Adverse health effects of declined intrinsic capacity in middle-aged and older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Intrinsic capacity refers to a broad range of health traits, including the physiological and psychological changes brought on by aging. Previous research has shown that intrinsic capacity, as an independent emerging construct, is a highly effective predictor of several health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to summarise the predictive effect of intrinsic capacity at baseline on health outcomes among middle-aged and older adults. DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: We systematically searched up to 3 April 2024 in 10 electronic databases. Studies investigating the predictive effect of baseline composite intrinsic capacity and health outcomes were included. Publications that had reported hazard ratios (HRs) or odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as effect size were considered. RESULTS: A total of 23 publications were included. The sample size ranged from 100 to 17 031. The results of the meta-analysis showed statistically significant prediction of adverse health outcomes such as disability (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.68-2.03, I2 = 41%, Pheterogeneity=.10), falls (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.19-1.60, I2 = 45%, Pheterogeneity=.11), hospitalisation (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.17-4.3, I2 = 68%, Pheterogeneity=.08), mortality (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.54-1.91, I2 = 32%, Pheterogeneity=.12) and frailty (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.45-1.70, I2 = 2%, Pheterogeneity=.31) by the baseline composite intrinsic capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Declined intrinsic capacity has potential predictive value for adverse health outcomes, further high-quality study is needed to validate these findings and strengthen their cumulative impact. Attention to health outcomes should also focus on both breadth and category precision.

Sustainable utilisation of calcium-rich industrial wastes in soil stabilisation: Potential use of calcium carbide residue.

Calcium carbide residue (CCR), a by-product of the acetylene industry, is generated at a rate of 136 million tonnes per year, posing significant environmental risks. This review examines the potential utilisation of CCR in soil stabilisation, focusing on its stabilisation mechanism, performance in improving mechanical properties, environmental safety, and sustainability. The aim is to identify future research directions for CCR-based stabilisation to promote its broader application, and to provide references for managing similar Ca-rich wastes. CCR-based materials demonstrate promising benefits in enhancing various soil properties, such as uniaxial strength, swelling properties, triaxial shear behaviour, compressibility, and dynamic responses, while also reducing the mobility of contaminants. Compared to conventional stabilisers, CCR-based materials exhibit comparable performance in soil improvement, environmental impact and safety, and economic feasibility. However, further research is required to delve deeper into stabilisation mechanisms, mechanical properties, and stability of contaminants for the soil treated with CCR-based materials under diverse conditions.

The role of nurses in smoking cessation interventions for patients: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Smoking is a significant global public health concern, presenting substantial risks to individuals' health. Smoking cessation is essential for improving patients' well-being, and nurses play a critical role in assisting patients to quit smoking. However, there is a lack of research on nurses' specialized roles in smoking cessation interventions for patients. OBJECTIVE: To define the specific responsibilities of nurses in facilitating smoking cessation among patients, and provide guidance for future nursing interventions in smoking cessation. METHODS: The scoping review process was conducted for Arksey and O'Malley's framework. Based on the three-step search strategy of Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), a comprehensive search was performed across ten databases including PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, OVID, PsycINFO, CNKI, Wan Fang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, covering studies from the inception of the databases to February 2024. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed using the JBI (participants, content, and context) principle. Randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies with nurse-led or involved smoking cessation interventions for patients were included. Data extraction was conducted independently by two reviewers. The findings were reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). RESULTS: In total, 53 studies were eligible for the final charting and synthesis. The analysis identified six key roles that nurses played in smoking cessation interventions: assessors, educators, practice facilitators, coordinating collaborators, organizers, and supervisors. Among these, the roles of assessors, educators, and practice facilitators were the most commonly reported. The motivation interview and 5A method were the predominant techniques employed for smoking cessation. Nurses primarily promoted smoking cessation through the distribution of pamphlets, face-to-face education, and the provision of smoking cessation guidance. The primary participants in these studies were patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses play an indispensable role in smoking cessation interventions, occupying multiple critical roles. However, this review identified a gap in the pre-intervention training of nurses, indicating a need for enhanced training programs to better prepare nurses for effective smoking cessation interventions.

