Retention Ratio Research Articles

Black Soldier Fly Oil in Different Lipid Diets Could Regulate Tissue Lipid Metabolism and Fatty Acid Composition of Juvenile Mirror Carp

In the present study, our aim was to assess the effect of dietary black soldier fly oil (BSFO) with different lipid contents on the growth performance, body composition, lipid metabolism, and related gene expression in juvenile mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio var. specularis). An 8-week feeding trial was conducted using four isonitrogenous diets (32.0% crude protein) containing two lipid levels: 6% (control (CT) group) and 9% (high lipid (HL) group), both using soybean oil as the oil source. The other two diets contained BSFO on the basis of 6% and 9% lipid, referred to as (CT + BSFO) and (HL + BSFO) groups. The results showed that final body weight, weight gain rate, specific growth rate, protein retention ratio, and feed utilization were significantly increased by using higher dietary lipid levels (P<0.05). Additionally, the gene expression of lipid synthesis markers was significantly up-regulated in intra-peritoneal fat but significantly down-regulated in the hepatopancreas due to increased dietary lipid level (P<0.05). No negative effects on feed utilization or growth performance were observed in fish fed diets containing BSFO. However, the intra-peritoneal fat index, adipocyte size, and hepatopancreas lipid content were significantly decreased in the CT + BSFO group compared to the CT group (P<0.05). Furthermore, BSFO also up-regulated the expression of lipid lipolysis markers in the hepatopancreas and intra-peritoneal fat (P<0.05). Moreover, the use of BSFO also increased the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) while reducing the content of n-6 PUFA in the muscle (P<0.05). In conclusion, HL diets improved the growth of the fish and increased the lipid deposition. BSFO in the diet resulted in a reduction of lipid deposition in the hepatopancreas and intra-peritoneal fat, likely due to an increase in lipid oxidation.

Modified electron structure of CNT-CoSe2 (vs. CoSe2) with more Co2+ for improving catalytic effect in lithium sulfur batteries

Currently, the great challenge of lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries is the sluggish redox kinetics and the ineludible shuttle effect, which induce the rapid capacity fading. Regulating the electron structure of metal-based catalysts is regarded as a significant strategy to improve the catalytic effect of Li-S batteries, for accelerating the redox kinetics and enhancing the cathode performance. In this work, the valence of Co in CoSe2 is regulated by introducing carbon nanotube (CNT) during the preparation of ZIF-67. Compared with CoSe2, the ratio of Co2+/Co3+ increases, which boost the catalytic activity of CNT-CoSe2 both in discharging and charging process. Furthermore, the ratio of Co2+/Co3+ is reduced after discharging due to the electron transfer to sulfur species, and the ratio is increased again due to the inverse electron transfer. As a result, the CNT-CoSe2 with better catalytic properties endows the corresponding Li-S batteries more stable cycling performance, especially at high current density or high sulfur loading. The CNT-CoSe2 modified separator can endow Li-S batteries with a discharge capacity of 735.49 mAh g−1 at 2 C, and a retention ratio of 72.28% for 200 cycles at 0.1 C with sulfur loading of 4.60 mg cm−2.

Properties of shape memory polyimide composites with continuous “brick-and-mortar” layered structure: High flame retardancy, ablation resistance, and high mechanical properties

Shape memory polymer (SMP) is a type of smart materials mostly working below 200 ℃, which is difficult to be applied in the ultra-high temperature, even 1000 ℃. Herein, we have prepared shape memory polyimide composites (SMPIC) inspired by nacre “brick-and-mortar” layered structure. The SMPIC has the flame-retardant grade of V0 and the limiting oxygen index of 53.1% when the flame retardants amount is 20%. Besides, it has excellent resistance to high temperature airflow erosion, and the mass ablation ratio is 0.0053 g/s. After rapid thermal processing at 1000 ℃, the mechanical strength is 100 MPa, and the strength retention ratio is 103.3%. Also, the simple actuator can overturn iron blocks that are more than 8 times of its own weight, thus, the smart composite has huge application prospects in the high temperature environment, such as active morphing re-entry parachute, which provides reference for lightweight smart structures.

