Search

The extensive use of light metal material such as aluminum has brought about problems in its joining with steel. However, the weak metallurgical bonding between the dissimilar materials and the formation of hard and brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) lead to unsatisfactory joint strength. Aiming at achieving high-quality joining of aluminum and steel, 6061-T6 aluminum and 301L steel alloys were lap joined by ultrasonic assisted friction stir lap welding (UaFSLW) in this study. The UaFSLW joints were well formed with uniform flashes and even arc lines. The strong plastic flow of the aluminum material driven by the dual effects of mechanical stirring and ultrasonic vibration inhibited the excessive growth of the Al–Fe IMCs at the lap interface. Thanks to the enhanced metallurgical bonding and the effective control of the layer thickness of IMCs, the tensile load of the UaFSLW joint under 1,800 rpm reached 16.5 kN, which was an increase of 27.9% compared to that of the conventional FSLW joint.

O3-Na0.9Li0.1Mn0.9O2/MgO compounds were synthesized as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries by high-temperature solid-state and wet chemical methods. The effects of different MgO coating amounts on the crystal structure, surface morphology, and electrochemical properties of O3-Na0.9Li0.1Mn0.9O2 materials were investigated. The results showed that the appropriate amount of MgO coating had a positive effect on the cyclic and rate performance. This is attributed to the fact that the MgO layer inhibits harmful side reactions of the electrode material with the electrolyte, which improves structural stability and reduces interfacial transport resistance. Meanwhile, the doped Mg2+ can effectively inhibit the irreversible phase transition. Particularly, the sample of Na0.9Li0.1Mn0.9O2 coated with 2 wt% MgO exhibits high initial discharge specific capacity of 164.9 mAh/g at 0.1C and maintains 83.7% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.1C, suggesting enhanced electrochemical performance. Therefore, the surface modification of the material by MgO provides a new strategy for designing high-rate cathode materials for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is challenging in hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐infected patients, due to the overlapping clinical manifestations and atypical imaging patterns compared to patients without HBV. Purpose: To investigate the preoperative imaging characteristics of iCCA in patients with HBV in comparison to those without HBV. Study Type: Retrospective. Subjects: 431 patients with histopathologically confirmed iCCA (143 HBV‐positive and 288 HBV‐negative patients) were retrospectively enrolled from three institutes, and patients were allocated to the training (n = 302) and validation (n = 129) cohorts from different institutes or time period; 100 matching HBV‐positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients were also enrolled. Field Strength/Sequence: 1.5‐T and 3‐T, including T1‐ and T2‐weighted, diffusion‐weighted and dynamic gadopentetate dimeglumine‐enhanced imaging. Assessment: Clinical and MRI features were analyzed and compared between HBV‐positive and HBV‐negative patients with iCCA, and between HBV‐positive patients with iCCA and HCC. Statistical Tests: Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses with odds ratio (OR) to identify independent features for discriminating HBV‐associated iCCA. Diagnostic model generation by incorporating independent features, and the performance for discrimination was evaluated by receiver operating characteristics with the area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence interval (CI). AUCs were compared by the DeLong's method. A P‐value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Compared to patients without HBV, washout or degressive enhancement pattern (OR = 51.837), well‐defined tumor margin (OR = 8.758) and no peritumoral bile duct dilation (OR = 4.651) were independent significant features for discriminating HBV‐associated iCCAs. All these features were also the predominant MRI manifestations for HBV‐associated HCC. The combined index showed an AUC of 0.798 (95% CI 0.748–0.842) in the training cohort and an AUC of 0.789 (95% CI 0.708–0.856) in the validation cohort for discrimination. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were all >70%, which was superior to each single feature alone in both cohorts. [Correction added after first online publication on 29 June 2023. The Field Strength/Sequence has been updated from 5‐T to 1.5‐T.] Data Conclusion: Preoperative MRI may help to discriminate HBV‐associated iCCA. Evidence Level: 3 Technical Efficacy Stage: 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the performance of a zero-gap flow-through reactor with three-dimensional (3D) porous Ti/RuO2-TiO2@Pt anodes was systematically investigated for the electrocatalytic oxidation of phenolic wastewater, considering phenol and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) as the target pollutants. The optimum parameters for the electrochemical oxidation of phenol and 4-NP were examined. For phenol degradation, at an initial concentration of 50 mg/L, initial pH of 7, NaCl concentration of 10.0 g/L, current density of 10 mA/cm2, and retention time of 30 min, the degradation efficiency achieved was 95.05%, with an energy consumption of 15.39 kWh/kg; meanwhile, for 4-NP, the degradation efficiency was 98.42% and energy consumption was 19.21 kWh/kg (at an initial concentration of 40 mg/L, initial pH of 3, NaCl concentration of 10.0 g/L, current density of 10 mA/cm2, and retention time of 30 min). The electrocatalytic oxidation of phenol and 4-NP conformed to the pseudo-first-order kinetics model, and the k values were 0.2562 min−1 and 0.1736 min−1, respectively, which are 1.7 and 3.6-times higher than those of a conventional electrolyzer. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) was used to verify the intermediates formed during the degradation of phenol or 4-NP and a possible degradation pathway was provided. The extremely narrow electrode distance and the flow-through configuration of the zero-gap flow-through reactor were thought to be essential for its lower energy consumption and higher mass transfer efficiency. The zero-gap flow-through reactor with a novel 3D porous Ti/RuO2-TiO2@Pt electrode is a superior alternative for the treatment of industrial wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the mechanism of formation of traumatic cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) in children and analyze the clinical manifestations, treatment and prognosis of CVST. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 21 children with traumatic CVST treated in our hospital between January 2009 and December 2019. The clinical manifestations, causes of thrombosis, imaging characteristics and the effects of heparin versus non-heparin treatments were analyzed. Results Among the 21 children with CVST, the main clinical symptoms included headache, vomiting, decreased activity, increased intracranial pressure (30.53±5.07 cmH2O), and papilledema (81%). Cranial fractures involving different sinuses or epidural hematoma was common in the children with CVST. The time of first-time hematoma volume reduction was 18.33±6.15 d in these children, and was significantly shorter in children receiving low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) treatment than in those without LMWH treatment (15.00±5.13 vs 23.75±2.96 d, P < 0.001). The percentage of residual hematoma was meanly 11% (3.0%, 14.5%) in the cohort, and it was significantly lower in children with LMWH treatment than in those without. The hematoma stabilization time was 31.08±8.81 d and 37.75±5.01 d and the D-dimer stabilization time was 12.92±4.62 d and 14.62±2.82 d in LMWH group and non-LMWH group, respectively, showing no significant differences between the 2 groups (P>0.05). Conclusion CVST in children often occurs following skull fracture across the venous sinuses or epidural hematoma that compresses the venous sinus. Anticoagulation therapy can shorten the time of hematoma volume reduction, reduce the volume of residual hematoma, and accelerate recanalization to improve the short-term outcomes of the patients.