A novel method for preparing BiOI nanoplates and their use as precursors to synthesize porous BiVO4 water oxidation photocatalysts.

In this work, we report an innovative method for synthesizing BiOI nanoplate powder by a slow basification of an aqueous solution constituted of Bi(NO3)3 and KI. The basification was done with NH3 vapor which was naturally generated on top of an NH4OH solution kept in a closed space. The impact of the basification rate on the morphology and crystallinity of the BiOI product was investigated. Herein, we also report on the use of newly produced BiOI nanoplate powder together with the VO(acac)2 precursor for fabricating BiVO4 photoanodes for solar driven water splitting applications. We also discuss how the morphology of BiOI nanoplates and their orientation on a fluorine doped tin oxide substrate will affect the morphology, topology and photocatalytic performance of the electrode. The BiVO4 photoanode showed a photocatalytic current density of 0.55 mA cm-2 at 1.23 V vs. the Reversible Hydrogen Electrode (RHE) when assayed in a pH 7 phosphate buffer electrolyte and under 1 sun illumination.

Race and sex demographics in the surgical management of facial nerve palsy.

Objective: Facial palsy affects patients of all backgrounds, yet no existing studies describe differences in its treatment patterns between demographic groups. Methods: We used the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database to investigate whether race and sex disparities exist in facial reanimation surgery. Patients were identified using CPT codes corresponding to facial-nerve procedures. Results: Seven hundred sixty-one patients met criteria; 681 self-identified as White (89.5%), 51 as Black (6.7%), 43 as Hispanic (5.6%), 23 as Asian (3.0%), and 5 patients as other (0.61%). White patients were more than twice as likely to undergo brow ptosis repair than Non-White patients (OR 2.49, 95% CI 1.16-6.15, p = .03). After controlling for malignancy, men had longer operative times than women (480.2 vs. 413.9 min, p = .04) and higher likelihood of free tissue transfer (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.9-9.8), fascial free tissue transfer (OR 10.7, 95% CI 2.1-195), and ectropion repair (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2-2.8). Conclusion: Most patients undergoing facial reanimation surgery in the United States are White. Men have longer operative times and a higher likelihood of undergoing free fascial grafts and cutaneous and fascial free tissue transfer than women regardless of malignancy status. Level of Evidence: 2c.

Advanced cell-based products generated via automated and manual manufacturing platforms under the quality by design principle: Are they equivalent or different?

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can be isolated from bone marrow, adipose tissue, the umbilical cord, dental pulp, etc. These cells have unique properties that give them excellent therapeutic potential, including immunoregulation, immunomodulation, and tissue regeneration functions. MSC-based products are considered advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) under European regulations (1394/2007); thus, they must be manufactured under good manufacturing practices and via effective manufacturing methods. The former can be achieved via a proper laboratory design and compliance with manufacturing protocols, whereas the latter requires an approach that ensures that the quality of the products is consistent regardless of the manufacturing procedure. To meet these daunting requirements, this study proposes an exchangeable approach that combines optimized and equivalent manufacturing processes under the Quality by Design (QbD) principle, allowing investigators to convert from small laboratory-scale to large-scale manufacturing of MSC-based products for clinical applications without altering the quality and quantity of the cell-based products.

Identification of Degenerated Murine Facial Nerves With Fluorescence Labeling After Transection Injury.

OBJECTIVE: Delayed peripheral nerve repair is complicated by nerve degeneration and atrophy that can prevent identification. We use a murine facial nerve transection model to demonstrate the efficacy of ALM-488 (bevonescein) in labeling degenerated facial nerves with quantitative image analysis and qualitative survey data. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Laboratory. METHODS: Ten wild-type mice underwent transection of the lower facial nerve division with subsequent degeneration. Either 9 (n = 5 mice) or 12 (n = 5 mice) weeks later, mice underwent intravenous infusion of ALM-488 with in vivo real-time fluorescence imaging (FL) of the facial nerve. Using ImageJ, the mean gray value of each nerve segment under white light reflectance (WLR) and FL was compared to that of adjacent soft tissue to calculate the signal-to-background ratio (SBR). A survey was distributed to evaluate the perceived utility of ALM-488 in surgeon identification of degenerated nerves. RESULTS: The mean SBR of degenerated nerves was 1.08 (standard deviation [SD]: 0.07) under WLR and 2.11 (SD: 0.31) under FL (p < 0.001). In mice with degenerated nerves, survey participants identified on average 3.01 (SD: 1.84) nerve branches under WLR and 5.73 (SD: 1.88) under FL (p < 0.0001). Under FL, 47 of 48 survey responses correctly identified isolated, degenerated nerves; in contrast, only 12 responses identified degenerated nerves under WLR (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Preoperative intravenous infusion of ALM-488 with FL improves the identification of degenerated facial nerves. ALM-488 also improves surgeon confidence in nerve identification, particularly in degenerated nerve branches that are not visible with WLR.