Effects of Çemen pastes prepared in different formulations on physicochemical, microbiological, and textural properties of beef hamburger patties during refrigerated storage.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of çemen pastes prepared in different formulations on physicochemical, microbiological, and textural properties of hamburgers during refrigerated storage (4°C; 60 d). Çemen pastes were produced by using different combination doses of fenugreek seed flour, sweet red pepper, and garlic powder. As a result of çemen paste usage in hamburgers, cooking losses and dimensional shrinkage decreased, whereas moisture and fat retention ratios increased (p < .05). The hardness, gumminess, and chewiness values of hamburgers containing çemen paste were generally lower than those of control (p < .05). Çemen paste addition to hamburgers generally did not cause a difference in terms of microbial growth and moisture, fat and ash contents. Protein contents of hamburgers containing çemen paste or breadcrumbs were generally higher than that of control (p < .05). Çemen paste usage in hamburgers generally decreased the L* values and increased the b* values (p < .05). In general, addition of 3.5% or higher doses of both sweet red pepper and garlic powder caused higher a* values in hamburger patties (p < .05). Lower oxidation levels were generally observed in hamburgers containing 3% or lower doses of fenugreek seed flour and 4.5% of garlic powder in çemen paste (p < .05). It was concluded that çemen paste usage in hamburger patty processing has the potential to improve the quality characteristics and delay oxidative changes.

How orientation training socializes newcomers: The mediating role of learning in reducing turnover and boosting performance among new salespersons

AbstractOrientation training plays a crucial role in the process of newcomer socialization by equipping employees with the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary for success in a new work setting. However, relatively few studies have investigated orientation training from a socialization perspective and addressed its underlying mechanisms. To address this issue, we developed a model to elucidate the socialization process of newly hired salespersons undergoing skill‐based orientation training. The model includes training reactions, two learning outcomes (learning engagement and skill acquisition), as well as two distal socialization outcomes (retention status and annual sales performance). Using a one‐year multiperiod design, we conducted a multilevel analysis on data of 1184 new salesperson records nested in 37 off‐site classes, which was obtained from a US pharmaceutical company operating in China. The results revealed that newcomers' reactions to orientation training were positively associated with their learning engagement and skill acquisition, which in turn resulted in a higher newcomer retention ratio. Furthermore, skill acquisition was found to be a significant mediator between training reactions and newcomers' annual sales performance. By combining self‐report, trainer‐report and objective indicators, this study provides a new and compelling evidence on how orientation training accelerates newcomer socialization success.

Analysis of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Retention Ratio, and Leverage Impacts on Stock Returns with Company Value as a Moderation Variable

Efforts to enhance company performance through adherence to corporate governance principles are demonstrated in the company's comprehensive ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) disclosures. In evaluating these disclosures, it is imperative to weigh the impact of leverage and retention ratio. The survey conducted by Globescan and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has revealed a significant lack of awareness regarding the importance of these factors among typical companies in Indonesia. Hence, this study examined the ESG, retention ratio, and leverage impacts on stock returns with company value as a moderation variable. The samples of this study comprised 14 financial companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange within the timeframe of 2018-2022. Data for the analysis were extracted from the IDX website and the official websites of the respective companies. Employing Eviews 9 software, multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to unravel insights into the relationships under scrutiny. The discerned outcomes unveiled that neither ESG nor leverage significantly impacted stock returns. In contrast, the retention ratio emerged as a potent factor with a noteworthy influence. The company value could moderate the ESG and the retention ratio impacts on stock returns, yet it proved ineffective in moderating the leverage impact on stock returns.

