Large Changes Research Articles

Functionalization Strategies of Iron Sulfides for High-Performance Supercapacitors

AbstractSupercapacitors have emerged as a promising class of energy storage technologies, renowned for their impressive specific capacities and reliable cycling performance. These attributes are increasingly significant amid the growing environmental challenges stemming from rapid global economic growth and increased fossil fuel consumption. The electrochemical performance of supercapacitors largely depends on the properties of the electrode materials used. Among these, iron-based sulfide (IBS) materials have attracted significant attention for use as anode materials owing to their high specific capacity, eco-friendliness, and cost-effectiveness. Despite these advantages, IBS electrode materials often face challenges such as poor electrical conductivity, compromised chemical stability, and large volume changes during charge–discharge cycles. This review article comprehensively examines recent research efforts aiming at improving the performance of IBS materials, focusing on three main approaches: nanostructure design (including 0D nanoparticles, 1D nanowires, 2D nanosheets, and 3D structures), composite development (including carbonaceous materials, metal compounds, and polymers), and material defect engineering (through doping and vacancy introduction). The article sheds light on novel concepts and methodologies designed to address the inherent limitations of IBS electrode materials in supercapacitors. These conceptual frameworks and strategic interventions are expected to be applied to other nanomaterials, driving advancements in electrochemical energy conversion.

The Application of Trauma-Informed Care to Health Care for Military-Connected Individuals.

Military families face unique stressors beyond civilian life, such as deployments, frequent relocations, and the potential for combat, all of which can significantly impact well-being. A trauma-informed care (TIC) approach to military medicine is paramount; however, a critical gap exists, with no published curricula to guide practitioners in employing TIC in the care of military-connected individuals. We delivered a 50-minute interactive and virtual session to second-year medical students at the Uniformed Services University (USU) that reviewed the neurobiology of adversity and the relevance of TIC in caring for military-connected populations. Participants completed a 14-question pre- and posttest on perceived knowledge, attitudes, practice, and confidence, as well as posttest questions evaluating session quality. The USU Institutional Review Board approved this evaluation. One hundred sixty medical students participated in the session, with 78 matched pre- and posttest responses. We observed a statistically significant pre-post improvement (p ≤ .05) in all category scores, with the largest changes in knowledge (1.33) and confidence (1.33). On a 5-point Likert scale, with 5 being best, mean scores for overall quality of the session and relevance of the material to participants' learning and future practice were 3.95 and 4.20, respectively. By equipping health care providers with knowledge and confidence to apply TIC in military medicine, we can improve the well-being of service members and their families across both military and civilian health care settings. Broader implementation of this program has potential to improve patient outcomes and overall health care delivery for this population.

Cross-linking γ-Polyglutamic Acid as a Multifunctional Binder for High-Performance SiOx Anode in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

SiOx is a highly promising anode material for realizing high-capacity lithium-ion batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity. However, the large volume change during cycling limits its practical application. The development of a binder has been demonstrated as one of the most economical and efficient strategies for enhancing the SiOx anode's electrochemical performance. In this work, a multifunctional binder (T-PGA) is fabricated by cross-linking γ-polyglutamic acid (PGA) and tannic acid (TA) for SiOx anodes. The introduction of TA into PGA helps to buffer the volume changes of the SiOx anodes, facilitate diffusion of Li+, and construct stable SEI layers. Benefiting from this proposed binder, the SiOx anode maintains a reversible capacity of 973.0 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles at 500 mA g-1 and the full cell, pairing with LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode, delivers a reversible capacity of 133 mA h g-1 (73.2% retention) after 100 cycles. This study offers valuable insights into advanced binders that are used in high-performance Li-ion batteries.

