Diels-Alder cycloaddition polymerization for porous poly-phenylenes with exceptional gas uptake properties.

We report the synthesis of two-dimensional and three-dimensional porous polyphenylenes (2D/3D-pPPs) via the Diels-Alder cycloaddition polymerization reaction. The resulting 2D and 3D-pPPs showed surface areas up to 1553 m2 g-1, pore volumes of 1.45 cm3 g-1 and very high H2 uptake capacities of 7.4 and 7.1 wt% at 77 K, respectively, along with a competitive high-pressure CO2 and CH4 uptake performance.

Magnetically Guided Synthesis of Anisotropic Porous Carbons toward Efficient CO2 Capture and Magnetic Separation of Oil.

Conventional synthetic strategies do not allow one to impart structural anisotropy into porous carbons, thus leading to limited control over their textural properties. While structural anisotropy alters the mechanical properties of materials, it also introduces an additional degree of directionality to increase the pore connectivity and thus the flux in the designed direction. Accordingly, in this work the structure of porous carbons prepared from resorcinol-formaldehyde gels has been rendered anisotropic by integrating superparamagnetic colloids to the sol-gel precursor solution and by applying a uniform magnetic field during the sol-gel transition, which enables the self-assembly of magnetic colloids into chainlike structures to template the growth of the gel phase. Notably, the anisotropic pore structure is maintained upon pyrolysis of the gel, leading to hierarchically porous carbon monoliths with tunable structure and porosities. With an advantage granted to anisotropic materials, these porous carbons showed higher porosity, a higher CO2 uptake capacity of 3.45 mmol g-1 at 273 K at 1.1 bar, and faster adsorption kinetics compared to the ones synthesized in the absence of magnetic field. Moreover, these materials were also used as magnetic sorbents with fast adsorption kinetics for efficient oil-spill cleanup and retrieved easily by using an external magnetic field.

Electrolyte engineering via ether solvent fluorination for developing stable non-aqueous lithium metal batteries.

Fluorination of ether solvents is an effective strategy to improve the electrochemical stability of non-aqueous electrolyte solutions in lithium metal batteries. However, excessive fluorination detrimentally impacts the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte, thus limiting the battery performance. Here, to maximize the electrolyte ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability, we introduce the targeted trifluoromethylation of 1,2-dimethoxyethane to produce 1,1,1-trifluoro-2,3-dimethoxypropane (TFDMP). TFDMP is used as a solvent to prepare a 2 M non-aqueous electrolyte solution comprising bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide salt. This electrolyte solution shows an ionic conductivity of 7.4 mS cm-1 at 25 °C, an oxidation stability up to 4.8 V and an efficient suppression of Al corrosion. When tested in a coin cell configuration at 25 °C using a 20 µm Li metal negative electrode, a high mass loading LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2-based positive electrode (20 mg cm-2) with a negative/positive (N/P) capacity ratio of 1, discharge capacity retentions (calculated excluding the initial formation cycles) of 81% after 200 cycles at 0.1 A g-1 and 88% after 142 cycles at 0.2 A g-1 are achieved.

Fast light-switchable polymeric carbon nitride membranes for tunable gas separation.

Switchable gas separation membranes are intriguing systems for regulating the transport properties of gases. However, existing stimuli-responsive gas separation membranes suffer from either very slow response times or require high energy input for switching to occur. Accordingly, herein, we introduced light-switchable polymeric carbon nitride (pCN) gas separation membranes with fast response times prepared from melamine precursor through in-situ formation and deposition of pCN onto a porous support using chemical vapor deposition. Our systematic analysis revealed that the gas transport behavior upon light irradiation is fully governed by the polarizability of the permeating gas and its interaction with the charged pCN surface, and can be easily tuned either by controlling the power of the light and/or the duration of irradiation. We also demonstrated that gases with higher polarizabilities such as CO2 can be separated from gases with lower polarizability like H2 and He effectively with more than 22% increase in the gas/CO2 selectivity upon light irradiation. The membranes also exhibited fast response times (<1 s) and can be turned "on" and "off" using a single light source at 550 nm.

Does COVID-19 increase the incidence of spontaneous rectus sheath hematoma?

