Benzotriazole-Based Nonfused Ring Acceptors for Efficient and Thermally Stable Organic Solar Cells.

Nonfused ring acceptors (NFRAs) have attracted significant attention for nonfullerene organic solar cells (OSCs) owing to their chemical tunability and facile synthesis. In this study, a benzotriazole-based NFRA with chlorinated end groups (Triazole-4Cl) is developed to realize highly efficient and thermally stable NFRA-based OSCs; an analogous NFRA with nonchlorinated end groups (Triazole-H) is synthesized for comparison. Triazole-4Cl film exhibits the high-order packing structure and the near-infrared absorption capability, which are advantageous in charge transport and light harvesting of the resulting OSCs. In particular, the strong crystalline behavior of Triazole-4Cl results in enhanced self-aggregation, leading to high charge carrier mobility. Owing to these properties, a PBDB-T (polymer donor):Triazole-4Cl OSC demonstrates a high short-circuit current, fill factor, and power conversion efficiency (PCE = 10.46%), outperforming a PBDB-T:Triazole-H OSC (PCE = 7.65%). In addition, the thermal stability of a PBDB-T:Triazole-4Cl OSC at an elevated temperature of 120 °C exceeds that of a PBDB-T:Triazole-H OSC. This is mainly attributed to the significantly higher cold crystallization temperature of Triazole-4Cl (205.9 °C). This work provides useful guidelines for the design of NFRAs to achieve efficient and thermally stable NFRA-based OSCs.

Rich structural chemistry in new alkali metal yttrium tellurites: three-dimensional frameworks of NaYTe4O10, KY(TeO3)2, RbY(TeO3)2, and a novel variant of hexagonal tungsten bronze, CsYTe3O8.

Pure polycrystalline phases and single crystals of four new quaternary alkali metal yttrium tellurites, NaYTe4O10, KY(TeO3)2, RbY(TeO3)2, and CsYTe3O8, have been prepared by solid-state and hydrothermal reactions using A2CO3 (A = Na, K, Rb, and Cs), Y(NO3)3·6H2O, Y2O3, and TeO2 as starting reagents. X-ray diffraction analyses suggest that NaYTe4O10 exhibits a highly symmetric three-dimensional (3D) framework consisting of YO8 square antiprisms and chains of TeO4 polyhedra. Within the framework, six- (6-) and eight-membered ring (8-MR) channels are observed. KY(TeO3)2 and RbY(TeO3)2 are isostructural to each other and reveal another 3D framework with structures containing YO6 octahedra and TeO3 trigonal pyramids with 4-MR and 12-MR channels. CsYTe3O8 shows a hexagonal tungsten bronze (HTB)-like topology composed of hexagonal tungsten oxide-like layers of TeO4 polyhedra and YO6 octahedral linkers with 3-MR and 6-MR channels. Thermal analyses, elemental analyses, and spectroscopic characterizations, such as UV-vis diffuse reflectance and infrared spectra, are presented, as are local dipole moment calculations for the constituent asymmetric polyhedra TeO3 and TeO4.

Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity for the prediction of the presence and severity of coronary artery disease.

The predictability of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) for the presence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) was investigated by measuring baPWV in 501 subjects scheduled for coronary angiography. Severity of CAD was measured using modified Gensini stenosis score (GSS) and classified as a vessel disease score (VDS) of 0-3. The presence of CAD was defined as diameter stenosis>50%. Subjects were grouped in tertile by level of baPWV (<14, 14-17, >17 m/s). Subjects with CAD showed higher mean age, prevalence of men and diabetes, and systolic blood pressure. The prevalence of hypertension, use of antihypertensive medications and use of statin was not different. Subjects with CAD had higher baPWV than subjects without CAD (16.70 ± 3.46 versus 15.21 ± 3.19 m/s, p<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed significant correlation of baPWV and modified GSS (p=0.0337). ANCOVA adjusted with age, gender, body mass index, presence of hypertension or diabetes, status of smoking, use of antihypertensive medications and risk of hypercholesterolemia showed a statistically significant association of baPWV with VDS (p<0.0001). Highest tertile of baPWV had a statistically significant effect on the severity of CAD from an ANCOVA model. The predictive power of highest tertile of baPWV for the presence of CAD was 3.600 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.884-6.881, p<0.0001]. It is concluded that increased baPWV is a reliable predictor of the presence and severity of CAD, suggesting that baPWV>17 m/s may be a threshold value for the presence and severity of CAD.

