4th Cycle Research Articles

C@CoSn2 composite prepared through one-step electro-deoxidation method as anode material of lithium-ion batteries with long-cycle-life and high capacity

Tin is widely studied as an alternative anode material of high-energy-density Li-ion batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity of 993 mAh g–1, low discharge potential, large electrical conductivity, and natural abundance. However, Sn-based anode materials still suffer from large changes in volume during lithium intercalation/de-intercalation processes, leading to cracking and pulverization of electrodes. Herein, carbon is in-situ coated on CoSn2 alloys (C@CoSn2) during the electro-deoxidation process of Co3O4 and SnO2 through the reduction of CO32− in the molten salt of LiCl–KCl–K2CO3. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectrometry all confirm CoSn2 alloys coated with a uniform carbon layer. The sizes of CoSn2 particles decrease to 0.2–1.0 µm due to the surface coating of carbon. The galvanostatic charge/discharge tests suggest discharge capacity and Coulombic efficiency of the optimized C@CoSn2 alloy film electrode reaching 991.5 mAh g–1 and 97.6 % after the 5th cycle, respectively. C@CoSn2 alloy also shows a good rate performance at 2 A g–1 along with a superior retained high capacity of 969.6 mAh g–1 after 300th cycles. Meanwhile, this proposed method looks efficient for the electrochemical fixation of CO2 in molten salts.

Oxygenated groups enriched polyolefin-Zr(IV) complexes catalyzing low-temperature transfer hydrogenation of biomass-derived furfural with 2-propanol

Zr4+−O2− pairs in MOFs and macromolecule − Zr(IV) complexes have proved one of the ideal catalytic components for catalytic transfer hydrogenation of biomass-derived furfural. However, restricted by limited adjustability of Zr4+−O2− coordination environment and the complex design and creation of ligand defects, currently, there are only a few efficient low-temperature (<100 °C) catalytic systems. In this work, oxygenated groups enriched polyolefin − Zr(IV) complexes were prepared and fixed on/in mesoporous silica aerogel support. The complexes possessed a stable structure with CC bonds as the connecting skeleton of each oxygenated group, and the types and densities of oxygenated groups (COOH, SO3H, and OH) could be easily adjusted by using different monomers. In the catalytic transfer hydrogenation reaction of furfural and 2-propanol, the catalyst synthesized using dicarboxylic maleic acid as a monomer of polyolefin exhibited the best catalytic performance in low temperatures, the main product furfuryl alcohol with a high yield of 96.0 % and a high selectivity of 98.2 % was obtained at 85 °C for 8 h. In 6 cycles of reactions at 85 °C, the furfuryl alcohol yield decreased gradually from 96 % in the 1st cycle to 84.0 % in the 4th cycle and further restored to 90.9 % and 89.3 % in the 5th and 6th cycles, respectively, by refreshing the used catalyst with methanol washing, and there was almost no leaching of Zr4+ species in the reaction medium. The catalyst poisoning experiment with acidic and basic sites shielded by pyridine and boric acid, respectively, showed that the catalytic activity was more sensitive to the shielding of basic sites, and the isotope experiments revealed that two H of the product furfuryl alcohol are transferred from 2-propanol. Hereby, the oxygenated group-bearing polyolefin − Zr(IV) complexes with stable structure, variable functional groups and the corresponding various Zr4+−O2– coordination pairs, are ideal catalyst candidates for the selective transfer hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol.

Effect of autologous bone marrow stem cells-scaffold transplantation on the ongoing pregnancy rate in intrauterine adhesion women: a randomized, controlled trial.

