Application of Cr3C2/C composite powders synthesized via molten-salt method in low-carbon MgO–C refractories

High-performance and low-carbon MgO–C refractories are important refractories for smelting ultra-low carbon steel and clean steel. Based on this, Cr₃C₂/C composite powders were synthesized by the molten-salt method, and used as an additive to prepare low-carbon MgO–C refractories under nitrogen atmosphere. The phase, morphology and oxidation kinetics of Cr₃C₂/C composite powders were studied. In addition, the effect of Cr₃C₂/C composite powders on the morphology, mechanical properties, thermal shock resistance, and corrosion resistance of MgO–C refractories was investigated. The results indicated that the Cr₃C₂/C composite powders exhibited superior oxidation resistance than flake graphite. Moreover, the Cr₃C₂/C composite powders were introduced into the MgO–C refractories. Compared with the sample without Cr₃C₂/C composite powders, the introduction of 1 wt% Cr₃C₂/C composite powders significantly improved the thermomechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the material, its CMOR, CCS before and CCS after thermal shock were 9.06 MPa, 50.40 MPa and 32.60 MPa, respectively, and the corrosion index was significantly reduced from 44.6% to 26.5%.     

Enhanced electromagnetic wave dissipation features of magnetic Ni microspheres by developing core-double shells structure

Readily oxidization of magnetic particles is a common drawback of these type of materials which reduce their electromagnetic wave dissipation performance. In this study, the magnetic core-double shells structured (Ni/SiO₂/Polyaniline) composite has been developed for protection of the core from oxidation and in consequent improvement the complex permittivity. Solvothermal and in-situ polymerization methods were utilized for decorating Ni micro-particles with SiO₂ and conductive polyaniline polymer respectively. All physico-chemical, magnetic and electromagnetic features were evaluated via XRD, FTIR, XPS, FESEM, VSM and VNA analysis. The double shells composite possesses significant performance in terms of reflection loss and effective absorption bandwidth. The results reveal that the maximum dissipation capacity of the double shells composite is – 32.5 dB at 16.5 GHz with 4.5 GHz effective absorption bandwidth and 1.5 mm thickness. Enhancement in microwave dissipation features are arises from synergistic influence of various phenomena such as interfacial polarization, multiple Debye relaxation, natural ferromagnetic resonance and proper impedance matching characteristic. Overall, developing double shells structure on magnetic Ni microsphere particles had a meaningful effect on tuning the microwave absorption performance.     

Rational Designs for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries with Low Electrolyte/Sulfur Ratio

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered a promising next-generation energy storage device owing to their high theoretical energy density. However, their overall performance is limited by several critical issues such as lithium polysulfide (PS) shuttles, low sulfur utilization, and unstable Li metal anodes. Despite recent huge progress, the electrolyte/sulfur ratio (E/S) used is usually very high (≥20 µL mg⁻¹), which greatly reduces the practical energy density of devices. To push forward LSBs from the lab to the industry, considerable attention is devoted to reducing E/S while ensuring the electrochemical performance. To date, however, few reviews have comprehensively elucidated the possible strategies to achieve that purpose. In this review, recent advances in low E/S cathodes and anodes based on the issues resulting from low E/S and the corresponding solutions are summarized. These will be beneficial for a systematic understanding of the rational design ideas and research trends of low E/S LSBs. In particular, three strategies are proposed for cathodes: preventing PS formation/aggregation to avoid inadequate dissolution, designing multifunctional macroporous networks to address incomplete infiltration, and utilizing an imprison strategy to relieve the adsorption dependence on specific surface area. Finally, the challenges and future prospects for low E/S LSBs are discussed.     

3D Structural Insights into β-Glucans and Their Binding Proteins

β(1,3)-glucans are a component of fungal and plant cell walls. The β-glucan of pathogens is recognized as a non-self-component in the host defense system. Long β-glucan chains are capable of forming a triple helix structure, and the tertiary structure may profoundly affect the interaction with β-glucan-binding proteins. Although the atomic details of β-glucan binding and signaling of cognate receptors remain mostly unclear, X-ray crystallography and NMR analyses have revealed some aspects of β-glucan structure and interaction. Here, we will review three-dimensional (3D) structural characteristics of β-glucans and the modes of interaction with β-glucan-binding proteins.     

