A Quasi‐Multinary Composite Coating on a Nickel‐Rich NCM Cathode Material for All‐Solid‐State Batteries

Inorganic solid-state batteries are attracting significant interest as a contender to conventional liquid electrolyte-based lithium-ion batteries but still suffer from several limitations. The search for advanced coatings for protecting cathode materials in solid-state batteries to achieve interfacial stability is a continuing challenge. In the present work, the surface of an industrially relevant Ni-rich LiNi$_x$Co$_y$Mn$_z$O$_2$ cathode material, NCM-851005 (85 % Ni), was modified by applying a coating containing Li, Nb and Zn, aiming at a composition Li$_6$ZnNb$_4$O$_14$, by means of sol-gel chemistry. Detailed characterization using scanning transmission electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and nano-beam electron diffraction showed that the surface layer after heating in O$_2$ at 500 °C contains Li$_3$NbO$_4$ nanocrystals and Li$_2$CO$_3$, with Zn presumably acting as a dopant. The protective coating on the NCM-851005 secondary particles significantly increased the cycling performance (reversible capacity, rate capability etc.) and stability of full cells using argyrodite Li$_6$PS$_5$Cl as solid electrolyte. Interestingly, the level of improvement is superior to that achieved with conventional LiNbO$_3$ coatings

Availability of assisted peritoneal dialysis in Europe : call for increased and equal access

Background Availability of assisted PD (asPD) increases access to dialysis at home, particularly for the increasing numbers of older and frail people with advanced kidney disease. Although asPD has been widely used in some European countries for many years, it remains unavailable or poorly utilized in others. A group of leading European nephrologists have therefore formed a group to drive increased availability of asPD in Europe and in their own countries. Methods Members of the group filled in a proforma with the following headings: personal experience, country experience, who are the assistants, funding of asPD, barriers to growth, what is needed to grow and their top three priorities. Results Only 5 of the 13 countries surveyed provided publicly funded reimbursement for asPD. The use of asPD depends on overall attitudes to PD, with all respondents mentioning the need for nephrology team education and/or patient education and involvement in dialysis modality decision making. Conclusions and call to action Many people with advanced kidney disease would prefer to have their dialysis at home, yet if the frail patient chooses PD most healthcare systems cannot provide their choice. AsPD should be available in all countries in Europe and in all renal centres. The top priorities to make this happen are education of renal healthcare teams about the advantages of PD, education of and discussion with patients and their families as they approach the need for dialysis, and engagement with policymakers and healthcare providers to develop and support assistance for PD.Peer reviewe

Statistical evaluation of toxicological assays with zero or near-to-zero proportions or counts in the concurrent negative control group:a tutorial

In toxicological studies interest often lies in proportions or counts for which an increase in the dose group over control indicates a safety risk. Additionally, the control group observes values that are zero or near-to-zero for endpoints characterizing pathological processes. In such instances, the comparison of dose groups versus control requires special attention as inference for ratio-to-control is infeasible or unstable and inference for difference-to-control is highly sensitive to the number of zeros or near-to-zero values. In practice, assays are commonly performed multiple times in a laboratory so that data of some historical controls are available. When the concurrent control values fall within a corresponding normal range, the evaluation is performed by comparing doses versus the concurrent control. If the data of the concurrent control are outside the normal range, a test versus the concurrent control has either an increased risk of a false-positive result or an increased risk of a false-negative result, depending on the direction of the deviation. In this work, we discuss a simple to use Williams-type approach for comparing against a mean historical value. The idea is illustrated on three examples and we show how the method can be implemented the statistical software package R

Low Ambient Pressure Injection and Consequences on Ignition of Liquid Rocket Engines

In the frame of a test campaign conducted to assess the feasibility of laser ignition for implementation on cryogenic RCS (Reaction and Control System) and OMS (Orbital and Manoeuvring System) engines, fluid flow structures and phenomena affecting ignition have been examined. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of the impact of pre-ignition pressures, of propellant injection conditions and injection phenomena such as flash evaporation, of the local chamber flow field, and of propellant mass flow stability on altitude ignition. The use of test sequences and encountered phenomena to control the ignition delay and energy deposition and ignition overpressure is addressed. A separate paper has been dedicated to the discussion of minimum laser energies measured and ignition probabilities in the here described flow fields

Availability of assisted peritoneal dialysis in Europe: call for increased and equal access

International audienceBackground Availability of assisted PD (asPD) increases access to dialysis at home, particularly for the increasing numbers of older and frail people with advanced kidney disease. Although asPD has been widely used in some European countries for many years, it remains unavailable or poorly utilized in others. A group of leading European nephrologists have therefore formed a group to drive increased availability of asPD in Europe and in their own countries. Methods Members of the group filled in a proforma with the following headings: personal experience, country experience, who are the assistants, funding of asPD, barriers to growth, what is needed to grow and their top three priorities. Results Only 5 of the 13 countries surveyed provided publicly funded reimbursement for asPD. The use of asPD depends on overall attitudes to PD, with all respondents mentioning the need for nephrology team education and/or patient education and involvement in dialysis modality decision making. Conclusions and call to action Many people with advanced kidney disease would prefer to have their dialysis at home, yet if the frail patient chooses PD most healthcare systems cannot provide their choice. AsPD should be available in all countries in Europe and in all renal centres. The top priorities to make this happen are education of renal healthcare teams about the advantages of PD, education of and discussion with patients and their families as they approach the need for dialysis, and engagement with policymakers and healthcare providers to develop and support assistance for PD