Regulation of Released Alkali from Gel Polymer Electrolyte in Quasi-Solid State Zn-Air Battery.

Gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) in quasi-solid state Zn-air battery (QSZAB) will release alkali during cycling, resulting in gradual dehydration of GPE, corrosion of Zn electrode, Zn dendrites growth, and therefore inferior performance. Here, hollow Sn microspheres are prepared on Zn substrate by the technique of colloidal self-assembly. The inner surfaces of hollow Sn microspheres are modified by 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (hollow Sn-inner HPßCD) to regulate the released alkali at GPE|anode interface. The hollow Sn-inner HPßCD can lessen the leakage of released alkali, make stored alkali diffuse back to GPE during the charging process, and mitigate the loss of soluble Zn(OH)4 2- to suppress Zn dendrites growth. Resultantly, GPE in QSZAB with hollow Sn-inner HPßCD exhibits a high retention capacity for alkaline solution. The cell also exhibits a long cyclic lifespan of 127 h due to the effective regulation of released alkali, which outperforms QSZAB without hollow Sn-inner HPßCD by 7.94 times. This work rivets the regulation of released alkali at GPE|anode interface, providing new insight to improve QSZABs' performance.

Ionic Covalent Organic Frameworks-Derived Cobalt Single Atoms and Nanoparticles for Efficient Oxygen Electrocatalysis.

Metal single atoms show outstanding electrocatalytic activity owing to the abundant atomic reactive sites and superior stability. However, the preparation of single atoms suffers from inexorable metal aggregation which is harmful to electrocatalytic activity. Here, ionic covalent organic frameworks (iCOFs) are employed as the sacrificial precursor to mitigate the metal aggregation and subsequent formation of bulky particles. Molecular dynamics simulation shows that iCOFs can trap and confine more Co ions as compared to neutral COFs, resulting in the formation of a catalyst composed of Co single atoms and uniformly distributed Co nanoparticles (CoSA &CoNP-10 ). However, the neutral COFs derive a catalyst composed of Co atomic clusters and large Co nanoparticles (CoAC &CoNP-25 ). The CoSA &CoNP-10 catalyst exhibits higher oxygen bifunctional electrocatalytic activities than CoAC &CoNP-25 , coinciding with the density functional theory results. Taking the CoSA &CoNP-10 as the air cathode in Zn-air batteries (ZABs), the aqueous ZAB presents a high power density of 181 mW cm-2 , a specific capacity of 811 mAh g-1 as well as a long cycle life of 407 h at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 , while the quasi-solid state ZAB displays a power density of 179 mW cm-2 and the cycle life of 30 h.

Nanofiber Composite for Improved Water Retention and Dendrites Suppression in Flexible Zinc-Air Batteries.

Water loss of the gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) and dendrites growth on Zn anode are overriding obstacles to applying flexible zinc-air batteries (ZABs) for wearable electronic devices. Nearly all previous efforts aim at developing novel GPEs with enhanced water retention and therefore elongate their lifespan. Herein, a facile interface engineering strategy is proposed to retard the water loss of GPE from the half-open structured air cathode. In detail, the poly(ethylene vinyl acetate)/carbon powder (PEVA-C) nanofiber composite interface layer with features of hydrophobicity, high conductivity, air permeability, and flexibility are prepared on the carbon cloth and set up between the GPE and electrode. The as-assembled ZAB with simple alkaline PVA GPE exhibits an impressive cycle life of 230 h, which outperforms ZAB without the PEVA-C nanofibers interface layer by 14 times. Additionally, the growth of Zn dendrites can be suppressed due to the tardy water loss of GPE.

