A nanosheet molding method to estimate the size of bilayers suspended in liquids

Various methods have been developed to determine the size of molecular bilayer structures dispersed in liquids. We focused on the nanosheet (NS) growth inside the bilayers in hyperswollen lamellar (HL) phases. Here, we propose the method to evaluate the size of bilayers in liquid by observing palladium NSs (PdNSs) growing rapidly in the bilayers of the HL phase. It uncovered that the width of PdNSs depends on methanol concentration, on which the stability of the HL phase also depends. Considering that the stability of the HL phase is positively correlated with the width of bilayers, we concluded that the observation of PdNSs probably corresponds to the indirect measurement of the width of bilayers. This method will also be applied to various other bilayers. Moreover, the PdNSs of a few nanometers in thickness and several hundred nanometers in width show higher catalytic activity for the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol than the previously reported Pd catalysts without any supports.Sasaki K., Hernandez Gaitan J.A., Tokuda Y., et al. A nanosheet molding method to estimate the size of bilayers suspended in liquids. Journal of Materials Chemistry C 10, 15816 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1039/D2TC03765C

Amorphous Aluminosilicate Nanosheets as Universal Precursors for the Synthesis of Diverse Zeolite Nanosheets for Polymer‐Cracking Reactions

Zeolites catalyze some reactions in their molecular-sized pores, but large molecules can react only on their external surface. Zeolite-nanosheets (NSs) have been developed as catalysts for large molecules. The previously reported methods to synthesize zeolite-NSs are specialized for each zeolite type. Here we propose a new method to synthesize various zeolite-NSs from the same amorphous aluminosilicate NSs (AAS-NSs) as a universal precursor. We successfully synthesized the unprecedented AAS-NSs in the hydrophilic space of the stable hyperswollen lyotropic lamellar (HL) phase. The four zeolite types could be obtained from the single-species AAS-NSs. These results imply that this method enables us to synthesize almost all types of zeolite-NSs. Moreover, the synthesized CHA-NSs have great potential for various applications because of their thickness and large external surface area.Sasaki Koki, Gaitan Jose A. Hernandez, Okue Tsuyoshi, et al. Amorphous Aluminosilicate Nanosheets as Universal Precursors for the Synthesis of Diverse Zeolite Nanosheets for Polymer‐Cracking Reactions. Angewandte Chemie 134, (2022); https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.202213773

Plant Species Richness and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Global Drylands

Experiments suggest that biodiversity enhances the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple functions, such as carbon storage, productivity, and the buildup of nutrient pools (multifunctionality). However, the relationship between biodiversity and multifunctionality has never been assessed globally in natural ecosystems. We report here on a global empirical study relating plant species richness and abiotic factors to multifunctionality in drylands, which collectively cover 41% of Earth's land surface and support over 38% of the human population. Multifunctionality was positively and significantly related to species richness. The best-fitting models accounted for over 55% of the variation in multifunctionality and always included species richness as a predictor variable. Our results suggest that the preservation of plant biodiversity is crucial to buffer negative effects of climate change and desertification in drylands

Worldwide Disparities in Recovery of Cardiac Testing 1 Year Into COVID-19

BACKGROUND The extent to which health care systems have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide necessary cardiac diagnostic services is unknown.OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on cardiac testing practices, volumes and types of diagnostic services, and perceived psychological stress to health care providers worldwide.METHODS The International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a worldwide survey assessing alterations from baseline in cardiovascular diagnostic care at the pandemic's onset and 1 year later. Multivariable regression was used to determine factors associated with procedure volume recovery.RESULTS Surveys were submitted from 669 centers in 107 countries. Worldwide reduction in cardiac procedure volumes of 64% from March 2019 to April 2020 recovered by April 2021 in high- and upper middle-income countries (recovery rates of 108% and 99%) but remained depressed in lower middle- and low-income countries (46% and 30% recovery). Although stress testing was used 12% less frequently in 2021 than in 2019, coronary computed tomographic angiography was used 14% more, a trend also seen for other advanced cardiac imaging modalities (positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance; 22%-25% increases). Pandemic-related psychological stress was estimated to have affected nearly 40% of staff, impacting patient care at 78% of sites. In multivariable regression, only lower-income status and physicians' psychological stress were significant in predicting recovery of cardiac testing.CONCLUSIONS Cardiac diagnostic testing has yet to recover to prepandemic levels in lower-income countries. Worldwide, the decrease in standard stress testing is offset by greater use of advanced cardiac imaging modalities. Pandemic-related psychological stress among providers is widespread and associated with poor recovery of cardiac testing. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation