Single-Crystal LiNi Mn Co O Cathodes for Extreme Fast Charging.

Ni-rich layered LiNi Mn Co O (NMCs, x ≥ 0.8) are poised to be the dominating cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries for the foreseeable future. Conventional polycrystalline NMCs, however, suffer from severe cracking along the grain boundaries of primary particles and capacity loss under high charge and/or discharge rates, hindering their implementation in fast-charging electric vehicular (EV) batteries.

A High Performing Zn-Ion Battery Cathode Enabled by In Situ Transformation of V O Atomic Layers.

Developing high capacity and stable cathodes is a key to successful commercialization of aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs). Pure layered V O has a high theoretical capacity (585 mAh g ), but it suffers severe capacity decay. Pre-inserting cations into V O can substantially stabilize the performance, but at an expense of lowered capacity.

Redox-Reversible Electrode Material for Direct Hydrocarbon Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) can directly operate on hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas; however, the widely used nickel-based anodes face grand challenges such as coking, sulfur poisoning, and redox instability. We report a novel double perovskite oxide SrCoFeMoO (SCFM) that possesses excellent redox reversibility and can be used as both the cathode and the anode. When heat-treated at 900 °C in a reducing environment, double perovskite phase SCFM transforms into a composite of the Ruddlesden-Popper structured oxide SrCoFeMoO (RP-SCFM) with the Co-Fe alloy nanoparticles homogeneously distributed on the surface of RP-SCFM.

Down-regulation of partial substitution for staple food by oat noodles on blood lipid levels: A randomized, double-blind, clinical trial.

This clinical trial was conducted to assess the lipid-lowering activity of oat noodles by replacing partial staple food (wheat or rice noodle) in normal and mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects. Totally 84 healthy and mild hypercholesterolemic subjects were recruited and divided into 2 groups as experimental (oat noodles) and placebo (wheat noodles) and instructed to consume 100 g of oat noodles or wheat noodles (replacing one or two meals/day) for 10 weeks and followed by 2 weeks of follow up (without noodle consumption). Various anthropometric measurements and biochemical analysis were carried out during initial (baseline), 2nd, 6th, 10th and 12th week (follow-up).

An Alternative to Lithium Metal Anodes: Non-dendritic and Highly Reversible Sodium Metal Anodes for Li-Na Hybrid Batteries.

Highly reversible, stable, and non-dendritic metal anode (Li, Na etc.) is a crucial requirement for next-generation high-energy batteries. Herein, we have built a Li-Na hybrid battery (LNHB) based on Na plating/stripping, which features a high and stable coulombic efficiency of 99.

Nafion/Titanium Dioxide-Coated Lithium Anode for Stable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have shown great potential as high energy-storage devices. However, the stability of the Li metal anode is still a major concern. This is due to the formation of lithium dendrites and severe side reactions with polysulfide intermediates.

Beneficial effect of Burdock complex on asymptomatic Helicobacter pylori-infected subjects: A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Burdock complex (BC) constitutes of burdock (Arctium lappa), angelica (Angelica sinensis), gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon), and sesame (Sesamum indicum) oil, which are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating various disorders. This study intended to examine the anti-H. pylori activity of BC on AGS cell model as well as in asymptomatic H.

Efficacy of protein rich pearl powder on antioxidant status in a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Pearl is one of the well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescribed for treating various skin and bone related disorders due to its abundant proteins and mineral contents. The present investigation focused on antioxidation and life span prolonging effects from different extracts of pearl powder. During in vitro studies, various oxidative indices were evaluated, along with lifespan-prolonging effect were checked using wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans.

Comparative studies on the hypolipidemic, antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of catechin-enriched green and oolong tea in a double-blind clinical trial.

This study aimed to compare the beneficial effect of catechin-enriched green tea and oolong tea on mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects. Sixty mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects (180-220 mg dL) were enrolled and divided into three groups as catechin-enriched green tea (CEGT), catechin-enriched oolong tea (CEOT) or placebo. The subjects were instructed to drink 2 × 300 mL of CEGT (780.

Stable Na plating/stripping electrochemistry realized by a 3D Cu current collector with thin nanowires.

Current collectors have a significant role in Na plating and stripping. Here we demonstrate that a three-dimensional (3D) Cu current collector with thin nanowires (<40 nm) can significantly promote the electrochemical deposition stability of Na via tuning a Na metal plating model, therefore contributing to a high efficiency, long lifespan, and low overpotential during electrode/battery cycling.

Low level of circulating basophil counts in biopsy-proven active lupus nephritis.

Basophils have been shown to be important players in promoting lupus nephritis (LN). However, the relationship between circulating basophil counts and renal pathology activity of LN remains unclear. In this retrospective study, 159 clinical and pathology samples from patients with biopsy-proven LN were analyzed.

Regulatory efficacy of fermented plant extract on the intestinal microflora and lipid profile in mildly hypercholesterolemic individuals.

In recent years, the use of fermented plant products to protect against various metabolic syndromes has been increasing enormously. The objective of this study was to check the regulatory efficacy of fermented plant extract (FPE) on intestinal microflora, lipid profile, and antioxidant status in mildly hypercholesterolemic volunteers. Forty-four mildly hypercholesterolemic individuals (cholesterol 180-220 mg/dL) were recruited and assigned to two groups: experimental or placebo.

