Adoption of “hospital-at-home” programs remains concentrated among larger, urban, not-for-profit and academic hospitals

Study highlights need for targeted incentives to expand program to smaller, rural, and non-teaching hospitals

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

Hospitals that have adopted the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) “hospital-at-home” program, which serves as an alternative to admission to brick-and-mortar facilities, are concentrated in large, urban, not-for-profit, and academic hospitals, new research suggests.

The findings are among the first to portray the landscape of hospitals participating in this rapidly growing care model, said Dr. Hashem Zikry, a participant in the National Clinician Scholars Program at UCLA and lead author on the paper, which will be published in the peer-reviewed JAMA.

“If CMS’ goal is to continue to expand hospital-at-home, these findings suggest that different incentives or outreach may be needed for smaller, rural, and non-teaching hospitals,” Zikry said.

Established in November 2020, the CMS program allows hospitals to deliver care for acute medical illness to patients in their own homes in lieu of a traditional hospital admission.

 “Imagine, for example, a 70-year-old who needs treatment for pneumonia,” Zikry said. “Instead of being admitted to the brick-and-mortar hospital, hospital-at-home allows this patient to get the same resources, such as antibiotics and vital sign monitoring, in her own home.” An initial motivation for promoting hospital-at-home was to lessen capacity strain on hospitals — a problem that was exposed and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. “Many hospitals are operating at 100% capacity almost all the time,” said Zikry, “so anything that might free up beds and mitigate that capacity crisis is tremendously appealing to heath systems.”

Initially scheduled to expire in December 2022, Congress extended the hospital-at-home waiver program through the end of 2024 and recently introduced legislation to extend it for another five years. Early participants in the CMS program tended to be large, urban, not-for-profit, academic hospitals. In light of the current proposal to extend the waiver, Zikry and coauthors were curious to see whether participation continued to grow after the initial 2022 extension and whether the characteristics of participating hospitals had changed over time.

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of short-term acute care hospitals in the United States and used the 2022 American Hospital Association Annual Survey to obtain data on hospital characteristics. They compared hospitals that applied for the waiver between November 2020 and December 2022 (pre-extension hospitals) and those that applied afterward (post-extension). Of about 3,000 hospitals included in the study, 299 obtained the waiver, with 249 of them pre-extension and 50 post-extension.

The study found that adoption of the waiver remained concentrated among large, urban, not-for-profit, and academic hospitals. The characteristics of post-extension hospitals were similar to pre-extension hospitals, although the former were somewhat smaller and demonstrated regional differences.

 Among their findings:

• Geographically, 49 (98%) post-extension and 226 (91%) pre-extension hospitals were in metropolitan areas
• Post-extension facilities were most often located in the northeastern (16 hospitals, for 31%) or western U.S (10, for 20%), compared with 30 (12%) and 26 (10%) pre-extension hospitals, respectively. In the south, 19 (38%) were post-extension and 143 (57%) pre-extension
• Of the post-extension facilities, 24 (48%) had 100 to 299 beds and 20 (40%) had more than 300 beds, compared with 86 (35%) and 126 (51%) pre-extension, respectively
• Non-profits comprised 46 (92%) post-extension and 201 (81%) pre-extension hospitals
• Among academic hospitals, 27 (54%) were minor teaching hospitals and 11 (22%) were major teaching hospitals post-extension, compared with 137 (55%) and 64 (26%) pre-extension, respectively.

There are multiple implications of this research, according to Zikry. For one, if CMS wants to expand the reach of hospital-at-home, more work must be done to incorporate smaller, rural, and non-teaching hospitals. The data is clear that these types of hospitals are not seeking to create these programs on their own, potentially because of the resources involved in creating and sustaining their operation until they scale.

Moreover, additional research is needed to understand the practical implications and tradeoffs of hospital-at-home.

“Resources are being poured into these programs around the country,” Zikry said, “yet we still don’t have a comprehensive understanding of how the programs are functioning on the ground.”

Many questions remain, he said.: “Are family members of these patients acting as unpaid caregivers during these admissions? Could these patients do just as well in other care settings? Do patients actually prefer to be at home? And are health systems leveraging this program equitably?”

