Directing SEI formation on Si-based electrodes using atomic layer deposition.

The design of artificial solid eletroctrolyte interphase is an important task to minimize capacity losses in Li-ion batteries. Herein, TiO created through atomic layer deposition was used as an artificial SEI on Si nanoparticles. Such coating led to substantial improvement of cycling stability when evaluated with FEC-free electrolyte.

Improved electrochemical performance and solid electrolyte interphase properties of electrolytes based on lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide for high content silicon anodes.

Electrodes containing 60 wt% micron-sized silicon were investigated with electrolytes containing carbonate solvents and either LiPF or lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) salt. The electrodes showed improved performance, with respect to capacity, cycling stability, rate performance, electrode resistance and cycle life with the LiFSI salt, attributed to differences in the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Through impedance spectroscopy, cross sectional analysis using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and focused ion beam (FIB) in combination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrode surface characterization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), differences in electrode morphological changes, SEI composition and local distribution of SEI components were investigated.

Stoichiometry-Controlled Reversible Lithiation Capacity in Nanostructured Silicon Nitrides Enabled by Conversion Reaction.

In modern Li-based batteries, alloying anode materials have the potential to drastically improve the volumetric and specific energy storage capacity. For the past decade silicon has been viewed as a "Holy Grail" among these materials; however, severe stability issues limit its potential. Herein, we present amorphous substoichiometric silicon nitride (SiN) as a convertible anode material, which allows overcoming the stability challenges associated with common alloying materials.

Pre-hospital critical care management of severe hypoxemia in victims of Covid-19: a case series.

Objective: Despite critical hypoxemia, Covid-19 patients may present without proportional signs of respiratory distress. We report three patients with critical respiratory failure due to Covid-19, in which all presented with severe hypoxemia refractory to supplemental oxygen therapy. We discuss possible strategies for ventilatory support in the emergency pre-hospital setting, and point out some pitfalls regarding the management of these patients.

Morphology engineering of silicon nanoparticles for better performance in Li-ion battery anodes.

Amorphous silicon nanoparticles were synthesized through pyrolysis of silane gas at temperatures ranging from 575 to 675 °C. According to the used temperature and silane concentration, two distinct types of particles can be obtained: at 625 °C, spherical particles with smooth surface and a low degree of aggregation, but at a higher temperature (650 °C) and lower silane concentration, particles with extremely rough surfaces and high degree of aggregation are found. This demonstrates the importance of the synthesis temperature on the morphology of silicon particles.

Anodes for Li-ion batteries prepared from microcrystalline silicon and enabled by binder's chemistry and pseudo-self-healing.

Silicon, while suffering from major degradation issues, has been recognized as a next promising material to replace currently used graphite in the anodes of Li-ion batteries. Several pathways to mitigate the capacity fading of silicon has been proposed, including optimization of the electrode composition. Within the present work we evaluated different binder formulations to improve the long-term performance of the Li-ion batteries' anodes based on industrial grade silicon (Si) which is typically characterized by a particle sizes ranging from 100 nm to 5.

Comparative study of the implementation of tin and titanium oxide nanoparticles as electrodes materials in Li-ion batteries.

Transition metal oxides potentially present higher specific capacities than the current anodes based on carbon, providing an increasing energy density as compared to commercial Li-ion batteries. However, many parameters could influence the performance of the batteries, which depend on the processing of the electrode materials leading to different surface properties, sizes or crystalline phases. In this work a comparative study of tin and titanium oxide nanoparticles synthesized by different methods, undoped or Li doped, used as single components or in mixed ratio, or alternatively forming a composite with graphene oxide have been tested demonstrating an enhancement in capacity with Li doping and better cyclability for mixed phases and composite anodes.

Silicon-Carbon composite anodes from industrial battery grade silicon.

In this work, silicon/carbon composites for anode electrodes of Li-ion batteries are prepared from Elkem's Silgrain® line. Gentle ball milling is used to reduce particle size of Silgrain, and the resulting Si powder consists of micrometic Si with some impurities. Silicon/carbon composite with CMC/SBR as a dual binder can achieve more than 1200 cycles with a capacity of 1000 mAh g of Si.

Substoichiometric Silicon Nitride - An Anode Material for Li-ion Batteries Promising High Stability and High Capacity.

Silicon is often regarded as a likely candidate to replace graphite as the main active anode material in next-generation lithium ion batteries; however, a number of problems impacting its cycle stability have limited its commercial relevance. One approach to solving these issues involves the use of convertible silicon sub-oxides. In this work we have investigated amorphous silicon sub-nitride as an alternative convertible silicon compound by comparing the electrochemical performance of a-SiN thin films with compositions ranging from pure Si to SiN.

Evaluating different breast tumor progression models using screening data.

Background: Mammography screening is used to detect breast cancer at an early treatable stage, reducing breast cancer mortality. Traditionally, breast cancer has been seen as a disease with only progressive lesions, and here we examine the validity of this assumption by testing if incidence levels after introducing mammography screening can be reproduced assuming only progressive tumors.

Methods: Breast cancer incidence data 1990-2009 obtained from the initially screened Norwegian counties (Akershus, Oslo, Rogaland and Hordaland) was included, covering the time-period before, during and after the introduction of mammography screening.

Long-term Cyclability of Substoichiometric Silicon Nitride Thin Film Anodes for Li-ion Batteries.

