Overcoming Chemical and Mechanical Instabilities in Lithium Metal Anodes with Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Artificial SEI Layer.

Construction of a robust artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer has proposed an effective strategy to overcome the instability of the lithium (Li). However, existing artificial SEI layers inadequately controlled ion distribution, leading to dendritic growth and penetration. Furthermore, the environmental impact of the manufacturing process and materials of the artificial layer is often overlooked.

Domain transformation learning for MR image reconstruction from dual domain input.

Medical images are acquired through diverse imaging systems, with each system employing specific image reconstruction techniques to transform sensor data into images. In MRI, sensor data (i.e.

Influence of laminectomy on the lumbosacral cerebrospinal fluid volume: A retrospective magnetic resonance imaging study.

The cerebrospinal fluid volume affects the block height of spinal anaesthesia. Laminectomy of the lumbar spine may result in increased lumbosacral cerebrospinal fluid volume. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the lumbosacral cerebrospinal fluid volume of patients with a history of lumbar laminectomy would be larger than that of patients with normal lumbar spine anatomy using magnetic resonance imaging.

Sodium intake trend and current intake level by meal provision place among the citizens of Seoul.

Background/objectives: The diversity of meal provision places has increased in recent years and sodium intake can vary depending on where meals are eaten, particularly in large cities. In this study, an analysis of the recent trends in sodium intake was performed and a comparison of sodium intake level according to meal provision place among citizens of Seoul was performed.

Subjects/methods: Data from a 24-h recall dietary intake survey from the 2010-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were used in order to determine the trends in sodium intake among citizens of Seoul, aged 3-74 years old.

A Shape Memory Alloy-Based Soft Actuator Mimicking an Elephant's Trunk.

Soft actuators that execute diverse motions have recently been proposed to improve the usability of soft robots. Nature-inspired actuators, in particular, are emerging as a means of accomplishing efficient motions based on the flexibility of natural creatures. In this research, we present an actuator capable of executing multi-degree-of-freedom motions that mimics the movement of an elephant's trunk.

Shape Memory Alloys in Textile Platform: Smart Textile-Composite Actuator and Its Application to Soft Grippers.

In recent years, many researchers have aimed to construct robotic soft grippers that can handle fragile or unusually shaped objects without causing damage. This study proposes a smart textile-composite actuator and its application to a soft robotic gripper. An active fiber and an inactive fiber are combined together using knitting techniques to manufacture a textile actuator.

A 2D-GRAPPA Algorithm with a Boomerang Kernel for 3D MRI Data Accelerated along Two Phase-Encoding Directions.

For the reconstruction of 3D MRI data that are accelerated along the two phase-encoding directions, the 2D-generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisitions (GRAPPA) algorithm can be used to estimate the missing data in the k-space. We propose a new boomerang-shaped kernel based on theoretic and systemic analyses of the shape and dimensions of the kernel. The reconstruction efficiency of the 2D-GRAPPA algorithm with the proposed boomerang-shaped kernel (i.

An End-to-End Recurrent Neural Network for Radial MR Image Reconstruction.

Recent advances in deep learning have contributed greatly to the field of parallel MR imaging, where a reduced amount of data are acquired to accelerate imaging time. In our previous work, we have proposed a deep learning method to reconstruct MR images directly from data acquired with Cartesian trajectories. However, MRI utilizes various non-Cartesian trajectories, such as radial trajectories, with various numbers of multi-channel RF coils according to the purpose of an MRI scan.

Reconstruction for plane-wave ultrasound imaging using modified U-Net-based beamformer.

An image reconstruction method that can simultaneously provide high image quality and frame rate is necessary for diagnosis on cardiovascular imaging but is challenging for plane-wave ultrasound imaging. To overcome this challenge, an end-to-end ultrasound image reconstruction method is proposed for reconstructing a high-resolution B-mode image from radio frequency (RF) data. A modified U-Net architecture that adopts EfficientNet-B5 and U-Net as the encoder and decoder parts, respectively, is proposed as a deep learning beamformer.