Silylation-Driven Volatility Enhancement in Mononuclear Calcium, Magnesium, and Barium Complexes with Monomethyl or Silyl Ether and Bis(diketonate).

Magnesium, calcium, and barium heteroleptic complexes were synthesized by the substitution reaction of the bis(trimethylsilyl)amide of Mg(btsa)2·DME, Ca(btsa)2·DME, and Ba(btsa)2·2DME with an ethereal group and hfac ligands (btsa = bis(trimethylsilyl)amide, DME = dimethoxyethane). The compounds Mg(dts)(hfac)2 (1), Ca(dts)(hfac)2 (2), Mg(dmts)(hfac)2 (3), Ca(dmts)(hfac)2 (4), and Ba(dmts)(hfac)2 (5) were fabricated and analyzed using various techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses, and elemental analysis (dts = 2,2-dimethyl-3,6,9-trioxa-2-siladecane, dmts = 2,2-dimethyl-3,6,9,12-tetraoxa-2-silatridecane, hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate). The structures of complexes 2, 4, and 5 were confirmed using single-crystal X-ray crystallography; all complexes display monomeric structures. All compounds underwent trimethylsilylation of the coordinating ethereal alcohols (meeH and tmgeH) in the presence of HMDS as byproducts because of their increasing acidity originating from the electron-withdrawing hfac ligands. (meeH = 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethan-1-ol, tmgeH = tri(ethylene glycol) monoethyl ether, HMDS = hexamethyldisilazane).

Synergistic Cationic Shielding and Anionic Chemistry of Potassium Hydrogen Phthalate for Ultrastable Zn─I2 Full Batteries.

Electrolyte additives are investigated to resolve dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution reaction, and corrosion of Zn metal. In particular, the electrostatic shielding cationic strategy is considered an effective method to regulate deposition morphology. However, it is very difficult for such a simple cationic modification to avoid competitive hydrogen evolution reactions, corrosion, and interfacial pH fluctuations. Herein, multifunctional additives of potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) based on the synergistic design of cationic shielding and anionic chemistry for ultrastable Zn||I2 full batteries are demonstrated. K cations, acting as electrostatic shielding cations, constructed the smooth deposition morphology. HP anions can enter the first solvation shell of Zn2+ for the reduced activities of H2O, while they remain in the primary solvation shell and are finally involved in the formation of SEI, thus accelerating the charge transfer kinetics. Furthermore, by in situ monitoring the near-surface pH of the Zn electrode, the KHP additives can effectively inhibit the accumulation of OH- and the formation of by-products. Consequently, the symmetric cells achieve a high stripping-plating reversibility of over 4500 and 2600 h at 1.0 and 5 mA cm-2, respectively. The Zn||I2 full cells deliver an ultralong term stability of over 1400 cycles with a high-capacity retention of 78.5%.

Is replacing missing values of PM2.5 constituents with estimates using machine learning better for source apportionment than exclusion or median replacement?

East Asian countries have been conducting source apportionment of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by applying positive matrix factorization (PMF) to hourly constituent concentrations. However, some of the constituent data from the supersites in South Korea was missing due to instrument maintenance and calibration. Conventional preprocessing of missing values, such as exclusion or median replacement, causes biases in the estimated source contributions by changing the PMF input. Machine learning (ML) can estimate the missing values by training on constituent data, meteorological data, and gaseous pollutants. Complete data from the Seoul Supersite in 2018 was taken, and a random 20% was set as missing. PMF was performed by replacing missing values with estimates. Percent errors of the source contributions were calculated compared to those estimated from complete data. Missing values were estimated using a random forest analysis. Estimation accuracy (r2) was as high as 0.874 for missing carbon species and low at 0.631 when ionic species and trace elements were missing. For the seven highest contributing sources, replacing the missing values of carbon species with estimates minimized the percent errors to 2.0% on average. However, replacing the missing values of the other chemical species with estimates increased the percent errors to more than 9.7% on average. Percent errors were maximal at 37% on average when missing values of ionic species and trace elements were replaced with estimates. Missing values, except for carbon species, need to be excluded. This approach reduced the percent errors to 7.4% on average, which was lower than those due to median replacement. Our results show that reducing the biases in source apportionment is possible by replacing the missing values of carbon species with estimates. To improve the biases due to missing values of the other chemical species, the estimation accuracy of the ML needs to be improved.

The 2022 focused update of the 2018 Korean Hypertension Society Guidelines for the management of hypertension.

