bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interface Stabilization of Electrode-Polymer Electrolyte for Enhanced Cycling Performance of Polymer-Based Solid-State Battery
Authors: Chung GyeongJun , Yee Minha , Suk Jungdon , Song Seung-Wan
Published: February 2020

Solid-state battery based on solid polymer electrolyte has been long studied as one of the most potential solid-state systems because of its improved thermal stability and safety compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries based on carbonate-based liquid electrolyte. Challenges to improve ionic conductivity and interfacial contact between electrode and electrolyte for lowered interfacial resistance however remain. We have been developing various functional additives for lowering the interfacial resistance, in particular, between cathode and polymer electrolyte, and made some progress in enhancing the areal capacity and cycling performance at 45 oC. Herein, we report the fabrication of solid-state lithium metal batteries with PEO-based polymer electrolyte and nickel-rich LiNi1-x-yCo
x
Mn
y
O2 cathode, and the attainment of areal capacity higher than ~1.0 mAhcm-2 and enhancement of cycling performance using effective additives. Additive-dependent ex situ analysis results of crystal structure and surface composition of cathode active material would be presented.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (10080025), and Creative Human Resource Development Consortium for Fusion Technology of Functional Chemical/Bio Materials of BK Plus program by Ministry of Education of Korea.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Garnet Type Ga, Al-Doped Llzo Powder for All-Solid State Batteries
Authors: Jung Ha-Young , Ryu Hye-Min , Ban Hee-Jung , Park Sang-Jun , Song Young-Woong , Jeon Se-Hyeon , Nam Su-jeong , Kim Min-Young , Kim Ho-Sung , Han Jong-Hun
Published: February 2020

Lithium ion secondary batteries have been widely used with high capacity and energy density. Recently, many sorts of lithium batteries have been studied for EV and ESS applications. However, safety issues such as explosion of organic electrolytes have been raised, all-solid state batteries (ASSBs) which do not use organic electrolytes are promising next-generation batteries. Garnet-type solid electrolytes have good advantages with stable in the atmosphere and electrochemical potential window. In this study Ga, Al-doped LLZO materials (Li7-3(x+y)AlxGayLa3Zr2O12) which are cubic single phase were synthesized by Taylor reactor process. The ionic conductivity was investigated according to the contents of Al and Ga doping contents. Furthermore, composite solid electrolyte sheet composed of LLZO and PEO polymer was prepared and evaluated for its properties. ASSBs were fabricated by using composite electrolyte sheet and electrochemical properties were evaluated. Moreover, we describe about the electrochemical effects of the composition of Ga and Al on cell performance in more detail.
(Invited) Investigating the Hydrogenase Mechanism By Protein Film Electrochemistry
Authors: Ceccaldi Pierre , Berggren Gustav
Published: February 2020

With turnover frequencies up to 106 s-1, hydrogenases are the fastest molecular hydrogen catalyst. They are classified according to the metal content of their active, distinguishing the NiFe and FeFe as the two major classes. The two classes display an outstanding organometallic cofactor, with cyanido- and carbonyl- groups coordinating the metals. Their mechanism includes the stabilization of a metal-hydride state as the most reduced intermediate of the catalytic cycle. Hydrogenase (Hase) have driven mechanistic studies for decades, including extensive works by protein film electrochemistry targetting aspects as diverse as intramolecular diffusion of gases, long distance electron transfer, or susceptibility to inhibitors. This communication will focus on two other questions, distinguishing steady state functioning and in-activation processes (see figure).

The catlaytic bias is the ability of an enzyme to turnover faster one direction than another. Amongst hydrogenases, the catalytic bias spans full range, from extremely biased to essentially neutral enzymes. Several works have brought clues to understand the molecular basis of the catalytic bias for both Hase classes, pointing out to the intramolecular electron transfer chain as the main effector. Our recent results on the study of the hydrogen dependent CO2 reductase reveal the role of the affinity for hydrogen in the bias.

The susceptibility to overpotential corresponds to in-activation processes triggered by redox conditions that are far from equilibrium, and plausibly encountered in the life cycle of bioelectrochemical devices. One particular phenomenon is the reductive inactivation of FeFe-Hases, undergoing both in solution and on the electrode, that remains largely to understand. Our works on the enzyme HydA1 from microalgae suggest that this inactivation can be reversed under maintained reductive conditions, unlike discussed in the literature.

Figure 1
(Keynote) Electrochemistry for Studying and Using Biological and Synthetic Catalysts of Hydrogen Oxidation and Production
Authors: Léger Christophe
Published: February 2020

Direct electrochemistry has proved invaluable for studying natural and synthetic catalysts of redox reactions that are of interest in the context of solar fuels production, including H2 oxidation and production. With the catalyst either attached to the electrode or free to diffuse in solution, the current response to changing the electrochemical driving force, the so-called voltammetric signature, can be interpreted to learn about various aspects of the mechanism that are difficult to probe using more conventional methods: long-range electron transfer, diffusion along gas channels, redox-driven (in)activations, active site chemistry and photoreactivity under conditions of turnover. It can also be used to define the sequence of events in the catalytic cycle and to benchmark the performances of the catalyst in terms of rate, directionality and reversibility. This approach contrasts with and complements the usual strategy which aims at stabilizing species that are presumed to be catalytic intermediates, and determining their structure using spectroscopic or structural methods. Embedding the enzyme in a film of redox polymer provides further opportunities for stabilising the enzyme-electrode and tuning its apparent properties, particularly the resistance to oxygen, making it possible to achieve long-term aerobic hydrogen oxidation using enzymes that are notoriously oxygen sensitive. Exemples will be given that illustrate electrochemical studies and applications of hydrogenase enzymes and synthetic catalysts.

