Enhancing the high-temperature energy storage properties of PEI dielectrics by constructing trap-rich covalently cross-linked networks via POSS-functionalized BNNS.

Polymer films are ideal dielectric materials for energy storage capacitors due to their light weight and flexibility, but lower energy density and poor heat resistance greatly limit their application in high-temperature energy storage. Unlike the traditional method of solely adding wide-bandgap inorganic fillers to enhance energy density, in this study we constructed trap-rich hybrid covalently cross-linked networks in polyetherimide (PEI) via reactive polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-functionalized boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS@POSS), which not only serve as interfacial layers for dielectric transitions and insulating barriers but also create deeper traps and higher energy barriers in the region of cross-linked chains. This strategy based on the co-modulation of interfaces and traps achieved the compatibility of high polarization and high breakdown strength and improved energy storage performance. Therefore, the composite film BNNS@POSS/PEI with the addition of 5 wt% BNNS@POSS achieved a maximum discharge energy density and charge-discharge efficiency at 150 °C of 6.16 J cm-3 and 89.92%, and maintained high values at 200 °C of 4.12 J cm-3 and 88.38%, respectively. Moreover, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the composite dielectrics increased by 20.2 °C. This work provides a promising candidate material and development directions for research in the field of high-temperature energy storage capacitors.

Low viscosity and low temperature curing reactive POSS/epoxy hybrid resin with enhanced toughness and comprehensive thermal performance.

The mechanical and high-temperature resistance properties of epoxy resins cured at low temperatures (Tcuring ≤ 100 °C) are often inferior, and the most toughening modification methods for epoxy resins tend to compromise thermal resistance, which significantly limit the practical applications of it. Therefore, this work reported a low viscosity and low-temperature curing epoxy hybrid resin system (OPEP), adopting E-51 as a resin matrix, liquid anhydride (MHHPA) as a curing agent, tertiary amine (DMBA) as a curing accelerator, and reactive octa-epoxy terminated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (OG-POSS) as a toughening modifier. Results demonstrated that the OPEP system has excellent processability with low viscosity and long processing window period and satisfies the practical requirements of low-temperature curing. The OG-POSS exhibits superior compatibility and reactivity with the resin matrix, and its addition slightly reduces the Eα of the curing reaction and has a certain promotive effect on the curing of epoxy resin. In addition, the curing reaction rate of the OPEP resin complies with the Sesták-Berggren autocatalytic kinetics model. The impact strength, flexural strength, tensile strength, and elongation at break of the OPEP resin reached a maximum of 15.55 kJ m-2, 121.65 MPa, 90.36 MPa, and 2.48%, representing increases of 55.97%, 3.1%, 64.68%, and 26.51% compared to those of the pure resin, respectively. Notably, due to the heat-resistant inorganic silicon cage structure of OG-POSS, the thermal decomposition temperature (Td5), glass transition temperature (Tg), and heat distortion temperature (THDT) of the OPEP0.02 resin were 313.2 °C, 123.7 °C, and 102.0 °C, showing increases of 13.0 °C, 2.3 °C, and 6.8 °C compared to the pure resin, respectively, which is difficult to achieve for the general thermosetting resin toughening modification method. This research utilized organic-inorganic nanohybrid materials (POSS) to optimize the toughness and thermal stability of the resin in a coordinated manner, providing guidance for the preparation of high-performance epoxy resins that cure at low temperatures.

Effect of Precision Health Education on Compliance Behavior after Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of precision health education on patients' compliance behavior and lithotripsy efficacy after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Methods: From June 2018 to September 2018, 104 patients with upper urinary tract calculi who underwent ESWL at Anhui No.2 Provincial People's Hospital were randomly divided into two groups. The observation group (n = 53) was given precision health education guidance after ESWL treatment, while the control group (n = 51) was only informed of precautions after lithotripsy. Postoperative compliance behavior, stone expulsion time, and complications were recorded in both groups. Results: The clinical baseline data of the two groups were similar in age, gender, number of stones, size of stones, location of stones, complications, number of lithotripsies, and voltage of lithotripsy between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, compared with the control group, the observation group had better compliance behavior of patients. Furthermore, we divided the patients into three groups based on whether they complied with medical advice. Compared with the noncompliance group (n = 17) and the partial compliance group (n = 23), the stone expulsion time in the complete compliance group (n = 64) was significantly shorter. Also, the number of patients with nausea and vomiting, lacrimation, and cold sweat in the complete compliance group was significantly lower than that in the other groups. Conclusion: Precision health education for patients treated with ESWL can significantly enhance the compliance behavior of patients, thereby accelerating the expulsion of stones, improving the efficacy and relieving pain. Precision health education and good compliance behavior complement and reinforce each other.

Fabrication of Pore-Selective Metal-Nanoparticle-Functionalized Honeycomb Films via the Breath Figure Accompanied by In Situ Reduction.

Honeycomb films pore-filled with metal (Au, Ag, and Cu) nanoparticles were successfully prepared by combining the breath figure method and an in situ reduction reaction. First, a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-based star-shaped polymer solution containing metal salt was cast under humid conditions for the formation of honeycomb films pore-filled with metal salt through the breath figure method. The morphology of the honeycomb films was mainly affected by the polymer molecular structure and the metal salt. Interestingly, the promoting effect of the metal salt in the breath figure process was also observed. Then, honeycomb films pore-filled with metal nanoparticles were obtained by in situ reduction of the honeycomb films pore-filled with metal salt using NaBH4. Notably, the metal nanoparticles can be selectively functionalized in the pores or on the surface of the honeycomb films by controlling the concentration of the NaBH4. Metal-nanoparticle-functionalized honeycomb films can prospectively be used in catalysis, flexible electrodes, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and wettability patterned surfaces.

