Bi-Interlayer Strategy for Modulating NiCoP-Based Heterostructure toward High-Performance Aqueous Energy Storage Devices.

Nickel-cobalt (NiCo) phosphides (NCPs) possess high electrochemical activity, which makes them promising candidates for electrode materials in aqueous energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors and zinc (Zn) batteries. However, the actual specific capacitance and rate capability of NCPs require further improvement, which can be achieved through reasonable heterostructural design and loading conditions of active materials on substrates. Herein, novel hierarchical Bi-NCP heterogeneous structures with built-in electric fields consisting of bismuth (Bi) interlayers (electrodeposited on carbon cloth (CC)) are designed and fabricated to ensure the formation of uniform high-load layered active materials for efficient charge and ion transport. The resulting CC/Bi-NCP electrodes show a uniform, continuous, and high mass loading (>3.5 mg) with a superior capacitance reaching 1200 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and 4129 mF cm-2 at 1 mA cm-2 combined with high-rate capability and durable cyclic stability. Moreover, assembled hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs), supercapatteries, and alkaline Zn-ion (AZBs) batteries constructed using these electrodes deliver high energy densities of 64.4, 81.8, and 319.1 Wh kg-1, respectively. Overall, the constructed NCPs with excellent aqueous energy storage performance have the potential for the development of novel transition metal-based heterostructure electrodes for advanced energy devices.

Upcycling sulphidic copper tailings into alkali-activated slag materials: effect of the sulfur content.

Sulfidic copper tailings (SCTs) with excessive sulfur content are prone to oxidation, leading to the generation of sulfates and causing compatibility issues with cement. To address this problem, this paper proposes upcycling SCTs into alkali-activated slag (AAS) materials to fully utilize the produced sulfates for slag activation. The influence of the sulfur content of the SCTs compound (quartz, SCTs, and fine pyrite) on the properties of AAS was investigated from various aspects including setting time, compressive strength, hydration products, microstructure, and pore structure. The experimental results showed that adding SCTs compound enabled the generation of S-rich expansive products, such as ettringite, sodium sulfate, and gypsum. Moreover, nano-sized spherical particles were formed and well-distributed in pores or micro-cracks in the microstructure of AAS mortars. Consequently, AAS mortars with SCTs compound developed higher compressive strength at all ages than the blank ones, with an increase of 40.2-144.8% at 3 days, 29.4-115.7% at 7 days, and 29.3-136.3% at 28 days. Furthermore, AAS mortars with SCTs compounds enjoyed significant economic and environmental benefits, as demonstrated by cost-benefit and eco-efficiency analyses. The optimal sulfur content of the SCTs compound was found to be 15%.

Relationships between urban expansion and socioenvironmental indicators across multiple scales of watersheds: a case study among watersheds running through China.

Understanding the relationships between urban expansion and social/environmental features is fundamental to managing watershed and urban expansion. However, such relationships remain unclear, especially across multiple scales of watersheds. Here, we quantified the correlation between urban expansion measures and 255 socioenvironmental indicators across three scales of watersheds running through China (20, 103, and 349 watersheds) during 1992-2016 and analyzed their scaling relations. The results showed that the number of indicators showing a significant correlation with the area and speed of urban expansion increased from 132 and 153 to 234 and 237, respectively, from level 1 to level 3 watersheds. Among these indicators, urban expansion was significantly correlated with indicators of climate and anthropogenic impact. From a large scale (level 1 watershed) to a small scale (level 3 watershed), 104 and 84 socioenvironmental indicators shifted from uncorrelated to significantly correlated with urban expansion area and speed. The constraint line analysis further confirmed that some relationships were nonlinear, which suggested that the drivers and impacts of urban expansion have scaling effects. We argue that it is crucial to consider the scaling effects of urban expansion when we formulate urban or watershed management plans.

Multiple drought indices and their teleconnections with ENSO in various spatiotemporal scales over the Mekong River Basin.