[1] M. Del Barrio, Melisa and M. Sensi and C. Orain and C. Baffert and S. Dementin and V. Fourmond and C. Leger, “Electrochemical investigations of hydrogenases and other enzymes that produce and use solar fuels” Acc. Chem. Res. 51 769 (2018)

[2] M Sensi, M del Barrio, C Baffert, V Fourmond, C Leger “New perspectives in hydrogenase direct electrochemistry”, Curr. Op. Electrochem 1:5 135 (2017)

[3] V Fourmond and C. Leger, “Modelling the voltammetry of adsorbed enzymes and molecular catalysts”, Curr. Op. Electrochem 1:1, 110 (2017)

[4] Vincent Fourmond, Eric S. Wiedner, Wendy J. Shaw and Christophe Léger, “On the design of molecular catalysts of reversible and bidirectional H2 oxidation/production”, submitted.

[5] Huaiguang Li, Darren Buesen, Christophe Léger, Vincent Fourmond and Nicolas Plumeré, in preparation.

Figure 1
A 3D Printed Enzymatic Biofuel Cell Based on Reduced Graphene Oxide Para Amino Benzoic Acid Modified Anode and Electrodeposited Reduced Graphene Oxide Cathode
Authors: Ajith Mohan Arjun , N Sandhyarani
Published: February 2020

Para amino benzoic acid is used in the synthesis of folic acid by bacteria. It is biologically important for the survival of bacteria in the human intestinal tract. This biological and physiologically important molecule can be used to achieve immobilization of glucose oxidase on nanomaterial modified electrodes. This work focuses on the grafting of pABA on graphene oxide modified carbon fabric electrode. The immobilized enzymes have been used to generate electrons from glucose through direct electron transfer at a potential of -490 mV. Electrochemically deposited reduced graphene oxide was used as the cathode with an oxygen reduction potential of -200mV. The anode and the cathode were inserted into a 3D printed electrode holder with an inter electrode distance of 50mm and an OCV of 107mV was obtained. The compact design of the fuel cell combined with it’ s eco-friendly nature makes this an ideal construction for use as a biolfuel cell.
Spectro-Electrochemical Investigation of the Effects of Flavin Electron Transporters in Artificial and Bacterial Biofilms
Authors: Kastania Eleni , Stürm Heinz , Özcan Özlem
Published: February 2020

Bacterial biofilms have the capacity to develop and thrive in virtually all circumstances and surfaces, even in the most challenging environmental conditions. The pervasive and recalcitrant existence of biofilms renders them to be a significant safety risk and economical encumbrance in a wide array of industries and technologies, and therefore is a priority area of research.

It is essential to develop an improved understanding of the mechanisms implicated during biofilm formation, such as in the case of the diffusion of bacterial-secreted extracellular electron transporters, which are purported to play an important role during biocorrosion by exoelectrogenic bacteria. Hence, a fundamental understanding of electron transfer mechanisms between bacteria and extracellular electron acceptors will contribute insight to our understanding of charge transport and chemistry at the biofilm – external insoluble electron acceptor interface.

In the present work, Attenuated Total Reflection - Fourier transform-infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy has been coupled to electrochemical techniques for the nondestructive, in situ spectro-electrochemical monitoring of biofilms in real-time. Shewanella sp. have been selected for this investigation due to their adaptable exoelectrogenic respiratory capacities and their notable ability to reduce metals via several different mechanisms of extracellular electron transfer mechanisms, including self-secreted flavin shuttles. Gold-thin film model substrates have been used due to their inert nature and for their ability to permit precise manipulation of the substrate surface polarization. Additionally, hydrogels comprised of calcium cross-linked alginate have been used to mimic the architectural features of extracellular polymeric substances which are integral to a bacterial biofilm, to allow the study of electron-transporting flavin molecules in an artificial biofilm. The results will demonstrate patterns of diffusion, akin to how flavins would diffuse in a naturally occurring biofilm, and how polarization affects this process. Furthermore, insight will be gained on how the redox behavior of flavins can influence the development and evolution of a biofilm.

This interdisciplinary approach should shed light on bacterial electron transfer mechanisms which could contribute towards emerging technologies which seek to better understand such mechanisms for novel antifouling strategies, renewable energies, and bioremediation.
Bioelectrochemical Nitrogen Fixation (e-BNF) Towards the Electrosynthesis of Biomass
Authors: Schievano Andrea , Rago Laura , Goglio Andrea , Marzorati Stefania , Zecchin Sarah , Cristiani Pierangela , Cavalca Lucia
Published: February 2020

The industrial synthesis (Haber-Bosch process) of mineral-N has been showing its dark side. Facing the enormous challenge of feeding humankind new technological solutions should enable sustainable nitrogen (N) fixation, to preserve soil fertility. We introduce a new type of microbial electrosynthesis, aimed at simultaneously fixing N2 and inorganic carbon. In this new perspective, the aim is enhancing biological nitrogen fixation by electrostimulation of complex microbial communities, to produce whole biomass, which can be used as soil fertilizer.