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic started to affect Turkey in March 2020. In this study, we retrospectively investigated spontaneous rectus sheath hematoma (S-RSH) in patients with COVID-19 presenting with acute abdominal pain during the ongoing pandemic. METHODS: The demographic characteristics, laboratory findings, length of hospital stay, and treatment processes of COVID-19 cases with S-RSH detected between March and December 2020 were recorded. The rectus sheath hematoma diagnosis of the patients was made using abdominal computed tomography, and the patients were followed up. Low-molecular-weight heparin treatment, which was initiated upon admission, was continued during the follow-up. RESULTS: S-RSH was detected in 13 out of 220 patients with COVID-19 who were referred to general surgery for consultation due to acute abdominal pain. The mean age of these patients was 78±13 years, and the female-to-male ratio was 1.6. Mechanical ven-tilation support was applied to three patients, all of whom were followed up in the intensive care unit. Two patients died for reasons independent of rectus sheath hematoma during their treatment. Among the laboratory findings, the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) values did not deviate from the normal range. While there was no correlation between the international normalized ratio (INR) and aPTT (p>0.01), a significant correlation was found between INR and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p<0.002). None of the patients required surgical or endovascular interventional radiology procedures. CONCLUSION: In the literature, the incidence of S-RSH in patients presenting with acute abdominal pain is 1.8%. However, in our series, this rate was approximately 3 times higher. Our patients' normal INR and aPTT values suggest that coagulopathy was mostly secondary to endothelial damage. In addition, the significantly higher IL-6 values (p<0.002) indicate the development of vasculitis along with the acute inflammatory process. S-RSH can be more commonly explained the high severity of vasculitis and endothelial damage due to viral infection.

Fluorinated ether electrolyte with controlled solvation structure for high voltage lithium metal batteries.

The development of new solvents is imperative in lithium metal batteries due to the incompatibility of conventional carbonate and narrow electrochemical windows of ether-based electrolytes. Whereas the fluorinated ethers showed improved electrochemical stabilities, they can hardly solvate lithium ions. Thus, the challenge in electrolyte chemistry is to combine the high voltage stability of fluorinated ethers with high lithium ion solvation ability of ethers in a single molecule. Herein, we report a new solvent, 2,2-dimethoxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)-1,3-dioxolane (DTDL), combining a cyclic fluorinated ether with a linear ether segment to simultaneously achieve high voltage stability and tune lithium ion solvation ability and structure. High oxidation stability up to 5.5 V, large lithium ion transference number of 0.75 and stable Coulombic efficiency of 99.2% after 500 cycles proved the potential of DTDL in high-voltage lithium metal batteries. Furthermore, 20 µm thick lithium paired LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 full cell incorporating 2 M LiFSI-DTDL electrolyte retained 84% of the original capacity after 200 cycles at 0.5 C.

Integrated Ring-Chain Design of a New Fluorinated Ether Solvent for High-Voltage Lithium-Metal Batteries.

Ether-based electrolytes offer promising features such as high lithium-ion solvation power and stable interface, yet their limited oxidation stability impedes application in high-voltage Li-metal batteries (LMBs). Whereas the fluorination of the ether backbone improves the oxidative stability, the resulting solvents lose their Li+ -solvation ability. Therefore, the rational molecular design of solvents is essential to combine high redox stability with good ionic conductivity. Here, we report the synthesis of a new high-voltage fluorinated ether solvent through integrated ring-chain molecular design, which can be used as a single solvent while retaining high-voltage stability. The controlled Li+ -solvation environment even at low-salt-concentration (1 M or 2 M) enables a uniform and compact Li anode and an outstanding cycling stability in the Li|NCM811 full cell (20 µm Li foil, N/P ratio of 4). These results show the impact of molecular design of electrolytes towards the utilization of LMBs.

The rise of the Red Crescent.