Unraveling the modified mechanism of ruthenium substitution on Na3V2(PO4)3 with superior rate capability and ultralong cyclic performance

Na3V2(PO4)3(NVP) is an ideal cathode material for sodium ion battery due to its stable three-dimensional frame structure and high operating voltage. However, the low intrinsic conductivity and serious structural collapse limit its further application. In this work, a simultaneous optimized Na3V1.96Ru0.04(PO4)3/C@CNTs cathode material is synthesized by a simple sol–gel method. Specifically, the ionic radius of Ru3+ is slightly larger than that of V3+ (0.68 Å vs 0.64 Å), which not only ensures the feasibility of Ru3+ replacing V3+ site, but also appropriately expands the migration channel of sodium ions in NVP and stabilizes the structure, effectively improving the diffusion efficiency of sodium ions. Moreover, CNTs construct a three-dimensional conductive network between the grains, reducing the impedance at the interface and effectively improving the electronic conductivity. Ex-situ XRD analysis at different SOC were performed to determine the change in the crystal structure of Ru3+doped Na3V2(PO4)3, and the refinement results simultaneously demonstrate the relatively low volume shrinkage value of less than 3 % during the de-intercalation process, further verifying the stabilized crystal construction after Ru3+ substitution. Furthermore, the ex-situ XRD/SEM/CV/EIS after cycling indicate the significantly improved kinetic characteristics and enhanced structural stability. Notably, the modified Na3V1.96Ru0.04(PO4)3/C@CNTs reveals superior rate capability and ultralong cyclic performance. It submits high capacities of 82.3/80.9 mAh g−1 at 80/120C and maintains 71.3/59.6 mAh g−1 after 14800/6250 cycles, indicating excellent retention ratios of 86.6 % and 73.6 %, respectively. This work provides a multi-modification strategy for the realization of high-performance cathode materials, which can be widely applied in the optimization of various materials.

The impact of parboiling on physical structure, physicochemical properties and zinc status of Zn-fortified germinated brown rice

The structural and physicochemical properties, cooking quality and zinc retention ratio of Zn-fortified germinated brown rice were investigated with different parboiling times (4–20 min). The brown rice grains exhibited visually more yellowish-brown colour and cracks on the surface with the germination and longer parboiling, and the micrographs clearly displayed wrinkles after these processes. Germination and the increase of parboiling time exacerbated the disruption of microstructure and the decrease in relative crystallinity and enthalpy change. The relaxation time (T2) increased in Zn-fortified germinated brown rice and parboiled samples compared to brown rice. Cooking time of Zn-fortified germinated brown rice was reduced from 36 min to 27 min with longer parboiling. Parboiling treatment longer than 4 min improved the palatability. There was no significant difference of Zinc retention ratio at different parboiling times. Sixteen min parboiling was recommended to obtain the brown rice product, which requires a short cooking time with desired palatability, as well as acceptable colour and zinc content. Overall, parboiling is an effective technique to modify the physical structure and physicochemical properties and improve cooking quality of Zn-fortified germinated brown rice.

Win-Win on both ion-conducting and mechanical properties achieved in PEO-based solid electrolytes through microstructure regulation

Solid state electrolytes are of great importance in the design of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASLMBs) that with excellent properties and glorious working stability. And solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are the attention-getting candidate, because of its flexibility lightweight and suitable ionic transportation ability. However, current SPEs always need balance between ionic conductivity (σ) and the mechanical strength. To this end, organic-inorganic composite solid-state electrolytes (CSEs) are designed by introduction of BN nanosheets into the polymer matrix, coupled with using the electrospinning technique. It is proved show that the PEO crystallinity in the fibrous electrolyte is significantly suppressed, with only 1 wt% BN adding. And the σ of the designed sample is raised to 1.93×10−4 S∙cm−1 at 40 ℃, on account of that the BN layered structure and three-dimensional fibrous framework help to provide dual channels for Li+ transport. Also better interfacial miscibility with Li metal is realized in the obtained fibrous CPEs and the Galvanostatic cycling of the symmetric Li//Li cell sustains as long as 850 h with 0.1 mA·cm−2 current density. Compared with the solution-casted sample with the same composition, the tensile strength (0.88 MPa) and electrochemical stability of the electrospun membrane (5.1 V) are both significantly enhanced. In addition, the obtained LiFePO4|PEO/LiClO4/BN CSE|Li all solid state coin cells exhibit excellent cycling and rate performances. The initial discharge specific capacity reaches to 144.1 mAhg−1. And coin cells cycled at 1 C current and at 80℃ give a capacity retention ratio of 81.1% after 200 cycles. It demonstrates that thin and flexible CSEs with excellent electrochemical performance can be accomplished through electrospining technique.

