Evidence-based advances in minimally invasive surgery in infants with congenital gastrointestinal anomalies: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been widely utilized to manage congenital gastrointestinal (GI) anomalies in children during the last two decades. Currently, MIS has a proven track-record for its feasibility and provides multiple benefits including better cosmesis, less trauma, and faster recovery in neonates and infants. However, it remains controversial whether MIS provides better definitive outcomes in pediatric patients with GI anomalies, especially among neonates. We aim to review the recent developments of MIS in infants with GI defects, assisting surgeons in making decisions and improving patient outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of PubMed and Web of Science's core collection was performed using terms of MIS techniques and congenital GI anomalies. Key Content and Findings: This review summarizes recent evidence-based advances of MIS in infants with congenital GI defects and potential future strategies based on evidence. Better cosmetic results, less postoperative pain, and an accelerated recovery have been shown to be common advantages of MIS relative to open approaches. Technical hurdles and metabolic disturbance were reported to be the main reasons for the decisions of open approach. Conclusions: Advanced techniques of MIS have made more precise manipulations and better outcomes possible, even for newborns. At the same time, surgeons should not be afraid to use an open approach in certain circumstances due to technical limitations or patient tolerance. The difficulty infants face in expressing their true feelings underscores the need for systematic and objective assessment tools to evaluate surgical outcomes.

Generation of an induced pluripotent stem cell line (FDCHi008-A) from an infant with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction.

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is a rare condition characterized by intestinal obstruction without any restriction or occlusion, that represents the most severe form of gastrointestinal dysmotility. Here we established the induced pluripotent stem cell line FDCHi008-A from PBMCs of a 4-month infant with CIPO, which provides a patient-specific in vitro model to explore the underlying pathogenesis of pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction.

A free-standing manganese cobalt sulfide@cobalt nickel layered double hydroxide core-shell heterostructure for an asymmetric supercapacitor.

Rational design of self-supported electrode materials is important to develop high-performance supercapacitors. Herein, a free-standing MnCo2S4@CoNi LDH (MCS@CN LDH) core-shell heterostructure is successfully prepared on Ni foam using the hydrothermal reaction and electrodeposition. In this architecture, the inner MnCo2S4 nanotube provides an ultra-high electrical conductivity and the CoNi LDH nanosheets can offer more electrochemical active sites for better faradaic reactions. Moreover, the core-shell heterostructure can also maintain the structural integrity during the processes of continuous charge/discharge. The MCS@CN LDH electrode displays a satisfactory specific capacitance of 1206 C g-1 and excellent cycling performance with ∼92% retention after 10 000 cycles. In addition, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC), in which MCS@CN LDH and N-doped rGO are used as the positive electrode and the negative electrode, was assembled which exhibits an energy density of 48.8 W h kg-1 with superior cycling stability, indicating the potential of this electrode in practical energy storage.

Oxygen-vacancy-rich nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxide electrode for high-performance supercapacitors.

The introduction of oxygen vacancies into electrode materials has been proven to be a valid way to enhance the electrochemical performance. However, the traditional methods to introduce oxygen vacancies require severe conditions that may be harmful to hydroxides. Herein, the oxygen vacancy-rich nickel-cobalt (NiCo) layered double hydroxide (denoted as Vo-NiCo LDH) nanowire array electrode is synthesized using the chemical reduction method. Owing to the reduction of NaBH4 solution, we can create oxygen vacancies under milder conditions, thus avoiding any damage to the hydroxide. The as-synthesized electrode shows a specific capacitance of 1563.1 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, which is much higher than that of the pristine electrode (995.4 F g-1 at 1 A g-1). Moreover, the cycling performance and rate performance are also enhanced. The as-fabricated asymmetric supercapacitor (Vo-NiCo LDH//Fe2O3) is able to deliver a maximum energy density of 56.2 W h kg-1 at a power density of 800 W kg-1 with a voltage window of 1.6 V.

"One-for-All" strategy to design oxygen-deficient triple-shelled MnO2 and hollow Fe2O3 microcubes for high energy density asymmetric supercapacitors.

Intrinsically poor conductivity, sluggish ion transfer kinetics, and limited specific area are the three main obstacles that confine the electrochemical performance of metal oxides in supercapacitors. Engineered hollow metal oxide nanostructures can effectively satisfy the increasing power demand of modern electronics. In this work, both triple-shelled MnO2 and hollow Fe2O3 microcubes have been synthesized from a single MnCO3 template. The oxygen vacancies are introduced in both the positive and negative electrodes through a facile method. The oxygen vacancies can not only improve the conductivity and facilitate ion diffusion but also increase the electrode/electrolyte interfaces and electrochemically active sites. Consequently, both the oxygen-deficient triple-shelled MnO2 and hollow Fe2O3 exhibit larger capacitance and rate capability than the samples without oxygen vacancies. Moreover, due to the matchable specific capacitance and potential window between the positive and negative electrodes, the asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits high specific capacitance (240 F g-1), excellent energy density of 133 W h kg-1 at 1176 W kg-1, excellent power density (23 529 W kg-1 at 73 W h kg-1), and high cycling stability (90.9% after 5000 cycles). This strategy is highly reproducible in oxide-based electrodes, which have the potential to meet the requirements of practical application.

