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Low-cost and efficient catalytic electrode toward both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is strongly attractive for overall water splitting. Herein, a 3D bifunctional electrode of FeNi phosphide nanosheets with a thin amorphous layer on Nickel foam (FeNi-P/NF) is designed via phosphorizing NiFe-layered double hydroxide-coated nickel foam (FeNi LDH/NF) in red phosphorus vapor at 500 °C. Benefiting from the unique architecture with increased exposure and accessibility of active sites, the electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance toward both HER and OER in 1.0 M NaOH with 102 and 224 mV low overpotentials to achieve a catalytic current density of 10 mA cm–2, respectively. As a bifunctional electrode, the FeNi-P/NF can release a current density of 10 mA cm–2 at a low cell voltage of 1.57 V and 100 mA cm–2 at 1.82 V in an alkali electrolyzer, possessing significant durability over 100 h electrolysis at high current density of 100 mA cm–2.

TiO2 nanomaterials with coexposed {001} and {101} facets have aroused much interest owing to their outstanding photocatalytic performance. In this study, on the basis of its unique characteristics of photoinduced electron and hole transfer to different lattice planes, we synthesized F– selective etching and doping on {001} facets of anatase TiO2 nanosheets using TiO2 nanosheets with coexposed {001} and {101} facets as a precursor. Through a series of measurements, such as photoluminescence, transient photocurrent response, electrochemical impedance spectra, and Mott–Schottky measurements, it is proved that F– selective etching and doping on {001} facets of TiO2 can extremely accelerate the separation of photogenerated carriers by shortening the transfer pathway of holes and introducing Ti3+ and oxygen vacancies in {001} facets. Therefore, the as-obtained sample shows excellent photocatalytic properties under the visible-light irradiation; the highest rate of photocatalytic H2 evolution is up to 18270 μ mo...

Porous Ni2P nanoflower supported on nickel foam (Ni2P@Ni foam) electrodes are synthesized via a simple hydrothermal growth strategy accompanied with further phosphating treatment. The prepared electrodes are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electro-catalytic performances towards urea electro-oxidation are tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) coupled with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). By phosphating Ni(OH)2 precursor, the final obtained Ni2P@Ni foam electrode presents a porous Ni2P nanoflower structure within abundant porosity, and so exposes a large amount of electro-catalytic active sites and electronic transmission channels to accelerate the interfacial reaction. Compared with Ni(OH)2@Ni foam precursor, the Ni2P@Ni foam catalyst exhibits more excellent electro-catalytic activity as well as lower onset oxidation potential. Remarkably, the Ni2P@Ni foam catalyst reaches a peak current density of 750 mA cm−2 with an onset oxidation potential of 0.24 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) accompanied by an excellent stability in 0.60 M urea with 5.00 M KOH solutions. Benefiting from the unique porous nanosheet structure, the as-synthesized Ni2P@Ni foam catalyst performs a highly enhanced catalytic behavior for alkaline urea electro-oxidation, indicating that the material can be hopefully applied in direct urea fuel cells.

The flexible solid-state supercapacitor (FSSC) has attracted many attentions due to its feature of high power density with stable cycling performance, as well as lightweight and flexible features and is expected as an ideal candidate power supply for portable and wearable electronics devices. In general, the electrode plays an important role in determining the overall performance of the FSSC. Therefore, to meet the requirement of practical applications, a simple, facile and environment friendly strategy to prepare deformable/flexible electrodes with high energy density is the target issue to be considered. Herein, we report a generalized “soaking-recrystallization-calcination” method to enhance the capacitance performance of commercialized carbon fiber cloth. Thanks to the in-situ etching process to increase the surface area and the synchronous heteroatom doping to induce pseudocapacitive behavior, the resultant activated carbon fiber cloth sample exhibits an ultra-high areal capacitance up to 362 mF cm−2, is about 1448 fold enhancement than that of fresh carbon fiber cloth calcined at 750 °C. Meanwhile, the assembled FSSC based on the activated carbon fiber cloth exhibits a maximum volumetric energy density of 0.35 mWh cm−3 and gravimetric energy density of 0.84 Wh kg−1. Such results represent a novel and promising direction to prepare high performance flexible electrode for FSSC application.

Backgrounds/Aims: MicroRNAs (miRs) often contribute to the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) via regulation of mRNAs that are involved in lung homeostasis. We conducted a study aimed at exploring the roles of miR-183 in the proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion and migration of human NSCLC cells via targeting MTA1. Methods: NSCLC and adjacent normal tissues were collected from 194 patients with NSCLC. Positive expression of MTA1 protein was detected by immunohistochemistry. The highest levels of expression of miR-183 were detected using RT-qPCR in SPC-A-1 cells, which were selected and assigned to the following groups: blank, negative control (NC), miR-183 mimic, miR-183 inhibitor, siRNA-MTA1, and miR-183 inhibitor + siRNA-MTA1. The expression of miR-183 and the mRNA and protein expression of MTA1, E-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, PCNA, Bax and Bcl-2 in tissues and transfected cells were measured using RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were evaluated by CCK-8, flow cytometry, scratch tests and Transwell assays. Tumor xenografts were conducted in nude mice to determine tumor growth. Results: SPC-A-1 cells with the highest levels of miR-183 expression were selected. Compared with adjacent normal tissues, the expression of miR-183 and the mRNA and protein expression of E-cadherin and Bax were decreased in NSCLC tissues, while mRNA and protein expression of MTA1, Vimentin, snail, PCNA and Bcl-2 were increased. MiR-183 was over-expressed in the miR-183 mimic group and under-expressed in the miR-183 inhibitor and miR-183 inhibitor + siRNA-MTA1 groups. In the miR-183 mimic and siRNA-MTA1 groups, the mRNA and protein expression of E-cadherin and Bax, as well as cell apoptosis, were enhanced, while the expression levels of MTA1, Vimentin, snail, PCNA and Bcl-2 mRNA and protein, cell proliferation, migration, invasion and tumor growth were reduced relative to the blank and NC groups. The miR-183 inhibitor group exhibited an opposite trend. Conclusion: Our study indicates that miR-183 down-regulates MTA1 to inhibit the proliferation, EMT, migration and invasion of human NSCLC cells.

