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Our purpose was to study the expression of purinergic receptors 2X2 (P2X2) and purinergic receptors 2X3 (P2X3) in spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), the afferent nerves of medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex, after long-term moderate noise exposure, and its relationship with the enhancement of MOC reflex. Mice were exposed a moderate broadband noise for 4 weeks consecutively. Then mouse hearing functions, including threshold auditory brainstem responses, distortion-product otoacoustic emissions, and MOC reflex, were evaluated and the expression of P2X2 and P2X3 on SGNs were assessed by cochlear immunofluorescence. AF-353 was injected before each noise exposure. Four weeks later, mice were also tested for hearing functions and expression of P2X2 and P2X3 on SGNs. The long-term moderate noise strengthened MOC reflex, and AF-353 reduced it in mice and P2X3 expression on SGNs increased after long-term moderate noise exposure, and AF-353 can downregulate it. The P2X3 on SGNs of mice increased after long-term moderate noise exposure, and the upregulation of it mediated the enhancement of MOC reflex.

The α-Ni(OH)2 coated with manganese (Mn) materials was synthesized by the chemical precipitation method, and the electrochemical properties were investigated. The results showed that the ingredient of the coating is a mixture of MnO2 and Mn2O3, and the coating can inhibit the intercalated anions escape and stabilize the α-Ni(OH)2 phase structure in KOH alkaline solution. The coated electrodes have higher discharge capacities and higher capacity retention rates than the uncoated α-Ni(OH)2 electrode, the discharge capacity of Mn-coated electrodes is over 350 mAh g−1, and the capacity retention rate exceeds 92%, separately. The reason may be that the Mn coatings can block or decelerate water molecule and the anion to escape from the interlayers, therefore prevent α phase structural collapse and maintain high discharge capacity during a long lifespan cycle. Therefore, the Mn coating α-Ni(OH)2 is a promising candidate for high-power Ni-MH batteries.

Electrolyte design has become ever more important to enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the flammability issue and high reactivity of the conventional electrolytes remain a major problem, especially when the LIBs are operated at high voltage and extreme temperatures. Herein, we design a novel non-flammable fluorinated ester electrolyte that enables high cycling stability in wide-temperature variations (e.g., -50°C~60°C) and superior power capability (fast charge rates up to 5.0 C) for the graphite || LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) battery at high voltage (i.e.,4.3 V vs. Li/Li+). Moreover, this work sheds new light on the dynamic evolution and interaction among the Li+, solvent, and anion at the molecular level. By elucidating the fundamental relationship between the Li+ solvation structure and electrochemical performance, we can facilitate the development of high-safety and high-energy-density batteries operating in harsh conditions.

Reducing cobalt dependency has attracted great interest for lithium batteries manufacturing due to limited cobalt resources and high prices. A highly promising LiNi0.6Co0.05Mn0.35O2 (NCM60535) high-nickel low cobalt lithium layered oxide cathode material is successfully prepared by systematically examining the two key synthesis conditions of pH and annealing temperature. The obtained materials exhibit a uniform size distribution, good spherical morphology, clear structure, and homogeneous element distribution. NCM60535 shows competitive electrochemical properties: when compared with the LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2, with a higher output specific capacity and cycling stability at 4.3 V low voltage; when compared with the LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, with a comparable discharge capacity but relatively poor cycling stability at 4.5 V high voltage. A new type of electrolyte that combines high lithium salt concentration, EC-free solvent system, and VC and LiPO2F2 functional additives is designed and greatly improves the electrochemical properties of the material under high voltage. Moreover, it also delivers superior electrochemical properties in high voltage lithium full battery (270 Wh Kg−1). And we suggest that NCM60535 is expected to become a substitute for the currently widely commercialized LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM333), LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523), LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622), and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) due to its relatively low production cost and competitive electrochemical properties.

Metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived materials are attracting considerable attention because of the moldability in compositions and structures, enabling greater performances in diverse applications. However, the nanostructural control of multicomponent MOF-based complexes remains challenging due to the complexity of reaction mechanisms. Herein, we present a surface-induced self-nucleation-growth mechanism for the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) to prepare a new type of ZIF-8@SiO2 polyhedral nanoparticles. We discover that the Zn hydroxide moieties (Zn-OH) within ZIF-8 can trigger the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate effectively on the ZIF-8 surface precisely, avoiding the formation of free orthosilicic acid (Si(OH)4) successfully. This is a pioneering work to elucidate the importance of MOF surface properties for preparing multicomponent materials. Then, a novel well-dispersed silicon hollow nanocage (H-Si@C) modified by the carbon was prepared after removal of the ZIF-8 and magnesiothermic reduction. The as-prepared H-Si@C demonstrates an overwhelmingly high lithium storage capability and extraordinary stability in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), particularly the impressive performances when it was matched with the LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode in a full cell. The MOF surface-induced self-nucleation-growth strategy is useful for preparing more multifunctional materials, while the study of lithium storage performances of the H-Si@C material is practical for LIB applications.

Lithium dendrite-free deposition is crucial to stabilizing lithium batteries, where the three-dimensional (3D) metal oxide nanoarrays demonstrate an impressive capability to suppress dendrite due to the spatial effect. Herein, we introduce a new insight into the ameliorated lithium plating process on 3D nanoarrays. As a paradigm, novel 3D Cu2O and Cu nanorod arrays were in situ designed on copper foil. We find that the dendrite and electrolyte decomposition can be mitigated effectively by Cu2O nanoarrays, while the battery failed fast when the Cu nanoarrays were used. We show that Li2O (i.e., formed in the lithiation of Cu2O) is critical to stabilizing the electrolyte; otherwise, the electrolyte would be decomposed seriously. Our viewpoint is further proved when we revisit the metal (oxide) nanoarrays reported before. Thus, we discovered the importance of electrolyte stability as a precondition for nanoarrays to suppress dendrite and/or achieve a reversible lithium plating/stripping for high-performance lithium batteries.

Modification using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is one of the most important strategies to boost the performance of materials in various applications, among which the CNT-modified silicon-based anodes have gained considerable attention in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their improved conductivity and cycle stability. However, the realization of a close-knit CNT coating on silicon (Si) through an efficient and cost-effective approach remains challenging. Herein, a new in situ self-catalytic method by acetylene treatment is presented, in which, CNTs can be directly grown and knitted on the SiOx particles to construct a conductive additive-free SiOx@CNT anode. The in situ grown CNTs can not only enhance electric conductivity and alleviate the volume effect of SiOx effectively, but also mitigate the electrolyte decomposition with improved coulombic efficiency. As a result, an extremely high capacity of 1012 mA h g−1, long lifespan over 500 cycles at a current density of 2 A g−1 as well as a good performance in full LIBs with a working potential of about 3.4 V (vs. nickel-rich cathode) were obtained. The rationally constructed SiOx@CNTs with easy synthesis and high throughput will hopefully promote LIBs with energy density above 300 W h kg−1. This study opens a new avenue to prepare CNT-decorated functional materials and brings the SiOx-based anode one step closer to practical applications.

Creating new architectures combined with super diverse materials for achieving more excellent performances has attracted great attention recently. Herein, we introduce a novel dual metal (oxide) microsphere reinforced by vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and covered with a titanium oxide metal ion-transfer diffusion layer. The CNTs penetrate the oxide particles and buffer structural volume change while enhancing electrical conductivity. Meanwhile, the external TiO2-C shell serves as a transport pathway for mobile metal ions (e.g., Li+) and acts as a protective layer for the inner oxides by reducing the electrolyte/metal oxide interfacial area and minimizing side reactions. The proposed design is shown to significantly improve the stability and Coulombic efficiency (CE) of metal (oxide) anodes. For example, the as-prepared MnO-CNTs@TiO2-C microsphere demonstrates an extremely high capacity of 967 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles, where a CE as high as 99% is maintained. Even at a harsh rate of 5 A g-1 (ca. 5 C), a capacity of 389 mA h g-1 can be maintained for thousands of cycles. The proposed oxide anode design was combined with a nickel-rich cathode to make a full-cell battery that works at high voltage and exhibits impressive stability and life span.

