Practical Capacity Research Articles

Nonmetallic-Bonding Fe-Mn Diatomic Pairs Anchored on Hollow Carbonaceous Nanodisks for High-Performance Li-S Battery.

The issues of polysulfide shuttling and lethargic sulfur redox reaction (SROR) kinetics are the toughest obstacles of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery. Herein, integrating the merits of increased density of metal sites and synergistic catalytic effect, a unique single-atom catalyst (SAC) with nonmetallic-bonding Fe-Mn diatomic pairs anchored on hollow nitrogen-doped carbonaceous nanodisk (denoted as FeMnDA@NC) is successfully constructed and well characterized by aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, etc. Density functional theory calculation indicates that the Fe-Mn diatomic pairs can effectively inhibit the shuttle effect by enhancing the adsorption ability retarding the polysulfide migration and accelerate the SROR kinetics. As a result, the Li-S battery assembled with FeMnDA@NC modified separator possesses an excellent electrochemical performance with ultrahigh specific capacities of 1419 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and 885 mAh g-1 at 3.0 C, respectively. An outstanding specific capacity of 1165 mAh g-1 is achieved at 1.0 C and maintains at 731 mAh g-1 after 700 cycles. Notably, the assembled Li-S battery with a high sulfur loading of 5.35mg cm-2 harvests a practical areal capacity of 5.70 mAh cm-2 at 0.2 C. A new perspective is offered here to construct advanced SACs suitable for the Li-S battery.

Building knowledge absorptive capacity in South African public companies through recruitment practices

Most state-owned companies (SOCs) in South Africa are in a perpetual struggle to recruit human resources and replenish their intangible knowledge asset losses that are largely due to high employee turnover. The study is interdisciplinary in nature, presenting a strong link between recruitment practice, employee turnover, knowledge loss and knowledge absorptive capacity. The research project used a mixed methods exploratory sequential design by gathering in-depth qualitative data through interviews with 20 human resource managers in 9 SOCs. Survey data was collected from a 25% response rate to the 585 distributed questionnaires. The survey instrument was tested for reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha at 0.94. The qualitative data extracted through the interviews were analyzed thematically using Atlas.ti software, whilst the quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS). The findings revealed that due to increased human resources mobility, human resource management (HRM) establishments in many SOCs were in a perpetual struggle to fill vacancies in mission-critical areas. Knowledge-loss induced by human resource attrition was a serious challenge in most SOCs. On a positive note, the study revealed that recruitment practices were knowledge-driven, largely because they supported SOCs in the sourcing of the required company-specific human and knowledge resources, albeit some extant challenges. The study concluded that HRM recruitment practices build knowledge absorptive capacity in South African SOCs.

Improving the Bus Stops Capacity Depending on Capacity of Bus Lane and Regulated Intersection Capacity

Any stop of buses should be understood along a route, such as the regulated intersections (RI), stopping point (SP), and the road crowding. Thus, the regularities arrival of urban passenger transport (UPT) is impacting the capacity of the of SP, and the number of violations at the stopping point should be known to find a solution to improve the capacity of SP. On the other hand, the process of determining the carrying capacity of a stopping point by urban passenger transport, depending on their type and numbers, remains insufficiently studied yet. In this study, the impact of the type and quantity of UPT on the capacity of the stopping point is illustrated. The conflict at SP that affects the capacity of the stopping point can be solved by controlling the bus’s intensity at a regulated intersection and bus lane. The practical capacities of the various physical elements of the system of UPT servicing that were studied are, a lane capacity (Ql ), a regulated intersection capacity (Qi ), and a stopping point capacity (Qs ). Theoretically substantiating the effects of urban passenger transport types on the SP capacity, formulas were used to determine these practical capacities and compared with the calculated capacity of stopping points according to the HCM2000 model (Qm ) by applying this condition, min {Qi Qi Qs} ≤ Qm .

Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing of Prosthetic Dental Treatment

Purpose: Health systems worldwide have sustainability concerns due to rising demand and healthcare services costs. Value-based healthcare (VBHC) may solve all sustainability challenges by improving health outcomes. Improving outcomes is the only effective approach to cutting healthcare expenses. Cost-assessment methodologies that can give high-quality cost information are required to implement value-based initiatives. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) method, a cost component of VBHC, has been increasingly adopted to close the cost-information gap.
 Materials & Methods: The study calculates prosthetic dental treatment costs with the time-driven activity-based costing method. Data for this study were collected from the prosthesis department of a dental hospital in 2019. 
 Results: The department's total practical capacity was estimated as 1,365,888 min for dentists and 328,320 minutes for patient consultants. The dentist capacity cost rate was calculated as 1.71 TL/min and for a patient consultant as 0.69 TL/min. Total prosthetic dental treatment costs range between 252.7TL and 304TL, depending on complications, emergencies, consultation or sedation needs.
 Conclusion: Activity-Based Costing provides accurate cost information and improves the process by making costs and activities more transparent. The prosthetic dental treatment process was presented transparently in the study. The costing model was designed to be expanded concerning the patient's urgency, the consultation and sedation needs. The cost of only one procedure was calculated in the study, and it is planned to evaluate all department activities in future research.

In-situ prelithiation of electrolyte-free silicon anode for sulfide all-solid-state batteries

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) based on silicon (Si) anodes offer high energy density and safety, which are considered promising next-generation energy-storage systems. However, the large initial capacity loss of Si anodes greatly limits the practical capacity and rate performance of ASSBs. Herein, through the unique in-situ prelithiation of electrolyte-free Si anodes by using ultra-thin lithium (Li) foil, the Li6PS5Cl electrolyte-based ASSBs achieve significantly improved initial Coulombic efficiencies (ICEs). The results of three-electrode ASSBs confirm that the in-situ prelithiation strategy effectively improves the reversible delithiation capacity and solid-state Li kinetics of electrolyte-free Si anode. The full cells utilizing prelithiated Si anode and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) cathode exhibit a remarkable energy density of 402 Wh kg−1 (based on the total mass of cathode and anode) at 0.1 C and achieve a wide operating temperature range between −30 and 50 °C. In addition, the bi-polar stacking cell with high-loading NCM811 cathode achieves a high cut-off voltage of 8.7 V and works stable for over 50 cycles. This practical prelithiation method presents substantial advantages to promote the development of ASSBs based on Si anodes with high ICEs and fast Li kinetics, offering a pathway to realize solid-state storages with high rates and high energy densities.

Advancements, Challenges, and Prospects in Rechargeable Solid‐State Lithium‐Air Batteries

AbstractSolid‐state lithium‐air batteries (SSLABs) are attracting widespread research interest as emerging energy storage systems with ultra‐high theoretical energy density. However, due to their relatively short development history, the practical capacity and cyclic performance of SSLABs still fail to meet application requirements. The selection of solid electrolytes and the design and optimization of air cathodes are key factors for developing high‐performance solid‐state lithium‐air batteries. In this review, we focus on recent scientific advances and challenges in SSLABs, providing a comprehensive overview of solid electrolytes, air cathodes, and interface issues. Strategies such as electrolyte modification, composite cathodes, interface engineering, and the addition of catalysts which have been effective in addressing issues related to low ionic conductivity of electrolytes, high interfacial impedance, sluggish kinetics of electrochemical reactions, and poor cycling stability, were reviewed and discussed. Furthermore, this review also discusses the prospects of SSLABs, aiming to inspire and provide references for the development of solid‐state lithium‐air batteries, as well as other metal‐air batteries.

Activating Mn Redox for Boosting Performance Enabled by Highly Oxidized Ru in a P2-Type Cathode Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries

To overcome the inherent limitations of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) such as relatively low energy density and operating voltage compared to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), Oxygen redox chemistry is considered to realizing a high-performance battery system. However, oxygen redox commonly accompanied problems such as sluggish kinetics, O2 gas loss, and irreversible structural rearrangement with voltage hysteresis. Herein, we suggest a new model that deviates from the tendency of relying on oxygen redox reaction to realize high capacity. A deep investigation of Na0.6Mg0.2Mn0.8O2 (NMM) and Na0.6Mg0.2Ru0.2Mn0.6O2 (NMRM) is conducted by various analysis tools for the comparison. The highly oxidized Ru5+ lowers the Mn oxidation state in the structure without the Jahn-Teller effect. It drives the increased participation of Mn in the overall electrochemical reaction and the charge compensation by oxygen redox reaction is mostly replaced by the Mn3+/Mn4+ redox pair. A strong covalence of Ru stabilizes the structure and prevents cation migration from TM to Na slap. As a result, even though the specific weight increased, practical capacity was improved by maximizing the participation of Na+ ions, and we confirm that cyclability and rate capability also improved.

