Highly Efficient Spatially-Temporally Synchronized Construction of Robust Li3 PO4 -rich Solid-Electrolyte Interphases in Aqueous Li-ion Batteries.

Solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) makes the electrochemical window of aqueous electrolytes beyond the thermodynamics limitation of water. However, achieving the energetic and robust SEI is more challenging in aqueous electrolytes because the low SEI formation efficiency (SFE) only contributed from anion-reduced products, and the low SEI formation quality (SFQ) negatively impacted by the hydrogen evolution, resulting in a high Li loss to compensate for SEI formation. Herein, we propose a highly efficient strategy to construct Spatially-Temporally Synchronized (STS) robust SEI by the involvement of synergistic chemical precipitation-electrochemical reduction. In this case, a robust Li3 PO4 -rich SEI enables intelligent inherent growth at the active site of the hydrogen by the chemical capture of the OH- stemmed from the HER to trigger the ionization balance of dihydrogen phosphate (H2 PO4 - ) shift to insoluble solid Li3 PO4 . It is worth highlighting that the Li3 PO4 formation does not extra-consume lithium derived from the cathode but makes good use of the product of HER (OH- ), prompting the SEI to achieve 100 % SFE and pushing the HER potential into -1.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl. This energetic and robust SEI offers a new way to achieve anion/concentration-independent interfacial chemistry for the aqueous batteries.

Spontaneous rupture of enormous renal angiomyolipoma in a pregnant tuberous sclerosis patient: a rare case.

BACKGROUND: Renal angiomyolipoma (RAML) is a rare benign kidney tumour comprised of adipose tissue, smooth muscle, and blood vessels. It can cause fatal complications if it ruptures. Although there have been reports of RAMLs rupturing, it is unusual to see RAMLs rupture during pregnancy, especially in pregnant women with tuberous sclerosis (TSC). Moreover, we reported a rare complication after selective arterial embolization (SAE) for the first time, which called aseptic liquefaction necrosis. CASE PRESENTATION: The case is a 16-week-pregnant woman with TSC who presented with severe flank pain, which was secondary to the rupture of a large, previously unknown RAML. This was confirmed by emergency computed tomography and successfully treated with selective arterial embolization after the patient received counselling and provided prior informed written consent for medical termination of pregnancy (MTP). The patient underwent abortion 3 weeks after the SAE. The patient required drainage 2 months after the SAE because of aseptic liquefaction necrosis. During follow-up, the patient's lesion remained stable. CONCLUSION: RAML rupture is a rare but rather serious complication in pregnant tuberous sclerosis patients. Selective arterial embolization (SAE) should be performed immediately, and the status of the pregnancy needs to be assessed by a multidisciplinary team. We also report for the first time the rare complication of aseptic liquefaction necrosis after SAE of RAML, for which percutaneous drainage is effective.

Synchronization criteria for generalized reaction-diffusion neural networks via periodically intermittent control.

In this paper, the synchronization problem for a class of generalized neural networks with time-varying delays and reaction-diffusion terms is investigated concerning Neumann boundary conditions in terms of p-norm. The proposed generalized neural networks model includes reaction-diffusion local field neural networks and reaction-diffusion static neural networks as its special cases. By establishing a new inequality, some simple and useful conditions are obtained analytically to guarantee the global exponential synchronization of the addressed neural networks under the periodically intermittent control. According to the theoretical results, the influences of diffusion coefficients, diffusion space, and control rate on synchronization are analyzed. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methods are shown by simulation examples, and by choosing different diffusion coefficients, diffusion spaces, and control rates, different controlled synchronization states can be obtained.

[Preparation and investigation of MRI-traceable Eudragit-E liquid embolic agent].

OBJECTIVE: To develop and investigate the properties of MRI-traceable Eudragit-E liquid embolic agent (MR-E). METHODS: Polyethylene glycol-modified superparamagnetic iron oxides (PEG-SPIO) was synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. MR-E was prepared by mixing PEG-SPIO and Eudragit-E liquid embolic agent homogeneously. An in vitro MR phantom study was carried out to measure MR traceability of MR-E and to determine the concentration of PEG-SPIO for further studies. The microcatheter deliverability and sol-gel transition process of MR-E were investigated. MR-E was injected into the kidney of a Japanese white big ear rabbit via an angiographic microcatheter, and detected by MRI. RESULTS: A PEG-SPIO concentration of 2 g/L was considered to be suitable for further studies. MR-E was injected through the microcatheter without any difficulty. MR-E instantly solidified on release into saline. Then 0.2 mL of MR-E effectively embolized distal renal arteries, and MR-E could be detected by MRI in the embolized kidney. CONCLUSION: MR-E seems to be a promising MRI-traceable liquid embolic agent.