Two preliminary contributions in this field reported: a) a bioelectrochemical version of the Haber-bosh process, where methyl viologen shuttled electrons to purified nitrogenase enzymes (Milton et al., 2017) and b) the stimulation of N-fixation in a pure planktonic culture of X. autotrophicus by H2-evolution with a specific abiotic catalyst (Liu et al., 2017).

Here, a cathodic biofilm was enriched in electro-active autotrophic nitrogen fixers, starting from a mixed microbial culture. The cathode, a carbon-fibers conductor, was kept under constant polarization (-0.7 V vs SHE). Biomass (in the biofilm, as well as in the bulk liquid phase) was synthesized at significantly higher rates (up to 18-fold), as compared to controls kept at open circuit (OC). Along over 100 days, electron transfer had increased by 30-fold, as compared to abiotic conditions. Metagenomics evidenced Nif genes associated to autotrophs (both Archaea and Bacteria) only in polarized biofilms, while not in OC control. Genes copies encoding for a series of known proteins associated to extracellular electron transfer were double in polarized trials, as compared to controls.

The first results of such an approach were recently published in Bioelectrochemistry (Rago et al., 2019). From this proof-of-the-concept, we propose to call this promising field ‘bio-electrochemical nitrogen fixation (e-BNF)’, that deserve future research efforts in both fundamentals and applicative aspects.

Liu, C., Sakimoto, K.K., Colón, B.C., Silver, P.A., Nocera, D.G., 2017. Ambient nitrogen reduction cycle using a hybrid inorganic–biological system. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 114, 6450–6455. doi:10.1073/pnas.1706371114

Milton, R.D., Cai, R., Abdellaoui, S., Leech, D., De Lacey, A.L., Pita, M., Minteer, S.D., 2017. Bioelectrochemical Haber–Bosch Process: An Ammonia-Producing H2/N2Fuel Cell. Angew. Chemie - Int. Ed. 56, 2680–2683. doi:10.1002/anie.201612500

Rago, L., Zecchin, S., Villa, F., Goglio, A., Corsini, A., Cavalca, L. & Schievano, A. 2019, ‘Bioelectrochemical Nitrogen fixation (e-BNF): Electro-stimulation of enriched biofilm communities drives autotrophic nitrogen and carbon fixation’, Bioelectrochemistry, vol. 125, pp. 105–15.

Figure 1
(Invited) Exceptional Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Small Molecules Via Tunable Charge Transfer Interactions in Perovskites and Perovskite Derivatives
Authors: Stevenson Keith J. , Forslund Robin , Alexander Caleb , Johnston Keith P.
Published: February 2020

The electrooxidation of urea continues to attract considerable interest as an alternative to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) as the anodic reaction in the electrochemical generation of hydrogen due to the lower potential required to drive the reaction and the abundance of urea available in waste streams. Herein we investigate the effect of Sr substitution in a series of La2-xSrxNiO4+δ Ruddlesden-Popper catalysts on the electrooxidations of urea, methanol, and ethanol and conclude that activities toward the urea oxidation reaction increase with increasing Ni oxidation state. The 75% Sr-substituted La0.5Sr1.5NiO4+δ catalyst exhibits an exceptionally high mass activity of 588 mA mg-1and 7.85 A mg-1 cm-2
for the electrooxidation of urea in 1 M KOH containing 0.33 M urea, demonstrating the potential applications of Ni-based Ruddlesden-Popper materials for direct urea fuel cells and low-cost hydrogen production. Additionally, we find the same correlations between Ni oxidation state and activities for the electrooxidations of methanol and ethanol, as well as identify processes that result in catalyst deactivation for all three oxidations. Most importantly, this is the first demonstration of how systematically increasing Ni – O bond covalency by raising the formal oxidation state of Ni above +3 serves to increase catalyst activity for these reactions and will act as a governing principle for the rational design of catalysts for the electrooxidation of urea and other small molecules going forward.
(Invited) Structural and Mechanistic Basis for the Oxygen Reduction Activity of Pyrolyzed Fe-N-C Electrocatalysts
Authors: Mukerjee Sanjeev , Jia Qingying
Published: February 2020