A novel catalyst electrode of Au nanoparticles modified Ti microrods is synthesized through a route of hydrothermal etching and electrodeposition. As substrate, the metallic Ti microrods are in-situ etched from the Ti plate using hydrochloric acid as an etching reagent. After that, Au is prepared on the metallic Ti microrods in a form of nanoparticle by electrodeposition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are conducted to investigate the structure and phase composition of the Au nanoparticles modified Ti microrods (Au/Ti MRs) electrode. Besides, the electrocatalytic property of the Au/Ti MRs electrode for NaBH4 oxidation is explored through chronoamperometry (CA) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). In alkaline solution, the Au/Ti MRs electrode displays excellent electrocatalytic property and good stability. At 0 V, there is a current density of 12.12 mA cm−2 on the as-prepared electrode in 2 mol L−1 NaOH and 0.1 mol L−1 NaBH4 that is twice as the current density on Au nanoparticles modified Ti plate electrode demonstrating huge potential for application in direct borohydride fuel cell.

Fe3O4 nanospheres are synthesized by a solvothermal method with only one step under the assistance of surfactant. Fe3O4/C nanospheres are further fabricated by modifying Fe3O4 nanospheres with glucose as carbon source. The crystalline structure and surface morphology are investigated by a combination of X-ray diffraction, Roman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results suggest that cubic Fe3O4 nanospheres are achieved, with a diameter around 200 nm. After the coating process, uniform carbon layer ~5 nm is formed on the surface of Fe3O4 spheres. The electrochemical performances of prepared Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/C nanospheres as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries are conducted via galvanostatic discharge/charge measurements and cyclic voltammetry. Under a current density of 100 mA g−1, the Fe3O4/C nanospheres exhibit a delithiation capacity of 767.2 mAh g−1 over 100 cycles with excellent capacity retention of 98.2% and improved rate capacities, both of which are better than those of Fe3O4 nanospheres. This work demonstrates that the prepared Fe3O4/C nanospheres can be a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries.

Owing to their low electronegativity, excellent electrical conductivity, high specific capacitance, and rich electrochemical redox sites, various transition metal sulfides have attracted significant attention as promising pseudocapacitive electrode materials for supercapacitors. However, their relatively poor electrical conductivity and large volume changes seriously hinder their commercial applications. Herein, ternary Co0.33Fe0.67S2 nanoparticles are in situ embedded between graphene nanosheets through a facile one-step hydrothermal approach to form a sandwich-like composite. Because of its unique and robust structure, the graphene nanosheet/Co0.33Fe0.67S2 composite (GCFS-0.33) exhibits a high specific capacitance (310.2 C g–1 at 2 mV s–1) and superb rate capability (61.8% at 200 mV s–1) in 3 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. Using transition metal sulfides simultaneously as both positive and negative electrodes, for the first time, an aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) was fabricated with the GCFS-0.33 c...

Transition metal selenides are regarded as emerging materials for energy storage devices because of their good electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity. Here, a binder-free ultrathin α-MnSe nanosheets electrode is prepared and the supercapacitor performance is comprehensively explored. Due to the increased active sites, enlarged contact area for electrolyte, as well as shorten ions diffusion pathway, the prepared electrode delivers high capacity of 88.3 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1, good rate capability, and long-term durability (91% remain after 5000 cycles). Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor, fabricated by α-MnSe anode and active carbon cathode, displays a high energy density of 39.3 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 0.92 kW kg−1 and satisfying cycle performance. This study demonstrates that the binder-free α-MnSe electrode holds great promise for supercapacitor.

Exploring high-efficiency and low-cost electrocatalysts with outstanding durableness for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the key to practical production of eco-friendly hydrogen energy by water electrolysis technology, which remains challenging. In this paper, the tremella-like MnO2/(Fe,Ni)3S4 hybrid nanostructures are supported on nickel foam matrix by a facile and governable method, with predominant OER properties in 1.0 M KOH solution. Profiting from the synergistic effect between MnO2 and (Fe,Ni)3S4, this optimal MnO2/(Fe,Ni)3S4 catalyst only requires 220 and 325 mV to fulfill current densities of 10 and 500 mA cm−2, respectively. Through the inheritance and optimization of MnO2 and (Fe,Ni)3S4 nanostructures, this hybrid catalyst possesses a large specific surface area, appropriate exposure active site and favorable electrical conductivity. Besides, the self-supported MnO2/(Fe,Ni)3S4 electrode exhibits eminent stability at 10 and 100 mA cm−2 during the 20 h OER process.

