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ABSTRACTObjectivesVitamin D deficiency has been associated with psychiatric disorders and behavioral phenotypes such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Considering that vitamin D levels are polygenic, we aim to evaluate the overall effects of its genetic architecture on symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity and on the serum levels of vitamin D in two independent samples of adults, as well as the specific effects of five relevant polymorphisms in vitamin D-related genes.MethodsWe evaluated 870 subjects from an ADHD sample (407 cases and 463 controls) and 319 subjects from an academic community (nutrigenetic sample). Vitamin D serum levels were obtained through Elisa test and genetic data by TaqMan™ allelic discrimination and Infinium PsychArray-24 BeadChip genotyping. Polygenic Scores (PGS) were calculated on PRSice2 based on the latest GWAS for Vitamin D and statistical analyses were conducted at Plink and SPSS software.ResultsVitamin D PGSs were associated with inattention in the ADHD sample and with hyperactivity when inattention symptoms were included as covariates. In the nutrigenetic sample, CYP2R1rs10741657 and DHCR7rs12785878 were nominally associated with impulsivity and hyperactivity, respectively, and both with vitamin D levels. In the clinical sample, RXRGrs2134095 was associated with impulsivity.DiscussionOur findings suggest a shared genetic architecture between vitamin D levels and ADHD symptoms, as evidenced by the associations observed with PGS and specific genes related to vitamin D levels. Interestingly, differential effects for vitamin D PGS were found in inattention and hyperactivity, which should be considered in further studies involving ADHD.

Elite-level women’s artistic gymnastics is (in)famous for the youth of its competitors. Yet if age representation constructs the limits and possibilities of sport, it is important to explore the effects of these representations. Here we examine media coverage of gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, who has competed internationally up to the age of 46. We conduct content analysis of 17 international competitions in which Chusovitina competed, from 2001 to 2018, exploring coverage of her and the younger gymnasts with whom she competed. As hegemonic masculinity structures a gender order in sport and beyond, we argue that gymnastics coverage constructs an age order in the sport by (1) emphasizing the exceptionality of older competitors; (2) focusing on athletes’ private lives; and (3) constructing the athlete-coach relationship as familial, where coaches are represented as surrogate parents. These techniques diminish the agency of young gymnasts and produce their youthfulness as hegemonic, treating athletes competing beyond their twenties as unworthy of serious attention. When older athletes like Chusovitina are categorized as outliers, the sports media is free to infantilize younger gymnasts, naturalizing their ostensible lack of agency, as well as the sport’s high burn-out and injury rate.

In this study, vine pruning wastes (VPW) were used as raw material to develop an alternative activated carbon (VPW-AC) for adsorbing and concentrating rare earth elements cerium (Ce(III)) and lanthanum (La(III)) from synthetic and real leachate solutions. The Ce and La adsorption studies evaluated the effects of VPW-AC dosage, pH, contact time, rare earth initial concentration, and temperature. The VPW-AC adsorbent was subjected to many physicochemical characterization methods to correlate and understand its adsorptive performance. The characterization data indicate a carbonaceous adsorbent with a specific surface area of 467 m2/g. Zeta potential indicates a material with a negatively charged surface at a pH higher than 3.1, which is extremely beneficial to cations removal. For both rare earths elements (REEs), the adsorption capacity increases with the increase of the pH, reaching its maximum at pH 4–6. The kinetic data are well fitted by Avrami-fractional order, while the Liu model agreeably fits equilibrium data. The maximum adsorption capacities for Ce(III) and La(III) are 48.45 and 53.65 mg/g at 298 K, respectively. The thermodynamic studies suggest that the adsorption process is favorable, spontaneous, and exothermic for both REEs. Pore filling, surface complexation, and ion exchange are the dominant mechanisms. Finally, the VPW-AC was subjected to the recovery of REEs from real phosphogypsum leachate, and it is proved that it can be successfully used to recover REEs in a real process.

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ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) at long term after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and to explore its relationship with extravalvular cardiac damage (EVCD). Moreover, we sought to test the correlation between angiography-derived index of microcirculatory resistance (IMRangio) and invasive IMR in patients with aortic stenosis (AS).MethodsThis was a retrospective analysis of the Verona Valvular Heart Disease Registry (Italy) including 250 patients (83 (80–86) years, 53% female) with severe AS who underwent TAVI between 2019 and 2021. IMRangiowas calculated offline using a computational flow model applied to coronary angiography obtained during the TAVI workup. CMD was defined as IMRangio≥30 units.The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular death and rehospitalisation for heart failure (HF). Advanced EVCD was defined as pulmonary circulation impairment, severe tricuspid regurgitation or right ventricular dysfunction.The correlation between IMR and IMRangiowas prospectively assessed in 31 patients undergoing TAVI.ResultsThe primary endpoint occurred in 28 (11.2%) patients at a median follow-up of 22 (IQR 12–30) months. Patients with CMD met the primary endpoint more frequently than those without CMD (22.9% vs 2.8%, p<0.0001). Patients with CMD were more frequently characterised by advanced EVCD (33 (31.4%) vs 27 (18.6%), p=0.024). CMD was an independent predictor of adverse outcomes (adjusted HR 6.672 (2.251 to 19.778), p=0.001) and provided incremental prognostic value compared with conventional clinical and imaging variables. IMRangiodemonstrated fair correlation with IMR.ConclusionsCMD is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality and HF after TAVI.

