Novel Reassortant Influenza A(H5N8) Viruses among Inoculated Domestic and Wild Ducks,South Korea, 2014

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, caused by a novel reassortant influenza A (H5N8) virus, occurred among poultry and wild birds in South Korea in 2014. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathogenesis in and mode of transmission of this virus among domestic and wild ducks. Three of the viruses had similar pathogenicity among infected domestic ducks: the H5N8 viruses were moderately pathogenic (0%–20% mortality rate); in wild mallard ducks, the H5N8 and H5N1 viruses did not cause severe illness or death; viral replication and shedding were greater in H5N8-infected mallards than in H5N1-infected mallards. Identification of H5N8 viruses in birds exposed to infected domestic ducks and mallards indicated that the viruses could spread by contact. We propose active surveillance to support prevention of the spread of this virus among wild birds and poultry, especially domestic ducks.     

Pathologic Changes in Wild Birds Infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Viruses,South Korea, 2014

In January 2014, an outbreak of infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N8) virus began on a duck farm in South Korea and spread to other poultry farms nearby. During this outbreak, many sick or dead wild birds were found around habitats frequented by migratory birds. To determine the causes of death, we examined 771 wild bird carcasses and identified HPAI A(H5N8) virus in 167. Gross and histologic lesions were observed in pancreas, lung, brain, and kidney of Baikal teals, bean geese, and whooper swans but not mallard ducks. Such lesions are consistent with lethal HPAI A(H5N8) virus infection. However, some HPAI-positive birds had died of gunshot wounds, peritonitis, or agrochemical poisoning rather than virus infection. These findings suggest that susceptibility to HPAI A(H5N8) virus varies among species of migratory birds and that asymptomatic migratory birds could be carriers of this virus.     

Facile synthesis of partially oxidized Mn3O4-functionalized carbon cathodes for rechargeable Li–O2 batteries

High charging overpotential (low energy efficiency) is one of the most important challenges preventing the use of current nonaqueous Li–O₂ batteries. This study demonstrates direct in situ-incorporation of metal oxides on carbon during synthesis and the associated application to nonaqueous Li–O₂ battery catalysts. The partially oxidized Mn₃O₄ (Mn₃O₄/Mn₅O₈)-incorporating carbon cathode shows an average overpotential reduction of ∼8% charge/discharge during 40 cycles in a rechargeable nonaqueous Li–O₂ cell. Here, we suggested the possibility that only a small amount of the oxide species (<5%) could show catalytic effects during charge in a rechargeable Li–O₂ cell.

Only a small amount of manganese oxide species (<5%) in carbon shows catalytic effects during charging in a rechargeable Li–O₂ cell.     

Problems and hopes perceived by mothers,fathers and physicians of children receiving palliative care

Background

The quality of shared decision making for children with serious illness may depend on whether parents and physicians share similar perceptions of problems and hopes for the child.

Objective

(i) Describe the problems and hopes reported by mothers, fathers and physicians of children receiving palliative care; (ii) examine the observed concordance between participants; (iii) examine parental perceived agreement; and (iv) examine whether parents who identified specific problems also specified corresponding hopes, or whether the problems were left ‘hopeless’.

Method

Seventy‐one parents and 43 physicians were asked to report problems and hopes and perceived agreement for 50 children receiving palliative care. Problems and hopes were classified into eight domains. Observed concordance was calculated between parents and between each parent and the physicians.

Results

The most common problem domains were physical body (88%), quality of life (74%) and medical knowledge (48%). The most common hope domains were quality of life (88%), suffering (76%) and physical body (39%). Overall parental dyads demonstrated a high percentage of concordance (82%) regarding reported problem domains and a lower percentage of concordance on hopes (65%). Concordance between parents and physicians regarding specific children was lower on problem (65–66%) and hope domains (59–63%). Respondents who identified problems regarding a child's quality of life or suffering were likely to also report corresponding hopes in these domains (93 and 82%, respectively).

Conclusion

Asking parents and physicians to talk about problems and hopes may provide a straightforward means to improve the quality of shared decision making for critically ill children.     

A III-nitride nanowire solar cell fabricated using a hybrid coaxial and uniaxial InGaN/GaN multi quantum well nanostructure

III-Nitride nanowires are currently considered as next generation photovoltaic materials due to their excellent physical properties together with reduced dislocation densities, increased surface area and thus enhanced light absorption and direct path for carrier transport. Here, we investigate the photovoltaic characteristics of a solar cell fabricated from a novel hybrid nanostructure comprising uniaxial and coaxial InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs) along with an InGaN nano-cap layer. Various characterization methods were employed to study the optical and structural properties of the hybrid nanostructure. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed the hybrid nanostructure consists of distinct uniaxial and coaxial InGaN/GaN MQWs along with the InGaN nano-cap layer. The InGaN/GaN MQW architectures have a significant effect on the performance of the photovoltaic device. The solar cell fabricated with the hybrid nanostructure exhibits superior photovoltaic performance compared to the uniaxial as well as the coaxial InGaN/GaN nanowire MQW structures. The improved photovoltaic characteristic is primarily attributed to the considerably larger InGaN active area grown in the hybrid nanostructure. A conversion efficiency of 1.16% along with a fill factor of 70% was obtained for the device fabricated with the hybrid nanostructure. This study provides an experimental demonstration of the improvement of III-nitride nanowire based solar cells incorporating uniaxial and coaxial InGaN/GaN MQWs.

Solar cells fabricated with hybrid nanowires comprising InGaN/GaN uniaxial and coaxial multi-quantum wells with an InGaN nano-cap layer.     