Mesostructured Carbon Nanotube-on-MnO2 Nanosheet Composite for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Carbon nanomaterials have been widely used to enhance the performance of MnO2-based supercapacitors. However, it still remains a challenge to directly fabricate high combining strength, mesostructured and high-performance MnO2/carbon nanotube (CNT)-nanostructured composite electrodes with a little weight percentage of carbon materials. Here, we report a novel mesostructured composite of the CNT-on-MnO2 nanosheet with a high MnO2 percentage, which consists of vertically aligned MnO2 nanosheets with nanopores and in situ formed oriented CNTs on MnO2 nanosheets (tube-on-sheet). The optimized CNTs/MnO2 possesses favorable features, namely, vertically aligned nanosheets to shorted ion diffusion path, a hierarchical porous structure for increased specific surface areas and active sites, and in situ formed CNTs for enhanced conductivity and robust structural stability. It is found that the unique tube-on-sheet CNTs/MnO2 nanocomposites with the high MnO2 percentage (>90 wt %) exhibit a high specific capacity of 1131 F g-1 based on total electrodes and 1229 F g-1 based on MnO2 at a current density of 1 A g-1, high rate capability, and ultrastable cycling life (94.4%@10 000 cycles). This electrode design strategy in this paper demonstrates a new way for high-performance electrodes for supercapacitors with high active material percentage.

Heterostructural Graphene Quantum Dot/MnO2 Nanosheets toward High-Potential Window Electrodes for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

The potential window of aqueous supercapacitors is limited by the theoretical value (≈1.23 V) and is usually lower than ≈1 V, which hinders further improvements for energy density. Here, a simple and scalable method is developed to fabricate unique graphene quantum dot (GQD)/MnO2 heterostructural electrodes to extend the potential window to 0-1.3 V for high-performance aqueous supercapacitor. The GQD/MnO2 heterostructural electrode is fabricated by GQDs in situ formed on the surface of MnO2 nanosheet arrays with good interface bonding by the formation of Mn-O-C bonds. Further, it is interesting to find that the potential window can be extended to 1.3 V by a potential drop in the built-in electric field of the GQD/MnO2 heterostructural region. Additionally, the specific capacitance up to 1170 F g-1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s-1 (1094 F g-1 at 0-1 V) and cycle performance (92.7%@10 000 cycles) between 0 and 1.3 V are observed. A 2.3 V aqueous GQD/MnO2-3//nitrogen-doped graphene ASC is assembled, which exhibits the high energy density of 118 Wh kg-1 at the power density of 923 W kg-1. This work opens new opportunities for developing high-voltage aqueous supercapacitors using in situ formed heterostructures to further increase energy density.

P-Doped NiCo2S4 nanotubes as battery-type electrodes for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors.

NiCo2S4 is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors, due to its rich redox reactions and intrinsically high conductivity. Unfortunately, in most cases, NiCo2S4-based electrodes often suffer from low specific capacitance, low rate capability and fast capacitance fading. Herein, we have rationally designed P-doped NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays to improve the electrochemical performance through a phosphidation reaction. Characterization results demonstrate that the P element is successfully doped into NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays. Electrochemical results demonstrate that P-doped NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays exhibit better electrochemical performance than pristine NiCo2S4, e.g. higher specific capacitance (8.03 F cm-2 at 2 mA cm-2), good cycling stability (87.5% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles), and lower charge transfer resistance. More importantly, we also assemble an asymmetric supercapacitor using P-doped NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays and activated carbon on carbon cloth, which delivers a maximum energy density of 42.1 W h kg-1 at a power density of 750 W kg-1. These results demonstrate that the as-fabricated P-doped NiCo2S4 nanotube arrays on carbon cloth show great potential as a battery-type electrode for high-performance supercapacitors.

In Situ Synthesis of Vertical Standing Nanosized NiO Encapsulated in Graphene as Electrodes for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

NiO is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors. Herein, the novel vertically standing nanosized NiO encapsulated in graphene layers (G@NiO) are rationally designed and synthesized as nanosheet arrays. This unique vertical standing structure of G@NiO nanosheet arrays can enlarge the accessible surface area with electrolytes, and has the benefits of short ion diffusion path and good charge transport. Further, an interconnected graphene conductive network acts as binder to encapsulate the nanosized NiO particles as core-shell structure, which can promote the charge transport and maintain the structural stability. Consequently, the optimized G@NiO hybrid electrodes exhibit a remarkably enhanced specific capacity up to 1073 C g-1 and excellent cycling stability. This study provides a facial strategy to design and construct high-performance metal oxides for energy storage.