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Background It is well-established that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can improve motor function in those with Parkinson disease (PD); however, its effects on gastrointestinal disorders remain unclear. Methods From January 2019 to December 2020, 26 patients with PD who had undergone subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS were included in our study. The evaluated items included the pre- and postoperative dose of levodopa, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III, scores with and without medication and stimulation, and gastric emptying time (expressed as the peak time of carbon-13C dioxide excretion in the 13C-acetate breath test). Sex-, age-, and body weight-matched controls were recruited to test the gastric emptying time in healthy individuals. Results All the patients benefited from DBS. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III, scores had decreased from 48.5 ± 13.77 to 25.23 ± 8.59 without medication and 31.23 ± 11.4 to 13.92 ± 5.27 with medication. The levodopa equivalent dose had decreased from 1009.8 ± 291 mg to 707.65 ± 193.79 mg. The gastric emptying time was significantly prolonged in the patients with PD before DBS compared with the healthy control group (29.23 ± 6.58 minutes) and had improved to 35.19 ± 10.14 minutes with medication and 38.07 ± 11.17 minutes without medication after 3 months of STN stimulation. At 6 months postoperatively, the gastric emptying time was 32.3 ± 10.02 minutes without medication and 33.84 ± 10.79 minutes with medication. Conclusions A delayed gastric emptying time is associated with greater PD severity. Antiparkinsonian medications did not affect gastric emptying in patients with PD. STN DBS can improve both movement function and gastrointestinal motility in patients with PD in the long term. The exact mechanism by which DBS improves gastric emptying requires further exploration.

The high-valence inorganic metalloid element of silicon was used for doping perovskite type oxides Pr0.6Sr0.4Fe1-xSixO3-δ (PSFSix, x = 0−0.1), as the oxygen transport membranes (OTM) for thermochemical water splitting to hydrogen production, which were fabricated by sol-gel method successfully. The effects of Si doped on microstructure, thermal expansion, permeability, and stability were investigated systematically. Although the crystal structure does not change, the metal-oxygen average binging energy (ABE) and oxygen vacancy concentration at room temperature increase after Si4+ doped. Furthermore, the phase transition process is reduced below the operating temperature by silicon doped. Due to the increase of ABE, the oxygen vacancy concentration of PSF exceeds that of the Si-doping samples with the temperature elevated. This is why the oxygen permeation flux of Si-doping samples is gradually exceeded by PSF. The long-term stability of water splitting to hydrogen is enhanced because the Si-doping increases the chemical stability of samples in reducing atmosphere.

A series of dense xCe0.85Pr0.15O2-δ (CP) -(100-x) Pr0.6Sr0·4Fe0·9Al0·1O3-δ (PSFA) (x = 30, 40, 50, 60, 70) dual-phase oxygen transport membranes were successfully synthesized by sol-gel method. The feasibility of xCP-(100-x) PSFA membranes for hydrogen production by thermochemical water splitting was explored by testing in the thermochemical stability, oxygen permeability, hydrogen production efficiency, and performance degradation mechanism of these membranes. The results show that the thermochemical stability of xCP-(100-x) PSFA membranes is improved with the CP content increasing. The oxygen permeation model demonstrates that appropriate CP content is beneficial to reduce the permeation resistance of xCP-(100-x) PSFA membranes, and the reaction of surface exchange plays a major role in the oxygen transport process at 925 °C. The formation of Fe(SiO3) and Sr3Fe2O7 on the sweep side leads to the decline in hydrogen production rate. The 60CP-40PSFA membrane showed the best comprehensive performance with a hydrogen production retention rate of 90% and a stable hydrogen production rate of 0.99 ml cm−2 min−1 in the 100-h test cycle.

Perovskite-type Pr0.6Sr0.4FeO3-δ (PSF) material was prepared by the sol-gel method and systematically evaluated as an oxygen transport membrane (OTM). The material was accompanied by a phase transition with the temperature elevated, and the detailed phase evolution process was accurately detected by the high-temperature in situ X-ray diffraction and the thermogravimetric analysis technologies. The phase transition is related to the oxygen vacancy concentration. The effects of phase transition on structural parameter, oxygen permeability, rate-controlling step, and stability were investigated. The high-temperature cubic phase has a higher thermal expansion coefficient than the orthorhombic phase, which is more favorable for the movement of lattice oxygen. Combining experimental results and oxygen permeation model, demonstrated that the phase transition leads to the rate-controlling step changing from bulk diffusion to oxygen interfacial exchange. Furthermore, the high-temperature cubic phase is beneficial to limit the migration of the Sr ions and ensure higher operation stability.