Surface Engineering of Palladium Nanocrystals: Decoupling the Activity of Different Surface Sites on Nanocrystal Catalysts.

The existence of various surface active sites within a nanocrystal (NC) catalyst complicates understanding their respective catalytic properties and designing an optimal catalyst structure for a desired catalytic reaction. Here, we developed a novel approach that allows unequivocal investigation on the intrinsic catalytic reactivity of the edge and terrace atoms of NCs. Through the comparison of the catalytic behaviors of edge-covered Pd NCs, which were prepared by the selective deposition of catalytically inactive Au atoms onto the edge sites of rhombic dodecahedral (RD) Pd NCs, with those of the pristine RD Pd NCs toward alkyne hydrogenation and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions, we could decouple the activity of the edge and {110}-plane atoms of the Pd NCs without uncertainties.

A Comparative Study of Birdcage RF Coil Configurations for Ultra-High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Improvements in transmission and reception sensitivities of radiofrequency (RF) coils used in ultra-high field (UHF) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are needed to reduce specific absorption rates (SAR) and RF power deposition, albeit without applying high-power RF. Here, we propose a method to simultaneously improve transmission efficiency and reception sensitivity of a band-pass birdcage RF coil (BP-BC RF coil) by combining a multi-channel wireless RF element (MCWE) with a high permittivity material (HPM) in a 7.0 T MRI.

A brain extraction algorithm for infant T2 weighted magnetic resonance images based on fuzzy c-means thresholding.

It is challenging to extract the brain region from T2-weighted magnetic resonance infant brain images because conventional brain segmentation algorithms are generally optimized for adult brain images, which have different spatial resolution, dynamic changes of imaging intensity, brain size and shape from infant brain images. In this study, we propose a brain extraction algorithm for infant T2-weighted images. The proposed method utilizes histogram partitioning to separate brain regions from the background image.

Association between Diet Quality and Sarcopenia in Older Adults: Systematic Review of Prospective Cohort Studies.

(1) Background: Nutrition is a key determinant of sarcopenia in later life. (2) Methods: A systematic review of prospective cohort studies examining association of diet quality with muscle mass (MM), muscle strength (MS) or physical performance (PP) among older adults was conducted. A total of 22,885 results were obtained from a literature search in MEDLINE via PubMed and EMBASE up to November 2020.

Sustainable Surface-Enhanced Raman Substrate with Hexagonal Boron Nitride Dielectric Spacer for Preventing Electric Field Cancellation at Au-Au Nanogap.

Nanogaps between Au nanoparticles and Au substrates are the simplest systems that generate extremely high electric fields at hotspots for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). However, the electric field cancellation at the hotspots in the systems can cause the reduction of Raman signal when two metallic materials are physically contacted due to the low concentration of analytes. Here, we propose an atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride (-BN) shielding layer for Au substrates, which can be used as an insulating spacer to prevent electrical shorts at nanogaps.

Decoration of CuO NWs Gas Sensor with ZnO NPs for Improving NO Sensing Characteristics.

This paper introduces a method for improving the sensitivity to NO gas of a p-type metal oxide semiconductor gas sensor. The gas sensor was fabricated using CuO nanowires (NWs) grown through thermal oxidation and decorated with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) using a sol-gel method. The CuO gas sensor with a ZnO heterojunction exhibited better sensitivity to NO gas than the pristine CuO gas sensor.

Impact of right ventricular systolic pressure in elderly patients admitted to intensive care unit after femur fracture surgery: A retrospective observational study.

The number of femoral fractures is expected to continue to increase as the size of the older population rapidly grows. However, old age is accompanied by various comorbidities and is an important postoperative risk factor in itself, meaning that patients who undergo surgery for a femur fracture may require admission to an ICU. We investigated pulmonary complications in patients over the age of 65 admitted to the ICU after femur fracture surgery.