This paper addresses the establishment of the Red Crescent, an equivalent of the Red Cross, in the Ottoman Empire in 1868 through the founding of 'the Society of Care and Aid for Wounded and Disabled Soldiers' (Mecrȗhȋnve Marzȃ-yi Askeriyeye Imdad ve Muavenet Cemiyeti). Following initial slow development, the Society was revitalized in April 1877 in preparation for war with Russia. Importantly, the 1877-1878 Ottoman-Russian conflict was the first major war conducted by signatories of the 1864 First Geneva Convention, which made provisions for the treatment of wounded and sick soldiers and protection for those providing care. Although both the Ottoman Empire and Russia were signatories, major issues remained to be resolved in practice and the heat of conflict. One of the unresolved issues was international and Russian recognition of a red crescent on a white background as a sign of neutrality, in addition to a red cross. An interim agreement was signed between the two sides with international support. Full international approval of the red crescent symbol took much longer and was only confirmed at the ninth Red Cross Conference in Washington in 1912, 35 years later. Today, the red crescent represents all majority Muslim countries' aid institutions.

Eruptive Syringoma: Two Cases with Dermoscopic Features.

Syringoma is an adnexal tumor typically observed on the periorbital region and readily diagnosed by clinical examination. Eruptive syringoma is a rare variant that is commonly confused with mastocytosis and lichen planus clinically. The diagnosis is generally confirmed by typical histopathological features. Herein, we report two eruptive syringoma cases along with the dermoscopic features. Through our dermoscopic evaluation before skin biopsy, we detected features also reminding that of maculopapular mastocytosis as reticular light brown lines, structureless light-brown areas, and reticular vessels. Additionally, as an additional pattern, shiny white dots were observed in the vulvar variant.

The Effectiveness and Feasibility of Laparoscopic Re-sleeve Gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Weight regain following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) may be due to dilation of the gastric reservoir. Laparoscopic re-sleeve gastrectomy (LrSG) is among the revisional surgery options. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of LrSG for weight loss after a 12- and 24-month follow-up period. SETTING: Bariatric surgery center in Baku/Azerbaijan. METHOD: From June 2016 to June 2019, a total of 34 LSG patients with weight regain, underwent LrSG. We prospectively followed outcomes data were BMI changes, excessive weight loss, changes in laboratory values, and the presence of complications. RESULTS: The mean age at revision surgery was 36 ± 7.09 (range, 22-51) years, and the mean body mass index (BMI) before LrSG was 40 ± 5.2 kg/m2. The mean time between the primary and revision surgery was 50 ± 7.8 months. The main reasons for the revisions were weight regain and inadequate weight loss. The mean BMI value decrease at the 12th and 24th months were 27.7 ± 2 and 24.3 ± 1.02, which were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Analyses of hemoglobin A1C (A1C) values showed that the differences at the baseline, 12th and 24th months were statistically significant (95% 1.96 to 3.39, p < 0.001 and 95% CI 0.34 to 2.08, p = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with weight regain or inadequate weight loss after LSG, LrSG may be a feasible and safe revisional procedure in a selected group of patients. Larger studies that compare other revisional surgery options (LRYGB, OAGB, duodenal switch, single anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass) with LrSG are required.

Comparison of Weight Loss in Sleeve Gastrectomy Patients With and Without Antrectomy: a Prospective Randomized Study.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) restricts gastric volume to achieve weight loss. We aimed to compare the efficacy of LSG with and without antrectomy for achieving weight loss. METHODS: The prospective randomized study comprised 127 obese patients that underwent either LSG with antrectomy (2 cm to pylorus) (group 1) or LSG without antrectomy (6 cm to pylorus) (group 2), using 36 Fr and 32 Fr bougies, respectively. Patients were examined at 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month intervals for body mass index (BMI) measurements. RESULTS: Overall, 66 (51%) and 57 (49%) of patients were assigned to groups 1 and 2, respectively. The mean BMI of group 1 patients were 49.5 ± 8.01, 35.8 ± 5.40, 31.3 ± 4.9, 26.7 ± 4.02, and 22.9 ± 4.01 at the baseline, 3rd, 6th, 12th, and 24th month, respectively. The decreases in BMI were statistically significant. The mean BMI of group 2 patients were 46.7 ± 7.06, 39.3 ± 6.04, 32.4 ± 5.01, 26.6 ± 3.76, and 21.6 ± 3.70 at baseline, 3rd, 6th, 12th, and 24th month, respectively. The differences were also statistically significant. When compared with group 2, group 1 patients showed significantly lower BMI values on the 3rd month. Other differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: LSG with or without antrectomy is safe and effective for weight loss. Larger studies are required to identify patients likely to benefit from LSG with antrectomy.