Aqueous magnesium ion battery as a new energy storage system is always explored due to excellent properties with high theoretical specific capacity, low-cost and safe aqueous electrolytes. However, the study on available material as anode in aqueous magnesium ion battery is very limited, which is the main reason that the kinetics of multivalent magnesium ions deinserted from the host material is very difficult. In this work, the nanoneedle FeVO4·0.9H2O as available anode material is prepared and further modified by compositing with graphene. The FeVO4·0.9H2O/Graphene composite exhibits the more excellent electrochemical performance, for example, the initial discharge capacity of FeVO4·0.9H2O/Graphene electrode at the current density of 50 mAh g−1 in 1.0 mol L−1 MgSO4 electrolyte is 183.8 mAh g−1, but that of the FeVO4·0.9H2O is 150.3 mAh g−1. Therefore, the aqueous magnesium ion full battery is successfully assembled by FeVO4·0.9H2O/Graphene as anode, 1.0 mol L−1 MgSO4 as electrolyte and Mg-OMS-1 as cathode, which can obtain the discharge capacity of 53.1 mAh g−1 at a current density by calculate the total mass of two electrodes and the a high energy density of 58.5 Wh kg−1.

A current collector of reduced graphene oxide modified Ni foam (RN) is synthesized through a handy method of hydrothermal. The sheet-like reduced graphene oxide (rGO) wrapped around the skeleton of Ni foam establishes a unique structure of the current collector with large surface area as well as good electronic conductivity which make a positive effect on the promotion of electrochemical property. Pd is chosen as the catalyst and deposited on the RN substrate in a form of nanoparticle by potentiostatic electro-deposition. Characterization analysis including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP) are conducted to investigate the morphology and structure of the final electrode of Pd nanoparticles decorated rGO supported on Ni foam (PRN). In 2 mol L −1 NaOH and 0.5 mol L −1 H 2 O 2 , a current density of 450 mA cm −2 is gained on the PRN electrode which is much larger than that on the electrode of Pd nanoparticles directly deposited on Ni foam (PN). An excellent stability of the PRN electrode is also concluded by the measurements revealing that this material can be potentially and widely applied to direct hydrogen peroxide fuel cell in the near future.

The 1 × 1 magnesium octahedral molecular sieve (Mg-OMS-7), utilizing as cathode material in aqueous rechargeable magnesium ions batteries, is synthesized by a simple one-step hydrothermal method. Meanwhile, by changing the concentrations of H2SO4, the Mg-OMS-7 materials with controllable size and shape are obtained. To check the structure and morphology, the host materials are measured by X-ray power diffraction, scanning, transmission and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical reaction mechanism is examined by cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The Mg-OMS-7 changes the morphology from micro-rugby to nano-club by controlling the concentrations of H2SO4. The nano-club Mg-OMS-7 which obtained by the 1.6 mol dm− 3 H2SO4 owns a more uniformly distribution and smaller size, which provides the shorter route for magnesium ions insert/deinsert into/from the lattice of host material and exhibits the better rate ability and cycle performance. The initial discharge capacity of this electrode can obtain 283.1 mAh g− 1 at the current density of 10 mA g− 1 in the 0.2 mol dm− 3 Mg(NO3)2 aqueous electrolyte and the specific capacity retention rate is 94.1% after cycling 200 cycles at 100 mA g− 1 in the 0.5 mol dm− 3 Mg(NO3)2 electrolyte.

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) offers an appealing route to simultaneously store intermittent renewable energy as value-added chemicals and close carbon cycle. Silver (Ag) catalyst is a promising candidate for the electrochemical conversion of CO2 to CO, but the electrocatalytic properties are still insufficient for practical applications. Herein, we put forward a strategy to in situ reconstruct a heterogeneous Ag2S/Ag interface structure, in which their strong interactions facilitate CO2RR performance. The in situ reconstructive Ag2S/Ag catalyst achieves a large current density of 421.7 ± 14.4 mA cm–2 at –0.70 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and maintains steadily at a current density of 244.5 ± 31.8 mA cm–2 and CO Faradaic efficiency of 99.1 ± 0.8 % at –0.49 V vs. RHE for 50 h, superior to state-of-the-art CO-selective Ag-based catalysts. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the in situ reconstructive Ag2S/Ag interface active sites stabilize the *COOH intermediate during CO2RR process.

Lignin is one of the renewable natural aromatic polymers, the use of lignin as a raw material for the preparation of high value-added chemicals and fuels is regarded as a promising strategy for lignin valorization, and hydrogenolysis is one of the more common and effective way for lignin depolymerization. Hence, this paper reviews the present status, advantages and disadvantages of catalytic hydrogenolysis of lignin from two aspects of the solvent system and catalyst system. Solvents have been found to have a huge impact on the hydrogenolysis process and product distribution of lignin, the repolymerization of active intermediates is the main reason for char formation. It is proposed that the influence of different lignin structures should be fully considered in the catalyst design process, and the mechanism study of the hydrogenolysis process should focus on real lignin rather than model compounds. Finally, the challenges and prospects in this field are proposed.

Developing efficient and low-priced catalysts with predominant durableness for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an extraordinary challenge in the preparation of green hydrogen energy by electrochemical water splitting. Thence, we report a ponderable and accomplished method to fabricate active bifunctional electrocatalysts, in which hydrangea-like NiFe LDH sulfide nanosheets are supported on a hill-like nickel framework (NiFe LDH-Ni-S/NF). This optimal NiFe LDH-Ni-S/NF electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical properties in an alkaline medium, which requires 256 mV to fulfill a current density of 100 mA/cm 2 for the OER and 94 mV to reach 10 mA/cm2 for the HER. An electrochemical water splitting appliance uses this bifunctional electrocatalyst as both anode and cathode, exhibiting a small cell potential (1.56 V@10 mA/cm2). Besides, the water electrolyzer can suffer a long time of 20 h at 10 mA/cm2, showing the feasibility in a practical unbiased alkaline water splitting system.

