Determination of the Solubility Parameter of Ionic Liquid 1‑Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium Hexafluorophosphate by Inverse Gas Chromatography

In this study, physical and thermodynamic properties of 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([HMIM]­PF₆) were investigated by using inverse gas chromatography (IGC). Two groups of solvents with different chemical natures and polarities were used to obtain information about [HMIM]­PF₆-solvent interactions: chloroform, ethyl acetate, ether, acetone and alkanes. The specific retention volume (<i>V</i>_g⁰), molar heat of sorption, weight fraction activity coefficient, activity coefficients at infinite dilution, partial molar heat of mixing and Flory–Huggins interaction parameter between [HMIM]­PF₆ and solvents were determined in the temperature range of 343.15–373.15 K. Also, the solubility parameters of [HMIM]­PF₆ at infinite dilution were found by plotting the graph of δ₁²/(<i>RT</i>) – χ_1.2^∞/<i>V</i>₁ versus solubility parameters, δ₁, of probes. The results showed that <i>n</i>-C₆, <i>n</i>-C₇, <i>n</i>-C₈, <i>n</i>-C₉, ether, and <i>n</i>-butyl alcohol were poor solvents for [HMIM]­PF₆; chloroform, acetone, and ethyl acetate were favorite ones, while ethanol was moderate solvent for [HMIM]­PF₆ (close to poor solvent). The solubility parameter of [HMIM]­PF₆ was determined as 23.28 (J/cm³)^0.5 by the extrapolation at 298.15 K

Determination of Infinite Dilution Activity Coefficients of Several Organic Solutes in <i>N</i>‑Butylpyridinium Nitrate/<i>N</i>‑Octylpyridinium Nitrate by Blend Inverse Gas Chromatography

The miscibility behavior of <i>N</i>-butylpyridinium nitrate/<i>N</i>-octylpyridinium blends with different compositions was studied using the inverse gas chromatography (IGC) technique. Twenty-one solvents, including alkanes, cycloalkane, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethyl ether, acetone, and esters, with different chemical properties were studied to evaluate the interaction between <i>N</i>-alkylpyridinium nitrates and solvents. The interaction parameters of different ionic liquids [ILs] have been calculated. Results were consistent with the activity coefficients at infinite dilution and weight fraction activity coefficient. In addition, the miscibility term Δ<i>H</i>₁^S was significantly different in each obtained IL blend. The solubility parameters of <i>N</i>-butylpyridinium nitrate/<i>N</i>-octylpyridinium blends were derived using the calculation δ₁²<i>/</i>(<i>RT</i>) – χ₁₂^∞/<i>V</i>₁ versus δ₁ of probes. The altered values of the solubility parameters were consistent with those of the studied ILs based on the methylimidazolium cation

Reinforced Self-Assembly of Donor–Acceptor π‑Conjugated Molecules to DNA Templates by Dipole–Dipole Interactions Together with Complementary Hydrogen Bonding Interactions for Biomimetics

One of the most important criteria for the successful DNA-templated polymerization to generate fully synthetic biomimetic polymers is to design the complementary structural monomers, which assemble to the templates strongly and precisely before carrying polymerization. In this study, water-soluble, laterally thymine-substituted donor–acceptor π-conjugated molecules were designed and synthesized to self-assemble with complementary oligoadenines templates, dA₂₀ and dA₄₀, into stable and tubular assemblies through noncovalent interactions including π–π stacking, dipole–dipole interactions, and the complementary adenine-thymine (A-T) hydrogen-bonding. UV–vis, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques were used to investigate the formation of highly robust nanofibrous structures. Our results have demonstrated for the first time that the dipole–dipole interactions are stronger and useful to reinforce the assembly of donor–acceptor π-conjugated molecules to DNA templates and the formation of the stable and robust supramolecular nanofibrous complexes together with the complementary hydrogen bonding interactions. This provides an initial step toward DNA-templated polymerization to create fully synthetic DNA-mimetic polymers for biotechnological applications. This study also presents an opportunity to precisely position donor–acceptor type molecules in a controlled manner and tailor-make advanced materials for various biotechnological applications

