Nanocellulose-Carboxymethylcellulose Electrolyte for Stable,High-Rate Zinc-Ion Batteries

Aqueous Zn ion batteries (ZIBs) are one of the most promising battery chemistries for grid-scale renewable energy storage. However, their application is limited by issues such as Zn dendrite formation and undesirable side reactions that can occur in the presence of excess free water molecules and ions. In this study, a nanocellulose-carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) hydrogel electrolyte is demonstrated that features stable cycling performance and high Zn²⁺ conductivity (26 mS cm⁻¹), which is attributed to the material's strong mechanical strength (≈70 MPa) and water-bonding ability. With this electrolyte, the Zn-metal anode shows exceptional cycling stability at an ultra-high rate, with the ability to sustain a current density as high as 80 mA cm⁻² for more than 3500 cycles and a cumulative capacity of 17.6 Ah cm⁻² (40 mA cm⁻²). Additionally, side reactions, such as hydrogen evolution and surface passivation, are substantially reduced due to the strong water-bonding capacity of the CMC. Full Zn||MnO₂ batteries fabricated with this electrolyte demonstrate excellent high-rate performance and long-term cycling stability (>500 cycles at 8C). These results suggest the cellulose-CMC electrolyte as a promising low-cost, easy-to-fabricate, and sustainable aqueous-based electrolyte for ZIBs with excellent electrochemical performance that can help pave the way toward grid-scale energy storage for renewable energy sources.     

The Zintl Compound Ca5Al2Sb6 for Low‐Cost Thermoelectric Power Generation

Understanding transport in Zintl compounds is important due to their unusual chemistry, structural complexity, and potential for good thermoelectric performance. Resistivity measurements indicate that undoped Ca₅Al₂Sb₆ is a charge‐balanced semiconductor with a bandgap of 0.5 eV, consistent with Zintl–Klemm charge counting rules. Substituting divalent calcium with monovalent sodium leads to the formation of free holes, and a transition from insulating to metallic electronic behavior is observed. Seebeck measurements yield a hole mass of ～2m_e, consistent with a structure containing both ionic and covalent bonding. The structural complexity of Zintl compounds is implicated in their unusually low thermal conductivity values. Indeed, Ca₅Al₂Sb₆ possesses an extremely low lattice thermal conductivity (0.6 W mK^?1 at 850 K), which approaches the minimum thermal conductivity limit at high temperature. A single parabolic band model is developed and predicts that Ca_4.75Na_0.25Al₂Sb₆ possesses a near‐optimal carrier concentration for thermoelectric power generation. A maximum zT > 0.6 is obtained at 1000 K.Beyond thermoelectric applications, the semiconductor Ca₅Al₂Sb₆ possesses a 1D covalent structure which should be amenable to interesting magnetic interactions when appropriately doped.     

Changes in the sensitivity to appetitive and aversive arousal across adulthood.

In 2 cross-sectional studies, the authors examined age-related differences in the evaluation of emotional stimuli in 2 community samples, with participants ranging in age from young to older adulthood (18–81 years old). Pictures of the International Affective Picture System were used in Study 1, and written verbs were used in Study 2. Participants rated these stimuli along the 2 major affective dimensions of hedonic valence and emotional arousal, thus yielding a 2-dimensional affective space for each participant. Young adults showed the expected pattern of 2 distinct clusters of stimuli in this space, representing increasing pleasantness (appetitive activation) and unpleasantness (aversive activation) with increasing emotional arousal. In contrast, for older adults, emotional valence and arousal ratings were linearly related: Low-arousing stimuli were rated as most pleasant, and high-arousing stimuli were rated as most unpleasant. When regressed on age, these changes revealed a gradual decrease of appetitive activation (i.e., the relationship between pleasure and arousal) across adulthood and a linear increase in aversive activation (i.e., the relationship between displeasure and arousal). These results extend previous work on emotional development, adding information as to the role of emotional intensity for affective experience in different age groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Phenol decomposition in water cathode of DC atmospheric pressure discharge in air

