Extended Operation Time Research Articles

3D printing hybrid-fiber reinforced engineered cementitious composites (3DP-HECC): Feasibility in long-open-time applications

Hybridization of multi-scale and multi-functional fibers to generate Hybrid-fiber Engineered Cementitious Composites (HECC) offers a promising approach for enhancing ECC in 3D printing (3DP), addressing limitations such as restricted build-up height and operation time. This study strategically combined polyethylene (PE) fiber (1.0 %), steel fiber (0.5 %) and cellulose filaments (CF) at various dosages (0–0.25 %) to investigate the evolution of rheological behavior over different time intervals (0–60 min with 15 min intervals) and optimize the printability of 3DP-HECC with long-open-time. Incorporating of CF or steel fiber enhanced static yield stress, dynamic yield stress and plastic viscosity, particularly benefiting buildability with steel fiber inclusion. Moreover, CF integration effectively moderated the growth rates of static yield stress and dynamic yield stress while maintaining thixotropic index, mitigating extrusion defects and extending operation time to 60 min for structure-level printing. Conversely, steel fiber exhibited contrasting behavior. By integrating the evolution of time-dependent rheological parameters and practical printing observations, an optimum CF dosage of 0.20 % was identified for high-quality 3DP with superior build-up layers. Finally, a fiber hybridization strategy was suggested to optimize the printability of 3DP-HECC, providing theoretical guidance for implementing high-quality applications with extended operation time.

Influence of handheld nonthermal plasma on shear bond strength of polyaryletherketone to resin-matrix cement

Background/purposeChallenges exist regarding the bonding efficiency of polyaryletherketone (PAEK), a high-performance thermoplastic, attributed to its chemical inertness and hydrophobic surface, hindering effective bonding with resin-matrix cement. This research explored the impact of handheld nonthermal plasma (HNP), under varying operational parameters, on PAEK surface wettability and changes in bonding performance with cement. Materials and methodsThree types of disc-shaped PEAK specimens were prepared, with surface treatments categorized as grinding, airborne-particle abrasion (APB), and HNP. Surface wettability was analyzed using a contact angle analyzer (n = 10). Specimens were bonded with resin cement and subjected to artificial aging tests: distilled water bath (NA), thermocycling, and highly accelerated stress tests (n = 10 for each test). Shear bond strength (SBS) was measured, failure modes were analyzed, and statistical analyses were conducted. ResultsThe HNP markedly improved PAEK surface wettability, achieving superhydrophilicity (P < 0.05). This effect intensified with extended operation times (30 or 60 s) and reduced elapsed times (<30 s). HNP-treated PAEK exhibited higher SBS than APB (P < 0.05) and maintained bonding durability after artificial aging, particularly in ketone-enriched variants. Failure analysis revealed predominantly adhesive failure under APB–NA treatment, mixture failures under HNP–NA treatment and postaging, but no cohesive failure. ConclusionThe HNP device benefits dental settings by transforming the PAEK surface into superhydrophilic properties, thereby improving PAEK–cement bonding. It significantly enhances bond durability within 30 s of operation and after a 30 s elapsed period. It is noteworthy that ketone-enriched PAEK demonstrates markedly improved bonding performance.

Does prior PCNL affect RIRS? A retrospective analysis of a single center data.

The aim of this study is to investigate the results and safety of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in patients who have previously undergone percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). A retrospective analysis included patients who underwent RIRS for kidney stones between August 2018 and April 2023. Group 1 comprised 396 patients who underwent primary RIRS, while Group 2 included 231 individuals who had RIRS after previous PCNL. Evaluation parameters included preoperative characteristics, stone attributes, operative details, treatment outcomes, stone-free status, and complications. Statistical analysis utilized Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Pearson Chi-square test (p < 0.05). The mean age, body mass index, stone number, mean stone burden, and SFS were not statistically different between the groups. Lower pole stones were identified in 144 patients in Group 1 and 88 patients in Group 2 (p = 0.315). In Group 1 and Group 2, the mean operation time and fluoroscopy time were 65.23 ± 18.1min, 81.32 ± 14.3min, 26.34 ± 8.31s, 46.61 ± 7.6s, respectively, showing statistically significant differences between the groups (p = 0.013, p < 0.001, respectively). Infundibulum stenosis was identified and treated with a laser in 12% of Group 2 cases. Complications occurred in 12 patients in Group 1 and 14 patients in Group 2 (p = 0.136). A history of PCNL may contribute to extended operation times and increased fluoroscopy exposure in subsequent RIRS without significantly affecting postoperative SFS or complication rates.