Hypertension is the leading cause of death in human being, which shows high prevalence and associated complications that increase the mortality and morbidity. Controlling blood pressure (BP) is very important because it is well known that lowering high BP effectively improves patients' prognosis. This review aims to provide a focused update of the 2018 Korean Hypertension Society Guidelines for the management of hypertension. The importance of ambulatory BP and home BP monitoring was further emphasized not only for the diagnosis but also for treatment target. By adopting corresponding BPs, the updated guideline recommended out-of-office BP targets for both standard and intensive treatment. Based on the consensus on corresponding BPs and Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) revisit, the updated guidelines recommended target BP in high-risk patients below 130/80 mmHg and it applies to hypertensive patients with three or more additional cardiovascular risk factors, one or more risk factors with diabetes, or hypertensive patients with subclinical organ damages, coronary or vascular diseases, heart failure, chronic kidney disease with proteinuria, and cerebral lacunar infarction. Cerebral infarction and chronic kidney disease are also high-risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, due to lack of evidence, the target BP was generally determined at < 140/90 mmHg in patients with those conditions as well as in the elderly. Updated contents regarding the management of hypertension in special situations are also discussed.

The effect of photodynamic therapy using Radachlorin on biofilm-forming multidrug-resistant bacteria.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to test the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on the inhibition and removal of biofilms containing multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. METHODS: Using multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains, an antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using the Gram-negative identification card of the Vitek 2 system (bioMérieux Inc., France), as well as an analysis of resistance genes, the effects of treatment with a light-emitting diode (LED) array using Radachlorin (RADA-PHARMA Co., Ltd., Russia), and transmission and scanning electron microscopy to confirm the biofilm-inhibitory effect of PDT. RESULTS: The antibiotic susceptibility test revealed multiple resistance to the antibiotics imipenem and meropenem in the carbapenem class. A class-D-type ß-lactamase was found, and OXA-23 and OXA-51 were found in 100% of 15 A. baumannii strains. After PDT using Radachlorin, morphological observations revealed an abnormal structure due to the loss of the cell membrane and extensive morphological changes, including low intracellular visibility and small vacuoles attached to the cell membrane. CONCLUSION: PDT involving a combination of LED and Radachlorin significantly eliminated the biofilm of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii. Observations made using electron microscopy showed that PDT combining LED and Radachlorin was effective. Additional studies on the effective elimination of biofilms containing multidrug-resistant bacteria are necessary, and we hope that a treatment method superior to sterilization with antibiotics will be developed in the future.

Local and transboundary impacts of PM2.5 sources identified in Seoul during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Countries in Northeast Asia have been regulating PM2.5 sources and studying their local and transboundary origins since PM2.5 causes severe impacts on public health and economic losses. However, the separation of local and transboundary impacts is not fully realized because it is impossible to change air pollutant emissions from multiple countries experimentally. Exceptionally, the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak (January-March 2020) provided a cross-country experiment to separate each impact of PM2.5 sources identified in Seoul, a downwind area of China. We evaluated the contributions of PM2.5 sources compared to 2019 using dispersion normalized positive matrix factorization (DN-PMF) during three meteorological episodes. Episodes 1 and 2 revealed transboundary impacts and were related to reduced anthropogenic emissions and accumulated primary pollutants in Northeast China. Anthropogenic emissions, except for the residential sector, decreased, but primary air pollutants accumulated by residential coal combustion enhanced secondary aerosol formation. Thus, the contributions of sulfate and secondary nitrate increased in Seoul during episode 1 but then decreased maximally with other primary sources (biomass burning, district heating and incineration, industrial sources, and oil combustion) during episode 2 under meteorological conditions favorable to long-range transport. Local impact was demonstrated by atmospheric stagnation during episode 3. Meteorological condition unfavorable to local dispersion elevated the contributions of mobile and coal combustion and further contributed to PM2.5 high concentration events (HCE). Our study separates the local and transboundary impacts and highlights that cooperations in Northeast Asia on secondary aerosol formation and management of local sources are necessary.

Source apportionment of PM2.5 in Seoul, South Korea and Beijing, China using dispersion normalized PMF.

