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Donor–acceptor-type molecule, IBN, assembles to cancel its dipole moment on a 2D Au(111) surface and in a 3D single crystal.

Occupational exposure of radiation workers, including nurses, is an important issue that should always be considered. However, there are limited reports on external exposure of nurses working in nuclear medicine investigated using a personal dosimeter with a trend function. We investigated the relationship between the personal dose equivalent and behavior of nurses in nuclear medicine using a personal dosimeter with a trend function. It was found that the external exposure of nurses was high when they cleaned hospital rooms where patients who received radiopharmaceutical drugs were admitted. However, none of the nurses surveyed exceeded 3μ. Visualization of the contamination in the hospital room showed that the area around the sink and trash can was particularly contaminated. Hence, nurses need to be more careful when cleaning. Although it is unlikely that the nurses surveyed will be affected by external exposure, data in this report is valuable for nurses at medical institutions to consider work hours and personnel strategies.

The methylation of mercury by anaerobic microbes in wet soils and sediment significantly increases its bioaccumulation potential into wildlife. Methylation is also counter-acted by demethylation processes, with the balance between methylation and demethylation processes ultimately controlling the amount of methylmercury in a system. Given that microbial activities are intricately linked with temperature, climatic changes should impact mercury methylation and demethylation processes, but this is not well-characterized in mercury research. In this presentation, I will discuss the outcome of better understanding mercury methylation and demethylation processes and rates in boreal wetland soils, as affected by temperature. To examine this, we have included a series of controlled, closed-system, flow-through experiments using boreal wetland soils from both forest-impacted and unimpacted wetlands in dark growth chambers across a range of realistic temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 °C). Mercury methylation and demethylation processes were examined in soil cores using enriched mercury isotope incubations and analyzed against measures of microbial activity and soil/water chemistry. Results from this study are expected to allow us to begin modeling mercury cycling processes with respect to climate and other environmental changes.

ObjectiveTo describe neurological outcomes after sudden cardiac arrests (SCAs) in road and long-distance races using a rapid mobile automated external defibrillator system (RMAEDS) intervention.MethodsA total of 42 SCAs from 3 214 701 runners in 334 road and long-distance races from 1 February 2007 to 29 February 2020 were examined. Demographics, SCA interventions, EMS-related data and SCA-related outcomes were measured. Primary endpoints were favourable neurological outcomes (Cerebral Performance Categories 1–2) at 1-month and 1-year post-SCA. Secondary endpoints were factors related to the field return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and resuscitation characteristics, including the initial ECG waveform classification and resuscitation sequence times according to the initial ECG rhythm.ResultsThe SCA incidence rate was 1.31 per 100 000 runners (age: median (IQR), 51 (36.5, 58.3) years). Field ROSC and full neurological recovery at 1-month post-SCA was achieved 90.4% and 92.9% of cases, respectively. In 22 cases in which bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated within 1 min and defibrillation performed within 3 min, full neurological recovery was achieved at 1-month and 1-year post-SCA in 95.5.% and 95.5% of cases, respectively.ConclusionsThe RMAEDS successfully treated patients with SCA during road and long-distance races yielding a high survival rate and favourable neurological outcomes. These findings support rapid intervention and the proper placement of healthcare teams along the race course to initiate chest compressions within 1 min and perform defibrillation within 3 min.

The electronic properties of the surface of $β$-FeSi$_2$ have been debated for a long while. We studied the surface states of $β$-FeSi$_2$ films grown on Si(001) substrates using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS), with the aid of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. STM simulations using the surface model proposed by Romanyuk et al. [Phys. Rev. B 90, 155305 (2014)] reproduce the detailed features of experimental STM images. The result of STS showed metallic surface states in accordance with theoretical predictions. The Fermi level was pinned by a surface state that appeared in the bulk band gap of the $β$-FeSi$_2$ film, irrespective of the polarity of the substrate. We also observed negative differential conductance at $\sim$0.45 eV above the Fermi level in STS measurements performed at 4.5 K, reflecting the presence of an energy gap in the unoccupied surface states of $β$-FeSi$_2$., 16 pages, 5 figures

