Multicomponent nickel-molybdenum-tungsten-based nanorods for stable and efficient alkaline seawater splitting.

The electrolysis of seawater for hydrogen production holds promise as a sustainable technology for energy generation. Developing water-splitting catalysts with low overpotential and stable operation in seawater is essential. In this study, we employed a hydrothermal method to synthesize NiMoWOX microrods (NiMoWOX@NF). Subsequently, an annealing process yielded a composite N-doped carbon-coated Ni3N/MoO2/WO2 nanorods (NC@Ni3N/MoO2/WO2@NF), preserving the ultrahigh-specific surface area of the original structure. A two-electrode electrolytic cell was assembled using NC@Ni3N/MoO2/WO2@NF as the cathode and NiMoWOX@NF as the anode, demonstrating exceptional performance in seawater splitting. The cell operated at a voltage of 1.51 V with a current density of 100 mA·cm-2 in an alkaline seawater solution. Furthermore, the NC@Ni3N/MoO2/WO2@NF || NiMoWOX@NF electrolytic cell exhibited remarkable stability, running continuously for over 120 h at a current of 1100 mA·cm-2 without any observable delay. These experimental results are corroborated by density functional theory calculations. The NC@Ni3N/MoO2/WO2@NF || NiMoWOX@NF electrolyzer emerges as a promising option for industrial-scale hydrogen production through seawater electrolysis.

Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) on Postoperative Recovery in Patients with Gastric Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is an innovative choice for postoperative pain management. However, the safety and effectiveness of this traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy for patients who underwent gastrectomy is largely unknown. So, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of TEAS for patients who underwent gastrectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We recruited 96 patients with gastric cancer from May 2019 to November 2019; 82 patients were enrolled, and 81 patients completed. Patients were randomly assigned to TEAS group (TG) received TEAS on postoperative day (POD) 1-3 or control group (CG) at a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcomes were pain score and consumption of analgesics. The secondary were the time of first postoperative flatus and defecation, frequency of postoperative nausea, vomiting, distention, diarrhea, comfort of semi-fluid diet, Clavien-Dindo grade (C-D grade) and length of postoperative day. We performed hematological analysis to explore the possible mechanisms. RESULTS: Overall, 81 patients were enrolled included in the analysis. Compared with CG, pain scores in TG were lower on POD 1-5 (average: 2.55±0.21 vs 3.10±0.42, P<0.001), and the use rate of opioids was lower (43.9 vs 75.0, P=0.004); time of first postoperative flatus (55.63±16.74 vs 72.60±20.92, P<0.001) and defecation (72.20±16.24 vs 95.78±17.75, P<0.001) were shorter; the frequency of nausea were fewer (1.88±1.09 vs 2.58±0.77, P=0.029) and patients were more comfortable with semi-fluid diet (7.63±0.63 vs 6.93±0.69, P<0.001); among the hematologic results, ß-endorphin (ß-End), interleukin-2 (IL-2), motilin (MTL) on POD 3, POD 5 were lower, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were higher. And no adverse event was reported. CONCLUSION: TEAS can relieve postoperative pain and promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function. Consequently, it can be an adjunctive therapy to enhance postoperative recovery for patients after gastrectomy.

Parallelized fiber Michelson interferometers with advanced curvature sensitivity plus abated temperature crosstalk.

In this Letter, we proposed a super sensitive optic-fiber curvature sensor with ultra-low temperature crosstalk based on Vernier effect and achieved it experimentally. This sensor composes a pair of parallelized 2CFMIs (2-core-fiber Michelson interferometers) in similar lengths, both of which are involved sensing, but there is a rotation angle between their cross-sections. When the rotation angle approaches 180°, the magnification factor for curvature sensitivity is doubled compared with conventional Vernier effect, while for temperature it is always 1. Therefore, advanced curvature sensitivity and abated temperature crosstalk can be realized simultaneously when demodulating Vernier envelops. The experiment results indicate that the curvature sensitivity of this sensor reached 214.533nm/m-1, and temperature crosstalk was as low as 0.000276m-1/∘C. The fabrication process is extremely flexible and repeatable, and the magnification factor of Vernier effect could be controlled conveniently.

Synergistically enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction by ruthenium nanoparticles dispersed on N-doped carbon hollow nanospheres.

Ultrafine Ru nanoparticles dispersed on 3D N-doped carbon hollow nanospheres were firstly prepared by a feasible templating strategy. Due to the synergistic effect of the unique composite and structure, the resulting nanocomposite as a HER catalyst shows extraordinary electrocatalytic performance, superior to that of commercial Pt-C and most previously reported electrocatalysts.

Ruthenium Nanoparticles Anchored on Graphene Hollow Nanospheres Superior to Platinum for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Media.

The design and construction of highly efficient and stable Pt-free catalysts for the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media is extremely desirable. Herein, a novel hybrid of ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles anchored on graphene hollow nanospheres (GHSs) is synthesized by a template-assisted strategy. The combination of ultrafine Ru nanoparticles and hollow spherical support endows the resultant Ru/GHSs an extraordinary catalytic performance with a low overpotential of 24.4 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2, a small Tafel slope of 34.8 mV dec-1, as well as long-term stability in 1.0 M KOH solution, which is, to our knowledge, superior to commercial 20% Pt-C catalyst and most of the state-of-the-art HER electrocatalysts reported. Remarkably, this work provides a new route for the development of other metal-based HER electrocatalysts for energy-related applications.