The high-temperature and high-performance piezoelectric ceramics are required urgently in the petrochemical, automotive, and aerospace industries. In this work, the (0.85-x)BiFeO3-xPbTiO3-0.15BaTiO3 (BF-PT-BT, x = 0.21, 0.22, 0.23, 0.24 and 0.25) piezoelectric ceramics with both high Curie temperature and large piezoelectric constant d33 were presented. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that BF-PT-BT ceramics exhibit dominant perovskite structure with the coexistence of tetragonal (T) and rhombohedral (R) phases. The c/a ratio, Curie temperature, piezoelectric constant, dielectric constant and loss of the BF-PT-BT ceramics for x = 0.23 are 1.06, 546 °C, 222 pC/N, 545 and 0.013, respectively. Room temperature piezoelectric constant of BF-PT-BT ceramics is much higher than those of PbTiO3, PbNb2O6 and other ABO3 perovskite compounds (BaZrO3, Bi(Zn, Ti)O3, PbZrO3 and Pb(Mg, Nb)O3) modified ternary BiFeO3-PbTiO3 ceramics with similar Curie temperatures. The piezoelectric constant is almost unchanged after BF-PT-BT ceramics was annealed at 450 °C for 30 min, which is due to the stable switched non-180° domain and transformed R phase by annealing treatment.

Transcatheter hepatic artery chemoembolization (TACE) is a universal treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that inhibits tumor growth by cutting off the blood supply and provides chemotherapeutics locally to the tumor. The strategy of combining TACE formulation with image-guided ablation holds tremendous potential, but patient tolerance and undesired toxicity/immunosuppression remains a challenge. The application of nanotechnology in TACE opens new doors for the treatment of HCC. Strikingly, nanomaterials or nano-drugs dispersed in the TACE formulation can effectively improve the delivery efficiency of drugs by achieving both controlled and continuous release. In addition, the utilization of multifunctional nanoparticles can provide guidance and monitoring for various advanced imaging methods for TACE treatment, and can realize the combination therapy of thermal ablation, microwave ablation, in situ radiotherapy, and other therapies, greatly expanding the therapeutic strategies available for HCC treatment. Here, the current exploration of nanotechnology in TACE of HCC is briefly summarized and the challenges of TACE with nanoformulations for clinical translation are comprehensively discussed.

Bimetallic Ni–Fe/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by the molten salt method, and the catalytic performance of the Ni–Fe/Al2O3 catalysts with the KCl–NiCl2 melt for methane decomposition was evaluated at 800 °C. The catalysts and carbon products were characterized by XRD, SEM/EDS, XRF and Raman spectroscopy techniques. The results show that molten salt-promoted Ni–Fe/Al2O3 catalysts exhibit high activity and long-term stability up to 1000 min time on stream without any deactivation. The carbon products over the molten salt-promoted Ni–Fe/Al2O3 catalysts are in the form of small granular particles instead of filamentous carbon for the catalyst without molten salt. The promotional effect of the molten salt may attribute to the higher wettability of the Fe–Ni alloy by molten salt, which can prevent the catalysts from deactivation due to carbon encapsulation.

A 72-year-old woman presented with headache. No central neural systemic signs or symptoms were seen, and laboratory studies were within normal range. Radiologic examinations showed a giant lesion with brain edema in the right cerebral hemisphere located at occipital and temporal lobes with significant meningeal enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging. Postoperative histopathologic examination disclosed Castleman disease, which is very rare, involving the central nervous system.