Scanning tunneling microscopy and transport measurements have been performed to investigate the electronic structure and its temperature dependence in heavily Sr and Na codoped PbTe, which is recognized as one of the most promising thermoelectric materials. Our main findings are as follows: (i) Below T=4.5 K, all carriers are distributed in the first valence band at the L point (L band), which forms tube-shaped Fermi surfaces with concave curvature. With Sr and Na doping, the dispersion of the L band changes, and the band gap increases from 200 meV to 300 meV. (ii) At T=4.5 K, the Fermi energy is located ~100 meV below the edge of the L band for the Sr/Na codoped PbTe. The second valence band at the Sigma point (Sigma band) is lower than the L band by 150 meV, which is significantly smaller than that of pristine PbTe (200 meV). The decrease in the band offset, leading to band convergence, provides a desirable condition for thermoelectric materials.(iii) With increasing temperature, the carrier distribution to the Sigma band starts at T=100 K and we estimate that about 50 percent of the total carriers are redistributed in the Sigma band at T=300 K.Our work demonstrates that scanning tunneling microscopy and angular dependent magnetoresistance measurements are particularly powerful tools to determine the electronic structure and carrier distribution. We believe that they will provide a bird's eye view of the doping strategy towards realizing high-efficiency thermoelectric materials., Comment: 47 pages, 13 figures, including Supplementary Materials

Terahertz (THz) imaging techniques have attracted significant attention and have developed rapidly in recent years. However, despite several advances, these techniques are still not mature, and their high cost and system complexity continue to limit their applications. In this article, the techniques for achieving a practical imaging system with a compact THz transceiver are addressed, while considering the limitations of the current technique. The aim is to provide a brief review of related topics, while also covering our recent progress, which can provide some general perspectives and contrasting approaches for realizing a practical THz imaging system. The continuous wave devices are mainly focused for their flexibility of balancing the imaging resolution and data acquisition time. The importance of transceiver integration is also discussed and illustrated by introducing a 600-GHz band micro-photonic interface for integrating a THz source and detector, with a single resonant tunneling diode as a transceiver. With regard to system issues, spatial sampling with mechanical beam-scanning is discussed as an intermediate approach for moving stage and array technology. The potential and limitations of this approach are evaluated, along with an elliptical reflector as an alternative to an f-theta lens owing to its low cost and simplicity. The combination of integrated devices, along with the mechanical beam-scanning, is also discussed for demonstrating our current concept of realizing a practical THz imaging system.

In hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, anticoagulation therapy is administered to prevent thrombosis. However, anticoagulation sometimes causes bleeding complications. We herein report two Japanese cases of severe COVID-19 in which spontaneous muscle hematomas (SMH) developed under therapeutic anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin. Although the activated partial prothrombin time was within the optimal range, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) revealed SMH in the bilateral iliopsoas muscles in both cases, which required emergent transcatheter embolization. Close monitoring of the coagulation system and the early diagnosis of bleeding complications through CECT are needed in severe COVID-19 patients treated with anticoagulants.

The chirality of spherical liquid crystal droplets was investigated in this study. We report the effect of confinement on blue phase III (BPIII) spheres. We investigated the behaviours of the spher...

On-surface synthesis is a powerful method for the fabrication of π-conjugated nanomaterials. Herein, we demonstrate chemoselective Sonogashira coupling between (trimethylsilyl)ethynyl and chlorophenyl groups in silylethynyl- and chloro-substituted partially fluorinated phenylene ethynylenes (SiCPFPEs) on Ag(111). The desilylative Sonogashira coupling occurred with high chemoselectivity up to 75 %, while the competing Ullmann and desilylative Glaser homocoupling reactions were suppressed. A combination of bond-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy/atomic force microscopy (STM/AFM) and DFT calculations revealed that the oligomers were obtained by the formation of intermolecular silylene tethers (-Me2 Si-) through CH3 -Si bond activation at 130 °C and subsequent elimination of the tethers at an elevated temperature of 200 °C.

