In Situ Hydrogel Polymerization to Form a Flexible Polysaccharide Synergetic Binder Network for Stabilizing SiOx/C Anodes.

Today, the commercial application of silicon oxides (SiOx, 1 < x < 2) in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) still faces the challenge of rapid performance degradation. In this work, by integrating hydrothermal and physicomechanical processes, water-soluble locust bean gum (LBG) and xanthan gum (XG) are utilized to in situ form an LBG@XG binder network to improve the performance of SiOx/C anodes. As a synergy of LBG and XG polysaccharides in hydrogel polymerization, LBG@XG can tightly wrap around SiOx/C particles to prevent plate damage. The flexible SiOx/C anode with the LBG@XG binder exhibits capacity retentions of 74.1% and 76.4% after 1000 cycles at 0.5 A g-1 and 1 A g-1, respectively. The full battery capacity remains stable for 100 cycles at 1 C and the rate performance is excellent (103 mAh g-1 at 3 C). This LBG@XG is demonstrated to be highly electronegative and has a strong attraction to SiOx/C particles, thereby reducing the expansion and increasing the stability of the SiOx/C anodes when coupled with the flexible binder network. In addition to the promising LBG@XG binder, this work also provides a research idea for developing green water-based binders suitable for application in the SiOx/C anodes of LIBs.

Two-sample Behrens-Fisher problems for high-dimensional data: a normal reference scale-invariant test.

For high-dimensional two-sample Behrens-Fisher problems, several non-scale-invariant and scale-invariant tests have been proposed. Most of them impose strong assumptions on the underlying group covariance matrices so that their test statistics are asymptotically normal. However, in practice, these assumptions may not be satisfied or hardly be checked so that these tests may not be able to maintain the nominal size well in practice. To overcome this difficulty, in this paper, a normal reference scale-invariant test is proposed and studied. It works well by neither imposing strong assumptions on the underlying group covariance matrices nor assuming their equality. It is shown that under some regularity conditions and the null hypothesis, the proposed test and a chi-square-type mixture have the same normal and non-normal limiting distributions. It is then justifiable to approximate the null distribution of the proposed test using that of the chi-square-type mixture. The distribution of the chi-square type mixture can be well approximated by the Welch-Satterthwaite chi-square-approximation with the approximation parameter consistently estimated from the data. The asymptotic power of the proposed test is established. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed test has much better size control and power than several well-known non-scale-invariant and scale-invariant tests.

Conceptual Modeling of Extended Collision Warning System from the Perspective of Smart Product-Service System.

While Product-Service Systems (PSS) have a potential sustainability impact by increasing a product's life and reducing resource consumption, the lack of ownership might lead to less responsible user behavior. Smart PSS can overcome this obstacle and guarantee correct and safe PSS use. In this context, intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs) with PSS can effectively reduce traffic accidents and ensure the safety of vehicles and pedestrians by guaranteeing optimal and safe vehicle operation. A core subsystem to support that is the collision-warning system (CWS). Existing CWSs are, however, limited to in-car warning; users have less access to the warning information, so the result of CWS for collision avoidance is insufficient. Therefore, CWS needs to be extended to include more elements and stakeholders in the collision scenario. This paper aims to provide a novel understanding of extended CWS (ECWS), outline the conceptual framework of ECWS, and contribute a conceptual modeling approach of ECWS from the smart PSS perspective at the functional level. It defines an integrated solution of intelligent products and warning services. The function is modeled based on the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). Functions of an ECWS from the perspective of smart PSS can be comprehensively expressed to form an overall solution of integrated intelligent products, electronic services, and stakeholders. Based on the case illustration, the proposed method can effectively help function modeling and development of the ECWS at a conceptual level. This can effectively avoid delays due to traffic accidents and ensure the safety of vehicles and pedestrians.

Impact of Electroacupuncture Stimulation on Postoperative Constipation for Patients Undergoing Brain Tumor Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Constipation is frequently encountered in patients undergoing brain tumor resection. Constipation has negative effects on daily living, well-being, and individuals' quality of life. We examined the impact of acupuncture and electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation on postoperative constipation for patients undergoing brain tumor resection. METHODS: Patients undergoing brain tumor resection (n = 150) were randomly divided into a nontreatment group, an acupuncture group, and an EA group. Rome III Diagnostic Criteria, Cleveland Clinic Constipation Score, symptom assessment, Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life questionnaire, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and a Self-Rating Depression Scale were collected. RESULTS: Acupuncture and EA were effective in relieving postoperative constipation. Electroacupuncture decreased constipation and improved quality of life scores. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture and EA are novel adjuvant therapies to treat constipation.

A Heat-Resistant Poly(oxyphenylene benzimidazole)/Ethyl Cellulose Blended Polymer Membrane for Highly Safe Lithium-Ion Batteries.

A blended membrane based on poly(oxyphenylene benzimidazole) (PBI) and ethyl cellulose (EC) exhibits heat resistance and good electrochemical performance. The prepared blended polymer gel membranes show no visible dimensional change after being held at 350 °C for 30 min, whereas the polyethylene (PE) separator almost completely melts. In addition to excellent thermal stability, the self-supporting blended membranes also exhibit a uniform thermal distribution during the heating process from 60 to 200 °C. Additionally, the ionic conductivities of the PBI/EC blended membranes with different ratios are 1.24 mS cm-1 (1:1), 2.58 mS cm-1 (1:2), and 1.68 mS cm-1 (1:3), which are much higher than those of the PE separator (0.39 mS cm-1). Compared to that of the PE separator (113 mAh g-1), the cell with a separator of PBI/EC = 1:2 retained a discharge capacity of 131 mAh g-1 after 150 cycles at 0.5C. Meanwhile, the rate performance of the cell was also better than that of the PE separator, especially at high currents (5C). All of the results indicate that this blended polymer gel membrane with good thermal stability is expected to be applied to high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

[Two cases of parathyroid adenoma].

Parathyroid adenoma can cause primary hyperparathyroidism. Too much parathyroid hormone effects on bone, kidney and small intestine, which can cause parathyroid hormone, serum calcium, urine calcium and serum alkaline phosphatase elevated, while serum phosphate decreased. Clinical manifestations of osteoporosis, kidney stones, high calcium crisis and a serise of performance. There were 2 cases suffered from parathyroid adenoma and parathyroid hyperfunction in our hospital from December 22,2010 to March 11,2011. Surgical operation is the best treatment method.