The indication and treatment outcome predictors of mifepristone treating ectopic pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening disease and is an important cause of pregnancy-related mortality. MTX is the primary conservative treatment medicine of ectopic pregnancy, and mifepristone is also a promising medicine. Through studying the ectopic cases at the third affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, the study aims to analyze the indication and treatment outcome predictors of mifepristone. METHODS: The data of 269 ectopic pregnancy cases treated with mifepristone during the year 2011-2019 were retrospectively collected. Logistic-regression analysis was used to analyze the factors affiliated with the treatment outcome of mifepristone. Then ROC curve was used to analyze the indication and predictors. RESULTS: Through logistic-regression analysis, HCG is the only factor related to the treatment outcome of mifepristone. The AUC of ROC curve predicting treatment outcome with pre-treatment HCG is 0.715, and the cutoff value of ROC curve is 372.66 (sensitivity 0.752, specificity 0.619). The AUC of 0/4 ratio predicting the treatment outcome is 0.886, and the cutoff value is 0.3283 (sensitivity 0.967, specificity 0.683). The AUC of 0/7 ratio is 0.947, and the cutoff value is 0.3609 (sensitivity 1, specificity 0.828). CONCLUSIONS: Mifepristone can be used to treat ectopic pregnancy. HCG is the only factor related to the treatment outcome of mifepristone. Patients with HCG less than 372.66 U/L can be treated by mifepristone. If HCG descends more than 67.18% on the 4th day or 63.91% on the 7th day, it is more likely to have a successful treatment outcome. It is more precise to retest on the 7th day.

The trend of the distribution of ectopic pregnancy sites and the clinical characteristics of caesarean scar pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening occurrence and is an important cause of pregnancy-related mortality. We launched the study to investigate the distribution and its variation trend of the ectopic pregnancy sites and the clinical characteristics of caesarean scar pregnancy, to provide information for further clinical practice. METHODS: A total of 3915 patients were included in our study to calculate the distribution of the implantation sites of ectopic pregnancies. Then, we performed a χ2 test for trend and calculated the quantity of each type of ectopic pregnancy during 2012-2015 and 2016-2019 to analyse the variation trend. RESULTS: (1) The proportion of each site of ectopic pregnancy was as follows: tubal pregnancy (84.70%), ovarian pregnancy (1.56%), caesarean scar pregnancy (8.63%), abdominal pregnancy (0.61%), cornual pregnancy (2.68%), cervical pregnancy (0.49%), heterotopic pregnancy (0.43%). (2) Through the χ2 test for trend, the ratio of caesarean scar pregnancy to ectopic pregnancy showed an upward trend (P = 0.005). From 2012 to 2015 and 2016-2019, the ratio of caesarean scar pregnancy to ectopic pregnancy increased from 5.74 to 11.81% (P < 0.001). (3) A total of 72.78% (246/338) caesarean scar pregnancy patients had one caesarean delivery, 25.15% (85/338) had two caesarean deliveries, and 2.07% (7/338) had three caesarean deliveries. A total of 80.18% (271/338) had aborted before. The most common clinical manifestations were amenorrhea (98.52%), abdominal pain (25.74%) and vaginal bleeding (67.76%), the most common sign was uterine enlargement (46.75%). CONCLUSION: As the ratio of caesarean scar pregnancy increases, the caesarean delivery rate should be decreased to decrease the morbidity of caesarean scar pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized ovum implants outside the endometrium of the uterine cavity, which is a life-threatening occurrence and is an important cause of pregnancy-related mortality. With the increase in pelvic and intrauterine operations, the distribution of ectopic sites has been changing, but the variation has been insufficiently studied. To investigate the distribution of ectopic sites and its variation trend in depth, we collected the data of 3915 ectopic pregnancy cases from the third affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University.Through χ² test for trend, the ratio of caesarean scar pregnancy to ectopic pregnancy showed an upward trend (P = 0.005). From 2012 to 2015 and 2016­2019, the ratio of caesarean scar pregnancy to ectopic pregnancy increased from 5.74 to 11.81% (P < 0.001). As the increasing of the ratio of caesarean scar pregnancy to ectopic pregnancy, the clinical characteristics of caesarean scar pregnancy was analysed.A total of 72.78% (246/338) caesarean scar pregnancy patients had one caesarean delivery, 25.15% (85/338) had two caesarean deliveries, and 2.07% (7/338) had three caesarean deliveries. A total of 80.18% (271/338) had aborted before. The most common clinical manifestations were amenorrhea (98.52%), abdominal pain (25.74%) and vaginal bleeding (67.76%), the most common sign was uterine enlargement (46.75%).As the ratio of caesarean scar pregnancy increases, the caesarean delivery rate should be decreased to decrease the morbidity of caesarean scar pregnancy.

