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Transition metal spinel oxides were engineered with active elements as bifunctional water splitting electrocatalysts to deliver superior intrinsic activity, stability, and improved conductivity to support green hydrogen production. In this study, we reported the ternary metal Ni-Fe-Co spinel oxide electrocatalysts prepared by defect engineering strategy with rich and deficient Na + ions, termed NFCO-Na and NFCO, which suggest the formation of defects with Na + forming tensile strain. The Na-rich NiFeCoO 4 spinel oxide reveals lattice expansion, resulting in the formation of a defective crystal structure, suggesting higher electrocatalytic active sites. The spherical NFCO-Na electrocatalysts exhibit lower OER and HER overpotentials of 248 mV and 153 mV at 10 mA cm -2 and smaller Tafel slope values of about 78 mV dec -1 and 129 mV dec -1 , respectively. Notably, the bifunctional NFCO-Na electrocatalyst requires a minimum cell voltage of about 1.67 V to drive a current density of 10 mA cm -2 . The present work highlights the significant electrochemical activity of defect-engineered ternary metal oxides, which can be further upgraded as highly active electrocatalysts for water splitting applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Prevention services can promote public health by building protective factors and reducing maltreatment risk. Yet, engaging caregivers in prevention services presents a unique set of challenges. Measurement studies are important first steps to increase the knowledge of caregiver engagement in prevention services. The purpose of this scoping review was to investigate how family engagement has been measured and operationalized in the studies of maltreatment prevention/positive parenting programs. The review examined quantitative and mixed methods studies conducted in the U.S., which measured multiple dimensions of client engagement, including behavioral, attitudinal, and relational domains. A total of 88 studies selected from PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, Academic Search Premier, and Web of Science were included in this review. Results indicated that studies examine engagement constructs in all three domains of engagement with a primary focus on behavioral engagement. The attitudinal and relational engagement was mostly assessed through general satisfaction surveys, and a limited number of studies utilized validated measures to assess those constructs. While most studies reported acceptable internal reliabilities, only two studies reported other dimensions of psychometric qualities. Only one validated measure was found, which assessed client perceptions of provider cultural competence. More measurement studies are needed to further incorporate multiple dimensions of engagement into the studies of maltreatment prevention programs, which can inform the effort to develop tailored implementation strategies to fully engage various groups of parents in maltreatment prevention programs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Hydrogen production from water splitting combined with renewable electricity can provide a viable solution to the energy crisis. A novel MoS 2 /NiS 2 /Ni 3 S 4 heterostructure is designed as a bifunctional electrocatalyst by facile hydrothermal method to demonstrate excellent electrocatalytic performance towards overall water splitting applications. MoS 2 /NiS 2 /Ni 3 S 4 heterostructure necessitates a low overpotential of 81 mV and 210 mV to attain a current density of 10 mA cm -2 during the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively. Consequently, the MoS 2 /NiS 2 /Ni 3 S 4 heterostructure-based electrolyzer shows a low cell voltage of 1.54 V at 10 mA cm -2 . The present work highlights the significance of the heterostructure configuration of transition metal sulfide-based electrocatalysts for electrochemical overall water splitting applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The utilization of hydrogen (H 2 ) as a fuel source is hindered by the limited infrastructure and storage requirements. In contrast, ammonia (NH 3 ) offers a promising solution as a hydrogen carrier due to its high energy density, liquid storage capacity, low cost, and sustainable manufacturing. NH 3 has garnered significant attention as a key component in the development of next-generation refueling stations, aligning with the goal of a carbon-free economy. The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) enables the production of NH 3 from nitrogen (N 2 ) under ambient conditions. However, the low efficiency of the ENRR is limited by challenges such as the electron-stealing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the breaking of the stable N 2 triple bond. To address these limitations and enhance ENRR performance, we prepared Au@Cu 2- x Se electrocatalysts with a core@shell structure using a seed-mediated growth method and a facile hot-injection method. The catalytic activity was evaluated using both an aqueous electrolyte of KOH solution and a nonaqueous electrolyte consisting of tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent with lithium perchlorate and ethanol as proton donors. ENRR in both aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes was facilitated by the synergistic interaction between Au and Cu 2- x Se (copper selenide), forming an Ohmic junction between the metal and p-type semiconductor that effectively suppressed the HER. Furthermore, in nonaqueous conditions, the Cu vacancies in the Cu 2- x Se layer of Au@Cu 2- x Se promoted the formation of lithium nitride (Li 3 N), leading to improved NH 3 production. The synergistic effect of Ohmic junctions and Cu vacancies in Au@Cu 2- x Se led to significantly higher ammonia yield and faradaic efficiency (FE) in nonaqueous systems compared to those in aqueous conditions. The maximum NH 3 yields were approximately 1.10 and 3.64 μg h -1 cm -2 , with the corresponding FE of 2.24 and 67.52% for aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes, respectively. This study demonstrates an attractive strategy for designing catalysts with increased ENRR activity by effectively engineering vacancies and heterojunctions in Cu-based electrocatalysts in both aqueous and nonaqueous media.

