A Novel Technology for Post-Treating of Porous Silicon Thick Films in H_2O_2

The solution of H 2O 2 is proposed to post-treat thick porous silicon (PS) films.The prepared PS film as the cathode is applied about 10mA/cm 2 current in mixture of ethanol,HF,and H 2O 2 solutions,which is expected to improve the stability and the smoothness of the surface and the mechanical property of the thick porous silicon films.The microstructure of the PS thick films with thicknesse of 20μm and 70μm has been studied.The SEM images show significant improved smoothness on surface of PS films,and XRD spectra suggest the formation of oxide layer after post-treating in H 2O 2.

Phase-stable wide-bandgap perovskites enabled by suppressed ion migration

Wide-bandgap(>1.7 eV)perovskites suffer from severe light-induced phase segregation due to high bromine content,causing irreversible damage to devices stability.However,the strategies of suppressing photoinduced phase segregation and related mechanisms have not been fully disclosed.Here,we report a new passivation agent 4-aminotetrahydrothiopyran hydrochloride(4-ATpHCl)with multifunctional groups for the interface treatment of a 1.77-eV wide-bandgap perovskite film.4-ATpH^(+)impeded halogen ion migration by anchoring on the perovskite surface,leading to the inhibition of phase segregation and thus the passivation of defects,which is ascribed to the interaction of 4-ATpH^(+)with perovskite and the formation of low-dimensional perovskites.Finally,the champion device achieved an efficiency of 19.32%with an open-circuit voltage(V_(OC))of 1.314 V and a fill factor of 83.32%.Moreover,4-ATpHCl modified device exhibited significant improved stability as compared with control one.The target device maintained 80%of its initial efficiency after 519 h of maximum power output(MPP)tracking under 1 sun illumination,however,the control device showed a rapid decrease in efficiency after 267 h.Finally,an efficiency of 27.38%of the champion 4-terminal all-perovskite tandem solar cell was achieved by mechanically stacking this wide-bandgap top subcell with a 1.25-eV low-bandgap perovskite bottom subcell.

Highly efficient solution-processed CZTSSe solar cells based on a convenient sodium-incorporated post-treatment method

In CZTSSe solar cells,a simple sodium-incorporation post-treatment method toward solution-processed Cu2Zn Sn S4precursor films is presented in this work.An ultrathin NaCl film is deposited on Cu2Zn Sn S4precursor films by spin-coating NaCl solution.In subsequent selenization process,the introduction of Na Cl is found to be benefacial for the formation of Cu2-xSe,which can further facilitate the element transportation,leading to dense and smooth CZTSSe films with large grains and less impurity Cu2Sn(S,Se)3phase.SIMS depth profiles confirm the gradient distribution of the sodium element in Na-doped absorbers.Photoluminescence spectra show that the introduction of appropriate sodium into the absorber can inhibit the band tail states.As high as 11.18% of power conversion efficiency(PCE)is achieved for the device treated with 5 mg mL^-1 NaCl solution,and an average efficiency of Na-doped devices is 10.71%,13%higher than that of the control groups(9.45%).Besides,the depletion width and the charge recombination lifetime can also have regular variation with sodium treatment.This work offers an easy modification method for high-quality Na-doped CZTSSe films and high-performance devices,in the meantime,it can also help to further understand the effects of sodium in CZTSSe solar cells.

Curcumin pretreatment and post-treatment both improve the antioxidative ability of neurons with oxygen-glucose deprivation

Recent studies have shown that induced expression of endogenous antioxidative enzymes thr- ough activation of the antioxidant response element/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） pathway may be a neuroprotective strategy. In this study, rat cerebral cortical neurons cultured in vitro were pretreated with 10 ktM curcumin or post-treated with 5 pM curcumin, respectively before or after being subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation for 24 hours. Both pretreatment and post-treatment resulted in a significant decrease of cell injury as indicated by propidium iodide/Hoechst 33258 staining, a prominent increase of Nrf2 protein expression as indicated by western blot analysis, and a remarkable increase of protein expression and enzyme activity in whole cell lysates of thioredoxin before ischemia, after ischemia, and after reoxygenation. In addition, post-treatment with curcumin inhibited early DNA/RNA oxidation as indicated by immunocytochemistry and increased nuclear Nrf2 protein by inducing nuclear accumulation of Nrf2. These findings suggest that curcumin activates the expression of thi- oredoxin, an antioxidant protein in the Nrf2 pathway, and protects neurons from death caused by oxygen-glucose deprivation in an in vitro model of ischemia/reperfusion. We speculate that pharmacologic stimulation of antioxidant gene expression may be a promising approach to neu- roprotection after cerebral ischemia.