A calcified roasting−acid leaching process was developed as a highly effective method for the extraction of valuable metals from low nickel matte in the presence of CaO additive. The influences of process parameters on the metal extraction were studied, including the roasting temperature, roasting time, addition of CaO, H2SO4 concentration and liquid−solid ratio. Under the optimum condition, 94.2% of Ni, 98.1% of Cu, 92.2% of Co and 89.3% of Fe were recovered. Additionally, 99.6% of Fe was removed from the leachate as goethite by a subsequent goethite iron precipitation process. The behavior and mechanism of CaO additive in the roasting process was clarified. The role of CaO is to prevent the formation of nonferrous metal ferrite phases by a preferential reaction with Fe2O3 during the roasting process. The metal oxides (CuO and NixCu1−xO) remained stable during high-temperature roasting and were subsequently efficiently leached using a sulfuric acid solution.

Aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries (ARZIBs) is considered one of the most compelling candidates for grid-scale energy storage owing to their cost effectiveness, good safety, eco-friendliness, high output voltage, and high capacity. However, their practical applications are still largely limited by the undesirable cyclability and high-rate capability. Here, we report a discovery that using a small amount (2 vol%) of diethyl ether (Et2O) as the electrolyte additive could largely improve the performance of Zn–MnO2 batteries. The addition of Et2O yielded the first cycle coulombic efficiency of 95.6% at 50 mA/g, a high capacity of 115.9 mAh/g at 5 A/g and 97.7% retention of initial capacity after 4000 cycles, demonstrating an outstanding rate capability and cycling performance among the reported Mn-based zinc ions batteries in mild electrolyte. Ex-situ characterizations revealed that appropriate amount of Et2O molecules could effectively suppress the formation of Zn dendrites on Zn anode, which is the main mechanism for cyclability improvements.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc ion batteries are particularly attractive for large-scale application due to their features including low cost, environmental friendliness, and safety. Herein, we report the use of defect engineering to generate oxygen vacancies in tunneled α-MnO2 through surface gradient Ti doping for long-life Zn MnO2 battery. Interestingly, the introduction of surface gradient Ti doping leads to shrinkage of the interlayer, but simultaneously generates oxygen vacancies as compensated by electron due to the decreased valence state of Mn. Moreover, Ti substitution as well as the created oxygen vacancies open the [MnO6] octahedral walls and result in imbalanced charge distribution and local electric field in the crystal structure, accelerating ion/electron migration rates. Thus, diffusion coefficients of both Zn2+ and H+ ions in Ti MnO2 nanowires are improved. Consequently, the Ti MnO2 nanowires show improved both H+ and Zn2+ ions storage capacity in Zn/MnO2 battery and achieved excellent high-rate capability and ultralong cycling stability with a low capacity decay rate of 0.005% per cycle at high rate of 1 A g−1. It is believed that the intentionally created vacancies in this work opens up approaches to enhance existing materials that may have applications in more efficient and durable multi-valent ion battery and other technologies.

The effect of hafnium on the microstructure of as-hot isostatically pressed nickel-based powder metallurgy superalloy FGH4097 has been investigated. It is shown that when adding 0.3 wt.% hafnium, the statistical annealing twin boundary length fraction of the hafnium-free superalloy decreases from 0.35 ± 0.01 to 0.30 ± 0.01 and its interaction events of annealing twins are considerably reduced. The main reason is found to be the increase of MC (where M = metal atom) carbide density caused by micro-addition of hafnium, which could effectively lower the annealing twin nucleation probability and impede its growth into grains by retarding the movement of Shockley dislocation in the end of non-coherent twin boundary.

Despite previous findings devoted to the relationship between the environment and performance, limitations have been identified regarding the impact of environmental motivations and behaviours. This study investigated production behaviour (the development of environment-friendly production) and accounting behaviour (the tracking of environmental costs) to examine the connection between environmental motivations and behaviours as well as to explain the effects on environmental management systems and financial performance. Using survey data from 253 Chinese manufacturing firms, the results revealed that sustainable environmental motivations produced more environmental behaviours, but business-oriented environmental motivations inhibited such behaviours, and sustainable firms were more concerned about production, while business-oriented firms were more focused on the accounting process. Furthermore, environmental motivations and behaviours can affect firms’ environmental management systems and thereby generate high financial performance. This study advances environmental motivation-behaviour theory and eco-efficiency research and provides recommendations for management practices.

