A Possible Perspective of Recultivation with Arbuscular Mycorrhiza-Inoculated Drought-Tolerant Herbaceous Plants.

Using native species for urban green space is rather important nowadays. Plant cover on soil is necessary for agronomical and architectural investments as well as conservational programs, which all need minimal maintenance and have to be cost efficient. Commercially available seed mixtures for grasslands and lawns include species that partly originated from other mesoclimatic zones, and thus they may not be able to survive in the long-term, nor will they be adventive to the local ecosystem. With a focus on climate change, the most arid part of the Pannon geographical region was selected (near Törökszentmiklós in Nagykunság, Hungarian Great Plain). The local flora has adapted effectively to the environment; therefore, many species growing there were candidates for this study. Annuals and herbaceous perennials were investigated with respect to harvestability, reproducibility, decorativity, seed production, seed morphological characters (size, mass) and germination features. The selected 20 taxa were inoculated with INOQ Agri mycorrhiza (Rhizophagus irregularis) to increase the drought tolerance and biomass of the plants. Mycorrhizal frequency was significantly different among the taxa, reflecting various responses to the symbiotic interaction and possibly various mycorrhizal dependence of the plant species examined. We did not observe significantly higher colonization rate in most cases of the samples with artificial inoculation treatment. We conclude that the degraded mowed lawn soil that we used could contain propagules of AM fungi in a sufficient amount, so in the artificial grassland restorations, the additional AM inoculation treatment is not necessary to achieve a higher AM colonization rate.

Stainless Steel-Like Passivation Inspires Persistent Silicon Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Passivation of stainless steel by additives forming mass-transport blocking layers is widely practiced, where Cr element is added into bulk Fe-C forming the Cr2 O3 -rich protective layer. Here we extend the long-practiced passivation concept to Si anodes for lithium-ion batteries, incorporating the passivator of LiF/Li2 CO3 into bulk Si. The passivation mechanism is studied by various ex situ characterizations, redox peak contour maps, thickness evolution tests, and finite element simulations. The results demonstrate that the passivation can enhance the (de)lithiation of Li-Si alloys, induce the formation of F-rich solid electrolyte interphase, stabilize the Si/LiF/Li2 CO3 composite, and mitigate the volume change of Si anodes upon cycling. The 3D passivated Si anode can fully retain a high capacity of 3701 mAh g-1 after 1500 cycles and tolerate high rates up to 50C. This work provides insight into how to construct durable Si anodes through effective passivation.

Telestroke: Maintaining Quality Acute Stroke Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted acute stroke care globally. Decreased stroke presentations and concern for delays in acute stroke care have been identified. This study evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on the timely treatment of patients with thrombolytics at hospitals utilizing telestroke acute stroke services. Methods: Acute stroke consultations seen in 171 hospitals (19 states) via telestroke from December 1, 2019, to June 27, 2020, were extracted from the TeleCare™ database. The consults were divided into pre-COVID and COVID groups (March 15, 2020, start of COVID group). The consults were reviewed for age, sex, hospital, state, date seen, last known normal, arrival time, consult call time, needle time, thrombolytic candidate, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. The total number of consults, median door to needle (DTN) time for emergency department (ED) patients, and call to needle (CTN) time for inpatients were calculated. Results: Pre-COVID, 15,226 stroke consults were evaluated compared with 11,105 in the COVID group, a 27% decrease. Pre-COVID, 1,071 ED patients (7.9%) received thrombolytics and 66 inpatients (4.0%), while COVID, 813 ED patients (8.2%) and 70 inpatients (5.7%). The median DTN time for ED patients pre-COVID was 42 (32, 55) versus 40 (31, 52) in the COVID group, with no statistically significant difference between groups. CTN time pre-COVID was 53 (35, 67) versus 46 (35, 61) in the COVID group, with no statistically significant difference between groups. Conclusions: Telestroke assessments allowed for uninterrupted acute stroke care and treatment stability despite nursing and other resource realignments triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transition metal-doped Ni-rich layered cathode materials for durable Li-ion batteries.

