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Amidoxime-based materials have made a great contribution to the selective adsorption process in the extraction of uranium from seawater. However, traditional adsorbents with amidoxime groups are limited by adsorption capacity and adsorption rate, which greatly hinder the development of uranium extraction from seawater. Based on this, we combined the amidoxime group with carbon nitride to synthesize the amidoxime group carbon nitride (NCN-AO), which is rich in nitrogen defects. Compared with ordinary carbon nitride (CN), NCN-AO has better selectivity and uranium reduction ability. In the process of extracting uranium from seawater, soluble hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) can be reduced to insoluble tetravalent uranium (U(IV)), to achieve high-efficiency extraction of uranium. The removal rate of uranium by NCN-AO in 100 mg/L uranium solution is 99 %, and NCN-AO has specific and selective adsorption of uranium. The band structure, density of states (DOS), highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of NCN-AO were calculated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) method, and adsorption reduction occurred on the surface and interface of NCN-AO. The above results show that NCN-AO may be a promising material for extracting uranium from seawater.

After 30 days of extraction in natural marine environment, the light-induced uranium extraction capacity of CPAO/CN from seawater reaches 5.86 mg g−1, which is 8.5 times that of CN.

Nickel diselenide (NiSe2) is a promising low-cost catalyst for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), due to its suitable d-electron configuration and high electrical conductivity. Several representative elements, e.g., Co, Fe and P, have been utilized as cation or anion to promote the electrocatalytic activity of NiSe2 by modulating the interaction with Se element, whilst the catalyst stability is less concerned. In this work, the catalytic Ni nanoparticles were in-situ encapsulated in carbon nanotubes grown on three-dimensional conducting carbon framework. Subsequent phosphorization and selenization yield dispersed P-doped NiSe2 nanoparticles protected by carbon shell with highly exposed yet stable active sides, resulting in significantly promoted HER and OER activities as well as accelerated kinetics. In detail, the P-NiSe2@N-CNTs/NC hybrid catalyst deliver low overpotentials of 95 and 306 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for HER and OER in alkaline media, respectively. DFT calculations reveal that P doping reduces the electron density surrounding Ni atoms while accumulates the charges to Se, respectively, which in turn reduces the energy barriers for both water dissociation and intermediates adsorption for both HER and OER. As a concept of proof, a cell assembled by P-NiSe2@N-CNTs/NC hybrid catalyst-based anode and cathode performs a low applied voltage of 1.609 V to reach 10 mA cm−2, and outstanding long-term stability.

In the present research, ZnS/WO

Background Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are effective treatment methods for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there is still a lack of clinical research on whether early sequential RFA, compared with late combination therapy, can improve the long-term efficacy of initial TACE treatment. Methods This retrospective study investigated a cohort of patients who underwent combination therapy using TACE and RFA (TACE followed by RFA) from January 2010 to January 2020 at our medical centre. A total of 96 patients underwent TACE combined with early RFA (usually during the first hospitalization), which was called TACE + eRFA. Thirty-four patients received 1–2 palliative TACE treatments first and then underwent TACE treatment combined with late RFA (TACE + lRFA). All patients continued to receive palliative TACE treatments after intrahepatic lesion progression until reaching intolerance. The overall survival (OS) rate, time to tumour progression (TTP), tumour response rate and major complication rates were compared between the two groups. Results There were significant differences in the median OS (46 months vs 33 months; P = 0.013), median TTP (28 months vs 14 months; P P = 0.000) and disease control rate (DCR) (94.8% vs 73.5% P = 0.002) between the two groups. Multivariable analysis revealed that the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage was an independent risk factor for OS. Meanwhile, multivariable analysis revealed that TACE + eRFA was associated with an enhanced TTP. Conclusion Early sequential RFA treatment in patients with early-intermediate HCC can improve local tumour control and clinical outcomes while reducing the frequency of TACE treatment. In clinical practice, in HCC patients initially treated with TACE, it is recommended to combine RFA as soon as possible to obtain long-term survival.