Heteroatom doping can effectively improve the electrochemical activity of carbon materials. In this paper, three kinds of fluorine-doped biomass carbon are synthesized using industrial hemp core as the precursor and Poly tetra fluoroethylene (PTFE), Diethylaminosulphur trifluoride (DAST) and Hydrofluoric acid (HF) as fluorinating agents, respectively. Among them, the PTFE-treated biomass carbon (PTFE-CHEMP) is wrapped by fluorine-containing nanotubes, which has the most defects, the most F doping amount and the optimum pore size, and is beneficial to the adsorption of K+. When used as the anode of potassium ion batteries (PIBs), the PTFE-CHEMP electrode can provide an average reversible capacity of 369.6 mAh g−1 (200 mA g−1) in 500 cycles. Even at a high current of 2000 mA g−1, it can still provide an excellent rate capability of 229.3 mAh g−1. Kinetic analysis verify that its excellent rate performance comes from the K+ storage mechanism dominated by surface-driven behavior. In addition, the constant current intermittent titration technique (GITT) shows that it still has the storage capacity for K+ at high potentials. This work not only provides a reference for subsequent research on fluorine-doped biomass carbon, but also provides a potential solution for the production of low-cost, high-capacity PIBs anodes.

Development in new energy vehicles (NEVs) has been playing a critical role in carbon emission reduction and air pollution control. In recent years, China has made substantial progress in NEVs through purchase subsidies. However, financial subsidy has come under criticism for its unsustainability. The fact that Chinese government has gradually reduced the subsidies suggests that NEVs will be probably entering a post-subsidy era. It makes sense to seek for an alternative approach to boosting the NEV industry. By comparing the supply and demand sides, this study constructed a endogenous development diamond model to evaluate the overall effects of multiple factors that relate to China's NEVs. Our research demonstrates that, in the post-subsidy era, the transition of NEVs from subsidy stimulation to endogenous development will be depending on various interacting factors, namely, basic resources, demand conditions, supporting measures, and model innovations. Amongst the supporting measures are more prominent than the other primary factors, whereas technological innovation has the most positive effect on the promotion of NEVs in second-level factors. Our empirical analysis shows that NEV subsidy reduction is feasible because there have been alternative policy tools to replace the subsidy. Policymakers should focus on the synergies of various policy tools.

Potassium ion hybrid capacitors have the advantages of high energy density, high power density, and low cost, and are expected to replace expensive lithium ion storage devices in large-scale applications. Here, an innovative nitrogen-rich biomass carbon (N-CHC) is prepared using urea as the etchant and hemp core as the raw material, which has a high specific surface area of 1185.3 m2 g−1 and nitrogen content of 8.56%. In addition, it shows a capacity of 442.4 mAh g−1 as a potassium ion half-cell anode at 30 mA g−1. Even under the high current test of 2000 mA g−1, N-CHC also shows excellent performance (175.0 mAh g−1). Further, the good rate performance is attributed to the large-scale capacitance control by analyzing reaction process kinetics. And the constant current intermittent titration technique (GITT) results show that N-CHC has a larger K+ diffusion coefficient than unetched biomass carbon. The maximum energy density of the full carbon-based hybrid capacitor composed of N-CHC anode and activated carbon cathode is 127.36 Wh kg−1, and the maximum power density is 2371 W kg−1.

Porous FeVO4 is prepared by hydrothermal method and further modified by coating with carbon to obtain FeVO4 /C with a hierarchical pore structure. FeVO4 /C is used as an anodic electrode in aqueous rechargeable magnesium-ion batteries. The FeVO4 /C material not only has improved electrical conductivity as a result of the carbon coating layer, but also has an increased specific surface area as a result of the hierarchical pore structure, which is beneficial for magnesium-ion insertion/deinsertion. Therefore, an aqueous rechargeable magnesium-ion full battery is successfully constructed with FeVO4 /C as the anode, Mg-OMS-1 (OMS=octahedral molecular sieves) as the cathode, and 1.0 mol L-1 MgSO4 as the electrolyte. The discharge capacity of the Mg-OMS-1//FeVO4 /C aqueous battery is 58.9 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1 ; this value is obtained by calculating the total mass of two electrodes and the capacity retention rate of this device is 97.7 % after 100 cycles, with almost 100 % coulombic efficiency, which indicates that the system has a good electrochemical reversibility. Additionally, this system can achieve a high energy density of 70.4 Wh kg-1 , which provides powerful evidence that an aqueous magnesium-ion battery is possible.

Prussian Blue (PB) coordination compound is a well-known ideal candidate for energy storage due to its tunable open framework structure. Especially transition metal hexacyanoferrate displays excellent performance in supercapacitor. In this paper, a facile one-step co-precipitation synthesis method is developed to prepare hybrid K 2.25 Ni 0.55 Co 0.37 Fe(CN) 6 /CNTs composite, aiming at increasing the electric conductivity of electrode material by introducing carbon nanotube conductive skeleton to the Cobale-Nickel hexacyanoferrate hybrid nanoparticles. The TEM image shows that K 2.25 Ni 0.55 Co 0.37 Fe(CN) 6 presents nanoparticles with a diameter about 20 nm, which are connected along the surface of carbon nanotube. Such special structure could facilitate the electric transportation between each nanoscale K 2.25 Ni 0.55 Co 0.37 Fe(CN) 6 particle, efficiently improving the utilization of active material. Considering the intrinsic abundant channels for ions insertion/extraction of nanoparticles and good conductivity of carbon nanotubes, our creative electrode is expected to display fantastic supercapacitor performance. The electrochemical data demonstrate that the K 2.25 Ni 0.55 Co 0.37 Fe(CN) 6 /CNTs electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 600 F g −1 at 0.2 A g −1 and excellent rate performance of 90.4% when the current density ranged from 0.2 A g −1 to 5 A g −1 . Furthermore, the K 2.25 Ni 0.55 Co 0.37 Fe(CN) 6 /CNTs composite achieves decent cycling stability with maintaining 94% of its initial specific capacitance after 2000 discharge/charge cycles. The excellent energy storage property offers a great promise as supercapacitor materials.

