Electrochemically-induced highly reactive PdO^(*) interface on modulated mesoporous MOF-derived Co_(3)O_(4) support for selective ethanol electro-oxidation

Herein,Pd nanoparticles loaded Co_(3)O_(4)catalysts(Pd@Co_(3)O_(4))are constructed from zeolitic imidazolate framework-67(ZIF-67)for the ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR).It is demonstrated for the first time that the electrochemical conversion of Co_(3)O_(4)support would result in the charge distribution alignment at the Pd/Co_(3)O_(4)interface and induce the formation of highly reactive Pd-O species(PdO^(*)),which can further catalyze the consequent reactions of the intermediates of the ethanol oxidation.The catalyst,Pd@Co_(3)O_(4)-450,obtained under the optimized conditions exhibits excellent EOR performance with a high mass activity of 590 mA mg-1,prominent operational stability,and extraordinary capability for the electro-oxidation of acetaldehyde intermediates.Importantly,the detailed mechanism investigation reveals that Pd@Co_(3)O_(4)-450 could be benefit to the C-C bond cleavage to promote the desirable C1 pathway for the ethanol oxidation reaction.The present strategy based on the metal-support interaction of the catalyst might provide valuable inspiration for the design of high-performing catalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction.

Restructuring of 4H Phase Au Nanowires and its Catalytic Behavior toward CO Electro-oxidation

Au nanowires in 4H crystalline phase(4H Au NWs)are synthesized by colloid solution methods.The crys-talline phase and surface structure as well as its performance toward electrochemical oxidation of CO be-fore and after removing adsorbed oleylamine molecules(OAs)intro-duced from its synthesis are evaluat-ed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HR-TEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),underpoten-tial deposition of Pb(Pb-upd)and cyclic voltammetry.Different methods,i.e.acetic acid cleaning,electrochemical oxidation cleaning,and diethylamine replacement,have been tried to remove the adsorbed OAs.For all methods,upon the removal of the adsorbed OAs,the morphology of 4H gold nanoparticles is found to gradually change from nanowires to large dumbbell-shaped nanoparticles,accompanying with a transition from the 4H phase to the face-centered cubic phase.On the other hand,the Pb-upd results show that the sample sur-faces have almost the same facet composition before and after removal of the adsorbed OAs.After electrochemical cleaning with continuous potential scans up to 1.3 V,CO electro-oxida-tion activity of the 4H Au sample is significantly improved.The CO electro-oxidation activi-ty is compared with results on the three basel Au single crystalline surfaces reported in the lit-erature,possible origins for its enhancement are discussed.

Efficacy of fexuprazan compared with rebamipide in Korean patients with gastritis:A matching-adjusted indirect comparison

BACKGROUND Gastritis is one of the most frequently diagnosed diseases requiring medical treatment in South Korea.Fexuprazan,a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker,has been approved for treating gastritis and erosive esophagitis.Meanwhile,rebamipide is the most commonly used mucoprotective agent for acute and chronic gastritis in real-world settings in South Korea.However,there have been no studies comparing the efficacy of these two drugs yet.AIM To compare the efficacy of fexuprazan with that of rebamipide for acute and chronic gastritis.METHODS This was a matching-adjusted indirect comparison.Individual patient data from a phase III study of fexuprazan(10 mg BID)were compared with cumulative data from two matching studies of rebamipide(100 mg TID).Erosion improvement and healing rates were compared between two weeks of fexurapan,two weeks of rebamipide,and four weeks of rebamipide.The two main outcome variables were presented as percentages,and the risk differences(RD)and 95%confidence intervals(CI)were calculated for the relative treatment effects.RESULTS In the primary analysis,the erosion improvement and healing rates after a twoweek treatment with fexuprazan were 64.5%and 53.2%,respectively,while a twoweek treatment with rebamipide resulted in erosion improvement and healing rates of 43.6%(RD:21.0%;95%CI:9.6-32.3;P<0.01)and 35.6%(RD:17.6%;95%CI:6.1-29.2;P=0.003),respectively.In the additional analysis,the erosion improvement and healing rates for the two-week fexuprazan treatment(64.2%and 51.2%,respectively)were similar to those obtained during a four-week treatment with rebamipide(60.6%;RD:3.6%;95%CI:-9.8,17.0;P=0.600 and 53.5%;RD:-2.3%;95%CI:-16.1,11.5;P=0.744,respectively).CONCLUSION The two-week fexuprazan treatment was superior to the two-week rebamipide treatment and similar to the fourweek rebamipide treatment for patients with gastritis.

