OSDA-Free Seeded Cu-Containing ZSM-5 Applied for NH3-SCR-DeNOx.

A series of ZSM-5 zeolite materials were synthesized from organic structure-directing agent (OSDA)-free seeded systems, including nanosized silicalite-1 (12 wt % water suspension or in powder form) or nanosized ZSM-5 (powder form of ZSM-5 prepared at 100 or 170 °C). The physicochemical characterization revealed aggregated species in the samples based on silicalite-1. Contrarily, the catalysts based on ZSM-5 seeds revealed isolated copper species, and thus, higher NO conversion during the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR-DeNOx) was observed. Furthermore, a comparison of the Cu-containing ZSM-5 catalysts, conventionally prepared in the presence of OSDAs and prepared with an environmentally more benign approach (without OSDAs), revealed their comparable activity in NH3-SCR-DeNOx.

Degradation behavior of ZE21C magnesium alloy suture anchors and their effect on ligament-bone junction repair.

Current materials comprising suture anchors used to reconstruct ligament-bone junctions still have limitation in biocompatibility, degradability or mechanical properties. Magnesium alloys are potential bone implant materials, and Mg2+ has been shown to promote ligament-bone healing. Here, we used Mg-2 wt.% Zn-0.5 wt.% Y-1 wt.% Nd-0.5 wt.% Zr (ZE21C) alloy and Ti6Al4V (TC4) alloy to prepare suture anchors to reconstruct the patellar ligament-tibia in SD rats. We studied the degradation behavior of the ZE21C suture anchor via in vitro and in vivo experiments and assessed its reparative effect on the ligament-bone junction. In vitro, the ZE21C suture anchor degraded gradually, and calcium and phosphorus products accumulated on its surface during degradation. In vivo, the ZE21C suture anchor could maintain its mechanical integrity within 12 weeks of implantation in rats. The tail of the ZE21C suture anchor in high stress concentration degraded rapidly during the early implantation stage (0-4weeks), while bone healing accelerated the degradation of the anchor head in the late implantation stage (4-12weeks). Radiological, histological, and biomechanical assays indicated that the ZE21C suture anchor promoted bone healing above the suture anchor and fibrocartilaginous interface regeneration in the ligament-bone junction, leading to better biomechanical strength than the TC4 group. Hence, this study provides a basis for further research on the clinical application of degradable magnesium alloy suture anchors.

Enhanced Strength and Hardness of AS41 Magnesium Alloy Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting.

AS41 magnesium alloy possesses outstanding performance features such as light weight, high strength to toughness ratio and excellent heat resistance due to the addition of Si element, while traditional casting methods are prone to inducing large grain size and coarse Mg2Si phase. In this study, we first reported utilizing the selective laser melting (SLM) technique, fabricating AS41 samples and exploring the effect of laser energy densities on the metallurgical quality by characterizing and investigating the microstructure and mechanical properties. Results showed that the optimal laser energy density range was 60 to 100 J/mm3. Average grain size of only 2.9 µm was obtained with weak texture strength of 1.65 in {0001} orientation. Meanwhile, many dispersed secondary ß-Mg17Al12 and Mg2Si phases were distributed inside the α-Mg matrix. It was confirmed that the SLM process introduced more grain recrystallization, inducing giant high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) and hindering the movement of dislocations, therefore forming dislocation strengthening while achieving grain refinement strengthening. Finally, three times the ultimate tensile strength of 313.7 MPa and higher microhardness of 96.4 HV than those of the as-cast state were obtained, verifying that the combined effect of grain refinement, solid solution strengthening and precipitation strengthening was responsible for the increased strength. This work provides new insight and a new approach to preparing AS41 magnesium alloy.

Perovskite Catalyst for In-Cylinder Coating to Reduce Raw Pollutant Emissions of Internal Combustion Engines.

Aiming to achieve the highest combustion efficiency and less pollutant emission, a catalytic coating for cylinder walls in internal combustion engines was developed and tested under several conditions. The coating consists of a La0.8Sr0.2CoO3 (LSCO) catalyst on an aluminum-based ceramic support. Atomic force microscopy was applied to investigate the surface roughness of the LSCO coating, while in situ diffuse infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy was used to obtain the molecular understanding of adsorption and conversion. In addition, the influence of LSCO-coated substrates on the flame quenching distance was studied in a constant-volume combustion chamber. Investigations conclude that an LSCO coating leads to a reduction of flame quenching at low wall temperatures but a negligible effect at high temperatures. Finally, the influence of LSCO coatings on the in-cylinder wall-near gas composition was investigated using a fast gas sampling methodology with sample durations below 1 ms. Ion molecule reaction mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed a significant reduction of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide when LSCO coating was applied.