Construction 4.0, Industry 4.0, and building information modeling (BIM) for sustainable building development within the smart city

At present, the smart city offers the most desired state of urban development, encompassing, as it does, the concept of sustainable development. The creation of a smart city is closely associated with upgrading the construction industry to encompass many emerging concepts and technologies, such as Construction 4.0, with its roots in Industry 4.0, and the deployment of building information modeling (BIM) as an essential tool for the construction industry. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the current state of the art and development trajectory of the multidisciplinary integration of Construction 4.0, Industry 4.0, BIM, and sustainable construction in the context of the smart city. It is the first attempt in the literature to use both macro-quantitative analysis and micro-qualitative analysis methods to investigate this multidisciplinary research topic. By using the visual bibliometric tool, VOSviewer, and based on macro keyword co-occurrence, this paper is the first to reveal the five keyword-constructed schemes, research hotspots, and development trends of the smart city, Construction 4.0, Industry 4.0, BIM, and sustainable construction, from 2014 to 2021 (a period of eight years). Additionally, the top 11 productive subject areas have been identified with the help of VOSviewer software keyword-clustering analysis and application. Furthermore, the whole-building life cycle is considered as an aid to identifying research gaps and trends, providing suggestions for future research with the assistance of an upgraded version of BIM, namely, city information modeling (CIM) and the future integration of Industry 5.0 and Construction 5.0, or even of Industry Metaverse with Construction Metaverse.</p

Exploring Building Information Modeling and Internet of Things integration for sustainable building

Sustainable development, which has become the priority study of architectural design, is receiving increasing attention with global climate change. At the same time, the building industry is urgently changing towards intelligent and digitalized tendencies. As a result, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Internet of Things (IoT) make crucial contributions to the transforming process. However, there is little knowledge of the integration of BIM–IoT in sustainable building from a macro perspective. Moreover, most existing research adopts a literature review method and lacks objective quantitative analysis. Few papers use bibliometric analysis to study the respective BIM and IoT research fields. Furthermore, few studies use Citespace software tools to analyze the integrated application of BIM–IoT. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the research frontiers and knowledge structure in BIM–IoT integration and the relationship between BIM-IoT and sustainable building and explore the research hotspots, trends, and future research directions. A quick and objective method was proposed to understand the research status of these new and rapidly developing fields. This paper uses topic search in the web of science core collection to obtain relevant literature and then uses Citespace for bibliometric analysis based on the literature review. Controlled terms and subject terms statistics from the Engineering Index core database search results are also used to briefly examine the fields’ research frontiers and hotspots as obtained from Citespace. The results show that: (1) The research on BIM–IoT integration focuses on building intelligence with BIM as the basis of application, and research on BIM–IoT integration within the field of sustainable building is currently focused on the first three phases of the life cycle. (2) The development of sustainable buildings needs to be considered on its human and social dimensions. BIM provides a platform for sharing information and communication among stakeholders involved in the building’s entire life cycle. At the same time, IoT allows occupants to better participate in buildings’ sustainable design and decision making. (3) In the future, more emerging technologies such as cloud computing and big data are required to better promote sustainable buildings and thus realize the construction of sustainable smart cities. At the same time, researchers should also pay attention to the sustainable transformation of existing buildings. </p

Exploring Building Information Modeling and Internet of Things integration for sustainable building

