Hierarchical hollow spheres of Fe2O3@polyaniline are fabricated by template‐free synthesis of iron oxides followed by a post in‐ and exterior construction. A combination of large surface area with ...porous structure, fast ion/electron transport, and mechanical integrity renders this material attractive as a lithium‐ion anode, showing superior rate capability and cycling performance.
Ni supported on calcined ceria nitrate catalyst is highly active and stable for low-temperature CO2 methanation reaction (CO2 conversion: 70% at 180 °C, 0.05 bar, and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) ...of 14 400 L kg–1 h–1). We investigated CO2 adsorption and CO2 + H2 reaction on the surface of Ni/CeO2 and Ni/CeO2–x catalysts to examine the structure and strength of adsorbed species using diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). At temperature of 180 °C, weakly adsorbed bridged carbonate was generated on the surface of CeO2–x support by new active sites of oxygen vacancies created by addition of H2. High reducibility of Ni/CeO2–x catalyst played an important role in increasing low-temperature CO2 methanation catalytic activity.
We have developed a simple approach for the large-scale synthesis of water-soluble green carbon nanodots (G-dots) from many kinds of large food waste-derived sources. About 120 g of G-dots per 100 kg ...of food waste can be synthesized using our simple and environmentally friendly synthesis approach. The G-dots exhibit a high degree of solubility in water because of the abundant oxygen-containing functional groups around their surface. The narrow band of photoluminescence emission (400–470 nm) confirms that the size of the G-dots (∼4 nm) is small because of a similar quantum effects and emission traps on the surfaces. The G-dots have excellent photostability; their photoluminescence intensity decreases slowly (∼8%) under continuous excitation with a Xe lamp for 10 days. We carried out cell viability assay to assess the effect of cytotoxicity by introducing G-dots in cells such as Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1), mouse muscle cells (C2C12), and African green monkey kidney cells (COS-7), up to a concentration of 2 mg mL–1 for 24 h. Due to their high photostability and low cytotoxicity, these G-dots are excellent probes for in vitro bioimaging. Moreover, the byproducts (not including G-dots) of G-dot synthesis from large food-waste derived sources promoted the growth and development of seedlings germinated on 3DW-supplemented gauze. Because of the combined advantages of green synthesis, high aqueous stability, high photostability, and low cytotoxicity, the G-dots show considerable promise in various areas, including biomedical imaging, solution state optoelectronics, and plant seed germination and/or growth.
A single charge equalizer using the multi-winding transformer (SCEMT) is useful for the precise and fast equalization. Since this type of equalizer requires voltage sensing circuits for each battery ...cell, the size and cost of the overall equalizer system increase. In this paper, a novel switching method, which does not require voltage sensing circuits, is proposed for the SCEMT. However, due to the problems related to the implementation of multiwinding in a single transformer, the SCEMT is definitely difficult to apply to long series-connected lithium-ion battery string. In order to overcome these drawbacks, a novel module charge equalizer based on the configuration of the SCEMT is developed. Unlike the conventional module charge equalizer using additional components, the proposed novel module charge equalizer utilizes the magnetizing energy of the multiwinding transformer for the equalization among modules. Therefore, proposed module charge equalizer does not suffer from the size, cost, and loss related to the modularization. The validity of the proposed module charge equalizer is verified through experimental results.
Background
The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy and safety of an instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) using a robot‐assisted minimally invasive (Robot‐PLIF) or a ...conventional open approach (Freehand‐PLIF).
Methods
Patients undergoing an instrumented PLIF were randomly assigned to be treated using a Robot‐PLIF (37 patients) and a Freehand‐PLIF (41 patients).
Results
For intrapedicular accuracy, there was no significant difference between the groups (P = 0.534). For proximal facet joint accuracy, none of the 74 screws in the Robot‐PLIF group violated the proximal facet joint, while 13 of 82 in the Freehand‐PLIF group violated the proximal facet joint (P < 0.001). The average distance of the screws from the facets was 5.2 ± 2.1 mm and 2.7 ± 1.6 mm in the Robot‐PLIF and Freehand‐PLIF groups, respectively (P < 0.001).
Conclusion
Robotic‐assisted pedicle screw placement was associated with fewer proximal facet joint violations and better convergence orientations.
This paper demonstrates a closed-loop wireless power transfer (WPT) system for deep brain stimulation-implanted biomedical applications. A novel two-layer PCB FR4 coil design is proposed as a second ...coil for enlarging the WPT efficiency. High-efficiency implantable WPT technology was achieved by applying an inner dual-layer printed spiral coil (PSC) and outer helical coil and this coordinated with a T-type impedance-matching network. To reduce the loading effect, which lowers Q factor in implanted devices, four-coil WPT systems are recommended compared with two- or three-coil WPT systems. A practical four-coil system was implemented for verification, for which a dual-layer printed circuit board composed of a PSC, with a load loop on the other side of FR4, was designed and implemented around the system on a chip. PSCs for biomedical implants can be optimized by designing the geometric parameters. The implant coil occupies an area measuring 5 × 5 mm, and is implemented on both an FR4 board and an implantable flexible substrate with the optimized geometric parameters. Finally, the transmission efficiencies of using FR4 and flexible printed circuit boards, at a distance of 10 mm, were 19.1% and 14.8% through the air and 11.7% and 7.7% through the tissue, respectively, thus enabling the supply of milliwatts of power to the stimulation circuits, and successfully demonstrating the stimulation tissue model with a V/I output current of up to 180 μA.
