Grid cells

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) directly using zinc metal anodes are promising candidates for grid-scale energy storage systems due to their intrinsic high theoretical capacity, high safety, and environmental friendliness. However, the uncontrolled dendrite growth and water-triggered side reactions seriously plague its practical application. Herein, a cost-effective and green additive, maltodextrin (MD) is presented, to simultaneously guide the smooth Zn deposition and inhibit the occurrence of water-related side reactions...

The treatment of bone tissue defects remains a complicated clinical challenge. Recently, the bone tissue engineering (BTE) technology has become an important therapeutic approach for bone defect repair. Researchers have improved the scaffolds, cells, and bioactive factors used in BTE through various existing bone repair material preparation strategies. However, due to insufficient vascularization, inadequate degradation, and fibrous wrapping, most BTE scaffolds impede new bone ingrowth and the reconstruction of grid-like connections in the middle and late stages of bone repair...

Tailorable lithium (Li) nucleation and uniform early-stage plating is essential for long lifespan Li metal batteries. Among factors influencing the early plating of Li anode, the substrate is critical, but a fine control of the substrate structure on a scale of ∼10 nm has been rarely achieved. Herein, we prepare a carbon consisting of ordered grids, as a model to investigate the effect of substrate structure on the Li nucleation. In contrast to the individual spherical Li nuclei formed on the flat graphene, an ultra-uniform and nuclei-free Li plating is obtained on the ordered carbon with a grid size smaller than the thermodynamical critical radius of Li nucleation (∼26 nm)...

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology holds tremendous promise as a sustainable power source for underwater off-grid systems. However, research on underwater OPV cells is relatively scarce. Here, we address this gap by focusing on the exploration and development of OPV cells specifically designed for underwater applications. An acceptor, named ITO-4Cl, with excellent water resistance was rationally designed and synthesized. Benefiting from its low energetic disorder and an absorption spectrum well-suited to the underwater environment, the ITO-4Cl-based OPV cell achieves an unprecedented power conversion efficiency (PCE) of over 25...

Nonaqueous organic redox flow batteries (N-ORFBs) are a promising technology for grid-scale storage of energy generated from intermittent renewable sources. Their primary benefit over traditional aqueous RFBs is the wide electrochemical stability window of organic solvents, but the design of catholyte materials, which can exploit the upper range of this window, has proven challenging. We report herein a new class of N-ORFB catholytes in the form of squaric acid quinoxaline (SQX) and squaric acid amide (SQA) materials...

BACKGROUND: It is always a challenging job to compare forest resources as there is not a standardized spatial unit with location information. Google Plus Code, the newest alphanumeric geocoding system, uses 20 specifically selected letters and numbers to assign a unique global ID to every cell at different levels of a hierarchical grid system which is established based on latitude and longitude. It can be used as a standardized, unique global geospatial unit to segment, locate, quantitate, evaluate, and compare natural resources with area, boundary, and location information embedded...

This research focuses on modeling heat transfer in heterogeneous media composed of stacked spheres of paraffin as a perspective polymeric phase-change material. The main goal is to study the requirements of the numerical scheme to correctly predict the thermal conductivity in a periodic system composed of an indefinitely repeated configuration of spherical particles subjected to a temperature gradient. Based on OpenFOAM, a simulation platform is created with which the resolution requirements for accurate heat transfer predictions were inferred systematically...

An efficient path integral (PI) model for the accurate analysis of curved dielectric structures on coarse grids via the two-dimensional nonstandard finite-difference time-domain (NS-FDTD) technique is introduced in this paper. In contrast to previous PI implementations of the perfectly electric conductor case, which accommodates orthogonal cells in the vicinity of curved surfaces, the novel PI model employs the occupation ratio of dielectrics in the necessary cells, providing thus a straightforward and instructive means to treat an assortment of practical applications...

This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of a hybrid energy system that integrates wind turbines with photovoltaics (PVs) to address the intermittent nature of electricity production from these sources. The necessity for such technology arises from the sporadic nature of electricity generated by PV cells and wind turbines. The envisioned outcome is an emissions-free, more efficient alternative to traditional energy sources. A variety of optimization techniques are utilized, specifically the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm and Electric Eel Foraging Optimization (EEFO), to achieve optimal power regulation and seamless integration with the public grid, as well as to mitigate anticipated loading issues...

PURPOSE: Danio rerio zebrafish constitute a popular model for studying lens development and congenital cataracts. However, the specific deletion of a gene with a Cre/LoxP system in the zebrafish lens is unavailable because of the lack of a lens-Cre-transgenic zebrafish. This study aimed to generate a transgenic zebrafish line in which Cre recombinase was specifically expressed in the lens. METHODS: The pTol2 cryaa :Cre-polyA- cryaa :EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) plasmid was constructed and co-injected with Tol2-transposase into one-to-two-cell-stage wild-type (WT) zebrafish embryos...