IgG4-related kidney disease (IgG4-RKD) with membranous nephropathy as its initial manifestation: report of one case and literature review.

BACKGROUND: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) often affects multiple organs and tissues, especially the kidneys, and is characterized by interstitial nephritis, obstructive nephropathy, and in rare cases glomerulopathy (including membranous nephropathy). CASE PRESENTATION: In this article, we report a patient with nephrotic syndrome as the only initial manifestation. Membranous nephropathy was confirmed by renal biopsy, but without any renal interstitial lesions. The nephrotic syndrome completely resolved after treatment with immunosuppressants but recurred after drug withdrawal, which was accompanied by acute kidney injury. Ultimately, IgG4-related interstitial nephritis with membranous nephropathy was confirmed by a second renal biopsy. After routine administration of steroids and cyclophosphamide, renal function returned to normal after 2 months, and nephrotic syndrome was ameliorated after 5 months. CONCLUSION: Special attention should be paid to this rare condition in the clinical setting. In patients with membranous nephropathy (MN) that is accompanied by multi-system damage, impaired renal function, elevated IgG4 levels (absolute or relative value), negative PLA2R, and/or renal interstitial plasma cell infiltration, the possibility of IgG4-related kidney disease (IgG4-RKD) should be carefully assessed.

Confined Molybdenum Phosphide in P-Doped Porous Carbon as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution.

Highly efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) are crucial for electrochemical water splitting, where high-cost and low-abundance Pt-based materials are the benchmark catalysts for HER. Herein, we report the fabrication of MoP nanoparticles confined in P-doped porous carbon (MoP@PC) via a metal-organic framework-assisted route for the first time. Remarkably, due to the synergistic effects of MoP nanocrystals, P dopant, and porous carbon, the resulting MoP@PC composite exhibits superior HER catalytic activity with an onset overpotential of 97 mV, a Tafel slope of 59.3 mV dec-1, and good long-term durability, which compares to those of most reported MoP-based HER catalysts. Most importantly, the work opens a new route in the development of high-performance nonprecious HER electrocatalysts derived from MOFs.

Concave-lens-like long-period fiber grating bidirectional high-sensitivity bending sensor.

A novel bidirectional high-sensitivity fiber-optic bending sensor based on the concave-lens-like long-period fiber grating (CLL-LPFG) is designed and demonstrated. The CLL-LPFG is composed by an array of arc-shaped grating planes, and accordingly, its refractive index modulation serves as a concave lens. As a result, the eigencladding mode of the device gets closer to the device surface than the conventional counterpart. Therefore, the proposed sensor provides a more sensitive result. The experimental results show that the bending sensitivities of the CLL-LPFG reach -32.782 nm/m-1 within the bending range of 0-2.08 m-1, which is about sixfold compared to the reported arts. The sensitivity can be potentially improved by optimizing the grating parameters, and the temperature characteristics of the CLL-LPFG can be used to manipulate the grating spectrum.

Beneficial effects of Fu-Zheng-Qu-Zhuo oral liquid combined with standard integrated therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease (stage 3-4): A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The high worldwide prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a critical health problem and the development of more effective therapies is urgently needed. We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial from October 2010 to December 2012 to assess whether Fu-Zheng-Qu-Zhuo oral liquid (FZQZ) has a beneficial effect in preventing CKD progression when added to standard integrated therapies. METHODS: Patients with CKD stage 3 to 4 from 3 hospitals in Beijing, China were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to the FZQZ or placebo groups and were treated with standard integrated therapy plus FZQZ or placebo (20 mL each time, 3 times/d) for 12 months. Patients received post-trial follow-up until October 2014. The primary outcome was the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)-Slope (mL/min per 1.73 m2 per month) during the in-trial time, which was calculated by the eGFR regression curve estimated from each serum creatinine measurement during the in-trial period. Secondary outcomes were changes in 24-h urine protein excretion (24-h UP) and albumin and hemoglobin levels from baseline during the in-trial period. Time to composite endpoint events (initiation of long-term dialysis, doubling of serum creatinine, or CKD-related death during the in-trial and post-trial phases) was assessed as a secondary outcome. RESULTS: A total of 68 patients (43 in the FZQZ group and 25 in the placebo group) completed the in-trial and post-trial phases, with an average follow-up time of 31.6 ±â€Š9.6months. The FZQZ group had amean eGFR-Slope of 0.25 ±â€Š1.44 as compared with -0.72 ±â€Š1.46 (mL/min per 1.73m2 per month) in the placebo group during the in-trial period (P = .003). The FZQZ group showed decreased 24-h UP, with a change from baseline of -0.08 (interquartile range [IQR], -0.33 to 0.01) versus 0.01 (IQR, -0.19 to 0.33) g/24h in the placebo group (P = .049). Decreased risk of composite endpoint events was observed only in the post-trial phase (hazard ratio = 0.42, 95% confidence interval: 0.16-1.11, P = .038). No significant differences in albumin and hemoglobin level changes were observed. CONCLUSION: Adding FZQZ oral liquid to standard integrated therapies may aid in attenuating CKD progression.