Stabilizing Lithium Metal Batteries by Synergistic Effect of High Ionic Transfer Separator and Lithium-Boron Composite Material Anode.

The development of lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs) has been limited by problems, such as severe dendrite growth, drastic interfacial reactions, and large volume change. Herein, an LMB (8AP@LiB) combining agraphene oxide-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) functionalized polypropylene separator (8AP) with a lithium-boron (LiB) anode is designed to overcome these problems. Raman results demonstrate that the PEO chain on 8AP can influence the Li+ solvation structure in the electrolyte, resulting in Li+ homogeneous diffusion and Li+ deposition barrier reduction. 8AP exhibits good ionic conductivity (4.9 × 10-4 S cm-1), a high Li+ migration number (0.88), and a significant electrolyte uptake (293%). The 3D LiB skeleton can significantly reduce the anode volume changes and local current density during the charging/discharging process. Therefore, 8AP@LiB effectively regulates the Li+ flux and promotes the uniform Li deposition without dendrites. The Li||Li symmetrical cells of 8AP@LiB exhibit a high electrochemical stability of up to 1000 h at 1 mA cm-2 and 5 mAh cm-2. Importantly, the Li||LiFePO4 full cells of 8AP@LiB achieve an impressive 2000 cycles at 2C, while maintaining a high-capacity retention of 86%. The synergistic effect of the functionalized separator and LiB anode might provide a direction for the development of high-performance LMBs.

3D Patternable Supercapacitors from Hierarchically Architected Porous Fiber Composites for Wearable and Waterproof Energy Storage.

High-performance wearable supercapactors (SCs) are gaining prominence as portable energy storage devices. To further enhance both energy and power density, the significant relationship between structure and performance inspires a delicate design of 3D patternable supercapacitors with a hierarchical architecture of porous conductive fibers composited with pseudocapacitive materials. In this work, the polypyrrole nanowires arrays decorated 3D graphite felt fiber assembly is initially fabricated as the conductive scaffold, followed by the distribution of the highly conductive and pseudocapacitive NiCoSe2 nanoparticles. Moreover, to realize the goal of standardized batch and pattern processing of the wearable SCs, laser engraving and silicone sealing techniques are employed, and SC devices with different patterns are successfully fabricated and encapsulated. Notably, the resulting SCs exhibit both stable electrochemical performance and effective waterproof properties, with the highest specific capacitance of 5.21 F cm-3 (113.36 F g-1 ) at the current density of 0.025 A cm-3 (0.5 F g-1 ), and the highest energy density of 1.09 mWh cm-3 (22.14 Wh kg-1 ) at a power density of 16.5 mW cm-3 (358.7 W kg-1 ).

[Application of cavernosum reduction technology in glanuloplasty during repair of moderate-severe hypospadias].

Objective: To investigate the application of cavernosum reduction technology in glanuloplasty during the repair of moderate-severe hypospadias and evaluate the effectiveness. Methods: The clinical data of 192 patients with moderate-severe hypospadias between November 2015 and May 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 103 patients were treated with the cavernosum reduction technology in glanuloplasty during the repair (observation group), 88 patients were treated with repair and glanuloplasty without the cavernosum reduction technology (control group). There was no significant difference in maximum transverse diameter of glans and the height of glans between 2 groups ( t=1.652, P=0.152; t=1.653, P=0.077). The length of reconstructed urethra, complications (e.g. glans dehiscence and fistula), and the maximum flow rate at 3 months after operation in 2 groups were recorded. Results: The length of reconstructed urethra were (35.51±7.79) mm in observation group and (32.17±6.37) mm in control group. In observation group, the meatus location after the correction of chordee was proximal in 24 cases and scrotum-perineum in 79 cases. In control group, the meatus location after the correction of chordee was proximal in 21 cases and scrotum-perineum in 67 cases. There was no significant difference in the meatus location between 2 groups ( χ2=0.008， P=0.920). All patients were followed up 6-12 months after operation (mean, 9 months). There were 3 cases of urethral fistula, 2 cases of glans dehiscence, and 3 cases of urethral orifice stricture in observation group, with the incidence of complications of 7.8%. There were 7 cases of urethral fistula, 3 cases of glans dehiscence, and 4 cases of urethral orifice stricture in control group, with the incidence of complications of 15.9%. There was a significant difference in the incidence of complications between 2 groups ( χ2=4.027, P=0.040). The appearance of the penis was satisfactory, and the urethral orifice was fissured, which was close to the appearance of the normal urethral orifice. At 3 months after operation, the maximal flow rates were (6.23 ± 0.54) mL/s in observation group and (5.44±0.92) mL/s in control group. There was significant difference in the maximum flow rate between 2 groups ( t=1.653, P=0.000). Conclusion: Cavernosum reduction technology being applied in the repair of moderate-severe hypospadias can reduce the probability of glans dehiscence, urethral fistula, urethrostenosis, and other postoperative complications, and improve the success and satisfaction of surgery.