The weight reduction of the bipolar plate (BP) is essential for commercializing unitized regenerative fuel cells (URFCs). In order to lighten the weight of the bipolar plate, we have used Pb/C composite powder as a cost-effective primary material, which is a mixture of low-density graphite and lead. Further, varied lead-carbon weight ratios (1: 8, 1:4, 1:1, 4:1, and 8:1) were investigated for fabricating the bipolar plate by hot-pressing process adding styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) as a binder. The specific surface area, porosity, and microstructure characteristics corresponding to the varied lead-graphite ratio of the prepared bipolar plates were studied. The relative difference in conductivity upon the compressibility of the plates is also examined. Finally, the wettability and electrochemical properties of the prepared bipolar plates were evaluated through water contact angle and cyclic voltammetry analysis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Jo, Lim, Moon, Yoo, Seok, Jung, Jung, Jung and Sim.)

Hydrogen has become an indispensable aspect of sustainable energy resources due to depleting fossil fuels and increasing pollution. Since hydrogen storage and transport is a major hindrance to expanding its applicability, green ammonia produced by electrochemical method is sourced as an efficient hydrogen carrier. Several heterostructured electrocatalysts are designed to achieve significantly higher electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction (NRR) activity for electrochemical ammonia production. In this study, we controlled the nitrogen reduction performances of Mo 2 C-Mo 2 N heterostructure electrocatalyst prepared by a simple one pot synthesis method. The prepared Mo 2 C-Mo 2 N 0.92 heterostructure nanocomposites show clear phase formation for Mo 2 C and Mo 2 N 0.92 , respectively. The prepared Mo 2 C-Mo 2 N 0.92 electrocatalysts deliver a maximum ammonia yield of about 9.6 μg h -1 cm -2 and a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of about 10.15%. The study reveals the improved nitrogen reduction performances of Mo 2 C-Mo 2 N 0.92 electrocatalysts due to the combined activity of the Mo 2 C and Mo 2 N 0.92 phases. In addition, the ammonia production from Mo 2 C-Mo 2 N 0.92 electrocatalysts is intended by the associative nitrogen reduction mechanism on Mo 2 C phase and by Mars-van-Krevelen mechanism on Mo 2 N 0.92 phase, respectively. This study suggests the importance of precisely tuning the electrocatalyst by heterostructure strategy to substantially achieve higher nitrogen reduction electrocatalytic activity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 An, Surendran, Jesudass, Lee, Moon, Kim and Sim.)

Background: Precision implementation science requires methods to evaluate and select implementation strategies. This study developed and evaluated a novel measure of concordance between current and preferred dissemination channels (DC) and implementation strategies (IS) to guide efforts to improve the adoption of evidence-based management strategies for chronic pain., Methods: We conducted a one-time electronic survey of Pennsylvania primary care practitioners (PCPs) about current vs. preferred chronic pain management DC and IS use. Survey items were selected based on preliminary data, the Model for Dissemination of Research, and the Evidence-Based Recommendations for Implementing Change taxonomy of implementation strategies. We used Cohen's kappa (κ) to assess the agreement between participant-level current and preferred DC/IS. We calculated % preferred minus % experienced for each DC/IS and assessed the equality of proportions to determine whether this difference significantly departed from zero. We categorized DC and IS based on the degree of use and preference, to evaluate alignment., Results: The current sample included 101 Pennsylvania PCPs primarily in urban (94.06%), non-academic (90.10%) settings who self-identified as mostly female (66.34%) and white (85.15%). The greatest difference between preferred and experienced DCs, or "need," was identified by participants as workshops, clinical experts, seminars, and researchers. Similarly, participants reported the greatest IS gaps as multidisciplinary chronic pain workgroups, targeted support for clinicians, and a chronic pain clinical champion. Participating PCPs had moderate DC concordance (kappa = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.38-0.52) and low IS concordance (kappa = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.13-0.23). DC and IS concordance were both greater than that expected by chance. We further identified well-aligned DC and IS, including professional organizations, briefs, and guidelines., Conclusion: We identified a novel implementer-reported outcome of dissemination channel and implementation strategy concordance that allows implementation scientists to quantify the magnitude of the gap between the current and preferred experience of implementers. This quantitative measure can help with the selection and evaluation of dissemination channels and implementation strategies. Future research should leverage this measure to understand the degree to which preference concordance influences clinical outcomes and performance., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Abstract: Enfortumab vedotin is an antibody-drug conjugate used for treatment of urothelial cancer. It has recently been associated with several reports of Stevens Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). In this report, we describe the case of a 63-year-old man who developed widespread, near full-thickness desquamation, clinically mimicking TEN but with histologic features of toxic erythema of chemotherapy. This distinction is significant because it may have implications for prognosis and treatment. Further investigation is needed to ascertain the incidence of true TEN versus clinical imitators in patients with enfortumab vedotin-related cutaneous toxicity., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Golgi apparatus plays a central role in trafficking cargoes such as proteins and lipids. Defects in the Golgi apparatus lead to various diseases, but its role in organismal longevity is largely unknown. Using a quantitative proteomic approach, we found that a Golgi protein, MON-2, was up-regulated in long-lived Caenorhabditis elegans mutants with mitochondrial respiration defects and was required for their longevity. Similarly, we showed that DOP1/PAD-1, which acts with MON-2 to traffic macromolecules between the Golgi and endosome, contributed to the longevity of respiration mutants. Furthermore, we demonstrated that MON-2 was required for up-regulation of autophagy, a longevity-associated recycling process, by activating the Atg8 ortholog GABARAP/LGG-1 in C. elegans . Consistently, we showed that mammalian MON2 activated GABARAPL2 through physical interaction, which increased autophagic flux in mammalian cells. Thus, the evolutionarily conserved role of MON2 in trafficking between the Golgi and endosome is an integral part of autophagy-mediated longevity.