Diagnostic yield of additional conventional transbronchial lung biopsy following radial endobronchial ultrasound lung biopsy for peripheral pulmonary lesions.

Background: Radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) improves the diagnostic yield from peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). However, the small specimens obtained using small forceps through a guide sheath (GS) may impede diagnosis and molecular analysis. Here, we investigated the diagnostic significance of additional conventional TBLB with standard forceps after R-EBUS-GS-guided TBLB.

Synthesis of Pd-Pt Ultrathin Assembled Nanosheets as Highly Efficient Electrocatalysts for Ethanol Oxidation.

Control over composition and morphology of nanocrystals (NCs) is significant to develop advanced catalysts applicable to polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and further overcome the performance limitations. Here, we present a facile synthesis of Pd-Pt alloy ultrathin assembled nanosheets (UANs) by regulating the growth behavior of Pd-Pt nanostructures. Iodide ions supplied from KI play as capping agents for the {111} plane to promote 2-dimensional (2D) growth of Pd and Pt, and the optimal concentrations of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride and ascorbic acid result in the generation of Pd-Pt alloy UANs in high yield.

Quantitative assessment of phased array coils with different numbers of receiving channels in terms of signal-to-noise ratio and spatial noise variation in magnetic resonance imaging.

The neuroimaging of humans using 7T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been conducted using phased array (PA) coils with different numbers of receiving channels. PA coils with a high number of channels may offer parallel imaging (PI) with a high reduction (R)-factor, which is enabled via under-sampling and coil geometry (g) factor, increasing the radiofrequency signal sensitivity provided by a small coil. The goals of this study were to assess and validate the coil performance of PA coils with different numbers of receiver (Rx)-channels in and to propose the coil selection guidelines by visualizing 7T brain images.

A Topologically Distinct Modified Peptide with Multiple Bicyclic Core Motifs Expands the Diversity of Microviridin-Like Peptides.

Microviridins are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) that contain multiple intramolecular ω-ester or ω-amide crosslinks between two side chains in peptides. This type of the side-to-side macrocyclization may generate diverse structures with distinct topology and ring sizes, but the majority of the microviridin-like RiPPs present only a single consensus sequence with a tricyclic architecture. Here, we expanded the natural diversity of the microviridin-like modified peptides by determining the crosslinking connectivity of a new modified peptide, mTgnA and its homologous RiPPs, which we named the thuringinin group.

Clinical features and outcomes in patients with pulmonary complications during pregnancy and peripartum.

The aim of this study was to investigate clinical features and identify maternal factors contributing to prognosis in women with pulmonary complications during pregnancy and the peripartum period. Following a retrospective review of clinical data and radiographic findings between January 2006 and January 2016, 126 women diagnosed with pulmonary complications during pregnancy ( = 79) and peripartum within the first 4 weeks after delivery ( = 47) were enrolled in this study. Of the 126 patients, 113 (89.

High blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio associated with poor outcomes in miliary tuberculosis.

Background: It is difficult to predict the prognosis of miliary tuberculosis (TB). We hypothesized that blood neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an indicator of inflammatory status to reflect independent prognostic significance in patients with miliary TB. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between NLR and outcome in miliary TB.

Diagnosis of small pulmonary lesions by transbronchial lung biopsy with radial endobronchial ultrasound and virtual bronchoscopic navigation versus CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Advances in bronchoscopy and CT-guided lung biopsy have improved the evaluation of small pulmonary lesions (PLs), leading to an increase in preoperative histological diagnosis. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of transbronchial lung biopsy using radial endobronchial ultrasound and virtual bronchoscopic navigation (TBLB-rEBUS&VBN) and CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy (CT-TNB) for tissue diagnosis of small PLs.

Methods: A systematic search was performed in five electronic databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and Scopus, for relevant studies in May 2016; the selected articles were assessed using meta-analysis.