Aims/Introduction To investigate the relationship between various glucose metabolic status and arterial stiffness, and further explore the threshold of blood glucose indices for the risk of arterial stiffness. Materials and Methods The present cross‐sectional study included 4,851 individuals from a Chinese community. Overnight fasting blood glucose and 2‐h post‐load glucose were sampled. Arterial stiffness was measured as brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity. The association was examined using generalized linear regression models. The threshold effect was explored using two piecewise linear regression models by the smoothing plot. Results After adjustment for covariates, isolated impaired fasting glucose, isolated impaired glucose tolerance, combined glucose intolerance and newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus were associated with a greater risk of arterial stiffness compared with normal glucose tolerance (B = 18.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42–35.76, P = 0.045; B = 28.51, 95% CI: 3.40–53.62, P = 0.026; B = 60.70, 95% CI: 38.37–83.04, P < 0.001; B = 95.06, 95% CI: 71.88–118.25, P < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, there was a non‐linear relationship between 2‐h post‐load glucose and arterial stiffness. A threshold for 2‐h post‐load glucose of 6.14 mmol/L was observed for the risk of arterial stiffness. Conclusions Impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, combined glucose intolerance and newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus were related to a greater risk of arterial stiffness compared with normal glucose levels. A threshold for 2‐h post‐load glucose of 6.14 mmol/L probably exists for the risk of arterial stiffness.

This paper describes a cooperative iron–thiolate catalyst Cp*Fe(1,2-Ph2PC6H4S)(NCMe) (Cp*– = C5Me5–, [1(NCMe)]) for regioselective hydroboration of aryl epoxide by pinacolborane (HBpin). The critical catalytic step involves the direct addition of epoxide to the catalyst rather than activation of the B–H bond of HBpin. Through iron–thiolate cooperation, [1(NCMe)] opens the aryl epoxide rings affording ferrous–alkoxide compounds. Notably, the ferrous–alkoxide intermediate (4) was structurally characterized after its isolation from the reaction of [1(NCMe)] with trans-2,3-diphenyloxirane. The more Lewis acidic hydroboranes such as H3B·THF and 9-BBN (BBN = borabicyclononane) can also be captured by [1(NCMe)]. The resulting iron–borane adducts [1H(BH2)] and [1H(BBN)] feature an agnostic Fe···B–H interaction. DFT calculations indicate that the addition of HBpin across the iron–thiolate sites is endergonic by 12.9 kcal/mol, whereas it is exergonic by 20.2 kcal/mol with BH3 and 4.6 kcal/mol with 9-BBN. Combining ...

An especial current collector of Ti pillar arrays (Ti Ps) is prepared by a facile hydrothermal etching method. The Ti Ps substrate can be applied in acidic medium for its excellent stability, and the large specific surface area of this substrate is highly beneficial to the contact between electrolyte and catalyst. Pd deposited on the Ti Ps substrate is selected to be the catalyst for H2O2 reduction due to its remarkable electrocatalytic activity and stability. The structure and phase composition of the Pd modified Ti Ps (Pd@Ti Ps) electrode are studied through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP). The electrocatalytic property of the Pd@Ti Ps electrode is studied through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA). According to the results, the Pd@Ti Ps electrode exhibits a high reduction current density of 220 mA cm−2 at −0.2 V in 2 mol L−1 H2SO4 and 0.5 mol L−1 H2O2 which is greatly larger than that on Pd modified Ti plate (Pd@Ti plate) electrode. The activation energy of H2O2 reduction on this electrode is 19.77 kJ mol−1. The low activation energy and high electrocatalytic activity indicate that the as-prepared electrode can be applied as a potential cathode for fuel cell.

Direct peroxide-peroxide fuel cell (DPPFC) employing with H 2 O 2 both as the fuel and oxidant is an attractive fuel cell due to its no intermediates, easy handling, low toxicity and expense. However, the major gap of DPPFC is the cathode performance as a result of the slow reaction kinetics of H 2 O 2 electro-reduction and thus the target issue is to design cathode catalysts with high performance and low cost. Herein, different with using noble metal of state-of-the-art, we have successfully synthesized ultra-fine Ni Fe ferrocyanide (NiFeHCF) nanoparticles (the mean particles size is 2.5 nm) through a co-precipitation method, which is used as the cathode catalyst towards H 2 O 2 reduction in acidic medium. The current density of H 2 O 2 reduction on the resultant NiFeHCF electrode after the 1800 s test period at −0.1, 0 and 0.1 V are 121, 93 and 76 mA cm 2 , respectively. Meanwhile, a single two-compartment DPPFC cell with NiFeHCF nanoparticles as the cathode and Ni/Ni foam as the anode is assembled and displayed a stable OCP of 1.09 V and a peak power density of 36 mW cm −2 at 20 °C, which is much higher than that of a DPPFC employed with Pd nano-catalyst as cathode.