In coordination chemistry, knowledge on the oxidation state of the central metal is a significant basis for the design and synthesis of novel complexes. We examined the mechanism of on-surface coor...

IntroductionAmong the 43 venues of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (OG) and 33 venues of Paralympic Games (PG) were held, the heat island effect was highly expected to cause heat-related illnesses in the outdoor venues with maximum temperatures exceeding 35°C. However, the actual number of heat-related illness cases during the competition was lower than that was initially expected, and it was unclear under what conditions or environment-related heat illnesses occurred among athletes.ObjectTo clarify the cause and factors contributing to the occurrence of heat-related illness among athletes participating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.MethodThis retrospective descriptive study included 15 820 athletes from 206 countries. From 21 July 2021 to 8 August 2021 for the Olympics, and from 24 August 2021 to 5 September 2021 for the Paralympics. The number of heat-related illness cases at each venue, the incidence rate for each event, gender, home continent, as well as the type of competition, environmental factors (such as venue, time, location and wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT)), treatment factor and the type of competition were analysed.ResultsMore number of heat-related illnesses among athletes occurred at the OG (n=110, 76.3%) than at the PG (n=36, 23.7%). A total of 100 cases (100%) at the OG and 31 cases (86.1%) at the PG occurred at the outdoors venues. In the OG, a total of 50 cases (57.9%) occurred during the competition of marathon running and race walking at Sapporo Odori Park. Six of those, were diagnosed with exertional heat illness and treated with cold water immersion (CWI) at OG and one case at PG. Another 20 cases occurred in athletics (track and field) competitions at Tokyo National Olympic Stadium. In total, 10 cases (10.0%) were diagnosed with severe heat illness in the OG and 3 cases (8.3%) in the PG. Ten cases were transferred to outside medical facilities for further treatment, but no case has been hospitalised due to severe condition. In the factor analysis, venue zone, outdoor game, high WBGT (ConclusionThe Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic summer games were held. Contrary to expectations, we calculated that about 1 in 100 Olympic athletes suffered heat-related illness. We believe this was due to the risk reduction of heat-related illness, such as adequate prevention and proper treatment. Our experience in avoiding heat-related illness will provide valuable data for future Olympic summer Games.

Previously, surfactant-assisted exfoliated graphene oxide (sEGO) formed with the triple-chain surfactant TC14 (sodium 1,4-bis(neopentyloxy)-3-(neopentylcarbonyl)-1,4-dioxobutane-2-sulfonate) was applied in wastewater treatment. The extent of dye-removal and the adsorption capacity of the sEGO formed with this triple-chain surfactant outperformed those of two other systems, namely, the di-chain version of TC14 (AOT14; sodium 1,2-bis-(2,2-dimethyl-propoxycarbonyl)-ethanesulfonate) and the single-chain surfactant sodium n-dodecylsulfate. In the present study, to further optimise the surfactant chemical structure, the sodium ion of TC14 was substituted with 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium (BMIM) generating surfactant ionic liquids (SAILs; 1-butyl-3-imidazolium 1,4-bis(neopentyloxy)-3-(neopentyloxycarbonyl)-1,4-dioxobutane-2-sulfonate), hereafter denoted as BMIM-TC14. This SAIL, together with nanofibrillated kenaf cellulose (NFC), was used to electrochemically exfoliate graphite, yielding BMIM-TC14 sEGO/NFC composites. These highly hydrophobic polymer composites were then used for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to elucidate the structure of the synthesised SAILs. The morphologies of the resulting nanocomposites were investigated using Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Analysis using small-angle neutron scattering was performed to examine the aggregation behaviour of sEGO and custom-made SAILs. Zeta potential, surface tension, and dynamic light-scattering measurements were used to study the aqueous properties and colloidal stability of the suspension. Amongst the surfactants tested, BMIM-TC14 sEGO/NFC exhibited the highest MB adsorption ability, achieving 99% dye removal under optimum conditions. These results highlight the importance of modifying the hydrophilic moieties of amphiphilic compounds to improve the performance of sEGO/NFC composites as effective adsorbents for wastewater treatment.

