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Colloidal germanium (Ge) nanocrystals (NCs) are of great interest with possible applications for photovoltaics and near-IR detectors. In many examples of colloidal reactions, Ge(II) precursors are employed, and NCs of diameter ∼3-10 nm have been prepared. Herein, we employed a two-step microwave-assisted reduction of GeI4 in oleylamine (OAm) to prepare monodispersed Ge NCs with a size of 18.9 ± 1.84 nm. More importantly, the as-synthesized Ge NCs showed high crystallinity with single-crystal nature as indicated by powder X-ray diffraction, selected area electron diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The Tauc plot derived from photothermal deflection spectroscopy measurement on Ge NCs thin films shows a decreased bandgap of the Ge NCs obtained from GeI4 compared with that of the Ge NCs from GeI2 with a similar particle size, indicating a higher crystallinity of the samples prepared with the two-step reaction from GeI4. The calculated Urbach energy indicates less disorder in the larger NCs. This disorder might correlate with the fraction of surface states associated with decreased particle size or with the increased molar ratio of ligands to germanium. Solutions involved in this two-step reaction were investigated with 1H NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS). One possible reaction pathway is proposed to unveil the details of the reaction involving GeI4 and OAm. Overall, this two-step synthesis produces high-quality Ge NCs and provides new insight on nanoparticle synthesis of covalently bonding semiconductors.

Purpose: Despite a rapidly growing need for home health aides (HHAs), turnover rates are high. While this is driven in large part by the demanding nature of their work and low wages, another factor may be that HHAs are often not considered part of the medical team which can leave them feeling unheard by other healthcare professionals. We sought to determine whether this concept, or HHAs' perceived voice, was associated with job satisfaction.Methods and Design: This cross-sectional survey of English- and Spanish-speaking HHAs caring for adults with heart failure (HF) was conducted from June 2020 to July 2021 in New York, NY in partnership with a labor management fund of a large healthcare union that provides benefits and training to HHAs. Voice was assessed with a validated 5-item scale (total score range 5 to 25). Job Satisfaction was assessed with the 5-item Work Domain Satisfaction Scale (total score range 5 to 35). Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to examine the association between voice and job satisfaction.Results: A total of 413 HHAs employed by 56 unique home care agencies completed the survey; they had a mean age of 48 years, 97.6% were female, 60.2% were Hispanic, and they worked as HHAs for a median of 10 years (IQR, 5, 17). They had a median Voice score of 18 (IQR 15– 20) and mean job satisfaction score of 26.4 (SD 5.6). Higher levels of voice (1.75 [0.46– 3.04]) were associated with greater job satisfaction (p=0.008). When adjusting for Race/Ethnicity, HF training, and HF knowledge, the association between Voice and job satisfaction remained significant ((1.77 [0.40– 3.13])Conclusion: HHAs with a voice in the care of their patients experienced greater job satisfaction. Voice may be an important target for interventions aiming to improve HHAs' retention in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart disease kills more people in the United States than any other disease, and the contribution of early nutrition to heart disease is unknown, but may be significant. It is important to note that medical experts do not recommend restricting fat intake as a way of controlling blood levels of fat and cholesterol (lipids) in children. However, research into this issue is ongoing. It has been suggested that dietary factors other than fat, such as proteins, may also affect how humans metabolize lipids, and these other factors may therefore contribute to the development of heart disease. The effect of different types of proteins in infant formulas and human milk on blood lipid levels in infants was studied. The infant formulas differed in the ratio of casein to whey (two types of milk proteins; human milk tends to have mostly whey), while the amounts of fat were the same. Among the infants fed formulas, those fed the highest amount of casein had the highest blood cholesterol level at four weeks, and their cholesterol levels increased greatly by eight weeks. The same children also had the highest blood triglyceride levels at eight weeks. The two other groups of children fed formulas lower in casein had cholesterol and triglyceride levels that were slightly, but insignificantly, higher than those of the breast-fed infants. The study demonstrates that specific proteins, and the amino acids of which they are made, can increase blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels in infancy. Further research is needed to establish the mechanisms by which this occurs. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Background: Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have increasingly appeared in the medical literature in the past decade, with AR recently being studied for its potential role in remote health care delivery and communication. Recent literature describes AR's implementation in real-time telemedicine contexts across multiple specialties and settings, with remote emergency services in particular using AR to enhance disaster support and simulation education. Despite the introduction of AR in the medical literature and its potential to shape the future of remote medical services, studies have yet to investigate the perspectives of telemedicine providers regarding this novel technology., Objective: This study aimed to understand the applications and challenges of AR in telemedicine anticipated by emergency medicine providers with a range of experiences in using telemedicine and AR or VR technology., Methods: Across 10 academic medical institutions, 21 emergency medicine providers with variable exposures to telemedicine and AR or VR technology were recruited for semistructured interviews via snowball sampling. The interview questions focused on various potential uses of AR, anticipated obstacles that prevent its implementation in the telemedicine area, and how providers and patients might respond to its introduction. We included video demonstrations of a prototype using AR during the interviews to elicit more informed and complete insights regarding AR's potential in remote health care. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed via thematic coding., Results: Our study identified 2 major areas of use for AR in telemedicine. First, AR is perceived to facilitate information gathering by enhancing observational tasks such as visual examination and granting simultaneous access to data and remote experts. Second, AR is anticipated to supplement distance learning of both minor and major procedures and nonprocedural skills such as cue recognition and empathy for patients and trainees. AR may also supplement long-distance education programs and thereby support less specialized medical facilities. However, the addition of AR may exacerbate the preexisting financial, structural, and literacy barriers to telemedicine. Providers seek value demonstrated by extensive research on the clinical outcome, satisfaction, and financial benefits of AR. They also seek institutional support and early training before adopting novel tools such as AR. Although an overall mixed reception is anticipated, consumer adoption and awareness are key components in AR's adoption., Conclusions: AR has the potential to enhance the ability to gather observational and medical information, which would serve a diverse set of applications in remote health care delivery and education. However, AR faces obstacles similar to those faced by the current telemedicine technology, such as lack of access, infrastructure, and familiarity. This paper discusses the potential areas of investigation that would inform future studies and approaches to implementing AR in telemedicine., (©Alana Dinh, Emily Tseng, Andrew Lukas Yin, Deborah Estrin, Peter Greenwald, Alexander Fortenko. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 28.03.2023.)