Large area quantitative analysis of nanostructured thin-films

Proposed and verified method offers an unique quantitative large scale nanostructures' evaluation.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2015/RA/c4ra16018e#!divAbstract

Towards greener batteries: sustainable components and materials for next-generation batteries

Batteries are the main component of many electrical systems, and due to the elevated consumption of electric vehicles and portable electronic devices, they are the dominant and most rapidly growing energy storage technology. Consequently, they are set to play a crucial role in meeting the goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to achieve more sustainable societies. In this critical report, a rational basic-to-advanced compilation study of the effectiveness, techno-feasibility, and sustainability aspects of innovative greener manufacturing technologies and processes that deliver each battery component (anodes, cathodes, electrolytes, and separators) is accomplished, aiming to improve battery safety and the circularity of end-products. Special attention is given to biomass-derived anode materials and bio-based separators utilization that indicates excellent prospects considering green chemistry, greener binders, and energy storage applications. To fully reach this potential, one of the most promising ways to achieve sustainable batteries involves biomass-based electrodes and non-flammable and non-toxic electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries and other chemistries, where the potential of a greener approach is highly beneficial, and challenges are addressed. The crucial obstacles related to the successful fabrication of greener batteries and potential future research directions are highlighted. Bridging the gap between fundamental and experimental research will provide critical insights and explore the potential of greener batteries as one of the frontrunners in the uptake of sustainability and value-added products in the battery markets of the future

Role of Membrane Technology in Biorefineries : Dehydration of Deep Eutectic Solvent by Pervaporation

AbstractIn this paper, the dehydration and purification of a deep eutectic solvent choline chloride-urea (ChCl-urea) by pervaporation is presented. The stability of polymeric pervaporation membranes was first studied by exposing the membranes to ChCl-urea for 5 days at 40 °C and 60 °C. The results showed that the membranes were stable when in contact with ChCl-urea and no membrane material was dissolved. In the dehydration experiments, the permeate fluxes were highest with the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane: 267.65 g m-2 h-1 at 50 °C and 413.39 g m-2 h-1 at 60 °C. Raman spectroscopy was employed in the analysis of the samples. The results also showed the decomposition of ChCl-urea, and the presence of the decomposition products, i.e., ammonia and carbamate, in the PDMS and PDMS-PVA-TiO₂ permeates. With the highest permeate fluxes and simultaneous removal of water and decomposition products, PDMS appeared to be the most promising membrane for the purification and dehydration of ChCl-urea.Abstract In this paper, the dehydration and purification of a deep eutectic solvent choline chloride-urea (ChCl-urea) by pervaporation is presented. The stability of polymeric pervaporation membranes was first studied by exposing the membranes to ChCl-urea for 5 days at 40 °C and 60 °C. The results showed that the membranes were stable when in contact with ChCl-urea and no membrane material was dissolved. In the dehydration experiments, the permeate fluxes were highest with the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane: 267.65 g m-2 h-1 at 50 °C and 413.39 g m-2 h-1 at 60 °C. Raman spectroscopy was employed in the analysis of the samples. The results also showed the decomposition of ChCl-urea, and the presence of the decomposition products, i.e., ammonia and carbamate, in the PDMS and PDMS-PVA-TiO₂ permeates. With the highest permeate fluxes and simultaneous removal of water and decomposition products, PDMS appeared to be the most promising membrane for the purification and dehydration of ChCl-urea

Screen-Printed Composite LiFePO4-LLZO Cathodes Towards Solid-State Li-ion Batteries

LiFePO4(LFP) is widely used as cathode material for its low cost, high safety, and good thermal properties. It is one of the most exploited cathode materials for commercial Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we present a screen-printing method to prepare a LFP composite cathode, and a rational combination of the typical composite solid electrolytes (CSE) consisting of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/Li-salt (LiTFSi) electrolyte with ceramic filler (LLZO or Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO)) has been successfully demonstrated for SSB. The prepared CSE offers: i) a promising ionic conductivity (0.425 mS cm(-1) at 60(degrees)C), ii) a wide electrochemical window (>4.6 V), iii) a high Li-ion transference number (tLi(+)=0.44), iv) a good interfacial compatibility with the electrode, v) a good thermal stability, and vi) a high chemical stability toward Li metal anode. The Li/CSE/Li symmetric cells can be cycled for more than 1000 h without Li-dendrites growth at a current density of 0.2 mA cm(-2). The final cell screen-printed LFP composite cathode (LFP+LLZO)//Li metal displays a high reversible specific capacity of 140 mAh g(-1) (0.1 C) and 50 mAh g(-1) (0.5 C) after 1(st) and 500th cycles

NAFLD risk alleles in PNPLA3, TM6SF2, GCKR and LYPLAL1 show divergent metabolic effects