The advanced electrode construction consisting of Ni foam uniformly covered by layered ZnO microspheres (ZnO@Ni LMs) is successfully assembled by a simple thermal treatment process followed by a mild annealing treatment, which can be directly used as a binder-free electrode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The as-synthesized ZnO@Ni LMs consist of numerous nanoparticles, leaving abundant porous to mitigate the volume changes between charge-discharge process. Remarkably, binder-free electrode circumvents the addition of insulating material (binder) and inhomogeneous distribution of conductive carbon material on current collector. When evaluated as binder-free electrode for LIBs, ZnO@Ni LMs deliver a superior specific capacity (1144 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1), brilliant rate capability, and excellent cycling ability (565 mA h g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles).

Lithium (Li)-metal is considered to be the most promising candidate as an anode to design higher energy density lithium batteries because of its extremely high specific capacity (3860 mA h g−1) and lowest redox potential (−3.04 V vs. SHE). However, the safety concerns of lithium dendrites, low coulombic efficiency, and infinite volume variation remain challenging for practical applications. Herein, a free-standing 3D nitrogen–carbon anchored Cu nanorod array (NC/Cu) as a new current collector is introduced. It was in situ derived from a metal–organic framework (MOF) and could allow the dendrite-free deposition of the lithium metal. Benefiting from the uniqueness of the hetero-atom compositions and the 3D structure, the NC/Cu displayed much lower interfacial resistance and more stable Li plating/stripping behaviors compared to those of the planar Cu foil. A coulombic efficiency higher than 97% and long cycle life over 200 cycles were finely achieved with the specific capacity of 2.0 and 1.0 mA h cm−2, respectively. The merit of NC/Cu was further demonstrated in the lithium batteries versus the LiFePO4 cathode, where the cycle ability and electrochemical performances were significantly boosted. This study opens a new avenue to stabilize lithium metal anodes from the unique derivations of MOFs and more relevant researches on lithium metal chemistries deserve to be explored.

New hierarchical hollow SiO2 spheres (HHSs) decorated with metal nanoparticles (i.e., Co, Co–HHS) were designed using an in situ self-assembly approach. The Co nanoparticles were found to have a catalytic effect on (de-)lithiation of SiO2 and hence in storing lithium. Then, an extremely high capacity of 932 mA h g−1 and good cycling stability for more than 1000 cycles were demonstrated in the corresponding lithium battery. In addition, the lithium-ion full batteries of the Co–HHS versus lithium layered oxide cathode (e.g., LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2, NCM333) were introduced and showed good performance, demonstrating the promising application of the Co–HHS, in particular for pursuing high-energy-density batteries.

Silica is a very promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries, due to its advantages of being resource-rich and having high theoretical specific capacity. However, poor electrochemical activity severely limits its practical application. To solve this issue, a nanosheet-assembled silica hierarchical hollow sphere decorated with ultrafine cobalt nanoparticles and carbon (SiO2/Co/C) is successfully synthesized. The hollow structure can effectively alleviate the volume expansion, shorten the migration distance of lithium ions, and increase the binding site. Furthermore, the carbon matrix and highly active ultrafine cobalt nanoparticles enhance not only the electronic conductivity but also the electrochemical activity (catalyzing the breaking of Si–O and Li–O bonds) of SiO2. The resulting SiO2/Co/C composite has a high reversible capacity of 1160 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and still has a specific capacity of 548 mA h g−1 after 1000 cycles at a high current density of 1.0 A g−1. Moreover, the SiO2/Co/C composite also exhibits good electrochemical performance in a full cell.