Hybrid of bulk NbC and layered Nb4C3 MXene for tailoring the hydrogen storage kinetics and reversibility of Li–Mg–B–H composite: An experimental and theoretical study

The Li-Mg-B-H composite (2LiBH4 + MgH2) is acknowledged as a promising material for hydrogen storage due to its large hydrogen capacity (11.4 wt.%). However, the sluggish kinetics and poor reversibility make it difficult to be practically used. In this work, the hydrogen storage performances of 2LiBH4 + MgH2 have been significantly improved by a hybrid of bulk NbC and layered Nb4C3 MXene (denoted as “Nb–C”). The 2LiBH4 + MgH2 + 6 wt.% Nb–C can release 8.5 wt.% H2 within 30 min at 400 °C and the dehydrogenated composite can absorb 9.3 wt.% H2 within 30 min at 350 °C and 7.5 MPa H2. The reversible dehydrogenation capacity maintains at 8.4 wt.% after 24 cycles, with a capacity retention ratio of 95.4 %. By contrast, the undoped 2LiBH4 + MgH2 suffers from serious capacity degradation, with the capacity decreased dramatically to 3.5 wt.% after 3 cycles. Microstructural studies revealed that the doped composite has uniform particle and elemental distributions and possesses various multiphase interfaces of LiH/MgB2/NbC/Nb4C3, which is beneficial to hydrogen diffusion during the hydrogen uptake and release process. Theoretical studies by first principle calculation presented an extended bond length of the Mg–H and B–H bonds in the 2LiBH4 + MgH2 + NbC system, which may also explain the improved hydrogen storage properties of 2LiBH4 + MgH2 by addition of Nb-C. This work provides new insights into the role of transition metal carbides in regulating the Li–Mg–B–H hydrogen storage materials both experimentally and theoretically.

Insights into phosphorus doping on the structure and electrochemical performance of Li2FeSiO4/C nano-composites

Li2FeSiO4 is one of the most promising cathode materials for lithium ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity. However, the low electrical conductivity and low lithium-ion diffusion coefficient restrict its practical applications. Hetero-ion doping distinctly affect the crystal and electrochemical properties of Li2FeSiO4 based materials. Herein, phosphorus (P) doped Li2FeSiO4/C nano-composites (Li1.95FeSi0.95P0.05O4/C, abbreviated as LFSPC) and Li2FeSiO4/C nano-composites (LFSC) were synthesized and investigated as cathode material for lithium ion batteries. XRD and XPS analyses indicate that P has been doped in the crystal Li2FeSiO4. SEM results prove that the particle size of LFSPC is smaller than that of LFSC. These features make LFSPC exhibit better electrochemical performance over LFSC. The discharge capacity of LFSPC at 0.1C is as high as 218.1 mAh/g, higher than that of LFSC (144.0 mAh/g). The capacity retention ratio for LFSPC after 200 cycles at 1C is 85 %, higher than that of LFSC (78 %). In addition, LFSPC deliver larger rate performance, lower charge transfer resistance and larger lithium-ion diffusion coefficient.

Zinc ion storage abilities of Mo3WOx nano-ceramic under extreme-cold environments