A binder-free and flexible Au electrode is prepared by spontaneous deposition of Au onto a A4 (A4-paper)-8B (8B pencil)-Ni Film substrate (ABNi) which is assembled by electrodeposition of nanoscale Ni particles on the surface of A4 paper coated by 8B pencil. The morphology and phase structure of the (A4-paper)-8B (8B pencil)-Ni Film-Au (ABNiAu) electrode are characterized by scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer and X-ray diffractometer. The catalytic activity of the ABNiAu electrode for NaBH 4 electrooxidation is investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The electrode exhibits a high electric conductivity and the activity substance attaches to the surface of paper substrate tightly and does not fall off at all and the nanoscale Ni and Ni Au alloy enhance the broken of the B H bond in the BH 4 − , all of which lead to a high catalytic activity for NaBH 4 electrooxidation. The oxidation current density reaches 300 mA cm −2 in 1 mol dm −3 NaOH and 0.1 mol dm −3 NaBH 4 at −0.2 V. The exchanged electrons (n) is 6.0 (8.0 in theory), which indicates that the ABNiAu electrode has much higher utilization efficiency of the fuel than our reported LaNi 5 /Pd (n = 4) electrode.

Describing the definition and usage of negative feedback in ant colony optimization.Proposing a new negative pheromone matrix and combined with positive pheromone matrix in probability formula.A novel strengthening negative feedback mechanism is proposed to improve efficiency and avoid local optimal.Detail experiment design has been given for evaluating the proposed approaches based on different standard real datasets and synthetically generated datasets. Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is an efficient way to solve binary constraint-satisfaction problems (CSPs). In recent years, new improvements have only considered enhancing the positive feedback to increase the convergence speed. However, through the study and analysis of these enhanced ACO algorithms, we determined that they still suffer from the problem of easily getting in locally optimal solutions. Thus, an improved ACO algorithm with a strengthened negative-feedback mechanism is designed to tackle CSPs. This new algorithm takes advantage of search-history information and continually obtains failure experience to guide the ant swarm exploring the unknown space during the optimization process. The starting point of this algorithm is to utilize the negative feedback to improve the diversity of solutions. Finally, we use 24 CSP samples and 25 Queen samples to perform experiments, compare this algorithm with other related algorithms and conduct performance assessment. The preliminary results show that ACO with negative feedback outperforms the compared algorithms in identifying high-quality solutions.

To bridge the gap of the alkali-metal-ion (Li or Na) batteries and supercapacitors, hybrid devices called capacitor batteries are being designed, which are adaptive for large-scale energy-storage systems. Two-dimensional transition-metal carbide materials (MXene) with high electronic conductivities have become capable electrode materials for supercapacitors. Herein, Ti3C2Tx synthesized by selectively etching the Al layer from the Ti3AlC2 presents a remarkable electrochemical performance as an electrode material for the supercapacitor with Li2SO4 or Na2SO4 aqueous electrolyte. It displays a capacitance of 243 F g−1 at a low current density of 100 mA g−1 with a capacitance retention of 95 % in the Li2SO4 electrolyte, and a capacitance of 150 F g−1 at a low current density of 200 mA g−1 with a capacitance retention of 95 % in the Na2SO4 electrolyte, which shows its potential application for capacitor batteries. Moreover, the LiMn2O4//Ti3C2Tx Li-ion capacitor battery and MnO2//Ti3C2Tx Na-ion capacitor battery are designed and assembled for the first time. Such rechargeable aqueous capacitor batteries display capable capacities, remarkable rate abilities, and excellent cycling performances, which further demonstrates that Ti3C2Tx is an outstanding capacitor-type electrode material for capacitor batteries.

Novel Au@Ni nanoarrays electrode is facilely obtained by firstly template-assisted electro-deposition of Ni nanowire arrays (NAs), followed by galvanostatic deposition of Au catalysts onto the Ni NAs without any conductive agents and binders. The Au@Ni NAs electrode shows a rough surface and fringe with the diameter of ∼90 nm, which assures a high utilization of Au catalysts and provides a large specific surface area. The elemental distribution of Ni mainly exists in the inner layer of a single Au@Ni nanowire with the diameter ∼56 nm, while the elemental distribution of Au catalysts merely appears in the outer layer to form the unique core-shell nanowire structure. The Au@Ni NAs electrode reveals excellent electrochemical property and desirable stability for catalyzing NaBH4 electro-oxidation in basic solutions. The Au@Ni NAs electrode in the 2.00 M NaOH and 0.24 M NaBH4 solution demonstrates an oxidation current density of 2.35 A mg−1 at −0.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), which is much higher than that of the noble metal catalysts previously reported, indicating that this material may be hopefully used as anodic catalysts for applying in fuel cells.

A unique nanostructure electrode consisting of RuO 2 nanoparticles with ultra-fine diameter (1.9 nm) anchored on the surface of graphene nanosheets (GNS) and carbon nanotube (CNT) is prepared as a binder-free supercapacitor electrode through two-step electrochemical routes. At first, free-standing GNS and CNT (GC) are directly deposited on the surface of carbon fiber cloth (CFC) to form a cross-linked composite via a cathodic electrophoretic deposition method. Safranin, a kind of cationic organic dye, is introduced in this stage as a new-type dispersant to disperse GNS and CNT in water to form a suspension solution. After the following electro-deposition process, the as-prepared GC composite is uniform covered with RuO 2 nanoparticles. Benefiting from the combined advantages of GNS, CNT and ultra-fine RuO 2 nanoparticles in such a binder-free structure, the hybrid electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance up to 480.3 F g −1 (based on the total mass of GNS, CNT and RuO 2 ) and remarkable cycling stability (89.4% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles). Furthermore, the assembled symmetric supercapacitor exhibits a high energy density of 30.9 Wh kg −1 and power density of 14000 W kg −1 with excellent stability performance (92.7% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles). Thus, the remarkable performance of the resultant RuO 2 electrode has provided a rational design strategy for developing supercapacitors with high energy density.

