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The structural and electronic properties of (CdS, CdSe, and CdTe) compounds in rock-salt, zinc-blend, and wurtzite crystal structures were calculated using ab initio calculation. In addition to these properties, the thermodynamic properties were added advantage to clarify their comportment as temperature variation. Under the context of density functional theory DFT, the calculations were carried out using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave FP-LAPW approach. The generalized gradient approximations GGA-PBE established by Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof and the local density approximation LDA and modified Bucke Jhonson have both been employed for the exchange-correlation energy and related potential MBJ. The results show that the zinc-blend phases were the stable crystal structure for all compounds. The lowest direct band gap is found in the B3 phase for CdX, close to the experimental value. The values of band energies of CdS, CdSe, and CdTe were estimated to be 2,463 eV, 1,76 eV, and 1,532 eV, respectively. In general, this work fits well with other experimental and theoretical results. The quasiharmonic Debye theory is used to determine the impact of temperature and pressure on thermodynamic properties. This includes the calculation of pressure and temperature dependence, as well as the analysis of how heat capacity, thermal expansion, and the Debye temperature are affected by these variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction-Aim: Validated triage tools such as the Vittel criteria are essential to improve the care of trauma patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the Vittel triage criteria and the Injury Severity Score (ISS) to improve the accuracy of pre-hospital triage., Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study of all trauma patients transported by EMS over a two-year period (November 2021- November 2023). Vittel and (ISS) scores were calculated on admission. Predictive Vittel criteria were defined by independent risk factors for ISS>15 using a multiple logistic regression model with p-value < 0.05 and/or sensitivity (se)>50%, with positive Youden index (Yi)., Results: A total of 461 trauma patients were transported by EMS during the study period were included. The sex ratio was 5.3 and road traffic accidents accounted for 77.2%. An ISS>15 was found in 41% of participants, 25% required ICU admission and 23.9% died within 30 days. Using the above selection criteria, we identified seven key predictive criteria (OR CI 95%, se%, Yi) Glasgow coma scale<13(3.16 [1.91 5.24],44,0.25); fall>6 m(4.031[1.61-10.08],10,0.07); severe burn(23.89[10.21-55.93],6,0.02); Pelvic fracture (4.93 [1.19-20.32], 28, 0.25),suspected spinal cord injury(6.89 [2.79-16.96], 6, 0.05); Fluid resuscitation>1000 ml(-, 60.0. 11); Catecholamine (2.02 [1.09-3.75],51.0.27). Physiological variables (se 30%, Yi 0.16) and pre-hospital resuscitation(se 46%, Yi 0.18) were among the most relevant categories for predicting severity, similar to the full Vittel score., Conclusion: Seven criteria were associated with severe trauma (ISS score >15). Physiological variables and pre-hospital resuscitation were significant categories that may help to predict the severity of trauma and its impact on patients.

Electrocardiograms (ECGs) can be affected by various factors and technical problems. It is rare for an artefact to be the cause of ST-segment elevation, especially in asymptomatic patients. An important distinction between true ST segment elevation caused by myocardial infarction and an artefact is that the baseline elevation in an artefact may begin before or after the appearance of the QRS complex. When confronted with an abnormal ECG with suspicious waveform contours and possibly only one completely normal limb leads, the diagnosis of arterial pulse artefact should be considered. It is important to exclude subjective assessments unless they are clearly labelled as such., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2024 Bradai H et al.)

This study explores lignin-retaining transparent wood biocomposite production through a lignin-modification process coupled with epoxy resin. The wood's biopolymer structure, which includes cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, is reinforced with the resin through impregnation. This impregnation process involves filling the voids and pores within the wood structure with resin. Once the resin cures, it forms a strong bond with the wood fibers, effectively reinforcing the biopolymer matrix and enhancing the mechanical properties of the resulting biocomposite material. This synergy between the natural biopolymer structure of wood and the synthetic resin impregnation is crucial for achieving the desired optical transparency and mechanical performance in transparent wood. Investigating three distinct wood species allows a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between natural and transparent wood biocomposite properties. The findings unveil promising results, such as remarkable light transmittance (up to 95%) for Aspen transparent wood. Moreover, transparent wood sourced from White Spruce demonstrates excellent stiffness (E = 2450 MPa), surpassing the resin's Young's modulus. Also, the resin impregnation enhanced the thermal stability of natural wood. Conversely, transparent wood originating from Larch showcases superior impact resistance. These results reveal a clear correlation between wood characteristics such as density, anatomy, and mechanical properties, and the resulting properties of the transparent wood.

Incorporating biodegradable reinforcement, such as wood particles, into rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) is among the alternatives to reduce their environmental impact. This study aims to assess the effect of different wood particles as reinforcement in RPUFs. Reinforced rigid polyurethane foams are synthesized with milled wood particles of various forms and sizes and commercial polyol and isocyanate. The effect of fiber treatments and mechanical stirring on foams' properties is also studied. Additional tests on polyisocyanurate foams (PIR) were undertaken to assess the effect of reinforcement on their properties. Mechanical properties are measured to investigate the impact of wood particle reinforcement on the foam. Confocal microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed the interaction between the wood fibers and the matrix. Despite the adhesion observed for some fibers, most of the cell walls of RPUFs were punctured by the rigid wood fibers, which explained the decrease in the compressive strength of the composites for manually mixed foams. Mechanical stirring proved to be an efficient method to enhance the reinforcement power of untreated fibers. RPUF foams' properties showed similar changes when untreated wood flour was introduced to the formula, increasing compressive strength significantly.

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Introduction: Frail older adults are at an increased risk for adverse outcomes after an Emergency Department (ED) visit. Several tools exist for the screening of frailty among these patients. However, no tool has been validated in Tunisia. This study aims to evaluate the usefulness of frailty screening in predicting the outcome of older adults presenting to the ED., Methods: This is a prospective, monocentric study. We evaluated the eligible patients at the ED and after their discharge. Follow-up phone calls were scheduled at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months after the ED visit. All patients aged 65 years or older; and visiting the ED during the inclusion period were involved. We used the ADL index and ISAR scale for assessing frailty., Results: We enrolled 184 patients; they were living alone in 25% of cases. Half of them had medical care insurance. The ADL index was maximum (6 = total dependency) in 20% of cases. The ISAR score was above 1 point in 38%. Unplanned hospitalizations have accounted for 34%. In univariate analysis, the ADL index and ISAR score were statistically higher in the group of "unplanned hospitalization". In multivariate analysis, the ISAR score and ADL index have not been associated with unplanned hospitalization., Conclusion: Our results did not demonstrate the relevance of the ISAR or ADL scales in predicting the mortality or the need for unplanned hospitalization in multivariate analysis. This study did indicate an increased mortality in the "frail" patients in the univariate analysis. Further studies with larger samples and different tools are necessary., Competing Interests: The authors declared no conflicts of interest., (© 2020 African Federation for Emergency Medicine. Publishing services provided by Elsevier.)