Evaluation and optimization of polycarbonate track-etched (PCTE) membranes for direct methanol fuel cells.

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) offer a promising power source by utilizing liquid-state methanol as fuel, providing easy storage and transportability. Currently, DMFCs commonly employ perfluorosulfonic acid membranes, such as the well-known Nafion membrane, as proton exchange membranes. However, perfluorosulfonic acid membranes have significant drawbacks in DMFCs, including a high crossover rate, substantial swelling, poor thermal stability, and elevated costs.

Layered Double Hydroxide Nanosheets: Synthesis Strategies and Applications in the Field of Energy Conversion.

In recent years, layered double hydroxides (LDH) nanosheets have garnered substantial attention as intriguing inorganic anionic layered clay materials. These nanosheets have captured the attention of researchers due to their unique physicochemical properties. This review aims to showcase the latest advancements in laboratory research concerning LDH nanosheets, with a specific emphasis on their methods of preparation.

Preparation and performance evaluation of non-foaming styrene-acrylic latex for cementing slurry.

The latex used conventionally for oil-well cementing can lead to serious foaming issues in the cement slurry, which not only affects the accurate measurement of the density of the latex-containing cement slurry, but also is detrimental to cementing construction. A large amount of a foam stabilizer used for latex preparation is mainly responsible for foaming of the latex-containing cement slurry. In this study, soap-free emulsion polymerization was conducted using 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS), styrene (St), and butyl acrylate (BA) as the reaction monomers and the effects of the AMPS dosage, monomer ratio, reaction temperature and stirring speed on the performance of the latex were investigated.

Understanding metabolic alterations after SARS-CoV-2 infection: insights from the patients' oral microenvironmental metabolites.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 is a type of acute infectious pneumonia and frequently confused with influenza since the initial symptoms. When the virus colonized the patient's mouth, it will cause changes of the oral microenvironment. However, few studies on the alterations of metabolism of the oral microenvironment affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported.

Preparation of Montmorillonite Nanosheets with a High Aspect Ratio through Heating/Rehydrating and Gas-Pushing Exfoliation.

Montmorillonite (MMT) is an abundant silicate mineral with ultrahigh stability. The exfoliation of stacked MMT into high-aspect-ratio nanosheets is of crucial importance for various applications such as toxic gas suppression, barrier property enhancement, flame retardancy, and ion conduction. In this work, we develop a new heating/rehydrating and gas-pushing method that can successfully exfoliate MMT into nanosheets with aspect ratios (600-5000) far higher than the currently reported values (1-120).

Preparation of highly dispersed Pd/SBA-15 catalysts for dodecahydro-N-ethylcarbazole dehydrogenation reaction by ion exchange-glow discharge.

Dehydrogenation reactions are critical in hydrogen storage based on a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) system. Speeding up the dehydrogenation rate and lowering the reaction temperature are the main focuses of LOHC dehydrogenation catalysts. In this paper, Pd/SBA-15 catalysts (Pd-IP/S15) were prepared by NaOH treatment of surface hydroxyl groups on SBA-15, the ion exchange of Na with Pd(NH), and then reduction of Pd ions via glow discharge plasma.

Metagenomic analysis reveals oropharyngeal microbiota alterations in patients with COVID-19.

COVID-19 remains a serious emerging global health problem, and little is known about the role of oropharynx commensal microbes in infection susceptibility and severity. Here, we present the oropharyngeal microbiota characteristics identified by shotgun metagenomic sequencing analyses of oropharynx swab specimens from 31 COVID-19 patients, 29 influenza B patients, and 28 healthy controls. Our results revealed a distinct oropharyngeal microbiota composition in the COVID-19 patients, characterized by enrichment of opportunistic pathogens such as Veillonella and Megasphaera and depletion of Pseudopropionibacterium, Rothia, and Streptococcus.

MRNA levels of two different enzymes in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background/aims: To investigate in patients the relationship between hepatocellular carcinoma and expression levels of cytochrome P450 IIE1 and glutathione S-transferaseP1

Methodology: Peripheral blood was collected from 65 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and 65 healthy controls. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used in this research.

Results: The average mRNA levels of CYPIIE1 in HCC and healthy controls are 11.

A continuous plutonium aerosol monitor for use in high radon environments.

Radon concentration is very high in underground basements and other facilities. Radon concentration in a nuclear facility locates in the granite tunnel can be as high as 10(4) Bq m(-3) in summer. Monitoring plutonium aerosol in this circumstance is seriously interfered by radon daughters.