A Quasi-Solid-State Polymer Lithium-Metal Battery with Minimal Excess Lithium, Ultrathin Separator, and High-Mass Loading NMC811 Cathode.

Solid-state batteries with lithium metal anodes are considered the next major technology leap with respect to today's lithium-ion batteries, as they promise a significant increase in energy density. Expectations for solid-state batteries from the automotive and aviation sectors are high, but their implementation in industrial production remains challenging. Here, we report a solid-state lithium-metal battery enabled by a polymer electrolyte consisting of a poly(DMADAFSI) cationic polymer and LiFSI in PyrFSI as plasticizer.

An XPS Study of Electrolytes for Li-Ion Batteries in Full Cell LNMO vs Si/Graphite.

Two different types of electrolytes (co-solvent and multi-salt) are tested for use in high voltage LiNiMnO||Si/graphite full cells and compared against a carbonate-based standard LiPF containing electrolyte (baseline). Ex situ postmortem XPS analysis on both anodes and cathodes over the life span of the cells reveals a continuously growing SEI and CEI for the baseline electrolyte. The cells cycled in the co-solvent electrolyte exhibited a relatively thick and long-term stable CEI (on LNMO), while a slowly growing SEI was determined to form on the Si/graphite.

Understanding the Role of Imide-Based Salts and Borate-Based Additives for Safe and High-Performance Glyoxal-Based Electrolytes in Ni-Rich NMC Cathodes for Li-Ion Batteries.

Herein, the design of novel and safe electrolyte formulations for high-voltage Ni-rich cathodes is reported. The solvent mixture comprising 1,1,2,2-tetraethoxyethane and propylene carbonate not only displays good transport properties, but also greatly enhances the overall safety of the cell thanks to its low flammability. The influence of the conducting salts, that is, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI), and of the additives lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB) and lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) is examined.

A large cohort comparison of very late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus with younger-onset patients.

Objectives: Age has a significant impact on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, data on very late-onset SLE (vlSLE) are scarce. We have compared the clinical and serological features of vlSLE patients with younger-onset patients.

Nanofiltration combined with ozone-based processes for the removal of antineoplastic drugs from wastewater effluents.

Over the past years, there has been an increasing concern about the occurrence of antineoplastic drugs in water bodies. The incomplete removal of these pharmaceuticals from wastewaters has been confirmed by several scientists, making it urgent to find a reliable technique or a combination of techniques capable to produce clean and safe water. In this work, the combination of nanofiltration and ozone (O)-based processes (NF + O, NF + O/HO and NF + O/HO/UVA) was studied aiming to produce clean water from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) secondary effluents to be safely discharged into water bodies, reused in daily practices such as aquaculture activities or for recharging aquifers used as abstraction sources for drinking water production.

Theoretical rejection of fifty-four antineoplastic drugs by different nanofiltration membranes.

The rise of nanofiltration technologies holds great promise for creating more effective and affordable techniques aiming to remove undesirable pollutants from wastewaters. Despite nanofiltration's promising potential in removing antineoplastic drugs from liquid matrices, the limited information on this topic makes it important to estimate the rejection rates for a larger number of compounds, particularly the emerging ones, in order to preview the nanofiltration performance. Aiming to have preliminary estimations of the rejection rates of antineoplastic drugs by nanofiltration, 54 antineoplastic drugs were studied in 5 nanofiltration membranes (Desal 5DK, Desal HL, Trisep TS-80, NF270, and NF50), using a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model.

Timeline kinetics of protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2 upon primary vaccination and humoral response to variants after booster dose.

New variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged, imposing the need for periodic booster doses. However, whether booster doses should be applied to the entire population or groups, and the booster doses interval, remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated humoral reactivity kinetics from before the first dose to 180 days after the third booster dose in different schedules in a well-controlled health worker cohort.

Antineoplastic drugs in urban wastewater: Occurrence, nanofiltration treatment and toxicity screening.

