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Abstract The development of sustainable transportation and communication systems requires an increase in both energy density and capacity retention of Li‐batteries. Using substrates forming a solid solution with body‐centered cubic Li enhances the cycle stability of anode‐less batteries. However, it remains unclear how the substrate microstructure affects the lithiation behavior. Here, a correlative, near‐atomic scale probing approach is deployed through combined ion‐ and electron‐microscopy to examine the distribution of Li in Li‐Ag diffusion couples as model system mimicking high current densities. It is revealed that Li regions with over 93.8% at.% nucleate within Ag at random high‐angle grain boundaries, whereas grain interiors are not lithiated. The role of kinetics and mechanical constraint from the microstructure over equilibrium thermodynamics in dictating the lithiation process is evidenced. The findings suggest that grain size and grain boundary character are critical to enhance the electrochemical performance of interlayers/electrodes, particularly for improving lithiation kinetics and hence reducing dendrite formation.

Abstract The ongoing degradation of Earth's ecosystems through human activities poses a severe threat to biodiversity. To mitigate this crisis, substantial changes in human behaviour are required. The frequency of nature experiences, particularly during childhood, has been established as a key predictor of actions that support biodiversity (hereafter, pro‐biodiversity behaviours). However, the significance of the quality of these experiences remains poorly understood. In this study, we analysed a large sample of Japanese adults and observed positive associations between both the frequency and diversity of nature experiences during childhood and increased pro‐biodiversity behaviours. These associations held true across a range of behaviours, including the purchase of eco‐friendly products, reduced use of pesticides in domestic gardens and contributions to conservation organisations. Our findings indicate that the association between pro‐biodiversity behaviours and the diversity of childhood nature experiences is comparable to that of the frequency of such experiences. These findings suggest that expanding people's access to diverse and frequent nature experiences can play a crucial role in promoting positive behavioural changes to prevent biodiversity loss. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Abstract Background Developing a screening method for identifying individuals at higher risk of elevated brain amyloid burden is important to reduce costs and burden to patients in clinical trials on Alzheimer’s disease or the clinical setting. We developed machine learning models using objectively measured lifestyle factors to predict elevated brain amyloid burden on positron emission tomography. Methods Our prospective cohort study of non-demented, community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 65 years was conducted from August 2015 to September 2019 in Usuki, Oita Prefecture, Japan. One hundred and twenty-two individuals with mild cognitive impairment or subjective memory complaints (54 men and 68 women, median age: 75.50 years) wore wearable sensors and completed self-reported questionnaires, cognitive test, and positron emission tomography imaging at baseline. Moreover, 99 individuals in the second year and 61 individuals in the third year were followed up. In total, 282 eligible records with valid wearable sensors, cognitive test results, and amyloid imaging and data on demographic characteristics, living environments, and health behaviors were used in the machine learning models. Amyloid positivity was defined as a standardized uptake value ratio of ≥ 1.4. Models were constructed using kernel support vector machine, Elastic Net, and logistic regression for predicting amyloid positivity. The mean score among 10 times fivefold cross-validation repeats was utilized for evaluation. Results In Elastic Net, the mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the model using objectively measured lifestyle factors alone was 0.70, whereas that of the models using wearable sensors in combination with demographic characteristics and health and life environment questionnaires was 0.79. Moreover, 22 variables were common to all machine learning models. Conclusion Our machine learning models are useful for predicting elevated brain amyloid burden using readily-available and noninvasive variables without the need to visit a hospital. Trial registration This prospective study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the local ethics committee of Oita University Hospital (UMIN000017442). A written informed consent was obtained from all participants. This research was performed based on the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology reporting guideline.

Objective To clarify the necessity of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) administration combined with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in the treatment of acute Kawasaki disease.Design Retrospective cohort study.Setting Multicentre.Participants This study included 735 patients with Kawasaki disease aged ≤10 years and hospitalised between 4 and 10 days of illness in eight Japanese hospitals from January 2016 to December 2020.Exposures High-dose (HD) ASA was administered with initial IVIG to 333 patients in 6 hospitals (HD group). ASA was not administered routinely to 402 patients in the other two hospitals, and low-dose ASA was only administered when patients developed coronary artery lesions or pericardial effusion (non-HD group).Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome was the presence of coronary artery lesions, defined as a coronary artery diameter >+2.5 SD of body surface area within 1 month of onset. The secondary outcome was responsiveness to the initial IVIG therapy. Adjusted risk ratios for the outcomes were calculated using modified Poisson regression models. Bayesian analysis was conducted to estimate the posterior probability of the treatment effect of HD ASA under several prior distributions.Results The incidence of coronary artery lesions was not significantly higher in the HD group than in the non-HD group (12/333 (3.6%) vs 15/402 (4.0%)). The proportion of non-responders to initial IVIG was similar between the two groups (HD group: 78/333 (23%); non-HD group: 83/402 (22%)). In the Bayesian analysis, considering a difference of ≤2% to be of no clinical importance, there was only a 9.3% chance of reduced risk of coronary artery lesions in the HD group compared with the non-HD group even with a strongly enthusiastic prior for HD treatment.Conclusions Compared with HD ASA treatment, treatment without ASA in the acute phase of Kawasaki disease was not associated with increased complications from Kawasaki disease.