We studied phenol decomposition in aqueous solution under the action of DC discharge at atmospheric pressure in air. The decomposition efficiency was 0.017 molecules per 100 eV. When the kinetics of forming destruction products was studied in detail, the peculiarities of air plasma action were revealed for the first time. Plasma action not only results in the formation of oxygen-containing products, which are usually formed under oxygen plasma action (hydroxyhenols, carboxylic acids, aldehydes), but also the formation of nitro phenols. The treatment is accompanied by hydrogen peroxide formation, a pH decrease, and nitric and nitrous acids formation. We also discussed the possible mechanism of the processes and the role of some active species in chemical transformations after determining some parameters of the discharge.     

MTEP,a Selective mGluR5 Antagonist,Had a Neuroprotective Effect but Did Not Prevent the Development of Spontaneous Recurrent Seizures and Behavioral Comorbidities in the Rat Lithium–Pilocarpine Model of Epilepsy

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are expressed predominantly on neurons and glial cells and are involved in the modulation of a wide range of signal transduction cascades. Therefore, different subtypes of mGluRs are considered a promising target for the treatment of various brain diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated the seizure-induced upregulation of mGluR5; however, its functional significance is still unclear. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the effect of treatment with the selective mGluR5 antagonist 3-[(2-methyl-1,3-thiazol-4-yl)ethynyl]-pyridine (MTEP) on epileptogenesis and behavioral impairments in rats using the lithium–pilocarpine model. We found that the administration of MTEP during the latent phase of the model did not improve survival, prevent the development of epilepsy, or attenuate its manifestations in rats. However, MTEP treatment completely prevented neuronal loss and partially attenuated astrogliosis in the hippocampus. An increase in excitatory amino acid transporter 2 expression, which has been detected in treated rats, may prevent excitotoxicity and be a potential mechanism of neuroprotection. We also found that MTEP administration did not prevent the behavioral comorbidities such as depressive-like behavior, motor hyperactivity, reduction of exploratory behavior, and cognitive impairments typical in the lithium–pilocarpine model. Thus, despite the distinct neuroprotective effect, the MTEP treatment was ineffective in preventing epilepsy.     

Immature Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in Healthy Murine Arteries and Atherosclerotic Plaques: Localization and Activity

The local development of atherosclerotic lesions may, at least partly, be associated with the specific cellular composition of atherosclerosis-prone regions. Previously, it was demonstrated that a small population of immature vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) expressing both CD146 and neuron-glial antigen 2 is postnatally sustained in atherosclerosis-prone sites. We supposed that these cells may be involved in atherogenesis and can continuously respond to angiotensin II, which is an atherogenic factor. Using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, wound migration assay xCELLigence system, and calcium imaging, we studied the functional activities of immature VSMCs in vitro and in vivo. According to our data, these cells do not express nestin, CD105, and the leptin receptor. They are localized in atherosclerosis-prone regions, and their number increases with age, from 5.7% to 23%. Immature VSMCs do not migrate to low shear stress areas and atherosclerotic lesions. They also do not have any unique response to angiotensin II. Thus, despite the localization of immature VSMCs and the presence of the link between their number and age, our study did not support the hypothesis that immature VSMCs are directly involved in the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Additional lineage tracing studies can clarify the fate of these cells during atherogenesis.     

Local Accumulation of Lymphocytes in the Intima of Human Aorta Is Associated with Giant Multinucleated Endothelial Cells: Possible Explanation for Mosaicism of Atherosclerosis

