High Proton Conduction in the Octahedral Layers of Fully Hydrated Hexagonal Perovskite-Related Oxides.

Proton conductors have potential applications such as fuel cells, electrolysis cells, and sensors. These applications require new materials with high proton conductivity and high chemical stability at intermediate temperatures. Herein we report a series of new hexagonal perovskite-related oxides, BaAlSnO ( = Gd, Dy, Ho, Y, Er, Tm, and Yb).

High Conductivity and Diffusion Mechanism of Oxide Ions in Triple Fluorite-Like Layers of Oxyhalides.

Oxide ion conductors are attractive materials because of their wide range of applications, such as solid oxide fuel cells. Oxide ion conduction in oxyhalides (compounds containing both oxide ions and halide ions) is rare. In the present work, we found that Sillén oxychlorides, BiTeLuOCl ( = 0, 0.

Synthesis, crystal structure and investigation of ion-exchange possibility for sodium tellurate NaTeO(OH).

A new sodium tellurate has been hydrothermally synthesized and comprehensively analysed using spectroscopic and thermogravimetric techniques, resulting in the determination of its composition as NaTeO(OH). The analysis of synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction data indicates that NaTeO(OH) has a crystal structure similar to that of the previously reported tellurate, KTeO(OH), with the space group 2/ (No. 14).

Expert consensus document on automated diagnosis of the electrocardiogram: The task force on automated diagnosis of the electrocardiogram in Japan part 3: Inappropriate internal processing in the automatic diagnosis of electrocardiograms and its problems.

Computer diagnosis of electrocardiograms is widely used to provide useful information in clinical practice and medical checkups. However, it is common for users to be confused by the inappropriate diagnosis. We illustrate some examples of inappropriate automatic diagnoses and discuss the actual situation of inappropriate automatic processing and its problems.

Strongly Enhanced Polarization in a Ferroelectric Crystal by Conduction-Proton Flow.

Ion conductors comprising noncentrosymmetric frameworks have emerged as new functional materials. However, strongly correlated polarity functionality and ion transport have not been achieved. Herein, we report a ferroelectric proton conductor, KMnN(CN)·HO (), exhibiting the strong correlation between its polar skeleton and conductive ions that generate anomalous ferroelectricity via the proton-bias phenomenon.

High proton conductivity within the 'Norby gap' by stabilizing a perovskite with disordered intrinsic oxygen vacancies.

Proton conductors are attractive materials with a wide range of potential applications such as proton-conducting fuel cells (PCFCs). The conventional strategy to enhance the proton conductivity is acceptor doping into oxides without oxygen vacancies. However, the acceptor doping results in proton trapping near dopants, leading to the high apparent activation energy and low proton conductivity at intermediate and low temperatures.

Thiocyanate-Stabilized Pseudo-cubic Perovskite CH(NH)PbI from Coincident Columnar Defect Lattices.

α-FAPbI (FA = CH(NH)) with a cubic perovskite structure is promising for photophysical applications. However, α-FAPbI is metastable at room temperature, and it transforms to the δ-phase at a certain period of time at room temperature. Herein, we report a thiocyanate-stabilized pseudo-cubic perovskite FAPbI with ordered columnar defects (α'-phase).

LaGaSO: A Rare-Earth Gallium Oxysulfide with Disulfide Ions.

Band gap engineering using multiple anions is an established approach to novel photocatalysts that exhibit suitable band gap energies for water splitting and high photocorrosion resistance. However, few studies have been conducted on photocatalysts with polyanions, including polychalcogenide ions. Here, we present a new quaternary gallium oxysulfide with disulfide pairs (S), LaGaSO, grown out of a KI molten salt.

Particle Size-Dependent Component Separation Using Serially Arrayed Micro-Chambers.

The purpose of this research was to enable component separation based on simple control of the flow rate. We investigated a method that eliminated the need for a centrifuge and enabled easy component separation on the spot without using a battery. Specifically, we adopted an approach that uses microfluidic devices, which are inexpensive and highly portable, and devised the channel within the fluidic device.

