Consumption Rate Research Articles

Optimized Decentralized Swarm Communication Algorithms for Efficient Task Allocation and Power Consumption in Swarm Robotics

Unanimous action to achieve specific goals is crucial for the success of a robotic swarm. This requires clearly defined roles and precise communication between the robots of a swarm. An optimized task allocation algorithm defines the mechanism and logistics of decision-making that enable the robotic swarm to achieve such common goals. With more nodes, the traffic of messages that are required to communicate inside the swarm relatively increases to maintain decentralization. Increased traffic eliminates real-time capabilities, which is an essential aspect of a swarm system. The aim of this research is to reduce execution time while retaining efficient power consumption rates. In this research, two novel decentralized swarm communication algorithms are proposed, namely Clustered Dynamic Task Allocation–Centralized Loop (CDTA-CL) and Clustered Dynamic Task Allocation–Dual Loop (CDTA-DL), both inspired by the Clustered Dynamic Task Allocation (CDTA) algorithm. Moreover, a simulation tool was developed to simulate different swarm-clustered communication algorithms in order to calculate the total communication time and consumed power. The results of testing the proposed CDTA-DL and CDTA-CL against the CDTA attest that the proposed algorithm consumes substantially less time. Both CDTA-DL and CDTA-CL have achieved a significant speedup of 75.976% and 54.4% over CDTA, respectively.

Energy drinks in Tamale: Understanding youth perceptions, consumption patterns, and related factors.

Energy drinks (EDs) have become a popular choice for young people seeking physical and cognitive boosts, with ingredients such as caffeine, taurine, and B vitamins aimed at improving academic, athletic, and alertness levels. However, the popularity of these drinks is also driven by low prices, taste, brand loyalty, and gendered marketing, with boys being more likely to consume them. Despite the supposed benefits, EDs have been associated with high-risk behaviours, deaths, and adverse health effects, especially those related to cardiovascular risk. Meanwhile, in Ghana, the use of EDs is on the rise. Hence, this study aimed to examine the prevalence and consumption patterns, perceptions, and factors associated with ED consumption among the youth of the Tamale Metropolis. The study was cross-sectional, consisting of 541 participants. The group consisted of 340 males and 201 females, between the ages of 15 and 45. A questionnaire was utilized to obtain data on the respondents' consumption patterns and perceptions of EDs, as well as their socio-demographic characteristics. The results of the study indicated that a large percentage of the respondents, 98.7%, had consumed EDs before, while 78.7% currently consume them. Respondents believed that EDs provided additional energy (81.00%) and reduced stress (62.30%). However, they also perceived side effects such as insomnia (60.60%) and restlessness (51.40%). Also, the highest proportion of respondents (83.4%) had poor knowledge of EDs. They were unaware of the classification of EDs and their ingredients, side effects, and benefits. Age, marital status, level of education, work intensity, EDs served at gatherings, and knowledge of EDs was significantly associated with ED consumption (p < .05). Consumption was higher among those aged 26 to 35 years, singles, individuals with no formal education, and those with high work intensity. The high consumption was also associated with low knowledge levels. It is recommended that public health and nutrition professionals engage in further advocacy efforts to improve the youth's knowledge and perception of EDs in a positive manner. In addition, lawmakers should use legislation to influence consumption rates and safeguard the health of consumers.

Dynamic tensile mechanical properties of red sandstone under different pulse widths and amplitudes: Brazilian disk experiment and macroscopic and microscopic analysis

To investigate the dynamic tensile mechanical properties of red sandstone under varying impact pulse widths and amplitudes, we employed the response surface methodology to examine the dynamic response characteristics of sandstone under different bullet lengths and impact velocities. Subsequently, a dynamic damage constitutive model for sandstone was developed. Macroscopic and microscopic features of sandstone were analyzed through digital image correlation (DIC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) experiments. Additionally, ANSYS software was utilized to analyze stress wave characteristics under controlled shock waves and the impact of geological factors on rock fracturing effects. The findings revealed the following. First, the length and impact velocity of bullets exhibit an interactive effect on the tensile response characteristics of sandstone. Peak load, energy consumption rate, and energy density display a positive correlation with bullet velocity. Second, according to the DIC results, the fractal dimension of the crack is negatively correlated with the length of the bullet during equal energy impacts. Third, microscopic failure modes included fractures along particle cementation and through particles, with section roughness decreasing as bullet length increased under equivalent energy impacts. Fourth, a dynamic damage constitutive model (R2 ≥ 0.84) was established based on the Zhu-Wang-Tang (Z-W-T) model and Drucker-Prager (D-P) criterion, clarifying model parameters and influence rules. Fifth, under controlled shock waves, the pulse width facilitates crack propagation, while the pulse amplitude initiates crack formation. Optimal rock breaking efficiency is achieved when stress waves exhibit a large pulse width and low radiation values, meeting specific threshold conditions.