Comparison of pre-treatment and post-treatment use of selenium in retinal ischemia reperfusion injury

AIM: To investigate the effects of selenium in rat retinal ischemia reperfusion(IR) model and compare pretreatment and post-treatment use.METHODS: Selenium pre-treatment group(n =8) was treated with intraperitoneal(i.p.) selenium 0.5 mg/kg for7 d and terminated 24 h after the IR injury. Selenium posttreatment group( n = 8) was treated with i. p. selenium0.5 mg/kg for 7d after the IR injury with termination at the end of the 7d period. Sham group(n =8) received i.p.saline injections identical to the selenium volume for 7d with termination 24 h after the IR injury. Control group(n =8) received no intervention. Main outcome measures were retina superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione(GSH),total antioxidant status(TAS), malondialdehyde(MDA),DNA fragmentation levels, and immunohistological apoptosis evaluation.RESULTS: Compared to the Sham group, selenium pre-treatment had a statistical difference in all parameters except SOD. Post-treatment selenium also resulted in statistical differences in all parameters except the MDA levels. When comparing selenium groups, the pre-treatment selenium group had a statistically higher success in reduction of markers of cell damage such as MDA and DNA fragmentation. In contrast, the post-selenium treatment group had resulted in statisticallyhigher levels of GSH. Histologically both selenium groups succeeded to limit retinal thickening and apoptosis. Pre-treatment use was statistically more successful in decreasing apoptosis in ganglion cell layer compared to post-treatment use.CONCLUSION: Selenium was successful in retinal protection in IR injuries. Pre-treatment efficacy was superior in terms of prevention of tissue damage and apoptosis.

Influence of the post-treatment of HZSM-5 zeolite on catalytic performance for alkylation of benzene with methanol

The porous material HZSM-5 zeolite with micro-mesopore hierarchical porosity was prepared by post-treatment （combined alkali treatment and acid leaching） of parent zeolite and its catalytic performance for benzene alkylation with methanol was investigated. The effect of post-treatment on the textural properties was characterized by various techniques （including ICP-AES, XRD, nitrogen sorption isotherms, SEM, NH3-TPD, Py-IR and TG）. The results indicated that the post-treatment could modify the structural and acidic properties of HZSM-5 zeolite. In this procedure, not only additional mesopores were created by selective extraction of silicon but also the acidity was tuned. Consequently, the modified HZSM-5 zeolite showed larger external surface area with less acid sites as compared to the parent zeolite. It was found out that the modified zeolite exhibited a higher benzene conversion and xylene selectivity for alkylation of benzene with methanol as well as excellent life span of the catalyst than conventional ones. This can be explained by the facts that the presence of additional mesopores improved the diffusion property in the reactions. Furthermore, the modified zeolite showed an appropriate Bronsted acidity for effective suppression of the side reaction of methanol to olefins, thus reduced the accumulation of coke on the HZSM-5 zeolite, which was favorable for the catalyst stability. In comparison with the parent HZSM-5 zeolite, the modified zeolite by alkali treatment and acid leaching showed better performance for the benzene alkylation with methanol.

Effect of Post-Treatment Conditions on the Inactivation of MS2 Bacteriophage as Indicator for Pathogenic Viruses after the Composting Process

A rural model composting toilet system still had some pathogens in the compost after months of operation and hence requires a post-treatment. The aim of the study was to sanitize compost withdrawn from the composting toilet by setting post-treatment conditions. The kinetics inactivation of MS2 bacteriophage, selected as indicator for pathogenic viruses were determined during post-treatment at different temperatures (30°C, 40°C and 50°C) with varying moisture contents (50%, 60% and 70%). As a result, the inactivation rates during the post-treatment were 0.093 - 0.020 h-1, 0.025 - 0.088 h1, 0.447 - 0.100 h-1 at 30°C, 40°C and 50°C respectively. The inactivation rate coefficient (k) values of MS2 bacteriophage depended on higher temperature but not on moisture content.

