This study adopts a modified atomic layer deposition (ALD) process to prepare size-controlled Pt nanoparticles on the surface of carbon black, showing superior catalytic activity toward ethanol ...oxidation. Two types of ALD precursors, (methylcyclopentadienyl) trimethyl platinum (MeCpPtMe3) and oxygen (O2), were used to grow Pt deposits at 250 °C. For 30 ALD cycles, the pulse period of MeCpPtMe3 serves as a key factor in controlling the particle size and the weight loading of Pt deposits. The Pt growth rates over the carbon support can be attributed to the surface coverage of Pt–O* sites, diffusion rate of MeCpPtMe3, and lateral interaction between each active site. Since the MeCpPtMe3 dose strongly affects the Pt particle size and the deposit density, the growth of ALD–Pt can be assumed as being diffusion-limited. Because of the surface-catalyzed reaction steps, the small-sized ALD-Pt catalysts offer better catalytic activity, CO tolerance, and long-term stability as compared with the large-sized ones. On the basis of the results, the modified ALD technique exhibits a great potential for tuning the Pt particle size and weight loading onto the carbon support for fuel cell application.
•This study uses a modified atomic layer deposition (ALD) to prepare Pt particles.•The pulse period of MeCpPtMe3 serves as a key factor in tuning the particle size.•The growth rate depends on surface adsorption, diffusion, and lateral interaction.•The small-sized Pt catalysts offer better activity and excellent stability.•The modified ALD method exhibits a great potential for tuning the Pt particle size.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
While arteriovenous fistula (AVF) nonmaturation is a major issue of hemodialysis care, an effective treatment to improve AVF maturation remains lacking. AVF introduces pulsatile arterial blood flow ...into its venous limb and produces high luminal pressure gradient, which may have adverse effect on vascular remodeling. As such, the aim of the present study is to investigate effect of luminal pressure gradient on AVF nonmaturation. This single-center, prospective observational study includes patients receiving autologous AVF creation. Participants received early postoperative ultrasound 5-7 days after surgery to collect parameters including diameters, flow rates, and volume at inflow and outflow sites. Luminal pressure gradient was estimated by using modified Bernoulli equation. The outcome was spontaneous AVF maturation within 8 weeks after surgery without intervention. Thirty patients were included, of which the mean age was 66.9 years and 70% were male. At the end of study, 13 (43.3%) patients had spontaneous AVF maturation. All demographic and laboratory characteristics were similar between patients with mature and nonmature AVF. Regarding ultrasonographic parameters, nonmature AVF showed significantly higher inflow/outflow diameter ratio, inflow velocity, and luminal pressure gradient. While these 3 parameters were significantly correlated, multivariate logistic regression showed their significant association with AVF nonmaturation. Receiver operating characteristic curve exhibited their high predictive value for AVF nonmaturation. Our findings showed that higher inflow/outflow ratio, inflow velocity, and AVF luminal pressure gradient in early postoperative ultrasound predicted risk of AVF nonmaturation. Reducing inflow/outflow diameter ratio or inflow rate may be an approach to improve AVF maturation. The predictive value of this early assessment might have impact on the clinical practice of AVF care.
Hyperglycemia affects the outcomes of endovascular therapy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study compares the predictive ability of diabetes status and glucose measures on EVT outcomes ...using nationwide registry data.
The study included 1,097 AIS patients who underwent EVT from the Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke. The variables analyzed included diabetes status, admission glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), admission glucose-to-HbA1c ratio (GAR), and outcomes such as 90-day poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≥ 2) and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH). Multivariable analyses investigated the independent effects of diabetes status and glucose measures on outcomes. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to compare their predictive abilities.
The multivariable analysis showed that individuals with known diabetes had a higher likelihood of poor functional outcomes (odds ratios ORs 2.10 to 2.58) and SICH (ORs 3.28 to 4.30) compared to those without diabetes. Higher quartiles of admission glucose and GAR were associated with poor functional outcomes and SICH. Higher quartiles of HbA1c were significantly associated with poor functional outcomes. However, patients in the second HbA1c quartile (5.6-5.8%) showed a non-significant tendency toward good functional outcomes compared to those in the lowest quartile (<5.6%). The ROC analysis indicated that diabetes status and admission glucose had higher predictive abilities for poor functional outcomes, while admission glucose and GAR were better predictors for SICH.