Energy Metabolism in Human Pluripotent Stem and Differentiated Cells Compared Using a Seahorse XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer.

Evaluating cell metabolism is crucial during pluripotent stem cell (PSC) differentiation and somatic cell reprogramming as it affects cell fate. As cultured stem cells are heterogeneous, a comparative analysis of relative metabolism using existing metabolic analysis methods is difficult, resulting in inaccuracies. In this study, we measured human PSC basal metabolic levels using a Seahorse analyzer. We used fibroblasts, human induced PSCs, and human embryonic stem cells to monitor changes in basal metabolic levels according to cell number and determine the number of cells suitable for analysis. We evaluated normalization methods using glucose and selected the most suitable for the metabolic analysis of heterogeneous PSCs during the reprogramming stage. The response of fibroblasts to glucose increased with starvation time, with oxygen consumption rate and extracellular acidification rate responding most effectively to glucose 4 hours after starvation and declining after 5 hours of starvation. Fibroblasts and PSCs achieved appropriate responses to glucose without damaging their metabolism 2∼4 and 2∼3 hours after starvation, respectively. We developed a novel method for comparing basal metabolic rates of fibroblasts and PSCs, focusing on quantitative analysis of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation using glucose without enzyme inhibitors. This protocol enables efficient comparison of energy metabolism among cell types, including undifferentiated PSCs, differentiated cells, and cells undergoing cellular reprogramming, and addresses critical issues, such as differences in basal metabolic levels and sensitivity to normalization, providing valuable insights into cellular energetics.

Regional food self-sufficiency potential in the European Alpine space

The sustainability of the food system needs to be improved, including shortening supply chains and promoting the consumption of regional food. Here, we explore the current potential for regional food self-sufficiency in the European Alpine space by calculating the current regional food/feed energy balance, deriving the regional per capita land footprint based on current food/feed consumption rates, and modelling the current potential for regional food/feed self-sufficiency. We show that 59% of the 560 Pcal of energy currently available in the study area comes from domestic production, and almost 60% of the energy is used for livestock consumption, with high regional variability. The resulting land footprints range from 2301 to 2975 m2 cap−1 y−1. Taking into account changes in cropping patterns, partial intensification, but no expansion of agricultural land, the European Alpine space could produce 89% of its current food demand domestically, with high regional variability due to population density, availability of agricultural land, crop yields, climatic conditions and dietary habits. These findings highlight the potential and limitations of regional mountain food systems and call for new strategies to improve sustainability. Reducing the current high consumption of animal products would reduce the land footprint and increase the potential for food self-sufficiency.

Frugal and Translatable [15O]O2 Production for Human Inhalation with Direct Delivery from the Cyclotron to a Hybrid PET/MR.

Oxygen-15 (β+, t1/2 = 122 s) radiolabeled diatomic oxygen, in conjunction with positron emission tomography, is the gold standard to quantitatively measure the metabolic rate of oxygen consumption in the living human brain. We present herein a protocol for safe and effective delivery of [15O]O2 over 200 m to a human subject for inhalation. A frugal quality control testing procedure was devised and validated. This protocol can act as a blueprint for other sites seeking to implement similar imaging programs.