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) constitutes a critical element in the commercialization of electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. Consequently, the replacement of unsustainable noble metal catalysts with earth-abundant materials constitutes a vital technological strategy towards fixing the twin challenge of energy security and climate change. The success in this regard requires the development of scalable non-precious metal (non-PGM) catalysts with high performance in practical devices. The major bottleneck in developing Fe-N-C materials as the leading non-PGM catalysts lies in the poor understanding of the nature of active sites and reaction mechanisms. Herein, we systematically characterized a series of Fe-N-C catalysts under both ex situ and in situ conditions using combined microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. We show that the structures of active sites under ex situ and working conditions are drastically different. Resultantly, the active site structure proposed here, a non-planar ferrous Fe-N4 moiety embedded in distorted carbon matrix characterized by a high Fe2+/3+ redox potential, is in contrast with those proposed hitherto derived from ex situ characterizations. This site reversibly switches to an in-plane ferric Fe-N4 moiety poisoned by oxygen adsorbates during the redox transition, with the population of active sites controlled by the Fe2+/3+ redox potential. The high inherent activity of the active site is correlated to its near-optimal Fe2+/3+ redox potential, which essentially originates from its favorable biomimetic dynamic nature that balances the site-blocking effect and O2 dissociation. The porous and disordered carbon matrix of the catalyst plays pivotal roles for its measured high ORR activity by hosting high population of reactant-accessible active sites.
(Invited) Controlling the Selectivity and Catalytic Activity of Bio-Inspired Transition Metal Complexes for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Elbaz Lior
Published: February 2020

In the search for abundant precious group metal free (PGM-free) catalysts, it was biological systems that inspired researchers over the years. One of the most prominent groups of such bio-inspired catalysts are transition metal/nitrogen/carbon-based catalysts (MNC), among them are heme-like molecular catalysts such as porphyrins and phthalocyanins.

Most of the bio-inspired catalysts designed to-date, focused solely on the catalytic center of molecular catalysts found in biological systems, while neglecting the electron mediators and ligands, which seem to have an important role in the catalytic scheme. It was shown that Imidazole for instance, is an important ligands which plays a vital role in biological systems, and can also be used to affect the catalytic activity of molecular catalysts. Some have used imidazoles and their analogues to study such effects, and showed significant control over the overpotential and selectivity upon the addition of such ligands to macrocyclic compounds. Another important molecule in enzymatic processes is quinone and its derivatives which also acts as an electron mediator in electron transport processes. It was shown recently that when incorporating certain axial ligand to the metal center in a metal-phthalocyanine, there is an increase in activity towards ORR, and that it induces a change in the mechanism of the reaction.

To enhance the ORR kinetics and selectivity by lowering the energy barriers, it is suggested herein to imbed ligands that have an imidazole group on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and anchor porphyrins to them via coordinative bonds.

In this talk I will present a bio-mimetic catalytic structure as a new approach to increase the oxygen reduction catalytic selectivity of transition metal complexes. As in biological systems, where there is a series of mediators between the active site and the surface, that lowers the activation energy of the overall reaction and increases its selectivity, we used in this study a structure where a molecular catalyst Fe(III)tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin bonded to a surface via a benzimidazole mediator. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), UV-vis spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements, we compared the ORR activity of the molecular catalyst with and without benzimidazole and show that this ligand strongly influences the selectivity of the reaction and shifts it from the 2 to the 2+2-electron reduction.
(Invited) Single Nanoparticle Electrocatalysis – A Promising Approach To Measure the Catalytic Performance of Bio-Inspired Nanocatalysts
Authors: Tschulik Kristina
Published: February 2020

The development of biomimetic and bio-inspired nanocatalysts is amongst to emerging topics in electrocatalysis, offering highly promising routes towards robust and highly active precious metal-free catalysts for a variety of economically relevant reactions.

Identification of the inherent activity of these nanomaterials is challenging, as typically additives and binders have to mixed with the active material to allow their electrochemical characterization. The individual contributions of the active catalyst material is difficult to dissect. The analysis of individual nanocatalyst particles, one at a time, is realized in the absence of additional components. It probes the electrocatalytic response of particles dispersed in the electrolyte solution during their sporadic collisions at an ultramicroelectrode [1,2]. This approach may guide the design of improved bio-inspired nanocatalysts based on the derived fundamental insights gained on a single particle level.

Herein, we demonstrate the application of nano impact electrochemistry as an additive-free method to study electrocatalysts at precious metal-free nanocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction.

References:

[1] Li, Xiuting; Batchelor-McAuley, Christopher; Whitby, Samuel A. I.; Tschulik, Kristina; Shao, Lidong; Compton, Richard G.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English), 2016, 55(13), 4296–4299

[2] Stevenson, Keith J.; Tschulik, Kristina, Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 2017, 6, 38–45.
Graphene Quantum Dots Embedded Multiwall Carbon Nanotube for the Electrochemical Detection of Dopamine in Human Serum Sample
Authors: Govindaraju Saravanan , Jang Chang Hyun , Yun Kyusik
Published: February 2020

A highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor was developed by the graphene quantum dots embedded multiwall carbon nanotube (GQDS@MWCNT) for the detection of dopamine in the human serum sample. Glucose based graphene quantum dots were synthesized and embedded with the multiwall carbon nanotube by the physiochemical interaction. Synthesized GQDS@MWCNT were characterized with UV-vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and High-resolution transmission. Graphene quantum dots were 1-3 nm in size and spherical in shape. Graphene quantum dots were well embedded with multiwall carbon nanotube. Electroanalytical sensitivity and selectivity were determined with cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The electrochemical performance of synthesized materials was analyzed with different pH from 2 to 10 and also performed with ferry cyanide. The linear range of dopamine detection was found to be 0.25 µM to 250 µM and the detection limit is 18 nM. In addition, high reproducibility, stability and selectivity were obtained in the experiment. Moreover, the fabricated GQDS@MWCNT sensor was successfully applied in the determination of dopamine concentrations in human serum samples with satisfactory recoveries. The developed sensor is suitable for the medical and pharmaceutical field.

