Lithium Doping to Enhance Thermoelectric Performance of MgAgSb with Weak Electron–Phonon Coupling

Despite the unfavorable band structure with twofold degeneracy at the valence band maximum, MgAgSb is still an excellent p‐type thermoelectric material for applications near room temperature. The intrinsically weak electron–phonon coupling, reflected by the low deformation potential E_def ≈ 6.3 eV, plays a crucial role in the relatively high power factor of MgAgSb. More importantly, Li is successfully doped into Mg site to tune the carrier concentration, leading to the resistivity reduction by a factor of 3 and a consequent increase in power factor by ≈30% at 300 K. Low lattice thermal conductivity can be simultaneously achieved by all‐scale hierarchical phonon scattering architecture including high density of dislocations and nanoscale stacking faults, nanoinclusions, and multiscale grain boundaries. Collectively, much higher average power factor ≈25 μW cm^?1 K^?2 with a high average ZT ≈ 1.1 from 300 to 548 K is achieved for 0.01 Li doping, which would result in a high output power density ≈1.56 W cm^?2 and leg efficiency ≈9.2% by calculations assuming cold‐side temperature T_c = 323 K, hot‐side temperature T_h = 548 K, and leg length = 2 mm.     

Improved production of citric acid by Yarrowia lipolytica using oleic acid as the oxygen‐vector and co‐substrate

Yarrowia lipolytica is able to secrete large amounts of citric acid (CA), which is greatly affected by the dissolved oxygen concentration (DOC) in the fermentation medium. In this study, oleic acid was selected as oxygen‐vector to improve DOC during CA fermentation. When 2% (v/v) of oleic acid was added to the culture broth, higher DOC (>42.1%) was determined throughout the CA synthesis phase. The yield of CA reached a maximum of 32.1 g/L (25.4% higher than the control) and the biomass was 8.8 g/L. The substrate uptake rate, products formation rate and key enzyme activities were also determined, and the results indicated that CA synthesis was strengthened with oleic acid addition. Furthermore, it was detected that oleic acid could be assimilated by the cells, which means that oleic acid could be served both as oxygen‐vector and co‐substrate for CA synthesis by Y. lipolytica. In a bioreactor with working volume of 3 L, the highest concentration of CA reached to 36. 4 g/L in the presence of 2% (v/v) oleic acid after 192 h of fermentation. These results confirmed that oleic acid could be applied in the large‐scale production of CA by Y. lipolytica.     

Bst DNA聚合酶大片段在全基因组扩增中的应用

Bst DNA聚合酶大片段作为一种常用的DNA聚合酶,因其独特的特点:能引发链置换反应、高保真、耐高温等,而成为一种重要的DNA多重置换扩增酶。目的:为减少成本,设计一种高产,方便且扩增活性高的Bst DNA聚合酶大片段表达体系;探究该酶应用于胃癌石蜡包埋组织基因组DNA的扩增条件。方法:采用p TWIN1质粒作为载体克隆表达Bst DNA聚合酶大片段,应用几丁质亲和层析柱纯化该酶,使用该酶对人类基因组DNA进行不同温度下扩增,探究其最适反应温度,并据此对胃癌石蜡包埋组织基因组DNA进行扩增。结果:由此得到的Bst DNA聚合酶大片段能运用于胃癌石蜡包埋组织基因组DNA的扩增,扩增效率可达200倍,并能应用于a CGH芯片。结论:扩增得到保真性高,覆盖基因组范围大的DNA扩增产物。该应用与a CGH结合,使得对少量的癌症石蜡包埋组织DNA样本进行全基因组扩增,并进行其基因拷贝数变异研究成为可能。     

Oral Administration of p-Hydroxycinnamic Acid Attenuates Atopic Dermatitis by Downregulating Th1 and Th2 Cytokine Production and Keratinocyte Activation

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex disease that is caused by various factors, including environmental change, genetic defects, and immune imbalance. We previously showed that p-hydroxycinnamic acid (HCA) isolated from the roots of Curcuma longa inhibits T-cell activation without inducing cell death. Here, we demonstrated that oral administration of HCA in a mouse model of ear AD attenuates the following local and systemic AD manifestations: ear thickening, immune-cell infiltration, production of AD-promoting immunoregulatory cytokines in ear tissues, increased spleen and draining lymph node size and weight, increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production by draining lymph nodes, and elevated serum immunoglobulin production. HCA treatment of CD4⁺ T cells in vitro suppressed their proliferation and differentiation into Th1 or Th2 and their Th1 and Th2 cytokine production. HCA treatment of keratinocytes lowered their production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines that drive either Th1 or Th2 responses in AD. Thus, HCA may be of therapeutic potential for AD as it acts by suppressing keratinocyte activation and downregulating T-cell differentiation and cytokine production.