Prey dynamics and breeding performance in a generalist predator: The differential role of prey density, biomass, and effective consumption rates

The breeding performance of predators is influenced by the differential consequences of prey density, prey biomass and effective consumption rates. Using camera traps at nests, we investigated whether changes in prey abundances caused functional and/or numerical responses of the common buzzard (Buteo) in a Mediterranean woodland region. After determining 1150 prey delivered to the nests by adults, we found that the biomass of prey caught was not a good indicator of its influence on individual life history traits such as productivity. Indeed, the consumption of small mammal prey, despite representing only 11% of the biomass delivered, had a much greater influence on buzzards' productivity than the consumption of snakes, which made up 47% of the biomass delivered. Live trapping evidenced that small mammals were roughly preyed according to its availability in the field, and their abundance in spring was directly related to buzzards' productivity and inversely related to hatching dates. Small mammals – mostly mice – can be considered as very suitable prey, owing quick handling times, profitability, and high energy intake. Our results pointed out the relevance of mice on buzzards' breeding performance, and altogether with the outstanding role of open-land small mammals on buzzards' demography during autumn-winter, suggested a key role of small mammals on buzzards’ ecology throughout the year cycle in the Mediterranean area studied. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the foraging strategies of generalist species and the role that habitat and environmental factors play in shaping them.

Single-cluster Functionalized TiO2 Nanotube Array for Boosting Water Oxidation and CO2 Photoreduction to CH3OH.

Solar-driven CO2 reduction and water oxidation to liquid fuels represents a promising solution to alleviate energy crisis and climate issue, but it remains a great challenge for generating CH3OH and CH3CH2OH dominated by multi-electron transfer. Single-cluster catalysts with super electron acceptance, accurate molecular structure, customizable electronic structure and multiple adsorption sites, have led to greater potential in catalyzing various challenging reactions. However, accurately controlling the number and arrangement of clusters on functional supports still faces great challenge. Herein, we develop a facile electrosynthesis method to uniformly disperse Wells-Dawson- and Keggin-type polyoxometalates on TiO2 nanotube arrays, resulting in a series of single-cluster functionalized catalysts P2M18O62@TiO2 and PM12O40@TiO2 (M = Mo or W). The single polyoxometalate cluster can be distinctly identified and serves as electronic sponge to accept electrons from excited TiO2 for enhancing surface-hole concentration and promote water oxidation. Among these samples, P2Mo18O62@TiO2-1 exhibits the highest electron consumption rate of 1260 µmol g-1 for CO2-to-CH3OH conversion with H2O as the electron source, which is 11 times higher than that of isolated TiO2 nanotube arrays. This work supplied a simple synthesis method to realize the single-dispersion of molecular cluster to enrich surface-reaching holes on TiO2, thereby facilitating water oxidation and CO2 reduction.

Single‐cluster Functionalized TiO2 Nanotube Array for Boosting Water Oxidation and CO2 Photoreduction to CH3OH

Solar‐driven CO2 reduction and water oxidation to liquid fuels represents a promising solution to alleviate energy crisis and climate issue, but it remains a great challenge for generating CH3OH and CH3CH2OH dominated by multi‐electron transfer. Single‐cluster catalysts with super electron acceptance, accurate molecular structure, customizable electronic structure and multiple adsorption sites, have led to greater potential in catalyzing various challenging reactions. However, accurately controlling the number and arrangement of clusters on functional supports still faces great challenge. Herein, we develop a facile electrosynthesis method to uniformly disperse Wells‐Dawson‐ and Keggin‐type polyoxometalates on TiO2 nanotube arrays, resulting in a series of single‐cluster functionalized catalysts P2M18O62@TiO2 and PM12O40@TiO2 (M = Mo or W). The single polyoxometalate cluster can be distinctly identified and serves as electronic sponge to accept electrons from excited TiO2 for enhancing surface‐hole concentration and promote water oxidation. Among these samples, P2Mo18O62@TiO2‐1 exhibits the highest electron consumption rate of 1260 µmol g−1 for CO2‐to‐CH3OH conversion with H2O as the electron source, which is 11 times higher than that of isolated TiO2 nanotube arrays. This work supplied a simple synthesis method to realize the single‐dispersion of molecular cluster to enrich surface‐reaching holes on TiO2, thereby facilitating water oxidation and CO2 reduction.

