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Porous network structures (e.g. metal–organic frameworks, MOFs) show considerable potential in dethroning monoethanol amine (MEA) from being the dominant scrubber for CO2 at the fossil-fuel-burning power generators. In contrast to their promise, structural stability and high-pressure behavior of MOFs are not well documented. We herein report moisture stability, mechanical properties and high-pressure compression on a model MOF structure, MOF-5. Our results show that MOF-5 can endure all tested pressures (0–225 bar) without losing its structural integrity, however, its moist air stability points at a 3.5 hour safety window (at 21.6 °C and 49% humidity) for an efficient CO2 capture. Isosteric heats of CO2 adsorption at high pressures show moderate interaction energy between CO2 molecules and the MOF-5 sorbent, which combined with the large sorption ability of MOF-5 in the studied pressure–temperature ranges show the viability of this sorbent for CO2 capturing purposes. The combination of the physicochemical methods we used suggests a generalized analytical standard for measuring viability in CO2 capture operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant volume expansion exhibited by high‐capacity active materials upon lithiation has hindered their application as Li‐ion battery anode materials. Although tremendous progress has been made in the development of coating methods that improve the stability of high‐capacity active materials, suitable coating sources that are both strong and economical to use are yet to be discovered. Pitch is reported here as a promising coating source for high‐capacity anodes owing to the high mechanical strength and low‐cost process. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy, it is found that pitch can withstand the severe volume expansion that occurs upon Si lithiation owing to its high mechanical strength, originating from the long‐range graphitic ordering. Notably, pitch‐coated silicon nanolayer–embedded graphite (SG) exhibits superior capacity retention (81.9%) compared to that of acetylene‐coated SG (66%) over 200 cycles in a full‐cell by effectively mitigating volume expansion, even under industrial electrode density conditions (1.6 g cc−1). Thus, this work presents new possibilities for the development of high‐capacity anodes for industrial implementation. With state‐of‐the‐art in situ techniques and fundamental studies, petroleum‐derived pitch demonstrates potential as coating source which addresses mechanical and economic issues of Si anodes. Under industrial electrode conditions, pitch‐coated Si nanolayer–embedded graphite exhibits superior structural and electrochemical stability than other carbon‐coated SGs. This work presents a new breakthrough for practical implementation of the high‐capacity anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the dimensional effects on the channel strain in transistor structures with epitaxial Si1-xCx stressors embedded in the source/drain region using both nanobeam diffraction and finite element simulations. The sizes of the gate and source/drain exerted a strong influence on the channel strain but in opposite directions: While declining linearly with decreasing source/drain length, the channel strain increases at an escalating rate with decreasing gate length. For source/drain elevation, its effects on the channel strain were found to be quite limited to the top surface region; however, this elevation method could be more effective for short-channel transistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The biaxial modulus and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) films with the thickness of 300 nm were characterized using the substrate curvature method on two different substrates. The elastic modulus of the GST films was also separately determined using nanoindentation. Measured biaxial modulus and CTE from substrate curvature method were 29.5±1.87 GPa and (13.3±1.39)×10−6 K−1 for the amorphous state and 36.8±1.54 GPa and (17.4±1.21)×10−6 K−1 for the crystalline state. The elastic moduli determined using nanoindentation for the amorphous and crystalline states were 33.9±0.67 GPa and 58.7±0.48 GPa, respectively. Based on the results of the thermomechanical properties, the stresses in the phase-change random access memory (PRAM) structures were calculated using finite element analysis (FEA) considering the thermal and the phase-change stress. The FEA simulations showed that the thermal stress is higher in magnitude than the phase-change stress in a PRAM structure, but the gradient of the phase-change stress is higher than the gradient of the thermal stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Defect-free AuAg alloy nanowires have the potential to be used in various plasmonic devices due to their superior chemical stability and broad applicable range of wavelengths. Alloyed nanowires have different stacking fault energies that can result in different deformation behavior