Post-treatment of TS-1 with Mixtures of TPAOH and Ammonium Salts and the Catalytic Properties in Propylene Epoxidation

TS-1/SiO_2 extrudate was post-treated with mixed solution of tetrapropyl ammonium hydroxide(TPAOH)and various ammonium salts solution(NH_4F,(NH_4)_3PO_4,(NH_4)_2CO_3,(NH_4)_2SO_4,NH_4CH_3CO_2,NH_4NO_3,NH_4Cl and(NH_4)_2TiF_6).The obtained hierarchical TS-1 catalysts were characterized by many techniques and tested for propylene epoxidation using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant in a fixed-bed reactor.It was shown that the physicochemical and catalytic properties of the treated TS-1/SiO_2 extrudate depended on the types of ammonium salts added.Compared to the treatment with TPAOH alone,the treatment with a mixed solution of TPAOH and some ammonium salts can greatly improve the catalytic properties of the treated TS-1/SiO_2 extrudate.Some of these ammonium salts were favorable for the incorporation of titanium in the framework,and the beneficial effect depended on the types of ammonium salt.TS-1/SiO_2 extrudate treated with a mixed solution of TPAOH and(NH_4)_3PO_4 exhibited the highest catalyst stability in propylene epoxidation.Such catalytic property can be correlated to high crystallinity,more framework titanium,large specific surface area and large external surface area.

Heat Post-Treatment to Reduce Thickness Swelling of Particleboard from Fast-Growing Poplars

According to the high thickness swelling and low dimensional stability of Poplars particleboard, this paper studied the effect of heat post-treatment on the board properties. The results indicated that the post-treatment could be a very effective way to produce dimensinaly stable fast-growing poplars particleboard. The thickness swelling of the board decreased with increasing the time and temperatures of post-heat treatment. So under190℃, being treated for 15 min., the total thickness swelling (TS1) of the board was 8.96%, reduced by 22.88%. The irreversible thickness swelling (TS2) was also reduced with the post-treatment of 190 ℃ or 220℃; The reversible thickness swelling (TS3) was not signifcantly changed when the time of treatment increased up to 25 min. under 190℃.

Post-treatments of Super Absorbent Polymer

Properties of high absorbency and modulus (gel strength) were both needed in applications of superabsorbent polymer (SAP). Generally, the absorption characteristic and gel strength reach a crossover point for a given system. Beyond this point, a given property will show improvement at the expense of another property. To synthesize SAP with properties superior to this optimum value, further modification in the process becomes essential. In our post-treatment modification of superabsorbent polymer, neither the variety of the crosslinkers, nor their amount was found the effective factors to the polymer performance, but the liquor ratio of the treating liquid to polymer. The combination of the chemical treating and heat-treating method was also explored. But this didn’t put any positive effect on SAP’s properties.

Method for determining the sliding-friction coefficient of the aluminum-zincplated post-treatment plate

With reference to the testing standard ASTM D1894,the sliding-friction coefficient of the aluminumzinc-plated post-treatment plate was measured.To reduce the detection error in practical applications,a correction factor is proposed.Although the test results showed that the relative standard deviation of the friction coefficient of the aluminum-zinc-plated post-treatment plate was 12.1%indicating that the test results experienced a certain fluctuation,it can nevertheless be used as an internal factory-controlled test method.At the same time,problems were encountered with respect to sample contact,sample edge burr,and sample surface contamination.However,measures can be taken to reduce the impact of these factors.

Effects of microwave post-treatments on leaching resistance of ACQ-D treated Chinese fir

In order to improve the leaching resistance of active ingredient-copper in ammoniacal copper quat-type D （ACQ-D） treated Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata Hook.）, microwave post-treatments were carried out. The percentages of leached copper from ACQ-D treated Chinese fir with different microwave post-treatments were obtained after leaching tests by analyzing the copper retention in treated wood. The fixation mechanism of copper in the treated wood was determined with the help of SEM and FTIR spectra, while the valence conversion of copper after microwave post-treatments was studied by UV spectroscopy. Our experimental results show that the percentage of leached copper was reduced significantly after microwave post-treatment over time. This development was reinforced by allowing even more time for the treatment as well as with an increase in the power of microwave post-treatment. The leaching resistance of copper in wrapped samples was better than that in unwrapped samples, which is attributed to the combined effects of temperature and moisture content. Compared with air-dried samples, the valence conversion in the samples with microwave post-treatments changed slightly, which demonstrates that microwave post-treatments cannot impair the natural decay resistance of ACQ-D treated wood. SEM and FTIR spectra showed the presence of crystal particles formed by chemical reactions between copper and wood ingredients in wood cell walls and wood pits. Only a small amount of copper reacted with cellulose, while lignin and hemicellulose were the major bonding sites for copper in wood. Given the experimental results of mechanical properties, microwave post-treatments had a slight effect on the compression strength parallel to the grain and on the erystallinity of ACQ-D treated Chinese fir.