Intrauterine adhesion is a major cause of female reproductive disorders. Although we and others uncontrolled pilot studies showed that treatment with autologous bone marrow stem cells made a few patients with severe intrauterine adhesion obtain live birth, no large sample randomized controlled studies on this therapeutic strategy in such patients have been reported so far. To verify if the therapy of autologous bone marrow stem cells-scaffold is superior to traditional treatment in moderate to severe intrauterine adhesion patients in increasing their ongoing pregnancy rate, we conducted this randomized controlled clinical trial. Totally 195 participants with moderate to severe intrauterine adhesion were screened and 152 of them were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either group with autologous bone marrow stem cells-scaffold plus Foley balloon catheter or group with only Foley balloon catheter (control group) from February 2016 to January 2020. The per-protocol analysis included 140 participants: 72 in bone marrow stem cells-scaffold group and 68 in control group. The ongoing pregnancy occurred in 45/72 (62.5%) participants in the bone marrow stem cells-scaffold group which was significantly higher than that in the control group (28/68, 41.2%) (RR=1.52, 95%CI 1.08-2.12, P=0.012). The situation was similar in live birth rate (bone marrow stem cells-scaffold group 56.9% (41/72) vs. control group 38.2% (26/68), RR=1.49, 95%CI 1.04-2.14, P=0.027). Compared with control group, participants in bone marrow stem cells-scaffold group showed more menstrual blood volume in the 3rd and 6th cycles and maximal endometrial thickness in the 6th cycle after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. The incidence of mild placenta accrete was increased in bone marrow stem cells-scaffold group and no severe adverse effects were observed. In conclusion, transplantation of bone marrow stem cells-scaffold into uterine cavities of the participants with moderate to severe intrauterine adhesion increased their ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates, and this therapy was relatively safe.

The Durable Chitosan Functionalization of Cellulosic Fabrics.

In this work, the durability of chitosan functionalization of cellulosic textile substrates, cotton and cotton/polyester blended fabrics, was studied. Chitosan is a naturally occurring biopolymer that can be produced inexpensively. It should be dissolved in an acidic solution to activate its antimicrobial and other properties, i.e., good biocompatibility, bioabsorbability, wound healing, hemostatic, anti-infective, antibacterial, non-toxic, and adsorptive properties. The application of chitosan to textile products has been researched to achieve antimicrobial properties, but the durability, after several maintenance cycles, has not. Chitosan functionalization was carried out using maleic acid (MA) and 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) as crosslinking and chitosan-activating agents and sodium hypophosphite monohydrate as a catalyst. To determine durability, the fabrics were subjected to 10 maintenance cycles according to ISO 6330:2012 using Reference detergent 3 and drying according to Procedure F. The properties were monitored after the 3rd and 10th cycles. The crosslinking ability of chitosan with cellulosic fabrics was monitored by Fourier infrared spectrometry using the ATR technique (FTIR-ATR). Changes in mechanical properties, whiteness and yellowing, and antimicrobial properties were determined using standard methods. Compared to maleic acid, BTCA proved to be a better crosslinking agent for chitosan.

Integrated α-MnO2 nanowires PVDF catalytic membranes for efficient purification of dye wastewater with high permeability

Catalytic membranes have been studied and reported widely, but ideal catalytic membranes with high rejection ratio and high permeability simultaneously are still a challenge to develop. Herein, integrated α-MnO2 nanowires polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) catalytic membranes were fabricated by a vacuum filtration method. Based on the intercalation structures of GO formed by α-MnO2 nanowires and the spatial stacking of nanowires, filter channels with high water flux were constructed. While CS displayed as anchor point to fix α-MnO2 nanowires and also endow the membrane surface with electro-positivity. Then, a sequence of catalytic membranes with different content of α-MnO2 were prepared, and detailed characterizations of structure were taken out. Finally, all of the membranes displayed excellent stability in harsh conditions (pH values from 3 to 11), and M-5 with the most content of α-MnO2 displayed the best separation ability, for which the rejection ratio reached 99.26 % along with a high permeability about 923.72 L·m−2·h−1·Bar−1, when it was used to separate methyl blue (MBE) wastewater. In addition, M-5 also displayed excellent reusability, such as the rejection ratio still maintained above 92.62 % after 9th cycles and reduced to 86.74 % after 10th cycle, while the permeability still remained 612.09 L·m−2·h−1·Bar−1 after the 10th cycle. Therefore, this work developed an outstanding catalytic membrane, which displayed good application prospect for treatment of dye wastewater.

