Nanopencil as a wear-tolerant probe for ultrahigh density data storage

A dielectric-sheathed carbon nanotube probe, resembling a “nanopencil,” has been fabricated by conformal deposition of silicon-oxide on a carbon nanotube and subsequent “sharpening” to expose its tip. The high aspect-ratio nanopencil probe takes advantage of the small nanotube electrode size, while avoiding bending and buckling issues encountered with naked or polymer-coated carbon nanotube probes. Since the effective electrode diameter of the probe would not change even after significant wear, it is capable of long-lasting read/write operations in contact mode with a bit size of several nanometers

Exfoliation of two-dimensional phosphorene sheets with enhanced photocatalytic activity under simulated sunlight

Two-dimensional phosphorene (2D-BP) nanosheets were successfully prepared by an environmental friendly water exfoliation process. The morphology and structure of exfoliated 2D-BP nanosheets were characterized by SEM, AFM, Raman and UV–Vis. The photocatalytic results demonstrated that 2D-BP nanasheets can generate reactive oxygen species of 1O2 and O2− and effectively enhance the photodegradation of dibutyl phthalate pollutants when coexist with water, oxygen, and light

Comparing treatment outcomes of fractional flow reserve-guided and angiography-guided percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with multi-vessel coronary artery diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: Fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is used to assess the need for angioplasty in vessels with intermediate blockages. The treatment outcomes of FFR-guided vs. conventional angiography-guided PCI were evaluated in patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Prospective and retrospective studies comparing FFR-guided vs. angiography-guided PCI in patients with multi-vessel CAD were identified from medical databases by two independent reviewers using the terms “percutaneous coronary intervention, fractional flow reserve, angiography, coronary heart disease, major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and myocardial infarction”. The primary outcome was the number of stents placed, and the secondary outcomes were procedure time, mortality, myocardial infarction (MI) and MACE rates. Results: Seven studies (three retrospective and four prospective), which included 49,517 patients, were included in this review. A total of 4,755 patients underwent FFR, while 44,697 received angiography-guided PCI. The mean patient age ranged from 58 to 71.7 years. The average number of stents used in FFR patients ranged from 0.3-1.9, and in angiography-guided PCI patients ranged from 0.7-2.7. Analysis indicated there was a greater number of stents placed in the angiography-guided group compared with the FFR group (pooled difference in means: -0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.81 to -0.47, P < 0.001). There were no differences in the secondary outcomes between the two groups. Conclusions: Both procedures produce similar clinical outcomes, but the fewer number of stents used with FFR may have clinical as was as cost implications

A skin-like and highly stretchable optical fiber sensor with the hybrid coding of wavelength–light intensity

Skin-like electrical sensor has been widely employed for wearable human healthcare monitoring but is limited by electromagnetic interferences, poor waterproof performance, and point-type measurement. Herein, a skin-like and stretchable optical fiber (SSOF) sensor with excellent stretchability (up to 100%), flexibility, and excellent compliance with skin is reported. A hybrid coding based on the light intensity difference of two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) is created to achieve the resistance for light power fluctuations and the capability of distributed measurement. The SSOF sensor has outstanding durability (>10 000 cycles), waterproofness, and impact resistance. And it can stably work in heat (55⁰ C) or cold (≈0⁰ C) environment as well. Furthermore, the SSOF sensor-based human–computer interaction system is created to achieve the distributed monitoring of physiological parameters and human full-body movement leading to the enormous potential for virtual reality (VR) and rehabilitation therapy.Published versionThis work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation ofChina under Grant 51905398

Layered Lithium-Rich Oxide Nanoparticles Doped with Spinel Phase: Acidic Sucrose-Assistant Synthesis and Excellent Performance as Cathode of Lithium Ion Battery

Nanolayered lithium-rich oxide doped with spinel phase is synthesized by acidic sucrose-assistant sol–gel combustion and evaluated as the cathode of a high-energy-density lithium ion battery. Physical characterizations indicate that the as-synthesized oxide (LR-SN) is composed of uniform and separated nanoparticles of about 200 nm, which are doped with about 7% spinel phase, compared to the large aggregated ones of the product (LR) synthesized under the same condition but without any assistance. Charge/discharge demonstrates that LR-SN exhibits excellent rate capability and cyclic stability: delivering an average discharge capacity of 246 mAh g^–1 at 0.2 C (1C = 250 mA g^–1) and earning a capacity retention of 92% after 100 cycles at 4 C in the lithium anode-based half cell, compared to the 227 mA g^–1 and the 63% of LR, respectively. Even in the graphite anode-based full cell, LR-SN still delivers a capacity of as high as 253 mAh g^–1 at 0.1 C, corresponding to a specific energy density of 801 Wh kg^–1, which are the best among those that have been reported in the literature. The separated nanoparticles of the LR-SN provide large sites for charge transfer, while the spinel phase doped in the nanoparticles facilitates lithium ion diffusion and maintains the stability of the layered structure during cycling

Diversity of polyphenols in the peel of apple (Malus sp.) germplasm from different countries of origin

This study investigated ten polyphenolic compounds in the peel of 145 apple cultivars grown in the same location while originated from different countries over two successive years. Despite significant year effect of individual and total polyphenol concentrations on each cultivar, both concentrations showed similar distributions in the 2 years, and genotypic correlations among them were relatively stable. Genotypic variations were considerable, with total polyphenol concentration ranging from 363.9 to 2516.9 mu g g(-1) FW. Cyanidin-3-galactoside was found only in red apple peels, at levels of 67.8-371.6 mu g g(-1) FW. Flavanols (epicatechin and catechin) and dihydrochalcones (mainly phloridzin) accounted for 8.8-66.1% and 8.58-61.2% of total polyphenols, respectively. Six flavonols (quercetin-3-galactoside, quercetin-3-glucoside, quercetin-3-rhamnoside, quercetin-3-xyloside, quercetin-3-arabinoside, and quercetin-3-rhamnoglucoside) were identified. The proportion of flavonols was 9.3-70.6% of total polyphenols. This wide variation could help in selecting cultivars with different polyphenol patterns in the peel. Principal component analysis showed that cultivars originated from different countries could not be distinguished in terms of polyphenol profiles

Effect of Fe(III)/Citrate Concentrations and Ratio on the Photoproduction of Hydroxyl Radicals: Application on the Degradation of Diphenhydramine

Fe­(III)-citrate complexes are photoreactive and ubiquitous in natural waters. In this study, the effect of Fe­(III)/citrate concentrations and ratio on the photoproduction of ^•OH as a function of pH (3–9) was systematically investigated. The ^•OH formation mechanism was elucidated according to the pH-dependent formation rate of ^•OH and the speciation distribution analysis of Fe­(III) species. At high Fe­(III)-to-citrate ratio (10:50), the ^•OH photoproduction increased with decreasing pH. In contrast, the ^•OH photoproduction increased in the order of pH 9.0 < 3.0 < 7.0 < 6.0 < 5.0 at low Fe­(III)-to-citrate ratios (10:100–10:300). At identical Fe­(III)-to-citrate ratio (1:10), high concentration of Fe­(III)-citrate complexes rendered a downward trend for ^•OH production with increasing pH. FeOHcit^– is the predominant reactive species responsible for the ^•OH formation at high pH. The optimal pH for ^•OH production was governed by the amount of O₂^• – and the stability of Fe­(II) species in the Fe­(III)-cit solution. The Fe­(III)-cit-induced photodegradation of diphenhydramine verified the pH-dependent trend for ^•OH production. By GC-MS and LC-ESI-MS analyses, the photoproducts of diphenhydramine were identified and the degradation pathway was proposed