OSskcm: an online survival analysis webserver for skin cutaneous melanoma based on 1085 transcriptomic profiles.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most aggressive and lethal skin cancers. It is greatly important to identify prognostic biomarkers to guide the clinical management. However, it is technically challenging for untrained researchers to process high dimensional profiling data and identify potential prognostic genes in profiling datasets. METHODS: In this study, we developed a webserver to analyze the prognostic values of genes in cutaneous melanoma using data from TCGA and GEO databases. The webserver is named Online consensus Survival webserver for Skin Cutaneous Melanoma (OSskcm) which includes 1085 clinical melanoma samples. The OSskcm is hosted in a windows tomcat server. Server-side scripts were developed in Java script. The database system is managed by a SQL Server, which integrates gene expression data and clinical data. The Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival curves, Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated in a univariate Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: In OSskcm, by inputting official gene symbol and selecting proper options, users could obtain KM survival plot with log-rank P value and HR on the output web page. In addition, clinical characters including race, stage, gender, age and type of therapy could also be included in the prognosis analysis as confounding factors to constrain the analysis in a subgroup of melanoma patients. CONCLUSION: The OSskcm is highly valuable for biologists and clinicians to perform the assessment and validation of new or interested prognostic biomarkers for melanoma. OSskcm can be accessed online at: http://bioinfo.henu.edu.cn/Melanoma/MelanomaList.jsp.

Cement and zeolite stabilization/solidification of heavy metal-contaminated sediments: 841-Day leaching characteristics, mechanisms, and microstructure.

The long-term effectiveness of stabilized/solidified sediments (S/S sediments) is increasingly attracting attention. This study investigated the long-term leaching characteristics and mechanisms of S/S sediment through an 841-day tank leaching test, considering the influence of cement content, curing time, and zeolite. The results indicate significant correlations among pH, heavy metals, TN, NH3-N, and COD. The specimens with 6 % cement cured for 30 days (C6(30)) demonstrated considerable heavy metal stabilization, with stabilization rates for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb reaching 99.81 %, 99.06 %, 98.93 %, 99.61 %, 97.58 %, and 99.97 %, respectively. Compared to C6(30), partial replacement of cement with 10 % zeolite (C5 + Z0.5(30)) not only more effectively stabilized heavy metals except As, but also reduced the release of COD and NH3-N by 4.23 % and 10.04 %, respectively. However, there was a risk of TN, NH3-N, and COD exceeding permissible limits during long-term leaching. Microscopic analysis results suggested that hydration products and low porosity contributed to stabilization of heavy metals. Leaching mechanisms was revealed that surface wash-off controls the leaching of Cr and Pb, while diffusion controls the leaching of Ni, Cu, Zn, As, COD, TN, and NH3-N. Considering stabilization performance, cost and carbon emissions, C5 + Z0.5(30) is an effective strategy for reducing long-term environmental risks of S/S sediments.

Antigenicity elimination of ovalbumin by cold plasma-induced covalent binding with Gallic acid.

The effect of cold plasma (CP) treatment in promoting the covalent grafting of ovalbumin (OVA) with gallic acid (GA) were investigated, along with identifying the binding sites in the OVA-GA complex and exploring its potential for reducing the antigenicity of OVA. The results showed that the GA content of 22.97 ± 1.27 mg/g in OVA-GA complex was obtained following 60 s of CP treatment. Using LC-MS/MS, four regions (T52-R59, V201-K207, I279-R285, and V281-K291) were identified, containing 12 GA binding sites in the OVA-GA complex. Additionally, a significant reduction in IgE binding capacity (70.83 ± 0.90 %) was observed, as confirmed by ELISA analysis. The masking/steric-hindrance effect on linear epitopes and the disruption of conformational epitopes of OVA as a result of GA grafting may be the key factors leading to the reduction in OVA antigenicity. This study highlights that promoting the grafting of polyphenols onto proteins using CP treatment is an effective strategy for reducing the antigenicity of protein allergens.

