The high‐polarity β‐phase poly(vinylidene difluoride) (β‐PVDF), which has all trans conformation with F and H atoms located on the opposite sides of the polymer backbone, is demonstrated to be a ...promising artificial solid‐electrolyte interphase coating on both Cu and Li metal anodes for dendrite‐free Li deposition/stripping and enhanced cycling performance. A thin (≈4 µm) β‐PVDF coating on Cu enables uniform Li deposition/stripping at high current densities up to 5 mA cm−2, Li‐plating capacity loadings of up to 4 mAh cm−2, and excellent cycling stability over hundreds of cycles under practical conditions (1 mA cm−2 with 2 mAh cm−2). Full cells containing an LiFePO4 cathode and an anode of either β‐PVDF coated Cu or Li also exhibit excellent cycling stability. The profound effects of the high‐polarity PVDF coating on dendrite suppression are attributed to the electronegative F‐rich interface that favors layer‐by‐layer Li deposition. This study offers a new strategy for the development of dendrite‐free metal anode technology.
Li metal anodes with a thin β‐phase poly(vinylidene difluoride) coating demonstrate dendrite‐free Li deposition and enhanced cycling performance at practical current densities and capacity loadings. The high chemical polarity of the polymer with its preferentially sided F alignment provides a new strategy for optimizing the interfacial interactions that favor layer‐by‐layer Li deposition.
Organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites have realized a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) in both n–i–p and p–i–n device configurations. However, since the p–i–n structure exempts the sophisticated ...processing of charge‐transporting layers, it seems to possess better potential for practical applications than the n–i–p one. Currently, the inorganic NiOx is the most prevailing hole‐transporting layer (HTL) used in p–i–n perovskite solar cells. Nevertheless, defects might exist on its surface to influence the charge transfer/extraction across the interface with perovskite and to affect the quality of the perovskite film grown on it. Herein, two novel 7helicenes with stable open‐shell singlet biradical ground states at room temperature are demonstrated as an effective surface modifier of the NiOx HTL. Their nonpolar feature effectively promotes the crystallinity of the perovskite film grown on them; meanwhile, their unique partial biradical character seems to provide a certain degree of defect passivation function at the perovskite interface to facilitate interfacial charge transfer/extraction. As a result, both 1ab‐ and 1bb‐modifed devices yield a PCE of >18%, exceeding the value (15.6%) of the control device using a sole NiOx HTL, and the maximum PCE can reach 19%. Detailed characterizations are carefully conducted to understand the underlying reasons behind such enhancement.
The 7helicenes with stable partial open‐shell biradical ground states are demonstrated as effective surface modifiers of the inorganic NiOx hole‐transporting layer in p–i–n perovskite solar cells. Their nonpolar feature improves the crystallinity of the perovskite films grown on them. Meanwhile, their biradical character provides a certain defect passivation function to facilitate charge transfer/extraction across the perovskite interface.
Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is depended upon by investigators as an indispensable supplement in cell and tissue culture systems. Due to increased demand and limited availability, the price of FBS has ...increased by greater than 300% in the past few years. In addition, there are ethical and scientific controversies about the collection and use of FBS in culture systems. In response to the shortage of FBS, many FBS alternative serum products have been developed. Although many have claimed comparable performance to FBS, their support of long-term cell growth and effects on cell phenotype have not been revealed. In this study, we examined the performances of six bovine calf serum-based FBS alternatives in six head and neck cell lines and compared them with FBS. The results indicate that some of these sera had growth promoting capabilities comparable or superior to that of FBS. Additionally, these alternative sera supported long-term (30 passages) growth of tested cells and exhibited plating efficiencies comparable to that of FBS. Cells cultured in alternative sera also exhibited comparable anchorage-independent growth and similar drug inhibition responses in FBS. Still, caution should be taken in choosing suitable sera given that changes in cell morphology and variations in chemotactic responses were noted for cells maintained in certain sera. These FBS alternatives are more readily available, cost less, and are associated with less ethical concerns, thus making them attractive alternatives to FBS in cell culture systems.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of phthalates exposure with thyroid function in pregnant women and their newborns.