East Asian countries experience severe air pollution owing to their rapid development and urbanization induced by substantial economic activities. South Korea and China are among the most polluted East Asian countries with high mass concentrations of PM2.5. Although the occurrence of transboundary air pollution among neighboring countries has been recognized for a long time, studies involving simultaneous ground-based PM2.5 monitoring and source apportionment in South Korea and China have not been conducted to date. This study performed simultaneous daily ground-based monitoring of PM2.5 in Seoul and Beijing from January to December 2019. The mass concentrations of PM2.5 and its major chemical components were analyzed simultaneously during 2019. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) as well as dispersion normalized PMF (DN-PMF) were utilized for the source apportionment of ambient PM2.5 at the two sites. 23 h average ventilation coefficients were applied for daily PM2.5 chemical constituents' data. Nine sources were identified at both sites. While secondary nitrate, secondary sulfate, mobile, oil combustion, biomass burning, soil, and aged sea salt were commonly found at both sites, industry/coal combustion and incinerator were identified only at Seoul and incinerator/industry and coal combustion were identified only at Beijing. Reduction of the meteorological influences were found in DN-PMF compare to C-PMF but the effects of DN on mobile source were reduced by averaging over the 23 h sampling period. The DN-PMF results showed that Secondary nitrate (Seoul: 25.5%; Beijing: 31.7%) and secondary sulfate (Seoul: 20.5%; Beijing: 17.6%) were most dominant contributors to PM2.5 at both sites. Decreasing secondary sulfate contributions and increasing secondary nitrate contributions were observed at both sites.

High-Performance, Flexible NO2 Chemiresistors Achieved by Design of Imine-Incorporated n-Type Conjugated Polymers.

Flexible and mechanically robust gas sensors are the key technologies for wearable and implantable electronics. Herein, the authors demonstrate the high-performance, flexible nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ) chemiresistors using a series of n-type conjugated polymers (CPs: PNDIT2/IM-x) and a polymer dopant (poly(ethyleneimine), PEI). Imine double bonds (C = N) are incorporated into the backbones of the CPs with different imine contents (x) to facilitate strong and selective interactions with NO2 . The PEI provides doping stability, enhanced electrical conductivity, and flexibility. As a result, the NO2 sensors with PNDIT2/IM-0.1 and PEI (1:1 by weight ratio) exhibit outstanding sensing performances, such as excellent sensitivity (ΔR/Rb = 240% @ 1 ppm), ultralow detection limit (0.1 ppm), high selectivity (ΔR/Rb < 8% @ 1 ppm of interfering analytes), and high stability, thereby outperforming other state-of-the-art CP-based chemiresistors. Furthermore, the thin film of PNDIT2/IM-0.1 and PEI blend is stretchable and mechanically robust, providing excellent flexibility to the NO2 sensors. Our study contributes to the rational design of high-performance flexible gas sensors.

Development of titanium 3D mesh interlayer for enhancing the electrochemical performance of zinc-bromine flow battery.

Zinc dendrite growth negatively affects zinc-bromine flow battery (ZBB) performance by causing membrane damage, inducing self-discharge. Herein, in a ZBB, a conventional polymer mesh was replaced with a titanium-based mesh interlayer; this provided additional abundant active sites for the Zn2+/Zn redox reaction and well-developed electrolyte flow channels, which resulted in improved reaction kinetics and suppressed Zn dendrite growth. Compared with a ZBB cell comprising a conventional polymer mesh and a carbon-based electrode, the ZBB cell using the titanium mesh interlayer and a carbon-based electrode showed significantly reduced frequency of the refreshing process, which occurs at regular cycling intervals during practical use for removing residual zinc dendrites in ZBB; also, the average energy efficiency at a current density of 40 mA cm-2 increased by 38.5%. Moreover, the modified ZBB cell exhibited higher energy efficiency at a high current density of 80 mA cm-2, which is an improvement of 14.7% than in case of the contemporary polymer mesh. Consequently, this study can provide helpful insights for new anode side structures including spacer mesh for developing high-performance ZBBs.

Fifteen-year trends in carbon species and PM2.5 in Seoul, South Korea (2003-2017).

This study focused on particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon species in Seoul, South Korea, to quantitatively evaluate their long-term trends and assess the main correlating factors. Ambient PM2.5 samples were collected over a 24 h period every third or sixth day from March 2003 to December 2017. The mean concentrations of PM2.5, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), primary and secondary OC (POC and SOC) in Seoul over 15 years were 32.2 µg/m3 and 7.28 µg/m3, 1.85 µg/m3, 4.29 µg/m3 and 3.54 µg/m3 respectively. The long-term concentration trends in PM2.5, OC, EC, POC, and SOC decreased significantly at rates of -2.09, -3.13, -6.31, -2.86, and -3.88 per year, respectively from 2003 to 2017 (p < 0.001), whereas the long-term trends in OC/EC significantly increased at a rate of 12.9/year (p < 0.001). These long-term decreases in PM2.5 and carbon species concentrations were most pronounced in 2008 but almost disappeared from 2013 onwards. Considering the decrease in wind speed and variations in the concentration of gaseous air pollutants (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and volatile organic compounds) without a tendency to increase or decrease since 2013, secondary aerosol formation by atmospheric stagnation alleviated long-term decreases in PM2.5 and carbon species concentrations. The long-term decreases in EC concentration were the most consistent and rapid, strongly suggesting that atmospheric policies related to mobile in South Korea were effective in reducing EC concentration. Future air quality management should focus on the secondary formation of air pollutants based on regional trends in air pollutant concentrations.

Novel Method for S1 Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection.

BACKGROUND: S1 transforaminal epidural steroid injection (S1-TFESI) results in positive clinical outcomes for the treatment of pain associated with the S1 nerve root. S1-TFESI via the transforaminal approach is commonly performed under fluoroscopic guidance. Ultrasound guidance is an alternative to mitigate radiation exposure. However, performing spinal procedures under ultrasound guidance has some limitations in confirming the position of the needle tip and vascular uptake. New techniques are therefore needed to make ultrasound and fluoroscopy complementary. Our objective was to describe a novel technique for S1-TFESI and confirm its reproducibility. METHODS: Records of patients with S1 radiculopathy were reviewed retrospectively; those treated using the new S1-TFESI technique were selected. Initially, ultrasound was used to distinguish anatomy of the sacral foramen and guide initial placement of the needle entry point. Fluoroscopy was subsequently used to confirm needle tip position and vascular injection. The number of times the needle required reinsertion was recorded, and ultrasound and C-arm images were stored. RESULTS: Sixty-seven S1-TFESIs were performed in 56 patients. All injections exhibited epidural spread of contrast media, not only to the S1 nerve. The cephalad angle was 16.25 ± 6.75° (range, 5-27°), the oblique angle was 2.48 ± 2.62° (range, 0-7°), and the mean number of attempts was 1.24 ± 1.25. CONCLUSIONS: The new technique, involving the use of ultrasound to guide initial placement of the needle entry point, followed by confirmatory imaging and any needed adjustment with the use of fluoroscopy, can be a technique to complement the shortcomings of using ultrasound or fluoroscopy alone.

Heterogeneous copper catalyst for the cycloaddition of azides and alkynes without additives under ambient conditions.

A new copper catalyst was developed by immobilizing copper nanoparticles in aluminum oxyhydoxide fiber. The catalyst showed high catalytic activity for the (3+2) Huisgen cycloaddition of nonactivated alkynes as well as activated ones with various azides at room temperature. The catalyst was recycled five times without significant loss of activity.

Epidemiological Characterization of Imported Systemic Mycoses Occurred in Korea.

OBJECTIVES: Imported systemic mycoses is a severe fungal infection that can cause diseases in healthy people. However, there is a serious lack of epidemiological data about imported systemic mycoses. Therefore, an epidemiological characterization of imported systemic mycoses in Korea was performed. METHODS: We collected health insurance data between 2008 and 2012 from the Health Insurance Corporation and analyzed the data to determine the prevalence and treatment management of imported systemic mycoses. RESULTS: The prevalence of imported systemic mycoses between 2008 and 2012 increased slowly by 0.49/100,000 to 0.53/100,000 persons. The prevalence of coccidioidomycosis increased from 0.28/100,000 in 2008 to 0.36/100,000 persons in 2012. A mean of 229.6 cases occurred each year. Children and the elderly showed higher prevalence than adults in the 20- to 59-year-old age group. The rate of infection according to region ranged from 0.18/100,000 persons in Ulsan, to 0.59/100,000 persons in Gyeonggi. The prevalence in females was higher than that in males. Inpatient treatment was 3.3% (38 cases), with 96.7% treated as outpatients. Hospitalizations cost 272.7 million won and outpatient treatments cost 111.7 million won. The treatment cost for coccidioidomycosis from 2008 to 2012 was 330.9 million won, with personal charges of 79.2 million won and insurance charges of 251.7 million won. Most of the expenses for the coccidioidomycosis treatment were for inpatient treatment. CONCLUSION: The results in this study may be a useful resource for determining the changes in the trend of imported systemic mycoses.

