Nanodiamond-Enhanced Nanofiber Separators for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Current lithium-ion battery separators made from polyolefins such as polypropylene and polyethylene generally suffer from low porosity, low wettability, and slow ionic conductivity and tend to perform poorly against heat-triggering reactions that may cause potentially catastrophic issues, such as fire. To overcome these limitations, here we report that a porous composite membrane consisting of poly(vinylidene fluoride--hexafluoropropylene) nanofibers functionalized with nanodiamonds (NDs) can realize a thermally resistant, mechanically robust, and ionically conductive separator. We critically reveal the role of NDs in the polymer matrix of the membrane to improve the thermal, mechanical, crystalline, and electrochemical properties of the composites.

The Association Between Vitamin D Level and Restless Legs Syndrome: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

Study Objectives: The pathophysiology of restless legs syndrome (RLS) may be related to abnormalities in central dopamine pathways. Vitamin D may play a role in the pathophysiology of RLS by modulating the dopaminergic system. The aim of our study is to examine the possible link between RLS and vitamin D deficiency.

Follow-up study of Reiter's disease and reactive arthritis. Factors influencing the natural course and the prognosis.

The acute clinical picture and long-term prognosis of 160 patients with Reiter's disease (RD), and 144 patients with reactive arthritis triggered by yersinia infection (YA), was analysed. Most of the patients with RD were men, while YA was as common among male and female patients. YA manifested in a third of patients as incomplete or complete RD.

Clinical conditions associated with positive complement fixation serology for Chlamydiae.

The hospital records of 242 patients with diagnostic chlamydial complement fixation (CF) titres (seroconversion and/or titre greater than or equal to 64) found among 60,000 patients screened for suspected viral illnesses were reviewed to study the clinical conditions associated with positive CF serology for Chlamydiae. After excluding typical genital C. trachomatis infections, the majority of the remainder were considered to represent C.

Ultrahistopathology of balanitis circinata.

Penile lesions from six patients with balanitis circinata were examined with the light and electron microscopes. The epithelium showed slight parakeratosis, acanthosis, and elongation of rete ridges. Neutrophil pustules occupied the upper epidermis.

Followup study on patients with Reiter's disease and reactive arthritis, with special reference to HLA-B27.

An analysis of 160 patients with Reiter's disease, 144 with yersinia arthritis, and 9 with salmonella arthritis was performed, Complete or incomplete Reiter's syndrome was observed in one-third of the patients with yersinia arthritis and in most of those with salmonella arthritis. During the followup period, chronic back pain and joint symptoms were frequent in all the patient groups. Patients who were HLA-B27 positive had a more severe acute disease (more frequent back pain, urologic symptoms, mucocutaneous manifestations, and a longer duration of the disease) and more frequent chronic back pain and sacroiliitis.

Evidence of chlamydial involvement in the development of arthritis.

The isolation and immunological studies reviewed here appear to have proved that there is an association with Chlamydia trachomatis in reactive arthritis, and particularly in Reiter's disease. This condition, which occurs predominantly in young men, usually is precipitated by infection, sometimes enteritic but at present more commonly sexually transmitted. In the case of nongonococcal urethritis, C.

Reduction of increased polyamine levels in psoriatic lesions by retinoid and PUVA treatments.

Treatment with an oral aromatic retinoid (etretinate) and with PUVA significantly reduced the elevated levels of putrescine, spermidine and spermine in psoriatic lesions. Both treatments also significantly reduced the spermidine/spermine ratio, which is considered to be an indicator of proliferation activity. Although both regimens produced a roughly parallel reduction of epidermal polyamines the initial fall of putrescine was much more rapid in patients receiving retinoid.

Dissociation of suction blister roof epidermis with trypsin and desoxyribonuclease into viable single cells.

Human epidermis, obtained in vivo by the suction blister method, was dissociated with trypsin and desoxyribonuclease into a single-cell suspension. Autoradiographic analysis of the blister roof epidermis and of the epidermal cell suspension was performed to show that neither the suction procedure nor the enzymatic dissociation affected DNA synthesis of the epidermal cells.

Contact allergy to a stocking dye.

Fourteen eczema patients, 13 women and one man, were found to have contact allergy to a brown stocking dye which is a mixture of nitro- and aminodiazobenzene and aminoanthraquinone dyes. Eleven of the patients reacted to p-phenylenediamine; nine of 12 tested reacted to aminoazobenzene, nine to Disperse Orange 3 and four to Disperse Yellow 3. Positive epicutaneous test reactions to the dye were found in five of 362 consecutive eczema patients tested (1.

Aromatic plants--a cause of severe attacks of angio-edema and urticaria.

Celery and parsley were confirmed as etiological agents in 14 patients with severe attacks of angio-edema and urticaria. All of the patients proved to be atopic. Without exception they all had positive prick test reactions to mugwort.

Merthiolate hypersensitivity and vaccination.

Epicutaneous tests with 0.1% merthiolate in petrolatum showed hypersensitivity in 96 of 4647 eczema patients (2.0%) and in seven of 105 healthy recruits (7%).

Treatment of nongonococcal urethritis with trimethoprim-sulphadiazine and with placebo. A double-blind partner-controlled study.

The effect of sulphadiazine and trimethoprim (T-S) was compared with that of a placebo in the treatment of 75 men with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) and their female sexual partners. Forty (53%) men and 30 (40%) women had positive culture results for Chlamydia trachomatis before treatment was started. Thirty-four patients of each sex received active treatment.

Erythema nodosum in chlamydial infections.

Twelve patients suffering from erythema nodosum who had diagnostic titres or seroconversions in chlamydial complement fixation test are described. Eleven had respiratory infections. The twelfth had sterile pyuria, symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease and exceptionally high antibody titres against Chlamydia trachomatis in an immunofluorescence test.

Effect of leucocyte interferon on natural killer cells in healthy volunteers.

The effect of partially purified human leucocyte interferon on natural killer activity (NK activity) of peripheral blood in six healthy volunteers was tested in this study. After 4 h of intradermal injection of interferon, a rapid transient decline in NK activity and in the number of NK cells (large granular lymphocytes) in peripheral blood was observed. The decline was most distinct at 20 h and recovered at 72 h.

Erythromycin and lymecycline treatment in chlamydia-positive and Chlamydia-negative non-gonococcal urethritis--a partner-controlled study.

A group of 213 men with non-gonococcal urethritis and their sexual partners were treated either with erythromycin stearate 500 mgx2 for 15 days or with lymecycline 300 mgx2 for 10 or 20 days. Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from 40% of the men, from 26% of their female partners and from 56% of the partners of men with chlamydia-positive urethritis. One hundred and eighty-one men were available for evaluation of therapy.

Examination of men with nongonococcal urethritis and their sexual partners for Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum.

Chlamydia trachomatis was recovered from 39 (52%) of 75 men who had nongonococcal urethritis and from 28 (37%) of their sexual partners. Of the partners of men with Chlamydia-positive nongonococcal urethritis, 64% excreted Chlamydia, compared with 8% of the partners of men with Chlamydia-negative nongonococcal urethritis. In contrast, an apparently sexual mode of transmission was not observed with Ureaplasma urealyticum.