Solar-Driven Hydrogen Peroxide Production via BiVO-Based Photocatalysts.

Solar hydrogen peroxide (HO) production has garnered increased research interest owing to its safety, cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and sustainability. The synthesis of HO relies mainly on renewable resources such as water, oxygen, and solar energy, resulting in minimal waste. Bismuth vanadate (BiVO) stands out among various oxide semiconductors for selective HO production under visible light via direct two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and two-electron water oxidation reaction (WOR) pathways.

Predictors and outcomes of withholding and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments in intensive care units in Singapore: a multicentre observational study.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines on limitation of life-sustaining treatments (LST) in the intensive care unit (ICU), in the form of withholding or withdrawal of LST, state that there is no ethical difference between the two. Such statements are not uniformly accepted worldwide, and there are few studies on LST limitation in Asia. This study aimed to evaluate the predictors and outcomes of withholding and withdrawal of LST in Singapore, focusing on the similarities and differences between the two approaches.

Outcomes of in-hospital cardiac arrests during and after office hours in a single tertiary centre in Singapore.

Introduction: In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) is a significant healthcare burden with a paucity of data in Singapore. Various factors, including time of cardiac arrest, affect survival from acute resuscitation.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study that evaluated the characteristics of patients who sustained an IHCA, including the Cardiac Arrest Survival Post Resuscitation In-hospital (CASPRI) scores, and the impact of arrest time in 220 consecutive cardiac arrests occurring in a tertiary hospital.

Hydroxypropyl-Beta Cyclodextrin Barrier Prevents Respiratory Viral Infections: A Preclinical Study.

The emergence and mutation of pathogenic viruses have been occurring at an unprecedented rate in recent decades. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has developed into a global public health crisis due to extensive viral transmission. In situ RNA mapping has revealed angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression to be highest in the nose and lower in the lung, pointing to nasal susceptibility as a predominant route for infection and the cause of subsequent pulmonary effects.

Improving response time and survival in ward based in-hospital cardiac arrest: A quality improvement initiative.

Background: Survival in cardiac arrest is associated with rapid initiation of high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and advanced life support. To improve ROSC rates and survival, we identified the need to reduce response times and implement coordinated resuscitation by dedicated cardiac arrest teams (CATs). We aimed to improve ROSC rates by 10% within 6 months, and subsequent survival to hospital discharge.

Experimental Validation and Computational Predictions Join Forces to Map Catalytic C-H Activation in Ferrocene Metalated Porous Organic Polymers.

In recent times, a self-complementary balanced characteristic feature with the combination of both covalent bonds (structural stability) and open metal sites (single-site catalysis) introduced an advanced emerging functional nanoarchitecture termed metalated porous organic polymers (M-POPs). However, the development of M-POPs in view of the current interest in catalysis has been realized still in its infancy and remains a challenge for the years to come. In this work, we built benzothiazole-linked Fe-metalated porous organic polymer () using ferrocene dicarboxaldehyde (), 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl) benzene (), and elemental sulfur (S) via a template-free, multicomponent, cost-effective one-pot synthetic approach.

Graphene oxide classification and standardization.

There is a need to classify and standardize graphene-related materials giving the growing use of this materials industrially. One of the most used and more difficult to classify is graphene oxide (GO). Inconsistent definitions of GO, closely relating it to graphene, are found in the literature and industrial brochures.

Improvement of cooking and textural properties of rice flour-soy protein isolate noodles stabilised with microbial transglutaminase and glucono-δ-lactone and dried using superheated steam.

In a bid to produce rice flour noodles with improved texture and reduced cooking time, rice flour-soy protein isolate noodles (RNS) were structurally enhanced by a combined treatment (COM) of microbial transglutaminase (MTG) with glucono-δ-lactone (GDL). The RNS-COM was either dried using superheated steam (SHS) to yield RNS-COM-SHS or steamed for 10 min (S10) before air drying to produce RNS-COM-S10 noodles. Control samples were SHS-dried rice flour (RN-SHS) and air-dried RN-S10 noodles.

Outcomes of second-tier rapid response activations in a tertiary referral hospital: A prospective observational study.

Introduction: A second-tier rapid response team (RRT) is activated for patients who do not respond to first-tier measures. The premise of a tiered response is that first-tier responses by a ward team may identify and correct early states of deterioration or establish goals of care, thereby reducing unnecessary escalation of care to the RRT. Currently, utilisation and outcomes of tiered RRTs remain poorly described.

Integrating Palliative Care Into a Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit (NS-ICU): A Quality Improvement (QI) Project.

Objectives: We conducted a pilot quality improvement (QI) project with the aim of improving accessibility of palliative care to critically ill neurosurgical patients.

