Co3 O4 Quantum Dots Intercalation Liquid-Crystal Ordered-Layered-Structure Optimizing the Performance of 3D-Printing Micro-Supercapacitors.

The effects of near surface or surface mechanisms on electrochemical performance (lower specific capacitance density) hinders the development of 3D printed micro supercapacitors (MSCs). The reasonable internal structural characteristics of printed electrodes and the appropriate intercalation material can effectively compensate for the effects of surface or near-surface mechanisms. In this study, a layered structure is constructed inside an electrode using an ink with liquid-crystal characteristics, and the pore structure and oxidation active sites of the layered electrode are optimized by controlling the amount of Co3 O4 -quantum dots (Co3 O4 QDs). The Co3 O4 QDs are distributed in the pores of the electrode surface, and the insertion of Co3 O4 QDs can effectively compensate for the limitations of surface or near-surface mechanisms, thus effectively improving the pseudocapacitive characteristics of the 3D-printed MSCs. The 3D printed MSC exhibits a high area capacitance (306.13 mF cm-2 ) and energy density (34.44 µWh cm-2 at a power density of 0.108 mW cm-2 ). Therefore, selecting the appropriate materials to construct printable electrode structures and effectively adjusting material ratios for efficient 3D printing are expected to provide feasible solutions for the construction of various high-energy storage systems such as MSCs.

Ethanol-Induced Ni2+ -Intercalated Cobalt Organic Frameworks on Vanadium Pentoxide for Synergistically Enhancing the Performance of 3D-Printed Micro-Supercapacitors.

The synthesis of metal-organic framework (MOF) nanocomposites with high energy density and excellent mechanical strength is limited by the degree of lattice matching and crystal surface structure. In this study, dodecahedral ZIF-67 is synthesized uniformly on vanadium pentoxide nanowires. The influence of the coordination mode on the surface of ZIF-67 in ethanol is also investigated. Benefitting from the different coordination abilities of Ni2+ , Co2+ , and N atoms, spatially separated surface-active sites are created through metal-ion exchange. Furthermore, the incompatibility between the d8 electronic configuration of Ni2+ and the three-dimensional (3D) structure of ZIF-67 afforded the synthesis of hollow structures by controlling the amount of Ni doping. The formation of NiCo-MOF@CoOOH@V2 O5 nanocomposites is confirmed using X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. The high performance of the obtained composite is illustrated by fabricating a 3D-printed micro-supercapacitor, exhibiting a high area specific capacitance of 585 mF cm-2 and energy density of 159.23 µWh cm-2 (at power density = 0.34 mW cm-2 ). The solvent/coordination tuning strategy demonstrated in this study provides a new direction for the synthesis of high-performance nanomaterials for electrochemical energy storage applications.

Potential treatment with Chinese and Western medicine targeting NSP14 of SARS-CoV-2.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a serious global health threat. This raises an urgent need for the development of effective drugs against the deadly disease. SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 14 (NSP14) carrying RNA cap guanine N7-methyltransferase and 3'-5' exoribonuclease activities could be a potential drug target for intervention. NSP14 of SARS-CoV-2 shares 98.7% of similarity with the one (PDB 5NFY) of acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) by ClustalW. Then, the SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 structures were modelled by Modeller 9.18 using SARS NSP14 (PDB 5NFY) as template for virtual screening. Based on the docking score from AutoDock Vina1.1.2, 18 small molecule drugs were selected for further evaluation. Based on the 5 ns MD simulation trajectory, binding free energy (ΔG) was calculated by MM/GBSA method. The calculated binding free energies of Saquinavir, Hypericin, Baicalein and Bromocriptine for the N-terminus of the homology model were -37.2711 ± 3.2160, -30.1746 ± 3.1914, -23.8953 ± 4.4800, and -34.1350 ± 4.3683 kcal/mol, respectively, while the calculated binding free energies were -60.2757 ± 4.7708, -30.9955 ± 2.9975, -46.3099 ± 3.5689, and -59.8104 ± 3.5389 kcal/mol, respectively, when binding to the C-terminus. Thus, the compounds including Saquinavir, Hypericin, Baicalein and Bromocriptine could bind to the N-terminus and C-terminus of the homology model of the SARS-CoV-2 NSP14, providing a candidate drug against SARS-CoV-2 for further study.