Ternary Zn-Ce-Ag catalysts for selective and stable electrochemical CO2 reduction at large-scale

Catalyst materials with high stability and selectivity, based on inexpensive materials, are vital for practical electrochemical carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction (ECR). In this study, we report ternary Zn-Ce-Ag catalysts for selective and stable CO2-to-CO conversion at high current densities on a large scale. We found that ZnO catalysts are relatively selective for CO2-to-CO conversion, but are only stable for less than 20 h at current densities over 100 mA cm−2 due to the reduction of the Zn oxide phase, along with the ECR. Combining ZnO with CeO2 significantly improves the stability of the catalysts, maintaining a CO Faradaic efficiency (FECO) of 80 % for 100 h at the current density of 200 mA cm−2. By introducing a small amount of silver (<10 wt%) to form ternary Ag-Ce-Zn catalysts, both CO selectivity and stability are significantly improved: the developed catalysts exhibit a high FECO of 90 % at 200 mA cm−2 and are stable for 200 h. We attribute the enhanced CO2-to-CO conversion efficiency to the abundance of stable interfacial areas of various metal-oxide interactions, which are critical for ECR. To demonstrate the potential for practical application, we performed the ECR in a large electrochemical cell, with an active surface area of 100 cm2. The system delivers a FECO of 90 % at 200 mA cm−2 for an extended operation time of 200 h.

Predicting short-term major postoperative complications in intestinal resection for Crohn's disease: A machine learning-based study.

Due to the complexity and numerous comorbidities associated with Crohn's disease (CD), the incidence of postoperative complications is high, significantly impacting the recovery and prognosis of patients. Consequently, additional studies are required to precisely predict short-term major complications following intestinal resection (IR), aiding surgical decision-making and optimizing patient care. To construct novel models based on machine learning (ML) to predict short-term major postoperative complications in patients with CD following IR. A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical data derived from a patient cohort that underwent IR for CD from January 2017 to December 2022. The study participants were randomly allocated to either a training cohort or a validation cohort. The logistic regression and random forest (RF) were applied to construct models in the training cohort, with model discrimination evaluated using the area under the curves (AUC). The validation cohort assessed the performance of the constructed models. Out of the 259 patients encompassed in the study, 5.0% encountered major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ III) within 30 d following IR for CD. The AUC for the logistic model was 0.916, significantly lower than the AUC of 0.965 for the RF model. The logistic model incorporated a preoperative CD activity index (CDAI) of ≥ 220, a diminished preoperative serum albumin level, conversion to laparotomy surgery, and an extended operation time. A nomogram for the logistic model was plotted. Except for the surgical approach, the other three variables ranked among the top four important variables in the novel ML model. Both the nomogram and RF exhibited good performance in predicting short-term major postoperative complications in patients with CD, with the RF model showing more superiority. A preoperative CDAI of ≥ 220, a diminished preoperative serum albumin level, and an extended operation time might be the most crucial variables. The findings of this study can assist clinicians in identifying patients at a higher risk for complications and offering personalized perioperative management to enhance patient outcomes.

Improving the performance of LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2-δ electrode-based fuel cell through cathode modification

LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2-δ (NCAL) is reported to provide dual catalytic activities of hydroxide reaction (HOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in solid oxide fuel cell. However, it has been observed that the performance of NCAL symmetric electrodes undergoes a gradual decrease during fuel cell operation, especially the cathode, which was found to suffer from severe gas diffusion degradation. In this study, we tried to optimize the NCAL cathode by modifying the microstructure in order to increase the cathode performance under extended operation time. During the fabrication of SOFCs, various mass ratios of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microspheres were introduced into the NCAL cathode as pore former. The affection of pore former ratio and its size on cell performance is investigated. Results suggest that properly increasing the porosity of the cathode is of significant importance for improving cathode performance, but additionally increasing the porosity of the anode by pore-former is not a wise choice. Besides, considering the oxidation of nickel foam at the cathode, comparative study on the application of nickel foam is carried out to understand its role. In addition, the performance of the cells over a continuous operation for hours has been studied to evaluate the effectiveness of the optimization method. This study provides reference for improving the performance of SOFC based on NCAL electrodes.

