High Utilization Rate Research Articles

Regulation of the coordination number of Zn single atoms to boost electrochemical sensing of H2O2.

Compared with transition metals with partially occupied 3d orbitals, Zn has a filled 3d10 configuration, which severely restricts electron mobility and hence usually renders Zn2+ intrinsically inactive for electrochemical sensing. Metal single-atom catalysts are a new kind of sensing material. Owing to their unique coordination structure and high atomic utilization rate, metal single-atom catalysts show unique properties, which makes them promising for use in the field of electrochemical sensing. However, whether Zn single atoms are active sites remains to be elucidated. In this study, we prepared nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) materials by pyrolyzing ZIF-8 at high temperatures and reported that when the pyrolysis temperature was 800 °C, many Zn single atoms with Zn-N4 coordination structures remained in the NC material. Even when the pyrolysis temperature is increased to 1000 °C, a small number of Zn single atoms remain, and the coordination structure changes from Zn-N4 to Zn-N3. Furthermore, unexpectedly, both residual Zn single atoms showed electrocatalytic activity for H2O2 reduction. In particular, the electrocatalytic activity was significantly enhanced after the coordination structure was changed from Zn-N4 to Zn-N3. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the coordination structure of Zn-N3 optimizes the adsorption and desorption strength of oxygen-containing species in the electrocatalytic reaction process, which lowers the energy barrier of the rate-determining step and increases the detection sensitivity of H2O2 nearly 4.1 times. This study revealed new properties of Zn single atoms for the electrocatalytic reduction of H2O2 and developed a strategy to increase the electrocatalytic activity of metal single-atom catalysts through coordination number regulation, which lays the foundation for the use of Zn single atoms in the field of electrochemical sensing and provides ideas for the design of new highly active sensing materials.

Research of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Supercritical CO2 in Spiral Tube Heat Exchangers

The spiral tube heat exchanger has the advantages of stable structure, high space utilization rate, and strong heat transfer ability. Supercritical carbon dioxide (s-CO2) has the advantages of high thermal conductivity, high specific heat capacity, and low viscosity. When the spiral tube heat exchanger uses supercritical carbon dioxide as the heat transfer medium, the two complement each other’s advantages and can further improve the heat transfer efficiency and optimize the space utilization rate. However, under the coupling influence of factors such as centrifugal force and buoyancy force, the heat transfer process of s-CO2 in the spiral tube is extremely complex. At present, there is no design criterion or empirical correlation with strong universality in the industrial field. Based on this, this paper mainly uses ANSYS FLUENT, a numerical simulation software suitable for numerical simulation, to study the influence of internal vortex field and secondary flow intensity on the thickness of thermal boundary layers through a combination of numerical simulation and theoretical analysis. At the same time, by changing various operating and structural parameters, the heat transfer characteristics of supercritical s-CO2 in the spiral tube heat exchanger are analyzed and summarized. In addition, we also established a new buoyancy factor, Fu, and tested that when Fu < 1.6 × 10−5, the effect of the buoyancy lift in the pipeline disappeared. At the same time, a correlation formula for predicting the heat transfer performance of spiral tube heat exchangers with a Nu number error less than 20% is established in this paper, which can provide solid theoretical guidance for industrial application.

Implementing group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder within a primary care setting: A pilot study

BackgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions and high rates of medical service utilization. Given that PTSD is highly prevalent in the primary care setting, group therapy delivered within this setting has the potential to treat large numbers of patients. To date, few studies have examined the feasibility or effectiveness of group therapy for PTSD within primary care. MethodsA pilot study of a PTSD group therapy intervention based on the Trauma Information Group model was conducted in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Across 9 cohorts, 32 individuals with PTSD completed 8–10 group therapy sessions. Self-reported PTSD severity was assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) at baseline and post-treatment. ResultsFifty percent of participants had a PTSD treatment response (PCL-5 score reduction ≥10) following group therapy and paired t-tests demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in PCL-5 scores from pre- to post-treatment. Patient demographic characteristics and psychiatric comorbities were not associated with treatment response. LimitationsThe small sample size, demographic characteristics, and FQHC setting potentially limit the generalizability of these findings. Treatment dropout rates and associated factors also were not examined. ConclusionsThe Trauma Information Group treatment for PTSD was feasible to implement within a low resourced primary care setting and led to improvement in PTSD symptoms in this pilot study. These findings suggest that offering group therapy for PTSD within primary care could improve access to effective treatment and warrant future research to examine feasibility and effectiveness in this setting.