UiO-66-NH2@MnFe2O4 as a novel and retrievable MOF nanocatalyst for biodiesel synthesis from utilized edible oil in a microwave reactor: RSM design and CI engine studies

UiO-66-NH2@MnFe2O4 was synthesized and used as a novel nanocatalyst to generate biodiesel from utilized edible oil (UEO) in a microwave reactor. Several analyses were utilized to characterize the catalyst structure, including SEM, EDX, FTIR, Raman, CO2-TPD, TGA, VSM, BET, TEM, and XRD. Central composite design (CCD) was employed for optimizing impressive variables on biodiesel synthesis. The utmost biodiesel yield using UiO-66-NH2@MnFe2O4 under optimal conditions (e.g., nanocatalyst concentration of 2.89%, methanol/UEO proportion of 9.43:1, stirring rate of 833.89 rpm, and microwave time of 6.37 min) was 97.81%, which is a considerable yield. Moreover, the aforementioned nanocatalyst was utilized in 7 reusing cycles with high performance, so that after the 7th cycle, its biodiesel yield was more than 90%, demonstrating the high recyclability of the nanocatalyst. Furthermore, the activation energy (47.32 kJ/mol) and frequency factor (10.2 × 105) demonstrate that the UiO-66-NH2@MnFe2O4 nanocatalyst has sufficient kinetic energy to do the transesterification reaction. Besides, the reaction between alcohol and UEO was endothermic. The influence of adding biodiesel to petrodiesel in various ratios (B0–B20) on a CI diesel engine was investigated, and satisfactory outcomes were attained in terms of emissions (e.g., reducing CO and UHC concentrations) as well as engine performance.

An innovative and environmentally friendly bioorganic synthesis of activated carbon based on olive stones and its potential application for CO2 capture

This work presents an innovative, fully environmentally friendly method of obtaining bioorganic activated carbon based on olive stones by applying banana plant extract as an activating agent. The activated carbon prepared in this way was compared with activated carbons prepared by chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH) and phosphoric acid (H3PO4). The obtained results of physicochemical characterization were comparable to the currently commonly obtained activated carbons. For the novel activated carbon, the specific surface area was equal to 915 m2/g, and the pore area was 0.495 cm3/g. The CO2 adsorption capacity of the newly obtained activated carbon was also tested and it was 6.32 mmol/g and 4.33 mmol/g for 0 °C and 30 °C, respectively. This material has a high selectivity equal to 161.1 and stability after the 50th adsorption-desorption cycles. The material prepared in this way creates new possibilities for obtaining high-quality activated carbon and it does away with the requirement for using any hazardous inorganic activating agent like acids or bases, which makes it completely harmless to the environment.

Phyto-mediated hydrothermal synthesis of NiFe2O4 as photocatalyst in tetracycline photodegradation

Tetracycline is one of the most important compounds in pharmaceutical industry, furthermore the controlling tetracycline in wastewater is important aspect for sustainable pharmaceutical industry. This study explores a photocatalytic degradation approach for the tetracycline removal by using magnetic nanomaterial of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles as photocatalyst. As a strategy in green chemistry approach, hydrothermal synthesis by using plant extract of Aloe vera extract was performed. Different techniques such x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Visible spectrophotometry (UV-DRS) and magnetism analysis have been performed to characterize the sample. From TEM identification, the irregular shapes of NiFe2O4 NPs with particle size ranging at 5–40 nm was produced, and from XRD analysis, the crystallite size of the sample is 39.2 nm. The material demonstrates superparamagnetic behavior, and has the band gap energy of 1.84 eV. The photocatalytic activity assessment of the NiFe2O4 showed the degradation efficiency of about 75% and 65.53% under UV and visible lights, respectively. The easiness in separation of the rest photocatalyst supports the recoverability and stability until 5th cycle of usage with insignificant change of degradation efficiency.

