Nasal cytology with emphasis on mast cells can improve the diagnosis and treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) involves inflammation of the nasal and para-nasal mucosa. Due to its heterogeneous nature, unknown pathogenesis, and high recurrence rate, effective treatment is difficult. Nasal cytology is presently not a part of the routine diagnosis or treatment decision for CRS. DATA SOURCES: A literature search was performed for published papers in English between January 1990 and June 2019 using MEDLINE. STUDY SELECTION: Terms used were chronic rhinosinusitis, eosinophils, etiology, immunopathology, inflammation, mast cells, nasal cytology, polyps, and treatment. Both reviews and original articles were collected and studied. RESULTS: There is no standard nasal fluid, mucus sampling, or staining techniques for identifying inflammatory cell types. Results were divergent from different countries. Moreover, the main focus of these papers on the cells in nasal washings was eosinophils, with infrequent mentioning of other cell types that may imply different etiology and pathology. The heterogeneous cell profile of CRS and the role of mast cells have been unappreciated due to the lack of specific immunohistochemical technique or study of its unique mediators. CONCLUSIONS: Nasal cytology could help distinguish the type and the activation state of inflammatory cells. Thus it can help in providing a clearer picture of CRS pathogenesis, identifying different patient groups, and developing effective treatments.

Rational Design of Robust Si/C Microspheres for High-Tap-Density Anode Materials.

Si has been recognized as a next-generation anode alternative to graphite for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries. However, the most intractable problem of previous Si-based anodes is the relatively low compressive strength of particles because of excess voids and porous structures, thus leading to poor structural integrity and electrochemical performance under high pressure of the rolling procedure in practical application. Therefore, a rational design of robust Si/C microspheres with a compact nano/microstructure is an effective strategy to address the above-mentioned issues. In this ingenious structure, Si nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed and anchored on flake graphite and then the composites self-assemble into microspheres via polycondensation and surface tension of pitch under high temperature and high pressure. Benefitting from this innovative approach and rational design, the obtained robust Si/C microspheres not only present high compressive property and high tap density (1.0 g cm-3) but also demonstrate high initial Coulombic efficiency (90.5%) and cycling stability with areal capacity (4 mA h cm-2) under a compaction density of 1.3 g cm-3. Furthermore, the full cell assembled with LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 and the resultant Si/C microsphere anode also displays good cycling performance and rate capabilities. Owing to these aspects, the proposed rational design of encapsulating Si nanoparticles in high-tap-density microspheres could be extended to load other nanomaterials for advanced batteries.

Stable Sodium Storage of Red Phosphorus Anode Enabled by a Dual-Protection Strategy.

Red phosphorus is appealing for anode use in sodium-ion batteries. However, the synthesis of electrochemically stable red P anodes remains challenging due to a notable volume variation upon (de)sodiation, and limited synthetic methods arising from the low ignition and sublimation temperatures. To address the above problems, we herein successfully develop an industrially adaptable process for scalable synthesis of affordable phosphorus/carbon (APC) anode materials with an excellent electrochemical performance at a significantly reduced cost. The key to our success is a delicately designed, self-organized, strongly interactive porous P/C structure filled with sodium alginate binder, which maintains the structural integrity of anode and enhances the electrical contact of red P upon its volume variation via a dual protection from porous structure and strong surface interactions. The APC anodes hence present ultrahigh initial Coulombic efficiency (86.2%), excellent cycling stability, and superior rate capability. The industrially adaptable process and excellent electrochemical performance endow the novel APC nano/microspheres with promising applications in high-performance Na-ion batteries.