MRI-based Deep Learning Models for Preoperative Breast Volume and Density Assessment Assisting Breast Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: The volume of the implant is the most critical element of breast reconstruction, so it is necessary to accurately assess the preoperative volume of the healthy and affected breasts and select the appropriate implant for placement. Accurate and automated methods for quantitative assessment of breast volume can optimize breast reconstruction surgery and assist physicians in clinical decision making. The aim of this study was to develop an artificial intelligence model for automated segmentation of the breast and measurement of volume. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 249 subjects undergoing breast reconstruction surgery were enrolled in this study. Subjects underwent preoperative breast MRI, and the breast region manually outlined by the imaging physician served as the gold standard for volume measurement by the automated segmentation model. In this study, we developed three automated algorithms for automatic segmentation of breast regions, including a simple alignment model, an alignment dynamic encoding model, and a deep learning model. The volumetric agreement between the three automated segmentation algorithms and the breast regions manually segmented by imaging physicians was evaluated by calculating the mean square error (MSE) and intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC), and the reproducibility of the automated segmentation of the breast regions was assessed by the test-retest step. RESULTS: The three breast automated segmentation models developed in this study (simple registration model, dynamic programming model, and deep learning model) showed strong ICC with manual segmentation of the breast region, with MSEs of 1.124, 0.693, and 0.781, and ICCs of 0.975 (95% CI, 0.869-0.991), 0.986 (95% CI, 0.967-0.996), and 0.983 (95% CI, 0.961-0.992), respectively. Regarding the test-retest results of breast volume, the dynamic programming model performed the best with an MSE of 0.370 and an ICC of 0.993 (95% CI, 0.982-0.997), followed by the deep learning algorithm with an MSE of 0.741 and an ICC of 0.983 (95% CI, 0.956-0.993), and the simple registration algorithm with an MSE of 0.763 and an ICC of 0.982 (95% CI, 0.949-0.993). The reproducibility of the breast region segmented by the three automated algorithms was higher than that of manual segmentation by different radiologists. CONCLUSION: The three automated breast segmentation algorithms developed in this study generate accurate and reliable breast regions, enable highly reproducible breast region segmentation and automated volume measurements, and provide a valuable tool for surgical selection of appropriate prostheses. NO LEVEL ASSIGNED: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Correlation of IDH1 gene expression error in breast tumor biopsy in patients with invasive ductal carcinoma.

One of the most important cancers in terms of worldwide prevalence is breast tumors, which have been less investigated in correlation with the enzyme Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) gene. The aim of this study was that expression of this gene could have significant effects on the progression of metastasis and invasive disease in breast cancer patients. We used the molecular method of RT-PCR with SYBR-Green to analyze breast tumor tissue from patients with metastasis and non-metastasis, the latter confirmed by the pathology department of Shohada-e Tajrish Hospital (serving as a control group). Also, patients population and its relationship with the degree of tumor in the IDH1 gene was investigated. The IDH1 gene has shown high expression in patients with metastatic breast cancer rather than in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer. The metastatic samples were compared with non-metastatic samples for IDH1 mRNA expression. In this research work, 72.5% (29 samples) were up-regulated in comparison to 27.5% of samples (11 samples) that did not exhibit high expression (P=0.000).  This study examined the IDH1 gene expression, suggesting that changes in this gene's expression could impact the prognosis of breast cancer. However, further research is needed to draw definitive conclusions.

The pressure response of Jahn-Teller-distorted Prussian blue analogues.

Jahn-Teller (JT) distorted CuII-containing compounds often display interesting structural and functional behaviour upon compression. We use high-pressure X-ray and neutron diffraction to investigate four JT-distorted Prussian blue analogues: Cu[Co(CN)6]0.67, CuPt(CN)6, and ACuCo(CN)6 (A = Rb, Cs), where the first two were studied in both their hydrated and dehydrated forms. All compounds are less compressible than the JT-inactive MnII-based counterparts, indicating a coupling between the electronic and mechanical properties. The effect is particularly strong for Cu[Co(CN)6]0.67, where the local JT distortions are uncorrelated (so-called orbital disorder). This sample amorphises at 0.5 GPa when dehydrated. CuPt(CN)6 behaves similarly to the MnII-analogues, with phase transitions at around 1 GPa and low sensitivity to water. For ACuCo(CN)6, the JT distortions reduce the propensity for phase transitions, although RbCuCo(CN)6 transitions to a new phase (P2/m) around 3 GPa. Our results have a bearing on both the topical Prussian blue analogues and the wider field of flexible frameworks.

