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Thin (≤20 μm) and free-standing Li metal foils would enable precise prelithiation of anode materials and high-energy-density Li batteries. Existing Li metal foils are too thick (typically 50 to 750 μm) or too mechanically fragile for these applications. Here, we developed a facile and scalable process for the synthesis of an ultrathin (0.5 to 20 μm), free-standing and mechanically robust Li metal foil within a graphene oxide host. In addition to low areal capacities of ~0.1 to 3.7 mAh cm−2, this Li foil also has a much-improved mechanical strength over conventional pure Li metal foil. Our Li foil can improve the initial Coulombic efficiency of graphite (93%) and silicon (79.4%) anodes to around 100% without generating excessive Li residue, and increases the capacity of Li-ion full cells by 8%. The cycle life of Li metal full cells is prolonged by nine times using this thin Li composite anode. Thin Li foils are desirable for high-energy Li battery applications. Here, Cui and team devise a fabrication route for ultrathin (less than 20 μm) Li foils that show promise for improving existing anodes including silicon, graphite and metallic Li.

Maculopathy associated with optic disc pits (ODP), which sometimes causes severe visual loss, usually appears in late childhood or early adulthood. However, it has long been unclear how the disease begins to develop at these ages. We evaluated the relationship between vitreous structure and maculopathy associated with ODP. Six patients (seven eyes) with ODP were diagnosed between July 1990 and May 2013. Fundus photographs and swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) images were evaluated retrospectively, and the vitreous at the vitreoretinal interface was visualized by reconstructing three-dimensional SS-OCT images. Vitrectomy was performed in the eyes with maculopathy. Among the six patients, five had ODP in one eye each and one patient had bilateral ODP. The pits were mainly located in the temporal quadrant, and maculopathy, including retinoschisis and retinal detachment, was detected in five eyes associated only with the temporal pits. A flat retinal detachment was observed in four eyes and identified within the vascular arcade except in one eye. A posterior precortical vitreous pocket (PPVP) was observed in all eyes except in one eye without maculopathy. Reconstructing images from SS-OCT showed the vitreoretinal interface abnormalities around the optic disc and the macular area in all eyes, which was completely different from the vitreoretinal interface in the normal pediatric eye. Vitrectomy was performed in four eyes with retinal detachment to resect the abnormal vitreous traction. Posterior vitreous detachment was created in two eyes. Retinal reattachment was achieved in three eyes, and subretinal fluid receded in one eye. The visual acuity improved in all four eyes. Abnormal traction of the vitreous due to an abnormality of the vitreoretinal interface, which may be strengthened by the development of a PPVP, generates the maculopathy associated with ODP.

Electrolyte is a key material for success in the research and development of next-generation rechargeable batteries. Aluminium rechargeable batteries that use aluminium (Al) metals as anode materials are attractive candidates for next-generation batteries, though they have not been developed yet due to the lack of practically useful electrolytes. Here we present, for the first time, non-corrosive reversible Al electrolytes working at room temperature. The electrolytes are composed of aluminium chlorides, dialkylsulfones, and dilutants, which are realized by the identification of electrochemically active Al species, the study of sulfone dependences, the effects of aluminium chloride concentrations, dilutions and their optimizations. The characteristic feature of these materials is the lower chloride concentrations in the solutions than those in the conventional Al electrolytes, which allows us to use the Al metal anodes without corrosions. We anticipate that the sulfone-based electrolytes will open the doors for the research and development of Al rechargeable batteries.

We investigated retinal structure and function in eyes with optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH). Twenty-nine eyes of 18 patients with ONH and 21 eyes of 21 control patients were analyzed. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), full-field electroretinography (FF-ERG), and focal macular ERG (FM-ERG) were performed. SD-OCT analysis of the macular region showed significant ganglion cells complex (GCC) thinning nasally and temporally (P P P P P

Inorganic nanowires have diameters substantially below the wavelength of visible light and have electronic and optical properties that make them ideal for subwavelength laser and imaging technology. In this report, it will be presented that an electrode-free, continuously tunable coherent visible light source compatible with physiological environments has been developed from individual potassium niobate (KNbO3) nanowires. These wires exhibit efficient second harmonic generation, and act as frequency converters, allowing the local synthesis of a wide range of colours via sum and difference frequency generation. We use this tunable nanometric light source to implement a novel form of subwavelength microscopy, in which an infrared laser is used to optically trap and scan a nanowire over a sample, suggesting a wide range of potential applications in physics, chemistry, materials science and biology.