Drought may lead to severe and diverse impacts on agriculture, economy, and society across different regions and periods, posing predictive and adaptive challenges. In recent years, severe droughts have affected >60 million people in the Mekong River Basin (MRB). Additionally, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) episodes had distinct influences on the occurrence and intensity of drought variability in the regions. Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of droughts across the MRB is critical to improving management and mitigation actions. This study aims to investigate spatiotemporal drought characteristics in the MRB and their teleconnection with the ENSO. Three multiple drought indices, including the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for meteorological drought, Standardized Soil Water Index (SSWI) for agricultural drought, and Standardized Runoff Index (SRI) for hydrological drought were calculated to quantify drought events, drought frequency, and drought severity. The overall patterns showed more events and larger intensity were identified by the SPI than those by the SRI or the SSWI, while the higher frequency was observed by the SRI. The Middle Mekong basins seem to experience more drought events, while higher levels of frequency and intensity of droughts were observed in the Upper Mekong Basin. The correlation analysis between ENSO index and precipitation suggested that the strongest ENSO events in Dec-Jan-Feb may result in developments of meteorological drought in Mar-Apr-May, and further led to hydrological and agricultural drought in Apr-May-Jun. Such ENSO effects had significant influences on drought variabilities in southern MRB and were insignificant in the north. The multiple drought indices show skills in identifying spatial and temporal drought characteristics from meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological perspectives, and potential for drought outlook further considering their ENSO teleconnections. The results can be applied to the development of drought monitoring methods and adaptive strategies to mitigate drought impacts through scientific and quantitative assessments.

Effect of Sulfur Content in Sulfate-Rich Copper Tailings on the Properties of MgO-Activated Slag Materials.

The high-value utilization of sulfate-rich tailings (SRCTs) can accelerate their mass consumption, so the many problems caused by the massive accumulation of SRCTs can be alleviated, such as environmental pollution, land occupation, security risk, etc. This study proposes using SRCTs to replace fine natural aggregates in MgO-activated slag materials (MASMs) and investigate the influence of the sulfur content in SRCTs on the properties of MASMs. The experimental results showed that the 28 d compressive strength of MASM mortars was increased by up to 83% using SRCT composites. Two major mechanisms were discovered: additional hydration product formation and pore structure refinement. The results of XRD suggested that incorporating SRCT composite into MASMs increased the production of expansive sulfate-containing hydration products, such as ettringite, gypsum, and hydroxyl-Afm. The results of element mapping showed that the oxidation of pyrite in SRCTs could release sulfates into the surrounding area and participate in the hydration of MASM, indicating that SRCTs can work as an auxiliary activator for MASMs. Furthermore, the addition of SRCT significantly refined the pore structure of MASMs, leading to the reduction in porosity by up to 37.77%. These findings confirm a synergistic effect on activating the slag between SRCTs and MgO, promoting the mass utilization of SRCTs. As a result, the additional expansive hydration products contribute to the enhanced compressive strength and refined pore structure.

Application of magnetic susceptibility and heavy metal bioaccessibility to assessments of urban sandstorm contamination and health risks: Case studies from Dunhuang and Lanzhou, Northwest China.

Direct ingestion of sandstorm particles is an important pathway in human exposure to heavy metals. This study investigated the potential health risks of heavy metals transported in sandstorms from Dunhuang to Lanzhou in northwestern China using environmental magnetic parameters and metal bioaccessibilities in simulated gastric and intestinal tracts. The mean magnetic susceptibility of sandstorms in Lanzhou was 366.86 × 10-8 m3/kg, which was more than 5-fold higher than that of sandstorms in Dunhuang, indicating that these sandstorms continuously receive heavy metals with high magnetic mineral content along their pathways. Heavy metal concentrations in sandstorms were higher than background values and those in urban topsoil. Enrichment factors and pollution load indices showed that these heavy metals were derived from both natural and anthropogenic sources, with Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd being strongly influenced by anthropogenic sources. The bioaccessibilities of Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb in the sandstorms of Lanzhou were very high, ranging from 22.69% (Cu) to 50.86% (Pb) for gastric phase, and 12.07% (Pb)-22.11% (Cd) for interstinal phase, with the significant reduction in χlf of the physiologically-based extraction testing (PBET) treated sandstorms. The magnetic minerals are significant correlation with the concentrations of heavy metals in sandstorm and effect the release of heavy metals during human digestion process. The overall ecological risk posed by heavy metals contained in sandstorms was relatively low; however, the risk was moderate to high at individual sites. Ingestion posed the highest carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for both adults and children, with the risk for children being higher.

