Background: After the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus outbreak in Korea in 2015, the government newly established the additional reimbursement for infection prevention to encourage infection control activities in the hospitals. The new policy was announced in December 2015 and was implemented in September 2016. We evaluated how infection control activities improved in hospitals after the change of government policy in Korea. Methods: Three cross-sectional surveys using the WHO Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework (HHSAF) were conducted in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Using multivariable linear regression model including hospital characteristics, we analyzed the changes in total HHSAF scores according to the survey time. Results: In total, 32 hospitals participated in the survey in 2013, 52 in 2015, and 101 in 2017. The number of inpatient beds per infection control professionals decreased from 324 in 2013 to 303 in 2015 and 179 in 2017. Most hospitals were at intermediate or advanced levels of progress (90.6% in 2013, 86.6% in 2015, and 94.1% in 2017). In a multivariable linear regression model, the total HHSAF scores were significantly associated with hospital teaching status (β coefficient of major teaching hospital, 52.6; 95% CI, 8.9–96.4; P = .018), bed size (β coefficient of 100-bed increase, 5.1; 95% CI, 0.3–9.8; P = .038), and survey time (β coefficient of 2017 survey, 45.1; 95% CI, 19.3–70.9; P = .001). Conclusions: After the national policy implementation, the number of infection control professionals increased, and the promotion of hand hygiene activities was strengthened in Korean hospitals.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Most modern electrochemical and photoelectrochemical devices (e.g., solar cells, photoelectrochemical cells, fuel cells, and batteries) are composed of polycrystalline semiconductor and metal electrodes. The shape and size of the individual crystals constituting a polycrystalline electrode as well as the overall interfacial architecture have a significant effect on the overall performance of the electrode. Therefore, a method that can precisely control electrode morphologies and provide an understanding of their effects on electrode performance is critical for producing highly efficient and cost-effective electrode materials. Electrochemical synthesis is a low-cost method that can produce a variety of materials as polycrystalline electrodes with exceptional control of their morphologies. This article reviews recently developed electrochemical synthesis strategies that produce inorganic materials with various morphological features, which have a direct impact on the material's properties. This article will serve as a good foundation for those seeking a viable electrochemical route to produce electrodes having a specifically desired morphology.

Zinc oxide and cobalt hydroxide films with ordered lamellar structures were electrochemically produced via interfacial surfactant templating. This method utilizes interfacial amphiphile assemblies on a working electrode as a template to electrodeposit inorganic nanostructures. Surfactants with anionic head groups (e.g. sodium dodecyl sulfate, 1-hexadecanesulfonate sodium salt, dodecylbenzenesulfonate sodium salt, and dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt) formed bilayer assemblies with Zn2+ and Co2+ ions on the working electrode and guided the lamellar growth of ZnO and Co(OH)2 films. In order to gain the ability to precisely tailor inorganic lamellar structures, the effect of co-solvent and type of working electrode on the repeat distances, homogeneity and orientation of the interfacial amphiphilic bilayers were investigated. The results described here will provide a useful foundation to design and optimize synthetic conditions for electrochemical construction of inorganic lamellar structures.

Our exploratory research in new thermoelectric materials has identified the ternary and quaternary bismuth chalcogenides β-K2Bi8Se13, K2.5Bi8.5Se14 and K1+xPb4-2xBi7+xSe15, to have promising properties for thermoelectric applications. These materials have needlelike morphology so they are highly anisotropic in their electrical and thermal properties. In order to achieve long and well-oriented needles for which, consequently, the best thermoelectric performance is expected, we developed a modified Bridgman technique for their bulk crystal growth. The preliminary results of our crystal growth experiments as well as electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity for the compounds obtained from this technique are presented.

We present the structure and thermoelectric properties of the new quaternary selenides K1+xM4–2xBi7+xSe15 (M = Sn, Pb) and K1-xSn5-xBi11+xSe22. The compounds K1+xM4-2xBi7+xSe15 (M= Sn, Pb) crystallize isostructural to A1+xPb4-2xSb7+xSe15 with A = K, Rb, while K1-xSn5-xBi11+xSe22 reveals a new structure type. In both structure types fragments of the Bi2Te3-type and the NaCl-type are connected to a three-dimensional anionic framework with K+ ions filled tunnels. The two structures vary by the size of the NaCl-type rods and are closely related to β-K2Bi8Se13 and K2.5Bi8.5Se14. The thermoelectric properties of K1+xM4-2xBi7+xSe15 (M = Sn, Pb) and K1-xSn5-xBi11+xSe22 were explored on single crystal and ingot samples. These compounds are narrow gap semiconductors and show n-type behavior with moderate Seebeck coefficients. They have very low thermal conductivity due to an extensive disorder of the metal atoms and possible “rattling” K+ ions.

We present the synthesis and structure of the new chalcogenide compounds, Rb0.5Bi1.83Te3, APb2Bi3Te7 (A = Cs, Rb), K1.25Pb3.50Bi7.25Se15 and A1+xPb4−2xSb7+xSe15 (A = K, Rb). The layered structures of the first two telluride compounds are related to each other in a very interesting fashion. These compounds are n-type metallic conductors and solid solutions with Se and Sb have also been synthesized. K1.25Pb3.50Bi7.25Se15 and its Sb analogs have a complex three-dimensional structure composed of NaCl- and Bi2Te3-type building units. The thermal stability, melting behavior, electrical conductivity and thermopower of these compounds are reported.

The ternary compound, SrBiTe3, was prepared by the molten flux method. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pmmn with a=4.665(2)Å, b=4.517(2)Å, c=16.129Å, and Z=2. The compound is composed of a NaCl-type [Bi2Te4]2- layer and a flat square (Te2)2- net with equal Te-Te distances of 3.24Å. The Sr2+ ions are stabilized between the layers in monocapped square antiprismatic sites. X-ray and electron diffraction studies reveal a 12-fold superstructure due to subtle distortions within the Te net of the compound. The superstructure was refined in the monoclinic space group C2 with a=27.923(5)Å, b=32.228(6)Å, c=4.5069(9)Å, β=90.000(3)°. The compound is a semiconductor with a band gap value of 0.14 eV. It melts incongruently at 613 °C.

Our exploratory research to identify new promising candidates for next generation thermoelectric applications has produced several interesting new materials which are briefly described here. We present their compositions, solid state structures, properties and charge transport behavior. The compounds CsBi4Te6, β-K2Bi8Se13, Ba4Bi6Se13, Eu2Pb2Bi6Se13, KBi6.33S10, Eu2Pb2Bi4Se10, Ba2Pb2Bi6S13 and K1.25 Pb3.5Bi7.25Se15 are particularly noteworthy.

Glasses of B2O3-Na2O-Na2I2 have been prepared over a wide range of compositions on the basis of a fixed O/B ratio and a fixed Na/B ratio, respectively. Raman spectra and the ionic conductivity have been measured to elucidate the role of the iodide. In the fixed O/B ratio, a drastic increase of the conductivity with the addition of iodide is observed. The conductivity results are found to be consistent with the Raman results. In the fixed Na/B ratio, the substitution of iodide does not influence significantly the glass structure as well as the ionic conductivity.