Study co-authors are Dr. David Schriger of UCLA and Dr. Austin Kilaru of the University of Pennsylvania.

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Journal

JAMA

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

GOOD NEWS

US Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued

9 in 10 Americans say it’s important for parents to have children vaccinated

Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania

 

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Source: Annenberg Public Policy Center's ASAPH surveys, October 2023 and November 2024.

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Credit: Annenberg Public Policy Center

PHILADELPHIA – A year after becoming available, vaccines to protect against RSV in newborns and older adults are being more widely accepted by the American public, according to a new Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) health survey conducted in November 2024.

Over half of U.S. adults (52%) think the vaccine given to pregnant individuals to protect their infants from RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is effective, up from 42% in October 2023, soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the vaccine. And 61% say the RSV vaccine for adults age 60 and older is effective, up from 54% in October 2023.

The rise in perceived effectiveness for the RSV vaccine comes even though there has been no sign to date of a dreaded “tripledemic,” the wave of flu, Covid-19, and RSV illnesses that filled emergency rooms in the fall and winter of 2022-23 and may have resulted in over 100,000 U.S. deaths. As of Dec. 20, 2024, the CDC reports overall moderate levels of acute respiratory illness, though flu season is underway with levels increasing across the country, Covid-19 activity is increasing from low levels in some areas of the country, and RSV activity is high and increasing in most U.S. areas, especially in young children.

The rise also comes as several of president-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for leading policy-making health positions have cast doubt on the efficacy and safety of vaccines, notably Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has said “no vaccine” is safe and effective, and CDC chief nominee Dave Weldon, who, like Kennedy, has promoted the disproven link between vaccines and autism.

The APPC survey findings are based on a nationally representative panel survey of 1,771 U.S. adults fielded from Nov. 14-24, 2024, and has a margin of error of ± 3.3 percentage points. For more on the survey, see the end of this news release or the topline.

Vaccine hesitancy may have plateaued

The past several years have shown evidence of increased vaccine hesitancy. (See our October 2023 survey release, “Vaccine Confidence Falls as Belief in Health Misinformation Grows.”) However, by several measures in the November survey, including the RSV findings noted above, public acceptance of vaccination has risen slightly or held steady:

• 86% of respondents say the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) is safe, up from 81% in October 2023. The rebound brings it back toward the 88% who perceived it as safe in August 2022.
• 83% say the flu vaccine is safe, unchanged from October 2023.
• 65% say the Covid-19 vaccine is safe, unchanged from last fall.
• The perceived effectiveness of a variety of other vaccines is unchanged from October 2023.
• Over three-quarters of the public would recommend various vaccines, when appropriate, to members of their families and households.

In addition, despite continuing attacks on the safety and efficacy of certain vaccines by some politicians, 9 in 10 respondents say it is important for parents to get their children vaccinated: 72% say it is very or extremely important and 19% say it is somewhat important. Only 10% say it is not at all or not very important that parents get their children vaccinated.

Flu vaccine vs. Covid-19

In the survey, U.S. adults view the seasonal flu shot as more effective at reducing the risk of getting a severe case of the flu this season (75%) than the Covid booster is at reducing the risk of getting a severe case of Covid this season (55%). There’s been a significant increase in understanding that the flu shot doesn’t necessarily prevent a person who is exposed to the flu from getting sick but it does make the infection less severe (54%, up from 48% in October 2023). Fewer people say they are unsure what effect a flu shot has on a person who is later exposed to someone with the flu (14%, down from 20%).

The November data show that fewer people have received or plan to receive the Covid booster, as compared with the flu shot:

• Just over half of survey respondents (51%) either got the seasonal flu shot (40%) or say they are very likely to (11%) get it, compared with 38% who either got the latest Covid-19 booster (29%) or say they are very likely to (9%).
• The most common reason people select to explain why they have received the Covid booster and the flu shot is to protect themselves against catching that illness (82% and 78%, respectively).
• More people report getting the flu shot because they “get it every year” (76%) than those who report getting the Covid booster because they “get one every time a new booster comes out” (51%).
• 68% know they can get a Covid booster and a flu shot in the same visit to a health care clinic or pharmacy, unchanged from October 2023, though there’s a significant increase in the number who report that this is definitely true (44%, up from 38% in October 2023).

