Sociodemographic and geographic disparities in COVID-19 booster vaccination in Nueces County, Texas, USA.

Objective: This paper explores sociodemographic determinants and geographic disparities in COVID-19 booster uptake among fully vaccinated adults in Nueces County, Texas, USA with a population of over 353,000. Methods: A logistic generalized additive model was applied to analyze 184,252 official vaccination records of fully vaccinated adults over the period between December 2020 and August 2022. An individual's odds in receiving a booster shot were estimated with a host of sociodemographic characteristics as predictors. Results: Model estimation results reveal that male (odds ratio 0.836, 95% confidence interval 0.835-0.836, p < 0.001) and Hispanic residents (odds ratio 0.944, 95% confidence interval 0.943-0.945, p < 0.001) in the county were less likely to take a booster shot. Between the ages of 25 and 75, booster uptake increased with age (age 75 vs. 45 odd ratio 3.058, 95% confidence interval 3.052-3.063, p < 0.001). Booster uptake was lower in rural areas (odds ratio 0.804, 95% confidence interval 0.795-0.814, p < 0.001) and communities with high social vulnerability (highest vs. moderate vulnerability odd ratio 0.800, 95% confidence interval 0.767-0.836, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Empirical results confirm that booster uptake varied across individuals and communities of different socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. To advance health equity, a more inclusive vaccine campaign should pay particular attention to those underserved populations.

Phosphorous-Based Heterostructure for the Effective Catalysis of Polysulfide Reactions with Phase Changes in High-Sulfur-Loading Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

High sulfur loading and long cycle life are the design targets of commercializable lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. The sulfur electrochemical reactions from Li2 S4 to Li2 S, which account for 75% of the battery's theoretical capacity, involve liquid-to-solid and solid-to-solid phase changes in all Li-S battery electrolytes in use today. These are kinetically hindered processes that are exacerbated by a high sulfur loading. In this study, it is observed that an in situ grown bimetallic phosphide/black phosphorus (NiCoP/BP) heterostructure can effectively catalyze the Li2 S4 to Li2 S reactions to increase the sulfur utilization at high sulfur loadings. The NiCoP/BP heterostructure is a good polysulfide adsorber, and the electric field prevailing at the Mott-Schottky junction of the heterostructure can facilitate charge transfer in the Li2 S4 to Li2 S2 liquid-to-solid reaction and Li+ diffusion in the Li2 S2 to Li2 S solid-state reaction. Consequently, a sulfur cathode with the NiCoP/BP catalyst can deliver a specific capacity of 830 mAh g-1 at the sulfur loading of 6 mg cm-2 for 500 cycles at the 0.5 C rate. High sulfur utilization is also possible at a higher sulfur loading of 8 mg cm-2 for 440 cycles at the 1 C rate.

Association of HLA-A, B, and C alleles and cancer susceptibility in 179 solid malignancies.

BACKGROUND: The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are known to be capable of influencing the susceptibility of many cancers. All mammalian cells, including cancer cells, express MHC class I molecules consisting of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) A, B, and C. The tumor susceptibility of HLA-A, B, and C alleles has not been studied extensively in solid tumors. METHODS: HLA-A, B, and C genotypes of 179 solid tumors were collected from Caris Comprehensive Tumor Profiling reports, including 45 GU, 44 GI, 28 pancreaticobiliary, 21 thoracic, 15 breast, 13 Gyn, among others. The tumors were mainly from Caucasians (82%). The HLA allele frequencies in the tumors were compared to those of respective ethnic populations in the US National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) database. Fisher's exact tests were performed, adjusted P values were calculated using Benjamini-Hochberg's method for false discovery rate (FDR), and Prevalence ratios (PRs) were calculated to quantify associations. RESULTS: Twenty-one alleles were not listed in the NMDP. Among them, A*11:303 alone was present in 11 carcinomas, and B*08:222 was seen in 4 tumors. Among the alleles listed in the NMDP, C*08:02, B*14:02, A*03:02, and B*44:06 were significantly associated with tumors in Caucasian Americans (PR: 2.50-170), while B*44:02 appeared protective (PR: 0.36). Alleles with less significant associations were listed. CONCLUSIONS: From the HLA-A, B, and C data of the 179 tumors, we identified several susceptible alleles and one protective allele. Of interest, 21 alleles were not listed in the NMDP. The limited cases prevented our analysis from identifying cancer-susceptible alleles in other races.

