Nationwide evaluation of treatment outcomes and survival of patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease.

Treatment outcomes and long-term survival of non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) in a real-world setting are difficult to assess, especially for species other than complex (MAC).This was a retrospective cohort study on all Croatian residents with respiratory NTM isolates from 2006 to 2015, with follow-up to 2020.Therapy was started in 98/137 (71.

The amorphization of crystalline silicon by ball milling.

The transformation of crystalline silicon to amorphous silicon during ball milling was quantitatively measured by x-ray diffraction and electrochemical methods. Amorphous silicon was found to form rapidly from the very initial stages of ball milling. Simultaneously, the grain size of the crystalline silicon phase decreased.

High Energy Density Large Particle LiFePO.

To improve the energy density of LiFePO (LFP) cathode materials for Li-ion cells, we have utilized a modified mechanofusion method for preparing micrometer-sized LFP/C composite flake particles. The resulting flake particle morphology resulted in improved packing efficiency, enabling an electrode porosity of 14% to be achieved at high loadings, which represents a volumetric energy density increase of 28% compared to conventional LFP. Furthermore, LFP/C flake composites electrodes were found to have a higher coulombic efficiency, a reduced voltage-polarization, and a greatly reduced charge transfer resistance compared to conventional LFP electrodes.

New Insights into the All-Dry Synthesis of NMC622 Cathodes Using a Single-Phase Rock Salt Oxide Precursor.

In this study, new insights into the all-dry synthesis of the LiNiMnCoO (NMC622) cathode using a single-phase rock-salt (RS) oxide precursor are provided. It was found that use of a larger amount of excess Li content not only can enhance the electrochemical performance of NMC made from the RS-precursor but also increase the degree of homogeneity of the NMC cathode material. XRD analysis showed that lithiation of the RS-precursor (, formation of the O3-phase) starts at a higher synthesis temperature (∼450 °C) than that is required when using a hydroxide precursor (HP) and lithium carbonate (∼350 °C).

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in Croatia-Rapid Detection of the First Case and Cross-Border Spread.

Background: Due to rapid spread, the Omicron variant has become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant responsible for infections worldwide. We present the first detection of the Omicron variant in Croatia which resulted in rapid cross-border spreading.

Methods: Whole-genome sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiniSeq sequencing system.