User Sentiment Analysis of the Shared Charging Service for China’s G318 Route

Shared charging services have gained popularity for their contribution to green travel. Accurately identifying the core factors that influence user experience (UX) not only enhances service quality and optimizes user satisfaction, but also promotes the dissemination of green travel concepts. However, the influencing factors and their mechanisms vary significantly across regions, particularly along the Chengdu–Lhasa (G318) route, which features large elevation changes, diverse climatic conditions, rugged terrain, and frequent geological disasters, making the influencing factors particularly complex. This study analyzes comment texts from 38 shared charging stations along the G318 route in the e-Charging APP, totaling 15,214 comments. A comprehensive approach is employed, including high-frequency word analysis, term frequency–inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) comparison, co-occurrence semantic network and co-word matrix feature correlation analysis, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling, and sentiment analysis. This multifaceted analysis explores core themes, user viewpoints, and sentiments in the comments, focusing on users’ perspectives on service quality, usage experience, and environmental impact of the charging stations. The findings indicate that charging speed, service attitude, environment, operational status of hardware and software, and pricing are key factors influencing user sentiment. Users have a high demand for the perfection of supporting facilities of shared charging stations, directly affecting user satisfaction and indirectly influencing the brand image and market competitiveness of enterprises.

The Utilization of Vegetable Powders for Bread Enrichment—The Effect on the Content of Selected Minerals, Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Content, and the Coverage of Daily Requirements in the Human Diet

The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of selected minerals and total phenolic and flavonoid content of wheat bread and bread enriched with varying amounts of carrot powder (CP) and pumpkin powder (PP). In addition, the coverage of daily requirements of selected minerals was evaluated after the consumption of 100 g of each type of bread. The research included seven types of bread: wheat bread (WB) and bread enriched with 10%, 20%, and 30% CP and PP. The vegetable powders were obtained by freeze-drying. The concentrations of minerals—sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn)—were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) method. Coverage of daily requirements after consumption of a serving of bread was determined based on Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) and Adequate Intake (AI) ratios for minerals, according to the nutritional standards for the Polish population. The addition of 10% PP led to a greater increase in Na, K, Mg, and Cu in the bread compared to CP, while for Ca, Fe, Zn, and Mn a greater increase was observed with the addition of 10% CP than PP. Among macronutrients, the greatest changes in content were recorded for Ca—the addition of 10 and 20% CP and PP resulted in increases of 66, 113, 51 and 59%. Among micronutrients, the addition of CP and PP to wheat bread caused the largest changes in Cu (46–150% increase) and Mn (25–99% increase) content. Additionally, there was a tenfold increase in total phenolic content (TPC) when 30% CP was added to the bread. Consuming 100 g of bread with CP and PP provided the greatest coverage of K (41–60%), Cu (8–17.5%), and Mn (6–17%). These findings suggest that fortification of bread with vegetable powders has the potential to be a useful method of enriching the mineral composition and increasing the proportion of selected minerals in the human diet.

Performance and Robustness of Physiological Controllers With Integrated Pressure Sensors on Inflow Cannula.

The control of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) requires sensors and/or estimators to account for the physiological state of the patient and apply advanced controllers. Sensor characteristics are a challenge when using implantable pressure sensors because they influence the quality of physiological control and the robustness of the controlled system. The objective of this work is to investigate the performance and robustness of LVAD controllers that operate based on LVAD integrated pressure sensors. Four pressure-based LVAD controllers are tested with a HeartMate 3 that has an integrated pressure sensor. Controller sensitivity as well as robustness to sensor drift and noise are evaluated based on controller response to large changes in preload and afterload. A fail-safe strategy for sensor failure used also to investigate the reliable operation of the LVAD in realistic conditions. All tested controllers are sensitive to drifting pressure signals, which can lead to unstable behavior. The results show that two controllers are robust to noise. The other two controllers show high deviation and oscillation in cardiac output even for small noise. Additionally, a noticeable difference of the controller's response between simulated and measured pressure input was observed, indicating the need for a robust controller design. Reliable operation even in the event of a sensor failure was achieved on the basis of a fail-safe control system.