In AIS patients undergoing EVT, diabetes status, admission glucose, and GAR were associated with 90-day poor functional outcomes and SICH. Admission glucose was likely the most suitable glucose measure for predicting outcomes after EVT.
•An analytical approach for studying tide-wave fluctuation with rainfall in a coastal aquifer is proposed.•The effect of the bottom slope of the aquifer on the groundwater fluctuation is ...substantial.•The groundwater level undulates severely and goes farther in downward bottom cases.•The fluctuation decays rapidly by the reflection of the bottom in upward bottom cases.•The spatial fluctuation is unaffected by the beach slopes at certain time.
This paper presents an analytical solution generated by linearizing the one-dimensional non-linear Boussinesq equation to characterize the variation of groundwater level induced by tidal waves and rainfall in a coastal unconfined sloping aquifer. The area of the coastal aquifer is divided into 2 zones – the coastal zone of rainfall and the inland zone of non-rainfall. The derivation of the solution is based on the Dupuit–Forchheimer assumptions of a wide range of problems in unconfined groundwater flow and the analytical solutions of coastal and inland water tables of both zones are obtained. The results indicate that the effects of the bottom slope of the aquifer and the beach slope on the groundwater fluctuation are substantial in the unconfined aquifer. Large rainfall intensity with tidal waves will enhance the fluctuation significantly, but less effect on the fluctuation is found for the cases of steeper sloping bottom under the same rainfall condition.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Electrochromic devices can adjust their transparency by applying an electrical voltage and serve as intelligent window systems for managing incoming sunlight. In this study, we employed an ...environmentally friendly, large-area solution coating method to form tungsten oxide (WO3) thin films for the fabrication of electrochromic devices. We applied a WO3 precursor solution, with water as the primary solvent, onto ITO glass through blade coating and utilized near-infrared (NIR) light annealing for drying in order to rapidly optimize the film characteristics. The resulting WO3 film, combined with an ion storage layer – either sputtered NiO or blade-coated Prussian Blue (PB) - and injected with a UV-curable electrolyte, resulted in a complementary electrochromic device that exhibited good performance characteristics. For the device with NiO as the ion storage layer, the optical transmittance modulation (ΔT) can achieve 50 % at a wavelength of 680 nm, maintaining a ΔT of 45 % after 3000 coloration-bleaching cycles. For the device with PB as the ion storage layer, the ΔT achieved 64 % at 630 nm, maintaining a ΔT of 60 % after 3000 coloration-bleaching cycles. Therefore, we believe this WO3 solution coating technique combined with rapid NIR annealing technology holds promise as a low-cost and efficient method for the future production of electrochromic devices.
•The NIR annealing on solution-coated WO3 film can enhance its uniformity and eliminate the unfavorable element of W4+.•The resulting WO3 film, combined with electrolyte, NiO or Prussian Blue (PB), exhibits good electrochromic performance.•The electrochromic device based on NiO and WO3 shows a ΔT of 50% at 680 nm initially and after 3000 cycles of testing.•The device based on WO3 and PB shows a ΔT of 64% at 630 nm, sustaining 60% of initial ΔT after 3000 cycles of testing.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The 2021 WHO classification proposed a pattern-based grading system for early-stage invasive non-mucinous lung adenocarcinoma. Lung adenocarcinomas with high-grade patterns have poorer outcomes than ...those with lepidic-predominant patterns. This study aimed to establish genetic prognostic signatures by comparing differences in gene expression profiles between low- and high-grade adenocarcinomas. Twenty-six (9 low- and 17 high-grade adenocarcinomas) patients with histologically "near-pure" patterns (predominant pattern comprising >70% of tumor areas) were selected retrospectively. Using RNA sequencing, gene expression profiles between the low- and high-grade groups were analyzed, and genes with significantly different expression levels between these two groups were selected for genetic prognostic signatures. In total, 196 significant candidate genes (164 upregulated and 32 upregulated in the high- and low-grade groups, respectively) were identified. After intersection with The Cancer Genome Atlas-Lung Adenocarcinoma prognostic genes, three genes, exonuclease 1 (EXO1), family with sequence similarity 83, member A (FAM83A), and disks large-associated protein 5 (DLGAP5), were identified as prognostic gene signatures. Two independent cohorts were used for validation, and the areas under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic were 0.784 and 0.703 in the GSE31210 and GSE30219 cohorts, respectively. Our result showed the feasibility and accuracy of this novel three-gene prognostic signature for predicting the clinical outcomes of lung adenocarcinoma.