compared to single element nanowires; however, an in-depth analysis of such material system is yet to be explored. In this study, defect-free single crystalline Au 30 Ag 70 alloy nanowires are synthesized by topotaxial growth method and tested in tension using an in-situ pico-indenter. Deformation twinning that results in superplastic deformation of alloy nanowires is experimentally observed. The critical dimension of Au 30 Ag 70 alloy nanowires at which transition from ordinary plasticity to deformation twinning occurs, is experimentally determined to be ∼333 nm, which is about 2 time larger than that of Au nanowires. Stacking fault energy, which is the key element determining the deformation mode, of Au 30 Ag 70 alloy nanowires is 21 mJ/m2, which is smaller than that of Au nanowire with stacking fault energy of 31 mJ/m2. The decrease in the stacking fault energy in the case of the alloy nanowires resulted in stabilization of deformation twinning to a larger critical dimension before transitioning to ordinary plasticity. • Fabrication of defect-free, single crystalline Au 30 Ag 70 alloy nanowires. • In-situ tensile tests of the Au 30 Ag 70 alloy nanowires using Push-to-Pull devices. • Superplastic elongation and deformation twinning observed for diameter <333 nm. • Orientation of the wire changed from [110] to [100]. • Critical dimension for twinning increased by the decrease in stacking fault energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of harnessing superior mechanical properties achieved through the size effect on a macroscopic scale has been a prominent focus in engineering, as size-induced strengthening is enabled only in the nanoscale regime. This study presents a metal/ceramic/metal (MCM) nanocomposite reinforced by ceramic nanoarchitectures. Through proximity-field nanopatterning, the inch-scale production of nanoarchitecture films is enabled in a single fabrication step. The developed three-dimensional (3D) Ni/Al 2 O 3 /Ni nanocomposite film exhibits significantly high compressive strength, corresponding to an increase of approximately 30% compared with that calculated using the upper limits of the conventional rule of mixtures. The exceptional strength of the 3D MCM nanocomposite can be attributed to the extrinsic size effect of the ceramic nanoarchitectures. By combining size-induced strengthening of ceramics with the strengthening law for composites, a new type of strengthening model is derived and experimentally validated using the 3D MCM nanocomposite.

Background: Daphnia galeata is a suitable model organism for investigating predator-induced defense. Genes and pathways exhibiting differential expression between fish kairomone-treated and untreated groups in D. galeata have been identified. However, understanding of the significance of alternative splicing, a crucial process of the regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes, to this mechanism remains limited. This study measured life-history traits and conducted short-read RNA sequencing and long-read isoform sequencing of two Korean D. galeata genotypes (KB1 and KE2) to uncover the genetic mechanism underlying their phenotypic plasticity under predation stress., Results: KB1 exhibited strategies to enhance fertility and decrease body length when exposed to fish kairomones, while KE2 deployed an adaptive strategy to increase body length. Full-length transcriptomes from KB1 and KE2 yielded 65,736 and 57,437 transcripts, respectively, of which 32 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) were shared under predation stress across both genotypes. Prominent DETs common to both genotypes were related to energy metabolism and the immune system. Additionally, differential alternative splicing (DAS) events were detected in both genotypes in response to fish kairomones. DAS genes shared between both genotypes may indicate their significant role in the post-transcriptional stress response to fish predation. Calpain-3, involved in digestion and nutrient absorption, was identified as a DAS gene in both genotypes when exposed to fish kairomones. In addition, the gene encoding thymosin beta, which is related to growth, was found to be a statistically significant DAS only in KB1, while that encoding ultraspiracle protein, also associated with growth, was only identified in KE2. Moreover, transcripts encoding proteins such as EGF-like domain-containing protein, vitellogenin fused with superoxide dismutase, and others were identified overlapping between DAS events and DETs and potentially elucidating their association with the observed phenotypic variation in each genotype., Conclusions: Our findings highlight the crucial role of alternative splicing in modulating transcriptome landscape under predation stress in D. galeata, emphasizing the requirement for integrating gene expression and splicing analyses in evolutionary adaptation studies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Switchable tribological properties of ferroelectrics offer an alternative route to