Potential role of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides in glaucoma management:evidence from preclinical in vivo studies

In recent years,the pharmacological benefits of herbal extracts have been revisited for their potential neuroprotective effects in glaucoma.The polysaccharides extracted from the fruits of Lycium barbarum L.,or Lycium barbarum polysaccharides,exert their anti-aging effect through reducing oxidative stress,modulating the immune response,enhancing neuronal responses,and promoting cytoprotection.The therapeutic efficacy of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides in preserving retinal ganglion cells and their functions was demonstrated in a range of experimental models of optic neuropathies.These include the acute and chronic ocular hypertension models,the partial optic nerve transection model,and the ischemic-reperfusion injuries model.Based on these findings,Lycium barbarum polysaccharides appear to be a good candidate to be developed as a neuroprotective agent for treating multifactorial diseases.This review aims to present a comprehensive review on the latest preclinical evidence on the pre-and post-treatment benefits of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides in retinal ganglion cell neuroprotection.The possible mechanisms of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides mediating retinal ganglion cell neuroprotection will also be described.Moreover,the potential research gaps in the effective translation of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides treatment into clinical glaucoma management will be discussed.

Efect of Micro Abrasive Slurry Jet Polishing on Properties of Coated Cemented Carbide Tools

Owing to the popularization of coating technology, physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coated tools have become indispensable in the cutting process. Additionally, the post-treatment of coated tools applied to industrial production can efectively enhance the surface quality of coating. To improve the processing performance of coated tools, micro abrasive slurry jet (MASJ) polishing technology is frst applied to the post-treatment of coated tools. Subsequently, the efects of process parameters on the surface quality and cutting thickness of coating are investigated via single-factor experiments. In the experiment, the best surface roughness is obtained by setting the working pressure to 0.4 MPa, particle size to 3 μm, incidence angle to 30°, and abrasive mass concentration to 100 g/L. Based on the results of the single-factor experiments, combination experiments are designed, and three types of coated tools with diferent surface qualities and coating thicknesses are obtained. The MASJ process for the post-treatment of coated tools is investigated based on a tool wear experiment and the efects of cutting parameters on the cutting force and workpiece surface quality of three types of cutting tools. The result indicates that MASJ machining can efectively improve the machining performance of coated tools.

Association of post.treatment hypoalbuminemia and survival in Chinese patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Background:Hypoalbuminemia adversely affects the clinical outcomes of various cancers.The purpose of this study was to estimate the prognostic value of hypoalbuminemia 3-5 weeks after treatment in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma(mRCC) who received sorafenib or sunitinib as first-line treatment.Methods:In this single-center,retrospective study,we assessed the progression-free survival(PFS) and overall survival(OS) of 184 mRCC patients who received first-line sorafenib or sunitinib treatment.PFS and OS were compared between patients with post-treatment hypoalbuminemia(post-treatment albumin level <36.4 g/L) and those with normal post-treatment albumin level(albumin level≥36.4 g/L).The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center(MSKCC)risk model stratified mRCC patients into three risk categories.Prognostic values of all patient characteristics including MSKCC risk category were determined by using univariate and multivariate Cox regression models.Prognostic value was further determined using the Harrell concordance index and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.Results:The median PFS and OS of the 184 patients were 11 months(95%confidence interval[CI]9-12 months)and 23 months(95%CI 19-33 months),respectively.Patients with post-treatment hypoalbuminemia had significantly shorter median PFS(6 months[95%CI 5-7 months]) and OS(11 months[95%CI 9-15 months]) than patients who had normal post-treatment albumin levels(PFS:12 months[95%CI 11-16 months],P < 0.001;OS:31 months[95%CI24-42 months],P < 0.001),respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that post-treatment hypoalbuminemia was an independent predictor of PFS(hazard ratio[HR],2.113;95%CI 1.390-3.212;P < 0.001) and OS(HR,2.388;95%CI 1.591-3.585;P < 0.001).Post-treatment hypoalbuminemia could also be combined with the MSKCC risk category for better prediction about OS.The model that included post-treatment hypoalbuminemia and MSKCC risk category improved the predictive accuracy for PFS and OS(c-index:0.68 and 0.73,respectively) compared with the basic MSKCC risk model(c-index:0.67 and 0.70,respectively).The prognostic values for PFS and OS of the integrated MSKCC risk model involving post-treatment hypoalbuminemia were significantly more accurate than the basic MSKCC risk model using likelihood ratio analysis(both P < 0.001).Conclusions:Post-treatment hypoalbuminemia can be considered an independent prognostic factor for patients with mRCC who undergo first-line treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.Additionally,integrating post-treatment serum albumin level into the basic MSKCC risk model can improve the accuracy of this model in predicting patient overall survival and progression-free survival.