An active Ni–Co/MgAl2O4 catalyst was investigated for CO2 reforming of coke oven gas (COG). The xNi–(10-x)Co/MgAl2O4 (x = 10, 7.5, 5.0, 2.5, 0) catalysts were prepared by impregnation method and characterized by BET, XRD, CO2-TPD, H2-TPH, TEM and TG. The CH4 and CO2 conversions of 70.36% and 86.46% respectively, as well as the H2 and CO selectivities of 76.16% and 86.28% respectively, were achieved over 2.5Ni–7.5Co/MgAl2O4 catalyst. It was found that the bimetallic catalysts exhibited higher activity towards CO2 reforming and deposited less coke, suggesting a larger numbers of active sites comparing to mono-metal catalysts. The results showed that conversion increased with Ni content at first and decreased as Ni content continued to increase. Thus the 2.5Ni–7.5Co/MgAl2O4, which is with high activity and low carbon deposition due to the strong synergistic effect between Ni and Co with the formation of Ni–Co solid solution, is a promising catalyst for hydrogen production in future fuel industries.

A series of Ni/La2O3-ZrO2 catalysts were prepared by homogeneous precipitation, template or sol-gel technique and used for hydrogen production from coke oven gas by CO2 reforming. The catalysts were characterized by BET, XRD, TPR, TPH, TEM and TG–DSC. A study is also carried out to observe the effect of lanthana loading on the reforming reaction. TPH results indicated the presence of more than two types of carbonaceous species on the used catalysts, which are categorized based on temperature difference. The low-temperature carbon species could be considered as the active sites for the reforming reaction. Experiments and TG-DSC results revealed that all of the catalysts present good catalytic performance and excellent anti-carbon property. The test results showed that the catalysts prepared by sol-gel method exhibited the highest catalytic activity due to their suitable pore size distribution. The Ni/La2O3-ZrO2 catalyst with 8 wt% lanthanum oxide loading provides the best catalytic activity, which will be promising application on catalytic CO2 reforming of COG in the future.

Cu2O@Cu sub-microspheres composites with a narrow particle size distribution from 300 to 500 nm was successfully fabricated by one-step synthesis through the direct thermal decomposition of copper nitrate (Cu(NO3)2) in octadecylamine (ODA) solvent. As anode materials for lithium ion batteries, the Cu2O@Cu composites obviously possess high specific capacity, excellent cyclic stability and rate capability. The coulombic efficiency is about 84% in the 1 st cycle and increases significantly up to 97.8% during successive cycles at various current densities. Even under a high current density of 500 mA g−1, the discharge capacity of Cu2O@Cu composites remains up to 200 mAh g−1. The excellent electrochemical properties are ascribed to the synergistic effect between high electronic conductivity and volume-buffering capacity of metallic copper composited with Cu2O.

First-principles calculations were performed to investigate the bonding characteristics of the undoped and doped ZrCoH3 and predict the anti-disproportionation abilities of alloying elements (i.e. Y, V, Nb, Ta, Zr, Cr, Mn, Ru, Rh, Pd and Zn). The binding between H and Zr (or its substitute elements) shows strong ionic and weak covalent feature, and that between H and Co (or its substitute elements) displays the opposite characteristic. The H diffusion process, the size of the 8e site and the corresponding Zr H distance were calculated, and the substitute elements of Zr (i.e. Nb, Ta and especially V) are predicted to be helpful to improve the ZrCo alloy against the hydrogen-induced disproportionation, and the substitute elements of Co may be not suitable.

The interfacial reactions of chalcopyrite in ammonia–ammonium chloride solution were investigated. The chalcopyrite surface was examined by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. It was found that interfacial passivation layers of chalcopyrite were formed from an iron oxide layer on top of a copper sulfide layer overlaying the bulk chalcopyrite, whereas CuFe1–xS2 or copper sulfides were formed via the preferential dissolution of Fe. The copper sulfide layer formed a new passivation layer, whereas the iron oxide layer peeled off spontaneously and partially from the chalcopyrite surface. The state of the copper sulfide layer was discussed after being deduced from the appearance of S2–, S2−2, S2−n, S0 and SO2−4. A mechanism for the oxidation and passivation of chalcopyrite under different pH values and redox potentials was proposed. Accordingly, a model of the interfacial reaction on the chalcopyrite surface was constructed using a three-step reaction pathway, which demonstrated the formation and transformation of passivation layers under the present experimental conditions.

