Enhanced linear magneto-resistance near the Dirac point in topological insulator Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 nanowires

Nano Research - We report the composition and back-gate voltage tuned transport properties of ternary compound Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 nanowires synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). It is...     

Thermodynamic analysis of ethanol synthesis from hydration of ethylene coupled with a sequential reaction

Coal-based ethanol production by hydration of ethylene is limited by the low equilibrium ethylene conversion at elevated temperature. To improve ethylene conversion, coupling hydration of ethylene with a potential ethanol consumption reaction was analyzed thermodynamically. Five reactions have been attempted and compared: (1) dehydration of ethanol to ethyl ether ({\mathrm{2C}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{5}}\mathrm{OH}\iff{\mathrm{C}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{OC}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{+H}}_{\mathrm{2}}\mathrm{O}), (2) dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde ({\mathrm{C}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{5}}\mathrm{OH}\iff {\mathrm{CH}}_{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{CHO+H}}_{\mathrm{2}}), (3) esterification of acetic acid with ethanol ({\mathrm{C}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{OH+CH}}_{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{COOH}\iff {\mathrm{CH}}_{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{COOC}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{+H}}_{\mathrm{2}}\mathrm{O}), (4) dehydrogenation of ethanol to ethyl acetate ({\mathrm{2C}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{5}}\mathrm{OH}\iff {\mathrm{CH}}_{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{COOC}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{+2H}}_{\mathrm{2}}), and (5) oxidative dehydrogenation of ethanol to ethyl acetate ({\mathrm{2C}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{OH+O}}_{\mathrm{2}}\iff {\mathrm{CH}}_{\mathrm{3}}{\mathrm{COOC}}_{\mathrm{2}}{\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{5}}{\mathrm{+2H}}_{\mathrm{2}}\mathrm{O}). The equilibrium constants and equilibrium distributions of the coupled reactions were calculated and the effects of feed composition, temperature and pressure upon the ethylene equilibrium conversion were examined. The results show that dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde has little effect on ethylene conversion, whereas for dehydrogenation of ethanol to acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate, ethylene conversion can be improved from 8% to 12.8% and 18.5%, respectively, under conditions of H₂O/C₂H₄ = 2, 10 atm and 300°C. The esterification of acetic acid with ethanol can greatly enhance the ethylene conversion to 22.5%; in particular, ethylene can be actually completely converted to ethyl acetate by coupling oxidative dehydrogenation of ethanol.     

The biological mechanisms of butanol tolerance and the application of solvent-tolerant bacteria for environmental protection

Toxicity caused by the accumulation of butanol in fermentation media is an important factor limiting the concentration of butanol. There is currently no systematic research in place investigating the butanol tolerance mechanism of bacteria such as Clostridium acetobutylicum, which adapts to butanol stress and regulates its growth and metabolism. Here, research results related to the butanol tolerance of C. acetobutylicum are reviewed to understand the molecular basis of changes in butanol-tolerant strains. Organic solvent-tolerant bacteria play an important role in the fields of biofuel production, enzyme preparation and bioremediation. An analysis of limitations of the application of organic solvent-tolerant bacteria has revealed that future research should focus on combining the microbial tolerance phenotype with specific utilization to achieve an optimal balance between organic solvent tolerance and production. This review serves as a reference for the improvement and engineering of strains that tolerate organic solvents. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

Deep Integration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (InE) Education in Chinese University Classrooms

Recently, InE has been regarded as a popular education strategy in Chinese universities. However, problems have been exposed in the adoption of InE, for example, in InE courses and competitions. The purpose of this paper is to provide a possible solution to the problems, which is to organize effective InE courses by integrating InE with Inter-Course-level Problem-Based Learning (ICPBL). A detailed case is demonstrated by an ICPBL elective course design with deep integration of InE in the teaching, learning, and assessments. This paper contributes to a new curriculum design for promoting InE education in practically for Chinese universities.     