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are attractive post-lithium battery technologies for grid-scale energy storage because of their inherent safety, low cost and high theoretical capacity. However, their practical implementation in wide-temperature surroundings persistently confronts irregular zinc electrodeposits and parasitic side reactions on metal anode, which leads to poor rechargeability, low Coulombic efficiency and short lifespan. Here we report lamellar nanoporous Cu/Al2 Cu heterostructure electrode as a promising anode host material to regulate high-efficiency and dendrite-free zinc electrodeposition and stripping for wide-temperatures aqueous zinc-ion batteries...

CONTEXT: In this paper, the optimum coverage of 4.44% and the optimum adsorption sites were determined for the Be3 N2 adsorption system of O atoms at different coverages based on density functional theory. The electronic and optical properties of the model were investigated by applying bending deformation to the model at these coverage and adsorption sites. Adsorption of O atoms disrupts the geometrical symmetry of Be3 N2 , resulting in orbital rehybridization and lowering its band gap...

Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (PAS) is a potential method for the noninvasive detection of blood glucose. However random blood glucose testing can help to diagnose diabetes at an early stage and is crucial for managing and preventing complications with diabetes. In order to improve the diagnosis, control, and treatment of Diabetes Mellitus, an appropriate approach of noninvasive random blood glucose is required for glucose monitoring. A polynomial kernel-based ridge regression is proposed in this paper to detect random blood glucose accurately using PAS...

This paper presents the first classical Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) that can be applied directly to data from unstructured finite element meshes or control volume grids. CNNs have been hugely influential in the areas of image classification and image compression, both of which typically deal with data on structured grids. Unstructured meshes are frequently used to solve partial differential equations and are particularly suitable for problems that require the mesh to conform to complex geometries or for problems that require variable mesh resolution...

Cryogels exhibit unique shape memory with full recovery and structural stability features after multiple injections. These constructs also possess enhanced cell permeability and nutrient diffusion when compared to typical bulk hydrogels. Volumetric processing of cryogels functionalized with nanosized units has potential to widen their biomedical applications, however this has remained challenging and relatively underexplored. In this study, we report a novel methodology that combines suspension 3D printing with directional freezing for the fabrication of nanocomposite cryogels with configurable anisotropy...

Ischemic stroke is the leading cause of adult disability. Ischemia leads to progressive neuronal death and synapse loss. The engulfment of stressed synapses by microglia further contributes to the disruption of the surviving neuronal network and related brain function. Unfortunately, there is currently no effective target for suppressing the microglia-mediated synapse engulfment. Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an important participant in innate immune response. In the brain, microglia are the primary cell type that mediate immune response after brain insult...

CONTEXT: The crystal and molecular structure, electronic properties, optical parameters, and elastic properties of a 1:2 hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20)/2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole (MMI) cocrystal under 0 ~ 100 GPa hydrostatic pressure were calculated. The results show that the cocrystal CL-20/MMI undergoes three structural transitions at 72 GPa, 95 GPa, and 97 GPa, respectively, and the structural transition occurs in the part of the MMI compound. Structural mutations formed new bonds S1-S2, C2-C7, and N1C5 at 72GPa, 95 GPa, and 97 GPa, respectively...

The relation between the processing of space and time in the brain has been an enduring cross-disciplinary question. Grid cells have been recognized as a hallmark of the mammalian navigation system, with recent studies attesting to their involvement in the organization of conceptual knowledge in humans. To determine whether grid-cell-like representations support temporal processing, we asked subjects to mentally simulate changes in age and time-of-day, each constituting "trajectory" in an age-day space, while undergoing fMRI...

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are membrane-separated rechargeable flow cells with redox electrolytes, offering the potential for large-scale energy storage and supporting renewable energy grids. Yet, creating a cost-effective, high-performance RFB system is challenging. In this work, we investigate an Fe/Mn RFB alkaline system based on the [(TEA)Fe-O-Fe(TEA)]3-/4- and MnO4 -/2- redox couples with a theoretical cell voltage of ∼1.43 V. This combination has not been systematically studied previously, but it can lead to a very low-cost and sustainable materials for high energy storage...

Replacement teeth develop from the successional dental lamina (SDL). Understanding how SDL transitions from quiescence to initiation is crucial for preserving dental lamina stem cells in the jawbone microenvironment and for complete tooth regeneration. Miniature pigs are good models for studying human tooth replacement because of their similarities to humans. However, the molecular mechanisms and cellular composition that initiate SDL development remain unclear. One possible reason for this is the limitations of the current methods for culturing SDL in vitro, such as the inability to directly observe tooth morphological changes during culture and low tissue viability...