Ply-ply friction behavior between unidirectional thermoplastic prepreg plies during thermoforming: Characterization and modeling

The ply-ply friction behavior of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (UD CF/PPS) prepreg in thermoforming was investigated through an improved pull-through testing system. The effects of temperature, normal force and slipping velocity were considered in testing. The results indicated the existence of three key mechanisms underlying slipping: namely the resin shear, fiber–fiber contact and fiber-resin interaction. A three-stage division of the experimental curve was proposed, and several factors were defined to establish a quantitative definition of the ply-ply friction behavior. The results showed that the influence of slipping velocity is particularly evident. Its post-yield stress (12.8 kPa), steady-state CoF (0.118) and residual stress (0.705 kPa) were the highest, exhibiting the largest changes of 957.9 %, 736.9 % and 47.2 %, respectively. This indicated the strong contribution of resin in ply-ply friction. In addition, the Stribeck analysis also suggested the dominance of hydrodynamic lubrication condition in slipping. Based on the experimental results, a simple phenomenological model was proposed based on experimental curves to accurately describe the effects of processing parameters. This work presents a comprehensive characterization of the ply-ply friction behavior of UD CF/PPS prepreg in thermoforming, providing a substantial experimental foundation for the subsequent simulation research.

Computational study of the HLTF ATPase remodeling domain suggests its activity on dsDNA and implications in damage tolerance

The Helicase-Like Transcription Factor (HLTF) is member of the SWI/SNF-family of ATP dependent chromatin remodellers known primarily for maintaining genome stability. Biochemical and cellular assays support its multiple roles in DNA Damage Tolerance. However, the lack of sufficient structural data limits the comprehension of the molecular basis of its modes of action.In this work we have modelled and characterized the HLTF ATPase remodeling domain by using bioinformatic tools and all-atoms molecular dynamics simulations.In-silico results suggested that its binding to dsDNA is mainly mediated by the positively charged residues Arg563 and Lys913, found conserved in HLTF homologs, and Arg620 and Lys999, found only in HLTF. Interestingly, these residues are mutated in cancer cells. During translocation on dsDNA, HLTF remains persistently bound through the N-terminal ATPase subunit. However, DNA advancement occurs only in the presence of the synergic-anticorrelated action of both motor lobes. In contrast, the C-terminal facilitates substrate remodeling through DNA deformation and generation of bulges according to a wave-model. Finally, the large conformational change suggested between the two motor-remodeling subunits might be activated upon the release of PARP1 on stalled fork and be responsible for the intervention of HLTF-HIRAN in the formation of D-loop and 4-way junction DNA structures.

Boosting the Sodiation Kinetics of Sn Anode Using a Yolk-Shell Nanohybrid Structure for High-Rate and Ultrastable Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Metallic Sn (Tin) is a promising anode material for Na-ion batteries owing to its high theoretical capacity of 870mAhg-1. However, its large volumetric changes, interfacial instability, and sluggish sodiation kinetics limit its practical applications. Herein, a hierarchical yolk-shell nanohybrid composed of an Sn yolk and a Carbon/Silicon oxycarbide (C/SiOC) bilayer shell is prepared via the simple pyrolysis of a silicone oil dispersion containing an Sn precursor. The multifunctional bilayer helps boost sodiation kinetics by providing conductive pathways, enhancing the reversible capacity through surface capacitive reactions, and stabilizing the electrode/electrolyte interface. Abundant void interspaces inside the yolk-shell structure accommodate large volume changes of the Sn yolk. The Sn@C/SiOC nanohybrid demonstrates high specific capacity (≈500mAhg-1 at 1Ag-1), remarkable rate performance up to 10Ag-1, and ultrastable cyclability (91.1% retention after 1500 cycles at 5Ag-1). This yolk-shell nanohybrid structuring can guide the development of various high-capacity anodes for energy storage applications.

