Anode-free sodium metal batteries as rising stars for lithium-ion alternatives.

With the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown, global supply chain crisis, and Russo-Ukrainian war, an energy-intensive society with sustainable, secure, affordable, and recyclable rechargeable batteries is increasingly out of reach. As demand soars, recent prototypes have shown that anode-free configurations, especially anode-free sodium metal batteries, offer realistic alternatives that are better than lithium-ion batteries in terms of energy density, cost, carbon footprint, and sustainability. This Perspective explores the current state of research on improving the performance of anode-free Na metal batteries from five key fields, as well as the impact on upstream industries compared to commercial batteries.

More Relaxed but Less Helpful: The Relationship between Stress, Age, and Self-Reported Prosocial Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has collectively increased stress levels, with individuals making difficult choices between protecting themselves and helping others. Previous research has shown that people engage in more prosocial, or helping, behavior as they age and in moments of acute stress, but it is unclear how c stress has influenced perceived changes in prosocial behavior in the later stages of the pandemic and whether this varies across the lifespan. (2) Methods: The current study explored how perceived stress, age, and gender impact participants' reports of perceived changes in their prosocial behavior due to the pandemic using survey questions administered through an online subject pool (n = 201). (3) Results: Hierarchical linear regression results revealed results indicated a significant main effect of perceived stress (β= −0.166, p = 0.021) and age (β= −0.217, p = 0.003) but not gender (β= −0.062, p = 0.370) on perceptions of how one's prosocial behavior was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. (4) Conclusions: Study findings showed that older adults and individuals with higher levels of perceived stress reported a decrease in their prosocial behavior, which supported our hypotheses. These findings provide unique insight into the influence of a long-term health crisis on different groups of people's participation in prosocial behavior, with implications for mental health and community engagement during a pandemic.

In silico investigation of pro-arrhythmic effects of azithromycin on the human ventricle.

The macrolide antibiotic azithromycin (AZM) is widely used for respiratory infections and has been suggested to be a possible treatment for the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). However, AZM-associated QT interval prolongation and arrhythmias have been reported. Integrated mechanistic information on AZM actions on human ventricular excitation and conduction is lacking. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the actions of AZM on ventricular cell and tissue electrical activity. The O'Hara- Virag-Varro-Rudy dynamic (ORd) model of human ventricular cells was modified to incorporate experimental data on the concentration-dependent actions of AZM on multiple ion channels, including INa, ICaL, IKr, IKs, IK1 and INaL in both acute and chronic exposure conditions. In the single cell model, AZM prolonged the action potential duration (APD) in a concentration-dependent manner, which was predominantly attributable to IKr reduction in the acute condition and potentiated INaL in the chronic condition. High concentrations of AZM also increased action potential (AP) triangulation (determined as an increased difference between APD30 and APD90) which is a marker of arrhythmia risk. In the chronic condition, the potentiated INaL caused a modest intracellular Na + concentration accumulation at fast pacing rates. At the 1D tissue level, the AZM-prolonged APD at the cellular level was reflected by an increased QT interval in the simulated pseudo-ECG, consistent with clinical observations. Additionally, AZM reduced the conduction velocity (CV) of APs in the acute condition due to a reduced INa, and it augmented the transmural APD dispersion of the ventricular tissue, which is also pro-arrhythmic. Such actions were markedly augmented when the effects of chronic exposure of AZM were also considered, or with additional IKr block, as may occur with concurrent use of other medications. This study provides insights into the ionic mechanisms by which high concentrations of AZM may modulate ventricular electrophysiology and susceptibility to arrhythmia.