Nebulizer-assisted spray deposited Mn3O4 films: Study the substrate temperature influenced electrochromic properties cycled in neutral aqueous electrolyte system

In this work, we report the impact of substrate temperature effect on the electrochromic characteristics of trimanganese tetraoxide (Mn3O4) films prepared by nebulizer-assisted simple spray pyrolysis technique. The deposited films are in tetragonal Mn3O4 crystal-phase as realized by XRD study. The A1g, T2g and Eg Raman active modes of spinel-Mn3O4 phase are observed well in micro-Raman study. The electronic states and surface topology of the deposited Mn3O4 films were examined by XPS and FE-SEM analyses. From the optical study, the blue shift in transmittance edges and the systematic improvement of optical band gap are visualized when increasing the substrate temperature. The electrochromic performance of deposited samples was examined in 0.5 M Na2SO4 neutral aqueous system at room temperature. This neutral electrolyte offers lesser H+ and OH− concentrations and low corrosion effect, which make the window potential range wider. The optical blue-shift was observed in maximum peak positions of electrochromic parameters. The obtained result revealed that the amorphous films have superior electrochromic behavior than the crystalline one. The sample prepared at 350°C substrate temperature reaches a maximum absorbance modulation efficiency (AMEm (CEm)) of 9.626 cm2/C (at 431.61 nm), whereas, after the 100th cycle, the AMEm value increases from 9.626 to 11.154 cm2/C.

Waste-derived green ZnO–Fe2O3 photocatalyst for degradation of MB dye pollutant in water

A green photocatalyst ZnO–Fe2O3 and its polymer composite ball/film were prepared using waste-iron scrap, pea-eggplant, and waste-expanded polystyrene (EPS) for methylene blue (MB) degradation. The optimized bandgap was found to be 2.39 eV by a 1:2 ratio of ZnO (3.11 eV) and Fe2O3(2.05 eV). The heterostructure (average size = 64 nm) was characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, XRD, TEM, and its polymer composite was characterized by FTIR. The achieved decolorization percentage of MB dye with visible light using ZnO–Fe2O3 powder, ZnO–Fe2O3–EPS film, and ZnO–Fe2O3–EPS ball are 94.59, 65.71, and 87.49%, respectively. The photocatalysts were found to be reusable up to the 6th cycle with a maximum decolorization of 67.01%. The HR-MS data of the treated solution shows some intermediate fragments. The novelty of the present work lies in the green, waste-derived, and industry-ready stable photocatalyst preparation in the form of powder, film, and ball. The work will give some direction to develop low-cost and industrially relevant visible photocatalysts.

Neoadjuvant camrelizumab and chemotherapy in patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A prospective, single-arm, open-label study.

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, bringing tremendous pressure to the healthcare system and patients. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the main subtype of EC in the Chinese population. This study aimed to extend the neoadjuvant therapy cycle to 4 cycles and evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant camrelizumab combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of resectable ESCC. The enrolled patients received neoadjuvant camrelizumab (200 mg, day 1), nab-paclitaxel (260 mg/m2, day 1) and carboplatin (area under curve; 5 mg/mL/min) every 21 days for 4 cycles, and surgery was performed within 4-6 weeks after the first day of the 4th treatment cycle. The primary endpoint of the study was the pathological complete response (pCR) rate. From December 15, 2021, to October 1, 2022, a total of 35 patients were enrolled in the study. All patients completed the full 4-cycle treatment and were deemed fit for surgical intervention. Thirty-four (97.1%) patients achieved R0 resection, 18 (51.4%) showed a pCR rate, and 27 (77.1%) achieved a major pathological response (MPR). Tumor degradation was observed in 30 out of 35 patients (85.7%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses further confirmed that age (odds ratio (OR) = 6.710, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 3.512-44.403) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) (OR = 2.855, 95% CI: 1.181-3.079) were independent predictors of pCR. The most prevalent adverse event (AE) was leukopenia, which was experienced by 23 out of 35 patients (65.7%). Grade 3 or higher AEs included leukopenia in 2 cases (5.7%) and neutropenia in 12 cases (34.3%). No delays in surgery were observed. As demonstrated in this study, the 4 cycles of camrelizumab combined with nab-paclitaxel and carboplatin, which exhibited a relatively high pCR rate and acceptable safety, suggest a strong rationale for its further evaluation in resectable ESCC.