Informatics assessment of COVID-19 data collection: an analysis of UK Biobank questionnaire data

BackgroundThere have been many efforts to expand existing data collection initiatives to include COVID-19 related data. One program that expanded is UK Biobank, a large-scale research and biomedical data collection resource that added several COVID-19 related data fields including questionnaires (exposures and symptoms), viral testing, and serological data. This study aimed to analyze this COVID-19 data to understand how COVID-19 data was collected and how it can be used to attribute COVID-19 and analyze differences in cohorts and time periods.MethodsA cohort of COVID-19 infected individuals was defined from the UK Biobank population using viral testing, diagnosis, and self-reported data. Changes over time, from March 2020 to October 2021, in total case counts and changes in case counts by identification source (diagnosis from EHR, measurement from viral testing and self-reported from questionnaire) were also analyzed. For the questionnaires, an analysis of the structure and dynamics of the questionnaires was done which included the amount and type of questions asked, how often and how many individuals answered the questions and what responses were given. In addition, the amount of individuals who provided responses regarding different time segments covered by the questionnaire was calculated along with how often responses changed. The analysis included changes in population level responses over time. The analyses were repeated for COVID and non-COVID individuals and compared responses.ResultsThere were 62 042 distinct participants who had COVID-19, with 49 120 identified through diagnosis, 30 553 identified through viral testing and 934 identified through self-reporting, with many identified in multiple methods. This included vast changes in overall cases and distribution of case data source over time. 6 899 of 9 952 participants completing the exposure questionnaire responded regarding every time period covered by the questionnaire including large changes in response over time. The most common change came for employment situation, which was changed by 74.78% of individuals from the first to last time of asking. On a population level, there were changes as face mask usage increased each successive time period. There were decreases in nearly every COVID-19 symptom from the first to the second questionnaire. When comparing COVID to non-COVID participants, COVID participants were more commonly keyworkers (COVID: 33.76%, non-COVID: 15.00%) and more often lived with young people attending school (61.70%, 45.32%).ConclusionTo develop a robust cohort of COVID-19 participants from the UK Biobank population, multiple types of data were needed. The differences based on time and exposures show the important of comprehensive data capture and the utility of COVID-19 related questionnaire data.

Improvement of multiscale decomposition for space-based gravitational wave signal processing technology.

During the process of detecting gravitational waves in space, addressing noise issues caused by terrestrial vibrations, natural environmental changes, and the factors intrinsic to the detectors, this paper proposes a multiscale variational mode adaptive denoising algorithm based on momentum gradient descent. This algorithm integrates momentum factors and multiscale concepts into the variational mode algorithm to resolve the issue of multiple local optima encountered during operation, reduce oscillations in regions with large or unstable gradient changes, and improve convergence speed. Additionally, the algorithm combines the least mean squares algorithm to automatically adjust weights, thereby mitigating the impact of noise, addressing the issue of noise from multiple and random sources, effectively suppressing noise in the gravitational wave signal, and enhancing the quality and reliability of the gravitational wave signal. Experimental results demonstrate that this algorithm performs better than other algorithms in noise suppression, effectively reducing noise in gravitational wave signals and meeting the noise suppression requirements for space-based gravitational wave detection.

Enhancing the load cycling rate of subcritical coal-fired power plants: A novel control strategy based on data-driven feedwater active regulation

