2D PtRhPb Mesoporous Nanosheets with Surface-Clean Active Sites for Complete Ethanol Oxidation Electrocatalysis.

The development of active and selective metal electrocatalysts for complete ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) into desired C1 products is extremely promising for practical application of direct ethanol fuel cells. Despite some encouraging achievements, their activity and selectivity remain unsatisfactory. In this work, it is reported that 2D PtRhPb mesoporous nanosheets (MNSs) with anisotropic structure and surface-clean metal site perform perfectly for complete EOR electrocatalysis in both three-electrode and two-electrode systems. Different to the traditional routes, a selective etching strategy is developed to produce surface-clean mesopores while retaining parent anisotropy quasi-single-crystalline structure without the mesopore-forming surfactants. This method also allows the general synthesis of surface-clean mesoporous metals with other compositions and structures. When being performed for alkaline EOR electrocatalysis, the best PtRhPb MNSs deliver remarkably high activity (7.8 A mg-1) and superior C1 product selectivity (70% of Faradaic efficiency), both of which are much better than reported electrocatalysts. High performance is assigned to multiple structural and compositional synergies that not only stabilized key OHads intermediate by surface-clean mesopores but also separated the chemisorption of two carbons in ethanol by adjacent Pt and Rh sites, which facilitate the oxidation cleavage of stable C─C bond for complete EOR electrocatalysis.

One-pot Synthesis of PdCuAg and CeO2 Nanowires Hybrid with Abundant Heterojunction Interface for Ethylene Glycol Electrooxidation.

Introducing CeO2 into Pd-based nanocatalysts for electrocatalytic reactions is a good way to solve the intermediate toxicity problem and improve the catalytic performance. Here we reported a simple strategy to synthesize the PdCuAg and CeO2 nanowires hybrid via a one-pot synthesis process under strong nanoconfined effect of specific surfactant as templates. Owing to the structural (ultrathin nanowires, abundant heterojunction/interfaces between metal and metal oxide) and compositional (Pd, Cu, Ag, CeO2) advantages, the hybrid showed significantly enhanced catalytic activity (6.06 A mgPd -1) and stability, accelerated reaction rate, and reduced activation energy toward electrocatalytic ethylene glycol oxidation reaction.

National analysis of urinary cadmium concentration and kidney stone: Evidence from NHANES (2011-2020).

Background: The association between urinary cadmium and kidney stone risk is inconsistent in previous studies, which needs further exploration. This study was performed to explore the association between urinary cadmium and kidney stone. Materials and methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2020) were included and further analyzed. Urinary cadmium was stratified into quartiles with quartile 1 (Q1: 0.025-0.104 µg/L) and quartile 4 (Q4: 0.435-7.581 µg/L). Further weighted logistic regression was adopted to evaluate the association between urinary cadmium and kidney stone. A subgroup analysis was used to verify the findings. The non-linear association was examined using the restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression. Results: A total of 9,056 adults aged 20 years and above were included in this study. In the fully adjusted model, an increased risk of kidney stones was identified for quartile 2 (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.06-1.84, P < 0.05), quartile 3 (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.88-1.59, P > 0.05), and quartile 4 (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.10-2.06, P < 0.05). A similar association was found between continuous cadmium increase and OR of kidney stones in the fully adjusted model (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.01-1.26, P < 0.05). The RCS also indicated a non-linear association between urinary cadmium concentration and kidney stone risk (P for non-linear < 0.001). Conclusion: In summary, cadmium exposure is identified as a risk factor for kidney stones in this study. Their non-linear association makes demands on early intervention for the cadmium-exposed population. Medical interventions for kidney stone prevention should take cadmium exposure into account.

Engineering ultrathin PdAu nanoring via a facile process for electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation.

Ultrathin nanoframes with more available electrocatalytic active sites on both internal and external surfaces have attracted great attention especially in the field of electrocatalysis. Herein, we report a facile process to prepare PdAu nanorings (NRs) in aqueous solution without adding any organic ligands. The growth mechanism of PdAu NRs was explored in detail. The Au precursors were reduced into Au clusters around the edges of Pd nanosheets (NSs) via galvanic replacement, then the center of Pd NSs was oxidatively etched by Cl-/O2, and finally the Pd and Au atoms on the edge sites were rearranged to form uniform PdAu alloy. PdAu NRs with different ratios and ternary PdAuPt NRs could be easily prepared using this strategy. Owing to the synergistically structural and compositional advantages, Pd79Au21 NRs exhibited higher electrocatalytic activity and stability, as well as low activation energy (Ea) for the ethanol electrooxidation reaction.