The photo-induced isomerization of an azobenzene unit not only induces a phase transition between two different phases but also brings about marked changes of physical properties in solids and liquid crystals. We prepared a homologous series of symmetric liquid crystal trimers that possess an azobenzene unit, 4,4′-bis{9-[4-(5-hexylpyrimidin-2-yl)phenyloxy]alkyloxy}azobenzene (I-n: n = 7–11). We investigated their phase transition properties and those of their binary mixtures with a host liquid crystal. Trimers I-8, I-9, I-10 and I-11 exhibited nematic phases whereas trimer I-7 showed no liquid-crystalline properties. Trimers I-9, I-10 and I-11 were found to produce chiral conglomerates in the achiral smectic phase of their mixtures with the host liquid crystal under UV irradiation. Furthermore, odd-membered liquid crystal trimers I-9 and I-11 induced grain boundaries between smectic blocks. We explain the phase transition phenomena in terms of guest–host interactions between the photo-induced cis-trimer and its surrounding host liquid-crystalline molecules.

Molecular processes at geochemical interfaces impact many environmental processes that are critical to the fate and transport of contaminants in water systems. Often these interfaces are coated with natural organic matter, oxyanions, or biological components, yet little is understood about these coatings. Herein, we are interested in better understanding the interaction of biological components with nanoscale iron oxide minerals. In particular, we use attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy to investigate the adsorption behavior of deoxyadenosine monophosphate (dAMP) on hematite nanoparticle surfaces as a function of pH and in the presence and absence of adsorbed phosphate. These results show that fewer nucleotides adsorb at higher pH. Additionally, when phosphate anions are preadsorbed, nucleotide adsorption is significantly limited due to site-blocking by adsorbed inorganic phosphate. The pH dependence provides insights into the adsorption process and the importance of electrostatic interactions. Preadsorbed phosphate affects the binding mode of dAMP, suggesting synergistic interactions between the coadsorbates. Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy was used to further analyze the infrared spectra. Based on this analysis, a dAMP adsorption pathway onto a preadsorbed phosphate-hematite surface was proposed, suggesting the displacement of adsorbed phosphate by dAMP. Overall, this study provides some insights into geochemical-biological interactions on nanoscale iron oxide surfaces using vibrational spectroscopy.

The effectiveness of advanced airway management (AAM) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been reported differently in each region; however, no study has accounted for the regional differences in the association between the timing of AAM implementation and neurological outcomes.This study aimed to evaluate the association between the timing of patient or prefecture level AAM and a favorableneurological outcome defined by cerebral performance category 1 or 2 (CPC 1-2).A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the All-Japan Utstein Registry between 2013 and 2017. We included patients aged ≥8 years with OHCA for whom AAM (i.e., supraglottic airway or endotracheal intubation) was performed in a prehospital setting (n = 182,913). We divided the patients into shockable (n = 11,740) and non-shockable (n = 171,173) cohorts based on the initial electrocardiogram rhythm. Multilevel logistic regression analysis estimated the association between AAM time (patient contact-to-AAM performance interval) at the patient level (1-min unit increments), prefecture level (9.2 min vs. ≤ 9.2 min) and CPC 1-2.A delay in AAM time was negatively associated with CPC 1-2 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.92, 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-0.93, 0.95-0.97, respectively), regardless of initial rhythm. At the prefecture level, a delay in AAM time was negatively associated with CPC 1-2 (AOR, 0.77, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.58-1.04, 0.50-0.94, respectively) only in the non-shockable cohort.A delay in AAM performance was negatively associated with CPC 1-2 in both shockable and non-shockable cohorts. Moreover, a delay in AAM performance at the prefecture level was negatively associated with CPC 1-2 in the non-shockable cohort.