Indirect neutron radiography experiment on dummy nuclear fuel rods for pressurized water reactors at CMRR

Nuclear energy is a vital source of clean energy that will continue to play an essential role in global energy production for future generations.Nuclear fuel rods are core components of nuclear power plants,and their safe utilization is paramount.Due to its inherent high radioactivity,indirect neutron radiography(INR)is currently the only viable technology for irradiated nuclear fuel rods in the field of energy production.This study explores the experimental technique of indirect neutron computed tomography(INCT)for radioactive samples.This project includes the development of indium and dysprosium conversion screens of different thicknesses and conducts resolution tests to assess their performance.Moreover,pressurized water reactor(PWR)dummy nuclear fuel rods have been fabricated by self-developing substitute materials for cores and outsourcing of mechanical processing.Experimental research on the INR is performed using the developed dummy nuclear fuel rods.The sparse reconstruction technique is used to reconstruct the INR results of 120 pairs of dummy nuclear fuel rods at different angles,achieving a resolution of 0.8 mm for defect detection using INCT.

Behavior of exciton in direct−indirect band gap Al_(x)Ga_(1−x)As crystal lattice quantum wells

Excitons have significant impacts on the properties of semiconductors.They exhibit significantly different properties when a direct semiconductor turns in to an indirect one by doping.Huybrecht variational method is also found to influence the study of exciton ground state energy and ground state binding energy in Al_(x)Ga_(1−x)As semiconductor spherical quantum dots.The Al_(x)Ga_(1−x)As is considered to be a direct semiconductor at AI concentration below 0.45,and an indirect one at the concentration above 0.45.With regards to the former,the ground state binding energy increases and decreases with AI concentration and eigenfrequency,respectively;however,while the ground state energy increases with AI concentration,it is marginally influenced by eigenfrequency.On the other hand,considering the latter,while the ground state binding energy increases with AI concentration,it decreases with eigenfrequency;nevertheless,the ground state energy increases both with AI concentration and eigenfrequency.Hence,for the better practical performance of the semiconductors,the properties of the excitons are suggested to vary by adjusting AI concentration and eigenfrequency.

Omental fibroma combined with right indirect inguinal hernia masquerades as a scrotal tumor: A case report

BACKGROUND The most common causes of scrotal enlargement in patients include primary tumor of the scrotum,inflammation,hydrocele of the tunica vaginalis,and indirect inguinal hernia;scrotal enlargement caused by external tumors of the scrotum is rare.The patient had both a greater omentum tumor and an inguinal hernia,and the tumor protruded into the scrotum through the hernia sac,which is even rarer.Moreover,omental tumors are mostly metastatic,and primary omental fibroma is rare.CASE SUMMARY Here,we report a rare case of a 25-year-old young man with scrotal enlargement and pain for 3 months.Preoperative examination and multidisciplinary discu-ssions considered intra-abdominal tumor displacement and inguinal hernia,and intraoperative exploration confirmed that the greater omentum tumor protruded into the scrotum.Therefore,tumor resection and tension-free inguinal hernia repair were performed.The final diagnosis was benign fibroma of the greater omentum accompanied by an indirect inguinal hernia.CONCLUSION This unusual presentation of a common inguinal hernia disease illustrates the necessity of performing detailed history taking,physical examination,and imaging before surgery.