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) studies revealed that the iron site on the chalcopyrite (CuFeS 2 ) surface was preferably oxidized to the Cu site when exposed to an oxidizing environment. Extensive density functional theory calculations were performed to investigate the surface structure of chalcopyrite and its reaction with both molecular oxygen (O 2 ) and water. The adsorption and dissociation of a single O 2 molecule, a single H 2 O molecule, as well as both molecules at the Fe and Cu sites on the CuFeS 2 (001) surface were studied. Consistent with our experimental observation, the Fe site was found to be preferred for the adsorption and dissociation of O 2 due to its lower energy barrier and greater exothermicity. The dissociation of H 2 O on the CuFeS 2 (001) surface by itself was found to be unfavorable both thermodynamically and kinetically. However, the surface formed upon O 2 dissociation was predicted to be much more reactive with H 2 O, which was attributed to favorable hydrogen transfer to the O site formed upon O 2 dissociation to hydrogen transfer to the S site due to the much weaker S H bond than the O H bond.

Objective To evaluate safety and effectiveness of supraorbital keyhole approach to the sella and anterior skull base via a forehead wrinkle incision. Methods We analyzed and reclassified forehead wrinkle types in 100 recruited healthy individuals. Twenty patients with different intracranial lesions in the sella and anterior skull base areas were selected for surgery using the supraorbital keyhole approach via a forehead wrinkle incision by forehead wrinkle type. All clinical patient records were retrospectively reviewed. Results Based on the feasibility of the surgical approach, the forehead wrinkles in Chinese individuals were categorized into 2 types: horizontal linear and nonlinear. Gross total removal of the lesions was achieved in 90% of the cases using this approach. All patients had excellent cosmetic results. Except for 2 patients with poor prognoses, a high level of comfort and satisfaction with the forehead wrinkle incisions was obtained based on the scale scores of pain from scars and headaches and satisfaction with the cosmetic results. No permanent approach-related complications occurred. Conclusions The supraorbital keyhole approach via a forehead wrinkle incision was safe and effective. This approach provided a sufficient visual field for lesion resection and satisfactory cosmetic results for patients.

Millerite (NiS) as the source of nickel extraction, is often transformed into the corresponding metal oxide in hydrometallurgical process, which involves both oxygen and water. To elucidate the oxidation mechanism, periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to investigate the adsorption of oxygen and water on the NiS(1 0 0) surface. First, the isolated H2O molecule shows a relatively weak interaction with the NiS(1 0 0) surface. Furthermore, the adsorption of oxygen on the NiS(1 0 0) surface has been comprehensively discussed. The results of adsorption energies and energy barrier for oxygen dissociation show that the interaction between oxygen and the NiS(1 0 0) surface is favored thermodynamically and kinetically. Finally, it was found that the adsorbed oxygen atoms promote H2O dissociation significantly by diminishing the energy barrier. This work provides a microscopic insight into the oxidation mechanism of millerite in the presence of oxygen and water.

The anodic dissolution of the high-grade nickel matte in the sulfuric acid solution was investigated at the dynamic potential and potentiostatic polarizations, and the solid products on the surface of the matte at various polarized potentials were characterized by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and Raman spectroscopy in order to understand the passivation mechanism for the anodic dissolution of nickel matte. The results show that the oxidation dissolution activity of nickel and copper sulfides existing in the matte during the anodic dissolution decreases in the order Cu2S ​> ​Ni3S2 ​> ​NiS ​> ​CuS. When the anodic polarization potential is increasing to 1.2 ​V vs. SCE, the solid product for the oxidation of Cu2S is composed of CuS, which forms a compact layer with fine cracks covering the surface and hinders the anodic dissolution further of Cu2S underneath. While, at the same polarization potential, Ni3S2 in the matte can be anodically dissolved to form Ni2+ and elemental sulfur, and the solid product layer composing of sulfur and NiS is porous with coarse cracks, and has adverse effect on the anodic dissolution of Ni3S2 in the nickel matte.