Sustainable biosynthesis of caproate from waste activated sludge via electro-fermentation: Perspectives of product spectrum, economic and environmental impacts

Electro-fermentation (EF) has emerged as a promising method to produce value-added medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) via chain elongation (CE). The biorefinery of waste activated sludge (WAS) to MCFAs has been attracting increasing attention. However, so far anaerobic_CE process was commonly employed, while the contribution and mechanism of EF_CE still remain unclear. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of caproate biosynthesis from prefermented WAS via EF_CE was performed. The reduction in substrates resulted in an increase in caproate production, yielding the maximum caproate (299.8 mg COD/g volatile suspended solid) in the minimum substrate concentration (25 % prefermented WAS, EF13 group). The highest utilization rate (78.76 %) of soluble proteins was also achieved in EF13. Significant positive correlation among caproate yield, electrochemically active bacteria, caproate-synthesizing consortium and homo-acetogen was revealed by molecular ecological network and Mantel test. Further analysis of the metabolic pathways revealed that EF13 demonstrated more key enzymes participated in the production of acetyl-CoA via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and the conversation of acetyl-CoA to caproate via the reverse β-oxidation pathway. Moreover, compared to the anaerobic_CE process, the economic benefits of the EF_CE process significantly increased, and the environmental impacts were greatly reduced. The life cycle assessment and economic benefits analysis identified the strengths of EF_CE and proposed a sustainable strategy to facilitate the commercialization of electro-fermentation assisted biorefinery technology.

Improvement on Electromagnetic Performance of Axial–Radial Flux Type Permanent Magnet Machines by Optimal Stator Slot Number

To achieve the objective of high torque, a high utilization rate of PMs, and flexible flux regulation capability of the permanent magnet (PM) machine, an axial–radial flux type permanent magnet (ARFTPM) machine was studied in this paper. The working principle of the ARFTPM machine is analyzed by illustrating the flux paths. Then, the influence of stator slot number on the flux regulation capability and torque is studied. A full comparison of the main parameters and electromagnetic performances of the ARFTPM machine with different stator slot numbers is presented, including winding coefficient, back electromotive force (EMF), cogging torque, average torque, and torque-angle characteristics. The optimal stator slot number was obtained. Finally, the 12-slot/10-pole prototype machine is manufactured and tested to validate the simulation data and theoretical analysis.

Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and corrosion properties of plasma wire arc additive manufactured Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy

In this study, plasma wire arc additive manufacturing (P-WAAM), a technique known for its high deposition efficiency and material utilization rates, was applied to manufacture Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy. An investigation was conducted to examine the impact of heat treatment on the microstructure and corrosion characteristics of P-WAAM Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy. The results indicated that heat treatment effectively eliminated twins and residual stresses in P-WAAM Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy, while also homogenizing the second phase β-Mg24(Gd, Y)5. Electrochemical test results show that the heat treatment resulted in an increase in the self-corrosion potential (Ecorr) from −1.413 V to −1.311 V and a reduction in the corrosion current density (Icorr) from 2.046×10−5 A/cm2 to 4.766×10−6 A/cm2. Consequently, implementing an appropriate heat treatment regimen significantly improves the microstructure and corrosion resistance of the P-WAAM Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy.

Experimental investigation of a low-temperature packed-bed thermal storage system with graphite-based composite phase change material

The thermocline latent heat packed bed system has the potential to be used for >200 °C high-temperature, 100–200 °C medium-temperature, and <100 °C low-temperature thermal energy storage applications. However, the inherent shortcoming of phase change material (PCM) is its low thermal conductivity, which inevitably restricts the heat transfer between the fillers and the heat transfer fluid. This study aims to investigate the thermal performance of the packed bed thermal energy storage (PBTES) system at mass flow rates of Re = 23-68 by filling the tank with high thermal conductivity composite PCM. An encapsulated expanded graphite/stearic acid composite PCM with a cylindrical aluminum shell was designed to prevent leakage and used as filler. The thermal conductivity of the composite is 305.7 % higher than that of pure PCM, demonstrating a higher thermal storage rate for a single capsule. Results show that this composite used as filler leads to a faster heat transfer rate between heat transfer fluid and solid fillers, decreasing the charging time by approximately 23.8 %, and keeping a more stable and distinct phase change platform at 55–60 °C. Moreover, an appropriate increase in the mass flow rate can facilitate heat transfer and improve the thermal performance of PBTES. Nevertheless, the thermal storage capacity utilization is reduced accordingly. Compared to the system with pure PCM fillers, the system with composite fillers exhibits a higher charging efficiency of 86.27 %, a higher stored thermal energy of 0.448 kWh, and a higher utilization rate at the threshold temperature. Overall, the thermal conductivity of filler is one of the primary parameters to determine the thermal performance of the thermocline latent heat packed bed system.

