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Na-ion battery is one of the best alternatives to Li-ion battery. Abundance of sodium on earth is three orders of magnitude higher than lithium, which should make Na-ion battery technology cheaper. But alkaline-ion battery prices, which tend to increase because of the massive world demand, also depend on the choice of electrode materials. Therefore, cost-effective electrode development remains an important subject of research because this will allow Na-ion battery to be even more competitive. Electrochemical performances of anhydrous VOSO4 as electrode for Na-ion battery are reported in this letter. Two anhydrous phases of vanadyl sulfate have been studied. The first one, α-VOSO4, shows that up to 0.8 sodium per formula unit (Na/f.u.) can be intercalated in this phase, and a reversible intercalation of 0.4 Na/f.u. has been observed with a strong polarization. The second one, β-VOSO4, can intercalate up to 0.9 Na/f.u. with a reversible intercalation of 0.4 Na/f.u. leading to a reversible capacity of 64 mAh/g.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) have significantly suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting a high prevalence of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We investigated with this survey whether HCWs benefitted from supportive measures put in place by hospitals and how these measures were perceived. This cross-sectional survey, which was conducted during the first wave of COVID-19 at the Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland, between May and July 2021, collected information on the use and perception of practical and mental health support measures provided by the hospital. In total, 3461 HCWs participated in the study. Regarding the practical support measures, 2896 (84%) participants found them useful, and 2650 (76%) used them. Regarding the mental health support measures, 3149 (90%) participants found useful to have the possibility of attending hypnosis sessions, 3163 (91%) to have a psychologist within hospital units, 3202 (93%) to have a medical nursing psychiatric permanence available seven days a week, and 3171 (92%) to have a hotline available seven days a week. In total, 436 (13%) HCWs used at least one of the available mental health support measures. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the support measures were valued by HCWs. Given the high prevalence of psychiatric issues among HCWs, these measures seem necessary and are likely to have alleviated the suffering of HCWs.

The preparation and distribution of medication in prisons or jails are critical for individuals to access their treatment. This process is resource-intensive for healthcare professionals and may violate principles of confidentiality, autonomy, respect, and dignity if non-qualified staff are involved. However, there are no published best practices on the topic. This report aims to bridge this gap by presenting the results of a mapping exercise on different models of medication preparation and delivery. Authors call upon healthcare professionals to enrich this live document to inform health services research further and improve access to prescribed medications for people experiencing incarceration.

The preparation and distribution of medication in prisons or jails are critical for individuals to access their treatment. This process is resource-intensive for healthcare professionals and may violate principles of confidentiality, autonomy, respect, and dignity if non-qualified staff are involved. However, there are no published best practices on the topic. This report aims to bridge this gap by presenting the results of a mapping exercise on different models of medication preparation and delivery. Authors call upon healthcare professionals to enrich this live document to inform health services research further and improve access to prescribed medications for people experiencing incarceration.

The preparation and dispensing of medication in prisons or jails are critical for individuals to access their treatment. This process is resource-intensive for healthcare professionals and may violate principles of confidentiality, autonomy, respect, and dignity if non-qualified staff are involved. However, there are no published best practices on the topic. This report aims to bridge this gap by presenting the results of a mapping exercise on different models of medication preparation and dispensing. Authors call upon healthcare professionals to enrich this live document to inform health services research further and improve access to prescribed medications for people experiencing incarceration.

A study published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy investigated the connection between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM10) in subway environments and the prevalence of asthma in subway workers. The study discovered that there was a link between the concentration of nitrite in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and atopic sensitization, poly-atopic sensitization, and current asthma. Nitrate levels, on the other hand, were negatively associated with current eczema. The study used a retrospective exposure assessment method and had a high response rate, but it had limitations such as a small sample size and reliance on self-reported data. The study emphasizes the risk of allergic asthma in subway settings and the potential use of noninvasive biomarkers in occupational allergology research. [Extracted from the article]