AC-PEI(H) was prepared by chemically grafting polyethyleneimine (PEI) onto activated carbon (AC), followed by acidification and protonation of the amino groups, resulting in positively charged ammonium moieties. The resulting materials are used for the adsorption of phosphate ions (H2PO4−) from water. The effects of temperature, contact time, and concentration on phosphate ions removal from wastewater were investigated. The structure, surface morphology and chemistry of AC-PEI(H) were characterized by SEM, XPS, FTIR, DSC, and ZP. The optimum adsorption conditions of phosphates were the temperature (285 K), the time (4 h), the mass of the adsorbent (0.40 g), and the initial pH of 5. Results showed that the removal efficiency of phosphate in simulated wastewater was estimated at 63.9 %. In addition, the utilization of NaOH as a regenerant for the H2PO4−-laden AC-PEI(H) can still reach more than 47 %. The chemical adsorption mechanism was proposed, suggesting the key role of the interaction between the terminal amine at the adsorbent surface and the phosphate. Reportedly, our prepared green adsorbent AC-PEI(H) could be regarded as an efficient candidate for high removal of phosphate in water, which could be promoted to treat other anionic salts in sewage.

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) disrupting PD-1/PD-L1 axis have revolutionized the management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Some studies identified the development of endocrine toxicity as predictor of better survival in cancer patients treated with ICPIs. The aim of study was to evaluate survival and new onset of immune-related endocrine adverse events (irAEs) in patients treated with nivolumab for advanced NSCLC. Methods: In a prospective study, 73 patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC received nivolumab in monotherapy. Blood samples were collected at each cycle to monitor thyroid autoimmunity, thyroid, adrenal and somatotroph axes, while thyroid morphology was evaluated by ultrasonography. Results: An impaired thyroid function was recorded in 23.4% of patients (n= 15). Eight patients developed asymptomatic transient thyrotoxicosis (ATT) evolving to hypothyroidism in 50% of cases. In addition, seven patients developed overt hypothyroidism without ATT and with negative autoantibodies. Patients who developed hypothyroidism proved to have better overall survival (OS) as compared with non-developers at both univariate (p= 0.021) and multivariate analyses (p= 0.023). The survival curve of patients with reduced IGF-I at baseline, or displaying its reduction during the follow-up, showed significantly reduced median survival compared to patients with normal/high IGF-I levels (p= 0.031). Conclusions: Thyroid function abnormalities are the major irAEs in patients treated with nivolumab, and hypothyroidism onset is associated with prolonged survival. Our findings indicate that the development of hypothyroidism is a positive predictive biomarker of nivolumab antitumor efficacy in patients with NSCLC. Low IGF-I levels could represent a negative prognostic factor during nivolumab therapy.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) had an impact with Dimorphos (a satellite of the asteroid Didymos) on 26 September 20221. Ground-based observations showed that the Didymos system brightened by a factor of 8.3 after the impact because of ejecta, returning to the pre-impact brightness 23.7 days afterwards2. Hubble Space Telescope observations made from 15 minutes after impact to 18.5 days after, with a spatial resolution of 2.1 kilometres per pixel, showed a complex evolution of the ejecta3, consistent with other asteroid impact events. The momentum enhancement factor, determined using the measured binary period change4, ranges between 2.2 and 4.9, depending on the assumptions about the mass and density of Dimorphos5. Here we report observations from the LUKE and LEIA instruments on the LICIACube cube satellite, which was deployed 15 days in advance of the impact of DART. Data were taken from 71 seconds before the impact until 320 seconds afterwards. The ejecta plume was a cone with an aperture angle of 140 ± 4 degrees. The inner region of the plume was blue, becoming redder with increasing distance from Dimorphos. The ejecta plume exhibited a complex and inhomogeneous structure, characterized by filaments, dust grains and single or clustered boulders. The ejecta velocities ranged from a few tens of metres per second to about 500 metres per second.

The separation of rare earth elements using diatomite M45 from aqueous solutions was studied. The experimental isotherms for the adsorption of trivalent lanthanum, cerium, and neodymium cations on this adsorbent were quantified under strongly acidic conditions (pH 2) at 298–328 K. The adsorption equilibria of these earth elements were analyzed using two statistical physics models (homogeneous and heterogeneous monolayer models). The results show that the adsorption of these ions implies a multi-ionic mechanism, which is exothermic. Si-containing functional groups are responsible for the adsorption of these rare-earth elements on the diatomite surface. A heterogeneous statistical physics model confirms that two Si-based functional groups participate in the separation of these cations. The calculated adsorption capacities at saturation follow the order: neodymium > cerium > lanthanum. Calculated interaction energies range from 28600 to 40100 J/mol, indicating physical adsorption on diatomite M45. This study demonstrates that diatomite M45 is a promising separation medium that can be used for the recovery of REEs dissolved in aqueous solutions via adsorption.