visualize and control ferroelectric domains. Here, we observe the switchable friction and wear behavior of ferroelectrics using a nanoscale scanning probe-down domains have lower friction coefficients and show slower wear rates than up domains and can be used as smart masks. This asymmetry is enabled by flexoelectrically coupled polarization in the up and down domains under a sufficiently high contact force. Moreover, we determine that this polarization-sensitive tribological asymmetry is widely applicable across various ferroelectrics with different chemical compositions and crystalline symmetry. Finally, using this switchable tribology and multi-pass patterning with a domain-based dynamic smart mask, we demonstrate three-dimensional nanostructuring exploiting the asymmetric wear rates of up and down domains, which can, furthermore, be scaled up to technologically relevant (mm-cm) size. These findings demonstrate that ferroelectrics are electrically tunable tribological materials at the nanoscale for versatile applications., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Phenotypic plasticity is a crucial adaptive mechanism that enables organisms to modify their traits in response to changes in their environment. Predator-induced defenses are an example of phenotypic plasticity observed across a wide range of organisms, from single-celled organisms to vertebrates. In addition to morphology and behavior, these responses also affect life-history traits. The crustacean Daphnia galeata is a suitable model organism for studying predator-induced defenses, as it exhibits life-history traits changes under predation risk. To get a better overview of their phenotypic plasticity under predation stress, we conducted RNA sequencing on the transcriptomes of two Korean Daphnia galeata genotypes, KE1, and KB11, collected in the same environment., Results: When exposed to fish kairomones, the two genotypes exhibited phenotypic variations related to reproduction and growth, with opposite patterns in growth-related phenotypic variation. From both genotypes, a total of 135,611 unigenes were analyzed, of which 194 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) were shared among the two genotypes under predation stress, which showed consistent, or inconsistent expression patterns in both genotypes. Prominent DETs were related to digestion and reproduction and consistently up-regulated in both genotypes, thus associated with changes in life-history traits. Among the inconsistent DETs, transcripts encode vinculin (VINC) and protein obstructor-E (OBST-E), which are associated with growth; these may explain the differences in life-history traits between the two genotypes. In addition, genotype-specific DETs could explain the variation in growth-related life-history traits between genotypes, and could be associated with the increased body length of genotype KE1., Conclusions: The current study allows for a better understanding of the adaptation mechanisms related to reproduction and growth of two Korean D. galeata genotypes induced by predation stress. However, further research is necessary to better understand the specific mechanisms by which the uncovered DETs are related with the observed phenotypic variation in each genotype. In the future, we aim to unravel the precise adaptive mechanisms underlying predator-induced responses., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, polar flagellated, aerobic, light-yellow bacterium, designated as 2012CJ41-6 T , was isolated from a sponge sample of Callyspongia elongata from Chuja-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, Republic of Korea. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing, strain 2012CJ41-6 T clustered with species of the genus Ruegeria and appeared closely related to R . halocynthiae DSM 27839 T (96.46 % similarity), R . denitrificans CECT 4357 T (96.32 %), R . profundi ZGT108 T (96.32 %), R. litorea CECT 7639 T (96.32 %) and R . atlantica CECT 4292 T (96.16 %). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization between strain 2012CJ41-6 T and the most closely related strain was 75.3 % and 19.6 %, indicating that 2012CJ41-6 T represents a novel species of the genus Ruegeria . Growth occurred at 15-37 °C on marine medium in the presence of 0.5-10 % (w/v) NaCl and at pH 5.5-8.5. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 60.80 mol%, and ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) was the major respiratory quinone. The major cellular fatty acids (>5 %) were C 18 : 1 ω 7 c and/or C 18:1 ω 6 c (summed feature 8). The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, one unidentified phospholipid, one unidentified aminolipid, one unidentified aminophospholipid and five unidentified lipids. Physiological and biochemical characteristics indicated that strain 2012CJ41-6 T represents a novel species of the genus Ruegeria , for which the name Ruegeria spongiae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 2012CJ41-6 T (=KACC 22645 T =LMG 32585 T ).