Self-Decoupled Oxygen Electrocatalysis for Ultrastable Rechargeable Zn-Air Batteries with Mild-Acidic Electrolyte.

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) have been considered promising as next-generation sustainable energy storage devices; however, their large-scale deployment is hampered by the unsatisfactory cyclic lifespan. Employing neutral and mild-acidic electrolytes is effective in extending the cyclability, but the rapid performance degradation of the bifunctional catalysts owing to different microenvironmental requirements of the alternative oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is still a serious limitation of their cyclic life. Herein, we propose a "self-decoupling" strategy to significantly improve the stability of the bifunctional catalysts by constructing a smart interface in the bifunctional air electrode. This smart interface, containing a resistance-switchable sulfonic acid doped polyaniline nanoarray interlayer, is nonconductive at high potential but conductive at low potential, which enables spontaneous electrochemical decoupling of the bifunctional catalyst for the ORR and OER, respectively, and thus protects it from degradation. The resulting self-decoupled mild-acidic ZAB delivers stable cyclic performances in terms of a negligible energy efficiency loss of 0.015% cycle-1 and 3 times longer cycle life (∼1400 h) compared with the conventional mild-acidic ZAB using a normal bifunctional air electrode and the same low-cost ZnCo phosphide/nitrogen-doped carbon bifunctional catalyst. This work provides an effective strategy for tolerating alternative oxidation-reduction reactions and emphasizes the importance of smart nanostructure design for more sustainable batteries.

Fast Polysulfide Conversion Catalysis and Reversible Anode Operation by A Single Cathode Modifier in Li-Metal Anode-Free Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The two major issues confronting the commercialization of rechargeable lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are the sluggish kinetics of the sulfur electrochemical reactions on the cathode and inadequate lithium deposition/stripping reversibility on the anode. They are commonly mitigated with additives designed specifically for the anode and the cathode individually. Here, we report the use of a single cathode modifier, In2 Se3 , which can effectively catalyse the polysulfide reactions on the cathode, and also improve the reversibility of Li deposition and removal on the anode through a LiInS2 /LiInSe2 containing solid electrolyte interface formed in situ by the Se and In ions dissolved in the electrolyte. The amounts of dissolved Se and In are small relative to the amount of In2 Se3 administered. The benefits of using this single modification approach were verified in Li-metal anode-free Li-S batteries with a Li2 S loading of 4 mg cm-2 and a low electrolyte/Li2 S ratio of 7.5 µL mg-1 . The resulting battery showed 60 % capacity retention after 160 cycles at the 0.2 C rate and an average Coulombic efficiency of 98.27 %, comparing very well with recent studies using separate electrode modifiers.

Dynamic-self-catalysis as an accelerated air-cathode for rechargeable near-neutral Zn-air batteries with ultrahigh energy efficiency.

Neutral/near-neutral electrolyte rechargeable zinc-air batteries (NN-ZABs) with long cycling lifetime are an evolutionary design of the conventional alkaline ZABs, but the extremely sluggish kinetics of oxygen electrocatalysis in mild pH solutions in the air-cathode has notably affected the energy efficiency of the NN-ZABs. Herein, we present a dynamic self-catalysis as the air-cathode chemistry to boost the energy efficiency of NN-ZABs, which is based on in situ reversible generation of highly active electrocatalysts from the electrolyte during the discharge and charge operations of ZABs, respectively. Two reversible redox reactions of Cu(I)/Cu(II) and Mn(II)/Mn(IV) in the NH4Cl-ZnCl2-based electrolyte are integrated with oxygen electrocatalysis in the air-cathode to in situ generate Cu(I)-O-Cl deposits during discharging and Cu-MnO2 deposits during charging, which directly catalyze the subsequent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively. The in situ generated electrocatalysts deliver good oxygen electrocatalytic activities due to their distinctive surface structures and can be dissolved by potential reversal in a subsequent battery operation. The NN-ZAB designed as such delivers a record-high energy efficiency of 69.0% and a cycling life of 1800 h with an areal capacity of 10 mA h cm-2, surpassing the performances of NN-ZABs with preloaded electrocatalysts reported to date.