Flu knowledge

• Most people (80%) know the effectiveness of the seasonal flu shot varies year to year.
• Although most people (69%) see this year’s flu vaccine as effective at reducing the risk of getting the flu (unchanged from October 2023), more people think it is ineffective this fall (20%) than last fall (15%).
  • In fact, early reports suggest that this seasonal flu vaccine may be less effective than last year’s: Based on reports from five South American countries, the CDC has said the effectiveness of the seasonal flu vaccine at cutting the risk of hospitalization among high-risk groups appears to be 35%, lower than the 51.9% seen in those countries last flu season, according to WebMD.
• 69% know that there is value in getting a flu shot after November, but 19% are unsure.
• Most people (80%) know it is possible to spread the flu to others even if you have no symptoms, up from 76% in January of 2023. (The CDC says that some “people can be infected with influenza viruses and have no symptoms but may still be able to spread the virus to their close contacts.”)
• Most (71%) know that the flu shot is the best defense against seasonal flu.
• However, only 42% believe that everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu shot, unchanged from last year.

The public's view of the effectiveness of various vaccines 

Caption

Source: Annenberg Public Policy Center's ASAPH survey, November 2024.

Credit

Annenberg Public Policy Center

Beliefs in vaccine effectiveness and safety

Longstanding vaccines such as the MMR, polio, and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccines are usually top-rated by the public in effectiveness, safety, and in recommendations that others get the vaccines. Newer vaccines such as the Covid-19 vaccine or those for which public health advice has recently changed – such as the CDC recommendation that adults 50 and older get a vaccine against pneumonia – are less familiar and often lower-rated by the public.

Recommending vaccines. Here are the public’s views on recommending vaccines to others:

• MMR vaccine: 90% would be likely to recommend an MMR vaccine for a child in their household who is either between the ages of 12-15 months or 4 to 6 years old.
• Polio vaccine: 88% would be likely to recommend a polio vaccine to a child in their household of 2 to 6 months old.
• Tdap vaccine: 85% would be likely to recommend a Tdap vaccine to a child in their household of 11-12 years old or an adult in their family.
• Shingles vaccine: 82% would be likely to recommend a shingles vaccine to someone age 50+ in their family.
• HPV vaccine: 79% would be likely to recommend an HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine for a child aged 11 or 12 years old in their household.
• Pneumonia vaccine: 77% would be likely to recommend a pneumonia vaccine to a person aged 50 or older in their family, down from 84% who were likely to recommend it to someone 65 or older in their family in April 2022. The CDC recommended lowering the age for the vaccine on Oct. 23, 2024, weeks before this survey was fielded.

Vaccine safety. Public views on vaccine safety:

• MMR: 86% say the MMR vaccine is safe, up from 81% in October 2023 (as noted above)
• Flu: 83% say the flu vaccine is safe, unchanged
• Covid-19: 65% say the Covid-19 vaccine is safe, unchanged from October 2023 but lower than 73% in August 2022.

Vaccine effectiveness. Public views on vaccine effectiveness are stable with the exception of RSV, which rose as noted above. The following percentages saw these vaccines as effective. Comparisons are to October 2023, if this question was asked then:

• MMR: 86% see the vaccine as effective (unchanged)
• Polio: 85%
• Tdap: 80%
• Flu: 75% (unchanged)
• Shingles: 74% (unchanged)
• Pneumonia: 71% (unchanged)
• HPV: 65% (unchanged)
• Covid-19: 65% (unchanged)
• RSV for adults 60 and older: 61%, up from 54% in October 2023
• RSV for pregnant individuals: 52%, up from 42% in October 2023

APPC’s Annenberg Science and Public Health knowledge survey

The survey data come from the 22nd wave of a nationally representative panel of 1,771 U.S. adults conducted for the Annenberg Public Policy Center by SSRS, an independent market research company. Most have been empaneled since April 2021. To account for attrition, small replenishment samples have been added over time using a random probability sampling design. The most recent replenishment, in September 2024, added 360 respondents to the sample. This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Health Knowledge (ASAPH) survey was fielded Nov. 14-24, 2024. The margin of sampling error (MOE) is ± 3.3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All figures are rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add to 100%. Combined subcategories may not add to totals in the topline and text due to rounding.

