Ternary Si-SiO-Al Composite Films as High-Performance Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Silicon (Si) is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries but has long been suffering from low conductivity, drastic volume change, poor cycling performance, etc. Adding SiO, Al, etc. to form Si-based binary composite films can improve some properties but have to give up others. Here, we prepared a ternary Si-SiO-Al composite film anode by adding SiO and Al together into Si using magnetron sputtering. This film has an extraordinary combination of conductivity, specific capacity, cycling stability, rate performance, etc., when compared with its binary and unary counterparts. While both SiO and Al can separately mitigate anode cracking resulting from the huge volume expansion during the lithiation/delithiation cycling process, the synergetic effect of adding SiO and Al together to form a ternary composite film can produce much better results. This film maintains an island structure that can efficiently buffer the volume expansion during the cycling process, giving rise to superior cycling performance and excellent rate performance. In addition, the cosputtered Al improves the electrical conductivity of the anode at the same time. This unique combination of anode properties, together with the low cost, suggests that the Si-SiO-Al composite film has the potential to be commercialized as a binder-free anode for lithium-ion batteries. This work also provides an efficient means to modulate the anode properties with more degrees of freedom.

Lithium Titanate Matrix-Supported Nanocrystalline Silicon Film as an Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

A facile preparation method of a Si-based anode with excellent cycling property is urgently required in the process of preparing lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, lithium titanate (LTO) matrix-supported nanocrystalline Si film is prepared by radio frequency (RF) magnetron cosputtering utilizing LTO and silicon (Si) targets as the sputtering source. LTO-supported nanocrystalline Si film electrodes revealed a repeatable specific capacity of 1200 mA h g-1 at 150 mA g-1 with a maintenance of more than 75% even after 800 cycles. The remarkable electrochemical properties of the LTO-Si composite films could be attributed to the LTO matrix, preventing the electrolyte from directly making contact with the nanocrystalline Si materials, alleviating the stress of the periodic volume change and further providing efficient and rapid pathways for lithium-ion transport. The results suggest that Si-based LTO composite films are prospective anodes for LIBs, with high capacities and long cycling stabilities.

Multi-target lentivirus specific to hepatocellular carcinoma: in vitro and in vivo studies.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We aimed at investigating the effects of the targeted transduction of the Wtp53-pPRIME-miR30-shRNA gene into liver cancer cells, under the mediation of anti-alpha fetoprotein scFv-directed lentivirus, and the inhibitory effect of this system on liver cancer cells. METHODS: The result of infection was observed by fluorescence microscopy. Polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to demonstrate the successful transduction and transcription of the Wtp53-pPRIME-miR30-shRNA-IGF1R gene. Cell growth was observed via the Cell-Counting Kit-8 Method, and cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling. To observe further the effects of AFP-Wtp53-pPRIME-miR30-shRNA-IGF1R therapy in animals, models of BALB-C nude mice bearing subcutaneous human hepatocellular carcinoma were established. The influence of the growth of subcutaneously transplanted tumor, expression of Wtp53 protein, apoptosis, and microvessel formation on the overall level of AFP-Wtp53 pPRIME-miR30-shRNA-IGF1R were also evaluated. RESULTS: Recombinant lentivirus was successfully constructed, and its functional plaque-forming unit titer was determined as 4.58 × 10(9)plaque-forming units/ml. A positive strand was detected by polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Lentiviral construction worked effectively in AFP-positive liver cancer cells. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the recombinant lentivirus was more efficacious in inhibiting the proliferation of Hep3B cells. CONCLUSIONS: The Wtp53-pPRIME-miR30-shRNA gene can be subjected to targeted transduction into liver cancer cells under the mediation of anti-alpha fetoprotein scFv-directed lentivirus. The Wtp53-pPRIME-miR30-shRNA system has targeting ability and lethal effects on liver cancer cells.

