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Lithium‐sulfur batteries (LSBs) have recently gained extensive attention due to their high energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, serious shuttle effect and uncontrolled growth of lithium dendrites restrict them from further commercial applications. As "the third electrode", functional separators are of equal significance as both anodes and cathodes in LSBs. The challenges mentioned above are effectively addressed with rational design and optimization in separators, thereby enhancing their reversible capacities and cycle stability. The review discusses the status/operation mechanism of functional separators, then primarily focuses on recent research progress in versatile separators with purposeful modifications for LSBs, and summarizes the methods and characteristics of separator modification, including heterojunction engineering, single atoms, quantum dots, and defect engineering. From the perspective of the anodes, distinct methods to inhibit the growth of lithium dendrites by modifying the separator are discussed. Modifying the separators with flame retardant materials or choosing a solid electrolyte is expected to improve the safety of LSBs. Besides, in‐situ techniques and theoretical simulation calculations are proposed to advance LSBs. Finally, future challenges and prospects of separator modifications for next‐generation LSBs are highlighted. We believe that the review will be enormously essential to the practical development of advanced LSBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The reporting of adverse events (AEs) relating to medical devices is a long-standing area of concern, with suboptimal reporting due to a range of factors including a failure to recognize the association of AEs with medical devices, lack of knowledge of how to report AEs, and a general culture of nonreporting. The introduction of artificial intelligence as a medical device (AIaMD) requires a robust safety monitoring environment that recognizes both generic risks of a medical device and some of the increasingly recognized risks of AIaMD (such as algorithmic bias). There is an urgent need to understand the limitations of current AE reporting systems and explore potential mechanisms for how AEs could be detected, attributed, and reported with a view to improving the early detection of safety signals. Objective: The systematic review outlined in this protocol aims to yield insights into the frequency and severity of AEs while characterizing the events using existing regulatory guidance. Methods: Publicly accessible AE databases will be searched to identify AE reports for AIaMD. Scoping searches have identified 3 regulatory territories for which public access to AE reports is provided: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. AEs will be included for analysis if an artificial intelligence (AI) medical device is involved. Software as a medical device without AI is not within the scope of this review. Data extraction will be conducted using a data extraction tool designed for this review and will be done independently by AUK and a second reviewer. Descriptive analysis will be conducted to identify the types of AEs being reported, and their frequency, for different types of AIaMD. AEs will be analyzed and characterized according to existing regulatory guidance. Results: Scoping searches are being conducted with screening to begin in April 2024. Data extraction and synthesis will commence in May 2024, with planned completion by August 2024. The review will highlight the types of AEs being reported for different types of AI medical devices and where the gaps are. It is anticipated that there will be particularly low rates of reporting for indirect harms associated with AIaMD. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this will be the first systematic review of 3 different regulatory sources reporting AEs associated with AIaMD. The review will focus on real-world evidence, which brings certain limitations, compounded by the opacity of regulatory databases generally. The review will outline the characteristics and frequency of AEs reported for AIaMD and help regulators and policy makers to continue developing robust safety monitoring processes. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/48156 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐energy‐density‐batteries working at a wide‐temperature range are urgently required in many performance‐critical areas. Lithium‐sulfur batteries (LSB) are promising high‐energy‐density batteries that have the potential to maintain high performance at extreme temperatures. However, some problems like severe shuttling and safety issues at high temperatures or sluggish reaction kinetics and charge‐transfer process at low temperatures decrease the performance and hinder their practical uses in extreme temperature conditions. Therefore, broadening the working temperature of LSB with stable electrochemical performance becomes a crucial topic. In this paper, the key stumbling blocks for high and low‐temperature LSB are comprehensively discussed. The solutions from the aspects of electrolyte and electrode materials are discussed to solve the aggravating shuttle effect and thermal safety issues under high temperature and the sluggish reaction kinetics under low temperature. Moreover, some specific promising solutions to extend the operating temperature