The authors reveal the mechanisms of degradation of capacity, charge voltage, and discharge voltage of commercially‐available high‐nickel cathode material when it is cycled without a voltage margin ...by two different charge protocols: constant‐current charging and constant‐current, constant‐voltage charging. With repeated constant‐current charging, the cathode material changes to a non‐periodic cation‐mixed state, which causes a relatively low voltage degradation, whereas during constant‐current, constant‐voltage charging, the cathode material changes from a layered structure to a periodic cation‐mixed spinel‐like phase, with consequent severe voltage decay. This decay results from a reduction in the equilibrium electrode potential and an increase of overpotential which are aggravated in a periodic cation‐mixed state. The findings provide insights into the use of excess Li without charge‐voltage margin in high‐Ni cathode materials.
Constant voltage step at high voltage (4.3 V) entails periodic cation‐mixed states in high‐nickel cathode materials which leads to severe voltage decay. Thus, constant voltage step at high voltage should be avoided for high‐nickel cathode materials. More fundamentally, structural stability of high‐nickel cathode materials should be improved to alleviate lattice distortion induced by the phase transition between two hexagonal phases.
In this work, we report a dramatic enhancement in ethanol sensing characteristics of NiO hollow nanostructures via decoration with In2O3 nanoclusters. The pure NiO and 1.64–4.41 atom % In-doped NiO ...and In2O3-decorated NiO hollow spheres were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis, and their gas sensing characteristics were investigated. The response (the ratio between the resistance in gas and air) of the In2O3-decorated NiO hollow spheres to 5 ppm ethanol (C2H5OH) was 9.76 at 350 °C, which represents a significant improvement over the In-doped NiO and pure NiO hollow spheres (3.37 and 2.18, respectively). Furthermore, the 90% recovery time was drastically reduced from 1880 to 23 s, and a selective detection of ethanol with negligible cross-response to other gases was achieved. The enhanced gas response and fast recovery kinetics were explained in relation to the thinning of the near-surface hole accumulation layer of p-type NiO underneath n-type In2O3, the change of charge carrier concentration, and the variation of oxygen adsorption.
Display omitted
•Bi-RGO was synthesized by one-pot supercritical acetone method.•Unique deoxygenation properties and ultrafast Bi formation of scACT formed Bi-RGO.•Nanosize Bi tightly anchored on ...basal plane of RGO with a heterogeneous nucleation.•Reversible capacity of 170 mAh g−1 and the high volumetric capacity of 60 Ah L−1 were achieved.•Bi transformed to h-Na3Bi or c-Na3Bi phases depending on the Bi particle size.
A high-energy–density Bi-reduced graphene oxide (Bi-RGO) composite was synthesized using the quick one-pot supercritical acetone (scACT) method. The unique deoxygenation properties and ultrafast particle formation in scACT led to the simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide to reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and the formation of heterogeneously nucleated, nanosized Bi particles 10–20 nm in size that were tightly anchored to the basal plane of RGO and homogeneously nucleated, large Bi particles 250–950 nm in size. When tested as the anode of Na-ion batteries, the Bi-RGO composite delivered the high reversible capacity of 200 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1 and the high volumetric capacity of 60 Ah L−1. In situ X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the two-step alloying–dealloying Bi → NaBi → hexagonal Na3Bi or cubic Na3Bi reactions depended on the Bi particle size.
With advances in gastric cancer chemotherapy, conversion surgery has drawn attention as a new strategy to improve the outcome of stage IV disease. We investigated the efficacy of conversion surgery ...following chemotherapy for patients with stage IV gastric cancer.
We retrospectively reviewed clinico-pathologic variables and oncologic outcomes for 101 patients with stage IV gastric cancer who were treated with systemic chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy with intension of curative resection from January 2005 to December 2012.
In terms of the best response from palliative chemotherapy, complete or partial response were observed in 65 patients (64.4%) in overall. Complete response of metastatic site were observed in 72 (71.3%) and 66 (65.3%) patients as best and pre-operative response, respectively. The overall complete macroscopic resection, rate was 56.4%. Eleven patients (10.9%) received combined metastasectomy. There was no postoperative surgery-related mortality for 1 month. The median overall survival time was 26.0 months. Multivariable analysis identified complete macroscopic resection, chemotherapy response (complete response/partial response) of metastatic sites, and change in CEA level as independent prognostic factors contributing to overall survival.
Patients with stage IV gastric cancer who exhibit a good clinical response to chemotherapy might obtain greater survival benefit from gastrectomy following chemotherapy compared with patients who exhibit a poor response to chemotherapy. Prospective, randomized trials are required to determine the best strategy for combining initial chemotherapy with subsequent gastrectomy.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
There is increasing interest in the influence of body composition on oncological outcomes. We evaluated the role of skeletal muscle and fat among patients with gastric cancer (GC) who ...underwent gastrectomy with or without adjuvant chemotherapy, as well as those changes’ associations with survival outcomes.
