Improved lithium ion battery performance by mesoporous Co3O 4 nanosheets grown on self-standing NiSix nanowires on nickel foam

Novel three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical NiSix/Co 3O4 core-shell nanowire arrays composed of NiSi x nanowire cores and branched Co3O4 nanosheet shells have been successfully synthesized by combining chemical vapor deposition and a simple but effective chemical bath deposition process followed by a calcination process. The resulting hierarchical NiSix/Co 3O4 core-shell nanowire arrays directly serve as binder- and conductive-agent-free electrodes for lithium ion batteries, which demonstrate remarkably improved electrochemical performances with excellent capacity retention and high rate capability on cycling. They can maintain a stable reversible capacity of 1279 mA h g-1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 400 mA g-1 and a capacity higher than 340 mA h g-1 even at a current density as high as 8 A g-1. Such superior electrochemical performance of the electrodes made by directly growing electro-active highly porous Co3O4 on a nanostructured NiSix conductive current collector makes them very promising for applications in high-performance lithium ion batteries. ? 2014 the Partner Organisations

Associations of HLA-DP Variants with Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Southern and Northern Han Chinese Populations: A Multicenter Case-Control Study

) locus has been reported to be associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in populations of Japan and Thailand. We aimed to examine whether the association can be replicated in Han Chinese populations. = 0.097∼0.697 and 0.198∼0.615 in northern Chinese population, respectively). loci were strongly associated with HBV infection in southern and northern Han Chinese populations, but not with HBV progression

Prioritization Assessment for Capability Gaps in Weapon System of Systems Based on the Conditional Evidential Network

The prioritization of capability gaps for weapon system of systems is the basis for design and capability planning in the system of systems development process. In order to address input information uncertainties, the prioritization of capability gaps is computed in two steps using the conditional evidential network method. First, we evaluated the belief distribution of degree of required satisfaction for capabilities, and then calculated the reverse conditional belief function between capability hierarchies. We also provided verification for the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method through a prioritization of capability gaps calculation using an example of a spatial-navigation-and-positioning system of systems

CuO nanostructures: Synthesis, characterization, growth mechanisms, fundamental properties, and applications

Nanoscale metal oxide materials have been attracting much attention because of their unique size- and dimensionality-dependent physical and chemical properties as well as promising applications as key components in micro/nanoscale devices. Cupric oxide (CuO) nanostructures are of particular interest because of their interesting properties and promising applications in batteries, supercapacitors, solar cells, gas sensors, bio sensors, nanofluid, catalysis, photodetectors, energetic materials, field emissions, superhydrophobic surfaces, and removal of arsenic and organic pollutants from waste water. This article presents a comprehensive review of recent synthetic methods along with associated synthesis mechanisms, characterization, fundamental properties, and promising applications of CuO nanostructures. The review begins with a description of the most common synthetic strategies, characterization, and associated synthesis mechanisms of CuO nanostructures. Then, it introduces the fundamental properties of CuO nanostructures, and the potential of these nanostructures as building blocks for future micro/nanoscale devices is discussed. Recent developments in the applications of various CuO nanostructures are also reviewed. Finally, several perspectives in terms of future research on CuO nanostructures are highlighted. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

An Ultracompact Angular Displacement Sensor Based on the Talbot Effect of Optical Microgratings

Here, we report an ultracompact angular displacement sensor based on the Talbot effect of optical microgratings. Periodic Talbot interference patterns were obtained behind an upper optical grating. By putting another grating within the Talbot region, the total transmission of the two-grating structure was found to be approximatively in a linear relationship with the relative pitch angle between the two gratings, which was explained by a transversal shift of the Talbot interference patterns. The influence of the grating parameters (e.g., the grating period, the number of grating lines and the gap between the two gratings) was also studied in both a simulation and an experiment, showing a tunable sensitivity and range by simply changing the grating parameters. A sensitivity of 0.19 mV/arcsec was experimentally obtained, leading to a relative sensitivity of 0.27%/arcsec within a linear range of ±396 arcsec with the 2 μm-period optical gratings. Benefitting from tunable properties and an ultracompact structure, we believe that the proposed sensor shows great potential in applications such as aviation, navigation, robotics and manufacturing engineering