Toward High-Performance Mg/S Batteries with M4-Assisted Mg(AlCl4 )2 /PYR14TFSI/DME Electrolyte and MoS2 @CMK/S Cathode.

Rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) are considered as one of the most promising candidates for next-generation batteries. However, the popularization of RMBs is seriously plagued due to the lack of suitable non-nucleophilic electrolytes and the passivation of Mg anode. Herein, a novel non-nucleophilic electrolyte is developed by introducing (s)-1-methoxy-2-propylamine (M4) into themagnesium aluminum chloride complex (MACC)-like electrolyte. The as-synthesizes Mg(AlCl4 )2 -IL-DME-M4 electrolyte enables robust reversible cycling of Mg plating/stripping with low overpotential, high anodic stability, and ionic conductivity (8.56 mS cm-1 ). These features should be mainly attributed to the in situ formation of an MgF2 containing Mg2+ -conducting interphase, which dramatically suppresses the passivation and parasitic reaction of Mg anode with electrolyte. Remarkably, the Mg/S batteries assemble with as-synthesize electrolyte and a new type MoS2 @CMK/S cathode deliver unprecedented electrochemical performance. Specifically, the Mg/S battery exhibited the highest reversible capacity up to 1210 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C, excellent rate capability and satisfactory long-term cycling stability with a reversible capacity of 370 mAh g-1 (coulombic efficiency of ≈100%) at 1.0 C for 600 cycles. The study findings provide a novel strategy and inspiration for designing efficient non-nucleophilic Mg electrolyte and suitable sulfur-host materials for practical Mg/S battery applications.

Our Body Our Health (Jirkeena, Caafimaadkeena): Somali Women's Narratives on Sexual Health.

Women across the globe have been subject to female genital cutting (FGC), with the highest rates in Somalia. FGC can result in sexual concerns, especially sexual pain and lower pleasure. Due to ongoing civil war and climate disasters, there is a large number of Somali immigrants and refugees living in countries where healthcare providers may be unfamiliar with the impact of FGC. In this qualitative study, sixty Somali women between the ages 20 and 45 and living in the U.S. shared their perspectives on how FGC has affected their sexual lives, including how they have coped with any complications attributed to FGC. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling and interviewed by a bilingual community researcher in either Somali or English. Data were analyzed through a participatory analysis process by academic and community researchers. Themes included sexual desire, arousal, and pleasure; sexual satisfaction; sexual pain at first intercourse; coping with sexual pain at first intercourse; long-term sexual pain, coping with long-term sexual pain. Results are discussed with a focus on agency of the participants, role of partners, and implications for healthcare professionals.

Female genital cutting (FGC) type: proposing a multifaceted, interactive method for FGC self-assessment.

