Hierarchical porous nitrogen-rich carbon monoliths via ice-templating: high capacity and high-rate performance as lithium-ion battery anode materials

Hierarchical porous nitrogen-rich carbon monoliths were prepared from a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor by employing a novel & facile ice-templating, thermal annealing and pyrolysis technique. The achieved carbon monoliths were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Hg-intrusion porosimetry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), N2 gas-sorption, elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Electrochemical evaluation of the carbon materials as anodes for the rechargeable lithium-ion battery revealed an impressive stable reversible capacity as high as 745 mA h g−1 at a current density of 50 mA g−1. Incorporation of melamine (for further N-doping) and graphene into the carbon monoliths was achieved easily, and found to significantly enhance high rate performance – with a reversible capacity of about 300 mA h g−1 obtained at the ultra high current density of 10 A g−1

A novel super-elastic carbon nanofiber with cup-stacked carbon nanocones and a screw dislocation

Carbon nanofibers (NFs) have been envisioned with broad promising applications, such as nanoscale actuators and energy storage medium. This work reports for the first-time super-elastic tensile characteristics of NFs constructed from a screw dislocation of carbon nanocones (NF-S). The NF-S exhibits three distinct elastic deformation stages under tensile, including an initial homogeneous deformation, delamination, and further stretch of covalent bonds. The delamination process endows the NF-S extraordinary tensile deformation capability, which is not accessible from its counterpart with a normal cup-stacked geometry. The failure of NF-S is governed by the inner edges of the nanocone due to the strain concentration, leading to a common failure force for NF-S with varying geometrical parameters. Strikingly, the delamination process is dominated by the inner radius and the apex angle of the nanocone. For a fixed apex angle, the yielding strain increases remarkably when the inner radius increases, which can exceed 1000%. It is also found that the screw dislocation allows the nanocones flattening and sliding during compression. This study provides a comprehensive understanding on the mechanical properties of NFs as constructed from carbon nanocones, which opens new avenues for novel applications, such as nanoscale actuators.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figure

Smooth Muscle-specific Expression of Calcium-independent Phospholipase A2 (iPLA2 ) Participates in the Initiation and Early Progression of Vascular Inflammation and Neointima Formation

Background: The role of iPLA 2 β as a regulator of inflammatory signaling and neointima formation is unknown. Result: Smooth muscle-specific expression of iPLA 2 β exacerbates proinflammatory cytokine production, macrophage infiltration, and neointima formation. Conclusion: Smooth muscle-specific iPLA 2 β participates in the initiation and early progression of vascular inflammation and neointima formation. Significance: iPLA 2 β may represent a novel therapeutic target for attenuating vascular inflammation and restenosis

Nitrogen-rich activated carbon monoliths via ice-templating with high CO2 and H-2 adsorption capacities

An ice-templating &amp; solvent exchange approach has been developed to prepare porous carbons with tuneable surface area and N contents. These porous carbons exhibit a high uptake of both CO2 and H2.</p

Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)

As a highly economic small fruit crop, blueberry is enjoyed by most people in terms of color, taste, and rich nutrition. To better understand its coloring mechanism on the process of ripening, an integrative analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome profiles was performed in three blueberry varieties at three developmental stages. In this study, 41 flavonoid metabolites closely related to the coloring in blueberry samples were analyzed. It turned out that the most differential metabolites in the ripening processes were delphinidin-3-O-arabinoside (dpara), peonidin-3-O-glucoside (pnglu), and delphinidin-3-O-galactoside (dpgal), while the most differential metabolites among different varieties were flavonols. Furthermore, to obtain more accurate and comprehensive transcripts of blueberry during the developmental stages, PacBio and Illumina sequencing technology were combined to obtain the transcriptome of the blueberry variety Misty, for the very first time. Finally, by applying the gene coexpression network analysis, the darkviolet and bisque4 modules related to flavonoid synthesis were determined, and the key genes related to two flavonoid 3′, 5′-hydroxylase (F3′5′H) genes in the darkviolet module and one bHLH transcription factor in the bisque4 module were predicted. It is believed that our findings could provide valuable information for the future study on the molecular mechanism of flavonoid metabolites and flavonoid synthesis pathways in blueberries

Association of the Porcine Cluster of Differentiation 4 Gene with T Lymphocyte Subpopulations and Its Expression in Immune Tissues

Cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) is mainly expressed on CD4+ T cells, which plays an important role in immune response. The aim of this study was to detect the association between polymorphisms of the CD4 gene and T lymphocyte subpopulations in pigs, and to investigate the effects of genetic variation on the CD4 gene expression level in immune tissues. Five missense mutations in the CD4 gene were identified using DNA pooling sequencing assays, and two main haplotypes (CCTCC and AGCTG) in strong linkage disequilibrium (with frequencies of 50.26% and 46.34%, respectively) were detected in the population of Large White pigs. Our results indicated that the five SNPs and the two haplotypes were significantly associated with the proportions of CD4−CD8−, CD4+CD8+, CD4+CD8−, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ in peripheral blood (p0.05). These results indicate that the CD4 gene may influence T lymphocyte subpopulations and can be considered as a candidate gene affecting immunity in pigs

Refinement of pore size at sub-angstrom precision in robust metal-organic frameworks for separation of xylenes

The demand for xylenes is projected to increase over the coming decades. The separation of xylene isomers, particularly p- and m-xylenes, is vital for the production of numerous polymers and materials. However, current state-of-the-art separation is based upon fractional crystallisation at 220 K which is highly energy intensive. Here, we report the discrimination of xylene isomers via refinement of the pore size in a series of porous metal–organic frameworks, MFM-300, at sub-angstrom precision leading to the optimal kinetic separation of all three xylene isomers at room temperature. The exceptional performance of MFM-300 for xylene separation is confirmed by dynamic ternary breakthrough experiments. In-depth structural and vibrational investigations using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and terahertz spectroscopy define the underlying host–guest interactions that give rise to the observed selectivity (p-xylene < o-xylene < m-xylene) and separation factors of 4.6–18 for p- and m-xylenes

The prognostic significance of circulating plasma cells in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients

ObjectiveMultiple myeloma (MM) is a highly characteristic tumor that is influenced by numerous factors that determine its prognosis. Studies indicate that the presence of circulating plasma cells (cPCs) is a detrimental factor that significantly impacts the prognosis of patients with MM.MethodsThis study retrospectively analyzed the prognostic value of cPCs quantified by 10-color flow cytometry in 145 newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) cases in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from November 2018 to February 2021. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the hospital (2021 No. 93).ResultsOf the 145 patients, 99 (68.2%) were detected cPCs. Through receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, an optimal threshold of 0.165% was identified as a predictor for overall survival (OS). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 33 months in patients with cPCs ≥0.165%, whereas those with cPCs &lt;0.165% had a PFS of &lt;33 months (p=0.001). The median OS was not reached for two groups; the 3-year OS for patients with cPCs ≥0.165% was 71% compared with 87% for those with cPCs &lt;0.165% (p=0.003). In transplant patients, cPCs ≥0.165% also predicted worse prognosis. Similarly, when considering cytogenetic risk factors in conjunction with cPC levels, comparable results were obtained. To evaluate whether the Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) groups could be further stratified based on different prognostic factors related to cPCs, our study revealed similar median PFS and OS rates in R-ISS II stage patients with cPCs ≥0.165% compared to those in the III stage (p=0.659 and 0.249, respectively).ConclusionThis study demonstrates that a high ratio of cPCs serves as a reliable indicator for predicting a poorer prognosis in MM cases. Furthermore, incorporating the R-ISS system and cytogenetic risk factors alongside the level of cPCs enhances the accuracy of prognostic predictions for patients with MM

Refinement of pore size at sub-angstrom precision in robust metal–organic frameworks for separation of xylenes

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2019-07-23, accepted 2020-07-06, registration 2020-07-14, pub-electronic 2020-08-27, online 2020-08-27, collection 2020-12Publication status: PublishedFunder: RCUK | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000266; Grant(s): EP/I011870Funder: EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 European Research Council (H2020 Excellent Science - European Research Council); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100010663; Grant(s): 742401Abstract: The demand for xylenes is projected to increase over the coming decades. The separation of xylene isomers, particularly p- and m-xylenes, is vital for the production of numerous polymers and materials. However, current state-of-the-art separation is based upon fractional crystallisation at 220 K which is highly energy intensive. Here, we report the discrimination of xylene isomers via refinement of the pore size in a series of porous metal–organic frameworks, MFM-300, at sub-angstrom precision leading to the optimal kinetic separation of all three xylene isomers at room temperature. The exceptional performance of MFM-300 for xylene separation is confirmed by dynamic ternary breakthrough experiments. In-depth structural and vibrational investigations using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and terahertz spectroscopy define the underlying host–guest interactions that give rise to the observed selectivity (p-xylene < o-xylene < m-xylene) and separation factors of 4.6–18 for p- and m-xylenes