COVID-19 is an ongoing worldwide infectious disease pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate post-traumatic stress and related factors among hospital nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak. The subjects of this study were 300 nurses who worked in three general hospitals that operated National Designated Isolation Unit (NDIU) wards during the COVID-19 outbreak. Self-reporting questionnaires were used to collect data on post-traumatic stress, general characteristics, and work-related information. The average post-traumatic stress score was 20.68 ± 19.5 points and 36.7% of participants were at high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The odds ratio (OR) for PTSD was higher for nurses who worked in the NDIU ward (OR = 16.31, 95% CI = 3.79-70.32), who responded that nurse staffing was poor (OR = 3.03, 95% CI = 1.01-9.10), and who responded that they experienced COVID-19 symptoms (OR = 3.83, 95% CI = 1.89-7.75). Total 36.7% of nurses were at risk of PTSD and the factors related to PTSD were the work department, nurse staffing, and experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. These results could be used to manage PTSD and provide psychological support of nurses during infectious disease epidemics, such as COVID-19., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

AA h boron nitride (BN) crystal, assigned to an orthorhombic space group (No. 31, Pm 2 1 ), is reported here. This new AA h BN crystal exhibits a 'linear' morphology for high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and a (non-hexagonal) 'diagonal' electron-diffraction pattern, which have been experimentally demonstrated in this article. It is also demonstrated that this new crystal is the basic structure of multi-walled BN nanotubes (BNNTs) existing in the form of a helix. The helical AA h BNNTs exist in a metastable phase owing to 〈200〉 texture growth of the orthorhombic crystal, where the energy is ∼15 meV higher than that of stable AB or AA' BN. It is shown that the typical scanning electron microscope 'fluffy cotton-like' morphology of BNNTs is due to secondary growth of diverse BN sheets (including mono-layers) on incoherently scrolled wall strands of BNNTs, providing further evidence for the helical structure with HRTEM evidence for a left-handed helix., (© Jae-Kap Lee et al. 2021.)

Behavioral parenting interventions can enhance positive parenting practice, which is crucial in preventing maltreatment and promoting child well-being. Primary care has been increasingly recognized as an underutilized platform to widely disseminate evidence-based parenting interventions, given parents' ongoing access to primary care without stigma and the perceptions toward health-care providers as a trustworthy source of information about positive parenting. This study sought to explore the effects of primary care-based parenting interventions on parenting practice and child behavioral outcomes while examining the types of and the theories of change underlying these interventions. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline. Randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies of interventions targeting caregivers of children aged between 1 and 17 were included in the review. Information sources included electronic databases, relevant government and private organizational websites, and expert consultations. The final sample included 17 studies focusing on 10 interventions. Positive results were found in knowledge gain, locus of control, monitoring, parent-child interactions, and negative discipline. Child behavior outcomes were inconsistent as most studies reported nonsignificant changes while one study reported significant intervention effects on various externalizing behaviors. A limited number of studies described the process of adapting, installing, and implementing the interventions in primary care. Future studies should examine the types, dosages, and delivery formats that are most suitable and sustainable in the context of primary care to maximize its utility in promoting child well-being while preventing maltreatment through integrated behavioral parenting interventions.

Objective: Engaging community urologists in referring patients to clinical trials could increase the reach of cancer trials and, ultimately, alleviate cancer disparities. We sought to identify determinants of referring patients to clinical trials among urology practices serving rural communities., Methods: We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews based on the Theoretical Domains Framework at nonmetropolitan urology practices located in communities offering urological cancer trials. Participants were asked to consider barriers and strategies that might support engaging their patients in discussions about urological cancer clinical trials and referring them appropriately. Recorded interviews were transcribed and coded using template analysis., Results: Most participants were not aware of available trials and had no experience with trial referral. Overall, participants held positive attitudes toward clinical trials and recognized their potential roles in accrual, but limited local resources reduced opportunities for offering trials. Most participants expressed a need for increased human, financial, and other resources to support this role. Many participants requested information and training to increase their knowledge of clinical trials and confidence in offering them to patients. Participants highlighted the need to build efficient pathways to identify available trials, match eligible patients, and facilitate communication and collaboration with cancer centers for patient follow-up and continuity of care., Conclusions: With adequate logistical and informational support, community urology practices could play an important role in clinical trial accrual, advancing cancer research and increasing treatment options for rural cancer patients. Future studies should explore the effectiveness of strategies to optimize urology practices' role in clinical trial accrual., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Chemical burns to the eyes are one of the few ocular emergencies that dermatologists may encounter in their everyday clinic. As such, dermatologists should be confident in their ability to urgently manage ocular chemical injuries should accidental exposure occur during a procedure. We report a case of accidental ocular exposure to aluminum chloride hexahydrate during skin biopsy of the cheek and subsequent transient ocular injury that resolved with early appropriate management. This article provides background information on acute chemical ocular injuries, offers practical step-by-step guidance for the dermatologist, and highlights immediate copious irrigation as perhaps the most critical step in determining the clinical course of the injury.