Cold plasma for enhancing covalent conjugation of ovalbumin-gallic acid and its functional properties.

The utilization of cold plasma (CP) treatment to promote covalent conjugation of ovalbumin (OVA) and gallic acid (GA), as well as its functionality, were investigated. Results demonstrated that CP significantly enhanced the covalent grafting of OVA and GA. The maximum conjugation of GA, 24.33 ± 2.24 mg/g, was achieved following 45 s of CP treatment. Covalent conjugation between GA and OVA were confirmed through analyses of total sulfhydryl (-SH) group, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Unfolding of the OVA molecule occurred upon conjugation with GA, as evidenced by multiple spectroscopy analyses. Additionally, conjugation with GA resulted in significant improvements in the antioxidant activity and emulsifying properties of OVA. This study demonstrated that CP is a robust and sustainable technique for promoting the covalent conjugate of polyphenols and proteins, offering a novel approach to enhance the functional properties of proteins.

NIR-Driven Self-Healing Phase-Change Solid Slippery Surface with Stability and Promising Antifouling and Anticorrosion Properties.

Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs) have great potential to replace traditional antifouling coatings due to their efficient, green, and broad-spectrum antifouling performance. However, the lubricant dissipation problem of SLIPS severely restricts its further development and application, and the robust SLIPS continues to be extremely challenging. Here, a composite phase-change lubricant layer consisting of paraffin, silicone oil, and MXene is designed to readily construct a stable and NIR-responsive self-healing phase-change solid slippery surface (PCSSS). Collective results showed that PCSSS could rapidly achieve phase-change transformation and complete self-healing under NIR irradiation and keep stable after high-speed water flushing, centrifugation, and ultrasonic treatment. The antifouling performance of PCSSS evaluated by protein, bacteria, and algae antiadhesion tests demonstrated the adhesion inhibition rate was as high as 99.99%. Moreover, the EIS and potentiodynamic polarization experiments indicated that PCSSS had stable and exceptional corrosion resistance (|Z|0.01Hz = 3.87 × 108 Ω·cm2) and could effectively inhibit microbiologically influenced corrosion. The 90 day actual marine test reveals that PCSSS has remarkable antifouling performance. Therefore, PCSSS presents a novel, facile, and effective strategy to construct a slippery surface with the prospect of facilitating its application in marine antifouling and corrosion protection.

Preventing thermal aggregation of ovalbumin through dielectric-barrier discharge plasma treatment and enhancing its emulsification properties.

The impact of Dielectric-Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma treatment on the prevention of heat-induced aggregation of Ovalbumin (OVA) and improvement in emulsification properties was investigated. Results highlighted the effective inhibition of thermal aggregation of OVA following exposure to plasma. Structural analysis revealed that the plasma-induced oxidation of sulfhydryl and intermolecular disulfide bonds played a pivotal role in inhibiting the thermal aggregation, considered by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), multiplies spectroscopy, and analysis of dynamic exchange of sulfhydryl-disulfide bonds. Meanwhile, the oxidation of exposed hydrophobic sites due to plasma treatment resulted in the transformation of the OVA molecule's surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, contributing significantly to the aggregation inhibition. Additionally, compared to an untreated sample of OVA, almost one-fold increase in emulsifying ability (EAI) and 1.5-fold in emulsifying stability (ESI) was observed after 4 min of plasma treatment. These findings demonstrated that plasma treatment not only enhanced the thermal stability of OVA, but also improved its emulsification properties.