Porous Polydimethylsiloxane Elastomer Hybrid with Zinc Oxide Nanowire for Wearable, Wide-Range, and Low Detection Limit Capacitive Pressure Sensor.

We propose a flexible capacitive pressure sensor that utilizes porous polydimethylsiloxane elastomer with zinc oxide nanowire as nanocomposite dielectric layer via a simple porogen-assisted process. With the incorporation of nanowires into the porous elastomer, our capacitive pressure sensor is not only highly responsive to subtle stimuli but vigorously so to gentle touch and verbal stimulation from 0 to 50 kPa. The fabricated zinc oxide nanowire-porous polydimethylsiloxane sensor exhibits superior sensitivity of 0.717 kPa-1, 0.360 kPa-1, and 0.200 kPa-1 at the pressure regimes of 0-50 Pa, 50-1000 Pa, and 1000-3000 Pa, respectively, presenting an approximate enhancement by 21-100 times when compared to that of a flat polydimethylsiloxane device. The nanocomposite dielectric layer also reveals an ultralow detection limit of 1.0 Pa, good stability, and durability after 4000 loading-unloading cycles, making it capable of perception of various human motions, such as finger bending, calligraphy writing, throat vibration, and airflow blowing. A proof-of-concept trial in hydrostatic water pressure sensing has been demonstrated with the proposed sensors, which can detect tiny changes in water pressure and may be helpful for underwater sensing research. This work brings out the efficacy of constructing wearable capacitive pressure sensors based on a porous dielectric hybrid with stress-sensitive nanostructures, providing wide prospective applications in wearable electronics, health monitoring, and smart artificial robotics/prosthetics.

Reutilizing Waste Iron Tailing Powders as Filler in Mortar to Realize Cement Reduction and Strength Enhancement.

Recently, the massive accumulation of waste iron tailings powder (WITP) has resulted in significant environmental pollution. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an original mortar replacement (M) method to reuse waste solids and reduce cement consumption. In the experiment, the author employed an M method which replaces water, cement, and sand with WITP under constant water/cement and found that the strength development can be significantly improved. Specifically, a mortar with 20% WITP replacement can obtain a 30.95% improvement in strength development. To study the internal mechanism, we performed experiments such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), and SEM. The results demonstrate that the nucleation effect and pozzolanic effect of WITP can help promote cement hydration, and MIP reveals that WITP can effectively optimize pore structure. In addition, 1 kg 20% WITP mortar reduced cement consumption by 20%, which saves 19.98% of the economic cost. Comprehensively, our approach achieves the effective utilization of WITP and provides a favorable reference for practical engineering.

Arabidopsis glutamate receptor GLR3.7 is involved in abscisic acid response.

The ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) plays an important role in neuronal signaling in animal cells. There are at least 20 glutamate receptor-like (GLR) genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. These genes are involved in seed germination, root growth, wounding response, stomata closure, etc. A recent study showed that Arabidopsis clade III glutamate receptor GLR3.7 is involved in salt stress response. We tested whether GLR3.7 is involved in abscisic acid (ABA) response. In the present study, we found that the expression of GLR3.7 was reduced by ABA treatment. Under ABA-treated condition, GLR3.7 overexpression lines exhibited significantly higher seed germination rate at 60, 72 and 84 h under ABA-treated condition. A point mutation in 14-3-3 binding site of GLR3.7 in GLR3.7-S860A overexpression lines exhibited higher seed germination inhibition under ABA-treated conditions. Our results support that GLR3.7 is involved in ABA response in Arabidopsis. In addition, Ser-860 of GLR3.7 appears to be important in ABA response.

Generating low-voltage grid proxies in order to estimate grid capacity for residential end-use technologies: The case of residential solar PV.

Due to data restrictions and power system complexity issues, it is difficult to estimate grid capacity for solar PV on regional or national scales. We here present a novel method for estimating low-voltage grid capacity for residential solar PV using publicly available data. High-resolution GIS data on demographics and dwelling dynamics is used to generate theoretical low-voltage grids. Simplified power system calculations are performed on the generated low-voltage grids to estimate residential solar PV capacity with a high temporal resolution. The method utilizes previous developments in reference network modelling and solar PV hosting capacity assessments. The method is demonstrated using datasets from Sweden, UK and Germany. Even though the method is designed to estimate residential solar PV grid capacity, the first block of the method can be utilized to estimate grid capacity or impacts from other residential end-use technologies, such as electric heating or electric vehicle charging. This method presents:•A method for estimating peak demand based on population density and dwelling type.•Generation of low-voltage grids based on peak demand.•Sizing of transformers and cables based on national low-voltage regulations and standards.