Sustainable development, which has become the priority study of architectural design, is receiving increasing attention with global climate change. At the same time, the building industry is urgently changing towards intelligent and digitalized tendencies. As a result, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the Internet of Things (IoT) make crucial contributions to the transforming process. However, there is little knowledge of the integration of BIM–IoT in sustainable building from a macro perspective. Moreover, most existing research adopts a literature review method and lacks objective quantitative analysis. Few papers use bibliometric analysis to study the respective BIM and IoT research fields. Furthermore, few studies use Citespace software tools to analyze the integrated application of BIM–IoT. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the research frontiers and knowledge structure in BIM–IoT integration and the relationship between BIM-IoT and sustainable building and explore the research hotspots, trends, and future research directions. A quick and objective method was proposed to understand the research status of these new and rapidly developing fields. This paper uses topic search in the web of science core collection to obtain relevant literature and then uses Citespace for bibliometric analysis based on the literature review. Controlled terms and subject terms statistics from the Engineering Index core database search results are also used to briefly examine the fields’ research frontiers and hotspots as obtained from Citespace. The results show that: (1) The research on BIM–IoT integration focuses on building intelligence with BIM as the basis of application, and research on BIM–IoT integration within the field of sustainable building is currently focused on the first three phases of the life cycle. (2) The development of sustainable buildings needs to be considered on its human and social dimensions. BIM provides a platform for sharing information and communication among stakeholders involved in the building’s entire life cycle. At the same time, IoT allows occupants to better participate in buildings’ sustainable design and decision making. (3) In the future, more emerging technologies such as cloud computing and big data are required to better promote sustainable buildings and thus realize the construction of sustainable smart cities. At the same time, researchers should also pay attention to the sustainable transformation of existing buildings. </p

Mitigating <i>V</i>_oc Loss in Tin Perovskite Solar Cells via Simultaneous Suppression of Bulk and Interface Nonradiative Recombination

Tin-based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have recently attracted extensive attention as a promising alternative to lead-based counterparts due to their low toxicity and narrow band gap. However, the severe open-circuit voltage (Voc) loss remains one of the most significant obstacles to further improving photovoltaic performance. Herein, we report an effective approach to reducing the Voc loss of tin-based PSCs. We find that introducing ethylammonium bromide (EABr) as an additive into the tin perovskite film can effectively reduce defect density both in the tin perovskite film and at the surface as well as optimize the energy level alignment between the perovskite layer and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) transport material, thereby suppressing nonradiative recombination both in the bulk film and at the interface. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the Voc loss is gradually mitigated along with increasing storage duration due to the slow passivation effect. As a result, a remarkable Voc of 0.83 V is achieved in the devices optimized with the EABr additive, which shows a significantly improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 10.80% and good stability

Data_Sheet_1_Development of NMDA receptors contributes to the enhancement of electroencephalogram oscillations under volatile anesthetics in rats.docx

BackgroundVolatile anesthetics including sevoflurane and isoflurane enhance oscillations of cortical electroencephalogram (EEG), partly by their modulations on glutamate-mediated excitatory synaptic transmission. Expression of NMDA receptors is increased during neonatal development. However, how the development of NMDA receptors influences EEG under volatile anesthesia remains unclear.MethodsExpressions of NMDA receptor subtypes (NR1, NR2A, and NR2B) during neonatal development were measured by Western blotting. MAC (minimal alveolar concentration) of isoflurane and sevoflurane that inducing loss of righting reflex (LORR) and no response to tail-clamp (immobility) were measured to verify the effect of NR1 expression on anesthetic potency during neonatal development. Cortical electroencephalogram recording was used to examine the influence of NR1 expression on the power density of EEG.ResultsThe expressions of GluNR1, GluNR2A and GluNR2B receptors were gradually increased during neonatal development in cortex, hippocampus and thalamus of rats. Knockdown of NR1 enhanced the sedative potency of volatile anesthetics but not on immobility potency in postnatal day 14 (P14)-P17 rats. For cortical EEG, along with the increased concentration of volatile anesthetics, cortical slow-delta oscillations of P5 rats were inhibited, theta and alpha oscillations were not changed significantly; while these oscillations were enhanced until high anesthetic concentrations in P21 rats. Knockdown of NR1 in forebrain suppressed the enhancement of cortical EEG oscillations in P21 rats.ConclusionThe development of NMDA receptors may contribute to the enhancement of cortical EEG oscillations under volatile anesthetics.</p

Cinémagazine : hebdomadaire illustré

24 mai 19341934/05/24 (A14,N6)-1934/05/24

Plots of mean plasma concentration versus time profiles in cynomolgus monkeys following repeat oral administrations of ST-246 by gavage at a dose of 100 mg/kg for 28 consecutive days.

<p>The adjacent plot represents the corresponding semi-logarithmic plot.</p