Thermal Percolation of Antiperovskite Superionic Conductor into Porous MXene Scaffold for High-Capacity and Stable Lithium Metal Battery.

Lithium metal battery is considered an emerging energy storage technology due to its high theoretical capacity and low electrochemical potential. However, the practical exploitations of lithium metal batteries are not realized because of uncontrollable lithium deposition and severe dendrite formation. Herein, a thermal percolation strategy is developed to fabricate a dual-conductive framework using electronically conductive Ti3 C2 Tx MXene aerogels (MXAs) and Li2 OHCl antiperovskite superionic conductor. By melting Li2 OHCl at a low temperature, the molten antiperovskite phase can penetrate the MXA scaffold, resulting in percolative electron/ion pathways. Through density functional theory calculations and electrochemical characterizations, the hybridized lithiophilic (MXA)-lithiophobic (antiperovskite) interfaces can spatially guide the deposition of lithium metals and suppress the growth of lithium dendrites. The symmetric cell with MXA-antiperovskite electrodes exhibits superior cycling stability at high areal capacities of 4 mAh cm-2 over 1000 h. Moreover, the full cell with MXA-antiperovskite anode and high-loading LiFePO4 cathode demonstrates high energy and power densities (415.7 Wh kgcell -1 and 231.0 W kgcell -1 ) with ultralong lifespans. The thermal percolation of lithium superionic conductor into electronically conductive scaffolds promises an efficient strategy to fabricate dual-conductive electrodes, which benefits the development of dendrite-free lithium metal anodes with high energy/power densities.

The effect of air purifiers and curtains on aerosol dispersion and removal in multi-patient hospital rooms.

Airborne transmission of disease is of concern in many indoor spaces. Here, aerosol dispersion and removal in an unoccupied 4-bed hospital room were characterized using a transient aerosol tracer experiment for 38 experiments covering 4 configurations of air purifiers and 3 configurations of curtains. NaCl particle (mass mean aerodynamic diameter ~3 µm) concentrations were measured around the room following an aerosol release. Particle transport across the room was 1.5-4 min which overlaps with the characteristic times for significant viral deactivation and gravitational settling of larger particles. Concentrations were close to spatially uniform except very near the source. Curtains resulted in a modest increase in delay and decay times, less so when combined with purifiers. The aerosol decay rate was in most cases higher than expected from the clean air delivery rate, but the reduction in steady-state concentrations resulting from air purifiers was less than suggested by the decay rates. Apparently, a substantial (and configuration-dependent) fraction of the aerosol is removed immediately, and this effect is not captured by the decay rate. Overall, the combination of curtains and purifiers is likely to reduce disease transmission in multi-patient hospital rooms.

Performance stability among small and medium-sized enterprises during COVID-19: A test of the efficacy of dynamic capabilities.

COVID-19 wreaked havoc on public health and the global economy. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were hit especially hard. In this research note, we test the ability of dynamic capabilities (DCs) to predict SME performance during the pandemic. Based on our analysis of data from a survey conducted in the United States, we find that DCs meaningfully predicted both operational levels and revenue. Furthermore, while the empirical literature suggests that SME size is positively related to DC efficacy, we found that this effect was reversed during COVID-19, as the positive link between DCs and performance was stronger for smaller SMEs.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: The Role of Socioeconomic Factors and Spatial Effects.

This paper investigates the spatial dimension of socioeconomic and demographic factors behind COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. With a focus on a county with considerable sociodemographic diversity in the state of Texas, USA, we apply regression models to census-tract-level data of the unvaccinated population. In addition to disparities in accessing the vaccination service, particularly for residents in rural areas, empirical results confirm under-vaccination among lower socioeconomic neighborhoods and communities with signs of distrust in government. The spatial model regressions further underscore the impact that vaccine hesitancy among residents in one community spread to its nearby communities. This observed spatial spillover effect is attributable to the geographic interactions of similar socioeconomic groups.