Fracture propagation and evolution law of indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams

Indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams has been demonstrated to be a feasible technology.In this work,the No.5 coal seam in the Hancheng block was taken as the research object.Based on the findings of true triaxial hydraulic fracturing experiments and field pilot under this technology and the cohesive element method,a 3D numerical model of indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams was established,the fracture morphology propagation and evolution law under different conditions was investigated,and analysis of main controlling factors of fracture parameters was conducted with the combination weight method,which was based on grey incidence,analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight method.The results show that“士”-shaped fractures,T-shaped fractures,cross fractures,H-shaped fractures,and“干”-shaped fractures dominated by horizontal fractures were formed.Different parameter combinations can form different fracture morphologies.When the coal seam permeability is lower and the minimum horizontal principal stress difference between layers and fracturing fluid injection rate are both larger,it tends to form“士”-shaped fractures.When the coal seam permeability and minimum horizontal principal stress between layers and perforation position are moderate,cross fractures are easily generated.Different fracture parameters have different main controlling factors.Engineering factors of perforation location,fracturing fluid injection rate and viscosity are the dominant factors of hydraulic fracture shape parameters.This study can provide a reference for the design of indirect fracturing in the roof of broken soft coal seams.

Experimental Study and Thermal Modelling of Cocoa Shell Convective Drying in an Indirect Solar Dryer

The concern of the present work is the convective drying of empty cocoa shells in an indirect solar dryer. Some drying experiments, using one sample, were carried out. During the experiments, the sample is introduced in the drying chamber. Then at steady time intervals, the sample is withdrawn from the drying chamber, for a rapid weighing. After each weighing, the sample is reintroduced in the dryer. At each time interval, the ambient temperature of the drying chamber and its relative humidity γ are measured by a thermo-hygrometer. From the experimental data, a theoretical determination of the moisture evaporated from the product was performed and a good agreement was found between the theoretical and experimental values, confirmed by the value of the RMSE. Those calculations used the constants in the Nusselt number found in literature. Then those constants were evaluated again, to get new values more suitable with the experimental data. The dimensionless numbers of Nusselt, Grashof and Prandtl were calculated. That allowed the calculation of the average value of the Nusselt number. The average convective heat transfer coefficient was determined.

Factors that influence the results of indirect decompression employing oblique lumbar interbody fusion

BACKGROUND Indirect decompression is one of the potential benefits of anterior reconstruction in patients with spinal stenosis.On the other hand,the reported rate of revision surgery after indirect decompression highlights the necessity of working out prediction models for the radiographic results of indirect decompression with assessing their clinical relevance.AIM To assess factors that influence radiographic and clinical results of the indirect decompression in patients with stenosis of the lumbar spine.METHODS This study is a single-center cross-sectional evaluation of 80 consecutive patients(17 males and 63 females)with lumbar spinal stenosis combined with the instability of the lumbar spinal segment.Patients underwent single level or bisegmental spinal instrumentation employing oblique lumbar interbody fusion(OLIF)with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation.Radiographic results of the indirect decompression were assessed using computerized tomography,while MacNab scale was used to assess clinical results.RESULTS After indirect decompression employing anterior reconstruction using OLIF,the statistically significant increase in the disc space height,vertebral canal square,right and left lateral canal depth were detected(Р<0.0001).The median(M)relative vertebral canal square increase came toМ=24.5%with 25%-75%quartile border(16.3%;33.3%)if indirect decompression was achieved by restoration of the segment height.In patients with the reduction of the upper vertebrae slip,the median of the relative increase in vertebral canal square accounted for 49.5%with 25%-75%quartile border(2.35;99.75).Six out of 80 patients(7.5%)presented with unsatisfactory results because of residual nerve root compression.The critical values for lateral recess depth and vertebral canal square that were associated with indirect decompression failure were 3 mm and 80 mm2 respectively.CONCLUSION Indirect decompression employing anterior reconstruction is achieved by the increase in disc height along the posterior boarder and reduction of the slipped vertebrae in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis.Vertebral canal square below 80 mm2 and lateral recess depth less than 3 mm are associated with indirect decompression failures that require direct microsurgical decompression.

