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Postoperative delirium (POD) is a frequent complication in older people undergoing general anesthesia surgery. We investigated the potential link between Alzheimer’s disease and POD by comparing plasma amyloid-beta oligomer levels (measured using the multimer detection system, MDS-OAβ) in patients who developed POD after general anesthesia surgery with those who did not. A total of 104 eligible participants were screened daily for delirium for three days postoperatively. After propensity score matching based on the ApoE4 allele, the final analysis included 31 patients with POD and 31 without POD. In the ICU, patients with delirium underwent immediate assessment with the Korean version of the Delirium Rating Scale-98 (K-DRS-98) and plasma MDS-OAβ levels. The control group (those without POD) received the same tests on the third postoperative day. Patients with POD had significantly higher MDS-OAβ values compared to those without POD. Within the POD group, MDS-OAβ values positively correlated with K-DRS-98 scores (both severity and total scores). These findings suggest an association between POD in older people undergoing general anesthesia surgery and elevated plasma amyloid oligomer levels. To definitively establish causality, further prospective studies are necessary.

Postoperative delirium (POD) is common in older adults and has been linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Plasma amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs) may clarify this relationship. We evaluated whether preoperative AβO burden is associated with POD severity. In this single-center prospective pilot study, we enrolled 22 patients aged ≥65 years undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty under general anesthesia. Blood was drawn preoperatively and postoperatively to quantify oligomerized amyloid-β using the multimer detection system (MDS-Oaβ). POD was assessed with the Korean version of the Delirium Rating Scale-98 (K-DRS-98). Group comparisons and correlations examined associations between MDS-Oaβ and POD. Eleven of 22 patients developed POD. Those with POD were older and had higher preoperative MDS-Oaβ than those without POD (0.81 vs 0.56 ng/mL). There was no significant perioperative change in MDS-Oaβ, suggesting surgery or anesthesia did not alter the plasma Aβ oligomerization tendency. Within the POD group, preoperative MDS-Oaβ correlated with both K-DRS-98 severity and total scores. In this pilot cohort, higher preoperative AβO burden was associated with the occurrence and severity of POD, while perioperative factors did not measurably affect AβO levels. These findings support a potential mechanistic link between AD-related pathology and POD. Given the small sample ( =22), estimates are imprecise and hypothesis-generating; validation in larger, multicenter studies is required before clinical application.

Background: Hospitalization for severe neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) presents challenges, often requiring environments that ensure safety while addressing therapeutic needs. Traditional closed wards, originally designed for psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia, may not fully address the unique needs of AD patients. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Specialized Dementia Ward (SDW) tailored for AD patients compared to a General Ward (GW). Methods: A retrospective study compared 51 AD patients in an SDW (February 2018–January 2019) and 40 AD patients in a GW (December 2017–January 2018). Patients met NINCDS-ADRDA criteria, with a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) ≤ 2 and a Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) ≤ 20. Clinical assessments at admission and four weeks included K-MMSE, Resident Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set Version 2.0 (RAI-MDS), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q). Psychotropic medication use, length of stay, and discharge destination were also analyzed. Results: No statistically significant differences emerged between SDW and GW groups regarding baseline demographics, cognitive function, ADL, or neuropsychiatric symptoms. At four weeks, both groups exhibited trends toward improved K-MMSE, RAI-MDS, and NPI-Q scores and reduced psychotropic usage, but these did not reach statistical significance. Although mean length of stay was shorter for SDW patients (3.2 vs. 4.9 months; p = 0.078), the difference was not significant. Notably, a significantly higher proportion of SDW patients were discharged home (58.8% vs. 37.5%; p = 0.049). Conclusions: Although clinical outcomes were comparable, the SDW demonstrated advantages in facilitating discharge to home, suggesting that tailored ward environments may better support AD patients. These findings underscore the importance of therapeutic environments in dementia care and highlight the need for further research on specialized dementia ward designs to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction.

This review explores the origins and principles of milieu therapy, which is traditionally rooted in psychiatric settings, and examines how these concepts can be adapted for patients with dementia. While milieu therapy initially focused on long-term psychiatric inpatients, the increasing prevalence of dementia—often with complex neuropsychiatric symptoms and extended care needs—warrants a renewed look at structured therapeutic environments. Unlike psychiatric conditions that may show significant improvement with medication, dementia typically involves progressive cognitive decline and multiple comorbidities, calling for a greater emphasis on safety, predictability, and emotional support. Core principles—therapeutic environment, social interaction, consistency, shared responsibility, empowerment, and individualized interventions—can be tailored to address dementia-specific needs, including orientation aids, simplified routines, and nonverbal communication strategies. Moreover, considering that dementia predominantly affects older adults, comprehensive geriatric care becomes crucial, requiring a collaborative team approach that includes medical, psychiatric, and rehabilitative expertise. In such environments, the focus shifts from cure to maximizing well-being, dignity, self-control, and residual abilities, underscoring the relevance of milieu therapy in modern dementia care.

We report two patients who developed Pisa syndrome after treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors—cognitionenhancing novel agents for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cholinergic excess could be another factor in Pisa syndrome, especially in cholinergically-imbalanced Alzheimer's disease.

