Graphene/Mn3O4 composites were prepared by a simple hydrothermal process from KMnO4 using ethylene glycol as a reducing agent. Mn3O4 nanorods of 100 nm to 1 μm length were observed to be well-dispersed on graphene sheets. To assess the properties of these materials for use in supercapacitors, cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charging–discharging measurements were performed. Graphene/Mn3O4 composites could be charged and discharged faster and had higher capacitance than free Mn3O4 nanorods. The capacitance of the composites was 100% retained after 10 000 cycles at a charging rate of 5 A/g.

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BackgroundMultidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an important global health problem. Furthermore, the time to identify a positive sputum culture is an important risk factor for the spread of tuberculosis, and several factors can predict a prolonged time to culture conversion. Moreover, the relationship between poor nutritional status and infectious disease is clearly established. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and sputum culture conversion within 3 months among patients with MDR-TB.Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated 218 patients with MDR-TB who were treated at a large tuberculosis referral hospital in South Korea between January 2005 and December 2010. The outcome of interest was defined as sputum culture conversion within 3 months, and we analyzed the association between BMI and this outcome.ResultsAmong the 218 patients, 53 patients (24.3%) had a low BMI (<18.5 kg/m2). In the multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis, failure to achieve sputum culture conversion within 3 months was independently associated with having a low BMI (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.741, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.006–3.013; P = 0.047) and a positive sputum smear at the initiation of therapy (HR: 8.440, 95% CI: 1.146–62.138, P = 0.036).ConclusionLow BMI (<18.5 kg/m2) was an independent risk factor for failure to achieve sputum culture conversion within 3 months among patients with MDR-TB.

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BACKGROUND: The prognostic impact of the expression of CD8 and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) has not been established in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Surgical tissue specimens were obtained from 136 patients with NSCLC who underwent surgical resection. The expression levels of CD8 and PD-L1 were assessed using tissue microarrays and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The CD8-positive group showed significant increases in overall survival (OS) (median, not reached [NR] vs. 28.452 months) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (median, NR vs. 14.916 months) compared with the CD8-negative group. In contrast to CD8, the PD-L1-negative group demonstrated significant increases in OS (median, NR vs. 29.405 months) and RFS (median, 63.573 vs. 17.577 months) compared with the PD-L1-positive group. Two prognostic groups were stratified according to CD8/PD-L1 expression: group 1 (CD8-positive/PD-L1-negative) vs. group 2 (CD8/PD-L1: positive/positive, negative/negative, negative/positive). Group 1 had better OS (median, NR vs. 29.405 months) and RFS (median, NR vs. 17.577 months) than group 2. Multivariate analysis indicated that group 1 constituted an independent favourable prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.329, p = 0.001) and RFS (HR, 0.293; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Positive CD8 and negative PD-L1 expression together may be favourable prognostic markers in resectable NSCLC.

This study examined the effect of three compatibilizers, namely, a hybrid compatibilizer composed of polypropylene‐maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MAH) and polyethylene‐glycidyl methacrylate (PE‐g‐GMA), a single compatibilizer composed of PP‐g‐MAH, and a single compatibilizer composed of PE‐g‐GMA, on the mechanical, morphological, and rheological properties of a ternary blend of polypropylene (PP), poly(lactic acid; PLA), and a toughening modifier. The results of tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength tests for the ternary blends before and after hydrolysis, revealed that the ternary blend with a hybrid compatibilizer content of 3 phr exhibited better material properties than the blend containing a single compatibilizer. In the weighted relaxation spectra of the ternary blend using the Palierne emulsion model, the ternary blend containing the hybrid compatibilizer, exhibited only one relaxation spectrum peak at ∼ 0.16 s. This result suggests that the ternary blend with the hybrid compatibilizer exhibits uncharacteristic morphological properties, that is, a single‐phase microstructure. The above results suggest that the hybrid mixture is an effective compatibilizer for the ternary blend of PP, PLA, and a toughening modifier. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers

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This study estimated the effects of a new inoculant producing antifungal and esterase activity on quality of high moisture sorghum-sudangrass (SS) silage with two different hybrids (SX-17 and Speed-up). The SS hybrids were chopped, treated without an inoculant (CON) and with an inoculant containing Lactobacillus plantarum R48-27 and Lactobacillus buchineri R4-26 at ratio 1:1 (INO), then ensiled into 20-L mini silo in quadruplicate for 60 days. After ensiling, silage was placed under aerobic condition for 8 days to estimate yeast and mold. The INO silages had higher (P < 0.05) dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, and acid detergent fibre than those of CON silages. The INO silages also had higher (P < 0.05) pH and acetate, but lower (P < 0.05) ammonia-N, butyrate, and lactate to acetate ratio than those of CON silages. Applied INO in both hybrids had lower (P < 0.05) yeast after 4-8 days of aerobic exposure than CON. In rumen, INO silages had higher (P < 0.05) in vitro dry matter digestibility, pH, ammonia-N, and acetate than those of CON silages. In conclusion, the new inoculant application improved not only fermentation quality, but also rumen digestibility of high moisture SS silage.