Since the recognition of a significant oxygen-redox contribution to enhancing the capacity of Li transition-metal oxide cathodes, the oxygen release and subsequent structural variations together with capacity fading are critical issues to achieve better electrochemical performance. As most previous reports dealt with the structural degradation of cathodes after electrochemical cycling, it is fairly difficult to clarify how substantial the effect of lattice strain on the oxygen release will be while exclusively ruling out any electrochemical influences. By utilizing nanoindentation and mechanical surface polishing of single-crystal LiCoO 2 and Li 2 MnO 3 , the local variations of both the atomic structure and oxygen content are scrutinized. Atomic-column-resolved imaging reveals that local LiM (M = Co and Mn) disordering and further amorphization are induced by mechanical strain. Moreover, substantial oxygen deficiency in the regions with these structural changes is directly identified by spectroscopic analyses. Ab initio density functional theory calculations also demonstrate energetically favorable formation of oxygen vacancies under shear strain. Providing direct evidence of oxygen release as a consequence of lattice strain, the findings in this work suggest that efficient strain relaxation will be of great significance for longevity of the anion framework in layered oxide cathodes., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Biological systems consist of hierarchical protein structures, each of which has unique 3D geometries optimized for specific functions. In the past decades, the growth of inorganic materials on specific proteins has attracted considerable attention. However, the use of specific proteins as templates has only been demonstrated in relatively simple organisms, such as viruses, limiting the range of structures that can be used as scaffolds. This study proposes a method for synthesizing metallic structures that resemble the 3D assemblies of specific proteins in mammalian cells and animal tissues. Using 1.4 nm nanogold-conjugated antibodies, specific proteins within cells and ex vivo tissues are labeled, and then the nanogold acts as nucleation sites for growth of metal particles. As proof of concept, various metal particles are grown using microtubules in cells as templates. The metal-containing cells are applied as catalysts and show catalytic stability in liquid-phase reactions due to the rigid support provided by the microtubules. Finally, this method is used to produce metal structures that replicate the specific protein assemblies of neurons in the mouse brain or the extracellular matrices in the mouse kidney and heart. This new biotemplating approach can facilitate the conversion of specific protein structures into metallic forms in ex vivo multicellular organisms., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Purpose: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a rare disease in children and there are some different characteristics between children and adult. We aimed to evaluate incidence, clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of pediatric APL in Korea., Materials and Methods: Seventy-nine pediatric APL patients diagnosed from January 2009 to December 2016 in 16 tertiary medical centers in Korea were reviewed retrospectively., Results: Of 801 acute myeloid leukemia children, 79 (9.9%) were diagnosed with APL. The median age at diagnosis was 10.6 years (range, 1.3 to 18.0). Male and female ratio was 1:0.93. Thirty patients (38.0%) had white blood cell (WBC) count greater than 10×109/L at diagnosis. All patients received induction therapy consisting of all-trans retinoic acid and chemotherapy. Five patients (6.6%) died during induction chemotherapy and 66 patients (86.8%) achieved complete remission (CR) after induction chemotherapy. The causes of death were three intracranial hemorrhage, one cerebral infarction, and one sepsis. Five patients (7.1%) suffered a relapse during or after maintenance chemotherapy. The estimated 4-year event-free survival and overall survival (OS) rates were 82.1%±4.4%, 89.7%±5.1%, respectively. The 4-year OS was significantly higher in patients with initial WBC < 10×109/L than in those with initial WBC ≥ 10×109/L (p=0.020)., Conclusion: This study showed that the CR rates and survival outcomes in Korean pediatric APL patients were relatively good. The initial WBC count was the most important prognostic factor and most causes of death were related to serious bleeding in the early stage of treatment.