range of LSB are also proposed and highlighted, which provide potential research directions on the practical LSB application in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive test system for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is designed and developed for monitoring and controlling the inlet and outlet parameters and safety issues of fuel cells. The data acquisition and output instruction rely on the connection between PLC (programmable logic controller) and OPC (object linking and embedding for process control). Based on Siemens S7-200 series PLC and PID (proportion integration differentiation) technology, the margin of error in relative humidity of inlet air is controlled at less than 0.7%. Furthermore, a hydrogen recycling system and an alarm module are introduced, considering the hydrogen or nitrogen solenoid valve power failure, cooling fan power failure, temperature anomaly, and hydrogen leakage. This developed test system is evaluated by the experimental investigation of PEMFC performance. The results show that the test system has very good test and control performances. At a cell temperature of 40 °C, enhanced performance in the polarization tests is depicted at a high humidification temperature of 60 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate in vitro the probiotic potential of three yeasts strains (BB06, OBT05, and MT07) isolated from agro-food natural sources. Screening was performed, including several functional, technological, and safety aspects of the yeast strains, in comparison to a reference Saccharomyces boulardii, to identify the ones with suitable probiotic attributes in aquaculture. The yeast strains were identified by 5.8S rDNA-ITS region sequencing as Metschnikowia pulcherrima OBT05, Saccharomyces cerevisiae BB06, and Torulaspora delbrueckii MT07. All yeast strains were tolerant to different temperatures, sodium chloride concentrations, and wide pH ranges. S. cerevisiae BB06 showed a strong and broad antagonistic activity. Moreover, the S. cerevisiae strain exhibited a high auto-aggregation ability (92.08 ± 1.49%) and good surface hydrophobicity to hexane as a solvent (53.43%). All of the yeast strains have excellent antioxidant properties (>55%). The high survival rate in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) can promote yeast isolates as probiotics. All yeast strains presented a resistance pattern to the antibacterial antibiotics. Non-hemolytic activity was detected. Furthermore, freeze-drying with cryoprotective agents maintained a high survival rate of yeast strains, in the range of 74.95–97.85%. According to the results obtained, the S. cerevisiae BB06 strain was found to have valuable probiotic traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), causing up to 100% mortality in neonatal pigs, is a highly contagious enteric disease caused by PED virus (PEDV). The highly virulent genogroup 2 (G2) PEDV emerged in 2010 and has caused huge economic losses to the pork industry globally. It was first reported in the US in 2013, caused country-wide outbreaks, and posed tremendous hardship for many pork producers in 2013–2014. Vaccination of pregnant sows/gilts with live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) is the most effective strategy to induce lactogenic immunity in the sows/gilts and provide a passive protection via the colostrum and milk to suckling piglets against PED. However, there are still no safe and effective vaccines available after about one decade of endeavor. One of the biggest concerns is the potential reversion to virulence of an LAV in the field. In this review, we summarize the status and the major obstacles in PEDV LAV development. We also discuss the function of the transcriptional regulatory sequences in PEDV transcription, contributing to recombination, and possible strategies to prevent the reversion of LAVs. This article provides insights into the rational design of a promising LAV without safety issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate in vitro the probiotic potential of three yeasts strains (BB06, OBT05, and MT07) isolated from agro-food natural sources. Screening was performed, including several functional, technological, and safety aspects of the yeast strains, in comparison to a reference Saccharomyces boulardii, to identify the ones with suitable probiotic attributes in aquaculture. The yeast strains were identified by 5.8S rDNA-ITS region sequencing as Metschnikowia pulcherrima OBT05, Saccharomyces cerevisiae BB06, and Torulaspora delbrueckii MT07. All yeast strains were tolerant to different temperatures, sodium chloride concentrations, and wide pH ranges. S. cerevisiae BB06 showed a strong and broad antagonistic activity. Moreover, the S. cerevisiae strain exhibited a high auto-aggregation ability (92.08 ± 1.49%) and good surface hydrophobicity to hexane as a solvent (53.43%). All of the yeast strains have excellent antioxidant properties (>55%). The high survival rate in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) can promote yeast isolates as probiotics. All yeast strains presented a resistance pattern to the antibacterial antibiotics. Non-hemolytic activity was detected. Furthermore, freeze-drying with cryoprotective agents maintained a high survival rate of yeast strains, in the range of 74.95–97.85%. According to the results obtained, the S. cerevisiae BB06 strain was found to have valuable probiotic traits.