For implantable devices, Parylene C (hereafter referred to as Parylene) has shown promising properties such as flexibility, biocompatibility, biostability, and good barrier properties. Parylene-based flexible interconnection cable (FIC) was previously developed to connect a flexible penetrating microelectrode array (FPMA) with a recording system. However, Parylene-based FIC was difficult to handle and prone to damage during the implantation surgery because of its low mechanical strength. To improve the mechanical properties of the FIC, we suggest a mechanically enhanced flexible interconnection cable (enhanced FIC) obtained using a combination of Parylene and polyimide. To investigate the long-term stability of the enhanced FIC, Parylene-only FIC, and enhanced FIC were tested and their mechanical properties were compared under an accelerated aging condition. During the course of six months of soaking, the maximum strength of the enhanced FIC remained twice as high as that of the Parylene-only FIC throughout the experiment, although the mechanical strength of both FICs decreased over time. To show the capability of the enhanced FIC in the context of nerve signal recording as a part of a neural interfacing device, it was assembled together with the FPMA and custom-made wireless recording electronics. We demonstrated the feasibility of the enhanced FIC in an in vivo application by recording acute nerve signals from canine sciatic nerves.

Icetexane diterpenoids are richly complex polycyclic natural products that have been described with a variety of biological activities. We report here a general synthetic approach toward the 6-7-6 tricyclic core structure of these interesting synthetic targets based on a two-step enolate alkylation and ring-closing metathesis reaction sequence.

This paper describes an intrafascicular neural interface for peripheral nerve implantation. The flexible penetrating microelectrode array with varying lengths (vl-FPMA), interconnection cable, wireless recording and stimulator modules were designed and fabricated to detect neural signals from the peripheral nerves or to stimulate them. The vl-FPMA consisted of silicon needles and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) platform supporting the needles. The length of electrode needles varied from 600 to 1000 μm. The interconnection cable was fabricated as parylene-metal-parylene sandwiched structure. The wireless recording/stimulation modules were also developed and connected with the electrodes. The integrated system was implanted in the sciatic nerve of beagles and the recording capability of the integrated system was demonstrated successfully.

One of the unsolved fundamental issues of graphene is establishing an appropriate way to discern layers of graphene structures. We report a simple methodology to analyze graphene structures using Raman signals in the range of ∼100 to ∼500 cm -1 comprising clear 118 or 175 cm -1 peaks. We demonstrate that the low-energy signals on Raman spectra of plasma-seeded grown graphene sheets originated from nanocurvature (c) of mono- (175 and 325-500 cm -1 signals) (c ≈ 1 nm) and bilayer (118 cm -1 peak) (c ≈ 2 nm) graphene with Raman simulations, based on Raman radial mode (RM) Eigen vectors. Our RM model provides a standard way of identifying and evaluating graphene structures.

Synthesis of morphologically well-defined crystals of metalloporphyrin by direct crystallization based on conventional anti-solvent crystallization method without using any additives has been rarely reported. Herein, we demonstrate an unconventional and additive-free synthetic method named reverse anti-solvent crystallization method to achieve well-defined zinc-porphyrin cube crystals by reversing the order of the addition of solvents. The extended first solvation shell effect mechanism is therefore suggested to support the synthetic process by providing a novel kinetic route for reaching the local supersaturation environment depending on the order of addition of solvents, which turned out to be critical to achieve clean cube morphology of the crystal. We believe that our work not only extends fundamental knowledge about the kinetic process in binary solvent systems, but also enables great opportunities for shape-directing crystallization of various organic and organometallic compounds.

Silicon carbide-alumina nanocomposite supports including a nanowire architecture for a high dispersion of cobalt nanocatalysts were fabricated using a modified sol–gel process and paste extrusion process to form cylindrical shape beads, followed by thermal treatment. Well-developed aluminosilicate nanowires were formed on a nanoporous support, which are grown from a catalytic metal seed at the nanowire growth tips during heat treatment at 1,100 °C for 1 h under nitrogen gas flow. Cobalt oxide precursors were highly dispersed on the nanowires grown on the surface of the nanoporous bodies through a supercritical carbon dioxide fluid-assisted wet-impregnation process. The highly-dispersed Co nanoparticles with size of less than 10 nm were finally obtained on the nanowires via phase transitions from Co₃O₄ to CoO and from CoO to Co during the thermal reduction.

In this study, we investigated the effect of tungsten addition on Ni-based catalyst in methane steam-CO₂ reforming. All the catalysts were prepared by the co-impregnation method with varied tungsten loading. The as-prepared catalysts were characterized by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, temperature-programmed reduction and thermogravimetric analysis. The tungsten-loaded catalyst showed improved coke resistance and CO₂ reactivity by the conducting activity test under fixed conditions.

Ni catalysts supported on ordered mesoporous alumina (OMA) were prepared by EISA method and calcined under air and Ar atmospheres. Both catalysts showed stable performance for the dry reforming of methane for 24 h, however the catalytic activity of Ar calcined catalyst was relatively lower than that in the air calcined one. It was found that the carbon (C β ) layer around nickel particles was observed for the Ar calcined catalyst after dry reforming of methane. The encapsulating carbon species in the Ar calcined catalyst lowering the mass transfer rate of feeds led to lower performance, but no whisker carbon was observed. In the case of the air calcined catalyst, whisker carbon (C(v)) which is inactive during dry reforming was accumulated on the catalyst, and it resulted in catalyst breakdown and pressure drop during the reaction.