Corrigendum to "Epidemiological Characterization of Imported Systemic Mycoses Occurred in Korea" [Osong Public Health Res Perspect 2018;9(5):255-60].

[This corrects the article on p. 255 in vol. 9, PMID: 30402381.].

Acute effects of cigarette smoking on arterial stiffness and blood pressure in male smokers with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Although the acute increase of arterial stiffness and blood pressure (BP) after cigarette smoking in healthy smokers is considered a possible mechanism of increased cardiovascular risk, the acute effect of smoking on arterial stiffness in hypertensive smokers is unknown. We investigated the acute effects of cigarette smoking on arterial stiffness and BP in hypertensive male smokers. METHODS: Heart rate (HR), brachial and ankle BP, and pulse-wave velocity (PWV) were measured in 22 hypertensive male smokers (HTs) and in 30 normotensive male smokers (NTs) before and 5, 10, and 15 min after smoking one cigarette (nicotine content, 0.9 mg). RESULTS: Smoking induced acute increases of HR, brachial BP, and heart-femoral PWV (hfPWV) in NTs and HTs (P < .05). Ankle systolic BP and femoral-ankle PWV were acutely increased in HTs (P < .05), but not in NTs. In HTs, brachial systolic BP and hfPWV at 15 min were higher than at baseline (P < .05). An acute increase of hfPWV in the HTs was significant (P = .025) after adjustment for total cholesterol, time-dependent HR, and brachial mean arterial pressure, but acute changes of other PWVs lost statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smoking acutely increases aortic stiffness and BP in male smokers with hypertension, and the effects persist longer than in male smokers without hypertension.

Architectural Effects on Solution Self-Assembly of Poly(3-hexylthiophene)-Based Graft Copolymers.

While solution assembly of conjugated block copolymers has been widely used to produce long 1-D nanowires (NWs), it remains a great challenge to provide a higher level of control over structure and function of the NWs. Herein, for the first time, we report the solution assembly of graft copolymers containing a conjugated polymer backbone in a selective solvent and demonstrate that their self-assembly behaviors can be manipulated by the molecular structures of the graft copolymers. A series of poly(3-hexylthiophene)-graft-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P3HT-g-P2VP) copolymers was designed with two different architectural parameters: grafting fraction (fg) and molecular weight of P2VP chains (Mn,P2VP) on the P3HT backbone. Interestingly, crystallization of the P3HT-g-P2VP copolymers was systematically modulated by changes in fg and Mn,P2VP, thus allowing for control of the growth kinetics and curvatures of solution-assembled NWs. When Mn,P2VP (4.4 to 15.1 kg/mol) or fg (2.8 to 9.2%) of the P3HT-g-P2VP polymers was increased, the crystallinity of the copolymers was reduced significantly. Steric hindrance from the grafted P2VP chains apparently modified the growth of NWs, leading to shorter NWs with a greater degree of curvature for graft copolymers with more hindrance. Therefore, we envision that such conjugated chain-based graft copolymers can be versatile building blocks for producing NWs with controlled length and shape, which can be important for tailoring the optical and electrical properties of NW-based devices.

Between-visit reproducibility of inter-arm systolic blood pressure differences in treated hypertensive patients: the coconet study.

Inter-arm systolic blood pressure (BP) differences (sIADs) have recently been recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. However, sIAD reproducibility remains unresolved from a controlled trial perspective. We evaluated the between-visit reproducibility of sIADs in hypertensive patients. We examined 1875 hypertensive participants aged 20 years and older (mean age: 62.3 years, 45.4% female) from nine primary clinics and 27 secondary and tertiary hospitals. The BPs in both arms were automatically and simultaneously measured in triplicate with a cuff-oscillometric BP device. BP measurements were obtained at baseline and at 3-month follow-up time points. Increased sIAD was defined as an absolute difference of ⩾10 mm Hg in the average systolic BPs between the left and right arms. The overall mean sIAD was 4.33±4.17 mm Hg. The prevalences of increased sIAD at baseline and at the 3-month measurements were 7.6% and 7.1%, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the between-visit sIADs was 0.304 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.262-0.344). The κ-value between the baseline and follow-up increased sIADs was 0.165 (95% CI 0.096-0.234). The percentage of patients who exhibited an increased sIAD at 3 months compared with the initially increased sIAD at baseline was 21.8%. The reproducibility of sIAD determination between baseline and the 3-month follow-up measurements lacked agreement in the hypertensive patients. Further studies should identify the relevant variables and characteristics of this poor reproducibility (CRIS number; KCT0001235).