Keywords: GQDS@MWCNT, Dopamine,Electrochemical Sensor, Human Serum Sample.

Figure 1
TLR7 Modulated T Cell Response in the Mesenteric Lymph Node of Schistosoma japonicum-Infected C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Qu Jiale , Yu Xiuxue , Jin Chenxi , Feng Yuanfa , Xie Shihao , Xie Hongyan , Yang Quan , Qi Yanwei , Qiu Huaina , Chen Hongyuan , Mu Jianbing , Zhou Yi , Huang Jun
Published: February 2020

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in regulating immune responses during pathogen infection. However, roles of TLRs on T cells reside in the mesenteric lymph node (MLN) were not be fully elucidated in the course of S. japonicum infection. In this study, T lymphocytes from the mesenteric lymph node (MLN) of S. japonicum-infected mice were isolated and the expression and roles of TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR7 on both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were compared. We found that the expression of TLR7 was increased in the MLN cells of S. japonicum-infected mice, particularly in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (P<0.05). R848, a TLR7 agonist, could enhance the production of IFN-γ from MLN T cells of infected mice (P<0.05), especially in CD8+ T cells (P<0.01). In TLR7 gene knockedout (KO) mice, the S. japonicum infection caused a significant decrease (P<0.05) of the expression of CD25 and CD69, as well as the production of IFN-γ and IL-4 inducted by PMA plus ionomycin on both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, the decreased level of IFN-γ and IL-4 in the supernatants of SEA- or SWA-stimulated mesenteric lymphocytes was detected (P<0.05). Our results indicated that S. japonicum infection could induce the TLR7 expression on T cells in the MLN of C57BL/6 mice, and TLR7 mediates T cell response in the early phase of infection.
The Relationship between Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Incident Diabetes in Chinese Adults: A Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Jialu , Zhang Yanan , Wan Yanping , Fan Zhuping , Xu Renying
Published: February 2020

Background. Previous studies reported the controvertible association between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and diabetes. The aim of this study is to explore whether RDW is associated with incident diabetes. Methods. We performed this cohort study in 16,971 Chinese adults (9,956 men and 7,015 women, aged 43.3±12.8 years). The level of RDW was measured at baseline (2014). All the participants were further classified into four quartile groups based on baseline RDW. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were measured annually during follow-up (2014-2019). Diabetes was diagnosed if either FBG≥7.0 mmol/L or HbA1c≥6.5%. We used the Cox proportional hazards regression model to evaluate the association between baseline RDW and incident diabetes. Results. We identified 2,703 new cases of diabetes during five-year follow-up. The incidence was 15.9%. Comparing with participants in the lowest quartile group (reference group), the adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for the risk of diabetes were 1.31 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.48) for the highest quartile group (p trend<0.001), after adjustment for potential confounders. Further adjusting baseline FBG and HbA1c did not materially change the association between RDW and incident diabetes. Each unit increase of RDW was associated with a 16% higher risk of incident diabetes (HR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.26) in a fully adjusted model. Sensitivity analysis generated similar results with prospective analyses after excluding aged participants, participants who are overweight and with obesity, participants with elevated blood pressure, participants with decreased eGFR, and those with anemia at baseline. Conclusions. High RDW was associated with high risk of developing diabetes in Chinese adults. As RDW is an inexpensive, noninvasive, and convenient indicator, RDW might be considered for inclusion in the risk assessment of high-risk groups of diabetes.
Money-Back Guarantee, Dual Money-Back Guarantee, and O2O Strategy in a Manufacturer’s Dual-Channel Supply Chain
Authors: Liu Jiqiong , Ren Minglun , Yang Aifeng , Feng Shuai
Published: February 2020

Return services are increasingly valued by manufacturers, retailers, and customers. In many countries, an offer of money-back guarantee (MBG) is legally binding. In this paper, we discuss how a retailer and manufacturer with a direct channel should choose single or dual MBG and pricing strategies. We identify the conditions under which a retailer or manufacturer should choose a return strategy and show that the handling return loss and the customer return cost in each channel are critical factors that should be considered by the retailer and manufacturer when choosing a return strategy. In addition, the retailer should cooperate with the manufacturer to establish an offline-to-online (O2O) omnichannel to fully benefit from the convenience and advantages of the retail channel. We find that the adoption of the O2O strategy by the retailer in its retail channel always generates profits, while the manufacturer may implement the O2O strategy in its direct channel when the profit from the Internet service is higher than a threshold. Additionally, the impact of various strategies on pricing, market share, and profits is discussed.
Quantitative Analysis of Foveal Microvascular Differences in Diabetic Macular Edema with and without Subfoveal Neuroretinal Detachment
Authors: Jian Gao , Jing Xu Ya , Yang Li , Lun Liu
Published: February 2020