Unveiling the reaction mechanism of an Sb2S3-Co9S8/NC anode for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Metal sulfides are promising lithium-ion battery anode materials with high specific capacities, but there has been little in-depth discussion on the reaction mechanism of metal sulfides. In this study, a robust bimetallic sulfide heterogeneous material (Sb2S3-Co9S8/NC) based on a metal-organic framework was designed. The combination of in situ X-ray diffraction and ex situ transmission electron microscopy revealed the phase evolution behavior during the first cycle. During the lithiation process, Sb2S3 undergoes lithium insertion, conversion and alloying reactions to form crystalline Li2S, Li3Sb and metallic Sb. Co9S8 undergoes lithium insertion and transformation to form metallic Co and Li2S. Lithium ions are extracted from the nanocrystalline phase and transformed into the original Sb2S3 and Co9S8 phases. The Sb2S3-Co9S8/NC anode exhibits excellent cycle stability (616 mA h g-1 at 2 A g-1 after 900 cycles) and fast lithium ion transfer kinetics. These results demonstrate the lithiation/delithiation mechanism of the Sb2S3-based anode and provide a new path for the development of high-performance LIB anodes based on bimetallic sulfides.

Recent Progress in Intelligent Wearable Sensors for Health Monitoring and Wound Healing Based on Biofluids.

The intelligent wearable sensors promote the transformation of the health care from a traditional hospital-centered model to a personal portable device-centered model. There is an urgent need of real-time, multi-functional, and personalized monitoring of various biochemical target substances and signals based on the intelligent wearable sensors for health monitoring, especially wound healing. Under this background, this review article first reviews the outstanding progress in the development of intelligent, wearable sensors designed for continuous, real-time analysis, and monitoring of sweat, blood, interstitial fluid, tears, wound fluid, etc. Second, this paper reports the advanced status of intelligent wound monitoring sensors designed for wound diagnosis and treatment. The paper highlights some smart sensors to monitor target analytes in various wounds. Finally, this paper makes conservative recommendations regarding future development of intelligent wearable sensors.

ZIF-derived "senbei"-like Co9S8/CeO2/Co heterostructural nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets as bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for Zn-air batteries.

The rational design and construction of the efficient and robust non-noble metal bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts is of critical significance due to the attention given to reversible metal-air batteries. In this paper, we report novel two-dimensional "senbei"-like Co9S8/CeO2/Co-NC nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets (Co9S8/CeO2/Co-NC) derived from a unique 2D Co/Ce bimetallic ZIF. The phase transition from 3D spherical Co-ZIF to 2D Co/Ce-ZIF was achieved through the introduction of Ce ions. Profiting from the successful construction of the unique Co9S8/CeO2 heterostructure and the synergetic effect of two components, the as-prepared Co9S8/CeO2/Co-NC exhibited excellent electro-performance in both the oxygen evolution reaction (Ej=10 = 1.60 V) and oxygen reduction reaction (E1/2 = 0.875 V). Furthermore, when used as a bifunctional air electrode for Zn-air batteries, Co9S8/CeO2/Co-NC reached a high peak power density of ≈164.24 mW cm-2 at a high current density of ≈351 mA cm-2 and displayed an outstanding cycling stability of more than 668 h at 5 mA cm-2. This research provides new guidelines for preparing hybrid materials from cobalt-based sulfide species and CeO2 for electrocatalysis and energy storage or other fields.

Carbon nanotubes coupled with layered graphite to support SnTe nanodots as high-rate and ultra-stable lithium-ion battery anodes.

SnTe exhibits a layered crystal structure, which enables fast Li-ion diffusion and easy storage, and is considered to be a promising candidate for an advanced anode material. However, its applications are hindered by the large volume variation caused by intercalation/deintercalation during the electrochemical reaction processes. Herein, topological insulator SnTe and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) supported on a graphite (G) carbon framework (SnTe-CNT-G) were prepared as a new, active and robust anode material for high-rate lithium-ion batteries by a scalable ball-milling method. Remarkably, the SnTe-CNT-G composite used as a lithium-ion battery anode offered an excellent reversible capacity of 840 mA h g-1 at 200 mA g-1 after 100 cycles and high initial coulombic efficiencies of 76.0%, and achieved a long-term cycling stability of 669 mA h g-1 at 2 A g-1 after 1400 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance of SnTe-CNT-G is attributed to the stable design of its electrode structure and interesting topological transition of SnTe, combined with multistep conversion and alloying processes. Furthermore, in situ X-ray diffraction and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to study the reaction mechanism. The results presented here provide new insights to design and reveal the reaction mechanisms of transition metal telluride materials in various energy-storage materials.