One hundred and forty-eight Taiwanese maternal and infant ...pairs were recruited from E-Da hospital in southern Taiwan between 2009 and 2010 for analysis. One-spot urine samples and blood samples in the third trimester of pregnant women and their cord blood samples at delivery were collected. Nine phthalate metabolites in urine were determined by triple quadrupole liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, whereas serum from pregnant women and their cord blood were used to measure thyroid profiles (thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH, thyroxine, free thyroxine, and triiodothyronine) by radioimmunoassay.
Median levels of urinary mono-n-butyl phthalate, mono-ethyl phthalate, and mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (μg/g creatinine) were the three highest phthalate metabolites, which were 37.81, 34.51, and 21.73, respectively. Using Bonferroni correction at a significance of < 0.006, we found that urinary mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) levels were significantly and negatively associated with serum TSH in cord blood (β = -2.644, p = 0.003).
Maternal urinary MBzP, of which the parental compound is butylbenzyl phthalate, may affect TSH activity in newborns. The alteration of thyroid homeostasis by certain phthalates in the early life, a critical period for neurodevelopment, is an urgent concern.
High coulombic efficiency and dendrite suppression in carbonate electrolytes remain challenges to the development of high-energy lithium ion batteries containing lithium metal anodes. Here we ...demonstrate an ultrathin (≤100 nm) lithium-ion ionomer membrane consisting of lithium-exchanged sulfonated polyether ether ketone embedded with polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane as a coating layer on copper or lithium for achieving efficient and stable lithium plating-stripping cycles in a carbonate-based electrolyte. Operando analyses and theoretical simulation reveal the remarkable ability of the ionomer coating to enable electric field homogenization over a considerably large lithium-plating surface. The membrane coating, serving as an artificial solid-electrolyte interphase filter in minimizing parasitic reactions at the electrolyte-electrode interface, enables dendrite-free lithium plating on copper with outstanding coulombic efficiencies at room and elevated (50 °C) temperatures. The membrane coated copper demonstrates itself as a promising current collector for manufacturing high-quality pre-plated lithium thin-film anode.
Because there are no published biochemical reference intervals (RI) for pregnant Taiwanese women, we used an established islandwide birth cohort, the Taiwan Maternal and Infant Cohort Study, to ...establish RIs for important biochemical parameters in women during their 3rd trimester in Taiwan. Additionally, we compared the differences in these biochemical parameters between early third trimester (weeks 28 to 31) and late third trimester (weeks 37 to 40) of pregnant women as well as the differences in them between the third trimester and after delivery.
Between 2012 and 2015, we recruited a total of 2,136 pregnant women from nine hospitals located in northern (n = 3), central (n = 3), southern (n = 2), and eastern Taiwan (n = 1) to receive regular prenatal health examinations during their third trimester (weeks 28 to 40). After exclusion, samples obtained from 993 eligible pregnant women were analyzed.
There were increases in both lower and upper normal limits for blood neutrophil, thyroid profile (triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4)), testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone and decreases for RBC, hemoglobin (Hb), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and creatinine (Cr) during their third trimesters. Women in their late third trimester (n = 378) had higher median RBC, Hb, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Cr, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone and lower median platelet and insulin, compared with those in their early third trimester (n = 490). Twenty-three of the women had both third trimester and post-pregnancy data. After delivery, the women had lower median AST, ALT, insulin, T3, T4, testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone and higher median Cr, free T4, FSH, and luteinizing hormone (LH), compared to their third trimesters.
Gestation-related changes in important biochemical parameters should be considered when evaluating clinical laboratory values in pregnant women.
Exposure to melamine, which is ubiquitous in daily life, is linked to adverse kidney outcomes. The melamine tolerable daily intake in humans is based on the no-observed-effect-level (NOEL) ...established in a single-toxicant murine model. However, humans are often simultaneously exposed to multiple environmental nephrotoxicants. The NOEL of melamine during coexposure with other toxicants needs to be evaluated. Oxalate is a potentially nephrotoxic terminal metabolite, and hyperoxaluria is reportedly associated with chronic kidney disease. We explored whether these two potential nephrotoxicants can interact and enhance kidney injury. We established a Sprague-Dawley rat model of coexposure to the melamine NOEL (63 mg/kg/day) and 2% hydroxy-L-proline (HLP, an oxalate precursor) in drinking water to simulate human environmental melamine exposure. Melamine/oxalate coexposure increased proximal tubular cell mitochondrial reactive oxygen species levels, lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage. The degrees of mitochondrial damage, tubular cell apoptosis, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis were elevated in coexposed rat kidneys. The evidence indicated that exposure to the melamine NOEL can cause renal tubular injury via oxidative stress and that this effect may be enhanced via interaction of melamine with other environmental factors, such as oxalate. Thus, melamine risk assessment and toxicity prevention should be conducted carefully in different susceptible populations.