The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that botulinum toxin would prolong the duration of a lumbar sympathetic block measured through a sustained increase in skin temperature. The ...authors performed a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial to investigate the clinical outcome of botulinum toxin type A for lumbar sympathetic ganglion block in patients with complex regional pain syndrome.
Lumbar sympathetic ganglion block was conducted in patients with lower-extremity complex regional pain syndrome using 75 IU of botulinum toxin type A (botulinum toxin group) and local anesthetic (control group). The primary outcome was the change in the relative temperature difference on the blocked sole compared with the contralateral sole at 1 postoperative month. The secondary outcomes were the 3-month changes in relative temperature differences, as well as the pain intensity changes.
A total of 48 participants (N = 24/group) were randomly assigned. The change in relative temperature increase was higher in the botulinum toxin group than in the control group (1.0°C ± 1.3 vs. 0.1°C ± 0.8, respectively; difference: 0.9°C 95% CI, 0.3 to 1.5; P = 0.006), which was maintained at 3 months (1.1°C ± 0.8 vs. -0.2°C ± 1.2, respectively; P = 0.009). Moreover, pain intensity was greatly reduced in the botulinum toxin group compared with the control group at 1 month (-2.2 ± 1.0 vs. -1.0 ± 1.6, respectively; P = 0.003) and 3 months (-2.0 ± 1.0 vs. -0.6 ± 1.6, respectively; P = 0.003). There were no severe adverse events pertinent to botulinum toxin injection.
In patients with complex regional pain syndrome, lumbar sympathetic ganglion block using botulinum toxin type A increased the temperature of the affected foot for 3 months and also reduced the pain.
Recently, the appeal of 2D black phosphorus (BP) has been rising due to its unique optical and electronic properties with a tunable band gap (≈0.3–1.5 eV). While numerous research efforts have ...recently been devoted to nano‐ and optoelectronic applications of BP, no attention has been paid to promising medical applications. In this article, the preparation of BP‐nanodots of a few nm to <20 nm with an average diameter of ≈10 nm and height of ≈8.7 nm is reported by a modified ultrasonication‐assisted solution method. Stable formation of nontoxic phosphates and phosphonates from BP crystals with exposure in water or air is observed. As for the BP‐nanodot crystals’ stability (ionization and persistence of fluorescent intensity) in aqueous solution, after 10 d, ≈80% at 1.5 mg mL−1 are degraded (i.e., ionized) in phosphate buffered saline. They showed no or little cytotoxic cell‐viability effects in vitro involving blue‐ and green‐fluorescence cell imaging. Thus, BP‐nanodots can be considered a promising agent for drug delivery or cellular tracking systems.
Black phosphorus (BP)‐nanodots are prepared using a simple ultrasonication‐assisted solution method. Compared to conventional semiconductor quantum dots, BP‐nanodots present little in vitro cytotoxicity and further blue‐ and green‐fluorescent bioimaging roles under excitations of UV and visible light, showing potential as novel drug delivery carriers in biomedical applications.
Over the past few decades, two-dimensional (2D) and layered materials have emerged as new fields. Due to the zero-band-gap nature of graphene and the low photocatalytic performance of MoS2, more ...advanced semiconducting 2D materials have been prompted. As a result, semiconductor black phosphorus (BP) is a derived cutting-edge post-graphene contender for nanoelectrical application, because of its direct-band-gap nature. For the first time, we report on robust BP@TiO2 hybrid photocatalysts offering enhanced photocatalytic performance under light irradiation in environmental and biomedical fields, with negligible affected on temperature and pH conditions, as compared with MoS2@TiO2 prepared by the identical synthesis method. Remarkably, in contrast to pure few layered BP, which, due to its intrinsic sensitivity to oxygen and humidity was readily dissolved after just several uses, the BP@TiO2 hybrid photocatalysts showed a ~92% photocatalytic activity after 15 runs. Thus, metal-oxide-stabilized BP photocatalysts can be practically applied as a promising alternative to graphene and MoS2.
This article introduces an international regional experiment, East Asian Regional Experiment 2005 (EAREX 2005), carried out in March–April 2005 in the east Asian region, as one of the first phase ...regional experiments under the UNEP Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) project, and discusses some outstanding features of aerosol characteristics and its direct radiative forcing in the east Asian region, with some comparison with the results obtained in another ABC early phase regional experiment, ABC Maldives Monsoon Experiment (APMEX) conducted in the south Asian region. Time series of aerosol optical thickness (AOT), single scattering albedo (SSA), aerosol extinction cross section profile and CO concentration shows that air pollutants and mineral dust were transported every 5 to 7 days in the EAREX region to produce SSA values at wavelength of 700 nm from 0.86 to 0.96 and large clear‐sky shortwave forcing efficiency at 500 nm from 60 W m−2 to 90 W m−2, though there are some unexplained inconsistencies depending on the evaluation method. The simulated whole‐sky total forcing in the EAREX region is −1 to −2 W m−2 at TOA and −2 to −10 W m−2 at surface in March 2005 which is smaller in magnitude than in the APMEX region, mainly because of large cloud fraction in this region (0.70 at Gosan versus 0.51 at Hanimadhoo in the ISCCP total cloud fraction). We suggest there may be an underestimation of the forcing due to overestimation of the simulated cloudiness and aerosol scale height. On the other hand, the possible error in the simulated surface albedo may cause an overestimation of the magnitude of the forcing over the land area. We also propose simple formulae for shortwave radiative forcing to understand the role of aerosol parameters and surface condition to determine the aerosol forcing. Such simple formulae are useful to check the consistency among the observed quantities.
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