Distribution of different types of atherosclerotic lesions in the arterial wall is not diffuse, but is characterized by mosaicism. The causes of such distribution remain to be established. At the early stages of atherogenesis, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles and immune cells penetrate into the intimal layer of the arterial wall through the endothelium. In adult humans, the luminal surface of the arterial wall is a heterogeneous monolayer of cells with varying morphology including typical endothelial cells (ECs) and multinucleated variant endothelial cells (MVECs). We hypothesized that distribution of MVECs in the endothelial monolayer can be related to the distribution pattern of early atherosclerotic lesions. We obtained en face preparations of intact adult (22–59 years old) aortic wall sections that allowed us to study the endothelial monolayer and the subendothelial layer. We compared the distribution of MVECs in the endothelial monolayer with the localization of early atherosclerotic lesions in the subendothelial layer, which were characterized by lipid accumulation and immune cell recruitment. In primary culture, MVECs demonstrated increased phagocytic activity compared to mononuclear ECs. Moreover, we have shown that unaffected aortic intima contained associates formed as a result of aggregation and/or fusion of LDL particles that are non-randomly distributed. This indicated that MVECs may be involved in the accumulation of LDL in the subendothelial layer through increased transcytosis. Interaction of LDL with subendothelial cells of human aorta in primary culture increased their adhesive properties toward circulating immune cells. Study of unaffected aortic intima revealed non-random distribution of leukocytes in the subendothelial layer and increased localization of CD45+ leukocytes in the subendothelial layer adjacent to MVECs. Together, our observations indicate that MVECs may be responsible for the distribution of atherosclerotic lesions in the arterial wall by participating in LDL internalization and immune cell recruitment.     

Thermodynamic and Structural Properties of Sodium Lithium Niobate Solid Solutions

Thermodynamics of the Na_1−xLi _x NbO₃ system is investigated by high-temperature drop-solution calorimetry in molten 3Na₂O–4MoO₃ solvent at 973 K. Standard molar enthalpies of formation are derived. The estimated heats of transition between hypothetical and stable structures, lithium niobate and perovskite for NaNbO₃ and vice versa for LiNbO₃ are −6 kJ/mol and −10 kJ/mol, respectively. X-ray diffraction studies at room temperature showed for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.14 there are three phases based on different ordering of the perovskite type lattice: orthorhombic with a quadrupled reduced perovskite cell at 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.02, orthorhombic with a doubled reduced perovskite cell at 0.015 ≤ x ≤ 0.14, and rhombohedral at 0.08 ≤ x ≤ 0.13. There are two two-phase (morphotropic) regions with coexistence of the two orthorhombic phases at 0.015 ≤ x ≤ 0.02 and with the second orthorhombic phase coexisting with the rhombohedral phase at 0.08 ≤ x ≤ 0.13. A reproducible anomaly in specific heat at ∼600 K, not reported previously, has been observed in pure NaNbO₃. Heat-capacity measurements confirm a phase transition at 553 K for 0.07 ≤ x ≤ 0.09. With increasing lithium concentration, a gradual disappearance of high-temperature phase transitions associated with tilting of oxygen octahedra has been observed.     

Experimental Crossing Confirms Reproductive Isolation between Cryptic Species within Eulimnogammarus verrucosus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Lake Baikal

Ancient lakes are known speciation hotspots. One of the most speciose groups in the ancient Lake Baikal are gammaroid amphipods (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Gammaroidea). There are over 350 morphological species and subspecies of amphipods in Baikal, but the extent of cryptic variation is still unclear. One of the most common species in the littoral zone of the lake, Eulimnogammarus verrucosus (Gerstfeldt, 1858), was recently found to comprise at least three (pseudo)cryptic species based on molecular data. Here, we further explored these species by analyzing their mitogenome-based phylogeny, genome sizes with flow cytometry, and their reproductive compatibility. We found divergent times of millions of years and different genome sizes in the three species (6.1, 6.9 and 8 pg), further confirming their genetic separation. Experimental crossing of the western and southern species, which are morphologically indistinguishable and have adjacent ranges, showed their separation with a post-zygotic reproductive barrier, as hybrid embryos stopped developing roughly at the onset of gastrulation. Thus, the previously applied barcoding approach effectively indicated the separate biological species within E. verrucosus. These results provide new data for investigating genome evolution and highlight the need for precise tracking of the sample origin in any studies in this morphospecies.