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The development of silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries has been largely impeded by poor interfacial stability against liquid electrolytes. Here, we enabled the stable operation of a 99.9 weight % microsilicon anode by using the interface passivating properties of sulfide solid electrolytes. Bulk and surface characterization, and quantification of interfacial components, showed that such an approach eliminates continuous interfacial growth and irreversible lithium losses. Microsilicon full cells were assembled and found to achieve high areal current density, wide operating temperature range, and high areal loadings for the different cells. The promising performance can be attributed to both the desirable interfacial property between microsilicon and sulfide electrolytes and the distinctive chemomechanical behavior of the lithium-silicon alloy.

The development of silicon anodes to replace conventional graphite in effortsto increase energy densities of lithium-ion batteries has been largely impededby poor interfacial stability against liquid electrolytes. Here, stableoperation of 99.9 weight% micro-Si (uSi) anode is enabled by utilizing theinterface passivating properties of sulfide based solid-electrolytes. Bulk tosurface characterization, as well as quantification of interfacial componentsshowed that such an approach eliminates continuous interfacial growth andirreversible lithium losses. In uSi || layered-oxide full cells, high currentdensities at room temperature (5 mA cm 2), wide operating temperature(-20{\deg}C to 80{\deg}C) and high loadings (>11 mAh cm-2) were demonstratedfor both charge and discharge operations. The promising battery performance canbe attributed to both the desirable interfacial property between uSi andsulfide electrolytes, as well as the unique chemo-mechanical behavior of theLi-Si alloys.

The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in several changes worldwide. In particular, border closures and economic stagnation have significantly affected societies. Although the implementation of preventive measures has improved the pandemic scenario in several countries, the effectiveness of vaccines has decreased with the emergence of mutant viruses. With this background, the use of masks is considered the best method for preventing the spread of the virus. Notably, public transportation is closely related to socioeconomic activities, and the spread of infectious diseases is more likely in these closed, dense and congested areas. Moreover, the probability of infection during public transportation also depends on the proportion of commuters wearing masks. Based on the closed-circuit television footage of various public transportation spaces, the number of mask wearers can be analysed using artificial intelligence deep learning, and the probability of COVID-19 spread can be predicted by determining the proportion of mask wearers among the commuters. In this study, the importance of masks in controlling the spread of the virus is confirmed. In conclusion, appropriate measures can be implemented by determining the probability of infection according to the mask-wearing rate in public transportation spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid‐phase synthesis of monoprotected poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) diamine is demonstrated. 2‐Chlorotrityl chloride (2‐CTC) resin was used as a solid support for inducing monofunctionalization using excess PEG diamine. Fmoc‐monoprotected PEG was prepared from 2‐CTC resin and fully characterized by high‐performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. We envision that this strategy will provide an efficient method of preparing various kinds of heterobifunctional PEG molecules without a need for further purification steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute bronchiolitis is a common cause of hospitalization during infancy that carries significant morbidity and mortality rates., Purpose: This study compared the efficacy of different treatment modalities for infants with bronchiolitis in terms of hospital stay and clinical severity scores., Methods: The PubMed database was searched for relevant studies. Eligibility criteria included double-blind randomized controlled trial design, assessment of the effect of treatment on bronchiolitis in infants under 2 years of age, and publication in English from inception through July 31, 2020. The primary efficacy outcome was the length of hospital stay, while the secondary outcome was the clinical severity score. The standardized treatment effect and standard error of the effect size were calculated., Results: We identified 45 randomized controlled trials of 24 pairwise comparisons. These 45 trials included 5,061 participants and investigated 13 types of interventions (12 active, 1 placebo). Inhalation therapy with epinephrine (standard mean difference [SMD], -0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.8 to -0.03) and hypertonic saline (SMD, -0.29; 95% CI, -0.55 to -0.03) reduced the length of hospital stay compared with normal saline. Hypertonic saline was the most effective at improving the clinical severity score (SMD, -0.52; 95% CI, -0.95 to -0.10)., Conclusion: Inhalation therapy with epinephrine and hypertonic saline reduced the length of hospital stay and the clinical severity of bronchiolitis among infants under 2 years of age.