Atomic layer deposition of Pt@CsH_2PO_4 for the cathodes of solid acid fuel cells

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been used to apply continuous Pt films on powders of the solid acid CsH_2PO_4 (CDP), in turn, used in the preparation of cathodes in solid acid fuel cells (SAFCs). The film deposition was carried out at 150 °C using trimethyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum (MeCpPtMe_3) as the Pt source and ozone as the reactant for ligand removal. Chemical analysis showed a Pt growth rate of 0.09 ± 0.01 wt%/cycle subsequent to an initial nucleation delay of 84 ± 20 cycles. Electron microscopy revealed the contiguous nature of the films prepared using 200 or more cycles. The cathode overpotential (0.48 ± 0.02 V at a current density of 200 mA/cm^2) was independent of Pt deposition amount beyond the minimum required to achieve these continuous films. The cell electrochemical characteristics were moreover extremely stable with time, with the cathode overpotentials increasing by no more than 10 mV over a 100 h period of measurement. Thus, ALD holds promise as an effective tool in the preparation of SAFC cathodes with high activity and excellent stability

Atomic layer deposition of Pt@CsH_2PO_4 for the cathodes of solid acid fuel cells

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been used to apply continuous Pt films on powders of the solid acid CsH_2PO_4 (CDP), in turn, used in the preparation of cathodes in solid acid fuel cells (SAFCs). The film deposition was carried out at 150 °C using trimethyl(methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum (MeCpPtMe_3) as the Pt source and ozone as the reactant for ligand removal. Chemical analysis showed a Pt growth rate of 0.09 ± 0.01 wt%/cycle subsequent to an initial nucleation delay of 84 ± 20 cycles. Electron microscopy revealed the contiguous nature of the films prepared using 200 or more cycles. The cathode overpotential (0.48 ± 0.02 V at a current density of 200 mA/cm^2) was independent of Pt deposition amount beyond the minimum required to achieve these continuous films. The cell electrochemical characteristics were moreover extremely stable with time, with the cathode overpotentials increasing by no more than 10 mV over a 100 h period of measurement. Thus, ALD holds promise as an effective tool in the preparation of SAFC cathodes with high activity and excellent stability

Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma to the Ovary: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to the ovary is notably rare. We present a case of HCC metastasis to the ovary with a review of the literature, which includes only 7 reported cases. A 43-year-old hepatitis B virus carrier was admitted with a right ovarian cystic mass. She had been diagnosed with HCC 2 years prior, for which she underwent transarterial chemoembolization followed by right posterior sectionectomy. Eight months after the hepatectomy, the first intrahepatic recurrence was detected and treated with transarterial chemoembolization. An additional intrahepatic recurrence occurred 12 months after transarterial chemoembolization and was managed with left medial sectionectomy and intra-operative radiofrequency ablation. Over the following 3 months, the patient developed elevated alpha-fetoprotein, and positron emission tomography showed a cystic mass in the right side of the pelvic cavity with focal hypermetabolic activity, which suggested a site of recurrent HCC. An exploratory laparotomy was performed, and a soft, ovoid cystic mass was identified in the right ovary. There was no evidence of metastases in the liver, left ovary, or peritoneum. Because of the absence of tumor on the surface of the ovary and the lack of peritoneal seeding, the mode of metastasis was thought to be hematogenous. Therefore, a right salphingo-oophorectomy was performed. The pathological features showed metastatic HCC with clear resection margins. Although metastasis of HCC to the ovary is very rare, it should be suspected in a female patient with a lower abdominal mass and an elevated serum AFP level in the absence of other demonstrable metastases

Analysis of Endoscopic Electronic Image of Intramucosal Gastric Carcinoma Using a Software Program for Calculating Hemoglobin Index

Hemoglobin is the predominent pigment in the gastrointestinal mucosa, and the development of electronic endoscopy has made it possible to quantitatively measure the mucosal hemoglobin volume, by using a hemoglobin index (IHb). The aims of this study were to make a software program to calculate the IHb and then to investigate whether the mucosal IHb determined from the electronic endoscopic data is a useful marker for evaluating the color of intramucosal gastric carcinoma with regard to its value for discriminating between the histologic types. We made a software program for calculating the IHb in the endoscopic images. By using this program, the mean values of the IHb for the carcinoma (IHb-C) and those of the IHb for the surrounding non-cancerous mucosa (IHb-N) were calculated in 75 intestinal-type and 34 diffuse-type intramucosal gastric carcinomas. We then analyzed the ratio of the IHb-C to the IHb-N (C/N ratio). The C/N ratio in the intestinal-type carcinoma group was higher than that in the diffuse-type carcinoma group (p<0.001). In the diffuse-type carcinoma group, the C/N ratio in the body was lower than that in the antrum (p=0.022). The accuracy rate, sensitivity, specificity, and the positive and negative predictive values for the differential diagnosis of the diffuse-type carcinoma from the intestinal-type carcinoma were 94.5%, 94.1%, 94.7%, 88.9% and 97.3%, respectively. IHb is useful for making quantitative measurement of the endoscopic color in the intramucosal gastric carcinoma, and the C/N ratio by using the IHb would be helpful for distinguishing the diffuse-type carcinoma from the intestinal-type carcinoma

Laboratory information management system for COVID-19 non-clinical efficacy trial data

Background : As the number of large-scale studies involving multiple organizations producing data has steadily increased, an integrated system for a common interoperable format is needed. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a number of global efforts are underway to develop vaccines and therapeutics. We are therefore observing an explosion in the proliferation of COVID-19 data, and interoperability is highly requested in multiple institutions participating simultaneously in COVID-19 pandemic research. Results : In this study, a laboratory information management system (LIMS) approach has been adopted to systemically manage various COVID-19 non-clinical trial data, including mortality, clinical signs, body weight, body temperature, organ weights, viral titer (viral replication and viral RNA), and multiorgan histopathology, from multiple institutions based on a web interface. The main aim of the implemented system is to integrate, standardize, and organize data collected from laboratories in multiple institutes for COVID-19 non-clinical efficacy testings. Six animal biosafety level 3 institutions proved the feasibility of our system. Substantial benefits were shown by maximizing collaborative high-quality non-clinical research. Conclusions : This LIMS platform can be used for future outbreaks, leading to accelerated medical product development through the systematic management of extensive data from non-clinical animal studies.This research was supported by the National research foundation of Korea(NRF) grant funded by the Korea government(MSIT) (2020M3A9I2109027 and 2021M3H9A1030260)