Hierarchical composite of biomass derived magnetic carbon framework and phytic acid doped polyanilne with prominent electromagnetic wave absorption capacity

To solve the electromagnetic pollution,herein,a CoFe₂O₄/C/PANI composite was developed by a green route,which was constructed with spinel of metal oxide,graphitized carbon and conductive polymer composites.Benefiting from the designable interfaces and increased dipoles,the microwave dielectric response capability can be boosted significantly and resulted in the enhanced microwave absorbing performance.As revealed by the reflection loss curve,the minimum reflection loss(RLmin) reached-51.81 dB at 12.4 GHz under a matched thickness of 2.57 mm.At 2.5 mm,the effective absorbing band covered 8.88 GHz,suggesting the desirable wideband feature.In our case,the method of utilization of a novel green way to fabricate multiple-component EM absorber can be a promising candidate for high-performance EM absorber.     

Heterogeneous Bimetallic Mo-NiPx/NiSy as a Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Robust Overall Water Splitting

Highly efficient electrocatalysts composed of earth-abundant elements are desired for water-splitting to produce clean and renewable chemical fuel. Herein, a heteroatomic-doped multi-phase Mo-doped nickel phosphide/nickel sulfide (Mo-NiP_x/NiS_y) nanowire electrocatalyst is designed by a successive phosphorization and sulfuration method for boosting overall water splitting (both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER)) in alkaline solution. As expected, the Mo-NiP_x/NiS_y electrode possesses low overpotentials both at low and high current densities in HER, while the Mo-NiP_x/NiS_y heterostructure exhibits high active performance with ultra-low overpotentials of 137, 182, and 250 mV at the current density of 10, 100, and 400 mA cm⁻² in 1 m KOH solution, respectively, in oxygen evolution reaction. In particular, the as-prepared Mo-NiP_x/NiS_y electrodes exhibit remarkable full water splitting performance at both low and high current densities of 10, 100, and 400 mA cm⁻² with 1.42, 1.70, and 2.36 V, respectively, which is comparable to commercial electrolysis.     

TiO2/MXene-Assisted LDI-MS for Urine Metabolic Profiling in Urinary Disease

Cancer remains an intractable medical problem. Rapid diagnosis and identification of cancer are critical to differentiate it from nonmalignant diseases. High-throughput biofluid metabolic analysis has potential for cancer diagnosis. Nevertheless, the present metabolite analysis method does not meet the demand for high-throughput screening of diseases. Herein, a high-throughput, cost-effective, and noninvasive urine metabolic profiling method based on TiO₂/MXene-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) is presented for the efficient screening of bladder cancer (BC) and nonmalignant urinary disease. Combined with machine learning, TiO₂/MXene-assisted LDI-MS enables high diagnostic accuracy (96.8%) for the classification of patient groups (including 47 BC and 46 ureteral calculus (UC) patients) from healthy controls (113 cases). In addition, BC patients can also be identified from noncancerous UC individuals with an accuracy of 88.3% in the independent test cohort. Furthermore, metabolite variations between BC and UC individuals are investigated based on relative quantification, and related pathways are also discussed. These results suggest that this method, based on urine metabolic patterns, provides a potential tool for rapidly distinguishing urinary diseases and it may pave the way for precision medicine.     

In Vivo Simultaneous Analysis of Gene Expression by Dual-Color Luciferases in Caenorhabditis elegans

Both fluorescent and luminescent observation are widely used to examine real-time gene expression patterns in living organisms. Several fluuorescent and luminescent proteins with specific optical properties have been developed and applied for simultaneous, multi-color observation of more than two gene expression profiles. Compared to fluorescent proteins, however, the application of multi-color luminescent imaging in living organisms is still limited. In this study, we introduced two-color luciferases into the soil nematode C. elegans and performed simultaneous analysis of two gene expression profiles. Using a green-emitting luciferase Eluc (emerald luciferase) and red-emitting luciferase SLR (stable luciferase red), the expression patterns of two genes were simultaneously observed in single animals from embryonic to adult stages over its whole life span. In addition, dual gene activities were observed at the single embryo level, with the simultaneous observation of morphological changes. These are the first application of a two-color luciferase system into a whole animal and suggest that precise relationship of expression patterns of multiple genes of interest can be analyzed over the whole life of the animal, dependent on the changes in genetic and/or environmental conditions.     

Insights into Metabolite Diagnostic Biomarkers for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a persistent and unexplained pathological state characterized by exertional and severely debilitating fatigue, with/without infectious or neuropsychiatric symptoms, and with a minimum duration of 6 consecutive months. Its pathogenesis is not fully understood. There are no firmly established diagnostic biomarkers or treatment, due to incomplete understanding of the etiology of ME/CFS and diagnostic uncertainty. Establishing a biomarker for the objective diagnosis is urgently needed to treat a lot of patients. Recently, research on ME/CFS using metabolome analysis methods has been increasing. Here, we overview recent findings concerning the metabolic features in patients with ME/CFS and the animal models which contribute to the development of diagnostic biomarkers for ME/CFS and its treatment. In addition, we discuss future perspectives of studies on ME/CFS.