Hypothesis We hypothesized that CPI-17 expression and NF2 mutations are correlated with merlin phosphorylation in the etiology of sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS). Background NF2 gene mutations have been identified in the majority of sporadic and NF2-associated schwannomas and NF2 gene mutations have been shown to result in merlin protein phosphorylation. CPI-17 can drive Ras activity and promote tumorigenic transformation by inhibiting the tumor suppressor merlin. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between CPI-17 overexpression and the NF2 mutation spectrum in sporadic VS. Methods In this study, we measured CPI-17 expression and identified NF2 gene alterations in a series of sporadic VS samples. Freshly frozen tumor and matched peripheral blood leukocytes from 44 individuals with sporadic VS were analyzed using next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing. Western blotting was used to determine the level of merlin phosphorylation, and immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to measure CPI-17 expression in the sporadic VS samples. CCK-8 and wound-healing assays were used to determine the influence of CPI-17 overexpression on cell proliferation. Results NF2 mutations were identified in 79.5% of sporadic vestibular schwannomas, with all mutations being exclusively somatic. IHC and WB showed the expression of CPI-17 is upregulated in the sporadic VS. NF2 mutation and CPI-17 are positively correlated with merlin phosphorylation. CPI-17 overexpression induces the proliferation of HEI193 cells. Conclusion NF2 mutations and CPI-17 expression together induce merlin phosphorylation, which is correlated with the tumorigenesis of sporadic VSs.

The α-AlH3 + nCeO2 (n = 0.5, 1 and 2, mol%) composite materials were prepared by ball milling, and the phase composition and dehydrogenation performance of the composites were investigated. The results revealed that α-AlH3 doped with CeO2 could effectively decrease the dehydrogenation temperature. The dehydrogenation onset temperature of α-AlH3 + 2 mol% CeO2 dropped to 106 °C, which was significantly reduced by 24.3% compared with pure α-AlH3. At 100 °C, the α-AlH3 + 2 mol% CeO2 composite released 3.8 wt% hydrogen within 100 min, while the pure α-AlH3 released only 0.12 wt% hydrogen in the same duration. Kissinger analysis indicated that apparent activation energy for hydrogen desorption of α-AlH3 was significantly decreased with CeO2 doping. The improvement of dehydrogenation performance was due to the finely dispersed CeH2+x, which was formed by the reaction between CeO2 and α-AlH3.

The auditory steady-state response (ASSR) amplitudes fall in the presence of contralateral noise. However, whether and to what extent medial olivocochlear (MOC) activity involves in contralateral suppression of ASSR remain unclear. Therefore, we assess the role of MOC activity in contralateral suppression of ASSR.Mice were treated with strychnine to completely eliminate MOC activity and then measured ASSR amplitudes in the presence of contralateral noise.The contralateral noise reduces ASSR amplitudes at some stimulus intensity. After treating with the strychnine to eliminate MOC activity, ASSR amplitudes recovered again.MOC activity participated in contralateral suppression of ASSR.

High-voltage high-nickel low-cobalt lithium layered oxide cathodes show great application prospects for lithium-ion batteries due to their low cost and high capacity. However, deterioration of the bulk structure and the electrode-electrolyte interface will significantly endanger the cycle life and thermal stability of the battery as the nickel content and voltage increase. We present here a lattice doping strategy to greatly improve the cell performance by doping a small dose of Ti (2 mol %) in LiNi0.6Co0.05Mn0.35O2. Through density functional theory calculations, we know that the diffusion energy barrier of Li+ decreases and the activation energy of surface lattice oxygen atom loss increases after Ti doping, thereby improving the rate performance and inhibiting the undesired phase transition. The battery in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern demonstrates that Ti doping tunes the H1-H2 phase-transition process from a two-phase reaction to a single-phase reaction and inhibits the undesired H2-H3 phase transition, minimizing the mechanical degradation. The variable temperature in situ XRD reveals delayed phase-transition temperature to improve thermal stability. These improvements can be attributed to Ti doping to passivate the reactivity of the layered oxide cathode, which is fundamentally related to the strong Ti-O bond and no unpaired electrons for Ti4+. This work provides valuable strategic guidelines for the use of high-voltage high-nickel low-cobalt cathodes in lithium-ion batteries.