Purpose. This study is aimed at quantifying the difference of the foveal microvasculature in the eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME) with and without subfoveal neuroretinal detachment (SND+ and SND-, respectively). Methods. This retrospective, cross-sectional study included 48 eyes from 42 patients with DME (20 SND+ and 28 SND- eyes). Data collection included fundus color photographs, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and best-corrected visual acuity. The following parameters were evaluated with OCTA: foveal avascular zone (FAZ) parameters and vessel density in a width of 300 μm around the FAZ, superficial capillary plexus, deep capillary plexus (DCP), and choriocapillary plexus. The number of retinal hyperreflective spots (HRS) and the area of SND in the central 3 mm were evaluated at 0 degrees using B-scans. Results. Parafoveal vessel densities of DCP were significantly lower in SND+ than in SND- eyes (p<0.001). The number of HRS was significantly higher in SND+ than in SND- eyes (p<0.001). A statistically significant negative correlation between parafoveal vessel density in DCP and the number of HRS in all eyes was found (Spearman’s correlation, r=0.389, p=0.006). Conclusion. DME with SND correlated with larger numbers of HRS and significant macular microvascular impairment in the DCP. The pathophysiology of decline of parafoveal vessel density in the DCP with an increase in the number of HRS in the eyes with DME with SND needs further investigation.
CIRBP Ameliorates Neuronal Amyloid Toxicity via Antioxidative and Antiapoptotic Pathways in Primary Cortical Neurons
Authors: Su Fang , Yang Shanshan , Wang Hongcai , Qiao Zhenkui , Qu Zhengyi , Zhao Hong
Published: February 2020

It is generally accepted that the amyloid β (Aβ) peptide toxicity contributes to neuronal loss and is involved in the initiation and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRBP) is reported to be a general stress-response protein, which is induced by different stress conditions. Previous reports have shown the neuroprotective effects of CIRBP through the suppression of apoptosis via the Akt and ERK pathways. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of CIRBP against Aβ-induced toxicity in cultured rat primary cortical neurons and attempt to uncover its underlying mechanism. Here, MTT, LDH release, and TUNEL assays showed that CIRBP overexpression protected against both intracellular amyloid β- (iAβ-) induced and Aβ25-35-induced cytotoxicity in rat primary cortical neurons. Electrophysiological changes responsible for iAβ-induced neuronal toxicity, including an increase in neuronal resting membrane potentials and a decrease in K+ currents, were reversed by CIRBP overexpression. Western blot results further showed that Aβ25-35 treatment significantly increased the level of proapoptotic protein Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-9 and decreased the level of antiapoptotic factor Bcl-2, but were rescued by CIRBP overexpression. Furthermore, CIRBP overexpression prevented the elevation of ROS induced by Aβ25-35 treatment by decreasing the activities of oxidative biomarker and increasing the activities of key enzymes in antioxidant system. Taken together, our findings suggested that CIRBP exerted protective effects against neuronal amyloid toxicity via antioxidative and antiapoptotic pathways, which may provide a promising candidate for amyloid-based AD prevention or therapy.
Hypoxia Promotes Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell (VSMC) Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cell (ADSC) by Regulating Mettl3 and Paracrine Factors
Authors: Lin Jiaying , Zhu Qianqian , Huang Jialyu , Cai Renfei , Kuang Yanping
Published: February 2020

Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) is an alternative and less invasive source of mesenchymal stem cells which can be used to develop biological treatment strategies for tissue regeneration, and their therapeutic applications hinge on an understanding of their physiological characteristics. N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common chemical modification of mRNAs and has recently been revealed to play important roles in cell lineage differentiation and development. However, the role of m6A modification in the vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) differentiation of ADSCs remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the expression of N6-adenosine methyltransferases (Mettl3) and demethylases (Fto and Alkbh5) and found that Mettl3 was upregulated in ADSCs undergoing vascular smooth muscle differentiation induction. Moreover, silence of Mettle3 reduced the expression level of VSMC-specific markers, including α-SMA, SM22α, calponin, and SM-MHC. Meanwhile, Mettl3 knockdown also decreased the expression of paracrine factors, including VEGF, HGF, TGF-β, GM-CSF, bFGF, and SDF-1. In addition, our results suggested that hypoxia stress promotes the ADSC differentiate into VMSCs and regulates the secretion of VEGF, HGF, TGF-β, GM-CSF, bFGF, and SDF-1 by mediating Mettl3 gene expression. These observations might contribute to novel progress in understanding the role of epitranscriptomic regulation in the VSMC differentiation of ADSCs and provide a promising perspective for new therapeutic strategies for tissue regeneration.
Study on Driving Cycle Synthesis Method for City Buses considering Random Passenger Load
Authors: Liu Xiaodong , Ma Jian , Zhao Xuan , Du Juan , Xiong Yanfeng
Published: February 2020