Stem cell-based therapy for human diseases.

Recent advancements in stem cell technology open a new door for patients suffering from diseases and disorders that have yet to be treated. Stem cell-based therapy, including human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), has recently emerged as a key player in regenerative medicine. hPSCs are defined as self-renewable cell types conferring the ability to differentiate into various cellular phenotypes of the human body, including three germ layers. MSCs are multipotent progenitor cells possessing self-renewal ability (limited in vitro) and differentiation potential into mesenchymal lineages, according to the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT). This review provides an update on recent clinical applications using either hPSCs or MSCs derived from bone marrow (BM), adipose tissue (AT), or the umbilical cord (UC) for the treatment of human diseases, including neurological disorders, pulmonary dysfunctions, metabolic/endocrine-related diseases, reproductive disorders, skin burns, and cardiovascular conditions. Moreover, we discuss our own clinical trial experiences on targeted therapies using MSCs in a clinical setting, and we propose and discuss the MSC tissue origin concept and how MSC origin may contribute to the role of MSCs in downstream applications, with the ultimate objective of facilitating translational research in regenerative medicine into clinical applications. The mechanisms discussed here support the proposed hypothesis that BM-MSCs are potentially good candidates for brain and spinal cord injury treatment, AT-MSCs are potentially good candidates for reproductive disorder treatment and skin regeneration, and UC-MSCs are potentially good candidates for pulmonary disease and acute respiratory distress syndrome treatment.

Synthesis of NiFeOx nanocatalysts from metal-organic precursors for the oxygen evolution reaction.

Production of hydrogen from a renewable source that is water requires the development of sustainable catalytic processes. This implies, among others, developing efficient catalytic materials from abundant and low-cost resources and investigating their performance, especially in the oxidation of water as this half-reaction is the bottleneck of the water splitting process. For this purpose, NiFe-based nanoparticles with sizes ca. 3-4 nm have been synthesized by an organometallic approach and characterized by complementary techniques (WAXS, TEM, STEM-HAADF, EDX, XPS, and ATR-FTIR). They display a Ni core and a mixed Ni-Fe oxide shell. Once deposited onto FTO electrodes, they have been assessed in the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction under alkaline conditions. Three different Ni/Fe ratios (2/1, 1/1 and 1/9) have been studied in comparison with their monometallic counterparts. The Ni2Fe1 nanocatalyst displayed the lowest overpotential (320 mV at j = 10 mA cm-2) as well as excellent stability over 16 h.

A Scoping Review of Ongoing Fluorescence-Guided Surgery Clinical Trials in Otolaryngology.

OBJECTIVE: Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) is a rapidly developing intraoperative technology, and many contrast agents are currently under investigation. We sought to provide a review of the current state of FGS clinical trials in Otolaryngology, emphasizing its oncologic applications. METHODS: According to the preferred reporting Items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) workflow for scoping reviews, a clinical trial search was performed across multiple international clinical trials registries, searching for permutations of "fluorescence," "tumor," "surgery," and "nerve" to identify all relevant studies. Studies that were active, enrolling, or soon to be enrolling patients undergoing head and neck surgery were included. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were eligible for inclusion. Seventeen studies are focused on FGS for oncologic resection and lymph node detection. One study assesses peripheral nerve fluorescence, and one evaluates normal parathyroid function after thyroidectomy. Contrast agents under development are conjugated to fluorophores that excite in the 800 nm (indocyanine green), 410 nm (5-aminolevulinic acid), 700 nm (Cyanine 5.5), and 525 nm ranges (fluorescein derivatives). CONCLUSION: Presently, there are 19 ongoing trials investigating novel FGS contrast agents for their safety, efficacy, and utility in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. These agents rely on unique fluorophores and absorption ranges in the near-infrared and visible light spectra. FGS studies are expanding within Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery with profound implications in oncologic surgery, lymph node detection, and anatomic and functional assessment. Laryngoscope, 132:36-44, 2022.