BACKGROUND: Self-reporting female genital cutting (FGC) status and types by patients and clinicians is often inconsistent and inaccurate, particularly in community settings where clinically verifiable genital exams are not feasible or culturally appropriate. AIM: In this study we sought to discern whether integrating multiple dimensions of participant engagement through self-reflection, visual imagery, and iterative discourse informed the determination of FGC status by a panel of health and cultural experts using World Health Organization (WHO) typology. METHODS: Using community-based participatory research, we recruited 50 Somali women from the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, metropolitan area through convenience and snowball sampling to participate in semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked to discuss their recollection of their original circumcision-including the procedure itself and their assessment of the type of circumcision they experienced. Anatomical drawings of uncircumcised and circumcised vulvas were shown to participants to assist them in identifying their FGC type. A panel of health and cultural experts reviewed and independently assessed participant FGC type. Interrater reliability and degree of concordance between participants and panel were determined. OUTCOMES: Outcomes included the following: (1) development of WHO-informed, anatomically accurate visual depictions of vulvas representing FGC typology, (2) development of an iterative, self-reflective process by which participants self-described their own FGC status aided by visual depictions of vulvas, (3) application of WHO FGC typology by a panel of health and cultural experts, and (4) determination of the degree of concordance between participants and panel in the classification of FGC type. RESULTS: High interrater reliability (kappa = 0.64) and concordance (80%) between panel and participants were achieved. CLINICAL TRANSLATION: Incorporation of FGC visual imagery combined with women's empowered use of their own self-described FGC status would optimize clinical care, patient education, and informed decision making between patients and their providers when considering medical and/or surgical interventions, particularly among women possessing limited health and anatomic literacy. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Strengths of this study include the incorporation of anatomically accurate visual representations of FGC types; the iterative, educational process by which participants qualitatively self-described their FGC status; and the high interrater reliability and concordance achieved between panel and participants. Study limitations include the inability to conduct clinical genital exams (due to the community-based methodology used), recall bias, and small sample size (n = 50). CONCLUSION: We propose a new patient-informed educational method for integrating anatomically accurate visual imagery and iterative self-reflective discourse to investigate sensitive topics and guide clinicians in providing patient-centered, culturally informed care for patients with FGC.

Beautiful vulvas: expanding illustrative visual imagery of female genital cutting types.

BACKGROUND: Visual imagery has been used to educate healthcare providers, patients, and the lay public on female genital cutting (FGC) typology and reconstructive procedures. However, culturally inclusive, diverse, and anatomically accurate representation of vulvas informed by women possessing lived experience of FGC is lacking. AIM: We sought to apply World Health Organization (WHO) FGC typology to the development of type-specific visual imagery designed by a graphic artist and culturally informed by women with lived experience of FGC alongside a panel of health experts in FGC-related care. METHODS: Over a 3-year process, a visual artist created watercolor renderings of vulvas with and without FGC across varying WHO types and subtypes using an iterative community-based approach. Somali women possessing lived experience of FGC were engaged alongside a team of clinician experts in FGC-related care. Women and clinicians provided descriptive input on skin color variation, texture, and skin tone, as well as the visual depiction of actions necessary in conducting a genital examination. OUTCOMES: A series of vulvar anatomic illustrations depicting WHO FGC typology. RESULTS: FGC types and subtypes are illustrated alongside culturally informed descriptors and clinical pearls to strengthen provider competency in the identification and documentation of FGC WHO typology, as well as facilitate patient education, counseling, shared decision making, and care. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Ensuring equitable representation of race, gender, age, body type, and ability in medical illustrations may enhance patient education, counseling, and shared decision making in medical and/or surgical care. FGC provides a lens through which the incorporation of patient-informed and culturally relevant imagery and descriptors may enhance provider competency in the care of FGC-affected women and adolescents. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: The strengths of this study include the development of visual imagery through an iterative community-based process that engaged women with lived experience of FGC alongside clinicians with expertise in FGC-related care, as well as the representation of historically underrepresented bodies in the anatomical literature. Study limitations include the lack of generalizability to all possible forms or practices of FGC given the focus on one geographically distinct migrant community, as well as the reliance on self-report given the inability to clinically verify FGC status due to the community-based methodology employed. CONCLUSION: Patient-informed and culturally representative visual imagery of vulvas is essential to the provision of patient-centered sexual health care and education. Illustrations developed through this community-engaged work may inform future development of visual educational content that advances equity in diverse representation of medical illustrations.

Radiation effects, zero thermal expansion, and pressure-induced phase transition in CsMnCo(CN)6.