With the purpose to settle the aggregation and conductivity issues of the active materials, the metal disulfides (MS2, M = Fe, Co) nanoparticles in-situ encapsulated by amorphous carbon layers (MS2@C) have been synthesized by directly vulcanizing the iron (III) acetylacetonate or cobalt (II) acetylacetonate, which are both the metal source and carbon source, using sulfur power as S source and dispersant by a facile one-step heating method. A structure that MS2 nanoparticles are well wrapped by amorphous carbon layer uniformly coated by many ultra-small MS2 nanoparticles is obtained. Benefiting from the unique multidimensional structure that integrates the advantages of low-dimensional nanostructures and high-dimensional bulk structure, FeS2@C and CoS2@C composites evaluated as electrode materials for lithium storage exhibit superior electrochemical performance. After 100 charge-discharge cycles, this novel FeS2@C architecture delivers a reversible capacity of 829 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1. Moreover, a high specific capacity of 480 mAh g−1 for FeS2@C at 1000 mA g−1 after 500 cycles is obtained. As for CoS2@C composite, a high specific capacity of 481 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 after 300 cycles is still displayed. This remarkable cycling property and superior rate capability demonstrate the potential applications for next-generation lithium-ion batteries.

Given the limited source of human external auditory canal (EAC) skin, animal experiments remain an important approach for studying functional EAC reconstruction. However, differences between humans and animals in terms of the general EAC structure, histological characteristics of EAC skin, and cell markers of its specific glands in cartilaginous EAC skin remain unknown. We compared the characteristics of the EAC between humans and large animals, as a basis for appropriate animal model selection. Temporal bone computed tomography was used to compare the EACs of humans, goats, pigs, and dogs. EAC skin samples were harvested and their histological characteristics evaluated. The skin's ultrastructure and the histological structure of specific glands and cell markers related to cell phenotype and function were further identified. The EAC structure in goats was similar to that in humans in terms of diameter, length, and cartilaginous segment ratio of the EAC, while that of pigs and dogs differed markedly. Furthermore, histological evaluation showed that there were abundant ceruminous and sebaceous glands in the goat's cartilaginous skin, while dogs and pigs showed notably fewer of these glands in cartilaginous skin than humans. Nevertheless, ceruminous glands in all species studied showed similar expression of cell biomarkers and secretion function. Goats might have advantages in terms of surgery and reconstruction of the functional EAC skin compared to dogs and pigs and can be a useful candidate for ceruminous gland cell sources.

Modification using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is one of the most important strategies to boost the performance of materials in various applications, among which the CNT-modified silicon-based anodes have gained considerable attention in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their improved conductivity and cycle stability. However, the realization of a close-knit CNT coating on silicon (Si) through an efficient and cost-effective approach remains challenging. Herein, a new in situ self-catalytic method by acetylene treatment is presented, in which, CNTs can be directly grown and knitted on the SiO

Enzyme stereoselectivity control is still a major challenge. To gain insight into the molecular basis of enzyme stereo-recognition and expand the source of antiPrelog carbonyl reductase toward β-ketoesters, rational enzyme design aiming at stereoselectivity inversion was performed. The designed variant Q139G switched the enzyme stereoselectivity toward β-ketoesters from Prelog to antiPrelog, providing corresponding alcohols in high enantiomeric purity (89.1-99.1 % ee). More importantly, the well-known trade-off between stereoselectivity and activity was not found. Q139G exhibited higher catalytic activity than the wildtype enzyme, the enhancement of the catalytic efficiency (kcat /Km ) varied from 1.1- to 27.1-fold. Interestingly, the mutant Q139G did not lead to reversed stereoselectivity toward aromatic ketones. Analysis of enzyme-substrate complexes showed that the structural flexibility of β-ketoesters and a newly formed cave together facilitated the formation of the antiPrelog-preferred conformation. In contrast, the relatively large and rigid structure of the aromatic ketones prevents them from forming the antiPrelog-preferred conformation.