One-pot synthesis of N,S-doped pearl chain tube-loaded Ni3S2 composite materials for high-performance lithium-air batteries.

To improve the high reversibility of lithium-air batteries, an air electrode needs to have excellent electrochemical performance and spatial structure. Ni3S2 nanoparticles are loaded onto an N,S-doped pearl chain tube (N,S-PCT) by a method called quasi-chemical vapor deposition (Q-CVD). Additionally, N and S are doped during the synthesis process, thereby forming an ideal pipe rack-like structure. The large amount of space in the tube rack can provide sufficient storage to act as a buffer for the discharge products, and the interconnected tubes can effectively promote the dispersion of O2 and electrolyte. The addition of Ni3S2 nanoparticles effectively reduces the charge transfer resistance, thereby increasing the electron mobility of the cathode. Ni3S2@N,S-PCT cathodes effectively improve the cycling and high-rate performance of lithium-air batteries, demonstrating an ultrahigh discharge capacity of 16 733.7 mA h g-1 at a current density of 400 mA g-1 and an ultrahigh discharge capacity of 5088.1 mA h g-1 at a current density of 1000 mA g-1. When the cut-off capacity is 1000 mA h g-1, the battery with the Ni3S2@N,S-PCT-800 electrode can achieve cycling stability for 148 cycles. This research provides a new solution for the design of lithium-air batteries with high electrocatalytic performance.

Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of SNHG20 in human cancers: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: It has been widely reported that the expression levels of SNHG20 are elevated in diverse types of cancers, indicating that SNHG20 may participate in cancer initiation and development. Besides, accumulating evidence reveals that SNHG20 overexpression is also connected with poor clinical outcomes among cancer patients. Herein, we carry out a systematic meta-analysis to further determine the prognostic and clinical significance of SNHG20 expression in various human cancers. METHODS: Qualifying publications were selected by searching for keywords in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases, up to September 1, 2019. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed to estimate the strength of association between SNHG20 and survival of cancer patients or clinicopathology using Stata 14.0 software. RESULTS: In total, 15 studies encompassing 1187 patients met the inclusion criteria were ultimately enrolled for analysis. According to the meta-analysis, patients with high SNHG20 expression were markedly linked to poorer overall survival (OS) (pooled HR = 2.47, 95% CI 2.05-2.98, P = 0.000) and disease-free survival/recurrence-free survival/progression-free survival (DFS/RFS/PFS) (pooled HR = 2.37, 95% CI 1.60-3.51, P = 0.000). Additionally, regarding clinicopathology of patients, enhanced SNHG20 was correlated with advanced tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (OR = 2.80, 95% CI 2.00-3.93, P = 0.000), larger tumor size (OR = 3.08, 95% CI 2.11-4.51, P = 0.000), positive lymph nodes metastasis (OR = 2.99, 95% CI 2.08-4.31, P = 0.000), higher tumor stage (OR = 4.51, 95% CI 2.17-9.37, P = 0.000) and worse histological grade (OR = 1.95, 95% CI 1.44-2.63, P = 0.000), but not with gender, smoking status or distant metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Up-regulated SNHG20 expression is ubiquitous in different kinds of cancers. Moreover, up-regulated SNHG20 expression is capable of serving as an innovative predictive factor of inferior clinical outcomes in cancer patients. Nevertheless, higher-quality multicenter studies are required to corroborate our results.

Comparison of esophageal stent placement versus endoscopic incision method for treatment of refractory esophageal anastomotic stricture.

BACKGROUND: Refractory esophageal anastomotic strictures are difficult to treat. Current treatments include esophageal stent placement (ESP) and the endoscopic incision method (EIM). This study was conducted to determine which treatment is better for patients with refractory esophageal anastomotic stricture. METHODS: This study retrospectively collected data of patients with refractory esophageal anastomotic stricture who underwent ESP or EIM between January 2012 and June 2018. Dysphagia scores before and after the procedure were recorded in both groups. The duration of relief during the follow-up period was recorded. RESULTS: Fifty patients were enrolled in this study, including 32 patients who underwent ESP and 18 who underwent EIM. Patients in the ESP group had a markedly larger diameter of dilatation than those in the EIM group (19.9±1.8 versus 11.0±1.9 mm, respectively; P0.001). However, the dysphagia score improved by 1.0±0.0 point in the ESP group and by 1.4±0.5 points in the EIM group (P<0.001). Nearly 70% of patients in the ESP group maintained lumen patency at 12 months. In contrast, only 50% of patients in the EIM group had persistent relief of stricture symptoms at 6 months and only 20% had relief at 12 months. Five patients had slight bleeding; none required blood transfusion. Thirteen patients in the ESP group had slight chest pain; seven of these required administration of a painkiller. CONCLUSIONS: EIM can rapidly relieve the symptoms of esophageal anastomotic stricture but ESP provides longer duration of relief. Both procedures are safe for patients with refractory esophageal anastomotic stricture.