Methods
The present study evaluated 136 patients with GC who were enrolled in the CLASSIC Trial at Yonsei Cancer Center. Baseline body compositions including skeletal muscle area, Hounsfield units (HU), visceral fat area, and subcutaneous fat area were measured by preoperative computed tomography (CT). CT before and after the gastrectomy were used to determine the 6-month relative changes in body composition parameters. Continuous variables were dichotomized according to the best cutoff values by Contal and O’Quigley method.
Results
Seventy-three patients (53.7%) underwent surgery alone, and 63 patients (46.3%) underwent surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The baseline body composition parameters were not associated with disease-free survival (DFS) or overall survival (OS). Except for the HU, the marked loss of muscle, visceral fat, or subcutaneous fat significantly predicted shorter DFS and OS. Patients with a marked loss in at least one significant body composition parameter had significantly shorter DFS (hazard ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.7–4.8,
P
< 0.001) and OS (hazard ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.7–5.0,
P
< 0.001).
Conclusions
Marked loss in body composition parameters significantly predicted shorter DFS and OS among patients with GC who underwent gastrectomy. Postoperative nutrition and active healthcare interventions could improve the prognosis of these GC patients.
We find the realization of large converse magnetoelectric (ME) effects at room temperature in a magnetoelectric hexaferrite Ba0.52Sr2.48Co2Fe24O41 single crystal, in which rapid change of electric ...polarization in low magnetic fields (about 5 mT) is coined to a large ME susceptibility of 3200 ps/m. The modulation of magnetization then reaches up to 0.62μ(B)/f.u. in an electric field of 1.14 MV/m. We find further that four ME states induced by different ME poling exhibit unique, nonvolatile magnetization versus electric field curves, which can be approximately described by an effective free energy with a distinct set of ME coefficients.
Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol that has anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties against stress condition. It is reported that resveratrol has beneficial functions in various metabolic and ...central nervous system (CNS) diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, depression, and dementia. Recently, many researchers have emphasized the connection between the brain and gut, called the gut-brain axis, for treating both CNS neuropathologies and gastrointestinal diseases. Based on previous findings, resveratrol is involved in glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) secreted by intestine L cells, the patterns of microbiome in the intestine, the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) level, and CNS inflammation. Here, we review recent evidences concerning the relevance and regulatory function of resveratrol in the gut-brain axis from various perspectives. Here, we highlight the necessity for further study on resveratrol's specific mechanism in the gut-brain axis. We present the potential of resveratrol as a natural therapeutic substance for treating both neuropathology and gastrointestinal dysfunction.
Abstract
Spin and lattice are two fundamental degrees of freedom in a solid, and their fluctuations about the equilibrium values in a magnetic ordered crystalline lattice form quasiparticles termed ...magnons (spin waves) and phonons (lattice waves), respectively. In most materials with strong spin-lattice coupling (SLC), the interaction of spin and lattice induces energy gaps in the spin wave dispersion at the nominal intersections of magnon and phonon modes. Here we use neutron scattering to show that in the two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals honeycomb lattice ferromagnetic CrGeTe
3
, spin waves propagating within the 2D plane exhibit an anomalous dispersion, damping, and breakdown of quasiparticle conservation, while magnons along the
c
axis behave as expected for a local moment ferromagnet. These results indicate the presence of dynamical SLC arising from the zero-temperature quantum fluctuations in CrGeTe
3
, suggesting that the observed in-plane spin waves are mixed spin and lattice quasiparticles fundamentally different from pure magnons and phonons.
Background Although video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) pleural drainage and decortication have been proven to be effective treatments in the early stages of empyema, the optimal timing of VATS is ...still not clear. To assess the effectiveness of early VATS drainage and decortication, we reviewed the records of patients who underwent VATS and open decortication for empyema. Methods One hundred twenty-eight patients with empyema were treated with VATS and open decortication over 8 years at Korea University Anam Hospital. The VATS patients (120 patients) were divided into 3 groups based on the interval between the onset of chest symptoms and the time of operation (group 1: <2 weeks; group 2: 2 to 4 weeks; group 3: >4 weeks). Additional 8 open decortication patients with symptom durations greater than 4 weeks were compared with group 3 patients. Results Groups 1 and 2 showed shorter chest tube duration, postoperative hospital stay, surgical procedure time, and fewer prolonged air leaks than group 3. No significant difference was noted between groups 1 and 2; and no difference was noted in the length of postoperative intensive care unit stays or the reintervention and reoperation rates among the 3 groups. In chronic empyema patients, group 3 showed shorter chest tube duration than the open decortication group. Conclusions Patients with symptom durations of less than 4 weeks showed better early results than those with symptom durations greater than 4 weeks. Thus, symptom duration can be considered a reliable preoperative factor in deciding the surgical management of empyema or cases involving loculated pleural effusion.
PDF