Over the history of carbon, it is generally acknowledged that Bernal AB stacking of the sp 2 carbon layers is the unique crystalline form of graphite. The universal graphite structure is synthesized at 2,600~3,000 °C and exhibits a micro-polycrystalline feature. In this paper, we provide evidence for a metastable form of graphite with an AA' structure. The non-Bernal AA' allotrope of graphite is synthesized by the thermal- and plasma-treatment of graphene nanopowders at ~1,500 °C. The formation of AA' bilayer graphene nuclei facilitates the preferred texture growth and results in single-crystal AA' graphite in the form of nanoribbons (1D) or microplates (2D) of a few nm in thickness. Kinetically controlled AA' graphite exhibits unique nano- and single-crystalline feature and shows quasi-linear behavior near the K-point of the electronic band structure resulting in anomalous optical and acoustic phonon behavior.

To investigate the tendency of Mn(2+)-ion exchange into zeolite Y, four single crystals of fully dehydrated Mn2+, Na(+)-exchanged zeolite Y (Si/Al = 1.56) were prepared by the exchange of Na75-Y (INa75I[Si117Al75,O384]-FAU) with aqueous of various concentrations by Mn2+ and Na+ in a total 0.05 M for molar ratios of 1:1 (crystal 1), 1:25 (crystal 2), 1:50 (crystal 3), and 1:100 (crystal 4), respectively, followed by vacuum dehydration at 400 degrees C. Their single-crystal structures were determined by synchrotron X-ray diffraction techniques in the cubic space group Fd3(-)m and were refined to the final error indices R1/wR2 = 0.0440/0.1545, 0.0369/0.1153, 0.0373/0.1091, and 0.0506/0.1667, respectively. Their unit-cell formulas are approximately LMn33.5Na8I[Si117Al75O384]-FAU, IMn20.5Na34I[Si117Al75O384]-FAU, IMn20.5Na34I[Si117Al75O384]-FAU, and IMn16.5Na42I[Si117Al75O384]-FAU, respectively. The degree of Mn2+-ion exchange increases from 44.3% to 89.1% with increasing the initial Mn2+ concentrations as Na+ content and the unit cell constant of the zeolite framework decrease.

The present study was performed to suppress carbon deposition by Ce and Fe onto Ni-based catalysts in combined steam/CO2 reforming of methane (CSCRM), which is a process for producing synthesis gas (H2:CO = 2:1) for gas-to-liquids (GTL). The catalytic reaction was evaluated at 900 degrees C and 20 bar with a reactant feed ratio CH4:CO2:H20:Ar = 1:0.8:1.3:1 and gas hourly space velocity GHSV = 25,000 h(-1). The Ce and Fe modified Ni/gamma-A120, catalyst was characterized by BET surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), H2 temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), H2 chemisorption, CO2 temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and SEM. Ce- and Fe-modified Ni/Al2O3 catalysts exhibited remarkable activity and stability during the CSCRM over the course of 50 hours. It suggested that the Ni(12)-Ce(5)-Fe(5)/Al2O3 catalyst shows highly dispersed Ni particles with strong metal-to-support interaction (SMSI) as well as excellent catalytic activity.

In this work, La0.95Sr0.05Ni(1-x)Fe(x)O3 catalysts were prepared by modified EDTA-cellulose method and the catalysts were characterized by various techniques such as N2 physisorption, TPR, XRD, SEM, TEM-EDS and TG analysis. La00.95Sr0.05Ni0.5Fe0.5O3 catalyst showed better catalytic performance under the reaction conditions of 900 degrees C, 21 bar and feed molar ratio of CH4:CO2:H20 = 1:0.7:1.5. It is considered that the dilution effect on nickel prevented the formation of large monometallic ensembles that favour the carbon deposition in reforming reactions, and the mean metallic particle size of Ni decreased with increasing substitution rate in B site. Therefore, partial substitution of Fe in B site enhances the dilution effect and induces a reaction between CO2 and La2O3, thereby resisting the carbon deposition and increasing CO2 conversion.

In this work, hydrogen production from glycerol by steam reforming was studied using Ni-metal oxide catalysts. Ni-based catalyst becomes deactivated during steam reforming reactions because of coke deposits and sintering. Therefore, the aim of this study was to reduce carbon deposits and sintering on the catalyst surface by adding a promoter. Ni-metal oxide catalysts supported on Al2O3 were prepared via impregnation method, and the calcined catalyst was reduced under H2 flow for 2 h prior to the reaction. The characteristics of the catalysts were examined by XRD, TPR, TGA, and SEM. The Ni-Fe-Ce/Al2O3 catalyst, which contained less than 2 wt% Ce, showed the highest hydrogen selectivity and glycerol conversion. Further analysis of the catalysts revealed that the Ni-Fe-Ce/Al2O3 catalyst required a lower reduction temperature and produced minimum carbon deposit.

In this study, Co/Al203 catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was prepared via slurry impregnation method and the catalyst was characterized by various techniques such as TPR, XRD, TGA and N2 physisorption. To dissolve the wax, after-reaction catalyst was dewaxed using n-Hexane at 60 *C. The experiments were performed in a bench-scale fixed-bed reactor, under the reaction condition of 230 degrees C, 20 bar and feed volume ratio of H2:CO:N2 = 2:1:0.5-1.5. The methane selectivity and the ratio of olefin to paraffin among C2-C4 hydrocarbons were increased with higher contents of nitrogen in feed gas which result in higher partial pressure ratio of H2 to CO, and also affect methane selectivity which has a significant role in increased CO conversion.