Covalent Grafting of Ruthenium Complexes on Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: Hybrid Materials for Photocatalytic Water Oxidation.

The present environmental crisis prompts the search for renewable energy sources such as solar-driven production of hydrogen from water. Herein, we report an efficient hybrid photocatalyst for water oxidation, consisting of a ruthenium polypyridyl complex covalently grafted on core/shell Fe@FeOx nanoparticles via a phosphonic acid group. The photoelectrochemical measurements were performed under 1 sun illumination in 1 M KOH. The photocurrent density of this hybrid photoanode reached 20 µA/cm2 (applied potential of +1.0 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode), corresponding to a turnover frequency of 0.02 s-1. This performance represents a 9-fold enhancement of that achieved with a mixture of Fe@FeOx nanoparticles and a linker-free ruthenium polypyridyl photosensitizer. This increase in performance could be attributed to a more efficient electron transfer between the ruthenium photosensitizer and the Fe@FeOx catalyst as a consequence of the covalent link between these two species through the phosphonate pendant group.

Highly porous Co-doped NiO nanorods: facile hydrothermal synthesis and electrocatalytic oxygen evolution properties.

Highly porous 3d transition metal oxide nanostructures are opening up the exciting area of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts in alkaline medium thanks to their good thermal and chemical stability, excellent physiochemical properties, high specific surface area and abundant nanopores. In this paper, highly porous Co-doped NiO nanorods were successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The porous rod-like nanostructures were preserved with the added cobalt dopant ranging from 1 to 5 at% but were broken into aggregated nanoparticles at higher concentrations of additional cobalt. The catalytic activity of Co-doped NiO nanostructures for OER in an alkaline medium was assayed. The 5%Co-NiO sample showed a drastically enhanced activity. This result could originate from the combination of advantageous characteristics of highly porous NiO nanorods such as large surface area and high porosity as well as the important role of Co dopant that could provide more catalytic active sites, leading to an enhanced catalytic activity of the nanocatalyst.

The Chimeric Scapulodorsal Vascularized Latissimus Dorsi Nerve Flap for Immediate Reconstruction of Total Parotidectomy Defects With Facial Nerve Sacrifice: Building a New Program and Preliminary Results From 25 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Total parotidectomy with facial nerve sacrifice creates 2 challenging reconstructive problems: restoration of facial contour and facial nerve rehabilitation. Strong evidence suggesting that vascularized nerve grafts are superior to nonvascularized nerve grafts motivated our team to develop a chimeric scapulodorsal flap combining the usual harvestable local tissues with the vascularized latissimus dorsi motor nerve (SD-LDVxN). We present our experiences developing a new program at University of California, San Diego, highlighting our first case here, and present preliminary retrospective results focusing on the functional outcomes of facial nerve reanimation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The first case performed in the United States was a 57-year-old woman with stage IVA left parotid adenoid cystic carcinoma and House-Brackmann grade 6 facial palsy. She underwent total parotidectomy with facial nerve sacrifice and a free chimeric SD-LDVxN flap reconstruction. She had an unremarkable postoperative course, and 3- and 6-month follow-up functional results are reported. Preliminary functional results from our total series of 25 patients were reported. RESULTS: At her 3-month follow-up, she was a House-Brackmann 5 with a static eFACE score of 37, dynamic eFACE score of 31, and smile eFACE score of 48. At her 6-month follow-up, she was a House-Brackmann 5 with a static eFACE score of 50, dynamic eFACE score of 27, and smile eFACE score of 53. Preliminary results from our total series of 25 patients with an average of 5 years of follow-up were a House-Brackmann 2.5 and eFACE scores of 83.1 for static facial symmetry, 67.5 for dynamic facial symmetry, and 77.7 for smile score. Twenty of the 25 patients had postoperative radiotherapy. No local tumor recurrence had been reported. The average reinnervation time was 9 months and ranged from 3 to 15 months. CONCLUSIONS: The SD-LDVxN flap is a highly resourceful solution to reconstruct complex parotid defects, especially those that sacrifice the facial nerve. The vascularized nerve graft allows for primary facial reanimation. Nerve recovery may be superior to what could be expected with a conventional nerve graft.

