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•Fe2O3-carbon fiber composites were prepared by a facile sol-gel method.•The microstructure of the Fe2O3-CF composites can be facilely controlled.•Fe2O3@carbon fiber sample exhibits ...an excellent electrochemical performance.
The Fe2O3-carbon fiber composites were prepared by a facile sol-gel method. The uniform distribution of Fe2O3 grains on the surface of carbon fibers was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The impact of the Fe2O3 content in composite materials on electrochemical performance was also investigated in this study. The results show that the capacity degradation during cycling is associated with the content of Fe2O3 in composite materials. Comparative study of three composite samples with different Fe2O3 contents revealed that the best electrochemical performance with good cycling stability, high reversible capacity and improved rate capability was exhibited by the Fe2O3@carbon fiber sample. Even after 150 cycles at a constant current density of 50mAg−1, a high reversible discharge capacity of 634mAhg−1 can be achieved, which is comparable to its theoretical value (607mAhg−1). More importantly, the one-dimensional nanofibrous structure can be well preserved even after a long-time charge/discharge process over to 50 cycles, which demonstrates the structural robustness of the composite materials. The morphological robustness and excellent electrochemical performance of the Fe2O3@carbon fiber hybrid show its promise as an anode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).
The desire for this lightweight and flexible electronics has grown increasingly, and the flexible and wearable electronic textiles can be realized by coating traditional textiles with conductive ...materials. Here, the conductive silk fabrics are prepared by coating graphene oxide (GO) onto silk fabrics and followed by thermal reduction. The scanning electron microscope results show that the GO coated onto silk fabrics successfully forms a continuous thin film. The oxygen functional groups are removed by thermal reduction. The main structure (β‐sheet structure) of silk fabrics is not destroyed through a series of treatment, guaranteeing good mechanical properties. The resistivity and conductivity of silk fabrics using regenerated silk fibroin as a glue can reach 3.28 KΩ cm−1, 3.06 × 10−4 S cm−1 respectively, which can meet the electron conductive requirement of wearable electronics. Thus, it can be used for sensors, portable devices, and wearable electronic textiles.
Conductive silk fabrics are prepared by coating graphene oxide onto silk fabrics using regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) as glue, following by thermal reduction. These materials possess flexibility, good mechanically properties, and thermal stability. Along with their conductivity this makes them ideal materials for advancing sensors, portable devices, wearable electronic textiles, and even biomedical devices.
Thiamethoxam (TMX) is one of the most widely used neonicotinoid insecticides. However, it is unclear how TMX alters the flower-visiting behavior and seed production of
Apis cerana
in sunflowers. We ...conducted cage experiments to study the impact of chronic exposure (10 days) to TMX at sublethal concentrations of 2.4 μg/kg and 10 μg/kg on the number of flower visits per minute, seed setting percentage, 100-seed weight, and seed yield in sunflowers. Bees treated with TMX demonstrated a significantly lower number of flower visits per minute compared with the control group. Although we did not observe a significant difference in yield parameters between TMX treatments and the control group, a positive correlation was observed between yield and the bees’ flower visitation rate. Our study highlights the concern that exposure to field-level concentrations of TMX could pose a threat to the pollination services provided by
A. cerana
for other crops and wildflowers.
Tissue engineering small diameter artificial blood vessel is an indispensable graft for repairing extremity arterial injury. Previous researches demonstrated that suitable porosity and matching ...mechanical properties are two keys for tubular tissue reconstruction. In this study, we fabricated a fabric reinforced small diameter tubular graft (PPTG) from PLGA fabric and three-dimensional porous PEEUU with a structure of the bionic extracellular matrix for transplanting in situ combined braiding and thermally induced phase separation (TIPS). The prepared PPTG presented smooth and dense inner surface, fluffy and porous grafts wall, and tubular PLGA fabric evenly dispersed PEEUU matrix, which provide mechanical support for PPTG. The mechanical tests and hemolysis results showed that PPTG possess matched mechanical properties with autologous blood vessels and stable blood compatibility. Six weeks after rabbits’ carotid artery defect replacement indicated that there were no blockage occurred for PPTG group. Histological staining exhibited positive expression of endothelial cells on the inner surface of PPTG and distinct smooth muscle in the wall of PPTG, which migrated from peripheral tissues and flowing blood. Therefore, this fabric reinforced small diameter tubular graft provides a solution for endothelialization and tissue regeneration and have a potential application in vascular trauma.