To accommodate high penetration of renewable power, coal-fired power plants should have high operational flexibility. However, the load cycling rate of subcritical power plants is insufficient, because conventional control strategies cannot perform well when subcritical power plants that have large thermal inertia change load with high rates. To address this issue, a novel control strategy based on idea of data-driven feedwater active regulation was proposed. To evaluate the control performance, dynamic modeling on a reference 330 MW subcritical unit was conducted, and performance indicators including load cycling performance indicator Kp, parameters cumulative deviation, and transient process average coal consumption rate were defined. Results reveal that key factor restricting load cycling rate is the exceeding of key parameters deviations. During 50%–75 % loading up process, the novel control strategy can increase ramp rate by 1.0 % Pe/min, increase Kp by 101.7 %, and reduce parameters cumulative deviations by 58.0 % at maximum and 20.3 % on average. Meanwhile, during 75%–50 % loading down process, the novel control strategy can increase ramp rate by 1.0 % Pe/min, increase Kp by 39.9 %, and reduce parameters cumulative deviations by 32.0 % at maximum and 19.1 % on average. These results demonstrate that feedwater active regulation effectively suppresses the control deviation of key parameters.

Molecular Evidence for Altered Angiogenesis in Neuroinflammation-Associated Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Implicate an Abnormal Midbrain Blood-Brain Barrier.

Angiogenesis triggered by inflammation increases BBB permeability and facilitates macrophage transmigration. In the midbrain, we have discovered molecular alterations related to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), including endothelial cell changes associated with macrophage diapedesis, in neuroinflammatory schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but changes in angiogenesis are yet to be reported. Hypothesis: We expected to discover molecular evidence of altered angiogenesis in the midbrain in individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder compared to controls, with these changes more evident in "high" inflammation schizophrenia as compared to "low" inflammation. In a case-control post-mortem cohort including schizophrenia (n = 35), bipolar disorder (n = 35), and controls (n = 33), we measured mRNA (RT-PCR) and protein (multiplex immunoassays) and performed immunohistochemistry to determine levels and anatomical distribution of angiogenesis-related molecules in the ventral midbrain. We found large changes in angiogenesis factors in bipolar disorder high inflammatory subgroup (increased angiopoietin-2 and SERPINE1 mRNAs, but decreased angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, andTEK receptor proteins). In schizophreniahigh inflammatory subgroup, we found a robust increase in SERPINE1 mRNA and protein levels. However, we found no significant changes in angiopoietins in schizophrenia. We found that VEGFA mRNA level was increased in high inflammation schizophrenia, but only reached statistical significance compared to one low inflammatory subgroup. Thus, angiogenesis signaling pathways appeared to be involved in the BBB alterations when inflammation is also present in the midbrain of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, with increased levels of SERPINE1 in schizophrenia high inflammatory subgroup and with a putative suppression of angiopoietin signaling in bipolar disorder high inflammatory subgroup.

State Full Practice Authority Regulations and Nurse Practitioner Practice Autonomy: Evidence From the 2018 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses.

State full practice authority (FPA) laws are designed to permit NPs to practice autonomously from physicians. Little is known regarding how FPA laws affect NPs' practice autonomy in daily practice. This study used nationwide survey data from 20,830 NPs to estimate how NPs' practice autonomy differs between NPs in FPA and non-FPA states. NPs in states with FPA laws were more than twice as likely as NPs in non-FPA states to practice in clinic settings with no onsite physicians and were twice as likely to not have a physician collaborator. Associations between FPA laws and four other indicators of practice autonomy were positive but smaller in magnitude. States with FPA laws more than 10 years experienced larger changes in nurse practitioner (NP) autonomy compared with states with FPA laws in effect less than 10 years. FPA laws may promote the development of autonomous NP practice sites, thereby expanding access in underserved populations.

Digital Light Process 3D Printing of Magnetically Aligned Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Free-forms.

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are anisotropic soft materials capable of large dimensional changes when subjected to a stimulus. The magnitude and directionality of the stimuli-induced thermomechanical response is associated with the alignment of the LCE. Recent reports detail the preparation of LCEs by additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, predominately using direct ink write printing. Another AM technique, digital light process (DLP) 3D printing, has generated significant interest as it affords LCE free-forms with high fidelity and resolution. However, one challenge of printing LCEs using vat polymerization methods such as DLP is enforcing alignment. Here, we document the preparation of aligned, main-chain LCEs via DLP 3D printing using a 100 mT magnetic field. Systematic examination isolates the contribution of magnetic field strength, alignment time, and build layer thickness on the degree of orientation in 3D printed LCEs. Informed by this fundamental understanding, DLP is used to print complex LCE free-forms with through-thickness variation in both spatial orientations. The hierarchical variation in spatial orientation within LCE free-forms is used to produce objects that exhibit mechanical instabilities upon heating. DLP printing of aligned LCEs opens new opportunities to fabricate stimuli-responsive materials in form factors optimized for functional use in soft robotics and energy absorption.