Application of semi-direct fuel injection system to free piston engine generator for better performance: Simulation approach with validation results

This paper explores methods to improve the fuel economy of a two-stroke free piston engine generator (FPEG) with no additional cost. In order to solve the problem of low fuel capture and poor fuel economy of two-stroke FPEG using port fuel injection (PFI), the fuel injection method is optimised in this paper. This fuel injection system is semi-direct injection (SDI). In contrast to PFI, SDI also uses a low-pressure injector, which introduces fuel directly into the ports of the engine. This study explores the feasibility of SDI on a free-piston engine generator through numerical simulation. The results show that SDI can effectively avoid short-circuit losses and improve the fuel capture rate by more than 60 % relative to PFI. Meanwhile, the ISFC is reduced by 42.3 %, and the lowest fuel consumption rate is 259.7 g/(kW·h). The combustion efficiency of SDI is maintained at over 95 % under warm-up conditions. Compared with PFI, the stagnation period is shortened by up to 10.9 % and the centre of gravity of combustion is advanced by up to 16.7 %. SDI effectively reduces HC emissions and has a lower NOx emission level than PFI. At the same time, SDI produces more CO due to stratified combustion.

Inhibitory effect of ammonium conversion by deep nitrogen application effectively reduces gaseous nitrogen losses

Increasing the depth of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application is an effective agronomic management measure for mitigating NH3 volatilization and N2O emissions. However, the information about reasons for the reduction of gaseous N loss and the responses of soil N transformation processes to deep N fertilization is limited. This field experiment monitored NH3 volatilization, N2O emission, and soil NH4+/NO3- dynamics under three N application depths (8, 16, and 24 cm) in the typical soil of Loess Plateau (Cumulic Anthrosol) during 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. The N transformation rate under different soil depths was determined by laboratory 15N tracing experiments, and driving contributions of soil physicochemical properties and biological characteristics to gaseous N emissions were considered comprehensively. Our field results verified that increasing N fertilization depth effectively reduces NH3 volatilization and N2O emission by 20.7–55.6% and 17.9–45.8%; Simultaneously, deep N fertilization delayed the peak time of NH3 or N2O and retained a higher concentration of NH4+ in deep soil (37.3–46.4 mg kg−1). The 15N tracing experiments revealed that the lower soil enzymatic activity and microbial abundance in deep soil significantly decreased N mineralization, NH4+ consumption, and nitrification rates by 30.6–44.1%, 37.1–44.9%, and 22.5–31.1% (P < 0.05), compared with the shallow soil. Random forest analysis explored that the predictive factors of NH3 volatilization were soil urease activity, NH4+ consumption rate, soil NH4+, and TOC (P < 0.01). Interestingly, N2O emission was also mainly affected by soil urease activity, hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) activity, soil NH4+, and NO3- (P < 0.01); Through partial least squares path models (PLS-PMs), deep N fertilization mainly reduced risk of gaseous N loss by changing the environmental conditions required for N transformation and affecting the N mineralization and nitrification processes to limit NH4+ generation and consumption. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the demonstration and promotion of deep fertilization in the Loess Plateau.

A perspective fungicide for protection of narrow-leaved lupin from diseases during the growth season

The article presents the laboratory and field tests results for the effectiveness of the fungicide Protazox SC (suspension concentrate) against anthracnose and other lupin diseases. The tests have been done in Bryansk region in 2020–2022. The study objects were seedlings and vegetative plants of the narrow-leaved lupin Vityaz variety. The effectiveness of protective and curative properties of the fungicide Protazox SC (azoxistrobine + protioconazole + dipheconazole, 200 + 125 + 60 g/l) was tested for 0.5; 1.0 and 1.5 l/ha consumption rates under laboratory conditions. The biological effectiveness was evaluated according to the number of infected seedlings grown in paper-and-plastic rolls compared to the control variant (fungicide free). The maximal rate of the fungicide – 1.5 l/ha – had the highest biological effectiveness of protective and curative properties (98.7 and 97.4 %); this corresponds to the effectiveness of the reference fungicide Kolosal Pro with the using rate of 0.4 l/ha. In a field test the fungicide Protazox at using rate of 1.5 l/ha was applied for lupin crops at the growing stages of “1-2 pairs of true leaves” and “bud formation” of lupin. The fungicide effectiveness was evaluated compared to the control without treatment. Biological effectiveness of the tested fungicide against anthracnose made 95.8 %, it was 4.5 % higher than of the reference fungicide Kolosal Pro. To the stage of “shiny pod” the number of anthracnose infected pods treated with the fungicide Protazox decreased to 1.5 % compared to 26.5 % in the control variant. Fusarium infection of plants decreased from 24.6 % in the control to 12.0 % in the variant with the fungicide. The spread of gray and white rot on beans decreased by 5.0 and 6.7 times, respectively. The viability of productive plants by the harvesting period increased by 41.3 %. Thanks to the application of the fungicide Protazox SC (1.5 l/ha) the significant narrow-leaved lupin seed yield rise of 0.91 t/ha was obtained (LSD05 = 0.04); the cost recovery was 2.56 rubles.