Construction of a comprehensive nutritional index and comparison of its prognostic performance with the PNI and NRI for survival in older patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between the Comprehensive Nutritional Index (CNI) and survival in older patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to compare the prognostic performance of three nutritional indicators (CNI, Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and Nutritional Risk Index (NRI)) for overall survival (OS). METHODS: This retrospective study involved 309 older NPC patients in Guangzhou (China) from November 2006 to November 2017. The CNI comprised five parameters: the body mass index (BMI), usual body weight percentage (UBW%), hemoglobin (Hb) level, albumin level, and total lymphocyte count (TLC). All single nutritional indicators were evaluated before and immediately after treatment. The principal component analysis (PCA) was used for calculation of the CNI by single nutritional indicators after treatment. The cutoff point for the CNI was evaluated and logistic regression used to explore the risk factors for the CNI. Univariable, multivariable Cox regression, and Kaplan-Meier methods were applied for OS and disease-free survival (DFS) analyses. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the prognostic value of the CNI, PNI, and NRI for OS. RESULTS: All single nutritional indicators decreased significantly after treatment (P < 0.05). The CNI cutoff point for mortality was 0.027, and the logistic regression indicated more complex treatments or higher cancer stage for NPC was associated with a low CNI (HR = 0.179; 95% CI: 0.037-0.856; 0.545, 0.367-0.811, respectively). In multivariable Cox regression, the CNI remained an independent prognostic factor of OS and DFS (HR = 0.468, 95% CI: 0.263-0.832; 0.527, 0.284-0.977, respectively). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that a low CNI was associated with worse OS and DFS (P = 0.001 and 0.013, respectively). The prognostic predictive performance of the CNI was superior to that of the PNI or NRI. CONCLUSIONS: The CNI can be recommended as an appropriate indicator reflecting the integrated nutritional status of older NPC patients. A low CNI predicted a poor survival outcome and the prognostic performance of CNI was superior to PNI or NRI.

Nutrition counseling combined with head and neck rehabilitation exercises can enhance outcomes among nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in southern China: a prospective study in an epidemic area.

BACKGROUND: More than two thirds of new of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cases occurring in the east and southeast parts of Asia. As a consequence, the development of intervention programs that can educate and assist patients of NPC in adopting and maintaining long-term behavioral changes to prevent further progression of the disease and improve quality of life represents a continuing need. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with NPC (n=141) completed chronic disease self-management questionnaires (CDSMP) before, immediately after, and 3, 6, and 12 months after receiving primary cancer treatment. An independent-samples T test was used to compare mean changes in chronic disease self-management (CDSM) items between the intervention group and control group. RESULTS: There was no difference between the two groups at baseline. Patients who received an intervention demonstrated a significant improvement in fatigue and shortness of breath after treatment. They also demonstrated significant improvements in weekly minutes of aerobic exercise and stretching/strengthening exercise. These advantages lessened slightly with elapsed time. CONCLUSIONS: For NPC patients, nutrition counseling combined with head and neck rehabilitation exercises can greatly reduce fatigue and shortness of breath and greatly increase the use of stretching/strengthening and aerobic exercise 3 months after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Construction of a comprehensive nutritional index and its correlation with quality of life and survival in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing IMRT: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between a comprehensive nutritional index (CNI) and QoL in patients with NPC who undergo IMRT and to explore the relationship between CNI and survival. METHODS: 359 patients with newly diagnosed NPC were enrolled. QoL was assessed with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 and Quality of Life Questionnaire Head and Neck Cancer Module at three time points: before, immediately after, and 3 months after IMRT. The CNI comprised five values including body mass index, usual body weight percentage, hemoglobin, albumin, and total lymphocyte count, and was evaluated before and immediately after IMRT. The correlation between the CNI and QoL and the effect of CNI on prognosis were analysed. RESULTS: QoL and CNI scores decreased remarkably after IMRT (P < 0.05). The CNI was quite low in patients with III-IV clinical tumor stage and those undergoing induction chemotherapy plus concurrent chemotherapy. After IMRT, lower CNI score correlated worse QoL (P < 0.05). The Kaplan-Meier curve indicated that patients with lower CNI had significantly poorer survival outcomes (P = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, CNI remained an independent prognostic factor of overall survival (P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: CNI can be recommended as an appropriate indicator reflecting the integrated nutrition status of NPC patients. Low CNI was associated with poor QoL and predicted a poor survival outcome. More interventions should be taken to improve the nutrition status of NPC patients to improve QoL and enhance survival outcomes.