Boosting the Efficiency and Stability of Li-CO Batteries via a Ruthenium-Based Olefin-Metathesis Catalyst.

The practical application of Li-CO batteries is significantly hindered by high charge potential and short lifespan, mainly due to sluggish reaction kinetics and inadequate reaction reversibility. Homogeneous catalysts added to the electrolyte provide a promising strategy to address these issues. In this work, the third-generation Grubbs catalyst (G-III), which is efficient for olefin metathesis reactions, has been adopted as a homogeneous catalyst for Li-CO batteries.

Organometallic Polymer Constructed by Active Fe-CN Centers for Boosting Sodium-Ion Storage.

Organic-metal coordination materials with rich structural diversity are considered as promising electrode materials for rechargeable sodium-ion batteries. However, the electrochemical performance can be constrained by the limited number of active sites and structural instability under the discharge/charge process. Herein, organometallic polymer microspheres (Fe-PDA-220) with a unique d-π conjugated structure was designed and successfully constructed through a simple synchronous polymerization and coordination reactions.

Poly(-phenylenediamine)-Coated Metal-Organic Frameworks for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries: The Balance of Capacity and Stability.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with well-defined porous structures and highly active frameworks are considered as promising electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, the structure pulverization upon sodiation/desodiation impacts on their practical application in SIBs. To address this issue, poly(-phenylenediamine) (PPA) was uniformly coated onto the surface of MIL-88A, a typical Fe-based MOF through in situ polymerization initiated by the metal ions (Fe) of MIL-88A.

Highly Reversible Zinc Anode Enabled by a Cation-Exchange Coating with Zn-Ion Selective Channels.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted extensive attention due to their low cost and high safety. However, the critical issues of dendrite growth and side reactions on the Zn metal anode hinder the commercialization of ZIBs. Herein, we demonstrated that the formation of ZnSO(OH)·5HO byproducts is closely relevant to the direct contact between the Zn electrode and SO/HO.

Toward Hydrogen-Free and Dendrite-Free Aqueous Zinc Batteries: Formation of Zincophilic Protective Layer on Zn Anodes.

Rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are regarded as one of the most promising devices for the next-generation energy storage system. However, the uncontrolled dendrite growth on Zn metal anodes and the side hydrogen evolution reaction, which has not yet been well considered, hinder the practical application of these batteries. Herein, a uniform and robust metallic Sb protective layer is designed based on the theoretic calculation and decorated on Zn plate via in situ replacement reaction.

Construction of Large Non-Localized π-Electron System for Enhanced Sodium-Ion Storage.

Organic electrode materials with the advantages of renewability, environment-friendliness, low cost, and high capacity have received widespread attention in recent years for sodium-ion batteries. However, small molecular organic materials suffer from issues such as low conductivity and the high dissolution rate in electrolytes. Herein, a phthalocyanine derivative (TPcDS) with a large non-localized π-electron system, obtained through thermodynamic polymerization of 4-aminophthalonitrile (AP) monomers, is designed to address these issues.

Characteristics of Renal Function in Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19: An Observational Study.

The aim of the study was to analyze the characteristics of renal function in patients diagnosed with COVID-19. In this retrospective, single-center study, we included all confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a tertiary hospital in Guangdong, China from January 20, 2020 to March 20, 2020. Blood and urine laboratory findings related to renal function were summarized, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and endogenous creatinine clearance (Ccr) were also calculated to assess the renal function.

Optimized multielement accommodative intraocular lens with a four-freeform-surface Alvarez lens and a separate aspheric lens.

This paper proposes an accommodative intraocular lens (IOL), which consists of a two-element Alvarez lens and an aspheric lens for changing focal power and refractive power, respectively. The four-freeform-surface Alvarez lens is optimized for a multiple field of view; further, the aspheric lens also corrects the aberrations induced by the corneal asphericity of the human eye over the whole range of accommodation. A simulation using optical design software demonstrates its excellent performance in that the values of the modulation transfer function at 100 cycles/mm all reach ∼0.

