups on improvement of motor funtion (P = 0.022), fear of falling (P < 0.001) and depression (P = 0.035) for the post stroke patients. No adverse events were reported during the study. Conclusion Tai Chi Yunshou and balance rehabilitation training led to improved balance ability and functional mobility, and both are suitable community-based programs that may benefit for stroke recovery and community reintegration. Our data demonstrated that a 12-week Tai Chi Yunshou intervention was more effective in motor function, fear of falling and depression than balance rehabilitation training. Future studies examining the effectiveness of Tai Chi Yunahou as a balance ability improvement strategy for community-dwelling survivors of stroke are recommended. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trail Registry: ChiCRT-TRC-13003641. Registration date: 22 August, 2013

Two complementary genes in a presence-absence variation contribute to indica-japonica reproductive isolation in rice

Abstract Understanding the evolutionary forces in speciation is a central goal in evolutionary biology. Asian cultivated rice has two subspecies, indica and japonica, but the underlying mechanism of the partial reproductive isolation between them remains obscure. Here we show a presence-absence variation (PAV) at the Se locus functions as an indica-japonica reproductive barrier by causing hybrid sterility (HS) in indica-japonica crosses. The locus comprises two adjacent genes: ORF3 encodes a sporophytic pollen killer, whereas ORF4 protects pollen in a gametophytic manner. In F1 of indica-japonica crosses, pollen with the japonica haplotype, which lacks the sequence containing the protective ORF4, is aborted due to the pollen-killing effect of ORF3 from indica. Evolutionary analysis suggests ORF3 is a gene associated with the Asian cultivated rice species complex, and the PAV has contributed to the reproductive isolation between the two subspecies of Asian cultivated rice. Our analyses provide perspectives on rice inter-subspecies post-zygotic isolation, and will promote efforts to overcome reproductive barriers in indica-japonica hybrid rice breeding