Translational Applications of Wearable Sensors in Education: Implementation and Efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Adding new approaches to teaching curriculums can be both expensive and complex to learn. The aim of this research was to gain insight into students' literacy and confidence in learning sports science with new wearable technologies, specifically a novel program known as STEMfit. METHODS: A three-phase design was carried out, with 36 students participating and exposed to wearable devices and associated software. This was to determine whether the technology hardware (phase one) and associated software (phase two) were used in a positive way that demonstrated user confidence. RESULTS: Hardware included choosing a scalable wearable device that worked in conjunction with familiar and readily available software (Microsoft Excel) that extracted data through VBA coding. This allowed for students to experience and provide survey feedback on the usability and confidence gained when interacting with the STEMfit program. Outcomes indicated strong acceptance of the program, with high levels of motivation, resulting in a positive uptake of wearable technology as a teaching tool by students. The initial finding of this study offers an opportunity to further test the STEMfit program on other student cohorts as well as testing the scalability of the system into other year groups at the university level.

The Impact of RDNs on Non-Communicable Diseases: Proceedings from The State of Food and Nutrition Series Forum.

In the United States, nutrition-related morbidities are rising steadily at rates corresponding to increasing overweight and obesity in the population. Such morbidities take huge tolls on personal health and impose high costs on health care systems. In 2019, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation (Academy Foundation) embarked on a new project titled "The State of Food and Nutrition Series" to demonstrate the value of nutrition interventions led by registered dietitian nutritionists for individuals with the following 3 high-priority non-communicable diseases that affect many in the United States and globally: type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension. Poor nutritional status contributes to disease onset and progression in these non-communicable diseases, and appropriate medical nutrition therapy can prevent or delay worsening and ameliorate poor health outcomes. However, many people who have these conditions do not have access to an registered dietitian nutritionist, and consequently do not receive the nutrition care they need. On February 19-20, 2020 in Arlington, VA, as the first stage in The State of Food and Nutrition Series, the Academy and the Academy Foundation gathered health care policymakers, clinicians, and researchers from across the country for the State of Food and Nutrition Series Forum, where Academy leaders sought input to build a comprehensive research strategy that will quantify the impact of patient access to registered dietitian nutritionist-led nutrition interventions for type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension. This article summarizes the findings of that forum.

Gastric Desmoid Fibromatosis - Report of a Rare Mimic of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor.

Desmoid fibromatosis (DF) involving the gastrointestinal tract is extremely rare. Its intramural location and occasional expansile growth pattern within the bowel wall may mimic a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Due to the different disease behaviors and management, it is important to make a correct diagnosis before further treatment. We present an extremely rare case of a gastric DF that on imaging appeared as a discrete intramural mass mimicking a GIST and that was preoperatively correctly diagnosed as a DF based on its cytomorphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular profiles. The patient is a 71-year-old female who presented with dysphagia and unintentional weight loss. A mass was identified at the gastric fundus. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirate (FNA) and biopsy (FNB) were performed. The FNA showed a few small aggregates of cytologically bland spindle-shaped cells with elongated nuclei. The FNB yielded small fragments of tissue composed of bland spindle cells demonstrating nuclear and cytoplasmic immunostain for ß-catenin and focal stain for smooth muscle actin (SMA) and desmin. CD117, DOG1, CD34, caldesmon, S100, cytokeratin AE1/AE3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6), MUC4, progesterone receptor (PR), and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) were negative, and MIB-1 showed a very low proliferation activity index. Molecular studies performed by targeted next-generation sequencing showed activating mutations in CTNNB1. These results excluded a GIST and confirmed the diagnosis of a gastric DF. Although it is very rare, DF must be included in the differential diagnosis of discrete intramural gastric spindle cell lesions. A definitive diagnosis can be made preoperatively if enough lesional material is available for appropriate immunohistochemical and molecular studies.

Developing a JAK Inhibitor for Targeted Local Delivery: Ruxolitinib Cream.