Establishing an Appropriate Voltage Window for Stable Cycling of Li/Mn-Rich Layered Oxide || Graphite Full Cells

Li/Mn-rich layered oxide cathode active materials (LMR) have gained attention due to their exceptionally high practical specific discharge capacity (>250 mAh g-1) originating from both conventional cationic as well as anionic oxygen redox contributions. To achieve this high capacity, the Li2MnO3-like regions of the material, which give rise to oxygen redox need to be electrochemically activated at high voltage (above 4.6 V versus Li+/Li0). This high voltage activation, however, results in the destabilization of lattice oxygen that creates subsequent adverse phenomena such as first-cycle hysteresis and the evolution of redox couples. The latter happens continuously during cycling and results in the activation of Mn3+/Mn4+ redox couple. This redox couple involving Mn3+ is problematic because, at this oxidation state, Mn disproportionation reaction can occur, resulting in the formation of highly soluble Mn2+ species. In a half-cell setup, the impact of Mn dissolution may be subtle, however, in LMR||Graphite full cells, the impact is consequential.This work focuses on investigating the degradation mechanism of LMR||Graphite full cells at different voltage windows applied during the activation cycles and the long-term cycling. These different voltage windows alter the redox contributions and thus affect the long-term performance of the cells. We observe that lowering the upper cut-off voltage (UCV) from 4.7 V to 4.5 V during the entire cycling process can increase capacity retention, although rapid degradation can still be observed. Only when the UCV during the long-term cycling is lowered to 4.3 V, can we obtain incremental degradation of the cells. We also show that lowering the activation cycles UCV to 4.5 V is beneficial for long-term cycling due to the lower contribution of Mn3+/Mn4+ redox couple after the activation cycles. Finally, we observe that increasing the lower cut-off voltage from 1.9 V to 2.4 V results in higher discharge voltage. Nevertheless it is followed by a reduction in discharge capacity, resulting in a lower specific energy. This study offers insights into the high-voltage cycling performance of practical LMR||Gr full cells that can be used for the foundation of material design to alleviate the adverse effect of oxygen redox in LMR.

An Effective Polysulfide Trapping Strategy for the Development of a Scalable, High Energy Density Lithium-Sulfur Battery

Rechargeable lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries represent an attractive, “beyond Li-ion”, battery technology because they offer a high specific energy of 2,500 Wh/kg at the material level1 and 550 Wh/kg at the cell level.2 However, Li-S batteries face substantial technical challenges that have thus far prevented the realization of the battery’s tremendous performance potentials.3 One of the major technical challenges is low practical specific capacity and fast performance degradation due to the formation, migration, and shuttling of intermediate lithium polysulfides (PSs). Several strategies have been used to trap the PS species either chemically or physically; however, they either incur increased cost due to the use of expensive catalysts4 or suffer from the reduced battery specific energy due to added inactive weights from the cell design.5,6 We will present a novel strategy to address the PS-shuttle issue using a nanolayer polymer modified high surface area carbon (NPC) as a new type of PS-trapping material.7 When thin films of NPC were coated on sulfur electrodes (NPC-S), we found that our NPC-S based Li-S battery demonstrated a high discharge specific capacity (~1,600 mAh/g) that is nearing sulfur’s theoretical specific capacity. Our molecular dynamics simulation suggests such an excellent performance is attributed to NPC’s strong PS trapping capability via dipole-dipole interactions. We will show that, using a sustainable starting material, our approach is low-cost and economically scalable for the advanced Li-S battery technology. References Zhang, S. S., Journal of Power Sources 2013, 231, 153-162.Manthiram, A.; Fu, Y.; Su, Y.-S., Accounts of Chemical Research 2013, 46 (5), 1125-1134.Chen, Z. X.; Zhao, M.; Hou, L. P.; Zhang, X. Q.; Li, B. Q.; Huang, J. Q., Advanced Materials 2022, 2201555.Hamal, D.; Awadallah, O.; El-Zahab, B., Catalysis in Lithium-Sulfur Cathodes for Improved Performance and Stability. In 242nd The Electrochemical Society Meeting, Atlanta, GA, USA, 2022.Chung, S.-H.; Han, P.; Singhal, R.; Kalra, V.; Manthiram, A., Advanced Energy Materials 2015, 5 (18).Singhal, R.; Chung, S.-H.; Manthiram, A.; Kalra, V., Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015, 3 (8), 4530-4538.Hasan, W.; Hyynh, K.; Razzaq, A.; Smdani, G.; Shende, R.; Paudel, T.; Xing, W., "Scalable, High Energy Density Lithium-Sulfur Batteries". In NASA Battery Workshop, November 15-17, 2022 , Huntsville, AL, USA, 2022. Acknowledgment This work was supported by the Larry and Linda Pearson Endowed Chair at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, South Dakoda School of Mines and Technology and by the South Dakota Governor’s Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage. Figure 1