Candida albicans is an important human pathogen and a major concern in intensive care units around the world. C. albicans infections are associated with a high mortality despite the use of antifungal treatments. One of the causes of therapeutic failures is the acquisition of antifungal resistance by mutations in the C. albicans genome. Fluconazole (FLC) is one of the most widely used antifungal and mechanisms of FLC resistance occurring by mutations have been extensively investigated. However, some clinical isolates are known to be able to survive at high FLC concentrations without acquiring resistance mutations, a phenotype known as tolerance. Mechanisms behind FLC tolerance are not well studied, mainly due to the lack of a proper way to identify and quantify tolerance in clinical isolates. We proposed here culture conditions to investigate FLC tolerance as well as an easy and efficient method to identity and quantify tolerance to FLC. The screening of C. albicans strain collections revealed that FLC tolerance is pH- and strain-dependent, suggesting the involvement of multiple mechanisms. Here, we addressed the identification of FLC tolerance mediators in C. albicans by an overexpression strategy focusing on 572 C. albicans genes. This strategy led to the identification of two transcription factors, CRZ1 and GZF3. CRZ1 is a C2H2-type transcription factor that is part of the calcineurin-dependent pathway in C. albicans, while GZF3 is a GATA-type transcription factor of unknown function in C. albicans. Overexpression of each gene resulted in an increase of FLC tolerance, however, only the deletion of CRZ1 in clinical FLC-tolerant strains consistently decreased their FLC tolerance. Transcription profiling of clinical isolates with variable levels of FLC tolerance confirmed a calcineurin-dependent signature in these isolates when exposed to FLC.

Energy metabolism is tightly linked with circadian rhythms, exposure to ambient light, sleep/wake, fasting/eating, and rest/activity cycles. External factors, such as shift work, lead to a disruption of these rhythms, often called circadian misalignment. Circadian misalignment has an impact on some physiological markers. However, these proxy measurements do not immediately translate into major clinical health outcomes, as shown by later detrimental health effects of shift work and cardio-metabolic disorders. This review focuses on the effects of shift work on circadian rhythms and its implications in cardio-metabolic disorders and eating patterns. Shift work appears to be a risk factor of overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, elevated blood pressure, and the metabolic syndrome. However, past studies showed discordant findings regarding the changes of lipid profile and eating patterns. Most studies were either small and short lab studies, or bigger and longer cohort studies, which could not measure health outcomes in a detailed manner. These two designs explain the heterogeneity of shift schedules, occupations, sample size, and methods across studies. Given the burden of non-communicable diseases and the growing concerns about shift workers’ health, novel approaches to study shift work in real contexts are needed and would allow a better understanding of the interlocked risk factors and potential mechanisms involved in the onset of metabolic disorders.

Background: Empirical studies suggest that gratitude positively influence the quality of life of palliative patients and relatives. However, the literature is marked by a lack of conceptual clarity about what gratitude is and whether it can bring about individual and social benefits. Aim: This paper explores how palliative care patients and relatives understand gratitude, how discursive representations of gratitude may affect their positions, perceptions and relations, and how to conceptualise gratitude in the palliative context. Design: We examine 33 gratitude letters written by patients and relatives and 25 semi-structured interviews conducted as part of a pilot gratitude intervention study. We use a qualitative approach, thematic analysis, within a conceptual framework of discourse analysis. Settings/participants: Data were collected from 23 patients and 13 relatives recruited through three hospital palliative care services in French-speaking Switzerland. Results: Participants articulate gratitude in five ways: (1) appreciating others; (2) love; (3) need to reciprocate; (4) appreciating the little things; (5) solace amid serious illness. While some of these representations are sources of positive emotions and outlook, wellbeing and hope, others may confirm self-perceptions of powerlessness and burden. These results support a tridimensional conceptualisation of gratitude in palliative care as source of individual benefits, valuing closest relationships and moral obligation. Conclusion: Our study suggests that gratitude is a key to a good (end of) life, whilst highlighting potential negative effects. It could help healthcare professionals to better understand what gratitude means to patients and relatives, which may facilitate awareness and fostering of gratitude in palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion batteries are nowadays a mature technology for energy storage. However, some safety problems have been identified during their operation in high power applications such as fire incidents in electric vehicles. The most promising solution to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries is replacing the current organic liquid based electrolytes with solid electrolytes. In this context, new solid electrolytes having chemical and electrochemical stability with high ionic conductivity need to be discovered. Therefore, in the present study, a new LGPS-type structural domain is highlighted for the Li–B–P–S system. Ionic conductivities of up to 10−4 S cm−1 have been achieved for prepared solid electrolytes in the Li–B–P–S system, and higher stability against lithium metal as compared to Li10GeP2S12. These solid electrolytes also show better electrochemical characteristics in all solid-state batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]