AbstractCoronavirus disease (COVID-19) has the virus that causes the SARS-CoV-2 severe acute respiratory syndrome, which has reached a pandemic proportion, with thousands of deaths worldwide already registered. It has no standardized effective clinical treatment, arousing the urgent need for the discovery of bioactive compounds for the treatment of symptoms of COVID-19. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the influence of seasonality on the yield and chemical composition of the essential oils of Piper cernuumand Piper rivinoidesas well as to evaluate the anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential of the major components of each oil by molecular docking and quantum chemical calculation (Density Functional Theory method), being possible indicate that the winter and autumn periods, the seasons of the year where it is possible to obtain the highest percentage of Piper cernuumand Piper rivinoidesoils, respectively. Regarding the anti-SARS-Cov-2 potential, the present work showed that the dihydroagarofuran present in Piper cernuum, presented a strong interaction with amino acid residues from Mpro, presenting a potential similar to Remdesivir, a drug for clinical use. Regarding methyltransferase, dihydroagarofuran (Piper cernuum) and myristicin (Piper rivinoids) showed better affinity, with important interactions at the active site of the inhibitor Sinefugin, suggesting a potential inhibitory effect of the heterodimer methyltransferase complex NSP16-NSP10 SARS Cov-2. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies represent an initial step, being indicative for future in vitrostudies of dihydroagarofuran and myristicin, as possible pharmacological tools for COVID-19.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Purpose To measure the central corneal thickness (CCT) using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) in older adults with and without pterygium from the Brazilian Amazon Region Eye Survey (BARES).Methods BARES is a population-based epidemiological cross-sectional study conducted in Parintins city. Participants were residents ≥45 years of age identified through a door-to-door interview. Eligible participants were invited for a comprehensive eye exam. Pterygium occurrence and severity were assessed by ophthalmologists through slit-lamp examination considering its location (nasal or/and temporal) and severity (lesion with extension <3 mm, ≥3 mm not reaching the pupillary margin or ≥3 mm reaching the pupillary margin). CCTs were obtained and measurements from the more severely affected eye were included. Images were analyzed offline by masked observers.Results A total of 671 subjects, 533 (79.4%) with pterygium in at least one eye and 138 (20.6%) without pterygium in either eye, were examined. The mean CCT evaluated by multiple linear regression and adjusted for demographic variables and pterygium severity was 521 ± 34 μm (median = 521; range = 304–665). Decreased CCT was significantly associated with age and pterygium severity. Individuals aged 65–74 years had CCT 7 μm thinner than those aged 45–54 years (p= 0.044), individuals aged 75 years and older had CCT 15 μm thinner than those aged 45–54 years (p= 0.001), and eyes with severe pterygium had CCT 33 μm thinner than eyes without pterygium (p< 0.001).Conclusions The CCT analysis in this population-based sample shows that a thinner cornea is associated with pterygium severity and older age.

The NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission performed a kinetic impact on asteroid Dimorphos, the satellite of the binary asteroid (65803) Didymos, at 23:14 UTC on 26 September 2022 as a planetary defence test1. DART was the first hypervelocity impact experiment on an asteroid at size and velocity scales relevant to planetary defence, intended to validate kinetic impact as a means of asteroid deflection. Here we report a determination of the momentum transferred to an asteroid by kinetic impact. On the basis of the change in the binary orbit period2, we find an instantaneous reduction in Dimorphos’s along-track orbital velocity component of 2.70 ± 0.10 mm s−1, indicating enhanced momentum transfer due to recoil from ejecta streams produced by the impact3,4. For a Dimorphos bulk density range of 1,500 to 3,300 kg m−3, we find that the expected value of the momentum enhancement factor, β, ranges between 2.2 and 4.9, depending on the mass of Dimorphos. If Dimorphos and Didymos are assumed to have equal densities of 2,400 kg m−3, β=3.61−0.25+0.19(1σ). These βvalues indicate that substantially more momentum was transferred to Dimorphos from the escaping impact ejecta than was incident with DART. Therefore, the DART kinetic impact was highly effective in deflecting the asteroid Dimorphos.

