MnO,
as a promising anode for lithium-ion batteries, is easy to
form high-valence manganese oxides during the battery operation, causing
a continuous capacity increase and hindering practical applications.
Herein, an effective approach for regulating the electrochemical capacity
trend is presented with the guide of the thermodynamic calculations.
According to the calculated Ellingham diagrams, the potential metals
(Me = Fe, Sn, Co, Ni, and Cu) were selected to synthesize the Me–MnO
composite anode materials. The cycling test results indicate that
the selected metals show the abilities to inhibit the further oxidation
of Mn2+ and regulate the capacity in the order of Fe <
Sn < Co < Ni < Cu. The mechanism of the electrochemical reaction
sequence is clarified based on the thermodynamic properties. This
approach provides a rational design of electrode materials for improved
performance via a hybrid electrochemistry-thermodynamics analysis.
Proficiency testing based on quality control materials is an important component of the quality assurance system for detection methods. However, in the detection of infectious diseases, it is a challenge to use quality control materials derived from clinical samples or pathogens owing to their infectious nature. The Xpert MTB/RIF assay, endorsed by the World Health Organization, is one of the most widely implemented assays in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis along with rifampicin resistance and its heterogeneity. Clinical isolates are typically used as quality controls for this assay, leading to concerns about biosafety, constrained target sequence polymorphisms, and time-consuming preparation. In this study, a heterogeneous quality control library for the Xpert MTB/RIF assay was constructed based on DNA synthesis and site-directed mutation, which provides sufficient rifampicin resistance polymorphisms, enabling monitoring all five probes of Xpert MTB/RIF and its combinations. Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis were used as heterogeneous hosts rather than the pathogen itself to eliminate biosafety risks; thus, preparation does not require a biosafety level III laboratory and the production time is reduced from a few months to a few days. The panel was stable for more than 15 months stored at 4°C and could be distributed at room temperature. All 11 laboratories in Shanghai participating in a pilot survey identified the specimens with corresponding probe patterns, and discordant results highlighted inappropriate operations in the process. Collectively, we show, for the first time, that this library, based on heterogeneous hosts, is an appropriate alternative for M. tuberculosis detection.
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