Transition metal oxides for high performance sodium ion battery anodes

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are attracting considerable attention with expectation of replacing lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in large-scale energy storage systems (ESSs). To explore high performance anode materials for SIBs is highly desired subject to the current anode research mainly limited to carbonaceous materials. In this study, a series of transition metal oxides (TMOs) is successfully demonstrated as anodes for SIBs for the first time. The sodium uptake/extract is confirmed in the way of reversible conversion reaction. The pseudocapacitance-type behavior is also observed in the contribution of sodium capacity. For Fe2O3anode, a reversible capacity of 386 mAh g-1at 100 mA g-1 is achieved over 200 cycles; as high as 233 mAhg-1is sustained even cycling at a large current-density of 5 A g-1

The impact of Eco-innovation on corporate carbon performance

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the primary element that may possibly result in more than 60% of the desired carbon reductions is projected to be Eco-innovation. This paper examines the effects of Eco-innovation and carbon performance based on the panel data of S&P500 from 2016 to 2020. The results indicate that Eco-innovation is positively associated with carbon performance. The effect holds after addressing the endogeneity problem through the Generalized Method of Moments for Dynamic Systems (GMM) test. The further investigations reveal that gender diversity could strengthen the relationship between Eco-innovation and carbon performance, while the CSR committee and independent board do not

The impact of Eco-innovation on corporate carbon performance

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the primary element that may possibly result in more than 60% of the desired carbon reductions is projected to be Eco-innovation. This paper examines the effects of Eco-innovation and carbon performance based on the panel data of S&P500 from 2016 to 2020. The results indicate that Eco-innovation is positively associated with carbon performance. The effect holds after addressing the endogeneity problem through the Generalized Method of Moments for Dynamic Systems (GMM) test. The further investigations reveal that gender diversity could strengthen the relationship between Eco-innovation and carbon performance, while the CSR committee and independent board do not

A fully integrated RSSI and an ultra-low power SAR ADC for 5.8 GHz DSRC ETC transceiver

This study presents a monolithic received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and an ultra-low power SAR ADC for 5.8 GHz DSRC transceiver in China electronic toll collection systems. In order to meet the stringent requirement of wide input range for the transceiver, two RSSIs collaborate with auxiliary ADC circuits to provide the digitalized received signal strength to the digital baseband of a transceiver. The RSSI design achieves fast transient response and low power consumption with a small die area by using internal active low-pass filters instead of external passive ones. The proposed design has been fabricated using a 0.13 μm 2P6M CMOS technology. Measurement results show that the overall input dynamic range is 86 dB with an accuracy of ±1.72 dB and a transient response of less than 2 μs. Compared with the state-of-the-art designs in the literature, the overall input range and transient settling time are improved by at least 14.6%, and 300%, respectively

Subgroup selection in adaptive signature designs of confirmatory clinical trials

The increasing awareness of treatment effect heterogeneity has motivated flexible designs of confirmatory clinical trials that prospectively allow investigators to test for treatment efficacy for a subpopulation of patients in addition to the entire population. If a target subpopulation is not well characterized in the design stage, it can be developed at the end of a broad eligibility trial under an adaptive signature design. The paper proposes new procedures for subgroup selection and treatment effect estimation (for the selected subgroup) under an adaptive signature design. We first provide a simple and general characterization of the optimal subgroup that maximizes the power for demonstrating treatment efficacy or the expected gain based on a specified utility function. This characterization motivates a procedure for subgroup selection that involves prediction modelling, augmented inverse probability weighting and low dimensional maximization. A cross-validation procedure can be used to remove or reduce any resubstitution bias that may result from subgroup selection, and a bootstrap procedure can be used to make inference about the treatment effect in the subgroup selected. The approach proposed is evaluated in simulation studies and illustrated with real examples

Upregulated Expression of Cytotoxicity-Related Genes in IFN-γ Knockout Mice with Schistosoma japonicum Infection

It is well accepted that IFN-γ is important to the development of acquired resistance against murine schistosomiasis. However, the in vivo role of this immunoregulatory cytokine in helminth infection needs to be further investigated. In this study, parasite burden and host immune response were observed in IFN-γ knockout mice (IFNg KO) infected with Schistosoma japonicum for 6 weeks. The results suggested that deficiency in IFN-γ led to decreased egg burden in mice, with low schistosome-specific IgG antibody response and enhanced activation of T cells during acute infection. Microarray and qRT-PCR data analyses showed significant upregulation of some cytotoxicity-related genes, including those from the granzyme family, tumor necrosis factor, Fas Ligand, and chemokines, in the spleen cells of IFNg KO mice. Furthermore, CD8+ cells instead of NK cells of IFNg KO mice exhibited increased transcription of cytotoxic genes compared with WT mice. Additionally, Schistosoma japonicum-specific egg antigen immunization also could activate CD8+ T cells to upregulate the expression of cytotoxic genes in IFNg KO mice. Our data suggest that IFN-γ is not always a positive regulator of immune responses. In certain situations, the disruption of IFN-γ signaling may up-regulate the cytotoxic T-cell-mediated immune responses to the parasite

Cloning, over-expression, and characterization of a new carboxypeptidase A gene of Bacillus pumilus ML413 in Bacillus subtilis 168

Carboxypeptidase A (CPAs) are a well-studied group of zinc-containing exopeptidases that facilitate thebreakdown of proteins and peptides during metabolism. Carboxypeptidase A is typically produced in mammalian pancreatic, brain and other tissues. A new gene encoding carboxypeptidase A in the prokaryote Bacillus pumilus was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), ligated into the shuttle vector pMA5, and cloned in a GRAS bacteria-Bacillus subtilis 168 host. This gene sequence contained a 1621 bp open reading frame that encodes a protein of 540 amino acids. The optimum pH and temperature for enzyme activity were 7.5 and 50°C, respectively. The enzyme was quite stable at neutral pH and maintained about 65% activity following a 24 h incubation at 40°C. The Km of this CPA was 0.1 mM, much higher than in mammalian species. Glycerol, ammonium sulfate, and sodium citrate improved enzyme activity under optimal culture condition. The carboxypeptidase activity in recombinant B. subtilis 168 reached a maximum of 179 U ml-1 in a 5 L fermentator when cultured on improved medium. The over expression of  carboxypeptidase A in Bacillus subtilis has commercial applications.Key words: Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis 168, over-expression, orthogonal arrays, carboxypeptidase A,metallocarboxypeptidase