Named after the two-faced Roman god of doorways, Janus kinases (JAKs) represent a class of tyrosine kinases. The JAK signaling pathway is pivotal for the downstream signaling of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukins, interferons, and multiple growth factors. This article provides an overview of the JAK pathway and signaling, its significance in immune-mediated dermatologic diseases and the development of a targeted, localized option of a selective JAK inhibitor, ruxolitinib cream. In the early 1990s, various discovery and clinical development programs were initiated to explore pharmaceutical inhibition of the JAK-STAT pathway. Incyte Corporation launched a strategy to identify molecules suitable for both topical as well as oral delivery. Ruxolitinib was designed as a molecule with low nanomolar potency selective for JAK1 and 2 enzymes, but without significant inhibition of non-JAK kinases, as well as physicochemical properties for both topical and oral administration. An oil-in-water emulsified ruxolitinib cream formulation was developed for topical application and was studied in multiple immune-mediated dermatologic diseases including psoriasis, alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis and vitiligo. Ruxolitinib cream represents a novel, JAK1/2 selective therapy that can be delivered directly to the skin to treat a number of cytokine-driven, inflammatory dermatoses.

Hydrophilic Cross-Linked Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Diblock Copolymer as Proton Exchange Membrane for Fuel Cells.

This study proposes a hydrophobic and hydrophilic aliphatic diblock copolymer wherein the hydrophobic block contains glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) units that are distanced by poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) segments to fabricate a proton exchange membrane (PEM). This diblock copolymer also known as ionomer due to the hydrophilic block comprising 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (SPM) block. The diblock copolymer was synthesized in the one-pot atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) synthesis. Subsequently, the membrane was fabricated by means of solution casting in which an organic diamine, e.g., ethylene diamine (EDA), was introduced to crosslink the diblock copolymer chains via the addition of amine to the epoxide group of GMA. As a result, the PEM attained possesses dual continuous phases, in which the hydrophobic domains are either agglomerated or bridged by the EDA-derived crosslinks, whereas the hydrophilic domains constitute the primary proton conducting channels. The in-situ crosslinking hydrophobic block by using a hydrophilic cross-linker represents the merit aspect since it leads to both improved proton conductivity and dimensional stability in alcohol fuel. To characterize the above properties, Nafion® 117 and random copolymer of P(AN-co-GMA-co-SPM) were used as control samples. The PEM with the optimized composition demonstrates slightly better fuel cell performance than Nafion 117. Lastly, this diblock ionomer is nonfluorinated and hence favors lowering down both material and environmental costs.

Reopening businesses after Hurricane Harvey: evidence from a duration model with spatial effects.

Post-disaster business return is key to restoring the local economy. This paper applies a duration model to analyse factors that explain the delay in reopening a business in south Texas, United States, after Hurricane Harvey struck the region in August 2017. Other than property damage, the duration of business closure depended on the type of business and the various characteristics of its owner. Reflecting the vital role that social capital plays in disaster resilience, local chamber of commerce members tended to reopen their businesses sooner than their non-member counterparts. Yet, there is evidence in support of the vulnerability of female chamber members. In addition to social networks, the finding of spatial interdependence implies that the decision of business owners to resume operations in the wake of a disaster is influenced by the decisions of their neighbours. Spatial interdependence also highlights the importance of providing disaster relief to businesses in a timely manner.

Plasmonic Oxygen-Deficient TiO2-x Nanocrystals for Dual-Band Electrochromic Smart Windows with Efficient Energy Recycling.

Dual-band electrochromic smart windows capable of the spectrally selective modulation of visible (VIS) light and near-infrared (NIR) can regulate solar light and solar heat transmittance to reduce the building energy consumption. The development of these windows is however limited by the number of available dual-band electrochromic materials. Here, plasmonic oxygen-deficient TiO2-x nanocrystals (NCs) are discovered to be an effective single-component dual-band electrochromic material, and that oxygen-vacancy creation is more effective than aliovalent substitutional doping to introduce dual-band properties to TiO2 NCs. Oxygen vacancies not only confer good near-infrared (NIR)-selective modulation, but also improve the Li+ diffusion in the TiO2-x host, circumventing the disadvantage of aliovalent substitutional doping with ion diffusion. Consequently optimized TiO2-x NC films are able to modulate the NIR and visible light transmittance independently and effectively in three distinct modes with high optical modulation (95.5% at 633 nm and 90.5% at 1200 nm), fast switching speed, high bistability, and long cycle life. An impressive dual-band electrochromic performance is also demonstrated in prototype devices. The use of TiO2-x NCs enables the assembled windows to recycle a large fraction of energy consumed in the coloration process ("energy recycling") to reduce the energy consumption in a round-trip electrochromic operation.

