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BackgroundBlood pressure (BP) tracking apps may aid in hypertension (HTN) self-management, but app quality may be problematic. ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a content-dependent rating system for BP tracking apps and systematically evaluate BP tracking features, content-independent quality, functional characteristics, and educational comprehensiveness of English language iPhone apps developed with the primary purpose of tracking a consumer’s BP measurements. MethodsWe created a 28-item checklist reflecting overall app quality and a simplified 2-item checklist to assess adherence with home BP monitoring best practices. Apps with educational information were evaluated for comprehensiveness on a 7-point scale and for consistency with evidence-based guidelines. Higher scores represent better quality and comprehensiveness. We searched the Canadian App Store on June 28, 2016, using the keywords hypertension and blood pressure. A total of 2 reviewers independently assessed apps according to the standardized template. We determined if paid apps, educational apps, or those rated ≥4 stars were of higher quality. ResultsOf the 948 apps screened, 62 met the inclusion criteria. The mean overall quality score was 12.2 (SD 4.6, out of 28) and 6 apps (10%, 6/62) met the home BP monitoring best practice criteria. In all, 12 apps contained educational content (mean comprehensiveness 2.4, SD 1.6 out of 14), most commonly, background information on HTN. Apps with educational content (mean 15.1, SD 3.8 vs 11.8, SD 4.8; P=.03) or a ≥4 star rating (median 19, interquartile range [IQR] 15-20, vs 12, IQR 9-15; P=.02) had higher overall quality. ConclusionsThe BP tracking apps reviewed had variable quality and few met the home BP monitoring best practice criteria. When deciding to recommend a specific BP tracking app, we suggest clinicians should evaluate whether the app allows input of duplicate BP readings in the morning and evening for at least seven days and presents the mean BP value for user-specified dates. Greater attention to home BP measurement best practices is required during app development.

The study investigates salt chemistry and corrosion behavior of SS 316H and Alloy 617 in thermally purified molten NaF‐KF‐UF4‐UF3 salts (UF4/UF3 initial ratio 12–14) at 800°C for 120, 72, and 32 h. UF4/UF3 ratio increases after corrosion tests. Cr species concentration in salts keeps increasing. Fe, Co, Ni, and Mo species increase first, then decrease. Cr/Mn oxides are formed along grain boundaries in SS 316H. Cr near the surface of Alloy 617 is completely depleted. A thin layer composed of Fe, Co, Ni, and Mo is observed on the Alloy 617 surface in 72‐h and 32‐h tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purification of salt is indispensable for mitigating the corrosion of structural materials for molten salt reactors or other molten salt applications. This study develops a salt-purification system to synthesize and purify NaF-KF-UF4 salt (FUNaK) using Ar purging and hydrofluorination of impurities. Chronoamperometry is also used to remove metallic impurities in the hydrofluorinated FUNaK. This purified FUNaK is then used for a static corrosion test of stainless steel 316H (SS316H) to study the effectiveness of salt purification in mitigating its corrosion. For comparison, results from a previous study about the corrosion of SS316H by thermally purified FUNaK are used. FUNaK with UF3 is also synthesized for a static corrosion test with the same condition to investigate the impact of UF3 on corrosion. The results show that the corrosion of SS316H is significantly reduced by using the chemically purified FUNaK compared to thermally purified FUNaK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study tested Type 316L stainless steel (SS316L) with and without a preformed boride layer in a molten chloride salt at 800°C for 100 h. The results showed that the preformed boride layer on the specimen surface is stable and can completely inhibit the depletion of Cr of the steel. No attack layer by the molten salt was detected for the specimen with the preformed boride layer. Therefore, the data from the present study indicate that a preformed boride layer can be a protective layer to mitigate the corrosion of SS316L by molten salts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the benefits of telehealth in providing services for individuals with Long COVID. The authors commend a previous analysis of available services in Australia but note that telehealth was not included as a model of care for Long COVID. They highlight that telehealth can provide equitable access to healthcare for those with physical disabilities or geographical limitations, and it has been successfully demonstrated in various settings. The authors emphasize the importance of consumer engagement and empowerment in designing care models and argue that telehealth should be embedded in systemic strategies to enhance care for Long COVID. [Extracted from the article]

Gay, bisexual and queer men in Singapore are disproportionately represented in prevalent HIV infections, relative to the general population. While anticipated stigma has been found to be a barrier to HIV/STI testing among gay, bisexual and queer men, little effort has been made to contextualise such stigma within the broader sociocultural milieu. We conducted 35 in-depth interviews with a purposively recruited sample of men in Singapore with a focus on topics such as sexual identity development, formative sexual experiences and HIV/STI testing experience. Interviews were analysed through thematic analysis using techniques borrowed from a grounded theory approach. Participants drew on their past interactions with family, friends, religion, the gay, bisexual and queer men's community and the wider society to construct meanings of deviance in the context of their sexuality. Participants articulated how anticipated stigma was rooted in such deviance, and how clinics or other HIV/STI-related health services served as physical spaces of costly disclosure by exposing or imposing 'deviant' identities on individuals who access these physical spaces, which were otherwise concealed. Findings from the study provide a framework for actions and interventions to address the roots of anticipated stigma in the context of HIV/STI testing among gay, bisexual and queer men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]