Some active asteroids have been proposed to be formed as a result of impact events1. Because active asteroids are generally discovered by chance only after their tails have fully formed, the process of how impact ejecta evolve into a tail has, to our knowledge, not been directly observed. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission of NASA2, in addition to having successfully changed the orbital period of Dimorphos3, demonstrated the activation process of an asteroid resulting from an impact under precisely known conditions. Here we report the observations of the DART impact ejecta with the Hubble Space Telescope from impact time T+ 15 min to T+ 18.5 days at spatial resolutions of around 2.1 km per pixel. Our observations reveal the complex evolution of the ejecta, which are first dominated by the gravitational interaction between the Didymos binary system and the ejected dust and subsequently by solar radiation pressure. The lowest-speed ejecta dispersed through a sustained tail that had a consistent morphology with previously observed asteroid tails thought to be produced by an impact4,5. The evolution of the ejecta after the controlled impact experiment of DART thus provides a framework for understanding the fundamental mechanisms that act on asteroids disrupted by a natural impact1,6.

The guarantee of traffic conditions with safety and comfort is one of the primary aims during a road structure design. Thus,this study aims to contribute to the roughness prediction, represented by the International Roughness Index (IRI), bydeveloping models that describe the functional performance of Brazilian pavements. With monitoring actions carried out insites located in Santa Maria/RS and Rio de Janeiro/RJ, the paper sought to evaluate the IRI's evolution. The mechanisticmethodology was inserted to the study's scope by predicting the IRI evolution using the average fatigue damage, which wascalculated with FlexPAVETM software. The procedure enabled the development of a mechanistic-empirical model, basedon the initial IRI obtained after the end of the construction process and the computationally asphalt layers calculateddamage. The developed model was also validated with other sites within the Brazilian territory, which results in significantpractical applicability.

to assess evidence available in the literature about the use of sedation and analgesia for intratracheal intubation of newborns.

A major challenge in treating petroleum-produced water is the effective removal of phenol and naphthenic acids, which requires tailored adsorbents due to their diverse structures, competitive adsorption, and non-polarity. We propose a green approach using sunflower seed hulls (SFSH) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) to produce a crosslinked adsorbent tailored towards removing aromatic compounds and reusability. Removal efficiencies greater than 90% were observed over a wide pH range for phenol (1 to 8) and cyclohexane carboxylic acid (1 to 3), respectively, demonstrating the versatility of the SFSH-β-CD adsorbent. Isothermal studies showed that phenol and cyclohexane carboxylic acid adsorption was best described by Sips (77.07mgg⁻¹) and Langmuir (74.66mgg⁻¹) models, respectively, being both exothermic and spontaneous. Reusing SFSH-β-CD in three assisted cycles employing NaOH(aq.) and ultrasound (328K, 200W, 26kHz, 30min) was possible, maintaining recovery efficiencies between 96% and 98%. This potential can be mainly attributed to the manipulations of hydrophobic interactions and H-bonds involving the neutral form of the molecules and the cavity of β-CD by employing highly alkaline media and bubble-induced effects. In addition, SFSH-β-CD achieved 95% removal of both compounds in a real petroleum-produced water sample in less than 180min. Thus, this work demonstrates that combining reversible surface interactions with ultrasound-assisted desorption offers a robust and sustainable strategy for the efficient cyclic removal of challenging contaminants from complex wastewater streams in the oil and gas industry.

This article presents a new method based on the combination of digital signal processing parameters for the selection of optimal characteristics of corona discharges in high voltage direct current (HVDC) systems, particularly for linearization of the discharge model for applications that require a simplified computational approach. The proposed method implements a new metric from the coefficient of variation (CV), CV $_{\mathbf {STFT}}$ , based on the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and the Hinkley criterion to measure the spectral variability and determine the corona discharge profile in different situations. An experimental analysis was performed by applying voltages between ±30 and ±100 kV in a conductor, and electrical current signals proportional to the corona effect were collected through a data acquisition system. The results indicated that the application of the new method was successful in quantifying, in a simple way, the percentage of growth of corona discharges as a function of the voltage applied within the range of 40–80 kHz. Moreover, it showed 90%, 91%, 92%, 97%, 89%, 92%, and 93% of reliability in calculating the root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) based on approximation by a linear model. The frequency band resulting from this study proved to be favorable to establishing a threshold for the percentage of corona discharge growth according to its profile or condition of application, indicating this information may be useful in the construction of mobile devices with low consumption and computational performance, meeting the demands of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things.

This study aimed to (i) investigate the soybean phosphorus (P) uptake linked to changes in soil P fractions, (ii) evaluate the influence of soil P level and soil texture on changes in the forms of P in soybean organs, and (iii) explore the contents of P in the plant organs as potential indicators of changes in soil P fractions. Soybean plants were grown under sand and clay soil textures (<20% and 41–60% clay, respectively) and contrasting P levels (Mehlich-1): sand high and low P (80 and 8 mg dm−3, respectively), clay high and low P (45 and 4 mg dm−3, respectively). Chemical P fractionations were performed in the rhizosphere soil and plant organs (roots, stems and petioles, leaves, and pods). The outcomes indicated that inorganic–P increased in the soil rhizosphere after soybean cultivation. Soil P pools with moderate and low lability, such as organic–P and calcium (Ca)–P, can be accessed in the rhizosphere, even under high P availability. Moreover, the P uptake better correlates with changes in the soil available–P (extracted by Mehlich-3). Lastly, the level of P in the soil differently affected P forms in the plant organs. In both soil textures, low P levels decreased the organic–P in the pods, the non-soluble–P in the roots, and the inorganic–P in plant leaves, stems, and petioles. Our study showed the possibility of using plant variables to predict soil P changes, representing a significant advance in understanding plant-soil interactions.

