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Solar-powered electrochemical production of hydrogen through water electrolysis is an active and important research endeavor. However, technologies and roadmaps for implementation of this process do not exist. In this perspective paper, we describe potential pathways for solar-hydrogen technologies into the marketplace in the form of photoelectrochemical or photovoltaic-driven electrolysis devices and systems. We detail technical approaches for device and system architectures, economic drivers, societal perceptions, political impacts, technological challenges, and research opportunities. Implementation scenarios are broken down into short-term and long-term markets, and a specific technology roadmap is defined. In the short term, the only plausible economical option will be photovoltaic-driven electrolysis systems for niche applications. In the long term, electrochemical solar-hydrogen technologies could be deployed more broadly in energy markets but will require advances in the technology, significant cost reductions, and/or policy changes. Ultimately, a transition to a society that significantly relies on solar-hydrogen technologies will benefit from continued creativity and influence from the scientific community.

In vitro and in vivo stimulation and recording of neuron action potential is currently achieved with microelectrode arrays, either in planar or 3D geometries, adopting different materials and strategies. IrO 2 is a conductive oxide known for its excellent biocompatibility, good adhesion on different substrates, and charge injection capabilities higher than noble metals. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) allows excellent conformal growth, which can be exploited on 3D nanoelectrode arrays. In this work, we disclose the growth of nanocrystalline rutile IrO 2 at T = 150 °C adopting a new plasma-assisted ALD (PA-ALD) process. The morphological, structural, physical, chemical, and electrochemical properties of the IrO 2 thin films are reported. To the best of our knowledge, the electrochemical characterization of the electrode/electrolyte interface in terms of charge injection capacity, charge storage capacity, and double-layer capacitance for IrO 2 grown by PA-ALD was not reported yet. IrO 2 grown on PtSi reveals a double-layer capacitance ( C dl ) above 300 µF∙cm -2 , and a charge injection capacity of 0.22 ± 0.01 mC∙cm -2 for an electrode of 1.0 cm 2 , confirming IrO 2 grown by PA-ALD as an excellent material for neuroelectronic applications.

Pure sulfide kesterite (Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 ) is one of the most promising emerging photovoltaic technologies thanks to its excellent absorption coefficient, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. However, record efficiencies are not exceeding 11% due to several issues, such as absorber defects or a nonoptimal band alignment with the toxic but conventionally used CdS buffer layer. To get rid of it, several efforts have been made in the past few years. Among recent theoretical works, TiO 2 has been suggested as a suitable buffer layer due to its optical and electrical properties, giving extremely promising results in device simulation. However, there are few experimental examples combining TiO 2 with kesterite, and they generally show very modest performances. In this Letter, we report on the preliminary and promising results of our experimental procedure for the production of Cd-free kesterite photovoltaic devices featuring ALD-TiO 2 as a buffer layer, leading to efficiencies comparable with our CZTS/CdS reference devices., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 American Chemical Society.)

Background: Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) located in eloquent areas are associated with a significant risk of neurologic deterioration. Awake surgery applied to intracranial AVMs could better identify eloquent areas, but its feasibility and application are controversial and limited to small case series., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a group of 59 brain AVMs located in eloquent areas surgically treated with asleep craniotomy and compared it with a combined group of patients treated with awake craniotomy. Patients were stratified into 2 groups: patients who underwent asleep surgery and patients who underwent awake surgery. With this study, we aimed to perform a complete analysis of surgical risks and outcomes for this subgroup of patients in order to provide a basis for a future prospective study., Results: We compared the asleep group of 25 patients and the awake group of 34 patients. No statistically significant differences were identified regarding the risk of postoperative complications, surgical radicality, presence of residual, and need for adjuvant treatment (P = 1.00). The improvement in Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) was more rapid and effective during follow-up in patients treated with awake surgery compared with asleep surgery (KPS at day 30 >70%-80% versus 87.2%, P = 0.01 and at 1year KPS >70%-80% vs. 96.9%, P = 0.02)., Conclusions: In contrast to what is commonly believed, applying awake surgery to this lesion does not involve increased intraoperative risks. Still, it seems to determine a significant improvement in the outcome of patients from postoperative day 30 onwards., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with advanced heart failure with reduced ejection fraction often cannot tolerate target doses of guideline-directed medical therapy due to symptomatic hypotension, renal dysfunction, and associated electrolyte abnormalities. While levosimendan can facilitate the titration of β-blockers in patients with advanced HFrEF, it is unclear whether ambulatory levosimendan infusions would offer the same benefit. In this prospective study, we investigate the effects of intermittent ambulatory levosimendan infusions on the uptitration of disease-modifying drugs. Methods: We enrolled 37 patients with advanced HFrEF who received repeated ambulatory infusions of levosimendan between January 2018 and January 2021. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were acquired 24 h before the first and the last ambulatory levosimendan infusion. Results: At the 1 year follow-up, the enrolled patients were on significantly higher doses of guideline-directed medical therapy, including bisoprolol (3.2 ± 2.8 mg vs. 5.9 ± 4.1 mg; p = 0.02), sacubitril/valsartan (41.67 ± 32.48 mg vs. 68.5 ± 35.72 mg; p = 0.01), and eplerenone (12.7 ± 8.5 mg vs. 22.8 ± 13.6 mg; p = 0.03). Furthermore, a substantial decrease in the furosemide dose was observed (123.2 ± 32.48 mg vs. 81.6 ± 19.47 mg; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Levosimendan facilitates the optimization of disease-modifying heart failure medications in previously intolerant advanced HFrEF patients.

