Inspire: Challenging the lack of interest in physics among students

The Inspire project tested and analyzed the use of digital Learning resources (LR) in the field of Maths, Science and Technology (MST) in 63 schools in Austria, Germany, Italy, Lithuania and Spain. MST teachers used the LR from a pool of 60 resources (12 for Physics) in class and the effects on teachers and 5–18+ year old students were measured. We found the use of LR increases the understanding of students of MST and allows for differentiated learning within a class. LR have a larger impact on boys than girls, and it decreases with age. Overall, it appears the use of LR has a positive impact on MST education but special attention has to be placed on technical requirements and localization of the LR

Ionic liquids at electrified interfaces

Until recently, “room-temperature” (<100–150 °C) liquid-state electrochemistry was mostly electrochemistry of diluted electrolytes(1)–(4) where dissolved salt ions were surrounded by a considerable amount of solvent molecules. Highly concentrated liquid electrolytes were mostly considered in the narrow (albeit important) niche of high-temperature electrochemistry of molten inorganic salts(5-9) and in the even narrower niche of “first-generation” room temperature ionic liquids, RTILs (such as chloro-aluminates and alkylammonium nitrates).(10-14) The situation has changed dramatically in the 2000s after the discovery of new moisture- and temperature-stable RTILs.(15, 16) These days, the “later generation” RTILs attracted wide attention within the electrochemical community.(17-31) Indeed, RTILs, as a class of compounds, possess a unique combination of properties (high charge density, electrochemical stability, low/negligible volatility, tunable polarity, etc.) that make them very attractive substances from fundamental and application points of view.(32-38) Most importantly, they can mix with each other in “cocktails” of one’s choice to acquire the desired properties (e.g., wider temperature range of the liquid phase(39, 40)) and can serve as almost “universal” solvents.(37, 41, 42) It is worth noting here one of the advantages of RTILs as compared to their high-temperature molten salt (HTMS)(43) “sister-systems”.(44) In RTILs the dissolved molecules are not imbedded in a harsh high temperature environment which could be destructive for many classes of fragile (organic) molecules

Electroplating of Dysprosium, Electrochemical Investigations, and Study of Magnetic Properties

Electroplating of dysprosium from several nonaqueous solutions and from an ionic liquid was studied. Dysprosium metal was used as the anode material, and several metals and a silicon wafer with a vacuum-deposited gold layer were used as cathode materials. Dysprosium was successfully electroplated from dimethylformamide-based solutions with high coulombic efficiency. The resulting dysprosium layer was effectively protected vs reactions with water and oxygen from air by electroplating an aluminum layer onto dysprosium from a nonaqueous electrolyte. All processes were investigated by electrochemical methods including cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, chronopotentiometry, and with the help of an electrochemical quartz microbalance coupled to an Autolab PGSTAT30 controlled by the GPES software from Eco Chemie B.V., Utrecht, The Netherlands. A nonaqueous reference electrode developed by Izutsu was applied; the diffusion potential was kept low by a slight modification of his original proposal. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy was used to verify electroplating of Dy. The presence of metallic Dy was also confirmed by superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry which showed a ferromagnetic moment at 5 K

Vascular Consideration with COVID-19 Vaccination: Clinical Case Report

Adverse cardiovascular side effects of the COVID -19 vaccine include myocarditis/pericarditis, vaccine induced thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT) and thrombosis, which often related to low platelet levels and VITT in the setting. A 60-year-old female presented to our Emergency Department (ED) after cardiopulmonary resuscitation due to Asystole at home. The patient underwent a chest computed tomography (CT) scan that revealed bilateral pleural effusion without pulmonary embolism. The cardiovascular complications have been reported with both COVID-19 and its vaccination.&nbsp; The COVID-19 vaccines have adverse side effects, which are rare but also sometimes fulminant too