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\"Gives readers a detailed understanding of adsorption refrigeration technology, with a focus on practical applications and environmental concerns. Systematically covering the technology of adsorption refrigeration, this book provides readers with a technical understanding of the topic as well as detailed information on the state-of-the-art from leading researchers in the field. Introducing readers to background on the development of adsorption refrigeration, the authors also cover the development of adsorbents, various thermodynamic theories, the design of adsorption systems and adsorption refrigeration cycles. The book guides readers through the research process, covering key aspects such as: the principle of adsorption refrigeration; choosing adsorbents according to different characteristics; thermodynamic equations; methods for the design of heat exchangers for adsorbers; and the advanced adsorption cycles needed. It is also valuable as a reference for professionals working in these areas. Covers state-of-the art of adsorption research and technologies for relevant applications, working from adsorption working pairs through to the application of adsorption refrigeration technology for low grade heat recovery. Assesses sustainable alternatives to traditional refrigeration methods, such as the application of adsorption refrigeration systems for solar energy and waste heat Includes a key chapter on the design of adsorption refrigeration systems as a tutorial for readers new to the topic; the calculation models for different components and working processes are also included. Takes real-world examples giving an insight into existing products and installations and enabling readers to apply the knowledge to their own work. Target audience: Academics researching low grade energy utilization and refrigeration; Graduate students of refrigeration and low grade energy utilization; Experienced engineers wanting to renew knowledge of adsorption technology; Engineers working at companies developing adsorption chillers; Graduate students working on thermally driven systems; Advanced undergraduates for the Refrigeration Principle as a part of thermal driven refrigeration technology\"--

The codependency of cholesterol metabolism sustains the malignant progression of glioblastoma (GBM) and effective therapeutics remain scarce. In orthotopic GBM models in male mice, we identify that codependent cholesterol metabolism in tumors induces phagocytic dysfunction in monocyte-derived tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), resulting in disease progression. Manipulating cholesterol efflux with apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), a cholesterol reverse transporter, restores TAM phagocytosis and reactivates TAM-T cell antitumor immunity. Cholesterol metabolomics analysis of in vivo-sorted TAMs further reveals that ApoA1 mediates lipid-related metabolic remodeling and lowers 7-ketocholesterol levels, which directly inhibits tumor necrosis factor signaling in TAMs through mitochondrial translation inhibition. An ApoA1-armed oncolytic adenovirus is also developed, which restores antitumor immunity and elicits long-term tumor-specific immune surveillance. Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms by which cholesterol metabolism impairs antitumor immunity in GBM and offer an immunometabolic approach to target cholesterol disturbances in GBM. Glioblastoma (GBM) cells are metabolically dependent on exogenous cholesterol uptake and targeting cholesterol metabolism has been proposed as a therapeutic option for GBM. Here the authors show that cholesterol promotes phagocytic dysfunction in tumor associated macrophages and they develop an Apo-A1 armed oncolytic adenovirus restoring anti-tumor immunity in GBM preclinical models.

Background Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most prevalent eye conditions globally. While the harmful effects of air pollution on DED are well-documented, the role of temperature—an important factor linked to climate change—remains less understood. Green spaces have been identified as a potential way to reduce health risks from climate change, yet few studies have examined their combined influence on DED. Methods A time-stratified case-crossover study was conducted using data of 71,069 first-time outpatient visits for DED at Peking University People’s Hospital in Beijing, from January 2012, to October 2022. We analyzed the linear association between daily average temperature and DED using a conditional logistic regression model and developed a non-linear exposure-response function linking DED to temperature exposure. Participants’ normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was estimated and used to represent greenness exposure, and a novel varying-coefficient model was used to explore the non-linear modifying effects of greenness exposure on the temperature-DED association. Results Our findings indicate a positive association between temperature and DED, with a 0.8% excess risk (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4%, 1.2%) for per 1 °C increment in temperature. Residential greenness appeared to have a protective effect against temperature-related DED. Participants living in areas with the lowest NDVI were the most vulnerable, experiencing a 1.8% excess risk (95% CI 1.1%, 2.5%) of temperature-related DED, while no significant temperature effect was observed in areas with high NDVI. The varying-coefficient model suggests a sublinear curve for the protective modifying effect of greenness on the population vulnerability to temperature. Conclusion High temperatures were linked to an increased risk of DED, while residential greenness provided a protective buffer against temperature-related risks. These results highlight the need for urban planning and public health strategies that incorporate green spaces to help mitigate the growing burden of DED in the context of climate change.