[Preparation and property study of doxorubicin loaded microspheres].

OBJECTIVE: To prepare doxorubicin-loaded polyvinylalcohol-acrylic acid (PVA-AA) microspheres and evaluate properties of this chemoembolic agent. METHODS: PVA-AA microspheres were synthesized by inverse suspension polymerization method and then verified by infrared spectroscopy. drug loading (DL) and entrapment efficiency (EE%) were measured after doxorubicinwas loaded on PVA-AA microspheres. Their morphology and elasticity were investigated by optical microscope, environmental scanning electron microscope and texture analyzer, respectively. T-cell apparatus was used to evaluate the in vitro release behavior of doxorubicin-loaded microspheres.The external carotid of the rabbit was chosen as an embolization site to evaluate the in vivo embolic property of the microspheres. RESULTS: PVA-AA microspheres, which were transparent spheres,turned into red spheres after doxorubicin loading. DL of the microspheres was (20.56 ± 0.69)g/L and (23.25 ± 0.27) g/L,and EE% was 82.22% ± 2.76% and 93.00% ± 1.06% within 20 min and 6 h, respectively. The in vitro release results showed a significantly delayed release of the drug for 10.32% ± 0.47% after 24 h. The Young's modulus was (178.30 ± 12.33) kPa and (213.29 ± 15.61) kPa for blank microspheres and doxorubicin-loaded microspheres, respectively. Both blank microspheres and doxorubicin-loaded microspheres exhibited good elasticity. In vivo embolization showed that 0.3 mL of microspheres could produce distal embolic efficiency. CONCLUSION: The doxorubicin-loaded microspheres are expected to be a promising new chemoembolic agent.

Aluminum corrosion-passivation regulation prolongs aqueous batteries life.

Aluminum current collectors are widely used in nonaqueous batteries owing to their cost-effectiveness, lightweightness, and ease of fabrication. However, they are excluded from aqueous batteries due to their severe corrosion in aqueous solutions. Here, we propose hydrolyzation-type anodic additives to form a robust passivation layer to suppress corrosion. These additives dramatically lower the corrosion current density of aluminum by nearly three orders of magnitude to ~10-6 A cm-2. In addition, realizing that electrochemical corrosion accompanies anode prelithiation, we propose a prototype of self-prolonging aqueous Li-ion batteries (Al ||LiMn2O4 ||TiO2), whose capacity retention rises from 49.5% to 70.1% after 200 cycles. A sacrificial aluminum electrode where electrochemical corrosion is utilized is introduced as an electron supplement to prolong the cycling life of aqueous batteries. Our work addresses the short-life issue of aqueous batteries resulting from the corrosion of the current collector and lithium loss from side reactions.

Loadability and Releasing Profiles In Vitro and Pharmacokinetics In Vivo of Vinorelbine and Raltitrexed by CalliSpheres Beads.

Background: This study investigated the loadability and releasing profiles of vinorelbine and raltitrexed from CalliSpheres® Beads (CB) in vitro, and further explored the pharmacokinetic features of vinorelbine and raltitrexed eluting CB in vivo. Materials and Methods: Ten milligrams vinorelbine and 0.2 mg raltitrexed were mixed with 0.15 g CB at two sizes (100-300 and 300-500 µm) for 24 h, respectively, to measure the loadability. Then vinorelbine/raltitrexed loading CBs were placed in 20% phosphate-buffered saline for 24 h to measure the release profiles. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with 1 mg vinorelbine eluting CBs (two sizes respectively) and transcatheter arterial hepatic infusion (TAI) with 1 mg vinorelbine were performed in 9 rabbits (3 rabbits in each group). The above experiments were repeated with 0.2 mg raltitrexed. Results: Vinorelbine loading efficiency quickly reached 90% within 10 min with maximum loadability >90% by CB with both two sizes, and vinorelbine release rate gradually increased to ∼100% within 1 h. Raltitrexed loading efficiency gradually increased to >40% within 15 min, then slowly increased to >60% within 24 h, with maximum loadability <70% by CB with both sizes, and raltitrexed release rate gradually increased to >90% within 1 h. Besides, vinorelbine/raltitrexed eluting CB showed greatly decreased maximum serum concentration (Cmax) of the drug compared with TAI in rabbits with similar area under the curve (0-t), mean residence time (0-t), and half-time (T1/2). Conclusion: CB exhibits good loadability and an acceptable releasing profile for eluting vinorelbine and raltitrexed, and shows lower Cmax and numerically stable concentration than TAI.

An Electric-Field-Reinforced Hydrophobic Cationic Sieve Lowers the Concentration Threshold of Water-In-Salt Electrolytes.