BackgroundThe prophylactic vaccination of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is the first large-scale application of this kind in the human world. Over 1.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the US until December 2020, and around 0.2% submitted AE reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). This study aimed to evaluate the AEs following immunization (AEFIs) and analyze the potential associations based on the information from the VAERS database.MethodsWe searched the VAERS database recorded AEFIs after COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020. After data mapping, we summarized demographic and clinical features of reported cases. Fisher exact test was used to comparing the clinical characteristics among AE groups with an anaphylactic response, concerning neurological disorders and death.ResultsVAERS reported 3,908 AEFIs of COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020. Most (79.68%) were reported after the first dose of the vaccine. Among the reported cases, we found that general disorders (48.80%), nervous system disorders (46.39%), and gastrointestinal disorders (25.54%) were the most common AEFIs. The allergy history was more frequent in vaccine recipients with anaphylactic reactions than those without (64.91% vs. 49.62%, OR = 1.88, P

Background: The prophylactic vaccination of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is the first large-scale application of this kind in the human world. Over 1.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the US until December 2020, and around 0.2% submitted AE reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). This study aimed to evaluate the AEs following immunization (AEFIs) and analyze the potential associations based on the information from the VAERS database. Methods: We searched the VAERS database recorded AEFIs after COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020. After data mapping, we summarized demographic and clinical features of reported cases. Fisher exact test was used to comparing the clinical characteristics among AE groups with an anaphylactic response, concerning neurological disorders and death. Results: VAERS reported 3,908 AEFIs of COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020. Most (79.68%) were reported after the first dose of the vaccine. Among the reported cases, we found that general disorders (48.80%), nervous system disorders (46.39%), and gastrointestinal disorders (25.54%) were the most common AEFIs. The allergy history was more frequent in vaccine recipients with anaphylactic reactions than those without (64.91% vs. 49.62%, OR = 1.88, P <0.017). History of anxiety or depression was more common in subjects reporting severe neurological AEFIs than those reporting other AEFIs (18.37% vs. 7.85%, OR = 2.64, P <0.017). Cases reporting death were significantly older (79.36 ± 10.41-year-old vs. 42.64 ± 12.55-year-old, P <0.01 , 95% CI 29.30–44.15) and more likely experienced hypertension (50.00% vs. 11.42%, OR = 7.76, P <0.01) and neurological disorders (50.00% vs. 5.36%, OR = 17.65, P <0.01) than other vaccine recipients. The outpatient and emergency room visit rates were 11.92 and 22.42% for AEFIs, and 2.53% of cases needed hospitalization. Conclusion: AEFIs of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were generally non-severe local or systemic reactions. A prior allergy history is the risk factor for anaphylaxis, while a history of anxiety may link with severe neurological AEs. Such vaccine recipients need further evaluation and monitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is considered as a potential candidate for brain stroke imaging due to its compactness and potential use in bedside and emergency settings. The electrode–skin contact impedance and low conductivity of skull pose some practical challenges to the EIT head imaging. This paper studies the application of capacitively coupled electrical impedance tomography (CCEIT) in brain imaging for the first time. CCEIT is a new contactless EIT technique which uses voltage excitation without direct contact with the skin, as oppose to directly injecting the current to the skin in EIT. Because the safety issue of a new technique should be strictly treated, simulation work based on a simplified head model was carried out to investigate the safety aspects of CCEIT. By comparing with the standard EIT excited by a typical safe current level used in brain imaging, the safe excitation reference of CCEIT is obtained. This is done by comparing the maximum level of internal electrical field (internal current density) of EIT and that of CCEIT. Simulation results provide useful knowledge of excitation signal level of CCEIT and also show a critical comparison with traditional EIT. Practical experiments were carried out with a 12-electrode CCEIT phantom, saline, and carrot samples. Experimental results show the feasibility and potential of CCEIT for stroke imaging. In this paper, the anomaly diameter resolution is 10 mm (1/18 of the phantom diameter), which indicates that small-volume stroke could be detected. This is achieved by a low excitation voltage of 1 V, showing the possibility of even better performance when higher but yet safe level of excitation voltages is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is not possible to design particularly the transport system without a man. Technical skills without non technical skills are meaningless. Developing suitable non technical skills (NTS) for every category of frontline staff is considered the strongest antidote to human error. This paper is an attempt to study and identify the most prominent issues of NTS with their inter-dependencies desired to improve the safety system of Indian Railway. A descriptive analysis was performed on the responses to the questionnaires with the help of the SPSS-14 package. Seventeen factors have been selected by using brainstorming technique and finally it provides an interpretive structural model