Design of Novel Wearable, Stretchable, and Waterproof Cable-Type Supercapacitors Based on High-Performance Nickel Cobalt Sulfide-Coated Etching-Annealed Yarn Electrodes.

Rapid advances in functional electronics bring tremendous demands on innovation toward effective designs of device structures. Yarn supercapacitors (SCs) show advantages of flexibility, knittability, and small size, and can be integrated into various electronic devices with low cost and high efficiency for energy storage. In this work, functionalized stainless steel yarns are developed to support active materials of positive and negative electrodes, which not only enhance capacitance of both electrodes but can also be designed into stretchable configurations. The as-made asymmetric yarn SCs show a high energy density of 0.0487 mWh cm-2 (10.19 mWh cm-3 ) at a power density of 0.553 mW cm-2 (129.1 mW cm-3 ) and a specific capacitance of 127.2 mF cm-2 under an operating voltage window of 1.7 V. The fabricated SC is then made into a stretchable configuration by a prestraining-then-releasing approach using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) tube, and its electrochemical performance can be well maintained when stretching up to a high strain of 100%. Moreover, the stretchable cable-type SCs are stably workable under water-immersed condition. The method opens up new ways for fabricating flexible, stretchable, and waterproof devices.

[Evaluation of urogenital sinus surgery in disorder of sex development].

Objective: To explore the indication and effectiveness of urogenital sinus surgery in feminizing genitoplasty of disorder of sex development (DSD). Methods: A retrospective analysis was made on clinical data from 22 patients with DSD who underwent one stage feminizing genitoplasty between October 2010 and December 2015. The patients' age ranged from 1 year and 2 months to 21 years, with the median age of 2 years and 1 month. According to the Prader classification criteria, the appearance of vulvas were rated as grade Ⅰ in 7 cases, grade Ⅱ in 6 cases, grade Ⅲ in 8 cases, and grade Ⅳ in 1 case. Cystoscopy was applied before feminizing genitoplasty in all patients. Low confluence of vagina and urethra was found in 19 patients, while high confluence was found in 3 patients. The mean length of urogenital sinus was 1.6 cm (range, 0.5-3.0 cm). The mean length of water-filled vagina was 4.4 cm (range, 3.5-5.5 cm). Cervix was detected at the end of vagina in 16 patients, meanwhile absence of cervix was detected in 6 patients. The same procedures of clitoroplasty and labioplasty were used in all patients. Three procedures of urogenital sinus surgery were applied, as the "cut-back" vaginoplasty in 6 patients, the "flap" vaginoplasty in 11 patients, and the partial urogenital sinus mobilization (PUM) in 5 patients. Results: All procedures were completed successfully and the incisions healed by stage Ⅰ. All patients were followed up 12-74 months, with the average of 30.5 months. The outcome of appearance evaluation was excellent in 13 patients (59.1%), good in 6 patients (27.3%), and poor in 3 patients (13.6%). Urinary incontinence, post-void residual, urinary infection, and urethrovaginal fistula were not found in 17 toilet trained patients. Conclusion: Urogenital sinus surgery is the most critical step in feminizing genitoplasty of DSD. It can be finished in one stage procedure with clitoroplasty and labioplasty before puberty. If thoroughly evaluation before surgery is completed and the principle of different procedures is handled, the outcome will be satisfactory.

Acetylated starch nanocrystals: Preparation and antitumor drug delivery study.

