Activating Commercial Nickel Foam to a Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction through a Three-Step Surface Reconstruction.

It is highly desired to directly use commercial nickel foam (CNF) as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) via simple surface reconstruction. In our research, a simple three-step preactivation process was proposed to reconstruct CNF as an efficient OER catalyst, including calcination, high-voltage treatment, and immersing in electrolyte. The optimal CNF after three-step activation reaches an excellent OER performance of 228 and 267 mV at η10 and η100 in alkaline media and can tolerate long-term tests under a large current density of 500 mA·cm-2. The promotion of each step was explored. The calcination step leads to a reconstructive surficial morphology with an enlarged active surface, providing a prerequisite for the following construction steps. The high-voltage treatment changes the valence of surface Ni species, generating phases with higher catalytic activity, and the immersing process introduces Fe heteroatoms into the surface of CNF, boosting the catalytic performance of CNF through Ni-Fe interactions. This research provides a simple method of making high-performance catalysts with accessible nickel foam, a potential for large-scale application in practical industry, and new thinking for the manipulation of Ni-based catalysts.

Three-Way Laryngeal Mask Reduces Anesthesia-Related Stress Responses in Bronchoalveolar Lavage: An Experimental Canine Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the ventilatory effects of the three-way laryngeal mask airway (TLMA) and tracheal tube (TT) on hemodynamics, respiratory function, and stress responses in a canine model during bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The 303rd Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in May 2013. METHODOLOGY: Sixteen dogs were divided into two groups. MAP, SpO2 and HR were recorded before anesthesia (T0), immediately before intubation (T1), during intubation (T2), at 3 (T3) and 10 (T4) minutes after mechanical ventilation, at 10 (T5), 20 (T6), and 30 (T7) minutes during the course of BAL, during extubation (T8), and 3 minutes after extubation (T9). Tidal volume, peak inspiratory airway pressure, and expiratory CO2 pressure were recorded at time points T2, T5, T6, T7, and T8. Stress responses variables, including epinephrine and norepinephrine levels, were examined at time points T0, T2, T3, T5, T8, and T9. RESULTS: BAL was successfully completed in all animals. In comparison to the TT, the TLMA was capable of maintaining hemodynamic stability and ventilation (p < 0.05), and producing less stress responses (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In a canine model, ventilation with the TLMA was better than the TT during BAL in terms of maintaining effective ventilation and stable hemodynamics, and producing less stress responses.

[Efficacy of diacetyl hexamethylene diamine in treatment of patients with high risk myelodysplastic syndrome].

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of diacetyl hexamethylene diamine (CAHB) for patients with high risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and to explore the effect of CAHB on HL-60 cells in vitro and its possible mechanism. 8 patients with high risk MDS were treated with CAHB by continuous intravenous infusion for 10 days, and repeated once after an interval of 28 days. The count of the granulo- and mono-blasts in bone marrow (BM) aspirate was measured before and after treatment. HL-60 cells were treated with different concentrations of CAHB for 72 hours in vitro. The inhibitory effect of CAHB on proliferation of HL-60 cells in vitro was measured by MTT assay. Differentiation of HL-60 cells was detected by the changes of CD11b and CD14 expression on cell surface. Apoptosis of HL-60 cells was detected by double staining of Annexin V and PI. The cell cycle distribution change of HL-60 cells was analyzed by flow-cytometry. The results indicated that the granulo- and mono-blasts in BM decreased in all the 8 patients after CAHB treatment. The main side effect of CAHB on hematological system was thrombocytopenia. After being treated with 1, 2, 3, 4 mmol/L CAHB for 72 hours in vitro, the result of MTT assay showed the inhibitory effect of CAHB on the proliferation of HL-60 cells in dose-dependent manner. After being treated manner 1, 2, 3, 4 mmol/L CAHB for 72 hours, the CD11b positive HL-60 cells were 22.39+/-3.97%, 33.12+/-4.46%, 49.25+/-5.27%, 78.05+/-5.66%, respectively, which were significantly different from the control group (CD11b positive HL-60 cells was 5.89+/-2.94%) (p<0.01). The CD14 expression was negative in all the 5 groups. These results suggested that CAHB could induce HL-60 cells to differentiate into mature granulocytes, and the effect of CAHB appeared in dose-dependent manner. After being treated for 72 hours by 1, 2, 3, 4 mmol/L CAHB, the apoptotic cells (Annexin V(+)/PI(-) cells) increased mildly, which suggested that CAHB only weakly induces HL-60 cells to apoptosis at the concentration of 1 to 4 mmol/L. Along with the concentration increase of CAHB, the ratio of cells in G(0)/G(1) phase increased, and ratio of cells in S phase and G(2)/M phase decreased correspondingly, it indicated that CAHB could arrest HL-60 cells in G(0)/G(1) phase in a dose-dependent manner. It is concluded that induction of cell differentiation may be the primary effect of CAHB on MDS. Cell cycle arrest may be essential to the effect of CAHB as well. Side effect of CAHB on platelet count may correlated with its inhibitory effect on hematopoiesis.