Talaromycosis in a Patient on Nintedanib for Interstitial Lung Disease.

Talaromycosis is a fungal infection caused by Talaromyces sp. that is predominantly prevalent in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in the United States. It is also rarely seen in other individuals who are otherwise immunosuppressed. With the advent of immunotherapy and increasing usage of these novel agents in treating several conditions, the prevalence of talaromycosis may increase, especially in people from endemic regions who might harbor a dormant infection. Clinical presentation is non-specific with respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, or even fever that can delay the diagnosis. Little is known about the exact pathogenesis of the condition, and management is largely based on anecdotal evidence and small-sized studies. We present the case of an individual on nintedanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that blocks fibroblast growth factor receptor and used for the treatment of interstitial lung disease, who was diagnosed with talaromycosis.

Dual-Band Electrochromic Devices with a Transparent Conductive Capacitive Charge-Balancing Anode.

Dual-band electrochromic devices (DBEDs), which can selectively modulate near-infrared (NIR) and visible (VIS) light transmittance through electrochromism, have gained increasing interest as a building energy saving technology. The technology is strongly dependent on the progress in electrochromic materials. Most current research has focused on the dual-band properties of the cathode materials, leaving the charge-balancing anode materials under-explored by comparison. This is a report of our study on the suitability of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) nanocrystals (NCs) as a capacitive anode material for DBEDs. The ITO NCs are electrically conductive and VIS light transparent throughout the device operating range. As a result, they would not affect the NIR-selective modulation of the electrochromic device like most other anode materials do. The high surface area and good conductivity of the ITO NCs facilitate the adsorption/desorption of anions; thereby increasing their effectiveness as an ion storage thin film on the anode to balance the cathode charge. The best DBED prototype assembled from an ITO NC anode and a WO3-x cathode showed effective and independent control of VIS light and NIR transmittance with high optical modulation (71.1% at 633 nm, 58.1% at 1200 nm), high coloration efficiency (95 cm2 C-1 at 633 nm, 220 cm2 C-1 at 1200 nm), fast switching speed, good bistability, and cycle stability.

Stepwise Electrocatalysis as a Strategy against Polysulfide Shuttling in Li-S Batteries.

Most issues with Li-S batteries are caused by the slowness of the multielectron sulfur electrochemical reaction resulting in the loss of sulfur as soluble polysulfides to the electrolyte and the redox shuttling of polysulfides between the cathode and anode during battery charge and discharge. The acceleration of the polysulfide conversion reaction to their end products via electrocatalysis has the appeal of a root-cause solution. However, the polysulfide electrocatalysts developed to date have rarely considered polysulfide conversion as a multistep reaction and, as such, were not optimized to target specific steps in the overall S8 ↔ Li2Sn ↔ Li2S conversion. The targeting approach is however beneficial, as it can be used to design multicatalyst systems to reduce as many rate-limiting steps in the overall catalysis as effectively possible. This article demonstrates the concept and implementation of stepwise electrocatalysis in polysulfide conversion, using Fe-N and Co-N co-doped carbons to selectively catalyze the long-chain polysulfide conversion (S8 ↔ Li2S4) and the short-chain polysulfide conversion reactions (Li2S4 ↔ Li2S), respectively. The two electrocatalysts were deployed in the sulfur cathode as a dual layer, using an ordered spatial separation to synergize their catalytic effects. A sulfur electrode designed as such could utilize ∼90% of the sulfur theoretical specific capacity and support a high areal capacity of ∼8.3 mAh cm-2 and a low electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 5 µL mg-1.