Identifying the Cause of Rupture of Li-Ion Batteries during Thermal Runaway

As the energy density of lithium-ion cells and batteries increases, controlling the outcomes of thermal runaway becomes more challenging. If the high rate of gas generation during thermal runaway is not adequately vented, commercial cell designs can rupture and explode, presenting serious safety concerns. Here, ultra-high-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging is used at >20 000 frames per second to characterize the venting processes of six different 18650 cell designs undergoing thermal runaway. For the first time, the mechanisms that lead to the most catastrophic type of cell failure, rupture, and explosion are identified and elucidated in detail. The practical application of the technique is highlighted by evaluating a novel 18650 cell design with a second vent at the base, which is shown to avoid the critical stages that lead to rupture. The insights yielded in this study shed new light on battery failure and are expected to guide the development of safer commercial cell designs.

PCR-based DGGE fingerprinting and identification of methanogens detected in three different types of UASB granules

Methane is produced by various methanogenic bacteria present in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactors. Methane can be used to predict and improve UASB bioreactor efficiency. The methanogen population in the granules can be influenced by the composition of the substrate. The aim of this study was to fingerprint and identify the methanogens present in three different types of UASB granules that had been used to treat winery, brewery and peach-lye canning effluents. This was done using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and DNA sequence analysis. The DGGE fingerprints obtained from the methanogen reference cultures of Methanosaeta concilii, Methanosaeta thermophila, Methanosarcina barkeri, Methanosarcina mazeii and Methanobacterium formicicum were compared to the DGGE profiles of the Archaea in the different granules. The positions of the DGGE bands that did not correspond well to the bands of the known species were sequenced and compared to sequences available on GenBank using the Blastn search option. The aligned DNA sequences were used to construct a phylogenetic tree. Based on the data obtained, a DGGE marker was constructed which was used to provide a quick method to identify the Archaeal members of the microbial consortium in UASB granules.

Treatment of winery effluent with upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) – granular sludges enriched withEnterobacter sakazakii

Three upflow anaerobic sludge blankets (UASBs) were evaluated for the treatment of winery wastewater: the first was seeded with granular sludge enriched with Enterobacter sakazakii and reached a 90% COD removal within 17 d at hydraulic retention time of 24 h; the second was seeded with brewery granules and achieved 85% COD removal within 50 d, the third was seeded with just sludge and showed the typical problems encountered with conventional sludge seeding and had continuously to be re-seeded. A PCR-based technique was developed for the rapid detection of E. sakazakii in the granular sludge.

Results of systematic screening for serious gastrointestinal bleeding associated with NSAIDs in Rostock hospitals

OBJECTIVES

Gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers may lead to life-threatening complications. One of the causes is use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

METHODS

All hospital admissions in 1998 to the Departments of Internal Medicine, including the Intensive Care Unit and the Department of Surgery, in 2 hospitals in Rostock were prospectively screened for gastrointestinal bleeding. Whether the bleeding was due to an adverse drug reaction ADR or not was assessed using the rating scale of Begaud et al. [1985] for each drug taken. The risk profile and the drug history of all patients with gastrointestinal bleeding were registered.

RESULTS

A total of 58 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding due to NSAIDs were documented. Risk factors for bleeding were cardiac diseases, hypertension, diabetes, age over 60 years, history of ulcer, a Helicobacter pylori infection, smoking and consumption of alcohol together with drugs known to have a risk of causing gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers (antiplatelet drugs, anticoagulants, corticosteroids). About 70% of these patients had 3 or more risk factors, but only 20% had been receiving effective prophylaxis with a proton pump inhibitor.

CONCLUSION

Gastrointestinal problems resulting from the use of NSAIDs are clinically important. It is concluded, that individual risk profiles, as a criterion for the prophylactic use of effective protective drugs, would be helpful in patients management.

Purging in BCR-ABL-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia using immunomagnetic beads: comparison of residual leukemia and purging efficiency in bone marrow vs peripheral blood stem cells by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction

Twenty autologous bone marrow (BM) and 25 peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) grafts were collected from a total of 40 consecutive patients with BCR-ABL+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first (n = 37) or second (n = 3) complete morphological remission and subsequently purged with a cocktail of anti-CD19, -CD10, AB4 MoAbs and immunomagnetic beads (IMB). Residual BCR-ABL-positive cells before purging were detected in 19 of 20 BM grafts at a median of 4 (range 0-6) logs and in 17 of 25 evaluable PBSC grafts at a median of 1 (range 0-3) log above the limit of detection assessed by a semiquantitative limiting log10-dilution RT-PCR (P < 0.0001). IMB purging depleted a median of 2.5 (range 1-4) log of residual BCR-ABL+ cells from BM and a median of 1 (range 0-2) log from PBSC grafts, achieving RT-PCR negativity in 1/20 BM and 12/25 PBSC grafts after purging. Cell recoveries were 62% and 86% (P < 0.0001) of MNC and 74% and 97% (P = 0.065) of CD34+ cells after BM and PBSC purging, respectively. BM purging was superior using the triple MoAb cocktail which depleted 2.64 +/- 0.4 log (n = 14) compared to 1.6 +/- 0.4 log (n = 5) using the MoAb cocktail not including AB4 (P = 0. 02). We conclude that unpurged BM grafts contain 2-3 log more residual BCR-ABL+ cells than unpurged PBSC grafts and that purging efficacy is superior in BM compared to PBSC grafts, but median titers in purged BM grafts still exceed those in purged PBSC grafts. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000) 25, 97-104.

Prescribing of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, anxiolytics, and sedative-hypnotics by general practitioners in The Netherlands: a multivariate analysis

A study of the prescribing of anxiolytics and sedative-hypnotics and the occurrence of anxiety or sleep disorders before and after the initiation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) therapy may provide insight into differences in individual SSRIs. The purpose of our study was to evaluate whether and in what way the likelihood of being prescribed an anxiolytic or sedative-hypnotic or receiving a diagnosis of an anxiety or sleep disorder differed in patients prescribed either fluoxetine or paroxetine by a general practitioner (GP) in the Netherlands, where these two agents are the most commonly prescribed SSRIs. Episodes of SSRI treatment were constructed from a recently available GP database in the Netherlands. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether, after controlling for other observable factors, the receipt of paroxetine or fluoxetine was a statistically significant determinant for receipt of an anxiolytic or sedative-hypnotic or a diagnosis of an anxiety or sleep disorder. We found that patients who were prescribed fluoxetine as their index drug were less likely to receive a concomitant sedative-hypnotic on their index date compared with patients receiving paroxetine. After controlling for other observable factors, such as use of anxiolytics and sedative-hypnotics before SSRI therapy or on the index date or the existence of comorbid anxiety or sleep disorders, patients starting fluoxetine therapy were no more likely than patients starting paroxetine therapy to receive an anxiolytic or sedative-hypnotic or a diagnosis of an anxiety or sleep disorder during the 60-day post period. The likelihood of a patient's being diagnosed with or receiving a prescription for an anxiety or sleep disorder does not appear to be a differentiating factor between the prescribing of fluoxetine or paroxetine by GPs in the Netherlands.