A fabric reinforced small diameter tubular graft from PLGA fabric and three-dimensional porous PEEUU with a structure of the bionic extracellular matrix exhibited matched mechanical properties, especially they demonstrate excellent performance to induce the migration of host cells to the wall of tubular graft and effective anti-thrombosis properties in rabbit carotid artery defect. Display omitted
•We report a facile approach to fabricate SF/LDI-PEUU composite nanofibrous scaffold which exhibit a suitable properties for potential application in heart valve tissue engineering.•Silk fibroin (SF) ...and poly(ester-urethane) urea (LDI-PEUU) were fabricated by electrospinning.•The composite nanofibrous scaffold exhibit a suitable properties for potential applications in heart valve tissue engineering.
Tissue engineering heart valves (TEHV) are thought to have many advantages in low immunogenicity, good histocompatibility, excellent mechanical properties. In this paper, we reported the fabrication and characterization of a novel composite nanofibrous scaffold consisting of silk fibroin (SF) and poly(ester-urethane) urea (LDI-PEUU) by using electrospinning. Chemical and physical properties of scaffolds were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, contact angle measurement, thermogravimetric analysis, biodegradation test and tensile strength analysis. We determined that the composite scaffolds supported the growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC). The results of cell proliferation and cell morphology indicate that SF/LDI-PEUU nanofibers promoted cell viability, which supporting the application in tissue engineering. All results clarified that SF/LDI-PEUU (40:60) nanofibrous scaffolds meet the required specifications for tissue engineering and could be used as a promising construct for heart valve tissue engineering.
Orientation rotation at grain boundary regions associated with neighboring orientations in Fe-3.0 wt.% Si non-oriented silicon steel has been investigated by crystal plastic simulation. Rotation ...tendency relative to a certain target orientation is evaluated by deviation angle variation. Taking ideal λ ( //ND, normal direction) as the target orientation, the deviation angle of scattered {001} <
0> orientations at grain boundary regions affected by neighboring orientations during rolling is calculated and verified by experimental measurements. The rotation tendency and rotation velocity field at grain boundary regions are significantly changed by neighboring orientations. According to the neighbor affected orientation rotation, the initial texture can be precisely designed to control the deformation texture at grain boundary regions.
Acute coagulation is one of the vexed problems in transplantation of small-diameter artificial blood vessel. Three-dimensional porous heparin-modified gelatin (Gel)@chitosan (CS) tubular scaffold ...were successfully acquired by using the method of freeze-drying combined with amination for application in tissue regeneration of blood vessels. Initially, homogeneous gelatin solution was initially poured into a tubular mold and underwent a procedure of vacuum freeze-drying to form a three-dimensional porous tubular skeleton. Chitosan was used to loading heparin (Hep) which is a kind of efficient anticoagulant. The Hep-loaded CS composite solution were poured into Gel tubular skeleton, following freeze-drying matched EDC-NHS crosslinking to form Gel@CS-Hep tubular scaffold exhibited a three-dimensional structure and porous morphology. Then, poly(ester-urethane)urea/gelatin (PU75) micro-nano fibers were electrospinning outside the Gel@CS-Hep tube as mechanical reinforcement layer. The Gel@CS-Hep/PU75 tube showed higher hydrophilicity, stable mechanical properties as well as no cytotoxicity on human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Importantly, the three-dimensional functional Gel@CS-Hep/PU75 tubular scaffold shows a good rapid endothelialization performance and effective anti-acute coagulation properties. Therefore, the developed Gel@CS-Hep/PU75 tube was proposed to be a potential scaffold for remodeling vascular tissue.
A hybrid bi-layered vascular scaffold from heparin-grafted gelatin (Gel) and chitosan (CS) composite sponge with porous fluffy inter structure exhibited higher hydrophilicity, stable mechanical properties, especially they demonstrate excellent rapid endothelialization performance and effective anti-acute coagulation properties in rabbit carotid artery model. Display omitted
•A hybrid bi-layered tubular scaffold were fabricated via a facile freeze-drying combined with amidation.•The mechanically matched scaffold showed no unfavorable effects on vascular cells and effective anti-acute coagulation properties.•A novel designed bi-layered vessel prevents acute thrombosis effectively and maintains excellent patency in a rabbit model.