Commercial cellulosic biofuel operation requires a reliable, low-cost, and stable feedstock logistic system. One great challenge is its long-term storage at least for one harvest cycle (1 year for ...

Transcatheter embolization is an important treatment method in clinical therapy, and vascular embolization material plays a key role in embolization. The temperature-sensitive p(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-butyl methylacrylate) (PIB) nanogel is a novel embolic agent. To evaluate the feasibility of the nanogel as a blood vessel embolization agent, we aimed to assess the effect of embolization with PIB nanogels in the rabbit renal artery by non-invasive computed tomography (CT) perfusion, macroscopic and histological examination. Ten healthy adult Japanese rabbits were used to implement RAE of PIB nanogels in their right kidneys. CT perfusion scans were performed pre- and post-treatment at various time-points (1, 4, 8, and 12 weeks). Two rabbits were euthanized and histologically examined at each time-point, and the remaining rabbits were euthanized at 12 weeks after embolization. The RAE efficacy of the nanogels was further confirmed by macroscopic and histological examination. The renal volume and renal blood flow (BF) of the right kidney were significantly decreased post-treatment compared with those pre-treatment (volume: pre, 9278 ± 1736 mm3; post 1 week, 5155 ± 979 mm3, P 3, P 3, P 3, P P P P P

Composite engineering has played an integral role in the development of new artificial materials with excellent properties, which has triggered a new revolution in high-performance optoelectronic devices. Herein, a Bi/flower-like structured Bi5O7I/acrylate fluoroboron polymer (AFBP) as a BBFP composite was fabricated in situ. Furthermore, the Bi/Bi5O7I flower system was uniformly distributed on the surface and interior of AFBP that boosted the interfacial charge transfer. The resultant spatial charge separation in the BBBF composite ameliorated via SPR and piezoelectric effect significantly enhanced the photocatalytic H2 evolution (835 μmol h−1 g−1), 8.26-fold that of Bi5O7I. In addition, the non-biological toxicity and self-cleaning function of the composite coating were proved from the regular growth rate of Nitzschia closterium and higher efficiency of the TOC removal. Furthermore, it exhibited an excellent diatom anti-settling performance, which was ascribed to the self-renewal process and hydrogen evolution, which formed a gas barrier between the substrate surface and fouling organisms. The self-renewed surfaces of AFBP can be gradually peeled off to create a piezoelectric effect without external mechanical disturbance. Similarly, compared to the antifouling methods of electrochemical hydrogen production, composite coatings can achieve outstanding antifouling performance without consuming extra energy. The strategy will provide a potential application in marine engineering in the future.

Based on the situation of marine biofouling and the ecological crisis caused by toxic antifouling paints, a series of environmental carbon nitride (C3N4) nanocomposite films (CNPs) were prepared by incorporating C3N4 into a self-polishing acrylate boron fluorinated polymer (ABFP). The antifouling performance was evaluated by the diatom anti-attachment test, photocatalytic antibacterial measurements and a mussel settlement assay. The results showed that the optimal content of C3N4 to inhibit the adhesion of diatoms was 3–7 wt%, the antibacterial rate of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) reached 98.10% and 96.94% in the presence of 7 wt% C3N4 under irradiation with visible light for 90 min. In addition, the CNPs and ABFP showed an ability to expel mussels. As a synergistic effect, the self-renewable polymer surfaces could also strip the attached fouling organisms without light. The undifferentiated growth rates between the CNPs and blank proved the environmental properties of the prepared films. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) values showed that the addition of C3N4 contributed to the eco-friendly properties of the CNPs.

