A Stable Lithium-Oxygen Battery Electrolyte Based on Fully Methylated Cyclic Ether.

Ether-based electrolytes are commonly used in Li-O2 batteries (LOBs) because of their relatively high stability. But they are still prone to be attacked by superoxides or singlet oxygen via hydrogen abstract reactions, which leads to performance decaying during long-term operation. Herein we propose a methylated cyclic ether, 2,2,4,4,5,5-hexamethyl-1,3-dioxolane (HMD), as a stable electrolyte solvent for LOBs. Such a compound does not contain any hydrogen atoms on the alpha-carbon of the ether, and thus avoids hydrogen abstraction reactions. As the result, this solvent exhibits excellent stability with the presence of superoxide or singlet oxygen. In addition the CO2 evolution during charge process is prohibited. The LOB with HMD-based electrolyte was able to run up to 157 cycles, 4 times more than with 1,3-dioxolane (DOL) or 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) based electrolytes.

The extremely low-frequency magnetic field exposure differently affects the AMPAR and NMDAR subunit expressions in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex and prefrontal cortex without effects on the rat spatial learning and memory.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic exposure (14 and 28 days) to a 50 Hz, 0.5 mT extremely low-frequency magnetic field (ELF-MF) on the NMDAR and AMPAR subunit expressions and rat spatial learning and memory. Using the Western blotting method, we found ELF-MF exposure specifically decreased the expressions of GluA2 in the EC post 28 day exposure and GluA3 of AMPAR subunits in the PFC after 14 day exposure, while it did not affect the AMPAR subunit expression in the hippocampus at both time points. As for NMDAR subunits, 14 day ELF-MF exposure significantly increased the levels of GluN2A and GluN2B in the hippocampus. Moreover, the levels of GluN1 and GluN2A were enhanced in the EC and PFC after two weeks of ELF-MF exposure. Interestingly, 28 day ELF-MF exposure induced a different expression pattern for NMDAR subunits. The increased GluN2A expression observed at 14 day post ELF-MF exposure was recovered after prolonged exposure in the hippocampus and PFC. In the EC, the increased expression of GluN1 achieved to control level and, specifically, a decrease in GluN2A level was observed. Surprisingly, neither 14 nor 28 day ELF-MF did affect the rat spatial reference memory as assessed by water maze. These results indicate that the dynamic and brain-region specific changes in ionotropic glutamate receptor expression induced by ELF-MF are insufficient to influence the rat spatial learning ability.

Phase-Selective Synthesis of Cobalt Sulfide Heterostructure Catalysts as Efficient Counter Electrodes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Developing a cost-saving, high-efficiency, and simple synthesis of counter electrode (CE) material to replace pricy Pt for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has become a research hotspot. Owing to the electronic coupling effects between various components, semiconductor heterostructures can significantly enhance the catalytic performance and endurance of counter electrodes. However, the strategy to controllably synthesize the same element in several phase heterostructures used as the CE in DSSCs is still absent. Here, we fabricate well-defined CoS2 /CoS heterostructures and use them as CE catalysts in DSSCs. The as-designed CoS2 /CoS heterostructures display high catalytic performance and endurance for the triiodide reduction in DSSCs thanks to the combined and synergistic effects. As a result, a DSSC with CoS2 /CoS achieves a high energy conversion with an efficiency of 9.47 % under standard simulated solar radiation, surpassing that of pristine Pt-based CE (9.20 %). Besides, the CoS2 /CoS heterostructures possess a quick activity initiation process and extended stability, broadening their potential applications in various areas. Therefore, our proposed synthetic approach could offer new insights for synthesizing functional heterostructure materials with improved catalytic activities in DSSCs.

Protecting the Li-Metal Anode in a Li-O2 Battery by using Boric Acid as an SEI-Forming Additive.

The Li-O2 battery (LOB) is considered as a promising next-generation energy storage device because of its high theoretic specific energy. To make a practical rechargeable LOB, it is necessary to ensure the stability of the Li anode in an oxygen atmosphere, which is extremely challenging. In this work, an effective Li-anode protection strategy is reported by using boric acid (BA) as a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) forming additive. With the assistance of BA, a continuous and compact SEI film is formed on the Li-metal surface in an oxygen atmosphere, which can significantly reduce unwanted side reactions and suppress the growth of Li dendrites. Such an SEI film mainly consists of nanocrystalline lithium borates connected with amorphous borates, carbonates, fluorides, and some organic compounds. It is ionically conductive and mechanically stronger than conventional SEI layer in common Li-metal-based batteries. With these benefits, the cycle life of LOB is elongated more than sixfold.

Short-term sleep deprivation disrupts the molecular composition of ionotropic glutamate receptors in entorhinal cortex and impairs the rat spatial reference memory.