AbstractChagas disease infects approximately seven million people worldwide. Benznidazole is effective only in the acute phase of the disease, with an average cure rate of 80% between acute and recent cases. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new bioactive substances that can be effective against parasites without causing so many complications to the host. In this study, the triterpene 3β-6β-16β-trihydroxilup-20 (29)-ene (CLF-1) was isolated from Combretum leprosum, and its molecular structure was determined by NMR and infrared spectroscopy. The CLF-1 was also evaluated in vitroand in silicoas potential trypanocidal agent against epimastigote and trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi(Y strain). The CLF-1 demonstrated good results highlighted by lower IC50(76.0 ± 8.72 µM, 75.1 ± 11.0 µM, and 70.3 ± 45.4 µM) for epimastigotes at 24, 48 and 72 h, and LC50(71.6 ± 11.6 µM) for trypomastigotes forms. The molecular docking study shows that the CLF-1 was able to interact with important TcGAPDH residues, suggesting that this natural compound may preferentially exert its effect by compromising the glycolytic pathway in T. cruzi. The ADMET study together with the MTT results indicated that the CLF-1 is well-absorbed in the intestine and has low toxicity. Thus, this work adds new evidence that CLF-1 can potentially be used as a candidate for the development of new options for the treatment of Chagas disease.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Well-differentiated, low-grade neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are the most frequent tumor types of the small bowel. Despite their generally indolent growth patterns and grade, these tumors tend to metastasize; indeed, at presentation, approximately 50% show nodal metastases and 30% of patients have distant metastases, even though they potentially show long survival. Little is available in the literature concerning the optimal nodal yield in small-bowel resections, and the clinical significance of nodal metastases and lymph node ratio (LNR) at this site is still debated. The aim of this review, through a systematic literature search, is to explore and analyze data regarding nodal status, adequacy of lymphadenectomy, and LNR on the prognosis of small bowel NETs using defined end points (progression-free survival, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival). Some surgical series have demonstrated that extended regional mesenteric lymphadenectomy, together with primary tumor resection, is associated with improved patient survival, and LNR is proving a prognostically important parameter. The new feature of mesenteric tumor deposits (MTDs; neoplastic deposits found in the mesenteric perivisceral adipose tissue that are not LN associated) seems to be a better prognostic predictor in small-bowel NETs compared to nodal metastases, and this feature is explored and critiqued in this review. In particular, increasing number of tumor deposits is correlated with increased risk of disease-specific death, and MTDs seem to correlate with peritoneal carcinomatosis.

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ABSTRACTExplosive energy usage when fragmenting a rock mass is a complicated phenomenon. It is highly influenced by the rock mass response to higher stresses, higher loading rates, and the presence of discontinuities. An approach is presented to analyze the effects of rock mass properties on explosive energy. It is divided into steps to estimate blast energy, characterize the rock mass, assess failure mechanisms, and estimate damage zones using a combination of previously established methodologies. Through a case study in an open pit gold mine, five production shots are investigated of variable sizes with over 1,300 charged holes to analyze explosive energy–rock mass interactions. The ratio of in situ block size to the average fragmentation at variable distances from the charge is calculated to evaluate the effect of rock mass on energy distribution and fragmentation.

In this study, a high-quality porous sludge-activated carbon from a dairy-treatment effluent plant in México (ACSDM) was produced, characterized, and investigated in the adsorption of 8 different dyes. The main focus was establishing how the dyes' molecular characteristics affect adsorption. So, the intrinsic characteristics of the different dye molecules were correlated with the experimental adsorption data. ACSDM proved high quality, considering their textural properties and physical-chemical characteristics. Adsorption was efficient using the natural pH of each dye solution and 1 g L−1of ACSDM. The highest adsorption capacities were obtained in the following order: Methylene Blue (MB) (998.44 mg g−1), Crystal Violet (CV) (795.65 mg g−1), Fuchsine (F) (342.52 mg g−1), Direct Blue 86 (DB-86) (306.36 mg g−1), Alizarin Green (AG) (303.25 mg g−1), Reactive Black 5 (RB-5) (259.82 mg g−1), Methanil Yellow (MY) (252.81 mg g−1) and Amaranth Red (AR) (251.12 mg g−1). These results were obtained at 55 °C (endothermic process), except for MY, where the adsorption was exothermic (25 °C). Freundlich was the model that best fitted the DB-86, MB, and CV equilibrium data. While the Langmuir and Tóth models best fit the RB-5, AR, and MY isotherms. Tóth also best represented the F and AG data. Kinetic curves demonstrated that adsorption occurred faster for dyes MB, F, CV, MY, AR, and RB-5, respectively, reaching 90 %-99 % of their saturations in the first 30 minutes. Meanwhile, the adsorption of AG and DB-86 only about 85 % of the saturation occurred. The study indicated that molecular volume is the major variable in the dye adsorption process, as well as some individual chemical characteristics of the molecule.