Degradation Behavior of Layered Structure Cathode in Sulfide Based All-Solid-State Batteries

With declaration of carbon zero in response to climate change, the importance is also being bandied about developing large-scale energy storage system, especially for electric vehicle (EV). Commercialized EV with a highest development lithium-ion batteries (LIB) could operate over 300 miles per single charging, but liquid electrolyte-based LIB gives rise to a huge risk concerning about ignition and explosion. All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) is considered to alternative next-generation battery that have high safety advantageous with removal the risk of ignition by applying non-combustible inorganic solid-electrolytes (SEs). In case of sulfide-based ASSBs, there were progressed in performance itself at cell capacity increase and cycling characteristic due to advance in cell configuration, composite cathode, and cell fabrication technique compared to early works. Nevertheless, it is still demanded improvement related to the cathode-electrolyte interface stability, and its dominant causes are electrochemical- and chemo-mechanical problems. Therefore, most of researchers have tried to figure out the behavior of all-solid-state batteries by providing external pressure, and then resolve degradation issues including contact loss and resistive layer formation. However, in practical and commercialization aspects, the external pressured cell can be a stumbling block to scale-up from lab to large-scale ASSBs stage.In this study, we evaluated electrochemical performance using by general coin cell to investigate behavior of ASSBs, which is consisted with LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2/Li6PS5Cl/VGCF|Li6PS5Cl|In-Li. The ASSB coin cell showed a significant capacity degradation having 59 % of capacity retention in 50th cycles, as expected. Herein, the main cause of the rapid capacity decrease is likely to be due to the accelerated physical contact loss. In addition to this, we have expanded the scope of analysis to investigate if there are other causes entire range including cell- and material level. The degradation in cell level is the inhomogeneous electrochemical reaction, that is within composite cathode, resulting from analysis of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This induces more severe degradation on close to SE separator, resulting in intensification of SE deterioration accompanied by damage implying a phase transformation of the active material. Furthermore, even though the contact loss problem has improved through re-pressing, the capacity was not recovered, which is because the material itself has deteriorated.Moving on to the material level, many cracks are observed inside of the active material, and sulfur infused into grain-boundary of active materials that confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In addition, through analyzing transmission electron microscopy, the phase transformation both mixed and rock-salt phase was confirmed the cathode surface of not only secondary particle but also primary particle of interior cathode. For more specifically affirmed this, various analysis including Raman spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy were conducted, and we confirmed that the major cause is due to depletion of the Li source. Therefore, the loss of active Li by infused sulfur caused acceleration of deterioration cathode making poor capacity retention. This study is meaningful in providing another guideline that should be regarded for practical all-solid-state batteries through a new consideration in cathode degradation.

Combined Machine Learning and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy to Diagnose and Predict the State-of-Health of Commercial SMD Solid-State Batteries