Uranium is an important fuel for nuclear power, with 4.5 billion tons of it stored in the oceans, 1,000 times more than on land. Polymer membrane materials are widely used in the marine resources fields, due to their convenient collection, good separation and can work continuously. Herein, a poly(amidoxime)-polyacrylonitrile blend membrane (PCP) with high flux, excellent antibacterial properties and uranium adsorption performance has been prepared by using the phase inversion method, and the prepared membrane was used for highly efficient uranium extraction from seawater. In static adsorption experiments, the PCP membrane reached adsorption equilibrium after 48 h, and the adsorption capacity was 303.89 mg/g (C

In this study, a hyperbranched chelated hydrophilic swollen-layer was constructed on the surface of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber with amino trimethylene phosphoric acid (ATMP) as a terminal group, which applied as an adsorbent for seawater uranium U(VI) extraction. This shows that U(VI) enter the gel-like swollen-layer to form a more complex body structure. The molecular chain conformational extension in the swollen-layer reduces the resistance of the uranyl ion to enter the swollen-layer, which is conducive to the adsorption behavior. The adsorption performance on the U(VI) by the adsorption experiment were found to be consistent with the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicating that the adsorption of U(VI) by this material is uniform single-layer chemical adsorption. Ion competition experiments and cyclic adsorption experiments verify the practical application potential of the materials. In the dynamic simulation of seawater adsorption experiments, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent reached 7.4 mg/g. Studies on the adsorption mechanism have found that a large number of hydroxyl groups in the swollen-layer and ATMP as an end machine have a chelation effect on U(VI).

The urgent demands of energy storage for wearable electronics necessitates the development of flexible supercapacitors (FSCs). However, the service environment of portable/wearable devices requires supercapacitors to possess excellent mechanical properties to withstand harsh straining conditions, such as bending, rolling, and twisting. Hence, to develop a high-performance flexible supercapacitor (FSC) that possesses both superior electrochemical properties and remarkable mechanical capacities is still a formidable challenge. In this paper, we successfully fabricate a 3D heterostructured electrode with bulge structured polypyrrole (PPy) wrapped NiMoO4 nanowires on carbon cloth (CC). Benefiting from the 3D heterostructure and the synergistic effect between NiMoO4 and PPy, the PPy/NiMoO4/CC electrode shows a high areal capacitance of 3.4 F cm−2 and cyclic stability (94% capacitance retention). Moreover, the assembled PPy/NiMoO4/CC//activated carbon (AC)/CC device exhibits a high energy density (0.5 mW cm−2 at a power density of 3.7 mWh cm−2). Furthermore, the CV curves of PPy/NiMoO4/CC//AC/CC show no obvious change under miscellaneous deformation conditions, indicating good flexibility. This work demonstrates that the assembled PPy/NiMoO4/CC//AC/CC FSC possesses notable electrochemical properties and exhibits great potential for application in future wearable energy-storage devices.

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) plays an important role in clinical liver tumor therapy. However, hypoxia after TAE limit the medium-long term efficacy of TAE. Thus, in our study, we explored the treatment effect and mechanism of combining transcatheter arterial embolization with adopted iodized oil containing Apatinib on suppressing tumor growth and metastasis. We simulated the changing of tumor microenvironment before and after TAE both in vitro and in vivo models. The anti-angiogenic effect of Apatinib was explored by bioassays in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), including cell migration, invasion and apoptosis, tube formation, and wound healing. Further experiments showed that Apatinib inhibited tumor microangiogenesis to achieve the aims of inhibiting tumor growth and recurrence by means of down-regulating the phosphorylation of the RAF-mek-erk, PI3K-akt and P38MAPK pathways. The antitumor growth and anti-angiogenic effect of Apatinib was further validated by the animal experiment. Taken together, we concluded that Apatinib inhibits the angiogenesis and growth of liver cancer by down-regulating the PI3K-akt, RAF-mek-erk and P38MAPK pathways, and has a stronger inhibitory effect in hypoxic environments. Combining TAE with adopted iodized oil containing Apatinib has a stronger inhibitory effect in VX2 liver tumor growth and metastasis, which suggesting such combinations may provide a new target and strategy for interventional therapy of liver cancer.