As a case study for developing countries aiming at improving science and Astronomy school education, we compare the Philippine and Japanese school science curricula. The Philippines recently changed its national curriculum with a view of strengthening science education. Japan, on the other hand, already has a reputable national curriculum and continues to be one of the outstanding countries in science education. Likewise, higher education and informal Astronomy education of the two countries were reviewed for similarities and differences. The Philippine and Japanese National Curriculum Standards and government approved science books were used in the analysis of their respective Astronomy learning competencies. The findings show that the Astronomy-related topics in both countries are almost the same, but Filipino students have more time and exposure to Astronomy concepts compared to Japanese students. On the other hand, Japan is rich in student research presentation in high school. Japan offers more opportunities and facilities to students who would like to pursue both Astronomy education and research. It seems that these backgrounds are the basis for richer Astronomy research environment in Japan.

Protective equipment in sports can be a barrier to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) treatment, but no Kendo-related data are available. In order to enhance the SCA survival rate, we aimed to determine whether Kendo protective equipment should be removed before or after an automated external defibrillator (AED) has arrived by measuring the quality and timeframe of cardiopulmonary resuscitation administration. Eighteen collegiate female Kendo players were instructed to treat the patient with SCA under two conditions: (a) equipment removal [ER] condition; (b) no equipment removal [NER] condition. Chest compression initiation was delayed during simulated cardiac arrest situations in Kendo, but the SCA quality was much better without protective equipment. When a layperson is only a nonhealthcare professional female, Kendo protective equipment becomes a barrier for quick access during SCA treatment of Kendo players.

To provide fundamental information for the biological control of aphids in vegetable greenhouses, we compared the host ranges of four aphid parasitoid species, Aphidius colemani Viereck, Aphidius gifuensis Ashmead, Diaeretiella rapae (M’Intosh), and Ephedrus nacheri Quilis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae). The acceptability as host of 11 vegetable-pest aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), Aphis craccivora Koch, Aphis gossypii Glover, Aulacorthum solani (Kaltenbach), Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus), Chaetosiphon fragaefolii (Cockerell), Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach), Macrosiphoniella sanborni (Gillette), Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and Uroleucon formosanum (Takahashi), in addition to five aphid species, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner), Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus), Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), and Sitobion akebiae (Shinji) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) that serve as alternative hosts in banker–plant systems for the four aphid parasitoid species, were investigated. A newly emerged pair of parasitoid adults were provided to 100 aphids of each species on caged host plants in a 25 °C chamber for 24 h. The numbers of mummified aphids and emerged adults were counted in 10 trials for each aphid species. Aphidius colemani, A. gifuensis, D. rapae and E. nacheri parasitized four, two, three, and eight pest species, respectively, and four, three, three, and five alternative host species, respectively. Ephedrus nacheri had the broadest host range among the four species, and all the four species parasitized M. persicae, R. maidis, and S. graminum. This information will be useful for selecting candidate of biological control agents for aphids and for constructing banker–plant systems.

We have realized the removal of most pre-pulses with wedged optics and orders of magnitude enhancement of the pedestal with higher optical quality optics. We have successfully installed the plasma mirror system for further improvement.

We report on the design and characterization of the plasma mirror system installed on the J-KAREN-P laser at the Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology. The reflectivity of the single plasma mirror system exceeded 80%. In addition, the temporal contrast was improved by two orders of magnitude at 1 ps before the main pulse. Furthermore, the laser near-field spatial distribution after the plasma mirror was kept constant at plasma mirror fluence of less than 100 kJ/cm2. We also present the results of investigating the difference and the fluctuation in energy, pulse width and pointing stability with and without the plasma mirror system.