High-concentration water-in-salt (WIS) electrolytes expand the stable electrochemical window of aqueous electrolytes, leading to the advent of high-voltage (above 2 V) aqueous Li-ion batteries (ALIBs). However, the high lithium salt concentration electrolytes of ALIBs result in their high cost and deteriorate kinetic performance. Therefore, it is challenging for ALIBs to explore aqueous electrolytes with appropriate concentration to balance the electrochemical window and kinetic performance as well as the cost. In contrast to maintaining high concentrations of aqueous electrolytes (>20 m), a small number of hydrophobic cations are introduced to a much lower electrolyte concentration (13.8 m), and it is found that, compared with WIS electrolytes, ALIBs with these concentration-lowered electrolytes possess a compatible stable electrochemical window (3.23 V) and achieve better kinetic performance. These findings originate from the added cations, which form an electric-field-reinforced hydrophobic cationic sieve (HCS) that blocks water away from the anode and suppresses the hydrogen evolution reaction. Meanwhile, the lower electrolyte concentration provides significant benefits to ALIBs, including lower cost, better rate capability (lower viscosity of 18 cP and higher ionic conductivity of 22 mS cm-1 at 25 °C), and improved low-temperature performance (liquidus temperature of -10.18 °C).

Aqueous interphase formed by CO2 brings electrolytes back to salt-in-water regime.

Super-concentrated water-in-salt electrolytes make high-voltage aqueous batteries possible, but at the expense of high cost and several adverse effects, including high viscosity, low conductivity and slow kinetics. Here, we observe a concentration-dependent association between CO2 and TFSI anions in water that reaches maximum strength at 5 mol kg-1 LiTFSI. This TFSI-CO2 complex and its reduction chemistry allow us to decouple the interphasial responsibility of an aqueous electrolyte from its bulk properties, hence making high-voltage aqueous Li-ion batteries practical in dilute salt-in-water electrolytes. The CO2/salt-in-water electrolyte not only inherits the wide electrochemical stability window and non-flammability from water-in-salt electrolytes but also successfully circumvents the numerous disadvantages induced by excessive salt. This work represents a deviation from the water-in-salt pathway that not only benefits the development of practical aqueous batteries, but also highlights how the complex interactions between electrolyte components can be used to manipulate interphasial chemistry.

Development and evaluation of liquid embolic agents based on liquid crystalline material of glyceryl monooleate.

New type of liquid embolic agents based on a liquid crystalline material of glyceryl monooleate (GMO) was developed and evaluated in this study. Ternary phase diagram of GMO, water and ethanol was constructed and three isotropic liquids (ILs, GMO:ethanol:water=49:21:30, 60:20:20 and 72:18:10 (w/w/w)) were selected as potential liquid embolic agents, which could spontaneously form viscous gel cast when contacting with water or physiological fluid. The ILs exhibited excellent microcatheter deliverability due to low viscosity, and were proved to successfully block the saline flow when performed in a device to simulate embolization in vitro. The ILs also showed good cytocompatibility on L929 mouse fibroblast cell line. The embolization of ILs to rabbit kidneys was performed successfully under monitoring of digital subtraction angiography (DSA), and embolic degree was affected by the initial formulation composition and used volume. At 5th week after embolization, DSA and computed tomography (CT) confirmed the renal arteries embolized with IL did not recanalize in follow-up period, and an obvious atrophy of the embolized kidney was observed. Therefore, the GMO-based liquid embolic agents showed feasible and effective to embolize, and potential use in clinical interventional embolization therapy.

Rare anomalous origin of superior left pulmonary artery from left subclavian vein.

We report for the first time an extremely rare anomalous origin of the superior left pulmonary artery in a 60 year-old man. Although it was occult in clinical indications, such a malformation still ought to be considered, especially during endovascular procedures.

Research of novel biocompatible radiopaque microcapsules for arterial embolization.

Embolic agents, such as microparticles, microspheres or beads used in current embolotherapy are mostly radiolucent, which means the agents are invisible under X-ray imaging during and after the process of embolization, and the fate of these particles cannot be precisely assessed. In this research, a radiopaque embolic agent was developed by encapsulating lipiodol in polyvinyl alcohol. The lipiodol-containing polyvinyl alcohol microcapsules (LPMs) were characterized and evaluated for their morphology, size distribution, lipiodol content, lipiodol release, elasticity, and deliverability through catheter. The radiopacity of LPMs in vials and in living mice was both detected by an X-ray imaging system. The biocompatibility of LPMs was investigated with L929 cells and in mice after subcutaneous injection. Embolization of LPMs to a rabbit kidney was performed under digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and the radiopacity of LPMs was verified by computed tomography (CT).