It is imperative to develop new electrode materials for aqueous multivalent metal ion batteries with electrochemistry abilities at extreme-low temperatures due to the possible extreme-cold operating conditions of batteries in the present or the future. Herein, as a proof-of-concept experiment, a new orthorhombic molybdenum-tungsten oxide (Mo3WOx) is synthesized by a wet-chemical method and tested as anode material for aqueous zinc ion batteries at extreme-cold temperatures (−40, −60 and −75 °C) for the first time. Two anti-freezing electrolytes are selected to examine the related half-cell performances, and 7.5 m ZnCl2 aqueous solution is more suitable for Mo3WOx half-cells than 2 m Zn(BF4)2 aqueous solution. At −40 °C, Mo3WOx exhibits reversible charge capacity of 104.1 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 and the charge capacity can still maintain 82.3 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles; and under further test at 5000 mA g−1, Mo3WOx shows a high initial charge capacity of 42.5 mAh g−1 together with a capacity retention ratio of 81.6 % after 10,000 cycles. It is worth highlighting that the high capacities of Mo3WOx delivered at −40 °C are even comparable with the capacities of some “new-type” anode materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries exhibited at ambient temperature. At colder temperatures of −60 and −75 °C, the as-prepared compound still owns certain zinc ion storage abilities, especially high discharge/charge capacities of 48.9/48.7 mAh g−1 can be still achieved in the 100th cycle at −75 °C (100 mA g−1). Furthermore, a full-cell with operational capability at −40 °C is also built here, and it can exhibit discharge capacity of 66.1 mAh g−1 (coulombic efficiency of 99.7 %) in the 3rd cycle and discharge capacity of 48.2 mAh g−1 (coulombic efficiency of 99.7 %) in the 50th cycle.

Designing an Air-Stable Interphase on Lithium Metal Anode to Improve Cycling Performance.

The application of rechargeable lithium metal batteries is challenged by intractable issues of uncontrollable Li dendrite growth that result in poor cycle life and safety risks. In this work, an air-stable interphase is developed to protect the lithium metal anode (LMA) via a facile solution-based approach. The Ag-embedded fluoride-rich interphase not only creates abundant lithiophilic sites for homogenizing Li nucleation and growth but also resists severe air erosion to protect the LMA beneath and enable decent cycling stability. As a result, the Ag-F-rich interphase enables flat Li deposition on LMA, which is clearly observed in the operando Li plating experiments. Paired with a LiFePO4 cathode (11.8 mg cm-2), the Ag-F-rich interphase-modified LMA enables 300 stable cycles at 0.5 C, delivering a capacity retention ratio as high as 91.4%. Even after being exposed to air for 1 h, the modified LMA still runs smoothly for over 120 cycles with ignorable capacity decay, exhibiting great air stability. This work proves the concept of functionalizing the interphase on the LMA to enable good cycling performance even under severe air erosion.

A comprehensive investigation on both the combustion characteristic and electrochemical performance of lithium battery with flame retardant tris (2-chloropropyl) phosphate

Thermal failures of lithium batteries have become more and more critical for the further development of energy storage technologies. Adding flame retardant additives has been proven promising to improve safety. However, the electrochemical performance usually degrades with additives. It is important to balance flame retardancy and electrochemical performance. In this study, both the combustion characteristics and electrochemical performance of Tris (2-ChloroPropyl) Phosphate (TCPP) are investigated to seek its potential for application in practical batteries. A novel experimental setup as well as key parameters are proposed to quantificationally characterize the flame retardancy of TCPP. The experimental results indicate that only 5 wt% of TCPP additives can lengthen both the jet delay times and auto-ignition delay times of the electrolyte jets by 50.6 % and 38.1 %, indicating the excellent flame-retardant efficiency of TCPP. The lithium salt in the electrolytes also presents significant flame retardancy on the combustion of electrolyte jets, particularly lengthening the auto-ignition delay times by as high as 74.8 %. Tests on the electrochemical performance reveal that 5 wt% of TCPP additives have negligible impacts on the discharge capacity. The overall deterioration of the discharge retention ratio is less than 6.0 % during long-term and various C-rates cycling tests.

Zero-Strain Sodium Lanthanum Titanate Perovskite Embedded in Flexible Carbon Fibers as a Long-Span Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

"High-capacity" graphite and "zero-strain" spinel Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) occupy the majority market of anode materials for Li+ storage in commercial applications. Nevertheless, their intrinsic drawbacks including the unsafe potential of graphite and unsatisfactory capacity of LTO limit the further development of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which is unable to satisfy the ever-increasing demands. Here, a novel Na0.35La0.55TiO3 perovskite embedded in multichannel carbon fibers (NLTO-NF) is rationally designed and synthesized through an electrospinning method. It not only has the advantages of a respectable specific capacity of 265 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and superb rate capability, but it also possesses the zero-strain characteristic. Impressively, an ultralong cycling life with 96.3% capacity retention after 9000 cycles at 2 A g-1 is achieved in the half cell, and 90.3% of capacity retention ratio is obtained after even 2500 cycles at 1 A g-1 in the coupled LiFePO4/NLTO-NF full cell. This study introduces a new member with excellent performance to the zero-strain materials family for next-generation LIBs.