The development of efficient and stable earth-abundant water oxidation catalysts is vital for economically feasible water-splitting systems. Cobalt phosphate (CoPi)-based catalysts belong to the relevant class of nonprecious electrocatalysts studied for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this work, an in-depth investigation of the electrochemical activation of CoPi-based electrocatalysts by cyclic voltammetry (CV) is presented. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is adopted because it enables the synthesis of CoPi films with cobalt-to-phosphorous ratios between 1.4 and 1.9. It is shown that the pristine chemical composition of the CoPi film strongly influences its OER activity in the early stages of the activation process as well as after prolonged exposure to the electrolyte. The best performing CoPi catalyst, displaying a current density of 3.9 mA cm -2 at 1.8 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode and a Tafel slope of 155 mV/dec at pH 8.0, is selected for an in-depth study of the evolution of its electrochemical properties, chemical composition, and electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) during the activation process. Upon the increase of the number of CV cycles, the OER performance increases, in parallel with the development of a noncatalytic wave in the CV scan, which points out to the reversible oxidation of Co 2+ species to Co 3+ species. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Rutherford backscattering measurements indicate that phosphorous progressively leaches out the CoPi film bulk upon prolonged exposure to the electrolyte. In parallel, the ECSA of the films increases by up to a factor of 40, depending on the initial stoichiometry. The ECSA of the activated CoPi films shows a universal linear correlation with the OER activity for the whole range of CoPi chemical composition. It can be concluded that the adoption of ALD in CoPi-based electrocatalysis enables, next to the well-established control over film growth and properties, to disclose the mechanisms behind the CoPi electrocatalyst activation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Environment perception is crucial for the safe navigation of vehicles and robots to detect obstacles in their surroundings. It is also of paramount interest for navigation of human beings in reduced visibility conditions. Obstacle avoidance systems typically combine multiple sensing technologies (i.e., LiDAR, radar, ultrasound and visual) to detect various types of obstacles under different lighting and weather conditions, with the drawbacks of a given technology being offset by others. These systems require powerful computational capability to fuse the mass of data, which limits their use to high-end vehicles and robots. INSPEX delivers a low-power, small-size and lightweight environment perception system that is compatible with portable and/or wearable applications. This requires miniaturizing and optimizing existing range sensors of different technologies to meet the user's requirements in terms of obstacle detection capabilities. These sensors consist of a LiDAR, a time-of-flight sensor, an ultrasound and an ultra-wideband radar with measurement ranges respectively of 10 m, 4 m, 2 m and 10 m. Integration of a data fusion technique is also required to build a model of the user's surroundings and provide feedback about the localization of harmful obstacles. As primary demonstrator, the INSPEX device will be fixed on a white cane.

Background: Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) may led to both a transient and a persistent serum creatinine (sCr) increase., Objectives: To assess whether serum cystatin C (sCyC) and urine and serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL, sNGAL) are useful in the early identification of persistent sCr increase following CI-AKI., Methods: One hundred and eighteen patients who developed CI-AKI were included into the study. Persistent sCr elevation was defined as a persistent increase ≥0.3 mg dL -1 at 1 month after contrast media (CM) administration., Results: sCr levels recovered in 87 patients (74%; Transient group), whereas a persistent elevation of sCr was observed in the remaining 31 patients (26%; Persistent group). By multivariable logistic regression analysis, independent predictors of persistent sCr increase were insulin therapy, uNGAL at 48 hr and absolute sCr difference between 48 and 72 hr. On the contrary, sCyC assessment did not help in the early identification of this subset of patients. By receiver operating curve analysis, the best cutoff values for predicting persistent sCr increase were uNGAL ≥0.50 ng dL -1 at 48 hr, and the absolute sCr increase ≥0.20 mg dL -1 between 48 and 72 hr., Conclusions: uNGAL ≥0.50 ng dL -1 at 48 hr and absolute sCr increase ≥0.20 mg dL -1 between 48 and 72 hr but not sCyC are useful in the early identification of patients developing persistent sCr increase after CM administration., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2018/4192657.].