In this work, an innovative method was utilized to determine the AgCl(1% mol)/Ag reference electrode potential versus Cl2/Cl− at 673 K. Instead of directly measuring the chlorine electrode potential, the AgCl(1% mol)/Ag electrode potential versus Cl2/Cl− was calculated from the decomposition voltage of LiCl and the equilibrium potential of Li+/Li versus AgCl(1% mol)/Ag in a LiCl-KCl melt. The decomposition voltage of LiCl in the LiCl-KCl melt was calculated using the Nernst equation and the equilibrium potential of Li+/Li was determined by chronopotentiometry, open circuit chronopotentiometry and potentiodynamic scan techniques, and the deviation is within 5 mV. The AgCl(1% mol)/Ag electrode potential was determined to be −1.130 V vs Cl2/Cl− at 673 K. Since it does not involve direct injection of chlorine gas, this method is more convenient and safer than existing approaches. Furthermore, it also has the potential to be used to calibrate reference electrodes in a variety of melts.

Chalcocite (Cu2S) is the main source for metallurgical production of copper worldwide but it usually co-exist with nickel sulfide in nature. To develop an efficient and green process for the separation and extraction of valuable metals from high-grade matte, we performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental studies to elucidate chlorination mechanism of Cu2S with ammonium chloride (NH4Cl). First, NH4Cl can react with Cu2S directly in the absence of O2, leading to the formation of H2S and NH3 with negative adsorption energies. Second, O2 can promote the chlorination process by providing adsorbed O and promoting the dissociation of HCl decomposed from NH4Cl, leading to the formation of H2O and CuCl species eventually. Besides, SO2 generated at the Cu2S surface after O2 dissociative adsorption, may leading to the generation of Cl2. Finally, the chlorination can also be achieved by the interaction between Cu2S and Cl2, which is favored thermodynamically and kinetically. Based on the computational results, low-temperature roasting experiments were performed. Cu2S was successfully converted into the corresponding metal chloride (CuCl) by NH4Cl in the absence of O2, but the chlorination process is incomplete with unreacted Cu2S. However, the conversion from Cu2S to CuCl is complete under air atmosphere, consistent with our computational results. Furthermore, metallic copper was successfully obtained at the cathode through electrodeposition with CuCl. The present study reveals detailed reaction mechanism between Cu2S and NH4Cl, and shows the chlorination of Cu2S by NH4Cl followed by electrodeposition of the resulting CuCl as a highly efficient and green process.

BACKGROUND Class 1 antiarrhythmic drugs are highly effective in restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm in atrial fibrillation patients but carry a risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmia. The anti-anginal agent, ranolazine, is a prototypic atrial-selective voltage-gated Na+ channel blocker but the mechanisms underlying its atrial-selective action remain unclear. OBJECTIVE The present study examined the mechanisms underlying the atrial-selective action of ranolazine. METHODS Whole-cell voltage-gated Na+ currents (INa) were recorded at room temperature (~22 °C) from rabbit isolated left atrial and right ventricular myocytes. RESULTS INa conductance density was ~1.8-fold greater in atrial than in ventricular cells. Atrial INa was activated at command potentials ~7 mV more negative and inactivated at conditioning potentials ~11 mV more negative than ventricular INa. The onset of inactivation of INa was faster in atrial cells than in ventricular myocytes. Ranolazine (30 μM) inhibited INa in atrial and ventricular myocytes in a use-dependent manner consistent with preferential activated/inactivated state block. Ranolazine caused a significantly greater negative shift in voltage of half-maximal inactivation in atrial cells than in ventricular cells, the recovery from inactivation of INa was slowed by ranolazine to a greater extent in atrial myocytes than in ventricular cells and ranolazine produced an instantaneous block that showed marked voltage-dependence in atrial cells. CONCLUSIONS Differences exist between rabbit atrial and ventricular myocytes in the biophysical properties of INa. The more negative voltage-dependence of INa activation and inactivation, together with trapping of the drug in the inactivated channel, underlies an atrial-selective action of ranolazine.