Introduction: Patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) develop compensatory mechanisms. The Cobb angle between T4 and T12 has been used as a standard to define thoracic kyphosis (TK) because radiological evaluation is difficult in upper thoracic region. The upper thoracic compensatory mechanism has not been sufficiently explored, and focal thoracic compensation remains poorly understood. This study aimed to determine upper sagittal thoracic compensation and features of thoracic compensation in ASD patients. Methods: The records of 218 consecutive patients who underwent full-standing EOS imaging were retrospectively examined. Spinopelvic parameters―including the T1-T12, T4-T12, T1-T4, T5-T8, and T9-T12 angles―were measured using a dedicated and validated software. The relationship between the thoracic and spinopelvic parameters was statistically evaluated. Thoracic compensation was compared among four typical types of spinal deformity. Results: A total of 127 ASD patients met the inclusion criteria. TK(1-12) was negatively correlated with the sagittal vertical axis (SVA) (r=−0.35), T1 pelvic angle (TPA) (r=−0.29), and pelvic incidence minus lumbar lordosis (PI-LL) (r=−0.60). TK(1-4) showed a stronger correlation with the SVA and TPA than TK(5-8) or TK(9-12) (r=−0.39, −0.38, respectively). TK(1-4), TK(5-8), and TK(9-12) had a similar negative correlation with PI-LL; however, TK(5-8) had the strongest correlation (r=−0.38). Both age and TK(9-12) were significantly associated with decreased TK(1-4), and vertebral fracture was significantly associated with increased TK(9-12). Both patients with high SVA and those in the hyperthoracic kyphosis group had lower TK(1-4) angles. Conclusions: In ASD patients, upper thoracic spine compensation plays an important role in countering global malalignment. The middle part of the thoracic spine has a strong correlation with LL. This study findings can help clinicians better manage ASD patients.

Aerospace and automotive industries utilize advanced high strength steels due to their exceptional mechanical strength and ductility. Laser beam welding has shown potential in reducing the melted zone, heat affected zone, and process time for these steels. This study focused on dissimilar welding between DP 780 and 300M steel sheets, commonly used in the automotive and aerospace industries, respectively. The aim was to expand the range of possibilities and innovations by enabling the use of these steels in both applications. The study investigated the optimal process parameters, microstructure, and mechanical properties for the laser welding process. It also examined the influence of intercritical quenching and tempering on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the laser welded steels. The materials underwent dilution and different phase transformations due to the welding process and heat treatments, as revealed by microstructural characterization. The weld showed a notable increase in hardness, however without compromising toughness. The fractures during tensile testing occurred in the DP 780 steel, far from the MZ and HAZ. Heat treatments increased ultimate tensile strength, but lowered ductility. Welding affected the fatigue life, especially in the intercritically quenched joint, which showed a quasi-cleavage crack growth mechanism and a decrease in fracture toughness.

We report a dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of chiral 4-pentenals by olefin hydroacylation. A primary amine racemizes the aldehyde substrate via enamine formation and hydrolysis. Then, a cationic rhodium catalyst promotes hydroacylation to generate α,γ-disubstituted cyclopentanones with high enantio- and diastereoselectivities.

We study epitaxial growth, crystal structures, and magnetic properties of Fe–As compound thin films grown on GaAs (111)B substrates at various values of the As4:Fe flux ratio γ, using molecular beam epitaxy. The samples grown at low As4 flux (γ = 0.3, sample A) show mainly a body-centered-cubic (bcc) crystal structure, exhibiting ferromagnetic properties similar to bcc Fe. Meanwhile, the Fe–As samples grown at medium γ (2.7–4.5, sample group B) comprise regions of Ni2In-type FeAs (a hexagonal crystal with lattice constants of a = 0.399 nm and c = 0.536 nm), which are grown at the bottom and interface with the GaAs buffer layer, and a layer of non-stoichiometric FeAs with a DO3 structure (a = 0.522 nm) formed on the top. The DO3-structure FeAs phase contains partially transformed regions, which are characterized by thin stripes in a scanning transmission electron microscopy image. Furthermore, in the sample grown with high γ = 8.5 (sample C), a hexagonal Fe–As crystal with a large in-plane lattice constant (a = 0.691 nm and c = 0.542 nm) and threefold screw axes are observed. None of these crystal structures of Fe–As compounds has ever been reported. While sample C shows no ferromagnetism, the samples in group B exhibit strong ferromagnetism with high Curie temperature TC above 400 K. These new ferromagnetic Fe–As compounds are promising for spintronic device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A 47‐year‐old male with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) controlled with routine ravulizumab administration suffered a massive haemolytic crisis due to choledocholithiasis. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed 6 weeks after a regular ravulizumab infusion. After surgery, the patient presented with anaemia without marked elevation in lactate dehydrogenase and required two blood transfusions. Tumour necrosis factor‐α increased more than twofold with reticulocyte suppression after surgery, suggesting the involvement of myelosuppressive cytokines. This case suggests that laparoscopic surgery may be safely performed in patients with PNH receiving ravulizumab maintenance treatment. However, attention should be paid to postoperative anaemia, regardless of breakthrough haemolysis.

Layered LiMO2 (M = Ni, Co, Mn, and Al mixture) cathode materials used for Li‐ion batteries are reputed to be highly reactive through their surface, where the chemistry changes rapidly when exposed to ambient air. However, conventional electron/spectroscopy‐based techniques or thermogravimetric analysis fails to capture the underlying atom‐scale chemistry of vulnerable Li species. To study the evolution of the surface composition at the atomic scale, cryogenic atom probe tomography is used herein and the surface species formed during exposure of a LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) cathode material to air are probed. The compositional analysis evidences the formation of Li2CO3. Site‐specific examination from a cracked region of an NMC811 particle also reveals the predominant presence of Li2CO3. These insights will help to design improved protocols for cathode synthesis and cell assembly, as well as critical knowledge for cathode degradation.