Hidden chemical order in disordered BaNbMoO revealed by resonant X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR.

The chemical order and disorder of solids have a decisive influence on the material properties. There are numerous materials exhibiting chemical order/disorder of atoms with similar X-ray atomic scattering factors and similar neutron scattering lengths. It is difficult to investigate such order/disorder hidden in the data obtained from conventional diffraction methods.

Efficacy of Thromboelastography-Guided Blood Transfusion Management in Thoracic Aortic Surgery.

Background: In thoracic aortic surgery, a large amount of blood transfusion is required because of preoperative coagulopathy and long cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of intraoperative thromboelastography (TEG)-guided blood transfusion management in thoracic aortic surgery.

Methods: Between 2015 and 2017 at our institution, 53 patients who underwent elective thoracic aortic surgery with hypothermic circulatory arrest through median sternotomy were divided into 2 groups: group C, conventional management (25 patients); and group T, TEG-guided management (28 patients).

Supramolecular multi-electron redox photosensitisers comprising a ring-shaped Re(i) tetranuclear complex and a polyoxometalate.

Redox photosensitisers (PSs) play essential roles in various photocatalytic reactions. Herein, we synthesised new redox PSs of 1 : 1 supramolecules that comprise a ring-shaped Re(i) tetranuclear complex with 4+ charges and a Keggin-type heteropolyoxometalate with 4- charges. These PSs photochemically accumulate multi-electrons in one molecule (three or four electrons) in the presence of an electron donor and can supply electrons with different reduction potentials.

Biodegradable epoxy thermosetting system with high adhesiveness based on glycidate-acid anhydride curing.

Biodegradable epoxy thermosets were developed by curing through copolymerization of a diglycidate monomer, a bifunctional epoxide bearing ester linkages, with cyclic acid anhydrides as a biosafe thermosetting system. The cured products of the glycidate exhibit high adhesiveness, identical to analogous cured products of conventional glycidyl ethers. Even an inert cycloolefin polymer and polyimide can be adhered.

Recent developments in oxide ion conductors: focusing on Dion-Jacobson phases.

Oxide-ion conductors, also known as "oxygen ion conductors," have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their extensive applications in a variety of electrochemical devices, including oxygen concentrators, solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and solid oxide electrolysis cells. The key to improving the performance of these devices is the creation of novel oxide-ion conductors. In this feature article, we discuss the recent developments of new structural families of oxide-ion conductors and of the Dion-Jacobson-type layered oxide-ion conductors with a particular emphasis on CsTiNbO ( = Bi and lanthanoids; represents oxygen-vacancy content) and their solid solutions.

Surgical extraction of cardiac implantable electronic device leads based on a heart team approach.

Background: As cardiac implantable electronic devices, such as pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapies, have become more popular, device extraction has become more frequent. At our institution, individual treatment strategies are discussed at a heart team meeting. Transvenous lead extraction (TVLE) is a first-line treatment; however, surgical lead extraction (SLE) is sometimes selected as a primary choice to provide optimal treatment and maintain the medical safety policy.

Ge-Containing Oxide-Ion Conductors with CaEuGeO-Type Structure Discovered by the Bond-Valence Method and Experiments.

In the present work, we have discovered the first example of a CaEuGeO-type oxide-ion conductor, CaSmGeO. The CaEuGeO-type structure was selected by screening 624 Ge-containing materials by the bond-valence-based-energy calculations. CaEuGeO-type CaEuGeO, CaGdGeO, and a new material CaSmGeO were synthesized.

Highly Electron-Doped TaON Single-Crystal Growth by a High-Pressure Flux Method.