Interactive effects of extreme temperature and a widespread coastal metal contaminant reduce the fitness of a common tropical copepod across generations.

Tropical coastal areas are increasingly exposed to temperature extremes from marine heatwaves and contaminants from anthropogenic activities. The interactive effects of these environmental changes on marine life are understudied. We investigated the direct and cross-generational effects of copper (Cu) on F0 and F1 generations of the common tropical copepod Pseudodiaptomus annandalei under extreme temperatures (30 and 34 °C). In F0, Cu exposure reduced survival and nauplii production; these patterns were more pronounced at 34 °C and in females. F0 Copepods produced more faecal pellets at 34 °C than 30 °C, indicating a higher energetic demand. In F1, the number of F1 adults was lower in CuF0 and at 34 °C. Cu-exposed F0 produced larger adult F1, while exposure to 34 °C resulted in smaller adult F1. Our results show that tropical copepods are highly vulnerable to the interactive effects of contaminants and extreme temperatures.

The Direct Costs of Microsurgical Resection of Vestibular Schwannomas.

OBJECTIVE: To determine and itemize surgical costs associated with the translabyrinthine (TL), retrosigmoid (RS), and middle cranial fossa (MCF) approaches for microsurgical excision of vestibular schwannoma (VS). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cost analysis study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Thirty consecutive adult patients underwent microsurgical excision of VS by either TL, RS, or MCF approach (10 per approach). INTERVENTIONS: Microsurgical excision of VS by one of the three major approaches. Medical and financial data were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total operating room time (minutes), skin-to-skin time (minutes), operating room cost ($US), and surgical supplies cost ($US). RESULTS: The MCF approach was associated with the shortest skin-to-skin time (230.3 min, p < 0.001). Mean overall nonsurgical room time was 94.7 minutes and not significantly different among approaches (p = 0.55). Mean total surgical supplies cost was $5,028 and was the highest for the RS ($7,116; p < 0.001) but not significantly different between TL and MCF. Mean operating room services charges were $68,417 overall and were the lowest for the MCF group ($53,306; p = 0.01). Tumor size was not correlated with surgical supplies cost (p = 0.74). The items associated with the highest average cost per case were the surgical aspirator ($1,062), drill burs ($928), and titanium implants ($575). There was redundancy in multiple surgical items such as drill burs, hemostatic agents, and sutures. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to provide a detailed itemization of the surgical expenses specific to VS resection. Elevated nonsurgical room time and supply redundancy provides the opportunity for decreasing surgical costs and waste.

Silica Coated Iron/Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as a Nano-Platform for T2 Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

The growing concern over the toxicity of Gd-based contrast agents used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) motivates the search for less toxic and more effective alternatives. Among these alternatives, iron-iron oxide (Fe@FeOx) core-shell architectures have been long recognized as promising MRI contrast agents while limited information on their engineering is available. Here we report the synthesis of 10 nm large Fe@FeOx nanoparticles, their coating with a 11 nm thick layer of dense silica and functionalization by 5 kDa PEG chains to improve their biocompatibility. The nanomaterials obtained have been characterized by a set of complementary techniques such as infra-red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and zetametry, and magnetometry. They display hydrodynamic diameters in the 100 nm range, zetapotential values around -30 mV, and magnetization values higher than the reference contrast agent RESOVIST®. They display no cytotoxicity against 1BR3G and HCT116 cell lines and no hemolytic activity against human red blood cells. Their nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD) profiles are typical for nanomaterials of this size and magnetization. They display high r2 relaxivity values and low r1 leading to enhanced r2/r1 ratios in comparison with RESOVIST®. All these data make them promising contrast agents to detect early stage tumors.