Objectives: To compare the safety and efficacy of the Axxess™ biolimus-eluting stent with the second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) in the treatment of bifurcation lesions., Background: The Axxess™ is a dedicated bifurcation stent, designed to cover the lesion at the carina level., Methods: Between April 2012 and August 2014, 165 patients with de novo bifurcation lesions were treated with the Axxess™ stent (Axxess group). A propensity-score matched group of 165 patients treated with DES in the same period was selected (Control group). The primary objectives were (1) the procedural complication rate, including side branch (SB) occlusion and trouble in SB access after main vessel stenting; and (2) the device, the angiographic, and the procedural success rate., Results: Procedural complications occurred in 1 patient (0.6%) in the Axxess group and in 20 patients (12%) in the Control group (OR = 0.03; 95% confidence interval 0.005-0.27; P < 0.001). Device success was obtained in 164 (99.5%) patients in the Axxess group and in all in the Control group (P = 1.00). Angiographic success was obtained in all patients. Inaccurate Axxess™ stent position occurred in 21 (13%) patients, and was more often associated with moderate-to-severe calcifications and distal lesion site. Procedural success was obtained in 91.5% patients in the Axxess group and in 90% patients in the Control group (P = 0.72)., Conclusions: The present registry suggests that the Axxess™ stent (1) may represent a valid alternative approach for the treatment of bifurcation lesions and (2) should be avoided in moderate-to-severe calcifications and/or in distal lesions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Introduction: Stent delivery failure may occur especially when treating complex coronary artery stenosis. XLIMUS (CARDIONOVUM GmbH, Bonn, Germany) is a new sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) with the following features: 1) cobalt chromium stent platform, with low (73 μm) strut thickness, (2) biodegradable polymer, and 3) potent antiproliferative drug (Sirolimus). Preliminary data suggest that XLIMUS SES may be ideal for the treatment of complex lesions., Methods: In this registry, we assessed the deliverability, safety, and efficacy of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) using the XLIMUS SES in patients undergoing elective PCI in native coronary vessels for complex de novo lesions, including severe calcification, severe tortuosity, and chronic total occlusion. The primary objective of the study is the delivery success of the XLIMUS SES. The secondary objective is the 1-year rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE; including all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization)., Results: A total of 200 consecutive patients with 255 lesions were included. Delivery success was obtained in 196 (98%) patients and in 251 (98.4%) lesions. The XLIMUS SES was successfully implanted on the first attempt with a single guidewire in 176 (88%) patients and in 208 (81.6%) lesions. Additional techniques to facilitate stent delivery (i.e., buddy wire, anchoring-balloon, or GuideLiner catheter) were necessary in 47 (18.4%) lesions. Failure in XLIMUS SES implantation occurred in 4 (1.6%) lesions. MACE rate at 1 year was 9%., Conclusions: This registry supports the positive performance of the XLIMUS SES in the treatment of complex coronary artery lesions., (© 2016, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Around 50% of the world's population, particularly in developing countries, uses biomass as one of the most common fuels. Biomass combustion releases a considerable amount of various incomplete combustion products, including particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The paper presents the results of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) measurements in six houses equipped with wood burning stoves or fireplaces as heating systems. The houses were monitored for 48-h periods in order to collect PM10 samples and measure PAH concentrations. The average, the maximum and the lowest values of the 12-h PM10 concentration were 68.6 μg/m³, 350.7 μg/m³ and 16.8 μg/m³ respectively. The average benzo[a]pyrene 12-h concentration was 9.4 ng/m³, while the maximum and the minimum values were 24.0 ng/m³ and 1.5 ng/m³, respectively. Continuous monitoring of PM10, PAHs, Ultra Fine Particle (UFP) and Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) was performed in order to study the progress of pollution phenomena due to biomass burning, their trends and contributions to IAQ. The results show a great heterogeneity of impacts on IAQ in terms of magnitude and behavior of the considered pollutants' concentrations. This variability is determined by not only different combustion technologies or biomass quality, but overall by different ignition mode, feeding and flame management, which can also be different for the same house. Moreover, room dimensions and ventilation were significant factors for pollution dispersion. The increase of PM10, UFP and PAH concentrations, during lighting, was always detected and relevant. Continuous monitoring allowed singling out contributions of other domestic sources of considered pollutants such as cooking and cigarettes. Cooking contribution produced an impact on IAQ in same cases higher than that of the biomass heating system.