Exploring the Anion Site Disorder Kinetics in Lithium Argyrodites

Lithium argyrodites Li6PS5X (X = Cl, Br, I) are a promising class of solid-state electrolytes with the potential to achieve high conductivities (&gt;10 mS·cm-1) necessary for use in solid-state batteries. Previous research has shown that structural factors, in particular, site disorder between the sulfide and halide anions, can impact the ionic conductivity of lithium argyrodites. One current hypothesis for this correlation between anion site disorder and ionic transport is a connection to the lithium-ion substructure. However, as there is limited research surrounding the anion disordering process itself, this relationship has yet to be fully understood. This research explores the impact of the composition and synthesis on the anion disordering process through the Li6+xP1-xSixS5Br (x = 0 to 0.4 in 0.1 steps) series of substitutions quenched from different annealing temperatures. Ex situ and in situ diffraction studies show that the anion site disorder within the compounds increases upon Si introduction only for samples quenched from higher annealing temperatures but remains relatively constant at lower annealing temperatures. Based on in situ diffraction measurements, we further monitor the effects of anion mobility at elevated temperatures allowing inference of slower anion disordering kinetics with changing compositional content. We complement the experimental work using nudged-elastic band calculations showing the overall preference of anions for their specific sites and the possibility of anion mobility. This work provides insight into the argyrodites and shows that the anion disordering can be monitored and that the composition has strong influences on the disordering process.</p

Research software supporting the publication "AI-assisted Literature Screening with Empirical Validation in Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Research"

This deposit contains the full Python code for AI-assisted approach described in ''AI-assisted Literature Screening with Empirical Validation in Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Research." It includes six scripts: two parallel prompt modules for RAAC mention detection and definition extraction (core components); a seven-question defect-extraction script; and a data-aggregation script that produces a unified defect database. All scripts are versioned for reproducibility and require Python 3.11+, the Anthropic Claude 3 Opus API, and standard data-analysis libraries. A comprehensive README.md is included, detailing environment setup, dependency installation, API key configuration, and step-by-step execution instructions. The code is mirrored on GitHub for ongoing collaboration and version tracking. An interactive project overview and navigation interface is also provided via index.html on the project’s GitHub Pages site

Anti-collusion leniency legislations and IPO activity:Worldwide evidence

We study the impact of the staggered adoption of anti-collusion leniency legislations around the world on IPO activity. We document that the passage of leniency legislations prompts IPO activity. The effect is amplified in more concentrated industries, while it is mitigated in countries with more stringent competition laws in place and countries in which investors have a lower ability to diversify risk in the financial market. Collectively, these findings are consistent with the view that, by enhancing product market competition, leniency legislations increase the benefits for firms from going public, resulting in higher IPO activity. The results of supplemental analyses suggest that the passage of leniency legislations leads to less underpriced IPOs and a more efficient use of IPO proceeds, and prompts firms with less proprietary information to go public

The EV transition:The impact of the EU battery directive on critical material supply, recycling and battery costs

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are central to the European Union's (EU) Net Zero strategies. Yet, rising regulatory pressures and geopolitical tensions have increased the risk of supply chain bottlenecks for strategic and critical materials such as nickel and cobalt, posing threats not only to the EU's decarbonisation agenda but also to global Net Zero ambitions. In response, EU policymakers have accelerated efforts to develop local battery ecosystems including the recycling of end-of-life LIBs. However, the potential impact of these interventions on material dependencies and battery economics is not well understood. This paper introduces a novel policy-economic framework to assess the prospective evolution of the LIB recycling sector in response to policy changes introduced by the EU Battery Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1542). In particular, drawing on an industry-led survey, the framework evaluates the impact of the mandated minimum recycled content on material flow and battery costs. The results reveal that the Battery Regulation may increase battery cell costs by up to 15 %. While this study is EU-specific, its findings carry broader relevance for international battery policy and market dynamics and provides new evidence on how international policies may impact the future of the battery sector.</p

Ventral Hippocampus and NAc Core, but not Shell activity is required for well-learned instrumental memory destabilisation

While there is increasing evidence that instrumental memories undergo destabilisation and reconsolidation, little is known about the underlying neural mechanisms of these processes. Here, we focussed on instrumental memory destabilisation, and the functional involvement therein of the nucleus accumbens core and shell regions, as well as the ventral hippocampus. In male rats, and using a previously established destabilisation reminder procedure, we infused the GABA receptor agonists baclofen/muscimol at the time of memory reminder. We found infusions into the core but not shell impaired well-learned instrumental memory destabilisation, protecting against MK-801-induced reconsolidation impairment. Moreover, infusion of baclofen/muscimol into the ventral hippocampus resulted in the same protective effect. These results suggest that the NAc core and vHPC, but not the shell, is involved in the destabilisation of well-learned instrumental memory, potentially through a vHPC-NAc core projection

Symptom Change in Depression and Anxiety During Psychological Therapy for Autistic Adults