Preliminary Study on the Utilization of RHA as a Performance Enhancer for Rubber Mortar.

In this study, rice husk ash (RHA) was explored as a strength enhancer for mortars containing waste rubber. The effects of RHA on the flow, mechanical strength, chloride resistance, and capillary absorption of rubber mortar were investigated by substituting up to 20% cement with RHA. The experimental results showed that the incorporation of rubber into mortar could be safely achieved by adding RHA as a cement substitute by up to 20% without compromising the compressive strength of mortar. Moreover, the RHA also exerted positive effects on the enhancement of the chloride resistance as well as the capillary absorption of rubber mortars, for which 15% RHA was found to be the optimal dosage.

Dataset for generating synthetic residential low-voltage grids in Sweden, Germany and the UK.

Assessing grid capacity on national and local levels is important in order to formulate renewable energy targets, calculate integration costs of distributed generation (such as residential solar PV and electric vehicles). Currently, 70-96% of the residential solar PV installations in Germany and Italy are found in the low-voltage grid. Previous grid assessments have relied on grid data from individual low-voltage grids, making them limited to a few cases. This article presents synthetic low-voltage grid data from a reference network model. The reference network model generates synthetic low-voltage grids using publicly available data and national regulations and standards. In addition, the article presents data of residential solar photovoltaic hosting capacity in low-voltage grids. The datasets are high-resolution (1 × 1 km) and contains data on electricity peak demand, share of population living in apartments and important grid metrics such as transformer capacity, maximum feeder length and estimations of residential solar photovoltaic hosting capacity. Datasets on grid components are rare and the dataset can be used to assess grid impacts from other residential end-use technologies, and function as baseline for other reference network models.

Hydrothermal combination and geometry control the spatial and temporal rhythm of glacier flow.

The dynamic response of glacier to atmospheric change has varied both spatially and temporally. While some of this variability is likely related to regional climate signals, the geometry of this particular glacier also appears to be important. In this study, we investigated the hydrothermal conditions and geometric controls on the temporal and spatial evolution of Baishui River Glacier No.1's velocity from 2012 to 2019. To do this, we combined field investigations and remote sensing observations to measure the velocity of the glacier, and factors controlling this velocity. Annual changes showed that, from 2012 to 2019, the Baishui River Glacier No. 1 experienced continuous shrinkage, accompanied by decreasing ice velocities. Seasonal changes showed that the glacier velocity during the monsoon period was significantly higher than during the non-monsoon period. Spatially, the glacier's dynamic variability decreased toward its terminus, but increased toward the upper reaches of the glacier, along a longitudinal axis. We would suggest that the interannual velocity variation of Baishui River Glacier No.1 corresponded to thinning of the glacier, which in turn affected its gravitational force. Given that surface melt-induced basal lubrication, basal friction controlled by freezing rate, and dynamic thickening can alter seasonal patterns of movement, these variations may be important for understanding the seasonal evolution of this, and other glaciers. Our results further indicated that glacier width, slope, surface meltwater and crevasses were important constraints on any spatial movement patterns.

Effect of Internal Curing by Super Absorbent Polymer on the Autogenous Shrinkage of Alkali-Activated Slag Mortars.

Alkali activated slag (AAS) mortar is becoming an increasingly popular green building material because of its excellent engineering properties and low CO2 emissions, promising to replace ordinary Portland cement (OPC) mortar. However, AAS's high shrinkage and short setting time are the important reasons to limit its wide application in engineering. This paper was conducted to investigate the effect of internal curing(IC) by super absorbent polymer (SAP) on the autogenous shrinkage of AAS mortars. For this, an experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effect of SAP dosage on the setting time, autogenous shrinkage, compressive strength, microstructure, and pore structure. The SAP were incorporated at different dosage of 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 percent by weight of slag. The workability, physical (porosity), mechanical, and shrinkage properties of the mortars were evaluated, and a complementary study on microstructure was made. The results indicated that the setting time increased with an increase of SAP dosage due to the additional activator released by SAP. Autogenous shrinkage decreased with an increase of SAP dosage, and was mitigated completely when the dosage of SAP ≥ 0.2% wt of slag. Although IC by means of SAP reduced the compressive strength, this reduction (23% at 56 days for 0.2% SAP) was acceptable given the important role that it played on mitigating autogenous shrinkage. In the research, the 0.2% SAP dosage was the optimal content. The results can provide data and basis for practical application of AAS mortar.