Antineoplastic drugs are pharmaceuticals that have been raising concerns among the scientific community due to: (i) their increasing prescription in the fight against the disease of the twentieth century (cancer); (ii) their recalcitrance to conventional wastewater treatments; (iii) their poor environmental biodegradability; and (iv) their potential risk to any eukaryotic organism. This emerges the urgency in finding solutions to mitigate the entrance and accumulation of these hazardous chemicals in the environment. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been taken into consideration to improve the degradation of antineoplastic drugs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), but the formation of by-products that are more toxic or exhibit a different toxicity profile than the parent drug is frequently reported.

Sexual Dimorphism in the Expression of Cardiac and Hippocampal Renin-Angiotensin and Kallikrein-Kinin Systems in Offspring from Mice Exposed to Alcohol during Gestation.

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) impairs fetal development. Alcohol consumption was shown to modulate the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). This study aimed to analyze the effects of PAE on the expression of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) peptide systems in the hippocampus and heart of mice of both sexes.

Multi-target analysis of cytostatics in hospital effluents over a 9-month period.

The consumption of cytostatics, pharmaceuticals prescribed in chemotherapy, is increasing every year and worldwide, along with the incidence of cancer. The presence and the temporal evolution of cytostatics in wastewaters from a Portuguese hospital center was evaluated through a 9-month sampling campaign, comprising a total of one hundred and twenty-nine samples, collected from May 2019 to February 2020. Eleven cytostatics out of thirteen pharmaceuticals were studied, including flutamide, mycophenolate mofetil and mycophenolic acid, which have never been monitored before.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody immunoreactivity profiles during COVID-19 recurrence.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate IgG and IgM levels in COVID-19 recurrence.

Methods: The serum antibody levels and clinical data from 73 healthcare workers with SARS-CoV-2 divided into seroconverted (n=51) and non-seroconverted (n=22) groups were assessed. The presence of specific anti-nucleocapsid (anti-N) IgM and IgG for SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated.

Are cytostatic drugs in surface waters a potential threat?

Cytostatic drugs are pharmaceuticals administered to cancer patients under chemotherapy. Their occurrence in surface waters has been reported worldwide, increasing environmental and human health concerns. This work addresses a question of worldwide interest: are these hazardous pharmaceuticals in surface waters a potential threat? For the first time, this study brings information on the presence of cytostatic drugs in Portuguese rivers.

Altered physical-chemical properties of home bleaching gels after an accelerated stability study and their effects on tooth enamel.

Objectives: To investigate the physical-chemical properties of home bleaching gels based on Carbamide Peroxide (CP) and Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) after accelerated stability (AS) and its effects on enamel.

Materials And Methods: A total of 360 bovine teeth blocks were divided (n = 12): Control, CP10%-Whiteness Perfect, CP10%-Pola Night, HP7.5%-Pola Day, and HP7.

Intensification strategies for cytostatics degradation by ozone-based processes in aqueous phase.

Over the past decade there has been an increasing concern on the presence of cytostatics (also known as anticancer drugs) in natural waterbodies. The conventional wastewater treatments seem not to be effective enough to remove them, and therefore new processes must be considered. This work investigates the performance of ozonation (O), catalytic ozonation (O/Fe) and peroxone (O/HO) processes, under dark or UV radiation conditions, for the degradation of cytostatics of worldwide concern.

Search for Complexes and Related Genera () spp. Biotope: Two Years Surveillance of Wild Avian Fauna in Southern France.

Fungi belonging to the genus and related genera (, , , , , ) are encapsulated yeasts found in either the environment or animal sources. However, the precise biotopes of most species remain poorly defined. To assess whether wild birds from southern France can carry or spread the most pathogenic species (i.

Effect of accelerated stability on the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of experimental bleaching gels containing different bioadhesive polymers.

Objective: To evaluate the physical-chemical (weight, pH, quantification of hydrogen peroxide) and mechanical (texture profile and rheology tests) properties of the experimental bleaching gel based on the bioadhesive polymer Aristoflex® AVC, after accelerated stability testing.

Materials And Methods: A total of 300 syringes of bleaching gels were divided into 5 groups (n = 60): Whiteness Perfect® 10%-FGM (WP); carbamide peroxide 10% with aristoflex (CPa); carbamide peroxide 10% with Carbopol (CPc); aristoflex thickener (A); and Carbopol thickener (C). According to the following requirements and time, the accelerated stability test was performed: in an incubator at 40 °C and 75% humidity per 1, 3, and 6 months, and baseline (refrigerator at 5 °C and 25% humidity).

Multilocus sequence typing of strains from the Cryptococcus gattii species complex from different continents.

Background: Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii species complexes are pathogens causing cryptococcal meningitis, a fungal infection that leads to death unless treated. Worldwide, it is estimated to kill over 180,000 individuals annually.

Objectives: We aim to investigate the molecular diversity of C.

Multi-Matrix Approach for the Analysis of Bicalutamide Residues in Oncology Centers by HPLC-FLD.

Cytostatics are toxic pharmaceuticals, whose presence in surfaces puts healthcare workers at risk. These drugs might also end up in hospital effluents (HWW), potentially damaging aquatic ecosystems. Bicalutamide is a cytostatic extensively consumed worldwide, but few analytical methods exist for its quantification and most of them require advanced techniques, such as liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), which are very complex and expensive for large monitoring studies.

Ozonation of cytostatic drugs in aqueous phase.

As the number of cancer patients increases, so does the consumption of cytostatic drugs, which are commonly used in chemotherapy. These compounds are already ubiquitous in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and natural water streams, revealing the urgent need for efficient technologies for their removal from the aqueous phase. This work presents the elimination of five cytostatics of concern, found in Portuguese WWTP effluents: bicalutamide (BICA), capecitabine (CAP), cyclophosphamide (CYC), ifosfamide (IFO) and mycophenolic acid (MPA), using non-catalytic ozonation.

Gianotti-Crosti syndrome: a challenging exanthema.

Gianotti-Crosti syndrome (GCS) is a self-limited condition, mainly affecting children younger than 6 years, less common in adolescents and adults. It consists of a viral exanthema with papular lesions with a flat top and symmetrical distribution, affecting predominantly extremities, gluteal region and extensor surfaces. It is often associated with viral infections but can also be related to bacterial infections, vaccination or be idiopathic.

Effectiveness of Aerobic Exercise on Smoking Cessation in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The specific benefits of aerobic exercises in smoking cessation are unclear, as they have different characteristics, intensities, and durations. The purpose of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise, with or without co-interventions, compared with a control group of cognitive behavior treatment on smoking cessation.

Methods: This review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO, and the searches were performed from 2016 to 2018.

Sleep Quality Associated with Habitual Physical Activity Level and Autonomic Nervous System of Smokers.

Background: Few studies have examined the relationship of one's habitual physical activity level and autonomic nervous system (ANS) modulation on sleep quality in smokers.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify changes in the sleep quality of smokers and its relation with their habitual physical activity level and ANS modulation.

Methods: Forty-two smokers were divided into two groups according to the 50th percentile of the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

Prevalence and correlates of overweight and abdominal adiposity amongst adults residing in Madeira Autonomous Region: a cross-sectional, population-based study.

Background: Data on nutritional status and its risk factors amongst the adult population of the Madeira Autonomous Region (RAM) is scarce. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with overweight and abdominal adiposity, assessed through measuring body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) indexes.

Methods: Cross-sectional study using a representative sample of 911 subjects (18-64 years) from the RAM Dietary Habits of Adult Population Study.

Liquid-liquid extraction as a simple tool to quickly quantify fourteen cytostatics in urban wastewaters and access their impact in aquatic biota.

Cytostatics are highly toxic pharmaceuticals used in the treatment of cancer. These substances are partially excreted by the human body after administration. The inefficient removal of some cytostatics in urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) allows them to reach surface waters and consequently the aquatic biota.