Doping is a well-known strategy to enhance the electrochemical energy storage performance of layered cathode materials. Many studies on various dopants have been reported; however, a general relationship between the dopants and their effect on the stability of the positive electrode upon prolonged cell cycling has yet to be established. Here, we explore the impact of the oxidation states of various dopants (i.e., Mg2+, Al3+, Ti4+, Ta5+, and Mo6+) on the electrochemical, morphological, and structural properties of a Ni-rich cathode material (i.e., Li[Ni0.91Co0.09]O2). Galvanostatic cycling measurements in pouch-type Li-ion full cells show that cathodes featuring dopants with high oxidation states significantly outperform their undoped counterparts and the dopants with low oxidation states. In particular, Li-ion pouch cells with Ta5+- and Mo6+-doped Li[Ni0.91Co0.09]O2 cathodes retain about 81.5% of their initial specific capacity after 3000 cycles at 200 mA g-1. Furthermore, physicochemical measurements and analyses suggest substantial differences in the grain geometries and crystal lattice structures of the various cathode materials, which contribute to their widely different battery performances and correlate with the oxidation states of their dopants.

Li-Zn Overlayer to Facilitate Uniform Lithium Deposition for Lithium Metal Batteries.

The highly reactive nature and rough surface of Li foil can lead to the uncontrollable formation of Li dendrites when employed as an anode in a lithium metal battery. Thus, it could be of great practical utility to create uniform, electrochemically stable, and "lithiophilic" surfaces to realize homogeneous deposition of Li. Herein, a LiZn alloy layer is deposited on the surface of Li foil by e-beam evaporation. The idea is to introduce a uniform alloy surface to increase the active area and make use of the Zn sites to induce homogeneous nucleation of Li. The results show that the alloy film protected the Li metal anode, allowing for a longer cycling life with a lower deposition overpotential over a pure-Li metal anode in symmetric Li cells. Furthermore, full cells pairing the modified lithium anode with a LiFePO4 cathode showed an incremental increase in Coulombic efficiency compared with pure-Li. The concept of using only an alloy modifying layer by an in-situ e-beam deposition synthesis method offers a potential method for enabling lithium metal anodes for next-generation lithium batteries.

Recent Developments in Dendrite-Free Lithium-Metal Deposition through Tailoring of Micro- and Nanoscale Artificial Coatings.

Forty years after the failed introduction of rechargeable lithium-metal batteries and 30 years after the successful commercialization of the lower capacity, graphite-anode-based lithium-ion battery by Sony, demand for higher energy density batteries is leading to reinvestigation of the problem of dendrite growth that makes the metallic lithium anodes unsafe and prevented commercialization to begin with. One strategy to mitigate dendrite growth is to deposit thin, tailored, corrosion-passivating coatings on the metallic lithium, instead of allowing the metal to spontaneously react with the organic electrolyte solution to form its passivating solid electrolyte interface (SEI). The challenge is to find and to deposit a coating that is electronically insulating yet allows uniform permeation of Li+ at a high cycling rate, such that Li-metal is electrodeposited uniformly on the nanoscale below the tailored coating. Recently, a number of studies have examined multicomponent films, taking advantage of the properties of two different materials, which can be tuned separately or chosen for their complementary properties. Use of these multicomponent coatings will likely enable future researchers to create rationally designed SEIs capable of effectively suppressing the growth of Li dendrites. This review discusses recent developments in micro- and nanoscale tailored coatings to meet that need.

Stabilization of a Highly Ni-Rich Layered Oxide Cathode through Flower-Petal Grain Arrays.

Nickel adds to the capacity of layered oxide cathodes of lithium-ion batteries but comprises their stability. We report a petal-grained Li[Ni0.89Co0.10Sb0.01]O2 cathode that is, nevertheless, stable. The stability originates from the ordering of the nanosized grains in a dense, flower-petal-like array, where the elongated and nearly parallel grains radiate from the center to the surface. The ordering of the grains prevents microcrack generation from abrupt lattice changes of the stressful H2-H3 phase transition. The tight packing of the nanograins is conserved upon cycling, preventing destructive seepage of the electrolytic solution into the particles. The half-cell, cycling between 2.7-4.3 V versus Li/Li+ at a 0.5 C rate retains 95.0% of its initial capacity of 220 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles. The full-cell, cycling with a graphite anode and between 3.0-4.2 V at a 1 C rate, retains 83.9% of its initial capacity after 1000 cycles.