Multifacet echelle grating for intensity broadening on spectral plane fabricated by rotating ion-beam etching.

This paper describes a new type of multifacet echelle grating (MFEG) for use in an echelle spectrometer. This new type of echelle grating broadens the spectral distribution on the spectral plane. We built a geometric model of MFEG to analyze the influence of the blaze angle and number of facet shapes on the spectral evolution.

Epidemiology and mechanism of drug resistance of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in Beijing, China: A multicenter study.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is one of the most common causes of community-acquired respiratory tract infections (RTIs). We aimed to investigate the prevalence of M.

[Climatic suitability model for spring maize in Northeast China].

Crop growth is a continuous and dynamic process, and thus, the optimal meteorological indices for crop growth also change continuously. In this paper, the estimation algorithms of the daily available precipitation and the temporal interpolation methods of meteorological indices for crop growth were developed, and the climatic suitability model at daily scale was established, which was tested by the spring maize data of agro-meteorological stations in Northeast China. The simulated climatic suitability had significantly positive correlations with the height and 100-grain mass of spring maize.

[Confocal Raman study on ZnSO4 droplets in the efflorescence process].

Confocal Raman technique was used to investigate the structure changes of the ZnSO4 droplets deposited on Teflon substrate in the efflorescence process at the molecular level. Upon decreasing the relative humidity (RH), the symmetric stretching band (upsilon1-SO4(2-)) of ZnSO4 droplet blue shifted from 981 cm(-1) gradually to 987, 998 and 1,008 cm(-1), respectively, indicating that the free SO4(2-) ion associates with Zn2+ ion as the solution concentration increases and forms various contact ion pairs (CIPs), i. e.

Spatially resolved micro-Raman observation on the phase separation of effloresced sea salt droplets.

We report on the investigation of the phase separation of individual seawater droplets in the efflorescence processes with the spatially resolved Raman system. Upon decreasing the relative humidity (RH), CaSO4.0.

[The application of FTIR spectroscopy to the analysis of cigarette smoke].

In the present paper, Fourier transform infrared aerosol flow tube (FTIR/AFT) and Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection (FTIR/ATR) were used as credible technologies to study the cigarette mainstream smoke and cigarette aerosol. In the experiment a convenient and effective setup was used to detect the sample. Before the cigarette was fired, the filter tip should be cut.

Anomalous hygroscopic growth of fine particles of MgSO4 aerosols investigated by FTIR/ATR spectroscopy.

This paper demonstrates an approach for investigating the hygroscopic growth of MgSO4 aerosols deposited on ZnSe substrate by using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (FTIR/ATR) spectroscopy. The experimental setup based upon a refitted standard FTIR/ATR accessory was adopted for the hygroscopic study of aerosols. It has been found that the "predeliquescence" of fine MgSO4 aerosol particles with the mean spreading diameter around 500 nm occurred before roughly 15% RH.

[Investigation on cataract surgery in Qingdao Eye Hospital].

Objectives: To evaluate the cataract surgery status of Qingdao Eye Hospital and to explore the changes in living quality and people's awareness of the eye diseases in Qingdao based on this information.

Methods: Various parameters from patients who underwent cataract surgery in Qingdao Eye Hospital in the years 1994, 1999 and 2004 were collected, including age, nuclear hardness, occupation, pre- and postoperative vision acuity as well as the type of surgical procedures and complications of the surgery. Data from different years were compared and analyzed to explore the changes and the significance of these changes.

[Infrared spectroscopic studies of the effect of hydrotalcite on the capability of agricultural film].

Different kinds of hydrotalcite and their effects on the optic capability, transmittance, infrared anti-transmittance and heat preservation of agriculture film were studied by IR spectroscopy. It was found that the haze degree of the film decreased about 1.5% because the diameter of the hydrotalcite made in Dalian was bigger than those made in Japan.