Correction: Highly sensitive and wearable gas sensors consisting of chemically functionalized graphene oxide assembled on cotton yarn

Correction for ‘Highly sensitive and wearable gas sensors consisting of chemically functionalized graphene oxide assembled on cotton yarn’ by Min-A. Kang et al., RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 11991–11996.

The authors regret that one of the funding bodies listed in the Acknowledgements section of the original article is incorrect. A revised version of the Acknowledgements section, in which ‘NRF-2016M3A7B4900119’ is replaced by ‘NRF-2017M3D9A1073502’, can be found below.This research was supported by a grant (2011-0031636) from the Center for Advanced Soft Electronics under the Global Frontier Research Program of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Korea. This research was also supported by Nano/Material Technology Development Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (NRF-2017M3D9A1073502).The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Hydrophobic and stretchable Ag nanowire network electrode passivated by a sputtered PTFE layer for self-cleaning transparent thin film heaters

We demonstrated hydrophobic, flexible/stretchable, and transparent electrodes made up of Ag nanowire (NW) networks passivated by a sputtered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer to produce self-cleaning transparent thin film heaters (TFHs). Using carbon nanotubes and a PTFE mixed conducting target, we successfully sputtered a transparent PTFE layer on the Ag NW network using mid-frequency magnetron sputtering. The hydrophobic surface of the PTFE/Ag NW electrodes led to water-repelling and self-cleaning transparent Ag NW electrodes, which are beneficial for transparent TFH-based smart windows. Furthermore, hydrophobic PTFE/Ag NW electrodes coated on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyurethane (PU) substrates showed outstanding flexibility and stretchability, respectively, due to the capping effect of the PTFE layer. Based on outer/inner bending and stretching test results, we demonstrated the superior mechanical properties of the PTFE/Ag NW electrode compared to a bare Ag NW electrode. Finally, we investigated the feasibility of the PTFE/Ag NW film coated on a PU substrate as a transparent and stretchable electrode for stretchable and self-cleaning transparent TFHs. The effective heat generation of the stretchable PTFE/Ag NW electrode indicates the potential for energy-efficient multi-functional PTFE/Ag NW-based TFHs attached to automobile windows.

We demonstrated hydrophobic, flexible/stretchable, and transparent electrodes made up of Ag nanowire networks passivated by a sputtered polytetrafluoroethylene layer to produce self-cleaning transparent film heaters.     

Shape-controlled synthesis of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles with different iron precursors and capping agents

This paper describes a modified method to prepare monodisperse Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles with different shapes (cube, octahedron, and sphere). The shape of the magnetic nanoparticles could be conveniently controlled by changing the types of precursor/capping agent and concentration of capping agent. The prepared samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and vibrating sample magnetometry. Cubes and octahedra were formed using ferrous sulfate heptahydrate as an iron source, ethylene glycol as a solvent and potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a capping agent while spheres were formed by using ferric chloride hexahydrate as an iron source, ethylene glycol as a solvent and ammonium acetate as a capping agent. By varying KOH concentration (0.5 M, 1 M, 1.5 M, and 5 M), the shape was transformed from cubes to octahedra because octahedra are developed dominantly at higher concentration of KOH within the reaction mixture. The magnetic studies show superparamagnetic behavior for all samples at room temperature. The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles show the magnetic saturation values of 87 emu g⁻¹, 85 emu g⁻¹, and 82 emu g⁻¹ for spheres, cubes, and octahedrons, respectively.

This paper describes a modified method to prepare monodisperse Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles with different shapes (cube, octahedron, and sphere).     

A near-infrared photoinverter based on ZnO and quantum-dots

Near-infrared (NIR) photoswitching transistors have been fabricated using a hybrid structure of zinc oxide (ZnO) and quantum-dots (QDs). The ZnO active layer was prepared using a solution process, while colloidal QDs were inserted between a silicon dioxide (SiO₂) gate insulator and a ZnO active layer. The small band gap QDs (1.59 eV) were used to absorb low-energy NIR photons, generate photo-excited carriers, and inject them into the conduction band of the ZnO film. The device with the interfacial QDs induced photocurrents upon exposure to 780 nm-wavelength light. The photoresponsivity of the ZnO/QD device was 0.06 mA W⁻¹, while that of the device without QDs was 1.7 × 10⁻⁵ mA W⁻¹, which indicated that the small band gap QDs enabled a photo-induced current when exposed to NIR light. Furthermore, a photoinverter was prepared which was composed of a ZnO/QDs phototransistor and a load resistor. Photoswitching characteristics indicated that the photoinverter was well modulated by a periodic light signal of 780 nm in wavelength. The results demonstrate a useful way to fabricate NIR optoelectronics based on ZnO and QDs.

A near-infrared photoinverter was fabricated based on ZnO and quantum-dots. We found that the small band gap quantum-dots could absorb low-energy near-infrared photons, generate photo-excited carriers, and inject them into the conduction band of ZnO.     

黄连纱条治疗难治性创口感染2例

<正>多重耐药菌即1种微生物对3类(比如氨基糖苷类、红霉素、β-内酰胺类)或3类以上抗菌药物同时耐药。随着抗菌药物应用日益广泛,细菌耐药性已成为国际、国内医院感染和社区感染普遍存在的问题。对于难治性(多重耐药菌感染)创口的治疗,某中医院普通外科采取中医特色自制黄连纱条对难治性感染创口进行治疗。2010—2014年共治疗25例难治性创口感染患者,均已进行分泌物细菌培