Potential treatment with Chinese and Western medicine targeting NSP14 of SARS-CoV-2 / 药物分析学报

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a serious global health threat.This raises an urgent need for the devel-opment of effective drugs against the deadly disease.SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 14 (NSP14)carrying RNA cap guanine N7-methyltransferase and 3'-5'exoribonuclease activities could be a potential drug target for intervention.NSP14 of SARS-CoV-2 shares 98.7％ of similarity with the one (PDB 5NFY) of acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) by ClustalW.Then,the SARS-CoV-2 NSP14 structures were modelled by Modeller 9.18 using SARS NSP14 (PDB 5NFY) as template for virtual screening.Based on the docking score from AutoDock Vina1.1.2,18 small molecule drugs were selected for further evaluation.Based on the 5 ns MD simulation trajectory,binding free energy (AG) was calculated by MM/GBSA method.The calculated binding free energies of Saquinavir,Hypericin,Baicalein and Bromocriptine for the N-terminus of the homology model were-37.2711 ± 3.2160,-30.1746 ± 3.1914,-23.8953 ± 4.4800,and-34.1350 ± 4.3683 kcal/mol,respectively,while the calculated binding free energies were-60.2757 ± 4.7708,-30.9955 ± 2.9975,-46.3099 ± 3.5689,and-59.8104 ± 3.5389 kcal/mol,respectively,when binding to the C-terminus.Thus,the compounds including Saquinavir,Hypericin,Baicalein and Bromocriptine could bind to the N-terminus and C-terminus of the homology model of the SARS-CoV-2 NSP14,providing a candidate drug against SARS-CoV-2 for further study.

Replication of hepatitis E virus in the ovary and promotion of oocyte apoptosis in rabbits infected with HEV-4.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can induce infertility and miscarriage in pregnant women and infect neonates through vertical transmission. However, the mechanism of infertility and vertical transmission remains unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the replication of HEV in the ovary and structural and molecular changes induced by HEV after intraperitoneal injection of HEV in rabbits. Positive- and negative-strand HEV RNA was detected in the ovaries at 28 and 49 days post-infection. Positive HEV open reading frames 2 and 3 signals were observed in the ovaries by immunohistochemistry staining. Histopathological changes of ovarian tissues were observed, including scattered cell necrosis and lymphocyte infiltration. The ratio of normal follicles decreased, whereas the ratio of atresia follicles increased in the HEV RNA-positive ovaries compared to the control group by counting the number of follicles at all levels. In addition, TUNEL results showed that apoptosis in follicle cells and oocytes was promoted by HEV infection. These results suggest that the ovary is one of the replication sites of HEV and that the expression of HEV RNA and antigen in ovarian tissue caused structural and molecular changes that promoted germ cell apoptosis. HEV can infect and replicate in the ovum at different stages, which is a novel mechanism for HEV vertical transmission.

Fabrication of antireflective sub-wavelength structures on silicon nitride using nano cluster mask for solar cell application.

We have developed a simple and scalable approach for fabricating sub-wavelength structures (SWS) on silicon nitride by means of self-assembled nickel nanoparticle masks and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) ion etching. Silicon nitride SWS surfaces with diameter of 160-200 nm and a height of 140-150 nm were obtained. A low reflectivity below 1% was observed over wavelength from 590 to 680 nm. Using the measured reflectivity data in PC1D, the solar cell characteristics has been compared for single layer anti-reflection (SLAR) coatings and SWS and a 0.8% improvement in efficiency has been seen.