Methods: The QI project was conducted in the neurosurgical intensive care unit (NS-ICU). Prior to the QI project, referral rates to palliative care were low.

Effective Antimicrobial StewaRdship StrategIES (ARIES): Cluster Randomized Trial of Computerized Decision Support System and Prospective Review and Feedback.

Background: Prospective review and feedback (PRF) of antibiotic prescriptions and compulsory computerized decision support system (CDSS) are 2 strategies of antimicrobial stewardship. There are limited studies investigating their combined effects. We hypothesized that the use of on-demand (voluntary) CDSS would achieve similar patient outcomes compared with automatically triggered (compulsory) CDSS whenever broad-spectrum antibiotics are ordered.

Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Systems: Similarities and Differences.

Photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical processes are two key systems in harvesting sunlight for energy and environmental applications. As both systems are employing photoactive semiconductors as the major active component, strategies have been formulated to improve the properties of the semiconductors for better performances. However, requirements to yield excellent performances are different in these two distinctive systems.

The Importance of the Interfacial Contact: Is Reduced Graphene Oxide Always an Enhancer in Photo(Electro)Catalytic Water Oxidation?

Optimizing interfacial contact between graphene and a semiconductor has often been proposed as essential for improving their charge interactions. Herein, we fabricated bismuth vanadate-reduced graphene oxide (BiVO/rGO) composites with tailored interfacial contact extents and revealed their disparate behavior in photoelectrochemical (PEC) and powder suspension (PS) water oxidation systems. BiVO/rGO with a high rGO coverage on the BiVO surface (BiVO/rGO HC) exhibited an 8-fold enhancement in the PEC photocurrent density with respect to neat BiVO at 0 V versus Ag/AgCl, while BiVO/rGO with a low rGO coverage (BiVO/rGO LC) gave a lesser 3-fold enhancement.

Heterogeneous photocatalysts: an overview of classic and modern approaches for optical, electronic, and charge dynamics evaluation.

The functionality of a photoactive semiconductor (i.e., photocatalysts, photoelectrodes, etc.

Exploring the Different Roles of Particle Size in Photoelectrochemical and Photocatalytic Water Oxidation on BiVO.

Water oxidation on visible-light-active bismuth vanadate (BiVO) has commonly been demonstrated to be viable in powder suspension (PS) and particulate photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems. Here, we demonstrate that particle size reduction, which is known to be efficacious in promoting charge carrier extraction and boosting surface active sites, has an opposite effect on BiVO's photoactivity in the two systems. With three BiVO samples of distinctive particle sizes, smaller BiVO particle size is shown to be beneficial for enhancing PEC photocurrent generation, but deleterious for photocatalytic O evolution on suspended BiVO.

Interfacing BiVO with Reduced Graphene Oxide for Enhanced Photoactivity: A Tale of Facet Dependence of Electron Shuttling.

Efficient interfacial charge transfer is essential in graphene-based semiconductors to realize their superior photoactivity. However, little is known about the factors (for example, semiconductor morphology) governing the charge interaction. Here, it is demonstrated that the electron transfer efficacy in reduced graphene oxide-bismuth oxide (RGO/BiVO ) composite is improved as the relative exposure extent of {010}/{110} facets on BiVO increases, indicated by the greater extent of photocurrent enhancement.

BiVO4 {010} and {110} Relative Exposure Extent: Governing Factor of Surface Charge Population and Photocatalytic Activity.

The {010} and {110} crystal facets of monoclinic bismuth vanadate (m-BiVO4) has been demonstrated to be the active reduction and oxidation sites, respectively. Here, we show using dual-faceted m-BiVO4 with distinctly different dominant exposed facets, one which is {010}-dominant and the other {110}-dominant, contrary to prediction, the former m-BiVO4 exhibits superior photooxidation activities. The population of photogenerated electrons and holes on the surface are revealed to be proportional to the respective surface areas of {010} and {110} exposed on m-BiVO4, as evidenced by steady-state photoluminescence (PL) measurements in the presence of charge scavengers.

A perceptually relevant MSE-based image quality metric.

Image quality metrics (IQMs), such as the mean squared error (MSE) and the structural similarity index (SSIM), are quantitative measures to approximate perceived visual quality. In this paper, through analyzing the relationship between the MSE and the SSIM under an additive noise distortion model, we propose a perceptually relevant MSE-based IQM, MSE-SSIM, which is expressed in terms of the variance of the source image and the MSE between the source and distorted images. Evaluations on three publicly available databases (LIVE, CSIQ, and TID2008) show that the proposed metric, despite requiring less computation, compares favourably in performance to several existing IQMs.