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are considered as one alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries as they enable safer operation. A detailed look into the reaction kinetics and the possible aging mechanisms of the solid electrolytes (SEs) and the interface of SE and active material at the composite electrodes was of major interest in recent years12. Cell scale modeling and prediction of the cell performance and the degradation however are lacking, although they would offer fast evaluation beyond material-intensive and time-consuming experiments. Besides, diagnosis with non-destructive tests is crucial for the development, design, production and application of SSBs. For example, cell with degradation need to be identified by battery management systems and balanced for the safety of the entire energy system.Herein we characterize a group of commercial solid-state batteries3 using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and train a machine learning model to diagnose their state-of-health (SoH) throughout cycling. The SSBs used have multilayered electrodes with a ceramic SE and need to be formed by customers. To shorten the measurements period, the experiments were conducted with distinct formation and cycling protocols, which leads to faster and various degradation modes during their lifetime. The SoH of the tested SSBs ranges from 40% to 140% SoH for the customer-defined rated capacity of 200 µAh. The EIS data was collected intermittently between the 5th cycle to the 100th cycle and was organized into 108 datasets for training and validation. Fig.1a) shows parts of the EIS experiment data. The machine learning (ML) model was then trained by using the EIS data and operating condition parameters as input values and the SoH during cycling as output property. The EIS data was preprocessed and selected with a feature selection model. Significant features, e. g., impedance data from a certain frequency range, were selected and analyzed qualitatively. The applied feature engineering transfers data from non-gaussian into gaussian distribution, which enables the usage of Bayesian ridge regression algorithms to avoid overfitting.Despite the manufacturing tolerance and inherent production deviation among the cells, the model achieves a root mean squared error of 2.5% for the SoH diagnose during validation. To predict the future SoH after 10 more cycles, it achieves a root mean squared error of 2.7%. Fig.1b) and 1c) present the diagnosed/predicted SoH vs. the observed SoH. Different from semi-empirical models using EIS data to fit equivalent circuit models (ECM), we have preprocessed EIS data in the frequency domain and applied ML directly for the SoH prediction. Our method avoids importing additional inaccuracies during the ECM fitting process. Furthermore, the feature analysis reflects the dominating changes in certain frequency ranges. The tested SSBs have stronger correlations between the imaginary part of the impedance in the high frequency range and their SoH prediction. We presume that the mechanical failures in the materials applied in the SSB might dominate its degradation in this phase, as the capacitance in bulk impedance has the strongest correlation with the SoH fading.All in all, the herein presented work highlights the promise of combining data-driven modeling with EIS characterization to predict the performance of complex electrochemical systems, and can be expanded to other cell geometries and further battery technologies.

Flash Pyrolyzed Coal Char for Sodium Ion Battery Anodes

Present day lithium ion batteries face challenges regarding the sustainability, cost, and natural resource availability of their components. Sodium has been shown to be a complementary energy storage material, providing usable volumetric energy density. In designing sodium ion batteries (SIBs), hard carbon is used at the anode in place of graphite, due to the necessary micro domain structure needed to store sodium ions. Coal char is a low cost material and viable source of hard carbon. The use of coal char in SIBs also provides a high value, secondary use pathway for the abundant char component of coal.In this work, flash pyrolyzation is explored as a novel approach for coal char synthesis for SIB anodes using a Utah local bituminous coal. During flash pyrolyzation, char is heated in a drop-tube furnace at 1000 oC/s vs. the traditional slow pyrolyzation approach where char is heated at 20 oC/min. Flash pyrolyzed (FP) char has a surface structure that is vastly different in comparison to the slow pyrolyzed (SP) char (Figure 1.), larger d-spacing (FP d-spacing = 0.379 nm, SP d-spacing = 0.364 nm) and a smaller closed micropore diameter (FP micropore = 1.52 nm, SP micropore = 1.91 nm), as concluded from X-ray diffraction (XRD) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis, respectively.The SIB performance of FP char vs. SP char is tested and compared in ether-based and ester-based electrolytes. FP char performs better as a SIB anode than SP char in both electrolytes. Additionally, both char anodes achieve higher reversible capacity and better initial coulombic efficiencies (ICE) in an ether-based vs. ester-based electrolyte. When FP char is combined with an ether-based electrolyte, a 10th cycle reversible capacity of 109.4 mAh/g is achieved, whereas a SP char with an ester-based electrolyte cell has a 10th cycle reversible capacity of 72.5 mAh/g, when both cells are cycled at 50 mA/g (sodium metal half-cells). FP ether cells also perform with an initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 64%, but SP ester cells only show an ICE value of 52%. The enhanced electrochemical performance of the FP cells is attributed to differences in surface/bulk structure due to the high heating rate. The improvement in char anode performance in ether-based cells is likely due to the formation of a thinner solid-electrolyte interphase and/or improved sodiation due to an ether-based electrolyte. Figure 1