Download the topline and the methods report.

The policy center has been tracking the American public’s knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors regarding vaccination, Covid-19, flu, RSV, and other consequential health issues through this survey panel over the past two-and-a-half years. In addition to APPC director Kathleen Hall Jamieson, APPC’s team on the survey includes research analysts Laura A. Gibson and Shawn Patterson Jr.; Patrick E. Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute; and Ken Winneg, managing director of survey research.

###

The Annenberg Public Policy Center was established in 1993 to educate the public and policy makers about communication’s role in advancing public understanding of political, science, and health issues at the local, state, and federal levels.

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Method of Research

Survey

 

Neuroscience leader reveals oxytocin's crucial role beyond the 'love hormone' label

Distinguished professor Inga Neumann discusses groundbreaking social behavior research in exclusive Genomic Press Interview

Genomic Press

 

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Inga D. Neumann working at the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone, preparing enrichment material for chimpanzee orphans.

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Credit: Inga D. Neumann

REGENSBURG, Bavaria, Germany, 24 December 2024 – In a comprehensive Genomic Press Interview, Professor Inga Neumann, Chair of the Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology at the University of Regensburg, reveals groundbreaking insights into how oxytocin shapes social behavior and emotional responses in the brain.

The interview, published in Brain Medicine (DOI: 10.61373/bm024k.0139), showcases Professor Neumann's pioneering research on neuropeptides, particularly oxytocin, which has evolved far beyond its popular characterization as simply the "love hormone."

"I am convinced that increasing our knowledge about the stimuli, dynamics, and consequences of their intracerebral release at the behavioural, physiological, cellular, and molecular levels will improve our understanding of general brain mechanisms," explains Professor Neumann, whose work spans from molecular mechanisms to behavioral outcomes.

Her research team has developed innovative approaches to studying social anxiety, including a breakthrough mouse model of social fear conditioning. This work has opened new avenues for understanding how chronic stress and early life experiences influence social behavior patterns.

"We started to focus on the potential role of the brain's oxytocin and AVP systems as therapeutic targets for psychiatric diseases such as depression and anxiety disorders or autism," Professor Neumann notes, highlighting the clinical implications of her research. "The hope is that one day it will be possible to apply oxytocin reliably to treat – for example – treatment-resistant patients suffering from anxiety disorders, especially social anxiety, but also autism and schizophrenia."

As the first woman appointed full professor at the Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine at the University of Regensburg, Professor Neumann has not only advanced scientific understanding but also broken gender barriers in academia. Her leadership extends to directing the Elite Masters Programme in Experimental and Clinical Neuroscience and heading the Graduate School "Neurobiology of Socio-Emotional Dysfunctions."

The interview provides unique insights into the challenges and triumphs of conducting neuroscience research across different political eras, from her early work in East Germany to her current position as a leading international researcher. "My beginnings as a scientist behind the 'Iron Curtain' were bumpy," she recalls, describing how her team had to build their own research equipment using donated materials.

Her current research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of social fear, particularly investigating the role of oxytocin, CRF, and other neuroactive molecules. This work has significant implications for treating social anxiety disorders and understanding stress resilience.

Looking ahead, Professor Neumann's research raises intriguing questions about the future of psychiatric treatment: How can we optimize the delivery of oxytocin-based therapies to the brain? What role might epigenetic factors play in social behavior disorders? How can we better translate findings from animal models to human therapeutic applications?

Professor Inga Neumann's Genomic Press interview is part of a larger series that highlights the people behind today’s most influential scientific ideas. Each interview in the series offers a blend of cutting-edge research and personal reflections, providing readers with a comprehensive view of the scientists shaping the future. By combining a focus on professional achievements with personal insights, this interview style invites a richer narrative that both engages and educates readers. This format provides an ideal starting point for profiles that explores the scientist’s impact on the field, while also touching on broader human themes. More information on the research leaders and research rising stars featured by Genomic Press can be found in our publication website: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/.

