Chronic kidney disease (CKD) leads to end-stage renal failure and cardiovascular events. An attribute to these progressions is abnormalities in inflammation, which can be evaluated using the ...neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). We aimed to investigate the association of NLR with the progression of end stage of renal disease (ESRD), cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in Chinese patients with stages 1-4 CKD.
Patients with stages 1-4 CKD (18-74 years of age) were recruited at 39 centers in 28 cities across 22 provinces in China since 2011. A total of 938 patients with complete NLR and other relevant clinical variables were included in the current analysis. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the association between NLR and the outcomes including ESRD, CVD events or all-cause mortality.
Baseline NLR was related to age, hypertension, serum triglycerides, total serum cholesterol, CVD history, urine albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD), hyperlipidemia rate, diabetes, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The study duration was 4.55 years (IQR 3.52-5.28). Cox regression analysis revealed an association of NLR and the risk of ESRD only in patients with stage 4 CKD. We did not observe any significant associations between abnormal NLR and the risk of either CVD or all-cause mortality in CKD patients in general and CKD patients grouped according to the disease stages in particular.
Our results suggest that NLR is associated with the risk of ESRD in Chinese patients with stage 4 CKD. NLR can be used in risk assessment for ESRD among patients with advanced CKD; this application is appealing considering NLR being a routine test. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03041987. Registered January 1, 2012. (retrospectively registered) ( https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03041987?term=Chinese+Cohort+Study+of+Chronic+Kidney+Disease+%28C-STRIDE%29&rank=1 ).
The kinetics and stability of the redox of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) fundamentally determine the overall performance of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. Inspired by theoretical predictions, we ...herein validated the existence of a strong electrostatic affinity between polymeric carbon nitride (p-C3N4) and LiPSs, that can not only stabilize the redox cycling of LiPSs, but also enhance their redox kinetics. As a result, utilization of p-C3N4 in a Li–S battery has brought much improved performance in the aspects of high capacity and low capacity fading over prolonged cycling. Especially upon the application of p-C3N4, the kinetic barrier of the LiPS redox reactions has been significantly reduced, which has thus resulted in a better rate performance. Further density functional theory simulations have revealed that the origin of such kinetic enhancement was from the distortion of molecular configurations of the LiPSs anchored on p-C3N4. Therefore, this proof-of-concept study opens up a promising avenue to improve the performance of Li–S batteries by accelerating their fundamental electrochemical redox processes, which also has the potential to be applied in other electrochemical energy storage/conversion systems.
2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) layered materials are promising for future electronic and optoelectronic applications. The realization of large‐area electronics and circuits strongly relies ...on wafer‐scale, selective growth of quality 2D TMDs. Here, a scalable method, namely, metal‐guided selective growth (MGSG), is reported. The success of control over the transition‐metal‐precursor vapor pressure, the first concurrent growth of two dissimilar monolayer TMDs, is demonstrated in conjunction with lateral or vertical TMD heterojunctions at precisely desired locations over the entire wafer in a single chemical vapor deposition (VCD) process. Owing to the location selectivity, MGSG allows the growth of p‐ and n‐type TMDs with spatial homogeneity and uniform electrical performance for circuit applications. As a demonstration, the first bottom‐up complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor inverter based on p‐type WSe2 and n‐type MoSe2 is achieved, which exhibits a high and reproducible voltage gain of 23 with little dependence on position.
Dissimilar transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are grown concurrently and location‐selectively by a new method. Precise control over the transition‐metal‐precursor vapor pressure allows successful lateral and vertical heterojunction growth, as well as growth of p‐ and n‐type TMDs at desired locations. A new synthetic strategy for future (opto)electronic applications is thus provided.
The construction of a robust solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) on zinc anode is an effective approach for tackling the high thermodynamic instability and side reactions of Zn-metal anode (ZMA), ...particularly at high current densities and high utilization ratios. Herein, a ternary aqueous electrolyte with
N
,
N
-dimethyltrifluoroacetamide (DMTFA), dimethylformamide (DMF), and H
2
O is developed to build a stable SEI. DMTFA is introduced as a functional solvent, which is preferentially decomposed to form a gradient rigid-soft coupling SEI layer. Meanwhile, DMF is added as a co-solvent to suppress the water activity by forming an intermolecular hydrogen bond, thus protecting the as-formed SEI against corrosion. It is found that a 31 nm-thick SEI film with a -CF
3
-rich-organic outer layer and a gradient zinc salts-rich-inorganic (
e.g.
, ZnF
2
, Zn
3
N
2
, ZnSO
3
, ZnS, ZnO) inner layer delivers excellent structural integrity to block the direct contact of water and ZMA. Moreover, the as-formed SEI exhibits a high compression modulus (23.5 GPa), which is strong enough for extreme stress, such as dendrite puncture. Scanning electrochemical microscopy reveals the electron-insulating feature of the SEI, which can promote the uniform spherical zinc deposition underneath it. Consequently, AZIBs with the gradient SEI achieve ultra-long cycling stability of 4100 h in harsh conditions of 20 mA cm
−2
and 20 mA h cm
−2
, super-high cumulative capacity of 41 A h cm
−2
, excellent reversibility with average coulombic efficiency of 99.8%, and an 11 000-cycle lifespan for Zn|NaV
3
O
8
cell.
A robust gradient rigid-soft coupling SEI layer on the Zn surface results in the ultra-long cycling stability and the high zinc utilization rate of AZIBs.