A novel approach in remediation of diclofenac from environmental water samples using silver nanocomposite polymer inclusion membrane

Diclofenac is an efficient anti-inflammatory drug used as an antipyretic and analgesia in human and animal medicine. As such they are indiscriminately consumed with or without the prescription of a physician which has led to usage above recommendation, wasted, and improper disposition; thus, has become persistently found in aqueous environment. As a result of their low solubility, they adhere strictly to biosolids during wastewater treatment which leads to incomplete removal of this contaminant by conventional wastewater treatment plants. Hence, the need for other water treatment technologies to remove this environmental stressor. Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) used in this study were impregnated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and were investigated for the complete removal of DCF. Under optimum conditions, the best membrane's performance with 100 % transport efficiency was recorded at pH 3, with 5 % AgNPs. Further addition of AgNPs >5 % reduced the efficiency of the membranes in terms of water uptake capacity, ion-exchange capacity, permeability and transport efficiency. The stability/reusability was investigated over a 12-cyclic mass transfer. The stability of the membrane was evaluated based on the percentage mass loss and transport efficiency over the successive cycle. Thus, after the 7th cycle, about 15 % weight of the membrane was lost with a decline in transport efficiency. However, the nanocomposite PIM maintained stability with no mass losses or further decline in transport efficiency after the 7th cycle. Finally, the nanocomposite membrane was used to preconcentrate DCF from wastewater samples, and it recorded an enrichment factor between 23.5 and 24.8 and a transport efficiency between 94.1 and 99.2 %.

A therapy that modulates T lymphocyte subsets in patients infected with Epstein-Barr virus: Ganciclovir combined with interferon atomization inhalation.

To investigate the effect of ganciclovir combined with interferon atomization inhalation on T lymphocyte subsets in patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and its efficacy. Fifty patients with EBV infection who received ganciclovir combined with interferon atomization inhalation were selected as the observation group, and 50 healthy people were selected as the control group. The changes of T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry before treatment and at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th cycle after treatment. Before treatment, the CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ indexes of the patients were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < .05), and the CD8+ level was significantly increased (P < .05). After one cycle of treatment, there was no significant difference in the changes of T lymphocyte subsets compared with those before treatment. After 2 and 3 cycles of treatment, CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ values were higher than those before treatment (P > .05), and CD8+ index was lower than that before treatment (P < .05). After the 4th cycle of treatment, CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ values were significantly improved (P < .05), and CD8+ index was significantly decreased (P < .05). Ganciclovir combined with interferon atomization inhalation can regulate the changes of T lymphocyte subsets in patients with EBV infection, improve the patient's condition, and has no obvious adverse reactions. Monitoring the changes of T lymphocyte subsets during treatment is more meaningful to predict the therapeutic effect of patients with EB virus infection.

Examining epidemiological patterns of the components of the severe physical punishment index used by UNICEF

BackgroundUNICEF's severe physical punishment of children index is composed of the combination of two practices (being “beat” and “hit on head”) and may be considered as a proxy for child physical abuse. ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine whether the prevalence patterns of these two punishments differ substantially and consequently might obscure understanding of individual punishments and generate an inadequate index. MethodsNationally representative samples of households with children aged 5–14 years from low- and middle-income countries with populations of ≥10 million with datasets available from UNICEF's 6th Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey cycle were used. Weighted prevalences were determined for the two punishments and their combination and by child age and sex for all countries meeting inclusion criteria. ResultsAcross the 21 datasets from 18 countries, prevalence of being beat varied from 0.2% to 12.6%, and hit on head from 1.6% to 46.1%. The majority of the prevalence of the combined index was accounted for by being hit on head in all but one survey. In several, but not all, surveys, males and younger children were more likely to be exposed to each of the punishments.Across punishments, there were some surveys with differing age prevalence patterns, but minimal differences by sex. ConclusionsObscuring the epidemiology of being beat, arguably the more severe of the two, is one consequence of combining these punishments into a single index. Being beat should be reported separately and a new composite index of severe and abusive physical punishment should be considered.