In the present work, the kinetic effects of Ni-based catalysts containing various amounts of Cr on the steam-CO2 reforming (SCR) of methane were studied. Kinetic expressions for the SCR of methane over the Ni-based catalysts have been proposed using the power-law rate expression, based on the kinetic data obtained. In addition, the Arrhenius equation was used for calculating the activation energy. Analysis of the data revealed four simple results. Firstly, the partial pressure of CH4 exerts a major influence on the CH4 conversion rates. Secondly, the CH4 conversion rate is inversely proportional to the partial pressure of CO2. Thirdly, the partial pressure of steam has a very slight effect on the reaction rates. Finally, all the catalysts studied have similar apparent activation energies.

1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) is one of the promising product among the valuable products derived from glycerol and it can be obtained by the catalytic hydrogenolysis of glycerol. Copper-supported clay-based catalysts were prepared with different pore sizes using various ratios of kaolin, Mg, and Al by coprecipitation and applied in the selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-PDO. In recent research, variations of pore volume and pore size could affect the diffusion of reagents within the catalyst due to the collision between reagents or pore wall and reagents. It changes selectivities of each product in hydrogenolysis of glycerol reaction. The physico-chemical properties of the catalysts were analyzed by XRD, N2 physisorption, TPR, CO2-TPD, SEM, and a mercury porosimeter. The Cu/TALCITE 4 catalyst showed 98% 1,2-PDO selectivity with 65% glycerol conversion under the optimized condition of 190 degrees C, 25 bar, and 20 wt% glycerol aqueous solution. It was found that the basic strength and meso-macro pore structure of the catalysts play an important role in glycerol conversion and 1,2-PDO selectivity.

This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of La0.8Sr0.2NiO3 nano-perovskite type catalyst for steam-CO2 reforming (SCR) and CO2 reforming (DR) of methane. Effect of gelation agents such as PVA, EDTA and PAA on nano-perovskite structures was investigated. XRD, H2-TPR and FT-IR analysis were used to characterize the prepared catalysts. The catalytic reaction was performed in a fixed bed reactor system at 1 atm and 800 °C. The feed ratio of CH4:H2O:CO2 as reactants was adjusted according to the SCR and DR reactions. As a result, CH4 and CO2 conversions of PVA agent catalyst were higher than that of PAA and EDTA agent catalyst for DR reaction because the PVA agent catalyst had a well-established perovskite, a high absorption, a high reducibility. However, the PAA agent catalyst had a higher reactivity due to its high interaction of catalysts for SCR of methane due to its strong interaction of catalysts.

The bead type MgO-MgAl2O4 catalyst supports with bimodal pore structures were fabricated via an extrusion molding of gels derived from the precursor mixture of mesoporous MgO particles and aluminum magnesium hydroxide, followed by heat treatment. To investigate the effect of macro pore structures on the catalytic activity of the Ni/MgO-MgAl2O4 catalysts in the steam and carbon dioxide reforming of methane (SCR), two kinds of the catalysts with largely different macro pore volumes and sizes but nearly the same meso pore volume and size were compared. The bimodal catalyst with a large macro pore size and volume exhibited a highly enhanced CO2 conversion from 22.3 to 37.1% but a slightly reduced CH4 conversion from 95.3 to 92.1% at the same feed ratio. The SCR results show that the large macro pores can lead to a highly enhanced mass transfer rate of CO2 absorption into the pore channels of the magnesium alumina spinel.

We report the fabrication of nickel nanofiber catalysts supported on nickel metallic foam using a modified electrospinning with a grounded rotor and sequential reduction process. The robust deposition of aligned Ni nanofibers with a uniform morphology on the highly porous surfaces of the metallic foam could be achieved by controlling electrospinning parameters such as applied voltage, tip-collector-distance (TCD), concentration of polymer, and humidity. The diameters of the obtained nanofibers decreased with increasing voltage and TCDs. The uniform and thinnest Ni nanofibers on the Ni foam were obtained at a humidity of less than 30%, 15 kV applied voltage, and 17 cm TCD when using a precursor composed of nickel nitrate salt and poly(vinyl) pyrrolidone. The Ni foam catalyst support exhibited the superior thermal conducting property than other supports of MgO-MgAl2O4, Al2O3, and SiC, enabling to a higher heat transfer during catalytic reaction. As a result, the Ni nanofiber catalyst with a high surface area and superior heat transfer performance, which is supported on the metallic foam, were successfully fabricated via a modified electrospinning for potential application of XTL process converting anything to liquids, such as for Gas-to-Liquid (GTL), Coal-to-Liquid (CTL), and Biomass-to-Liquid (BTL).

The present work was to carry out the development of high performance Ni-based catalyst for Steam-CO2 reforming of methane (SCR) which is suitable for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of GTL- FPSO (floating, production, storage and offloading) process. The bimetallic Ni-Cr catalysts were prepared by co-impregnation method. The Ni and Cr loading amount were fixed at 12 wt% and 3~7 wt%, respectively. The catalytic reaction was conducted at 900 °C and 20 bar with reactant feed ratio of CH4:CO2:H2O:Ar = 1:0.8:1.3:1 and GHSV = 25,000 h(-1). The Cr-modified Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was characterized by BET surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), H2-temperature programmed reduction (TPR), H2-chmisorption, CO2-temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and Transmission electron microscopy(TEM). To confirm the amount and type of the carbon deposition, the used catalysts were examined by Thermogravitic analysis (TGA) and Field emission-scanning microscopy/Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (FE-SEM/EDX). It was found that the bimetallic Ni-Cr catalyst exhibits highly dispersed Ni particles with strong metal-to-support interaction (SMSI) as well as excellent catalytic activity, resulting in the suppression of Ni sintering and carbon deposition.