This paper proposes a novel driving cycle construction method in consideration of velocity, road slope, and passenger load, based on a real-world bus route with a plug-in hybrid electric bus (PHEB). The main purpose is to address the disadvantage that an inaccurate reflection of the real-world driving characteristics for city buses will be caused when ignoring the passenger load in the course of a driving cycle synthesis. Two contributions are supplemented to distinguish from the previous research. Firstly, a novel station-based method is proposed aiming at developing a driving cycle with high accuracy. The kinematic segments are partitioned according to the distance of adjacent bus stops, while a two-dimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo method is employed to synthesize driving cycle between each interval of adjacent bus stops. Secondly, the random passenger load for different bus stops is treated as a discrete Markov chain model, according to the correlation analysis of the measured passenger data which are distinguished for off-peak and peak hours. Meanwhile, Monte Carlo simulation and maximum likelihood estimation are utilized to determine the most likely number of passengers for each bus stop. At last, the fuel consumption of the PHEB is simulated with the best-synthesized driving cycle and contrasted to the mean fuel consumption of the later measured data which is composed of the velocity, road slope, and the passenger load. The results demonstrate that the synthesized driving cycle has a higher accuracy on fuel consumption estimation.
Optimized Rate Control Algorithm of High-Efficiency Video Coding Based on Region of Interest
Authors: Song Renjie , Zhang Yuandong
Published: February 2020

Aiming at the problems that the strategy of target bit allocation at the CTU layer has deviations from the human subjective observation mechanism, and the update phase of parametric model has a higher complexity in the JCTVC-K0103 rate control algorithm of ITU-T H.265/high efficiency video coding (HEVC) standard. Optimized rate control (ORC) algorithm of ITU-T H.265/HEVC based on region of interest (ROI) is proposed. Firstly, the algorithm extracts the region of interest of video frames based on time and space domains by using the improved Itti model. Then, the weight of target bits w is recalculated based on space-time domains to improve the rate control accuracy, and the target bits are distributed based on ROI by the adaptive weight algorithm once again to make the output videos more attuned with the human visual attention mechanism. Finally, the quasi-Newton algorithm is used to update the rate distortion model, which reduces the computational complexity in the update phase of the parametric model. The experimental results show that the ORC algorithm can obtain a better subjective quality in the compressed results with less bit error compared with the other two algorithms. Meanwhile, the rate distortion performance of the ORC algorithm is better on the premise of guaranteeing rate control performance.
Organochlorine Pesticides in Surface Water of Jiuxi Valley, China: Distribution, Source Analysis, and Risk Evaluation
Authors: Liu Zheng , Zheng Guanlin , Liu Zhen
Published: February 2020

Residual levels of 11 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface water of Jiuxi Valley were determined during spring and autumn at nine sampling points to assess their contamination and potential risks. The water samples were extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE), and OCPs were analyzed by gas chromatograph equipped with a 63Ni-ECD detector. The investigation results indicated that the concentration of total OCPs varied from 4.07 to 13.5 ng·L−1 with an average value of 7.15 ng·L−1 in spring, and from 12.5 to 30.1 ng·L−1 with an average value of 19.9 ng·L−1 in autumn. Jiuxi Valley was slightly contaminated by OCPs, and the concentrations of ΣHCHs and ΣDDTs in the river were at relatively low levels. HCHs were the main pollutant in spring, and also in autumn, and α-HCH was the main component of the HCH isomers at most sampling points. Source analysis indicated that local use of lindane or input of fresh γ-HCH contributed to the presence of HCHs. New inputs were the major sources of DDTs, aldrin, heptachlor, and endrin. The OCP levels of this investigation were within the standard limits set by a majority of the water quality standards and guidelines of China, WHO, European Union, and Canada. However, although the γ-HCH concentrations at all sampling sites, endrin concentrations at all sampling sites, and β-HCH concentrations at most sampling sites were below the human health water quality standard, and the levels of other tested OCPs (α-HCH, p,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDT, aldrin, and heptachlor) exceeded the value of EPA-recommended water quality criteria for human health, which indicated potential risks to human health around the region.
The Changing Epidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma :  Experience of a Single Center
Authors: Giannitrapani Lydia , Zerbo Maddalena , Amodeo Simona , Pipitone Elisa , Galia Massimo , Li Cavoli Tancredi Vincenzo , Minissale Maria Giovanna , Licata Anna , Schiavone Cosima , Brancatelli Giuseppe , Montalto Giuseppe , Soresi Maurizio
Published: February 2020

Aims. To analyze the main etiological factors and some clinical features of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at diagnosis and to compare them with those we described ten years ago. Materials and Methods. We compared two groups of patients with HCC, Group 1 consisting of 132 patients (82 M, 50 F) diagnosed in the 2003–2008 period and Group 2 including 119 patients (82 M, 37 F) diagnosed in the 2013–2018 period. For all patients, age, sex, viral markers, alcohol consumption, serum alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) levels, and the main liver function parameters were recorded. The diagnosis of HCC was based on AASLD, EASL guidelines. The staging was classified according to the “Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system” (BCLC). Results. Mean age was 69.0 ± 8 years in Group 1 and 71.0 ± 9 in Group 2 (P < 0.05). HCV subjects were significantly older in Group 2 (P < 0.05), and there was no difference for those with other etiologies. The main etiology in the two groups was HCV 80% (Group 1) versus 73% (Group 2) (P = ns), and there was no difference for HBV. Nonviral etiology was higher in Group 2 versus Group 1 (17% versus 9%; P < 0.05). The Child class at diagnosis showed no difference between the two groups, whereas in Group 2 the HCC staging according to BCLC was less severe (P < 0.02). When comparing the viral versus post‐NASH BCLC in patients of the second period alone, the staging was more severe in the latter (P < 0.01). AFP serum levels were normal in 37% of cases in Group 1 and in 67% in Group 2 (P < 0.0001) and were less frequently diagnostic in post‐NASH than in other etiologies (P < 0.03). Conclusions. This study shows that over the last decade a number of features of patients with HCC in our region have changed, particularly age at onset, etiological factors, and staging of HCC.
Security of Cloud Computing Using Adaptive Neural Fuzzy Inference System
Authors: Shahzadi Shumaila , Khaliq Bushra , Rizwan Muhammad , Ahmad Fahad
Published: February 2020

