[Laparoscopic Partial Adrenalectomy for Primary Aldosteronism Combined with Cushing's Syndrome : Report of a Case].

A 65-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a chief complaint of hyperglycemia. Computed tomography showed left clear-bordered adrenal mass. The serum aldosterone/renin ratio was elevated, and the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test revealed no suppression of serum cortisol. Adrenal venous samplingdemonstrated excess secretion of cortisol from the left adrenal gland, and excess secretion of aldosterone from bilateral adrenal glands. Laparoscopic left partial adrenalectomy for primary aldosteronism combined with Cushing's syndrome was performed. The result was insulin withdrawal and the reduction of antihypertensive drugs.

Carbon nanoparticle-entrapped macroporous Mn3O4 microsphere anodes with improved cycling stability for Li-ion batteries.

Manganese oxide (Mn3O4) has garnered substantial attention as a low-cost, environment-friendly anode material. It undergoes a conversion reaction involving the formation of Li2O and metallic Mn to provide high-energy Li-ion batteries. However, its low electrical conductivity and significant volume change reduce its capacity during the initial lithiation/delithiation, hindering its practical application. To improve the cycle performance, we propose a new composite structure wherein we entrap carbon nanoparticles in macroporous Mn3O4 microspheres with a unique maze-like porous interior. We fabricate the Mn3O4/C composites using a scalable two-step process involving the thermal decomposition of MnCO3 in water vapor and mixing in a carbon-dispersed solution. The fabricated Mn3O4/C composites with varying carbon contents exhibit a high maximum discharge capacity retention of 86% after 50 cycles, compared to the 18% given by bare Mn3O4. The entrapped carbon nanoparticles improve the cycle performance both electrochemically and physically. The microstructure of the composite particles and the fabrication process developed in this study will help improve the performance of other conversion-type anode materials that suffer from cycle degradation, including inexpensive transition metal oxides and sulfides.

Effect of ball collision direction on a wet mechanochemical reaction.

Mechanochemical reactions can be induced in a solution by the collision of balls to produce high-temperature and high-pressure zones, with the reactions occurring through a dissolution-precipitation mechanism due to a change in solubility. However, only a fraction of the impact energy contributes to the mechanochemical reactions, while the rest is mainly consumed by the wear of balls and the heat generation. To clarify whether the normal or tangential component of collisions makes a larger contribution on the reaction, herein we studied the effect of collision direction on a wet mechanochemical reaction through combined analysis of the experimental reaction rates and simulated ball motion. Collisions of balls in the normal direction were found to contribute strongly to the wet mechanochemical reaction. These results could be used to improve the synthesis efficiency, predict the reaction, and lower the wear in the wet mechanochemical reactions.

Wet Mechanical Route To Synthesize Morphology-Controlled NH4MnPO4·H2O and Its Conversion Reaction into LiMnPO4.

A mechanical route using a grinding apparatus such as a planetary ball mill is a simple and scalable method to produce powder materials. However, the control of the particle shapes is difficult. In this paper, we report a wet mechanical process in water to synthesize NH4MnPO4·H2O (AmMnP) with various shapes (plates, flakes, rods, and nanoparticles). This process involves planetary ball milling of inexpensive raw materials (NH4H2PO4 and MnCO3) at room temperature. Morphology-controlled AmMnP particles can be obtained by only adjusting the milling conditions such as milling time, ball size, and centrifugal acceleration. Furthermore, the conversion of AmMnP into LiMnPO4 with two different approaches (solid-state and hydrothermal reactions) has been investigated to evaluate its future applicability as a cathode for lithium-ion batteries. As a particle synthesis with a unique morphology can be attained based on a dissolution-precipitation mechanism in a solution via a suitable combination of raw materials, the study results will promote wet mechanical processes to be widely used as classic but advanced particle synthesis method.