Fluorescence Imaging of Nerves During Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: This review details the agents for fluorescence-guided nerve imaging in both preclinical and clinical use to identify factors important in selecting nerve-specific fluorescent agents for surgical procedures. BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic nerve injury remains a significant cause of morbidity in patients undergoing surgical procedures. Current real-time identification of nerves during surgery involves neurophysiologic nerve stimulation, which has practical limitations. Intraoperative fluorescence-guided imaging provides a complimentary means of differentiating tissue types and pathology. Recent advances in fluorescence-guided nerve imaging have shown promise, but the ideal agent remains elusive. METHODS: In February 2018, PubMed was searched for articles investigating peripheral nerve fluorescence. Key terms used in this search include: "intraoperative, nerve, fluorescence, peripheral nerve, visualization, near infrared, and myelin." Limits were set to exclude articles exclusively dealing with central nervous system targets or written in languages other than English. References were cross-checked for articles not otherwise identified. RESULTS: Of the nonspecific agents, tracers that rely on axonal transport showed the greatest tissue specificity; however, neurovascular dyes already enjoy wide clinical use. Fluorophores specific to nerve moieties result in excellent nerve to background ratios. Although noteworthy findings on tissue specificity, toxicity, and route of administration specific to each fluorescent agent were reported, significant data objectively quantifying nerve-specific fluorescence and toxicity are lacking. CONCLUSIONS: Fluorescence-based nerve enhancement has advanced rapidly over the past 10 years with potential for continued utilization and progression in translational research. An ideal agent would be easily administered perioperatively, would not cross the blood-brain barrier, and would fluoresce in the near-infrared spectrum. Agents administered systemically that target nerve-specific moieties have shown the greatest promise. Based on the heterogeneity of published studies and methods for reporting outcomes, it appears that the development of an optimal nerve imaging agent remains challenging.

Impact of MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzyme activity on wound healing, tumor growth and RACPP cleavage.

Matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 (MMP-2/-9) are key tissue remodeling enzymes that have multiple overlapping activities critical for wound healing and tumor progression in vivo. To overcome issues of redundancy in studying their functions in vivo, we created MMP-2/-9 double knockout (DKO) mice in the C57BL/6 background to examine wound healing. We then bred the DKO mice into the polyomavirus middle T (PyVmT) model of breast cancer to analyze the role of these enzymes in tumorigenesis. Breeding analyses indicated that significantly fewer DKO mice were born than predicted by Mendelian genetics and weaned DKO mice were growth compromised compared with wild type (WT) cohorts. Epithelial wound healing was dramatically delayed in adult DKO mice and when the DKO was combined with the PyVmT oncogene, we found that the biologically related process of mammary tumorigenesis was inhibited in a site-specific manner. To further examine the role of MMP-2/-9 in tumor progression, tumor cells derived from WT or DKO PyVmT transgenic tumors were grown in WT or DKO mice. Ratiometric activatable cell penetrating peptides (RACPPs) previously used to image cancer based on MMP-2/-9 activity were used to understand differences in MMP activity in WT or knockout syngeneic tumors in WT and KO animals. Analysis of an MMP-2 selective RACPP in WT or DKO mice bearing WT and DKO PyVmT tumor cells indicated that the genotype of the tumor cells was more important than the host stromal genotype in promoting MMP-2/-9 activity in the tumors in this model system. Additional complexities were revealed as the recruitment of host macrophages by the tumor cells was found to be the source of the tumor MMP-2/-9 activity and it is evident that MMP-2/-9 from both host and tumor is required for maximum signal using RACPP imaging for detection. We conclude that in the PyVmT model, the majority of MMP-2/-9 activity in mammary tumors is associated with host macrophages recruited into the tumor rather than that produced by the tumor cells themselves. Thus therapies that target tumor-associated macrophage functions have the potential to slow tumor progression.

Nerve-targeted probes for fluorescence-guided intraoperative imaging.

A fundamental goal of many surgeries is nerve preservation, as inadvertent injury can lead to patient morbidity including numbness, pain, localized paralysis and incontinence. Nerve identification during surgery relies on multiple parameters including anatomy, texture, color and relationship to surrounding structures using white light illumination. We propose that fluorescent labeling of nerves can enhance the contrast between nerves and adjacent tissue during surgery which may lead to improved outcomes. Methods: Nerve binding peptide sequences including HNP401 were identified by phage display using selective binding to dissected nerve tissue. Peptide dye conjugates including FAM-HNP401 and structural variants were synthesized and screened for nerve binding after topical application on fresh rodent and human tissue and in-vivo after systemic IV administration into both mice and rats. Nerve to muscle contrast was quantified by measuring fluorescent intensity after topical or systemic administration of peptide dye conjugate. Results: Peptide dye conjugate FAM-HNP401 showed selective binding to human sural nerve with 10.9x fluorescence signal intensity (1374.44 ± 425.96) compared to a previously identified peptide FAM-NP41 (126.17 ± 61.03). FAM-HNP401 showed nerve-to-muscle contrast of 3.03 ± 0.57. FAM-HNP401 binds and highlight multiple human peripheral nerves including lower leg sural, upper arm medial antebrachial as well as autonomic nerves isolated from human prostate. Conclusion: Phage display has identified a novel peptide that selectively binds to ex-vivo human nerves and in-vivo using rodent models. FAM-HNP401 or an optimized variant could be translated for use in a clinical setting for intraoperative identification of human nerves to improve visualization and potentially decrease the incidence of intra-surgical nerve injury.

Early Indication of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Young Adult Users of Personal Listening Devices.

OBJECTIVES: The recent integration of portable music players into cell phones has further increased the use of personal listening devices (PLD) among young adults, raising concerns about potentially hazardous effects on hearing. METHODS: Assessment of young adults' hearing ability and listening preferences by subjective and objective measurement. Young adult users of PLDs (n = 50; 30 females, 20 males; mean age = 24.1 ± 4.2 years; average PLD use = 6.1 ± 2.1 years) were included. Subjective assessment of listening preferences was performed via a questionnaire as well as objective assessment of preferred volume levels in different background noise environments and hearing tests. RESULTS: Preferred volume levels were significantly correlated with hearing thresholds. Most participants exhibited safe listening behavior according to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health criteria. We identified a substantial high-risk subgroup of PLD users (22% of participants, daily use ⩾2 h at ⩾91 dB) in which pure tone audiometry showed increased hearing thresholds at 4000 and 6000 Hz, potentially indicating an early manifestation of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that preventive measures may be warranted to prevent a future increase of clinically relevant NIHL among heavy users of PLDs.

Positive Surgical Margins in the 10 Most Common Solid Cancers.

A positive surgical margin (PSM) following cancer resection oftentimes necessitates adjuvant treatments and carries significant financial and prognostic implications. We sought to compare PSM rates for the ten most common solid cancers in the United States, and to assess trends over time. Over 10 million patients were identified in the National Cancer Data Base from 1998-2012, and 6.5 million had surgical margin data. PSM rates were compared between two time periods, 1998-2002 and 2008-2012. PSM was positively correlated with tumor category and grade. Ovarian and prostate cancers had the highest PSM prevalence in women and men, respectively. The highest PSM rates for cancers affecting both genders were seen for oral cavity tumors. PSM rates for breast cancer and lung and bronchus cancer in both men and women declined over the study period. PSM increases were seen for bladder, colon and rectum, and kidney and renal pelvis cancers. This large-scale analysis appraises the magnitude of PSM in the United States in order to focus future efforts on improving oncologic surgical care with the goal of optimizing value and improving patient outcomes.

Novel Amorphous Molybdenum Selenide as an Efficient Catalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Amorphous molybdenum selenide nanopowder, obtained by refluxing Mo(CO)6 and Se precursors in dichlorobenzene, shows several structural and electrochemical similarities to the amorphous molybdenum sulfide analogue. The molybdenum selenide displays attractive catalytic properties for the hydrogen evolution reaction in water over a wide range of pH. In a pH 0 solution, it operates with a small onset overpotential of 125 mV and requires an overpotential of 270 mV for generating a catalytic current of 10 mA/cm2. Compared with molybdenum sulfide, the selenide analogue is more robust in a basic electrolyte. Therefore, molybdenum selenide is a potential candidate for incorporating within an electrolyzer or a photoelectrochemical cell for water electrolysis in acidic, neutral, or alkaline medium.