Summary Lithium metal batteries have recently emerged as alternative energy storage systems beyond lithium-ion batteries. However, before this kind of batteries can become a viable technology, the critical issues of the Li anodes, like dendrites growth and low Coulombic efficiency (CE), need to be conquered. Herein, lithiophilic Cu-metal-organic framework thin layer (Cu-MOF TL) is in situ grown on the surface of Cu foil by a facile immersion strategy to construct a multifunctional current collector. Profiting from the high electrical conductivity and unique porous structure, the Cu-MOF TL with high affinity to electrolyte can provide uniform nucleation sites and promote homogeneous Li+ flux, as a result, radically restrain the Li dendrite growth, leading to stable Li plating/striping behaviors. The modified current collector enables Li plating/stripping with a prominent CE (∼97.1%) and a stable lifetime (∼2500 h). Importantly, the synthesis method can be easily large-scale production in a series of organic solvents., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • Lithiophilic and superwetting Cu-MOF layer is in situ grown on Cu foil • The MOF layer provides uniform nucleation sites and promotes homogeneous Li+ flux • The MOF layer solves the Li dendrite growth from the nucleation step • The Cu-MOF-modified Cu foil enables prominent improved CE and lifetime, Energy Storage; Materials Synthesis; Energy Materials

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Objective To investigate the effects of long-term moderate noise on hearing functions, MOCR, and MEMR. Methods Mice were exposed to the moderate noise (11.2 – 22.4 kHz, 80 dB SPL, 6 h/day, 4 weeks). Subsequently, the hearing functions, including threshold and input-output roles of ABR (auditory brainstem response) and cubic (2f1–f2) DPOAEs (distortion product otoacoustic emissions) were evaluated. Also, MEMR and MOCR were assessed shortly after or at four weeks following the termination of exposure to the noise. Results The mice's acoustic suppression reflex was strengthened, hearing functions and MEMR were unaffected four weeks after the moderate noise. For primary tones of 16, 20 and 24 kHz, the strengths of contralateral and ipsilateral suppression in the noise group were about double those recorded in the control group. In order to further determine whether the functional changes of the afferent or efferent nerves increased the strengths of acoustic suppression, the mouse's left ear was inserted the earplug, and then exposed the moderate noise for four weeks. The strengths of contralateral suppression at 16, 20 and 24 kHz were increased for the noise + earplug than for the control group and were indistinguishable between the noise + earplug and the noise group. While no significant changes were found in the strengths of ipsilateral suppression at all frequencies for the noise + earplug group compared with the control group. Under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia, the broadband suppressor noise did not stimulate the MEMR by 20 min post-induction at all frequencies in three groups. Conclusion Our data demonstrated that the long-term moderate noise-exposure strengthened mice's MOCR by changing its afferent nerves, and unaffected cochlear hair cells and type I spiral ganglion neurons.

Two-dimensional morphological (2DM) metal oxides are highly desirable for the improvement of electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, a facile and scalable strategy to fabricate porous 2DM zinc-cobalt oxide (ZCO) plates is reported, with the help of a morphology-maintained annealing treatment of metal organic frameworks (MOFs). Through change the proportion of metal nitrates in the precursors, a series of porous ZCO plates are synthesized. Thanks to the porous structure, 2DM morphological features and nanosized building block of Co3O4 plates, the Co3O4 plates electrode as anode materials for LIBs display the high reversible capacity (1027 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles), remarkable rate capability (541 mA h g-1 even at 1000 mA g−1). Furthermore, this strategy of synthesizing the ZCO plates with MOFs provides a new approach to design bimetallic transition metal oxides that the ratio of transition metal is continuously adjusted and has great lithium storage properties.