Engineering high-entropy alloy nanowires network for alcohol electrooxidation.

High-entropy noble metals have attracted significant attention owning to their unique physicochemicalcharacteristics. Here we report a simple method for the preparation of high-entropy PdPtCuAgAu nanowire networks using carboxyl-functionalized surfactants as soft templates. This PdPtCuAgAu alloy electrocatalysts possess synergetic compositional (e.g., high-entropy effect, sluggish diffusion effect, and lattice distortion effect) and structural (anisotropic and thin nanowires) advantages. The PdPtCuAgAu alloy electrocatalysts exhibit significantly enhanced electrocatalytic performance toward ethanol oxidation reaction, including high mass activity (7.7 A mgPd+Pt-1), superior stability/durability, anti-poisoning ability, and fine electrocatalytic kinetics. Similar improvements in electrocatalytic performance are also seen in reactions involving other alcohols such as ethylene glycol and methanol. The high-entropy characteristics synergistically attributed to the enhanced electrocatalytic ability for different reaction process. This approach for the synthesis of high-entropy alloys will provide a new route to rationally design other high-entropy nanocatalysts with desired morphologies/structure and functions for a wide range of (electro)catalytic applications.

Engineering PdIr Nanostructures Synergistically Induced by Self-assembled Surfactants and Halide Ions for Alcohol Electrooxidation.

The design and synthesis of metallic nanocatalysts with distinct nanostructures and composition is still a noteworthy topic in the electrochemistry field. In this work, we have realized the morphological evolution of PdIr nanostructures in aqueous solution through the synergistic effect of self-assembled functional surfactants and different halide ions, and achieved precise control of the kinetic and thermodynamic crystalline growth due to the different reduction potential between PdCl4 2- , PdBr4 2- , and PdI4 2- . The actual precursors of PdCl4 2- resulted in ultrathin nanodendrites, PdClx Br(4-x) 2- for nanosheets and fewer branched nanodendrites, PdClx I(4-x) 2- for nanorings, nanoflowers and multiply concave nanocubes. Owing to the synergistic advantages of structure and composition (alloyed Ir), PdIr nanodendrites exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity, anti-poisoning ability, and stability toward alcohols (including ethanol, methanol, and glycerol) electrooxidation reactions. The results would be helpful for thoroughly understanding how structure-directing surfactants and halide ions synergistically determine the production of advanced metallic nanocrystals.

Ultrathin RhCuAgPd/Pd nanowire heterostructures for ethylene glycol electrooxidation.

Ultrathin RhCuAgPd/Pd nanowire heterostructures were prepared by a seed-mediated growth method. Due to the synergistic structural (including ultrathin NWs and interfaces) and compositional (Pd, Rh, Cu and Ag) advantages, the RhCuAgPd/Pd NWs exhibit superior electrocatalytic performance toward ethylene glycol oxidation under alkaline conditions, including high mass activity (6.63 A mgPd-1), fine stability/durability and resistance to CO poisoning, favourable electrocatalytic kinetics and low activation energy values (18.64 kJ mol-1).

Occurrence of Phthalates in Bottled Drinks in the Chinese Market and Its Implications for Dietary Exposure.