The electronic properties of the surface of $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ have been debated for a long while. We studied the surface states of $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ films grown on Si(001) substrates using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS), with the aid of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. STM simulations using the surface model proposed by Romanyuk et al. [Phys. Rev. B 90, 155305 (2014)] reproduce the detailed features of experimental STM images. The result of STS showed metallic surface states in accordance with theoretical predictions. The Fermi level was pinned by a surface state that appeared in the bulk band gap of the $\beta$-FeSi$_2$ film, irrespective of the polarity of the substrate. We also observed negative differential conductance at $\sim$0.45 eV above the Fermi level in STS measurements performed at 4.5 K, reflecting the presence of an energy gap in the unoccupied surface states of $\beta$-FeSi$_2$., Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures

Scintillators are key components in high-energy x-ray detectors for x-ray computed tomography, which are applied in medical diagnosis, nondestructive testing, and security inspection. Scintillators in x-ray imaging are required to have both high spatial resolution and sensitivity; however, a trade-off between spatial resolution and sensitivity exists. To improve the sensitivity of a scintillator, its thickness must be increased; however, spatial resolution deteriorates with increasing thickness. Here, we developed a well-aligned Tb-doped GdAlO3- αAl2O3 phase-separated scintillator fiber (PSSF) with a diameter of 1.25- μm by a micro-pulling-down method. The luminescence, scintillation, and imaging performances of a grown PSSF sample were evaluated. X-ray-induced radioluminescence measurements of the sample showed Tb3+ 4f–4f emissions in the wavelength range of 470–700 nm, and the maximum emission peak was at 550 nm. The contrast transfer function at 10 lp/mm was 82% for both 270 and 500 μm-thick PSSF samples. We calculated the luminescence index, which is the product of the scintillator’s light yield and sensitivity, of the samples and compared their values with commercially available conventional CsI:Tl columnar scintillators. The Tb-doped GdAlO3- αAl2O3 PSSF exhibits higher contrast transfer function and luminescence index values at above 60 keV x-ray region compared with the tested conventional scintillators.

In the development of new scintillators for X-ray imaging, a high-resolution and highly efficient system is required to evaluate the performance of the scintillator plates. For this purpose, we developed a high-resolution X-ray microscope system. The developed compact X-ray microscope system is based on a magnifying unit and a cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, combined with a small industrial X-ray irradiation system. Using this system, we carried out imaging of three scintillator plates and evaluated their spatial resolution. Each scintillator plates was set in front of the lens of the objective, X-rays were irradiated to the scintillator plates, and transmission images of masks were acquired. The measured spatial resolution of the scintillator plates varied from 16 μm to 30 μm, depending on the type of scintillator plate. The focus size of the X-ray tube had an almost negligible effect on the spatial resolution of the images for the evaluated scintillator plates.

The relationship between the properties and substrates of graphene is important to research the graphene synthesized by a bottom-up approach. Here, we synthesized graphene with a surface segregation method and demonstrated that a quadrilateral graphene was formed by using Ni(110) as a substrate. Most of the graphene edges were parallel to the [101] or [100] directions of Ni(110). We found that sulfur impurities in Ni that segregated to the surface with a C(2 × 2) surface reconstruction during the graphene growth played critical roles in the formation of the quadrilateral graphene flakes.

A highly branched green low surface energy surfactant (LSES), stable in harsh conditions, was synthesized for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Oil recovery factors were determined using a glass micromo...

We prepared a homologous series of achiral liquid crystal trimers (I-n) in which two phenylpyrimidine units and one biphenyl unit were connected via flexible spacers, and investigated the physical properties. All the trimers possessing odd-numbered methylene spacers exhibited soft crystalline chiral conglomerate phases. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that they have an intercalated layer structure. On the other hand, the trimers possessing even-numbered spacers showed nematic and smectic C phases. We investigated the surface structures of odd-membered trimers in the soft crystalline phases using scanning electron microscopy. Trimers I-3 and I-5 were found to form cylindrical tubes, whereas trimers I-7, I-9 and I-11 toroidal pits. We discuss the formation of diverse supramolecular architectures in terms of the anisotropy of the chirality transfer.