Autistic people are less likely to benefit from currently-recommended mental health treatments, but little is known about how outcomes vary across individuals. This gap makes it difficult to adapt therapies (or develop new ones) to meet diverse needs amongst autistic people. Here we show that autistic people receiving routine psychological therapies for anxiety and depression in English primary care mental health services followed different symptom pathways: some improved, others remained stable, while others experienced worsening symptoms. Our analysis used data from 7,175 autistic adults who accessed services in England between 2012 and 2019, linked with national healthcare records drawn from the MODIFY dataset. We used Growth Mixture Models to identify five patterns of depression change and seven patterns of anxiety change; and a regression model to understand how risk factors related to the type of change. Being from an ethnically-minoritised background was linked to a higher likelihood of worsening anxiety compared with White participants. More difficulties with functioning in daily living —such as managing social leisure activities—were linked to poorer outcomes for severe anxiety and depression. These findings highlight the need for therapies that are culturally responsive and affirming of neurodivergent experiences. Support for daily living tasks including social leisure (attending to camouflaging and burnout) may be a helpful focus for additional neurodiversity-affirming support

Heightened extinction risk due to tropical cyclones in insular biodiversity hotspots

Tropical Cyclones (TCs) represent a serious and potentially growing threat to global biodiversity, although spatial patterns in the severity of this threat are poorly explored. We provide the first global-scale analysis of TC-related extinction risk by examining both their frequency and the number of species they directly threaten in insular biodiversity hotspots; widely recognized spatial units representing both exceptional biodiversity and elevated threat. We first identified which insular hotspots possessed a theoretically high TC-related extinction risk by plotting 50 years of storm tracks for severe (category 4 and 5) TCs (STCs) and determined the frequency with which they occur within each insular hotspot. We then used IUCN Red List data to determine numbers of terrestrial vertebrates in each ‘high risk’ insular hotspot considered to be directly threatened with extinction by STCs. Five insular hotspots (Japan, Polynesia-Micronesia, Philippines, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands, Caribbean Islands) were identified as being ‘high risk’, together accounting for &gt;95 % of STCs falling within insular hotspots. However, the numbers of TC-threatened species in these hotspots varied greatly, from 128 in the Caribbean Islands (which encountered the fewest STCs of all ‘high risk’ hotspots) to eight in Japan (which received the most STCs). Results therefore indicate that TC-related extinction risk is not related to STC frequency, and other ecological and geographical factors are likely to be important drivers of risk. Regardless, our results show that several insular hotspots, particularly the Caribbean Islands, support many species at immediate risk of TC-driven extinction, and these require urgent conservation action. We advocate for the creation of an IUCN task force to oversee conservation strategies aimed at preventing extinctions of severely range-restricted storm-threatened species. We provide a watchlist of 60 such species with a particularly high risk of extinction which should be the initial focus for such a working group.</p

Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy:focus on atrial fibrillation

Arrhythmias and heart failure (HF) are common causes of morbidity and premature death worldwide, and patients who present with both conditions have particularly poor outcomes. Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) is a condition in which arrhythmias, often atrial fibrillation (AF), but also frequent atrial or ventricular ectopic beats, cause or aggravate HF. The hallmark of this condition is partial or complete reversibility of left ventricular systolic dysfunction after restoration of normal sinus rhythm. Differentiation between HF that causes arrhythmias and arrhythmias that cause HF remains challenging, leads to the underuse of rhythm-control therapy and, consequently, to the under-diagnosis of AIC. In this Review, we describe the various pathophysiological mechanisms of AIC, with a focus on AF as the underlying arrhythmia. We then discuss the epidemiology, clinical presentation and assessment of patients with AIC, with consideration of the complex interactions between AF and left ventricular dysfunction. We also present the therapeutic approach taken in patients presenting with suspected AIC, including restoration of sinus rhythm to unmask a diagnosis of AIC and treatment of HF. We conclude with a discussion of priorities for future research and the observation that there is an urgent need for objective, easily quantifiable parameters to identify patients with AIC.</p

Advances in chemical recycling of polyolefins by hydrothermal liquefaction in supercritical water:A comprehensive review

Plastic waste, particularly polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), poses a persistent environmental challenge due to their chemical inertness and extensive use in packaging and consumer products. Conventional recycling methods, including mechanical and chemical approaches, face substantial limitations, especially for mixed or contaminated waste streams. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), and specifically supercritical water liquefaction (SCWL), has emerged as a promising green alternative for converting polyolefins into valuable oils and chemicals. SCWL operates above the critical point of water (≥ 374 °C, ≥ 22MPa), where water exhibits unique transport and solvent properties that facilitate radical-mediated depolymerisation. Optimised conditions (425 – 450) °C, (15 – 60) min, ≥ 22MPa, can yield up to 95wt.% oil. Critical challenges remain in understanding reaction kinetics, refining process parameters, and managing additives and impurities in post-consumer plastics. This review identifies these knowledge gaps and outlines prospective research directions to advance SCWL as a sustainable component of a circular plastic economy

Lifting polynomial representations of SL₂(<i>p</i>^r) from <i>_p</i> to ℤ/<i>p</i>^sℤ

We describe all of the irreducible polynomial pSL2(pr) representations which lift to (ℤ/psℤ)SL2(pr) representations for s &gt; 1, observing that they almost never do. We also show that two related indecomposable pSL2(pr) representations cannot be lifted to ℤ/psℤ representations for s &gt; 1