Kinetic studies of mixed (steam and dry) reforming of methane on Ni/La/Al2O3 and Ni/La-Co (1, 3 wt%)/Al2O3 catalysts were performed in an atmospheric fixed-bed reactor. Kinetic parameters for the mixed reforming over these catalysts were obtained under reaction conditions free from heat and mass transfer limitations. Variables for the mixed reforming were the reaction temperature and partial pressure of reactants. The fitting of the experimental data for the rate of methane conversion, rCH4, using the power law rate equation rCH4 = k(PrCH4)α(PCO2)β(PH2O)γ showed that the reaction orders α, β, and γ are steady and obtained values equal to α = 1, β = 0, and γ = 0. In other words, among CH4, CO2, H2O, and H2, only CH4 reaction orders were not zero and they were affected by the promoters. The apparent activation energy on catalysts Ni/La/Al2O3, Ni/La-Co (1)/Al2O3 and Ni/La-Co (3)/Al2O3 is 85.2, 93.8, and 99.4 kJ/mol, respectively. The addition of Co to Ni/La/Al2O3 was increased the apparent activation energy of the mixed reforming reaction. And the Ni/La-Co (3 wt%)/Al2O3 catalyst showed the highest reforming activity and apparent activation energy. The Co promoters can increase the apparent activation energy of mixed reforming of methane.

Direct evidence is provided for the transition from surface conduction (SC) to electro-osmotic flow (EOF) above a critical channel depth (d) of a nanofluidic device. The dependence of the overlimiting conductance (OLC) on d is consistent with theoretical predictions, scaling as d(-1) for SC and d(4/5) for EOF with a minimum around d=8  μm. The propagation of transient deionization shocks is also visualized, revealing complex patterns of EOF vortices and unstable convection with increasing d. This unified picture of surface-driven OLC can guide further advances in electrokinetic theory, as well as engineering applications of ion concentration polarization in microfluidics and porous media.

A series of Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by coprecipitation method. The pH of solution was adjusted from 6 to 8 by using Na2CO3 solution. The prepared catalysts were evaluated for methanol synthesis from syngas (H2, CO and CO2) at lower temperature and pressures. Catalysts have been characterized by N2 physisorption, porosity measurements, XRD, TG/DTA, TPD (CO2/NH3) and XPS. Among all the catalysts pH 7 catalyst was shown higher catalytic activity towards methanol formation. It was found that the catalyst is mainly possessed the higher number of surface active sites (Cu0/Cu+), acidic and basic nature and optimum synergism between three components (Cu-ZnO-Al2O3). The activity results were evaluated with and without CO2 in syngas and it was found that higher CO conversion and higher methanol selectivity in the presence CO2.

A series of Co (5-30 wt%) based SiC supported catalysts were prepared by impregnation method and investigated for FTS reaction. The FTS reaction was carried out in a fixed bed reactor system with the H2/CO molar ratio of 2, reaction temperature of 230 degrees C and reaction pressure of 20 bar for 120 h. All catalysts were characterized by N2 physisorption, XRD, TPR, SEM and TEM techniques. It was found that 15 wt% Co/SiC catalyst showed better catalytic performance with high selectivity of C(5+) hydrocarbons than the other catalysts. The results, suggest that the catalytic performance of the catalysts depends on average pore size of support and surface density of cobalt, metal and support interactions.

In this work, hydrogen production from glycerol by Steam Reforming (SR) was studied by Ni-Ce catalysts supported on LaAlO3 perovskite in order to effect of the cerium loading amount and the reaction conditions. Nano size Ni-Ce/LaAlO3 catalysts were prepared by precipitation method. The structure of the catalysts was characterized by XRD analysis. The morphology, dispersion and the reduction properties of catalysts was examined by SEM, TEM, H2-chemisorption and TPR, respectively. It was found that 15 wt% Ni-5 wt% Ce/LaAlO3 catalyst showed the highest glycerol conversion and hydrogen selectivity. In addition, the catalyst also showed the high carbon dioxide selectivity and the lowest methane selectivity. The results indicate that the catalyst promotes methane reforming reaction. The highest activity in the 15 wt% Ni-5 wt% Ce/LaAlO3 was attributed to the proper cerium loading amount. Moreover, the lowest metal crystal size and rise in active site were found to have an effect on catalytic activity and hydrogen selectivity. The 15 wt% Ni-5 wt% Ce/LaAlO3 catalyst exhibited excellent performance with respect to hydrogen production at reaction temperature of 450 degrees C, at atmospheric pressure, 20 wt% glycerol solution and GHSV = 6,000 mL/g-cat x hr.

Catalysts were investigated with respect to catalytic activity and coke formation in combined steam and carbon dioxide reforming of methane to develop a highly active and stable catalyst for gas to liquid processes. Ni/La-X/Al2O3 (X = Co, Ce, Mo) catalysts were prepared by an impregnation method. The combined steam and carbon dioxide reforming of methane reaction were studied as a function of high pressure (20 bar) in a fixed bed reactor system. X-ray diffraction, BET surface area, and H2-temperature programmed reduction were used to observe the characteristics of the prepared catalysts. Coke formation of used catalysts was examined by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and the coke amount of used catalysts was measured by thermo gravimetric analysis. Catalysts with smaller particle size had a higher temperature of reduction, which had a positive effect on catalytic activity. The improvement in active site rise and dispersion and the lowest metal crystal size had an effect on catalyst activity. As a result, the Ni/La-Co/Al2O3 catalyst showed the highest activity at a reaction temperature of 800 degrees C and a reaction pressure of 20 bar.