The enhancement of the resolution of pump-probe optical diagnostics for ultrafast processes by compressing the probe pulse duration using the CafCA approach [1] is considered on an example of the BISER soft-X-ray generation [2] with the J-KAREN-P laser [3].

A facile electrochemical exfoliation method was established to efficiently prepare conductive paper containing reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with the help of single chain anionic surfactant ionic liquids (SAILs). The surfactant ionic liquids are synthesized from conventional organic surfactant anions and a 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium cation. For the first time the combination of SAILs and cellulose was used to directly exfoliate graphite. The ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (BMIM-DBS) was shown to have notable affinity for graphene, demonstrating improved electrical properties of the conductive cellulose paper. The presence of BMIM-DBS in the system promotes five orders of magnitude enhancement of the paper electrical conductivity (2.71 × 10−5 S cm−1) compared to the native cellulose (1.97 × 10−10 S cm−1). A thorough investigation using electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy highlights the presence of uniform graphene incorporated inside the matrices. Studies into aqueous aggregation behavior using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) point to the ability of this compound to act as a bridge between graphene and cellulose, and is responsible for the enhanced exfoliation level and stabilization of the resulting dispersion. The simple and feasible process for producing conductive paper described here is attractive for the possibility of scaling-up this technique for mass production of conductive composites containing graphene or other layered materials.

Aim It is unclear whether endotracheal intubation in the prehospital setting improves outcomes following out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between endotracheal intubation time (time from patient contact to endotracheal intubation) and favorable neurological outcomes on out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest. Methods We extracted patients who underwent endotracheal intubation on the scene from a nationwide out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest database registered between 2014 and 2017 in Japan. We included 14,969 witnessed and intubated adult out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest cases. Patients were divided into Shockable (n = 1,102) and Non‐shockable (n = 13,867) cohorts. We first drew the logistic curve due to predicting the association between endotracheal intubation time and favorable neurological outcome defined as Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) 1 or 2. Secondary, multivariable logistic regressions were used to estimate the association between the endotracheal intubation time (1‐min unit increase), CPC 1 or 2. Results The logistic curve for CPC 1 or 2 showed similar shapes and indicated a decreasing outcome over time. From the results of multivariable logistic regression, in the Shockable cohort, endotracheal intubation time delay was correlated with decreasing favorable outcomes: CPC 1 or 2 (adjusted odds ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.82–0.87). Results were the same for the Non‐shockable cohort: CPC 1 or 2 (adjusted odds ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.89–0.99). Conclusion Early endotracheal intubation was correlated with favorable neurological outcome. Training for intubation skills and improving protocols are needed for carrying out early endotracheal intubation., There is no detailed report that examines the relationship between the timing of endotracheal intubation and the patient’s prognosis. Our study shows that early endotracheal intubation for out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrests is associated with good neurological outcomes. Every 1 min of delay for tracheal intubation time is associated with a decrease in neurological outcomes.

We have experimentally improved the temporal contrast of the petawatt J-KAREN-P laser facility. We have investigated how the generation of pre-pulses by post-pulses changes due to the temporal overlap between the stretched pulse and the post-pulse in a chirped-pulse amplification system. We have shown that the time at which the pre-pulse is generated by the post-pulse and its shape are related to the time difference between the stretched main pulse and the post-pulse. With this investigation, we have found and identified the origins of the pre-pulses and have demonstrated the removal of most pre-pulses by eliminating the post-pulse with wedged optics. We have also demonstrated the impact of stretcher optics on the picosecond pedestal. We have realized orders of magnitude enhancement of the pedestal by improving the optical quality of a key component in the stretcher.

We demonstrate the removal of the pre-pulses based on the exploration of the generation of pre-pulses by post-pulses through the nonlinear process associated with the B-integral in the laser chain of the petawatt facility J-KAREN-P.