In this study, we developed a new nanoparticulate system for acetylated starch nanocrystals (ASN) using broken rice. ASN with different degrees of substitution (DS) of 0.04, 0.08 and 0.14 were prepared using acetic anhydride as acetylating agent through reaction with starch nanocrystals (SN). The resulting ASN were investigated for the capability to load and release doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), and the antitumor activities of DOX-loaded SN and DOX-loaded ASN were evaluated as potential drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. Cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of nanocrystals and the DOX-loaded nanocrystals were investigated using fluorescence microscopy and a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay. Compared with acetylated starches (AS) and native starches (NS), ASN with DS 0.14 loaded up to 6.07% of DOX with a higher loading efficiency of 91.1% and had steadier drug-release rates. Toxicity analysis using the rat hepatocytes model suggested that ASN was biocompatible and could be used for drug delivery. Furthermore, ASN were taken up by cancer cells in vitro and significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of DOX against HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells. The IC50 value of DOX-loaded ASN-DS 0.14 was 3.8µg/mL for 24h of treatment, which was significantly lower than that of free DOX (21µg/mL). These results indicate that the prepared ASN using broken rice is a promising vehicle for the controlled delivery of DOX for cancer therapy.

[Duckett URETHROPLASTY-URETHROTOMY FOR STAGED HYPOSPADIAS REPAIR].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the surgical outcome of Duckett urethroplasty-urethrotomy for staged hypospadias repair. METHODS: Fifty-three patients with hypospadias were treated by 2 stages between August 2013 and September 2014. The age ranged from 10 months to 24 years and 3 months (median, 1 year and 10 months). There were 5 cases of proximal penile type, 2 cases of penoscrotal type, 36 cases of scrotal type, and 10 cases of perineal type. Urethroplasty was performed with tubed transverse preputial island flap only in 27 cases or combined with urethral plate in the other 26 cases, thus a urethrocutaneous fistula was intentionally created; stage II fistula repair was carried out at 1 year after stage I repair. RESULTS: The length of the new urethra ranged from 2 to 8 cm with an average of 3.6 cm. The patients were followed up 5-17 months with an average of 8 months after stage II repair. After stage I repair, urethral fistula was noted at other site in 3 cases, skin necrosis in 1 case, glandular stricture in 2 cases, cicatric curvature in 1 case, and position and morphology of urethral orifice not ideal in 4 cases. After stage II repair, urethral fistula was noted in 2 cases, mild urethral diverticulum in 2 cases, and stricture at temporary repair site in 1 case. HOSE score was 12-16 at 3 months after stage II repair (mean, 14.5). At 3-14 months after stage II repair, the maximum flow rate ranged from 3.9 to 22.7 mL/s with an average of 8.6 mL/s. CONCLUSIONS: Duckett urethroplasty-urethrotomy can be used as staged repair for primary treatment of hypospadias because of high safety, low complication incidence, and satisfactory appearance.

[Short-term effectiveness of hypospadias repair with free inner prepuce tube].

OBJECTIVE: ?To explore the short-term effectiveness of hypospadias repairs with free inner prepuce tube. METHODS: ?Forty-two males with hypospadias were repaired with free inner prepuce tube between May and October 2015. The age ranged from 1 year and 1 month to 28 years and 2 months with a median of 2 years and 9 months. Initial operation for hypospadias was performed in 41 cases and re-operation in 1 case of chordee after 16 months of hypospadias repair. There were 36 cases of hypospadias ( 6 cases of proximal penile type, 1 case of penile scrotal type, 26 cases of scrotal type, and 3 cases of perineal type) and 6 cases of type Ⅳ chordee according to Donnahoo classification criteria. RESULTS: ?The length of reconstructed urethra was 2.0-5.5 cm (mean, 3.6 cm). The patients were followed up 6-10 months (mean, 8 months). Urinary fistulae was noted in 10 patients, which healed spontaneously in 5 cases within 3 months after surgery, and was cured after repair in 5 cases. Urethral stenosis occurred in 4 cases (2 external orifice stricture and 2 distal urethral stricture) and urethral incision was performed. Wound infection was noted in 3 cases, 2 of them needed further surgery for a permanent fistula. Skin ischemic necrosis was found in 3 cases, 1 of them had infection and fistula, and needed further surgical repair. Diverticulum of scrotum developed in 1 case. Ten patients need re-operation, and the success rate was 76.2% (32/42). At 3 months after surgery, the HOSE score ranged from 11 to 16 (mean, 14.7). The maximum urinary flow rate was 1.9-28.4 mL/s (mean, 10.5 mL/s) in 22 cases of outpatient at 3 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: ?Free inner prepuce tube can survive and play a role of normal neourethra. The short-term effectiveness has shown a relatively high complication rate and suggests this procedure should be carefully applied.