Magnesium organohaloaluminate in tetrahydrofuran [0.25 mol/L Mg(AlCl 2 EtBu) 2 /THF, Et:C 2 H 5 ,Bu:C 4 H 9 ] is an electrolyte solution that is able to deposit and dissolve magnesium electrochemically and reversibly at room temperature. It has been reported that the electrochemical window is ruled by Lewis acidity of the aluminum compounds involved, and some complex species formed in the electrolyte have been suggested based on the analysis of nuclear magnetic resonances and Raman spectroscopy. Because in these analytical methods there are not enough controls to identify all the included compounds, neither the complete complex structures nor the mechanism of the reversible reaction has been revealed yet. Here, we show the complete complex structures in this electrolyte directly observed by the X-ray absorption fine structure measurements, which reveal the reversible equilibrium reaction as well as the other electrochemical properties of this electrolyte.

The cadmium (Cd) contents in hair of macaques (n = 45, Macaca fuscata) living on the Shimokita Peninsula were investigated. The mean Cd contents in the hair of Japanese (n = 34, 5.01 μg/g) and macaques (3.05 μg/g) tendency to be higher than those of animals living other areas. The Cd contents of hair of wild macaques were significantly (p < 0.01) lower than that of humans, although three were no significant difference between Cd contents of humans and that of the macaque in captivity. The hair of the macaque was suggested as a useful sample for measurement of Cd contamination in the environment.

Purpose To evaluate various surgeries for treating retinal detachment (RD) associated with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR). Design Retrospective, interventional case series. Methods The charts of 22 patients who underwent surgery were reviewed. A complete ophthalmic examination was performed including wide-field fundus images with fluorescein angiography. The primary and secondary outcomes were fundus features (vascular activity of the fibrovascular proliferation and extent of tractional RD) and visual acuity (VA), respectively. Results Thirty-one eyes were included (12 eyes underwent scleral buckling, 1 scleral buckling and vitrectomy, 7 vitrectomy alone, and 11 lensectomy and vitrectomy). Twenty-six eyes were reattached during 1 surgery. Scleral buckling resulted in cessation of fibrovascular proliferation and retinal reattachment; only 1 of these eyes required vitrectomy. Lens-sparing vitrectomy resulted in stabilized fibrovascular proliferation and retinal reattachment. Vitrectomy with lensectomy did not achieve retinal reattachment in 4 eyes. Fibrovascular proliferation has a rich vascular component in patients younger than 3 years, and collagen fibers were present mainly with more advanced age. The postoperative VA improved in 5 of 8 eyes examined, was unchanged in 1 eye, and decreased in 2 eyes with macular involvement. Conclusions FEVR-induced RDs are highly variable and require careful preoperative evaluation to determine the best surgical procedure. Vitrectomy with release of posterior traction is essential in younger patients with vascularly active fibrovascular proliferation, whereas scleral buckling may be important for cases with peripheral traction anterior to the equator. In all cases, peripheral thermal treatment applied to all ischemic areas contributed to reduced peripheral neovascularization.

Magnetization curves of single crystals (La1−xSrx)2CuO4 with various Sr contents were measured. A distinct increase of magnetization with increasing applied field was observed in Sr overdoped compositions, when the magnetic field was applied perpendicular to the CuO2 plane. The field, Bpk , where magnetization showed a maximum value, was strongly dependent on temperature. Its dependence was expressed by a universal relation √Bpk = c(x)[1−T/Tc(x)] over a wide temperature range; between 4.2 K and Tc. Possible mechanisms which give rise to the observed distinct secondary peak effect are discussed.

tert-2-Butyl alcohol can be synthesized efficiently on SiO 2 –TiO 2 or Pd–C catalyst if air is directly introduced to the supercritical-phase isobutane.