With the technological scaling of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and the scarcity of circuit design margins, the characteristics of device reliability have garnered ...widespread attention. Traditional single-mode reliability mechanisms and modeling are less sufficient to meet the demands of resilient circuit designs. Mixed-mode reliability mechanisms and modeling have become a focal point of future designs for reliability. This paper reviews the mechanisms and compact aging models of mixed-mode reliability. The mechanism and modeling method of mixed-mode reliability are discussed, including hot carrier degradation (HCD) with self-heating effect, mixed-mode aging of HCD and Bias Temperature Instability (BTI), off-state degradation (OSD), on-state time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB), and metal electromigration (EM). The impact of alternating HCD-BTI stress conditions is also discussed. The results indicate that single-mode reliability analysis is insufficient for predicting the lifetime of advanced technology and circuits and provides guidance for future mixed-mode reliability analysis and modeling.
Strengthening η texture (⟨001⟩//rolling direction) through secondary recrystallization can significantly improve the magnetostriction coefficient of Fe-Ga thin sheets and expand the use of Fe-Ga ...alloys in high-frequency applications. However, the secondary recrystallization of Goss texture in Fe-Ga thin sheets deteriorates significantly with the thinning of the sheet thickness under the current inhibitors of micron-sized NbC particles or precipitates. In this paper, a new composite inhibitor system, composed of nano-sized MnS and Nb(C,N) precipitates, is proposed to induce the secondary recrystallization Goss texture in Fe-Ga thin sheets with thicknesses less than 0.3 mm. The density and size of MnS and Nb(C,N) is designed based on the effect of alloy composition and hot rolling parameters on the precipitation kinetics of MnS and Nb(C,N), including the relative nucleation rate-temperature (NrT) and precipitation-time-temperature (PTT) curves. It is found that the stored deformation energy increases the maximum nucleation rate and the fastest precipitation temperature. A large number of lamellar and rectangular precipitates (MnS and Nb(C,N)) with a size of 5∼20 nm were precipitated after hot-rolling at a temperature of 800∼1,050 °C and a total thickness reduction of 80%. These nano-sized inhibitors provide a strong pinning effect for the primary recrystallized grains, and induce abnormal grain growth of Goss grains at an annealing temperature of 950∼1,050 °C. Resultingly, centimeter-sized Goss grains with a small deviation angle and maximum magnetostriction coefficient of 264 ppm are successfully achieved in Fe-Ga alloy thin sheets with a thickness of 0.25 mm.
Background
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an uncommon condition with limited available therapies and dismal prognoses. The purpose of this work was to create a multivariate clinical ...prognostic nomogram and a web-based survival risk calculator to forecast patients’ prognoses.
Methods
Using a randomization process, training and validation groups were created for a retrospective cohort study that examined the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2010 to 2015 for individuals diagnosed with MPM (7:3 ratio). Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were the primary endpoints. Clinical traits linked to OS and CSS were identified using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis, which was also utilized to develop nomogram survival models and online survival risk calculators. By charting the receiver operating characteristic (ROC), consistency index (C-index), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA), the model’s performance was assessed. The nomogram was used to classify patients into various risk categories, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to examine each risk group’s survival rate.
Results
The prognostic model comprised a total of 1978 patients. For the total group, the median OS and CSS were 10 (9.4-10.5) and 11 (9.4-12.6) months, respectively. As independent factors for OS and CSS, age, gender, insurance, histology, T stage, M stage, surgery, and chemotherapy were chosen. The calibration graphs demonstrated good concordance. In the training and validation groups, the C-indices for OS and CSS were 0.729, 0.717, 0.711, and 0.721, respectively. Our nomogram produced a greater clinical net benefit than the AJCC 7th edition, according to DCA and ROC analysis. According to the cut-off values of 171 for OS and 189 for CSS of the total scores from our nomogram, patients were classified into two risk groups. The P-value < 0.001 on the Kaplan-Meier plot revealed a significant difference in survival between the two patient groups.
Conclusions
Patient survival in MPM was correctly predicted by the risk evaluation model. This will support clinicians in the practice of individualized medicine.