The aqueous magnesium ion battery (AMIB) system is an attractive candidate in the aqueous batteries due to its high safety properties, similar electrochemical characteristics to lithium and low cost in energy storage applications. The magnesium octahedral molecular sieves of Mg-OMS-2 and the Mg-OMS-2/Graphene composite, depending on their unique 2 × 2 tunnel structure that can provide enough large pore size for magnesium ions insertion/deinsertion into/from the lattice of host materials, are utilized as the cathode materials in the AMIB system and exhibit good battery performances in the three different magnesium salt electrolytes. The Mg-OMS-2/Graphene, not only maintaining the tunnel structure but also possessing the excellent electrochemical property, obtains better rate ability and cycle performance than that of Mg-OMS-2. Furthermore, the Mg-OMS-2/Graphene//AC system is first assembled as aqueous rechargeable magnesium ion battery capacitor. The discharge capacity of this system remains to be 44.1 mAh...

Thorn-like Ni@TiC NAs and flake-like Co@TiC NAs electrodes without any conductive agent and binder are simply fabricated by the potentiostatic electrodeposition of Ni and Co catalysts on the TiC nanowire arrays (NAs). The electrocatalytic activity of H2O2 oxidation on the Ni@TiC NAs electrodes is better than that on the Co@TiC NAs electrodes. The Ni@TiC NAs electrodes demonstrate a rough surface and have many nano-needles on the rod edges, which assures the high utilized efficiency of Ni catalysts. These particular three-dimensional structures may be very suitable for H2O2 electrooxidation. The anodic current of Ni@TiC NAs anode reaches 0.32 A cm−2 at 0.3 V in 1.0 M H2O2 + 4 M KOH solution. The DPFCs employing Ni@TiC NAs anodes display the peak power density of 30.2 mW cm−2 and open circuit voltage of 0.90 V at 85.1 mA cm−2 with desirable cell stability at 10 mL min−1 flow rate and 20 °C, which is much higher than those previously reported.

The 1D nanowire is prepared by in-situ etching current collector displaying faster electron transportation and better connection, plusing the directional charge transport properties, which could enable it become one of the most appropriate core of 3D core@shell structure. We apply novel nanowire-like Cu(OH) 2 , which is synthesized by etching copper foil, as core structure to be coated by novel NiOOH with high theoretical capacity. The fast electronic conductive core structure and promising faradic electrode material candidate material enable the Cu(OH) 2 @NiOOH/copper-foil electrode deliver high specific capacity of 1300 C g −1 at current density of 10 mA cm −2 and outstanding cycling stability of capacity retention of 88% after 10000 charge-discharge cycles, indicating the as-prepared Cu(OH) 2 @NiOOH/copper-foil electrode has potential application in electrochemical capacitors.

Petal shaped Co/Co3O4 composite electrocatalyst with a special structure used as a cathode for H2O2 electroreduction is obtained by a route of hydrothermal synthesis and in-situ chemical reduction. The phase composition and microstructure of the electrocatalyst are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical performance of H2O2 electroreduction on the Co/Co3O4 petals (Ps) is explored by cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectrometry (EIS). The Co/Co3O4 Ps exhibits a higher conductivity than single Co3O4, which leads to a better catalytic activity and stability toward H2O2 electroreduction. In a solution of 3 mol L− 1 NaOH and 0.5 mol L− 1 H2O2, the current density of H2O2 electroreduction on Co/Co3O4 Ps is 440 mA cm− 2 at − 0.8 V, higher than that on Co3O4, which make the obtained Co/Co3O4 Ps an excellent alternative catalyst for H2O2 fuel cell.

Aqueous magnesium-ion batteries have shown the desired properties of high safety characteristics, similar electrochemical properties to lithium and low cost for energy storage applications. The micro-sheet morphology of todorokite-type magnesium manganese oxide molecular sieve (Mg-OMS-1) material, which applies as a novel cathode material for magnesium-ion battery, is obtained by the simple hydrothermal method. The structure and morphology of the particles are confirmed by X-ray power diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical performance of Mg-OMS-1 is researched by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and constant current charge-discharge measurement. Mg-OMS-1 shows a good battery behavior for Mg 2+ insertion and deinsertion in the aqueous electrolyte. When discharging at 10 mA g −1 in 0.2 mol dm −3 MgCl 2 aqueous electrolyte, the initial discharge capacity reaches 300 mAh g −1 . The specific capacity retention rate is 83.7% after cycling 300 times at 100 mA g −1 in 0.5 mol dm −3 MgCl 2 electrolyte with a columbic efficiency of nearly 100%.

Carbon materials, especially graphene nanosheets (GNS) and/or multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT), have been widely used as electrode materials for supercapacitor due to their advantages of higher specific surface area and electronic conductivity, but the relatively low specific capacitance thus results in low energy density hindering their large applications. On the contrary, MnO2 exhibits higher energy density but poor electrical conductivity. In order to obtain high performance supercapacitor electrode, here, combining the advantages of these materials, we have designed a facile two-step strategy to prepare 3D MnO2-GNS-MWNT-Ni foam (MnO2-GM-Ni) electrode. First, GNS and MWNT is wrapped on the surface of Ni foam (GM-Ni) via a “dip & dry” method by using an organic dye as a co-dispersant. Then, by using this 3D GM-Ni as substrate, MnO2 nanoflakes are in-situ supporting on the surface of GNS and MWNT through a hydrothermal reaction. The specific capacitances of MnO2-GM-Ni electrode reach as high as 470.5 F g−1 at 1 A g−1. Furthermore, we have successfully fabricated an asymmetric supercapacitor with MnO2-GM-Ni and GM-Ni as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively. The MnO2-GM-Ni//GM-Ni asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits a maximum energy density of 35.3 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 426 W kg−1 and also a favorable cycling performance that 83.8% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. These results show manageable and high-performance which offer promising future for practical applications.