Comprehensive utilization of Aspergillus niger waste mycelium based on physically induced autolysis: Preparation of chitosan and alternative nitrogen source

In industrial fermentation of citric acid, vast quantities of mycelium from Aspergillus niger (MAN) are produced, with an annual output of 20 million tons in China alone. The disposal of waste MAN poses a significant challenge and signifies a missed opportunity for resource recovery. In this study, physically induced autolysis (PIA) was employed to utilize the MAN proteins and chitosan. The results indicated abundant soluble proteins and sugars were released into the supernatant, while the cell fragments can be used to prepare chitosan. Under optimized autolytic conditions, the rate of total protein utilization of MAN was 78.7 %, and the rate of reserved chitin in the cell fragment was 93.8 %, outperforming other techniques. These findings were consistently reproducible in larger-scale experiments. Chitosan was prepared from cell fragments that eliminated the need for acid treatment and reduced alkali utilization by 50–67 %, thanks to PIA's effective removal of proteins from cell fragments. The rate of total sugar utilization, including both the content of the soluble sugars from autolysate and prepared chitosan, was 75.42 % of the total sugar of MAN. Additionally, the autolysate was proved to be an alternative nitrogen source in the fermentation media for microbial production of 2, 3-butanediol and citric acid, yielding concentrations comparable or superior to traditional sources. Thus, our findings not only achieved high component utilization rates but also facilitated environmentally friendly chitosan preparation, indicating the potential for innovative approaches to convert waste mycelium into valuable resources and advance the industry towards more efficient practices.

Numerical simulation study on discharge characteristics of the Dual hollow cathode plasma source using magnetic mirror field

The Dual hollow cathode plasma source uses hollow cathode cylindrical sputtering and ionizing metal elements, which has a high material utilization rate and has potential application in the field of material modification. Its performance index requires the cooperation of electrode discharge parameters and the rational utilization of the inner surface of the hollow cathode. In this paper, a two-dimensional fluid model of a Dual hollow cathode structure is developed to simulate the basic distribution of the Dual hollow cathode discharge, which fills the central region of the Dual hollow cathode structure and the electrons oscillate on the axis. The effects of electrode parameters and hollow cathode radius on the discharge were investigated. The results show that the radial electron density of the hollow cathode increases with increasing heated cathode voltage, but as the hot cathode voltage continues to expand beyond 1200 V this trend becomes less obvious. The enhancement of the wall ion current by the heated cathode voltage is very pronounced, and the hollow cathode discharge is the result of the mutual enhancement of the heated cathode voltage and the hollow cathode voltage. Hollow cathode sputtering needs to reach a voltage threshold of 300 V, and the existence of an optimal radius (r = 4 mm−6 mm) to achieve a high plasma density and at the same time favor hollow cathode sputtering.

Optimal Configuration of Electricity-Heat Integrated Energy Storage Supplier and Multi-Microgrid System Scheduling Strategy Considering Demand Response

Shared energy storage system provides an attractive solution to the high configuration cost and low utilization rate of multi-microgrid energy storage system. In this paper, an electricity-heat integrated energy storage supplier (EHIESS) containing electricity and heat storage devices is proposed to provide shared energy storage services for multi-microgrid system in order to realize mutual profits for different subjects. To this end, electric boiler (EB) is introduced into EHIESS to realize the electricity-heat coupling of EHIESS and improve the energy utilization rate of electricity and heat storage equipment. Secondly, due to the problem of the uncertainty in user-side operation of multi-microgrid system, a price-based demand response (DR) mechanism is proposed to further optimize the resource allocation of shared electricity and heat energy storage devices. On this basis, a bi-level optimization model considering the capacity configuration of EHIESS and the optimal scheduling of multi-microgrid system is proposed, with the objectives of maximizing the profits of energy storage suppliers in upper-level and minimizing the operation costs of the multi-microgrid system in lower-level, and solved based on the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) condition and Big-M method. The simulation results show that in case of demand response, the total operation cost of multi-microgrid system and the total operation profit of EHIESS are 51,687.73 and 11,983.88 CNY, respectively; and the corresponding electricity storage unit capacity is 9730.80 kWh. The proposed model realizes the mutual profits of EHIESS and multi-microgrid system.