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•NOEL melamine and oxalate coexposure increases risk for chronic kidney disease.•The coexposure accelerates kidney injury via excess oxidative stress.•The coexposure induces aberrations of mitochondria and autophagy in kidneys.•Melamine TDI should be adjusted downward in the real world coexposure environment.
5,14-Diaryldiindeno2,1-f:1′,2′-jpicene (DDP, 1), a thermally and chemically stable helical arene, can be prepared from 1,4-bis2-(arylethynyl)phenylbenzene in four synthetic steps. Its helical ...backbone, which incorporates an o-quinodimethane moiety, was verified by X-ray crystallography, and this structural feature results in a very high barrier to racemization (exceeding 50 kcal/mol). DDP possesses versatile and promising properties, including a small HOMO–LUMO energy gap (1.31 eV for the dimesityl-substituted derivative 1ab), an electron spin resonance (ESR)-active character, a small triplet–singlet energy gap (4.75 kcal/mol), broad photoabsorption covering the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared (NIR) regions, two-photon absorption in the NIR range, and respectable ambipolar charge-transport behavior in a solution-processed organic field-effect transistor.
In this work, a fast mycotoxin extraction (FaMEx) technique was developed for the rapid identification and quantification of carcinogenic ochratoxin-A (OTA) in food (coffee and tea) and agricultural ...soil samples using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) detection. The FaMEx technique advancement is based on two plastic syringes integrated setup for rapid extraction and its subsequent controlled clean-up process. In the extraction process, a 0.25-g sample and extraction solvent were added to the first syringe barrel for the vortex-based extraction. Then, the extraction syringe was connected to a clean-up syringe (pre-packed with C18, activated carbon, and MgSO
) with a syringe filter. Afterward, the whole set-up was placed in an automated programmable mechanical set-up for controlled elution. To enhance FaMEx technology performance, the various influencing sample pretreatment parameters were optimized. Furthermore, the developed FaMEx method indicated excellent linearity (0.9998 and 0.9996 for coffee/tea and soil) with highly sensitive detection (0.30 and 0.29 ng/mL for coffee/tea and soil) and quantification limits (1.0 and 0.96 for coffee/tea and soil), which is lower than the toxicity limit compliant with the European Union regulation for OTA (5 ng/g). The method showed acceptable relative recovery (84.48 to 100.59%) with <7.34% of relative standard deviation for evaluated real samples, and the matrix effects were calculated as <-13.77% for coffee/tea and -9.7 for soil samples. The obtained results revealed that the developed semi-automated FaMEx/UHPLC-MS/MS technique is easy, fast, low-cost, sensitive, and precise for mycotoxin detection in food and environmental samples.
Little is known about the effect of exposure to cooking oil fumes (COFs) on the development of non-malignant respiratory diseases in nonsmoking women. This study investigated the relationship between ...exposure to COFs and chronic bronchitis in female Taiwanese non-smokers.
Searching the 1999 claims and registration records maintained by Taiwan's National Health Insurance Program, we identified 1846 women aged 40 years or older diagnosed as having chronic bronchitis (ICD-9 code: 491) at least twice in 1999 as potential study cases and 4624 women who had no diagnosis of chronic bronchitis the same year as potential study controls. We visited randomly selected women from each group in their homes, interviewed to collect related data including cooking habits and kitchen characteristics, and them a spirometry to collect FEV1 and FVC data between 2000 and 2009.
After the exclusion of thirty smokers, the women were classified those with chronic bronchitis (n = 53), probable chronic bronchitis (n = 285), and no pulmonary disease (n = 306) based on physician diagnosis and American Thoracic Society criteria. Women who had cooked ≥ 21 times per week between the ages of 20 and 40 years old had a 4.73-fold higher risk of chronic bronchitis than those cooking < 14 times per week (95% CI = 1.65-13.53). Perceived kitchen smokiness was significantly associated with decreased FEV1 (- 137 ml, p = 0.021) and FEV1/FVC ratio (- 7.67%, p = 0.008).
Exposure to COF may exacerbate the progression of chronic bronchitis in nonsmoking women.
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