Establishment and validation of a nomogram to predict postoperative anemia after total hip arthroplasty

BackgroundAnemia is a common complication of total hip arthroplasty (THA). In this study, we evaluated the preoperative risk factors for postoperative anemia after THA and developed a nomogram model based on related preoperative and intraoperative factors.MethodsFrom January 2020 to May 2023, 927 THA patients at the same medical center were randomly assigned to either the training or validation cohort. The correlation between preoperative and intraoperative risk factors and postoperative anemia after THA was evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. A nomogram was developed using these predictive variables. The effectiveness and validation for the clinical application of this nomogram were evaluated using the concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsThrough univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, 7 independent predictive factors were identified in the training cohort: Lower body mass index (BMI), extended operation time, greater intraoperative bleeding, lower preoperative hemoglobin level, abnormally high preoperative serum amyloid A (SAA) level, history of cerebrovascular disease, and history of osteoporosis. The C-index of the model was 0.871, while the AUC indices for the training and validation cohorts were 84.4% and 87.1%, respectively. In addition, the calibration curves of both cohorts showed excellent consistency between the observed and predicted probabilities. The DCA curves of the training and validation cohorts were high, indicating the high clinical applicability of the model.ConclusionsLower BMI, extended operation time, increased intraoperative bleeding, reduced preoperative hemoglobin level, elevated preoperative SAA level, history of cerebrovascular disease, and history of osteoporosis were seven independent preoperative risk factors associated with postoperative anemia after THA. The nomogram developed could aid in predicting postoperative anemia, facilitating advanced preparation, and enhancing blood management. Furthermore, the nomogram could assist clinicians in identifying patients most at risk for postoperative anemia.

Analytical solutions for the evolution of MHD wind-driven accretion discs

ABSTRACT We present new analytical solutions for the evolution of protoplanetary discs (PPDs) where magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wind-driven processes dominate. Our study uses a 1D model which incorporates equations detailing angular momentum extraction by MHD winds and mass-loss rates. Our solutions demonstrate that the disc retains its initial state during the early phases; however, it rapidly evolves towards a self-similar state in the later stages of disc evolution. The total disc mass undergoes a continuous decline over time, with a particularly rapid reduction occurring beyond a certain critical time threshold. This gradual decrease in mass is influenced by the wind parameters and the initial surface density of the disc. In the MHD wind-dominated regime, we show that the disc’s lifespan correlates positively with the magnetic lever arm up to a certain threshold, irrespective of the initial disc size. PPDs with a larger magnetic lever arm are found to maintain significantly higher total disc mass over extended periods compared to their counterparts. The mass ejection-to-accretion ratio increases in efficient wind scenarios and is further amplified by a steeper initial surface density profile. Our analysis also reveals varied evolutionary trajectories in the plane of accretion rate and total disc mass, influenced by magnetic parameters and initial disc size. In scenarios with efficient MHD winds, discs with bigger sizes have extended operation time for mechanisms governing planet formation.

Extending the lifetime of vanadium redox flow batteries by reactivation of carbon electrode materials.

The degradation and aging of carbon felt electrodes is a main reason for the performance loss of Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries over extended operation time. In this study, the chemical mechanisms for carbon electrode degradation are investigated and distinct differences in the degradation mechanisms on positive and negative electrodes have been revealed. A combination of surface analysis techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was applied for this purpose. In addition to understanding the chemical and physical alterations of the aged electrodes, a thermal method for reactivating aged electrodes was developed. The reactivation process was successfully applied on artificially aged electrodes as well as on electrodes from a real-world industrial vanadium redox flow battery system. The aforementioned analysis methods provided insight and understanding into the chemical mechanisms of the reactivation procedure. By applying the reactivation method, the lifetime of vanadium redox flow batteries can be significantly extended.

The Efficient Energy Collection of an Autoregulatory Driving Arm Harvester in a Breeze Environment.