Nicknamed 'Little Africa', the prosperous southern city of Guangzhou is home to Asia's largest African migrant population, who come to China for business opportunities, reputable universities and low living costs.More [...]

Choosing the right screwdriver for the job means careful consideration of many factors, including power source, clutch type and degree of automation. The screwdrivers used on the factory floor today […]

The possibility to accelerate electron beams to ultra-relativistic velocities over short distances by using plasma-based technology holds the potential for a revolution in the field of particle accelerators1–4. The compact nature of plasma-based accelerators would allow the realization of table-top machines capable of driving a free-electron laser (FEL)5, a formidable tool to investigate matter at the sub-atomic level by generating coherent light pulses with sub-ångström wavelengths and sub-femtosecond durations6,7. So far, however, the high-energy electron beams required to operate FELs had to be obtained through the use of conventional large-size radio-frequency (RF) accelerators, bound to a sizeable footprint as a result of their limited accelerating fields. Here we report the experimental evidence of FEL lasing by a compact (3-cm) particle-beam-driven plasma accelerator. The accelerated beams are completely characterized in the six-dimensional phase space and have high quality, comparable with state-of-the-art accelerators8. This allowed the observation of narrow-band amplified radiation in the infrared range with typical exponential growth of its intensity over six consecutive undulators. This proof-of-principle experiment represents a fundamental milestone in the use of plasma-based accelerators, contributing to the development of next-generation compact facilities for user-oriented applications9.

Context Soil maps are a fundamental tool for agriculture development and for land management planning. Digital soil mapping (DSM) consists of a group of techniques based on geotechnologies and statistics/geostatistics that helps soil specialists to map soil types and properties. Aims Four DSM strategies were applied in south-east Brazil. The goal was to visually delineate soil polygons with support of different strategies. Methods The delineation started with aerial photographs, followed by a bare soil image composition. Afterwards, it was added layers with landscape characterisation derived from digital terrain covariates and clustering analysis. Finally, digital clay content map from A and B horizons were used to produce a soil texture gradient raster (clay content increasing in depth). Key results The increasing number of polygons proved that the addition of covariates increased the detail level of the soil map, enhancing visualisation of the landscape variation, resulting on a map that substantially improved both national and state soil inventories. Conclusions We concluded that combining simple geotechnological tools might be of great utility for increasing detailed soil information proper for farmers and decision making. Implications Therefore, new soil information will be available for end users, supporting land management, food production sustainability, and soil conservation.

On 3–8 June 2022, the First International Aegean Conference on Mesenchymal Cells in Health & Disease took place in Chania, Crete, and brought together clinicians and scientists who work on mesenchymal or stromal cell biology across different fields including immunity, inflammation and cancer.

Based on cleaner production and circular economy concepts, chars were produced through thermochemical conversion of grape bagasse and then used as adsorbents to uptake Cu(II) from aqueous media since Cu(II) is a common element found in fungicides to treat grapevines. The grape bagasse and char characteristics were investigated through several analytical techniques (TGA, SEM, XRD, FTIR, and BET). Three chars were obtained using different pyrolysis temperatures: 700, 800, and 900 °C. The materials had similar removal percentages and adsorption capacity. The char produced at 700 °C was chosen due to its lower production cost. Studies were conducted on the adsorbent dosage and pH effect, adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics. The most efficient dosage was 1.5 g L−1, and the pH was 5.5. The kinetic study showed that the equilibrium was reached in 60 min and the pseudo-second-order model presents the best fit. After the temperature influence study (25, 35, 45, and 55 °C), it was possible to verify that Cu(II) adsorption through char was favored at 55 °C. The Freundlich model showed the best fit for the experimental data. The highest removal percentage was 96.56%, and the high maximum adsorption capacity was 42 mg g−1. The thermodynamic study shows the adsorption as a spontaneous process, favorable, and endothermic.