The Prussian blue analogue CsMnCo(CN)6 is studied using powder X-ray and neutron diffraction under variable temperature, pressure, and X-ray exposure. It retains cubic F4̄3m symmetry in the range 85-500 K with minimal thermal expansion, whereas a phase transition to P4̄n2 occurs at ∼2 GPa, driven by octahedral tilting. A small lattice contraction occurs upon increased X-ray dose. Comparisons with related systems indicate that the CsI ions decrease the thermal expansion and suppress the likelihood of phase transformations. The results improve the understanding of the stimuli-responsive behaviour of coordination polymers.

The Linear Relationship Model with LASSO for Studying Stock Networks.

The correlation-based network is a powerful tool to reveal the influential mechanisms and relations in stock markets. However, current methods for developing network models are dominantly based on the pairwise relationship of positive correlations. This work proposes a new approach for developing stock relationship networks by using the linear relationship model with LASSO to explore negative correlations under a systemic framework. The developed model not only preserves positive links with statistical significance but also includes link directions and negative correlations. We also introduce blends cliques with the balance theory to investigate the consistency properties of the developed networks. The ASX 200 stock data with 194 stocks are applied to evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed method. Results suggest that the developed networks not only are highly consistent with the correlation coefficient in terms of positive or negative correlations but also provide influence directions in stock markets.

Multiple datasets to explore the tumor microenvironment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is one of the most frequent types of cutaneous cancer. The composition and heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment significantly impact patient prognosis and the ability to practice precision therapy. However, no research has been conducted to examine the design of the tumor microenvironment and its interactions with cSCC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrieved the datasets GSE42677 and GSE45164 from the GEO public database, integrated them, and analyzed them using the SVA method. We then screened the core genes using the WGCNA network and LASSO regression and checked the model's stability using the ROC curve. Finally, we performed enrichment and correlation analyses on the core genes. RESULTS: We identified four genes as core cSCC genes: DTYMK, CDCA8, PTTG1 and MAD2L1, and discovered that RORA, RORB and RORC were the primary regulators in the gene set. The GO semantic similarity analysis results indicated that CDCA8 and PTTG1 were the two most essential genes among the four core genes. The results of correlation analysis demonstrated that PTTG1 and HLA-DMA, CDCA8 and HLA-DQB2 were significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS: Examining the expression levels of four primary genes in cSCC aids in our understanding of the disease's pathophysiology. Additionally, the core genes were found to be highly related with immune regulatory genes, suggesting novel avenues for cSCC prevention and treatment.

A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Complications Related to Breast Reconstruction Using Different Skin Flaps After Breast Cancer Surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: As the incidence of breast cancer rises, the number of mastectomy surgeries surges, so does the importance of postoperative breast reconstruction. The implementation of autologous flap restoration methods is becoming prevalent, although which is the best flap remains controversial. As a result, we performed a Bayesian network meta-analysis to compare the eight most common flap in the reconstruction processor of breast cancer surgery. Our findings may help surgeons decide which skin flaps to use for breast reconstruction. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane library for relevant literature. For our Bayesian network meta-analysis, we scrutinized 37 papers and evaluated the postoperative complications of eight commonly used breast reconstruction procedures. We also registered this study on PROSPERO, with the number CRD42021251989. RESULTS: A total of 21,184 patients were included in this Bayesian network meta-analysis from 37 different studies. The results demonstrate that TRAM flaps are more prone to complications such as hernias in the abdominal wall and blood flow problems. Hematoma and seroma are more likely to follow LDP flaps. Combining LDP flaps with a prosthetic or autologous adipose tissue does not enhance the risk of postoperative problems appreciably. Fat liquefaction are relatively common in DIEP. CONCLUSIONS: After breast reconstruction, several skin flaps can be employed as clinical choices. TRAM flaps are not recommended for patients with a weak abdominal wall structure, although LDP flaps or SIEA flaps can be considered instead. We do not advocate LDP flaps for patients who have had breast surgery because of the higher risk of hematoma or seroma, but DIEP flaps or LAP flaps can be utilized instead. We do not propose DIEP flaps for individuals who are at a higher risk of postoperative fat liquefaction, but LDP flaps or SIEA flaps can be used instead. However, this Bayesian network meta-analysis has limitations, and further randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm its findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Combining Multivariate Electrospinning with Surface MOF Functionalization to Construct Tunable Active Sites toward Trifunctional Electrocatalysis.