Breezes are a common source of renewable energy in the natural world. However, effectively harnessing breeze energy is challenging with conventional wind generators. These generators have a relatively high start-up wind speed requirement due to their large and steady rotational inertia. This study puts forth the idea of an autoregulatory driving arm (ADA), utilizing a stretchable arm for every wind cup and an elastic thread to provide adjustable rotational inertia and a low start-up speed. The self-adjustable rotational inertia of the harvester is achieved through coordinated interaction between the centrifugal and elastic forces. As the wind speed varies, the arm length of the wind cup automatically adjusts, thereby altering the rotational inertia of the harvester. This self-adjustment mechanism allows the harvester to optimize its performance and adapt to different wind conditions. By implementing the suggested ADA harvester, a low start-up speed of 1 m/s is achieved due to the small rotational inertia in its idle state. With the escalation of wind speed, the amplified centrifugal force leads to the elongation of the driving arms. When compared to a comparable harvester with a constant driving arm (CDA), the ADA harvester can generate more power thanks to this stretching effect. Additionally, the ADA harvester can operate for a longer time than the CDA harvester even after the wind has stopped. This extended operation time enables the ADA harvester to serve as a renewable power source for sensors and other devices in natural breeze environments. By efficiently utilizing and storing energy, the ADA harvester ensures a continuous and reliable power supply in such settings.

Estimating ammonium changes in pilot and full-scale constructed wetlands using kinetic model, linear regression, and machine learning

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are a widely utilized nature-based wastewater treatment method for various effluents. However, their application has been more focused on pilot and full-scale CWs with substantial surface areas and extended operation times, which hold greater relevance in practical scenarios. This study used kinetics, linear regression (LR), and machine learning (ML) models to estimate effluent ammonium in pilot and full-scale CWs. From screening 1476 papers, 24 pilot and full-scale CW studies were selected to extract data containing 15 features and 975 data points. Nine models were fit to this data, revealing that linear models were less effective in capturing CW effluent compared to nonlinear ML algorithms. For training data, the Monod kinetic model predicted the poorest performance with an RMSE of 41.84 mg/L and R2 of 0.34, followed by simple LR (RMSE 24.29 mg/L and R2 0.77) and multiple LR (RMSE 22.63 mg/L and R2 0.80). In contrast, Cubist and Random Forest achieved high performances, with an average RMSE of 12.01 ± 5.38 and an average R2 of 0.93 ± 0.07 for Cubist, and an average RMSE of 15.94 ± 10.69 and an average R2 of 0.91 ± 0.08 for RF. The trained Random Forest performed the best for new data, with an R2 of 0.93 and RMSE of 13.48 mg/L. This ML-based model is a valuable tool for efficiently estimating effluent ammonium concentration in pilot and full-scale CWs, thereby facilitating the design of systems.

The Degree of Hydronephrosis as an Indicator of the Necessity for Ureteric Dilatation during Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy.

During rigid ureteroscopic lithotripsy, it is often encountered that the ureter is difficult to access. Attempts to advance the ureteroscope make the surgery more difficult. This study evaluated the preoperative predictive factors associated with difficult ureteral access (difficult ureter (DU)) during URS and assessed if clinical outcomes differed according to the degree of DU. This study identified 217 patients who underwent rigid ureteroscopic (URS) lithotripsy for the management of ureter stones between June 2017 and July 2021 in a tertiary hospital in Korea. In this group, preoperative factors were identified using univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses that could predict the degree of DU. Additionally, we also evaluated differences in treatment outcomes depending on the degree of DU. In 50 URS cases (22.0%), ureteral access using a ureteroscope was difficult. In the univariate and multivariate analyses, the degree of hydronephrosis was associated with the degree of DU. Treatment outcomes, extended operation times, low stone-free rate, postoperative pain, and secondary treatment were also significantly associated with the degree of DU. Clinicians can counsel patients with a lesser degree of hydronephrosis and approach their management accordingly.

Correlation Analysis Between Demographic, Surgical, and Pathological Characteristics with Local Recurrence-Free Survival for Surgical Resected Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma.

As the leading cause of mortality for retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RPLS) cases, postoperative recurrence has complicated and unclear risk factors. This study was conducted to explore the correlations between demographic, surgical, and pathological characteristics with local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) for surgical resected RPLS. RPLS cases that underwent radical operation were considered to be included in this analysis. LRFS rates were estimated based on the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared between groups by the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard regression models were constructed to identified the predictors of LRFS. Subsequently, the independent predictors acquired from multivariate analyses were used to construct a nomogram. 348 RPLS cases who underwent radical operation were included. Of the 348 cases, 333 had tumor recurrence or with a follow-up period ≥5years. Thus, 296 (88.9%) of the 333 cases had recurrent disease, and the median LRFS duration of 296 recurrence cases was 17.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 13.2-20.8)months. Multivariate analysis identified the preoperative neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), surgical frequency, operative time, tumor shape, histological subtype, and tumor necrosis as independent predictors of LRFS. Based on above independent predictors, a nomogram was constructed to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year LRFS of surgical resected RPLS. Elevated preoperative NLR, ≥2nd time surgical frequency, extended operation time, irregular tumor shape, no well-differentiated histological subtype, and tumor necrosis could be used as predictors of LRFS for surgical resected RPLS.