to develop a map of the complex relationships and magnitude among identified key factors of NTS for Indian Railway. The study presented in this paper will help the top management of Indian Railway in identifying the areas in which they need to focus their attention in order to provide NTS to reduce the train accidents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide injection is an ideal approach to prevent and control spontaneous combustion of coal in coal mines, which has higher purity, wider coverage and stronger inerting effect, but its application is limited by how to produce considerable gaseous carbon dioxide underground. Liquid carbon dioxide has high risks to be used underground due to its phase-state instability. Dry-ice has stable properties, but its sublimation in normally is too slow to extinguish the fire. To address this issue, a new type of apparatus for efficiently sublimating dry-ice has been developed independently, which would yield more than 205 times as much carbon dioxide as dry-ice under normal condition. There is no external power supply during its working, but the heat for dry-ice’s rapid sublimation originates from continuously running water in a copper pipe inside the apparatus, thereby greatly improving the security of the use underground. This apparatus has been successfully applied to extinguish several early spontaneous combustion in Yangmeiwu Coal Mine in China. This paper describes the apparatus and its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a major strategic issue that involves human health. With the continuous improvement in disease prevention and treatment, the export of TCM and its related products has increased dramatically in China. However, the frequent safety issues of Chinese medicine have become the ‘bottleneck’ impeding the modernization of TCM. It was proved that mycotoxins seriously affect TCM safety; the pesticide residues of TCM are a key problem in TCM international trade; adulterants have also been detected, which is related to market circulation. These three factors have greatly affected TCM safety. In this study, fast, highly effective, economically-feasible and accurate detection methods concerning TCM safety issues were reviewed, especially on the authenticity, mycotoxins and pesticide residues of medicinal materials.

A number of studies have demonstrated that transplantation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the NPCs had been mostly harvested from embryonic stem cells or fetal tissue, raising the ethical concern. Yamanaka and his colleagues established induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) which could be generated from somatic cells, and this innovative development has made rapid progression in the field of SCI regeneration. We and other groups succeeded in producing NPCs from iPSCs, and demonstrated beneficial effects after transplantation for animal models of SCI. In particular, efficacy of human iPSC–NPCs in non-human primate SCI models fostered momentum of clinical application for SCI patients. At the same time, however, artificial induction methods in iPSC technology created alternative issues including genetic and epigenetic abnormalities, and tumorigenicity after transplantation. To overcome these problems, it is critically important to select origins of somatic cells, use integration-free system during transfection of reprogramming factors, and thoroughly investigate the characteristics of iPSC–NPCs with respect to quality management. Moreover, since most of the previous studies have focused on subacute phase of SCI, establishment of effective NPC transplantation should be evaluated for chronic phase hereafter. Our group is currently preparing clinical-grade human iPSC–NPCs, and will move forward toward clinical study for subacute SCI patients soon in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green buildings have achieved a rapid development recently with the surge in global interest in sustainable development. However, the emphasis placed on the issue of safety in green building construction projects remains minimal. This study aims to conduct an investigation and comparison of safety performance and critical safety issues between green and conventional building construction projects in Singapore, and to propose a series of feasible solutions to improve the safety performance in green building construction projects. To achieve these objectives, a questionnaire survey was conducted, and data collected from 30 construction companies were analyzed. The analysis results showed that the accident rate in green building construction projects was higher than that in conventional building construction projects. The results also indicated that, although the two types of projects shared the same top ten critical safety issues, six critical safety issues, namely, "exposure to hazardous substances", "inhalation", "moving/handling heavy loads", "respiratory failure", "being struck against manually operated tools", and "being struck by falling objects", were perceived differently between green and conventional building construction projects. This study also recommended a set of specific solutions to improve safety performance in green building construction projects, based on the feedback collected from the questionnaire survey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a major strategic issue that involves human health. With the continuous improvement in disease prevention and treatment, the export of TCM and its related products has increased dramatically in China. However, the frequent safety issues of Chinese medicine have become the ‘bottleneck’ impeding the modernization of TCM. It was proved that mycotoxins seriously affect TCM safety; the pesticide residues of TCM are a key problem in TCM international trade; adulterants have also been detected, which is related to market circulation. These three factors have greatly affected TCM safety. In this study, fast, highly effective, economically-feasible and accurate detection methods concerning TCM safety issues were reviewed, especially on the authenticity, mycotoxins and pesticide residues of medicinal materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The usefulness and the impact of Direct Healthcare Professional Communications (DHPCs, or 'Dear Doctor letters') in changing the clinical behaviour of physicians have been debated. Changes in the current risk communication methods should preferably be based on the preferences of the healthcare professionals, to optimize the uptake of the message.