The effectiveness of exercise on the symptoms in breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant treatment: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Background: Exercise has the potential to reduce symptoms for breast cancer patients during adjuvant treatment, and high-quality systematic reviews are essential for guiding clinical practice. The objective of this umbrella review is to examine current research evidence concerning the effectiveness of exercise on symptom management in breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant treatment. Methods: An umbrella review was conducted. We searched for eligible systematic reviews through 11 databases until August 13rd, 2023. Two authors independently screened titles and abstracts, assessing the full-text studies based on inclusion criteria. We used AMSTAR-2 to appraise the quality of the meta-analyses. The results would be presented with narrative summaries if the replication rate of the original study for a symptom was higher than 5% (calculated via the Corrected Covered Area, CCA). The protocol was documented in the PROSPERO registry (CRD42023403990). Results: Of the 807 systematic reviews identified, 15 met the inclusion criteria, and 7 symptoms were the main focus. The main form of exercise mentioned was aerobic combined resistance exercise. The results of the quality assessment were mostly critically low (10/15). The repetition rate calculated by CCA showed moderate to very high repetition rates (10% to 18.6%). The findings of the included reviews indicated that the effects of exercise on relieving symptoms during breast cancer adjuvant treatment were mixed. Conclusions: Research is still needed to confirm the majority of studies' recommendations for exercise during adjuvant treatment for breast cancer patients, as it is crucial for managing symptoms in the rehabilitation process. To increase the efficiency of exercise in symptom management, future studies may focus more on the application of bridge symptoms, symptom networks, and ecological instantaneous assessment.

Exploring the relationship between self-management behaviour, family function and health information adoption behaviour in Chinese diabetic foot patients: a mixed-methods study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic foot is a major burden and threat to individuals, families and society, making it imperative to promote good self-management behaviour. However, although nurses have provided these patients with excellent health knowledge, their self-management remains unsatisfactory. Although researches have shown that self-management requires family involvement, no research has been conducted in China on family function, specifically in the diabetic foot. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationship between self-management, family functioning, and health information adoption behaviour and explain the formation's reason. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a mixed-methods study using an exploratory sequential study design in Zhejiang, China. In the first phase, cross-section research will be conducted using a convenient sampling strategy on 225 diabetic foot patients. SPSS V.26 was used for correlation and multiple stepwise regression analyses. Structural equation modelling will be performed by using AMOS V.24. The researchers will conduct a semistructured interview to collect qualitative data and use NVivo to analyse. Ultimately, we will 'triangulate' to integrate quantitative and qualitative data. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study received ethical clearance from the Ethics Review Committee, the affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Medicine School, Zhejiang University (approval no: 2023-0145). All data collection processes will abide by health and safety measures required by the national government. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The study will produce one paper that will be disseminated, to local stakeholders and participants, via local and international conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals.

A novel strategy for improving performance of lithium-oxygen batteries.

Although the theoretical energy density of lithium-oxygen batteries is extremely high, pulverization of lithium metal anode obviously influences batteries cycling performance. In this work, the cathode was coated with a membrane to protect the lithium anode from moisture attacking and avoid the pulverization. The membrane is composed of polyethylene oxide and poly tetra fluoroethylene, which improves the cycle life of the lithium-oxygen batteries cycles to 230 times, with a limited specific capacity of 1000 mAh·g-1, at a current density of 100 mA·g-1. Furthermore, the batteries perform stable charge and discharge cycles for 55 times in the air atmosphere, with the relative humidity greater than 50%. It demonstrates this strategy provides a new direction for the development of high-performance lithium-oxygen batteries.

Stabilization/solidification and recycling of sediment from Taihu Lake in China: Engineering behavior and environmental impact.

Investigations of stabilized/solidified sediment (S/S sediment) by simulated field-construction processes (crushing and filling) are fundamental to evaluating the potential reuse as fill materials. A series of tests were conducted on the samples prepared from S/S sediment grains (SG), which was obtained by crushing the cement treated sediment. By sampling the SG with different field-curing durations (t1: 28, 35, 56 and 98 days) and measuring them by unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, the effect of t1 on the UCS was investigated. By continually curing the samples prepared from the SG with 28 field-curing days in laboratory for an additional 7, 28, 35 and 70 days (t2) and subjecting them to UCS and tank leaching tests with different ambient (leachate) pH values (1, 4, 7, 10 and 14), the effect of t2 and ambient pH was evaluated. Increasing t1 and t2 was found to significantly influence the strength of SG, which highlights the importance of an appropriate curing period. The releases of the metals (As, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, and Hg) in the SG exhibited a strongly pH-dependence but less correlation with t2. Neutral conditions (pH = 7) offered the best immobilization capacity for Cu; As, Cr, Ni and Zn exhibited the lowest release at pH = 10; the release of Pb decreased moderately with increasing pH. The S/S sediment complied with the acceptance criteria in terms of metal release and can be regarded as an environmentally friendly fill material. The results highlight the technical feasibility of stabilized sediment recycling in aquatic environment projects.