Numerous studies reported that sleep deprivation (SD) causes impairment in spatial cognitive performance. However, the molecular mechanisms affected by SD underlying this behavioral phenomenon remain elusive. Here, we focused on the entorhinal cortex (EC), the gateway of the hippocampus, and investigated how SD affected the subunit expression of AMPARs and NMDARs, the main ionotropic glutamategic receptors serving a pivotal role in spatial cognition. In EC, we found 4h SD remarkably reduced surface expression of GluA1, while there was an increase in the surface expression of GluA2 and GluA3. As for NMDARs, SD with short duration significantly reduced the surface expression levels of GluN1 and GluN2B without effect on the GluN2A. In parallel with the alterations in AMPARs and NMDARs, we found the 4h SD impaired rat spatial reference memory as assessed by Morris water maze task. Overall, these data indicate that brief SD differently affects the AMPAR and NMDAR subunit expressions in EC and might consequently disrupt the composition and functional properties of these receptors.

Short-term sleep deprivation impairs spatial working memory and modulates expression levels of ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits in hippocampus.

Hippocampus-dependent learning memory is sensitive to sleep deprivation (SD). Although the ionotropic glutamate receptors play a vital role in synaptic plasticity and learning and memory, however, whether the expression of these receptor subunits is modulated by sleep loss remains unclear. In the present study, western blotting was performed by probing with specific antibodies against the ionotropic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunits GluA1, GluA2, GluA3, and against the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor subunits GluN1, GluN2A, GluN2B. In hippocampus, down regulation of surface GluA1 and GluN2A surface expression were observed in both SD groups. However, surface expression level of GluA2, GluA3, GluN1 and GluN2B was significantly up-regulated in 8h-SD rats when compared to the 4h-SD rats. In parallel with the complex changes in AMPA and NMDA receptor subunit expressions, we found the 8h-SD impaired rat spatial working memory in 30-s-delay T-maze task, whereas no impairment of spatial learning was observed in 4h-SD rats. These results indicate that sleep loss alters the relative expression levels of the AMPA and NMDA receptors, thus affects the synaptic strength and capacity for plasticity and partially contributes to spatial memory impairment.

Synthesis, properties, and structures of functionalized peri-xanthenoxanthene.

Three types of alkylated peri-xanthenoxanthene (PXX) have been synthesized employing efficient synthetic routes. These heteroaromatic compounds exhibited different electronic and crystal structures according to UV-vis spectra, electrochemical measurements, and X-ray structural analyses. Among them, 1,7-DOPXX has been demonstrated as an active material for organic field-effect transistors with promising mobility and a high on/off ratio simultaneously.

Multi-center, multi-topic heart sound databases and their applications.

This paper describes a large resource of multi-center and multi-topic heart sound databases, which were based on the measured data from more than 9,000 heart sound samples (saved in WAV file format). According to different research topics, these samples were respectively stored in different folders (corresponding to different research topics and distributed over various cooperative research centers), most of which as subfolds were stored in a pooled folder in the principal center. According to different research topics, the measured data from these samples were used to create different databases. Relevant data for a specific topic can be pooled in a large database for further analysis. This resource is shared by members of related centers for their own specific topic. The applications of this resource include evaluation of cardiac safety of pregnant women, evaluation of cardiac reserve for children, athletes, addicts, astronauts, and general populations, as well as studies on a bedside method for evaluating cardiac energy, reversal of S1-S2 ratio, etc.

Short-term sleep deprivation increases intrinsic excitability of prefrontal cortical neurons.

Short-term sleep deprivation (SD) has been shown to enhance cortical activity. However, alterations in the cellular excitability of cortical neurons following SD are not yet fully understood. The present study investigated the effects of 4-hour SD on pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats using whole-cell patch-clamp recording. SD led to an increase in the initial slope of firing frequency-current curve and a decrease in frequency adaptation, which were reversed by recovery sleep (RS). Correspondingly, the total afterhyperpolarization (AHP) was reduced in the SD group and returned in the RS group. Furthermore, the component of AHP changed after SD seemed to be sensitive to Ca(2+). These observations indicate an enhancement in intrinsic excitability due to short-term SD, and suggest a role for Ca(2+)-dependent AHP in this change. The findings of the present study may provide a possible explanation for the SD-induced increase in cortical activity.

[Research on a new method and index for evaluating cardiac function of the athletes].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the new indexes and new methods for the noninvasive measuring and evaluating cardiac function detection of the athletes. METHODS: Heart sound signals were sampled randomly from 81 students in physical education department (experiment group) and 41 students in general departments (control group) after completing designed workload during step-climbing exercise, the contrast study on heart rate, D/S ratio as well as the S1/S2 ratio of students from physical education and general department has been conducted. RESULTS: In the resting state, the physical education department students' heart rate and D/S ratio was 66 +/- 8.7 and 2.04 +/- 0.33 respectively; general department students' heart rate and D/S ratio was 71 +/- 8.0 and 1.82 +/- 0.27 respectively. In the whole exercise, the physical education department students S1/S2 ratio was 7.34 +/- 4.04; general department students S1/S2 ratio was 5.22 +/- 2.38. CONCLUSION: Students from physical education department have higher level of cardiac reserve than that of students from general department. The method can evaluate cardiac reserve for athletes and general persons, and provide a new quantity evaluation index for selecting athletes and evaluating cardiac function of general persons.