Physical frailty is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment. However, its impact on sustained cognitive processing as evaluated by intraindividual variability (IIV), and factors beneficial to IIV in physically frail older adults remain unexplored. This study aimed to quantify differences in IIV between older adults with and without physical frailty, and examine whether education facilitated maintenance of IIV. This cross-sectional study included 121 community-dwelling older adults 65-90 years with/without physical frailty (PF and non-PF; n = 41 and n = 80 respectively). Physical frailty was determined via Short Physical Performance Battery. Dispersion across the seven components of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was computed to ascertain IIV. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to determine group differences in total score and IIV. Four moderation models were constructed to test the effects of education on age-total score and age-IIV relationships in PF and non-PF. Compared with non-PF, PF showed greater IIV (p = .022; partial η² =  0.044). Among PF, education moderated age-total score (R-sq =  0.084, F =  5.840, p <  0.021) and age-IIV (R-sq =  0.101, F =  7.454, p =  0.010) relationships. IIV increased with age for those with five years (β =  0.313, p =  0.006) or no formal education (β =  0.610, p =  0.001). Greater than seven years of education (β =  0.217, p =  0.050) may be required to maintain IIV at older age. IIV may be a sensitive method to differentiate physically frail older adults. Additionally, perceived cognitive benefits of education may be dependent on physical functioning.

Paring seawater electrolyte with zinc metal electrode has emerged as one of the most sustainable alternative solutions for offshore stationary energy storages owing to the intrinsic safety, extremely low cost, and unlimited water source. However, it remains a substantial challenge to stabilize zinc metal negative electrode in seawater electrolyte, given the presence of chloride ions and complex cations in seawater. Here, we reveal that chloride pitting initiates negative electrode corrosion and aggravates dendritic deposition, causing rapid battery failure. We then report a charge gradient negative electrode interface design that eliminates chloride-induced corrosion and enables a sustainable zinc plating/stripping performance beyond 1300 h in natural seawater electrolyte at 1 mA cm -2 /1 mAh cm -2 . The gradually strengthened negative charges formed via diffusion-controlled electrostatic complexation of biomass-derived polysaccharides serve to repel the unfavorable accumulation of chloride ions while simultaneously accelerating the diffusion of zinc ions. The seawater-based Zn | |NaV 3 O 8 ·7H 2 O cell delivers an initial areal discharge capacity of 5 mAh cm -2 and operates over 500 cycles at 500 mA g -1 . Seawater electrolytes provide a sustainable option for aqueous zinc batteries but challenge the stability of zinc metal electrodes. Here, authors elucidate the zinc electrode failure mechanisms and propose a charge gradient interface strategy to stabilize the zinc electrode in seawater electrolytes.

Double helical conformation of polymer chains is widely observed in biomacromolecules and plays an essential role in exerting their biological functions, such as molecular recognition and information storage. It has remained challenging, however, to prepare synthetic helical polymers, and those that exist have mainly been limited to single-stranded polymers or short oligomeric double helices. Here, we report the synthesis of covalent helical polymers, with a high molecular weight, from the achiral monomer hexahydroxytriphenylene through to spiroborate formation. Polymerization and crystallization occurred simultaneously under solvothermal conditions to form single crystals of the resulting helical covalent polymers. Characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction showed that each crystal consisted of pairs of mechanically entwined polymers. No strong non-covalent interactions were observed between the two helical polymers that formed a pair; instead, each strand interacted with neighbouring pairs through hydrogen bonding. Each individual crystal was made up of helical polymers of the same handedness, but the crystallization process produced a racemic conglomerate, with equal amounts of right-handed and left-handed crystals.Single crystals of a helical covalent polymer have been obtained from an achiral monomer through spiroborate formation. Polymerization and crystallization occur simultaneously to give a network of pairs of entwined helical strands of the same handedness. No strong non-covalent interactions were observed between the two helical polymers forming a pair; instead, each interacts with neighbouring pairs through hydrogen bonding.

Single-cell genomics is essential to chart tumor ecosystems. Although single-cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) profiles RNA from cells dissociated from fresh tumors, single-nucleus RNA-Seq (snRNA-Seq) is needed to profile frozen or hard-to-dissociate tumors. Each requires customization to different tissue and tumor types, posing a barrier to adoption. Here, we have developed a systematic toolbox for profiling fresh and frozen clinical tumor samples using scRNA-Seq and snRNA-Seq, respectively. We analyzed 216,490 cells and nuclei from 40 samples across 23 specimens spanning eight tumor types of varying tissue and sample characteristics. We evaluated protocols by cell and nucleus quality, recovery rate and cellular composition. scRNA-Seq and snRNA-Seq from matched samples recovered the same cell types, but at different proportions. Our work provides guidance for studies in a broad range of tumors, including criteria for testing and selecting methods from the toolbox for other tumors, thus paving the way for charting tumor atlases.

Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), a tumor-derived immune component, is proven to be closely related to the development, metastasis, and recurrence of tumors. Gut microbiota and its fermented-metabolites short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) play a critical role in maintaining the immune homeostasis of gastrointestinal tumors. Consisting mainly of acetate, propionate, and butyrate, SCFAs can interact with G protein-coupled receptors 43 of T helper 1 cell or restrain histone deacetylases (HDACs) of cytotoxic T lymphocytes to exert immunotherapy effects. Studies have shed light on SCFAs can mediate the differentiation and function of regulatory T cells, as well as cytokine production in TIME. Additionally, SCFAs can alter epigenetic modification of CD8 + T cells by inhibiting HDACs to participate in the immune response process. In gastrointestinal tumors, the abundance of SCFAs and their producing bacteria is significantly reduced. Direct supplementation of dietary fiber and probiotics, or fecal microbiota transplantation to change the structure of gut microbiota can both increase the level of SCFAs and inhibit tumor development. The mechanism by which SCFAs modulate the progression of gastrointestinal tumors has been elucidated in this review, aiming to provide prospects for the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies.

A low-input Hi-C method is used to show that chromatin organization is markedly relaxed in pre-implantation mouse embryos after fertilization and that the subsequent maturation of 3D chromatin architecture is surprisingly slow. Early development chromatin reorganization In mammals, chromatin undergoes reorganization after fertilization, but little is known about the molecular basis for reprogramming of higher-order chromatin structure. Here, Wei Xie and colleagues have developed a low-input Hi-C approach, which they apply to examine chromatin organization in mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos. They find that chromatin has markedly reduced higher-order structure for both parental genomes after fertilization. Topological associated domain boundaries and chromatin compartments start to emerge in zygotes but the subsequent maturation of three-dimensional chromatin architecture is surprisingly slow. In mammals, chromatin organization undergoes drastic reprogramming after fertilization 1 . However, the three-dimensional structure of chromatin and its reprogramming in preimplantation development remain poorly understood. Here, by developing a low-input Hi-C (genome-wide chromosome conformation capture) approach, we examined the reprogramming of chromatin organization during early development in mice. We found that oocytes in metaphase II show homogeneous chromatin folding that lacks detectable topologically associating domains (TADs) and chromatin compartments. Strikingly, chromatin shows greatly diminished higher-order structure after fertilization. Unexpectedly, the subsequent establishment of chromatin organization is a prolonged process that extends through preimplantation development, as characterized by slow consolidation of TADs and segregation of chromatin compartments. The two sets of parental chromosomes are spatially separated from each other and display distinct compartmentalization in zygotes. Such allele separation and allelic compartmentalization can be found as late as the 8-cell stage. Finally, we show that chromatin compaction in preimplantation embryos can partially proceed in the absence of zygotic transcription and is a multi-level hierarchical process. Taken together, our data suggest that chromatin may exist in a markedly relaxed state after fertilization, followed by progressive maturation of higher-order chromatin architecture during early development.

Solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs) are recognized as attractive candidates to realize safe and high‐energy‐density lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, the practical application of SSEs still faces challenges such as insufficient room‐temperature ionic conductivity, unsatisfactory mechanical properties, and large internal resistance. Extensive research efforts have been made to explore new electrochemistry and technologies to address those challenges. Among them, the construction of order‐structured SSEs has emerged as a promising strategy. The anisotropic behavior induced by the orientation offers SSEs with desired properties targeting specific functions, and therefore the rational design of the order‐structured SSE provides an alternative solution to achieve an ideal SSE. This review discusses the structure‐property correlation of SSEs, and then summarizes the design strategies to construct order‐structured SSEs. Finally, the current challenges and possible future research directions for order‐structured SSEs for scalable high‐energy‐density LMBs are presented. The rational design of the order‐structured solid‐state electrolyte (SSE) provides an effective solution to achieving an ideal SSE because the anisotropic behavior induced by the orientation offers SSEs with desired properties targeting specific functions. This review discusses the structure‐property correlation of SSEs and then summarizes the design strategies to construct order‐structured SSEs. Finally, the current challenges and possible future research directions for order‐structured SSEs for scalable high‐energy‐density batteries are presented.