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Alkaline water electrolysis is the most promising technology for green-hydrogen production, which is considered a cornerstone of carbon-neutral energy society. In the development of functional catalysts able to overcome the sluggish kinetics of the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), MXenes emerge as attractive support candidates with distinctive hydrophilicity, high conductivity, and high (electro)chemical stability. Herein, we assess the promise of three-dimensionally interconnected Ti3C2Tx MXenes with distinct surface terminations (-O, -OH, and -F) as efficient support materials for Pt-loaded alkaline HER catalysts. In particular, our OH-functionalized Pt/Ti3C2(OH)x shows the highest HER activity (30 mV dec-1), unlocking a competitive performance against the Pt/C reference (61 mV dec-1) and benchmark literature reports. The outstanding performance is ascribed to the cooperative effects of the extended MXene surface area and established interactions between Pt and Ti(OH)x surface centers. In parallel, the oxophilic nature of Ti3C2(OH)x facilitates Pt dispersion, presumably playing a key role in the extended catalytic stability here reported. The superior activity is further substantiated by density functional theory calculations, with the modeled Pt/Ti3C2(OH)2 unveiling a significantly higher onset potential and the weakest hydrogen binding energy over supported Pt nanoparticles (-2.51 eV) against both -O (-2.72 eV) and -F (-3.15 eV) functionalized counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult presentation of neglected congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) is rare. Therefore, efficacy of surgical treatment for adult CMT is unclear. We experienced a case of neglected CMT in a 28-year-old male patient and report the surgical result here. We conducted unipolar resection at the distal end of the sternocleidomastoidmuscle (SCM). After surgery, the range of neck movement and head tilt improved, and his appearance was cosmetically improved despite the long-standing nature of the deformity. We concluded that surgical management of adult patients with neglected congenital muscular torticollis may be a treatment option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Destabilizing injuries to the deltoid ligament have relied on radiographic stress examination for diagnosis, with a focus on medial clear space (MCS) widening. Recently, studies have demonstrated the use of ultrasonography to assess deltoid ligament injury, but not the medial ankle stability. The purpose of this study was to assess the MCS via ultrasonography while weight-bearing and with a gravity stress test (GST) in the uninjured ankle as a means of establishing normative values for future comparison., Methods: Twenty-six participants with no reported ankle injury in their premedical history were included. The MCS was examined using ultrasonography with the patient lying in a lateral decubitus position to replicate a GST with the ankle held in a neutral and plantarflexed position as well as while weight-bearing. The MCS was assessed in mm at the anteromedial and inferomedial aspect of the ankle joint., Results: With weight-bearing, the average anterior MCS and inferior MCS were 3.6 and 3.3 mm, respectively. During the GST in neutral ankle position, the average anterior MCS was 4.1 mm, whereas the average inferior MCS was 4.0 mm. When measured during the GST in plantarflexed ankle position, the averages anterior MCS and inferior MCS increased to 4.4 mm. MCS values were notably higher with GST than with weight-bearing measurements (P < 0.001). MCS values were notably higher with the foot in a plantarflexed compared with a neutral position when doing GST (P < 0.001). No notable differences in MCS distance were found when comparing laterality (P > 0.05). Height had a notable effect on all MCS values (P < 0.05). Inter- and intra-rater reliabilities for ultrasonographic MCS measurements were all excellent (interclass correlation coefficient >0.75)., Discussion: Ultrasound can reliably measure the MCS of the ankle while doing dynamic stress manoeuvres. With the deltoid ligament intact, a GST increases MCS widening more than weight-bearing, and holding the ankle in plantarflexion while doing a gravity stress view, further increases this difference., Levels of Evidence: Diagnostic studies-investigating a diagnostic test: Level III., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)