FeN3S1─OH Single-Atom Sites Anchored on Hollow Porous Carbon for Highly Efficient pH-Universal Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Regulating the asymmetric active center of a single-atom catalyst to optimize the binding energy is critical but challenging to improve the overall efficiency of the electrocatalysts. Herein, an effective strategy is developed by introducing an axial hydroxyl (OH) group to the Fe─N4 center, simultaneously assisting with the further construction of asymmetric configurations by replacing one N atom with one S atom, forming FeN3S1─OH configuration. This novel structure can optimize the electronic structure and d-band center shift to reduce the reaction energy barrier, thereby promoting oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic activities. The optimal catalyst, FeSA-S/N-C (FeN3S1─OH anchored on hollow porous carbon) displays remarkable ORR performance with a half-wave potential of 0.92, 0.78, and 0.64 V versus RHE in 0.1 m KOH, 0.5 m H2SO4, and 0.1 m PBS, respectively. The rechargeable liquid Zn-air batteries (LZABs) equipped with FeSA-S/N-C display a higher power density of 128.35 mW cm-2, long-term operational stability of over 500 h, and outstanding reversibility. More importantly, the corresponding flexible solid-state ZABs (FSZABs@FeSA-S/N-C) display negligible voltage changes at different bending angles during the charging and discharging processes. This work provides a new perspective for the design and optimization of asymmetric configuration for single-atom catalysts applied to the area of energy conversion and storage.

Effects of Different Proportions of Amaranthus hypochondriacus Stem and Leaf Powder Inclusions on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, and Blood Biochemical Parameters of Broilers.

This experiment aimed to study the effects of different proportions of Amaranthus hypochondriacus stem and leaf powder (AHSL) on the growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, carcass traits, meat quality, and blood biochemical parameters of broilers from day 1 to day 42. The experiment utilized a single-factor experimental design, with a total of 216 one-day-old male broilers (Ross 308) randomly assigned to three dietary treatment groups (eight replicate cages of nine birds per cage). The dietary treatments included a control diet, a 3% AHSL diet and a 6% AHSL diet for days 0-21. Then, the 3% and 6% AHSL diets were changed to 5% and 10% AHSL for days 22-42. The results showed that the inclusion levels of AHSL did not affect growth performance, carcass traits, or meat quality on days 21 and 42 (p > 0.05). However, the inclusion levels of AHSL decreased the apparent nutrient digestibility (AND) of dry matter (DM) (p ˂ 0.001) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (p ˂ 0.001) and increased the serum concentration of phosphorus (p ˂ 0.001) on day 21. On day 42, the inclusion levels of AHSL decreased the AND of DM (p = 0.025) and NDF content (p ˂ 0.001), but increased the AND of crude protein (CP) (p = 0.004). In particular, the diet containing 10% AHSL significantly increased the serum enzyme activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p = 0.046) and the serum concentration of total protein (TP) (p ˂ 0.001) on day 42. Overall, AHSL can be used as a new and effective feed ingredient in broiler diets. It can replace part of the corn-soybean meal diet without any adverse effects, which is beneficial for conserving feed resources. Additionally, AHSL can be included at a level of up to 10% during the broiler growth period.

3D Hollow Hierarchical Porous Carbon with Fe-N4 -OH Single-Atom Sites for High-Performance Zn-Air Batteries.

The development of innovative and efficient Fe-N-C catalysts is crucial for the widespread application of zinc-air batteries (ZABs), where the inherent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of Fe single-atom sites needs to be optimized to meet the practical application. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) hollow hierarchical porous electrocatalyst (ZIF8@FePMPDA-920) rich in asymmetric Fe-N4 -OH moieties as the single atomic sites is reported. The Fe center is in a penta-coordinated geometry with four N atoms and one O atom to form Fe-N4 -OH configuration. Compared to conventional Fe-N4 configuration, this unique structure can weaken the adsorption of intermediates by reducing the electron density of the Fe center for oxygen binding, which decreases the energy barrier of the rate-determining steps (RDS) to accelerate the ORR and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) processes for ZABs. The rechargeable liquid ZABs (LZABs) equipped with ZIF8@FePMPDA-920 display a high power density of 123.11 mW cm-2 and a long cycle life (300 h). The relevant flexible all-solid-state ZABs (FASSZABs) also display outstanding foldability and cyclical stability. This work provides a new perspective for the structural design of single-atom catalysts in the energy conversion and storage areas.