Potentially Pathogenic Calcium Oxalate Dihydrate and Titanium Dioxide Crystals in the Alzheimer's Disease Entorhinal Cortex.

Knowing that Alzheimer's disease (AD) nucleates in the entorhinal cortex (EC), samples of 12 EC specimens were probed for crystals by a protocol detecting fewer than 1/5000th of those present. Of the 61 crystals found, 31 were expected and 30 were novel. Twenty-one crystals of iron oxides and 10 atherosclerosis-associated calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals were expected and found. The 30 unexpected crystals were NLRP3-inflammasome activating calcium oxalate dihydrate (12) and titanium dioxide (18). Their unusual distribution raises the possibility that some were of AD origination sites.

Lithium Fluoride Coated Silicon Nanocolumns as Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries.

Silicon (Si) films are promising anode materials in thin-film lithium batteries due to their high capacity of 3578 mAh g-1, but the huge volume expansion of lithiated Li15Si4 and the unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) preclude their practical application. Here lithium fluoride (LiF) coated Si nanocolumns are fabricated by glancing angle evaporation to address the obstacle. The LiF coating can elevate the lithium ion diffusion coefficient (LDC) of Si electrodes upon the alloying reaction and reduce the LDC upon the SEI formation. The composition evolution of the outer SEI layer in the LiF/Si electrodes is studied by ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The modified surface and mitigated volume expansion enable the LiF/Si nanocolumns to exhibit superior rate capability and higher cycling stability compared with the pristine Si nanocolumns. This work demonstrates the positive effect of LiF coating for reducing the polarization and forming a robust SEI film on Si anodes.

Electrode Degradation in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Although Li-ion batteries have emerged as the battery of choice for electric vehicles and large-scale smart grids, significant research efforts are devoted to identifying materials that offer higher energy density, longer cycle life, lower cost, and/or improved safety compared to those of conventional Li-ion batteries based on intercalation electrodes. By moving beyond intercalation chemistry, gravimetric capacities that are 2-5 times higher than that of conventional intercalation materials (e.g., LiCoO2 and graphite) can be achieved. The transition to higher-capacity electrode materials in commercial applications is complicated by several factors. This Review highlights the developments of electrode materials and characterization tools for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, with a focus on the structural and electrochemical degradation mechanisms that plague these systems.

Carbon Nitride Transforms into a High Lithium Storage Capacity Nitrogen-Rich Carbon.

We describe here the metal-templated transformation of carbon nitride (C3N4) into nitrogen-containing carbons as anodes for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Changing the template from the carbon- and nitrogen-immiscible Cu powder to the carbon- and nitrogen-miscible Fe powder yields different carbons; while Fe templating produces graphitized carbons of low (<10%) nitrogen content and moderate pore volume, Cu templating yields high defect-density carbons of high (32-24%) nitrogen content and larger pore volume. The Li+ storage capacity of the high nitrogen content and larger pore volume Cu-templated carbons exceeds that of the more graphitic Fe-templated carbons due to added contribution from Li+ insertion/extraction from pores and defects and to reversible faradaic Li+ reaction with nitrogen atoms. The Cu-templated carbon annealed at 750 °C delivers the highest specific capacity of 900 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and 275 mAh g-1 at 20 A g-1, while also achieving a 96% capacity retention after 2000 cycles at 2 A g-1. The fabrication of higher mass loading electrodes (4.5 mg cm-2) provided a maximum areal capacity of 2.6 mAh cm-2 at 0.45 mA cm-2 (0.1 A g-1), comparable to the capacities of commercial LIB cells and favorable compared to other reported carbon materials.

Cu4SnS4-Rich Nanomaterials for Thin-Film Lithium Batteries with Enhanced Conversion Reaction.