The complete interview, titled "Inga D. Neumann: Molecular underpinnings of the brain oxytocin system and its involvement in socio-emotional behaviour: More than a love story," is available on 24 December 2024 in Brain Medicine. The article is freely accessible online at https://doi.org/10.61373/bm024k.0139.

About Brain Medicine: Brain Medicine (ISSN: 2997-2639) is a peer-reviewed medical research journal published by Genomic Press, New York. Brain Medicine is a new home for the cross-disciplinary pathway from innovation in fundamental neuroscience to translational initiatives in brain medicine. The journal’s scope includes the underlying science, causes, outcomes, treatments, and societal impact of brain disorders, across all clinical disciplines and their interface.

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Journal

Brain Medicine

DOI

10.61373/bm024k.0139 

Method of Research

News article

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Inga D. Neumann: Molecular underpinnings of the brain oxytocin system and its involvement in socio-emotional behaviour: More than a love story

Article Publication Date

24-Dec-2024

 

Unraveling the power and influence of language

Association for Psychological Science

A choice was made to include each word in this sentence. Every message, even the most mundane, is crafted with a specific frame in mind that impacts how the message is perceived.  

The study of framing effects is a multidisciplinary line of research that investigates when, how, and why language influences those who receive a message and how it impacts their response.  

This multifaceted science is in the spotlight in the latest issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest. Stephen Flusberg of Vassar College and his team provide a comprehensive review of framing-effects research, including describing a survey of common framing effects and a taxonomy of linguistic framing techniques. Throughout the paper, they make the case for the powerful effects framing has on society and the ways individuals perceive the world.  

“The focus on linguistic control in popular media may reflect a deeper concern—and fascination—with the force of language in our daily lives,” the authors wrote. “We routinely use words to try to influence what other people are thinking, feeling, and doing.”  

The use of war metaphors, for example, generates an increased sense of urgency when used to describe an issue (Flusberg et al., 2017, 2018). Terms that describe war can also shape our beliefs around a specific topic. A previous study compared the impact of using the words “battle” and “journey” to talk about cancer. Participants who read the story framed as a battle believed the cancer diagnosis was more fatal than those who read the story framed as a journey (Hauser & Schwarz, 2020).  

“Metaphors are especially effective for shaping beliefs about abstract and complex issues like cancer because they leverage what you know—your cognitive frames—about more concrete, familiar domains like battles and journeys,” the authors wrote. 

Flusberg is joined by coauthors Kevin Holmes (Reed College), Paul Thibodeau (Oberlin College), Robin Nabi (University of California, Santa Barbara), and Teenie Matlock (University of California, Merced).  

The authors conclude the paper with a set of recommendations to consider for effective framing and to help inspire reflection on the role of framing in society.  

“A deeper understanding of the psychology of framing can enhance not only our communication skills and ability to navigate our linguistic environments, but also our prospects for getting things done,” they wrote. “The research we have reviewed serves as a reminder to be mindful of both the words and phrases we use ourselves and the ones that grab our attention or generate a strong emotional response.”  

In a commentary published alongside the paper, James Walsh from The Agency Fund wrote the report makes a case for a fresh perspective on the psychology of framing. Frames are more than just mental shortcuts, he explained—they also play a foundational role in cognition. Walsh pointed out that framing research has expanded beyond psychology, noting its important contributions to economics and government policy.  

“Flusberg et al. show that we have come a long way in our understanding of frames in the last 100 years,” wrote Walsh. “Emerging evidence suggests that we’re only just beginning to leverage their full potential, though. The coming 100 years promises to be even more exciting.”  

 

References  

Flusberg, S. J., Holmes, K. J., Thibodeau, P. H., Nabi, R., & Matlock, T. (2024). The psychology of framing: How everyday language shapes the way we think, feel, and act. Psychological Science In the Public Interest, 25(3).

Flusberg, S. J., Matlock, T., & Thibodeau, P. H. (2017). Metaphors for the war (or race) against climate change. Environmental Communication, 11(6), 769–783. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2017.1289111   

Flusberg, S. J., Matlock, T., & Thibodeau, P. H. (2018). War metaphors in public discourse. Metaphor & Symbol, 33(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926488.2018.1407992 

Hauser, D. J., & Schwarz, N. (2020). The war on prevention II: Battle metaphors undermine cancer treatment and prevention and do not increase vigilance. Health Communication, 35(13), 1698–1704. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2019.1663465 

Walsh, J. (2024). How frames can promote agency. Psychological Science In the Public Interest, 25(3). 