Energy, economic, and environmental impacts of electricity market-oriented reform and the carbon emissions trading: A recursive dynamic CGE model in China

Electricity market-oriented reform and carbon emissions trading, as the main policies implemented in China's power sector, have a profound impact on China's green and low-carbon transition by promoting resource allocation efficiency and internalizing external environmental costs, respectively. Therefore, this paper constructed a dynamic recursive CGE model to measure the energy, economic, and environmental impacts of carbon emissions trading and electricity market-oriented reform from electricity market structure and pricing mechanism. The results show that the two policies have a synergistic effect on industrial structure optimization, energy consumption structure optimization, and carbon emission reduction. Specifically, the share of value-added of the tertiary sector, the growth rate of coal consumption, the share of thermal power consumption, and carbon emissions in 2030 are reduced by 5.70 %, 18.29 %, 2.55 %, and 2.838 trillion tons, respectively, compared with the scenario without carbon emissions trading and electricity market-oriented reform. However, imperfectly competitive market structures outperform perfectly competitive market structures in energy consumption structure and carbon emission reduction. Electricity price regulation is also more beneficial to GDP growth and increase in residential disposable income compared to price liberalization. To this end, returning emission trading scheme revenues to residents can effectively mitigate the adverse impacts caused by market-oriented reforms.

F-actin architecture determines the conversion of chemical energy into mechanical work

Mechanical work serves as the foundation for dynamic cellular processes, ranging from cell division to migration. A fundamental driver of cellular mechanical work is the actin cytoskeleton, composed of filamentous actin (F-actin) and myosin motors, where force generation relies on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis. F-actin architectures, whether bundled by crosslinkers or branched via nucleators, have emerged as pivotal regulators of myosin II force generation. However, it remains unclear how distinct F-actin architectures impact the conversion of chemical energy to mechanical work. Here, we employ in vitro reconstitution of distinct F-actin architectures with purified components to investigate their influence on myosin ATP hydrolysis (consumption). We find that F-actin bundles composed of mixed polarity F-actin hinder network contraction compared to non-crosslinked network and dramatically decelerate ATP consumption rates. Conversely, linear-nucleated networks allow network contraction despite reducing ATP consumption rates. Surprisingly, branched-nucleated networks facilitate high ATP consumption without significant network contraction, suggesting that the branched network dissipates energy without performing work. This study establishes a link between F-actin architecture and myosin energy consumption, elucidating the energetic principles underlying F-actin structure formation and the performance of mechanical work.

Immunometabolic Signatures of Circulating Monocytes in Humans with Obesity and Insulin Resistance.

Obesity is associated with chronic inflammation and metabolic complications, including insulin resistance (IR). Immune cells drive inflammation through the rewiring of intracellular metabolism. However, the impact of obesity-related IR on the metabolism and functionality of circulating immune cells, like monocytes, remains poorly understood. To increase insight into the inter-individual variation of immunometabolic signatures among individuals and their role in the development of IR, we assessed systemic and tissue-specific IR and circulating immune markers, and we characterized metabolic signatures and cytokine secretion of circulating monocytes from 194 individuals with a BMI≥25kg/m2. Monocyte metabolic signatures were defined using extracellular acidification rates (ECAR) to estimate glycolysis and oxygen consumption rates (OCR) for oxidative metabolism. Although monocyte metabolic signatures and function based on cytokine secretion varied greatly among subjects, they were strongly associated with each other. The ECAR/OCR ratio, representing the balance between glycolysis and oxidative metabolism, was negatively associated with fasting insulin, systemic IR, and liver-specific IR. These results indicate that monocytes from individuals with IR were relatively more dependent on oxidative metabolism, while monocytes from more insulinsensitive individuals were more dependent on glycolysis. Additionally, circulating CXCL11 was negatively associated with the degree of systemic IR and positively with the ECAR/OCR ratio in monocytes, suggesting that individuals with high IR and a monocyte metabolic dependence on oxidative metabolism also have lower levels of circulating CXCL11. Our findings suggest that monocyte metabolism is related to obesity-associated IR progression and deepen insights into the interplay between innate immune cell metabolism and IR development in humans.