To analyze the expression of microRNA-106a(miR-106a) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients.Serum samples of 64 patients with newly diagnosed RCC were collected as the study group, and serum samples of 40 healthy individuals were used as the control group. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to determine the expression level of miR-106a in each group. The correlation between miR-106a expression and clinicopathological characteristics of the patients was studied with single factor analysis and multiple Logistic regression model. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze its correlation with the prognosis of patients.Before surgery, compared with the control group (1.17± 0.58), RCC patients with high- (9.15± 0.96) and low-expression(3.45± 0.37) had increased expression of miR-106a. Postoperatively, the expression level of miR-106a in both groups of patients decreased to 1.53± 0.18 and 1.75± 0.21, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of the diagnostic value of serum miR-106a for RCC was 0.782 (95% CI: 0.661-0.902). With an optimal cutoff value of 0.531, the sensitivity was 78.10% and the specificity was 75.00%. Serum miR-106a level of RCC patients with TNM stage T3 or T4, clinical stage II or III, lymph node metastasis, and recurrence were significantly increased. The high expression of serum miR-106a in RCC patients has an independent relationship with the tumor TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. Of the 64 follow-up patients, 4 were lost and 30 had died. Among them, the median survival time of patients in the miR-106a high expression group was 30 months, which was significantly shorter than that of the low expression group (52 months).The serum level of miR-106a is elevated in RCC patients, and may be used as a molecular marker for the diagnosis of RCC. High serum expression of miR-106a is an independent predictor for tumor TNM stage and lymph node metastasis, as well as an independent predictor for poor prognosis of RCC patients.

Inkjet printing is an attractive technique in the field of flexible electronics due to the direct writing, digital controls and non-contact operation process. In this work, we successfully printed graphite oxide and Ag nanoparticles on the substrate of flexible carbon cloth to form a flexible, conductive and hydrophilic layer, which could be used as a new substrate with an electron transport layer of large surface area. In addition, Ni-Co LDH nanosheets as the main active materials were synthesized for improving the electrochemical activity via a convenient electrochemical deposition method. The binder-free Ni-Co LDH/Ag/rGO@CC electrode exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance along with a high capacity of 173 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1. Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) was assembled with Ni-Co LDH/Ag/rGO@CC electrode as the positive electrode materials and activated carbon coated CC as the negative electrode materials, showing a high capacity of 95 mA h g−1 at 0.6 A g−1, and maximum energy density of 76 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 480 W kg−1.

Composite electrodes that possess both rational structures and appropriate integration are needed to deliver high electrochemical performance in energy storage devices. In this paper, a flexible and binder-free electrode material based on a heterogeneous core-shell structure of CuCo2O4@Ni(OH)2 nanosheets grown on carbon cloth was fabricated by a simple method. The unique three-dimensional hierarchical structure gives the electrode a large specific surface area, which enables rapid response and increases of specific capacitance. The CuCo2O4@Ni(OH)2/carbon fiber cloth (CFC) composite electrode exhibited a specific capacitance of 2160 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and a good rate capability energy of 82.7% at 20 A g−1. A flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (FAASC) was assembled with the CuCo2O4@Ni(OH)2/CFC electrode as the positive electrode, and activated carbon (AC)/CFC as the negative electrode. This device showed both a high energy density and power density (58.9 W h kg−1 at a power density of 400 W kg−1), and good long-term cycling stability. Furthermore, the assembled CuCo2O4@Ni(OH)2/CFC//AC/CFC devices were capable of driving a blue light-emitting diode after a short charge. The remarkable performance of this CuCo2O4@Ni(OH)2/CFC electrode indicates that this heterogeneous structure has great potential for applications in flexible high-performance energy storage devices.