Residual solvent extraction via chemical displacement for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Solvent residue is inevitable to occur in solution processed thin films,but its influence on the thin film quality has not been identified and addressed to date.Methylammonium acetate(MAAc)ionic liquid has recently been realized as an environmentally friendly solvent for solution processed perovskites.The specific high viscosity,low vapor pressure and strong association with perovskite precursor of the MAAc solvent is a double-edged sword,which endowed an advantageously ambient air operational and anti-solvent free perovskite deposition,but the MAAc is likely to be retained within the film and bring in detrimental effects on device performance of the corresponding solar cells.Herein,we reported a novel route to eliminate the residual solvent via a facial hydrochloric acid(HCl)annealing post-treatment(HAAP).In particular,chemical displacement reaction between the incorporated HCl and residual MAAc can be initiated to form volatile MACl and HAc,efficiently extracting MAAc residue.In the meanwhile,the stimulated mass transport via downward penetration and upward escape can trigger secondary perovskite growth with enlarged grain size and smoothened surface,leading to reduced defect state and improved interfacial contact intimacy,and also partial chloride ions are able to enter the crystal lattice to stabilize perovskite phase structure.As a result,a champion efficiency up to20.78%originating from enhanced Voc was achieved,and more than 96%of its initial efficiency can be maintained after 1000 h shelf-storage.

A new method of preparing high-performance high-entropy alloys through high-gravity combustion synthesis

A new method of high-gravity combustion synthesis(HGCS)followed by post-treatment(PT)is reported for preparing high-performance high-entropy alloys(HEAs),Cr0.9FeNi2.5V0.2Al0.5 alloy,whereby cheap thermite powder is used as the raw material.In this process,the HEA melt and the ceramic melt are rapidly formed by a strong exothermic combustion synthesis reaction and completely separated under a high-gravity field.Then,the master alloy is obtained after cooling.Subsequently,the master alloy is sequentially subjected to conventional vacuum arc melting(VAM),homogenization treatment,cold rolling,and annealing treatment to realize a tensile strength,yield strength,and elongation of 1250 MPa,1075 MPa,and 2.9%,respectively.The present method is increasingly attractive due to its low cost of raw materials and the intermediate product obtained without high-temperature heating.Based on the calculation of phase separation kinetics in the high-temperature melt,it is expected that the final alloys with high performance can be prepared directly across master alloys with higher high-gravity coefficients.

Lithium-assisted synergistic engineering of charge transport both in GBs and GI for Ag-substituted Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells

Although silver(Ag) substitution offers several benefits in eliminating bulk defects and facilitating interface type inversion for Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4(CZTSSe) photovoltaic(PV) technology, its further development is still hindered by the fairly low electrical conductivity due to the significant decrease of acceptors amount.In this work, a versatile Li–Ag co-doping strategy is demonstrated to mitigate the poor electrical conductivity arising from Ag through direct incorporating Li via postdeposition treatment(PDT) on top of the Ag-substituted CZTSSe absorber. Depth characterizations demonstrate that Li incorporation increases ptype carrier concentration, improves the carrier collection within the bulk, reduces the defects energy level as well as inverts the electric field polarity at grain boundaries(GBs) for Ag-substituted CZTSSe system. Benefiting from this lithium-assisted complex engineering of electrical performance both in grain interior(GI) and GBs, the power conversion efficiency(PCE) is finally increased from 9.21% to 10.29%. This systematic study represents an effective way to overcome the challenges encountered in Ag substitution,and these findings support a new aspect that the synergistic effects of double cation dopant will further pave the way for the development of high efficiency kesterite PV technology.

Serial Brain Positron Emission Tomography Fused to Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Post-Infectious and Autoantibody-Associated Autoimmune Encephalitis

Serial positron emission tomography fused to magnetic resonance imaging showed progression of GAD65 autoimmune encephalitis.

Crossed intergrowth triggered TS-2 microsphere:Formation mechanism,modification and catalytic performance

TS-2 microspheres,consisting of intergrown primary nanocrystals,was prepared by controlling the synthetic parameters.The effects of the amount of quaternary ammonium cations as structure-directing agent,H2O/Si ratio,the presence of alcohol and the temperature were carefully investigated on the crystallization process.The high alkalinity was proved to be highly important for the preservation of the microsphere morphology initially formed,due to the unique intergrown stacking style.An alkali treatment with the aqueous solution of structure-directing agent,organic amine and ammonium salt and subsequent Na+ion-exchange were performed to enhance the catalytic activity of TS-2 microsphere in the cyclohexanone ammoximation reactions,with both the conversion and selectivity higher than 99%.In the continuous reaction,the TS-2 microspheres exhibited to be durable catalyst with potential application in industrial ammoximation processes.