Cloud computing can enable organizations to do more by breaking the physical bonds between an IT foundation. The raised security dangers in cloud computing must be overpowered to profit the new processing perspective that offers an imaginative arrangement of activity for relationship to IT. The purpose of the study was to reduce security’s obstacles and risks by using protection methods and approaches to ensure maximum data protection, which allows for the user to select the original security level. An adaptive neural control fuzzy system is used to resolve the unsecure and risky tasks of cloud computing. Sugeno control methods have been applied for these data protection issues in which the uncertainty because of randomness can be resolved. ANFIS identified the input parameters according to the current scenario, fuzzified the data, and integrated them into knowledge rule base. Different membership functions were used for training the data. In this article, we present a point-by-point examination of the cloud security issue. We assessed the issue from the cloud building point of view. In context of this examination, we deduce an unmistakable detail of the cloud security issue and key highlights that ought to be confirmed by any proposed security strategy. The examination and results show that the parameters dependent on ANFIS are very much intended to distinguish the oddities in cloud condition with least bogus negative rate and high discovery precision. The performance of Sugeno membership function usually gives better results and ensures the computational efficiency and accuracy of data.
Change Analysis of Spring Vegetation Green-Up Date in Qinba Mountains under the Support of Spatiotemporal Data Cube
Authors: Li Jiyuan , Feng Xiao , Yin Jiangbin , Chen Fang
Published: February 2020

In recent decades, global and local vegetation phenology has undergone significant changes due to the combination of climate change and human activities. Current researches have revealed the temporal and spatial distribution of vegetation phenology in large scale by using remote sensing data. However, researches on spatiotemporal differentiation of remote sensing phenology and its changes are limited which involves high-dimensional data processing and analysing. A new data model based on data cube technologies was proposed in the paper to efficiently organize remote sensing phenology and related reanalysis data in different scales. The multidimensional aggregation functions in the data cube promote the rapid discovery of the spatiotemporal differentiation of phenology. The exploratory analysis methods were extended to the data cube to mine the change characteristics of the long-term phenology and its influencing factors. Based on this method, the case study explored that the spring phenology of Qinba Mountains has a strong dependence on the topography, and the temperature plays a leading role in the vegetation green-up date distribution of the high-altitude areas while human activities dominate the low-altitude areas. The response of green-up trend slope seems to be the most sensitive at an altitude of about 2000 meters. This research provided a new approach for analysing phenology phenomena and its changes in Qinba Mountains that had the same reference value for other regional phenology studies.
A Review on the Resilient Response of Unsaturated Subgrade Soils
Authors: Chu Xuanxuan
Published: February 2020

Considering the great contribution of subgrade modulus to the overall performance of roads or railways, it is crucial to provide the best prediction of resilient modulus for their foundations. Incorporating the seasonal variation of moisture content, the resilient modulus variation of unsaturated soils will be accurately predicted. This paper aims to introduce and discuss the knowledge about resilient response of unsaturated soils and emphasize the effects of humidity. A literature review on resilient response of unsaturated soils is presented based on the previous studies. The affecting factors (i.e., wetting and drying, moisture content, and matric suction) were discussed. The prediction model development of the resilient response of unsaturated soils was presented. The limitations and advantages of the model were analyzed and compared. It reveals that the current models were limited regarding stress conditions, moisture content, matric suction, and soil types, and further studies are still needed to achieve a better understanding of resilient response of unsaturated soils.
Leiomyoma of the Cheek
Authors: de Souza Fonseca Ricardo Roberto , Junior Mário Augusto Ramos , Baruchi Douglas , Carvalho Tabata Resque Beckmann , Soares Andresa Borges , de Menezes Silvio Augusto Fernandes , de Jesus Viana Pinheiro João , Fadul Jorge Nazareno Ferreira
Published: February 2020

Leiomyomas are rare benign tumors that grow in the tunica media of smooth muscle cells. Leiomyomas occur most frequently in the uterus or gastrointestinal tract and only very rarely in the area of the cheek. This study reports on a rare case of a leiomyoma in the cheek of a 43-year-old woman, who presented with a well-circumscribed, asymptomatic, mobile swelling in the right cheek. This swelling was slightly purplish in color and measured approximately 4 cm×3 cm. Surgical excision was the treatment of choice, and the diagnosis was based on histopathological and immunohistochemical stains, which were positive for actin and desmin and negative for AE1/AE3, CD34, and S100. The patient’s follow-up, two years later, showed no recurrence, and she has been asymptomatic since the surgery.