Herein, a design of multifunctional hybrid adsorbent made of a magnetic core and a zeolite imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) shell embedded with carbon dots (CDs) is synthesized to combine detection with separation and recycling of uranium from aqueous solution. The adsorbents retain the strong superparamagnetic behavior of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and similar luminescence of carbon dots. Interestingly, the adsorbents not only exhibit obviously fluorescence response for U (VI) but also enhance U (VI) adsorption performance via assisting with the loaded‑carbon dots. The adsorption processes of U(VI) on Fe3O4-CMC@ZIF-8 and Fe3O4-CMC@ZIF-8@CDs well fit with the pseudo-second-order model. The maximum U(VI) adsorption amount of Fe3O4-CMC@ZIF-8@CDs is high as 606.06 mg/g at pH = 4.0 and T = 298 K with Langmuir model, which is obviously higher than that of Fe3O4-CMC@ZIF-8 (564.97 mg/g). Particularly, BET, FTIR and XPS results show that the improvement of adsorption properties on Fe3O4-CMC@ZIF-8@CDs is mainly ascribed to the large specific surface area and abundant nitrogen/oxygen functional groups on the surface, suggesting that the main interaction mechanisms are diffusion and coordination. The design for hybrid materials provides a convenient way to achieve a multifunctional adsorbent with detection, separation and recycling properties for uranium.

With the depletion of terrestrial uranium deposits, a large amount of uranium(VI) (U(VI)) in seawater has attracted the attention of researchers and energy suppliers. However, the extremely low concentration of U(VI) and the complex environment enhance the difficulty of extracting U(VI) from seawater. In this study, a multi-active polyacrylonitrile (PAN) adsorbent was constructed to extract U(VI) from seawater. Poly(amido)amine (PAMAM) with hyperbranched topology was grown onto the surface of PAN fiber by a multi-step method, forming a swollen layer in water. The highest adsorption capacity of the material reached 555.5 mg/g. Importantly, during a continuous 50-day simulated seawater dynamic adsorption process, the material reached an adsorption equilibrium in 15 days, with the adsorption amount of 1.3 mg/g. The ocean test in the Yellow Sea of China showed that the adsorption capacity of the material was 0.6 mg/g in 34 days in seawater environment. The effect of molecular chain conformation and swelling behavior on adsorption properties were investigated. The study on the adsorption mechanism of the material shows that the lone pair of electrons of the N atom coordinates with U(VI).

The purpose of this work was to investigate the plasma pharmacokinetics, intratumoral drug concentration, and tumor necrosis after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with doxorubicin-loaded CalliSpheres microspheres (CSMs). Sixty rabbits with liver VX2 tumors were assigned into five groups of 12 rabbits each, which received 4 mg of doxorubicin via intravenous injection (IV group), hepatic arterial infusion (IA group), conventional TACE (cTACE group), CSM-TACE (CSM low-dose group), and 8 mg of doxorubicin via CSM-TACE (CSM high-dose group), respectively. Doxorubicin concentrations in plasma, tumor, and adjacent hepatic parenchyma were measured at various timepoints after treatment, and tumor necrosis percentage and liver enzymes were also assessed. The peak plasma concentration of doxorubicin was significantly lower in the three TACE groups compared to IV and IA group (P

A pyrochemical conversion of U 3 O 8 into metallic uranium by chemical and electrochemical reactions have been studied. Triuranium octaoxide was chlorinated by carbon tetrachloride gas in a stream of argon at different temperatures. The optimal conditions of the solid phase transformation were found, the conversion rate of U 3 O 8 is up to 99.30%. The mechanism of U 4+ ions reduction into metal uranium by the transient electrochemical technique in the fused 3LiCl-2KCl eutectic was studied. The results revealed that the U 4+ ions reduction to metallic uranium on inert electrode is a two-step reaction, which includes single electron exchange and three electrons exchange. The first step of reaction is reversible and it is controlled by the rate of the mass transfer in the scanning region 0.002–0.2 V/s, while the second step of reaction is irreversible. The diffusion coefficients of U 4+ and U 3+ ions were determined by the cyclic voltammetry. The galvanostatic electrolysis of the LiCl-KCl-UCl 4 melt led to the formation of metallic uranium on an inert solid plate and the formation of intermetallic compounds of different composition on the active liquid gallium cathode. It is concluded that U 4+ ions is easily reduced to metallic uranium in a short period of time during the galvanostatic electrolysis in molten salts.

