Structural insights into the formation and voltage degradation of lithium- and manganese-rich layered oxides.

One major challenge in the field of lithium-ion batteries is to understand the degradation mechanism of high-energy lithium- and manganese-rich layered cathode materials. Although they can deliver 30 % excess capacity compared with today's commercially- used cathodes, the so-called voltage decay has been restricting their practical application. In order to unravel the nature of this phenomenon, we have investigated systematically the structural and compositional dependence of manganese-rich lithium insertion compounds on the lithium content provided during synthesis.

Virtual Reality-Based Evaluation of Surgical Planning and Outcome of Monosegmental, Unilateral Cervical Foraminal Stenosis.

Background: Foraminal cervical nerve root compression can be caused by lateral disk herniation or osteophyte formation of the vertebrae. Improved diagnosis and evaluation can be achieved using different imaging techniques: radiographs, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging. We retrospectively evaluated the potential influence of a virtual reality (VR) visualization technique on surgery planning and evaluation of postoperative results in patients with monosegmental, unilateral osseous cervical neuroforaminal stenosis.

Endoscopic management of a low-grade thalamic glioma: a safe alternative to open microsurgery?

Background: Despite considerable advances in preoperative and intraoperative imaging and neuronavigation, resection of thalamic gliomas remains challenging. Although both endoscopic biopsy and third ventriculostomy (ETV) for the treatment of secondary hydrocephalus are commonly performed, endoscopic resection of thalamic gliomas has been very sparsely described.

Method: We report and illustrate the surgical procedure and patient's outcome after full endoscopic resection of a thalamic glioma and to discuss this approach as an alternative to open microsurgery.

Experimental and theoretical double differential cross sections for electron impact ionization of methane.

Experimental and theoretical double differential cross sections (DDCSs) for electron-induced ionization of methane (CH4) are here reported for primary energies ranging from 50 eV to 350 eV and ejection angles between 25° and 130°. Experimental DDCSs are compared with theoretical predictions performed within the first Born approximation Coulomb wave. In this model, the initial molecular state is described by using single center wave functions, the incident (scattered) electron being described by a plane wave, while a Coulomb wave function is used for modeling the secondary ejected electron.

Herbal infusions of black seed and wheat germ oil: Their chemical profiles, in vitro bio-investigations and effective formulations as Phyto-Nanoemulsions.

The reported studies related to black seed oil (BSO) and wheat germ oil (WGO) have illustrated that they have a wide range of biological activities. Therefore, enhancing the amount of bio-active compounds that caused higher cell based anti-oxidative effect as well as cell proliferation, etc. in seed oils, infusion of crude plant material has been gained importance as a traditional technique.

Li(+) intercalation in isostructural Li2VO3 and Li2VO2F with O(2-) and mixed O(2-)/F(-) anions.

Mixed-anion materials for Li-ion batteries have been attracting attention in view of their tunable electrochemical properties. Herein, we compare two isostructural (Fm3̅m) model intercalation materials Li2VO3 and Li2VO2F with O(2-) and mixed O(2-)/F(-) anions, respectively. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function data confirm large structural similarity over long-range and at the atomic scale for these materials.

Nanoscale spinel LiFeTiO4 for intercalation pseudocapacitive Li(+) storage.

Intercalation pseudocapacitive Li(+) storage has been recognized recently in metal oxide materials, wherein Li(+) intercalation into the lattice is not solid-state diffusion-limited. This may bridge the performance gap between electrochemical capacitors and battery materials. To date, only a few materials with desired crystal structure and with well-defined nanoarchitectures have been found to exhibit such attractive behaviour.

Ruthenium (II) complexes of thiosemicarbazone: synthesis, biosensor applications and evaluation as antimicrobial agents.

A conformationally rigid half-sandwich organoruthenium (II) complex [(η(6)-p-cymene)RuClTSC(N-S)]Cl, (1) and carbonyl complex [Ru(CO)Cl(PPh3)2TSC(N-S)] (2) have been synthesized from the reaction of [{(η(6)-p-cymene)RuCl}2(μ-Cl)2] and [Ru(H)(Cl)(CO)(PPh3)3] with thiophene-2-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazon (TSC) respectively and both novel ruthenium (II) complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy. The peripheral TSC in the complexes acts as an electrochemical coupling unit providing the ability to carry out electrochemical deposition (ED) and to form an electro-deposited film on a graphite electrode surface. The biosensing applicability of complexes 1 and 2 was investigated by using glucose oxidase (GOx) as a model enzyme.

Bio-active nanoemulsions enriched with gold nanoparticle, marigold extracts and lipoic acid: In vitro investigations.

A novel and efficient approach for the preparation of enriched herbal formulations was described and their potential applications including wound healing and antioxidant activity (cell based and cell free) were investigated via in vitro cell culture studies. Nigella sativa oil was enriched with Calendula officinalis extract and lipoic acid capped gold nanoparticles (AuNP-LA) using nanoemulsion systems. The combination of these bio-active compounds was used to design oil in water (O/W) and water in oil (W/O) emulsions.

Preparation and use of poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) cryogels containing L-histidine for β-casein adsorption.

The objective of this study was to determine β-casein adsorption by using supermacroporous poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl-(l)-histidine methyl ester) [p(HEMA-MAH)] cryogel. β-Casein adsorption properties of p(HEMA-MAH) cryogel were studied for the application of β-casein purification. The cryogel was produced by free radical polymerization initiated by N,N,N',N'-tetramethylene diamine and ammonium persulfate pairs in an ice bath.

Comparison of the effects of maternal protein malnutrition and intrauterine growth restriction on redox state of central nervous system in offspring rats.

Both maternal protein malnutrition and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) have deleterious effects on brain development, but a comparison of these effects has not been previously reported. The objectives of this study were to investigate and compare the effects of both factors on the oxidative status of the central nervous system (CNS), including the spinal cord, in offspring rats. We evaluated various parameters of oxidative status and antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase (CAT) in different regions of the CNS from 60-day-old rats subjected to prenatal and postnatal protein restrictions [middle protein restriction 12%, severe protein restriction (SPR) 4%] or IUGR produced by uterine artery ligation.

Antimicrobial activity of the resins obtained from the roots and stems of Cedrus libani and Abies cilicica.

The antimicrobial activity of the ethanol extract of resins obtained from the roots and stems of Cedrus libani and Abies cilicica was investigated using a disc diffusion method. Results revealed that crude extracts of the resins of both plants are highly effective against tested microorganisms by preventing their growth to a greater extent.