Ubiquitous occurrences of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) or phthalates in a variety of consumer products have been demonstrated. Nevertheless, studies on their occurrence in various types of bottled drinks are limited. In this study, fifteen PAEs were analyzed in six categories of bottled drinks (n = 105) collected from the Chinese market, including mineral water, tea drinks, energy drinks, juice drinks, soft drinks, and beer. Among the 15 PAEs measured, DEHP was the most abundant phthalate with concentrations ranging from below the limit of quantification (LOQ) to 41,000 ng/L at a detection rate (DR) of 96%, followed by DIBP (DR: 88%) and DBP (DR: 84%) with respective concentration ranges of below LOQ to 16,000 and to 4900 ng/L. At least one PAE was detected in each drink sample, and the sum concentrations of 15 PAEs ranged from 770 to 48,004 ng/L (median: 6286 ng/L). Significant differences with respect to both PAE concentrations and composition profiles were observed between different types of bottled drinks. The median sum concentration of 15 PAEs in soft drinks was over five times higher than that detected in mineral water; different from other drink types. Besides DEHP, DBIP, and DBP, a high concentration of BMEP was also detected in a tea drink. The estimated daily dietary intake of phthalates (EDIdrink) through the consumption of bottled drinks was calculated based on the concentrations measured and the daily ingestion rates of bottled drink items. The EDIdrink values for DMP, DEP, DIBP, DBP, BMEP, DAP, BEEP, BBP, DCP, DHP, BMPP, BBEP, DEHP, DOP, and DNP through the consumption of bottled mineral water (based on mean concentrations) were 0.45, 0.33, 12.5, 3.67, 2.10, 0.06, 0.32, 0.16, 0.10, 0.09, 0.05, 0.81, 112, 0.13, and 0.20 ng/kg-bw/d, respectively, for Chinese adults. Overall, the EDIdrink values calculated for phthalates through the consumption of bottled drinks were below the oral reference doses suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA).

Rapid Aqueous Synthesis of Large-Size and Edge/Defect-Rich Porous Pd and Pd-Alloyed Nanomesh for Electrocatalytic Ethanol Oxidation.

In this work, a facile aqueous synthesis strategy was used (complete in 5 min at room temperature) to produce large-size Pd, PdCu, and PdPtCu nanomeshes without additional organic ligands or solvent and the volume restriction of reaction solution. The obtained metallic nanomeshes possess graphene-like morphology and a large size of dozens of microns. Abundant edges (coordinatively unsaturated sites, steps, and corners), defects (twins), and mesopores are seen in the metallic ultrathin structures. The formation mechanism for porous Pd nanomeshes disclosed that they undergo oriented attachment growth along the ⟨111⟩ direction. Owing to structural and compositional advantages, PdCu porous nanomeshes with certain elemental ratios (e. g., Pd87 Cu13 ) presented enhanced electrocatalytic performance (larger mass activity, better CO tolerance and stability) toward ethanol oxidation.

[Risk Factors for Wound Healing of Infective Surgical Incision after Radical Cystectomy in Patients of Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk factors for wound healing of infective surgical incision in patients of muscle invasive bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy. METHODS: This study retrospectively collected clinical data of the patients who received radical cystectomy and experienced incisional infection after operation between January 2009 and December 2016. The patients were divided into early healing group and delayed healing group (the healing time is less or more than 14 d after operation). The risk factors for wound healing and infection were analyzed by single factor and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 171 patients with wound infection after radical cystectomy were included in the study. The average time of wound healing time was (17.9±16.9) d. There were 118 and 53 patients in early healing group and delay healing group respectively. Age, body mass index (BMI), operative incision type, preoperative albumin level, diabetes mellitus, infection wound size, infection wound with sinus, postoperative intestinal fistula and urinary fistula were statistically significant differences between the two groups (P<0.05).Univariate logistic regression analysis indicated that male, older than 65 yr., T4 stage, Type-Ⅲ surgical incision (infective incision), low preoperative albumin level (<30 g/L), hemoglobin level (<90 g/L), diabetes, wound size (>30 mm), intestinal fistula, urinary fistula were risk factors for delayed wound-healing. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that Type-Ⅲ surgical incision and wound size (>30 mm) were independent risk factors for delayed wound healing. CONCLUSION: Type-Ⅲ surgical incision and the size of wound (>30 mm) are independent risk factors for delayed wound healing after radical cystectomy in bladder cancer patients.

Indanylacetic acids as PPAR-delta activator insulin sensitizers.

A series of indane acetic acid derivatives were prepared which show a spectrum of activity as insulin sensitizers and PPAR-alpha and PPAR-delta ligands. In vivo data are presented for insulin sensitizers with selectivity for PPAR-delta over PPAR-alpha.

Substituted indanylacetic acids as PPAR-alpha-gamma activators.

A series of oxazole-substituted indanylacetic acids were prepared which show a spectrum of activity as ligands for PPAR nuclear receptor subtypes.