Oxaliplatin causes increased offset analgesia during chemotherapy- a feasibility study.

Offset analgesia (OA) is the phenomenon where the perceived pain intensity to heat stimulation disproportionally decreases after a slight decrease in stimulation temperature. The neural mechanisms of OA are not fully understood, but it appears that both peripheral and central temporal filtering properties are involved. Chemotherapy with oxaliplatin often causes acute peripheral sensory neuropathy, and manifests primarily as a cold induced allodynia. The aim of this exploratory patient study was to investigate if OA was affected by the neurotoxic effects of adjuvant oxaliplatin treatment. OA was assessed in 17 colon cancer patients during 12 cycles of adjuvant oxaliplatin treatment. The OA response was estimated as the decrease in pain intensity caused by a temperature decrease from 46 °C to 45 °C. Changes in the OA during the treatment period was estimated using a mixed linear model and corrected for multiple comparisons by Sidak's test. OA was increased significantly when assessed before the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, and 10th treatment cycle compared to the first (baseline) treatment (p<0.05). OA is generally decreased in persons suffering from chronic pain or peripheral neuropathy as compared tohealthy controls. But in the present study, OA increased during chemotherapy with oxaliplatin. The underlying mechanism of this unexpected increase should be further explored.

Investigation into microstructural and mechanical properties of Al–Sn alloy fabricated using accumulative roll bonding combined with heat treatment

Al–Sn-based alloy was produced using the accumulative roll bonding (ARB) process followed by heat treatment. The effect of ARB cycles and various heat treatment temperatures (300–600 °C) and times (15–60 min) was studied. Microstructural, structural, and mechanical properties of the samples were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), hardness, tensile, and wear tests at room temperature. Microstructural observations featured aluminum grains with a grain-boundary distribution of the tin phase, confirming the successful production of Al–Sn alloy by using the ARB process followed by the heat treatment process. The ultimate tensile strength and hardness values of the produced alloys were 110 MPa and 45 HV, respectively, after 8th ARB cycles and heat treatment at 600 °C and holding for 30 min. Besides, the wear resistance of the prepared Al-12 wt% Sn alloy was increased when the ARB cycles increased from the first cycle to the 8th cycle. In conclusion, this study reflected that mechanical working (ARB process) combined with heat treatment is an appropriate route to achieve Al–Sn alloy with relatively suitable properties.

Development of an Advanced-Generation Multi-Objective Breeding Population for the 4th Cycle of Chinese Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.)

Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.) is an important timber species native to southern China. While the single, unstructured breeding strategy was employed in the past three cycles of breeding, it is no longer adequate for managing a more advanced breeding population. In this study, we utilized restriction-site-associated DNA-sequencing (RAD-seq) to estimate the genetic diversity of breeding populations and phenotypic values or breeding values to estimate the genetic gain of hundred-grain weight, diameter at breast height, and wood basic density. To achieve a balance between genetic gain and genetic diversity, we combined the multiple populations and core-main populations methods to construct the fourth cycle breeding population. Finally, the fourth cycle breeding population was made up of a core population of 50 individuals with an inbreeding coefficient of ~0, and an additional main population of 183 individuals, with an effective population size of 108. Crossings made within and/or between different trait-targeted subpopulations could facilitate bidirectional gene flow between the core and main populations, depending on the breeding objectives. This structured breeding population of Chinese fir could aim for both short- and long-term genetic gains and has the potential to support the preservation of germplasm resources for future climate change.