Recently, direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC) has been considering as a promising energy conversion devices. During the development of DBFC, reducing the use of noble metals and increasing the anode performance are the hot topic in recent researches. In this article, reduced graphene oxide nanosheets deposit on C@TiC coaxial nanowire array (rGO-C@TiC) by means of a combine method of chemical vapor deposition and electrodeposition is chosen as 3D current collector for Pd nanoparticles deposition. The morphology and crystal structure of the as-obtained 3D electrode is checked with FESEM, TEM, EDS, and XRD. Results claim that the as-prepared 3D electrode exhibits a mushroom-like structure with the mean diameter size of Pd is 5.32 nm. Their catalytic ability for NaBH4 electro-oxidation is evaluated in a three electrode system by using the method of cycle voltammetry and chronoamperometry, proving that the 3D Pd-rGO-C@TiC electrode has a higher catalytic performance. The oxidation current density of 1.35 A cm−2 mg−1Pd is achieved at −0.6 V. Furthermore, a direct borohydride-hydrogen peroxide fuel cell (DBHPFC) is assembled by using the as-prepared Pd-rGO-C@TiC electrode and a Pd/CFC electrode as anode and cathode catalyst, respectively, and a maximum power density of 68.5 mW cm−2 is obtained. In addition, the assembled DBHPFC shows excellent higher performance based on the mass activity basis (1427.1 W g−1) among those reported literatures, indicating that our Pd-rGO-C@TiC could be acted as a promising cost-effective and ponderable alternative catalyst for NaBH4 electrooxidation.

Designing and fabricating self-supported and binder-free MnO 2 nanostructure electrode to overcome their low conductivity for supercapacitor application with high comprehensive electrochemical performance, such as high capacitance, excellent stability, and good rate capability, is still a tremendous challenge. In this paper, carbon nanotubes are uniform covered on nickel foam (denote as CNT/Ni) by a simple dip & dry method to form a 3D skeleton for MnO 2 nanosheets deposition (denoted as MnO 2 -CNT/Ni). Results show the MnO 2 -CNT/Ni electrode exhibits a unique 3D porous interconnected network with a high specific capacitance of 402.5 F g − 1 at 1 A g − 1 and a favorable cycling performance that 83% capacitance retained after 5000 cycles at a current density of 2 A g − 1 . Meanwhile, the MnO 2 -CNT/Ni//CNT/Ni asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits an excellent energy density of 25 Wh kg − 1 at a power density of 0.9 kW kg − 1 with 85.3% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles. Therefore, such a facile and manageable method to prepare MnO 2 electrode with high supercapacitor performance is offering a promising future for practical applications.

// Qianqian Zhu 1, * , Yanan Sun 1, * , Yingying Cui 1 , Ke Ye 1 , Chengliang Yang 1 , Daoke Yang 2 , Jie Ma 1 , Xiao Liu 1 , Jinming Yu 3 , Hong Ge 1 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China 2 Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450000, Henan Province, China 3 Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, 250117, Shandong Province, China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Hong Ge, email: gehong616@126.com Keywords: non-small cell lung cancer, brain metastases, epidermal growth factor receptor, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, radiotherapy Received: August 31, 2016 Accepted: December 27, 2016 Published: January 05, 2017 ABSTRACT This study compared treatment outcomes between TKI monotherapy and TKI administration combined with brain radiotherapy (TKI + RT) in 133 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastasis (BM). We also evaluated the association of different epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation subtypes with treatment outcome. To screen for potential variables affecting cranial progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), we performed univariate and multivariate analysis based on Cox proportional-hazards models. Median cranial PFS and OS were longer for the TKI + RT group ( n = 67) than TKI alone group ( n = 66). Intracranial metastasis correlated with a better median OS than extracranial metastasis. For patients with exon 21 mutations, TKI + RT yielded a better median OS and cranial PFS than TKI alone. However, there were no significant differences in median OS and cranial PFS between the two treatment groups for patients with exon 19 deletions. Thus EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients with BM could benefit more from TKI + RT than from TKI monotherapy, especially when they suffer from exon 21 mutations. However, TKI + RT confers no advantage over TKI treatment alone for patients with exon 19 deletions. These results underscore the urgent need to develop individualized disease management strategies in clinical practice.

Aqueous rechargeable magnesium-ion batteries with low cost of magnesium resources have a potential to meet growing requirements for electric energy storage resulted from the similar electrochemical properties to lithium. The Mg1.1Mn6O12·4.5H2O named as magnesium octahedral molecular sieves (Mg-OMS-1) owns nanobelt structures as a cathode material for aqueous magnesium-ion battery. The morphology and structure of Mg-OMS-1 are measured by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The mechanism of magnesium-ion insertion/deinsertion from this host material and the theory specific capacity of Mg-OMS-1 are determined by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Mg-OMS-1 displays an excellent battery behavior for Mg2+ insertion and deinsertion in the magnesium-salt aqueous electrolyte. The initial discharge capacity of Mg-OMS-1 electrode can reach 248.8 ± 0.5 mAh g−1 at 10 mA g−1 in the 0.2 mol dm−3 Mg(NO3)2 aqueous electrolyte. Even back to 10 mA g−1 after the rate performance, the discharge capacity can achieve 214.1 ± 0.5 mAh g−1. The specific capacity retention rate is 90.4% after cycling 200 times at 100 mA g−1 in the 0.5 mol dm−3 Mg(NO3)2 electrolyte with a columbic efficiency of 99.7 ± 0.1% in the 5 times experiments.