Transition-metal oxynitrides have a variety of functions such as visible light-responsive catalysts and dielectric materials, but acquiring single crystals necessary to understand inherent properties is difficult and is limited to relatively small sizes (<10 μm) because they easily decompose at high temperatures. Here, we have succeeded in growing platelet single crystals of TaON with a typical size of 50 × 100 × 10 μm under a high pressure and high temperature (6 GPa and 1400 °C) using a LiCl flux. Such a harsh condition, in contrast to powder samples synthesized under mild conditions, resulted in the introduction of a large amount of oxygen vacancies ( = 0.

Simultaneous Reduction of Proton Conductivity and Enhancement of Oxide-Ion Conductivity by Aliovalent Doping in BaNbMoO.

Hexagonal perovskite-related oxides have garnered a great deal of research interest because of their high oxide-ion conductivity at intermediate temperatures, with BaNbMoO being a notable example. However, concomitant proton conduction in BaNbMoO may cause a decrease in power efficiency when used as the electrolyte in conventional solid oxide fuel cells. Here, through investigations of the transport and structural properties of BaNbWMoO ( = 0-0.

Synthesis of Hydride-Doped Perovskite Stannate with Visible Light Absorption Capability.

Narrow-gap semiconductors with visible light absorption capability have attracted attention as photofunctional materials. H-doped BaSnYO containing Sn(II) species was recently reported to absorb visible light up to 600 nm, which represents the first demonstration of oxyhydride-based visible-light-absorbers. In the present study, a more detailed investigation was made to obtain information on the synthesis and properties of H-doped perovskite-type stannate with respect to the A-site cation of the material and the preparation conditions.

The rotational position of the aortic valve: implications for valve-sparing aortic root replacement.

Objectives: There are few reports on the rotational position of the aortic valve relative to the base of the left ventricle, and its influence on valve-sparing aortic root replacement (VSRR) has not been reported. Based on our experience with complications such as right atrial perforation and tricuspid valve injury, we investigated the cause of these complications in terms of morphological variations in the aortic root and its surrounding structures.

Methods: The aortic valve rotation relative to the base of the left ventricle was assessed in 30 patients with tri-leaflet aortic valves who underwent VSRR.

Efficacy of singular and composite annular repositioning and subvalvular surgical techniques to treat functional tricuspid regurgitation due to leaflet tethering: Early results of a feasibility study.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with subvalvular procedures for functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) with severe leaflet tethering.

Methods: Of 175 patients who had tricuspid valve surgery between June 2016 and June 2021, a total of 17 patients with functional TR with a preoperative tethering height ≥8 mm underwent subvalvular procedures (annular repositioning [An-Rep]) to reduce septal leaflet tethering, papillary muscle relocation to reduce anterior leaflet tethering, and/or papillary muscle bundling [PMB] to reduce anterior and posterior leaflet tethering along with ring annuloplasty at our institution. A single subvalvular procedure was performed in 9 patients (An-Rep in 5 patients, PMB in 4 patients; group S), and a combination of subvalvular procedures was performed in 8 patients (An-Rep and papillary muscle relocation in 5 patients, An-Rep and PMB in 3 patients; group C).

Mid-term results of mitral valve reconstruction with autologous pericardial patch for active infective endocarditis with extensive leaflet destruction.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of our repair technique using autologous pericardial patches for active infective endocarditis with extensive mitral valve destruction.

Methods: From 2009 through 2016, 12 patients with extensive mitral leaflet destruction due to infective endocarditis underwent mitral valve repair with an autologous pericardial patch. Mid-term clinical outcomes and echocardiographic findings of these patients were retrospectively assessed.

High Oxide-Ion Conductivity in a Hexagonal Perovskite-Related Oxide Ba Ta Mo O with Cation Site Preference and Interstitial Oxide Ions.

Solid oxide-ion conductors are crucial for enabling clean and efficient energy devices such as solid oxide fuel cells. Hexagonal perovskite-related oxides have been placed at the forefront of high-performance oxide-ion conductors, with Ba Nb Mo O (x = 0-0.1) being an archetypal example.