Analysis of Standards and Effects of Police Indirect Court of Human Rights——Taking“Akbay and Others v.Germany”as an Example

The European Court of Human Rights(ECtHR)has ruled that illegal indirect entrapment must meet three criteria simultaneously.This mixed standard requires that the previous direct entrapment violates the“essentially passive,”subsequent indirect entrapment satisfies the“reasonable foreseeability,”and police entrapment of secondary defendants to commit crimes is considered“decisive.”The legal consequences of indirect entrapment are distinguished between general indirect entrapment and illegal indirect entrapment.The basic position of the ECtHR on the consequences of illegal indirect entrapment has shifted from supporting mitigating penalties to recognizing procedural dismissal,and general indirect entrapment is considered a mitigating factor in sentencing.Against the backdrop of increasing internationalization of criminal justice standards,the above criteria and positions have strong implications for the improvement of relevant rules in China.

Indirect Electroanalysis of 3-Methyl-4-Nitrophenol in Water Using Carbon Fiber Microelectrode Modified with Nickel Tetrasulfonated Phthalocyanine Complex

Electrochemical detection of 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol (MNP) in direct phenol oxidation occurs at high potentials and generally leads to progressive passivation of the electrochemical sensor. This study describes the use of a carbon fiber microelectrode modified with a tetrasulfonated nickel phthalocyanine complex for the detection of MNP at a lower potential than that of direct phenol oxidation. The MNP voltammogram showed the presence of an anodic peak at -0.11 V vs SCE, corresponding to the oxidation of the hydroxylamine group generated after the reduction of the nitro group. The effect of buffer pH on the peak current and SWV parameters such as frequency, scan increment, and pulse amplitude were studied and optimized to have better electrochemical response of the proposed sensor. With these optimal parameters, the calibration curve shows that the peak current varied linearly as a function of MNP concentration, leading to a limit of detection (LoD) of 1.1 μg/L. These results show an appreciable sensitivity of the sensor for detecting the MNP at relatively low potentials, making it possible to avoid passivation phenomena.

Electro-oxidation of Ascorbic Acid on PVP-stabilized Graphene Electrode

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-stabilized graphene（PVP-graphene） was synthesized and investigated as a modifier for the determination of ascorbic acid（AA）. With PVP acting as stabilizer and dispersant, the resulting PVP-graphene material could disperse well into water. And the PVP-graphene modified glassy carbon electrode（PVP-graphene-GCE） showed an obvious electrocatalytical activity toward the oxidation of AA in a phosphate buffer solution（PBS, pH=7.0） with an oxidation potential of AA at 0.052 V vs. AglAgCl（sat. KCl）. The calibration curve for APt was linear in a concentration range from 1.0×10^-5 to 5.0×10^-4 mol/L with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998. And the detection limit was found to be 1 μtmol/L. During the oxidation of AA, the π-π interaction of graphene plane with conjugated hexenoic aeid-lactone in AA molecules might play a key role. As a result, an obvious decrease of overpotential was achieved at such a PVP-graphene electrode through a possible adsorption/enrichment process, which will probably trigger potential applications for the electroanalysis of some aromatic and heterocyclic compounds.

Electro-oxidation process for molybdenum concentrates

Sodium hypochlorite was used to treat the standard molybdenum concentrates; the oxidization conditions for sodium hypochlorite were investigated, and the electro-oxidation process was performed. The results indicate that in the suitable conditions, such as temperature around 25℃, NaCl concentration 4.0mol/L, mass ratio of ore slurry liquid to solid （mL/mS） 20, electric charge per gram Mo 0.522C, pH value of original slurry 8, anodic current density 700A·m-2 （cell potential 2.72.9V）, the Mo leaching rate and the current efficiency reach 98% and 36%, respectively. In order to overcome some shortages of the electro-oxidation process, such as low current efficiency, low Mo concentration in the leaching solution, ultrasonic was adopted to intensify the leaching process. The results show that the Mo leaching rate exceeds 98%, current efficiency increases from 36% to 50% and the Mo concentration in the leaching solution reaches about 60g/L at low mL/mS of 8 and low electric charge of 0.373C.