Intra-articular administration of adrenaline plus an irrigation pump system for visibility during the arthroscopic reconstruction of multiple knee ligaments without a tourniquet.

Multiple ligament knee injuries (MLKIs) are rare but severe systemic trauma. Single surgery in the acute setting is preferred, although with an extended operation time. To avoid the complications associated with a tourniquet, we herein describe a method for visibility without a tourniquet: intra-articular administration of adrenaline plus an irrigation pump system. This is a cohort study with a level of evidence of 3. From April 2020 to February 2022, 19 patients with MLKIs were reviewed retrospectively. All patients got intra-articular administration of adrenaline plus an irrigation pump system for visibility without a tourniquet. The following parameters were assessed: visibility, range of motion, knee stability, visual analog scale (VAS) score, range of motion (ROM), Lysholm score, Tegner activity level, and International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC). All patients were followed up for at least 6 months. At the latest follow-up, the mean VAS score, ROM, Lysholm score, and IKDC were 1.79 ± 0.86, 121.21 ± 10.96, 88.16 ± 5.21, and 88.53 ± 5.06, respectively. The average Tegner activity level decreased significantly from preinjury to postoperation (5.16 ± 0.83 vs. 3.11 ± 0.88, P < 0.001). Of the 19 patients, 17 (89.47%) had good knee function, while only two patients (10.53%) had asymptomatic knees with positive Lachman tests. A total of 17 patients (89.47%) had good or excellent visualization during arthroscopy. Of the 19 patients, three (15.79%) required an increased fluid pressure to achieve a clear operative view. Two patients converted to tourniquet inflation due to persistent intra-articular bleeding after using shavers. The intra-articular administration of adrenaline plus an irrigation pump system is recommended as an alternative to a tourniquet to achieve a good visual field. Further evidence-based work with a larger sample is needed.

Location of fog nodes mounted on fixed-wing UAVs

Fog computing complements cloud computing by enabling a broad range of latency-sensitive applications. To make it feasible, fog nodes with processing capabilities are located in different regions to cope with variable demands in time and space. The fog nodes are usually fixed terrestrial infrastructures providing reliability and easy management; however, these nodes cannot cope with the heavy processing demands even for a limited time in a specific area. To help circumvent these limitations, the fog nodes can be mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can be promptly dispatched to cope with a peak of demands. Previous work investigated the use of rotary-wing UAVs as fog nodes. This paper formulates the fog node location problem considering fixed-wing UAVs. Such UAVs have an extended operation time, making them great assets for the improvement of service delivered to end-users. This paper models the location problem as an integer linear programming formulation and presents the Spatio-Temporal UAV Fog Node Location algorithm to solve the problem considering several requests, locations, and UAVs. The results obtained in an evaluation with actual data of mobile users has shown that fixed-wing UAVs could indeed be efficiently located to deal with the posed demands.

Macromol. React. Eng. 1/2023

Macromolecular Reaction EngineeringVolume 17, Issue 1 2370001 Cover PictureFree Access Macromol. React. Eng. 1/2023 First published: 17 February 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/mren.202370001AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Graphical Abstract Front Cover: Microreactor parts made of stainless steel are modified by a chemically inert ultra-thin sol-gel film which combines ultra-low surface energy with a smoothening of the surface by preferential coating accumulation in surface rifts. The applied films lead to a significant inhibition of polymer deposit formation as well as to an extended operating time of microreactors employed during aqueous polymerization of poly(vinylpyrrolidone). This is reported by Guido Grundmeier and co-workers in article number 2200043. Volume17, Issue1February 20232370001 RelatedInformation

Osmotic Microbial Fuel Cell for Groundwater Softening, Defluoridation, Salinity Reduction, and Energy Production