Through a simple gelation-solvothermal method with graphene oxide as the additive, a Cu4SnS4-rich composite of nanoparticles and nanotubes is synthesized and applied for thin and flexible Li-metal batteries. Unlike the Cu2SnS3-rich electrode, the Cu4SnS4-rich electrode cycles stably with an enhanced conversion capacity of ∼416 mAh g-1 (∼52% of total capacity) after 200 cycles. The lithiation/delithiation mechanisms of Cu-Sn-S electrodes and the voltage ranges of conversion and alloying reactions are informed by in situ X-ray diffraction tests. The conversion process of three Cu-Sn-S compounds is compared by density functional theory (DFT) calculations based on three algorithms, elucidating the enhanced conversion stability and superior diffusion kinetics of Cu4SnS4 electrodes. The reaction pathway of Cu-Sn-S electrodes and the root cause for the unstable capacity are revealed by in situ/ex situ characterizations, DFT calculations, and various electrochemical tests. This work provides insight into developing energy materials and power devices based on multiple lithiation mechanisms.

Crystals in the Substantia Nigra.

Crystals of TiO2 and CaO were detected in electron-beam exposed extracts of four substantia nigra specimens of Parkinson's disease donors. A likely precursor of the CaO crystals is inflammatory calcium oxalate dihydrate, decomposing according to CaC2O4·2H2O → CaO + CO↑ + CO2↑ + 2H2O↑. Crystals of hydrated iron oxide, earlier reported residents of the human brain, were also found.

Obesity-Dependent Accumulation of Titanium in the Pancreas of Type 2 Diabetic Donors.

The most widely used white pigment of foods and medications is crystalline, anatase-phase TiO2 of 110 ± 70 nm particle diameter. Recent studies by other investigators have shown that depending on its ingested pigment amount the concentration of titanium in human blood ranges between 2 and 48 ppb and that Ti accumulates in the spleen and in the liver. Here we report titanium concentrations in the pancreas head of 30 human donors, measured by inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectroscopy. Of the donors, 7 were free of pancreatic disease, 4 had pancreatitis, 10 had type 2 diabetes and 9 had type 2 diabetes with pancreatitis; 3 were underweight, 6 were normal weight, 5 were overweight, and 16 were obese. Ti accumulated in the pancreas, its accumulation increasing with obesity. The pancreatic Ti concentrations ranged from 0.75 to 3.78 ppm, averaging 1.8 ppm, much higher than the reported 40-100 ppb concentration in the spleen or the 30-100 ppb concentration reported in the liver. The corresponding number density of 110 nm diameter TiO2 particles averaged 3.6 × 109 per gram of wet tissue; their potentially biological macromolecule adsorbing surface area is ∼1 cm2 per gram wet tissue.

Continuous versus intermittent oral administration of levodopa in Parkinson's disease patients with motor fluctuations: A pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy study.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory and clinical evidence indicate that continous delivery of levodopa is associated with reduced motor complications compared to standard intermittent levodopa. OBJECTIVE: To assess the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of continuous oral delivery of l-dopa/carbidopa in PD patients with motor fluctuations. METHODS: Eighteen PD patients with motor fluctuations were enrolled in an open-label study comparing pharmacokinetics and efficacy measures between standard intermittent oral l-dopa/carbidopa and "continuous" oral l-dopa/carbidopa. Continuous treatment was operationally defined as sips of an l-dopa dispersion at 5- to 10-minute intervals. On day 1, patients received their usual oral l-dopa/carbidopa doses. On day 2, patients received l-dopa/carbidopa dose by "continuous" oral administration. On day 3, patients received a single dose of oral l-dopa/carbidopa followed by continuous administration of l-dopa/carbidopa. Each study period was 8 hours, and the total l-dopa/carbidopa dose administered was the same on each day. Analyses of variability were primarily-based samples drawn between 4 and 8 hours when subjects were in a relative steady state. RESULTS: There was less variability in plasma l-dopa concentration with continuous versus intermittent oral l-dopa/carbidopa treatment (fluctuation index was 0.99 ± 0.09 vs. 1.38 ± 0.12 [P < 0.001] and coefficient of variation was 0.35 ± 0.03 vs. 0.49 ± 0.04 [P < 0.001]). Mean OFF time was decreased by 43% (P < 0.001) with continuous oral l-dopa therapy. No safety or tolerability issues were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous oral delivery of l-dopa/carbidopa was associated with less plasma variability and reduced off time in comparison to standard intermittent oral l-dopa/carbidopa therapy. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Capacity Degradation Mechanism and Cycling Stability Enhancement of AlF3-Coated Nanorod Gradient Na[Ni0.65Co0.08Mn0.27]O2 Cathode for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

