Nitrogen-doped micropores binder-free carbon-sulphur composites as the cathode for long-life lithium-sulphur batteries

Nitrogen-doped micropores-contained carbon nanofibres (NMCNFs) were prepared by carbonizing ZIF-8 grown in liquid-phase along with electrospinning. When NMCNFs act as sulphur host materials in lithium–sulphur batteries, NMCNFs can retard the shuttle effect and dissolution of polysulfides through the synergic action of effective physical confinement to micropores and nitrogen surface chemical absorption. NMCNFs show a capacity up to 636 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles against Li anode

Association between behavioral patterns and depression symptoms: dyadic interaction between couples

BackgroundBehavioral patterns are sometimes associated with depression symptoms; however, few studies have considered the intra-couple effects. This study examined the effect of a spouses’ behavioral patterns on depression symptoms within themself and in their spouse.MethodsA total of 61,118 childbearing age participants (30,559 husband-wife dyads) were surveyed. The depression symptoms were assessed using the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The behavioral patterns were identified by the latent class analysis. The effects of behavioral patterns on the couple’s own depression symptoms (actor effect) and their partner’s depression symptoms (partner effect) were analyzed using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM).ResultsThree behavioral patterns were identified: low-risk group, moderate-risk group, and high-risk group. The high risk of these behavior patterns would be associated with a higher score on the PHQ-9; for both husbands and wives, their behavioral patterns were positively associated with PHQ-9 scores (βhusband = 0.53, P < 0.01; βwife = 0.58, P < 0.01). Wives’ behavioral patterns were also positively associated with their husbands’ PHQ-9 scores (β = 0.14, P < 0.01), but husbands’ behavioral patterns were not associated with their wives’ PHQ-9 scores.ConclusionsWives’ depression symptoms were affected only by their own behavioral patterns, whereas husbands’ depression symptoms were influenced by both their own and their spouses’ behavioral patterns

An Analysis of the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Problem for Distributed Energy Systems

Choosing a distributed energy system (DES) is a multi-criteria decision-making problem. Decision-makers should not only consider the cost of the system, but also consider the energy efficiency and environmental protection of the system. In order to help decision-makers choose the best DES, this paper designs seven different DESs based on specific examples, using five criteria: investment cost, operation cost, primary energy consumption, primary energy utilization, and yearly CO2 emission. Additionally, three methods of super-efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) are used to evaluate the system priority and analyze the sensitivity under different decision-making scenarios. The results show that when decision-makers only consider cost factors, traditional systems are the best choice. However, renewable energy systems are the best choice when decision-makers consider energy efficiency and environmental protection rather than cost. Among them, the photovoltaic storage system is the best system in many decision-making scenarios, because of its comprehensive advantages in cost, energy efficiency, and environmental benefit. Simultaneously, the system’s prioritization of different decision-making methods is different. In this paper, according to the Spearman correlation index test, the results achieved from TOPSIS and COPRAS are relevant and feasible

Analysis of Influencing Factors and Trend Forecast of Carbon Emission from Energy Consumption in China Based on Expanded STIRPAT Model

With the convening of the annual global climate conference, the issue of global climate change has gradually become the focus of attention of the international community. As the largest carbon emitter in the world, China is facing a serious situation of carbon emission reduction. This paper uses the IPCC (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) method to calculate the carbon emissions of energy consumption in China from 1996 to 2016, and uses it as a dependent variable to analyze the influencing factors. In this paper, five factors, total population, per capita GDP (Gross Domestic Product), urbanization level, primary energy consumption structure, technology level, and industrial structure are selected as the influencing factors of carbon emissions. Based on the expanded STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology) model, the influencing degree of different factors on carbon emissions of energy consumption is analyzed. The results show that the order of impact on carbon emissions from high to low is total population, per capita GDP, technology level, industrial structure, primary energy consumption structure, and urbanization level. On the basis of the above research, the carbon emissions of China′s energy consumption in the future are predicted under eight different scenarios. The results show that, when the population and economy keep a low growth rate, while improving the technology level can effectively control carbon emissions from energy consumption, China′s carbon emissions from energy consumption will reach 302.82 million tons in 2020

Analysis of the efficacy and influencing factors of preoperative P‐SOX neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen for progressive gastric cancer—construction of a clinical prediction model

Abstract Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy is one of the most common treatments for patients with advanced gastric cancer that cannot be completely removed by surgery. Nab‐paclitaxel is a nano‐formulation of paclitaxel that has been shown to be effective in treating stomach cancer. In addition, oxaliplatin + S‐1 (SOX) has been a first‐line chemotherapy regimen for gastric cancer, and it has the effect of tumor downstaging, improving the R0 resection rate, and reducing the postoperative recurrence rate, but the side effects are significant. During the application of oxaliplatin, obvious gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea and vomiting can be observed. There may also be blood system side effects such as leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, as well as serious adverse reactions such as peripheral neuropathy. Therefore, we reduced the amount of oxaliplatin in SOX and added nab‐paclitaxel on the basis of this, in order to increase the efficacy while reducing the side effects of SOX regimen. We selected 192 patients with advanced gastric cancer admitted to the Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology of Qinghai University Hospital from July 2019 to February 2022, and all were treated with nab‐paclitaxel plus oxaliplatin + S‐1 neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen, and underwent further surgery after chemotherapy. The tumor regression grade (TRG grade) and response evaluation criteria of solid tumor 1.1 (RECIST1.1) were taken as the dependent variables. According to TRG classification, 120 patients were effective (grade 0, 1, 2 = 62.50%, age: 55.63 ± 9.02 years), 72 patients were ineffective (grade 3 = 37.50%, 55.82 ± 9.21 years), and the effective rate of chemotherapy was 62.50%. According to RECIST1.1, 116 patients were effective (CR + PR = 60.42%, mean age 55.84 ± 9.02 years), 76 patients were ineffective (SD + PD = 39.58%, 55.47 ± 9.19 years), and the effective rate was 60.42%. The factors p < 0.2 in univariate logistic regression analysis were included in multivariate logistic regression analysis, and p < 0.05 was the statistical difference, and statistically significant factors were screened out for modeling and plotted the nomogram. Among them, in the tumor regression grade, the final factors related to effective chemotherapy are the degree of differentiation, cT. stage, tumor diameter, chemotherapy cycle, and the final factors related to effective chemotherapy in the solid tumor response evaluation criteria are the degree of differentiation, cT. stage, tumor diameter. Therefore, we conclude that the regimen of nab‐paclitaxel combined with oxaliplatin and S‐1 has certain positive significance in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer

Influence of Moisture Content on Electromagnetic Response of Concrete Studied Using a Homemade Apparatus

In this study, we examined the influence of moisture content on the electromagnetic response of concrete. A novel homemade electromagnetic monitoring apparatus was developed and used to evaluate the Hall effect voltage at both ends of concrete based on our previous study of the Hall effect. We used four different concrete mix water/binder ratios: 0.30, 0.28, 0.26, and 0.24, and three conditions (relative humidity, carbonation, and water absorption) were examined in this experiment. The results show that the moisture content inside concrete influences the relative permeability of concrete. The variation in the Hall effect voltage is more influenced by carbonation than changes in relative humidity; water absorption increases the Hall effect voltage the least amongst the other examined factors. According to the experiment, a calibration system was established, and the relevant correction factors are provided

Solvent and Structure Effects on the Shuttling in Pillar[5]arene/Triazole Rotaxanes

In the present contribution, a pillararene-based rotaxane, formed by a pillar[5]­arene (P[5]) and a dumbbell-shaped thread composed by four 1,2,3-triazole moieties alternatively linked by three methylene moieties and thus leading to two kinds of stations (the C-ended and N-ended ones), was investigated at the atomic level. The effect of the linkers on shuttling in CHCl₃ was investigated by building four rotaxane models with different lengths of methylene groups. The free-energy profiles delineating the shuttling of the P[5] along the thread revealed that the shuttling rate varied regularly with the length (<i>n</i>) of the methylene moieties and exhibited the slowest value for the rotaxane (<i>n</i> = 5). Decomposition of the free-energy profiles into free-energy contributions suggested that electrostatic interactions constitute the main driving force responsible for shuttling. Moreover, the stability of C-ended station is found to be much lower than the N-ended station in each rotaxane, which can also be ascribed to the electrostatic interactions of P[5] with the stations. To investigate the effect of the solvent, the shuttling movement of the rotaxane (<i>n</i> = 4) in DMSO was also studied and compared to that in CHCl₃. The shuttling barrier in DMSO decreased significantly, which can be attributed to its higher polarity and the formation of H-bonds between DMSO and the triazole units. Therefore, the polarity of the solvent and its hydrogen-bond acceptor ability can affect the shuttling rates of the rotaxanes. The present results provide understanding of the shuttling mechanism of the molecules formed by pillararenes and triazole moieties and are expected to serve in the design of pillararene-based molecular machines

Long-term exposure to crotonaldehyde causes heart and kidney dysfunction through induction of inflammatory and oxidative damage in male Wistar rats

Crotonaldehyde is a ubiquitous hazardous pollutant, present in cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust and is endogenously generated by lipid peroxidation. Most of the current studies focus on its lung toxicity. However, there have been few investigations on the cardiac and renal toxicity caused by crotonaldehyde exposure. We hypothesized that oral intake of crotonaldehyde can cause inflammatory and oxidative/nitrosative damage to the heart and kidneys. Therefore, we treated male rats with crotonaldehyde by gavage at 0, 2.5, 4.5, and 8.5 mg/kg/day for 120 d and evaluated the alterations in histological and serological parameters, oxidative state, and inflammation responses to explore the roles of crotonaldehyde-induced oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammation in the heart and kidney dysfunction and to explore the relationship between heart and kidney dysfunction. We found that body weight increment, as well as heart and kidney coefficients decreased with an increasing crotonaldehyde dosage. Histological examinations indicated that crotonaldehyde exposure led to focal myocardial necrosis, cardiac fibrosis, renal tubular epithelial cell edema, and renal lymphocyte infiltration. We also assessed the impact of crotonaldehyde treatment on oxidative/nitrosative stress markers, antioxidant enzymes, inflammatory biomarkers, heart/kidney functional markers, and angiotensin II-aldosterone-brain natriuretic peptide (AngII-ALD-BNP) levels. Overall, we found that proinflammatory cytokine and malondialdehyde levels increased in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, crotonaldehyde treatment (4.5 and 8.5 mg/kg) significantly prevented the upregulation of antioxidant enzyme activity, thereby increasing oxidative/nitrosative stress (p < 0.05). Moreover, we found that the levels of AngII and ALD increased, whereas the levels of BNP decreased, consistent with heart and kidney dysfunction. Collectively, these results suggest that long-term, low-dose crotonaldehyde exposure leads to an imbalance in AngII-ALD-BNP levels, which mediates cardiac hemodynamic changes causing internal oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammatory reactions, leading to renal and cardiac dysfunction in male rats