Full text
Available for:
IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Predicted survival may influence the treatment decision for patients with skeletal extremity metastasis, and PATHFx was designed to predict the likelihood of a patient dying in the next 24 months. ...However, the performance of prediction models could have ethnogeographical variations. We asked if PATHFx generalized well to our Taiwanese cohort consisting of 356 surgically treated patients with extremity metastasis.
We included 356 patients who underwent surgery for skeletal extremity metastasis in a tertiary center in Taiwan between 2014 and 2019 to validate PATHFx's survival predictions at 6 different time points. Model performance was assessed by concordance index (c-index), calibration analysis, decision curve analysis (DCA), Brier score, and model consistency (MC).
The c-indexes for the 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month survival estimations were 0.71, 0.66, 0.65, 0.69, 0.68, and 0.67, respectively. The calibration analysis demonstrated positive calibration intercepts for survival predictions at all 6 timepoints, indicating PATHFx tended to underestimate the actual survival. The Brier scores for the 6 models were all less than their respective null model's. DCA demonstrated that only the 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month predictions appeared useful for clinical decision-making across a wide range of threshold probabilities. The MC was < 0.9 when the 6- and 12-month models were compared with the 12-month and 18-month models, respectively.
In this Asian cohort, PATHFx's performance was not as encouraging as those of prior validation studies. Clinicians should be cognizant of the potential decline in validity of any tools designed using data outside their particular patient population. Developers of survival prediction tools such as PATHFx might refine their algorithms using data from diverse, contemporary patients that is more reflective of the world's population.
Full text
Available for:
DOBA, FSPLJ, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
OBJECTIVESTo determine the earliest noticeable manifestation and diagnosis in patients diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) epididymitis/epididymo-orchitis incidentally and to analyze their responses to ...surgical and medical treatment. METHODSPatients who underwent surgery for the preliminary impression of chronic epididymitis/epididymo-orchitis or epididymal/testicular tumor from 2000 to 2019 were included in the study. The clinical presentations, laboratory data, radiological examinations, and operative findings were analyzed retrospectively. The outcomes were assessed by the responses to anti-TB chemotherapy and post treatment radiographic evaluations. RESULTSAll of our 25 patients with a mean age of 60.6 years were diagnosed incidentally with TB epididymitis (48.0%) and TB epididymo-orchitis (52.0%) according to the histopathological findings from their surgeries. The presence of a palpable scrotal mass (76.0%), was the major presentation. Nineteen (76.0%) patients had undergone complete chemotherapy after the surgery and 15 (78.9%) patients showed complete recovery. Four (21.1%) patients had unfavorable outcomes, 3 had TB autonephrectomies and 1 required re-surgery years after complete chemotherapy. Of the 3 (12.0%) patients who did not receive chemotherapy after their surgeries, 1 had a TB relapse in the spine and lung and 1 developed bladder cancer years later. CONCLUSIONTuberculosis epididymitis/epididymo-orchitis is difficult to diagnose. However, some clinical clues can assist including aged patients, extragenital TB histories, poor responses to antibiotic treatment and scrotal skin lesion. Complete anti-TB chemotherapy is mandatory even after the total removal of TB lesion. Supplemental surgical interventions can be considered when the symptoms are not relieved after chemotherapy. Lifespan follow-up is recommended due to high relapse rate.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This study describes an atomic layer deposition (ALD) approach for the fabrication of Pt nanocatalysts supported on graphene oxide (GO) sheets and their electrocatalytic performance in ...electro-oxidation of formic acid. The ALD process for forming the Pt atomic layer involves two self-limiting reactions and, thus, induces the decoration of ALD-Pt on the edges of GO sheets with the presence of dangling bonds and oxygen functionalities. The resultant ALD-Pt catalyst on GO sheets offers better catalytic activity, CO tolerance, and long-term stability than those on commercial carbon support. On the basis of the results, the ALD approach described here can be applied to the design of novel catalytic materials for a variety of energy-storage applications, for example, high-performance fuel cells.
► Pt nanoparticles were grown by atomic layer deposition onto graphene oxide sheets. ► One growth mechanism involving two self-limiting reactions is proposed. ► The resultant Pt catalyst displays high-power density and long-term durability. ► The advanced design of catalyst electrode for fuel cells has been developed.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
PDF