O3-type Na[Ni xCo yMn z]O2 materials are attractive cathodes for sodium-ion batteries because of their full cell fabrication practicality, high energy density, and relatively easy technology transfer arising from their similarity to Li[Ni xCo yMn z]O2 materials, yet their performance viability with Ni-rich composition ( x ≥ 0.6) is still doubtful. More importantly, their capacity degradation mechanism remains to be established. In this paper, we introduce an O3-type Ni-rich AlF3-coated nanorod gradient Na[Ni0.65Co0.08Mn0.27]O2 cathode with enhanced electrochemical performance in both half-cells and full cells. AlF3-coated nanorod gradient Na[Ni0.65Co0.08Mn0.27]O2 particles were synthesized through a combination of dry ball-mill coating and columnar composition gradient design and deliver a discharge capacity of 168 mAh g-1 with 90% capacity retention in half cells (50 cycles) and 132 mAh g-1 with 90% capacity retention in full cells (200 cycles) at 75 mA g-1 (0.5C, 1.5-4.1 V). Through analysis of the cycled electrodes, the capacity-degradation mechanism was unraveled in O3-type Ni-rich Na[Ni xCo yMn z]O2 from a structural perspective with emphasis on high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, providing valuable information on improving O3-type Na[Ni xCo yMn z]O2 cathode performance.

Association of Type 2 Diabetes with Submicron Titanium Dioxide Crystals in the Pancreas.

Pigment-grade titanium dioxide (TiO2) of 200-300 nm particle diameter is the most widely used submicron-sized particle material. Inhaled and ingested TiO2 particles enter the bloodstream, are phagocytized by macrophages and neutrophils, are inflammatory, and activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. In this pilot study of 11 pancreatic specimens, 8 of the type 2 diabetic pancreas and 3 of the nondiabetic pancreas, we show that particles comprising 110 ± 70 nm average diameter TiO2 monocrystals abound in the type 2 diabetic pancreas, but not in the nondiabetic pancreas. In the type 2 diabetic pancreas, the count of the crystals is as high as 108-109 per gram.

Self-Assembled Cu-Sn-S Nanotubes with High (De)Lithiation Performance.

Through a gelation-solvothermal method without heteroadditives, Cu-Sn-S composites self-assemble to form nanotubes, sub-nanotubes, and nanoparticles. The nanotubes with a Cu3-4SnS4 core and Cu2SnS3 shell can tolerate long cycles of expansion/contraction upon lithiation/delithiation, retaining a charge capacity of 774 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles with a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 82.5%. The importance of the Cu component for mitigation of the volume expansion and structural evolution upon lithiation is informed by density functional theory calculations. The self-generated template and calculated results can inspire the design of analogous Cu-M-S (M = metal) nanotubes for lithium batteries or other energy storage systems.

Reduced-Graphene Oxide/Poly(acrylic acid) Aerogels as a Three-Dimensional Replacement for Metal-Foil Current Collectors in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

We report the synthesis and properties of a low-density (∼5 mg/cm3) and highly porous (99.6% void space) three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) nanocomposite aerogel as the scaffold for cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The rGO-PAA is both simple and starts from readily available graphite and PAA, thereby providing a scalable fabrication procedure. The scaffold can support as much as a 75 mg/cm2 loading of LiFePO4 (LFP) in a ∼430 µm thick layer, and the porosity of the aerogel is tunable by compression; the flexible aerogel can be compressed 30-fold (i.e., to as little as 3.3% of its initial volume) while retaining its mechanical integrity. Replacement of the Al foil by the rGO-PAA current collector of the slurry-cast LFP (1.45 ± 0.2 g/cm3 tap density) provides for exemplary mass loadings of 9 mgLFP/cm2 at 70 µm thickness and 1.4 g/cm3 density or 16 mgLFP/cm2 at 100 µm thickness and ∼1.6 g/cm3 density. When compared to Al foil, the distribution of LFP throughout the three-dimensional rGO-PAA framework doubles the effective LFP solution-contacted area at 9 mg/cm2 loading and increases it 2.5-fold at 16 mg/cm2 loading. Overall, the rGO-PAA current collector increases the volumetric capacity by increasing the effective electrode area without compromising the electrode density, which was compromised in past research where the effective electrode area has been increased by reducing the particle size.