Effect of anode iridium oxide content on the electrochemical performance and resistance to cell reversal potential of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

An ideal polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is one that continuously generates electricity as long as hydrogen and oxygen (or air) are supplied to its anode and cathode, respectively. However, internal and/or external conditions could bring about the degradation of its electrodes, which are composed of nanoparticle catalysts. Particularly, when the hydrogen supply to the anode is disrupted, a reverse voltage is generated. This phenomenon, which seriously degrades the anode catalyst, is referred to as cell reversal. To prevent its occurrence, iridium oxide (IrO₂) particles were added to the anode in the membrane-electrode assembly of the PEMFC single-cells. After 100 cell reversal cycles, the single-cell voltage profiles of the anode with Pt/C only and the anodes with Pt/C and various IrO₂ contents were obtained. Additionally, the cell reversal-induced degradation phenomenon was also confirmed electrochemically and physically, and the use of anodes with various IrO₂ contents was also discussed.     

食物致敏原表位定位技术的研究进展

食物致敏原是引起食物过敏的元凶，多为蛋白质。抗原表位是在抗原分子中与抗体反应或被抗原受体识别，并引发机体免疫应答的特殊化学基团。从表位水平认识食物致敏原，能揭示食物过敏的物质基础，为解决食物过敏问题提供精准的靶标。本文基于表位结构和定位方法的不同，介绍了食物致敏原表位定位技术的发展，并进一步展望了致敏原表位信息对于改进食物过敏鉴定技术和低致敏食物加工方法的应用前景。     

Advances and Perspectives in Dental Pulp Stem Cell Based Neuroregeneration Therapies

Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are some of the most promising stem cell types for regenerative therapies given their ability to grow in the absence of serum and their realistic possibility to be used in autologous grafts. In this review, we describe the particular advantages of hDPSCs for neuroregenerative cell therapies. We thoroughly discuss the knowledge about their embryonic origin and characteristics of their postnatal niche, as well as the current status of cell culture protocols to maximize their multilineage differentiation potential, highlighting some common issues when assessing neuronal differentiation fates of hDPSCs. We also review the recent progress on neuroprotective and immunomodulatory capacity of hDPSCs and their secreted extracellular vesicles, as well as their combination with scaffold materials to improve their functional integration on the injured central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). Finally, we offer some perspectives on the current and possible future applications of hDPSCs in neuroregenerative cell therapies.     

MicroRNA Regulation of Breast Cancer Stemness

Recent advances in our understanding of breast cancer have demonstrated that cancer stem-like cells (CSCs, also known as tumor-initiating cell (TICs)) are central for progression and recurrence. CSCs are a small subpopulation of cells present in breast tumors that contribute to growth, metastasis, therapy resistance, and recurrence, leading to poor clinical outcome. Data have shown that cancer cells can gain characteristics of CSCs, or stemness, through alterations in key signaling pathways. The dysregulation of miRNA expression and signaling have been well-documented in cancer, and recent studies have shown that miRNAs are associated with breast cancer initiation, progression, and recurrence through regulating CSC characteristics. More specifically, miRNAs directly target central signaling nodes within pathways that can drive the formation, maintenance, and even inhibition of the CSC population. This review aims to summarize these research findings specifically in the context of breast cancer. This review also discusses miRNAs as biomarkers and promising clinical therapeutics, and presents a comprehensive summary of currently validated targets involved in CSC-specific signaling pathways in breast cancer.     

δ-Catenin Participates in EGF/AKT/p21Waf Signaling and Induces Prostate Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most leading cause of death in males. Our previous studies have demonstrated that δ-catenin plays an important role in prostate cancer progression. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of δ-catenin has not been fully explored yet. In the present study, we found that δ-catenin could induce phosphorylation of p21^Waf and stabilize p21 in the cytoplasm, thus blocking its nuclear accumulation for the first time. We also found that δ-catenin could regulate the interaction between AKT and p21, leading to phosphorylation of p21 at Thr-145 residue. Finally, EGF was found to be a key factor upstream of AKT/δ-catenin/p21 for promoting proliferation and metastasis in prostate cancer. Our findings provide new insights into molecular controls of EGF and the development of potential therapeutics targeting δ-catenin to control prostate cancer progression.     

Comparison among various energy management strategies for reducing hydrogen consumption in a hybrid fuel cell/supercapacitor/battery system

The aim of this study is to introduce a comprehensive comparison of various energy management strategies of fuel cell/supercapacitor/battery storage systems. These strategies are utilized to manage the energy demand response of hybrid systems, in an optimal way, under highly fluctuating load condition. Two novel strategies based on salp swarm algorithm (SSA) and mine-blast optimization are proposed. The outcomes of these strategies are compared with commonly used strategies like fuzzy logic control, classical proportional integral control, the state machine, equivalent fuel consumption minimization, maximization, external energy maximization, and equivalent consumption minimization. Hydrogen fuel economy and overall efficiency are used for the comparison of these different strategies. Results demonstrate that the proposed SSA management strategy performed best compared with all other used strategies in terms of hydrogen fuel economy and overall efficiency. The minimum consumed hydrogen and maximum efficiency are found 19.4 gm and 85.61%, respectively.     

Reducing CO2 emission from exhaust gases using molten carbonate fuel cells: a new approach

The aim of this study is to couple molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) stack with integrated gasification combined cycle fed by refinery residues, to remove CO₂ from gas turbine exhaust gases that have CO₂ emission rate of 14,200 ton/year. By applying multi-objective optimisation (MOO) using genetic algorithm, the optimal values of operating load and the corresponding values of objective functions are obtained. The MOO of the MCFC system regarding two scenarios is performed. The first scenario is minimisation of cost of electricity (COE) and CO₂ emission rate. Objective functions of the second scenario are the same as in the first scenario while CO₂ tax is taken into account. Results show that the second scenario has 29.5% lower average optimal COE and 2.5% lower average emission rate in comparison with the first scenario. A sensitivity analysis is also performed to study the effect of fuel price and CO₂ tax variations on optimal solutions.     

Enhancing the Cellular Delivery of Nanoparticles Using Lipo‐Oligoarginine Peptides

Nanoparticles have great potential as nanotherapeutics, delivery vectors, and molecular imaging agents due to their flexible properties. Although intracellular and nuclear delivery of nanoparticles is desirable for therapeutic applications, it remains a challenge. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) are a powerful tool for the intracellular delivery of various cargoes. Here it is reported that functionalization of nanoparticles with a myristoylated oligoarginine CPP promotes cellular uptake without increased toxicity. It is evident that the myristoylated CPP is much more effective in transporting nanoparticles than the unmodified CPPs.     

Influence of surfactant addition for the texture etching process on multi-crystalline silicon wafer

This study investigates the effects of different recipes and concentrations of surfactant on the texture and reflectance of a multi-crystalline silicon wafer surface. The morphology of the surface was examined and photographed using a field emission scanning electronic microscope. The reflectance of the surface was measured and analyzed using a self-designed optical system. The results of this study show that a higher hydrocarbon-surfactant (CH-surfactant) concentration in the etchant resulted in a slower reaction time. The optimum concentration of CH-surfactant was 1%. However, there were many white bubbles in the etching process. The optimum recipe for surfactant included fluoride 2% to diminish these bubbles. The reflectance was less than 22% in visible light. This cost effective acid chemical etching method is suitable for texturing silicon surfaces on 50?nm nanostructures. This is a critical criterion for determining the optimum recipe for surface texturing of acidic etching in solar cells.