Lithiophilic Nanowire Guided Li Deposition in Li Metal Batteries

Lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs) provide superior energy densities far beyond current Li-ion batteries (LIBs) but practical applications are hindered by uncontrolled dendrite formation and the build-up of dead Li in “hostless” Li metal anodes. To circumvent these issues, we created a 3D framework of a carbon paper (CP) substrate decorated with lithiophilic nanowires (silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and SiGe alloy NWs) that provides a robust host for efficient stripping/plating of Li metal. The lithiophilic Li₂₂Si₅, Li₂₂(Si_0.5Ge_0.5)_5, and Li₂₂Ge₅ formed during rapid Li melt infiltration prevented the formation of dead Li and dendrites. Li₂₂Ge₅/Li covered CP hosts delivered the best performance, with the lowest overpotentials of 40 mV (three times lower than pristine Li) when cycled at 1 mA cm⁻²/1 mAh cm⁻² for 1000 h and at 3 mA cm⁻²/3 mAh cm⁻² for 500 h. Ex situ analysis confirmed the ability of the lithiophilic Li₂₂Ge₅ decorated samples to facilitate uniform Li deposition. When paired with sulfur, LiFePO_4, and NMC811 cathodes, the CP-LiGe/Li anodes delivered 200 cycles with 82%, 93%, and 90% capacity retention, respectively. The discovery of the highly stable, lithiophilic NW decorated CP hosts is a promising route toward stable cycling LMBs and provides a new design motif for hosted Li metal anodes.     

Body mass and body composition after total thyroidectomy for benign goiters

We report a rare case of aortic regurgitation (AR) associated with rheumatic arthritis (RA). A 61-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with severe heart failure due to AR. She had a 8-year history of RA and had been treated with steroid therapy. Trans-esophageal echocardiography showed thickness and shortening of non coronary cusp (NCC) of aortic valve. After treated for heart failure, aortic valve replacement with SJM-HP 17 mm was done. At operation, right and left coronary cusps were almost normal, but NCC was thickened and shortened. The valve of NCC histology showed granuloma. She recovered uneventfully. Two cases of cardiac valvular disease, associated with granuloma of RA, were reported in Japan. We discussed these cases in this paper.     

Expanded phase II trial of paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer: a Southwest Oncology Group study

In digital image processing, the homomorphic filtering approach is derived from an illumination-reflectance model of the image. Homomorphic filtering can perform simultaneous dynamic range compression and contrast enhancement. Crucial for the success of the homomorphic approach is the selection of an appropriate frequency-domain filter function in order to modify the illumination and reflectance components of an image differently. The author found Butterworth type highpass equations far superior to other frequency-domain filter functions, including Gaussian equations, making the Butterworth highpass suitable for use with the homomorphic filtering approach. The program was written in Microsoft (MS) Visual C++ (filter) as well as MS Visual Basic (user interface) to run as a module under the image processing software package Image-Pro Plus.     

Lymphoid lesions of the gastrointestinal tract: a histologic, immunophenotypic, and genotypic analysis of 49 cases

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The concept of a "chain of survival" to improve outcome from prehospital cardiac arrest has been defined and promulgated over the last two decades. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of prehospital cardiac arrest in 1975 and 1995 at a single institution. METHODS: This longitudinal, before-after study compares published data collected at our municipal, tertiary care in 1974-1975 with data collected prospectively in 1995. The 1975 study group served as control subjects (n = 120). We enrolled an equal number of consecutive patients who met inclusion criteria in the 1995 cohort (consecutive patients who experienced prehospital arrest and who received prehospital Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) measures during the two study periods). Patients younger than 18 years or with posttraumatic arrest were excluded. Between 1975 and 1995 the following "links" in the "chain of survival" were added to the prehospital care system: (1) 911 access and dispatch, (2) paramedic endotracheal intubation, (3) EMT automated defibrillation, (4) standing out-of-hospital orders before hospital radiotelemetry contact, and (5) introduction of American Heart Association ACLS algorithms. RESULTS: The following significant differences (chi 2) were observed between the study periods: prevalence of ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia (42% in 1975 versus 28% in 1995, P = .021), prevalence of asystole or pulseless electrical activity as the first documented rhythm (58% versus 72%, P = .021), survival to hospital discharge (22% versus 9%, P = .007), and percent of survivors of ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia (30% versus 0%, P = .004). Eighty-six percent of the 1995 cohort had advanced chronic disease and 29% experienced cardiopulmonary arrest in a nursing home. CONCLUSION: Survival decreased dramatically during the 20-year study period. This may be because of the high incidence of chronic disease, the greater frequency of asystole and pulseless electrical activity, and the inclusion of patients with "end-of-life" arrests in which ACLS protocol was initiated in the 1995 cohort. The patient population in which ACLS is initiated is the weakest link in the "chain of survival."     

Enhancing the Microbiological Stability of Malt and Beer — A Review

While beer provides a very stable microbiological environment, a few niche microorganisms are capable of growth in malt, wort and beer. Growth of mycotoxin‐producing fungi during malting, production of off‐flavours and development of turbidity in the packaged product due to the growth and metabolic activity of wild yeasts, certain lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and anaerobic Gram negative bacteria, impact negatively on beer quality. It follows that any means by which microbial contamination can be reduced or controlled would be of great economic interest to the brewing industry and would serve the public interest. There has been an increasing effort to develop novel approaches to minimal processing, such as the exploitation of inhibitory components natural to raw materials, to enhance the microbiological stability of beer. LAB species, which occur as part of the natural barley microbiota, persist during malting and mashing, and can play a positive role in the beer‐manufacturing process by their contribution to wort bioacidification or the elimination of undesirable microorganisms. Other naturally occurring components of beer that have been valued for their preservative properties are hop compounds. It may be possible to enhance the antimicrobial activities of these compounds during brewing. Some yeast strains produce and excrete extracellular toxins called zymocins, which are lethal to sensitive yeast strains. Yeast strains resistant to zymocins have been constructed. Imparting zymocinogenic activity to brewing yeast would offer a defence against wild yeasts in the brewery. Thus, the antimicrobial properties of naturally occurring components of raw materials can be exploited to enhance the microbial stability of beer.     

Sensitivity of the six-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

The B lymphoproliferative disorders are a major (10%) and severe (70% mortality) complication of immunosuppression required for HLA-mismatched bone marrow or organ transplantation. An experimental model was developed in which patients infected EBV-B cells are inoculated into scid mice and develop into tumors, allowing evaluation of treatment efficacy: monoclonal antibodies directed to membrane antigens of tumoral cells (monoclonal antibodies anti-B), monoclonal antibodies neutralizing interleukins (and especially IL6), cytotoxic T cells. Results obtained with these three different approaches are herein reported.     

Linear IgA disease--a review of four patients

Four cases of Linear IgA Disease (LAD) seen over a five year period are reviewed and our most recent LAD patient is described in detail. We summarise data on our patients and outline clinicopathologic features, aetiology and management of this unusual but important condition.