Directing Fluorinated Solid Electrolyte Interphase by Solubilizing Crystal Lithium Fluoride in Aprotic Electrolyte for Lithium Metal Batteries

AbstractLithium fluoride (LiF) facilitates robust and fast‐ion‐transport solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) in lithium metal batteries. Fluorinated solvents/salts are ubiquitously employed to introduce LiF into SEI through electrochemical decomposition, but this approach is usually at the expense of their continuous consumption. A direct approach to fluorinate SEI that employs crystal LiF is limited by its poor solubility in the current battery electrolyte formulation. Dissolving crystal LiF in high‐dielectric‐constant solvents, like ethylene carbonate (EC) is nearly neglected. Herein, the feasibility of directly fluorinating SEI by the addition of crystal LiF in aprotic electrolyte with the assistance of EC is verified, and its mechanisms in fluorination of SEI and anti‐acidification of electrolyte are explored. The dissolved LiF is encapsulated by solvent‐/salt‐derived organic skins to promote the fluorinated SEI. Meanwhile, the presence of LiF in electrolyte alters hazardous thermodynamic equilibrium, suppressing the production of acid species to mitigate electrolyte acidification and SEI degradation. Such collective benefits yield a capacity retention ratio of ≈88% after 150 cycles at a high areal capacity (4.5 mAh cm−2) in Li||NCM622 cells. This facile and effective fluorination of SEI contributes to an in‐depth understanding of SEI formation and rational design of well‐performing lithium metal batteries.

Spatially and Temporally Resolved Analysis of Bleeding in a Centrifugal Partition Chromatography Rotor

Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC) is a separation technique that utilizes immiscible liquid phases to purify compounds. The selection of solvents in Liquid–Liquid Chromatography offers flexibility and optimization possibilities for specific separation tasks. Understanding the hydrodynamics inside the apparatus is crucial for optimizing a CPC process. The phase retention ratio (Sf) determines the apparatus’s operating point and separation efficiency. However, stationary phase leakage, known as bleeding, complicates the immobilization of this phase. We used a partly transparent single-disc rotor to investigate the time and space dependency of bleeding inside a CPC apparatus, enabling real-time and localized determination of the phase retention ratio. By tracking the retention values over time, we observed the bleeding phenomenon and its progression from the inlet to the rotor outlet. Depending on the phase system used, the CPC was utilizable for a separation task for only 173–500 dimensionless residence times. Systems with a higher stability parameter (as described in the literature) showed a lower bleeding rate and increased stability over time. Accordingly, our results demonstrate the importance of maintaining an optimal ratio of mobile to stationary phase for efficient separation.

Rapid coating of millimeter‐scale hydrogel capsules with interfacial polymerization

AbstractA rapid and mild coating strategy was applied on the millimeter scale calcium alginate capsules (Ca‐SA caps) by in situ interfacial polymerization of ethyl cyanoacrylate (ECA). The generated poly(ethyl cyanoacrylate) (PECA) coating was initiated by trace water in the surface of the Ca‐SA caps. The effects of ECA content, reaction time, and type of aromatic solvent on the morphology and control‐release property of the resulting PECA‐coated Ca‐SA caps (Ca‐SA caps@PECA) were investigated. The results demonstrated a white PECA layer successfully coated on the surface of Ca‐SA caps. Notably, the Ca‐SA caps@PECA remained consistently pleasing spherical shape as prepared in methylbenzene and ethylbenzene. When the ECA was 6 mL, the thickness of PECA layer of the Ca‐SA caps@PECA was 43.52 μm. Compared with the Ca‐SA caps, the weight retention ratio of water in the Ca‐SA caps@PECA increased by 254.61%, indicating the effective delay of water diffusion from core of the Ca‐SA caps@PECA. Moreover, the PECA coating improved the stability of the Ca‐SA caps@PECA, which achieved release‐controlling of dye at different pH. This method provides solution for surface modification of fragile hydrogel capsules to effectively control the releasing of liquid core, which is highly valuable in the field of food, cosmetic, and medical delivery.