Confocal Raman observation of the efflorescence/deliquescence processes of individual NaNO3 particles on quartz.

Confocal Raman spectroscopy was used to study the structural changes of bulk NaNO3 solutions with molar water-to-solute ratios (WSRs) of 54.0-12.3 and NaNO3 droplets (10-100 microm) with WSRs of 9.

Raman spectroscopic studies on single supersaturated droplets of sodium and magnesium acetate.

Raman spectroscopy was used to study structural changes, in particular, the formation of contact-ion pairs in supersaturated aqueous NaCH(3)COO and Mg(CH(3)COO)(2) droplets at ambient temperatures. The single droplets levitated in an electrodynamic balance (EDB), lost water, and became supersaturated when the relative humidity (RH) decreased. For NaCH(3)COO droplet the water-to-solute molar ratio (WSR) was 3.

A strategy for single supersaturated droplet analysis: confocal Raman investigations on the complicated hygroscopic properties of individual MgSO4 droplets on the quartz substrate.

We report a new strategy for single supersaturated droplet analysis, i.e., the complicated hygroscopic properties of MgSO4 aerosols under supersaturated state were studied through the micro-Raman observation on an individual MgSO4 droplet deposited on a quartz substrate in a relative-humidity-controlled chamber.

FTIR spectroscopic investigations of supersaturated NaClO4 aerosols.

Supersaturated NaClO4 aerosols have been studied using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer coupled with an aerosol flow tube (AFT). Compared with previous Raman results, the water O-H stretching envelope in the supersaturated solutions of NaClO4 aerosols was more structured in response to changing RH, revealing at the same time the existence of water monomers weakly hydrogen-bonded with ClO4- at extremely high concentrations. Due to enhanced ion interactions in the supersaturated solutions of NaClO4 aerosols, the formation of contact ion pairs (CIPs) could be observed without component decomposition for the nondegenerate nu1 band of ClO4-, and the degenerate nu3 band of ClO4- was successfully related to the formation of CIPs in NaClO4 solutions.

[Determination of dopamine hydrochloride by a reverse flow injection chemiluminescence method].

A novel chemiluminescence system coupled with a reverse flow injection analysis for the determination of dopamine hydrochloride was presented. It is based on th e strong quench effect of dopamine hydrochloride on the chemiluminescence reaction between luminol and hexacyanoferrate(III) under alkaline condition. Various factors affecting the chemiluminescence intensity of the system were investigated.

Drawing out the structural information of the first layer of hydrated ions: ATR-FTIR spectroscopic studies on aqueous NH4NO3, NaNO3, and Mg(NO3)2 solutions.

ATR-FTIR technique was used to obtain the difference spectra of aqueous NH4NO3 NaNO3, and Mg(NO3)2 solutions, with NO3- concentrations ranging from 0 to 4.00 mol dm(-3). The water monomers weakly hydrogen bonded with NO3- ions showed a positive peak near at 3565 cm(-1) for both Mg(NO3)2 and NH4NO3 solutions.

Real-time three-dimensional myocardial contrast echocardiography in assessment of myocardial perfusion defects.

Background: Both real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) are novel imaging techniques. The purpose of this study was to confirm the feasibility and accuracy of RT3DE combined with MCE for quantitative evaluation of myocardial perfusion defects.

Methods: Thirteen dogs underwent ligation of the left anterior descending artery (LAD, n = 6) or distal branch of the left circumflex artery (LCX, n = 7) under general anaesthesia.

Experimental study of quantitative assessment of left ventricular mass with contrast enhanced real-time three-dimensional echocardiography.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of measurement of left ventricular mass with intravenous contrast enhanced real-time three-dimensional (RT3D) echocardiography in the experimental setting.

Methods: RT3D echocardiography was performed in 13 open-chest mongrel dogs before and after intravenous infusion of a perfluorocarbon contrast agent. Left ventricular myocardium volume was measured according to the apical four-plane method provided by TomTec 4D cardio-View RT1.