Further notes on the avifauna of the riau Archipelago

Further notes are supplied on the avifauna of Batam, Bintan and other islands in the Riau Archipelago that supplement those presented in Rajathurai (1996) in Kukila Volume 8

Atomic-scale combination of germanium-zinc nanofibers for structural and electrochemical evolution

Alloys are recently receiving considerable attention in the community of rechargeable batteries as possible alternatives to carbonaceous negative electrodes; however, challenges remain for the practical utilization of these materials. Herein, we report the synthesis of germanium-zinc alloy nanofibers through electrospinning and a subsequent calcination step. Evidenced by in situ transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy characterizations, this one-dimensional design possesses unique structures. Both germanium and zinc atoms are homogenously distributed allowing for outstanding electronic conductivity and high available capacity for lithium storage. The as-prepared materials present high rate capability (capacity of similar to 50% at 20 C compared to that at 0.2 C-rate) and cycle retention (73% at 3.0 C-rate) with a retaining capacity of 546 mAh g(-1) even after 1000 cycles. When assembled in a full cell, high energy density can be maintained during 400 cycles, which indicates that the current material has the potential to be used in a large-scale energy storage system

AOBA VELOX-IV: 2U CubeSat for the technological demonstration of lunar horizon glow mission

AOBA VELOX-IV is a 2U-sized CubeSat that has been developed by the Kyushu Institute of Technology and Nanyang Technological University for the technological demonstration of a future lunar mission. Decades ago, Surveyor and Apollo programs reported light scattering observations on the horizon of the Moon; however, only a limited number of investigations were performed after the Apollo program to observe the lunar horizon glow (LHG). It is still unknown what conditions produce the light glow on the horizon of the Moon. The lunar mission of the AOBA VELOX project is planning to send CubeSats to the Moon and to capture images of the LHG on the lunar orbit while determining the conditions that can support light scattering above the lunar horizon. Before the satellites go into the lunar orbit, the necessary technologies must first be confirmed in Earth orbit. AOBA VELOX-IV was launched to low earth orbit via a JAXA Epsilon rocket in 18th January 2019. This paper explains the LHG mission first, and presents an overview of AOBA VELOX-IV, its payloads, technical issues, and the flight model

COVID-19, Suffering and Palliative Care: A Review

According to the WHO guideline, palliative care is an integral component of COVID-19 management. The relief of physical symptoms and the provision of psychosocial support should be practiced by all healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients. In this review, we aim to provide a simple outline on COVID-19, suffering in COVID-19, and the role of palliative care in COVID-19. We also introduce 3 principles of palliative care that can serve as a guide for all healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients, which are (1) good symptom control, (2) open and sensitive communication, and (3) caring for the whole team. The pandemic has brought immense suffering, fear and death to people everywhere. The knowledge, skills and experiences from palliative care could be used to relieve the suffering of COVID-19 patients

Grafting of 4-(2,4,6-Trimethylphenoxy)benzoyl onto Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Poly(phosphoric acid) via Amide Function

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), which were commercial grade containing 60–70 wt% impurity, were treated in a mild poly(phosphoric acid) (PPA). The purity of PPA treated SWCNTs was greatly improved with or without little damage to SWCNTs framework and stable crystalline carbon particles. An amide model compound, 4-(2,4,6-trimethylphenoxy)benzamide (TMPBA), was reacted with SWCNTs in PPA with additional phosphorous pentoxide as “direct” Friedel–Crafts acylation reaction to afford TMPBA functionalized SWCNTs. All evidences obtained from Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microcopy, and transmission electron microscopy strongly supported that the functionalization of SWCNTs with benzamide was indeed feasible