The lack of flexibility of the substrates and the readily shed off of the active materials during the deformation process limit applications of wearable electronic devices. An effective approach is to design an electrode with both high flexibility and stability, which ensure that the device will not be affected in practical applications. In this paper, we design 3D Cu(OH)2 nanowires directly grown on carbon fiber cloth by a quasi-stable electroless Cu deposition and a rapid alkali assistant oxidation process. The Cu-electroless plating ensures high conductivity and excellent binding force between the active material and the substrate, which issued in low internal resistance and remarkable cycle stability. Moreover, the flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (FASSASC) assembled with the Cu(OH)2/CPCC (Cu-plated carbon cloth) as positive pole, possess high areal capacitances (242.5 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2), relatively large energy and power density (4.9 × 10−2 mWh cm−2, 0.6 mW cm−2 respectively), with outstanding cycling stability and flexibility (90.5% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles under bending). Remarkably, we also assembled a self-charging power pack integrated of flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors (FASSASCs) and commercial solar cells, which can capture energy from the sun, and then store it to furnish a durative and stable electrical output. Such a device could be powered by the self-charging function without time and location limit. These superior characteristics demonstrate that the Cu(OH)2/CPCC//AC/CC FASSASC a good candidate for next-generation flexible, wearable and portable electronic devices.

Semiconductor metal oxides (SMO)-based gas-sensing materials suffer from insufficient detection of a specific target gas. Reliable selectivity, high sensitivity, and rapid response-recovery times under various working conditions are the main requirements for optimal gas sensors. Chemical warfare agents (CWA) such as sarin are fatal inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase in the nerve system. So, sensing materials with high sensitivity and selectivity toward CWA are urgently needed. Herein, micro-nano octahedral Co3 O4 functionalized with hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) were deposited on a layer of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a double-layer sensing materials. The Co3 O4 micro-nano octahedra were synthesized by direct growth from electrospun fiber templates calcined in ambient air. The double-layer rGO/Co3 O4 -HFIP sensing materials presented high selectivity toward DMMP (sarin agent simulant, dimethyl methyl phosphonate) versus rGO/Co3 O4 and Co3 O4 sensors after the exposure to various gases owing to hydrogen bonding between the DMMP molecules and Co3 O4 -HFIP. The rGO/Co3 O4 -HFIP sensors showed high stability with a response signal around 11.8 toward 0.5 ppm DMMP at 125 °C, and more than 75 % of the initial response was maintained under a saturated humid environment (85 % relative humidity). These results prove that these double-layer inorganic-organic composite sensing materials are excellent candidates to serve as optimal gas-sensing materials.

The introduction of organic groups onto graphene oxide (GO) platelets can supply additional active sites for adsorption of uranium(VI) (U(VI)) to improve the adsorption capacity. However, as a result of the existence of stabilizing π-conjugation system, a facile and effective modification method remains a challenge. Therefore, a novel strategy is exploited by nano-sized architectural design of multi-activity GO through post-decoration with amidoxime functionalized diaminomaleonitrile (DM-AO). The post-modification of DM-AO successfully activated the inert sites in GO platelets. Meanwhile, the amidoxime group in DM-AO can improve the adsorption selectivity. Adsorption amount of U(VI) on the as prepared GO-DM-AO reached at 935 mg g−1, which is increased by 209% increment compared with that of pristine GO at the same concentration. The adsorption efficiency of GO-DM-AO is greatly improved, and the time to reach the adsorption equilibrium is half of that of GO. Excitingly, the excellent removal efficiency could still maintained even after 5 cycles of adsorption-desorption. The outstanding adsorption amount, short adsorption equilibrium time, and excellent removal efficiency can provide a theoretical guidance for further immobilization of U(VI) from seawater.