Direct Precursor Route for the Fabrication of LLZO Composite Cathodes for Solid-State Batteries.

Solid-state batteries based on LiLaZrO (LLZO) garnet electrolyte are a robust and safe alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, the large-scale implementation of ceramic composite cathodes is still challenging due to a complex multistep manufacturing process. A new one-step route for the direct synthesis of LLZO during the manufacturing of LLZO/LiCoO (LCO) composite cathodes based on cheap precursors and utilizing the industrially established tape casting process is presented.

Enabling High-Performance Hybrid Solid-State Batteries by Improving the Microstructure of Free-Standing LATP/LFP Composite Cathodes.

The phosphate lithium-ion conductor LiAlTi(PO) (LATP) is an economically attractive solid electrolyte for the fabrication of safe and robust solid-state batteries, but high sintering temperatures pose a material engineering challenge for the fabrication of cell components. In particular, the high surface roughness of composite cathodes resulting from enhanced crystal growth is detrimental to their integration into cells with practical energy density. In this work, we demonstrate that efficient free-standing ceramic cathodes of LATP and LiFePO (LFP) can be produced by using a scalable tape casting process.

Bare Eye Detection of Bacterial Enzymes of with Polymer Modified Nanoporous Silicon Rugate Filters.

The fabrication, characterization and application of a nanoporous Silicon Rugate Filter (pSiRF) loaded with an enzymatically degradable polymer is reported as a bare eye detection optical sensor for enzymes of pathogenic bacteria, which is devoid of any dyes. The nanopores of pSiRF were filled with poly(lactic acid) (PLA), which, upon enzymatic degradation, resulted in a change in the effective refractive index of the pSiRF film, leading to a readily discernible color change of the sensor. The shifts in the characteristic fringe patterns before and after the enzymatic reaction were analyzed quantitatively by Reflectometric Interference Spectroscopy (RIfS) to estimate the apparent kinetics and its dependence on enzyme concentration.

Biomarkers of endothelial activation/dysfunction distinguish sub-groups of Ugandan patients with sepsis and differing mortality risks.

Background: Sepsis is a complex clinical syndrome with substantial heterogeneity. We sought to identify patterns of serum biomarkers of endothelial activation and dysfunction in individuals with sepsis and evaluate subgroup-specific differences in mortality.

Methods: Adult patients with sepsis (n=426) were consecutively recruited from two hospitals in Uganda.

Rising rates of injection drug use associated infective endocarditis in Virginia with missed opportunities for addiction treatment referral: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Injection drug use (IDU) is a growing public health threat in Virginia, though there is limited knowledge of related morbidity. The purpose of this study was to describe the temporal, geographic and clinical trends and characteristics of infective endocarditis associated with IDU (IDU-IE) and to identify opportunities for better-quality care of people who inject drugs (PWID).

Methods: We reviewed charts for all admissions coded for both IE and drug use disorders at the University of Virginia Medical Center (UVA) from January 2000 to July 2016.

Etiology of Sepsis in Uganda Using a Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction-based TaqMan Array Card.

Background: Knowledge of causes of sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. A better understanding of the microbiology of bloodstream infections could improve outcomes.

Methods: We used a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based TaqMan Array Card (TAC) to directly test for 43 targets from whole blood.

Evidence of Archaeal Methanogens in Brain Abscess.

Background: Methanogens are antibiotic-resistant anaerobic archaea that escape routine detection in clinical microbiology. We hypothesized that methanogens are part of the anaerobic community that cause brain abscess.

Methods: Methanogens were investigated in 1 index sample using specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sequencing and culture.

2017 Infectious Diseases Society of America's Clinical Practice Guidelines for Healthcare-Associated Ventriculitis and Meningitis.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Standards and Practice Guidelines Committee collaborated with partner organizations to convene a panel of 10 experts on healthcare-associated ventriculitis and meningitis. The panel represented pediatric and adult specialists in the field of infectious diseases and represented other organizations whose members care for patients with healthcare-associated ventriculitis and meningitis (American Academy of Neurology, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and Neurocritical Care Society). The panel reviewed articles based on literature reviews, review articles and book chapters, evaluated the evidence and drafted recommendations.

Development of a TaqMan Array Card for Acute-Febrile-Illness Outbreak Investigation and Surveillance of Emerging Pathogens, Including Ebola Virus.

