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Abstract The aim of this project was to evaluate the Cozart® RapiScan Oral fluid Drug Testing System as an on-site screening tool for vitreous humor samples collected during post-mortem examinations. [...]

Several clinical forms of mucormycosis are recognized. The tendency of mucoraceous zygomycetes to invade the blood vessels often produces a disseminated infection. A case of a disseminated mucormycosis complicated by a haemophagocytic syndrome (HS) in a 32-year-old Caucasian male is reported in this article. Few cases of infection-associated HS (IAHS), involving infections caused by fungi, have been reported. In all the recorded cases, the fungal infection coexists with malignant lymphoma, immunodeficiency and a long-term steroid therapy for renal transplant or Crohn's disease. This is the second described case of the HS due to mucormycosis.

Polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVdF) and polyethyleneoxide (PEO) are blended and electrospun in order to obtain membranes suitable as Li-ion battery separators. The separators are characterized, and their properties investigated and compared with those of PVdF and commercial separators. The PVdF-PEO based separators ensure increased conductivities, greater electrolyte uptake and higher porosities than commercial polyolefines, all factors that improve cell performance. They are also safer than PVdF separators thanks to lower shutdown temperature, even if their mechanical properties are not yet comparable with those of the latter.

Innovative separators able to improve the performance and safety of Li-ion batteries are under investigation to meet the growing demand for large-size and high energy density electrochemical cells. In this work, highly porous nanofibrous Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF) separators loaded with oxide nanoparticles were produced by electrospinning. Silicon oxide and tin oxide nanoparticles were added to PVdF and membranes were characterized by SEM-EDS and TGA. The effect of nanoparticle addition on electrolyte uptake, mechanical properties and conductivity was investigated and such properties were compared to those of a commercial separator (Celgard 2400). Results showed that a small amount of additive can significantly improve the properties of PVdF electrospun membranes and that the different nanoparticles investigated in this work have different effect on membrane performances. In particular, the addition of SiO2increases the rate of electrolyte uptake and the toughness of the electrospun membrane, while the addition of SnO2decreases the rate of electrolyte uptake and increases the stiffness of the electrospun membrane. When loaded with nanoparticles, PVdF membranes maintain their insulating character also at high temperature. Preliminary electrochemical results on half-cell vs Li with LiFePO4and electrospun separators showed good cycling performance, highlighting interesting features of this technology.

We investigated the electrochemical properties of composite cathodes obtained by mixing LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4(LNMO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and carbon black (C65). Electrochemical electrode characterization was carried out in ethylene carbonate: dimethyl carbonate and 1 M LiPF6by galvanostatic charge/discharge cycles up to 4.8 V vs. Li+/Li and impedance spectroscopy. We demonstrate that RGO improves the electrode/electrolyte interface stability at high potentials and, consequently, the cycling stability of LNMO cathodes in the presence of C65 with 92% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1 C. The reciprocal effect of RGO and C65 is also beneficial for rate capability, which retained a specific capacity of 75 mAh g−1at 10 C. The electric contact between particles is promoted by C65′s conductive percolating network; RGO enhances the electrical conductivity of the composite electrode and hinders undesirable reactions between LNMO and the electrolyte. Despite RGO's lower electronic resistivity with respect to C65, the addition of RGO alone to LNMO is not sufficient to assure good performance. The mixing procedure without C65 promotes the agglomeration of graphene nanosheets rather than their distribution among LNMO particles and aggregates, limiting the electron and Li+transport in the cathode material.