Novel hybrid transition metal phosphides with elaborate designed architectures are long pursued to improve their lithium-ion storage properties. Here, nanocomposite of Fe x Ni 2-x P particles and P-doped carbon (P-C) substrate has been successfully synthesized through a one-step low-temperature phosphidation of Fe 2 Ni MIL-88 nanorods. In this nanocomposite, the nano-sized Fe x Ni 2-x P particles are embedded into the P-doped carbon nanorods substrate, integrating the high capacity of Fe x Ni 2-x P and the excellent conductivity of P-doped carbon together. When used as anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the nanocomposite exhibits a high reversible capacity of 775 mA h g −1 after 400 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g −1 . Even at a high current density of 2000 mA g −1 , a discharge capacity of 360 mA h g −1 could still be maintained. This excellent electrochemical performance may be attributed to the nano-sized building blocks of Fe x Ni 2-x P particles and the improved conductivity contributed by P-doped carbon substrate as well as the strong interaction between Fe x Ni 2-x P and carbon. Furthermore, this strategy of synthesizing the Fe x Ni 2-x P/P-C nanorods with metal-organic frameworks as a starting point can be extended to design other bimetallic transition metal phosphides with superior lithium storage properties.

To study age-related changes in the morphology of the supratubal recess (STR) and its relationship with the Eustachian tube (ET).Seventy randomly selected computed tomography (CT) images of non-pathological temporal bones of 49 patients were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were grouped according to age into 4 age groups: group A (0-3 years), group B (4-8 years), group C (9-18 years) and group D (19-50 years). Space analytic geometry was assessed to directly calculate the morphology of the STR and the ET.In normal temporal bones, the STR was mostly presented with a solitary cell in life. The length of the STR was significantly longer in group C than that in group A (P0.05). The width of the STR was declined with age and presented with significant difference among age groups (P0.05). No significant difference was observed in the height of the STR in whole age groups (P0.05). The aeration of the STR was intimately related with age-related morphological changes in the ET. But the important factors influencing the aeration of the STR were not always the same in different age stages.The extended length and declined width of the STR with age were mostly related with the prolonging bony part and inwardly bending cartilaginous part of the ET in children and adolescent aged from 0 to 18 years old. In adults aged more than 18 years old, the narrowed caliber of the tympanic orifice of the ET could induce the decline in the width of the STR with age, but unfolded horizontal cartilaginous part of the ET contributed to stable length and height in aeration of the STR.

Cerium-based redox flow batteries (RFBs) are very attractive for highly efficient energy storage applications with industrial-scale storage capacity. However, the development of active, stable, and earth-abundant catalysts for cerium redox reactions with sluggish kinetics remains a major challenge. Herein, for the first time, two-dimensional (2D) nanostructured architectures were used to design and fabricate efficient and stable electrocatalysts from earth-abundant components toward the Ce(IV)/Ce(III) redox reaction. A novel WO3/GF hybrid architecture (WGF) built from WO3 nanowall arrays (NWAs) anchored on graphite felt (GF) surfaces was prepared for cerium-based RFBs. This unique hybrid exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance since the vertical nanowall arrays display open and ordered structures that ensure full exposure of the active sites toward electrolytes, which allows direct and full contact of every nanowall with the electrolyte. As an electrode for cerium redox reactions, this WGF electrode exhibits a 42.1% and 32.0% increase in energy efficiency as compared with that of pristine GF and acid-treated GF at a high charge/discharge rate of 30 mA cm−2. Moreover, the long-term cycling performance confirms the superior durability of the as-prepared WGF. This study suggests that the use of 2D nanostructures combined with vertical array microstructures is a promising strategy for efficient electrocatalysts toward cerium redox reactions with scale-up potential.

Hybridizing nanostructured metal oxides with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is highly appropriate for the improvement of electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, a NiAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) is vertically grown on a RGO by the microwave-assisted method without any surfactant or template. The NiAl-LDH/RGO is used as precursor to synthesize sandwich-like porous Al 2 O 3 /RGO anchoring NiO nanocomposite (NiO-Al 2 O 3 /RGO) by subsequent calcination and etching process. Furthermore, doping Al 2 O 3 can prevent active materials from agglomeration and generate porous structure in etching process. When used as anode materials for LIBs, the nanocomposite exhibits a high reversible capacity after 100 charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 100 mA g −1 . Even at 500 mA g −1 , a stable capacity as high as 704 mA h g −1 could be obtained. The enhanced lithium storage performance is mainly ascribed to the presence of the conductive RGO and Al 2 O 3 buffer phase, which can relieve structural collapse and offer high conductivity.