Acute febrile illness (AFI) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet an etiologic agent is often not identified. Convalescent-phase serology is impractical, blood culture is slow, and many pathogens are fastidious or impossible to cultivate. We developed a real-time PCR-based TaqMan array card (TAC) that can test six to eight samples within 2.

Toll-like receptor 4 stimulation before or after Streptococcus pneumoniae induced sepsis improves survival and is dependent on T-cells.

Introduction: Endotoxin tolerance improves outcomes from gram negative sepsis but the underlying mechanism is not known. We determined if endotoxin tolerance before or after pneumococcal sepsis improved survival and the role of lymphocytes in this protection.

Methods: Mice received lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or vehicle before or after a lethal dose of Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a critical mediator of the innate immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), an innate cytokine encoded in a functionally polymorphic genetic locus, contributes to detrimental inflammation but may be crucial for controlling infection. We explored the role of variant MIF alleles in tuberculosis. In a Ugandan cohort, genetic low expressers of MIF were 2.

Enrichment of HIV-1 subtype AD recombinants in a Ugandan cohort of severely septic patients.

Background: Several population-wide HIV-1 subtype distribution studies in Uganda have evaluated relatively healthy clinic patients. Given the differences in HIV-1 disease progression based on subtype, we examined HIV-1 subtype distribution and disease outcomes among hospitalized patients with severe sepsis.

Methods: Patients with severe sepsis were enrolled at two hospitals in Uganda.

The impact of early monitored management on survival in hospitalized adult Ugandan patients with severe sepsis: a prospective intervention study*.

Unlabelled: In sub-Saharan Africa, sepsis is an important cause of mortality. Optimal sepsis management including fluid resuscitation, early antibiotic administration, and patient monitoring is limited by lack of supplies and skilled health workers.

Objective: To evaluate whether early, monitored sepsis management provided by a study medical officer can improve survival among patients with severe sepsis admitted to two public hospitals in Uganda.

Molecular dissection of an outbreak of carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae reveals Intergenus KPC carbapenemase transmission through a promiscuous plasmid.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have emerged as major causes of health care-associated infections worldwide. This diverse collection of organisms with various resistance mechanisms is associated with increased lengths of hospitalization, costs of care, morbidity, and mortality. The global spread of CRE has largely been attributed to dissemination of a dominant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing a serine β-lactamase, termed K.

Hypoglycemia at admission is associated with inhospital mortality in Ugandan patients with severe sepsis.

Objective: Dysglycemia during sepsis is associated with poor outcomes in resource-rich settings. In resource-limited settings, hypoglycemia is often diagnosed clinically without the benefit of laboratory support. We studied the utility of point-of-care glucose monitoring to predict mortality in severely septic patients in Uganda.

The Infectious Diseases Institute at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, was created in 2001. This article outlines its origins, principles, clinical programs, training activities, research programs, organizational structure, leadership, and contributions to Makerere University and its College of Health Sciences.

Principles of antimicrobial therapy.

We have discussed important factors involved in choosing appropriate antimicrobial regimens for the treatment of bacterial meningitis and brain abscess to illustrate common themes relevant to the treatment of these diseases. We have limited this review to these conditions for two main reasons: (1) the principles involved in optimal antimicrobial therapy for these diseases likely apply to others CNS infections, such as viral and fungal diseases; and (2) little pharmacological information is currently available for other types of CNS infections. Many of the studies addressing the relevant pharmacological and microbiological aspects of antimicrobial therapy for CNS infections have been performed in experimental animal models and, as a result, the information derived from these studies may be different when examined in appropriate human studies.

Newer antibacterial drugs for a new century.

Importance Of The Field: Antibacterial drug discovery and development has slowed considerably in recent years, with novel classes discovered decades ago and regulatory approvals tougher to get. Traditional approaches and the newer genomic mining approaches have not yielded novel classes of antibacterial compounds. Instead, improved analogues of existing classes of antibacterial drugs have been developed by improving potency, minimizing resistance and alleviating toxicity.

Severe sepsis in two Ugandan hospitals: a prospective observational study of management and outcomes in a predominantly HIV-1 infected population.

Background: Sepsis likely contributes to the high burden of infectious disease morbidity and mortality in low income countries. Data regarding sepsis management in sub-Saharan Africa are limited. We conducted a prospective observational study reporting the management and outcomes of severely septic patients in two Ugandan hospitals.