Self-Decoration of PtNi Alloy Nanoparticles on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes for Highly Efficient Methanol Electro-Oxidation

A simple one-pot method was developed to prepare Pt Ni alloy nanoparticles,which can be self-decorated on multiwalled carbon nanotubes in [BMIm][BF4] ionic liquid.The nanohybrids are targeting stable nanocatalysts for fuel cell applications.The sizes of the supported Pt Ni nanoparticles are uniform and as small as 1–2 nm.Pt-to-Ni ratio was controllable by simply selecting a Pt Ni alloy target.The alloy nanoparticles with Pt-to-Ni ratio of 1:1 show high catalytic activity and stability for methanol electro-oxidation.The performance is much higher compared with those of both Pt-only nanoparticles and commercial Pt/C catalyst.The electronic structure characterization on the Pt Ni nanoparticles demonstrates that the electrons are transferred from Ni to Pt,which can suppress the CO poisoning effect.

Ru effect on the catalytic performance of Pd@Ru/C catalysts for methanol electro-oxidation

Pd@Ru bimetallic nanoparticles deposited on carbon black electro-catalysts have been fabricated by microwave-assisted polyol reduction method and investigated for methanol electro-oxidation （MEO）. The structure and electro-catalytic properties of the as-prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and cyclic voltammetry （CV） techniques. The results showed that the introduction of Ru element （2-10 wt%） into Pd 20 wt%/C （hereafter, denoted as Pd/C） produced a series of core-shell structured binary catalysts. Pd@Ru 5 wt%/C （hereafter, denoted as Pd@Rus/C） catalyst displayed the highest catalytic activity towards MEO. And the mass activity of Pd@Ru5/C electrode catalyst at E = -0.038 V （vs. Hg/HgO） was 1.42 times higher than that of Pd/C electrode catalyst. In addition, the relationship between the catalytic stability for MEO on Pd@Ru/C catalysts and the value of dbp/dfp （the ratio of MEO peak current density in the negative scan and positive scan） were also investigated. The result demonstrated that Pd@Rus/C offering the smallest value of Jbp/Jfp displayed the best stable catalytic performance.

Carbon nanotubes-Nafion composites as Pt-Ru catalyst support for methanol electro-oxidation in acid media

Carbon nanotubes-Nafion （CNTs-Nation） composites were prepared by impregnated CNTs with Nation in ethanol solution and characterized by FT-IR. Pt-Ru catalysts supported on CNTs-Nafion composites were synthesized by microwave-assisted polyol process. The physical and electrochemical properties of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, CO stripping voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry （CV） and chronoamperometry （CA）. The results showed that the Nation incorporation in CNTs-Nation composites did not significantly alter the oxygen-containing groups on the CNTs surface. The Pt-Ru catalyst supported on CNTs-Nafion composites with 2 wt% Naton showed good dispersion and the best CO oxidation and methanol electro-oxidation activities.