Residual Ferromagnetic Regions Affecting the First-Order Phase Transition in Off-Stoichiometric Fe-Rh.

Among the magnetocaloric materials featuring first-order phase transitions (FOPT), FeRh is considered as a reference system to study the FOPT because it is a "simple" binary system with a CsCl structure exhibiting a large adiabatic temperature change. Recently, ab initio theory predicted that changes in the Fe/Rh stoichiometry in the vicinity of equiatomic composition strongly influence the FOPT characteristics. However, this theoretical prediction was not clearly verified experimentally. Here, we investigated the composition dependence of the transitional hysteresis in FeRh. It is shown that a Fe excess of only 1 at. % induces a ferromagnetic state in the whole temperature range (from 5 K up to Tc) for a minor portion of the sample (≈10%), while 5 at. % is enough to completely eliminate the FOPT. Element-specific X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements suggest that this ferromagnetic contribution arises from residual FeRh ferromagnetic regions. We attribute the formation of such domains to Fe antisite defects, as Mössbauer spectroscopy demonstrates the presence of Fe atoms located at the 1b (Rh) sites in the CsCl-type structure. As a consequence, compared with the equiatomic composition, the slightly Fe-rich sample exhibits completely different FOPT properties, influencing the magnetocaloric performances. Thus, our study sheds light on the origin of the remarkable stoichiometric sensitivity of the FOPT behavior in FeRh. These insights have broader implications for understanding FOPT dynamics and the role of residual ferromagnetic domains.

Key requirements for achieving EU-wide programme change

Abstract Issue Across the world, thousands of projects aim for equitable improvement in health for people who are experiencing ongoing avoidable stigma, discrimination and disadvantage however very little change is often achieved. Description of the problem In this presentation we explore key requirements for project-level change to ensure EU-wide programme change is achieved. Results The two most common causes of project failure are a) the innovation is not suitable, needed or wanted (also called theory failure) or b) implementation failure. This presentation shares strategies to mitigate risks of project failure through co-design processes and communication, drawing from 30 years of experience from the entire implementation process from ideation to scale up. These experiences include projects from over 30 countries, including partnerships with the World Health Organization, governments and industry focused on health literacy, self-management, care pathways, workplace health, hospital services redesign, First Nations health and migrant health. Common success factors include balancing top-down needs with co-designed inputs and with previous preferred or good practice (which may have come from controlled trial evidence generated in different contexts). The intervention must co-implemented to serve stakeholder’s needs at all levels, from citizens to decision makers. Lessons The United Nations (UN) and private sector apply system-wide approaches to affect large scale change. This knowledge is valuable for large public health programmes aiming to integrate equity and diversity in project processes to minimize implementation failure.

Optimizing Room‐Temperature Thermoelectric and Magnetocaloric Performance via Constructing Multi‐Scale Interfacial Phases in LaFeSi/BiSbTe Thermo‐Electro‐Magnetic Refrigeration Materials