Despite being the major source of freshwater, groundwater is contaminated with hardness, fluorides, salinity, and so on, and hence, its application for domestic/industrial purposes is severely limited. Existing remediation technologies demand both chemical and energy inputs. Therefore, in this study, an osmotic microbial fuel cell (OsMFC) was developed as an energy-positive and chemical-free technology to achieve simultaneous groundwater softening, defluoridation, salinity reduction, and bioelectricity production. High-quality water was extracted from wastewater in the OsMFC and was applied to reduce groundwater contaminants by dilution. The effects of feed/draw solution (FS/DS) ratio, membrane area, reactor volume, and time on water flux, energy production, and reduction efficiencies of Na+, Cl−, total hardness (TH), and F− were studied. The increase in FS/DS ratio and membrane area resulted in considerable improvement in the water flux, energy production, and contaminant reduction. However, an increase in the reactor volume had little effect on the overall performance. A maximum water flux of 9.81 litres per square meter per hour [LMH (L/m2/h)] with reduction efficiencies of 75.81%, 76.27%, 72.22%, and 65.76% for Na+, Cl−, TH, and F−, respectively, were obtained with an extended operating time of 168 h. Maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 86.6% and current density of 0.34 mA/m3 were achieved simultaneously. The study demonstrated a sustainable approach of extracting high-quality water from wastewater and its application in groundwater remediation along with energy production.

Enhanced stability and tunable photoluminescence in Mn2+-doped one-dimensional hybrid lead halide perovskites for high-performance white light emitting diodes.

Organic-inorganic hybrid low-dimensional lead halides have garnered significant interest in the realm of solid-state optical materials due to their unique properties and potential applications. In this study, we report the synthesis, characterization and application of Mn2+-doped one-dimensional (1D) [AEP]PbCl5·H2O hybrid lead halide perovskites with tunable photoluminescence properties. The Mn2+ doping leads to a redshift of the dominant emission wavelength from 463 nm to 630 nm, with the optimal doping concentration resulting in an enhanced photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) from less than 1% to 8.96%. The structural and optical stability of these doped perovskites have been thoroughly investigated revealing excellent performance under humid and high-temperature conditions. Perovskite-PVP composite films exhibit high crystallization and bright orange-red emission under UV excitation. Furthermore, we demonstrate the successful fabrication of a white LED device using the Mn2+-doped perovskite in combination with commercial green and blue phosphors. The fabricated LED exhibits a high color rendering index (CRI) of 87.2 and stable electroluminescence performance under various operating currents and extended operation times. Our findings highlight the potential of Mn2+-doped 1D hybrid lead halide perovskites as efficient and stable phosphors for high-performance white light emitting diodes and other optoelectronic applications.

Characterisation of direct ammonia proton conducting tubular ceramic fuel cells for maritime applications

A tubular cell with a BCZYZ electrolyte was fabricated by the extrusion and dip coating. The cell was tested for an extended operation time of 170 h in pure ammonia fuel, showing exceptional stability and potential for direct ammonia fuel cell.

Surgical Outcomes for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Child–Pugh Class B: a Retrospective Multicenter Study

BackgroundsLiver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with Child–Pugh class (CPC) B increases the incidence of postoperative complication and in-hospital death and decreases the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with those with CPC A. Conversely, some selected patients possibly gained benefits for liver resection. MethodsClinical records of 114 patients with CPC B who underwent liver resection for HCC were retrospectively reviewed. The risk of postoperative complications (Clavien–Dindo classification grade of ≥ II), postoperative recurrence, and death was analyzed. ResultsPostoperative complications occurred in 36 patients (31.6%), and 2 died within 90 days postoperatively due to the liver and respiratory failure, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that albumin-bilirubin (ALB) grade III and extended operation time were found as independent risk factors for postoperative complications. The DFS and OS rates at 3/5 years after liver resection were 30.8%/25.3% and 68.4%/48.9%, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that the extended blood loss, high α-fetoprotein (AFP) level (≥ 200 ng/mL), and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C were found to be independent risk factors for postoperative recurrence. The high AFP level was also an independent prognostic factor for OS. Patients with high AFP levels had postoperative recurrence within 2 years and a higher number of extrahepatic recurrences than those with low AFP levels (< 200 ng/mL). ConclusionFor patients with HCC with CPC B who were scheduled for liver resection, ALBI grade III and high AFP level should be considered as unfavorable outcomes after liver resection.