High value-added utilization of desulfurized building gypsum as self-leveling mortar: the comprehensive effect of cement.

The utilization of desulfurized building gypsum as raw material for gypsum-based self-leveling mortar (GSL) is limited by its low strength and poor water resistance. The objective of this study is to enhance comprehensive properties of GSL and prepare qualified desulfurized building gypsum-based self-leveling mortar that can be effectively applied in practical engineering projects. The influence of cement on water consumption rate of initial fluidity (W/M ratio), fluidity, setting time, mechanical strength, and water resistance of GSL were evaluated. Additionally, rheological parameter, heat of hydration, crystal morphology, and pore structure were also analyzed. Cement significantly improved the fluidity of slurry. Moreover, the compressive strength and softening coefficient of GSL reached 20.6MPa and 0.56 at 10% cement, respectively. Furthermore, cement reduced the 30-min-fluidity loss and improved fludity by reducing the yield stress and increasing the plastic viscosity of screed. The transformation of hydration kinetics of GSL could be due to Ca2+ and OH- released by cement, thus resulting in the shortening of initial setting time and the prolongation of the interval between initial and final setting time. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed that CSH gel and AFt crystal would generate on the surface of CaSO4·2H2O crystal, making the structure more compact. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) indicated that cement greatly reduced the porosity through the water reduction effect in the early stage and continuous hydration in the later stage. The continuous hydration of cement also increased the shrinkage rate. This work was expected to provide reference for promoting the application of desulfurized building gypsum as the high value-added screed.

Assessing the Effects of Curcumin and 450 nm Photodynamic Therapy on Oxidative Metabolism and Cell Cycle in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: An In Vitro Study.

Oral cancer is the 16th most common malignant tumor worldwide. The risk of recurrence and mortality is high, and the survival rate is low over the following five years. Recent studies have shown that curcumin causes apoptosis in tumor cells by affecting FoF1-ATP synthase (ATP synthase) activity, which, in turn, hinders cell energy production, leading to a loss of cell viability. Additionally, irradiation of curcumin within cells can intensify its detrimental effects on cancer cell viability and proliferation (photodynamic therapy). We treated the OHSU-974 cell line, a model for human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and primary human fibroblasts. The treatment involved a 1 h exposure of cells to 0.1, 1.0, and 10 μM curcumin, followed or not by irradiation or the addition of the same concentration of pre-irradiated curcumin. Both instances involved a diode laser with a wavelength of 450 nm (0.25 W, 15 J, 60 s, 1 cm2, continuous wave mode). The treatment with non-irradiated 1 and 10 µM curcumin caused ATP synthase inhibition and a consequent reduction in the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and the ATP/AMP ratio, which was associated with a decrement in lipid peroxidation accumulation and a slight increase in glutathione reductase and catalase activity. By contrast, 60 s curcumin irradiation with 0.25 W-450 nm caused a further oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) metabolism impairment that induced an uncoupling between respiration and energy production, leading to increased oxidative damage, a cellular growth and viability reduction, and a cell cycle block in the G1 phase. These effects appeared to be more evident when the curcumin was irradiated after cell incubation. Since cells belonging to the HNSCC microenvironment support tumor development, curcumin's effects have been analyzed on primary human fibroblasts, and a decrease in cell energy status has been observed with both irradiated and non-irradiated curcumin and an increase in oxidative lipid damage and a slowing of cell growth were observed when the curcumin was irradiated before or after cellular administration. Thus, although curcumin displays an anti-cancer role on OHSU-974 in its native form, photoactivation seems to enhance its effects, making it effective even at low dosages.