Non-graphitic carbon as sodium-ion battery anode materials with improved ratio of plateau to sloping capacities prepared from lignite-based organic maceral

Herein, huminite concentrate is obtained from lignite with high yield of 68.9 % by density gradient separation, subsequently converted to non-graphitic carbon (HM-H) by carbonization at 1400 °C for 2 h. Huminite concentrate possesses relatively high oxygen content and considerable amount of aromatic component, with modest yield of volatile matter during pyrolysis, resulting in optimized carbon phase distribution and enhanced electrical conductivity of HM-H. Compared with HM prepared by direct carbonization of lignite, HM-H has slightly higher contents of pseudo-graphitic and graphite-like carbons, and lower content of highly disordered one. Notably, HM-H exhibits remarkably improved electrical conductivity (1773 S m−1) than HM (1406 S m−1). Compared with HM anode for SIBs, HM-H one delivers higher plateau capacity (170.1 mAh g−1) meanwhile lower sloping capacity (91.8 mAh g−1), with significantly improved rate and cycling performances. Full cell assorted with NaFe1/3Ni1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode and HM-H anode demonstrates higher energy density of 210.5 Wh kg−1 than its counterpart (193.8 Wh kg−1) at 20 mA g−1, with superior rate performance (208.6 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1) and a capacity retention ratio of 89.7 % after 100 cycles. This work provides a facile and effective strategy for preparing non-graphitic carbon as high-performance anode materials for SIBs.

Effect of Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation on Growth Performance, Rumen Fermentation, Blood Indices, Nutrient Digestion, and Nitrogen Metabolism in Angus Steers

Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) functions as a precursor for creatine synthesis in the animal body, and maintaining ample creatine reserves is essential for fostering rapid growth. This study aimed to explore the impact of GAA supplementation on growth performance, rumen fermentation, blood indices, nutrient digestion, and nitrogen metabolism in Angus steers through two experiments: a feeding experiment (Experiment 1) and a digestive metabolism experiment (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, thirty-six Angus steers (485.64 ± 39.41 kg of BW) at 16 months of age were randomly assigned to three groups: control (CON), a conventional dose of GAA (CGAA, 0.8 g/kg), and a high dose of GAA (HGAA, 1.6 g/kg), each with twelve steers. The adaptation period lasted 14 days, and the test period was 130 days. Weighing occurred before morning feeding on days 0, 65, and 130, with rumen fluid and blood collected before morning feeding on day 130. Experiment 2 involved fifteen 18-month-old Angus steers (575.60 ± 7.78 kg of BW) randomly assigned to the same three groups as in Experiment 1, with a 7-day adaptation period and a 3-day test period. Fecal and urine samples were collected from all steers during this period. Results showed a significantly higher average daily gain (ADG) in the CGAA and HGAA groups compared to the CON group (p = 0.043). Additionally, the feed conversion efficiency (FCE) was significantly higher in the CGAA and HGAA groups than in the CON group (p = 0.018). The concentrations of acetate and the acetate:propionate ratio were significantly lower in the CGAA and HGAA groups, while propionate concentration was significantly higher (p &lt; 0.01). Serum concentration of urea (UREA), blood ammonia (BA), GAA, creatine, and catalase (CAT) in the CGAA and HGAA groups were significantly higher than in the CON group, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations were significantly lower (p &lt; 0.05). Digestibility of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) and the nitrogen retention ratio were significantly higher in the CGAA and HGAA groups than in the CON group (p &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, dietary addition of both 0.8 g/kg and 1.6 g/kg of GAA increased growth performance, regulated rumen fermentation and blood indices, and improved digestibility and nitrogen metabolism in Angus steers. However, higher doses of GAA did not demonstrate a linear stacking effect.