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess whether safety issues are communicated more effectively with an additional e-mail sent by the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) than with the DHPC only.Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted amongst ophthalmologists and hospital pharmacists in the Netherlands, who were the target group of a DHPC that was issued for pegaptanib, a drug that is administered intra-ocularly in patients with macular degeneration. The intervention group (N = 110) received the pegaptanib DHPC, as well as the MEB e-mail. The control group (N = 105) received the traditional paper-based DHPC only. Two weeks later, the study population received an invitation to fill out an online questionnaire. Questions were asked about the respondents' knowledge and attitude regarding the pegaptanib issue, and any action they had consequently taken. Additional questions were asked about their satisfaction with the DHPC and the e-mail, and their preferred source of such information.Results: Forty respondents (18.6%) completed the questionnaire. Eighty-one percent of the respondents in the intervention group (N = 21) and 47% of the control group (N = 19) correctly indicated that a serious increase in intra-ocular pressure could be caused by pegaptanib injections (Fishers' exact test, p = 0.046). Nine respondents in the intervention group versus none of the control group respondents indicated that they had taken action in response to the pegaptanib safety issue (Fishers' exact test, p = 0.01). The majority of both the intervention group and the control group confirmed that they would like to receive an MEB e-mail with safety information about drugs in the future (90 and 95 %, respectively).Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that an additional e-mail might strengthen the uptake of the safety information provided to healthcare professionals, who prefer to receive an e-mail from the MEB as a source of such information, as well as the DHPC. This study may serve as a starting point for new strategies to improve risk communication regarding safety issues associated with drugs and its impact on prescribing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Purpose This study characterizes drug safety-related label changes by evidence source contribution, time from drug approval to label change, initiator (FDA or sponsor), and drug class. Methods A retrospective review of the FDA's internal files was used to obtain regulatory documentation on drugs undergoing a 2010 label change. Contribution of evidence sources were identified and label change initiator and drug class were determined for each drug. Results A total of 371 drugs were analyzed. Spontaneous reports contributed to 52% and 55% of label changes when analyzed by unique safety issue and drug, respectively. The median time from approval to 2010 safety-related label change was 11 years. The sponsor was more likely than the FDA to initiate a label change (58% and 42%). Label changes were most common among nervous system drugs (23%), antiinfectives for systemic use (17%), and cardiovascular system drugs (14%). Conclusions Drug label changes involve contributions from multiple evidence sources. The findings from this comprehensive review are consistent with previous findings and demonstrate (i) the continued importance of the spontaneous reporting system and complementary evidence sources and (ii) safety-related label changes take place years after postmarket approval, emphasizing the importance of continued drug safety surveillance throughout a product's lifecycle. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic plums of Prunus domestica L. transformed with the Plum pox virus coat protein gene (PPV-CP) were the subjects of three experiments undertaken in Romania. In the first experiment PPV-CP transgenic clones C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and PT3 were evaluated for Sharka resistance under high natural infection pressure. Transgenic clone C5, subsequently named 'HoneySweet', showed high resistance to PPV. None of the C5 trees became naturally infected by aphids for more than ten years. The resistance of C5 was based on post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). In the second experiment we assessed the effect of two heterologous viruses (Prunus necrotic ringspot virus and Prune dwarf virus) on the efficacy and stability of PTGS - mediated resistance to PPV displayed by the C5 plum. The engineered resistance to PPV in C5 transgenic plums was stable and was not suppressed by the presence of the assayed heterologous viruses. Some PPV-CP transgenic plum clones that are susceptible to PPV including C2, C3, C4 and PT3 display a constitutive transcription of PPV-CP sequence. In the third experiment we used these plants to assess the environmental safety issues related to potential hazards concerning the emergence of PPV variants. The serological and molecular variability of PPV detected in transgenic and in conventional plums revealed that the transgenic plums do not affect the diversity of indigenous PPV populations. We suggest that the safety and efficacy data developed in Romania and other European countries and in the United States of America over the last 15 years justifies an expansion of the field tests in Romania and in other countries that are experiencing the damages to plum production caused by PPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Safety evaluation of synthetic human brain natriuretic peptide (shBNP) was carried out in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) by 2-week intravenous toxicity studies. System exposure was also assessed throughout the whole administration. Three test groups received doses of 432, 1440 and 4320μg/kg/day of shBNP, with a high infusion rate of 36mL/kg/hr for 30min compared to the clinical protocol of continuous infusion over 24h. Commercially available recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide (rhBNP) of 1440μg/kg/day was used as positive control. The 2-week repeated intravenous doses of shBNP resulted in reversible increased serum LDH and CPK in monkeys receiving 1440 and 4320μg/kg/day dose with no pertinent histopathological changes. Some changes related to the pharmacologic effects of BNP including hypotension was observed after administration. No treatment-related mortalities or renal dysfunction were found. Controversy about the safety issue of BNP as an exogenous hormone concerning ventricular remodeling and myocardial cell apoptosis, coupled with our results, were also discussed. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was considered to be 432μg/kg /day, which is about 20 times higher than the commonly used clinical dose. The results of the present study advocate the safety of shBNP in cynomolgus monkeys at levels used in the study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We consider the problem of designing fault tolerant control for transient failures in the flight control system caused by harsh electromagnetic environments. We examine principles of fault tolerant design and discuss integrated local supervisory control of these systems. As an example, we present a sample design of a control mixer to achieve fault tolerance in the event of failures in the actuators [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• A novel 3D crosslinked solid polymer electrolyte containing phosphorus was successfully prepared. • IFR-SPE exhibited outstanding flame-retardant ability. • The Li/IFR-SPE/Li cell formed a LiF/Li 3 PO 4 -rich solid electrolyte interphase on the Li electrode. • The Li/IFR-SPE/LiFePO 4 cell showed acceptable rate and cycle performances. The solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) has been regarded as a promising candidate for the next-generation rechargeable Li metal battery with high-energy density. However, the current SPEs are still challenged by insufficient security owing to their flammability. Here, we reported a novel inherently flame-retardant SPE (IFR-SPE), which was fabricated via the one-step in situ crosslinking of two novel synthetic P-containing monomers with porous polyimide film as a supporting host. Compared with liquid and conventional solid polyethylene oxide electrolytes, the unique IFR-SPE exhibits outstanding flame-retardant ability. Furthermore, it demonstrates a high Li-ion conductivity (0.28 mS cm−1 at 25 °C), a stable electrochemical window up to 4.12 V, and effective Li dendrite suppression via a LiF/Li 3 PO 4 -rich solid electrolyte interphase formed on the Li anode. Consequently, the Li/IFR-SPE/LiFePO 4 cell shows acceptable electrochemical performances. We believe that this work offers a novel and effective strategy for establishing a promising Li metal battery system with high safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shift work sleep disorders (SWSDs) are associated with the high turnover rates of nurses, and are considered a major medical safety issue. However, initial management can be hampered by insufficient awareness. In recent years, it has become possible to visualize, collect, and analyze the work-life balance of health care workers with irregular sleeping and working habits using wearable sensors that can continuously monitor biometric data under real-life settings. In addition, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for psychiatric disorders has been shown to be effective. Application of wearable sensors and machine learning may potentially enhance the beneficial effects of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy., Objective: In this study, we aim to develop and evaluate the effect of a new internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for SWSD (iCBTS). This system includes current methods such as medical sleep advice, as well as machine learning well-being prediction to improve the sleep durations of shift workers and prevent declines in their well-being., Methods: This study consists of two phases: (1) preliminary data collection and machine learning for well-being prediction; (2) intervention and evaluation of iCBTS for SWSD. Shift workers in the intensive care unit at Mie University Hospital will wear a wearable sensor that collects biometric data and answer daily questionnaires regarding their well-being. They will subsequently be provided with an iCBTS app for 4 weeks. Sleep and well-being measurements between baseline and the intervention period will be compared., Results: Recruitment for phase 1 ended in October 2019. Recruitment for phase 2 has started in October 2020. Preliminary results are expected to be available by summer 2021., Conclusions: iCBTS empowered with well-being prediction is expected to improve the sleep durations of shift workers, thereby enhancing their overall well-being. Findings of this study will reveal the potential of this system for improving sleep disorders among shift workers., Trial Registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000036122 (phase 1), UMIN000040547 (phase 2); https://tinyurl.com/dkfmmmje, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr&#95;e/ctr&#95;view.cgi?recptno=R000046284., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/24799., (©Asami Ito-Masui, Eiji Kawamoto, Ryota Sakamoto, Han Yu, Akane Sano, Eishi Motomura, Hisashi Tanii, Shoko Sakano, Ryo Esumi, Hiroshi Imai, Motomu Shimaoka. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 18.03.2021.)