Silicon has been the subject of an extensive research effort aimed at developing new anode materials for lithium ion batteries due to its large specific and volumetric capacity. However, commercial use is limited by a number of degradation problems, many of which are related to the large volume change the material undergoes during cycling in combination with limited lithium-diffusivity. Silicon rich silicon oxides (SiO), which converts into active silicon and inactive lithium oxide during the initial lithiation, have attracted some attention as a possible solution to these issues.

Bias in Observational Studies of the Association between Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer.

Background: During the period 1985-2000 the breast cancer incidence rates increased 50% in the age group invited to mammography screening in Norway and Sweden. Simultaneously, use of hormone replacement treatment therapy (HT) increased 5 times. Several influential observational studies showed that HT was associated with 50% to 100% increased risk of breast cancer and most for those using combined (estrogen plus progestin) hormone replacement therapy (CHT).

Apolipoprotein E allelotype is associated with neuropathological findings in Alzheimer's disease.

In a consecutive hospital-based autopsy series, we examined the relationship between apolipoprotein E (apoE) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and investigated the clinicopathological relationship in AD. The study population included 99 patients (mean age 81 years) with AD-related neuropathological findings at death, of whom 83 were diagnosed with AD according to the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) classification, and a control group of patients without neurodegenerative disease (n = 1429). The patients were apoE genotyped and the density of β-amyloid senile plaques, neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles was estimated in the cortex and hippocampus.

Staphylococcal α-hemolysin is neurotoxic and causes lysis of brain cells in vivo and in vitro.

Formation of a bacterial brain abscess entails loss of brain cells and formation of pus. The mechanisms behind the cell loss are not fully understood. Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of brain abscesses, produces various exotoxins, including α-hemolysin, which is an important factor in brain abscess formation.

Breast cancer stromal elastosis is associated with mammography screening detection, low Ki67 expression and favourable prognosis in a population-based study.

Background: Mammography screen-detected breast cancers have a better prognosis than predicted from established prognostic markers. A search for additional features that are characteristic for these tumours and their prognosis is needed to reduce overtreatment, a recognized challenge in breast cancer patient management today. Here, we have investigated the occurrence and importance of tumour elastosis.

Brain infection with Staphylococcus aureus leads to high extracellular levels of glutamate, aspartate, γ-aminobutyric acid, and zinc.

Staphylococcal brain infections may cause mental deterioration and epileptic seizures, suggesting interference with normal neurotransmission in the brain. We injected Staphylococcus aureus into rat striatum and found an initial 76% reduction in the extracellular level of glutamate as detected by microdialysis at 2 hr after staphylococcal infection. At 8 hr after staphylococcal infection, however, the extracellular level of glutamate had increased 12-fold, and at 20 hr it had increased >30-fold.

Loss of lysosomal membrane protein NCU-G1 in mice results in spontaneous liver fibrosis with accumulation of lipofuscin and iron in Kupffer cells.

Human kidney predominant protein, NCU-G1, is a highly conserved protein with an unknown biological function. Initially described as a nuclear protein, it was later shown to be a bona fide lysosomal integral membrane protein. To gain insight into the physiological function of NCU-G1, mice with no detectable expression of this gene were created using a gene-trap strategy, and Ncu-g1(gt/gt) mice were successfully characterized.

Postmortem heart weight: relation to body size and effects of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Background: Gender, body weight, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are all variables known to influence human heart weight. The impact of cancer is less studied, and the influence of age is not unequivocal. We aimed to describe the relationship between body size and heart weight in a large autopsy cohort and to compare heart weight in patients with cancer, CVD, and other diseases.

Unaltered lactate and glucose transporter levels in the MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Background: Metabolic impairment contributes to development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in degeneration of nigral dopamine neurons. Also, in PD there are alterations in glucose metabolism in nigro-striatal pathways, and increased cerebral lactate levels have been found.

Hormone therapy use and breast cancer incidence by histological subtypes in Sweden and Norway.

Mammography screening and postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) both influence breast cancer incidence. While breast cancer incidence increased by around 50% during the introduction of screening, a smaller decline in incidence has been reported in several countries after 2002 when the sales of HT started to decline. Data suggest that HT increases the risk of the second most common type of breast cancer, invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) but not the most common, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC).

The apolipoprotein E polymorphism and cardiovascular diseases--an autopsy study.

Background: Numerous studies have addressed the association between the apolipoprotein E polymorphism and cardiovascular disease, but only a few reports are based on findings at autopsy. In the present retrospective study, we have used autopsy findings from a general hospital population to further investigate this issue.

Methods And Results: We collected information from 1522 consecutive autopsy reports (886 men, mean age 65.

Overdiagnosis of breast cancer after 14 years of mammography screening.

Background: In 2004 we wrote in Tidsskriftet that mammography screening resulted in massive over-diagnosis and over-treatment of breast cancer. Our study was criticised because we had only five years of follow-up time and did not take account of the fact that increased use of hormone replacement therapy could lead to more breast cancer. We have now been screening women for 14 years, and during a period when the use of hormones has fallen by 70 %.

The value of autopsies for determining the cause of death.

Background: Death certificates are the only source of information on the underlying cause of death in more than 90 % of cases. Supplementary information is available for only a small proportion of them, as a rule from a medical or forensic autopsy. We wished to investigate how frequently the findings of medical autopsies influence determination of the underlying cause of death.