A hierarchically meso/micro-porous Fe-N-doped carbon nanotube electrocatalyst (meso/micro-Fe-N-CNT), for the first time, was synthesized. Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) was used as a template to cast ...the CNT framework and Fe(NO)3 was filled in the AAO nanochannels as both a mesopore template in CNT walls and the iron source to form Fe-N-C active sites. Subsequent NH3 activation was carried out to create abundant micropores and active sites to produce the meso/micro-Fe-N-CNT. This hybrid material has a unique characteristic of a high-conductivity CNT framework, an ultrahigh surface area of 2137 m2 g−1, a high density of Fe-N-C catalytic active sites, and abundant meso- and micropores for efficient mass transport channels. As a consequence, excellent oxygen reduction reaction performance under acidic conditions and even better performance under alkaline conditions were demonstrated that are comparable to that of Pt/C.
RATIONALE:Uncontrolled growth of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is a life-threatening vascular disease without an effective pharmaceutical treatment. AAA incidence dramatically increases with ...advancing age in men. However, the molecular mechanisms by which aging predisposes individuals to AAAs remain unknown.
OBJECTIVE:In this study, we investigated the role of Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a class III histone deacetylase, in AAA formation and the underlying mechanisms linking vascular senescence and inflammation.
METHODS AND RESULTS:The expression and activity of SIRT1 were significantly decreased in human AAA samples. SIRT1 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) was remarkably downregulated in the suprarenal aortas of aged mice, in which AAAs induced by Ang II infusion were significantly elevated. Moreover, VSMC-specific knockout of SIRT1 accelerated Ang II-induced formation and rupture of AAAs and AAA-related pathological changes, whereas VSMC-specific overexpression of SIRT1 suppressed Ang II-induced AAA formation and progression in Apoe mice. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of SIRT1 on AAA formation was also proved in a calcium chloride (CaCl2)–induced AAA model. Mechanistically, the reduction of SIRT1 was shown to increase vascular cell senescence and upregulate p21 expression as well as enhance vascular inflammation. Notably, inhibition of p21-dependent vascular cell senescence by SIRT1 blocked Ang II-induced NF-κB binding on the promoter of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) and inhibited its expression.
CONCLUSION:These findings provide evidence that SIRT1 reduction links vascular senescence and inflammation to AAAs, and that SIRT1 in VSMCs provides a therapeutic target for the prevention of AAA formation.
Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are ideal for fabricating transparent conductive films because of their small diameter, good optical and electrical properties, and excellent flexibility. ...However, a high intertube Schottky junction resistance, together with the existence of aggregated bundles of SWCNTs, leads to a degraded optoelectronic performance of the films. We report a network of isolated SWCNTs prepared by an injection floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition method, in which crossed SWCNTs are welded together by graphitic carbon. Pristine SWCNT films show a record low sheet resistance of 41 ohm □
at 90% transmittance for 550-nm light. After HNO
treatment, the sheet resistance further decreases to 25 ohm □
. Organic light-emitting diodes using this SWCNT film as anodes demonstrate a low turn-on voltage of 2.5 V, a high current efficiency of 75 cd A
, and excellent flexibility. Investigation of isolated SWCNT-based field-effect transistors shows that the carbon-welded joints convert the Schottky contacts between metallic and semiconducting SWCNTs into near-ohmic ones, which significantly improves the conductivity of the transparent SWCNT network. Our work provides a new avenue of assembling individual SWCNTs into macroscopic thin films, which demonstrate great potential for use as transparent electrodes in various flexible electronics.
Lithium metal is an ideal electrode material for future rechargeable batteries. However, dendrite formation and unstable solid electrolyte interphase film lead to safety concerns and poor Coulombic ...efficiency (CE). LiNO3 significantly improves the performance of the lithium metal anode in ester electrolytes but its use is restricted by low solubility. To increase the content of LiNO3 in the cell, a poly‐(vinyl carbonate) organogel interlayer containing dissociated LiNO3 (LNO‐PVC) is placed between the cathode and anode. The dissociated LiNO3 effectively increases the LiNO3‐release rate and compensates for the LiNO3 consumed in ester electrolytes during cycling. Via this interlayer, the performance of the lithium metal anode is significantly improved. The average CE of a Li‐Cu cell reaches 98.6% at 0.5 mA cm−2‐1 h and 98.5% at 1 mA cm−2‐1 h for 300 cycles. Also, a Li||NCM811 pouch cell with LNO‐PVC interlayer can also reach a 400 Wh kg−1 energy density with a cycling life of 65 cycles. This strategy sheds light on the effect of the state of this salt on its release/dissolution kinetics, which is determined by the interactions between the salt and host material.
By using PVC as a host material, LiNO3 can exist in a dissociated state inside PVC rather than in a crystalline state. The dissociated LiNO3 has a lower activation energy for the dissolution/release process and realizes a fast release speed to ensure its efficient reduction on the lithium metal anode side to improve the battery performance.
We report tunable band gaps and transport properties of B-doped graphenes that were achieved via controllable doping through reaction with the ion atmosphere of trimethylboron decomposed by microwave ...plasma. Both electron energy loss spectroscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy analyses of the graphene reacted with ion atmosphere showed that B atoms are substitutionally incorporated into graphenes without segregation of B domains. The B content was adjusted over a range of 0–13.85 atom % by controlling the ion reaction time, from which the doping effects on transport properties were quantitatively evaluated. Electrical measurements from graphene field-effect transistors show that the B-doped graphenes have a distinct p-type conductivity with a current on/off ratio higher than 102. Especially, the band gap of graphenes is tuned from 0 to ∼0.54 eV with increasing B content, leading to a series of modulated transport properties. We believe the controllable doping for graphenes with predictable transport properties may pave a way for the development of graphene-based devices.
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