A series of novel cobalt-free dense oxygen-permeable membranes of the type with Pr 0.6 Sr 0.4 Fe 1- x Nb x O 3- δ (PSFN x , x = 0–0.1) were synthesized. Subsequently, the effects of Nb-doping on the microstructure, oxygen permeability, and stability of PSFN x were studied under a pure He or CO 2 atmosphere. The structure of the material did not change in either atmospheres and its stability of the material was enhanced as the level of Nb-doping increased. For the sample with x = 0 and 0.075, carbonates and sulfates were present on the sweep side of the PSF membrane, but no impurities were detected on the sweep side of the PSFN 0.075 . In addition, the oxygen-permeation performance exhibited almost no attenuation when the Nb-doping content were 0.075. As revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the CO 2 resistance of the material was enhanced by reducing the basicity of PSFN x , which was induced by the substitution of Fe with Nb.

In this work, CO2-tolerant Ce0.8Gd0.2O2δ–Pr0.6Sr0.4Co0.5Fe0.5−xNbxO3−δ (CG–PSCF0.5−xNx; x=0–0.125) dual-phase dense oxygen permeation membranes were successfully developed. The crystal structure, microstructure, oxygen permeability, rate-determining step and CO2 tolerance were systematically investigated. The experimental results showed that the increase in CG content improved oxygen permeability and CO2 tolerance. Thermogravimetry–differential-scanning-calorimetry analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectra and oxygen permeation tests indicated that the increase in Nb content caused a slight decrease in oxygen permeability, while the long-term CO2 resistance can be improved significantly. According to the adopted permeation model, the weight ratio and thickness affect the oxygen permeability and permeation resistance distribution. By examining the distribution of three permeation resistances, we identified the rate-determining step and then optimized the weight ratio of the two phases, as well exploring the effects of thickness on oxygen permeability. All these experiments confirm that CG–PSCF0.5−xNx dual-phase membranes have great CO2 tolerance and potential application in oxy-fuel combustion.

In this context, we firstly synthesized a novel nitrogen-doped multiporous carbon material from renewable biological cells through a facile chemical activation with K 2 CO 3 . After sulfur impregnation, the carbon/sulfur composite achieved a sulfur content of about 67 wt%. The C/S composite as the cathode of lithium–sulfur batteries exhibited a discharge capacity of 1410 mAh/g and good capacity retention of 912 mAh/g at 0.1C. These outstanding results were attributed to the synergy effect of microporous carbon and natural doping nitrogen atoms. We believe that the facile approach for the synthesis of nitrogen-doped multiporous carbon from the low-cost and sustainable biological resources will not only be applied in lithium–sulfur batteries, but also in other electrode materials.

The hydrogen reduction of Panzhihua ilmenite concentrate in the temperature range of 900–1050 °C was systematically investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. It was shown that the products of the Panzhihua ilmenite reduced at 900 °C were metallic iron and rutile. Above 1000 °C, ferrous pseudobrookite solid solution was generated. During the reduction process, element Mg gradually concentrated to form Mg-rich zone which can influence the metallization process. The reduction reaction proceeded topochemically and its related reduction kinetics were also discussed. The kinetics of the reduction indicated that the rate-controlling step was the diffusion process. The apparent activation energy of the hydrogen reduction of Panzhihua ilmenite was calculated to be 117.56 kJ/mol, which was larger than that of synthetic ilmenite under the same reduction condition.

Rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have shown great potential for grids-level energy storage system. However, the lack of desirable and stable cathode materials remains challenging. Herein, Sn1.5V2O7(OH)2•3.3H2O, in which pyrovanadate V2O74− group pillared with Sn oxide layer, is developed as an advanced cathode for ZIBs and a hidden reaction mechanism in SnVO cathode through in-situ Raman and ex-situ XANEs, involves the opening of V˭O edge bonding and formation of Sn–O–V bonding, which leads to charge screening effect and facilitates the fast diffusion kinetics for zinc ions, as quantitatively verified by kinetic analysis. Additionally, the tetravalent Sn ions bring about stronger ionic bonds, binding to pyrovanadate V2O74− group and leading to good stability in the pyrovanadate framework, which guarantee the cycling stability. As a result, the as-prepared SnVO shows long cycling life as well as excellent rate capability. We demonstrate that, even cycled at high current of 10 A/g, the SnVO cathode can still retain a capacity of 130 mAh/g for over 500 cycles, indicating remarkable high capacity at high rate. Our findings reveal that the tetravalent tin ions have a strong beneficial effect on the battery performance of the layered-structure cathode materials. It is believed that our study would boost further studies in other multi-valent rechargeable batteries.