The aim of this work is to study the catalytic activity and suppression of carbon deposition in the CO2-Steam reforming of methane (SCR) to develop a high performance catalyst for GTL-FPSO application which is required to high pressure (20 bar) for F-T synthesis. Ni/La-X(6)/Al2O3 (X = Ce, Mg, Zr) catalysts were prepared by the impregnation method. The catalytic reaction was studied in a fixed bed reactor system at high pressure. X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET specific surface area and H2-temperature programmed reduction (TPR) were used to observe the characteristics of the prepared catalysts. The carbon deposition and the carbon amount in the used catalysts were examined by SEM and TGA, respectively. As a result, it was found that the Ni/La-Mg(6)/Al2O3 catalyst showed the highest activity and high carbon resistance. The highest activity in Ni/La-Mg(6)/Al2O3 was attributed to the proper Mg loading. It also had the lowest Ni particle and formed relatively stable MgAl2O4, which have an effect on the catalytic activity.

Nickel-loaded SiC-alumina structural catalysts containing nanowires were facilely fabricated via modified sol-gel process mediated by supercritical carbon dioxide, followed by thermal-treatment. The nanowires were formed by metal-catalyzed growth on the outer and inner parts of SiC-alumina nanocomposite beads containing more than 3 wt.% of the metal seed at a moderate temperature of 1,100 degrees C under nitrogen gas flow. Highly dispersed Ni active catalysts were deposited on the surface of the nanowires formed outer and inner parts of the bead catalyst supports through the catalyst pretreatment process in the supercritical carbon dioxide. As a result, a new Ni/SiC heterogeneous catalyst with an enhanced surface area was successfully prepared using the SiC-alumina catalyst supports with a nanowire structure.

Craniosynostosis is one of the most common craniofacial disorders encountered in clinical genetics practice, with an overall incidence of 1 in 2,500. Between 30% and 70% of syndromic craniosynostoses are caused by mutations in hotspots in the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) genes or in the TWIST1 gene with the difference in detection rates likely to be related to different study populations within craniofacial centers. Here we present results from molecular testing of an Australia and New Zealand cohort of 630 individuals with a diagnosis of craniosynostosis. Data were obtained by Sanger sequencing of FGFR1, FGFR2, and FGFR3 hotspot exons and the TWIST1 gene, as well as copy number detection of TWIST1. Of the 630 probands, there were 231 who had one of 80 distinct mutations (36%). Among the 80 mutations, 17 novel sequence variants were detected in three of the four genes screened. In addition to the proband cohort there were 96 individuals who underwent predictive or prenatal testing as part of family studies. Dysmorphic features consistent with the known FGFR1-3/TWIST1-associated syndromes were predictive for mutation detection. We also show a statistically significant association between splice site mutations in FGFR2 and a clinical diagnosis of Pfeiffer syndrome, more severe clinical phenotypes associated with FGFR2 exon 10 versus exon 8 mutations, and more frequent surgical procedures in the presence of a pathogenic mutation. Targeting gene hot spot areas for mutation analysis is a useful strategy to maximize the success of molecular diagnosis for individuals with craniosynostosis., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Nanostructured magnesium oxide catalyst support materials with controlled morphology and size were synthesized from a supercritical carbon dioxide/ethanol solution via chemical reaction of soluble precursors and subsequent thermal decomposition. Leaf-like magnesium hydroxide precursors with high specific surface area were formed by a low-temperature chemical reaction at below 140 degrees C, while magnesium carbonate cubes with a very low surface area less than 3.3 m2/g were formed by temperature-induced phase transition from a loose to a dense structure during carbonation reaction at above 150 degrees C. The specific surface area has significantly increased higher than 90 m2/g due to the creation of highly porous MgO cubes with mesopore structure formed after thermal decomposition of the magnesium carbonate precursors. Ni-magnesium oxide catalysts with bimodal pore structure were finally formed by the consequence of packing heterogeneity of the porous magnesium oxides with different morphologies and sizes.

Objective: We aimed to analyze whether laser Doppler imaging (LDI) can lead to earlier decision-making regarding the need for surgery in adults with indeterminate burns., Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, we developed a prediction model for surgery in adults with indeterminate burns. Patient data (n=101) from January 2007 to December 2009 were used for model development, and those (n=40) from January 2010 to October 2010 for external validation., Results: Between non-surgical and surgical groups, there were significant differences for mean age (p=0.009), % total body surface area burn (p=0.016), site of burn wound (p=0.033), and mean perfusion units (PU) (p<0.001). Multiple logistic regression showed that only the mean PU differed significantly between the groups. The area under the curve (AUC) of the equation derived from multiple logistic regression was 0.938, which did not differ from that of the mean PU alone (0.931; p=0.453). Using a cut-off point of 154.7PU, the sensitivity of LDI was 78.3% and the specificity was 92.7%. This cut-off point also yielded a sensitivity of 77.8% and specificity of 95.5% in the external validation dataset., Conclusion: LDI can help make a decision for surgery in the early stages of care for adults with indeterminate burns., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.)