The development of high-performance multifunctional electrocatalysts operating in the same electrolyte is key to reduce the material and process costs of renewable energy conversion and storage devices. Herein, the fabrication of freestanding integral electrodes by combining multivariate electrospinning with surface metal organic framework functionalization to arrest pyrolytic emissions from fiber interior is reported, resulting in the expression of rich active sites with controlled composition, for example, the tunable Co-P coordination. The as-fabricated electrode of CoP@CF-900, when used as both the cathode and anode for overall water splitting, is able to deliver 200 mA cm-2 at a cell voltage of 1.89 V, significantly outshining the Pt/C‖RuO2 couple; when used as the air cathode for a zinc-air battery, is able to operate more than 150 h at 10 mA cm-2 with a nearly constant round-trip energy efficiency of ≈60%, also outperforming the Pt/C+RuO2 benchmark. The activity and kinetics origin of the superb multi-functionality is further elucidated through extensive electroanalytical, post-mortem, and operando characterizations, which underscore the construction of robust integral electrodes through synergistic structure and composition engineering.

KLF9 (Kruppel Like Factor 9) induced PFKFB3 (6-Phosphofructo-2-Kinase/Fructose-2, 6-Biphosphatase 3) downregulation inhibits the proliferation, metastasis and aerobic glycolysis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the second most common skin cancer in humans with increasing incidence. In this paper, we focused on the effects of krueppel-like factor 9 (KLF9) on the progression of CSCC cells by binding to PFKFB3. mRNA and protein expressions of KLF9 and PFKFB3 in human HaCaT and CSCC cells were, respectively, examined by RT-qPCR analysis and Western blot. The viability, proliferation, invasion and migration of A431 cells after transfection were analyzed with MTT, clone formation, transwell and wound healing assays. The levels of glucose, lactic acid and ATP in transfected A431 cells were detected by their commercial kits. Ki-67 expression in transfected A431 cells was determined using immunofluorescence analysis and in tumor tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The levels of migration, EMT and aerobic glycolysis-related proteins were tested with Western blot. The combination of KLF9 and PFKFB3 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and ChIP. As a result, PFKFB3 expression was elevated in CSCC cells compared with HaCaT. Knockdown of PFKFB3 restrained the proliferation, metastasis, and aerobic glycolysis of CSCC cells. In addition, KLF9 could bind to PFKFB3. Downregulation of KLF9 crippled the inhibitory effect of knockdown of PFKFB3 on the proliferation, metastasis, and aerobic glycolysis of CSCC cells. In conclusion, PFKFB3 was transcriptionally regulated by KLF9, and PFKFB3 silencing inhibits the proliferation, metastasis, and aerobic glycolysis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Dynamic Analyses of Contagion Risk and Module Evolution on the SSE A-Shares Market Based on Minimum Information Entropy.

The interactive effect is significant in the Chinese stock market, exacerbating the abnormal market volatilities and risk contagion. Based on daily stock returns in the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) A-shares, this paper divides the period between 2005 and 2018 into eight bull and bear market stages to investigate interactive patterns in the Chinese financial market. We employ the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) method to construct the stock network, compare the heterogeneity of bull and bear markets, and further use the Map Equation method to analyse the evolution of modules in the SSE A-shares market. Empirical results show that (1) the connected effect is more significant in bear markets than bull markets and gives rise to abnormal volatilities in the stock market; (2) a system module can be found in the network during the first four stages, and the industry aggregation effect leads to module differentiation in the last four stages; (3) some stocks have leading effects on others throughout eight periods, and medium- and small-cap stocks with poor financial conditions are more likely to become risk sources, especially in bear markets. Our conclusions are beneficial to improving investment strategies and making regulatory policies.

Self-Phosphorization of MOF-Armored Microbes for Advanced Energy Storage.