Objective Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive type of glioma. In this study, we aimed to investigate the biological functions and the possible mechanisms of miR-1246 in glioma. Methods A miRNA-seq array was conducted in both the tumor tissues and the glioma cell lines treated with 5-Aza to determine the methylation statues of miRNAs. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was conducted to verify the miR-1246 expressions. We used overall survival (OS) and the progress-free survival (PFS) to investigate the clinical significance of miR-1246 in the prognosis of glioma patients. Additionally, bioinformatic analysis was used for discovering the potential targets of miR-1246. Cell viability, wound-healing assay and protein expression tests were conducted after the transfection or knockdown of miR-1246 and CCNG2, respectively. Results We found the reduced expression of miR-1246 in IDH1MUT tumor tissues and the increased expression in the glioma cell lines treated with 5-Aza. Therefore, miR-1246 was selected as a candidate for further analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the glioma patients with the high level of miR-1246 had the worst survival rate compared to the low level counterparts. Overexpression of miR-1246 promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion in glioma cells. Moreover, the results showed that the downregulation of miR-1246 decreased chemoresistance by targeting CCNG2. In addition, Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that miR-1246 was associated with the regulations of transcription, cell cycle, cell proliferation, cell adhesion and apoptosis. Conclusion These results indicated that the miR-1246/CCNG2 axis might be a potential target for improving the drug resistance in glioma.

The electrodeposition of Zn and Cu–Zn alloy has been investigated in choline chloride (ChCl)/urea (1:2 molar ratio) based deep eutectic solvent (DES). Cyclic voltammetry study demonstrates that the reduction of Zn(II) to Zn is a diffusion-controlled quasi-reversible, one-step, two electrons transfer process. Chronoamperometric investigation indicates that the electrodeposition of Zn on a Cu electrode typically involves three-dimensional instantaneous nucleation with diffusion-controlled growth process. Micro/nanostructured Zn films can be obtained by controlling the electrodeposition potential and temperature. The electrodeposited Zn crystals preferentially orient parallel to the (101) plane. The Zn films electrodeposited under more positive potentials and low temperatures exhibit improved corrosion resistance in 3 wt% NaCl solution. In addition, Cu–Zn alloy films have also been electrodeposited directly from CuO–ZnO precursors in ChCl/urea-based DES. The XRD analysis indicates that the phase composition of the electrodeposited Cu–Zn alloy depends on the electrodeposition potential.

In this context, we report a novel one-pot synthesis of S@Polypyrrole core–shell spheres as the cathode material in lithium–sulfur battery, designed by polypyrrole (PPy) wrapping on the formed nano-sulfur via the facile wet chemical strategy. The in-situ polymerized PPy layer in this special structure is helpful to inhibit aggregation of sulfur particles with small size, the polysulfide dissolution and shuttling, and offer fast and efficient transport of electron/lithium ion within the electrode. Besides, the flexible PPy layer effectively accommodates the volume expansion. PPy with partial PO 4 3− doping was also employed to improve cycling stability and C-rate performance of S@PPy composite by exchanging Cl − with PO 4 3− . Thus, the sulfur electrode with a high sulfur loading of 80% delivered an initial discharge capacity of 1142 mA h g −1 and maintained a high capacity of 805 mA h g −1 after 50 cycles at 0.1 C. The corresponding capacity retention over 100 cycles was about 65%, with a limited decay of 0.3% per cycle. Even at a high current density of 1.5 C, the composite still exhibited a high discharge capacity of about 700 mA h g −1 . This results mean that the designed electrode can achieve a high practical specific energy density of more than 400 W h/kg, far beyond the commercial LiCoO 2 batteries. Due to low cost, facile large-scale synthesis and superior electrochemical performance of S@PPy cathode with high sulfur loading, this work will provide a very promising method to further promote the Li–S batteries in the practical application of portable electronic devices, electric devices and energy storage system.