Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) are attractive cathode candidates for high energy density, including long life-cycle rechargeable batteries, due to their non-toxicity, facile synthesis techniques and ...low cost. Nevertheless, traditionally synthesized PBAs tend to have a flawed crystal structure with a large amount of Fe(CN)
6
4−
openings and the presence of crystal water in the framework; therefore the specific capacity achieved has continuously been low with poor cycling stability. Herein, we demonstrate low-defect and sodium-enriched nickel hexacyanoferrate nanocrystals synthesized by a facile low-speed co-precipitation technique assisted by a chelating agent to overcome these problems. As a consequence, the prepared high-quality nickel hexacyanoferrate (HQ-NiHCF) exhibited a high specific capacity of 80 mA h g
−1
at 15 mA g
−1
(with a theoretical capacity of ∼85 mA h g
−1
), maintaining a notable cycling stability (78 mA h g
−1
at 170 mA g
−1
current density) without noticeable fading in capacity retention after 1200 cycles. This low-speed synthesis strategy for PBA-based electrode materials could be also extended to other energy storage materials to fabricate high-performance rechargeable batteries.
A low-speed synthesis strategy was designed to fabricate Prussian blue analog based electrode materials for high-performance rechargeable batteries.
Scanning moiré fringe (SMF) is a widely utilized technique for the precise measurement of the strain field in semiconductor transistors and heterointerfaces. With the growing challenges of ...traditional chip scaling, two-dimensional (2D) materials turn out to be ideal candidates for incorporation into semiconductor devices. Therefore, a method to efficiently locate defects and grain boundaries in 2D materials is highly essential. Here, we present a demonstration of using the SMF method to locate the domain boundaries at the nearly coherent interfaces with sub-angstrom spatial resolution under submicron fields of views. The strain field of small angle grain boundary and lateral heterojunction are instantaneously found and precisely determined by a quick SMF method without any atomic resolution images.
Aloesone is a major metabolic compound in
, which has been widely used as a food source and therapeutic agent in several countries. Our recent study demonstrated that aloesone has anti-epileptic ...effects on glutamate-induced neuronal injury by suppressing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Unless ROS are naturally neutralized by the endogenous antioxidant system, they lead to the activation of inflammation, polarization, and apoptosis. This study aimed to identify the multiple beneficial effects of aloesone and explore its molecular mechanism in macrophages. Hence, the murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7 was pretreated with aloesone and then exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The results demonstrated that aloesone, within a dosage range of 0.1-100 µM, dramatically decreased the LPS-induced elevation of ROS production, reduced nitric oxide (NO) release, inhibited the M1 polarization of RAW264.7 cells, and prevented cells from entering the LPS-induced early and late phases of apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Simultaneously, aloesone significantly decreased the mRNA expression of inflammation-related genes (iNOS, IL-1ꞵ, TNF-α) and increased the expression of antioxidant enzymes (Gpx-1 and SOD-1). The core genes HSP90AA1, Stat3, Mapk1, mTOR, Fyn, Ptk2b, and Lck were closely related to these beneficial effects of aloesone. Furthermore, immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry data confirmed that aloesone significantly repressed the activation of mTOR, p-mTOR, and HIF-1α induced by LPS and inhibited the protein expression of TLR4, which is the target of LPS. In conclusion, aloesone demonstrated multiple protective effects against LPS-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, M1 polarization, and apoptosis in macrophages, suggesting its potential as a prodrug.
The efficacy and safety on the addition of vincristine (VCR) and dexamethasone (DEX) pulses to maintenance therapy among childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remain uncertain. Herein, we ...perform an open‐label, multicentre, randomized, phase III clinical trial that was conducted at nine major medical centers in Guangdong Province, China. Patients were randomly assigned either the conventional maintenance therapy (control group, n = 384) or the VCR/DEX pulse (treatment group, n = 375). When limited to the SR cohort, 10‐year EFS was 82.6% (95% CI: 75.9–89.9) in the control group and 80.7% (95% CI: 74–88.1) in the treatment group (pnon‐inferiority = .0002). Similarly, patients with IR also demonstrated non‐inferiority of the treatment group to the control group in terms of 10‐year EFS (73.6% 95% CI: 67.6–80 vs. 77.6% 95% CI: 71.8–83.9; pnon‐inferiority = .005). Among the HR cohort, compared with the control group, patients in the treatment group experienced a significant benefit in terms of 10‐year EFS (61.1% 95% CI: 47.7–78.2 vs. 72.6% 95% CI: 55.6–94.7, p = .026) and a trend toward higher 10‐year OS (73.8% 95% CI: 61.6–88.4 vs. 87.9% 95% CI: 579.2–97.5, p = .068). In the HR cohort, the total rate of drug‐induced liver injury and Grade 3 chemotherapy‐induced anemia were both lower for patients in the treatment group than in the control group (55.6% vs. 100%, p = .033; 37.5% vs. 60%, p = .036). Conversely, the total prevalence of chemotherapy‐induced thrombocytopenia was higher for patients in the treatment group than in the control group (88.9% vs. 40%, p = .027). Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia with high risk is suitable to VCR/DEX pulse during maintenance phase for the excellent outcome, while the standard‐to‐intermediate‐risk patients could eliminate the pulses.