Analysis of pathogen isolated from lower respiratory tract in coalminer's pneumoconiosis patients complicated with infection / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the composition and resistance of main pathogens isolated form Lower respiratory tract in coalminer's pneumoconiosis patients complicated with infection to provide the basis for clinical treatment.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Coalminer's pneumoconiosis patients complicated with infection during 2009 to 2010 were divided into mechanical ventilation group and non mechanical ventilation group. Specimens were obtained from lower respiratory tract by fibrobronchoscopy with protected specimen brush in patients of both groups to perform isolation, culture, identification and susceptibility test of pathogen.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Total 111 patients were enrolled, 36 of them in mechanical ventilation group and 75 patients in non mechanical ventilation group. The pathogenic bacteria detection rate of patients in mechanical ventilation group was significantly higher than that of patients in non mechanical ventilation group (88.9% vs. 46.7%, P < 0.01). In non mechanical ventilation group, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected in 3 patients, and 27 strains of G- bacilli, 3 strains of G+ coccus, and 2 strains of fungus; and 26 strains of G- bacilli, 3 strains of G+ coccus, and 3 strains of fungus were detected in mechanical ventilation group. There was no significant difference in term of strains between the two groups (P > 0.05). Rate of resistance to main antibiotics of patients in mechanical ventilation group was higher than that of patients in non mechanical ventilation group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Resistance of pathogenic bacteria isolated from lower respiratory tract was severe in coalminer's pneumoconiosis patients complicated with infection, which was higher in patients treated with mechanical ventilation than patients without mechanical ventilation. Mycobacterium tuberculosis and fungal infection and increasing resistance prompted that clinicians must attach importance to rational drug use and keep to monitoring bacterial resistance.</p>

[Clinical features and prognosis of solid-pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features, histogenesis and biological behavior, clinical treatment and prognosis of solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas (SPT). METHODS: Routine HE and immunohistochemical (SP) stainings were used in the pathological examination of 18 cases of SPT. Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. All the 18 postoperative patients were followed-up for 3 months to 10 years with an average of 29.2 months. RESULTS: There were 16 females and 2 males, age ranging from 9 to 65 years with mean age of 25.3 years. Abdominal pain and palpable mass were among the major complains. Tumors were encapsulated and mixed with solid and cystic tissues. Histological features were pseudopapillary structure with a fibrovascular core. Immunhistologically, most tumors were positive for alpha-AT, alpha-ACT and Vim, with a high percentage of 94.4%. The eighteen cases were followed-up from 3 to 120 months. Five cases received reoperation after recurrence, and 14 cases were alive. Maximum survival time was 121 months and the minimum survival time was 3 months, with a median survival time of 23.0 months. The 5-year survival rate was 72.2%. A Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patient's age, tumor size, pathologic features, metastasis were major prognostic factors for SPT. CONCLUSION: SPT is a tumor of low-grade malignancy and may be derived from multipotent stem cells. SPT most frequently affects young female, and has distinct clinicopathologic manifestation with excellent prognosis after surgical treatment.

[Total body irradiation of the donor in a spontaneous tolerance rat liver transplantation model and the effects on CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells content].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of total body irradiation of the donor in a spontaneous tolerance rat liver transplantation model and the role of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells on induction of immunotolerance in the recipient. METHODS: Liver transplantation was performed using male Lewis rats as donors and male DA rats as recipients. These rats were randomly allocated into the following groups:Control group, Homogeneity Liver Transplantation group, Idio-immunotolerance group and Acute Rejection group. After transplantation, survival time rate of each group were observed. Serum ALT, TB level, Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells, expression of GITR on T cell subgroup, histopathology of the hepatic graft on day 14, spleen CTL lytic activity on day 14 were measured. RESULTS: In the Idio-immunotolerance group, the recipients suffered from transient rejection after surgery but acquired immunotolerance and survived long. In the Acute Rejection group, the donors were preconditioned with total body irradiation before liver transplantation. All recipients died between day 17 to 21. Serum ALT and TB increased significantly and the ratio of Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells decreased significantly compared with the Idio-immunotolerance group, the Homogeneity Liver Transplantation group and the Control group. The expression of GITR on CD3(+)CD4(+)T cells in the peripheral blood decreased, the expression of GITR on CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells and CTL lytic activity of the recipients increased by preconditioning of the donors with total body irradiation. CONCLUSIONS: Preconditioning of the donors with total body irradiation eliminated the passenger lymphocytes of the liver graft, decreased the expression of Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in peripheral blood, and increased the expression of GITR on CD3(+)CD8(+) T cells, thus affected the course of tolerance and induced acute rejection after liver transplantation.