Heart failure burden among adults with congenital heart disease

Abstract Background Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) is associated with high rates of healthcare utilization and mortality. Data on Heart failure (HF) burden among ACHD patients are limited. Purpose To study the association between HF and healthcare utilization and mortality among ACHD patients in the community. Methods The retrospective cohort study comprised 11,653≥ 18 year old ACHD patients insured by two large Israeli healthcare providers between January 2007 and December 2011. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazard and negative binomial models to study the associations of HF with mortality and healthcare utilization, respectively. Inverse treatment probability weighting accounted for drug indication. Results ACHD-HF patients (N=908; 7.8%) were older (median: 69 vs. 45 years), more likely men (53% vs. 45%), with complex congenital heart disease (14% vs. 4%), and higher comorbidity rates than ACHD patients without HF. HF was associated with higher healthcare utilization. Compared to patients without HF, ACHD-HF patients had higher adjusted relative rates (RR) of primary care (1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-1.3), and cardiology clinic visits (1.9, 95% CI: 1.7-2.0), higher hospitalization rates (RR=2.0, 95% CI: 1.7-2.1), and higher risk of death (mortality hazard ratio [HR]: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.5-20.) over the study period. Among ACHD-HF patients, Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, and diuretics were associated with a lower mortality risk (treated vs. untreated HR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.48-0.65; HR=0.7, 95% CI: 0.6-0.8; HR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.73-0.97; respectively). Conclusions HF presents a major burden on ACHD patients and health care systems. Drugs recommended to the general HF patient population are also associated with lower risk of hospitalization and mortality in ACHD patients. Clinical trials are needed to establish the benefit of HF pharmacotherapy in ACHD patients.Age adjusted ACHD patient survival by HF

Efficient adsorption and performance optimization of coal fly ash/desulphurized manganese residue composite microspheres on dyes

Coal fly ash (CFA) and desulphurized manganese residue (DMR), as industrial solid wastes featuring high storage capacity but low utilization rate and high environmental risk, were used to develop composite microsphere adsorbents for dye removal from industrial wastewater. The microspheres were prepared using spray drying combined with low-temperature sintering, facilitated by DMR, resulting in a uniform size distribution and quartz and mullite as the major phases. The microspheres have porous structures with abundant functional groups and those with 10 wt% DMR sintered at 800 °C have the optimal adsorption property. With 80 g/L dosage of the optimized microspheres, the removal efficiency of malachite green (MG) reaches 99.6 %. The adsorption process follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm adsorption models, with van der Waals force, hydrogen bond, and electrostatic attraction promoting the adsorption. After three regeneration cycles, the dye removal efficiency reaches up to 96 %, indicating broad prospects in filtration and adsorption.

Comparison of efficacy of long follicular phase regimen and antagonist regimen on pregnancy outcome of fresh cycle or freeze-thawed cycle embryo transfer.

To compare the pregnancy outcome of the fresh cycle or freeze-thaw cycle embryo transfer of patients treated with a long follicular phase regimen and antagonist regimen, and explore the clinical therapeutic effect of the two regimens. This was a retrospective study. The data of a total of 543 patients who underwent in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) or frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) in Baoding Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed in this study and were divided into four group to analyze the basic conditions, medication, laboratory indicators and clinical outcomes after embryo transfer of patients in each group. The pregnancy rate and implantation rate in Groups A, B and C were higher than those in Group-D, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). The difference in multiple pregnancy rate and abortion rate among groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05). The influencing factors of clinical pregnancy rate were identified by binary Logistic regression analysis. Advanced age was found to be a risk factor for improving the pregnancy rate, while the increase in the number of oocytes retrieved is a protective factor for improving the pregnancy rate. The differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). The antagonist regimen has a low dosage and short medication time and can achieve a high embryo utilization rate and blastula formation rate, saving time and cost for patients.

Stress-Strain Behavior and Strength Development of High-Amount Phosphogypsum-Based Sustainable Cementitious Materials.