Brittle fracture and ductile failure are critical events for any structural or functional component, as it marks the end of lifetime and potential hazard to human life. As such, materials scientists continuously strive to better understand and subsequently avoid these events in modern materials. A century after the seminal initial contribution by Griffith, fracture mechanics has come a long way and is still experiencing vivid progress. Building on classical fracture testing standards, advanced in situ fracture experiments allow local quantitative probing of fracture processes on different length scales, while microscopic analysis grants access to chemical and structural information along fracture paths in previously unseen detail. This article will provide an overview of how these modern developments enhance our understanding of local fracture processes and highlight future trends toward designing strong yet ductile and damage-tolerant materials., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Background: There is limited information on the association between weekend catch-up sleep (CUS), which has beneficial effects on health, and depression. This study aimed to investigate the association between CUS and depression in adults., Methods: We used the data of the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2016. Depression was defined as Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥10. We categorized CUS duration as ≤0, 0 < to 1, 1 < to 2, and >2 h., Results: Of 5550 eligible participants, 3286 (54.9%), 1033 (19.5%), 723 (14.7%) and 508 (10.9%) had CUS duration ≤0, 0 < to 1, 1 < to 2, and >2 h, respectively; of these, the prevalence of depression was 7.0%, 4.2%, 2.9%, and 6.0%, respectively. Multivariable regression analyses including covariates revealed that individuals with CUS duration 1 < to 2 h had a significantly decreased risk of depression compared to individuals with CUS duration ≤0 h (odds ratio [OR] = 0.517, 95% CI = 0.309-0.865). Individuals with CUS duration 0 < to 1 h (OR = 0.731, 95% CI = 0.505-1.060) and >2 h (OR = 1.164, 95% CI = 0.718-1.886) showed no significantly different risk of depression., Conclusions: The risk of depression in individuals with CUS duration 1 < to 2 h was lower than for those with CUS duration ≤0 h. This finding provides a better understanding on the association between CUS and depression; and can be a basis for better management of depression., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Decades of research on solute-induced phase transformation of metal hydride systems have shown the possibility to enhance hydrogen storage properties through novel material design such as nanoconfinement engineering. Nevertheless, the fundamentals of mechanical stress effect on confined Pd nanoparticles remain yet to be elucidated due to the difficulty in linking with hydrogen sorption thermodynamics. Here, a thermodynamic tuning of Pd nanocubes associated with hydrogen sorption as a result of encapsulation by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layers is demonstrated. Pd nanocubes are constrained by rGO to such a degree that the chemical potential and the pressure hysteresis of the system during hydrogen sorption drastically change while showing a size dependence. A thorough thermodynamic analysis elucidates the role of constraints on hydrogen uptake and release; despite the nanoscale regime, the thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy and entropy) during phase transition considerably increase, a phenomenon not seen before in unconstrained Pd nanoparticle systems.

Native extracellular matrix (ECM) can exhibit cyclic nanoscale stretching and shrinking of ligands to regulate complex cell-material interactions. Designing materials that allow cyclic control of changes in intrinsic ligand-presenting nanostructures in situ can emulate ECM dynamicity to regulate cellular adhesion. Unprecedented remote control of rapid, cyclic, and mechanical stretching ("ON") and shrinking ("OFF") of cell-adhesive RGD ligand-presenting magnetic nanocoils on a material surface in five repeated cycles are reported, thereby independently increasing and decreasing ligand pitch in nanocoils, respectively, without modulating ligand-presenting surface area per nanocoil. It is demonstrated that cyclic switching "ON" (ligand nanostretching) facilitates time-regulated integrin ligation, focal adhesion, spreading, YAP/TAZ mechanosensing, and differentiation of viable stem cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging reveals magnetic switching "ON" (stretching) and "OFF" (shrinking) of the nanocoils inside animals. Versatile tuning of physical dimensions and elements of nanocoils by regulating electrodeposition conditions is also demonstrated. The study sheds novel insight into designing materials with connected ligand nanostructures that exhibit nanocoil-specific nano-spaced declustering, which is ineffective in nanowires, to facilitate cell adhesion. This unprecedented, independent, remote, and cytocompatible control of ligand nanopitch is promising for regulating the mechanosensing-mediated differentiation of stem cells in vivo., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Cutaneous allodynia (CA) is a pain in response to non-nociceptive stimulation and a marker of central sensitisation. Probable migraine (PM) is a migraine subtype that fulfils all but one criterion of migraine. Headache intensity and the disability of individuals with PM are similar or lower than individuals with migraine. This study compared CA prevalence and characteristics of PM and migraine using a nationally representative sample in Korea. The Allodynia Symptom Checklist-12 (ASC-12) was used to assess CA (ASC-12 score ≥ 3). PM and migraine prevalence were 11.6% and 5.0%, respectively. CA prevalence did not significantly differ between PM and migraine (14.5% vs. 16.0%, p = 0.701). Participants with PM with CA reported a higher monthly headache frequency (3.3 ± 4.3 vs. 1.8 ± 3.6, p = 0.044), more severe headache intensity (Visuals Analogue Scale, 6.0 [4.0-7.0] vs. 5.0 [3.0-6.0], p = 0.002), and higher impact of headache (Headache Impact Test-6, 56.3 ± 7.2 vs. 48.3 ± 8.0, p < 0.001) than those without CA. Multiple regression analyses revealed that headache frequency and intensity, anxiety, and depression were significant factors for CA in participants with PM. In conclusion, CA prevalence among participants with PM and migraine were comparable. Anxiety, depression, and headache frequency and intensity were significant factors for CA in participants with PM.

Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this communication.

Although metal-phenolic species have emerged as one of the versatile material-independent-coating materials, providing attractive tools for interface engineering, mechanistic understanding of their film formation and growth still remains largely unexplored. Especially, the anions have been overlooked despite their high concentration in the coating solution. Considering that the anions are critical in the reactivity of metal-organic complex and the formation and/or property of functional materials, we investigated the anionic effects on the characteristics of film formation, such as film thickness and properties, in the Fe 3+ -tannic acid coating. We found that the film characteristics were strongly dictated by the counteranions (e.g., SO 4 2- , Cl - , and Br - ) of the Fe 3+ ion. Specifically, the film thickness and properties (i.e., mechanical modulus, permeability, and stability) followed the reversed anionic Hofmeister series (Br - > Cl - > SO 4 2- ). Mechanistic studies suggested that more chaotropic anions, such as Br - , might induce a more widely extended structure of the Fe 3+ - TA complexes in the coating solution, leading to thicker, harder, but more porous films. The reversed anionic Hofmeister effect was further confirmed by the additive effects of various sodium salts (NaF, NaCl, NaBr, and NaClO 4 ).

Purpose: Nasal pain, as an epileptic aura, has been poorly recognized. This study aims to demonstrate clinical features of patients with epilepsy who have nasal pain as an aura., Methods: We retrospectively investigated consecutive patients who visited the epilepsy clinic of tertiary hospital from April 2000 to September 2019. All included patients underwent epilepsy-dedicated, high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. All MRI studies were analyzed by visual inspection., Results: Seven patients who presented nasal pain as an aura, were identified. Four patients reported nasal pain as the first aura. Four patients had right amygdala enlargement (isolated amygdala enlargement in three patients; amygdala enlargement in addition to hippocampal sclerosis in one patient), and one patient with compression of an internal carotid-posterior communicating artery aneurysm to right amygdala on brain MRI. Interictal epileptiform or ictal discharges on EEG were found in the right temporal region in five patients. In all four patients with amygdala enlargement, amygdala enlargement was ipsilateral to EEG anomalies. In all patients, nasal pain was accompanied by ictal semiological features, such as autonomic, olfactory, abdominal, or psychic auras, and focal impaired awareness seizures, which are typically associated with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that nasal pain can occur as an epileptic aura in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with probable involvement of the amygdala., (Copyright © 2020 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: There has been growing international interest in performing remote consultations in primary care, particularly amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the evidence surrounding the safety of remote consultations is inconclusive. The appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in remote consultations is an important aspect of patient safety that needs to be addressed., Objective: This study aimed to summarize evidence on the impact of remote consultation in primary care with regard to antibiotic prescribing., Methods: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, HMIC, PsycINFO, and CINAHL for literature published since the databases' inception to February 2020. Peer-reviewed studies conducted in primary health care settings were included. All remote consultation types were considered, and studies were required to report any quantitative measure of antibiotic prescribing to be included in this systematic review. Studies were excluded if there were no comparison groups (face-to-face consultations)., Results: In total, 12 studies were identified. Of these, 4 studies reported higher antibiotic-prescribing rates, 5 studies reported lower antibiotic-prescribing rates, and 3 studies reported similar antibiotic-prescribing rates in remote consultations compared with face-to-face consultations. Guideline-concordant prescribing was not significantly different between remote and face-to-face consultations for patients with sinusitis, but conflicting results were found for patients with acute respiratory infections. Mixed evidence was found for follow-up visit rates after remote and face-to-face consultations., Conclusions: There is insufficient evidence to confidently conclude that remote consulting has a significant impact on antibiotic prescribing in primary care. However, studies indicating higher prescribing rates in remote consultations than in face-to-face consultations are a concern. Further, well-conducted studies are needed to inform safe and appropriate implementation of remote consulting to ensure that there is no unintended impact on antimicrobial resistance., (©Seung Min Han, Geva Greenfield, Azeem Majeed, Benedict Hayhoe. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 09.11.2020.)