AbstractFabricating a thermo‐electro‐magnetic material that exhibits simultaneously excellent magnetocaloric (MC) and thermoelectric (TE) performance is challenging since the interfacial reaction causes severe deterioration of MC and TE performance. In this work, a construction of multi‐scale interfaces in LaFe10.4Co0.8Si1.8/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (LFS/BST) composites is realized by adopting a low‐temperature high‐pressure sintering strategy. It is revealed in the atomic‐scale that the interfacial reaction between LFS and BST leads to the formation of (Fe,Co)(Sb,Te)2 micro‐grains and LaTe2 nano‐grains, and the latter form low‐mismatch phase boundaries with LFS matrix. Benefiting from the multi‐scale interfacial phases, excellent MC performance of LFS is preserved alongside a minor impact on TE properties, e.g., a peak zT of 1.04 and a small decrease of 3.0% in relative cooling power are achieved in the 2%LFS/BST composite. Compared with other thermo‐electro‐magnetic materials, a good trade‐off between MC and TE performance is realized in LFS/BST composites with simultaneously high MC and TE performance. The 20%LFS/BST composite exhibits a room‐temperature zT of 0.46 with large maximum magnetic entropy change and relative cooling power of 0.81 J kg−1 K−1 and 44.83 J kg−1, respectively. This work provides an effective material design for developing the all‐solid‐state MC/TE hybrid refrigeration technique.

The feasibility of double stent strategy in left main true bifurcation with small and large angle change between diastole and systole: The Milan and New-Tokyo (MITO) registry.

Provisional single stenting strategy (PSS) is a default strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of unprotected left main distal bifurcation lesions (ULMD). Previous study reported that a bifurcation angle change (BAC) between end diastole and systole was associated with outcomes after PCI with double stent strategy (DSS) for ULMD. However, there are no data comparing outcomes after PCI with PSS versus DSS according the degree of BAC. We evaluated outcomes after PCI with PSS versus DSS for true ULMD with small and large BAC. We identified 566 patients with true ULMD underwent PCI in three high-volume centers. We calculated the BAC in ULMD between end-diastole and systole before stenting with 2-dimensional quantitative coronary angiographic assessment. We defined small (BAC < 7.0°) and large BAC (≥7.0°) group. We compared clinical outcomes after PCI with PSS versus DSS in each cohort after propensity score adjustment. The primary endpoint was target-lesion failure (TLF), which was defined as a composite of cardiac death, target lesion revascularization, and myocardial infarction. In small BAC cohort, TLF rate was significantly lower in DSS group than in PSS group (12.5% vs. 20.1%, adjusted HR 0.45; 95% CI, 0.26-0.79; p = 0.006). In contrast, in large BAC cohort, TLF rate was significantly higher in DSS group than in PSS group (54.9% vs. 29.0%, adjusted HR 2.25; 95% CI, 1.50-3.38; p < 0.001). The TLF rate after PCI with DSS was significantly lower in true ULMD with small BAC compared to PSS even after propensity score adjustment. In contrast, it was significantly higher in those with large BAC.

Synthesis and Characterization of TiO2 Thin Films Modified with Anderson-Type Polyoxometalates (Ni, Co, and Fe)

In this work, TiO2 and Anderson-type polyoxometalates (Ni, Co, and Fe) thin-film composites were fabricated. The composites were characterized by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance, and scanning electronic microscopy. The methylene blue (MB) photocatalytic degradation on the composites under UV irradiation was studied. Spectroscopic results verified the modification of TiO2 thin films. Optical and morphological properties changed after TiO2 modification. The largest change in the optical band gap was observed for the FePOM/TiO2 system, which reported a value of 3.05 eV. The POM/TiO2 systems were more efficient in methylene blue (MB) adsorption than bare TiO2. Furthermore, the modified films were more efficient than bare TiO2 during MB photodegradation tests. The NiPOM/TiO2 and the CoPOM/TiO2 were the most efficient in the MB adsorption, reaching ~20%. The NiPOM/TiO2 and the CoPOM/TiO2 composites were the most efficient in the photodegradation process, reaching ~50% of MB removal. The stability tests indicated that composite films were moderately stable after the three performed reusability cycles. Thus, these results suggest that POM modification of TiO2 can improve the adsorption and photodegradation capacity of semiconductors.