Revealing the Lithium Storage Mechanism of Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile Cathode by Ex-Situ NMR and Ex-Situ Raman Spectroscopy

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) is a promising cathode material for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.1-3 However, fundamental insights into its molecular structure and lithium storage mechanism are yet not clearly understood. Herein, we reveal the formation of N-S and C=N-S bonds in addition to the C-S and S-S bonds using high−resolution cross−polarization/magic angle spinning (CP−MAS) solid states nitrogen-15 and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (15N NMR and 13C NMR). Ex-situ 13C NMR, ex-situ 15N NMR, ex-situ 7Li NMR, and ex-situ Raman studies indicate the formation of Li-C-N-Li and Li-C-C-Li bonds. Li–C and Li–N bonds increase the electron density of the conjugated heterocyclic structure and benefit lowering the charge/discharge voltage hysteresis after the second cycle. These results confirm conjugated C=N and C=C double-bonds involved in the lithium-ion storage mechanism leading to higher practical discharge capacity than the theoretical capacity of elemental sulfur. References Weret, M. A. et al. Mechanistic understanding of the Sulfurized-Poly(acrylonitrile) cathode for lithium-sulfur batteries. Energy Storage Materials 26, 483-493 (2020). Weret, M. A., Su, W.-N. & Hwang, B. J. Strategies towards High Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries. Batteries & Supercaps 5, e202200059 (2022). Weret, M. A. et al. Fibrous organosulfur cathode materials with high bonded sulfur for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries. Journal of Power Sources 541, 231693 (2022).

Removal Efficiency and Adsorption Kinetics of Methyl Orange from Wastewater by Commercial Activated Carbon

This research investigates commercial activated carbon (AC) potential to remove methyl orange (MO) dye removal from aqueous solution using a batch process. The AC material was characterized using FTIR spectroscopy and SEM analysis. The effect of the main operating parameters, such as the pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and initial dye concentration, was studied. MO removal could be accomplished within 30 min at a pH value of 3. The calculated maximum MO adsorption capacity onto activated carbon was 129.3 mg/g, while the removal efficiency was 97.8%. Adsorption results were analyzed by studying the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The MO adsorption data on activated carbon were better explained by the Langmuir isotherm than by the Freundlich isotherm. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model may have had an effect on the MO dye adsorption on AC material. This research showed that the commercial activated carbon can be used as an effective sorbent for MO removal from wastewater sample. Moreover, the AC material has good reusability and practical utilization capacities.

Dilation Study of Si-Rich Anode in the Next Generation Lithium-Ion Batteries

Silicon has attracted a lot of attention as anode material in lithium ion batteries due to its high practical capacity (around 3579 mAh.g-1 at Li15Si4 phase [1]). The main drawback for the use of Silicon is its significant volume expansion around 300% in fully intercalate state which causes particles pulverisation, dynamic formation of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI), losing electrical contact and capacity loss.[2] The solution is hidden in using silicon composite instead of pure silicon, [1,3] applying partial lithiation or delithiation process,[4] and improving the electrical particles contact by applying optimum external pressure.[5] The main aim of the current study is to investigate the electrochemical performance and the dilatometry behaviour of a multilayer pouch cells (0.06 to 1.5 Ah) under the external mechanical pressure. Using 1/3 of the Si capacity in order to stabilized electrochemical performance of a highly content silicon anodes (70 wt% Si), exhibited electrode irreversible expansion around 20% after 3 cycles of formation at 0.1C and 75% electrode thickening after 200 cycles at 0.5C.

Introduction: Applying Anthropology to Water

Anthropology brings a uniquely holistic sensibility to the study of water. It examines water from multiple dimensions and in its myriad forms to understand the many ways that people make meaning and a living from water. Anthropology’s study of water provides a foundation for contemporary application and practice by anthropologists and others toward solving a wide range of water-related problems. In this introduction, we introduce the seven articles that form this special issue on applied anthropology and water. Collectively, the articles provide valuable and diverse insights on the application of anthropology to a wide range of water issues. The articles also demonstrate the capacity of research and practice centered around applied anthropology to highlight local impacts and responses at multiple scales and across institutions. Here, we discuss four thematic areas shared across the articles that suggest wider commonalities for applied anthropological research and practice. These areas are configurations of clean water access; multiplicity and heterogeneity of the lived experiences of water; injustice, inequities, and inequalities related to water; and ethnography in applied research on water. We conclude by suggesting characteristics and qualities of applied anthropological research on water, which might guide future research and practice.