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Journal

Psychological Science in the Public Interest

DOI

10.1177/15291006241246966 

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The Psychology of Framing: How Everyday Language Shapes the Way We Think, Feel, and Act

Article Publication Date

20-Dec-2024

 

Six new tree species named: 3 from Panama, 3 from Colombia

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

 

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Matisia aquilarum, found in Panama's Chagres National Park, was named in reference to the presence of a harpy eagle nest in the tree.

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Credit: STRI Herbarium

Botanists José Luis Fernández-Alonso, of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, and Ernesto Campos, research technician at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, named six new tree species based on comparisons made among collections of dried plant specimens from across the Neotropics. Of these six, three of the new species have only been found in Panama: Matisia petaquillae, Matisia changuinolana and Matisia aquilarum. The new species from Colombia identified in the same report are Matisia genesiana, Matisia mutatana and Matisia rufula.

The first two Panamanian species were named in reference to the places where they were collected and the third, Matisia aquilarum, found in Chagres National Park, was named in reference to the presence of a Harpy Eagle nest in the tree, recorded by ornithologist Karla Aparicio and botanist Ruby Zambrano.

Botanists often collect large numbers of plant samples. The samples are dried, pressed between pieces of cardboard, and then mounted on  special paper and filed in herbaria. Herbaria are specialized collections of dried plants, carefully stored in environmentally controlled spaces for the long-term preservation of specimens. Currently, herbarium curators have created online digital images of many specimens that facilitate access and exchange of knowledge.

But it still depends on expert plant taxonomists to identify the samples. Plant specimens that cannot be easily identified may wait years until the expert in a particular group of plants compares collections from across the region and has the final say on whether a sample represents a species that no one has encountered before.

"In 2022, Fernández-Alonso contributed to confirming the identification of another tree, Matisia tinamastiana, from Cerro Trinidad in the Altos de Campana Forest Reserve and National Park, which turned out to be a new report for Panama," Campos said. "This gave rise to our current collaboration."

To identify this new set of species, Fernández-Alonso analyzed plant samples stored in herbariums in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, and the United States. In Panama, with the help of Ernesto Campos, it was possible to complete revisions of the collections of herbaria at the University of Panama (PMA), Summit Canal Zone (SCZ) housed at STRI, and at the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (UCH).

Thanks to collections made by STRI senior botanists, Rolando Pérez and Salomón Aguilar, it was possible to expand the distribution range of Matisia aquilarum, with a specimen found at a study site in Chagres National Park. The site is part of the ForestGEO-STRI forest monitoring network. This additional specimen, used for the description of the species, belonged to a collection at STRI, which was later deposited in the SCZ herbarium and thus contributes to increasing the representativeness of species in that collection.

"We are currently working on the identification of other plant samples with the support of Joana Sumich, technician in the SCZ herbarium. Some were collected decades ago by Pérez and Aguilar in the ForestGEO plots and we have indications that there may be more species in their collections that are new records for Panama or new to science," said David Mitre.

To make it easier for non-experts to identify the plants in this group, the authors include an updated dichotomous key of Matisia species for Panama in their manuscript. The last published identification key for Panama of this kind dates back more than half a century.

"Herbaria are not just collections of dried plants," said David Mitre, research manager for ForestGEO-STRI in Panama, "they are a source of new information in the long term.”

“Discoveries like this remind us how important it is to make sure that protected areas are really well protected," Mitre said. The forests of Panama and Colombia are home to many plant species that are not only important to the animals that live there but may be sources of new pharmaceuticals and other resources, of which we are not yet aware.

“Smithsonian plant collections and the talented curators on our staff give researchers from around the world the ability to correctly identify plants,” said Joshua Tewksbury, STRI Director. “This window into the world of plants leads to discoveries of new pharmaceuticals and makes it possible for conservationists to justify protection for natural areas where rare species flourish.”