IntroductionCardiovascular benefits deriving from physical activity are well known, but it is unclear whether physical activity trajectories in late life are associated with different risks of cardiovascular diseases.MethodsProgetto Veneto Anziani (Pro.V.A.) is a cohort study of 3099 Italians aged ≥65 years with baseline assessment in 1995–1997 and follow-up visits at 4 and 7 years. Surveillance was extended to 2018 by linkage with hospital and mortality records. Prevalent and incident cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke) were identified through clinical examination, questionnaire, or hospital records. Moderate to vigorous physical activity was considered as a time-varying variable. Physical activity trajectories were categorised as: stable-low, high-decreasing, low-increasing and stable-high. Exposure was also assessed at 70, 75, 80 and 85 years.ResultsOverall, physical activity was associated with lower rates of incident cardiovascular diseases. A significant risk reduction was present among men and was stronger earlier in late life (70–75 years). Trajectories of stable-high physical activity were associated with a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular outcomes among men (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.86) compared with those with stable-low trajectories (p for trend 0.002). No significant association was found with stroke. The greatest cardiovascular risk reduction was observed for >20 min/day of physical activity, and was more marked at 70 years.ConclusionIncreasingly active trajectories of physical activity were associated with lower rates of cardiovascular diseases and overall mortality. Promoting at least 20 min/day of physical activity early in late life seems to provide the greatest cardiovascular benefits.

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Blood-red patches stain the streets of Myanmar's capital Yangon. At first it might look like something from a war zone, but the marks are made by betel nut, a debilitating [...]

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A new, efficient, and reusable inorganic adsorbent (NP.F) was easily synthesized using volcanic rock powder wastes (NP) as a precursor, with the synthesis of NP.F carried out at 550 ºC and with a ratio of NaOH (alkalinizing) and sample NP equal to 1. The samples were used in batch adsorption to uptake Ag+(aq.), Cu2+(aq.), acid green 16 (AG 16), and acid red 97 (AR 97) from aqueous solutions at pH 6.53, 5.98, and 2.3, respectively. NP and NP.F were characterized by different analytical techniques, such as XRD, FTIR, BET, TGA/DTG, etc. The adsorption kinetic carried out at 298 K for dye solutions with concentrations ranging from 50 to 200 mg L−1and metals from 10 to 100 mg L−1showed that data fit the pseudo-second-order mathematical model with rapid sorption and process equilibrium was reached after 30 min for dyes and 40 min for metal ions. The Sips model proved adequate to represent the adsorption isotherms of metallic ions and the dye AR 97, while the BET model represented the isotherms of the dye AG 16. The NP.F sample showed notable adsorption capacity for all the contaminants studied; for example, the adsorption capacity of the dye AR 97 was 295 mg g−1, while that of the Ag+ion was 93 mg g−1. Besides, the adsorption of Cu2+(aq.) ion, dyes AG 16, and AR 97 were endothermic, while the adsorption of Ag+(aq.) was exothermic. Furthermore, even after numerous subsequent adsorption cycles, the NP.F sample maintained a high reusability, suggesting that the sample is qualified to be an adsorbent for removing contaminants from liquid effluents. In conclusion, NP.F could be easily converted into an efficient inorganic adsorbent for colorants and metals.

Photoemission is one of the fundamental processes that describes the generation of charged particles from materials irradiated by photons. The continuous progress in the development of ultrashort lasers allows investigation into the dynamics of the process at the femtosecond timescale. Here we report about experimental measurements using two ultrashort ultraviolet laser pulses to temporally probe the electrons release from a copper cathode in a radio-frequency photoinjector. By changing their relative delay, we studied how the release mechanism is affected by two-photon photoemission when tens of GW/cm^2 intensities are employed. We evaluated the limits it poses on the achievable beam brightness and analyzed the resulting emission yield in terms of the electronic temperature by modeling the cathode as a two-temperature system.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess visual function by visually evoked potentials in adults with orbital and other primary brain tumors affecting the optic pathway.Methods: In this retrospective case–control series, patients with orbital (intraconal and extraconal) or midline/chiasmatic tumors were included. Visually evoked potentials using pattern-reversal visually evoked potential and flash visually evoked potential stimuli were performed according to the international standards. Outcome measures were visually evoked potential parameters of amplitude (µV) and peak times (ms) measured both for the P100 component (pattern-reversal visually evoked potentials) and the N2P2 complex (flash visually evoked potential). Individual results were also compared with gender-based normative values.Results: A group of 21 adult patients (17 females) and age- and sex-matched controls were evaluated. Tumor location was intraconal (6 meningiomas, 3 hemangiomas, 1 glioma), extraconal (6 meningiomas), and midline (3 pituitary adenomas, 2 hypothalamic/chiasmatic low-grade gliomas). Abnormal fundus (76%), abnormal pupillary reflexes (71%), reduced visual acuity (62%), strabismus (48%), and proptosis (38%) were present. Visually evoked potential abnormalities were found in at least one eye of all cases. Affected eyes had significantly reduced amplitudes and prolonged peak times for pattern-reversal visually evoked potentials (p< .001) and significantly reduced amplitudes for flash visually evoked potential (p< .001). In unilateral orbital tumors, abnormally prolonged pattern-reversal visually evoked potential peak times were also detected in some contralateral eyes (n= 6/16).Conclusion: Visually evoked potential abnormalities were found in all adult patients with orbital and other intracranial primary tumors, even in eyes with normal exam and good visual acuity. Visually evoked potential can be used as a non-invasive ancillary test to characterize and monitor visual function in subjects with these neoplastic lesions.