Carbon Loss During Preparation and Aging of Sludge Livestock Manure Biochars

Biochar has high carbon stability and is a good carbon sequestration material. Sludge biochar is rich in inorganic minerals, which would provide enrichment in the preparation process of pyrolysis, affecting its carbon sequestration capacity in practice. In this study, municipal sludge biochar (SZB), pharmaceutical sludge biochar (YCB), and chicken manure biochar (JFB) were prepared under the pyrolysis process at 500, 600, and 700℃, respectively, and their aging process in soil for 70-100 years was simulated. The physicochemical properties and the carbon loss calculation of the biochars were determined using elemental analysis, FTIR, XRF, ICP, and XRD. The results demonstrated that the type and mass fraction of endogenous minerals in the biochars determined their carbon loss during pyrolysis. Ca and Mg were the main carbon-protecting minerals, whereas Fe may have reduced the carbon stability of the sludge biochars and therefore increased the carbon loss. For the aging process, the stability of the endogenous carbon in the biochars played a major role in its carbon loss, whereas the endogenous minerals played a supporting role. These findings elucidated the effect of the stability of endogenous carbon and the composition of mineral components on the carbon loss of biochars, which may provide references for soil carbon sequestration using sludge and chicken manure biochar.

HEALTH SERVICE EFFICIENCY: COST ANALYSIS OF TIME DRIVEN ACTIVITY BASED COSTING METHODS IN CAESAR SURGERY SERVICES IN PKU MUHAMMADIYAH HOSPITAL, YOGYAKARTA

Negative difference between the fee for cesarean surgery services provided by the hospital and the tariff claimed by BPJS resulted in the hospital bearing the cost difference. This study aims to determine the level of inefficiency in cesarean surgery healthcare services through cost calculation using the Time Driven Activity Based Costing (TDABC) method at PKU Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta Hospital. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study strategy. The subjects of this research were determined using purposive sampling approach, involving 5 informants as personnel in each cost pool. In-depth interviews and documentation of internal financial data were used as data collection techniques. The results of this study show the presence of inefficiency in the Accommodation cost pool and the Cleaning service cost pool. Inefficiency in cesarean surgery services can be determined after analyzing the utilization of capacity, which is the end result of cost calculation using the TDABC method. The stages of cost analysis using the TDABC method in this study include: 1) Identification of Cost Pools, 2) Identification of total costs for each cost pool, 3) Determination of practical capacity and capacity cost rate for each cost pool, 4) Determination of time estimates for each cost pool, 5) Cost calculation, and 6) Analysis of capacity utilization to determine the level of inefficiency by calculating the percentage of available capacity compared to idle capacity. The results of this study are expected to provide input regarding the optimization of idle capacity, cost efficiency, and improvement of healthcare service processes in the hospital.

Capacities for resilience: persisting, adapting and transforming through bricolage

ABSTRACT Resilience has become increasingly popular in sustainability research and practice as a way to describe change. Within this discourse, the notion of resilience as the capacity of people, practices and processes, to persist, adapt or transform is particularly salient. The ability to bounce back from shock (persistence) or to take adaptive measures to cope with change are most commonly attributed to resilience, but at the same time, there is a strong push for a transformation agenda from various social and environmental movements. How capacities for resilience are enacted and performed through social practices remains relatively underexplored and there is potential for more dialogue and learning across disciplinary traditions. In this article, we outline the ‘Resilience Capacities Framework’ as a way to a) explicitly address questions of agency in how resilience capacities are enacted and b) account for the dynamic interactions between pathways of persistence, adaptation and transformation. Our starting point is to conceptualise future pathways as co-evolved, whereby social and ecological relationships are shaped through processes of selection, variation and retention, enacted in everyday practices. Drawing on theories of bricolage and structuration, we elaborate on the role of actors as bricoleurs, consciously and non-consciously shaping socio-ecological relationships and pathways of change. Informed by cases of rural change from mountain areas, we explore the extent to which an approach focusing on agency and bricolage can illuminate how the enactment of resilience capacities shapes intersecting pathways of change.

