Recovery of cobalt from lithium-ion batteries using fluidised cathode molten salt electrolysis

The future need to recycle enormous quantities of Li-ion batteries is a consequence of the rapid rise in electric vehicles required to decarbonise the transport sector. Cobalt is a critical element in many Li-ion battery cathode chemistries. Herein, an electrochemical reduction and recovery process of Co from LiCoO2 is demonstrated that uses a molten salt fluidised cathode technique. For the Li-Co-O-Cl system, specific to the experimental process, a predominance diagram was developed to aid in understanding the reduction pathway. The voltammograms indicate two 2-electron transfer reactions and the reduction of CoO to Co at -2.4 V vs. Ag/Ag+. Chronoamperometry revealed a Faradaic current efficiency estimated between 70-80% for the commercially-obtained LiCoO2 and upwards of 80% for the spent Li-ion battery. The molten salt electrochemical process route for the recycling of spent Li-ion batteries could prove to be a simple, green and high-throughput route for the efficient recovery of critical materials

An exploratory study on the social and genotypic clustering of HIV infection in men having sex with men

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clustering of HIV infected men having sex with men (MSM) using social network approach in conjunction with the phylogenetic relationship of the virus strains. DESIGN: An exploratory study incorporating social network and phylogenetic analysis. METHODS: Recently diagnosed HIV-infected MSM attending one major HIV specialist clinic in Hong Kong were recruited in the study involving the administration of a self-administered questionnaire on behaviours and partnership patterns using a Likert Scale, the results of which were assessed using social network analysis and in context of the phylogenetic analysis from sequencing the HIV-1 pol gene, as part of the clinical investigation for genotypic resistance. Clusters were defined using social and molecular methods. RESULTS: An 'Internet-centred' cluster and 'Sauna-centred' cluster could be delineated using correspondence analysis and network diagrams. The main distinguishing features of MSM in the 'Internet-centred' social cluster were: younger age, higher education level, and multiple partner types. Three genetic clusters could be identified in the phylogenetic tree, two of which associated with Internet use and one with sauna for sex partnership. There were partial overlaps between social and genetic clusters. Characteristically, the virus strains in sauna users were more disperse compared with the closely knit configuration of those using Internet. CONCLUSION: The principle of the duality of place and person can be strategically applied in epidemiologic investigation. The characterization of MSM cluster using anonymized network data provides a potentially powerful tool for informing public health intervention. © 2009 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.postprin

Optical properties of ferroelectric nanocrystal-containing polymer BaTiO₃/polycarbonate films

Author name used in this publication: C. L. MakAuthor name used in this publication: K. H. Wong2005-2006 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Evaluation of preferences of women and healthcare professionals in Singapore for implementation of noninvasive prenatal testing for Down syndrome

INTRODUCTION: Invasive prenatal diagnosis (IPD) has long been used to prenatally diagnose Down syndrome (DS), but is associated with a small risk of miscarriage. Meanwhile, noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is a highly sensitive screening test using cell-free DNA in maternal blood for detection of DS that removes the risk of miscarriage, but confers a small risk of false-positive and false-negative results. Their implementations into clinical practice require an understanding of stakeholder preferences. METHODS: A total of 69 health professionals (HPs) and 301 women took part in a discrete choice experiment (DCE) in which preferences for four prenatal test attributes (accuracy, time of results, risk of miscarriage and amount of information provided) were assessed, and conditional logit regression was used to analyse data. Data on demographics and ranked preferences for test attributes were collected, and a direct choice between NIPT, IPD or neither test was given. RESULTS: Women showed a preference for test safety, whereas HPs prioritised test accuracy above all other attributes. When offered a direct choice between NIPT, IPD or neither test, women aged over 35 years, those with previous miscarriage or who knew a child with DS were more likely to choose NIPT than IPD. Chinese women preferred NIPT whereas Indian women preferred IPD. CONCLUSION: Our data highlight the need for patient-specific counselling, taking into account previous experiences and cultural factors. Since women and HPs prioritise different test attributes, it is essential that HPs recognise these differences in order to provide non-biased counselling

Cost analysis of psoriasis treatment modalities in Malaysian public hospitals

Psoriasis imposes a great economic burden as a result of higher expenditures for different interventions, diagnostic procedures, pharmaceuticals and loss of productivity. Less is known about the economic impact of psoriasis treatment in Asean region. The aim of this research was to calculate the costs associated with four psoriasis treatment modalities. A prospective cohort study was conducted in five hospitals involving 91 moderate to severe psoriasis patients. Costs were calculated from the societal perspective using the principle of Step Down and Activity Based Costing (ABC) within a six (6) months follow-up duration. The components of the costs borne by the provider were inpatient cost, cost of medication, laboratory investigation and radiology. Patient’s cost included out of pocket expenses, travelling cost and loss of productivity. Cost per patient per day was RM1,105.24 (inpatient) (US$315.94) and RM298.02 (outpatient) (US$85.19). Medication accounted for almost 90% (RM457,014.00) (US$130 638.45) of the total provider cost. Meanwhile, loss of productivity represented 84$47,862.80) of the total patient’s cost. Biologic treatment exhibited the highest cost which was RM342,377.00 (US$97,869.21), followed by systemic treatment (RM105,607.00) (US$30,187.99), topical treatment (RM38,280.00) (US$10,942.42) and topical phototherapy treatment (RM21,824.00) (US$6,238.44). Understanding the relationship between direct and indirect costs from both perspectives is important to accurately identify and evaluate effective treatment for psoriasis

The evolution of peripheral nerve treatment for trigeminal neuralgia - peripheral nerve surgery

Trigeminal neuralgia typically presents with a sudden and severe facial pain. Although peripheral nerve injection can produce good pain relief in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, their effect may not be permanent. Surgical treatment has always been an alternative for patients who do not respond well to medical treatment or, for those who are severely affected by the side effects of anticonvulsants. Unknown to most young healthcare providers, surgical treatment was the first line treatment at the turn of the 19th century till 1960s. This review narrates the evolution of peripheral nerve treatment for trigeminal neuralgia over the last 150 years

The evolution of peripheral nerve treatment for trigeminal neuralgia - peripheral injections

Trigeminal neuralgia presents as a characteristic severe painful condition that usually afflicts the area(s) innervated by the branches of the facial sensory nerves, especially the elderly females. The diagnosis can usually be made based solely on the presenting clinical signs and symptoms. Early literatures had revealed that there have always been two major means of treatment for trigeminal neuralgia; medical and surgical. Medical treatments involved systemic intake of various drugs or the topical applications of many different materials, not forgetting that bleeding and purging has been tried in the past. The introduction of anti-convulsants during thesecond World War had changed completely the way this painful condition was treated as this therapy later become the mainstay treatment for trigeminal neuralgia. Their beneficial effects, however may not be long lasting. This review summarises the evolution of peripheral nerve injection as a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia over the last 150 years