Free-Standing Porous Carbon Nanofiber Networks from Electrospinning Polyimide for Supercapacitors

Free-standing porous carbon nanofiber networks (CFNs) were synthesized by electrospinning method and carbonization procedure. We study the implementation of porous CFNs as supercapacitor electrodes and electrochemical measurements demonstrated that porous CFNs exhibit a specific capacitance (205 F/g at the scan rate of 5 mV/s) with high flexibility and good rate capability performance (more than 70% of its initial capacitance from 5 mV/s to 200 mV/s). Furthermore, porous CFNs exhibited an excellent cycling stability (just 12% capacitance loss after 10,000 cycles). These results suggest that porous CFNs are very promising candidates as flexible supercapacitor electrodes

Watershed analysis in wedge resection of pulmonary pure ground-glass nodules hardly localized by CT-guided puncture

Abstract Background To investigate the feasibility and safety of watershed analysis after target pulmonary vascular occlusion for the wedge resection in patients with non-palpable and non-localizable pure ground-glass nodules during uniport thoracoscopic surgery. Methods A total of 30 patients with pure ground-glass nodules < 1 cm in diameter, localized in the lateral third of the lung parenchyma, were enrolled. Three-dimensional reconstruction of thin-section computed tomography (CT) data was performed using Mimics software before surgery to observe and identify the target pulmonary vessels supplying the lung tissue in the area where the pulmonary nodules were localized and to temporarily block the target pulmonary vessels during surgery. Next, the extent of the watershed was determined with the expansion-collapse method, and finally, wedge resection was performed. After wedge resection of the target lung tissue, the blocked pulmonary vessel was released, thus allowing operators to complete the procedure without damaging pulmonary vessels. Results None of the patients experienced postoperative complications. The chest CT of all patients was reviewed six months after the operation, revealing no tumor recurrence. Conclusions Our results suggest that watershed analysis following target pulmonary vascular occlusion for wedge resection in pulmonary pure ground-glass nodules is a safe and feasible approach

Principle, Fabrication and Emerging Applications of Nanobottle Motor

Micro/nano-motors play an important role in energy, environment, and biomedicines. As a new type of nano-motors, nanobottles attract great attention due to their distinct advantages of a large cavity, high specific surface area, bionic streamline structure, and chemotactic motion. Here, we systematically review the development of nanobottle motors from aspects of propulsion mechanisms, fabrication methods and potential applications. Firstly, three types of propulsive modes are summarized, with focus on chemical propulsion, light driving and magnetic actuation. We then discuss the fabrication methods of nanobottles, including the soft-template-based hydrothermal method and the swelling-inducement and wet-chemistry methods. The potential applications of nanobottle motors are additionally highlighted in energy, environmental, and biomedical fields. Finally, the future challenges and outlooks of nanobottle motors are discussed for the further development of this technology

Principle, Fabrication and Emerging Applications of Nanobottle Motor

Micro/nano-motors play an important role in energy, environment, and biomedicines. As a new type of nano-motors, nanobottles attract great attention due to their distinct advantages of a large cavity, high specific surface area, bionic streamline structure, and chemotactic motion. Here, we systematically review the development of nanobottle motors from aspects of propulsion mechanisms, fabrication methods and potential applications. Firstly, three types of propulsive modes are summarized, with focus on chemical propulsion, light driving and magnetic actuation. We then discuss the fabrication methods of nanobottles, including the soft-template-based hydrothermal method and the swelling-inducement and wet-chemistry methods. The potential applications of nanobottle motors are additionally highlighted in energy, environmental, and biomedical fields. Finally, the future challenges and outlooks of nanobottle motors are discussed for the further development of this technology

Enhancing K⁺ transport activity and selectivity of synthetic K⁺ channels via electron-donating effects

A minor alteration in structure of a previously reported synthetic K+ channel via replacing the electron-withdrawing group with an electron-donating group leads to enhancement in activity by 160% and in selectivity by >50%. As a result, the new K+ channel 10F5, despite having a simple structure, exhibits a high K+/Na+ selectivity of 14.0.Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)This work is funded by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (SERC A1883c0007 to T. L.)

A three dimensional study of upper airway in adult skeletal Class II patients with different vertical growth patterns.

OBJECTIVE: The study was performed to compare the 3D pharyngeal airway dimensions in adult skeletal Class II patients with different vertical growth patterns (low, normal, and high angle) and to investigate whether the upper airway dimensions of untreated skeletal Class II adults were affected by vertical skeletal variables. METHODS: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) records of 64 untreated adult skeletal Class II patients (34 male and 30 female) were collected to evaluate the pharyngeal airway dimensions. Subjects were divided into three subgroups according to the GoGn-SN angle (low angle, normal angle or high angle). All subgroups were matched for sex. ANOVA and SNK-q tests were used to identify differences within and among groups (p<0.05). Coefficient of product-moment correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient) was used to analyze the association between pharyngeal airway dimensions and vertical growth patterns. RESULTS: The results showed that pharyngeal airway measurements were statistically significantly less (p<0.05) in high angle group as compared to normal angle or low angle group. CONCLUSIONS: Adult skeletal Class II subjects with vertical growth patterns have significantly narrower pharyngeal airways than those with normal or horizontal growth patterns, confirming an association between pharyngeal airway measurements and a vertical skeletal pattern

Synthesis of unimolecularly circular G-quadruplexes as prospective molecular probes

Synthesis of unimolecularly circular G-quadruplex has been accomplished for the first time during our investigation on the template basis of G-quadruplex through chemical ligations of guanine-rich linear sequences of oligodeoxyribonucleotides. The uniqueness of this newly designed circularization course is its self-recognition and self-templating on the scale of individual strand of oligodeoxyribonucleotide in which the same linear sequence serves both as a template and as a substrate simultaneously. The results from our exonuclease and DNAse hydrolysis studies confirm that there is indeed absence of open termini within the structure of the identified circular product. Our subsequent investigation on the loop-size effect indicates that the unimolecularly circular G-quadruplex possessing two or more thymine nucleotides within their connecting loops is readily attainable, while the linear sequence with a single thymine nucleotide between guanine tracts is not a proper precursor for our ligation reaction. In addition, conformation dependency of the circularization course as well as the effects of alkali ions, pH values and concentration of potassium ions on the circularization reaction are examined during our investigation. The implication of our current studies and possible application of the obtained unimolecularly circular G-quadruplex in certain biological processes are also discussed in this report