Phosphogypsum is a common industrial solid waste that faces the challenges of high stockpiling and low utilization rates. This study focuses on the mechanical properties and internal characteristics of cementitious materials with a high phosphogypsum content. Specifically, we examined the effects of varying amounts of ground granulated blast furnace slag (5-28%), fly ash (5-20%), and hydrated lime (0.5-2%) on the stress-strain curve, unconfined uniaxial compressive strength, and elastic modulus (E50) of these materials. The test results indicate that increasing the ground granulated blast furnace slag content can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of phosphogypsum-based cementitious materials. Additionally, increasing the fly ash content can have a similar beneficial effect with an appropriate amount of hydrated lime. Furthermore, microscopic analysis of the cementitious materials using a scanning electron microscope revealed that the high sulfate content in phosphogypsum leads to the formation of calcium aluminate as the main product. Concurrently, a continuous reaction of the raw materials contributes to the strength development of the cementitious materials over time. The results could provide a novel method for improving the reusing phosphogypsum amount in civil engineering materials.

Performance analysis of a molten salt packed-bed thermal energy storage system using three different waste materials

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is a critical technology for the renewable energy transition, offering high power output at elevated temperatures. However, further integration of CSP plants requires a reduction in investment costs. This study investigates the use of cost-effective, sustainable, waste-based TES materials—such as Electric Arc Furnace Black Slag (BS) and Tundish (TN) from the steel industry, as well as Demolition Waste (DW) from urban regeneration projects—as packing materials in TES systems to reduce the capital expenditure of CSP plants. A One-Dimensional Continuous Solid Phase (1D-2P) model was employed to evaluate and compare the performance of DW, TN, and BS. The results revealed that all materials demonstrated comparable properties, with TN exhibiting the highest energy storage capacity (44.7 kWh) and energy storage density (296 kWh/m³). With high utilization rates of 73–75 %, waste-based TES systems show strong potential for application in CSP plants. The TES systems were scaled for a 110 MW CSP plant, which currently operates with a 2-tank molten salt TES system providing 4648.4 MWh of storage capacity. TN required the smallest storage volume of 22,273 m³ for the 110 MW CSP plant. The reduction of molten salt usage by up to 31,000 tons in the waste-based packed-bed TES system could significantly enhance the economic feasibility of CSP plants.

Increasing Vitamin K2 Synthesis in Bacillus subtilis by Controlling the Expression of MenD and Stabilizing MenA.

As an indispensable member of the family of lipid vitamins, vitamin K2 (MK-7) plays an important role in blood coagulation, cardiovascular health, and kidney health. Microbial fermentation is favored due to its high utilization rate of raw materials, simple operation, and moderate conditions. However, the biosynthesis pathway of vitamin K2 in microorganisms is highly complex, which hinders its industrial production in microbial cell factories. One of the major challenges is the stable expression and deregulation of key enzymes in the vitamin K2 biosynthesis pathway, which remains unclear and has undergone little investigation. In this study, 2-succinyl-5-enolpyruvyl-6-hydroxy-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxylic-acid synthase (MenD) and 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoate polyprenyltransferase (MenA) were identified as pivotal enzymes in the biosynthesis of vitamin K2. To investigate the catalytic efficiency of MenD in the biosynthesis pathway of vitamin K2, structure-based mutation design and site-directed mutagenesis were performed. Three mutation sites were identified in MenD: A115Y, R96 M, and R323M, which improve the expression level and protein stability. Meanwhile, the MenA mutant T290M, which exhibits improved protein stability, was obtained by modifying its hydrophobic stacking structure. Finally, an engineered strain noted ZQ13 that combinatorially overexpressed MenD (A115Y) and MenA (T290M) mutants was constructed and achieved 338.37 mg/L vitamin K2 production in a 3-L fermenter.

Enhancing Cloud Task Scheduling with Multi-Objective Optimization Using K-Means Clustering and Dynamic Resource Allocation

The scheduling and resource allocation procedure is an essential component of cloud resource management. Effective resource allocation is severely hampered by the task arrival rates' erratic and unclear behavior. To prevent under or overusing resources, an effective scheduling strategy is necessary. To improve scheduling and allocation performance, a multi-objective optimization technique is presented for the best resource allocation and task scheduling inside scientific workflow datasets in a heterogeneous environment. In the first stage, the system calculates four key metrics: Communication Cost, Computation Cost, Earliest Finished Time on a particular VM, and Total Task Length for a specific scientific workflow dataset. These metrics provide a comprehensive understanding of the resource requirements and help make informed scheduling decisions. In the second stage, tasks are clustered using the K-Means clustering algorithm. This clustering groups similar tasks together, making managing and scheduling them easier. In the third stage, the proposed resource allocation algorithm allocates the clustered tasks to the appropriate VMs. This step ensures that the tasks are assigned to the best-suited resources, optimizing the overall system performance and resource utilization. By following this multi-stage process, the system aims to achieve optimal resource allocation and task scheduling, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of cloud resource management. The proposed method significantly outperforms PSO, CSO, and GWO by consistently achieving lower Makespan—under 400 units at 50 tasks—while maintaining high resource utilization rates above 0.75, demonstrating superior efficiency in task execution and resource management.