Next-generation plasma-based accelerators can push electron bunches to gigaelectronvolt energies within centimetre distances1,2. The plasma, excited by a driver pulse, generates large electric fields that can efficiently accelerate a trailing witness bunch3–5, enabling the realization of laboratory-scale applications ranging from high-energy colliders6to ultrabright light sources7. So far, several experiments have demonstrated large accelerations8–10but the resulting beam quality, particularly the energy spread, is still far from state-of-the-art conventional accelerators. Here we show the results of a beam-driven plasma acceleration experiment where we used an electron bunch as a driver followed by an ultrashort witness bunch. By setting a positive energy chirp on the witness bunch, its longitudinal phase space is rotated during acceleration, resulting in an ultralow energy spread that is even lower than the spread at the plasma entrance. This result will significantly impact the optimization of the plasma acceleration process and its implementation in forthcoming compact machines for user-oriented applications.

The optimum conditions for the removal of rhodamine B (RhB) dye present in wastewater was tested using commercial activated carbon (AC). Adsorption tests were carried out in order to evaluate the effects of pH, contact time and temperature; the kinetics of adsorption was studied for dye concentrations ranging from 20 to 500 mg L−1using pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order models. Equilibrium isotherms were analysed using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Sips models. Results showed that the AC had the highest adsorption capacity at pH 8.0 and a temperature of 25°C. The kinetic model that better fit the experimental data was pseudo-second order. The Sips isotherm showed the best performance and the adsorption capacity values were 147.58, 140.01, and 137.27 mg g−1for the temperatures of 25, 35 and 45°C, respectively. Results indicated that adsorption using activated carbon has great potential for rhodamine B removal from effluents generated during stone dyeing processes.

Phenformin is a drug in the biguanide class that was previously used to treat type 2 diabetes. We have reported the antitumor activities of phenformin to enhance the efficacy of BRAF–MAPK kinase–extracellular signal–regulated kinase pathway inhibition and to inhibit myeloid-derived suppressor cells in various melanoma models. Here we demonstrate that phenformin suppresses tumor growth and promotes keratinocyte differentiation in the 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene/12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate two-stage skin carcinogenesis mouse model. Moreover, phenformin enhances the suspension-induced differentiation of mouse and human keratinocytes. Mechanistically, phenformin induces the nuclear translocation of NFATc1 in keratinocytes in an AMPK-dependent manner. Pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of calcineurin and NFAT signaling reverses the effects of phenformin on keratinocyte differentiation. Taken together, our study reveals an antitumor activity of phenformin to promote keratinocyte differentiation that warrants future translational efforts to repurpose phenformin for the treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas.

The excess of fluoride ions in potable water is an important public health problem. This study has evaluated the thermal treatment process of a sludge from a water treatment plant at five different temperatures (200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 °C) to find a low-cost and eco-friendly adsorbent for fluoride removal. The sludge characterization was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis, point of zero charge, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and N2physisorption analysis, aiming to identify changes caused by the thermal treatment and its impact on F−adsorption. All the thermally treated samples were submitted to the same operational conditions in an adsorption experiment and compared with the raw sample. The thermally treated sludge showed the best adsorbent performance at 200 °C. By the use of this adsorbent material, the fluoride removal percentage was 98.13%, and the adsorption capacity was 1.05 mg g−1, resulting in a final fluoride concentration close to zero and meeting the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO). These results indicate that the thermal treatment of a water treatment plant sludge could be viable. On one side, thermal treatment is an option to treat problematic waste (sludge) generated in large amounts. On the other hand, this thermally treated sludge can be used as a largely available, accessible, eco-friendly, and low-cost adsorbent for fluoride removal from aqueous media.

There has been an increase in surgical interventions in frailer elderly with concomitant chronic diseases. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the impact of aging and comorbidities on outcomes in patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Veneto Region (Northeastern Italy). This is a retrospective cohort study in patients ≥ 40 years who underwent elective or urgent CRC surgical resection between January 2013 and December 2015. Independent variables included: age, sex, and comorbidities. We analyzed variables associated with the surgical procedure, such as stoma creation, hospitalization during the year before the index surgery, the surgical approach used, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index score. Eight thousand four hundred and forty-seven patients with CRC underwent surgical resection. Patient age affected both pre- and post-resection LOS as well as the overall survival (OS); however, it did not affect the 30-day readmission and reoperation rates. Multivariate analysis showed that age represented a risk factor for longer preoperative and postoperative LOS as well as for 30-day and 365-day mortality, but it was not associated with an increased risk of 30-day reoperation and 30-day readmission. Chronic Heart Failure increased the 30-day mortality risk by four times, the preoperative LOS by 51%, and the postoperative LOS by 33%. Chronic renal failure was associated with a 74% higher 30-day readmission rate. Advanced age and comorbidities require a careful preoperative evaluation and appropriate perioperative management to improve surgical outcomes in older patients undergoing elective or urgent CRC resection.