Frequency varying heating strategy for lithium-ion battery rapid preheating under subzero temperature considering the limitation of on-board current

The electrical performance of lithium-ion battery gradually deteriorates with the temperature decrease. Alternating current (AC) heating is an efficient manner to improve the lithium-ion battery (LIB) discharge ability at low temperature. This paper proposes an effective method to quickly preheat battery under low temperature based on sinusoidal AC. An electrothermal coupled model is established to precisely characterize the battery electrical and thermal behavior characteristics. Subsequently, the impedance characteristics of large format prismatic LIB are investigated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy testing. The amplitude and frequency of sine wave current exploited for battery pack heating are optimized at different temperatures and SOC based on the analysis of AC impedance. Finally, the sinusoidal AC heating for battery pack is achieved leveraging the designed full bridge inverter circuit-based heater and the heating efficiency with respect to different amplitudes and frequencies are comprehensively compared. On this basis, a frequency varying heating strategy with fixed amplitude considering the current limitation of hardware circuit is proposed. The experimental results show that the battery pack can be rapidly heated from −30 °C to 0 °C with the maximum average temperature rise rate of 3.78 °C/min, and the heating energy consumption rate is less than 0.27% SOC/°C with the proposed strategy. On this account, the battery pack discharge capacity under frigid environment can be distinctly enhanced based on the proposed heating strategy.

Ligand modulation of active center to promote lead-free Cs2AgInCl6 photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Metal halide perovskites (MHP) are potential candidates for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 due to their long photogenerated carrier lifetime and charge diffusion length. However, the conventional long-chain ligand impedes the adsorption and activation of CO2 molecules in practical applications. Here, a ligand modulation technology is employed to enhance the photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity of lead-free Cs2AgInCl6 microcrystals (MCs). The Cs2AgInCl6 MCs passivated by Oleic acid (OLA) and Octanoic acid (OCA) are used for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. The results show that the surface defects and electronic properties of Cs2AgInCl6 MCs can be adjusted through ligand modulation. Compared with the OLA-Cs2AgInCl6, the OCA-Cs2AgInCl6 catalyst demonstrated a significant improvement in the catalytic yield of CO and CH4. The CO and CH4 catalytic yields of OCA-Cs2AgInCl6 reached 171.88 and 34.15 µmol g−1 h−1 which were 2.03 and 12.98 times higher than those of OLA- Cs2AgInCl6, and the total electron consumption rate of OCA-Cs2AgInCl6 was 615.2 µmol g−1 h−1 which was 3.25 times higher than that of OLA-Cs2AgInCl6. Furthermore, in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectra revealed the enhancement of photocatalytic activity in Cs2AgInCl6 MCs induced by ligand modulation. This study illustrates the potential of lead-free Cs2AgInCl6 MCs for efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction and provides a ligand modulation strategy for the active promotion of MHP photocatalysts.

KN-93 promotes HDAC4 nucleus translocation to promote fatty acid oxidation in myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a potentially fatal disease that causes a significant number of deaths worldwide. The strategy of increasing fatty acid oxidation in myocytes is considered a therapeutic avenue to accelerate metabolism to meet energy demands. We conducted the study aiming to investigate the effect of KN-93, which induces histone deacetylase (HDAC)4 shuttling to the nucleus, on fatty acid oxidation and the expression of related genes.A mouse model of myocardial infarction was induced by isoprenaline administration. Heart damage was assessed by the detection of cardiac injury markers. The level of fatty acid oxidation level was evaluated by testing the expression of related genes. Both immunofluorescence and immunoblotting in the cytosol or nucleus were utilized to observe the distribution of HDAC4. The interaction between HDAC4 and specificity protein (SP)1 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. The acetylation level of SP1 was tested after KN-93 treatment and HDAC4 inhibitor. Oxygen consumption rate and immunoblotting experiments were used to determine whether the effect of KN-93 on increasing fatty acid oxidation is through HDAC4 and SP1.Administration of KN-93 significantly reduced cardiac injury in myocardial infarction and promoted fatty acid oxidation both in vitro and in vivo. KN-93 was shown to mediate nuclear translocation of HDAC4. HDAC4 was found to interact with SP1 and reduce SP1 acetylation. HDAC4 or SP1 inhibitors attenuated the effect of KN-93 on fatty acid oxidation.In conclusion, KN-93 promotes HDAC4 translocation to the nucleus, thereby potentially enhancing fatty acid oxidation by SP1.