The Drug Coated Balloon-Only Strategy for Treatment of de Novo Left Main Coronary Artery Bifurcation Lesion: Stentless Strategy.

The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of drug coated balloon-only strategy (DCB-only) in the treatment of de novo left main coronary artery (LM) bifurcation lesions. 85 patients were enrolled in this study and classified them into two groups: DCB-only group (n = 36) and DES group (n = 49). The MLD of target vessels was measured before and immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and late luminal loss (LLL) were also calculated. And the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was also evaluated. Compared with that before PCI, the MLD of target lesions significantly increased immediately after PCI (P < .05) and no MACE was recorded during the perioperative period both in two groups. The MLD at follow-up was significantly higher than that before both DCB and DES treatment. Compared with the DES group, the MLD of the DCB group was smaller than immediately after PCI in the LM and LAD (P < .05). The LLL of LAD in DCB group was smaller than that in DES group (P < .05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of luminal restenosis at the target lesion between the two groups, and no significant difference in the incidence of MACE (P > .05). The use of DCB-only to treat de novo LM bifurcation lesions is effective and relatively safe, which provides new ideas for the treatment of LM coronary artery bifurcation lesions in the future.

Comparative Study of the Nutritional Value and Degradation Characteristics of Amaranth Hay in the Rumen of Goats at Different Growth Stages.

The objective of this study was to investigate the rumen degradation characteristics of grain amaranth hay (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) at four different growth stages. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value of grain amaranth hay at different growth stages by chemical composition, in vivo digestibility, and in situ degradability. Three Boer goats with permanent ruminal fistulas were selected in this study. Amaranthus hay at four different growth stages (squaring stage (SS), initial bloom stage (IS), full-bloom stage (FS) and mature stage (MS)) was crushed and placed into nylon bags. Each sample was set up with three replicates, and two parallel samples were set up in fistulas at each time point. The rumen degradation rates of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) were determined at 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 h. The results were as follows: (1) The concentration of CP in SS was the highest and was significantly higher than that in other stages (p < 0.05), whereas the contents of NDF and ADF gradually increased with the extension of the growing period and reached a maximum in MS; (2)The degradation of CP in the rumen at 72 h of SS and IS was more than 80%. Compared with other stages, the effective degradability of CP was highest in SS (p < 0.05) and reached 87.05% at 72 h, and the degradation rate was the lowest in MS; and (3) The effective degradability of NDF in IS was the highest (p < 0.05) and reached 69.326% at 72 h. The effective degradability of ADF in MS was the highest (p < 0.05) and reached 65.728% at 72 h. The effective degradability of DM and CP in SS was the highest. In conclusion, among the four stages, IS was superior in chemical composition and rumen degradability characteristics.

Polymeric Thermoelectric Composites by Polypyrrole and Cheap Reduced Graphene Oxide in Towel-Gourd Sponge Fibers.

The thermoelectric (TE) materials can transform thermal energy into electrical energy, and polymer TE composites have attracted increasing interest for flexible semiconductors. However, polymer composites suffer from low TE performances due to the low electroconductibility (σ). Herein, grafted conducting networks were fabricated by grafting polypyrrole (PPy) onto the cheap graphene of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in the bundled micro-tunnel of towel-gourd sponge (TS) fibers. Afterward, the TS powders containing grafted conducting networks were cured by the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The PDMS/TS-rGO-PPy composites exhibited an σ of 74 S/m, thermal conductivity of 0.249 W·m-1·K-1, Seebeck coefficient of 84.2 µV/K, and thermoelectric figure of merit of 5.427 × 10-4 with 10.0 wt % filler loading. Moreover, dynamic TE properties of our composites under tensile loading were investigated. The results show that the grafted conducting network maintained its integrity by interconnection of PPy between adjacent rGO nano-layers.