Cardiac complications associated with the influenza viruses A subtype H7N9 or pandemic H1N1 in critically ill patients under intensive care

Background and objective: The clinical presentations and disease courses of patients hospitalized with either influenza A virus subtype H7N9 (H7N9) or 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus were compared in a recent report, but associated cardiac complications remain unclear. The present retrospective study investigated whether cardiac complications in critically ill patients with H7N9 infections differed from those infected with the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus strain. Methods: Suspect cases were confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays with specific confirmation of the pandemic H1N1 strain at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Comparisons were conducted at the individual-level data of critically ill patients hospitalized with H7N9 (n = 24) or pandemic H1N1 influenza virus (n = 22) infections in Suzhou, China. Changes in cardiac biochemical markers, echocardiography, and electrocardiography during hospitalization in the intensive care unit were considered signs of cardiac complications. Results: The following findings were more common among the H7N9 group relative to the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus group: greater tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient, sinus tachycardia (heartbeat ≥ 130 bpm), ST segment depression, right ventricular dysfunction, and elevated cardiac biochemical markers. Pericardial effusion was more often found among pandemic H1N1 influenza virus patients than in the H7N9 group. In both groups, most of the cardiac complications were detected from day 6 to 14 after the onset of influenza symptoms. Those who developed cardiac complications were especially vulnerable during the first four days after initiation of mechanical ventilation. Cardiac complications were reversible in the vast majority of discharged H7N9 patients. Conclusions: Critically ill hospitalized H7N9 patients experienced a higher rate of cardiac complications than did patients with 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus infections, with the exception of pericardial effusion. This study may help in the prevention, identification, and treatment of influenza-induced cardiac complications in both pandemic H1N1 influenza virus and H7N9 infections. Keywords: Cardiac complications, H7N9, H1N

Growth of hierarchical 3D mesoporous NiSix/NiCo 2O4 core/shell heterostructures on nickel foam for lithium-ion batteries

We demonstrate the facile and well-controlled design and fabrication of heterostructured and hierarchical 3D mesoporous NiSix/NiCo 2O4 core/shell nanowire arrays on nickel foam through a facile chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique combined with a simple but powerful chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. The smart hybridization of NiCo2O4 and NiSix nanostructures results in an intriguing mesoporous hierarchical core/shell nanowire-array architecture. The nanowire arrays demonstrate enhanced electrochemical performance as binder- and conductive-agent-free electrodes for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) with excellent capacity retention and high rate capability on cycling. The electrodes can maintain a high reversible capacity of 1693 mA h g-1 after 50 cycles at 200 mA g-1. Given the outstanding performance and simple, efficient, cost-effective fabrication, we believe that these 3D NiSi x/NiCo2O4 core/shell heterostructured arrays have great potential application in high-performance LIBs. ? 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Highly Exothermic and Superhydrophobic Mg/Fluorocarbon Core/Shell Nanoenergetic Arrays

Mg/fluorocarbon core/shell nanoenergetic arrays are prepared onto silicon substrate, with Mg nanorods as the core and fluorocarbon as the shell. Mg nanorods are deposited by the glancing angle deposition technique, and the fluorocarbon layer is then prepared as a shell to encase the Mg nanorods by the magnetron sputtering deposition process. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy show the core/shell structure of the Mg/fluorocarbon arrays. X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are used to characterize the structural composition of the Mg/fluorocarbon. It is found that the as-prepared fluorocarbon layer consists of shorter molecular chains compared to that of bulk polytetrafluoroethylene, which is proven beneficial to the low onset reaction temperature of Mg/fluorocarbon. Water contact angle test demonstrates the superhydrophobicity of the Mg/fluorocarbon arrays, and a static contact angle as high as 162° is achieved. Thermal analysis shows that the Mg/fluorocarbon material exhibits a very low onset reaction temperature of about 270 °C as well as an ultrahigh heat of reaction approaching 9 kJ/g. A preliminary combustion test reveals rapid combustion wave propagation, and a convective mechanism is adopted to explain the combustion behaviors