Improved High Temperature Performance of a Spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Cathode for High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Batteries by Surface Modification of a Flexible Conductive Nanolayer.

The composite cathode material of the conductive polymer polyaniline (PANI)-coated spinel structural LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) for high-voltage lithium-ion batteries has been successfully synthesized by an in situ chemical oxidation polymerization method. The electrode of the LNMO-PANI composite material shows superior rate capability and excellent cycling stability. A capacity of 123.4 mAh g-1 with the capacity retention of 99.7% can be maintained at 0.5C after 200 cycles in the voltage range of 3.0-4.95 V (vs Li/Li+) at room temperature. Even with cycling at 5C, a capacity of 65.5 mAh g-1 can still be achieved. The PANI coating layer can not only reduce the dissolution of Ni and Mn from the LNMO cubic framework into the electrolyte during cycling, but also significantly improve the undesirable interfacial reactions between the cathode and electrolyte, and markedly increase the electrical conductivity of the electrode. At 55 °C, the LNMO-PANI composite material exhibits more superior cyclic performance than pristine, that is, the capacity retention of 94.5% at 0.5C after 100 cycles vs that of 13.0%. This study offers an effective strategy for suppressing the decomposition of an electrolyte under the highly oxidizing (>4.5 V) and elevated temperature conditions.

Pt/NiO Microsphere Composite as Efficient Multifunctional Catalysts for Nonaqueous Lithium-Oxygen Batteries and Alkaline Fuel Cells: The Synergistic Effect of Pt and Ni.

Developing efficient and low-cost multifunctional electrocatalysts is important for electrochemical devices. In this work, a cost-effective Pt/NiO composite with very limited Pt loading (from 0.5 to 3%) was controllably synthesized through facile hydrothermal procedures. The composite demonstrated the improved catalytic performance as applied to the nonaqueous Li-O2 batteries and the alkaline fuel cells. Regarding the alkaline fuel cells, 1% Pt/NiO composite gave rise to the best Pt distribution and thus exhibited the optimized electrochemical conductivity and properties as suggested by the significantly improved electrochemical reversibility. Meanwhile, the demonstrated 1% Pt/NiO composite presented high catalytic capability as electrode for Li-O2 batteries, which allowed for much improved capacity utilization, high cycling stability, high initial capacity (2329 mAh/g), and no obvious voltage drop during cycling. Such multiple advantages of prepared composite electrode material offer new prospects and application as multifunctional electrocatalysts for both Li-O2 batteries and alkaline fuel cells.

Excellent oxygen evolution reaction of NiO with a layered nanosphere structure as the cathode of lithium-oxygen batteries.

A layered nanosphere structured NiO catalyst was successfully synthesized by a simple and efficient hydrothermal method as a cathode material for lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), dual electrode voltammetry (DECV) and chronoamperometry (CA) by rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) were carried out to investigate the catalytic activity of this catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The results revealed that the layered nanosphere NiO exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, stability and a typical four-electron reaction as a cathode electrocatalyst for rechargeable nonaqueous Li-O2 batteries. The overpotential of the NiO is only up to 0.61 V. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterization shows that the Li2O2 and Li2CO3 formed during the discharge process and decomposed after charging. Moreover, the cut-off voltage of discharging is about 2.0 V in the NiO-based Li-O2 batteries, while the specific capacity is up to 3040 mA h g-1. There is no obvious performance decline of the battery after 50 cycles at a current density of 0.1 mA cm-2 with a superior limited specific capacity of 800 mA h g-1. Herein, the layered nanosphere structured NiO catalyst is considered a promising cathode electrocatalyst for Li-O2 batteries.