The Glutamate Receptor-Like Protein GLR3.7 Interacts With 14-3-3ω and Participates in Salt Stress Response in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are ligand-gated cation channels that mediate fast excitatory neurotransmission in the mammalian central nervous system. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, a family of 20 glutamate receptor-like proteins (GLRs) shares similarities to animal iGluRs in sequence and predicted secondary structure. However, the function of GLRs in plants is little known. In the present study, a serine site (Ser-860) of AtGLR3.7 phosphorylated by a calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) was identified and confirmed by an in vitro kinase assay. Using a bimolecular fluorescence complementation and quartz crystal microbalance analyses, the physical interaction between AtGLR3.7 and the 14-3-3ω protein was confirmed. The mutation of Ser-860 to alanine abolished this interaction, indicating that Ser-860 is the 14-3-3ω binding site of AtGLR3.7. Compared with wild type, seed germination of the glr3.7-2 mutant was more sensitive to salt stress. However, the primary root growth of GLR3.7-S860A overexpression lines was less sensitive to salt stress than that of the wild-type line. In addition, the increase of cytosolic calcium ion concentration by salt stress was significantly lower in the glr3.7-2 mutant line than in the wild-type line. Moreover, association of 14-3-3 proteins to microsomal fractions was less in GLR3.7-S860A overexpression lines than in GLR3.7 overexpression line under 150 mM NaCl salt stress condition. Overall, our results indicated that GLR3.7 is involved in salt stress response in A. thaliana by affecting calcium signaling.

Bioequivalence evaluation of two 5% ceftiofur hydrochloride sterile suspension in pigs.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of 5% ceftiofur hydrochloride sterile suspension in two formulations, a test formulation (Saifukang 5% CEF, Hvsen) and a reference formulation (Excenel®RTU 5% CEF, Pfizer). Twenty-four healthy pigs were assigned to a two-period, two-treatment crossover parallel trial, and both formulations were administered at a single intramuscular dose of 5 mg/kg weight, with a 7-day washout period. Blood samples were collected consecutively for up to 144 hr after administration. The concentrations of ceftiofur- and desfuroylceftiofur-related metabolites in the plasma were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition, the major pharmacokinetic parameters (Cmax, AUC0-t and AUC0-∞) were computed and compared via analysis of variance, with 90% confidence intervals. Bioequivalence evaluation of Tmax was statistically analyzed with the nonparametric test. The comparison values between test and reference formulation for AUC0-t, AUC0-∞, Cmax, and Tmax were 376.7 ± 75.3 µg·hr/ml, 390.5 ± 78.6 µg·hr/ml, 385.9 ± 79.2 µg·hr/ml, 402.7 ± 80.4 µg·hr/ml, 34.6 ± 5.5 µg/ml, 36.1 ± 6.2 µg/ml, 1.27 ± 0.18 hr, and 1.26 ± 0.21 hr, respectively, and we observed no significant differences between the two formulations. The 90% CI values were within the recommended range of 80-125% (P>0.05), and the relative bioavailability of the test product was 96.47 ± 10.92% according to AUC0-t values. Based on our results, the two formulations exhibit comparable pharmacokinetic profiles, and the test product is bioequivalent to the reference formulation.

MLKL forms cation channels / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To investigate how MLKL functions on the membrane and explore its electrophysiological characters and structure. METHODS The full-length human MLKL were expressed in SF21 cells and purified using glutathione-sepharose affinity chromatography. The currents of purified MLKL proteins were recorded in avoltage-clamp mode using a Warner BC-535 bilayer clamp amplifier. The currents were digitized using pCLAMP 10.2 software. HEK293 cells were cultured and transfected with MLKL plasmid. Cell viability was examined using the CellTiter- Glo Luminescent Cell Viability Assay kit. RESULT MLKL forms cation channels that are permeable preferentially to Mg2+ rather than Ca2+ in the presence of Na+ and K+. Moreover,each MLKL monomer contains five transmembrane helices:H1, H2, H3 , H5 and H6 of the N-terminal domain which is sufficient to form channels. Finally, MLKL-induced membrane depolarization and cell death exhibit a positive correlation to its channel activity.

MLKL forms cation channels.

The mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) protein is a key factor in tumor necrosis factor-induced necroptosis. Recent studies on necroptosis execution revealed a commitment role of MLKL in membrane disruption. However, our knowledge of how MLKL functions on membrane remains very limited. Here we demonstrate that MLKL forms cation channels that are permeable preferentially to Mg(2+) rather than Ca(2+) in the presence of Na(+) and K(+). Moreover, the N-terminal domain containing six helices (H1-H6) is sufficient to form channels. Using the substituted cysteine accessibility method, we further determine that helix H1, H2, H3, H5 and H6 are transmembrane segments, while H4 is located in the cytoplasm. Finally, MLKL-induced membrane depolarization and cell death exhibit a positive correlation to its channel activity. The Mg(2+)-preferred permeability and five transmembrane segment topology distinguish MLKL from previously identified Mg(2+)-permeable channels and thus establish MLKL as a novel class of cation channels.

Nonlinear optimization-based device-free localization with outlier link rejection.

Device-free localization (DFL) is an emerging wireless technique for estimating the location of target that does not have any attached electronic device. It has found extensive use in Smart City applications such as healthcare at home and hospitals, location-based services at smart spaces, city emergency response and infrastructure security. In DFL, wireless devices are used as sensors that can sense the target by transmitting and receiving wireless signals collaboratively. Many DFL systems are implemented based on received signal strength (RSS) measurements and the location of the target is estimated by detecting the changes of the RSS measurements of the wireless links. Due to the uncertainty of the wireless channel, certain links may be seriously polluted and result in erroneous detection. In this paper, we propose a novel nonlinear optimization approach with outlier link rejection (NOOLR) for RSS-based DFL. It consists of three key strategies, including: (1) affected link identification by differential RSS detection; (2) outlier link rejection via geometrical positional relationship among links; (3) target location estimation by formulating and solving a nonlinear optimization problem. Experimental results demonstrate that NOOLR is robust to the fluctuation of the wireless signals with superior localization accuracy compared with the existing Radio Tomographic Imaging (RTI) approach.

Impact of near-death experiences on dialysis patients: a multicenter collaborative study.

BACKGROUND: People who have come close to death may report an unusual experience known as a near-death experience (NDE). This study aims to investigate NDEs and their aftereffects in dialysis patients. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 710 dialysis patients at 7 centers in Taipei, Taiwan. PREDICTOR: Demographic characteristics, life-threatening experience, depression, and religiosity. OUTCOMES: NDE and self-perceived changes in attitudes or behaviors. MEASUREMENTS: Greyson's NDE scale, Royal Free Questionnaire, 10-Question Survey, Ring's Weighted Core Experience Index, and Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS: 45 patients had 51 NDEs. Mean NDE score was 11.9 (95% confidence interval, 11.0 to 12.9). Out-of-body experience was found in 51.0% of NDEs. Purported precognitive visions, awareness of being dead, and "tunnel experience" were uncommon (<10%). Compared with the no-NDE group, subjects in the NDE group were more likely to be women and younger at life-threatening events. Both frequency of participation in religious ceremonies and pious religious activity correlated significantly with NDE score in patients with NDEs (P < 0.01 and P = 0.01, respectively). The NDE group reported being kinder to others (P = 0.04) and more motivated (P = 0.02) after their life-threatening events than the no-NDE group. LIMITATIONS: Determining the incidence of NDEs is dependent on self-reporting. Many NDEs occurred before the patient began long-term dialysis therapy. Causality between NDE and aftereffects cannot be inferred. CONCLUSIONS: NDE is not uncommon in the dialysis population and is associated with positive aftereffects. Nephrology care providers should be aware of the occurrence and aftereffects of NDEs. The high occurrence of life-threatening events, availability of medical records, and accessibility and cooperativeness of patients make the dialysis population very suitable for NDE research.