Chlorine evolution reaction (CER) is a critical anode reaction in chlor-alkali electrolysis. Although precious metal-based mixed metal oxides (MMOs) have been widely used as CER catalysts, they suffer from the concomitant generation of oxygen during the CER. Herein, we demonstrate that atomically dispersed Pt−N 4 sites doped on a carbon nanotube (Pt 1 /CNT) can catalyse the CER with excellent activity and selectivity. The Pt 1 /CNT catalyst shows superior CER activity to a Pt nanoparticle-based catalyst and a commercial Ru/Ir-based MMO catalyst. Notably, Pt 1 /CNT exhibits near 100% CER selectivity even in acidic media, with low Cl − concentrations (0.1 M), as well as in neutral media, whereas the MMO catalyst shows substantially lower CER selectivity. In situ electrochemical X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals the direct adsorption of Cl − on Pt−N 4 sites during the CER. Density functional theory calculations suggest the PtN 4 C 12 site as the most plausible active site structure for the CER. Chlorine evolution reaction (CER) is a key electrochemical reaction for chemical, pulp, and paper industries, and water treatments. Here, the authors report that an atomically dispersed Pt−N 4 site can catalyse CER with high activity and selectivity under a wide range of Cl – concentrations and pH.

Meteor radar observations provide wind data ranging from 80 to 100 km altitude, while the Michaelson Interferometer for Global High‐resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) onboard the Ionospheric Connection Explorer satellite offers wind data above 90 km altitude. This study aims to generate wind profiles in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere by combining the winds derived from meteor radar and MIGHTI observations over the Korean Peninsula from January 2020 to December 2021. The wind profiles derived from the two instruments are continuous at night, but they show discrepancies during the day. The atomic oxygen 557.7 nm (green line) emission intensity measured by MIGHTI peaks at approximately 100 km during the day and 94 km at night. The vertical gradient of the airglow volume emission rate is more pronounced during the day. These differences can cause day‐night differences in the MIGHTI wind retrieval accuracy, potentially leading to discrepancies during the day. Plain Language Summary This study aims to derive vertical wind profiles in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) by integrating wind measurements from different techniques. Neutral winds in the MLT provide a means to study the activity of various atmospheric waves originating from the lower thermosphere and their propagation to the upper thermosphere. The Michelson Interferometer for Global High‐resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) instrument onboard the Ionospheric Connection Explorer satellite provides wind measurements above 90 km altitude. A meteor radar in Korea provides wind data in the altitude range of 80–100 km. By combining the MIGHTI and meteor radar observations, we derive extended wind profiles in the MLT. While nighttime winds driven from two different techniques show good agreement, discrepancies exist in daytime winds. Vertical gradients in airglow intensity can affect the wind retrieval from MIGHTI's airglow measurement, and this factor can be one of the sources of daytime discrepancy. Key Points Vertical wind profiles above 80 km are derived from meteor radar and Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) observations over Korea These observations produce continuous wind profiles at night, but discontinuity exists between two measurements during daytime Significant vertical variation in airglow intensity on the dayside can impact wind retrieval from ICON airglow observations

Solid electrolyte interphases generated using electrolyte additives are key for anode-electrolyte interactions and for enhancing the lithium-ion battery lifespan. Classical solid electrolyte interphase additives, such as vinylene carbonate and fluoroethylene carbonate, have limited potential for simultaneously achieving a long lifespan and fast chargeability in high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here we report a next-generation synthetic additive approach that allows to form a highly stable electrode-electrolyte interface architecture from fluorinated and silylated electrolyte additives; it endures the lithiation-induced volume expansion of Si-embedded anodes and provides ion channels for facile Li-ion transport while protecting the Ni-rich LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 cathodes. The retrosynthetically designed solid electrolyte interphase-forming additives, 5-methyl-4-((trifluoromethoxy)methyl)-1,3-dioxol-2-one and 5-methyl-4-((trimethylsilyloxy)methyl)-1,3-dioxol-2-one, provide spatial flexibility to the vinylene carbonate-derived solid electrolyte interphase via polymeric propagation with the vinyl group of vinylene carbonate. The interface architecture from the synthesized vinylene carbonate-type additive enables high-energy-density LIBs with 81.5% capacity retention after 400 cycles at 1 C and fast charging capability (1.9% capacity fading after 100 cycles at 3 C). Interface architecture generated from electrolyte additives is a key element for high performance lithium-ion batteries. Here, the authors present that a stable and spatially deformable solid electrolyte interphase mitigates interfacial degradation of Si-embedded anodes and Ni-rich cathodes.

Although the incidence of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infection has increased from its discovery with a mortality rate of 10–20%, no effective vaccines are currently available. Here we describe the development of a SFTSV DNA vaccine, its immunogenicity, and its protective efficacy. Vaccine candidates induce both a neutralizing antibody response and multifunctional SFTSV-specific T cell response in mice and ferrets. When the vaccine efficacy is investigated in aged-ferrets that recapitulate fatal clinical symptoms, vaccinated ferrets are completely protected from lethal SFTSV challenge without developing any clinical signs. A serum transfer study reveals that anti-envelope antibodies play an important role in protective immunity. Our results suggest that Gn/Gc may be the most effective antigens for inducing protective immunity and non-envelope-specific T cell responses also can contribute to protection against SFTSV infection. This study provides important insights into the development of an effective vaccine, as well as corresponding immune parameters, to control SFTSV infection. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging tick-borne virus with no specific treatment or vaccine available. Here, the authors develop a DNA vaccine for SFTSV that is protective against lethal challenge in ferrets and show that anti-envelope antibodies are important for protection.