Utilization of microbes as the carbon source and structural template to fabricate porous carbon has incentivized great interests owing to their diverse micromorphology and intricate intracellular structure, apart from the obvious benefit of "turning waste into wealth." Challenges remain to preserve the biological structure through the harsh and laborious post-synthetic treatments, and tailor the functionality as desired. Herein, Escherichia coli is directly coated with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) through in situ assembly to fabricate N, P co-doped porous carbon capsules expressing self-phosphorized metal phosphides. While the MOF coating serves as an armoring layer for facilitating the morphology inheritance from the bio-templates and provides metal sources for generating extra porosity and electrochemically active sites, the P-rich phospholipids and N-rich proteins from the plasma membrane enable carbon matrix doping and further yield metal phosphides. These unique structural and compositional features endow the carbon capsules with great capabilities in suppressing polysulfide shuttling and catalyzing reversible oxygen conversion, ultimately leading to the superb performance of lithium-sulfur batteries and zinc-air batteries. Combining the bio-templating strategy with hierarchical MOF assembly, this work opens a new avenue for the fabrication of highly porous and functional carbon for advanced energy applications.

Conversation Orientation Moderates the Relationship between Information Sharing of Medically Assisted Reproduction and Child Adjustment.

Parents who experienced infertility have increasingly used medically assisted reproduction (MAR) to add children to their families over the past few decades. These parents will need to decide if they will tell their children about being conceived using MAR. Although MAR information sharing operates within family contexts, little is known about the role of conversation orientation-one family contextual factor-in child outcomes associated with MAR information sharing in middle childhood. Derived from the Family Communication Patterns Theory, this study proposes that conversation orientation moderates the associations between MAR information sharing and children's psychosocial adjustment. This proposal was tested using a sample of 81 6- to 12-year-old MAR-conceived children from 55 families and a structured observational measure of conversation orientation. Multiple regression analyses showed that MAR information sharing interacted with conversation orientation to influence children's behavioral and attention problems but not emotional problems. In families with high conversation orientation, MAR information sharing was not significantly associated with children's behavioral and attention problems. In families with low conversation orientation, MAR information sharing was significantly associated with an increase in children's behavioral and attention problems. Results of this exploratory study demonstrate the potential significance of general communication orientation in understanding child outcomes of MAR information sharing and highlight the needed family context nuances in MAR research.

Los padres que padecieron infertilidad han usado cada vez más la reproducción médicamente asistida (RMA) para incorporar niños a sus familias durante las últimas décadas. Estos padres necesitarán decidir si les contarán a sus hijos que fueron concebidos utilizando la RMA. Aunque el intercambio de información sobre la RMA funciona dentro de contextos familiares, se sabe muy poco acerca del papel que desempeña la orientación de la conversación-un factor contextual familiar- en los resultados de los niños asociados con el intercambio de información sobre la RMA en la segunda infancia. Derivado de la teoría de patrones de comunicación familiar, este estudio propone que la orientación de la conversación modere las asociaciones entre el intercambio de información sobre la RMA y la adaptación psicosocial de los niños. Esta propuesta se evaluó utilizando una muestra de 81 niños de entre 6 y 12 años pertenecientes a 55 familias que fueron concebidos por RMA y una medición observacional estructurada de la orientación de la conversación. Los análisis de regresión múltiple indicaron que el intercambio de información sobre la RMA interactuó con la orientación de la información para influir en los problemas de atención y conductuales de los niños, pero no en los problemas emocionales. En las familias con una alta orientación de la conversación el intercambio de información sobre la RMA no estuvo asociado de forma significativa con problemas conductuales y de atención de los niños. En las familias con una baja orientación de la información, el intercambio de información sobre la RMA estuvo asociado de forma significativa con un aumento de problemas conductuales y de atención en los niños. Los resultados de este estudio exploratorio demuestran la posible importancia de la orientación de la información general a la hora de comprender las consecuencias en los niños del intercambio de información sobre la RMA y destacar los matices necesarios del contexto familiar en la investigación sobre la RMA.

A Double-Buffering Strategy to Boost the Lithium Storage of Botryoid MnOx /C Anodes.

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are regarded as promising candidates for anodes of lithium ion batteries, but their applications have been severely hindered by poor material conductivity and lithiated volume expansion. As a potential solution, herein is presented a facile approach, by electrospinning a manganese-based metal organic framework (Mn-MOF), to fabricate yolk-shell MnOx nanostructures within carbon nanofibers in a botryoid morphology. While the yolk-shell structure accomodates the lithiated volume expansion of MnOx , the fiber confinement ensures the structural integrity during charge/discharge, achieving a so-called double-buffering for cyclic volume fluctuation. The formation mechanism of the yolk-shell structure is well elucidated through comprehensive instrumental characterizations and cogitative control experiments, following a combined Oswald ripening and Kirkendall process. Outstanding electrochemical performances are demonstrated with prolonged stability over 1000 cycles, boosted by the double-buffering design, as well as the "breathing" effect of lithiation/delithiation witnessed by ex situ imaging. Both the fabrication methodology and electrochemical understandings gained here for nanostructured MnOx can also be extended to other TMOs toward their ultimate implementation in high-performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs).

Highly Tunable Heterojunctions from Multimetallic Sulfide Nanoparticles and Silver Nanowires.

A facile and general strategy is presented to create well-defined heterojunctions with ultra-small multimetallic sulfide nanoparticles (MMSNPs) uniformly coated on sliver nanowires. A unique aspect of this method is the atomic-level pre-integration of multimetallic components by exploiting recently developed supertetrahedral metal sulfide nanoclusters. The use of such nanoclusters also enables the convenient formation of the ultrathin interfacial Ag2 S layer via etching. The heterojunctions (denoted as MMSNPs/Ag2 S/Ag-NWs) benefit from adjustable multimetallic components and display tunable visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance owing to the synergistic effect of multimetallic components from MMSNPs and the high carrier mobility of Ag-NWs. The synthetic strategy opens new routes to designing and fabricating various heterojunctions with multimetallic components, which could further expand their applications in catalysis, electronics, and photonics.

Metal-Nitrogen-doped Porous Carbons Derived from Metal-Containing Ionic Liquids for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

This study describes a self-doping and additive-free strategy for the synthesis of metal-nitrogen-doped porous carbon materials (CMs) via carbonizing well-tailored precursors, metal-containing ionic liquids (M-ILs). The organic skeleton in M-ILs serves as both carbon and nitrogen sources, while metal ions acts as porogen and metallic dopants. A high nitrogen content, appropriate content of metallic species and hierarchical porosity synergistically endow the resultant CMs (MIBA-M-T) as effective electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). MIBA-Fe-900 with a high specific surface area of 1567 m2 g-1 exhibits an activity similar to that of Pt/C catalyst, a higher tolerance to methanol than Pt/C, and long-term durability. This work supplies a simple and convenient route for the preparation of metal-containing carbon electrocatalysts.

Microfibrillar Polysaccharide-Derived Biochars as Sodium Benzoate Adsorbents.

Microfibrillar biochars of chitin (CTF), chitosan (CSF), and cellulose (CLF) were fabricated via green homogenization and a pyrolysis process, and were subsequently explored as adsorbents for removing over-released sodium benzoate (SB) in aqueous systems. The structure, composition, morphology, and adsorption behavior of the as-fabricated biochars were characterized. Results suggest that all biochars, with a microscaled fibrillar structure and foam-like network morphology, underwent severe chemical transition during the pyrolysis process, thereby causing an enhancement of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area, pore volume, and aromatic and carbonaceous composition. Consequently, N-doped porous CTF/CSF microfibrillar biochars displayed a distinguished capture capacity toward SB compared to that of their fibrillar precursors. Tailoring the chemical composition, porous structure, and sorption mechanism constitutes a possible strategy to achieve adequate structural effects of polysaccharide microfibrillar chars for potential application in environmental treatment or bioenergy.