Fund Allocation and Budget Utilization Rate in Relation to SUC Leveling Performance

In the academe, the realization of desired educational goals and objectives counts largely on the effective planning and management of school funds by the school administrators. The amount of funds allocated to schools by the government and the budget utilization rate of the recipient are some factors to be considered in meeting the programs, projects, and activities. This study aimed to determine the fund allocation and Budget Utilization Rate (BUR) in relation to SUC leveling performance among technological State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) of Region VIII in terms of Personal Services (PS), Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE), and Capital Outlay (CO). The respondents were budget and planning officers in each SUC. Descriptive-evaluative research was utilized in this study since it assessed or examined the level of fund allocation and budget utilization rate in relation to SUC leveling performance. Percentage and mean were used to analyze the pertinent data, and coefficient correlation was applied to establish the significant relationships among the variables. Findings revealed that the bigger fund allocation with a correspondingly high budget utilization rate gave favorable SUC leveling performance. It is suggested to incorporate a conceptual model that links Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that accounts for budget allocation and utilization in future studies.

Robust bilayer solid electrolyte interphase for Zn electrode with high utilization and efficiency

Construction of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) of zinc (Zn) electrode is an effective strategy to stabilize Zn electrode/electrolyte interface. However, single-layer SEIs of Zn electrodes undergo rupture and consequent failure during repeated Zn plating/stripping. Here, we propose the construction of a robust bilayer SEI that simultaneously achieves homogeneous Zn2+ transport and durable mechanical stability for high Zn utilization rate (ZUR) and Coulombic efficiency (CE) of Zn electrode by adding 1,3-Dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone as a representative electrolyte additive. This bilayer SEI on Zn surface consists of a crystalline ZnCO3-rich outer layer and an amorphous ZnS-rich inner layer. The ordered outer layer improves the mechanical stability during cycling, and the amorphous inner layer homogenizes Zn2+ transport for homogeneous, dense Zn deposition. As a result, the bilayer SEI enables reversible Zn plating/stripping for 4800 cycles with an average CE of 99.95% (± 0.06%). Meanwhile, Zn | |Zn symmetric cells show durable lifetime for over 550 h with a high ZUR of 98% under an areal capacity of 28.4 mAh cm−2. Furthermore, the Zn full cells based on the bilayer SEI functionalized Zn negative electrodes coupled with different positive electrodes all exhibit stable cycling performance under high ZUR.

The prenatal assimilation of minerals and metals in nestlings of a small passerine bird

Although certain metals can reach their highest concentrations in tissues of newly hatched nestlings, their sources have yet to be fully elucidated. Evidence for the differentiation of body reserves, including some chemical elements, during avian embryonic life and early post-hatching period is limited mostly to studies on poultry. Here, we present novel findings on the bioaccumulation and egg-to-nestling transfer of 10 minerals and metals, including non-essential potentially toxic chemical elements (Cu, Ni Cd, Pb, Zn, Ag, Mg, Fe, Co and Ca) in the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract (GT), whole body (WB) and carcass (CA) of nestlings of a small passerine bird, the Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus, breeding in an intensively fertilized fishpond habitat. Our findings show that concentrations of metals that are relevant to contaminated systems (Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb, Zn, Fe and Co) are the highest in GT tissues across all the nestling age classes examined (from hatching to day 9 of life). The important question emerged from our findings: why the hatchlings were characterized by higher metal concentrations in GT, WB and CA compared to older nestlings. We suggest that the prenatal accumulation of chemical elements assimilated from egg contents, and their subsequent utilization for building various tissues/internal organs by the growing embryo, is a reasonable explanation for this finding. More specifically, the potential functional mechanism explaining the highest concentrations of some trace metals in hatchlings seems to be associated with an extremely high rate of utilization of residual yolk metal resources that survived from the embryonic until the post-natal period. On the basis of our own work and literature data, we identified a presumable significant discrepancy in the actual rate of egg-to-nestling and egg-to-embryo metal transfer due to the eggshell being ignored (a commonly occurrence), and only the egg contents being treated as the basic repository of chemical elements for developing embryos. Much more research is needed on the prenatal assimilation and subsequent accumulation of chemical elements in a developing avian embryo, representing both the transition from near-to-hatching embryos to hatchlings, and then to older nestlings.