We propose a theoretical scheme to enhance quantum coherence and obtain steady-state coherence by combining quantum feedback control and noise-assisted preparation. We investigate the effects of ...quantum-jump-based feedback control and noise field on the quantum coherence and excited-state population between two atoms inside an optical cavity where a noise field drives one, and the other is under quantum feedback control. It is found that steady quantum coherence can be achieved by adding an external noise field, and the quantum feedback can prolong the coherence time with partial suppression of the spontaneous emission of atoms. In addition, we study the influence of the joint action of quantum feedback and noise-assisted preparation on quantum coherence and show that the combined action of feedback control and noise-assisted preparation is more effective in enhancing steady coherence. The findings of our research offer some general guidelines for improving the steady-state coherence of coupled qubit systems and have the potential to be applied in the realm of quantum information technology.
The early development of the gut microbiome is governed by multiple factors and has significantly long-term effects on later-in-life health. To minimize inter-individual variations in the ...environment, we determined developmental trajectories of the gut microbiome in 28 healthy neonates during their stay at a postpartum center. Stool samples were collected at three time points: the first-pass meconium within 24 h of life, and at 7 and 28 days of age. Illumina sequencing of the V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA was used to investigate microbiota profiles. We found that there was a distinct microbiota structure at each time point, with a significant shift during the first week. Proteobacteria was most abundant in the first-pass meconium; Firmicutes and Actinobacteria increased with age and were substituted as the major components. Except for a short-term influence of different delivery modes on the microbiota composition, early microbiome development was not remarkably affected by gravidity, maternal intrapartum antibiotic treatment, premature rupture of membranes, or postnatal phototherapy. Hence, our data showed a similar developmental trajectory of the gut microbiome during the first month in healthy neonates when limited in environmental variations. Environmental factors external to the host were crucial in the early microbiome development.
Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are currently being developed for applications ranging from bioelectronics to neuromorphic computing. We show that fullerene derivatives with glycolated ...side chains can serve as n-type active layers for OECTs with figures of merit exceeding the best reported conjugated-polymer-based n-type OECTs. By comparing two different fullerene derivatives, 6,6-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and 2-(2,3,4-tris(methoxtriglycol) phenyl) 60fulleropyrrolidine (C60-TEG), we find that the hydrophilic glycolated side chains in C60-TEG enable volumetric doping of C60-TEG films. In contrast, the hydrophobic nature of PCBM prevents ions from penetrating into the material. Our results demonstrate that small-molecule semiconductors follow many of the same design principles established for conjugated polymers and can function as high-performing mixed electronic/ionic conductors for efficient, fast OECTs.
Thermal insulation performance is a measure of the thermal protection function offered by the thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) to the substrate. In this study, a series of La2Zr2O7 (LZO)/YSZ DCL-TBCs, ...with the equivalent thermal insulation to 500μm thick YSZ TBCs were prepared, and their lifetimes were evaluated by thermal gradient cyclic test at the top coat surface temperature of 1300°C. Results show that, the lifetime of DCL-TBCs was more than doubled compared to 500μm thick YSZ TBCs, when 100μm and 200μm thick YSZ coating was substituted by LZO coating. With the increase of LZO substitutional ratio, the delamination position transferred from near top/bond coating interface to near the LZO/YSZ interface and finally to the inside of the LZO coating. The porosity and elastic modulus present a differential distribution across the thickness of top coat. This study provides some data for the composite structure design of next generation advanced DCL-TBCs.
Even though the increasing clinical recognition of primary aldosteronism (PA) as a public health issue, its heightened risk profiles and the availability of targeted surgical/medical treatment being ...more understood, consensus in its diagnosis and management based on medical evidence, while recognizing the constraints of our real-world clinical practice in Taiwan, has not been reached.
The Taiwan Society of Aldosteronism (TSA) Task Force acknowledges the above-mentioned issues and reached this Taiwan PA consensus at its inaugural meeting, in order to provide updated information of internationally acceptable standards, and also to incorporate our local disease characteristics into the management of PA.
When there is suspicion of PA, a plasma aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR) should be obtained initially. Patients with abnormal ARR will undergo confirmatory laboratory and image tests. Subtype classification with adrenal venous sampling (AVS) or NP-59 nuclear imaging, if AVS not available, to lateralize PA is recommended when patients are considered for adrenalectomy. The strengths and weaknesses of the currently available identification methods are discussed, focusing especially on result interpretation.
With this consensus we hope to raise more awareness of PA among medical professionals and hypertensive patients in Taiwan, and to facilitate reconciliation of better detection, identification and treatment of patients with PA.
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