Two-step method to deposit ZrO2 coating on carbon fiber: Preparation,characterization, and performance in SiC composites

Recently, ceramic matrix composites reinforced by short carbon fibers (CFs) attracted increasing attentions. To further improve mechanical properties and oxidation resistances, CFs were subjected to oxidation and acidification followed by sol-gel dip-coating to deposit ZrO₂ on their surfaces. ZrO₂-C_f/SiC composites were fabricated by joint hot compression molding and sintering, compared to C_f/SiC and SiC prepared by the same method. Microstructural analyses indicated that ZrO₂ coatings were successfully deposited on CF surfaces, formed strong bonding and interfaces between CF and the matrix. Meanwhile, CFs were found uniformly distributed in SiC matrix with random orientations. Flexural curves of ZrO₂-C_f/SiC and C_f/SiC revealed the presence of “false plasticity” regions after sharp drops, which were quite different from brittle flexural behavior of SiC ceramic. Compression strength of the three samples showed step-up growth. ZrO₂-C_f/SiC exhibited the highest value, indicating the introduction of CFs and ZrO₂ coatings do have great influence on mechanical performances. After heat treatment, ZrO₂-C_f/SiC exhibited better oxidation resistance than C_f/SiC, with weight loss ratios estimated to ??3.76% and ??6.43%, respectively. These improved properties indicated that ZrO₂-C_f/SiC would be excellent alternatives to other existence materials under ultra-high temperature environments.     

A Dual Inhibitor of DYRK1A and GSK3β for β-Cell Proliferation: Aminopyrazine Derivative GNF4877

Loss of β-cell mass and function can lead to insufficient insulin levels and ultimately to hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus. The mainstream treatment approach involves regulation of insulin levels; however, approaches intended to increase β-cell mass are less developed. Promoting β-cell proliferation with low-molecular-weight inhibitors of dual-specificity tyrosine-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) offers the potential to treat diabetes with oral therapies by restoring β-cell mass, insulin content and glycemic control. GNF4877, a potent dual inhibitor of DYRK1A and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) was previously reported to induce primary human β-cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Herein, we describe the lead optimization that lead to the identification of GNF4877 from an aminopyrazine hit identified in a phenotypic high-throughput screening campaign measuring β-cell proliferation.     

热解酸洗污泥用于氮氧化物还原的研究

金属表面处理过程排出的酸洗废水经处理产生的酸洗污泥,若是处理不合理就会引发极其严重的环境污染问题,经过热解处理后可以得到含有碳和重金属的固体产物.以热解酸洗污泥为还原剂,考察其脱硝性能以及反应温度、氧气浓度、反应时间对热解酸洗污泥脱硝效率的影响.结果 表明,该热解酸洗污泥有良好的脱硝性能,在反应温度为800℃,氧气浓度为1％的条件下,脱硝效率可达95.093％,可以作为脱除NOx的还原剂.热解酸洗污泥的脱硝效率随着温度的升高和氧气浓度的增加而降低,并且随着时间的推移,脱硝效率下降较快.     

电磁精细探测法在隐伏型导水地质裂缝勘探中的应用

针对传统隐伏型导水地质裂缝勘探方法存在勘测精度较差的问题,提出电磁精细探测法探析隐伏型导水地质裂缝。依照屏蔽系数、实测场强和理论场强数据绘制综合曲线图,通过该图获取隐伏型导水地质裂缝所处位置几何阴影范围,采用层析成像法得到网格化的工作面,获取隐伏型导水地质图像。通过图像直接观测隐伏型导水地质工作面裂缝所处位置,在此基础上,观测四个电磁场分量,采用正交电磁场分量计算介质视电阻率,依据计算视电阻率数值和视电阻率分布状态研究裂缝发育情况和裂缝富水程度。结果表明:采用该方法能较为精准地获取隐伏型导水地质裂缝位置。通过裂缝位置进一步检测出隐伏型导水地质裂缝最大发育高度为63.5 m。当视电阻数值不断增加时,隐伏型导水地质裂缝和裂缝富水性逐渐减小,与实际情况较为相符,说明该种方法探析效果较好。