Search

For photoelectrochemical water splitting, tungsten trioxide (WO3) films with a monoclinic structure were synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide coated glass substrates with a vacuum evaporation method. To control the WO3 film thickness from 0.42 to 5.6 μm, the crystal orientation was intergraded from the (200) crystal plane to the (002) one. In x-ray diffraction measurements, the intensity ratio of the (002) crystal plane to the (200) one was defined as rp. In the WO3 photoelectrode with higher (002)-preferred orientation, the photocurrent continued to flow even when the incident light against the photoelectrode was completely blocked after the irradiation for 60 s. This suggests that hydrogen continues to be produced owing to the electrons charged by the formation of a hydrogen tungsten bronze (HxWO3) phase. After 72 s, the photocurrent density of the WO3 photoelectrode with rp = 42 became one-tenth of the value before the incident light was blocked. This charge release time was remarkably long compared to those of the WO3 photoelectrodes with (200)-preferred orientation and non-orientation. Therefore, it was considered that the hydrogen ion diffusion through the defects in the WO3 crystals tends to occur in the [002] crystal direction. However, the improvement in the (002)-preferred orientation can facilitate the structural change from the WO3 phase to the HxWO3 one for the entire film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: The present study investigated whether morning or afternoon activity is more effective at increasing the high‐frequency (HF) index, a parasympathetic index, in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Background: A decreased HF index, a heart rate variability (HRV) parameter, is a well‐established marker of poor cardiovascular prognosis. Because blood pressure and sympathetic tone are higher in the morning, physical activity and exercise in the afternoon has been recommended for patients with cardiovascular diseases. However, there have been no reports concerning the superior effects of afternoon exercise on parasympathetic activity and sleep. Design: This observational study was a post hoc comparison. Methods: Patients' physical activity was measured for 1 month to determine their habits. Patients' HF index was measured by 24‐h Holter electrocardiography. The study enrolled 56 patients. Each patient's morning step count (before lunch) and afternoon step count (between lunch and dinner) were compared. We adhered to the STROBE guidelines in the present study. Results: Thirty‐one patients took more steps in the morning, and 25 patients took more steps in the afternoon. The present study showed that those who took more steps in the afternoon had a significantly higher HF index during the first hour after sleep onset and during sleep than those who took more steps in the morning (p =.003,.047). Conclusions: The present study showed that those who took more steps in the afternoon had a significantly higher HF index during the first hour after sleep onset and a higher HF index during sleep than those who took more steps in the morning. Relevance to clinical practice: Exercise in the afternoon may improve the prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease by not only preventing excessive blood pressure, afterload, and sympathetic tone but also positively influencing the parasympathetic system and sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A ganglioneuroma is a rare, benign, neurogenic tumor originating from the sympathetic ganglion. Mediastinal ganglioneuroma are mostly detected in children, typically around 10 years of age, and are rarely identified in adults. Herein, we report two surgically resected cases of mediastinal ganglioneuroma in adults. In Case 1, a 53-year-old man, without any symptom, underwent a computed tomography, revealing a 3.2 cm well-defined paravertebral superior mediastinal tumor with long craniocaudal axis. In case 2, a 29-year-old woman presented with newly-developed ptosis and a history of left-sided facial hypohidrosis since the age of 10. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a 7.8 cm well-defined paravertebral superior mediastinal tumor with long craniocaudal axis. Both patients were initially suspected to have neurogenic tumors, particularly schwannomas. They underwent mediastinal tumor resections, requiring sympathetic nerve trunk dissection. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of ganglioneuromas in both cases. Mediastinal ganglioneuroma must be differentiated from schwannoma, the most common neurogenic tumor in adults. Unlike schwannoma, ganglioneuroma cannot be enucleated, therefore attention should be focused on complications associated with sympathetic nerve trunk dissection, such as Horner's syndrome, hyperhidrosis, and arrhythmia. Identifying this rare entity and its characteristic imaging aids in preoperative differentiation, strategizing surgical approaches, and predicting complications.