Gas sensing of SnO2 nanocrystals revisited: developing ultra-sensitive sensors for detecting the H2S leakage of biogas.

As a typical mode of energy from waste, biogas technology is of great interest to researchers. To detect the trace H2S released from biogas, we herein demonstrate a high-performance sensor based on highly H2S-sensitive SnO2 nanocrystals, which have been selectively prepared by solvothermal methods using benzimidazole as a mineralization agent. The sensitivity of as-obtained SnO2 sensor towards 5 ppm H2S can reach up to 357. Such a technique based on SnO2 nanocrystals opens up a promising avenue for future practical applications in real-time monitoring a trace of H2S from the leakage of biogas.

High-performance supercapacitor and lithium-ion battery based on 3D hierarchical NH4F-induced nickel cobaltate nanosheet-nanowire cluster arrays as self-supported electrodes.

A facile hydrothermal method is developed for large-scale production of three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous nickel cobaltate nanowire cluster arrays derived from nanosheet arrays with robust adhesion on Ni foam. Based on the morphology evolution upon reaction time, a possible formation process is proposed. The role of NH4F in formation of the structure has also been investigated based on different NH4F amounts. This unique structure significantly enhances the electroactive surface areas of the NiCo2O4 arrays, leading to better interfacial/chemical distributions at the nanoscale, fast ion and electron transfer and good strain accommodation. Thus, when it is used for supercapacitor testing, a specific capacitance of 1069 F g(-1) at a very high current density of 100 A g(-1) was obtained. Even after more than 10,000 cycles at various large current densities, a capacitance of 2000 F g(-1) at 10 A g(-1) with 93.8% retention can be achieved. It also exhibits a high-power density (26.1 kW kg(-1)) at a discharge current density of 80 A g(-1). When used as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), it presents a high reversible capacity of 976 mA h g(-1) at a rate of 200 mA g(-1) with good cycling stability and rate capability. This array material is rarely used as an anode material. Our results show that this unique 3D hierarchical porous nickel cobaltite is promising for electrochemical energy applications.

α-Fe2O3 nanochains: ammonium acetate-based ionothermal synthesis and ultrasensitive sensors for low-ppm-level H2S gas.

α-Fe(2)O(3) nanochains have been successfully synthesized via an ammonium acetate-based ionothermal synthetic route. When detecting low-ppm-level H(2)S gas, the nanochain sensor displayes high sensitivity due to its unique structure and smaller size.

An evolution from 3D face-centered-cubic ZnSnO3 nanocubes to 2D orthorhombic ZnSnO3 nanosheets with excellent gas sensing performance.

We have successfully observed the development of three-dimensional (3D) face-centered-cubic ZnSnO(3) into two-dimensional (2D) orthorhombic ZnSnO(3) nanosheets, which is the first observation of 2D ZnSnO(3) nanostructures to date. The synthesis from 3D to 2D nanostructures is realized by the dual-hydrolysis-assisted liquid precipitation reaction and subsequent hydrothermal treatment. The time-dependent morphology indicates the transformation via a 'dissolution-recrystallization' mechanism, accompanied by a 'further growth' process. Furthermore, the 2D ZnSnO(3) nanosheets consist of smaller sized nanoflakes. This further increases the special specific surface area and facilitates their application in gas sensing. The 2D ZnSnO(3) nanosheets exhibit excellent gas sensing properties, especially through their ultra-fast response and recovery. When exposed to ethanol and acetone, the response rate is as fast as 0.26 s and 0.18 s, respectively, and the concentration limit can reach as low as 50 ppb of ethanol. All these results are much better than those reported so far. Our experimental results indicate an efficient approach to realize high-performance gas sensors.