Solvent effects on Pt-Ru/C catalyst for methanol electro-oxidation

Alloying degree, particle size and the level of dispersion are the key structural parameters of Pt-Ru/C catalyst in fuel cells. Solvent（s） used in the preparation process can affect the particle size and alloying degree of the object substance, which lead to a great positive impact on its properties. In this work, three types of solvents and their mixtures were used in preparation of the Pt-Ru/C catalysts by chemical reduction of metal precursors with sodium borohydride at room temperature. The structure of the catalysts was characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and Transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The catalytic activity and stability for methanol electro-oxidation were studied by Cyclic Voltammetry （CV） and Chronoamperometry （CA）. Pt-Ru/C catalyst prepared in H2O or binary solvents of H2O and isopropanol had large particle size and low alloying degree leading to low catalytic activity and less stability in methanol electro-oxidation. When tetrahydrofuran was added to the above solvent systems, Pt-Ru/C catalyst prepared had smaller particle size and higher alloying degree which resulted in better catalytic activity, lower onset and peak potentials, compared with the above catalysts. Moreover, the catalyst prepared in ternary solvents of isopropanol, water and tetrahydrofuran had the smallest particle size, and the high alloying degree and the dispersion kept unchanged. Therefore, this kind of catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity and good stability for methanol electro-oxidation.

Activation of commercial Pt/C catalyst toward glucose electro-oxidation by irreversible Bi adsorption

The effect of irreversibly adsorbed Bi on commercial Pt/C catalyst toward glucose electro-oxidation re- action （GOR） in different electrolytes （acidic, neutral, alkaline） is studied. Bi is successfully deposited on Pt/C from Bi3＋ containing acidic solution from 0 to 90% coverage degree. The stability of the Bi layer in acid and alkaline corresponded to previous studies and started to dissolve at 0.7 V and 0.8 V versus re- versible hydrogen electrode （RIIE）, respectively. However, in neutral phosphate buffer the layer showed remarkable stability to at least 1.2V versus RHE. Bi modification at low （20%） and high （80%） coverage showed the highest increase in the activity of Pt/C toward GOR by a factor up to 7 due to the increased poisoning resistance of the modified catalyst. The effect of poisoning was especially reduced at high Bi coverage （80%）, which shows that adsorbate blocked by Bi through the third-body effect is effective. Finally, with or without Bi modification GOR on PtIC was most active in alkaline conditions.

Electro-oxidation treatment of Sn/PANI electrode and electrocatalytic activity of Pt/Sn hydroxide/PANI composite electrodes

After being electro-oxidized by cyclic voltammetry(CV) method in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution or in 0.2 mol/L H2O2+0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution, the Sn/polyaniline (PANI) electrodes were modified with Pt microparticles by pulse galvanostatic method, thus Pt/Sn hydroxide/PANI electrodes were prepared. The electrocatalytic activities of the Pt/Sn/PANI electrode and Pt/Sn hydroxide/PANI electrode for formaldehyde electro-oxidation were investigated by CV method. The effects of deposition charges (Qdep) of PANI, Sn and Pt, scan rate and formaldehyde concentration on the electrocatalytic activity of Pt/Sn hydroxide/PANI electrode were also studied. The results show that the electrocatalytic activities of the Pt/Sn hydroxide/PANI electrodes are much higher than those of the Pt/Sn/PANI electrode.

Catalytic performance of hybrid Pt@ZnO NRs on carbon fibers for methanol electro-oxidation

A novel Pt@ZnO nanorod/carbon fiber （NR/CF） with hierarchical structure was prepared by atomic layer deposition combined with hydrothermal synthesis and magnetron sputtering （MS）. The morphology of Pt changes from nanoparticle to nanorod bundle with controlled thickness of Pt between 10 and 50 nm. Significantly, with the increase of voltage from 0 to 0.6 V （vs. standard calomel electrode）, the prompt photocurrent generated on ZnO NR/CF increases from 0235 to 0.725 mA. Besides, the Pt@ZnO NR/CF exhibited higher electrochemical active surface area （ECSA） value, better methanol oxidation ability and CO tolerance than Pt@CF, which demonstrated the importance of the multifunctional ZnO support. As the thickness of Pt increasing from 10 to 50 rim, the ECSA values were improved proportionally, leading to the improvement of methanol oxidation ability. More importantly, UV radiation increased the density of peak current of Pt@ZnO NR/CF towards methanol oxidation by additional 42.4%, which may be due to the synergy catalysis of UV light and electricity.