Evaluation of Lithium Metal Anode Volumetric Expansion through Laser Plasma Focused Ion Beam Cross-Sectional Imaging

Lithium metal is an ideal anode for high energy density batteries, however the implementation of lithium metal anodes remains challenging. Beyond the development of highly efficient electrolytes, degradation processes restrict cycle life and reduce practical energy density. Herein lithium volumetric expansion and degradation pathways are studied in half cells through coupling electrochemical analysis with cross-sectional imaging of the intact electrode stack using a cryogenic laser plasma focused ion beam and scanning electron microscope. We find that the volumetric capacity is compromised as early as the first cycle, at best reaching values only half the theoretical capacity (1033 vs 2045 mAh cm−3). By the 101st electrodeposition, the practical volumetric capacity decreases to values ranging from 143 to 343 mAh cm−3.

유아교사의 놀이학습공동체 참여가 놀이지원 실천역량에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of early childhood teachers' participation in the play learning community on their ability to practice play support. Methods For this purpose, a questionnaire survey was conducted on homeroom teachers aged 3 to 5 who are working in early childhood education institutions in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, and data related to play support practice capacity and participation in play learning communities were collected. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to analyze the effect of participation in play learning community on play support practice competency. analysis was performed. them. Results The effect of early childhood teachers' participation in the play learning community on the play support practice competency showed differences according to the sub-variables of the play support practice competency. Participation in play-learning community was analyzed as an important predictor for increasing play support execution and play support evaluation, but the effect on play support planning was not significant. In addition, there was a difference in explanatory power on play support planning, implementation, and evaluation, and participation in the play learning community was found to explain play support execution and play support evaluation more effectively than play support plans. Conclusions These results suggest that the play learning community of early childhood teachers needs to be activated in order to proceed with play in which the initiative and spontaneity of infants are respected.

CoCx‑induced interfacial octahedral Co2+ sites of NiCo-LDH electrode with improved faradic reactivity toward high-performance supercapacitor

Battery-like electrode materials are characterized by large theoretical capacitance but suffer from poor surface reactivity and insufficient electroactive sites thus limiting their practical charge storage capacity. To overcome this challenge, an effective strategy for vacancy modulation on battery-like electrode materials is necessary. Herein, we report for the first time an elaborately designed three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical heterostructure consisting of CoCx@NiCo-LDH on conductive nickel foam as a freestanding supercapacitor electrode. Benefiting from the weakening of the coordination of CoO bonds, the CoCx structure induces in-situ reconstruction of the NiCo-LDH lattice, resulting in the formation of abundant oxygen vacancies (interfacial octahedral Co2+ sites) that lower the OH− adsorption energy as determined by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The resulting CoCx@NiCo-LDH/NF electrode exhibits an ultrahigh rate capability (2330 mF cm−2 at 0.3 mA cm−2, with capacitance retention of 51.5 % at 30 mA cm−2) and remarkable cycling performance (capacitance retention of 81.6 % after 10,000 cycles). Additionally, the assembled asymmetric devices deliver an extremely high energy density of 246 μWh cm−2 at the power density of 798 μW cm−2, with 87.8 % capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles at 8 mA cm−2. Overall, this study presents a simple yet effective strategy to construct high-performance battery-like electrodes for potential applications in energy storage, transportation, and communication.

Access to first contact physiotherapy appointments in primary care: A scoping review

AbstractBackgroundFirst Contact Physiotherapy (FCP) is part of the drive to increase General Practice (GP) capacity by providing access to expert musculoskeletal (MSK) Physiotherapists in GP surgeries. For the FCP model to provide effective MSK care at the start of the patient's journey, it is essential that patients are directed to FCP appointments in a timely manner. It is therefore important to know how patients are accessing FCP appointments.ObjectiveTo provide an overview of the literature regarding patient access to FCP appointments.DesignScoping review.MethodsWe reviewed studies published from January 2016 to May 2023 that focused on FCP and made a mention of patient access to FCP appointments. A search was performed using six databases as well as grey literature sources. Study selection and data extraction were independently conducted by two reviewers. Extracted data were tabulated and analysed according to our research questions.ResultsFrom 186 records identified, 24 studies and other materials were included in the review. A variety of terms were used to describe access routes to FCP appointments, the most common being ‘signposting’. These studies suggest the importance of the role of GP reception/administrative staff in enabling efficient patient access to FCP appointments.ConclusionThere is a clear gap in the literature concerning how patients access FCP appointments. Since the importance of appropriate access is acknowledged as an essential feature of the expansion of FCP in Primary Care, future research is needed to refine and implement optimal FCP access models by identifying the key components needed to ensure timely and appropriate access to FCP.