Information on sex differences in the association between chronotype and depression is scarce. We aimed to investigate these differences using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2016. Chronotypes were categorised based on mid-sleep time on free days corrected by sleep debt accumulated on workdays (MSFsc): early type, < mean MSFsc - 1 standard deviation (SD); intermediate type, between mean MSFsc - 1 SD and MSFsc + 1 SD; and late type, > mean MSFsc + 1 SD. A Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score of ≥ 10 indicated depression. Among 5550 non-shift working adults aged 19-80 years, the prevalence rates of depression in the early, intermediate, and late chronotype groups were 7.4%, 4.5%, and 9.3%, respectively. Women with late chronotype (odds ratio [OR] = 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8-4.7) showed a higher risk of depression than women with intermediate chronotype after adjusting for covariates. Women with early chronotype did not show a significant difference in depression risk (OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.9-2.0). In conclusion, late chronotype is associated with an increased risk of depression in women but not in men. Early chronotype is not associated with depression in women or men.

Molybdenum-based compounds are considered as a potential replacement for expensive precious-metal electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acid electrolytes. However, coating of thin films of molybdenum nitride or carbide on a large-area self-standing substrate with high precision is still challenging. Here, MoN x is uniformly coated on carbon cloth (CC) and nitrogen-doped carbon (NC)-modified CC (NCCC) substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The as-deposited film has a nanocrystalline character close to amorphous and a composition of approximately Mo 2 N with significant oxygen contamination, mainly at the surface. Among the as-prepared ALD-MoN x electrodes, the MoN x /NCCC has the highest HER activity (overpotential η≈236 mV to achieve 10 mA cm -2 ) owing to the high surface area and porosity of the NCCC substrate. However, the durability of the electrode is poor, owing to the poor adhesion of NC powder on CC. Annealing MoN x /NCCC in H 2 atmosphere at 400 °C improves both the activity and durability of the electrode without significant change in the phase or porosity. Annealing at an elevated temperature of 600 °C results in formation of a Mo 2 C phase that further enhances the activity (η≈196 mV to achieve 10 mA cm -2 ), although there is a huge reduction in the porosity of the electrode as a consequence of the annealing. The structure of the electrode is also systematically investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A deviation in the conventional Warburg impedance is observed in EIS of the NCCC-based electrode and is ascribed to the change in the H + ion diffusion characteristics, owing to the geometry of the pores. The change in porous nature with annealing and the loss in porosity are reflected in the EIS of H + ion diffusion observed at high-frequency. The current work establishes a better understanding of the importance of various parameters for a highly active HER electrode and will help the development of a commercial electrode for HER using the ALD technique., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background and Purpose: We investigated the relationship between transcranial Doppler (TCD) pulsatility index (PI) and central aortic pressure by measurement of the aortic augmentation index (AIx)., Methods: We enrolled 148 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke. Patients were eligible for the study if they experienced their first ischemic stroke within the preceding 7 days and were 45 years of age or older. At Day 7 (±2) after stroke onset, TCD studies were performed and AIx was measured by applanation tonometry on the same days., Results: The mean age was 66.3 (47-90) years and 37.8% were women. The mean middle cerebral artery (MCA) PI was significantly related with age (r =.361), hypertension (r = .184), peripheral systolic blood pressure (SBP; r = .211), peripheral pulse pressure (PP; r = .396), aortic SBP (r = .184), aortic DBP (r = -.181), and aortic PP (r = .371). The basilar artery (BA) PI was significantly related with age (r = .311), peripheral DBP (r = -.267), peripheral PP (r = .358), aortic DBP (r = -.266), and aortic PP (r = .347)., Conclusions: TCD PI was significantly related with central aortic pressure, especially PP. The PI in the MCA and BA is closely associated with the pulsatile component of BP in the systemic circulation., (Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.)