Highly Conductive Polyoxanorbornene-Based Polymer Electrolyte for Lithium-Metal Batteries.

This present study illustrates the synthesis and preparation of polyoxanorbornene-based bottlebrush polymers with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) side chains by ring-opening metathesis polymerization for solid polymer electrolytes (SPE). In addition to the conductive PEO side chains, the polyoxanorbornene backbones may act as another ion conductor to further promote Li-ion movement within the SPE matrix. These results suggest that these bottlebrush polymer electrolytes provide impressively high ionic conductivity of 7.12 × 10-4 S cm-1 at room temperature and excellent electrochemical performance, including high-rate capabilities and cycling stability when paired with a Li metal anode and a LiFePO4 cathode. The new design paradigm, which has dual ionic conductive pathways, provides an unexplored avenue for inventing new SPEs and emphasizes the importance of molecular engineering to develop highly stable and conductive polymer electrolytes for lithium-metal batteries (LMB).

Prediction of hearing outcomes by auditory steady-state response in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

BACKGROUND: There has been no report on the predictive value of auditory steady-state response (ASSR) in the hearing prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). AIMS/OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether ASSR can be a prognostic indicator of hearing outcome in patients with SSNHL after systemic steroid treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty-three patients with unilateral mild to severe SSNHL (≤90 dB HL at 0.5k, 1k, 2k, and 4 kHz, 4FA) were included. All patients received systemic high dose steroid therapy within one month after onset. The difference between the threshold levels measured by ASSR and PTA on the same day [ASSR - PTA] was calculated. The hearing recovery (HR) was defined as a < 30 dB HL of final degree of hearing loss and a > 15 dB HL of hearing gain. RESULTS: The HR (+) group showed significantly worse ASSR predicted threshold than pure-tone threshold in univariate (t(51) = 2.412, p = .020) and multivariate analysis (OR 0.910, p = .012). The [ASSR - PTA] threshold showed significantly moderate correlation with hearing gain (r = -0.303, p = .028). CONCLUSIONS: Worse ASSR predicted threshold than pure-tone threshold predicted poor hearing outcome after systemic steroid treatment in mild to severe unilateral SSNHL.

Persistent static imbalance among acute unilateral vestibulopathy patients could be related to a damaged velocity storage system.

Background: Acute unilateral vestibulopathy (AUV) is common but, the course of disease recovery is variable. Moreover, the final recovery status might vary between subjects. The remaining symptoms of these patients indicate the poor recovery of static imbalance, which could limit social activities and decrease their quality of life. Objective: To determine the possible predictive parameters of prolonged static imbalance (PSI) among acute AUV, we compared several vestibular function test (VFT) results between control vestibulopathy (CV) and PSI patients. Materials and methods: Subjects were divided into two groups: PSI and CV. PSI was determined by the observation of spontaneous nystagmus at 1 month after discharge from the hospital. VFT results taken during the initial symptoms were compared. Results: Increased phase lead was observed in low-frequency stimulations (p < .05), while the other test results failed to reveal a significant difference. These results indicate that a larger phase lead, which is related to a decrease in the time constant, could be responsible for the delayed recovery of static imbalance. Conclusion and significance: The phase lead was higher in the PSI group compared to the CV group, suggesting the possible role of phase as a parameter to predict the delayed compensation of static imbalance.