Long noncoding RNAs as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in gallbladder cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence has shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can play a substantial role in gallbladder cancer (GBC) development as tumor promotors or suppressors, and their abnormal expression is relevant to GBC patient outcomes. We completed this systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the clinical significance and mechanisms of lncRNAs in GBC. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature search and selected eligible records according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) were extracted or calculated to estimate the relationships of high lncRNA expression with GBC patient survival and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Eighteen studies were identified as eligible for this systematic review and meta-analysis. Heterogeneity among HRs of overall survival (OS) was notably high (I2 = 86.2%, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis suggested that overexpression of lncRNAs in a group that is upregulated in GBC showed a significant association with poor OS (HR = 2.454, 95% CI 2.004-3.004, I2 = 0%). Conversely, overexpression of lncRNAs in a downregulated group was markedly related to good OS (HR = 0.371, 95% CI 0.267-0.517, I2 = 0%). High expression levels of lncRNA AFAP1-AS1, MALAT1 and ROR were positively correlated with tumor size. Expression of lncRNA LET, LINC00152 and HEGBC exhibited a positive correlation with high T status. LncRNA LINC00152, HEGBC, MALAT1 and ROR showed a marked correlation with positive lymph node metastasis (LNM), while lncRNA GCASPC, MEG3, LET and UCA1 had the opposite effect. High expression levels of lncRNA HEGBC, PAGBC, PVT1 and UCA1 predicted high tumor node metastasis (TNM) stages, while lncRNA LET, GCASPC and MEG3 indicated low TNM stages. We also summarized the mechanisms of lncRNAs in GBC. CONCLUSION: Aberrant expression of several lncRNAs was indicative of the prognosis of GBC patients, and lncRNAs showed promise as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for GBC.

The diagnostic/prognostic potential and molecular functions of long non-coding RNAs in the exosomes derived from the bile of human cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive malignancy associated with unfavorable prognosis, and it's difficult to diagnose and no effective treatments are available. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Intact lncRNAs from exosomes have sparked much interest as potential biomarker for the non-invasive analysis of disease. Here, via exosome sequencing on lncRNAs, GO analysis, KEGG pathway and co-expression analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve and survival analyses, we found that, compared with control group, lncRNAs of ENST00000588480.1 and ENST00000517758.1 showed significantly increased expressions in CCA group. Moreover, area under the curve (AUC) was increased to 0.709 when combined the two lncRNAs, they had a sensitivity and specificity of 82.9% and 58.9% respectively. Further, the higher levels of the two lncRNAs showed a significantly increasing trend with the advancement of cancer TNM stages, and prognosticated a poor survival. In addition, KEGG pathway analysis showed that the most significant difference term was "p53 signaling pathway" (KEGG ID: hsa04115, p: 0.001). The altered lncRNAs and their target genes were included to reconstruct a co-expression network. These altered lncRNAs were mainly related to cellular processes, environmental information processing and organismal systems, etc. Collectively, our findings provided the potential roles of lncRNAs of ENST00000588480.1 and ENST00000517758.1 in CCA, and implicated these lncRNAs as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for CCA.

Tempered fractional Feynman-Kac equation: Theory and examples.

Functionals of Brownian and non-Brownian motions have diverse applications and attracted a lot of interest among scientists. This paper focuses on deriving the forward and backward fractional Feynman-Kac equations describing the distribution of the functionals of the space and time-tempered anomalous diffusion, belonging to the continuous time random walk class. Several examples of the functionals are explicitly treated, including the occupation time in half-space, the first passage time, the maximal displacement, the fluctuations of the occupation fraction, and the fluctuations of the time-averaged position.

Hierarchical Co-based Porous Layered Double Hydroxide Arrays Derived via Alkali Etching for High-performance Supercapacitors.

Hierarchical nanoarchitecture and porous structure can both provide advantages for improving the electrochemical performance in energy storage electrodes. Here we report a novel strategy to synthesize new electrode materials, hierarchical Co-based porous layered double hydroxide (PLDH) arrays derived via alkali etching from Co(OH)2@CoAl LDH nanoarrays. This structure not only has the benefits of hierarchical nanoarrays including short ion diffusion path and good charge transport, but also possesses a large contact surface area owing to its porous structure which lead to a high specific capacitance (23.75 F cm(-2) or 1734 F g(-1) at 5 mA cm(-2)) and excellent cycling performance (over 85% after 5000 cycles). The enhanced electrode material is a promising candidate for supercapacitors in future application.