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The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on platinum (Pt) electrocatalysts involves the generation of hydrogen atoms and the formation of hydrogen molecules. It is commonly believed that the sites on the surfaces of the terrace (111, 110, and 100) domains are responsible for the formation of hydrogen molecules. However, the electrochemistry of the hydrogen atom generation is not well understood. We created edge-rich platinum electrocatalysts using nano-fabrics comprising entire single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as templates and supports. We then conducted the HER on the edge-rich Pt/SWCNT hybridized electrocatalysts and gained new insights into the electrochemical properties and functions of the edge sites. We propose that the edge sites are oxidized and serve two important functions: they act as atomic barriers, allowing electrons to accumulate within the terrace (111, 110, and 100) domains, and they transfer the electrons to the hydronium ions in the electrical double layer through discharge. Enhancing the discharge capability of the electrocatalysts is an efficient way to reduce the amount of platinum required, and this can be applied to various precious metal-based electrocatalysts to enhance their electrocatalytic activities and durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) after radical surgery following preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is now the standard of care. The identification of risk factors for the discontinuation of AC is important for further improvements in survival. We herein examined the prognostic impact of chemotherapy compliance and its relationship with the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) before surgery. Methods: A total of 335 stage II–III LARC patients who underwent preoperative CRT between 2003 and 2022 at the University of Tokyo Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. We excluded patients with recurrence during AC and those who had not received AC. The relationship between AC and long-term outcomes and that between PNI values and the duration of AC were examined. Results: Thirty-one patients discontinued AC and 62 continued AC. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was significantly shorter in patients who discontinued AC (p = 0.0056). The discontinuation of AC was identified as an independent risk factor for RFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.24, p = 0.0233). Twenty-one patients were classified as having low PNI (less than 40), which correlated with an older age, low body mass index, and incomplete AC. Low PNI was an independent risk factor for a shorter duration of AC (HR: 2.53, p = 0.0123). Conclusion: The discontinuation of AC was related to poor RFS in patients with LARC undergoing preoperative CRT. Furthermore, a low PNI value was identified as a risk factor for a shorter duration of AC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on a narrow-bandgap formamidinium lead halide (FAPbI3) photoabsorber have garnered substantial attention owing to their high photovoltaic (PV) performances. Extensive studies have established that the introduction of methylammonium chloride (MACl) significantly improves the quality of the FAPbI3 bulk, and hence, this method has been commonly employed. Upon heating the photoabsorber's precursor film, the incorporated MACl facilitates the crystalline growth of FAPbI3, simultaneously volatilizing and dissipating from the perovskite layer. However, not only the photoabsorber's bulk quality but also heterointerfaces between the photoabsorber and carrier transport materials importantly contribute to the PV performances. Paradoxically, the MACl effects on FAPbI3 heterointerfaces have been sparingly explored and consequently remain elusive. Herein, the effects of MACl on these heterointerfaces are unveiled by time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy and time-resolved microwave conductivity. The MACl additive accelerates carrier injection from FAPbI3 to the carrier transport materials presumably owing to the occurrence of spontaneous modulation of the heterointerfaces. In particular, at the heterointerface between FAPbI3 and the titanium oxide (TiO2) electron transport layer, an emissive interlayer, that is, a chloride-containing wide-bandgap FA1−xMAxPbI3−yCly interlayer is formed spontaneously, which most likely has multiple advantages: hole blocking and facilitation of electron injection from FAPbI3 to TiO2 without additional hole trapping, leading to the observed PV performance enhancement. Consequently, the present results provide novel insights into the effects of the widely employed MACl additive on the FAPbI3 photoabsorber, thereby propelling the further advancement of PSCs. Furthermore, this study demonstrates effective investigation of carrier dynamics with regard to the heterointerfaces, which is challenging, and will promote the development of the materials science field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When measuring the thickness of ultrathin overlayer films using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), accurate values of the reference intensity ratio (R0) and the effective attenuation length (L) are essential. By definition, R0 is the peak intensity ratio for an overlayer and the substrate in "bulk" phases. Two issues need to be addressed in experimental determining R0 for ultrathin films: (i) How might a contamination layer on the sample used for measuring peak intensities impact R0? And (ii) do differences in the structure or chemistry of an ultrathin film make it inappropriate to determine R0 using bulk forms of the overlayer? In this study, we demonstrate the experimental determination of the R0 for an ultrathin HfO2 film on a Si(100) substrate with a 2 nm SiO2 layer. The values of R0 were determined using (i) the bulk materials of the HfO2 film and substrate and (ii) the ultrathin HfO2 films after different cleaning treatments. The results show that the R0 determined by the ultrathin films is higher than that determined by the bulk materials. Also, keeping the same level of carbonaceous contamination on the sample surface by cleaning as much as possible is essential for an accurate experimental determination of R0. In addition, the effective attenuation length was obtained using samples with known thicknesses measured by X‐ray reflectometry. The thicknesses and uncertainty budget of the ultrathin HfO2 films were then evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 10Be record in laminated travertines is a potential proxy for reconstructing past solar activity down to the annual scale; however, correcting for the potential influence of climatic or environmental variations remains challenging. Here, we present an annually resolved 10Be record using travertines from Baishuitai, China, covering the period from 1510 to 1701 CE, along with environmental proxies, to evaluate climatic influences and implement corrections to accurately reconstruct solar activity. We demonstrate that the 10Be deposition in travertines exhibits two environmental impacts: the transport efficiency of atmospheric 10Be into travertine and the additional 10Be inflow from overland flow associated with rainfall. We show that these impacts can be corrected based on iron and potassium contents. The resulting corrected record agrees with ice‐core and tree‐ring records, demonstrating the feasibility of using such carbonate sediment 10Be records to reconstruct past solar activity. Plain Language Summary: The travertine 10Be record has great potential as a proxy for high‐resolution reconstruction of past solar activity; however, the methodology for correcting the potential influence of climatic or environmental variations has not been fully established. This study presents a new high‐precision annual 10Be record using travertines from Baishuitai, China, covering the period 1510–1701 CE, together with records of environmental proxies, allowing us to evaluate the climatic influences and establish a methodology for correcting them to facilitate accurate solar activity reconstruction. We find that there are two environmental impacts on the deposition of 10Be in travertine: one is the transport efficiency of atmospheric 10Be into travertine, and the other is the additional 10Be inflow from the runoff following rainfall events, and we use iron (Fe) and potassium (K) contents to correct these impacts. The corrected travertine 10Be record exhibits good agreement with ice‐core 10Be and tree‐ring 14C records, supporting that the 10Be record in Baishuitai travertine reliably reflects the atmospheric radionuclide production rate as regulated by solar activity. This result demonstrates the feasibility of using such carbonate sediment 10Be records to reconstruct annual solar activity and suggests the possibility of extending the annual records further back in time than previously obtained. Key Points: A high‐precision annual record of travertine 10Be from 1510 to 1701 CE was obtained to assess its potential as a proxy for solar activityClimatological and environmental impacts on 10Be deposition were found to be correctable based on the content of trace elementsThe travertine 10Be record corrected for climatological impacts reasonably preserves the decadal and centennial‐scale solar cycles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]