Fatty liver has been associated with unfavourable metabolic changes in circulation. To provide insights in fatty liver-related metabolic deviations, we compared metabolic association profile of fatty liver versus metabolic association profiles of genotypes increasing the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The cross-sectional associations of ultrasound-ascertained fatty liver with 123 metabolic measures were determined in 1810 (N-fatty liver = 338) individuals aged 34-49 years from The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. The association profiles of NAFLD-risk alleles in PNPLA3, TM6SF2, GCKR, and LYPLAL1 with the corresponding metabolic measures were obtained from a publicly available metabolomics GWAS including up to 24 925 Europeans. The risk alleles showed different metabolic effects: PNPLA3 rs738409-G, the strongest genetic NAFLD risk factor, did not associate with metabolic changes. Metabolic effects of GCKR rs1260326-T were comparable in many respects to the fatty liver associations. Metabolic effects of LYPLAL1 rs12137855-C were similar, but statistically less robust, to the effects of GCKR rs1260326-T. TM6SF2 rs58542926-T displayed opposite metabolic effects when compared with the fatty liver associations. The metabolic effects of the risk alleles highlight heterogeneity of the molecular pathways leading to fatty liver and suggest that the fatty liver-related changes in the circulating lipids and metabolites may vary depending on the underlying pathophysiological mechanism. Despite the robust cross-sectional associations on population level, the present results showing neutral or cardioprotective metabolic effects for some of the NAFLD risk alleles advocate that hepatic lipid accumulation by itself may not increase the level of circulating lipids or other metabolites

International Precision Child Health Partnership (IPCHiP): an initiative to accelerate discovery and improve outcomes in rare pediatric disease

Advances in genomic technologies have revolutionized the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases, leading to the emergence of precision therapies. However, there remains significant effort ahead to ensure the promise of precision medicine translates to improved outcomes. Here, we discuss the challenges in advancing precision child health and highlight how international collaborations such as the International Precision Child Health Partnership, which embed research into clinical care, can maximize benefits for children globally

Experimental procedure for the characterization of radiation damage in macromolecular crystals

A novel automatic procedure to determine the sensitivity of macromolecular crystals to radiation damage is presented. The information extracted from this procedure can be directly used for optimal planning of data collection or/and beamline calibration

Genome-wide association study indicates novel associations of annexin A13 to secretory and GAS2L2 with mucous otitis media

To evaluate the genetics of chronic nonsuppurative otitis media (OM). We performed a genome-wide association study of 429,599 individuals included in the FinnGen study using three different case definitions: combined chronic nonsuppurative OM (7034 cases) (included serous and mucous chronic OM), mucous chronic OM (5953 cases), and secretory chronic OM (1689 cases). Individuals without otitis media were used as controls (417,745 controls). We used immunohistochemistry (IHC) of the murine middle ear to evaluate the expression of annexin A13. Four loci were significantly associated (p < 1.7 × 10−8) with nonsuppurative OM. Three out of the four association signals included missense variants in genes that may play a role in otitis media pathobiology. According to our subtype-specific analyses, one novel locus, located near ANXA13, was associated with secretory OM. Three loci (near TNFRSF13B, GAS2L2, and TBX1) were associated with mucous OM. Immunohistochemistry of murine middle ear samples revealed annexin A13 expression at the apical pole of the Eustachian tube epithelium as well as variable intensity of the secretory cells of the glandular structure in proximity to the Eustachian tube. We demonstrated that secretory and mucous OM have distinct and shared genetic associations. The association of GAS2L2 with ciliary epithelium function and the pathogenesis of dysfunctional mucosa in mucous OM is suggested. The abundant expression of annexin A13 in the Eustachian tube epithelium, along with its role in apical transport for the binding and transfer of phospholipids, indicates the role of annexin A13 and phospholipids in Eustachian tube dysfunction.Peer reviewe

What Every Reader Should Know About Studies Using Electronic Health Record Data but May Be Afraid to Ask

Coincident with the tsunami of COVID-19-related publications, there has been a surge of studies using real-world data, including those obtained from the electronic health record (EHR). Unfortunately, several of these high-profile publications were retracted because of concerns regarding the soundness and quality of the studies and the EHR data they purported to analyze. These retractions highlight that although a small community of EHR informatics experts can readily identify strengths and flaws in EHR-derived studies, many medical editorial teams and otherwise sophisticated medical readers lack the framework to fully critically appraise these studies. In addition, conventional statistical analyses cannot overcome the need for an understanding of the opportunities and limitations of EHR-derived studies. We distill here from the broader informatics literature six key considerations that are crucial for appraising studies utilizing EHR data: data completeness, data collection and handling (eg, transformation), data type (ie, codified, textual), robustness of methods against EHR variability (within and across institutions, countries, and time), transparency of data and analytic code, and the multidisciplinary approach. These considerations will inform researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders as to the recommended best practices in reviewing manuscripts, grants, and other outputs from EHR-data derived studies, and thereby promote and foster rigor, quality, and reliability of this rapidly growing field