 

Reference:

Fernández-Alonso, José Luis y Ernesto Campos Pineda. 2024. Malvaceae neotropicae novae vel minus cognitae XII. Nuevas especies de Matisia de Colombia y Panamá. Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas, y Naturales. 48(189)897-921, octubre-diciembre de 2024 doi:https://doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.3072.

 

# # #

Images available upon request

 

First set--two laminas of Matisia petaquillae, dried and fresh: Compare these images of Matisia petaquillae. Both show characteristics needed to identify this species. The first, a dried specimen from the University of Panama herbarium, shows a branch and highlights the very small details that distinguish this plant from its close relatives. The set of images, taken in the forest, show the large buttress roots, the orange color that the inner bark when exposed to air, a fresh branch, and fruit pulp around the seeds. It is much easier to identify plants with both fresh and dried samples. But most of the id’s in this study were based only on dried specimens—some of them decades old.

 

4_herbario de stri_2024_20.11-24.jpg

Joana Sumich and Ernesto Campos holding dried plant specimens in the Smithsonian herbarium.

 

New Matisia species from Panama

Matisia petaquillae

Matisia changuinolana

Matisia aquilarum

 

New Matisia species from Colombia

Matisia genesiana

Matisia mutatana

Matisia rufula

 

 

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Journal

Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales

DOI

10.18257/raccefyn.3072 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Malvaceae neotropicae novae vel minus cognitae XII. Nuevas especies de Matisia de Colombia y Panamá

Article Publication Date

23-Dec-2024

 

'Capture the oxygen!' The key to extending next-generation lithium-ion battery life

Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)

 

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Control of surface crystal structure changes and battery lifespan characteristics influenced by interfacial stability

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Credit: POSTECH

   

A research team led by Professor Jihyun Hong from the Department of Battery Engineering Department of the Graduate Institute of Ferrous & Eco Materials Technology at POSTECH, along with Dr. Gukhyun Lim, has developed a groundbreaking strategy to enhance the durability of lithium-rich layered oxide (LLO) material, a next-generation cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). This breakthrough, which significantly extends battery lifespan, was published in the renowned energy journal Energy & Environmental Science.

 

   Lithium-ion batteries are indispensable in applications such as electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS). The lithium-rich layered oxide (LLO) material offers up to 20% higher energy density than conventional nickel-based cathodes by reducing the nickel and cobalt content while increasing the lithium and manganese composition. As a more economical and sustainable alternative, LLO has garnered significant attention. However, challenges such as capacity fading and voltage decay during charge-discharge cycles have hindered its commercial viability.

 

   While previous studies have identified structural changes in the cathode during cycling as the cause of these issues, the exact reasons behind the instability have remained largely unclear. Additionally, existing strategies aimed at enhancing the structural stability of LLO have failed to resolve the root cause, hindering commercialization.

 

   The POSTECH team focused on the pivotal role of oxygen release in destabilizing the LLO structure during the charge-discharge process. They hypothesized that improving the chemical stability of the interface between the cathode and the electrolyte could prevent oxygen from being released. Building on this idea, they reinforced the cathode-electrolyte interface by improving the electrolyte composition, which resulted in a significant reduction in oxygen emissions.

 

   The research team’s enhanced electrolyte maintained an impressive energy retention rate of 84.3% even after 700 charge-discharge cycles, a significant improvement over conventional electrolytes, which only achieved an average of 37.1% energy retention after 300 cycles.

 

   The research also revealed that structural changes on the surface of the LLO material had a significant impact on the overall stability of the material. By addressing these changes, the team was able to dramatically improve the lifespan and performance of the cathode while also minimizing unwanted reactions like electrolyte decomposition inside the battery.

 

   Professor Jihyun Hong commented, “Using synchrotron radiation, we were able to analyze the chemical and structural differences between the surface and interior of the cathode particles. This revealed that the stability of the cathode surface is crucial for the overall structural integrity of the material and its performance. We believe this research will provide new directions for developing next-generation cathode materials.”

 

This research was supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy through the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, and the Ministry of Science and ICT through the National Research Foundation of Korea, with funding for 2024.

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Journal

Energy & Environmental Science

DOI

10.1039/D4EE02329C 

Article Title

Decoupling capacity fade and voltage decay of Li-rich Mn-rich cathodes by tailoring surface reconstruction pathways