Promoter CpG methylation status in porcine Lyn is associated with its expression levels.

Resistance to disease and improvement of product quality are important goals in pig farming. Tyrosine Protein Kinase Lyn (LYN) is one of several Src-family tyrosine kinases in immune cells. This protein functions both as a positive and negative regulator of B cell activation, and regulates signaling pathways through phosphorylation of inhibitory receptors, enzymes and adaptors, which suggested that LYN could be correlated with immunity and can be considered as a candidate gene to study in disease resistance. Until now, the profiles of expression and transcriptional regulation of the LYN gene in pig breeds different in immune capacity remain unclear. Using real-time PCR, it indicated that porcine LYN mRNA expressed mainly in immune organs including the spleen, duodenum and liver. Furthermore, Dahuabai pigs (a kind of Chinese indigenous pig breeds with higher immune capacity) showed significant higher LYN mRNA expression levels than that in Landrace. Methylation analysis indicates that LYN expression levels were associated with the methylation status of the LYN promoter, and methylation of the novel CpG site at -1268C/-1267G generated by transposition at -1267 (A→G) results in up-regulating transcriptional activity of this gene. Interestingly, the base A located in -1267 mainly exhibited in landrace while the base G mainly in Dahuabai pigs. These results might contribute to study the function of this gene in pig breeding for disease resistance.

Cloning and characterization of the 5'-flanking region of the pig AgRP gene.

Agouti-related peptide (AgRP), a brain neuropeptide generated by AgRP/neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons, plays a vital role in the hypothalamic regulation of energy homeostasis. RT-PCR and real-time PCR were carried out in various tissues to detect the AgRP expression pattern in pigs. Our RT-PCR results showed that the pig AgRP gene was ubiquitously expressed in all examined tissues including heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, bladder, m. longissimus, belly fat, brain, large intestine, lymph, back fat, skin, and hypothalamus. Real-time quantitative PCR experiments revealed that it is in the hypothalamus with the highest expression of AgRP both in adult Lantang and Landrace pigs compared to the back fat and m.longissimus muscle and the cDNA level of AgRP in the hypothalamus of adult Chinese indigenous Lantang pig (fat-type) is significantly higher than that of Landrace pig (lean-type). To understand the regulation of the pig AgRP gene, the 5'-flanking region was isolated from a pig bacterial artificial chromosome library and used in a luciferase reporter assay. A positive cis-acting element for efficient AgRP expression was identified at nucleotides -501 to -479, by 5'-serial deletion of the promoter. Electrophoretic mobility-shift assays (EMSA) with competing oligonucleotides revealed that the critical region contained a cis-acting element for Neurogenic Differentiation (NeuroD), which is a member of the NeuroD family of basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factors. This element has not been reported in human or mouse AgRP genes. Our results indicated that NeuroD might be an essential regulatory factor for transcription of pig AgRP, providing an important clue about energy homeostasis regulation in the porcine and human brain.

Characterization and transcriptional regulation analysis of the porcine TNFAIP8L2 gene.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 8-like 2 (TNFAIP8L2) is a new member of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) family that functions as an important factor in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. In this study, we cloned the cDNA sequences and analyzed the genomic structure of porcine TNFAIP8L2. RH mapping using the IMpRH panel showed that this gene was closely linked to microsatellite marker SW512 in pig chromosome 4. Subcellular localization analysis showed GFP-TNFAIP8L2 fusion protein distributed in nucleus as well as cytoplasm including mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that porcine TNFAIP8L2 was more highly expressed in spleen than other tissues. To understand its characterization of transcriptional regulation, we cloned approximately 2 kb of 5'-regulatory region upstream to the porcine TNFAIP8L2 translational start site and generated sequential deletion constructs evaluated in dual-luciferase reporter assay. The results demonstrated that its core promoter is 435 base pairs (bp) upstream to the transcription initiation site. Then, site-directed mutation experiment combined with electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) indicated that M-CAT binding factor (MCBF) and activator protein 1 (AP-1) were important transcription factors for porcine TNFAIP8L2. These findings provide an important basis for further understanding of porcine TNFAIP8L2 regulation and function in swine.

Characterization and promoter activity analysis of a new porcine gene: NICE-3.

Through comparative gene mapping, NICE-3, which is closely linked to tropomyosin 3 in human chromosome 1, was selected to be investigated as a new candidate gene associated with the muscle development in pigs. This gene was sequenced, chromosome mapped, expression analyzed, subcellularly localized, and promoter activity analyzed. After screening and sequencing, porcine NICE-3 was found in a bacterial artificial chromosome clone containing tropomyosin 3. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that NICE-3 mRNA was widely expressed, with highest expression levels in longissimus dorsi muscles, followed by heart, biceps femoris, liver, kidney, back fat, and lowest expression levels in spleen, brain, lymph, lung, stomach, and small and large intestines. Fluorescence and confocal microscopy assay demonstrated that the fusion protein, GFP-NICE-3, was distributed throughout the cytoplasm, including the plasma membrane. NICE-3 was mapped to Sus scrofa chromosome 4, in a region of conserved synteny with human chromosome 1, where the homologous human gene is localized. Results of dual reporter gene assays and mutation experiments combined with electrophoresis mobility shift assays showed that the retinoid X receptor might be an important transcription factor affecting the promoter activity of this gene.