High-Capacity and Ultrafast Na-Ion Storage of a Self-Supported 3D Porous Antimony Persulfide-Graphene Foam Architecture.

The key challenge for high-performance sodium-ion batteries is the exploitation of appropriate electrode materials with a long cycling stability and high rate capability. Here, we report SbS nanoparticles (∼5 nm) uniformly encapsulated in three-dimensional (3D) porous graphene foam, which were fabricated by a facile hydrothermal coassembly strategy, as a high-performance anode material for sodium-ion batteries. The as-prepared composite can be directly used as electrodes without adding a binder or current collector, exhibiting outstanding electrochemical performance with a high reversible capacity (845 mA h g at 0.

Triterpenoids and polysaccharide peptides-enriched Ganoderma lucidum: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of its antioxidation and hepatoprotective efficacy in healthy volunteers.

Context: Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss: Fr) Karst. (Polyporaceae) is an oriental medicinal fungus, commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating various condition or diseases such as hypertension, hyperglycaemia, hepatitis and cancer.

Objective: The current study examines whether triterpenoids and polysaccharide-enriched G.

Regulatory/modulatory effect of prune essence concentrate on intestinal function and blood lipids.

Context: Prunus domestica Linn (Rosaceae) has been considered a functional food, owing to its various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and anticancer.

Objective: This placebo-controlled, randomized study was framed to check the beneficial activity of prune essence concentrates (PEC) in corroboration with intestinal function and lipid profile in mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects.

Materials And Methods: Sixty healthy mild hypercholesterolemic subjects were randomly chosen and segregated into three groups as placebo (consume 50 mL of simulated prune drink), PEC I (consume 50 mL of PEC/day) and PEC II (consume 100 mL of PEC/day) for 4 weeks with 2 weeks of follow-up without PEC consumption.

Hypocholesterolemic efficacy of royal jelly in healthy mild hypercholesterolemic adults.

Context: Royal jelly (RJ) has been reported for its health promoting factors such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipid lowering activities.

Objective: The present randomized, placebo-controlled study examines the hypolipidemic beneficial effect of RJ through evaluating anthropometric measurements, lipid profile and various hormone levels in mildly hypercholesterolemic participants.

Materials And Methods: Forty subjects with mild hypercholesterolemia (180-200 mg/dL) were randomly selected and divided into two groups as experimental or placebo, who requested to intake nine capsules (350 mg/capsule) of RJ or placebo/day, respectively, for three months with one month of follow-up without any supplementation.

SiO-coated LiNiCoAlO cathode material for rechargeable Li-ion batteries.

We reported a one-step dry coating of amorphous SiO on spherical Ni-rich layered LiNiCoAlO (NCA) cathode materials. Combined characterization of XRD, EDS mapping, and TEM indicates that a SiO layer with an average thickness of ∼50 nm was uniformly coated on the surface of NCA microspheres, without inducing any change of the phase structure and morphology. Electrochemical tests show that the 0.

Rechargeable Lithium-Iodine Batteries with Iodine/Nanoporous Carbon Cathode.

Rechargeable Li-iodine batteries are attractive electrochemical energy storage systems because iodine cathode provides the possibility of high energy density, wide abundance and low cost. However, the safety risk caused by low thermostability of iodine and the self-discharge reaction due to high solvency of iodine in aprotic solvent are target issues to be considered. Herein, we designed a room-temperature "solution-adsorption" method to prepare a thermostable iodine-carbon cathode by utilizing the strong adsorption of nanoporous carbon.

Micro-nanostructured CuO/C spheres as high-performance anode materials for Na-ion batteries.

In this paper, we report on the synthesis of micro-nanostructured CuO/C spheres by aerosol spray pyrolysis and their application as high-performance anodes in sodium-ion batteries. Micro-nanostructured CuO/C spheres with different CuO contents were synthesized through aerosol spray pyrolysis by adjusting the ratio of reactants and heat-treated by an oxidation process. The as-prepared CuO/C spheres show uniformly spherical morphology, in which CuO nanoparticles (∼10 nm) are homogeneously embedded in the carbon matrix (denoted as 10-CuO/C).

Clinical features and mortality in Chinese with lupus nephritis and neuropsychiatric lupus: A 124-patient study.

Background: Few investigation has focused on the patients with lupus nephritis (LN) and neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE). This study was aimed to investigate the clinical features, mortality, and the predictors for mortality of this group of patients.

Materials And Methods: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from 1996 to 2012.

Protective effects of gastrodin on hypoxia-induced toxicity in primary cultures of rat cortical neurons.

The phenolic glucoside gastrodin is the main component extracted from the rhizome of Gastrodia elata (Orchidaceae), a Chinese herbal medicine, which has long been used for treating dizziness, epilepsy, stroke and dementia. The present study aims to investigate the effect of gastrodin on hypoxia-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat cortical neurons. Neuron survival and extracellular glutamate level were measured after an insult by hypoxia.